Carronade The Yankee Sailor Carronade

The Sea is a choosy mistress. She takes the men that come to her and weighs them and measures them. The ones she adores, she keeps; the ones she hates, she destroys. The rest she casts back to land. I count myself among the adored, for I am Her willing Captive.

FLASH TRAFFIC:
I've relocated to a new Yankee Sailor.

Wednesday, July 06, 2005

Daily Read Board - 06JUL05

United States

Military Expands Its Domestic Security Role - Pentagon's efforts to work with civilian agencies in comprehensive plan to defend U.S. homeland is criticized by civil liberties groups.

Legal limbo shadows civilians in war zone - The record number of civilians hired to work in war zones since September 11 is sparking heated debate over just how far the United States can go to achieve what some are calling "the civilianization of the battlefield."

James Stockdale Dies at 81 - The retired Navy vice admiral, teacher and Medal of Honor winner who later ran for vice president, died July 5.

International

Foreign envoys attacked in Iraq - Al Qaeda's wing in Iraq claimed responsibility yesterday for the kidnapping Saturday of Egypt's top diplomat in the country, as insurgents mounted new attacks against Arab and Muslim envoys in Baghdad.

Iraqis Say Security Forces Use Torture - BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - As she tells it, security forces put her in solitary confinement for days on end, whipped her with electric cables and accused her of having sex with a stranger.

Syria seen stepping up aid to Iraq-bound insurgents - Syrians are increasing assistance to foreign fighters preparing to enter Iraq and kill civilians and U.S. troops, despite months of pressure on Damascus from Washington to crack down on the jihadists.

Syria May Face Problem With Extremists - DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) - Syria's recent clashes with militants have raised the prospect that the country - under U.S. pressure to keep insurgents out of Iraq - might also be facing a resurgence of Islamic extremists within its own borders.

Al-Zarqawi Denounces Iraq Army As Enemies - BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - The reputed leader of al-Qaida in Iraq said the Iraqi army is as great an enemy as the Americans and announced the formation of a new terror command to fight Iraq's biggest Shiite militia, in an audiotape found Wednesday on the Internet.

Central Asians Call on U.S. to Set a Timetable for Closing Bases - Russia, China and four Central Asian states called for the U.S. to set a deadline for withdrawing from military bases in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.

U.S., France Differ on Approach to Iran - WASHINGTON (AP) - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and her French counterpart tried to present a united front Tuesday against any Iranian ambitions for a nuclear weapon, but it was clear that Europeans and the United States still see the problem differently.

Annan Makes Plea For Troops in Haiti - UNITED NATIONS, June 29 -- United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan asked the United States this week to consider sending troops to Haiti to support a U.N. peacekeeping mission beset by mounting armed challenges to its authority, according to senior U.N. officials.

Afghans slam U.S. for hit on civilians - The Afghan government sharply criticized the U.S. military in a rare rebuff yesterday for killing up to 17 civilians in an air strike and ordered an immediate inquiry.

Egypt's Opposition Leaps to Action - Ever since May 25, when a mob sympathetic to President Hosni Mubarak beat up a group of protesters, advocacy groups that promise change -- as in change of president -- have been springing to life.

Help From France Key In Covert Operations - France has been working with the U.S. to identify and capture the vast majority of committed jihadists who have been targeted outside Iraq and Afghanistan.