Four little sentences in today’s paper tell a big story about an international disgrace:
US Navy ships laden with relief supplies steamed away from Myanmar’s coast Thursday, their helicopters barred by the ruling junta even though millions of cyclone survivors need food, shelter or medical care. The junta also refused help from French and British warships.
More than a month after the storm, many people in stricken areas still have received no aid at all and the military regime continued to impose constraints on international rescue efforts.
Some 1.3 million survivors have been reached with assistance by local and international aid groups, but UN officials estimated Wednesday that 1.1 million more still needed help. (more…)
…and put them on trial for war crimes. Had enough of being lied to and misled and manipulated and sucker-punched by President Bush and his buddies? Looks like John McCain = more of the same. NO THANKS.
This morning I listened to Dr Martin Luther King Jr’s 1967 speech “Beyond Vietnam – A Time to Break Silence.” It made me realize again what an immense loss we suffered when he was killed one year later. Dr King’s extraordinary leadership, eloquence, and vision stand in sharp contrast (more…)
In his press conference yesterday, President Bush unveiled another big surprise: The Iraqi government will not meet the goal of taking over security in its 18 provinces by November. The President set that goal in January but now tells us that, “Achieving those goals have [sic] been slower than we thought.” Oh, no. Does that mean that things are not going according to plan in Iraq? (more…)
So President Bush now sees parallels between his war in Iraq and the Vietnam War. Many others noted comparisons years ago but didn’t reach the same simplistic conclusions as our dear leader. And one has to wonder about Mr. Bush’s sudden willingness to lecture us regarding Vietnam. One thing’s for sure: he’s not drawing on any personal experience. (more…)
Letter to the Editor – included in on-line section (March 2007)
President Bush isn’t listening. He wants us to be patient (“Give Iraq plan time to work, Bush asks” in the March 20 P-I). More than 3,200 American deaths, hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilian deaths, and more than $400 billion — that’s patience, and more than enough of it.
Congress and a growing majority of Americans understand what’s needed in the war in Iraq: an end to U.S. involvement. Congress must insist that the administration meets its own benchmarks and is held accountable for results — or lack of them. Bush’s policies in Iraq have been a disaster. It’s time to listen to us, Mr. President, and get out of Iraq.
President Bush wants to escalate troop levels in his disastrous war in Iraq. Against the counsel of his own advisors, the military and foreign policy experts, against the will of American voters, and with dwindling support from coalition partners, the president still insists on more of the same. (more…)
Letter to the Editor – printed in the Seattle P-I (June 2004)
Desperate times call for desperate measures, I guess.The 9/11 Commission’s latest finding is that no evidence supports Bush administration claims of a direct tie between Iraq and the Sept. 11 attacks.About his suggestion that one of the hijackers might have met with an Iraqi intelligence agent in Prague, Vice President Cheney now says (more…)
