July 2004

July 26, 2004

Bombing for Peace

If the notion of fighting a "War on Terror" by dropping bombs and invading countries seems to be, at best batshit zany, and at worst counterproductive, you're not alone.

In highlighting a terribly underreported piece of the 9/11 commission report, Newsweek's Fareed Zakaria writes:

The report describes the struggle as "more than a war," but what the conclusions make plain is that it really means that it is different from war. Of the 27 recommendations in this chapter, only one can be seen as advocating the use of military force: attacking "terrorists and their organizations." And even that one, on closer inspection, is more complicated. The sanctuaries identified are in places like Pakistan, Thailand, and Nigeria and in Central and Eastern European cities with lax border controls. What are we to do, invade these countries? The only way that we will apprehend or kill suspected terrorists and disrupt their organizations is by cooperating with these governments.

July 12, 2004

Now and Then

NOW: 'The Dots Never Existed'

Taken together, the facts in the report show that virtually every major claim President George W. Bush used to justify the invasion of Iraq--from Saddam's growing nuclear program to his close ties with Al Qaeda--was either wrong or exaggerated.

THEN: BEFORE THE WAR

July 06, 2004

In Case You Missed It...

...while you were up at the cabin over the long weekend:

Army Stage-Managed Fall of Hussein Statue

The fall of the statue? Fake.
The throngs of cheering Iraqis in Firdos Square? Fake.
Saddam as a threat? Fake
WMD? Fake.
Saddam's connections with Al Qaeda? Fake.
America's interest in a democratic Iraq? Fake.

Some reality.

July 01, 2004

Did He Spend the Last 6 Months at Club Med?

Looking thin, healthy, and downright natty in the jacket and open-collar dress shirt. The July issue of GQ even has a piece about how "the beard is back," on page 18.