The Political Chase

Prime Minister Allawi on Iraq

The first Prime Minister in Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein on the current environment in Iraq:

Human rights abuses in Iraq are now as bad as they were under Saddam Hussein and are even in danger of eclipsing his record, according to the country’s first Prime Minister after the fall of Saddam’s regime.

‘People are doing the same as [in] Saddam’s time and worse,’ Ayad Allawi told The Observer. ‘It is an appropriate comparison. People are remembering the days of Saddam. These were the precise reasons that we fought Saddam and now we are seeing the same things.’

Allawi’s bleak assessment is likely to undermine any attempt to suggest that conditions in Iraq are markedly improving.

‘We are hearing about secret police, secret bunkers where people are being interrogated,’ he added. ‘A lot of Iraqis are being tortured or killed in the course of interrogations. We are even witnessing Sharia courts based on Islamic law that are trying people and executing them.’

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A Weakend President

The invincible president shows signs of yielding to pressure. Let’s all consider remaining consistent in thought, expression and hope.

1. This is not a confirmation of anything. Speeches are just speeches. There is no guarantee of a sensible plan. The requirements are honorable actions to sensible plans, within an appropriate time period.
2. Don’t subside the pressure between now and Wednesday or Thursday morning for that matter. Any reduction in pressure will only facilitate a disproportionate negative regression by the administration.
3. If the president sends a profoundly positive message, I think a response in kind is incumbent upon those who have been critical (obviously includes TPC).

In a departure from previous statements, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said this week that the training of Iraqi soldiers had advanced so far that the current number of U.S. troops in the country probably would not be needed much longer.

President Bush will give a major speech Wednesday at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., in which aides say he is expected to herald the improved readiness of Iraqi troops, which he has identified as the key condition for pulling out U.S. forces.

The administration’s pivot on the issue comes as the White House is seeking to relieve enormous pressure by war opponents. The camp includes liberals, moderates and old-line conservatives who are uneasy with the costly and uncertain nation-building effort.

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Abramoff Complexity

The mere beginnings of an Abramoff relationships map (mind map format) is available online. As I noted in this post, Abramoff’s web is complex and its grasp is somewhere around infinity; therefore this is far from being a one-hour project. What is published as of now, does not even cover the first level.

If it does not become overly complex, the map will be updated as information is available and time permits. If you find errors or omissions, please submit them to TPC.

I tried several different formats - the mind map format at this point was the best balance for now. Some additional creativity may yield a better format.

Also, at this stage it may be somewhat confusing; clarity will be improved as information is added. I decided to publish it as is so you could see where (and how) it’s going and can start providing feedback.

Unfortunately, the map should be viewed using Internet Explorer (v5.5 or greater). Mozilla/Firefox will work, but will not produce all elements of the map. Active-X is required for optimum results.

Click here to view the map or access it via the TPC Document Library. Remember, if possible, please use Internet Explorer.

Let us know what you think (good or bad).

Abramoff, Scanlon et al Summary

Jack Abramoff is not a new topic here — you know that. As stated before, Abramoff’s tentacles are everywhere. The WP has a piece today (Sat. edition) that provides a glimpse into the complexity of Abramoff’s network. Additionally, they provide some insight into who’s going down next.

1. Rep. John Ney (R-OH)
2. Rep. Tom “The Hammer” DeLay (D-TX)

The Scanlon indictment and subsequent guilty plea agreement has apparently given the DOJ additional confidence since the WP cites sources that are obviously attorneys working the cases.

If you do puzzles, you’ll enjoy the article — plenty of pieces to put together.

More on Coulter

Ann Coulter has stirred the pot. John Amato at The Huffington Post says “Stupid is as Stupid Does.”

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Detainee Policy

From The New York Times:

"The position of the executive branch," said Eric M. Freedman, a law professor at Hofstra University who has consulted with lawyers for several detainees, "is that it can be judge, jury and executioner."

Read it all

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Great Britain Inquiry on Iraq War

Things could be worse for George Bush. For now, he does not have to contend with PM Tony Blair’s woes. Blair seems to be faced with a full-scale parliamentary inquiry into the war. All parties (Conservative, Liberal-Democratic, Scottish National et al)  are backing the motion “Conduct of Government policy in relation to the war against Iraq.”

Bush is now beginning to feel the pain Blair has endured for many months. Although these British poll figures are not limited to Blair, they are reflective – in fact, they may be a bit higher than polling metrics on Blair alone.

• 68 per cent of the public says official figures are changed to suit the politicians.
• 59 per cent thinks the government uses official statistics dishonestly.
• 58 per cent believes that the official figures are politically manipulated.

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