ABC Producer Suspended Over Email: 'Bush makes me sick.' (Updated)

ABC weekend Good Morning America producer John Green (previous post here) has reportedly been suspended for a month by ABC. From the New York Observer:

ABC News executives have suspended Weekend Good Morning America executive producer John Green for a month, after two politically charged personal e-mails Green sent to a colleague were leaked to the press, according to two network sources.

This is the email that Green sent to a colleague during the 2004 Presidential debates (click to enlarge):



The exposure of Green's gross bias went virtually unreported by the mainstream media.


Update: protein wisdom notes that another Green memo describes Green's distaste for Madeleine Albright because she has "Jew shame".

Meanwhile, the mainstream media have remained silent on the original memo story and the decision to suspend Green, which was made, conveniently, on a Friday in order to minimize its impact in the standard news cycle. ABC needn't have bothered; their buddies are covering for them just fine.

Via the Drudge Report.

Also posted at The Jawa Report.

McKinney Lawyer Plays Race Card

From USA Today:

WASHINGTON (AP) — A lawyer for Rep. Cynthia McKinney, the Georgia congresswoman who had an altercation with a Capitol Police officer, says she was "just a victim of being in Congress while black."

I hate to burst McKinney's bubble, but white folk are not allowed to bypass security checkpoints without showing proper ID and assault police officers when questioned. I think she might be taking that old Eddie Murphy Saturday Night Live skit too seriously.

It seems apparent, however, that it should be legal for Americans to slap any Georgians who admit they voted for this imbecile.

Also posted at The Jawa Report.

FISA: More Low, Dishonest Ranting From the Left

A long and rambling piece at Unclaimed Territory - By Glenn Greenwald posted by "Anonymous Liberal" and updated by Glenn Greenwald, purports to counter John Hinderaker at Powerline and spring to the defense of New York Times reporter Eric Lichtblau in his ongoing efforts to get Bush by subverting the nation's defense.

One major problem; both Anonymous Liberal and Greenwald ignored the quotes from FISA judges at the hearing that were the basis of Hinderaker's condemnation of Lichtblau's article, including this one:

Judge Kornblum: I think--as a Magistrate Judge, not a District Judge, that a President would be remiss in exercising his Constitutional authority to say that, "I surrender all of my power to a statute," and, frankly, I doubt that Congress, in a statute, can take away the President's authority, not his inherent authority, but his necessary and proper authority.

The failure by Unclaimed Territory to reproduce even the smallest snippet of the transcript testimony that Hindraker used as the basis of his post is a clear indication that the intent here is to change the subject and obscure what was really said at the hearing.

Make sure you read the entire post at Powerline. That will evidently put you one up on Greenwald and Anonymous Liberal.

Warrant to be Issued Today for McKinney

Representative Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) may be arrested today for
punching a Capitol Police Officer. McKinney has issued a couple of statements of "regret", but has refused comment when asked if she would apologize for assaulting the officer.

From WSBTV.com:

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Capitol Hill police plan to issue an arrest warrant today for Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-Ga.).

Charges could range from assault on a police officer, which is a felony carrying a possible five year prison term, to simple assault, which is a misdeamenor.

One supposes the perp-walk will be waived for this arrogant jackass. Pity.

Via the Drudge Report.

A Modest Illegal Amnesty Compromise Is Proposed

With Congress members from both parties telling us that actually enforcing our immigration laws, and deporting the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants currently sucking up shrinking social, educational, and medical resources serving as the backbone of the American free enterprise system would cause our economy to collapse, something needs to be done. God knows that there are so very many money-grubbing traitors honest, ungreedy employers in the US who simply can't afford to pay the legal minimum wage, and nobody wants the price of a head of lettuce to go up fifty, or even sixty, cents.

The Dread Pundit Bluto has devised a plan that should keep everyone happy.

The proposal, which I call the Compromise On Immigration Tensions in the United States, or COITUS, uses current immigration quotas and levels of illegal immigrants to reach a fair and humane resolution of the current illegal immigration kerfluffle. I think that the United States should do COITUS on Mexico immediately to relieve the awful tensions we've seen displayed this week in cities across the country.

Here's how COITUS will work. Each year, the United States permits 1 million people to become permanent residents. 200,000 of these people come from Mexico. To make things easier, we'll round down the 12 million illegals to 10 million, and just say that the other 2 million illegals are from Leichtenstein, Wales, and Outer Mongolia. To keep things fair, we'll do COITUS on these countries as well.

This means that Mexico's quota for legal immigrants is 1 million every five years. Now, I'm proposing that we confer permanent resident status on the 10 million illegals currently wiping their butts with the laws of the land serving as the vital, indispensable backbone of the US economy (especially in the areas of landscaping, domestic engineering, and food service).

This means that Mexico has fulfilled its legal immigrant requirement until the year 2057. No more immigrants from Mexico until then. Leichtenstein, Wales, and Outer Mongolia will have COITUS done on them until sometime in the next century, but who cares about them anyway? The goal of the United States Congress and the President should be to satisfy the needs of Mexico's citizens.

After all, that's why they were elected, isn't it?

Also posted at The Jawa Report and Vince Aut Morire.

Castro Dead?

Rumors of Castro's death have elicited denials from Cuba. The source of the rumors appears to be this rough translation on Argentina IndyMedia:

The dictator dies to Havana Fidel I castrate

EPT - mié 29 sea, 20h22

In afternoon today Cuban dictator died in his residence of the Laguito longevo Fidel I castrate.
According to sources officials the Cuban dictator I have not been castrating for some days was in delicate state of health after to have undergone a sudden infarct.
Fidel I castrate volume the power the 1 of January of 1959, with a coup d'etat, demoting to Fulgencio dictator Batiste and since then one has stayed in being able.
Official sources of the government, its brother Raul I castrate and stops leaders of the regime have not even wanted to notify to the Cuban town, awaiting an international reaction.

In a story released just two hours ago, the official Cuba news Agency claims that Castro held a meeting last evening with the Executive Secretary of the Latin American Energy Organization.

I have a magnum of Mumms just waiting for news that one of the twentieth century's most notorious dictators is with Beelzebub.

Via The Jawa Report.

Borders and Waldenbooks Bow to Islamist Social Terrorism

From SFGate, via the Drudge Report:

Borders and Waldenbooks stores will not stock the April-May issue of Free Inquiry magazine because it contains cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad that provoked deadly protests among Muslims in several countries.

Citing concerns for customer safety, Borders Group (which owns Waldenbooks and Borders) spokeswoman Beth Bingham made this self-contradictory statement:

"We absolutely respect our customers' right to choose what they wish to read and buy and we support the First Amendment," Bingham said. "And we absolutely support the rights of Free Inquiry to publish the cartoons. We've just chosen not to carry this particular issue in our stores."

As an avid reader, Borders and Waldenbooks are not stores I frequent anyway. Waldenbooks selection is severely limited, and Borders has a habit of augmenting their limited selection by placing years-old titles on their shelves as if they were newly released.

Unfortunately, Borders Group's brand of timid political correctness is likely to spread to the higher quality book and magazine retail chains.

FISA Judges: President Did Not Break The Law

From The Washington Times:

A panel of former Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court judges yesterday told members of the Senate Judiciary Committee that President Bush did not act illegally when he created by executive order a wiretapping program conducted by the National Security Agency (NSA).
The five judges testifying before the committee said they could not speak specifically to the NSA listening program without being briefed on it, but that a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act does not override the president's constitutional authority to spy on suspected international agents under executive order.

The FISA judges also implied that the President had the duty to conduct the surveillance to prevent more terrorist attacks on Americans, and that the FISA law is outdated and needs to be updated.

Via Stop the ACLU.

American Hostage Jill Carroll Released

Carroll, a freelancer writing for The Christian Science Monitor, was released to the Islamic Party headquarters in Baghdad.

From The Jawa Report:

Jill Carroll had been held hostage for nearly three months by a terrorist organization calling itself 'The Revenge Brigades'. The group killed her translator, but Carroll's driver escapted. The group had demanded the release of all female Iraqi prisoners or they would execute Carroll, but let several deadlines pass & it was never clear just how serious the threats were.

Contrary to media reports, a group calling itself 'The Revenge Brigades' had been involved in kidnappings prior to Jill Carroll. A group with the same name held an Iraqi born Christian named Minas Ibrahim al-Yusufi, who had Swedish citizenship, hostage for some months. The group initially threatened to behead him, released a hostage video, and then, like Jill Carroll, he was released unharmed. At the time, rumor was that a ransom had been paid.

Cynthia McKinney: Why She Punched That Pesky Cop

Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) allegedly assaulted an officer of the law earlier today, when he failed to recognize her as she rushed past a metal detector. While members of Congress are not required to go through the Capitol metal detectors, they are supposed to present their credentials. McKinney was in too big a hurry to be bothered complying with one of the people who help ensure her safety. According to witnesses, she hit him in the chest with her cell phone.

Here's McKinney's statement from her website:

(Washington, DC) - To the Members of the Capitol Hill Police:

Earlier today I had an unfortunate confrontation with a Capitol Hill Police Officer. It is traditional protocol that Capitol Hill Police Officers secure 535 Members of Congress, including 100 Senators. It is the expectation of most Members of Congress that Capitol Hill Police officers know who they are. I was urgently trying to get to an important meeting on time to fulfill my obligations to my constituents. Unfortunately, the Police Officer did not recognize me as a Member of Congress and a confrontation ensued. I did not have on my Congressional pin but showed the Police Officer my Congressional ID.

I know that Capitol Hill Police are securing our safety, that of
thousands of others, and I appreciate the work that they do. I deeply regret that the incident occurred. I have demonstrated my support for them in the past and I continue to support them now.

Well, the kids in America have been learning all week that crime pays for selected illegal immigrants. They might as well learn that it's acceptable to assault police, too, but only if you're in a hurry, of course.

The Drudge Report is reporting that the incident is on tape and that the Capitol Police plan to arrest McKinney as soon as Congress adjourns. They would be doing the country a service if they didn't wait.

Also posted at The Jawa Report and Vince Aut Morire.

Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi to Personally Liquidate Osama

From the Associated Press:

WASHINGTON - Congressional Democrats promise to "eliminate" Osama bin Laden and ensure a "responsible redeployment of U.S. forces" from Iraq in 2006 in an election-year national security policy statement.

Please pardon my skepticism, but this comes from a political party that represents those who pretty much agree with Osama bin Laden.

Also posted at The Jawa Report and Vince Aut Morire.

US Commanders: Shi'ites Staged 'Massacre'

From Reuters:

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. commanders in Iraq on Monday accused powerful Shi'ite groups of moving the corpses of gunmen killed in battle to encourage accusations that U.S.-led troops massacred unarmed worshippers in a mosque.

"After the fact, someone went in and made the scene look different from what it was. There's been huge misinformation," Lieutenant General Peter Chiarelli, the second-ranking U.S. commander in Iraq, said.

He rejected the accusations of a massacre that prompted the Shi'ite-led government to demand U.S. forces cede control of security but declined to spell out which group he believed moved the bodies.

My money is on unevolved lizard Muqtada al Sadr and his "Mahdi Army" thugs.

Has Chicago Tribune Reporter Gone Native?

Expatriates sometimes come to feel more in common with the people they interact with every day, while losing touch with their own fellow citizens. This tendency is only exacerbated when the expat is working in the home region of his ancestors.

Aamer Madhani is a US citizen who has been writing for the Chicago Tribune for several years. Today the Tribune published a story by Madhani that not only contradicts an official CentCom press release, but puts the credibility of the US military on an equal footing with the radical Shiite Mahdi Army militia of renegade cleric Muqtada al Sadr. The Chicago reporter also credited his Iraqi translator with contributing to the story.

Even the headline, "Deadly mosque raid in Iraq enrages Shiites", for the story signals the Tribune's reluctance to believe their own military, in effect, siding with the deadly Mahdi Army militia's version of events. This despite the fact that the final line of the CentCom press release reads, "No mosques were entered or damaged during this operation." This assertion is supported by the fact that US and Iraqi troops were fired on from the buildings and discovered dozens of assault rifles, heavy machine guns, and rocket-propelled grenades. They also rescued a hostage who had been beaten for twelve hours prior to the raid. This was not mentioned in the Tribune article.

The anti-American bias in this story is so obvious, that Dr. Rusty Shackleford of The Jawa Report uses it as an example of Blood Libel against US troops.

Deliberately slanting stories to damage the paper's perceived political enemies is bad enough. Deliberately slanting stories in a way that will endanger US troops and almost certainly cause casualties is unacceptable. It's time for the Chicago Tribune to recall Aamer Madhani, and review their editorial policies.

Sean Penn Has Ann Coulter Voodoo Doll

From Contact Music, via the Drudge Report:

Hollywood activist SEAN PENN has a plastic doll of conservative US columnist ANN COULTER that he likes to abuse when angry. The Oscar-winner actor has hated Coulter ever since she blacklisted his director father LEO PENN in her book TREASON. And he takes out his frustrations with Coulter, who is a best-selling author, lawyer and television pundit, on the Barble-like doll. In an interview with The New Yorker magazine, Penn reveals, "We violate her. There are cigarette burns in some funny places. She's a pure snake-oil salesman. She doesn't believe a word she says."

Pinkie the Sensuous Sailor, special Hollywood correspondent to The Dread Pundit Bluto, has learned that the "torture doll" is actually a specially modified full-size Corinthian leather "Courtney Love 3-Input Receptacle" model, which Penn uses for other purposes besides the symbolic abuse...


Also posted at The Jawa Report.

Interpol Warns of AQ Biowarfare

From the Khaleej times:

SINGAPORE - Interpol said the Al Qaeda terrorist group is preparing to engage in biological warfare in urging countries to enact legislation allowing police to investigate scientific activity that can result in the manufacture of a bio-terrorist weapon.

Ronald Noble, secretary-general of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), told a conference in Singapore that captured terrorist suspects have admitted that their groups are plotting potential biological attacks.

There is enough evidence to show that Al Qaeda is preparing to engage in biological warfare, Noble said.

In a related note, there is absolutely no chance that bioweapons could be smuggled into the US through the open border with Mexico, because only prosperity and ambitious people willing to do the jobs that Americans won't enter there.

Via Rusty Shackleford at The Jawa Report and Jeff Goldstein of protein wisdom, who takes this excuse for today's (perhaps the month's) best slap at fake libertarians:

Me, I’m astounded there isn’t some large coalition plan in place for civilized countries to react to attacks of this sort in a predetermined and orchestrated way—with the first line of defense, of course, being that we do everything we need to do to prevent them before they happen.

Well, short of listening in on phone calls, I mean. Because that’s for pansy-ass bedwetters who FEAR FREEDOM’S AWESOME BURDENS!

Senate Judiciary Committee Sells Country Down the River

Republicans and Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee decided today to forego the rule of law in this country, at least as it applies to immigration laws. They voted to decriminalize illegal aliens and those who aid and abet them.

From MSNBC:

WASHINGTON - The Senate Judiciary Committee approved election-year immigration legislation Monday that clears the way for millions of undocumented workers to seek U.S. citizenship without having to first leave the country.

After days of street demonstrations that stretched from California to the grounds of the U.S. Capitol, the committee also voted to strip out proposed criminal penalties for residents found to be in this country illegally.

Presumably, the Republicans are motivated by the prospect of dirt-cheap labor, while the Democrats hope to harvest votes from the illegal immigrant "community".

The question now is why the Senate Judiciary Committee thinks that reformed immigration laws will be obeyed, since they've just demonstrated that disobeying the law carries no penalties and offers enormous benefits for the criminal.

Meanwhile, the tens of thousands of people who are waiting to legally immigrate have just been slapped in the face.

Also posted at The Jawa Report.

President Wrong on Immigration Issue

From Reuters:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush, warned the U.S. Congress against fearmongering on Monday as the Senate tackled immigration reform, an issue that has split his Republican party and spurred huge protests.

"No one should play on people's fears or try to pit neighbors against each other," he said. "No one should pretend that immigrants are a threat to American identity, because Americans have shaped America's identity."

The estimated 12 million illegals represent an unacceptable drain on America's social services, and a biological hazard in the spread of diseases like tuberculosis, polio, and all forms of hepatitis. Illegals using emergency rooms as primary care facilities have forced the closing of overwhelmed ERs.

The only fearmongering going on was accomplished over the weekend when a coalition of socialist and anarchist organizers succeeded in getting hundreds of thousands of illegals to thumb their noses at US law by taking to the streets.

Now Moussaoui Says He and Shoe-Bomber Were Supposed to Hit White House

From Reuters:

ALEXANDRIA, Virginia (Reuters) - Zacarias Moussaoui said on Monday he was supposed to fly a fifth airplane into the White House as part of the September 11 plot and he knew that two planes were to fly into the World Trade Center in New York.

Taking the stand at his death penalty trial, Moussaoui -- the only person charged in the United States in connection with the September 11 attacks -- said "shoebomber" Richard Reid was to join him as part of the crew in the suicide mission.

American Legion Wants to Stop Flow of Tax Dollars to ACLU

Though most Americans are unaware of it, the American Civil Liberties Union has taken millions of dollars from the American taxpayers to cover attorneys' fees for suing the taxpayers. This is based on a Federal law that requires a plaintiff's attorneys' fees to be paid by the government if a court finds that the plaintiff's civil rights have been violated. The law has become a gravy train for the rapacious solicitors who make the ACLU their career.

Now, the American Legion is supporting a reform measure by Representative John Hostettler (R-IN), which would close this loophole and take the ACLU off the public dole, thus discouraging frivolous suits intended only to generate income for ACLU lawyers.

From BP News:

WASHINGTON (BP)--Indiana’s John Hostettler is trying for the fifth consecutive Congress to prevent the American Civil Liberties Union from receiving government funds when it succeeds at legal challenges to public expressions of religion.

The American Legion released a 40-page document Feb. 28 urging its members to work for passage of Hostettler’s bill. The publication, "In the Footsteps of the Founders," provides a blueprint for building local support for the legislation in an effort to urge members of Congress to approve it. The document has been sent to all of the nearly 15,000 American Legion posts, and the organization’s national commander, Tom Bock, has urged members in a written release to “educate and activate” their communities.

Via Stop the ACLU, where Jay has posted a petition you can sign to support the reform legislation.

Also posted at The Jawa Report.

Tensions Deepen Within Iran

From the Washington Post, indications that the mullahs have gone too far:

TEHRAN -- Nine months after the election of hard-liner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as president, Iranian politics has shifted so sharply to the right that some traditional conservatives are warning of the dangers of radicalism.

With reformists sidelined and Ahmadinejad setting a strident new tone on the global stage, figures from the extreme right of Iran's political spectrum are defining the terms of political debate in the country. In remarks that set off a domestic firestorm, a senior cleric close to the new president suggested in January that Iranian voters were largely irrelevant because the government requires only the approval of God.

These people are absolutely correct to be concerned with the direction Iran has taken, but are Ahmadinejad and the mullahs too far around the bend to listen?

Now is the time to make the Iranian people understand clearly what their leaders are monkeying with, and perhaps to make Russia and Red China question the wisdom of sucking up to the current regime.

Also posted at The Jawa Report.

Gall

Half a million marched in Los Angeles, demanding, in effect, the end of the rule of law in the United States, at least as it applies to illegally entering the country. From the Associated Press via The Drudge Report:

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Thousands of immigration advocates marched through downtown Los Angeles in one of the largest demonstrations for any cause in recent U.S. history.

More than 500,000 protesters - demanding that Congress abandon attempts to make illegal immigration a felony and to build more walls along the border - surprised police who estimated the crowd size using aerial photographs and other techniques, police Cmdr. Louis Gray Jr. said.

Wearing white T-shirts to symbolize peace, the demonstrators chanted "Mexico!" "USA!" and "Si se puede," an old Mexican-American civil rights shout that means "Yes, we can."

Violating this country's laws by entering illegally, seeking covert employment from criminal US citizens, evading taxes while consuming the services those taxes are meant to provide...then brazenly marching en masse in cities all over the country you have victimized, shouting slogans in a foreign language, with the purpose of subverting its political process takes...gall.

I fault the Federal government for not having the Immigration and Naturalization Service aggressively checking citizenship at all of these insurrections. Each and every one of the estimated 11.5 million illegal aliens within our borders represents a failure of the government to enforce the laws of the nation.

Also posted at The Jawa Report.

Abdul Rahman to be Released

The case against Abdul Rahman, the Afghan who faced death under sharia law for leaving Islam, has been dismissed. From ABC News [emphasis added]:

KABUL, Afghanistan Mar 26, 2006 (AP)— An Afghan court on Sunday dismissed a case against a man who converted from Islam to Christianity because of a lack of evidence, and he will be released soon, an official said.

"The court dismissed today the case against Abdul Rahman for a lack of information and a lot of legal gaps in the case," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the matter.

He said the case has been returned to the prosecutors for more investigation, but that in the meantime Rahman would be released.

Afghanistan still has serious work to do in reconciling their constitution, which purportedly guarantees religious freedom, with the Islamic sharia law upon which it was based.

Via Stop the ACLU.

Why I Call Them TERRORIST Insurgents

From the Juwait News Agency (KUNA):

Iraqi authorities warn of exploding candy distributed by gunmen in Baghdad

BAGHDAD, March 26 (KUNA) - Iraqi Ministry of State for National Security on Sunday warned of touching explosive-packed candy bars found on Baghdad streets.

The ministry said that unknown gunmen threw candy bars that contain explosive materials nearby schools and residential areas in Yarmouk Neighborhood.

It cautioned citizens against touching these candy bars, asserting that the first layer of which contained cocoa, while the second layer contained explosives.

So far, not one peep about this from anyone in the American mainstream media. Perhaps it's making its way through the legendary eleventy-seven layers of editors...

Via OpiniPundit.

NBC Producer Reamed at Rahman Rally

NBC correspondent Andrea Mitchell's producer was given some basic instruction in humanity by conservative commentator Cam Edwards Friday. Mitchell's producer showed up at a rally for Adbul Rahman, the Afghan facing death for leaving Islam, outside the Afghan embassy in Washington, D.C. The producer was apparently trying to incite anti-Bush quotes from the protesters.

At some point, Edwards gave him an earful that probably won't make the Nightly News, as mainstream media types are inordinately averse to broadcasting uncomplimentary opinions of themselves. Even richly deserved uncomplimentary opinions.

Age of Hooper (The) got video of the exchange, which you can access here. AoH(T) also has photos of the rally. Here's a sample of what Edwards had to say to Mitchell's producer:

If this turns into just another left versus right issue...rather than upholding the ideals of every human rights document from the Declaration of Independence to the UN declaration of international human rights...if we lose sight of that, and if you all [points at producer] turn it into a political issue pitting the conservatives against the President, or conservatives against liberals, then you will have failed to get the message out. [Applause]

Advantage, Cam Edwards.


Thanks to Oyster!

Also posted at The Jawa Report

Sunday Funny

From the Dry Bones Blog.

Darkhorse Marines Do What They Can (Updated)

From the not-exciting-enough-for-the-nightly-news file comes word that Marines from Company I, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment delivered a new top-of-the-line pediatric wheelchair to a little girl in Al Hasa, Iraq.
The Marines became aware of the girl in January, when they saw her while on patrol.

The story is reported by Cpl. Mark Sixbey in the CENTCOM News:

“We knew we had to help out in some way,” said Staff Sgt. Charles Evers, a platoon commander for Company I. “We don’t have a miracle cure, but we can at least give her a new wheelchair.”

Guaranteeing this story's exclusion from the mainstream media is the fact that the little girl was injured in an auto accident, not by military action. Previous generations of journalists were eager to report stories like this. Now, there's just the occasional old schooler around.

Update: Commenter Gunny, currently serving in Iraq, made such a strong post in response to a churlish comment from another poster in the comments thread at The Jawa Report that it deserves to be part of the main post:

MiB,

"Why are they doing this when they should be going out, killing fascists/terrorists, and making sure there is law and order the streets?"

I can guarantee you that those Marines are going out multiple times a day and doing everything in their power "to locate, close with, and destroy the enemy through fire and maneuver and to repel the enemy's assault through fire and close combat" as that is the primary mission of the Marine rifle squad. I have been in the city of Ramadi for 11 months, I have conducted over 400 combat patrols, cordon and knock, targeted raids, and mechanized patrols and I have also found the time to feed the poor, deliver medical supplies and to help those who cannot help themselves. To do any less would be un-American and downright wrong! Don't penalize the Marine because he still has the heart to help a little girl who was injured. The Iraqi people are so poor they often eat their food off the floor and for the most part have no electricity or running water, and to say that no one cares is part of the reason that most people don't understand the nature of war. The individual Marine on the battlefield struggles everyday to retain his/her humanity in the face of horror and destruction. When was the last time you had to carry your buddies body parts back to a vehicle so that you could ensure he came home. We have 17 and 18-year-old men out here doing that everyday, and if they can find the heart in them to help a little girl than so be it, whats it to you? It is what separates us from the enemy. We have a moral compass to guide us and we have compassion for the small guy caught in the crossfire. Shame on you, Sir.

“A waste of time. No one in the Muslim world cares and no one here except Bush apologists who want to say that "We were only wanting to help the Iraqis!" cares, either.”

I am NOT a Bush apologists and I Care. I definitely do not lay awake at night wondering about the outcome of the Iraqi people. I do, however, still find a place in my heart to realize the plight of the individual right in front of me. When we do things like that, we are not trying to make a media statement, and we are not trying to humanize the war effort. No, Sir, usually, we are just trying to make a right a wrong, and to allow us to feel a little more human before we return to the killing of fascist/terrorist. If you can’t find it in yourself to care about an injured child then maybe someone should write a blog about that, because that is something that needs to be discussed.

This nation has become so polarized that there is no room for middle ground, compromises, or meeting people half way. It’s this kind of attitude, one in which people judge an action and then try to force it into a political left or right box, which has caused this war to become a disaster. The Marines are doing the best they can, they fight and die everyday and if that isn’t enough for you than I suggest you grab a rifle and come on over, other than that try poking your finger at the politicians who develop the “Executive Conflict Intent”. In lieu of those two decisions maybe opening your heart to the plight of the innocent and just sleeping comfortable knowing that the Marines are fighting terrorist over HERE and not in your back yard, can be justification enough for you. I never did think that an American would want justification for a hospitable act from a Marine in a war zone, would you rather have a war crime instead? What exactly do you want?

Posted by The Gunny at March 25, 2006 01:49 PM

Also posted at The Jawa Report and Vince Aut Morire.

Afghan Christian May Be Freed

Abdul Rahman, the Afghan who converted from Islam to Christianity and was threatened with death under sharia law for apostasy, may be released soon.

From Agence France Presse:

An Afghan Christian facing possible execution for converting from Islam was likely to be released from jail "soon," a senior government official said following huge Western pressure over the case.

"He is likely to be released soon," the official said, adding there would be a top-level meeting on the matter Saturday.

The sharia law against apostasy does not specify that a Muslim who converts only to Christianity must be punished. The "crime" is leaving Islam, regardless of what faith the apostate then embraces.

Also posted at The Jawa Report.

Rubbing Their Noses In It

The buccaneers of The Pirate Armada have boarded the fat and sluggish Leftie galleon Shakespeare's Sister at her post, "Bush Makes Me Sick". The Sis thinks that John Green's
shameful admission of liberal bias and Bush Derangement Syndrome is just fine, never mind the importance of a free Press, she'll take her bias in heavy doses.

If you'd like to join The Pirate Armada, travel to strange, exotic liberal ports o' call, and start swinging a clue cutlass, click on the icon to read The Pirates Code.

Olbermann: ABC Exec Memo a Rovian Plot

Newsbusters has links to video of MSNBC's Keith Olbermann claiming that the White House is responsible for "leaking" an email, posted on The Drudge Report yesterday, in which ABC executive John Green says that the President makes him "sick", and that he might "puke".

Olbermann offered no evidence for his charge that the email had been leaked by the Administration, and referred to Matt Drudge as "infamous" and "deplorable". Olbermann didn't explain why, if his unsupported supposition were true, it would be a bad thing for the White House to seek to publicize the email, which implies a diseased and grossly biased corporate culture at one of the companies charged with using America's airwaves in the public interest.

Also posted at The Jawa Report.

Congressman Pushes For States Rights

Alabama Congressman Robert Aderholt is sponsoring the Constitution Restoration Act, which is intended to return some power to the states that has been taken by the Federal judiciary:

WASHINGTON, DC -- Congressman Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville) announced today in Alabama that he has introduced "The Constitution Restoration Act" (H.R. 3799), a bill requiring the federal courts to operate within the jurisdiction given to them by the United States Constitution as it pertains to the public acknowledgment of God as the sovereign source of law, liberty, and government.

I foresee some sticky issues with Constitutional rights and duties colliding. For Aderholt's perspective, you can read this interview with the Congressman by Jay at Stop the ACLU.

Also posted at The Jawa Report and Vince Aut Morire.

South Park vs. Mission Impossible vs. the Catholic Church

First, Tom Cruise threatened not to promote his new Mission Impossible movie unless Comedy Central (which is owned by Viacom, a sister company to Paramount, which produced Mission Impossible III) agreed not to rerun a South Park episode mocking Scientology.

No wait, actually Catholics started boycotting South Park first because of an episode disrespectful to the Virgin Mary (just a boycott, mind you, no rioting or beheading of Lutherans).

Now, the fans of South Park are striking back by boycotting Mission Impossible III unless Viacom takes the South Park Scientology rerun off the blacklist and puts it back on its schedule.

Oh, I forgot, Isaac Hayes, who provides the voice for South Park character Chef, is also a Scientologist and has threatened to give the show the Shaft because he's just realized that it mocks religious beliefs. Duh, Isaac, you've been with South Park for how long now?

Meanwhile, South Park's creators have put together a new FrankenSouth Park by splicing together bits of dialogue that Hayes had recorded for previous shows.

Whatever the outcome of the Scientologist South Park boycott and the South Park fan Mission Impossible III boycott, the Catholics are still boycotting South Park. So there.

I call shenanigans. You bastards.


Also posted at The Jawa Report and Vince Aut Morire.

Errata or Erotica?

While checking my site stats, I noticed that a Latvian visited The Dread Pundit Bluto not long ago, referred by a search for the word "boner". I feel certain that there's a joke embedded somewhere in this mysterious incident, and that it has something to do with The Seinfeld Show.

Albany Terrorist Suspect's Calls to Syria Were Monitored

From the Albany Times-Union:

ALBANY, N.Y. - The spiritual leader of an Albany mosque repeatedly called a phone number in Syria that an FBI report indicates had been used to gather terrorist intelligence for Osama bin Laden, according to classified documents unsealed late Tuesday in U.S. District Court.
The FBI report, which was based on information from a confidential informant, was among several once-secret documents that federal authorities say raise questions about Yassin Aref's connections to terrorist organizations across the Middle East.
Aref, 35, a Kurdish refugee who moved to Albany with his family in 1999, is in jail without bond while awaiting trial on charges related to an FBI counterterrorism sting. He has denied any connections to terrorism.

The Albany area has been a hotbed of Muslim activism. Last month, The Dread Pundit Bluto revealed that the organization "Islamic Valley" had sponsored a visit by a Pakistani Muslim cleric who recently offered $1 million for the murder of Danish cartoonists responsible for the notorious Mohammed cartoons.

Also, The Jawa Report posted on a suspected terrorist training camp in the nearby Catskill Mountains.

ABC Producer's Bias Exposed By Drudge Report

This is from a Drudge Report exclusive. John Green is a top producer at ABC. This has become a pattern at ABC, part of a culture of gross bias that questions whether or not what ABC is producing can fairly be called "news".

This incident follows the resignation of ABC's CNN's Eason Jordan 399 days ago for inflammatory comments accusing US troops of "targeting" journalists, and, of course, the Dan Rather fake-but-accurate debacle at CBS.

It also follows the non-resignation of ABC's Mark Halperin, following the publication of the memo below, exposed by Powerline:

Halperin Memo Dated Friday October 8, 2004
It goes without saying that the stakes are getting very high for the country and the campaigns - and our responsibilities become quite grave

I do not want to set off and [sic] endless colloquy that none of us have time for today - nor do I want to stifle one. Please respond if you feel you can advance the discussion.

The New York Times (Nagourney/Stevenson) and Howard Fineman on the web both make the same point today: the current Bush attacks on Kerry involve distortions and taking things out of context in a way that goes beyond what Kerry has done.

Kerry distorts, takes out of context, and mistakes all the time, but these are not central to his efforts to win.

We have a responsibility to hold both sides accountable to the public interest, but that doesn't mean we reflexively and artificially hold both sides "equally" accountable when the facts don't warrant that.

I'm sure many of you have this week felt the stepped up Bush efforts to complain about our coverage. This is all part of their efforts to get away with as much as possible with the stepped up, renewed efforts to win the election by destroying Senator Kerry at least partly through distortions.

It's up to Kerry to defend himself, of course. But as one of the few news organizations with the skill and strength to help voters evaluate what the candidates are saying to serve the public interest. Now is the time for all of us to step up and do that right.

Pirate Armada Roundup

What are the Buccaneers of The Pirate Armada up to today?

Lady Jane of A Lady's Ruminations is participating in the Stop the ACLU blogburst rebutting the ACLU's claim that abstinence is harmful...and the blogburst is also in the Random Thoughts of Yet Another Military Member...


The White Trash Republican is not pleased about "the USDA's latest scheme to 'safeguard our food supply'"...

The Filthy Report carries the story of two boys, kidnapped to be used as suicide bombers, who escaped...

beth at Blue Star Chronicles aims her withering sarcasm at the mainstream media's relentless defeatism...

Selfless as always, Tiberius Gracchus from Dumbshit of the Week points to a great interview on a friend's blog...

The Cook Shack Gab & Grub proprietor Cookie runs into bureaucracy at the VA. Imagine that...

High Desert Wanderer explains why just teaching the software isn't enough...

Lemuel Calhoon at Hillbilly White Trash is up in arms over the shocking ingratitude exhibited by the Christian Peacemaker Teams (along with about half the blogosphere)...as is OpiniPundit...

Marvin's Word today is "huh?" - why is it that your home is your castle until a developer wants to make a buck tearing it down...

Dan is a bit grumpy today at MoveOnandShutUp...

Neocon Express looks at the uncompromising nature of sharia law regarding apostasy...as does Admiral Misha of The Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler who fisks an "al-Roto-Reuters" account in his own savage and inimitable style...

El Presidente at Slapstick Politics shares his pick for Colorado State Senator...

Gray Lady Blows it Again

The eleventy-seven layers of editors at the New York Times have screwed the pooch once more (previous outrageous boner here).

From Editor & Publisher [emphasis added]:

NEW YORK For the second time in less than a week, The New York Times today admitted to a serious error in a story. On Saturday it said it had misidentified a man featured in the iconic "hooded inmate" photograph from Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. Today it discloses that a woman it profiled on March 8 is not, in fact, a victim of Hurricane Katrina--and was arrested for fraud and grand larceny yesterday.

As it did in the Abu Ghraib mistake, the Times ran an editors' note on page 2 of its front section, along with a lengthy news article (this time on the front page of Section B). Again mirroring the Abu Ghraib episode, the newspaper revealed a surprising and inexplicable lapse in fact-checking on the part of a reporter and/or editor.

It's neither surprising nor inexplicable, it's simply one of the pitfalls of creating and slanting stories for the purpose of damaging the Bush administration.

Also posted at The Jawa Report and Vince Aut Morire.

CPT: Ingrates and Dangerous Fools

This press release from the Christian Peacemaker Teams regarding the recent rescue of three of their members from months of captivity following their kidnapping in Iraq says that hostages were "released". There is not one word of gratitude to the Multi-National force soldiers, in fact, they go out of their way to bite the hands of their rescuers:

They knew that their only protection was in the power of the love of God and of their Iraqi and international co-workers. We believe that the illegal occupation of Iraq by Multinational Forces is the root cause of the insecurity which led to this kidnapping and so much pain and suffering in Iraq. The occupation must end.

Snakes and weasels, without the wit to thank God for the brave men who put their lives at risk so that these "peacemakers" can indulge their folly.

Via Stop the ACLU.

Others noting this utter stupidity:
Michelle Malkin
The Jawa Report
Sister Toldjah
Clarity & Resolve
Gina Cobb
Murdoc Online
Paxalles
Martin's Musings
Demonrats
Point Five
Publius Rendezvous
Beltway Blitz
Soldier's Angels Germany
a blog for all
OpiniPundit
The A-Team Blog

Christian Peacemaker Team Hostages Rescued

From MSNBC:

BAGHDAD, Iraq - U.S. and British troops Thursday freed three Christian peace activists in rural Iraq without firing a shot, ending a four-month hostage drama in which an American among the group was shot to death and dumped on a Baghdad street.

The men were found based on information from a captured terrorist insurgent.

“We remember with tears Tom Fox,” group co-director Doug Pritchard said. “We had longed for the day when all four men would be released together. Our gladness today is bittersweet by the fact that Tom is not alive to join his colleagues in the celebration.”

Fox's death served no purpose other than to emphasize that the Universe often punishes stupidity as a capital crime. The really good news is that the rescue was effected without resistance, so soldiers weren't put at further risk by the this foolish group's irresponsible behavior.

Reid Threatens Filibuster to Get Amnesty For Illegals

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-MX) wants his party's 11 million votes. That's the number of illegal immigrants estimated to be in the US. Reid has threatened to filibuster a Senate bill to overhaul immigration if Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist goes ahead with a version that doesn't guarantee a "path to citizenship" for the aliens currently evading the INS.

From the Associated Press:

"If Leader Frist brings a bill to the floor that does not have the approval of the Judiciary Committee, it will not get out of the Senate," Reid told reporters at the San Ysidro border crossing, a few steps from Tijuana, Mexico.

I'm not sure why Harry has flown into such a snit. If the Dems can't legalize the illegals to use for voting purposes they could always come up with the votes the old school Donkey way; raiding graveyards.

Also posted at The Jawa Report and Vince Aut Morire.

AP's Jennifer Loven: Living in a Glass House

Today, Editor & Publisher examines whether Associated Press writer Jennifer Loven was biased in a recent piece, which criticized President Bush of using "straw man" arguments by failing to identify critics in his speeches:

When the president starts a sentence with "some say" or offers up what "some in Washington" believe, as he is doing more often these days, a rhetorical retort almost assuredly follows.

Editor & Publisher examines the controversy that erupted because this obvious attack article was carried as a news story, rather than an opinion piece.

The Dread Pundit Bluto however, would like to know if Ms. Loven practices what she preaches. Sadly, she does not. Jennifer Loven regularly uses the anonymous "some" device to add ersatz authority to points she wishes to emphasize.

I've added emphasis to the following excerpts from Loven's back pages, obtained during a less than exhaustive perusal of her recent work:

From Brocktown News:

Despite the weeks of reprisal killings that have some saying Iraq is at the brink of civil war...

From The Kindred Times:

...and from some conservative Republicans as an overly costly expansion of government.

From Ely Times & County:

Critics take issue with the president‘s insistence...

And, for good measure, let's throw in an anonymous source:

From Forbes:

...said a senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the diplomatic situation.

I find a reporter padding her news stories with unidentified and possibly imaginary corroboration much more disturbing and insidious than I do a politician failing to identify critics while making a speech.

Brit Terrorist Tried to Buy Dirty Bomb

From Sky News:

One of the suspected terrorists on trial for allegedly plotting a nationwide bombing campaign has been linked to a nuclear weapon.

An Old Bailey jury was told Salahuddin Amin had been involved in discussions to buy an atomic bomb.

The prosecution said contact had been made with the Russian mafia in Belgium to buy the radio-isotope device.

Seven men - all British citizens - are on trial accused of conspiring to cause explosion.

The prosecution claims the gang planned to blow up pubs, nightclubs, trains and also considered hitting the UK's power infrastructure.

Via The Jawa Report.

Convert Faces Martyrdom in Afghanistan

Jay at Stop the ACLU reports that time is running out for Abdur Rahman, an Afghan being persecuted for converting from Islam to Christianity. Apostasy is a capital crime under sharia law, upon which the Afghan constitution is based. The US is trying to intercede quietly on Rahman's behalf. Italy has threatened to withdraw her troops over the issue.

This is a story that has flown under the MSM radar, but bloggers are trying to keep it alive to save Rahman's life:

Michelle Malkin, Hyscience, The Political Pit Bull, A Lady's Ruminations, The Cookshack - Gab & Grub.

Presumption of Guilt

Glenn Greenwald has joined the slavering ranks of Feingold's Censure Army. Writing today in Unclaimed Territory, and cross-posted at the disgraced Huffington Post, Greenwald, whose masthead claims he is a lawyer, argues for censuring President Bush over NSA surveillance - without the bother of an investigation:

Therefore, while an investigation into Issue 2 is imperative, all of the facts relevant to the question of whether the President broke the law (the only issue raised by the Feingold Resolution) are already known, and for that reason it is illogical to claim that an investigation is needed before that question can be answered.

For Greenwald, an investigation is an afterthought; just an opportunity to root around to see if more nefarious "crimes" have been committed. Is it any wonder that so many on the Left refuse to acknowledge that Iraq is better off without Saddam? They share both Saddam's blind hatred of the President and Saddam's values: punish first, ask questions later, if ever.

For someone who says he spent ten years as a litigator to advocate trial by acclamation is a testament to just how far unhinged, and how irresponsible, the American Left has become.

Also posted at Stop the ACLU.

How Much Would the Dems Sacrifice to Regain Power?

Democratic party apparatchiks and their co-conspirators in the mainstream media seem to have placed their hopes for the midterm elections on the perception of American defeat in Iraq. With the economy humming, the Dubai Ports World deal a fading memory, and television viewers nationwide suffering from Katrina fatigue syndrome, the Democratic Party is left to focus on the Global War on Terror, and to downplay the progress made since 9/11.

Thus, we get the recent relentless drumbeat of negative network reporting from hotel balconies all over the Baghdad Green Zone, with the barely concealed hope that civil war will break out soon.

But how much damage is the Left willing to inflict on the United States in order to start winning elections?

In an unsigned editorial, the Wall Street Journal's OpinionJournal lays out the consequences of a self-fulfilling prophecy causing us to cut and run from Iraq:

We could go on, but our point is that far more is at stake in Iraq than President Bush's approval rating or the influence of this or that foreign-policy faction. U.S. credibility and safety are at risk in the most direct way imaginable, far more than they were in Vietnam. In that fight, we could establish a new anti-Communist perimeter elsewhere in Southeast Asia. The poison of radical Islam will spread far and wide across borders if it can make even a plausible claim to being on the ascendancy, and nothing would show that more than the retreat of America from Iraq.

Also posted at The Jawa Report and Vince Aut Morire.

CBS Cameraman Faces Trial for Abetting Terrorist Insurgency

Abdul Ameer Younis Hussein, an Iraqi employed by CBS News, will go on trial next month. From the Associated Press:

Hussein was taken into custody after being wounded by American forces as he videotaped clashes in Mosul in northern Iraq in April 2005. Doyle said he received an e-mail from the U.S. task force at Abu Ghraib saying Hussein "appeared to be instigating a crowd" in Mosul.

At the time of Hussein's arrest, CBS News reported that the U.S. military said the tape in the journalist's camera led them to suspect he had prior knowledge of attacks on American troops, Doyle said. But more details from the military have been hard to come by, the bureau chief said.

"We've been trying for a year to get information," Doyle said.

CBS spokeswoman Sandy Genelius said Hussein has been held in Abu Ghraib prison just outside Baghdad and faces life in prison if convicted.

US Soldiers Rescue Kidnap Victim

From a CENTCOM press release:

CITIZEN'S TIP HELPS MND-B SOLDIERS FOIL KIDNAP ATTEMPT

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Responding to a tip from an Iraqi citizen, a patrol from Multi-National Division – Baghdad’s 3rd Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, foiled a kidnapping attempt at approximately 2 p.m. March 19 in the New Baghdad district of Baghdad.
Soldiers received a tip from an Iraqi citizen that armed men were driving around in a black car. The patrol located and pulled over the vehicle.

During a search of the car, the Soldiers noticed pounding and screaming coming from the rear of the vehicle. Upon opening the trunk, Soldiers discovered an Iraqi man who said he had been kidnapped.

The Soldiers detained the driver of the vehicle.

In other news from Iraq:

IA, CF DETAIN TERRORISTS, FIND CACHES

FOB KALSU, Iraq – Iraqi Army and Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers killed one terrorist, detained 11 suspected terrorists and confiscated a weapons cache March 22 south of Latfiyah.

And in still other news:

SOLDIERS DETAIN 46 SUSPECTED INSURGENTS

KIRKUK, Iraq – Bastogne Soldiers from two battalions of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, detained 46 suspected insurgents during numerous cordon and search missions with Iraqi security forces in Kirkuk and Hawijah, Iraq, within the last week.

With engagements occurring almost on a daily basis, Bastogne Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, have killed two terrorists, wounded one, and detained 25 suspects during this seven day period.

“The combination of aerial and ground patrols is paying huge dividends,” stated Captain Tim Meadors, an operations officer from the 1st Battalion.

50 Terrorist Insurgents Captured

US and Iraqi forces foiled a terrorist attack on a police station today very similar to one yesterday in which 30 captured terrorists were freed. From the Associated Press:

U.S. and Iraqi forces trapped dozens of insurgents Wednesday during a two-hour gunbattle at a police station south of Baghdad, a day after 100 masked gunmen stormed a jail near the Iranian border and freed more than 30 prisoners, most of them fellow insurgents.

Sixty gunmen, firing rocket-propelled grenades and automatic rifles, attacked the Madain police station before dawn, police Lt. Col. Falah al-Mohammadawi said. U.S. troops and a special Iraqi police unit responded, capturing 50 of the insurgents, including a Syrian, al- Mohammadawi said.

Four policemen, including one commander, were killed and five were wounded, he said. None of the attackers was killed.

Petition to Censure Jimmy Carter

I received a press release tonight from Move America Forward announcing their efforts to have Congress formally censure former President Jimmy Carter, who been behaving rather...erratically...of late. In fact, at times it seems that Carter doesn't realize that he's no longer an elected official, and has taken it upon himself to negotiate with foreign governments and campaign against UN resolutions that would serve America's interests.

Move America Forward has set up a website to gather petitions for a Congressional censure:

Since leaving office, President Jimmy Carter has repeatedly sought to undermine U.S. foreign policy, criticized the missions of the men and women of the United States Armed Forces, as well as embracing known terrorists and terrorist organizations. Most recently, President Carter pressured the international community to provide funding for the terrorist organization Hamas.

They claim to have collected over 5,000 signatures within hours of activating the site.

Also posted at The Jawa Report and Vince Aut Morire.

Hitchens on Iraqi 'Civil War'

Earlier today (12:44 AM) I wrote about the mainstream media's failure to identify the most obvious suspects in the al-Askiriya shrine bombing and other provocations intended to foment civl war in Iraq, and the irony of having them identified in the Western-hostile outlet al-Jazeera.

Today, writing in the Wall Street Journal's OpinionJournal, Christopher Hitchens acknowledges the group that has the most to gain from sectarian strife:

Knowing that their own position was a tenuous one (a fact fully admitted by Zarqawi in his report) the cadres of "al Qaeda in Mesopotamia" understood that their main chance was the deliberate stoking of a civil war. And, now that this threat has become more imminent and menacing, it is somehow blamed on the Bush administration. "Civil war" has replaced "the insurgency" as the proof that the war is "unwinnable." But in plain truth, the "civil war" is and always was the chief tactic of the "insurgency."

I accused the Western Press only of a lack of curiosity. Hitchens implies a purposeful bias.

Via The Jawa Report.

Harvard and David Duke: It's the Jews' Fault

From The New York Sun:

"The combination of unwavering U.S. support for Israel and the related effort to spread democracy throughout the region has inflamed Arab and Islamic opinion and jeopardized U.S. security. ... Why has the United States been willing to set aside its own security in order to advance the interests of another state?... The explanation lies in the unmatched power of the Israel Lobby. Were it not for the Lobby's ability to manipulate the American political system, the relationship between Israel and the United States would be far less intimate than it is today....

No, these aren't the ravings of insane Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. This comes from two professors at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.

The paper, by Stephen M. Walt and John Mearsheimer, is posted on the internet (available here, via Vital Perspective), and has attracted the enthusiastic support of former KKK leader David Duke, who is pleased to have such an esteemed institution as Harvard endorse his racist viewpoints:

"It is quite satisfying to see a body in the premier American University essentially come out and validate every major point I have been making since even before the war even started."

Via Neocon Express.

Also posted at The Jawa Report and Vince Aut Morire.

Revolution in Belarus?

Publius Pundit is liveblogging events in the former Soviet Socialist Republic. Could this be a repeat of the Orange Revolution in the Ukraine?

From Publius:

The protestors made it through the morning and the day. Ivan Lenin translates some LiveJournal users that say that, in the early hours before the break of dawn, the mood is good and the police will have to end their barricade when the city awakens. It is just past 6:30 p.m. now, which means the rally should already be under way. Meanwhile, the European Parliament itself has declared the elections undemocratic and has demanded a repeat election. Stay tuned for more updates immediately.

A Letter From Tal Afar

Somehow, even after President Bush cited Tal Afar in his Cleveland speech yesterday, the mainstream media hasn't mentioned this letter to the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment from the mayor of Tal Afar.

From: Mayor of Tall ‘Afar, Ninewa, Iraq

In the Name of God the Compassionate and Merciful

To the Courageous Men and Women of the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment, who have changed the city of Tall’ Afar from a ghost town, in which terrorists spread death and destruction, to a secure city flourishing with life.

To the lion-hearts who liberated our city from the grasp of terrorists who were beheading men, women and children in the streets for many months.

To those who spread smiles on the faces of our children, and gave us restored hope, through their personal sacrifice and brave fighting, and gave new life to the city after hopelessness darkened our days, and stole our confidence in our ability to reestablish our city.

Our city was the main base of operations for Abu Mousab Al Zarqawi. The city was completely held hostage in the hands of his henchmen. Our schools, governmental services, businesses and offices were closed. Our streets were silent, and no one dared to walk them. Our people were barricaded in their homes out of fear; death awaited them around every corner. Terrorists occupied and controlled the only hospital in the city. Their savagery reached such a level that they stuffed the corpsesof children with explosives and tossed them into the streets in order to kill grieving parents attempting to retrieve the bodies of their young. This was the situation of our city until God prepared and delivered unto them the courageous soldiers of the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment, who liberated this city, ridding it of Zarqawi’s followers after harsh fighting, killing many terrorists, and forcing the remaining butchers to flee the city like rats to the surrounding areas, where the bravery of other 3d ACR soldiers in Sinjar, Rabiah, Zuma and Avgani finally destroyed them.

I have met many soldiers of the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment; they are not only courageous men and women, but avenging angels sent by The God Himself to fight the evil of terrorism.

The leaders of this Regiment; COL McMaster, COL Armstrong, LTC Hickey, LTC Gibson, and LTC Reilly embody courage, strength, vision and wisdom.

Officers and soldiers alike bristle with the confidence and character of knights in a bygone era. The mission they have accomplished, by means of a unique military operation, stands among the finest military feats to date in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and truly deserves to be studied in military science. This military operation was clean, with little collateral damage, despite the ferocity of the enemy. With the skill and precision of surgeons they dealt with the terrorist cancers in the city without causing unnecessary damage.

God bless this brave Regiment; God bless the families who dedicated these brave men and women. From the bottom of our hearts we thank the families. They have given us something we will never forget. To the families of those who have given their holy blood for our land, we all bow to you in reverence and to the souls of your loved ones. Their sacrifice was not in vain. They are not dead, but alive, and their souls hovering around us every second of every minute. They will never be forgotten for giving their precious lives. They have sacrificed that which is most valuable. We see them in the smile of every child, and inevery flower growing in this land. Let America, their families, and the world be proud of their sacrifice for humanity and life.

Finally, no matter how much I write or speak about this brave Regiment, I haven’t the words to describe the courage of its officers and soldiers. I pray to God to grant happiness and health to these legendary heroes and their brave families.

NAJIM ABDULLAH ABID
AL-JIBOURI
Mayor of Tall ‘Afar,
Ninewa, Iraq

The Mudville Gazette authenticates the letter here. I first posted this letter on February 15, 2006. Certainly, that should be enough time for the letter to have worked its way through the eleventy-seven layers of editors in the mainstream press.

Al-Jazeera Publishes the Obvious While MSM Ignores It

The American mainstream media have been queerly incurious about the al-Askiriya shrine bombing in February that touched off sectarian violence in Iraq. Meanwhile, American writer Sandy Shanks had this to say in al-Jazeera:

About the last thing Americans wanted, and their leadership, was for sectarian violence to blow the lid off Iraq. The same could be said for Shias and Sunni, most of whom wish only to rid themselves of the Western occupiers.

The same cannot be said for al-Qaida. It wants only turmoil and a civil war in Iraq would fit in with the group's grand scheme, embarrassing the US to the utmost. Moreover, this attack looks like an al-Qaida operation - well planned and executed brilliantly against an iconic target.

No kidding. I'd add that mortar attacks on Sunnis, followed soon after by mortar attacks on Shi'ites, should have gotten some of the reporters sitting in the Green Zone thinking, if not actually seeking the story. Ralph Peters of the New York Post seems to be the only reporter willing to leave the hotel.

Also posted at The Jawa Report and Vince Aut Morire.

Pirate Armada Roundup

Who are the Buccaneers of The Pirate Armada wielding their cutlasses on today?

Cookie from The Cook Shack Gab & Grub offers up opinion about Muslim apostasy and its punishment, plus a deep-fried turkey recipe...

In the Random Thoughts of Yet Another Military Member we find contempt for the latest "military expert" from Hollywood...

Lady Jane of A Lady's Ruminations launches a blogburst against amnesty for illegal immigrants...

ZiPpo at Actual Miles compares British levee technology to our own...

beth from Blue Star Chronicles notes historic Nazi gun control attitudes...

Dumbshit of the Week quotes Moammar Ghadafi...

Hujonwi reports that Somali pirates are now claiming to be militiamen...

The White Trash Republican has his own kind words for The Armada...

Marvin's Word is that executing apostates makes Islam a death cult...

Tiberius Gracchus at MoveOnandShutUp wonders just what the hell Sharon Stone is trying to say...

The OpiniPundit scolds the Fwench...

Jay of Stop the ACLU notes ACLU support for child sex offenders rights...

The Filthy Report wonders who listens to Ted Kennedy anyway...

Admiral Misha of The Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler praises a Pope's Pope for having some stones...

Saddam's Iraq: The Osama Connection

From Newsmax:

An Iraqi intelligence document released last week indicates that Osama bin Laden sought to conduct "joint operations" with Saddam Hussein's regime six years before the 9/11 attacks - and was given the green light by the Iraqi dictator.

This comes as a surprise only to moonbats.

Via The Jawa Report.

Where Do Democrats Stand?

From The American Spectator:

Sen. Harry Reid told reporters last week that it might be true that American voters don't know where Democrats stand, but that they will know by November.

That may be a little too late for undecided voters, which is why both House and Senate Democrats on the Democrat Congressional Campaign Committee and the Democrat Senatorial Campaign Committee keep insisting that they have a positive message.

Unfortunately for the Democrats, in their efforts to differentiate themselves from the Republicans they have come to stand for isolationism, obstructionism, and, ultimately, surrender in the Global War on Terror.

General Washington squeaked by with enough folks of courage to outweigh the "sunshine patriots". The question facing American today is whether the supply of the strong is still ample to overcome the bleatings of the weak.

Related: AJ Strata notes that Democratic Congressmen are looking likely to be ensnared in the criminal probe into who leaked classified information about the NSA surveillance program to the Press.

Cindy Sheehan, The Movie

Infamous grief pimp and leftist dupe Cindy Sheehan will be portrayed by Susan Sarandon in a "biopic" about her struggle to establish herself in the spotlight. Rumor has it that Shamu has been offered the role of Michael Moore, and that Shamu has agreed to go on a high-fat diet to bulk up for the part.

As yet, Hollywood has announced no plans to honor the real heroes, the troops, with a movie. You may recall that the only "honor" Hollywood offered Gulf War vets was to have George Clooney portray them as cowardly thieves. Prior to that, Hollywood portrayed Vietnam vets as psychopaths in a series of forgettable flicks.

Federal Ban of Military Funeral Protests Proposed

Disgusted by the antics of the Westboro Baptist Church hate cult, US Representative Mike Rogers (R-MI) will introduce legislation that would prohibit protests an hour before or after a funeral and keep protesters at least five hundred feet away from family members of the deceased.

Rogers said his ban was crafted to thwart legal challenges and that the funeral protests cross the line:

“When you go to a funeral, it’s difficult enough to show up and pay your respects to someone who died for their country without getting jeered, taunted and harassed,” said Rogers, a Republican. “There’s a difference between free speech and hateful, harassing speech.”

Senator Evan Bayh (D-IN) has introduced a similar bill in the Senate.

The Westboro Baptist Church is a cult of about 100 members, most of whom are related to the cult's founder Fred Phelps. They have been protesting at the funerals of fallen soldiers, claiming that their deaths are divine retribution for acceptance of homosexuals.

Brother Fred gets pwned (read the t-shirts)

Via Stop the ACLU.

Also posted at The Jawa Report and Vince Aut Morire.

Veteran's voices - WaPo Gets One Right

Having grown accustomed to the steady diet of defeatist propaganda, designed to position the DNC for the mid-terms, I was not optimistic when I saw that the Washington Post had interviewed 100 Iraq War veterans and written an article about their experiences. Certainly, I thought, they'll cherrypick the quotes looking for the ones most easily taken out of context to damage America's interests.

This time they surprised me. Not only do the quotes seem to be honest remembrances without political context, but on page two there is this:

But it was not bad in the ways they see covered in the media -- the majority also agreed on this. What they experienced was more complex than the war they saw on television and in print. It was dangerous and confused, yes, but most of the vets also recalled enemies routed, buildings built and children befriended, against long odds in a poor and demoralized country. "We feel like we're doing something, and then we look at the news and you feel like you're getting bashed." "It seems to me the media had a predetermined script." The vibe of the coverage is just "so, so, so negative."

I've heard the exact same thing repeatedly from my friends and family members who have served in Iraq.

Also posted at The Jawa Report and Vince Aut Morire.

Best Line at a NASCAR Roast...

...by a bald, ex-NFL quarterback.

Terry Bradshaw: I've been told that DW [Darrell Waltrip] was the most intelligent driver in NASCAR. That's kind of like saying that Moe was the most sophisticated of the Stooges...

How Much is That Fighter in the Window?

The newly declassified captured Iraqi documents available for public inspection a the Foreign Military Studies Office
Joint Reserve Intelligence Center are a grab bag; many of them given without synopsis or explanation. Take this transcript of an audiotape, wherein Saddam gets a sales pitch for the French Mirage-4000 fighter/strike aircraft:

Sir, the Mirage- 4000 can be used for two duties, it is an excellent interception aircraft and it is also an excellent fit for Decentration purposes in deep ranges [TC: a term used to describe a kind of Bombing] and it is also a ground-attack aircraft with long range capability also it could be used for air defense purposes. As far as its maneuverability also an excellent aircraft, Because its engines gives this aircraft a percentage of 1:1 between its flying power and its weight, Sir, this means sir, 1 Kgm of its flying power is equal to 1 Kgm from its weight different from other aircrafts in which its flying power its relatively less than the weight of the aircraft, which means that ½ Kgm from its flying power is equal to 1Kgm from the weight of the aircraft and this will reduce the Speed of the aircraft and its maneuverability, there is also another point which is the size of this aircraft, which is considered to be an obstacle in the modern Electronic warfare but as far as its maneuverability and its specialized equipments for air defense, its considered to be an excellent aircraft.

This is presented for historical reasons only, not as an attempt to bash the French, as this conversation most likely took place in the 1980s, during the Iran-Iraq War (1980-88). God knows there are plenty of reasons to bash the French without going back twenty years.

Saddam and his advisors also discuss problems with desertion from the Iraqi army, noting that Iran is accusing them of using foreign soldiers because so many Iraqi troops have left.

One passage is puzzling however, when Saddam (Male 1 is apparently Saddam) notes that they are "almost five months and in three days it will be six months" into the war. My understanding is that the Mirage-4000 wasn't available until 1986. Perhaps the translator or transcriptionist meant to type: "almost five years" - that would make more sense and the dates would then match up.

Also posted at The Jawa Report and Vince Aut Morire.

Sunday Funny

From the Dry Bones Blog.

Pirate Armada Roundup

What are the Buccaneers of The Pirate Armada talking about today?

Lady Jane at A Lady's Ruminations, The Filthy One, and Random Thoughts of Yet Another Military Member cheer on Navy to beat the Pirates...

Cookie at The Cook Shack Gab & Grub steps out for a smoke...

Armed and Gregarious is fed up with proselytizers...

Blue Star Chronicles welcomes new members to one of their blogrolls...

The RadioActive Chief notes collusion between remnants of the Taliban and some Pakistanis...

Signal 94 suggests ways to reduce the debt...

Dumbshit of the Week searches for hidden porn in the works of the Bard of Avon...

SoCalOilMan of EvolutionRight has his own roundup...

Hillbilly White Trash Lemuel advises gunowners to adopt new tactics in defense of the Second Amendment...

At Hujonwi's Place, there is little surprise at biased MSM coverage of the release of Operation Iraqi Freedom documents...

Dan at MoveOn and ShutUp recommends a liberal blog...

Admiral Misha of The Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler, Neocon Express, and OpiniPundit comment on the new French riots...

Stuart of Pure Gum Spirits explains the ins and outs of fatwahs...

Pushing Back the Frontiers of Ignorance trys to push them back on the state of the economy...

Jay at Stop the ACLU discusses the ACLU and license plates...

The rest of the Armada seems to be sleeping off the effects of St. Paddy's Day.

When the Agenda Hits the Fan

The headline fairly drips with that patented New York Times air of moral superiority: Symbol of Abu Ghraib Seeks to Spare Others His Nightmare, and the copy is written in their smarmy and lugubrious the-evil-that-we-do style:

AMMAN, Jordan, March 8 — Almost two years later, Ali Shalal Qaissi's wounds are still raw.

There is the mangled hand, an old injury that became infected by the shackles chafing his skin. There is the slight limp, made worse by days tied in uncomfortable positions. And most of all, there are the nightmares of his nearly six-month ordeal at Abu Ghraib prison in 2003 and 2004.

Mr. Qaissi, 43, was prisoner 151716 of Cellblock 1A. The picture of him standing hooded atop a cardboard box, attached to electrical wires with his arms stretched wide in an eerily prophetic pose, became the indelible symbol of the torture at Abu Ghraib, west of Baghdad.

There's just one problem, Ali Shalal Qaissi isn't the prisoner in the photograph, as the Times was forced to admit today in a humiliating mea culpa. Today on page one is the fake-but-accurate explanation of the incident:

Certainly, he was at Abu Ghraib, and appears with a hood over his head in some photographs that Army investigators seized from the computer belonging to Specialist Charles Graner, the soldier later convicted of being the ringleader of the abuse.

You'll excuse me if I take anything further the Times has to say on the affair with a large grain of salt.

The man the Gray Lady described with such assurance as the "indelible symbol" of Abu Ghraib is a fraud. Birds of a feather.

Via Michelle Malkin.

Also posted at The Jawa Report.

A Chip Off the Old Block

Letter written by Saddam's son Qusai, four months before his richly deserved demise:

Republican Guard Secretariat Presidential Office
Special Security Organization
Republican Guard Chief of Staff Security
Number: [blank]
Date: March 14, 2003

Secret and Personal

Presidential Office: Special Office
The Secretary:
Re: Kuwaiti POW’s

Regarding the execution of Mr. President, Commander Saddam Hussein’s (God protect
him) orders, according to the decision of the Revolutionary Command Council on Friday,
March 4, 2003.

Transfer all Kuwaiti POW’s / a total of 448 captured Kuwaitis who are located at the Al-Nida Al-Agher Prison and the Intelligence / General Center and Kazema Prison in Al-Kazema, to make them human shields at all locations that are expected to be attacked by the American aggressors. Put them in communication locations and essential ministries, radio and television, Military Industrial Commissions, and all other locations expected to be attacked by the criminal Anglo-American aggressors.
Transporting them should be in coordination with:
Intelligence Services Directorate
Republican Guard Chief of Staff
Under direct supervision of the Special Security Organization / Organization Security

[Signature]
Qusai Saddam Hussein
Supervisor
of the Republican Guard Secretariat
March 14, 2003

A copy to:
Intelligence Service Directorate / Office of the Director
Republican Guard Chief of Staff / Office of the Chief of Staff

From Foreign Military Studies Office Joint Reserve Intelligence Center.

Also posted at The Jawa Report and Vince Aut Morire.