Iraqi intelligence agent tells Jerusalem Post that Iraq had no WMDs. US immediately orders the man to go down into Saddam's hole, until he admits that he is wrong.

Saddam Husayn rewrote the history of Iraq to give himself the role of the hero. His re-writing of history continues from captivity, it seems. Pro-Saddam Ba`thists are reporting this in their newsgroups: that there was a 30 hour "battle" between Saddam and his fighters on the one hand, and US troops on the other side. According to this fantasy--I mean account--Saddam and "his" men were able to cost the enemy some 250 casualties, while the Saddam side suffered some 150. The same story continues to say that the Americans, having failed to subdue "heroic" Saddam, used various gases and weapons to paralyze the enemy. This account however does not explain why the reporters who visited the site did not see any evidence of it.

The Islamic University of AlAzhar (a tool of the Eygptian government, no more) has struck again: after a season of banning books, now the obscurantist clerics of that institution are declaring the infidelity of all Baha'is.(thanks to anonymous).

So yesterday, in an interview with ABC News, George W. Bush answered a question on WMDs (or lack thereof) in Iraq this way: "PRESIDENT BUSH: But what David Kay did discover was they had a weapons program, and had that, that — let me finish for a second. Now it's more extensive than, than missiles. Had that knowledge been examined by the United Nations or had David Kay's report been placed in front of the United Nations, he, he, Saddam Hussein, would have been in material breach of 1441, which meant it was a causis belli. And look, there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein was a dangerous person, and there's no doubt we had a body of evidence proving that, and there is no doubt that the president must act, after 9/11, to make America a more secure country." (thanks Mona)

The campaign to win minds and hearts in Iraq continues.

Najih Muhammad Hasan Al-Fahham Al-A`raji, the dean of the Syndicate of Ashraf (those claimants of descent from Muhammad's family), announced today that Saddam Husayn will be expelled from the syndicate. As is well known, Saddam had concocted a bogus family tree to claim descent from the Prophet of Islam. Othere Arab leaders who claim descent from Muhammad include: King `Abdullah of Jordan, King Muhammad of Morocco, among others.

Not to be outdone: Sen. Joe Lieberman also gives a.....................................a MAJOR POLICY SPEECH.

Saddam in captivity: 15 years too late, by Robert Fisk, the best ME correspondent.

And then there is this site. The editor of this Arabic site (I do not know who he is, or what his politics are) sent me this item. First, I do complain that people in the Middle East and US Left sometimes go too far in their adherence to conspiracy theories. But it is equally foolish to believe that there are no conspiracies in this world, especially with Cheney running (or trying to run) the world. One has to be careful about which conspiracy theory has some foundation or evidence. There is a story that Saddam Husayn had been held prisoner by his own guards inside the hole. The story alleges that his guards negotiated his surrender for the reward. It also alleges that he was drugged (pointing out the footage when he was feeling his own face). The story also points out that Saddam looked as if he had not been showered in weeks. Al-Quds Al-`Arabi (a London daily which expresses simultaneous sympathy for Saddam AND Bin Laden) also expresses doubts about the story of his capture. But my worry is this: supporters of Saddam want to cast doubt on the story of his capture because they are embarrassed by his lack of resistance. So maybe it is healthy to express skepticism toward Bush'propaganda, and the propaganda of Saddam's supporters. As for the Truth: it has one address: angryarab.blogspot.com.

Women are being shut out of the bogus and empty constitutional conventional in Afghanistan. But who cares? Afghanistan and its women were liberated a while back with the help of some 22,400 bombs and missiles (25 % of which missed their targets, according to Central Command's figures by the end of March of 2002).

US troops shot 16 Iraqis. No need to worry though. Of course, every one of them is a terrorist. Would US troops shoot anybody if that person is not a terrorist? Would Israeli troops kill any Palestinian child if that child was not a terrorist? Of course, not.

Do you know what Sen. John Kerry did yesterday? Unbelievable. He....gave a MAJOR POLICY SPEECH on foreign policy.

Yes, the slaughter goes on in Iraq but the president's numbers are up.

This writer predicts a growing resistance in Iraq.

CIA is showing videos to Saddam. He is made to watch anti-Saddam demonstrations in Iraq, and scenes of torture by his henchmen. He asks instead if he can watch Legally Blonde II.

Full text. This is one of the declassified documents illustrating the extent of US alliance with Saddam Husayn during the Reagan administration. This was during the time when Donald Rumsfeld, not to be confused with Billy Bob Thornton, used to go for Milkshakes with Saddam. Those were the days...

This Senator was a Klansman in his youth. He now has more wisdom than the other 99 Senators. Here he warns about Bush's preemptive wars.

Majority of Palestinians oppose the Geneva accords. Good for them.

The US violates an international agreement on government procurement. Undeterred, Bush pledges to violate every international agreement that US had ever signed. The masses cheer, and urge Bush to run for a 3rd term.

Obituary of Palestinian poet and pioneer:Her name: Fadwa Tuqan.

Senators were told before the war in Iraq that Iraqi missiles couldhit East Coast US. The Senators, known for their wisdom, intelligence, and thoughtfulness, yelled out in unison: "GO TO WAR, NOW."

Dick Cheney wishes to scare Americans. He is warning about the threats of WMDs. When Cheney engages in such talks I reach for my nearest map, wondering where he plans to invade.

You can detect a propaganda item when you see it. The Washington Post (among other newspapers) is reporting that documents found with Saddam contain full details about the insurgents in Iraq. I doubt that very much, and feel these stories are planted by US government to send messages to insurgents and demoralize them. And where did Saddam keep all those documents when he was running around, unless--we are supposed to believe--he kept a very sophisticated filing system stuck in his intestines?

A village in Nicaragua is caught in the grip of Madness.

I swear: I wish I had the time to go through the newspapers and publications, to point out the lies and inconsistencies coming out from US official accounts. Take how Saddam's hole in the ground was found. The New York Times reported today that when the soldiers went to the house area, "one of the Special Operations soldiers noticed an edge of a fabric-backed rubber mat peeking through soil edging the concrete floor in the home's courtyard, tugged on it and swept the earth away to find a rectangular foam plug about 20 inches high and perhaps 3 feet long, topped with two looped ropes as handles. Lifting it, he found the hiding space." Now read the account of MSNBC, on the same issue: (how the hole in the ground was found): "An informant, a confidant of Hussein whom they had brought along on the operation, had led them to that farm on the Tigris River. Now he pointed them to the very spot where Hussein was hiding in an underground chamber, according to soldiers involved in his capture. " Does anybody know the name of the song by Bob Dylan which has in it the phrase: "stop lying, stop lying, stop lying."

Would you please tell the propagandists of the US government and the Iraqi puppet council to coordinate their propaganda, please! Puppet council member (and notorious convicted embezzler Ahmad Chalabi) has been going around saying that Saddam alas admitted that indeed he was leading the resistance. And yet, New York Times reports that Saddam told interrogators that he did not lead the resistance. The old Babylonian Talmud says: The punishment of the liar is that he is not believed, even when he tells the truth.

This touching picture was found framed near Saddam's bed in his hideout. It meant a lot to him. It is about two close friends, and their shared memories together.

An accurate article: that Muslims, Jews, and Christians all worship the same God. And I really like eggplants on my Pizza.

Saddam had a messy hideout, the Washington Post would like to tell you. He was reading Crime and Punishment. A great book, I must say. He had a book of dream interpretations. Saddam was extremely superstitious and sought the advise of soothsayers.

Supporters of Israel are worried about Howard Dean's stance on Israel. But no need to worry. In his MAJOR POLICY SPEECH today about foreign policy, he spoke about "unshakeable" US alliance with Israel.

Saddam's supporters may become more emboldened and more dangerous.

I am skeptical about conspiracy theories unless I have evidence. But conspiracies are real, make no mistake about it. I was sent this link regarding a theory that Saddam had been in custody before this dramatic capture. Some also find it suspicious that the Iraqi puppet council rushed through a bill for a war crime tribunal (tailored by US occupation powers) days before Saddam's capture.

Interesting story about fading joy in Iraq and rising anger at US after Saddam's capture.

Can you tell the US government propagandists and the propagandists of the Iraqi puppet council to coordinate their tunes and stories: in one day (and I swear from the same man, Muwaffaq Ar-Rubay`i) I head that Saddam in custody was "broken and destroyed" , and on other occasions we heard that he was "arrogant and defiant." Which is which, please. Guide the Perplexed NOW.

In fact, tbe Bush administration should be held more responsible for the pre-war lies: Saddam is reportedly denying he existence of WMDs. But who cares; Bush even dared to face the press today. And they asked him their usual profound questions: whether he high-fived his subordinates upon hearing the news.

Make no mistake about it: Guardian is predicting that resistance will grow. The biggest impact of Saddam's capture may be here on the ground of the US, and not in Iraq. Even the Washington Post agrees. Rober Fisk has another wise piece along the same lines. I have always thought that Iraqi Ba`thists OUT of power can be as lethal and as scary. With Saddam in US custoday, the Iraqi Ba`thists will even feel less restrained (by Saddam's calculations of power preservations). Arab media (and even Nightline) reported the appearance for the first time of armed gangs and demonstrators shooting at police. They are now appearing in full force in Ramadi and Falujah, among other places.

US goes after Arab weapons, and we pay for Israel to develop weapons that shoot corners, and do not forget our funding for the expensive Arrow missile. But then again, peaceful Israel is in need of its massive arsenal of WMDs, and conventional weapons.

How fickle the Democratic Party ideology is, and how wobbly are the feet of Democratic leaders. Now they are neverous about Saddam's arrest, that it may lead to the rise of pro-war candidates. They need Ralph Nader to come back and scare them.

Remember how I told you that people who run for office in US always label some speeches they make (or more accurately read, as they do not write their own speeches, but Theodore Roosevelt did) as "major policy speeches"? Say: "yes, we remember, oh, wise one, Angry Arab, or we remember, Oh, all-knowing Arab in our midst." OK: you know: major policy speech on China, major policy speech on Corn, etc. Today, three people aspiring to be presidents (Dean, Hillary, and Edwards) all gave MAJOR foreign policy speeches. I am thinking about giving a MAJOR policy speech tomorrow on best Pizza in Boston. What do you think?

Do you know that Saudi Arabia (or the House of Saud, I should say) arrested 8322 people in ONE WEEK. Is that not a record? They were accused of "paper violations." What are the chances of sending the 4th Infantry Division after King Fahd? Oh, I forgot: these are the "good" tyrants.

It is now official. The US government has announced that (as a humanitarian gesture) Saddam will be flown to the US, and he will be allowed to register as a Democrat and cast his first ballot in the New Hampshire primary. The White House denies any political exploitation of Saddam's capture (and they are furious that anybody would even consider thinking about that), and insists that Saddam's participation in the democratic New Hampshire primary was entirley Saddam's idea, and without any duress. The White House is also allowing Saddam to open an office for Iraqi Ba`thists for Howard Dean organization in New Hampshire. They also deny that this was Carl Rove's idea. In other news, Bush made a statement during the press conference today: Full text: "Saddam, freedom, liberty, Iraq, terrorism, freedom, Saddam's capture, liberty, free, veggie burger, democracy, potato, saddam, milkshake, freedom, Elton John, freedom, Saddam's capture, liberty, Somosa, freedom. Thank you all."

I shall be appearing with Dennis Kucinich this morning on KPFA after 7:00AM (Pacific Time). You can listen live but I am too lazy to get you the link.

Disgusting. There is already a reference by Israeli reporter (who is close to US and Israeli officials) of a "deal" to be struck between Saddam and the US government. I really really believe that they want a hasty and closed trial to avoid embarrassment for US officials who have had ties with Saddam. This means that we sill not be hearing about Saddam's friendship with Rumsfeld from the 1980s. Do you know that this trial plan (that was approved by the US puppet council in Iraq last week) would be the first war crime tribunal EVER without an international role? We should support the internationalization of the war crime tribunal to avoid its politicization by the US government. The deal under discussion will spare Saddam the dealth penalty in return for Saddam's services for US government? This Human Rights Watch dude makes the point that Saddam should be put on trial in an international court.

The other side of the American "liberation" of Iraq.

American press never misses an opportunity to bash Palestinians. Now they want to claim that the Palestinians were Saddam's staunch supporters. In reality, the Palestinians, due to their agony and ordeal, rally to the support of anybody who shouts slogans against the US. There was yesterday a call for a demonstration in support of Saddam in Gaza: do you know how many people showed up? 16 people. The US press will not point that out.