“It’s important that the new government be attentive to the competence of the people in the ministries and that they avoid unnecessary turbulence,”
“We have an opportunity to continue to make progress politically, economically… anything that would delay that or disrupt that as a result of turbulence, or lack of confidence or corruption in government, would be unfortunate.” – Donald Rumsfeld, US Defence Secretary
Wise words indeed. Unfortunately, he was talking about Iraq where US concerns are mounting, regarding the loyalty and effectiveness of the Iraqi security forces.
The recent declaration by 64 Sunni leaders, that their followers should join the army and police, is extremely encouraging for inter-ethnic stability within Iraq, but has sent alarm bells ringing in Washington, who are concerned that a truly democratic Iraq, which represents the desires of the indigenous population, will not necessarily be in the best interests of US strategy in the Middle-East.
As it’s been a while since I wrote about Iraq, I suppose I ought to take this chance to admit that the invasion has worked out less catastrophic than I had feared. Which does not mean I think it was legal, or a good idea, but it does look like the result might eventually be pretty good. For those who didn’t die, get tortured, or lose their family or home, at any rate.
From the good ol’ BBC. Looks like our old friend the Straw Man has not only come out for the election, but gone back to school:
“At the moment, you could be fantastic at algebra, but not really able to calculate the area of a room. And clearly we’ve got to change that,” says Education Secretary Ruth Kelly.
If Ms Kelly is able to find and display one such person I shall be most surprised.
area = length * depth
Looks a lot like algebra to me. Very, very simple algebra. Stop making people up, Ms Kelly! You have enough problems with the real students.
Nothing much to report. Plenty of dreadful things happening in the world, but you’ll already know that from your regular news channels. Just a quick round-up, so’s folks don’t go thinking I’m dead, again.
Reagan was, according to a movie script at any rate, concerned that he might be the anti-christ. California burns. Theres a huge plague of locusts sweeping Sudan. And I think I just saw four horsemen fly past my window.
According to Pravda, the crew of the Ukrainian plane which crashed carrying 62 Spanish peacekeepers were drunk.
“I am happy to see the message was delivered to Syria by the Israeli air force, and I hope it is the first of many such messages” : Richard Perle, former Defense Policy Board chairman, Whitehouse insider, and all-round balanced guy.
Here’s hoping something amusing happens damn soon.
Everyone’s a critic.
The BBC reports that the actor Jim Caviezel, playing Jesus in Mel Gibson’s “The Passion Of Christ”, has been struck by lightning for a second time. Grief man, take a hint!
Describing the second lightning strike, McEveety told VLife, a supplement of the trade paper Variety: “I’m about a hundred feet away from them when I glance over and see smoke coming out of Caviezel’s ears.”
Sadly only literal pretend messiahs get thunderbolted. Which neatly links us to Oz as:
The Great KerfuffleTM continues!
George W Bush has addressed the Australian Federal Parliament. His speech, once it got past the Howard love-in, and George showing his aptitude for foreign languages, “You might remember that I called him a man of steel. That’s Texan for fair dinkum.”, was a standard-issue denunciation of Saddam, and all evil-doers.
During the speech, Ahmed Habib, the son of one of the two Australians being held at Guantanamo, was in the public gallery as a guest of Green MP Bob Brown.
“What about my father’s rights?” he called out before security guards escorted him from Parliament, making him the only person removed during the address.
The complete speech, courtesy of the Sydney Morning Herald, is watchable on the web. Worth it for the rare occasion of Bush being heckled. (Actually, it looks like the only part of the speech cut is the heckling. Garrr! They cunningly split it into three parts, with the heckling in the bits between the parts.)
Luckily the BBC has a little film story about the event, and even shows some protestors. Heavens forbid!
Brown interjected on the President: “Mr Bush, this is Australia. Respect our nation’s laws. Return our Australian citizens from Guantanamo Bay. If you respect the world’s laws the world will respect you.”
The Speaker ordered him from the chamber, but he did not move. Shortly afterwards Kerry Nettle also piped up, was likewise ordered out, and stayed put. Now they will be barred from the address today by Chinese President Hu, where they planned to protest about human rights violations.
But they managed to draw the one unscripted line in Bush’s address. “I love freedom of speech,” he said after Nettle’s outburst.
Anyhows, Bush stayed less than 24 hours in Oz, and by now should be safe and sound back in the land of the free and the hope of the brave. So that is the end of W’s Oriental Adventure.
Grieve not, adventure lovers! George will be coming to England soon, and we’re getting a real nice welcome ready for him.
The Sydney Morning Herald published an open letter from 41 of Australia’s ALP party MPs to George Bush.
A great kerfuffle has erupted over the US demand that Bush’s address to Parliament be covered only by a handpicked group of four US journalists. Australia has since overturned it, and demanded that at least two Ozzie journalists be allowed in.
George Bush’s word is apparently beyond question. At least, by the Australian press.
The US President has declined a customary joint press conference after his address to the Federal Parliament tomorrow.
The media event, which normally allows two or three questions from Australian media and an equal number from the visiting press, would have been the only official opportunity for Australian journalists to quiz Mr Bush on the Iraq war and its aftermath.
It would also be the only opportunity to ask the US President about the two Australian citizens being detained without charge at Guantanamo Bay.
Australian journalists have also been denied any place in a so-called “close-up media pool” that will follow Mr Bush on all his official stops on the day. All positions in the four-member pool have been allocated to members of the White House press corps.
The US Secret Service rejected an application from the Canberra press gallery for equal access, on the basis that the journalists did not have the required US security clearances. The Secret Service then declined to allow the journalists to apply for those clearances; no reason was given.
A marquee has been set up in the grounds of The Lodge to allow the American journalists to file their stories. No Australian media will be allowed on the grounds.
A member of the team put together by Mr Howard’s department to make press arrangements for the visit conceded yesterday that Australian media will learn of events at Government House and The Lodge from news reports filed in the US.
Asked why there would be no joint press conference with Mr Bush and Mr Howard, the spokesman said: “Because it isn’t on the itinerary.”
Mr Bush and Mr Howard had joint media conferences both times the Prime Minister visited the US this year.
The Chinese President, Hu Jintao, has agreed to participate in a joint press conference, with two questions from the Australian media and two from the travelling Chinese press, after he addresses Parliament on Thursday.
Protestors have been banned from using loudspeakers, and the protests themselves have been moved so far away that Bush has no chance of actually even being aware of their presence. Well, unless he breaks the habit, and reads a newspaper.
And that’s it for now from Australia.
Finally! News in from Thailand!
US President George W Bush had no problems sleeping on his first night in Thailand amid tight security, National Police Chief General Sant Sarutanond said yesterday.
Hurrah! Though I guess that means the curse on his soul didn’t work. “Ha, the jokes on you, ya pesky witches. I sold my soul years ago!”
Meanwhile, both uniformed and plainclothes police officers were on duty at all skytrain stations. Lt-Colonel Boonrit Lohsuwan, a deputy superintendent at Metropolitan Police Division 9, said police were instructed to pay particular attention to Middle-Eastern-looking people.
Although the only sinister arab arrested so far turns out to be part of the Afghan royal family, and entirely innocent.
Ji Ungphakorn, a political scientist at Chulalongkorn University, said:
�Prime Minister Thaksin [Shinawatra] wanted Thai people to behave like smiling children who are retarded and welcome those who pose danger to the world.�
And that’s it, from the early morning Thailand Adventure Roundup!
As dawn breaks over Thailand, I regret to say that nothing terribly amusing has happened yet. There is, of course, the usual level of disruption to Bangkok that goes with hosting one of these big global conferences. Ordinary people aren’t allowed to use the main roads, or go near the centre of the city. Everywhere, the secret service of 22 nations eye passersby with suspicion.
The protests have been shunted away from anywhere where they could possibly be visible to the visiting dignitaries. Bangkok’s legion of homeless people have become invisible, though no-one seems entirely sure where they’ve gone. One suggestion is that they’ve been sent to the pound along with all the stray dogs that were rounded up in an epic effort in the week before.
Having international meetings is great fun for our leaders, but I’m glad my city is too uncool to ever host anything like that. When Pootie-Poot invited the leaders of the world to the 300th anniversary of St Petersburg, the city became unrecognisable to its residents. Manhole covers were sealed, all weapons were confiscated, and locals were forced to allow snipers to use their bedrooms as bases.
Evian had it worse when it hosted the G8 summit. A 15 kilometre exclusion zone was set up about the city, causing untold annoyance to anyone within. Protesters massed instead upon Geneva, and a three day rolling riot left 16 million euros of damage.
Ah, sweet unimportant Norwich.
Pity then the good people of Bangkok, who I’m sure can’t wait to be rid of these troublesome and turbulent foreigners, as they awake to another day under siege.
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