Losing the Moral High Ground

There are new photos showing the torture of Iraqi prisoners released by the Washington Post, similar to those published by the New Yorker magazine that began this controversy. The ABC reports that these pictures may only be the tip of the iceberg, and prisoners released from the offending facility have spoke to Al-Jazzera about the torture and humiliation that they endured during their captivity. These incidents have caused a great deal of backlash in the Arab world who see these allegations as confirming their previous conception of a brutal and uncaring US government, causing a President known for avoiding interviews with the press to go on Arab television to explain the situation. Unfortunately during the entire interview before the Arab world he never said something to the effect of, 'I'm sorry for what happened,' and the backlash from that gaffe prompted White House spokespeople to say it for him the next day. To make matters worse, a CBC investigative report has found that thousands of Afghani POWs may have been executed with complicity by American forces. Though this has worsened the global opinion of Bush, it has yet make a dent in his domestic approval ratings, as he campaigns under the guise of his 'regular guy' status. Donald Rumsfeld, however, appears to be getting the brunt of the blame, at least from the President. This, needless to say, represents a huge PR problem for the Coalition, since once their weapons of mass destruction justification fell through they were relying on the belief that they were taking the moral high ground by liberating Iraq from a brutal dictator who tortured his people. Now it's the whole pot and kettle thing.

Occupying troops are still fighting with Iraqi insurgents in Najaf with several serious injuries reported. Marines have handed over control of Fallujah to a new Iraqi security force, leading local insurgents to call it a victory. Nine people have been killed in a bombing in Baghdad including one US soldier, with two other soldiers in reportedly serious condition.

Meanwhile, President Bush has asked congress for an additional $25 billion dollars to finance the ongoing operations in Afghanistan and Iraq as the military announced that 138 000 troops are expected to stay in Iraq until at least the end of 2005. In a matter of poor timing for the President though, Allen Greenspan announced that the deficit the US government is already running, now at 4.25% of the total economy, represents an obstacle to long-term economic stability of the country.

Also:
- Falling in love causes men to be hormonally more like women, and vice versa.
- Liquid calories between meals, regardless of source, can be a major factor of weight gain.
- Tea may help with ovarian and prostate cancer.
- Barbie shaped women have been found to have the highest reproductive potential -- meaning fertility, not necessarily ability to attract.
- Since it's a natural segue -- a piece on how men are plagued by the same body image problems as women.
- Scientists have constructed a microscopic walking 'robot' out of DNA.
- The next animal heading towards the brink of extinction: kangaroos, meaning that future Dots might never find their lost way.
- A new study hopes to resolve some issues in the global warming debate.
- Calculate your weight on any of the planets of the solar system (and a few moons too), then read about the difference between mass and weight.
- Astronomers have discovered that the Milky Way has a huge outflung arm.
- Scientists have developed theories for how life might be able to exist on Venus.
- An article on all the phrases that Shakespeare introduced to the English language.
- Fox News decides that the Globe and Mail, arguably one of Canada's more conservative papers, is actually a lefty-pinko publication.
- How to make latte art.
- The US Navy is using dolphins to locate a missing mini-submarine that it lost.
- An Australian company has developed an environmentally-friendly waterless urinal.
- Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee says he is certain of victory in India's elections.
- Amnesty International has warned about the increased trafficking and sexual exploitation of women and girls in Kosovo to meet the needs of UN and NATO troops.
- Three bombs have exploded in Athens only 100 days before the Olympic Games open.
- Ariel Sharon's plan to evacuate Gaza has been rejected by his own party.
- The New York Times reports that the Israeli housing ministry has funnelled $6.5 million dollars to construction projects on the West Bank in the past few years.
- Libya has sentenced five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor to death for willfully infecting more than 400 children with the HIV virus after legal proceedings that were strongly criticized by international observers.
- Haiti has been out of the news for the past few weeks, but that doesn't mean that things have been getting better there.
- An article on how it takes more than money to reduce poverty.
- They may pay higher taxes, but filing them in Sweden is substantially easier.
- Walmart is having some issues breaking into urban markets.
- Al Gore has bought a television station that he wants to fashion into a news organization for young adults.
- Disney has called Michael Moore's complaints over their decision to not release his film Fahrenheit 911 a publicity stunt, though the film will apparently be available for screening in Britain.
- A Picasso has set the new record for the most money paid for a painting at an auction -- $104.1 million.
- China continues to stifle any hint of political opposition to the ruling party by shutting down 8 600 cyber cafés under the premise that they were 'corrupting the minds of youngsters.'
- Bush is to announce tougher measures against Cuba in an attempt to weaken Castro's hold on power. It's too bad that Cuba doesn't have a billion people to sell American products to, or else they might be a candidate for constructive engagement like China.
- The Exorcist, as re-enacted by bunnies.
- As a huge fan of the original Scorched Earth, I'm elated to find that a new 3D version is out.

Think you know all there is to know about how the Presidential race will turn out? The Campaign Desk points to an article that sums it up to whether the Packers will beat the Redskins on October 31st. Apparently for eighteen straight times, a Redskins' loss before the election has resulted in the ousting of the president, whereas a win has resulting in the incumbent winning. Could end up being a conflict of interest for some Bears fans that I know.