Today's links

* A series of three reports from the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies conclude that the US' emergency medical care system is in shambles -- "overburdened, underfunded, and highly fragmented," to quote the IOM's press release. Of course, this has absolutely nothing to do with the absence of universal health care in this country. Don't let anyone suggest otherwise.

* Here are those DoD talking points on Iraq that are getting abused in Congressional sessions by GOP members.

* The US military death toll in Iraq has reached 2,500. Accordingly, multiply what Stan Goff had to say here by 2.5.

* Here's an excerpt from Greg Palast's new book, in which he argues that Bush's Mesopotamian adventure was launched to suppress Iraq's oil production.

* Sniff. I smell propaganda.

* Ledeen goes to Rome; Washington bombs Iran? If you are at all familiar with the OSP, what's going on with the Pentagon's Iranian directorate has to be of some concern.

* Palestinians killed by Israel? The international community yawns, as usual. Plus, with "time running out" and the "perpetual war on terror" unfolding inexorably via US/EU/Israeli policy, Olmert announces that he will push on with "convergence" no matter what.

* A new ICC report documents a number of war crimes in Darfur that were either ignored or enabled by the Sudanese government.

* This is certainly interesting and, ideally, someone in the dreaded "MSM" will actually pursue the story. (Don't laugh.) Rex Tomb, the FBI spokesman, said essentially the same thing a few weeks after 9/11. ~5 years later and the evidence against Bin Laden has not been forthcoming. One would think that the public deserves to know a little bit more about why that's so...

* Who's winning the "war on terror"? Clearly, the US isn't.

* It kinda sucks that Gitmo has become a big PR problem. Poor Bushies.

* What the hell is going on in NY harbor? Oh, yes. The Statue of Liberty is weeping.

* "The John Wayne-era assumption that America alone can write the script for the whole world has been forever foiled, both in Washington and Hollywood," conclude Nathan Gardels and Mike Medavoy in an IHT opinion piece.

* Does it matter that a man with immense influence over political developments in the US is both a thug and a liar? Of course not.

* Jason Leopold's become a convenient whipping boy for a lot of people since his questionable truthout report on Rove's "impending indictment," a development I've found to be rather cheap and deplorable. In any case, as a breath of fresh air, Sam Smith withholds his scorn to take a nuanced view of Leopold's new book, as well as his turbulent career.

* Joe Bageant breaks out a healthy dose of cynicism while reflecting on life in the good ol' US of A.