Week in ReviewBush International Airport, Iraq These days, the only planes landing at Tallil's major airport are American. A C-130 transport plane glided down the Iraqi airport's 12,000-foot runway this past Thursday, prompting American forces to erect a sign at the entrance: Bush International Airport. Coalition forces plan to use the airport as a transport and resupply base. It is four miles from Nasiriyah, where U.S. Marines are currently engaging Saddam Hussein's Fedayeen militia. The airport is the country's second largest and has been out of use since no-fly zones were imposed following the 1991 Gulf War. 'It's been sitting in a time warp, waiting for someone to wake it up,' said Col. A. Myers of the U.S.A.F. Air Mobility Command. His unit has been given the task of reviving the airport for use by coalition forces. Speaking of airports in Iraq—repeated efforts to check fares from the United States to Baghdad's Saddam International Airport failed. One search engine explained that the requested destination no longer existed.
Authorities in India have reportedly arrested a priest in the state of Madhya Pradesh for allegedly sacrificing a man to a village goddess. Both the priest, Chandrabhan Singh Lodhi, and the victim of the sacrifice, Alam Ahrirwar, had been participating in an elaborate ritual to appease the goddess—in hopes of finding hidden treasure. The ritual took a strange twist, however, when Ahrirwar bowed his head to pay respect to the goddess, and Lodhi proceeded to decapitate him with a sword. Ahrirwar's body was later found near a railway track, and murder charges were filed against Lodhi.
Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar, 55, in an interview with the Daily News, expressed an interest in returning to New York City as the basketball coach for Columbia University. He confirmed that he had interviewed with officials from the athletic department. The University fired its previous coach, Armond Hill, after the basketball team finished a dismal 2-25, the worst season in 103 years. Abdul-Jabbar stated that the coaching position would be 'the perfect progression for me, but I won't make any comment right now. I'm going to give them the opportunity to make a decision.' Hall-of-Famer Kareem-Abdul Jabbar grew up in New York, where he was an instant star at his high school, Power Memorial Academy. He attended UCLA before joining the NBA and playing for both the Bucks and the Lakers. Abdul-Jabbar was the Los Angeles Clippers assistant coach from 1999-2000. Last year he coached the Oklahoma Storm to the U.S. Basketball League Championship. Abdul-Jabbar is currently working in San Antonio as an analyst for CBS's NCAA Tournament coverage.
Many have complained in recent days that media coverage of the war in Iraq has become 'entertainment' for the lowest common denominator.Freya Sachs '04, commenting in the Dartmouth Free Press, said that 'Comparisons to staged and animated films desensitize people to the impacts of a war.'Thus far, nothing in the U.S. news has warranted comparison to 'animated films,' and if one hopes to point to 'staged' media reports, he will have to look beyond America's borders.Swaziland might be a good place to start.Swaziland MPs have accused the state radio station's 'Baghdad correspondent' of broadcasting from...right at home in Swaziland.The reporter, Phesheya Dube, was seen by MPs in the Swazi capital; at the time, he was supposed to have been in Iraq.'Why are they lying to the nation that the man is in Iraq, when he is here in Swaziland, broadcasting out of a broom closet?' asked outraged MP Jojo Dlamini.Moses Matsebula, host of various Swazi radio programs, had helped to perpetuate Dube's fraud, claiming on air that he feared for Dube's safety and urging him to 'find a cave somewhere to be safe from missiles.'Say what you will about the coverage brought to us by reporters embedded with our troops—at least they're in country.
While most Americans have, at very least, voiced support for troops in Iraq, one town in New Jersey is going out of its way to stifle any support. The Borough Council of Fieldsboro, New Jersey recently approved a prohibition on war memorials, including yellow ribbons on public property. Despite Fieldsboro Mayor Edward 'Buddy' Tyler's best attempts to defend the town's actions, many residents and business owners have expressed shock and disbelief. Some only learned of the ban after officials approached and requested they remove memorials already in place. For many, this included removing small ribbons from fences.
Daniel Patrick Moynihan died Wednesday from complications arising from an emergency appendectomy performed earlier this month. Moynihan, a retired Senator from New York, was well loved by members of both political parties. Upon hearing news of his death, Hillary Clinton, Moynihan's successor, exclaimed, 'We have lost a great American, an extraordinary senator, and intellectual, and a man of passion and understanding about what makes this country great.' President Bush released a statement that said, 'Senator Moynihan was an intellectual pioneer and a trusted advisor to presidents of both parties. He committed his life to service and will be sorely missed.' Moynihan spent his childhood in Indiana, before moving with his family to New York City. He worked as a shoeshine boy to help his family. After serving in the Navy, Moynihan went to Tufts University on the G.I Bill. He received a Fulbright scholarship and attended the London School of Economics. Afterwards, he held positions in the Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Ford administrations. From 1973 to 1975, he served as US ambassador to India, and from 1975 to 1976 he was the United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations. He was known for speeches against communism and supporting Israel before the UN. Moynihan defeated James Buckley for New York's Senate seat on the platform that '[he] spoke up for America. [He'd] speak up for New York.' As a Senator, Moynihan fought for more public jobs programs and federal aid for New York. He strongly opposed the Family Support Act, which sought to revise the nation's welfare laws. Following his retirement, Moynihan taught at Harvard and Syracuse Universities. He was considered an expert on welfare reform, transportation initiatives, Social Security, and foreign policy. When asked about Moynihan, Senator Trent Lott expressed grief, explaining that the former senator 'gave [Lott] a greater appreciation for our relationships with countries and people all over the world. This is a giant of a man, a giant of a Senator.'
On Friday, March 28th, the Dickey Center for International Understanding and the Rockefeller Center cosponsored a panel discussion called 'America at War.' Four panelists were present to discuss the war: Jake Tapper '91, a correspondent for Salon.com, Allan Stam, a Dartmouth government professor, John Mueller, Professor of National Security Studies at Ohio State University, and former United States Senator Gary Hart. Tapper, the first speaker, outlined the history of United States Iraq policy since the presidency of George H. W. Bush. He called the current war the ultimate example of filial rebellion, discussing a speech Bush Sr. gave at Tufts University advocating UN approved military action. Nonetheless, Tapper defended President Bush against audience questions on the legality of the war. He stated that if this war is illegal, so was every military action during the Clinton administration. Professor Stam discussed the current situation and progress in Iraq: 'You can't always get what you want, but you get what you need,' expressing the foregone conclusion that the United States will dominate. Professor Mueller offered several tentative scenarios: the war in Iraq could be the most devastating foreign policy venture in United States history with the exception of Vietnam; Iraqi people could wind up hating the United States as much as Israel and Saddam; Tony Blair could be politically dead; and Bush could become a one-term president. 'Some village in Texas might get its idiot back,' he said. Former Senator Hart spoke last, explainingthat Osama bin Laden was winning. He has escaped capture, severed western alliances, and alienated Great Britain from the EU. Hart referred to England's support as 'token.' He insistednothing should be blamed on American troops. They should be supported both during the war and after their return.
On Thursday April 10th, the New Hampshire Supreme Court will hold two hearings here at Dartmouth. The program is designed to acquaint high school students with legal proceedings. The Court has been moving around the state, already stopping in the cities of Dover and Manchester. The event is being cosponsored by the Rockefeller Center and the Center for Women and Gender. The first case the Court will hear is Rachel Comeau v. Jerry Vergato, a dispute concerning campground space. The second case is State of New Hampshire vs. Geraldine Spencer, which involves allegations of denial of rights against self-incrimination. Sixty seats will be available for Dartmouth students, by invitation only, and the proceedings will be broadcast on Dartmouth TV; Over 300 seats have been set aside for high school students.
Writing in the March 22 edition of The Spectator, British parliament member Boris Johnson revealed the inner workings of the New York Times editorial process. According to Johnson, a Times editor had a 'few political correctness issues' with Johnson's piece on the war in Iraq. References to the Secretary of State as 'Rummy' were amended to the proper last name. Johnson's insinuation that Gulf War Syndrome was invented 'to satisfy the yearning of the anti-war brigade for catastrophe' was removed. Most tellingly, 'Guinea' was altered to 'Chile' in a joke about less-powerful members of the UN Security Council. Commenting on the Times's differentiation between poking fun at a struggling Hispanic country and a similarly situated nation whose population is predominantly black, Johnson wondered 'how craven and mealy-mouthed can you get?' Very mealy-mouthed, Boris.
Look elsewhere for your 'WKRP in Cincinnati' re-runs, Saddam. Iraqi TV has signed off for the final time after coalition forces dropped an electromagnetic pulse device, commonly referred to as an 'E-Bomb,' near state-run television studios. Weapons analysts assert that the bomb creates 'a brief pulse of microwaves' rendering electronic equipment, such as radar, radio transmitters, and vehicles, useless. Iraqi televison, known for syndicated favorites 'Saddam Shooting Rifle' and 'Saddam Smiting Infidels,' ceased broadcasting Tuesday at 4:30 a.m. local time, ending its near perfect performance in the Nielsen ratings. CBS News Correspondent David Martin reported that the U.S. had ended Saddam's 'propaganda machine.' The use of the futuristic, top-secret weapon displays the discrepency of military technology between the warring countries. The 'E-Bombs' use came on a day of intense battlefield action. The U.S. Seventh Cavalry, after being attacked near An Najaf, killed between 150 and 500 Iraqi belligerents...with their minds.
In an anti-war panel discussion held at Columbia University, anthropology professor Nicholas De Genova said he hoped to see 'a million Mogadishus' in Iraq.His remark referred to the ambush of American troops in Somalia, during Operation Restore Hope. Eighteen Americans were killed and seventy-five injured in the attack. De Genova stated that the true heroes are those who work to defeat the U.S. military. In an interview given after the event, Columbia President Lee Bollinger said, 'Under well-established principles of the First Amendment, this is within a person's right to free speech. Not for a second, however, does that insulate it from criticism. I am shocked that someone would make such statements. I am especially saddened for the families of those whose lives are now at risk.' History professor Eric Foner, who organized the event, said that 'Professor De Genova's speech did not represent the views of the organizers. I personally found it quite reprehensible. The antiwar movement does not desire the death of American soldiers. We do not accept his view of what it means to be a patriot. I began my talk, which came later, by repudiating his definition of patriotism, saying the teach-in was a patriotic act, that I believe patriots are those who seek to improve their country.' Of course, American forces in Mogadishu did kill over 1000 Somalians during battle, so a 'million Mogadishus' would make...a billion opposition and civilian deaths.
When the French naval ship F.S. Flamant docked in London, British newspaper The Sun sent a unique message to France. Several staffers rented a yacht on the Thames River and pulled alongside the naval vessel before buffeting the ship and her crew with waves of white feathers—meant, of course, to symbolize French cowardice. While French sailors watched in bewilderment, Sun staffers taunted them with the cry, 'We have le feather blanc for you grands poulets.'
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, andevents at Dartmouth will be taking place the 6th through the18th.The events are sponsored by the Sexual Assault Awareness Program and cosponsored by numerous other campus organizations, including the Center for Women and Gender, the Health Resources Department, and the Programming Board.Activities will kick off with a 'Take Back The Night' march on the 7th to unite men and women opposed to violence against women and children.On the 10th, Ann Simonton of Media Watch will give a lecture called 'Sex, Power, and the Media.' NFL quarterback Dan McPherson will also deliver a speech entitled 'Be A Man,'meant to encourage men to take responsibility for inappropriate behavior toward women.Other activities include documentary films on violence against women and performances by campus groups Sheba Dance Troupe, the Decibelles, and Dog Day Players.Throughout the twelve day period, T-shirts will hang on a clothesline at Collis, commemorating the victims of sexual violence.
Too busy saving Mary Jane, Spiderman has come out in protest of the American war effort, much to the chagrin of the comic book community. Alain Robert, the French climber who calls himself by the superheroic title, climbed to the top of oil company TotalFina Elf's headquarters to bring attention to the anti-war movement. Upon reaching the skyscraper's roof, Mr. Robert hung a large flag emblazoned with the words 'No War' before being escorted by police who had convened at the top of the building. Mr. Robert said, 'I wanted to protest against the war because I find the war completely illegal.'Robert claimed that Hussein posed no tangible threat to the world, especially when compared to the likes of Green Goblin, Dr. Octopus, or Red Skull. Mr. Robert has climbed the Eiffel Tower, the Empire State Building, and the Petronas Towers in Malaysia, using no equipment except his high-tensile spider silk and blue and red lycra bodysuit. No charges have been filed against Monsieur Robert. |
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