Links April 22 09 – Moon of Alabama

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April 22, 2009

Links April 22 09

Sadism – Harsh Tactics Readied Before Their Approval – (WaPo)
Sadism report – "Inquiry Into the Treatment of Detainees in U.S. Custody" – (Congress (pdf))

Avoiding peace at all costs – Israel Puts Iran Issue Ahead of Palestinians – (WaPo)
I guess he's right – Lieberman: U.S. to accept any Israeli decision – (Haaretz)
Harman related – U.S. Might Not Try Pro-Israel Lobbyists – (WaPo)

Liar – Geithner says big banks are healthy – ()McClatchy
$4.1 trillion bank losses – Global Financial Stability Report – (IMF)
Usually a typical German problem – The US Government: Over-engineering for Under-performance – (Information Arbitrage)
Slump – Japan Suffers Trade Deficit In FY08, 1st Since 1980 – (WSJ)
MoA Oct 2008: "destroy the excess housing supply" – Flint, Michigan: An Effort to Save a City by Shrinking It – (NYT)
Sign of the times – Pawn Shop Opens In London Financial District – (VOA)

Could become interesting – World Digital Library – (UN)

Please share your links, news and views in the comments.

Posted by b on April 22, 2009 at 06:14 UTC | Permalink

Comments

I seldom agree with this ex-spook , but his diatribe is an indicator of pressure against torture coming from the rank-and-file. Maybe there really were only a few “bad apples”, but on the highest boughs, and with their poisonous fluids dripping down to infect the entire tree.

Posted by: Hannah K. O’Luthon | Apr 22 2009 7:51 utc | 1

Under “Sign of Things to Come”:
WASHINGTON (AP) – A derelict offshore wind generation station torn loose by the recent seasonal storm activity in the Western US Atlantic has ploughed into and partially collapsed Chesapeake Bay Bridge US-13 at Norfolk, Virginia. The massive free-wheeling wind generator blades were seen on V-DOT cameras shredding unlucky cars and tractor trailers that happened into their path.
The scene is one of total chaos, as all commuter lanes remained closed indefinitely.
FEMA has been called in to address the situation, under the Obama Offshore Energy Program, however an undisclosed FEMA official said the Federal government made no set-aside budget for collateral damage from its innovative offshore leasing plan.
DHS said they will redirect an NSA spy satellite over the disaster site to evaluate when it will be safe for Federal inspectors to visit the damage, under union rules.
A Whitehouse Spokesman reminded US-13 commuters that “Yes, You Can!” find a detour.

Posted by: Cap Henry | Apr 22 2009 23:24 utc | 2

Clinton: Stopping Iran a Top US Priority
Clinton Threatens ‘Crippling’ Iran Sanctions After Talks
by Jason Ditz, April 22, 2009
In engaging Iran in direct diplomacy regarding its nuclear program, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the Obama Administration is laying the foundations for more sanctions. That talks, Clinton insisted, would improve America’s “credibility and influence” and allow them to “make the sanctions regime as tight and crippling as we would want it to be.”
Secretary Clinton had previously said the administration does not believe that diplomacy will ultimately be successful with Iran. Today’s emphasis on the “leverage” the talks would give the US with other nations for moving against Iran did nothing to suggest that they are expecting anything but failure. Ultimately “stopping Iran,” and not negotiating better relations with them, seems to be the priority.
Yet some Congressmen are unwilling to wait for the hopeful breakdown on diplomacy to really move against Iran. Proposing what they termed the “Iran Diplomatic Enhancement Act,” they intend to punish companies that help Iran to import gasoline, in addition to those who help the nation to construct refineries.

Posted by: Anthony | Apr 23 2009 4:09 utc | 3

Several of Roger Cohen’s recent NYT columns on Israel and Iran have been suprisingly good, but today he reaffirms his servitude to empire:
No Time for Retribution

Those checks and balances are recovering now. I don’t think this recovery would be served by prosecutions, either of C.I.A. operatives or those who gave them legal advice. Such legal action, if initiated, would split the intelligence services and the military in paralyzing ways at a time when two wars, in Iraq and Afghanistan, are still being fought. The country would be lacerated.
The right balance between retribution and reconciliation is always hard to find in the aftermath of national trauma. Ask the Bosnians or South Africans. When wars are ongoing, it is wise to err on the side of caution. There’s work to do. Obama’s right: America should look ahead, not back.

Posted by: Colin | Apr 23 2009 9:06 utc | 4

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