The Chairman Speaks

PACE: It is absolutely responsibility of every U.S. service member if they see inhumane treatment being conducted, to intervene, to stop it.

RUMSFELD: I don't think you mean they have an obligation to physically stop it, it's to report it.

PACE: If they are physically present when inhumane treatment is taking place, sir, they have an obligation to try to stop it."

Colonel W. Patrick Lang is a retired senior officer of U.S. Military Intelligence and U.S. Army Special Forces (The Green Berets). His blog is a wonderful source of military history and commentary.

In South Philly, 'zero tolerance' for crime

"I would advise you not to jaywalk. It will be zero tolerance," said Capt. Jerrold Bates of the 17th Police District in South Philadelphia. "It's going to be pretty intense."[read]

As far as I remember, it was always "zero tolerance" at 20th & Point Breeze!

Photo courtesy Albert Yee

The Iraqi Civil War

Pat (Lang),

Your most important point deals with a general failure of people to define clearly what they mean by the term "civil war." Almost a thousand days into this civil war in Iraq, and we still have only a few Americans -- such as yourself and retired Army General William Odom, to take only two examples -- willing to point out this glaring deficiency. I've had it out with Professor Juan Cole in e-mails over this issue, since -- at least until recently -- he refused to see a "real" civil war in Iraq because no large-scale clashes between rival armies, like "Gettysburg" or "Antietam" (my examples), had yet taken place. General Odom, on the other hand simply sees "Iraqis fighting Iraqis" (as you also say) for power and rescources; a fight that began almost immediately after we knocked over the political, economic, social, and military order in Iraq: thereby creating a predictable power vacuum that we could not fill. Iraqis now fight openly -- as they have for almost a thousand days now -- to fill it. Civil War. -- Michael Murry read more

"Al-Qa'ida." Only one apostrophe. It represents the consonant "Ain," pronounced something like a dog growling. "Al-Kayda (sic)" means "air conditioner." -- Alan Farrell

That was Stupid, Terrell

It's true that you helped us get to the Super Bowl last year, and I might agree that your contract enhancements would be fair if I knew what they were. After all, Philly has always been cheap when it comes to player salaries.

But that never gave you the right to act out like you did. Now, like thousands of other cheesesteak lovers, I AM GLAD THAT YOU'RE GONE, AND I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL WE MEET YOUR ASS ON THE FIELD!!!