Interesting take on the ‘Freedom Flotilla’ incident from Debkafile, which is close to Israeli intelligence. Their analysis is basically that it was an Israeli screw up, coming into the situation unprepared and having the situation escalate out of control.
Wall Street invitation obtained by TPM: Come meet privately with the congressmen negotiating financial reform!
Richard Blumenthal and Mark Kirk are only the latest in a long line of politicians who, when given the chance, embellish, exaggerate, and just outright lie about their own military service records. Brian Beutler walks us down memory lane.
This has gotten some attention over recent weeks. But not that much. Back in 1979, in a different part of the Gulf of Mexico, a similar oil rig (Ixtoc I) blew up more or less like the Deepwater Horizon one did. And a similar amount of oil gushed out. Even more worrisome, Pemex (the Mexican state oil company) tried pretty much all the different approaches to capping the thing that BP is trying now (containment dome, top kill, junk shot, etc.). And they all failed. Eventually it took ten months to shut the thing down and the only thing that eventually got it under control was relief wells — which BP is working on now too but aren’t supposed to be ready until August.
And here’s the worst part. The Ixtoc well was only 160 feet below the water, not 5,000. Rachel Slajda has the story.
With a lot of hyperbole and histrionics flying from both sides, Stratfor has an insightful take on the significance of the Turkish flotilla incident and the danger it holds for Israel. I think I’ll write more later on the author’s take. But for now I’ll just link to it.
TPM Reader JB on the role of the Turkish government …
The Gaza flotilla incident should be considered in the context of internal Turkish politics, in which the fears and resentments between the Islamist civilian government and the military and secular elite that had long held power appear to be much stronger than casual observers of the country are apt to think.
Robert Reich says Obama should take BP into temporary receivership.
Check out TPM’s new interactive guide to the “Shadow Congress”, former members of Congress now plying the lobbying trade on Capitol Hill.