When Kidnapping is NOT a Crime

I saw this earlier, either at the New York Times or CNN website--or maybe it was Google News, I forget--but Billmon, as usual, cuts right to the chase:

"Would it have killed the AP to maybe just mention -- suitably buried somewhere down near the end of the story -- that taking hostages is, technically speaking, forbidden by the Geneva Convention?"

Of course, strictly speaking, the war itself is a violation of the Geneva Convention, not to mention the UN Charter--but why should the PNAC, and their errand boy George W. Bush, let that get in their way?

In other news, Counterpunch is back after a short break. Today they link to the Iraq Procurement site--they've announced an upcoming convention in London, set for February 2004. Some people see suffering--while others see opportunity:

"The reconstruction of Iraq--planned to take place over the next five years--is expected to cost in excess of $100 billion. At least half of this figure will account for projects to be sub-contracted to outside companies."

I wonder if Dave Del Dotto has a hand in this...nah--it looks like Dave is busy crushing grapes these days, instead of hawking his bottom feeder's guide to riches. That's too bad, because del Dotto would be the perfect spokesperson for this bottom feeder's war.

Meanwhile, the Young Fascis--uh--Conservatives at the University of Texas have decided to follow in the footsteps of Joe McCarthy. They've come up with a list of professors who apparently think literacy, critical thinking, and analysis should be encouraged. However, if you scroll to the bottom of their lynch--uh, I mean watch list, you'll see that one can still pursue a grass-eating major in Austin--thank heavens.

Finally, to round out some holiday reading, check out Alexander Cockburn's piece on Rupert Murdoch.

"At BskyB's annual general meeting on Friday November 14, Murdoch conducted himself in a manner that would have won the approval of Vlad the Impaler, snarling at one dissident that if he didn't like it he should sell his shares, bickering openly with BskyB's chief executive, his son James."

And, in case anyone hasn't figured it out, he goes on to comment approvingly on a bio of the "global tyrant" by Bruce Page, called The Murdoch Archipeligo. Critical viewers of the Fox collection of network should find this all too familar:

"Page's detailed and compelling case, based on his investigation of Murdoch's operations in Australia, Britain, the USA and the Chinese People's Republic, amounts to this: as an international operator, Murdoch offers his target governments a privatized version of a state propaganda service, manipulated without scruple and with no regard for truth. His price takes the form of vast government favors such as tax breaks, regulatory relief, monopoly markets and so forth. The propaganda is undertaken with the utmost cynicism, whether it's the stentorian fake populism and soft porn in the UK's Sun and News of the World, or shameless bootlicking of the butchers of Tiananmen Square."

Murdoch, in the whole scheme of things, makes Dubya look like a piker...