Stories from 2002-07-27

"A new third option now being considered is for a sudden strike, involving no more than 50,000 troops who would bypass the Iraqi army and make straight for Baghdad. With thousands of US troops already deployed in Kuwait and Qatar, such a plan could be executed quickly, officials say." [more]

"It was the fifth time U.S. forces have been attacked since hostility against them rose sharply after a U.S. air strike July 1 that Afghan officials say killed 25 people at a village wedding party. The wounded soldiers were flown to Bagram. Four of them, wounded early in the attack, had injuries that were not life-threatening. The condition of the fifth, wounded late in the gunfight, was not immediately known." [more]

"From 1982-84 Colonel Oliver North assisted FEMA in drafting its civil defence preparations. Details of these plans emerged during the 1987 Iran-Contra scandal. They included executive orders providing for suspension of the constitution, the imposition of martial law, internment camps, and the turning over of government to the president and FEMA." [more]

"The Democrats did achieve one unexpected victory. At the last minute, party leaders brought up a motion that would forbid the department to contract with companies that establish an offshore headquarters to evade American taxes. The proposal usually fails when Democrats bring it up in other contexts, but tonight it picked up enough Republican votes to pass. Once it became clear that it would pass, scores of Republicans changed their votes to join the bandwagon, and the measure was approved 318 to 110." [more]

"Ý'Blair is determined to avoid replying to an offer made by Iraq on February 28 to immediately receive a British mission sent by Blair himself to show how and where Iraq is attempting to produce such weapons," the Iraqi spokesman said. 'If the British prime minister wants to prove his claims, the offer still stands and we challenge him once again to produce any evidence.'Ý" [more]

"The Special Forces aren't social workers. They are an imperial detachment, advancing American power and interests in Central Asia. Call it peacekeeping or nation-building, call it what you like — imperial policing is what is going on in Mazar. In fact, America's entire war on terror is an exercise in imperialism. This may come as a shock to Americans, who don't like to think of their country as an empire. But what else can you call America's legions of soldiers, spooks and Special Forces straddling the globe?" [more]