Greg Mitchell's Blog, page 296

The Oh, Boys, from Brazil, Tom Friedman Style

That fun "Thomas Friedman Column Generator" with a classic "based" on his "visit" to Brazil.  See if you can tell it from the real thing.  Sample below.  (h/t Tim Page)

When I was in Brazil last month, I was amazed by the variety of the local cuisine, and that tells me two things. It tells me that the citizens of Brazil have no shortage of potential entrepreneurs, and that is a good beginning to grow from. Second, it tells me that people in Brazil are just like people anywhere else on this flat earth of ours.

So what should we do about the chaos in Brazil? Well, it's easier to start with what we should not do. We should not lob a handful of cruise missiles and hope that some explosions will snap Brazil's leaders to attention. Beyond that, we need to be careful to nurture the fragile foundations of peace. The opportunity is there, but I worry that the path to peace is so strewn with obstacles that Brazil will have to move down it very slowly. And of course Brasilia needs to come to the table.

Allergic to Nuts After Boston

Some fine fellow bought the url bostonmarathonconspiracy to keep it out of the hands of the wackos.  He explains:

I BOUGHT THIS DOMAIN TO KEEP SOME
CONSPIRACY THEORY KOOK FROM OWNING IT. PLEASE KEEP THE VICTIMS OF THIS EVENT
AND THEIR FAMILIES IN YOUR THOUGHTS.

THANK YOU.

For the Crime of Being Arab?

The panic begins.  From Fox TV site in Boston:  "BOSTON (MyFoxBoston.com) – Sources told FOX 25 there was an American Airlines flight that was headed to Chicago. There were two men on that plane – not sitting next to each other – and speaking Arabic.

"There were some concerned marathoners on the flight so the plane was brought back to the gate and the two men were escorted off the plane.

"No other details were immediately available."

UPDATE  American Airlines apparently claims this Fox report is not accurate--different plane was called back to gate because of unchecked bag.

And note Glenn Greenwald piece today.

Central Park 'Jogger Case' Re-Visited

 UPDATE:  More on the "lunatic" who eventually confessed to the crime.  Plus: If you missed on PBS, entire film is online here.

Earlier: That recent Ken Burns doc on the case of the "Central Park Five" case, and injustice,  airing tonight on PBS, 9 p.m. ET.   Here's a site for it, trailer below.


Watch Central Park Five Trailer on PBS. See more from Central Park Five.

New Report: Yes, U.S. Did Torture

Scott Shane at NYT with story just posted on "independent" 577-page report declaring flatly that U.S. did indeed needlessly torture after 9/11.  Will be released later this morning but NYT posts online now.  Separate chapters on Gitmo, Afghanistan, Iraq.

The sweeping, 577-page report says that while brutality has occurred in every American war, there never before had been “the kind of considered and detailed discussions that occurred after 9/11 directly involving a president and his top advisers on the wisdom, propriety and legality of inflicting pain and torment on some detainees in our custody.” The study, by an 11-member panel convened by the Constitution Project, a legal research and advocacy group, is to be released on Tuesday morning...

While the task force did not have access to classified records, it is the most ambitious independent attempt to date to assess the detention and interrogation programs. A separate 6,000-page report on the Central Intelligence Agency’s record by the Senate Intelligence Committee, based exclusively on agency records, rather than interviews, remains classified.

“As long as the debate continues, so too does the possibility that the United States could again engage in torture,” the report says.

The use of torture, the report concludes, has “no justification” and “damaged the standing of our nation, reduced our capacity to convey moral censure when necessary and potentially increased the danger to U.S. military personnel taken captive.” The task force found “no firm or persuasive evidence” that these interrogation methods produced valuable information that could not have been obtained by other means. While “a person subjected to torture might well divulge useful information,” much of the information obtained by force was not reliable, the report says.

Morning Presser in Boston

Press conference just now with feds and locals.  Not a lot new.  They do confirm NO other explosive devices found--both police and press misled public yesterday.  I find that outrageous. Went beyond the usual "fog of war"--was a key, if not the key,  issue of the day and a factual matter--either did or did not find other bombs.  Not a grey area and helped raise fears for large number. 

No new leads on suspects. They say five times NO ONE IN CUSTODY.   Not much to say on the Saudis.  Injury count now 176.  More than a dozen very critical still.  Police promise "enhanced presence" in Boston.  No details on nature of the device.  They ask for public to submit what must be "thousands" of pictures or videos taken at crime scene at time of blast.  But they have a lot of surveillance video from stores, call it one of most surveiled areas anywhere.

Boston Cancels Beethoven

The Boston Symphony was to play all-Berthoven concert tonight not far from bomb blasts and, of course, called it off.  Here's movement from one of the pieces to be played, one of greatest anyone ever wrote and perhaps comforting to some.

National 'Anthem'

A song for tonight, given events of the day, from Leonard Cohen, one of his greatest, "Anthem," here in recent live version. 

Boston Patriot

Eric Boehlert, then Charles P. Pierce, recommended so I will post Jonathan Richman's original love song to Boston and environs, "Roadrunner," from 1972.  I first wrote about this in, gosh, 1975.

Carnage in Boston

UPDATE #8  NYT reports 3 unexploded devices found including this surprise.  "The authorities also found a device at St. James and Trinity Streets that did not explode, the person said, and two other devices were found, including one in Newton, outside of Boston."... But then Boston Globe shot down the Newton bomb.  In fact it's unclear if  there were ANY unexploded devices...CNN now has it at 132 injured, with 17 critical including 8 children.  Three dead. 

UPDATE #7 6:10 p.m.   CNN:  One of dead is 8 years-old.   Children's Hospital reports at least 6 kids there... Obama statement live.  U.S. mobilizing and responding.  Congress leaders agree no politics now.  Hails first repsonders.  "We still not know who did this and why, and people should not jump to conclusions."  ...The great Charles P. Pierce with report from the scene: could smell blood two blocks away...ABC blog:  "ATF agents have descended on Brigham and Women’s hospital where they’re questioning one potential person of interest." 

UPDATE #6  Boston Globe says at least 100 injured, no update on deaths... Boston cop spokesperson says NY Post wrong about "Saudi" suspect in custody...But NBC now says this may be true, with MSNBC tweet: "Officials say that Boston PD are 'guarding' a wounded man at a Boston hospital as a 'possible suspect." But police chief in live presser just now says NO suspect in custody but questioning suspects.  Lot of police at hospitals but may not be "guarding" anyone.

CNN now says police wrong in saying "explosion" at JFK Library-- just a fire and NOT related to other blasts.  So 3rd reversal so far. ...New dramatic video of the two separate blasts from Globe here:


UPDATE #5  4:50 p.m. Police press conference, plus governor, in Boston now.   Blasts at 2:50  p.m., not far apart, victims at each site, won't say how many.  A third incident at JFK Library--"treating as related" but can't be sure it is. ..Says they have NOT found other explosive device, denying all those TV and press reports (below).  They say many people fled and left behind backpacks and packages, and are testing them but found no devices.   "May be flowing up" suspicious packages but that doesn't mean they were bombs. 


UPDATE #4  Good ABC live stream here.   Officials confirm explosions set off by "small portable devices."  Not giant bomb, more like IEDs as in Iraq...NY Post only source claiming 12 dead and a suspect in custody. 


UPDATE #3  NBC Twitter feed: "Multiple explosive devices found, at least 2 which exploded, officials tell NBC News"....ABC has police saying they found 3 devices and set one off themselves....Fox had 3 dead earlier but now police reports have 2 dead, 23 injured... SOMETHING happened at JFK Library but just ruled out as linked (see below)....Officials say no threats before event at all.... Peter Bergen on CNN points out: don't presume it's al-Qaeda--recall right-wing bombing of MLK Jr. parade a few years back... Some pointing out Waco and Okla City were April 19--and Tax Day today--but who knows if relevant.

UPDATE #2 Close-up video of one of the explosion via the Vine.... NO updates on cause yet and NO other blasts elsewhere, despite rumors of "unexploded" devices. .. VP Biden refers to "bombing" but can't be sure he has inside story....Ditto on Boston Marathon officials referring to two "bombs"...Fire at JFK Library, fire now out--TV showed footage--at same time as explosions--but no confirmed connection yet.   Also TV report of a third explosion that may have been police setting off a device--again, unconfirmed. ...USA Today photos...

UPDATE #1  Fox News claims at least 3 dead.  .Video of actual explosion....Andrew Katz of Time magazine tweets:   "Boston scanner: 'EMS is reporting another device' in front of Mandarin Hotel.'"  But unconfirmed.  But worries about more blasts have caused shutdown of some transit lines and bridges but no proof of human cause yet.  Some of have injured missing limbs.  Some from Sandy Hook in tent nearby for fund run.  New York City stepping up security.

Earlier:  Two explosions near finish line of Boston Marathon.  No evidence yet that set off by human, might be manhole explosion or other accident.  CNN and MSNBC with copter shots, disarray, hundreds of emergency vehicles, dozens reportedly hurt in one report, less than a dozen in another.  People being wheeled away in wheelchairs or carried off.  Initial sketchy AP report.   CNN only confirms two explosions but nothing else.  Live blog from Boston.com.

MSNBC showing for first time one of the explosions, runners and spectators blasted, much smoke.  Some speculation that caused by massive amount of electrical stuff there for cameras, lights, etc.