needlenose AP: The White House said Thursday it was investigating whether Iran's new president played a role in seizing the American Embassy and
June 29, 2005
needlenose
 
AP:
The White House said Thursday it was investigating whether Iran's new president played a role in seizing the American Embassy and holding 52 U.S. captives a quarter century ago. President Bush said the allegation by former hostages "raises many questions."
 
However, way at the bottom of the article we read:
 
Abbas Abdi, the leader of the hostage-takers, said Ahmadinejad did not take part in the seizure. Abdi has since become a leading supporter of reform in Iran and sharply opposed Ahmadinejad in the election. "He was not part of us," Abdi said.
 
I'm more tempted to take Abdi's word (an opponent of Ahmadinejad who has everything to gain from dinging him) over the word of a handful of hostages who spent most of their time there blindfolded and traumatized.

Regardless of the outcome of all this, the question to be answered is: "So what?"

What if Ahmadinejad was one of the hostage-takers? What are we going to do, stop dealing with Iran? Close our embassy there? Put sanctions on them? Stop inviting their leaders to dinner? What? If the answer you come up with is needlenose

AP:
The White House said Thursday it was investigating whether Iran's new president played a role in seizing the American Embassy and holding 52 U.S. captives a quarter century ago. President Bush said the allegation by former hostages "raises many questions."
However, way at the bottom of the article we read:
Abbas Abdi, the leader of the hostage-takers, said Ahmadinejad did not take part in the seizure. Abdi has since become a leading supporter of reform in Iran and sharply opposed Ahmadinejad in the election. "He was not part of us," Abdi said.
I'm more tempted to take Abdi's word (an opponent of Ahmadinejad who has everything to gain from dinging him) over the word of a handful of hostages who spent most of their time there blindfolded and traumatized.

Regardless of the outcome of all this, the question to be answered is: "So what?"

What if Ahmadinejad was one of the hostage-takers? What are we going to do, stop dealing with Iran? Close our embassy there? Put sanctions on them? Stop inviting their leaders to dinner? What? If the answer you come up with isa big fat nothing then it's best to ignore the whole thing.

Looks to me like this nonsense will distract the media plenty for a few news cycles. If I were you, I'd keep an eye out for a particularly odious document dump in the next day or two from the administration. They have this bad habit of pushing out their worst news when the media is looking elsewhere and right before a long weekend.

Update: Then again, it may not be a document dump. It may be word that Time is going to crack open the Plame case and let the special prosecutor do a Watergate number on some Whitehouse staffers' asses. Let's see how long the Ahmadinejad drivel stays on the front pages.

 
 
 
Paying the military to spy on us                                                            swerve left  
 
It appears that the California National Guard, which is supported by state tax dollars, has been secretly spying on Californians engaged in peaceful protest led by mothers of those killed in the war! I personally feel complete outrage when I read this story. The Guard Unit, in an attempt to play this down, has talked about how this spying was limited. But who gives a damn about such assurances. We don't pay our government to spy on us. a big fat nothing then it's best to ignore the whole thing.

Looks to me like this nonsense will distract the media plenty for a few news cycles. If I were you, I'd keep an eye out for a particularly odious document dump in the next day or two from the administration. They have this bad habit of pushing out their worst news when the media is looking elsewhere and right before a long weekend.

Update: Then again, it may not be a document dump. It may be word that Time is going to crack open the Plame case and let the special prosecutor do a Watergate number on some Whitehouse staffers' asses. Let's see how long the Ahmadinejad drivel stays on the front pages.

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