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| compos mentis. Concision. Media. Clarity. Memes. Context. Melange. Confluence. Mishmash. Conflation. Mellifluous. Conviviality. Miscellany. Confelicity. Milieu. Cogent. Minty. Concoction. |
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| Topic: Civil Liberties |
9:36 am EST, Feb 2, 2004 |
The federal lawsuit filed last week by Maher Arar -- the Syrian-born Canadian whom the federal government deported to Syria -- offers a good opportunity to shed some light on one of the more peculiar civil liberties cases to arise during the war on terrorism. At the least, the government should be obliged to spell out how this decision came to be made and why. The Post cries out for an explanation in the Arar case. Mr. Arar's Lawsuit |
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Safer Option for Civil Rights |
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| Topic: Civil Liberties |
9:30 am EST, Feb 2, 2004 |
Spontaneous applause greeted Bush's State of the Union mention that "key provisions of the Patriot Act are set to expire next year." He quickly went on to declare, "Our law enforcement needs this vital legislation," and to tell Congress, "you need to renew the Patriot Act." That statement also drew applause, but from different quarters. The LA Times educates Hollywood on civil liberties while calling on Congress to support judicial oversight of the FBI's powers. Safer Option for Civil Rights |
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Bush to Establish Panel to Examine US Intelligence |
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| Topic: Politics and Law |
9:22 am EST, Feb 2, 2004 |
President Bush will establish a bipartisan commission in the next few days to examine American intelligence operations, including a study of possible misjudgments about Iraq's unconventional weapons. ... a look "at the global security challenges of the 21st century." The commission will not report back until after the November elections. Is it just me, or has public exploration of the American political landscape devolved into distracted, aimless wandering, punctuated by well meaning but politically motivated 'commissions' with overbroad charters? I propose an independent investigation into the phenomenon of national commissions, in order to uncover exactly why we are always so insistent and eager to learn the whole Truth, yet often unwilling to adopt the most basic recommendations that follow from these studies. Bush to Establish Panel to Examine US Intelligence |
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One-Third of Iranian Parliament Quits in Protest |
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| Topic: Politics and Law |
9:07 am EST, Feb 2, 2004 |
More than one-third of Iran's Parliament resigned Sunday to protest a sweeping ban on candidates running in the parliamentary election later this month. The defiant move threatened to plunge Iran's political system into chaos. "We cannot continue to be present in a Parliament that is not capable of defending the rights of the people and that is unable to prevent elections in which the people cannot choose their representatives." The brother of Iran's reformist president was among those who resigned. He said, "This is the end of the reform movement." One-Third of Iranian Parliament Quits in Protest |
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Key Pakistani Is Said to Admit Atom Transfers |
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| Topic: International Relations |
8:55 am EST, Feb 2, 2004 |
The founder of Pakistan's nuclear weapons program, Abdul Qadeer Khan, has signed a detailed confession admitting that during the last 15 years he provided Iran, North Korea and Libya with the designs and technology to produce the fuel for nuclear weapons. Dr. Khan's admission amounts to one of the most complex and successful efforts to evade international controls to stop nuclear proliferation. ... insisted that the country's military and intelligence officials had been unaware of Dr. Khan's activities during the past decade, despite the huge houses and lavish life he maintained on a relatively modest government stipend. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you ... your super-empowered man. Key Pakistani Is Said to Admit Atom Transfers |
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We Had Good Intel -- The UN's |
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| Topic: War on Terrorism |
4:38 pm EST, Feb 1, 2004 |
In the February 9 issue of Newsweek, Fareed Zakaria argues that the UN's HUMINT was "far more accurate, it turned out, than billions of dollars of satellites." "We will not hesitate to discredit you," Cheney said to Blix before he began his job. The lesson here is not that force should never have been used. The real lesson is that international bodies like El Baradei's can work. We Had Good Intel -- The UN's |
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| Topic: High Tech Developments |
1:18 pm EST, Feb 1, 2004 |
Microsoft is intently poring over Google's portfolio of patents, hunting for potential vulnerabilities. Surely they will find something. The only way to win a patent war would be to get IBM on your side. Today, nearly everyone in Silicon Valley ... has begun to ask: Will Google become the next Netscape? Google should certainly be less naive than Netscape, but that's certainly no immunity. Innovation will be the key factor. Last year, Rick Rashid came to Silicon Valley to give a demonstration of an experimental Microsoft Research search engine. Shortly afterward, Mike Burrows, one of the original pioneers of Internet search at Digital Equipment who later helped design Microsoft's experimental search engine, quietly defected. He joined Google. How much did he know? High-level defections could be a major strategic blow. Going forward, both firms will have to compartmentalize their work and confine the full Vision to the inner circle. This will slow them down, if nothing else. Microsoft has already begun a recruitment campaign aimed at demoralizing Google employees. Microsoft recruiters have been calling Google employees at home, urging them to join Microsoft. Microsoft the telemarketer ... I'd be interested in hearing the pitch. The Coming Search Wars |
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| Topic: Society |
12:13 pm EST, Feb 1, 2004 |
The antiglobalization protesters almost shut Davos down the last two years. This year, they were nowhere. Elephants Can't Fly |
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Education Is No Protection |
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| Topic: Business |
12:06 pm EST, Feb 1, 2004 |
"These companies understand very clearly that this is a very painful process for their employees and for American jobs in the short term. But they also recognize that if they don't do this, they will lose more jobs in the future and they won't have an ability to grow in the future." "Companies can still form in Silicon Valley and be competitive around the world. It's just that they are not going to create jobs in Silicon Valley." ... an entire generation of lowered expectations ... Education Is No Protection |
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Intelligence on the Eve of War |
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| Topic: Current Events |
3:35 pm EST, Jan 31, 2004 |
The information on which Congress based its war vote seems out of kilter with the government's own most expert opinions. The great unanswered question is whether this was wholly the work of top intelligence officials or was the result of pressure from above. Only a broad and truly independent investigation can unravel the roots of this colossal failure. Asking questions is a Good Thing. (Is there a public petition somewhere that calls for an independent investigation?) Intelligence on the Eve of War |
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