[NYTr] Cholera Spreading in N. Iraq; 16,000 Now Ill

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

excerpted from Informed Comment - Sep 15, 2007
http://www.juancole.com

by Juan Cole

Cholera Spreads in North Iraq

The cholera epidemic in northern Iraq continues to grow, with 16,000
persons now estimated to have been infected. See:
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iGX8VqU_NnLKk6gup8TLPFBD_29A

I grew up traveling and have seen cholera up close. You lose liquids
from both major orifices and have trouble keeping anything down, and
eventually if you are not treated you are dehydrated to death. It is
not pretty, it is fairly highly contagious, and it is always caused by
poor public health systems (i.e. bad governance).

I fear that this epidemic is only the beginning of Iraq's health problems given the breakdown in governmental and public systems.

Is everyone else as offended by Bush's phrase, 'return on success' as I
am? I mean, are the Iraqis cattle that he is getting a return on?
See:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/14/AR2007091402409.html

                           ***

Friday, September 14, 2007

Bush's 'Troop Withdrawal' Branded Phony;
Sattar Assassination a blow to Bush Optimism;
1 million Dead in Iraq?

Our national discourse has now reached a point where it is a
journalistic coup just to point out when a politician is lying. Thus,
the headlines that Bush's 'troop cuts,' announced in his speech last
night, are phony, and reflect normal rotations. See:

http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/story.html?id=fe299cf5-e3f3-4a25-8001-0226c37c9b32

[...]