BBC: Iraq war sparks wireless row

" A band of US politicians are angered over plans to build a communication system in post-war Iraq based upon European wireless standards."

They're not happy that France and Germany will benefit. Still, isn't this a bit early?

Wired 3.01: The Wired Scared Shitlist

TIMES SQUARE A-BOMBED

President Dole Appeals for Calm, Declares National Emergency, 5 million dead, 10 million injured. Damage is estimated at $3 trillion. 'Our worst nightmare has been realized.'

Washington -- The President declared a national emergency Tuesday morning after a 10-kiloton nuclear bomb exploded in the heart of Manhattan, transforming Times Square into a yawning crater approximately 500 feet in diameter and 100 feet deep...

I remember reading this edition of Wired. This was from the magazine in Jan 1995, it was a suitcase bomb. There was a B+W photo with it, full page. An aerial view of the city with a huge hole. I stared at it for ages. Has anybody got a copy of it?

This picture is of Baghdad March 27 2003. It was us or them, it always has been. This was to be a generational war, bin Laden was just one of many who've come out of the woodwork. There are many more names, now they're stiring up resentment as agent provocateurs in 'the arab street' fired by the Muslim mullers. Much better to get this sorted out rather than in 10 years when they have the ability to knock out New York, or release disease in Birmingham, UK.

Bin Laden screwed up. If he'd have kept quiet for several more years, he could have done this. And more.

DEBKAfile, Political Analysis, Espionage, Terrorism Security

I've followed DEBKAfile for over a year. A lot of the background is very detailed, some of the predictions are a little off, but on the whole I trust them, at least with the stuff I blog.

Israel elevates first-aid Magen David alert for possible chemical attack.
They're getting jumpy, and have been for some time, but this is an increase on that.
US defense secretary warns Syrian action in sending military equipment to Iraq is seen as hostile act and Syria may be viewed as combatant. Rumsfeld also warns Iran against interfering in war in Iraq.
Syria, one of the 'Axis of Evil,' though he's the most Westernised, Assad's rule is closer to the religious fanatices than you'd imagine. With a chemical and bio plan of their own. It's thought that Hezbollah has chemical shells but Israeli's nukes, and the will to use them, scare the shit out them. But if they can get one in, they surely would.
DEBKAfile reports from US intelligence sources that Iraq has moved chemical and biological weapons to within missile-striking distance of Israel in western Iraq despite US-UK presence in region. Some of the WMD was taken out of hiding-places in Syria.
It's been thought for sometime, that those transportable chemical factories and weapons, have been taken over borders, both Syria and Iran when the weapons inspectors were about to come in. Of course, Syria and Iran's Government, would have denied it.
Thursday several hundred Lebanese Hizballah headed across Syrian-Iraqi border to join Syrian-sponsored Palestinian volunteer movement for Saddam's army.
This ties in with the story they reported and I blogged a few days ago about the Syrian bus bombed by US F-15.
DEBKAfile military sources: US forces approaching Baghdad face WMD threat once across Tigris River -- Saddam's signal to loose chemical, biological and possibly nuclear weapons.
I have no idea why DEBKAfile keeps going on about Iraqi nukes. Maybe they mean dirty bombs?

Ha'aretz: Dozens of volunteers crossing Syrian border into

"Syria is granting free passage across its border with Iraq to volunteers who wish to join the fight against the U.S. and British forces, primarily Palestinians from the refugee camps in Lebanon.

This has given rise to the theory that the U.S.-fired missile that struck a Syrian bus traveling in Iraq was an intentional attack on a busload of such volunteers. The bus left Damascus on Sunday and was hit by the missile some 50 kilometers inside Iraqi territory"

This rumour about the bus is spreading. It started off in The DebkaFile's report of the 25th. It may not be a rumour of course.

I get the feeling that Syria will be next of the US's list.

smh.com.au: Saddam's 'Dr Germ' seen at meeting, says US

"Ammash and al-Hindawi are among Iraq's top weapons scientists. Others include Amir al-Saadi, a chief chemical weapons researcher, and Dr Rihab Taha, a woman who was dubbed "Dr Germ" by inspectors.

The officials did not know whether to place any significance on Ammash's appearance in the video. Qusay Hussein, Saddam's younger son and probable successor, also appeared on the recording."

Saddam appears to be in a deep bunker, but this morning the US dropped bunker busting bombs on Baghdad.

The Scotsman: Mr Esser, 45, of Munich, whose grandmother built the bunker which protected Hitler from attacks added: "If they want to get at Saddam, they would have to level the palace completely, and get rid of the debris. Then they would need to hit the site with their 80-kilo Tomahawks 16 times at the same spot to get through. ThatÕs 16 times."

The Iraqi leader is protected by 9ft-thick walls designed to withstand a Hiroshima type nuclear explosion. The command room contains secure communications equipment, allowing access to strategic military information. And an escape tunnel under the Tigris river is protected by three-ton doors.

smh.com.au: Evidence found of plan to use chemical weapons

"But Hans Blix, the chief UN weapons inspector, said in New York today that he doubts the Iraqi regime would use any banned weapons in the current fighting because to do so would cause Saddam great damage in the battle for world opinion. I didn't think they would do it because, first of all, the world would say that they were liars," Blix said. "The scepticism about the armed conflict would give way to one of greater understanding.""

Hoon's been saying that they've found documents, no other information. This is on top of the chemical weapons protection suits, found at a hospital and in an oil field, and Iraqi prisoners taking protection pills.

Reuters: Warblogs in the news

"War-themed blogs, appearing on sites such as www.blogsofwar.com and www.sgtstryker.com, have become a popular alternative news source since fighting broke out in Iraq a week ago, sometimes beating newspapers and television with war developments"

CNN: Marines discover Iraqi 9/11 mural

"U.S. Marines searching Iraqi military headquarters in this southern city that was the site of intensive fighting came across a mural depicting a plane crashing into a building complex resembling New York's twin towers. The plane's logo and coloring resembled that of Iraqi Airlines."

The Clash: Safe European Home

Another song that goes through my mind at the moment. Is it so safe? (The song's about the yardies in Jamaica giving Strummer and his public school chums a tough time.) And the martian reference, which I forgot, doesn't the IraqI war coverage look like the set of a B movie martian film?

IMRA: Friday Sermon on Palestinian Authority Television

""Oh, people of Palestine, Oh, people of Iraq. The Crusader, Zionist America has started an attack against our Iraq, the Iraq of Islam and Arabism, the Iraq of civilization and history. It opened a Crusader Zionist war against Iraq. If Iraq is defeated, if the nation [of Islam] is defeated in Iraq - this will be our last breath of life... "

It gets worse! This is the stuff that sends shivers down my spine. It's being taught in every school in every Arab country.

"America will be destroyed, Allah willing, and Palestine, Iraq, and the Middle East will become a cemetery for oppressors..."

Watch and read such gems of thought: The "Life Is Sweet" Show: With the Family of Said Al-Khotari, the Suicide Bomber Who Blew Himself Up Outside the Dolphinarium in Tel Aviv, and Other Guests. From April 24, 2002 (Aired from Jordan). Such TV shows remind me of cosy Sunday evenings when I was a teenager, watching Songs of Praise, wishing there was something else on. Now with 100 channels on my TV, I still don't see the world for what it is. Lucky, I have the internet? Or, better I didn't know?

It is these teachings that we must stop or else this war on terrorism will never stop.

For days I've been humming to myself this song Killing an Arab by the Cure from 1979. I have no idea of the motives of the writer at that time, I guess there's some dichotomy. But this religious shit is getting to me.

Quick post

Looks like I was wrong this morning, Al Jazeera is suffering a denial of service attack.

Good news for a change: Uprising reported in Basra and Support for war surges. Better we see the other side too: Europeans flock to al-Jazeera

Web Logs: Troops' War Stories In Real Time. Some blogs from soldiers at the front line.

Quick post

How allies are winning on ground, Iraqis on TV: Things don't seem to be going well again this morning. Over my morning coffee I watch the 24 hour news stations, read the usual pages on the net.

Right now, I'm watching a news conference from the Iraqi Information Ministry. Saddam always said that he wasn't worried about the empty areas, our pundits always feared a guerilla urban campaign, and this looks as it will happen. Tanks, bombs are all useless fighting around schools and hospitals. And the TV is talking about the red line Saddam has run around Baghdad, cross this and WMD will be used. Tommy Franks said the Iraqi high command was no longer 'robust,' well it doesn't look that way.

The US will probably hold out for a few weeks outside Baghdad while they await more supplies and reserves. The 4th Armoured Division passed through the Suez Canal Monday on its way to the Gulf. To shorten its journey, the divisionÕs troops will probably disembark at Saudi Red Sea ports and cut through east into Iraq. The 173th Airborne Brigade based in Italy, counterpart of the 82nd Airborne Division, has received orders to move out to northern Iraq.

The US are trying to get the journalists out of Baghdad already, they know that the West will not stomach the horrors of an urban campaign. And it looks as though that's the way Iraq is fighting in Basra and the other villages. No wonder there hasn't been the scenes from WWII liberated France that we were all hoping for. The Iraqis have not yet met the victors, they have the 30-40,000 Fedayeen who may kill their families spying on the ordinary Iraqi as well as terrorising the ordinary soldier. Just like the SS in WWII.

Now, at last al Jazeera has an English version of their website. Their traffic is going to rocket and I'm getting time out errors from the server.

Quick post

Hundreds of US Apache and Black Hawks went into battle Sunday night against T-72 tanks of Republican Guards of Medina Division 2nd Armored Brigade at al Kut south of Baghdad. Helicopters encountered heavy ground fire.

American troops were within 20 miles of more than 30,000 Republican Guards.

The attack could go on for days. And this is where, if he's to use them at all, he'll use his WMD. Then pull into Baghdad for street to street fighting.

CBS: Search For Chemical Weapons

"Army doctors who treated some Iraqi prisoners of war, believed to be some high-ranking Iraqi officials, found Cipro pills among the Iraqis"

Article also, details of how the US army is able to 'sniff' out poisons from 2-3 miles away. This is the real reason we're at war with Iraq.

Outside this munitions depot, Axelrod watched American Foxes, armored vehicles with the latest in chemical detection equipment, mechanically sniffing in the area around this munitions depot.

Standing at about two to three miles away, the Foxes could get initial readings from sensors that can read up to five kilometers, or a little more than three miles, away.

albawaba.com: Banks ordered to transfer $1.74 billion frozen Iraqi funds to US account

"Switzerland's leading financial institution UBS will comply with an American request to transfer million-dollar Iraqi funds, frozen under the UN sanctions imposed after the 1991 Gulf War, to a US treasury fund. The bank spokesperson who confirmed the decision refrained from specifying the exact sum involved. "

This is new to me, I wonder about the source though, let's see if anybody else picks up the story in the next few days.

newsobserver: Russian military firm denies technicians are aiding Iraq

""They came some 15 times, held negotiations, promised to transfer funds, but they left and we never saw them again. They didn't buy anything," said Antonov. I told the Americans and our presidential administration that probably Iraq made these jammers itself or with the help of Yugoslavia," Antonov said."

It seems that these devices are cheap, commercially available and relatively easy to build. They could be responsible for sending some of the missiles off course into Iran and even Turkey. Though the Washington Post is reporting that the US has "credible evidence" that Russian companies supplied these GPS blocking systems to Iraq before the start of the war.

Still in the psychological war: Globe and Mail: "a special U.S. military unit took over the radio frequency used by Iraqi state radio. The stronger U.S. signal, broadcast from a plane flying over Baghdad, overwhelmed the Iraqi transmission equipment, allowing Washington to broadcast warnings in Arabic that Iraqis who fight U.S. forces will be destroyed."

Where is Raed ?

"Yesterday many leaflets were dropped on Baghdad, while going around in the streets I got lucky, I have two.

And we have had another email attack... Three of them are to army personnel and two to the general public in those they gave us the radio frequencies we are supposed to listen to. They are calling it "information Radio"."

The blogger from Iraq is back. She talks about the bad reception the US is getting in some of the southern towns, and wonders that it'll be much worse in Baghdad.

Guardian: Canadians fear a US backlash after declining to join the coalition backing war in Iraq

"However, Canada's refusal to stand by the US has been noted, by politicians and ordinary citizens alike, and Canadians fear that they will pay an economic price for not going to war, either in trade disputes or tighter border controls."

There's a couple of ships hanging about the Gulf, a few Canadian officers, but publicly their not in the coalition, but still trying to hedge bets.

BBC: Saddam addresses nation - excerpts

"O brothers, you know that our country's policy is to avoid evil, but when evil comes to us using the logic of treachery and destruction, there must be a stand of faith and jihad that honours those who adopt it and pleases God Almighty."

Arabic, translated directly, always sounds baroque and over theatrical. But this stuff really makes him sound like a space alien. As though he was from a different planet from us. Further driving a gulf between 'us' and 'them.'

Washington Post: 'Webloggers,' Signing On as War Correspondents (washingtonpost.com)

"The result is idiosyncratic, passionate and often profane, with the sort of intimacy and attitude that are all but impossible in newspapers and on television.

Many of these so-called Weblogs eliminate the middleman -- the news outlets whose reach was once needed for a broad audience -- and allow participants to have their say, typos and all, without being run through the media's Cuisinart."

Blogging in the war news. If only there were more bloggers from Iraq, I just can't find enough. Each soldier should have been given a mobile phone/camera and a weblog that they could post to. Then the rawness of war would be open to all.

ABCNEWS.com: 'Liberated' Iraqis Question U.S. Motives

"In part, much of their discontent stems from the unknown. In speaking with them, the newly-liberated Iraqis ask the same questions that seem to nag many outside Iraq.

Why are you here in this country? Are you trying to take over? Are you going to take our country forever? Are the Israelis coming next? Are you here to steal our oil? When are you going to get out? "

I think they'll come over in time. They're suspicious, and with good reason, knowing their history.

Pilots captured in Baghdad

Rumsfield confirms that one plane is missing. Al-Jazeera is saying that two pilots have been captured.

I've been watching horrific film from BBC of hundreds of Iraqis on the banks of the River Tigris, searching through the reeds, firing into the reeds, setting fire to the reeds, little motor boats buzzing the banks, people line the bridges, the whole area is surrounded by sometimes dancing and chanting Iraqis.

At first the BBC were saying that it may just be a hoax, or false alarm. Somebody, somewhere saw a blue and green parachute, but no eye witness could be found. That the smallest rumour could bring out crowds like this. Now, it looks as though there was a downed craft and indeed pilots were captured.

(Update: this story looks like bollux right now. At least no pilots have been captured, though the Iraqis were certainly looking.) The Telegraph has more.

The Observer: Robin Cook, 'We are risking a gulf between the West and the Islamic world'

In his first interview since he resigned, he says the US is a "hyper-power." First time that I've heard this term. The rest of the interview is the usual stuff.

Telegraph: I was a naive fool to be a human shield for Saddam

He changed his mind after hearing of Saddam's horrors.

Washington Post: Al Qaeda Near Biological, Chemical Arms Production

"Most of the new information comes from handwritten documents and computer hard drives seized during the March 1 capture of Khalid Sheik Mohammed. Significantly, one official noted, Mohammed was arrested at a Rawalpindi, Pakistan, home owned by Abdul Quddoos Khan, a bacteriologist with access to production materials and facilities who has since disappeared."

He's been spilling the beans about this only in the past few days. Still a bit crude, and looks as though they didn't need Iraq, just bought anthrax stuff over the counter.

Sky News: US: Attack from within

"Sky correspondent Stuart Ramsay, "Talking to other soldiers, it could be that he was disgruntled. They said he had been acting 'weird' for days. They were concerned about his behaviour and were not going to send him up to the front when the soldiers were going to be deployed.""

Yahoo! News: U.S.: No Sign of Iraq Bio-Weapons Yet

Debkafile is reporting that WMD are around Baghdad and up near Syria, if not in Syria:

"The Iraqi ruler has massed around Baghdad--not only his crack fighting divisions and most loyal suicide units, but also his missiles and weapons of mass destruction, including possibly radiological devices. If he sees Baghdad's outer defenses crumbling, he is liable to deploy those weapons in a last stand. The Americans may well retaliate with nuclear devices of their own, tactical or bombs, a decision the US President will be called upon to make."

Guardian: Missing ITN crew may have come under 'friendly fire'

"US army General Guy Shields, director of the coalition press information centre in Kuwait, "We have had phone calls from journalists who have called the press desk while under fire screaming for help.""

FOXNews.com: As many as three U.S. missiles

" aimed at targets in Iraq may have landed in Iran, two officials at the Pentagon said Saturday."

Pravda.RU MURDERERS!!

"Speaking of 'targets', Rumsfeld, like his master George Bush, proves that he has the same lizard-like cold blood as he showed to the world that he too has no regard whatsoever for the value of human life."

Russia seems a bit against the war ";->"

WorldNetDaily: Iraqi terrorists head to U.S. via Mexico?

"According to Fox, the Iraqi suspects may have "toxic materials" requiring temperature controls. A Homeland Security official involved with border security said that toxic chemicals requiring temperature control could mean either biological or even radiological materials."

Gulf Daily News: New UN vote on Iraq is opposed by France

"French President Jacques Chirac said yesterday that France would not support a new United Nations resolution that would allow the US and Britain to administer postwar Iraq.

Speaking at a European Union summit, Chirac said he would "not accept" a resolution that "would legitimise the military intervention (and) would give the belligerents the powers to administer Iraq. That would justify the war after the event," Chirac said."

I thought France would want to get the UN to run Iraq, they may then have a chance to reclaim some oil contracts, loans etc..

Guardian: War-driven rally pushes up stocks for seventh day

""People are loving the pictures of the man with the white flag," said Freddie Tulloch of financial bookmaker IG Index. "The war has been hanging over this market for so long.""

For weeks before the war I have heard business friends wishing that the US would route around the UN, "just get on with it, nobody's doing anything till this war's over." Looks like they were right.

"At the special summit of European Union leaders in Brussels, originally called to discuss progress on economic reform, European commission President Romano Prodi warned that the war could undermine the confidence of households and investors, crucial to a revival in the euro zone's flagging economy."

A lot is riding on a fast clean war.

More: Dow posts largest weekly gain in 20 years: "Each wave of allied bombing in Iraq, shown constantly on television, seemed to stoke a fever of buying that pushed the stock market higher."

CNN censors reporter Kevin Sites' weblog from Iraq

"Kevin Sites has been ordered by CNN to cease weblogging until further notice, and has also added a disclaimer to his website.
"Note: Kevin Sites is a CNN correspondent, but this is a personal website not affiliated with, endorsed by, or funded by CNN. "

Reuters: France will help coalition if WMD are used

"The Foreign Ministry said in a short statement there was no change in France's anti-war stance, but added:

"In the event that American forces or those allied to them should face a new situation such as a chemical or biological attack, France would assess the measures of assistance to take in a spirit of friendship and solidarity.""

Tony Blair in Parliament

"What we have witnessed is, indeed, the consequence of Europe and the United States dividing from one another. ... There is a resentment of U.S. dominance," but the way to deal with terrorism is through partnership "not rivalry," Blair said. In the debate following Blair's speech, some Parliament members questioned the logic of what they felt was blindly following the U.S. in invading Iraq. "September 11 changed the psychology of America," Blair said. "It should have changed the psychology of the world."

We are forgetting what this is about. Smallpox falling into the hands of death and glory Muslim nutters. Don't think that when this comes, and there's still a chance that these WMD have already been passed to bin Laden's acolytes, that it was because of our attack on Iraq, it will be despite it.

Several years ago I saw a picture in Wired magazine, it was of a nuclear hole in New York. A photo composition. The article was about the strange things that could happen in the 21st century. I looked long and hard at this picture, the tiny comment below the picture talked of terrorism. Who could that be, I thought?

Who indeed.

It doesn't matter who. This stuff is coming. Be it an aerosol spray of VX agent on an underground train. One person contaminated with a dreadful disease. Terror is coming to a town near you. We as a world need to get this stuff out of circulation. Saddam's got loads. Get him and whoever's next on the list. Then we need to get the US's supply out of commission.

Even in the US there are nutters.

Full text of Blair's speech from the Guardian: "When the inspectors left in 1998, they left unaccounted for: 10,000 litres of anthrax; a far reaching VX nerve agent programme; up to 6,500 chemical munitions; at least 80 tonnes of mustard gas, possibly more than ten times that amount; unquantifiable amounts of sarin, botulinum toxin and a host of other biological poisons; an entire Scud missile programme."

"We are now seriously asked to accept that in the last few years, contrary to all history, contrary to all intelligence, he decided unilaterally to destroy the weapons. Such a claim is palpably absurd. "

And he goes on...

"Let me tell the house what I know. I know that there are some countries or groups within countries that are proliferating and trading in WMD, especially nuclear weapons technology."

"I know there are companies, individuals, some former scientists on nuclear weapons programmes, selling their equipment or expertise."

"I know there are several countries - mostly dictatorships with highly repressive regimes - desperately trying to acquire chemical weapons, biological weapons or, in particular, nuclear weapons capability. Some of these countries are now a short time away from having a serviceable nuclear weapon. This activity is not diminishing. It is increasing."

Good speech Tony.

I used to, still am, a Greenpeace activist, I went to Greenham Common (1985) with the rest of the 'No nukes in UK' brigade. I went on 'Stop the City' (1983) demos with the punks, anarchists and womens' movements, even a ClassWar 'Bash The Rich' (1985) march through the Rolls Royce houses of Kensington.

War -- I have a horror of, a hatred for, a desire to ensure that it would never happen. But I have known, right from October 2001 that Saddam would be the first, that he would never back down, that to rid the world of WMD so they could not fall into the hands of terrorist, war was coming.

globalsecurity.org: Target Iraq - Art of War

"Iraq - Art of War - psych-ops Leaflets"

Excellent graphic design, some of the ones I liked I've copied here, but there are loads of lovely designs. I particularly like the way they tell tanks to look the other way or else.

Via IraqWar.info which also linked to the UK's Daily Mirror which has a story that 30,000 or 15% of the Iraqi army has already surrendered, so I guess these leaflets work.

The Arrogant Empire

"Having traveled around the world and met with senior government officials in dozens of countries over the past year, I can report that with the exception of Britain and Israel, every country the administration has dealt with feels humiliated by it."

Excellent background to the current anti-Americanism. Particularly worrying is the background in Turkey. The US bullying of a democratic system, against the will of the people. The US wanted democracy, but it cannot control it like it can military regimes. As it spreads democracy around the world, this might be the beast that bites it in the bum.

Sacramento Bee: Hawks circling for new targets

" One of the champions of the activist-military doctrines is Thomas Barnett, a Naval War College professor who has briefed dozens of groups inside the Pentagon on his theory that the United States must "export security" to parts of the world that have failed to develop modern societies.

Barnett has identified a large swath of countries stretching from Central America across the Atlantic Ocean to Africa, the Middle East and parts of southern Asia, which he said have become disconnected from the developing world, and thus are ripe for sowing unrest.

"There is a good reason why al-Qaida was based first in Sudan and then later in Afghanistan," Barnett wrote in the March issue of Esquire. "These are two of the most disconnected countries in the world.""

Right that's Iraq sorted... Who's next! But this is right. And I wish the people who wanted fair trade agreements, and 3rd world debt would get on this band wagon. This is a time when we can change the world.

WorldNetDaily: France and Iraq

"Chirac actually thinks Saddam Hussein's youngest son, Qusay, might be the right person to lead a transition government that will change the world's perception about Iraq, if not the reality of the dangers it poses to the world.

The lesson for the future in all this? The next time France is invaded, let them call the Iraqis for help."

Lucrative oil deals, unpaid loans, selling weapons and they built the first nuclear plant for Iraq. (It was later bombed by Israel.)

I still don't understand why the French played their veto card, knowing the consequences to them and the UN. Sure, they talked of the wrongness of war in general - as a principle. We know of their distain of US hegemony. All this apart, why did they risk being ostracised by the remaining superpower?

CNN: "What emerged instead was a unipolar world, the U.S. bestriding the globe like a colossus, more dominant in every field of endeavor--economic, military, diplomatic, cultural, even linguistic--than any other nation since Rome. This the French cannot abide."

France: "giant killer. Remaker of the post--cold war world. Leader of the global anti-American camp."

High powered politics, indeed. This is what Blair warned about weeks ago, about splitting from the US. Well, France will lose.

Kevin Sites Blog

"It's good to be in the blogosphere. Xeni and John, I hope you two are incredibly proud of yourselves. Look at all of the people responding, because you put this blog out there. This experience has really made me rethink my rather orthodox views of reaching folks via mass media. Blogging is an incredible tool, with amazing potential. The feedback readers are posting motivates me to provide as much as I can for all of these folks hungry for first-hand info."

A blog right from Iraq! A journo discovers the power of blogging, and we discover blogging from the front line.

ajc.com: Life expectancy climbs to record high in America

"Life expectancy has risen for men and women and for white and black Americans, the report said. On average, men can expect to live 74.4 years on average, women 79.8 years, whites 77.7 years and blacks 72.2 years...

...In a one-year jump that officials hope will not be repeated, the rate of deaths from homicide rose by 17 percent from 2000 to 2001. That resulted from the 2,953 deaths in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks being classified as homicides."

Military.com: Infected Corpses Won't Be Cremated

"The military will not cremate any soldiers who may die from smallpox or other biological weapons."

FOXNews: FBI Flying Planes Over U.S. to Track Suspected Terrorists

""The cop on the beat now has Superman's X-ray eyes," said Barry Steinhardt, director of the technology and liberty program at the American Civil Liberties Union. "We need to fundamentally rethink what is a reasonable expectation of privacy.""

Judge Dread is coming.

Washington Post: Bush Bets Future on Success in Iraq

"Even a successful result contains risks in the eyes of those who have pondered the recurring cycle in human history in which power leads to hubris, hubris leads to overreaching, and overreaching leads to collapse. Victory could tempt the United States to overreach."

I guess the US is feeling very cocky at the moment. But, after the conflict, and lets hope that it is a war measured in days, I think they'll listen more to world opinion, or be seen to be listening, more like, and pull back for a while at least over confronting Syria, or Iran. But make no mistake these are already on the target list. No point taking WMD off Iraq if they are left elsewhere for bin Laden's followers to get hold of.

Washington Post: Al Qaeda's Top Primed To Collapse, U.S. Says

" Because the CIA and FBI are much more familiar than they were a year ago with the organization and individuals involved in al Qaeda, they are more able to put the new leads to use. Also, with a handful of other high-ranking al Qaeda members imprisoned and undergoing CIA interrogation, the information "can be bounced off five other senior guys now anxious to tell us what they know," said one knowledgeable intelligence expert."

I wonder what difference taking bin Laden out of the loop would make? Very little, strategically, just the moral victory for the US. The smaller units that have tried to attack European targets of late have all been self starters from Northern Africa.

As this will be a generational war, taking out bin Laden, will not stop the terrorist threat, it may even make matters worse. There'll be no leadership to track and watch.