News – Bold Could be Considered Unwise

Iraq

Sheikh Hazem al-Aaraji, a representative of Moqtada al-Sadr in Baghdad, was seized today by US forces. sadr’s militia is said to be pulling back some, but hasn’t yet disbanded. US forces have pledged to capture or kill him, seeming to ignore or underestimate the possible fallout.

Tekhpromexport, Russia’s top contractor in Iraq, will be pulling out it’s 370 workers due to the worsening security situation. I wonder what will be come of the power station they were building.

Of the many captured in Iraq, it seems the seven Chinese may have been released. As well, some details on Gary Teeley, a Briton who was captured for a week.

The ‘brave and patriotic’ can rail all they like about asymmetrical warfare. But when it comes right down to it, it’s effective against armies trained to fight defined enemies on defined terms. In a new day and age, new tactics are required to met unconventional threats.

International Papers looks at the many reactions to the kidnappings and spates of disorder in Iraq.

The Vietnam analogy is dismissed. Ponder Lebanon in 1982 as a more apt comparison.

Israel/Palestine

Moshe Katsav(Someone had desecated this entry with curse words and gobldegok. I took that out), President of Israel(Don’t hear much from him), may have been targeted for assassionation by three Arab nationals detained in Hungary. It is also noted that they planned to bomb the holocaust museum in Budapest.

Sharon vows to keep West bank settlements for ‘all eternity’. Palestinians are understandibly pissed.

Pakistan

Pakistanit police arrest six militants and sieze their weapons. They’re said to belong to Harkat-ul Mujahideen al-Alami

Afghanistan

Hamid Karzai’s government has vowed to disarm the militias, which they see as a continued source of unrest along with various militant elements such as the Taliban.

US

Bush is going to have a formal press conference tonight. His first for the year. Dunno what will be in the agenda in detail, but hopefully he’ll finally show having a plan for just who is going to take over Iraq on June 30th, since it seems they still have yet to pick someone or have someone picked.

Some Republicans are having second thoughts about holding the GOP convention in NY, minutes away from the WTC site.

Kerry thinks Iraq would go better if the occupation were ‘de-Americanized’. Like replacing Bremer with U.N. aide Lakhdar Brahimi.

Bush says US intelligence might need a reform. I’d wager it’s obvious that intelligence needs a major overhaul after the general fiasco of the last few years.

Ashcroft and two former FBI directors will be next up with the 9/11 Commission.

The ban on Ephedra is on, despite attempts by the makers to keep it on the market..

The RIAA’s sales rise. They continue to doom and gloom on piracy. More likely they finally found a batch of artists that people want to listen to.

The TSA is looking to try out a registered flyer program to help speed frequent fliers through security.

US Catholic leaders are annoyed with Kerry. They called for him to not take communion over Easter and he defied them to do just that.

General

A look at Control Room, a documentary on Al Jazeera.

Explaner details what ‘summer blend’ gas is.

Today’s Papers has Bush revamping Section 8, Abdul Qadeer Khan says he saw three of North Korea’s nukes, denials of high civilian casualties in Falluja and more.

Amusements

City commissioner — found asleep in his car with his pants down — claims to the victim of a prank

Liquid Generation: Suck My News #96: Posh Spice Cheats on Cell Phone

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Theme: How to identify an American in a crowd

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Nearing the end of its mission, photoshop what the Mars rovers’ last image will look like

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop moments in which saying “my bad” just doesn’t cover it