<nettime> news & comments

["Ivo Skoric" <ivo@reporters.net>]

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/03/international/middleeast/03IRAQ.html

     >>A controversy erupted later when American troops opened fire on 
     what General Kimmitt described as insurgents "wearing black jackets 
     with `Press' clearly written in English." The general said the men 
     had arrived in two Mercedes cars, one black, the other dark blue.
     "The enemy personnel fired upon U.S. forces with small arms and 
     rocket-propelled grenades," he said. "One of the Mercedes was tracked 
     to a nearby house," he said, adding that four people had been 
     captured.

     It was not clear how the general's description fit with an account by 
     the Reuters news agency that said four Iraqi members of its staff 
     traveling in a black Mercedes had been fired on by the Americans and 
     arrested when they arrived at the scene to cover the downing.
     Some other reporters who were present said American troops guarding 
     the wreckage had opened fire without warning on the Reuters staff 
     members, possibly after the troops had taken fire from insurgents 
     using the reporters for cover.<<

That's brilliant, so the US deliberately shot at journalists, which 
were clearly marked as PRESS - because they mistakenly believed that 
those journalists are shooting at them. Do GI-s get tested for their 
eye-sight?

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/03/national/03TERR.html?th

The best is to cancel all flights to and from the US. This is the 
safest way to prevent terrorists to come over, or for suspects to 
leave the country. Besides who would want to travel over with all 
this hassle (strip searches, fingerprinting, etc.)?

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/04/education/04TOLE.html?th

This is highly disturbing, and makes me thinking very seriously of 
home-schooling. 12 year olds are hand-cuffed for violating dress 
code?! 8 year olds are brought to court for disruptive behavior in 
the classroom?! The most free young minds of the land of the free end 
up incarcerated. That's why the US is rapidly moving to become a Land 
of Spayed, Home of the Neutered. Did the school officials in the US 
completely lose their common sense? Zero tolerance ordinances need to 
be abolished in the name of humanity. Are those ordinances complying 
with the international norms (UNICEF) for well being of children that 
US Congress ratified? Should the US be put on the list of countries 
that allow mistreatment of children?

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/03/international/middleeast/03DIPL.html

While Democrats are spending all of their campaign money on killing 
each other in the primaries, Republicans are patiently waiting even 
to start their campaign, relying only on the government sponsored 
campaign spectacles (like Bush landing a fighter plane on the 
aircraft carrier, or bringing a plastic turkey to Baghdad for 
Thanksgivings eve, or trapping Saddam like "a rat in a hole"...). 
Now, the tragic earthquake in Iran presented itself just as another 
glorious opportunity for GOP to show off American benevolence, 
compassion, and generosity, with no cost to them. So, Eliazbeth Dole 
was supposed to head the high level US mission to Iran to oversee the 
distribution of aid, in fact to do a photo-op for Bush campaign. But 
Iran said: no, thank you. Besides, it must be hard to guarantee 
safety to high level Americans in Muslim countries today.

ivo---------------------------------------------------------
Ivo Skoric
19 Baxter Street
Rutland VT 05701
802.775.7257
ivo@balkansnet.org
balkansnet.org

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