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Sunday :: June 25, 2006

Doctors Complicit in Torture

Andrew Sullivan at Time reviews Stephen Miles' book, Oath Betrayed, about doctors who violated the Hippocratic oath by helping to coverup torture of prisoners in Iraq.

Sullivan concludes

After a while, you get numb reading these stories. They read like accounts of a South American dictatorship, not an American presidency. But we learn one thing: once you allow the torture of prisoners for any reason, as this President did, the cancer spreads. In the end it spreads to healers as well, and turns them into accomplices to harm.

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Sunday Blogorama and Open Thread

There's a lot going on today, feel free to weigh in on these or other topics:

  • Crooks and Liars has finally left Radioland behind and moved to Wordpress. The site looks the same but will be so much easier for us to navigate and John to manage.
  • Jane's sister writes in at Firedoglake to thank everyone for their kind words on their mother's passing. And Parachutec does Late Nite FDL with a video of Bob Dylan doing Subterranean Homesick Blues. The tag line of TalkLeft since inception has been "The pump don't work cause the vandals took the handles." Great choice.
  • The Miami 7 are chickenfeed: See Juan Cole. I hope he won't mind me quoting a couple of paragraphs:

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Saturday :: June 24, 2006

Iraqi Insurgents Won't Accept Peace Deal

That was quick. After writing yesterday about the new Iraqi Government's proposed peace plan to be presented Sunday, 11 insurgent leaders have already rejected it.

Representatives of 11 Iraqi insurgent groups told The Sunday Times yesterday that they would reject the peace offer because they did not recognise the legitimacy of the government.

A senior commander authorised to speak on behalf of other groups warned that they would continue to fight. "As long as there is an occupation and an illegitimate government, the resistance and insurgency will continue," he said.

Newsweek has more on Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's "master plan."

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Republican Defections

The Observer takes a look at the Heartland today and finds Republicans not only deserting Bush but switching party affiliation to the Democrats. It begins in Kansas with Mark Parkison who changed affiliation recently.

a few weeks ago Parkinson was a Republican. In fact, he was Kansas Republican party chairman. His defection to the Democrats sent shockwaves through a state deeply associated with the national Republican cause and the evangelical conservatives at its base. Nor was it just Parkinson's leave-taking that left Republicans spluttering with rage and talking of betrayal. It was that as he left Parkinson lambasted his former party's obsession with conservative and religious issues such as gay marriage, evolution and abortion

The Republicans' loss is the Democrats' gain:

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Neil Young Interview

The Observer has a very personal interview with Neil Young, in which he discusses his family, his two sons with cerebral palsy, his life and Iraq.

If you don't yet have a copy of Living With War, get it here:

Apple iTunes

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14 Saudis Released from Guantanamo

14 Saudi detainees at Guantanamo have been returned to Saudi Arabia. Of them, one was declared by the U.S. not to be an enemy combatent.

The releases bring to 310 the number of detainees who have departed Guantanamo to other governments, including Albania, Afghanistan, Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Kuwait, Morocco, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden and Uganda.

About 450 detainees remain at Guantanamo, including 120 who are considered eligible for transfer or release. Decisions in those cases depend on discussions between the United States and other nations.

The Road to Guantanamo is showing in several cities now. It really is an important film to see. Details are here.

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Congratulations to Mickey and Lis

Legal eagle and television commentator Mickey Sherman and Fox News Legal Analyst Lis Wiel got married last night at Valbella in Greenwich, CT. Both are great friends and I'm sorry I wasn't able to attend in person. Here's the invitation.

Mickey's good friend Michael Bolton sang as they walked down the aisle.

Congrats to both, they are great together and individually. I wish them both many, many happy years to come.

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R.I.P. Patsy Ramsey

Patsy Ramsey, the mother of Jonbenet Ramsey, has died of ovarian cancer at age 49.

Rest it peace, Patsy. You endured not only the heartbreak of losing your daughter, but of being accused for years in the court of public opinion of having something to do with her murder.

Someday Jonbenet's killer will be found through DNA testing and you will be vindicated once and for all. Our thoughts are with John and Burke Ramsey today, how sad that they must endure yet another tragedy.

Note to commenters: In respect for the passing of Patsy Ramsey, there will be no comments allowed attacking her or speculating she was responsible in any way for her daughter's death.

Update: The Washington Post has a more thorough article about Patsy.

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James Dobson Unmasked

Focus on the Family founder James Dobson (the evangelical leader called by Karl Rove to help sell the Harriet Miers nomination) is revealed in a feature article by Pulitzer prize winner Eileen Welsome in this month's 5280. And on the Eighth Day, Dr. Dobson Created Himself is free and online, don't miss it.

The evangelical leader is going strong at 70:

Today, his behemoth ministry, based at the foot of the Rockies, reaches more than 220 million people around the globe through its radio and television programs, magazines, books, videos, audio recordings, and a powerful website that offers webzines, podcasts, music, and even movie reviews.

Tom Delay credits him with "walking him back to Jesus." Republicans generally are in his debt:

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Iraq to Submit Peace Plan with Troop Withdrawal Date


The Times of London reports it has seen a proposed peace plan the Iraqi Government will submit to the U.N., probably this weekend.

The 28-point package for national reconciliation will offer Iraqi resistance groups inclusion in the political process and an amnesty for their prisoners if they renounce violence and lay down their arms, The Times can reveal.

The Government will promise a finite, UN-approved timeline for the withdrawal of all foreign troops from Iraq; a halt to US operations against insurgent strongholds; an end to human rights violations, including those by coalition troops; and compensation for victims of attacks by terrorists or Iraqi and coalition forces. It will pledge to take action against Shia militias and death squads. It will also offer to review the process of "de-Baathification" and financial compensation for the thousands of Sunnis who were purged from senior jobs in the Armed Forces and Civil Service after the fall of Saddam Hussein.

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2nd Cir. Refuses to Require Gov't to Address NSA Surveillance

The Second Circuit Court of Appeals has denied Albany, NY defense lawyer (and TalkLeft commenter) Terry Kindlon's appeal of a secret court order refusing to make the Government admit or deny that it engaged in illegal warrantless electronic surveillance of his client, an Iman at a mosque charged with money laundering. You can read the opinion here.

As background, Terry was the first lawyer in the U.S. to challenge the NSA warrantless surveillance program. His motion alleged:

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Weekend Duke Open Thread

Yesterday's Duke thread is filled to the brim. Lots of talk about the police report in which the accuser said she was raped by five men at the party and that there were four dancers, not two. More details here.

And how about this? The accuser's cousin claims the accuser turned down $2 million to walk away from the case. (hat tip La Shawn Barber.)

Also: Sports Illustrated: The Damage Done

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