Tuesday, September 16, 2003

Shrub's Fantasy World QUOTE OF THE DAY "We must demonstrate that we understand that more than military might is required to tame the anger in the region. This includes both the internationalization of the reconstruction effort and the redoubling of efforts to ease tensions on the Israeli-Palestinian front. That is the thorn that must be pulled from the side of the region. The road to peace in the Middle East still goes through Jerusalem. But before we can hope to win back international trust or start down a truly new path in Iraq, the administration has to start playing it straight, with the American people and with the world. Recent administration statements, including the president's speech, suggest that it still prefers to live in a fantasy world." - - Joseph Wilson   (Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad from 1988 to 1991. Now adjunct scholar at the Middle East Institute in Washington, D.C. ) KNOW YOUR HISTORY - SEPTEMBER 16th 1974 -- A U.S. federal judge dismisses all charges against American Indian Movement (AIM) leaders Dennis Banks & Russell Means stemming from the 1973 occupation of Wounded Knee, South Dakota. On the same day, President Gerald Ford announces conditional amnesty for Vietnam War draft evaders & deserters. 1982 -- The massacre of hundreds of Palestinian men, women and children by Lebanese Christian militiamen began in West Beirut's Sabra and Chatilla (Shatila) refugee camps. Up to 2,000 Palestinian civilians were killed. Israel's defense minister at the time, Ariel Sharon, was held responsible and lost his top post. In 2001 survivors lodged a complaint in Belgium against Sharon. Elie Hobeika (d.2002), Christian militia chieftain, led the massacre of Palestinian refugees in the Sabra and Shatila camps. http://www.arts.mcgill.ca/MEPP/PRRN/prfront.html RHINO HERE: Some may remember the story not long ago of shrub gang officials having leaked to conservative columnist, Robert Novak, the name of a covert CIA agent (a felony by the way). The agent was the wife of Ambassador Joseph Wilson, the man sent by Cheney to Niger last year to see if there was anything to the story that Iraq supposedly was trying to buy "yellowcake" uranium. Wilson reported back saying that the story was "highly unlikely." When the shrubbies kept using this lie even though they knew the documents were forgeries, Wilson wrote an op-ed piece for the New York Times, documenting his version of events. What I Didn't Find in Africa By Joseph C. Wilson 4th, New York Times, July 7, 2003. http://foi.missouri.edu/terrorintelligence/whatididnt.html Wilson has said that by naming his wife, the Administration not only sent a warning to other potential whistleblowers in the Administration not to speak up or risk unpleasant consequences, but also put the lives of many CIA operatives in danger. Columnist Names CIA Iraq Operative By Timothy M. Phelps and Knut Royce, New York Newsday, July 21, 2003. http://foi.missouri.edu/terrorintelligence/columnistnames.html There are some amazing rumors circulating on the web regarding who leaked the fact of Wilson's wife's CIA involvement & how many operatives died as a result, but since Rhino has not been able to substantiate these stories, & since Rhino is not in the habit of passing rumors, he instead offers you Ambassador Wilson's latest writing as today's RHINO'S BOTTOM LINE. Well worth the read. Wilson was Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad from 1988 to 1991. He's now adjunct scholar at the Middle East Institute in Washington, D.C. 8:11:40 AM    comment

RHINO'S BOTTOM LINE - Seeking Honesty in U.S. Policy Seeking Honesty in U.S. Policy by Joseph Wilson, San Jose Mercury News, 9/14/03 During the gulf war in 1991, when I was in charge of the American Embassy in Baghdad, I placed a copy of Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland'' on my office coffee table. I thought it conveyed far better than words ever could the weird world that was Iraq at that time, a world in which nothing was what it seemed: The several hundred Western hostages Saddam Hussein took during Desert Shield were not really hostages but ``guests.'' Kuwait was not invaded, but ``liberated.'' It is clearly time to dust the book off and again display it prominently, only this time because our own government has dragged the country down a rabbit hole, all the while trying to convince the American people that life in newly liberated Iraq is not as distorted as it seems. It is returning to normal, we are assured, even as we are asked to ante up an additional $75 billion and pressure builds to send more troops and extend the tours of duty of those who are there. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz tells Congress that all we need is to project a little confidence. The Mad Hatter could not have said it better... READ THIS VERY INTELLIGENT ANALYSIS AT: http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0915-12.htm "RHINO'S BLOG" is the responsibility of Gary Rhine. (rhino@kifaru.com) Feedback, and requests to be added or deleted from the list are encouraged. SEARCH BLOG ARCHIVES / SURF RHINO'S LINKS, AT: http://www.rhinosblog.info RHINO'S OTHER WEB SITES: http://www.dreamcatchers.org (INDIGENOUS ASSISTANCE & INTERCULTURAL DIALOG) http://www.kifaru.com (NATIVE AMERICAN RELATIONS VIDEO DOCUMENTARIES) Articles are reprinted under Fair Use Doctrine of international copyright law. http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html All copyrights belong to original publisher. Tell a friend about Rhino's Blog 7:32:03 AM    comment

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