TresSugar

Front Page: Suicide Attacks Kill at Least 75 People in Iraq

TresSugar — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 08:00:46 -0700

Two suicide-bomb attacks in Iraq killed at least 75 people today and injured 113. They targeted a quiet residential neighborhood and Iranian tourists. - New York Times
Amidst this wave of violence, the suspected leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq was arrested. - AP
President Obama is pushing for more legal protections for Americans who use credit cards. - San Jose Mercury News
Voter turnout in South Africa has been huge. ANC, the ruling party, looks headed for an easy victory. - LA Times
Wildfires in Myrtle Beach, SC, have destroyed homes near the popular beach area. - AP
A Senate intelligence report shows that Condoleezza Rice and Dick Cheney approved waterboarding as early as 2002. - CNN
Fox News anchor Shepard Smith got so passionate yesterday condemning torture that one of his expletives had to be bleeped. - Huffington Post

New Name For the War on Terror - Can You Guess It?

CitizenSugar — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 13:30:13 -0700

What to call a war on terror? Not that! Never mind its semantic impossibility (a war on a feeling?), the Bush administration retired it long ago for the far-reaching, but no less inaccurate, "global war on terror."

Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld dangled the "Global Struggle Against Violent Extremism" out there, but GSAVE never caught on as he so hoped it would.

Toward the twilight of Bush's presidency, he tested the "long war," but that hasn't gone far either. So the always-eloquent Obama administration has tried its pen at renaming it. Is it any better?

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Fightin' Words: What's the Polite Way to Say "War on Terror"?

CitizenSugar — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 12:30:06 -0800

"An enduring struggle against terrorism and extremism." (Wordy!) "Go after." (Bush-esque.) "Ongoing struggle." (Lacks confidence.) "Win this fight." (Aggressive?) "Twilight struggle." (Sad, geriatric.)

President Obama's national-security team has been brainstorming a more precise (or nice?) phrase to describe the war on terror. What's the problem, besides the uncomfortable word "war?" Terrorism is a tactic, not an identifiable enemy, and it's considered inaccurate because it cannot be won by military means alone. In the parlance of Nancy Reagan's war on drugs, it's like saying the "war on syringes."

The White House says there's no official ban on the mutual use of those three words, but President Obama has only uttered them once (in a speech to the State Department) since inauguration. One administration official admitted they were looking for something a little more hopeful.

Considering the phrase "war on terror" is thought to have rallied terrorists, even President Bush shied away from it in the end. To find out what alternatives Bush used, read more.

Bush turned to the "war against violent extremists" in the final years of his presidency, which surely assuaged all the "violent extremists" out there. At least he never tried to call it "My Struggle."

But that wasn't the first attempt the Bush administration made on the war on terror's livelihood. The State and Defense Departments tried to rename it the "Struggle Against Violent Extremism," otherwise known as SAVE. And Donald Rumsfeld's Defense Department officially adopted the acronym GWOT for the "Global War on Terror." Not surprisingly, the media never latched onto any of these, and until it does the "war on terror" it is.

What a struggle! (Which, BTW, I nominate.)

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Democracy on Lockdown? Iraq Prepares For Elections

LibertySugar — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 09:30:48 -0800

This weekend's elections may be a sign that democracy is flourishing in Iraq, but the security preparations don't exactly make for good voting PR. In order to keep "peaceful" in the transfer of power, Iraq will be on lockdown. Time has a rundown of the security measures, including:

Iraq will seal its borders with other countries.
Baghdad International Airport will be closed.
Movement will be stopped in the center of the cities; only permitted vehicles will be allowed in downtown.
Security forces will protect candidates and voters.
Thousands of soldiers and police will be on the streets.

On Saturday, 14,400 candidates, including almost 4,000 women, will compete for 444 seats on governing councils for 14 of the 18 provinces. If Iraq's security efforts prove successful, it will bolster the government's contention that it can handle security needs on its own and may lead to a quicker withdrawal of US troops. Let's hope everyone exercising his or her right to vote stays safe this weekend!

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Pentagon: More Ex-Gitmo Inmates Returning to Terrorism

CitizenSugar — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 15:30:30 -0800

News broke yesterday that President-elect Obama plans on signing an order to close Guantanamo Bay perhaps as early as his first day on the job. Well today, the Pentagon cast a potential shadow on the plan, announcing that 61 ex-Gitmo prisoners have "returned to the fight." The Pentagon's spokesperson said: "The overall known terrorist re-engagement rate has increased to 11 percent" from 7 percent.

The Pentagon's assessment previews the challenges Obama will face while trying to close the controversial prison. While some detainees present a clear danger, the US admits that others, such as 17 dissidents kept at Gitmo because they could face death back in China, should be released.

Last night on the Rachel Maddow Show an Air Force major who defends detainees in Gitmo's US military tribunals said: "Americans would expect that the military commission would focus on high-level terrorists, people responsible for 9/11 and other serious terrorist attacks against the United States. In fact the early focus of the commissions has been on child soldiers, drivers, foot soldiers."

Do you think the Pentagon's 11 percent terrorist recidivism rate for those released from Guantanamo is enough to justify the prison, or should the US close it ASAP? And, to see the clip from last night's Rachel Maddow Show, read more.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

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Art Mimics Life: Obama Holding Jack Bauer Hostage?

LibertySugar — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 11:00:08 -0800

When the new season of 24 kicked off last night, hero Jack Bauer was the subject of a congressional investigation looking into his hasty executions and use of torture. The Telegraph quotes Bauer, who said:

We've done so many things in the name of protecting this country, we've created two worlds. Ours and the people's we've promised to protect. They deserve to hear the truth and decide how far they want to let us go.

Bauer's sharp turn left is now torturing conservatives, who appreciated 24 as a beacon of Hollywood hope in a sea of liberal films, actors, and TV shows. Vocal conservatives say that before Obama, the show took seriously the threat of terrorism, along with the necessity of using extreme measures to protect innocent Americans.

Do you think the show is kowtowing to liberal bullies, or is the plot just trying to stay relevant?

Photos courtesy of Fox

Front Page: Police Defuse Bomb in Paris Department Store

CitizenSugar — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 07:49:15 -0800

French police found a bomb in the Printemps department store, after a warning about the explosive was sent to a French news agency. A previously unknown group, demanding French withdrawal from Afghanistan, has claimed responsibility. - New York Times
President-elect Barack Obama continues to fill out his cabinet, naming the head of Chicago public schools Arne Duncan as education secretary and Steven Chu as energy secretary. - CNN

Despite warnings of fraud as early as 1999, the SEC did not investigate Bernard Madoff, who was charged last week with fraud after he allegedly volunteered the fact that he took $50 billion from investors. - Washington Post
A top high-school football recruit died in Mississippi of a possibly self-inflicted gun-shot wound, after a sheriff pulled him over last week. The NAACP has determined through its own investigation that his death was not a suicide. - Mississippi Press

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Front Page: Iraq Suicide Bomber Kills Dozens

CitizenSugar — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 08:00:13 -0800

A suicide bomber killed at least 55 people in Iraq today, after striking a crowded restaurant in northern Iraq. Kurdish officials and Arab tribal leaders were meeting there in an attempt to reduce historic tensions. - AP

The House of Representatives passed a $14 billion bailout for US automakers today, but GOP opposition might derail it in the Senate. - CNN

Every Democratic Senator and a number of Illinois leaders have called on Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich to step down. Some state lawmakers are looking for a way to remove him from office. - Chicago Tribune
While the UN has warned that Zimbabwe's cholera epidemic is getting worse, President Robert Mugabe declared that there is no cholera in his country. - BBC News

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Just Torturing Yourself? Interrogator Calls Brutality Ineffective

LibertySugar — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:30:29 -0800

Matthew Alexander, if that's his real name (it's not), says that the qualities that make a good terrorist interrogator are the same things that make a good American, and those qualities don't include a knack for physical torture. He should know, because he served as a US military interrogator in Iraq, and wrote a book all about how to break a terrorist.

Last night on the Daily Show, Alexander explained that it's counterproductive to torture terrorists even in ticking time-bomb scenarios. Alexander says psychology, not brutality, more effectively extracts crucial information.

He also learned that a sense of humor aids interrogation, because it helps build a relationship of trust with the suspect. Hey! Maybe we should send Jon Stewart over to Guantanamo Bay to joke (not choke) some information out of detainees! Check out the interview, and tell me what you think about his thoughts torture.

Only Captured Terrorist Speaks About Mumbai Massacre

CitizenSugar — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 20:50:00 -0800

Azam Amir Kasab, a 21-year-old man from Pakistan, is the only terrorist police captured alive after the Mumbai massacre ended. Details from his interrogation have been leaked, and they reveal a chilling picture of a nightmarish tragedy that could have turned out even worse. After playing dead in order to survive, Kasab told police:

The synchronized attacks were planned six months ago, and intended to kill 5,000 people. So far the death toll stands at around 200.
The group of 10 terrorists had planned to blow up the entire Taj Mahal hotel, but were unsuccessful.
The would-be attackers posed as students on a trip to Mumbai a month ago to acquaint themselves with the city.
The men specifically targeted "whites," especially British and American citizens.
Kasab said he belonged to Pakistani terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba, which has denied involvement.
Kasab said he was told to "kill to my last breath."

As those impacted by these appalling events recover and mourn, international players urgently want to reduce the probability of a confrontation between India and Pakistan. Depending on how things play out, India might take a US approach: if one country can't deal with its terrorists, then another country has a right to do something about it.
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