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Bruce Sterling on Poindexter, the Contras, and al Qaeda.
- jim 4-03-2003 10:46 pm [link] [8 comments]

A useful bit of USENET jargon for these times of intense on line debate (invoked by the agonist): Godwin's Law:

"As a Usenet discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one." There is a tradition in many groups that, once this occurs, that thread is over, and whoever mentioned the Nazis has automatically lost whatever argument was in progress. Godwin's Law thus practically guarantees the existence of an upper bound on thread length in those groups. However there is also a widely- recognized codicil that any intentional triggering of Godwin's Law in order to invoke its thread-ending effects will be unsuccessful.

- jim 4-03-2003 7:44 pm [link] [2 comments]

Debka (salt to taste) says:

Exclusive Middle East sources have tracked down the top Iraqi leadership's bolt-hole. It is a large 1,600-room luxury resort with 600 meters of private sandy beach in the Mediterranean coastal town of Latakiya called Cote d'Azur De Cham Resort, prepaid and chartered in toto by Baghdad.

The group may include Saddam Hussein or his sons, but this is not confirmed.

The hotel is located close to the Assad family villa.

Top Iraqi officials are reported hiding there since March 23, four days after the US-led coalition invaded Iraq. They are guarded by a Syrian commando unit armed with anti-air missiles while Syrian naval missile boats secure the port.
That would sure fit the rest of the puzzle pretty well (I mean the part where the U.S. invades Syria next.) What could possibly be in it for Syria?
- jim 4-03-2003 6:54 pm [link] [5 comments]

Keep your eye on the ball.

Echoing a wider move away from the US dollar, the Indonesian government and the central bank, Bank Indonesia, may begin to use the euro in export-import transactions and foreign-exchange reserves.

The statement was made by Finance Minister Boediono, Bank Indonesia governor Syahril Sabirin and senior deputy governor Anwar Nasution here on the weekend in connection with state oil company Pertamina's plan to use the euro in its trade transactions.
Who's next? Iran?
- jim 4-02-2003 6:27 pm [link] [add a comment]

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