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Monday, January 12, 2009 12:00 AM

Obama v. the National Intelligence Estimate on Iran

Last year, the NIE famously concluded with "high confidence" that Iran halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003. Why did Obama say yesterday that Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons?

The letters thread is now closed.

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Tuesday, January 13, 2009 07:52 AM

@maureenodonnell

Perhaps if the response to the Hamas rockets had been as vigorous as the response to the Israelli offensive there would be no Israelli offensive.An act of violence is an act of violence.Your selective outrage is vulgar and serves only to continue the conflict with no solution.Have you no soul?or are you just a partisan puppet?Maybe it's time to take down that Yasser Arafat poster of yours.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009 08:02 AM

"On Law" by Bill O' Clausewitz

Just seen the man who looks remarkably like a fierce cane wielding Christian Brother pervert in conversation with that well known lush Christopher Hitchens, who when water boarded complained that there was so much water he couldn't taste the scotch.

O'Reilly told Hitchins he thinks it right and proper that a president, the president, or any old rogue that happens to be the president on any given day, should alone have the right to order the torturing of any particular terrorist suspect that takes his fancy and that he, O'Reilly still mourns the passing away of King John of England.

People of a more sane view would consider it inappropriate for any president to personally even be able to slap a ticket on anyone for jay walking, let alone be personally privileged to order torture.

O'Reilly also sorted out any remaining questions that certain people might have had regarding the guilt of Khalid. Apparently George Tennant told O'Reilly that Khalid was guilty and now O'Reilly, the Fox town crier was announcing the fact to the nation. So that's alright then.

I'm afraid I can't report anything that Hitchens might have had to say, because it was past 11:30AM and the Hitch was already even more incoherent than a dead Georgie Best.

This interview was broadcast on something called "Fox" and not on an insane asylum cable t.v. channel as one might suppose.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009 08:06 AM

Heru

Israel is not a democracy. The country rules over 3 million people who do not have the right to vote or any civil rights. A third of the population of Jerusalem is not considered to be citizens under law, though they are born there. They can be expelled at will by Israel. Another twenty percent of Israel's population is vulnerable to state of emergency laws which can curtail their rights. Currently, certain parties representing them have been banned from the upcoming elections.

This is obviously not a democracy. It is the Israeli apartheid system of government that I oppose, and what I wish to change so that my father, aunts and cousins can one day live in their home again. I don't hate Israelis. That would get me nowhere.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009 08:08 AM

jonathan

You still have that "intelaviv" in your name? Everyone now knows you don't live there. And even if you do, its given you absolutely no insight into the situation.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009 08:10 AM

Liberyaintfree, you're just making me skit out loud. Until some years ago we didn't have access to the Internet

as I live in one of those remote places that you with your splendiferous world-view know nothing at all about. I never had posters of anyone on my wall. I'm just not that type for hero-worship and anyway I wouldn't want Yasser's unpretty mug looking down on me before I went to sleep. If your mind was as broad as your hips you'd be a bit better than you are. You know, pythons can swallow a whole sheep and become engorged while digesting it. You're a snake but I can tell you that I'm no sheep.

Jonathan from Tellyland is still mooching around, making laughable cheep-cheep squeaks. Why don't you two get together and down a few drinkies in celebration of your child-killers? Go on, try a "Fat Frog" cocktail; it's got creme-de-menthe in it so the peppermint flavour might disguise the smell of blood emanating from your breath. While you're at it, raise a toast to your lovely sugar-daddy, Uncle Sam, and your saccharine-coated uncles and aunties in the New York Times, the paper of Sugar-Daddy's record.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009 08:15 AM

Che

I knew that they had censorship laws in Israel. But what really floored me was that foreign press have to agree to abide by them to operate in Israel. The censorship laws are not just concerning troop positions in the like, as we have here; the military has wide discretion to censor almost anything having to do with military activities.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009 08:25 AM

Israel is not a democracy.

Oh, I agree 110 percent. Everyone keeps calling it a democracy. I would stand more of a chance voting in Saudi Arabia than Israel.

But the point remains: are "the people" (the ones who can vote) responsible for the government?

Tuesday, January 13, 2009 08:28 AM

@maureenodonnell

Your responses prove my point better than anything else I could write.You hate, you're intolerant and I'm sure they love you in some cave in Afghanastan as well as in Iran.I pray for you have a good day.:)

Tuesday, January 13, 2009 08:29 AM

Heru

If that's true, then you are a hundred percent culpable for what your government does, and by inference, one hundred percent culpable for what Israel does--it would make no difference as to your opinion, your efforts or who you vote for.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009 08:47 AM

@libertaintfree, You're absolutely right. I do hate injustice. I know where you're coming from and

I've been waiting in the long grass for you to slither back. We have lovely vibrant green grass in my country as we have a lot of rain - but you'd know all about that. I'm not anti-semantic at all; in fact, I love words and that's a feature of my tribe. Afghanistan doesn't turn me on at all because I'm not a heroin-addict and don't like the way they treat women. I'm not a missionary either so I don't think it would go down very well if I went in there lecturing them on how to live. They have very elegant dogs though, the Afghan hound, which is long and sleek, libertyaintfree.

I'll have to say "Good evening" to you at 16:40, reminding you that they're two hours ahead of Greenwich m.t. in Gaza. Of course, you've thought of that and that the world doesn't begin and end in the good not-so-old United States. I'm OK here which is more than can be said of the wretched of Gaza as your brave boys continue their process of obliteration. Libertaintfree, we're on to you now and your "democracy", and also wondering when you can be expected to stop asking Sugar_Daddy, Uncle Sam, for one more treat - such as bombing Iran.

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