"Customs camps"

Customs `camps' cause for concern

Hmm... I can see it now...

"Bill, we need somewhere to put these people. We need to concentrate them into one location, preferably into some kind of easily buildable camp. A camp where we can concentrate them... yes, what should we call these? How about 'happy fun time facilities'?"

Yet another chemical plant explosion

The first of the year to my knowledge....

Two critical following N.C. chemical plant explosion

And who said "going postal" was a thing of the past? This is America! We're all about retro

Vacation is over

Well, I'm back from my extended vacation, and the world looks as crazed as ever.

The large-scale support of Hamas in the recent Palestinian elections was yet another opportunity for hypocracy by world leaders.

Rice Says Allies Oppose Aid to Hamas Gov't

"Everybody is saying exactly the same thing," Rice said amid
meetings with other diplomats on Hamas' startling election victory last week and
its impact on Middle East peacemaking efforts. "There has got to be a peaceful
road ahead. ... You cannot be on one hand dedicated to peace and on the other
dedicated to violence. Those two things are irreconcilable."

Of course, this statement isn't ironic in any sense of the word. Am I the only one who finds it funny that someone representing a country that rutinely commits overt and covert acts of aggression against other countries is so concerned with Hamas' commitment to peace? Or, perhaps she's saying that, in consequence, the United States is not dedicated to peace, and therefore Hamas can go ahead and do whatever it wants?

But who knows, I get confused easily.

An interesting revelation

It looks like my suspicions reguarding the UN report on Syra's involvement in the Hariri probe may have been more or less correct...

The Syrian Gambit Unravels

Middle East Hopscotch

Israel readies forces for strike on nuclear Iran

Everyone seems certain another war in the middle east is coming soon, but speculation shifts daily from Syria to Iran and back again. It would almost make a kind of twisted logic if the plan all along was for the United States to attack Syria, one of Israel's neighbors, and for Israel to attack Iran, which borders our troops in Iraq. That way, according to this logic, Israel wouldn't face a war on its border where Israeli troops would be pinned down, and they could free up US airpower for use in Syria by striking Iran for us. Of course, this is all pure insanity.

No one in their right mind could any longer deny the holy war being waged by the fundimentalists in Washington, Tel Aviv, and the mountains of Afghanistan. The common people caught in the middle are only now awakening to the obvious. Soon the entire middle east will be a battlefield, and the apocalyptic visions of the "holy book thumpers" will be realized. After that, who knows what will happen.

But, my friends, I do believe it's in our power to stop this. We can still vote people out of office. We can still protest. But do I believe that the American people have the will to act? No. I would be very surprised if our current course reversed itself in the near future. Call me cynical if you want.

Lets Not Forget: Bush Planned Iraq 'Regime Change' Before Becoming President

An illuminating glipse of the war

The View from the Front Lines

"Since July, 1 in 3 platoon members has been killed or hurt. "All of my squad leaders and section leaders have been wounded," says the platoon leader, 2nd Lieut. Joe Walker, a South Carolinian who volunteered to fight after 9/11. "For a while, our unit was fighting at less than 70%, and we're still below 60% on our vehicles--so many Bradleys have been blown up."

For weeks the 2-69, an entire armored battalion, was cut off from other American forces. The roads in and out of its base were saturated with improvised explosive devices, says Captain Chas Cannon. At one stage, there were 100 explosions a week. "You expected to get hit ... possibly several times," says Cannon. The roads were closed; some food was rationed. But with aggressive combat operations, sniper assaults and the building of precarious outposts, the 2-69 has regained control of the city's main artery, "Route Michigan," the troops' lifeline. "

More bad news

War's strain wearing on Army troops, tools

""The future of our military is at risk," Murtha said. "Our military and their families are stretched thin. Many say that the Army is broken. Some of our troops are on their third deployment. Recruitment is down, even as our military has lowered its standards.""

"The war in Iraq is taking the biggest toll on military equipment since the Vietnam War, after which the Pentagon retooled its arsenal during the massive military buildup of the 1980s. Fixing and replacing Army equipment alone could run from $60 billion to $100 billion, according to retired general Paul Kern, a senior consultant to the Cohen Group and the just-retired head of Army Materiel Command. The total cost for wear-and-tear on U.S. equipment is unclear because it is not known how long American troops will be needed in Iraq and Afghanistan."

"Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., said last week that the United States went into Iraq with too few troops and doesn't have sufficient forces to maintain current levels. "We are grinding down our force structure to the point where we have no force structure," Hagel said."