Friday, September 08, 2006

Random News & Views Roundup

- The Democrats have sent a scathing letter to Disney president Robert Iger about his company's decision to air The Path to 9/11. They also provide a form for concerned people to fill out to add their names to the growing chorus opposed to the presentation of this fictitious piece of revisionist history. If you haven't done so already, do your part.

- Scholastic, under fire for promoting this docudrama as historical fact via classroom teaching plans, has posted a statement on its site to cover its butt.

- Anyone who would try to justify the lies in The Path to 9/11 - aided by the New York Times - qualifies as the wanker of the day. Absolutely pathetic.

- European watchdog calls for clampdown on CIA.

The head of Europe's human rights watchdog yesterday called for monitoring of CIA agents operating in Britain and other European countries, after President George Bush's admission that the US had detained terrorist suspects in secret prisons.
[...]
Mr [Terry] Davis also called for a ban on the transport of suspects in military aircraft. At the moment the prohibition applies only to civil aircraft.

The former British Labour MP was scathing about President Bush. "Why does the US need to keep people in secret prisons? I thought that was settled by Magna Carta. But King John is alive and well and running the USA.

"There is a smoking gun. We know where it is - it is in the hands of George Bush. His fingerprints are on the gun."

Amen to that and it's about bloody time.

- John Bolton's confirmation hearing has been called off for now because there's no guarantee it will make it out of committee this time around. Let's hope he's toast.

- The US Embassy was the scene of a bomb blast on Friday.

KABUL (Reuters) - A roadside bomb exploded close to the U.S. embassy in Kabul on Friday. Witnesses said they saw at least four bodies they presumed were dead.

The blast occurred at a major intersection less than 100 meters (yards) from the heavily fortified embassy.

That's all we know so far.

Update: AP reports that 3 people were killed, 2 of which were coalition soldiers. There are also media reports that the source was a car bomb. BBC has a different report entirely.

Update: CNN has more. 18 people were killed and 29 were wounded.

- The US senate has given the Pentagon another $469 billion and has reinstated the CIA group charged with hunting down bin Laden. Yes, 'reinstated'. They needed some time off to drink Mai Tais in Hawaii, apparently.

- Here's a headline that's sure to bring you some comfort: FAA Cracks Down on Air Controllers Naps.

- Good news for those 'Ohio fraudsters' who were so ridiculed at Daily Kos following the 2004 election: a judge has ordered that the ballots be kept instead of being disposed of as they were supposed to be some 22 months after the election so they can be available as evidence in a lawsuits filed contesting the results. This ain't over til it's over.

- Reuters list of security incidents in Iraq for Sept 7 include the discovery of a beheaded woman who was tortured. I don't recall CNN running that story.

No comments:

Post a Comment