Monday, May 24, 2004
Subject: Anybody But Bush Update: Bay of Goats
From: msanger@aol.com Add to Address Book
Date: Sat, 22 May 2004 21:30:47 -0700
((((((((((((((((( Anybody But Bush Update: Bay of
Goats )))))))))))))))))
May 23, 2004
------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.anybodybutbush.info/archives/000229.html
------------------------------------------------------------------------
By MAUREEN
DOWD
Published: May 23, 2004
So let me get this straight:
We ransacked the house of the con man whom we
paid millions to feed us
fake intelligence on W.M.D. that would make the
case for ransacking the
country that the con man assured us would be a
cinch to take over
because he wanted to run it.
And now we're shocked, shocked and awed to
discover that a crook is a
crook and we have nobody to turn over Iraq to,
and the Jordanian
embezzler-turned-American puppet-turned-accused
Iranian spy is trying
to foment even more anger against us and the U.N.
officials we've
crawled back to for help, anger that may lead to
civil war.
The party line that Paul Bremer was notified
about the raid on Ahmad
Chalabi's house after the fact is absurd. The
Iraqi police, who can't
seem to do anything without us, were just
proxies. We were going after
the very guy who persuaded us to go after Saddam,
the con man the naïve
neo-cons cast as de Gaulle; the swindler who sold
himself to Dick
Cheney and Paul Wolfowitz as Spartacus.
One diplomat from the region grimly cited an old
Punjabi saying: "It's
very bad when grandma marries a crook, but it is
even worse when she
divorces the crook."
Mr. Chalabi's wealthy family was swept out of
Iraq in a coup in 1958
and he spent much of his life plotting a coup to
take back his
homeland, a far-fetched scheme that took on life
when he hooked up with
Mr. Wolfowitz, Richard Perle and Doug Feith, who
had their own dream of
staging a coup of American foreign policy to do
an extreme Middle East
makeover.
The hawks dismissed warnings from their own
people — such as the Bush
Middle East envoy Gen. Anthony Zinni — that the
Iraqi National Congress
was full of "silk-suited, Rolex-wearing guys in
London." As General
Zinni told The Times in 2000: "They are pie in
the sky. They're going
to lead us to a Bay of Goats, or something like
that."
The C.I.A. and State Department, too, grew
disgusted with Mr. Chalabi,
even though State paid his organization $33
million from 2000 to 2003.
Cheney & Company swooned over Mr. Chalabi because
he was telling them
what they wanted to hear, that it would be simple
to go back and
rewrite the Persian Gulf war ending so that it
was not bellum
interruptus.
The president and his hawks insisted that only a
"relatively small
number" of "thugs," as Mr. Perle told George
Stephanopoulos last month,
were keeping the country from peace. Mr. Perle
said the solution was
"to repose a little bit of confidence in people
who share our values
and our objectives . . . people like Ahmad
Chalabi." The neo-cons still
think he can be Churchill.
On Thursday, an Iraqi judge, Hussain Muathin,
also lamented the actions
of "a small number of thugs." But he was
announcing warrants for the
arrest of thugs around Mr. Perle's own George
Washington, Chalabi
henchmen suspected of kidnapping, torture and
theft. Didn't we sack
Saddam to stop that stuff?
Now we're using Saddam's old generals to restore
order — reversing the
de-Baathification approach that Mr. Chalabi
championed — while Mr.
Chalabi snakes around like a bus-and-truck Tony
Soprano, garnering less
trust than Saddam in polls of Iraqis.
A half-dozen dunderheads who thought they knew
everything assumed they
could control Mr. Chalabi and use him as the
instrument of their
utopian fantasies. But one week after getting cut
off from the
$335,000-a-month Pentagon allowance arranged by
his neo-con buddies, he
glibly accepts the street cred that goes with
bashing America. And he
still won't give us all of Saddam's secret files,
which he confiscated
and is using to discredit his enemies.
Going from Spartacus to Moses, he proclaims to
America, "Let my people
go" — even as he plays footsie with the country
that once denounced the
U.S. as the Great Satan.
On Friday at Louisiana State University,
President Bush told graduates:
"On the job and elsewhere in life, choose your
friends carefully. The
company you keep has a way of rubbing off on you
— and that can be a
good thing, or a bad thing. In my job, I got to
pick just about
everybody I work with. I've been happy with my
choices — although I
wish someone had warned me about all of Dick
Cheney's wild partying."
Mr. Bush thought he was kidding, but too bad he
didn't get that warning
before Dick Cheney took the world on such a wild
ride.
E-mail: liberties@nytimes.com
--
Powered by Movable Type
Version 2.64
http://www.movabletype.org/
From: msanger@aol.com Add to Address Book
Date: Sat, 22 May 2004 21:30:47 -0700
((((((((((((((((( Anybody But Bush Update: Bay of
Goats )))))))))))))))))
May 23, 2004
------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.anybodybutbush.info/archives/000229.html
------------------------------------------------------------------------
By MAUREEN
DOWD
Published: May 23, 2004
So let me get this straight:
We ransacked the house of the con man whom we
paid millions to feed us
fake intelligence on W.M.D. that would make the
case for ransacking the
country that the con man assured us would be a
cinch to take over
because he wanted to run it.
And now we're shocked, shocked and awed to
discover that a crook is a
crook and we have nobody to turn over Iraq to,
and the Jordanian
embezzler-turned-American puppet-turned-accused
Iranian spy is trying
to foment even more anger against us and the U.N.
officials we've
crawled back to for help, anger that may lead to
civil war.
The party line that Paul Bremer was notified
about the raid on Ahmad
Chalabi's house after the fact is absurd. The
Iraqi police, who can't
seem to do anything without us, were just
proxies. We were going after
the very guy who persuaded us to go after Saddam,
the con man the naïve
neo-cons cast as de Gaulle; the swindler who sold
himself to Dick
Cheney and Paul Wolfowitz as Spartacus.
One diplomat from the region grimly cited an old
Punjabi saying: "It's
very bad when grandma marries a crook, but it is
even worse when she
divorces the crook."
Mr. Chalabi's wealthy family was swept out of
Iraq in a coup in 1958
and he spent much of his life plotting a coup to
take back his
homeland, a far-fetched scheme that took on life
when he hooked up with
Mr. Wolfowitz, Richard Perle and Doug Feith, who
had their own dream of
staging a coup of American foreign policy to do
an extreme Middle East
makeover.
The hawks dismissed warnings from their own
people — such as the Bush
Middle East envoy Gen. Anthony Zinni — that the
Iraqi National Congress
was full of "silk-suited, Rolex-wearing guys in
London." As General
Zinni told The Times in 2000: "They are pie in
the sky. They're going
to lead us to a Bay of Goats, or something like
that."
The C.I.A. and State Department, too, grew
disgusted with Mr. Chalabi,
even though State paid his organization $33
million from 2000 to 2003.
Cheney & Company swooned over Mr. Chalabi because
he was telling them
what they wanted to hear, that it would be simple
to go back and
rewrite the Persian Gulf war ending so that it
was not bellum
interruptus.
The president and his hawks insisted that only a
"relatively small
number" of "thugs," as Mr. Perle told George
Stephanopoulos last month,
were keeping the country from peace. Mr. Perle
said the solution was
"to repose a little bit of confidence in people
who share our values
and our objectives . . . people like Ahmad
Chalabi." The neo-cons still
think he can be Churchill.
On Thursday, an Iraqi judge, Hussain Muathin,
also lamented the actions
of "a small number of thugs." But he was
announcing warrants for the
arrest of thugs around Mr. Perle's own George
Washington, Chalabi
henchmen suspected of kidnapping, torture and
theft. Didn't we sack
Saddam to stop that stuff?
Now we're using Saddam's old generals to restore
order — reversing the
de-Baathification approach that Mr. Chalabi
championed — while Mr.
Chalabi snakes around like a bus-and-truck Tony
Soprano, garnering less
trust than Saddam in polls of Iraqis.
A half-dozen dunderheads who thought they knew
everything assumed they
could control Mr. Chalabi and use him as the
instrument of their
utopian fantasies. But one week after getting cut
off from the
$335,000-a-month Pentagon allowance arranged by
his neo-con buddies, he
glibly accepts the street cred that goes with
bashing America. And he
still won't give us all of Saddam's secret files,
which he confiscated
and is using to discredit his enemies.
Going from Spartacus to Moses, he proclaims to
America, "Let my people
go" — even as he plays footsie with the country
that once denounced the
U.S. as the Great Satan.
On Friday at Louisiana State University,
President Bush told graduates:
"On the job and elsewhere in life, choose your
friends carefully. The
company you keep has a way of rubbing off on you
— and that can be a
good thing, or a bad thing. In my job, I got to
pick just about
everybody I work with. I've been happy with my
choices — although I
wish someone had warned me about all of Dick
Cheney's wild partying."
Mr. Bush thought he was kidding, but too bad he
didn't get that warning
before Dick Cheney took the world on such a wild
ride.
E-mail: liberties@nytimes.com
--
Powered by Movable Type
Version 2.64
http://www.movabletype.org/
Friday, May 21, 2004
David Corn: Conquest games: Just when Iraq gets ugly, neocons talk of taking over the world. Why are these people so nuts?
- Dear MoveOn member,
It's time to raise the stakes in our demand that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld be fired. We need your help today to put a powerful new TV ad on the air.
We now know Rumsfeld personally approved a policy that "encouraged physical coercion and sexual humiliation of Iraqi prisoners," violating their fundamental human rights under the Geneva convention.1 Our new ad will help make sure everyone in the country knows about Rumsfeld’s direct responsibility for the prisoner debacle, but to air it we need your help. Here's the script:
The screen pans slowly up the Statue of Liberty, ultimately revealing that her head is hooded. The narrator says:
"They said we were going to Iraq to bring American values: democracy, liberty, justice. But something has gone terribly wrong."
"It's been reported that Donald Rumsfeld initiated a plan that encouraged the physical coercion and sexual humiliation of prisoners, violations of international law. Rumsfeld has placed the men under his command in even more danger."
"Why hasn't George Bush fired this man?"
Click here to help us put this ad on the air:
https://www.moveon.org/hooded/
New evidence of Rumsfeld's responsibility for the torture at Abu Ghraib prison is surfacing daily,2 and on Tuesday his top deputy admitted seriously miscalculating the Iraqis' willingness to put up with the American occupation.3 Yet President Bush still refuses to remove Rumsfeld from his post.
Although Bush has apologized to the world for the torture, every day Rumsfeld keeps his job sends the opposite message -- that Americans don't mind all that much.
Every day Rumsfeld stays, Iraq grows more volatile, increasing the danger to our troops. Every day he stays, Iraqis who work with us are killed, recently including the president of the Iraqi Governing Council. And every day Rumsfeld stays, potential terrorists harden in their anger toward America. Yet, in the face of this snowballing disaster, Bush's posture boils down to an arrogant "so what?".
It's time to make our demand for accountability impossible for Bush to ignore. We're taking our campaign to the next level, beginning with this TV ad. We'll also run radio and print ads soon, and next week we'll hold constituent meetings with dozens of key Senate and House offices, calling for Rumsfeld's ouster.
Michael Berg, whose son Nicholas was recently beheaded in Iraq, said: "I can't stand even more than those murderers who took my son's life, those who sit and make policies to end lives and break the lives of the still living."4
We need your help today to jump-start our campaign to fire Rumsfeld. Click here to help get our ads on the air:
https://www.moveon.org/hooded/
Every time we ask for your help, you step up. Thank you, more than we can say.
Sincerely,
--Carrie, Joan, Noah, Peter, and Wes
The MoveOn.org Team
Thursday, May 20th, 2004
Footnotes:
1. THE GRAY ZONE, How a secret Pentagon program came to Abu Ghraib, by Seymour Hersh, The New Yorker
2. These recent stories reinforce this:
Soldier Says Intelligence Directed Abuse
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/20/international/middleeast/20ABUS.html?hp
Officer Says Army Tried to Curb Red Cross Visits to Prison in Iraq
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/19/politics/19PAPP.html
3. Washington Post: U.S. Faces Growing Fears of Failure: Wolfowitz Concedes Errors as Damage Control Continues
4. Statement of Michael Berg, father of Nicholas Berg, to the U.K.'s Stop The War Coalition, May 16th, 2004
Monday, May 17, 2004
THE GRAY ZONE: by SEYMOUR M. HERSH How a secret Pentagon program came to Abu Ghraib. 
of 2004-05-24 Posted 2004-05-15"
of 2004-05-24 Posted 2004-05-15"
Friday, May 14, 2004
Tuesday, May 04, 2004
- ((( Anybody But Bush Update: Iraqi prisoner
prefers Saddam's torture )))
May 03, 2004
------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.anybodybutbush.info/archives/000224.html
------------------------------------------------------------------------
by ttagaris
Mon May 3rd, 2004 at 02:37:09 EST
I really wish this headline came from The Onion,
or maybe Mad Magazine,
but it doesn't; the article comes from the
Associated Press.
When I read quotes like this, I begin to worry:
"Al-Shweiri said that while jailed by Saddam's
regime, he was
electrocuted, beaten and hung from the ceiling
with his hands tied
behind his back.
"But that's better than the humiliation of being
stripped naked," he
said. 'Shoot me here,' he added, pointing between
his eyes, 'but don't
do this to us."
read
the associated press article
Diaries :: ttagaris's diary ::
Now, I was in the United States Marine Corps, and
I really don't want
to pass judgement on anyone committing these acts
against Iraqis,
whoever they may be.
In my eyes, the vast majority of people that I
served with were great
people, some of the best I have ever met in my
life, and I am proud to
have served with each and every one of them.
What gives me pause, and makes me sad above all
else, is the
transformation many of our men and women must
have gone through since
arriving in Iraq. The people I served, I could
not fathom
participating in acts such as these.
While I have never served in combat, I know we
have all heard from
friends, relatives, or accounts on television and
through conversations
on-line about how you come back a changed person.
The experience of war
and death up-close is so powerful, that it
demands a mental
transformation as a defense mechanism.
I can't help but shake the feeling that these
troops that tortured
Iraqis are not just a few bad apples, but these
are just a small
handful of the good apples that have have gone
rotten after exposure to
the horrors of war.
I can't speak for the friends that I served with,
maybe they wish to
stay in Iraq. The last I heard they were digging
graves every day from
the time they woke up, until they were done for
the day. I can't
imagine that job doing any help for the fragile
mind of a young man
10's of thousands of miles away from home,
watching death up-close
every day. I would like them to come home.
Tim
Friday, April 23, 2004
Save The Date! August 29, 2004, The World Says No to the Bush Agenda MASS WORLDWIDE PROTEST DURING THE 2004 REPUBLICAN CONVENTION IN NEW YORK CITY From: United for Peace and Justice
hello. how are you? here are some Ted Rall editorials.
PIN THE TALE ON THE DONKEY
Desperate, Bush Blames Democrats for Iraq
WHERE WAS THE AIR FORCE?
The Real Question on 9-11
CUT AND RUN NOW
Only Lunatics Keep Fighting an Unwinnable War
BILL CLINTON CAUSED 9/11
PRESIDENT KERRY
keep it peaceful.
PIN THE TALE ON THE DONKEY
Desperate, Bush Blames Democrats for Iraq
WHERE WAS THE AIR FORCE?
The Real Question on 9-11
CUT AND RUN NOW
Only Lunatics Keep Fighting an Unwinnable War
BILL CLINTON CAUSED 9/11
PRESIDENT KERRY
keep it peaceful.
Thursday, April 01, 2004
IF WAR IS WORLDWIDE, SO MUST BE DIALOGUE
This week on www.openDemocracy.net, our electronic roundtable about
terrorism, democracy and war after Madrid continues with contributions
from Mai Ghoussoub, Kirsty Hughes and John Lloyd.
John Hulsman in Washington seeks transatlantic unity against al-Qaida;
Sari Nusseibeh in Jerusalem measures Palestine’s future after Sheikh
Yassin; Sabine Freizer in Tbilisi uncovers the Uzbek market bombings and
Paul Rogers in Yorkshire places Iraqi fury in the context of a pattern of
violence across south Asia.
Plus: Antje Vollmer, vice-president of Germany’s Bundestag, resists the
conscription of Immanuel Kant into the “coalition of the willing”.
--------------
THE WEEK'S TOP FIVE
PALESTINE’S PROSPECTS AFTER GAZA: AN INTERVIEW WITH SARI NUSSEIBEH
Israel’s killing of Hamas’s leader convulsed the region. But the leading
Palestinian scholar SARI NUSSEIBEH, talking to LINDA BENEDIKT, takes a
longer-term view
http://www.opendemocracy.net/email/ed3705/benedikt_010404.jsp
IMMANUEL KANT AND IRAQ: A REPLY TO ROGER SCRUTON
The German Green politician ANTJE VOLLMER disagrees with the English
philosopher ROGER SCRUTON: the philosopher of reason and law would have
opposed the war
http://www.opendemocracy.net/email/ed3705/vollmer_010404.jsp
MIDNIGHT IN TASHKENT
The reclusive Central Asian state of Uzbekistan is reeling from a surge
of anti-state violence. A lesson for the autocratic Tashkent regime and
its international sponsors alike, says SABINE FREIZER
http://www.opendemocracy.net/email/ed3705/freizer_010404.jsp
HIJAB HYSTERIA: FRANCE AND ITS MUSLIMS
France has banned the Islamic headscarf in schools. Undemocratic and
illiberal, argues SVEND WHITE – but Muslims too must examine their hijab
obsession
http://www.opendemocracy.net/email/ed3705/white_010404.jsp
ATOCHA: A VIEW FROM WASHINGTON
After the Madrid terrorist bombings, America and Europe need to unify
against a common enemy, says JOHN C. HULSMAN of the Heritage Foundation
http://www.opendemocracy.net/email/ed3705/hulsman_010404.jsp
--------------
THE MOMENT TO SUPPORT
Since the Madrid bombings, we have brought you a serious, wide-ranging,
international discussion of the implications for Europe and the “war on
terror”. The space for debate and constructive dialogue created by
openDemocracy has rarely seemed so vital. With this in mind subscriptions
stay independent and free to members who can't afford to pay. Just
£25/$40/€40 will make sure that we stay accessible to everyone. Click
here to pay online or call Theo Edwards at +44 (0) 207 608 2000
http://www.openDemocracy.net/SUPPORT5.html
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?
Does openDemocracy leave you feeling inspired, serene, angry, alarmed?
Get it out. Email me, Sarah Lindon at: readerseditor_at_opendemocracy_dot_net
50--------------
COLUMNS
EDITOR’S NOTE: VOICING AMERICA
In this crucial election year, openDemocracy seeks an engagement with
America that opens minds and crosses frontiers, says ANTHONY BARNETT
http://www.opendemocracy.net/email/ed3705/barnett_010404.jsp
GLOBAL SECURITY: A WEEK OF VENGEANCE
In Iraq, ferocious violence; in Uzbekistan, market bombs; in southern
Thailand, turmoil; in Pakistan, humiliation; in London, fear. PAUL ROGERS
tracks a spreading arc of conflict
http://www.opendemocracy.net/email/ed3705/rogers_010404.jsp
OUR ELECTION YEAR: THE PRESIDENT’S MEN
TODD GITLIN, in the Greek home of democracy, is struck by how the evasive
wordplay even of “international” media exculpates the Bushites
http://www.opendemocracy.net/email/ed3705/gitlin_010404.jsp
WHAT DO WE HAVE FAITH IN? MODERATE DREAMS AND INSPIRATION
After utopia, pragmatism; after millennial dreams, negotiated
improvements. DAVE BELDEN asks if romance can be found in small change
http://www.opendemocracy.net/email/ed3705/belden_010404.jsp
WORLD DIARY: RECIPE FOR DISASTER
DOMINIC HILTON keeps his weekly engagement with reality
http://www.opendemocracy.net/email/ed3705/worlddiary_010404.jsp
---------------
Please forward this email to friends and colleagues!
Email preferences:
To change your default email to html, and to manage other aspects of your
account, please log into the openDemocracy website and go to MY ACCOUNT.
openDemocracy.net never sends unsolicited email. To stop receiving this
free and informative email, please contact
theo.edwards@opendemocracy.net with the word REMOVE in the subject line
(don't forget to tell us why - we can always improve)
Send cheques, postcards and letters to:
openDemocracy, 23-25 Great Sutton Street, London EC1V 0DN, UK
tel: +44 (0)20 7608 2000
fax: +44 (0)20 7608 2666
This week on www.openDemocracy.net, our electronic roundtable about
terrorism, democracy and war after Madrid continues with contributions
from Mai Ghoussoub, Kirsty Hughes and John Lloyd.
John Hulsman in Washington seeks transatlantic unity against al-Qaida;
Sari Nusseibeh in Jerusalem measures Palestine’s future after Sheikh
Yassin; Sabine Freizer in Tbilisi uncovers the Uzbek market bombings and
Paul Rogers in Yorkshire places Iraqi fury in the context of a pattern of
violence across south Asia.
Plus: Antje Vollmer, vice-president of Germany’s Bundestag, resists the
conscription of Immanuel Kant into the “coalition of the willing”.
--------------
THE WEEK'S TOP FIVE
PALESTINE’S PROSPECTS AFTER GAZA: AN INTERVIEW WITH SARI NUSSEIBEH
Israel’s killing of Hamas’s leader convulsed the region. But the leading
Palestinian scholar SARI NUSSEIBEH, talking to LINDA BENEDIKT, takes a
longer-term view
http://www.opendemocracy.net/email/ed3705/benedikt_010404.jsp
IMMANUEL KANT AND IRAQ: A REPLY TO ROGER SCRUTON
The German Green politician ANTJE VOLLMER disagrees with the English
philosopher ROGER SCRUTON: the philosopher of reason and law would have
opposed the war
http://www.opendemocracy.net/email/ed3705/vollmer_010404.jsp
MIDNIGHT IN TASHKENT
The reclusive Central Asian state of Uzbekistan is reeling from a surge
of anti-state violence. A lesson for the autocratic Tashkent regime and
its international sponsors alike, says SABINE FREIZER
http://www.opendemocracy.net/email/ed3705/freizer_010404.jsp
HIJAB HYSTERIA: FRANCE AND ITS MUSLIMS
France has banned the Islamic headscarf in schools. Undemocratic and
illiberal, argues SVEND WHITE – but Muslims too must examine their hijab
obsession
http://www.opendemocracy.net/email/ed3705/white_010404.jsp
ATOCHA: A VIEW FROM WASHINGTON
After the Madrid terrorist bombings, America and Europe need to unify
against a common enemy, says JOHN C. HULSMAN of the Heritage Foundation
http://www.opendemocracy.net/email/ed3705/hulsman_010404.jsp
--------------
THE MOMENT TO SUPPORT
Since the Madrid bombings, we have brought you a serious, wide-ranging,
international discussion of the implications for Europe and the “war on
terror”. The space for debate and constructive dialogue created by
openDemocracy has rarely seemed so vital. With this in mind subscriptions
stay independent and free to members who can't afford to pay. Just
£25/$40/€40 will make sure that we stay accessible to everyone. Click
here to pay online or call Theo Edwards at +44 (0) 207 608 2000
http://www.openDemocracy.net/SUPPORT5.html
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?
Does openDemocracy leave you feeling inspired, serene, angry, alarmed?
Get it out. Email me, Sarah Lindon at: readerseditor_at_opendemocracy_dot_net
50--------------
COLUMNS
EDITOR’S NOTE: VOICING AMERICA
In this crucial election year, openDemocracy seeks an engagement with
America that opens minds and crosses frontiers, says ANTHONY BARNETT
http://www.opendemocracy.net/email/ed3705/barnett_010404.jsp
GLOBAL SECURITY: A WEEK OF VENGEANCE
In Iraq, ferocious violence; in Uzbekistan, market bombs; in southern
Thailand, turmoil; in Pakistan, humiliation; in London, fear. PAUL ROGERS
tracks a spreading arc of conflict
http://www.opendemocracy.net/email/ed3705/rogers_010404.jsp
OUR ELECTION YEAR: THE PRESIDENT’S MEN
TODD GITLIN, in the Greek home of democracy, is struck by how the evasive
wordplay even of “international” media exculpates the Bushites
http://www.opendemocracy.net/email/ed3705/gitlin_010404.jsp
WHAT DO WE HAVE FAITH IN? MODERATE DREAMS AND INSPIRATION
After utopia, pragmatism; after millennial dreams, negotiated
improvements. DAVE BELDEN asks if romance can be found in small change
http://www.opendemocracy.net/email/ed3705/belden_010404.jsp
WORLD DIARY: RECIPE FOR DISASTER
DOMINIC HILTON keeps his weekly engagement with reality
http://www.opendemocracy.net/email/ed3705/worlddiary_010404.jsp
---------------
Please forward this email to friends and colleagues!
Email preferences:
To change your default email to html, and to manage other aspects of your
account, please log into the openDemocracy website and go to MY ACCOUNT.
openDemocracy.net never sends unsolicited email. To stop receiving this
free and informative email, please contact
theo.edwards@opendemocracy.net with the word REMOVE in the subject line
(don't forget to tell us why - we can always improve)
Send cheques, postcards and letters to:
openDemocracy, 23-25 Great Sutton Street, London EC1V 0DN, UK
tel: +44 (0)20 7608 2000
fax: +44 (0)20 7608 2666
Friday, March 26, 2004
Secrets of Timothy McVeigh Lingering questions about the Oklahoma City bombing by Jim Crogan MARCH 26 - APRIL 1, 2004 + Powerlines: Drip. Drip. Drip. Former counter-terrorism honcho Richard Clarke is the latest high-level tattler from the Bush administration. BY HAROLD MEYERSON # Dissonance: Oh, stop the gloating over Richard Clarke. The fiends who want to do us in are still out there. BY MARC COOPER
MARCH 26 - APRIL 1, 2004 + Powerlines: Drip. Drip. Drip. Former counter-terrorism honcho Richard Clarke is the latest high-level tattler from the Bush administration. BY HAROLD MEYERSON # Dissonance: Oh, stop the gloating over Richard Clarke. The fiends who want to do us in are still out there. BY MARC COOPER
- Subject: Urgent: Spread 9/11 and Iraq Revelations
Several days ago, former White House counterterrorism chief Richard Clarke revealed how the Bush administration systematically mishandled 9/11 and Iraq. Help us get Clarke's comments in front of the American people in a new hard-hitting ad.
Dear MoveOn member,
As you may have heard, Richard Clarke, a former counter-terrorism advisor to Bush, and a registered Republican who has worked in every administration since Reagan, has exposed Bush's mishandling of 9/11 and the war on Iraq.1 In his book "Against All Enemies," Clarke does an amazing job of presenting the facts and connecting the dots. Instead of refuting Clarke's claims, the Bush Administration has launched a campaign of character assassination, hoping that the story will just go away.2
We're committed to stopping that from happening by making sure that the American public hears Clarke's extraordinary comments. If we can raise $300,000 in the next few days, we can run a hard-hitting ad nationally that highlights his message. You can see a rough story board of the ad and donate to get it on the air at:
https://www.moveonpac.org/clarkead.html?id=2487-3261555-xE9LEb2n3CqsdZQRdaDWEA
When the World Trade Center was hit on the morning of 9/11, National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice dubbed Richard Clarke, the administration's top counter-terrorism official, "crisis manager."3 As the White House, which was thought to be the next target, was evacuated, Clarke heroically stayed on, coordinating the government's response from the Situation Room in the West Wing.4
Clarke is viewed by colleagues as a hawk, a "true believer" who doesn't play partisan politics.5 So the shocking facts he revealed about the Bush administration's approach to terrorism before 9/11 and its response after must be taken seriously. On Sunday, Clarke told reporters that the President and Defense Secretary downgraded counter-terrorism and ignored repeated warnings about an al Qaeda attack prior to 9/11. And, perhaps even more explosive, Clarke revealed that President Bush and senior administration officials wanted to bomb Iraq after 9/11 even though they knew that it had no connection to al Qaeda, and that al Qaeda was responsible for the attacks.6
Already, the White House spin machine is in overdrive. Since they can't rebut Clarke's facts -- which independent witnesses have confirmed7 -- they're trying to paint him as an angry partisan, even though he's a Republican. But Clarke's words remain a searing indictment of the Bush Administration's campaign against terrorism. Together, if we act today, we can beat back the spin by widely airing a TV ad which gets these uniquely credible comments directly to TV viewers.
You can view a story board of the ad and help us get it on the air now at:
https://www.moveonpac.org/clarkead.html?id=2487-3261555-xE9LEb2n3CqsdZQRdaDWEA
In his own words, here are some of Clarke's revelations:
* Clarke repeatedly warned the Bush Administration about attacks from al Qaeda, starting in the first days of Bush's term. "But on January 24th, 2001, I wrote a memo to Condoleezza Rice asking for, urgently -- underlined urgently -- a Cabinet-level meeting to deal with the impending al Qaeda attack. And that urgent memo-- wasn't acted on."8 According to another Bush administration security official, Clarke "was the guy pushing hardest, saying again and again that something big was going to happen, including possibly here in the U.S." The official added that Clarke was likely sidelined because he had served in the previous (Clinton) administration.9
* In face-to-face meetings, CIA Director George Tenet warned President Bush repeatedly in the months before 9/11 that an attack was coming. According to Clarke, Tenet told the President that "A major al-Qaeda attack is going to happen against the United States somewhere in the world in the weeks and months ahead."10
* On September 12, 2001, Donald Rumsfeld pushed to bomb Iraq even though they knew that al Qaeda was in Afghanistan. "Rumsfeld was saying that we needed to bomb Iraq," Clarke said. "And we all said ... no, no. Al-Qaeda is in Afghanistan. We need to bomb Afghanistan. And Rumsfeld said there aren't any good targets in Afghanistan. And there are lots of good targets in Iraq. I said, 'Well, there are lots of good targets in lots of places, but Iraq had nothing to do with it.'"11
* Also on September 12, 2001, President Bush personally pushed Clarke to find evidence that Iraq was behind the attacks. From the New York Times: "'I want you, as soon as you can, to go back over everything, everything,' Mr. Clarke writes that Mr. Bush told him. 'See if Saddam did this. See if he's linked in any way.' When Mr. Clarke protested that the culprit was Al Qaeda, not Iraq, Mr. Bush testily ordered him, he writes, to 'look into Iraq, Saddam,' and then left the room."12
* The Bush Administration knew from the beginning that there was no connection between Iraq and 9/11, but created the misperception in order to push their policy goals. "[Rumsfeld, Cheney and Bush] did know better. They did know better. They did know better. We told them, the CIA told them, the FBI told them. They did know better. And the tragedy here is that Americans went to their death in Iraq thinking that they were avenging September 11th, when Iraq had nothing to do with September 11th. I think for a commander-in-chief and a vice president to allow that to happen is unconscionable."13
* The war on Iraq has increased the danger of terrorism. In his book, he writes that shifting from al Qaeda to Iraq "launched an unnecessary and costly war in Iraq that strengthened the fundamentalist, radical Islamic terrorist movement worldwide."14
It's been well reported that President Bush intends to run on his record as a wartime President. Clarke's revelations show how deeply flawed that record is. But if we don't act fast, the public may not have a chance to evaluate the facts for themselves -- the story could go away quickly. With an ad, we can take Clarke's comments directly to the public. Can you help? Check out the script and donate whatever you can to get this story out there at:
https://www.moveonpac.org/clarkead.html?id=2487-3261555-xE9LEb2n3CqsdZQRdaDWEA
(By the way, if we're unable to use your contribution for the ad you specify, either because of oversubscription or for another unforeseen reason, it is our policy to use your contribution for other advertising, public relations, and advocacy activities.)
Richard Clarke had an intimate view -- perhaps the best view -- of how the Bush Administration responded to terrorism. So we should all listen carefully when he says:
"Frankly, I find it outrageous that the president is running for re-election on the grounds that he's done such great things about terrorism. He ignored it. He ignored terrorism for months, when maybe we could have done something to stop 9/11. Maybe. We'll never know. . . I think the way he has responded to al-Qaeda, both before 9/11 by doing nothing, and by what he's done after 9/11 has made us less safe, absolutely. I think he's done a terrible job on the war against terrorism."15
Together, we can make sure every American knows what President Bush's true record on terrorism really is.
Sincerely,
--Adam, Carrie, Eli, James, Joan, Laura, Wes, and Zack
The MoveOn PAC Team
March 24th, 2004
P.S. Salon has recently published a new interview with Clarke. You can read it at:
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2004/03/24/clarke_moveon/
P.P.S. As the Administration strikes back, our friends at the Center for American Progress have put together an excellent rebuttal to their claims. Here's an example:
CLAIM #1: "Richard Clarke had plenty of opportunities to tell us in the administration that he thought the war on terrorism was moving in the wrong direction and he chose not to." -- National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, 3/22/04
FACT: Clarke sent a memo to Rice principals on 1/24/01 marked "urgent" asking for a Cabinet-level meeting to deal with an impending Al Qaeda attack. The White House acknowledges this, but says "principals did not need to have a formal meeting to discuss the threat." No meeting occurred until one week before 9/11. -- White House Press Release, 3/21/04
For the whole document, go to:
http://www.americanprogress.org/site/pp.asp?c=biJRJ8OVF&b=39828
Footnotes:
1. "Dissent from within on Iraq war," Philadelphia Inquirer, 3/24/04
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/front/8260216.htm?1c (Registration required)
2. "Bush Aides Blast Ex-Terror Chief," CBS News, 3/22/04
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/03/23/terror/main608107.shtml
3. "The book on Richard Clarke," Washington Post, 3/23/04
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A16192-2004Mar22.html (Registration required)
4. "Clarke's Take On Terror," CBS, 3/21/04
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/03/19/60minutes/main607356.shtml
5. See 3, above.
6. "60 Minutes" interview; see 4, above.
7. "Ex-Bush Aide Sets Off Debate as 9/11 Hearing Opens," New York Times, 3/23/04
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/23/politics/23CLAR.html?hp (Registration required)
8. "60 Minutes" interview; see 4, above.
9. See 7, above.
10. "60 Minutes" interview; see 4, above.
11. "Sept. 11: Before And After," CBS News, 3/20/04
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/03/20/60minutes/main607622.shtml
12. "Excerpts from 'Against All Enemies: Inside America's War on Terror' by Richard A. Clarke," posted on NYTimes.com, 3/23/04
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/23/politics/23CWOR.html (Registration required)
13. "60 Minutes" interview; see 4, above.
14. "Memoir Criticizes Bush 9/11 Response," Washington Post, 3/22/04
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A13607-2004Mar21.html (Registration required)
15. "60 Minutes" interview; see 4, above.
PAID FOR BY MoveOn PAC
This message is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee
P.O. Box 9218, Berkeley, CA 94709
Monday, March 22, 2004
March 2004
.. Iraq, an overview; Kurdistan, what degree of separation? why Haiti’s revolution failed; Algeria, traumatised by past grief; Russia, nostalgic for the cosy old Soviet days; Balkans, democracy wobbles.. plus Germany remembers exodus and exile; France’s intolerance of Islam starts at school; Julio Cortázar, artist of encounters.. and more..
Next issue, April 12th
Bush attacked on terrorism record Aides have rejected the criticism of President Bush A former White House security expert has accused President Bush of doing a "terrible job" of tackling terrorism.
Carter savages Blair and Bush: 'Their war was based on lies' By Andrew Buncombe in Atlanta, 22 March 2004
- Subject: Honoring our troops
Dear MoveOn member,
Tomorrow is the anniversary of the start of the war in Iraq. It's a good time to take a moment to honor the sacrifices our troops there and their families are making. More than 100,000 American troops are serving in Iraq today.
Here's the story of one mother, Adele Kubein, whose daughter was injured while serving in Iraq:
When my daughter enlisted in the National Guard I was proud of her, for having the discipline to make it through basic training. But I had friends who went to Vietnam, and I said: "Baby, are you sure you want to do this? And she said: "Oh, mom, I'm going to fight fires in Oregon, build roads, and there's never going to
be another war."
When she called me after her unit went from Kuwait to Mosul in a convoy and told me that she had gone through roads with depleted uranium dust and tanks with dead bodies in them, I was afraid. I knew that my daughter was facing mortal danger. I cried for joy that she was alive when her helicopter was shot down because the one in front of her, everybody died on. But when she called me up and told me, "mom, I had to kill someone today, and I looked in his eyes and I saw him die," I cried with her because I knew there was no going back then.
I want to know that there’s a good reason for what happened to my daughter, and to all the other kids that have been killed and injured in Iraq. My daughter told me stories about the Iraqi people, their casualties are just as high as ours, and they love their families just as much as we love ours. When my daughter was injured, I cried, I wept with joy to know that she was coming home, because I knew that so many other people were not going to come home. My daughter accounted for herself; she did her duties regardless of her fears and feelings. She thought she was going to Iraq to build houses and schools for people who needed them. That’s what they told them in the Oregon National Guard. Instead she ended up in an ever-escalating cycle of violence.
Our nation is based on accountability. I want to know that what our loved ones are going through is for a good reason. When I visit my daughter once more and hold her as she weeps about the things that she has seen and done, I will tell her that she did the right thing. But I want to know that the people who lead this country are doing the right thing also. [1]
Of course, this is just one story. Thousands of our troops in Iraq have been injured, and hundreds have been killed. Countless Iraqis have also been killed. [2]
One simple way to show our respect and gratitude for our soldiers' service, and our hope for their safe return, is to put a candle (or a light resembling one) in a window tomorrow night.
Our troops and their families are making incredible sacrifices. Many reservists serving in Iraq left with as little as a week's notice, and have been told they'll be there for a year, at constant risk to life and limb. At the same time, the Bush administration has tried to short-change soldiers, veterans, and their families on combat pay,
[3] health care, [4] and education funding. [5]
One way we can help is by giving to a fund called the Armed Forces Relief Trust, which helps military servicemembers and their families with emergency expenses, medical bills, flights home, and education costs. If you'd like, you can give at:
http://www.afrtrust.org/aboutcontributing.asp
Please take a few minutes to honor our troops tomorrow by putting a light in your window. And if you can help some families in need, that's great too.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
- Carrie, Joan, Noah, Peter, and Wes
The MoveOn.org team
Friday, March 19th, 2004
[1] Adele made this statement at a press conference announcing our Censure campaign, on February 10th.
[2] According to an editorial in today's New York Times, "The innocent Iraqi casualties of Mr. Bush's war are literally countless because the Pentagon refuses to estimate their number."
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/19/opinion/19FRI1.html?hp
[3]
http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news/0803/14paycut.html
[4]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A4064-2003Jan16
[5]
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/110009_military25.shtml
Bush ignored terror threat, claims ex-aide Former chief counter-terrorism adviser accuses Bush of doing "a terrible job" in protecting America against attack. What the papers say Special report: US elections 2004
The Middle East, Still Dark in Bush's Gaze Flashlight on the Potomac by Kareem Fahim, The Village Voice, March 17 - 23, 2004
Save The Date! August 29, 2004, The World Says No to the Bush Agenda MASS WORLDWIDE PROTEST DURING THE 2004 REPUBLICAN CONVENTION IN NEW YORK CITY From: United for Peace and Justice
Friday, March 19, 2004
Iraq: 52 Weeks And Counting The war that won’t end: JUDITH LEWIS tests the sometimes-invisible strength of the peace movement. MATTHEW CRAFT, reporting on a case of an anti-war protester in Egypt, reveals a surprising verdict with overtones for Bush’s Middle East policy. IAN WILLIAMS examines the renewed role for the U.N. HOWARD BLUME pages through the Iraqi Constitution in pursuit of liberty. And CHRISTINE PELISEK’s war list: casualties, costs and the extent of Halliburton fraud. +++ Spain Flips Off W.: The world stage is shrinking for one George Bush. BY DOUG IRELAND- Subject: Mercury: make sure people know
Dear MoveOn member,
Thanks for being one of 180,000 MoveOn members
who've told the EPA not to delay a scheduled
cleanup of toxic mercury by over ten years. Although
this is a scandalous attempt by the Bush
administration to protect its friends in the energy
industry at the expense of our children's health, the
mercury issue is not getting much media attention.
Our papers need to know that mercury pollution
from power plants has a direct impact on our
families and should be covered closely. Please take a
few minutes today to write a letter to the editor
of your local paper. Filling the nation's
editorial pages with letters from concerned citizens is
a great way to help keep the pressure on the Bush
administration to protect us from mercury
pollution.
Writing a letter to the editor doesn't actually
take very long -- you can do it in ten minutes or
less. A letter that's short, sweet, and to the
point has the best chance of getting published.
We've added some tips and some talking points
below. Once you've written, please let us know at:
http://www.moveon.org/mercuryltes.html?id=2470-3261555-QspU.FOy39jnfkqQr5YOwA
Even though public comment has been
overwhelmingly against delaying mercury cleanup, we have seen
in similar situations that 99% negative public
feedback is not always enough. We need to shine a
very bright media spotlight on this issue. Not
long ago, front page media attention to a proposal
to weaken protection against arsenic pollution in
our drinking water shamed the Bush administration
into doing the right thing.
Working together, we can make sure that mercury
emissions are cleaned up as quickly as possible.
Sincerely,
- Carrie, Joan, Noah, Peter, and Wes
The MoveOn.org team
Thursday, March 18th, 2004
RESOURCES FOR LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
I. Tips
II. Talking Points
I. Tips on how to get your letter published:
- Your own words, written from the heart, are
always best.
- Brevity is the soul of wit.
- The key to publication is to pounce on
something specific you've
seen in the newspaper -- anything that seems
related to you.
- Be sure to include your name and address, and
especially your phone
number when submitting your letter. Editors
need to call you to
verify authorship before they can print your
letter. They don't
print your phone number.
- Your newspaper's letters page should give you
an email address or
fax number to use, or you can try this
website:
http://congress.org/congressorg/dbq/media/
- Please let us know when you've sent your
letter by going to:
http://www.moveon.org/mercuryltes.html?id=2470-3261555-QspU.FOy39jnfkqQr5YOwA
II. Talking points
There is no uncertainty about the danger to the
environment, and to humans, emanating from power
plant mercury pollution.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
estimate that 8% of women of childbearing age in
the U.S. have mercury levels in their blood that
are unsafe.
The EPA itself reports that 630,000 infants are
born annually who are at risk for learning
disabilities. Mercury is a toxic metal that can cause
severe neurological and developmental problems in
unborn fetuses and young children.
The EPA and forty-three states have now issued
advisories warning people, especially women and
children, to avoid or limit eating local fish
because of mercury. This table shows the advisories
that are in effect where you live
http://www.moveon.org/mercury/table.pdf
Source: Clear the Air coalition.
The Bush administration proposes to not regulate
mercury as a dangerous poison, but instead to
allow power plants to emit mercury pollution ten
years longer than is necessary.
The EPA was initially planning to require power
plants to reduce mercury emissions by 90 percent
by 2008.
In December, the EPA announced a mercury plan
that will expose our children to far more mercury,
for far longer, than what the agency has said is
achievable and cost-effective. The proposal also
is less stringent than was recommended by the
majority of the EPA's own panel of experts who spent
more than two years working on this problem.
The EPA now proposes to regulate mercury from
utility companies as if it were a non-hazardous
pollutant, demanding only a 30 percent emission
reduction and allowing some sources to avoid controls
entirely by buying pollution "credits."
When plants are not forced to curb pollution but
can buy pollution credits, it increases the
chances that there will be communities where mercury
pollution is more prevalent.
The proposal also would give polluters at least
15 years to make the reductions rather than the
three years currently required by law.
The Bottom Line:
The EPA must protect our children by making all
power plants install controls to stop mercury
pollution by 2008.
More information can be found on MoveOn's Mercury
Resources page:
http://www.moveon.org/mercury/mercury-resources.html
_______________
This is a message from MoveOn.org.
Thursday, March 18, 2004
- _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
t r u t h o u t | 03.18
Henry Waxman | Bush Administration's 237 Misleading Statements on Iraq
http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/031804A.shtml
Powerful Blast Shatters Baghdad Hotel, At Least 29 Dead
http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/031804B.shtml
Steve Weissman | Did Spain Fink Out?
http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/031804C.shtml
David MacMichael | Untruth and Consequences
http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/031804D.shtml
Marjorie Cohn | Spain, EU and U.S.: War on Terror or War on Liberties?
http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/031804E.shtml
Iraq War Protesters Name Hundreds Lost
http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/031804F.shtml
Bush Packs the Courts with Anti-Environmental Judges
http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/031804G.shtml
Le Monde | Iraq, One Year Later
http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/031804H.shtml
Assassination Attempt on Mandella Foiled
http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/031804I.shtml
Florida's Senior Jews Still Angry at Bush
http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/031804J.shtml
Click to SUBSCRIBE -> https://www.truthout.org/membership/sub_mgmt.php
Go direct to our HomePage : http://www.truthout.org
_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
- Subject: Rumsfeld -- caught on camera
Dear MoveOn member,
A year ago today, the Bush Administration was making its final push toward war in Iraq. We know now that much of what we were told about the threat that Iraq posed was untrue. And rather than own up to their distortion of the facts, Bush administration officials are denying they ever said such things.
But this Sunday, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld got caught blatantly contradicting his past statements, and we have the video clip. You can check it out at:
http://www.moveon.org/censure/caughtonvideo/
Congress' responsibility is to hold President Bush and his administration accountable for this pattern of deception -- that's why we have the Constitution. But instead, Congress today will debate a resolution congratulating Bush, for (they claim) making the world safer.
We must demand, at a minimum, that Congress censure the President. It's our epresentatives' duty to formally reprimand him for misleading us. And we've got to demand it today, while they're debating their anniversary resolution.
Please call your Representative now.
Make it clear that you are a constituent, then let the staffers know you expect nothing less than Censure.
Our campaign will be stronger if you let us know you're calling, at:
http://www.moveon.org/callmadeall3.html?id=2467-3261555-d0H7c0t4QZwpg0wpLYFatw
Today, we're holding a press conference at the Capitol, unveiling a new TV ad calling for Censure, and a New York Times ad on the same theme.
And we're taking our Censure petition, signed by more than half a million of us, to Congress, hand-delivering it to each Representative's office. The event is co-sponsored by Win Without War, True Majority, and Working Assets.
Please help reinforce this powerful message with a single phone call now.
Then, why not pass the Rumsfeld clip along to your friends?
Thanks for all you do.
Sincerely,
- Carrie, Joan, Noah, Peter, and Wes
The MoveOn.org Team
Wednesday, March 17th, 2004
Tuesday, March 16, 2004
Monday, March 15, 2004
Defending Peaceful Tomorrows Johnny Temple, AlterNet The indecency of the Bush Administration towards the family members of 9/11 victims seems restrained when compared with that of the press corps, who have unleashed a vile campaign of disinformation aimed squarely at September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows. Posted on March 14, 2004. If Ashcroft Were Uninsured... Dan Frosch, AlterNet John Ashcroft, in the hospital with pancreatitis, is undoubtedly receiving the best of care. But if he were one of the 41 million Americans without insurance, his experience would be vastly different. Posted on March 14, 2004. 
Behind the Madrid Massacre Rahul Mahajan, AlterNet The 'war on terrorism' makes us all less safe -- more military prowess leads to more terrorist attacks. Today the trains of Madrid; tomorrow the New York subway? Posted on March 12, 2004. Cashing in on Tragedy David J. Sirota, Christy Harvey, Judd Legum, The Progress Report Well before the debris from Ground Zero was cleared, the White House at every turn began distracting the public from its pre-9/11 security failures, trying to reap political advantage from the terrorist attacks themselves. Posted on March 12, 2004. 
Follow the Leader John Prados, TomPaine.com Since 9/11, George Bush has taken every opportunity to harness the tragedy in service of his political agenda -- while his record on that day shows anything but strong leadership. Posted on March 12, 2004. The Empire Backfires Jonathan Schell, The Nation and TomDispatch.com With its doctrine of 'preventive war,' the Bush administration has loosed a principle of brute force on the world. As the first anniversary of the Iraq War approaches, the full costs of the Bush Doctrine are truly being felt. Posted on March 12, 2004.- Date: Fri, 12 Mar 2004 06:56:02 -0800
((((((((((((((((( Anybody But Bush Update: Vote
for me! )))))))))))))))))
March 12, 2004
------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.anybodybutbush.info/archives/000212.html
Granny D. on "vote for me"
Friday, March 12, 2004
# Feeling Bush's Pain: The president gets burned for trying to pull a re-election ad from 9/11 rubble. But that’s just one in a pattern of missteps. BY DAVID CORN, March 11, 2004- Date: Thu, 11 Mar 2004 06:23:38 -0800
Anybody But Bush Update: Bush record replete
with rewritten histories and chucked promises
March 11, 2004
------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.anybodybutbush.info/archives/000211.html
Read about the Bush "bait and switch"
- CRESCENTS AND CROSSROADS
This week on http://www.openDemocracy.net, boundaries melt, worlds open,
hearts harden. Reinhard Hesse maps a Turkish-German love affair in cinema
and politics, Jo Wilding and Anita Sharma witness the flowering of
children and women in Iraq, and Johanna Mendelson Forman from the United
Nations Foundation learns lessons from Aristide's second fall in Haiti
Plus: Serving 45 years for a non-violent crime, Michael Santos watches
his fourth presidential election from Colorado, on the wrong side of the
prison walls
-----------------
THE WEEK'S TOP FIVE
THE NATION-BUILDING TRAP: HAITI AFTER ARISTIDE
Twice elected, twice ejected, Haiti's president Jean-Bertrand Aristide
blames the United States for his latest overthrow. Why did the
international community help Haiti in 1994 but ignore it this time, asks
JOHANNA MENDELSON FORMAN
http://www.opendemocracy.net/email/ed3600/haiti_1779.jsp
TURKISH HONEY UNDER A GERMAN MOON
REINHARD HESSE, at the Berlin Film Festival, sees one of Europe's most
intimate relationships growing branches in the lovers' hearts
http://www.opendemocracy.net/email/ed3600/hesse_1784.jsp
WOMEN IN IRAQ: BETWEEN FEAR AND FREEDOM
The condition of Iraq's women is a litmus test of the country's movement
towards civil rights and democratic governance. ANITA SHARMA on their
difficult journey
http://www.opendemocracy.net/email/ed3600/sharma_1776.jsp
THE TRIAL OF SADDAM HUSSEIN
What kind of justice does the world owe the former Iraqi dictator?
Neither an international nor an Iraqi but a moral solution, argues
DOUGLAS MURRAY
http://www.opendemocracy.net/email/ed3600/murray_1778.jsp
THE LAND OF THE UNFREE: AMERICA FROM INSIDE
MICHAEL SANTOS, incarcerated in America since 1987, on what it's like to
witness the US elections from a prison cell
http://www.opendemocracy.net/email/ed3600/santos_1777.jsp
--------------
LET'S BE HONEST...
We need your support. Your subscription allows us to stay independent and
free to our members who can't afford to pay. Subscribe today, and make
sure that we stay accessible to all of our members. Click here to pay
online or call Theo Edwards at +44 (0) 207 608 2000
http://www.openDemocracy.net/SUPPORT5.html
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?
Tears, laughter or rumination? How do you respond to openDemocracy? Send
your feedback to
readerseditor@opendemocracy.net
---------------
COLUMNS
BREAD & CIRCUSES: FIVE MINUTES WITH SOCRATES
"A man who is all brain and no heart never truly lives." DOMINIC HILTON
teaches the Greek sage a lesson in living philosophy
http://www.opendemocracy.net/email/ed3600/breadcircus_1780.jsp
OUR ELECTION YEAR: KERRYSLANDERING
John Kerry: an effete, elitist, leftist, European snob, loved by commies
(and Coldplay), loathed by patriots. TODD GITLIN listens to the
Republican war drums
http://www.opendemocracy.net/email/ed3600/gitlin_1782.jsp
GLOBAL SECURITY: INTO THE AFGHAN FIRE
As the United States prepares a big offensive in Afghanistan and Pakistan,
PAUL ROGERS on how the "war on terror" never sleeps
http://www.opendemocracy.net/email/ed3600/rogers_1781.jsp
WORLD DIARY: COFFEE & WMD
Evil beans, Axial demands, Iranian stories, Middle East shifts. DOMINIC
HILTON dives for pearls
http://www.opendemocracy.net/email/ed3600/diary_1783.jsp
GLOBOLOG (coming Friday): Caspar Henderson on genetic modification and
the politics of power
----------------
Please forward this email to friends and colleagues!
Email preferences:
To change your default email to plain text, and to manage other aspects
of your account, please log into the openDemocracy website and go to MY
ACCOUNT.
openDemocracy.net never sends unsolicited email. To stop receiving this
free and informative weekly email, please email
theo.edwards@opendemocracy.net
with the word REMOVE in the subject line (don't forget to tell us why -
we can always improve)
Send cheques, postcards and letters to:
openDemocracy, 23-25 Great Sutton Street, London EC1V 0DN, UK
tel: +44 (0)20 7608 2000
fax: +44 (0)20 7608 2666
_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
t r u t h o u t | 03.12
Karen Kwiatkowski | The New Pentagon Papers
http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/031204A.shtml
Al Qaeda Claims Responsibility for Spanish Carnage
http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/031204B.shtml
Hillary Clinton Pushing Law Guaranteeing Paper Trail at Polls
http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/031204C.shtml
Justice Department to Probe Halliburton for Overcharging
http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/031204D.shtml
Military Families vs. the War
http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/031204E.shtml
Aristide's Lawyers Preparing Complaints Against U.S., France
http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/031204F.shtml
Dam Building Threatens China's 'Grand Canyon'
http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/031204G.shtml
Jean-Marcel Bouguereau | In a State
http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/031204H.shtml
Cragg Hines | GOP Learns Bush, Gasp, Is the Problem
http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/031204I.shtml
Kerry and Dean Join Forces to Beat Bush
http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/031204J.shtml
Click to SUBSCRIBE -> https://www.truthout.org/membership/sub_mgmt.php
Go direct to our HomePage : http://www.truthout.org
_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
Thursday, March 11, 2004
- Dear MoveOn member,
Salon.com has just broken a major story detailing
how the Pentagon created a special office to
manipulate intelligence data on Iraq and WMDs. It's
written by Karen Kwiatkowski, a military officer
who watched this unit at work, telling us the
inside story in her own words.
Click here to read the full story:
http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2004/03/10/osp_moveon/
The Salon story makes it even clearer than before
that the Bush administration deliberately misled
us in the run-up to the war in Iraq a year ago.
The problem was not bad intelligence -- it was
deliberate distortion of the facts.
It's Congress' duty to hold President Bush
accountable for misleading us. Please call your
Senators and Representative now:
Senator Dianne Feinstein
Washington, DC: 202-224-3841
Senator Barbara Boxer
Washington, DC: 202-224-3553
Congressman Xavier Becerra
Washington, DC: 202-225-6235
Make sure they know you're a constituent, then
urge them to:
"Censure President Bush -- formally reprimand
him for misleading us
about Iraq's WMDs."
Give them some reasons why Censure is necessary.
Some good ones include:
- 553 American soldiers have given their lives in
Iraq;
- Tens of thousands of our troops remain in
harm's way there;
- A year later, we seem to have no exit strategy;
- Thousands of Iraqi civilians have been killed;
- The President took us to war based on
assertions he knew were untrue -- for more info, see
http://www.moveon.org/censure/ad-doc.html ;
- Congress has a constitutional duty to act as a
check on the president.
Please let us know you're calling, at:
http://www.moveon.org/callmadeall3.html?id=2442-3261555-2ltMRoWozc2eodQh8RnQqQ
The new Salon story is important, not only
because of its revelations about how the Pentagon
cooked the books on WMDs, but also because it's the
first piece by Salon's new Washington, D.C. bureau.
Strong, independent news sources are more
important now than ever, as
traditional media become increasingly
concentrated under the control of just a few corporations,
and with major outlets like CBS nakedly kowtowing
to Republican interests. In this context,
Salon's new Washington, D.C. bureau is a major step
forward for all of us.
We hope you'll take a few minutes to read their
important article today. You can access it at:
http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2004/03/10/osp_moveon/
Thank you.
Sincerely,
- Carrie, Joan, Noah, Peter, and Wes
The MoveOn.org team
Wednesday March 10th, 2004
Wednesday, March 10, 2004
The new Pentagon papers A high-ranking military officer reveals how Defense Department extremists suppressed information and twisted the truth to drive the country to war.
By Karen Kwiatkowski, from
- Subject: Teachers = Terrorists?
Rod Paige, the Secretary of Education, called America's largest teachers' union a "terrorist organization." Sign the petition calling on President Bush to fire Rod Paige.
Dear MoveOn member,
Last month, President Bush's Secretary of Education, Rod Paige, called America's largest teachers' union a "terrorist organization." Why? Because the union had the gall to insist that President Bush live up to his own promises to adequately fund education. Please sign our petition demanding that President Bush fire Secretary Paige.
http://www.FirePaige.org/index.asp?ms=1
This is typical behavior for the Bush administration. It says one thing - "no child left behind" and does another - under-funding its promises to our schools by $9.4 billion in its latest budget proposal. And when people dare to disagree with its policies, it questions their patriotism or labels them terrorists.
Secretary Paige uses insult to defend the indefensible. Not only did the president break his promise to fund the reforms, his current budget calls for cuts in support for schools over the next five years. And he still wants to take billions from public schools to pay for private school vouchers. So Paige resorts to slurs: even in his supposed apology, he dismissed teachers' growing concerns as "obstructionist scare tactics."
We teach our kids that name calling is not the right way to win an argument - in fact, it’s usually a sign that you don't have the facts on your side. Making our schools better is a tough job. We need a Secretary of Education who sees teachers and their representatives as partners in this effort rather than as enemies. Join us in calling on President Bush to find a better person for the job.
http://www.FirePaige.org/index.asp?ms=1
We thank the Campaign for America's Future for co-sponsoring this campaign with us. Please sign on today.
Sincerely,
--Carrie, Joan, Noah, Peter, and Wes
The MoveOn.org Team
Tuesday, March 9th, 2004
- Date: Tue, 09 Mar 2004 07:18:39 -0800
((((((((((((((( Anybody But Bush Update: Bush
flip-flops )))))))))))))))
March 09, 2004
------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.anybodybutbush.info/archives/000210.html
A list of Bush flip-flops
Tuesday, March 09, 2004
- FEATURED
ACTION: Urge
Justice Scalia to Recuse Himself
- ACTIVISM
OPPORTUNITY: Demand
a New Prescription for Medicare
- an
astonishing prohibition that bans Medicare
from asking drug companies for a volume discount
and - the
lack of a provision to allow states and individuals
from importing medicine from Canada, where
identical medicine is available at much lower
cost.
ACTFORCHANGE
ACTIVISM UPDATE: March 8, 2004
You
are receiving this newsletter because you have
previously taken action on ActForChange in support
of progressive values.
IN
THIS BULLETIN:
Urge
Justice Scalia to Recuse Himself
Please
sign our petition urging Supreme Court Justice
Antonin Scalia to uphold the honor and reputation
of the Supreme Court. Justice Scalia should
recuse himself from a case involving Vice President
Cheney and secret meetings with oil industry
executives and lobbyists held to formulate the
Bush administration energy policy.
Special
note — we are NOT lobbying the Court to
take a particular position on this or any other
case — only urging Justice Scalia to act
with integrity.
Justice
Scalia’s recent actions — accompanying
Mr. Cheney on a private hunting trip, accepting
a valuable gift of transportation on Air Force
Two and access to a private hunting reserve
owned by an oil industry executive — have
irreversibly created the appearance of prejudice
and lack of objectivity in a critical proceeding.
The reputation of the Court is at stake, and
Justice Scalia should recuse himself now.
forward this newsletter to your friends and
help spread the word about this important campaign!
Demand
a New Prescription for Medicare
Congress
recently passed a deeply flawed boondoggle of
a Medicare prescription drug plan — but
now it is time to fix two of its most egregious
elements:
The
prohibition on negotiating bulk discounts is
particularly ludicrous when looking at the success
the Veterans’ Administration has had in
using exactly this type of system to reduce
prescription drug prices.
Urge
your senators to quickly pass new legislation
to allow Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices
and to allow drugs from Canada to be imported.
forward this newsletter to your friends and
help spread the word about this important campaign!
Thank
you for speaking out on issues that matter.
Together we can make a difference.
Jennifer
Willis
Director
ActForChange.com
Monday, March 08, 2004
- Dear MoveOn member,
MoveOn works for the same reason democracy does: when lots of people work together, they generate great ideas and accomplish great goals. That's why we need your help.
To get direction from our members, we have set up an online forum. There, you can share your ideas and goals for MoveOn and our nation. Comments are read and rated by other members and the best ideas float to the top. These help set MoveOn's course.
Take a few moments today to contribute to the Great Goals forum.
Even if there's nothing on your mind, come read what others are saying and help us find the ideas we should pursue:
http://www.actionforum.com/forum/index.html?forum_id=264
Thanks for strengthening democracy by participating in these important conversations!
Sincerely,
--Carrie, Eli, James, Joan, Noah, Peter, Wes, and Zack
The MoveOn Team
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)