My #torture statement at ACLU blog

The following article talks about the disproportionate response to Iraqi aggression by US troops. As a tactic it is debatable, but is also a strategic decision. However, the British troops seem to suggest that the response is not based on strategy but on racism. I hope it’s not true. It does beg the question though, in the first Gulf War much ado was made of the precision guidance systems on our missile systems. Has our technology regressed in the interim? Or have we made the decision that these systems are too expensive to be used in limited casualties? Link via…

It would be nice if when we did things for our faith that made sense, we were seen as reclaiming the inclusive and intellectual aspects of our traditions rather than trying to reform them. So many groups that live and die by a narrow interpretation of Islam use the past to justify their actions. It’s heartwarming to see the past being invoked for good things as well. Here’s an article about a group that I believe is doing just that in Canada. As a side question – if forced to live in under a fundamentalist regime, would you rather it…

“Please attend our destruction of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. No RSVP needed, but looks of shock, disbelief and mourning are encouraged.” Is that what Bush was waiting for? It must be because he said: “There was nothing there that said, you know, ‘There’s an imminent attack,’ ” Bush said during a brief news conference with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. The Egyptian leader visited Bush’s Texas ranch to talk about the Middle East. I don’t think 9/11 was the strictly the fault of the Bush administration, but I believe they did ignore a risk minimization strategy.