The Flashlight, July 21-27, 2007
THE FLASHLIGHT, July 21-27, 2007
Iraq
Az-Zaman 7-24. Shia militias now control both Baghdad and Basra. In Baghdad, Palestinians are being murdered, kidnapped, and expelled from iraq. In the three southern provinces, the Shia parties and their militias have drawn up a list of 3,000 former Sunni Baathists suspected of participating in the massacre of Shia rebels in March 1991. It is believed that many will be executed without trial, and the liquidation has begun. Panic prevails.
NYTimes Editorial 7-25. The recently revealed Bush Administration two year plan of further US military operations in Iraq was condemned because the US military cannot execute it without grievous losses in quality, readiness, and morale. The plan assumes that Iraqi politicians, which have not acted responsibly in the last four years, will do so during the next two years.
Maureen Dodd called Bush’s regime as the Reign of Error.
` NYTimes 7-26. A House resolution passed by a vote of 399 to 24 rejected permanent US bases in Iraq and US economic control over the oil resources of Iraq. Next week Rep. John Murtha will add a new withdrawal plan to the military spending bill. It will come to a vote in September after the coming Congressional recess.
Press TV. 7-27. Internet. Iraqi Draft Oil law. Interview by Mehran Derakhshandeh with Raed Jarrar, Iraqi consultant to the American Friends Service Committee.
The oil law now being considered by the Iraqi Parliament has nothing to do with revenue sharing, as the US press mistakenly suggests. The actual revenue sharing law is currently being considered by the Iraqi Council of Ministers, and the Bush Administration is not pressing for its passage. Rather, it is pressing for the draft oil law now in Parliament that provides for operation of international oil companies in Iraq under Production Sharing Agreements that would give large percentages of oil revenues to these companies. There is no need for such agreements because there is no risk in producing Iraqi oil: its locations are well known. Moreover, it is very cheap to produce. So the Iraqis are resisting the law providing for these agreements with foreign companies.. .
Afghanistan
7-26. NYTimes Editorial. It urged the US not to send any more conventional troops to Afghanistan, saying it would do more harm than good. The terrorist training camps have moved to Pakistani tribal territory. The best way to fight insurgents is through better intelligence, special forces, pragmatic politics, and economic development. In the last five years the national wealth of Afghanistan has doubled, and the population of Kabul as increased four times to four million.
Lebanon/Israel
An-Nahar, 7-23. Hizbollah has reorganized and claims its rockets can now strike any place in Israel, including Tel Aviv
United Kingdom
7-24-25. The UK is suffering from the worst flooding in sixty years. Large numbers of people are without clean drinking water. Oxford has had to be evacuated. The costs will be high.
US News
NYTimes 7-26. The Dow Jones Index dropped 286 points to 13,473, on account of poor new home sales in June and the threat of a credit crunch. European stock markets also fell sharply.
NY Times 7-26. The White House is resisting the threat of subpoenas for its staff by claiming executive privilege, and if this goes to court it could play out until the end of Bush’s term. The situation of Attorney Gonzales is more dangerous, since FBI Director Robert Mueller has contradicted his testimony to Congress concerning his visit to the bedside of John Ashcroft to promote an NSA program in violation of privacy rights of US citizens. .
Book Report
[Christopher Hitchens. God is Not Great; How Religion Poisons Everything.
The author’s sophisticated criticism is against fundamentalism of all kinds, not Quakerism. His best chapters are 2) Religion Kills 4) A Note on Health, in Which Religion can be Hazardous and 13) Does Religion Make People Behave Better? His expose of Mormonism is timely. ]
Iraq
Az-Zaman 7-24. Shia militias now control both Baghdad and Basra. In Baghdad, Palestinians are being murdered, kidnapped, and expelled from iraq. In the three southern provinces, the Shia parties and their militias have drawn up a list of 3,000 former Sunni Baathists suspected of participating in the massacre of Shia rebels in March 1991. It is believed that many will be executed without trial, and the liquidation has begun. Panic prevails.
NYTimes Editorial 7-25. The recently revealed Bush Administration two year plan of further US military operations in Iraq was condemned because the US military cannot execute it without grievous losses in quality, readiness, and morale. The plan assumes that Iraqi politicians, which have not acted responsibly in the last four years, will do so during the next two years.
Maureen Dodd called Bush’s regime as the Reign of Error.
` NYTimes 7-26. A House resolution passed by a vote of 399 to 24 rejected permanent US bases in Iraq and US economic control over the oil resources of Iraq. Next week Rep. John Murtha will add a new withdrawal plan to the military spending bill. It will come to a vote in September after the coming Congressional recess.
Press TV. 7-27. Internet. Iraqi Draft Oil law. Interview by Mehran Derakhshandeh with Raed Jarrar, Iraqi consultant to the American Friends Service Committee.
The oil law now being considered by the Iraqi Parliament has nothing to do with revenue sharing, as the US press mistakenly suggests. The actual revenue sharing law is currently being considered by the Iraqi Council of Ministers, and the Bush Administration is not pressing for its passage. Rather, it is pressing for the draft oil law now in Parliament that provides for operation of international oil companies in Iraq under Production Sharing Agreements that would give large percentages of oil revenues to these companies. There is no need for such agreements because there is no risk in producing Iraqi oil: its locations are well known. Moreover, it is very cheap to produce. So the Iraqis are resisting the law providing for these agreements with foreign companies.. .
Afghanistan
7-26. NYTimes Editorial. It urged the US not to send any more conventional troops to Afghanistan, saying it would do more harm than good. The terrorist training camps have moved to Pakistani tribal territory. The best way to fight insurgents is through better intelligence, special forces, pragmatic politics, and economic development. In the last five years the national wealth of Afghanistan has doubled, and the population of Kabul as increased four times to four million.
Lebanon/Israel
An-Nahar, 7-23. Hizbollah has reorganized and claims its rockets can now strike any place in Israel, including Tel Aviv
United Kingdom
7-24-25. The UK is suffering from the worst flooding in sixty years. Large numbers of people are without clean drinking water. Oxford has had to be evacuated. The costs will be high.
US News
NYTimes 7-26. The Dow Jones Index dropped 286 points to 13,473, on account of poor new home sales in June and the threat of a credit crunch. European stock markets also fell sharply.
NY Times 7-26. The White House is resisting the threat of subpoenas for its staff by claiming executive privilege, and if this goes to court it could play out until the end of Bush’s term. The situation of Attorney Gonzales is more dangerous, since FBI Director Robert Mueller has contradicted his testimony to Congress concerning his visit to the bedside of John Ashcroft to promote an NSA program in violation of privacy rights of US citizens. .
Book Report
[Christopher Hitchens. God is Not Great; How Religion Poisons Everything.
The author’s sophisticated criticism is against fundamentalism of all kinds, not Quakerism. His best chapters are 2) Religion Kills 4) A Note on Health, in Which Religion can be Hazardous and 13) Does Religion Make People Behave Better? His expose of Mormonism is timely. ]
posted by THE FLASHLIGHT at 6:17 AM
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