US intelligence brimming over with wrongability

April 2nd, 2005

The intelligence community in the United States, despite a large budget and mass-spying legislation that broadens federal powers while eroding an individual’s constitutional rights, were “dead wrong” in most of their judgments about Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction before the war. The US presidential report goes on to say that the US knows “disturbingly little” about the threats posed by many of the nation’s most dangerous adversaries.

“We conclude that the intelligence community was dead wrong in almost all of its pre-war judgments about Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction. We simply cannot afford failures of this magnitude.”

“The report implicitly absolves the Bush administration of manipulating the intelligence used to launch the 2003 Iraq war, putting the blame for bad intelligence directly on the intelligence community.”

“Across the board, the intelligence community knows disturbingly little about the nuclear programs of many of the worlds most dangerous actors. In some cases, it knows less now than it did five or 10 years ago.”

That said, I am not convinced that George W. Bush, and by way of blood spatter convergence our very own HoWARd, is free from responsibility.

Any mid-level public servant will ask for supporting data for any claim that involves using government owned paperclips let alone funding a preemptive strike.

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Collusion in the coalition even deeper?

March 30th, 2005

Just how much shared behaviour is expected of members of the coalition of the willing?
Just how willing is this government (with HoWARd at the helm) prepared to be?

How much have we swallowed already?
What will happen with the Senate’s findings?


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Can you make mine a soy latte…to go?

March 20th, 2005

When describing the conditions of Australia’s 450 extra troops, Lieutenant Colonel Noble said:

“Inside [the compound] it’s basic, but it’s got the essential things that we need, an area to fix vehicles, it’s got a gym, place for soldiers to sleep, it even has a coffee shop.”

Shopping centres have gymnasiums and coffee shops Sir. War zones are dangerous, and no amount of frothy coffee can mask that.

The experience of war to those that go and those left behind is traumatic. War is the last resort and that is why we marched today.

We should never have been part of the Coalition of the Willing and that statement is as true today as it was two years ago.

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This is what happens in a war. This is why war should be a last resort.

February 28th, 2005

This story highlights one of the reasons why the Invasion of Iraq was, and is, still wrong. This is why war should be used as a last resort. This is why all peaceful options are exhausted before there is a use of force.

War. Soldiers shoot at people. People get shot at.

The woman who was shot in the head by Australian Soldiers and her/a child who was wounded by the broken (presumably) windscreen is in an American military hospital in Baghdad’s Green Zone, where she is in a serious condition.

The whole incident is part of war. We are in a war in Iraq. Women, children, soldiers will get hurt, many will die. Some are co-lateral damage some are not.
Most will suffer from psychological trauma.

Mind, HoWARd is cool with this. He is sending 450 more troops into this war and highlighting the legitimate, war-like, dangerous aspect of this Invasion is useful to him. The heat is rising on the question of economic benefit to Australia for this increase in troops and HoWARd does not like answering questions about his lies.

Reduce the PTSD now.
Bring them home.

HoWARd happy to cut and run on seriously injured soldiers

February 26th, 2005

As Australia prepares to send more troops to Iraq, tens of thousands of military personnel injured in recent years stand to lose their rights to lump sum compensation.

The Government is changing the definition of “impairment” in a way that could deny lump sum payouts to people with serious back or limb injuries. The compensation overhaul will also affect thousands of other Commonwealth employees.

I do hope we don’t follow the US with our number of wounded.
Shame HoWARd Shame.

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