BREAKING NEWS

[rockybelt]

Right now on Al-Sharaqiya news that it has been requested of his family by his doctor that Al-Maliki be transferred to a London hospital because of urgent health problems.

Is Maliki unconscious to need permission from his family?

Is this a move to get him out of the country before the government collapses?

That is all I have available for now.

[Armstead]

1. Ohhhhh boy. The possibility of simultaneous upheavals in Iraq and Pakistan.

That would be rather disasterous.

Much as I dislike him, let's hope this turns out to be a minor health problem, and not the beginning of a descent into further chaos in Iraq.

[globalvillage]

2. Checkup, mild exhaustion

is what's been reported. Although I don't know why that would require a trip to London.
http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSL2964018

[HysteryDiagnosis]

3. Lately, I have been a ponderin' what the ME situation would look

like right now, had we not funded the TERRORISTS in Afghanistan when they were up against the Russians. Things could either be much better for certain interests. I wonder what the U.S. approval rating in the ME would be right now had we not altered the course of the region by keeping the "communist threat" at bay. Too bad history doesn't allow do overs, then again, I may be talking out my arse but still it is an interesting thought experiment to wonder just what things would be like for all players right now had the Russians been allowed to gain a warm water port. The grand chessboard ain't as grand as it once seemed.

[sandnsea]

4. Reagan's 80's proxy wars

Check the globe. So many of today's fights are rooted in those proxy wars.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

11. And remember kids, all of those proxy wars were about defeating

terrorism... I think, at least that's what they told me over tea.

[rockybelt]

12. How do we spell terrorism now?

OIL?

[dugggy]

14. Assasination of Mrs Bhutto is the latest

Al Qaeda act.

[rockybelt]

20. I am not so quick

to label this an Al-Qaeda assassination. Al-Qaeda has denied doing it. They usually shout to the top of their lungs when it is their responsibility.
Could it have been a bone head move by Musharraf?
Could it be that she gained too much support from the Pakistani people that W had her offed?
Could some other country, say India or Iran have any interest in there being turmoil in Pakistan?
Why has the Pakistani government already closed the books on this murder?
A lot of questions need to be answered before blame can be placed.

[dugggy]

21. I know one answer for sure amongst the questions you raise

and that is that it is not in the interest of India to have a neighbor
with turmoil. India is in the middle of the biggest economic boom it has
ever experienced. When things are going that well, there is never any interest
in conflict with others.

My guess is Musharraf was certainly comlicit if not directly involved in
the killing of Bhutto. She had asked for stronger protection which was
never given.

[rockybelt]

22. Ok

Eliminate India. Who else would benefit from turmoil or civil war in Pakistan?

I am not entirely, or even remotely eliminating bushco from having something to do with her death. She was enlisted to go to Pakistan by the U.S. in an effort to broker a deal with Musharraf to insure that he stayed in power. Since he is not that popular, that seems plausible to me.
The problem is that her return to Pakistan started taking on a life of it's own and she was picking up support. Bushco didn't really want that.
Too many questions unanswered, too much turmoil going on and too many nukes up for grabs. Is someone using this to grab a nuke and use it somewhere else?

[dugggy]

24. I have said that for years....when America is hit with a nuke

a dirty one exploded in parked car, its origin will be from Pakistan.
WHy is Bush hung up on Iran when Pakistan already has 100 nukes and
political turmoil going on? I guess you can expect stupidity from the
Dumbya.

[rockybelt]

25. I don't think its stupidity

Although he comes from the shallow end of the gene pool, I believe there is an agenda from which all this fascism and world domination spring. The agenda is a "new world order" with him and the shooter on top, ruling the world and nobody else is of importance. They are both psychopaths and they feed off each other. They MUST be removed from office before it is too late, if it is not already too late.

[dugggy]

29. Forget that, it IS too late, Pelosi & Reed are against it

so it becomes vital who replaces these two. Pakistan is the most
dangerous country in the world and will be for some time.

[loves_dulcinea]

9. say,

wasn't that charlie wilson's war? or am i mistaken...

[HysteryDiagnosis]

10. Oh.... I haven't seen it yet, but if people in the know are doing their

jobs it should be about it. Love your sig line btw. :)

[Clark2008]

26. They weren't terrorists then - the were freedom fighters and

I sided with them. It was their country and they didn't want a Super Power (Russia) to envelope them.

That said, they became terrorists when we dropped them like hot potatoes after they won. We didn't provide any of the relief we promised post-war, which made them hate us. They never hate us for our freedoms, but because we always, always, always fail to help them attain their own freedom.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

28. Come inside my web said the spider to the fly.... I hear ya, but even

though we "fail to help them get theirs" remember that there were warring factions in Afghanistan all along. The truly despicable thing is that we switch sides whenever wherever it suits us, democracy be damned, Burqas or not. If our original intentions had not been about oil/energy/power/control then perhaps our white hat wouldn't have so many black stains on it. Perhaps they hate us for our double dealing and grand chessboard mentality.

[no name no slogan]

5. Who got shot in the what now?

[Debi]

6. Here's a link - he got on the plane on his own and said it was for a medical check up

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22429854/

(and maybe a meeting with British officials...)

[rockybelt]

7. There has to be more

to this story than needing a check up. What else could he be doing there if it is not for his health? Since Blair is no longer in power does he still have any strong allies there? Who else is going to be in London?

Why now? Why leave when Pakistan is about to go up in smoke. This whole thing does not make any sense to me.

Please, some of you Duers, educate me.

[hayu_lol]

8. The climate in England is much better than that of Iraq...

not so much lead in the air.

Once out, perhaps he will stay out.

And now, if Pakistan goes, then Iran is surrounded: Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq. US Troops in all three countries.

Sounds like a BushCo plan to me.

[dajoki]

13. Once out, perhaps he will stay out...

is my guess. And that is just a guess!!

[Disturbed]

15. Are there no Doctors in Iraq that are capable?

This visit to the UK seems to be a pretense of something else.

[dajoki]

18. Could it be...

he is doing what we should have done a long, long time ago? Like getting as far away from there as possible? I don't know, but it seems ridiculous that he would have to go to London for a "checkup".

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22429854
Yassin Majeed said al-Maliki had delayed a previous trip because the "security situation did not allow it." He added that although the visit was private "he might meet British officials." No other details were available.

[MGKrebs]

27. They might be capable, but can they be trusted?

It may be that they don't have a doctor they can be certain is trustworthy. Those guys have to go home at night. There are kidnappings and murders every day. Hard enough keeping the security guys guns pointed in the right direction.

[Debi]

17. All I can give you is the link - we need some foreign policy buffs here n/t

[babylonsister]

16. According to this, it's just a regular check-up and he isn't unconscious:

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=36791§ionid=351020201

Maliki leaves Baghdad for London
Sat, 29 Dec 2007 22:14:10


Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has left Baghdad for London for what is described as a regularly scheduled medical checkup.

"It's been some time since I had a check-up and I want to be reassured about some health matters," Maliki, 57, told state television as he boarded his plane at Baghdad airport on Saturday.

"I got the opportunity now. I am leaving Baghdad and will return soon."

Yassin Majeed, an advisor to the premier, said al-Maliki had delayed a previous trip because the 'security situation did not allow it'.

He added that although the visit was private 'he might meet British officials'.

There was no immediate comment on how long the Prime Minster will be abroad.

[Disturbed]

19. "because the 'security situation did not allow it'.

That sounds like nonsense. He is prolly setting up a place to stay before he move there permanently. His time is almost up in Iraq. When his no longer PM his security will be gone.

[Madam Mossfern]

23. Run away!

Run away!

I loved that in Monty Python.