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15. september 2004
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Die Welt: Syria used chemical weapons in Darfur
If this story is true, it is massive, and horrifying news.
Syria tested chemical weapons on civilians in Sudan's troubled western Darfur region in June and killed dozens of people. [...]
Die Welt said the sources had indicated that the weapons tests were undertaken following a military exercise between Syria and Sudan.
Syrian officers were reported to have met in May with Sudanese military leaders in a Khartoum suburb to discuss the possibility of improving cooperation between their armies.
According to Die Welt, the Syrians had suggested close cooperation on developing chemical weapons, and it was proposed that the arms be tested on the rebel SPLA, the Sudan People's Liberation Army, in the south.
But given that the rebels were involved in peace talks, the newspaper continued, the Sudanese government proposed testing the arms on people in Darfur.
Details of what were in the weapons were not disclosed.
Considering it came from Die Welt, which is a bit dodgy, through AFP which I don't exactly trust that much, and has failed to make a massive media splash so far, I don't take this at face value. The Syrians and Sudanese would be insane to use chemical weapons in that conflict. All opposition to harsh sanctions and even invasion would evaporate immediately faster than you could say "regime change.".
11:46:41 PM 
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CBS late
Well, it's past my bedtime, and I'll find out tomorrow what CBS News announced about rathergate. Unless it's postponed until after Armageddon (sorry, bad flashback).
11:41:22 PM
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Hu: Democracy is not for China
China's President and supreme leader Hu Jintao has made a speech rejecting democratic reforms for China.
"We will never blindly copy the mode of other countries' political system," Mr Hu said. "History indicates that indiscriminately copying Western political systems is a blind alley for China."
Like communism, for example?
5:00:52 PM
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CBS announcement
Via Glenn: CBS will release a statement around noon today.
Are they looking for the white flag?
It could go either way, of course, but I predict a surrender on the memos followed up by statements that the allegations themselves are correct. Why make a specific announcement just to repeat that they stand by their story?
I think this article is a good example of CBS News' backtracking on this issue. At any rate, the original charges are now blown. The accusations didn't mean much to begin with, except for leftist partisans, and now the forgery has overshadowed anything else. The media has become the message.
Update: Announcement was first postponed to 3:30PM EST, and now to 5PM according to the frontpage of Drudge.
If they postpone it, doesn't that indicate there is an internal turf war about what exactly to announce?
It would be sad in a way if CBS News choses to back down and apologise, because then Michele will have to rush out and buy an edible pyjamas.
PS: Or maybe they keep postponing it because the 1972 courier TrueType font doesn't install properly on their PCs?
3:56:44 PM
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Red Brigades "dismantled"
Cinzia Banelli has betrayed her former comrades in Italy's Red Brigades, and finally it looks like this 70s and 80s terrorist organisation will be buried.
Though the rather clumsy terrorism of the Red Brigades can hardly be compared to the modern Islamic terrorists in scope or ruthlessness, the timespan involved could be a good pointer to what it would take to win the war on terror.
However, the ferocity involved in killing unarmed intellectuals for their ideas has alienated all but the tiniest minority of Italian public opinion - a lesson, perhaps, for other far more ruthless terrorists who set no limits on their capacity for cruelty and destruction.
Terrorists need a safe harbour, financial and logistical support and an army of supporters to exist. The ruthlessness of the terrorists may end up, in the end, to be its undoing. But we can't wait in bomb shelters waiting for that to happen.
2:43:48 PM
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© Copyright 2004 Jan Haugland.
Last update: 01.10.2004; 07:25:28.
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