Here is a quick wrap-up of news items that have caught my eye:
I never thought in my lifetime I would witness an African American successfully step to the center of the world stage. People overseas, who have been closely following the presidential election, are excited at the prospects of an Obama Presidency. Not only are leaders from around the world thrilled with Obama, as reported by POLITICO's Ben Smith, "Everybody wants a piece of Obama," interestingly, the naysayers, who initially challenged Obama into taking an overseas trip in the first place, are now "tripping" from it's success. CROOKS & LIARS' Steve Benen points out this ludicrousy in his piece, "Maybe it has something to do with leading the free world again." Michael Cohen at DEMOCRACY ARSENAL question those who are taking a "more gimlet-eyed view" at Obama's trip in "Americans and the World."
And Frank Rich of the NEW YORK TIMES provides a full analysis of Obama's trip and its impact on the international community in "How Obama became Acting President." Poor John McCain, he doesn't know what to do with himself!
Recently, an old argument has resurfaced regarding censorship of war photographs. In TALK LEFT's "Censoring Pictures of the Dead in Iraq," they ask the question, "If things are going as swimmingly in Iraq as John McCain would like us to believe, why is the military so desperate to control the visual message?" The TURKISH WEEKLY (a Turkish newsource in English language mainly on international politics) recently published, "Say 'No' to Censorship: A War Photographer's Fight for Truth," bringing to light Zoriah, an internationally acclaimed photojournalist who is being harassed by the military for shooting and publishing powerfully potent photos from the Middle East.
Finally, the horrible killings of Hafd Abood, a 57-year old Iraqi banker and his two female colleagues by US troops on the Baghdad airport road remains, at best. under the MSM's radar. The question of how US troops can "accidentally" kill civilians remain a key issue in the Iraq war. AMERICAN LEFTIST has been keeping tags on this investigation in its continuing piece, "Free Fire Zone Iraq."
See you next time ON THE FRONT.
