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Sunday, March 9, 2008 |
AP: Water Makes US Troops in Iraq Sick. WASHINGTON — Dozens of U.S. troops in Iraq fell sick at bases using "unmonitored and potentially unsafe" water supplied by the military and a contractor once owned by Vice President Dick Cheney's former company, the Pentagon's internal watchdog says.
A report obtained by The Associated Press said soldiers experienced skin abscesses, cellulitis, skin infections, diarrhea and other illnesses after using discolored, smelly water for personal hygiene and laundry at five U.S. military sites in Iraq.
The Pentagon's inspector general found water quality problems between March 2004 and February 2006 at three sites run by contractor KBR Inc., and between January 2004 and December 2006 at two military-operated locations.
It was impossible to link the dirty water definitively to all the illnesses, according to the report. But it said KBR's water quality "was not maintained in accordance with field water sanitary standards" and the military-run sites "were not performing all required quality control tests."
"Therefore, water suppliers exposed U.S. forces to unmonitored and potentially unsafe water," the report said.
The problems did not extend to troops' drinking water, but rather to water used for washing, bathing, shaving and cleaning. Water used for hygiene and laundry must meet minimum safety standards under military regulations because of the potential for harmful exposure through the eyes, nose, mouth, cuts and wounds.
KBR said its water treatment "has met or exceeded all applicable military and contract standards." The company took exception to many of the inspector general's assertions. "KBR's commitment to the safety of all of its employees remains unwavering," the company said in a statement to the AP.
KBR is a former subsidiary of Halliburton Co., the oil services conglomerate that Cheney once led.
 [The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com]
9:10:35 AM 
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Clinton Got Money From Rezko Codefendants. The vetting of the Clinton's is just beginning. This was a risky strategy by the Clinton's in the first place, because the boomerang effect will expose much more of their shenanigans to the American people....
...Since the name of Chicago defendant Antoin 'Tony' Rezko has come up in national debate, it seems fair to look at donations from other defendants in Chicago's "Operation Board Games."
Of the other five defendants, three have donated to the Clintons or to Clinton supporters, three have donated mostly to Republicans, and at least two have donated to Obama's political opponents. None have donated to Obama.
 [The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com]
9:03:22 AM
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Steve King: ‘I Reject McCain’s Disavowal’ Of Me. Rep. Steve King (R-IA) told a local Iowa radio station recently that al Qaeda would be “dancing in the middle of the streets” if Barack Obama were elected President “because of his middle name.”
In an interview with Fox News on Saturday night, King defiantly stood by his comments, arguing that we “should be looking at” Obama’s middle name — Hussein — because Middle East terrorists will infer something in that name:
My point is that first he declares defeat, they declare victory, they dance in the streets, and there is an implication that the identity that they would infer in that name is different in the rest of the world than it is in the United States. … What I’m pointing out is that our enemies will view this differently, and I think that’s something we should be looking at.
McCain spokesman Brooke Buchanan told Fox News that McCain “doesn’t agree with King’s comments,” adding, “He intends to run a respectful race and keep it about the issues.”
Fox host Geraldo Rivera informed King that “Senator McCain has apparently disavowed your remarks.” King responded, “Well, I reject his disavowal,” adding, “And I reject the Democrat webpages that call me the names that they have.” Watch it:
In the interview, King addressed his critics, challenging them to “point to the quote that I have said that offends them.” Here’s a list of quotes, Rep. King. Take your pick.
[Think Progress]
8:59:07 AM
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Why the War on Obama. The intensifying personal attacks on Barack Obama reflect a growing realization among entrenched Washington insiders that his campaign -- funded largely by small donations -- could dilute their influence. Neocons, in particular, are joining with Clinton supporters to take Obama down, spreading rumors about his patriotism and his past. February 26, 2008 [Consortiumnews.com]
8:54:03 AM
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Honoring Two Activist Parents. In 1946, the U.S. government put 42,000 of its own sailors in close proximity to two nuclear explosions to test the effect on humans. For the next half century, one of those sailors, Anthony Guarisco, worked with his wife, Mary, to alert the world to the nuclear threat. In this guest essay, their son Vincent pays tribute to their lives. March 6, 2008 [Consortiumnews.com]
8:51:21 AM
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Bush, Colombia and Narco-Politics. The Bush administration defended Colombia's government for its attack against leftist guerrillas inside Ecuador - a position echoed by Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. But there is another dark side to the story, a reality that Official Washington wants to ignore. March 9, 2008 [Consortiumnews.com]
8:41:24 AM
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© Copyright 2008 Patricia Thurston.
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