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Born at the Crest of the Empire

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Quickhits

(AP, Reuters) The US blames yesterday's massive carbombing in Hurriyah (killed 63, wounded 75) on a "special groups cell." The story is that a local "renegade Mahdi commander" conducted the bombing against his own Shiites to stoke sectarian violence for profit.
"We believe he ordered the attack to incite (Shiite) violence against Sunnis; that his intent was to disrupt Sunni resettlement in Hurriyah in order to maintain extortion of real estate rental income to support his nefarious activities," Stover said in an e-mail.

(NYTimes) The Pakistani military is threatening to cut off joint training and cooperation over the US's June 10 airstrike that killed 11 Pakistani soldiers. "Some Pakistani officials are convinced that the Americans deliberately fired on their military...."

(AP) Israel urges Lebanon to open peace talks. (So, they cut a ceasefire with Hamas, are negotiating with Syria, and want to settle with Lebanon. Hardly the "Bush doctrine.")

They're even dealing with Hezbullah, "Earlier this week, a senior government official confirmed Israel was pursuing a prisoner swap with Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon."

(Reuters) The DeBaathification reform has stalled/died.

And, (Reuters) "Iraq's parliament will relocate just outside Baghdad's fortified Green Zone compound in September for the first time since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, a sign security is improving, the first deputy speaker said on Tuesday."

5 Comments:

  • I think the Israeli peace offers and the US refusal to talk have their own logic. It's a good cop/bad cop thing.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 9:46 AM  

  • I thought about that as I was writing this.

    I was also thinking that the Israelis are going to lose their blind bad cop in five months and that's why they're trying to settle everything now.

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 10:57 AM  

  • Could be the Israelis detect a different mood in Washington already. Maybe AIPAC is finally losing its grip.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 11:46 AM  

  • Made me laugh out loud.

    No. I think the Israelis are seeing Cheney going as the end to their threat.

    The general position will still be roughly the same, they just won't have the crazy Dr. Cheney Strangelove making the threats they've been using for leverage.

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 1:14 PM  

  • Mike, you are absolutely right. Cheney forced the failed Lebanon invasion on Ohlmert, as well as the mysterious air strike on Syria.

    By Blogger Todd Dugdale , at 1:47 PM  

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