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Second Anniversary of Sept 11. 

My partner is the Sept 11 project has written a new introduction to the materials we've posted and catches up with some of the events of the past year, obviously including the war in Iraq. Since many people are still clueless bears repeating that THERE IS NO CONNECTION BETWEEN IRAQ AND SEPT 11. "There were fifteen Saudi Arabians, two Emiratis, one Lebanese, and leading them all, an Egyptian, Muhammad Atta" (from Benjamin and Simon, The Age of Sacred Terror). 

Al Qaida might well be going into Iraq now to take on America, but that is caused by the War in Iraq and was not something going on earlier. Meanwhile, Osama's still around and might have even been developing a more sophisticated Weapons of Mass Destruction program than Iraq allegedly had (remember, the reason we went into Iraq??). Unfortunately, Osama bin Forgotten...

G.W. Bush military record: Why did Bill Clinton's "draft dodging" merit 13,641 major news stories, while Bush's desertion merit only 49?

Project for Excellence in Journalism has just released a report evaluating embedded reporting and analyzing the news Americans are getting (site also has other current news and info)

Humanitarian donations: review of websites with information and places to make donations ~ Oxfam or MercyCorp

Please bookmark: return for updates

This page is part of Teaching & Understanding Sept 11 - please explore the additional material 

Blog Archive: July 02 ] Aug 02 #1 ] Aug 02 #2 ] sniper ] Nov 03 ] Iraq 1 ] Iraq 2 ]

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New purported bin Laden tape raises fear of new attacks. Audiotape: 'The real battle has not started yet' The taped voice warned that "the real battle has not started yet. Prepare yourself for the punishment for your crimes." The CNN story contains a subheading 'Something big and nasty is coming'. bin Laden's aid says in the video tape's voice over: "the real battle has not started yet. Prepare yourself for the punishment for your crimes." 

Bush really dropped the ball by not trying to get bin Laden and finish the job. Yes, some al Quida folks have been captured, but bin Laden is the mastermind and his organization has still carried out many attacks this summer. That means its members are gaining operational experience, which allows the organization to replace lost personnel. The bin Laden page has more. For the readers who don't click over, you should still be aware of this:

 

From Views of a Changing World 2003: War With Iraq Further Divides Global Publics (Pew Research Center, Global Attitudes Project) The Pew Report comments that "The bottom has fallen out of support for America" following the war on Iraq: "the war in Iraq “widened the rift between Americans and Western Europeans, further inflamed the Muslim world, softened support for the war on terrorism, and significantly weakened global support for the pillars of the post-World War II era – the U.N. and the North Atlantic alliance”

Check out the understanding anti-Americanism page, as relevant as ever....

By the way, from almost 2 years ago: "But 87 percent agreed on this point: If Afghanistan's Taliban government is toppled, but Osama bin Laden and his top aides aren't captured or killed, the US will have failed in its first objective of the war. That clear idea of what constitutes victory may eventually pose a problem for the Bush administration, which has recently begun asserting that its goal is the fall of the Taliban and not necessarily the elimination of Mr. bin Laden" (Christian Science Monitor, 17 Nov 2001)

Bush to Double Iraq Spending: President Seeks $87 Billion More For Postwar Effort


Government's Hobbled Giant: Homeland Security Is Struggling (Washington Post, 7 Sept 2003, A01)

Six months after it was established to protect the nation from terrorism, the Department of Homeland Security is hobbled by money woes, disorganization, turf battles and unsteady support from the White House, and has made only halting progress toward its goals, according to administration officials and independent experts. 

Security May Not Be Safe Issue for Bush in '04 (Washington Post.com analysis) 

A confident Bush stood in the Rose Garden less than a month ago, saying, "Conditions in most of Iraq are growing more peaceful," boasting of "dismantling the al Qaeda operation" and pronouncing "pretty good progress" toward Middle East peace and a Palestinian state within two years. 

One presidential adviser said the suicide attacks hours apart in Iraq and Israel, which undermined the two anchors of Bush's ambitious effort to transform the Middle East, made Tuesday "by far the worst political day for Bush since 9/11."

For Veterans, an Evocative Repeat: Rising Casualties in Iraq Prompt Memories That Generate Doubts

The television images from Iraq tell of a conflict that is not officially a war anymore, but sure feels like one to the men and women who come here for Bar Games Night or to tear through $7 steak dinners. The almost daily reports of another soldier, or two, or three, being killed in Iraq bring back bad memories of the war these veterans fought, the one in Vietnam that eventually was not an official war, either, but felt like one just the same. 

The veterans ordering Budweisers across the bar from Farrell almost all point to a single statement that irked them above all others: They wish President Bush had never said the war was over, especially before Saddam Hussein is captured or killed. But their concerns do not stop there. They worry that U.S. troops have been asked to stay abroad too long, that the United States is ill-prepared to counter guerrilla tactics in Iraq, and that the military will be "bogged down" in Iraq for years to come without help from other nations. (Washington Post, 7 Sept 2003, A03)

See also: Veterans plan to exact action at polls: GOP-led House reneges on pledge to pass $3.2 billion for VA medical care (Detroit News, 20 August). Support our Troops???

Al-Qaida claims power blackout: Arab paper prints communiqué asserting attack 'carried out on the orders of Osama bin Laden' 

I should say I don't believe it, and most of the people I've talked also don't believe it. But it is interesting that there hasn't been an explanation of what happened (except we're assured it wasn't terrorism). bin Laden's business is construction, especially large projects, be they public works, ports, or palaces the size of a city. A number of terrorists were enrolled in engineering programs. This blackout might not have been them, but future ones could be - it's certainly the kind of they they would like to do. Story from Worldnetdaily.com, one of the few sites to speculate on whether the DC sniper was a terrorist. 

What's New?

Google News
IraqWar.ru (English Language version of Russian paper)

Headlines from ElectronicIraq.net:

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Why A Special Prosecutor's Investigation Is Needed To Sort Out the Niger Uranium And Related WMDs Mess by John Dean, White House Counsel to Nixon (and someone who knows about coverups). 

It's not just a partisan issue, with Democrats harping on Bush. Dean does a good job discussing the importance of the claims that were made. In case you forgot exactly how specific the administration was about its claims, Dean offers a good review. (Findlaw.com)

Not In Our Name

Missing Weapons Of Mass Destruction: Is Lying About The Reason For War An Impeachable Offense? by John Dean, White House Counsel to Nixon. (Findlaw.com) Dean's willing to give the Prez the benefit of the doubt, but wants a Special Prosecutor (see above). Although he doesn't contrast this with Clinton's lie about oral sex, it's obvious that Clinton lie didn't get anyone killed, nor did it cost the country $87 billion. 

AntiWar.com

Ashcroft Taking Fire From GOP Stalwarts: More Wish to Curb Anti-Terrorism Powers (Washington Post, 29 August 2003, A01)

Since taking office, Ashcroft has drawn the left's ire for the reach of the government's war on terrorism; for overruling local prosecutors in death penalty cases; for altering the government's decades-old interpretation of the Second Amendment's right to bear arms; and for overseeing continued raids on facilities that provide marijuana for medical purposes. Now some conservatives, concerned that the war on terrorism has eroded civil liberties, are joining the criticism of Ashcroft's policies for the first time.

United For Peace

Archive: July 02 ] Aug 02 #1 ] Aug 02 #2 ] sniper ] Nov 03 ] Iraq 1 ] Iraq 2 ]


 

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