News – Could We Have Prevented It?

North America

An FBI agent at the trial of Zacarias Moussaoui testifies that his higher ups blocked him at every effort to warn of a possible terror attack before 9/11. Which, if true, suggests that the FBI could have, if they had made use of the info that was there, prevented the attacks. Personally, I think some people at the FBI need to be brought up on charges of criminal negligence. I want to hear their defense for this.

Bush shifts position and plans to work with Congress in prodding the chemical companies about better securing their facilities. Now how about Bush following suit and better securing those sites under federal jurisdiction? Ports? Trains? Nuclear Plants? Federal research facilities that deal with dangerous materials? Dams? Reservoirs? How many of these are still vulnerable?

51 Protestors were arrested outside of the Pentagon after seeking to exit the little caged in protest area nearby. Personally, I see the ‘protest cage’ as one of the most inane creations of this presidential administration. I can understand setting an off limits area around a place like the Pentagon, but to designate a single area(likely out of the sight of normal traffic) as the only place to protest is utter bull.

Is the estimate of $3.8 billion lost due to ‘March Madness’ bunk? Depends on too many variables, I think. Most prominently, what the normal activity of a worker is.

Middle East

The US military is probing an accusation that its troops killed a family of 11 in their home last week. The US military says only four people were shot. Police in Ishaqi, 100 km (60 miles) north of the capital, said five children under school age, four women and two men were shot dead by troops in a house that was then blown up. Local police Colonel Farouq Hussein said the bodies were found bound and shot in the head, dumped in one room. Major Tim Keefe, a military spokesman, said that troops fired back with ‘air and ground assets’ at the house after being fired upon, destroying the building. Personally, even if the military’s strory is the full truth, it sounds like a bit much, without regard for any innocents that might be in said house.

Militants hit a police station and courthouse in the Iraqi town of Miqdadiya, killing 16 and releasing prisoners. Guardian details the count at 17 police and 10 attackers dead, after the attack by 100 armed militants. It looks like a well planned attack as they note that after the attack, they detonated a strong of bombs as they fled with some of their fallen comrades.

A new militia, dubbed the Pakistani Taliban, have apparently seized control of Pakistan’s northern tribal areas in recent months. Strict social edicts are being passed down and a bomb blew the radio tower that piped in state radio. Militants are collecting taxes from passing vehicles at checkpoints, they’re forming their own court and dispensing rough justice. I find it surprising this has been going on for ‘months’ without any retaliation from Pakistan’s military.

Christopher Hitchens details how he thinks the Iraq War should have went.

A pertinent question to ask is if the bungles in Iraq were an inevitable byproduct of the conflict or if, with smarter decisions, they could have been avoided.

A roundup of Slate coverage of the Iraq War.

Asia

Russia and China will be cooperating in matters of energy to help meet some of China’s needs.

Europe

Russia lashes out at the US over a U.S. strategy document that was critical of Moscow’s democracy record. Perhaps now we’ll see how Bush handles dealing with a country named ally, who does things we’re leery of. Will he stand his ground or back down? Will he seek to convince Russia to shift or will he cave and let the issue slip away?

General

Explainer looks at the relative destruction between an atomic bomb and Hurricane Larry, which hit Australia recently. A very interesting blurb, noting some of the details of how an atomic bomb does damage. Something I hope to never see with my own eyes.

Today’s Papers has China’s political use of Pandas, states passing laws to grant immunity from prosecution to crime victims who retaliate against their attackers with deadly force, the “murky relationship” between Iran and al-Qaida and more in the one page news.

Amusements

Convicted drunk driver deemed fit to stand trial for doing it again, despite his claims that Shania Twain controls his mind

Broward County, Florida, has a special unit just for innocent people who are victimized by their evil twins

Teens raising money to bail friend out of jail for drinking need to have some more teens have a party to bail them out of jail for drinking

Pittsburgh hockey arena experiences power outage, fans start chanting “new arena”

Garden gnomes go into hiding to avoid paying taxes. No, really

Army Captain has to relieve himself. Step 1: Police car nearby. Step 3: Police car no longer running on high test

<A HREF="http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060320/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_germany_stallion;_ylt=AjORSpd1mE_cYRS1IrJLckWs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3NW1oMDRpBHNlYwM3NTc-“>Weird: Man sues seller of horse for misrepresentation. Weirder: Buyer claims horse is impotent. Fark: Judge orders Viagra, horse works again

Man faces charges after an assault involving mace, a Taser and pool balls. “It’s unusual that they would use that combination of three weapons,” said Sgt. Asshat Grantham

“Wrestling for Jesus” show ends with real fighting, real cursing and a repentant participant stretched-out and face-down in the ring, weeping

But I do have some good news — I just saved over 50 percent on my auto insurance by lying to Geico about what my occupation is and how much I earn

No longer able to resist his Schweddy Balls, man accused of stuffing about two-dozen containers of deodorant down his pants

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Traffic-light warning labels to be placed on junk food packaging. Photoshop a more effective label

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this pipe-blowing guy

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop the entrance to Yale’s Skull & Bones club