News – Baghdad Cleared? Perhaps, Perhaps Not

Back into the news. It’s been eventful as of late, but that goes without saying.

Baghdad is a strange scene now apparently. Looters and the joyous greet the forces there now. They even ransacked the UN HQ. This tidbit from it was interesting, Elsewhere, an Iraqi waving a rifle yelled: “We are Americans, we are USA.” Interpret it as you will. In the end, it isn’t yet over. Even when the last shot is fired, it won’t be over. Not for a good long time.

Remember this initial elation. In time it will fade. What is left then will be the truth of relations. We shall see.

Iraqis are asking the big question now. Who is in charge? This will be the make or break question in the end. The fledgling US administration that will take over in the interim wants to earn Iraqi trust. That would help, but while there are those that will trust, there are those that won’t. Especially those who lost many of their family in the crossfire of the war. I only hope they will not be blind to those possible seeds of dissent.

The big question remains, despite the war not being about one person, is Saddam alive? Well, considering the military’s use of massive bombs every time they try to get him, there likely won’t be much left after they do, if they ever do. Explainer has a few of the ways he might be Ided, but really there’s little chance we’ll have any solid reference point to go from. So even if we get remains, we might never identify them 100%.

Looking for books on the current war and Iraq in general? Slate has a few reviews to throw your way. Personally, I’m considering getting the Republic of Fear and The Crisis of Islam so I can get a better understanding of the place.

Chatterbox has an interesting theory. Is Al-Sahhaf, the oft delusional Iraqi Minister of Information an unwitting turncoat? Read and decide for yourself.

The International Papers look at reaction to the third Bush/Blair meeting, which seems to hold more significance than to Iraq alone. Today’s Papers have the highlights of the seeming disappearance of hostiles in Iraq. Potentially good or bad. There is also more info on the attack against the Al Jazeera office and Palestine Hotel where most reporters in Baghdad were holed up. The official line is that the tanks were responding to snipers, but there remain quiet hints that, perhaps, the soldiers mistook reporters cameras for sniper scopes and a mention that there might have been snipers in a building adjacent to the hotel. To counter the positive, hundreds of casualties continue to pour into Baghdad hospitals and some civilians are so upset they took swings at journalists on scene. And more. Been a busy day.

Meanwhile in forgotten Afghanistan, a US bomb missed its target and hit a house, killing 11 civilians. Oh? You didn’t know we were sill fighting in Afghanistan? Indeed. We didn’t make a great fanfare of helping them rebuild either. And in the incessant conflict between Palestine and Israel, Israel has been killing more civilians. This time they responded to rocks with bullets, though their military sources say they were shot at. I’m sure anything capable of damaging one of their 14 tanks would have been obviously noticeable, but well.. And the US continues to do nothing. Or next to nothing in any case.

An interesting diary entry on Slate, by Gershom Gorenburg, an American born writer who has lived in Israel for 25 years.

Political history might repeat itself with Bush and his economic woes. Or should I say the woes of the nation as everyone feels the squeeze? And everyone involved seems too much a coward to own up to the truth of matters.

An enzyme test that detects lung damage is being developed and could help tell which cases of SARS are potentially fatal. That’s a good stop forward against this illness.

In an effort to counter the Patriot Act legally, libraries are starting to delete and shred documentation of computer usage and book borrowing once no longer needed. It’s a bold step, which leaves them taking inconvenience over exposing the privacy of library patrons. Good to see someone looking out for their customers privacy. Hats off to the librarians. Have you hugged one lately? 😉

For a laugh, Slate looks at the inane way in which cable shows stretch five minutes of news coverage into a 24 hour ‘extravaganza’. It’s sad really.

Dialogues has an intriguing point-counterpoint pair of correspondence on Women in Combat. Debra does herself justice in her rebuttal and made me smile. Personally, I say let the women fight if they want to. They know the risks.

They all do. Or should.

Be well.