News – Iraqis Abuse Iraqis

Middle East

Over 170 prisoners are found locked in an interior ministry bunker in Baghdad, many of them beaten and starved, some appearing to have been tortured. US troops, looking for something vastly different, stumbled upon them and now we have an investigation. This sunny new Iraq government has a pretty dark underbelly it seems. Is it institutional or is it a few individuals?

The Israeli Capitan who put 16 bullets into a 13 year old girl and says he would have done the same even if she had been three years old was acquitted today. ‘Captain R’ was charged with minor offenses(illegal use of his weapon, conduct unbecoming an officer and perverting the course of justice by asking soldiers under his command to alter their accounts of the incident), rather than the killing of Iman al-Hams who was shot 17 times as she ventured near an Israeli army post near Rafah refugee camp in Gaza a year ago. One more instance showing that in many ways, IDF members have far more leeway than they should. Killing a Palestinian improperly is no big deal.

This is enough to prove that to me: In the recording, a soldier in a watchtower radioed a colleague in the army post’s operations room and describes Iman as “a little girl” who was “scared to death”. After soldiers first opened fire, she dropped her schoolbag which was then hit by several bullets establishing that it did not contain explosive. At that point she was no longer carrying the bag and, the tape revealed, was heading away from the army post when she was shot. I don’t trust Israel’s government or justice system and I don’t blame Palestinians for showing them no trust.

Lieutenant Colonel Barry Venable admits on BBC that the US did use White Phosphorus as a weapon in the battle of Falluja in 2004. The question is, is the substance to be considered an incendiary weapon or a chemical weapon? Joys, another game of semantics. White phosphorous burns spontaneously on contact with air, producing phosphorus pentoxide smoke. According to the standard US industrial safety sheet, the smoke “releases heat on contact with moisture, and will burn mucous surfaces. Contact … can cause severe eye burns and permanent damage.”

Asia

Bush pokes China about freedom. Pokes won’t get things done. Prods will, with conditions and penalties for noncompliance. Not allowing a great depth of trade until said freedoms are enacted is a means to that end.

Europe

Britain agrees to extradite Babar Ahmad, a computer expert wanted by the United States to face terrorism charges, to the US.

Bernard Accoyer, leader of the Union for a Popular Majority (UMP) in the National Assembly lower house of parliament, says in France’s parliament that children from large polygamous families had problems integrating into mainstream society and that was a factor in the outbreak of rioting. Hmmm.

North America

The Washington Post obtains a document that notes officials from Exxon MobilCorp., Conoco (before its merger with Phillips), Shell Oil Co. and BP America Inc. met with the Cheney aides while they were forming national energy policy.

The Senate pokes Bush about a clearer plan for Iraq. Being there, for the most part, until the Iraqi people can defend themselves is a very vague qualifier. If there were a note of what the goal troop strengths and training levels were desired before departing, that would be more solid without giving a ‘timetable’ that could embolden the insurgents. It would be a straight goal to shoot for.

The Senate Finance committee decides the oil industry doesn’t need a big tax cut, considering the cash they’re raking in

Congressional investigators note that the Bush administration needs to tighten security on air cargo. There is a lot they need to work on, but likely won’t due to pet projects and all the political trouble they get into.

Looks like some people who have returned to New Orleans are starting to show symptoms from the mold and contaminated dust left behind by the floodwaters that have been stirred up by cleanup and demolition work. Like I maintain, returning to the area now is a bad idea.

Explainer notes how Presidential Libraries decide what documents to display to the public.

General

In a war crimes trial on Wednesday, Sefer Halilovic, the highest-ranking Bosnian Muslim yet to stand trial in The Hague, was acquitted of of murder, violations of the laws or customs of war.

The similarity of Buddhism and Neuroscience? Both are focused on pushing out the bad thoughts and bringing in the good.

Today’s Papers has compromise legislation passed on Guantanimo detainees, the problems with finding Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, more on the prisoners found in Iraq’s interior ministry dungeon and more in the one page news.

Amusements

Since red-light cameras were installed in Colorado, accident rates at intersections increased 83 percent

California woman plans to marry the man who shot her and held her hostage for six days. The happy couple will be registered at the nearest psychiatric facility

Demonstrating once again their desire to be different, Floridians study way for supernatural water to protect citrus trees

What would Jesus do? According to this woman, he’d assault two Best Buy employees and a police officer over arefund dispute

Bad: You get heckled while making a speech. Worse: They are Tennessee hecklers. Worst: You are vice president of the U.S.

Liberal bloggers get into a hair-pulling sissy fight over advertising network

After showing it was serious about its role in the Iraq oil-for-food scandal by firing a single employee, United Nations rehires said employee

Your neighbor accidentally builds her new fence seven inches onto your side of the property line. Do you a) Work with her to remedy the situation to both parties mutual satisfaction or b) Cut the fence down with a chainsaw while she is at work

Squeezing the cheese on your wife is considered domestic abuse in South Carolina. And it’s bad enough to get you on the “Most Wanted” list

Wisconsin man named Ken returns license plate “666-KEN” randomly selected for his red Oldsmobile. What would Jesus drive?

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Theme: David Hasselhoff becomes an A-list movie star

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this bad-ass fishy

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop the business card for your dream job</A