A former U.S. Marine who participated in capturing ousted Iraqi President Saddam Hussein said the public version of his capture was fabricated.

Ex-Sgt. Nadim Abou Rabeh, of Lebanese descent, was quoted in the Saudi daily al-Medina Wednesday as saying Saddam was actually captured Friday, Dec. 12, 2003, and not the day after, as announced by the U.S. Army.

At this time, I cannot find any information about Nadim Abou Rabeh. There is certainly great speculation about whether Saddam’s capture was staged and it has been going on for a long time. However, this recent “revelation” needs to be corroborated. If the Bush administration is actively lying about such important events, then I will have to reconsider a lot of decisions I’ve made recently.

Can anyone point me to real evidence that backs up the report of the staged capture?

While I’m waiting for evidence, this story seems pretty plausible to me and completely contradicts the “fake capture” tale. It is getting harder and harder to find the truth in this world of spin and outright lies. I hope Samir is the one telling the truth, and that Nadim is the liar. It would fit my worldview better. On the other hand, some things can change a person’s worldview. I have to accept whichever version is the truth, if I can ever get information that allows me to ferret it out.

VIENNA (Reuters) - U.S. and Austrian lawyers have filed a lawsuit demanding Thailand, U.S. forecasters and the French Accor group answer accusations they failed in a duty to warn populations hit by December’s Tsunami disaster, a lawyer said Monday.

The lawsuit was filed Friday at a New York district court on behalf of tsunami victims by lawyers including U.S. attorney Edward Fagan, internationally renowned for 1990s lawsuits against Swiss banks over Holocaust-era accounts. It demanded an account of their actions on Dec. 26.

This story is total bullshit. The U.S. government has no obligation to provide the populations of other countries with any type of safety information whatsoever. Americans already do more than their share of helping out around the world, through voluntary efforts and the coercive tax system that achievers labor under.

However, being sued for not being helpful enough is a fitting irony, especially when you consider that American trial lawyers are involved in the process. If I were in charge, these folks would be tarred and feathered, but first, they would be forbidden from practicing law forever.