Monday, June 21, 2004
Are UK troops in Iraq having a depravity contest with their US allies? UK troops accused of mutilating Iraqi bodies. Most certificates list wounds that would seem consistent with a fierce firefight that is known to have taken place on the afternoon of May 14 on the Amara-Basra highway outside Majar al Kabir... Haider al Lami, 21, also a casual labourer, had "several bullet injuries to the body, with mutilation of g£nitali@". His p£ni$ had been "severed"... Another, Ali al Jemindari, 37, had "several bullet injuries in head, face and the body, with slash marks on the neck. The right arm has been severed at the shoulder. There is a large opening in the right cheek and the removal by gouging of the right eye."
Now, why on earth would the people in Iraq not want us there?!
Tony Blair yesterday promised a slow burn campaign over the next 18 months to expose what he called the Eurosceptic myths surrounding the reality of the new European constitution agreed by the 25 EU members at the weekend.
This will be worth staying up for, because if Blair were to live up to his word on this he'll be fighting a section of society he hasn't dared to threaten yet. He's shown in the battle on tuition fees and waybackwhen on Clause 4 that he's happy to fight his party. In the lead-up to invading Iraq he was happy to argue with the public and get trounced every time. But if he wants to win a referendum he's going to have to fight the Murdoch papers, the Daily Mail and the Daily Telegraph, some of which are happy to use dirty tricks and false arguments whenever they feel like it. The Murdoch papers were instrumental in persuading the their massive conservative readership that New Labour were safe to vote for. But they've always sniped at his Europhillic tendencies, especially at the time when 'Old' Europe was attacking him over the war. He also has the post-Thatcher years in the Conservative government when Europe became the main cause of their disintegration when the Eurosceptics had most of the running and the seven years of his Government where Europe has been conspicuously not much discussed. There's also going to be a general election in the next eighteen months.
This is a battle that Blair needs to win but I'm not sure he can. It's also not going to make me change my vote for him at the General Election.
Hum. I've heard any number of boots involving Chicks On Speed's cover of Wordy Rappinghood but I still haven't got to hear their original version of it. Reminds me of someone who said they'd first heard Pink's Get The Party Started double-speed in a boot, when they finally heard the original track they were surprised by how slow it was...
one of the rereleased Scissor Sisters Laura singles has a 'Riton Rerub' of the original. Are the cool kids calling remixes rerubs now, or is there some fundamental difference?
Now, why on earth would the people in Iraq not want us there?!
Tony Blair yesterday promised a slow burn campaign over the next 18 months to expose what he called the Eurosceptic myths surrounding the reality of the new European constitution agreed by the 25 EU members at the weekend.
This will be worth staying up for, because if Blair were to live up to his word on this he'll be fighting a section of society he hasn't dared to threaten yet. He's shown in the battle on tuition fees and waybackwhen on Clause 4 that he's happy to fight his party. In the lead-up to invading Iraq he was happy to argue with the public and get trounced every time. But if he wants to win a referendum he's going to have to fight the Murdoch papers, the Daily Mail and the Daily Telegraph, some of which are happy to use dirty tricks and false arguments whenever they feel like it. The Murdoch papers were instrumental in persuading the their massive conservative readership that New Labour were safe to vote for. But they've always sniped at his Europhillic tendencies, especially at the time when 'Old' Europe was attacking him over the war. He also has the post-Thatcher years in the Conservative government when Europe became the main cause of their disintegration when the Eurosceptics had most of the running and the seven years of his Government where Europe has been conspicuously not much discussed. There's also going to be a general election in the next eighteen months.
This is a battle that Blair needs to win but I'm not sure he can. It's also not going to make me change my vote for him at the General Election.
Hum. I've heard any number of boots involving Chicks On Speed's cover of Wordy Rappinghood but I still haven't got to hear their original version of it. Reminds me of someone who said they'd first heard Pink's Get The Party Started double-speed in a boot, when they finally heard the original track they were surprised by how slow it was...
one of the rereleased Scissor Sisters Laura singles has a 'Riton Rerub' of the original. Are the cool kids calling remixes rerubs now, or is there some fundamental difference?
