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Lynn Torkelson	Around the Kitchen Table Posted: Saturday, December 31, 2005 11:54 AM An early Happy New Year to all KeweenawNow readers from your moderator! Thanks to everyone who has posted here, and thanks especially to Michele, who works very hard to provide this Web site as a service to our community. I wish you all a wonderful 2006! Birch Bark
Great Scott	Around the Kitchen Table Posted: Saturday, December 31, 2005 12:15 PM Happy New Year to you too and to Michele for keeping up this web site. And Happy New Year to all the people who post here. Maybe the rest of are starting to get the hang of using the internet to get things done.
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Sunday, January 01, 2006 9:53 PM Dozens Wounded in Series of Baghdad Car Bombings: BAGHDAD, Iraq, Jan. 1 - Eight car bombs exploded in rapid succession here this morning, killing 2 people and wounding as many as 40, police officials said. The bombs tore through the quiet of the capital's empty streets between 9 a.m. and 10:40 a.m., an official in the Interior Ministry said. Six had been placed in parked cars, and two were driven into their targets, which included a cinema, a market and several traffic intersections. The blasts were not as lethal as they could have been, in part because the streets were largely empty for New Year's Day. Insurgents also struck in the northern city of Kirkuk, wounding 12 people in three car bomb attacks on a health office, an American patrol and an Iraqi police checkpoint. Happy New Year.   We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,562 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 976 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	The Case for Attacking Iraq Posted: Sunday, January 01, 2006 9:55 PM Saddam Hussein recently authorized Iraqi field commanders to use chemical weapons. —George W. Bush, February 8, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Sunday, January 01, 2006 9:59 PM If you've retired, you don't have anything to worry about. —George W. Bush, Greece, New York, May 24, 2005
Norway	Presidential Thoughts for the Day Posted: Monday, January 02, 2006 9:14 AM    "I think we are welcomed. But it was not a peaceful welcome."—Philadelphia, Dec. 12, 2005, on the reception of American forces in Iraq   "I mean, I read the newspaper. I mean, I can tell you what the headlines are. I must confess, if I think the story is, like, not a fair appraisal, I'll move on. But I know what the story's about." —Philadelphia, Dec. 12, 2005   "[I]t's a myth to think I don't know what's going on. It's a myth to think that I'm not aware that there's opinions that don't agree with mine, because I'm fully aware of that."—Philadelphia, Dec. 12, 2005   "I mean, there was a serious international effort to say to Saddam Hussein, you're a threat. And the 9/11 attacks extenuated that threat, as far as I—concerned."—Philadelphia, Dec. 12, 2005   My thought for the day..... If there is yet, one person in the US, that still thinks Saddam had anything to do with 9/11.....  " I give up! "   Happy New Year.   Norway
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Monday, January 02, 2006 10:45 AM Another U.S. Soldier Killed in Iraq: On Saturday, an American soldier was killed in a mortar attack in Baghdad, the military said Sunday. In other violence, Emad Aziz al-Badri, an official who worked with the Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr, was killed Sunday in Mahmudiya, south of Baghdad, an Interior Ministry official said. A group of gunmen attacked Sunni Arab worshipers as they left a mosque in Baghdad. Two were killed and five were wounded, an Interior Ministry official said Sunday. Muslim Scholars Were Paid to Aid U.S. Propaganda: The Lincoln Group, a Washington-based public relations company, was told early in 2005 by the Pentagon to identify religious leaders who could help produce messages that would persuade Sunnis in violence-ridden Anbar Province to participate in national elections and reject the insurgency, according to a former employee. Since then, the company has retained three or four Sunni religious scholars to offer advice and write reports for military commanders on the content of propaganda campaigns, the former employee said. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,563 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 977 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	The Case for Attacking Iraq Posted: Monday, January 02, 2006 10:46 AM Iraq has also provided Al Qaeda with chemical and biological weapons training. —George W. Bush, February 8, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Monday, January 02, 2006 10:47 AM As you can probably see I was injured myself, not here at the hospital but in combat with a cedar. I eventually won. —George W. Bush, Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, Texas, January 1, 2006
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Tuesday, January 03, 2006 10:51 AM 4 Americans Killed in Iraq: Across Iraq, insurgents renewed attacks on Iraqi security forces, striking a busload of police recruits with a suicide car bomb near Baquba, north of Baghdad, killing seven. Three of the dead were identified as police recruits but the other four were burned beyond recognition, according to the Interior Ministry. At Al Asad, an American air base in western Iraq, four American contractors were killed Sunday when their bus was struck by a seven-ton truck, the military said in a statement. In Baghdad on Monday, the Turkish ambassador dodged an assassination attempt near the airport. And in Kirkuk, where there were riots over fuel prices on Sunday, a would-be car bomber and the insurgent who intended to photograph the attack both died when their car detonated prematurely, said Col. Bakhtiar Abdullah of the Iraqi Army. U.S. Airstrike on House Enrages Local Iraqi Officials: BAGHDAD, Iraq, Jan. 3 - United States warplanes dropped bombs on a home near Bayji Monday night that Iraqi officials said killed nine members of a family and wounded three more. American military officials confirmed the attack today and said the bombs were dropped after an unmanned reconnaissance aircraft recorded three men planting a bomb next to a road about 9 p.m. After the men were tracked to a nearby building, United States warplanes bombed the structure with "precision guided munitions," the military said. But enraged Iraqi officials in Bayji, about 150 miles north of Baghdad, said today the attack was unjustified and killed an innocent family. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,564 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 978 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	The Case for Attacking Iraq Posted: Tuesday, January 03, 2006 10:52 AM There is no question but what they will welcome as liberators the United States when we come. —Dick Cheney, March 16, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Tuesday, January 03, 2006 10:53 AM I get the shuffle and then I shuffle the shuffle.   —George W. Bush, White House, December 15, 2005
Wutzup	Keweenaw Posted: Tuesday, January 03, 2006 2:48 PM Hey, I have been wondering why the name Keweenaw is pronounced KEE wen aw instead of Ke WEE naw as one would expect. I found an old 30"s Chamber of Comerse map -just like todays except there were fewer roads and some ended abruptly nowhere, and on it it said phonetically the name was ke WEE naw. Alas I dont have it anymore as it was mildewed. Maybe there's a Native American out there who could tell us how the name should be pronounced?
Been There	Keweenaw Posted: Wednesday, January 04, 2006 10:49 AM Wutzup,   I've wondered that too. Anyone know how this came about?   Been There
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Wednesday, January 04, 2006 10:51 AM More Than 40 Killed in String of Bombings in Central Iraq: BAGHDAD, Iraq, Jan. 4 - Insurgents killed more than 40 people in a string of bombings throughout central Iraq today in the deadliest day since national parliamentary elections three weeks ago. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,565 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 979 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	The Case for Attacking Iraq Posted: Wednesday, January 04, 2006 10:53 AM The Iraq regime continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal weapons ever devised.   —George W. Bush, March 17, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Wednesday, January 04, 2006 10:54 AM I'm sure there's a lot of people frightened -- biotechnology is a long word and it sounds -- they may say, well, I don't know if I'm smart enough to be in biotechnology, or it sounds too sophisticated to be in biotechnology. —George W. Bush, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, November 7, 2003
Been There	The Communist from Charlevoix Posted: Wednesday, January 04, 2006 11:20 AM Wilkinson, Defiant Figure of Red Scare, Dies at 91: Frank Wilkinson, a Los Angeles housing official who lost his job in the Red Scare of the early 1950's and later became one of the last two people jailed for refusing to tell the House Un-American Activities Committee whether he was a Communist, died Monday in Los Angeles. He was 91. ... Frank Wilkinson was born Aug. 16, 1914, in a cottage behind his family's lakeside retreat in Charlevoix, Mich. His father, a doctor, came from a family that had lived in America since colonial days. His mother was French Canadian. Mr. Wilkinson was the youngest of four children. Mr. Wilkinson's father fell in love with Arizona while posted there in World War I and moved the family to Douglas, Ariz., after the war. The family lived there until Frank was 10, then moved to Hollywood for two years while their permanent home was being built in Beverly Hills. They were a devout Methodist family and firm Republicans. "Every morning of my life, we had Bible readings and prayers at the breakfast table," Mr. Wilkinson once said. He attended Beverly Hills High School and then the University of California, Los Angeles, graduating in 1936. He was active in the Methodist Youth Movement, president of the Hollywood Young People's chapter of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union and an organizer for Youth for Herbert Hoover. After college, considering a career in the ministry, he decided to tour the Holy Land. On the way, along Maxwell Street in Chicago, the Bowery in New York and later in the Middle East, he had his first glimpse at wrenching poverty, and he described it as a life-altering experience. Mr. Wilkinson lost his faith and found himself adrift. "What do you do if you have no religion?" he said. "What is the basis of your ethics?" He chose to become active in efforts to eradicate the kind of poverty he had seen in his travels. It still takes guts to stand up to the government. Too bad so few do it. Been There
Wutzup	The Communist from Charlevoix Posted: Wednesday, January 04, 2006 7:02 PM Thank you Been There. And I do appreciate your daily postings. Admire your perserverance above all. With someone like you, how can we lose?
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Thursday, January 05, 2006 10:28 AM Attacks in Iraq Kill 100 as Post-Election Violence Escalates; 5 More U.S. Soldiers Killed: BAGHDAD, Jan. 5 - Two new suicide bombings rocked Iraq today, killing at least 100 in attacks at a shrine in the Shiite city of Karbala and a police recruiting station in the Sunni city of Ramadi. Also today, five American soldiers were killed when their vehicle struck an improvised explosive device while operating in the Baghdad region, the American military said. ... The killings come on top of attacks that killed more than 50 people on Wednesday, as violence appears to be escalating again after a lull around the time of last month's parliamentary elections. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,566 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 980 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	The Case for Attacking Iraq Posted: Thursday, January 05, 2006 10:30 AM Well, there is no question that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction, biological and chemical particularly. All this will be made clear in the course of the operation, for whatever duration it takes. —Ari Fleischer, White House Press Secretary, March 21, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Thursday, January 05, 2006 10:31 AM I shared a story the other day during a press conference where I talked about a dinner I had with Prime Minister Koizumi of Japan. And we're eating Kobe beef. I don't know whether it's grown here in Minnesota or not, but it's real good. —George W. Bush,  Minneapolis, Minnesota, April 26, 2004
Been There	The Communist from Charlevoix Posted: Thursday, January 05, 2006 10:41 AM Wutzup,   So long as we still have free speech in this country, I'm going to speak up against the jerks in Washington trying to sell our heritage down the river. I owe that to my kids.   Been There
EastwoodDC	Around the Kitchen Table Posted: Thursday, January 05, 2006 6:39 PM Sorry to burst-in off topic - I'm looking for some local information, and this is the only place on the web I could find. I'm planning a skiing trip to Mt. Bohemia, their web page is down, and I can't find any other contact information (not even the address). Is this a bad sign (going out-of-business?), or just a bad day for their server? Also, one of the review I found suggested that I contact a local to make sure conditions are skiable. Can someone help me out here? (you can reply to eastwooddc@netscape.net if this is too off-topic here). In any case, I enjoyed reading your discussion here, and I like you folks already. Sorry to hear about the Black Bear septic system difficulties, I I hope an agreeable solution can be found. As a visitor though, I am please to discover that they have plumbing. ;-) I sincerely hope that I will be able to enrich your local tourism economy in the near future. Regards, Dan
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Friday, January 06, 2006 10:32 AM 11 U.S. Troops Killed in One Day in Iraq: BAGHDAD, Iraq, Jan. 7 - Attacks by insurgents killed 11 members of the American forces and as many as 130 Iraqis in Karbala and Ramadi on Thursday. Most of the deaths were caused by two huge suicide bombs. They followed attacks on Wednesday that included a suicide bombing at a Shiite funeral, and pushed the two-day death toll over 200. The violence rekindled fears of a return to mass sectarian killings after a relative lull and prompted Iraq's most powerful Shiite political faction to warn of retribution and indirectly blame the United States for the bloodshed. An American soldier and a Marine were among the more than 50 people who died in the Ramadi bombing, the military said in a statement released Friday morning. Seven other soldiers were killed by roadside bombs, five near Karbala and two in the Baghdad area, and two Marines were killed by small-arms fire during a clash with insurgents in Fallujah, the city in the country's Sunni-dominated western region that has been at the heart of the conflict. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,567 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 981 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	The Case for Attacking Iraq Posted: Friday, January 06, 2006 10:33 AM There is no doubt that the regime of Saddam Hussein possesses weapons of mass destruction. As this operation continues, those weapons will be identified, found, along with the people who have produced them and who guard them. —Gen. Tommy Franks, March 22, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Friday, January 06, 2006 10:34 AM I, I don't know -- Bono came in and dropped this new iPod off... Lightweight. Crank it on, and you shuffle the shuffle. —George W. Bush, White House, December 15, 2005
Lynn Torkelson	Skiing in the Keweenaw Posted: Friday, January 06, 2006 10:55 AM Welcome, EastwoodDC! You can find daily updates of our peninsula's winter sports conditions - including conditions at Mount Bohemia - here: Keweenaw Skiing, Trail & Snow Conditions. Birch Bark
EastwoodDC	Skiing in the Keweenaw Posted: Friday, January 06, 2006 11:40 AM Thank you, that is just what I needed. You might see me in two weeks. :-) Dan
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Saturday, January 07, 2006 10:56 AM Pentagon Study Links Fatalities to Inadequate Body Armor: A secret Pentagon study has found that as many as 80 percent of the marines who have been killed in Iraq from wounds to the upper body could have survived if they had had extra body armor. Such armor has been available since 2003, but until recently the Pentagon has largely declined to supply it to troops despite calls from the field for additional protection, according to military officials. The ceramic plates in vests now worn by the majority of troops in Iraq cover only some of the chest and back. In at least 74 of the 93 fatal wounds that were analyzed in the Pentagon study of marines from March 2003 through June 2005, bullets and shrapnel struck the marines' shoulders, sides or areas of the torso where the plates do not reach. Thirty-one of the deadly wounds struck the chest or back so close to the plates that simply enlarging the existing shields "would have had the potential to alter the fatal outcome," according to the study, which was obtained by The New York Times. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,568 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 982 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	The Case for Attacking Iraq Posted: Saturday, January 07, 2006 10:57 AM We know where the weapons of mass destruction are. They are in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad. —Donald Rumsfeld, March 30, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Saturday, January 07, 2006 11:02 AM It seems like to me we ought to be encouraging marriage to our tax code.   —George W. Bush, Chicago, Illinois, January 6, 2006
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Sunday, January 08, 2006 1:24 PM Blackhawk Crash in Iraq Kills All 12 Aboard; 5 U.S. Marines Killed in Combat: BAGHDAD, Iraq, Jan. 8 - An American UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter went down in northern Iraq late Saturday, killing all 12 aboard, and 5 marines were killed in fighting with insurgents throughout central Iraq over the weekend, the military reported today. ... In Falluja, three marines from Regimental Combat Team 8 of the Second Marine Division were killed today in separate attacks by insurgents, the Marines said. Another marine from the same unit was killed on Saturday by a roadside bomb near Ferris. A marine from the Second Marine Logistics Group died on Saturday after his vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb near Al Karmah, the military said. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,569 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 983 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	The Case for Attacking Iraq Posted: Sunday, January 08, 2006 1:25 PM I felt like we would find weapons of mass destruction. —George W. Bush, TV interview, January 14, 2005
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Sunday, January 08, 2006 1:26 PM If you really think about it, there was three important elections that took place. —George W. Bush, The Pentagon, January 4, 2006
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Monday, January 09, 2006 9:24 AM 14 Iraqi Police Officers Killed in Baghdad Attack: BAGHDAD, Iraq, Jan. 9 - The latest in a series of brazen attacks in the heart of Baghdad's heavily fortified government zone continued today, as two suicide bombers blew themselves up during a ceremony at the Interior Ministry, killed at least 14 police officers and wounding 25. ... Also today, the American military confirmed that the 12 people were killed late on Saturday when an Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed in northern Iraq were all Americans. The helicopter crash killed four American civilians and eight military personnel, according to the statement issued this morning. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,570 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 984 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	The Chest-Thumpers Posted: Monday, January 09, 2006 9:25 AM I believe demolishing Hussein's military power and liberating Iraq would be a cakewalk. —Ken Adelman, Assistant to the Secretary of Defense, February 13, 2002
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Monday, January 09, 2006 9:28 AM You see, what that meant is -- if you got a wire tap by court order -- and, by the way, everything you hear about requires court order, requires there to be permission from a FISA court, for example. ...And they're an important tool for those who are on the front line of using necessary means, with court order, to find these terrorists before they hurt us, look, what I'm telling you is -- is that the Patriot Act made it easier for people we've tasked to protect America. —George W. Bush, Hershey, Pennsylvania, April 19, 2004
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Tuesday, January 10, 2006 9:14 AM Bombers Kill 18 in Iraq; U.S. Ambassador Nearby: BAGHDAD, Iraq, Jan. 9 - Two suicide bombers carrying police identity cards walked up to an Interior Ministry checkpoint on Monday morning and blew themselves up hundreds of yards from a ceremony attended by the American ambassador, killing at least 18 police officers and wounding 25, officials said.  Bremer Says He Sought Rise in U.S. Troop Strength in Iraq: WASHINGTON, Jan. 9 - The American who served as the senior civilian administrator in Iraq says he complained to President Bush and other officials that far too few troops were committed to the occupation in the first year after Saddam Hussein was ousted. Unfortunately for the country, the policy of the Bush administration is to listen only to those who say what the administration wants to hear. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,571 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 985 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	The Chest-Thumpers Posted: Tuesday, January 10, 2006 9:15 AM Simply stated, there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction. There is no doubt that he is amassing them to use against our friends, our allies and against us. —Dick Cheney, August 26, 2002
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Tuesday, January 10, 2006 9:16 AM I don't know what you're talking about, about international law. I've got to consult my lawyer. —George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., December 11, 2003
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Wednesday, January 11, 2006 10:09 AM Shiite Leader Says No Changes Allowed for Iraqi Charter: The leader of Iraq's most powerful party said today that Shiites would not allow substantive changes to the country's new constitution, despite a promise to Sunnis made before its ratification. Last summer, as Sunni Arabs protested vehemently against the proposed constitution, the Shiite and Kurd leaders who dominated its drafting promised there would be a four-month window for amending the document following the formation of a new government. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,572 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 986 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	The Chest-Thumpers Posted: Wednesday, January 11, 2006 10:16 AM Right now, Iraq is expanding and improving facilities used for the production of biological weapons. —George W. Bush, September 12, 2002
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Wednesday, January 11, 2006 10:16 AM Sam Alito is eminently qualified to be a member of the bench. ...Sam's got the intellect necessary to bring a lot of class to that Court. —George W. Bush,  White House, January 9, 2006
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Thursday, January 12, 2006 9:56 AM Insurgency Fragments as Iraq Heads for Civil War: Two and a half years into the American occupation, the towns and villages south of Baghdad are divided among the insurgent groups like gang territory in big American cities. The arrangement is largely invisible to American troops who patrol the towns, the insurgents said in interviews. But guerrillas themselves say they must seek permission to travel through towns their groups do not control. ... Despite such tensions, the Americans face significant challenges in trying to exploit the split. "It is against my beliefs to put my hand with the Americans," said an Iraqi member of the Islamic Army who uses the nom de guerre Abu Omar. Still, he said in an interview in a house in Baghdad, he allowed himself a small celebration whenever a member of Al Qaeda fell to an American bullet. "I feel happy when the Americans kill them," he said. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,573 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 987 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	The Chest-Thumpers Posted: Thursday, January 12, 2006 9:58 AM The entire world knows beyond dispute that Saddam Hussein holds weapons of mass destruction in large quantities. —Dick Cheney, September 23, 2002
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Thursday, January 12, 2006 9:59 AM You took an oath to defend our flag and our freedom, and you kept that oath underseas and under fire. —George W. Bush,  Washington, D.C., January 10, 2006
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Friday, January 13, 2006 9:58 AM U.S. General Takes the 5th in Torture Case: WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 - Maj. Gen. Geoffrey D. Miller, the former commander at the detention center at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, who also helped set up the interrogation operation at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, is declining to testify further about harsh interrogation practices and will retire from the service, Army officials said Thursday. General Miller, 56, decided this week to invoke his right not to give testimony that might incriminate him and will not answer questions in court-martial proceedings against two soldiers... Public Pressure Forces Bush Administration to Provide Better Armor for U.S. Soldiers: WASHINGTON, Jan. 11 - Army officials said Wednesday that they had decided to send additional body armor to Iraq to protect soldiers from insurgents' attacks. The ceramic plates now worn by most members of the military shield just some of the upper body from bullets and shrapnel, and the Army said it would buy plates that would extend this protection to the sides of soldiers. The officials spoke after a closed session of the Senate Armed Services Committee, held after The New York Times reported last week that a Pentagon study had found that extra armor could have saved up to 80 percent of the marines who died in Iraq from upper body wounds. U.S. Army Helicopter Goes Down in Mosul: MOSUL, Iraq (AP) -- A U.S. Army reconnaissance helicopter went down near Mosul in northern Iraq on Friday while aiding Iraqi police who came under hostile fire, and its two pilots were seriously injured, military officials said. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,574 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 988 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	The Chest-Thumpers Posted: Friday, January 13, 2006 10:00 AM Facing clear evidence of peril, we cannot wait for the final proof, the smoking gun that could come in the form of a mushroom cloud. —George W. Bush, October 7, 2002
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Friday, January 13, 2006 10:03 AM I expect and, frankly, welcome the voices of people saying, you know, Mr. President, you shouldn't have made that decision, or, you know, you should have done it a better way. —George W. Bush,  Louisville, Kentucky, January 11, 2006   [Unless you speak up, the administration won't know what families to threaten.]
Been There	Stealing from Our Children and Grandchildren Posted: Friday, January 13, 2006 10:44 AM Bush continues to make good on his original 2000 campaign pledge to restore fiscal irresponsibility to the federal government: Deficit Will Climb in 2006, White House Says. WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 - The White House acknowledged on Thursday that the budget deficit would climb back above $400 billion this year. ... Since President Bush took office in 2001, the federal budget has swung from a surplus of more than $100 billion to deficits as high as $412 billion in 2004. Last year, the deficit narrowed unexpectedly to $319 billion, mainly because of a surge in corporate tax revenues and taxes on stock-market gains. ... As a percentage of gross domestic product, a measure that economists prefer over simple dollar amounts, government spending has climbed sharply, from 18.5 percent in 2001 to nearly 20 percent for each of the past three years. By contrast, tax revenues plunged to as little as 16.3 percent of the nation's economy from 19.8 percent in 2001. Bush and his cronies contend in public that arithmetic is just a trick used by professors to discredit tax cuts for the rich--while sniggering in private about the voters who fall for the republican contentions. Now we face the consequences of their deception. For years to come, our children and grandchildren will pay the price for the Bush administration's stealing. It was always obvious that this would happen once Bush became president. The people who voted for Bush anyway fall into three categories: Idiots who don't believe in arithmetic. Crooks who hope to benefit from Bush's stealing. Compromisers who condone Bush's stealing because they think he's against abortion. It's to our country's shame that this coalition is large enough to elect a thief as president.   Been There
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Saturday, January 14, 2006 10:32 AM 2 More U.S. Soldiers Killed in Iraq: BAGHDAD, Iraq, Jan. 13 - An American military reconnaissance helicopter crashed near the northern city of Mosul on Friday, apparently shot down by insurgents on the ground, according to the military and civilian witnesses. The two pilots on board were killed. Iraqi Election Results Delayed: BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- Iraq's electoral commission won't release final results from last month's election in coming days because the panel is waiting on international monitors to finish investigating fraud complaints, a senior Iraqi election official said Saturday. "It is impossible to have the final election results this week," Safwat Rashid, a senior member of the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq told The Associated Press. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,575 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 989 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	The Chest-Thumpers Posted: Saturday, January 14, 2006 10:34 AM I can't tell you today if the use of force in Iraq will last five days, five weeks or five months, but it won't last any longer than that. —Donald Rumsfeld, November 14, 2002
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Saturday, January 14, 2006 10:35 AM I can understand people being abhorrent about war. —George W. Bush,  Louisville, Kentucky, January 11, 2006
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Sunday, January 15, 2006 10:09 AM Another U.S. Marine Dies in Iraq: Scattered violence resumed across Iraq on Saturday as the relative calm of the Id al-Adha holiday came to an end. In Baghdad, Sheik Hadi al-Waeli, the imam of the Mahdi mosque, was fattaly shot in the Hurriya neighborhood, an Interior Ministry official said. Later, a roadside bomb wounded two recruits on a police patrol, the officials said. In the northern city of Kirkuk, gunmen opened fire on a police officer as he stood outside his home, officials said. American officials said a marine died of his wounds after being struck by small-arms fire on Friday in Ramadi. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,576 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 990 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	The Chest-Thumpers Posted: Sunday, January 15, 2006 10:10 AM If he declares he has no weapons of mass destruction, then we will know that Saddam Hussein is once again misleading the world. —Ari Fleischer, White House Press Secretary, December 2, 2002
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Sunday, January 15, 2006 10:14 AM Countries such as ours have an obligation to step up, working together, sanding, sending a common message, to the Iranians, that, uhh, uhh -- that it's -- the behavior -- kind of -- trying to -- uhh, clandessintly develop a nukyular weapon, or using the guise of a civilian nukyular weapon program to get the know-how to develop a nukyular weapon is unacceptable. —George W. Bush, White House, January 13, 2006
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Monday, January 16, 2006 9:31 AM Insurgents Shoot Down Another Helicopter in Iraq: In a statement, the American military said that it had no information about the fate of the two crew members aboard. Six People Killed in Iraq Car Bombing: Najim Abid, a medic at Muqdadiya general hospital, said five policemen and a child were killed by the blast, which injured sixteen civilians and three policemen. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,577 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 991 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	The Chest-Thumpers Posted: Monday, January 16, 2006 9:33 AM We know for a fact that there are weapons of mass destruction there. —Ari Fleischer, White House Press Secretary, January 9, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Monday, January 16, 2006 9:33 AM The reason why the border is necessary is because there's suiciders coming in from Syria into Iraq. —George W. Bush, Louisville, Kentucky, January 11, 2006
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Tuesday, January 17, 2006 10:38 AM Ambush Traps Iraqi Patrol; 2 G.I.'s Die in Copter Crash: BAGHDAD, Iraq, Jan. 16 - Insurgents hiding in a roadside farmhouse ambushed a police patrol on Monday northeast of Baghdad, killing 5 officers and a child and wounding 19 people, police officials said. The attack, just outside Muqdadiya, began when insurgents opened fire on a police patrol as it passed the farmhouse. A half-hour gun battle ensued, and a convoy of police reinforcements was on its way to the scene when a car bomb exploded, wounding a number of officers and bystanders. The insurgents escaped unharmed, the officials said. Two American soldiers were also killed when their AH-64 Apache helicopter crashed north of Baghdad, apparently after being shot down by insurgents. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,578 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 992 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	The Chest-Thumpers Posted: Tuesday, January 17, 2006 10:39 AM Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa. —George W. Bush, State of the Union address, January 28, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Tuesday, January 17, 2006 10:40 AM There are SBA loans for this. And I understand for some the word SBA means Slow Bureaucratic Paperwork. I hear it loud and clear. —George W. Bush, Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, January 12, 2006
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Wednesday, January 18, 2006 10:42 AM Ambush Kills 10 Guards in Baghdad; Engineer Kidnapped: BAGHDAD, Iraq, Jan. 18 - Ten security guards were killed after an ambush on their cars here today and a Malawian engineer in their convoy was kidnapped during the attack, according to an official from the Interior Ministry. News agencies reported that the guards were Iraqi. More than 400 foreigners and at least 36 journalists have been kidnapped in Iraq since 2003, along with thousands of Iraqis. Most foreigners have been released, but dozens have been killed. White House Knew Bush's Uranium Claim Was Bogus: WASHINGTON, Jan. 17 - A high-level intelligence assessment by the Bush administration concluded in early 2002 that the sale of uranium from Niger to Iraq was "unlikely" because of a host of economic, diplomatic and logistical obstacles, according to a secret memo that was recently declassified by the State Department. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,579 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 993 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	The Chest-Thumpers Posted: Wednesday, January 18, 2006 10:49 AM Saddam Hussein has the materials to produce as much as 500 tons of sarin, mustard and VX nerve agent.   —George W. Bush, State of the Union address, January 28, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Wednesday, January 18, 2006 10:50 AM We are dismantling the operators. And when we find them, we bring them to justice as quickly as we can. That's the short-term strategy. There's also the strategy of making it clear, if you harbor a terrorist -- the short-term strategy of dealing with threats before they come to hurt us -- I say, before they fully materialize. —George W. Bush, Louisville, Kentucky, January 11, 2006
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Thursday, January 19, 2006 11:16 AM More Massacres in Iraq; 2 Americans Killed: BAGHDAD, Iraq, Jan. 18 - The bodies of 36 Iraqis killed execution-style were found in two villages north of Baghdad on Wednesday, Iraqi officials said. Many of the dead were identified as police recruits from the largely Sunni Arab city of Samarra. At least 16 people were killed in attacks around the country on Wednesday, including two American civilian security contractors who were killed by a roadside bomb in Basra. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,580 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 994 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	The Chest-Thumpers Posted: Thursday, January 19, 2006 11:19 AM We know that Saddam Hussein is determined to keep his weapons of mass destruction, is determined to make more. —Colin Powell, February 5, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Thursday, January 19, 2006 11:21 AM In order to safeguard the civil liberties of the people, we have this NSA domestic eavesdropping program fully scrutinized on a regular basis. It's been authorized, reauthorized many times. We got lawyers looking at it from different branches of government. —George W. Bush, Louisville, Kentucky, January 11, 2006
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Friday, January 20, 2006 11:07 AM Italy to Withdraw Its Troops From Iraq by End of the Year: ROME, Jan. 19 - Italy will withdraw its nearly 3,000 troops from Iraq by the year's end, the defense minister said on Thursday. The announcement came during a fiercely fought election campaign in a nation where the presence of Italian troops in Iraq is not popular. "This is not a retreat, a word that is not part of our vocabulary," the defense minister, Antonio Martino, told a parliamentary commission. Rather, he said, it is a "dignified and just return." U.S. Rejects Truce Offer From bin Laden: DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Jan. 19 - Breaking more than a year's silence, Osama bin Laden warned Americans in an audiotape released on Thursday that Al Qaeda was planning more attacks on the United States, but he offered a "long truce" on undefined terms. It was unclear when the recording, broadcast by the Arab satellite television station Al Jazeera, was made, but the Central Intelligence Agency verified its authenticity and said the station was probably right in saying that it dated from early December.  If President Bush had done his job, Osama bin Laden would not be in any position to offer us a truce today. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,581 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 995 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	The Chest-Thumpers Posted: Friday, January 20, 2006 11:09 AM Saddam Hussein recently authorized Iraqi field commanders to use chemical weapons. —George W. Bush, February 8, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Friday, January 20, 2006 11:10 AM It seems like to me that if somebody is talking to al Qaeda, we want to know why. —George W. Bush, Louisville, Kentucky, January 11, 2006
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Saturday, January 21, 2006 10:50 AM Violence Kills 8 Iraqis and British Security Worker: BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- A spate of bombings and shootings across Iraq killed at least eight Iraqis on Saturday, and Britain announced the death of a British security worker in a roadside blast. The violence came a day after the announcement of uncertified final results from the Dec. 15 parliamentary elections, a step U.S. officials and many Iraqis hoped could help curb a rampant insurgency. Election Over, But No Iraqi Government in Sight: Negotiations on Iraq's first full-term government since the 2003 U.S. invasion are expected to begin in earnest in the next couple of days, but tough horsetrading means it may take weeks or even months for a government to be formed. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,582 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 996 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	The Chest-Thumpers Posted: Saturday, January 21, 2006 10:52 AM Iraq has also provided Al Qaeda with chemical and biological weapons training.   —George W. Bush, February 8, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Saturday, January 21, 2006 10:53 AM There is no cave deep enough for the justice of the United States of America.   —George W. Bush, Missouri Republican Party dinner, St. Louis, Missouri, March 19, 2002
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Sunday, January 22, 2006 11:20 AM Iraq Insurgent Attacks Kill at Least 13: BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- Bomb blasts, shootings and rocket-propelled grenade attacks killed at least 13 people throughout Iraq, including a policeman's four children, officials said Sunday. Sunni Arab leaders opposed anyone linked with sectarian violence being given ministries in the next government. Response to Kidnapping Infuriates Iraqis: "They barged into our home then they pulled me by the hair. I kept telling them we had a baby. Then a soldier went into the room where my brother was sleeping near the baby and they punched my brother in the face," said Hubaab Hamid. After searching the house, the soldiers told her that two of her brothers would be detained for questioning. "I asked how long they would be away. They said they would be freed if they are innocent. I asked where they would be held and the Iraqi translator just laughed at me," she said. Some 14,000 people are currently held by U.S. forces on suspicion of guerrilla activity. Thousands more have been released without charge, often after many months in captivity. Hamid said one soldier showed compassion. "I looked up and he had tears in his eyes as he was watching them humiliate my sisters and me," she said. "Then he gave us a blanket and he apologized." Brain-Damaged Soldiers Bear the Brunt of Bush's Mistakes: PALO ALTO, Calif. - It has taken hundreds of hours of therapy, but Jason Poole, a 23-year old Marine corporal, has learned all over again to speak and to walk. At times, though, words still elude him. He can read barely 16 words a minute. His memory can be fickle, his thinking delayed. Injured by a roadside bomb in Iraq, he is blind in his left eye, deaf in his left ear, weak on his right side and still getting used to his new face, which was rebuilt with skin and bone grafts and 75 to 100 titanium screws and plates. ... Medical treatment for brain injuries from the Iraq war will cost the government at least $14 billion over the next 20 years, according to a recent study by researchers at Harvard and Columbia. Jill Gandolfi, a co-director of the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Unit of the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, where Corporal Poole is being treated, said, "We are looking at an epidemic of brain injuries." The consequences of brain injury are enormous. Penetrating injuries can knock out specific functions like vision and speech, and may eventually cause epilepsy and increase the risk of dementia. What doctors call "closed-head injuries," from blows to the head or blasts, are more likely to have diffuse effects throughout the brain, particularly on the frontal lobes, which control the ability to pay attention, make plans, manage time and solve problems. Because of their problems with memory, emotion and thinking, brain-injured patients run a high risk of falling through the cracks in the health care system, particularly when they leave structured environments like the military, said Dr. Deborah Warden, national director of the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center, a government program created in 1992 to develop treatment standards for the military and veterans. So many military men and women are returning with head injuries combined with other wounds that the government has designated four Veterans Affairs hospitals as "polytrauma rehabilitation centers" to take care of them. The Palo Alto hospital where Corporal Poole is being treated is one. One Family's Persistent Hope: That Their Soldier Will Wake Up: On Dec. 26, 2004, Sgt. Gray, then 34, a member of the 133rd Engineer Battalion of the Maine Army National Guard, was driving in a convoy outside Mosul, Iraq, when a bomb blew up underneath his truck. He has been in hospitals ever since. Blind and severely brain damaged, he cannot speak, move voluntarily or communicate. He is fed through a tube implanted in his stomach. Though he appears unaware of his surroundings, family members say they believe he hears their voices when they visit. But his medical records describe his condition as a "persistent neurovegetative state" from which he is unlikely to emerge. ... At least 1,700 American troops have suffered brain injuries in Iraq, more than half of them moderate to severe. Sgt. Gray represents the far end of the spectrum, though military spokesmen have declined to say how many men and women have been as badly hurt as he.  We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,583 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 997 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	The Chest-Thumpers Posted: Sunday, January 22, 2006 11:22 AM There is no question but what they will welcome as liberators the United States when we come. —Dick Cheney, March 16, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Sunday, January 22, 2006 11:26 AM One of the interesting moments will come here this year when Saddam Hussein's trial is brought forth for the world to see, to see the butcherer, the person who brutalized many people or ordered the brutality of many people here at this table, get his due justice under rule of law. —George W. Bush, White House, January 18, 2006
Been There	The War on Truth Posted: Sunday, January 22, 2006 12:03 PM In an unusual twist for the corporate press, the New York Times is investigating its own role in disseminating White House propaganda to support the attack on Iraq: The Times and Iraq. Looking back, we wish we had been more aggressive in re-examining the claims as new evidence emerged — or failed to emerge. No kidding! It was clear to all but the most gullible that the White House had not provided evidence for its suspiciously strident claims. Most of us thought that the White House must have solid evidence that could not be revealed because doing so would have jeopardized the gathering of other crucial intelligence. But no! The White House really did proceed to attack Iraq based on nothing but a foolish hunch. Of course, their sons and daughters aren't suffering the consequences of that stupidity (as the White House always counted on). Maybe that helps to explain the cavalier attitude there toward the truth. It's harder to understand why the New York Times assisted in the deception. A good soul-searching at the Times might help them get back on track. I hope so. Been There
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Monday, January 23, 2006 9:55 AM 2 More U.S. Soldiers Killed in Iraq: The two U.S. airmen were killed and a third was wounded in an attack on a convoy Sunday near Taji, where a U.S. air base is located 12 miles north of Baghdad, the military said. The deaths brought the number of U.S. military personnel killed since the war in Iraq began in March 2003 to at least 2,226, according to an Associated Press count.  We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,584 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 998 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	The Chest-Thumpers Posted: Monday, January 23, 2006 9:56 AM [Drum roll] The Iraq regime continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal weapons ever devised.   —George W. Bush, March 17, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Monday, January 23, 2006 10:00 AM Some things we take for granted like the generations passing assets from one generation to the next just didn't happen in the African American community, and should. We ought to encourage -- we take that for granted, don't we? Some of us do. You know, you pass the house on. A lot of these people didn't own their own homes. —George W. Bush, Sterling, Virginia, January 19, 2006
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Tuesday, January 24, 2006 7:26 AM 4 More U.S. Soldiers Killed in Iraq: BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- A leading Sunni Arab party Tuesday urged fellow Sunnis to confront armed attacks on their community following a raid on a Sunni neighborhood in Baghdad in which three men were killed and more than 20 abducted. Meanwhile, two German engineers were kidnapped Tuesday north of Baghdad by gunmen in two cars, German officials and police said. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the government was doing ''everything in our power so that we not only receive information, but the hostages will be returned to us safely.'' The U.S. military also said a roadside bombing in Baghdad killed two U.S. soldiers Monday and two Marines died in a vehicle accident west of the capital.  We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,585 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 999 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	The Chest-Thumpers Posted: Tuesday, January 24, 2006 7:28 AM Well, there is no question that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction, biological and chemical particularly. All this will be made clear in the course of the operation, for whatever duration it takes.   —Ari Fleischer, White House Press Secretary, March 21, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Tuesday, January 24, 2006 7:30 AM You know, it's amazing, when people say to me, well, he was just breaking the law. If I wanted to break the law, why was I briefin' Congress? Heh!   —George W. Bush, Manhattan, Kansas, January 23, 2006
Been There	Through a Glass Darkly Posted: Tuesday, January 24, 2006 8:12 AM SADDAM DANCES ON TOP OF LIMO TO THE DELIGHT OF FANS Arriving at the courthouse in Baghdad for his trial today, former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein climbed on top of his limo and performed a brief dance routine to the delight of fans and well-wishers.   ...   Elsewhere, after reports surfaced that there are five photographs showing President Bush meeting disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, whom the President has denied knowing, Mr. Bush said, “Oh, THAT Jack Abramoff.” Have a nice day!   Been There
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Wednesday, January 25, 2006 10:39 AM White House Incompetence Pours U.S. Tax Money Down the Drain in Iraq: A new audit of American financial practices in Iraq has uncovered irregularities including millions of reconstruction dollars stuffed casually into footlockers and filing cabinets, an American soldier in the Philippines who gambled away cash belonging to Iraq, and three Iraqis who plunged to their deaths in a rebuilt hospital elevator that had been improperly certified as safe. The audit, released yesterday by the office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, expands on its previous findings of fraud, incompetence and confusion as the American occupation poured money into training and rebuilding programs in 2003 and 2004. The audit uncovers problems in an area that includes half the land mass in Iraq, with new findings in the southern and central provinces of Anbar, Karbala, Najaf, Wasit, Babil, and Qadisiya. The special inspector reports to the secretary of defense and the secretary of state. Agents from the inspector general's office found that the living and working quarters of American occupation officials were awash in shrink-wrapped stacks of $100 bills, colloquially known as bricks. One official kept $2 million in a bathroom safe, another more than half a million dollars in an unlocked footlocker. One contractor received more than $100,000 to completely refurbish an Olympic pool but only polished the pumps; even so, local American officials certified the work as completed.   U.S. Forces Kill Iraqi TV Cameraman: RAMADI (Reuters) - An Iraqi television cameraman was killed in clashes between Sunni rebels and U.S. forces in the insurgent stronghold of Ramadi on Tuesday, witnesses said on Wednesday. Mahmoud Za'al, who worked for Baghdad TV satellite channel, was filming an attack on two buildings occupied by U.S. forces in Ramadi when he was wounded in the legs and then killed moments later in a U.S. air strike, witnesses told Reuters. Saddam Hussein's Trial Delayed Again: Raid Juhi, a judge and spokesman for the tribunal, said Tuesday that the trial was being delayed until Sunday because some witnesses and complainants were out of the country making the pilgrimage to Mecca. But the announcement came at midday, after reporters and observers had been waiting more than four hours for the trial to start, and it was not clear why the absence of some witnesses would not have been apparent much earlier. The trial was adjourned on Dec. 22, in part to allow people to make the pilgrimage. A judge on the tribunal said he believed that the delay was related to disagreements among the judges over the replacement of Rizgar Muhammad Amin, the Kurdish judge who has presided over the trial until now. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,586 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." Exactly 1000 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	The Chest-Thumpers Posted: Wednesday, January 25, 2006 10:41 AM There is no doubt that the regime of Saddam Hussein possesses weapons of mass destruction. As this operation continues, those weapons will be identified, found, along with the people who have produced them and who guard them.   —Gen. Tommy Franks, March 22, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Wednesday, January 25, 2006 10:42 AM There's a custom in our country for people to express themselves, and it's good. —George W. Bush, Manhattan, Kansas, January 23, 2006 [It is not just a custom--it is a fundamental right protected by the First Amendment.]
Been There	Through a Glass Darkly Posted: Wednesday, January 25, 2006 10:46 AM NAKED PHOTOS OF BUSH AND ABRAMOFF ROCK WHITE HOUSE But President Still Denies Knowing Lobbyist   President George W. Bush found himself embroiled in controversy today with the publication of five photos showing him and disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff totally naked.   The photos, published yesterday in Payboy, a magazine devoted to naked pictures of disgraced lobbyists, appeared to fly in the face of the President’s claims that he had never met Mr. Abramoff. ...   Elsewhere, Ford Motor Co. announced that it was cutting 30,000 jobs, including Job One.
Been There	1000 Days Posted: Wednesday, January 25, 2006 10:51 AM Exactly 1000 days have now passed since George W. Bush staged his "mission accoumplished" speech in San Diego harbor after flying a couple of miles to look like a warrior president. Cameras were pointed out to sea to hide the fact that his flight was unnecessary. Since that speech, our soldiers have died at a rate of more than two a day--with no end in sight. That's the sad reality. And where are the weapons of mass destruction that our soldiers were sent to die to save us from? They did not exist, as George W. Bush could have and should have found out before he attacked Iraq on that pretext. He is truly a disgrace to his office. Been There
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Thursday, January 26, 2006 10:01 AM U.S. Military to Release Five Iraqi Women; Another U.S. Soldier Killed: BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- The U.S. military said Thursday it would release five Iraqi women detainees, a move demanded by the kidnappers of an American reporter to spare her life. A U.S. official said the release had nothing to do with the kidnappers' demand. Meanwhile, a U.S. soldier was killed and another wounded by a roadside bomb blast south of Baghdad on Wednesday, while two Iraqi government employees were gunned down Thursday by drive-by militants in separate attacks in the northern city of Kirkuk. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,587 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,001 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	The Chest-Thumpers Posted: Thursday, January 26, 2006 10:08 AM We know where the weapons of mass destruction are. They are in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad.   —Donald Rumsfeld, March 30, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Thursday, January 26, 2006 10:11 AM A lot of folks -- at least, my age, when I was going to college, I never dreamed that the United States of America could be attacked. —George W. Bush, Manhattan, Kansas, January 23, 2006
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Friday, January 27, 2006 9:35 AM 3 U.S. Soldiers Killed in Iraq: Three American service members were killed in combat on Tuesday and Wednesday, the American military said. One died in a bomb blast in Baghdad, one in a rocket attack near the western city of Ramadi, and a third in Karma, just outside Falluja, west of Baghdad. U.S. Reneges on Iraq Reconstruction Pledges: Because of unforeseen security costs, haphazard planning and shifting priorities, the American-financed reconstruction program in Iraq will not complete scores of projects that were promised to help rebuild the country, a federal oversight agency reported yesterday. Only 49 of the 136 projects that were originally pledged to improve Iraq's water and sanitation will be finished, with about 300 of an initial 425 projects to provide electricity, the report says. The planners of the rebuilding effort did not take into account hundreds of millions of dollars in administrative costs, and mostly did not realize that the United States would have to spend money to keep things like power plants and sewage treatment plants running once they had been built, the report says. That ultimately forced the United States to pare the list of projects to cover such expenses. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,588 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,002 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	The Chest-Thumpers Posted: Friday, January 27, 2006 9:36 AM I felt like we would find weapons of mass destruction. —George W. Bush, TV interview with Barbara Walters, January 14, 2005
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Friday, January 27, 2006 9:38 AM We'll continue to work with the folks down there. But I want to remind the people in that part of the world [the U.S. Gulf Coast], 85 billion dollars is a lot.   —George W. Bush, White House, January 26, 2006
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Saturday, January 28, 2006 1:39 PM Saddam's Chaotic Trial Set to Resume Sunday: Frustrated Iraqis reacted angrily to the new delay in a trial which first got under way last October and has held seven sessions since. Many, particularly among the Shi'ite and Kurdish communities that were oppressed under Saddam, want the authorities to speed up proceedings. But the trial has been marred by numerous delays, the murder of two members of the defense team, the resignation of chief judge Rizgar Amin, and the accusation that his stand-in, Sayeed al-Hamashi, belonged to the ousted Baath party. Only two of the original five judges still remain. A third judge quit last year citing a conflict of interest. War Profits High for Cheney's Company: Shares in Halliburton rose $3.78, to close at $78.93, after the company said it would sell a minority stake in KBR and after it reported a stronger-than-expected profit for the fourth quarter. The profit was $1.1 billion on sales of $5.8 billion, including $1.3 billion the government paid for work in Iraq. Halliburton had a profit of $2.4 billion for 2005, in contrast to a $1 billion loss in 2004. The move to issue shares in KBR comes as Halliburton has come under scrutiny for receiving a $1.4 billion noncompetitive contract to restore Iraq's oil infrastructure after the removal of Saddam Hussein's government in 2003. Congressional critics say the company received the contract because of Vice President Dick Cheney, who was chief executive of Halliburton from 1995 to 2000. ... KBR, which operates as a separate engineering and construction unit, also reported optimistic results, saying its income related to work in Iraq climbed after the federal government settled a fuel-cost dispute in its favor. KBR also won new contracts from Washington, including one valued as high as $385 million to build detention centers intended for an emergency influx of immigrants and another to build a new embassy compound in Skopje, Macedonia. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,589 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,003 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Beliefs Can Kill Posted: Saturday, January 28, 2006 1:40 PM I believe demolishing Hussein's military power and liberating Iraq would be a cakewalk. —Ken Adelman, Assistant to the Secretary of Defense, February 13, 2002
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Saturday, January 28, 2006 1:41 PM So the Palestinians had an election yesterday, and the results of which remind me about the power of democracy. You see, when you give people the vote, you give people a chance to express themselves at the polls.   —George W. Bush, White House, January 26, 2006
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Sunday, January 29, 2006 10:43 AM 2 More U.S. Soldiers Blown Up in Iraq: One U.S. soldier was killed when a roadside bomb struck his vehicle Saturday evening in Baghdad, the military said Sunday. The military had previously reported the death of another soldier in a similar but separate attack Saturday in Baghdad. At least 2,241 U.S. military personnel have died since the Iraq war began in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. Iran Chortles Over Bush's Iraq Blunders: Iranians know that American forces, now stretched thin, are unlikely to invade Iran. And if the United States or Europe were to try a small-scale, targeted attack, the proximity of American forces makes them potential targets for retaliation. Iranians also know the fighting in Iraq has helped raise oil prices, and any attempt to impose sanctions could push prices higher. In addition, the Iranians have longstanding ties to influential Shiite religious leaders in Iraq, and at least one recently promised that his militia would make real trouble for the Americans if they moved militarily against Iran. All of those calculations have reduced Iranian fears of going ahead with their nuclear program — a prospect that frightens not just the United States, Europe and Israel, but many of the Sunni Muslim-dominated nations in the region, including Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. ... With the Americans stuck fighting a protracted, murky war in Iraq, the Iranians felt they were in a position to defy the West even over the nuclear issue. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,590 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,004 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Beliefs Can Kill Posted: Sunday, January 29, 2006 10:44 AM Simply stated, there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction. There is no doubt that he is amassing them to use against our friends, our allies and against us. —Dick Cheney, Vice President of the United States of America, August 26, 2002
Been There	The War On Truth Posted: Sunday, January 29, 2006 10:50 AM White House Tries to Muzzle Top Scientist: The top climate scientist at NASA says the Bush administration has tried to stop him from speaking out since he gave a lecture last month calling for prompt reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases linked to global warming. The scientist, James E. Hansen, longtime director of the agency's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, said in an interview that officials at NASA headquarters had ordered the public affairs staff to review his coming lectures, papers, postings on the Goddard Web site and requests for interviews from journalists. Dr. Hansen said he would ignore the restrictions. "They feel their job is to be this censor of information going out to the public," he said. ... "He's not trying to create a war over this," said Larry D. Travis, an astronomer who is Dr. Hansen's deputy at Goddard, "but really feels very strongly that this is an obligation we have as federal scientists, to inform the public." Dr. Travis said he walked into Ms. McCarthy's office in mid-December at the end of one of the calls from Mr. Deutsch demanding that Dr. Hansen be better controlled. In an interview on Friday, Ralph J. Cicerone, an atmospheric chemist and the president of the National Academy of Sciences, the nation's leading independent scientific body, praised Dr. Hansen's scientific contributions and said he had always seemed to describe his public statements clearly as his personal views. "He really is one of the most productive and creative scientists in the world," Dr. Cicerone said. "I've heard Hansen speak many times and I've read many of his papers, starting in the late 70's. Every single time, in writing or when I've heard him speak, he's always clear that he's speaking for himself, not for NASA or the administration, whichever administration it's been." The fight between Dr. Hansen and administration officials echoes other recent disputes. At climate laboratories of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, for example, many scientists who routinely took calls from reporters five years ago can now do so only if the interview is approved by administration officials in Washington, and then only if a public affairs officer is present or on the phone. So now we have government "minders" present when scientists talk to the press. Sound like something from the thick book all White House staffers get these days, called Lessons from North Korea. Been There
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Sunday, January 29, 2006 10:52 AM I was wondering, where are all those Republican clerks?   —George W. Bush, White House, January 26, 2006
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Monday, January 30, 2006 3:10 PM British Soldier Killed in Iraq: BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- U.S. soldiers backed by warplanes killed two militants Monday in the volatile western city of Ramadi, while at least one Iraqi policeman died and dozens were wounded in a suicide car bomb attack on their base south of Baghdad. A British soldier was killed after coming under fire in Iraq's Maysan Province, the Britain's Defense Ministry said. The bullet-riddled bodies of two bound and gagged men were found in different locations across Baghdad, police said. The identities of the victims were not known and there was no motive known for their execution-style killings. Gunmen also attacked a construction team erecting a fence in western Baghdad's Amil district, killing one worker and wounding four, said police Lt. Maitham Abdul-Razzaq. In eastern Ramadi, two armed men fired at least five rocket-propelled grenade rounds and small arms fire at a group of U.S. Army soldiers, said U.S. Marine Capt. Jeffrey S. Pool. New Videotape of bin Laden Deputy Emerges: CAIRO, Egypt (AP) -- Al-Qaida No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahri said in a videotape aired Monday that President Bush was a ''butcher'' and a ''failure'' because of a deadly U.S. airstrike in Pakistan targeting the bin Laden deputy, and he threatened a new attack on the United States. Al-Zawahri, shown in the video wearing white robes and a white turban, said a Jan. 13 airstrike in the eastern village of Damadola killed ''innocents,'' and he said the United States had ignored an offer from al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden for a truce. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,591 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,005 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Beliefs Can Kill Posted: Monday, January 30, 2006 3:12 PM From a marketing point of view, you don't introduce new products [the attack on Iraq] in August. —Andrew Card, White House Chief of Staff, September 7, 2002
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Monday, January 30, 2006 3:13 PM People who have something to hide make us nervous. —George W. Bush, Anchorage, Alaska, February 16, 2002   [You must keep no secrets from big brother.]
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Tuesday, January 31, 2006 8:30 AM Attacks on U.S. Soldiers Down as Iraq Civil War Escalates: The number of insurgent attacks against American and Iraqi forces and civilians has fluctuated in recent weeks, but the general trend line is down. In the first week of October last year, there were about 100 attacks a day, according to the American command in Baghdad. Last week, there were about 83 a day. Still, those numbers do not take into account sectarian violence, which has risen sharply in recent months. Many mixed Sunni-Shiite neighborhoods in and around Baghdad have been the scene of intense sectarian violence, with people expelled from their homes or killed. Mr. Rubaie acknowledged the rise in sectarian violence, and said the only answer to it was to strengthen the Iraqi police and army. One reason for that, he said, was that the American military had no desire to try to stop sectarian fighting. "The Americans don't want to intervene," he said. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,592 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,006 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Beliefs Can Kill Posted: Tuesday, January 31, 2006 8:32 AM Right now, Iraq is expanding and improving facilities used for the production of biological weapons. —George W. Bush, President of the United States of America, September 12, 2002
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Tuesday, January 31, 2006 8:33 AM And when they demand, somebody produces. And when somebody produce, somebody gets to work.   —George W. Bush, Albers Manufacturing, O'Fallon, Missouri, March 18, 2002