pmiller2030 March 10, 2008 at 11:16 a.m.

The London Times have been doing article after article on Mahdi Auchi's political connections. Mahdi Auchi's connections to the Baathist Regime and Saddam Hussein. Rezko's wire transfer came from Mahdi Auchi.
Mahdi Auchi's wife's company gave Obama a loan for his congressional race. Mahdi Auchi also lent money to some of the other indicted members of Gov staff.
Rezko, Alsamarre and Auchi were involved with a power plant in Chamchamal Iraq and also trying to get approval for a security company. Alsamarre escaped Iraq after being held in a $2 billion Iraq reconstruction case.

jamesbone March 10, 2008 at 1:55 p.m.

Dear Doug,

This is James Bone of The Times of London.

Thanks for the plug (even though it is unnecessarily conspiratorial). I enjoyed your article about me during the Conrad Black trial being unable to find a partner to play bridge during jury deliberations.

This time around, your article is a little more flaky. Generally, it is good journalistic practice to call the subject of an article before you write about them - especially if you know them personally.

What can I say? You don't call, you don't write...

The role of Nadhmi Auchi should be of interest for any curious journalist. Your readers will see that our story in The Times is detailed and well documented.

I actually first read about Mr Auchi's connection to Tony Rezko in the Wall Street Journal and The New York Times the day after Mr Rezko's surprise arrest. It sparked my interest. Not exactly a secret tip-off.

I wish more journalists - including yourself - would do the hard work of investigative reporting instead of questioning the motives of those who do.

You could start by finding out about Aiham Alsammarae, the former Iraqi electricity minister and classmate of Mr Rezko at Illinois Institute of Technology. He has a US company called Kiran Consultants Inc, or KCI, that is said to do business in Canada. He tried to post bail for Mr Rezko but the government apparently objected. Why?

Let's play a couple of hands of bridge next time we're in the same town...

Rgds,

James Bone
New York correspondent
The Times of London

jamesbone March 10, 2008 at 2 p.m.

Doug,

One more thing: The Times of London, in an editorial, endorsed Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination on January 2, 2008 - long before this story came up.

"For this newspaper, as for many Americans, the head says Clinton but the heart hails Obama." See this link:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment...

You're a little light on fact-checking...

James Bone
New York correspondent
The Times of London

Barbara_in_BC March 10, 2008 at 2:19 p.m.

Obama is a good man. Who cares who supplies him money to run for president? Black people are not usually born with a silver spoon in their mouths. Wouldn't it have been nice if more reporters did some fact checking about George W Bush before he was handed the Presidency? America wouldn't be in financial ruin and worldwide disrepute if they had.

Pen1 March 10, 2008 at 2:20 p.m.

hey Bell,
there's enough dim-wits following this non news. Keep it Conrad, more Conrad, more Conrad, More Conrad!!!

really who fuking cares about that 'jabber wookie' obama?? .....boooooring

you've mad e a name for yourself off of Conrad Black, that's all you have, your take on anyrthing else is irrelevent just like yourself.

here's a repost from the previous thread:

I heard Black's getting respect from all his fellow inmates.His fellow inmates were well aware of who he is and they they like that he took on the system and they all hate rats so they give him respect. I also heard that his prison job is librarian where he reads the papers all day. Lastly I heard he pays two guys to cook his food for him and also clean up his cubicle and make his bed. How fascinating, Long live Lord Black!!

Barbara_in_BC March 10, 2008 at 2:27 p.m.

"Keep it Conrad, more Conrad, more Conrad, More Conrad!!!" says that man who complained we were obsessed with Conrad. There's nothing more to say about him Cory. The story is resting comfortably for at least 5 years.

Pen1 March 10, 2008 at 2:30 p.m.

[This comment has been removed.]

GravityLevity2 March 10, 2008 at 2:36 p.m.

I gather Rupert Murdoch wrote the editorial in the Times, though james in his post could have been clearer on this point.

Pen1 March 10, 2008 at 2:49 p.m.

Rupert the 'marrano' (look it up) is irrelevent too, how boring. he hasn't done any time, fuk him! and fuk you too

Billy March 10, 2008 at 4:51 p.m.

Cory_Privatera March 9, 2008 at 6:18 p.m. >>> "Now go fist yourself" <<<< and at March 10, 2008 at 2:49 p.m.>>> "he hasn't done any time, fuk him! and fuk you too"<<<

hey Cory .. did you go to school a long time to learn how to become an a-hole?

Doug: what's this vulgar hothead doing on your blog?

Barbara_in_BC March 10, 2008 at 6:11 p.m.

The real political crimes are sitting out there in plain sight. No reporter is brave enough to take on the current administration, except for the occasional brave satirist:

http://www.salon.com/comics/tomo/2008/03...

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
“Remember when they told us the war would pay for itself?”

ROGER1 March 10, 2008 at 8:19 p.m.

Once upon a time, journalists were knowledgeable people who really took pride in telling the truth and exposing the real happenings in the world. People respected them.

The NY Times has apologised for doing a lousy job and for allowing their journalists to tell great big whopping lies about WMD. Plagiarism, completely fictional writing presented as factual events have been publishing in various forms. Governments package propaganda and collude with the news media to fool both their domestic publics and foreign audiences, leading intelligence services to believe their own propaganda and to later cite their propaganda as credible sources. Of course the greatest coups of all is to have citizens believe that they have access to the truth and everyone else is misinformed! It is as if the Soviets had managed to fool their own citizens to believe the propaganda, which of course most Soviets knew was merely propaganda. Hitler exploited exactly that phenomena. During the First World War, Germans were convinced by their own propaganda that they were winning the war. When the Kaiser suddenly abdicated and fled into exile in the Netherlands, Germans awoke to defeat. They could not belief and accept that they had lost militarily. The explanation that was then floated and later exploited by Hitler was that the Weimar politicians had conspired to bring about Germany's defeat and had betrayed their Fatherland. Hitler probably himself believed this mythology. It formed the core grievance of Germans unhappy over the Treaty of Versailles, in addition to the punishing terms of the Treaty.

Journalism, the fifth estate, is the cornerstone of democracy. Without a vibrant, diverse, fair and objective media, there can be no democracy. The American media has been missing in action for some years now. Is there still democracy?

Lit March 10, 2008 at 9:20 p.m.

Actually, as Dickens put it so famously in A Tale of Two Cities, it is always the worst of times and always the best of times. That applies to journalism and to any other field: poetry, politics, philosophy. Harking back to the "good old days" is naive. There never was a "golden age" of journalism, academe or anything else. People who harken to it are unable to separate themselves from the past or they are lying to you. They are trying to project a comprehensive understanding but in fact, their comparisons are simplistic. They are trying to project an aura of intellectualism but it doesn't wash. They want your respect but they have not learned to calibrate their focus. They either forget the weakness and mistakes of the past and overvalue the strengths and achievements of the present, or the reverse.

I always tell my students to never trust anyone who sounds as though they know what they are talking about when it comes to comparing the past to the present,whether it is the virtue of one against the evil of the other, or the other way around. You cannot compare John L Sullivan with Joe Louis or Mohammad Ali, they were the best professional boxers of their times and that is all that can be said. The arrow of time points only one way and it makes such comparisons futile.

In other words kids, keep your BS antennae in good working order when a blowhard starts talking about "the good old days."

Lit March 10, 2008 at 10:06 p.m.

It is good that Finland is at last addressing its pollution of the Gulf of Finland in the Baltic. The Finns have consistently blamed wastewater effluvia from Russia for the eutrophication of the Baltic but, in fact, it is the ceaseless release of polution from Finland's agriculture that has made the Baltic a dead sea. One hopes that Finland's Public Relations minion will resist his political masters' typical approach to the problem, which is to blame the Russians for the mess that they, themselves, have created.

The Finns are very tardy in environmental matters, lagging far behind other European countries in their awareness of the importance of environmental protection. They boast about their recent efforts but, in fact, they are among the worst polluters. So serious is the matter that their coastline is now covered in slime most of the year and the waves that beat upon their shores turn to a noxious foam.

One hopes Fintan will urge his masters to do something for a change, rather than blame others for the problem they are most responsible for causing.

Barbara_in_BC March 10, 2008 at 10:18 p.m.

Lit says:

"There never was a "golden age" of journalism, academe or anything else" and "Finns are among the worst polluters."

Words of wisdom like this should not be allowed to disappear into cyberspace. I am certainly getting my money's worth out of this blog.

ROGER1 March 10, 2008 at 10:56 p.m.

LOL! ONCE UPON A TIME.... is that how non-fiction begins in Lit-land? Or is it Nitland? This idiot is teaching someone something??? lol!

Barbara_in_BC March 10, 2008 at 11:32 p.m.

Lit: Why be sad about effluent running into the Baltic Sea? Celebrate that we are now living in the golden age of pollution!

ROGER1 March 10, 2008 at 11:44 p.m.

Lit is unable to understand biting criticism of his society. Indeed, he mistakes stark criticism for praise! LOL! Indeed, to Lit, sharp, stinging criticism is praise of a "Golden Age"! What is the point of proffering insults to fools too stupid to understand the insult?

On the subject of A Tale of Two Cities, you will recall that some fellow gives his life so another may live. I believe a woman was involved for whom the two vied for her affects. Just for Lit--that means two guys were both infatuated (enamoured.... you know, they were both attracted to her.... in love with her... it is so tedious to have to explain everything to you) with the same woman. So, will anyone be visiting Connie Black and switching places with him as an act of unconditional and unselfish love.... it is a few decades but as I recall it went something like this.... Today I do a more noble deed than .... time has dulled my mind and I cannot remember the exact lines. Will someone do that for Amiel or Black? Maybe Levant or Steyn or... Lit? lol! His secretary would--I think his secretary would have walked on hot coals for Black!

ROGER1 March 10, 2008 at 11:46 p.m.

Her affections...--- another Lit-ism.

Lit March 11, 2008 at 12:14 a.m.

ROGER1 March 10, 2008 at 11:44 p.m.

"Lit is unable to understand biting criticism of his society. Indeed, he mistakes stark criticism for praise! LOL! Indeed, to Lit, sharp, stinging criticism is praise of a "Golden Age"! What is the point of proffering insults to fools too stupid to understand the insult?"

Too, too funny!!

I really must have stung the old blowhard this time. He forgot to hurl the insult of being a woman at me! what next? I am sure it will all come back to him when he calms down.

tch tch roger, it is not the end of the world to be bested in an argument every time you open your mouth. You couldn't insult a flea, let alone the whole western world. Unlike you, we understand you and where you come from. Don't let it bother you so much. Take a couple of aspirin and lie down! When you really understand western culture, you will begin to see its depth and its great variety. Unlike yours,ours is a multi-dimensional society - we allow people to be different here! Criticise all you want. We won't stone you for it, or take you to jail for trying to change us. You'll get used to it.

This can't be the first time you have been shown up to be a fool. Relax! Take it in your stride. There's lots more ahead.

Lit March 11, 2008 at 12:22 a.m.

Barb in BC

Your mentor needs some help. Refer to me as a woman... that will ease his pain.

Lit March 11, 2008 at 12:37 a.m.

Wake up! It's been 15 minutes! I can't wait around forever for your silly off-topic replies. Surely you can think of SOME rejoinder.

Hurry up. I want to go to bed.

Lit March 11, 2008 at 12:40 a.m.

Roger's hands are shaking. He is unable to type. He is frothing, he is smashing his fists into his desk, waking up his wife and the neighbors... but, I have waited too long.

I'll be back to see your inane response in the morning.

Barbara_in_BC March 11, 2008 at 1:20 a.m.

Roger said:

"Journalism, the fifth estate, is the cornerstone of democracy. Without a vibrant, diverse, fair and objective media, there can be no democracy. The American media has been missing in action for some years now. Is there still democracy?"

And Lit calls him a fool? I'd say that Roger knows better than Lit what makes Canada great - our free and fair media.

Lit_200 March 11, 2008 at 6:57 a.m.

Roger is a nice enough fellow. A little light in the loafers sometimes; bit naive; needs to take a course in anger management; needs to get rid of his Judao-Christian-a-phobia, his dislike and distain of "the western world;" needs to think a little deeper than to toss off the whole of the American media, saying that it has been "missing in action." That is not a very cogent or reasoned position to take. It's alive and well, despite its many blemishes. What, one wonders, does Roger put up as the measuring stick for his assessment? Al-Jazeera? It has the same problems as CNN and it's the best media out of the Arab world.

And his acolyte, the BC Babe, has to read Roger's posts a little more carefully. He was referring to the American media, not the Canadian.

The bountiful babe in (but not from) beautiful BC says "I'd say that Roger knows better than Lit what makes Canada great - our free and fair media."

The point is, babe, he was disdaining the western media, not praising it. And he does not think Canada is great at all, he thinks its full of warts. Pay attention honey.

And please, stay in key! I am a woman. Remember? Just because Roger forgot that in his fulminating anger and referred to me as "he" doesn't mean you should.

Lit_200 March 11, 2008 at 7:34 a.m.

It's a bit cavalier for a foreigner to say the western media is weak. What about Anne Garrels of National Public Radio, George Packer of the New Yorker,or Dexter Filkins of the New York Times, or scores of reporters who risk their lives to bring you the news? What about Daniel Pearl who was slaughtered, savagely beheaded in Pakistan? Pearl truely is "missing in action."

"Just driving around Baghdad, I've been shot at, held at gunpoint, held at knifepoint, attacked by crowds," reports Filkins, who is an "unembedded" journalists who answers to the dictates of no master.

The level to which journalists are endangering their lives in Iraq to do their job is unprecedented. More reporters have been killed so far in the Iraq war than in all the years of the Vietnam War. So it's too easy to sit back in the backwater of Toronto and criticize them.

Packer talks about the difficulty of covering the war because Americans are so polarized by it. He has said: "The public by and large has been impatient with the story we've been telling, which is inevitably a more complicated picture than the narrative of either side in this war... I feel as if we're constantly up against the forces of oversimplification."

It's these "forces of oversimplification" that characterize Roger's one-dimensional view of western culture, western ideas and western accomplishments, and yes, western media. Roger needs to open his eyes and broaden his mind.

Lit_200 March 11, 2008 at 7:56 a.m.

The fact is, Roger does not want straightforward solid journalism, he wants propaganda -- anti-western propaganda.

Cosmo March 11, 2008 at 11:18 a.m.

Lit is a fanatic, who just hates the Muslim world and everything to do with it. Also a know-all idiot, who surfs the Internet and puts together half-baked ideas. Thus Lit believes Conrad Black is a perfect genius, who has done only good in his life, will soon be freed on appeal and will go on to rebuild his empire, slay his foes, take his revenge on the criminals who have been cornholing him for the past week and live happily ever afterwards with his beautiful 25-year-old wife. Don't look up when the pigs fly past, you could end up with a face looking like Lit's! Covered in doo-doo.

Barbara_in_BC March 11, 2008 at 11:52 a.m.

Lit is not a worthy opponent. Can't read carefully enough to see that her hated opponent Roger is really a true devotee of democracy in his calls for decent journalism. Canada has it, thanks to the decline of the Conrad Black. But there's her strategy to make Roger the non-white immigrant look bad. Oh Lit, if you repeat a lie often enough in Canada it just turns out that you look like a liar.

Barbara_in_BC March 11, 2008 at 11:57 a.m.

lit reported on Daniel Filkins:

"Just driving around Baghdad, I've been shot at, held at gunpoint, held at knifepoint, attacked by crowds," reports Filkins"

Get the message Filkins. Unwelcome guests and fish begin to stink after 3 days. Amerka should get its "divide and conquer the Muslims" oil stealing a$$ oil of Iraq.

Lit_200 March 11, 2008 at 2:45 p.m.

Barb in BC

Good girl babe! You knew that roger referring to me as a male was just a momentary aberration. Now you're back on track! I guess addressing me as a woman is just the WORST insult you can imagine, huh?

And unh, oh... Filkins was not there to fight the Iraqis, only to report on the the awful fallout of the American presence there. But what the hey, he's an American, right? So slice him up anyway.

Barbara_in_BC March 11, 2008 at 3:11 p.m.

Dinosaur.

jade_lee March 11, 2008 at 4:42 p.m.

Male or female lit you are always the same old narrow minded flake determined to judge Roger on his ethinic background that appears to be different from yours, rather than his views that appear to be quite intelligent and more based in reality than yours. Thankfully Roger being the more informed will most likely write you off as an idiot before he writes off us Canadians who have welcomed him here just like our ancesters where way back when.

Lit_200 March 11, 2008 at 5:33 p.m.

I don't judge him on his ethnic background at all. Couldn't care less if he were from Mars. But cocky, puffed up know-it-alls annoy me. If I went to live in his country, whatever it is, I would have more respect for my hosts than to tell them how to run their show.

Canada's political correctness is really just spinelessness. What makes it OK for an easterner to tee off on the flaws of the West? On my country, my traditions, my government but it's NOT OK to point out the flaws in the finger pointer's culture? Let him take criticism as well as give it.

And the more mean-spirited and lord-of-the manor he gets? the more he will hear from me.

jade_lee March 12, 2008 at 12:57 p.m.

This is his country. This is my country. You are not the delegated "who says what" decider are you? Does that mean that new Canadians just don't have as much say as us, the ones born here? Lit that is not the reality nor is it part of your "political correctness" excuse. It's your own personal hateful opinion, an opinion that is against the charter rights of other citizens who happen to have originated elsewhere dumbo. Deal with it or we Canadians will simply have to deal with people like you! Go ahead and attack our human rights commissioners as useless, or our senate as useless or even the UN as useless, when you know these bodies are set up to protect us from the subversive cowards like you who hide behind their hate as if it's some shield to protect them! We see you! Peek-a-boo!

GravityLevity2 March 12, 2008 at 1:14 p.m.

kimmy, I agree with you on this as to Roger's rights as a Canadian. But I didn't read any protest from you when Fintan opined that Amiel, an immigrant to Canada, was not really a Canadian.

jade_lee March 12, 2008 at 3:11 p.m.

Interesting that you comment on my lack of comment. Amiel is a rather hateful person as most people who read what she writes will agree. She condemns Canadians for wanting to struggle along a path that tries so very hard to see people for their value and not just their worth. Interpret that as you will but as a woman I see her as an enemy to be watched closely. Her poison pen distorts reality but reality appears to have a way of catching up with people just like her and it decreases her value. She ranted famously against abortion yet she herself admits having one. That says to me that she thinks she can "suck and blow" at the same time. She can't. and that in itself shuts her up nicely.

jade_lee March 12, 2008 at 3:14 p.m.

She is a Canadian that shames all of us. Yes they do exist and it's up to all of us to ignore them or fight them right back. I like a fight that does not involve violence myself!

Barbara_in_BC March 12, 2008 at 3:24 p.m.

Not sure what Fintan meant about Barbara Amiel not being Canadian so I looked it up. Born in England, residing in the United States, wikipedia calls her "British-Canadian".