Admittedly…
ArchPundit
There are a small number of companies that can fight oil well fires, but Haliburton had better have to bid on something from this war.
ArchPundit
The Reason For Strong Iraqi Resistance
Is that Major Tom Jones had some comments on the war.
Could this be why the Iraqis are putting up such a fight?
Let ‘em Have It
The predictable members of the blogosphere are getting their stockings in a bunch because the French want a role in the rebuilding of Iraq.
The thing is rebuilding Iraq may well be the booby prize that we really don’t want. Conquering Iraq is the relatively easy part and while we will see more casualties, they might pale in comparison to a prolonged or botched occupation. I have no desire to fight a guerilla war in Southwest Asia–especially against Islamists.
I hope we allow the UN to come in and bear some of the monetary costs as well as burden the peace keeping tasks which after a while inevitably turn into tension.
I’m not really upset if France gets excluded, but let’s not get in a pique as Lieberman has.
The Importance of Turkey
A very good column on the importance of Turkey is in today’s Sun-Times—by John O’Sullivan.
The public embarrasment of Turkey through ham-handed tactics was counterproductive in the short term-and dead wrong treatment for a steadfast ally of the US.
UP DATE: Josh Marshall tackles the same subject.
Illinois Legislative Stuff
Rich Miller points out that when judges sue the state, they win
NEWS OF THE DAY The Senate will likely take up legislation this week to restore scheduled cost of living raises that the legislature stripped from judges last year in a budget-cutting move. The Constitution forbids the General Assembly from reducing judges’ salaries, and some jurists have threatened to sue. Since Illinois judges would be handling the case about their own salaries, the outcome is all but assured. So, rather than deal with a no-win court fight, a bill will be run.
* The Senate narrowly approved legislation yesterday that will allow the sale of hypodermic syringes without a prescription.
Strangely enough, this second bill is Rauschenberger’s baby. He sees it as an issue for diabetics and views the drug war restrictions as unreasonable.
Semantic Vandalism
Digby addresses the misuse of the term terrorism. Now, I think Digby goes to far in saying Rumsfeld doesn’t expect them to fight. What the Iraqis are doing in the fake surrendering is wrong and violates commonly held rules of war.
Rumsfeld is debasing the language as many others have taken to over the last many months in calling such actions terrorism. Terrorism is the attacking of civilian populations to further political goals. The Iraqis involved in these battles are fighting a war against armed forces and while they may be considered to be violating laws regarding fighting wars, they are not terrorists.
Being out of uniform is a violation of the Geneva Conventions as well, though we violate it quite a bit–that is the point of relaxed grooming standards.
What If Bill Clinton had Proposed
The same plan as Bush did for veteranss affairs.
Notice that both Chris Smith and Lane Evans agree on this issue.
Bad Bush Day
Barbara Bodine, come on down.
Just go read it and explain the possible reason the Administration could be this dense.
Brass vs. Pol Appointees
Via Kos:
Suddenly, the government of the United States has discovered the virtues of international law. It may be waging an illegal war against a sovereign state; it may be seeking to destroy every treaty which impedes its attempts to run the world, but when five of its captured soldiers were paraded in front of the Iraqi television cameras on Sunday, Donald Rumsfeld, the US defence secretary, immediately complained that "it is against the Geneva convention to show photographs of prisoners of war in a manner that is humiliating for them".
Err…actually the brass pointed this out to the political appointees a while ago. They have a vested interest in keeping the Geneva Convention strong–apparently the political appointees don’t understand that issue.
I Will No Longer Make Fun of McCaffrey
Watching TV last night, Barry McCaffrey (failed drug warrior, but Gulf War Commander of the 24th Infrantry) was starting to raise some issues given the type of deployment. His views are well covered here.
This new warfare meme is cute and all, but I’d rather just have the most overwhelming force available. We are doing well, but I see no reason to not overcompensate.