On a Personal Note

I'm up to here [pointing to a spot about 11 inches above my head] with Maria Shriver. While I thought it was extremely sad how she insisted all the women who claimed her husband (who was caught on tape, in pictures, and in memory demonstrating some of the most boorish behavior) were wrong.

But now she's just fully embraced the whole politician's wife thing, up to and including the "very touching" book thing. She proves you can be bright, come from a position of money and power, and still be an extremely eager-to-please trophy wife devoid of little more than the world created by her alpha male.

[kicking soap box back under desk]

Janis Karpinski

She's the woman in charge of the group of GIs deemed responsible for the Abu Ghraib situation, and she strikes me as more direct than the others who've chimed in. She keeps appearing with her lawyer, and I get the impression the Pentagon may not be completely thrilled with all she's saying.

Perhaps I'm blind, and she's just out there doing damage control but...

Let Me Get This Straight

Bush could call Rumsfeld personally today to make certain that each and every GI involved in the Abu Ghraib case is punished, but the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff couldn't bother to read the report on it that has been complete for more than two months? Not even two days after the rest of us were reading portions of it in The New Yorker?

And Bush is worried about the front line GIs being reprimanded?

MediaMatters.Org

Here's this from The New York Times about David Brock's $2M answer to the right-wing domination of the media.

I was over there and yes, folks are working hard to go through the media (from Rush Limbaugh on up and down through the gene pool) to rebut specific points. I think concerned people will read it - and if it's aimed at them, fine. But clearly, someone who would listen to a Limbaugh wouldn't be reading this.

Chalabi-Iran Scandal

Billmon offers a look at the Newsweek article that claims that some of the Bush Administration knew that Ahmed Chalabi, who we installed with the unseating of Hussein in Iraq, may have been channeling information about US military operations and more to Iran. As you'll recall, Chalabi has been our honored guest many times, including at this past January's State of the Union address by our beloved leader.

The Nightmare at Abu Ghraib

The New York Times has a rather powerful editorial on this today.

Questions About Brit Abuse Pictures

The London Daily Mirror is rebuking charges today that photographs of reported abuse of Iraqi prisoners by British forces are doctored.

More Fallout From Torture Charges

Listening to the BBC and other broadcasts early this morning, you're starting to hear from Fallujah and other places the understanding of civilians regarding those reports of torture at the prison and other facilities holding Iraqis.

I suspect this is not the first time some of the Iraqis have heard it, but I'm sure it may mean more to them that the American press is finally reporting it (remember: Sy Hersh's piece said problems were known at least as early as last summer). And with this knowledge, I expect, will come more venting and frustration.

I've got two personal notes to make about this.

One, let's do something totally unheard of regarding war, and let's actually SEE how far up the chain of command these charges go. Let's not just assume it's a few rogue soldiers. All too often, the grunts bear all the danger both on the battlefield and later, when we analyze the war.

Second, whether the soldiers did this under orders or by themselves, these people (certainly not the Iraqis hurt, but right now, I'm talking about the soldiers) cannot come home the same. That may be said of any troop member in any war. But I think this is exceptionally true with what we've heard from Sy Hersh and others about this particular war.

Maybe, some could argue, these troops went to Iraq with the kind of psyches that could allow them to do this. Possible. But I don't think raping someone anally with a chemical light stick and/or broom handle speaks well for the person inflicting that abuse.

What does the military and the specific circumstances of war do to a person? Just sometime, we ought to consider that before we race into any more messy wars since these are our precious blood - our husbands and wives, sons and daughters, our neighbors and friends and co-workers - we send in to do the dirty work of the politicians.

US Base in Najaf Under Fire

That's what CNN is currently reporting.

Did You Observe?

You may have missed it. I certainly did until Pandagon pointed it out.

Who knew we had a Loyalty Day? BTW, start decorating your tree: the national day of prayer is this week. Tuesday, I think. If you're unsure, I'm certain Mr. Ashcroft to tell you whom to pray to.

Casualty Rate Climbs

Latest reports say now that 11 or 12 US soldiers are dead in that mortar attack in Western Iraq, and that the rate is expected to climb. Still no strong, firm estimates on the number of injured (and the US has chosen not to keep accurate figures of dead civilians and others).

NBC News "Meet the Press" Transcript

I missed/avoided/ran and hid from Tim Russert this morning (I shout less at transcripts) where his guests were Kofi Annan and former Ambassador Joe Wilson (his book came out in the last few days). If you did, too, and want to see the transcript, here it is.

One Big Point from Hersh Today

Sy Hersh is clear when he says that some of what we've learned about the abuse of Iraqis - and he's clear, too, that most of the prisoners cited here are people picked up from the streets rather than known insurgents or fighters - indicates that these young soldiers didn't dream up some of the abuses themselves. Some of them, as reader CK pointed out in an earlier comment, speak to a knowledge of what would be particularly degrading to Iraqis.

Hersh raises another point: why does the chairman of the Joints Chief of Staff say he has still not read a report that Hersh through the New Yorker published in summary on Friday? This "hey, we don't see it so it can't be true" mind set among the Bush Administration and those they promote, like Myers, is just unacceptable.

Hersh's article indicates problems were discovered as early as last summer, nearly one year ago, and that he's largely citing the THIRD such study of such abuse, at least two had come before and perhaps some after. So this isn't new (yes, of course, abuse and torture is not new to war... but we also have a history of passing off as "rogue troop actions" those actions at least silently promoted by the higher-ups, as in "get results at any cost).

The more I consider it - and I slapped myself when I realized it had not occurred to me how particularly and specifically degrading being tortured by a woman would be to Muslim men - the less it seems likely that all or perhaps even most of these abuses are just frustrated or rogue soldiers. This is not just because the studies indicate the phenomenon is widespread, because the frustration and screwiness of this war is widespread.

Six More Dead Troops

CNN's reporting a mortar attack has killed six more US troops, this time in Western Iraq.

For most of this, this represents 740 or more War dead in the US. For Wolfowitz, heck, we might be up to 350 dead.

Another Wolfie Moment

Wolf Blitzer just asked Talabani how the Iraqis could possibly have an unfavorable opinion of us after all we've done for them. I'm just unsure whether to laugh or cry right now. Maybe I'll do both.

Disclaimer: I'm only watching this show to see Seymour Hersh coming up to discuss his New Yorker article. OK, that's a semi-lie. But I do want to see Seymour, and I do sorta want to hear how Wolfie tries to craft this. The Pentagon was so nice to Wolfie that he really, really, really wants to make them happy.

Another Miss

I also must have missed a Windows Update or a trojan/virus warning, because I rebooted my machine to find the network settings changed all over the place. I say virus or trojan rather than simply a problem with the network because a hardware or configuration issue should not have reverted to such specific and odd settings.

Fixed now, however.

Hagel Says No

I must've missed all the discussion Wolfie Blitzer says has gone on the past few days about the possibility of Chuck Hagel becoming the VP candidate for Kerry. Wolfie just asked Hagel, and while Hagel handled the issue of Kerry quite diplomatically, he said no.

Strange... I thought perhaps the Democrats should consider a Democrat or even an Independent over people who choose to be Republicans. Silly me.

Wonkette on The Putz

I caught just part of Wonkette's interview on Howie the Putz's er.. uh... how did I mistype that?... Howard Kurtz' Reliable Sources and my primary impression is that when the giggle to word ratio gets that high, it's not all that useful.

Mind you, I sorta like Wonkette. She can be a bit punishing to both sides (and I happen to like the bits of self depracation there). It's sorta like Valley Girl Goes to Washington to Intern and Writes a Bestselling But Somewhat Lightweight Book About the Experience.

Gaza

I was coming to post about the situation where suicide gunmen killed a pregnant mother and her four children on their way to a polling place to lobby for voters not to agree to the so-called Palestinian disengagement program, when word came that large explosions (at least two) had sounded in two Palestinian areas in the Strip.

Children. Children on both sides are dying. One side seems just as ready to attack children as the other.

Eye for an eye.

Sorry, I don't pretend to understand that mindset.

Dairy Farmer/Truck Driver Found Safe

The one good thing to happen of late, from CNN:

American contractor Thomas Hamill, missing since a convoy attack last month in Iraq, was recovered and is in good health after apparently escaping from his captors, U.S. Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt announced today.