Links and Minifeatures 10 13 Friday the 13th!

Iraq the Model on the Lancet study regarding Iraqi deaths.



Dean's World agrees.



In the same category, this looks like it's probably political: Coroner says U.S. forces unlawfully killed British TV journalist in Iraq



Let's see, two british medical journals publish easily debunked "studies" of deaths in Iraq, vastly inflating the casualty count. Then another british physician, a coroner who just happens to be assigned to the case, finds a killing "unlawful". I didn't realize british coroners were attorneys, prosecutors, or judges.



Perhaps the administration knew it for a frame job:

ITN cameraman Daniel Demoustier, the sole survivor of the incident, told the inquest that ITN's pair of four-wheel drive vehicles were overtaken by a truck carrying Iraqi forces and that gunfire erupted.

and

Demoustier said after the ruling that the inquest had not made clear whether the bullet that killed Lloyd was fired by a U.S. tank or helicopter. He said the forces in a tank would have been able to see that they were firing at a civilian vehicle, but a helicopter would not.

and

The court watched a video Tuesday, filmed by a U.S. serviceman attached to one of the tanks accused of firing at the reporters' cars. The tape opens with images of Lloyd's vehicle and the Iraqi truck burning amid gunfire. The tanks drive to the cars and inspect them. A minivan - possibly the ambulance - appears and more shots are fired.



At the end of the tape, a U.S. soldier shouts, "It's some media personnel! That's media down there!"

and

U.S. authorities didn't allow servicemen to testify at the inquest. Several submitted statements that the coroner ruled inadmissible.

And why were they ruled inadmissible? The story doesn't say. Is it possible that this coroner pretending they are a judge didn't say? Is it possible the motives were less than pure?

Lloyd's widow, Lynn, in a statement read by her lawyer, said U.S. forces "allowed their soldiers to behave like trigger-happy cowboys in an area in which there were civilians traveling."



She called the killing a war crime - "a despicable, deliberate, vengeful act."

I've never seen the elephant, as it was called in a former day. At my age and in my condition, it would be really bad news for the US if I ever do. But from all the military history I've read, some of the few things about combat I'm pretty certain about is that it's fast, it's confusing, it's stressful, there is often no time to make certain that you're only shooting the right people (you're dead if you do, something that no country can ask of its defenders) and sometimes the wrong people get shot. There's a classic aphorism that there is no such thing as friendly fire, and yet so-called "friendly fire" has always accounted for a large proportion of combat deaths. There were Iraqi soldiers in the area, as the article makes clear, and this was during the initial invasion when the US was fighting the Iraqis. Remember that part?



Anytime you are in or around combat forces, especially voluntarily like this reporter was, absent some glaring display of malice the most a reasonable person should conclude is that it was a tragic accident. Examine the incident in light of the rules of engagement, and if they were violated, by all means court-martial those responsible. But this is part and parcel of the way it is in combat. If the rules of engagement were followed, it is nothing more than a tragic accident, nothing actionable.



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Belmont Club on the New York Times getting even more two faced and partisan.



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Armies of Liberation has some pretty convincing evidence the Yemeni election was crooked: when the numbers of votes exceed registered voters, that's kind of a giveaway.



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Gates of Vienna notes some politically selective censorship by the Department of the Interior. Right of center: blocked. Left of center: not blocked.



In the same category: Professor to defy request and contact Minutemen

A San Diego State professor has been using his university computer's electronic mail account to organize rallies against illegal immigration and correspond with the controversial Minutemen.



The professor, Stuart Hurlbert, said yesterday that he doesn't plan to stop - despite an official university request to cease and desist.

and

He said the SDSU administration never stopped his colleagues from soliciting him via university e-mail for any number of nonwork-related causes, including the Gay Pride Festival and Girl Scout cookies.



"It's routine (to use e-mail); that's what makes this whole thing so silly," said Hurlbert, 67, who maintains a campus office and has e-mail privileges. He is working on a book about the Salton Sea.

and

Bonnie Zimmerman, associate vice president for faculty affairs, says the university's demand has nothing to do with Hurlbert's politics. State policy forbids use of public resources for nonwork-related activities, whether they're political or not, she said.

So they're going to stop the professors from using e-mail to organize communist rallies? La Raza pro-immigration rallies? Democratic voter drives? Somehow I doubt it. SDSU professors routinely do all of the above. This is partisan.



At least the ACLU is actually willing to do the right thing and defend him this time!



While we're on the subject, it looks like they want to criminalize scientific disputation: Global warming: the chilling effect on free speech (HT Samizdata)



Opinion Journal is worth reading on the subject.



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Air America Radio files for Chapter 11



I guess the Boys and Girls Club that "loaned" them the money is S.O.L.



Has nothing to do with the Democratic Party, or directly with other leftist organizations. But what a metaphor for the government subsidy way of life. As if we needed any further reminders, what with all the democratic and economic successes of communism.



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A sign Hollywood may be ready to make peace with Christians - or at least with Christians' money: Hollywood takes a leap into faith. Christians are at least a very large minority of the population. Hollywood wants their money. Hollywood starts making films in accordance with their values. Guess what? Those non-christians who aren't too far gone in despite for Christians might go see them, also. My wife and I are considering going to "One Night With The King", logistical considerations permitting. Failing that, we might buy it on DVD when it comes out.



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Certainly a more worthy winner than last year: Bangladesh banker wins Nobel Peace Prize



This is the guy who pioneered micro-credit - which, by enabling poor people to borrow small amounts of money to start a business with, has done more to fight poverty in one of the poorest nations on earth than all the aid and all the subsidies and all the do-gooders of the world combined. I respect those people who have devoted themselves to the cause of aid. But this guy has shamed them all as to results, and his idea has expanded to many other countries.



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South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon named next UN Secretary General



Think he might be motivated to do something about Kim Jong Il?



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Willisms with yet another worthwhile post on why social security needs reform. An internal return of anywhere less than about 3% is less than break even in real terms, in case you didn't know.



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Don Surber has the scoop on why the Reid land deal was really dirty: he worked and used his influence to have it rezoned.



Captain's Quarters has much, much more.



Looking more and more like "A Culture of Corruption" to me.



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Riehl World View on the largest group of victims of child abuse in the world.



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UPDATE: FYI, in the last twenty-four hours, I have received roughly 1000 "returned undeliverable" emails to this domain's email. I don't know if it was just a random spam spoof in an attempt to circumvent spam filters, or if it was the result of a "joe job". I tend to believe the former because this site just isn't that important as to warrant specific targeting, but I don't have the technical expertise to be certain. So if anyone got blitzed, I'm sorry, but it was not of my doing. I also apologize if anyone got deleted by accident.