AP Issues Standards Memo: 'Combat In Iraq Is Not Over'

At some point in the last two weeks, you may have been told by someone in the news that combat operations in Iraq were over, and that the last combat troop had left the country. Well, the Associated Press is not having any of it, and in a memo from their standards editor, Tom Kent, the law in this regard has been laid down, in no uncertain terms: "To begin with, combat in Iraq is not over, and we should not uncritically repeat suggestions that it is, even if they come from senior officials."

If you recall, on August 18, 2010, NBC broadcast their world news exclusive report that the War in Iraq was over, and that the "last U.S. combat troops have pulled out of Iraq." The story got wall-to-wall coverage on MSNBC, Rachel Maddow reported from the Green Zone, and correspondent Richard Engel got to take a ride on a tank. And all of this exclusive coverage was possible because the Pentagon giftwrapped the story for them. Here's Brian Stelter of the New York Times:

Asked how the NBC broadcast constituted "an official Pentagon announcement," Steve Capus, the president of NBC News, said the broadcast was such a declaration because "the announcement that the last Stryker brigade was leaving Iraq had not been made" by the military.

David Verdi, an NBC News vice president, added, "The military had said, 'You are the ones who are going to broadcast it first.'"

And, lo, it came to pass that the "last Stryker brigade" containing the "last U.S. combat troops" left Iraq, war over, the end. Except that right from the get go, this wasn't true. Let's go back to Stelter:

Still, a White House spokesman reiterated Wednesday night that the combat mission in Iraq formally ends on Aug. 31. At that time, Operation Iraqi Freedom becomes Operation New Dawn, with troops serving as trainers for the Iraqi military, much as they have for several months already. More than 50,000 troops will remain in Iraq; they will be reclassified as trainers.
But this goes a little bit beyond distinguishing between "Combat Operations End Day (Observed)" and "Combat Operations End Day (Actual)." The truth is, "combat" is still going on in Iraq, and 50,000 American troops remain behind.

Over at Salon, Glenn Greenwald has the definitive critical look at what NBC reported -- and subsequently covered themselves in glory over having done so -- and what is actually reality in Iraq. As he notes, that reality momentarily broke through during MSNBC's coverage.

One of the few sour notes in this coverage came when Olbermann briefly interviewed McClatchy's Jonathan Landay, and asked him what the 50,000 remaining soldiers would be doing. Landay explained:
This is the great irony for me, Keith. The fact is that under the delusional plans that former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld had approved for the invasion of Iraq, they had intended to come down to 50,000 troops within three or four months of that invasion. . . . .That, for me, is the ultimate irony, is the fact that more than seven years later, we've now gotten down to the 50,000 troops that they thought they could get down to within three months of the invasion. . . . . [T]hose 50,000 men and women include special forces who will be going out on counter-terrorism missions with Iraqi forces. That, to me, is combat. They're armed. They're going into combat. There will be American, quote/unquote, advisers going out with Iraqi forces on regular patrols. That to me opens the door to combat.

So I don't think we're going to see the end of -- we are not going to see the end of combat for American forces I don't think in Iraq.

Wow: Kate Gosselin Wants A Man To Whip Her Kids Into Shape! Shouldn’t She Look For a Man to Love Them?

The newly made-over mom of eight is looking for romance but her dream guy sounds like a drill sergeant! Is that really what the Gosselettes need?
If Kate Gosselin was to write a personal ad for the man of her dreams, it wouldn’t include anything about candlelit dinners or moonlit walks along the sand. Oh no. It would sound something like: Single mother of eight seeks drill sergeant. Must have loud voice and be into yelling!

The 35-year-old tells Us Weekly that she wants “a tough guy, like a cop, to whip my kids into shape.” Yikes! That sounds like a direct slam on her ex, Jon Gosselin, who is the opposite of a tough guy. In fact he’s sort of soft and squishy.

Kate obviously comes from the tough love camp, as anyone who has seen her TV shows will know. Remember last year when her daughter Mady, 9, said she was thirsty and Kate ignored her, took a sip from a bottle of water and then placed it out of Mady’s reach? Her daughter tearfully cried, “You’re really really mean!” Kate’s retort? “Be quiet.”

Experts are concerned about Kate’s description of her “perfect” man. “Tough love is sort of a misguided attempt to discipline kids when they really need a combination of limits and parental affection and love and nurturing,” says pediatric psychiatrist Dr. Susan Abbott.

She suggests that Kate is looking for someone who’s the opposite of her laid-back ex-husband because she feels like she wants to make a better choice and “find a real partner who can love her kids and structure them.”

But bringing a tough guy into her family could also totally backfire. “She should not be looking to hook a guy who is going to be her children’s disciplinarian. That’s Jon and Kate’s job,” says relationship expert Dr. Gilda Carle. “How long will it be before the children turn around and say, ‘You’re not my father!’”

What Kate should be doing is making an effort to get along with her ex and co-parent her children with him.

“I hope she’s not looking for someone else to be the parent in the situation,” says Dr. Abbott. “Divorced or not, Jon and Kate should be working together in all aspects of parenting.”

But Dr. Carle has some tough love of her own for Kate: “Do the work you’re supposed to do as a mother!” She says that Kate should be concentrating more on her children and less on a new relationship. “She shouldn’t be looking for any guy! If she’s out parading around looking for a man, her children are going to be left without a mother who’s emotionally present.”

And after the year those kids have had, that’s the last thing they need.

Aww! Victoria’s Secret Supermodel Miranda Kerr Finally Shows Off Her Tiny Baby Bump!

The newlywed model and wife of Orlando Bloom reveals a peak at her new curvy belly during a video shoot for her organic skincare line.
Take a look, girlfriends! Underneath Miranda Kerr’s tank top is a little Orlando Bloom baby! The 27-year old Aussie model, who dated Orlando for three years before their June shotgun wedding, is now putting that bump to good use as she promotes Kora, her organic skin care collection she launched in November of 2009.

If you want to try the collection, which Miranda named “for looking after your core self,” you’ll have to shell out between $35 and $55.

In the video promoting her new brand, the four months pregnant Miranda is eager to share details of her life and how she takes care of herself, saying, “I’ve created my own organic lifestyle that, no matter where I am, I get to apply this lifestyle, and I really believe that everyone, no matter where they live, can incorporate that lifestyle into their lives. My goal is to share the benefits of organic skin care with everyone.” Well, Miranda, if you can make our skin look nearly as good as yours, we’re certainly willing to give it a try!

Aren’t you excited to see her bump grow? We wonder if she’s got a little swashbuckler in there. Or perhaps an elf? Which do you think?

Kate Hudson In British Elle: Talks New Boyfriend, Ex-Husband

Kate Hudson covers the October issue of British Elle, out September 1, and in the interview she talks about her new relationship, staying in touch with her ex for their son's sake and her workout, music and reading habits. Here are a few excerpts from Elle's press release:

On her new boyfriend, Muse frontman Matt Bellamy:
"He's lovely."
On marriage plans:
"It's definitely not something I'm looking for. But the divorce doesn't put me off. I'll just see what happens. I think a lot of times people are terrified of love and stop themselves from experiencing it. I don't ever want to get that jaded. I do believe in love. I believe that when you really open yourself up to love, it's the most beautiful thing."

On her ex-husband, Chris Robinson:
"Chris is a wellspring of information. He knows more about music than anyone I've ever met. I still feel close to him. When you're divorced and raising a child together, the communication has to stay alive. It's hard sometimes. If you have kids with someone, make sure you really, really like the father because, for your child's sake, you have to be on the same page forever. Chris has moved on, he's remarried and had a baby and when you both have new people in your life, you have to really stay on it. I think Chris and I both have that priority checked. My favourite Muse song? Ha ha ha! I'm not well-versed enough on that. I'm getting there though. Matt and I are just learning about each other and it's wonderful."

On her workout regimen:
"I am, by nature, active and I have to work out. I usually do two hours each day when I'm at home. I dance, I like to spin, I've got into some of the Tracy Anderson stuff - I work with this girl Anna at her studio. And I've had a trainer called Nicole Stewart for 15 years - she's trained me when I've needed to get into work mode. I'm pretty disciplined. It's important to be conscious of your health and not indulge too much in the things that are bad for you. Do I mind having my appearance constantly scrutinized? I don't have enough time on this planet to worry about things like that. I'm more concerned with if I'm raising my son properly, with what makes my family happy, with what makes me happy."

Gunman Kills 7, Wounds 15 In Slovakia

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia — A gunman went on a rampage in Slovakia's capital on Monday, killing seven people and wounding 15, then committed suicide, officials said.

Five of the people killed were members of a Roma family who lived in an apartment where the man began his attack with a machine gun and two pistols, said Interior Minister Daniel Lipsic. Roma, also known as Gypsies, often face discrimination in eastern Europe, but Lipsic and police chief Jaroslav Spisiak said the unidentified gunman's motive was not known.

Another man shot and killed outside the building was "probably" also a member of the same family, Lipsic said.

"So far we don't know the motive ... so I will not speculate whether it did or did not have (a) racial motive," he told reporters. "I doubt it, but of course the investigation is ongoing."

The shooting took place at midmorning in the rundown Devinska Nova Ves neighborhood on the outskirts of the Slovak capital, surrounded by fields and industrial areas.

The five Roma who died in the apartment – four women and a man – lived in a brown high-rise building, Spisiak said.

Police rushed to the scene as the attacker, about 50 years old, was leaving the building, and he fired indiscriminately at people in the area, wounding 15, including a policeman and a 3-year-old boy who was shot in the ear, Lipsic said.

The seventh fatality was a woman who was shot in the area as she walked to the balcony of her apartment when she heard the gunfire, Lipsic said.

Afterward, SME, a daily newspaper in Slovakia, released a photograph of a person it identified as the gunman. It shows a middle-aged man standing on a sidewalk and pointing a machine gun at an unidentified target overhead. The man appears to have planned the shootout because he is wearing device over his ears to protect his hearing.

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Karzai Administration Members Receiving Secret Payments From The CIA

Several Afghan officials believed to be receiving CIA money. These paid informers are believed to be a key source of information in a government whose leader, Afghan President Hamid Karzai, has become increasingly erratic in recent months. Several U.S. officials outside the CIA say the agency's payments undermine efforts to battle corruption and graft. But the CIA is not the only agency paying Afghan leaders for information—the Iranian, Turkish and Saudi Arabian governments are all believed to be major players in Kabul's intelligence market. [WashPost]

Pentagon official: Expect more Taliban attacks next month. Insurgents hope to disrupt parliamentary elections planned for September 18, and have put an "extra effort" into destabilizing the north of the country, where the insurgent is believed to be weakest, the official said. Northern Afghanistan has seen several attacks over the past month, including one which killed eight police officers in Kunduz Province this past Thursday. [Reuters]

Iraq's lessons for Afghanistan. The AP's Lara Jakes lists seven things U.S. officials in Afghanistan should have learned from their experience in Iraq, including "be careful about Contractors," "train local troops," and "treat prisoners like people." Jakes applauds President Barack Obama and General David Petraeus for remembering to "keep expectations low . . . so that it's easier to look successful." [AP]

British PM "nearly assassinated" in Afghanistan. Intercepted communication between Taliban fighters suggests they had learned which helicopter British Prime Minister David Cameron was flying on during a recent trip to a base in Helmand Province, and were preparing to shoot it down with a rocket propelled grenade. British officials learned of the plot while Cameron's helicopter was in the air, and had it turned around ten minutes away from the base; they initially told the media the measure was a "routine precaution." [Politics.co.uk, Telegraph]

EXCLUSIVE FIRST LOOK! Real Housewife Jill Zarin Joins NOH8 Campaign: ‘Being Gay Is Not A Choice!’

Way to go! Jill is ready to help make a change — she’s joined the fight for marriage equality!
The Real Housewives of New York City star Jill Zarin isn’t the type to sit back and do nothing. She’s a go-getter, especially when it involves a cause close to her heart. Jill has now partnered with the NOH8 campaign to fight for “marriage equality and anti-discrimination on a global level.”

“Bobby, Ally, my stepson Jonathan and I were thrilled that Adam Bouska asked us to appear in the NOH8 campaign,” Jill told HollywoodLife.com exclusively. “We all believe in equality and feel strongly that everyone should have the right to marry regardless of their sexual orientation.”

“Being gay is not a choice,” Jill continued. “Our government should not be involved in our sexual lives or orientation.”

“I am also helping raise money for the Marriage Equality March coming up in NYC on September 2010,” Jill said. “So I was also happy to participate in the NOH8 campaign.”

Jill will also be the Honorary Host of the 2010 GLAAD Out Auction to be held at the MET in November!

As a member of the gay community, it’s always nice to see celebrities getting involved in a great cause such as this one, especially in times like these when gay marriage is a hot topic. All I can say is, you go Jill! Keep fighting for what you believe in and for those of us who are still struggling for equal rights even to this day.

Jim Clyburn Won't Vote For Fellow S.C. Democrat Alvin Greene

COLUMBIA, S.C. — House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn of South Carolina is saying that he will not be voting for his party's nominee for U.S. Senate because the candidate has been indicted on a felony charge.

Clyburn said Wednesday that a vote for fellow Democrat Alvin Greene would be an insult to his three daughters and granddaughter. Greene is accused of showing pornographic images to a female University of South Carolina student.

Greene is a political unknown and unemployed military veteran who unexpectedly won the nomination. He faces Republican incumbent Jim DeMint and Green Party candidate Tom Clements in November.

Clyburn plans to vote for write-in candidate Mazie Ferguson, a longtime Democratic Party activist from Sumter.

Phones messages left for Greene were not returned.

EXCLUSIVE! Girl Gone Wild: Jennifer Aniston Goes Topless, Smokes Pot & Has Threesomes In Her New Film ‘Wanderlust’!

We’ve seen the script for Jen’s newest project and are totally excited that she’s finally breaking free from her yawn-inducing romantic comedies and trying something new!
Hallelujah -- Jennifer Aniston is finally changing things up at last! After her most recent film, The Switch, flopped, we couldn’t help but think that Jen needed to take some serious risks with her roles. We’re happy to confirm that she’s doing just by signing on to the Judd Apatow-produced comedy, Wanderlust.

In the film, which begins shooting this fall, Jen and Paul Rudd play Linda and George, a happily married couple who can no longer afford to live in Manhattan when George loses his job. En route to live with his brother in Atlanta, the pair stop overnight at an inn – which really happens to be a commune – and decide to live their lives as freeloading hippies for awhile.

What does that entail? Prepare yourself: you’ve definitely never seen Jennifer Aniston like THIS before. For starters, the 41-year-old actress goes full frontal! Yup, that’s right – while protesting a new Wal-mart, Jen rips off her shirt and goes topless to stop a slew of bulldozers! Secondly, she takes the term ‘free love’ VERY literally. Not only does she sleep with every other guy on the commune, but she has a threesome with two WOMEN, one of whom happens to be pregnant! Not only that, but she also smokes weed on the regular AND - like her character Kassie Larson in the The Switch - has a baby, but there’s a twist. She may or may not know who the daddy is by movie’s end…

While seeing Jen go wild may be a disconcerting change, we’re stoked that she’s finally got the guts to try something new. Plus, Judd Apatow just might be the man to turn her career around! After all, his movies – like Pineapple Express, Knocked Up and Funny People – are box office gold. And if this doesn’t do the trick, at least Jen can pick up some pointers for Counter-Clockwise, her big screen directorial debut.

This is one movie we can’t wait to see! Cheers to you, Jen, for attempting to break out of your career rut!

Military Suicides Require New Prevention Office, Congressional Task Force Tells Pentagon

WASHINGTON — Rushing to stem historically high rates of military suicides, the service branches set up prevention programs that lacked strategic planning and so don't work as well as they could, a report said Tuesday.

The Pentagon should create a new high-level office to set strategy and coordinate prevention programs across the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps, said a task force report ordered by Congress last year.

More than 1,100 members of the armed forces killed themselves from 2005 to 2009 and suicides are rising again this year. The sharpest increases have been in the Army and Marine Corps, the services most stretched by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"The task force commends the armed forces for the suicide prevention initiatives it has undertaken and knows of no other employer that has focused as much attention and resources on suicide prevention," said the report by a 14-member panel of military and civilian doctors as well as other civilians involved in suicide and family issues. "However, the task force found that the current vast expansion of suicide prevention initiatives across the services was developed rapidly and separately by each service for immediate execution."

It said that despite the "extraordinary effort" made by the services to deal with the suicide crisis, the programs "could benefit from re-engineering" because they have some inefficiencies and gaps, in some cases overlap or are not implemented evenly.

Sent to Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Tuesday, the report makes 76 recommendations.