News: No Exit Strategy, Un-Civil Words, Gay Refugees Abused

· The Washington Post:  “The bipartisan Iraq Study Group plans to recommend withdrawing nearly all U.S. combat units from Iraq by early 2008 while leaving behind troops to train, advise and support the Iraqis, setting the first goal for a major drawdown of U.S. forces, sources familiar with the proposal said yesterday.” This would be “more a conditional goal than a firm timetable.” In other words, no significant changes in policy.

· Condoleeza Rice: Just because the former prime minister and top Iraqi military officials believe Iraq is in a civil war it doesn't mean that they are.

· More denial. Think Progress has video of Fox News on-air declaration that it will not use “civil war” to describe the current violence in Iraq.

· Report: Gay refugees are routinely abused at a London immigration and asylum detention center. "Physical violence, sexual assault, racism, homophobic harassment" as well as "insults, threats and, occasionally, actual queer-bashing violence."

· Also from London, disturbing statistics on gay teens. Fifty-eight percent had sex before they were 16 years old, 35 percent had unprotected sex in the last three months.

· Quick hits on gays and the church: Episcopal diocese in Fresno backs away from threat to break with the church over gays ... WaPo reports ban on gay rabbis could be lifted ... Quakers are nominated as the most gay-friendly organization in Britain.

Comments

[Greg]

Denial, denial, denial. It's more than a river in Egypt.

Love these newsbriefs, they are the best.

[Ken Harper]

So a whole year to wiat for this study, all of this build-up and no specific examples?