Geez, et tu Kurdistan? (Stuff from non-US news)

[TayTay]

Al-Ittihad, Baghdad, daily newspaper in Arabic published by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, PUK:

1. Report: During meeting with leading Interior Ministry officers, President Talabani: Optimistic about Iraqis’ success in doing away with black terror. (500 words, p1)

2. Report: His Excellency receives directors of two Middle East party promotion programmes, British delegation. (150 words, p1)

3. Report: Head of PUK-led regional government Umar Fattah: Ready to cooperate in compiling incriminating evidence against Saddam. (280 words, p1)

4. Report: Baghdad provincial council calls for boycotting Egypt commercially, as cabinet decides to boycott conference of neighbouring states convened in Cairo. (320 words, p1)

5. Report: Iranian scientists make uranium enrichment breakthrough. (260 words, p1)

6. Report: Date for convening parliamentary session to be set by Al-Pachachi today, as UIA postpones until today final decision on PM nominee. (1250 words, p1)

7. Report: Bush: Iraqi leaders should close ranks to forge all-inclusive government. (330 words, p2)

8. Column by Sardar Abdullah entitled “John Kerry’s unending campaign”: The writer says that of all the huge amount of criticism directed at president Bush at home, the part frequently contributed by John Kerry has a place of its own. He makes an interesting comparison between the grudging bitterness demonstrated all along by Kerry, a contender who ended up far behind Bush in the last electoral race, with the sportsmanlike acceptance of defeat by another contender, Al Gore, who, until the very last moment, had been running neck and neck with Bush, but who has been good-natured enough to put his defeat behind him and never stoop to snubbing at the victor out of a hidden desire for vengeance. (400 words, p2)

[karynnj]

1. Kind of a funny counter to the DU

version of history that Kerry folded. (far behind - has a different definition here. I guess Bush's democracy doesn't let them consider voter suppression and 100,000 votes in Ohio. I guess that doesn't happen in the perfect democracy that is Iraq.)

editted to correct at least some stupidity

[TayTay]

2. I must admit, I kind of liked that description

John Kerry has a 'secret desire for vengeance.' Sounds kind of 007ish or like a Soprano's character. It brings up amusing scenarios in my head that I don't have time to post now. (Maybe later. Especially that Brahmin Soprano's thing, which can't really exist as one of them is extinct, but still, it's too good.)

[beachmom]

3. Kurdistan LOVES the Bushes

And you know, if I were Kurdish, I probably would, too. Bush 41 majorly screwed up with the Shi'ites (encouraging them to rebel, then standing aside when Saddam swooped in to slaughter them), but remember it was the first Bush administration that set up the no fly zone that protected the Kurds. Clinton continued it, and even after all of the chaos resulting from our invasion of Iraq, Kurdistan is the best place to live in that country. Their economy is booming, there are only isolated terrorist attacks, they've got Kirkuk for oil; in short, life is good and they've got * to thank for that. And, by the way, I don't worry about Kurdistan, even if the U.S. were completely to withdrawal, because they have very good militias, and they're not going to put up with jihadists or other sect militias on their territory.

In regards to the election, did you see how Berlesconi reacted after losing by 25,000 votes? My first thought was -- what a jerk and a sore loser!!! Kerry was 100% correct to concede when he did. He was down 120,000 votes in Ohio, and 3.5 million votes nationwide. I know there are a few here who feel differently, but he would have looked REALLY bad if he refused to concede with those numbers and with an absense of concrete proof of election fraud. And I'm less pessimistic than most about '06 -- Dems will do well, even if there are shenanigans in some states.