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The Hardball Briefing On MSNBC
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Hardball airs tonight on MSNBC at 7p, 11p & 4a ET & 4p, 8p & 1a PT Find MSNBC on your
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Tonight we get you latest on Rummy's not so secret trip to Baghdad and the pep rally
he held with Joint Chiefs Chairman Richard Meyers....What's it all mean? Leave it to
us to sort it all out for you...We'll get an "as live" (another one of those nifty TV
terms) from Baghdad with the news...Rummy went to Abu Ghraib prison during his trip
and said "It's generally a lot more fun here than it is back home" according to the AP
We're also learning more about what was in those horrific pictures that were viewed
yesterday by Congress...We'll talk to a couple of Senators, Bill Nelson (D-FL) and
Richard Shelby (R-AL) who'll share their thoughts on the pics and tell us where this
all headed...Nelson said yesterday that based on what he saw there's no way this could
have been confined to 6 or 7 folks...Shelby described the pix as "horrific" and
"despicable"...
And should the media show the pictures? We'll talk to Michael Wolff of Vanity Fair
and fmr. ABC guy Bob Zelnick about that and the new Bush polls...
Plus, "Black Hawk Down" & "Killing Pablo" author Mark Bowden on why the practice of
coercion is a necessary evil...The Truth About Torture
http://www.theatlantic.com/unbound/interviews/int2003-09-11.htm
Shuster's got a package on history's great court martial trials and that ought to have
some cool historical footage (It'll get into the Mai Lai massacre)
Chris is fired up about this and that makes for great TV...You won't want to miss
it...Imagine The Possibilities
Dominic Bellone wrote, compiled and edited The Briefing from Washington, DC
Rumsfeld visits Baghdad...U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld made a surprise visit
to Iraq on Thursday as the United States struggled to quell criticism over the abuse
of Iraqi prisoners by American military guards. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4967902/
"We're not on an inspection tour," Rumsfeld told reporters Wednesday afternoon aboard
an Air Force on his way to Baghdad. "If anyone thinks I'm there to throw water on a
fire, they're wrong." (The Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A23098-2004May13.html
For the first time in public, a somber Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld raised the
possibility yesterday that the U.S. mission in Iraq could fail.
Rumsfeld said the prison abuse scandal had delivered a "body blow" to the
nation-building effort in Iraq that has cost the lives of more than 770 U.S. troops.
"Will it happen right on time? I think so. I hope so. Will it be perfect? No.... Is it
possible it won't work? Yes," Rumsfeld said. (The New York Daily News)
http://www.nydailynews.com/front/v-pfriendly/story/192918p-166670c.html
Lawmakers view more photos...Lawmakers said Wednesday that new photographs and video
clips of U.S. soldiers brutalizing Iraqi prisoners were even worse than they had
expected. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4855930/
"What we saw is appalling," said Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.). "I saw
cruel, sadistic torture," said Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.). Sen. Richard J. Durbin
(D-Ill.) told Reuters: "There were some awful scenes. It felt like you were descending
into one of the rings of hell, and sadly it was our own creation." (The Washington
Post) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A22464-2004May12.html
Shocking shots of sexcapades involving Pfc. Lynndie England were among the hundreds of
X-rated photos and videos from the Abu Ghraib prison scandal shown to lawmakers in a
top-secret Capitol conference room yesterday. (NY Post)
http://www.nypost.com/news/nationalnews/20802.htm
Prisoners in U.S. custody in Afghanistan suffer "systemic" mistreatment, Human Rights
Watch claimed Thursday, calling for a network of secretive jails dogged by allegations
of assault and sexual abuse to be opened to outside scrutiny. (AP)
http://ap.washingtontimes.com/dynamic/stories/A/AFGHAN_PRISONER_ABUSE?SITE=DCTMS&SECTION=HOME
Battle rages between U.S. forces, Sadr militia...Black smoke rising from center of
Karbala (MSNBC) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4899904/
80% in Iraq Distrust Occupation Authority...Results of Poll, Taken Before Prison
Scandal Came to Light, Worry U.S. Officials (The Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A22403-2004May12.html
U.S. offered to help Berg leave...U.S. authorities said Wednesday that the young
American who was beheaded by militants had been warned by the FBI to leave Iraq and
was offered a plane ride to safety. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4953015/
Prince Bandar, the Saudi ambassador to the U.S., spoke to Saudi media and condemmed
the abuse pictures but cautioned the Islamic world to not blame all Americans...His
statement read in part:
"...We should now condemn only those who committed these horrendous acts against Iraqi
prisoners, and make clear that they do not represent the majority of the U.S.
military, and certainly not the American people and their morality."
On the killing of Nick Berg Prince Bandar said "The Al-Zargawi group is a criminal,
deviant and un-Islamic group, allied with bin Laden and the criminals of Al-Qaeda who
are killing even Muslims and Arabs for no reason. Accordingly, it is not out of
character for them to commit acts that violate the teachings of Islam, a noble
religion that deplores such acts."
Sen. John F. Kerry, breaking momentarily from his cautious approach to turmoil in
Iraq, blasted President Bush on Wednesday for running an "extraordinarily mismanaged
and ineptly prosecuted war" and strongly suggested Bush is partly to blame for abuses
at Abu Ghraib prison. (The Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A22443-2004May12.html
Kerry accused of politicizing war...The Bush-Cheney campaign yesterday accused Sen.
John Kerry of "raw political opportunism" and using the recent troubles in Iraq for
his political gain, as the Democratic presidential candidate continued calling for the
resignation of Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld from the campaign trail. (The
Washington Times) http://washingtontimes.com/national/20040513-121849-6777r.htm
Pollsters: Kerry aside, Bush is in trouble...Approval rating keeps falling
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4962832/
Latest USA Today/Gallup Poll
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/polls/usatodaypollshtm
Line blurs between soldiers, contractors...Concern grows over role of civilian workers
in Iraq (The Washington Post) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4955393/
Press calls prisoner coverage 'balanced'...Nonstop news coverage of Iraqi prisoner
abuse has yet to become sensational, some insist. But they agree it ultimately could
exact a toll on the U.S. military. (The Washington Times)
http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20040512-113119-3358r.htm
Conservative talk-show host Rush Limbaugh has purchased full-page ads in two Florida
newspapers to charge that local prosecutors are politically motivated in investigating
him for "doctor shopping." (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=peopleNews&storyID=5125278
Opinion/Editorial
Briefing Subscriber Josh Green: Playing Dirty...This year's presidential campaign is
already shaping up to be even more negative than the last. That's no accident.
http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/2004/06/green.htm
Rousseaux: Cheer Up Hawks http://www.techcentralstation.com/051304H.html
Fineman: Political winds are favoring Kerry...Democrat intends to ride Iraq hurricane
into office http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4961344/
Novak: Senator airs GOP war discomfort
http://www.suntimes.com/output/novak/cst-edt-novak13.html
Timothy Noah: The Right's Abu Ghraib Denial...Is the liberal outrage really worse than
the torture? http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4955924/
Doonesbury http://www.ucomics.com/doonesbury/
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