Top Scoops: Comment & Opinion Digest 27 Feb. 2007

Tuesday, 27 February 2007, 10:41 am
Article: Alastair Thompson

SCOOP COMMENT & OPINION:
Scoop In NYC: UN Boss Unaware Of Fiji/UN Peacekeeping Deployment
Satire: Media Maltreatment Of The Executive Leads To Poetical Apology
Religion: Is Easter About Retail Therapy Or Personal Reflection?
Intelligence: Wot, No Jihadis?
Iran: Uri Avnery On Israel's Preparations For An Iran War
Iraq: Latest Iraq War News & Views
Bush Vs Rule Of Law: The Latest Wrinkles
Stateside: Rosalea Barker Takes A Train Ride
American Coup: What's Wrong With The Holt Election Reform Bill
Libby Trial: Cheney Front And Center As Libby Trial Closes
MORE SCOOP COMMENT & OPINION:

Scoop News: UN Boss Unaware Of Fiji/UN Peacekeeping Deployment

- Fiji's announcement that 92 soldiers from its army will be deployed to Sinai and Sudan has caused a flurry of activity at the United Nations in New York. But where exactly does the UN stand on post-coup Fiji? Selwyn Manning reports from New York. See... UN Conundrum Over 92 Fiji Soldiers For Operation [1] ALSO:

FULL COVERAGE: Scoop Special Assignment in New York KiwiFM Audio: Manning Talks To Wallace From Ground Zero, New York [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0702/S00213.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0702/S00247.htm

Satire: Media Maltreatment Of The Executive Leads To Poetical Apology

- After careful deliberation, on behalf of the New Zealand Media, Lyndon Hood writes: O, let's not be beastly to Helen / She's got more than enough on her plate. / For one thing, her creation: / The sustainable nation! / At least till two thousand and eight... See... Lyndon Hood: Ode in Apology to Helen Clark [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0702/S00207.htm

Religion: Is Easter About Retail Therapy Or Personal Reflection?

While legislators in Parliament tried to infiltrate a little retail therapy into Easter – a group of Catholic Peacemakers took a rather different approach to this traditional religious holiday. At the Wellington Cenotaph marking the beiginning of lent the Catholic Peacemakers took time out to ponder the troubles facing humanity. See…Scoop Reflection: Ash Wednesday At The Cenotaph [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0702/S00178.htm

Intelligence: Wot, No Jihadis?

- Paul Buchanan compare the 2005 and 2006 SIS Annual Reports: The major discrepancy is in the primary threat assessment. Rather than local jihadis, the 2006 report focuses on the activities of foreign intelligence organizations operating in New Zealand. This begs some questions. What happened to those local jihadis? See... Paul G. Buchanan: A Change Of Focus At The SIS [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0702/S00257.htm

Iran: Uri Avnery On Israel's Preparations For An Iran War

- "WE ARE ready for the next war," a reserve soldier told a TV reporter this week, on the scene of a brigade-size maneuver on the Golan Heights. What war? Against whom? About what? This was not stated, and not even asked. The soldier saw it as self-evident that war will break out soon, and it seems that he did not particularly care against whom. See... Uri Avnery: "You And I, And The Next War" [1] MORE LOOMING IRAN WAR NEWS:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0702/S00241.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0702/S00199.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0702/S00208.htm
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[14] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0702/S00237.htm
[15] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0702/S00222.htm

Iraq: Latest Iraq War News & Views

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0702/S00253.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0702/S00198.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0702/S00203.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0702/S00215.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0702/S00239.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0702/S00225.htm

Bush Vs Rule Of Law: The Latest Wrinkles

- It is at least conceivable that Congressman Jack Murtha and company are backing off on requiring that Bush and Cheney send only prepared, equipped, and rested men and women to the slaughter for more than one reason. One reason, of course, is that Fox News has called Murtha and company traitors. But there could be a second reason. Someone somewhere may just have pointed out that Congress has enacted these limitations before and Bush has undone them with a signing statement. See… Congress Must Reauthorize Use of the Constitution [1] MORE BUSH VS THE RULE OF LAW:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0702/S00224.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0702/S00204.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0702/S00223.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0702/S00251.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0702/S00228.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0702/S00187.htm

Stateside: Rosalea Barker Takes A Train Ride

- I skived off last weekend to Niles, California. It’s just a short BART and bus trip from San Francisco, but is another world altogether. The town’s two main claims to fame are the Niles Canyon Railway, which is maintained and run entirely by volunteers, and the Essanay Silent Film Museum, housed in the building where Charlie Chaplin had his studio. See... Stateside With Rosalea: Niles, CA – Part 1 [1] & Stateside With Rosalea: Niles, CA – Part 2 [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0702/S00243.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0702/S00244.htm

American Coup: What's Wrong With The Holt Election Reform Bill

- We've been discussing the pros and cons of Rep. Rush Holt's Election Reform bill ( HR 811 [PDF] ) since it dropped two weeks ago in the House. There is, no doubt, much more to say about the specific pros and cons in detail here as we move forward. For the moment, allow me to first address three false dichotomies opportunistically and/or disingenuously and/or naively being used by supporters of Holt's legislation in order to help see it passed by Congress. See... Bradblog: Failings of Holt Election Reform Bill [1] MORE AMERICAN COUP NEWS & VIEWS:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0702/S00232.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0702/S00231.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0702/S00227.htm

Libby Trial: Cheney Front And Center As Libby Trial Closes

- It was the defense attorney representing I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby who first told jurors during closing arguments in the perjury and obstruction-of-justice trial Tuesday that the government believes Vice President Dick Cheney told Libby to leak the identity of covert CIA operative Valerie Plame Wilson to a New York Times reporter in July 2003 to undermine the credibility of her husband, a critic of the Iraq War. See... Cheney's Role Dominates Libby Trial Closing Args. [1] MORE LIBBY TRIAL NEWS:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0702/S00230.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0702/S00072.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0702/S00098.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0702/S00077.htm

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ENDS

© Scoop Media

Alastair Thompson

Scoop Publisher

Alastair Thompson is the co-founder of Scoop. He is of Scottish and Irish extraction and from Wellington, New Zealand. Alastair has 24 years experience in the media, at the Dominion, National Business Review, North & South magazine, Straight Furrow newspaper and online since 1997. He is the winner of several journalism awards for business and investigative work.

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