Volume 2 Issue 33

March 19, 2003

One Day More

Time runs out, how to really shut down DC, and the Red Lantern is awarded

Well they finally got old Billy Bob or whoever he was off of his tractor on the Mall, so the 36-hour long siege is at an end. Someone will have to explain to me why this guy gets just about as long to hold off police as Saddam has to hold off the Army. Also, what does this say about homeland security? If one idiot on a tractor can shut down major portions of the Capitol City for 3 days, how the hell are we supposed to react to an actual terror attack? It's really quite disturbing. I guess I can see that you don't want to just blow the guy away, but it looks like he didn't even have a weapon or explosives. The police say they wanted to be sure, which is good, but we can read license plates on cars in Baghdad but we can't send a damn chopper up to see if the guy has a bomb? Yeah, we're prepared...

So some say war starts tonight, others say a few days from now, my bet is tomorrow evening sometime, just as in 1991. With 17 Iraqi's already crossing the border to surrender, I think that the war should be short, at least until we get to Baghdad, but more important will be what happens after the war. Fareed Zakaria in Newsweek this week had an excellent article entitled "The Arrogant Empire." Did you know that the United States spends more money annually on their military than every other nation in the world combined? As we prepare to go to war, this article is a good reminder that every empire in history though they were different, and that even though the Iraqi campaign may go well, the US still has some diplomatic fence mending to do to earn the respect of the world for something other than it's military.

Greg's Pick of the Day:The Arrogant Empire

IRAQ/WAR NEWS:

Early Action: A Kuwaiti gunboat fired on an Iraqi minelayer last night, killing one Iraqi -
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-615748,00.html

15 Iraqis crossed the border today to surrender to the Third Infantry Division -
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/19/international/middleeast/1 9TROO.html

And a raging sandstorm could make things difficult if operations start tonight -
http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/03/19/sprj.irq.main/inde x.html

Saddam: Will he go underground?
http://www.washtimes.com/national/20030319-8724488.htm

Saudi Arabia is urging him to go into exile -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A50681-2003Mar19.html

The Plan: How to tell how things are going during the first 48 hours -
http://slate.msn.com/id/2080341/

Will the Iraqi army fight, or just give up?
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/18/international/middleeast/1 8MARI.html

Here's a good map of Iraq that shows where it is easier for troops to move -
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iraq/images/ter rain.gif

The US is telling it's people to prepare for the loss of American lives -
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Bush-Iraq.html

Could the war be delayed another day or two?
http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/03/19/sprj.irq.bush/inde x.html

Or it may start this evening -
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/iraq/battle/la-031903iraq_upd,1,6452670.story?coll=la%2Dhome%2Dheadlines

The US may use a new electromagnetic pulse (EMP) weapon -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A49406-2003Mar18.html

And commanders are worried that the troops may outrun their supply lines, especially with regard to fuel -
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/19/international/middleeast/1 9CND-LOGI.html

The Death of Diplomacy: A good editorial in the San Francisco Chronicle -
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/03/19/ED51477.DTL

The Media: The administration is getting ready to control the message -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A49399-2003Mar18.html

The French: Tony Blair will meet with French President Chirac later in the week for what I'm sure will be an enlightening conversation -
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/2863909.stm

The Israelis: Will they stay out if attacked?
http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/03/19/sprj.irq.israel/in dex.html

The Vatican: The Pope released a statement saying that Bush and those pursuing war would have to answer to God -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A44591-2003Mar18.html

The Wiretaps: Is Bush really claiming we should go to war because he bugged the UN mission in Iraq?
http://slate.msn.com/id/2080335/

When the US bugged the UN in New York?
http://www.observer.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,905899, 00.html

And when someone (hmm...who could it be?) is bugging the EU?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2864063.stm

The Nation's Capitol, or how to bring an empire to it's knees with a tractor: The mood in DC is still grim, especially with Tractor Man -
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/03/19/MN39274.DTL

Marc Fisher on Tractor Man...why did we give him longer than Saddam Hussein?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A46910-2003Mar18.html

And he finally gave up -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A52981-2003Mar19.html

Congressional offices think about their evacuation plans -
http://www.thehill.com/news/031903/flee.aspx

The Aftermath: Don't worry about the war, says Robert Wright...worry about what comes after -
http://slate.msn.com/id/2080322/

The Veterans: A Gulf War I POW tells his story -
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/states/new_jer sey/5424327.htm

Crushing Dissent? In yet another example of extremism taking over America, House Speaker Dennis Hastert all but called Tom Daschle a traitor for his comments that Bush was inept at diplomacy. Come on people... -
http://www.washtimes.com/national/20030319-406342.htm

Anti-war protesters are debating amongst themselves if civil disobedience should become part of their tactics once war starts -
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/19/national/19PROT.html

The Economy: Will a war give the economy a real boost, or just mask the problems we're still having?
http://slate.msn.com/id/2080340/

What will happen to the airline industry? After the 1991 war, Pan Am and Eastern both ended up going out of business -
http://www.cnn.com/2003/TRAVEL/03/18/airlines.government.reu t/index.html

Despite the fact that the price of oil has fallen in recent days, gas prices continue to rise, without any discernible effect on demand -
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/19/business/19GAS.html?8hpib

More Celebrities: The Dixie Chicks fallout continues. I really wish people in this country had as much energy for uninsured children or bad schools as they do for bashing celebrities -
http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2003-03-18-chicks-chart_x.htm

Check out the photo in this one -
http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2003-03-18-chicks-side_x.htm

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And now the rest of the insanity...

That Other Country: So an undersecretary of Defense yesterday said at a Congressional hearing that the primitive missile defense system the US will soon deploy in Alaska will have a 90% success rate, and can keep North Korean missiles from hitting the US. The Senators at the hearing were flabbergasted at the ridiculousness of the statement, which is far more optimistic than even the most optimistic military and civilian estimates -
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-missile19mar19,1,6215929.story

Great, just what we need: Now Cuba's getting all pissy - http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Cuba-US-Crackdown.html

The Mystery Disease: They think it's a virus now, but its still too soon to tell - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2862991.stm
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/19/health/19INFE.html

Look Who's Running for President: Howard Dean doesn't want to just be labeled anti-war, but since he is, he's getting more attention now -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A50011-2003Mar18.html

Look Who's Running for President 2: Gary Hart continues to lurk just off stage...will he do it?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A50013-2003Mar18.html

Oh boy, look here! It's your Bad John Edwards Photo of the Day!
Yes, yes, John was on hiatus during the Iditarod, and he'll likely go on hiatus again for the war, but on this last day of peace, here he is, and he hasn't lost the look -

Wise men say, only fools rush in...

Elizabeth Smart: Is there too much coverage of the Smart case?
http://slate.msn.com/id/2080346/
http://www.sltrib.com/2003/Mar/03192003/utah/39570.asp

Smart was apparently held at a campsite for many months -
http://www.sltrib.com/2003/Mar/03192003/utah/39559.asp

The House Amber Alert bill passed committee yesterday, but it still contains provisions that would likely doom it in the Senate -
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,81477,00.html

And Ed Smart is still pissed about it -
http://www.sltrib.com/2003/Mar/03192003/nation_w/39547.asp

March Madness: The NCAA Tournament will go on, who knows on what channel though. Baseball however, will cancel it's opener in Japan. -
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/19/sports/ncaabasketball/19PO ST.html

Speaking of the NCAA Tourney, UNC-Ashville, who has a losing record, won the play-in game last night to face Texas as a 16 seed -
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/college/2003/nca a_tourney/news/2003/03/18/playin_game_ap/

Don't worry too much. The police are unlikely to bust up your office pool. They're too busy fishing tractors out of the Mall -
http://www.washtimes.com/metro/20030319-97796330.htm

Stressing Stress? Think the "kids are too stressed" mantra is new? Think again -
http://slate.msn.com/id/2080324/

The Perfect Candidate? An 18-year old New Jersey man who was prosecuted by the SEC when he was 15 for running a stock scam is considering running for office -
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-3/1048057972306750.xml

And for one last day...your Iditarod 31 news!

It's over folks. The Red Lantern went to Russ Bybee yesterday afternoon, as he finished in 44th and last place in this year's race -
http://www.adn.com/iditarod/news/story/2796615p-2841307c.html

The final standings -
http://www.iditarod.com/2003standings/data/include/details.h tml

After the war, we'll follow up with some race stories!

Have a great day!