Watergate hero shame over White House leak

Not only did Mr Woodward not go public with the fact that he had been given Ms Plame’s name for almost 30 months; he did not even inform his superiors at the Washington Post that he was a key player in a scandal that, in recent months, has systematically eaten away at the integrity and public popularity of the Bush presidency.

Worse still, transcripts of Mr Woodward’s recent television appearances show that he has wasted few opportunities to denigrate Mr Fitzgerald, calling him a "junkyard dog" chasing down trivia, and describing his decision to jail New York Times reporter Judith Miller for failing to co-operate with his investigation as "disgraceful".

Ms Miller has since been disgraced herself, for writing a slew of erroneous stories about Saddam’s non-existent weapons of mass destruction and for seeming being more interested in protecting the integrity of her sources within the Bush administration than in protecting the integrity of a deeply embarrassed New York Times.

Now it is Mr Woodward’s turn to come under suspicion that his powerful friends mean more to him than his professional obligation to his readers. At no time in any of his public rants against Mr Fitzgerald did he indicate he might have a personal stake in the story.

Tag: Bob Woodward

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Joseph Wilson, the husband of outed CIA operative Valerie Plame, called on Thursday for an inquiry by The Washington Post into the conduct of journalist Bob Woodward, who repeatedly criticized the leak investigation without disclosing his own involvement.

"It certainly gives the appearance of a conflict of interest. He was taking an advocacy position when he was a party to it," Wilson said.

Woodward only came public after Libby’s indictment, and when it would help Libby.

Before publicly disclosing his involvement in the leak case on Wednesday, Woodward was a frequent critic of Fitzgerald’s investigation in television and radio appearances. Woodward has described the case as laughable and Fitzgerald’s behavior as "disgraceful" and has referred to him as "a junkyard dog."

One day before Libby was charged, Woodward said he saw no evidence of criminal intent. 

Woodward appears to be running interference for the same kind of White House machinations that he became famous for uncovering during Watergate. His fall from grace may  be as jarring and as final as Judith Miller’s.

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They support Israeli military who are refusing to serve in the occupied territories.

The  Refuser Solidarity Network is an international network of individuals and organizations who seek a lasting and secure peace for both Israelis and Palestinians. We condemn and call for an end to all violence against innocents. We support the courageous Israelis who refuse military service in the Occupied Territories, and join with them in their call to end Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, as a crucial step toward peace.

1662 have refused so far.

Idan Halili is one of the first women to do so.

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Steve Earle is a hugely talented song writer and musician. He’s hardcore left-wing, describes himself as communist, lives in the South, and plays country and bluegrass. Got that?

From his latest, the Grammy Award winning, "The Revolution Starts Now"

"F the CC" is a scorching attack on censorship. The music is as ferocious as the lyrics. Rebel music doesn’t get much better than this.

I used to listen to the radio
And I don’t guess they’re listenin’ to me no more
They talk too much but that’s okay
I don’t understand a single word they say
Piss and moan about the immigrants
But don’t say nothin’ about the president
A democracy don’t work that way
I can say anything I wanna say

So fuck the FCC
Fuck the FBI
Fuck the CIA
Livin’ in the motherfuckin’ USA

People tell me that I’m paranoid
And I admit I’m gettin’ pretty nervous, boy
It just gets tougher everyday
To sit around and watch it while it slips away
Been called a traitor and a patriot
Call me anything you want to but
Just don’t forget your history
Dirty Lenny died so we could all be free

Condi, Condi is a hoot, done to a deliberately dorky reggae beat too.
Oh she loves me oops she loves me not
People say you’re cold but I think you’re hot

Rich Man’s War
Rollin’ into Baghdad wonderin’ how he got this far
Just another poor boy off to fight a rich man’s war 

Tag: Steve Earle

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From probably the most respected news organization on the planet, the BBC.

The Pentagon’s admission - despite earlier denials - that US troops used white phosphorus as a weapon in Falluja last year is more than a public relations issue - it has opened up a debate about the use of this weapon in modern warfare.

The admission contradicted a statement this week from the new and clearly under-briefed US ambassador in London Robert Holmes Tuttle that US forces "do not use napalm or white phosphorus as weapons".

This line however crumbled when bloggers (whose influence must not be under-estimated these days) ferreted out an article published by the US Army’s Field Artillery Magazine in its issue of March/April this year.

The article, written by a captain, a first lieutenant and a sergeant, was a review of the attack on Falluja in November 2004 and in particular of the use of indirect fire, mainly mortars.

It makes quite clear that WP was used as a weapon not just as illumination or camouflage.

The article continues, explaining the various treaties involved and the fierce debate as to whether or not the US committed war crimes by using WP. 

Propaganda nightmare of chemical hypocrisy

How damaged is the US by the row over its use of white phosphorus in Fallujah last year? On the facts available now, it is within the letter of the law, even though it has not signed the most relevant protocol on the use of the weapon.

Even if the US is right on the legality, there is no question that it has inflicted a serious propaganda blow on itself. In using a weapon notorious in Vietnam, with effects on the human body straight from a science fiction film, it has given a gift to its enemies. It is now loudly accused of hypocrisy: justifying the war partly by Saddam Hussein’s use of chemical weapons, but then using particularly nasty ones itself. 

Of course, the US military made the same mistakes in Vietnam. And they lost that war too. Just like they will lose this one.

Tag: White phosphorus

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Why? Is it because the invasion was based on lies and fabrications? Well, no. Because thousands of innocents died in an insane US quest for geo-politicial dominance and oil? Don’t be silly.

Bill says it’s a mistake because the US didn’t do the invasion forcefully and expertly enough! Yeah, he’s just like Kerry. The invasion as an idea was just fine with him, go ahead, invade whatever, but the execution of this war was just all wrong, darn it.

"The mistake that they made is that when they kicked out Saddam, they decided to dismantle the whole authority structure of Iraq. … We never sent enough troops and didn’t have enough troops to control or seal the borders," Clinton said.

Hey Democrats, the differences between your leaders and the Republicans (except on a few social issues) are paper thin.

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The U.S. locks up more juveniles for life without parole than all nations combined.

Make that, racist prison nation

Black teens are ten times more likely to receive a no-parole life sentence than white youths.

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