I was on vacation...

I was on vacation from 7-15-05 through 7-29-05 (basically not paying attention to much).

What I know I missed:
Bombings in London
Bush names supreme court nominee
Frist supports stem-cell research
The "war on terror" is now not a war but a "struggle."

What I learned:
No matter how far away you are from civilization (highways and byways of our great country), you can always tune in a classical music or religious programming station. Rock and Roll (music suitable for driving) is impossible to find and requires one to pay outrageous prices for a "best of the 70's" compilation CD at the nearest truckstop

What I forgot:
Everything I've learned in my JavaScript course. Back to the books tomorrow.

We will not retreat in the face of terror. Wait, we will. Oh, nope. I'm wrong. We won't after all.

America will not retreat in the face of terrorists and murderers. And neither will the free world. As Prime Minister Blair said after the attacks in London, "Our determination to defend our values and our way of life is greater than their determination to cause death and destruction to innocent people." The attack in London was an attack on the civilized world. And the civilized world is united in its resolve: We will not yield. We will defend our freedom.

America has banned its 12,000 airforce personnel stationed in the UK from travelling to London to "ensure their safety and security" in the aftermath of last week's bombings in the capital. A directive was issued to all United States Air Force staff just 24 hours after the terrorist attacks. It states that even senior officers must apply for permission to travel from the barracks in East Anglia - where many are based - to meetings in London. The ban prevents them from entering areas inside the M25 and family members, who are not subject to orders, are also being urged to stay away.

The US military has rescinded an order to its personnel to avoid London in the aftermath of the bombings. Personnel, most of them from US Air Force units at RAF Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath, in Suffolk, were told last week not to go within the M25 motorway. But there was criticism that it sent out the wrong signals at a time when the emphasis was on "business as usual" in London after the attacks..."While all personnel are encouraged to be vigilant, we cannot allow ourselves to be intimidated by the acts of terrorists."

1400

07/12/05 is 1400 days since the United States was attacked by terrorits. 1400 days that the accused, Osama bin Ladin, has been free to roam the countryside.

It was not 1400 days from the bombing of Pearl Harbor to victory over Japan.

1400 days that Bush and his administration have been able to use "terror" to terrorize the people of the United States. They might come after us w/ scuba gear, they might steal crop dusters and poision the flyover states. They might poison our kids' school lunches.

We don't have any specific informatio, and we don't know what, who, when or where, but just to be sure we're gonna raise that terror level.

Because you'll forget that bush said he doesn't give much thought to ol' bin Ladin. Doesn't concern himself with the man all that much.

1400 days. one.thousand.four.hundred.days

if each "-" was a day, this is 1400 of them

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Just when I thought perhaps the American TV audience was not so dense

We find out that NBC's "Today" show is back in the top spot after a ratings freefall. What helped it recover???? Newsmaking interviews, like Couric's sit-down with runaway bride Jennifer Wilbanks, have since made "Today" more compelling. Matt Lauer had a front-row seat to Tom Cruise's head-shaking behavior. The advantage over ABC grew to 700,000 viewers during June 20-26, and 524,000 the week after. ::sigh:: What a sad commentary on the US TV-viewing public.

Suicide bombers kill at least 33 in Iraq - Conflict in Iraq - MSNBC.com

More last throes, I'm sure.

Suicide bombers kill at least 33 in Iraq - Conflict in Iraq - MSNBC.com: 25 die, dozens hurt in attack on Baghdad military recruiting center
MSNBC News Services
Updated: 9:32 a.m. ET July 10, 2005

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A man strapped with explosives blew himself up at an Iraqi military recruiting center in Baghdad as suicide bombers attacked three times in Iraq on Sunday, killing at least 33 people and breaking a relative lull in violence in recent days.

The attacks pushed the death count to over 1,500 people killed in violence since April 28, when Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari announced his Shiite- and Kurd-dominated government in a country under attack from an insurgency led by Iraq’s Sunni Arab minority.

At least 14 other people were killed in attacks elsewhere overnight and into Sunday, and the body of kidnapped Iraqi karate association chief Ali Shakir was found floating in the Tigris river southeast of Baghdad.

In the deadliest blast Sunday, a suicide bomber blew himself up at an Iraqi military recruiting center at Muthana airfield near central Baghdad, killing 25 people and wounding 47, according to the U.S. military and hospital officials.

Iraq -- pull out and the US election and civil war

Memo says US, UK readying Iraqi withdrawal:

Sat Jul 9, 7:35 PM ET

LONDON (Reuters) - A leaked document from Britain's Defense Ministry says the British and U.S. governments are planning to reduce their troop levels in Iraq by more than half by mid-2006, the Mail on Sunday newspaper reported.

The memo, reportedly written by Defense Minister John Reid, said Britain would reduce its troop numbers to 3,000 from 8,500 by the middle of next year.

'We have a commitment to hand over to Iraqi control in Al Muthanna and Maysan provinces (two of the four provinces under British control in southern Iraq) in October 2005 and in the other two, Dhi Qar and Basra, in April 2006,' the memo was reported to have said.

The memo said Washington planned to cut its forces to 66,000 from about 140,000 by early 2006.
'Emerging U.S. plans assume 14 out of 18 provinces could be handed over to Iraqi control by early 2006,' the memo said."

Just in time to gear up for the 2006 mid-term elections here in the US. He'll bring the troops home in the fall of '06, the stupid sheeple will think he's fucking brilliant (forgetting that this god-damed war is ILLEGAL IN THE FIRST PLACE). He'll keep the house and senate (BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE STUPID) and then March of '07 he'll find another country to invade.

Meanwhile, The London Times is reporting that IRAQ’S former interim prime minister Iyad Allawi has warned that his country is facing civil war and has predicted dire consequences for Europe and America as well as the Middle East if the crisis is not resolved. “The problem is that the Americans have no vision and no clear policy on how to go about in Iraq,” said Allawi, a long-time ally of Washington.

Oh, they have vision, Mr. Allawi. They have vision. It's not a vision for peace and security in the middle east. It's a vision of chaos. It's a vision that says "history can judge us." It's a Bush exit plan of 01/20/09 when he's not in the Whitehouse anymore and it's someone else's mess to clean up. They are eithr in their 'last throes' or the insuregency will last 5, 6, 8, 10, 12 years. You pick. 'Cause they think They are doing pretty good. In Baghdad, anyway.

Iraq and London

Hmmm...how can Iraq have nothing to do with the bombing in London when at the same time, they are linked to Iraqi insurgents (who were in Afghanistan before Bush and Blair attacked Iraq, by the way. See, yet another reason why they should have taken their war there, and not Iraq.)

Well, now what is Bush gonna do?

Iranians to train Iraq's military

Mr Dulaimi is on his first official visit to the Islamic Republic
Former enemies Iran and Iraq say they will launch broad military co-operation including training Iraqi armed forces.
"It's a new chapter in our relations with Iraq," said Iranian Defence Minister Admiral Ali Shamkhani.

He was speaking at a joint news conference in Tehran with his Iraqi counterpart Saadoun al-Dulaimi.

Relations between the neighbours - who fought a bitter war from 1980 to 1988 - have improved greatly since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003.

::snip::

Tehran has asked Baghdad not to allow the US to establish long-term military bases on its soil, fearing that it would consolidate what Iranians see as the American and Israeli military domination of the region.

But Mr Dulaimi insisted that foreign troops were needed to ensure Iraqi security.

He added: "Iraq will not be a source of insecurity and instability for any of its neighbours. Nobody can use [Iraqi territory] to attack its neighbours."

In what country was this picture taken?

The good ol' US of A. It's a Washington D.C. train.

MSM coverage here, there

So, I'm reading the Randi Rhodes Message Boards as I normally do every day, and saw a piece about coverage of the London attacks by the BBC vs coverage by the main stream media (MSM) here. Interesting how even though it's happening in London, the BBC is quite restrained, yet our media has screaming headlines and graphic photos. I've posted thumbnails of screenshots taken on 07-07-05 at around 10:00 a.m. Pacific time. Thumbnails click to full page images.

Bomb Blast rocks London

First, my thoughts and prayers go out to everyone in the UK, and those here with friends and family there.

It's been 1395 days since September 11, 2001. I can't help but think that if Bush, Blair and their "coalition of the willing" would have put its considerable resources to work actually trying to find Al Qaeda and bin Ladin, this perhaps would not have happened.

Bomb Blast Rocks London.

More than 30 die in London blasts

A series of bomb attacks on London's transport network has killed more than 30 people and injured about 350 others.
There were three explosions on the Underground - which police said left 33 dead - and one on a double-decker bus in which an unknown number died.

UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, who has returned to London from the G8 summit, has described the attack as "barbaric".

An Islamist website has posted a statement - purportedly from al-Qaeda - claiming it was behind the attacks.

Photo Not of Iran Chief

Well, I guess that diversion is overwith. Next.

Newsday.com: U.S.: Photo Not of Iran Chief: "From the Los Angeles Times
By Greg Miller
Times Staff Writer

July 2, 2005


WASHINGTON � U.S. investigators have concluded that Iranian president-elect Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is not the glowering Islamic militant seen escorting an American hostage in a 1979 photograph that was widely publicized this week, officials said Friday."