Letters to the Editor
casual_observer
Published Letters: 1253 Editor's Choice: 1
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How high up?
[Read the article: Michael Gordon trains his stenographer weapons on Iran]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]And..how high up does this rot go? Are the editors and publisher of the paper on-board with this Middle East coverage too?--had_enough
The NSA wire-tap story sheds light on this, although it's not Middle Eastern story per se. As we all know, the story was held on ice for over a year by the highest levels at the NYT, that interval including a national presidential election. One cannot help but think that the story would have impacted the election. Why did they hold it? Because the government asked them to.
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Remembering Irbil
[Read the article: Michael Gordon trains his stenographer weapons on Iran]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Troops raid Iranian offices in Iraqi city
Thursday January 11, 2007
Guardian Unlimited
US soldiers raided Iranian government offices in the Iraqi city of Irbil today, hours after George Bush pledged to "seek out and destroy" Iran's networks in Iraq.
The troops stormed the building at around 3am, arresting six Iranians and confiscating computers and documents, two senior local Kurdish officials said.
Iranian officials claimed that the Irbil attach was an attempt to further inflame Iran-US relations.
Greek Militants Claim Embassy Attack
By DEREK GATOPOULOS
The Associated Press
Wednesday, January 24, 2007; 6:23 PM
ATHENS, Greece -- A Greek militant group has claimed responsibility for a rocket attack on the U.S. Embassy in Athens earlier this month, blaming American policy in Iraq and the Middle East for the strike.
There were no injuries in the Jan. 12 attack, which caused minor damage. The strike using a rocket-propelled grenade alarmed authorities, who fear a possible resurgence of Greek militant attacks that were common in the 1980s and 1990s.
Should the US bomb Iran, these are the kind of repraisals that would be expected, aside from Iran's military defense of itself. Perhaps there would be quite a number of them in some regions where Iran has support. Just as the Glasgow bombing was "al Qaeda-inspired", this attack in Athens didn't originate in Iran, but rather was done in sympathy with Iran. No doubt it would be sold as "Iran-inspired" by CNN and the like.
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Why Gordon should be skeptical
[Read the article: Michael Gordon trains his stenographer weapons on Iran]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Americans offered 'aggressive patrols' in Iranian airspace
Ewen MacAskill, Julian Borger, Michael Howard and John Hooper
Saturday April 7, 2007
The Guardian
The US offered to take military action on behalf of the 15 British sailors and marines held by Iran, including buzzing Iranian Revolutionary Guard positions with warplanes, the Guardian has learned.
In the first few days after the captives were seized and British diplomats were getting no news from Tehran on their whereabouts, Pentagon officials asked their British counterparts: what do you want us to do? They offered a series of military options, a list which remains top secret given the mounting risk of war between the US and Iran. But one of the options was for US combat aircraft to mount aggressive patrols over Iranian Revolutionary Guard bases in Iran, to underline the seriousness of the situation.
The British declined the offer and said the US could calm the situation by staying out of it. London also asked the US to tone down military exercises that were already under way in the Gulf. Three days before the capture of the 15 Britons , a second carrier group arrived having been ordered there by president George Bush in January. The aim was to add to pressure on Iran over its nuclear programme and alleged operations inside Iraq against coalition forces.
At the request of the British, the two US carrier groups, totalling 40 ships plus aircraft, modified their exercises to make them less confrontational.
The British government also asked the US administration from Mr Bush down to be cautious in its use of rhetoric, which was relatively restrained throughout.
How can anyone read this story and NOT conclude that the US is actively seeking a flashpoint leading to war with Iran. The British certainly saw it, and this is why Tony Blair--our number-one extra-special friend and ally, told us to:
A. Stay Away
B. Calm Down
C. Shut Up
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Scooter Libby, convicted felon
[Read the article: Michael Gordon trains his stenographer weapons on Iran]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]He's a felon. One shouldn't be surprised by anything he or his friends do. They ain't worth spitting on.
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Thoughts on impeachment
[Read the article: Lewis Libby owes his freedom to our corrupt political elite]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The argument against impeachment has been that:
a) the effort would soak all energy away from the many other needed efforts of the Democratic majority, and;
b) that impeachment would not make it out of the House, and would have even less chance in the Senate anyway.
So the argument is that the cost of impeachment efforts would be that absolutely nothing (impeachment or any other effort) would be accomplished under this congress.
While this was a tenable argument early in this session--in the heady days after the '06 elections--it is now clear that NOTHING is making it though the Senate anyway. The notion that this Congress is going to move forward meaningfully on any progressive issue of substance is simply unrealistic. Congress has a huge case of constipation, and the site of the blockage is clear.
If we are doomed to pursuing hopeless legislation regardless of what that legislation may be then why not tilt at the only windmill that is truly worth the effort. And that is the halt of executive over-reach before that amassed power can no longer be challenged by the first branch. As it stands today, each and every future president can look back at Bush's constitutional crimes and see a GREEN LIGHT. And, just as importantly, so will future legislators.
Instead, many democrats' mouths are watering over what the Libby commutation means politically for the '08 election. Chrisy Hardin Smith at FireDogLake is one--see her post today thanking Bush (albeit bitterly) for his action. On the other hand, many republicans are cheering this abuse of justice, just as they have cheered all the executive's other abuses. And so the "sport" and "score-keeping" continues, with both types of reactions politically based, and missing the fundamental problem.
For the future health of the republic, crowing about anticipated Democratic landslides and deepening presidential poll numbers are completely irrelevant.
So I ask you--what would you rather have Congress "waste its time on. Immigration and minimum wage, or the very core viability of our government as composed of three equal and independent branches.