Morning copy 7/14/2005
London, one week later
Two minutes of silence in England and around Europe at Noon, GMT. Times Online LINK.
Londoners were encouraged to leave their offices, or construction sites, or shops, or homes, and enter the streets in silence. CNN aired 15-30 seconds of it at 7:00 a.m. EST, and it was stunning.
Times Online reports that police believe they know the mastermind of the London bombings. The suicide bombers have also been identified. One was a teaching assistant and the father of a 14-month-old daughter. Times Online Link.
Another: a 22-year-old, physically fit youth who traveled to Pakistan and Afghanistan and may have been in contact with Al Qaeda leadership. Times Online LINK.
Was it a trip for two months to a school/mosque in Pakistan that corrupted these men? Times Online LINK.
Dan Murphy of the Christian Science Monitor files from Cairo asking if Islam's moderate preachers can influence the radicals before they ply their hatred. The USA Today also links to this story. CSM LINK.
Labor and Tories to hold 'urgent' talks to punish clerics who preach and/or encourage terror. Times Online LINK.
The extensive reporting from Frontline on Al Qaeda's 'new front.' PBS LINK. A former CIA caseworker's analysis of the new Al Qaeda. PBS LINK.
Britain links at least one of the bombers to another Al Qaeda-esque operation. LA Times LINK.
Home grown terror
The first two paragraphs of this story sum up the tense situation in Leeds and London.
For Britain's Muslims, a Fear Realized
By Glenn Frankel and Ellen Knickmeyer
Washington Post Foreign Service
Thursday, July 14, 2005; Page A17
LONDON, July 13 -- Britain's security services, politicians and Muslim community leaders responded with anger and dismay Wednesday to what some Muslims called their worst nightmare: the disclosure that the four suspected killers in the London transit explosions were homegrown Islamic suicide bombers.
Newspapers published copies of the birth certificate of one of the men, Shehzad Tanweer, 22, emphasizing that he and his alleged co-conspirators were British born and raised. Security analysts said the fact that the men apparently had no criminal records and appeared in no intelligence file would make it harder to track down their network before it struck again. Washington Post LINK.
Many stories today about these bombers.
The Guardian details each, struggling to understand how it all happened. The 18-year-old suicide bomber. LINK. Confusion still as to the identity of the fourth bomber. But he may have frequented a youth center that was raising concerns among the police. LINK.
The NY Times tries its hand at explaining, and of course failing to explain, how three (four with the one not identified) lives could end in such violent carnage. NY Times LINK.
Once again, fine reporting from the Christian Science Monitor. Britain faces an 'enemy within' with a large population of Muslims, and apparently those willing to radicalize them. CSM LINK. The article says that those small pockets of hate in London, or Leeds, are more worrisome than a plot hatched in distant Asian mountains. They should also be more worrisome to Americans, based on easy transportation from England to America.
Two opinions I am not quite sure about
London Blasts: Where the Investigation Should Start
From Dr. Mohammed T. Al-Rasheed and the Arab News, one part xenophobia, one part... maybe a good point? Is England and especially London too diverse?
The only paragraph I completely agree with:
"Islam, in its normative form, will live side by side with other faiths and nationalities. But some Muslims, as is seen today, are not ready for cohabitation. Sure enough, the majority of Muslims, and I am one of them, would say that they can do so, but unless we as Muslims clean our house, the issue is rather academic." Arab News LINK.
Iraq?
Seumas Milne and the Guardian say that the bombings must be linked to Iraq. But it should also be noted that Spain has broken up about 4 plots since Madrid of last year, and since they left Iraq. Guardian Op-Ed LINK.
There is not enough about the victims in the above.
Quick links
Some of the tactics used in Abu Ghraib were first used in Gitmo. Washington Post LINK.
Revenue surge leads to reduction in the deficit. Bush takes credit, some take caution. WPost LINK.
Ultra-conservatives have switched from ideological critiques of Attorney General Gonzales to questions of ethics, if he is on the court for a Bush policy challenge, he may need to recuse himself. WPost LINK.
Specter and Feinstein propose curbs to the Patriot Act. WPost LINK. Three congressional committees move to advance certain parts of the act, and remove controversial components. NY Times LINK.
USA Today's poll on what Americans would like from the next Supreme Court justice. USA Today LINK. Chief Justice Rehnquist hospitalized with fever yesterday. USA Today LINK.
The so-called Gang of 14 who alleviated a Senate show down on filibusters and Senate rules face a test with this new appointment. NY Times LINK.
North Korea, brinkmanship, and Condi
Japan, South Korea, and U.S. to meet to discuss N.Korea's nuclear program. AFP LINK. BUT, Condi Rice says the cooling of tensions was more to do with Bush's policy than with S. Korea's offer to provide electricity to their not-so-well lit neighbors to the North.
At this point in time, please read the LATEST story on how the military is stretched very thin, this from Military.com. Military.com LINK.
Please allow for the juxtaposition of those two paragraphs to serve as sufficient commentary. Please also assume that I am cursing a blue streak right now. K THNX, Condi.
Iraq
Two joined attacks on the Green Zone today wounded 5. Yesterday, a suicide bomber killed a number of children surrounding US Troops. USA Today LINK.
Iraq's persistent insurgency keeps the petrodollars from rebuilding the country, reports CSM. CSM LINK.
Do recall that one of the 'reasons' advanced for this war was that the oil-rich country would redevelop infrastructure rapidly.
More quick links
Day-after reporting of the Home Land Security restructuring plan.
NY Times LINK.
The Governator's veto, and $8 million dollars.
"By Peter Nicholas and Robert Salladay, Times Staff Writers
"SACRAMENTO Â Two days before he was sworn into office, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger accepted a consulting job paying an estimated $8 million over five years to "further the business objectives" of a national publisher of health and bodybuilding magazines.
"The contract pays Schwarzenegger 1% of the magazines' advertising revenue, much of which comes from makers of nutritional supplements. Last year, the governor vetoed legislation that would have imposed government regulations on the supplement industry." LA Times LINK.
More links, right
Chinese military restructuring to maintain combat effectiveness. Xinhua LINK.
"Why I hate Harry Potter." BBC News LINK.
Why did I link to that? Why the hell not?
Two minutes of silence in England and around Europe at Noon, GMT. Times Online LINK.
Londoners were encouraged to leave their offices, or construction sites, or shops, or homes, and enter the streets in silence. CNN aired 15-30 seconds of it at 7:00 a.m. EST, and it was stunning.
Times Online reports that police believe they know the mastermind of the London bombings. The suicide bombers have also been identified. One was a teaching assistant and the father of a 14-month-old daughter. Times Online Link.
Another: a 22-year-old, physically fit youth who traveled to Pakistan and Afghanistan and may have been in contact with Al Qaeda leadership. Times Online LINK.
Was it a trip for two months to a school/mosque in Pakistan that corrupted these men? Times Online LINK.
Dan Murphy of the Christian Science Monitor files from Cairo asking if Islam's moderate preachers can influence the radicals before they ply their hatred. The USA Today also links to this story. CSM LINK.
Labor and Tories to hold 'urgent' talks to punish clerics who preach and/or encourage terror. Times Online LINK.
The extensive reporting from Frontline on Al Qaeda's 'new front.' PBS LINK. A former CIA caseworker's analysis of the new Al Qaeda. PBS LINK.
Britain links at least one of the bombers to another Al Qaeda-esque operation. LA Times LINK.
Home grown terror
The first two paragraphs of this story sum up the tense situation in Leeds and London.
For Britain's Muslims, a Fear Realized
By Glenn Frankel and Ellen Knickmeyer
Washington Post Foreign Service
Thursday, July 14, 2005; Page A17
LONDON, July 13 -- Britain's security services, politicians and Muslim community leaders responded with anger and dismay Wednesday to what some Muslims called their worst nightmare: the disclosure that the four suspected killers in the London transit explosions were homegrown Islamic suicide bombers.
Newspapers published copies of the birth certificate of one of the men, Shehzad Tanweer, 22, emphasizing that he and his alleged co-conspirators were British born and raised. Security analysts said the fact that the men apparently had no criminal records and appeared in no intelligence file would make it harder to track down their network before it struck again. Washington Post LINK.
Many stories today about these bombers.
The Guardian details each, struggling to understand how it all happened. The 18-year-old suicide bomber. LINK. Confusion still as to the identity of the fourth bomber. But he may have frequented a youth center that was raising concerns among the police. LINK.
The NY Times tries its hand at explaining, and of course failing to explain, how three (four with the one not identified) lives could end in such violent carnage. NY Times LINK.
Once again, fine reporting from the Christian Science Monitor. Britain faces an 'enemy within' with a large population of Muslims, and apparently those willing to radicalize them. CSM LINK. The article says that those small pockets of hate in London, or Leeds, are more worrisome than a plot hatched in distant Asian mountains. They should also be more worrisome to Americans, based on easy transportation from England to America.
Two opinions I am not quite sure about
London Blasts: Where the Investigation Should Start
From Dr. Mohammed T. Al-Rasheed and the Arab News, one part xenophobia, one part... maybe a good point? Is England and especially London too diverse?
The only paragraph I completely agree with:
"Islam, in its normative form, will live side by side with other faiths and nationalities. But some Muslims, as is seen today, are not ready for cohabitation. Sure enough, the majority of Muslims, and I am one of them, would say that they can do so, but unless we as Muslims clean our house, the issue is rather academic." Arab News LINK.
Iraq?
Seumas Milne and the Guardian say that the bombings must be linked to Iraq. But it should also be noted that Spain has broken up about 4 plots since Madrid of last year, and since they left Iraq. Guardian Op-Ed LINK.
There is not enough about the victims in the above.
Quick links
Some of the tactics used in Abu Ghraib were first used in Gitmo. Washington Post LINK.
Revenue surge leads to reduction in the deficit. Bush takes credit, some take caution. WPost LINK.
Ultra-conservatives have switched from ideological critiques of Attorney General Gonzales to questions of ethics, if he is on the court for a Bush policy challenge, he may need to recuse himself. WPost LINK.
Specter and Feinstein propose curbs to the Patriot Act. WPost LINK. Three congressional committees move to advance certain parts of the act, and remove controversial components. NY Times LINK.
USA Today's poll on what Americans would like from the next Supreme Court justice. USA Today LINK. Chief Justice Rehnquist hospitalized with fever yesterday. USA Today LINK.
The so-called Gang of 14 who alleviated a Senate show down on filibusters and Senate rules face a test with this new appointment. NY Times LINK.
North Korea, brinkmanship, and Condi
Japan, South Korea, and U.S. to meet to discuss N.Korea's nuclear program. AFP LINK. BUT, Condi Rice says the cooling of tensions was more to do with Bush's policy than with S. Korea's offer to provide electricity to their not-so-well lit neighbors to the North.
At this point in time, please read the LATEST story on how the military is stretched very thin, this from Military.com. Military.com LINK.
Please allow for the juxtaposition of those two paragraphs to serve as sufficient commentary. Please also assume that I am cursing a blue streak right now. K THNX, Condi.
Iraq
Two joined attacks on the Green Zone today wounded 5. Yesterday, a suicide bomber killed a number of children surrounding US Troops. USA Today LINK.
Iraq's persistent insurgency keeps the petrodollars from rebuilding the country, reports CSM. CSM LINK.
Do recall that one of the 'reasons' advanced for this war was that the oil-rich country would redevelop infrastructure rapidly.
More quick links
Day-after reporting of the Home Land Security restructuring plan.
NY Times LINK.
The Governator's veto, and $8 million dollars.
"By Peter Nicholas and Robert Salladay, Times Staff Writers
"SACRAMENTO Â Two days before he was sworn into office, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger accepted a consulting job paying an estimated $8 million over five years to "further the business objectives" of a national publisher of health and bodybuilding magazines.
"The contract pays Schwarzenegger 1% of the magazines' advertising revenue, much of which comes from makers of nutritional supplements. Last year, the governor vetoed legislation that would have imposed government regulations on the supplement industry." LA Times LINK.
More links, right
Chinese military restructuring to maintain combat effectiveness. Xinhua LINK.
"Why I hate Harry Potter." BBC News LINK.
Why did I link to that? Why the hell not?
posted by Bravo 2-1 at 7:30 AM
2 Comments:
Phenom. update, but no more Karl Rove? I hope the national press does not follow in the footsteps of Edit Copy and continues to ride the issue. Expect a lot of news from Wilson and his supporters. I don't think this will go away -- at least not for another week.
Great point, anonymous. That was an oversight on my part. I do think it's interesting that the administration has a real wait and see attitude, because no breaks mean reduced coverage -- especially in this day and age. There was Dean last night, which was typical of Dean.
One could already see the major dailies struggling to advance the story yesterday. There was little cohesion in their coverage, as most of the news broke in time for dinner.
The issue is not over, and I'll keep watch. Thanks again.
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