17. mars 2004

Observations When Zapatero is so far to the left that a BBC analysis dismisses his opinion out of hand, his membership in the loonie left coalition is assured. As the Washington Post reports, whatever the pre-war arguments, "al-Qaeda's tactics now have made explicit the connection between the continuing fight in Iraq and the overall war on terrorism". Even Mr Zapatero seemed to acknowledge this reality in his interview with Spanish radio station Cadena Ser on Monday. In a scathing criticism of American and British policy in Iraq, he said: "It hasn't generated anything but more violence". As I have read earlier, the only objective Spain can accomplish by withdrawing from Iraq now is to please al-Qaeda, put Iraqi civilians at risk, and poke his nose at Blair and Bush. Obviously it is the last option that is important to him, and sadly, it appears, a majority of the Spanish voters. PS: Kofi Annan does not agree that this withdrawal is what Iraq needs now: I think we are all faced with a very difficult situation in Iraq, that we are doing our best to stabilize and to work with the people of Iraq to bring stability and to ensure that in time there will be a democratically elected government. But we do have major hurdles ahead of us. Security is still a problem. And I think it is going to require concerted international efforts; countries coming together and pooling their efforts to make this possible in Iraq. I think we need to work together for the sake of stability, for the sake of peace, and for the Iraqi people. So why should Spain withdraw its forces now? To settle scores with the United States and Britain, even at the cost of increasing the risk of further al-Qaeda attacks in Europe and elsewhere. PS 2: Possibly, this is a game of international poker with high stakes, where Zapatero is really playing for major concessions from the US and the UK. What does he want? Gibraltar from the UK and total UN control in Iraq, maybe. And there is probably some trade concessions to make here and there. 2:03:31 PM    comment []  trackback []

Whose blood for Iraqi oil? Kenneth R. Timmerman reveals that at least one of the sides in the Iraq war debate were willing to spill blood for oil. That is, the blood of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis. In documents I obtained during an investigation of the French relationship to Saddam Hussein, the French interest in maintaining Saddam Hussein in power was spelled out in excruciating detail. The price tag: close to $100 billion. That was what French oil companies stood to profit in the first seven years of their exclusive oil arrangements - had Saddam remained in power. [...] Almost as soon as the guns went silent after the first Gulf war in 1991, French oil giants Total SA and Elf Aquitaine - who have now merged and expanded to become TotalFinaElf - sought a competitive advantage over their rivals in Iraq by negotiating exclusive production-sharing contracts with Saddam's regime that were intended to give them a stranglehold on Iraq's future oil production for decades to come. I actually worked in Total many years ago, right out of school. I can believe anything about them. Via VodkaPundit. I made the same argument some time back. 1:51:36 PM    comment []  trackback []

You mean that isn't what an interior secretary does? "You've done a nice job decorating the White House." (Jessica Simpson, when introduced to Interior Secretary Gale Norton at the White House) She apparently doesn't just play one. PS:  President Bush made his own mini-gaffe, apparently the same day, when he introduced Jessica Simpson at Ford theatre, calling it Lincoln theatre. Ouch! President Lincoln was famously shot there. Tom Daschle responded in an unusually generous mood: "An easy mistake to make." 8:53:38 AM    comment []  trackback []

This is almost not funny Spain's Prime Minister-elect José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero has come up with a new scheme to protect his country against terrorism: Spain's newly-elected socialist prime minister today declared the start of a "new era of protection from terror" as he cut the ribbon at the grand opening of the al Qaeda embassy in downtown Madrid. From Scrappleface, of course! 2:02:23 AM    comment []  trackback []

The revolution will be blogged Glenn Reynolds has picked up quite a few links about serious civil unrest in Iran, as people are starting to stand up to the Mullah thugs in charge. It would just be wonderful if the people of Iran throw out the thugs. Check out Free Iran News for the latest reports, like one about street fighting in Tehran. Absolutely not a word in mainstream media. I wished that surprised me. 1:05:25 AM    comment []  trackback []

New York clergymen charged for gay weddings Two clergymen in New York state have been charged with conducting 13 homosexual marriage ceremonies. District Attorney Donald Williams filed one misdemeanor count each against the Rev. Kay Greenleaf of Poughkeepsie and Rev. Dawn Sangrey of Bedford Hills, Westchester County. They are Unitarian Universalist clerics. Apparently, all real crime has ceased to exist in the area, allowing the state to run after clergymen and officials who conduct marriage cereminies for gays.  Earlier, Mayor of New Paltz Jason West has been charged with similar infractions. 12:40:14 AM    comment []  trackback []

© Copyright 2004 Jan Haugland. Last update: 01.04.2004; 02:26:53.