News – One Heck of a Missed Shot

US

The FBI has to explain to the 9/11 commission why 70 ‘full’ field investigations didn’t’ uncover evidence of the 9/11 attacks. How in the heck does the FBI conduct 70 investigations and come up with zilch? Usually if you shoot at something with buckshot, you get at least one hit, if not a couple. Yes?

The F/A-22 Raptor may be the latest casualty of the Iraq war. The Air Force wants 277 of them and says they’re the key to dominating the skies in future warfare. Against who, exactly? The only ones the tech would matter against are allies, not enemies. I doubt any country can match our current air force, much less those countries declared as enemies.

Condi Rice isn’t a national security advisor at all. Or so one Frayster elaborates upon in this featured response. Brow raising to consider the possibility that Condi is little more than a glorified supervisory bureaucrat.

Kerry hits Bush with new report.

Bush dips his fingers back into Middle East politics.

A small plane was intercepted by F-16 fighters near Bush’s ranch. No note of who it was and why they were flying through the restricted air space.

A report on the investigation into the Cole bombing notes that it came close to putting two of the 9/11 hijackers under surveillance.

American Airlines feels the wrath of privacy advocates as the third airline to release passenger data to the government.

Whopper: Condi Rice.

Iraq

Seven Chinese civilians are among the latest in various kidnapped foreign nationals in Iraq. China’s leadership is concerned and wants the hostage takers identified and their people rescued. One of the things I find the most amusing is that US officials say they won’t negotiate with terrorists, yet they do so. I suppose they draw a line between negotiation and diplomacy? I suppose it depends how you play with semantics. Not that I disagree with it.. I want a truce and an end to the fighting. Less death is always good.

In good news, it seems that nine prior hostages have been released. Three Japaneses and an American remain unaccounted for, however. Dick Cheney(Check the smirk) seeks to give Junichiro Koizumi some support in maintaining his resolve that he’s done the right thing in sending troops.

Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq says it is acting as a go between for truce talks between US oficials and Sadr. Apparently the CPA itself isn’t involved, which leads me to wonder just who is doing the negotiating.

To better things, the occupation must become invisible. I think that’s true enough, but I don’t know if Iraqi security forces are prepared for taking up the forefront.

Blair trumps it up as he declares that defeat for American forces would mean victory for dictators, fanatics and terrorists worldwide. Way to put all your eggs in one basket, Mr. Blair.

What to do about military contractors run amok? The ones who pack weapons call into a gray zone with regard to the Geneva conventions.. so what is their legal status?

Israel/Palestine

Three Palestinian gunmen were killed inside of an Israeli settlement. Their diverse affiliations(one form each of Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades according to a militant source) hints at cooperation between the groups.

Will Bush given Sharon a free hand in setting borders if he enacts his withdrawal plan? Would anyone be surprised if allowing Sharon to annex as much territory as he likes ends up prolonging and enhancing the conflict, as well as further souring relations between the US and Palestinians? One would hope he isn’t that short sighted. It mentions any such borders be noted as temporary, but such things can slowly be forgotten.

Abby Spero, an Israeli, has survived four car bomb attacks before her 22nd birthday. She plans to return to the US this summer, having had quite enough of the stress that Israel’s situation puts on her. I can understand why. And she likely isn’t alone in this fatigue and desire to find calmer locales.

Afghanistan

A spokesman for ousted Taliban remnants has said that they’ve killed Ahmadullah, intelligence chief of Uruzgan province, and captured three districts near the Pakistan border.

General

A new study suggests that women who carry a genetic mutation(the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes) linked to higher risk of breast cancer may need more frequent mammograms and ultrasounds to catch and development of cancer early. Annual is the typical interval. If you don’t know if you carry this mutation, it might behoove you to be checked for it.

Mystery of the upside down book solved.

<A HREF="http://slate.msn.com/id/2098558/”>60 Minutes knows how to deal with defective defectors.

Today’s Papers notes the sharp drop in IRS audit rates for companies since Bush came into office, a new Google bomb on John Kerry, an insurgent hide out in Fallujah and more.

The music labels think 99 cents a song is too cheap for online music stores, they want to jack the price up to $1.25 to $2.99 a song. If they succeed, you can kiss online music stores good bye, it’ll kill them. Only Apple can consider their music store a real success, but even that is tenuous. I hope they have the good sense to resist any attempt to jack up prices.

Amusements

Companies who outsource find cheaper labor gives them what they pay for.

A $100,000 tunnel boring machine. You know you want it.(Auction ends in less than three hours, link may break soon after).

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop the real reason why this little girl is running

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Theme: A cup of coffee, a don and a battleship

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Tiger Woods and friends celebrating hole in one

Newgrounds: There she is! – Very cute, very funny, even if you can’t understand the song.

Newgrounds: Queenstreets – Odd