Thursday, May 06, 2004
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In line with politics-as-hyperbole, Turkish MPs on the Human Rights Commision say that the US torture cases in Iraq stem from a "culture of systematic dehumanization" dating back to the Blacks and Native Americans. One MP says that "the pictures, God forbid, are reminiscent of Nazism." All this despite being harassed by the EU with cases of domestic torture. At least there are still places left where one can read his high school poli sci thesis on television without getting laughed at.-----------------------
sketchy stuff going on in Cyprus, from Cyprus Mail:Below is the full text of the statement claiming responsibility for the grenade attack against the Limassol home of DISY leader Nicos Anastassiades on Tuesday.
The Cypriot Nationalists Organisation (CNO) claims responsibly for the minor damages against the arch-traitor.
The Greek Cypriot people will not forgive the high treason by the president of DISY, who attempted to misinform the outside world with various lies and charges against our island for his own interests and those of others.
There is no room in this place for these kinds of people.
The CNO warns the president of DISY and traitor of the island that he should hand in his official resignation by Tuesday May 11, or else what happened will have been just a small warning.
If he does not obey, he and all the members of his family should be careful.
Furthermore, all those who voted ‘yes’ to the plan of treason should also be careful because Cyprus is not for sale.
As of today, the nights will never be the same.
Wednesday, May 05, 2004
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Parts of the Taguba report seemingly contradict Rumsfeld's insistence that it was abuse and not torture. from the report:g. (U) Sodomizing a detainee with a chemical light and perhaps a broom stick.
k. (S) A male MP guard having sex with a female detainee.
Unless rape and sodomy are not considered torture, which they might not be...there's an easier way to figure this out, whats the punishment for rape in the US?
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"A quasi-independent Kurdistan would be ripe for Turkish invasion..." says Fred Kaplan of Slate, who apparently has spent way too much time playing Risk .In the event of an independent Kurdistan he could move most of the US soldiers to the north and Turkey would have to roll a whole lot of sixes in order to take that over. It also would have to be on crack.
If Turkey takes any public military action beyond its self-fashioned buffer zone it would effectively kick its own ass out of europe and into the middle east indefinately--being that its still feeling the stings from Cyprus. And I'm not sure how you can invade a country covertly.
And if the Turkish army hasn't learned that they can no longer go beyond their borders to solve their problems, it will learn fast. Even the US has come to the realization that their national interest has become inextricably tied to world perception, or at least some parts of the world--depending on what day it is.
Monday, May 03, 2004
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A Cathothic conservative film critic who doesn't mind X-rated films as long as they're "good and moral X-rated films", Victor Morton can stir up words on film that can put his less-conservative and less-catholic collegues to shame. His pieces on Lars von Trier are well worth the time although the religious/moral bias may edge some films over others. I have a suspicion that Kill Bill 2 made his top ten because its Christ-figure-vengence-play hit one of his five pressure points.
