Deeper And Deeper
Now Playing: Barry White
Because my links to articles don't seem to be static, I'm cutting & pasting(note to AP, not reprinting- and I'd be happy to simply link to your stories if the link would not update itself)the article.

Some Apparently Tortured Detainees Found

By BASSEM MROUE, Associated Press Writer 4 minutes ago(2:30pm pst)

Iraq's prime minister said Tuesday that 173 Iraqi detainees — malnourished and showing signs of torture — were found at an Interior Ministry basement lockup seized by U.S. forces in Baghdad. The discovery appeared to validate Sunni complaints of abuse by the Shiite-controlled ministry.

The revelation about the mostly Sunni Arab detainees by Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari was deeply embarrassing to the government as critics in the United States and Britain question the U.S. strategy for building democracy in a land wracked by insurgency, terrorism and sectarian tension.

"I was informed that there were 173 detainees held at an Interior Ministry prison and they appear to be malnourished," al-Jaafari said of Sunday's raid at a detention center in the fashionable Jadriyah district. "There is also some talk that they were subjected to some kind of torture."

One detainee had been crippled by polio and others suffered "different wounds," the deputy interior minister, Maj. Gen. Hussein Kamal, said without elaboration.

Al-Jaafari, a Shiite, promised a full investigation and punishment for anyone found guilty of torture.

In Washington, a State Department spokesman said the Bush administration found the reports troubling.

"We don't practice torture, and we don't believe that others should practice torture," said the spokesman, Adam Ereli. "We think that there should be an investigation and those who are responsible should be held accountable."

But the head of Iraq's largest Sunni political party said he had spoken to al-Jaafari and other government officials about torture at Interior Ministry detention centers, including the one where the detainees were found.

Mohsen Abdul-Hamid, leader of the Iraqi Islamic Party, said the government routinely dismissed his complaints, calling the prisoners "former regime elements," meaning Saddam Hussein loyalists.

U.S. Brig. Gen. Karl Horst, who commanded the troops in Sunday's raid, said American and Iraqi forces plan to carry out checks at every Interior Ministry detention facility in Baghdad, the Los Angeles Times reported. It was not immediately clear why U.S. forces chose to move in on Sunday.

"We're going to hit every single one of them, every single one of them," the Times quoted Horst as saying.

Sunni politicians have been complaining of torture, abuse and arbitrary arrest by special commandos of the Shiite-controlled Interior Ministry since the current government took power last April.

Sunnis have also accused the ministry of being behind "death squads," rumored to be made up of former members of Shiite militias, which target Sunnis in reprisal for the killings of Shiites by Sunni Arab insurgents. Interior Minister Bayn Jabr has denied any role in such killings.

Kamal, the deputy interior minister, was quoted by CNN as saying the skin of some of the detainees in the Baghdad center had peeled off parts of their bodies. He later declined to confirm the allegation to The Associated Press.

Sunni Arab complaints have taken on new urgency because of American efforts to encourage a big Sunni turnout in the Dec. 15 parliamentary elections in hopes of undermining Sunni support for the insurgency. In recent days, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan have all visited Iraq to promote Sunni participation.

U.S. officials have also been pressing the majority Shiites and their Kurdish allies to reach out to the minority community — which dominated the country during Saddam's regime.

U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad and the top U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. George Casey, have expressed their "deep concern" over the condition of the detainees "at the highest level" of the Iraqi government, a U.S. Embassy statement said.

"We agree with Iraq's leaders that the mistreatment of detainees is a serious matter and totally unacceptable," the statement added.

But the case also raises troubling questions about the training and discipline of Iraqi security forces, which Washington hopes can assume a greater role in fighting the insurgents so that U.S. and other international troops can begin to go home.

Interior Ministry commandos, who are separate from the Iraqi army, spearhead the Iraqi government's campaign against the insurgency. Those commandos arrested more than 300 suspects last week in Diyala province after attacks on police checkpoints and a truck bomb that killed about 20 people in a Shiite village.

Many Sunnis fear that methods used by the Interior Ministry forces — known by fearsome names such as the Scorpions and the Wolf Brigade — are setting the stage for sectarian war.

"In order to search for one terrorist, they detain hundreds of innocent people and torture them brutally," Sunni politician Abdul-Hamid said.

Kamal, the deputy interior minister, said all detainees found at the center had been arrested under legal warrants issued by judges.

"They were mistreated and you know what happens in prison," Kamal told The Associated Press. "We will try to make sure that such acts are not repeated in the future."

He said the detainees were held in the basement of the building because the Justice Ministry lacked proper facilities and "there are no other places to hold those terrorists."

Saleh al-Mutlaq, a Sunni politician, insisted that torture is widespread in Interior Ministry detention centers and that the force has been infiltrated by the Badr Brigade, the military wing of Iraq's largest Shiite party.

"Some Iraqis are having their heads opened with drills, then their bodies are thrown in the streets," al-Mutlaq said. "This shows that the United States should stop these acts since it is the force that occupies Iraq."

Amnesty International welcomed al-Jaafari's decision to order an investigation but urged him to expand the probe to include all allegations of torture. Amnesty also asked him to make the results public. In Geneva, the International Committee of the Red Cross said it was unaware of the detention center but wanted to learn more.

In a report Monday, the U.N. mission in Iraq warned about detention conditions in Iraq. The report said 23,394 people were in detention in Iraq, including 11,559 held by multinational forces.

"There is an urgent need to provide remedy to lengthy internment for reasons of security without adequate judicial oversight," the report said.


GWB's version(sorry Barry):
I'm gonna lie to you, lie to you, lie to you just a little more, baby
I'm gonna cheat you, cheat you, cheat you every day
I'm gonna screw you, screw you, screw you in every way

Now It's The Same Old Song
Now Playing: The Four Tops
GWB has rehearsed long enough, he should book some time in a recording studio.

Yes, I'm still in a funk over events from about 377 days ago.

Chinquapin
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

OK, see if this link sticks.
new link

The following is a truncated excerpt, not edited other than the Dems' response & Asia trip details left off the end.

Article published Nov 15, 2005
Bush slams Iraq war critics anew en route to Asian tour

ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska - President Bush hurled new arguments against Iraq war critics on Monday as he headed for Asia, accusing some Democrats of "sending mixed signals to our troops and the enemy."

"That is irresponsible," Bush said. Bush addressed U.S. forces and their families during a refueling stop in Alaska. It was the initial leg of an eight-day journey to Japan, South Korea, China and Mongolia. Bush has hopes of improving his image on the world stage.

"Reasonable people can disagree about the conduct of the war, but it is irresponsible for Democrats to now claim that we misled them and the American people," Bush said. "Only one person manipulated evidence and misled the world - and that person was Saddam Hussein."

Bush, who wore a flight jacket, was cheered and applauded by the receptive audience.

The president tried to defend himself against criticism by Democrats that he manipulated intelligence and misled the American people about Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction as he sought grounds to go to war against Saddam's regime in 2003.

Meanwhile, National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley told reporters aboard the presidential aircraft that two agenda items on Bush's Asia trip were the huge Chinese trade surplus with the United States and a U.S.-Japanese dispute over U.S. beef imports.

Neither dispute was expected to be resolved on the president's trip, Hadley said.

"I don't think you're going to see headline-breakers" from the president's trip, Hadley said.

On Sunday, Hadley acknowledged "we were wrong" about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, but he insisted in a CNN interview that the president did not manipulate intelligence or mislead the American people.

Iraq and other problems - from the bungled response to Hurricane Katrina to the indictment of a senior White House official in the CIA leak investigation - have taken a heavy toll on the president's standing. Nearing the end of his fifth year in office, Bush has the lowest approval rating of his presidency and a majority of Americans say Bush is not honest and they disapprove of his handling of foreign policy and the war on terrorism.

In his Alaska remarks, Bush noted that some elected Democrats in Congress "have opposed this war all along.

"I disagree with them, but I respect their willingness to take a consistent stand," he said. "Yet some Democrats who voted to authorize the use of force are now rewriting the past. They are playing politics with this issue and sending mixed signals to our troops and the enemy."

With A Whimper?
Is anyone else becoming really annoyed with the Bird Flu mantra?

It's not like we can really do anything to stop it. Once it crosses into human to human transmission, we'll all just have to wait for the mutated virus to be made into a vaccine.

I wonder if there's a segment of the population with a natural immunity, like the theory that some descendants of survivors of the Black Death have an immunity to HIV? And that gets me thinking about conspiracies, which evolves into paranoia & general pissed-off-ness.

I could let it go, and I usually do, except that the blasted media keeps bringing up the subject on a daily basis at this point.

Oh, and don't get me started on that polio outbreak in Wisconsin. And the "mad cow"(maybe mad deer?)outbreak in Idaho.

It's time to choose, do we spend our money on WAR, or CARE? We don't have enough to do both. Of course isn't Plague one of the four horsemen? Maybe that's what they want, they want pestilence.

Yes, it is the season of The Hollow Men. I'm swapping The Return Of The Native(I can never get through that book)for The Big Sleep, and I'm gonna eat, drink and be merry d@mnit!

See what an early rainy season does to me?

Chinquapin(wash your hands well & often)

Mid-October And The Rain Is Back
Just when I beginning to think I'd wasted money on my new rain boots. I wonder if there's a history of back to back El Ninos?

No climate change my a$$.

Time for Toddies!

Chinquapin(Finally starting to read The Big Sleep, just in time)

The Enemy Of My Enemy...
Doesn't it make sense that Death is everyone's enemy?

Please join me in sending prayer/good wishes/positive thoughts/etc to the people in the Pak/Kas/India region.

I've got to get another check out to Heifer Int'l.

Chinquapin

I Love Italy!
Mr.Man has become obsessed with his "new" used Mac(new edit computer), but we only have one monitor. So this tale of Italy will dribble out over a sizable period of time.

1st- I never had a Cappuccino in Italy. I don't like coffee. Tea for me, Chocolato when the evenings were cool.

2nd- I never had a Bellini, nor a Lemoncello, although we did get a bottle of white Chianti for the table one night.

3rd- I never had Tiramisu(don't like coffee), nor a Biscotti, but OMG... the GELATO!

I used to think I was a Brit in a past life- I am a Tea junkie. But my love of sausages & cured meats also had me thinking maybe a Bavarian. But thanks to Marco Polo, I'm going for a farmer from between Ferrara & Padua, with produce good enough to trade with Venice time to time, and enjoy a bit of la dolce vita in the early 1400's.

Got to run, ciao!

Chinquapin

Finally, The Crows Are Starting To Roost
First, questions about Dr. Frist's investments, and now Mr. DeLay gets indicted!

Chinquapin

Bernini, Botticelli, & Bellini !!!!
I'm back!!!

Considering I had some kind of inner ear problem & was dizzy for a good portion of the trip, I had a fantastic time in Italy.

I'll have a detailed trip report this weekend, but there was little "relaxing" and of course I had to jump back into work, while still suffering from my vertigo.

Anyone who has taken and enjoyed at least one art history class has got to go to Italy. Eat a sack lunch everyday. Eat Rammen noodles, day old bread, darn your old clothes, save-Save-SAVE!

Wonder how much longer I can keep my 9 year old car running cost effectively?

Speaking of... I've got to get a smog check today, so I'd better jump in the shower & get going.

Chinquapin
(specials all week: Cappuccinos before noon(none of this non-fat/soy mess), Bellinis & Spritzes in the early evening, and (sp?)Chocolato(Hot Chocolate)
nightcaps.

More Of "The Best Of The Nut House"
Going on vacation, booked months ago. I wonder how my mom, sister & I will answer the question, "How did your government let "that" happen in NOLA?" I have no answers, I have a million questions.

Thursday, 29 July 2004
The Road Is Long...
Mood: lyrical
Now Playing: Herbie Hancock "Driftin' "
Reading Dr.Cat's "Housecalls" got me thinking about community. Her professor's saying "Ah, a small town, people will never let you alone, but they will never let you down." really struck home.

In the past 3 years, I've lived in a megalopolis of over 11 million, a good-sized city of over 1 million, and a small city of just under 20,000 people. No matter where I've lived, the amount of "community" I've enjoyed depended almost entirely on me.

Did I introduce myself to the neighbors? Did I share with my neighbors? Did I look out for my neighbors?

Now, I'm either an outgoing introvert, or a shy extrovert. I always feel I fall short in cultivating community, but I'm working on it.

I'm realizing that's what life is...always striving to do better, or at least doing the best you can each day. I use to think, one day, I'd just be where I wanted to be. Now it looks like "the journey's the thing".

So, Thursday night, The Nut House is having "Brother's Keeper" night. Sisters, cousins, the whole family is welcome. Tom & his brother John Collins are the specials and The Hollies are 1st up on the Jukebox.

Designated drivers, soft & virgin drinks on the house.

Chinquapin
(the password is... Blue highways)

Guess Who's Gonna Get Money Rebuilding NOLA?
You'll never guess...

And check out this article, especially the date.

[In her written invitation to Bush to take a pelican eye view of the fragile, disappearing coastal wetlands, Blanco asks them to "please consider the far greater costs of not addressing the catastrophic coastal land loss occurring in Louisiana, land loss that puts our nation's energy security and economic future at risk." Makes sense. And that's not even mentioning the breeding grounds that support much of the nation's domestic seafood industry.

Coincidentally, the tug match between the White House and Louisiana was occurring during a scientific conference in which new elevation numbers were being rolled out to help emergency planners, builders and scientists accommodate the steadily sinking coast. A May National Geodetic Study showed coastal areas were sinking as much as 20 inches in a decade. The loss may or may not continue at that rate as scientists debate the causes.

Until Bush's intervention, the congressional delegation was sounding relatively confident about the state's chances. It was a fight that served as a unifying point, despite some occasional one-upmanship, between U.S. Sens. Mary Landrieu, a Democrat, and David Vitter, a freshman Republican. During a recent editorial board meeting with The Times, U.S. Rep. Jim McCrery had no cautionary notes about the bill as he also mentioned federal assistance for wind turbine technology that affects local manufacturer BeairdCo.]

Chinquapin