The enemy of your enemy makes you my friend. Unfortunately. A story of bad immigration logic leading to the right policy. Kind of. … [Read more...] about At Least They’re Christian

From today's Globe and Mail: "Police across the Greater Toronto Area launched counterterrorism raids yesterday, arresting at least eight people in a roundup expected to continue overnight and beyond." Here are the specifics, as they are currently being reported: Local officers operated in conjunction with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and the Royal Canadian … [Read more...] about Toronto terrorism threat

...in Russia. … [Read more...] about Gearing Up For 2008’s Election: A Top Law Officer Resigns

A Russian diplomat has been murdered and four others kidnapped - BBC. Meanwhile, 35 miles NE of Baghdad we have this AP photo captioned "Severed heads are transported in a box to a Baquba morgue" … [Read more...] about Bloody Baghdad

Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio's love for Bush fades A new Ohio Poll out Friday showed President Bush's approval rating in Ohio at 35 percent - not just the lowest of his presidency, but the lowest of any of the four presidents in the 25-year history of the University of Cincinnati-based poll. For Ohio Republicans, several of whom face tough election battles, the poll had no good … [Read more...] about G W Bush Jilted

In answer to readers' emails: here's another tribute to a great comedian. If you're a younger reader, you may not know much about Jack Benny, a huge vaudeville star, who became a huge radio star who became a huge television star. He was one of the 20th century's most beloved celebrities-- a major influence on generations of comedians because he was a master of that elusive … [Read more...] about Comedy Greats: Jack Benny

From moderate cartoonist Tom Briscoe: … [Read more...] about “Civilized Debate”

Pollster John Zogby has told the Detroit Free Press that the Iraq War could prove to effectively be a political tsunami that will hammer the GOP in elections across the board in 2006:The war in Iraq has become so unpopular that it could cost Republicans control of Congress, statehouses and governor races around the country, national pollster John Zogby said Friday. He said 70% … [Read more...] about Zogby: Iraq War Will Be Political Poison For GOP In November

Either the Iraqi leader was genuinely misquoted or White House Press Secretary Tony Snow is coming dangerously close to the point where he will become known as Tony Schmo:The White House on Friday sought to soften criticism by Iraq's prime minister over allegations that U.S. Marines killed two dozen unarmed civilians in the western town of Haditha last November. White House … [Read more...] about Was Iraqi Leader Misquoted On Marines?

Maybe He's mad because Pat is always sharing all those private conversations. … [Read more...] about Is God Mad At Pat Robertson?

The stories left behind as pack journalism turned elsewhere. … [Read more...] about Ten Neglected World Stories

I just pulled out an old birthday card my friends created for me. They filled with artistic decorations representing some of my peculiar personality quirks. It includes: 1) My favorite flavor of smoothie 2) A dog with a tumor (I hate dogs) 3) A dark cloud blocking the sun (I hate sunlight) It also includes a few things I don't get, like the floating head of my former Hall … [Read more...] about Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Me (And A Lot You Didn’t)

Amid what seems a growing international scandal over charges that Marines were involved in atrocities, coupled with the news media trying to flesh out the story by finding more allegations, the Marines have been officially cleared in one allegation that was making the rounds:Horrific images of Iraqi adults and children have fueled new allegations that U.S. troops killed … [Read more...] about Marines Cleared In Ishaqi Death Allegations

I thank Salmineo for the interesting comments on my post "Is It Fair To Blame The Marines Alone?". Salmineo said: "(American) troops don't receive 'extensive' training before entering armed conflict. We are talking humanity training. IMO none of the training a Marine receives changes his basic occupation as an assault troop. "What's happening is that they are using Assault … [Read more...] about Marines and the Mahabharata: Lessons From the Haditha Tragedy In Iraq

According to the Post, "[t]he United States and five other major world powers agreed [yesterday] to offer Iran a broad new collection of rewards if it halts its drive to master nuclear technology". Said British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett: "There are two paths ahead. We urge Iran to take the positive path and to consider seriously our substantive proposals, which would … [Read more...] about Dealing with Iran: Six world powers agree to carrot-and-stick approach

Has all that much changed since last year's riots? Apparently not: Small gangs of youths pelted riot police with rocks and set cars and garbage bins ablaze late Tuesday in a second night of unrest in the Paris suburbs, raising fears of a return of the disturbances that inflamed 300 French towns and suburbs last fall. The violence of the last two nights -- in which youths … [Read more...] about Paris is burning (again)

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has extended a second political olive branch to Iran in the ongoing efforts to resolve the stalemate over Iran's developing nuclear program via diplomatic means:U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, in another gesture to Tehran, on Friday held out the possibility that she meet Iranian officials if Tehran halts atomic fuel work and agrees … [Read more...] about Rice Offers A Second Olive Branch To Iran

The split in the New York Republican party got a little wider yesterday, as delegates to the state party convention voted to nominate former assembly minority leader John Faso (over former MA Gov Bill Weld) to be the party's nominee against Eliot Spitzer in this fall's gubernatorial race. Now, since recent polls have suggested it might not even matter who the GOP runs since … [Read more...] about NY GOP Nominates Faso for Governor

Now when an elected Prime Minister of Iraq, Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, lashes out at the American military by denouncing what he characterized as habitual attacks by troops against Iraqi civilians, it is a serious warning signal for the Bush Administration. Until now, there was an excuse that the American soldiers were in Iraq to avoid a "civil war" or "bloodbath". Today's NYT … [Read more...] about President Bush! Sir, Here is Yet Another Warning Signal

The comments that followed my TMV post "Is it fair to blame the Marines alone?" have tempted me to indulge in a fantasy and ask myself this somewhat crazy and presumptuous question. First I thought who am I...a small-time journalist from a struggling developing country. And there is Bush...the mighty Lord of whatever he surveys from his White House palace. But, then, everyone … [Read more...] about If I were Bush…