December 31, 2006

From The Jawa Report (Updated by Bluto)

Update: Back three are Beth, Linda, and Chrissie. Front four are Merri, Sondra, Sadie, and Bluto.

Update by Bluto: Below the fold, Vinnie's last Halloween costume

Hussein Era Ends, No Unfathomable Surge in Violence

Listening to the leftwingnuts, you'd think that Saddam's death was about to cause Iraq to spiral uncontrollably towards an inescapable and devastating final offensive between the "millions of insurgents" waiting for that precise moment and US forces. Or something. Whatever fits the unfolding narrative.

Well, we're still waiting for the inescapable, inevitable, unquenchable, unfathomable surge in violence caused directly by Saddam Hussein's death.

After all, Saddam's martyrdom and his inspiration to the "millions of terrorists Bush created" was a principal argument of the pro-Saddam left in favor of leniency this weekend.

Lets see. Two carbombs across the entire country. Nope. Typical day. Iraq is still there.

Tick, tock. Time is running out for this wildly reactionary grievance against the US effort there to be a valid one.

Then again, we've seen a lot of invalid and non-sensical 'arguments' written by morons to be read by imbiciles taking 'moral stands' against the the Coalition's effort in Iraq ever since 2003.

Leftwingnuts. Idiots full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

UK Has KosKidzesque Traitors, Too

Palestinians aren't alone in mourning the passing of their sugar daddy, Saddam, who liked to donate money to the families of Palestinian suicide bombers. Traitors in the United Kingdom are upset as well, as evidenced by the comments on this Northern Ireland message board run by the BBC:

Message 2 - posted by Kaido-K (U4078238) , Yesterday

Maybe, as in biblical times, there should have been three gallows raised on the reincarnated Hill of Golgotha and the three tyrants each responsible for the multiple deaths of innocents of this world hung side by side.

Wonder if Blair and Bush would have gone to their own deaths with the equanimity of Saddam.
Message 3 - posted by andy gallagher (U4413173) , Yesterday

"Wonder if Blair and Bush would have gone to their own deaths with the equanimity of Saddam."

I doubt the thought even enters their heads mate.

Almost makes one nostalgic for the days when the Crown punished High Treason accordingly.

December 30, 2006

Saddam Execution Video

UPDATE 1/17/2007: A third video showing Saddam Hussein's corpse in an ambulance has emerged.

UPDATE 1/08: Second Saddam Hussein execution video emerges showing corpse.
-------------------

Here's the original copy of the Saddam Hussein execution video, no water marks. We got it from a forum which distributes Islamic propaganda so we know it's the original. Give it a minute to load. It's a big file. Below it are some vidcaps. THIS IS THE ORIGINAL, UNCUT, UNEDITED, WATER-MARK FREE VERSION OF THE SADDAM HUSSEIN EXECUTION VIDEO.

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT, INCLUDING FOOTAGE OF SADDAM HUSSEIN BEING EXECUTED

Although it's poor quality, it's quite obviously Saddam Hussein. The reason for the poor quality is that it was taken on a guard's camera.

And remember, it's not my fault if you hit the play button.

Here is another version of the video if the one above is not working. Thanks to Erin in the comments, the part of the Saddam video you're not seeing in the media.

Update: More Vid copies ---some higher quality-- and coverage in our first post here (scroll down).

Saddam Hussein Execution Video Knocks off Britney Spears, Miss Nevada and Lindsay Lohan

OF COURSE the Jawas have the Saddam Hussein hanging execution video right here. As if there was any doubt we would. We try and stay on top of trends here at the Jawa Report--especially when they involve bad guys dying. Now, for the past few weeks, it seems like everybody's been focused on "Miss Nevada," "Britney Spears" and "Lindsay Lohan." Hey, not that I'm unsympathetic, but given all the attention they've gotten, you'd think it was actually difficult to find pictures of bisexual lesbian kissing or hot naked girls on the internet. Given all the recent focus on the pop sluts, one can be forgiven for thinking the world is busy searching for "reality porn" while we all hurtle towards an unforgiving brick wall of real reality. Then again, when it comes to popularity, death apparently sometimes trumps sex (or at least, "famous reality death" sometimes trumps "famous reality porn"). As of today, the top items searched on Technorati are (drum roll please):

1. Saddam
2. Saddam Hussein
3. Saddam Video
4. Saddam Execution
5. Saddam Execution Video
6. Britney
7. Saddam Hussein Video
8. Miss Nevada
9. Dr Who
10. Hussein
11. Youtube
12. Saddam Hanging Video
13. Sadam
14. Dr. Who
15. Saddam Hanging

I'm not sure what to make of all this. In a way, it may be a good sign. It may be a sign that, despite how it may seem sometimes, people are somewhat aware of what's going on in the world. Day in and day out, most would rather look at bisexual lesbians kissing and flashing their naked boobs than sit through Zawahiri's latest "masterpiece" or an essay on the finer points of shari'a law.

Saddam Meet Satan, Satan, This Is Saddam(updated/images/video)

UPDATE: Scroll down for videos.

Fox News on the teevee is reporting that Al Arabiya is reporting that Saddam swings.

Image via Wild Thing.

Official confirmation awaits.

Via CNN:

Former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein has been executed, according to two Arabic language media outlets.

Hussein was hanged before dawn on Saturday in Iraq, at about 6 a.m. (10 p.m. Friday ET), the U.S.-backed Al-Hurra television reported.

Also here on FOXNEWS:

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Saddam Hussein, the former president of Iraq, was executed by hanging shortly before dawn on Saturday in Iraq, Arab media outlets reported.

The U.S. military and FOX News have not yet confirmed that the execution has taken place. Al Jazeera, Al Arabiya wire services and U.S.-backed TV station Al Hurrah reported his death.

The man dubbed the Butcher of Baghdad was convicted of crimes against humanity for the killing of 148 Shiite men and young boys after their failed assassination attempt in 1982 in the village of Dujail.

More on why he was executed here.

For reaction from Iraq see comments on Mohammed's post at Iraq The Model.

Also see See Dubya at Hot Air, In The Bullpen and Gateway Pundit has an excellent post rounding up Saddam's brutality.

Have a laugh at the Looney Tunes coverage of the event.

because we are going to hit the 3.000 mark tomorrow. and they want to preempt the news about that.

Yes, Kos Kidz, the execution of Saddam was nothing more than a ploy to cover up the news of the next Grim Milestone. Morons.

12/30 A.M. Update: Hot Air has added video of the preparations. Scroll down.

Updated: (Click pic for video...lower quality embed and more images below the fold)

Liveleak copy here.

Saddam Hussein Execution Video here. (warning graphic copy that shows him fall).

More copies added below the fold.

Another unedited copy Hat Tip: Archangel.

Original 3gp copy no watermarks

By Vinnie, Proud Sonofabitch at 11:09 AM | |

Saddam Is Dead - The Left is Apoplectic

You can practically taste the tears of sympathy and feel the tangible pangs of moral outrage through your screen. Outrage, I tell you!!!

Ragnar highlighted the initial reactions of some Kos Kidz - Bush sucks!!11!!

Gateway Pundit has another roundup of lefty reaction- pure and unvarnished America-hatred and BDS drip from these links (especially in the comment sections of these sites).

Kevin Drum tries to convince us that the execution will cause a sudden "spiral of violence" that has yet to materialize anywhere but in the fervent imaginations of the news media and in the fever swamps of the leftosphere. CNN reports that audience members were dancing with joy.

HuffPo morons Raed Jarrar and Martin Lewis lament and wax tragic over the death of the Butcher of Baghdad. A maroon at some site called "Shakespeare's Sister" is also not happy about justice being administered to Hitler, Jr.

Steve "Blackface is Groovy" Gilliard calls it a murder by the Iraqi government (the one that the left claims doesn't actually exist).

Sheldon Dronby, Air America's founder/sugardaddy? Bush is worse, you stupid neocons.

Because, you know, Bush is worse. Or something. Poignant stuff, all this.

Nothing gets the moral compass of the left out of whack quite like the deserved death of a Jew-hating, anti-American tyrant.

ht: Radio Equalizer, Jules Crittenden

December 29, 2006

He's Dead!!!!

Finally.

Update: Oops, wrong link. Here it is.

Update, too: Sorry, couldn't help myself.

Seriously, U.S. judge refuses to stay Saddam's execution, final preps being made.

Update III: Oh, for crying out loud. KILL HIM ALREADY!!!!

uPDATE iv: Al Aribya reporting any minute now (via Fox News teevee)

Update V by Howie 9:09 pm cst: CNN's red banner reports Saddam Hussein is dead.

One More Time For Posterity

Just a slap up job I did when the sentence was announced. Suitable for replay now.

When he's actually dead, I'll make sure to let you know. Along with 8,397,039,050 other bloggers.

Qana : The Hole (or lack thereof) in the SPIKE Theory (UPDATED, BUMPED)

UPDATE : Found some video of the Qana ambulances and a few more pics of ambulance 782--below the fold. (h/t: Allah, Dan Riehl and the HotAir commenters)

UPDATE 2 : Here's a pic of a SPIKE missile taking out a pickup truck. Notice what happened to the roof:

Here's a video of the ambulances taken this Summer. If there were holes in the floorpans of the ambulances, the journalists didn't see fit to get shots of them:

Here's a video of the victims in the hospital, which includes a shot of the stretcher which supposedly took a direct hit from a missile. While the mattress shows signs of damage, the stretcher appears intact:

MORE BELOW THE FOLD

According to Human Rights Watch, there's a hole in the floor of each of Red Cross ambulances 777 and 782. They've provided a picture of the hole in the floor of ambulance 777, but curiosly failed to provide one of the hole in the floor of ambulance 782. I've been down in the bowels of the Sandcrawler scouring the vast Jawa Report image archives for pictures of the floor of Red Cross ambulance 782. Here's what I've found so far. Can anyone show me where the "hole" is in the floorpan?

Chuck Norris : The Abolishing Christian Legacy Union

I love Chuck Norris. I'll take Chuck Norris and Ted Nugent in a straght-up fight against any 50 commie liberals. Here's one of his recent columns:

The ACLU is not anti-religion, just anti-Christian. By definition, it's the American Civil Liberties Union. By action, it has become the Abolishing Christian Legacy Union.

The ACLU will assure Muslim clerics and imams the right to pray on planes, fight for an atheist's rights to remove a cross, stand beside pro-abortionists, help illegal aliens cross our borders, and establish rights for the sexual deviant by forming the ACLU Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Project, but what is it doing for Christians and Christmas censorship?

While allegedly fighting against the tyranny of the majority, the ACLU itself rules religiously by litigation, lobbying, and supporting counter-culture Christian movements.

So who died and appointed the ACLU as America's religious constitutional watchdog?

Membership for the ACLU is only 500,000. America's population is 300 million. I think it's time that we helped them feel their size!

New Zawahiri Ranting

Laura Mansfield has located a new message from Ayman al-Zawahiri. She has been kind enough to share with The Jawa Report. But as- Sahab used a still photo of Zawahiri in this one. I guess they had to since he was higher than a Georgia pine in that last vid.

Laura Mansfield: A new message from Al Qaeda second in command Dr. Ayman al Zawahiri, the second message this month from Zawahiri, has been released on a jihadist website.

The message, entitled " Congratulations on the Eid To The Ummah of Tawhid" by Shaykh Ayman al-Zawahiri and produced by As Sahab Media is dated Dhu al-Hijjah 1427 AH / December 2006.

The message shows a still image of Zawahiri on the screen, while audio of his message plays in the background. The video is in Arabic, with English subtitles.

During the 15 minute, 24 second message the various countries in the Islamic world, congratulating them on the Eid, and castigating those who have opposed al Qaeda. He discussed Iraq and Afghanistan and condemned Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas during an address to Muslims two days before the start of Eid al-Adha, the Islamic festival.

Laura has a window media version available and will have a full transcript and analysis shortly so check in at her place.

Embedded copy below the fold.

Leftosphere Attempts Debunking, Fails Heroically

Crooks and Liars, TPM Muckraker and The Carpetbagger Report all tried to "debunk" the photo of a lonely John Kerry sitting with those he indicated are drooling high-school dropouts in Iraq this past holiday.

They screamed indignation at "the right"! The threw around accusations of fauxtography! Those rightwing theocons are at it again! Kerry derangement syndrome! We got 'em this time!

And the verdict? Sadly, No!

The pics were indeed real, and Kerry did indeed look like the buffoonish caricature of himself that he in fact is.

Maybe these leftosphere bloggers can tell the MSM watchdogs in the rightosphere what crow tastes like. Is it sweet or bitter?

Read Malkin, Gateway Pundit and Powerline to get the background and a hearty laugh. Have some punch. Indulge in schedenfreude. Drop Ben a line as well.

These guys want so desperately to do to the rightosphere what we do semi-regularly to the MSM, and they end up looking like Joe Wilson when they attempt it - dishonest, loud, wrong, inaccurate, slightly tweaked and desperate.

Especially when they don't retract or correct their initial assertions and accusations.

John Kerry, possibly telling botched jokes to the troops.

LGF : Religion of Pieces Lining up the Lawyers

LGF has the story:

JEDDAH, 28 December 2006 — A two-day conference organized by the Makkah-based Muslim World League yesterday called for a consultative commission in order to take legal action against those who abuse Islam and its Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and Islamic sanctities, at local and international courts of justice, the Saudi Press Agency said.

The conference titled “In Defense of the Prophet” called upon Islamic countries and governments to stand united to defend the Islamic faith and its Prophet. It denounced the smear campaigns to tarnish the image of the Prophet and urged Muslims to make all-out efforts to project the true picture of Islam and the great divine teachings of the Prophet.

Coming to a city near you. Someone will speak "against Islam," they will sue him backed by a war chest and an army of aggressive lawyers. Faced with the prospect of tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees and pressure from clients, employers, friends and family, many will settle and agree not to do it anymore. Our forefathers gave their lives and fortunes for our freedom of speech, but I fear too few in our generation would hold tight to that freedom if it meant a disruption in holiday vacation plans. The enemies of free speech will ratchet up the pressure until the proper level of submission is reached. They won't need guns and soldiers to press us into submission if they can press us into submission using our own institutions.

This is coming, folks. Mark my words. When it comes, what will you do about it? Will you stand, or submit? Standing up is easy today. Few are being killed, or even sued, for speaking up. Doing the right thing is relatively EASY right now. Later on, it WON'T be so easy. Nevermind giving up your life, would you sacrifice your job, or your credit rating for freedom of speech, if you had to make a choice?

Suppose you wake up tomorrow and you read that Daniel Pipes and Robert Spencer were murdered overnight by radical Muslims for "speaking against Islam." How do you react? Do you decide to redouble your efforts to counter the Islamist threat, or do you decide that it might be best to find a new hobby? If you don't know the answer, I suggest you should think very seriously about it.

YouTube Video : Clinton Voodoo

Open Season - CAIR remix

This is a remix of the original “Open Season” by Stuck Mojo.

Hat Tip: Tatercat via LGF.

Speaking of Little Green Footballs, you can vote for Anti-Idiotarian of the Year 2006 and Idiotarian of the Year 2006 here. Polls close the 31st at midnight so vote now!

While I was tooling around over there I noted another vid that you must see if you have not already. It’s a discussion in Afghanistan about the burqa. A young man is explaining to his sister and her friends how it is improper for her to not wear a burqa in public. He then whines about how it’s unfortunate for him that his sisters were educated and this left him powerless. “A Muslim girl cannot be happy without a burqa”, He says, “It is written in the Koran.” The girls ask him to show them where in the Koran it says this. His response is below.

It’s not his sister’s education that hobbles him. It’s his own illiteracy and blind following of the Mullahs that leaves him powerless. Maybe he should have spent more time trying to be more like her, learning to read.

The Qana Ambulances : The Hoax that Wasn't

UPDATE : The Human Rights Watch report referred to the "SPIKE" and "DIME" missiles as follows:

Israel has continuously advanced its drone-fired missiles, such as the STRIKE missile and the still-experimental DIME missile, so that they are capable of limited damage to their targets.

Not surprisingly, the report fails to provide any substantiation of the existence of a drone-fired STRIKE missile or DIME missile.

According to the latest report from Human Rights Watch, the Qana ambulances weren't hit by Hellfire missiles launched from IAF airplanes. I seem to recall telling the world that four months ago. At any rate, now they're putting forth a new theory: the Qana ambulances were hit by SPIKE or "DIME" missiles launched from "Israeli drones."

The report doesn't specify what it means by "Israeli drones," but I'm assuming the authors meant Predator UAVs or something similar in use by the IAF. Other than the vague references to "Israeli drones," the report gives no attention to what forms of UAVs are presently in use by the IDF, what their various capabilities are, whether any armed UAVs were in service in the Qana area at the time of the attack, or what efforts were put forth by the authors to investigate any of the above.

The authors of the report didn't bother to authenticate whether there even is a version of the SPIKE missile or "DIME missile" suitable for use with UAVs. As near as I've been able to tell, there is no missile in the Israeli arsenal called "DIME." There is a "SPIKE" missile, produced by Israeli arms manufacturer Rafael. I did a little bit of research and determined that there is a version of the SPIKE missile which is compatible with UAVs. More info here. (Now, if the report authors had really cared to produce a real "in-depth report," my own independent research wouldn't have been necessary.)

MORE BELOW THE FOLD

At any rate, the SPIKE missile is indeed capable of being launched from a drone, so it is possible that:

SPIKE missiles could have been loaded onto an "Israeli drone" of some type, and

an armed drone could have been flying in the vicinity of Qana, and

an armed drone could have launched its missiles at a pair of ambulances near Qana, and

those missiles could have struck the ambulances.

If a SPIKE missile can be loaded onto some type of drone in use by the IDF, each of these things is theoretically possible. Beyond that, however, the Human Rights Watch theory breaks down.

Even if these relatively small missiles were used, and the missiles' warhesds didn't detonate, there would still be approximately 70 pounds of mass striking the ambulances, and then the pavement underneath, at a velocity of over five hundred miles per hour.

Now, granted, this isn't as much kinetic energy as a Hellfire missile, not to mention a Maverick, but it's still a heck of a lot of energy. Roughly the amount of energy in a 3,000 lb. sedan traveling at 70 mph, if I didn't screw up my calculations. Folks, that kind of energy doesn't just disappear into thin air when it hits the ground. It goes places. It does things. Violent things.

In order to believe the Human Rights Watch report, you have to be willing to believe that one missile, after passing through one ambulance and to the pavement with all the kinetic energy of a car traveling at 70 mph, made a four-inch pock mark in the asphalt and vanished. You further have to be willing to believe that another missile passed through the roof of a second ambulance at a speed of over 500-mph, whereupon it vanished without damaging the vehicle's floor panel or causing any fire damage to the vehicle's upholstery. Then it "magically" caused a pock-mark in the asphalt below. Amazing.

Now, the Human Rights Watch report claims that the missiles did, in fact, detonate inside the ambulances. The report claims, however, that these missiles just don't do that much when they detonate. Think of them, in other words, as very high velocity M-80s. The authors provide no meaningful evidence to back up this assertion. I don't have numbers as to the warhead mounted on the business end of a SPIKE missile, but the following videos depict SPIKE missiles hitting various military vehicles and detonating. Judge for yourself as to what this level of excitement would do to the interior of a Volkswagen Vanagon:

December 28, 2006

Saddam to Swing By Sunday

According to an NBC report, brutal Iraqi tyrant Saddam Hussein will be hanged by this Sunday:

According to a U.S. military officer who spoke on condition of anonymity, Saddam will be hanged before the start of the Eid religious holiday, which begins at sundown Saturday.

The hanging could take place as early as Friday, NBC’s Richard Engel reported.

CBS reports that Saddam's journey to hell will be videotaped:

"We will video everything," National Security adviser Mouffak al Rubaie said. "All documentation will be videoed. Taking him from cell to the execution is going to be videoed, and the actual execution will be documented and videoed."

Saddam's necktie party was upheld by the Iraqi courts on Tuesday.

Update by Vinnie: A proper image via my dear friend Wild Thing (Saddam on a tricycle too!)

IBD: Paging Jamil Hussein

Some mainstream media attention shines on the Jamil Hussein controversy and brings into question the AP's credibility:

What is clear about all this is that nothing is clear. Maybe there's a Jamil Hussein with the Iraqi police, but he's a sergeant, not a captain. Maybe there's a police captain whose first name is spelled Jamail, not Jamil. Both possibilities have been floated in the blogosphere, but neither has withstood scrutiny.

Editor & Publisher summed it up best when it reported that Jamil Hussein had been lost, then "found," then lost again. Amazing.

Last summer, Reuters, the media outlet that refuses to label terrorists as terrorists, was jolted by the "fauxtography" scandal. Adnan Hajj, a freelance Lebanese photographer, allegedly doctored images of the Israel-Hezbollah war and photographed what appeared to many to be staged scenes of victim rescue and recovery efforts in Qana, a Lebanese village where Israel attacked Hezbollah terrorists. Both were clearly an effort to further inflame a world that had already cast Israel as the villain.

Just as we asked in August if Reuters was "a patsy or collaborator," we wonder the same about the AP. We also wonder if we can trust any AP report from the Middle East. If it can't show us Capt. Jamil Hussein, we're not sure it has anything else we want to see.

Some of our more leftward readers won't be happy about this shot at the AP's credibility.

That we do know.

ht: Insty

The Tools of Self-Defense

Following on to my earlier post on the Second Amendment (pbui,) there seemed to be a lot of interest in discussing the pros and cons of various tools of self-defense. Here are a few of my personal favorites:

Remington 870 Express 12-ga. Shotgun

Simple, reliable and affordable. The unmistakable sound of this gun chambering a round has been known to handle a home invasion situation all by itself--though you may have to deal with soiled carpet. Hard to go wrong with this one, IMHO. Bonus : in many states, you can carry this one in your vehicle without a concealed carry permit. Downside : shotguns aren't the most convenient tools to lug around, you have limited magazine capacity and ammo is bulky.

Taurus PT-99 Semi-auto Pistol (9mm)

Based on an earlier design for the Beretta 9mm, this one fits in most budgets and comes with a lifetime warranty. I've had good luck with both I've owned. I've found them to be relatively accurate and very reliable. 9mm ammo is pretty cheap, and you can get 15-round clips for this one. Downsides : 1: doesn't have the "cool name," 2: 9mm has been criticized for insufficient takedown power, 3: in most states, you need a permit to carry a handgun outside the home--even in your car.

DPMS Panther Classic .223 Rem. Semi-auto Rifle

Although not as big a name as Colt or Bushmaster, DPMS makes a solid AR15. Now, to be honest, I'm not sure what situation might require a semi-auto rifle for self-defense, but if I'm ever in such a situation, I'll be damn glad to have it. I'd imagine one of these would've been handy in New Orleans last year. I was a "late adopter" of the AR15, but after finally getting one, I love it. I previously owned a Ruger Mini-14, which was fine for playing around, but just didn't shoot that straight. I found that other folks have had the same experience. YMMV.

So, what do you guys like?

Ethiopians Continue Domination of Islamist Savages

- Subtitle: Cleaning Up Clinton's Foreign Policy Legacy in Mogodishu-

The antidote to the Iraq Surrender Group's "strategem." That is, victory over a legion of the Islamic psychobrigades of the world through uncompromising ass-stomping. Bill Roggio highlights:

Nine days after the onset of open warfare between the al-Qaeda backed Islamic Courts and the Ethiopian backed Transitional Federal Government, the Islamic Courts have surrendered. "After having crucial and urgent meeting tonight in the capital, the leaders of executive and Shura councils of Islamic Courts Union and deputy leader of executive council of ICU, Sheik Hassan Dahir Aweys, Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed and Sheik Abdirahman Janaqow resigned and issued a joint press statement over the current situation in Somalia particular in Mogadishu," reports SomaliNet

The only problem? They're looking for a "quick out," and Islamists are well-known for burrowing into the woodwork and waiting their enemies (everyone) out.

ht: Hot Air, Bill Roggio

CNNJazeera Airing Sniper Vids for Profit

Michelle Malkin has the story here:

Go to The Return of the Conservatives blog for the story of how TimeWarner Cable's CNN on Demand is marketing the Iraqi sniper video of terrorists targeting American troops. Notice the category of the video? "Family."

But, you know, don't question their patriotism

Juba Sucks!

Sorry for just the quote Michelle, short on time.

Rantings of The Bad Gay Beast

You know sometimes Howie rants a bit. Once in a while I worry about that. You know, crazy ass Howie is ranting again. But since I visited Rosie’s blog, all of that just melted away. Well first of all she has a new poem up. I don't think Garrison will feature it on Writer's Almanac. She of course has to keep on going after The Donald because it get’s her attention

a young girl in nyc
meets a pimp
he cons her into a life of illusion
she works for him
no fun - no f**king - no future
she is owned
when she sneaks out -
to party the night away
he freaks
he roughs her up a bit
shames her in front of the others
teaches her to behave
for his own benefit

And I thought I was nuts? Whew!!!

Not content to just go after the Donald she then takes a swipe at all the poor people. You know, because she is “so deserving” and if you are poor you must “deserve” it.

You talk real loud
But you ain’t saying nothing cool
I can fit your whole house in my swimming pool, ha ha ha.

[begin sarcasm]Ha, ha, very funny. He, he, it is to laugh.[end sarcasm]

Rosie, if your brains were cotton, you wouldn't have enough for a piss ant's Kotex.

Of course Rosie has her comments disabled. God forbid her blog have to suffer actual unfiltered opinions. That’s why real blogs like The Jawa are here. Comment away! Who knows, if she takes a month to figure out that site meter thingy she might even read em.

Kidnapped Security Contractors Alive

McClatchy Newspapers has been shown a Video of the five men as proof they are alive.

Kansas City Star: BAGHDAD, Iraq | Four American security contractors — including an area man — and an Austrian co-worker kidnapped in southern Iraq six weeks ago appear in a videotape.

The area man identifies himself as John Young, 44, of Kansas City. Relatives reached Wednesday by The Kansas City Star declined comment.

There is no way to tell when the video was filmed.

The footage, which hasn’t been made public, is the first proof that all five survived their abductions Nov. 16 in an ambush in the town of Safwan.
The clip was shown Tuesday night to McClatchy Newspapers in Baghdad on condition that the provider’s name and other identifying details be withheld for security reasons.

The provider said the video was shot in response to a demand for proof that the men were alive before negotiations for their release could begin.

The provider was confident the men were still living and remained in the hands of a little-known Shiite Muslim militant group that called itself the “Mujahedeen of Jerusalem Company.”

Audio of the tape is here.

Jawa Report post from the confusion immediately following their disappearance.

Shortly after they were taken a group calling itself The Islamic Mujahedeen Battalion claimed to have taken the men. They made the claim in a video that was broadcast on Iranian state television.

Whatever the name, Iran seems to be involved with this incident. A source pointed out to me that he thought the men would be killed. I disagreed and thought that if Iran was involved they would not throw away a bargaining chip. They would hold the men.

Well it looks like we are also holding a few chips of our own. Can you say let’s make a deal. These five for your two and none can return to Iraq. Fair enough Mookie?

Deal or no deal we pray for their safe and speedy return and for strength for their families at this most difficult of times.

Hat Tip: George.

IA CAPTURES AL QAEDA TERRORIST CELL LEADER

[More uncensored news from Iraq, as written by soldiers in the field]

BAGHDAD - Special Iraqi Army Forces, with coalition advisors, captured an Al Qaeda in Iraqi terror cell leader during operations Dec. 26 in Al Yousifiyah, south of Baghdad.

The terrorist is believed responsible for kidnapping two US Soldiers from a checkpoint in Yousifiyah in June, 2006. The Soldiers were later found tortured and murdered.

Recently, the terrorist was commenting on the kidnapping during the showing of a video CD at a Yousifiyah mosque. The CD reportedly showed the kidnapping of the US Soldiers. The terrorist is also suspected of perpetrating numerous kidnappings, murders and other violent crimes within the Yousifiyah area.

Iraqi forces conducted an air-assault operation and quickly captured the terrorist without incident. One other person detained was later released.

There was minimal damage done to the objective. There were no Iraqi civilian, Iraqi forces or Coalition Forces casualties.

[End Centcom release]

I have added some background and previous TJR coverage of this below.

This man is believed to have led the cell that kidnapped Kristian Menchaca and Thomas Tucker. Other terrorists linked to the cell and believed responsible for the murder and mutilation of their bodies were killed or captured in July.

Jawa report posts on the graphic sickening videos of this war crime here and here.

Lorie Byrd’s report on why you should see what a real war criminal is located here.

As horrible as the image of the recent video must be, I couldn’t help but think that maybe some of those who have forgotten, or who never fully recognized the extent of evil we face, should see it. Could anyone watch such a thing and remain complacent about the threat of terrorism?

After all we have now seen, it is impossible to deny the evil that we face, although there are still some who try to justify or diminish it.

alternate AP source here at Yahoo News.

U.S. ARMY UNIT RESCUES KIDNAPPED IRAQIS FROM INSURGENTS

[More uncensored news from Iraq, as written by soldiers in the field]

CAMP AL ASAD, Iraq - U.S. forces rescued two Iraqis who were held captive by insurgents in the Euphrates River-city of Hit, Iraq, Wednesday.

Soldiers from the Friedburg, Germany-based 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Armored Division rescued the kidnapping victims after pursuing insurgents who were fleeing in three vehicles containing the captives.

In their escape, the insurgents fled on foot, abandoning their vehicles and victims.

The soldiers found the victims under a palm tree, handcuffed near the abandoned vehicles.

No one was killed or injured during the incident.

"This demonstrates Coalition forces' ability to quickly respond," said Col. W. Blake Crowe, commanding officer for the Twentynine Palms, Calif.-based Regimental Combat Team 7.

RCT-7 is the Coalition forces unit responsible for training Iraqi security forces and providing security in communities throughout more than 30,000 square miles in western Al Anbar Province.

A search of the vehicles revealed multiple weapons and munitions as follows:

* (7) RPGs
* (5) Hand Grenades
* (6) AK-47 Magazines
* (1) Draganov sniper rifle with magazine
* (1) 57 mm. Projectile
* (3) Mortar propellant

Further investigation revealed that the kidnapping victims were relatives of Iraqi policemen in nearby cities.

Marines here say the insurgents view the developing Iraqi police forces throughout western Al Anbar as their greatest threat.

"They (insurgents) know that well-led, well-trained and well-equipped Iraqi police will defeat the insurgency", said Crowe.

Since RCT-7 assumed responsibility of the region in February, more than 2,800 Iraqi men have joined the ranks of police forces and are working in cities throughout western Al Anbar.

1-36 is responsible for training Iraqi security forces and providing security in Hit, in support of "Operation Al Majid." Majid is an on-going, synchronized Coalition and Iraqi security forces "clearing and holding" operation intended to disrupt and defeat insurgent activity throughout more than 30,000 square miles in western Al Anbar Province.

The operation began late last month.

The battalion deployed to Iraq in February.

Note from Howie: This is good news. Thank goodness these men were not murdered before they were rescued. I cannot count the number of Iraqis who have been murdered in snuff films this year.

Today the mujahadbeens murdered people standing in line to buy kerosene.

December 27, 2006

Hewitt Eviscerates Rago

Transcript here.

Rago's column, if you haven't read it, is here. Excerpt:

The blogs are not as significant as their self-endeared curators would like to think. Journalism requires journalists, who are at least fitfully confronting the digital age. The bloggers, for their part, produce minimal reportage. Instead, they ride along with the MSM like remora fish on the bellies of sharks, picking at the scraps.

More success is met in purveying opinion and comment. Some critics reproach the blogs for the coarsening and increasing volatility of political life. Blogs, they say, tend to disinhibit. Maybe so. But politics weren't much rarefied when Andrew Jackson was president, either. The larger problem with blogs, it seems to me, is quality. Most of them are pretty awful. Many, even some with large followings, are downright appalling.

Every conceivable belief is on the scene, but the collective prose, by and large, is homogeneous: A tone of careless informality prevails; posts oscillate between the uselessly brief and the uselessly logorrheic; complexity and complication are eschewed; the humor is cringe-making, with irony present only in its conspicuous absence; arguments are solipsistic; writers traffic more in pronouncement than persuasion . . .

Because political blogs are predictable, they are excruciatingly boring. More acutely, they promote intellectual disingenuousness, with every constituency hostage to its assumptions and the party line. Thus the right-leaning blogs exhaustively pursue second-order distractions--John Kerry always providing useful material--while leaving underexamined more fundamental issues, say, Iraq. Conservatives have long taken it as self-evident that the press unfavorably distorts the war, which may be the case; but today that country is a vastation, and the unified field theory of media bias has not been altered one jot.

Leftward fatuities too are easily found: The fatuity matters more than the politics. If the blogs have enthusiastically endorsed Joseph Conrad's judgment of newspapering--"written by fools to be read by imbeciles"--they have also demonstrated a remarkable ecumenicalism in filling out that same role themselves.

h/t: Allah.

"In the Fight Against Terrorism, Some Rights Must Be Repealed"

Given that the article having this title is hosted on the website for the "Institute for Social Policy and Understanding," an Islamic think tank in Detroit, I thought this was quite an interesting acknowledgement--until I read the article. Contrary to the title, the author doesn't argue that "some rights" must (not "should," MUST) be repealed. He argues that ONE RIGHT must be repealed (not limited, not constricted--REPEALED). Anyone wanna venture a guess as to which one he's convinced we MUST get rid of?

My question is: of all the liberties that are presently being abused, why focus on the Second Amendment as a right that "must" be "repealed?" Are terrorist shootouts really a big concern these days? A halfway clever terrorist could kill as many people with a two-dollar gallon of gasoline or a $50 bag of fertilizer as he could with a $500 rifle. Of all the things we need to fix to defeat terrorism, I don't see how getting rid of legally-owned tools of self-defense fits in the picture. I'm pretty sure, in fact, it'd be counterproductive. I'm sure our friends at the "Institute for Social Policy and Understanding" have the very best intentions of making the world a safer place, but this particular prescription is full of holes.

Akhtar Mohammad Osmani, Confirmed Dead

It's just not been a good week to be a terrorist. What, with their poor performance in Somalia and now this!

Reuters via WaPo: But a senior Taliban commander who declined to be identified confirmed Osmani had been killed.

"He has died. We got this information on the day of the strike but our leadership ordered us not to disclose it," the commander, speaking by telephone, told a Reuters reporter in the Pakistani border town of Chaman.

"He was not only an experienced military commander but also good in making financial transactions for us. He had good contacts," he said, without elaborating.

"His death will have some bad impact on our movement for some time," he added.

Hurry brave mujahadbeens, run to Iraq, the Jihad needs you!. No wait, run to Afghanistan, the jihad needs you! No wait, run to Somalia the African Taliban of Losers needs you!

Rather than shiver with nervousness over the fact that freedom is fighing on multiple fronts, think about what this means to the Islamists. They are much less capable of sustaining three fronts. Sure they can kill innocents and make trouble like they always do, but that is about it. What little actual power they have is very fragile.

African Taliban of Losers

So the fact that the African Taliban is in full retreat was big news yesterday. Today we have news that they are already about to lose the capital Mogadishu.

Is this really surprising? They are all cocky and stuff when they are murding civilians for watching soccer,. But like most Islamist cockroaches, when the light of day hits them, they scurry and hide.

Monsters and Critics: Government troops fought their way into Jowhar, some 90 kilometres north of Mogadishu early on Wednesday as Islamist fighters in the town retreated to the capital, after orders by the Islamist chairman, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.

'We attack Mogadishu Thursday. We will catch and behead all the terrorists and militants as they behead the innocent people,' said Mohamed Dhere, a former warlord who once controlled Jowhar and marched into the town with the government forces on Wednesday.

Residents of Balad, 30 kilometres north of Mogadishu said the Ethiopian-backed forces were 20 kilometres away from their town, while all Islamist troops had retreated from there to the capital.

In Jowhar, Dhere told residents they would now be able to watch movies and football, which the Islamists had banned.

'Now the people of Jowhar are free. Open your cinemas, open your businesses. You are under the care of the national forces of the transitional government,' he said from a pickup truck mounted with audio speakers.

I cannot condone the beheadings. Just shoot them. But it is refreshing to see a military force take the fight to the Islamists this way. There will be no escape for the African Taliban this time.

Update: The MSM is already rerunning their defeatist surrender monkey crap. Chad at In The Bullpen is not buying it.

Chad Evans: It seems odd to me, however, to classify an overwhelming victory, or perceived future victory in this case, over an Islamist organization reminiscent of any current or past war....

...I suppose that all depends on how you look at things or a nation’s ability or right to wage war against aggression, both rhetorical and military. Do we wish to simply ignore militant jihad in fear of insurgency or do we wish to fight it tooth and nail until it is vanquished?

Return of The Big White Infidel

Biggie has put up a lot more content over at the Juba Sucks blog. He's got quite a few things we missed. From Abu Bakr Ba'asyi conviction on terrorism being thrown out by Indonesia's supreme court to just what Christmas dinner there might look like.

He's put up a lot of content for jubasucks And we thank him for all his help.

Freedom Journal Iraq #551

• Refurbishing Schools
• Protecting Syrian Border

Saudi Inheritance Laws Shaft Women

Here's an interesting little glimpse of life in a Muslim country courtesy of the Arab News. It appears that Saudi Arabian women are entitled to only one-half the amount of inheritance given to Saudi men. Check this example of a man dying with six surviving daughters and one surviving son.

[T]he property would be divided between the one son and the six surviving daughters. It should be divided into eight shares, giving one share to each of the six daughters and two shares to the son.

As a result, the surviving son receives one-quarter of the total inheritance despite the fact that he was only one-seventh of the number of survivors.

Women's rights groups should probably protest. Of course, it's possible that Muslim women are satisfied with the unequal treatment under Sharia Law since they receive extra measures of peace. Or something.

Mark Steyn on Energy

The telegram has been replaced by the email, and the victrola has yielded to the CD player, but, aside from losing the rumble seat and adding a few cupholders, the automobile is essentially unchanged from a century ago. If you can't sell the country on the need for new energy sources when your present ones are funding your enemies, when can you?

Yet, five years on from September 11 and after a torrent of information on Saudi funding of the jihad, America had changed its policy to Riyadh only to this degree: we're lavishing even more dough on them than we did before.

The oil revenue collected by the House of Saud not only buys off their subjects but buys up other countries' subjects around the world. Americans are paying for the rope that will hang them.

Mark Steyn, "America Alone"

President Gerald Ford

Passed away tonight at the age of 93.

I have no eulogy to offer. I was only 9 when he lost to Jimmy Carter in 1976.

Michelle Malkin is on top of it, though.

Update: Looking at Michelle's link, I do remember the assassination attempt by Manson follower Squeaky Fromme. Other than that, all I know about Ford is that once he left office, you didn't hear much from him. Or about him. His wife, it seems, ended up far more famous by way of the Betty Ford Clinic.

That's my bleary memory, anyway.

Update, Too: Jeff in the comments reminds that Ford was born in my hometown.

He lived there a total of 16 days. 54 years before I was born. So I'm still stuck with not being able to give a proper eulogy.

December 26, 2006

Austrian Hostage Identified

Vicki at Not Ready For My Burqua has identified the Austrian hostage. His name is Bert Nussbaumer.

To recap, so far the following Crescent Security Group hostages whose names we know are:

Paul Reuben

Jonathan Cote

Bert Nussbaumer

Two other Americans remain unidentified.

She also posted pictures of the three known men. Click the link above to see the faces to go with the names.

We pray for their safe return, and the screaming, tortuous death of their captors.

Jawa hostage archives.

YouTube Video : James Brown, The Godfather of Soul

MORE BELOW THE FOLD

And who could forget Eddie Murphy's classic routine on the hardest working man in show business:

God bless ya, James. Rest in peace.

By Ragnar Danneskjold, Typical Bitter Gun-Clinger at 08:15 PM | |

"Do I Look Like a Slut??" (YouTube Video feat. Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan)

"Ya know, I don't know why everyone keeps calling me a slut."

Yet Another Hole in the Jamil Hussein Story

This time over a fake morgue and the destination of the "burned bodies" which the AP attempts to change on Nov. 28 quietly and without retraction, in the hopes that it won't be noticed by the sheeple. Well, it has been noticed.

See-dubya highlights the latest hole in the Jamil Hussein story, via Confederate Yankee. Questions, questions, questions:

Is this how the AP corrects its stories? Whether there is a morgue at Kazamiyah hospital or not, the destination of the bodies changed within three days, without notice or explanation. Why would we presume this witness–supposedly one of their two anonymous eyewitnesses to the burning–is any more reliable than the fellow who said the bodies went into the morgue at Kazamiyah hospital? Which of the AP’s sources lied to them?

The AP is hoping you've just stopped paying attention. They don't know the Sithosphere very well...

Ask Dan Rather. Or Eason Jordan. Or Mary Mapes. Or Adnan Hajj. Et cetera.

This developement is several days old (here's the Jawa post on it), but no less crucial.

Stay tuned.

More Democratic Effectiveness.

I think Zawahiri has been into the poppys again.

I’ve finally gotten a higher quality copy of Zawahiri’s ranting. If you are looking for Zawahiri’s message to the Democrats it’s about two thirds of the way through. Click the pic or see embedded copy below the fold.

Previous Jawa entries on Zawahiri’s message and transcripts here and here.

Hat Tip: Tribecca.

Freedom Journal Iraq #549

• New IA Dress Uniforms
• Search for Terrorists

Delayed due to google vid problems.

Saddam to Hang…

...in 30 days or less.

AP Via Yahoo: The sentence "must be implemented within 30 days," chief judge Aref Shahin said. "From tomorrow, any day could be the day of implementation."

On Nov. 5, an Iraqi court sentenced Saddam to the gallows for ordering the 1982 killings following an attempt on his life.

Under Iraqi law, the appeals court decision must be ratified by President Jalal Talabani and Iraq's two vice presidents. Talabani opposes the death penalty but has in the past deputized a vice president to sign an execution order on his behalf — a substitute that was legally accepted.

The Baath party, in Novemeber and most likely from Syria, issued a statement threatening retaliation of Saddam is executed.

Iraq Updates.com: "If president Saddam Hussein is executed ... the party will reinforce its siege against the Green Zone," which houses Iraqi government offices and the US embassy, said the party's command on its official site.

Hat Tip: Vinnie.

al-Boraq Media Suffers Outage

This from the the Islamic Army in Iraq's website.

The God of your brothers in the technical section of the Wall information from re-opening the official website of the Islamic Army in Iraq after they closed for three days, where he was subjected to a fierce attack by the enemies of God.

To who ever might have taken them offline for 72 hours, GREAT JOB!!! The only problem we have is that they came back up. Well, I guess you just have to be happy with what you get.

Update from Chad at In the Bullpen.

The cause for the service disruption was not anyone hacking the server, but rather because "the siteowner had to play 'who's your daddy' with himself for three straight days, praise Allah."

Ah, so they are liars too? Surely not!

AFP Recycles "Quagmire" Story Twice in 3 Weeks

The Freepers caught the AFP printing the story once on December 4, and then again today on the wires. Allah has screenshots and a side-by-side comparison of the altered and edited texts of the same exact "story" - all done up with edits and a new 'spin' for the networks and newspapers to trumpet.

Here's the article on December 4, 2006. Here is is again in differnet clothing (but stupidly, with the same header) on December 26, 2006.

Paging Eric Boehlert! This hit job was done intentionally, for those at Media Matters who are paying attention. I guess that kind of media manipulation and dishonesty doesn't matter.

In addition, the "warbloggers" should just shut up and not notice or highlight these kinds of things. The foreign and composite organs of the mainstream media, after all, are the final and penultimate arbiter of honesty and accuracy.

Nothing to see here, folks. Move it along.

It's Jihad Charlie Brown

Hat Tip: Mark.

Friend Of Hostage Paul Reuben Speaks Out

It's nice to be able to post something from the mail bag that isn't vicious, nasty, and disgusting.

Paul Reuben, and 4 others taken with him, are still missing in Iraq. A good friend of his, Mark Kocielski, has set up a website in support of Paul.

We pray for their safe return.

December 25, 2006

Love Letters From The Muj

Bill Roggio gets an unexpected email from the owner of Al-Zawraa, Iraq's all jihad, all the time channel.

Merry Christmas From The Jawa Report

2:1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

21 And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Bom bomb...I'm Dead!!!

Bom bom….I’m dead!….bom bom….I’m dead!…

Roy Hallums’ Escape Part II

The second part of Deborah Hastings’ story on Roy’s rescue.

NC Times: EDITOR'S NOTE: The ransom demands had stopped, and the trail had gone cold. More than 10 months after U.S. contractor Roy Hallums was abducted in Iraq, a local man being interrogated by coalition soldiers claimed to know where the American was being held. This is the second part of a two-part AP serial narrative. This story is based on hours of interviews with Roy Hallums, Susan Hallums and Dan O'Shea, and their recollections of Roy Hallums' kidnapping in Iraq.

The coalition soldiers didn't know it, but this man they'd hauled in for questioning was about to deliver a bombshell.

Someone had fingered him as part of an extended family of kidnappers whose relatives abducted Iraqis and foreigners ---- it made no difference. The common denominator was money.

The interrogators were only five minutes into it when the man, trying to jump-start a plea for leniency, blurted the name of an American contractor who had been missing for most of a year and given up for dead.

"I know where Roy Hallums is," he said.

He knew about the house. He knew about the concrete prison under the backyard storage shed. He knew about the freezer covering the hatch in the floor.

The coalition soldiers jumped. In less than hour, they assembled a rescue detail and rolled, fully armed, charging in helicopters toward a barren farm in the Triangle of Death.

Part I here.

December 24, 2006

YouTube Video : An Amateur Christmas Vista

An oldie but a goody...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

To Islamic Courts Union With Love

A little "intensive care package" is on it's way. Enjoy!

See Junkyard Blog and Dan at Riehlworldview who adds:

This will be a tough fight, but I wouldn't name my army the ICU ... just sayin'.

Merry Christmas, AP! Still No Jamil Hussein Under the Tree

So what's it gonna be then, eh?

Confederate Yankee wonders what the return policy on Hussein-credited AP stories is, and highlights the progression thus far of this disgraceful attempt at "war coverage."

Meanwhile, Eric Scheie of Classical Values takes down the frantic Eric Boehlert of (Only The Leftwing) Media Matters and his Dowdified attacks on "warbloggers" who dare to question (and expose) the media gods' apparent decreeing of truthiness from Mt. Olympus.

Michelle Malkin goes to the belly of the beast, finds nothing and ignores the left's attempts to shift the focus of this journalistic debacle onto the "larger anti-war truth/context" of fictional news stories.

Credibility is the issue here, and Jamil Hussein (if he even exists) is just the latest example of how a principal cog of the mainstream press forgot what the word means.

Just in case you need a primer on the industry's self-imposed standards, check out the ethical code of the Society of Professional Journalists. No - its not satire.

ht: Special thanks to the intrepid Jules Crittenden.

Two Part Series on Roy Hallums

Deborah Hastings has written a two part series on Roy Hallums. For those of you who may be new to The Jawa Report, Rusty and TJR started following Roy’s story from the beginning.

NC Times:EDITOR'S NOTE -- The Iraqi kidnappers threatened American contractor Roy Hallums with death. Then they videotaped him begging for help. It was all in their script. But could anyone save his life? This is the first part of a two-part serial narrative.

It was an ordinary Monday afternoon. As ordinary as a day can be in Baghdad.

Roy Hallums was in his second-floor office, sitting at his desk, bent over his computer keyboard. Even in a well-to-do neighborhood, in a fortified complex with armed guards, he was used to hearing the sounds of war.

But this was the first time he'd heard them coming up the stairs.

Shooting. Yelling. Pounding feet. Hallums stood, waiting for whatever it was to burst through the door. Four men slammed in, balaclavas covering their heads, guns pointed. In heavily accented English they said: Come with us or we'll kill you…

…November 1, 2004, the day of his kidnapping. A single event from which would be constructed a triangle of anguished isolation: One side was his. Another belonged to his family living in the suburbs of America, begging for help and feeling ignored…

...EDITOR'S NOTE -- This story is based on hours of interviews with Roy Hallums, Susan Hallums and Dan O'Shea, and their recollections of Roy Hallums' kidnapping in Iraq.

Kidnapped Americans in Iraq

Since May 2003, at least 24 Americans have been kidnapped in Iraq. Eighteen are dead or missing.

To give you an idea of what Roy’s story means to us here at The Jawa Report I’ll just quote Rusty on the day we learned Roy was rescued.

Today is one of the happiest days of my life. I'm literally crying.

It was like Christmas only better, more like an Easter. I still have my Free Roy magnets up. I’m quite proud of those.

Here is the Jawa Report’s Roy Hallums archive.

In addition to the Americans who were held, murderer or are still missing, the number of Iraqi’s who have suffered this staggering, I have no idea how many. Let’s remember we are in Iraq for them as well. They are kidnapped and murdered every day.

The Jawa Report Hostage Archive.

Our Jill Carrol archive.

Our Jeffrey Ake Archive.

More archives in the left sidebar.

December 23, 2006

Brokeback Mobsters

A Game

Since some people seem uncomfortable with the fact that Islamists are ecstatic over the Democrat victory in Congress this past November, I challenge those same lefties to play a little game with us.

Its called "Who Said It: Bin Laden, or a Liberal College Professor?"

1. "Reality testifies that the war against America and its allies has not remained confined to Iraq."

2. "In fact, Iraq has become a point of attraction and recruitment of qualified resources."

3. "There is no defect in this solution other than preventing the flow of hundreds of billions to the influential people and war merchants in America, who supported Bush's election campaign with billions of dollars."

4. "In fact, reports indicate that the defeat and devastating failure of the ill-omened plan of the four - Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, and Wolfowitz - and the announcement of this defeat and working it out, is only a matter of time, which is to some extent linked to the awareness of the American people of the magnitude of this tragedy."

Look below the fold for the answers. No peeking.

Answers.

Airstrike Sends Taliban Leader Home to Allah

From a CENTCOM press release:

KABUL, Afghanistan – Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Osmani, a senior member of the Taliban’s inner circle, was killed Dec. 19 in Helmand Province.

Credible intelligence led Coalition Forces to Osmani’s location near the border with Pakistan. His vehicle, traveling in a deserted area, was destroyed by a Coalition air strike, instantly killing him and two unidentified associates.

“Osmani was in the top ring of the Taliban leadership and he was also a close associate of Osama bin Laden and Gulbuddin Hekmatyr,” said Col. Tom Collins, Coalition spokesperson. “His death is a major achievement in the fight against extremists and their terrorist networks.”

Osmani was the Taliban’s chief of military operations in the provinces of Uruzgan, Nimroz, Kandahar, Farah, Herat and Helmand. He played a central role in facilitating terrorist operations involving Taliban, al-Qaeda and the Haqqani Network, to include IED and suicide attacks, kidnappings, numerous atrocities against innocent civilians, and direct attacks on Coalition, NATO, and Afghan forces, Collins said.

The Associated Press story about Osmani's death is full of references to the US "claims," as if the wire service, especially after the Jamil Hussein fiasco, has the credibility to question CENTCOM.

Light Blogging Time Waster

He does everything but face Mecca and pray to Allah.

Seriously, I tried it.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Just In Time For Ramahanakwanzmas

The 2001 Anthrax attacks....solved!

Hoist your mug of eggnog to moonbatism!

December 22, 2006

Merry Christmas, African Taliban

Cheese Eating Surrender Monkey Press reports:

BAIDOA, Somalia (AFP) - Ethiopia moved tanks and other reinforcements into the battle zone for a third day of fighting against Islamist forces in southern Somalia, witnesses said, while the Islamists vowed an all-out war.

Ethiopa seems to know the stakes in this game. They appear determined not to allow Somalia to follow in the footsteps of Afghanistan.

Iran knows them too, they're giving the Islamic Courts Union their full support.

We're probably supporting Ethiopa with intel, special forces and material, but it would be nice to read that we're getting a little revenge by providing them some close air support.

Virgil Goode's Letter : An Analysis

Rep. Virgil Goode has been savaged for his frank and uncompromising statements as to the use of the Koran in Rep. Keith Ellison's swearing-in ceremony. Some in the "Sinisphere" have been working hard to link the entire GOP to Rep. Goode's statements. I agree with Charles that while Rep. Goode could certainly have been more judicious in his use of the language and done a better job of making reasonable points more clearly, it seems to me the criticism of Rep. Goode has been overblown. Were his statements tough and politically incorrect? Most certainly. Were his statements "bigoted?" I suppose that depends, to some degree, on your definition of "bigoted." Generally, a "bigot" is someone who holds an opinion about something without a reasonable basis in fact. Saying something true but uncomfortable may be impolite, but it isn't "bigoted." I'll leave it to you to decide for yourself whether Rep. Goode's statements have a rational basis in fact. My own point-by-point follows:

"When I raise my hand to take the oath on Swearing In Day, I will have the Bible in my other hand."

This is, of course, a statement of fact. if Keith Ellison made the same statement, except replacing the word "Bible" with the word "Koran," would Goode's critics level a bigotry accusation at Ellison? Methinks not.

"I do not subscribe to using the Koran in any way."

This is a statement as to Rep. Goode's opinion, and the meaning is not fully clear. We can assume he means that he doesn't believe the Koran should be used in connection with a swearing-in ceremony. More broadly, it could be interpreted to mean that he doesn't believe the Koran should be used for any purpose. This would be a silly reading of the language. Even those who have no respect for the Koran realize it can be employed for any number of useful purposes. Accordingly, I'm going with the former interpretation.

MORE BELOW THE FOLD

"The Muslim Representative from Minnesota was elected by the voters of that district..."

Again, a statement of fact. Is anyone disputing this?

"... and if American citizens don't wake up and adopt the Virgil Goode position on immigration there will likely be many more Muslims elected to office and demanding the use of the Koran."

Assuming "the Virgil Goode position" equates to a restriction on immigration from Middle Eastern countries, that's a fairly reasonable prediction. More Muslim voters is likely to equate to more Muslim lawmakers. These Muslim lawmakers are likely to follow in the footsteps of Rep. Ellison and demand the use of the Koran.

"We need to stop illegal immigration totally..."

A reasonable opinion held by a significant majority of Americans.

"... and reduce legal immigration and end the diversity visas policy pushed hard by President Clinton and allowing many persons from the Middle East to come to this country."

Yet again, statements of Rep. Goode's opinions on immigration policy--and ones shared by a significant portion of Americans. I may personally disagree with Rep. Goode if he is suggesting we need to necessarily reduce legal immigration across the board, and I don't think we should throw out diversity visas across the board, but I accept that reasonable minds can differ on both of these issues.

"I fear that in the next century we will have many more Muslims in the United States if we do not adopt the strict immigration policies that I believe are necessary to preserve the values and beliefs traditional to the United States of America and to prevent our resources from being swamped."

Another prediction--and a pretty reasonable one. If we do not restrict immigration, we will almost certainly have many more Muslims in the United States in the future. Massive immigration of people from completely different, non-western cultures unquestionably places our American values and beliefs in jeopardy. Further, immigration from third world countries is well-known to tax the resources of first-world countries.

"The Ten Commandments and "In God We Trust" are on the wall in my office. A Muslim student came by the office and asked why I did not have anything on my wall about the Koran. My response was clear, "As long as I have the honor of representing the citizens of the 5th District of Virginia in the United States House of Representatives, The Koran is not going to be on the wall of my office.""

So Rep. Virgil Goode doesn't see the Koran as being equivalent to the Ten Commandments, and isn't planning to put a Koran on his wall. That puts him in pretty good company, doesn't it? Do any of the journalists and bloggers calling for Goode's head have a Koran on their wall? Do they have plans to put one there?

Is Rep. Goode's letter inelegant? Yes. Is it "bigoted?" Only if you believe that there's no rationale for thinking that more Muslim immigration to the U.S. is a potential problem for our country. Given that I think more Muslim immigration to the U.S. is a potentially serious problem, I don't see how Rep. Goode's letter can reasonably be described as "bigoted."

Sandcralwer PSA: Light Blogging Alert

Because it's Christmas.

Speaking of Christmas I found the perfect gift. It's a bit expensive and it may be a few more ice cream seasons before it's available. But it's very cool.

Hat Tip: Mark via Rofa Six.

(Updated) AQ: Democrats Didn't Win in November - We Did

Update below.
---
The Democrats can't get away from their unintended allies, can they? They might want to, but they can't.

How many times have we said that Democrat victotry will be seen by Islamic terrorists as a victory for them?

How many times did we tell you that the Democrats were de-facto allies with the terrorists in this conflict because they made the GOP and Bush their enemies rather than AQ?

No matter what we on the right think, the Islamic terrorists who murdered 3,000 Americans on 9-11 saw Bush and the GOP as their biggest obstacle to achieving their ends, and viewed the Democrats as the weak horse in the fight that they needed to beat first. Now we have proof from the terrorists' mouths.

Of course, by "beating" the Democrats, I refer to sapping their will to fight and to win.

Given the ignoratti permeating the media in this and other countries, the nagging influence of the aging 60's Vietnam-syndrome addled retreads, and the legions of belligerently misinformed television commentators, actors, musicians, writers, academics, college students, public school students, etc., it was perhaps to be expected.

And that does not bode well for the future of this extended conflict.

Newsflash, lefties. The WTC was bombed in 1993 - when Democrats controlled Congress and the White House. Their indictments and criminal prosecutions didn't prevent the Islamists from coming back and finishing the job - it emboldened them to do it again.

Now that the Islamists have seen and taken stock of the remarkable lack of a spine shown by the left in our country and around the world to confront them aggressively, they will be back. Those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

'Peace' at any cost, indeed.

UPDATE: More terrorist expessions of glee at the thought of Democrats winning Congress from the AP earlier this month:

The leader of the Hezb-e-Islami militant group also touted the Republican Party defeat in last month's midterm elections as a victory for militants fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq.

"It seems that every bullet that mujahedeen had fired toward the Americans in Iraq and Afghanistan has turned into a vote against Bush," Hekmatyar said in the undated video statement received by AP Television News in Pakistan.

"There is no doubt that is a great victory and success for Afghan and Iraqi mujahedeen," he said. "I am convinced that the fate Soviet Union faced is awaiting America as well.

As for the frantic leftwing commentors here, there is little room for doubt as to who the jihadis prefer be in control of this country. Even the Kos Kidz agree that Islamic terrorists want Democrats in charge, although they are more concerned that the press is focusing (rightly) on the "Democrats and terrorists are on the same side" perception. Unfortunately for them, that is the story. When a political party in America wins an election and it causes an outpouring of glee and satisfaction from Islamic terror groups all over the world (including the group that slaughtered 3000 people in Manhattan, DC and PA), that is big news. In addition, it is perhaps an uncomfortable reality check to Democrats who think GWB is a bigger threat to the US than AQ and Co.

Judging by the Kosbot reaction and the leftwingnut commentors here, that realization appears to be gnawing at them and hitting home. Then again, maybe not. Join the fray!

Virgil Goode's Letter

Despite all the blog buzz over Virgil Goode's letter, I had to dig a while to find the full text of the actual letter. Here it is:

Thank you for your recent communication. When I raise my hand to take the oath on Swearing In Day, I will have the Bible in my other hand. I do not subscribe to using the Koran in any way. The Muslim Representative from Minnesota was elected by the voters of that district and if American citizens don't wake up and adopt the Virgil Goode position on immigration there will likely be many more Muslims elected to office and demanding the use of the Koran. We need to stop illegal immigration totally and reduce legal immigration and end the diversity visas policy pushed hard by President Clinton and allowing many persons from the Middle East to come to this country. I fear that in the next century we will have many more Muslims in the United States if we do not adopt the strict immigration policies that I believe are necessary to preserve the values and beliefs traditional to the United States of America and to prevent our resources from being swamped.

The Ten Commandments and "In God We Trust" are on the wall in my office. A Muslim student came by the office and asked why I did not have anything on my wall about the Koran. My response was clear, "As long as I have the honor of representing the citizens of the 5th District of Virginia in the United States House of Representatives, The Koran is not going to be on the wall of my office." Thank you again for your email and thoughts.

Sincerely yours,

Virgil H. Goode, Jr.

70 East Court Street

Suite 215

Rocky Mount, Virginia 24151

Al-Qaeda : Kill The Cross Worshippers On Christmas(UPDATED)

ABCNEWS is reporting that al-Qaeda hopes to murder British civilians over Fordham.edChristmas.

ABC's The Blotter:ABC News has learned that al Qaeda operatives in the greaterLondon area are being encouraged to "strike during the Christian holidays," according to intelligence and law enforcement sources.

Those sources say that Internet chatter and Web postings monitored by authorities are behind the grave concern of an imminent al Qaeda strike, one that at least some law enforcement officials in Britain fear will again target mass transit.

Some in comments have been giving me a hard time for my characterization of al-Qaeda’s interpretation of Islam as a, “Doctrine of Hate.” They say that Islam respects Christians and to kill one is a great crime under Islam. al-Qaeda disagrees with this and repeatedly quotes the Koran and calls Christians Crusaders and Cross Worshippers and praises Allah for the opportunity to kill them. It seems they are able to find plenty of people who agree with them.

See the following from al-Qaeda in Iraq’s press release site.

A sniper attack at one of the cross worshipers in al-Tamim quarter region on Friday November 24, 2006, all praise and gratitude be to Allah.

A sniper attack at one of the cross worshipers near al-Falluja on Saturday November 25, 2006, all praise and gratitude be to Allah.

Killing five soldiers and wounding five others from the Cross worshipers and destroying two of their vehicles, by detonating two bombs in al-Aadheem region, on Monday November 13, 2006, all praise and gratitude be to Allah.

Perhaps if you worship the secular you might make this argument. That to fail to recognize Islam is against our founding principals. They claim that to fail to accept Islam is bigotry not religious opinion. They say that if you are a Christian or Jew who believes Islam is a false doctrine then you are a bigot.

Jefferson Via Dailykos: Whereas Almighty God hath created the mind free; that all attempts to influence it by temporal punishments or burthens, or by civil incapacitations, tend only to beget habits of hypocrisy and meanness, and are a departure from the plan of the Holy author of our religion, who being Lord both of body and mind, yet chose not to propagate it by coercions on either, as was in his almighty power to do; that the impious presumption of legislators and rulers, civil as well as ecclesiastical, who being themselves but fallible and uninspired men, have assumed dominion over the faith of others, setting up their own opinions and modes of thinking as the only true and infallible, and as such endeavouring to impose them on others.

Be it enacted by the General assembly, that no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever, nor shall be enforced, restrained, molested, or burthened in his body or goods, not shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief; but that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinion in matters of religion, that that the same shall in no wise diminish, enlarge, or affect their civil capacities.

But this description is quite damning of Islam, which proscribes public discrimination on the basis of religion. This Islamic judgment was written in 1788 about the same time Jefferson wrote the above quote.

Fordham.edu: The decision given by the Shaikh ar-Ramli [a great Cairo legal authority, d. 1596], by the Shaikh al-Islam [the Muslim religious authority in Constantinople], and by the learned scholars whose decrees can hardly be written down here, may be worded as follows: "It is forbidden to the tolerated peoples living on Muslim territory to clothe themselves in the same manner as the chiefs, the scholars, and the nobles. They should not be allowed to clothe themselves in costly fabrics which have been cut in the modes which are forbidden to them, in order that they may not offend the sensibilities of poor Muslims and in order that their faith in their religion should not be shaken by this. [Poor Muslims may regret their faith when they see how well-dressed the Christians and Jews are.]

"They should not be permitted to employ mounts like the Muslims. They must use neither saddles, nor iron-stirrups, in order to be distinguished from the true believers. They must under no circumstance ride horses because of the noble character of this animal. The Most-High has said [Qu'ran 8:62]: 'And through powerful squadrons [of horses] through which you will strike terror into your own and God's enemies.' [A verse of the Qu'ran makes a good support for a law. Verses may even be torn out of their context.]

"They should not be permitted to take Muslims into their service because God has glorified the people of Islam. He has given them His aid and has given them a guarantee by these words [Qu'ran 3:140]: 'Surely God will never give preeminence to unbelievers over the true believers.' Now this is just what is happening today, for their servants are Muslims taken from among men of a mature age or from those who are still young. This is one of the greatest scandals to which the guardians of authority must put an end. It is wrong to greet them even with a simple 'how-do-you-do'; to serve them, even for wages, at the baths or in what relates to their riding animals; and it is forbidden to accept anything from their hand, for that would be an act of debasement by the faithful. They are forbidden while going through the streets to ape the manners of the Muslims, and still less those of the cities of the religion. They shall only walk single-file, and in narrow lanes they must withdraw even more into the most cramped part of the road.

"One may read that which follows in Bukhari and Muslim [religious authorities of the ninth century]: 'Jews and Christians shall never begin a greeting; if you encounter one of them on the road, push him into the narrowest and tightest spot.' The absence of every mark of consideration toward them is obligatory for us; we ought never to give them the place of honor in an assembly when a Muslim is present. This is in order to humble them and to honor the true believers.

At the very moment that Jefferson was prescribing religious freedom Islamic scholars were prescribing discrimination against those outside Islam. Ironic isn't it?

This Shiite man was murdered exrtra slowly in the name of God for insulting Aisha, Mohammed’s child bride. The Irony is he believed that murdering Sunnis in the name of God was his duty.

Jesus said:

All this I have told you so that you will not go astray. They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you.

Any questions? ROPMA.

Bluto posted yesterday on British officials are concerned about attacks over Christmas.

Update:

I guess what I’m trying to say here is it’s always been this way. There have always been men trying to justify murder in the name of God. Men who use religion not as a means to seek god but a was to seek power.

I’ve spent some time using the assumption that Muhammad was a good man and looked to see what injustice he may have been fighting against. One of the things may have been the organized perversion of religion.

The Jewish leaders killed Jesus for blasphemy, for being an apostate in their eyes. Soon afterward, the church twisted his message and began murdering in his name. Now there is an irony for you. People murdering in Jesus name. But over time this could not stand in light of what Jesus taught.

When I look at the Koran and Islam I see several things. I see Muslims who are good people. They are pious and modest and would not hurt a fly. They obviously are the majority. I predict there will be some on this thread telling me how Islam instructs them to respect the teachings of the other scriptures. If this is the true doctrine I have no problem with that. If combined with the Koran they probably have a solid foundation. You can see it in their actions.

But I’ve also seen another side of Islam. The perverted side if you will. These are the ones who rather than serve the religion make their religion serve them. You see it in the intolerant regimes of the ME. They do not allow free worship. They murder in God’s name for a variety of crimes. But there is also the smaller groups the al-Qaeda’s, Ansar al-Sunnah, Hamas and Hezbollah. Groups of every sect have taken it upon themselves the murder in God’s name. Thus fulfilling Jesus’ prophecy.

So that is another great Irony. Muhammad said there is no intermediary between God and man. Yet there they are, presuming to do God’s will by murdering in his name. Poisoning and defacing Islam to all that look upon it. Including the majority of Muslims who know very well it is wrong and sinful. Placing huge roadblocks between those who should be brothers.

If Christians still executed people in the name of God. If Christians still forced conversions or treated those of other religions unfairly, the cries of injustice would be deafening. Every Christian and Muslim would protest until this perverted injustice ended!

But now we are facing another perversion of God’s will. One that costs many lives Christian, Muslim, Jewish and others. Many schools teach young people the entire Koran but also infuse a doctrine of hate. Tell me why the other scriptures, if they are holy as is stated in the Koran, are not also taught? If Jesus is a prophet of Islam why is his teaching allowed to be overlooked by so many?

I believe that a Muslim who honestly seeks God, respects and follows Jesus teaching can find grace through him. I want Islam to be respected. I want to have peace with Muslim nations. I want to help those who suffer under the perversion of faiths to have a better life.

Muslims must stand up and reject the “Doctrine of Hate” as the heresy it obviously is. We cannot impose a solution upon you. We can help you, we can stand beside you if you want.

These heretics and apostates murderous view of Islam is against all I know to be right. They cannot be allowed to win. They must be placed in the dustbin of history as surely as all the other Doctrines of Hate that came before. As long as they exist I cannot help but be suspect of Islam as a faith or political system. As surely as the inquisition and all the murders in the name of God throughout history were wrong, so must be the terrorist’s interpretation of Islam.

They attack us so we must defend ourselves as best we can. They also attack and kill many more Muslims. That is one of the things that have bothered me the last year. Snuff films of westerners have become rare. But snuff films of terrorists murdering Muslim hostages are now very common. I watch these and I see human beings. Many are just ordinary people trying to make a living. I see them killed and dumped like trash. My hearts is touched. They are just as much victims of this doctrine of hate as the people at the WTC or Paul Johnson. There were all murdered with the shout of, “ Allahu Akbar!”

May God help us all.

They've Been Working on the Railroad

Heidi at Euphoric Reality has been following the case of the Marines charged with murdering civilians in the Sunni insurgent-infested hellhole of Haditha, and makes a detailed and compelling case for a frameup by locals and "journalists" covering the story.

Heidi's post is a long read, but well worth the effort, as she reveals information that the Western Press, slavering over the thought of an Iraqi My Lai massacre, has suppressed.

These are the men to whom Jack Murtha has been seeking to deny due process. And this isn't the first time that the Press and feather merchants at Eighth and Eye have tried to screw over combat Marines.

Via Michelle Malkin.

Freedom Journal Iraq #538

* Providing Security Along the Norhtern Pipeline
* Soldiers on foot patrol.

Muslims Murder 61st Teacher in Thailand

(Bangkok) Since January 2004, more than 1,950 people have been killed in the three Muslim-dominated southern provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat in Thailand. Yesterday, a female Bhuddist teacher, 34-year-old Chutima Rattanasamnieng, was shot in the head and later died at the hospital.

From People's Daily Online:

Chutima has become the 61st teacher killed by the southern insurgents, according to official statistics.

An unidentified gunman early Thursday opened fire on a group of seven teachers who were traveling by motorcycles to Baan Takae school in Pattani's Yaring district, wounding Chutima and her fellow teacher, Rungnapa Khongsuwan, both of them riding the same motorbike, which Chutima was driving.

Rungnapa, less seriously wounded than her colleague, is now in stable condition.

It's not surprising that many schools have difficulty remaining open as Muslim death squads terrorize and kill educators with regularity. And, don't be fooled by politically-correct reporting from the region which identifies the perpetrators as "insurgents" or "militants" or "unidentified gunmen." They are fundamentalist Muslims who view education as a threat.

Ominously, Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont warned that there could be more violence during the New Year Holiday season.

Miss Nevada Katie Rees UNCENSORED

I'm not advocating you go there, but if you were academically curious as to what all those pics of Miss Navada Katie Rees look like without all those little red stars, there's a set here. (NSFW--as if!)

Please understand that this link, like the previous information related to Miss USA Tara Connor, is provided solely for research purposes. As you know, we don't spend all our time distributing a bunch of pornography (aka "porn") here, or wild pictures of naked lesbian (aka "good gay") girls kissing, or pictures of naughty girls like Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan showing off their complete lack of panties. The Jawa Report is not just about boobs--or breasts, or cha-chas, or whatever term you prefer. There are places you can find pictures (and even videos) of Paris Hilton showing off her bare ass and/or doing dirty sexual things, but this normally isn't one of those places. We do, of course, post a lot of YouTube videos (especially around Christmas,) and even feature the very occasional post on Harry Potter. If I ever figure out what Rockstartup and Studivz are, I'll probably post on them, as well.

December 21, 2006

Nuts!!

Christmas in Bastogne, 1944.

Have Yourself...

... a merry effin' Christmas.

For you lazybutts, even though in addition to surfing the web while you should be working, you're going to suck off your company by taking tomorrow off...

NSFW!!!!

Mainstream Media Pwn3d By Their Own 'Code of Ethics'

A commentor at LGF points us to the text of the Society of Professional Journalists' Code of Ethics. Keep Jamilgate and all of the MSM shennanigans we've uncovered these past few years in mind as you read this. Try not to laugh out loud (there are more at the link - these are listed in no particular order):

Journalists should:

— Identify sources whenever feasible. The public is entitled to as much information as possible on sources' reliability.

— Test the accuracy of information from all sources and exercise care to avoid inadvertent error. Deliberate distortion is never permissible

— Avoid misleading re-enactments or staged news events. If re-enactment is necessary to tell a story, label it.

— Clarify and explain news coverage and invite dialogue with the public over journalistic conduct.

— Encourage the public to voice grievances against the news media.

— Admit mistakes and correct them promptly.

— Expose unethical practices of journalists and the news media.

— Abide by the same high standards to which they hold others.

— Make certain that headlines, news teases and promotional material, photos, video, audio, graphics, sound bites and quotations do not misrepresent. They should not oversimplify or highlight incidents out of context.

— Distinguish between advocacy and news reporting. Analysis and commentary should be labeled and not misrepresent fact or context.

— Avoid undercover or other surreptitious methods of gathering information except when traditional open methods will not yield information vital to the public. Use of such methods should be explained as part of the story

Has ANYONE in the mainstream press even read this Code of late? Maybe Kathy Carroll? Greg Mitchell? Bill Keller?

Need more clarity? Wuzzadem, in all of its pictoral-narrative glory, lays it out.

Day Jobs Suck

I heard the Trump portion of this while eating lunch (brunch) this a.m.

Trump owes me for the sandwich parts I sprayed when he said this:

"Barbara Walters, in my opinion, rues the day she put this animal on her show..."

I so wanted to blog about that right then and there.

Eh, delayed gratification and all that.

Peace In The Middle East

Would be a lot closer if someone opened a Child Protective Services office there.

AP Still Stonewalling on "Burning Six" Source

"Iraqi Police Captain Jamil Hussein," the Associated Press' source for the horror story about the six burning Sunnis, and at least sixty other AP stories from the past two years, is looking more and more mythical.

The latest from Michelle Malkin is a non-reponse to questions she raised yesterday, and forwarded to the Associated Press:

Here is the response I received yesterday from AP media relations officer Linda Wagner:

Michelle-
I have no additional information for you at this time.

Linda

I also cc'ed my questions to AP exec editor Kathleen Carroll.

She did not respond.

Ironic. The Western Press can be merciless toward any government official they perceive as stonewalling their inquiries, yet, when it appears that the AP has used a fraudulent source for more than sixty stories that have had a direct impact on the American public's perception of the war in Iraq - they stonewall,
and worse.

Is Capt. Jamil Hussein in Hiding?

For the most part, both the corporate news outlets and the left side of the blogosphere have been deafeningly quiet on the Jamil Hussein story. Every now and then, though, somebody pops his head up and, whipped up in a fit of ignorant (or feigned) rage, launches an intolerant tirade against any who would question the official corporate line. In the course of an extended rant against all of us who would dare question the veracity of a local Iraqi stringer, at least one blogger in the AP cheering section infers that Jamil Hussein hasn't come forward because the attendant publicity would put his family in danger:

It is strange that the AP doesn't seem interested in dragging out an Iraqi source and shouting, "Dance, monkey!" while all their bureau reporters and staff circle up and clap rhythmically. I'm sure Hussein would then be welcome on many national television shows and, afterward, he could go home with some lovely green room gift baskets and a big target to stick on his family.

Unfortunately, this is about as close to factual analysis as the AP cheering section has so far managed to get.

I'm fairly certain this story would have already gone away if the AP had just admitted that the "Burning Six" story was fabricated and issued a retraction. They refuse to do so, and that's why this story is important. But it's not going away, Ms. Carroll. We're not going to let you get away with a strategy of standing your ground, sticking to your guns and just hoping it blows over.

It's not going to blow over because this story is really not about what happened in a neighborhood in Baghdad on November 24, 2006.

This story is not even about whether or not Police Capt. Jamil Hussein exists, whether the 61 AP stories that used Capt. Hussein as a source have any veracity, or whether there is or is not a "civil war" in Iraq.

This story is about a western news media establishment that gets duped and exploited by politically-motivated local stringers time (Mohammed al-Dura) after time (Jenin) after time (Bassem Mroue) after time (Adnan Hajj) after time (Green Halmet Helmut Helmet) after time (The Qana Ambulance) after time (The Burning Six).

This system is broken, folks, and the LEFT WING should be every bit as concerned about this as the right wing. If the "eyes" and the "ears" of our nation are being flooded with false images and sounds, how is the "brain" expected to make good decisions? It can't. This is not a left or right issue, people!!

London Expecting Holiday Terror Attack

British counter-terrorism officials have reportedly said that it will be "a miracle" if London doesn't suffer an attack by Islamist terrorists over the holidays.

From ABC's The Blotter [emphasis added]:

British police have been quietly carrying out a series of key arrests as they continue to track at least six active "plots" tied to what they call "al Qaeda of England."

"It is not a matter of if there will be an attack, but how bad the attack will be," an intelligence official told ABCNews.com.

Authorities say they are seeking at least 18 suspected suicide bombers.

Westerners avoided going medieval on radical Muslims following 9/11, even the really mouthy, really stupid ones. There's no telling if that patience will continue following another serious terror attack. I wouldn't place any heavy bets on it.

It would serve moderate Muslims living in the Western world well to start condemning Islamist terrorists as loudly, forcefully, unconditionally, and publicly as possible. Publicity stunts like the blatant provocation pulled off by the flying imams have soured the general public's mood toward Muslims.

A high-profile terrorist attack during the holidays could set off vigilante retaliatory attacks.

Reader Love Mail: Basspro Edition

We received some more reader love mail this week. It was nice since the volume of death threats and “love mail” has been down lately. We were starting to worry that we weren’t offending anyone. But poet Sara Muni sent us this little gem.

Sara Muni: I was looking through your website you dirty waist of a soul. And i was disgusted, you stupid mother f__cker down playing Islam like anything about it in the first place. How can you open a website and start saying things about another faith you obviously no nothing about, well ill tell you how you don't come across as a very educated person in the first place. If you don't take down all your bull shit I'm going to take this to higher matters.

We have been unable to determine if she is the daughter of Mr. Muni from I Love Lucy. Her email stands in stark contrast to her little poem here.

There once was a great man who walked this earth
He was very blessed even since birth
He came with a message sent from above
He taught and preached and showed us love

He spread Islam and showed us the light
He taught us good the wrong from right
He listened and learned and warned the disbelievers
Who will surely be burned...

...blah blah blah....

Sara is using the name basspro as part of her email addy. The only girl basspro I know goes by the name Sam. Maybe Sara goes by Sam when she’s fishin?I dunno.

As to her demand that we take down all our bullshit before she takes the issue to "higher matters." I’ve assigned that to Vinnie. He will begin deletion of all bullshit once he has successfully deleted each spam message posted in comments by the Islamist supporting Spam Bastard. He has to do each one individually and new spam comes in daily so be patient. Vinnie thinks he can get to that sometime in 2015.

In the mean time, while you are waiting, we wrote a little poem for you too.

There once was a prophet from Mecca,
He liked to cutt-a the neck-a.
He boinked little girls,
all covered with curls,
And now he's Satan's bitch called 'Becca.

Hey Sara! You like that one? It rhymes and everything!

Miss USA Nevada Good Gay?

First we have heard whispers that Miss USA Tara Connor and Miss Teen USA were, “Making out”, in public. Now Miss Nevada 2007 is caught smooching other hot chicks and generally being naughty.

Canada.com: Shocking photos of a Miss USA contestant have come hot on the fashionable heels of a scandal that rocked reigning Miss USA Tara Conner.

The raunchy pics show Katie Rees, Miss Nevada 2007, exposing her breasts, passionately kissing other young women, and simulating oral sex with females and a male.

I’m not sure Good Gay is enough to describe this, how about super great mucho fantastic gay? Could there be more good gay activity in the Miss USA pageant? I sure hope so.

More below the fold.

Update: Sad Sad day for good gay. Miss USA Nevada 2007 has been canned.

TMZ has all the pics here. With stars dammit.

UPDATE by Ragnar : Wow. Okay, so there's nothing in these pics most of us haven't seen before, but yet these pics are REALLY titillating. I guess it's the "fame" thing--but she's not really that famous. I dunno. I guess I'll just have to go look at 'em all again & see if anything occurs to me...

More here at Howie’s Moisture Farm. To save Rusty from having to serve all these pics of course ;)

Freedom Journal Iraq #547

• Soldiers Find Weapons Cache
• Police, Kids Interact

December 20, 2006

Exporting Multiculturalism

Why is this man not playing pinochle with Zarqawi in Hell?

I'm having one of those things where I'm pretty sure I read or heard of a rumor or a report that U.S. military commanders were, ah, emphatically advising the President that it was time for Mookie to go. I just can't remember where.

The article seems to suggest that he may have gotten the message.

But, the most interesting thing I found lay way at the bottom...

"For example, the Sunni party wants all checkpoints leading to and from Baghdad to have an equal number of Shiite and Sunni guards, he said.

Ah...the best way to make sure Iraq never threatens anyone again. From Affirmative Action to zoning laws, emasculate them with Liberalism.

Like...banning religious symbols on public property.

Oh, the sweet, sweet irony that would be.

African Taliban Beatdown?

Somalia's government (if you can call it that) is claiming victory over the Islamic Courts Union forces in a battle outside of the "capital" Baidoa.

According to the report, Ethiopian troops took part in the fighting.

I wonder if the Hollywood left will rally around the Ethiopians as they fight and die to prevent Somalia from becoming another Taliban-like state the way they did when Ethiopians were dying of starvation in the '80s.

Mmm....doubt it.

AQ Claims 'Massive' Destruction in Pathetic Video

Here are the AQ claims from their most recent propaganda video:

1. A suicide attack against Americans at a factory;
2. An attack on a post overlooking Tawi bridge in Albufraj;
3. An attack on a U.S. military Hummer near intelligence headquarters in Al-Ramadi.

The factory is actually a newly consturcted hotel that nobody resides in. Fweh. What are few measley lies in the larger truthiness?

More reasons, if you needed any, for the uncompromising extermination of these Salafist cockroaches.

The Donald vs. the Blabbermouth

I know who's side I'm on. You?

Make sure to watch the Donald lay the perverbial smack-the-f*ck-down.

ht: AllahP

In Which I Thank Rusty and Co....

My original online home, Mein BlogoVault, turned two today...

Thank you to any and all of you Jawa readers who ventured over to the BlogoVault for a dose of the mediocre to Jawa-worthy...

Eason Jordan in Davos : The Unofficial Transcript

Via Iowahawk:

[Barney] Frank: You just stood there and accused American soldiers of deliberately targeting, hunting down and shooting journalists.

[extended silence]

[Eason] Jordan: Yes... I guess I'm just confused on the point you're trying to make.

Frank: My point is, do you actually have any evidence of that? I mean that the US military is deliberately killing journalists?

Jordan: Oh. Umm, okay, I think I see where you're going with that. Well, there are certainly accusations of that, and obviously we wouldn't be doing our jobs as journalists if we didn't recognize the existence of the accusations.

Frank: But you just stated it as fact.

Jordan: Well, duh. It's a fact: there have been accusations.

Unidentified Voice: I am a journalist, and the Imperialist American soldiers killed me.

Jordan: See [pointing]? Well, there you go. Jesus, Barney, what's with the third degree here? I thought you were gay.

Read the whole thing here.

Malkin Rounds Up, "The Year of Perpetual Outrage"

Perpetual outrage is Michelle's term for the ROP. It's amazing really when you see it all in one post.

Michelle Malkin: It began with the Danish cartoons. It ended with the flying imams. 2006 was a banner year for the Religion of Perpetual Outrage. Twelve turbulent months of fist-waving, embassy-burning, fatwa-issuing mayhem, intimidation, and murder resounded with the ululations of the aggrieved. All this in the name of defending Islam from “insult.” Let’s review.

ROPMA.

Cop Killer Escapes Britain Using Veil/Burka

Mustaf Jama escaped Justice by disguising himself as his sister. I don’t care how you slice it, wearing your sisters outfit is bad gay.

Times Online:A man who was being hunted for the murder of a policewoman is understood to have escaped from Britain by disguising himself as a veiled Muslim woman.

Mustaf Jama, a prime suspect in the fatal shooting of PC Sharon Beshenivsky, assumed his sister’s identity — wearing the niqab and using her passport — to evade supposedly stringent checks at Heathrow, according to police sources.

The use of the niqab, which leaves only a narrow slit for the eyes, highlights flaws in British airport security. At the time, Jama was Britain’s most wanted man, while Heathrow was on a heightened state of alert after the 7/7 terrorist atrocities in London five months previously.

So what else is this pious Muslime been up to, besides murdering female police officers?

At the time of his escape, between Christmas Day last year and New Year’s Day, the 26-year-old Somali national, who had 21 criminal convictions.

So how can you commit 21 crimes and still be a good Muslim? Easy, you only commit crimes against the infidels. It’s just like kicking your dog because Kuffar are not human. And you thought I was not catching on to this Islam stuff. al-Zawahiri has taught me well.

Hat Tip: Debbie (even though she’s a nut, and said that stuff about Omaba, and she and Vinnie will probably start slinging insults, she had this first and blog rules demand linky linky)

Christmas Bells, Those Christmas Bells...

Scrappleface translates the latest Ayman al-Zawahiri video:

Via HotAir.

US AQ/Taliban Collaborator in Trouble Again

The reason this disgusting assclown wasn't still in jail or already taking a dirt nap isn't because the New York Times has set the bar for treason so high, but due to a plea agreement that gave him a two year sentence in exchange for information against his fellow terrorists.

From the Jerusalem Post:

James Ujaama was arrested over the weekend in the Central American nation of Belize, Justice Department spokesman Bryan Sierra said. Under the terms of Ujaama's plea agreement, he was to surrender his passport after serving two years in prison and is not allowed to travel internationally during his three-year probation without written permission from the U.S. attorney's office in Seattle, where he was convicted in 2003.

Carrying a Mexican passport with the name "Ramirez Ramirez," Ujaama arrived in Belize "about 10 days ago," Belize police spokesman G. Michael Reid told The Seattle Times newspaper. Ujaama, 41, fought with officers before being arrested outside a Belize mosque, and one officer was treated for minor injuries, Reid said.

The J-Post is going light on Ujaama (full name Earnest James Ujaama), who has been doing his best to help out America's deadliest enemies since before 9/11. In 1999, Ujaama scouted locations for an al Qaeda training camp near Bly, Oregon.

Hat tip: Jawa reader Ben.

Nato Sends 50 Taliban to Allah

Inspired by Zawahiri’s message to fight for Jesus, Nato forces immediately went out and killed a bunch of Taliban. Allah gave a statement saying, “Despite the Taliban’s frequent murdering in his name, Murder is still against his will and the disappointed Taliban souls were sent strait to hell.” When asked for comment Jesus Christ said, “I know them not.”

Irish Examiner: As part of Baaz Tsuka, ISAF forces have launched several air strikes against Taliban command posts, killing a number of senior Taliban leaders.

“Taliban leaders are fleeing or being killed, and the Taliban soldiers don’t know what to do,” Nugee said. “Like any organisation, if you take out the head, often the body doesn’t know what to do.”

He said the operations are ongoing, but so far the joint forces have cleared three villages of Taliban.

Zawahiri Not Dead (updated)

Dag nabbit! I was hoping he was taking the big dirt nap. But al-Qaeda’s Dr. Evil is celebrating the birth of Christ by totally ignoring his teachings. Rather than peace on earth good will towards men his motto is more war.

Via Jay at Stop the ALCU: The message was aired by non other than Al-Jazeera, Al Qaeda’s favorite news network. He went on to condemn elections in Palestine instead favoring jihad. He said, ” Any way other than holy war, will lead us only to loss and defeat.”

Zawahiri is lending his support to the Palestinians from under a rock somewhere in Pakistan.

Update: By golly Centcom’s translation is a bit off. It seems Zawahiri has found Jesus! Finally a radical Muslim actually listens to what Jesus says, rather than just pay him lip service as “A minor prophet who failed for want of the sword.”

Via Scrappleface.

Hat Tip: Aine.

Update II. Laura Mansfield has a complete transcript here.

Update: Centcom has updated with a full transcript here.

Laura Mansfield has obtained a low-res copy of the vid. I have uploaded it to google video here.

Via Centcom: Ayman al-Zawahiri, second-in-command of Al-Qa'ida organization, said that plots are being hatched to abort the concept of jihad in the Palestinian territories. In a new videotape, he stressed that the elections in the Palestinian areas will not lead to the liberation of these areas. Excerpt #1:

[Begin Al-Zawahiri video recording] Any path other than the path of jihad will not lead us to anything but to waste and loss. Those trying to liberate the Muslim land through elections based on secular constitutions or on the [UN] resolutions handing over Palestine to the Jews, will not liberate a grain of the soil of Palestine. In fact, their efforts will lead to strangling the jihad and besieging the mujahidin. Retreating before the West will not make them feel satisfied with us, no matter how skillful we might be in maneuvering, tactics, and dialogue.

God says: Never will the Jews or the Christians be satisfied with thee unless thou follow their form of religion. [Part of Koranic verse] [End recording]

Excerpt #2:

[Begin Al-Zawahiri video recording] One of the forms of recognizing Israel is accepting the legitimacy of Mahmud Abbas, head of the National Authority and America's man in Palestine, and giving the PLO, which recognizes Israel, the mandate to negotiate with Israel. This is an abyss, which eventually destroys jihad and leads to the recognition of Israel. Disregarding the religious facts and the actual realities of the conflict between Islam and non-belief has made some brothers in Palestine go from calm to elections based on a secular constitution; from elections based on a secular constitution to respect for international resolutions; from respect for international resolutions to acceptance of the prisoner document; from acceptance of the prisoner document to a national unity government; and from a national unity government to forcing them out of the cabinet. The series is still unfolding. How is it that they have not demanded that Palestine should have an Islamic constitution before participating in any elections? Aren't they an Islamic movement? Aren't they seeking to make the word of Allah reign supreme? [End recording]

Al-Zawahiri said that plots are being hatched to abort the notion of jihad in the Palestinian territories. He asserted that elections in the Palestinian territories will not lead to its liberation.

[Begin Al-Zawahiri video recording] Any path other than the path of jihad will not lead us to anything but to waste and loss. Those trying to liberate the Muslim land through elections based on secular constitutions, or on the [UN] resolutions handing over Palestine to the Jews, will not liberate a grain of the soil of Palestine. In fact, their efforts will lead to strangling the jihad and besieging the mujahidin. Retreating before the West will not make them feel satisfied with us, no matter how skillful we might be in maneuvering, tactics, and dialogue. God says: Never will the Jews or the Christians be satisfied with thee unless thou follow their form of religion. [Part of Koranic verse] [End recording]

Excerpt #3:

Al-Zawahiri said that any government in Palestine should rely on the Islamic Shari'ah [law]. He said that regaining every inch of occupied Palestine, including the parts occupied in 1948, is a duty for every Muslim. He said that all UN resolutions pertaining to the Palestine question, including the partition resolution are unlawful from a religious view.

[Begin Al-Zawahiri recording] They cannot imagine the Muslims establishing a government in Palestine or elsewhere that is based on anything but the Shari'ah and whose terms of reference are anything but the Shari'ah. The second fact is that every Muslim is duty-bound to regain any land that was a land of Islam. Therefore, we as Muslims cannot concede to Israel a single inch of Palestine. As far as we are concerned, there is no difference between the 1948 Palestine and the 1967 Palestine. It is all Palestine, and it all belongs to the Muslims. All the UN resolutions that have taken parts of it, and recognized Israel's presence on it, starting with the partition resolution to Resolution 1701 are all null and void, and, in the balance of Islam, are worthless. We should reject, renounce, and fight these resolutions. We should not take hesitant positions toward these resolutions by saying that we will respect and acknowledge them as a fact of life, and other such statements that would squander the Muslim's rights. Recognizing these resolutions implies the recognition of the Hebrew state. [End recording]

If and when we obtain a copy of the full message and transcript we will bring it to you.

Freedom Journal Iraq #545

• Police Meet the Neighbors
• Soldiers on Patrol

Deeyah : What Will it Be?

Here's a recent profile of Muslim singer Deeyah:

MORE BELOW THE FOLD

Here's a CNN interview of Deeyah:

Here's the video that caused all the stir:

Basic Propaganda 101

Sensationalized breathless headline for Reuters story: "U.S. soldiers' suicide rate in Iraq doubles in 2005" (actually, the rate in 2004 was 10.5 per 100,000. The 2006 rate of 19.9 per 100,000 is a bit short of "double," but few people with two brain cells to rub together expect truth and accuracy from Reuters - Adnan Hajj and the other fake/staged news events of the Israeli-Hizbullah war saw to that).

Money quote, buried deep, deep into the story:

While every suicide was one too many, Kiley said, the suicide rate among soldiers was lower than the average among civilians of the same age and gender.

Perspective: the suicide rate for young women 15-19 living in South India is 148 per 100,000.

Time it will take for the first blame-America-first lefty to accuse me of not caring about soldier suicides: a New York minute.

December 19, 2006

Busted, Disgusted, And Can Not Be Trusted

Greg at the Political Pit Bull has the skinny on a Pakistani ISI agent with possible Al Qaeda ties being arrested by Afghan authorities.

Go check it out.

More AP "Burning Six" Shenanigans (Updated)

Curt at Flopping Aces notes that the Associated Press has quietly changed the copy of their November 28 response to questions about the "burning six" story. And the Google cached version has mysteriously changed, as well (screen caps of the dueling stories here).

After Confederate Yankee noticed that the page briefly went down, an unacknowledged paragraph rewrite appeared:

AP reporters who have been working in Iraq throughout the conflict learned of the mosque incident through witnesses and later corroborated it with police.

Luckily, USA Today didn't get the word, and still has the original copy posted:

AP reporters who have been working in Iraq throughout the conflict learned of the mosque incident through witnesses and neighborhood residents and corroborated it with a named police spokesmen and also through hospital and morgue workers.

The "neighbors" and "hospital and morgue workers" copy has been expunged.

Why would the Associated Press try to change the record on a controversial story, especially one in which the AP's reporting has come into question? It's tough to come up with an innocent explanation for this one.

Update: Allahpundit at HotAir thinks that the quotes are from two different documents, but wonders why the supporting witnesses were left out of the later document. I'm not convinced that there were two documents. The copy is just too similar.

Wise Yoda Is

Since the Jawa loses money I guess that makes us non profit. Stop in at Day By Day and donate to cover Howie’s ass.

We just like the Wisdom of Yoda But you can read Day by Day Daily at the above link or at Captain's Quarters

Hat Tip: Jerry.

Show Trial

Does anyone remember the story of the Bulgarian nurses accused of deliberately giving Libyan children AIDS?

They've been sentenced to death.

Again.

Classic totalitarian tactic. Find a scapegoat to divert attention from the real criminals, the Libyan government.

Pushback

The Iraqi government engages in some counter-jihad propaganda:

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraq executed 13 men convicted of murder, kidnapping and other crimes, the government said Tuesday.

Video released by the government showed the men wearing hoods and green jumpsuits, and standing against a wall shortly before they were hanged. Some images showed two men standing together on a gallows with nooses around their necks.

It's good to see them pushing back against the numerous jihad videos that are aired on t.v. and posted ad nauseum on the internet.

Expect comparisons to Saddam from the usual suspects, though.

Tara Connor Keeps Her Crown

The Donald has given Tara a second chance for drinking underage.

ABCNEWS: NEW YORK Dec 19, 2006 (AP)— Miss USA Tara Conner, who had come under criticism amid rumors she had been frequenting bars while underage, will be allowed to keep her title, the Miss Universe Organization announced Tuesday.
The organization is owned by Donald Trump and NBC.

"I've always been a believer in second chances," Trump said at a news conference. He and Conner met earlier Tuesday morning.

And I’m sure he made the right decision because Miss USA and Miss Teen USA making out in public is 100% Very Good Gay and makes up for all that other stuff.

News Channel 5: There are also reports that the beauty queen allegedly had a public make-out session with Miss Teen USA.

Tara, Very HOT.

Miss Teen USA Katie Blair(right) very very hot.

Put them together and you get very very good gay. Sigh I have to get to NYC one of these days. Not the kind of thing you get to see out here in the sticks.

More on Tara's good gay adventure here.

Previous entries on Tara's troubles and more bikinis too!

The Society for the Prevention of Arab Gay Oppression (SPAGO)

From Greg Gutfield at HuffPo:

Human Rights Watch, Moveon.org, ACT-UP, the Huffington Post and David Geffen are proud to present the March to Mecca, a celebration of peace that calls all gay brothers, sisters and people undergoing sex-reassignment to march to the holiest of holy cities, Mecca, the capital city of Saudi Arabia's Makkah province on Valentine's Day, February 14, 2007.

More fun here.

Freedom Journal Iraq #544

• ISF Trains with New Vehicle
• New Police Station in Babel

Featuring a John Kerry suck up.

December 18, 2006

"Open Season" - Stuck Mojo

Now this rap has a message I can get behind.

Despite the clear targeting of radical jihadi terrorists by the video, YouTube Islamists are having it suppressed. I have some experience with "moderate Muslims" objecting to my own work (until Vinnie resurrected it).

Via Stop the ACLU.

UPDATE by Ragnar : From the band's website:

So What Happened?

Honestly? We don’t know. But it is clear that someone in an administrative position at YouTube does not like the message presented in the video. The best we can tell is that “Open Season” has been banned from appearing in any of the “Honors” categories and appearing on the lists. The simple fact is that the videos on these lists are highly visible. In essence, they receive extra promotion for being popular. Apparently, this does not sit well with them in Stuck Mojo’s case.

I can confirm that this happens on YouTube. When it happened to our video "Flight Club," I was open to the idea that it was just a glitch. Now it's looking like a pattern. Looks like they don't have the cojones to ban them outright, but they don't want them showing up on the front page and upsetting the Islamists, so they quietly game the system. Chickenshits.

Update By Howie: Lyrics below the fold. Hat Tip: Mark

Open Season Music: Ward Lyrics: Aborn, Nelson String Arrangement: Eric Frampton

I speak peace when peace is spoken,
But I speak war when your hate is provoking,
The season is open 24-7-365, Man up yo time to ride,
No need to hide behind slogans of deceit,
Claiming that you're a religion of peace,
We just don't believe you, We can clearly see through,
The madness that you're feeding your people,
Jihad the cry of your unholy war, Using the willing, the weak and poor,
From birth drowning in propaganda, rhetoric and slander,
All we can say is damn ya

My forefathers fought and died for this here
I'm stronger than your war of fear
Are we clear?
If you step in my hood
It's understood
It's open season

I don't need a faith that's blind,
Where death and hate bring me peace of mind,
With views that are stuck deep in the seventh century,
With so much sand in your eyes too blind to see,
The venom that you leaders preach, Is the path to your own destruction, Your own demise,
You might say that I don't understand but your disgust for me is what I realize, Surprise!
Your homicidal ways has got the whole world watching, Whole world scoping,
So if you bring it to my home base, Best believe it, The season's open

My forefathers fought and died for this here
I'm stronger than your war of fear
Are we clear?
If you step in my hood
It's understood
It's open season

I see you, Hell yeah I see you, Motherfucker naw, I don't wanna be you,
If you come to my place, I'll drop more than just some bass,
Yo you'll get a taste of a, Sick motherfucker from the Dirty,
I ain't worrying not a fucking bit,
I'm telescoping like Hubble, Yo you in trouble, Yo on the double,
I'm wild with mine, Bring that style with mine,
Fuck with my family I'll end your line,
Just the way it is, Just the way it be, Do you understand?
No matter if you're woman or man, or child, My profile is crazy,
That shit you do doesn't amaze me, I'm ready to blaze thee

I don't give a damn what god you claim, I've seen the innocent that you've slain,
On my streets you're just fair game,
Like a pig walk to your slaughter, The heat here is so much hotter,
And my views won't teeter totter or fluctuate, Step to me you just met your fate,
And I'll annihilate, With the skill of a Shogun assassin,
Slicing and dicing precise with a passion,
In any shape form or fashion, Bring it to my home,
Welcome to the danger zone, Cause your attitude's the reason,
The triggers keep squeezing, The hunt is on and it's open season

It's Open Season

My forefathers fought and died for this here
I'm stronger than your war of fear
Are we clear?
If you step in my hood
It's understood
It's open season

Dr. Rusty Shackleford Spotted!

After posting this afternoon, Rusty went out for a little fun. The results?

More on Jamil Hussein : Are Leftists Cognitively Impaired?

In response to my earlier post on leftists carrying water for corporate media as regards the Jamil Hussein fiasco, a commenter threw up a barrage of non-sequiturs in the comments. I see similar types of "counter-arguments" regularly, so I thought this would be as good a time as any to take them on. Here they are:

"The Left are skeptical about Malkin because it's very obvious that her motive is not truth."

I can't speak to Michelle Malkin's motives, but her motives are irrelevant. Prominent bloggers in general, and Michelle Malkin in particular, are generally very accurate, but their track record on veracity has nothing to do with the quality of AP's reporting. Michelle Malkin could theoretically have a terrible track record for truth and still be 100% right as to the facts on THIS STORY. This story is not about Michelle Malkin, Curt, our own Dread Pundit Bluto or any of the other bloggers who have been doing great work on this one. Nobody is taking their word for anything. This is about AP's quality control (or rather, the lack thereof) and AP's inability to present ANY verifiable evidence that the events actually happened as they claim.

The "only evidence for [Michelle Malkin's] point of view was [a] press-release from CENTCOM and MOI."

Again, both WRONG and IRRELEVANT. The bloggers, including Michelle, have cited a number of sources to back up her reporting, including but not limited to official govt. sources. Even if they had only cited official government sources, it places the AP story in doubt, thus placing a burden on the AP to bolster their position with some piece of verifiable evidence. The fact that AP can't clear up the discrepancy after the passage of several weeks casts even more doubt on their original report.

Malkin has "shown that she doesn't care for truth and/or logical thinking so many times you just can't count."

Yet again, both wrong and irrelevant. The bloggers could be the most illogical people in the world and still convey accurate facts. This is fundamentally about factual accuracy, a complete lack of verifiable evidence and a long list of inconsistencies--even within AP's own reporting. Either the bloggers' facts and arguments ON THIS ISSUE hold up or they don't.

As usual, debating with a leftist is an exercise in frustration. Not a single one of the above points is a counter-argument to any point I raised in my original post. I wonder sometimes: are leftists even CAPABLE of rational thought and logical argument? I used to think they were just intellectually lazy. I'm starting to think most leftists are cognitively impaired. I'm really not kidding.

Update Uno By Vinnie: My friend Ragnar shows his youthfulness. I learned long ago that debating with left/liberals is pointless. You can't rationalize with the irrational. So I settled on a policy of just jumping into the swamp and flinging their own poo back at them. I do to them what they do to us, call them names, twist their arguments to fit my agenda, and in general try to make their lives miserable. Not that it's hard to do, most left/liberals wander around life abjectly miserable to begin with, and their mission is to make those of us who aren't, just like them. Unlike them, however, I fling poo with a wink and a smile, they do it with abject, undisguised hatred. Which, of course, is something they accuse us of.

Iran Votes Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Candidates Lose

Heh, Apparently Iran's Voters are none to happy with his abandonment of his platform t Mahmoud's abandonment of his platform and puppet dance fotr the Ayatollahs.

The Guardian:The Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, faced electoral embarrassment today after the apparent failure of his supporters to win control of key local councils and block the political comeback of his most powerful opponent.

Early results from last Friday's election suggested that his Sweet Scent of Service coalition had won just three out of 15 seats on the symbolically important Tehran city council, foiling Mr Ahmadinejad's plan to oust the mayor and replace him with an ally.

Heh, welcome to Democracy. The people have spoken and you did even worse than the Republicans in the US.

I'd step down now, before the Iranian people hang you from a crane.

Also see OTB and Captain's Quarters.

Yes I'm basking in the glow of this one.

UAE Camel Racers Try to Buy Out Camel Jockeys.

In an effort similar to Fords recent effort to trim its workforce, Camel Racing promoters in the UAE are promising to pay former camel jockeys compensation for their work riding camels. Often the boys were sold into slavery by their families.

Via BBC: The United Arab Emirates says it will give $9m (£4.6m) to former child camel jockeys employed in the country.

The UAE says the money will ensure they receive the salaries owed to them and compensation for losing their income. It will also go towards education.
The move is part of a joint programme with the UN children's agency Unicef.
The initiative has seen more than 1,000 former jockeys, from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sudan and Mauritania repatriated to their countries.

Hey they just decided to pay these kids out of the kindness of their hearts? No afraid not.

The prime minister of the UAE, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, is among those accused, in a class action filed in the US, of trafficking and enslaving children.

The suit is being brought against him, his brother Sheikh Hamdan, and 500 others by some parents and thousands of unnamed children.

Rather than hire and pay camel jockeys legitimately, they just want to pay some hush money and move on to new Super futuristic Robot Camel Jockeys. I hope these boys get a fair share but the odds of that are pretty slim.

Hat Tip: Macktastic Rusty Wicked.

Jawa Report Man/Men/Ladies of The Year.

Yesterday Time Magazine named YOU as the man of the year. “You”, as in, those who create user generated content. I know this was yesterday but it was the Blog Sabbath and we’ve not had a chance to brag yet. I thought I’d recognize our contributors who made YOU count this year. We’ll everyone helps, but a few stand out.

First we have Dr Rusty Shackelford(pic right), not only is he our blogfather, he created this platform that us gets attention drawn to all our work. Rusty’s work on this site is really the basis that we all depend on.

Rusty made YOU count with his exposure fake reuters photo here.

Much more below the fold.

Our star youtube player Ragnar created the following video. It’s one of my favorites.

Next our frequent Jawa contributor Bluto created this Vid.

Our Editor in Chief Vinnie did this one.

Jawa reader and blogger Stan The Indfidel created this vid

See more of our contributors work here.

And not to leave out the ladies Michelle Malkin was in on this too. Getting some of her work banned from youtube.

So what did Howie do? Well it’s not really nice to brag on yourself now is it? But a few things. I started the Juba Sucks blog. The Jawa readers and I got one of al-Manar’s feeds taken off an American server. So everyone here helps. Bloggers, readers and just ordinary people, YOU all contribute.

Blogging has been very good to me. I’m just an ordinary person, just like you. When I look at all we’ve done here, I feel proud to have been a small part of it.

One thought I have is how many more that may be lurking out there. There are people who probably can say and do many things better than I do. I encourage them to start today while they still can. Right now YOU has a loud voice. This is an historic moment when just about anyone can be heard. I’m not sure how long that will last. So get out there and get involved.

Thanks to YOU.

This post is open to all Jawa contributors to add whatever they feel proud of and also feel free to link your stuff in comments.

Where's Rusty? California Über Alles

I'm back in California--L.A. area. Wish you were here. While I'm gone, I leave the Jawa in competent hands. "In competent"...... Freudian slip?

So, don't e-mail me tips unless it's of a personal nature. Bug Vinnie or Howie or something. Pics of hot Muslim chicks should be sent to Ragnar or Bluto. Pics of naughty teachers, to Mike. We're still unsure of Good Lt.'ts sexuality, so any manmeat should be sent his way.

If anybody wants to take a Jawa to lunch, or maybe knows of a L.A. area get together, drop me an e-mail. Oh, and if you have to ask about the pic below, you just don't get it.

I Say Jamil, You Say Jamail (Updated)

Yesterday "Armed Liberal" at Winds of Change posted a short blurb about queries he had made to friends of his in Iraq:

With the help of some friends who have been doing a smidgen of looking, and it appears - appears, but is not certain - that there is in fact a Jamail Hussein in the Yarmouk police station in Baghdad. We'll know more tomorrow.

This morsel, and a hasty discharge from the sometimes overly excitable Allahpundit was enough to get the tools at Editor & Publisher boiling in their pants about the imminent vindication of the Associated Press (who started the whole thing by being even bigger tools for jihadi propaganda than E&P are for them) and the humiliation of any blogger so unwise as to have questioned their liegelords at the AP.

But now, Winds of Change is clarifying, they're not "backing off" - they supplied plenty of caveats to their original post, E&P just chose to ignore them:

So, after some calls, IMs, and e-mail we get a call back by Sat night (California time)/Sunday morning (Baghdad time); there is no Capt. Jamil Hussein at Yarmouk, but there is a Sergeant by that name, with a somewhat dubious reputation (worked directly under Uday, Baathist remnant, etc.)...

...Reporters from Al Sabah agreed to go interview the superior officer at the police station. They were on the phone at 4:30 am PST today, and they had gone to Karrada and established there is no Jamail Hussein there (would have been unlikely since Karrada is mostly Shiite, and in fact is mostly the power zone of SCIRI, Hakeem has his HQ there - and the Sgt at Yarmouk was obviously Sunni). Information then came in that there is a Colonel Jamail Hussein working at Abu Gharib. (Via sources at the Interior Ministry.)

This begs the questions: why can a blogger in California come closer to solving the Captain Jamil Hussein mystery than the Associated Press, and why is Editor & Publisher so visibly desperate to validate AP's burning six story?

Update: For the intellectually challenged, like frequent Jawa blame-America-first-if-it-makes-political-hay-for-the-Dems troll John Ryan, the Associated Press is not simply a "news outlet." It is a wire service, and therefore serves hundreds of news outlets. That means that a bogus story like the burning six gets repeated hundreds of times.

Wire services like the AP and Reuters are rightfully expected to adhere to a higher standard of accuracy than the neighborhood Pennysaver, as a simple retraction won't get picked up by all the outlets that carried the bogus story.

BSCC: Excuse Yourself Edition.(Updated Fatawas Issued)

Yerin Eyerak. yer havin vittles with John Kerry. Excuse yersef from the table without insultin the cook..

No Gatway Pundit, it's not too late for a contest.

Update: Link Fixed Fatwas Issued.

The "i will cut ur neck" fatwa issued against USA, all the way! Michael Weaver
for:

This stuff is great! If I fix up a plate, and hurry, I can get this wonderful stuff to my wife before her scheduled break is over. Then she can enjoy it fresh and hot! No! Don't get up John ... I'll just be on my way, You stay right where you are ...

The "devil will do meetballs from your bodies fatwa issued against Nancy Grove for:

Sorry to have to dash off Senator, but we heard that a few of the Code Pink girls were here and well, you know they support us as much as you do...

The "why you insult holly quoran" fatwa issued against
Graeme for:

Whadya know - looks like some rain's coming. I should go make sure that all the windows on my tank are rolled up.

Nice try but no fatwa, try following the rules fatwa issued against Jeff Bargholz for:

John Kerry honors our troops by eating their food while they're out on patrol.

"You Suck" fatwa issued against myself for breaking Gateway Pundit's link (Sorry, about that).

I Better late than never. Fatwas also issued for our 9/3 Convert to Islam or Die Edition.

You Really Suck" Fatwa issued against Spam Bastard for spamming this thread

Reader Love Mail: Juba Sucks Edition

Here we have a comment from a terrorists supporting A$$hole. He got caught in the flypaper over at Juba Sucks, our anti-Juba Sniper site.

what shame
juba did all that to you guys?
juba defeat US cowerd rats in iraq
ur planning to escabe like road runner :)
am happy to browse such blog
cuz that show how ur terrifieng from juba
your dieing there mother f--kers
hahahahah
the blood of cheldren following you chasing you
half of your soldiers are legless or handicap or killed like a cow

haaaaaaaaaaaaay
and the future hiding more fun in iraq

hey hey hey

its not just a horror movie
its real death
say bye to your relatives

your f--ked relatives

He was obviously disappointed that his search did not quite end up where he thought. Don’t let him get away without stopping in and giving him a reply.

Why Does the Left Wing Carry Water for Corporate Media?

In the past, it has generally been the left, rather than the right, which has been quickest to pounce on big multinational corporations "exploiting the people" and peddling shoddy products and services. The right has traditionally had more of a "caveat emptor" attitude--i.e., if you can't be bothered to pay attention to what you're buying, you deserve what you get.

Oddly, the often shoddy services being peddled by the world's corporate media conglomerates find most of their their toughest critics on the right wing and most of their defenders on the left.

As regards previous stories, the left has been more silent than anything, mostly ignoring the numerous examples of atrocious journalism. On the Jamil Hussein / Burning Six story, the left seems to be taking a more active role defending big media. Their hearts ache, apparently, for a huge multinational corporation under attack by some regular citizens.

Firedoglake, for example, has this to say about Michelle's upcoming trip:

Meanwhile, LG&M has a Christmas wish that I'd like to second. May all the warbloggers take Malkin's bravery as a challenge to demonstrate that the AP simply doesn't know what it's talking about and prove those of us suffering from BDS dead wrong.

Will she go? Does she actually believe the stuff she writes?

MORE BELOW THE FOLD

Some of the lefty blogs have been frolicking with glee at the thought that Jamil Hussein REALLY DOES exist, and that six sunnis REALLY DID get incinerated on Nov. 24th.

The jury is still out on the facts, but the Jamil Hussein / Burning Six story isn't about Jamil Hussein, or even whether or not six people got burned alive on Nov. 24th in Hurriyah. The issue is whether the AP acted with a reasonable level of concern for accuracy in its reporting of the story. Anyone who's been paying attention will probably come to the same conclusion I have: AP did not act with a reasonable level of concern for accuracy.

I don't know if Jamil Hussein exists--but neither does AP.

I don't know if TWELVE sunnis, or SIX sunnis, or NO sunnis were burned alive on Nov. 24th--but neither does the AP.

I don't know if FOUR sunni mosques were subjected to rocket attacks and set on fire, or ONE sunni mosque sustained minor fire damage from a molotov cocktail--but neither does the AP.

I don't know whether the attacks on the sunni mosques were stopped by intervention of a U.S. military unit in the area--but neither does the AP.

I don't know if multiple bodies of incinerated sunnis were taken to a local hospital or buried by the people who watched the attacks--but neither does the AP.

From what I can tell, the left is almost completely uninterested in whether or not the news stories coming out of the Middle East are true or false. This is true even where the stories are at least inaccurate if not complete fabrications. The left seems unwilling to accept that local stringers sometimes lie. I don't care what your politics are. How can you possibly think it's a GOOD thing for big media to be peddling FALSE STORIES, whatever their source? Is this what the LEFT stands for today, allowing multinational corporations to LIE to the people with impunity? If not, then shouldn't those on the LEFT be every bit as critical of shoddy journalism as those of us on the RIGHT are? Whatever our agendas may be, shouldn't we start with the ACCURATE FACTS and go forward from there?

Oh, and before one of you long-haried knee-jerk commie hippies trots it out again in the comments, I'll deal with it right here up front. Whether or not Bill O'Reilly neglected to mention some fact in his OPINION commentary one night on his OPINION show has NOTHING TO DO with whether or not the Associated Press is doing a decent job of reporting the news from the Middle East. Whether or not George W. Bush was accurate about WMDs in Iraq has NOTHING TO DO with whether the AP accurately reported the events in Hurriyah on November 24th. It has NOTHING to do with it. Every discussion is not just another opportunity to pontificate on Bill O'Reilly, WMDs, 9-11 truth, or whatever freak-ass kool-aid you folks are drinking this week. Get it through your thick damn skull. If you're going to comment, please try to stay on topic for a change.

YouTube : The Christian Embassy Video

You've heard about it. You've read about it. Here it is:

This guy isn't too happy about it. Allah has a different take.

Discuss amongst yourselves.

Freedom Journal Iraq #543

• Celebrity Visit
• MPs Keep the Peace

December 17, 2006

LONELYTERRORIST15

Gingrich : The Flying Imams Should Have Been Arrested

As usual, Gingrich has it right:

MANCHESTER, N.H., Dec. 16 (UPI) -- Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich told an audience in New Hampshire Muslim clerics pulled off a plane for praying should have been charged criminally.

Gingrich made the remark Friday night, as he delivered the keynote speech at the Manchester Republican City Committee Christmas dinner, the Manchester (N.H.) Union Leader reported.

Gingrich on GOP campaigns for 2008.

"Those six people should have been arrested and prosecuted for pretending to be terrorists," Gingrich said. "And the crew of the U.S. airplane should have been invited to the White House and congratulated for being correct in the protection of citizens."

Update by Howie:

Gingrich on MTP. REad what he actually says or podcasts here.

Hat Tips: Instaundit and The Moderate Voice.

Iranian Christian Converts Reported Arrested

According to a translation of a RadioFarda report posted at Free Republic, 14 Iranians who converted to Christianity from Islam were arrested under sharia law, which condemns apostates to death:

According to confirmed reports from inside of Iran, 14 ex-muslims who converted to christianity were arrested a week ago in cities of Karaj, Tehran and Rasht.

Reports from US backed RadioFarda.com tell us that these new christians were trying to hold religious gathering to celebrate christmas and they are charged with converting from Islam to christianity and according the sharia law, the penalty for such act is death.

Their bibles, religious books & symbols, CDs and other personal stuff were seized by the authorities.

The families of these detainees staged a rally in front of the judicial ministry but their peaceful gathering was met with brutal actions of the ministry of intelligence agents.

The name of the christian detainees are:

In city of Rasht: Shaheen Taghizadeh, Yosef Noorkhani, Mathias Hagh-Nejad, Parviz Khalaj, Muhammad Belyad, Peyman Salarvand, Sohrab Sayadi, Mr. Davood and Mr. Amin.

City of Tehran: Mrs. Shirin Sadegh, Mr. Behrooz Sadegh, Mr. Hamid-Reza Tolou'ee

City of Karaj: Mr. Behnam Irani & Mr. Bahman Irani (brothers)

The families of these above mentioned detainees ask all people from all around the world to raise their concern with their governments and help secure the release of their loved ones from the jails of the Islamic regime of Iran.

This would be an excellent time for all civilized persons, including moderate Muslims, to express their outrage at this barbaric act of the Iranian government.

Via Stop the ACLU.

Danny Bonaduce Delivers the Rhetorical Beatdown to Truther

h/t : LGF

Christmas in Darfur

Christmas in Darfur update:

We're wheels up in just over 19 hours. I have secured data access (but the cost of data transfer is heinous). We should, in theory, have updates posted at the blog, so keep an eye out for those.

Happy Holidays, and see you all on the flipside.

And a big, big thanks to those who chipped in. With your support, we're going in with protective gear, clean water, medical kit, insurance and comms, so, thank you very much.

The Blog Sabbath Poll: Geek Wars

It's time to settle it once and for all. Sticky post unto the end of the Sabbath, scroll down for more inanity while Rusty is gone.

Best Geek Trilogy
	Original Star Wars
	Lord Of The Rings
Free polls from Pollhost.com

December 16, 2006

Jawa Report Insomniac Comedy Theatere (Vol. ?)

Below the jump. a superb collection of video clips vids awaits for your viewing enjoyment.

First off, some of your faithful pesky Jawa co-bloggers get too close to the action at a NASCAR pod race this weekend.

Sam Kinison on World Hunger.

Michael Savage hits some nails on the head. Live.

Death to America.

Funny crashes, possibly with some injuries.

All Your Fakes are Belong To Us:

Rusty in a heartfelt moment with his son...

Zipperfish takes on Muslims during the Cartoon Jihad. Definitely jihad worthy.

Tool - Sober:

Neighborhood Watch - Iraq

They have to be a bit more vigilant than their counterparts in the United States:

Dec. 16, 2006

Neighborhood Watch identifies weapons cache to Iraqi Police

Multi-National Corps – West PAO

Ar Ramadi, Iraq – While conducting a routine security patrol in the city of Hamdiyah December 13, Iraqi Police were flagged-down by members of the neighborhood watch and led to the location of a terrorist weapons cache.

The cache consisted of:
(1) 155mm projectile
(3) 120mm mortars
(1) 100mm projectile
(2) bags of propellant
(1) improvised container
(2) oxygen tanks
(2) IRLs
(1) 100mm mortar
(1) 115mm projectile
(5) LRCT base stations
(1) suicide belt
(3) reels of wire
(10) initiation switches
(3) anti-handling systems
(4) Senao phones
(1) unknown sighting system
70-ft of detonation cord

U.S. Soldier, Spc. Ahmed K. Altaie, Classified "Captured"

American soldier, Spc. Ahmed Qusai al-Taayie has been reclassified from "whereabouts unknown" to "missing-captured." We pray for his speedy return.

DOD:

The Department of Defense announced today a change in the status of a soldier serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom from duty status whereabouts unknown (DUSTWUN) to missing-captured.

Spc. Ahmed K. Altaie, 41, of Ann Arbor, Mich., was declared missing-captured on Dec. 11.

On Oct. 23, Altaie was categorized as DUSTWUN when he allegedly was kidnapped while on his way to visit family in Baghdad, Iraq. The soldier is assigned to the Provincial Reconstruction Team Baghdad.

Efforts continue to obtain the successful and safe return of Altaie.

American Hostages in Iraq Update
Negotiations in Progress for Release of Hostage Ahmed K. Altaie
Ransom Demanded for American Soldier Held Hostage in Iraq
Soldier Abducted
Hostage Archives

Iran Planning, "Final Soluton"

Not a surprise really, I've read it and was speechless.

Via Mermi:On December 14, 2006 the Iranian news agency IRNA reported, in English, that participants in the Iranian Holocaust Denial conference, dubbed "Holocaust: A Global Vision," had announced the establishment of a "world foundation for Holocaust studies" and unanimously appointed Presidential Advisor Mohammad-Ali Ramin as its secretary-general.

According to IRNA, Ramin said that "one of the plans of the foundation is to assign a committee to find out the truth about the holocaust [sic], and noted that its main office will be in Tehran, and that it "will eventually be transferred to Berlin, once proper grounds are prepared."

Let me translate, "once proper grounds are prepared" for you. That's, "Once the Islamists control Germany".

But what could possible be the point of such a study?

"The Resolution of the Holocaust Issue Will End in the Destruction of Israel"

"Ramin (Presidential Advisor Mohammad-Ali Ramin as secretary-general of World Foundation for Holocaust Studies) claimed that the Holocaust was the main reason why Palestine was occupied, while Israel was the main cause of crises and catastrophe in the Middle East. 'So long as Israel exists in the region,' he said, 'there will never be peace and security in the Middle East. So the resolution of the Holocaust issue will end in the destruction of Israel.'

So, you guys at The Hauge hear that?

Troops Respond To Slanderous Democrat Morons

Message to Dhimmicrats Charles Rangel and John F'ing Kerry - you're slander against the troops hasn't gone unnoticed. Jackasses. From Serviceman Arnold Dupuy:

I was working on my second M.A. when an opportunity arose to train Afghan soldiers. I jumped at the chance, as I wanted to make a contribution to the war effort and help the Afghan people. I dropped out of classes, left my wife and two young children, and with a team of exceptionally intelligent and dedicated men, trained several hundred Afghan artillery men. I have since resumed my studies and will finish next year. Other than being a parent, that experience has been one of the most satisfying of my life.

Furthermore, my brother completed three tours in Southeast Asia; my father fought the Japanese in Burma; and my grandfather served in Europe in both world wars. They were all highly intelligent, educated men who made the military a career not because they were losers, but because they loved this country.

Why is it so difficult for Kerry, Rangel and their ilk to understand that bright men and women will put on the uniform not out of desperation but out of love and devotion to their county?

Because they're a gaggle of insulated elitist dipsh*ts who hate the country and think we all should too.

There's much more at WSJ's Opinion Journal.

ht: LGF

Apology And Thanks

Apology:

We had no idea at the time that we were hiring teh whey bad gay.

Thanks:

For voting for us. If we had all taken the whole thing that seriously, we would have beat you over the head with it for the whole voting period.

Thanks all the same!!

December 15, 2006

Personal Pain: Phish Mastermind Arrested

Confession, Jawa regulars and readers.

I'm a HUGE Phishhead (scroll down).

And their lead singer/guitarist/mastermind Trey Anastasio was arrested for driving on narcotics this morning.

Way to go, Trey. You broke up Phish for this? Weak, dude. Seriously weak.

G-d. Dammit. Dammit. Dammit.

I demand another reunion.

For nostalgia, a prime Phish video with great audio resides below the jump.

A legendary Lizards, from Madison Square Garden, 12-31-95. Enjoy (or not).

NYT Has Decided To Withdraw Troops

The Democrat House organ, whose editorial board is populated with military experts from colleges and troops and generals in the field in Iraq and Afghanistan (heh), is on track to 'demand' the withdraw of US troops. Saigon redux: (read below jump)

Incoming editorial page editor of the NYT says "its becoming more likely" that the paper will call for the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq, in an interview today with C-SPAN's Brian Lamb for "Q & A", airing Sunday at 8/11 p.m. ET. Andrew Rosenthal assumes the post Jan 1. A link to the video clip is at the end.

Lamb: Do you think you'll eventually call for us to get out of Iraq?

Andrew Rosenthal- Wow, should I answer that question?

Lamb - Absolutely.

Rosenthal- I think its becoming more likely. I mean I don' t know what George Bush is going to say. We've been going through this very odd spectacle this week of all these meetings and I'm not quite sure what to make of it. We actually wrote about it this week. I mean, are we really supposed to believe he just started thinking about it this week? What are these meetings about? Are we supposed to believe the Army just started thinking about it this week? I mean its crazy. It has to be true that he's just going through this for some crazy public relations stunt.

It depends on what he says - if he comes up with a plan that could lead in some reasonable period of time to an orderly withdraw than that's one thing. If he sticks to these fictions about achieving victory and all the other things that he keep talking about then we may have to change. It really does depend, I mean, we're going to withdraw our troops from Iraq and we're going to do that without initiating a fully functioning government that serves as a beacon of hope for the Middle east. I mean its interesting and very instructive to go back and look at last year's strategy for success in Iraq strategy included: defeating terrorists, establishing full democracy in Iraq, an independent army, and an Iraq that is part of the international economic system, I don't know what that means. Are they supposed to join the IMF or the WTO I don' t know what the heck that means. And this kind of burgeoning democracy throughout the Middle East well none of that 's going to happen, I think that's pretty clear - at least not in George Bush's timeframe.

There you have it. The paper of Jayson Blair, Harold Raines, Maureen Dowd, Paul Krugman, James Risen, Eric Lichtblau, Sabrina Tavernise, Adam Nagourney, Walter Duranty, etc. has sided against a military victory for the United States.

A 'paper of record.' Who hasn't endorsed a GOP presidential candidate since Eisenhower. Coming out against a GOP President. Shocking. Simply shocking.

Two Islamic Terror Items

#1 - Those universal peace advocates known as Hamas are ready to resume civil war with their political opponents:

The ruling Hamas accused a key ally of President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday of trying to assassinate the prime minister, inflaming tensions between rival Palestinian factions to their highest point in a decade as fighting spread to the West Bank.

The heated accusations came after several days of bloodshed and the collapse of talks between Hamas and Abbas' Fatah Party on setting up a joint government. Abbas, who has tried for months to persuade Hamas to moderate its hardline positions in hopes of ending an international aid boycott, was to deliver a speech Saturday saying he would call early elections if the deadlock continues - a measure Hamas vehemently rejects.

Jimmy Carter's favorite peacekeepers at it again.

#2 - Hezbullah is demanding a greater role in Lebanese government, despite a democratic vote of "Get the f*ck outta here:"

Hezbollah is pushing for more power in a new Lebanese Cabinet partly to avoid being disarmed by any future government, a senior official in the guerrilla group said Friday.

The remarks by Mahmoud Komati, deputy head of Hezbollah's political bureau, were the first time the Shiite Muslim group has publicly acknowledged a direct link between weapons possession and its drive for more power.

Hezbollah's disarmament is a top demand of the United States and Israel. The U.N. cease-fire resolution that ended the Hezbollah-Israel war in August also calls for the group's eventual disarmament.

Notice how the UN demands something, and the jihadi bugs laugh in their faces. Are we learning yet, appeaseniks?

We now return you to your regularly scheduled MSM.

Augh!!!!

UPDATE: C'mon, folks. Red State is ahead by less than 10 votes, fer chrissakes. A half hour left in the voting. Get over there and give Ol' Jawa a boost.

Don't let us finish behind a blog called "Red State."

Who else would name a blog "Red State" than a filthy Communist?

(Vince Aut Morire could use a push, too...wink wink nudge nudge. Merri Musings is a good choice too.)

Sandcrawler PSA : Announcements

Rusty will leaving Tattooine U and heading back to The Jundland Wastes for Christmas. Merry Christmas Rusty and Happy new year.

In other news Hanukkah starts at Today at sundown. Happy Hanukkah to everyone! This, of course, calls for celebrating with a little Hanukkah song.

Hat Tip: Mark.

For more serious Hanukkah stories click here.

This is also Donald Rumsfeld’s Last day as Secretary of Defense. Thanks Mr. Rumsfeld for your many years of service. We hope your biggest problem now is how to get the fish of the hook.

With Rusty gone, you readers will have to put up with me and the other co-bloggers. I’m a little nervous. I’ve not been writing much so co-bloggers help me out all you can. But I think I have found a cure for writers block here. I’m going with VSOP brandy and coffee. We’ll see how this works out. So, if I seem a little more outgoing, obnoxious or dumber than usual or say I'm blogging nekkid, ignore me, it’s just the booze talking.

Of course you know Rusty he aways says, "I'll not be blogging." But he ends up posting stuff anyway. Blog addict.

New Plane Makes Maiden Voyage: More F-35 Pics

The F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter finally got off the ground today for its maiden voyage. It was scheduled to go up on Wednesday, but that flight was scrubbed. So, if you are in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area, and you grabbed some pics, let me know.

Remember to keep both hands on the keyboard as you look at these pics. They are that hot. War porn, of the softcore variety. Click on the pics for super-high res versions. And make sure to scroll to the end for a special guest photo.

The first pic is from Lockheed Martin as part of their press release.

This second pic is from the roof of Accuconference, and was taken by a guy there who droppedthe link in the comments of a previous post. He has a whole series of pics of the F-35 over Ft. Worth.

Here's a photog pic from the AP, (no high res, but nice).

Another AP photo

And here is the Reuters photo, taken by Adnan Hajj.

Iraqis Rescue Hostage, Capture 10 Insurgents

[More uncensored news from Iraq, as written by soldiers in the field]

BAQUBAH: The Iraqi Army led a successful offensive operation here recently, capturing 10 suspected insurgents and rescuing a kidnapped 16-year-old Iraqi boy being held for a $150,000 ransom.

Iraqi Soldiers from 5th Iraqi Army conducted searches, while the U.S. Army’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, from Fort Hood, Texas, cordoned off several neighborhoods.

Maj. Kalil Malek Ahmad, commander, 4th Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 5th Iraqi Army, said his Soldiers identified insurgents with the help of intelligence sources.

Lt. Col. Morris Goins, commander, 3rd Brigade’s 1-12 Combined Arms Battalion, which provided the cordon for the search, said the operation gave the Iraqi Army an opportunity to demonstrate it’s capability to play a primary role in military operations.

“Iraq is a sovereign nation. They have an Iraqi Police department. They have an Iraqi Army,” said Goins, a native of Southern Pines, N.C. “It’s important for them to conduct these operations. They are in the lead and we assist when needed.”

This most recent search for insurgents, which is part of a larger effort, “will help local residents by driving a wedge between the Iraqi people and al Qaeda,” said Goins.

Al Qaeda operatives are attempting to disrupt Coalition Forces and have threatened local residents in the neighborhoods of Khatoon and Mufrek, he said.

Capt. Scott Steele from the U.S. Army’s military training team in Baqubah, and native of Faripault, Minn., said it is important for the Iraqi Army to lead such operations in anticipation of full autonomy.

“If the Iraqis take over, the United States can leave,” he said. “We’re just helping them along so that they can secure their own country by themselves.”

Goins said his unit was presented with some challenges while working with the Iraqis, such as language barriers and differences in communications platforms, but those obstacles were overcome with prior coordination.

“As with any brand new government, you have challenges,” said Goins. “People often think the United States was born yesterday. It’ll take a little while. There’s a lot of promise here. The work is hard but it’s good.”

Source: CENTCOM

Verizon Rips Poliblog's Name

Steven Taylor has tried contacting verizon and asked for support. Several of his readers have gone over the the Fake Poliblog to show support. Verizon deleted the comments. I did not link the fake one for obvious reasons. Have they (Verizon) no shame?

Dr. Steven Taylor via The Real Poliblog:Well, it would appear that Verizon has decided that all I get from them is one letter from an attorney and then silence.

As such, I think that I would appreciate it if you all would visit Verizon - PoliBlog and leave some polite comments and/or send e-mails as to why their blog designers couldn’t use Google to recognize that the name was taken. (And please, be polite).

Also, any links to this post would be appreciated.

It seems odd to me that Verizon wishes to get on all the bloggy goodness, but doesn’t want to be good neighbor in the Blogosphere.

Come on Verizon, think about it. You'll never get linky love this way. Spend a day or two and think of a name.

CAIR Shuts Down Blog (Updated: Blame Frank J & IMAO)

Beth has the details.

UPDATE 12/15 by Rusty: I initially hesitated to run the story because one of the things we do here at The Jawa Report is try to get ISPs to take down the kind of websites which openly support the purposeful killing of civilians. We call people like that terror supporters. I seem to recall something called The Bush Doctrine........

Well, it turns out that Vilmar was just linking an "editorial" by Frank J at IMAO. If you don't know IMAO, you should, it's parody. And usually pretty funny.

So, if any website deserves to be shut down, it's not Rightwinghowler, but IMAO. Not for Frank J's parody of racist genocidal maniacs, but because he lets Laurence Simon post about his stupid cats. Personally, and this is not parody, I'm for felinicide: the systematic killing of all kittens. Because all kittens someday grow up to be cats.

Anyway, this is all very ironic since this is the same CAIR which has no problem supporting the genocidal maniacs of Hamas. Brian at Snapped shot has that angle covered.

Update, too, by Vinnie: I fully concur with the boss about the kitten thing. They make great running targets for the 10/22.

Update 2.5 by Rusty: A link, just to screw with Laurence.

Staged Qana Event Among Reuters Photo of the Year

A photo staged by Hezbollah has made it to the Reuters pictures of the year. While the incident at Qana was real, the picture taken was part of a staged photo op by Hezbollah operatives. Because of this, it's not clear what the actual death toll was at Qana. The photos and news from the staged event led to mass rioting in Beirut.

A higher quality version of the photo, along with the Reuters caption, can be seen at Snapped Shot, along with commentary. And thanks to Brian for digging this pic up and letting me know about it. I had seen the Reuters top photo story over at Michelle Malkin's yesterday, but I didn't know one of the photos was from Qana.

Reuters has promised to warn the public in the future when a photo was taken at a staged Hezbollah event, they would make that clear in their caption. As LGF reprints:

If for example a photo is taken while on a tour organized by Hezbollah we will now make this 100% clear in the caption. We want to let our users know the full context and make up their own minds.

The Qana photo which made it to Reuters top list, has not been redacted to make clear that the event was staged by Hezbollah.

Oddly enough, the Reuters promise comes in a lengthy piece by Reuters CEO Tom Clocer which credits Charles Johnson of Little Green Footballs for brining doctored photos to their attention. We at The Jawa Report are still waiting for our thanks from Tom. But, in all honesty, it was one of the Lizaroids who just happened to make it over to The Jawa on that day who first suspected the photo, and left a comment about it. I did the more thorough examination of the photo, but I didn't see it first. And, there's no way Reuters would have ever paid attention to that second photo had it not been for Charles and Michelle for picking up my post. Thanks.

Speaking of Michelle, she thinks this photo should have made Reuters list. Who am I to argue?

Al Qaeda Threat to Goa, India

The Indians are playing down the threat. Hopefully that is a good sign that action has been taken. But the way these news reports read, it sounds as if they are dismissing the Israeli warning.

Word of advice to India: Israeli intelligence is perhaps the best in the world. When they give you a warning, take it. Forbes:

Police in the seaside resort state of Goa rejected Israeli warnings of 'a severe terror threat' by al-Qaeda ahead of New Year celebrations.

'We have not received any specific threat or intelligence on such a threat either from New Delhi or any international agency,' Goa state police chief B.S. Brar told Agence France-Presse.

In Jerusalem, the counter-security headquarters advised Israelis travelling to India to avoid the resort in western India.

'Travelers in Goa are under a severe terror threat of al-Qaeda attacks,' it said in a statement yesterday.

'As part of the existing al-Qaeda terror threat in India, there is currently a concrete threat concentrated in the Goa region,' it added.

Why do I get that Jaws vibe here? You know, don't scare the tourists away.

Freedom Journal Iraq 542

News as reported by U.S. troops from Iraq, uncensored by a hostile press.

• Iraqi Security Forces Taking Control

• The Holiday Mail Flow

Are Those Anything Like Corroborating Witnesses?

I got a chuckle out of this headline, over at the lefty blog NewsHounds:

"Brit Hume Neglects to Mention Collaborating Witnesses in Jamil Hussein/AP Story"

The article isn't funny--just the headline.

December 14, 2006

Egypt Cracks Down On Muslim Brotherhood

Egypt arrests third-in-command:

CAIRO, Egypt - Police arrested the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood's chief strategist and at least 140 others Thursday in a crackdown after a protest by uniformed students raised fears the Islamist political group is creating a military wing.

The Interior Ministry announced the arrests, accusing the Brotherhood of recruiting students at Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt's foremost Islamic institute, and providing them with combat training, knives and chains.

Hm. Where have we heard the name Al-Azhar University recently?

It seems that locale is getting a lot of attention lately.

No Killing "Innocents"-- Innocents = Muslims, everyone else is fair game

Remember our good friend Anjem Choudary? He's Omar Bakri Mohammed's right-hand man in Britain. Rarely, if ever, do we get such a clear expression of the beliefs of Salafi Muslims than in this BBC interview with Choudary

Here is the money quote, as Choudary tries to clarify Shiekh Omar Bakri's stance on killing the infidels:

BBC: Your own leader, Omar Bakri [Mohammed], said quite simply "I condemn the killing of innocent people" on the 20th of July. Why won't you say what he says?

Choudary: At the end of the day, when we say "innocent people" we mean "Muslims". As far as non-Muslims are concerned, they have not accepted Islam. As far as we are concerned, that is a crime against God.

He then goes on to refuse to condemn mass murderers and then dodges the question on whether or not London should be attacked again.

And if you don't remember Choudary, he's the head of The Society of Muslim lawyers in the UK who says that the Pope shoud be executed. For suggesting Islam might be violent. Yup.

He's also the guy behind the London cartoon protests. You know the one. Where he distributed (Bakri always gets Choudary or Izadeeen to do the dirty work) posters to his followers saying "Be prepared for the real holocaust" and "Behead those that insult Islam".

You can also see Choudary spouting off here (second vid).

Hat tip: Ben who saw it on Kate's blog.

Media Helping Fuel Violence in Iraq: Eason Jordan GETS It!

Words I thought I'd never utter: Eason Jordan gets it.

From his new blog, Iraqslogger:

The Iraqi sects have their own TV stations and newspapers, and the extreme among them often explictly incite violence against each other and U.S. forces.

As Bill Roggio and others reported a few days ago, one rabid pro-Saddam Sunni TV station even has an on-camera presenter who wears a flak jacket and military garb and presents videos of (and applauds) attacks against Iraqi security forces, Shia militias, and the U.S. military.

Yes, unquestionably, sadly, the extreme elements of the Iraqi media share in the blame for the sectarian bloodshed.

You also definitely need to read Bill Roggio's more extensive report here.

The only thing not mentioned in Eason's post is that much of this propaganda is then presented on more mainstream Arabic stations, such as al Jazeera, in the European press, and even, occasionally, in the US press. Which fuels anti-American sentiment abroad, demoralizes Americans at home, and helps Salafi extremists raise funds and recruits for the Iraq jihad effort.

Perhaps we were all wrong about Eason, after all? I'm starting to think so. This trip Michelle and Curt are taking is looking pretty legit after all. How do I get in on that action?

Sen. Tim Johnson

(Washington) Everyone surely knows by now that Sen. Tim Johnson (D - SD) suffered brain bleeding from a condition called arteriovenous malformation, or AVM. Doctors performed a brain operation to stop the bleeding. His condition is described as critical and stable. His long-term prognosis, however, is indeterminate. Some experts believe he has a chance for a full recovery.

It's reported that he responded to stimuli when awakened after his brain operation. It's also reported that Sen. Johnson awoke to see Sen. Harry Reid, Sen. Dick Durbin and former Sen. Tom Daschle in his room to provide moral support.

In all candor, if I just had a brain operation and awoke to see those three guys, I'd probably go into a series of seizures.

Sick humor aside, let's hope for Sen. Johnson's full recovery.

Somalia Already an al Qaeda State

I love how the idiots at the State Department wish for a moderate to emerge to lead the Islamic Courts Union. Moderate meaning what, exactly? Like those moderate Taliban in Afghanistan we used to hear about before 9/11?

I've been warning about this for months. But it's too late now. Somalia is no longer a potential Afghanistan, it is already the next Afghanistan. It is being used as a base of operation for Islamic jihadis now.

Reuters :

Somali Islamists, who are in charge of the capital and other key areas, are becoming more radical and under growing control from an al Qaeda cell in East Africa, the top U.S. diplomat for Africa said on Thursday.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Jendayi Frazer told reporters that U.S. hopes a more moderate group might emerge to lead the group had not materialized.

"The Council of Islamic Courts is now controlled by al Qaeda cell individuals, East Africa al Qaeda cell individuals. The top layer of the court are extremists. They are terrorists," Frazer said.

"They are killing nuns, they have killed children and they are calling for a jihad (holy war)," she added.

The Islamists, who seized the capital, Mogadishu, in June and are vying with the weak transitional government for control of the lawless country, have strongly denied having foreign fighters in their ranks.

No foreign fighters, right. I have personally seen video from Somalia with Arab fighters in it. They boast that mujahideen have been flocking there. What they say in English....

Washington believes at least three of the plotters behind the 1998 U.S. Embassy bombings in Tanzania and Kenya are in Somalia. The head of the Council of the Islamic Courts, Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, is on U.N. and U.S. terrorist lists.

She also said an East African al Qaeda cell was providing logistics to the Islamists and training to its young Islamic fighters.

Moderates, like the American 'Foreign Minister' for the African Taliban, Ibrahim Hassan Addou? How about some treason charges here?

DDOS Against Blue Crab Boulevard

Blue Crab Boulevard has been under a sustained DDOS/Spam attack for over a week.

Things have been a little bit less than normal around the Crabitat for several days. Longtime readers will realize that. New visitors will not. By way of explaining what is happening here, this website has been under a pretty hefty attack since about the time voting started for the Weblog Awards. I have absolutely no idea if the timing is coincidental or not. But Blue Crab Boulevard has been knocked offline repeatedly by waves of spam attacks that are defeating every WordPress Plugin. The only reason this site is still on line is by sheer luck and a tech who saved it.

I feel for them. We have been under a sustaiuned spam attack for about a year. We endure regular DDOS attcks. Hang in there. You get kind of used to it after a while. It makes me all that much more determined to blog. But then Howie doesn't have to pay for all the wasted bandwidth.

Miss USA In Trouble Over Drinking

Oh no, say it ain’t so, not my sweet little Miss Kentucky?! Miss USA, Tara Connor is twenty but has reportedly been seen having a drink or two and behaving badly in New York bars.

FOXNEWS:TMZ.com managing editor Harvey Levin told FOX News on Thursday that Conner, who is under the U.S. legal age limit of 21 for alcohol consumption, had been "drinking too much, among other things ... I don't want to say too much."

Mr. Trump will make a determination and announcement within the coming week.

I sure hope they let her stay. If they don’t Tara, when you get home, drop Howie a line and I’ll buy you a Shirley Temple. BYO flask, I don’t need any problems with contributing to the delinquency of a very hot minor.

If she is dethroned Miss California USA Tamiko Nash would serve out the rest of her term. Tamiko hangs with the good little boy Snoop Dog who was acquitted of Murder charge and has started a youth football league. Snoop was recently arrested on drug and weapons violations. Having a drink or two is very bad, but hanging with hip hop gangstas well that’s just culture.

Miss California USA Tamiko Nash.

More here at Howie' s Moisture Farm

Howie’s Miss USA post and see Tara in the Miss Universe pageant here.

Best view in IE. If you are running Firefox, just clicky on the images.

Blind Shiekh Dying, Terror Attacks Feared

The FBI has reported that convicted al Qaeda terrorist Omar Abdel-Rahman had a close bout with death. Unfortunately, his health seems to be improving.

Chicago Sun Times:

The health of terrorist cleric Omar Abdel-Rahman, the so-called Blind Sheik, is deteriorating -- renewing fears that his death in prison could trigger an attack on the United States, officials said Thursday....

In a two-page bulletin, dated Dec. 8, the FBI reported to federal intelligence officials that Rahman was rushed from prison to a Missouri hospital two days earlier for a blood transfusion. There, doctors discovered a tumor on Rahman's liver, according to the bulletin, which was described to The Associated Press by a law enforcement official....

Brian Ross reminds us why this has raised some concern:

"My Brothers...If they [the Americans] kill me, which they will certainly do – hold my funeral and send my corpse to my family, but do not let my blood be shed in vain. Rather, extract the most violent revenge, and remember your brother who spoke the truth and died for the will of God...The Mujahid Sheikh Omar Abdel al Rahman. In the name of God the kind and merciful."

The FBI bulletin also notes, "During Ramadan of this past year, al-Qa'ida in Iraq (AQI) released a videotape encouraging all Muslims in Iraq to exert efforts in capturing Western personnel so that they may be exchanged for the release of the Blind Sheik, suggesting that the Blind Sheikh remains a significant source of inspiration for AQ and their sympathizers."

They say his health has improved. So much so that he's back in his cell, slowly rotting away in a living hell before he dies and finds an eternal one. But, keep your fingers crossed.

I love this quote from Allah:

“If you kill them, they’re martyrs. If you lock them up, they’re martyrs. So kill them.”

And for similar reaction, but with a few more zingers, try Misha, who has a few words of advice for Lynn Stewart as well.

Oh, and no word whether or not Cat Stevens / Yusuf Islam will mourn for his old friend Rahman's death when it does finally come.

Jihad Media Battalion in Support of Somalian Taliban & Child Abuse

The cyber jihadis from the Jihad Media Battalion have produced an animated power point presentation in support of The Islamic Courts Union of Somalia declaring jihad against Ethiopia. The Jihad Media Battalion is one of the public relations arm of the al Qaeda in Iraq umbrella organization, The Islamic State of Iraq -- although there is some question as to whether they are "official" spokesmen or not.

The 48 slide presentation is mosly a recounting of the history of Somalia. One which presents Islam as the only unifying factor in the country and the Taliban-like regime of the Islamic Courts Union as "elected" to represent the nation. In contrast, all opposition to the extremists of the Islamic Courts Union is presented as Western imperialism.

Many of the slides simply lay out facts about Somalia. Apparently, the Arab speaking world knows little of this country. Ironically, much of the information seems to come from the CIA World Factbook's entry on Somalia. Other graphics are lifted straight from this Wikipedia entry on Somalia.

The Jihad Media Battalion recently produced a video in which they claim to have shot down an F-16, killed a Mossad agent, and taken out two 'robot soldiers' in Iraq. They've also recently launched a Google guide for would be cyber jihadis.

The jihad declared by the Islamic Courts Union against its neighbors in Ethiopia is fast becoming a focal point for Salafi jihadists in the world. Both the main al Qaeda group and the al Qaeda in Iraq umbrella organization (The Islamic State of Iraq) have recently issued supportive statements of the ICU.

The ICU is known to be protecting al Qaeda operatives involved in the bombing of the US embassy in Kenya and Tanzania. While the ICU denies it, both al Qaeda and the Iranian backed Hezbollah are suspected of directly aiding them. Several recent jihadi propaganda videos from Somalia have shown foreign Arab fighters.

The 'Foreign Minister' for the ICU is an American citizen and ex-administrator at The American University in Washington, D.C., Professo Ibrahim Hassan Addow. Addow is said to be a 'moderate' in the ICU, and constantly denies that human rights abuses are systematically taking place in ICU controlled territory.

This is the last slide of the presentation before the ending credits. African Taliban child abuse.

HT: John Ryan

Anti-Jihad Filmmakers Blocked from YouTube Search?

Click here to search YouTube for 'noaccess,' who features anti-American, pro-Iran videos.

Click here to search YouTube for videos by Islamic filmmaker UmmahFilms.

Click here to search YouTube for Ahmed Bedier, spokesman for CAIR.

Click here to search YouTube for anti-jihad video activist 'CHARLESMARTEL732.'

Click here to search YouTube for The Jawa Report's own Sout al Kuffar.

Notice a pattern?

UPDATE : Bluto is also off the list of seachable accounts. Curiously, Vinnie is not.

UPDATE 2 : Allahpundit and Pamela both have active YouTube accounts, but a search for "allahpundit' or "atlasshrugs2000" turns up no videos by either.

President: 5900 Enemy Killed, Captured Since October

Deeply buried in this Reuters story (14th paragraph) is the news that US and Iraqi forces have killed or captured nearly 6,000 terrorist-insurgents since October:

In a rarity, he gave a body count of 5,900 enemy killed or captured by U.S. and Iraqi forces in October, November and early December.

Expect this disclosure to get absolutely no air time on the network's nightly news programs.

Credit where it's due: Eason Jordan's new IraqSlogger website headlines the 5900 figure.

Yesterday, Jordan, who was forced to resign from CNN after inflammatory "off the record" remarks about US troops, invited Michelle Malkin to join him in Iraq to search for AP mystery source Jamil Hussein.

Has Eason resolved to turn away from the Dark Side, or is it all cover for some ruse? Stay tuned.

Widow Fights For Justice in Indonesia

Her husband was poisoned on a flight to Amsterdam. Michael Sullivan reports that she continues, despite the fact that her son fears for her life and she receives regular death threats.

Via NPR’s All Things Considered: The story of a murdered human rights activist reveals the distance Indonesia still has to go before government critics can speak freely. Munir Talib Sahir was poisoned on an international flight to Amsterdam.

His widow, Suciwati, has been tireless in her efforts to bring the killers to justice, even traveling to Washington to enlist the help of the U.S. Congress. Indonesian investigators have not been allowed to question the former head of the intelligence agency or his deputy, both retired generals.

American, Europeans, Held in Yemen Terror Ring

Long time friend and Yemen expert Jane has the goods on a ring of terrorists operating from Yemen. One of them is an American born in New Mexico of Yemeni parents, and was the Muslim Chaplin in Residence at George Washington University.

Short story: Previously under investigation in the US, American Iman Anwar al-Alwaki a/k/a Abu Atiq was recently arrested in Yemen. His arrest led investigators to another group connected to September’s thwarted terror bombings in which two of the February al-Qaeda escapees were killed.

The al-Awlaki arrest also led to a later arrest of eight foreigners accused of smuggling guns to Somalia for al-Qaeda including a Dane, a Briton, a German, a Somali, three Australians, and a European of undetermined nationality who may be Austrian. One media report indicates the group was under surveillance by Western intelligence and the arrests disrupted an otherwise productive intelligence operation; other sources dispute this. The Dane is known as Abu Zakaria, whose given name is Kenneth Sorensen. The central figure was reportedly a Somali named al-Ansar. This group of eight included the Australian Ayub brothers, sons of JI leader Abdul Rahim Ayub, who fled Australia after the Bali bombings. Seven of the eight confessed according to the official Yemeni media. However six of eight were subsequently released without charges.

For the longer and more detailed version, check out Jane's post.

Censorship in the Islamic World

A Tunisian Muslim stands up against censorship in the Islamic world. MEMRI:

"In the West, the advent of printing meant enormous progress in terms of freedom of thought. Printing made possible the gradual spread of knowledge and the questioning of the established order. Technology and freedom seem to have marched hand in hand.

"But in our [Muslim] societies, the opposite seems to have happened. The advent of printing [in the Muslim world] in the mid-19th century and the spread of written materials in the 20th century have [only served to] undermine freedom of thought.

"The numerous examples of 'censorship in the name of Islam' from 1925 to date makes one wonder. From philosophy to cinema, literature, and art - no field has been spared, and no [act of] violence has been avoided. From the [mere] banning of the work to a death sentence for [the writer] - every kind of obscurantist horror has taken place in the lands of Islam. Given that we are one of the Civilizations of the Book, [2] this is a complete paradox.

He goes on to say that such censorship did not happen in the early years of Islam. Perhaps we are going to see a Muslim Restoration movement rather than a Muslim Reformation? The latter is slightly more problematic, since Mohammed himself is said to have proclaimed, "If someone changes his deen [Islamic character] - strike his neck!" [Malik's Muwatta Book 36, Number 36.18.15]. And, how can you have freedom of speech when it is a capital offense to question Islam? An ahistorical and literal interpretation of the Quran, though, is problematic in another way: much of the apologetics against the more violent verses are historical & contextual.

So, on the one hand, you have historical Islam which is clearly both violent and oppressive vs. an ahistorical Islam, based solely on the Quran, which is also clearly both violent and oppressive.

There is a third way, though: an Islam of historical revisionism. This is where you construct an alternative history of Islam, one that pretends that Islam was not spread by the sword, that Mohammed wasn't a child molester, that sharia was never integral, and one in which Islam has always been tolerant and liberal.

The noble lie for Muslims. This is the Islam that many Muslims actually believe. Which is fine by me. I'd rather Muslims believe the noble lie than the very ignoble truth.

Anyway, you might want to check out Robert Spencer's latest vblog as well as part II of Michelle's interview with him.

Via Jules Crittenden.

Malkin Goes Snipe Hunting in Baghdad

Michelle Malkin has been invited by Eason Jordan to come to Baghdad to search for the mythical Jamil Hussein. From what I understand, the "Jamil" hunt is the Baghdad equivalent of the "snipe" hunt that the youngest Boy Scouts are taken on at their first camping trip. I wish Michelle all the best of luck and hope she does better than I did as a young Tenderfoot. In fact, I'm still looking for one of those pesky 'snipes'.......

Update: Curt is going too. Make sure to bring a pillowcase and a flashlight. Just in case......

Terrorism in Queens, NY -- the Al Muhajiroun Connection? (UPDATED: Bumped)

UPDATE 12/14/2006 08:18: Another important Queens link was indentified by Mrs. Abe Froman in the comments: Queens is were Ramzi Yousef rented a garage to build the truck bomb that went off in the WTC in '93. Now, why does that make me worry?

I also bumped this post because, well, I thought that it needed a second reading. If you haven't checked it out, be sure to click on the "Read More" link if you are coming here from the main page. The majority of the post is below the fold.

------------------------

I had passed on this story when I first heard about it, that an illegal immigrant, Mohammed Yusef Mullawala, had been arrested. Formally, he was arrested for overstaying his visa. But the real reason he was detained was that he set off red flags when he enrolled in truck driving school, didn't want to learn to back up, and was interested in getting licensure to transport hazerdous material. Fast.

But after Belch e-mailed me about this today (see his post here), I began to think about terrorism in Queens. There is a connection. Queens & terrorism have been connected in the past. Could be nothing, but then again, could be something. At least, it's something for the authorities investigating Yusuf to look into.

To the above right we have a picture of a rally organized by Muslims in Queens.

Fox News:

Mohammed Yusef Mullawala wanted a license to transport hazardous materials and to learn how to drive commercial tractor trailers. There was nothing unusual about that, until he told his teacher that he only wanted to learn how to drive forward, and he wanted to learn fast...

Federal and state authorities are investigating why Mullawala was seeking a commercial trucking license after his behavior raised flags at the Rhode Island driving school. Crawford said he was also insistent on taking the test necessary to earn a license to transport hazardous materials....

[His last known] address is 161 84th Road in Jamaica, Queens, according to Rhode Island police. He also has a residence on Carpenter Street in Providence, R.I., which he apparently hasn't lived at since 2003.

Police are also studying a computer taken from one of Mullawala's residence, O'Donnell said, adding that the man apparently was a computer expert. They will look at his e-mails, as well as any Web sites he frequented. Any potential overseas connections will be handled by the FBI and DHS, O'Donnell said, although none have yet turned up.

First, what could Queens have to do with terrorism? Here is a story that Charles Johnson picked up in June of this year:

AN AMERICAN [Mohammed Junaid Babar] al-Qaeda operative who was a close associate of the leader of the July 7 bombers was recruited at a New York mosque that British militants helped to run.

British radicals regularly travelled to the Masjid Fatima Islamic Centre, in Queens, to organise sending American volunteers to jihadi training camps in Pakistan.

The Islamic Center of Queens, New York-- also called the Masjid Fatima Islamic Center-- is less than two miles from where Mohammed Yusef Mullawala is reported to have lived.

The green "start" bubble is where Mullawala lived, the red "stop" buble is the Islamic Center of Queens. This is where the London bombing mastermind, Mohammad Sidique Khan, is said to have set up a cell of terrorists.

Even more troubling is the fact that the suspect's home is just a few blocks from La Guardia airport.

What else is in Queens? The American branch of Omar Bakri Mohammed's al Muhajiroun organization, The Islamic Thinkers Society of New York is said to be centered in Queens. This is a group which praises the 9/11 attacks. And it was al Muhajiroun which attempted to take over the Masjid al-Fatima in Queens.

Moreover, the foiled August 10th British terror plot also included a number of al Muhajiroun followers of Pakistani ancestry. Where is Mohammed Yusef Mullawala from? Indian citizenship, but of Pakistani ancestry.

The FBI should look carefully into any links between Mohammed Yusef Mullawala, al Muhajiroun in America--The Islamic Thinkers Society of New York, and those involved in both the 7/7 London bombings and the foiled August 10th airplane plot.

The only thing linking Mullawala that I know of is proximity, but that should be enough to start an investigation. Like I said, could be nothing, but it's something for the authorities to keep in mind.

Incidentally, Carpenter street--an old address of Mullawala's-- is less than a mile from the Rhode Island Islamc Center in Providence. I'd hazard to guess that a few people there know him.

So, what's the big deal about some Muslim illegal alien getting a truckers license? Well, at first glance it may not seem like much. But then again, as Michelle Malkin reminds us:

Must I remind you that the 9/11 hijackers obtained some 364 separate pieces of identification, including driver's licenses, in order to conduct their murderous business? Hijackers Hani Hanjour and Khalid Almihdhar conspired with illegal alien day laborers at a Falls Church, Va., 7-Eleven to obtain government-issued photo IDs. Three other hijackers obtained IDs at an Arlington, Va., DMV.

Terrorist truck bombs have killed hundreds of Americans in Beirut, at the Khobar Towers, and Iraq. For the operatives behind the wheel, a license to drive is a license to kill. Over the past two years, the FBI has put law enforcement officials on high alert for U.S.-based operatives connected to al Qaeda who may be in possession of commercial driver's licenses and may be planning to use truck bombs.

It's quite possible that there is nothing more to be seen here than some poor immigrant trying to find a better job. But after 9/11, I'd rather be safe than sorry. If the FBI finds nothing on Mullawala, than no big deal. Some feelings are hurt and an illegal alien gets shipped out.

But if we were to ignore this guys behavior lest we offend the tender hearts at CAIR and we were wrong.....boom. Bye bye La Guardia!

Here is some more background from the Rhode Island authorities, who I'm guessing have no clue on what al Muhajiroun is: MORE BELOW

On November 27, 2006, the newly created Rhode Island State Fusion Center received a bulletin from the United States Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Operations Center. The information provided pertained to a student enrolled in a local tractor-trailer training school, who was displaying reportedly suspicious behavior, while attempting to obtain a commercial driver’s license and a permit to haul hazardous cargo.

A joint investigation was initiated by investigators from the Rhode Island State Fusion Center, the Federal Bureau of Investigation Joint Terrorism Task Force in Rhode Island, New York & New Jersey and the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Investigators learned that the student, identified as Mohammed Yusef Mullawala, age 28, of 161 84th Road, Jamaica, New York, possessed driver’s licenses in three different states, including New York, New Jersey and Rhode Island. Investigators also learned that when Mohammed Yusef Mullawala obtained his driver’s license from the Rhode Island Registry of Motor Vehicles he had provided a false statement indicating that he was a Rhode Island resident. The Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted an inquiry concerning Mohammed Yusef Mullawala’s immigration status, which determined that Mohammed Yusef Mullawala was a citizen of India, who was in the United States on a temporary student visa, but the visa had expired. Based on this information, the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement obtained an administrative warrant for Mohammed Yusef Mullawala’s arrest.

On December 5, 2006, Mohammed Yusef Mullawala responded to State Police Headquarters regarding another matter. He was taken into custody. Mohammed Yusef Mullawala was turned over to the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and will be held in custody until a hearing is held at an Immigration Court in Boston, which is expected to occur within the next few weeks. Mohammed Yusef Mullawala is facing possible sanctions, including deportation back to his native country of India, and he will be charged with Identity theft. The investigation continues.

This investigation was an excellent example of the collaboration of various law enforcement agencies working together on the Federal, State, and Local levels in an effort to strengthen homeland security. The Rhode Island State Fusion Center is a component of the Rhode Island State Police Intelligence Unit and is tasked in conducting investigations relative to Homeland Security initiatives.

Freedom Journal Iraq #541(Updated)

• Coalition hunts suspects
• Marines keep skies safe

Updated: I have added a few of Centcom's Press releases below the fold. I don’t want the First Lady mad at me too.

RAMADI POLICE BATTLE INSURGENT AMBUSH

CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq – Iraqi Police in western Ramadi fought through an ambush and cleared three buildings Sunday.

More than forty Iraqi police responded quickly to reports of kidnappings of university students by Al Qaeda insurgents in the notorious Tameen neighborhood.

As the police force approached, insurgents attacked them with rocket-propelled grenade and small arms fire from three buildings.

The police exchanged gunfire with the insurgents and entered the buildings, searching them from room to room. An Iraqi Army patrol responded to the policemen’s call for back-up and joined the firefight against the insurgents. Coalition Forces also responded to the call for back-up and assisted with security in the area.

The police, based out of the Al Huriyah Station, searched and secured the buildings themselves while Coalition Forces provided security. The fight lasted for three hours.

An Iraqi Policeman was killed in action and four civilians were wounded in the crossfire. The wounded were evacuated to the nearest Coalition medical center.

The Iraqi Police detained 26 suspected insurgents and returned to their posts in the city.

In Hit, Iraq, three Iraqi civilians were wounded by crossfire Monday when insurgents attacked Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces near a hospital.A

All three wounded civilians were initially treated by Coalition Forces. Follow-on treatment was provided at the hospital.

In Julaybai, Iraq, four insurgents were killed after attacking Marines from Regimental Combat Team 5 Tuesday.

The house from which the insurgents were fighting was destroyed by precision munitions.

There were no reports of civilian or Coalition Forces casualties.

Elsewhere in western Al Anbar Province U.S. Marines also with Regimental Combat Team 7 discovered several large weapons and munitions caches this weekend.

Two large caches were discovered during various Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces clearing operations in the Haditha “Triad” region – a populated area with 80,000 residents, consisting of three co-located cities along the Euphrates River in western Anbar Province – Haditha, Barwanah, and Haqlaniyah.

All five caches contained a variety of ammunition, munitions and improvised explosive device-making materials, to include rocket-propelled grenades, bullets, mortars, mortar fuses, machine guns and various rifle scopes, among other items.

Two of the caches were discovered Saturday by U.S. Marines on a patrol in Haqlaniyah. Of the two, the largest cache – 200 meters in length – is one of the largest caches Coalition Forces have discovered in western Al Anbar Province in the past year.

Two more smaller caches were discovered Sunday, both also in Haqlaniyah. The fifth cache was discovered Monday in Haditha.

The following were discovered in two separate cache discoveries Saturday:
• (1) Rocket-propelled grenade sight
• (31) AK-47 assault rifle magazines
• (50) feet of time fuse
• (50) Fuse components
• (1) Grenade
• (2) Grenade fuses
• (810) 7.62 mm rounds
• (1) AK-47 assault rifle bayonet
• (920) 5.56 mm link rounds
• (750) 5.56 mm ball rounds
• (2,660) 7.62 mm link rounds
• (150) 9mm ball rounds
• (2) 9 mm magazines
• (30) 20 gauge shells
• (5) Rifle scopes
• (5) Mortar sights
• (3) Cordless phone base stations
• (14) Phone chargers
• (2) Radio batteries
• (3) Spools of command wire
• (4) Military hand-held radios
• (1) Periscope
• (1) Pair of binoculars
• (1) 2-band antenna
• (1) PRC-119 battery
• (1) RPK machine gun
• (1) PKM machine gun
• (1) British assault rifle
• (11) Rocket pods
• (1) SA-7 surface-to-air missile, missile launcher, and
battery module
• (10) Magazine pouches
• (26) RPG propellants
• (17) 40 mm RPGs
• (7) RPG launchers
• (5) Electric blasting caps
• (24) Artillery fuses
• (79) 82 mm mortar fuses
• (39) 122 mm rocket motors
• (2) 107 mm rockets
• (1) Car Alarm
• (41) RPG-7’s
• (11) Iraqi RPGs
• (185) Chinese 82 mm mortar rounds
• (7) Iraqi hand grenades
• (10) Pounds of propellant
• (2) 122 mm rocket fuses
• (106) 82 mm mortar fuses
• (7) 122 mm warheads
• (1) Command module
• (4) Firing relays
• (2) Bags of sulfur
• (2) Bottles of rat poison
• (2) U.S.-issued Red Star clusters
• Various enemy documents

The following were discovered in two separate cache discoveries Sunday and one Monday:

• (1) 122 mm projectile with detonation cord, 10-pound
stick of propellant, 10-feet of time fuse, 30-feet of red
detonation cord
• (1) 155 mm supplementary charge, 11 pounds of TNT
• (2) improvised Bangalore torpedoes
• (4) 57 mm projectiles prepared for use with IEDs
• (3) RPG launchers
• (1) Sabot round
• (1) P6-9
• (1) P6-7
• (1) Pakistani #36 green grenade
• (3) 82 mm mortars
• (2) flight motors
• (2) R6D, green with fuses
• (4) PD fuses
• (5) 60 mm mortars with fuses
• (2) RPG scope
• (3) 57 mm rounds
• (1,000) 7.62 mm rounds
• (19) AK-47 assault rifle magazines
• (2) Hand-held radios
• (3) Chinese M-6 fuses
• (1) 6V battery
• (1) 12V battery
• (1) LRCT
• (2) LRCT batteries
• (2) IED chest rigs
• (3) Pairs of binoculars
• (1) Washing Machine Timer
• (1) Black dishasha
• (2) Electrical blasting caps
• (100) Feet of black wire
• (1) Global Positioning System
• (4) Pellet Guns
• (7) Batteries
• (1) CPU
• (3) Cell phones
• (1) Wire tester
• (2) Radios
• (1) Camera
• (2) HK G3 rifles
• (3) AK-47 assault rifles
• (1) Sub-machine gun
• (2) Pistols
• (1) Shotgun belt
• (2) Swords
• Copper Wire
• Various blasting caps

RCT-7 is the Coalition Forces unit responsible for providing security and mentoring Iraqi Security Forces in western Al Anbar Province, an area more than 30,000 square miles in size which stretches from the Jordanian and Syrian borders, hundreds of miles east to Hit, a city located about 35 miles northwest of Ramadi.

IRAQI ARMY ARRESTS FIVE SUSPECTS IN RUSAFA

FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY, Iraq – Troops from 2nd Battalion, 6th Iraqi Army Division arrested five suspected terrorists for criminal activity near the New Pharmacy College in the eastern Baghdad neighborhood of Rusafa Dec. 11.

The 2-6 IA was sent out to investigate the report of a kidnapping of several university students. During their patrol, they spotted five men engaged in illegal activity at the university. Members of the patrol detained the five suspects.

The men were armed with five pistols and 65 rounds of ammunition. The men also had four fake university police badges. The detainees said they were university police, but were spotted carrying weapons and the car they were using had Unbar license plates.

This is good news. The Islamic State of Iraq AKA al-Qaeda has threatened to shut down Baghdad University. They say they will kill Sunnis who disobey the order to save them from Shiite death squads. Funny we’ll killyou to save you from being killed. Nice guys. Kidnapping of westerners has declined but Iraqis are still in danger. 30 were kidnapped and then later released today. Lest I be accused of only posting good news.

SIX SUSPECTED TERRORISTS DETAINED; WEAPONS CACHE FOUND

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition Forces detained six suspected terrorists and seized a weapons cache Wednesday morning near Tikrit while seeking a terrorist associated with the al-Qaida in Iraq network.

Intelligence reports also indicated the production of improvised explosive devices was also taking place in the targeted area.

When ground forces searched the targeted building, they discovered a weapons cache consisting of machine guns, pistols, rocket-propelled grenade boosters and a sniper rifle scope.

Ground forces also found the equivalent of more than $200,000 in Iraqi Dinar along with more than $160,000 in U.S. currency.

You can read all Centcom’s press releases here.

Cato : The Libertarian Vote

I've been of the opinion that libertarian disillusionment with the GOP had a lot to do with Republican losses in 2006, but I haven't had the hard data to back up that opinion.

David Boaz and David Kirby of Cato have broken down the numbers. Their conclusion:

For those on the trail of the elusive swing voter, it may be most notable that the libertarian vote shifted sharply in 2004. Libertarians preferred George W. Bush over Al Gore by 72 to 20 percent, but Bush's margin dropped in 2004 to 59-38 over John Kerry. Congressional voting showed a similar swing from 2002 to 2004. Libertarians apparently became disillusioned with Republican overspending, social intolerance, civil liberties infringements, and the floundering war in Iraq. If that trend continues into 2006 and 2008, Republicans will lose elections they would otherwise win.

I agree with theis general conclusions above, but I doubt concern of "civil liberties infringements" carries anywhere near as much weight as rampant overspending coupled with the perception that the Republican leadership is at the beck and call of Jerry Falwell. I could be wrong.

So far, I see approximately zero evidence that the Republican leadership "gets it" as regards the disillusionment of the libertarians. If my perception is correct, we may be looking at another round of Democrat wins in 2008--which could give us four years of President Hillary. Good times ... not.

December 13, 2006

Divide And Conquer Pt. Too

Evan Kohlmann reports:

Reflecting the ongoing downward spiral of relations between Sunni and Shiite Muslims--not only in Iraq but across the entire Middle East--Sunni militants have announced a campaign to attack certain Shia websites that they have accused of besmirching the honor of the late Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and the mujahideen of Iraq.

Two things. First, if they're DDOSing each other, maybe they'll leave us alone. For awhile. Second, it seems to me that the media's constant CIVIL WAR!!!! drumbeat has done far more to foment civil war than al-Zaqueery ever did.

In related good news, while Islamofascist cyberpunks square off on each other, real life Islamofascists have enlisted to support the Israeli war effort.... by killing each other:

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip - Palestinian gunmen ambushed a Hamas commander outside a Gaza courthouse Wednesday, forcing him to his knees and killing him gangland-style in an attack that threatened to push Hamas and Fatah closer to civil war.

Every time Hamas and Fatah kill each other, it lets Israel stockpile more ammo for Hezbollah.

Former CNN Censor To Run Iraq News Website

Got to be read to actualy believe it. Its got everything, and the article is even written by discredited E&P reporter Greg Mitchell. Former CNN Baghdad bureau chief Eason Jordan has re-risen from obscurity.Jordan sparked cotroversy when he revealed in 2003 that CNN had been censoring and witholding reports and information on Saddam Hussein's fairly constant stream human rights atrocities in order to maintain the CNN bureau in Baghdad.

He then sparked off his own premature retirement after accusing US troops of deliberately targeting journalists in Iraq at the World Economic Forum in 2005.

Hey, everyone! I'm a complete tool!

Now, he's back. And not only is he back, he's slated to run a CNN-backed all-Iraq news site.

OK. The guy who lied about Hussein's atrocieies is now going to somehow be responsible for the dissemination of any kind of news from Iraq?

From Editor & Publisher:

“Iraq is the story of our time,” he declares. His goal for the site is for it to become nothing less than “the world's premier Iraq-focused information source” -- and with no “political slant.”

I'm guessing his "business decieions" led him to name the site "Iraq Slogger." Why that name? E&P:

The name of his new venture, he says, was inspired by a Donald Rumsfeld reference to this war being a “long, hard slog.”

*** Read it all ------->
Cross-posted at Mein Blogovault.

This is particularly funny, from the E&P article:

He exited CNN in the wake of the uproar over his off-the-record comments (which he insisted were misinterpreted) at a Davos meeting concerning U.S. military involvement in the accidental deaths of several journalists in Iraq. He had co-founded the Iraq News Safety Group to help protect media workers there.

He accused them of deliberately targeting journalists. Then he went and founded an organization to 'protect journalists.' From whom, Mr. Jordan? I'm noticing a pattern here.

MSM's reaction?

ht: Drudge, LGF

Flight Club Membership Growing

Via Jay at Stop The ACLU:

CAIR. Muslims are being encouraged to file civil rights complaints if they feel they are being discriminated against. One Muslim speaks out, claiming they are “stoking the flames of victimization.”…

Washington Times: American Muslims making a religious pilgrimage to Mecca are being encouraged to file civil rights complaints if they feel discriminated against by airlines.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), citing what it called the “airport profiling” of six imams removed from a recent flight, yesterday said Muslims traveling this month to the holy site in Saudi Arabia need to be aware of their rights.

Also see: See Dubya.

And now a shameless Flight Club Reprise!

Ahmadinejad Incitement To Genocide Complaint

A panel led by US ambassador to the UN John bolton will present evidence at The Hague in an attempt to bring a charge of "Incitement to Genocide" against the Iranian president.

Via The Guardian : The outgoing US ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, is backing a call for the president of Iran to be charged with inciting genocide because of his speeches advocating the destruction of the state of Israel......Mr Bolton will be joined in tomorrow's launch of the legal action against Mr Ahmadinejad by a Harvard law professor, Alan Dershowitz, and the former Israeli ambassador to the UN, Dore Gold, together with experts from the US, Canada and Israel. A suit will be lodged with the international court of justice at The Hague, which will decide whether to hear the action. The panel said the Iranian president was guilty of inciting genocide "by making numerous threats against the United States, calling for the destruction of Israel and instigating discrimination against Christians and Jews". His words violate a 1948 UN genocide convention, to which Iran is a signatory, they said.

Related: Muslim bloggers rebuke Ahmadinejad

Al Qaeda Kills 5 Mossad, Shoots Down U.S. Spy Plane in Iraq

The Islamic State of Iraq--the al Qaeda umbrella group posing as a shadow government-- has claimed that it killed five Mossad agents in Iraq. Oh, and they ruined the Mossad agents' GMC 4 x 4. Even funnier, they claim to have shot down a U.S. 'spy plane'.

Here's what their own press release says. Yes, al Qaeda has press releases:

1) The shooting down of an unmanned crusader spy plane in the Ba'iji area on Tuesday December, 12, 2006. All praise and gratitude be to Allah .

2) The killing of five members of the Zionist Mossad and the destruction of their GMC 4x4, by detonating a bomb on it in Ba'iji area, on Wednesday November 22, 2006. All praise and gratitude be to Allah.

Seriously, do they just make this stuff up and then sit back and laugh at the fact that so many Muslims are gullible enough to believe this? Or do the guys at the al Fajr media center--al Qaeda in Iraq's press agents--really believe that the Mossad is crawling all over Anbar province and that model airplanes are used for spying?

Australian Special Forces, Darth Vader Style

Just one more reason to love the Aussies. Can you say Darth Vader, mate?

Australian Department of Defense:

Special Operations Command -- Australia demonstrated its counter-terrorist capabilities to 150 Australian and overseas delegates attending the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Australia 2007 Security Conference at Holsworthy on December 13th, 2006. Operators from the 4RAR (Cdo) Tactical Assault Group - East and the Incident Response Regiment provided static and dynamic displays of enhanced capabilities available to State security agencies should they require assistance in resolving a terrorist incident. APEC 2007 involves 100 days of meetings throughout Australia prior to the APEC Leaders meeting in Sydney. The display was part of a larger day-long activity that included demonstrations by the NSW Police and the Australian Federal Police.

F-35 Makes Maiden Flight

As I write this post the new F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter is making its maiden flight near Ft. Worth Texas. If you're in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area, keep your eyes up.

They've done test flights before, of course, but not on the version of the plane set for mass production. The plane is so hot, it's almost pornographic.

Here's a pic.

Hezbollah in Turkey (+ bonus: Camel Sacrifices!)

As Turkey continues its push to join the EU, two important stories that Europeans should consider.

The first, it looks like Hezbollah--the Party of God--has begun to take root in Southeast Turkey. From MEMRI's new blog:

Ulsever quotes some Turks from the region, who express readiness and desire to die for Sharia. He warns the government of the dangers of the widening network he calls “Hizbullah- a-la-Turca” and asks “who is financing Hizbullah’s activities in Turkey’s [impoverished] Southeast?”

Yeah, I really wonder who finances Hezbollah? That's a toughie......

Next up on the plate: Camel sacrifices. As promised, the sureal just got surrealier. Globe and Mail:

A crew of mechanics at Istanbul's airport were so glad to be rid of some trouble-prone British-made airplanes that they sacrificed a camel on the tarmac in celebration — prompting the firing Wednesday of their supervisor.

Hat tip: Ben

Rumor: Fidel Castro Dies

Once again rumors are flying that Fidel Castro is dead. Spanish radio reporting on the rumors, but no confirmation from any official source. But as Val Preito reminds us, when Castro does finally kick the bucket, don't expect an immediate announcement until after his brother puts the Commie house in order.

This is the third time we'ver reported rumors that Fidel Castro has died. Why keep reporting the rumors when they usually turn out to be false? Because we're the #1 hit for 'Castro dead' over at Google. And one of these times, we're going to be right....just like that boy who cried wolf dude.

Google OSINT

Google as an Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) tool? You bet. Looks like the U.S. State Department has been using Google to gather info on Iranian citizens with links to Iran's nuclear program. Poorly. Which is pretty much par for the course for everything State does.

OpFor has the story. HT: Ron.

Mohammed Denial Conference: Was Mohammed Real or Just Another Zionist Plot?

I just got an e-mail from Bhuvan who tried to post a comment at the BBC. The comment, on a story about the Holocaust denial conference in Iran was apparently too controversial.

Now wait, I would like to see a conference that questions whether Prophet Muhammad existed or not. Sounds controversial? Why not? Free speech. There is more historical proof to the occurrence of the Holocaust than for the existence of Prophet Muhammad.

Indeed. So, in the spirit of 'free speech', we at The Jawa Report are organizing the first ever Was Mohammed Real? conference. Panels include:

Mohammed: Was he real or just another Zionist plot?

The Crusades: Ultra-Orthodoz Muslims speak out against using the Crusades as justification for a Palestinian state.

Did Mohammed Conquer Mecca? New evidence suggests otherwise.

72 White Grapes vs. 72 Virgins: The etymology of patriarchy in Islamic societies

'Angelic visit' or 'Pedophelic Visions': The fiction of Mohammed and his 9 year old lover Aisha

The Illuminati: Why the Great Seal of The United States offers definitive proof that Mohammed was really a 32nd degree Mason.

You get the picture. Any other suggestions?

UPDATE: Flippin' Laurence Simon already beat me to the obvious punch, and, within minutes of posting this, calls me out on it in the comments:

Did Mohammed actually rape and then marry Aisha, or was he actually a homosexual that would never rape and marry a female child?

Personal note to Laurence: I. Will. Find. And. Kill. Your. Zionist. Cat.

Flying Imams : Will the Dept. of Transportation Sue U.S. Air?

It's an open question. So far, the USDoT has generally sided with passengers alleging discrimination and against airlines. Will the case of the Flying Imams be any different?

When U.S. Airways is sued, will it stick up for itself, or will it roll over like the other airlines have? If it rolls over, what will it agree to do in order to avoid "undue vigilance?" What effect will that have on airport security?

If you care, I suggest you let some people hear from you. First, I recommend you express support for U.S. Airways and its employees who have worked to keep us safe:

Doug Parker, Chairman & CEO, US Airways
Scott Kirby, President, US Airways Corporate Headquarters Location
111 W. Rio Salado Parkway
Tempe, AZ 85281

Corporate Headquarters: 480-693-0800 (General information number)
Customer relations telephone: 866-523-5333
Customer relations fax: 480-693-2300

Next, I'd contact the USDoT and encourage them to support U.S. Airways:

Mary E. Peters
Secretary of Transportation
U.S. Dept of Transportation
400 7th Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20590

General Information Main Switchboard: 202-366-4000

dot.comments@dot.gov

Thanks to 911 Families for America for getting this effort rolling.

Freedom Journal Iraq #540

• Training Police
• Marines on patrol

December 12, 2006

Divide And Conquer

Well, it seems the good old U S of A has the country of origin of 15 out of the 19 9/11 hijackers by the short hairs:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia has told the Bush administration that it might provide financial backing to Iraqi Sunnis in a war against Iraqi Shiites if the United States withdraws from Iraq, The New York Times reported on Tuesday, citing American and Arab diplomats.

King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia delivered that message to
Dick Cheney during the U.S. vice president's brief visit last month to Riyadh, the newspaper said, citing the officials it did not name.

Cheney traveled to Saudi Arabia, a close U.S. ally [close ally, yeah right - V] and the world's top oil exporter, to discuss Iraq and how to break the deadlock in the Arab-Israeli conflict.

During the visit, King Abdullah expressed strong opposition to diplomatic talks between the United States and
Iran, which is largely Shi'ite, the Times said.

The Iraq Surrender Group has had a useful purpose all along. They're scaring the bejebus out of every tinhorn, pisspot thugocracy in the Middle East by suggesting that we "dialogue" with Iran and Syria. Well, every tinhorn, pisspot thugocracy that isn't named "Iran" or "Syria."

HS Physics Teacher/ACLU Demand Right to Spew Anti-Zionist Propaganda to Students

Stop the ACLU posts about a renegade high school teacher determined to indoctrinate his students about the evil of insidious Jews and the Great Satan America:

At Andover High School in Massachusetts, Ron Francis, the physics teacher is stirring up controversy once again. In the past he has paid his students to work for his anti-Israel political organization, defended the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, and joked about becoming a suicide bomber. I guess this is what liberal elites consider a quality teacher in our public schools.

Now he is stirring up more attention with his latest brainwashing attempt, and getting the ACLU involved to boot. He invited the group Wheels of Justice, a pro-palestian/ anti-Israel group to speak at the high school. Now that the school refused due to no opposing ideals being presented, the ACLU threats have appeared and the school looks to cave in.

Wheels of Justice is a "peace" group with a very thinly veiled anti-American/anti-Israel agenda. It's Mission Statement could have been cribbed from any number of bogus communist-front "peace" groups from the Cold War era.

Here's a sample of their blather:

The violence suffered by Israelis and Palestinians will continue as long the roots of the conflict remain-colonization, occupation, displacement, apartheid and the denial of the right of Palestinian refugees.

Bloodthirsty, pre-medieval psychopaths strapping explosives to their bodies and seeking out schoolchildren to murder apparently don't count as root causes of conflict. If you need any further evidence of their anti-Semitic agenda, the group's reading list includes Noam Chomsky. Also, the word "Zionist" seems to come up a lot.

One last thing; why is a physics teacher involved in this?

Tatooine Now Open for Tourism!

Forget Hawaii. Don't even think about the forest moon of Endor... unless you're into tey ghey. It's Tatooine or nothing for me. I'm serious.

Seems that Tatooine is a real place, not just the state of mind of the bin Ladens of the world. And the abandoned Star Wars set is the home of squatters who just sort of took over after the evil George Lucas left.

If there are Jawas there, no problem. You can deal with Jawas. It's the Tuskens who you have to watch out for. And the troglodytes. I. Kid. You. Not.

I don't know where Imperial Minister of all things Kylie Minogue's fantabulous backside, Ghost of a Flea, finds this stuff, but I sure do appreciate his thinking of us whenever he comes across some non-Europop related material and sends it our way. MySA.com:

I have never been a "Star Wars" aficionado, to tell you the truth. The closest I ever came to appreciating the movie was singing along to the "Star Wars" ring tone on my colleague's cell phone.

That is, until I took a trip to the planet Tatooine itself — a real place in the middle of the north African desert, a well-kept secret of Tunisia.

While ruthless Hollywood knocks over the set of each movie as soon as the director shouts his final "Cut!," Tunisia, where George Lucas shot most of the "Star Wars" scenes, still keeps the original set from the '70s, protecting it from the burning sun and the evil winds of the Sahara.....

What seemed to be just another pile of desert rocks, gradually, as we approached, took the shape of the rockets, satellites and spheres of the 1976 "Star Wars'" production, the real-life science fiction amid the ancient desert....

As I peered inside one of the impeccably built constructions, I noticed a mattress and a small teapot on the sand floor. In a mere moment, the "owner" of the house was there: an elder Arab man dressed in a typical desert fashion.

Surprisingly, his French was perfect and he explained to me that since he had neither family nor money, he came to live in the movie set. He looks after the place, the real roof of the fake house protects him from the sandstorms, and if a tourist throws him a small coin every once in a while, he can buy some more tea and some food. And he is hardly the only one living in the Lucas-built wonderland in the middle of the Sahara....

Sidi Driss used to be a real troglodyte house, and in the beginning of the '70s it was transformed into the hotel. When Lucas came to Tunisia to shoot the original "Star Wars," he came across the hotel and liked it so much, that not only did he sleep there; he also built additional "space" decorations inside the structure to shoot the necessary scenes. I received my first insight on the Sidi Driss' role in movie location history from an extremely excited American "Star Wars" fan, who was having dinner at the next table in the hotel's tiny canteen....

Having consumed both the food and the info, we left the "restaurant" and took numerous pictures near the real Skywalker memorabilia — the interior of the hotel. Then we went into the "Star Wars Bar" — a small pit in the hotel used to film the famous bar scene, and continued our investigation over the fancy-spacey-named cocktails.

If the surreal could get even surrealier, I don't know how.

Suck On This, Rangel

Draft? We don't need no steenking draft.

WASHINGTON - Though Americans are increasingly pessimistic about the war in Iraq, the Pentagon said Tuesday it is having success enlisting new troops. The Navy and Air Force met their recruiting goals last month while the Army and Marine Corps exceeded theirs, the Defense Department announced.

Yes, yes. Americans are so pessimistic about the war in Iraq that the military is having no problem meeting its recruiting goals.

Well, on the other hand, I'm guessing that the 'ol AP doesn't consider people who enlist in the armed forces as real Americans.

LGF : Why We Rarely Hear from Moderate Muslims

LGF has the very bizarre story of Iktimal Hage-Ali, a prominent young Australian Muslim woman who's been catching hell from fellow Muslims for having a drink of champagne and refusing to wear the hijab:

“It’s true, I was celebrating. Bloody hell, I had a glass of champagne in my hand – so what?” Ms Hage-Ali told The Daily Telegraph yesterday.

In the wake of her refusal to apologize or change her ways, she's now been arrested by the Australian authorities for possession of cocaine.

Stay tuned...

A Simple Test

I was bothered by Dante Chinni’s article about Bill Roggio at the Christian Science Monitor. Dante accuses Bill of a “pro war” bias. I was just reading this article by Mr. Roggio and I found it to be objective.

So I decided to run a little experiment. I wrote this post this morning. It includes three stories. The first is the car bombing in Baghdad today. The second is a story about Iraqi Police finding a bomb near the Golden Mosque in Samarra. The third is about Iraqi army forces freeing 23 hostages and capturing or killing some members of the cell.

I consider the deaths of the innocent people in the car bombing, “negative news.” I consider the other two stories “positive news.”

I decided to follow all three today and see just who picked them up and who didn’t. To test the old saying, “Bad news travels fast.”

First we have the bad news about the car bombing. It has 779 entries on Google news. Everyone reported it as expected.

Next we have the attempted bombing at the Mosque. It has only 10 entries on Google News. NPR did report this over lunch hour. However, note the al-Reuters story uses a misleading sensational headline, “Bomb explodes at Iraq's Samarra mosque”. That kind of dampens the mood eh?

And last but not least we have Centcom’s report on the hostage recovery, with enemy terrorists killed and captured. It has one entry on Google News, me.

But we follow a lot of hostage stories. So I thought surely CSM will be covering this. After all Jill Carroll works for CSM. So I surfed on over and nope, nada, nothing!

I would have expected that 23 hostages saved from being shot or cruelly beheaded would be news and big news at that. I guess not.

MORE BELOW

However while we are on the subject al-Reuters did rerun a story they have listing hostages still missing in Iraq. Four more were taken today. I expect George will be a long shortly to add to any captives that Reuters might have missed.

Dec 12 (Reuters) - Four South African security workers have been kidnapped north of Baghdad and their whereabouts remain unknown, South Africa's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday....

...The following is a list of foreigners kidnapped since the beginning of 2005 and believed to be still missing in Iraq:

HOSTAGE NATIONALITY DATE OF CAPTURE 2005: Mohammed Haroun Hamad Sudan March 9* Maher Ataya Sudan March 9* Nabil Tawfiq Sulaiman Egypt March 19 Mitwali Mohammed Qassem Egypt March 19 Jeffrey Ake U.S. April 11 Six unidentified Jordan May 6 Ali Abdullah Turkey June 7 Unidentified Turkey June 21* Samuel Edward Egypt Sept 26 Abderrahim Boualam Morocco Oct 20 Abdelkrim El Mouhafidim Morocco Oct 20 Six unidentified Sudan Dec 23 2006: Moses Munyao Kenya Jan 18 George Noballa Kenya Jan 18 Three unidentified Kenya July 28* Four unidentified U.S. Nov 16 One unidentified Austria Nov 16 Four unidentified South Africa Dec 10.

This is the MSM bias we are talking about. It’s not so much the opinions added to the news. It’s the total denial and refusal to print any good news at all. No wonder the perceptions are so bad.

The MSM just doesn’t report good news. That is the gap we are trying to fill. If no one reports it then morale suffers. Morale if very important, if you want to win.

See Bill Roggio’s rebuttal here.

Hat Tip: Instapundit.

Others Black Five, Badgers Forward and Daily Pundit.

'Jihad Tax' Imposed by African Taliban in Somalia

Three very related stories. First, the Islamic Courts Union (dubbed the African Taliban by me) has imposed a jihad tax. No goat will go untaxed in the effort to defeat the crusader infidels! Seriously. They are actually taxing goats to pay for jihad.

Second, the Islamic State of Iraq (the al Qaeda umbrella group which presents itself as a shadow government) has praised the ICU in a recent communique. But remember, the ICU claims it has not ties to terrorism. Right.

Last, and most disheartening, news reports indicate that the anti-ICU forces of the Somali government have been surrounded. Next stop, Ethiopia.

AKI:

Islamists who control Somalia's capital Mogadishu say they have begun collecting taxes to raise money to fund a holy war against foreign troops in the Horn of Africa country.

Announcing the tax collection campaign, the UIC has specified the levies it willl charge on livestock: a goat trader will pay 5,000 Somali shillings (7 US cents) while a cow trader will pay 10,000 (14 US cents) and a camel trader will pay 20,000 (1.05 US dollars). It was not immedialtely clear what other businesses based in the capital would be charged.

More below.

SITE:

The Ministry of Information, the official spokesman of the Islamic State of Iraq, issued a message yesterday, Saturday, December 9, 2006, praising the victories of the Islamic Courts Union in Somalia. In the same language used for statements on Iraq, the group asks Allah to help the “brothers in the Islamic courts” resist the apostate government forces and establish an Islamic state. The group states, “We call upon Allah to enable the brothers there to break the spine of the apostates and their allies, and to establish the Islamic state on the land of Somalia, which Allah has glorified by jihad.”

Calling attention to Dinsor, a town in southwest Somalia, the message praises the victory there of the Islamic Courts Union over Baidoa-based government forces and their Ethiopian supporters.

Irish Examiner:

Thousands of Islamic militants today surrounded the only town Somalia’s government controls, the prime minister said.

It came as a top Islamic official promised to attack within a week unless troops from neighbouring Ethiopia leave the country.

Iraqis Arrest Shiite Militia Leader

Hopefully it is a good sign that the Iraqis are finally taking on Shiite militia leaders. While not identified as such in the press release, the fact that the group is called "Martyr Sadr" and is identified as an "Illegal armed group" rather than "insurgents" means that this was a group of Shiites. Since he was detained for "smuggling arms", there is really only one country that he could have been smuggling from: Iran.

8th Iraqi Army division forces, with the assistance of coalition advisers, detained the head of the Al Kut Office of the Martyr Sadr on Dec. 9, for alleged involvement in illegal arms smuggling activities and directing attacks against Iraqi Security Forces in the area.

Based on credible intelligence, he was detained by Iraqi forces because he
allegedly orders his followers to conduct indirect fire attacks and place improvised explosive devices in Al Kut and An Numaniyah targeting Iraqi and Coalition Forces. He is also suspected of approving an ambush carried out against an Iraqi Army patrol on Sept. 11, 2006.

Iraqi Army forces cordoned and entered the OMS and several adjacent buildings to detain the suspect and other cell members. The suspect was found in the OMS building along with IED making components consisting of an artillery projectile, 2 rocket propelled grenades, hand grenades, blasting caps and propellant charges for mortar rounds.

Also found were 2 assault rifles, 17 rifle magazines, night vision goggles, a video
camera, tactical vests, cell phones and a hand-held two-way radio

Five doors were damaged by Iraqi forces when entering the buildings. No other
damage was caused by Iraqi or Coalition Forces to the OMS or surrounding area. Iraqi forces exchanged small arms fire with hostile elements, slightly wounding one enemy fighter. The fighter was treated by medical personnel on-site and detained along with three additional armed suspects. There were no Iraqi forces or Coalition Forces casualties. There were no reports of civilian casualties.

Iraqi Forces are making progress bringing stability and security to Iraq. The resultsmof this operation reduce the ability of illegal armed elements to operate, and increases the safety of all Iraqi civilians and Iraqi Security Forces.

Source: MNF Iraq

How Heroes Die

I'm reprinting this story from CENTOM in its entirety. My most sincere condolences go out to PFC McGinnis's family and friends. Having a warrior in the family is a proud and terrible thing.

Respectful comments are encouraged. Disrespectful and/or politically motivated comments of any kind will be deleted.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY, Iraq – Private First Class Ross A. McGinnis packed only 136 pounds into his 6-foot frame, but few have ever matched his inner strength.

McGinnis sacrificed himself in an act of supreme bravery on Dec. 4, belying his status as the youngest Soldier in Company C, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, attached to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.

The 19-year-old amateur mechanic from Knox, Pa., who enjoyed poker and loud music, likely saved the lives of four Soldiers riding with him on a mission in Baghdad.

McGinnis was manning the gunner’s hatch when an insurgent tossed a grenade from above. It flew past McGinnis and down through the hatch before lodging near the radio.

His platoon sergeant, Sgt. 1st Class Cedric Thomas of Longview, Texas, recalled what happened next.

“Pfc. McGinnis yelled ‘Grenade…It’s in the truck,’” Thomas said. “I looked out of the corner of my eye as I was crouching down and I saw him pin it down.”

McGinnis did so even though he could have escaped.

“He had time to jump out of the truck,” Thomas said. “He chose not to.”

Thomas remembered McGinnis talking about how he would respond in such a situation. McGinnis said then he didn’t know how he would act, but when the time came, he delivered.

“He gave his life to save his crew and his platoon sergeant,” Thomas said. “He’s a hero. He’s a professional. He was just an awesome guy.”

Three of the Soldiers with McGinnis who were wounded that day have returned to duty, while a fourth is recovering in Germany.

For saving the lives of his friends and giving up his own in the process, McGinnis earned the Silver Star, posthumously. His unit paid their final respects in a somber ceremony here Dec. 11.

McGinnis was born June 14, 1987, and joined the Army right after graduating high school in 2005. He had been in the Army 18 months and made his mark even before his heroic deed.

“He was a good kid,” said C Company’s senior enlisted Soldier, 1st Sgt. Kenneth J. Hendrix. “He had just gotten approved for a waiver to be promoted to specialist.”

He also appeared on the Nov. 30 cover of Stars & Stripes, manning his turret.

Besides his military accomplishments, McGinnis leaves his friends and family with memories of a fun-loving, loyal man.

Private First Class Brennan Beck, a 1-26 infantryman from Lodi, Calif., said McGinnis made others feel better.

“He would go into a room and when he left, everyone was laughing,” Beck said. “He did impersonations of others in the company. He was quick-witted, just hilarious. He loved making people laugh. He was a comedian through and through.”

While having a witty side, McGinnis took his job seriously.

“He was not a garrison Soldier. He hated it back in garrison,” Beck said. “He loved it here in Iraq. He loved being a gunner. It was a thrill, he loved everything about it. He was one our best Soldiers. He did a great job.”

Beck has memories of talking all night with McGinnis about where they wanted their lives to go, and said McGinnis always remembered his friends.

“When I had my appendix removed, he was the only one who visited me in the hospital,” Beck said. “That meant a lot.”

Another 1-26 infantryman, Private First ClassMichael Blair of Klamath Falls, Ore., recalled that McGinnis helped him when he arrived at Ledward Barracks in Schweinfurt, Germany.

“When I first came to the unit…he was there and took me in and showed me around,” Blair said. “He was real easy to talk to. You could tell him anything. He was a funny guy. He was always making somebody laugh.”

McGinnis’ final heroic act came as no surprise to Blair.

“He was that kind of person,” Blair said. “He would rather take it himself than have his buddies go down.”

The brigade’s senior noncommissioned officer, Command Sgt. Maj. William Johnson, also had high praise for McGinnis.

“Anytime when you get a Soldier to do something like that - to give his life to protect his fellow Soldiers - that’s what heroes are made of,” Johnson said.

It also demonstrates, Johnson continued, that the ‘MySpace Generation’ has what it takes to carry on the Army’s proud traditions.

“Some think Soldiers who come in today are all about themselves,” Johnson said. “I see it differently.”

The Silver Star has already been approved for McGinnis’ actions Dec.4, and will be awarded posthumously.

American Terror Suspect ID'd in Egypt

An American detained in Egypt on suspicion of involvement with a jihad cell which encouraged Muslims to go to Iraq to kill Americans has been identified. His name is Grey Warren, and he's from Ohio.

However, his name was read in Arabic, so the spelling is uncertain. It's possible that his name is "Gray Warren" or "Warren Grey" (mistaking first and last name?). If you know anythingg about this man, please e-mail me at the contact information above.

The State Department expects he will be released and deported to the U.S. No word on whether he will face charges here.

Fox 45:

The Egyptian security official identifies the American as Grey Warren from Ohio, and says he came to Egypt earlier this year to study at an Islamic university.

Via Pirate's Cove, who has more.

Previously: American Among Terror Plotters in Egypt

Tom DeLay, blogger

Tom DeLay has a blog. Interesting. It looks like a real blog. We'll see. So much of what passes for a "blog" from professional politicos is nothing more than a campaign website, indistinguishable from any number of them.

John Hawkins has an interview with DeLay here. I've never been a DeLay fan, but he comes off not half bad in this small "l" libertarian's view. Especially this comment:

Entitlements should be outlawed in America.

Heh.

Hand Amputation Coming to 'Moderate' Indonesia

Indonesia's government has proposed the introduction of hand amputation for thieves. Why? Because it's in the Koran. Islam, religion of something something.....

Jakarta Post:

One article in the draft law says thieves found guilty ofstealing goods worth more than the market price of 94 grams (3ounces) of gold should have a hand amputated, a punishment stipulated in the Koran, Islam's holy book, and carried out in some Islamic countries.

The Indonesian government agreed to allow Shariah law in Aceh four years ago as part of negotiations to end the 29-year war between separatist rebels and the military. The province is slowly introducing elements of the legal code.

Last year, special Islamic courts began enforcing some of the laws, which include punishing gamblers with caning, forcing womento cover their heads in public and banning the consumption ofalcohol.

Via Pigilito, who has more.

VDH : "Losing the Enlightenment"

Sadly, even today, few in the West "get it."

Happily, Victor Davis Hanson is one of them:

By past definitions of relative power, al-Qaeda and its epigones were weak and could not defeat the West militarily. But their genius was knowing of our own self-loathing, of our inability to determine their evil from our good, of our mistaken belief that Islamists were confused about, rather than intent to destroy, the West, and most of all, of our own terror that we might lose, if even for a brief moment, the enjoyment of our good life to defeat the terrorists. In learning what the Islamists are, many of us, and for the first time, are also learning what we are not. And in fighting these fascists, we are to learn whether our freedom can prove stronger than their suicide belts and improvised explosive devices.

So we have been given a reprieve of sorts with this war, to regroup; and, in our enemies, to see our own past failings and present challenges; and to rediscover our strengths and remember our origins. We can relearn that we are not fighting for George Bush or Wal-Mart alone, but also for the very notion of the Enlightenment--and, yes, in the Christian sense for the good souls of those among us who have forgotten all that as they censor cartoons and compare American soldiers to Nazis.

Read the rest here.

Public Apology

Yesterday, I let down long time Jawa author Vinnie down by not showing up on his radio show for an interview. Sorry Vinmeister. I'll try not to be a flake in the future.

I went fishing yesterday. When I got home I was totally wiped and just crashed. If it's any consolation, I didn't catch anything. Not. A. Single. Fish.

I blame the droid.

NEWT.ORG

For any of you who haven't checked it out lately (or ever), you might want to swing by Newt Gingrich's website.

Newt has long been the voice of a conservative conscience for the Republican Party. On top of that, the man knows how to orchestrate a political win. If the GOP leadership wants to retake political control in 2008, it'll write down everything Gingrich says and do a lot of it. Of course, the GOP leadership isn't really that smart, and many in the GOP see Gingrich as little more than a pain in the butt.

That's all the more reason to swing by and check out what he's up to.

Iraqi Forces Free Hostages, Foil Mosque Bombing

Via Centcom:

BAGHDAD – Iraqi Soldiers, with the support of coalition forces, found 23 hostages and arrested six kidnappers when conducting ongoing operations in a western neighborhood of the Iraqi capital Dec. 11.

The 4th Battalion, 1st Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division team observed two vehicles that had stopped a local national bus, forcing the passengers off the bus at approximately 10:40 a.m.. The Iraqi Army Soldiers pursued the suspects who got back into the two vehicles and drove off in separate directions.

The Iraqi Army soldiers stopped one of the fleeing vehicles west of an established checkpoint in the area. One kidnapper was killed and two others wounded due to the small arms fire used by the Iraqi soldiers to stop the fleeing car. In the trunk of the stopped vehicle, one kidnap victim was found.

The other car, a white Daiwoo, was also followed from the location where passengers were forced from a bus. The Iraqi Army pursued this vehicle until it stopped in front of a house nearby. Two additional kidnap victims were freed from the trunk of the vehicle and 20 more kidnap victims were found inside the house. Six kidnappers were detained from this incident.

After further investigation, most of the kidnapped victims are believed to be Shi’a and predominately from Abu Ghraib and Ramadi. Some of the victims showed signs of abuse; they had been badly beaten.

All 23 rescued victims have been transferred to the 4/1/6 IA Headquarters and are receiving medical treatment.

The kidnappers have been identified as Sunni’s. The kidnapping cell leader, a Syrian named Abu Mousan, escaped capture.

This is good news. The terrorists kidnap ordinary working people and accuse them of crimes. If a ransom cannot be secured, often they are murdered in snuff videos.

Today terrorists murdered more innocents for the crime of looking for work. Efforts to help create jobs for Iraqis could help reduce the number of people seeking day labor. Day laborers have been repeatedly targeted because they are easy targets.

Of course the terrorists will target people working regular jobs. Unemployment and poverty are conditions they require as part of their plans to take power.

There was also a bomb planted today near the entrance of the Golden Mosque in Samarra. If was found and removed. No one was injured.

Centcom: SAMARRA, Iraq – A bomb discovered by Iraqi police near the entrance of the Golden Mosque in Samarra detonated today at noon. Iraqi police were conducting a routine patrol of the area when they found the improvised explosive device placed at the main doorway of the mosque.

The police officials immediately requested assistance from Coalition Forces and an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team to help secure the area and diffuse the bomb.

The EOD team was successful in removing the detonation wire and fuse. However, during their attempt to remove the bomb, it exploded and caused minimal damage to the door and entry way.

A team of Iraqi police searched the interior of the mosque to ensure no injuries or damage was sustained.

“This action by the terrorists shows they have no respect for Islam, and are only concerned about killing innocent civilians,” said Lt. Col. Viet Luong, commander of 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division.

“This bomb was built to cause maximum damage and because of the heroic action of the Iraqi police, this damage was minimized.”

Both of these positive results were achieved by the Iraqi forces.

I'll look and see if any MSM outlets pick these up. I'll not hold my breath, good news is like kryptonite to the MSM.

The terrorists were able to do one operation that will be played up. All these other stories will be ignored. This creates a perception that the things are worse than they really are.

Freedom Journal Iraq #539

• A Look at Haditha Dam
• Governors' Visit
• Operation Season's Greetings
• Why I Serve

Bonus: Watch the explosion around 1:20 - I could be wrong, but I think the Army Rangers detonante explosives in the testicular regions of a Saddam statue. The resulting explosion rips a hole through the statue in said testicular region. Heh.

A Little Fun With the Veep

Apocalypto Trailer

Well, not exactly...

December 11, 2006

It's the Cow Farts, Stupid

A new United Nations report blames cattle and other livestock for greenhouse gas emissions

Meet the world's top destroyer of the environment. It is not the car, or the plane,or even George Bush: it is the cow.

A United Nations report has identified the world's rapidly growing herds of cattle as the greatest threat to the climate, forests and wildlife. And they are blamed for a host of other environmental crimes, from acid rain to the introduction of alien species, from producing deserts to creating dead zones in the oceans, from poisoning rivers and drinking water to destroying coral reefs.

Imagine, wild herbivores were running amok for milennia, destroying the environment and plotting in their evil little planteater brains to bring the world closer and closer to the brink of cataclysmic climate change.

Thank God Al Gore was born, in the nick of time, to warn us all.

Via Stop the ACLU.

Mentally-Ill Moonbat Can't Spell "base"

First graders across the country look a bit smarter today. Then again, most anyone standing next to these communist dingbats looks smarter by comparison. And sexier. No wonder the left keeps them around.

All your bsae are belong to us!

Interview With Dr. Rusty Shackleford At 10 P.M. CST

"Area 51" with Merri and Vinnie. Tonight we're scheduled to interview Dr. Rusty Shackleford.

Maybe. If not we go to plan B.

UPDATE: Sorry, guys. Feel free to call Rusty lots of names, I will!!!

Free Muslims on the Flying Imams

An excellent and timely call for reform:

Because these imams and their handlers just don't get it, it's time we Muslims found leadership and organizations that do.

Our predicament is unique, fragile and precarious. We Muslims are a relatively new minority in a nation that gives us freedoms that no other Muslim nation would allow.

Whether we acknowledge it or not, a radical subset of our faith community is seeking to destroy the basis for this liberty.

Either we predominantly direct our passions against these radicals or Americans will not count us as allies in this consuming struggle.

Read the whole thing here.

Good Riddance, You Worthless Piece of Garbage

Fare thee well to the leftwing whoremongering, wholly-incompetent, impotent, nepotist-bribe-facilitating, Oil-for-Food-money-swindling, worm-headed, limp-wristed, scandal-condoning, unaccountable, anti-Semitic, anti-American, rapist-coddling, terrorist-supporting scum-sucking head sh*tbird of the Useless Nitwits.

You won't be missed. Feel free to leave your sentiments in the comments for this miserable, pathetic waste of oxygen.

Lament of a Moderate Muslim...

This was posted by "tazi2010" in the comments section of the "Flight Club" video. I have no way to vouch for the writer's authenticity, nor do I have any particular reason to doubt it, either:

All of us who are moderate are living normal lives [in] society,first we hear of anything wrong is when we see a report in the media and wonder.Then we try to say something but the extremists are already in all committees&we are excluded from all debates,these extremists who maybe in CAIR too do not represent.I guess we dont have any reps..in the UK the plot to blow up planes was thwarted by moderate muslim¬ the MI5,but that was hardly mentioned in the media,we really dont know what to do.

If this is a legitimate comment from a Muslim individual, I certainly sympathize with him/her. There is certainly truth to the sentiment. To those of us outside the religion of Islam, it certainly appears that the radical activists are in the driver's seat and the remainder of the Muslim community is sitting quietly in the passenger seats.

*** MORE BELOW THE FOLD ***

From my perspective, there are at least four groups that comprise the Muslim community:

1. Muslims who think of themselves as friends of the West, and are working with us

2. Muslims who think of themselves as friends of the West, but are passive and quiet

3. Muslims who claim to be friends of the West, but are working against us

4. Muslims who hate us and say so

I have no idea of the exact proportions, but there seem to be a whole lot of folks in group 4, and a fair number in group 3. Group 2 may exist in substantial numbers, but it's a bit tough to tell. The numbers in group 1 appear to be small, but I suspect that is at least partly out of an interest on their part in keeping a low profile.

Folks, this is all a recipe for a series of very unfortunate events. Unfortunately for some of the quiet passengers just along for the ride, politics is a blunt instrument. When the West finally has enough of the radical activists, the backlash is likely to be severe. The "blast pattern" from the response will take out radicals along with those associated with them. The time when one can comfortably stand in the middle may come to an end sooner than you might think. In the hopes of avoiding this, I entreat the true moderate and liberal Muslims to vigorously stand up to the radicals. "Muslim unity" is a path to disaster.

As for the rest of the world, it's a good idea to remember that we DO have allies, and even friends, in our Muslim communities. While we shouldn't mistake an enemy for a friend, we also shouldn't mistake a friend--or potential friend--for an enemy. Both are counterproductive. Many of our enemies are Muslims, but not all Muslims are our enemies.

Karachi: The New Bangkok?

It seems Pakistan's new law negating the need for four male witnesses to a rape is not being met with open arms by his fellow members of the Religion of Seething.

KARACHI (Reuters) - Thousands of Islamist protesters demonstrated in southern Pakistan on Sunday against a new law that reduces the burden of proof on rape victims by allowing them to seek justice without the need for four male witnesses.

The Women Protection Bill, signed into law last month, was seen as a key test for President Pervez Musharraf's philosophy of "enlightened moderation" for his predominantly Muslim country.

The protest in the country's biggest city of Karachi came a day after Musharraf ruled out any changes to the law despite calls from the Islamists.

Apparently, this law is so horridly wrong, it's going to turn Pakistan into a "free sex zone."

"We reject this law because it is unIslamic and also against women rights," Fazal-ur-Rehman, a senior leader of the main Islamist alliance and opposition leader in the National Assembly, parliament's lower house, told the rally.

Rehman said the law is a conspiracy to make Pakistan a "free sex zone".

I don't know what Mr. Rehman is complaining about. Sex outside of marriage is still punishable by 5 years in prison, and adulterers are still allowed to be stoned to death.

Leftist Blogger: 'Spitting on Soldier Not News'

"Phriendly Jaime" at West of Shockoe (the twit at Shockoe didn't realize that changing the title of a Blogger post also changes the URL, here's the new link) thinks prosecuting Lauren Maggi, accused of spitting in a soldier's face at Syracuse's Hancock Airport on November 22, is a waste of time.

And PJ has taken issue with me for blogging about the shameful incident. Unfortunately for PJ, he doesn't have his facts straight, but that doesn't prevent the typical, leftist rant that follows his snap judgement.

Worse, he doesn't think spitting in a soldier's face is a crime worth wasting taxpayers' money on, and anyway, PJ implies that the soldier is probably lying about the whole thing.

Phriendly Jaime's rant begins:

A few choice Republican "bloggers" are trying to make a story out of a laughable tidbit they heard on Fox news from Jon Gibson. This is what they report: Syracuse radio station WFBL reports that Lauren Maggi, 35, of Thurber Street was charged with harassment for spitting in a soldier's face at Hancock Airport.

PJ's first mistake: Gibson's story came after my original post, and Jawa Report crosspost. That's why it quotes a radio station, which Gibson's piece does not; there was almost no posted news of the incident at the time. It was through research that I learned the proper spelling of Maggi's last name, and the fact (ignored by PJ) that she had been arrested for endangering the welfare of a minor in January.

Now PJ quotes information that became available later in the day, and with which both the Jawa and TDPB posts were updated:

The incident happened over the Thanksgiving holiday. Maggi approached a soldier from the 10th Mountain Division, who apparently was not in uniform, and asked if he was a soldier. When he said yes, Maggi allegedly spit in his face.
And this is what the majority of them DON'T report, because it makes their non-story a...NON-STORY.
Jason Jones, 21, told police a woman he did not know walked up to him near the United Airlines ticket counter, asked him if he was a Fort Drum solider and, when he responded that he was, spat in his face.

Police searched the airport garage and located a woman fitting the description that Jones provided, who was later identified as Maggi. Police escorted her into the terminal, where Jones identified her as the woman who had spit on him. A second soldier on the scene supported Jones' accusation, police said.

Maggi offered no explanation for her conduct, police said. She could not be reached for comment Thursday night.

I made sure to update with this information because it's so damning; the victim and a corroborating witness identified her, and she offered no defense, apparently not even denying the charge.

How does PJ interpret this news? Very strangely indeed:

Do you see what I am getting at?

No, thank God my mind works in a normal, rational manner so that leftist "thinking" is pretty much alien to me.

Someone, WITHOUT ANY PROOF WHATSOEVER, walked up to a police officer and told them "something". The officer found "someone" who matched the accuser's "description" and asked her what happened. She offered no explanation, yet she admitted nothing, and they charged her. Because there is no way to prove it happened, she'll go to court, and she'll most likely walk without being charged. So, in essence, Republican bloggers and Fox news would rather tax payer's money be wasted, all to try to make Democratic supporters and liberals look like they hate the troops. Real productive.

PJ, eyewitness testimony is called "proof." Another eyewitness other than the victim is called "corroborating evidence," and the fact that police were able to find Maggi based on the victim's description further bolsters his account of events. All of this will come out in court.

The best part of all of this? No one has any idea whether or not this woman is a Democrat. I hope someone asks her, because even if the story of her "harassment" is true, it would be too funny to watch the Republicans delete their blogs and forget the incident altogether to save face.

The word "Democrat" isn't mentioned in my post, though I think it's a pretty safe bet that a woman who spits in a soldier's face doesn't belong to the party of Lincoln.

Let's make this short, sweet, and to the point, shall we?

First of all, if a stroy [sic] is only reported on Fox News by Jon Gibson, it isn't news. Period. Do you see Democratic bloggers reporting things heard on Air America, without any reputable sources to back it up? No. So, be responsible and get some adequate sources before you let your fingers type nonsense and tripe.

But PJ, if you'd bothered to read the story, including the parts you excerpted, you'd realize that Gibson was the last one to the story, not the first. Let's review: I heard the story on WFBL radio, researched the name and came up with a bare bones blurb at Syracuse.com, as well as additional information about an earlier crime, and posted. Subsequently, Syracuse.com updated their site with more details, which I used to update my posts. I discovered Gibson's story today, and have mentioned it only in this post.

Second, by ignoring the whole story and only cutting and pasting the points that work for you, you make yourself even less credible than you were before. It makes you look, well, stupid, and people are left to wonder why you blog in the first place.

I have to agree with that statement, PJ, so tell us, why do you blog in the first place?

Lastly, distorting facts and truth is not blogging, it is a cry for attention and a sign of an emotional problem. People experiencing this ought to get themselves to the appropriate doctors as soon as possible.

Well, PJ, you've got your attention, are you enjoying it? Hope your doctor has an appointment opening up real soon. Maybe you should ask about Paxil and something to help your attention deficit disorder.

Play Dress Up With Muhammad

No, I was not playing with dolls!

It's a Muhammad action figure dammit. Create yours today!

Fatwa?

If you play send me your pic and I'll add it to the post, See Doug's "results" below.

Hat Tip: Bill

Update: oops forgot to add the link.

Liz's contribution from White Trash Republic.

The Jawa Report Faker's Ball

There's certainly been a rash of fake news this year--or at least there's been a rash of EXPOSED fake news. Who knows how many fake news stories we bought over the years? I suppose we'll never know.

At any rate, the sight of Jayson Blair and Green Helmet back in the news, coupled with all the shenanigans at AP, got me thinking about fake news, and inspired me to do the photoshop above. I'm wondering if anyone else might be in the mood for a FAKE NEWS photoshop contest. Below the fold, I've uploaded "green screen" versions of some of the greatest fakers in the news, just to make it easy for ya. (Yes, I know Ted Turner's not really a journalist, but I really can't stand the guy, so I threw him in, too.) I'm sure you know what to do. Shoot your submissions to me via email.

NOTE : If you want credit for your work, please put your ID or URL in your image. Keeping track of who submitted what is a major headache.

*** FAKER PICS BELOW THE FOLD ***

Dan Rather

Green Helmet

CNN's Eason Jordan

Jayson Blair

AP's Kathleen Carroll

The Famous AP Podium

Mary Mapes

Omar Shahin

Ted Turner

Walter Duranty

Baghdad Bob

We Were Robbed!

Everyone knows the most annoying right of center blog is The Jawa Report!

You can make up for this terrible injustice by voting for TJR here. Even if LGF strikes us down, we will become more powerful than Charles Johnson can possibly imagine.

Death To The Dictator

Update: OK FOXNEWS you owe me 20 bucks for the title! Wait a minute, they have money, 20 thousand bucks for the title. ;)

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was heckled during a speech at Tehran University.

Via Breitbart: A small number of students shouted 'death to the dictator' and smashed cameras of state television...

.... Ahmadinejad responded by describing those students chanting the slogans as an "oppressive" minority.

"A small number of people who claim there is oppression are creating oppression and do not let the majority hear (my) words," he said.

That's funny oppression is when you can't hear the dictator. Reports that the group was shouted down by chants of, "We support Short Stuff!" were incorrect. Ahmadinejad's followers were actually chanting, "Death To America!"

Freedom Journal Iraq #538

• Iraqi Soldiers Patrol Ramadi
• The Air Force's UAVs

Who is Omar Shahin?

Katherine Kersten has the details here. Excerpt:

How about Omar Shahin, the imams' spokesman and also president of the North American Imams Federation? He is a native of Jordan, who says he became a U.S. citizen in 2003. From 2000 to 2003, Shahin served as president of Islamic Center of Tucson (ICT), that city's largest mosque.

The ICT is well known. The mosque has "an extensive history of terror links," according to terrorism expert Steven Emerson, who testified about terrorist financing before the Senate Banking Committee in July 2005.

The Washington Post described these links in a 2002 article. "Tucson was one of the first points of contact in the United States for the jihadist group that evolved into al Qaeda," the Post reported. And the ICT? It held "basically the first cell of al Qaeda in the United States; that is where it all started," said Rita Katz, a terrorism expert quoted by the Post.

There's much more. Read it all.

h/t : PowerLine

December 10, 2006

The Film Actor's Guild

In light of Bluto's earlier post on Alec Baldwin's opinion re: the CIA, this clip seemed particularly appropriate:

Update by Vinnie: Dude, spell it right. It's Arec Bardwin.

Jamil Hussein: Vanished into Desert Air...

AllahP notes that the AP will now refrain from naming sources for much of its "stringer" coverage in the future. I'm sure that will help sort out the real from the propaganda. Chalk this one up as a win for the bloggers, as the AP hasn't produced the source, and won't because it has been demonstrated that the 'source' doesn't really exist - at the very least not in the capacity or with the 'credibility' with which the AP presented the source.

Unless the AP wants to produce him, which they won't.

Dan Reihl offers more evidence that the alleged "burning Sunni" incident never happened.

Green Helmet Guy lives on, however, in the AP annals of fame and honor. I and many others scoff derisively and with satisfaction that the AP has not only lost its rudder, but has run aground and is leaking a massive oil slick into the sound. Stay tuned.

France Flies UAV's Over Lebanon to Stop Israeli Overflights

The French contingent of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), is in a snit about Israeli intelligence-gathering overflights of Lebanon and have deployed an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) in an effort to stop the Israeli flights:

France, a member of UNIFIL, has expressed adamant opposition to IAF overflights in Lebanon. Last month, OC Planning Division Maj.-Gen. Ido Nehushtan traveled to Paris for meetings with senior military officials during which he tried to explain Israel's operational needs. The flights, the IDF claims, are necessary for gathering intelligence and keeping an eye on the Lebanese-Syrian border through which weapons are smuggled to the Hizbullah.

The French nearly fired on an Israeli plane in October, and their soldiers have been given permission to fire on Israeli planes if they feel threatened.

Since the average Frenchman is liable to feel threatened by a particularly vicious-looking chihuahua, expect Lebanon to become a free-fire zone any time the Star of David is spotted in the skies.

The French eagerness to deploy their very own UAV is not strictly in the interests of peace:

According to Israeli defense sources, the French initiative is also meant to prove the operational capabilities of its UAVs so they can compete against Israeli defense industries on the global UAV market.

Now that the Iraqi oil market under Saddam has...dried up...the French seek new sources of income. I understand the UAV is called, "Putain Française."

Bloggers as Spies: Open Source Spying to Fight Terrorism

I've argued for organizing hackers as a response to cyber jihadis ("cyber privateering"), so why not bloggers? Clive Thomas argues this very thing in the New York Times Magazine.

Of course, most (but not all) of what Thomas is arguing about is actual government employees working in intel. But the principal is the same and based on the same assumption about the nature of information: it is something no one person can have a monopoly on and is decentralized.

In other words, it is very difficult for a single individual to know enough about our enemies and what they plan, but it may be possible for decentralized networks of individuals to know enough. Enough to say, catch the bad guys or stop them before they do something bad. We've actually seen this over and over agains in recent years with individuals making contacts with would-be terrorists and then bringing in the FBI and other authorities only after the initial investigation phase was completed.

We know quite a few people who are sleuthing behind the scenes . Some have even helped take out some very bad guys. Some are even bloggers. (In fact, a little birdie tells me Fox News may have someting on Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam tomorrow or the next day from one of these sources--keep your eyes peeled!)

And some of what is recommended in the article is stuff we do here at The Jawa Report. Daily. So, keep reading. You didn't know it, but you are a spy. How cool is that?

NY Times Magazine:(Hat tip: Professor Chaos for the e-mail)

Fingar says yes, for an interesting reason: top-secret information is becoming less useful than it used to be. “The intelligence business was initially, if not inherently, about secrets — running risks and expending a lot of money to acquire secrets,” he said, with the idea that “if you limit how many people see it, it will be more secure, and you will be able to get more of it. But that’s now appropriate for a small and shrinking percentage of information.” The time is past for analysts to act like “monastic scholars in a cave someplace,” he added, laboring for weeks or months in isolation to produce a report.

Fingar says that more value can be generated by analysts sharing bits of “open source” information — the nonclassified material in the broad world, like foreign newspapers, newsletters and blogs. It used to be that on-the-ground spies were the only ones who knew what was going on in a foreign country. But now the average citizen sitting in her living room can peer into the debates, news and lives of people in Iran. “If you want to know what the terrorists’ long-term plans are, the best thing is to read their propaganda — the stuff out there on the Internet,” the W.M.D. analyst told me. “I mean, it’s not secret. They’re telling us.”

Allow me to introduce myself. Shackleford. Rusty Shackleford.

Multi National Force Press Get’s Exposure

Seldom do you see Multinational Force releases on memeorandum. But a story we ran on Thursday was picked up by other bloggers over the weekend and did show. The more we all link them the more exposure these stories will get. If you read TJR this week you get a striking difference from the defeatism that is running rampant of late in the MSM.

Flopping Aces notes a story from The Association of Muslim Scholars in Iraq that started out on a few obscure websites and then moved to al-Jazeera. Then was picked up by the AP. We are accused of “atrocities”. FloppingAces noted the discrepancy with the Multi National Force’s account and asks, is this more “News From The Enemy?”

The answer is YES! I believe this report came from the funerals following the strike where an American Pilot was lost when his F16 crashed supporting ground troops and operations to secure the area afterward.

When this was first reported on al-Jazeera along with the pictures of our pilot there were shots of dead “martyred mujahadeen”. There were shots of the damage caused by the warplane that occurred during the battle. The ending shot showed a black flag flying over the damaged structure with cheering fighters. These were combatants, mujahadeen, fighters, soldiers.

But at the funerals the story changes. The plane was not shot down during the battle. They mention a plane but it was used to cause damage afterward to “cover up crimes” that occurred during the battle. . They give an entirely different description of events. They say there were no fighters present, all were unarmed innocent civilians and were gunned down with no provocation. In direct disagreement with the first story.

This is now the version of events being pushed by Association of Muslim Scholars. A group with ties to Sunni insurgents in Iraq.

The group of hard-line Sunnis, which has routinely opposed the "U.S. occupation" of Iraq, alleged that American soldiers entered two Iraqi homes, shot their large families to death, then planted bombs that blew up the buildings to make it look as if the Iraqis had died in a U.S. airstrike targeting insurgents.

“U.S. planes bombed two adjacent houses in al-Jalameda area after midnight targeting the houses of the two brothers Mohammed and Mahmoud Hussein Jalmoud in western Ishaqi,” the source told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VoI) by telephone. “According to a preliminary toll, the bombing resulted in the death of 30 residents,”

So yes this is the enemy’s propaganda. Innocent civilians who just happen to have:

MNF: AK-47s, machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades, anti-personnel mines, explosives, blasting caps and suicide vests. Who could they be? Coalition Forces also found that two of the terrorists killed were women. Al-Qaida in Iraq has both men and women supporting and facilitating their operations unfortunately.

So you see why it’s important that blogs carry our side of the story. Since this story was already known, when the enemys distorted acount comes it is recognized quickly.

If just keep supporting these stories we can get them a lot more exposure. I’ve noted that if a few blogs run a story a lot of MSM outlets jump on it. That is if we can just get them past using our side as sources. They seem to have no trouble using the enemy’s sources.

Swords of This That or The Other

An unknown group threatens women in Palestine. They will be shown, “no mercy”, for failure to wear a hijab.

Jpost Dec 2nd: A hitherto unknown group calling itself the Just Swords of Islam issued a warning to Palestinian women in the Gaza Strip over the weekend that they must wear the hijab or face being targeted by the group's members.

In pamphlets distributed in various parts of the Gaza Strip, the group also claimed responsibility for attacks on 12 Internet cafes over the past few days.

The warning was directed primarily against female students in a number of universities and colleges who do not cover their heads in line with Islamic tradition.

The group said its followers last week threw acid at the face of a young woman who was dressed "immodestly" in the center of Gaza City. They also destroyed a car belonging to a young man who was playing his radio tape too loudly.

Addressing female students, the group said: "We will have no mercy on any woman who violates the traditions of Islam and who also hang out in Internet cafes."

According to the group, its members used rocket-propelled grenades to attack 12 Internet cafes and a number of music shops in different parts of the Gaza Strip.

It said the places were targeted because they were "distracting an entire generation of Palestinians from their duty to worship [Alla] and jihad so that they could serve their Zionist masters and the Crusaders."

Unknown is a bit misleading, it’s al-Qaeda 3.0. In October The “Islamic Swords of Justice” attacked a coffee shop with internet access for “UnIslamic Activities”. Al-Qaeda 3.0 is Rusty’s name for small al-Qaeda inspired cells. These are ”self starters” who use al-Qeada propaganda taken from the internet and other sources to create cells. These cells then generally carry out acts of terror at random.

Oct 9 th Ynet vid TJR: After the Palestinian branch of al-Qaeda took responsibility for killing a senior Palestinian intelligence officer and four of his escorts three weeks ago, the group again took responsibility for violence in the Gaza Strip. Early Sunday morning, Gunmen shot and set fire to an internet coffee shop in Jabaliya in the northern Gaza Strip, causing massive damage.

Sunday afternoon an announcement was made claiming that the organization Islamic Swords of Justice, identified as an affiliate of al-Qaeda are responsible for the incident.

The name is irrelevant, but normally includes in its name, the Swords of [insert Islamic catch phrase here].

The quirky thing about the use of the word sword is that implies it is God that actually kills people by letting them die. It’s not the sword that kills it’s God, for he is surely great enough to prevent it. See example here at LGF,

The examples I have of al-Qaeda 3.0 above are different, we see small groups of terrorists and criminals forming around Jihadist propaganda. But below the the lone wolf, or the lone idiot maybe.

A comment on this post said the man arrested in chicago was, “Definitely not al-Qaeda 3.0.” Well Yes, he’s a few versions short of a bug free run. But he had the same type of inspiration. I’m willing to bet 20 bucks that in the will video he claims to be a sword of [insert this that or the other here].

Hat Tip: Prairie Pundit.

Note: I was going to post this last week and lost it. Found it again and used it becaue online terror results in real life terror.

David Duke To Lead Hollocaust Denying Delegation to Iran

KKK whackjob David Duke will lead a team of US Holocaust deniers to Iran's "summit" on Holocaust denial/revisionism, culminating in a keynote speech in Tehran. It should turn out to be kind of like a Truther convention, but without the black-shirt legions of penniless teenagers who have nothing better to do on a Saturday. Senator KKK Byrd (D) could not be reached for comment, although he was reported to be "open to a new direction in Holocaust research."

And Keith Olbermann wept. Not.

The ISG has indicated that we should be conceding, grovelling and having a dialogue with these Iranian anti-Semitic pieces of human debris. I say we listen without hesitance, because the lamestream media says we should.

ht: Gateway Pundit

T-Minus Roughly One Week

Well folks, we're in the final run down to departure and have now officially entered headless-chicken-sprint mode. Before we all head on out, I wanted to say thank you so very much to all of you for all your generous financial and moral support. It really warms my heart to know that you folks here are pulling for us. In any case, there is now a blog for the effort. We've started posting news and information about the situation and our situation, for your edification. We're over at Christmas in Darfur: A Blog, and will hopefully be able to keep you updated as things evolve.

Some Questions for Social Conservative Republicans

I was at dinner the other night with a group of young Republicans. We were discussing the future of the GOP. Any discussion about the future of the GOP includes, of course, a discussion of the social conservative wing of the GOP--that is, the group of people who primarily identify with the GOP on the "moral issues" such as abortion, gay marriage and euthanasia...

*** MORE BELOW THE FOLD ***

There has, of course, always been an uneasy alliance between the socially conservative Republicans and the fiscally conservative Republicans. They've been allied under the Republican banner because of certain shared agendas, principal among these (in my opinion) being a belief in limited government--particularly belief in a limited federal government.

Within our dinner discussion the other night, there seemed to nearly be a consensus that the social conservatives had moved away from their traditional belief in limited government. Bush had, for example, successfully campaigned on his philosophy of "compassionate conservatism"--that is, a belief in a federal government actively helping faith organizations and actively advancing a faith-based agenda at the federal level. Whatever the reality may be, the perception is that GOP leaders have managed to convince the social conservatives that "active government" is preferable to the traditional, limited government view.

There are a number of examples of this ideology at work, but the federal partial-birth abortion ban is perhaps one of the clearest. The traditional Republican view had always been that protection of life was the purview of the states and was generally outside the scope of the federal legislative and executive power. This traditional view would say that partial-birth abortion, no matter how egregious it may be, is a matter for the states to manage. That is no longer, of course, the majority Republican view.

I said above that there was "nearly" a consensus. I say "nearly" because I personally believe that the social conservative block is not monolithic. I believe that there still remain at least some limited government social conservatives. Perhaps I'm just living in the past. At any rate, the above thoughts raise some questions in my mind, and I'd be very interested to hear the opinions of any social conservative Jawa Report readers:

(1) As a social conservative, do you agree with the above general characterization of the broader social conservative movement?

(2) Does this characterization apply to you, personally?

(3) Would you be willing to support a GOP politician who voted AGAINST the partial-birth abortion ban, if he cast his vost on the principle that the federal government has limited power, and certain matters are reserved to the states?

(4) If the Republican Party is now a party of big, active government, what should the GOP say to the millions of voters who joined the party primarily because of its limited government sales pitch? Is there still a place for them at the GOP dinner table?

Islamic Villagers Kill Boy & Girl for 'Illegal Sex'

Kunar, Afghanistan - Someone page Rosie O'Donnell and let her know that it wasn't a villiage of radical Christians who executed these two folks. Here' s the punishment (allegedly designed by Allah, PBUH) to fit the 'crime:'

Under the Islamic Sharia law, any kind of extramarital sex is unlawful and harshly punishable. According to Shariah if married couple were involved in sex they would be stoned to death in public after their confessing of committing the crime or testimony of at least four true witnesses. If unmarried person commits the crime, he would be thrashed 100 lashes in public.

Such a reasonable culture.

Alec Baldwin: 'Get Rid of the CIA' to Defeat Terrorism

Alec Baldwin, whose foreign relations and counter-terrorism expertise is founded on playing the role of Jack Ryan in The Hunt for Red October, has decided that we need to abolish the Central Intelligence Agency. This is Alec's "oddly simple" "first step" to defeating terrorism (brave Alec also takes the opportunity to bash Jeane Kirkpatrick, now that she's safely dead).

Has Alec discovered a new principle here? Can we defeat crime by abolishing the police? Will housefires disappear if we send the firemen packing? Can we eliminate plane crashes by eliminating the FAA?

Of course not.

The clue to Alec's Bizarro World thinking comes at the beginning of his post. He thinks that the Right is obssessing about the Vietnam War. Yes Alec, the Right is taking every opportunity to shout "quagmire" hoping to demoralize our troops and the people being protected by them at home.

This is what happens when stupid people play smart people in movies and on TV.

Previous Baldwin Buffoonery here.

Do You Know Whether al Qaeda is Sunni or Shia?

If you do, you know more about the Middle East than the incoming Chair of the House Intelligence Committee.

This will be the guy running much of the oversight on our intelligence community for the next two years. Very niiiiiiice.

Now, I WISH I could say we'd be in much better hands had the Republicans kept power, but far too many GOP politicians would flub the same question.

And if you care about the future of your country, those facts should scare the living bejezus out of you.

Get involved, folks. Please get involved. Either that, or start memorizing the Shahada. If the people running our nation can't be bothered to learn the most basic facts about the Middle East, you'll likely be needing to recite it soon enough.

h/t : Captain Ed.

A Message From Nancy Pelosi

UPDATE: Congressman William Jefferson (D), Lousiana, rides back into office on a wing and a freeezer full of bribe money. Here's to the "most ethical, most honest, most open government in the history of time and the universe ever, EVER." The coming indictment will be oooooh-so-sweet.

December 09, 2006

Waking Up on the Wrong Side of the Rock...

I don't care who ya are, that there's funny...

h/t : Allah.

December 08, 2006

Return of the Green Helmet Guy (Updated Again & Again...)

The entry is below the fold - its a rather lengthy rebuttal to AP exec. editor Kathleen Carroll's asinine swipes at bloggers, coupled with a comparative analysis of inaccurate AP and wire service coverage. The original "Green Helmet Guy" entry is at the bottom of the post. Grab a cuppa joe and stay a while. More to come.

Most recent updates- - ->
Update VI (Good Lt): Sorry, Vinndawg. The AP Pontiff denied the fauxtography scandal.

In E&P, of all places.

I have to run these items. Miss Carroll's colleagues at AFP in August, defending Adnan Hajj and his ilk:

Do you really think these people would risk their lives under Israeli shelling to set up a digging ceremony for dead Lebanese kids?" asked Patrick Baz, Mideast photo director for AFP. "I'm totally stunned by first the question, and I can't imagine that somebody would think something like that would have happened."

We have the photos, Miss Carroll.

The AP had three different photographers there who weren't always aware of what the others were doing, and filed their images to editors separately, said Santiago Lyon, director of photography.

There are also several reasons not to draw conclusions from time stamps, Lyon said. Following a news event like this, the AP does not distribute pictures sequentially; photos are moved based on news value and how quickly they are available for an editor to transmit.

The AP indicates to its members when they are sent on the wire, and member Web sites sometimes use a different time stamp to show when they are posted.

We are aware of that as well. And here's what you said to another propagandist interested in discrediting the watchdogs of the Fourth Estate in an interview for "On the Media." Check this:

MARK JURKOWITZ: Two other people that the military have characterized as enemy combatants or insurgents. Is that correct?

KATHLEEN CARROLL: That's what they told us, yes. We have been in touch with them, but he says that, you know, he was doing his job as a journalist, which involves talking to all kinds of people, and making himself available to talk with them so that he can make pictures of them without endangering himself.

MARK JURKOWITZ: Are you aware to any extent what his relationship with members of the insurgency might be? Do you know, frankly, whether he has just sources within the insurgency or would have any special knowledge about what's going on there?

KATHLEEN CARROLL: I would say two things about that, Mark. One, we are not particularly interested in trying to suss- out the details and evidence and try Bilal, you know, on your program or any other way in the media. We have always said if there's a problem, put it before a court. That said, we've done our own examination of his work, our relationship with him, all the conversations he's had with all of the AP employees, and found absolutely nothing, absolutely nothing that would lead us to believe his relationships were anything other than those of a native son committing journalism in his hometown and then later in a town up the road.

OK. They are not interested in Bilal Hussein's insurgent ties. Even though he's been caught red-handed with insurgents with traces of bomb-making materials on his garb. Continuing on this facade:

MARK JURKOWITZ: How do you describe sort of the kind of work and the kinds of things he's been doing for AP?

KATHLEEN CARROLL: We reviewed 420 photographs, the body of his work, as it moved on our circuits. The vast majority of those photographs show the aftermath of combat, show the effects of fighting on buildings, on cars, on people. There are people showing emotion, grief. There are occasionally dead bodies. There are wounded people. Thirty-seven of the four-hundred-and-twenty pictures showed armed men or masked men who could conceivably be insurgents or fighters. And in three or so of those photos, they're actually firing weapons. The distinction that I really want to make that's very important here, Mark, if you believe that someone is tied in with insurgents, you would logically assume that they would be at the scene of insurgent activity fairly early after it happened. You might expect to see pictures of, you know, cars blowing up, with giant flames leaping out of them. And that's just not the case in Bilal's work. Our review found that most of the violence had subsided by the time he arrived to make pictures. That's important to us.

MARK JURKOWITZ: According to a May e-mail from a military official to the AP, this is what they've said. He has close relationships with persons known to be responsible for kidnapping, smuggling, improvised explosive attacks and other attacks on coalition forces. Do you accept that as a possibility, do you refute that or do you just sort of – don't have a comment on that per se and are just looking at his work and his work habits?

KATHLEEN CARROLL: Well, I can only respond to it generally, because there's never been anything specific that comes beyond that. Bilal grew up in Fallujah. I don't know about you, but not all the people that I grew up with turned out exactly well. You know, some of them ended up doing things that our mothers might not like. I don't know whether that's the case with Bilal, because we've never had any names associated with this. Just they think his relationships are unsavory. Any journalist will tell you that occasionally you end up having dinner with or interviewing or taking pictures of somebody that you might not want to have over to the house, but that that's a part of your job as being a journalist. How could anybody in Boston, Chicago, New York or Philadelphia have covered the Mob if they didn't get to know all these colorful characters a little bit? Does that mean that they should go to jail without charge because they hang out with guys that have names from "The Sopranos?"

For those paying attention, she's just admitted that Bilal Hussein is an insurgent.

MARK JURKOWITZ: [LAUGHS]

KATHLEEN CARROLL: No.

MARK JURKOWITZ: Kathleen, I appreciate your time.

KATHLEEN CARROLL: My pleasure, Mark.

MARK JURKOWITZ: Kathleen Carroll is executive editor of The Associated Press.

Its officially safe to procalim that Miss Carroll has been duped AGAIN and should reevaluate her 'sources.'

The American people and our troops deserve better. Much better.
- - -
Update Vee by Vinnie: Exclusive archival footage of Kathleen Carroll's first big break, an interview with Sen. Robert Byrd.
- - -
Update IV: (Good Lt): If its a fight you want, AP, you got it.We're not alone in this, Miss Carroll.

The AP won’t produce its star source, Jamil Hussein, the policeman that neither the Iraqi Ministry of Interior nor CENTCOM can find record of, any of the immolated bodies or their names, the names and credentials of the local Iraqis the AP used as reporters of the incident and the AP’s follow-up, the purported conveniently located afterward anonymous witnesses, nor any Sunni leaders who are aware of the claimed incident.

Kathleen Carroll has experience, yes. And, Richard Nixon was an experienced politician. Leading Republicans, finally, told him the gig was up, the cover-up had doomed his credibility and position. Where are the responsible media leaders who will tell Ms. Carroll?

Stings, doesn't it? From the Boston Herald:

The pajama-clad ranks of conservative bloggers are officially here as effective media watchdogs, having forced Dan Rather's retirement; having forced Reuters and other news agencies to come to terms with the propaganda they were shilling for terrorists in Lebanon; and having now prompted action from both the United States military and the Iraqi Interior Ministry after evidence of fraudulent war crimes reports by the Associated Press.

Cozy up, babe. We're the thorn in your precious little craw.
- - -
Update III (Bluto):

My contribution to the tag team action is a reminder of this little gem from August, during the Israeli/Hizballah war. Reuters and the AP collaborated on keeping it on the downlow. Two journalists, one from Reuters and one from The Associated Press corroborated each others' sketchy accounts of an alleged Israeli missile attack on a civilian convoy fleeing Marjayoun, Lebanon.

What Reuters and the AP didn't mention (and neither responded to my inquiries) was that the two journalists were there because they, too, were fleeing Marjayoun - and they are twin brothers, Lotfallah and Karamallah Daher.

What does this have to do with Green Helmet Guy? Green Helmet Guy is also from Marjayoun. His real name is Salam Daher.
- - -
Update II (Good Lt): Apologies in advance for the wrath I rarely display that will flow henceforth. Someone needs a severe clue-clubbing. Allah's post is about to bring the smaller Good Lt out in me.

Boo f'ing hoo, Carroll. Cry us a Tigris-Euphrates River.

Questioning their integrity and work ethic is simply offensive.

Want a refresher as to why "stringers" aren't trusted implicitly, Miss Carroll? Here you go:

Says the AP Pontiff:

It’s awfully easy to take pot shots from the safety of a computer keyboard thousands of miles from the chaos of Baghdad.

But so easy to take pot shots at the war effort from your keyboard in the United States. Sorry, Your Majesty. I thought we lived in a free country, but apparently questioning your "betters" in positions of power and influence is not a right of citizens living in a free nation. At least, that's what the AP spokesmouth is suggesting here.

News flash, sweetheart. We'll continue maligning your "stringers (terrorists)" all we want, you pathetic excuse for a 'journalist.'

Or you can simply end the "mad rabble" of Fourth Estate watchdogs and produce the invisible, non-existent source of your stories, Iraqi Police Captain Jimal Hussein, for the world and the "mad rabble" to see.

Otherwise, quit whining and get back to work printing terrorist propaganda as "news." We'll be waiting. And you'll keep whining.
- - -
Update I / Bumped by Howie.

The AP doesn’t want me to update and bump this post, so I will, but only once. Vinnie you’re next please, then Bluto, Rusty, Good Lt, Mike Pechar, Chad Evans, Ragnar, a few more guys. You get the idea.

Via: Hot Air

Another volley from Kathleen Carroll, the executive editor. Last Friday, according to Times writer Tom Zeller, she told reporters it would be the height of foolishness to continue to engage the “mad blog rabble” (Zeller’s words). And yet, here we are.

Yes, it is foolish to defend the indefensible. She’s smart. We do not deny the accusation that we are the “mad blog rabble”. Despite the obvious reference to class, I'll just smile and say, "That's nice."

-------------------------------Original Post Below-----------------------

Is the AP on a visionquest to send what remains of its tattered credibility down the flush-hole of Hell forever? Check this out.

Apparently oblivious to the fact that Reuters was completely spun and respun by Green Helmet Guy and his Hezbullah grievance propaganda operation, the AP goes one better (worse?) and actually has the gall to put up a slideshow honoring the screaming little death-obsessed propaganda cockroach. An AP "reporter" narrates the tortured slideshow entitled "A Grueling Task." O, the humanity. Wonder if they asked him why Hezbullah gunners hide behind women and children in apartment buildings.

You know what this means. We got yer Green Helmet Guy right here, AP.

(Howie says: blocked by websense? Try All Your Fakes Google vid copy here)

Here's the article the slideshow was attached to.

ht: Ray Robison

Just To Make Things Even

People who shall not be named have been spamming my inbox with emails saying "vote for meeeeeeeeeeeeeee."

Bleah.

So, one time and one time only, I'm asking you Jawa faithful to vote for my home blog, Vince Aut Morire, in the Weblog Awards.

There's not much difference between VAM and Jawa, except I cuss more at home.

I can't promise, however, to stop pimping the Jawa Report.

Oh, yeah, for those that had issues voting, it seems they have been resolved.

Finally, if you really can't hold your nose and click that button for me, then give that vote to Merri Musings, my wife's blog. She's never done nuttin' bad to you.

Rosie O'Donnell Spouts Off At Asians.

People who live in glass houses...

Senate Committee Berates Media For Global Warming Alarmism

UPDATE: The Polar Ice Caps are thickening.

The Senate's Environment & Public Works Committee has released "A Skeptic’s Guide to Debunking Global Warming Alarmism. Hot & Cold Media Spin Cycle: A Challenge To Journalists who Cover Global Warming.”

The publication is available online here. A sample:

Here is a quote from Newsweek magazine: “There are ominous signs that the Earth’s weather patterns have begun to change dramatically and that these changes may portend a drastic decline in food production– with serious political implications for just about every nation on Earth.”

A headline in the New York Times reads:
“Climate Changes Endanger World’s Food Output.”

Here is a quote from Time Magazine:
“As they review the bizarre and unpredictable weather pattern of the past several years, a growing number of scientists are beginning to suspect that many seemingly contradictory meteorological fluctuations are actually part of a global climatic upheaval.”

All of this sounds very ominous. That is, until you realize that the three quotes I just read were from articles in 1975 editions of Newsweek Magazine and The New York Times, and Time Magazine in 1974.

They weren’t referring to global warming; they were warning of a coming ice age.

In fact, the nation's mainstream media has been hyping catastrophic climate change stories for over a hundred years, alternating between global warming and global cooling scenarios. Global warming is in fashion right now.

I feel comfortably ahead of the curve on this one, having posted this warning about the media hype almost two years ago.

Woman Spits in Soldier's Face (Updated)

Syracuse radio station WFBL reports that Lauren Maggi, 35, of Thurber Street was charged with harassment for spitting in a soldier's face at Hancock Airport.

The incident happened over the Thanksgiving holiday. Maggi approached a soldier from the 10th Mountain Division, who apparently was not in uniform, and asked if he was a soldier. When he said yes, Maggi allegedly spit in his face.

WFBL's news service is supplied by television station WTVH, which has nothing posted yet about the incident on its website. Syracuse.com carries this blurb:

• Woman accused of spitting on soldier
A Syracuse woman was charged after a Fort Drum soldier accused her of spitting on him without provocation at Hancock Airport, Syracuse police said.

On January 18 of this year, Lauren Maggi, 34, of Thurber Street, was charged with endangering the welfare of a child.

Someone tell me again about how the Left supports the troops, but not their mission.

Update: More details:

Jason Jones, 21, told police a woman he did not know walked up to him near the United Airlines ticket counter, asked him if he was a Fort Drum solider and, when he responded that he was, spat in his face.

Police searched the airport garage and located a woman fitting the description that Jones provided, who was later identified as Maggi. Police escorted her into the terminal, where Jones identified her as the woman who had spit on him. A second soldier on the scene supported Jones' accusation, police said.

Maggi offered no explanation for her conduct, police said. She could not be reached for comment Thursday night.

FBI Arrests Man Plotting Mall Attack

Not many details yet.

ABCNEWS: Dec. 8, 2006 — ABC News has learned a Chicago-area man has been charged with plotting a terrorist attack.

Sources say the man is accused of planning to use firearms and explosives to attack a specific mall in Rockford, Ill. The alleged plan was to target this mall during the holiday shopping season.

The suspect is being described as a "lone wolf" style terrorist and is not believed to have ties to any organized terrorist group.

Update: More here at MSNBC.

Derrick Shareef was arrested when he met with an undercover agent in a Rockford parking lot to trade a set of stereo speakers for four hand grenades and a handgun...

...The plan was allegedly ideologically motivated.

Huh "ideologically motivated", What could they mean by that?

Update II. More here at CBS2 in Chicago.

Authorities reported that the mall was one of several potential targets Shareef allegedly discussed with undercover agents, and the others were primarily local government facilities.

Earlier information said the case was connected to a terrorist plot against a Chicago mall, but that turned out not to be correct.

Federal authorities said the public was not in danger.

"Once the threat Shareef posed was detected by the Joint Terrorism Task Force, his activities and movements were under constant surveillance and there was no imminent risk to the public," said FBI Special-Agent-in-Charge Robert Grant.

Others Following Allahpundit at Hot Air and Rielworldview.

Update III: Michelle Malkin has posted a copy of the affidavit, via the smoking gun. Apparently he is a Muslim and a Jew Hating Racist Muslime at that. I have a partial copy below the fold. See Michelle's blog for more.

Warning: Strong anti-Semitic and racist language.

ROPMA

Stop The ACLU notes the man was inspired by online jihadist propaganda.

So rather than a "lone wolf", we prefer the term al-Qaeda 3.0. This is when small groups or lone individuals perpetrate acts of terror. They are inspired by al-Qaeda and other jihadist propaganda websites.

Hat Tip: Dread Pundit Bluto.

Via comments at Ace O Spades: This is big news everywhere but....(drum rolls).....CNNJazeera.

Suspect sketch via FOXNEWS:

Iranian Students Protest For Freedom

Once again the TJR is bringing you the news no one else seems to notice.

Iran Press News: Despite unprecedented security plans and repressive measures by the fascist regime of the Islamic republic to prevent the gathering commemorating the occasion of “students’ day”, students and brave Iranians who were informed about today’s protests showed that the university is still alive and despotism against religious tyranny blazes on.

According to received reports, today on this anniversary more than 4000 students of the Tehran University were able to gather; as they chanted slogans such as “Death to despotism” and “death to the dictators” they were battered by herds of the regime’s agents and disciplinary guards. The number of intelligence and security agents is reported to have been more than 5000.

The students who are enraged by censorship and suppression of the universities, clashed with the regime guards and broke down the gate of the technical school of Tehran university and entered.

The regime’s officials, agents and guards had put their security measures in place and had surrounded the entire area since early in the morning, bringing the campus under siege. Students had been threatened and told that if they gathered and continued their protest, they would be arrested. But student activists ignored the threats and escalated their protest.

After singing the popular student anthem “Yaar’eh Dabestaani” (old schoolmate) they began chanting slogans:

“Death to despotism”

“Death to the dictators”

“Political prisoners must be freed”

“Students with stars[i] wear them like a medal of honor”

“Freedom, equality, boycott the elections”

“Students would rather die than to accept further abjectness”

Mr. Ahmadinejad, are you a puppet of the theocracy? As the president you have an obligation to work for the future of the Iranian people. How can you do the business of Iran if you cannot even spend time with other leaders without losing a year of your term? They are interfering in your work. You need to stand up to them.

If you continue on the path the religious leaders have laid out for you these students will be the ones who die in the Ayatollahs’ mad scheme. And, as already proven, if they are displeased with judgments you make in the execution of your duty then they will dispose of you too.

You could use the support that is there to set Iran on a new road, a road that leads to a better life in Iran. Or you can continue the puppet dance you are doing. These people don’t want the west to have to come and solve your problems. They don’t want to die trying to create a new Persian Empire and destroy Israel.

They want to solve thier own problems, They want a future for themselves and their children in a free Iran. Give it to them or else continue to live as a coward in the shadow of the religious zealots who control your every move.

AP Via YahooAn Iranian student holds a photo of Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad upside down to show his disapproval of Ahmadinejad's policies during a demonstration at Tehran university, Tehran, Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2006, to mark Iran's student day, held annually after 3 students were killed in a protest to a visit by then U.S. vice-president Richard Nixon to the university in 1953. (AP Photo/Hasan Sarbakhshian)

More information here.

Hat Tip: Garduneh Mehr.

Image Hat Tip :Snooop1e.

Who found the only major MSM outlet to run this story, Guess who, FOXNEWS.

The theme of Wednesday's protest was Student Life is Alive.

The police apparently made no effort to stop the demonstration, which ended peacefully.

One banner, in Persian, read: "If I rise up and you rise up, everyone will rise up."

Another read: "Our struggle is twofold: Fighting against internal oppression and external foreign threats."

By Howie at 11:10 AM | |

Leftover Things

A have a couple of leftover things things here. Sorry I did not get to them earlier.

The Mighty Gwinn reads TJR daily and requests a link to his blog. Here you go.

And if you happen to have missed this Post by Pam at Atlas Shrugs then do as she says and Read Every Word. And I do mean every word and follow every link.

Still Banned in India

Big White Infidel e-mails from Singapore saying on a recent trip to India, both in Mumbai and Chennai, no access to The Jawa Report and other blogs. Sends up Forbidden Access notice on the browser.

*Sigh*

Like I've said before, it wouldn't be so bad if it was, say, Iran that banned us. But India? That hurts.

For newer readers, you can find out why we were banned in India here. Here's a hint: it has someting to do with not wanting to offend a certain religion of [insert ironic word here].

20 al Qaeda Terrorists Killed in Iraq

[Part of an ongoing series of articles uncensored and unmediated by a hostile press. News from Iraq, as written by soldiers in the field, before the mainstream media gets hold of it.]

Coalition Forces killed 20 terrorists Friday morning while targeting al-Qaida terrorists in the Thar Thar area.

Coalition Forces targeted the location based on intelligence reports that indicated associates with links to multiple al-Qaida in Iraq networks were operating in the area.

Ground forces were searching buildings at the targeted location when they began receiving heavy machine gunfire from one of the buildings. The ground forces returned fire, killing two armed terrorists.

Despite efforts to subdue the remaining armed terrorists, Coalition Forces continued to be threatened by enemy fire, causing forces to call in close air support. A Coalition aircraft performed the air strike, resulting in 18 more armed terrorists killed.

During a search of the objective, Coalition Forces found multiple weapons caches consisting of AK-47s, machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades, anti-personnel mines, explosives, blasting caps and suicide vests. All these items were destroyed on site.

Coalition Forces also found that two of the terrorists killed were women. Al-Qaida in Iraq has both men and women supporting and facilitating their operations unfortunately.

This is another step closer to defeating al-Qaida in Iraq and helping establish a safe and peaceful Iraq. Coalition Forces will continue to target not only senior al-Qaeda in Iraq leaders, but all terrorists regardless of their titles or positions within the community.

Source: MNF Iraq

IED Hunter

I think the song was my favorite part:

H/t : Allah.

Freedom Journal Iraq #537

• Iraqi Cadets Visit Range

• Soldiers Visit Market

• One Troop's Personal Reflection

After some discussion with Rusty and the group we have decided to run this daily for a while. Let us know how you like it.

Aw, Come On

Hey, we know we're not going to win, not up against the likes of Little Green Footballs.

But at least help us make it respectable.

December 07, 2006

Mark Steyn Unloads on the Associated Press

Author and columnist Mark Steyn was merciless with the Associated Press in particular and the mainstream media in general on The O'Reilly Factor, stopping just barely short of calling them traitors. Allah at HotAir has the video.

Sample:

...I believe that the majority of American newspapers, which is full of Associated Press content, on the central issue of this, of our time; they're either dupes, at best, or actually semi-treasonous and colluding with the enemy and demoralizing America on the homefront - including having agents of the enemy on their payroll; this is a disgraceful organization.

Bonus: Steyn dumps on nancyboy NBC correspondent David Gregory, referring to the "David Gregory vaudeville show.

An Anti-jihad Flikr Site

Click through these. Perhaps some are familiar. Perhaps some aren't.

Jihadis Threaten War in Somalia

Not that the UN would do much, but the Islamist terrorists controlling southern Somalia are threatening war if the Useless Nitwits intervene.

Islamic militants in control of most of southern Somalia warned Thursday that war will erupt over a U.N. decision authorizing an African force to protect the country's virtually powerless government.

The U.N. Security Council unanimously approved the resolution Wednesday, hoping to restore peace in Somalia and avert a broader conflict in the region. Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedis welcomed the decision and urged its immediate implementation.

The resolution also partially lifts a 1992 arms embargo on Somalia so the regional force can be supplied with weapons and military equipment and train the government's security forces.

But a spokesman for the Islamic movement said the resolution will introduce sophisticated weapons into Somalia and provoke a war between his group and the government.

Can't wait to see what happens here. It is, after all, part of the Clinton "paper tiger" legacy of retreat from Islamism.

The ISG Recommendations: One Soldier's Response

T.F. Boggs is a twenty-four year old Army Reserve sergeant who's completed two tours in Iraq. Here's some of what the sergeant has to say to the members of the Iraq Study Group:

I thought old people were supposed to be more patient than a 24 year old but apparently I have more patience for our victory to unfold in Iraq than 99.9 percent of Americans. Iraq isn’t fast food-you can’t have what you want and have it now. To completely change a country for the first time in it’s entire history takes time, and when I say time I don’t mean 4 years.

Talking doesn’t solve anything with a crazed people, bullets do and we need to be given a chance to work our military magic. Like I told a reporter buddy of mine: War sucks but a world run by Islamofacists sucks more.

This guy makes me ashamed of what a mushhead I was at 24. Be sure to read the whole thing.

Via Power Line by way of Dean's World.

A Jawa Reminder *sticky*

Just a reminder to readers that in commemoration of Pearl Harbor Day, we are bringing you unfiltered news stories from Iraq. The news you won't read in the MSM. As written by soldiers in the field. Please go to the main page and scroll down and through them. About half our posts today come straight from the military in Iraq. You might be surprised at what you find.

'Nuff Said.

Senior Al Qaeda Leader Captured in Iraq

Special Iraqi Army forces, with coalition advisers, captured a terrorist leader during a raid Dec. 7 in Fallujah responsible for directing sniper, improvised explosive device and car bombing attacks against Iraqi security forces. He also participated in the abduction and execution of several Iraqi Police officers.

The terrorist leader has also directed and participated in an extensive murder and
intimidation campaign and the harboring of other terrorist fighters. He is a senior al Qaeda in Iraq leader in the area and controls several insurgent groups operating in
the Al Anbar Province.

Minimal damage was done to the objective and there were no Iraqi civilian or
coalition forces casualties.

Source: MNF

Freedom Journal Iraq #536 - News from America's Military

Military news from Iraq, unfiltered by the hostile press. Video below the fold. UPDATE: YouTube version added

Be patient. Might take a few moments to buffer. Update: Uploaded a YouTube version in two parts, just in case the Google vid was too slow like it was for me.

Thanks to Howie and Bluto for help in splitting the vid.

American Jihadi in Egypt Update II

An American student in Egypt continues to be detained as 10 European nationals, also arrested in the terror sweep, were sent packing today. Still no word on who this American is.

BBC:

Egypt has deported eight French and two Belgian citizens it arrested on suspicion of trying to recruit people to fight in Iraq, airport sources say.

The 10 were put on a flight from Cairo to Brussels, the officials said.

It was not clear whether the group would be arrested or freed when they arrived in Europe.

Egyptian security sources said the group had links to several terrorist organisations, and to a man who blew himself up on the Syrian border.

Via The Political Pit Bull and Pirate's Cove who have more.

Previously: American Among Terror Plotters in Egypt

Indonesian Playboy Editor on Trial

(Jakarta, Indonesia) The editor of Playboy Indonesia, Erwin Arnada, is on trial for distributing indecent pictures for money. He faces up to 32 months in prison, if convicted.

Interestingly, Arnada could be sentenced to a harsher term than was given to the mastermind of the Bali bombings. As a reminder, Abu Bakar Bashir (Ba'asyir) received only 25.5 months in prison for orchestrating the murders of 202 innocent civilians in the Bali nightclub bombing.

Therefore, on the scale of seriousness, publishing a racy magazine ranks higher as a criminal act than mass murder in a Muslim country.

Iraqi Forces Set to Take Over Security in 2007

Iraqi Security Forces are on track to take care of their own security and combat operations virtually free of Coalition support within the next year, Multi-National Force – Iraq’s spokesman told reporters Tuesday.

“The Iraqi Security Force is making progress toward ensuring that Iraq’s future will be determined by Iraqis who want unity and prosperity, and not by outside forces who seek to sow chaos and discord,” Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV said during an operational update briefing at the Combined Press Information Center here.

The transition process is already well under way.

Caldwell told reporters Coalition Forces this week handed the 3rd Iraqi Army Division command and control responsibility over its section of Ninewa province, which includes such major Iraqi cities as Tal Afar and Mosul.

“The ability of the 3rd Iraqi Army Division to control its own maneuver space and maintain stability and security in the area will determine the level of assistance they receive from Coalition Forces,” Caldwell said. “Thus far, the 3rd Iraqi Army Division headquarters has demonstrated that it is fully capable of taking over security operations in their area.”

The most recent transfer of responsibility, Caldwell explained, means that Iraqis have taken the lead in seven of the 10 Iraqi Army divisions.

“The Iraqi Security Force is increasingly taking the lead every day,” Caldwell said. “They are battling the insurgency in order to establish a safe and secure nation.”

In keeping with an accelerated transition timetable, as agreed upon by President Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki at their meeting last week in Amman, Jordan, Caldwell said Iraqi commanders will be in control of all Iraqi divisions by spring 2007.

Having Iraqis control their own Security Forces is a step closer toward Iraqi leaders assuming total security responsibility for their respective areas of operation. Caldwell said two southern provinces, Thi Quar and Muthannah, are already under provincial Iraqi control, which means no Coalition Forces conduct independent operations in those regions. A third province is slated to come under provincial Iraqi control later this month.

“Expect to see the entire country under provincial Iraqi control by early fall of next year,” Caldwell said.

Iraqi Security Forces are not the only governmental institution showing a growing ability to take responsibility toward defining a legitimate government in Iraq.

“Iraq’s courts are also contributing to the effort to improve the rule of law in Iraq,” Caldwell said, adding that the Central Criminal Court of Iraq has convicted more than 90 foreign fighters, handing down a death sentence, six life prison sentences with no parole, and 24 life sentences with the possibility for parole. From Nov. 10-23 alone, Iraqi courts convicted 41 criminals for crimes ranging from weapons possession to illegal border crossings.

Caldwell praised the Iraqi Government, its courts and its Security Forces for their growing competence and willingness to shoulder an increasing amount of responsibility over what the future holds for Iraq. As always, he said, Coalition Forces will stand by ready to assist when needed.

“In the end, only Iraqis can provide the solutions to Iraq’s problems,” Caldwell said. “We continue to work with the Government of Iraq to develop an Iraqi Security Force that is both operationally capable and enjoys the confidence of all Iraqis, regardless of sect or ethnicity.”

Source:MNF

Fourteen Insurgents Killed in Ramadi

Coalition Forces used tank main gun rounds and precision guided ordnance to destroy buildings from which insurgents were attacking in Ramadi Wednesday.

Iraqi Soldiers and Coalition Forces were attacked with a heavy volume of small
arms fire from numerous insurgent positions including the Al Haqq Mosque. Iraqi
Soldiers and Coalition Forces returned fire with a combination of small arms fire,
machine gun fire and tank main gun rounds. When the enemy's attack did not cease, Coalition Forces used precision guided ordnance on the buildings being used as insurgent fighting positions, and the buildings were destroyed.

Iraqi Soldiers and Coalition Forces did not use precision guided ordnance or fire
their tank main guns at the mosque. Iraqi Soldiers entered the mosque to conduct a
search, and Coalition Forces remained outside the mosque. Nothing significant was
found in the mosque.

One Coalition member was killed and three were wounded during the operations.
Fourteen insurgents were killed. There were no reports of civilian casualties.

"When insurgents create situations such as occurred Wednesday, Coalition
Forces must defend themselves," said Coalition spokesman Marine Lt. Col. Bryan
Salas. "While we are mindful to limit damage, we must respond with necessary and
proportional force to protect our forces and Iraq from the insurgents."

Source: MNF

The Rise of the Anti-Jihadi Media

I've never considered this website a propaganda outlet as much as I consider it a counter-propaganda outlet. The rise of the anti-jihadi media is looked at in this post by David Huntork at Men's News Daily. Of course, we get a nod.

No war has ever been as closely followed, analyzed and dissected as the one that we are currently engaged in. The Jawa Report has led the way in showing the uncensored barbarism of the enemies of the West. There you can find video beheadings as well as pictures of slaughtered and mutilated hostages and US soldiers which the mainstream media has chosen to downplay, censor or ignore. The Fourth Rail, www.Israpundit.com, www.WesternResistance.com and www.jihadidujour.blogspot.com provide a constant daily stream of news and opinions on the War on Terror. And a brave group of former Muslims are risking their lives and ‘telling the truth about Islam’ at www.Islam-Watch.org.

If you are infected by the any of the debilitating defeatist diseases of the Left, especially the particularly virulent strains of Multiculturalism, Political Correctness, Tolerance, or Diversity, you will not enjoy your education by the Anti-Jihadists. The inoculation of Truth offered can be a jolt, but worth the initial pain and shock to the ideological mind and body that they may cause to the unprepared. They offer a straight forward, no holds barred, education into such fun topics as the cult of the Hidden Twelfth Imam, Sharia law, Taqiyya and Kitman, Dhimmitude, Dar al-Harb and Dar al-Islam and the three choices Islam offers the Kafir (infidel). We live in a world where all too often bumper sticker slogans, vague conspiracies, Bush bashing, and thirty second sound bites pass as political ideologies and inundate the public debate. The Anti-Jihadists have earned their seat at the table in the discussion and analysis of current events.

Captain Ed on the Consequences of Redeployment

Captain Ed posts a very insightful article on our allies in Iraq and what will happen to them if we leave Iraq:

We have won allies in business and Iraqi politics, and we have helped establish an independent judiciary. All of these will be left defenseless in the event of a precipitous withdrawal, and their only hope for survival will be to transform themselves into radicals for one cause or another. Either they will have to do that or flee Iraq altogether, and we may wind up looking at another "boat people" flood of displaced Iraqis wanting to escape to America for their freedom -- which will create a huge headache in separating the true freedom lovers from the terrorists that would no doubt take advantage of the situation to infiltrate our borders.

Al Qaeda Suspects Arrested in Iraq

Iraqi Police forces, with Coalition advisors, conducted a raid yesterday in Abdan, near Tall Afar, to capture an insurgent associated with al Qaeda in Iraq, detaining seven suspects during the operation.

The insurgent is believed to be responsible for supplying weapons to AQI and providing them with funding and a safe house for carrying out attacks against Iraqi Security Forces in the Tall Afar area.

There was minimal damage done to the objective and there were no Iraqi civilian, Iraqi forces or Coalition forces casualtie

Fallujah Revisited

Via Centcom :

If you follow the news coming out of Iraq, you have seen too many headlines about the bloodshed in Baghdad in recent days. As American servicemen and women prepare to spend a fourth holiday season trying to help build a new Iraq, these headlines have led some people to conclude that our mission may be hopeless.

However, my recent visit to Fallujah has reaffirmed my strong conviction that as bad as the situation may sometimes appear, there is still reason to be optimistic for Iraq’s future.

Although it has been out of the headlines for some time, take a minute to recall why the name Fallujah resonates so strongly in our collective memory. Perhaps the most disturbing images of Operation Iraqi Freedom emanated from Fallujah on March 31, 2004, as the bodies of four murdered American contractors were desecrated and the charred corpses hung off the Euphrates River Bridge for the world to see. The “Fallujah Brigade,” a unit comprised of former Iraqi army officers, failed to prevent warlords allied with Al Qaeda in Iraq from effectively taking over the city. Foreign fighters and terrorist insurgents imposed a Taliban-like regime over the city, torturing and beheading innocent people who just wanted to enjoy the freedoms that resulted from the fall of Saddam Hussein. (One torture chamber later uncovered included cages in the basement and a wall covered with bloody handprints). With more than 100,000 explosive rounds stockpiled in weapons caches throughout the city, these invaders of Fallujah exported scores of suicide bombers bent on mass murder. The population of Fallujah fled in droves, reducing the number of residents to only 50-60,000. By October 2004, Fallujah was a city without security, without stability, and seemingly without hope.

In order to rescue the people of Fallujah and eliminate it as a base of operations for Al Qaida, Coalition forces launched Operation Al Fajr, or “The Dawn.” Led by American Marines, Coalition Forces battled 2-3,000 terrorists in fierce and sustained urban combat. Although Fallujah was liberated, half the city was decimated by the intense combat.

What has happened to Fallujah since that ferocious battle?

Last week, I saw a city of 350,000 people who have made incredible progress over the past two years. In the aftermath of Operation Al Fajr, in March of 2005, there were 3,000 United States Marines and only 300 Iraqi Security Forces in Fallujah. Today, the people of the city are protected by 1,500 members of their own Iraqi Security Force and only 300 Marines. The police are comprised of native Fallujans, and enjoy strong support from the local population. They are able to patrol their own neighborhoods, enforce their own laws, and handle the transition to responsibility for their own security and growth. Despite the sectarian violence which plagues other parts of the country, I saw the commander of the local Iraqi Army unit, a Shi’a, sit and work productively with the local police chief, a Sunni – a relationship few would have believed possible in Fallujah just a year ago.

I attended a city council meeting, where a democratically elected mayor and city council led the deliberations about the peoples’ business. To be honest, the Council’s discussion of traffic control was not exciting. But the mundane business of a functioning democracy can be uneventful when its institutions are working properly. At the same time, it was exciting to witness democracy in action on soil that once seemed entirely inhospitable. Membership of the Fallujah Business Association has grown from only 20 members last February to over 350 today, demonstrating optimism for economic growth. I even saw a processing center where Fallujah welcomes persons displaced by instability elsewhere.

Fallujah’s transition has not been easy. Terrorists and insurgents are waging a brutal campaign of murder and intimidation against the city’s government and police force. Unemployment remains high, and there is still much rebuilding to be done. But Colonel Larry Nicholson and the young Marines of Regimental Combat Team-5 firmly believe they have turned Fallujah into a model of what Iraq can become. Iraqis themselves support this hope, as families have been arriving in Fallujah en masse to seek shelter from instability in other parts of Iraq.

In October 2004, the world saw the incredible courage of the Coalition Force, as Marines did their part to create hope for Iraqis. Today, visitors to Fallujah can see the courage of Iraqis for themselves.

Difficult times remain ahead for the U.S. and Coalition Forces in Iraq . Many sacrifices remain to be made by both U.S.servicemen and women and their Iraqi partners in Fallujah. But the city is an example of what can be achieved when courageous leaders, brave security forces, and hard-working citizens unite for a common goal – a secure and unified future. The progress in Fallujah demonstrates that with time and effort, recovery is possible in Iraq in the wake of brutal violence.

29 November 2006

By Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV
Multi-National Force-Iraq Spokesman

Sniper Captured in Iraq

4th Iraqi Army Division forces, with Coalition advisors, captured an insurgent sniper Dec. 6 in Bayji believed to be responsible for direct and indirect attacks targeting Coalition forces.

He is also allegedly involved in improvised explosive device and car bombing attacks in the Bayji area.

The insurgent sniper is associated with other insurgent cells within Iraq. Iraqi forces also detained an additional suspect during the raid.

There was minimal damage done to the objective and there were no Iraqi civilian, Iraqi forces or Coalition forces casualties.

6 Terrorists Captured

Special Iraqi Army forces, with Coalition advisers, captured six suspected insurgents during a raid Dec. 5 in Yusufiyah, south of Baghdad, believed to be responsible for conducting kidnapping and murder activities and improvised explosive device attacks against Iraqi civilians and Iraqi Security Forces.

Iraqi forces detained nine additional suspects during the raid. There was minimal damage done to the objective and there were no Iraqi civilian, Iraqi forces or Coalition forces casualties.

Captured Ansar al Sunna Terrorists Identified

On Wednesday, the Government of Iraq released the names and photos of several suspected senior-level Ansar al Sunna emirs who were captured by Coalition Forces during a series of raids in mid-November.

The AAS network is responsible for improvised explosive device attacks and suicide attacks on Iraqi government, Coalition Forces and Iraqi civilians. The AAS network is also responsible for multiple kidnappings, small arms attacks and other crimes in the central and northern part of Iraq.

One terrorist emir, Abu Mohammed aka Ismail, AAS Emir of Yusifiyah was killed during a raid late November.

The suspected Ansar al Sunna emirs who were captured are: MORE BELOW

National level

- Ramadan Muhammad Salih Ahmad ((Bilbas)) aka Abu Mustafa, AAS Emir of Iraq. Abu Mustafa is a founding member of AAS.
- Taha Ahmad Pir-Dawud Ahmad ((Surchi)), aka Hajji Sa’id, Senior AAS representative and al-Qaida facilitator.
- ‘Adnan ‘Abdallah ‘Alaywi Muhammad ((al-‘Ithawi)), aka Abu Jaffar, AAS Secretary. He was Abu Mustafa’s personal assistant and he was responsible for arranging AAS senior-level meetings.

Regional level

- Hatim Abd-al-Ghafar Muslim Muhammad ((al Shimar)), aka Abu Taha, AAS Emir of Al Qa’im and Western al Anbar. He allegedly was a Colonel in the Iraqi Army before the war.
- ‘Abd-al-Basit ‘Abd-al-Razzaq Hasan ‘Ali ((al-‘Abbasi)), aka Abu Asim, AAS Emir of Tikrit.
- ‘Ali Hasayn ‘Ali “Abdallah ((Zandi)), aka Abu Bandar, AAS Emir of Baqubah.
- Amjad ‘Abd-al-Sattar Muhammad ‘Ali ((al-Ta’i)), aka Abu Najila, AAS Emir of Ramadi and Eastern al Anbar.
- Sa’id Jasim Muhammad Khudayyir al-Jadid ((al-Juwaynat)), aka Abu Sayf, AAS Emir of Bayji.
- Husayn Khudayyir ‘Abbas Majid ((al-Zubaydi)), aka Abu Husayn, AAS Emir of Bazayiz.
- Salih Khudayyir Salman Jadi ((al-Juburi)), aka Sajad, AAS Emir of Fallujah.

This is another step closer to defeating al-Qaida in Iraq and helping establish a safe and peaceful Iraq. Coalition Forces will continue to target not only senior al-Qaida in Iraq leaders, but all associated terrorist movements like Ansar Al Sunna. They will be identified, captured and prosecuted for their crimes.

-----
ed note: The Army of Ansar al-Sunnah is also responsible for the kidnapping and gruesome beheading murders of dozens of civilians. Their propaganda films are a mainstay of the Salafi-jihadi forums

A day that will live in infamy

Yesterday Hugh Hewitt interviewed Chris Hitchens on the ISG report. Check out his post here on that report. During the course of the interview he made the comment that he believed we are in the reverse of the 1940s. A decade that started with little resolve to fight the imminent threats but which ended with the will to fight the Cold War. After 9/11 the U.S. had much resolve to fight and win, but that will has waned.

I cannot imagine what my grandfather, who joined the Marines after Pearl Harbor and was slain on a beach in the South Pacific, would think of a generation which would send its citizens off to war, not to win, but only to flee because the fight was hard.

It seems to me that most Americans do not know that the people we fight in Iraq today are terrorists. In hindsight, I would not have invaded Iraq. But we did. And today those we fight are not simply doing so to expell us. They are fighting the dully elected government. They are fighting to set up a Taliban like state.

We have already experienced what the Taliban were capable of. 9/11 was the consequence of a US policy which did not directly challence them. This is why we must not let the African Taliban of the Islamic Courts Union solidify power in Somalia. And this is why we must not leave Iraq until both the Salafist insurgency is crushed, and the Khomeinst death squads are put to heel.

9/11 was this generations Pearl Harbor, yet we have forgotten its lessons.

Today, I'm going to devote as much space as possible to getting out the news that the American military thinks is important. Many of the posts above will be straight out of the MNF Iraq and CENTCOM. UNEDITED. As they were intended to be published.

Thank you to our men and women fighting terrorism around the world. My wife, my three children, and I sleep better at night because our men and women in uniform do what is necessary to keep us safe abroad.

December 06, 2006

Accuracy, Shmaccuracy, It's the Truthiness That Counts

When the "six burning Sunnis" story hit the blogosphere, James Taranto of the Wall Street Journal Opinion Journal wrote that bloggers had "turned over a rock" at the Associated Press.

In his Best of the Web column today, Taranto turns over a rock himself and discovers Will Bunch, a reporter for the Philadelphia Daily News, trying to scurry away from the light. Bunch is upset that conservative bloggers and CENTCOM blew the whistle on the AP's bogus story. Apparently, Bunch is a big fan of "fake but accurate."

This is from Bunch's Daily News blog, "Attytood":

Now comes the flap over a mosque attack in Baghdad, and a dispute over the news account -- trumpted [sic] on this Daily News front page at top -- that six Sunni worshippers were burned alive. This Huffington Post post does a good job of breaking down the mixed signals on whether this event really happened as reported by the AP. It's clear to me that a) The AP based its article on information from a trusted and previously reliable source, which is no guarantee of avoiding an error but is also the proven and accepted way all over the world that journalists gather news and b) even if the report were wrong, and I'm not convinced that it is, it was in the context of horrific -- and demonstrably true -- escalating violence in Baghdad.

So, journalism is like horseshoes and hand grenades; close but dead wrong is fine as long as you follow "proven and accepted" techniques and meet your truthiness quota.

Bunch continues:

In fact, it's almost not worth swatting at these gnats from the 101st Fighting Keyboard Commandos. I'd rather just concede, and let them have as their main talking points on the Middle East: The fact that smoke was added to a picture of a real Israeli bombing of Lebanon, that the AP printed an incorrect story about one of the hundreds of deadly acts of sectarian violence in Iraq, and even the allegation -- totally unproven and not resulting in any actual charges -- that one Iraqi photographer who has worked with the AP has ties to the insurgents.

Fine. So far, Curt at Flopping Aces has counted 61 stories quoting the mysterious "police captain Jamil Hussein," the source for the six burning Sunnis story, who is unknown to the Iraqi government and seems to have dropped off the face of the Earth. And Will, if the only problem with Adnan Hajj's photos was a little smoke added to one, why did Reuters pull all ten years of his work? And why did bloggers subsequently discover multiple examples of fake and staged photographs? The "one Iraqi photographer?" That would be Bilal Hussein, who was captured in an al Qaeda bombmaking factory with an al Qaeda leader (a terrorist, not an "insurgent"), and tested positive for explosives.

This dufus Will Bunch is a reporter??!! This is too easy.

Hat tip: Larwyn.

Background: The saga of the six burning Sunnis begins.

More Convert Or Die Diplomacy

My friend Linda has a chilling look at Iran's latest actions in its 27 year-long war with us.

Don't kid yourself or be mislead by the MSM. This is economic warfare, pure and simple.

It's funny. I caught a snippet of Robert Byrd questioning the new SecDef in his confirmation hearing. Byrd asked Gates if we were going to attack Iran, or if he supported an attack on Iran.

Not once did he ask if Gates thought Iran would attack us. Maybe it's a moot point, they already have more than once.

Great Tits Research

(The Netherlands) Researchers at Leiden University have found that individual bird species sing different songs depending on where they call home. Birds in the city sing at a faster pace and at a higher frequency than country birds.

Led by Dr. Hans Slabbekoorn, the research team focused its studies on the great tit (Parus major) in ten large European cities including Paris, London, Prague, Brussels and Rotterdam. The results were then compared with songs of great tits in the country and forests. Great tits in the city sang shriller, faster and shorter songs than the country great tits which allowed them to compete with constant city noises.

Great tits in the city were also found to sing "rare and odd song types" although it's not known why. Great tits are native throughout Europe and not found in the Americas although a distant relative of the country great tit, unofficially designated Dollyus partonus, has reportedly been seen in the southeast U.S.

The research findings will be published this month in the journal Current Biology.

The Diplomacy Of Convert Or Die

It seems that Mahmoud Ahmagonnameetallah has responded to the Iraq Study Group's calls for diplomacy:

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has warned Western leaders to follow the path of God or "vanish from the face of the earth".

"These oppressive countries are angry with us ... a nation that on the other side of the globe has risen up and proved the shallowness of their power," Ahmadinejad said in a speech in the northern town of Ramsar, the semi-official news agency Mehr reported Wednesday.

"They are angry with our nation. But we tell them 'so be it and die from this anger'. Rest assured that if you do not respond to the divine call, you will die soon and vanish from the face of the earth," he said.

The outspoken president also maintained Iran's defiance over its controversial nuclear programme, saying it was on course to fully master nuclear technology.

"Thank to God's help, we have gone all the way and are only one step away from the zenith.

"We hope to have the big nuclear celebration by the end of the year (March 2007)," Ahmadinejad said, echoing comments he has made on numerous occasions in recent months.

No further comment necessary.

Jerusalem Post Reports Dems Had Secret Meetings With Hamas (Updated)

Their sources are not the most reliable, but the Jerusalem Post reports that US Democrats spoke secretly with Hamas:

Meanwhile, sources close to the PA government claimed that Hamas representatives recently held talks with officials from the US Democratic Party at an undisclosed location.

The sources told the Bethlehem-based Maan News Agency that Hamas representatives had also held secret talks with officials of European governments, including Britain and France.

Hamas has been designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) by the US State Department, and it's illegal for US citizens to give them aid (FTOs and law regarding them explained here). Whether members of Congress, the legislative branch of government, are exempt from this law is unclear. Certainly, agents of the executive branch, who are charged with foreign relations, could engage in negotiations without being in violation.

WorldNetDaily is also reporting this story:

JERUSALEM – Hamas met with a delegation of "important Democrats" who expressed interest in relations with the Palestinian terror group even if it doesn't recognize the right of Israel to exist, a Palestinian news website claimed today.

Supposedly, the Democrats are amenable to Israel returning to her pre-1967 borders in exchange for a ceasefire from Hamas. They might want to check with Israel first.

Via Stop the ACLU.

Update: The Jerusalem Post has pulled the paragraphs referring to the alleged meeting between Hamas and Democrats. WorldNetDaily has not altered their story. Thanks to commenter Tom Blumer of Bizzyblog, who noticed the revision.

Prof. Kenneth Stein Resigns from Carter Center over Carter's New Book

Full story at PowerLine:

Professor [Kenneth] Stein was in fact the first director of the Carter Center (1983-1986).

Professor Stein is apparently terminating his association with the Carter Center, solely as a result of Carter's new book, Palestine: Peace, Not Apartheid. The reaction of Professor Stein -- a formerly close associate and collaborator of Carter -- to Carter's new book is, as our reader thought it would be, of great interest to us.

The article quotes the letter in full, including the following money shot:

President Carter's book on the Middle East, a title too inflammatory to even print, is not based on unvarnished analyses; it is replete with factual errors, copied materials not cited, superficialities, glaring omissions, and simply invented segments. Aside from the one-sided nature of the book, meant to provoke, there are recollections cited from meetings where I was the third person in the room, and my notes of those meetings show little similarity to points claimed in the book. Being a former President does not give one a unique privilege to invent information or to unpack it with cuts, deftly slanted to provide a particular outlook. Having little access to Arabic and Hebrew sources, I believe, clearly handicapped his understanding and analyses of how history has unfolded over the last decade. Falsehoods, if repeated often enough become meta-truths, and they then can become the erroneous baseline for shaping and reinforcing attitudes and for policy-making. The history and interpretation of the Arab-Israeli conflict is already drowning in half-truths, suppositions, and self-serving myths; more are not necessary. In due course, I shall detail these points and reflect on their origins.

C'mon, Kenneth, why don't you tell us how ya really feel?

Hensarling Wins RSC Leadership Race

I'm pleased to announce that Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) has been elected to head the Republican Study Committee.

Jeb, who was backed by Mike Pence and John Shadegg, fought off a challenge from Todd Tiahrt (R-KS), who was backed by the House Republican Leadership. Hensarling won deciseively, by a vote of 57-42.

Hensarling's statement:

Working together with our leadership, conservatives will articulate our commitment to our key principles of limited government, individual empowerment, a strong national defense and traditional values to the American people. We will continue the march for liberty and freedom with passion, building a new Republican Majority in the process

Mike Pence's Statement:

Jeb Hensarling is a friend of freedom like no other. Over the past two years, Jeb has been at the center of every battle where House conservatives made a difference for fiscal discipline and reform. Jeb Hensarling is the right man to lead House conservatives in the 110th Congress.

This is very good news for those of us who want the Republican Study Committee to continue to be an aggressive and outspoken voice for reform of the Republican Party.

Human Events Online:

For the first time in weeks, things are looking better for conservatives. Fresh off yesterday's victories in the Senate, this is welcome news that fiscal conservatives are alive and kicking.

More here.

Why the AP 'Burning Six' Scandal Remains Largely Unreported

Mark Tapscott, editorial page editor of The Washington Examiner mentions the reason for the media's silence on the discredited "six burning Sunnis" story, but doesn't identify it as such [emphasis added]:

It's time for AP to take the same sort of approach to resolve the Captain Jamil Hussein controversy. But there is one big difference between the present issue and the Dan Rather/"60 Minutes" ordeal - AP provides news to virtually every daily newspaper in America. AP is a cornerstone of the mainstream media. If AP's credibiilty is harmed, every news organization that uses its products also suffers.

Thus, AP should ask the American Society of Newspaper Editors to oversee the appointment and conduct of an independent panel of respected journalists and outside evidentiary experts to determine the truth behind Captain Jamil Hussein and all other sources similarly in doubt.

To allow this controversy to continue to fester without taking decisive actions to resolve it to everybody's satisfaction could be disastrous for journalists everywhere.

That's why you haven't heard about the controversy on the nightly network news - it questions the credibility of every mainstream outlet that uses stories from the Associated Press. That would be all of them.

Previous:

Mosque Burnings Apparently a Hoax, Sunni Burnings Unconfirmed
MSM "Official Source" a Fraud
Bogus Source Cited in NBC 'Civil War' Decision
AP's Duping Over 'Burning Six' Enters MSM
It's Official: AP Source an Impostor
When Wire Services Attack
Columnist: AP 'Has Lost Its Rudder'

MSNBC Kicks Off Iraq Study Group Debate With Push Poll

The ink is barely dry on the Iraq Study Group's report and the mainstream media has already decided that the "bipartisan consensus" is gospel.

Just in case any neanderthals who might question the august group might not have gotten the message, MSNBC has created a stunningly blatant online push poll (screen cap) to get them in line. Text of the poll [emphasis added]:

Do you believe the Iraq Study Group report will make any difference?

Yes. With its recommendations and proposals, it gives the United States the opportunity for a 'graceful exit.'

No. The Bush administration will ignore most, if not all, of the recommendations.

Maybe. If the Democrat-controlled Congress puts pressure on the administration.

Notice that there's no option to disagree with the Iraq Study Group's findings. If the group's report isn't helpful, it's because the BusHitlerBurtons won't let it succeed.

Michelle Spoofs Gwyneth

Ever wondered how Michelle would look as a blonde?

Please take the time to rate & favorite!

Dude, Where's My YouTube Video Ranking?!?!?

As you may know, the exposure a particular video gets from YouTube is directly related to its traffic and its ratings. High-rated and high-traffic videos are featured on the main pages, while lower-rated and lower-traffic vids are kept in the "back room." In other words, for those of us who make videos to get a message out to the broader public, high ratings and high traffic are pretty important in order to be heard above the YouTube "noise." It is particularly good to be high on the "daily" pages, since all the YouTube video browsing pages default to "today."

Yesterday, around 1:30 pm, I posted this to The Jawa Report:

Thanks to everyone who viewed and/or linked to "Flight Club," our latest video now shows up on the front page under "Videos" at YouTube. It is today's #3 in traffic for the News & Blogs category.

Thanks to all of you who took the time to rate it and favorite it, it is today's #1 Top Rated YouTube video and today's #2 Top Favorite.

Even better, this video is poised to become one of the top ranked videos that will show up when you search for "CAIR" on YouTube.

Why is this important? It's important because getting on the high-rank pages on YouTube means the message gets out to folks that may not be big blog readers. That's what these videos are an attempt to do.

Again, I sincerely thank each and every one of you who took the time to make your voice heard in this small battle in the larger online war.

Shortly after I made that post, the video disappeared from both rankings, as noted by several Jawa commenters. Note: it didn't just DROP in the rankings. It DISAPPEARED from every daily Top 100 category.

At present, this video is still this week's #1 Top Rated YouTube video in the weekly "News & Blogs" category. This video is also this week's #2 Top Favorite YouTube video in the weekly "News & Blogs" category.

How did the video get to the top of the weekly rankings in a single day? Because the video got a MASSIVE wave of traffic yesterday. Approximately 50,000 hits--which is quite a bit of traffic for a YouTube video.

Given this, why did the video disappear from all the daily Top 100 rankings right in the middle of its biggest day? To be fair, it could've just been a computer glitch. Then again, it could've been something intentional. Maybe YouTube didn't like that yesterday's Top Rated YouTube video was so politically incorrect. I have no way of knowing which it is. For now, I'll be keeping an eye out for similar behavior as re: other counter-jihadi videos on YouTube.

March of the Nazi Santas

Who is behind brigades of Santa Clauses giving the Sieg Heil! Nazi salute (pic)? Der Spiegel investigates:

Christmas shoppers in Germany are horrified. Across the country, models of Santa Claus in shop windows appear to be giving the Nazi salute. Some chains have already removed them from the shelves.

The company responsible for the Fuehrer-saluting St. Nicks is unrepentant:

The toymaker behind the Nazi Santas is unimpressed with the unwanted attention their product is receiving. "We are surprised that a Santa pointing skyward has been associated with the Hitler salute," he told Bild.

What's next, goosestepping elves and reindeer wearing monocles?

American Jihadi in Egypt Update

An American arrested as part of a terror cell among students at al-Azhar in Egypt, the world's oldest University and the most prestigious Sunni theological school in the world, has still not been identified.

William Teach at the Pirate's Cove found this:

First, the American suspect was arrested November 26th, yet, it was days till this story hit the media. The farthest back I can find is yesterday, December 4th.

Second, that story, as well as one from the International Herald Tribune, show that the U.S. State Department is not only aware of this, but know who the American is, as well as being "annoyed" that the Egyptians are refusing to grant access to the suspect until the investigation is complete.

If any reader hears anything new on the case, please e-mail me at the contact information above. You'd think an American student being arrested as part of a terror plot would be big news. Apparently not.

Yet Another Reason to Love the Aussies...

They definitely know how to stage a good protest. The original news story on the upcoming Australian bikini march is here, but this "augmented" version is a bit easier on the eyes.

Who Says We Can't Do Propaganda?

Ugh, I rarely reprint a whole article, but this is too rich:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Iraq Study Group calls for a shift in the role of U.S. troops in Iraq to support from combat operations, but stops short of recommending a timetable for withdrawal, CNN reported late on Tuesday.

CNN reported that excerpts of the report, due for release later on Wednesday, showed the group recommends a broader regional approach to achieving stability in Iraq and calls for a comprehensive Middle East peace plan.

Although there was no withdrawal timetable and a recognition that the Iraq government would need U.S. support for some time to come, Washington "must not make open-ended commitments to keep large numbers of troops there in Iraq," CNN quoted the report as saying.

President Bush was briefed on the panel's report on Tuesday but has not said whether he will accept the group's advice and it is unclear how the United States might extricate itself without worsening sectarian violence in which scores of Iraqis are killed every day.

Still, the group led by Republican former Secretary of State James Baker and former Democratic Rep. Lee Hamilton of Indiana is expected to influence the debate over the war because its members were unanimous in their advice.

We here at the Jawa Report know propaganda when we see it. We live it, know it, love it. It's what we do, and we've never backed down from admitting it. They do their propaganda, we do ours. It's a war after all.

Convening this Iraq Study Group is a classic example of propaganda. Here you have a group of people, many of whom do not share your vision, parroting your views. And, you have the media being sucked into the effort by the very makeup of the personalities populating the ISG.

It's quite obvious if you read that last paragraph very carefully. Note that it starts with "Still..." and says "...is expected."

That's what you say when your team is down by two touchdowns with 8 minutes left and your quarterback just threw an interception.

If the AP is already viewing this report as a downer, then it must be a winner. What better way to face the coming control of Congress by the Dhimmicrats than by having a bunch of RINOs and liberals espousing your views?

Of course, this will fly under the radar, since they've already latched onto Gate's supposed confession that we're not winning in Iraq.

Even though they ignore the fact that he said we're not losing, either.

I shudder when I think of what this country would look like if these people had been around in 1943.

December 05, 2006

Number One On The Jawa's Christmas List

This lovely ornament.

Okay, for you optimists out there, you can buy us one of these.

Think Tanks? We Don't Need No Stinking Think Tanks

One of those articles that makes blood shoot out of my eyes.

The Israelis convene a think tank to disprove that they commit war crimes, while Hamas and Hezbollah proudly announce every terrorist act they commit, with little consequence from those who claim to be concerned about war crimes.

Feel The Love, Israel

It seems Mahmoud Ahmagonnameetallah has a soft spot after all. And not just for some corpse who's done been finished rotting for a 1000 years or so at the bottom of a well.

Mohammadi rejected any suggestion the conference would encourage anti-Semitism, calling discrimination against Jews a "Western phenomenon." The proof of Iran's lack of animosity toward Jews, he said, was Iran's 25,000-strong Jewish community.

Call me cynical, but using the word "strong" after "25,000" in a nation with a population estimated at over 68 million is a tad bit over-enthusiastic, don'cha think?

Kinfolk Said...

...Dr. Germ
Move away from here
Yemen, that's the place you want to be
So she loaded up her truck
And moved to Sanaa
Yemen that is
Corruption, terrorism, Islamofascism
It's a great place to be a former Saddam crony, eh?

Just Another Pesky Isolated Incident

Yup, it's another "lone gunman" story.

SANAA (AFP) - A gunman fired on the US embassy in the Yemeni capital before being overpowered by police in the latest attack against Western interests in the impoverished Arab nation.

The assailant, who was shot and wounded by police guarding the mission after he opened fire with an automatic weapon, was being grilled by the security authorities over the night-time attack, a police officer told AFP Tuesday.

"We consider this an isolated act, pending the results of the questioning," a police officer told AFP. No-one else was reported injured.

Thanks to Jane, we know the man's name is Saleh Mohammed Salem. Proving once again that CHRISTIANS DO IT TOO!!!!

The Pixel God...

MS Paint + mad skillz:

American Among Terror Plotters in Egypt

*Bumped* because I don't think this is getting enough press. An American. Arrested in Egypt. Part of an international cell of jihadis. For, at the very least, encouraging people to go to Iraq and fight Americans. That. Is. TREASON.

-----------------------

An American was among 15 foreign nationals arrested last week in Egypt believed to be part of a larger terror network. The cell is supected of plotting terror attacks on Middle East targets, although there is some contraversy over whether they were planning attacks or just encouraging them.

The foreign nationals were in Egypt in order to study the religion of peace, Islam. The American has not yet been identified.

The group also encouraged Muslims to go to Iraq for jihad against the United States. An American encouraging violence against American troops? Treason.

Looks like we have another Johnny Walker Lindh, who went to Pakistan to study Islam before joining the Taliban, or Ahmed Omar Abu Ali, who left his home in Virginia to study Islam in Saudi Arabia before joining a group of al Qaeda sympathizers and plotting to assassinate President George Bush.

It should be noted that the most prestigious (and oldest) Islamic university in the world, al-Azhar, is in Egypt. News reports indicate that at least some of the students were studying at al-Azhar. The President of al-Azhar is routinely described as a 'moderate' in the press, yet this so-called moderate believes that the prohibition against killing innocent women and children does not include Israelis.

Chicago Sun Times:

Along with the American, police arrested two Belgians, nine French and several others from Egypt and other Arab countries including Tunisia and Syria, the statement said.

The ministry did not provide names or say how many Egyptians and Arabs were arrested.

''Investigations have confirmed that those elements are related to some terrorist organizations abroad,'' the ministry said. ''They were seeking to recruit others, teach them destructive beliefs, urging them for jihad, traveling to Iraq to carry out operations via other countries in the region.''

Hat tip to Laura Mansfield for the e-mail. Oh, and just a little reminder about al-Azhar.

Students outside of Al-Azhar Mosque, the most prestigious Sunni seat of learning in the world, are heard shouting 'Osama bin Laden, explode Copenhagen' in protest over a Danish newspaper publishing images of Mohammed.

UPDATE: Eugene Volokh e-mailed wondering if we knew anything else about this guy. The answer, as far as I can tell, is no. But wouldn't it be nice if the AP invested a little time in the story and found a few things out? I'd settle for knowing the guy's name at this point. Hell, I'd even settle for a stringer being sent out.

Also noticing this: Gateway Pundit, Dan Riehl, Pirate's Cove, Political Pit Bull, Internet Haganah, Mary Kate at Townhall, Clarity and Resolve, Blogs of War, Macker, Bluto, Charles "The Blogfather" Johnson & others, I'm sure, but since my stupid trackbacks don't work, who knows?

Darfur: News and Satellite Recon Tour

You probably have all heard about the Christmas in Darfur project that I'm involved with. In the course of preparation, we've been following the news and doing some research, which I figured I should share with folks.

As the situation continues to deteriorate, (below are links to the satellite images of the towns Abeche and Adre mentioned in the linked story) things are going to start getting way pricey, way quick, so if you haven't already contributed, we'd sure appreciate your support.

News from the region

• Aid agencies to suspend food aid for approximately 50,000 due to security concerns.
• Janjaweed attacks spilling over - 100 km - in to Chad.
• Meanwhile, the Chadian rebellion seems to be hotting up.
• Nicholas Kristoff in a February 2006 book review:

  In my years as a journalist, I thought I had seen a full kaleidoscope of horrors, from babies dying of malaria to Chinese troops shooting students to Indonesian mobs beheading people. But nothing prepared me for Darfur, where systematic murder, rape, and mutilation are taking place on a vast scale, based simply on the tribe of the victim. What I saw reminded me why people say that genocide is the worst evil of which human beings are capable.

  On one of the first of my five visits to Darfur, I came across an oasis along the Chad border where several tens of thousands of people were sheltering under trees after being driven from their home villages by the Arab Janjaweed militia, which has been supported by the Sudan government in Khartoum. Under the first tree, I found a man who had been shot in the neck and the jaw; his brother, shot only in the foot, had carried him for forty-nine days to get to this oasis. Under the next tree was a widow whose parents had been killed and stuffed in the village well to poison the local water supply; then the Janjaweed had tracked down the rest of her family and killed her husband. Under the third tree was a four-year-old orphan girl carrying her one-year-old baby sister on her back; their parents had been killed. Under the fourth tree was a woman whose husband and children had been killed in front of her, and then she was gang-raped and left naked and mutilated in the desert.

  Those were the people I met under just four adjacent trees. And in every direction, as far as I could see, were more trees and more victims—all with similar stories.

  
  

Satellite Image Tips:

• If you aren't getting an image, hit either the satellite or hybrid button in the upper right hand corner.
• Check the scale in the lower left hand corner of the image, since not all maps are on the same scale.
• Zoom in, zoom out, explore and poke around a little.

Some reference images for comparison:

Generic villages in Chad
A very small border town: Adre - population approx. 15,000
A provincial capital: Abeche (apologies for the crummy resolution)
The capital of Chad, N'Djamena
Possibly one of the most godforsaken remote locales on earth, Awaynat, Libya.

Map 1, Map 2, Map 3 (with numbers) of Refugee Camps Inside Chad/Sudan

Below are images of 8 of the 15 camps inside Chad. Oure Cassoni: Est. Pop. (May 2006) 29,610

Kounoungo (I think): Est. Pop. (May 2006) 11,790 (Images on the ground 1, 2)

Mile: Est. Pop. (May 2006) 13,544

Am Nabak: Est. Pop. (May 2006) 16,546

Farchana: Est. Pop. (May 2006) 17,500 (Images on the ground: 1, 2)

Terguine or Breidjing: Est. Pop. (May 2006) 14,400 or 27,400

Djabal: Est. Pop. (May 2006) 14,533

Goz Amer: Est. Pop. (May 2006) 17,890

Map of Destroyed Villages and refugee camps in Sudan (as of August 2004)

In the map of destroyed Sudanese villages, there is an inset photo of the village of Balla (628 of 720 structures destroyed). A clearer, zoomable map of the village can be found here.

The regional map of destroyed villages has a number of other villages (more than I can count), but here are a few representative examples. If you zoom around with Google, they're not hard to find once you get the hang of it. Look here, here or here (this one, I think, is one that had been attacked at some point in the past, and then more recently, but has not been completely razed) for a few examples.

This is what I think is the Zalingei camp inside Sudan. Here is what I think is the Abushouk camp (est. pop. 51,000).

Bonus!!

This looks to be an An-26 "Curl" transport plane, mid-flight, heading SE, about 1 1/2 miles SW of El Fashir, Sudan.

By Bravo Romeo Delta at 02:43 PM | |

The Scarlet Press Pass

It seems that the troops may resent the press a bit.

Bill Roggio of The Fourth Rail from Fallujah :While waiting to manifest on the flight to Fallujah, CNN played a news segment of President Bush announcing there would be no “graceful exit” from Iraq, and that we'd stay until the mission was complete. Two sergeants in the room cheered. Loudly. They then scoffed at the reports from Baghdad, and jeered the balcony reporting.

In nearly every conversation, the soldiers, Marines and contractors expressed they were upset with the coverage of the war in Iraq in general, and the public perception of the daily situation on the ground. The felt the media was there to sensationalize the news, and several stated some reporters were only interested in “blood and guts.” They freely admitted the obstacles in front of them in Iraq. Most recognized that while we are winning the war on the battlefield, albeit with difficulties in some areas, we are losing the information war. They felt the media had abandoned them.

But Bill, they were watching CNN. Maybe they have a little something to hold against CNN?

Hat Tip: Instapundit.

Anonymous, Veiled Muslim Woman to Give 'Alternative Christmas' Message on British TV

Britain's Channel 4 has decided to go dhimmi, just like the Beebs, and will allow a "freelance lecturer in Islamic studies and the Koran" who goes by the name of one of Mohammed's wives and wears a full veil and gloves in public to counter the Queen's Christmas message this year:

A veiled Muslim woman will deliver this year's alternative Christmas speech on Channel 4, the broadcaster has said. Khadija, a Zimbabwean-born British citizen who has been wearing the full veil - or niqab - for 10 years, has been given the slot.

The message will reflect a year in which the wearing of religious clothing and symbols have "dominated the news agenda", said a Channel 4 spokesman.

What better way to promote peace on earth, good will toward men than to have Christmas mocked by someone firmly entrenched in the seventh century?

It's become something of a tradition for British broadcasters to denigrate Christmas with a counterpoint to the Queen's speech:

Previous presenters have included Sharon Osbourne, Ali G, The Simpsons, the Rev Jesse Jackson and the late Quentin Crisp.

UPDATE by Rusty: An earlier version of this post cited the BBC as airing the message. Ian brought it to our attention that it was the UK's privately owned Channel 4 that will run it. The post has been corrected.

"Flight Club" is was (briefly) Today's #1 "Top Rated" YouTube Video

Thanks to everyone who viewed and/or linked to "Flight Club," our latest video now shows up on the front page under "Videos" at YouTube. It is today's #3 in traffic for the News & Blogs category.

Thanks to all of you who took the time to rate it and favorite it, it is today's #1 Top Rated YouTube video and today's #2 Top Favorite.

Even better, this video is poised to become one of the top ranked videos that will show up when you search for "CAIR" on YouTube.

Why is this important? It's important because getting on the high-rank pages on YouTube means the message gets out to folks that may not be big blog readers. That's what these videos are an attempt to do.

Again, I sincerely thank each and every one of you who took the time to make your voice heard in this small battle in the larger online war.

UPDATE: I originally posted this at 1:35 pm. Despite the top ranking at that time, I noticed a few hours later that the video didn't show up in the "today" rankings at all.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: Evil Girl Watcher

Yes, Ahmadinejad is in trouble for watching unveiled women sing and dance at the opening ceremony at the 2006 Asian Games held in Qatar.

The Guardian: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran, who flaunts his ideological fervour, has been accused of undermining Iran's Islamic revolution after television footage appeared to show him watching a female song and dance show…

…Women are forbidden to sing and dance before a male audience under Iran's Islamic legal code. Officials are expected to excuse themselves from such engagements when abroad but TV pictures showed Mr Ahmadinejad sitting with President Bashar Assad of Syria and Ismail Haniya, the Palestinian prime minister, during last Friday's ceremony in Doha.

Behold, the evil unchaste images of unchaste women singing, dancing.

No Ed, it’s not just you, radical Islamists do deeply fear women, empowered women especially.

No word yet on if Mahmoud stayed to cheer for the empowered women of Iraq's beach volleyball team. I wonder how many years of his term that would cost him.

Yahoo News: Though 16 Muslim nations are represented at the Asian Games, only one, Iraq, is competing in women's beach volleyball. And its team, sisters Lisa and Lida Agasi, are Christians. (AP Photo/Han Guan Ng)

Kazakhstan's Irina Penkina.

More evil beach volleyball here.

PA Democrat: AQ Was In Iraq Before Invasion

PA Democrat Chris Carney goes maverick from his party on this one. Guy better watch his back - that's a well-known heresy.

Ray Robison cites a piece by Mark Eichenlaub, who has done a lot of tedious and excellent work documenting Saddam's links to terrorists and particularly al-Qaeda.

Give both sites a read.

Free Passes to Stratfor Premium

Stratfor is offering 7-day free passes to its premium services.

For the record, I don't have any affiliation with Stratfor other than being a subscriber and enjoying their updates. I've been impressed with their insights and have found them to often be well ahead of the curve.

NBC's Richard Engel Justifies Green Zone Reporting

NewsBusters has the story. NBC correspondent Richard Engel, who last week told the Nightly News audience that Iraq had "collapsed," complained to Howard Kurtz on CNN's "Reliable Sources" that reporters were endangering themselves because of conservative critics:

Howard Kurtz: "Richard Engel, top administration officials, as you well know, have repeatedly criticized correspondents like you for painting an unnecessarily negative picture of what's going on in Iraq, staying in the Green Zone, and all of that. Now that this -- even the private doubts and reservations of the White House and the Pentagon are coming out, do you feel vindicated?"

Richard Engel: "No. It's been very frustrating all along to be at the receiving end of that criticism with acquisitions like we just spend all of our time in the Green Zone....It's also, in some degree, dangerous. I mean, I know reporters, colleagues of mine who have received so much criticism over the last three and a half, four years, that they felt they've had something to prove. And so they put themselves in extraordinarily dangerous situations. And I know one reporter who was kidnapped as a result of it. So it's not a sense of vindication, but it is good that people are finally starting to see that the situation in Iraq is tremendously difficult, and it is not just reporters who are looking for bad -- bad news stories."

Got that? Conservative and administration critics are endangering reporters by calling them on slanted and faked news.

Here's a tip for you Richard, and you don't have to leave your Green Zone hotel bar to take advantage: go here. This is the official CENTCOM page. In the right sidebar you'll see a link called "Press Releases." Here you'll find all the stories that you and your "journalist" comrades never, ever give any air time to. Each week there are scores of stories about Coalition operations, dead and captured terrorists, weapons caches discovered and destroyed, even US casualty lists for you to gloat over - maybe you could start a trend, reporting everything that's happening in Iraq instead of just the stories that our enemies and the Democrats want reported.

It's even easier than getting stories from al Qaeda moles, like the Associated Press.

Newt Gingrich on Fighting the Cyber Jihad

More evidence that Newt Gingrich gets the cyber jihad. Human Events:

* We should be allowed to close down websites that recruit suicide bombers and provide instructions to indiscriminately kill civilians by suicide or other means, or advocate killing people from the West or the destruction of Western civilization;

* We should propose a Geneva-like convention for fighting terrorism that makes very clear that those who would fight outside the rules of law, those who would use weapons of mass destruction and those who would target civilians are in fact subject to a totally different set of rules that allow us to protect civilization by defeating barbarism before it gains so much strength that it is truly horrendous. A subset of this convention should define the international rules of engagement on what activities will not be protected by free speech claims; and

* We need an expeditious review of current domestic law to see what changes can be made within the protections of the 1st Amendment to ensure that free speech protection claims are not used to protect the advocacy of terrorism, violent conduct or the killing of innocents.

Read the rest, especially the first half of the article. My original analysis of last week's remarks are here.

Ace has a great legalistic analysis of the Gingrich plan against the cyber jihadis, and adds this:

Gingrich notes the "First Amendment is not a suicide pact" (a slight change of the adage that "the constitution is not a suicide pact," i.e., the constitution does not demand that those who would seek to destroy it and the country it binds be permitted to do so). But apperrently there are many people who believe it's just that, and that it is, somehow, crucial to the "marketplace of ideas" and "genius of American governance" that we permit terrorists to recruit, incite, plan, and the like without police intervention.

Amen. Just a note that it was me, not Gingrich, in my original essay that made the First Amendment is not a suicide pact play on words. And yes, I know, Lincoln never said "The Constitution is not a suicide pact." It was Justice Robert Jackson. But it certainly encapsulates, succinctly, Lincoln's theory of Presidential prerogative in a time of war. (See his letter to A. G. Hodges, April 4, 1864)

Let me also direct your attention to this week's Shire News Netork interview with Walid Phares. Next week's podcast promises to be even better, as the second half of the interview with Phares will focus on the use of the internet in the worldwide jihad.

Burning 6: Fanning the Flames of Jihad

There are plenty of bad things going on in Iraq right now. So why make stuff up? To fan the flames of Sunni jihad. It should be remembered that the present 'civil war' was inentionally started by al Qaeda in Iraq when they blew up the Golden Mosque in Karbala.

I can't keep up with all the developments surrounding the Burning 6 and Jamil Hussein. For a great roundup of developments, make sure to click through all of Michelle Malkin's links, especially the link to Greyhawk's find that the NY Times investigated the Burning 6 story and found it to be probably bogus.

And why does all this matter? An image from a video produced by the "Just Punishment Brigade", a Sunni group, in revenge for "a joint attack by the Iraqi Police and the Shia Mahdi Army" against Sunni mosques. It's not terrorism, it's revenge.

UPDATE: Help, I'm being oppressed!

Paltrow Opens Mouth, Words Fall Out

Here's an example of an uninformed celebrity, Gwyneth Paltrow, making public comments regarding the U.S. from a closed-minded, egocentric perspective.

From Breitbart.com:

"I love the English lifestyle, it's not as capitalistic as America. People don't talk about work and money, they talk about interesting things at dinner," she told "NS," the weekend magazine supplement of daily Portuguese newspaper Diario de Noticias on Saturday.

"I like living here because I don't fit into the bad side of American psychology. The British are much more intelligent and civilized than the Americans," the 34-year-old added.

She added that she loves living in London because Madonna is her neighbor. "She's like an older sister" who gives her "good advice."

But, oops! In another report, Paltrow now denies she said anything anti-American and blames the quotes on poor Spanish language skills she demonstrated during a press conference.

So, who does one believe? As I recall, Paltrow has a history of being quite the liberal elitist. Therefore, I'll believe she did diss the U.S. After all, it is the trendy liberal thing to do.

December 04, 2006

Dead Darth Sadr?

Is he Dead? I don’t know but Allah seems to have it about right.It was claimed earlier in the week that several “high ranking” members of the Mahdi army were killed. That's encouraging, maybe he was with them?

The claim Ace is linking appears similar to the one below the fold. But then again I don’t read Arabic? Hint hint.

The claims are propaganda mostly, but could, maybe be true. Don't hold your breath or anything. Just hope maybe he isn't, breathing that is.

The al-Sadr claim was posted on a terrorist forum as follows

1930 on 3 / 12 / 2006 That killing Muqtada al-Sadr.And because we have not been able to ascertain the veracity of the news I will send you all Maisalni news on the subject
Allah Akbar
Allah Akbar
Allah Akbar

See not very credible when even a terrorist propagandist says it's doubtful.

And the other claim Via Site Institute

Abu Dar‘, commander of all pro-Iranian Jaysh al-Mahdi forces in Iraq, reported killed by Iraqi Resistance south of Balad

12-01-2006, 07:54 PM (obviusly last Tuesday)

In a bulletin posted at 9:50pm Makkah time Tuesday night, Mafkarat al-Islam said that the death had been reported of the commander of the pro-Iranian Shi‘i sectarian Jaysh al-Mahdi militia for all Iraqi territory. According to the report, the commander was killed by the Iraqi Resistance. The correspondent for Mafkarat al-Islam reported that the commander of all Jaysh al-Mahdi formations in Iraq, a man known as Abu Dar‘, had been killed in the as-Sayyid Muhammad area, some 20km south of Balad. There were, however, other reports claiming that the man killed was Abu al-Mu’minin, the Jaysh al-Mahdi commander for just the Balad city area, and that he had been killed in a Resistance ambush in Balad, some 80km north of Baghdad…

YouTube Video : Flight Club - UPDATED, BUMPED

The first rule of Flight Club is...

UPDATE by Rusty: Sout al Kuffar has been targetted by Muslims at YouTube. Please go to the YouTube site and rate this video with 5 stars to counter them. Also, remember to add it to your YouTube favorites.

UPDATE by Ragnar: Thanks to your help, this video's rating has moved back up to 4 out of 5 stars and has received a bunch of "favorites" pings. The YouTube jihadis will have a tough time pulling that one back down.

Bonus : our video now shows up as a "related video" to all of CAIR's videos on the same topic. Sweet!

Jihad Media Battalion Report: Fighting Zionist Robots!

Pay attention to the animated banner above, brought to you by the cyber jihadis from the al Qaeda in Iraq front of The Jihad Media Battalion. Make sure to let it scroll through. Notice the claim that the insurgents got two "robot soldiers"? They also claim to have killed two "Mossad" agents. I. Kid. You. Not.

In addition, they claim to have killed 326 "Crusaders". Actual number of US deaths in November? 70.

Part of the video shows the downed F-16 that the Jihad Media Battalion's parent organization, The Islamic State in Iraq, claims to have destroyed with a Soviet made surfact-to-air missile. The only problem? The video has the Associated Press watermark on it. Meaning the cyber jihadis downloaded the video from the internet. Even I have the original video without the watermark on it.

If the jihadis from The Islamic State in Iraq had actually shot down the plane, then shouldn't the Jihad Media Battalion--one of the official media organs of that group (the other being al Fajr) have a copy of the original video? Not some video that they pirated from an AP report.

The last funny from the video is that it shows an image of a "spy plane" "shot down" by the Army of Ansar al Sunna. The "spy plane" is actually a model airplane. The consensus among those in the military I have spoken to is that the mujahideen had actually found a child's toy, not a "spying aircraft" as is claimed.

The thing that is not so funny about this piece of propaganda is that it will be taken seriously by Islamists around the world. One of the reasons that Sunni insurgents are able to recruit is because these fighters actually believe this type of propaganda. One of the major themes of the cyber jihad is that far more Americans are killed than the US officially reports. These reports go from the insurgents to the Arab and Islamist media and are then consumed by a public eager to believe that the Great Satan is being defeated everywhere they fight.

People tend not to fight when they believe there is no hope for victory. As long as we continue to allow such propaganda to be spread by the cyber jihadis, then winning the war on terror will be much more difficult.

So, on the one side, terrorists use this propaganda to boost the morale of their own supporters. The flip side to this is that the same propaganda is used to demoralize those in the West willing to stand up to their Islamofascist agenda.

Notice this grab from the video. It's in English. Meaning the target audience is you.

Message: You've already lost, now go home so we can begin the serious work of establishing a base for the coming Caliphate.

Iran Bans Major Websites.

No word yet if The Jawa Report is banned but we sure hope so. The Guardian Via Michelle Malkin.

Iran yesterday shut down access to some of the world's most popular websites. Users were unable to open popular sites including Amazon.com and YouTube following instructions to service providers to filter them.

Similar edicts have been issued against Wikipedia, the internet encyclopaedia, IMDB.com, an online film database, and the New York Times site. Attempts to open the sites are met with a page reading: "The requested page is forbidden."

What kind of does Iran want to suppress.?

Maybe Maryam Namazie's speech to the UN? Or Maybe this one, entitled Save Nazanin & Kobra from Execution? Or Possibly this series about the hanging of a 16 year old girl from “crimes against chastity” Or maybe just the hangings and exposure of their religious propaganda.

Iran’s Mullahs fear the truth almost as much as they fear women.

Majdi Mohammed: AP Photog or Anti-Israeli Propagandist?

Cross-posted at Mein Blogovault. (Note: Some of the links require a Control-F search to find Majdi's photos. Simply type "majdi" into the field and search.)

It is increasingly difficult to distinguish between objective news sources, reporters and photographers and propagandists with clear agendas in the wire services. I was struck yesterday by a photograph of a Palestinian youth who was killed by Israeli soldiers after throwing rocks at them while they were dismantling a barricade in the West Bank.

As a practical matter, I can understand why these 'stringers' are not investigated or vetted. There are so many of them, all seemingly with cameras ready to shoot at the slightest sign of "Israeli/Western aggression," or more commonly, "Arab angst/grief." They get lost in the daily shuffle of news proliferation. The AP is a monopolistic organization that thinks so few people are noticing these kinds of "stringers" that it makes no difference what their critics think.

Unfortunately for them (and ultimately us), looking into wire stringers like Adnan Hajj and non-existant sources like 'Iraqi Police Captain' Jamil Hussein has given sufficient cause for concern that the wire services (and by proxy, our mainstream outlets) are crawling with agenda-oriented activists masquerading as journalists. Qais al-Bashir. Bassem Mroue. Sami Moubayeb. Majdi Mohammed. The Centcom list of fakes and insurgent propagandists. It goes on and on in the fog of the information war.

Keeping this in mind, a few of the Majdi Mohammed's photos seemed reminiscent of techniques seen in Pallywood productions, and still more seemed a little too close to terrorists and gunmen to be coming from a reporter who was truly being objective.

I had a bad feeling that Googling the images of Majdi Mohammed would reveal more photos verifying this gestalt. To my dismay, I was right.

Mohammed has an archive of AP photos that have run in numerous publications (news, activist and otherwise) around the world for several years covering the Palestinian/Israeli conflict that, for some odd reason, always seems to photograph the Palestinians dead, bleeding, dying, crying, "resisting," training foot soldiers or in riot mode. In other words, from a decidedly Palestinian perspective.

Israeli photos? A burning Israeli jeep, an Israeli bulldozer, and nothing. Plenty of balance there, no? More below the jump.

Some more visual examples, if the links aren't working (they all should be, though):

This is the kind of content that gets lost and ignored by the mainstream press in the fog of the information wars. And they want it that way - there is so much information flying around the world so quickly that people who don't know any better or aren't wise to the media's nature get spun and respun on a daily basis.

The only counter-balance at the moment is the conservative blogosphere, which has done yoeman's work questioning, highlighting and neutralizing this polarizing and intentionally slanted coverage that has blanketed the Earth for the past few years. Without the right-o-sphere, Adnan Hajj would still be working. Dan Rather would still be relevant. Chris Matthews would be "credible." Bilal Hussein would be a media martyr instead of being exposed as an AP terrorist shill. Same with all of the aforementioned ME propagandists.

When it comes to these heated conflicts in the Middle East, the right-o-sphere is watching closely and is becoming increasingly dismayed by what we're finding under these MSM rocks.

Although the hill is a steep one, it is important to stay vigilant, ask tough questions and to pile up that evidence. The MSM isn't going to do it for us, and though they may try, they can't ignore it when its there right in front of them.

Muslim YouTube Club Targets Anti-Terrorist Videos and Users

Muslims have set up a group called Oul-Al-Albab/Oul-Al-Absar at YouTube that targets videos and users critical of Islamist violence. YouTube's poorly thought out flagging procedures encourage dishonest users to lie about content in order to suppress videos with which they disagree. YouTube has refused to change the system, despite numerous complaints from users that certain groups, particularly those sympathetic to Islamic terrorism, are abusing it (screen captures).

The group members share information about YouTube users who create anti-Islamist terrorist videos and instruct members to flag the videos and users as "inappropriate," often getting the videos and/or users banned.

Here, a user instructs a fellow Muslim about how to game the YouTube system to censor anti-terrorist videos:

jafour3 (1 week ago)
You can give them only 1 star and click on "Flag unappropriate" and choose "Hate Speech".. You can find it under each video you watch.

"jafour3" lists his home as Palestine. While the group includes 251 members from all over the world, most seem to live in Canada and the United States.

Thanks to YouTube user InfidelAndProud for tipping me to this group. InfidelAndProud credits fellow YouTuber infidel4life with discovering the group.

Maj. Troy L. Gilbert, Rest in Peace

The U.S. military has officially listed Maj. Troy L. Gilbert as KIA. The pilot of a downed F-16 had been previously listed as "duty status whereabouts unknown".

The change came after DNA testing confirmed that a body shown in a video made by Iraqis with ties to the Sunni insurgency was that of Gilbert's. A cell of the al Qaeda umbrella group, The Islamic State of Iraq, claimed to have shot down the plane with a Soviet made surface to air missile. While an investigation into the crash is ongoing, military sources have stated that it was unlikely Gilbert's airplane was brought down by enemy fire.

Maj. Troy L. Gilbert will be missed by all who knew him. Speaking for those that did not, we are grateful for his sacrifice and send our prayers and condolences to them.

Howie found that a fund has been set up in his honor by The Bank of Clovis, the Clovis News Journal and the Portales News-Tribune--all in New Mexico. Another fund has been set up by friends at the Luke Air Force Base in Arizona.

CNN:

"Troy was first and foremost a wonderful husband and father, whose Christian faith, personal values and work ethic guided his personal life and his career as a military officer," said the statement read to reporters during a news conference at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, where Gilbert was based. "He was highly respected and deeply loved by so many.

"At the time of the tragedy during combat operations, he was unselfishly protecting the lives of other American military members. We, his family, cherish the worldwide prayers and support during this extremely difficult time."

Many of Troy's friends have left comments about him on our previous post. Some of the comments are directed towards two Muslim reader from the Netherlands who celebrated Maj. Gilbert's death. Here is a sampling.

Samuel: "I want to send out my condolences to the family of Maj Gilbert. I had the honor of working with him at Aviano and I also worked on 776 ,the aircraft he was flying, many times. It angers me that these Islamic Fascist SOBs are able to get away with this. I hope our friends on the ground hunt these guys down and give them all they deserve."

Brandon: "I knew Maj Gilbert when I was in Aviano along with [..] who posted earlier. He was one of the nicest pilots and best pilots we had there. I can't believe you have the audacity to post crap like that. I think that you should be kicked out of this country if you live here. If you don't live here, I would like to personally track you down and put my foot right up your @$$. We all hope that Maj. Gilbert is still alive, and if not may he rest in peace."

Heartsong: "To Maj. Troy Gilbert's Wife, his five children, all his Family and friends,

May God bless him for giving the ultimate sacrifice and may God guide and bestow loads of blessings and graces on all his loved ones every day of their lives and may you "walk on golden streets with him in the New Jerusalem" when God calls them to their eternal destiny.

Gilbert's family issued a statement Wednesday praising him as a husband, father and military officer and noting that at the time of the crash, he was protecting the lives of other service members.

Kenny: Troy was my second cousin, and although I never had the pleasure of meeting him, I know that his family was so proud of his accomplishments by listnening to his Uncle, whom works with me daily. Troy was a devoted father to his 5 children and a loving husband to his beautiful wife Ginger. This is so sad! He has 9 month old twins that will never know their father, but through memories of their older 3 siblings. This is to Ginger, Kaye, Ronnie, and the 5 kids----I pray that you all can get this behind you in knowing that Troy was one of the finest that our Nation had, and that he will be in Heaven looking down on you every minute. God Bless you all

Kenny: Rhonda, I am sorry that I left you out of my firs post. I know that you are so proud of what your brother stood for, and hope that God Blesses you with the strength to get through his. I have never met you, but heard so much about you from Don. My deepest sympathies are with you during this terrible time in your life.

Time to Send the Left Back to School

Sam Kinison will be teaching Contemporary American History 101. Buckle up.

Bolton Resigns

ABC is reporting the John Bolton has resigned but will serve out his recess appointment.

Unable to win Senate confirmation, U.N. Ambassador John Bolton will step down when his recess appointment expires soon, the White House said Monday.

NYT Circles Its Wagons with Associated Press

It was only a matter of time before the Gray Lady, in her arrogant fashion, put in her two cents worth about the discredited "Six Burning Sunnis" story.

Writer Tom Zeller manages to muddy the waters without ever directly mentioning the most troubling question of all: whether or not al Qaeda propagandists are using the Western media to foment civil war in Iraq. The closest Zeller comes to acknowledging this vital issue is mentioning the title of the Flopping Aces post that started the controversy, Getting News From the Enemy.

Over the course of last week, an Associated Press article — one subsequently challenged by the military — in which six Sunni worshipers were reportedly doused in kerosene and burned alive by Shiite attackers, became the worst kind of totem.

For bloggers who believe that the media has been drawing false pictures of mayhem in Iraq, the insistence of the American military and Iraqi officials that the burning incident appeared to be a mere rumor was proof that their suspicions were correct.

As one might expect, the New York Times is vastly more concerned with the freedom of reporters to report, than the actual accuracy of those reports:

Iraq’s interior ministry wielded the article like a bludgeon and used it as an opportunity to create a press monitoring unit that suggested, in no uncertain terms, that reporters in Baghdad should come to its press officers for “real, true news.” A ministry spokesman promised “legal action” — whatever that might mean — against journalists who publish information the agency deemed wrong.

As if a country whose citizens are daily subjected to assaults from terrorists has no legitimate interest in seeing that rumors and disinformation propagated by their enemies are not being published as "news."

We've been down this road before. Mainstream media efforts to minimize the Reutersgate scandal during the Lebanon/Hezbollah war mean that most Americans aren't even aware that deadly serious concerns about the accuracy of major news service accounts have arisen. And they don't know that it was bloggers who forced Reuters to withdraw all ten years of Adnan Hajj's photographs.

The mainstream media never did fully acknowledge the stunning depth of the fauxtography scandal; a pattern of disinformation perpetrated by agenda driven stringers that made much of the "news" coming out of that war so suspect as to be nearly useless.

Is there really any reason to think that the same thing isn't going on in Iraq?

December 03, 2006

YouTube Video: Miller on the Six Imams

AP: Israel Threatens Violence? Hmm...

Cross-posted at Mein Blogovault.

The AP (get those magnifying glasses out, people) attempts to explain how the Israelis are equivalent to the Palestinians in violations of a 5-month old Gaza truce in this warped little piece ( by AP "stringer" by Ibrahim Barzak).

There is, of course, the obligatory Palestinian body photograph (by AP "stringer" Madji Mohammed) accompanying the piece, but there's more. And given what we've recently been uncovering regarding AP stringers covering ME conflicts, I think this article and its slant deserves a little additional scrutiny. Just a readthrough of the first four paragraphs is a little off-putting to those looking to find out what is really happening:

Israelis and Palestinians threatened Sunday to scrap a truce that has largely ended five months of Gaza violence, with Palestinian militants insisting it must also apply to the West Bank and Israeli leaders complaining that Gaza rocket squads are still active.

Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz told his Cabinet militants in Gaza continued firing rockets into Israel - including one on Sunday - despite the cease-fire.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert "warned that Israel would not be able to show restraint for very much longer in the face of the ongoing rocket fire," a statement from Olmert's office said following his meeting with the Austrian foreign minister.

Israeli officials fear militants are using the truce to rearm with weapons smuggled through tunnels under the Gaza-Egypt border.

OK. Israelis are responding to rockets attacks and threats of violence. They aren't instigating anything (save, you know, existing in that region of the world). There have been ongoing rocket attacks for months, and the "truce" (according to the AP) has "largely ended the violence?" Has Israel been instigating violence? The AP doesn't really reveal this until later.

And of course, Israeli soldiers killed a Palestinian boy who was peacefully throwing rocks at soldiers taking down a roadblock in the West Bank. The soldiers should have taken the rocks and just done nothing, I suppose. Brutal Zionist thugs:

Israeli troops on Sunday shot and killed Jamil al-Zabazhi, 15, who was throwing rocks at soldiers in the West Bank city of Nablus, witnesses and hospital officials said. The army said troops fired at Palestinians throwing rocks at soldiers who were dismantling a barricade on a road.

Multiple Palestinians peacefully throwing rocks at soldiers. Of course, this is followed by threats from the peaceful organization known as Islamic Jihad for more violence, preemptively blaming the Israelis for violence done on their behalf:

A statement from the group said Israel would be responsible "for any response in the coming hours" by Islamic Jihad."We will respond to any violation. We are waiting for the right time and place," [the spokesman] said.

I suppose throwing rocks at soldiers taking down barriers qualifies as upholding a peace agreement to a group who is names itself after Islamic warfare. Given what we know about Islamic Jihad, Hamas and company, I'm having a really hard time believing that Israel just wantonly destroys and kills people on its own without provocation. Especially since the AP notes this buried in paragraph 10:

In the five months before the truce took effect a week ago, Gaza militants fired daily barrages of rockets at Israeli towns and villages, and Israel hit back with airstrikes at militants and incursions into northern Gaza, causing dozens of casualties and widespread destruction.

Notice who targets civilians and who targets legitimate military targets. The AP, of course, has trouble making a clear distinction.

Bypassing Government Internet Censors

Michelle has the info here on Psiphon, a new software package that purports to allow users to circumvent government censors.

Like she says, "spread the word."

Mark Steyn on America, Europe and Islam

The Powerline guys have the podcast here. Excerpt:

It's interesting to me that you don't have that business where--that you do in Europe, where, in effect, very small numbers of confident Muslim men bully the wider population in quite extraordinary ways, including on the night of September 11th, in several European towns, they demonstrated and chanted in support of Osama bin Laden. Who knew, until they were on the streets of Oslo and other Norwegian cities, that Norway had a big Muslim minority, that was celebrating September 11th? You couldn't get a taxi in certain towns in northern England, because the Muslim taxi drivers were all partying that night. And it's interesting. they were banging on the hoods of cars and demanding that the drivers say Osama bin Laden is a great man. Well, if you try that in most American jurisdictions, the guy will just reach into [the] glove box and blow your head off--which is actually one reason why it doesn't happen.

Prof: MSM Has Failed America

An assistant professor of communications at Virginia Tech, Jim A. Kuypers, has written a book detailing systematic bias from America's mainstream media:

“Immediately following 9/11, the mainstream news media (represented by CBS, ABC, NBC, USA Today, New York Times, and Washington Post) did echo Bush, but within eight weeks it began to intentionally ignore certain information the president was sharing, and instead reframed the president's themes or intentionally introduced new material to shift the focus.”

This goes beyond reporting alternate points of view. “In short,” Kupyers explained, “if someone were relying only on the mainstream media for information, they would have no idea what the president actually said. It was as if the press were reporting on a different speech.”

Via the Blog Godfather, little green footballs.

YouTube Video : Hello to Hizb'Allahstan?

A video of the Lebanese flag being torn down from a flagpole and replaced with the Hizb'Allah flag.

Tribute to the Wire Services

Now that the AP has officially joined Reuters as an irresponsible terrorist propaganda outlet that filters fake stories and pictures to the world media, it is once again time to hoist Sout al-Kuffar's Jawa Studios masterpiece to remind the mainstream mediots that their failures and lapses aren't going unnoticed or uncataloged.

All You Fakes Are Belong To Us.