News – Weekend Update

A little update for the weekend.

One of the most interesting things I’ve noted is how officials use spin to darken the actions of Iraqi solders. For an example this car bombing which claimed 4 lives. The car bombing is constantly referred to as terrorism, which is not a technical truism as the target of the attack was military and not civilian. Another side effect of this is something for the less informed to point at and say, “See, Iraqi terrorism.” Which is, again, not technically true by the definition of terrorism. On a side note, the bomber was awarded posthumous honors.

Who do you think is ‘to blame’ for the way the war has gone? I’m sure a lot of names could be pulled out, but Rumsfeld seems to have had a big hand in current tactics. Say what you will about Turkey’s reticence, but Rumsfeld could have taken a little extra time to plan and get forces into place. Could have.

Five US cruise missiles landed in Saudi Arabia without exploding. This seems strange to me since targets for these missiles must be in Northern Iraq, right? Or at least central and that’s not close to Saudi Arabia. The accuracy of these munitions is something I’m starting to question personally.

On a loosely related front is this opinion piece on TIA(Total Information Awareness). It paints an interesting picture, but I remain wary. Even if all that is mentioned comes to be, it seems like a little too much power to give to joe blow without a good array of regulations for it. I’m not sure what to think yet.

Iraq Diaries: Another update from Jo Wilding which explores more of the strife for those who are caught in the middle of this conflict. There is no more that I can say about it. Just read.

The UN, among others, is questioning the US choice for overseer of the reconstruction of Iraq. I would consider it a bad idea to put a defense contractor in charge of humanitarian aid and reconstruction as well. What does this man know about governing aid in Iraq?

For a good overview of the day, check Slate’s rundown of the papers for the 29th. International papers look into who should run Iraq after the war for the reconstruction. Personally, I’m with Blair on this. UN/multilateral is the way to go if Bush wants to appease some of the wariness around the world.

Nate Thayer has finally been forced to leave Baghdad. Fortunately they made it out in one piece. You can only be told to leave so many times before someone really means it. 😉

Is Rumsfeld arrogant? Chatterbox seems to think so. I’m inclined to agree personally. How about you? Looking at this article from Fred Kaplan, we have to wonder if the Pentagon is truly testing their tactics in an honest and thorough way. By the look of it,

A lighter question is what true meaning the thumbs up givin by Iraqi people? Is is a positive or negative gesture? Ever wonder aout all those numbered military units and the gaps between them? Explainer tells you about the numbered units and adds a little extra at the end. Lastly, we have some straight data on tracers.