Bunker Mulligan "Let us endeavor so to live that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry." ~Mark Twain

SDB is right. I do think, however, Bush can say something which wouldn’t be too rude: “Sixty years ago soldiers from three nations, a coalition of the willing, landed here to free France and all the rest of continental Europe from the clutches of a sadistic madman.”

Michael J. Totten has a link to video of the treatment of prisoners in Iraq.

At least it is finally ended.

The Heritage Foundation has a link to this film on altruism in the US.

Don North’s documentary Remembering Saddam is the story of seven Baghdad merchants who incurred the wrath of Saddam. Nine years ago, after spending a year in the infamous Abu Ghraib prison, their right hands were surgically removed as part of an effort to blame small businessmen for Iraq’s collapsing economy. Each man tells his story and friends, wives, and children recall their experiences under the former dictator.

The film is 40 minutes long, so find the time to watch. You probably won’t see it on television. No newsroom will touch it. Daniel Henninger has an article for you if you can’t spare the time.

The golf course, with new clubhouse, looks to be in fine condition. The main topic, however, is whether a “booze barn” should be set up for local drunks to use. It seems they get a bit out of hand wandering the streets, and some folks “want to help.”

The recent edition of the Coober Pedy Regional Times says that the District Council of Coober Pedy was “forced to listen” to residents in a meeting to do with the Draft Development Plan.

That’s bit rich, seeing the Council was the convenor of the meeting!

I have to direct you to some new pictures from Slice on his page

The entry below is from him.

I receive periodic email updates from Iraqi Prospect Organization. Today’s was written by Sama Hadad, a female spokesman for the organization.

What troubles me about this particular report is that the ethnic split in Iraq is all-enduring. Sama writes that the Shia are the majority, and are worried another Sunni will be named to head the interim government. To the Shia, this means a return to the way things always have been. To me, this is the biggest challenge in Iraq. People who identify themselves solely by a single association cannot effectively live with a government controlled by another group. We see that here in the US where congressional districts are gerrymandered to satisfy this opinion.

But in Iraq, the bloodlust runs deep. After 35 years of brutal control by a Sunni dictator, the Shia are wary of any Sunni leader. It matters little to them that Sunnis also suffered under Saddam.

The most disturbing thing in the article is how the UN representative is handling things.

While many names are being considered by Brahimi and the CPA for the transitional government, there seems to be one certainty: Adnan Pachachi or one of his associates will take the position of president or prime minister. Pachachi, who opposed Iraq’s liberation and Kuwait’s right to exist, is a Sunni pan-Arabist. Bush’s Iraq plan is set to fail.

Is it remotely possible the UN doesn’t want an Iraqi government to succeed? Does the UN want to see Bush out of office?

Nah…Kofi and the boys don’t want to meddle in a country’s internal affairs.

I was thinking about this possible scenario last night. When Bush spoke the other night about Iraqis doing things for themselves, the media instantly went into the “government must do things” mode.

Bush wasn’t talking about that. What he was saying is the Iraqi people in general need to take charge of things. People like Zeyad, Omar, and Sam are the ones who will make a difference by getting involved.

It will be tough. Changing a culture of fear and suspicion will take time. The average Iraqi has learned over the last two generations it is better to mind your own business, and not get involved in any way when you see someone doing something wrong.

May God bless you, Iraqis. And may He give you the strength you need to make things work.