Sunday news dump

A few days ago, i read an article with the argument that the biggest error, as far as middle eastern policy is concerned, has been the lumping together of the militia and terrorist groups under one common enemy umberlla group.

The argument ran that to do so, would be to ignore the fact that these groups are split up into highly structured, deeply entrenched political wings who do a lot of work in communities where the government is ineffective. Hence very popular. Very legitimately votable in the eyes of many.

Enevitably there is also the armed wing.

By equating the political with the outlawed armed how can people hope to talk to each other ?

That was more or less the gist of it .... I was intrigued, then, to run into this Wapo article which points out that the administration is largely to blame for a series of blunders. Offering only sticks not carrots to potentiel middle eastern allies but more notably the non use of d.i.a.l.o.g.u.e ..


Paging Madame Plame : Sunday Times - Iran's plot to mine uranium in Africa ... didn't we like, just hear this story a few years back ? ..

"IRAN is seeking to import large consignments of bomb-making uranium from the African mining area that produced the Hiroshima bomb, an investigation has revealed.

A United Nations report, dated July 18, said there was “no doubt” that a huge shipment of smuggled uranium 238, uncovered by customs officials in Tanzania, was transported from the Lubumbashi mines in the Congo.

Tanzanian customs officials told The Sunday Times it was destined for the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, and was stopped on October 22 last year during a routine check."

In the Indy, Robert Fisk gives us two great articles : A terrible thought occurs to me - that there will be another 9/11 and an on the spot piece from Lebanon : Slaughter in Qana

The Telegraph warns that the Afghanistan Peacekeeping mission seems to be getting less and less peaceful ...

Finally, New statesman :

" At a Downing Street reception not long ago, a guest had the temerity to ask Tony Blair:

"How do you sleep at night, knowing that you've been responsible for the deaths of 100,000 Iraqis?"

The Prime Minister is said to have retorted:

"I think you'll find it's closer to 50,000."