‘The commonly accepted knowledge in the administration and in the Pentagon is that this is a religious war, that these men blow themselves up for God. Not at all, says Brzezinski: "These are political questions. They may seen religious, but in reality they are directly related to our policies. Look at who they are against: the U.S., the Brits, the Israelis. We are seen as the new British colonialists, just as in Vietnam we were seen as the continuation of French colonialism."

Fifteen American soldiers watched over a man, shackled to a seat in the cargo bay of a C-17 Globemaster - the Air Force workhorse that usually moves Abrams tanks, Chinook helicopters or infantry vehicles. Wearing goggles that shut out all light, a soundproof headset and a mask that covered his mouth so he could not speak, spit or bite, the prisoner arrived at Ramstein Air Force Base in Kaiserslautern, Germany, under the tightest security. The plane had burned through 36,000 gallons of jet fuel and had refueled in flight. During the seventeen-hour ride, the prisoner was provided with neither food nor water. Nor was he allowed to stretch his legs or relieve himself.

‘It could be a scene from Kafka or Brazil. Imagine a government agency, in a bureaucratic foul-up, accidentally gives you a copy of a document marked "top secret." And it contains a log of some of your private phone calls.

You read it and ponder it and wonder what it all means. Then, two months later, the FBI shows up at your door, demands the document back and orders you to forget you ever saw it.

And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,

Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?

William Butler Yeats, The Second Coming

from the ABC .....

Iraq never about oil: Nelson

Today Dr Nelson said resource security was a separate issue.

Defence Minister Brendan Nelson has distanced himself from comments he made yesterday about a link between oil security and the need for Australian troops to stay in Iraq.

On Wednesday Dr Nelson said oil security was one of the reasons Australian forces should not leave Iraq.

‘The Bushies, it seems, like starting fights, but they don’t believe in paying any of the cost of those fights or bearing any of the risks. Above all, they don’t believe that they or their friends should face any personal or professional penalties for trivial sins like distorting intelligence to get America into an unnecessary war, or totally botching that war’s execution.

Today is bushit’s birthday

The Houston Chronicle's Julie Mason writes that Bush's 61 years old physique is showing the demands of the office. "For Bush, his cumulative burden, with perhaps the Iraq war being most prominent - takes a heavy toll that is showing on his face & also in his demeanour, which is less jokey and more testy than previously.

Iraq oil security in Australia's interest: Nelson

Dr Nelson says energy security is extremely important to all nations.

The Federal Government says oil is a key reason to keep Australian troops in Iraq, but says it was not the reason for the original invasion.

from the centre for american progress …..

A new merger announced today has seen the former global Vice-President of Halliburton/KBR become a much more influential player in the implementation of Adelaide's future.

The Defence Industry Advisory Board, chaired by Peter Cosgrove, is to merge with the Port Adelaide Maritime Corporation. The corporation owns Techport Australia, whose CEO is Cheney's former man-on-the-ground" for this part of the world.

The prime rattus, on the brink of Australia's commitment of forces to Iraq, in conversation with 3AW host Neil Mitchell.

MITCHELL: Prime Minister, has oil got anything to do with this conflict?

PRIME MINISTER: No I don’t believe for a moment it has.

07.02.2003

This today from the online pages of The Australian:

Securing oil a factor for war in Iraq, says Nelson

‘At the nadir of his presidency, George W. Bush is looking for answers.

One at a time or in small groups, he summons leading authors, historians, philosophers and theologians to the White House to join him in the search.

Bush Rationale on Libby Stirs Legal Debate

By ADAM LIPTAK

Published: July 4, 2007

In commuting I. Lewis Libby Jr.'s 30-month prison sentence on Monday, President Bush drew on the same array of arguments about the federal sentencing system often made by defense lawyers - and routinely and strenuously opposed by his own Justice Department.

from Crikey …..

How the Texacutioner discovered his heart

Jeff Sparrow writes:

So President Bush has commuted the two-and-a-half year prison term facing Lewis 'Scooter' Libby, calling the sentence "excessive".

‘Indeed so secrecy-fixated is this White House that John Dean, Richard Nixon's White House counsel, was once quoted in the Daily Telegraph of London as saying, "Bush and Cheney are a throwback to the Nixon time. All government business is filtered through a political process at this White House, which is the most secretive ever to run the United States."

Not to put too fine a point on it, but when Nixon's consigliere calls you secretive, it's like Tony Soprano saying you have anger-management issues.