This is not the country that I once knew

Former US President Jimmy Carter's article in last week's Observer is a strong and unequivocal condemnation of the current administration's abrogation of international treaties and agreements, and the inevitable forteiture of international respect and credibility that follows. And, as a man of faith (a faith far more demonstrable and sincere than that of Mr. "God-told-me-to-attack-Iraq" Bush), Carter also deplores the increasing militarism and fundamentalism of American Christianity. A must-read article.

Iran, Iraq and 9/11

Winston Smith of the blog Philosoraptor is always good for a thoughtful piece on some connection overlooked or misinterpreted by many of the other pundits. But then he doesn't claim to be a pundit, he claims to be a philosopher. This one is concerned with what it may take to get "true believers" to stop believing that Iraq was responsible for 9/11.

Hutton Inquiry Web Site

Ya gotta love the way the UK does these things. All your questions are answered at the Hutton Inquiry Web Site. (Note to Americans - this is not a joke. This is the actual government website. No, really.) Thanks to Joani - in California - for sending me this link. She wishes her own government was half this forthcoming on its "9-11" investigation.

Operation "Holy Tuesday"

The German national newspaper Der Spiegel has this amazing story of the whole history of September 11, as pieced together from the interrogations of two major al Qaida leaders taken prisoner in Pakistan and now held by US military authorities. I wonder why this story is not a major news item in the US? This is in English, it is long, and it is an incredible barrage of likely facts. Thanks to Trishymouse for first posting this.
Because I think this is a story that really needs to get out, and not because I think it will increase my traffic or anything, I am sending a trackback ping on this post to Outside the Beltways linkfest The Beltway Traffic Jam; you should check that out too.

Le Carre: The US has gone mad

This is old news, but still pertinent. John Le Carre thought that the US had gone mad way back in January 2003 (seems like years ago, doesn't it?) I wonder what he thinks now. We may find out soon, as he is apparently about to publish a new spy novel that concerns Iraq and the current state of the inter-relationships between the US and UK intelligence networks, a theme to which he often returns with great insight. And of course, it will be a cracking good read, if nothing else.
I found this as I was working on my "bookstore" page, which is greatly improved since yesterday if you want to take a look.