BAGHDAD, November 16 – Yesterday an honest yet disturbing message was spread by the U.S. military. They have admitted the use of white phosphorous in the Iraq war, more specifically during the siege of Falluja in 2004.

The Pentagon admitted this yesterday, stressing that it was used as an “incendiary weapon”. Later Lieutenant Colonel Venable urged that this substance is not covered by any international agreements on chemical weapons. White phosphorous is known to be used to create smokescreens to deter and confuse the enemy yet when the substance comes in contact with bare skin it will burn down to the bone. Strangely enough the U.S. ambassador in London recently denied that the U.S. military used white phosphorous in this war, as well as napalm.

Commotion arose when the Italian state television, RAI, aired a documentary in which claims were made that white phosphorous was used as a weapon in the attack on Falluja and that many Iraqi civilians including women and children died of the burns of this substance. Lieutenant Colonel Venable denies that any civilians were hurt by the use of this chemical.

Meanwhile many experts agree that if used as a weapon, white phosphorous would likely fall under chemical weapons.

WASHINGTON/BAGHDAD, November 15 – The Senate is clearly issuing signals that they’re not at ease with the war in Iraq. Today the vote on a bill to demand regular updates on the proceedings of the war and rebuilding of Iraq was overwhelmingly decided in favor.

This is just another sign that there is an increasing protest to the war, but it also shows that even the people close around Bush, his lawmakers, are now backing out of supporting him for the full 100%.

Meanwhile in Iraq the President al-Jaafari announced that they are starting a formal investigation after a secret detention center found in Baghdad today. Yesterday the secret prison was surrounded by U.S. military but it is still clear whether they had anything to do with the situation. At least 170 detained men were found, heavily malnourished and with clear signs of torture.

It has only been two weeks since the European Union announced that they are investigating alleged secret detention camps all around Eastern Europe since information indicated that the CIA is running many there to keep terrorists out of the judicial center. One cannot help but wonder if this is the case in the Baghdad jail as well.

DALLAS, November 14 – The trend these days is fast, everything needs to be fast. Fast food, fast money, fast results in almost any aspect of life. Canadian doctors are now introducing fast angioplasty in America!

At a conference of the American Heart Association the Canadian doctors introduced a new perspective in applying angioplasty, one that will ensure patients can go home the same day the angioplasty was performed. Currently patients always have to stay a night in the hospital for intravenous medication and to monitor the risk of bleeding and reoccurring clotting.

The current procedure works through an incision in the leg, near the groin. Through an artery in the leg the doctors begin the process of angioplasty. This procedure brings a risk of renewed bleeding of the incision when the procedure is done and clotting of the artery. This is why patients are kept overnight.

The new procedure involves making an incision in the arm, near the wrist, through which the angioplasty can be performed. This greatly reduces the risk of bleeding of the incision overnight. With the help of a single dose of ReoPro, a common anti-clotting drug, the risk of renewed clotting is reduced to a mere 0.1%.

The research was funded by Eli Lily & Co., Bristol-Myers Squibb and Sanofi-Aventis, the manufacturer of ReoPro. The doctors participating in the research stated that they do not have any financial ties to these companies though. This new procedure will greatly reduce the costs for the patient and the hospitals without any risk.

WASHINGTON, November 13 – The new nominee for the Supreme Court, Samuel Alito, will not get such an easy pass as Roberts got. Democrats are silently but diligently forming a strategy to face the confirmation hearings which will begin in January.

There is much concern over what would happen if Alito were to be a part of the Supreme Court. Although he is working hard to reassure moderate Democrats and is trying to get them on his side many are still weary of his views and opinions. Alito stated that he values precedents greatly, even specifically Roe v. Wade, but that still does not give any guarantees. Respect and value for precedents does not mean that he will not go his own way when he is faced with the opportunity.

One past ruling when he was a part of the federal appeals court is still hunting him. He voted to uphold a Pennsylvania law that required women to inform their husbands before having an abortion. Many believe that this could be an indication that he is anti-abortion.

Needless to say this is one of the most important battles of the last decade. Confirmation could mean a swift and lengthy deterioration of civil rights, liberties and protection. The Democratic Party needs to act decisively and accurately if they want to win over the voters for coming elections.

BAGHDAD, November 12 – Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice dropped by Iraq for a surprise visit. During this visit she spoke to the President of Iraq about her concerns of the foreign fighters who keep getting imported through the Syrian border. The President then called on Syria to increase their effort to seal off the borders against foreign insurgents trying to reinforce the terrorists in Iraq. He claims that Syria is not doing enough to prevent this, maybe even intentionally.

Syria denied these allegations of course. The Syrian government is blaming U.S. and Iraqi troops for not keeping their end of the long desert clean of insurgents. Also they claim that the U.S. government is trying to discredit the Syrian government with these allegations.

Meanwhile in other incidents at least five U.S. soldiers were killed. One Marine was killed on Thursday by a roadside bomb near Karabilah. In Khaldiyah two soldiers were killed while engaged in enemy combat, likely by small-arms fire. Two other soldiers were killed in a traffic accident nearby Kirkuk. This makes a total of 2,061 U.S. deaths since the beginning of the war in Iraq in March 2003.

STANFORD UNIVERSITY, November 11 – Researchers of Stanford University made a significant discovery in a recently published study. They discovered a hormone, dubbed “obestatin” which seems to reduce the desire to eat in mammals.

The study was conducted on mice, the mice which received this hormone for eight days ate half of what they would normally eat, which is a significant drop. They also lost weight, but not as much as one would expect which such a dramatic drop in caloric intake.

The study was only done on mice but will probably be used for development into a human drug since Johnson & Johnson sponsored the research and thus own the rights to the discovery. With the current massive numbers of obesity all around the world such a drug would be an instant hit worldwide.

There are still some questions though. For one, the mice used were normal non-obese mice. It was not tested what the same procedure on obese mice would result in. Also the drop of weight was mostly in muscle tissue, something that is undesirable of course since people are looking to lose fat, not muscle. The condition of the mice was questionable as well, it is not obvious if they felt ill or the need to throw up because mice do not show these emotions. It could be possible that the appliance of this hormone would make people incredibly sick.

Nonetheless every discovery is useful as it brings us closer to a new cure for obesity. Perhaps Johnson & Johnson will successfully develop a drug out of this research, something that could change the world.

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