News – Fallen Leaders

Iraq

Abdul Zahra Othman Mohammad(AKA: Izzedin Salim or Ezzedine Salim) was killed today in a suicide car bomb attack. He was the current president of the Iraqi Governing Council(the presidentcy shifts), bringing up the question of security for memebers of the new Iraqi government. If the interim governent is formed and they aren’t any safer, it could be a serious issue for making progress. The total number of deaths were four to eight in this attack.

The Pentagon seeks to dismiss a report that the abuse of Iraqi prisoners came about through a secret plan approved by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to toughen interrogation methods. This, of course, has been denied by the Pentagon. I continue to wonder when the role of civilian contractors will be solidified. They need to he held accountable for their actions.

Bush blames Berg’s death on Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and cites him again as evidence of Saddam’s terrorist ties. Of course, (assuming Zarqawi is in the country, which he may well be) every major terrorist group probably has it’s fingers in Iraq now. The presence of any of them is just as likely to be coincidence now.

Jordan’s King Abdullah paints a pessimistic picture of Iraq. Though not one ny different than some of us already hope will not come to pass.

Powell expects that the Iraqi Ministry of Defense will put it’s troops under a US ‘multinational force commander’ after the handover to the interim government. On the Sunday news shows, when asked if the US would back off if told, he said sure, but they’re not expected to make such a demand. We’ll see.

Iraq has a small Olympics squad. A sprinter, a swimmer, a weightlifter, a hurdler, a boxer, a tae kwon do fighter and an under-23 football team.

When is culture an excuse? For many in the Middle East, concepts of honor, personal dignity and other such quibbles are of a different perspective. The killing of Berg has received little in the way of serious condemnation in the Arab world, when compared to the Abu Ghraib abuses. Some think that to be unconscionable.

Israel/Palestine

Hundreds of residents of Rafah are fleeing ahead of a planned mass demolition of homes. Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurie has appealed to the US to intervene. Colin Powel has said, from Jordan, that they oppose the ‘wholesale bulldozing of houses’, but the question remains if the US will do anything more than toss futile condemnations while Israel cements ire against them in the overturned rubble.

Tanks are going into Rafah again. We can expect more Palestinian casualties(perhaps not as many as many residence flee), but will there be a significant number of Israeli deaths like the last time?

100,000 rally in Tel Aviv to demand Sharon go through with his pledge to withdraw from Gaza.

Chechnya

Chechnya’s most wanted warlord, Shamil Basayev, has claimed responsibility for the death of Akhmad Kadyrov who lead the country. He’s also made threats on other officials, including the Prime Minister Sergey Abramov.

US

Massachusetts is now the first state to offer gay marriage. As soon as the courthouses open, the first ones will commence.

The 9/11 Commission is getting into the flaws with first responders. Perhaps now they can get the equipment they need to handle matters.

How much privacy one is willing to give up for a sense of security is a telling echo of our more fearful times. Would you get naked for Uncle Sam?

No luck on lifting Bush’s ban on stem cell research. Try again next administration.

Where does the buck stop? Never on the president’s doorstep. One can’t have a great deal of respect for a president who won’t take the blame for his failures. At least past dirty presidents would own up to their faults.

Information gained through the use of torture is inadmissible in any criminal prosecution. Yet I doubt that will effect Bush’s administration, should it seek to try captured terrorists. Their military tribunals will allow it and I doubt it will be revealed how information was obtained with the blanket of national security claims to obscure such information.

Who benefits from high gas prices? Not the convince store owners who sell 3/4 of the gas in America.

General

The summer movie season is getting off to a sluggish start. Troy didn’t do so well at the box office, though personally I found it to be an engaging movie. I like how they handled the legend of Achilles and his one weakness.

German students are working on an emulator to Run OSX on Windows. It’s slow and buggy, but still it’s getting serious downloads. Would such a thing interest you?

Today’s Papers has the US handing over Falluja to the guerrillas? As well, a shift int eh administration’s HIV policy, loosened EPA regs on industrial towels and more in the one page news.

Build your own stun gun with a glove, some wire, and a disposable camera.

Amusements

Man wearing plastic monkey mask robs milk bar with steak knife

VW creates 9.5 ton ice sculpture of their new Polo Twist, park it on city street. Confusion ensues (with pic)

Court orders jobless man to pay $2,500 for stealing $0.80

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Drew Curtis goes on vacation, leaving you the keys to Fark. Photoshop what the site would look like upon his return

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop these purported replacements for Kentucky’s ugly-ass “Smiley” plate

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this bird on the run from the long arm of the law