CALIFORNIA YANKEE

General Pace Calms Attack Speculation

Marine General Peter Pace, Joint Chiefs chairman, throws cold water on speculation that military action against is near:

"I believe that the international community has many, many, many diplomatic, economic, other opportunities to influence — not only the United States, but all the international community — to affect the way that is acting in the world," he said. "So from where I stand, from where I sit, we are a long way away from needing the military option."

Pace's comment was reported by Washington Times reporters Bill Gertz and Rowan Scarborough in today's edition of Inside the Ring.

When you couple Pace's comments with President Bush's recent call for freedom and democracy in , I don't think an attack on is imminent.

Democratic Party Rallies Around Lieberman

Senator Joseph Lieberman is taking the anti-war primary challenge of Ned Lamont seriously.

Yesterday, in a Hartford union hall, nine politicians and a dozen union leaders took turns singing the praises of Connecticut's junior senator.

In a bad omen for the nascent Lamont campaign, the Hartford Courant reports Lieberman, accepted  endorsements from an "extraordinary assemblage of political figures:"

"I think my fellow Democrats, my friends in the labor movement are saying, `That's one part of a long record of service in the United States Senate. Even if we disagree with him on the Iraq war, we agree with him on everything else,'" Lieberman said.

Nine politicians, including every statewide Democratic officeholder except Treasurer Denise L. Nappier, and a dozen union leaders took turns praising Lieberman. Nappier campaigned with Lieberman Wednesday.

A number of officeholders endorsing Lieberman disagree with the Senator about the war in Iraq, but that will not cost Lieberman any support from Democratic power brokers:

"I said to Joe when he came in today, `Joe, you and I don't agree on the war in Iraq, but you are a great United States senator. You toil every day,'" Lt. Gov. Kevin B. Sullivan said. "For 99.99 percent of things I think are important in this world, I can stack Chris Dodd and Joe Lieberman up against each other and they are both there on the things that count."

Senator Dodd, continued the Lieberman love fest he started Wednesday:

"You need to have more of a case to make than a disagreement on one issue to justify the kind of effort, expense and cost to divide a candidacy and party," Dodd said. "I don't think that makes a lot off sense."

As I have posted before, the Democratic leadership is not going to let a single issue cost Lieberman his senate seat. Now it looks like you can include labor in Lieberman's camp.

More thoughts at Connecticut Local Politics and CT News Junkie.

Terrorists Murder Iraqi Reporter

Atwar Bahjat, who reported from Iraq for both al-Arabiya and al-Jazeera was kidnapped and killed along with two members of her crew near Samarra where they were covering the reaction to the bombing of the Golden Dome:

They had been about to return to base in the northern city of Kirkuk when two gunmen drove up in a pick-up truck, al-Arabiya correspondent Ahmed al-Saleh reported on the morning news programme.

"The two gunmen started firing their machine-guns in the air, which caused the people to panic and to run away," Saleh said.

"One of them started shouting 'We want the anchorwoman'. Atwar was in the news van and shouted to the crowd to help her.

"The crew tried to speak to the gunmen, but they snatched them and took them an unknown location."

According to the BBC, Bahjat and her colleagues were dragged away and shot. Their bodies were found on the outskirts of Samarra.

Bahjat was one of very few women to work as a "frontline conflict reporter" for Arabic television.

The 26-year-old had only recently moved to Saudi-owned al-Arabiya TV from the rival Qatari-owned station al-Jazeera.

Bahjat and her crew are among more than 60 journalists who have died covering the war in Iraq. I try to remember that statistic when I complain about reporters not leaving their hotel compounds when reporting from Iraq.

My Other Fellow has more thoughts.

Democrats Target Johnson

Illinois Representative Rahm Emanuel, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, campaigned for Democratic state Senator Christopher Murphy, who plans to challenge Republican Representative Nancy Johnson for Connecticut's 5th District.

Health-care has been Johnson's signature issue. The Hartford Courant reports the Democrats are trying to use the Medicare issue as a wedge to separate Johnson from seniors.

The Bristol Press reports Murphy and Emanuel criticized Johnson for her leading role in the authorship of Medicare Part D, claiming that it serves the interests of the pharmaceutical industry and charging Johnson has received excessive funding from the pharmaceutical industry.

According to the Associated Press, Johnson accuses Emanuel of exploiting seniors:

"Every day, more and more seniors sign up and get the Medicare drug benefits they need and deserve, while Rahm's Democrats are exploiting seniors," said Johnson spokesman Brian Schubert. "Seniors are saving, in some cases, thousands of dollars a year."

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), is targeting the 5th Congressional District, believing that Johnson is vulnerable despite winning back-to-back landslides in 2002 and 2004. The DCCC, is also supporting Joe Courtney, who is challenging Rob Simmons in the 2nd District and Diane Farrell, who is challenging Christopher Shays in the 4th District.

The Great Connecticut Senatorial Iraq Debate

Yesterday I was privileged to be invited to attend the taping of the discussion between Connecticut’s U.S. Senators Chris Dodd and Joe Lieberman about the war in Iraq. The discussion was taped for Fox 61 WTIC-TV WB 20's "Beyond the Headlines” and was a joint effort with The Hartford Courant and The Hartford Courant's NE Magazine.

The discussion was billed as a forum on the lack of weapons of mass destruction, Iraqi elections, Saddam Hussein's trial, the outlook for the future and an opportunity to hear the Senators discuss their "drastically different" positions on American involvement in the war in Iraq.

Despite the efforts of the facilitators, Fox 61's political reporter, Shelly Sindland and Hartford Courant Washington Bureau Chief David Lightman, the discussion immediately turned into a lovefest. There was simply no way Senator Dodd was going to let anything he might of said about the war be used to undercut Senator Lieberman, especially with millionaire businessman Ned Lamont about to announce that he will mount a primary challenge against Lieberman.

Shelly Sindland started the discussion by reminding Lieberman that last fall he said U.S. lawmakers "had access to pretty much whatever [intelligence] we asked for" when they considered Iraq policy before the war. Dodd at the time termed such assertions "baloney."

As the Courant's David Lightman wrote, the Senators refused to be drawn into an actual debate an laughed off the apparent disagreement:

"Let's go for lunch today, Joe," Dodd said.

"We're going to have some baloney," quipped Lieberman.

Lieberman did not duck his support of the war, noting that even constituents who disagree with him about the war should respect that his position is based upon what he thinks is right.

The Senators said that rather than focus on what differences they may have had about the war, it was more important to focus on the future and ensure that we complete the mission.

Both Dodd and Lieberman were hopeful that the number of U.S. troops in Iraq could be decreased "significantly" by the end of the year. Both Senators were adamant that the military should determine when troops come home, not artificial deadlines.

I was surprised by the agreement on those points. I thought Dodd would be supportive of the Democrats' so-called strategic redeployment. During a discussion with the observers after the filming, Dodd was clearly not in favor of this latest withdrawal proposal. Dodd proved to be much more supportive of the war than I previously believed.

What was less surprising was Dodd's refusal to allow anything he has said to be used to undercut Lieberman. There really have been differences between Senators Dodd and Lieberman over Iraq. NE Editor, Jenifer Frank, detailed some of the differences writing that sometimes the two Senators disagreed only by degrees and at other times the differences have been more dramatic. The Democratic power brokers do not want to lose Lieberman over a single issue.

The Senators' discussion about the war will be broadcast on Sunday, along with comments from the five observers. The Courant is to be commended for developing this innovative approach of bringing readers in to observe and comment on a talking head show.

I want to sincerely thank the Hartford Courant which made it possible for me, and four others, to meet with both of our Senators. I encourage the Courant to continue pursue this interesting interactive format.

US Military Denies Iraq On Brink Of Civil

Agence France-Presse reports the US military rejects the idea that a civil war is imminient in Iraq.

A spokesman for the coalition forces in Iraq, said the military had recorded attacks on only seven Sunni mosques since the bombing of the golden dome on Wednesday:

"As of now seven attacks on mosques across Iraq have taken place that resulted in damage to mosques. Two Sunni imams (prayer leaders) and one Sunni sheikh were murdered," Lynch told reporters, playing down the sectarian strife.

Some drive-by shootings against mosques have been reported ... that's where we are. So we are not seeing civil war igniting in Iraq. We are not seeing 77, 80, 100 mosques damaged in Iraq. We are not seeing death on the streets

.

That's a far cry from the 30 attacks reported by Iraqi security officials and Sunni leaders. As I posted before, as long as leaders such as Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, continue to speak against reprisals civil war will be avoided.

At The Fourth Rail, Bill Roggio has further analysis and also concludes civil war is not imminient in Iraq.

U.S. Blamed For Destruction Of Golden Dome

's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad blames the United States and Israel for the destruction of the Askariya mosque dome.

"They invade the shrine and bomb there because they oppose God and justice," Ahmadinejad said, alluding to the U.S.-led multinational forces in Iraq.

According to the Associated Press, Ahmadinejad is not the only one blaming the U.S. Some Islamic clerics and Hezbollah also blamed the U.S:

"We cannot imagine that the Iraqi Sunnis did this," said the influential Sunni cleric Sheik Youssef al-Qaradawi, an Egyptian who lives in Qatar. "No one benefits from such acts other than the U.S. occupation and the lurking Zionist enemy."

Radical Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who cut short a visit to Lebanon after the blast, said blame must be laid either with the Americans or the Iraqi government.

Yesterday the New York Times reported the leader of Iraq's main Shiite political alliance thought Zalmay Khalilzad, the American ambassador to Iraq, was partly to blame for the bombing of the shrine:

The Shiite leader, Abdul Aziz al Hakim, said he thought Mr. Khalilzad's public comments on Monday, in which he drew attention to apparent death squads operating within Iraq's Shiite-led Interior Ministry, were a provocation to the bombing. He did not explain how.

"This declaration gave a green light for these groups to do their operation, so he is responsible for a part of that," Mr. Hakim said of the ambassador, at a news conference called to condemn the shrine bombing.

Bloomberg reports Iraq's Foreign Minister, Hoshyar Zebari, said insurgents are trying everything to foment civil war following yesterday's bombing of the Golden Mosque:

"Anti-democratic forces have tried everything to push the country into a civil war and sectarian violence," Zebari said today in a phone interview from Baghdad, blaming the attack on extremists and supporters of ousted dictator Saddam Hussein.

It seems much of the main stream media believes civil war is imminent:

BBC - Iraq's Civil War Nightmare:

Iraq does not have a civil war, but it has the makings of one.

Reuters - Iraq Faces Decisive Days Under Threat Of Civil War:

The next few days could decide whether Iraq can pull back once again from the brink of all-out civil war or if a sharp spike in sectarian violence will finally tear the delicate political process apart.

[. . .]

"The issue hangs on the next few days. Either the gates of hell open onto a civil war or the Shi'ites will take more power with the excuse that Sunni leaders are unable to rein in increasing terrorist activity," said Hazim al-Naimi, a political science professor at Mustansiriya University.

I could cite more, but you get the idea.

I don't think Iraq is on the precipice of civil war. As long as leaders such as Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, continue to speak against reprisals civil war will be avoided.

Anthrax Scare In New York City

A New York City man has been hospitalized with a case of anthrax officials say may have been contracted from animal skins during a visit to Africa. The infection appears to be accidental and is not believed to be related to terrorism.

The infected man traveled recently to the west coast of Africa and became ill shortly after his return.
Officials traced the exposure to New York City after the man became ill in Pennsylvania. the man was recovering in a hospital in Sayre, Pennsylvania.

More to come.

UPDATE: United Press International reports authorities believe the anthrax exposure originated when the man was using unprocessed cowhides to make African drums. The man purchased the cowhides on a trip to the Ivory Coast.

Three people who may have been exposed to the cowhides are being treated with antibiotics.

The man's work area in Brooklyn, his car, and his residence in Manhattan have been quarantined.

Terrorists Destroy Golden Mosque

The bombing of the Golden Mosque in Samarra, 60 miles north of Baghdad, left its famous golden dome in ruins set off sectarian fury across Iraq as mobs took revenge setting fire to dozens of Sunni mosques:

The attack in Samarra began at 7 a.m., when a group of a dozen men dressed in paramilitary uniforms entered the shrine and handcuffed four guards who were sleeping in a back room, said a spokesman for the provincial governor's office. The attackers then placed a bomb in the dome and detonated it, collapsing most of the dome and heavily damaging an adjoining wall.

Iraqi officials quickly pointed a finger at al-Qaeda which has been doing its best to bring about a civil war between Iraq's Shiites and Sunnis.

According to the Times of London, the al-Askariya shrine is, one of the largest archaeological sites in the world. It was built in 944 to house the tombs of two ninth century imams, direct descendants of the Prophet Muhammad:

Ali al-Hadi, the tenth imam who died in 868 and his son Hassan al-Askari who died in 874, were buried at the end of the turbulent period during which Samarra was built as the new capital of the Abbasid empire, briefly taking over from Baghdad, then the largest city in the world.

But the continued and intense religious importance of the site is connected to the 12th and final imam, the so-called "Hidden Imam" who Shias believe went into hiding in 878 under the al-Askariya shrine to prepare for his eventual return among men.

According to Shia tradition, the Mahdi will reappear one day to punish the sinful and "separate truth from falsehood". For many years, a saddled horse and soldiers would be brought to the shrine in Samarra every day to be ready for his return, a ritual that was repeated in Hilla, about 100 miles to the south, where it was also thought that Mahdi might reappear.

"It's one of the foremost important shrines in Iraq," said Alastair Northedge, a Professor of Islamic Art and Architecture at the Sorbonne in Paris who has just completed an archaeological survey of Samarra.

[. . .]

"The shrine is central for the Shia. This is not just a major cathedral, this is more than that, this is one of the holiest shrines."

The Golden dome that was destroyed today was added in 1905. It was covered in 72,000 gold pieces and surrounded by walls of light blue tiles, the shrine attracts thousands of Shia pilgrims from across the world.

As the initial reports of sectarian violence indicate, this terrorist attack may be the most successful of al-Qaeda's continuing efforts to cause a civil war in Iraq.

I'm off to watch Senators Dodd and Lieberman debate their positions on Iraq.