News – Will Saddam Talk?

Iraq

Saddam’s being a sarcastic twit. Intel folks think he’ll take months to actually say anything useful. Question is, do they have that long ? Eventually Iraqis will be calling for him to be tried. How long will the interrogators have him? And since Saddam is a POW and not an enemy combatant, Bush can’t put the screws to him like might be done to others. He’s not required to say anything.

Nor does he have much reason to say anything if he’s just going to be hanged anyway. So unless his info can buy him something, it’s worthless and he won’t talk, I surmise.

The US and UK are backing an Iraqi tribunal for Saddam. Human rights groups are worried about Saddam getting a ‘show trial’ which isn’t a small concern all considered. Bush has promised he’ll get a trial that will ‘stand international scrutiny’, so I suppose we’ll see.

Saddam’s daughter urges an international trial and the US military reports 11 attackers killed in a firefight in Samarra. Raghad Saddam Hussein thinks her father should be tried by an International court rather than any US appointed entity in Iraq. The attack noted was reported, pleasingly, to have had no US casualties for a change. Good to hear.

A roadside bomb wounds three in a US patrol. The injuries were described as not life threatening, but after seeing a special on TV talking about soldiers that had lost limbs, I wonder how many of those three will come out of this crippled.

Pro-Saddam protesters rioted in several Sunni areas, one such incident resulting in a firefight that resulted in one US wounded and one dead gunman. US sources say two others were wounded, but witnesses say three were killed.

Bush’s administration plans to appoint NASA inspector general Robert “Moose” Cobb to oversee investigation in alleged abuses of postwar contracts.

A description of Saddam’s little hideaway.

Mixed reaction from the world over the significance of Saddam’s capture.

Ask fifteen people how they feel Saddam should be tried and you’ll get fifteen different answers. Diverse prospective, diverse opinions.

Chatterbox is glad Saddam is caught, but takes issue with the mission’s name. In other news, Ren is now interested in the movie Red Dawn. Mmmmm.. campy.

Cardinal Renato Martino, head of the Vatican’s Justice and Peace department and a former papal envoy to the United Nations, has expressed compassion for Saddam and criticized the US for showing footage of him being treated “like a cow”. It isn’t surprising, Bush wants to show off his newest catch. Doesn’t matter how degrading it is.

Israel/Palestine

Israel has rejected truce offerings with regard to terrorist organizations. So even if the various factions agree to a ceasefire, Israel won’t honor it, thus it won’t last.

Yasser Arafat wants to make his first Christmas visit to Bethlehem in three years, but it seems unlikely he’ll be allowed by Israel. The city’s mayor, however, has asked that the restrictions be lifted from the city.

A new gun that fires around corners has the interest of the US. The gun can swivel at the middle and a little camera/monitor set up lets the user see where the swiveled gun is targeting.

US

Despite calls from his own conservative base, Bush doesn’t think he needs a plan to deduce the deficits we’re running. There has been a vauge promise to cut it in half in five years. But with Bush not opposed to another tax cut, I don’t see how they’ll keep that promise.

It’s being considered if the ‘morning after pill’ should be offered without a prescription. Opponents to this worry that women will rely on this rather than other contraceptives. Some more extreme types view the pill as similar to abortion.

The EPA is putting forward a legally required plan for cutting down mercury emissions from power plants. Sad that we have to pursue reforms like this through litigation.

More firms a re both planning to add and planning to cut jobs. Seems we’re treading water here. That’s not good.

The Supreme Court is going to decide if Cheney should turn over White House documents pertaining to his energy policy task force two years ago. His Justice Department lawyers have claimed he’s immune to a previous high court’s order due to constitutional separation of powers.

Strom Thurmond’s family has confirmed that Essie Mae Washington-Williams , a 78 year old woman of mixed race, was the deceased senator’s illegitimate daughter. It’s kind of her to keep such things under wraps, so as to not damage his career and the like.

General

Explainer details what a Spider Hole is. That being what it is said Saddam was holed up in.

International Papers covers Saddam’s capture.

Today’s Papers has an interesting suggestion. Offering amnesty to the insurgents now that Saddam is under wraps. Though considering the violence noted in the papers, it seems they’re not quite done fighting yet.

Amusements

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop farker Total Wanger’s coworkers licking blue balls

The newest reason to pity humanity: Checkout Rage

Strategy Guide Ep. 1

Strategy Guide Ep. 2

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