Wednesday, June 16, 2004 :::
 

Retired Envoys, Commanders Assail Bush Team (washingtonpost.com): "Retired Envoys, Commanders Assail Bush Team
Administration Unable to Handle 'Global Leadership,' 27-Member Group Asserts
By Peter Slevin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, June 17, 2004; Page A22
The Bush administration does not understand the world and remains unable to handle 'in either style or substance' the responsibilities of global leadership, a group of 27 retired diplomats and military commanders charged yesterday.
"Our security has been weakened," the former ambassadors and four-star commanders said in a statement read to a crowded Washington news conference. "Never in the 2 1/4 centuries of our history has the United States been so isolated among the nations, so broadly feared and distrusted."

The statement fit onto a single page, but the sharp public criticism of President Bush was striking, coming from a bipartisan group of respected former officials united in anger about U.S. policy. The commentary emerges as public doubts about the Iraq invasion and Bush's handling of national security have risen.

The new group, which calls itself Diplomats and Military Commanders for Change, believes Bush should be defeated in November if the United States hopes to rebuild its credibility and strengthen valuable foreign alliances.




'Our security has been weakened,' the former ambassadors and four-star commanders said in a statement read to a crowded Washington news conference. 'Never in the 2 1/4 centuries of our history has the United States been so isolated among the nations, so broadly feared and distrusted.'
The statement fit onto a single page, but the sharp public criticism of President Bush was striking, coming from a bipartisan group of respected former officials united in anger about U.S. policy. The commentary emerges as public doubts about the Iraq invasion and Bush's handling of national security have risen.
The new group, which calls itself Diplomats and Military Commanders for Change, believes Bush should be defeated in November if the United States hopes to rebuild its credibility and strengthen valuable foreign alliances. "

::: posted by Stewart at 9:01 PM


 

calendarlive.com: Docu derby: "
June 15, 2004
Los Angeles Times
http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/cl-et-smith15jun15,2,5427888.story

Documentary roll call

A dozen politically charged documentaries are scheduled to come out before the presidential election in November. Nearly all are left-leaning or critical of the Bush administration in some way.

'Control Room' ? Jehane Noujaim's documentary on the Arab news network Al Jazeera. Currently playing in New York. Opens in Los Angeles Friday; will roll out to an estimated 200 screens nationwide this summer.

'Fahrenheit 9/11' ?Michael's Moore's anti-Bush documentary attacks U.S. foreign policy since Sept. 11, 2001. Nationwide theatrical release on 650 or more screens June 25.

'Howard Zinn: You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train' ? Portrait of the left-wing activist, playing in art-house theaters all summer, starting Friday in Portland. Directed and produced by Deb Ellis and Denis Mueller.

'Bush's Brain' ? Based on the book 'Bush's Brain: How Karl Rove Made George W. Bush Presidential,' by James C. Moore and Wayne Slater, the documentary paints Rove as a dirty trickster. Limited screenings in electoral swing states. DVD release via Internet late June. Michael Shoob and Joseph Mealey, directors.

'Persons of Interest' ? Muslim and Arab immigrants talk about their legal battles stemming from their detention by federal officials after 9/11. The film will do the festival and art-house circuit this summer and air on the Sundance Channel in September. Lawrence Konner, executive producer.

'Uncovered: The War on Iraq' ? Robert Greenwald's expanded documentary featuring ex-government officials dismantling the Bush administration's rationale for going to war. Theatrical release Aug. 13 on about 70 screens. Short version on DVD now.

"Tour of Duty" — Based on the book of the same name by Douglas Brinkley. Portrays the Vietnam experiences and antiwar activities of Sen. John F. Kerry. Theatrical release in September. George Butler, director; Lawrence Bender, producer.

"The Oil Factor Behind the War on Terror" — Original footage from Afghanistan and Iraq and interviews with Bush administration officials link oil interests to the military conflicts. Theatrical release planned in October. Gerard Ungerman and Audrey Brohy, directors.

"Inside the Bubble" — A look inside the Kerry presidential campaign. Theatrical release planned for the fall. Steven Rosenbaum, director.

"War Feels Like War" — Stories of reporters who ventured into Iraq to get the stories uncovered by "embedded" journalists. To air on PBS July 6. Esteban Uyarra, director.

"The Hunting of the President" — Based on the book about the campaign to discredit the Clintons by Gene Lyons and Joe Conason. Opens in New York Friday and Los Angeles July 23. Directed by Nickolas Perry and Harry Thomason.

"The Corporation" — Based on Joel Bakan's book "The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power." Playing art houses now. Comes to Los Angeles July 9. Mark Achbar and Jennifer Abbot, directors.

::: posted by Stewart at 8:25 PM


 

Tout Torture, Get Promoted:

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-oe-scheer15jun15,1,4726979.story
June 15, 2004
Los Angeles Times

COMMENTARY
Tout Torture, Get Promoted
Defending cruelty can be a career booster in Bush's administration
By Robert Scheer
What a revelation to learn that the Justice Department lawyer who wrote the infamous memo in effect defending torture is now a U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals judge. It tells you all you need to know about the sort of conservative to whom George W. Bush is turning in his attempt to pack the federal courts.

::: posted by Stewart at 5:15 PM


 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A44849-2004Jun15?language=printer
The Washington Post
Torture Policy
Wednesday, June 16, 2004; Page A26
SLOWLY, AND IN spite of systematic stonewalling by the Bush administration, it is becoming clearer why a group of military guards at Abu Ghraib prison tortured Iraqis in the ways depicted in those infamous photographs. President Bush and his spokesmen shamefully cling to the myth that the guards were rogues acting on their own.

::: posted by Stewart at 11:19 AM

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