Kieran Healy writes a good post on the Iraqi elections, and loosely compares it to the foundation of the Irish State. [Via Dan]
Archive for January, 2005
Prospects for Iraqi Democracy
Monday, January 31st, 2005Hoax VW advert
Monday, January 31st, 2005Wizbang has been showing a fake VW advert for some time now, and it is doing the rounds by email. To be honest I think the advert is absolutely hilarious. Quicktime is needed.
Interview: The not so quiet Irishman
Monday, January 31st, 2005New Scientist has an interview with Barry McSweeney, Ireland’s first Chief Science Adviser. Some interesting stuff, go have a look.
NASA readies possible space rescue
Sunday, January 30th, 2005Here is hoping this will never have to be done, but it’s good to see NASA has some new contingency plans in place should an accident happen.
Preparing for war with Iran
Sunday, January 30th, 2005Steve Clemons mentions a piece about the probing of Iran’s missile defences.
The flights, which have been going on for weeks, are being launched from sites in Afghanistan and Iraq and are part of Bush administration attempts collect badly needed intelligence on Iran’s possible nuclear weapons development sites, these sources said, speaking on condition of strict anonymity.
“These Iranian air defense positions are not just being observed, they’re being ‘templated,’” an administration official said, explaining that the flights are part of a U.S. effort to develop “an electronic order of battle for Iran” in case of actual conflict.
In the event of an actual clash, Iran’s air defense radars would be targeted for destruction by air-fired U.S. anti-radiation or ARM missiles, he said.
It seems pretty likely that this would be happening on an ongoing basis. Satellite technology will only go so far in tracking down SA-7 or SA-9 missile systems, especically mobile or well hidden ones. But once one is turned active it will immediately be known.
In fact missiles like the HARM missile mentioned depend on the radar being active in order to find their target. And other missiles have been developed that are even better. European weapons companies developed a missile that would fire at an active radar system, and the enemy, realising that a missile may be on its way, would turn off their radar systems. The missile would react by climbing up to a high altitude, deploying a parachute, and wait for the radar system to come back on – then it would eject the parachute and kill the target.
Promoting the National Interest: Condoleezza Rice
Sunday, January 30th, 2005In case anyone missed it, back in 2000 Condi Rice wrote this piece for Foreign Affairs. It’s a good insight into the mind of the new Secretary of State.
Foreign policy in a Republican administration will most certainly be internationalist; the leading contenders in the party’s presidential race have strong credentials in that regard. But it will also proceed from the firm ground of the national interest, not from the interests of an illusory international community. America can exercise power without arrogance and pursue its interests without hectoring and bluster. When it does so in concert with those who share its core values, the world becomes more prosperous, democratic, and peaceful. That has been America’s special role in the past, and it should be again as we enter the next century.
Iraq election declared ‘success’
Sunday, January 30th, 2005Let’s hope that Sunnis will also be happy with the new assembly. Importantly:
Electoral officials estimated that up to eight million Iraqis voted – more than 60% of those registered.
Some other sources are giving figures as high as 72%
How we may tame the climate tiger
Sunday, January 30th, 2005One of the most highly charged topics preoccupying the governments of the world is to be thrashed out at a UK conference starting on 1 February.
But Avoiding Dangerous Climate Change, a three-day meeting at the Met Office in Exeter, is mainly about the science.
The participants, more than 200 in all, will try to agree how to define what is a danger level, and what it should be.
This, they hope, will lead to a better understanding of methods the world can employ to avoid catastrophic warming.
Blogs from Iraq
Saturday, January 29th, 2005Just some random links to blogs from Americans in Iraq. Go take a look.
I have pointed to Armor Geddon before, but go back, great first hand accounts from an M1A1 Abrams tank commander.
I Should Have Stayed Home…is by two contractors working in Iraq.
Cigars in the Sand is an advisor on border security, interesting that the route between the Airport in Baghdad and the Green Zone is calledRoute Irish. Great photos too.
Matt Sherman has some great photos as well.
The Mudville Gazette has links to more Milbloggers.
Photos
Friday, January 28th, 2005Just posted some more photos to flickr, if anyone is interested!
Remembering the Irish
Wednesday, January 26th, 2005Young Irelander wonders if there is any form of website that promotes the issue of Irish participation in the two world wars.
This is a serious subject, and one I have personal experience of. My great grand uncle, Owen Clerkin, was killed near the Somme valley on the 15th of September 1916. This was towards the end of the Somme campaign. He was a private in the Irish Guards and died at the age of 26. He is buried at Delville Wood Cemetery, Longueval, France. In 2000 I visited his grave, and was on of his first relatives to go there. It was an emotional experience, as are all of the Great War memorials in Belgium and France, many of which I have visited. There is something about the Great War that is different, something about the sheer waste that makes my perception of it different to other wars.
And all credit to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, they are a great source of information. Details of my relative are here.
Details of the area he saw battle in are here. There is also a photo of the cemetery he is buried in, it is an incredibly well maintained place, as are all CWGC graves. My relative was one of the lucky ones, his body was actually identified and he has his own grave, unlike hundreds of thousands whose names appear on memorials like the Menin Gate in Ypres.
Mossad warning over nuclear Iran
Monday, January 24th, 2005It looks like Israel is getting pretty pissed off.
“This problem should be of concern to the whole world and not just Israel.”Mr Peres, widely regarded as the father of Israel’s secretive nuclear deterrent, dampened suggestions that Israel was planning pre-emptive strikes against Iran, as hinted by Mr Cheney.
“The party that will decide is the United States,” Mr Peres said.
“If we go it alone, we will remain alone. Everyone knows our potential but we also have to know our limits.
“As long as there is a possibility that the world will organise to fight against Iran’s nuclear option, let the world organise.”
Anyone got odds on Israel striking Iran in 2005?
Global warming approaching critical point
Monday, January 24th, 2005Global warming is approaching the critical point of no return, after which widespread drought, crop failure and rising sea-levels would be irreversible, an international climate change task force warned Monday.
The report, “Meeting the Climate Challenge,” called on the G-8 leading industrial nations to cut carbon emissions, double their research spending on green technology and work with India and China to build on the Kyoto Protocol.
“An ecological time-bomb is ticking away,” said Stephen Byers, who co-chaired the task force with U.S. Republican Senator Olympia Snowe, and is a close confidant of British Prime Minister Tony Blair. “World leaders need to recognize that climate change is the single most important long term issue that the planet faces.”
The independent report, by the Institute for Public Policy Research in Britain, the Center for American Progress in the United States and The Australia Institute, is timed to coincide with Blair’s commitment to advance international climate change policy during Britain’s G-8 presidency.
Speculation on Condi Rices’ sexuality
Saturday, January 22nd, 2005Late last year I wrote a post about rumours circulating concerning Condi Rices’ sexuality. Some more people recently added comments including:
Condoleeza has a wife in the D.C. area and used to roll with Anita Hill in lesbian haunts.
Comment by Anonymous
Everyone knows that Condoleeza Rice is into girls she is a devout lesbian. Isn’t it hypocritaical that Cheney’s allegience is to Bush and not his family (lesbian daughter Mary) and Condi’s allegiance is to Bush (literally) when Condi is out of town she’s into pussy. Also Barbara Bush (jr) gw’s daughter is into girls as well…oh my!!!
Comment by whitehouse aid
Barbara Boxer and Howard Dean are the guts of the democratic party now, none of the rest to include Kennedy or Kerry make too many waves anymore I’m so dissappointed! well at least Kerry disapproved of Rice….but seems most of the democrats now are all milktoast
Comment by observer
Not that there is anything wrong with being a lesbian.
Comment spam update
Wednesday, January 19th, 2005Google are working to try and curtail comment spam. Much of the weblog software out there will support the new rule.
What bugs me is that over the last 3 days I have recorded about 1000 spam comments that don’t even include a web address. Just random email addresses from different IPs, making inane comments about how good the weblog is. How do I blacklist that?