(AP) U.S.-led war in Iraq did not make world safer

The U.S.-led war in Iraq (news - web sites) hasn't made the world any safer, U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan (news - web sites) said in a British TV interview aired Sunday.

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"I cannot say the world is safer when you consider the violence around us, when you look around you and see the terrorist attacks around the world and you see what is going on in Iraq," Annan told the ITV network.

"We have a lot of work to do as an international community to try and make the world safer," he said.

Annan has previously described the U.S.-led war that toppled Saddam Hussein as "illegal." Annan also dismissed any suggestion that France, Russia and China had been prepared to ease sanctions on Saddam Hussein's Iraq in return for oil contracts. Iraq tried to manipulate foreign governments by awarding contracts — and bribes — to foreign companies and political figures in countries that showed support for ending sanctions, in particular Russia, France and China, the final report by the U.S.-led Iraq Survey Group said earlier this month.

"I don't think the Russian or the French or the Chinese government would allow itself to be bought..." Annan said.

Kofi Annan has spoken as leader of the U.N. Truth? Or a backlash for Bush's inability to cooperate? As a leader of an international organization, I tend to lean towards the fact that this is the truth. Conventional wisdom would tell you otherwise.

The Anti-Kerry Film

( http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/10/11/politics/main648662.shtml )

He had it coming. Michael Moore. MoveOn. Etc.

Republicans won't lay low on their talk radio shows. The anti-Kerry film blames Kerry for several complications towards the end of the Vietnam War. The URL holds more information.

The Brain (Karl Rove)

A man who has been accused of being Bush's brain in books and a documentary titled "Bush's Brain" testified Friday before a federal grand jury trying to determine who leaked the name of an undercover CIA officer. The investigation concerns whether a crime was committed when someone leaked the identity of CIA officer Valerie Plame, whose name was published by syndicated columnist Robert Novak on July 14, 2003. Disclosure of the identity of an undercover intelligence officer can be a federal crime if prosecutors can show the leak was intentional and the leaker knew about the officer's secret status. Novak's column appeared after Plame's husband, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, wrote a newspaper opinion article criticizing Mr. Bush's claim that Iraq had sought uranium in Niger — a claim the CIA had asked Wilson to check out. Wilson has said he believes his wife's name was leaked as retribution. Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry's campaign was quick to pounce on news of Rove's appearance, with senior adviser Joe Lockhart issuing a statement calling on Rove and other aides to "come clean about their role in this insidious act."

"If the president sincerely wanted to get to the bottom of this potential crime, he'd stop the White House foot-dragging and fully cooperate with this investigation," Lockhart said.

Mr. Bush and his top advisers have repeatedly said they are cooperating in the probe, which began more than a year ago.

(Mr. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of State Colin Powell also have been interviewed, though none has appeared before the grand jury.)

Courtesy of CBS News

Drudge

From the depths of the right wing comes...

THE DRUDGE REPORT

http://drudgereport.com/dnc66.htm

If you read it, apparently what it comes down to is the side with the best conspiracy will get the most airtime on their favorite media network. When they appear, the network will be accused of being biased and the right will spin and the left will grin and the right will attack and the left will relax cause Alan Colmes just doesn't cut it. democrats vs. REPUBLICANS

And the Canadians are saying... This is an example of what not to do.

Overextension

It's only a matter of time before we invade too many countries and can't support the wars we wage. North Korea, Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan are all on our list of countries to keep our eyes on. Anytime something is up in the Middle East or near Russia, it normally means the USA is going to be formulating a strategy for measures to take should a nuclear war break out or should we have to send air strikes, etc. Here's a report on Iran. Iran is destined to be the next Iraq unless changes are made so that the correct measures can be taken.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/iran/2004/iran-041015-20f1e9e1.htm