Oscar-Tango by Irshad Salim

Denying US citizenship
SEATTLE, FEB 4 -- As many as 1,000 people who may have been wrongly denied U.S. citizenship for minor infractions could eventually be given the oath, thanks to a lawsuit brought by a South Korean man who was rejected because he once gathered too many oysters along a beach. Kichul Lee, who in 1999 was fined $152 for collecting 51 oysters, almost three dozen more than the state's limit, along a Washington beach was denied citizenship in 2003 because of it.

Immigration officials admit Lee and some other immigrants were wrongly rejected for offenses as minor as traffic infractions, but a judge last month agreed to let such claims for citizenship go forward as a class-action lawsuit, meaning hundreds of people could join the case. The judge has ordered that Lee and three others be sworn in, even as the case progresses.

Vietnam voter turnout
FEB 4: Back in 1967, the New York Times published a story entitled "U.S. encouraged by Vietnam vote: Officials cite 83% turnout despite Vietcong terror". The story was talking about the presidential elections held by the South Vietnamese puppet government during the Vietnam war, saying that the Americans were "surprised and heartened" by the size of the turnout "despite a Vietcong terrorist campaign to disrupt the voting".

A successful election, it went on, "has long been seen as the keystone in President Johnson's policy of encouraging the growth of constitutional processes in South Vietnam", the same media propaganda we saw this week in covering the Iraqi elections.

Since Sunday's Iraq elections, media reports have been trying to convince people that the so-called land mark elections in Iraq has ended the U.S. occupation and that the Iraqis have finally won their freedom and democratic rights.

At first, Iraqi election officials claimed that 72% of those registered have actually voted, but then the figure was downgraded to 57%.

As for expatriate Iraqis, the up to 4 million strong exiled community (with perhaps a little over 2 million entitled to vote), only 280,000 people registered to vote. Of those, 265,000 actually voted.

President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair made speeches on Sunday�s elections implying that Iraqi people voted to approve the occupation.

Back to history: Vietnam was finally split across 38th parallell. North and South Vietnam co-exist but with different lifestyles.

Water intoxication
CHICO, California, FEB 4 (AP) -- A California State University student died of "water intoxication" during hazing in the basement of a fraternity, authorities said Thursday.

Matthew Carrington, 21, died early Wednesday while drinking water from a five-gallon jug and doing exercises at the Chi Tau house near the Chico campus, said Chico Police Sgt. Dave Barrow.

An autopsy showed death was triggered by hyponatremia, a condition in which excess water in the body causes sodium levels in the blood to drop. Water is then absorbed into the blood and fluid builds up in the brain.

Carrington's is the second pledge death at Chico since 2000, when an 18-year-old died of alcohol poisoning.

"Fun to shoot some people"
SAN DIEGO, FEB 3 -- At a panel discussion in San Diego Tuesday, a top Marine general tells an audience that, among other things, it is "fun to shoot some people."

The comment, made by Lt. Gen. James Mattis, came in reference to fighting insurgents in Iraq. He went on to say, "Actually, its a lot of fun to fight. You know, it's a hell of a hoot. I like brawling."

"You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for 5 years because they didn't wear a veil," Mattis continued. "You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them."

About 200 people gathered for the discussion, held at the San Diego Convention Center. While many military members laughed at the comments, a military expert interviewed by NBC 7/39 called the comments "flippant."

"I was a little surprised," said Retired Vice Adm. Edward H. Martin. "I don't think any of us who have ever fought in wars liked to kill anybody."