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Post by Deleted on Apr 19, 2004 13:46:08 GMT -5
Molly Ivins (BiK's favorite columnist):
Meanwhile, back in the real world, the administration has announced its intention to make John Negroponte our first ambassador to postwar Iraq, to take up residence in what will be the world's largest embassy after June 30. Negroponte was one of the key figures in the Iran-Contra scandal, the cockeyed plot that sold U.S. arms to Iran and used the money to finance an illegal war in Nicaragua. So, our first ambassador will be a man who armed Iraq's enemy during that war.
Negroponte speaks no Arabic, he is a specialist in covert operations in Latin America and he has no Middle East experience aside from the Iran-Contra insanity. He is, however, a bona fide, certified, chicken-fried neo-con. Is anyone else appalled?
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Post by JT on Apr 19, 2004 16:41:09 GMT -5
And Ms Ivins is so, so objective.
Although they bring up his Iran-Contra connection, here's what else AFP says about him:
John Negroponte, who was named to be the first US ambassador to Iraq since the ouster of Saddam Hussein, has a reputation as a loyal, effective diplomat who delivers maximum results with minimum flash.
The savvy, soft-spoken Negroponte will head the largest US embassy in the world, in charge of 3,000 staff, as the eyes of the world focus on the United States and its plans for the future of Iraq.
Negroponte made his diplomatic name in Vietnam, dazzling foreign service colleagues by learning the language so well that Henry Kissinger selected him to head secret US negotiations under President Richard Nixon.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 19, 2004 17:32:23 GMT -5
What are you implying?
"Ivins counts as her two greatest honors that the Minneapolis police force named its mascot pig after her and that she was once banned from the campus of Texas A&M."
Good enough for me.
Could Ollie North be next?
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Post by Barefoot In Kailua on Apr 19, 2004 19:42:31 GMT -5
Molly Ivins (BiK's favorite columnist): Meanwhile, back in the real world, the administration has announced its intention to make John Negroponte our first ambassador to postwar Iraq, to take up residence in what will be the world's largest embassy after June 30. Negroponte was one of the key figures in the Iran-Contra scandal, the cockeyed plot that sold U.S. arms to Iran and used the money to finance an illegal war in Nicaragua. So, our first ambassador will be a man who armed Iraq's enemy during that war. Negroponte speaks no Arabic, he is a specialist in covert operations in Latin America and he has no Middle East experience aside from the Iran-Contra insanity. He is, however, a bona fide, certified, chicken-fried neo-con. Is anyone else appalled? Ivins makes her living (it must be a humble one at that) bashing the good President with her poppycock. I would not put any weight into anything she says, kinda like my philosophy on you and Gorf. |
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Post by JT on Apr 19, 2004 21:33:24 GMT -5
I didn't think that anything was implied. I would not trust Molly Ivins to give an accurate, unbiased report/summary on any situation involving democrats and/or republicans. As an ambassador, or as a biased columnist?  |
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Post by Gorf on Apr 19, 2004 22:06:50 GMT -5
Ivins makes her living (it must be a humble one at that) bashing the good President with her poppycock. I would not put any weight into anything she says, kinda like my philosophy on you and Gorf. I'm touched that you've taken the time to come up with an entire philosophy on the esteemed (R)uffda! and even included me as well. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 19, 2004 22:49:57 GMT -5
I didn't think that anything was implied. I got it, JT. Maybe I'm being too subtle... OK. But that doesn't mean she's wrong. In this case, I think she's making a legitimate point. And where exactly was she inaccurate? Biased? That's rather harsh. By definition, columnists have opinions. Unlike, let's say Fox News for instance, who pretend to be unbiased. Regardless, the whole point is that W continues to surround himself with the Reagan neo-cons. And we are all the worse off for it. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 19, 2004 22:53:41 GMT -5
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Post by JT on Apr 19, 2004 23:38:33 GMT -5
In this case, I think she's making a legitimate point. And where exactly was she inaccurate? The message I got from her column, and I believe the message she was trying to convey, was that Negroponte was wholly unqualified. Inaccuracy through omission. Agreed. However, having read Molly off and on for several years, I think that "biased" is appropriate. Frankly, I think that some of the "traditional" conservatives make things a heckuva lot worse. |
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Post by Gorf on Apr 20, 2004 1:22:32 GMT -5
Inaccuracy through omission. Isn't that the basic general strategy during political campains and discussions? The Bush team members are clearly the masters of that strategy, then get indignant when anyone else tries something remotely similar against them. What is it that you feel Molly Ivans left out of her comments regarding John Negraponte that would make him actually be a good candidate for the position of the US' first ambassador to the postwar Iraq? |
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Post by JT on Apr 20, 2004 9:27:16 GMT -5
>-(Gorf)-<[} link=board=news&thread=1082400368&start=9#0 date=1082442152] Isn't that the basic general strategy during political campains and discussions? Imho, yes. "Everybody else does it" doesn't make it right or okay, though. What I excerpted from the AFP article on him. Based on that, he clearly impressed his peers with his skills. He also appears to have a "knack" with languages. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 20, 2004 10:22:43 GMT -5
Impressing Kissinger and Nixon does nothing for me, but, hey, that's just me. Maybe it would impress Molly. ;D
Didn't you think the AFP quote went a little overboard?
"Savvy"? "Dazzled"? "Loyal"? I guess I fail to see where such obvious subjective statements belong in Molly Ivin's opinion-piece.
BEYOND ALL THAT, the point of my excerpting those two paragraphs was to point out the irony of one of the major architects of Iran-Contra being named Ambassador to Iraq.
No?
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Post by JT on Apr 20, 2004 10:46:39 GMT -5
Didn't you think the AFP quote went a little overboard? "Savvy"? "Dazzled"? "Loyal"? I guess I fail to see where such obvious subjective statements belong in Molly Ivin's opinion-piece. Um... subjective statements are all over Molly's opinion piece. In fact, earlier, you were arguing (and I agree) that it was okay for Molly to present a slanted view. Without knowing more on who (if anyone) was interviewed by AFP, I can't really comment on whether the terms used were appropriate. Although Molly called him that, I don't recall his name showing up in Iran-Contra at the time. In fact, a quick web search found an online copy of Lawrence Walsh's "Final Report of the Independent Counsel for Iran/Contra Matters". Negroponte isn't even in the index. What got brought up in his confirmation hearings (for US ambassador to the UN) appears to be his time in the Honduras (and assisting the Contras while there) -- not involvement in Iran/Contra per se. (Edit/Add-on) This is not to say that his involvement in the Contra side of things is peachy-keen and okay. But the irony seems to be in appointing a guy who allegedly armed Iraq's enemy (Iran) as ambassador. I don't see it as being valid. (/Edit) |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 20, 2004 11:12:13 GMT -5
Um... subjective statements are all over Molly's opinion piece. In fact, earlier, you were arguing (and I agree) that it was okay for Molly to present a slanted view. Yes! So why would she want to express someone ELSE's opinion in HER opinion piece? Especially an opinion she no doubt disagrees with? Well, I can. IF it was meant as reporting... I'll see what I can find... |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 20, 2004 11:23:17 GMT -5
From fair.org 9/01:
"Under Ambassador John Negroponte, neighboring Honduras grew so crammed with U.S. bases and weapons that it was dubbed the U.S.S. Honduras, as if it were simply an off-shore staging ground for the Contra war. While poverty raged, U.S. military aid jumped from $3.9 million in 1980 to $77.4 million by 1984. The Honduran army, especially the U.S.-trained Battalion 316, engaged in widespread human rights abuses, including kidnapping, torture and assassination. Negroponte worked closely with the perpetrators and covered up their crimes, according to Ambassador Jack Binns, his predecessor in the post (In These Times, 2/28/01).
Spurred on by media reports and popular protests against U.S. intervention in Central America, Congress passed the Boland amendment, which cut off most military aid to the Contras. Undaunted, the Reagan administration circumvented Congress and popular outrage by waging a covert war and raising money for the Contras from private and foreign sources. One of the "neat ideas" Oliver North and his cronies concocted was to funnel profits to the Contras from the secret sale of U.S. arms to Iran--which was under embargo after seizing Americans as hostages. The discovery of this and other illegal schemes led to the Iran-Contra scandal, in which Negroponte, Abrams and Reich played key roles. "
Dazzling indeed!
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