Jim Moore discusses Charlie’s idea: “Essentially this person would be a second superpower candidate for the key power role in the first superpower.”

I like this blog already…

AP (via GoUpstate.com) reports.

AP: Belgium OKs Change to Genocide Law.

Apparently, the previous law allowed the leaders of other democratic states to be tried in Belgian courts over genocide/war crime acts. Suits had been filed against U.S. and Israeli leaders.

In a country (the U.S.) where the courts are used by the president to win an election, and who refuses to recognise and ratify the power of the International Criminal Court, how is a suit intended to be brought against the leaders of the U.S. if, in fact, legitimate war crimes have been committed (and that’s a big if, but a contentious one all the same)?

The Belgian court should obviously not be the forum for international prosecutions (that is the intent and purpose of the ICC), however, it is another avenue of such prosecutions that has now been closed.

Also on Dateline last night was this interview with John Pilger.

I missed both of his talks last week, and even this snippet was inspiring to me – a clear voice in the fog of war reporting. I particularly like the way he turned the “anti-war cheer squad” question around.

Most importantly it reminds me why I’m at uni, and why I have this blog – to try and make a difference (albeit a small one) and to be one more voice in the wilderness speaking against the mainstream media.

An Al Jazeera correspondent has been expelled from Iraq by the Iraqi government (AP reports).

Last night SBS’s Dateline program had a segment on the Al Jazeera network last night. The images that were shown, apparently from the network, were horrendous – both the images of dead U.S. marines, but even more horrible was the civilian dead and injured (including children). These images would never appear on Western networks when the war is being carried out by its own country (I’m sure we’d see them if we were being attacked). It was a gruesome reminder to me that this war is not just, is not justified, is not righteous – it is killing innocents.

Haven’t had a chance to read it yet, but it keeps popping up everywhere: The Second Superpower Rears it’s Beautiful Head. Looks very interesting…

AP (via GoUpstate.com) reports: Jordan Foils Two Iraqi Terror Plots.

The article is so slim on detail, it makes you wonder why it made the news feed? Perhaps the headline is meant to say it all? It seems to me that a diplomat attempting a terrorist act is more likely a response to the unsanctioned war – and it was aimed at military target, not civilian.

Scott Rosenberg talks about the momentum of violence in the U.S. led invasion of Iraq expressing my thoughts far more eloquently than I can.

If you’re a fan of Joi Ito’s blog (like me) you’ll find this v.funny

AP (via GoUpstate.com): U.S. Troops Kill at LEast 7 Civilians.

This is a horrible story. It shows just how effective the Saddam loyalists have been in making it near impossible for civilians to escape, or soldiers to surrender.

As much as a report of such an event upsets me on a gut level, I can’t blame the soldiers for this incident. It is not their fault that they are in this situation, they are doing their “duty”. The civilian “costs” were always going to be big, and yet Bush and Co kept driving forward anyway. Ultimately, the blood is on their hands…