'Military Humanitarianism' in the Twilight of Empire | 30 comments (30 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: The Date Palm is real! (4.00 / 2)

So it's as if Eisenhower had been awarded the Iron Cross by the new German government after WWII. that is utterly mind boggling.

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.

by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sun Nov 4th, 2007 at 10:43:36 AM EST
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Re: The Date Palm is real! (none / 1)

And I wonder what senior Iraqis who are on the US deck of cards he shares it with.

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.

by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sun Nov 4th, 2007 at 10:45:21 AM EST
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Excellent question! (none / 1)

Do we have any Arabic speakers around Eurotrib? If we knew how to google Order of the Date Palm in Arabic, we might have a BIG SCOOP for European Tribune! Imagine the wonderfulness of it if Chemical Ali got the same award!

Seriously, who can we ask? When I lived in Minneapolis, I used to know a dozen Arabic speakers, but I'm stuck in the boonies right now, and I know nobody!

Help!

(I only posted on European Tribune out of admiration for Jerome, and the rest of it is just a sad joke.)

by Jacob Freeze on Sun Nov 4th, 2007 at 10:51:03 AM EST
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Re: Excellent question! (none / 1)

that's just what I was thinking

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.

by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sun Nov 4th, 2007 at 10:52:08 AM EST
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Re: Excellent question! (none / 1)

OK according to This discussion (including pictures) it's worn on the breast without a ribbon, Most of the pictures, pre-trial actually cut him off at shoulder level, the only one I've been able to find is on Global securitys website and it's just to blurred to tell what medal is actually on his chest. Unfortunately there's no pics I've managed to find of him in full dress uniform.

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.

by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sun Nov 4th, 2007 at 11:12:31 AM EST
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Re: Excellent question! (none / 1)

A picture would also be good, but if we find somebody from the famous "deck of cards" who got that award, just as you said, it would be just wonderful!

We need an Arabic speaker to run this down. I'm calling around to see who I can find.

Let's nail this!

(I only posted on European Tribune out of admiration for Jerome, and the rest of it is just a sad joke.)

by Jacob Freeze on Sun Nov 4th, 2007 at 11:15:59 AM EST
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Re: Excellent question! (none / 1)

in the discussion about medals that I mentioned further up the page, a person who claims to be an Iraqi medal dealer says that the proper name for the medal is

Its called The Order of The Honor of Defence on Land and Homeland Qaddissieyyat Saddam, issued 1983.

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.

by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sun Nov 4th, 2007 at 11:22:19 AM EST
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Re: Excellent question! (none / 1)

And it's specifically the gold one,the plain version is common as muck, theres a rare silver version, so the gold one you would assume would be very rare

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.

by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sun Nov 4th, 2007 at 11:27:09 AM EST
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Query on Daily Kos? (none / 1)

Maybe we should put this up as a query on Daily Kos? I have an account there, but I don't want to put it up unless you think it's okay, since we sort of developed the story together. What do you think?

Something like...

Call For Arabic Speakers to Investigate Petraeus

and then the blurb from US News and World Report, and a call for people to scan the net for references to previous recipients.

But it has to be exactly the "Gold Award of the Order of the Date Palm," or some very minor variation, or else the whole thing gets too ambiguous.

(I only posted on European Tribune out of admiration for Jerome, and the rest of it is just a sad joke.)

by Jacob Freeze on Sun Nov 4th, 2007 at 11:42:36 AM EST
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Re: Query on Daily Kos? (none / 1)

Fine by me, If it is a story it's better that it gets out.

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.

by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sun Nov 4th, 2007 at 11:55:45 AM EST
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Re: Query on Daily Kos? (none / 1)

the silver and bronze editions of the medal are far to common,

We're looking for previous recipients of the gold medal

we have the links to the various wikipedia and US sources, they should be included too. lay everything out that we've put together and see what other people can add.

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.

by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sun Nov 4th, 2007 at 12:01:16 PM EST
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I just put it up on Daily Kos! (none / 1)

It here.

If you want me to add something specific to the story, let me know. I gave credit to you and European Tribune right at the top.

(I only posted on European Tribune out of admiration for Jerome, and the rest of it is just a sad joke.)

by Jacob Freeze on Sun Nov 4th, 2007 at 12:18:37 PM EST
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Re: Query on Daily Kos? (none / 1)

"Gold Award of the Order of the Date Palm" gets no Google hits. You want "Gold Award of the Iraqi Order of the Date Palm".

Words and ideas I offer here may be used freely and without attribution.

by technopolitical on Sun Nov 4th, 2007 at 09:41:06 PM EST
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Re: Excellent question! (none / 1)

Well, in the US military one is not required to wear foreign awards/medals anyway, and it looks by the list he would probably not have room or weight lifting capacity for all of them unless he attached them to a cape and flung it over his back.

I can swear there ain't no heaven but I pray there ain't no hell. _ Blood Sweat & Tears

by Gringo (stargazing camel at aoldotcom) on Sun Nov 4th, 2007 at 12:19:49 PM EST
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Re: Excellent question! (none / 1)

Well he may not be required to wear it, but he has received it, now all we need is a picture or a reference to a notorious Iraqi having it. Chemical Ali has a broad selection of bodyless photos and my written arabic is non existent to do any text searches.

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.

by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sun Nov 4th, 2007 at 12:33:14 PM EST
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Re: Excellent question! (none / 1)

What about Stormypresent in Egypt?

I can swear there ain't no heaven but I pray there ain't no hell. _ Blood Sweat & Tears

by Gringo (stargazing camel at aoldotcom) on Sun Nov 4th, 2007 at 07:47:57 PM EST
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Re: Excellent question! (none / 1)

apparently not about till tomorrow, and we're far too impatient.

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.

by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sun Nov 4th, 2007 at 07:49:35 PM EST
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