Gulf War Council Divided On Iraq This Time

“Vice President Dick Cheney’s sharp rebuke this week of critics of the Bush administration’s approach to Iraq is striking for two reasons: He wrote that passage into a speech himself, and the words were aimed at rebutting some of his closest colleagues from the first Bush administration,” the Wall Street Journal reports. The AP says the State Department tried to cool down the rhetoric Tuesday, all but confirming that Secretary of State Colin Powell is… [Taegan Goddard's Political Wire]

So, the War on the Right about a War in Iraq extends deep inside the Adminstration itself.  Despite their macho rhetoric, the hawks are really quite bumbling.  How many times have they changes their story on this now?  Does anyone, including them, know what they’re doing?  Do they have any plan at all?  Saddam must be chuckling…

No Comments »

Slashdot | Network Associates Buys “Better Carnivore”.

ShaunC writes “CNet is reporting that Network Associates has just purchased a software company called Traxess, whose main product - DragNet - supposedly makes Carnivore look like a toy. DragNet is capable of monitoring everything from email to web, FTP sessions to IMs, even print jobs and VOIP conversations; sorting the protocols and logging it all to disk at gigabit speeds. One NAI exec envisions “the government using it to investigate employees and hackers.” NAI has also issued a press release about DragNet.”  [Privacy Digest]

And you thought you had privacy…

No Comments »

US court rules against secret deportation hearings.

Federal appeals court says Bush administration’s attempts to hold secret deportation hearings of suspected terrorists undermines democracy.

No Comments »

A swell recipe for peace in the Middle East

Palestinian Economy is ‘Almost Completely Destroyed’

RAMALLAH: An official report, issued recently by the Abu Dhabi-base Monetary Fund (AMF), revealed that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian cities and towns have smashed the Palestinian economic backbone by destroying industrial and agricultural facilities.

It added that the Israeli occupation has damaged and crippled government institutions and depriving hundreds of thousands of Palestinians of their jobs.

No Comments »

Curiouser and curiouser

President Bush’s lawyers are trying to keep secret the inside stories of President Bill Clinton’s last-day pardons by invoking a claim of executive privilege that extends far beyond the White House.

In pleadings filed in U.S. District Court here this month, including affidavits from White House counsel Alberto R. Gonzales and Deputy Attorney General Larry D. Thompson, the Bush administration contends that the privilege covers not only advice given to a president about individual pardons, but also government papers he has never seen and officials he has never talked to, such as the sentencing judge in a particular case.

Now why would Dubya be covering for Bill Clinton unless, of course, he plans on issuing lots of pardons himself and wants it all secret?

No Comments »

Police in Delaware possess psychic powers!

It’s true!  Police in Delaware apparently have psychic powers and can tell when someone will commit a crime in the future, even if they have no record now!  Amazing!  So, of course, they need to document all future criminals now.

Controversial Police Database Lists ‘Future Criminals’. Names, Addresses Of Potential Suspects Listed

WILMINGTON, Del. — Defense lawyers and the ACLU are up in arms over a police file of potential criminals in Delaware.  The database contains a list of people who police believe are likely to break the law. It features names, addresses and photographs of potential suspects — many of whom have clean slates.

And hold on for this stunning fact…

Since the system was introduced in Wilmington in June, most of the 200 people included in the file have been minorities from poor, high-crime neighborhoods. 

No Comments »