In the News: Sep-21

Rivalry to try 9/11 cases developing among 4 civilian prosecutors' offices - 21 Sep 2009 at 1:00pm - GUANTANAMO BAY NAVY BASE, Cuba — Four different civilian prosecutors' offices — two in New York, two near the Pentagon — are studying whether to charge and put on trial five alleged 9/11 conspirators.

Report: CIA interrogation harmed inmates' recall - 21 Sep 2009 at 12:01pm - WASHINGTON -- A new scientific paper asserts that the CIA's harsh interrogation program likely damaged the brain and memory functions of terrorist suspects, diminishing their ability to provide the detailed information the spy agency sought.

Report: More troops needed for Afghan war success - 21 Sep 2009 at 10:05am - WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama's top commander in Afghanistan has told him that without more troops the United States could lose the war Obama has described as the nation's foremost military priority.

But, again, has "success" been defined? How many troops will be required to achieve "success"? Is success even achievable with any number of troops? About the Iraq "surge" we were told by countless conservative talkingheads that it wasn't actually the "surge" of 30,000 troops that made any difference, but rather the change in strategy. Now, in Afghanistan, if a change in strategy is needed, why not try that, and then assess how many additional troops may be required?

Thought for the day:
Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president. -Theodore Roosevelt (1858 - 1919)