The Flashlight, Sept. 1-8, 2007
THE FLASHLIGHT, September 1-7, 2007
Iraq
CNN 8-31. According to the independent General Accounting Office report, the Maliki government has achieved only 3 of the 18 benchmarks specified by Congress. The Sunnis have pulled out of Parliament and there is war among the tribes.
NBC 9-2. 72% of Americans are against continuing the war in Iraq even if reports in September are positive. Chris Matthews described military operations as occurring in a whack-a-mole situation: you suppress violence in one area and it pops out in another. However, the panel of reports on his program doubted that the Republicans would desert Bush on end the war if there were any positive military developments.
CNN 9-3. Michael Ware, star reporter, commented on the sudden appearance of Bush in Anbar province, highlighting the new alliance of American soldiers with Sunni tribes vs. al-Qaeda. Ware said that the surge has fallen short and political developments are very bad. He said the Sunni tribes will work with the US but not the Maliki government, which is based on Shia militias.
CNN 9-3. The leading Democratic candidates for president are saying that if elected, on the first day in office, if there are still troops in Iraq, they will order them out.
CNN 9-4. The Iraqi government has failed on all the most important measures of success: disarming mlitias, preparing Iraqi security forces, ending sectarian violence. Therefore, the surge has failed.
Newsweek, 9-10.The Shia now dominate Baghdad, and there is little chance of reversal
PBS 9-6. An independent group commissioned by Congress to assess Iraqi military and police capabilities, reported that the national police should be disbanded because they are 85% Shia and have a strong sectarian bias.
The group said that the Iraqi Army is improving, but won’t be able to control the national situation for 12 to 18 months.
NYTimes 9-7 Paul Krugman said that no independent assessment has concluded that violence in Iraq is down. Measured accurately, the number of civilian deaths is double the rate of last year. There is no decline in the average number of daily attacks.
Germany
German security forces have exposed a plot to attack US bases in Germany and the German International Airport. The conspirators were two German converts to Islam and a Turk. They were trained in Pakistan. `
US Politics
CNN 8-31. Senator John Warner announced that this is his last term in the Senate. He is 80 years old. Mark Warner, Democrat ex-governor of Virginia, would be a strong candidate to replace him.
CNN 9-1. Senator Larry Craig, Republican, of Idaho, resigned his seat in the Senate after pleading guilty to a charge of soliciting sex with an undercover cop in the Minneapolis airport bathroom. Sen. Craig is well known for his attacks on gay rights. The Republican National Committee asked him to resign.
CNN 9-6 Fred Thompson entered the presidential race as a conservative Republican. He is six feet six inches tall and an accomplished actor. He supports a continued stay of US forces in Iraq, no elimination of tax cuts for the wealthy, and some privatization of social security. He is criticized by his rivals Giuliani and Romney for his lack of executive experience.
Iraq
CNN 8-31. According to the independent General Accounting Office report, the Maliki government has achieved only 3 of the 18 benchmarks specified by Congress. The Sunnis have pulled out of Parliament and there is war among the tribes.
NBC 9-2. 72% of Americans are against continuing the war in Iraq even if reports in September are positive. Chris Matthews described military operations as occurring in a whack-a-mole situation: you suppress violence in one area and it pops out in another. However, the panel of reports on his program doubted that the Republicans would desert Bush on end the war if there were any positive military developments.
CNN 9-3. Michael Ware, star reporter, commented on the sudden appearance of Bush in Anbar province, highlighting the new alliance of American soldiers with Sunni tribes vs. al-Qaeda. Ware said that the surge has fallen short and political developments are very bad. He said the Sunni tribes will work with the US but not the Maliki government, which is based on Shia militias.
CNN 9-3. The leading Democratic candidates for president are saying that if elected, on the first day in office, if there are still troops in Iraq, they will order them out.
CNN 9-4. The Iraqi government has failed on all the most important measures of success: disarming mlitias, preparing Iraqi security forces, ending sectarian violence. Therefore, the surge has failed.
Newsweek, 9-10.The Shia now dominate Baghdad, and there is little chance of reversal
PBS 9-6. An independent group commissioned by Congress to assess Iraqi military and police capabilities, reported that the national police should be disbanded because they are 85% Shia and have a strong sectarian bias.
The group said that the Iraqi Army is improving, but won’t be able to control the national situation for 12 to 18 months.
NYTimes 9-7 Paul Krugman said that no independent assessment has concluded that violence in Iraq is down. Measured accurately, the number of civilian deaths is double the rate of last year. There is no decline in the average number of daily attacks.
Germany
German security forces have exposed a plot to attack US bases in Germany and the German International Airport. The conspirators were two German converts to Islam and a Turk. They were trained in Pakistan. `
US Politics
CNN 8-31. Senator John Warner announced that this is his last term in the Senate. He is 80 years old. Mark Warner, Democrat ex-governor of Virginia, would be a strong candidate to replace him.
CNN 9-1. Senator Larry Craig, Republican, of Idaho, resigned his seat in the Senate after pleading guilty to a charge of soliciting sex with an undercover cop in the Minneapolis airport bathroom. Sen. Craig is well known for his attacks on gay rights. The Republican National Committee asked him to resign.
CNN 9-6 Fred Thompson entered the presidential race as a conservative Republican. He is six feet six inches tall and an accomplished actor. He supports a continued stay of US forces in Iraq, no elimination of tax cuts for the wealthy, and some privatization of social security. He is criticized by his rivals Giuliani and Romney for his lack of executive experience.
posted by THE FLASHLIGHT at 5:32 AM
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