22. desember 2005

Journalist in Iraq: 'Everything I thought I knew was wrong' An interesting dispatch from journalist Margaret Friedenauer, embedded with the 172nd Stryker Brigade in Iraq: Think about everything you’ve heard about the conditions in Iraq, the role of U.S. forces, the multi-layered complexities of the war. Then think again. I’m a journalist. I read the news everyday, from several sources. I have the luxury of reading stuff newspapers don’t always have room to print. I read every tidbit I could on Iraq and the war before coming. Everything I thought I knew was wrong. Read the rest. Via Bill Roggio, who also has first-hand information on the improving preparedness of the Iraqi security forces. 6:53:13 PM    comment []  trackback []

Kofi Annan attacks journalist Mark in Mexico has the story on Kofi Annan's pretty unexpected display of anger at London Times journalist James Bone, who had been so rude as to ask the secretary general about his son Kojo illegally importing a Mercedes Benz into Ghana. I think you're being very cheeky. Listen James Bone, you've been behaving like an overgrown schoolboy in this room for many, many months and years. You are an embarrassment to your colleagues and to your profession. Please stop misbehaving and please let's move on to a serious subject. Unsurprisingly, the mainstream press tries to tone down the embarrassing overreaction. 6:44:51 PM    comment []  trackback []

Use Google to access blocked web sites If you are behind a firewall that blocks webpages, you can use the Google translation service as a proxy to access it. You just need to type the following URL: www.google.com/translate?langpair=en|en&u=www.forbiddensite.com (www.forbiddensite.com stands for the URL you need to go to...) What you'll get is the translation (english to english!) of the page you want to see... your connection is directed to a google.com page so this page won't be blocked (would be blocked only with google.com on the black list), no matter what's the content. Link via a message board. 7:50:26 AM    comment []  trackback []

Survey: Majority of Palestinians support al-Qaeda terrorism in Europe, US FAFO, a Norwegian research institute founded by the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions, has conducted a survey in the Palestinian territories, showing widespread support for al-Qaeda. Sixty-five percent of the polled supported al-Qaeda attacks in Europe and the USA, and 38 percent even said they were "strong supporters" of such attacks. In the Gaza strip, the support is even higher: 79 percent support such attacks. A similar number, 69 percent, says restarting terrorist attacks against Israel would be legitimate in the current political situation, even though fully 83 percent says it would be in the Palestinians' interest to have calm now. Fifty percent says terrorist attacks against civilian Israelis is necessary to force Israel to make political concessions. Especially those who support Hamas supports suicide attacks (74 percent). The survey found that Fatah was clearly ahead of Hamas before the Palestinian parliamentary elections; 38 percent will support Fatah but only 20 percent Hamas. Palestinians are still optimistic about the future. In Gaza, 86 percent feel safer than before, and 74 percent of all Palestinians think the situation will improve after the elections. The FAFO survey polled a representative sample of 1848 adults. From a Norwegian article in Aftenposten. 7:29:32 AM    comment []  trackback []

© Copyright 2005 Jan Haugland. Last update: 31.12.2005; 03:33:41.