Where’s the Outrage?

As usual, we only get half of the story.  Waterboarding worked.  We got information which disrupted several plots.  On the other hand, Brian Ross of ABC News didn’t really ask about false information that sent federal agents on wild goose chases.  He didn’t mention that Abu Zabayduh was mentally disturbed from a head injury that he suffered years earlier.  He also didn’t mention that James Risen reported that the FBI was getting good information out of Zabayduh without torture.

Why did this CIA operative speak out now?  Do you smell a book deal in the air?

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From ABC News:

A leader of the CIA team that captured the first major al Qaeda figure, Abu Zubaydah, says subjecting him to waterboarding was torture but necessary.

In the first public comment by any CIA officer involved in handling high-value al Qaeda targets, John Kiriakou, now retired, said the technique broke Zubaydah in less than 35 seconds.  (more…)

 

 ABC News interview [4:31m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Al Qaeda, National Intelligence, Torture by ecthompson
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The cover up of a gang rape is enough to make any normal, thoughtful, compassionate human being vomit. The lawless in Iraq has been well documented. Well, the gang rape of an American female contract worker is awful. The only thing worse would be the fact that her rapists were Americans that worked for Kellogg, Brown and Root (KBR). The company helped lose evidence and cover-up the incident.

The woman is currently suing KBR, thank god!

More from C&L.

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From ABCNews:

A Houston, Texas woman says she was gang-raped by Halliburton/KBR coworkers in Baghdad, and the company and the U.S. government are covering up the incident.

Jamie Leigh Jones, now 22, says that after she was raped by multiple men at a KBR camp in the Green Zone, the company put her under guard in a shipping container with a bed and warned her that if she left Iraq for medical treatment, she’d be out of a job. (more…)

Tags: Iraq by ecthompson
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I’ll have more on the Dallas Cowboys victory over the Detroit Lions. I was on call yesterday so I didn’t get to see the game until late last night. What happened to the “improving” Dallas Cowboys defense?

Update: The Lions spanked the Dallas Cowboys defense. They racked up almost 400 yards of total offense. The running backs combined for about 150 yards on the ground. They gave up no sacks, no turnovers and no interceptions. So, how did they lose? I’m sure that the question that John Kitna and the gang are asking right now.

The key to winning in the National Football League is execution. The Lions offense executed for 3 quarters. This is great except the game lasts for 4 quarters.

Game Balls: Detroit Lions offensive line. They allow John Kitna to get the ball down field. This is an offensive line that has been terrible all year. They finally pulled together to turn in a great performance. Marion Barber again turned in huge performance. 3 touchdowns. Finally, my last game ball will go to Terrell Owens. No seriously. Yes, I know he had only 3 catches but he didn’t whine or pout. His constant double teams allowed Jason Whitten to run free for 15 catches.

 

 Cowboys slide by the Lions [3:52m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Sports by ecthompson
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In the next several days, we can watch the media analyze the Oprah effect. The rest of us already know that she has focused her star power on the presidential race and on Barack Obama. She has the ability to move people. A rare quality.

In order for Obama to win the democratic nomination, he will need to win 2 of the first 3 primaries.  This is the key and Obama knows it.  If Hillary Clinton is able to sweep the first 3 primaries then all of the chatter that the talking heads have done are right.  She is already crowned.  All that Senator Edwards has to do is place a strong second in order to stay alive.   Actually, John Edwards really needs to win Iowa.  He has put a lot of time and effort into Iowa.  He has really been campaigning in Iowa for the last 2 - 3 years.

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From WaPo:

An overwhelmingly African American audience took center stage in the battle for the Democratic presidential nomination here Sunday, as Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.), joined by television talk-show host Oprah Winfrey, appealed to black voters to set aside their doubts and seize the opportunity to send him to the White House in 2008.

“South Carolina, our moment is now,” Obama said to an audience estimated by organizers as made up of 29,000 people at the University of South Carolina’s football stadium. “Don’t let them tell you we’ve got to wait. Our moment is now.” (more…)

 

 Oprah effect [4:07m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Election 2008 by ecthompson
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