or Powell's or me• • •
"Mike and Jon, Jon and Mike—I've known them both for years, and, clearly, one of them is very funny. As for the other: truly one of the great hangers-on of our time."—Steve Bodow, head writer, The Daily Show
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"Who can really judge what's funny? If humor is a subjective medium, then can there be something that is really and truly hilarious? Me. This book."—Daniel Handler, author, Adverbs, and personal representative of Lemony Snicket
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"The good news: I thought Our Kampf was consistently hilarious. The bad news: I’m the guy who wrote Monkeybone."—Sam Hamm, screenwriter, Batman, Batman Returns, and Homecoming
January 01, 2007
Moral Clarity
Because the war on terror will require resolve and patience, it will also require firm moral purpose. In this way our struggle is similar to the Cold War...moral clarity was essential to our victory...
Here are two different people killed by members of Iraq's Mahdi militia:
Like all eight soldiers killed that night...[Sheehan] was part of a quick response team that rushed out of Forward Operating Base Eagle to rescue a platoon pinned down by gunfire in Sadr City...The firefight lasted into the early morning of Monday, wounding some 50 soldiers who went out in waves to put down the attack by a militia loyal to Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.
Saddam: (as the noose is put around his neck) Ya Allah [Oh God].Witness: Mercy be on those who pray for Mohammed and the household of Muhammed.
All: Mercy be on those who pray for Mohammed and the household of Muhammedâ€â€Â
Executioner and two witnesses: And hasten his [the Madhi's] return, curse his enemy and grant victory to his son, Muqtada, Muqtada, Muqtada!...
Iraqi National Security Advisor Muwafaq Al-Rubai'i: Longlive Mohammed Baqir Al-Sadr!...
Saddam: I witness that there is no god but Allah, and that Mohammed is the messenger of Allah. I witness that there is no god but Allah, and that Mohammed is theâ€â€Â[trap door is opened]
What would be really morally clear is if the men taunting Saddam had personally killed Sheehan too. But that may be too much moral clarity to hope for. In any case, I think we have lots more moral clarity to look forward to in 2007 when the U.S. tries to kill Sadr and all his supporters who participated in Saddam's execution.
Posted at January 1, 2007 03:54 PM | TrackBackOne thing that is clear, is that the death of Saddam did not bring closure or peace to Iraq. Sunnis are now gathering at Saddam's grave, demonstrators are now showing his iconic image and revenge has been threatened. President George Bush declared his nemesis' death "a milestone" and it may just be the clearest message that is there will be no mercy for Sunnis in a Shia and Kurdish dominated Iraq.
-- Nir Rosen
http://www.iraqslogger.com/index.php/post/452/Hijacking_Eid_and_Hanging_Saddam
>Iraqi National Security Advisor Muwafaq Al-Rubai'i: Longlive Mohammed Baqir Al-Sadr!...
NPR had some "Iraqi" "government" "official" on this evening claiming that it was only a guard who shouted Al-Sadr's name -- and was being disciplined for doing so... I almost feel trite noting the endless stream of lies.........
Posted by: osama -- err -- sam at January 1, 2007 10:38 PM"The BBC's Peter Greste in Baghdad says Prime Minister Nouri Maliki had hoped Saddam Hussein's execution would encourage some of his Sunni supporters to give up their weapons and join the political process now dominated by the majority Shias, but instead it seems to have widened the cracks."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6222975.stm
Hmm, so Maliki thought that by insulting the Sunni population and insulting their ex-leader while hanging him would cause the Sunni to see reason and to put down their weapons. Does that kind of thinking, if you believe Maliki, remind you of anyone else? Or did Maliki really say that the Sunni would welcome the Shia with open arms if they could just understand that killing them was for their own good. And assuredly we can believe that since Bush was asleep at the time of the hanging that Bush absolutely had nothing to with any of this. "No your honor, I was asleep when the bomb went off so you can easily see that though I planted the bomb I am completely innocent."
In another few months that giddy executioner could well find himself on the receiving end of Bush's next Iraqi gambit.
Posted by: Lloyd at January 2, 2007 06:06 AMOnly the Bush syndicate could make a mass murdering sociopath look sympathetic. Genuine and classy, even, by comparison.
Posted by: MarcLord at January 2, 2007 11:40 AMno mercy for Shias and Kurds either.
"Hmm, so Maliki thought that by insulting the Sunni population and insulting their ex-leader while hanging him would cause the Sunni to see reason and to put down their weapons."
plus they did it on the morning of the Sunni Eid for good measure......
Posted by: Susan at January 2, 2007 12:38 PMno mercy for Shias and Kurds either.
I think that is Bush's plan, more violence.
Posted by: rob payne at January 2, 2007 08:12 PM
