Attackerman

Freedom, Brought To You By Al-Jazeera

By now, it's clear to anyone who's spent five minutes watching al-Jazeera's coverage of Egypt -- or at least the AJ English version -- that it's vastly superior to any other broadcast. I'm biased: I've been an occasional commentator on AJE for two years. But I like going on AJE because its anchors and its reporters care a hell of a lot about foreign and foreign-policy reporting. There's a depth, a consistency and a subtlety to its international coverage that no other news channel possesses. Watching its reporters beat up on Mubarak regime apologists is a reminder of why I got into this business in the first place.

I'm also lucky enough to be able to watch AJE on Comcast in the DC area. Most other American cable subscribers can't get AJE. Wadah Khanfar, al-Jazeera's director general, reminds us that most providers still treat AJE as if it was terrorist TV. It's laughable to anyone who views AJE consistently -- alas, not many people in the U.S. Come for the pathbreaking Egypt coverage, stay for excellent pieces on faux liberalization in Myanmar or the prospective Duvalier return to Haiti. There's no extremism there, just thorough journalism and small-l liberalism.

When There's Nothing On The Horizon, You've Got Nothing Left To Prove

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

No. 081-11

January 31, 2011

DOD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Sgt. 1st Class Anthony Venetz Jr., 30, of Prince William, Va., died Jan. 28 in Parwan province, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained in a non-combat incident. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.

For more information, the media may contact the U.S. Army Special Forces Command public affairs office at 910-432-6005.

Shoulder, Elbow, Wrist

Very constructive advice from Andrew Exum. Not that we encourage violence here, just that when regime thugs are on you, you need to effectively defend yourself.

When There's Nothing On The Horizon, You've Got Nothing Left To Prove

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

No. 074-11

January 27, 2011

DOD Identifies Air Force Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of an airman who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Tech. Sgt. Leslie D. Williams, 36, of Juneau, Alaska, died Jan. 25 due to a non-combat related incident at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 4th Maintenance Group, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C.

For more information media may contact the Seymour Johnson Air Force Base public affairs office at 919-722-0027.

Deep Thought

The success of an improbable indiginous revolt can be contagious when the conditions undergirding it are widespread, and especially when it's understood not to be contaminated by foreign involvement or provocation.

That Purple Stuff, It's For Your Own Security

Download Mixtape Free | LiveMixtapes.com Mixtape Player

As you might imagine, I had great great fun at Danger Room today reporting this story. (Why is the Game mixtape here? Because I've had no success downloading it, so I figure screw it, might as well host. My blog my business.)

Also, randomly, Wired.com switched to Disqus for its comments system and every once in a while I see someone lament that the bugs have eaten someone's apercu or mot juste or Ackerman-you're-so-fucking-stupid. I'd like to reassure everyone that the right people are looking at the problem. By way of compensation in the interim, I offer you this line, free of charge: "We used to fuss when Trollout dissed us/ No posts, wond'rin' why Disqus missed us." You're welcome.

And Their Systems, Christ, They're Everywhere

Jack Goldsmith writes, re the Ghailani verdict:

Many will claim that Ghailani’s life sentence vindicates the trial system as a vehicle for incapacitating terrorists.  The verdict is a reminder that civilian trials have a successful track record in incapacitating terrorists.  But we must also remember that the basic outcome (long term detention for Ghailani) was foreordained: Both the Attorney General and the trial judge stated that Ghailani would likely be placed in military detention if acquitted.  Civilian trial supporters must ask themselves how legitimate the Ghailani verdict and sentence are against this background.

Whoa there. Goldsmith is right that the legitimacy of the process is in question. But the heart of the problem doesn't lie with the trial system's capacity for trying terrorists. It lies with Holder's and the judge's (and several other Obama administration officials') statement that the process doesn't mean a thing and the outcome of detention is, as Goldsmith writes, foredained. In other words, this is an indictment of a decision by policymakers -- I would call it cowardly -- that turns a trial into a shadow of what it's supposed to be.

The essential quandary for civilian trials (and military commission trials as well) is that the government cannot afford to bring cases against high-value terrorists if there is a chance of actual release, and so it will only bring cases in which it reserves the right to detain following acquittal (or possibly after the sentence has run).  There is no naked trial option for high-value GTMO terrorists – only trials with a backup of military detention.

But it doesn't have to be that way. If an administration decided that it would accept a "naked trial" option -- that is, having faith in the courts to do freely what they've done hundreds of times -- then the problem disappears. It's an indictment of the Obama administration that it mouths support for civilian trials for terrorists and then undermines them even when bringing cases before them.

When There's Nothing On The Horizon, You've Got Nothing Left To Prove

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

No. 063-11

January 21, 2011

DOD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Pfc. Amy R. Sinkler, 23, of Chadbourn, N.C., died Jan. 20 in Baghlan province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked her unit with a rocket propelled grenade. She was assigned to the 17th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 3rd Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, Fort Richardson, Alaska.

For more information, the media may contact the U.S. Army Alaska public affairs office at 907-384-2072 or 907-384-1542.

When There's Nothing On The Horizon, You've Got Nothing Left To Prove

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

No. 060-11

January 21, 2011

DOD Identifies Marine Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Sgt. Jason G. Amores, 29, of Lehigh Acres, Fla., died Jan. 20 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.

For additional background information on this Marine, news media representatives may contact the 1st Marine Division public affairs office at 760-725-8766.

When There's Nothing On The Horizon, You've Got Nothing Left To Prove

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

No. 061-11

January 21, 2011

DOD Identifies Navy Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a sailor who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Petty Officer Dominique Cruz, 26, of Panama City, Fla., was found during search and rescue operations Jan. 19 in the Gulf of Oman after being reported missing Jan. 18. Cruz was assigned as an Operations Specialist to the USS Halsey homeported in San Diego, Calif. Halsey is currently deployed to the Fifth Fleet area of responsibility conducting maritime security operations.

For further information related to this release, contact commander, Naval Surface Force U.S. Pacific Fleet public affairs at 619-437-2146.