News – Not So Remembered

Africa

Few countries outside of Rwanda have acknowledged the International Day of Reflection that the UN has set for Rwanda in remembrance of the 100 day spate of genocide that gripped the tiny country in 1994. Just as with their being ignored back then, it stings, no doubt.

Looking back at how The Guardian reported the incident.

South Africa 19 Years after Apartheid

Iraq

There is still an increased state of violence in Iraq. In Falluja at least 36 Iraqis have been killed. 25 of those were killed in an attack on a house that has been blamed on US forces. General numbers place the number of CPA and Iraqi dead at 30 and 130 respectively since the weekend.

Confirmed reports note 12 marines were killed when their position was attacked by dozens of attackers.

Analysts at two military schools believe that arresting Sadr may well ratchet up the heat of the current situation in Iraq. Entirely possible. The only thing that might be worse is if they kill him. “Already, the idea of a young man, a cleric, standing up for justice against an overwhelming military machine has a lot of Shia symbolism. It reminds me of the Iranian revolution,” said Vali Nasr, professor of Middle Eastern and South Asian studies at the Naval Postgraduate School. “To the extent he can mold (an arrest) into the propaganda that ‘I’m the one who’s really fighting for Iraqi nationalism while everyone else is collaborating,’ it’s going to make his standing within Iraqi politics much more formidable,” said W. Andrew Terrill, national security research professor at the Army War College’s Strategic Studies Institute.

They both make interesting points worth considering.

Dispatches: We woke up Monday morning to an uprising.

The press levies opinion on the trouble in Iraq.

Kerry says the June 30th handover date is a mistake. For what that’s worth to ya. 😉

Israel/Palestine

Arafat says he’s not afraid of Sharon’s death threats.

Sharon could learn a bit from the unleavened Matzo. This profound bit at the bottom of the article, the rest a look into Sharon’s words from recent Passover interviews.

US

ABC, NBC and CBS will be broadcasting Condi’s 9/11 commission testimony live on Thursday. Fox will be offering their coverage to affiliates at their own discretion. This is becoming a big thing. Wonder if Condi is getting nervous.

In other Condi news, the White House refuses to hand over a speech to the commission that Condi would have given on 9/11, had there been no attacks. Seems there might have been something in it about missile defense and not alQueda being the proper focus of US attention.

Voters in the LA suburb of Inglewood vote 2 to 1 against allowing Wal-Mart to build a sprawling complex in their town. What do I think? I don’t know. Sure, it would be nice to have a Wal-Mart there to provide jobs and tax revenue, but they do tend to pay their employees scant wages. Some have called it a thing akin to slavery. While I think the comparison isn’t quite apt, the term ‘wage slave’ exists. There is little opportunity within Wal-Mart to learn higher skills that might get one a better job and I doubt the wage paid would make finding tutelage for grander schemes difficult. That is akin to being locked in to a situation that is difficult to emerge from.

The ACLU and seven Americans are suing the US government over their ‘no fly’ list.They say their names are similar or the same as those on the list and anyone on the list is subject to being interrogated or searched more so than is normal because of it. Further details.

General

Explainer notes how you can become an Ayatollah.

Day to Day: Bush’s Handling of Iraq

Amusements

D.C. Air National Guard would like to apologize for making the entire metro area experience sphinchter malfunction by flying fighter jets over U.S. Capitol

Thieves ransom lawn gnome for junk food and porn

Steve Bell: All over by June 30th

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Create some propaganda to promote Fark.ru to Russian Farker comrades who aren’t in the know. Something to appeal to the desire for vodka and boobskis

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop what this farker is looking at outside

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop cowboy Matt Drudge, who ditched his press hat for a day