TEXAS-STYLE PURITANISM
"Joanne Webb, a former fifth-grade teacher and mother of three, was in a county court in Cleburne, Texas, on Monday to answer obscenity charges for selling the vibrator to undercover narcotics officers posing as a dysfunctional married couple in search of a sex aid. "
(SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE, unearthed by Paul Whitehurst)

RUMSFIELD WAS SENT TO APPEASE SADDAM IN 1984
Donald Rumsfeld went to Baghdad in March 1984 with instructions to deliver a private message about weapons of mass destruction: that the United States' public criticism of Iraq for using chemical weapons would not derail Washington's attempts to forge a better relationship, according to newly declassified documents.
Mr Rumsfeld's earlier trip to Baghdad, in December 1983, has been widely reported as having helped persuade Iraq to resume diplomatic ties with the US. An explicit purpose of Mr Rumsfeld's return trip in March 1984, the documents reveal, was to ease the strain created by a US condemnation of chemical weapons.
(SYDNEY MORNING HERALD)

AMERICAN GULAG ARCHIPELAGO
"Saddam Hussein is now prisoner No. 1 in what has developed into a global detention system run by the Pentagon and the Central Intelligence Agency, according to government officials.

Many of the prisoners are still being held in a network of detention centers ranging from Afghanistan to the United States Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. Officials described it as a prison system with its own unique hierarchy, one in which the most important captives are kept at the greatest distance from the prying eyes of the public and the media. It is a system in which the jailers have refined the arts of interrogation in order to drain the detainees of crucial information."
(NYT)

CITIZEN OVERSITE
A new Internet site unveiled by Iowa state officials Monday was promoted as a tool for citizens to track government performance.
The Web site summarizes agency operations, government finance and economic indicators and detailed performance information from each state agency. It lists a mission, goals and an explanation of plans to improve outcomes for each of 47 departments.
(FINDLAW)

EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT!!!
Just got this email from a friend of a friend's cousin. Don't know if its legit, looks it and I trust the people who sent it to me. (I deleted his name):
From:

Subject: We got Saddam Hussein!
Date: Sun, 14 Dec 2003 16:53:20 +0300
ALL,

As you all know by now, we have captured Saddam Hussein. The 1st Brigade Combat Team "Raiders", 4th Infantry Division (M)with Special Ops forces caught HVT#1.

I participated in this raid last night which started at about 1900 (7PM) as we quickly rehearsed the plan. This was a joint operation between 1st Brigade, 4ID and Special Ops Forces. After we rehearsed the plan at a grain storage facility in Tikrit (that smelled like an outhouse by the way!), we mounted up and drove about 20km south to Ad Dawr. We had Humvees and a some armored Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles and the Special Ops guys brought their toys. I won't go into what they ride around in, but they have got some nice vehicles and equipment! One vehicle you'd never expect to see over here! Totally out of place but totally fits the Special Ops "look".

We drove at about 40-50 MPH in total darkness on the highway across the Tigris River and headed south to the small town of Ad Dawr. We used our Night Vision Goggles as we sped down the road as some of the locals watched this convoy of about 30 vehicles speed by in the moonless night. Wonder what they were thinking? Last night was pitch black with no moon until about 2130hrs (9:30PM).

After we hit the objectives (Wolverine 1 & 2) we set a cordon and began the search. Initially we didn't find him and the Special Ops soldiers in the house were being led away from his #1's "rat hole" by an Iraqi that was in the house.

Well, the "rat hole" was discovered and the cover moved and sure enough, there he was down in the bottom! Our Special Ops guys whisked him away in a "Little Bird" (small Special Ops Helicopter)off to Tikrit for a quick stop and then off to Baghdad.

We drove all the way back up to Tikrit in disbelief that we had finally found this guy! All the work and intelligence gathering we have done for the past 8 months have paid off! It has been quite amazing watching us narrow the ring around this guy. We have got an amazing "wiring diagram" with Saddam Hussein in the middle working outwards starting with his children, wives, cousins, uncles, nephews, body guards, drivers, etc. Amazing! We just followed up on all the clues we have gathered and here we are. The last two weeks we have really been "cleaning house" on Saddam Husseins most trusted aides. We have had a great working relationship with our Special Ops brothers. We have shared information and worked together for so long on this that it's great to be able to say that "I was part of the unit that caught Saddam Hussein!"

I have a great photo of him in the house that I'll try to send, but it's a very big file. Over 2 MB! I'll try to send it in another email as an attachment!

1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized) RAIDERS!