Monthly Archives: March 2008

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Tells Hillary Clinton That Her Passport File Was Breached

This is not good:

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has told Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton that her passport file was breached in 2007.

In a statement from her Senate office, Clinton said she had been contacted by Rice. The State Department plans to brief Clinton’s staff Friday about the unauthorized breach.

The development came just hours after the State Department fired two contract employees and disciplined a third for inappropriately examining the passport file of Clinton’s Democratic rival, Sen. Barack Obama.

It’s still quite possible (I’d like to think likely) that we’re dealing with “imprudent curiosity” here. However, it will get more difficult to stick with that story if news of additional cross-party breaches does not follow.

Update:
McCain’s file was breached as well. I bet he’s actually relieved:

The passport files of presidential candidates Sen. Hillary Clinton, a Democrat, and Sen. John McCain, a Republican, were improperly accessed by State Department workers, a U.S. official said on Friday.

The War: Hour 15

10:00am CST
Rick Leventhal interviewed a Marine and mentioned that they were under order to be ready to roll in 15 minutes. The Marine replied “Marines are always ready to roll”. Iraqi troops near the border are being engaged by ground forces and helicopter gunships. From the sound of it we are giving them hell and taking little or nothing from them in return. – Fox News broadcast

10:05am CST
Donald Rumsfeld is briefing reporters at the Pentagon. “The days of the Saddam Hussein regime are numbered”. “To the Iraqi people let me say that the day of your liberation will soon be at hand.”

10:18am CST

Now that was really unexpected. When the sirens went on we thought we will get bombs by the tom load dropped on us but nothing happened, at least in the part of the city where I lived. Air-craft guns could be heard for a while but they stopped too after a while and then the all clear siren came.

Today in the morning I went with my father for a ride around Baghdad and there was nothing different from yesterday. There is no curfew and cars can be seen speeding to places here and there. Shops are closed. Only some bakeries are open and of course the Ba’ath Party Centers. There are more Ba’ath people in the streets and they have more weapons. No army in the streets. We obviously still have electricity, phones are still working and we got to phone calls from abroad so the international lines are still working. water is still running.

- Where is Raed? (Iraqi Blogger)

10:23am CST
More oil field fires reported in Southern Iraq. First reported as 2 now 3 or 4. – Sky News broadcast

10:27am CST
“There is considerable belief in this government that they may, in fact, have gotten Saddam.” – Drudge Report

10:32am CST
Coalition forces moving into Iraq and heading for a “specific target” – Sky News broadcast

10:54am CST
Reporters in Kuwait ordered into bunkers due to expected “barrage of missles” – MSNBC broadcast

10:56am CST
MSNBC sums up the events of the last 15 hours pretty well in this article

New bin Laden Message Expected

Let’s see if this one lands with the usual, low impact, thud:

“SITE Intelligence Group has learned that a new message is forthcoming from the head of al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, entitled: ‘The Response Will Be What You See, Not What You Hear’,” SITE said.

The announcement of the upcoming message was posted today by the administrator of al-Ekhlaas, a password-protected al-Qaeda-affiliated internet forum, SITE said.

I have no clue what’s up with the title. Maybe it’s to cover for the fact that he’s dead, can’t talk, and some young jihadist will be hiding behind the body waving its arms around Weekend at Bernie’s style while the music wails.

The Dalai Lama Addresses China’s Cultural Genocide

Tibet’s leader in exile, the Dalai Lama, has continues to point to the inevitable failure that all who rule by force must eventually face.

I am deeply concerned over the situation that has been developing in Tibet following peaceful protests in many parts of Tibet, including Lhasa, in recent days. These protests are a manifestation of the deep-rooted resentment of the Tibetan people under the present governance.

As I have always said, unity and stability under brute force is at best a temporary solution. It is unrealistic to expect unity and stability under such a rule and would therefore not be conducive to finding a peaceful and lasting solution.

I therefore appeal to the Chinese leadership to stop using force and address the long-simmering resentment of the Tibetan people through dialogue with the Tibetan people. I also urge my fellow Tibetans not to resort to violence.

Tibetan Uprising: Lhasa Burns – Dozens Dead

Their situation is nearly hopeless but many Tibetans seem willing to sacrifice themselves to draw attention to their plight and to show the world the brutality of the Chinese government.

The protests, sparked by the anniversary of the failed 1959 uprising that sent Tibet’s Dalai Lama into exile, are the latest embarrassment to hit 2008 Olympic-host China, which has attracted international criticism over its human rights record.

Quoting the Tibetan government, China’s state-run Xinhua news agency said 10 were killed in Lhasa Friday after police blocked a march by monks, sparking the violence.

“The victims are all innocent civilians, and they have been burnt to death,” an official with the regional government told Xinhua.

Tibetan exiles in India meanhwile cited unconfirmed reports that at least 100 people were killed and many more injured.

Video broadcast on China’s CCTV Saturday showed flames and black smoke rising the market, where hundreds of rioters used hands, feet and sledge hammers to break down doors and shatter windows.

One of the targets of their violence was a Bank of China branch. Protesters, including some monks dressed in red robes, could be seen overturning cars and throwing rocks to chase away other people. There was no sign of Chinese police in the video.

The protests in Tibet began Monday when hundreds of monks rallied on the 49th anniversary of a failed uprising against Beijing that forced the Dalai Lama into exile.

Police used gunfire and tear gas to quell the Lhasa protest, according to witnesses, human rights groups and Xinhua.

Demonstrators set fire to vehicles and shops. One source said late Friday that up to a third of the city may be on fire and that power lines had been cut.

Tibetan Uprising has more information, including photos.