McCain “Untested and Untried” on National Security Says Former NATO Commander

General Wesley Clark on John McCain’s readiness to be Commander in Chief, from The Huffington Post:

The truth is that, in national security terms, he’s largely untested and untried. He’s never been responsible for policy formulation. He’s never had leadership in a crisis, or in anything larger than his own element on an aircraft carrier or [in managing] his own congressional staff. It’s not clear that this is going to be the strong suit that he thinks it is.”

McCain’s weakness is that he’s always been for the use of force, force and more force. In my experience, the only time to use force is as a last resort. … When he talks about throwing Russia out of the G8 and makes ditties about bombing Iran, he betrays a disrespect for the office of the presidency.”

McCain Adviser: Terrorist Attack on US Would Benefit McCain

Democracy Now!:

In campaign news, John McCain’s chief political strategist has apologized after telling a magazine that another terrorist attack on US soil would benefit McCain’s candidacy. Charles Black told Fortune magazine, “Certainly it would be a big advantage to him.” During the same interview Black said the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto had helped McCain.

Why I’m Voting Republican

This great video sums it up for me.

Obama: Pick Chuck Hagel as Your Veep!

Barack Obama should pick Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel as his running mate because:

1.  He’s not Hillary Clinton.
2.  He’s a Republican, which shows Barack Obama’s ability to build bridges and immediately follow through with his promise of a new politics, where his record is not as strong as it could be.
3.  He was the first prominent Republican Senator to become a strong opponent of the war.
4.  Hagel’s home state, Nebraska, is a red “heartland” state.
5.  Retiring from the Senate, he knows enough of Washington to be usefull in pushing the Change agenda through Congress, while personally embodying the politics of Change.

Report Netanyahu Says 9 11 Has Been Good for Israel

Democracy Now! | Headlines for April 17, 2008:

The Israeli newspaper Ma’ariv has reported that Israel’s former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly said the September 11 attacks have been good for Israel. Netanyahu said “We are benefiting from one thing and that is the attack on the Twin Towers and Pentagon and the American struggle in Iraq.” Netanyahu then reportedly said that these events “swung American public opinion in our favor.” Netanyahu’s comments came during a conference at Bar Ilan University.

Protesters Extinguish Olympic Genocide Torch!

Yay!  Protesters in Paris managed to force the Olympic torch to be extinguished.  Remarkably, “One World.  One Dream” is the motto of the Olympics this year.  No, I don’t think I support the Chinese dictatorship’s dream of Tibetan and Uighur domination and genocide.

Reuters:

Security officials extinguished the Olympic torch on Monday on the Paris leg of its journey, disrupted by protesters against China’s crackdown on Tibet.

A police source said organizers were forced to put the torch on a bus to protect it from the hundreds of protesters who swarmed the procession after it set off from the Eiffel Tower.

Military Considers Recruiting & Hiring Bloggers

Democracy Now!:

In media news, new questions are being raised over the relationship between the Pentagon and bloggers. Wired.com has uncovered a 2006 study written for the US Special Operations Command that suggests the military should clandestinely recruit or hire prominent bloggers. The report stated, “Hiring a block of bloggers to verbally attack a specific person or promote a specific message may be worth considering.” The report also suggested the Pentagon hack blogs that promote messages that are antithetical to US interests. The report went on to say, “Hacking the site and subtly changing the messages and data—merely a few words or phrases—may be sufficient to begin destroying the blogger’s credibility with the audience.”

How To Preserve Your Humanity in War

A medic in Iraq refused to load his gun in the field.  He was subsequently denied conscientious objector status and court martialed.  He is awaiting sentencing.  He has a movie forthcoming and was interviewed Monday on Flashpoints Radio. His amazing quote:

The fact that I didn’t load my gun was something that saved me in a sense.  It gave me a great deal of peace in the middle of that chaos.  I really was trying to rescue part of my humanity while doing that.

Tortured Detainee Testimony on 60 Minutes Tonight

And he looks like a regular guy. Not some alien, inhuman, monster which we’re led to believe. Preview here.

U.K. Admits Rights Abuses in Iraq

The Hindu : International : U.K. admits rights breaches in Iraq

In an embarrassing turn-around, the British government has admitted “substantial breaches” of the European Convention on Human Rights over the treatment of Iraqi civilians held by its soldiers resulting in the death of a hotel worker in Basra in 2003.

No, “embarrassing” is farting a bit too loudly in public.

The u-turn, announced by Defence Secretary Des Browne, follows a prolonged legal battle which culminated in the Law Lords rejecting the government claim that the human rights convention did not apply to British troops serving abroad.

Hmm, I wonder where they got that idea. . .

The move means that the government would have to pay substantial compensation to those who claim to have been tortured or ill-treated by British soldiers.

Media reports indicated that compensation to the family of the hotel worker Baha Mousa, who died in British custody allegedly as a result of torture, could be in the region of £1 million.

Mousa and eight others were arrested after a raid on a hotel in September 2003 on suspicion of militant activity. Mousa had 93 injuries on his body when he died, and at a court martial last year the Ministry of Defence admitted that he was tortured over 36 hours. It also admitted that eight others were ill-treated.

“Embarrassing”?