What's Up

* Those WMDs sure are hard to find. Maybe the US has accidentally destroyed the evidence and "given itself an excuse" as to why none have been located. Or maybe Bush has pulled off the "great illusion," as Susan Wright alleges.

* "Many of the same people who led the campaign for war against Iraq signed a report released three years ago that called for using military force to disarm Syria of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and to end its military presence in Lebanon," reports Jim Lobe. Those neocons aren't worried about leaving a paper trail, apparently. Nor are they worried about recycling arguments.

* Speaking of Syria, that nation "has introduced a draft United Nations resolution to rid the Middle East of any nuclear, chemical and biological weapons," according to the BBC. As the Mad Prophet suggests, this is a little zinger aimed at the "special relationship" between the US and Israel. There's little chance this resolution would pass, but it wouldn't matter if it did, anyway. After all, there's already a resolution on the books which calls for the establishment of "a zone free from weapons of mass destruction" in the Middle East. Which resolution is that, you say? None other than 687, the very same one that allegedly justified the sanctions against Iraq.

* Bush has now called on the UN to lift the sanctions against Iraq. George Will and Tony Blair, our champions of morality, must be elated.

* Bechtel's hard work has paid off. They're gonna make bundles off the Iraq occupation. So, too, will other multinationals. If the American plan for "reconstruction" is allowed to go forward, Naomi Klein writes, "'free Iraq' will be the most sold country on earth."

* Baghdad didn't fall; it was allegedly handed over.

* What really happened in Mosul?

* Has Senator Bob Graham lost his mind?

* Do you "support the troops"? The US government doesn't...

* The NY Times reports on the "Fox effect." They might as well call it the "propaganda effect."

* Some lawyers and human rights groups are compiling a case for war crimes against the US and Britain for their invasion of Iraq.

* Remember Afghanistan? Bill Berkowitz has a report card on the situation there.

* Who really saved Private Jessica? And what about Private Lori?

* 'Betcha haven't seen anything like this reported in the American media.

* Paul Rogers argues that the validity of war-for-oil argument "will be tested by what happens over the next year." If the US moves to "establish a long-term military presence" in Iraq, then it will be hard to deny that the US cares more about Iraqi oil than its people.

* Here's the low down on Abu Abbas.

* Venezuela says it has proof the US was behind last year's coup attempt.

* We've already seen that the Rooskies were in bed with Saddam. Did their intelligence agents use this blog to aid the Iraqis during the invasion?