The US military on Friday arrested Ali Faisal al-Lami, a Sadrist who served on the Debaathification Committee under Ahmad Chalabi. The Pentagon maintains that Al-Lami is deeply involved with Iran-backed “special group” cells and implicated in a bombing in Sadr City that killed several people including two GIs. Chalabi, a notorious liar and embezzler to […]
Western Leaders of African Descent
Chris Matthews on MSNBC made the comment that if he won the presidency, Barack Obama would be the first “Western” leader of African descent. He then wondered if he was right, and whether there had been an African Roman Emperor. The categories Matthews deployed are not very useful. We are all Africans, after all. Homo […]
McCain: Iraq is a Peaceful, Stable Country
McCain: “Iraq is a peaceful, stable country now”: I’m hurt. I thought everyone who is anyone in Washington read IC. McCain seems to have missed these recent headlines here: Wednesday, August 27, 2008: “45 Dead, 79 Wounded in Wave of Violence; Bombing in Jalawla’ Raises Tensions with Baghdad” Monday, August 25, 2008: “54 Killed in […]
Obama: 8 is Enough
Obama DNC Speech: ‘Eight is enough’ Obama up in polls.
The 1960 Democratic Convention and Kennedy’s Speech
Notable quotes: “I hope that no American, considering the really critical issues facing this country, will waste his franchise by voting either for me or against me solely on account of my religious affiliation. It is not relevant . . .” “There has also been a change–a slippage–in our intellectual and moral strength. Seven lean […]
Your Obama Tax Cut
Calculate your Obama tax cut. “Barack Obama will cut taxes for over 95% of American families (even though more than half of American think he’ll raise their taxes)”
Arctic Ice: Going, going . . . gone; Schweitzer on Energy in Denver
BBC: Arctic ice is at a ‘tipping point’. Watch for yourself on google earth: “This animation in Google Earth shows satellite data of Arctic sea ice concentration from May 25 to August 21, 2008. Note how the decline rate speeds up during August, with strong losses north of Siberia.” – The more drilling and use […]
Pakistan Markets Roiled by End of Coalition Government
Pakistan has had to impose trading limits to stop the slide in its stock market coming off the end of the coalition government. Investors have been worried about the withdrawal of the Muslim League (N) from the parliamentary coalition with the Pakistan People’s Party. Meanwhile, Switzerland has dropped its money-laundering investigation of Asaf Ali Zardari, […]
45 Dead, 79 Wounded in Wave of Violence; Bombing in Jalawla’ Raises Tensions with Baghdad
Why Iraq still matters to the presidential campaign,according to Mark Brunswick of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Violence erupted throughout central, eastern and northern Iraq on Tuesday, leaving at least 45 dead and some 79 wounded. The major single attack was a suicide bombing that struck at a police recruiting center in the mostly Kurdish town […]