News – Sharon Upstaged?

He seems to be fighting pretty hard against it as the support for the ‘Geneva Initiative’ grows.

Israel/Palestine

Sharon’s government is moving aggressively against the “Geneva initiative”, warning off foreign backers, saying they damage the peace road map. You see, Swiss foreign minister, Micheline Calmy-Rey, won support from Jack Straw and the UN secretary general, Kofi Annan. So you can see why Sharon might be getting antsy about being upstaged. 😉

One Palestinian was shot and killed, another wounded in Gaza today. “They were not armed but had a mobile phone and maps and drawings of the area, proof that they were trying to gather intelligence for the next terrorist attack,” one source told Reuters.

So let me get this straight. They were potential terrorists and unarmed, but rather than take them into custody, they were shot at. Am I getting this about right? Am I the only one that sees something off about this?

Hizbollah TV airs a show in which it says it will show the true face of Zionism. calls of anti-Sematism fly and Ren is hardly surprised. It is Hizbollah after all. Though I would like to see it, just to try and get a sense for how things are perceived from their side. By looking closely at someone’s biases, you can usually get a better feel for them.

Iraq

Two more US soldiers killed in Iraq.

Syria has gone on record as condemning the attack on the Red Cross. Mind you, I doubt anyone who matters will be swayed by this act..

Dr Mahmoud Osman, one of the members of the Iraqi Governing Council, says that responsibility for security in Iraq should be handed over to Iraqis ASAP. Meanwhile a joint security council with Iraqis, US and UK members are set to consider changes to enhance security in Iraq.

An independent thinktank estimates the Iraqi dead at 15,000 during the actual war. Up to 4,300 of them were civilian noncombatants.

Powell urges aid workers to stay, saying the terrorists win if they leave. Way to lay the guilt trip. :p

Cheney likes to spin poll results. Here’s a commentary on some of the polls that have been going on to find out what the Iraqis want. The results aren’t so promising as the VP might lead you to believe.

Afghanistan

Three US soldiers wounded in an ambush on their convoy.

Also, two CIA agents were ambushed and killed. They were said to be tracking terrorists.

Iran

Iran won’t share it’s alQueda intelligence with the US. But why should they? The US has been nothing but a thorn in their side for how long now? Considering that any improvement in relations garnered by sharing said intelligence would likely evaporate quickly, there really is no motivation for Iran to give us anything at all.

Russia

Ten Russian miners, trapped in their mine for nearly five days, are found alive. One was dead and another was still missing in the mines after an underground lake flooded the complex.

US

Most adoption agencies are willing to place children with homosexual parents and 40% note they already have. All I need say to that is good on them. Tolerance and fairness are a pleasant thing to see.

The Department of Homeland security has a new, high tech system by which they’ll photograph and fingerprint foreign visitors to the US. I’m still not quite sure what to think of this thing.

Looks like Bush will be getting his 20 billion for Iraq as grants, not loans. Though the details are still being hashed out.

Ways to legally skirt the DMCA.

Swarthmore College students, who are in a legal battle against voting machine-maker Diebold Election Systems are getting a load of support in addition to the obvious resistance from their foe.

Do you think that General Clark joining in on the pesimissm of the Iraq occupation is hypocritical? It is an interesting parallel to be drawn between Bush’s attempts to bolster support and Clark’s very same message when it came to Kosovo.

Some might seem surprised that Clinton’s firoeng policy people haven’t said much at all with regard to the Iraq war. Personally, I think that it has to do with the fact that Bush is shooting himself in the foot often enough that they really don’t have to.

General

Day to Day: Stress over Justice Janice Rogers Brown

Bushisms: “[A]s you know, these are open forums, you’re able to come and listen to what I have to say.”—Washington, D.C., Oct. 28, 2003 – Another that is simply too ironic and Freudian to not mention. 😉

Today’s Papers notes the Senate passing a bill prorating foreign aid to countries that owe parking tickets in New York City, a US commander at the Syrian border saying no foreign fighters has crossed over and more tidbits.

Amusements

Cos Play

A Big Surprise

Perhaps you like your name better now?