Finally, a British Inquiry into the Iraq War

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair resisted public pressure for a comprehensive inquiry into the Iraq war. On June 15, his successor, Gordon Brown, raised the white flag, informing the House of Commons that he had ordered an inquiry even before British troops complete their withdrawal from Basra this summer. “Thanks to our efforts and those of our allies over six difficult years, a young democracy has replaced a vicious 30-year dictatorship,” said the Prime Minister.

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Palin center of attention at big GOP dinner

Newt Gingrich was the keynote speaker at Monday night’s fundraising dinner for the Senate and House Republican campaign committees, but it was Sarah Palin who stole the show. The Alaska governor’s last-minute appearance at the GOP’s biggest fundraiser of the year ended 24 hours of speculation that the she might skip the event. A late attempt to have her speak at the dinner fell through when organizers feared she might upstage Gingrich, the onetime House speaker.

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This Preposterous Week! Paul Slansky’s News Index

Baldwin, Paul •release from prison of after serving one-year term for stealing a can of beer is quickly followed by another arrest of — the 153rd — for assault Baron Cohen, Sacha •Eminem’s face is landed on by bare butt of during MTV Movie Awards, leading to days of babble about whether or not the stunt had in fact been planned, which — DUH! — it had Berlin, Alan David •firing of from position as aide to Pennsylvania state senator famous for being tough on sex crimes after arrest of for propositioning a 15-year-old boy on the Internet and discussing having sex with him while wearing animal costumes Blagojevich, Patti •tarantulas are dined on by Boyle, Susan •loss of in Britain’s Got Talent finals is not taken well by Breaking Bad •airing of brilliant season finale of — ending with plane crash over Albuquerque — coincides with plunge of Air France jet into the Atlantic Carradine, David •details of the passing of are apparently not for the squeamish Cheney, Dick •blame for 9/11 is placed by on Richard Clarke, who repeatedly warned about the danger of such an attack Cheney, Liz •absurdly Orwellian insistence of that father of never sought to link Iraq to 9/11 Coleman, Norm •imminent surrender of Epstein, Marcus •2007 assault on African-American woman — he stopped her on a Washington, D.C.

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After Waterboarding: How Can Terrorists Be Made to Talk?

The most successful interrogation of an Al-Qaeda operative by U.S. officials required no sleep deprivation, no slapping or “walling” and no waterboarding. All it took to soften up Abu Jandal, who had been closer to Osama bin Laden than any other terrorist ever captured, was a handful of sugar-free cookies

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Bush defends interrogation program in Michigan speech

Former President George W. Bush on Thursday repeated Dick Cheney’s assertion that the administration’s enhanced interrogation program, which included controversial techniques such as waterboarding, was legal and garnered valuable information that prevented terrorist attacks. Bush told a southwestern Michigan audience of nearly 2,500 — the largest he has addressed in the United States since leaving the White House in January — that, after the September 11 attacks, “I vowed to take whatever steps that were necessary to protect you.” In his speech, Bush did not specifically refer to the high-profile debate over President Obama’s decision to halt the use of harsh interrogation techniques

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TV Networks Change Programming

If you’ve been watching HGTV in the past few years, you may have become seduced by its lavish renovations and tales of real estate riches. You may have decided to stretch your budget to buy your own overpriced house. And you may now, like the contestants on HGTV’s newest reality show, wish you had a little cash to get out of the hole.

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