News – Who do you Believe?

Two queries right off the bat. So many tell stories, but when it all comes down to making the choice, who do you believe?

Israel/Palestine

Another Israeli raid. With two separate stories as to what was the end result. Israeli sources say that three gunmen were killed and Khaled Kadi, the target, was arrested. Palestinian sources say that one gunman was killed, as well as five noncombatants, one being a paramedic. So who do you believe?

US

Mohamad Pharoan, a Syrian-born Muslim who entered the US in 1992, was escorted out of the Hyatt Regency hotel he worked in for seven years. Bush was having a fund raising dinner there and he says the Secret Service had asked him one question before doing so: “Is your name Mohamad?” The Secret Service, at first denying involvement, then admitted they’d done it, but for security reasons stemming from confusion over a work schedule. Not because he was Muslim or Arab. Who do you believe?

Another milestone in rebuilding at the WTC. By the sound, they’re still hell bent on providing some manner of self-important eyesore to make everyone feel good again. Bah.

CAPPS II is still waitin in the wings. The GAO report on it is due February, at which point we’ll see if this system will be allowed to continue it’s potential existence.

Reasons why it was wrong for Gore to endorse Howard Dean. Personally, I’m not too sure about this, though considering it lightly I can see where he can be seen as wrong.

The Browser’s Guide to Election 2004: Slate Reads John Edward’s book so you don’t have to.

John Kerry needs to be more like his wife. She kicks ass. 😉

The $3.77 million wedding. What a Farking waste of money.

Iraq

The Green Zone, which is the HQ of the US military in Baghdad, was attacked by explosive fire. Some think mortars. Only two were lightly wounded. I doubt the ultimate goal was to kill, however.

About 300 of the 700 recruited for the new Iraqi 1st Battalion walked less than two months after being trained. Why? They weren’t being paid enough. Less than half that of the police.

A Pentagon audit of Halliburton’s services has found the company over billed the US government for 120 million bucks. Auditors are also looking into delays in pricing. Halliburton denies wrongdoing and defense officials have that Kellogg, Brown and Root(the subsidiary in question) may have been overcharged by 61 million on fuel to be sent to Iraq.

A new report by Human Rights Watch goes into the tactics used by the US military in Iraq and what could have been done to lessen the number of collateral casualties caused.

“It’s very simple. Our people risked their lives. Friendly coalition folks risked their lives, and therefore the contracting is going to reflect that, and that’s what the U.S. taxpayers expect,” Bush said. – Whatever happened to this being an issue of national security? I’m pretty sure tax payers like to not be lied to as well, even casually. And to have a government that’s mature and not childlike, but we rarely get what we expect. Do we?

We also have an Iraqi minister who supports Bush’s move. Though he mentions something about them supporting Saddam’s bloody regime. Well, the US did to so I don’t see where that has to do with anything. Everyone got their fingers dirty in that little mud pie. If we’re going to start holding grudges when the shooting stops, we might as well start taking steps back into the darker, more tense history we just heaved ourselves out of.

Don’t we want to lessen the anti-American sentiment out there?

France

“Conspicuous” signs of religions belief are to be banned from government approved schools in France. Seems a bit extreme to me, but France is a country that takes it’s secularism more seriously than some.

Germany

The trial of Abdelghani Mzoudi, suspected of planning the 9/11 attacks, has collapsed when new witness testimony was submitted. Amusingly, it was testimony passed to the Germans by the US with the condition that it not be used in any trials. Leave it to our government to try and keep such testimony quiet.

General

Diabetics who add a gram of cinnamon to their diets each day for forty days have a decrease in levels of blood sugar, cholesterol and blood fats. Or so the research says, so spice it up!

Day to Day has Iraq Reconstruction Contracts, Cell-Phone Jammers and Global Internet Summit.

Today’s Papers has two journalists injured in Iraq by a tossed grenade, the government not knowing how terrorists move their cash, a suicide car bomb that got into the US base it targeted and more.

Amusements

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop popular-culture icons betraying their ethics

Bous Stage – #2: Zombie

Man fails to get court to rule stalking as free expression.

Man gets hand caught between seats when groping a stripper on the bus.

Man arrested after cutting his face and telling the police another guy did it.