FalloutStories related to 11 Sept 2001. |
| Last modified: |
|
4/11/2004; 1:25:52 |
| NYT Endorses Kerry for President: |
| "There is no denying that this race is mainly about Mr. Bush's disastrous tenure. Nearly four years ago, after the Supreme Court awarded him the presidency, Mr. Bush came into office amid popular expectation that he would acknowledge his lack of a mandate by sticking close to the center. Instead, he turned the government over to the radical right." "We look back on the past four years with hearts nearly breaking, both for the lives unnecessarily lost and for the opportunities so casually wasted. Time and again, history invited George W. Bush to play a heroic role, and time and again he chose the wrong course. We believe that with John Kerry as president, the nation will do better." -- New York Times 17 Oct, 2004 |
| Reckless Administration May Reap Disastrous Consequences: |
|
'This nation is about to embark upon the first test of a revolutionary doctrine applied in an extraordinary way at an unfortunate time. The doctrine of preemption -- the idea that the United States or any other nation can legitimately attack a nation that is not imminently threatening but may be threatening in the future -- is a radical new twist on the traditional idea of self defense. It appears to be in contravention of international law and the UN Charter. And it is being tested at a time of world-wide terrorism, making many countries around the globe wonder if they will soon be on our -- or some other nation's -- hit list.' -U.S. Senator Robert Byrd, Feb. 12, 2003 |
| On the road to losing the peace : |
|
'It was bad enough for the U.S. to have endured the intelligence failures that led to Sept. 11; it's another thing to know that 18 months, billions of dollars and untold numbers of bombs later that Osama bin Laden and most of his top advisers remain on the loose. This failure ought to be thrown daily in Mr. Bush's face, but he has diverted attention to Iraq, where the United States is about to make a mistake of historic proportions.' -Jeffrey Simpson in The Globe and Mail, 18 Feb 2003 |
|
Forgot about the WMD Saddam had dismantled. More incompetence. "The Baghdad Blogger goes to Washington: day one"  < 1:48:41 AM>. .Ultimately, the conversation turns to Iraq. We all seem to agree that even if John Kerry gets elected as president it is too late for a drastic change in policy. I am surprised at how much everyone here seems to have bought what the Bush administration has been selling them - especially the line about a well-educated Iraqi middle class that will take over and transform Iraq into a democratic paradise.
To tell you the truth, I bought into that as well - and boy were we wrong. That educated middle class was everywhere around the world, but not in Iraq. What it decided to do was to shut its mouth or turn religious.
These failings have a common source in Mr. Bush's cocksureness, his failure to seek advice from anyone outside a narrow circle and his unwillingness to expect the unexpected or adapt to new facts. These are dangerous traits in any president but especially in a wartime leader. They are matched by his failure to admit his errors or to hold senior officials accountable for theirs. The emphasis is mine. The endorsement of Kerry for president comes from The Washington Post. CIA 'took detainees out of Iraq' < 12:42:29 AM>. .US intelligence officers have taken detainees out of Iraq for interrogation, The Washington Post reports. [Via BBC News | World | UK Edition] Law specialists say the memo "amounts to a reinterpretation of one of the most basic rights of Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which protects civilians during wartime and occupation", the Washington Post says. The treaty prohibits the "individual or mass forcible transfers", the newspaper notes. The Justice Department memo allegedly permits the CIA to take Iraqis out of the country for questioning for a "brief but not indefinite period". It also says intelligence officers can permanently remove persons deemed to be "illegal aliens" under "local immigration law". The Bush administration continues with it's arrogance and disrespect for international treaties. These guys should be up for war crimes. Beyond the Call of Duty < 12:38:04 AM>. .A whistle-blower objected to the government's Halliburton deals--and says now she's paying for it [Via TIME's Top Stories] As for Halliburton, it has faced alleged cost overruns, lost profits and seen at least 54 company contractors killed in Iraq. Greenhouse, meanwhile, has requested protection from retaliation. But her career—and reputation—are on the line. Cheney's license to print money. Massacre of 50 Iraqi soldiers < 12:25:46 AM>. .Extremist group claims mass executions. [Via Guardian Unlimited] George brings democracy and freedom to the Iraqis. Carter: Bush exploits 9/11 suffering < 12:24:15 AM>. .George Bush has exploited the suffering of 9/11, says former president in an interview with the Guardian. [Via Guardian Unlimited World Latest] '[B]ecause of the unwarranted invasion of Iraq by Bush and Blair, which was a completely unjust adventure based on misleading statements, and the lack of any effort to resolve the Palestinian issue, [there is] massive Islamic condemnation of the United States."
American media organisations, he adds, "have been cowed, because they didn't want to be unpatriotic. There has been a lack of inquisitive journalism. In fact, it's hard to think of a major medium in the United States that has been objective and fair and balanced, and critical when criticism was deserved". |
| Archive: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
On this day in 2003 2002 2001 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|