March 31, 2006
ABC Producer Suspended Over Email: 'Bush makes me sick.' (Updated)
ABC weekend Good Morning America producer John Green (previous post here) has reportedly been suspended for a month by ABC. From the New York Observer:
ABC News executives have suspended Weekend Good Morning America executive producer John Green for a month, after two politically charged personal e-mails Green sent to a colleague were leaked to the press, according to two network sources.Click here to see memo.
The exposure of Green's gross bias went virtually unreported by the mainstream media.
Update: protein wisdom notes that another Green memo describes Green's distaste for Madeleine Albright because she has "Jew shame".
Meanwhile, the mainstream media have remained silent on the original memo story and the decision to suspend Green, which was made, conveniently, on a Friday in order to minimize its impact in the standard news cycle. ABC needn't have bothered; their buddies are covering for them just fine.
Via the Drudge Report.
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto.
McKinney Lawyer Plays Race Card
From USA Today:
WASHINGTON (AP) — A lawyer for Rep. Cynthia McKinney, the Georgia congresswoman who had an altercation with a Capitol Police officer, says she was "just a victim of being in Congress while black."I hate to burst McKinney's bubble, but white folk are not allowed to bypass security checkpoints without showing proper ID and assault police officers when questioned. I think she might be taking that old Eddie Murphy Saturday Night Live skit too seriously.
It seems apparent, however, that it should be legal for Americans to slap any Georgians who admit they voted for this imbecile.
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto.
The Problem is Islam
Serge Trifkovic gave frontpagemag an interview on his upcoming book Defeating Jihad. The general idea is that the west's zeal for self destruction and political correctness can only lead one direction, strait to the defeat of the west and the eventual submission to Islam. Serge says our current efforts to win the GWOT are inadequate and hampered by politically correct thought. He starts with the general persecution of Christians throughout the Islamic world and moves to the domestic “spying” issue and on to expose the foundations and downright evil of Islam and the “prophet” Muhammad. Serge fears the PC definition of the Jihadist brand of Islam is a mistake!
Serge Trifkovic via Frontpagemag :We need a comprehensive strategy of defense not merely against a small jihadist elite but against an inherently aggressive, demographically vibrant, and ideologically rigid Islamic movement - and please, no more "Islamist" red herrings! - a movement that has global proportions and world-historical significance. As an ideology and a blueprint for radical political action, it is a phenomenon that cannot be compared in dynamism, energy, and potential consequences with any other creed or idea in today's world. It demands a sustained, bold response that has failed to materialize so far. We are losing the war because our elite class does not allow the enemy to be defined. The squeamishness of European and American bien-pensants alike in naming the enemy is but one sign of a shared malaise that hampers a coherent effort.He also exposes the deceptions of the liberal media in reference to the “domestic spying” issue. Why does the MSM not tell you exactly who is the target of this program? If they do, they just lost the issue that’s why.
Within America, glossing over the surveillance targets' identity has two objectives. First of all, it presented President Bush as an out-of-control autocrat-in-the-making whose hoods may be eavesdropping on any one of us at any time. Secondly, it also implied that a Muslim who has become a naturalized American citizen is so thoroughly and irrevocably "American," that no hyphenated designation or qualifier is called for.You bet they should be deported. Since Islam is a political doctrine as well as religion, can a truly devout Muslim truthfully take the oath of citizenship in the USA and mean it? The truth of the prophet himself and his so called “faith” strait for the Koran and hadiths including his murderous rampages and child brides below the fold. In fact Trifkovic is so right on target I have a tough time deciding what to place on this blog! I strongly recommend we all read it, although Jawa readers will be familiar with much of the content, so we can understand just how political correctness supports the enemy and will lead to loss of our freedom. Our own love of freedom is the factor the enemy is counting on. More below the fold or click here for the entire interview. Also see Infidel Blogger Aliance.Abroad, concealing the rioters' identity fits in with the liberal world view that reject the notion that importing Muslim immigrants may be in any way disadvantageous for the host country. Having reduced religion, politics and art to "narratives" and "metaphors" which merely reflect prejudices based on the distribution of power, the elite class saw the rioters' shout of "Allahu akbar!" as a mere idiosyncrasy that would be cured if the French state gave those "youths" more jobs, more dark-skinned TV anchors, and, of course, lots of "affirmative action" in employment and education.
The citizenship of any naturalized American who preaches jihad, inequality of "infidels" and women, the establishment of the Shari'a law etc., should be revoked, and that person promptly deported to the country of origin.
A person's Islamic faith and outlook is incompatible with the requirements of personal commitment, patriotic loyalty and unquestionable reliability that are essential in the military, law enforcement, intelligence services, and other related branches of government. For as long as practicing Muslims are able to get security clearances, terrorist organizations will continue trying to insinuate their supporters into the hiring pools of American security agencies. Any presence of practicing Muslims in any such institution presents an inherent risk to its integrity and undermines its morale.Aisha the child bride and why Muslims just can’s see Muhammad for the murderous, pillaging, raping child molester he really was.
New immigration legislation is badly needed. Islamic activism should be treated as the grounds for the exclusion or deportation of any alien, regardless of his status or ties in the United States. Useful precedents exist. Keeping out and facilitating the expulsion of politically undesirable foreigners has been at the heart of this country's immigration legislation since 1903 when Congress barred the admission of anarchists in response to President McKinley's assassination. "Ideological" grounds for deportation were on the statute books until 1990, when they were unwisely repealed by Congress. After the Russian revolution foreign communists were singled out for deportation. One night alone in January of 1920, more than 2,500 "alien radicals" were seized in thirty-three cities across the country and deported to their countries of origin. Those who preach Jihad and Sharia can and should be treated in exactly the same manner.Glazov: Many Muslims I talk to often tell me that their Prophet was a man of "peace." As you demonstrate once again in your new book, he so clearly was not. Tell us briefly how he wasn't. And do the Muslims that I speak with not read the Koran? Or do they have a different concept of "peace"?
Trifkovic: Those Muslims you talk to seem to have adopted the dialectical forma mentis of Stalin's apologists who'd have told you that his winter war against Finland was "defensive" and the Gulag was justified, or exaggerated, or both. Yes, the problem is that Muhammad remains, to all true Muslims, the inviolable paragon of goodness, and imitatio Muhammadi is reflected in the prevalence of his name throughout the Muslim world. Understanding him is the key to the Muslim world outlook.
Akkari, spokesman of the Muslim organizations in Denmark, said that Muslims all over the world want the "truth" about their prophet known to the rest of the world. OK, fine: let us look at Muhammad as "he really was in history," relying solely on orthodox Islamic sources, the Kuran and the hadith… …It tells us that he violated the sacred pagan month of Rajab, when no Arab was permitted to raise arms in battle by staging pirate raids on caravans from Mecca. In 624, at Badr, he killed forty Meccans in battle and executed prisoners, with Allah's approval: "instill terror into the hearts of the unbelievers, Smite ye above their necks and smite all their finger tips of them." (8:12) After Badr, to quote Ayatollah Khomeini, "Islam grew with blood."
Muhammad used the prospect of booty and ransom to recruit followers. This motive was so important that it merited a whole sura in the Kuran; but one fifth of everything was Muhammad's! Once the loot was divided it was time to relax: "Now enjoy what ye have won as lawful and good." As for the fallen, a tangible, X-rated paradise filled with virgins "untouched by man" and "fresh" pre-pubescent boys awaited the "martyrs" immediately. The simple preacher eventually morphed into a vengeful warlord, who jubilantly exclaimed that the spectacle of severed enemy heads pleased him better than "the choicest camel in Arabia." Killing prisoners was divinely condoned by Allah. (8:68) Fresh revelations described the unbelievers as "the worst animals" (8:55) and "the vilest of creatures" (98:6) undeserving of mercy. The enemies' heads were to be cut off. (47:4) Killing, enslaving and robbing them was divinely sanctioned and mandated.
When Muhammad returned from Badr to Medina in triumph, he proceeded to settle scores with his detractors - and resorted to murder. He killed Abu Afak, an elderly Jew who dared question Muhammad's methods, and Asma bint Marwan, a poetess who had mocked him in verse, followed by another poet, Kab Ashraf. They were guilty of verbal insults, providing the Islamic view of the freedom of speech that is valid to this day.
Muhammad next told his followers to "kill any Jew you can lay your hands on." When six of his henchmen murdered an elderly Jew by the name of Abu Rafi in his sleep, they argued whose weapon had actually ended the victim's life. The prophet decided that the owner of the sword that still had traces of food on it was entitled to the credit: Abu Rafi had just eaten his dinner before falling asleep, and the fatal slash went through his stomach. The "Prophet's" attack against the Jewish tribe of Banu-'l-Mustaliq came next. His followers kidnapped 500 of their women, and the night after the battle they staged an orgy of rape. His pogroms culminated in the attack the last Jewish tribe in Medina, Banu Qurayzah. Up to 900 men were decapitated in a ditch, in front of their women and children. Allah praised Muhammad for the way "he struck terror into their hearts." (33:25) The women were subsequently raped. Muhammad chose as his concubine one Raihana Bint Amr, whose father and husband were both slaughtered before her eyes only hours earlier.
Allah's messages concerning "the infidel" subsequently grew ever harsher: "Take him and fetter him and expose him to hell fire." (69:30-37) They "will be killed or crucified, or have their hands and feet on alternate sides cut off." (5:33-34) In this world, for the captured infidel "We have prepared chains, yokes and a blazing fire." (76:4) In the hereafter things get even worse: "garments of fire will be cut out for them, boiling fluid will be poured down their heads. Whereby that which is in their bellies, and their skins too, will be melted. And for them are hooked rods of iron." (22:19-22) One single Kuranic verse, "the Verse of the Sword," (9:5) Islamic scholars agree, abrogates 124 earlier verses - the ones that are quoted most regularly by Islam's apologists to prove its tolerance and benevolence.
Glazov: You discuss how Muhammad married Aisha when she was seven and still playing with dolls and that he had sex with her when she was nine. Can you kindly explain to me what Muslims think about this in their thinking of their Prophet? Every time I try to raise this issue with devout Muslims there is a lot of double-talk and a lot of anger directed at me. I never get anywhere on this issue. Can you give us your wisdom on this?Indeed it does.Trifkovic: There is no "wisdom," there is common decency and natural morality. Yes, Muslims need to be pressed on the rape of Aisha, and on the murders, ethnic cleansing, and genocide. On the whole, many commands of the Kuran and Muhammad's actions and words recorded in the Traditions are morally abhorrent and criminal not only by the standards of our time, but even in the context of 7th century Arabia! They were often considered repugnant by Muhammad's contemporaries. He had to resort to "revelations" as a means of justifying his actions and suppressing the prevalent moral code of his own society. Attacking caravans in the holy month, taking up arms against one's kinsmen, slaughtering prisoners, reserving a lion's share of the booty, murdering people without provocation, violating treaties, and indulging one's sensual passions, was also at odds with the moral standards of his Arab contemporaries. Only the ultimate authority could sanction it, and Allah duly obliged him.
On its own admission Islam stands or falls with the person of Muhammad, a deeply flawed man by the standards of his own society, as well as those of the Old and New Testaments, both of which he acknowledged as divine revelation; and even by the new law, of which he claimed to be the divinely appointed medium and custodian. The problem of Islam, and the problem of the rest of the world with Islam, is not the remarkable career of Muhammad per se, undoubtedly a "great man" in terms of his impact on human history. It is the religion's claim that the words and acts of its prophet provide the universally valid standard of morality as such, for all time and all men. Our judgment on Muhammad rests on evidence of his followers and faithful admirers. Even on such evidence, the verdict of the civilized world goes against the "prophet."
Canadian Paper Sued Over Muhammed Cartoons
For F*cking fascists, they sure are a bunch of whiney bitches.
FYI-our good friend Kate from Small Dead Animals writes for the Western Standard, so were more than just supportive on the principle of the matter.
Illegal Aliens: FAQ
I for one welcome our new illegal alien overlords. John Hawkins answers the 13 most frequent questions about illegal immigration.
Domestic Terror Watch
If you recall from last month, we brought you a report about Jamaat ul-Fuqra, that has training camps inside the US.
Well, the Pakistani cleric that founded this group has issued a response (14 pages worth). He calls CP and the NEIN, who did much of the investigation, the real terrorists, recycles the conspiracy that Jews and the American government were responsible for 9/11 and other useless propaganda.
See it here.
Women Pee Standing Up
So there goes your final hook-up fail-safe. Maybe she does just look butch.
War Kids Relief
Jeff Harrell is asking for us to help out. Seems like a good cause:
War Kids Relief hopes, in partnership with the Iraqi Ministry of Youth and Sports, to go to 100 of those youth centers and refurbish them, building classrooms and soccer fields and computer labs. They plan to launch a work-study program that would send Iraqi teens out into the cities and towns to do “Depression-era stuff” like painting buildings and picking up trash for a small wage. Every other week they’ll work; on alternate weeks they’ll receive vocational training at the youth centers.
Blaming the Rape Victim: Jill Carroll
Allah has a roundup of some of the reactions to the Jill Carroll video released yesterday. It's disturbing that so many are willing to begin naysaying the character of one who has been victimized for the past three months. Debbie Schlussel's post here, especially (Hat tip: Allah).
What would you say to your captors after months as a prisoner? You'd tell them exactly what they want to hear. Remember, the only video we have of Jill Carroll are two segments taped while she was still a prisoner--under a considerable amount of duress. The second video we have is one taped in the offices of The Islamic Party of Iraq--the political front for the same terrorists who had victimized her!
As I wrote to Allah earlier today:
After devoting considerable time to the subject I've become a bit more
sympathetic to the plight of hostages. Whether or not she was
anti-American to begin with is irrelevant since she was a civilian
operating in a war-zone. Her political views do not change the fact
that her captors are savages operating outside the laws of war. I
think we should give people the benefit of the doubt, especially when
they are victims.
A lot of really slutty chicks get raped, but there's no reason to
bring up that fact right after they've been victimized.
Once she's home if she starts acting like Giuliana Sgrena we'll call
her on it. Until then, my advice to the blogosphere is to have some
class.
So, let's reserve judgement on this one until she is free to speak her mind without fear of retribution.
And thanks to Allah for e-mailing me. I feel like I've finally made it.
Terrorist Caught Fleeing Canada
Okay, so the Mexican border is a problem. But who's watching the one up North?
An alleged terrorist -- with links to al-Qaida and Osama bin Laden -- has been arrested in the GTA while trying to flee the country, Sun Media immigration sources say.Hat tip Tim at Opinion BugIn one of the most significant terrorism arrests in Canada since 9/11, a man believed to be a captain of the Pakistani extremist organization Mujahedin-E-Lashkar-E-Tayyba, or LET, which is funded by Osama bin Laden and has direct ties to al-Qaida, was arrested March 16 by Canadian border service officers in Newmarket.
Intelligence sources say members of LET have been trained in Afghan terrorist camps.
Ontario immigration sources say 40-year-old Raja Ghulam Mustafa, a Pakistani national who went by the last name Murtaza, was arrested outside his home with a packed suitcase and a significant amount of cash on him.
A Modest Illegal Amnesty Compromise Is Proposed
With Congress members from both parties telling us that actually enforcing our immigration laws, and deporting the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants currently sucking up shrinking social, educational, and medical resources serving as the backbone of the American free enterprise system would cause our economy to collapse, something needs to be done. God knows that there are so very many money-grubbing traitors honest, ungreedy employers in the US who simply can't afford to pay the legal minimum wage, and nobody wants the price of a head of lettuce to go up fifty, or even sixty, cents.
The Dread Pundit Bluto has devised a plan that should keep everyone happy.
The proposal, which I call the Compromise On Immigration Tensions in the United States, or COITUS, uses current immigration quotas and levels of illegal immigrants to reach a fair and humane resolution of the current illegal immigration kerfluffle. I think that the United States should do COITUS on Mexico immediately to relieve the awful tensions we've seen displayed this week in cities across the country.
Here's how COITUS will work. Each year, the United States permits 1 million people to become permanent residents. 200,000 of these people come from Mexico. To make things easier, we'll round down the 12 million illegals to 10 million, and just say that the other 2 million illegals are from Leichtenstein, Wales, and Outer Mongolia. To keep things fair, we'll do COITUS on these countries as well.
This means that Mexico's quota for legal immigrants is 1 million every five years. Now, I'm proposing that we confer permanent resident status on the 10 million illegals currently wiping their butts with the laws of the land serving as the vital, indispensable backbone of the US economy (especially in the areas of landscaping, domestic engineering, and food service).
This means that Mexico has fulfilled its legal immigrant requirement until the year 2057. No more immigrants from Mexico until then. Leichtenstein, Wales, and Outer Mongolia will have COITUS done on them until sometime in the next century, but who cares about them anyway? The goal of the United States Congress and the President should be to satisfy the needs of Mexico's citizens.
After all, that's why they were elected, isn't it?
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.
March 30, 2006
Terrorists Release Final Jill Carroll Hostage Video (Video / Images)
The terrorists of 'The Revenge Brigades' have released a video shot just prior to Jill Carroll's release. The Jawa Report has obtained a copy of the video. You can see the raw video here, courtesy of Bareknucklespolitics. For information on today's release of Jill Carroll, go here.
It appears that the video was shot in two sittings over a period of time. In the second portion of the video, Jill Carroll seems much less enthused about what she is saying and does not have the smile and other expressions of the first segment.
In it Jill Carroll seems more than eager to give the 'correct' answers asked by her captors. It's quite sickening some of the answers she gives, but understandable under the circumstances. But, before you accuse Jill of being a victim of Stockholm Syndrome, keep in mind that she was under duress.
For instance, Jill Carroll can be heard saying that the CIA and Americans were not as smart as the mujahidin given the fact that they were unable to rescue her. That her ordeal made it clear that the mujahidin would win the war in the end. She wants the American people to understand the mujahidin as they really are, and not the lies they hear in the media about them being terrorists, etc. The mujahidin are only trying to defend their country, etc. President bush needs to stop this war, etc.
Very scripted, very much what you would expect the terrorists wanted to hear. No word about the translator these people murdered. No word to them about stopping the war. No word about them being responsible for the misery of the civillian population.
LGF has a portion of the transcript up.
SITE reports:
Concurrent with the release from capture today of Jill Carroll, an American reporter for the Christian Science Monitor who was captured in Baghdad on January 7, 2006, her captors, the Revenge Brigade issued on March 30, 2006, an 8:50 minute video interview with Ms. Carroll. Both the questions asked by the interviewer and Jill Carroll’s responses are in the English language, as she is asked of her conditions during her captivity and her opinions on the American-led War in Iraq and the mujahideen. Her answers are lauding towards the mujahideen, stating that she was treated as a guest and they are clever and very familiar with the Iraqi terrain, as opposed to the American Army that could not locate her with all the technology and manpower at their disposal.Concerning her release, the interview asks Ms. Carroll how she feels that she will be granted freedom, while women are continuing to be held in Abu Ghraib. Though she is relieved that she is being released, she states that she feels guilt, and her condition juxtaposed with that of the women in prison shows the dichotomy in terms of human respect shown by the mujahideen and American Army. She asks President Bush to cease the war and end the aggression upon the Iraqi people who are continuously living in abject condition.
Near the close of the interview, a statement is read in Arabic announcing Jill Carroll’s release, and noting that the Americans forces and CIA did not assist in her freedom. It was the American government agreeing to some of their conditions that brokered her release. The mujahid states: “Jill Carol, go back in peace to your family and to your country, to tell them and to the American people what you saw and heard during these three months. You are a witness of the events here and we have full confidence in you that you will tell the truth without any falsification.”
Fidel Castro Reported Dead
UPDATE 07/24/2007: Again rumors that Castro is dead. Go here for latest update: Castro dead, South Florida on high alert.
UPDATE: 12/12/2006: Rumors, once again, flying that Castro is dead. Update here, but if it is confirmed try the MAIN PAGE.
UPDATE 8/02/2006: Rumors that Fidel Castro is dead are flying again. This time I have more than one source making the claim.
Again, no confirmation. We know he is very sick, but that is it. When we finally get confirmation of his death (God speed the day) we will post in on the FRONT PAGE.
UPDATE 7/11/2006: Rumors that Castro is dead are making the rounds again. Still no confirmation. Please see this post for latest details about Castro death rumor or go to MAIN PAGE HERE.
---------------
Rumors have begun circulating in Spanish language publications that Cuban dictator Fidel Castro has died. Cuban officials are denying the reports. Developing....
UPDATE: Okay, so the consensus is that those reports were wrong. Hey, a guy can dream, can't he? Plus, how often do you get to read a story where the translation talks about Fidel being castrated? Anyway, Gringo unleashed has a cleaner translation, with far fewer references to castration than Google's.
Here is a very rough Google translation from an Argentinian Indymedia:
The dictator Fidel Castro dies in Havana.Via Robb who heard it from Publius Pundit who has a bottle of Champagne just waiting for the moment--now or in the future--that Castro's death is confirmed.May 29th, 10:22 P.M.
This afternoon, the Cuban dictator Fidel Castro died in his residence of the Laguito longevo .
According to sources officials the Cuban dictator I have not been castrating for some days was in delicate state of health after to have undergone a sudden infarct.
.....Official sources of the government, the dictator's brother Raul Castro, and stops leaders of the regime have not even wanted to notify to the Cuban town, awaiting an international reaction.
Update: JJ points out that Val at Babalu Blog doesn't buy it. False alarm, maybe?
There is no God but Allah...
...and Michelle Malkin is his prophet. Do I get that fatwa now?
American Hostage Jill Carroll Free (Updated)
American journalist Jill Carroll has been freed by her captors. This post will be updated throughout the day. Scroll through for updates.
UPDATE: Jill Carroll video interview here. Hat tip: Allah
Another update: The terrorists of 'The Revenge Brigades' have released a video shot just prior to Jill Carroll's release. You can see the raw video here. A more detailed report and images from the new Jill Carroll video is here. In it Jill Carroll seems more than eager to give the 'correct' answers asked by her captors. It's quite sickening some of the answers she gives, but understandable under the circumstances. But, before you accuse Jill of being a victim of Stockholm Syndrome, keep in mind that she was under duress.
Jill Carroll had been held hostage for nearly three months by a terrorist organization calling itself 'The Revenge Brigades'. The group killed her translator, but Carroll's driver escapted. The group had demanded the release of all female Iraqi prisoners or they would execute Carroll, but let several deadlines pass & it was never clear just how serious the threats were.
Contrary to media reports, a group calling itself 'The Revenge Brigades' had been involved in kidnappings prior to Jill Carroll. A group with the same name held an Iraqi born Christian named Minas Ibrahim al-Yusufi, who had Swedish citizenship, hostage for some months. The group initially threatened to behead him, released a hostage video, and then, like Jill Carroll, he was released unharmed. At the time, rumor was that a ransom had been paid.
This demand, along with the timing , had led to speculation that The Islamic Army in Iraq was somehow involved in Jill Carroll's kidnapping. The Islamic Army in Iraq is one of the main terror organizations in Iraq and has been involved in several high profile kidnappings and routinely murders hostages. The group has also been linked to the kidnapping of four Western activists, one of whom--American Tom Fox--was found murdered on the streets of Baghdad. The remaing three were rescued by Coalition forces.
Several videos had been released by the terror organization showing Ms. Carroll. In the first hostage video, The Revenge Brigades threatened to murder Jill Carroll. In the second hostage video, Jill Carroll seemed to be under duress and could be seen crying. In the final short video, Jill Carroll seemed to be well and in good spirits.
For more information on the Jill Carroll hostage crisis please see our archive devoted exclusively to Jill Carroll. For more information on other hostages in Iraq, please see our extensive hostage archive.
AP:
Yesterday, Jill Carroll's twin sister had made an emotional video taped appeal for Jill's release.
"I was treated well, but I don't know why I was kidnapped," Carroll said in a brief interview on Baghdad television.Even though the group threatened twice to kill her in videotapes, Carroll said, "They never hit me. They never said they would hit me."
She was wearing a light green Islamic headscarf, a gray Arabic robe and looked well.
"Obviously, I want to be with my family," she could be heard to say under the Arabic voiceover.
"I'm just happy to be free. I want to be with my family.
The twin sister of kidnapped journalist Jill Carroll pleaded for her release on Arab television Wednesday, saying her sister is a "wonderful person" who is an "innocent woman."Some are speculating that Carroll's release comes because of increased efforts to free hostages by Iraqi and Coallition troops. Her release comes only a week after American troops rescued three peace activists.Katie Carroll read a statement on Al-Arabiya, noting that there had been no word from her sister's captors in Iraq in almost two months.
"I've been living a nightmare, worrying if she is hurt or ill," Katie Carroll said, according to a transcript released by the Christian Science Monitor. "There is no one I hold closer to my heart than my sister and I am deeply worried wondering how she is being treated."
Apparently, Carroll's captors turned her over to the Islamic Party office in western Baghdad. The Islamic Party is the major Sunni party in Iraq and is a Salaafist organization (wants Sharia and return of Caliphate) with links to the insurgency.
According to bRight and Early: Fox News is reporting that her father, Jim Carroll, "wants to thank the thousands who have prayed." Amen.
UPDATE:It should be remembered by all that the only statement we have from Jill Carroll was one given by her just after her release in the offices of the Islamic Party and with cameras rolling. Further, it is not necessarily "Stockholm Syndrome" to claim that captors often treat hostages well--they often do.
Now the NYT (via Bad Hair Blog) reports that one of the leaders of the Islamic party, Dr. Tariq Al-hashmi, is claiming responsibility for winning Jill Carroll's release. This is very interesting, indeed. Especially after the last few days in which many see a change in the political atmosphere in Iraq, with reports of Sunnis now seeing the Americans as allies to protect them from Shia militias and Shias--the traditional U.S. allies in Iraq--becoming suspect of the Coalition.
The Carroll family press release, notice especially:
Finally, our thoughts are with the families of others still being held hostage in Iraq, and we hope that their loved ones will soon return safely to them.Amen. American Dean Sadek is still being held hostage in Iraq.
Another update: Natasha and Jeff Tynes are friends of Jill Carroll and Natasha has some very delightful reaction.
This post is a follow up to Mike Pechar's earlier story.
Reports just in indicate that no ransom or negotiations were made by the Christian Science Monitor, but the leader of the Islamic Party of Iraq, Tariq al- Hashimi, was somehow involved in her release. U.S. officials also deny negotiating for Jill's release.
Walid Phares asks intereesting questions, especially about the connection of the jihadis who kidnapped Jill and the Islamic Party.
President Bush reacts: "I'm really grateful she was released, and thank those who worked hard for her release, and we're glad she's alive."
More updates: Charles Johnson: Her interpreter, murdered during the kidnapping, was not available for comment. Indeed.
Committee to Protect Journalists reacts: "We are overjoyed that this ordeal has finally ended and that Jill Carroll has been returned safely," CPJ Executive Director Ann Cooper said. "We continue to call for the release of other remaining captives in Iraq, and we urge armed groups to stop targeting innocent civilians."
Judy Klinghoffer speculates that ransom was involved. It would certainly not be the first time ransom was paid for a hostage. If she's right, it would only lead to more Western kidnappings and killings. However, as I hope I've made clear in the above, my suspicions are that the Islamic Party of Iraq--which has ties to the insurgency--was able to secure Jill's release as a political ploy. Both the CSM and U.S. government have denied ransom was paid, although it is not out of the question that the Islamic Party might have used money to influence the hostage-takers.
Others: Mike Pechar, Opinion Bug, Hyscience, Stop the ACLU, Outside the Beltway, Danny Carlton, Captain Ed, Clarity and Resolve, Poliblog, Politburo Diktat, Slublog, Small Dead Animals, Wizbang, Scared Monkeys, Right Winged, NTodd, Sandmonkey, Dean Esmay, bRight and Early, Lawhawk, Dan Riehl, Bad Hair Blog, Pajama Media, Boing Boing, Israellycool, Think Progress
Hostage Jill Carroll Freed
(Baghdad) Breaking good news!
Jill Carroll has been released after being held hostage for nearly three months and is reported to be in good condition.
UPDATES: Expanded story and updates on Jill Carroll here.
Fake Breasts Banned in Space
(United Kingdom) Virgin Galactic is booking reservations for its inaugural flight into space -- scheduled for 2008. Consequently, measures have been established to assure safety including a ban on individuals with artificially augmented breasts.
From Sky.com:
Bosses fear the implants may expand and burst due to cabin pressure, according to The Sun.It's not clear whether artificial penile augmentation will also be banned. However, one has to assume that any rejections of prospective passengers will be based entirely on the honor system. There must be a law that prevents spaceport screeners from searching for evidence of cosmetic surgery.More than 157 people have paid 115,000 British Pounds [about $200,000] each to travel into space on the Virgin Galactic space "shuttle."
Spokesman Will Whitehorn said: "We've discovered there may well be issues with breast augmentation.
"We're not sure whether they could stand the trip - they could well explode."
People with heart or circulation problems may also be ruled out.
From Interested-Participant.
Cynthia McKinney: Why She Punched That Pesky Cop
Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) allegedly assaulted an officer of the law earlier today, when he failed to recognize her as she rushed past a metal detector. While members of Congress are not required to go through the Capitol metal detectors, they are supposed to present their credentials. McKinney was in too big a hurry to be bothered complying with one of the people who help ensure her safety. According to witnesses, she hit him in the chest with her cell phone.
Here's McKinney's statement from her website:
(Washington, DC) - To the Members of the Capitol Hill Police:Well, the kids in America have been learning all week that crime pays for illegal immigrants. They might as well learn that it's acceptable to assault police, too, but only if you're in a hurry, of course.Earlier today I had an unfortunate confrontation with a Capitol Hill Police Officer. It is traditional protocol that Capitol Hill Police Officers secure 535 Members of Congress, including 100 Senators. It is the expectation of most Members of Congress that Capitol Hill Police officers know who they are. I was urgently trying to get to an important meeting on time to fulfill my obligations to my constituents. Unfortunately, the Police Officer did not recognize me as a Member of Congress and a confrontation ensued. I did not have on my Congressional pin but showed the Police Officer my Congressional ID.
I know that Capitol Hill Police are securing our safety, that of
thousands of others, and I appreciate the work that they do. I deeply regret that the incident occurred. I have demonstrated my support for them in the past and I continue to support them now.
The Drudge Report is reporting that the incident is on tape and that the Capitol Police plan to arrest McKinney as soon as Congress adjourns. They would be doing the country a service if they didn't wait.
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.
March 29, 2006
American Terrorist Ahmed Omar Abu Ali Gets 30 Years
American born Muslim terrorist Ahmed Omar Abu Ali has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for being part of an al Qaeda cell which plotted to bring terrorists over the border from Mexico, hijack airplanes, and which planned to assassinate the President of the United States. Despite being convicted in November, The Muslim American Society continued to raise money for the defense of the admitted al Qaeda member.
Ahmed Omar Abu Ali is the son of a Saudi embassy worker and the valedictorian of a radical Islamic school operated by the Saudi Arabian government in Alexandria Virginia, the Islamic Saudi Academy. The curriculum of the school, when Abu Ali was attending, was antisemitic and Wahhabi in orientation and which included a textbook condemning Christians and Jews as infidels.
The convicted terrorists parents, Omar and Faten Ali, likely encouraged their sons jihadi tendencies by sending him to an Islamic school. The couple [pictured right] worshipped at the Dar Al Hijrah Islamic Center, which is a known Salaafist stronghold and is where two of the 9/11 hijackers worshiped. Although originally from Jordan, Faten could often be seen defending her son in public wearing the Saudi style head scarf so often associated with Wahabism.
Ahmed Omar Abu Ali has been called the 'Rosa Parks of the Muslim community' by Imam Abdul-Malik of the Fall's Church Virginia mosque. Abu Ali has admitted to meeting with Zubayr Al-Rimi, al Qaeda's #2 man in Saudi Arabia while studying in Mecca.
Good riddance to the American born traitor, but we were under the impression that the penalty for treason was death?
Meanwhile, the INS is set on increasing the number of student visas to college students from Saudi Arabia by nearly 400%:
The students are part of a new large-scale scholarship program by the Saudi government, which will send about 6,000 students to American universities this year after just 1,442 Saudi students had visas to study in the United States in 2004.Hat tip: LGF
Canadian Blogger Forced to Apologize to Mullahs
Canadian blogger Hossein Derakhshan was recently forced to apologize to the Mullahs before they would let him leave the Islamic Republic. Consider me not shocked.
AP:
On his last visit to Iran, Canadian-based blogger Hossein Derakhshan was detained and interrogated, then forced to sign a letter of apology for his blog writings before being allowed to leave the country. Compared to others, Derakhshan is lucky.Via Hyscience.Dozens of Iranian bloggers have faced harassment by the government, been arrested for voicing opposing views, and fled the country in fear of prosecution over the past two years.
Why We Should Be Sad Charles Taylor Will be Brought to Justice?
Yes he's a war-criminal, but here is the final word on Charles Taylor:
Yes, certain do-gooding goo-goos can cheer that "justice is being served," but if this becomes common proactice, how many hundreds of thousands will die needlessly because dictators understand that the deals they are being offered aren't worth the spit they will be signed with?Indeed.
Can we fight the long war?
So, the Democrats have a 'plan' to win the war on terror? Unfortunately, their plan seems to be exactly what the Mullahs of Iran, and their Salaafist rivals of the Sunni extremist camp, all predict. Withdrawal from Iraq is exactly what they want.
Amir Taheri in the WSJ:
For the past several weeks Mr. Abbasi has been addressing crowds of Guard and Baseej Mustadafin (Mobilization of the Dispossessed) officers in Tehran with a simple theme: The U.S. does not have the stomach for a long conflict and will soon revert to its traditional policy of "running away," leaving Afghanistan and Iraq, indeed the whole of the Middle East, to be reshaped by Iran and its regional allies.And if the present batch of Democrats take the White House or Congress, they could be right.To hear Mr. Abbasi tell it the entire recent history of the U.S. could be narrated with the help of the image of "the last helicopter." It was that image in Saigon that concluded the Vietnam War under Gerald Ford. Jimmy Carter had five helicopters fleeing from the Iranian desert, leaving behind the charred corpses of eight American soldiers. Under Ronald Reagan the helicopters carried the corpses of 241 Marines murdered in their sleep in a Hezbollah suicide attack. Under the first President Bush, the helicopter flew from Safwan, in southern Iraq, with Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf aboard, leaving behind Saddam Hussein's generals, who could not believe why they had been allowed live to fight their domestic foes, and America, another day. Bill Clinton's helicopter was a Black Hawk, downed in Mogadishu and delivering 16 American soldiers into the hands of a murderous crowd.
According to this theory, President George W. Bush is an "aberration," a leader out of sync with his nation's character and no more than a brief nightmare for those who oppose the creation of an "American Middle East." Messrs. Abbasi and Ahmadinejad have concluded that there will be no helicopter as long as George W. Bush is in the White House. But they believe that whoever succeeds him, Democrat or Republican, will revive the helicopter image to extricate the U.S. from a complex situation that few Americans appear to understand.
Mr. Ahmadinejad's defiant rhetoric is based on a strategy known in Middle Eastern capitals as "waiting Bush out." "We are sure the U.S. will return to saner policies," says Manuchehr Motakki, Iran's new Foreign Minister.
Hat tip to Allah. No, not really, hat tip Bill at INDC.
We Didn't Start this War
Rob and American Future have more on the jihad started by Muhammed and which continues today.
Morrissey: Canada = Hitler
Former The Smiths frontman, Morrissey, equates Canada to Hitler. Killing baby seals, killing Jews....six of one, half a dozen of the other.
Our Condolences
To Glenn Reynolds on the loss of his grandmother.
Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi to Personally Liquidate Osama
From the Associated Press:
WASHINGTON - Congressional Democrats promise to "eliminate" Osama bin Laden and ensure a "responsible redeployment of U.S. forces" from Iraq in 2006 in an election-year national security policy statement.Please pardon my skepticism, but this comes from a political party that represents those who pretty much agree with Osama bin Laden.
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.
Google's Jawa Fatwa
Okay, so it's not a fatwa, but the fact that Google has found in necessary to put a content warning page on my Flush the Koran blog leaves me all warm and tingly in a funny place. A Koran in the toilet is offensive, but not softcore porn (NSFW blogspot site)! It's almost like Google was full of hypocrisy or something.....
UPDATE: Related
Rahman Free and Safe at Last
To update Rusty’s post here we have good news. AP is reporting that Abdul is safely out of Afghanistan.
AP via Yahoo :KABUL, Afghanistan - An Afghan man who had faced the death penalty after converting from Islam to Christianity left Afghanistan Early Wednesday, according to a foreign legal expert closely connected to the case.Now he is reported to have arrived in Italy. Good news indeed. If we work hard we may be able to gain more freedom for Christians in Muslim nations. This man is only one of many who face persecution and death.The official, who declined to be identified due to the sensitive nature of the case, said Abdul Rahman, 41, had been flown out of Afghanistan, but it was unclear to where.
Italian authorities said Wednesday that they had granted asylum to Rahman, who faced the death penalty for converting to Christianity.
The Italian authorities said Rahman could arrive in Italy as soon as Wednesday.
""If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under."Just as correct now as ever. Credit is also due the Catholic Church, Pope Benedict and the nation of Italy for their hard work. Also to Afghanistan for moving one step closer to freedom."No arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women."
- Ronald Reagan
Hat Tip : memphis761 for Reagan quotes.
32 Bad Guys, Two Good Guys Killed in Afghanistan
We are at war with the Taliban, yet Yale has no problem admitting a Taliban spokesman as a student. I wonder if Goebbels would have been admitted in 1943? God Bless our soldiers fighting in Afghanistan and may those who gave the ultimate sacrifice rest in peace.
Militants attacked a coalition forces base in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday, sparking a fierce battle that killed 32 suspected Taliban militants and two troops - one American and one Canadian, officials said.The battle in Helmand province's Sangin district also wounded three Canadian soldiers, Canadian Brig. Gen. David Fraser told reporters at a base in southern Kandahar city. In addition, a U.S. military statement said an American soldier was hurt.
The fighting was the deadliest in months and highlights the threat rebels still pose four years after the Taliban was ousted by U.S.-led coalition forces. Direct attacks on foreign bases are unusual, and Wednesday's assault comes after the Taliban warned of a renewed offensive this year.
WTW Apostate Howie
Yes I’ve been you know a bit bored with being Baptist and I’ve been looking for a “Death Cult” to join you know mid life crisis. I’ve been seeking danger and generally missing being young and stupid. So I tried the Satanists but they wanted me to strangle a live kitten to gain power and hey man I just won’t go there. So after hearing all the cool stuff about Islam, I thought, hey next best thing. I mean you can rip off, screw over, lie to, and blow up infidels whenever things don’t all go just your way. It’s so much more fun than pesky Christianity. You know all that admit it’s your fault, no sin, and treat people well stuff. It’s hard. Plus add to the fact I can abdicate my responsibility for my wife and children with just three words! Rape hot Infidel women with impunity. So I decided to convert to Islam.
Here Goes, the following events occurred yesterday at the Tatooine Bureau between 8 am and 9 am….
Howie: Rusty I’m converting, can you hand me that new Koran go got over there?
Rusty : Here you go Howie.
Howie: Whew man! This thing reeks, What the hell is that stuff all over our Koran?
Rusty : It’s a special piss blend I made. Me, See-Dub, and old tom cat really gives it a kick. You like it?
Howie : Ughh, How did you get the cat to….never mind.
Pages turning.
Howie makes comment: Rusty, this stuff reads like the ranting of an old drunken Charles Manson.
Rusty : Yeah pretty much.
Howie: There is not god but Allah and Mohammad is his prophet. Now I need to pray, which way to the idol? Err Uh, I mean Mecca.
Rusty : That way Howie.
Howie : OK thanks. Does this idol not suck? I mean it’s a box. Can we not get something cooler like a nude statue of Angelina Jolie?
Howie : Man Rusty, for some reason I keep wanting to blow us all up and that nanny goat out back is looking pretty hot. I’ve got to convert back to Christianity and fast. YPB can you do my baptism?
YBP appears with a glowing light surrounding his head : I think so, but are you not Baptist. How do I do that.
Howie: You have to dunk me.
YBP: Do you Howie accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior?
Howie: Yes sir!
YBP : Ok, Let us pray.
And YPB lets loose with a very eloquent prayer and then : In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost I baptize thee Howie.
Rusty after a couple minutes: Uh YBP I think you are supposed to let him up otherwise it’s called drowning not baptism.
Greg from corner of room, Greg is always standing in the corner here : No leave him in, leave him in! If he doesn’t drown it proves he is a witch or JOOOooooo controlled android.
YBP: OK, I’m kind of new at this part. Greg, be nice.
Howie: Praise the Lord! I’m saved!
Here are your White Trash Wednesday bloggers
It's Official: Our Afghan Allies Are Fascists
I guess the only positive way to spin the story that the Afghani Parliament is demanding that Abdul Rahman remain in the country so he can receive punishment for apostasy is that at least they're our SOBs. Between the Taliban and the new fascist leaders of Afghanistan who are pro-American, I'll take the latter.
AP:
Afghanistan's parliament demanded Wednesday that the government prevent a man who faced the death penalty for abandoning Islam for Christianity from being able to flee the country.BBC:Abdul Rahman was released from prison Monday after a court dropped charges of apostasy against him because of a lack of evidence and suspicions he may be mentally ill.
"We sent a letter and called the Interior Ministry and demanded they not allow Abdul Rahman to leave the country," parliamentary speaker Yunus Qanooni told reporters on behalf of the entire body.
The issue was discussed in the Afghan parliament on Wednesday, with almost all MPs in agreement that "his leaving Afghanistan must be prohibited", the AFP news agency reported.Dr Assadullah Hymatyar, an MP from Logar province, told the BBC that parliament was planning to investigate the events that led to Mr Rahman's release.
"We will ask the judge to explain to us why he was released. In the beginning they said he was mentally fit. So why is he mentally unfit now?" he asked.
"If he is really mentally unfit than that's a separate issue. But if not we will ask the judge why he allowed international pressure to influence him."
March 28, 2006
Nuking Mecca Back on the Table
Remember that whole nuking Mecca uproar I caused awhile back? Knowing that the Saudis are developing nukes just adds a whole new dimension to it.
Related:
The Case for Nuking Mecca
Nuking Mecca and MAD
The Case for Nuking Mecca as a MAD Strategy
It's Official: Nuking Terrorists Now on Table
(Hat tip: Allah. Okay, not really. For some reason Allah never seems to mail me when he e-mails the cool kids like Goldstein and Johnson. Just once I'd like to say "hat tip Allah" and it be true.]
Declassified Iraqi Intel Documents Reveal Ties to French State Owned Oil Company
Another translated Iraqi intel document has been released which implicates a French state run oil company in efforts to stop the U.S. led invasion of Iraq. Document: ISGZ-2004-028179 as translated here ties two European businessmen convicted in France's largest corruption scandal to the Saddam Hussein regime. The first is Loik Le Floch-Prigent, the former head of the French state owned oil company Elf-Aquitaine, convicted of fraud and bribery late in 2003. His conviction revolved around a scandal involving bribes and kickbacks to various corrupt oil rich governments around the world. His conviction also implicated the Socialist government of Francois Mitterrand in the scandal. Because Elf-Acquitaine is a state owned enterprised, it has long been thought to be a secret arm of French diplomacy.
In 1994, under the leadership of Loik Le Floch-Prigent, the French oil company negotiated lucrative contracts with Iraqi Oil Minister Safa al-Habobi, giving Elf-Acquitaine exclusive rights to the Majnoon oil fields on the border with Iran. Another French government owned company, Total SA--which would later merge with Elf-Acquitaine--was given rights to another oil field. The contracts were worth $100 billion over seven years but were conditioned on the U.N. sanctions being lifted. The major share of oil pumped during the oil-for food regime was done by the now merged Elf-Total SA & Russia's Gazprom.
France, then, had considerable financial interests in seeing that no U.S. invasion took place, and Loik Le Floch-Prigent's former company would be the main conduit for that gain. In January 2003, when this document was written, Le Floch was an independent energy consultant, presumably working for one or another of the French state owned companies.
Dieter Holzer is a German lobbyist connected to the French company. He helped arrange the sale of the East German Leuna oil refinery, during the privatization of formerly Communist run state enterprises, to Elf-Acquitaine during the early 1990s. Holzer is said to have ties to the German intelligence community and was convicted of taking kickbacks in the Elf scandal in November 2003.
From the translated Iraqi intel files. Emphasis mine & my comments in brackets. The entire document is not republished, only those parts which I felt needed more commentary:
The Republic of IraqI'll break from the document for this important information. According to the CIA, Ghazi Faysal:The Intelligence Apparatus
The respectful Mr Director of the Apparatus
Subject: The Frenchman Le Floch and the German Dieter Holzer
In the date of 10/1/2003 [this date is January 10, 2003 & uses the common international dating system] the two mentioned above arrived to the country in visit for two days only and they did during their stay with the following activities:
1. They met with the deputy of the Industry and minerals ministry and they spoke with him about the possibility of building the non working factories since the year 1991 and provide the country with the spare parts that the ministry needs in the domain of industry. [Clearly, they were lobbying on behalf of French interests to complete the projects started in the early 1990's. Part of the deal brokered by Le Floch during his tenure as head of the state owned company was that his company agreed to restore the oil infrastructure damaged in the Gulf War.]
2. They met with Mr. Ghazi Faysal the chairman of the department First Political Department in the foreign ministry and they spoke with him about the following subjects:
Worked to build Tariq under the OMI after MSE was destroyed in the first Gulf war. Served as the director of Tariq until moving to al-Basel center....Interesting. Back to the document:Ghazi Faisal had instructed the researchers to avoid synthesis of organophosphorus compounds as it might cause them difficulties with the UN, according to ISG interviews with Tariq scientists, and a senior scientist claimed he did not know of any synthesis of phosphorus based compounds.
The Tariq Company, also referred to as the Tariq Facility and formerly the Tariq State Establishment, encompassed several facilities near Fallujah...a research site in Baghdad ....and several storage locations. Tariq was subordinate to the former Muthanna State Establishment (MSE) chemical weapons (CW) research, production and storage facility near Samarra before it was destroyed. It has a long history of ties to Iraq’s CW program, and throughout the 1990s continued to house key CW scientists and maintain basic capabilities to produce at least some CW precursor chemicals. Iraq renovated key processes and reinitiated production of basic chemicals in 2000.
A. The German Holtzer confirmed that Chancellor Shroeder does not like the Leader President [Saddam Hussein] but he still oppose the war and it is because of his stand on this he won the latest elections and in case his stand changes this will lead to his loss of the Chancellery and that he hot replacement is ready to win the position and he is the economy minister the German Clement from the ruling Socialist German Party. [So, even though Schroeder wasn't a big Saddam fan, he had to oppose the war since flip-flopping would mean his government would fall]There's more here.B. He mentioned that a meeting in Beijing in the beginning of this month was held between the Prime minister of China and the German Chancellor Schroeder in the occasion of the opening project for the fast train and the latter was asked about the information that was obtained by the Chinese intelligence and it says that Iraq has moved his mass of destruction weapon to Syria and the German Chancellor told him that the German intelligence did not indicate this. And after two days the US state secretary went to Damascus to check on this with the Syrian government that in turn denied this news.. [So, the Chinese thought that Saddam was moving his WMD to Syria, but German intelligence could not confirm it and the Syrians denied it to then Sec. State Powell]
C. He suggested the idea of bringing the Pope John Paul II to visit the country because this visit cause Bush Junior to lose his balance and that he has good relation with the originally German (Ratzinger) in the Vatican and that the latter has influence has influence through waving the card of the financial support that Germany give to the Vatican and it is estimated to be (around 6 billions dollars yearly). [Odd that Ratzinger, who is now the Pope, was seen as a way to influence the Pope's to oppose the war. In my estimation, John Paul II was one of the few politicians who opposed the war on purely philisophical grounds]
D. He indicated that Chirac became a honorary President of Europe not through elections but through popularity since most of the countries of Europe oppose the war but this man is not courageous and he needs the support of Iraq and for example present what proves that his weapons of mass destruction were destroyed. [Ha! Jacques Chirac 'not courageous'. Indeed. So Chirac needed proof, even though his own intelligence agencies were asserting that Iraq had WMD]
C. He express the readiness of French and German companies to execute projects in Iraq as long as the necessary moneys are guaranteed to execute these projects because its revenue decreased lately due the decrease of oil exports. [Again, France is waiting to do business again with Iraq as soon as the sanctions are lifted. What is so odd is how the Left cannot seem to see that the alternative to war was the sanctions, which were quickly eroding under pressure from countries like France that had a financial interest in seeing them lifted.]
3.In our meeting with the German Holzer he spoke about the following subjects:
A. He was shown a secret report prepared by the French Army Chief of Staff who presented to Jacques Chirac warning him of the losses that the French troops suffered in Spain and Germany during Napoleon campaigns because the participation of France in the possible war against Iraq will let her suffer huge human losses because it is impossible getting the Iraqi President by aerial bombing and that the entering in street fights will be a disaster for them. [French army trying to scare themselves out of participating in war? ]
B. He intend to buy a residential house in Baghdad under the name of his wife where as his wife is Palestinian and that he visited one of the houses in Arsat and he paid the house own (150) 150 thousand dollars but the latter asked for 300 thousand dollars. [Was Holzer thinking of skipping town to avoid prosecution and moving to Iraq? Sure sounds like it.]
What is so interesting about this is the depths of the relationship between the French oil company and Iraq and just how blatantly obvious it is that France's national interests were not served by the Iraq war. As I've argued dozens of times here, the Democratic arguement that Bush's failure to gain UN approval and to draw in a larger coalition for the Iraq war was a failure of diplomacy is utter nonsense. Nations go to war because they believe it is in their national interests, and coalitions form when those interests are aligned. No amount of diplomacy or talking can realign those interests. Whether or not Madeline Albright was Sec. of State or Al Gore was President of the United States mattered not one iota. Iraq was not a failur of diplomacy, it was a failure to have allies with mutual interests. Nothing more, nothing less.
TypePad = Bad Gay
Below the fold is a link to my wife's OLD TYPEPAD BLOG, before she moved to mu.nu.
Let me repeat. Her OLD TYPEPAD BLOG
If you are a TypePad customer, take note. If you leave TypePad, this could happen to you.
TypePad refuses to remove the site, although it clearly violates their TOS.
UPDATE: Link removed, that's enough sending it traffic. Just remember, TypePad members, your old URL may be converted into a porn site.
More support from Beth.
The Latest Blood Libel Lie in Iraq
What would you do if every day you saw images of dead civilians, women, and children? Now, imagine that you are told these deaths were the result of Americans intentionally killing civilians. If this was your perception of reality, then you too would probably feel an obligation to fight America. At the very least, you would support those that took up arms.
Now imagine that it was mainstream media sources that were reporting Americans had massacred Iraqi civilians. The media, instead of challenging the version of the story as delivered by radical Islamists that routinely lie, equivocate and act as if the story told by U.S. soldiers is only one version of the truth. That the word of a U.S. soldier is just as suspect as that of Muqtada al Sadr.
Propagating the lie that U.S. soldiers massacre mosque worshippers constitutes a form of blood libel. By portraying American troops as blood thirsty murderers, jihadi propagandists create an atmosphere of obligatory vendettas. What moral person could stand by and let the Americans get away with this type of murder? By treating that lie as if it was a legitimate viewpont, the media help prolong the war on terror. Worse, they give jihadis recruiting power, which leads to the death of more U.S. soldiers and eventually civilians.
Take for instance this story from the Christian Science Monitor--a publication usually known for its excellent reporting--which treats the 'truth' as something unknowable:
Did US forces attack a mosque in a Shiite district of Baghdad Sunday night, killing 17 unarmed worshippers, an act that Iraq's Shiite interior minister called a "horrible violation" that has dominated Iraqi TV and sparked a political outcry?See how that works? Two versions of the story, both of equal weight.Or, did Iraqi special forces, backed up by US advisers, take on a "terrorist cell" at an office complex, kill 16 "insurgents," and free an Iraqi hostage - only to have Iraqi provocateurs, as top US commanders allege, "set the scene up" to look like an atrocity?
The Asian Tribune is even worse, stating that a massacre occured as a matter of fact:
Iraq: US mosque massacre deepens occupation’s crisisHere, the Chicago Tribune talks about a 'mosque raid' as if it were a fact. U.S. troops have said that there was a raid, but it was not in a mosque:The massacre of as many as 40 unarmed worshipers in a northeast Baghdad mosque Sunday has triggered a political crisis that threatens to accelerate Iraq’s descent into civil war while sharply intensifying the hatred of millions of Iraqis for the three-year-old US occupation of their country.
Deadly mosque raid in Iraq enrages ShiitesBy the way, the authors of the above Tribune article are Aamer Madhani & Nadeem Majeed. You'd expect such nonsense from the official newspaper of Saudi Arabia, the Arab News --and you wouldn't be disappointed--but not the Chicago Tribune.Shiite political leaders erupted in anger Monday over a U.S.-Iraqi raid that killed at least 16 people at a Baghdad mosque complex, suspending negotiations on the formation of a new government and spurring the provincial governor to cut ties with U.S. officials.
The British taxpayer supported BBC aids in the murdering of its own troops in Iraq by publishing pictures of the aftermath of the raid in which it declares as a matter of fact that it was against 'a Baghdad prayer complex'.
And here is a Washington Post article which also equivocates between the two sides. It identifies AP reporters who were oonvinced the complex raided was a mosque. Hmmm, I wonder if it was local pro-insurgent AP stringers often employed by that organization?
The question that arises is whether or not the media has some culpability in the death of U.S., British, Iraqi, and other Coalition soldiers when the stories they write inflame the fans of hatred and make winning the war impossible. When did the Chicago Tribune forget that it was in Chicago? When did the Washington Post forget that it was in Washington? Do these organizations have any loyalty whatsoever to their country and fellow citizens? Or are they so cosmopolitan that they believe the death of a U.S. soldier is no more sad than the death of a member of Muqtada al Sadr's terror brigades?
UPDATE: More commentary from Bluto here.
Iraqi Terrorists Admit Saudi Behind Suicide Blast
In a press statement released yesterday, the al Qaeda linked Mujahdin Shura Council of Iraq announced that a Saudi national was behind the suicide-murder of between 18 and 40 Iraqis outside of a U.S. base near Tal Afar. The attack, near the Syrian border, wounded at least 30 others. Here is a copy of the press release along with commentary in brackets.
[Apostasy is a capital offense under Islamic law. Therefore, by declaring fellow-Muslims "apostates", the al Qaeda linked organization is attempting to justify its murder. The Quran explicitly prohibits the killing of fellow Muslims, but many hadiths, or traditions, claim that Muhammed approved of killing apostates.]
In the name of Allah the most Gracious the most Merciful
O’ Allah, straighten up our aim and make us stand firm
All Praise and thanks are Allah’s, the Lord of all that exists. And peace be upon our prophet Muhammad, his family and companions in entirety.
One of your brothers, who came from the land of Muhammed (peace be upon him) [this is a reference to Saudi Arabia--Muhammed's land], and a lion of the martyrdom brigade [reference to an Iraqi who helped--see organizational chart of Shura Council here], attacked this morning (Monday, 27-03-2006), using his highly explosive vest, passing all the security check points of the Crusaders’ “Tamart Camp” north east of Tal Afar, plunging among hundreds of the National guards apostates cadets. The operation was of high success, causing the death and injury of hundreds of the opostates [the death toll was actually between 18 - 40, with 30 or so more injured. Very high, but not "hundreds"], all praise and gratitude be to Allah.
Allah is great, [blah, blah, blah]
'' Honor, power and glory belong to Allah, to his messenger, and to the believers, but the hypocrites know not. ''
Sean Penn Has Ann Coulter Voodoo Doll
From Contact Music, via the Drudge Report:
Hollywood activist SEAN PENN has a plastic doll of conservative US columnist ANN COULTER that he likes to abuse when angry. The Oscar-winner actor has hated Coulter ever since she blacklisted his director father LEO PENN in her book TREASON. And he takes out his frustrations with Coulter, who is a best-selling author, lawyer and television pundit, on the Barble-like doll. In an interview with The New Yorker magazine, Penn reveals, "We violate her. There are cigarette burns in some funny places. She's a pure snake-oil salesman. She doesn't believe a word she says."Pinkie the Sensuous Sailor, special Hollywood correspondent to The Dread Pundit Bluto, has learned that the "torture doll" is actually a specially modified full-size Corinthian leather "Courtney Love 3-Input Receptacle" model, which Penn uses for other purposes besides the symbolic abuse...
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto.
Moderate Islam Exists
If it's true that MSM has failed to tell the story about our strategy in Iraq, omitting not only the big picture but most of the successes, why is it not also true that MSM has failed to tell the story of moderate Islam? The same juvenile ethic that promotes bang bang over hard work and dedication is also fixated on jihadism, for the same reasons. And anyone who counts on MSM to keep them well informed, isn't. (h/t: Winds)
New Jawa Look
After many complaints, I've decided to go with the light background as the default until I reconfigure the template. Personally, I like the black. However, you can set which background color you like by clicking the link in the upper corner of the right hand column.
Putin Caught Plagiarizing
The Washington Times reports that large parts of an economics thesis written by President Vladimir Putin in the mid-1990s were lifted straight out of a U.S. management textbook published 20 years earlier.
Not surprised one bit. Long time readers know that I spent a year studying at a university in Moscow, Russia. Plagiarism is rampant and so is cheating. Russian students make American students look like angels. I'm completely serious. And I'm saying this while looking at an academic violation report on my desk right now because I caught a student cheating on the midterm. In fact, my experience was that professors not only expected what we would consider cheating, but they encouraged it.
In Russian universities students are assigned a "faculty" and a "course". You might be tempted to think of this as a "major" and a "year" (ie, freshman, sophomore), but it's not like that at all. Think of it like being given a home-room assignment in high-school. All the students in a particular "course" and "faculty" take all of the same classes together pretty much for the entire time they are in college. The students learn to "help each other out". This group-think mentality is encouraged. So much so, that professors often drop off a test and then walk out of the class so that the students can work together on the answers!
Another example. The year before I went to Moscow I got to know the Russian students at my college fairly well. One of them wanted to stay in the U.S. and go to grad school. Since there really isn't the equivalent of a G.P.A. in Russia, and since his professors didn't particularly care for him anyway, he forged his Russian university records, walked over to Kinko's, and faxed them to various grad schools! What was the reaction of the other Russians? No. Big. Deal.
John Kerry's Celery Flip Flop
John Kerry was for celery, before he was against it. That still leaves the question of his porn addiction unanswered.
Will Blog for Food--Is it time to leave academia? (UPDATED)
Scroll down for updates.
I'm pretty depressed about not getting that job. It was my dream job. So, I'm starting to think about leaving academia. Apparently I'm a much better blogger than I am a teacher or academic. The only other skill I have is lover, but I'm afraid Mrs. Shackleford put an end to pimping my favors out long ago.
So, that leaves me with blogging. If there is anybody out there that needs a semi-famous anonymous blogger to write for whatever cause they're into, I'm willing to do it. Cheap. And by famous, I mean in the professional bowling sense of the word. You know, medium sized fish in very small and obscure pond. Call me a whore, but I need the money and I'm sick and tired of dealing with barely literate students with inflated senses of entitlement.
I'd probably be better working for a libertarian or right-of-center organization than for anything on the Left. I'm willing to try it, though. I do a fairly decent job of mimmicking Chomsky and can drop "East Timor" or "corporate interests" into just about any sentence. True, my heart won't be in it, but as a heartless libertarian I'm not sure that it matters.
I do draw the line at N.A.M.B.L.A., though. There's no way I'd work for such a despicable organization. Those disgusting Marlon Brando look-alikes with their beady eyes......
Anyway, I'm open to suggestions. I do love to write. I do love to blog. People seem to enjoy reading what I have to say. Millions more care about what I write on this blog than will ever care about my academic research. I'm beginning to think that I'd be much better off doing something like this full time than having one foot in academia and the other in the world of online publishing.
I'd love to hear from anybody who has a hot job prospect or maybe even advice.
UPDATE: Just for the record, I still have a job, but I was hoping to get a job at another university. So, I'm not starving, just miserable.
I do think that my blogging is affecting my career. I spend so much time doing it that it leaves little for the research end of academia. Which is why I'm considering doing something like this full time, if I could make it work financially.
UPDATE II: Glenn advised me in an e-mail to stick with the day job, and reminds me that its tough to make a living blogging. Very true, indeed.
I'm not necessarily trying to become a full-time blogger, but I'm not sure academia is the place for me anymore either. I've got a lot of great comments from you guys, thanks for your support.
If there was money to be had in open source intelligence analysis, then I'd be In Like Flint. The problem is that open source means any one has access to it. I have no special skills in this area and I can't imagine how my wife and three kids could be supported doing it.
Especially intriguing is the notion of writing a syndicated column. The problem with being untenured would be the transition. I imagine that one cannot make a living right off the bat, so I'd have to continue teaching. Which of course reveals the major problem: it's awfully hard to keep a job at a university while simultaneously being a public figure who is right-of-center.
Man Divorces Wife While Sleeping
(West Bengal, India) Using all my imagination, I couldn't come up with this scenario.
From Aljazeera.net:
A Muslim couple in India have been told by local Islamic leaders that they must separate after the husband "divorced" his wife in his sleep.So, in a nutshell, Aftab accidentally divorces his wife because he talks in his sleep, OR she made it up to get rid of him. Either way, I'm bewildered by the screwiness of the religion of peace.The Press Trust of India said in a report published on Monday that Sohela Ansari had told friends that her husband Aftab had uttered the word "talaq" or divorce, three times in his sleep.
When local Islamic leaders heard about the incident, they said Aftab's words constituted a divorce under an Islamic procedure known as "triple talaq."The couple, married for 11 years with three children, were told that they had to split.
The religious leaders ruled that if the couple wanted to remarry they would have to wait at least 100 days. Sohela would also have to marry another man, spend at least a night with him and be divorced by him.
From Interested-Participant.
Interpol Warns of Al Qaeda Biological Attack
(Singapore) According to Ronald Noble, Secretary-General of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), al Qaeda terrorists are preparing to engage in biological warfare. Countries are being urged to pass laws to allow police to investigate scientific activity that leads to manufacture of biological weapons.
From KhaleejTimes.com:
There is enough evidence to show that Al Qaeda is preparing to engage in biological warfare, Noble said.Representatives of 26 Asian nations were encouraged to implement law enforcement measures to prevent biological attacks."It can't be that we as a world community have to wait for a September 11 type of attack in bio-terrorism before we prepare," Noble told government officials, police and health experts attending the Asian Terrorism Workshop.
"Unlike other forms of terrorist acts where the impact can be felt almost instantaneously in the aftermath, we may not realize that a biological attack has occurred until perhaps days or even weeks later," said Ho Peng Kee, Singapore's senior minister of state for law and home affairs.I'd interpret the overall message from the conference as, "Listen up, people. It's time to quit sitting on your thumbs.""By that time, the terrorist may already have fled the country or succumbed to the biological agent, and all the valuable investigative leads may have disappeared," Ho noted in a keynote address.
From Interested-Participant.
Senate Judiciary Committee Sells Country Down the River
Republicans and Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee decided today to forego the rule of law in this country, at least as it applies to immigration laws. They voted to decriminalize illegal aliens and those who aid and abet them.
From MSNBC:
WASHINGTON - The Senate Judiciary Committee approved election-year immigration legislation Monday that clears the way for millions of undocumented workers to seek U.S. citizenship without having to first leave the country.Presumably, the Republicans are motivated by the prospect of dirt-cheap labor, while the Democrats hope to harvest votes from the illegal immigrant "community".After days of street demonstrations that stretched from California to the grounds of the U.S. Capitol, the committee also voted to strip out proposed criminal penalties for residents found to be in this country illegally.
The question now is why the Senate Judiciary Committee thinks that reformed immigration laws will be obeyed, since they've just demonstrated that disobeying the law carries no penalties and offers enormous benefits for the criminal.
Meanwhile, the tens of thousands of people who are waiting to legally immigrate have just been slapped in the face.
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto.
March 27, 2006
Abdul Rahman Released
CNN is flying a banner saying Abdul has been released from custody.
Developing...
It was reported today that Rahman would seek safety outside Afghanistan. No word yet on what country, if any, he has been moved to.
UN via The TimesAdrian Edwards, a UN spokesman in Kabul, said that he expected that one of the countries interested in a peaceful solution to the case would give refuge to 41-year-old Mr Rahman.
Ok, found the AP original Story and it says that Mr. Rahman was released just outside of Kabul. Hopefully this is a somewhat of a ruse and he was met there and taken to safety.
AP via Yahoo News : Justice Minister Mohammed Sarwar Danish told The Associated Press that the 41-year-old was released from the high-security Policharki prison on the outskirts of Kabul late Monday.Does I don't know mean long gone? Does outskirts mean at the airport? It's possible the county that takes him may be a bit skittish about going public. I would hate to think of the other possibilities."We released him last night because the prosecutors told us to," he said. "His family was there when he was freed, but I don't know where he was taken."
It's the Numbers, Stupid!
A Latvian friend of mine is puzzled by the enormous demonstrations erupting hither and yon in opposition to the Sensenbrenner Bill. His take is that it's rational to restrict entry, especially since the jobs these workers take would otherwise go to poorer Americans. So why does the "left" appear to hate poor people so much? Well, it's not really very complicated. It's the numbers.
In the wake of Ruy Teixeira's The Emerging Democratic Majority a coherent strategy has gained consensus. People in the Democratic Party have done a calculation that tells them the only way they can achieve an electoral majority in the future is if they swell the ranks of voters with large numbers of "people of color." The motivation is really quite cynical as well as short-sighted. Many hispanics vote conservative after they've been here long enough to become convinced of the American Ideology, so the only way this "browning of America" could actually work is if the influx is faster than our capacity to assimilate the new recruits into the melting pot. (And multiculturalism helps, because it insulates the immigrants from all that destructive Lockean talk of individual sovereignty.) It's also slightly racist, since it assumes that "people of color" can usually be talked into voting against their own long term interests if you keep them barefoot in their isolated enclaves. (Past generations might have called these "ghettos" but the politically correct term is "communities of color.")
In short, they've made a decision to undermine and and, if possible, destroy the ideology that holds the nation together, simply because it's inconvenient for them and they can't think of policies that fit within the constraints that Lockeanism imposes. The name of the game is "end around" and they're hoping they don't get shoved out of bounds. Somewhere along the line they made a commitment to a form of relabelled and reconditioned Marxism and have so lost touch that they don't even know the origins of their own belief system.
And since two ideas are always better than one, let me also observe that Hillary is no Clinton. She's about as politically tone-deaf as anyone I've ever seen, and that quip about good samaritanism and criminalizing Jesus just isn't going to cut it. People of faith don't like to be lectured by the likes of Hillary. Not only don't they believe she's got any moral legitimacy (especially of a religous nature) but she was waggling her paternalism like she was proud of it!
The Gulag That is North Korea
Watch these vidoes. Try not to cry. Do get angry. Despite being the world's number one recipient of food aid, millions continue to starve in the gulag that is North Korea.
This one is in Japanese, but the pictures tell the story. A Japanese businessman visits a town near Pyongyang and comes across some orphans outside huddled around a fire in the snow.
Propaganda. The good kind.
John Kerry's Porn Addiction
John Kerry has a compulsive pornography addiction, new documents released by The Smoking Gun reveal. In a rider stipulating important hotel ammenities including 'celery' and a 'recumbant bike', Kerry's 2004 election camp also insisted that:
...the ability to order movies n-suite (sic) should always be turned on and ready for JK's arrival. I know this may seem trivial but these things make JK very happy.Okay, so nowhere in the documents is pornography mentioned. But, come on, you do the math. Pay-per-view hotel movies make John Kerry, not just happy, but very happy. Campaign financed in-room movies with the not-so-subtle disclosure that movie titles do not show up on credit card bill. That alone isn't enough to convince me John Kerry likes the porn, but, come on, have you seen Teresa Heinz-Kerry lately? You'd turn to porn, too.
Hat tip to Ace who has a great Top Ten list.
Flying Seal Guts
(Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island) The hunting of cute and fuzzy harp seal pups in the Gulf of St. Lawrence commenced on Saturday with a meddlesome crowd of animal rights activists and media providing interference.
From TheChronicleHerald.ca:
Protesters had to dodge flying seal guts pitched at them by angry hunters Saturday as tempers flared on the first day of Canada's East Coast seal slaughter.Eeeeww! Being slathered with seal guts has to be particularly unpleasant.News reporters and animal rights activists tried to get as close as permitted to the hunt on the Gulf of St. Lawrence, but their presence infuriated sealers as they hunted for scarce animals on small, drifting ice pans.
At one point, a sealing vessel charged up to a small Zodiac inflatable boat carrying reporters and protesters, and a sealer flung seal intestines into the midst of the observers.
Despite the enduring protests, however, the Canadian government has authorized the seal hunters to take 91,000 animals in the Gulf of St. Lawrence this year. Next month, another 234,000 seals are authorized to be taken off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador. These numbers seem large but not when viewed in relation to the estimated total of over 5 million seals which, by the way, have been blamed for the diminishing codfish stocks in the North Atlantic. Nonetheless, seal harvesting is a messy business which naturally energizes fervent environmentalists and animal rights activists.
In opposition, Rebecca Aldworth of the Humane Society of the United States and other protesters express several primary complaints, including:
- Too many seals are being taken,Most important to the hunt opponents is the reported skinning of seals while they are still alive and images of suffering animals waiting for the final whack. Since the animal activists appear to disapprove of every method used to kill the seals, one could assume that none is acceptable.- The government is not factoring global warming into calculations for the hunt, and
- The inhumane methods of killing the seals.
However, a resolution for the conflict between the seal hunters and their opponents may exist. There is one method for quickly killing animals that the liberal community of animal rights activists and environmentalists would likely approve since it has gained wide acceptance elsewhere. The method would require the seal hunters to be present at the time of the seal pup's birth. The hunter would wait for the baby seal's head to come out of the mother's body, then the skull would be crushed and the brains would be sucked out using a vacuum. The animal's quick demise is guaranteed and, ostensibly, humane.
From Interested-Participant.
Blog Sabbath Caption Contest - Play Matlock Edition
Yes play any roll in the courtroom other than Phil. Judge, Prosecutor, Juror, Happless Defense Lawyer. You get it and no Andy Griffith required just but it may help with the judge. It also means that at least one person will post as Phil himself.
I'll start us off with this :
I may be a killer but just look at me, I'm Crazy Man!May the force be with you! Wait a minute, I broke my own rule dag nabbit.
Fatwa issued against : Yo for :
"It only get's like this when I'm guilty."Fatwa also issued against Greame, who we would like to have in America, for blantantly attempting to please the blogger(judge) and coming up with this :
Yes your honour, my client did kill, but a man has a limited tolerance when it comes to people blowing on his head and then yelling: "What kind of lame a** dandelion is this?"" Just at that moment, Matlock touched his frying pan and was shocked by his malfunctioning electric stove. Elsewhere at that same moment, a frustrated James Brown was pretending to be asleep as fellow passenger Howie continued to talk: "Yeah, I like Motown music, but what I really love are nipples!"Honorable mention to Vinnie who can't win because he's a co-blogger for :
"The Dread Pundit Bluto, with hair."Fatwa issued against Dr. Rusty Shackleford for not playing.
And last but not least Venom because Vinne is scared of him and it's some sort of tradition :
"So, if I go to jail, will my Pr0pecia prescription continue to be filled? Bummer"Several others were good too but I have to be strong and pick. I hate that.
So while I was digging this up this morning I ran across this. I thought it was too much for the Jawa but apparently exposed nips are in this year. Hooray. What you got to say to that Matlock? Original nips and all over here so Rusty doesn’t get in trouble. Not sure Rusty would want exposed nips on the Jawa he has enough problems. Also this proves that I like babes a bit too much maybe and why I love yahoo. #1 in nipples. Extra points if you can include Motown and a shocked Matlock and James Brown in one post. Hopefully Rusty got some wilderness loving this weekend but not maybe he'll come in and see these. Next he will feel happy and blog a bunch. Not really safe for work but you could agrue it's art.
Moussaoui says he was to be part of 9/11 attacks
So much for the defense.
ALEXANDRIA, Virginia (Reuters) - Zacarias Moussaoui said on Monday he was supposed to fly a fifth airplane into the White House as part of the September 11 plot and he knew that two planes were due to fly into the World Trace Center.
In testimony at his sentencing trial, Moussaoui -- the only person charged in the United States in connection with the September 11 attacks -- said "shoebomber" Richard Reid was to join him as part of the crew in the suicide mission.
Die Troll Die Part II
I had to do some stuff to kill a troll this AM. If you have trouble making comments please email me or Rusty. Not you our regular trolls who just say stuff. You guys are OK....For Now!!!! muhahahaahah!!!
Update : I'm on you like stink on shit, now go away boy you bother me.
American Legion Wants to Stop Flow of Tax Dollars to ACLU
Though most Americans are unaware of it, the American Civil Liberties Union takes millions of dollars per year from the American taxpayers to cover attorneys' fees for suing them. This is based on a Federal law that requires a plaintiff's attorneys' fees to be paid by the government if a court finds that the plaintiff's civil rights have been violated. The law has become a gravy train for the rapacious solicitors who make the aCLU their career.
Now, the American Legion is supporting a reform measure by Representative John Hostettler (R-IN), which would close this loophole and take the ACLU off the public dole, thus discouraging frivolous suits intended only to generate income for ACLU lawyers.
From BP News:
WASHINGTON (BP)--Indiana’s John Hostettler is trying for the fifth consecutive Congress to prevent the American Civil Liberties Union from receiving government funds when it succeeds at legal challenges to public expressions of religion.The American Legion released a 40-page document Feb. 28 urging its members to work for passage of Hostettler’s bill. The publication, "In the Footsteps of the Founders," provides a blueprint for building local support for the legislation in an effort to urge members of Congress to approve it. The document has been sent to all of the nearly 15,000 American Legion posts, and the organization’s national commander, Tom Bock, has urged members in a written release to “educate and activate” their communities.
Via Stop the ACLU, where Jay has posted a petition you can sign to support the reform legislation.
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto.
Bad News
I didn't get that job I interviewed for and I still haven't got my fatwa. However, I did finally get my free copy of the Quran from C.A.I.R. Desecrating it would probably both cheer me up and get me that fatwa. Two birds, one stone.
If we lose the propaganda war, we lose the war
W. Thomas Smith in Townhall:
Perception is everything. And when applied to the war in Iraq, perception, public opinion, and a far-reaching press are all variables that could ultimately have a hand in any setback or defeat for U.S. and coalition forces in that country...The most important variable in defeating an enemy is that they believe they will lose. Rarely will people fight for a cause that they believe will ultimately fail. That is why we must believe we can win, and why we must convince the enemy that they will lose. And that is why propaganda is such a positive tool. Unfortunately, most people believe that propaganda is somehow bad since it allegedly distorts reality. It can, but so can "unbiased" news. In fact, I would argue, that no news can be "fair and balanced". The very questions we ask are the outcome of our predispositions and therefore lead to inevetable biases.I do, however, have concerns about false and deliberatively inflammatory propaganda aimed at manipulating audiences. I am not suggesting that any press – good or bad – be quashed. What’s good or bad is open to interpretation anyway. But I think we should recognize the difference between news (including reported facts, analysis, and opinion) and propaganda.
We will only win the war on terror when the media bias becomes one in favor of American victory rather than one of defeatism.
Zeropa, Zeropa
John Hawkins interviews Claire Berlinski, author of Menace In Europe: Why the Continent's Crisis Is America's, Too.
Two American & One British Hostage Released in Nigeria
Good News! Xinhua:
hree Western oil workers, including two Americans and a Briton, were released on Monday after being held in Nigeria's oil-rich Niger Delta for more than one month, but their captors immediately threatened more attacks on oil facilities.Thanks to George."They were released to the state government at about 3:20 a.m. (0220 GMT) this morning," Abel Oshevire, spokesman for the Delta state government told Xinhua by telephone. "They are all in good health and with (Royal Dutch) Shell officials, their employer." ...
Oshevire said the government had assured the Ijaw militants belonging to Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta MEND)that they would not be attacked by the Nigerian army after the release.
"There were no conditions. They yielded to the governor plea to allow peace to prevail," he added.
The MEND confirmed the release in an e-mail to Xinhua. "No deal was reached. It was done at the instance of the communities which invited us," said Jomo Gbomo, a self-described spokesman for the militants, in the e-mail. "These communities are satisfied that they will be no longer attacked by the Nigerian military."
Dutchland Uber Alles
The Netherlands is outraged at the gall of comparing their proposed eugenics program as Nazi-like.
Tensions Deepen Within Iran
From the Washington Post, indications that the mullahs have gone too far:
TEHRAN -- Nine months after the election of hard-liner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as president, Iranian politics has shifted so sharply to the right that some traditional conservatives are warning of the dangers of radicalism.These people are absolutely correct to be concerned with the direction Iran has taken, but are Ahmadinejad and the mullahs too far around the bend to listen?With reformists sidelined and Ahmadinejad setting a strident new tone on the global stage, figures from the extreme right of Iran's political spectrum are defining the terms of political debate in the country. In remarks that set off a domestic firestorm, a senior cleric close to the new president suggested in January that Iranian voters were largely irrelevant because the government requires only the approval of God.
Now is the time to make the Iranian people understand clearly what their leaders are monkeying with, and perhaps to make Russia and Red China question the wisdom of sucking up to the current regime.
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto.
March 26, 2006
Gall
Half a million marched in Los Angeles, demanding, in effect, the end of the rule of law in the United States, at least as it applies to illegally entering the country. From the Associated Press via The Drudge Report:
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Thousands of immigration advocates marched through downtown Los Angeles in one of the largest demonstrations for any cause in recent U.S. history.Violating this country's laws by entering illegally, seeking covert employment from criminal US citizens, evading taxes while consuming the services those taxes are meant to provide...then brazenly marching en masse in cities all over the country you have victimized, shouting slogans in a foreign language, with the purpose of subverting its political process takes...gall.More than 500,000 protesters - demanding that Congress abandon attempts to make illegal immigration a felony and to build more walls along the border - surprised police who estimated the crowd size using aerial photographs and other techniques, police Cmdr. Louis Gray Jr. said.
Wearing white T-shirts to symbolize peace, the demonstrators chanted "Mexico!" "USA!" and "Si se puede," an old Mexican-American civil rights shout that means "Yes, we can."
I fault the Federal government for not having the Immigration and Naturalization Service aggressively checking citizenship at all of these insurrections. Each and every one of the estimated 11.5 million illegal aliens within our borders represents a failure of the government to enforce the laws of the nation.
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto.
Go Patriots!
Go Patriots! (Fat chance against UConn, I know, but miracles happen sometimes.) Patriots, the home of The Institute for Humane Studies and the School of Public Choice vs University of Connecticut, home of... pretty much conventional politically correct departments and institutions.
Game time: 2:30PM EST.
Iraqi authorities warn of exploding candy distributed by gunmen in Baghdad
Just when you thought the terrorist scumbags in Iraq couldn't sink any lower.....they do.
BAGHDAD, March 26 (KUNA) - Iraqi Ministry of State for National Security on Sunday warned of touching explosive-packed candy bars found on Baghdad streets.
Abdul Rahman May be Freed
To follow up on Blutos earlier post, CNN is flying a banner this morning(story up) saying western diplomats expect Rahman will be released today. However they are also reporting that Rahman has been moved to Prison. And pope Pope Benedict XVI has formally requested his release. My concern is both that he may be executed and if not his safety upon release. Muslim clerics have called for the people to quote, “Pull him into pieces!”. Rahman remains steadfast in his faith.
Rahman told the Rome daily La Repubblica Via CNN :"I am serene. I have full awareness of what I have chosen. If I must die, I will die, Somebody a long time ago did it for all of us.”Many nations, Christian and Secular have done much for the Muslims in Afghanistan. Your freedom is our cause. As your friends we have seen and taken pity on this man. As a favor and gesture of goodwill I ask that you ensure his safety and free transport to exile to Rome. Deport him if you do not desire his presence and surely his children should be with their Father. I’ve heard quotes from Afghanistan like this one.
Via The Volokh Consiracy : "According to Islamic law he should be sentenced to death because God has clearly stated that Christianity is forbidden in our land," says Mohammed Qadir, another worshipper.Christians are and have been very good brothers to the people of Afghanistan? Why then do you forbid us in your nation? Brothers should stand close to one another and sometimes correct the other. We hear your complaints and are trying to help. Now we ask the same from you.Eugene Volokh Add this:
This is telling evidence, it seems to me, that there is something very wrong in Islam today, and not just in some lunatic terrorist fringe. Doubtless many, I would hope most, Muslims would not endorse executing converts.
I pray for Adbdul Rahman’s safe release. I’m not Catholic but I appreciate the work they are doing. Their help gives me some hope. They have a good track record in these things.
Others: Michelle Malkin, Captain's Quarters, Jihad Watch and The Anchoress.
If you look at religions each as maturing one year per century kind of like dog years = 7 human that makes Christianity 21 and Islam 16. Look little bother we love you and all. You know it’s our commitment to respect all men without regard for his faith. Today breaking news as ABCNEWS throws a pillow at the subject. Hey at least they see there is a Subject.
Hooper of CAIR via ABC because they had too becuase the hadn't yet: All we can do is present an accurate face of Islam to the public." The Koran does not specify the death penalty for people who convert, but it does call conversion a criminal sin. It is up to the interpretation of clerics and judges to decide whether the punishment should be execution.Well you have best tell that these people that and hurry. We are willing to help our little brother and correct him and yes if we have to slap him right up side the head and knock some sense into him. Were sorry about that little brother but you needed it.
Hooper sees this as a crucial distinction. "Obviously we don't think it's a good thing to leave Islam. But judgment is left to God in the next life, not up to people in this life.”
NBC Producer Reamed at Rahman Rally
NBC correspondent Andrea Mitchell's producer was given some basic instruction in humanity by conservative commentator Cam Edwards Friday. Mitchell's producer showed up at a rally for Adbul Rahman, the Afghan facing death for leaving Islam, outside the Afghan embassy in Washington, D.C. The producer was apparently trying to incite anti-Bush quotes from the protesters.
At some point, Edwards gave him an earful that probably won't make the Nightly News, as mainstream media types are inordinately averse to broadcasting uncomplimentary opinions of themselves. Even richly deserved uncomplimentary opinions.
Age of Hooper (The) got video of the exchange, which you can access here. AoH(T) also has photos of the rally. Here's a sample of what Edwards had to say to Mitchell's producer:
If this turns into just another left versus right issue...rather than upholding the ideals of every human rights document from the Declaration of Independence to the UN declaration of international human rights...if we lose sight of that, and if you all [points at producer] turn it into a political issue pitting the conservatives against the President, or conservatives against liberals, then you will have failed to get the message out. [Applause]Advantage, Cam Edwards.
Thanks to Oyster!
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto.
March 25, 2006
Google Chumming Pays Off
From this, comes this comment:
What a magnificent body and beautiful flat stomach. If her breasts weren't so tiny, I'd "cross the street" and become bi-sexual in a heartbeat.
Take that, punks!
In other news, I'm taking a leave of absence. Cya in the funny papers.
Darkhorse Marines Do What They Can (Updated)
From the not-exciting-enough-for-the-nightly-news file comes word that Marines from Company I, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment delivered a new top-of-the-line pediatric wheelchair to a little girl in Al Hasa, Iraq.
The Marines became aware of the girl in January, when they saw her while on patrol.
The story is reported by Cpl. Mark Sixbey in the CENTCOM News:
“We knew we had to help out in some way,” said Staff Sgt. Charles Evers, a platoon commander for Company I. “We don’t have a miracle cure, but we can at least give her a new wheelchair.”Guaranteeing this story's exclusion from the mainstream media is the fact that the little girl was injured in an auto accident, not by military action. Previous generations of journalists were eager to report stories like this. Now, there's just the occasional old schooler around.
Update: Commenter Gunny, currently serving in Iraq, made such a strong post in response to a churlish comment from another poster in the comments thread that it deserves to be part of the main post:
MiB,
"Why are they doing this when they should be going out, killing fascists/terrorists, and making sure there is law and order the streets?"
I can guarantee you that those Marines are going out multiple times a day and doing everything in their power "to locate, close with, and destroy the enemy through fire and maneuver and to repel the enemy's assault through fire and close combat" as that is the primary mission of the Marine rifle squad. I have been in the city of Ramadi for 11 months, I have conducted over 400 combat patrols, cordon and knock, targeted raids, and mechanized patrols and I have also found the time to feed the poor, deliver medical supplies and to help those who cannot help themselves. To do any less would be un-American and downright wrong! Don't penalize the Marine because he still has the heart to help a little girl who was injured. The Iraqi people are so poor they often eat their food off the floor and for the most part have no electricity or running water, and to say that no one cares is part of the reason that most people don't understand the nature of war. The individual Marine on the battlefield struggles everyday to retain his/her humanity in the face of horror and destruction. When was the last time you had to carry your buddies body parts back to a vehicle so that you could ensure he came home. We have 17 and 18-year-old men out here doing that everyday, and if they can find the heart in them to help a little girl than so be it, whats it to you? It is what separates us from the enemy. We have a moral compass to guide us and we have compassion for the small guy caught in the crossfire. Shame on you, Sir.
“A waste of time. No one in the Muslim world cares and no one here except Bush apologists who want to say that "We were only wanting to help the Iraqis!" cares, either.”
I am NOT a Bush apologists and I Care. I definitely do not lay awake at night wondering about the outcome of the Iraqi people. I do, however, still find a place in my heart to realize the plight of the individual right in front of me. When we do things like that, we are not trying to make a media statement, and we are not trying to humanize the war effort. No, Sir, usually, we are just trying to make a right a wrong, and to allow us to feel a little more human before we return to the killing of fascist/terrorist. If you can’t find it in yourself to care about an injured child then maybe someone should write a blog about that, because that is something that needs to be discussed.
This nation has become so polarized that there is no room for middle ground, compromises, or meeting people half way. It’s this kind of attitude, one in which people judge an action and then try to force it into a political left or right box, which has caused this war to become a disaster. The Marines are doing the best they can, they fight and die everyday and if that isn’t enough for you than I suggest you grab a rifle and come on over, other than that try poking your finger at the politicians who develop the “Executive Conflict Intent”. In lieu of those two decisions maybe opening your heart to the plight of the innocent and just sleeping comfortable knowing that the Marines are fighting terrorist over HERE and not in your back yard, can be justification enough for you. I never did think that an American would want justification for a hospitable act from a Marine in a war zone, would you rather have a war crime instead? What exactly do you want?
Posted by The Gunny at March 25, 2006 01:49 PM
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.
Honor Killings
(Ankara, Turkey) Last year, the Turkish government performed a major revision to its penal code to meet minimum standards required for the country to join the European Union. As an example, it's now mandated that murders committed to preserve a family's honor will result in an automatic life term in prison. Previously, honor killings were committed with lenient or no punishment imposed.
Sounds good but, unfortunately, there are 70 million Muslims in the country who have accepted honor killings as a traditional and historic fact of life. In my estimation, it will take a generation or two at least to see any substantive departure from the infamous practice.
However, one troubling fact about the new legislation is that it contains a provision for mitigating the life sentences for honor killings if the perpetrator is provoked. Turkish courts have used this provision in the new law to reduce sentences.
In one case, a brother who gruesomely murdered his sister for becoming pregnant out of wedlock had his life sentence reduced to 20 years "on the grounds of his good behavior in court and also the fact that his action had been heavily provoked." Other than to "cleanse" the family's honor, it's not clear what "heavily provoked" means. It appears to be entirely subjective and controversial, to say the least.
As a consequence, the Turkish Supreme Court of Appeals was asked to weigh in on the subject.
From Turkish Daily News:
The Supreme Court of Appeals' First Criminal Bureau decided on Friday that individuals found guilty of an "honor" killing could not benefit from a reduction in sentence due to provocation, arguing that the committing of such a crime resulted not from provocation but from a desire to ensure the survival of a bad tradition."Bad tradition" is an understatement. I'd call it barbaric. Nevertheless, at least some top-down pressure from an authoritative body is being placed on the citizens of Turkey to change their thinking.
From Interested-Participant.
March 24, 2006
Afghan Christian May Be Freed
Abdul Rahman, the Afghan who converted from Islam to Christianity and was threatened with death under sharia law for apostasy, may be released soon.
From Agence France Presse:
An Afghan Christian facing possible execution for converting from Islam was likely to be released from jail "soon," a senior government official said following huge Western pressure over the case.The sharia law against apostasy does not specify that a Muslim who converts only to Christianity must be punished. The "crime" is leaving Islam, regardless of what faith the apostate then embraces."He is likely to be released soon," the official said, adding there would be a top-level meeting on the matter Saturday.
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto.
Olbermann: ABC Exec Memo a Rovian Plot
Newsbusters has links to video of MSNBC's Keith Olbermann claiming that the White House is responsible for "leaking" an email, posted on The Drudge Report yesterday, in which ABC executive John Green says that the President makes him "sick", and that he might "puke".
Olbermann offered no evidence for his charge that the email had been leaked by the Administration, and referred to Matt Drudge as "infamous" and "deplorable". Olbermann didn't explain why, if his unsupported supposition were true, it would be a bad thing for the White House to seek to publicize the email, which implies a diseased and grossly biased corporate culture at one of the companies charged with using America's airwaves in the public interest.
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto.
Chirac Outraged by Speech in English
Sacre bleu!
From Telegraph.co.uk:
President Jacques Chirac of France stormed out of a European Union summit last night after a French employers' leader said that English was "the language of European business."The officials were meeting to resolve growing concerns regarding several EU countries erecting trade barriers to inhibit cross-border competition.The walk-out, seen by Tony Blair, prompted a sheepish exit by the French foreign, finance and Europe ministers and threatened to derail the summit before it had begun.
As I recall, not too long ago the French passed some sort of resolution which outlawed the term "email" in Internet communications because it was English. Chirac's display yesterday is consistent with the email resolution and indicative of French arrogant nationalism and rejection of homogeneity, diversity and integration.
Chirac subsequently defended his walkout.
"I have to say I was profoundly shocked to see a Frenchman express himself in English at the (EU) Council table. That's why the French delegation and myself walked out rather than listen to that," Chirac told reporters.So, it comes down to profound shock that a Frenchman spoke English at an EU meeting. I'd guess Spanish and Arabic would also have been out of the question. Or, maybe not. It could be that he only has a boner for the English language.
From Interested-Participant.
Congressman Pushes For States Rights
Alabama Congressman Robert Aderholt is sponsoring the Constitution Restoration Act, which is intended to return some power to the states that has been taken by the Federal judiciary:
WASHINGTON, DC -- Congressman Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville) announced today in Alabama that he has introduced "The Constitution Restoration Act" (H.R. 3799), a bill requiring the federal courts to operate within the jurisdiction given to them by the United States Constitution as it pertains to the public acknowledgment of God as the sovereign source of law, liberty, and government.I foresee some sticky issues with Constitutional rights and duties colliding. For Aderholt's perspective, you can read this interview with the Congressman by Jay at Stop the ACLU.
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.
Anti-Terror Website Hacked
The Tracking Terrorism website has been hijacked by a hacker seeking autonomy for Northern Cyprus. The website, which normally tracks the activities of terror organizations through open source material, greeted readers with this message today:
Hacked by KelmahirThe message also directed readers to the TRNC website. Below is a screenshot from of Tracking Terrorism's hacked website.We are from Turkish republic of northern cyprus...We want to freedoom
for Turkish republic of northern cyprus
Hat tip: Snooop1e
Muhammed Cartoons Published with Quotes
What could possibly be worse than publishing cartoons mocking Muhammed? Cartoons mocking Muhammed with quotes from Muhammed! Now, how about that fatwa?
I'm going camping. If I don't get a fatwa by the time I get back, my blogging days are over.
More Christians Arrested in Afghanistan
Thanks religion of tolerance! Compass:
During the past few days, Compass has confirmed the arrest of two other Afghan Christians elsewhere in the country. Because of the sensitive situation, local sources requested that the location of the jailed converts be withheld.Via Robert Spencer.This past weekend, one young Afghan convert to Christianity was beaten severely outside his home by a group of six men, who finally knocked him unconscious with a hard blow to his temple. He woke up in the hospital two hours later but was discharged before morning.
“Our brother remains steadfast, despite the ostracism and beatings,” one of his friends said.
Several other Afghan Christians have been subjected to police raids on their homes and places of work in the past month, as well as to telephone threats.
Via Pundi and Michelle:
Rally against Islamofascism!
Noon to 1pm
Outside the Afghan Embassy
2341 Wyoming Ave NW.
Washington DC
'Moderate' Clerics: Christian Convert Must Die, "Cut off his head!"
Clearly, Islam is the religion of peace.
CNN:
Senior Muslim clerics are demanding that an Afghan man on trial for converting from Islam to Christianity be executed, warning that if the government caves in to Western pressure and frees him, they will incite people to "pull him into pieces."...It's not like Muhammed didn't approve of killing apostates, so why is it shocking news when 'moderate' Muslims want to get back to that old-time religion and execute those who have left the faith?"Rejecting Islam is insulting God. We will not allow God to be humiliated. This man must die," said cleric Abdul Raoulf, who is considered a moderate and was jailed three times for opposing the Taliban before the hard-line regime was ousted in 2001....
But three Sunni preachers and a Shiite one interviewed by The Associated Press in four of Kabul's most popular mosques said they do not believe Rahman is insane.
"He is not crazy. He went in front of the media and confessed to being a Christian," said Hamidullah, chief cleric at Haji Yacob Mosque. "The government is scared of the international community. But the people will kill him if he is freed."
Raoulf, who is a member of the country's main Islamic organization, the Afghan Ulama Council, concurred. "The government is playing games. The people will not be fooled."
"Cut off his head!" he exclaimed, sitting in a courtyard outside Herati Mosque. "We will call on the people to pull him into pieces so there's nothing left."
He said the only way for Rahman to survive would be for him to go into exile.
But Said Mirhossain Nasri, the top cleric at Hossainia Mosque, one of the largest Shiite places of worship in Kabul, said Rahman must not be allowed to leave the country.
"If he is allowed to live in the West, then others will claim to be Christian so they can, too," he said. "We must set an example. ... He must be hanged."
"We are a small country and we welcome the help the outside world is giving us. But please don't interfere in this issue," Nasri said. "We are Muslims and these are our beliefs. This is much more important to us than all the aid the world has given us."
Hat tip to our good friend Mike who has hung up the blogging gloves.
South Park vs. Mission Impossible vs. the Catholic Church
First, Tom Cruise threatened not to promote his new Mission Impossible movie unless Comedy Central (which is owned by Viacom, a sister company to Paramount, which produced Mission Impossible III) agreed not to rerun a South Park episode mocking Scientology.
No wait, actually Catholics started boycotting South Park first because of an episode disrespectful to the Virgin Mary (just a boycott, mind you, no rioting or beheading of Lutherans).
Now, the fans of South Park are striking back by boycotting Mission Impossible III unless Viacom takes the South Park Scientology rerun off the blacklist and puts it back on its schedule.
Oh, I forgot, Isaac Hayes, who provides the voice for South Park character Chef, is also a Scientologist and has threatened to give the show the Shaft because he's just realized that it mocks religious beliefs. Duh, Isaac, you've been with South Park for how long now?
Meanwhile, South Park's creators have put together a new FrankenSouth Park by splicing together bits of dialogue that Hayes had recorded for previous shows.
Whatever the outcome of the Scientologist South Park boycott and the South Park fan Mission Impossible III boycott, the Catholics are still boycotting South Park. So there.
I call shenanigans. You bastards.
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.
March 23, 2006
I See You've Met My Poodle
Yes, my poodle followed me here.
That's my poodle piddling on the comments.
He started at one of my posts at MVRWC, then followed me home, and then went to the wife's, and now he's here.
Remember though, he's just a poodle. Like all poodles, all he can do is yap. He has no bite.
He also follows commands like a good poodle. For example, he first dropped his poodle turds over 200 times at my blog. Then I pointed out to him that because every poodle turd was under a different IP address, he just raised my stats enough for me to jack up my BlogAd rates, which I did. My poodle turds have dropped significantly.
He also originally posted some poodle turds as "Fisting Fool." However, he changed it to "F1sting Fool" when I pointed out to him that the term "fisting" would draw tons of Google hits to my site, thereby allowing me to again raise my BlogAd rates.
Good poodle.
So, ignore the poodle piddling in the comments. He's mine, and he knows it.
And since there are 29 authors on this blog, it shouldn't be a problem cleaning up the poodle turds as soon as they appear. Sorry poodle.
Jihadi vs. Jihadi: Zarqawi Threatens 'Moderate' Terrorist
I just love this CNN interview with the son of Hamas founder Abdullah Azzam explaining the division that erupted in the late 1980s between Azzam and Osama bin Laden. Apparently Azzam's "kill all the Jews" policy was a little too moderate for bin Laden. The Muslim Brotherhood, the radical Egyptian organization which bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri once belonged to, is believed to be behind Azzam's murder. The family feud continues today when the adopted heir to the al Qaeda legacy, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, recently delivered a personal threat to the son of the Hamas founder, Huthaifa Azzam.
What would have been really interesting is if, instead of a slipping a CD with a personal message under the door, Zarqawi would have left a bloody decapitated horse's head on Azzam's pillow. Never go against the family Azzam.
CNN:
Huthaifa Azzam found the CD slipped under the front door of his Amman house a few weeks ago.He thought it might have been left there by one of his brothers. But when he put it into his computer and heard the voice, Azzam realized it was a message from Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the Jordanian terrorist who is leader of al Qaeda in neighboring Iraq.
Al-Zarqawi was issuing a death threat personally to Azzam, who had criticized him for ordering the hotel bombings in Amman last November.
"He was very angry. He was telling me ... 'You have changed your way. Now you are serving the policy of the enemy,'" said Azzam.....
Make no mistake, Huthaifa Azzam believes the following are legitimate targets: "The American troops fighting against our brothers in Iraq or the Israelis fighting against our brothers in Palestine."
And he is quick to cite the notorious forgeries "The Protocols of the Elder of Zion" as fact when he starts talking about how Zionism is a threat.
But he says al-Zarqawi's ideology is worse than either the Americans in Iraq or Israelis because of how it twists the meaning of jihad.
Cool, We're Smarter Than The Walter and Leonore Annenberg chair in International Communication at The Institute of World Politics
Is America taking terrorists too seriously? In the wake of continued threats, that might seem like a ridiculous question. But in terms of the psychology of the war on terrorism, it's a question that needs to be asked.In a brilliant new white paper on public diplomacy, Michael Waller, the Walter and Leonore Annenberg chair in International Communication at The Institute of World Politics, makes a strong case for America's employing a new powerful weapon against the terrorists: ridicule.
"Ridicule raises morale at home. Ridicule strips the enemy/adversary of his mystique and prestige. Ridicule erodes the enemy's claim to justice. Ridicule eliminates the enemy's image of invincibility. Directed properly at an enemy, ridicule can be a fate worse than death," writes Waller.
Apparently someone doesn't read the Jawa Report.
When 'Good Gay' Goes Bad
We all know there's good gay and bad gay, but is there such a thing as bad good gay? The NCAA women's tournament from the bad good gay point of view.
Albany Terror Suspect Wiretapped
So, if they didn't have warrant, would that mean that Sen. Feingold would like to see these guys go free?
Jesus Was an Illegal Immigrant
I know a lot of Mexicans named Jesus. I'm afraid Hillary wasn't talking about any of them.
TV & Radio Stations Added to Terror List
The U.S. Treasury Department has designated various Hezbollah owned media outlets as Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) entities. Included in today's listing are al-Manar Television, al-Nour Radio, and the Lebanese Media Group---all affiliates of the Iranian lbacked terror organization, Hizballah.
It would be good to see the Treasury Department go after those internet outlets that support terrorism as well, but I'm afraid the U.S. government just isn't serious about that yet.
Al-Manar is the official global satellite television station of the Hezbollah terrorist organization. Until the 9/11 attacks, Hezbollah had killed more Americans than any other terrorist group.
The SDGT designation gives the federal government powerful new tools to go after al-Manar’s sources of funding and organizations that do business with al-Manar, thus greatly limiting its operational capability. According to the Coalition Against Terrorist Media, two satellites continue to broadcast al-Manar: ARABSAT, majority-owned by the government of Saudi Arabia, and Nilesat, whose largest shareholder is the government of Egypt.
Al-Manar broadcasts programming designed to recruit suicide bombers and incite violent attacks. Its broadcasts include after-school videos glorifying suicide bombers; vile anti-American and anti-Semitic programming, including the malicious blood libel falsely accusing Jews of killing Christian children to make food for Passover; and videos urging suicide bombers to kill coalition soldiers in Iraq. Al-Manar and al-Nour broadcasts have also raised funds for Hezbollah and sought recruits for military training.
According to the Treasury Department, Al Manar also has provided support to other terrorist groups, including the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, the department alleged.
More at the Coalition Against Terrorist Media, Foundation for the Defense of Democracies and By Rusty Shackleford, Ph.D. at 03:44 PM | |
Muhammed on Apostasy: There's a reason so many Muslims approve of the death penalty for apostates
Why do "radical" Muslims believe that apostates ought to be given the death penalty? Because that is what Muhammed taught, that's why!
For instance, Muhammed is reported as saying:
"If someone changes his deen - strike his neck!" [Malik's Muwatta Book 36, Number 36.18.15]So, 'moderates' face an uphill battle in trying to convince Muslims that freedom of religion is a fundamental right because the example of Muhammed is one of a person who expressly endorses the death penalty for apostates--at least according to those hadiths (traditions) considered most authentic. Thus, it should come as no surprise that many in the Islamic world have no problem with jailing apostates, fining them, or even killing them."The blood of a Muslim who confesses that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that I am His Apostle, cannot be shed except in three cases: In Qisas for murder, a married person who commits illegal sexual intercourse and the one who reverts from Islam (apostate) and leaves the Muslims." [Sahih Bukhari Volume 9, Book 83, Number 17]
"(He was) a Jew who embraced Islam and has now turned apostate." Muadh said, "I will surely chop off his neck!" [Sahih Bukhari Volume 5, Book 59, Number 632]
Clinton Taylor catches the Yale student Sayed
Rahmatullah Hashemi justifying the imprisonment of Christian converts and missionaries back when he was working for the Taliban:
Their priority was to propagate Christianity which they were not supposed to do hereThere's more, including an episode where Rahman urges a television set showing a movie on Jesus to be turned off, lest he too be accused of the capital crime of proseletyzing. Pictures too.
Given the example of Muhammed, does it come as any surprise that Danish Imam Ahmed Akkari has issued death threats against Naser Khader of the Social Liberals, caught on hidden camera?
If [Naser Khader] becomes the Minister of Foreigners or Integration, why don’t we send out two guys to blow up him and his ministry?Apparently Akkari said it was a joke. Excuse me if I don't find it funny. Agora has more on the reaction.
It's frightening to see the intellectual and moral laziness of those who wish to equivocate religous & cultural stances on freedom. The chief culprit are journalists and editors in the MSM who either cannot see the difference between 'extremist' Buddhists and Muslims, or are just afraid to express those differences for fear of the latter.
Rob at Say Anything notices that Reuters has an article noticing the similarities between the Western reaction to the possible death of a man for expressing his inelianable right to leave a religious faith and to Islamic fascistic reaction to the Muhammed cartoons. Except, of course, the rest of the al Reuters story tells of one group standing up for human rights, and the other trying to quash them. They keep using that word similar. I do not think that word means what they think it means.
So, does this mean that we should not wage the war against radical Islam? That going in to Afghanistan was a mistake? That the Iraq war was a mistake?
No, of course not. Afghanistan is headed in the right direction and so is Iraq. Before our invasions of those two countries things were much much worse. As Clint also points out in his article, the Taliban sent Christian converts to re-education camps. There is more religious freedom in Afghanistan now than at any time.
However, we should have guarded optimism about the extent to which Muslim countries can ever achieve universal human rights. Even in moderate countries, such as Malaysia or Jordan, it is illegal to distribute Bibles to Muslims. The difference, then, between moderate Muslim nations and those in the extreme lie in the reaction to apostasy and not in whether or not apostasy is seen as a crime.
Islam is not just another religion like Christianity, Hinduism, or Buddhism. It does not recognize seperate spheres for politics and religion. Muhammed, unlike Jesus or the Buddha, was the founder of both a religion and a government ruled by religious decree.
This does not mean that Islam cannot reform itself to accept the right of an individual to choose their own faith. It just means that it will be far harder for Muslims to buy into the notion given the example of Muhammed and the ideological system founded by him.
It is good to see the White House and State Department urging a quick and favorable conclusion to the plight of Abdul Rahman. But our liberation of Afghanistan and our hopes for it must be tempered by the reality of Islam as more than just a religion as understood in the West--it is a political ideology.
Here is a good roundup of news on Abdul Rahman.
Gray Lady Blows it Again
The eleventy-seven layers of editors at the New York Times have screwed the pooch once more (previous outrageous boner here).
From Editor & Publisher [emphasis added]:
NEW YORK For the second time in less than a week, The New York Times today admitted to a serious error in a story. On Saturday it said it had misidentified a man featured in the iconic "hooded inmate" photograph from Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. Today it discloses that a woman it profiled on March 8 is not, in fact, a victim of Hurricane Katrina--and was arrested for fraud and grand larceny yesterday.It's neither surprising nor inexplicable, it's simply one of the pitfalls of creating and slanting stories for the purpose of damaging the Bush administration.As it did in the Abu Ghraib mistake, the Times ran an editors' note on page 2 of its front section, along with a lengthy news article (this time on the front page of Section B). Again mirroring the Abu Ghraib episode, the newspaper revealed a surprising and inexplicable lapse in fact-checking on the part of a reporter and/or editor.
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.
Western Hostages Rescued by Coalition Forces (UPDATED)
A great day for those of us following hostages in Iraq closely!! Three peace activists from the Christian Peacemakers Team held hostage in Iraq have been freed by Coalition Forces. Ironically, the CPT activists were in Iraq to document alleged human rights abuses by U.S. mililtary forces. The three rescued are Canadians James Loney and Harmeet Singh Sooden, and Briton Norman Kember.
Scroll down for updates.
American Tom Fox was found murdered on the streets of Baghdad last week by those the CPT claimed were simply 'insurgents' and who the CPT clearly believed were responding to Western aggression.
We are very happy to learn that at least three of the four hostages have been released and wish to congratulate our soldiers who took part in the raid. A job well done.
The Jawa Report's complete archives about these four hostages can be found here. For information about the other hostages still held in Iraq, including American Dean Sadek, please see our extensive hostage archives.
The CPT is a Leftist organization which claims to be pacifist and 'Christian,' but which focuses all of its efforts against Western governments. The four 'peacemakers' were taken hostage near the same mosque where Giuliana Sgrena had been abducted. Also, like the communist newspaper writer, the four activists were at the mosque to interview persons displaced by the Fallujah offensive and to document various 'war crimes' committed by U.S. troops.
Today, the CPT insulted the U.S. and other Coalition troops who daringly rescued the three peace activists by releasing this announcement. In it they compare the taking of hostages and their subsequent murders to Coalition Forces who detain suspected terrorists:
Harmeet, Jim and Norman and Tom were in Iraq to learn of the struggles facing the people in that country. They went, motivated by a passion for justice and peace to live out a nonviolent alternative in a nation wracked by armed conflict. They knew that their only protection was in the power of the love of God and of their Iraqi and international co-workers. We believe that the illegal occupation of Iraq by Multinational Forces is the root cause of the insecurity which led to this kidnapping and so much pain and suffering in Iraq. The occupation must end.Today, in the face of this joyful news, our faith compels us to love our enemies even when they have committed acts which caused great hardship to our friends and sorrow to their families. In the spirit of the prophetic nonviolence that motivated Jim, Norman, Harmeet and Tom to go to Iraq, we refuse to yield to a spirit of vengeance. We give thanks for the compassionate God who granted our friends courage and who sustained their spirits over the past months. We pray for strength and courage for ourselves so that, together, we can continue the nonviolent struggle for justice and peace.
Throughout these difficult months, we have been heartened by messages of concern for our four colleagues from all over the world. We have been especially moved by the gracious outpouring of support from Muslim brothers and sisters in the Middle East, Europe, and North America. That support continues to come to us day after day. We pray that Christians throughout the world will, in the same spirit, call for justice and for respect for the human rights of the thousands of Iraqis who are being detained illegally by the U.S. and British forces occupying Iraq.
During these past months, we have tasted of the pain that has been the daily bread of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis. Why have our loved ones been taken? Where are they being held? Under what conditions? How are they? Will they be released? When?
The four hostages were abducted by a group calling themselves The Swords of Righteousness Brigade. However, as first revealed on The Jawa Report, the group has been linked to the Islamic Army in Iraq and is probably a brigade or front for the well known Islamist terror organization. The Jawa Report was also the first U.S. media outlet to release the names of the four hostages.
NY Times story about the raid:
The delegation coordinator for the group, Claire Evans, said by telephone that Mr. Loney, a 41-year-old Canadian, had contacted his family this morning from the Green Zone, the fortified compound in Baghdad where some American military forces, Iraqi government offices and the American Embassy are located.This post will be updated throughout the day as more information on the raid that freed these hostages becomes available. Traderrob's earlier breaking story is here and Vinnie's here."He said that they were all in reasonable health," she said, adding that the three men were undergoing medical checks.
The men were freed by multinational forces in a military operation.
The hostages were found when American-led forces raided a house in western Baghdad, acting on information from one of two detainees interrogated late Wednesday night, Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, a spokesman for the American military, said at a news conference in Baghdad. The kidnappers were not in the house. The men were in "relatively good condition," he said.
In London, the British foreign secretary, Jack Straw, said the mission had included British forces.
"It follows weeks and weeks of very careful work by military and coalition personnel in Iraq and many civilians as well," Mr. Straw said, adding that it involved a number of countries, including Canadian personnel.
Mr. Straw said that Mr. Kember was in "reasonable" condition and that the two Canadians had to have hospital treatment. He said he had spoken with Mr. Kember's wife. "Of course, it goes without saying that she is absolutely delighted, elated, with this news," Mr. Straw said.
The Loney family released a statement today saying that Mr. Loney had been released unharmed with his two companions.
"What a joyful day this is," the family's statement said. "We have just learned that James is coming home." The statement also expressed sympathy for Mr. Fox's family.
Thank you for the dozens of people who e-mailed tips about this to us.
It would do well for us all to remember that the statements downplaying the hostages' rescue are coming from the CPT, and not from the hostages themselves. I have a feeling that the hostages, who were so critical of the U.S. and so praising of terrorists in the past, will have a different take now. The murder of Tom Fox is a good indication they weren't treated quite as well as Giuliana Sgrena.
Update: No Pasaran notices this from a British peace activist on the BBC:
Of course I would like to thank the Foreign Office and, ,b>if it was the military that helped free him, then them too. But the Muslim community has really behaved in a wonderful way.Yes, Muslims have been so helpful....oh, and the military if it was indeed the military that rescued these guys. Nudge nudge, wink wink.
And via Small Dead Animals we are pointed to this from Relapsed Catholic who notices this little nugget:
In reaction Kember's friend, Bruce Kent (...) said the miltants holding the hostages 'must have been people of great faith.'Indeed. They took the example of early associates of Muhammed who also practiced hostage taking and which tradition tells us the Prophet (PBUH) approved of. That's one fine & peaceful religion you got there.
12:30 Update: The Left (see for instance Body and Soul or A Lovely Promise) is already talking as if their release was negotiated. The implication being that it wasn't the military that should get the credit but, instead, diplomacy. However, had the Left removed their tinfoil long enough they would have realized that tips from detainees led to their rescue and that finding hostages alone is not necessarily uncommon. For instance, Roy Hallums was released in a similar manner. A tip led to our troops finding him and when the troops got their his captors had fled. Knowing cousin Achmed just got captured and then hearing the sounds of helicopters and the approach of an Abrams tank might be enough to send even the bravest of terrorists fleeing.
UPDATE 12:45: Families react
Ed Loney said his freed brother "sounded fantastic" when he telephoned their mother in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario - and had apologised for putting the family through such an ordeal.And for the hate the military crowd, more information on the rescue. It was intelligence work that led to their release, not negotiations. Reuters:"He told them that he was well and that he was concerned about us and the family and other people who were worried, which is pretty typical of Jim, to put others first," he said.
His parents issued a short statement saying: "What a joyful day this is. We have just learned that James is coming home... We would like to thank everyone for their support and prayers." ...
Mr Sooden's father, Dalip Singh Sooden, said he had talked to his son.
"It's like it's unbelievable. I just don't remember what I said to him and what he said to me," he said.
"I've seen him on video and he looked like he's probably lost 10kg or something, but it was traumatic today, it was good. I still can't believe it."
Mark Brewer, the brother-in-law of Mr Sooden, said from his home in Auckland, New Zealand, that relatives were planning to go to Baghdad to bring him home.
"We're just looking forward to getting hold of him, giving him a big hug and bringing him back home to his family," Mr Brewer said.
He told TV One News in New Zealand the ordeal had been "excruciating", particularly since the death of Mr Fox.
Weeks of intelligence work in lawless west Baghdad and a rapid response by special forces to information extracted from a prisoner led to British troops' rescue of three Christian peace activists in Baghdad on Thursday.The following part of the story sounds very smilar to the rescue of our friend Roy Hallums:British and U.S. officials were reluctant to give details of the release of Canadians Harmeet Sooden and Jim Loney and Briton Norman Kember, not wishing to jeopardize efforts to free several other hostages believed still held around the capital.
"It was part of ongoing operations related to hostages," said British military spokesman Wing Commander Tony Radcliffe....
Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said: "It follows weeks and weeks of very careful work by military Coalition personnel in Iraq and many civilians as well."
That suggested that the arrest of the man who provided the final tip was the product of detective work rather than chance.
Special police teams, apparently from Britain and possibly Canada, had been working on the ground since the four men were seized in west Baghdad on November 26, British officials said, stressing the role civilians played in the process.
The dawn raid that found the three hostages tied up and unguarded in a house was led by British troops and involved others from the U.S.-led Coalition, officials said.Great job troops and any police officers involved!They were acting on intelligence obtained three hours earlier from one of two people arrested the night before.
Though not a shot was fired, it is likely the operation was led by special forces ready to quell resistance and, especially, get the captives out unharmed after four months in captivity: "It was a fairly clinical extraction," Radcliffe said.
Update 1:00 P.M.: More from CNN:
Iraqi police Lt. Col. Falah al-Mohammedawi said it was believed the operation took place in Mishahda, 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of Baghdad, AP reported.And from the Independent:
Maj Gen Lynch told reporters in Baghdad: "Late last night, coalition forces conducted an operation and it came up with two detainees.Update 1:15: Interesting. Canadian troops are in Iraq. This will come as quite a shock to most Canadians."These two detainees provided actionable intelligence about the location of the Christian Peacemaker Team hostages.
"We got that information at eight o'clock this morning and we conducted the operation.
"We moved to the location in western Baghdad that was reported for the location of the Christian Peacemaker Team.
"We conducted an assault on the house and inside the house we found the three hostages, in good condition.
"There were no kidnappers there at the time. The three hostages were by themselves."
The hostages were then freed, debriefed and taken to a hospital for medical checks.
"The key point is it was intelligence-led. It was information provided by a detainee," he said.
"In this particular case, of those two detainees, one knew where the hostages were and provided that information.
"The operation was planned and executed and the effect was the safe return of the three hostages."
"There seems to be a kidnapping cell that has been robust over the last several months in conducting these kind of kidnappings.
"It was a coalition forces operation so it involved all sorts of members of the coalition.
"The size and magnitude of the operation I'm not going to walk you through, because we have got other operations that continue."...
The early morning operation took place in a rural area north west of Baghdad, between the towns of Mishahda, 20 miles north of Baghdad, and the western suburb of Abu Ghraib, 12 miles from the city centre.
"The operation included representatives from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, other agencies from Canada – and they did a terrific job – as well as the Americans and British staff and those from Iraq," said Straw....Update 5:00: Via Beth (ps--thanks for sending your troll over Beth....), here is some more from a DOD press release. It mentions that the rescue was in downtown Baghdad.Canadian military personnel were involved in the operation, according to Pentagon sources, but it's not clear how many took part or what their role was. There have been reports that members of Canada's top secret commando unit, Joint Task Force 2, have been working in Iraq.
Also:
Three members of a group of Christian peace activists have been released from a hospital, where they were taken after their rescue by U.S. and British forces in Iraq today.Good to know the trio are alright.
Others (apologies for multiple trackbacks--something wrong on my side that I can't fix for some reason. Sorry. I know how annoying it can be.):
Exposing the Left: From reading the statement one might assume that they had escaped completely on there own. My suggestion....give them back.
Bluto: The really good news is that the rescue was effected without resistance, so soldiers weren't put at further risk by the this foolish group's irresponsible behavior.
Michelle Malkin notes: For crying out loud. Many readers note that the CPT statement refers to the hostages' "release" instead of their rescue.
Mr. T: On Easter, will they thank Christ for rescuing them from their sins? Or will they give props to Satan for letting them go?
Stop the ACLU says: That in itself can be viewed as an admiral conviction to their faith, even if misguided, but in conjuction with absolutely no gratitude towards the brave souls that rescued them it comes across more like spit in the face.
CDR Salamander: I hope this gets the play it deserves
Lawhawk: Too bad their experience being kidnapped, held for more than four months, and potentially witnessing one of their fellow victims murdered has done nothing to disabuse them of their notions of a heroic insurgency seeking to overthrow the coalition's efforts at building a democratic government in Iraq.
Soldier's Angels Germany: Thank you to the US and British troops who risked their lives to help others. Well done and congratulations on a successful operation.
Beltway Blitz: You see, Iraq was a pretty peaceful place before the United States and its fellow Western pillagers showed up. Michael Moore told us so. He said kids got to fly kites before the evil Westerners showed up to depose Saddam. And as soon as they leave, it's going to be all better. Life in Iraq will be grand.
Church and State: This is so typical.
Darleen: Since these "Christian" peace terrorist-enablers won't thank the US and British forces for their lives, let me say to those brave soldiers - Gentlemen, ladies there are those who grateful for your dedication and your bravery. We salute you. Be assured we will not denigrate your efforts or spit on you upon your return home.
Sister Toldjah: As a Christian, it shames me to see fellow Christians who seem ungrateful towards the brave and courageous members of our military who rescued them.
Publius Rendezvous: Just as these activists are not grateful to their own rescuers, so are the same protesters who mock those that secure their rights and freedom.
Point Five: The AP, whose editorial guidelines and ’stylebook’ sets strict policy to avoid such controversy, more accurately reported late Wednesday the “abduction” of the three peace activists by US Military forces. “The three were seized in a raid in the early hours, when the house where they were peacemaking was stormed by members of the US Special Forces.”
Demonrats: The most bizarre part of this whole putting flowers in guns movement is that these weaselly chickenshits absolutely NEVER try to put the flowers in the guns of the enemies that we are fighting.
Martin's Musings: Memo to the Christian Peacemaker Teams: loving your enemies is perfectly fine, but the fact remains that you were kidnapped by terrorists with no intentions of releasing you.
Paxalles: Could this be a cover for the total failure of their [CPT's] naive mission?
Inigo Montoya: "Released"? I do not think that word means what you think it means...
Gina Cobb: So if it's fair game to point out what's "illegal," why not a single word about the illegal and barbarous kidnapping and detention of four members of the CPT and the illegal torture and murder of Tom Fox?
Clarity and Resolve: Way to give evil a pass, Mr. Pritchard. Tom Fox is dead—a bullet in his head and heart, following torture. There is no excuse for such savagery. God's work was not done here.
Hyscience:These people would be a joke, were they not so dangerous! Somehow the Left always sides against America. Remember when the Daily Kos suggested that the kidnapping of these leftists was part of a "Strategic Psychological Operation" to portray the "enemy" as barbarians who defile the Koran and slaughter pious Christians or that the kidnappers might be hired by the Iraqi police?
Blogfather: Lots of groveling to the Islamic world and overly demonstrative “sympathy” for the Iraqi people, but not one word of gratitude to the soldiers who freed their fellow moonbats.
Llama Butchers: Their willful blindness to the evil around them brings to mind Lenin's characterization of the Fabian Socialists: "useful idiots"- which is probably how the insurgents see them.
James Joyner: I suspect they wouldn’t like the interrogation techniques that led to the intel that made their rescue possible, either.
Say Anything: When you don't believe that a war is just you can't ever see your way clear to appreciate what our troops are doing. Not even when they rescue you from people who were hold you captive and murdered your friend.
Six Meat Buffet: Do people still talk this way? Is al Zarqawi just a deeply insecure fellow who works out his issues on the necks of people?
Slublog: they couldn't even fit a simple 'thanks' into the release?
Dinocrat: Our rage is boundless as we read the lies of our supposed moral superiors
Gay Patriot: Remember: There can be no peace with out freedom. Iraq was not at peace under Saddam.
Ace: They're not for peace, they're just on the other side of assholish manners.
Others : Stuck on Stupid
Troops free three Western hostages in Iraq
Once again coalition soldiers risk their lives to rescue those who would spit on them.
BAGHDAD, Iraq - U.S. and British troops Thursday freed three Christian peace activists in rural Iraq without firing a shot, ending a four-month hostage drama in which an American among the group was shot to death and dumped on a Baghdad street.
Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, the U.S. military spokesman, said the hostages were being held by a “kidnapping cell,” and the operation to free the captives was based on information from a man captured by U.S. forces only three hours earlier.
Read rest and a statement by Christian Peacemaker Teams, it's unbelievable.
Updates posted here: Western Hostages Rescued by Coalition Forces
CPT Hostages Rescued
By US and Brit Special Forces.
Now that they've been rescued unharmed, I feel no reason to have any more sympathy for them, the ungrateful bastards.
stein hoist 6MB
UPDATE: backtiming this because traderrob scooped me and should get the top billing and all the nice comments.
Updates posted here: Western Hostages Rescued by Coalition Forces
Women's Rights Under Islam
(Damascas) A Reuters report out of Syria details some of the stringent rules imposed on women under Sharia Law. They are oppressive. For example:
Under Syrian law a husband can divorce his wife simply by telling her, "you are divorced," three times, while women seeking separation must navigate a multitude of legal hurdles that usually take two years to complete.If that isn't bad enough, custody rights over children are grossly unequal for divorced women who are even denied the ability to pass on their nationality. However, the legal and justice system is the most egregious in denying women their rights as citizens.
Though such cases are greatly underreported, Da'ad Mousa, a prominent Damascus lawyer and women's rights advocate, said that more than 100 cases of so-called "honour killings" were reported in Syrian newspapers between 2000 and 2003. The majority of the men involved, who killed a female relative suspected of an illicit sexual affair in the belief that the liaison tarnished the family's "honour," went unpunished.In one case last September, a man killed his sister because she married a man from another religion.
In 2003, Syria ratified the UN Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women, while taking exception to any provisions found contrary to Sharia Law. A lot of good that did.
I have to ask. Where are all the American and European women's rights advocates on this issue? It's an area where feminists could and should focus the public's attention and resources to spearhead reform.
From Interested-Participant.
Reid Threatens Filibuster to Get Amnesty For Illegals
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-MX) wants his party's 11 million votes. That's the number of illegal immigrants estimated to be in the US. Reid has threatened to filibuster a Senate bill to overhaul immigration if Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist goes ahead with a version that doesn't guarantee a "path to citizenship" for the aliens currently evading the INS.
From the Associated Press:
"If Leader Frist brings a bill to the floor that does not have the approval of the Judiciary Committee, it will not get out of the Senate," Reid told reporters at the San Ysidro border crossing, a few steps from Tijuana, Mexico.I'm not sure why Harry has flown into such a snit. If the Dems can't legalize the illegals to use for voting purposes they could always come up with the votes the old school Donkey way; raiding graveyards.
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.
March 22, 2006
Everyone Has A Price
Maybe I'm just a hard-headed realist, but, saving the life of Abdul Rahman, the Christian on trial in Afghanistan for converting, should be relatively easy.
Of course, hard-headed realism died out in terms of diplomacy a long, long time ago. All things diplomatic now have to be nuanced and introduced into formal language for one country to tell another country it's not happy with the latter's action on a particular subject.
Screw all that. Bush should explain to Karzai in no uncertain terms that if Abdul Rahman is put to death for becoming a member of "The People of the Book" then:
All U.S. forces will be extricated from the country at once.
All diplomatic ties will be severed.
All U.S. monetary aid (our tax dollars), will cease. Enjoy your poppies.
All U.S. forces extricated, all diplomatic ties, and all U.S. monetary aid (our tax dollars) will be used to overthrow the mullochracy in Iran.
Will it happen? No, of course not.
Other hard-headed realistic diplomatic things I'd like to see:
The next suicide bombing in Israel, a re-enactment of the Inchon landings on the Mediterranean coast of the Gaza Strip. The diplomatic message I would send to Hamas would read: "Congratulations, you're our new Puerto Rico!"
Every single piece of Caterpillar-built demolition equipment operated by hard-hat wearing hippie stompers showing up at the U.N. building with an eviction notice.
The complete and total withdrawal of all U.S. troops from the U.K., Germany, Spain, Italy, Iraq, The Phillippines, and various and other sundry countries whose citizenry hate our guts, and transferring all of them to a shiny new, fully operational, only-could-America-build-such-a-thing base in the newly decontaminated zone formerly known as Teheran.
Hey, a guy can dream, can't he?
Charlie Sheen: CIA, Jews, Space Aliens Caused 9/11
Via Michelle.
The best thing about this article is that it claims Sheen is a "prominent credible" whistleblower. Charlie Sheen is prominent? Charlie Sheen is credible? Charlie Sheen is a whistleblower?
Charlie. Sheen. Prominent. Credible. Whistleblower.
I need to let that one sink in for a bit.
Dirty Bomb Plot Revealed in U.K. Court
No comment.
One of the suspected terrorists on trial for allegedly plotting a nationwide bombing campaign has been linked to a nuclear weapon.Via Howie who got it from Robert SpencerAn Old Bailey jury was told Salahuddin Amin had been involved in discussions to buy an atomic bomb.
The prosecution said contact had been made with the Russian mafia in Belgium to buy the radio-isotope device.
Seven men - all British citizens - are on trial accused of conspiring to cause explosion.
The prosecution claims the gang planned to blow up pubs, nightclubs, trains and also considered hitting the UK's power infrastructure.
Clinton vs. Bush: Comparing U.S. Soldier Death Rates
Active duty deaths during Clinton's first four years (1993 - 1996): 4302
Active duty deaths during Bush's first four years (2001 - 2004): 5187
Here's where that data is from via Rob at Say Anything.
That's 881 more deaths under Bush's watch in those four years (no data available after that). See especially the sharp decline in the number of homicides and suicides now compared to those glorious Clinton years. Can somebody remind me what the Clinton administration accomplished militarily in those years?
What Country Has the Hottest Military Babes?
A raging debate has started as to which nation produces the hottest women soldiers over at Military Photos. There are now over 365 pages of pics--the longest thread ever at the website. Who would have thought that our men in the armed services would care so deeply about babes?
So, which nation has the hottest military babes? It's so hard to judge these things. I mean, take an average looking chick. Throw a uniform on her. Have her pose with an M-16. Voila, she is suddenly transformed from girl next door to candidate for Playmate of the Year! Or at least, that's how I see it. There's just something hot about a chick with a gun and an urge to kill terrorists.
What is obvious about this photo series is that there is clearly a hot military babe gap. No, America has produced its share of very hot soldiers, marines, navy babes, and air women, but come on--we're the freakin USA! I mean, are we going to sit back and be comfortable with being among the nations with the world's hottest military chicks? Hell no! This is America, not Canada.
It's high time for our millitary recruiters to head to top modeling agencies, sorority houses, and strip clubs, so that we can boast to the world that we have the hottest soldiers in the world.
All the images below are SFW. Check them out and then answer this poll.
American military babes:
Hot solo air force babe action. My love of babes and gun porn all in the same pic!
How can we lose with soldiers like this?
Or this?
Is that belly button ring standard issue, soldier?
My grandfather was career Air Force. Now I see why.
Marines in Fallujah, 2005.
God bless the USA!
Bombs away!
Mechanic any one?
Then again, we are constantly reminded by the MSM that we also have this. Why don't we make the IDF a deal and trade her in for a better model?
Hot military babes of the world:
Man, are those Israeli IDF soldiers hot, or what? Okay, they are our allies, I know, but they're supposed to be the junior partners in this relationship.
Here's my favorite IDF chick:
Followed by:
Candid IDF photo. Time for Professor Chaos to convert and move to Israel!
And I have serious doubts about this chick really being in the IDF.... but, we can hope.
Name Britain's most famous hot millitary babe and member of the Pentavarite. You have to admit, she was a handsom woman in her time:
And yo do know the Brits allow lesbians in the military, right?
Germany:
Netherlands:
Spain: Hey Spain...we could use her help in Iraq! You lousy defeatists....
Belgium
Australian sheila
Neutral military babes:
Switzerland
Finland. Are the Fins in Afghanistan?
Sweden
Hot military babes from countries we might have to fight.
North Korea: Are we going to let the North Koreans get away with this?
China: No, the Chinese military doesn't want to put Taiwan under its thumb. It just wants to play with kittens. That's all. Trust them.
Okay, I just had to include this for the sake of being able to write Chinese Peoople's Liberation Army upskirt.
France...okay, so they claim to be allies, but come on. We all know that one of these days we and France are going to have to have a little chat. Just think, 3 minutes into the war they will surrender and she will become a POW!
I pray we remain allies with Russia for this simple reason.
Just so you know, this is what we are up against if the fit ever hit the shan with Iran. Can you blame them for wanting to cover their faces?
More from Iran....
Al Qaeda tank with female jihadi and bin Laden concubine.
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Linked to Joyner's daily linkfest.
Stranded, Caught in a Crossfire
Yesterday Rusty posted on the bad news that a police station in Iraq was overrun by the enemy. Police were killed and prisoners about 18 of whom were insurgents were released. Today Rusty shows us how they bragged. In fact they were feeling so damn good about it they got sloppy. US and Iraqi forces trapped them in a cross-fire and captured 50 of them.
ABCNEWS : BAGHDAD, Iraq - Insurgents attacked a police station Wednesday for a second day in a row, but U.S. and Iraqi forces captured 50 of them after a two-hour gunbattle… …About 60 gunmen attacked the police station in Madain, south of Baghdad, with rocket-propelled grenades and automatic rifles, said police Lt. Col. Falah al-Mohammadawi. U.S. troops and a special Iraqi police unit responded, catching the insurgents in crossfire, he said.Hell Yeah, brave mujahadbeens forgot to fight to the death and were captured by infidel dogs, how humiliating.
Al Qaeda Linked Group Claims Prison Break
An umbrella organization for terrorists in Iraq which includes Abu Musab al Zarqawi's al Qaeda group, the Mujahidin Shura Council of Iraq, has released a statement claiming responsibility for freeing 33 prisoners from a jail in the town of Muqdadiya northeast of Baghdad yesterday. The press release also claims that 40 Iraqi police were killed and that 3 helicopters were shot down.
In reality, about 18 police were killed and no helicopters were downed. The press release is below.
In the name of Allah the most Gracious the most Merciful
O’ Allah, straighten up our aim and make us stand firm
All Praise and thanks are Allah’s, the Lord of all that exists. And peace be upon our prophet Muhammad, his family and companions in entirety.
Your brothers from the military wing of Mujahedeen Shura Council attacked, Tuesday March 21, 2006, the police center in Makdadeyah and the federal police center and the criminal court house. The operation caused the destruction of three choppers, the death of all the police infidels in all three locations (not less than 40), the burning of no less than three vehicles, the releasing of 33 captives, and the capturing of a cache of weapons. Additionally, the brothers ambushed the supply lines causing the destructions of a hummer and an armored vehicle along with their passengers. All praise be to Allah.
Allah is great,
“Honor, power and glory belong to Allah, to his messenger, and to the believers, but the hypocrites know not.” ( 63:8)
How Much Would the Dems Sacrifice to Regain Power?
Democratic party apparatchiks and their co-conspirators in the mainstream media seem to have placed their hopes for the midterm elections on the perception of American defeat in Iraq. With the economy humming, the Dubai Ports World deal a fading memory, and television viewers nationwide suffering from Katrina fatigue syndrome, the Democratic Party is left to focus on the Global War on Terror, and to downplay the progress made since 9/11.
Thus, we get the recent relentless drumbeat of negative network reporting from hotel balconies all over the Baghdad Green Zone, with the barely concealed hope that civil war will break out soon.
But how much damage is the Left willing to inflict on the United States in order to start winning elections?
In an unsigned editorial, the Wall Street Journal's OpinionJournal lays out the consequences of a self-fulfilling prophecy causing us to cut and run from Iraq:
We could go on, but our point is that far more is at stake in Iraq than President Bush's approval rating or the influence of this or that foreign-policy faction. U.S. credibility and safety are at risk in the most direct way imaginable, far more than they were in Vietnam. In that fight, we could establish a new anti-Communist perimeter elsewhere in Southeast Asia. The poison of radical Islam will spread far and wide across borders if it can make even a plausible claim to being on the ascendancy, and nothing would show that more than the retreat of America from Iraq.Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.
Abdul Rahman Update
As international pressure increases on Afghanistan the case of Abdul Rahman has become a front page example the cult like “threat of death” to those who leave Islam. Today Jawa Report co-blogger Richard at Hyscience has a good post and urges the we keep up the pressure.
Richard at Hyscience : Please note action items in extended post! There are many times that the blogosphere steps forward and takes a community stand on an important issue. Saving the life of Abdur Rahman calls for such a stand, and it appears that the blogosphere is beginning to step up to the plate to do exactly that.The now increasing international pressure has caused Afghanistan to search for a face saving way to release Abdul. If you ask me calling the man crazy does not save much face.
AP via Yahoo News : But prosecutor Sarinwal Zamari said questions have been raised about his mental fitness.While that may result in his release it’s a piss poor way of doing business. I call on Afghanistan to release Mr. Rahman immediately and stop all this “He’s a nut” nonsense. Mr. Rahman was born a Muslim and raised as such. If, when he comes of age, he cannot convert that is not much “Freedom of Religion” now is it?"We think he could be mad. He is not a normal person. He doesn't talk like a normal person," he told The Associated Press.
Moayuddin Baluch, a religious adviser to President Hamid Karzai, said Rahman would undergo a psychological examination.
"Doctors must examine him," he said. "If he is mentally unfit, definitely Islam has no claim to punish him. He must be forgiven. The case must be dropped."
A Western diplomat in Kabul and a human rights advocate — both of whom spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter — said the government was desperately searching for a way to drop the case because of the reaction it has caused.
Past Jawa Report coverage here and here and here too.
Al Qaeda Working With Iran?
That's what some intelligence analysts seem to think may be happening. It should be remembered that the main al Qaeda leadership, Zawahiri, and the Iraq leader Abu Musab al Zarqawi have publicly disagreed over whether or not targetting Shiites was acceptable. Perhaps there is a reason Zawahiri and presumably bin Laden have come out against this. And while I'm not 100% convinced that Iran is aiding al Qaeda, mutual enemies have created stranger alliances.
WTW Polling Place
I did my civic duty last night. It was a bit dark for pics then so I got a couple this AM. Yes went to the basement door, Went in and used that new fangled votin machine they gots there. I miss the punched cards. It just felt better than fillin in little circles. Lot's of open races in the Republican primary. Preliminary results here for state wide races in ILL.
There is some talk that votin in a church basement bothered some guy and he whined about it. Not me heck the more time spent in church the better off I reckon I am.
Here are your White Trash Wednesday bloggers
Courtus Interruptus for Debra Lafave
Prosecution drops charges. More details here, here, and here.
Previous Jawa Report on Debra Lafave: here, here, here, and here.
Petition to Censure Jimmy Carter
I received a press release tonight from Move American Forward announcing their efforts to have Congress formally censure former President Jimmy Carter, who been behaving rather...erratically...of late. In fact, at times it seems that Carter doesn't realize that he's no longer an elected official, and has taken it upon himself to negotiate with foreign governments and campaign against UN resolutions that would serve America's interests.
Move America Forward has set up a website to gather petitions for a Congressional censure:
Since leaving office, President Jimmy Carter has repeatedly sought to undermine U.S. foreign policy, criticized the missions of the men and women of the United States Armed Forces, as well as embracing known terrorists and terrorist organizations. Most recently, President Carter pressured the international community to provide funding for the terrorist organization Hamas.They claim to have collected over 5,000 signatures within hours of activating the site.
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.
March 21, 2006
Co-Blogger Round-Up
Time to send some of that mad Sandcrawler traffic to the wonderful people whose brilliance allows me to schlep on the couch all day scarfing bon-bons and watching 24 repeat marathons on A&E (what Rusty calls "fishing"):
Kyer: A third anniversary tribute.
Tee Bee: V for Vendetta = G for Get Over Yourselves, It's Just A Frickin' Movie.
Muslihoon: The Hitchiker's Guide To Taqqiya.
The Dread Pundit Bluto: Not cross posted at The Jawa Report and Vince Aut Morire.
Merri: Abu Ghraib? What Abu Ghraib?
Me: I am suffering major blogger burnout. It must be all of those "Bush Planned 911" emails I get every f***ing day.
And, as an added bonus, a full length reprint of a post done by Muslihoon at my home blog under the fold. It's a Part 2, the link to Part One is in there somewhere. Since he didn't cross-post it at his blog, I think it's okay for me to cross-post it for him here.
While flipping through Understanding Jihad by Professor Dr. David Cook, I came across this:
As can be seen in the discussions in chapters 5 and 6, the primary factors that keep militant jihad from becoming part of Islam's past are the close relationship between Islam and power, exemplified by the shari'a, and the historical interpretation and religious significance of the Islamic conquests. Since the shari'a is basically the manner by which Muslim domination is expressed through law, calls for its implementation--aside from the legal problem of defining what precisely theshari'a means--are essentially calls for the renewal of Muslim domination. Since Muslims are no longer politically or militarily in the world, all implementations of the shari'a will ultimately collide with the non-Muslim world's norms (human rights). (David Cook. Understanding Jihad. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2005, pp. 166-167.)
I would recommend this book to everyone interested in learning more about jihad. It is simply excellent!
Below is commentary on certain parts of the above. [Vinnie note, the following was placed below the fold on the original post]
the primary factors that keep militant jihad from becoming part of Islam's past are the close relationship between Islam and power
There is a close relationship between Islam and power because Islam seeks to exert political, social, cultural, economic, and spiritual control over the lands it rules, and it is the imperative to Muslims to encompass the whole world within the world of Islam.
exemplified by the shari'a
Islam as a political force is most visible in the sharee'ah, which is the code of laws it seeks to implement.
and the historical interpretation and religious significance of the Islamic conquests.
Early Islamic conquests are interpreted as evidence that Islam was from God and that God was with the Muslims. They are seen as the beginning of a wave that would sweep the whole earth. They are also seen as the ideal interaction between Islamic and non-Islamic powers. They are also seen as primarily a series of unprecedented victories over overwhelming odds. This has spiritual/religious significance because it is seen as evidence that Islam is right and so all should, logically, submit to it. It also provides a method by which Muslims can aggrandize their self-esteem and, more importantly, from which to draw solace in this age when Muslims are politically and militarily impotent. These factors are crucial, at the moment, in Islam and affect how Islam is defined, judged, and treated by Muslims and non-Muslims.
Aside from the legal problem of defining what precisely theshari'a means
As mentioned in a previous post, there are great problems in pinning down what exactly the sharee'ah is and how it is to be implemented. This issue and all issues corollary to it are significant indeed. Surely Muslims are not ignorant of this fact.
are essentially calls for the renewal of Muslim domination.
This is why Muslims call for the implementation of the sharee'ah: not because that is what they want (to do so would be to place a major and unprecedented burden on the Muslims' shoulders) but because it expresses, in less blatant, stark, frank, and startling terms, the Muslims' desire for the return of Muslim dominance.
Since Muslims are no longer politically or militarily in the world, all implementations of the shari'a will ultimately collide with the non-Muslim world's norms (human rights).
Any attempt to implement the sharee'ah will face stiff resistance from secular or non-Muslim laws and peoples. Unfortunately for the Muslims, and fortunately for us, the Muslims are impotent to impose their will as they are politically and militarily powerless and impotent.
The last part, in parentheses, is also important: the implementation of sharee'ah will fundamentally and essentially got against human rights as the focus of the sharee'ah is not human rights but rather what rules and regimes God has commanded. Under the sharee'ah, "human rights" are only those rights which God decided to grant humans, rather than being universal and uniform as is elsewhere. This clash would be the most visible and divisive in the confrontation between Western laws and sharee'ah laws, between Muslims and non-Muslims, and between fundamentalist Muslims and Muslims who don't want to oppressed under the sharee'ah.
U.N. Officially Against Freedom of Speech
Apparently the U.N. commissioner for dealing with the manufactured Muhammed cartoons controversy didn't get the memo that the U.N. was supposed to guarantee fundamental human rights, not suppress them. Hey, UN. Do you like apples? How ya like dem apples?
It's Official: Bill Clinton is the Bitch
Bill Clinton admits he is the bitch in that relationship. Come on, don't act surprised. The only question is whether or not he and Hillary had a Star Wars themed wedding?
Hat tip to Tim at Opinion Bug and Bill Dauterieve from the Rainey St. alley.
fter being surprised by her husband's role in the Dubai ports deal, Sen. Hillary Clinton has insisted that Bill Clinton give her "final say" over what he says and does, well-placed sources said.The former President agreed to give his wife a veto to avoid his habit of making controversial headlines that could hurt her chances of returning to the White House, multiple sources told the Daily News....
While she was blasting the Bush administration for allowing Dubai to run six of the country's ports, he was advising Dubai on how to sell the deal.
"Hillary has final say," said the adviser, and the ex-President's staff has been warned not to do or say anything without running it by the senator's handlers.
"That was true in the White House during the [2000] Senate campaign," recalled another longtime aide who stayed close to the ex-President after he left office. "If he said the sky was blue and she said the sky was purple, then the sky was purple."
Fred westboro will Rot in Hell (+ good gay)
UPDATE: Image stolen from Ace of Spades HQ. I figure since we share the same server, Ace can't sue me for sucking his bandwidth.
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Have you ever got a link that you wish would just go away? For some reason The Jawa Report has hit the radar screen of one Rev. Fred Phelp's "God Hates Fags" website. It's the official website of the Westboro Baptist Church. These are the assholes who make it a point to protest at the funerals of our heroic men and women of the military, slain in the line of duty.
Just to set the record straight, let me state the official position of The Jawa Report's editorial board on homosexuality:
We fully support the rights of hot lipstick-lesbians to engage in gratuitous public acts of indecency--provided no children are present. Moreover, if said hot lipstick-lesbians include one or more of the following, we believe it the patriotic duty of every red-blooded, apple pie loving, patriotic, American male to video afforementioned gratuitous public acts of indecency for prompt distribution on the internet:In addition to "hating fags", westboro also hates America. His website's logo is an upside down American flag. Notice that I didn't link back to those filthy traitors?Angelina JolieAs for bad gay homosexuality---which includes all unattractive and/or butch lesbians and any two guys, however attractive they may be--we affirm the traditional Christian notion that God loves every one in spite of their sins.
Natalie Portman
Carrie Fisher, young (or any look alike)
Jessica Alba
Cameron Diaz (no llamas)
Bai Ling
Mrs. Norm Coleman
Jane Fonda (pre-treason)
Madonna (young)
Helena Houdova
Brittney Spears
Pataki's strippers
Ann Coulter
Kylie Minogue
Gerri Halliwell
Marey Carey
Terri Hatcher
Anna Nicole Smith (cert worthy)
Muslim apostates Michelle Leslie (aka "Michelle Lee") & Deeyah& for the sake of the Laama Butcher's Melissa Theuriau
We'll also throw in Jennifer Love Hewitt for The Maximum Leader
UPDATE: For clarification sake, let me just say that the list is not fully inclusive, but only a representative sample. So, Scarlett Johanson & Kate Beckinsale are just kind of implied.
Although God loves the gays, we do have a feeling that he finds homosexuality icky and gross. We also have a feeling Charles Darwin might take issue with it.
Oh, and I don't believe that most Democrats are traitors It's just that most traitors seem to be Democrats.
That's One Phat Bass
World record large mouth bass caught yesterday at Dixon Lake, in San Diego County by Mac Weakley. Yes, the world's biggest bass was caught in California. Take that Confederate Yankee. The fish weighed 25 lbs. 1 oz, breaking the previous record of 22 lbs. 4 ozs set by George W. Perry at Montgomery Lake in Georgia in 1932.
Unfortunately, this giant of a fish was "foul-hooked"--which means that it was hooked in a place other than in the mouth. In other words, Weakly's lure snagged the fish on accident. The IGFA rules, though, only disqualify the fish if it was intentionally fould-hooked. Regardless of its official position in the record books, this is the biggest bass ever caught.
My dad and cousin sometimes fish this lake, but I've never been. Suddenly I regret my decision to not join them. The San Diego Union Tribune is following the story here, here, and here.
UPDATE: Field and Stream seem to have the best account here.
Others: Wizbang discusses the ins and outs of the catch, Point Five's Cindy Sheehan take, Stix Blog--who seem jealous
Muslims React to Apostasy Trial in Afghanistan
The Big Pharaoh has a collection of reactions from Muslim commenters regarding the upcoming trial of Abduhl Rahman in Afghanistan for apostasy. Remember, these are comments on an English language website--not al Jazeera. Here are a few zingers:
"I am a female medical student. Converting out of Islam is forbidden"Luckily, not all the comments were that bad. But I'd suggest reading the comments carefully before taking them at face value. Hint: the word if is used a lot."In our law, a person who forsakes the religion should be killed and there is no freedom in this regard."
"To my secular Muslim brothers who are expressing their sympathy towards this man: these are the teachings of Islam, no negotiations in them."
Harvard and David Duke: It's the Jews' Fault
From The New York Sun:
"The combination of unwavering U.S. support for Israel and the related effort to spread democracy throughout the region has inflamed Arab and Islamic opinion and jeopardized U.S. security. ... Why has the United States been willing to set aside its own security in order to advance the interests of another state?... The explanation lies in the unmatched power of the Israel Lobby. Were it not for the Lobby's ability to manipulate the American political system, the relationship between Israel and the United States would be far less intimate than it is today....No, these aren't the ravings of insane Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. This comes from two professors at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.
The paper, by Stephen M. Walt and John Mearsheimer, is posted on the internet (available here, via Vital Perspective), and has attracted the enthusiastic support of former KKK leader David Duke, who is pleased to have such an esteemed institution as Harvard endorse his racist viewpoints:
"It is quite satisfying to see a body in the premier American University essentially come out and validate every major point I have been making since even before the war even started."Via Neocon Express.
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.
Insurgents Storm Police Station, Free 33 Prisoners
This is bad news. Hat tip to Al Ghazali.
IHT:
In a bold raid at daybreak, a band of at least 100 insurgents stormed a police station in the town of Muqdadiya northeast of Baghdad today, killing at least 18 police officers, wounding four others and freeing all of the 33 prisoners being held in the station, officials in the Interior Ministry said.The insurgents shelled the police station with mortar fire before attacking with rifle-propelled grenades, hand grenades and machine guns, the officials said. Reports of the number of insurgents killed or captured varied widely, with the Interior Ministry saying only one was killed and the American military putting the number at five.
The attackers destroyed about 20 police vehicles and set fire to the police station and a nearby courthouse before escaping, the Iraqi officials said. An Iraqi army unit that tried to reach the scene to support the police during the attack was disabled by a roadside bomb as the convoy passed through a city gate.
American ground forces and two American OH-58A Kiowa helicopters rushed to the scene in support of Iraqi troops, said Sgt. Doug Anderson, a military spokesman. The helicopters came under small-arms fire and one soldier was wounded, he said. The helicopters both landed safely.
Muslim Snake-Oil Salesman Is 'Moderate'
I can't name a single televangelist I like. Not. A. Single. One. It's not so much the shallowness of their theology as it is their staged and canny performances. There seems to be something fundamentally wrong with turning the divine into a stage show. So, what to make of this CNN report about a popular Muslim televangelist from Egypt?
Notice the subtitle: Popular Egyptian televangelist tries to bridge Islam and West
He must be some kind of moderate, right? Well, yes, in fact, he is. But as we've discussed here dozens of times, being a moderate in the Islamic world is still a far cry from ideal [emphasis mine]:
Islamic televangelist Amr Khaled is young, smiling, teaches love and mercy and is so popular he's credited with inspiring thousands of women -- turned off by dour, traditional clerics -- to take on the veil. ....Apparently he's the Muslim Joel Osteen. That perfect mix of good looks, watered down doctrine, and theological feel-good self-help for the religious who are deeply worried they're too rich--all wrapped up with transparently fake sincerity and lots of staged hand gestures.He is a very simple, moderate, humble man, easygoing. He makes you feel like you are his sister," said Zeinab el-Sherif, 32, a wealthy, veiled Egyptian businesswoman who has been a fan since hearing Khaled at her club a decade ago.
"He is so tolerant and friendly, he makes you feel good about your religion and yourself," she said.
The entire article paints Amr Khaled as the seminal moderate Imam. Sure, he's moderate by Muslim standards--he doesn't want to kill those who blaspheme Muhammed, he just, you know, wants to pass laws making irreverancy illegal. And, ladies, when you're not busy soiling your panties over his charm and good looks, please remember to put on your veil. We wouldn't want an uncovered head to force an otherwise chaste Muslim brother to rape you. Because, if he did, we'd probably have to kill you.
This much credit I will give to Christian televangelists: at least they give lip service to a God deeply concerned with human freedom, liberty, and dignity. So, maybe all televangelists are snake-oil salesmen--but at least there is some value to what our guys are selling.
Thanks to Fred Fry for sending the link.
Why Don't You Die?
That was the question this young lady’s Father-In-Law asked her. Eleven year old Gulsoma is tougher than the culture that traded her as a four year old bride. Please read Kevin Sites’ article on young Gulsoma from Afghanistan and Kevin provides a link where support for this brave young lady can be sent. As you can see from the picture of her to the right she has suffered much.
Gulsoma via Kevin Sites at Yahoo’s hotzone blogs : "When I was three years old my father died, and after a year my mother married again, but her second husband didn't want me," says Gulsooma. "So my mother gave me away in a promise of marriage to our neighbor's oldest son, who was thirty."Disgusting! It’s very important that this poor young girl never falls back into the hands of her “family” where this abuse occurred. Too often I must post horrid stories from a culture where women are treated as property to be traded, worked and abused. Too often the abusers quote to teachings of Islam as where they determined that women are property subject to men. Once you view another human being as a piece of property, it’s a very short trip to the kind of treatment poor Gulsoma suffered.
"They beat me with electric wires," she says, "mostly on the legs. My father-in-law told his other children to do it that way so the injuries would be hidden. He said to them, 'break her bones, but don't hit her on the face.'"
You can send support by clicking on Kevins link at the end of his article or by email here.
gulsooma_afghanistan@yahoo.com
General Hitchens
You are in command now!
Hitchens Via Slate : Up until now, I have resisted all urges to assume the mantle of generalship and to describe how I personally would have waged a campaign to liberate Iraq… …So, now I come at last to my ideal war.I trust you won’t disappoint me.
AFA Petition In Support of Abdul Rahman
Abdul is on Trial in Afghanistan for apostasy. His crime against Islam was he converted to Christianity. For that he faces penalties up to and including execution. Today the AFA asks that you sign a petition that will be sent to President Bush in support of Mr. Rahman.
Please email President Bush and ask him to intervene to save the life of Abdul Rahman. Help get others involved in saving the life of this Christian who refuses to deny Christ. Please forward this to friends and family and ask them to send the emails.Now I reckon the AFA is a bit more conservative than I. But there is no denying their influence. This case I feel is one Howie can agree with. One thought I had was, under the law in Afghanistan, what happens to all Abdul’s property and his immediate family if he is executed?Click Here to Email President Bush Now!
Sincerely,
Don
Donald E. Wildmon, Founder and Chairman
American Family Association
Update : Michelle Malkin gives us more details on Mr. Rahman and his family here.. Just what I was looking for.
Al-Jazeera Publishes the Obvious While MSM Ignores It
The American mainstream media have been queerly incurious about the al-Askiriya shrine bombing in February that touched off sectarian violence in Iraq. Meanwhile, American writer Sandy Shanks had this to say in al-Jazeera:
About the last thing Americans wanted, and their leadership, was for sectarian violence to blow the lid off Iraq. The same could be said for Shias and Sunni, most of whom wish only to rid themselves of the Western occupiers.No kidding. I'd add that mortar attacks on Sunnis, followed soon after by mortar attacks on Shi'ites, should have gotten some of the reporters sitting in the Green Zone thinking, if not actually seeking the story. Ralph Peters of the New York Post seems to be the only reporter willing to leave the hotel.The same cannot be said for al-Qaida. It wants only turmoil and a civil war in Iraq would fit in with the group's grand scheme, embarrassing the US to the utmost. Moreover, this attack looks like an al-Qaida operation - well planned and executed brilliantly against an iconic target.
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.
March 20, 2006
It's Time to Fire Rumsfeld
Contrary to what the partisan defeatists on the Left say, Iraq is not a quagmire. Nor do I believe it is a 'Civil War' as Michael Kraig asserts in yesterday's Des Moines Register. However, that is not to say that things have gone splendidly there either. Things are getting better on the ground in Iraq. But in admitting that things are getting better, we also must realize that things had gone badly. I believe we are heading in the right direction in Iraq, but in hindsight we could have saved ourselves a lot of agony had things gone right in the first place.
So, who is to blame for the long lapse between what should have been done in Iraq to what is actually being done today? Donald Rumsfeld.
It saddens me to come to this conclusion--I love Rumsfeld on so many levels for so many reasons. I love Rumsfeld for being blunt, taking no crap from reporters, his uncanny ability to deconstruct criticisms, and his grand vision of retooling the military to meet future adversaries. Nevertheless, Rumsfeld was in charge of the Iraq invasion and it was Rumsfeld who got so many things wrong.
It is time to let Rumsfeld go. No, it's long past time to let Rumsfeld go.
Paul Eaton's editorial in the NY Times yesterday is wrong on its first point but, I believe, right on its second. First, General Eaton faults Rumsfeld for not building a larger coalition in Iraq. This is just a stupid criticism. Any one who thinks that Iraq was a failure in diplomacy just does not understand why coalitions are formed. Nations aren't talked into military invasions, they join military coalitions because they believe it is in their national interests to do so. Clearly, the fall of Saddam Hussein was not in the best interests of France and Russia.
But there is a great deal of merit to the second argument: that Rumsfeld was wrong on nearly all fronts on how the war in Iraq would develop once the invasion stage was complete.
Mr. Rumsfeld has also failed in terms of operations in Iraq. He rejected the so-called Powell Doctrine of overwhelming force and sent just enough tech-enhanced troops to complete what we called Phase III of the war — ground combat against the uniformed Iraqis. He ignored competent advisers like Gen. Anthony Zinni and others who predicted that the Iraqi Army and security forces might melt away after the state apparatus self-destructed, leading to chaos.I do not reach the conclusion that Rumsfeld should be fired with any happiness. I have been mulling the idea for some time, knowing that such public statements are almost universally heralded by the Left as some sort of apocolyptic sign. Some of my most popular posts in the past have been when I have been critical of people like Karl Rove--no doubt because the Left jumped all over it.It is all too clear that General Shinseki was right: several hundred thousand men would have made a big difference then, as we began Phase IV, or country reconstruction. There was never a question that we would make quick work of the Iraqi Army.
But as Michael Gordon and Bernard Trainor document in their book Cobra II : The Inside Story of the Invasion and Occupation of Iraq there were tons of missed opportunities after the brilliant invasion. At each turn, when it was possible to rectify these problems early on, one man seemed to stand in the way: Donald Rumsfeld. You can hear the authors discussing their book here.
It seems that one of the very reasons that I love Donald Rumsfeld is the reason why he has been such a lousy Secretary of Defense--his ability to poke holes in his critics' arguments. It is a great intellectual ability to have, but when that ability is turned on those who urge corrective action then it can become dangerous. Donald Rumsfeld did not want to hear that we needed many more troops on the ground right after the invasion. He was so convinced of the superiority of his position, that more than a few military officials were sacked.
This is no way to run any department of government--especially the military during a hot war.
Perhaps Rumsfeld has learned his lesson. Things in Iraq are going much better than they were two years ago. Month after month U.S. casualties have been on the decline. Month after month the Iraqis themselves take control of more territory and take the lead in fighting terrorist forces. But if Rumsfeld and the Pentagon have learned their lesson, then aren't we admitting that they screwed up somewhere along the road? And if someone screwed up, shouldn't they be held accountable? And if that someone turns out to be Donald Rumsfeld--as I believe it probably is--then why hasn't President Bush fired him?
There are other lessons Rumsfeld and the Pentagon have not learned. Foremeost is the way to fight the internet and information war. They have ignored the information war altogether--although paying a lot of public lip service to it. As Robert Malloy and Peter Harling remind us today, the insurgents believe they are winning. I would argue that this is largely because we allow them to create their own discourse through the internet.
Given the choice between the Bush Administration and any of the choices offered by the Democrats, I'd still vote for Bush despite the many failures along the way in Iraq. Ulysses S. Grant was probably not the greatest military strategist and was wrong on a number of occasions. By all accounts, George B. McClellan was a better strategist and perhaps the greatest military organizer of the time. But given the choice between McClellan's perfect inaction and Grant's imperfect action, Lincoln made the right choice in firing the timid McClellan. The Democrats have only offered McClellan like alternatives in the past.
Fortunately, today's alternatives are not so stark. President Bush could easily replace Donald Rumsfeld as it is too late to go back to the policy of appeasement offered by the Democratic party. And even though the short-term consequences of firing Rumsfeld might negatively affect the Republican party (if if is conceivable that they could go even lower in the polls), I'm afraid that by sticking with Rumsfeld is to convey the message that all has gone right in Iraq from the begining and will only hurt the party in the long-term
Just a thought. Sorry to piss off my many loyal Republican readers and doubly sorry if this helps the Democrats in any way.
Update: For a second there, I thought I had an original thought. Maybe not. Rob from Say Anything sends this along. Add both Rob and Fred Barnes to the list.
The president's most spectacular move would be to anoint a presidential successor. This would require Vice President Cheney to resign. His replacement? Condoleezza Rice, whom Mr. Bush regards highly. Her replacement? Democratic Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, whose Bush-like views on Iraq and the war on terror have made him a pariah in the Democratic caucus.Okay, so maybe Barnes wants Rumsfeld out for political reasons, but whatever the motivation, it's time for Rumsfeld to go.Mr. Cheney would probably be happy to step down and return to Wyoming. But it would make more sense for him to move to the Pentagon to replace Donald Rumsfeld as defense secretary, a job Mr. Cheney held during the elder Bush's administration. The Senate confirmation hearing for Mr. Cheney alone would produce political fireworks and attract incredible attention. At Treasury, Mr. Bush has a perfect replacement for John Snow, someone he already knows. That's Glenn Hubbard, former chairman of Mr. Bush's council of economic advisers and currently dean of Columbia's business school. He is in sync with Mr. Bush ideologically and has the added value of being respected on Wall Street.
The Tal Afar Strategery
Here is a White House press release outlining how the Tal Afar mission can serve as a model for ridding Iraq of terrorists. Worth a read.
It's interesting to note that at the time of the Tal Afar offensive--as with all offensive operations--the hard Left claimed cried 'genocide' and 'war crimes'. Of course by 'war crimes' they mean U.S. troops killing terrorists, but not terrorists booby trapping the bodies of dead children in Tal Afar.
Today's Presidential Action
Today, President Bush Discussed The Strategy For Victory In Iraq And Profiled The Northern Iraqi Town Of Tal Afar. Once a key base of operations for Al-Qaida, Tal Afar is a concrete example of progress in Iraq.
Tal Afar Shows How The Three Elements Of The Strategy For Victory In Iraq - Political, Security, And Economic - Depend On And Reinforce One Another. By working with local leaders to address community grievances, Iraqi and Coalition forces helped build the political support needed to make the military operation to drive terrorists out of that city successful. The military success against the terrorists gave the citizens of Tal Afar security, and this allowed them to vote and rebuild their city. The economic rebuilding taking place is giving Tal Afar's residents a real stake in the success of a free Iraq - and further marginalizing the terrorists.
Tal Afar Was An Al-Qaida Base
After Saddam Hussein's Removal In April 2003, The Terrorists Began Moving Into Tal Afar. With roughly the population of Akron, Ohio, Tal Afar is a city of more than 200,000 residents. It has dozens of tribes of different ethnicity and religions. Due to its strategic location, Tal Afar was a key base of operations for al-Qaida. Al-Qaida's stated goal is to drive American forces out of Iraq so they can take over the country, overthrow moderate Muslim governments throughout the region, and use Iraq as a base to plan and launch attacks against America. They seek to do this by recruiting terrorists from across the Middle East to come to Iraq, infiltrate the cities, and sow violence. After Saddam Hussein's removal, the terrorists moved into Tal Afar seeking to divide its many ethnic and religious groups. The terrorists forged an alliance of convenience with those who benefited from Saddam's regime and others with their own grievances, skillfully used propaganda to foment hostility, and exploited the weak economy to recruit young men to their cause.
* We Drove The Terrorists And Insurgents Out Of The City, But They Returned. By September 2004, the terrorists and insurgents had seized control in Tal Afar. We launched a military operation that drove the enemy out after three days of heavy fighting. To keep the terrorists on the run, Coalition forces kept pursuing the enemy and rooting out the terrorists in other parts of Iraq. Unfortunately, the local Security Forces were not able to maintain order, and by November 2004, the terrorists had returned.
The Terrorists And Insurgents Imposed In Tal Afar The Brutal Reality They Seek For All Of Iraq. Ruling through fear and intimidation, the terrorists and insurgents controlled the only hospital, beheaded civilians who had worked as interpreters for Coalition forces, gunned down a popular city councilman, booby-trapped bodies, and deliberately fired mortars into playgrounds and soccer fields filled with children.
Building Support For Military Operations
In Response To Experiences In Tal Afar And Elsewhere, The Coalition Adopted A New Approach - Clear, Hold, And Build. The ability of al-Qaida and its associates to retake Tal Afar was a problem seen elsewhere in Iraq, and the Iraqi government and Coalition adopted a new approach. Instead of coming in, removing the terrorists, and then moving on, Iraqi and Coalition forces pursued a strategy of clearing a city of terrorists, leaving well-trained Iraqi units behind to hold the city, and working with local leaders to build economic and political infrastructure.
In May 2005, Iraqi And Coalition Forces Began Implementing This New Approach To Restore Order In Tal Afar And Give Residents Confidence The Terrorists Would Not Return.
Clearing And Holding Tal Afar
In The Summer Of 2005, Iraqi And Coalition Forces Launched Operation Restore Rights To Clear Tal Afar Of Terrorists. Iraqi forces took the lead. The primary force was 10 Iraqi battalions backed by three Coalition battalions. Many Iraqi units conducted their own anti-terrorist operations and controlled their own battle space. By focusing on securing the safety of Tal Afar's population, Iraqi and Coalition forces won the trust of the city's residents - which was critical to defeating the terrorists.
After The Main Combat Operations, Iraqi Forces Moved In To Hold The City. More than 1,000 Iraqi Army soldiers and emergency police were deployed to keep order, supported by a restored police force that would eventually number about 1,700 officers. We embedded Coalition forces with the Iraqi police and Army units to work with their Iraqi counterparts and help them become more capable and professional. Today, the Iraqi police have built stations throughout the city, and residents are stepping forward to provide vital intelligence about the terrorists. By turning control of these cities over to capable Iraqi troops and police, Coalition forces give Iraqis confidence that they can determine their own destiny - and our troops are better able to go after high-value terrorist targets.
Recent Elections Demonstrate The Benefits Of A Secure Environment. Tal Afar is the largest city in Western Nineva province. In the elections held in January 2005, only 32,000 of about 190,000 registered voters cast a ballot. By the October constitutional referendum and December elections, Iraqi and Coalition forces had secured Tal Afar and surrounding areas. Voter registration increased to about 204,000, and more than 175,000 voted in each election - more than 85 percent of the eligible voters in Western Nineva province.
Rebuilding Tal Afar
The Residents Of Tal Afar Are Seeing Their City Come Back To Life. Terrorists who once exercised brutal control over every aspect of the city have been killed, captured, driven out, or put on the run. Children are going to school, electricity and water service are restored throughout the city, and the police force better reflects the ethnic and religious diversity of the communities they patrol. Markets are opening, buildings are going up, and homes are being repaired. Immediately following military operations, the Coalition helped Iraqis set up humanitarian relief for the civilian population, and we set up a fund to reimburse innocent Iraqi families for damage to their homes and businesses in the fight against the terrorists. The Iraqi government pledged $50 million to help reconstruct Tal Afar by rebuilding hospitals and schools and by improving infrastructure from the electric grid to the sewer and water systems.
Work Remains, But Tal Afar Exemplifies The Progress In Iraq
The Story Of Tal Afar Shows That With A Basic Level Of Safety And Security, Iraqis Can Live Together Peacefully. After the bombing of the Golden Mosque in Samarra, the reaction in Tal Afar was subdued, with few reports of sectarian violence. On the Friday after the attack, more than 1,000 demonstrators gathered in peaceful protest.
* Despite Progress, Challenges Remain In Iraq. Though most of the country has remained relatively peaceful, in some parts of Iraq the enemy is carrying out savage acts of violence - particularly in Baghdad and surrounding areas. Even in Tal Afar, the people still face many challenges, including age-old resentments, an economy that needs to create jobs and opportunity for its young people, and determined enemies. But the progress made in bringing more Iraqi Security Forces online is helping bring peace and stability to Iraqi cities.
In Tal Afar, A Free And Secure People Are Getting Back On Their Feet, Are Participating In Government And Civic Life, And Have Become Allies In The Fight Against The Terrorists. As Iraqis see the benefits of liberty, they will gain confidence in their future - and work to ensure that common purpose trumps narrow sectarianism.
"I killed Americans": Al Qaeda Trial Begins in Turkey
Mohammad Haj Bakr al-Saqa is on trial in Turkey for acts of terrorism. Did he actually kill any Americans? None that we know of. However, Saqa, like many in the Middle East, may simply equate Jews with Americans.
VOA:
So I've admitted in the past to having doubts about the death penalty. Guys like this seem to make those doubts disappear.
As he was dragged out of court, the suspect, a Syrian national identified as Loa'i Mohammad Haj Bakr al-Saqa said, "My beliefs prevent me from standing in front of people like you." He added, "I fought a Jihad, I killed Americans.".Al-Saqa is on trial with 72 other suspected al-Qaida operatives for alleged involvement in a string of suicide bomb attacks in November 2003. Four suicide bombers driving explosives-laden vehicles targeted two synagogues, the British consulate and the Istanbul headquarters of the British HSBC bank.
The British Consul General was among the 58 people who died in the blasts. Most of those killed were Muslim Turks.
Turkish prosecutors charge that al-Qaida leader Osama Bin Laden personally ordered the Syrian to organize the attacks against Jewish and British nationals in Turkey. Al-Saqa and his alleged Syrian accomplice, Hamid Obysi, were captured in Turkey last August after a failed attempt to blow up Israeli cruise ships off Turkey's Mediterranean coast.
Al-Saqa reportedly told interrogators that the plan to kill Israeli tourists was financed by a top al-Qaida militant who allegedly gave him $50,000 to organize the plot.
'Ha Ha America': Chinese Film Mocks America at Sundance
Talk about a lost in translation moment! Here is a film at the Sundance Film Festival Website with the title Ha ha America. The theme of the film seems to be something like, "America sucks, China rules." You can check out a few vidcaps from it here. Funniest part:
China giant booming...like lady detectives...with swollen testiclesScariest part?
China's Revolution...flow over the worldVia Vlad who adds:
China, you parasites, sucking our blood like leech. Human rights? Don’t speak nonsense.
Saddam Al-Qaeda Cooperation Revealed
One bright sunny September morning the thought ran though my head that Iraq must have a hand in this. Just a bit more complicated than blowing up Buddha don’t you think? Probably they would need some support for an operation like that. Just where would an organization like Al-Qaeda get money and support besides the Taliban?
Newsmax : An Iraqi intelligence document released last week indicates that Osama bin Laden sought to conduct "joint operations" with Saddam Hussein's regime six years before the 9/11 attacks - and was given the green light by the Iraqi dictator.[See the translation of the original document here in which 'joint operations' are proposed between al Qaeda and Iraq]. Oh you mean that Saddam? Shocking!The document, detailed in the March 27 issue of the Weekly Standard, describes a Feb. 1995 meeting between bin Laden and Iraqi intelligence that was personally approved by "the Honorable Presidency" - an apparent reference to Saddam.
Also see The Revolution Will be Blogged
I wonder how Democrats will react when documented proof that UBL "sought to conduct "joint operations" with Saddam Hussein's regime five years before the 9/11 attacks, and was given the green light by the Iraqi dictator." I suspect that they'll ignore it as best they can and hope that their media allies move to the next subject as quickly as possible.Pretty damn good guess I'd say.
More from the Newsmax story : "We discussed with [bin Laden] his organization. He requested the broadcast of the speeches of Sheikh Sulayman al-Uda [who has influence within Saudi Arabia and outside due to being a well known religious and influential personality] and to designate a program for them through the broadcast directed inside Iraq, and to perform joint operations against the foreign forces in the land of Hijaz [Saudi Arabia]." The document goes on to note that "the Honorable Presidency was informed of the details of the meeting in our letter 370 on March 4, 1995." The document indicates that Saddam personally granted bin Laden's request for help with propaganda broadcasts and instructed his agents "to develop the relationship [with bin Laden] and the cooperation between the two sides to see what other doors of cooperation and agreement open up." The 1997 Iraqi intelligence document goes on to report: "Currently we are working to invigorate this relationship through a new channel in light of his present location [Afghanistan]." The reference by Iraqi intelligence to "joint operations" with bin Laden apparently contradicts one of the 9/11 Commission's most important findings that Saddam had no "operational relationship" with al Qaeda.
Festival of the Fatwas: "We love our troops so much that we want them to die" edition
5th Column Watch: American Muslims Hating US Troops
Mooooooooonbat anti-war pictures: "Real patriotism is supporting those who are fighting our troops" (via Beth)
More from the "we love our troops" department: Anti-war proterster spits on soldier's pregnant wife.
Poll worth taking: What has kept Cindy Sheehan from getting her deceased son a headstone all this time?
Providing KY at own rape: Arla Foods kow-tows, Danish Imams go to the Middle East again
Moderate Muslim nation: 6,000 women face trial for 'crime' of being raped. (via Blogfather)
MSM Watch: All hot and wet over possibility of Bush impeachment.
Well, duh: After all, the first verb to learn in French is "to surrender"
Me likey Ramen noodles:
Radical Islamist protests issues fatwa against ramen noodles.
Bwahaha! Hannity nearly punches a bigot (video).\
Iraq NOT Vietnam: 2,316 dead in one month in Vietnam.
V for Vendetta: If Noam Chomsky And Osama Bin Laden Collaborated On A Movie
Not dead yet: Ted Kennedy still kicking
Bad news from Memento Moron. Our prayers are with you.
Yale Taliban Praises bin Laden
Clinton Taylor at Townhall quoting Yale student Sayeed Rahmatullah Hashemi in his former official capacity as front-man for the Taliban:
So for the Afghans, he is a good guy. If we were to hand this good guy to the U.S., what kind of justification will we give to our people?But maybe the Yale Taliban was just some low-level operative who joined the ranks for personal promotion?
Apparently he had impressed the mullahs with his footwork in America, because soon after he returned, Mr. Rahmatullah went to work as a personal adviser to Mullah Omar.....How this guy got a student visa and why Yale admitted him I'll never understand.When UPI’s Arnaud de Borchgrave interviewed Mullah Omar in June 2001, Mr. Rahmatullah did all the talking. Where Mullah Omar comes off as the strong, silent type in the interview, Mr. Rahmatullah emerges as the idea man, the big picture guy, the strategist with both eyes open, Mullah Omar having lost one of his fighting the Soviets.
We've known Clinton Taylor for some time now. Long time readers may recall that I appeared on his Stanford radio program awhile back. Apparently I'm a much better blogger than radio guest since I've never been invited back! In any event, keep up the good work Clint.
UPDATE: More on the Yale Taliban problem here by Penraker (via Glenn). In another note and aside, rumor has it that the WSJ's John Fund is a Jawa Report reader.
RINO Sightings March 20th Edition
Below The Beltway is hosting the Carnival this week.
Dean’s World Iraq Update.
Dean Esmay has his new Iraq Update. Dean really digs for the news that just is not negative enough to make the MSM. For those in Iraq who want civil war take a quick peek at Dean’s graphic today. Is it really worth the cost? Ours cost us dearly. Don’t doom your nation to a repeat of what we experienced.
Dean Esmay : Why can't some people just say, "you know what, now that we're in it we want to make sure we win--what can we do to actually help make that happen?" There are plenty of ways you know.
Arab Styling With a Swastika
He just forgot that Aryan does not include Egyptians.
Federal Ban of Military Funeral Protests Proposed
Disgusted by the antics of the Westboro Baptist Church hate cult, US Representative Mike Rogers (R-MI) will introduce legislation that would prohibit protests an hour before or after a funeral and keep protesters at least five hundred feet away from family members of the deceased.
Rogers said his ban was crafted to thwart legal challenges and that the funeral protests cross the line:
“When you go to a funeral, it’s difficult enough to show up and pay your respects to someone who died for their country without getting jeered, taunted and harassed,” said Rogers, a Republican. “There’s a difference between free speech and hateful, harassing speech.”Senator Evan Bayh (D-IN) has introduced a similar bill in the Senate.
The Westboro Baptist Church is a cult of about 100 members, most of whom are related to the cult's founder Fred westboro. They have been protesting at the funerals of fallen soldiers, claiming that their deaths are divine retribution for acceptance of homosexuals.
Brother Fred gets pwned (read the t-shirts)
Via Stop the ACLU.
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.
March 19, 2006
Christian Man on Trial, Facing Death for Converting from Islam.
Yes our good ally Afghanistan still has a long way to go before it could be called a free nation.
VOA News : Rahman reportedly converted more than 16 years ago after spending time working in Germany. Officials say his family, who remain observant Muslims, turned him over to the authorities. On Thursday the prosecution told the court Rahman has rejected numerous offers to embrace Islam. Prosecuting attorney Abdul Wasi told the judge that the punishment should fit the crime.This man should be freed immediately. ROPMA! I thought Islam teaches Jesus is cool? They are always talking up how much they respect Jesus Christ. Yeah right, they respect him so much they execute Christians!He says Rahman is a traitor to Islam and is like a cancer inside Afghanistan. Under Islamic law and under the Afghan constitution, he says, the defendant should be executed.
Hat Tip : Michelle Malkin.
Also see Below the Beltway.
Howie’s Sunday Post Vinnie Freezes His Arse Off Edition.
There, but for God’s grace, go I. Good job LaShawn, now neither of us have to look outside to see if our car is in the driveway.
Where the bloody hell am I indeed, Sugar!
Don’t miss Vonski’s weekly roundup of Good News in the GWOT. Also this week Vonski goes to the local moonbat zoo. Fascinating, little is understood about these creatures, but with enough study the hope is eventally the conflict with the much higher and more intelligent Homo Sapiens can be resolved.
Who loves ya boys? Not Hollywood.
Feisty Whore on bleeding heart liberal Aussie newspaper critic.
Feisty :The reason the newspapers mentioned the words 'Arab' and 'Muslim' in 89 percent of terrorism articles following 9/11 is because....the terrorists were Muslims bent hard on Jihad. You would have to have a major cranio-rectal inversion to think this is racist.Well put.
Laugh Your A** Off At My Expense
(emphasis mine)
Winter storm warning now in effect until 6 am cst Tuesday.The winter storm warning is now in effect until 6 am cst Tuesday.
Expect a mixture of sleet and snow this evening, but changing to all snow after midnight. Early this evening, patchy rain may also occur across extreme southeast nebraska. Snow will continue Monday and Monday night before tapering to flurries early Tuesday. Additional snowfall will range from 8 to 14 inches during this time. The omaha metro area will likely see an additional 8 to 11 inches of snow while the lincoln metro area may receive an additional 10 to 13 inches of accumulation. Northeast winds will also increase to 20 to 30 mph which may produce areas of blowing snow.
A winter storm warning means significant amounts of snow, sleet, and ice are expected or occurring. Strong winds are also possible. This will make travel very hazardous or impossible.
Would one of you kind people please e-mail God and tell him that THE FIRST DAY OF SPRING IS TOMORROW!!!
I'm a little verklempt right now, I may say something I'll regret and end up roasting marshmallows with Mohammed.
The President Said It, So The Libs Will Hate It
The President gave a quick speech this morning on the south lawn of the White House marking the third anniversary of the launch of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
President Remarks on Third Anniversary of Beginning of Iraq Liberation (whitehouse.gov):
This morning I had a phone call with our ambassador to Iraq. And the ambassador informed me of the progress that the Iraqis are making in forming a unity government. I encouraged the Iraqi leaders to continue to work hard to get this government up and running. The Iraqi people voted for democracy last December; 75 percent of the eligible citizens went to the polls to vote. Now the Iraqi leaders are working together to enact a government that reflects the will of the people. I'm encouraged by the progress. The ambassador was encouraged by it.Today, as well, marks the third anniversary of the beginning of the liberation of Iraq. And it's a time to reflect. And this morning, our reflections were upon the sacrifices of the men and women who wear our uniform. Ours is an amazing nation where thousands have volunteered to serve our country. They volunteered to -- many volunteered after 9/11, knowing full well that their time in the military could put them in harm's way. So, on this third anniversary, the beginning of the liberation of Iraq, I think all Americans should offer thanks to the men and women who wear the uniform, and their families who support them. We are implementing a strategy that will lead to victory in Iraq. And a victory in Iraq will make this country more secure, and will help lay the foundation of peace for generations to come.
May God continue to bless our troops in harm's way. Thank you.
The added emphasis is mine. This less than two full minute speech reminds me of something that would only be said on Veteran's Day or Memorial Day. But, it does remind me that as an Airman I should be thankful to my family who supports me every day. The family that waves at the C-5 as it takes off; the family that makes coming home a truly remarkable event just by being there to pick me up.
However, it also reminds me that people that don't even know me hate me because of what I do. It reminds me of the knee jerk reaction that liberals have whenever the President says something. They don't listen to the words they make up stuff like the title of this AP article, Bush Marks Anniversary, Never Says 'War'. It leads me to believe that the media doesn't care about those protecting the freedom that keeps them in business. Liberals in general are the thorn in my morale; the supposed party of piece has become so unhinged that I'm just waiting for the Vietnam-ish treatment of troops coming home (there have been a few incidents but nothing as widespread as that era).
Folks, please read what the President said and take it into consideration. If you don't like what the President is saying then please read, Support the Troops and Their Wishes.
Originally Posted at Conservative Thinking
Veteran's voices - WaPo Gets One Right
Having grown accustomed to the steady diet of defeatist propaganda, designed to position the DNC for the mid-terms, I was not optimistic when I saw that the Washington Post had interviewed 100 Iraq War veterans and written an article about their experiences. Certainly, I thought, they'll cherrypick the quotes looking for the ones most easily taken out of context to damage America's interests.
This time they surprised me. Not only do the quotes seem to be honest remembrances without political context, but on page two there is this:
But it was not bad in the ways they see covered in the media -- the majority also agreed on this. What they experienced was more complex than the war they saw on television and in print. It was dangerous and confused, yes, but most of the vets also recalled enemies routed, buildings built and children befriended, against long odds in a poor and demoralized country. "We feel like we're doing something, and then we look at the news and you feel like you're getting bashed." "It seems to me the media had a predetermined script." The vibe of the coverage is just "so, so, so negative."I've heard the exact same thing repeatedly from my friends and family members who have served in Iraq.
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.
How Much is That Fighter in the Window?
The newly declassified captured Iraqi documents available for public inspection a the Foreign Military Studies Office Joint Reserve Intelligence Center are a grab bag; many of them given without synopsis or explanation. Take this transcript of an audiotape, wherein Saddam gets a sales pitch for the French Mirage-4000 fighter/strike aircraft:
Sir, the Mirage- 4000 can be used for two duties, it is an excellent interception aircraft and it is also an excellent fit for Decentration purposes in deep ranges [TC: a term used to describe a kind of Bombing] and it is also a ground-attack aircraft with long range capability also it could be used for air defense purposes. As far as its maneuverability also an excellent aircraft, Because its engines gives this aircraft a percentage of 1:1 between its flying power and its weight, Sir, this means sir, 1 Kgm of its flying power is equal to 1 Kgm from its weight different from other aircrafts in which its flying power its relatively less than the weight of the aircraft, which means that ½ Kgm from its flying power is equal to 1Kgm from the weight of the aircraft and this will reduce the Speed of the aircraft and its maneuverability, there is also another point which is the size of this aircraft, which is considered to be an obstacle in the modern Electronic warfare but as far as its maneuverability and its specialized equipments for air defense, its considered to be an excellent aircraft.This is presented for historical reasons only, not as an attempt to bash the French, as this conversation most likely took place in the 1980s, during the Iran-Iraq War (1980-88). God knows there are plenty of reasons to bash the French without going back twenty years.
Saddam and his advisors also discuss problems with desertion from the Iraqi army, noting that Iran is accusing them of using foreign soldiers because so many Iraqi troops have left.
One passage is puzzling however, when Saddam (Male 1 is apparently Saddam) notes that they are "almost five months and in three days it will be six months" into the war. My understanding is that the Mirage-4000 wasn't available until 1986. Perhaps the translator or transcriptionist meant to type: "almost five years" - that would make more sense and the dates would then match up.
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.
Bipolar Blogging
I was in a hap-hap-happy mood when I posted below.
Then I read this at Misha's:
WAYNESBURG - A Canton man has been charged with the rape and murder of a 7-month-old infant he was baby-sitting.Police said Henry A. Sunderman, 32, of 3117 Tuscarawas St. W, Apt. A-3, in Canton, raped and killed his niece, Zoey Sunderman, on Friday. Sunderman was baby-sitting the girl, her two sisters and a brother.
Zoey was the youngest.
She was pronounced dead at Akron Children’s Hospital at 2:02 p.m. Friday. The Summit County medical examiner was doing an autopsy Saturday; it said the case was under investigation and did not release a cause of death. But Stark County Jail records said Sunderman admitted he had penetrated the baby’s anus with his finger, “causing severe tearing and trauma, resulting in the death of the victim.”
I will never, ever renounce my support for the death penalty.
I watched an MSNBC Investigates show tonight on the Wabash, IL level 4 prison. The place had more amenities than the nursing home my mother is in.
F**k life in prison without parole for animals like this.
Things That Make Me Go "Hm"
In lieu of a caption contest, I offer only this.
The world of Science is in an uproar. Recent photos have unnerved even the most rock-ribbed of Paleontologists, Zoologists, Biologists, and Sweatyhippiepooterologists as they debate:
How many toes DOES the American Chicken have, anyway?
And thanks to the blog grandfather, we get this:
Delusional leftards do have a purpose, check out that good gay action just to the left of the sign (yer other left, idjit).
March 18, 2006
Google Sued for Downgrading Website's Search Ranking
(San Jose, California) In the 21st Century equivalent to the smoky back room, Google evaluates websites and assigns a page rank which determines the order of Internet search results. I believe this lawsuit seeks to open the doors to the back room and clear the smoke.
From MercuryNews.com:
Google has mysteriously downgraded the search ranking of a Web site geared to help parents care for young children, causing a "cataclysmic fall" in advertising revenue and the number of monthly page views, according to a class-action lawsuit filed Friday.It will be interesting to see how this case develops. I'd suspect that Google will act to prevent class-action status.The civil suit by KinderStart.com of Norwalk seeks financial damages and more information about Google's secret method for ranking sites. The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in San Jose, seeks class-action status for other sites that have seen their rankings drop without warning or explanation from the Mountain View search giant.
A Google spokesman told the Associated Press that the company hadn't seen the suit and had no immediate comment.
Since it launched in May 2000, KinderStart.com had built up its traffic to more than 10 million page views a month, the suit says, with much of the traffic coming from Google search users. But in March 2005, page views plunged 70 percent and advertising revenue fell 80 percent and hasn't recovered. KinderStart.com suspects that Google erected invisible barriers that divert consumers elsewhere when they type in a search but says Google will not explain what happened.
The drop-off was so sudden that the Web site suspects Google has a flawed method or blocks sites subjectively despite Google's pledge to provide objective search results.
From Interested-Participant.
50% Support Stoning for Adultery in 'Moderate' Muslim Country
Moderate Muslims, our allies. Reuters:
Eleven percent of the people in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, believe suicide attacks against civilian targets are sometimes justifiable, a survey said on Thursday.Hat tip: Joel.The survey also found that almost half the respondents back stoning as a punishment for adulterers while support for other extreme elements of Islamic sharia was also significant.
Documents Confirm No Saddam Link to Terrorism
If the NY Times can get away with misleading headlines, why can't I? Newly released documents confirm that the Saddam Hussein regime actively funded al Qaeda linked terror organizations. Abu Sayyaf is al Qaeda's Southeast Asia wing--all emphasis mineWeekly Standard:
SADDAM HUSSEIN'S REGIME PROVIDED FINANCIAL support to Abu Sayyaf, the al Qaeda-linked jihadist group founded by Osama bin Laden's brother-in-law in the Philippines in the late 1990s, according to documents captured in postwar Iraq. An eight-page fax dated June 6, 2001, and sent from the Iraqi ambassador in Manila to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Baghdad, provides an update on Abu Sayyaf kidnappings and indicates that the Iraqi regime was providing the group with money to purchase weapons. The Iraqi regime suspended its support--temporarily, it seems--after high-profile kidnappings, including of Americans, focused international attention on the terrorist group.Okay, so there seems to be a relationship with an al Qaeda linked organization, but not al Qaeda, right? More:
A SECOND internal Iraqi file obtained by The Weekly Standard concerns relations between Iraqi Intelligence and Saudi opposition groups. The document was apparently compiled at some point after January 1997, judging by the most recent date in the text, and discusses four Saudi opposition groups: the Committee for Defense of Legitimate Rights, the Reform and Advice Committee (Osama bin Laden), People of al Jazeera Union Organization, and the Saudi Hezbollah.In light of this, how is it possible that the Left continues to insist President Bush mislead the American people about Saddam Hussein's link to terrorism? While not a slam dunk case, it's certainly disengenious to argue that the White House knew there were no links between Iraq and al Qaeda when the Iraqi's themselves believed such a link existed. More evidence here.The New York Times first reported on the existence of this file on June 25, 2004. "American officials described the document as an internal report by the Iraqi intelligence service detailing efforts to seek cooperation with several Saudi opposition groups, including Mr. bin Laden's organization, before al Qaeda had become a full-fledged terrorist organization." According to the Times, a Pentagon task force "concluded that the document 'appeared authentic,' and that it 'corroborates and expands on previous reporting' about contacts between Iraqi intelligence and Mr. bin Laden in Sudan, according to the task force's analysis."
The most provocative aspect of the document is the discussion of efforts to seek cooperation between Iraqi Intelligence and the Saudi opposition group run by bin Laden, known to the Iraqis as the "Reform and Advice Committee." The translation of that section appears below.
We moved towards the committee by doing the following:A. During the visit of the Sudanese Dr. Ibrahim al-Sanusi to Iraq and his meeting with Mr. Uday Saddam Hussein, on December 13, 1994, in the presence of the respectable, Mr. Director of the Intelligence Service, he [Dr. al-Sanusi] pointed out that the opposing Osama bin Laden, residing in Sudan, is reserved and afraid to be depicted by his enemies as an agent of Iraq. We prepared to meet him in Sudan (The Honorable Presidency was informed of the results of the meeting in our letter 782 on December 17, 1994).
B. An approval to meet with opposer Osama bin Laden by the Intelligence Services was given by the Honorable Presidency in its letter 138, dated January 11, 1995 (attachment 6). He [bin Laden] was met by the previous general director of M4 in Sudan and in the presence of the Sudanese, Ibrahim al-Sanusi, on February 19, 1995. We discussed with him his organization. He requested the broadcast of the speeches of Sheikh Sulayman al-Uda (who has influence within Saudi Arabia and outside due to being a well known religious and influential personality) and to designate a program for them through the broadcast directed inside Iraq, and to perform joint operations against the foreign forces in the land of Hijaz. (The Honorable Presidency was informed of the details of the meeting in our letter 370 on March 4, 1995, attachment 7.)
C. The approval was received from the Leader, Mr. President, may God keep him, to designate a program for them through the directed broadcast. We were left to develop the relationship and the cooperation between the two sides to see what other doors of cooperation and agreement open up. The Sudanese side was informed of the Honorable Presidency's agreement above, through the representative of the Respectable Director of Intelligence Services, our Ambassador in Khartoum.
D. Due to the recent situation of Sudan and being accused of supporting and embracing of terrorism, an agreement with the opposing Saudi Osama bin Laden was reached. The agreement required him to leave Sudan to another area. He left Khartoum in July 1996. The information we have indicates that he is currently in Afghanistan. The relationship with him is ongoing through the Sudanese side. Currently we are working to invigorate this relationship through a new channel in light of his present location.
Hat tip: Captain Ed and The Commissar.
Al Qaeda Fundraiser Visits Parliament
I plan on visiting Parliament in May. I hope this guy isn't around. Apparently Mahmoud Suliman Ahmed Abu Rideh was out of jail, living at the British equivalent of a half-way house. He met up with a member of the House of Lords at a local mosque, who was more than willing to help him get into Parliament. The al Qaeda fundraiser actively lobbies against British anti-terrorism laws which he calls 'unjust'. Which is funny, since I just watched an old episode of South Park last night in which the leader of NAMBLA decried putting child-molesters in jail as 'discriminatory'.
The Sun via Charles Johnson:
A TERROR suspect allegedly linked to al Qaeda has visited the Houses of Parliament — as the guest of a Labour peer.Former detainee Mahmoud Suliman Ahmed Abu Rideh even sat in the Commons public gallery for a debate.
He was invited to Westminster on Tuesday by Lord Ahmed, who met him at Regent’s Park mosque three weeks ago. The father of five — suspected of being a money man for terror groups — was given a SECURITY sticker for his Parliamentary visit. And he boasted yesterday of sitting in the Commons gallery, adding: “It was very interesting.”
Air America Host Calls Our Troops "Murderers", Nazis
Mike Malloy from Air America:
This is on a level with the Hitlerian attitudes towards the Jews and towards the Russians. This is just butchery, this is just murder, my God.Hat tip: Wizbang.
Terror Groups in Iraq Explained
Since I make an effort to follow certain terror groups in Iraq, I thought I'd post some comments on this Washigngton Post article which tries to explain the various terror organizations fighting our troops and allies. It's pretty disgusting that WaPo chooses to term those who break the Geneva Convention on a daily basis 'insurgents'. While the article in general is informative, there are a number of points they miss. Some of them very big points. Much of what they miss can only be interpretted as a deliberate whitewash of the insurgents we fight. Hopefully the explanations below will be helpful to those interested in the war in Iraq.
Long considered a fragmentary and disorganized collection of groups with varying tactics and aims, Iraq's insurgency is showing signs of increasing coordination, consolidation and confidence, those who study it now say. There is no consensus on the precise number of insurgent fighters, but estimates range from a few thousand to more than 50,000. The vast majority of insurgents, probably more than 90 percent, are believed to be Iraqis from the Sunni minority group that largely ruled the country before the fall of Saddam Hussein. But U.S. commanders say that most of the deadliest attacks, and particularly suicide attacks, are committed by foreigners from a range of neighboring countries, including Jordan, Syrian, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Sudan.Not surprising. The vast majority of Iraqis support the political process, even if most of them wish U.S. troops would leave.
The formation of theMujahidin Shura Council, announced on Jan. 21, was a sign of the once-diffuse insurgency's consolidation around the leadership of a few large, powerful groups. It brought together the foreign-backed network of al-Qaeda in Iraq, led by Jordanian Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, and several smaller, Iraqi-led groups. The council's head was said to be an Iraqi, a move made to counter the image of al-Qaeda as dominated by Arabs from elsewhere in the region. This appointment may be little more than a public relations move. The group's tactics include attacks carried out with bombs, small arms and mortar against Iraqi and American soldiers, as well as, increasingly, Iraqi civilians, most of them Shiites. Two of its "brigades," or affiliates, (the bin Malik and the Al-Ansar) are devoted solely to suicide attacks. Another, the Omar Brigade, is said to target only members of the Badr organization, a feared Shiite militia.The Mujahidin Shura Council is not an organization or terrorist group. A Shura council is a religious body which is supposed to take care that Sharia law is carried out. In this case, WaPo has it right when it suggests that the group is simply a PR move. Since the Council doesn't actually control any territory, it's not clear what it is supposed to govern. In the past, terror organizations have actually issued joint statements. The only thing novel about this Shura Council, is that press releases are issued in its name rather than the individual organizations.
Ansar al-Sunnah , which means "partisans of the law,"Eh, wrong. Their real name is Jaish Ansar al-Sunnah, which means army of the protectors of the way of the Prophet Muhammed (Sunna might be interpretted as law, but it has reference to using Muhammed's example as a way to live daily life), thus this group wishes to suggest by their name that they are following the example of Muhammed by their various terror operations. Which, if you've studied the life of Muhammed, you'd know that they were right.
is an offshoot of a group called Ansar al-Islam, which was formed in Kurdistan but has not been heard from in many months.Ansar al-Islam was affiliated with al Qaeda. It is the group that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was with prior to the U.S. invasion.
The vast majority of its leaders and foot soldiers are Iraqi SunnisSort of true, in the sense that Kurds are Sunnis, but it is clear that Jaish Ansar al-Sunnah is composed mostly of Kurds who are disaffected with the secularism of the two main Kurdish parties.
who adhere to a strict, fundamentalist form of Islam called Salafism, which calls for a return to the practices of early Muslims and has gained radical expression throughout the Arab world.Nearly ALL of the terrorists we fight are Salafist. The heart of Salaafism is the idea that Muslims should unite in a globabl Caliphate. The main Salaafist group is the Muslim Brotherhood which is closely connected in the U.S. to the Muslim American Society. What differentiates groups like Jaish Ansar al-Sunnah from the MAS and Muslim Brotherhood is only tactical in nature--the former using terrorism as its weapon and the latter preferring the ballot box to impose Sharia and return to the imagined glory that was the Caliphate.
Their tactics -- including lethal suicide attacks -- and religious underpinnings are similar to those of al-Qaeda, but the two groups are considered bitter rivals for influence within the insurgent community. Among their best-known attacks was a roadside bomb blast that killed 14 Marines and an interpreter in August, the deadliest such attack of the war.In my mind Jaish Ansar al-Sunna is best known for its praise of John Kerry. That, or the dozens of beheading videos produced by the group.
The stated goal of the Islamic Army in Iraq is to drive the U.S. military out of Iraq. Comprised almost entirely of Iraqi Sunnis, including many still loyal to Saddam Hussein's regime and Baath Party, it is considered more nationalistic than religious in motivation.Whoaaa, WAY off the mark. Talk about incredibly stupid. Which part of Islamic Army in Iraq does the author not understand? The group is Salafist as well and is overtly religious. They have worked with al Qaeda in the past. This group murdered Enzo Baldoni and several other foreign hostages. We believe they were behind the recent murder of American peace activist Tom Fox and continue to hold three other Western hostages. This group claims to have taken Ramadi, but our expose of their video showed exactly how weak they are.
As many as three-quarters of its attacks, which include improvised bombs and kidnappings but not suicide attacks, are conducted against U.S. forces and non-Iraqi contractors. It often releases video footage of its operations. The group publishes a monthly magazine called al-Fursan and has denied rumors circulating last summer that it was in discussions with Iraqi officials about laying down its weapons. Its members reportedly include a sniper named "Juba," who gained a cult following when he was said to have killed several American soldiers in Baghdad last summer and fall.For more on the mythical Juba sniper, see our expose here. Long story short, Juba was clearly more than one sniper and the IAI's Juba website was hosted for some time on American web-servers.
There is some discussion as to whether the Islamic Front of the Iraqi Resistance, one of the most highly publicized insurgent organizations, is actually an armed group or something of a public relations organ for other groups.My best guess is the latter.
It maintains a frequently updated Web site and publishes a magazine called Jami, an acronym composed of its Arabic initials, which also mean "mosque" or "gathering." It has claimed responsibility for a number of attacks in and around the northern city of Mosul, Iraq's third-largest city.I'm not sure why they consider this a 'major' group, they're not.
Smaller groupsThe group also routinely put out press releases in English. For instance, the Mujahidin Army's letter to the American people here. It's not clear why they are considered small by the author since they work closely with The Islamic Army in Iraq & have released dozens of videos. It is probable that this group is more nationalistic in its goals than other groups. Perhaps their affilicaton with IAI is why some might think IAI is also composed of ex-Baathists. What many don't understand is how a secular organization such as the Baath party could also be closely connected to Islam. Like the Nazis before them, many Baathists saw Arab nationalism as 'true' Islam. Thus, the Iraqi national flag under Sadaam Hussein had a Koranic quote on it.Mujahidin Army : A group that has released dozens of videos of bomb, rocket and sniper attacks, most of them directed against U.S. forces. Along with the Islamic Army in Iraq, it denied reports of rapprochement talks with the Iraqi government last year. It is one of a few smaller insurgent groups that called for attacks against Danish troops in the wake of the publication by a Danish newspaper of cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad last fall.
Never heard of them.
Muhammad Army : A group made up mostly of Iraqi former Baathists and a few foreign fighters, it claimed credit for the 2003 bombing of the United Nations headquarters that killed 23 people, including the organization's chief of mission.
1920 Revolution Brigades : This group, which has claimed responsibility for a number of high-profile kidnappings of Westerners and Iraqis working with U.S. forces, is named for the Iraqi uprising against the British after World War I. The group calls itself the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement, another insurgent organization.My understanding of the group is that they are mainly ex-Baathist. The group has condemned al Qaeda's tactics of killing civilians in the past. However, the group also claimed responsibility for the kidnapping of American Dean Sadek last year. Sadek is still missing. The group often falsifies information on its videos. For instance, they were recently caught recycling old IED footage. They also falsely claimed to have downed a British C-130.
Conquering Army : A new group that has emerged in the past two months through a series of videos released on the Internet and to regional television networks showing kidnapping victims confessing to various "crimes" such as working with American forces.What the article doesn't say is that the specific crime is of 'apostasy'. Apostasy is a capital offense under Islamic law. Thus, any one caught 'collaborating' with the Americans are considered 'apostates' and then murdered--which they call an 'execution'. You can see some images of a recent victim of the Jaish al-Fatheen [Conquering Army] here. The MSM refuses to show such images, yet continually remind us of Abu Ghraib--abuse which was punished and abuse which is far less extreme than the routine murder practiced daily by our enemies.
Swords of the Righteous: A previously unknown group that gained prominence by claiming responsibility, in videos, for the kidnapping of four Christian Peacemaker workers, one of whom, Tom Fox of Virginia, was found dead March 10.As I've already stated, the Swords of Righteousness Brigade is probably a front or an offshoot of the Islamic Army in Iraq.
Iraqi Vengeance Brigades: A little-known group that has released videos showing American journalist Jill Carroll, who was abducted in Baghdad in early January.Probably just after money. However, given the Islamic tradition of justifying kidnapping and ransom, it is hard to seperate out religious from monetary motivations.
MSM Calling Success a Failure
It's almost as if they wanted us to lose in Iraq.....
When the Agenda Hits the Fan
The headline fairly drips with that patented New York Times air of moral superiority: Symbol of Abu Ghraib Seeks to Spare Others His Nightmare, and the copy is written in their smarmy and lugubrious the-evil-that-we-do style:
AMMAN, Jordan, March 8 — Almost two years later, Ali Shalal Qaissi's wounds are still raw.There's just one problem, Ali Shalal Qaissi isn't the prisoner in the photograph, as the Times was forced to admit today in a humiliating mea culpa. Today on page one is the fake-but-accurate explanation of the incident:There is the mangled hand, an old injury that became infected by the shackles chafing his skin. There is the slight limp, made worse by days tied in uncomfortable positions. And most of all, there are the nightmares of his nearly six-month ordeal at Abu Ghraib prison in 2003 and 2004.
Mr. Qaissi, 43, was prisoner 151716 of Cellblock 1A. The picture of him standing hooded atop a cardboard box, attached to electrical wires with his arms stretched wide in an eerily prophetic pose, became the indelible symbol of the torture at Abu Ghraib, west of Baghdad.
Certainly, he was at Abu Ghraib, and appears with a hood over his head in some photographs that Army investigators seized from the computer belonging to Specialist Charles Graner, the soldier later convicted of being the ringleader of the abuse.You'll excuse me if I take anything further the Times has to say on the affair with a large grain of salt.
The man the Gray Lady described with such assurance as the "indelible symbol" of Abu Ghraib is a fraud. Birds of a feather.
Via Michelle Malkin
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto.
Jaafari Out?
IRAQ: DEAL ON NEW PRIME MINISTER, SAY REPORTS
Baghdad, 17 March (AKI) - The representatives of the Kurdish list, the Sunni Iraqi Concord Front and much of the Shiite Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution (SCIRI) have reportedly reached an accord on a new prime minister. Their agreement not to reconfirm Ibrahim al-Jaafari as prime minister and instead nominate Abdel Mahdi, a leading SCIRI figure and currently vice president, was reported by the al-Arabiya network and confirmed by Sunni deputy, Salman Jumeiri. The nomination of a new prime minister is the main sticking point in efforts to forge a new government in Iraq after the elections in December.
Rules on Fatwas
Simply put, fatwas, or Islamic legal pronouncements, are confusing to many people. Understandably, non-Muslims have a general unfamiliarity with fatwas, but it's somewhat surprising that Muslims also have frequent questions about fatwas. Islamic scholars called muftis issue fatwas but there's no coordination among the muftis, so it's not uncommon for contradictory fatwas to be issued.
Consequently, the editors at Arab News decided to address the subject of fatwas to clear up any misunderstanding.
Nobody's fatwas or rulings are binding on all Muslims. A fatwa is binding only to the scholar issuing it. It is he who considered a particular case, looked into all the relevant evidence and formulated his ruling on the basis of his research and study that is committed to it. If I give you a ruling saying, for example, that music is not forbidden, while you read in Dar Al-Ifta's publications or on their website that it is forbidden, you need to look into the evidence supporting each of the two views. Neither ruling is binding on you, but my ruling is binding on me, and the Dar Al-Ifta's ruling is binding on the scholars who issued it. [Note: Dar Al-Ifta is an Islamic authority for issuing religious edicts, but it does not oversee all edicts. There is more than one Dar Al-Ifta.]Got all that?What should be the position of a person who cannot distinguish the validity of evidence, or does not understand the intricacies involved in arriving at a ruling? The answer is that he should simply follow a scholar whom he trusts to be sincere, honest, and would not compromise his religious standpoint in order to please any human being.
My interpretation is that the followers of the religion of peace have options regarding which fatwas to comply with. It's all based on which mufti a Muslim trusts to be sincere and honest. It's also clear that if one gets a fatwa issued against him/her, then that person has pissed off at least one mufti.
In summary, muftis issue fatwas which are binding only on themselves and their followers. However, it appears that Muslims can pick any mufti they want to follow. Of course, if a Dar Al-Ifta for a nation, such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia, issues a fatwa, it likely is binding on all Muslims in the country. When a mufti not affiliated with the Dar Al-Ifta issues a fatwa, it's binding only on his followers.
Everybody clear on this subject now?
Frankly, I'm not. The entire scheme seems analogous to having one county with a dozen county sheriffs. Everybody is forced to sidle up to one sheriff just to protect himself from the other sheriffs. Nonetheless, it does explain how one Muslim (Sunni) can go to war with another Muslim (Shiite). Two muftis in one country, like two sheriffs in one county, don't always agree.
From Interested-Participant.
A Chip Off the Old Block
Letter written by Saddam's son Qusai, four months before his richly deserved demise:
Republican Guard Secretariat Presidential Office
Special Security Organization
Republican Guard Chief of Staff Security
Number: [blank]
Date: March 14, 2003
Presidential Office: Special Office
The Secretary:
Re: Kuwaiti POW’s
Regarding the execution of Mr. President, Commander Saddam Hussein’s (God protect
him) orders, according to the decision of the Revolutionary Command Council on Friday,
March 4, 2003.
Transfer all Kuwaiti POW’s / a total of 448 captured Kuwaitis who are located at the Al-Nida Al-Agher Prison and the Intelligence / General Center and Kazema Prison in Al-Kazema, to make them human shields at all locations that are expected to be attacked by the American aggressors. Put them in communication locations and essential ministries, radio and television, Military Industrial Commissions, and all other locations expected to be attacked by the criminal Anglo-American aggressors.
Transporting them should be in coordination with:
Intelligence Services Directorate
Republican Guard Chief of Staff
Under direct supervision of the Special Security Organization / Organization Security
[Signature]
Qusai Saddam Hussein
Supervisor
of the Republican Guard Secretariat
March 14, 2003
A copy to:
Intelligence Service Directorate / Office of the Director
Republican Guard Chief of Staff / Office of the Chief of Staff
From Foreign Military Studies Office Joint Reserve Intelligence Center.
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.
March 17, 2006
RU Four 86'd
SOme chicks die after taking the kill your child pill.
Think they will ban it like they did that arthritis meds?
Two more women have died after using the abortion pill RU-486, regulators said Friday in a warning that brought renewed calls for pulling the controversial drug from the market.
The organization that provided the pill to the two women said it would immediately stop disregarding the approved instructions for the pill's use.
The Food and Drug Administration warned doctors to watch for a rare but deadly infection previously implicated in four deaths of women who had taken the drug. The drug, also called Mifeprex or mifepristone, has not been proved to be the cause in any of those cases-
Funny, but.............. it is a pill designed to kill your baby and yet on occasion, it kills the taker.
Go Figure.
When Muslims Attack
Attack the Useful Idiots, that is.
Yeah, I linked my own blog again, but what else am I supposed to do? It's not like the guy posts here.
Sheesh, give me break, and stop looking at me like that.
Okay all you conservative/libertarian SOBs: Go Patriots!
The George Mason University Patriots, the poster-child of a libertarian-oriented university... and unique in its niche, is playing in the NCAA tournament tonight at 7:10PM againt evil statist anti-libertarian Michigan State University. Your assignment is to root for the underdog... (and I don't mean the Spartans).
Whisper in Evolution's or God's ear, whichever appeals to you... We aren't above appealing to dumb luck either, if you happen to know her telephone number. Sucking down more beer than is strictly healthy is optional...
The Cold War with Radical Islam & Cyber-Privateering
Here is a link to a Powerpoint presentation saved by John Donovan that accompanied a lecture given by Rear Admiral Bill Sullivan, the Vice Director for Strategic Plans & Policy on The Joint Staff (the J5). The venue was the Executive Lecture Forum, Radvanyi Chair in International Security Studies, Mississippi State University, entitled “Fighting the Long War--Military Strategy for the War on Terrorism”.
Go check out John's take here.
My initial response is WOW. The military seem to actually get what is at stake in Iraq. Admiral Sullivan discusses the long-term goal of Salaafism as the restoration of the Caliphate and the al Qaeda strategy of turning Iraq into the central base of operations for the future Islamic empire.
The military also seems to get that two of the main tools used by terrorist networks are the media and internet. However, I see nothing in the presentation on how those two tools of the enemies can be removed.
My own personal view is that the internet jihad needs to be counterattacked. Up to now, there has been virtually no real effort made to treat the terror presence on the internet as a military matter.
Many law enforcement arrests have been made (not nearly enough), but if this is a war we are in then we must treat the internet as an instrument of war. You do not fight a war with indictments. It is precisely the fact that there is no due process in war that differentiates it from normal police work.
So, how does the military fight the internet jihad? It can't.
We must understand our enemies as non-hierarchically organized networks of like minded individuals. There are literally thousands of websites, chat rooms, and forums which spread the jihadi doctrine. Law enforcement cannot hope to close down all of these websites and the military is simply not designed to fight it. A centralized command structure cannot fight such a network since each cell is not connected to the others.
So, is there a way to fight the internet jihad? Yes, there is. Cyber-privateering.
Fight fire, with fire. The only way to win the cyber-war is by removing the propaganda outlets of the enemy. State actors, though, are limited in what they can get away with on this front. However, there are millions of hackers out there who do have the tools necessary to take down these websites. They could actually be more effective if a) government resources and programs were added to their arsenals b) like privateers of old they were shielded from the retribution of the laws of foreign countries.
Privateers of old were private citizens given free reign to wreak havoc on enemies. Unlike privateers on the high-seas, there is no financial gain to be had from shutting down an enemy website. That is why cyber-privateers ought to be given a bounty for each terrorist website they take down. In addition to bounties, cyber-privateers could be given immunity from prosecution both abroad and at home. Expect to hear more about cyber-privateering from me in the future.
Along with taking the long-war seriously, we must also take the cyber-war seriously. Winning both will require new ways of dealing with threats.
Bin Laded Reported Dead (Again)
I hope this is true, but don't count on it. Didn't we hear the same report from Michael Ladeen, who also got it from an Iranian source back in January, claiming bin Laden had died of kidney failure in Iran? Via Dan Riehl this from Newsmax:
Weldon made the stunning claim during an interview Wednesday with the Philadelphia Inquirer, which reported: "Weldon is making explosive new allegations. He says a high-level source has told him that terrorist leader Osama bin Laden has died in Iran, where he has been in hiding."The more I become familiar with 'sources' in the Middle East, the more I am willing to dismiss their claims as conjecture, conspiracy, and simple wishful thinking.Weldon cited as his source an Iranian exile code-named Ali, telling the paper: "Ali's told me that Osama bin Laden is dead. He died in Iran."
Something Fishy With this Poll: Plurality of Americans Want Bush Censured (UPDATED: Nope, I guess they don't!)
Critical UPDATE 3/17: A new Rasmussen poll has the numbers reversed! 45% opposed and 38% in favor of censure. A poll by the American American Research Group, released yesterday, had claimed that more Americans want Bush censured than didn't want Bush censured for alleged misdeeds committed in spying on suspected terrorists telephone calls. Is it possible the American people simply don't know what the word "censure" means?
Here is how Rasmussen worded the question:
Senator Russ Feingold has introduced a measure to censure, or publicly reprimand, President Bush for authorizing the NSA wiretapping program. Should President Bush be censured for authorizing the NSA wiretapping program?Notice how the word "censure" is explained. In the ARG poll, it is not.
Dan Riehl has further analysis. My original post from yesterday in which I questioned the legitimacy of the poll is below. I said something was fishy, and I guess I was right!
-------------------------
According to this poll, more Americans support censuring President Bush than oppose censuring President Bush.
I don't know anything about The American Research Group or about Dick Bennett, who runs the New Hampshire polling firm, but the numbers seem very odd to me. Either these numbers are WAY OFF, or every single Senate Democrat (with the exception of Russ Feingold) has lost their sense of the direction as to which way the political wind is blowing. Now, there are a lot of bad things I could say about Hillary Clinton, but accusing her of not being politically astute would never be one of them!
I don't find it hard to believe that 70% of Democrats would want Bush censured, but 29% of Republicans? Unless, of course, Andy Sullivan is still calling himself a Republican, I just don't buy it.
The same poll claims that 47% of independents want the President impeached. So, more independents want the President of the United States impeached than censured? What the hell kind of logic is that?
The Left, as expected, are soiling their panties over this one. They smell blood in the water and are pouncing. What is so interesting about the Left, which usually prides itself in its epistemelogical relativism, is how they claim to know reality as it really is. Glenn Greenwald makes the assertion that what the wiretapping program is breaking the law, as if that were an objective fact, and then advises:
Go forth and censure.The tin-foil brigade over at Booman know what is really going on:
We know they weren't just spying on terrorists.Matthew Gross:
The President broke the law.Perhaps there is something to this poll. The Left continues to state as a matter of fact that Bush broke the law. An opinion stated as fact that goes unchallenged will eventually be accepted as fact.
Are the American people actually operating under the impression that when the NSA spies on international telephone calls that this somehow doesn't fall under the Executive Branch's broad Article II power over foreign policy? That the President is breaking the law? It's possible. Like I said, when you say the same thing over and over again people sometimes begin to believe it.
But no matter how often this poll is cited in the next few days, I'll still have a hard time believing its true.
No Fatwa?!?!
I've been begging for a fatwa for years. The least you could do is ban this website!
Mother #^@@&%&*^*()&%*$#!!!!!!!!!
Because the occasional death threat just isn't good enough.......
More Evidence of Taliban & al Qaeda in Lodi, CA
Yes, the fine gentle people of the Taliban visited Lodi, California, testimony during the terror trial revealed yesterday. An FBI report also reveals that one of the men who was in Lodi to raise funds for the Taliban was Ayman al-Zawahiri--al Qaeda's #2 man.
Via Cagey Mind this from the Sac Bee:
Prosecutors on Thursday turned over to defense attorneys four FBI reports that apparently reflect agents' interviews of Naseem Khan, the government's key witness in the trials of two Lodi men on terrorist-related charges....Now that KG, formerly of the CalMafia blog, has come out of retirement, his blog will be the place to check for Lodi terror updates.The first report describes an interview of the source on Oct. 26, 2001, in Bend, Ore., where Khan lived at the time. The source told agents that during Ramadan in 1999, when Khan was living in Lodi, three Taliban members came to the Lodi Muslim mosque while the source was there and met with members who handled the mosque's financial affairs.
The source said the trio "traveled around to the other area mosques in Stockton, Yuba City and Live Oak," apparently on a money-raising mission.
"Source said that a very large amount of money is collected at the various mosques during Ramadan," the report says.
The source named the three Taliban members as Ayman al-Zawahri, Ahmed Mohammed Hamed and Abdelkarim Hussein Mohamed al-Nasser.
Cock Praises Allah (Audio)
A rooster in the former Soviet republic of Kyrgistan has begun crying out the name of Allah. No doubt a St. Patty's day miracle on par with the latest sighting of the Holy Mother in a tortilla and the oil stain on my driveway in the shape of St. Christopher. This avian miracle is proof that there is no God but Allah, and Muhammed is his Prophet.
Listen to the miracle cock crowing for Allah here.
Chad Evans has the backstory.
PS-I'm in department meetings all day. What a great way to kick off Spring Break....meetings.
Public Execution for Child Molesters
Kevin McCullugh and I see eye to eye on a lot of things. Public execution is not one of them. More and more of late I've been rethinking my stance on the death penalty. I'm for it in theory, but in practice, I'm not so sure.
Perhaps it's all the Taliban beheading videos I've been watching lately. The most recent one I watched features crowds of people being escorted by the mutilated bodies. They seem to enjoy it. There is something sickening about a culture that would find pleasure in the death of another human being--even when those human beings are disgusting criminals.
However, on another level, I find myself yearning to personally execute the human excriment who did this. WND:
The men and women who this week were arrested in association with the child porn sting carried out by the Justice Department should experience true justice. They should be dragged to Times Square in New York City, hands tied behind their backs, and their crimes should be announced to the packed square and an international TV audience. They should be given no more than two minutes to sort out their business with God.So, I'm conflicted.And then ... they should go meet Him!
They should have their necks stretched, a bullet placed in the back of their heads, or a dozen bowling balls tied to their necks and dropped into the ocean. Or all three.
Cheese Eating Tenure Monekeys
As I predicted yesterday, celebrations of Jerry Lewis' birthday turned violent in France as students turned out en masse. Okay, the riots were unrelated to Jerry Lewis' 80th birthday, but I did predict riots in France! That's got to count for something.
Then again, predicting riots in France is a lot like predicting it will be hot in Las Vegas.
Whiney French students (redundant--I know) took to the streets to protest a change in French law which would make it legal to fire new employees up to two years after they begin. Oh the inhumanity of it all! Imagine, employees at Paris shops might actually have to pay attention to their customers.
Does the ACLU Love Terrorists?
Or do they simply hate America? It's kind of hard to tell sometimes. Now the ACLU is asking the United Nations to hold the U.S. accountable for [insert whiney reason here]. Wait, aren't these guys supposed to be upholding the U.S. Constitution? As I force all of my students to memorize, it starts this way: We the people of the United States.... I don't seem to recall anything in the Constitution about the U.N., the international community, or international law.
The Buck Stops at the Bottom in the TSA
MSNBC headlines its report that federal investigators recently passed homemade bombmaking materials through checkpoints at 21 US airports, "Airline screeners fail government bomb tests":
In all 21 airports tested, no machine, no swab, no screener anywhere stopped the bomb materials from getting through. Even when investigators deliberately triggered extra screening of bags, no one discovered the materials.Because they were leaking information from a classified report, NBC said they would not publish what materials were used, but they presumably were easily obtainable ingredients.
The Transportation Security Administration responded with a statement to NBC [emphasis added]:
The Transportation Security Administration would not comment on the tests, but issued a statement to NBC News, saying "detecting explosive materials and IEDs at the checkpoint is TSA's top priority." The agency also said screeners are now receiving added training to help identify these materials.This is typical of TSA management, to blame the frontline folks whenever a negative story hits the news. But this one doesn't wash, because TSA screeners do not have a say in what materials their Explosive Trace Detection (ETD) equipment is calibrated to detect. As TSA "command personnel" might smugly note, that decision is above their paygrade, thus, those command personnel have no business issuing a statement implying that the failures were the result of inadequate training.
While no one expects empty-suit MSM reporters like Lisa Myers to have an understanding of what they're reporting, it isn't too much to ask of TSA executives that they have a basic clue about the information they're passing out in a press statement. It's inexcusable for them to be passing the buck down the line to the screeners.
There are too many useless drones, who have never worn a TSA uniform and are not certified to perform even the most menial checkpoint task, spending their days figuring out how to pass the buck and finagle a larger office, and expand the number of their subordinates. Some regional airports have one administrative or supervisory employee for each three screeners, a ridiculously top-heavy hierarchy bloated by blatant cronyism and bureaucratic maneuvering. Blaming the screeners, who willingly act as human bomb detectors when an ETD indicates that there might be explosives around, is shameful.
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.
March 16, 2006
Taliban Releases New Beheading Video from Waziristan (Images)
The propaganda arm of the Taliban, Ummat Studios, has released a new propaganda video of alleged criminals who have been beheaded or otherwise killed in Waziristan. Graphic images from the video are posted below.
The high-production value video warns Muslims against cooperating with 'apostate' regimes, such as Pakistan's Pervez Musharraf and praises violent jihad. The video quotes the Quran and sayings of the Prophet Muhammed to justify the killing of what are allegedly highway robbers and other common criminals. It shows their mutilated bodies being displayed as a warning to crowds of people. The underlying warning is that the same fate awaits those who would cooperate with secular regimes which will not implement harsh Sharia (Islamic) law.
Yale University has recently admitted a former top Taliban official. The images below are shocking and disgusting. We post them to help the reader become acquainted with the tactics of the Taliban. The video boasts of the beheadings. It boasts that this is what the Taliban are doing.
This is what Islamic law looks like in practice. These are the enemies we are fighting in Afghanistan. This is what the 'insurgents' in Iraq would like to do if they ever came to power. These are the 'freedom fighters' lauded by the Left.
WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES BELOW. DO NOT PROCEED IF UNDER 18. DO NOT PROCEED IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO SEE WHAT OUR ENEMIES ARE CAPABLE OF. DO NOT PROCEED IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO THINK ABOUT WHAT WOULD BECOME OF OUR ALLIES IF WE WERE TO ABANDON THEM.
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Thanks to Baf Baf and Doubletap for the video.
Document Links Iraq to Osama bin Laden
New documents released by the U.S. Army show that Iraqi intelligence agents knew that Osama bin Laden was in contact with the Iraqi government. This is in addition to other documents which prove conclusively that Iraqi intelligence was aware of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's presence in Iraq.
A translation from one of the documents:
In the Name of God the MercifulRead the rest here.Presidency of the Republic
Intelligence ApparatusTo the respectful Mr. M.A.M
Subject: Information
Our source in Afghanistan No 11002 (for information about him see attachment 1) provided us with information that that Afghani Consul Ahmad Dahestani (for information about him see attachment 2) told him the following:
1. That Osama Bin Laden and the Taliban in Afghanistan are in contact with Iraq and it that previously a group from Taliban and Osama Bin Laden group visited Iraq.
Many more documents need translating.
When Up is Down
When you're a Leftist blogger up is down, war is peace, and losing is winning. Orwell still matters.
Al Qaeda Threatens U.S. on Video
Yesterday we broke the story that a new al Qaeda video was making the jihadi rounds. Today there is confirmatian. Yes, we actually break news around here sometimes.
The video features 'martyr' Fahd Farraj al-Juwair, the former Emir of Al-Qaeda in the Land of Mohammed (Saudi Arabia), who was killed 2 weeks ago in Riyadh after the failed attack on the Abqaig oil facility. Three documents, all dated with yesterday's date, accompanied the video. Video and docs will be sent out on request.
Via Gateway Pundit this from Al Jazeera:
"To Americans we tell you to leave Muhammad's peninsula [Saudi Arabia], and leave all Muslim lands. Stop aiding Jews in Palestine and stop aiding Christians in Muslim lands or else you will face killing, destruction and bombings," said al-Juweir, who was on a most-wanted list of al-Qaida suspects.Gateway Pundit (via Glenn) and The Anchoress both note that al Qaeda chatter is running at an all time post-9/11 high. Given that the source is Douglas Farah, though, i'm skepticle. GIMF, mentioned by all concerned, should not be used as a legitimate intelligence source since they are a propaganda outlet. GIMF warning of attacks is nothing new, since all of their propaganda pretty much carries that theme. However, in light of today's offensive against Sammara, perhaps the AQ gang got wind of something?"To the Saudi government, we have come to you to slaughter you and your rule is fleeting ... If you knew what the [mujahideen] have prepared for you, you would be fleeing this Arabian peninsula."
Al-Juweir also called on Saudi security forces to join the group's holy war.
"[Prince] Nayef bin Abdul Aziz [the interior minister] told you to sell your souls to his government and kill for him in defence of Americans ... Stop defending tyrants and join the mujahideen or else you know what awaits you," he said.
In any event, there seems to have been a slight decline in the number of these videos released by the 'mujahidin' from Iraq recently--in spite of obvious pieces of propaganda such as this. In fact, a number of us who follow these things have noticed that certain 'insurgent' groups have begun recycling footage from 'operations' and trying to pass them off as new. Like a recent video from the 1920's Revolution Brigade announcing an operation which had killed American soldiers which was, in fact, some footage from some months before.
Perhaps this fact combined with other good news from Iraq is a sign? I certainly hope so.
UPDATE: A translation of the documents and part of the video can be seen by following links here.
What a wonderful smell you've discovered!
ESPN:
"A bomb-sniffing dog noticed something in a hot dog cart," Beresford said. "They got a hit on something that was in the cart itself."A dog internested in something in a hot dog cart? Imagine that.
JQ has more here and here.
No Honor for Hanoi Jane
(Atlanta, Georgia) The Georgia State Senate took up the issue of honoring Jane Fonda.
From WSBTV.com:
A resolution honoring Fonda's volunteer work cruised through yesterday. But many senators failed to realize it was part of a stack of non-controversial efforts all approved with a single vote.The chairman of the chamber's veterans affairs committee objected, setting up a reconsideration of the honor for the Atlanta resident this morning.
Senator Steen Miles of Decatur says the resolution was one of several Women's History Month measures she has introduced to honor Georgia women. The resolution cites Fonda's work as founder of the Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention, donations to Atlanta-area universities and charities and role as goodwill ambassador with the United Nations.
Unfortunately for Fonda, veterans, in general, and Vietnam veterans, in particular, are not amused. Hanoi Jane's anti-American activities, including a trip to North Vietnam, have enraged vets to the point where they don't want her to get any accolades. One Senator said Fonda is the least deserving of any person the Senate has ever attempted to honor. I can't disagree.
And, from a later report:
The sponsor of an effort to honor Jane Fonda in the state Senate has withdrawn the effort after hitting resistance from her colleagues.Well, it appears that the fitness icon just doesn't have the stomach for a controversy.Sen. Steen Miles, a Democrat from Decatur, said this morning she was contacted by the office of the actor, fitness icon and political activist and asked to avoid the controversy the honor had stirred.
From Interested-Participant.
Clinton W. Taylor & Debbie BookStaber Get Apologies From Yale.
As you may recall Clinton and Debbie are co-authors of an idea to mail fake fingernails to Yale in response to it’s admission of a former Taliban spokesman to the university. The protest is intended to point out that the policy of the Taliban was to remove the fingernails and toenails of women in Afghanistan who painted their nails. A Yale employee, one Alexis Surovov, apparently used university records to look up the pair of Yale alumni so he could call them “retarded” via email. Yale has suspended Mr. Sorovov, but Yale has still not addressed the problem of just why Mr. Rahmatulla is still at Yale. I have Mr. Taylor’s reaction below as well as a more from the WSJ opinionjournal and links to all Jawa Report coverage the extended entry.
Clinton W. Talylor via Townhall : Just an apology would have sufficed. (A personal one, though, instead of a general one through the media. Let's not pretend they don't know my e-mail address.) Mr. Surovov accessing our records to send us a letter was creepy and lame, and kind of funny. It's not funny that they welcome the Taliban's spokesman on campus as a student, which is the real, unacknowledged problem here. Still, Mr. Surovov's suspension in the Yale Alumni Office creates an opportunity for Yale. They need to defend to the alumni their indefensible decision to admit the Taliban's deputy foreign minister. Mr. Rahmatullah is a certified expert at defending the indefensible. Rather than re-admitting Rahmatullah as a sophomore this month, perhaps Yale's Development Office should hire him.That’s the way to give them the finger er uh the fingernail.
WSJ Opinion Journal : Yale University still isn't talking about why it admitted a former top Taliban official as a student, but yesterday the Yale Law School issued an apology to two alumni whom one of its officials had attacked in an anonymous email as "retarded" and "disgusting" for daring to protest Yale's admissions decision. Harold Hongju Koh, the law school's dean, said that Alexis Surovov had been "temporarily relieved of his duties" as assistant director of annual giving while an investigation is conducted into whether he obtained information from confidential donor databases to launch his anonymous attack. A scan of just this week's headlines might give Yale officials some clues as to why the outrage exists. The Taliban, the medieval fascist regime that harbored Osama bin Laden before 9/11, may be history. But its remnants are at war with America even today. Mr. Taylor, now a graduate student at Stanford, says he is "glad Yale is showing it can distance itself from inappropriate actions. I wish they'd now similarly follow through with a much more serious case: the chief propagandist and ambassador-at-large for the Taliban attending Yale."Past Jawa Coverage here and here and here too.
V for Vendetta Reviewed
Imperial Minister of Pop-Culture, Flea, gets a sneak preview of V for Vendetta after performing certain umentionable acts upon a high-ranking British official to get the ticket. The gist is that Flea may have overlooked the pro-terror plotline if his London neighborhood hadn't been bombed by the ROP, a phone-booth outside a bar he frequents hadn't been bombed by the IRA, and if Natalie Portman would have revealed a little more skin. A million sins forgiven for nude Natalie Portman is our motto du jour.
Large U.S. Assault Begins in Iraq
Good luck & God bless. I pray that our troops will rescue any hostages which may be held captive in the area. More here.
UPDATE: Start Cranking Out The Virgins
DOD Press Release:
Iraqi and coalition forces today launched the largest air assault operation since the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom in southern Salah Ad Din province to clear a suspected insurgent operating area northeast of Samarra, military officials reported."Operation Swarmer" began this morning with soldiers from the Iraqi army's 1st Brigade, 4th Division; the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team; and the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade conducting a combined air and ground assault to isolate the objective area, officials said.
Attack and assault aircraft provided aerial weapons support for the operation and also delivered troops from the Iraqi army's 4th Division; the "Rakkasans" from 1st and 3rd Battalions, 187th Infantry Regiment, of the U.S. Army; and the "Hunters" from 2nd Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, U.S. Army, to "multiple objectives" according to a Multinational Force Iraq statement. Forces from Iraq's 2nd Commando Brigade then completed a ground infiltration to secure numerous structures in the area, officials said.
More than 1,500 Iraqi and coalition troops, more than 200 tactical vehicles, and more than 50 aircraft participated in the operation, according to the MNF-I statement.
Initial reports from the objective area indicate that a number of enemy weapons caches -- containing artillery shells, explosives, materials for making homemade bombs, and military uniforms -- have been captured.
The operation is expected to continue for several days as a thorough search of the objective area is conducted, officials said.
Operation Swarmer follows closely the completion of a combined Iraqi and coalition operation west of Samarra in early March that yielded substantial enemy weapons and equipment caches.
The name Swarmer, the MNF-I statement explained, was derived from the name given to the largest peacetime airborne maneuvers ever conducted, in spring 1950 in North Carolina. Soon after this exercise, the 187th Infantry was selected to deploy to Korea as an airborne regimental combat team to provide Gen. Douglas MacArthur with an airborne capability.
France Celebrates Jerry Lewis' 80th Birthday
Jerry Lewis turns 80 today. Riot police are standing by in France.
UPDATE: Jerry Lewis related violence at an all time high!
Harvard & Georgetown Sell Out to Islamofascists
Harvard we can understand, but Georgetown? What's a nice Catholic school like you doing taking money from him?
AP Doctoring Photos of Jewish Settlers
Notice anything odd about this picture which accompanied an AP story in which a U.N. "expert" alleges that Jewish settlers "terrorize Palestinians with impunity"? Click the image for a shocking revelation about the photo. I wonder what other information in the story has been doctored?
UPDATE: I got the same anonymous tip that Ace did, so I'll just direct you to his post for the clarification.
Doctors and the Cult of Moloch
Of all the gods of the ancient world, Moloch stands out as the worst. Moloch was also known as Baal, and was one of the Punic gods--a god worhsipped by the Phoenicians (Philistines) who later settled Carthage. In the Old Testament, a great deal of ink is devoted to denouncing Moloch-Baal worship. Why? Because the central ritual of Moloch worship was sacrificing children. Legend, you might claim, no one would kill their own children! Greek and Roman texts also record how the Carthiginians sacrificed children by burning them to death.
As digsusting as all that is, at least it is history, right? Wrong. Today Moloch worship is alive and well. Its high-priests are doctors, its religion science, and its mantra quality of life.
Doctors in England have been trying to murder an 18 month old child for some time now. Luckily, a court has stopped these modern day Moloch worshippers who advocated killing the child because they deemed his life not worth living.
Unfortunately, this is but the first round of what I foresee as a long battle.
Danny Carleton has some very personal details on this and why it matters.
Sirhan Sirhan Denied Parole for 13th Time
(San Francisco, California) Palestinian immigrant, Sirhan Sirhan, was sentenced to death for fatally shooting Senator Robert Kennedy in the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles in 1968. The sentence was later commuted to life in prison with the possibility of parole. Yesterday, Sirhan Sirhan saw parole denied for the 13th time.
From Reuters.com:
Sirhan, who turns 62 on Sunday, has been seeking to win his freedom since 1972.So, Sirhan will continue to enjoy cellblock life alongside Charles Manson at Corcoran State Prison. Maybe the two are really, really close, if you catch my drift. Nevertheless, it would have been a waste of effort to send Sirhan's papers to Schwarzenegger.Had the Board of Parole recommended parole, the matter would have gone to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for final review. Kennedy was the uncle of Schwarzenegger's wife, Maria Shriver.
"The panel found that he continues to pose an unacceptable risk to public safety and felt that he was not suitable for parole," Tip Kindel, a spokesman for the Board of Prison Terms, said of Sirhan.
From Interested-Participant.
Keeping Them Under The Bridge
Seems we have a troll intent on spoofing the regulars here.
If you regulars don't like being spoofed, email me at vinceautmorire@gmail.com and just write one word.
spoofer.
I will reply with another word.
You can't control comments here, but you can protect your good name, and save us some aggravation by trying to compare IP addresses. A spoofer may be able to type your email into the field provided in the comments, but they can't email me with your address can they?
If you're being spoofed, all you have to do is email Rusty or Howie, with the secret word, and you won't get deleted and banned. They control the banning process. I'll let them know the secret word.
If you don't get a reply to your email, then you're not in my pro-Jawa database (yes, I have one) and you may be a leftard.
Comments are closed because the secret word must be emailed.
Oh, No! Not Dogs!
FT. MEADE, Md. — A top Army intelligence commander testified Wednesday that he gave his approval on at least one occasion for the use of military dogs during the interrogation of a detainee at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison, a rare acknowledgment that soldiers may have received permission from superiors to employ harsh techniques.
Someday, in the far future, our nation's mailmen and mailwomen will receive the same respect as terrorists held at Abu Ghraib.
Keep flogging that dead horse, media.
Thank The Maker!
For us Star Wars geeks.
Because our robots have no laws prohibiting them from killing the enemy.
Via LGF.
Scroll all the way down and laugh as great conversations erupt as to whether or not Asimov's "laws" are truly laws, or simply fiction, or whether or not these machines are true robots or not.
Reminds of something, but I just can't place it.
A Familiar Face
The Pentagon has just released to the public documents captured in Operation Iraqi Freedom. They can be accessed here in Adobe Acrobat format.
This one's interesting; the synopsis describes it this way:
ISGZ-2004-019920The document hasn't been translated into English; many of the documents released are available only in Arabic. This one consists of photocopies of handwritten notes and photos, presumably of the al Qaeda members that Iraqi intelligence had listed as being in Iraq in 2002. Here's a detail from page 6:
2002 Iraqi Intelligence Correspondence concerning the presence of al-Qaida Members in Iraq. Correspondence between IRS members on a suspicion, later confirmed, of the presence of an Al-Qaeda terrorist group. Moreover, it includes photos and names.
I think the guy on the right looks better in this shot:
This is a photo of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.
March 15, 2006
The Clooney-Huffington Affair
Oh no! Arianna's caught in a web of lies. Oh, the humanity! From the LA Times:
Oscar winner George Clooney may make politically provocative films like "Syriana." But he doesn't write politically provocative blogs.The Huffmeister puts it off to a misunderstanding between her and Clooney's publicist.So imagine his ire when Arianna Huffington used some of his recent answers to political questions in a way that makes it look as if he wrote one for her Huffington Post blog site.
Clooney's statement:
"Miss Huffington's blog is purposefully misleading and I have asked her to clarify the facts. I stand by my statements but I did not write this blog. With my permission Miss Huffington compiled it from interviews with Larry King and The Guardian. What she most certainly did not get my permission to do is to combine only my answers in a blog that misleads the reader into thinking that I wrote this piece. These are not my writings — they are answers to questions and there is a huge difference."Yes, The Dread Pundit Bluto was taken in by the devious Huffintoness as well! Oh no! Looks like Huffy pulled George's "blog". What a shame. The fawning "Oh, Mr. Clooney..." comments were priceless.
Via Neocon Express.
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.
She's Mine And You Can't Have Her
Take her on in her comments, not here. I double dog dare you.
Broadband for Everyone? WOW
How the hell did I get here? I don't see any half nekid Scott Baio pics! RUSTY!! YOU TRICKED ME!
Ahhhhh. While I am here-
Pelosi now hinting at the libs new "unified" agenda.
Apparently, the "I hate Hitler Bush" agenda just is not cutting it these days so the degenerate libs have to come up with something new. Like, minimum wage hikes and access to broadband. WTF?
Just how much does a burger king grill jockey need to make? 10 bucks an hour?
How much are you willing to pay for that Whopper then. 9 bucks?
So the libs will give everyone broadband. At the expense of which company? How will the gov. mandate on this one? And who is going to give all the poor lap tops so that they can use their now accessable broadband to download porn and pirated rap vidis?
According to Pelosi, Democrats are "about the future" and making it "better for the next generation
Filthy thinks libs are all about butt sex and appeasement but, that is just Filthy.
Relocating To France Is Still An Option
The DUmmy spaketh:
Americans are among the stupidest people in the world.And politicians of both parties know it. Democrat politicians regret this, bitch about it, and do everything they can to change it. Republican politicians love this reality, exploit it, and do everything they can to keep it that way.
It's difficult to place the blame in any one place. The MSM is part of the problem. The Republican propaganda machine keeps the ball rolling. The Republican religious faction actually believe they're "doing the Lord's work," and the good ole' standby of waving the flag and appealing to blind patriotism works wonders.
Most Democrats/Liberals, on the other hand, believe in the basic goodness of mankind, the things that are written in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and that if people could just see the truth, they'd throw the criminals out.
As a Democrat and a liberal, I agree with them. So given the insanity that the American public has allowed to go on for the past five years, I guess I'm as ineffective as any Democrat politician out there.
The journalist H.L. Mencken said, "No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people" and he's been proved right time and again.
So what, if anything, are we going to do about it?
Move to France? That bastion of liberty China? How about Cuba and their awesome healthcare system?
Then again, there's always this solution.
Stein hoist: Jheka in the LGF comments. Which reminds me, I owe Taqiyyotomist a stein hoist for the MEMRI link in this post.
Falling Man of 9/11 Identified
The man shown in a now infamous photograph falling from the Twin Towers on 9/11 has been identified as Jonathan Briley, a claim made by the British tabloid, The Mirror. A documentary about 'The Falling Man' will be aired on the British TV channel 4 tomorrow. Briley was one of dozens who chose to end their own lives by jumping, rather than face the horror of being burned alive. The Mirror:
Five years after the horror of September 9, 2001, the falling man has finally been identified as Jonathan Briley, a 43-year-old who worked in a restaurant at the top of the north tower.Never forget. Never again.Over the years, his family has always assumed he perished in the building. Now, learning he had jumped is almost too much to bear.
His father, Alexander, a Baptist minister, has still not come to terms with the manner of his son's dying. "I can't talk about it," he says. "My life's work is telling people that they have to go on after tragedy, but I can't do it for myself."
Jonathan's elder sister, Gwendolyn, says: "When I first looked at the picture... and I saw it was a man - tall, slim - I said, 'If I didn't know any better, that could be Jonathan'....
THEY caught a man, seemingly calm, plunging to his inevitable death.
The picture was published around the world, causing widespread revulsion, as if merely looking at them was to intrude upon a moment of private agony. After September 12, the picture was rarely shown again, but Tom Junod couldn't get the image out of his head and spent years trying to discover the identity of the Falling Man.
It was executive chef Michael Lomonaco who finally solved the mystery.
"Jonathan fitted the body type, the skin colour, and it left the door open for a possibility that it was really Jonathan," Lomonaco says.
Jonathan's father is still too upset to speak about his son but his sister, Gwendolyn, is ready to talk.
"Jonathan was a person who just loved life and it was contagious so that when we were around him, you couldn't help smiling and laughing." Nobody will ever know for sure if Jonathan was the Falling Man, although the evidence makes it highly likely.
In one of the pictures, his white shirt is blown away by the wind to reveal an orange T-shirt - identical to the one he wore to work.
But as Gwendolyn says: "It's not about trying to find out who he is, but what his death says to all of us." And what it says is ... never again.
Thanks to Olivia for sending the link and for reminding readers that this drives home the point that the struggle against Islamofascism is not about race, but about a murderous and totalitarian ideology.
UPDATE: Michelle Malkin has a moving tribute here.
Immigrants Required to Tolerate 'Bad Gay' Film in Netherlands
New immigrants to the Netherlands will be required to view a film which shows men kissing and topless women on the beach as a test of tolerance. Swap the two guys kissing for two hot chicks, and I might emmigrate! AP:
The camera focuses on two gay men kissing in a park. Later, a topless woman emerges from the sea and walks onto a crowded beach. For would-be immigrants to the Netherlands, this film is a test of their readiness to participate in the liberal Dutch culture.Hat tip: Bill DauterieveIf they can’t stomach it, no need to apply.
Despite whether they find the film offensive, applicants must buy a copy and watch it if they hope to pass the Netherlands’ new entrance examination.
Now that's a great idea for weeding out those that would threaten out liberties without actually saying 'radical Muslims need not apply'!
Arrests Made in London Muhammed Cartoon Protests
Police in London have finally made some arrests in the now infamous protests at the Danish embassy in which Muslims threatened to behead those who insulted Islam. A) What took so freaking long? B) What about the hundreds of others at the protest? UPI:
Five men were arrested Wednesday over their alleged role in a London protest during which some demonstrators urged the murder of those who insult Islam.Jurist:The men were seized on suspicion of incitement to violence and incitement to murder, and taken to police stations in London and Birmingham for questioning.
The demonstrations, held outside the Danish Embassy in London on Feb. 3 and 4, were in protest of the publication of satirical cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed in a Danish newspaper. The images, which included one of the Prophet wearing a bomb-shaped turban, sparked outcry across the Muslim world, particularly after they were republished by newspapers in several European countries.
Some demonstrators in London waved placards calling for the "beheading" or "massacre" of those who insult Islam, while other placards appeared to call for a repeat of the July 7 bombings which killed 52 people.
The arrests follow weeks of investigation by a special law enforcement team set up by the London Metropolitan Police called Operation Laverda, which collected video, audio, photographs and other evidence of protestors. During the protests, demonstrators displayed placards threatening terrorist attacks like those on September 11th and July 7th, as well as the "massacre" of people who insult Islam....UPDATE: The Blogfather has video of the protest up.Police charged four of the suspects with incitement to murder, and held all five on charges of "using threatening words or written material to stir up racial hatred."
New Video from al Qaeda in Saudi Arabia
Al Qaeda in Saudi Arabia has released a new high production value 16 minute video. An accompanying announcement in Word format is dated today, 3/15. Luckily, the 'martyr' Fahd Farraj al-Juwair, the former Emir of Al-Qaeda in the Land of Mohammed, was killed 2 weeks ago in Riyadh after the failed attack on the Abqaig oil facility. Unfortunately, this video is making its rounds rapidly on the internet. Worst yet, a lot of young men look to these videos as a source of inspiration. Thanks to Doubletap for the video. I will send it on request with accompanying announcement.
Antisemitic Cartoons Run in Iranian Newspaper
An Iranian newspaper has begun to run antisemitic cartoons in response to cartoons which were allegedly blasphemous of Muhammed. What is so disgusting about these cartoons is that they equate Israeli soldiers killing terrorists with Nazis killing women and children. Most of the cartoons seem to be drawn by the Western Left which is also so morally retarded that it cannot differentiate between a Palestinian terrorist intentionally blowing up a bus full of civilians and the Israeli response which is to kill the terrorists responsible.
Botched Report From CBS Draws Fire of Danish Journalist
Samuel Rachin, a distinguished Danish journalist who follows the Old School (agendas are for meetings, not journalists) has blasted Bob Simon of CBS for his hatchet job on Denmark's Mohammed cartoon incident:
This kind of journalism does not have much in common with the tradition of Ed R. Murrow or what his associate, Fred Friendly, taught me at the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University when I took my degree there in the late 70ies. The snide asides and sarcasm that permeated the narrative do not mix with the high quality journalism I have learned to expect from 60 Minutes. What we got was a presentation so biased, distorted and corrupted by so many inaccuracies and innuendos that it was impossible to recognize Denmark. I am sorry to say it, but it is shameful for the profession that both Bob Simon and I belong to.No big surprises here for Americans accustomed to what passes for reporting at the network of Dan Rather.
Of course, Simon may have been simply trying to excuse the cowardice of the American mainstream media, who have meekly allowed themselves to be censored by the Islamist movement.
Via The Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.
Yale Taliban Student Picks NCAA Tourney Winner
Tooling around the internet this morning, I came across ex-Taliban spokesman and current Yale student Sayeed Rahmatullah Hashemi's NCAA tournament picks. It looks like he thinks Duke will beat UCONN. If Duke is trailing at the half, I'd get myself out of the arena quick. I hear that in addition to stoning infidels in his free time, Hashemi is a chronic gambler.....and he hates to lose!
More on Sayeed Rahmatullah Hashemi and how you can pressure Yale University here.
Editor Fired for Publishing Muhammed Cartoons
Is there really free speech on college campuses today? Yes.
And by yes I mean as long as you don't say or print anything which isn't exactly what we want you to say or print.
And it's not like we're going to arrest you for saying or printing stuff. You're just going to get fired.
Oh, and you might just fail all of your classes.
And there is a slight possibility that we'll kick you out of school.
Marginal chance that we'll also ruin your reputation by labelling you bigot.
Might just ruin your career if you hope to go into the media.
Or any other occupation where people might not want to work with a bigot.
Which, now that I think about it, is pretty much all of them.
Other than that, the college campus remains the last true refuge for free speech on the earth.
Go support Acton Gort who just got fired from the The Daily Illini for printing the Muhammed cartoons. He could use it right now.
Peoria Pundit claims that the Daily Illini is the now officially the crappiest student newspaper in America. Hard to argue.
Hat tip: Glenn Reynolds
Inside the Mind of an Evil Blogger--"Blog", the movie
I'd say Joseph Duncan qualifies as 'evil' under even the most narrow of definitions. In addition to being a convicted child molester who advocated for the rights of sex-offenders, Joseph Duncan was a blogger who recorded his fight with what he believed were demonic powers online. Duncan would eventually become a mass-murderer.
I-Film has a short preview of an upcoming independent film which uses Duncan's blog entries as its basis. The unfortunate title of the movie is Blog. The clip is demented, choppy, twisted, and left me slightly nauseated. I'd say the director pretty much nailed Duncan's character with it.
I wonder what the socially useful value of the movie is? After learning what Joseph Duncan did to Shasta Groene and others, there is only one conclusion to draw about him: he is evil.
Evil does not need to be understood, only disposed of. Call me up when the sequel comes out: Blog II: Joseph Duncan Execution Video. I'd pay to see that.
So, the first movie about bloggers turns out to be about this piece of human filth? Maybe someone should crank out a treatment for Army of Davids as a reply.....
Related: Joseph Duncan III: Diary of a blogger who kills and molests.
Death Threats Against Anit-Islamist Manifesto Signers
I hope this counts as a fatwa since I was one of the first bloggers to get on board the manifesto after Peter at Agora gave me the heads up. Agora:
According to one of the signers, the French writer Caroline Fourest, the threat was made this Saturday on the website ummah.net. It mentions a who’s who guide and a list of targets scheduled for termination.As always, read the rest here.The group urges its adherents to take their time but says it should happen soon. It adds that it isn’t necessary to first have a Fatwa from a religious leader, such as the one Ayatollah Khomeini issued in 1989 against Salman Rushdie’s life for having offended the religion.
“The threat is simply not acceptable. Our Manifesto urges to resistance by means of ideas. But the Islamists have answered with threats of violence. A proof - if such was necessary - of their rejection of democratic debate and of their totalitarianism,” Caroline Fourest says.
She adds that the Manifesto isn’t against Islam but against Islamism and the Islamists’ using the religion politically to oppress, for example, Freedom of Speech. She emphasises that the signers will not be subdued by threats.
I'm Still Voting McCain
After all is said and done, John McCain is still my candidate of choice. Why? Because he will do whatever is necessary to win the war on terror. That's the impression that I get, at least. While not my only concern, it is my greatest. If you look at John McCain's voting record, he's not nearly as 'liberal' as many on the Right seem to believe. And since I'm not really a Republican, it doesn't really bother me if he's 'loyal' or not. John Hawkins has a different take.
March 14, 2006
It Takes 1.2 Billion Tons Of Coal To Find A Diamond
The West has overcome Communism, it can and will overcome triumphalist Islam. It will not be easy, but seeing the situation clearly will make the fight clearer in perspective, rather than confused and muddied if one knows not the realities of this war. One must never forget that the enemy - radical, militant, fundamentalist, triumphalist, violent, terroristic (and/or whatever adjective one wishes to use) Islam - is evil.
Is why he also posts here.
I just wish he'd post more.
Abu Hamza Videos: "Allah is Happy When the Kafir (Unbeliever) is Killed"
Glen Jenvey is the guy most responsible for putting Abu Hamza behind bars. He has released a series of video of Hamza's sermons. Worth the watch.
Here's a highlight where Hamza condemns Saudi clerics for being too sympathetic to America after 9/11:
These big belly sheiks, they are crying their tears and they calling the brothers terrorists, And they send the victims about, the prostitutes of the World Trade Center, the controller of, of the usury, central usury banks, are controlled by these World Trade Centers, the plot of, against Muslims and they going against the whole plan to the Pentagon, and they cry and said they are innocent....Hamza on the example of Muhammed. Modern jihadis could learn from Muhammed's example. After a long day of killing the infidels, Muhammed would come home to his 9 year old wife and help with cooking and cleaning. Not like the modern jihadi who won't even change a diaper, let alone clean up the mess left by his latest beheading victim:Now, the government is an agent for the Russians and for the Americans, and for Europe and for anybody except Islam. Why they don't open their mouth? May Allah seal their mouths with fire, say Amen [crowd answers Amen] Allahu Akbar.
We have to be soldiers to Allah, [?] He was doing jihad, he was looking after his family, he was sewing his own clothes he was takening revelations, he was doing dawa, everything at the same time, these are obligations.And my favorite:
Allah is happy when the Kafir (unbeliever) is killedGo check out the videos.
Moussaoui Death Penalty Trial to Proceed
Personally, I'm against the death penalty for Moussaoui. Too costly. Instead, let's sentence him to the general population in any federal maximum security prison. A) He'd die faster--say, three weeks tops--saving us a lot of money. B) Watch the cornhole Moussaoui.
US judge refuses to dismiss Moussaoui trial.
Iraq Foils Plot to Put Terrorists at Posts
Was this the so-called "Tet" offensive we have been hearing so much speculation about?
BAGHDAD, Iraq - The Iraqi interior minister said Tuesday that authorities had foiled an al-Qaida plot that would have put hundreds of its men at critical guard posts around Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone, home to the U.S. and other foreign embassies as well as the Iraqi government.
Can Hookers Save Islam?
If the Germans believe that mobilizing an army of hookers will help reduce the normal amounts of violence associated with the World Cup, wouldn't logic dictate that a few thousand prostitutes are what is needed to stop the annual Haj stampede? And if that is the case, maybe we should unleash Amsterdam's Red Light district on the Sunni Triangle?
It could work........
ACLU Rides to the Rescue of Veterans' Funeral Desecraters
Yesterday I wrote about the disgusting inbred gaggle of hicks who make up the Westboro Baptist Church, and get their sick kicks picketing the funerals of soldiers killed in the War on Terror.
Today, John at Stop the ACLU notes that (big surprise) the ACLU is going to bat for these degenerate hatemongers:
In reaction some states are creating laws to limit these protests with buffer zones. While most reasonable folks can see the common sense in this, the American Civil Liberties Union are calling it Unconstitutional.Yes, wherever some aspect of the Constitution can be twisted to an evil purpose, the knights of the American Civil Liberties Union can be found.
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.
Al Qaeda's Zawahiri Linked to California Terror Cell
Did al Qaeda's #2 man make a trip to Lodi, California? Strange days indeed, most peculiar momma.
As you know, we've followed the Lodi terrorism trial fairly closely (see below). From the beginning, leaks have indicated that the terror ring was connected to al Qaeda and that the investigation was much larger than was being reported in the press. In fact, except for the Sac Bee, there has been virtually no national media about this case. Could the Zawahiri connection have been known to the FBI since the start of the investigation?
At first, I found the notion hard to swallow. But there are now unrelated accusations that Zawahiri did make several trips to the U.S. during the 1990s and is believed to have had a temporary residence in California's Central Valley.
That's right, Zawahiri was here. Via AJ Strata this from the AP:
An FBI informant testified today that Osama bin Laden’s right-hand man lived in the Central Valley town of Lodi before the 2001 terrorist attacks.Via Captain Ed this from Fox News:
He may have lived in the Sacramento area for an undetermined period in or around 1995 while visiting area mosques, according to an FBI agent in Washington, D.C., who spoke Monday on condition he not be named.The informant, though, puts the date between 1998-1999. Via Michelle this from the L.A. Times:
"Every time I would go to the mosque, [Zawahiri] would be coming or going," Khan said, according to the Sacramento Bee on Monday on its website. Khan, who said he lived in Lodi at the time, testified that he spoke to Zawahiri, but never had a conversation with him.If Zawahiri was in the U.S. in any capacity and for any period of time, then the FBI, the 9/11 Commission, and the Clinton Administration have a lot of 'splainin to do."He would quietly come to the mosque and leave," Khan said.
California Conservative has also been covering this from the start.
Previous articles:
Terror Trial Begins for U.S. Citizens in Lodi, FBI Investigating Newspaper Leak
Bail Denied in Lodi Terror Case
Lodi Terror Suspect Makes Bail
Indictment in Lodi Islamic Terror Probe
Lodi Terror Suspects Face Bail Hearing
Lodi Muslims Suspect Government Mole
Lodi Terror Ring Connected to Bin Laden
A Modest Proposal to Congress: End assylum for Islamsit exiles and make "religious worker" visas predicated on reciprocity of host nations
Lodi Terror Investigation Grows
Two in Lodi al Qaeda Plot Indicted
TerrorCamp Director with Ties to Lodi al Qaeda Cell Goes Into Hiding
“Camp al-Lodi”: Just The Tip Of The Iceberg
Fifth Man Detained in CA al Qaeda Case, More Arrests to Come
Al Qaeda in California Arrests: Ties to Radical Mosques, Jihadis and Religious Schools Revealed
Islamic Scholar: "Osama bin Laden Should Lead Islamic State"
I always dig it when people misunderstand Huntington's Clash of Civilizations hypothesis. People often believe that Huntington--and now the neocons--want a Clash of Civilizations. That this clash is their goal. In fact, Huntington and others are not arguing that a Clash of Civilizations should happen, but that it is happening.
An amazingly honest response from a leading Islamist in Norway continued below. Agora:
We have no fear of the Western mindset. It can never be victorious. In Iraq the two sides are facing each other. On the side of Islam are men who love death and are willing to become martyrs for their beliefs. On the other side are soldiers who fight for a 1000 dollars a day. The number of dead American soldiers are proof of defeats. In Afghanistan the same thing is happening. From 2001 to 2004 five suicide attacks occured. In 2005 it was 17. While the US and their allies are becoming smaller, Islam is expanding the front. And the reports from Guantanamo tell the same story. There they try to rip the faith our of the Moslems’ hearts. They fail. In Denmark they printed those cartoons, but the result is that the backing for Islam increases. I and all Moslems are proof of this. You haven’t managed to change us. We are the ones who will change you.” “How?”Wake. Up. People.“Look at the development of the populations in Europe where Moslems are breeding like Mosquitoes. Every western woman produces on average 1.4 children. Every Moslem woman in the same countries produce 3.5 children. In the year 2050, 30 percent of the population of Europe will be Moslems.” ...
What borders should the Caliphate have?”
“That does not matter. Things are born small and grow big. It’s the Islamic rule it’s about. That is why the West destroyed the Talibans in Afghanistan. They feared the Islamic state.”
“Who should lead the new Caliphate?”
“It needn’t be a scholar. A good man will do.”
“Is bin Laden a such a man?”
“Osama bin Laden, Ayman Zawahiri (the number two of al-Qaeda) are among many good men. Weren’t Jewish leaders terrorists too before they got their own state?”
Anti-Semitism, Scott Baio Worship, On the Rise in France (Updated)
It never surprises me to hear that Muslims in France--or anywhere--are violently antisemitic. What does shock me is that activists protesting the rise of antisemitism have adopted Scott Baio as their leader. I would have thought Jerry Lewis would have been the natural choice. Or maybe David Hasselhoff......
Update: Et tous Sweden?
Boston Globe (hint: check out the pic):
''It's too bad this happened, because we immigrants are always blamed," said Ibrahim Ag Ahmalou, a lanky man of West African heritage who shares his girlfriend's apartment in the project. ''But Jews have all the money and power. Everyone knows this and resents them. That's why they have these problems."Last week there were three more attacks on Jews by Arab and African immigrants in suburban Paris, according to police. None of the latest victims was seriously injured, but the attacks heightened the nervousness of French Jews. There is alarm that the antipathy of French Muslims toward Jews, long based on opposition to Israel, is reverting to the even more sinister prejudices that once pervaded Europe, making Jews the scapegoats for all social ills.
Robertson Utters *Shocking* Words: "Islam is NOT religion of peace"
I'm shocked, outraged, and mortified that any one--let alone a so-called Christian--would dare say that Islam is NOT a religion of peace. Clearly Pat Robertson is a bigot.
Evangelical broadcaster Pat Robertson said Monday on his live "700 Club" television program that Islam wants to take over the world and is not a religion of peace, and that radical Muslims are "satanic."After watching a news segment about radical Islam in Europe, Robertson remarked that the outpouring of rage elicited by cartoon drawings of the Prophet Mohammed "just shows the kind of people we're dealing with. These people are crazed fanatics, and I want to say it now: I believe it's motivated by demonic power. It is satanic and it's time we recognize what we're dealing with."
Robertson also said that "the goal of Islam, ladies and gentlemen whether you like it or not, is world domination."
3.14 Today is International Pi Day
Today is 3.14--International Pi Day. Mmmmm, pi.
Math aficionados, nerds, and proud math geeks at high tech operations all over the world are preparing to celebrate Pi Day Tuesday to honor the infinite numerical challenge whose first three numbers --314 -- connote March 14.Geeks and Nerds of the world unite!Although professional and amateur mathematicians venerate Pi, they can take a light-hearted approach to the Pi phenomenon Tuesday.
"Pie-eating contests are very big," said Howard Greenspan, spokesman for MathematiciansPictures.com, a Pi-oriented Web site. "For math nerds and aficionados, it's like Christmas and New Year's all wrapped up into one. There's a lot of activity in high tech operations across-the-board -- major companies, search engines, students, professors."
Greenspan added that the pie-eating contests cover all flavors from apple to strawberry, while bar games often take place in bars and restaurants near high tech centers like Silicon Valley, Boston, and New York.
"There are contests to see who can reel off the biggest number of Pi -- sometimes more than 100 numbers," he added. "It's a popular bar game in some places. Computer guys are totally into these things."
Sobek for Prez
Isn't it about time we voted for a lazy President?
Planned Parenthood and Greenville Tech
Radical abortion rights activists help the students at Greenvill Tech celebrate 'herstory'--- which I hear is a lot like 'history', only with an all female prison run by a bull-dyke prison matron.
Hell's Merry-Go-Round
My friend at Signal 94 isn't what you'd call a prolific blogger - two posts since starting up the site on Friday - but quality trumps quantity most of the time, as it does here.
Sig94 doesn't offer any solutions, just the observations of a beat cop:
This is not a “bad” young man. He is not a criminal. He does not use alcohol or drugs. He is courteous, respectful and is very intelligent. He is also a vegan; I do not comprehend how he can work as a burger flipper. He has made a series of bad decisions in his young life and now has made another that is very different from all his prior bad choices.Many unsavory yet fascinating images here - not the kind of thing you'll get from a reporter; it takes a cop who knows how to write.He has condemned two other people to a life of grinding poverty. And if not an entire lifetime, at least a long, very difficult period of precarious, hand to mouth, daily living. These three people are on the Road To Poverty.
"Signal 94" means "end of shift".
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.
Melissa Theuriau Topless Pictures
May be viewed by following the links here.
What are you staring at? Of course I'm trying to make The Jawa Report number one on Google for "Melissa Theuriau Topless Pictures."
March 13, 2006
Dogs Eat Dead Arabs
(Umluj, Saudi Arabia) With the media focused primarily on the international implications of Middle East events, the everyday hum-drum challenges of average citizens are often unreported. Here's an example.
From ArabNews.com:
Imagine the shock when Abdul Rahman Al-Juhani and family members went to a cemetery in this quiet northwest coastal town to bury a loved one only to discover, to their horror, the bones and shrouds of the dead strewn all about. The culprits of this desecration, say residents, are feral dogs.One can't help but feel a certain amount of empathy for people who have seen their dearly departed turned into gnawed litter but it's undoubtedly overshadowed by the disgust at the abject ignorance which allows the circumstances to exist in the first place. Without breaking a sweat, I can come up with a few ideas. "Hey, Abdul, why don't you dig deeper graves and hire a dogcatcher?" Zoning the cemetery away from the fish market might help also."Not only that, but there were also children playing inside the cemetery," said Al-Juhani. "I don't blame the kids because they're not responsible for their actions. I put the blame on the municipality for not assigning a guard at the cemetery and leaving the door open for wild animals."
The people of Umluj are calling on municipal authorities to do something about this problem in the town's main cemetery, located near a fish market.
Suleiman Al-Hujori, a resident of Umluj, said that the dignity of the dead is being violated. "These wild dogs prey on dead bodies," he said. "They dig bodies and bones out of graves and eat them. We want the municipality to put an end to this problem."
Of course, then there's the question of whether any Muslim martyrs were buried in the cemetery. Now, I understand the biology when a canine eats. At the end of the day, all that remains is a pile of dog stuff. Is it possible to start as a doggie land mine and finish as a frolicker among a harem of 72 virgins?
From Interested-Participant.
Ignore Commenter "Travis Justice"
The commenter "Travis Justice" is spoofing a real sportscaster by the same name here in Omaha.
The commenter is on AOL, which is proof to me that the commenter is spoofing him.
I just called the real Travis Justice at KMTV and he assured me that he's never even heard of the Jawa Report, he doesn't have an AOL account, and that this isn't the first time that this has happened.
He also asked me to delete the comments, which I will.
Oh, I almost forgot, I gave Mr. Justice my wife's cell phone number, so if the commenter calling himself "Travis Justice" would be kind enough to put that in his next comment, where I'm sure he'll claim to be the real Travis Justice, I'd appreciate it.
From now on, please ignore a commenter named "Travis Justice" and please do not contact KMTV regarding him.
Fatwas Issued For The BSCC
Because I'm too tired and/or lazy to change the time-stamp on the contest, I'll just do a whole new post.
Fatwas:
Cindy's showing that the "Michael Moore Starter Kit" really works.
Posted by Yo at March 12, 2006 04:35 PM
Cindy Sheehan revealed the dark underbelly of the anti-war movement. It wasn't pretty.
Posted by Stephen Macklin at March 12, 2006 12:50 PM
When do I get that cute orange jumpsuit?
Posted by Marcus Aurelius at March 12, 2006 11:59 AM
As usual, the gratuitous Star Wars reference fatwa goes to:
"Where are you taking this....thing?"
Posted by Venom at March 13, 2006 10:29 AM
(we likesssssssssss Venom, yesss we doesssssss precioussssssssss)
And a special "I'm miserable so you have to be miserable too" fatwa:
Snore. This is like the Sunday morning talking heads shows -- only far more boring. And that's saying someting.
Posted by anon at March 12, 2006 10:52 AM
Buzz Aldrin Punches Conspiracy Nutjob (Video)
I just wish it was Cindy Sheehan that had confronted Buzz. Buzz Aldrin punches tin-foil brigade member.
Givin Yale the Finger Part Deux
Hey, Yale. I got something in my pocket for you. Remember to keep sending your fake fingernails to Yale.
Taliban Murders Four Water Treatment Workers
This morning the news was that one German and three Albanians in Afghanistan would be murdered for helping rebuild the water system there.
Reuters : Omar's order was read by telephone late on Sunday to a Reuters reporter at the border town of Spin Boldak, in Kandahar province.Shortly afterward I see news that these men were Murdered and their bodies dumped along the road accounding to Taliban “spokesman” terrorist Qari Mohammed Yousef.
"These people had come to Afghanistan at America's behest, therefore they should be sentenced to death," Taliban spokesman Qari Mohammad Yousuf quoted the order as saying.
Earlier on Sunday, Yousuf had said four Albanians and four Afghans were being held.
But he later said the four Afghans, two of them drivers, had been released, and identified the foreigners as three Albanians and a German.
BBC : The Taleban spokesman said the four foreigners had been shot dead.Yes purifying water is an offense worthy of such a sentence by a one eyed no longer in power madman. Of course this is an attempt by the Taliban to show they have power to steal a bit of legitimacy by fear. Maybe if old one eye had actually thought about the welfare of the people of Afghanistan rather than looking for the next Budda to blow up he would not find himself committing murder for attention. Wait a minute, of course he would be that's what they do.
"We will kill any one who is helping the Americans," he told the BBC.
One of the freed Afghans said they had been stopped by a group of 20 men dressed as police as they left Helmand for Kabul on Saturday morning.
"They tied our hands and feet and blindfolded us," the man, who did not wish to be named, told the BBC.
"They took the Albanians away from us to another location. We heard firing and the Albanians screaming. We couldn't see any thing because our eyes were closed."
Ecolog, the company the men worked for, is a German firm that treats dirty water at US and Afghan army bases.
Hat Tip : Derek
George Clooney as: 'The Liberal' (Translated)
George Clooney is holding forth at The Huffington Post. Here's a helpful translation from the original La-La-land dialect:
I Am a Liberal. There, I Said It!Translation: Because I make my living pretending to be other people I use exclamation points to let you know when I'm being serious. I amI am a liberal. And I make no apologies for it. Hell, I'm proud of it.
Too many people run away from the label. They whisper it like you'd whisper "I'm a Nazi." Like it's dirty word. But turn away from saying "I'm a liberal" and it's like you're turning away from saying that blacks should be allowed to sit in the front of the bus, that women should be able to vote and get paid the same as a man, that McCarthy was wrong, that Vietnam was a mistake. And that Saddam Hussein had no ties to al-Qaeda and had nothing to do with 9/11.Translation: No need to think about issues, just remember: Liberals good, non-liberals evil.
This is an incredibly polarized time (wonder how that happened?). But I find that, more and more, people are trying to find things we can agree on. And, for me, one of the things we absolutely need to agree on is the idea that we're all allowed to question authority. We have to agree that it's not unpatriotic to hold our leaders accountable and to speak out.Translation: If only the Party lawyers had found more dangling chads in 2000 we'd be living in Paradise.
That's one of the things that drew me to making a film about Murrow. When you hear Murrow say, "We mustn't confuse dissent with disloyalty" and "We can't defend freedom at home by deserting it at home," it's like he's commenting on today's headlines.Translation: Remember, while issues are complex and confusing, you can never go wrong by simply opposing anything non-liberals try to accomlish.
The fear of been [sic] criticized can be paralyzing. Just look at the way so many Democrats caved in the run up to the war. In 2003, a lot of us were saying, where is the link between Saddam and bin Laden? What does Iraq have to do with 9/11? We knew it was bullshit. Which is why it drives me crazy to hear all these Democrats saying, "We were misled." It makes me want to shout, "Fuck you, you weren't misled. You were afraid of being called unpatriotic."Translation: Screw the brown people who aren't liberals, even if helping them helps us.
Bottom line: it's not merely our right to question our government, it's our duty. Whatever the consequences. We can't demand freedom of speech then turn around and say, But please don't say bad things about us. You gotta be a grown up and take your hits.Translation: Despite the fact that I've just been whining about people saying bad things about us, evil non-liberal people are going to say bad things about us.
I am a liberal. Fire away.Translation: I feel guilty for being paid so much money to pretend to be other people, but see how brave I am? Please go see my movies.
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.
Britain Next to Become Defacto “Muslim State”
See the Western Resistance Blog who asks why and article was pulled from the UK Telegraph. The article points out the strategy for creating an Islamic mini-state inside Britain.
UK Telegraph Via Western Resistance : "They think they have won the debate," he says with a sigh. "They believe that the British Government has capitulated to them, because it feared the consequences if it did not.So again we see the only rights Islam respects is their own. Never mind every one else, just don’t upset them. Why are we in the west allowing ourselves to suffer the degradation of our rights while allowing a repressive system to rob us of our own sovereignty? Is this not sedition or treason? They seek to form a state within a state openly thwarting and doing and end around of the legitimate authority of the British Crown. Yes, sounds like organized treason to me!
"The cartoons, you see, have not been published in this country, and the Government has been very critical of those countries in which they were published. To many of the Islamic clerics, that's a clear victory.
"It's confirmation of what they believe to be a familiar pattern: if spokesmen for British Muslims threaten what they call 'adverse consequences' - violence to the rest of us - then the British Government will cave in. I think it is a very dangerous precedent."
Dr Sookhdeo adds that he believes that "in a decade, you will see parts of English cities which are controlled by Muslim clerics and which follow, not the common law, but aspects of Muslim sharia law.
"It is already starting to happen - and unless the Government changes the way it treats the so-called leaders of the Islamic community, it will continue."
For someone with such strong and uncompromising views, Dr Sookhdeo is a surprisingly gentle and easy-going man. He speaks with authority on Islam, as it was his first faith: he was brought up as a Muslim in Guyana, the only English colony in South America, and attended a madrassa there.
"But Islamic instruction was very different in the 1950s, when I was at school," he says. "There was no talk of suicide bombing or indeed of violence of any kind. Islam was very peaceful.""That is why they do not believe in integration. In 1980, the Islamic Council of Europe laid out their strategy for the future - and the fundamental rule was never dilute your presence. That is to say, do not integrate.
"Rather, concentrate Muslim presence in a particular area until you are a majority in that area, so that the institutions of the local community come to reflect Islamic structures. The education system will be Islamic, the shops will serve only halal food, there will be no advertisements showing naked or semi-naked women, and so on."
That plan, says Dr Sookhdeo, is being followed in Britain. "That is why you are seeing areas which are now almost totally Muslim. The next step will be pushing the Government to recognise sharia law for Muslim communities - which will be backed up by the claim that it is "racist" or "Islamophobic" or "violating the rights of Muslims" to deny them sharia law
Salt Lake City Punk Reality Tour
My airplane got a flat tire. That's right, a flat tire on an airplane. And how do they fix it? Just a guy with a tire iron. It took 2 hours to get the tire changed. Needless to say, I missed my connection.
So I get stuck in Salt Lake City for a couple of days. Not the worst place to be stuck. It's a pretty cool town, actually. It snowed, which is always fun in March. Nevertheless, I'm glad to be home.
Thanks to all the well-wishers for keeping me in their prayers. The interview went reasonably well. I'll hear something in the next two weeks. If I get the job I'll give your prayers credit. If I don't get the job I'll know that Jawa readers need to turn their prayers towards the real God. You know, Allah.
Anyway about a million things to do to make up for lost time last week. Blogging will be light.
Political Opportunist
Russ Feingold is entering his bid for the Democratic nomination in '08 with a brazen bit of political pandering aimed directly at the lunatic Left. Feingold thinks that the President should be censured for protecting the country from terrorist attacks.
From the Associated Press:
A liberal Democrat and potential White House contender is proposing censuring President Bush for authorizing domestic eavesdropping, saying the White House misled Americans about its legality.Frist is exactly right, and personally, I'd like to see a resolution entered to censure Feingold for being an irresponsible, pandering jackass who's more concerned with his political fortunes than he is with the lives of his countrymen."The president has broken the law and, in some way, he must be held accountable," Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., told The Associated Press in an interview.
A censure resolution, which simply would scold the president, has been used just once in U.S. history _ against Andrew Jackson in 1834.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., called the proposal "a crazy political move" that would weaken the U.S. during wartime.
You can email Senator Feingold at russ_feingold@feingold.senate.gov if you'd like to remind him of his responsiblities as a US Senator.
Here's his Washington address and phone and fax numbers:
Washington, DC
506 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-4904
(202) 224-5323
TDD (202) 224-1280
Fax (202) 224-2725
I'm sure the Senator would find it instructive to hear how loyal Americans who aren't pimping for higher office feel about his latest antics.
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.
March 12, 2006
Mo Cartoons, No - JC Fellating a Pig, Yes
From Lost Budgie Blog comes news that The Sheaf, the student newspaper of the University of Saskatchewan, refused to publish the infamous Mohammed cartoons "out of respect for Islam". Yet on March 2 The Sheaf published an episode of the crudely drawn cartoon strip "Capitalist Piglet" that depicted Jesus performing oral sex on a pig. In the second panel the pig says that it's "kosher" so long as the Christian savior doesn't swallow.
Visit Lost Budgie Blog for details and the cartoon strip itself, plus updates, including the resignation of one of the editors and an apologetic email from the college president.
Via The Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler.
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto.
A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Comments Section
Last evening, LGF opened up the register to comment, and I managed to slip in. Normally, I just read the posts and skip the comments, now I'm glad I have an excuse to go in. That's where I found this.
From MEMRI:
The Last Warning To The American People"Despite the fact that the New York, Washington, Madrid, and Londonexpeditions have been carried out a few years back. The search for clues on how they were conducted in such a successful manner is still going on and reports upon reports are still being written about them. However, the next expedition might not find someone who can provide analysis for. The top intellects, strategists, and analysts, will be totally clueless as to how to explain what occurred. Let me also inform you that we are talking about two operations, not one. The scale of one of them is larger than the other but both are large and significant. However, we will start with the smaller, and temporarily put the larger on hold to see how serious the Americans are about their lives. Should you value your own life and security, accept Muslims’ demands, but if you shall prefer death (over giving in to Muslims’ demands). Then, we, by the grace of Allah, are the best in bringing it (death) to your door steps.
Follow the link to read it all.
I did a Google News search and there is none, zero, mention of this in the media. The only other two hits I got were the SITE Institute and World Net Daily.
Whether this is a legitimate threat, or some jackoff spouting off, we need to get the word out anyway.
Thanks for keeping us informed, media.
UPDATE: Good 'ol Patrick al-Kafir has been looking askance at Mr. Williams since November.
"Oh, you are still alive? Wait and see."
- Message left on Dr. Wafa Sultan's answering machine by Islamist radicals
Dr. Wafa Sultan (More from Howie, here) first came to my attention here, when Neocon Express and Muhammad and Cartoons tipped me to this remarkable video. Dr. Sultan debated an Islamist cleric on al-Jazeera television and cleaned his clock regarding the characteristics of radical Islam and the savage "civilization" that it engenders.
Now, predictably, Wafa Sultan is the target of mumerous death threats left on her answering machine. This New York Times article may have increased the danger to Dr. Sultan and her family by unnecessarily revealing personal details about Wafa and her husband. Two big surprises: Islamist terrorists threaten a woman for bravely speaking her mind, and the New York Times gives no thought to anyone's well-being when they're writing a story.
The Neocon Express has been in touch with security firms to seek donations of equipment and services to protect Dr. Sultan.
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.
When Madness Masquerades As Religion
Not Islamists this time, but creatures who claim to be Christians.
From Agence France Presse:
Hecklers harass families of US soldiers killed in IraqThis is nothing but a game to gain publicity for the so-called "Westboro Baptist Church", which is really a cult run by Fred westboro and his family. Maybe they'll eventually take the route of the Jim Jones cult. One can only hope.Five women sang and danced as they held up signs saying "thank God for dead soldiers" at the funeral of an army sergeant who was killed by an Iraqi bomb.
For them, it was the perfect way to spread God's word: America was being punished for tolerating homosexuality.
The good news...while the Westboro Baptist cult has about 100 members, the bikers of The Patriot Guard Riders are now 16,000 strong.
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.
CIA Agents Named on Internet
(Washington. D.C.) The Chicago Tribune conducted a search on the Internet for CIA data and found "more than 2,600 CIA employees, 50 internal agency telephone numbers and the locations of some two dozen secret CIA facilities around the United States." All data were compiled from commercial sources.
Included in the virtual directory were the names and addresses of publicly-known employees, such as Director Porter Goss, and data regarding clandestine employees and front companies.
Holy moly! If the Tribune reporting is accurate, I'd surmise that the alleged outing of Valerie Plame as a CIA agent is nothing.
From Interested-Participant.
The Blog Sabbath Caption Contest: Palpatine Wears Pink Edition
Caption this photo of Cindy Sheehan doing her best impression of Darth Sidious.
Fatwas will be issued when I trace your IP address, hunt you down, and behead you.
Oh, wait, that's Ummah.com.
Fatwas issued Monday.
March 11, 2006
Just Your Ordinary Every Day Death Threat.
It seems that when you call into question all the blood, devastation, death, war and Horror of the ROP, The members of the ROP try and solve it by you know, killing you! Dr. Wafa Sultan as you may recall appeared on Al-Zazeera a while back and took the gentleman opposite of her to task over the violence associated with Islam. She ate him up one side and down the other (link to video here). It seems that watching her college professor shot to death in class changed Wafa’s mind about Islam which she had grown up with and followed all her youth. You see it’s the violence that turns people off and Wafa is just making that clear. But now she suffers death threats for her stand. The story is at the NYT. (link removed For Bluto)I got there and normally you can see a story at least once per day without registering.
.New York Times : Dr. Sultan bitterly criticizes the Muslim clerics, holy warriors and political leaders who she believes have distorted the teachings of Muhammad and the Koran for 14 centuries.I’ve got a bit more from the article in the extended entry. These threats against Dr. Sultan were as predicable as the tide, I guess says more than anything that she is absolutely correct in her opinion.She said the world's Muslims, whom she compares unfavorably with the Jews, have descended into a vortex of self-pity and violence.
Dr. Sultan said the world was not witnessing a clash of religions or cultures, but a battle between modernity and barbarism, a battle that the forces of violent, reactionary Islam are destined to lose.
"I believe our people are hostages to our own beliefs and teachings,"
Perhaps her most provocative words on Al Jazeera were those comparing how the Jews and Muslims have reacted to adversity. Speaking of the Holocaust, she said, "The Jews have come from the tragedy and forced the world to respect them, with their knowledge, not with their terror; with their work, not with their crying and yelling."Ohh, that's gotta hurt!She went on, "We have not seen a single Jew blow himself up in a German restaurant. We have not seen a single Jew destroy a church. We have not seen a single Jew protest by killing people."
She concluded, "Only the Muslims defend their beliefs by burning down churches, killing people and destroying embassies. This path will not yield any results. The Muslims must ask themselves what they can do for humankind, before they demand that humankind respect them."
DR. SULTAN is "working on a book that — if it is published — it's going to turn the Islamic world upside down."
"I have reached the point that doesn't allow any U-turn. I have no choice. I am questioning every single teaching of our holy book."
The working title is, "The Escaped Prisoner: When God Is a Monster.(emphasis mine)"
In the Presence of Moonbats
In his inaugural post, Sig94, retired cop (Signal 94 means "end of shift") relates his experiences sitting high in the Moonbat Gallery during Ann Coulter's recent appearance at Syracuse University:
My favorite Q&A response was the person who complained that because George Bush cut student loan allocations by $12 billion that “my interest rates for loans will rise to 6.8%. What is your response to this?!?!”I had the pleasure of dining with Sig94 yesterday, arranged by Cookie from The Cookshack - Gab & Grub. Go read the rest.Ms. Coulter’s reply: “That’s because there are far too many of you who really don’t belong in college.”
Up until then I had remained silent. Now I laughed my ass off. I made sure it was a deep, sustained, bellowing guffaw. The moonbats all around me didn’t say a word. And because they are moonbats they didn't understand the implied concept of supply and demand. Priceless, simply priceless.
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto.
Slobodan Milosevic Dies in Prison
(The Hague) Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic was found dead in his prison cell at the UN Detention Center in The Hague.
From Focus-Fen.net:
"It is true," a source close to the government in Belgrade told AFP, when asked to confirm the report.Milosevic was 65. Over 60 counts of genocide and he never gets convicted nor sentenced.The source, who requested anonymity, refused to elaborate further.
Milosevic was standing trial at the Hague-based UN war crimes court on more than 60 counts including genocide and crimes against humanity for his role in the Balkan wars, including the 1995 massacre of 8,000 Muslims at Srebrenica.
From Interested-Participant.
Pakistani Forces Kill Islamist Terrorists
From Reuters:
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistani security forces backed by helicopter gunships attacked a hideout of Islamist militants in a tribal region near the Afghan border, killing up to 30 guerrillas, the military said on Saturday.There were reportedly "foreigners" among the dead. Enjoy your seventy-two raisins, scumbags.Military spokesman Major-General Shaukat Sultan said the overnight attack in the North Waziristan tribal region was ordered after intelligence reports suggested that militants were gathered in a compound along with a huge cache of arms, ammunition and explosives.
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.
March 10, 2006
American CPT Hostage Tom Fox Murdered
Tom was not seen in a video from the 'Swords of Righteousness Brigade' released March Seventh by Al-Jazeera. Today the FBI says that Tom was murdered.
Yahoo News :The FBI verified that a body found in Iraq Friday morning was that of Tom Fox, 54, of Clear Brook, Va., spokesman Noel Clay said. He said he had no information on the other three hostages.Yes what kind of group could possibly murder in cold blood a good peaceful Christian like this. He never hurt a fly. These terrorists cannot appeased or reasoned with. They have no respect for the kindness Tom surely showed the people of Iraq. May he rest in peace and may God keep him always. Again we must call for the release of all the remaining hostages.Clay said he did not know how Fox was killed but said additional forensics will be done in the United States. The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad is investigating, he said.
Fox's family has been notified, Clay said, and "our heartfelt condolences go out to them."
Full details on the CPT hostages here
Jawa Report archives on all hostages in general here.
Rather sad Hat Tip : Jesusland Carlos and George Ramos.
Update : Tom was Tortured before his Murder.
Yahoo News : Interior Ministry Lt. Col. Falah al-Mohammedawi said Fox was found with his hands tied and gunshot wounds to his head and chest. There were cuts on his body and bruises on his head, indicating torture, he said. The corpse was dressed in Iraqi-made clothing.So they Cut, Beat and Murdered an old man. That ought to please Allah.Fox's body was found near a railway line in Dawoudi, a mixed Sunni-Shiite area that has been largely shielded from violence. Shocked local residents on Saturday condemned Fox's abduction and killing.
"These acts are terrorist ones and will hinder the political process and distort the reputation of Iraq," said Dhamir al-Samaraie, who had come to see where Fox was found.
Wow That Was Wild
Yes we were down there for a bit. When Rusty is in his backup blog is here for updates. When he is gone I will post updates here if we are down. All seems fine now go for it.
Maybe You Can Join the Pirate Fleet
*Non-pirate talk version below
Matey, d'ye burn to carry the light of reason to the benighted libby masses at their own internet ports o' call? Have ye held yer fire and sheathed yer cutlass, knowin' that ye'd be swarmed by mindless moonbats chanting the Bushitlerburton mantra? Ye bin waitin' fer a better day.
Yarr, yer day is here.
Just sign on to The Pirate Fleet and ye be guaranteed t'have stout mates at yer back.
The The Pirate Fleet will give ye yer targets and a crew o' fellow buccaneers to guard yer flanks whilst ye board the fat galleons o' the Leftie merchant fleet. All set up by email sose the lefties won't see yer comin'.
Go here ter read The Pirate's Code and sign up.
Bloggers - d'ye wants ter hoist the Jolly Roger an' set sail with The Pirate Armada? Email me ter get this icon ter display on yer site and be added ter the The Pirate Armada blogroll.
* The Pirate Fleet will be a fun way to post on liberal sites, knowing that you have a few friends along to back you up. After you join the Fleet you'll be offered the chance to go on planned "raids", organized via email, with a group of like-minded fellow "pirates".
Bloggers can sign on to support the Fleet by joining The Pirate Armada and displaying the icon and blogroll. You're also encouraged to organize your own raids, as long as everyone follows The Pirate's Code.
When Rusty is Away the Guests do Play.
While the Dark Lord of the Sith has been away, we’ve had a pretty good week here. Lot’s of posts, hits, comments, trolls, annoying annoyances, the whole bit. Feels like the good old days before the dark times, before the Empire!
Thanks to Demosophist.
Vinnie.
Mike Pechar.
See-Dubya who also posts here.
Chris Short.
Traderrob.
The Dread Pundit Bluto.
Chad Evans.
Drew.
Richard.
Jane from Armies of Liberation.
Thanks also to all our regulars and trolls as well for taking things out on each other and keeping us entertained in the process. As Rusty says, “You came here for the insults didn’t you Howie?” Howie Says blushing shamefully, “Of course.” So I’ve saved up some linky, linky for you. Rusty says if the hotel has free internet we would hear from him. Apparently they don’t but I expect my master will return on Monday.
New York Jail Imam opens mouth, inserts foot via Jihadwatch
Umar Abdul-Jalil via NYPOST : "greatest terrorists in the world occupy the White House," Jews control the media, and Muslims are being tortured in Manhattan jails... ...the Zionists of the media to dictate what Islam is to us" and said Muslims must be "compassionate with each other" and "hard against the kufr [unbeliever]."I'd like to place a hard steel object right up side his head.
Clinton W Taylor asks we send our “trimmings to Yale”
Clinton via Townhall : Referring to the Taliban’s policy of pulling the fingernails off of Afghani women who dared to wear fingernail polish. Some of these women even had their thumbs sliced off as punishment. To date, Mr. Rahmatullah has not apologized or taken responsibility for his support of this brutal regime, though he told the Times he wished he’d been "a little bit softer" in his advocacy.Good idea!
If you’d like to show your outrage at Yale’s decision to admit the Taliban’s spokeman, join us in "giving Yale the finger." It would be disgusting– not to mention really painful — to mail your own fingernails, but you can buy glamorous, decadent, shameless-hussy-scarlet press-on nails (ask for "nail tips") from any drug store or beauty shop. They’re cheap; a box costs about $5.00. (Caution to Harvard-educated readers: do not eat the press-on nails. Sure, they look tasty, but they will make you sick.)
If you have not read all Michael Totten’s latest report from Iraq clickety click here!
Totten : “Zarqawi destroyed the tombs,” the caretaker said. “He and his men turned this room into a toilet.” He shook his head in disgust at the filthy Islamists who fouled their Islamic shrine. Muslims who say Al Qaeda is not really Islamic may have a point.
“You see that there in the floor?” he said. “That’s where they began to install plumbing.”
I braced myself. “How do you feel about the U.S. bombing this mosque?” I said.
“I don’t know,” he said, as if he had never even pondered the question. “It’s okay, I suppose. I am grateful. If they had not done it this place would still be a toilet.”
All those hours spent killing space bastards can pay off!
Living under Democratic leadership, what it’s really like. Sorry Gov Rod you suck buddy.
NPR : Five Jewish members of Illinois' hate-crimes commission have resigned in protest over another commissioner who is an official with the Nation of Islam. Louis Farrakhan, the leader of the Nation of Islam, rails against Jewish and gay people this week in front of commissioners. Chicago Public Radio's Catrin Einhorn reports.That boy can tear up a steel ball with a rubber hammer or he is about as sharp as a bowling ball. You pick.
Bad, bad gay terrorists in love never underestimate a terrorist in love!
Filthy’s post on how returning soldiers should be treated.
The Filthy Report : Hundreds of people, including Girl Scout troops, Vietnam Veterans of America chapters, senior citizens clubs and individuals wanting to give personal thanks to America’s returning troops lined the terminal exit and filled the airport with deafening cheers from the first service member to the last.
Giggle, giggle times four = one happy group!.(just click)
I’ll try and update with more linky, linky later. Busy, busy.
Judge Balks at Debra Lafave Plea Deal
(Ocala, Florida) Former middle school teacher Debra Lafave (pic) and her lawyer, John Fitzgibbons, listened attentively in Marion County Court yesterday as unsympathetic Judge Hale Stancil expressed his concerns regarding a plea deal negotiated between the defense and the prosecution. The plea agreement specified no jail time for a sex crime committed against a 14-year-old boy.
In addition to having questions about the criminal justice and education systems, Judge Stancil stated that he is seriously considering throwing out the plea agreement and sentencing Lafave in accordance with established guidelines, meaning 16.9 years in prison. Being undecided, Stancil postponed Lafave's sentencing for a week to ten days to allow himself more time to think about the case.
As a reminder, Lafave received no jail in adjacent Hillsborough County when she was sentenced for related crimes.
So, the soap opera continues as everyone waits to learn what Judge Stancil will decide.
From Interested-Participant.
Reuters Isn't Biased
This picture of the Vice President under a "Retire" banner just happened by accident. And none of the eleventy-seven standard MSM editors noticed it by accident. Then it went out over the Reuters wire by accident. Yeah, that's the ticket.
Via the Drudge Report.
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.
March 09, 2006
I Smell A Rat
Apparently not being pulled over isn't incentive enough.
I mean, if they really were out to just recognize good driving habits, why not get the info from the license plate and mail the prize to them?
I'm a pro-law enforcement guy, but pulling over law abiding citizens obeying the rules is 90 different types of wrong.
What's next, giving you concert tickets after they search your house and make sure your guns are properly unloaded and locked up, or a trip to Orlando because they didn't find a meth lab? A case of condoms when they don't find any evidence you're running a whorehouse?
Sorry, this is more a fishing expedition than a reward-the-citizens type of deal. I'm sure a great deal of us have been pulled over at one time or another. It's not a happy occasion, even for something as minor as a burnt out headlight.
Meanwhile, as the police are patting you on the back, assuming you're not slumped over the wheel with a heart attack, Abdul goes cruising by in an eighteen wheeler packed with the wrath of Allah.
Phinding Nemo
Phin, the fishnet wearing half of Apothegm Designs, just had his life get a whole lot more enjoyable.
Congratulations are in order, with a warning.
As you bask in the glow of your firstborn, those who are jealous of your sweet reward will now besiege you with a calvacade of "enjoy it now, wait until he's 2."
Then, when their hopes at your misery are dashed, the "wait until he's..." will generally progress upwards every 4 years or so, concluding with "wait until he's a teenager."
Look long and hard at the teenagers of the parents who say that.
And when your son finishes his schooling with an M.D. and a J.D. and is happily married with a child of his own, you will have your revenge on the person(s) who said "wait until he's a teenager." You know, the one who was a grandparent at 35.
Just ride the wave, Phin, ride the wave.
Hang em High
Today Iraq hung 13 people convicted of fighting against the new government there.
Yahoo News : The Cabinet announcement listed the name of only one of those hanged, Shukair Farid, a former policeman in the northern city of Mosul, who allegedly confessed that he had worked with Syrian foreign fighters to enlist fellow Iraqis to kill police and civilians. "The competent authorities have today carried out the death sentences of 13 terrorists," according to the statement.Seems to me like the right thing to do. I wonder if they were public and if so where can we get tickets?
It said Farid had "confessed that foreigners recruited him to spread the fear through killings and abductions." A judicial official said the death sentences were handed down in separate trials and were carried out in Baghdad. "The 13 terrorists were tried in different courts and their trials began in 2005 and ended earlier this year," an official of the Supreme Judiciary Council said, speaking on condition of anonymity due to fears of reprisal from insurgents... ...Capital punishment was suspended during the formal U.S. occupation, which ended in June 2004, and the Iraqis reinstated the penalty two months later for those found guilty of murder, endangering national security and distributing drugs, saying it was necessary to help put down the persistent insurgency.
Death sentences must be approved by the three-member presidential council headed by President Jalal Talabani, who opposes the death penalty. In the September executions and again in the Thursday hangings, Talabani refused to sign the authorization himself but gave his two vice presidents the authority.
There were 114 crimes punishable by death during Saddam's rule these included...
You looked at me funny.
You have not one picture of my lovely face in your home.
returnring to Iraq after Leaving.
Failure to rip dogs to shreds upon being ordered to do so.
DP World to Hand Over Ports to US Firm
We won't be letting the UAE run our ports after all.
CNN : Reading a statement from DP World on the Senate floor, Warner, a Virginia Republican, said the reason is "to preserve" the strong relationship between the UAE and United States... ...House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Illinois, and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tennessee, delivered the news to Bush during a meeting Thursday at the White House, two Republican sources saidGood deal? I guess time will tell sounds better to me. I think the heavy public outcry is to credit for this. This shows that in America what the people really want they can get.
Iran Helped the Taliban?
You know I was always sure that Iran would assist the Taliban and Al-Qaeda as long as we are the target. There was speculation that Iran was behind the bombing of the golden Mosque. It turns out hat may be true in an indirect way. Recent stories of shaped charges at the border coming from Iran help bolster this idea. Since the distraction of the Mohammed cartoons is settling down now attention is turning back toward Iran as it should be. I can understand Iran’s interest in screwing up Iraq by supplying fighters there. Of that’s not participating actively in war against the US and our allies the following surely is.
Weekly Standard : But the recently released transcript corroborates earlier reporting on Iran's cooperation with the Taliban, as well as al Qaeda. Afghani opposition sources reported in early 2002 that the Iranians helped Taliban and al Qaeda members escape approaching U.S. forces through the Herat province. For example, Time Magazine reported:Also Powerline has a post with other links and information. You should check that out as well. The war of words seems pretty harsh of late but I've heard October will be the critical time.
An adviser to [Herat] warlord Ismail Khan told TIME that shortly before the U.S. bombing campaign began in October, a high-ranking Iranian official connected to the hard-line supreme leader Ayatollah Khameini had been dispatched to Kabul to offer secret sanctuary to Taliban and al Qaeda fugitives. The Iranian official was apparently trapped in Kabul during the bombing, and remained there until the Northern Alliance took control of the city. Although the Iranians despised the Taliban for their persecution of Shiite Muslims in Afghanistan, their hatred for the U.S. may have run deeper.
And, according to sources in Herat, the Taliban and al Qaeda took the Iranians up on their offer. Shortly before Herat's Taliban garrison fled in November, a convoy of 50 off-road vehicles carrying some 250 senior Taliban and al Qaeda members allegedly crossed over into Iran, using a smugglers' route through the hills about 20 miles north of the city. A Western diplomat in Afghanistan claims that groups of Taliban and al Qaeda are still threading their way through the mountains of central Afghanistan and heading for the Iranian border. "The Iranian Revolutionary Guard has an eye on everything that happens along the border," says the diplomat. "Of course they know that Taliban and al Qaeda fighters are getting across."The importance of this allegation goes beyond understanding Iran's past behavior. Currently, some analysts assume that fear of U.S. retribution limits Iranian interference in Iraq and support for al Qaeda. But if Iran's leadership agreed to set aside its differences with the Taliban in order to stymie American operations against al Qaeda, then such assumptions are clearly no longer valid.
ACLU Opposes Surveillance Agreement
Big surprise: loud squawking from an organization that has done its best to thwart counter-terrorism efforts. The ACLU is upset because Republicans have come up with a compromise to allow the NSA to continue monitoring conversations between Americans and suspected terrorists.
From the ACLU press release:
Reports indicate that the legislation would require the administration to report about the program to a smaller group of Senators than is required by current federal law. The legislation would also not require prompt judicial oversight of every single intelligence wiretap of Americans, substituting a pre-approved stamp of approval for real judicial review. The ACLU called this backroom approval of the illegal eavesdropping program a setback for the rule of law, and said a thorough investigation is still needed.Once again, I'll point out that referring to the NSA intercepts as "wiretaps" is as apt as referring to a Ferrari Testarossa as a "horseless carriage". The term is used for its propaganda value.
The New York Times is riding this propaganda bandwagon as well. Of course, they have a vested interest in discrediting the NSA program, as the Gray Lady may have violated the Espionage Act by publishing details of the tactics.
Via Stop the ACLU.
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.
Hillary: Enforcing Law Equals 'Police State'
I'm not sure who Hillary thinks she's fooling with this one. From boston.com news:
WASHINGTON --Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, a potential White House candidate in 2008, said Wednesday some Republicans are trying to create a "police state" to round up illegal immigrants.Illegal immigration made this country great? How so? And of course, if we do as Hillary says, and surrender to the flood of illegals, how long before the Democrat party begins registering those 11 million to vote?Speaking at a rally of Irish immigrants, Clinton criticized a bill the House passed in December that would impose harsher penalties for undocumented workers.
"Don't turn your backs on what made this country great," she said, calling the measure "a rebuke to what America stands for."
Clinton said it would be "an unworkable scheme to try to deport 11 million people, which you have to have a police state to try to do."
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto.
On Hamas as OK, somewhat equivalent to Israel
Hello hello again, readers. I have been AWOL as of late, but I wanted to share an interesting hobby that I have acquired before I return into my wine-induced slumber.
Reading college newspapers, especially the editorials, always provides a chuckle or two. I think it's something about the mix of idealism of change yet the laziness to enact change that just nails the irony bone in the right spot. Of course, there are those creative editorials that attempt to advance typical left-wing talking points; I guess there is something to be said for truly mimicking the national media, just it seems too easy to do on a college campus as those places generally are leftist echo chambers.
That said, I found an editorial today that even took the wind out of my sails. The race between "sad" and "mind-bendingly funny" is pretty close, so I leave it to others to judge.
The jist is that Hamas' rise to power isn't really so bad. So what? We have heard that a thousand times before in stories of Hamas' "pragmatism". No, what makes this great (and something that could only be pulled off in print on a college campus) is the stated position that Hamas and Israel are in fact very similar. The editorial, from the student newspaper of George Washington University, tries to toe a fine line -- both validate Hamas through comparisons with Israel, yet still twist facts to demonstrate Israel's villiany. Logically, that makes little sense, but don't worry. The author is a senior, majoring in Middle East studies, so I sure he just knows a more subtle version of the truth than we do.
I provide some of my point-by-point opinions behind the fold, but I leave you with a taste of what the editorial has in store...
While it refuses to recognize the state of Israel, there is a historical point worth noting: at the initiation of the Oslo process in 1993, Israel had not recognized the Palestinians right to a state. Even informal recognition did not come until Ehud Barak was elected prime minister several years later. A formal public statement acknowledging the right of Palestinians to a state was not made until Ariel Sharon became prime minister. In spite of this lack of recognition, the Palestinians pursued negotiations with the Israelis, hoping that a viable state would come in the final agreement. The precedent exists for engaging in negotiations without recognition at the outset.
It starts with the statement:
In the past month there has been enormous controversy surrounding the election of Hamas to lead the parliament in Palestine.
What exactly is Palestine? I mean, I was unaware that Palestine existed. I even thought that part of the reason Hamas is as grumpy as it is was because no Palestine exists. Maybe the student attended the UN "International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People" on November 29, 2005, where a map of "Palestine" without Israel was openly displayed. Again, I will just chalk this up to more subtle truth gained by a senior level of study.
Before we all get worried about Hamas, just remember:
While Hamas' election is a setback, it is not the crisis it has been made out to be. Hamas has said it is prepared to negotiate with Israel.
To be fair, Hamas has always been willing to negotiate with Israel, and nothing has changed in their stance there. However, for you Star Wars fans, Hamas is a proponent of "aggressive negotiations" coined by Anakin Skywalker in Episode II as "negotiation with lightsabers." Hamas would be happy to "negotiate" ending their suicide bombing and violence if Israel would just fall into the sea. Very subtle!
Now, possibly the most twisted moment comes next, which was the quotation I noted before the jump. Where can one begin deconstructing that level of subtlety? I know I am not the best person for the job, but I can notice one thing: his assumption is that Hamas' refusal to recognize Israel is the same as Israel not recognizing the right of a Palestinian state over a decade ago. Does that mean Israel supported a policy of pushing the Palestinians into the sea? And again, the idea of Palestinian negotiations is somehow equated with Israel. Clearly, this student has not seen a football game recently -- he equated Palestinian/Hamas offense (blowing up civilian buses, starting websites for kids detailing the joy of suicide bombing, et al.) with Israeli defense. By this rationale, if a defense were to pick off an interception and run it back for a touchdown, it was really an act of the offense rather than a defensive stop. But I don't think GW has a football team, so I guess I can excuse that confusion.
And about the election:
It was this message - not a message of violence - that resonated with Palestinian voters. Hamas avoided violent statements because they know that most Palestinians want a negotiated settlement. Hamas has also largely respected a unilateral, self-imposed ceasefire since February of last year. This has led to a substantial decrease in the number of attacks against Israelis. The ceasefire shows Hamas' capacity to demonstrate restraint, despite claims to the contrary.
Did he just use the words "Hamas" and "restraint" in the same sentence? I don't have enough time in the day to rip that one a new one, so I will move on to the point about money:
A former head of Israeli Military Intelligence, General Shlomo Gazit [noted]... if traditional donors fail to fund the Palestinian government, funding will come from other, less palatable sources such as Iran.
So we should fund Hamas, even though they refuse to abandon the use of money towards their "military" operations (though, of course, there has been a ceasefire since last February, so one would think Hamas would be able to abandon ideas of new funding for those purposes... but I digress)? And does this mean that Iran is not funding Hamas now, because that would be a real news story? Hell, I would rather Iran flipped the the entire bill... maybe it would take some of the financial resources away from their "peaceful" nuclear program.
And finally:
While Hamas is not the ideal negotiating partner, the same can be said about Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, a former member of Likud (Israel's conservative and usually more bellicose political party). However, as Hamas has pointed out: you don't negotiate peace treaties with your friends; you negotiate them with your enemies.
Hamas is now equivalent to the current Israeli administration, because Olmert was formerly in a political party that did not bend over completely backwards to Hamas' negotiating style. I see. And I love giving Hamas the last word, as if they are wise sages of our time... but one cannot disagree with the statement, as it is a truism. Yet it all hangs on the definition of enemy. If Hamas ended its "aggressive negotiations," Israel likely would not have much of a problem working in good faith even with an "enemy" (as has been seen over the past years and years of acts with the Palestinian Authority); yet, let's consider what Israel would have to do in order for Hamas to start acting in good faith... probably nothing short of drowning themselves in the sea. You see, very very subtle!
Can Rusty Come Out to Play?
I'm sorry, Billy, Rusty isn't home. He'll be back next week. That's why he hasn't answered the gazillion e-mails sitting in his inbox.
PS-If you're the praying type, please pray that I get this job!
Poll: More Americans Distrust Islam
From the Washington Post:
...a growing proportion of Americans are expressing unfavorable views of Islam, and a majority now say that Muslims are disproportionately prone to violence, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.
March 08, 2006
And They Call Us Bigots?
So - the 82nd Airborne needs a guy to sell pencils in Iraq now? After the war is over he can get a job as a greeter at Wal-Mart. Trailer-people can come in and rub his stub for good luck on their way to the dog track.
Nothing for me to add, except this:
Update: And on a related note, Cindy Sheehan's son lies in an unmarked grave.
Update Too: LA drops a turd in his own comments:
I was mildly surprised that almost nobody understood what I perceived to be the gross absurdity of the situation: a bunch of fucking war cheerleaders crying about a nasty prank card some asshole sent to this poor kid whose leg has been vaporized and THEN we’re going to clap our hands and pretend that everything is OK because he’s going to go back to work for the 82nd. Way to cleanse yourself of sin, wingnuts. It’s such a brave and inspirational story! Is it? Or is it a devastating tragedy?
What a perfect display of leftist thought. The Leftard Avenger is trying to backpedal from his original display of glorious stupidity.
But even his own readers aren't buying it:
# Terry Says: March 8th, 2006 at 10:02 pmJesus, LA and sgo. Stop it. Just stop it. Your attempts at shock and awe are wearing a little thin. That’s right - shock and awe. Are you proud of this? I hope not.
The man made a sacrifice for his country. An extreme sacrifice. You may (as I do) question his motives for doing so, but he made the sacrifice nonetheless. He bought the Nazicon’s sale of goods, and he paid for it. Big time. Is this a reason to ridicule his sacrifice? I don’t think so. I think he did what he thought was right, and he got his ass kicked for it.
So stop ridiculing this poor bastard to make your point. You’re really not doing the cause any favors. I don’t think the fact that this poor son of a bitch bought the company line makes him fair game for our derision.
And that’s what you’re doing, boys. You may think that you’re making a political point, but you’re not. What you’re really doing is belittling another american’s sacrifice to further your own agenda. Exactly what you blame the other side for doing.
So knock it off. Just grow up and knock it off.
I love Leftist cannabilism.
Final update: Ayup, he yanked the post. And then he does a mea culpa, which I'll not link to, comparing PFC Sparling to Max Cleland. Sorry, chuckles, it doesn't fly.
Moussaoui's Target: The White House
From Reuters:
ALEXANDRIA, Virginia (Reuters) - September 11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui talked of his dream to fly an airplane into the White House more than a year before the hijacked aircraft attacks, a witness linked to al Qaeda testified in federal court on Wednesday.When the defense cross-examined Bafana he said that he thought Moussaoui was "cuckoo". Of course the "cuckoo" defense might work better if jetliners had not, in fact, actually been flown into buildings on September 11, 2001.Fazi Bafana, formerly a treasurer of a unit of Jemaah Islamiah, which is linked to al Qaeda, revealed discussion of that dream in videotaped testimony played during Moussaoui's sentencing trial.
"He told me he had a dream. He dreamed to fly an airplane ... into the White House," Bafana said. "He told me he informed (Osama bin Laden) what he dreamed and (bin Laden) said go ahead. He asked me to assist him."
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto.
Explaining the Epidemic of Muslim Rape.
Howie is often shocked at the treatment of women by Muslims all over the word. From “honor killing” to rape as a form of punishment and the strange and backward thinking that leads the rapist himself to absolve himself of responsibility for his actions. Today Fontpagemag attempts to explain the psychology behind this horrid aspect of Islamic culture that it is exporting to Western Europe.
Peter Raddatz via Frontpagemag : The direct connection between the rapes and Islam is irrefutable, as Muslims are significantly overrepresented among convicted rapists and rape suspects. The Muslim perpetrators themselves boast that there crime is justified since their victims were, among other things, not properly veiled… …What is the psychology here? What is the significance of this epidemic? And how do we face it when our own feminists, with a few exceptions, are deafeningly silent about it?Yes girls why are you silent?
By the same token, however, and this is the core of "modern" Islam's tragedy, the male controllers are confined to physical methods of "sublimation" whenever problems arise. Aside from the usual bombing "protest" against Western "arrogance" and "unbelieving morals", the current rape wave is the vital expression of an ongoing jihad against women who under Western influence may drift slowly out of the grip of male Muslim hands.Abuse is almost always about control.
While some UN organizations keep on complaining about this, the Western feminists keep silent because they are not interested in the general problem but rather concentrate on clutching to their few elitarian privileges, mainly in business. Doing this they are simple part of a greater Western mainstream that has started to adjust to Muslim immigrant political "sharia" demands based on the growing radical Islamist influence as well as oil price pressure. And mind you: keeping Muslim women obedient through male "honor" might also sustain their "seed field" fertilization rate thereby compensating for the Western "morals" of pornography and weak reproduction. In this respect global elite ideology, antisemitic "new age" fascism and Islam are not so far apart.Facism and Islam similar? I’m shocked I say, shocked to the bone!
Yes western Feminists are silent because to pick up this cause would support the war on “radical Islam” and they would rather let other women suffer than admit they are treasonously self interested. Now we see this is no longer confined to Muslim nations like Sudan now the abuse has spread as the Islamists seek to impose their will on women in tolerant host nations like Sweden and Germany. The quicker people realize that their tolerant view of the world is not respected by Islamic tradition and there will be no reciprocation for tolerance the better off we will all be. I'd like to be all nice and tolerant of them but I know they consider that an open weakness to be taken advantage of. If you undertand that Isalmic facism is all about confrontation by strength then you begin to see that, while undertanding it is useful, it must be faced the same way otherwise you find yourself always stepping backward against it's advance.
Others : Dr Sanity, Proteinwisdom, and Transterrestrial.
Teri Hatcher Reveals Past Sex Abuse
(Sunnyvale, California) Popular television and film actress Teri Hatcher (pic) has come forward and announced that she was molested by her uncle, Richard Hayes Stone, when she was a little girl.
Hatcher contacted Santa Clara County prosecutor Chuck Gillingham to help in convicting Stone, 67, for molesting 14-year-old Sarah Van Cleemput who later committed suicide. Gillingham needed Hatcher's corroborating testimony.
From MercuryNews.com:
"She asked what I thought," about coming forward, Gillingham said of Hatcher. "I said, 'I'm going to beg you to be involved, as hard as that is for you.'"Hatcher tells her whole story in the April issue of Vanity Fair Magazine.Gillingham flew down to Los Angeles with a Sunnyvale public safety officer to take Hatcher's statement.
"When we went to interview her, she almost canceled," Gillingham said. "But she had been with her daughter that morning and was thinking if, God forbid, something happened to her daughter that someone would come forward and do the right thing."
With a tape recording running, Hatcher explained in detail how her uncle -- the then-husband of her mother's sister -- allegedly molested her in the late 1960s and early '70s when she was no more than 7.
"Obviously she took a big risk doing the interview," Gillingham said.
After prosecutors gave the defense a transcript of Hatcher's interview, Stone pleaded guilty Oct. 24, 2002, leaving no need for a trial nor a court appearance for Hatcher.
From Interested-Participant.
Detainees or Hostages?
Reuters reports that "dozens" of office workers were taken from a security firm in a raid by gunmen wearing Iraqi police commando uniforms:
Two sources said about 50 people were taken. They said that the gunmen, who arrived in at least 10 vehicles, broke into the headquarters compound of the firm in the Zayouna district.One Interior Ministry source said he was unaware of any official police operation in the area.
Many Iraqis have complained that gunmen dressed in police uniforms raided their houses and seized relatives.
But Sunni and other groups have accused the interior ministry of condoning death squads operating inside the ministry targeting Sunnis areas. The ministry denies it.
Could this be the start of the al Qaeda "big bang"?
More from the The Malaysia Sun:
Among those captured in Baghdad's Zayouna district was the head of the private al-Rawafed security company, the BBC reported.Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.The raid escalated sectarian tensions since the Feb. 22 bombing of a Samarra, Iraq, shrine, sparking violence that has killed more than 400 people.
Suspects Arrested in AL Church Fires
(Washington) Two young men have been arrested in connection with the string of church fires in Alabama. Ben Moseley, 19, and Russell Debusk, 19, were taken into custody by federal agents. Both are being charged with arson and conspiracy to commit arson.
A third suspect is being sought in the fires at five Bibb County churches and four in west Alabama last month.
[Update 1230 EST]
The two suspects in custody are students at Birmingham Southern College. The third suspect is reported to be Matthew Lee Cloyd who is a student at the University of Alabama - Birmingham. I noticed that FoxNews now reports that the third suspect has been arrested.
Hamas Launches Website Encouraging Kids to Become Martyrs
They blow up so early these days.....
The Palestinian Authority's ruling Hamas terror group has launched a web site for children, preaching the moral desirability of being a suicide terrorist through cartoons and children's stories.
WTW Tiny Bubbles.
Yes “Howie Vintage 06 batch A” is in progress. Judging by the color I’ve quite a good reaction going on here. Before the yeast gets going it’s dark in color. Bubbling it’s ass off it is.
Due date is 04/16.
Blogroll removed cause it hangs up at times.
This batch comes from
3 gal Welches Red grape juice (on sale)
8 lbs. C&H pure cane sugar (also on sale)
distilled water to top if off.
two packages yeast. (any kind will do I use ordinary bakers yeast)
funnel
doodad
Add juice first.
Melt sugar in distilled water and add to jug. (just warm enough about 120 degrees not too hot or you can crack your jug)
Top off with distilled water
Add yeast and one teaspoon of sugar to half a cup warm water in small cup and let stand for 10 minutes, add to jug.
Place water filled doodad and cork in top.
Wait six weeks or until it no longer bubbles through the doodad. If it's still bubbling the yeast is still active and it will give you the screaming shits.
Siphon carfully be sure not so suck up the dregs they will give you the screaming shits.
Drink one or two glasses. I find a fifth between two people is enough. Getting too drunk on homemade wine will give you the screaming shits.
GOP, White House Reach Agreement on Intercepts
From the New York Times:
WASHINGTON, March 7 — Moving to tamp down Democratic calls for an investigation of the administration's domestic eavesdropping program, Republicans on the Senate Intelligence Committee said Tuesday that they had reached agreement with the White House on proposed bills to impose new oversight but allow wiretapping without warrants for up to 45 days.This is the Times supposedly in "news" mode, but you'll notice that they refer to "domestic eavesdropping", even though that's not really the truth - all of these calls and emails have either a destination or an origin outside of the United States. The Gray Lady also insists on calling the intercepts "wiretapping", which is the equivalent of calling a Ferrari Testarossa a "horseless carriage".
Here's the reason this accord is big news [emphasis added]:
The agreement, hashed out in weeks of negotiations between Vice President Dick Cheney and Republicans critical of the program, dashes Democratic hopes of starting a full committee investigation because the proposal won the support of Senators Chuck Hagel of Nebraska and Olympia J. Snowe of Maine. The two, both Republicans, had threatened to support a fuller inquiry if the White House did not disclose more about the program to Congress.Of course there will be a thorough investigation into just who betrayed his or her country by leaking details of the intercept program to the New York Times.
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto.
Iran Deploys New Sub in Persian Gulf
From the Gulf Daily News (Bahrain):
The Nahang (meaning whale) and was "built by specialists in the Iranian defence ministry and has the capability to carry multipurpose weapons for different missions", said Rear Admiral Sajjad Kouchaki.Iranian plans to produce its own submarine were reported almost a year ago. At that time Iran was said to be planning a submarine "...designed to remain undetected and fire missiles and torpedoes simultaneously."
Fears about Iran's quest for nuclear technology have focused on the No Dong missiles it obtained from North Korea. Iranian submarines designed for quiet running and capable of launching missiles may add an unwelcome new dimension to Iran's current nuclear brinksmanship.
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.
March 07, 2006
Why Is The Champs D'Elysee Lined With Trees?
So the Islamotards can march in the shade.
Of course!
Brokeback Heartbreak: Riots Erupt Over Oscar Snub
By Vinnie
(San Francisco - Jawa Report) They were 5 little words gone largely unnoticed by the vast majority of a nation blissfully unaware that the Academy Awards were even on that night.
"And the Oscar goes to...Crash."
Those five words started a ripple that has turned into a tsunami of rage that is now sweeping the world.
In Paris, militant gays attempted to storm the American Embassy, but were repulsed when a quick thinking Marine guard ran inside and came back to his post in full dress blues, stopping the throng in its tracks, mouths open and tongues lolling.
In London, rampaging mobs chanting "Remember The Crying Game! were beaten back by police employing several well-placed slaps to the face.
In Tehran, a quickly assembled march was just as quickly rounded up, and all participants hung from cranes.
Demonstrations in the United States were largely peaceful, with some exceptions.
In San Francisco, George Fisting, Womyn's Studies Professor at UC Berkeley stirred the crowd with; "We're tired of being the other white meat! We're sick of being a minority within minorities. We're sick of being judged by the content of our character, and not the color of our skin, and we're not gonna take it any more!" The crowd roared its approval.
At the SF demonstration, I noticed a woman with close cropped hair standing by herself, arms crossed, with a bemused look on her face. When I asked her why she didn't join in with the fist pumping fervor of the male-dominated crowd, she replied, "I have no dog in this hunt. After all, 99.9% of the men know that I'm the good gay.
Vinnie is the executive editor of offending people at the Jawa Report. He also blogs at Vince Aut Morire. Pronounced veen-kay aut mo-rir-ay
Fatwa Anybody?
I must say I never quite understood just why Rusty wants a fatwa just so bad.
Now I understand completely!
Update : Holy Cow! I'm not worthy!
I've been herding cats like there is no tomorrow. Corral in sight.
When Terrorism Isn't Terrorism
From the Washington Post:
CHAPEL HILL, N.C., March 6 -- A University of North Carolina graduate from Iran, accused of running down nine people on campus to avenge the treatment of Muslims, said at a hearing Monday that he was "thankful for the opportunity to spread the will of Allah."Okay, this guy rents an SUV for the express purpose of attacking UNC students to make a statement about the treatment of Muslims. He deliberately drives onto a campus area open only to foot traffic and hits nine of them, and only random chance prevents death or serious injury to anyone. Attacking innocent people to generate fear. This is the very definition of terrorism.
Pretty straight forward case here, it would seem, unless you read this LA Times story:
SUV Attack Prompts Debate Over 'Terrorism' and IslamThis is what we get for allowing creatures like Ward Churchill and Jay Bennish to educate our youth.So Mann, a member of the College Republicans, attended a rally organized by that group and student members of two others Monday morning at the scene of the SUV incident. He and a few dozen students handed out American flags and made off-the-cuff pleas for UNC students to stand united.
But because they also denounced the act as terrorism, the rally emerged as the latest controversy on this multicultural campus over the way language and image are deployed in conversations about Islam.
Mann's group was met at lunchtime by a boisterous, impromptu group of counter-demonstrators who argued that the rally wasn't helping to heal wounds. Especially insensitive, they said, was the insistence on calling the incident terrorism.
Michelle Malkin asks, "Can we call it terrorism yet?"
Captain Ed says yes:
Terrorism...is the use of violence or the threat of violence against civilian populations in order to advance a political or religious philosophy.Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.
Personal Notes and Asides
Probably interesting to a very few, but will help explain my absence and light posting.
I'm in the middle of looking for a job somewhere other than Tatooine U. So, if you've e-mailed lately and I didn't respond, that's the explanation. It's also why I won't be posting much the rest of the week.
I have a job interview later this week and I need to get prepared. The major part of the 'interview' will be me lecturing in someone else's class.
I'm fairly nervous about the interview. It's actually at one of my 'dream schools'---somewhere I've always wanted to end up at. That's why I went fishing yesterday. I couldn't deal with sitting around the office any longer.
Fishing report? I caught two big bass, and a walleye. I'd never caught a walleye before. I had to ask these two other guys what the heck the thing was.
Anyway, wish me luck. I'll be back next week.
Terrorism Hits Hindu Shrines in India
Hmmmm. Idols blown up? I wonder who could be behind this? Truly a baffling mystery. CBN:
Several explosions rocked a railway station and Hindu temple in the northeast Indian holy city of Varanasi on Tuesday, killing at least four people, police said.ROPMA.Authorities were trying to determine what caused the blasts, one of which occurred inside a train stopped at the city's railway station, said policeman Mohammed Hashmi. He did not know if there were any casualties.
A witness, Sunil Yadav, said a blast also occurred near the ticket counter in the crowded station waiting room. He described a scene of confusion, with people running and screaming, but he could not say whether anyone was killed.
Another blast shook the Sankat Mochan temple near dusk, when the shrine is ordinarily crowded with devout Hindus making a nightly offering to the monkey-god Hanuman, said Madan Mohan Pande, a police inspector in Varanasi.
He said at least four people were killed and 12 were wounded, but Indian TV stations reported that at least seven people had died.
India television channels reported that none of the idols in the temple were damaged in the blast.
New Christian Peacemakers Hostage Video
102 days into their captivity, a video has been broadcast by al Jazeera showing three of four activists held hostage in Iraq. Not shown in the video is American Tom Fox.
The video (no sound) can be seen here.
The video shows Canadians James Loney and Harmeet Singh Sooden, and Briton Norman Kember sitting on chairs. Although no audio was broadcast, al Jazeera reports that the three plead for their governments to help secure their release. The three also ask that Gulf States help them--a less than cryptic message asking for a ransom.
This video is the first in which such a request is made and confirms speculation that 'The Swords of Righteousness Brigade' is after money. The group has been linked to the Islamic Army in Iraq. It is not uncommon in Iraq for 'insurgents' to use ransoms paid for hostages to fund their terroristic activities.
It is not clear what significance, if any exists, there is to the fact that the sole American is not shown on the video. We hope and pray that he remains in good health.
As always, the Left-wing 'Christian' group used the opportunity to highlight their political agenda. In a press statement, the CPT attempted to highlight 'abuses' by the Multinational forces in Iraq. Further, they claim that the 'root cause' of the hostage taking "is the U.S. and British-led invasion and occupation of Iraq."
It's sad and disgusting that supposed 'Christians' would attempt to find fault with those who are trying to rescue the four hostages, rather than with those who are holding them.
We call for the immediate and unconditional release of the four hostages. Those who are holding them bear 100% of the responsibility for this depraved and barbaric act.
For more information on this see our extensive Christian Peacemakers hostage archives. For general information on hostage taking in Iraq see our Religion of Peace hostage archives.
Iran Smuggling Lethal Shaped Charges to Iraqi Terrorists?
From ABC News:
March 6, 2006 — U.S. military and intelligence officials tell ABC News that they have caught shipments of deadly new bombs at the Iran-Iraq border.They are a very nasty piece of business, capable of penetrating U.S. troops' strongest armor.
What the United States says links them to Iran are tell-tale manufacturing signatures — certain types of machine-shop welds and material indicating they are built by the same bomb factory.
"The signature is the same because they are exactly the same in production," says explosives expert Kevin Barry. "So it's the same make and model."
And these munitions are deadly to our troops:
"They penetrate the armor of an M1 Abrams tank," Clarke says. "They're shape charges. They go through anything, and they are very lethal."Via protein wisdom, who advises:There is currently no real defense against the weapons, he says.
"The Pentagon has a major crash study underway to figure out how to stop them," Clarke says, "but they haven't figured it out yet."
But I do know that it is fortuitous that we are staged in both Iraq and Afghanistan. And I don’t think we can waste much time. If it turns out Iran (and their Syrian allies) are behind the manufacture and supply of weapons being smuggled into Iraq to kill Americans (and bomb both Shiite and Sunni targets in an effort to foment civil war), we have no choice, it seems to me, than to quickly isolate both countries, and launch a series of strategic attacks with the hope of fomenting an uprising of our own among the Iranian student movement.If Iran is supplying these munitions to terrorist insurgents in Iraq, they are committing an act of war.
Others:
Confederate Yankee, Ace of Spades, Ed Driscoll, Generation Why?
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.
March 06, 2006
Schoolgirls Forced to Go Braless
(Singapore) When I was going to high school, there weren't any titillating controversies of this nature.
Students of a secondary school in Singapore, who were recently found to be wearing coloured bras to school, were forced to go braless, reported China Press.It appears that all the Singaporean schools have confronted the colored bra issue, but other schools handle the "problem" differently. Examples are: one school sells new bras and one school sends the girls home to get a new bra.According to the daily, the school only allowed students to wear white, beige and light grey bras.
The daily said most of the affected students were caught wearing coloured bras during a Physical Education class
They were forced to remove the bras in the bathroom, which were then confiscated.
I'm at a loss to understand why colored bras are prohibited, however, school officials must feel strongly about the issue. Nonetheless, I do believe that a classroom full of braless high school girls would probably be a greater distraction than a room full of girls wearing colored bras. And, naturally, the whole subject makes one wonder if there are restrictions on other undergarments.
From Interested-Participant.
How To Defeat Global Warming And Islamofascism At The Same Time
This comment on this post has all the answers:
It would have been wonderful if the car had stopped and they had dragged the poor misguided youth and beaten the crap out of the SUV with his head till it was crushed. But hey, my son was only there 15 minutes before, so perhaps I'm a tad biased against the mooslem that hates my son.
Biased? Not at all, Mr. Walsh. You have unwittingly swerved into a solution to a couple of our most vexing problems!
Instead of remanding terrorist captives to some remote CIA-run Caribbean resort, take them to the nearest automobile dealership, grab them by the ankles, and use their heads to smash every pollution spewing, death dealing SUV in sight.
Brilliant!
How's The Weather?
Something...and Half of Something takes a look at the climate of the late 60's and beyond.
Something there gives me a shiver.
The Blog Sabbath Caption Contest: Waaaah Edition
Caption this photo of a terrorist in Gitmo going nowhere, fast (oh my, is he being escorted by a female? The shame!):
Fatwas issued Monday.
Fatwas issued! Damn, this was a tough one to judge. Normally I pick the ones that make me LOL. This time, almost all made me LOL. I had to go with ROFLMAO.
MarcoBlogo: "No..please...anything but the cartoons...."
jack: "Does my new orange jump suit make my ass look big?"
Steve Sharon: "President Steve Sharon's first executive order was to dress all Arab prisoners at Guantanamo Bay as pumpkins and carve them to death."
Fred Fry: "Terrorist: "Wait til I get my hands on that "Jihad is great" recruiter!"
DM: "No, not the comfy chair! Please anything but the comfy chair!"
And a unique tie in the Made Vinnie Laugh So Hard He Almost Made Wee-wee In His Pants Fatwa Division:
splashtc: "I had nothing to do with Natalees disappearance."
Jester: "Come on Abdul...you're in no condition to drive...now where did you park your car?"
What's Missing From This Picture?
In their March 5 issue the editors of Time, fairly drooling at the prospect of an Iraqi civil war (guess they should have read Ralph Peters' piece) enlisted the aid of four "experts" to fill in the grim, grim picture.
The four: Noah Feldman, Vali Nasr, James Fearon, and Juan Cole are suitably grave, in keeping with the preferred MSM meme of a people who have been savaged by the brutal US government and teeter on the abyss due to the Bush administration's incompetence.
But something is missing here.
In 1,290 words (two printed pages in the hardcopy edition) discussing the "civil war" in Iraq, the words "terror", "terrorism", "terrorist", and "al Qaeda" (or even, "al Qaida") appear not once.
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto.
The West's Deadly Ideological Battle With Islamic Jihadism
Today, two different opinion pieces target the same important issue, one that we need to not only hear much more about, but one that we must get deadly serious about making our number one priority - the battle over ideologies, to win the battle of hearts and minds with the clear objective of ending the threat of terrorism by the totalitarian ideologies of Islamic jihadism. (It is wrong and even deceitful to argue that jihadism has nothing to do with Islam, because the jihadists believe that they are acting as "true Islamic believers" and learn the Islamist mind-set in mosques and Islamic schools, including those of the Islamic diaspora in Europe).
We in the United States, the Western Europeans and other allies, as well as moderate Muslims, are engaged in a global battle of ideas, and our enemy is "barbaric if possible and deadly and suicidal if necessary." This battle is against those who want to "destroy the secular Western societies of Europe and the United States, moderate Muslim societies throughout the Middle East, as well as India, Indonesia and Israel, to mention just a few". There is no negotiating our way through this war, that's impossible, and defeat is unthinkable.
The challenge that we in the West face, along with our allies, is to utterly discredit the totalitarian ideologies of jihadism just as we discredited Nazism and communism before. And we need President Bush and all of our leaders" to lead us in the ideological fight just as Ronald Reagan did in the Cold War. "We need to hear from him – and the rest of our leaders – the kind of blunt comparisons we heard from Reagan - that radical Islam enslaves people."
In Jed Babbin's excellent opinion piece at Real Clear Politics, we are reminded of our failure to adequately engage the Islamists in the idealogical battle that is as much a necessity in the War on Terror as the military operations:
(...) We aren’t fighting a war against terrorists to win the hearts and minds of the Middle East. We are fighting it to end the threat of terrorism. Victory can’t be achieved with bullets and bombs alone. This is, at its core, an ideological war. Just as we defeated communism by defeating the communists’ ideology, we need to attack and destroy that of the radical Islamists.However, just getting President Bush and our political leaders to stop fighting each other and join in battle with the enemy of America and the West, is only the begining; what's needed is not only recognition of the problem and leadership, but also a sound and solid strategy to win. That's where Ariel Cohen's piece comes into play.(...) To do that, we first have to understand that radical Islam – the Islam of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Usama bin Laden and the rest – isn’t a religion. It is an ideology that cobbles totalitarianism together with a messianic vision of religious nationalism. Radical Islam (unlike the actual religion) tolerates no other religion, and demands that its adherents give up the basic human freedoms enshrined in our Bill of Rights. No freedom of speech, no free press, no fair trials by a jury of your peers, only enslavement. Like the Nazis, the radical Islamists play on the sense of persecution and cultural inferiority that many people in underdeveloped nations have because they are truly oppressed. And, like the Nazis, the Islamists have convinced their followers that the problems of their world are the fault of others. The Islamists blame every ill of their world on America, the West, the Jews and Israel. Like the Soviets, the Islamists believe that their enslavement of the world is inevitable (though, unlike the Soviets, they believe it is God’s will that they must succeed). Its adherents, like the Nazis and the Communists before them, believe their victory is both inevitable and irreversible. That is a powerful ideology which we have yet to engage with the necessary weapons.
(...) Our military – comprised of many of the best people our country has ever produced – is winning every fight it enters. But it can’t win the war alone. Our politicians have to do that by fighting the ideological war.
(...) President Bush needs to lead us in the ideological fight just as Ronald Reagan did in the Cold War. We need to hear from him – and the rest of our leaders – the kind of blunt comparisons we heard from Reagan. Radical Islam enslaves people.
Read all of "Fighting the Ideological War".
Ariel Cohen, Ph.D., a Senior Research Fellow in the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies at The Heritage Foundation, offers agreement with Babbin (above) that we are engaged in an ideological battle, and in referring to the latest violent convulsion in Iraq, he says that this homicidal rage has nothing to do with the United States. It has everything to do with the political ideology of militant Islam:
(...) The recent spate of violence gripping Iraq in the wake of the Askariya Shiite shrine bombing conclusively - and tragically - demonstrates that ideas of hatred cause wars and claim thousands of lives. A war of ideas is under way that manifests itself in the conflict between the extremist Sunnis and Shiites, as well as between the West and Islamist terrorists.However, Cohen doesn't stop at identifying our need to fully engage in an ideological battle with the Islamists, but goes further by laying out ideas and strategies for doing so:(...) militant Islam ... traces its development to the establishment of the radical Wahhabi sect in the 18th century in the Arabian Peninsula, then to the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt in 1928 and, finally, to Ayatollah Khomeini's seizure of power in Iran in 1979.
(...) unlike most wars of the past, cold and hot, this one could take generations. It calls not only for public diplomacy, but also for political covert action, something the United States hasn't attempted since the early stages of the Cold War. This campaign, fought largely on the battlefields of information and media, pits the West not against a state or coalition of states but against an array of radical organizations and the governments that support them.
(...) The nature of the conflict requires overt and covert action. Our opponents and their financial backers employ stealth, and sometimes so must we. We'll never curb the radical Islamic brainwashing taking place in madrassas throughout the greater Middle East without penetration by undercover agents. And our foreign-service personnel with public diplomacy expertise won't be allowed to practice their craft in Iran or Syria, so we need for the CIA to rebuild its political action capabilities.As Cohen suggests in his article, we've accomplished much already, such as toppling the governments of Afghanistan and Iraq and replacing them with emerging democracies (albeit they are still works in-progress), however, these efforts have done little to discredit, demoralize or defeat our enemy the jihadists. Now, it's time to fully engage in the ideological nature of the conflict and do with words and pictures what we might otherwise accomplish through bullets and missiles.(...) Public diplomacy, a more overt activity, also presents a challenge. As we have seen from the State Department's past efforts in "branding" of the United States, the Pentagon's short-lived Office of Strategic Influence, and the modest inroads made by the U.S. government-run Middle Eastern broadcasting, regaining the upper hand in a post-Cold War media world won't be easy.
(...) The administration needs to set a determined course in this area, and its main weapon should be truth. We must tell the truth about the terror masters and the societies they create, and we must tell it through as many channels as possible. We can't let violence be glorified any longer or the lies and deceit that sustain jihad go unchallenged. We must take it on in the schools, in the media and in society.
(...) We'll need to assemble new talent for this new war. The government and non-profits alike must beef up their public-information skills. People from Muslim countries now living in the West should be recruited to manage - linguistically and otherwise - the challenges we all face together.
(...) Jihadis use and abuse the Internet for propaganda, recruitment, intelligence gathering and operational management - in all major languages of the world. Their Web sites and information warfare operations must be identified and shut down, and their funders, ideologues and Web masters arrested.
(...) The United States also should expand the publication of books, journals and newspapers that promote views which debunk radical Islam and endorse liberal values.
(...) U.S. officials should demand that Muslim states reform their educational systems to expunge messages of hate against Christians, Jews, Hindus and Buddhists. They must demand that governments cease to operate hate-spewing radical mosques and madrassas, which exist solely to indoctrinate potential terrorists. And the Bush administration should use the CIA to topple or destabilize radical Islamist movements Islam and regimes that support them.
Read all of Cohen's piece - The real war is a battle of ideas ...
Using Cohen's exact words, "We didn't start this conflict. But it's up to us to finish it"!!!
Additional informative reading (referred to and linked in introductory paragraph, above) - Jihadism's roots in political Islam (written by a Muslim living in Europe, whose views I find myself "mostly" in agreement with):
After any terrorist attack by jihadists - from the Sept. 11 attacks to those in Bali in 2002, Madrid in 2004 and London in July - two contradictory views are usually heard. Some people claim that such religiously legitimated terror has its roots in Islam; others, principally Muslims and politically correct Westerners, say such terrorism has nothing to do with Islam.Related:The truth can only be reached by putting aside both extreme views and by recognizing the difference between Islam, the religion, and Islamism, the religious-political ideology. Although jihadism may not be Islamic, it is based on the ideology of Islamism, which has emerged from the politicization of Islam in the current war of ideas.
It is difficult to overstate the importance of recognizing this truth. Jihadism will continue to be with us for decades to come, as long as the movement related to it within Islamic civilization continues to thrive and to disseminate its deadly ideas.
Jihadists see themselves as non-state actors waging an irregular war against "kafirun," or unbelievers. They see their struggle as a just war legitimated by a religious, political and military interpretation of the Islamic concept of jihad.
Jihadism's relation to Islamism can be stated in a nutshell: Jihadists read the classical doctrine of jihad in a new mind while reinventing Islamic tradition.
"A Nuclear Powered Rogue State" VIDEO (While there were divergent views on the continuing global war on radical extremism, there was a strong consensus among those at the conference regarding the gravity of the impending threat of a nuclear holocaust should Iran get its hand on nuclear weaponry).
Cross posted by Hyscience
Comment of the Day from Singapore
This comment was posted on the Jawa Report this AM. Apparently some Muslims get it.
Asiqbal@yahoo.com.sg : u those iraqi terrosrists dont u people asham to say u are muslim. beheade people who given u the permisson.are u doing allah job. no reapect for islam whole world hate muslim people all over the world because of your brutal behave did our nabi teach u to do so. u people make shame to islam n to our nabi muhammed.Well put if not well written.
Cross Worshippers Are Suckers (NOT)
I must say I also detected a bit political bullshit in the stories suggesting Hamas is rejecting advice from al-Qaeda. Of course Hamas must reject al-Qaeda’s advice publicly and the stories focus in this quote from Al-Zawahiri.
BBC : The seculars in the Palestinian Authority have sold out Palestine for crumbs... Giving them legitimacy is against Islam."However, when the story broke over the weekend there was an additional line in the message that has “mysteriously” been removed from most of the stories. Howie searched far and wide yesterday for this quote and found it. However my PC here says that floppy sucks(don’t they all) so I had to research more this am to find it again finally on FOXNEWS.
He called on Muslims in "Palestine, Iraq and everywhere else... [to] be wary of the new American game entitled the 'political process'", alluding to recent elections and democratic change.
"To this regard I have to warn the Muslim brothers in Palestine. ... We know for sure that Palestine will not be liberated by the elections, but by jihad," Al-Zawahiri said. "I would like to tell my brothers in Palestine that reaching power is needed to implement Islamic rule."In other words Doc (Al-Zawahiri) gives Hamas an out to pursue power using all methods as long as the end goal is establishing an Islamic state. One has to be careful not to be swept up in these messages. This one in particular seems especially designed for the west. Remember when Zawahiri and Hamas talk about Palestinian soil they mean all of Israel as well. Not just 1967 borders. Also Zawahiri speaks to the Christian Right mingling anti homosexual rhetoric with a reference the Jesus Christ.
CBSNEWS : "The insults against Prophet Muhammad are not the result of freedom of opinion but because what is sacred has changed in this culture," he said. "The Prophet Mohammed, prayers be upon him, and Jesus Christ, peace be upon him, are not sacred anymore, while Semites and the Holocaust and homosexuality have become sacred."This is an attempt to hide al-Qeada’s distaste for Christians as a whole. Remember as a Worshipper of the Cross you can be deceived or directly lied to in order to advance the struggle to establish Islamic states. So while statements released publicly for our consumption often stress the Muslims and Christians are separated by but a fine line, we must be careful about falling for this political game. I have more information to show how Islamists talk about Christians when they don’t think we are listening below the fold.
(referencing the cartoons) They did it on purpose and they continue to do it without apologizing, even though no one dares to harm Jews or to challenge Jewish claims about the Holocaust nor even to insult homosexuals."
An online Jihadi called eXtreme in Iraq posting messages on an Islamic message board
CENTCOM : On 1 March, 2006,"eXtreme" posted toHanin Netthree statements issued by The Mujahidin Shura Council in Iraq[Majlis Shura al-Mujahidin fi al-Iraq] in which the group claimed responsibility for destroying a US armored vehicle in Mosul and another in Al-Fallujah and clashing with police and Badr Corps forces in Baghdad. "eXtreme" attributed the messages to the "Media Commission" of the Mujahidin Shura Council inIraq. The "Issues ofIraqand the Nation" forum inHanin Netis dedicated to newson jihad and Iraqi insurgent groups.Also so we Kufir are not fooled by the attempt to show separation between Al-Qaeda and Hamas I’ve added a link here detailing the connections.ISRAEL NATIONAL NEWS : Former Israeli UN Ambassador Dore Gold wrote an op-ed piece Sunday outlining some of the extensive links that have been found linking Hamas and Al-Qaeda:
A translation of partsof the statements follows:
--"On Monday, 28Muharram 1427, corresponding to 27 February 2006, your brothers of the militarywing of The Mujahidin Shura Council detonated an explosive on a Crusader's armored vehicle on Al-Muthana Street on the left side [as published] of Mosul. The attack resulted in completely destroying the armor and the annihilation of every one of the cross worshippers on board, and the fire continued to flare for one hour with the worshippers of the cross inside the vehicle without anyone approaching the vehicle. All praise and gratitude be to God."
--"On Saturday, 26Muharram 1427, corresponding to 25 February 2006, your brothers of the militarywing of The Mujahidin Shura Council detonated an explosive on a Crusaders' convoy in the Al-Fallujah region. The operation resulted in destroying a vehicle and the killing of everyone inside was either killed or wounded. All praise and gratitude be to God."
--"On Saturday andSunday, 26 and 27 Muharram 1427, corresponding to 25 and 26 February 2006, your brothers of the military wing of The Mujahidin Shura Council confronted thepatrols of the apostate police and their supporters of the scum of the Corps of treachery [Badr] as they attacked the Sunni people in Al-Fadl region inBaghdad. The mujahidin brothers used light and mid-range automatic weapons. The confrontations resulted in killing no less than five apostates and burning two vehicles. All praise and gratitude be to God."
* In 2003, an Israeli ground unit in Gaza, seeking Hamas suspects, went into a school established by the founder of Hamas, Sheikh Ahmad Yassin. Written materials that Israeli soldiers collected revealed the writings of a famous Saudi Wahabi religious authority, Sheikh Sulaiman al-Ulwan. His ideological entry into the world of Hamas immediately raised eyebrows. After all, his name was featured in a famous Osama bin Laden video clip from December 2001, when the al Qaeda leader entertained his entourage on camera by re-enacting with his hands the hijacked aircraft slamming into the World Trade Center on September 11th. In that video, one Saudi messenger entered the scene at the end, telling bin Laden that he brought with him a "beautiful fatwa" from al-Ulwan, who had justified the mass murder of Americans. Now his ideas have penetrated the Palestinians as well. And his Islamic religious ruling justifying suicide bombing attacks appeared on the Hamas Web site along with those of other al-Qaeda clerics.
Bin Laden sent emissaries to Hamas in September 2000 and January 2001
* Israel arrested three Hamas terrorists in 2003 after they had returned from an Al Qaeda training camp in Afghanistan. Al Qaeda chief Abu Zubaydah entered the world of terrorism through Hamas. And according to a 2004 FBI affidavit, Al Qaeda recruited Hamas members to conduct surveillance against potential targets in the United States.
* In 2003 and 2004, Israeli forces found Hamas posters that were distributed in West Bank cities that extolled the war being waged by Islamic militants in the Balkans, Chechnya and Kashmir. At the top was the portrait of Hamas leader Yassin alongside the portraits of bin Laden and Chechen militant leaders like Shamil Besayev, who took credit for the bloody attack on a Russian school in Beslan.
Gold also writes about Hamas and Al-Qaeda's common source of recruits and grassroots support of the Muslim Brotherhood present in every country in the Arab world.I and I’ll insult just about anyone at least once.
Grandpa Via Howie from a family discussion about the “don’t ask don’t tell” policy. Oh you mean cock suckers! There have always been cock suckers in the army, there were cock suckers in WWII and I’m sure there will always be a few cock suckers in the Army. This policy is just bullshit!
Christian Peacemakers: 100 Days in Captivity & Still No Word
Yesterday marked the 100th day of captivity for Norman Kember, 74, of England; Canadians James Loney, 41, and Harmeet Singh Sooden, 32; and American Tom Fox, 54. The four pacifists are being held by terrorists linked to the Islamic Army in Iraq.
It is sad that Left wing organizations continue to use the hostage situation for their own political goals.
We pray for their immediate and unconditional release.
Michael Hearts Cindy - The Musical
Reality seems to be setting in for erstwhile Peace Movement golden girl Cindy Sheehan. As predicted by many, "Mother Sheehan" is being dropped, even by her former supporters.
Jennifer Hunter at the Chicago Sun-Times had seen enough after the State of the Union:
I am probably going to get love letters from some Republicans and excoriating e-mail from liberals for saying that, but I have become mightily disillusioned with Ms. Sheehan. Her whole anti-war shtick -- which I heartily supported in the beginning -- is becoming a lesson on how one initially well-intentioned woman, given a microphone and some airtime, can become immune to good sense. Coretta Scott King knew how to express dissension without acting like Abby Hoffman in drag. Sheehan needs a few lessons in dignity.Cookie at The Cookshack - Gab & Grub asks the musical question, "Bad girl...Bad girl...Whatcha gonna do when the war is through?
Despite increasingly erratic and outrageous behavior designed to keep her name in the headlines, poor Cindy has been demoted from the actual newspages to writing propaganda for Michael Moore.
And this whole comical covergence of events inspires me to respond in song:
Michael Moore Serenades Cindy SheehanCasey's mom has got it movin' on
Casey's mom has got it movin' on
Casey's mom has got it movin' on
Casey's mom has got it movin' onCasey, I love the way she says "bullshit!" (says "bullshit!")
and that the evil Jooz did it (the Jooz did it)
Did your mom get back from her Crawford trip? (Crawford trip)
Is she there, or is she still giving Dubya some lip? (Dubya some lip)You know, Moveon dot org's lovin' everything she says
and Codepink, and those wacky jihadis!Casey's mom has got it movin' on
She's got an enormous mouth and comes on strong
Casey, can't you see she's the perfect girl for me
I've got a tiny schlong but I'm in love with Casey's momCasey's mom has got it movin' on
Casey's mom has got it movin' onCasey, Bush is Hitler, Cheney's the anti-Christ (anti-Christ)
and Jooz are evil - there I said it twice (said it twice)
You fought for Halliburton's oil over there
Saddam was much better for the people I swearAnd I know that you think it's just a fantasy
But since your dad walked out, your mom could use a guy like meCasey's mom has got it movin' on
She's all I want, and I've waited so long
Casey, can't you see she's the perfect girl for me
I know it might be wrong,
but I'm in love with Casey's mom
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.
Al Qaeda's Zawahiri Supports Hamas
Oh, and al Qaeda's also not too fond of the Muhammed cartoons either. BBC:
Al-Qaeda number two Ayman al-Zawahiri has called on the Palestinian militant group Hamas not to recognise past peace deals with Israel.Of course, Hamas is said to be 'dismissing' and 'rejecting' Zawahiri's support. What no one in the MSM dare speak: Hamas and al Qaeda share the same goals.In a video message shown on Arab TV network al-Jazeera, Zawahiri urged Hamas, which won Palestinian elections in January, to fight on with arms.
Zawahiri also attacked the West for insulting the Prophet Muhammad in cartoons published in newspapers....
"No Palestinian has the right to give away a grain of the soil," he said.
"The seculars in the Palestinian Authority have sold out Palestine for crumbs... Giving them legitimacy is against Islam."
He called on Muslims in "Palestine, Iraq and everywhere else... [to] be wary of the new American game entitled the 'political process'", alluding to recent elections and democratic change.
Zawahiri urged Hamas to "continue the armed struggle" and reject agreements signed between its predecessors in government and Israel, describing them as "surrender accords".
Who is more anti-American: Yale or Harvard?
Yale. Hands down. After all, Monty Burns did go to Yale (class of 1914).
Where's Rusty?
Had a long weekend with the family. Who would have thought it would be more enjoyable than, say, blogging? Might go fishing later today and test the hypothesis that it, too, might just be funner than blogging.
The AP Attempts to Revive Cindy Sheehan
The Associated Press is running an update article on Cindy Sheehan. She's a hard leaning lefty at this point (I know; that's putting it mildly) and is doing things that I'm sure her own son would despise her for. I'm not going to quote the article but I'll just show you a few keywords from it to give you some idea as to what the article is all about:
SAN FRANCISCO ... leftist ... Berkeley ... Peace and Conflict Studies ... Hugo Chavez ... "Fahrenheit 911" ... Michael Moore ... Michael Stipe ... CODEPINK
That's nine keyword phrases that should make anyone wonder just what Cindy Sheehan is all about. She's affiliated with America haters, communists, hippies, and nut jobs; kinda makes you wonder what her moral standing is.
If you want to see Cindy Sheehan in action I'd suggest reading LT SMASH's most recent articles on the mother that spits on her own son's grave:
The Cindy Circus
Cindy, Revisited
Originally Posted at 
Smiling Bob Enzyte
(Kansas City, MO) Cincinnati entrepreneur Steve Warshak, the brains behind the "natural male enhancement" product Enzyte, has agreed to stop making unsupportable health claims and to refund money to thousands of customers who believe they were defrauded.
The primary complaint was that customers only agreed to a "free" 30-day trial of pills but were automatically billed for additional shipments. Customers also had great difficulty canceling shipments and getting refunds.
Warshak's companies include Berkeley Premium Nutraceuticals, Lifekey Inc., Boland Naturals Inc., Warner Health Care and Wagner Nutraceuticals.
From Interested-Participant.
Australia to Crack Down on Hoons
From NEWS.com.au:
Tougher anti-hoon laws plannedIn a possibly related story, a recent poll shows that nearly two thirds of Australians believe there is underlying racism in the country.
March 06, 2006
THE West Australian Government is planning tougher anti-hoon legislation in a bid to crack down on road rage and reckless driving.Premier Alan Carpenter said today that amendments to the state's anti-hoon laws would be introduced into Parliament during its first session this year.
Police would be able to impound the cars of drivers who endangered other road users or caused criminal damage to their vehicles as part of road rage incidents, he said.
Whether or not the story is related depends on just what the hell a "hoon" is.
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto.
Good News And Bad News
Fellow Munuvian Mad Mikey is doing better.
Fellow Munuvian Delftsman could still use some prayers.
In the interest of levity, I feel the need to note that these types of things tend to happen in threes.
Rusty, you're screwed.
Best wishes and many prayers to both Mikey and Delfts, and to their families.
Give The Cartoon Jihad The Middle Finger
Add your name to the petition.
Via Agora.
March 05, 2006
What if They Gave a Civil War and Nobody Came?
Ralph Peters of the New York Post has been scouring Baghdad, looking for the civil war. As Peters writes, it's being hidden well:
I'M trying. I've been trying all week. The other day, I drove another 30 miles or so on the streets and alleys of Baghdad. I'm looking for the civil war that The New York Times declared. And I just can't find it.If you didn't twig to the dig on the Gray Lady, there's more:Maybe actually being on the ground in Iraq prevents me from seeing it. Perhaps the view's clearer from Manhattan. It could be that my background as an intelligence officer didn't give me the right skills.
And riding around with the U.S. Army, looking at things first-hand, is certainly a technique to which The New York Times wouldn't stoop in such an hour of crisis.So, by employing the radical journalistic tactic of actually leaving the comfort of the hotel and going where the story is, what did the intrepid and innovative Mr. Peters find?
Let me tell you what I saw anyway. Rolling with the "instant Infantry" gunners of the 1st Platoon of Bravo Battery, 4-320 Field Artillery, I saw children and teenagers in a Shia slum jumping up and down and cheering our troops as they drove by. Cheering our troops.What??!! The downtrodden and radicalized population of Baghdad, victimized by the Imperial stormtroopers of the Zionist Bushitlerburton Neocon Conspiracy are cheering our soldiers and rejecting the bid by al Qaeda to foment a sectarian civil war?All day - and it was a long day - we drove through Shia and Sunni neighborhoods. Everywhere, the reception was warm. No violence. None.
And no hostility toward our troops. Iraqis went out of their way to tell us we were welcome.
Instead of a civil war, something very different happened because of the bombing of the Golden Mosque in Samarra. The fanatic attempt to stir up Sunni-vs.-Shia strife, and the subsequent spate of violent attacks, caused popular support for the U.S. presence to spike upward.
Go and read the whole article.
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.
Jillian Bandes Holding Rally To Denounce UNC Terrorist Attack
Former Daily Tar Heel columnist Jillian Bandes and Student Congress Rep. Kris Wampler will hold a rally at UNC monday to condemn Friday's attack and to protest the news media's reluctance to label it "terrorism":
The Daily Tar Heel—"UNC students will rally against the act and protest the news media's reluctance to label it terrorism," the release states.
The rally will take place in the Pit from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Students will hold signs and hand out small American flags. Speakers are scheduled from noon to 12:30. The event is open to the public.
"The protest will condemn religious violence, call on UNC administrators to denounce Mohammad Taheri-azar and call on they and the news media to refer to the event as an act of terrorism," the release states. ...
The rally will be held in the "pit" where the attack occurred.
Cross-posted at OpinionBug.com
Related Stories:
OpinionBug.com: UNC: Got Jihad?
The Jawa Report: Just Who Is The REAL Terrorist Here?
The Jawa Report: Terrorism at University of North Carolina?
Update:
Check out Mohammad's 911 call: Mohammad Taheri-azar's 911 Call After The Attack
Crackdown On Leakers Has MSM Panties All Bunched Up
The Washington Post reports that:
The Bush administration, seeking to limit leaks of classified information, has launched initiatives targeting journalists and their possible government sources. The efforts include several FBI probes, a polygraph investigation inside the CIA and a warning from the Justice Department that reporters could be prosecuted under espionage laws.Excellent news! It's past time for such a crackdown, as recent leaks of classified material to the New York Times amply demonstrate.
And no doubt we can count on the Patriots of the Press to fully engage and help the government root out the traitors who disclose secret tactics and strategies to our enemies.
Well, perhaps in an alternate universe:
Some media watchers, lawyers and editors say that, taken together, the incidents represent perhaps the most extensive and overt campaign against leaks in a generation, and that they have worsened the already-tense relationship between mainstream news organizations and the White House.The unauthorized release of classified materials to the press is treason. And treason has never been an American value, except that is, among certain elements of the mainstream press, who value circulation and book sales over the security of their countrymen."There's a tone of gleeful relish in the way they talk about dragging reporters before grand juries, their appetite for withholding information, and the hints that reporters who look too hard into the public's business risk being branded traitors," said New York Times Executive Editor Bill Keller, in a statement responding to questions from The Washington Post. "I don't know how far action will follow rhetoric, but some days it sounds like the administration is declaring war at home on the values it professes to be promoting abroad."
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.
March 04, 2006
Israeli Anti-Ballistic Missile System
(Jerusalem) In the aftermath of the Gulf War, Israel embarked on a project to develop a first-line missile defense system. The result is the Arrow 2.
From JPost.com:
Israel's Arrow 2 anti-ballistic missile system is capable of intercepting and destroying any Iranian missiles, even were they to carry nuclear warheads, a high-ranking IDF officer told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday.The Arrow 2 can detect even a missile carrying a split warhead and armed with decoys. Last December, it successfully intercepted an incoming rocket simulating an Iranian Shihab-3 missile. Two Arrow batteries with hundreds of missiles are said to be operational, one protecting Tel Aviv and one protecting the northern part of Israel.While Iran is Israel's most serious strategic and existential threat, the country, he said confidently, was sufficiently protected by the Arrow, which plays a major role in maintaining Israel's protective envelope.
"We will shoot all of [Iran's missiles] down," he told the Post. "The Arrow knows how to intercept the Shihab missile."
From Interested-Participant.
The Non Blog Sabbath No Caption Contest Caption
This post is for you tipsy and horny men whose wives foolishly agreed to let the neighbor kid spend the night, cementing the fact that you will not get any because the crumb crunchers will not go to sleep before you do.*
Actually, I just found the real caption more funny than any made up one. The real caption contest is forthcoming.
The funny part of the caption:
Scarlett Johansson arrives at the 63rd annual Golden Globe Awards...
*Uh, yes, that would be me.
Fear And Loathing In The Alternate Universe
Sooper Special Short Bus Quote (expletives not deleted, they're not my expletives, I use asterisks. Here, anyway.):
To the conservative fuck wads that are lurking here. First off let me say you are all cowards. Michelle Malkin is a racist bitch. Rush is a coward who did not serve in the military neither did that limp-dicked Sean Hannity. You people are the most pathetic excuses for human beings and you will have your day to answer for the atrocities and lies that you have perpetrated. You are all cowards. The entire planet despises your disgusting ilk and you will pay. I understand that as most of your parents were indeed siblings your inability to be decent human beings who contribute to society rests in your defective genes. Now you may return to your hate and racism. I once had a "Bad Cat" who would not behave. I put him down because he was diseased and I didn't give it a second thought. You inbred sacks of shit, return to your basements or holes or wherever you crawled from.
Improbulus Maximus, target acquired, return fire.
stein hoist Beth, who stein hoisted someone else.
Hillary Didn't Know Bill Was Coaching the UAE on Ports Deal?
Guess Hill missed the giant deposits going into their bank account. From MSNBC:
Hillary Clinton, a leading opponent of DP World's takeover of some US port operations, was this week forced to admit that she did not know her husband had advised Dubai leaders on how to handle the growing dispute.But former President Bill Clinton's ties to Dubai and the United Arab Emirates should not have come as a surprise to his New York senator wife.
Mrs Clinton's own senatorial financial disclosure forms reveal that her husband earned $450,000 giving speeches in Dubai in 2002.
Officials from the UAE also donated between $500,000 and $1m to fund Mr Clinton's presidential library in Arkansas.
It was part of an effort by the emirates, said a person close to UAE officials, to forge a close relationship with a former US president who is influential and highly regarded in the region.
Folks in the Emirates seem to be a tad disillusioned with the Clintons:
MANY residents of UAE thought — mistakenly as it turns out — that they knew the Clintons. Former president Bill and former co-president/current New York Senator Hillary were deemed to be friends of the UAE — and the Arab world in general.And Slick Willy wasn't the only beneficiary of UAE hospitality:While Hillary hadn’t visited the UAE recently, Bill is a regular — at least when he’s invited for a paid speech or appearance. Sometimes, he’s graced us in person — other times via a video conference. President Bush, everyone agreed, was an anti-Arab cowboy, worthy of little more than derision.
Other members of the travelling anti-Bush Democratic Party roadshow have also popped into the UAE for a paid appearance or two. Former VP candidate John Edwards honoured us with his wisdom last year as did the woman best remembered by many for opposing the 1991 liberation of Kuwait, ex-secretary of State Madeline Albright, who flew in last December.Via Cookie at The Cook Shack--Gab & Grub.
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.
Gun Control: A View From the Front Lines
The author is a 30-veteran retired Syracuse Police Lieutenant. He has sent a letter containing the essential points below to the New York State Senate. - Bluto
I am a retired police officer with over thirty years experience. As a Sergeant, and later Lieutenant, for the Syracuse PD, I worked with the Director of the Bureau of Research in City Hall. We examined and proposed programs for violent crime reduction. Now retired, I basically perform the same tasks on a contract basis.
AP 'Clarifies' Blunder
Here's what the Tampa Tribune said Thursday on the front page:
Bush Alerted To Levee Danger
From The Associated Press
Published: Mar 2, 2006
WASHINGTON - In dramatic and sometimes agonizing terms, federal disaster officials warned President Bush and his homeland security chief before Hurricane Katrina struck that the storm could breach levees, put lives at risk in New Orleans' Superdome and overwhelm rescuers, according to confidential video footage.
Here's today's portion of crow on page five:
AP Clarifies Bush Wasn't Warned Of Levee BreachVia The Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler.The Associated Press
Published: Mar 4, 2006
WASHINGTON - The Associated Press on Friday clarified an earlier report concerning a warning President Bush was given about the levees in New Orleans the day before Hurricane Katrina struck.The AP reported Wednesday that federal disaster officials warned Bush and his homeland security chief that the storm could breach levees in New Orleans. The story was based on confidential video footage of an Aug. 28 briefing among U.S. officials.
The Army Corps of Engineers considers a breach a hole developing in a levee rather than an overtopping. The story should have made clear that Bush was warned about floodwaters overtopping the levees rather than the levees breaking.
The day before the storm hit, Bush was told there were grave concerns that the levees could be overtopped. It wasn't until the next morning, as the storm was hitting, that Michael Brown, then head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said Bush had inquired about reports of breaches.
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.
America's Worst President Jumps the Shark
Actually President Peanut might have done that a few years back, but he hasn't left much doubt about it now.
From The New York Sun:
President Carter personally called Secretary of State Rice to try to convince her to reverse her U.N. ambassador's position on changes to the U.N. Human Rights Commission, the former president recalled yesterday in a talk in which he also criticized President Bush's Christian bona fides and misstated past American policies on Israel.The UN Human Rights Commission has become a joke, whose sole function appears to be passing resolutions condemning Israel for alleged human rights violations.Mr. Carter said he made a personal promise to ambassadors from Egypt, Pakistan, and Cuba on the U.N. change issue that was undermined by America's ambassador, John Bolton. "My hope is that when the vote is taken," he told the Council on Foreign Relations, "the other members will outvote the United States."
US ambassador to the UN, John Bolton, recognized that the proposed reform compromise would result in virtually no change to the Commission. Even the New York Times supports Bolton and the Bush administration on this.
And Carter says he promised Egypt, Pakistan, and Cuba and was undermined by Bolton? Now I'm confused. Was Jimmy Carter selected by the Bush adminstration to represent our country in the UN or was that...oh, I don't know...John Bolton?
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.
March 03, 2006
Just Who Is The REAL Terrorist Here?
Michelle Malkin posts more about the *koff* isolated incident *koff* at UNC-Chapel Hill. In her post, she quotes a local ABC affiliate thus:
The driver of an SUV that plowed into a group of pedestrians at UNC-Chapel Hill on Friday told police it was retribution for the treatment of Muslims around the world, according to ABC News.
Sure, the driver's name is Mohammed (PBUH) Reza Tehracrazyman or something like that.
But only a blind person, I mean, sight challenged, er sunglass at night wearing people would miss who the real terrorist in this story is.
The SUV.
Sure, Mohammed (Muhammad? Mahomet? PBUH) may have unwittingly swerved into a few people in the name of his peaceful religion, but what is that compared to the untold thousands the SUV he was driving deliberately maimed, tortured and killed just by running and spewing its fatal exhaust into the air? Not to mention the millions of deaths forthcoming due to global warming.
Muhammed (Mohammed? Mahomet? Imhotep? PBUH) should be given a medal. I firmly believe that rather than deliberately trying to mow down infidels in the name of his peaceful religion, which is a religion of peace, he was trying murder his SUV before it could kill, and kill again.
Cherry Creek School District Student Comments on Jay Bennish
Just when you thought Conservative Thinking couldn't build on the Jay Bennish story anymore here comes another doozie from the Cherry Creek School District. It's not an official of the district and it's probably not a teacher but more than likely a student of Cherry Creek Schools.
"Sam" left a comment today on one of our Jay Bennish articles. Apparently, Mr. Bennish doesn't inspire free thinking like he and his supporters believe:
I think people are over Exaugurating something little,let the guy have his freedom of speech, hes just teaching the kids to think for themselves and giving his own oppinions. All you damn people are to stupid to realize bush is like hitler
Emphasis mine. However, the reason I think it's a student that wrote this is due to the horrific grammar and spelling skills (apparently too much time spent on "geography" and not English).
This is quite disturbing for two reasons, 1) apparently the Jay Bennish indoctrination program is working and 2) my daughter will be in the Cherry Creek School District this fall.
The details on "Sam" as far as IP address go are as follows:
Translated Name: ccsd-26-214.ccsd.k12.co.us
IP Address: 166.113.26.214
I'm going to send this along to the Cherry Creek Schools to voice my concern on my daughter's behalf.
Originally Posted at
My Response To Hajji, Jawa's Biggest Fan
Sorry, time is short. Not Chris Short, but regular short.
First off, congratulations, Hajji, for surviving the Hajj. The fact that you are alive to send us email and not a blot of squishy goo on the pavement in front of the Black Stone is a small miracle.
Anyway, the rest of my reply is below the fold, cuz I gotstago
Careful
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Robotic Pack Mules vs. Remote Control Sharks
I'll see your remote control sharks, and raise you a robotic pack mule named Big Dog. Remote controlled sharks? That's just science fiction. Robot pack mules...now those are real.
Lent: Day 3
I've managed to avoid watching any porn featuring Ted Turner taking it up the wazoo from a Jane Fonda strap-on for 3 days now. Pray that I can make it to Easter.
K.T McFarland to Challenge Hillary
Karol at Alarming News calls her the ultimate security mom. Sweet.
Terrorism at University of North Carolina?
Okay, maybe the headline is a little alarminst. Hey, I just write the stories, not the headlines! Blame my editor. But as Confederate Yankee reminds us, the Daily Tarheel was part of the Muhammed cartoon row. And the guy's name, you know, is Mohammed. The Daily Tarheel:
A University graduate careened his silver Jeep Grand Cherokee through the Pit on Friday about noon, striking nine pedestrians and sending six to UNC Hospitals.Mohammed Reza Taheriazar was a Dean's list student at UNC and was a co-author on several pedagogic papers. Could just be some drunk Persian. I hope so. But I also hope that the police and UNC won't try to make a preemptive, "this is not terrorism" statement like OU did with Joel Henry Hinrichs. When such statements are made before ANY investigation, it just looks like a cover up. Especially given the context of the GWOT and threats made over the Muhammed cartoons.Mohammed Reza Taheriazar, 23, who graduated in 2005, is in custody at the Department of Public Safety after turning himself in after the incident. He was born May 5, 1983, according to University registrar records. He was a psychology and philosophy major. He was published in The Charlotte Observer for dean's list honors in spring 2005.
At about 2 p.m. a bomb threat was called into the University Commons apartments, at 303 Smith Level Road. State Bureau of Investigations officials entered the building at 3:03 p.m.
Capt. Joel Booker, of the Carrboro Police Department, said they are not sure how the threat is related to the campus incident.
Chapel Hill police spokeswoman Jane Cousins said a Mohammed Reza Taheri-Azar has a prior arrest. He was arrested June 16, 2003 on one count of resisting arrest and reckless driving.
Six victims were transported to UNC Hospitals, including a 20-year-old female suffering from a head injury and a 42-year-old male suffering from road rash. Five of the victims were students.
Stephanie Crayton, hospitals spokeswoman, said she does not anticipate that any of the victims will be admitted.
Sophomores Tiffany McDole and Jeff Hoffman were among those hit.
"I see everyone kind of part because there's a car coming through … and the next thing I know, I'm on his windshield," Hoffman said afterward. His arm was bandaged but he mostly was OK.
According to reports on the scene, the vehicle entered the Pit through the walkway between Greenlaw Hall and Lenoir Dining Hall, going through the Pit and exiting between Lenoir and Davis Library. Skid marks were visible around the corner of Lenoir and Greenlaw.
"He hit one person, I remember, he just hit him and the guy just flew," said junior Michael Highland, who was at the scene. "A few others got hit partially. I and some other people ran after it to get a license plate. But he was too far away. We ran after him to see where he went."....
Capt. George Hare, of DPS, said at a University press conference that it was an ongoing investigation.
"It's in its early stages," he said.
Hare said police will charge Taheriazar with "at least" multiple felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill. The car is the weapon in the assault.
"This assault … is not a traffic accident. It's an assault."
Hat tip: Tim at Opinion Bug for the e-mail.
UPDATE: Looks like Malkin is on it now, too. Check her for updates. Ah, and via Michelle I learn I'm not the only one with a raised eyebrow.
DU Shouts Down Marine Vet back from Iraq, Calls him Liar
It would be funny, if it wasn't simultaneoudly sad and pathetic. My favorite response to a returning Marine who is telling the DU that they've been fed propaganda?
Because He's Still in the Military He can't talk until he's out, at which point maybe he'll talk about torture, civilian killing, chemical weapons use, looting, corruption, imperialism, bigotry, abuse, intimidation, snipers, urban warfare, propaganda, etc... It ain't going to happen now, he'd be court-martialed. My only question is why'd he join in the 1st place? Was he aware of the illegitamacy of this fake war when he joined? Of course, that can't be answered either.
Jewish Terrorists vs. Muslim Terrorists
Jewish terrorists: throw firecrackers.
Muslim terrorists: bombs.
A lot of nuts in the world. Some are more deadly than others.
Still Looking for Number 100,000
With Dr. Rusty's permission I'm posting this article here because Conservative Thinking's 100,000th visitor came from here.
Conservative Thinking has hit the 100,000 SiteMeter Visits milestone. The problem is I have no idea who the visitor actually is. The information about the visitor can be seen here. I've contacted the visitor's ISP and the referring site's owner in an effort to attempt to track the person down.
But, if you're on Comcast and you're from California and you're visitor information matches this then please drop me a line so you can claim your prize.
Vonski’s Weekly Good News
Yes this week we can all use a shot of good news and The Vonski delivers a boat load for us today and most every Friday. Just a sample for you: Vonski
• Soldiers from 1st Mechanized Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army Division, along with Soldiers from elements of 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment and 4th Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, conducted a combined operation to provide much needed medical care to a local Iraqi Sunni community, relieving tensions in the area while simultaneously fostering hope in a unified Iraq.Now get your clicker clicking and get over there. It’s a long post this week just filled with goodies!
Approximately 85 local civilians showed up for free medical treatment. They formed a single line and were ushered forward to the waiting medical personnel. Two medical professionals saw the customers with the support of several medics.
The Quran, the Old Testament, and the New: Responding to Reader Love Mail
I got this letter from a Muslim urging me to refrain from making fun of his religion (scroll down), so I felt it necessary to respond publicly.
As regular readers know, I'm totally cool with Muslims. It's Islam I don't like. As a non-Muslim, I can't know what true Islam is---just as a non-Catholic and non-Protestant I can't know what true Christianity is. That's an internal debate that you Muslims need to be having (and are having) with yourselves.
And even though I don't consider myself a traditional Christian, I do consider myself a follower of Jesus and I've read the Bible dozens of times. So, while I'm not an expert on true 'Christianity', I do have a fairly in depth knowledge of the Old and New Testaments. I do have an opinion, then, on what the Bible says and means.
I have also read the Quran. All of it. Several times. I've also read many of the hadiths (traditions). So, I'm not an expert about true Islam, but I do believe I have enough information to have an opinion on what the Quran says and means.
So, here are my opinions about them.
Old Testament: Pretty bloody horrifying. Luckily, Judaism does not treat the Old Testament as the literal word of God. Further, as the story of the Old Testament unfolds, Jehovah seems to get a lot nicer. Good on you LORD for growing up. (If you don't think that God can handle criticism, then I'd suggest you don't know too many Jews.)
New Testament: Pretty cool, except for all the pacifism stuff. Jesus seems to clearly be a pacifist in my reading. Which is fine, as long as Christians were in the minority. But once Christians became a majority--in other words, once they controlled the state--pacifism doesn't seem all that great to me. Luckily, theology was able to take care of dangerous pacifism. Further, no theologian I know of treats the New Testament as the literal word of God. Even fundamentalists only claim that it was inspired of God--that the words are those of Paul, not God's.
Quran: Pretty frightening. Not only does it have all of the bad stuff from the Old Testament, but Islam treats the words of the Koran as the literal word of God. These are God's words, not Muhammed's (or Gabriel's). The Quran is not a collection of stories, but, as Reza Aslan says, it is the "Divine monologue."
If these are God's words, then I'm a monkey's uncle. Either I am very wrong about God being a pretty cool dude, or the God described in the Quran is not God at all. In fact, Allah, if we take him at his word (as he himself reveals it in the Quran), is an asshole. He's worse than Hitler.
So, I won't apologize for making fun of the Quran. I do not believe it is the word of God. If I'm wrong, and Allah is God, then he certainly does not deserve to be worshipped or followed. Further, I do not believe that it has any redeeming value whatsoever. I do not believe any of it. None.
Hadiths: Don't teach us much, except that Muhammed is not someone I would like to hang out with. He was a pedophile. He marries a 6 year old, but we are to believe that it's okay, because he really doesn't have sex with Aisha until she's 9. Yeah, that makes everything better. He is a genocidal maniac. He wipes out entire tribes. He's a fascist. He thinks it's cool to kill any one who gives up the faith. So, no I don't believe he was a Prophet.
There is no God named Allah and Muhammed is not a Prophet.
Incidentally, I don't believe Sidhartha actually found enlightenment under the Bodi tree. But I have a great deal of respect for the Buddha. I don't believe that Baha'u'llah was a Prophet. But I do have a great deal of respect for the content of his writings and the Baha'i faith.
Muhammed, I have no respect for. It's not so much that I reject him as a Prophet--there are a lot of people who I don't accept as a Prophet, but whom I respect--as it is that he was a sick S.O.B. who also had a lot of destructive things to say.
If you want to follow Muhammed that's your right. But it is also my right to criticize him. If you want me to refrain from criticizing him, then I'd first suggest that you take away my right to bear arms. Because, you will find that I will give up both of those rights over my cold, dead body.
If you want me to end my criticism, then you'll have to first convince me that Muhammed and the Quran are worth respect. Since I've read a lot of the hadiths, and the entire Quran, I know better.
If it makes you feel better, if your Quran actually doesn't have all the bad stuff in it, and you don't take as authoritative the stuff about Muhammed screwing a child and engaging in genocide, then I'm totaly hip to your Islam. But, then, your Islam is not traditional Islam. In that case, I'm not criticizing Islam as you know it, or the Quran as you know it, or Muhammed as you know him, but I am criticizing some other Islam, some other Quran, and some other Muhammed.
If such is the case, what is the problem?
My response is below. UPDATE: Here is Bluto's response. Here is Howie's response.
My comments are inserted.
Dr. Rusty Shackleford, Howie and other members or creators of the My Pet Jawa websiteThanks Haj. Feel better now?
I know that you have freedom of expression over the internet but on viewing your page regarding the Quran, I was extremely dismayed at the offensive material. All of you are intelligent people [you obviously don't know us very well], but yet you can place something so terrible on the internet. You must know that there are 1.2 billion Muslim's on earth [duh, no I didn't know that. Just kidding....but, how is that relevant?? Is that a) a threat b) it's wrong to offend people, but only when there are a lot of them?]. We have terrorism that occurs because of some(a small percentage of extreme so-called Muslim's) whose actions clearly contradict the Quran. [Since they quote the Quran while they commit acts of terrorism, how is it that they are contradicting it? Or, do you just want to pretend that the stuff in the Quran that is pretty genocidal, doesn't exist? Just because YOU don't interpret those versus that way, does not mean that others cannot. How do I know that YOUR version of Islam is correct, and not that of Qutb? Don't the hadiths show Muhammed using violence to expand the Ummah? I don't know who is right, but I do know that the Quran certainly can be interpretted violently]
By firstly, performing such acts on the Word of GOD, the Holy Quran, your website has offended all good Muslims [I don't care]. The people who are terrorists(so-called Muslims) do not care because they will say, "See I told you So". [so what?] "There are such low people on this earth who will stoop to anything to disrespect Islam." [I guess no one can criticize Islam? That you are the one religion in the world exempted from it?]
We Muslim's consider all 3 scripture's the Old Testament(Taurat), the New Testament(Gospel of Christ) and the Last Testament (Quran) to be the word of GOD [Liar. You know this is not the case. Islam rejects the Old and New Testament as 'corrupted', therefore a new Revelation was needed. Either you are not a Muslim, or you know nothing about the New and Old Testament. Or you are practicing Taqiya--lying.] Now by discrediting and disrespecting the Quran you must think that you will change Muslims to think to your points of view. [No, I don't. I just want to speak what I see as the truth--let the chips fall where they may] However, for good Muslim's who consider the Quran to be the Word of GOD and read the Holy Quran daily, work 8 hours or more daily, family men, students, good hearted citizens of countries, our feelings get extremely hurt. [Sorry that I hurt your feelings. Really. Just kidding.] We feel disgusted and frustrated at your lame [give me more credit than that!] attempt to totally discredit the Word of GOD without understanding the material in the Quran. [Gee, I guess YOU understand the Quran, while the rest of Muslims in the world that take the injunction against conversions from Islam as literally binding, are wrong]
Can we & will we Muslim's respond but doing the same as your website did to the Old and New Testaments. No. [Uh, since the Quran says that Jesus was not crucified--something which seems essential to the New Testament story--how does the Quran NOT do exactly that? The Quran calls believers in the Trinity 'infidels'. I don't believe in it, but I don't believe that those who do believe in it are the same as unbelievers. And the Hadiths--as interpretted in all sharia schools--prohibit Christians from fulfilling the 'Great Commission'. I may piss on the Koran, but I find that much less offensive than prohibiting Muslims from leaving Islam. Yeah, I may be childishly offensive--but your religion, as interpretted by your fellow believers--is fascist.] We would abhor suchg an act because we believe that the current versions of those 2 books hold parts of the word of GOD and the original scriptures did hold the entire word of GOD [Ah, so you admit that the Old and New Testament aren't really the word of God. Big of you]. It would be a sin for a Muslim to act that way [Except that transferring a Bible to a Muslim is forbidden. So, you won't burn the Bible, but you will ban it? Nice.]
The Holy Shrine in Samarra is a good example of Terrorism. [Indeed] Did Muslim's perform this terrorist act against themselves? [] Ask your self the question? [Wait for it] Can we call people who destroy the House of GOD, Muslims? [Wait for it ] No these people are so low that they call themselves Muslims but in the truth anyone who does what they did to any house of GOD cannot be called Muslims. [Ahhhhhh. Maybe it was the J-O-Os who really did it? ]
Finally, I would like to speak to your humanity, and I am sure everyone of you are humans or have an ounce of humanity within you [An ounce? Possibly]. Be human and let us all work together to eradicate terrorism. [Definitely, good show. Right proper of you] By defaming the word of GOD, against all Muslim, is totally unfair and inhuman. [Non-sequitor. Stupid. Silly. What I'm trying to do is apply the same rules to humanity, equally. When the Quran goes against these rules, then I feel the Quran is open to criticisms. ] Please remove the page about the Quran from your website and let us all work together to understand each others problems and resolve this matter in a fair way.[No. Screw you and the high-horse you rode in on. Work together with me to eradicate terrorism or don't. But if you can't accept my help in fighting it without also accepting that I don't believe in your Prophet or Quran, then sorry. You are a child. Grow up.]
I pray to GOD that you listen to me
Hajji Mohsin
The Netherlands Are Lost to the West
This article from the Timesonline (UK) reads like a spy novel from the Cold War.:
We should fear Holland’s silenceIt's not just a question of a large, easily offended Muslim population either, nor just the danger of homicidally unhinged Muslim radicals like the one who murdered Theo Van Gogh. Islamism is organized and very dangerous in The Netherlands.
Islamists are stifling debate in what was Europe’s freest country, says Douglas Murray
‘Would you write the name you’d like to use here, and your real name there?” asked the girl at reception. I had just been driven to a hotel in the Hague. An hour earlier I’d been greeted at Amsterdam airport by a man holding a sign with a pre-agreed cipher. I hadn’t known where I would be staying, or where I would be speaking. The secrecy was necessary: I had come to Holland to talk about Islam.
Over a year ago I exposed 357Hosting.com, a Dutch-based webhosting company that specialized in jihadi/terrorist websites (incidentally, scooping Newsweek by a month, but would those weasels give me a link? No-o-o-o), and the only real change is that 357Hosting was driven underground, purportedly operating out of Gaza now.
Another chilling aspect of the Times story is that writer Douglas Murray sees the same process, albeit at an earlier stage, in Great Britain:
This may seem fantastic to people in Britain. But the story of Holland — which I have been charting for some years — should be noted by her allies. Where Holland has gone, Britain and the rest of Europe are following. The silencing happens bit by bit. A student paper in Britain that ran the Danish cartoons got pulped. A London magazine withdrew the cartoons from its website after the British police informed the editor they could not protect him, his staff, or his offices from attack. This happened only days before the police provided 500 officers to protect a “peaceful” Muslim protest in Trafalgar Square.Holland is essentially lost, some of the Danes are awake, but the UK, even after the evidence of the 7/7 London bombings is still catering to the most belligerent among their Muslim population.
This is not happy news.
Via Mike's America.
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.
Overheard at a Gaza Funeral
Being a terrorist is dangerous work. Click image above for more. Soccer Dad (hat tip) and the Elder of Ziyon have the backstory about the misleading news reports which implied that the sploid was killed by the Israelis, when really he was killed in a 'work related accident'.
A Visit to Iraq's Real Torture Chambers
No, I don't mean Abu Ghraib. I mean the real torture chambers run as torture chambers. Where, unlike when U.S. soldiers abused prisoners, Saddam's loyal troops were not disciplined for torturing, but encouraged. Truly the Baathist state will go down as one of the most ugly in history.
Jailed Muslim Brotherhood Activists Freed
(Tripoli, Libya) In 1998, Libya arrested 152 members of the Muslim Brotherhood. On Wednesday, 84 were freed.
From ArabNews.com:
Libya yesterday released all 84 jailed members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood movement who had been held since the late 1990s, official sources said as Tripoli presses on with gradual reforms.Banned but tolerated? I think that's comparable to "fake but accurate." Or "partially pregnant.""All the 84 members of the Muslim Brotherhood were released today ... amid celebrations in front of the prison in Tripoli in the presence of their families," an official source said.
"Fifty-five of them have returned home to Benghazi," Libya's second city in the east of the country, added the source, who asked not to be named.
Libya in 1998 arrested 152 members of the Muslim Brotherhood. In 2002, two were sentenced to death, 73 to life in prison and 66 were acquitted, while the others were handed 10-year jail sentences.
The condemned, mainly students and academics, were accused of supporting or belonging to Al-Jamaa Al-Islamiya Al-Libiya, an Islamist group created in 1979, whose beliefs reflect those of Egypt's banned but tolerated Muslim Brotherhood.
Nonetheless, New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Amnesty International are taking some credit for pressuring Libya into releasing the men. Others believe that Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi is trying to improve his image abroad. I'd go with the latter reason for the release of the jailed men. Dictators don't pay any attention to human rights organizations.
From Interested-Participant.
Do You Suffer From Bush Derangement Syndrome?
Created by Erik Axelson
If you think you might have Bush Derangement Syndrome, or BDS, just take this simple self-administered test:
1. Do you interject non sequiters about President Bush, Vice President Cheney or Karl Rove into ordinary conversations without warning?
2. Is the Kerry-Edwards sticker still affixed to your car?
3. Did you replace a faded Kerry-Edwards sticker or an Al Gore/2000 sticker with a new one?
4. Did you vote twice in the 2004 election, once from your primary residence and once from your country home?
5. In the past 60 days, have you engaged in one or more heated arguments about the War against Islamist terror?
a. Once (1 point)
b. Twice (2 points)
c. Three times (3 points)
d. More than three times (5 points)
6. Have you found yourself yelling at members of the Bush administration when they appear on your television?
7. Have you found yourself yelling at Chris Matthews, Tim Russert, George Stephanopoulos, Bob Schieffer or other network anchors for not being tough enough on Bush?
8. Have you marched with Cindy Sheehan or with Code Pink?
9. Did you send a political donation to Paul Hackett in his campaign for a special election to the U.S. House, even though you don't live in Ohio?
10. Have you demonstrated your "support for the troops" by pushing for the Murtha Amendment, which would have authorized an immediate withdrawl from Iraq?
11. Do you secretly welcome hearing bad news from Iraq because you assume it will hurt President Bush's standing in opinion polls?
12. Are you disappointed there have not been any further terrorist attacks since 9/11?
13. Do you still think the discredited memos typed on Microsoft Word broadcast by CBS's "60 Minutes" were legitimate historical documents from 1972 proving George W. Bush shirked his duty in the Texas Air National Guard?
14. Do you believe that Karl Rove actually produced and leaked these documents to discredit Dan Rather?
15. Do you obsessively try to figure out how a "war for oil" has resulted in much higher oil and gasoline prices?
16. Do you support Harry Belafonte's judgement, stated at an anti-American rally in dictator Hugo Chavez's Venezuela, that George W. Bush is a bigger terrorist than Osama Bin Laden ("if Bin Laden actually did that which he is accused of doing")?
17. Do you, like the New York Times editorial page, frequently try to reconcile the fact that the crime rate has gone down at the same time the prison population has increased?
18. Does President Bush's religiosity drive you bonkers?
19. Do you object to President Bush's support of tuition tax credits and vouchers so that poor families can send their children to private schools? Give yourself 2 points if you believe this AND send your own kids to private schools.
20. Do you find that you are avoiding friends who do not share your vitriolic disdain for President Bush?
21. In your computer dating profile do you feature your loathing for Bush and the Republican Party and warn that you will not date Republicans or Bush supporters?
22. Are you convinced that Scooter Libby outed Valery Plame on orders from Dick Cheney and Karl Rove?
23. Do you support the immediate impeachment of President Bush?
24. Do you think that the United Nations should supervise future U.S. elections?
25. Do you wonder how it is possible for the U.S. economy to grow so strongly in the past 3 years while Bush has cut income and business taxes?
26. When you are planning a vacation, do you avoid going to red states?
27. Did you make jokes about Dick Cheney’s quail-shooting incident, such as saying that it was really a warning to Scooter Libby or that Bush should have been in his friend Harry’s place?
28. Are you still trying to figure out how Karl Rove and Mr. Diebold rigged the election in Ohio, giving Bush the victory in that crucial state by 119,000 votes?
Now to score yourself, just award one point for each "yes" answer. Make sure you correctly calibrate your response to the sliding scale responses for questions 5 and 19.
Here's how you rate on the Bush Derangement Syndrome scale:
• 0-5 points Pretty normal; just another mildly partisan Democrat
• 6-10 points In the orange zone; ask a friend to monitor your outbursts
• 11-15 points Could be trouble; might want to consider voluntarily not watching TV
• 16-20 points Go immediately to your psychiatric practioner
• 21-34 points You have full-bore BDS; check in NOW to St. Elizabeth's Hospital
With prompt treatment BDS can be abated, though full cures are rare. Early detection and treatment are vital to recovering your faculties.
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.
March 02, 2006
Ranting HS Teacher Hires Ward Churchill's ACLU Lawyer
The Colorado high school teacher who was caught on tape by a student while indoctrinating his students with vile, raidcal leftist dogma has hired an attorney from the ACLU. Not just any lawyer either, but the same one who represents Ward Churchill, the man who called 9/11 victims "little Eichmanns".
Here's a sample of what Bennish told his Geography class, courtesy of Michelle Malkin:
Now, I'm not saying that Bush and Hitler are exactly the same. Obviously, they are not. Ok. But there are some eerie similarities to the tones that they use. Very, very "ethnocentric." We're right. You're all wrong.Bennish was exposed when student Sean Allen taped the class to help with his notes. Sean's father heard the tape and complained to the school administration, who ignored Bennish's rant until Mr. Allen went to the local media. Then Bennish was suspended.
Via Stop the ACLU. Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto.
The Muslim Manifesto
All I want to say about this now is what I said on my blog about the word "manifesto." It just sounds so....Marx. Kaczynski, even.
Anyway, read it for yourself.
Recently, the disrespectful cartoons about Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) published in Jyllands-Posten resulted in an extreme reaction among many Muslims worldwide. While we understand the feelings of our co-religionists, we strongly urge them to refrain from rage and violence.
A zeal for Allah is rightful only when it is expressed in an enlightened manner, since Allah himself has ordained a restrained response. When the early Muslims were mocked by their pagan contemporaries, the Koran ordered not a violent backlash, but rather a civilized disapproval: "When you hear Allah's verses being rejected and mocked at by people, you must not sit with them till they start talking of other things." (Koran 4:140) The Koran also describes Muslims as "those who control their rage and pardon other people, [because] Allah loves the good-doers." (3:134) Therefore all demonstrations against the mockery of Islam should be peaceful. All critiques of Islam should be countered not by threats and violence, but by rational counter-argument.
We also believe that terrorist acts can never be justified or excused. None of the challenges Muslims face, such as oppression or military occupation, can justify attacks against non-combatants. In the Holy Koran, Allah orders Muslims to "never let hatred of anyone lead you into the sin of deviating from justice." (5:8) The true Islamic sense of justice is well-established in the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh); even in time of war — let alone peace — Muslim soldiers should never "kill the old, the infant, the child, or the woman." Those who do so are not martyrs, but cold-blooded murderers.
Supported by the Koran's affirmation that "there is no compulsion in religion" (2:256), we cherish religious liberty. Every human has the right to believe or not to believe in Islam or in any other religion All Muslims furthermore have the right to reject and change their religion if desired. No state, community or individual has a right to impose Islam on others. People should accept and practice Islam not because they are forced to do so, but because they believe in its teachings.
We support and cherish democracy — not because we reject the sovereignty of the Almighty over people, but because we believe that this sovereignty is manifested in the general will of people in a democratic and pluralistic society. We do not accept theocratic rule-not because we do not wish to obey Allah, but because theocratic rule inevitably becomes rule by fallible (and sometimes corrupt and misguided) humans in the name of the infallible God.
We accept the legitimacy of the secular state and the secular law. Islamic law, or sharia, was developed at a time when Muslims were living in homogenous communities. In the modern world, virtually all societies are pluralistic, consisting of different faiths and of different perceptions of each faith, including Islam. In this pluralistic setting, a legal system based on a particular version of a single religion cannot be imposed on all citizens. Thus, a single secular law, open to all religions but based on none, is strongly needed.
We believe that women have the same inalienable rights as men. We strongly denounce laws and attitudes in some Islamic societies that exclude women from society by denying them the rights of education, political participation and the individual pursuit of happiness. Like men, women should have the right to decide how they will live, dress, travel, marry and divorce; if they do not enjoy these rights, they are clearly second-class citizens.
We believe that there is no contradiction between religious and national identities. Any Muslim should be able to embrace the citizenship of any modern secular state while maintaining feelings of spiritual solidarity with the umma, the global Muslim community.
We regard Christianity and Judaism as sister faiths in the common family of Abrahamic monotheism. We strongly denounce anti-Semitism, which has been alien to Islam for many centuries but which unfortunately has gained popularity among some Muslims in recent decades. We accept Israel's right to exist, as well as the justified aspiration of the Palestinian people for a sovereign state and hope that a just two-state solution in Israel/Palestine will bring peace to the Holy Land.
In short, we strongly disagree with and condemn those who promote or practice tyranny and violence in the name of Islam. We hope that their misguided deeds will not blacken our noble religion — which is indeed a path to God and a call for peace.
Muhammed Cartoonist's Daughter Targetted by Muslims
Agora, the place to follow the Muhammed cartoon controversy:
Rohde says that the 12 cartoonists have had their lives overturned and are now living in hiding, after receiving several death threats."And a daugter of one of cartoonist the was sought out by 12 Moslem males - they were looking to get to her. Fortunately she wasn’t at school," Jens Rohde said.
The AP Goes Dan Rather
Kevin Aylward reports that the author of the AP report which alleges that President Bush was warned about the possibility of a levy breach used to work at CBS's 60 Minutes II.
Now, Rob at Say Anything notices that the video was selectively edited to exclude footage of Dan Brown being asked whether more resources would be needed by Michael Chertoff. The transcripts show that Brown said no.
So, a major story breaks claiming Bush was warned but fails to mention the fact that the person warning Bush declined additional resources?
Dan Rather, eat your heart out.
Others commenting and worth a look: Ace, OTB, Flopping Aces, Iowa Voice, Powerline, Macsmind, Mark Noonan. Right Winged,
The Rise and Fall of an Internet Jihadi
For those of you interested in the private fight against public terrorists, these articles are for you. This is a follow up to our earlier report on the arrest of the internet's #1 cyber-jihadi, Irhabi 007.
Why this is important, to quote Aaron:
The point of this story is simple but important:If you want to know the whole story on how Aaron at Internet Haganah effectively tracked down Irhabi 007, and how Irhabi 007 fought back, check out these posts in this order:There is no wall, no dividing line, nothing separating online jihadist activity from off-line/real-world jihadist activity (i.e terrorism). The two are inseparable.
For a boiled down version of the story, see this
from the ADL.
For my own part, I don't think Irhabi 007 knew that it was me and my readers signing him up for free daily porn pics and the pork-of-the-month club. Although, it would have been nice to hear him complain about it.
Although, I was pleased to see this at a popular jihadi forum on the internet:
As-salam 'Alaikum Wa RahmatullahThat is the sound of me gloating.----, next time, if you're going to talk about a website, please just put the name, or don't put the full url. The problem is that many people get curious and start visiting anti websites when we tell them the url.
There is not one, but many such websites, and some use islamic or muslim names to set traps and get people's IP. Sometimes they upload videos and anashid there or tell people to send them. But they do this on purpose.
I read a message that tells names of more, copy pasting them without any changes:
Category: Start / Terrorism Researchers:
The watchers........[names of other websites deleted]
-The Jawa Report
Comments
We appear to be having technical difficulties with the comments. One of you must have broken the internet. It can happen.
Update by Paduan Beotch Howie.
Pixi Misa :I fixed the internet!Comment away!
Able Danger Whistleblowers File Suit Against Defense Agencies
Men Were Not Allowed Counsel During Closed Hearings
Able Danger whistleblowers Anthony Shaffer and J.D. Smith have filed a lawsuit against the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Department of Defense, the Department of the Army, and against George Peirce, Robert H. Berry, Jr., William J. Haynes, II, Esq., and Tom Taylor - acting both as individuals and as counsels for the DIA, the DoD, and the Department of the Army.
Attorney for the plaintiffs Mark Zaid, with whom I participated in a conference call regarding Able Danger, has released a PDF file of the filing. The basis of the complaint (Civil Action No. 06-271 (GK)) is that Shaffer and Smith were denied their First Amendment right to counsel by the defendants during closed, classified Congressional hearings about the Able Danger program. Shaffer and Smith were not compelled to testify, but "...it was made clear that were Shaffer or Smith to decline to appear voluntarily they would be compelled to do so."
The suit seeks that the court direct the defendants to allow the plaintiffs' attorneys be granted access to classified material, through expedited clearance procedures, if necessary. the suit also alleges that the defendants violated their own internal rules regarding right to counsel, and seeks recovery of court and attorney fees.
The PDF file can be downloaded at the Able Danger Blog.
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto.
Terrorist Confesses to Beheading Shosei Koda, 116 Others
The AP reports that Al Qaeda leader Hussein Fahmi has confessed to the beheading murders of 116 in Iraq. Among Fahmi's victims is Shosei Koda, the Japanese civilian whose gruesome beheading video was posted on the internet. In it, Koda's severed head is placed on top of an American flag. Al Qaeda had earlier demanded that Japan remove its contingent of less than 200 engineers sent to Iraq to help rebuild.
Fahmi is reportedly a foreigner of Egyptian and Palestinian descent who was captured two months ago in Baghdad on a tip from a resident.
The Japanese embassy in Tokyo has unofficially confirmed the story, although the investigation into the veracity of the confession is still being made.
It is people like Hussein Fahmi that makes us hope that there is a hell. If you have seen the Shosei Koda beheading video or images from it, you will pray that there is a hell too. Koda was in Iraq as a tourist, and ended up a victim of Islamist brutality.
In related good news via Traderrob, 61 al Qaeda suspects have been arrested near Fallujah. Let's hope Abu Musab al Zarqawi is next to be captured.
Related:
Zarqawi Threatens to Behead Japanese Hostage
Deadline Passes for Japanese Hostage: Body of Asian man found in Tikrit
Japanese Hostage Shosei Koda Reported Dead in Iraq
Zarqawi Releases Beheading Video of Japanese Victim
Beheading Video Shown at Rock Concert
Reportedly, an arrested al-Qaeda member in Iraq has confessed to decapitating 116 people, including a Japanese national.Pinged to OTB.In his statement to AP, an official from the Interior Ministry officials in Iraq, Major Raid al-Mafraji told that al-Qaeda member Hussein Fehimi confessed to beheading 116 people.
Reportedly, the Japanese citizen, Shosei Koda was among the abducted who were later decapitated by Fehimi.
Al Qaeda Leader in Bangladesh is Arrested
The head of the Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) terror organization, Shiekh Maulana Abdur Rahman, has been captured after a 48 hour stand off. The JMB is al Qaeda's affiliate organization in Bangladesh. Rahman is one of three leaders of the JMB and is said to be the 'spiritual leader' of that group.
Good riddance. Bill Rogio has extensive coverage.
UPDATE: More at Counteterrorism blog.
CNN:
Bangladeshi security forces captured Shayek Abdur Rahman, the country's top Islamic militant leader after a 48-hour standoff in the northeastern city of Sylhet, the official said.Rahman is the leader of the Muslim extremist group Jamayetul Mujahedin, which has claimed responsibility for multiple bombings across the country in August that wounded more than 100 people.
At the time, police said about 350 bombs bombs exploded in quick succession in and around government facilities.
We get death threats
I love death threats. You haven't really made it until you've got one. Now, how 'bout that fatwa?
IP Address: 61.5.134.147 Name: chakr Email Address: khoso4u@hotmail.com URL: http://fuck uI'm shocked that this death threat comes from Pakistan. Shocked I tells you.Comments:
fuck u mother im muslim . now we r coming to fuck denmark and who maked
this web me will kell them . be alart
Props to Bluto, who was the actually recipient of said death threat. I'm uber-jealous.
Rebel Leader in Nigeria Not Buddhist Monk, Big Fan of Osama bin Laden
How can I ever thank da Oyster enough for pointing out this article. Every single article I've seen about the Ijaw rebels who have recently begun attacking oil platforms in the Niger delta is careful to make the point that the Ijaw people are generally Christians or animists. It's true. They are.
So, when Ijaw rebels begin to take hostages, we are to draw the conclusion that since most Ijaw are Christians or animists then the group responsible for the kidnappings must also be composed of Christians and animists. Except that mostly doesn't count in this case:
If the rising cost of the world's oil can be blamed on any one man, a portly African militia leader with a poster of Osama bin Laden glowering from his wall is the most likely culprit.Yup. Those pesky Christians and animists are the most likely culprit behind the string of attacks on oil platforms, the series of hostage takings, and the rise in world oil prices. FYI-Haj is a name taken by Muslims who have made the trip to the infidel-free city of Mecca.Al-Haji Mujahid Dokubo Asari, the leader of a motley collection of gunmen styling themselves the Niger Delta People's Volunteer Force, managed to push the world oil price above $50 a barrel last year....
"Our struggle is like those in Chechnya, Kosovo, Palestine and South Africa. That is how we are going to fight. We are not going to just sit down. We are capable of defending ourselves."
Mr Asari, 40, who shuns military fatigues and sports a trilby and a silver-topped cane, is an unabashed admirer of bin Laden. Songs praising his "gallantry" echo from a stereo in his spacious home in Port Harcourt, the Delta's largest city.
U.S. Consulate Bombed in Pakistan, American Killed
President Bush is scheduled to visit Pakistan in a few days. Keep an eye on Pakistan. Should anything happend to the present dictator, Musharraf, it would be disastrous for the U.S. Pakistan has nuclear weapons, is absolutely filled with extremists, and has a history of supporting terrorism.
In late 2004, a bomb ripped through a Marriot hotel in Islamabad.
AKI:
Initial inquiries into Thursday's suspected suicide boimbing outside the US consulate in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi which killed at least four people — including an American diplomat - suggest that the explosive was packed in a Pakistan Navy vehicle. However, the reports have yet to be officially verified. Sources told Adnkronos International (AKI) that several underground militant groups had recently threaten to commit acts of violence after the arrest of some of their members. The attack comes just days before US president George W. Bush is scheduled to visit Pakistan.Vital Perspectives has continuing coverage of the unfolding events.The blast occurred at 8.50 am near the Marriot hotel and the US consulate in Karachi. The area where the explosion took place was a car park reserved for hotel staff, and is normally off-limits to outsiders. At the time of explosion, the only car that did not belong to the any member of the hotel staff, was that of the Pakistan Navy. The blast created a crater some 3 metres wide.
The American consulate in Karachi has yet to comment on the blast but Bush who is currently in India as part of his first visit since he became president in 2001, has confirmed that one foreign service officer was killed in the blast. He also said that the attack would not affect his visit to Pakistan.
Liberal Teacher Suspended After Bush Bashing
That's nothing. My high-school social studies teacher was the President of the California Radical Teachers Association. No joke.
Soviets Behind Pope Assassination Plot
Last year, we brought you news that it was the Soviets who were behind the failed assassination plot to kill Pope John Paul II. More confirmation today as Italy is about to officially point the finger at the Soviets.
Daniel Pearl Murderer: Alive, Well, Comfortable, and Protected by Pakistan
Great. Our allies, the Pakis. If you've seen the video, you know why I blog and why this pisses me off.
Don't they have a federal pound-me-in-the-ass prison in Pakistan?
Get Free Stuff
If you are the 100,000th visitor to Chris Short's Conservative Thinking blog, you get free stuff. (As of this writing, the 78th person to click on over wins). Free is good.
UPDATE: Chris tells me that a lucky Jawa reader was the 100,00th visitor. If your IP goes something like 71.202.1.# , then drop Chris a line to pick up your free stuff.
Operaton Enduring Service
Operation Enduring Service helps convert obsolete military vessels into disaster response ships. Details here and here.
25 Greatest Moments in U.S. History
That's funny. For some reason the election of Bill Clinton didn't make the list.
Citibank subsidizes mortgages to illegal aliens
Great. It's not bad enough that we won't do enough to discourage illegal immigration, we have to subsidize it as well. Brilliant.
Germany helped in Iraq war
Lots of mixed signals on this one, but new files seem to indicate that the highest levels of the German government approved the transfer of intelligence on possible bombing targets to the U.S..
Ted Turner-Jane Fonda's Menage a Trois (and Hot Carls)
For the record, no I didn't know how to spell menage a trois. Curiously, some of my readers & fellow-bloggers seem very familiar with such terms. Almost as if they use the phrase quite often.
So, in the interest of linguistics, is it hot Carl or hot Karl?
If you must know, go here and read the comments: Jane Fonda-Ted Turner Threesome Sex Tape.
UPDATE: For an expert opinion, go ask Feisty Republican Whore.
Arab-American Woman Blasts Islamist Cleric On al-Jazeera TV
Dr. Wafa Sultan is an Arab-American psychologist. On February 21 she confronted a radical Islamist cleric on al-Jazeera television. When I say confronted, I mean she bitch-slapped him. In the process Dr. Sultan demolished the idea of a "clash of civilizations" consigning radical Islam to the middle ages. She also mentioned that even after the Holocaust "no Jews blew themselves up in German restaurants".
Watch the video here. The clip is subtitled in English, but listen with the sound on anyway to get the full effect of how Wafa dominated the conversation.
Excerpt:
The clash we are witnessing around the world is not a clash of religions or a clash of civilizations, It is a clash between two opposites, between two eras. It is a clash between a mentality that belongs to the Middle Ages and another mentality that belongs to the 21st century.I have to believe that al-Jazeera regretted booking this woman.
Via Neocon Express.
Update: Muhammed and cartoons left a link to this story in a comment at The Dread Pundit Bluto yesterday.
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.
March 01, 2006
Hostages Heart Their Captors
Misleading headline of the day. CNN, who else?
Jane Fonda-Ted Turner Threesome Sex Tape (videos we'd pay NOT to see)
Last year the Jawa Report brought you news that Jane Fonda had participated in some three-way action at the insistence of the husband of her youth, Roger Vadim. Let's just say the thought of a young Jane Fonda, straight out of Barbarella, with another woman is not one that is too unpleasant.
Yeah, yeah, I know. Jane Fonda is a traitor. But, come on, the chick was a swinger baby! We'll call that the good Jane Fonda treasonous manage a trois. (As opposed to that other kind of manage a trois, which is always bad--you know, like the kind in Chasing Amy)
When does a Jane Fonda treasonous manage a trois get bad?
Fast forward to the way-past-her-prime Mrs. Ted Turner Jane Fonda days. Now try hard not to imagine a managa a trois which includes the mustached one. Now try even harder not to imagine that manage a trois featuring an ex-hippie/aging aerobics instructor with a man who believed he could single-handedly end the Cold War with a pathetic substitute for the Olympics--on video. NY Sun [Warning: before proceeding, please note you may need many years of therapy to get the following non-graphic images out of your head]:
"Prisoner of X," Allan MacDonell's account of his experiences as an editor at Hustler magazine, describes a purported video in which Fonda, Turner and an unidentified brunette have sex on camera.The Sun also reports that Larry Flynt refused to corraborate the video, but chimed, "It's not like capturing a hypocritical congressman in the sack." Yeah, nothing worse than hypocrisy. Not even treason, eh Larry?MacDonell's description is too graphic for a family newspaper. Suffice it to say that the purported Fonda is allegedly wearing artificial equipment to pleasure the alleged Turner while he services the brunette and asks the camera operator, "Are you getting this?"
(The racy content was corroborated yesterday by two former Hustler colleagues who say they screened the tape, former editor Mike McPadden and another ex-editor who asked for anonymity.)
Others: We Love Celebs
[Note: not that I support any managa a trois, but I've got to admit, some sins are more intriguing than others]
Sent to Joyner, because, you know, he just swings that way.
And to Basil, because he's hip to it.
UPDATE: I've decided to give up Jane Fonda three-way videos for Lent.
UPDATE II: So, I can't properly spell menage a trois! It's not like I've had that much practice. But I'm willing to learn.....
UPDATE III: Welcome Wonkette readers! Alas, if only the previoius incarnation of Wonkette (Anna Marie, why has thou forsaken us?) and our long lost love Washingtonienne (ah, my lovely Jessica...) would consider a menage a trois a la Rusty, I'm sure they'd educate me properly on the proper spelling of various dirty French phrases.
Just so you Wonkette readers feel at home, today's word is: ANAL
Good News About the Military
Following up on that last bad news post, here's a great source for good news about our military in general.
Ethnic Cleansing Comes to Iraq
Okay, so it's not ethnic cleansing, it's sectarian cleansing, but it's still bad. This may not be civil war yet, but it isn't a good sign either. We have to be willing to admit the bad with the good. Too often we only hear the bad in Iraq, but that doesn't mean we can ignore it or that it doesn't exist.
Via Bill Dautierieve, this AP story. I'm not sure just how widespread the problem is, but I am told that it is fairly common--especially in Baghdad--with some neighborhoods becoming essentiall "shia" or "sunni" free.
Read the whole thing, but check out this line by a guy named Radha who was kicked out of his home:
"I'm not some Jew to be treated this way by Arabs. I'm just a Shiite,"Ironic.
Can Islam be Reformed?
A dual between Andrew McCarthy (No, Islam can't be reformed) and Mansoor Ijaz (Yes, Islam can be reformed). Start at the top and read the whole thing. (via Robert)
Update: Ground State has some good commentary here on the futility of non-Muslims becoming theologans. By their fruits, ye shall know them.
Best part--since I have recently been accused of being a 'supporter of genocide' (no, I won't provide the links to the website that hurled those accusations):
To move quickly through the absurd parts, you are grossly misrepresenting my position. I never said "Islam is evil." I don't ask that you agree with such a position, because it is not my position.My position is that Islam is dangerous. It has many very desirable qualities, but it has many troubling aspects.....
With due respect, it is simply inane for you to suggest that I have said Islam is "irretrievably evil" such that the only "rational course" that follows from my viewpoint is that "we kill all Muslims." I won't say anything more about that than that it is beneath you.
I do worry that Islam is structurally difficult to reform. That is precisely why I am reluctantly on the negative end of this debate, and why I stressed, from the start, that the words of the Koran are Allah's own. That doesn't mean Islam requires "the destruction of all what the world has evolved into[.]" But it does pose a problem for reformers such as yourself, which is what we're talking about. That is, if you don't have an interpretation of what the troublesome teachings mean that is more compelling than what the militants are offering, you will have a hard time convincing Muslims that the militants are perverting doctrine--which is what you must do to marginalize and defeat them.
Al Qaeda Back in Sudan
I'm *shocked*, *shocked* I tells ya! Al Qaeda warns UN not to send peacekeepers into Darfur.
Nicole Kidman, PETA in Iraq
Surreal photos of the day. Yes, those are Iraqi soldiers. Yes, that is Nicole Kidman.
A pigeon falls victim to terrorism in Iraq. Where is PETA's outrage?
American Hostage Freed in Nigeria, Two More Remain in Captivity
Mixed news from Nigeria. American Macon Hawkins has been freed, but Cody Oswald and Russel Spell are still being held by the Ijaw rebels. Also held hostage are Briton John Hudspith, Egypt's Bardese Mohammed and Aly Shady, Tony Santos of the Philippines and Thailand's Muado Somsak and Arak Suwana.
We urge their immediate and unconditional release. Thanks to George for the tip. AFP:
Nigerian separatist guerrillas released six of their nine foreign hostages but warned that they would step up attacks aimed at shutting down the country's oil industry.The militants also stated they would not hand over the remaining captives -- two Americans and a Briton -- until two ethnic Ijaw leaders are freed from jail and the oil giant Shell makes a hefty payout to polluted villages.
Officials confirmed that Macon Hawkins, a 69-year-old Texan suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure, had been freed.
Meanwhile, an AFP reporter saw five more freed oil workers arriving at Delta State Governor James Ibori's lodge in the oil city of Warri and navy spokesman Captain Obiara Medani said that a total of six men had been freed.
Reopening the Joel Henry Hinrich III Case?
Two tips came in to me today letting me know that there may be more to the Joel Henry Hinrich III University of Oklahoma bombing than my last dismissal of it (scroll through the entire Joel Henry Hinrich III archive, from bottom to top, if you aren't up to speed on the case).
The first came from Jason at Generation Why, who notes that a local police officer, Sgt. George Mauldin, believes Hinrich may have intended to blow up more than himself based on evidence that he had tested bombs with shrapnel, in the weeks leading to the apparent suicide-bombing, and material that could be used as shrapnel was found in his apartment.
Also noted by Jason is the fact that 2 to 3 pounds of TATP were used in the bomb--a material of choice among Islamic terrorists.
The second tip was from Mark Tapscott, who posted about the FBI's response to Mauldin's speculation that Hinrich was intent on taking out other students, and not just himself. Tapscott interviews Gary Johnson of the FBI who says:
"That's just an individual's opinion," Johnson said in an interview with Tapscott's Copy Desk. Johnson said the FBI stands by its view that Hinrichs was not involved in any terrorist activities.So, the local guy(s) think Hinrich wanted to commit an act of terrorism, motivated by whatever, and the Feds think Hinrich was just a depressive loner who wanted to go out with a bang.
...Johnson said he expects an official statement from the FBI concluding the Hinrichs investigation "within a few weeks."
Lawhawk, who I nearly always trust, follows the lead of the afformentioned bloggers and comes to the conclusion that:
$64,000 questions one and all, and all remain a mystery.Since I was one of the original fans that feuled the flames of speculation that Hinrich was a closet Islamic terrorist, I feel a little bit of responsibility to make some kind of authoritative statement.
Hinrichs was not part of a larger Islamic plot and the FBI seems to have it right. I will revise my views based on further evidence, but between the opinion of a local cop and a member of the FBI's counterrorism task-force, I'll take the latter as the more informed.
However, all of the above begs a very interesting question: If you want to blow up yourself, to what authority to you go to? Why, the experts at blowing themselves up, Muslim terrorists! And that, I think, is a story worth telling in and of itself.
UPDATE: et tu Michelle? While the rush to declare the OU bombing "not Islamic terrorism" by many in the media and government was troubling, its also troubling that many of us have a hard time believing that maybe sometimes a rose is just a rose.
Islamic Jihad Boss Killed
From Reuters:
GAZA (Reuters) - Islamic Jihad's most senior commander in the Gaza Strip was killed on Wednesday by an explosion that tore through his car, the Palestinian militant group said, blaming the Israeli army, which denied involvement.Another brave jihadi babyhunter bites the dust. Of course the article doesn't tell us exactly which Islamic Jihad al-Dahdouh headed.Witnesses to the death of Abu al-Waleed al-Dahdouh, head of Islamic Jihad's armed wing in the Gaza Strip, said his car blew up as he opened one of its doors and that an Israeli military aircraft was flying overhead at the time.
"The Israeli army did not operate in Gaza," a military spokeswoman said. "It wasn't us."
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.
Debunking the Claim that the UAE is a strong ally in the GWOT: U.N. votes analyzed.
Many supporters of the Bush Administration are making the claim that the UAE is an ally of the U.S., and any questions regarding the wisdom of letting a company owned by Dubai operate U.S. ports must therefore be motivated out of irrational prejeduce. While it may be true that the UAE--and especially Dubai--have been cooperative in letting U.S. ships make ports of call, helped establish a CIA station, and allow U.S. planes to refuel there, is this all that it takes to become an 'ally' of the U.S.?
Aaron has been posting data on U.N. votes the past couple of days. So, who is America's strongest ally--as measured by percent of votes alligned with the U.S. in the United Nations?
Palau at 100% in 2004. Don't worry, I had to look it up too! Did you know, for instance, that we've have a free trade agreement with Palau since 1993? Me either. That giant sucking sound you hear are all the jobs going to Palau!
Next to the tiny grouping of islands, who is our greatest ally in the U.N.?
Israel, which was 100% in 20004, 93% in 2002-03, and 100% in 2001.
How does the UAE compare? The UAE, our allies according to President Bush, voted with the U.S. 12.5% of the time in 2004. In 2001 and in 2003 the UAE voted 0% of the time with the U.S. In 2002 they voted with us 17.6% of the time.
That's an average of 7.5% of agreement in the U.N. with the U.S. after 9/11 (if we include 2001). Don't believe me? Go look at the data yourself.
If you'll remember, the Bush Administration makes the claim that after 9/11 the UAE made a strategic decision to become a U.S. ally. So, if that claim were true, you'd expect that before 2001, the UAE must have supported the U.S. position in the UN even more.
2000 30%
1999 33%
1998 32%
1997 34%
---------
Pre-911 four year average = 32%
Post-911 four year average = 7.5%
Are the United Arab Emirates allies of the U.S.? You do the math.
Bush in Afghanistan
Bush makes first state visit to Afghanistan since Ike. New York Times:
President Bush made a surprise five-hour visit to Afghanistan today to meet with President Hamid Karzai and to see for the first time the country created after the United States went to war against the Taliban in retaliation for the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.Very cool. Captain Ed has more, including speculation that the drone attacks against targets in Pakistan have taught musharraf that our patience is running out, along with news that another bad guy was killed in Pakistan.In a news conference with Mr. Karzai, Mr. Bush said he remained confident that Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks, would be captured, and that the Taliban leader Mullah Muhammad Omar would be apprehended as well. The two are believed to be hiding across the border in Pakistan. "It's not a matter of if they're captured or brought to justice, it's when they're brought to justice," Mr. Bush said.
Am I a bigot?
bigot: a person obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudicesSince both "obstinate" and "intolerant" are subjectives, it's really hard to tell just who a bigot is.
For instance, isn't obsinately insisting that all religions produce equal amounts of violence and oppression then a form of bigotry? And, isn't intolerance for criticizing a certain religion of peace then a form of bigotry? And isn't it prejudging when one assumes--contrary to all statistical evidence--that cultures produce equal hostility towards liberty?
If such is the case, then we are all bigots now. Malkin has more.
Claim: Islamic Army in Iraq holds Jill Carroll
The Iraqi Interior Minister has claimed that the Islamic Army in Iraq is holding Jill Carroll, and that she is alive and well. This is a very odd claim. Some of you may remember that we were the first media outlet to reveal that the Islamic Army in Iraq was behind the kidnapping of four Western peacekeepers--still missing.
In any event, we pray for Jill Carroll's immediate release.
American reporter Jill Carroll is being held by the Islamic Army in Iraq, the insurgent group that freed two French journalists in 2004 after four months in captivity, Iraq's Interior Minister said yesterday.Interior Minister Bayan Jabr, who is in charge of Iraq's police, also said he believed the 28-year-old freelance reporter for the Christian Science Monitor is still alive, although the deadline set by her captors for America to meet their demands expired Sunday.
Three videotapes provided by the kidnappers to Arab satellite television stations identified the group holding her as the previously unknown "Revenge Brigades." She was seized January 7 in Baghdad and her translator was killed.
However, Mr. Jabr told Iraqi television that he believes Ms. Carroll is being held by the Islamic Army in Iraq, one of the country's principal insurgent groups.
Mr. Jabr said the same group was responsible for kidnapping his sister, who was seized about four days before Ms. Carroll and freed about two weeks later.
"The kidnapping of the American journalist, Jill Carroll, occurred about the same time as the abduction of my sister," he said. "I was equally keen to get both of them released. I recognized that the Islamic army was responsible for both plots."
WTW Late Night Trash
Yes it’s quite past my bedtime. Normally I go to bed with the Chickens. This week Howie would like to nominate Russell Winstead as a big old piece of white trash. The long arm of the law finally caught up with him this week.
WTVW : Winstead was on the run for almost three years, hiding from Madisonville Police in Costa Rica. He`s accused of stabbing his aunt, Anna Mae Branson, more than 80-times in January 2003. He was questioned, but left the country before he could be charged.Watch this be one of those idiots who claim the death penalty is just oh so cruel when he showed no concern for his victims pain at all. You stabbed your aunt, For money, 81 times?
No really I don't mind the night support calls so much as the littel womans complaining about eh late night calls. Really she just jets upset and jealous when I get to talk to exotic East German female operators in my jammies. Hey tonight I really am blogging in my jammies. Nighty night all.
Update: My ass drags. More Coffee!
Funny You Should Mention That
Muslim Charities Complain US Targets Them For Investigation
From Haaretz [emphasis added]:
WASHINGTON - U.S. Muslim charities feel they are being targeted by the U.S government's counterterrorism efforts. On Tuesday, a coalition of U.S. Muslim organizations requested a meeting with Treasury Secretary John Snow to discuss concerns that Muslim charities are targeted in the government's counterterrorism efforts.Help the Needy was the name of the "charity" run by Dr. Rafil Dhafir of Manlius, New York. Dr. Dhafir is currently doing 22 years in the pen for his charitable work. New York State just got around to pulling his medical license:In a letter to Snow, the American Muslim Taskforce on Civil Rights and Elections (AMT) said government closures of Islamic charities have hindered American Muslims' ability to carry out their religious obligation to help the needy.
The state has revoked the medical license of Dr. Rafil Dhafir, formerly of Manlius, because of his conviction last year in federal court on 59 felony charges.If US counter-terrorism agents weren't putting Muslim charities under a microscope it would be a crime - dereliction of duty.Dhafir is serving a 22-year sentence in federal prison in Fairton, N.J., for his crimes, which include mail and wire fraud, tax evasion, money laundering and mishandling nearly $2 million from his charity, Help the Needy. Dhafir maintains he is innocent and plans to appeal his conviction.
Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.
