Unabashed

First, the Downing Street memo described Senior British intelligence officials as stating, in an internal communique, that, in America the "intelligence was being fixed around the policy" of invading Iraq.

Now, a British man is being prosecuted for revealing official state secrets. The secret documents: a classified memo that describes President Bush voicing his desire to bomb the offices of Al Jazerra.

I'm speechless, again.

Here's Jane Smiley's excellent essay about what it means to be a superpower and why we're no longer fitting the bill. Kind of seems timely and appropriate in light of the revelation that our chosen leader wants to, once again, shoot first and ask questions later...

Here's an article I found at alternet.org from The Nation on the subject.

We know it was never a picnic to be stationed in Iraq, but what do we make of this this article from Britain's Guardian. The article begins: "Leaders of Iraq's sharply divided Shiites, Kurds and Sunnis called Monday for a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S.-led forces in the country and said Iraq's opposition had a ``legitimate right'' of resistance.

The final communique, hammered out at the end of three days of negotiations at a preparatory reconciliation conference under the auspices of the Arab League, condemned terrorism, but was a clear acknowledgment of the Sunni position that insurgents should not be labeled as terrorists if their operations do not target innocent civilians or institutions designed to provide for the welfare of Iraqi citizens."

In other words, a conference of Iraqi leaders generates an agreement that attacks against U.S. troops by insurgents represents their "legitimate right of resistance." How'd you like to have a son or daughter over there and to then read that the country they "liberated" now proclaims that attacks against them are "legitimate?"

Now that's something to feel shock and awe over!