Driving while Iraqi

NYT story opening paragraph: “When President Bush informed the nation last Sunday night that remaining in Iraq next year will cost another $87 billion, many of those who will actually pay that bill were unable to watch. They had already been put to bed by their parents.”

Also, a piece by Paul Krugman on how the agenda of tax-cutters is actually a crusade to drastically down-size government. Which you may think you already know, but this is a lucid exposition of the argument that while long, is a must-read. You do read everything I designate a must-read, don’t you? Because there will be a quiz.

The Iraq Survey Group, the 1,400 scientists, intelligence and military experts scouring Iraq for WMDs, were supposed to issue a progress report Monday. Having made no progress, they’ve decided to issue their report on Iraq’s WMDs, uh, well, never.

It took a day and a half, but the US finally admits to killing 10 (not 8) Iraqi cops. Oh, and says it’s darned sorry. The cover-up continues, of course. The NYT: “A military spokesman said that American forces had no further information about the incident, including whether American forces had any reason to know that the vehicle belonged to Iraqi police officers.” Like the fact that it was marked as such? They’re also still saying that they were fired on, but no non-American shell casings have been found and no Americans were injured in the 45-60 minute “firefight.” I just thought up a phrase no one has used for these incidents yet. Ready? “Driving while Iraqi.”

Just googled that. A couple of people have used it including, oh dear, the Revolutionary Worker.

The governor of Phnom Penh wants Cambodians to eat stray dogs. “Come on, dog meat is so delicious.”

The Observer says that 6,000 American soldiers have been evacuated from Iraq for medical reasons, 1,500 of them wounded, since the start of the war. Given the body armor they wear, expect most of the wounded to be maimed. Every day, transport plans arrive at Andrews Air Force Base to be met by a fleet of ambulances (I just had a flash of the MASH opening credits).

Novelist Julian Barnes (feel free to substitute American for Englishman): “If I were God and I were trying to create a nation that would get up the nostril of the Englishman, I would create the French.”

Bill Maher, quoted by Frank Rich in the NYT about The Arnold: "If his father wasn't a Nazi, he wouldn't have any credibility with conservatives at all."