May 04, 2004
NEWS BRIEFLETS
• Australia has been warned to expect global warming refugees. Blame the EU, currently destroying 350-year-old trees in Ireland for the sake of TV reception. (Via Combustible Boy)
• Were you among the recent Cawley Children Fund donors? Chief Wiggles, to whom I’ve sent your e-cash for delivery to the Cawleys, says thanks.
• Andrew Sullivan is the latest NormBlog profile subject. I’m next -- or next after the next -- to face Norm’s cross-examination.
• Remember Katherine Wilson, who wrote that "if the Iraqis had treated American soldiers in the way American soldiers are treating Iraqi prisoners now, the entire Arab race would have been demonised"? Wonder what Katherine thinks of this:
Posted by Tim Blair at May 4, 2004 01:41 AMThe Australian engineer killed in Saudi Arabia was shot dead by Islamic terrorists who worked undercover alongside him, it emerged yesterday.
Anthony Richard Mason, 57, and four other Westerners were gunned down by men who worked as security guards at the giant Exxon Mobil refinery complex in the Red Sea port city of Yanbu. A Saudi was also killed.
Witnesses said one victim's body was tied to the back of their grey Toyota LandCruiser and dragged for 3km before being dumped outside the Arab British Bank.
A witness said: "The body had all the clothes ripped away except for shreds of underwear and shoes. It was just lying in the gutter. It was horrible to see."
Well, yeah. Maybe this is demonising the "entire Arab race", but I wouldn't have expected anything else from them.
Coalition abuses are the exception to the rule, in stark contrast to the behaviour of our opponents.
Posted by: gaz at May 4, 2004 at 03:28 AMWhere is there moral equivalency? Shouldn't we have 'opened the gates the hell' by strapping dynamite to a spastic and sent him walking into Mecca?
Posted by: AuSkeptic at May 4, 2004 at 04:07 AMGood one, Tim.
Note the contrast between our universal condemnation of Iraqi POW abuse at the hands of our soldiers, and the silence and celebrations we get from the Islamic world when Westerners are murdered and hung from bridges like trophies.
Posted by: Cosmo at May 4, 2004 at 04:12 AMUS POW's were bound and executed by Iraqis. Did this woman somehow miss this?
Posted by: S.A. Smith at May 4, 2004 at 07:26 AMThe global warming story on 'environmental refugees' was run by ABC tv news last weekend with special concern for poor sinking Tuvulu !! It wasnt a good enough story on its own though so ABC also managed to include with it comment on the Pentagon global warming predictions report !!
Posted by: mark at May 4, 2004 at 08:56 AMTuvalu isnt sinking.
But dont expect "your" ABC to report it any time soon.
Posted by: Aaron at May 4, 2004 at 10:30 AMTo be fair.. the sea levels at Tuvalu are not inconsistent with sea levels rising, but it seems Tuvalu may be rising with them.
Purported evidence of "global warming" is swamped by short-term variations like tide and El Nino.
Posted by: duncan at May 4, 2004 at 11:25 AMThat NormBlog was dull.
Which do you prefer, dogs or cats? Cats.
What makes you angry? People on bicycles.
What is your hobby? Bee-keeping.
Favourite chop, pork or lamb? Lamb. No, wait. Pork.
Heh heh heh! I'm imaginging the John Kerry profile on NormBlog
Apple juice or grape juice? I served in Vietnam
Posted by: Sortelli at May 4, 2004 at 03:12 PMThese guys worked for the oil industry AND they owned a Land Cruiser.
I don't think the Lonny Left is going to have much sympathy for them.
S.A Smith wrote: US POW's were bound and executed by Iraqis. Did this woman somehow miss this?
Ahh, you don't understand.
Scott Wilson will set you straight
"But that's better than the humiliation of being stripped naked," he said. "Shoot me here," he added, pointing between his eyes, "but don't do this to us."
Posted by: duncan at May 4, 2004 at 05:45 PMI'll bet that person would be saying otherwise with the barrel actually pointed at him.
Posted by: Andrea Harris at May 5, 2004 at 03:13 AM