A fascinating scandal has erupted in Washington that is exposing the sordid underbelly of the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan.

According to a New York Times investigation and other Washington sources, the Pentagon and US intelligence agencies have fielded covert mercenary networks in Afghanistan, Pakistan (AKA "Afpak"), and Iraq whose mission is to murder tribal militants and nationalists opposing Western occupation.

Don't believe a politician who tells you the worm is a harmless distraction, or a TV toy they ignore.

In the words of Greg Turnbull, a former adviser to both Paul Keating and Kim Beazley: "The worm they regard as completely unscientific mumbo jumbo - except when it supports you."

Viewers who tuned in to today's lunchtime debate got a contest that on one side at least, pandered to the worm.

Did you notice Kevin Rudd's opening gambit?

The great world powers would learn from local criminal groups about how to deal with brutally enforced occupation of land by gun-laden heavies and the subtle and sometimes savage negotiations and killings needed to move that group out and replace them with muscled-up rightful owners of the turf.

Kings Cross is now called Little Lebanon. It wasn't too long ago that it was under Jewish control by Abe Saffron, using independent local private security firms led by Lenny McPherson - the Australian equivalent of the US's Blackwater.

Now, on the seventh anniversary of the unconstitutional, immoral, aggressive, unjust, unnecessary, manufactured, manipulated, and senseless war that is the war in Iraq, the escalation of the war in Afghanistan has eclipsed any mention of the ongoing war in Iraq. And this in spite of the fact that there are still 130,000 U.S. troops in Iraq.

On March 4th, Senators John McCain and Joe Lieberman introduced a bill called the "Enemy Belligerent Interrogation, Detention, and Prosecution Act of 2010" that, if passed, would set this country on a course to become a military dictatorship.

It's none of my business, but maybe you have Northern tissue on your toilet roll. You might also buy Brawny paper towels, Dixie paper cups, and Vanity Fair napkins. Maybe you have clothing that owes its clingy and comfy stretchiness to Lycra, and perhaps you have a Stainmaster carpet or a Solarmax couch in your home.

Retired general: Gays made Dutch weak in Bosnia

WASHINGTON — A retired U.S. general says Dutch troops failed to defend against the 1995 genocide in the Bosnian war because the army was weakened, partly because it included openly gay soldiers.

Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott traded bitter blows on health policy as the last Question Time until May descended into chaos.

Six MPs were ejected as debate raged between the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader over which side had better health credentials.

Mr Rudd and Mr Abbott have now agreed to go head to head on the issue at the National Press Club next Tuesday.

The stoush started when the Government attempted to ambush Mr Abbott by suspending Question Time in order to make Mr Abbott outline whether or not he would support Labor's hospital reform plans.

from Crikey .....

Tas election: scared Labor shoots itself in the foot with robocalls

From Tasmania, freelance journalist Bruce Montgomery writes:

TASMANIAN ELECTION

There are two definitions of anti-Semitism in its Jewish context. One was born in real history and represents a truth. The other is part and parcel of Zionist mythology and was invented for the purpose of blackmailing non-Jewish Europeans and North Americans into refraining from criticising Israel or, to be more precise, staying silent when its leaders resort to state terrorism and demonstrate in many ways their absolute contempt for international law.

Anti-Semitism properly and honestly defined is prejudice against and loathing and even hatred of Jews, all Jews everywhere, just because they are Jews.

from Crikey .....

Gay, Gunns and logging - just what nobody wanted to talk about

Bob Burton from The Tasmanian Times writes:

'Stop and search' is racial profiling by any other name

Criminal law and human rights barrister Greg Barns writes:

Steve Fielding, the Family First senator and creationist identified as more stupid than an earthworm by visiting English evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, appears to have taken the classification literally and gone underground.

For days Canberra's ABC radio afternoon shift announcer Genevieve Jacobs had spruiked the senator's appearance on her bravely oxymoronic ''Pollies Without Politics'' segment.