News – Straight Stats on the Fallen in Iraq

Iraq

Do you want the straight, unbiased data on allied casualties in Iraq? Slate found a wonderful site for it here. The precision of the data is impressive as is the attempt to keep from leaning to any side. Take a look.

Bremer and Bush meet in an attempt to salvage the plan to form an initial Iraqi government without elections. Would inclusion of the UN give this plan new justification?

It might not even matter if Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani decides to issue the fatwa against the proposed initial government that his aides have warned the CPA about. That would ad a whole new annoying complexity if issued and embraced by the Shia majority.

The first thirty of up to one thousand Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force troops are heading for Iraq.

In this latest edition of the Liberal Hawks looking back, Fred Kaplan pretty much says how I feel and think about matters. It’s a matter of prospective and your confidence in the prowess of certain people in power.

Israel/Palestine

Hamas spiritual leader Ahmed Yassin has been marked for death by Israel. Their last attempt on this man in September resulted in giving him a hand injury.

A Palestinian family strikes out against Islamic Jihad, telling them not to use children on suicide missions. One must break the idea that there are none in Palestine who think differently than those who kill. The same for Israel and it’s people.

Bush got serious flack on his visit to Martin Luther King gravesite. By and large, the predominantly African-American crowd showed an anti-war sentiment. He laid the wreath and departed without speaking.

A musing of Bush’s space program, whether it might be a Trojan Horse through which costly projects such as the old shuttle and the ISS can be killed with lesser backlash. Should the push for a moon base be an international project, much like the space station? This article makes me wonder. Is considering this another possible source for a cold war proper or just being a little too alarmist?

The latest headlines from the 2004 election run.

Sci-Fi writers are positive on Bush’s space plan. But of course, they would be.

The Republican National Committee hits Wesley Clark with his own quotes to discredit his anti-war platform. Clark says his words are taken out of context.

Gephardt promises works jobs.

What Bush is expected to talk about in his upcoming State of the Union address. Typical stuff it seems.

General

Today’s Papers notes Starbucks is in Paris, the Iraqi Governing Council seeking to push the sharia, limiting women’s rights and more.

Amusements

Mark Fiore: The Rovers

Ebola World: I’m Lovin’ It

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Create a new brand of cereal.

Newgrounds: Erik the Juiceman Short #1