The Flashlight Sept. 29 - Oct. 5, 2007
THE FLASHLIGHT, Sept. 29 – Oct. 5, 2007
Iraq: Blackwater USA in Trouble
CNN 10-1. The incident of September 16 in Nisour Square, Baghdad in which Blackwater gunmen killed helpless civilians, continued to make news. The Iraqi government accused the Blackwater men of opening fire first. An FBI team has been sent to Iraq to investigate.
NYTimes 10-2. Since 2005 Blackwater men have engaged in 195 shooting incidents in Iraq. Their total employees there = 861. The State Department, with whom they have a contract to protect diplomats in Baghdad and vicinity, has failed to oversee them.
PBS 10-2 In Iraq 25 Blackwater employees have been killed. Rep. Henry Waxman stated that private security contractors are too expensive, and that they anger the US military and the Iraqis. In 80% of shooting incidents in which they have been involved, the Blackwater gunman shot first. Waxman concluded that the actions of Blackwater undermined the US mission in Iraq.
NY Times 10-3. The latest report on the Nisour Square incident found that 17 Iraqi civilians died and 24 were injured. Blackwater helicopters overhead fired at cars in the square. A second Blackwater convoy at the opposite end of the square also fired.
CNN 10-4. The House voted to bring private contractors in Iraq under the jurisdiction of US criminal law. The Senate is considering similar legislation.
WPost 10-5. The US military report on the Nisour Square incident found that the Blackwater men opened fire without provocation and used excessive force against civilians. This corroborated the Iraqi government report.
Russia
PBS 10-1. Pres. Putin is planning to run for a seat in Parliament. He cannot serve another term as president, but he evidently plans to become prime minister.
US Politics
NY Times 10-1. James Dobson and other Christian evangelicals are threatening to third party candidate because the Republican frontrunner, Giuliani, believes in abortion rights for women.
W Post 10-3. Hilary Clinton has strengthened her lead over other Democrats: she has 53% of their votes compared to 20% for her nearest rival, Barack Obama. She also leads Giuliani in national polls.
CNN 10-3. Democratic candidates for 2008 have raised a total of $200 million dollars, which is double that raised by Republican candidates.
Among Republican candidates for President Rep. Ron Paul surprised observers by raising $5.1 million in the third quarter, almost equal to that raised by John McCain. Much of Paul’s money was raised on the Internet. He is firmly against continuing the Iraq War and Bush’s militaristic foreign policy. He is also concerned about threats to the civil and privacy rights of Americans.
CNN 10-4. Paul by profession is an obstetrician. He has been married to the same woman for fifty years.
CNN 10-3. The bipartisan bill in Congress to extend health insurance coverage to children whose parents cannot afford private health insurance was vetoed by Pres. Bush. There were enough votes in the Senate to override his veto, but not in the House. The Democrats have allowed themselves two weeks to solicit additional House votes to override. The $7 billion cost of the bill per year would be paid for by taxes on tobacco. The President claims this is unfair because it is actually a tax on the poor, who are most likely to smoke. While spending $10 billion a month for the war in Iraq, he said he is trying to save money.
CNN 10-4. Sen. Larry Craig of Idaho has decided not to resign his office after all. He wants to finish his term and then retire. Republican leaders appear to be upset about this.
CNN 10-4. Sen. Pete Dominici of New Mexico has decided to retire on account of “neurological disease.” He is 75. Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico is under discussion as a candidate to replace him.
US Torture
NYTimes 10-4, 10-5. The Times revealed that the Justice Department holds two secret memoranda justifying torture issued in 2005. These memos gave the CIA approval for harsh interrogation techniques such as head slapping, exposure to cold, and simulated drowning. Sen. Jay Rockefeller, Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, requested Acting Attorney General Peter Heisler to turn over the texts of all documents relating to interrogation since 2004.
US Education
PBS 10-1 and 10-2. In a special report on the worst urban schools in America, PBS focused on new superintendents with strong political backing to bring about change.
In the District of Columbia, a woman of Korean descent, Michele Rhee, is the new superintendent. She is negotiating a new contract with the teachers’ union that will enable her to get rid of incompetent staff more easily, She is focused on results, not process. The schools opened on time, were clean, and the textbooks were ready.
In New Orleans, where the state has taken over the schools, the new superintendent is Paul Vallas. The state is providing free laptops for all students. On the first day there was some confusion over scheduling, and many no-shows.
Iraq: Blackwater USA in Trouble
CNN 10-1. The incident of September 16 in Nisour Square, Baghdad in which Blackwater gunmen killed helpless civilians, continued to make news. The Iraqi government accused the Blackwater men of opening fire first. An FBI team has been sent to Iraq to investigate.
NYTimes 10-2. Since 2005 Blackwater men have engaged in 195 shooting incidents in Iraq. Their total employees there = 861. The State Department, with whom they have a contract to protect diplomats in Baghdad and vicinity, has failed to oversee them.
PBS 10-2 In Iraq 25 Blackwater employees have been killed. Rep. Henry Waxman stated that private security contractors are too expensive, and that they anger the US military and the Iraqis. In 80% of shooting incidents in which they have been involved, the Blackwater gunman shot first. Waxman concluded that the actions of Blackwater undermined the US mission in Iraq.
NY Times 10-3. The latest report on the Nisour Square incident found that 17 Iraqi civilians died and 24 were injured. Blackwater helicopters overhead fired at cars in the square. A second Blackwater convoy at the opposite end of the square also fired.
CNN 10-4. The House voted to bring private contractors in Iraq under the jurisdiction of US criminal law. The Senate is considering similar legislation.
WPost 10-5. The US military report on the Nisour Square incident found that the Blackwater men opened fire without provocation and used excessive force against civilians. This corroborated the Iraqi government report.
Russia
PBS 10-1. Pres. Putin is planning to run for a seat in Parliament. He cannot serve another term as president, but he evidently plans to become prime minister.
US Politics
NY Times 10-1. James Dobson and other Christian evangelicals are threatening to third party candidate because the Republican frontrunner, Giuliani, believes in abortion rights for women.
W Post 10-3. Hilary Clinton has strengthened her lead over other Democrats: she has 53% of their votes compared to 20% for her nearest rival, Barack Obama. She also leads Giuliani in national polls.
CNN 10-3. Democratic candidates for 2008 have raised a total of $200 million dollars, which is double that raised by Republican candidates.
Among Republican candidates for President Rep. Ron Paul surprised observers by raising $5.1 million in the third quarter, almost equal to that raised by John McCain. Much of Paul’s money was raised on the Internet. He is firmly against continuing the Iraq War and Bush’s militaristic foreign policy. He is also concerned about threats to the civil and privacy rights of Americans.
CNN 10-4. Paul by profession is an obstetrician. He has been married to the same woman for fifty years.
CNN 10-3. The bipartisan bill in Congress to extend health insurance coverage to children whose parents cannot afford private health insurance was vetoed by Pres. Bush. There were enough votes in the Senate to override his veto, but not in the House. The Democrats have allowed themselves two weeks to solicit additional House votes to override. The $7 billion cost of the bill per year would be paid for by taxes on tobacco. The President claims this is unfair because it is actually a tax on the poor, who are most likely to smoke. While spending $10 billion a month for the war in Iraq, he said he is trying to save money.
CNN 10-4. Sen. Larry Craig of Idaho has decided not to resign his office after all. He wants to finish his term and then retire. Republican leaders appear to be upset about this.
CNN 10-4. Sen. Pete Dominici of New Mexico has decided to retire on account of “neurological disease.” He is 75. Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico is under discussion as a candidate to replace him.
US Torture
NYTimes 10-4, 10-5. The Times revealed that the Justice Department holds two secret memoranda justifying torture issued in 2005. These memos gave the CIA approval for harsh interrogation techniques such as head slapping, exposure to cold, and simulated drowning. Sen. Jay Rockefeller, Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, requested Acting Attorney General Peter Heisler to turn over the texts of all documents relating to interrogation since 2004.
US Education
PBS 10-1 and 10-2. In a special report on the worst urban schools in America, PBS focused on new superintendents with strong political backing to bring about change.
In the District of Columbia, a woman of Korean descent, Michele Rhee, is the new superintendent. She is negotiating a new contract with the teachers’ union that will enable her to get rid of incompetent staff more easily, She is focused on results, not process. The schools opened on time, were clean, and the textbooks were ready.
In New Orleans, where the state has taken over the schools, the new superintendent is Paul Vallas. The state is providing free laptops for all students. On the first day there was some confusion over scheduling, and many no-shows.
posted by THE FLASHLIGHT at 11:13 AM
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