Implantable GPS chips for (some) humans have arrived

WND: Applied Digital has created and successfully field-tested a prototype of an implant for humans with GPS, or global positioning satellite, technology

Once inserted into a human, it can be tracked by GPS technology and the information relayed wirelessly to the Internet, where an individual's location, movements and vital signs can be stored in a database for future reference. Link

Residents Get id cards Ahead of G8 summit

Scotsman.com reports:
Children as young as eight living near Gleneagles will be issued with identity cards as part of a massive security operation ahead of next year's G8 summit, it emerged today. Link

"A lot of residents wonder why they don't move it to an aircraft carrier."

Idiot's Iraq

NOT AVAILABLE IN SHOPS

An interview with the Russian SVR (KGB)

Federation of American Scientists publishes a translation of Nikolay Poroskov meeting with Consultant to the Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service, Lt-Gen Vadim Kirpichenko on the role of intelligence in the world, spies past and present and his past contacts with directors of the CIA: "By Violating the Laws of Other Countries, We are Protecting Our Own." Link

Navy SEALs privacy invaded

Six members of a Navy special forces unit and two Navy wives sued The Associated Press on Tuesday, saying the news agency endangered the servicemen's lives and invaded their privacy by publishing photos showing the men interacting with Iraqi prisoners. Link

Proud to serve rendition partners

Jet Is an Open Secret

Washingtonpost.com reports: The CIA has the authority to carry out renditions under a presidential directive dating to the Clinton administration, which the Bush administration has reviewed and renewed.
Link

N379P
Now N8068V?

"We will eradicate Spies"

"We will eradicate spies and Diversionists, Agents of the Trokyite - Bukharinite Fascists!"

NKVD poster 1937

The NKVD broke prisoners down by intense interrogation. This included the threat to arrest and execute members of the prisoner's family if they did not confess. The interrogation went on for several days and nights and eventually they(the prisoners) became so exhausted and disoriented that they signed confessions agreeing that they had been attempting to overthrow the government.

Punishment isolator

.
".......a punishment isolater"

Guantanamo suspects - Presumed 'guilty asap'

Illegally held British and other Prisoners Link

Moazzam Begg, a British detainee first imprisoned in Egypt and kept since February 2003 in solitary confinement in Guantanamo Bay, said in a recently declassified letter to the court that he has been repeatedly beaten and has heard "the terrifying screams of fellow detainees facing similar methods." He said he saw two detainees die after U.S. military personnel beat them.

Coerced confessions?

Feroz Abbasi, a Briton captured in Afghanistan, has been kept in solitary confinement for more than a year. He alleged that on the same day U.S. officials say he "confessed" to training as a suicide bomber for al Qaeda, his captors tortured him so badly that he had to be treated for injuries at the prison hospital.

Camp commanders

.
Kolylma 1950 "The daughter of a prisoner has written 'killer' across the photograph"

A message of hope from Rumsfeld

"When it looks bleak, when one worries about how it's going to come out, when one reads and hears the naysayers and the doubters who say it can't be done, and that we're in a quagmire here," one should recall that there have been such doubters "throughout every conflict in the history of the world," Rumsfeld said.

"We want to think big," al-Yawar said. "We know the situation is tough, but I have no doubt in my mind that we will succeed. It's just a matter of time." (read Death)

Earthlink (AP report)

(Rumsfeld) ...said he has great confidence "in the center of gravity" of the American people to sort through all the coverage to come to their own conclusions, but that "what hurts most" is "vicious" misrepresentations by the Arab media. (See Death toll for Journalists highest in decade )



Mr Rumsfeld, above, gives hope. He recognises the centre of gravity of the American People and invites them to "sort through all the coverage" to come to their own conclusions.

With this pearl, that floated to the surface of the cesspit, Rumsfeld is at his most subversive. Indeed there is a lot of "sorting" to do. A good start, if not made already, would be the downloading of the Firefox 1.0 browser, and the utilisation of 'tabbed browsing'.

Peace to the Innocents

And, lapping up the myth of war and its sense of
empowerment, we prefer not to look...

Don't shoot me, I'm from NATO's Partnership for Peace

Avet Demourian reports for AP: Armenia - Parliament voted Friday to send 46 non-combat troops to Iraq, a move that was backed by President Robert Kocharian but drew sharp criticism from many Armenians and opposition groups.

After more than seven hours of debate behind closed doors, lawmakers in the National Assembly voted 91-23, with one abstention, to send the contingent, which will include bomb-disposal experts, doctors and transport specialists.

But the proposal had been widely criticized by opposition parties, many Armenians and even the 30,000-strong Armenian community in Iraq, which feared being targeted for attacks if the troops were sent.

"We shouldn't even be sending humanitarian troops to Iraq, because we can't jeopardize the security of Armenians living Iraq, said Viktor Dalakyan, a leader with the opposition party Justice. "Moreover their lives are already being threatened." Link

Armenia is a member of NATO's Partnership for Peace (PFP)


According to The US State Department
"The Government of Armenia's human rights record remained poor in 2003....International observers found both the presidential and parliamentary elections during the year to be well below international standards......opposition supporters were detained between the two rounds of the presidential elections.....reports of arbitrary arrest and detention.....lengthy pretrial detention....limits on press freedom....due in part to self-censorship and denial of two television broadcast licenses....limits on the rights of assembly and association...denied permission for several opposition rallies... detained approximately 200 people for participating in unauthorized demonstrations....The law places some restrictions on religious freedom. Societal violence against women was a problem. Trafficking of women and children was a problem, which the government took some steps to address."

"Approximately 70 U.S.-owned firms currently do business in Armenia, including such multinationals as Procter & Gamble, M&M-Mars, Xerox, Dell, and IBM. Recent major U.S. investment projects include the Hotel Armenia; the Hotel Ani Plaza; Tufenkian Holdings (carpet and furnishing production, hotels, and construction); several subsidiaries of U.S.-based information technology firms, including Viasphere Technopark, an IT incubator; a Greek-owned Coca-Cola bottling plant; petroleum exploration by the American-Armenian Exploration Company; jewelry and textile production facilities; a large perlite mining and processing plant; and Jermuk Mother Plant, which produces one of the more popular brands of mineral water in Armenia."



The State Department goes on to detail some areas of US support:

"U.S. Support To Build A Market Economy"
"U.S. Humanitarian Assistance"
"U.S. Support To Achieve Democracy"

Help with exploiting opportunities in Armenia can be found
at Export.gov

Who are the war criminals?

.

Washington Post Accuses U.S. Of Committing War Crimes

Washington Post Editorial:Thanks to a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union and other human rights groups, thousands of pages of government documents released this month have confirmed some of the painful truths about the abuse of foreign detainees by the U.S. military and the CIA -- truths the Bush administration implacably has refused to acknowledge. Since the publication of photographs of abuse at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison in the spring the administration's whitewashers -- led by Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld -- have contended that the crimes were carried out by a few low-ranking reservists, that they were limited to the night shift during a few chaotic months at Abu Ghraib in 2003, that they were unrelated to the interrogation of prisoners and that no torture occurred at the Guantanamo Bay prison where hundreds of terrorism suspects are held. The new documents establish beyond any doubt that every part of this cover story is false.

Though they represent only part of the record that lies in government files, the documents show that the abuse of prisoners was already occurring at Guantanamo in 2002 and continued in Iraq even after the outcry over the Abu Ghraib photographs. FBI agents reported in internal e-mails and memos about systematic abuses by military interrogators at the base in Cuba, including beatings, chokings, prolonged sleep deprivation and humiliations such as being wrapped in an Israeli flag. "On a couple of occasions I entered interview rooms to find a detainee chained hand and foot in a fetal position to the floor, with no chair, food or water," an unidentified FBI agent wrote on Aug. 2, 2004. "Most times they had urinated or defecated on themselves, and had been left there for 18 to 24 hours or more." Two defense intelligence officials reported seeing prisoners severely beaten in Baghdad by members of a special operations unit, Task Force 6-26, in June. When they protested they were threatened and pictures they took were confiscated.

Other documents detail abuses by Marines in Iraq, including mock executions and the torture of detainees by burning and electric shock. Several dozen detainees have died in U.S. custody. In many cases, Army investigations of these crimes were shockingly shoddy: Officials lost records, failed to conduct autopsies after suspicious deaths and allowed evidence to be contaminated. Soldiers found to have committed war crimes were excused with noncriminal punishments. The summary of one suspicious death of a detainee at the Abu Ghraib prison reads: "No crime scene exam was conducted, no autopsy conducted, no copy of medical file obtained for investigation because copy machine broken in medical office."


Read in Full here

Information Freedom - UK style

The Independent reports: Hundreds of thousands of secret Whitehall files are being shredded before the public gains the right to see them under the Freedom of Information Act on 1 January.

Details about the nuclear industry, trade deals and investigations into wrongdoing by companies may now never see the light of day because of shredding by the DTI. The department has almost doubled the number of files it has destroyed since the Act became law in 2000.

The MoD has admitted that the volume of files "centrally reviewed" for destruction has also risen in the past two years. In 2001-02, 1,787 linear metres of records were reviewed for shredding. But by the following year the number of files reviewed increased dramatically to 3,707linear metres of records, most of which were destroyed. In 2003-04 the number reviewed for shredding was 3,649, of which 3,211 were destroyed, far higher than in previous years.

Under the legislation, public bodies will be able to turn down applications if the cost of answering the query would be more than six hundred pounds or be against the public interest. Link

Suicide bomber "wearing an Iraqi military uniform"

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - The suicide bomber believed to have blown himself up in a U.S. military dining tent near Mosul this week, killing more than 20 people, was probably wearing an Iraqi military uniform, the U.S. military said Thursday.

The Ansar al-Sunnah Army, the military group that earlier claimed responsibility for the attack, issued a new statement reiterating that it was a suicide bombing.

"God enabled one of your martyr brothers to plunge into God's enemies inside their forts, killing and injuring hundreds," the group said in a statement posted on its Web site Thursday. "We don't know how they can be so stupid that until now they have not figured out the type of the strike that hit them." Link

Irises scanned in Fallujah as residents return

BBC News reports: An initial group of 2,000 is being allowed

At US checkpoints, returning men of military age are being fingerprinted and having their irises scanned

And east of the city, about 100 people lined up at an Iraqi National Guard checkpoint to receive passes giving them permission to enter.

A spokesman for the US marines said Falluja was not yet ready for what he called comfortable living

BBC's Caroline Hawley in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, says civilians who fled the city to neighbouring areas are now desperate to return.

The government says it has set up water tanks for them in the city, and will give each returning resident $100.

It is also promising eventually to pay compensation to the many whose homes have been destroyed or damaged. Link

Mosul - suicide bomber caused explosion

Hole in tent roof caused by suicide bomber.
Given this explanation, it would be wrong to start carping
about troops sitting down in a tent for lunch, because a more
solid structure
wouldn't have stopped the suicide bomber.

Mosul in Lockdown After U.S. Base Blasted

Reuters reports that Mosul is under 9PM - 5AM curfew and that the 5 bridges accross the Tigris River have been blocked by tanks. Witnesses said U.S. forces, backed by Iraqi National Guards, sealed off neighborhoods in western and southeastern Mosul and raided homes. "They're looking in the areas that are known hotspots," one resident in the west of the city said. Link

AP Reports: There was little apparent sympathy for the dead Americans on Mosul streets Wednesday.

"In fact, what has happened in Mosul yesterday is something expected," said Sattar Jabbar. "When occupiers come to any country (they) find resistance. And this is within Iraqi resistance."

"I prefer that American troops leave the country and go out of cities so that Iraq will be safer and we run its affairs," Jamal Mahmoud, a trade union official. "I wish that 2,000 U.S. soldiers were killed, not 20."

Whether these events will precipitate another Fallujah style offensive in the coming days/weeks remains to be seen.

7 Halliburton Workers Died in Mosul Iraq Attack

The Mercury News reports: The Tuesday attack killed 22 people in all and injured 72, making it one of the deadliest attacks on American troops since the war began. The dead included 18 Americans - 14 service members and four U.S. civilian contractors - and four Iraqis, the U.S. military command in Baghdad said Wednesday. It was unclear whether the military's tally referred to the Halliburton workers.

Halliburton's subsidiary KBR manages military mess halls as the contractor responsible for feeding U.S. troops, building bases and providing other logistical support. At such dining facilities, civilian workers join the troops to eat.Link

New F.B.I. Files Describe Abuse of Iraq Inmates

The New York Times reports that F.B.I. memorandums portray abuse of prisoners by American military personnel in Iraq that included detainees' being beaten and choked and having lit cigarettes placed in their ears, according to newly released government documents. Link

Blair in Basra

Tony Blair is helped off tank whilst
visiting UK troops at Basra, Iraq
Dec 21st 2004
(AP Photo / Stefan Rousseau / PA)

24 dead in attack on dining facility, Marez in Mosul, Iraq

Aftermath of insurgent attack on a dining facility at forward
operating base, Marez in Mosul, Iraq Dec 21st 2004. BBC report
(AP Photo/Richmond Times-Dispatch, Dean Hoffmeyer)

Custer Battles - Fraud Law Does Not Cover Iraqi Funds

latimes.com reports: Attorneys for a U.S. based security company accused of setting up sham companies in a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme in Iraq are contending in court that the firm cannot be sued under a key federal anti-corruption law because the allegedly stolen money belonged to Iraqis, not Americans.

The potentially precedent-setting case could undercut fraud claims involving billions of dollars in reconstruction contracts that were issued by the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority and paid for with money belonging to the Iraqi people.Link

[UPDATE - Custer Battles Links on this page are DEAD......including the famous Office of Corporate Integrity - the extracts will live on though]

Custer Battles, the name fills you with confidence immediately. But if the name doesn't impress, you cannot fail to be moved by the mission statement:-

"To provide services which enable corporations, non-governmental organizations, and governments to successfully gain access and operate in transitioning, hostile, or emerging markets in order to exploit opportunities in advance of competition."

Custer Battles claim to have a thing called 'values', you can read all about them on their website, but here are some to save you the trouble:-

Integrity
We always tell our clients, superiors, and subordinates what they need to hear, which may not necessarily be what they want to hear. This is about fulfilling our commitments, maintaining our professionalism, and sleeping soundly each night firm in the belief that we have not compromised our ideals. At the end of the day, we are measured not by what we said, but what we did.

Hard Right Over the Easy Wrong
We are all faced with many decisions on a daily basis. In making every decision, we must choose the correct path regardless of difficulty, and blind to personal reward or hardship. Reward those who quietly take the hard right path when no one is watching.

They also enforce some great 'standards' in their Principals, like:-

When representing the company in any capacity, always tell the truth.

Never outline a problem without offering a solution. Solutions come from facing problems , not running from them.

Finally, for now, attention is drawn to their Office of Corporate Integrity :-

In order to ensure the highest quality of our suite of services and adhere to our mission, values and standards, Custer Battles has established the Office of Corporate Integrity (OCI). One of its main objectives is to remain vigilant in safeguarding against fraud, waste and abuse within the company

This is such a great firm, I want to work for them.

ID card bill gets traction

The Guardian reports: A rare cross-party move to deny the identity cards bill a second reading was rejected by 306 to 93, a government majority of 213. Later the bill was given a second reading by 385 votes to 93, a government majority 292, indicating that dozens of Labour and Tory backbenchers abstained in the votes. Link

Deficient brain's italics!

Rumsfeld makes great sacrifice for his country

Despite personal misgivings and an outrageously busy schedule, Donald Rumsfeld has committed to sign his own letters of condolence to the bereaved families of soldiers killed in Iraq, from here on in, rather than use a machine. This speaks volumes for the majesty of the man. Link

'Revolt' by Labour MPs over ID 'defused'

Fewer than twenty (20) Labour MP's are now expected to vote against the government. The so-called revolt might have mustered, what, twenty- five (25)?

Scotsman.com reports that senior Conservatives attended a dinner with Margaret Thatcher last week at which the former Prime Minister warned of the cards' "Germanic" origins, pointing to Hitler's use of compulsory registration to round up Jews for extermination. Link

It's not always good to have Mrs Thatcher in your corner!

Saddam Hussein takes advantage

It is a measure of just how morally bankrupt US policy towards Iraq has become when even Saddam can sound reasonable, which is, of course, not the case.

"Our representative in Iraq told us that the president warned the people of Iraq and the Arabs to beware of the American scheme aimed at splitting Iraq into sectarian and religious divisions and weakening the (Arab) nation," said Bushra Khalil, a Lebanese member of Saddam's defense team of 20 attorneys.

"The president sent recommendations to the Iraqi people to remain united and not fall in the trap of America's slogans," she said. "He said Kurds, Arabs, Shiites, Sunnis and Christians are all Iraqis who all have to stand united against the American plot." Link

Margaret Thatcher - ID cards "Germanic"

BBC Radio 4 News reported this morning that ex British PM Margaret Thatcher has come out firmly against ID cards in the UK. Somewhat undiplomaticaly she said ID cards were "Germanic in concept" and "alien to this country". More to follow on this.

QC to quit over imprisonment without trial in UK

The Independent reports that Ian Macdonald, a Special Advocate before the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) will resign tomorrow over the UK detention of 'terror suspects' without trial.

He says that the government's anti terror legislation is "contrary to our deepest notions of justice".

This comes hot on the heels of the House of Lords ruling last week that the detention of the 'suspects' was illegal (see 'Law Lords - Go old timers Go' below).

Abu Ghraib abuse, murder, hell

Former Army Reserve Specialist Aidan Delgado spoke to Democracy Now!. He served in Iraq from April 2003 to April 2004 where he was deployed in Nasiriyah and Abu Ghraib

AIDAN DELGADO: Prisoners........were throwing tent stakes and pieces of stone and debris. And they had struck one of the soldiers with a rock. He wasn't seriously injured, but he was annoyed. And so in response, they had asked for the permission to use lethal force............... So, they opened fire with a heavy machine gun and they killed five prisoners-- several of whom took several days to die. This is something that I learned about from the horse's mouth when they came back and told me, "Oh, here is a photo of the guys we killed. I killed three, I killed two. My guy took three days to die, I shot him in the groin with a machine gun" Transcript here Video here

Abu Ghraib Death

Screenshot - Democracy Now!

Abu Ghraib cleanup

Screenshot - Democracy Now!

Mother of Marine - kill them all, leave no witnesses

"Why isn't someone sticking his or her neck out to help that Marine? The majority of this country knows that if they were in his situation, they would have done the same thing or maybe even one step further, left no witnesses." Link

This confused woman seems to be saying kill the wounded, kill the witnesses, and spend the money that wont be spent on bringing war criminals to trial on vehicle armor. This is testament to the absolute corrupting influence of war as discussed by Chris Hedges.

You can be 99.999% sure that this lady is an American style Christian who loves and admires Jesus; she probably speaks with Him regularly.

Law Lords - Go old timers Go!

"Detaining foreign terrorist suspects without trial breaks human rights laws, the UK's highest court has ruled.

In a blow to the government's anti-terror measures, the House of Lords ruled by an eight to one majority in favour of appeals by nine detainees.

The Law Lords said the measures were incompatible with European human rights laws, but Home Secretary Charles Clarke said the men would remain in prison.

He said the measures would "remain in force" until the law was reviewed." Link

Lord Hoffmann said: "The real threat to the life of the nation, in the sense of a people living in accordance with its traditional laws and political values, comes not from terrorism but from laws such as these."

Charles Clarke takes over from Blunkett

Said to be 'more liberal' in approach, more inclusive in decision
making, but too gutless, apparently, to question the Blunkett
line on ID cards.

David Blunkett resigns

David Blunkett, the British Home Secretary, in an interview with BBC Radio 4 blamed the computer system for fast tracking the visa application of his lover's nanny, in error. He maintains his innocence of all the charges made against him.

The Guardian has the full text of Mr Blunkett's resignation statement here

Islamic Jihad Army Video and Transcript

This video has been produced by the Islamic Jihad Army, in English. A link to a hosting site - Information Clearing House - is posted here in the interest of broadening the range of information available to those who are interested. Go directly to the video here.

note that deficient brain does not condone violence from any party

The risks of the al-Zarqawi myth

Scott Ritter was a senior UN arms inspector in Iraq between 1991 and 1998. In this article he examines the 'myth' of al-Zarqawi, and suggests that once more President Bush has been fooled into making yet another strategic blunder. Link

"War is not a noble enterprise"

Chris Hedges, New York Times war correspondent says "War always creates trauma. But in counter-insurgency wars, you are constantly on edge. Going down to a corner store to buy a Coca-Cola creates tremendous amounts of anxiety because somebody could come up behind you and put a gun to the back of your head and kill you.

That's what we are seeing in Iraq. The psychological cost - the emotional cost - that we're inflicting on our soldiers and Marines is devastating." Link

A 'must read'

Kerik pulls out

For him to lose this role over something as trivial as the immigration status of his
housekeeper-nanny must be frustrating, certainly for the board of Taser International. Clearly there is no suggestion that this had anything at all to do with his decision.

Halliburton Iraq contract eclipses $10B

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Halliburton, the Texas company once run by Vice President Dick Cheney, has been given more than $10 billion worth of business in Iraq so far despite critical audits and investigations into its work. Link

Fallujah Photographs - too harrowing to show here

Dahr Jamail's Iraq Dispatches: Two weeks ago someone was allowed into Fallujah by the military to help bury bodies. They were allowed to take photographs of 75 bodies, in order to show pictures to relatives so that they might be identified before they were buried.

These pictures are from a book of photos. They are being circulated publicly around small villages near Fallujah where many refugees are staying.

The man who took them was only allowed to take photos and bury bodies in one small area of Fallujah. He was not allowed to visit anywhere else. Keep in mind there are at least 1,925 other bodies that were not allowed to be seen.

Information with some of the photos is from those identified by family members already.

One of the family members who was looking for dead relatives, shared these photos which were taken from that book.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, he told of what he saw in his village during the last few weeks.

"The Americans shot every boat on the river because people were trying to escape Fallujah by the river. They shot all the sheep, any animal people owned was shot. Helicopters shot all the animals and anything that moved in all the villages surrounding Fallujah during the fighting."

He said that none of the roads into Fallujah, or around Fallujah were passable because anyone on them was shot. "I know one family that were all killed. There are no signs on these roads that tell people not to use them-so people don't know they aren't supposed to use them. No signs in English or Arabic!

Warning: Not easy viewing.

(c)2004 Dahr Jamail.
All images and text are protected by United States and international copyright law. If you would like to reprint Dahr's Dispatches on the web, you need to include this copyright notice and a prominent link to the DahrJamailIraq.com website. Any other use of images and text including, but not limited to, reproduction, use on another website, copying and printing requires the permission of Dahr Jamail. Of course, feel free to forward Dahr's dispatches via email.

Firefox on the March, well, getting there

.
deficient brain supports Firefox, for
it is good

How many Iraqis Killed?

Yesterday Tony Blair rejected a call from more than 40 diplomats, peers, scientists and religious leaders who pressed for an independent inquiry for a civilian death toll.

"Figures from the Iraqi ministry of health, which are a survey from the hospitals there, are in our view the most accurate survey there is," Blair told parliament. As reported here

And it's not really our problem see, it's a problem for the interim authority see.

Fallujah Nov 29 2004

This photograph released by the US Army shows a deserted and devastated street in Fallujah, Iraq, on Nov. 29 2004. "The US military engineers are drafting plans to begin making repairs to the city's infrastructure as soon is Fallujah was secure." (AP Photo/U.S. Army, Pat Jones)

Prisoner Horror

When seen together, these photographs clearly illustrate a murderous level of brutality taking place. The appearance of blood behind the head of the prisoner has a limited number of possible causes.

The prisoner's face was obscured by the AP source

Navy probes new Iraq Prisoner photos

Photos that appear to show commandos in Iraq sitting on hooded and handcuffed detainees are seen on a commercial photo-sharing Web site operated by a woman who said her husband brought the photos from Iraq after his tour of duty. The Navy SEALs have launched a criminal investigation into the photographs. Date stamps on some photos suggest they were made in May 2003, which could make them the earliest evidence of possible abuse of prisoners in Iraq. (AP Photo)

Mosul fighters Friday Dec 3rd

Insurgents carry weapons in Mosul, Iraq, Friday Dec. 3, 2004. American and Iraqi forces clashed with insurgents in several areas of Mosul on Friday, killing at least 11 attackers in a key northern city that has seen a surge in violence recently, officials said. (AP Photo)

Navy Seals, wounded prisoner

A photo found posted on a commercial photo-sharing Web site operated by a woman who said her husband brought the photos from Iraq after his tour of duty appears to show a prisoner being held at gunpoint. The prisoner's face was obscured by the source. The Navy SEALs have launched a criminal investigation into photographs that appear to show commandos in Iraq sitting on hooded and handcuffed detainees, and photos of what appear to be bloodied prisoners, one with a gun to his head. (AP Photo)

BILL O'REILLY:: Protect those Seals

Bill Oreilly: I don't think this guy should be hung, I'm sorry, I, you know, I'm following this, and our audience is extremely concerned about those MarinesNavy Seals.

Insurgent fighters in Mosul Friday Dec 3 s004

Insurgents aim rocket propelled grenades in Mosul, Iraq, Friday Dec. 3, 2004. American and Iraqi forces clashed with insurgents in several areas of Mosul on Friday, killing at least 11 attackers in a key northern city that has seen a surge in violence recently, officials said. (AP Photo/Str)

Al-Jazeera - "agents of Zionist agents"

The first in a series of links demonstrating, in defiance of the Rumsfeld and O'Reilly world view, that Sadam, Zarqawi, bin Laden, Iran, Bathists, Al Jazeera, Al-Qaeda, Insurgents, Terrorists, and Michael Moore are not the same thing.

Fox News - Rumsfeld and O'Reilly - Oh really!

BILL O'REILLY: I think the American people are very worried about Iraq Iran. They're harboring Al Qaeda, as you've pointed out. They're developing nuclear as you pointed out. Now we find out they got long-range missiles, I mean, the Israelis can't like that.

DONALD RUMSFELD: That's true.

BILL O'REILLY: So, what are the odds of us having to confront these people militarily?

DONALD RUMSFELD: Well, [SIGHS] I guess that's, those are calls for the President to, or for the, or for other leaders of other countries to make.

BILL O'REILLY: Right. Good. What about this poor Marine in Fallujah? I mean, I, I don't think this guy should be hung, I'm sorry, I, you know, I'm following this, and our audience is extremely concerned about this Marine.

Thanks Bill for speaking up for your viewers. Switching off and learning to read would be a better option for them

Link to hilarious transcript here

"Woman's body"
How many Iraqis have been killed in Falluja?

Duchamp's urinal tops art survey`

Marcel Duchamp's 'Fountain'has topped a poll of 500 art experts, putting it ahead of works by Matisse, Picasso, Warhol etc.

Duchamp has influenced many contemporary artists, including Tracey Emin. Without him, there may never have been the significant "My Bed". Just think.

Firefox - ABC News Report

Its the nerds vs the jocks - boingboing has the video here

Blunkett is in deep yoghurt

According to the Daily Telegraph "Home Office letters painted a picture of a visa application that could have taken months suddenly being fully granted in weeks. One letter to the nanny, Leoncia Casalme, dated April 23, 2003, said her application had been accepted as valid but that it could take up to a year.

Only 19 days later, the nanny - who was working for Mr Blunkett's then lover Kimberly Quinn - was told that her request to stay permanently had been approved.

The letters, published in today's Daily Mail, will heighten speculation about whether Mr Blunkett had a role in granting the visa."

The likelihood is that there will be no "smoking gun" memo. Clearly Mr Blunkett is wise enough to have known that such a document would be political suicide. What is much more likely is that Mr Blunkett made no secret of the fact that an early resolution of the issue would give him some "satisfaction", and no doubt there are legions of civil servants within his office that would bend over backwards, forwards or any which way to give him this small pleasure.

That is of course the way of the world. But Mr Blunkett, since the early days, has adopted a rigid and hard-line approach to immigration and Asylum seekers. Hence, any evidence at all that he allowed his personal infatuations to influence his judgement
in this case will appear as the worst sort of hypocrisy. And he will be hounded out of office. Rightly? Probably.