Off The Radar

While everyone focuses on the Katrina disaster (both natural and man-made), the Bush government moves on with its real priorities.

At least the US liberal blogosphere has written a lot about Bill Frist moving up the vote on the permanent repeal of the estate tax. But, on the other side of the globe, they also moved on with the project to destroy entire cities from which there comes any resistance. (Fundamentalism and free-wheeling militias isn't their problem, as showcased by the free reign of the peshmergas and the Badr Brigades and lesser puppet government-aligned militias.)

This time, it's Sunni Turkoman city Tell Afar's turn. Altough commanders available for spin-feeding interview to the press say they'll do everything differently and don't want to kill this city, their very first moves speak a different language - the exact same as early November last year:

The American and Iraqi forces called on the civilians in the outskirts ... to leave their houses in precaution to a major military operation in the city, at a time when fighting continued and the number of victims was not known.

Sorry guys, we need your homes for target practice!... Now imagine that at your own home. (And no, New Orleans residents aren't moved out because the government needs room to shoot up marauding gangs.)