"What are we Supposed to do with Our Dead?"

[Guest Gandalf Grey]

"What are we supposed to do with our Dead?" Odds n' Ends in the War on

Terror

 

By Mike Whitney

Created Jul 17 2007 - 8:17am

 

Part 1; Bush to Putin: "Let them eat cake"

 

Much has been made of the chummy relationship between George Bush and

Russian President Vladimir Putin. An incident, which was reported last week

in the "UK Spectator", shows that this so-called "man-to-man" friendship is

a complete fraud created by the Washington press corps to conceal the real

issues and to perpetuate the illusion that Bush is a normal guy.

 

You be the judge:

 

"Six years ago, when George W. Bush first hosted Mr Putin at his ranch in

Texas, he famously claimed to have seen into his soul. At the time he

phrased it slightly differently to an adviser, unaware that his microphone

was still live and his remarks were being broadcast over the speaker system

in the next room. 'I've got him eating out of my hand,' the President

whispered. 'You give these Russkies some cake and they'll give you their

souls.'" (Fraser Nelson "The Cold War is back" UK Spectator)

 

Spoken like a true friend, eh?

 

Part 2; Israel's Friends on the Hill

 

For readers who may have missed the recent events on Capital Hill, there was

this interesting tidbit which appeared The Jerusalem Post:

 

"The US House of Representatives unanimously passed a resolution Wednesday

afternoon condemning a British call to boycott Israeli universities. The

measure, approved 414 to 0, urged the European Union and governments around

the world to reject the call by the leadership of the University and College

Union of the United Kingdom to cease cooperation with Israeli institutions".

 

Always nice to see diversity of opinion on these key humanitarian issues,

isn't it? Congress has been equally supportive of the punitive measures

which have prevented food and medicine from entering the Gaza Strip in clear

violation of the Geneva Conventions.

 

Congress has no problem approving "collective punishment" or any other

internationally-condemned behavior as long as it serves the greater

interests of Israel. Ironically, you would never see such unanimity on any

issue among the members of the Israeli Knesset.

 

Part 3; Iranian Jews would rather stay in Iran?!?

 

An article which appeared last week in the UK Guardian is intriguing in many

respects:>

 

"Iran's Jews have given the country a loyalty pledge in the face of cash

offers aimed at encouraging them to move to Israel, the arch-enemy of its

Islamic rulers. The incentives - ranging from