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Robert Fisk is the best middle eastern correspondant for any western paper IMO. I strongly recomend all his work at http://www.independent.co.uk
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'Arguing with anonymous strangers on the internet is a sucker's game because they almost always turn out to be - or to be indistinguishable from - self-righteous sixteen year olds possessing infinite amounts of free time.'
- Neal Stephenson, Cryptonomicon -
And yet some people here say he's some kind of extremist!Any views I may express here are personal and certainly do not in any way reflect the views of my employer. Tis the rising of the moon..
Look, I just don't anymore, okay?Comment
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Coalition of the unwilling
March 31 2003
Eager to present the war on Iraq as a worldwide effort, the United States has taken to releasing, almost daily, an ever-growing list of the members of the "coalition of the willing".
But the list, available on the White House website has created nearly as much confusion as it has cleared up. Some countries have disavowed membership, demanded inclusion or reacted angrily to snide commentary about their value as partners in the conflict.
"It has become a logistical nightmare," said one US official. "We've created a monster that demands constant attention for consistency's sake."
The most recent list of what the State Department terms the "Coalition for the Immediate Disarmament of Iraq" names 49 countries which have committed to supporting the war.
This backing can range from overt military involvement (the US, Britain and Australia) to supposedly covert troop deployment (Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Ukraine) to political and moral support (many small South Pacific island states).
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Since its birth, the roster has been plagued by problems, including Washington's claim to be supported by 15 nations that wished to remain anonymous.
The existence of this secret bloc of countries - dubbed by some "the shadow coalition" - is now neither confirmed nor denied by US officials when they boast of global support.
Bulgaria, which was on the first public list, decided it wanted to be anonymous and was removed, but later changed its mind, and was put back on. Iceland, which had wanted to be included, wasn't, and had to be hastily added.
Responding to media reports that suggested Palau and the Marshall Islands were better holiday destinations than war partners, a Palau embassy official in Washington said: "[Only] coconuts and tapioca and scuba diving to offer? That is insulting, that is outrageous."
AFP
Any views I may express here are personal and certainly do not in any way reflect the views of my employer. Tis the rising of the moon..
Look, I just don't anymore, okay?Comment
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Responding to media reports that suggested Palau and the Marshall Islands were better holiday destinations than war partners, a Palau embassy official in Washington said: "[Only] coconuts and tapioca and scuba diving to offer? That is insulting, that is outrageous."
First, the Marshall Islands. Next, the WORLD!!!
I came upon a barroom full of bad Salon pictures in which men with hats on the backs of their heads were wolfing food from a counter. It was the institution of the "free lunch" I had struck. You paid for a drink and got as much as you wanted to eat. For something less than a rupee a day a man can feed himself sumptuously in San Francisco, even though he be a bankrupt. Remember this if ever you are stranded in these parts. ~ Rudyard Kipling, 1891Comment
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Decent possibiity that the coalition is overstating their suprise at the level of Iraqi resistence. It is to their benefit that the Iraqi leadership start to think they have a chance and attempt offensive action in larger numbers. Perhaps its wishful thinking on my part but I am still expecting/hoping some lightning strike from an unexpected directionYou don't get to 300 losses without being a pretty exceptional goaltender.-- Ben Kenobi speaking of Roberto LuongoComment
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Did you type that with a straight face? Please. We had a thread on Fisk a while back (wasn't that an AH troll? I think so. It was a good one). If you can't see the slant in what he writes, you're blind. It would be akin to viewing Foxnews as "the Truth."Robert Fisk is the best middle eastern correspondant for any western paper IMO. I strongly recomend all his work
-Arrian
edit: stupid typo! Mondays suck.Last edited by Arrian; March 31, 2003, 14:30.grog want tank...Grog Want Tank... GROG WANT TANK!
The trick isn't to break some eggs to make an omelette, it's convincing the eggs to break themselves in order to aspire to omelettehood.Comment
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I thought Fisk was a columnist, not a reporter.I came upon a barroom full of bad Salon pictures in which men with hats on the backs of their heads were wolfing food from a counter. It was the institution of the "free lunch" I had struck. You paid for a drink and got as much as you wanted to eat. For something less than a rupee a day a man can feed himself sumptuously in San Francisco, even though he be a bankrupt. Remember this if ever you are stranded in these parts. ~ Rudyard Kipling, 1891Comment
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Bingo, Dan. A columnist with a very clear, very consistent viewpoint.
-Arriangrog want tank...Grog Want Tank... GROG WANT TANK!
The trick isn't to break some eggs to make an omelette, it's convincing the eggs to break themselves in order to aspire to omelettehood.Comment
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Robert Fisk is the best middle eastern correspondant for any western paper IMO.
Are you mad? Thomas Friedman is easily the best Middle East columnist; Fisk is just a moron...KH FOR OWNER!
ASHER FOR CEO!!
GUYNEMER FOR OT MOD!!!Comment
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Most columnists are drearily consistent. Just once, I'd love one of them to say, "Well, even though I've advocated X time and time again, I now realize what a dumb position that is. Screw that. From now on, I say Y not X".
The way things are now, just look at a columnist's name and the title of the article and you already know what they're gonna say.Comment
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Friedman's fairly good, but he lacks Fisk's passion and writing skills. Anyway, Fisk's prejudices match my own so IMO he's the best Middle Eastern corespondant in the businessThomas Friedman is easily the best Middle East columnist; Fisk is just a moron...
'Arguing with anonymous strangers on the internet is a sucker's game because they almost always turn out to be - or to be indistinguishable from - self-righteous sixteen year olds possessing infinite amounts of free time.'
- Neal Stephenson, CryptonomiconComment
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BingoOriginally posted by Flubber
Perhaps its wishful thinking on my part
Any views I may express here are personal and certainly do not in any way reflect the views of my employer. Tis the rising of the moon..
Look, I just don't anymore, okay?Comment
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Friedman's fairly good, but he lacks Fisk's passion and writing skills. Anyway, Fisk's prejudices match my own so IMO he's the best Middle Eastern corespondant in the business
Whatever Friedman lacks in passion is more than made up for by his intelligent analysis.KH FOR OWNER!
ASHER FOR CEO!!
GUYNEMER FOR OT MOD!!!Comment
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Most of the US troops are on the map. IIRC the 82 ABD is still holding back, but the 101 is at the front, which strikes me as odd. The 173 up North doesn't have any heavy equipment, so the most it can do is to distract.Originally posted by Flubber
Perhaps its wishful thinking on my part but I am still expecting/hoping some lightning strike from an unexpected direction(\__/) 07/07/1937 - Never forget
(='.'=) "Claims demand evidence; extraordinary claims demand extraordinary evidence." -- Carl Sagan
(")_(") "Starting the fire from within."Comment
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OK, so what exactly else do they have to offer?Originally posted by DanS
Responding to media reports that suggested Palau and the Marshall Islands were better holiday destinations than war partners, a Palau embassy official in Washington said: "[Only] coconuts and tapioca and scuba diving to offer? That is insulting, that is outrageous."
First, the Marshall Islands. Next, the WORLD!!!
"I say shoot'em all and let God sort it out in the end!Comment
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