86 U.S. Military deaths, 1,218 Iraqi deaths so far this month

WASHINGTON - Majorities of Iraqi youths in Arab regions of Iraq think security would improve and violence would decrease if the U.S.-led forces left immediately, according to a State Department poll that provides a window into the grim warnings provided to policymakers.
The survey — unclassified, but marked “For Official U.S. Government Use Only” — also finds that Iraqi leaders may face particular difficulty recruiting young Sunni Arabs to join the stumbling security forces. Strong majorities of 15- to 29-year-olds in two Arab Sunni areas — Mosul and Tikrit-Baqubah — would oppose joining the Iraqi army or police.

The poll has its shortcomings: Regional samples are small, and the results do not say how many people refused to respond to questions. The private polling firm hired by the State Department also was not able to interview residents of Anbar, a Sunni-dominated province and an insurgent stronghold.

More here

The US Government believes there are only 3 Moroccan detainees remaining in custody
BELIEVES??? What, they don’t KNOW who they’re holding????????
George Bush many have gotten his Detainee Bill passed…..and the Americans might stand for it…..but will the world? I hope not!!!

[JURIST] The Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH) [advocacy website, in French] says that a Moroccan detainee held at Guantanamo Bay who was supposedly transferred to the government of Morocco on October 12 is missing, according to his family. Younes Chekkouri was allegedly arrested in Afghanistan [Le Reporter backgrounder, in French] for helping Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Omar recruit Moroccan supporters. A letter from the family said they knew nothing of his whereabouts and have heard nothing from the government. AMDH has demanded an investigation into the conduct of Morocco’s justice, interior and security ministers in the matter. The US Department of Defense stated in a press release [text] on October 12 that it released one Moroccan detainee, but did not give his name.

There were once some 19 Moroccan detainees being held at Guantanamo Bay. The US government believes there are only 3 Moroccan detainees remaining in custody but that some Islamic groups believe there are 4. AFP has more.

Link here

THEN THERE’S AUSTRALIA

Australia’s justice minister said on Friday the government had rebuked United States authorities for holding one of its citizens behind bars at Guantanamo Bay for almost five years without trial.

Canberra told Washington officials it was not happy David Hicks, an Australian national, had been detained for so long at the US prison camp in Cuba without being brought to justice, Chris Ellison told a gathering of lawyers.

“We have made it clear that we do not think it is satisfactory that this man has been incarcerated for so long without facing trial,” he said at the 10th International Criminal Lawyers Conference in Perth, Western Australia.

Full aticle here

HELLO world…..let’s do something about this!!!

BEIRUT, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Israeli warplanes swooped low over Lebanon on Monday, a day after the Jewish state rejected a call by France’s defence minister to halt violations of its neighbour’s airspace.

The planes conducted mock raids over much of southern Lebanon and residents saw them flying low over the capital Beirut, but neither Hezbollah guerrillas nor the Lebanese army fired anti-aircraft rounds at them as they have done in previous years.

Israeli jets have routinely flown over Lebanon since a 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah ended on Aug. 14 with a U.N.’sponsored truce and the expansion of a U.N. peacekeeping force, including a French contingent, in southern Lebanon.

Read more at Reuters

ISRAEL ADMITS USE OF PHOSPHOROUS BOMBS DURING 34 DAY WAR IN LEBANON

The Israeli government has admitted for the first time that it used controversial phosphorous bombs during its 34-day war campaign in Lebanon.

Cabinet Minister Jacob Edery confirmed that the army had used the bombs to attack “military targets” during its war with Hizbollah in July and August. Previously, Israel had said the bombs had only been used to mark out targets.

During the conflict, doctors in Lebanon reported treating civilians who appeared to have been hit by the shells, which leave their victims with severe chemical wounds that can be fatal.

Read more at Independent Online

Congressional auditors concluded the department engaged in illegal “covert propaganda” by hiring Williams without requiring him to disclose he was paid.
So this guy has to pay back $34,000 of a $186,000 contract and nothing happens to the idiots in the education Department that decided to “engage in illegal covert propaganda” to push Bush’s No Child Left Behind schtick. Same ole same ole…….

Columnist Armstrong Williams has reached a settlement with prosecutors regarding payments he received from the Education Department to promote President Bush’s agenda.

Under the agreement, Williams admits no wrongdoing but will have to pay $34,000. The deal was reached last week by Williams, the Education Department and its subcontractor, Ketchum Communications.

“The department is happy to see this matter come to a close,” Katherine McLane, a spokeswoman for Education Secretary Margaret Spellings, said Sunday. “One of the first steps Secretary Spellings took when she came to office is to establish guidelines to prevent future occurrences of this type of situation.”

Full article at the Washington Post

Uh huh…… a timetable, but with no threat of troop withdrawl.

The United States is drafting a timetable for the Iraqi government to address sectarian divisions and assume a larger role in the security of the country.
According to senior US officials, details of the blueprint are still being revised. The plan is to be presented to Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki before the end of 2006 and would be carried out over 2007 and beyond.

Iraq is likely to be asked to agree to a schedule of specific milestones, like disarming sectarian militia, and to a broad set of other political, economic and military benchmarks intended to stabilize the country.

More here

GOP losses could spark partisan warfare

TOM RAUM, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - The White House is bracing for guerrilla warfare on the homefront politically if Republicans lose control of the House, the Senate or both - and with it, the president’s ability to shape and dominate the national agenda.

Republicans are battling to keep control of Congress. But polls and analysts in both parties increasingly suggest Democrats will capture the House and possibly the Senate on Election Day Nov. 7.
…

“If he loses one house here, President Bush will enter the last two years very wounded,” said David Gergen, a former White House adviser who served in the administrations of Presidents Nixon, Ford, Reagan and Clinton.

“He will have the capacity to say no to Democratic legislation, but he won’t have the capacity to say yes to his own legislation,” said Gergen, who teaches at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.

Democratic victories essentially could block Bush’s remaining agenda and usher in a period of intense partisan bickering over nearly every measure to come before Congress.

Loss of either chamber also could subject his administration to endless congressional inquiries and investigations.

Link

Ya think?! Repubs whine even with complete power contol. Of course it’ll continue… and grow. You’re all familiar with that kid that lived down the block from you when you were growing up. He had everything but continued to whine for more. You know the one. The brat that no one could stand. Obviously went through a terrible toilet training period. Well, he grew up to become a republican.