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May 31, 2006
Lawyer: Haditha Marines Were Fired On
Lawyer: Haditha Marines Were Fired On
Tuesday, May 30, 2006 11:38 p.m. EDT
Contrary to claims from Rep. John Murtha,
Marines accused of executing 24 innocent Iraqis in the village of Haditha last November were indeed fired upon after their convoy was hit by a roadside bomb - according to a lawyer involved in the case.
"There's a ton of information that isn't out there yet," the lawyer said Monday, speaking on condition of anonymity to the Washington Post.
He said contemporaneous radio messages reviewed by military investigators will show that Marines accused of unprovoked retaliation after the blast had, in fact, come under small-arms fire.
Rest of story HERE
Posted by Wild Thing at 03:27 AM | Comments (5)
No Leniency for Supporting Terrorists
BACKGROUND:
Throughout her legal career, Lynne Stewart has represented terrorists, both domestic and international. From the notorious Weatherman of the 1960s to the islamic terrorists who bombed the World Trade Center in the 1990s, Lynne Stewart has made a career out of representing and supporting those who are sworn to destroy our Country.
On February 10, 2005, Lynne Stewart was convicted of helping terrorists by smuggling messages of violence from one of her imprisoned clients -- a radical Egyptian sheik -- to his terrorist disciples on the outside.
Lynne Stewart was convicted of providing material support, through a press conference and allowing access by her translator, to a terrorist conspiracy to kill persons outside of the United States and conspiring to defraud the U.S. government when acting as counsel to Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman, the blind Egyptian cleric who was convicted in 1996 of plotting terrorist attacks against various sites in the New York City area. Finally caught in the snares of justice, Lynne Stewart is now facing sentencing for her crimes, and your help is needed to be sure she receives the maximum sentence allowable by law.
This woman is truly an enemy of America.
In her own words:
"I don't have any problem with Mao or Stalin or the Vietnamese leaders or certainly Fidel locking up people they see as dangerous. Because so often, dissidence has been used by the greater powers to undermine a people's revolution." Lynne Stewart
"I don’t believe in anarchistic violence, but in directed violence. That would be violence directed at the institutions which perpetuate capitalism, racism, and sexism, and the people who are the appointed guardians of those institutions, and accompanied by popular support." Lynne Stewart
NO LENIENCY - LOCK HER UP AND LOCK HER DOWN!
ON SEPTEMBER 25, 2006, LYNNE STEWART WILL BE SENTENCED AND YOU CAN HELP LYNNE RECEIVE THE MAXIMUM SENTENCE ALLOWED FOR HER CRIMES AGAINST AMERICA.
The sentencing is now set for September 25, 2006 and we can help lock Lynne up for life by writing the Judge and asking him to show no leniency to Lynne Stewart for her crimes and asking him to impose the maximum sentence allowed for plotting with terrorists.
The Judge's address is:
Honorable John G. Koeltl
United States District Judge
Southern District of New York
United States Courthouse
500 Pearl Street
New York, New York 10007
Also you can send a copy of your letter to the lawyers who prosecuted Lynn, so they can present them all to the Judge at sentencing time, they will have the maximum impact as he considers the matter:
Joseph E. Bianco, Esq.
Christopher T. Morvillo, Esq.
Assistant United States Attorneys
Southern District of New York
United States Attorney's Office
One St. Andrews Plaza
New York, NY 10007
* Something....and Half of Something
Posted by Wild Thing at 02:55 AM | Comments (6)
More Are Speaking Out For Marines
A CNN reporter who traveled with these accused Marines and just can’t believe what they are being accused of.
A reporter's shock at the Haditha allegations
"I was with them in Husayba as they went house to house in an area where insurgents would booby-trap doors, or lie in wait behind closed doors with an AK-47, basically on suicide missions, just waiting for the Marines to come through and open fire. There were civilians in the city as well, and the Marines were always keenly aware of that fact. How they didn’t fire at shadows, not knowing what was waiting in each house, I don’t know. But they didn’t."
And then there is this.......
Drone's Video May Aid Marine Inquiry
Footage Shot on Day of Iraq Incident
A Drone drone recording and recordings of radio contacts show the Marines were under small arms fire at the time of the incident that Congressman Murtha calls ‘cold-blooded murder.
This is from the article.......
There's a ton of information that isn't out there yet," said one lawyer, who, like the others, would speak only on the condition of anonymity because a potential client has not been charged. The radio message traffic, he said, will provide a different view of the incident than has been presented by Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.) and other members of Congress. For example, he said, contrary to Murtha's account, it will show that the Marines came under small-arms fire after the roadside explosion.
Also this...........
War In Iraq Duncan Hunter To Murtha
But Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, also a Vietnam Veteran, who served in the 173rd Airborne and 75th Army Rangers, who got all the briefings on the matter Murtha got, says the "in cold blood" allegations by Murtha are all wet.
In early May, the Marine Corps announced that a Marine charged with shooting an apparently injured and unarmed Iraqi in a Fallujah mosque that had been used as a sanctuary and an armory for jihadists would not face court-martial. The Marine was found to be justified in perceiving a threat and using deadly force.
The next time you surf the Internet, do a Google search on Rafael Peralta. In that same November 2004 battle for Fallujah, Marine Sgt. Peralta was shot in the head and chest at close range as they went house to house clearing the town of jihadists. As he lay dying on the floor of a terrorist hideout, he saw a yellow, foreign-made grenade that if it had detonated would have taken out his entire squad. To save his fellow Marines, he reached out, grabbed the grenade and tucked it under his abdomen, where it exploded.
Lt. Pantano and Marines such as those at Haditha face a death sentence every day in a war with an enemy that obeys no rules. They are heroes, not war criminals. Yet there are some who think their reward for putting their lives on the line for their country and doing their duty to the best of their ability should be a murder charge, just because they don't like the policy that put them there.
There's one thing these men are that many in the media and Congress are not — and it is shown in the Marine motto. Semper fi.
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:55 AM
May 30, 2006
Hamas Enforcer Rails Against U.S. Gov't ~ Hey Hamas, Back at 'ya!
In a back-alley interview, the top Hamas enforcer in the Gaza Strip railed against the U.S. government, said he's happy whenever American soldiers are killed and vowed not to take Hamas' 3,000-strong militia off the streets.
Jamal Abu Samhadana, a 43-year-old explosives expert, is a key target for Israel and moves stealthily, switching cars and hideouts, despite his promotion to security chief by the Hamas-led government.
In an interview Monday with The Associated Press, Abu Samhadana called the U.S. and Israeli-led boycott of the Hamas-run Palestinian Authority "cheap extortion" and said it will only serve "to make our people more attached to the government."
"The American government and people will pay a dear price for this aggressive and criminal policy against the Arab and Muslim people," he said.
It was some of the toughest rhetoric from any Palestinian official since the Islamic Hamas movement took power in March. And it came at a time when the Palestinian government is struggling to stave off a humanitarian disaster resulting from the international aid boycott.
The interview took place in a small room on the second floor of a backstreet building in the Gaza Strip town of Rafah. Abu Samhadana's men led an AP reporting team there after a long labyrinthine drive that included various stops and an order to remove a "press" sign from a vehicle.
Sitting before a photo of an Islamic Jihad militant killed by Israel, the black-bearded Samhadana, himself one of the most renowned militants in the Palestinian territories, denied old allegations he was behind a deadly 2003 bombing of a U.S. Embassy convoy in Gaza that killed three American security guards.
Still, he saved his harshest words for the U.S. and President Bush.
"We are happy when any American soldier is killed anywhere in the world, because the American Army is an aggressor against all the people in the world, particularly the Arab and Muslim worlds," he said. "The American people are known to be peaceful, so they are asked to move to bring down this terrorist government in Washington, so that the American people are safe from any attacks or retaliation."
Abu Samhadana, No. 2 on Israel's wanted list, wore a loose-fitting shirt and a baseball cap instead of his trademark guerrilla-style, black-belted uniform. His right hand and arm were burned and mangled in an explosion during what he said was an attack against Israel five years ago.
He spoke softly and at times cracked jokes, making eye contact only rarely with an American reporter. Aides served hot tea and roasted pumpkin seeds.
Abu Samhadana's appointment as director general of the Hamas-led Interior Ministry infuriated both Israel and Hamas' Fatah rivals, led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. It helped set the stage for recent Hamas-Fatah violence that has killed 10 people and raised the specter of all-out civil war.
In the interview, Abu Samhadana accused Israel and the U.S. of fomenting unrest among the Palestinians, but predicted new talks among the Palestinian factions would succeed in calming the situation.
"We are certain that there are American and Israeli plans to provoke a civil war here like what is happening in Iraq," he said.
After Hamas' victory in Jan. 25 legislative elections, the moderate Abbas — who was elected separately — moved to take control of most of the Palestinian security forces. In response, Hamas deployed its 3,000-strong militia, whose rifle-toting black-clad members guard streets throughout Gaza, at times staring down Fatah rivals on opposite corners.
Abu Samhadana said the force, which Fatah activists refer to as the "black militia," will remain in place despite criticism by Hamas' detractors that it's a major source of friction and instability.
Unlike Fatah-led forces, which have occasionally acceded to Israeli and international demands to crack down on militants, the Hamas force will not move to prevent attacks against Israel unless the Jewish state withdraws from all land it captured in the 1967 Mideast War, Abu Samhadana said.
"The previous government's first mission was to protect Israel and not protect the Palestinian people. Through my work in this government, I will protect my people," he said, adding that a top policy goal is to move against Palestinians who collaborate with Israel.
Abu Samhadana graduated from a military school in then-communist East Germany in 1988. He was loyal to Fatah and Yasser Arafat for many years, but was later expelled from Fatah.
Abu Samhadana formed the Popular Resistance Committees, a violent group consisting of militants from various factions, after the latest Palestinian uprising broke out in 2000.
He said this background puts him in a position to help bridge the differences between the battling sides. At the same time, however, he blasted two senior Fatah security chiefs, saying they "are supported by America, implementing an American agenda and not a Palestinian agenda."
Posted by Wild Thing at 07:55 PM
Guard the Borders Blogburst
TRAITORS!A total disconnect
'Twixt rulers and the ruled.
The country will be wrecked.
Who do they think they've fooled?Both Parties I accuse,
The Elephant and Mule;
Together in this ruse,
United in misrule.A flood tide of those who
Assimilate will not!
Both Parties know 'tis true
And still they say: So What!They think that they can hide
Behind their guards and gates;
Escape the rising tide
And leave us to our fates.But when our culture falls
And Dear beset by Dire
Is dashed against the walls --
None will escape entire.All this for labor cheap --
Undone our way of life
By alien hatred deep,
Sundered in alien strife.What makes them act this way?
Have they not eyes to see?
The People they betray!
Is this Democracy?
~ © Richard Sutta
(used with permission)
WHAT THEY DON'T WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT SENATE BILL S. 2611
by Heidi at Euphoric Reality
The new immigration bill (the most "sweeping reform in 50 years") S. 2611 is an amalgam of petty causes, illogical provisions, unstructured "solutions" with zero allowances for implementation, and self-contradictory language. Despite the mess, it was passed by self-righteous politicians who repeated the mantra "it's better than doing nothing." This from the same gaggle of do-nothings who outright rejected the House's law enforcement bill.
The Senate bill has our President's full support - this same bill is a derivative of one structured by Ted Kennedy and John McCain, and supported in full by the majority of Democrats. That alone ought to give one pause - President Bush, a Democrat?
Peggy Noonan says, "The disinterest in the White House and among congressional Republicans in establishing authority on America's borders is so amazing--the people want it, the age of terror demands it--that great histories will be written about it."
She opines that it is possible that..."the administration's slow and ambivalent action is the result of being lost in some geopolitical-globalist abstract-athon that has left them puffed with the rightness of their superior knowledge, sure in their membership in a higher brotherhood, and looking down on the low concerns of normal Americans living in America.
I continue to believe the administration's problem is not that the base lately doesn't like it, but that the White House has decided it actually doesn't like the base."
S. 2611 is less about law, and more about a weird, mutant agenda that melds licentiousness with an utter disregard for the end result. There are quite a few details in S. 2611 that the media has ignored and that the legislators would rather you know nothing about. Some were provisions germane to the original Kennedy-McCain bill or the pseudo revision of Hagel-Martinez, the rest are amendments that required separate votes to accept or reject. Here's what you need to know about the Senate's fiasco.
Posted by Wild Thing at 07:40 PM
Marine ....Ilario Pantano Speaks Out
Mr. Murtha's Rush to Judgment
May 28,2006
A year ago I was charged with two counts of premeditated murder and with other war crimes related to my service in Iraq. My wife and mother sat in a Camp Lejeune courtroom for five days while prosecutors painted me as a monster; then autopsy evidence blew their case out of the water, and the Marine Corps dropped all charges against me.
So I know something about rushing to judgment, which is why I am so disturbed by the remarks of Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.) regarding the Haditha incident. Mr. Murtha said, "Our troops overreacted because of the pressure on them, and they killed innocent civilians in cold blood."
In the United States, we have a civil and military court system that relies on an investigatory and judicial process to make determinations based on evidence. The system is not served by such grand pronouncements of horror and guilt without the accuser even having read the investigative report.
Mr. Murtha's position is particularly suspect when he is quoted by news services as saying that the strain of deployment "has caused them [the Marines] to crack in situations like this." Not only is he certain of the Marines' guilt but he claims to know the cause, which he conveniently attributes to a policy he opposes.
Members of the U.S. military serving in Iraq need more than Mr. Murtha's pseudo-sympathy. They need leaders to stand with them even in the hardest of times. Let the courts decide if these Marines are guilty. They haven't even been charged with a crime yet, so it is premature to presume their guilt -- unless that presumption is tied to a political motive.
ILARIO PANTANO
Jacksonville, N.C.
Pantano served as an officer.... a Lt. and he was a Platoon leader. He served in the Persian Gulf War and most recently as a platoon commander in Iraq.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
More on Marine Second Lieutenant Ilario Pantano
During the peak of insurgent violence in mid April of 2004, hundreds of Marines and soldiers were being killed and wounded throughout the "Sunni Triangle." Terrorists, captured while trying to recover a vehicle used in an earlier attack on the Marines, had given detailed information about a supply of weapons and terrorist hideout.Marine Second Lieutenant Ilario Pantano and his platoon were hastily dispatched to search. Their search revealed weapons, ammunition, mortar equipment, bomb-making material and two fleeing terrorists. In an ensuing search of the terrorists’ vehicle, Lt. Pantano, concerned for his safety and the safety of his men, shot them both in self defense and then disabled their vehicle so it could not be used in further attacks. He and his men went on to fight with distinction and honor in Fallujah and the surrounding areas and, when possible, aided in the reconstruction effort.
Marine Second Lieutenant Ilario Pantano faced murder charge for his actions in Fallujah, actions that not only saved his life, but the lives of his men and, the lives of countless innocent Iraqi civilians.
Posted by Wild Thing at 02:55 AM | Comments (4)
The Media Helping The Enemy Needs To Stop
Most of the Speech Given at the American Enterprise Institute
To get home, or back to work, you have to go through those doors there. Now, lets pretend those doors may be booby trapped and the first person and anyone within 5 feet of the doors is going to get some shrapnel. But, you gotta cross the threshold. And, on the other side of the doors, there might be a guy with an RPK machine gun waiting to throw some lead at you. And down the hall, there may be a guys hiding around the corners with AK-47s. But, after all that, you make it outside, where there could be snipers. Then you make it to your car or cab, and then there is a chance someone is waiting to blow you up with an IED. And, once you have made it home, there is a good chance someone is going to try and lob a mortar or rocket into your subdivision.
That is what it is like to be a Marine infantryman, or, a photographer who spent 5 months with a Marine infantry platoon in Al Anbar province.
Now, after hearing that scenario, if you said, ‘no thanks,’ congratulations: you are normal. But if you heard that and said, ‘heh, whatever’ I know some recruiters who may want to talk to you. Most reporters, being normal, aren’t exactly eager to chase grunts around Al Anbar.
In spring of 2005, I left my life behind and traveled to Iraq as an embedded reporter.
I spent 5 months living with a Marine infantry platoon, walking the streets of places like Karmah, Amiriya, and Ferris. I spent days and weeks outside the wire, sleeping on the dirt, lining up in the stack as the Marines hit target houses and all the time those nights and days punctuated with the call to prayer.
I drank tea and smoked cigarettes with sheiks and Imams. I sat down and ate with men who led villages and families. I bartered with shop keepers for sodas and cigarettes, played soccer with kids. And, I spent a lot of time getting sun burned.
Punctuated by the rare few minutes of intense violence, most of the time the Marines chatted up the locals, gathered intel and chased leads.
I have concluded, based both on my experience, and the reports of other newsmen, that an unconscionable amount of what we in the press have been feeding the American public regarding the war in Iraq is fashioned by the propaganda arms of our enemies. Ba’athist kidnappers and Jihadi bombers are planning their operations not to win the war in Iraq, but to win it in America. To that end, they are assessing what American reporters are willing to cover, and what American news organizations are willing to risk.
This has been made abundantly clear in Al Qaida documents recently released by Centcom and the Coalition. An excerpt of the translated document reads:
The policy followed by the brothers in Baghdad is a media oriented policy without a clear comprehensive plan to capture an area or an enemy center. In other words, the significance of the strategy of their work is to show in the media that the American and the government does not control the situation and there is resistance against them.
Stated simply: Al Qaida is not even trying to win the war on the ground anymore. It is attempting to win the war in the press.
And they’re doing pretty well. On April 2, 2005, when Al Qaeda in Iraq attempted to assault Abu Ghraib prison, I was the only reporter there. The unit I was with was patrolling the area as part of a week-long op, and caught the tail end of the assault. The Marines didn’t think much of it. The main result was a bunch of dead insurgents. The next day, when the sun came up, we saw the v-beds that didn’t even make it off the highway and the remnants of so-called lions of taweed.
It wasn’t until we were back in base, watching TV in the chow hall, that we discovered that the failed assault was “BIG NEWS” and reporters were showing up after the fact. Two-to-three days after the fact.
As a Marine Colonel told me. Al Qaeda lost that fire-fight in Iraq, but they won on CNN.
In the Spring of 2005 -- before I went to Iraq -- while I was going from TV station to TV station selling my syndicated news reports to local News Directors, I used a very simple sales pitch:
I would ask: How often do you air coverage of the war? Every day, in some form right? They would nod yes. Then I would ask: how often do you get a local tie-in? They would think about it, but I already knew the answer. For local TV stations there are only 4 Iraq stories:
Local Units leaves, local boy killed in action, wife of local boy being screwed over by the mortgage holder, local unit comes home. On one station I saw them hit the Superfecta with all four stories in one night.
Then, I would ask: How often do you have footage and an interview with a local boy, a grunt out there fighting the war on terror with video of him in action?
The answer was invariably never.
Some of the stations bought my feeds on the spot. And if I could make money going to Iraq as a one person shop, and Michael Yon, Bill Roggio and Michael Totten can report from Iraq with support only from tip jars on their blogs, then there is obviously a market for news beyond the daily car bombing.
But you wouldn’t know it from the war coverage on network and cable news.
The two most common are the Balcony shot of a reporter recapping the latest car bombing, and the computerized map showing the latest bombing. Less often, you get an interview with some Iraqis, nearly always in Baghdad invariably saying how bad things are. And in the rarest of these a real live U.S. newsman reports with a coalition unit, usually long after a major event, as in “Tal Afar six months later,” “Mosul six month later,” and the one I saw most, “Fallujah Six months later.” And of course, “Abu Ghriad, two days after a major attack.”
Al Qaida and its fellow travelers have used violence, kidnappings and the ever present threat of violence against reporters to lock down news coverage.
With Western reporters holed up in bunkers, their view of the war is filtered by Iraqi stringers, who as noted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, may be plants for the terrorists, terrorist sympathizers or feeling the same pressures of violence felt by Western reporters.
The only thing this kind of news-gathering yields is the result of terrorist violence. But that, of course, is the insurgents’ goal —to create the perception in the western media that Iraq is out of control.
What you will not see in the media is what I saw in Iraq…a lot of every day life.
For every minute of violence and danger, there would be days of eating flat bread, drinking tea, and sitting around in positions hoping to get shot at.
Yes, trying to get shot at. At least one third of the operations I went on with the Marines were bait and kill operations—why my platoon was always the bait, I don’t know, it just worked out that way.
In the media, you never hear of the units where everyone came home alive. There are no stories about an operation in which the high-light was the tribal Sheik insisting the Platoon come to his son’s wedding. There is never the tag line—In other news, most Iraqis went about their business of saving up enough money to buy a satellite dish and pay their cell phone bill—yes, every mud hut seems to come equipped with a satellite dish—so they too can watch the latest news about a car bombing in Baghdad in between Jordanian soap operas.
The terrorist goal of winning through the media has worked.
The result is a picture of Iraq in which small slices are accurate-- the basic facts about the recent bombing are accurate—but where the majority of the canvass is left blank, turning the small slices into the entire portrait.
“Iraq is unquestionably the biggest story of our time, and one which will affect American foreign and domestic policy for the rest of our lives -- but if news organizations won't invest the money and manpower to cover it from top to bottom, it will end up becoming a story told only through its major disasters and victories, without many of the small, personal narratives and struggles that give the story its humanity.”
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:55 AM | Comments (4)
John Kerry Watched Apocolypse Now One Too Many Times
Kerry Pressing Swift Boat Case Long After Loss
John Kerry starts by showing the entry in a log he kept from 1969: "Feb 12: 0800 run to Cambodia."He moves on to the photographs: his boat leaving the base at Ha Tien, Vietnam; the harbor; the mountains fading frame by frame as the boat heads north; the special operations team the boat was ferrying across the border; the men reading maps and setting off flares.
"They gave me a hat," Mr. Kerry says. "I have the hat to this day," he declares, rising to pull it from his briefcase. "I have the hat."
Three decades after the Vietnam War and nearly two years after Mr. Kerry's failed presidential bid........
Wild Thing's comment...........
( the rest of the article has photos and more Kerry propaganda)
Have you ever met a nag? I hope not but if you have they never stop. My brother-in-law is married to one. Ugh! They are like chalk screeching on a chalkboard, a dripping faucet through the night and your waiting in between for the last bit of nagging to be the last but it never is. Drip, drip, drip, nag nag nag. There is an insanity to it without being labeled such and it can drive others away and it should! Well Kerry is that, he is his own special pathetic joke. A bad joke that just won't go away, a fodder for cartoons and a traitor to America.
When we think we have heard the last of him he pops up again with more of his BS. Does he do what has repeatedly been asked of him? NO that would be too easy, too honest, and too honorable. He also said on the Senate floor that Nixon sent him into Cambodia. The only problem is that Nixon wasn't President at the time. Just more lies!
John O'Neill was on Hannity's show last week and Bob Beckel started foaming at the mouth all over again. Bob ("I Call Escort Services") Beckel started literally chanting that the Pentagon has "discredited" the Swift Boat Vets. He must have used the word "discredited" about 40 times.
O'Neill finally got a word in and explained again in detail how Kerry's first purple heart was faked. Beckel went bananas. The MSM still can't accept that a little 527 spending a measly $200K per ad could have counteracted their months and months of spin for Kerry.
The Swift Boat Vets did a fabulous job of exposing him, along with tons of other Vietnam Veterans joining in. To even think that these MEN had to do this shows how strong evil is in America. The evils of the John Kerry's and Hanoi Jane’s getting press and notoriety and backed by those that hate America.....the enemy from within.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (4)
May 29, 2006
Can You Give One Day For Them?
In Honor of all our Veterans
and our troops serving today.
This post will remain at the top until sunset on Memorial Day.
I want to take you to a place,
the weather is hot, beyond hot and sticky.
It is like wearing a scuba suit and
pouring hot Karo syrup down inside of it.
You give up wiping the sweat off your face and arms
because it does not do any good.
You learn to own it, the heat and humidity, the stickiness.
Own it and become it. Then it is bearable.............almost.A boy really but a man because of the war
is laying in a hospital in a bed.
Not a hospital like we know, this is make shift .
He has his right leg gone, pieces of it left in the jungle.
His other leg missing just above the knee.
His right hand gone as well.
His shoulder a huge chunk gone so even with bandages
the deformity is obvious. His face, he may have been a great
looking heartthrob in the past, maybe a girl kissed his tender cheek on
a date and his soft lips lingering for just one more kiss at the door.
But now it was like mashed potatoes. The only thing noticeable
.................his eyes.The thousand yard stare was there, but behind them the clear sharp
sight of what had happened. And the doubt of what his future held
for him if anything.You take his hand and sit for hours, just being.
Trying to let him know you care.
The touch is all the words that need to be said. Then you start to
hum a song softly and the hand in yours tightens a little for approval.
Then the words of the song , and ever so gently you sing,
music from your heart right into his.He is a Hero just as the soldier at the desk at the base is a hero. All
willing to serve their country and keep their land the land of the free.
--- Wild Thing
This soldier's name was Michael and I was the girl that was honored to get the chance to sit with him and sing to him. To hold his hand and let our hearts and souls speak of better times. A few days later Michael died. But Michael lives on with every breath in freedom that we take each day. His name will never be forgotten nor will he.
I am not in any way writing about this experience I had in Nam to compare Iraq and Vietnam. To me they are very different and should never be compared. But this is an experience that I will live in my heart and soul forever and it expresses best why we should never let one moment in time pass by without thanking our troops, and our Veterans. You may only get one chance and that moment will last a lifetime. They deserve more then a thank you but when those two words come from your heart they carry the weight of a proud and grateful Nation.
In a few days it will be MEMORIAL DAY. A day where the people of the United States pledge to remember those who gave their all. A day that had been set aside to remember all the sacrifice....and all the pain...and all the death that has kept this Nation safe. Please honor the sacrifices of our servicemen and women, they work so hard and take all the risks and live in tremendous danger 24/7 for our freedom, for our security.
It is NOT about a three day weekend.
It is NOT about picnic's and barbecue's.
It IS about this Nation keeping it's word.
It IS about remembering the Michael's in our past who gave up their future so everyone could be Free.
I guess the question is...can YOU give up one day for them????
Also I invite you to visit my Vietnam Page where I pay tribute to our Vietnam Veterans.
There is an awesome video titled' Until Then". I have ordered from this place, I hope you do to. They truly support our troops and are also grateful to our Veterans.
If you would like to get this and other videos on DVD you can contact GCS distributing
gcs@gcsdistributing.com
I have had email contact with a very kind lady, Elaine Clegg of GCS Distributing and she is very helpful.
Posted by Wild Thing at 02:55 AM | Comments (25)
My Gift to our Veterans and Our Troops On This Memorial Day
I have made
something special for all of you
please CLICK on the Flag picture above
and turn up your volume.
Thank you Veterans and all of you serving now, thank you that I am able to live in the land of the free.
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:47 AM | Comments (4)
Unit in Afghanistan Honors Americans Who Made Ultimate Sacrifice
Army Staff Sgt. Wayne A. White plays taps during a Memorial Day ceremony at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, May 28. White is a native of Park Hills, Mo., assigned to the 10th Mountain Division Band, based in Fort Drum, N.Y. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Robert R. Ramon, USA)
For the past 138 years, our nation has paused at this time of year to commemorate Memorial Day, a day that we set aside to remember those who have died in our nation's service," said Army Maj. Gen. Benjamin Freakley, Combined Joint Task Force 76 commander.
Standing near the flag-draped, open hull of a Hercules C-130 on the flight line here, where some of the earliest battles of the global war on terror were fought, Freakley's words served as a reminder of the meaning of Memorial Day.
"What does this day mean to us as we stand here at Bagram, Afghanistan, fighting in the global war on terror?" Freakley asked the hundreds of servicemembers in attendance.
"It is important, he said, for military members to pause and remember those who went before. "We stand on the shoulders of giants," he added. "From those who fought in the earliest days in the American military, to those who fell in Vietnam, in operations in the 90s in Panama, Grenada and Operation Desert Storm, to those who have fallen in the global war on terrorism, beginning with those members of our nation who fought right here in the opening days of Operation Enduring Freedom, as well as those who have recently fallen on our watch as CJTF 76."
After the 10th Mountain Division Band played renditions of the Afghan and American national anthems, Freakley said the sacrifices made by Americans on the battlefield were made not only for the citizens of the United States, but for the citizens of other nations as well.
"Simply put, their lives meant sacrifice and dedication to something greater than themselves -- their nation, their fellow soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines, and dedication to a cause -- freedom," Freakley said.
"Not only freedom for the American people, but freedom for over 55 million Iraqis and Afghans who have had oppression and tyranny lifted from their shoulders and given the opportunity to form their nations to stand tall and live life in freedom and peace," he added.
Freakley said it is because of those who made the ultimate sacrifice that Americans back home are able to live tranquil lives.
"Those who have died have also guaranteed our own freedoms in the United States of America," he said. "Thankfully, since September the 11th, 2001, America has not been attacked. Some people could say, 'Well, we're just lucky.' I don't believe in that.
"I believe that we have taken the fight to the enemy worldwide, focused in Iraq and Afghanistan, and have prevented the enemy from returning to our shores, thereby ensuring our businessmen and women can go to work in buildings without fear that an airplane will crash into it; our children can go to school and not be concerned about being killed; our citizens can go to baseball games, cookouts, and picnics and have fun this Memorial Day weekend because it has been delivered to them by those who fell and those who stand in the ranks today."
To those attending the ceremony today, Freakley's message was clear.
"Today we dedicate ourselves, as we did before we deployed, to continuing the fight in the global war on terror and guaranteeing the American people freedom as well as the people in Afghanistan and Iraq," he said. "Remember those who gave their all to our nation. They did not die in vain, for they have given us a better world, a better Afghanistan, a better Iraq, a better United States of America."
The color guard stands at attention just prior to the start of a Memorial Day ceremony at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, May 28. Soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines here took time during the ceremony to remember their fellow Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure the freedom of the United States. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Robert R. Ramon, USA)
Army Maj. Gen. Benjamin Freakley speaks during a Memorial Day ceremony at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, May 28. Freakley, Combined Joint Task Force 76 commander, along with soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines, took time during the ceremony to remember their fellow Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their nation. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Robert R. Ramon, USA)
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:18 AM | Comments (4)
Thank You Blue Star Chronicles ~ Prayers for Our Troops
This weekend we learned that two of our nephews have sons that are serving now. One has enlisted in the Marines and the other in the Army. We call them our nephews as well, but I suppose the correct way to say it would be great nephews. I really am not sure of the exact wording on that.
We are very proud of them and will be praying for their safety along with the very special family members of those here at Theodore's World that have loved ones serving now and all the rest of our troops as well.
There was no further information at this time as to where they will be but I just wanted to let you know.
Blue Star Chronicles it is a wonderful blog that supports our troops. They have a Blue Star Banner and the Carnival of Blue Stars. They are for those with family members serving now and also for those that support the families of those serving now and our troops. I am using the Blue Star Friend logo because not only do we have family members serving now but there are so many friends of our serving now as well. And there are sons of those of you here that are a big part of the team at Theodore's World serving now too. We are all in this together and I love you all.
Blue Star Blogroll is to facilitate a network of bloggers who have a special and sincere interest in the well-being of soldiers serving as part of the United States Armed Forces.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (2)
May 28, 2006
A Land of Checks and Balances Thanks To Our Constitution
Please CLICK the image above to hear a message
from John Wayne about the Constitution.
House Speaker Denny Hastert, having presumably checked his In box and re-read the Constitution, now agrees that the FBI can conduct searches of Congressional offices when armed with a valid search warrant:
House leaders acknowledged Friday that FBI agents with a court-issued warrant can legally search a congressman's office, but they said they want procedures established after agents with a court warrant took over a lawmaker's office last week.
"I want to know exactly what would happen if there is a similar sort of thing" in the Senate, Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said Friday, shortly after summoning Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to his office.
House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., concurred: "I am confident that in the next 45 days, the lawyers will figure out how to do it right."
Gonzales was similarly optimistic. "We've been working hard already and we'll continue to do so pursuant to the president's order," he told The Associated Press.
That apparently comes as a change in tone for the Attorney General. According to the New York Times, Gonzalez, FBI director Robert Mueller, and some of their staffs threatened to walk off the job if the President ordered the return of the seized materials to Jefferson.
Wild Thing's comment......
So what happened here, instead of letting the attention be directed at the POS William Jefferson where it needed to be. Hastert in his overreacting and his letting the world know he felt he was above the law, above the Constitution. That he lived in some bubble of protection because he was a politician and a long term one at that.
This might be only my opinion but NO one is above the law. At least they shouldn't be and once our laws and our Constitution have no meaning then we might as well say good-bye to the land formerly known as the United States of America.
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:55 AM | Comments (3)
Russia to Honor Iran Arms Deal
BBC News
Russia's defence minister has confirmed that Moscow intends to honour a controversial deal to supply Iran with surface-to-air missiles.
The contract for up to 30 missile systems would be fulfilled except in "extraordinary circumstances", Sergei Ivanov said, without elaborating.
He stressed that, because of their technical characteristics, the missiles could not be used by terrorist groups.
The $700m (£380m) deal, signed last year, has been condemned by the US.
Washington wants all countries to stop exporting weapons to Iran. Russia insists its short-range Tor-M1 system is purely defensive.
"As far as Russia's position is concerned, we strictly abide by all non-proliferation regimes, and when we hear reproaches that Russia is secretly helping Iran - it is just propaganda," the Interfax news agency quoted Mr Ivanov as saying.
He made the comments following a meeting with his German counterpart, Franz Josef Jung in St Petersburg.
Russia, along with China, is strongly against attempts to impose United Nations sanctions on Iran, which the US accuses of pursuing nuclear weapons.
The U.S. State Department quickly called on Ivanov to reconsider the deal.
The Tor-M1, also known as Gauntlet SA-15, is designed to intercept targets at medium and low altitudes, including war planes and helicopters as well as cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles.
The system is carried on a tracked vehicle that can be moved from place to place. Ivanov characterized the weapons as purely defensive and dismissed suspicion they could make their way into the hands of Islamic terrorists.
Once deployed, however, the weapons would be added to the strategic mix as the United States and Iran posture in a diplomatic tussle over Iran's nuclear power program, which the Bush administration insists is a cover for nuclear weapons development.
While Washington says a military attack against Iran's nuclear facilities is not an option, fielding the Tor-M1 would no doubt make it tougher for anyone to destroy the controversial sites, or spy on them from low altitude.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (3)
May 27, 2006
Time For His Dirt Nap or a Blanket Party
Fort Lupton Mayor Resigns After 7NEWS Investigation ( Kept dead marine's personal money )
DENVER -- The mayor of Fort Lupton has resigned citing health issues and media attention.
Jim Bostick was under the microscope for taking money from a dead U.S. Marine.
Bostick was not only the mayor, but operates a funeral home in Fort Lupton. The personal savings account of Marine Jason Sepulveda was sent to Bostick for Sepulveda's funeral after he was killed in an accident.
The U.S. government paid for the Marine's funeral, yet Bostick refused to return the dead Marine's personal savings to his family.
Bostick even ignored a court judgment that totaled more than $7,500. 7NEWS' stories caused a national uproar against Bostick. Hundreds of e-mails were sent to the city of Fort Lupton calling for his resignation.
In his letter to the Fort Lupton City Council he said, "It is with great sadness that I am writing this letter but with all that has gone on with the recent events and my health, I feel it is the best interest of the city and myself to resign my post as mayor for the City of Fort Lupton. I believe in this town and I am very proud of the way the town is moving ... It has been a great pleasure to have served and worked with each and every one of you."
Bostick told 7NEWS Investigator John Ferrugia that threats against his life, and pressure from constituents, caused him so much stress he had to be taken to the hospital in the past few days with high blood pressure.
He said his doctor told him to continue as mayor could kill him.
However, Bostick said he doesn't have the money to pay back the Sepulvedas and has not paid them yet.
Wild Thing's comment......
This scum, Jim Bostick resigned, but still will not give back the money. Bostick should be criminally prosecuted for theft, fraud, and whatever else sticks. He must be a Democrat otherwise the media would be screaming "Republican Mayor."
The Marines have a time honored tradition used to deal with scum like this...the blanket party.
Posted by Wild Thing at 10:10 AM | Comments (13)
An Email That Brightens Ones Day
When I was 12 years old I learned to drive with my Dad's Willie Jeep. It would have been 1959 when I was 12 years old, so the Willie Jeep my Dad had was a lot older then that. But I loved that jeep! My parents home was in the country and I would drive it up and down our lane, barefoot and learning that feel of the clutch, the jeep and the driver as one. hahaha
So jeeps have always been a favorite of mine. They don't have to sell me on buying one I go in knowing exactly what I want. A few months ago we bought the new version of what I had been driving for several years. Another Grand Jeep Cherokee. This time and maybe it is just the dealership here where we live now, but they gave a $500 check if Nick showed them his proof of service in the military. Of course Nick was delighted and so was I. They told us they did this for any Veteran or active duty service member.
This morning in my email I received this from the dealership. I am posting it here, not to sell you on a Jeep but because I am so sick of all the negative press on our troops and to see something positive needs recognition.
The email had nothing else in it except this graphic. No click on this to go to their site, nothing, Just this to honor our Veterans and the troops today.
Posted by Wild Thing at 08:55 AM | Comments (11)
May 26, 2006
Capitol Police Investigating Sounds Of Gunshots
Capitol complex locked down after reports of gunfire
Friday, May 26, 2006; Posted: 10:58 a.m. EDT (14:58 GMT)
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Capitol Police said Friday they were investigating reports of shots fired in the garage of the Rayburn Office Building, where members of the House have their offices.
The entire Capitol complex has been locked down, CNN's Dana Bash reported.
Tunnels connect all of the buildings in the complex.
Rep. Peter Hoekstra, R-Michigan, was conducting a House Intelligence Committee hearing at the time, according to an Associated Press report. Hoekstra interrupted a witness to tell those at the hearing to remain in the room and said doors must be closed.
Capitol police probing reports of gunfire
Capitol police were investigating "the sound of gunfire in the garage level of the Rayburn House Office Building," said an announcement on the internal Capitol voice alarm system.
There was no confirmation of gunfire. The FBI and D.C. Fire Department said there have been no injuries reported.
Dozens of police officers, many of them armed with assault rifles, milled around ouside the entrance to the garage.
Rep. Peter Hoekstra (news, bio, voting record), R-Mich., conducting a House Intelligence Committee hearing, interrupted a witness to request those attending the meeting to remain in the room and said the doors must be closed.
"It's a little unsettling to get a Blackberry message put in front of you that says there's gunfire in the building," he said.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:07 PM | Comments (2)
Pegasus Marines Continues With Same Aircraft
Marine grunts exit their transportation, a CH-53A Sea Stallion with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 463, to begin a search and destroy operation 17 miles southeast of Phu Bai, Vietnam, Nov. 18, 1967. Initially a World War II bomber squadron, HMH-463, Marine Aircraft Group 16 (Reinforced), 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, flew the first CH-53s in Vietnam with the main mission of providing assault support transport, which they still do today. (Photo by: DoD Photo National)
Pegasus' 40-year-old legacy of service continues in Iraq
Submitted by: 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing
Story by Lance Cpl. James B. Hoke
AL ASAD, Iraq (May 25, 2006) -- In December 1966, the first personnel with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 463 touched down in Da Nang, Vietnam, without any aircraft. It wasn't until Jan. 8, 1967, that the ship carrying four CH-53A Sea Stallions arrived for the Marines.
Nearly 40 years later, Pegasus Marines are serving their country in another war under the same aircraft group, Marine Aircraft Group 16, with the same aircraft that were presented to them during the Vietnam War two years after their initial landing -- the CH-53D Sea Stallion.
The squadron was originally a fixed-wing bombing squadron during World War II that has served on each coast of the United States, including Hawaii. Having served in more than nine MAGs and all three Marine Aircraft Wings, the squadron has been deactivated three times before it was finally activated again as HMH-463.
"HMH-463 was the first CH-53 helicopter squadron in the Marine Corps," said Lt. Col. Randel W. Parker, commanding officer, HMH-463, MAG-16 (Reinforced), 3rd MAW. "We have always been an assault support platform since this helicopter was introduced in 1966."
According to retired Marine Col. Charles A. Block, the commanding officer of HMH-463 in 1970, the ground commanders loved to use Pegasus because of the number of Marines the, at the time, new helicopters could carry in one trip.
"We would normally carry around 50 combat Marines," said the 72-year-old veteran who resides in Enterprise, Ala. "With four helicopters, we would put an infantry company on the ground at one time, ready to fight."
Block recalled one night when the squadron helped conduct the largest night tactical assault ever accomplished by Marine Corps aviation.
"We had 15 CH-53s leading about 20 CH-46s with simultaneous landings under flares from a C-47 flare ship," he said. "The troops not on the assault had climbed on top of the hardback parking revetments to watch us return. You have to realize that these same observers were going to be on the flight line at (5 a.m.) and it was about (2 a.m.) when we returned.
"Nobody asked or even suggested that they welcome us back, but they did it on their own," Block added. "I would describe the Marines in this squadron as being the most dedicated, hard-working bunch of folks I have ever seen in my 28 years in the Marine Corps. They broke every record for cargo and troop hauling that had ever been set up to that date."
However, the Pegasus Marines continue to grow and improve on the inheritance set upon them.
"The squadron improves with every new Marine we get," said Parker, a 44-year-old native of Littleton, Colo. "You try to build onto the legacy of the Marines who came before you and improve on that. Hopefully, in a year when people rotate out of here and we get new people in, they'll continue to build upon that.
"The Marines here are highly motivated and dedicated," the graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University continued. "They understand their mission and do it the best that I've ever seen. It is truly amazing. It is a testament to themselves and their families. Basically, it just shows you what kind of great young Americans we have."
Although the squadron has a fruitful legacy to live up to, it has already begun to set its own records, as it is the first full Delta helicopter squadron to deploy to Iraq in nearly 15 years.
"It's quite an honor to be the first, but our main goal in being the first is to be able to maintain a strong presence and represent the CH-53D community," said Parker. "As soon as we're done with our deployment, (HMH-363) will replace us, which is another CH-53D squadron, and then they'll be replaced by (HMH-362). We kick this off for the community, but it is also our job to sustain operations."
According to Sgt. Maj. Karl Villalino, sergeant major, HMH-463, the squadron's guest speaker before departing their home station at Marine Corps Base Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, was a retired sergeant major who used to be a crew chief for the squadron during the Vietnam era.
"He gave his lessons that he had learned during that time frame to the Marines who were literally about to leave in three weeks after the ceremony," said Villalino, a 37-year-old native of Long Beach, Calif. "I think it had significance, as the Marines understand that this platform we have and use has done great things before in Vietnam and Desert Storm."
Although the Vietnam era has left its lessons and records with HMH-463, the Pegasus Marines continue to strive for excellence.
"You have a group of Marines who are excited and committed to support operations out here in (Operation Iraqi Freedom)," said Parker. "They have great people, whether it's immediate family, moms and dads or brothers and sisters, back home to support them. They understand that what we are doing is really great for the American people."
"Some people say, 'How can an old aircraft like this continue to do what it's doing?'" he concluded. "My simple response to that is that it says Marines on the side of it, and Marines do great things."
Two CH-53D Sea Stallions with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 463 sit at the hot pits on Al Taqaddum, Iraq, May 18. Initially a World War II bomber squadron, HMH-463, Marine Aircraft Group 16 (Reinforced), 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, flew the first CH-53s in Vietnam with the main mission of providing assault support transport, which they still do today. (Photo by: Lance Cpl. James B. Hoke)
Marines from various units and squadrons sit idly by during transport from Al Taqaddum, Iraq, to Al Fallujah, Iraq, May 18, on a CH-53D Sea Stallion with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 463. Initially a World War II bomber squadron, HMH-463, Marine Aircraft Group 16 (Reinforced), 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, flew the first CH-53s in Vietnam with the main mission of providing assault support transport, which they still do today. (Photo by: Lance Cpl. James B. Hoke)
Posted by Wild Thing at 03:55 AM
"Hezbollah, Hezbollah," Chanted The Iranian Crowd of Suicide Bombers
An Iranian woman and her daughter wearing headbands reading 'there is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet' as they attend a suicide bombers gathering in southern Tehran
.
Iranian men wear white shrouds to indicate their willingness to give their lives to defend their country and Islam, during a gathering in Tehran on Thursday, May 25, 2006
Iranians Pledge to Become Suicide Bombers
05.25.2006
Under a banner showing coffins draped with American, British and Israeli flags, more than 100 Iranian men and women pledged Thursday to become suicide bombers - if necessary - to defend their country and Islam.
The event, held in a burial area for war dead and martyrs, was similar to others in recent years, with Islamic chants and songs and volunteers donning white coverings to symbolize their willingness to die.
But this gathering - coming at a time when many Iranians worry their country could come under attack by the United States or Israel - was tailored to send a message of defiance against any possible military action over Iran's nuclear program.
The threats from America have swelled our ranks and given us added conviction," said 27-year-old Margess, who like the other volunteers would only give her first name and used a scarf to cover all but her eyes. "We will stand up against them with our lives."
No weapons or explosives were displayed, but the ceremony was organized by a shadowy group believed to have links to the Basiji paramilitary group that is backed by Iran's Islamic regime.
A huge banner used as a backdrop showed flag-covered coffins. And a message - in English - promised to "damage the U.S. worldwide" in retaliation for any attack on Iran.
"If asked by Iran's leaders, we will fight anywhere," said Hussein, 56, a volunteer with a wife and four children. "The world should know that Iranians embrace martyrdom."
One of the organizers - from a group calling itself the Headquarters for Commemorating Martyrs of the Global Islamic Movement - shouted out names and handed out silver dog tags.
Volunteers mingled around monuments to attackers, including a Palestinian suicide bomber, an Iranian militiaman killed by the U.S. forces in Iraq and two commandos who helped carry out the 1983 blast at Marine barracks in Beirut that killed 241 U.S. servicemen. An almost simultaneous bombing killed 56 French peacekeepers.
Hezbollah, Hezbollah," the crowd chanted as a singing group supported by the Lebanese guerrilla group began songs calling for Islamic resistance. Iran is one of the key backers of the Shiite Muslim Hezbollah.
The volunteer bombers waved Qurans, the Muslim holy book, and one held up a placard paraphrasing Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, leader of the 1979 Islamic Revolution: "Our nation is the first to prove that America can't do anything."
"We are here to prove that Muslims - that Iranians - have solidarity and we will willingly shed our blood," said Azadeh, a 20-year-old volunteer who wore a postcard of Khomeini and his successor, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, pinned to her white cloak.
On each postcard a message was stenciled: "Those who are ready to die."
"I only have one son and he's volunteered as a martyr," said Marium Nematzadeh, 56. "I have deep belief in my religion and my leaders. I would even become a bomber if asked."
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:55 AM | Comments (10)
Galloway Says Murder of Tony Blair Would Be Justified
Let us not forget this one of Galloway............
Galloway says murder of Blair would be 'justified'
The Respect MP George Galloway has said it would be morally justified for a suicide bomber to murder Tony Blair.
In an interview with GQ magazine, the reporter asked him: "Would the assassination of, say, Tony Blair by a suicide bomber - if there were no other casualties - be justified as revenge for the war on Iraq?"
Mr Galloway replied: "Yes, it would be morally justified. I am not calling for it - but if it happened it would be of a wholly different moral order to the events of 7/7. It would be entirely logical and explicable. And morally equivalent to ordering the deaths of thousands of innocent people in Iraq - as Blair did."
The Labour MP Stephen Pound, a persistent critic of Mr Galloway during previous controversies, told The Sun that the Respect MP for Bethnal Green and Bow in east London was "disgraceful and truly twisted".
He said: "These comments take my breath away. Every time you think he can't sink any lower he goes and stuns you again. It's reprehensible to say it would be justified for a suicide bomber to assassinate anyone."
Mr Galloway yesterday made a surprise appearance on Cuban television with the Caribbean island's Communist dictator, Fidel Castro - whom he defended as a "lion" in a political world populated by "monkeys".
Mr Galloway shocked panellists on a live television discussion show in Havana by emerging on set mid-transmission to offer passionate support for Castro. The Cuban president, in his customary military fatigues, looked on approvingly as the British MP said Mr Castro was a symbol of dignity. Looking approvingly into each others' eyes, the pair embraced.
Looks like a sequel to "Brokeback Mountain" in the making.
Wild Thing's comment......
Galloway is utterly reprehensible, completely despicable. George Galloway should be taken to the Tower of London and "shortened".
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:17 AM | Comments (17)
May 25, 2006
Veterans Fight Decision Not To Observe Veterans Day
Veterans battle to keep their day
STAMFORD -- They've stormed the beaches of Normandy, fought the Vietcong and defended their country against the "axis of evil."
Now, local veterans are taking on the city's Board of Education, fighting its decision not to close for Veterans Day next year.
By requiring school children to attend classes, veterans say the board has decided not to observe the holiday.
Representatives of the local American Legion, Marine Corps League, Disabled American Veterans, Jewish War Veterans, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars are planning to protest the change in the school calendar at the school board meeting Tuesday night at the Stamford Government Center.
"This is not Memorial Day for the guys who have been killed, to remember them. This is for the guys who are alive," said John Rubino of the local Marine Corps League. "Veterans Day is for living, breathing veterans of all armed forces. These guys have gone though a lot and they have earned that one day of the year."
Veterans say having school on the holiday is disrespectful to the men and women who served their country.
"Our day is a sacred day," said Pat Battinelli, chairman of Stamford's Patriotic and Special Events Commission and leader of the local Marine Corps League. "It's like taking Good Friday away from the church."
Opponents have set up a Web site, www.saveveteransday.com
The school board voted 8 to 1 Feb. 28 in favor of opening on Friday, Nov. 10, to cut one day off the end of the year in June. Friday is the holiday this year because Veterans Day falls on a Saturday.
School board President Susan Nabel said students should get a lesson in civics and history instead of a day off.
"We all felt the real meaning of Veterans Day has been lost for students for quite a few years," she said.
Board members also felt it was more productive to have an extra school day in November rather than June, she said.
Nabel said the two veterans on the board -- Archie Elam and Charles Conway -- voted for the change. She also said members of the Jewish War Veterans and the VFW had been consulted and approved of the plan.
"As a matter of fact, a couple of them said they were very much for it and said they wanted to be involved in the planning of the assemblies at the schools, so I am very distressed now that veterans groups are accusing us of disrespect and accusing us of making a hasty decision," Nabel said.
She said the discussion about whether to hold classes on Veterans Day began last summer.
If the holiday fell on a school day, Nabel said she personally would have opposed the change, but that's not the case this year.
"Veterans Day is actually Nov. 11. We are having school on Friday, Nov. 10. Having school that day in no way prevents students from participating in the events that happen on Veterans Day," she said. "They'll march in the parades and play in the orchestra with a better idea of why they are doing what they are doing."
Board member Martin Levine said the whole purpose was to create a Veterans Day curriculum for the schools.
"Now we seem to be accused of being unpatriotic for what was supposed to be a patriotic thing," he said.
Democrat Marggie Laurie was the only member to vote against the change. She said it would violate union contracts that give some school employees the day off.
At a Republican Town Committee nominating convention last week, Kurt Zimbler, commander of the local Jewish War Veterans post, voted against running two Republican school board members for re-election -- Angela Lorenti and Charles Conway -- because they voted for having school on Veterans Day.
The day's been lost in terms of the importance of it," said Conway, a former Marine. "Ask half the kids what Veterans Day is and they have no idea."
Lorenti said teaching students about veterans is a better way to honor their service to the country than giving kids a day off to play video games or go to the mall.
"Kids are not really acknowledging veterans on their day off. They are at home doing whatever," she said. "We were concerned that it's just another day off and no one was really honoring the veterans."
Public schools in Connecticut are not required to have the day off.
In Wilton, where the schools were in session last Veterans Day, students interviewed veterans, wrote letters to veterans or watched a video about the seriousness of war. School also was in session in New Canaan and Westport last Veterans Day.
"It can't happen here," Battinelli said. "We're not a little country-bumpkin town anymore, and the veterans take the holiday very seriously. There is the American way, and there is this way."
If learning about a holiday is a better way to celebrate than taking a day off, veterans say school should be in session on all holidays, including Labor Day, Columbus Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
"How can you have that one school holiday stricken from the school calendar and not the others?" said Rubino, who will have two sons at Toquam Magnet Elementary School in the fall. "You could imagine the outrage if they tried to remove Martin Luther King Day and say, 'We are going to come to school and talk about who Martin Luther King was.' "
Wild Thing's comment.........
First of all, if kids are not acknowledging Veterans Day and we are being told they don't have a clue what it is about then WHY NOT! Why aren't they being taught what Veterans Day is about by their parents, and their teachers!!!!
And what the hell is this.............Democrat Marggie Laurie concerned it would "violate union contracts that give some school employees the day off".......She could care less about our Veterans she is ONLY worried about violating union contracts and that it might mess up their allowed days off???!!!!!
First we have to put up with, listen to, hear endlessly about the LEFTIES protesting the war and our troops. Having signs that say Kill your officers and we will support you crap and now we have to ignore Veterans Day? Ignore a day that is set aside, one freaken day out of the year to say Thank you from America to our Veterans.
Because they, the parents and the teachers did not want the extra day off, because they said the kids have no clue what Veterans Day is anyway? OMG!!!!
Well our TROOPS are NOT expendable, our VETERANS are NOT expendable and neither is Veterans Day expendable! The liberals will stop at nothing in their disdain for all things military or American.
They skip it this year when it's on a Saturday, then skip it next year when it's on a Sunday. Now they have a precedence for skipping it when it's on a weekday.
Here is a page at my website called......Veterans Never Forgotten
NO Veteran will ever be forgotten as long as I am alive. Thank you Veterans for serving our country. Thank you Troops today too.
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:27 AM | Comments (11)
Iraqi Insurgent Gives Chilling Confession
Iraqi Insurgent Gives Chilling Confession
An alleged agent of the group al-Qaeda in Iraq told a chilling story of hijacking, kidnapping and murder in the name of holy war Tuesday.
In a videotaped confession broadcast on Jordanian state television, Khalaf al-Kerbouly related his deeds without a trace of emotion. Though Jordan's government billed him as a high-ranking al-Qaeda operative arrested in the murder of a Jordanian citizen, Kerbouly's account made him sound more like a simple foot soldier for Iraq's most prominent insurgent organization.
His confession gave a rare glimpse into the mentality of the combatants.
Kerbouly said he was an Iraqi customs agent along the western border with Jordan and was in a position to know who was entering and leaving Iraq, and to kill them if it suited al-Qaeda's purposes. Among his targets was a Jordanian truck driver.
"His name was Khalid al-Dasouqi," Kerbouly recalled in a flat tone. "He said, 'What will you do?' I said, 'I will kill you.' He started to beg me, 'Please, do not kill me,' and so I said, 'I must kill you.' He kept on begging me, and I pulled my personal pistol and said to him, 'Say your prayers.' He said them as he was begging.
"Immediately I shot him twice in the head. I left him in that spot and he was handcuffed and blindfolded. I made sure that he was dead, put his passport and papers over him and went away."
Dasouqi's wife, interviewed separately in the broadcast as one of her daughters wept, suggested that Kerbouly be executed in front of a mosque.
Kerbouly also said he had hijacked trucks, killed four Iraqi soldiers and kidnapped two employees of the Moroccan Embassy in Baghdad, who were killed after he handed them over to his superiors.
Al-Arabiya television, quoting the Jordanian government, said Kerbouly was captured in Iraq by Jordanian intelligence agents, carried across the border and eventually arrested at Queen Alia International Airport near Amman, the capital.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (2)
A Street Vendor and His Sheep
Street vendor Abdulhamid pulls a face while looking at the camera as a sheep nuzzles him in downtown Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Wild Thing's comment.....
I saw this photo and the comment with it and just had to share it with you. The man's look on his face is so funny.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:07 AM | Comments (5)
May 24, 2006
Gen.Georges Sada Says WMD Were Flown To Syria
Thank you Jack for sending this to me. Jack has a blog called Conservative Insurgent.
'Good news' from northern Iraq
By Julia Duin
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
May 23, 2006
Retired Iraqi Gen. , a former fighter pilot-turned-Christian evangelist, says Kurds are converting to Christianity "by the hundreds" in northern Iraq.
Gen. Sada earlier reported that he had been told that Iraqi pilots, flying private planes, took weapons of mass destruction to undisclosed locations in Syria in 2002.
The "good news" from Iraq's turbulent religious scene, consisting mainly of Sunni and Shi'ite Muslim militias battling each other, is from the Kurds, he said. Kurds are creating a constitution that does away with Shariah, or Islamic law, a move counter to trends in other Muslim countries such as Afghanistan and Iran, where leaving Islam is a capital offense and Christian converts are often killed.
"No Christians in the Kurdish territory are persecuted," he said yesterday in an interview.
Gen. Sada, 66, who lives in Baghdad, cited growing numbers of evangelical Christians in the Kurdish city of Irbil and a recent church conference of 854 Christians at the city's Salahaddin University as demonstrations of the Kurds' willingness to protect religious freedom.
He added that Nechervan Idris Barzani, prime minister of the Kurdish regional government in Irbil and nephew of former Iraqi Governing Council President Massoud Barzani, was extremely positive about evangelical Christians' efforts among Iraq's 4 million Kurds.
"He told me he'd rather see a Muslim become a Christian rather than a radical Muslim," the general said.
He spoke last night at McLean Bible Church, Northern Virginia's largest congregation, about his new vocation as director of the Iraqi Institute for Peace and president of the National Presbyterian Church in Baghdad.
"My foundation for peace is Christianity," said Gen. Sada, who was born an Assyrian Christian. "We must learn to love. Muslims will say they've got love and forgiveness, but I want to emphasize what Jesus Christ has said."
Gen. Sada has his work cut out for him. Outside the Kurdish areas, "Christians are in a very tough situation," he said. "Their children are kidnapped, and their money is taken by terrorists."
A fighter pilot like his father, Hormis Sada, Gen. Sada rose quickly in the Iraqi military in the 1960s and 1970s and was made a general in 1980. During the 1991 Persian Gulf War, he was responsible for interrogating U.S. and allied pilots shot down over Iraq.
The foreword to his recent book, "Saddam's Secrets," is written by retired Air Force Col. David Eberly, whose plane was shot down Jan. 19, 1991. Col. Eberly evaded capture for three days before he was found and taken to Baghdad.
"Suddenly I found myself in the presence of a man who, despite the power he had over me, still seemed to respect my human dignity," Col. Eberly wrote of Gen. Sada.
When Saddam Hussein's younger son, Qusay, demanded that the 24 pilots in Gen. Sada's custody be killed, the general refused. He was imprisoned for a week, released, then discharged from the military on Feb. 5, 1991. But he kept his extensive military contacts, who told him of Saddam using private planes to fly weapons of mass destruction to Syria in 2002.
But it was not until April 2004, when Jordanian intelligence reported foiling an al Qaeda plot to unleash 17.5 tons of explosives, including sarin nerve gas, in downtown Amman, that he decided to go public with what he knew.
"I thought, 'Wait a minute,'?" he recalls. "The weapons must have fallen into the hands of terrorists." About the same time, he encountered Terry Law, the Tulsa, Okla., founder of World Compassion, a Christian aid group, who put him in touch with a book publisher."God had brought this together," the general said, "and I prayed about this and decided to go ahead. But this decision was not easy, as there's a vacuum of security in Iraq."
A week after the general's book came out in January, he was summoned by Rep. Peter Hoekstra, Michigan Republican and chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, to talk about weapons of mass destruction under Saddam. No one knows where they are in Syria, the general said, because the men who flew the lethal weapons into Syria aren't talking.
"It's not easy for pilots to say, 'Yes, I transported weapons of mass destruction,'?" he said.
Posted by Wild Thing at 03:09 PM | Comments (4)
Why Be Concerned About Keith Ellison as Congress’s First Muslim
Suricou Raven here is something I am posting for you to read.
Pour yourself a cup of
English tea, sit back and you might like
to read this. We are not your enemy, but Islam is and all the
wishful thinking will not change that fact.
Islam’s “Plan” To Take Over the USA in 20 Years
As reported by Dr.Anis Shorrosh, author of “Islam Revealed”
Dr. Anis Shorrosh said....
"Islam is not a religion of peace," Shorrosh said. "It is an ocean of blood of those who didn't agree
with Mohammed and his cohorts."
1. Terminate America 's freedom of speech by replacing it with
statewide and nationwide hate-crime bills
2. Wage a war of words using black leaders like Louis Farrakhan,
Rev. Jesse Jackson and other visible religious personalities who
promote Islam as the religion of African-Americans while insisting
Christianity is for whites only. What they fail to tell African-Americans
is that it was Arab Muslims who captured them and sold them as slaves.
In fact, the Arabic word for black and slave is the same, ''Abed.''
3. Engage the American public in dialogues, discussions, debates in colleges,
universities, public libraries, radio, TV, churches and mosques on the
virtues of Islam. Proclaim how it is historically another religion like Judaism
and Christianity with the same monotheistic faith.
4. Nominate Muslim sympathizers to political office to bring about favorable
legislation toward Islam and support potential sympathizers by block voting.
5. Take control of as much of Hollywood , the press, TV, radio and the
Internet as possible by buying the related corporations or a controlling stock.
6. Yield to the fear of the imminent shut-off of the lifeblood of
America – black gold. America ’s economy depends on oil and 41 percent
of it comes from the Middle East .
7. Yell ''foul, out-of-context, personal interpretation, hate crime, Zionist,
un- American, inaccurate interpretation of the Quran'' anytime Islam is
criticized or the Quran is analyzed in the public arena.
8. Encourage Muslims to penetrate the White House, specifically with Islamists
who can articulate a marvelous and peaceful picture of Islam. Acquire
government positions and get membership in local school boards.
Train Muslims as medical doctors to dominate the medical field, research
and pharmaceutical companies. (Ever notice how numerous Muslim doctors
in America are, when their countries need them more desperately than
America ?) Take over the computer industry. Establish Middle Eastern
restaurants throughout the U.S. to connect planners of Islamization
in a discreet way.
9. Accelerate Islamic demographic growth via
-Massive immigration (100,000 annually since 1961).
-Use no birth control whatsoever – every baby of Muslim parents is
automatically a Muslim and cannot choose another religion later.
-Muslim men must marry American women and Islamize them (10,000 annually).
Then divorce them and remarry every five years – since one can't legally
marry four at one time. This is a legal solution in America
-Convert angry, alienated black inmates and turn them into militants
(so far 2,000 released inmates have joined al-Qaida worldwide). Only a few
''sleeper cells'' have been captured in Afghanistan and on American soil.
10. Reading , writing, arithmetic and research through the American educational
system, mosques and student centers (now 1,500) should be sprinkled with
dislike of Jews, evangelical Christians and democracy. There are currently
300 exclusively Muslim schools in the U.S. which teach loyalty to the Quran,
not the U.S. Constitution. In January of 2002, Saudi Arabia ’s Embassy in
Washington mailed 4,500 packets of the Quran and videos promoting Islam to
America 's high schools – free of charge. Saudi Arabia would not allow the
U.S. to reciprocate.
11. Provide very sizeable monetary Muslim grants to colleges and universities in
America to establish ''Centers for Islamic studies'' with Muslim directors to
promote Islam in higher-education institutions.
12. Let the entire world know through propaganda, speeches, seminars, local and
national media that terrorists have hijacked Islam, when in truth, Islam
hijacked the terrorists
13. Appeal to the historically compassionate and sensitive Americans for
sympathy and tolerance towards Muslims in America who are portrayed
as mainly immigrants from oppressed countries.
14. Nullify America 's sense of security by manipulating the intelligence
community with misinformation. Periodically terrorize Americans with
reports of impending attacks on bridges, tunnels, water supplies, airports,
apartment buildings and malls.
15. Form riots and demonstrations in the prison system demanding Islamic
Sharia as the way of life, not America 's justice system.
16. Open numerous charities throughout the U.S. , but use the funds to
support Islamic terrorism with American dollars.
17. Raise interest in Islam on America 's campuses by insisting freshman
take at least one course on Islam
18. Unify the numerous Muslim lobbies in Washington , mosques, Islamic
student centers, educational organizations, magazines and papers by
Internet and an annual convention to coordinate plans, propagate the
faith and engender news in the media.
19. Send intimidating messages and messengers to the outspoken individuals
who are critical of Islam and seek to eliminate them by hook or crook.
20. Applaud Muslims as loyal citizens of the U.S. by spotlighting their voting
record as the highest percentage of all minority and ethic groups in America.
Wild Things' comment......
America has already seen the spillover of Islamic terrorism... the bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut with the loss of hundreds of U.S. marines, the bombing of the U.S.S. Cole naval ship off Yemen and then the 9-11-01 World Trade Center bombing in New York. Yet America has received but a small taste of what Islam has in store for them! Until a nation has embraced Islam, it is legally considered a battlefield (Dar-ul-Harb).
Posted by Wild Thing at 08:15 AM | Comments (4)
UPDATES ~ Saudi Men Arrested After Bus Ride
Update : Tuesday May 24
Foreigners Cleared In Bus Scare
TAMPA - Two Saudi men jailed last week after being accused of boarding a school bus and riding to a New Tampa high school could be released as early as today after federal and local authorities determined the pair are in this country legally and are not a security risk.
Monday, ICE Special Agent in Charge Robert Weber said investigators found Almanajam and Alsidran are here legally on student visas and that immigration holds would not be imposed.
"In a nutshell," he said, "we determined what their status was and that it did not require any immigration detention. They are not here illegally."
"We determined that they were apparently just confused," Callaway said. "There is nothing else to lead us to file more criminal charges."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
UPDATES:
Please look further down this post for the updates to this story.
Thank you, Wild Thing
.......
Saudi Men Who Rode School Bus Arrested
Published: May 20, 2006
TAMPA - Two Saudi men were arrested Friday after they boarded a school bus and rode to Wharton High School in New Tampa.
Students on the bus became alarmed, as did the bus driver, who called ahead. Hillsborough County sheriff's deputies met the bus at the school and detained the men. No one was injured and nothing out of line occurred on the bus, deputies said.
Mana Saleh Almanajam, 23, who lives in Apt. 302 in The Point apartments, and Shaker Mohsen Alsidran, 20 Monticello Gardens, Apt. 304-A, each were charged with trespassing on school property. Both remained in Orient Road Jail on Friday evening. Bail for each was set at $250.
"Both defendants gave several versions of the reason they took a school bus to a high school," said Hillsborough County sheriff's spokesman J.D. Callaway.
"They said they wanted to go to Wharton to look around, and then they said they wanted to go there to have some fun, and then they said they wanted to enroll in the English classes there," Callaway said.
"We're not sure if this was a situation of them just being new to this country, or if they were confused or what it was," Callaway said. "We were unsure as to exactly what the final reason was, but it did cause great concern for the students on the bus and for us. One of the guys was wearing shorts with a black trench coat."
While on the bus, the men laughed and spoke in Arabic, Callaway said.
Ahmed Bedier, Tampa director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations said the men likely meant no harm and that because "they were from Saudi Arabia, that escalated the situation."
He blamed the incident on cultural differences.
"They didn't differentiate between a school bus and public transportation," he said.
The bus picked up the students and the men at about 7 a.m. Friday at the corner of Fletcher Avenue and 42nd Street, deputies said.
The bus driver, a substitute, reached her supervisors by telephone. They relayed the information to Wharton High resource Deputy Mike Eastman, who met the bus when it arrived at school at about 7:30 a.m., and detained the men.
The sheriff's Homeland Security Division, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's Regional Domestic Security Task Force, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the FBI all were notified.
Almanajam and Alsidran at first told deputies they were from Morocco, but later admitted being from Saudi Arabia, deputies said. They said they were enrolled at the English Language Institute at the University of South Florida.
Both arrived in the United States about six months ago and have student visas that require them to be enrolled at the English Language Institute, Callaway said.
Authorities searched the apartments of the two men and found nothing of concern, he said.
Wild Thing's comment.........
Was this deliberate to show how easy it is for possible 'illegals up to no good' to have access to America's children? I wonder.... above are their photos.
.
UPDATES: 5/22/06 Monday 12:05a.m.
Judge Revokes Bail For Saudi Bus Riders
Circuit Judge Monica Sierra decided to hold them at a court appearance Saturday so investigators could dig deeper into their pasts. The prosecutor said neither man carried identification when they were arrested at Wharton High School, and authorities haven't had an opportunity to gather background information beyond a check of state records.Ahmed Bedier, Tampa director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations ( CAIR) said the men likely meant no harm and that because "they were from Saudi Arabia, that escalated the situation."
He blamed the incident on cultural differences.
"They didn't differentiate between a school bus and public transportation," he said.
Bond review hearing is Tuesday.
Wild Thing's comment.......The two Saudi’s are supposedly enrolled in the University of South Florida, which is around 8 miles from the High School they were apprehended.
Other Blogs discussing this.
* Florida Masochist * Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler * Six Meat Buffet
Posted by Wild Thing at 08:07 AM | Comments (33)
Iran Test-fires Long-range Missile Again
Iran test-fires long-range missile
Iran conducted a test launch Tuesday night of the Shihab-3 intermediate-range ballistic missile, which is capable of reaching Israel and US targets in the region, Israel Radio reported. The test came hours before Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met with US President George W Bush in Washington to discuss the Iranian threat.
Military officials said it was not clear if this most recent test indicated an advance in the capabilities of the Shihab 3.
They said the test was likely timed to coincide with the Washington summit and with comments made by Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah during celebrations in Beirut marking the 6th anniversary of Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon.
"What deters the enemy from launching an aggression is the resistance's continuous readiness to respond," Nasrallah told scores of supporters. "Northern Israel today is within the range of the resistance's rockets. The ports, bases, factories and everything is within that range."
The Shihab test was only "partly successful," according to news reports. The nature of the difficulties was not clear. The Iranians have been working to extend the Shihab 3's current maximum range of 1,300 kilometers. A year ago, they successfully tested a solid fuel motor for the missile.
The Shihab test was only "partly successful," according to news reports. The nature of the difficulties was not clear. The Iranians have been working to extend the Shihab 3's current maximum range of 1,300 kilometers. A year ago, they successfully tested a solid fuel motor for the missile.
In December, Israel's defense against an Iranian ballistic missile strike, the Arrow 2 missile system, succeeded in intercepting an incoming rocket simulating an Iranian Shihab 3 at an altitude higher than in the previous 13 exercises.
Maj. Elyakim, commander of the Arrow missile battery at Palmahim, told The Jerusalem Post last month that the missile crews were always on high alert, but that they were recently instructed to "raise their level of awareness" because of developments on the Iranian front.
The Arrow missile, he said, could intercept and destroy any Iranian missile fired at Israel, including ones carrying non-conventional warheads. Experts believe that if Iran is attacked by Israel or the US, Teheran would respond by firing long-range ballistic missiles at Israel.
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:44 AM
Condi Rice Wants Iran To Play Role in Iraq
Rice: Iran should play a role in Iraq
The US recognizes that Iran has a role to play in Iraq, but wants Teheran to help stabilize the country, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in an interview aired Tuesday on Arab television.
Rice's comments came ahead of planned talks between the United States and Iran over the situation in Iraq.
"Iran will clearly play a role," Rice told the Al-Arabiya satellite channel. "The question is: Will it be a positive role? Will it be a role that is befitting a good neighbor?"
"If Iran chooses to play a stabilizing role, chooses to play a transparent role, chooses to play a neighborly role, that would be a very good thing for Iraq," Rice said.
US ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad has been authorized to hold discussions with Iran - the most public bilateral exchanges by the countries since soon after the Iranian Revolution in 1979.
US and Iranian officials said the talks would focus on the situation in Iraq, not on broader subjects like Iran's controversial nuclear program or Iran's renewed verbal hostility to Israel since President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won power last summer.
No date for such talks has been set.
In an apparent shift from prior policy, Iran's conservative government this year announced it was willing to begin a wide dialogue with the United States.
Wild Thing's comment.......
So now we are encouraging an axis of evil superstate made up of Iraq and Iran? UGH!
Quran....Fight and slay the unbelievers wherever you find them, and seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem of war. (Surah IX:5)
Qur’an 9:3 “Allah is not bound by any contract or treaty with non-Muslims, nor is His Apostle.”
Qur’an 8:12 “I shall terrorize the infidels. So wound their bodies and incapacitate them because they oppose Allah and His Apostle.”
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:27 AM
Keith Ellison May Become Congress’s First Muslim
June 30 2005 - Keith Ellison at an anti-war Rally The Iraq Peace Action Coalition, an organization made up of Twin Cities area peace and justice groups initiated the event under the call of "End the war in Iraq - End the Occupation - Bring the Troops Home Now!" See complete PRESS RELEASE and PHOTS HERE.
With a fast-growing U.S. population estimated around 5 million, Muslims are increasing their voice in local and national politics every year. But thus far they haven’t had one of their own in a national position of power in Congress, the Cabinet or the Supreme Court.
He didn’t know it at the time, but Keith Ellison took a large step toward changing that earlier this month when he won the Democratic endorsement for the seat of retiring Rep. Martin Sabo (D-Minn.) in one of the safest Democratic districts in the country.
Ellison, a black Muslim, still faces a September primary challenge that could feature Sabo’s chief of staff, a former state Democratic party chairman. But he has already gotten closer than any other Muslim candidate in recent years and would be the first Muslim in Congress, according to several national Muslim groups.
He said that he’s not running on his religion and hasn’t thought much about what it would mean to be the first but that he sees the positives that could come from it. He would also be the first black congressman from Minnesota.
Ellison, who supports abortion rights, is calling for an immediate withdrawal of troops in Iraq because, he said, Iraqis and Americans both want them out and the war has cost too much. He disagrees with the route the House has taken on illegal immigration — turning “hardworking immigrants into felons” — and added that he supports a path to citizenship.
“I think it’s time for the United States to see a moderate Muslim voice, to see a face of Islam that is just like everybody else’s face,” Ellison said. “Perhaps it would be good for somebody who is Muslim to be in Congress, so that Muslims would feel like they are part of the body politic and that other Americans would know that we’re here to make a contribution to this country.”
Ellison is a 42-year-old two-term state representative who took the endorsement from a crowded field in surprisingly swift fashion at the 5th District’s Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party convention May 6. The district covers Minneapolis and some nearby suburbs.
Two other primary candidates skipped the convention, and Sabo Chief of Staff Mike Erlandson, whom the congressman endorsed, withdrew from the convention after being heckled and hasn’t yet said whether he’ll run in the primary. His campaign did not return phone calls.
David Schultz, a Minnesota politics expert at Hamline University in St. Paul, said Erlandson is Ellison’s top competition but will have a tough time making up lost ground.
“His strength has always been among the party leadership, if he had any strength whatsoever,” Schultz said. “And if you couldn’t get the endorsement with the party leadership, I don’t think he’s going to get it among the rank and file.”
According to the American Muslim Alliance, which supports Muslim candidates and educates Muslims about politics, four Muslims ran for Congress in 2004 — two for the Senate and two for the House. One was a Libertarian, and the other three lost in the primaries.
Overall, about 100 Muslims ran for public office in 2004, with close to half winning. One of them, a black Muslim Democratic state senator in North Carolina, is the highest-ranking Muslim elected official.
At least two others Muslims have run for the House this year, both in Texas. Republican Ahmad Hassan is a long shot running against Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) in her Houston district, and Republican Amir Omar lost a primary in the Dallas district.
Agha Saeed, chairman of the American Muslim Alliance, said getting a Muslim in Congress would be a step forward, but he emphasized that it must not be tokenism and should be part of a larger shift toward inclusion of Muslims in American politics and life.
“One person is not going to make any change, unless that victory for the individual marks the beginning of a new attitude and a new approach,” Saeed said.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is at the forefront of Muslim get-out-the-vote efforts nationwide. Spokesman Corey Saylor said CAIR put together substantial efforts in Ohio and Florida in 2004 and will broaden its scope in the upcoming midterms.
He said most of the progress in getting candidates elected has been on the local level but an Ellison victory would be a breakthrough.
“I think it would be huge, no questions asked — particularly for a community that feels very much like its presence in the United States is being questioned,” Saylor said. “This would be a tremendous assertion of the fact that we’re Americans and we’re just as interested in public service as anyone else, and here’s the proof — we have somebody in Congress.”
Saylor attributed the fact that there have been no Muslims in Congress to two things: The Muslim political movement in America is in its infancy, with the first groups having started less than two decades ago, and the lasting effects of Sept. 11 and the negative perceptions about Muslims that have resulted.
Ellison, who converted to Islam when he was 19 years old at Wayne State University in Detroit, said he doesn’t think district voters are afraid to vote for a Muslim, as long as they know he’s concerned about their welfare.
Wild Thing's comment.....
God help us!!! God Help America! How would this be different then electing a Nazi during WWII. Answer: its not.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is at the forefront of Muslim get-out-the-vote efforts nationwide.
Everything seems to be going according to plan.
"Islam isn't in America to be equal to any other faith, but to become dominant. The Koran . . . should be the highest authority in America, and Islam the only accepted religion on earth."-CAIR chairman, Omar M. Ahmad (as reported by the San Ramon Valley Herald in July 1998
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (4)
Military Loather Attacks Caspar W. Weinberger’s New Book
Media Lib Attacks Caspar Weinberger Troop Tribute
The Washington Post raised eyebrows when it assigned Ann Scott Tyson to review former Secretary of Defense Caspar W. Weinberger’s posthumously published new book, "Home of the Brave: Honoring the Unsung Heroes in the War on Terror."
Weinberger’s last work has already been widely praised by former Secretary of the Navy John F. Lehman, the 28th Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, General P.X. Kelley (ret.), the 2.4 million-member Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and conservative media superstar Sean Hannity, among others.
Released just days before Memorial Day, "Home of the Brave" recounts the stories of 19 of the most highly decorated soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines fighting in the War on Terror. The book also criticizes the liberal media for its appalling lack of positive and hopeful stories coming out of Afghanistan and Iraq.
But writer Ann Scott Tyson slammed Weinberger’s tribute to the nation's men and women in uniform calling it "disappointing,” "embellished,” "overblown.”
"I know,” the writer declares, "I was there.”
Some say the Post’s decision to have Tyson review a positive portrayal of the U.S. Armed Forces seems odd considering her consistently negative portrayal of the U.S. military.
Past reports by the controversial scribe have included headlines like: "Troop morale in Iraq hits 'rock bottom.'” / "U.S. troops facing extended deployments amid the danger, heat, and uncertainty of an Iraq occupation are suffering from low morale that has in some cases hit 'rock bottom,'" / "Two Years Later, Iraq War Drains Military,” / "Strain of Iraq War Means the Relief Burden Katrina Will Have to Be Shared” / and "Suicides in Marine Corps Rise by 29%: Fast Pace of Operations Are Believed to Contribute.”
Asked about the Washington Post hit piece, Weinberger co-author Wynton C. Hall told NewsMax: "I think it’s great! It makes our argument about liberal media bias for us.”"Frankly, having Ann Scott Tyson review a pro-military book is like having a fan of the Boston Red Sox review the New York Yankees,” he added.
The 2.4 million member Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) calls "Home of the Brave," "A potential bestseller” that can "go a long way in changing public perceptions and thus popular culture.”
Sean Hannity has labeled the book "One of the most important books yet written about the war on terror.”
Former President George H.W. Bush said about Home of the Brave, "These real-life heroes remind us of American history's most enduring lesson: ‘Ours would not be the land of the free if it were not also the home of the brave.’"
Wild Thing's comment.......
People like this Ann Scott Tyson should be sent to the caves in Afghanistan and Iraq and let her do reporting FOR the enemy since she already is doing just that now anyway.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:02 AM | Comments (4)
Happy Birthday Sebastian ~ 2 Years Old Today
This was written for Sebastian by a friend that writes poetry when he first came got him.
SebastianSuper little pooch as cute as the Dickens,
Eloquent speaker for defending his home,
Best friend for Chrissie,
and her little heartthrob,
A little friend who doesn’t do algebra,
Simple cuddler who fits well in laps or arms,
Tempestuous mischief-making acrobat,
Ineffable cuteness: a fait accompli,
Advocate of hidden bones and toys, aha!
Never underestimate this Sebastian.Copyright © 2004 by AKA Wordsmith. All rights reserved.
If you think dogs can't count,
try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket
and then giving Fido only two of them.
--Phil Pastoret
We have a dog, Sebastian and a kitty Missy. They both are big supporters of the troops. Missy will put her paw on his forehead and wash his face. They are buddies and truly love each other. Of course when we got him 2 years ago, we let Missy decide when it was ok with her to have a brother that was a puppy. But after 10 days they began to sleep and play together.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:01 AM | Comments (4)
May 23, 2006
When Libya's Mummar Qaddaf Got His Butt Kicked
This story is contributed by TomR. Thank you Tom.
In President Reagan's own words! Here's a good and 'behind the scenes' history lesson on how and why a one-time and big-time Islamic terrorist got his butt kicked, that stayed 'kicked' from 1986 to 2006! Qaddafi was the first of the modern day Islamist/terrorist to get hammered by any Western nation and as usual, it was America that had to do the job. Notice some adversaries have remained-France and the Western news media.
"This was one of the times, incidentally - while we were trying to come up with targets that would let us make our point but not hurt innocent people - when I really lost my patience with the press. Through the inevitable leak, several reporters picked up a scent that we might be planning an operation against Qaddafi in response to the disco bombing. In some cases, they got fairly accurate information, and some of their reports virtually announced to Qaddafi that the United States was planning to attack him. We tried to talk them out of revealing these state secrets - as far as I was concerned, maintaining secrecy in a war against terrorism is crucial - but they would have none of it. Every time they got a leak, they ran with it, even though it meant risking human lives.""On April 13, we settled on the principal target: Qaddafi's military headquarters and barracks in Tripoli, which was located well away from civilian targets. Housed in this compound was the intelligence center from which Libya's worldwide program of state-sponsored terrorism was directed. The attack was not intended to kill Qaddafi; that would have violated our prohibition against assassination. The objective was to let him know that we weren't going to accept his terrorism anymore, and that if he did it again he could expect to hear from us again. It was impossible however, to know exactly where he would be at the time of the attack. We realized that it was possible, perhaps probable, that he might be at or near the intelligence center when our planes struck."
"France and Italy refused to permit our F-111 bombers to cross their air space on the way from a base in England to Tripoli to join carrier-based planes from the Sixth Fleet in the attack. As a result, the F-111's had to detour more than a thousand miles over the Atlantic and Mediterranean; this would shorten their effective range and, by leaving them with less reserve fuel, would possibly make them more vulnerable during the attack. The refusal upset me, because I believed all civilized nations were in the same boat when it came to resisting terrorism. At least in the case of France, however, economic considerations prevailed: While it publicly condemned terrorism, France conducted a lot of business with Libya and was typically trying to play both sides."
Please see the website HERE for more of this subject. Thank you.
Posted by Wild Thing at 04:11 PM | Comments (2)
Commission Maintains U.S. Military Cemeteries Overseas
The U.S. cemetery in Cambridge, England, contains the remains of 3,812 of American war dead from World War II. (Courtesy photo)
By Steven Donald Smith American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, May 23, 2006 – Recognizing the need for a federal agency to take the lead in honoring U.S. servicemembers who died on foreign soil, Congress enacted legislation in 1923 to create the American Battle Monuments Commission.
The American Battle Monuments Commission maintains and oversees American cemeteries and monuments around the world. They are commemorative sites honoring our nation's war heroes," retired Army Brig. Gen. John "Jack" Nicholson, secretary and chief executive officer of the commission, said.
The commission directs the administration and operation of 24 American military cemeteries and 25 monuments and memorials located in 15 countries, including three memorials in the United States. The commission is an agency of the executive branch of the federal government.
The commission maintains the sites with appropriated funds, Nicholson said, and employs about 300 foreign nationals.
"We sort of live by the motto of our first chairman, Gen. John J. Pershing, who said, 'Time will not dim the glory of their deeds,'" Charles A. Krohn, deputy chief of public affairs, said.
Its mission also includes designing and constructing new cemeteries and monuments. For instance, the commission designed, planned and raised money for the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., which was turned over to the National Park Service shortly after it opened on April 29, 2004.
The primary focus of the commission is World War I and World War II, but it also maintains a cemetery in Mexico City from the Mexican-American War (1846-48) and a cemetery in Panama that includes many U.S. troops and civilians who died of yellow fever while building the Panama Canal, Krohn said.
There are 124,917 American war dead interred in ABMC cemeteries: 30,921 from World War I, 93,246 from World War II, and 750 from the Mexican-American War, commission officials said.
The families of those killed during World War I and World War II had the option of bringing the bodies of their loved ones back to the United States for burial. But 39 percent allowed the remains to be buried overseas at American cemeteries. In 1949, the next of kin again had the option of repatriating the remains or leaving them overseas. Sixty-five percent opted to move the remains back to the U.S., Krohn said.
The American cemetery in Normandy, France, is the commission's most famous and most visited site, Nicholson said.
He said the Normandy cemetery, along with all the other sites, are a reminder to all people of what the U.S. has done for the cause of freedom.
"The United States has willingly sent its young men and women to these foreign countries when asked to restore their freedom," Nicholson said. "We encourage people to visit them to be reminded of the sacrifice and courage of the Americans buried there."
Krohn said that on a visit to a commission cemetery in Tunisia in February, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld became a "legend" with the folks who work at the commission."As he was being escorted through he saw a cigarette butt on the ground and, without saying anything, he bent down, picked up the cigarette butt and put it in his pocket," Krohn said. "He may not have made much of it, but it was watched by a lot of people who were exceptionally moved by the thoughtfulness of that act."
The biggest challenge faced by the commission is getting people to visit some of its more obscure cemeteries and monuments, Krohn said. "We have cemeteries near Paris and Rome, but nobody knows about them. Spreading the word is our biggest challenge," he said.
Nicholson said visiting the sites is an educational experience, and everyone he has talked to has been glad they made the trip.
"I think there has never been an American or a person from any other country that has visited one of our cemeteries or memorials that regretted it," Nicholson said. "Go see them. You'll be glad you did."
A full list of American Battle Monuments Commission cemeteries and memorials is available on the commission's Web
Wild Thing's comment......
Just a thought and maybe I am wrong, but wouldn't it be respectful and show gratitude if the countries that we saved their glutes would keep up the Cemeteries as a way of saying thank you into eternity?
Posted by Wild Thing at 03:55 PM | Comments (1)
CENTCOM Commander Visits Mountain Lion Battlefields
May 23, 2006
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael Pintagro
Task Force Spartan Public Affairs NCOIC
FORWARD OPERATING BASE ASADABAD, Afghanistan – The senior Southwest Asia theater commander met with Task Force Spartan and Afghan National Army leaders and Soldiers operating in Kunar Province during a visit of Regional Command East May 2.
Army Gen. John P. Abizaid, U.S. Central Command commander, visited Operation Mountain Lion battlegrounds in northeast Afghanistan alongside Army Maj. Gen. Benjamin C. Freakley, commander of Combined Joint Task Force - 76, Army Brig. Gen. James Terry, CJTF - 76 deputy commanding general for operations, and Army Col. John Nicholson, commander of Task Force Spartan.
The battlefield visit began at Forward Operating Base Asadabad in northeast Afghanistan’s Kunar Province. Nicholson, Afghan National Army officials and senior American ANA advisors briefed the CENTCOM commander on Operation Mountain Lion, the disposition of friendly and hostile forces, and the composition of enemy organizations.
The leaders discussed issues ranging from the opium trade and regional economic development to the Pakistani border and future operations while gathered around a table-top map. The Asadabad Provincial Reconstruction Team commander, Army Lt. Col. Pete Munster, provided insights into local governance as well as regional construction projects.
Abizaid, a native of Coleville, Calif., asked the assembled leaders about issues ranging from key local industries to efforts at reconciliation with disaffected Afghans. He also queried ANA officials and advisors about ANA progress.
Army Lt. Col. Steven Bapp, combat advisor to 3rd Brigade, 201st ANA Corps, described Afghan military progress as brisk. He also emphasized the role of Afghan leadership in regional military efforts, noting the prominent role of ANA Brig. Gen. Zmarai, the brigade commander.
“It’s not my brigade,” said Bapp, a resident of Cocoa Beach, Fla. “It’s General Zmarai’s brigade -- it’s not my army: it’s the Afghan people’s army.”
Abizaid quickly expanded on the point.
“It’s their country and their army,” he said. “It’s our job to work ourselves out of a job -- if they don’t win, we don’t win.”
ANA leaders described relations with Coalition forces as close and constructive.
“We have been coordinating everything with the Coalition,” said ANA Maj. Aziz, 3rd Brigade, 201st ANA Corps intelligence officer. “We have been conducting operations side by side.
“We discuss issues all the time, and when we have some information we pass it to the Coalition and when the Coalition has information, they pass it on to us,” he added.
Abizaid discussed terrorist tactics, commenting on such desperate enemy devices as bombings and suicide attacks.
The CENTCOM commander also met with Marines serving in the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, Task Force Lava, as well as Soldiers serving in 1st Battalion, 32rd Infantry Regiment, Task Force Spartan. Abizaid received operational and terrain briefings from area leaders, including Army Lt. Col. Chris Cavoli, the 1-32 commander, and Marine Lt. Col. Chip Bierman, the Task Force Lava commander.
The general concluded his battlefield visit with a series of briefings and meetings in Jalalabad. He heard from key Task Force Spartan officers and PRT officials before departing for Bagram Airfield.
“The visit was extremely productive,” Nicholson said. “The Soldiers and Marines of Task Force Spartan enjoyed their time with him, and our commanders benefited form the opportunity to dialogue with the CENTCOM commander.
“The general made it clear from the start he wanted to discuss the tough issues and hear frank opinions,” the Baltimore native added. “He gave us a lot to think about, and I hope he returned to CENTCOM headquarters with some valuable input from the field.”
Abizaid assumed the top CENTCOM spot in July 2003, replacing Army Gen. Tommy Franks.
Posted by Wild Thing at 02:55 AM | Comments (6)
Tal Afar Mayor Thanks and Praises The 3rd Armored Cavalry
For soldiers, gratitude and praise from an Iraqi mayor
COLORADO SPRINGS - An Iraqi mayor stood before troops lined up on the lawn at Fort Carson on Friday morning and said only two words in English.
But those two words brought the crowd to its feet.
"Thank you."
It was a telling gesture from Tal Afar Mayor Najim Al Jibouri, who spoke for about 20 minutes in his native tongue praising the 3rd Armored Cavalry for saving his city from certain ruin.
It was his first trip to the United States, arriving via Washington, D.C., then coming to Colorado Springs with his wife and son.
The mayor was invited as a part of a welcoming ceremony at Fort Carson for those who had just finished another tour in Iraq.
Al Jibouri, dressed in a black suit with a lavender tie, said he was glad to be back among them.
"Are you truly my friends?" he asked through a translator. "Yes. I walk a happier man because you are my friends. You are the world to me. I smell the sweet perfume that emanates from your flower of your strength, honor and greatness in every corner of Tal Afar. The nightmares of terror fled when the lion of your bravery entered our city."
Last year, the 3rd ACR was credited with securing the city of Tal Afar and largely ridding it of insurgents. The mayor singled out Col. H.R. McMaster, whom he called "a wise leader."
The mayor patted his hand on his heart and made the peace sign as a crowd of soldiers and their families gave him a standing ovation.
Al Jibouri proved to be a bit of a celebrity after the ceremony, which featured a display of charging horses and the cannon salute. People and press flocked around him, thanking him for coming and asking to have their photos taken with him.
Stephanie Gault, whose husband, Dana Gault, had just returned from his second tour in Iraq, settled for a picture with Al Jibouri's son, Omar, when it became apparent she wouldn't be able to cut through the crowd to get to the mayor.
"He's a great man," she said.Maj. Gen. James Simmons praised the mayor as well, saying history would look favorably upon his role in supporting a democratic mission in Iraq. McMaster and Al Jibouri hugged, clasped their hands together and raised their fists in the air.
The mayor said afterward through a translator that he worried about fading support for the war in Iraq and urged Americans to remember what it was like before U.S. forces arrived.
"One year ago today, not even a bird used to be inside the city of Tal Afar because of all the shooting that happened continuously," he said. "All of the schools were closed and all the government facilities were closed completely. Killing and murdering was allowed - even of the children."
He said mistakes have been made - he did not specify them - but Al Jibouri said he believed troops might need to stay for another two to three years. He said there is still a lot of work to do.
That's what 1st Lt. Nate Garner thought.
Back from his first tour in Iraq, he said the sagging support for the war didn't bother him much because he saw a lot of progress in the country. Stationed in Baghdad, he said the improvised explosive devices along the roadsides seemed more hurried and crude and ineffective.
"We have a job to do over there and we're doing it," Garner said.
Posted by Wild Thing at 02:17 AM | Comments (10)
Thieves Steal Personal Data of 26.5M Vets
WASHINGTON -- Thieves took sensitive personal information on 26.5 million U.S. veterans, including Social Security numbers and birth dates, after a Veterans Affairs employee improperly brought the material home, the government said Monday.
The information involved mainly those veterans who served and have been discharged since 1975, said VA Secretary Jim Nicholson. Data of veterans discharged before 1975 who submitted claims to the agency may have been included.
Nicholson said there was no evidence the thieves had used the data for identity theft, and an investigation was continuing.
"It's highly probable that they do not know what they have," he said in a briefing with reporters. "We have decided that we must exercise an abundance of caution and make sure our veterans are aware of this incident."
Veterans advocates expressed alarm.
"This was a very serious breach of security for American veterans and their families," said Bob Wallace, executive director of Veterans of Foreign Wars. "We want the VA to show leadership, management and accountability for this breach."
Ramona Joyce, spokeswoman for the American Legion, agreed that the theft was a concern. "In the information age, we're constantly told to protect our information. We would ask no less of the VA," she said.
Nicholson declined to comment on the specifics of the incident, which involved a midlevel data analyst who had taken the information home to suburban Maryland on a laptop to work on a department project.
The residential community had been a target of a series of burglaries when the employee was victimized earlier this month, according to the FBI in Baltimore. Local law enforcement and the VA inspector general were also investigating.
"I want to emphasize there was no medical records of any veteran and no financial information of any veteran that's been compromised," Nicholson said, although he added later that some information on the veterans' disabilities may have been taken.
Nicholson said he does not know how many of the department's 235,000 employees go thorough background investigations. He said employees who have access to large volumes of personal data should be required to undergo such checks, but he does not believe the VA employee was involved in the theft.
"We do not suspect at all any ulterior motive," he said.
The department has come under criticism for shoddy accounting practices and for falling short on the needs of veterans.
Last year, more than 260,000 veterans could not sign up for services because of cost-cutting. Audits also have shown the agency used misleading accounting methods and lacked documentation to prove its claimed savings.
"It is a mystifying and gravely serious concern that a VA data analyst would be permitted to just walk out the VA door with such information," Illinois Rep. Lane Evans, the top Democrat on the Veterans Affairs Committee, said in a statement signed by other Democrats on the panel.
Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., who is a Vietnam veteran, said he would introduce legislation to require the VA to provide credit reports to the veterans affected by the theft.
"This is no way to treat those who have worn the uniform of our country," Kerry said. "Someone needs to be fired."
The VA said it was notifying members of Congress and the individual veterans about the burglary. It has set up a call center at 1-800-FED-INFO and Web site, http://www.firstgov.gov, for veterans who believe their information has been misused.
It also is stepping up its review of procedures on the use of personal data for many of its employees who telecommute as well as others who must sign disclosure forms showing they are aware of federal privacy laws and the consequences if they're violated.
Deborah Platt Majoras, chair of the Federal Trade Commission, said her task force has reached out to the three major credit bureaus to be alert to possible misuse.
Other places regarding this:
Latest Information on Veterans Affairs Data Security
Wild Thing's comment.........
Is it just me or does it make your skin crawl when Hanoi Kerry's name is connected in any way to Veterans??!!!!
GRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! I mean it is bad enough to have this kind of thing happen to our Veterans and then to have to see that piece of shits name ( Kerry) in the story about it makes me sick!!!
Here is some information:
You can order a copy of your DD214 online now. It usually will arrive within a week of your request if you fax in your signature. The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) has provided the following website for veterans to gain access to their DD-214s online:
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:55 AM | Comments (2)
John Kerry Supports NO WAIT He Opposes Border Fence
For- Against- For _ well maybe- NO wait.........................ugh!
Sen. John Kerry joined most of his Democratic colleagues last week in voting to build a wall along 370 miles of the U.S.-Mexican border.But he now says that after the wall is built it should be taken down as soon as possible.
"I voted for it," Kerry acknowledged Friday while speaking to the New England Council breakfast.
But in quotes picked up by the Boston Herald, the Massachusetts Democrat added: "If I were making the long-term decision, I’d announce, you know, hopefully it’s a temporary measure, and we can take it down as soon as we have enough people" to guard the border.
Kerry said beefing up the number of border patrol agents "should be America’s goal, absolutely and positively." He noted that he'd introduced an amendment to the Senate border bill that would add 3,000 new officers.
"But in the temporary," he said, "we’ve got to have a comprehensive approach everywhere," adding that, "in the short term, I think the wall can serve us well."
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:05 AM | Comments (2)
Free Kerry’s 180!
Kerry’s 180 has been incarcerated. After all, we all saw that he wants to share with the American people according to his statement on Russert’s program on television in front of the entire nation.
You would think that in view of his opening a law firm back in the 70’s (Kerry & Sragow) -that he would know how to properly execute a form. Apparently when he DID sign the 180, did so just so his biographer was the only one who would receive the information at the Boston Globe.
We understand there are 100 something pages missing from that file.
Retired Rear Admiral George R. Worthington, who served with the Navy SEALS, calls Kerry’s celebrated ribbon-tossing stunt in 1971 a breach of trust. “It didn’t help for him to be making foreign policy when other guys were in combat or the Hanoi Hilton,” says Worthington. “He voted against nearly every weapons increase when he was in the Senate.”
Kerry insists ‘’The truth in its entirety will come out . . . the truth will come out.”
We are still waiting.
We’ve formed a blogburst group and here are the bloggers who are contributing so far. If you want to join the blogroll for Free Kerry’s 180,click to email Cao and include the url for your blog.
Thank you Cao for all the work you do on this and the blogroll.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (2)
News Around The World
"We have the right to kill 4 million Americans - 2 million of them children - and to exile twice as many and wound and cripple hundreds of thousands..." -Suleiman Abu Gheith, al Qaeda spokesman
May 2006: On Monday, the Toronto Sun reported the theft of hundreds of stolen Afghan passports, noting that they can be used by terrorists to attempt entry into Canada and the U.S. According to published media reports, the blank passports and official Afghan seals were stolen from the Afghan embassy in Belgium on Wednesday, April 26, 2006. Police are concerned the blank documents can be modified by terrorists to pose as refugees, board flights to Canada and sneak into the U.S.
Security officials at U.S. border crossing checkpoints are advised to be on alert for the immediate use of these documents.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:27 AM
May 22, 2006
Guard the Borders Blogburst
by Heidi at Euphoric Reality
Our Open Borders Will Be The Death Of Us Yet
I live in Texas, and sometimes I think people don't truly grasp the fact that the chaos on our borders is not a border state issue - it threatens them directly, no matter where they live. The fact is that our border chaos is directly linked to our national security. Terrorists already have and continue to illegally cross our border, blending in with illegals from Mexico and Central America, or brazenly crossing over with an armed escort of gang members or even the Mexican military.
Watch this video of an ongoing investigation done by the news team from KGRV TV serving
Harlingen-Weslaco-McAllen -Brownsville, Texas. (Video will open in your media player - it's a news segment.) It is part of an ongoing series highlighting the culmination of months of investigative research into the flow of terrorists over our borders. Fred Burton, a counter-terrorism expert of Stratfor, was interviewed on camera. He stated that now is the perfect time for terrorists to sneak across the border. Escalating violence and an unprecedented flood of illegals is distracting law enforcement and stretching it thin. Zapata County sheriff, Frederigo Gonzales Jr. says that as for WMDs, it is not a matter of "if", but "when".
About one in every 10 caught border jumpers is an Arab. I don't think I need to point out that if they are sneaking into the country illegally, they fit the profile and are probably terrorists. Unfortunately, we only catch about 25-33% of the flood of illegals, and estimates are that we absorb 3 million illegals (Time Magazine, September 2004 and Bear Stearns July 2005) that do make it through each year. That could mean that about 10% of the illegals that DO make it across are possible terrorists. Do the math: that's potentially 300,000 terrorists making it into our country free and clear. Let's get really skeptical and downgrade that so we feel better about it - let's say only 1% of those that make it through are possible terrorists. That is only 30,000 - per YEAR. Is that OK? Considering it took 18 terrorists to wreak the terror of 9/11, is 300,000 or even 30,000 terrorists OK with you?
If that's a reasonable risk for you, then consider the percentage of potential terrorists that have already crossed the border and are living among us - sleeper cells in our own neighborhoods. The low estimate of illegals inside our border is 20 million, the high is 29 million. What's 10% of that figure? Is a few million potential terrorists a reasonable risk?
For some strange reason, the smaller number of 30,000 is almost scarier to me. Maybe it's just easier to grasp a few thousand insane killers bent on our destruction, instead of an army of millions. Maybe it's because we can do still something about thousands - IF we act swiftly and ruthlessly - but a few million is an almost insurmountable...and it's possibly far too late. Fred Burton agrees with that assessment – he said the numbers of terrorists that have been caught is nothing compared to those that have made it through – those numbers are huge.
* Euphoric Reality
If you are an open borders type and think it's wrong to build any barrier along the border, or in any way militarize our border; or if you think illegal immigration is just about nice, poor people who want jobs, you need a wake-up call. Let's look at some of the issues raised by the investigation in the video above as well as some others I've written about in the past year.
1. Several months ago, according to KGRV TV, two IEDs and components for 33 more were discovered in Laredo. It won't be long before we face here in America, what our brave soldiers face every day in Iraq. And IEDs may be the least worrisome. If it's a simple matter to smuggle 3,000 pounds of drugs across the border, as the sheriff mentioned, how much easier is it to carry across a suitcase bomb - a dirty nuke?
“Several al-Qaeda leaders believe operatives can pay their way into the country through Mexico and also believe illegal entry is more advantageous than legal entry for operational security reasons,” Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Admiral James Loy testified on February 16 before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. “At home, we must prepare ourselves for any attack, from IEDs (improvised explosive devices) to Weapons of Mass Destruction…from soft targets like malls to national icons.”
2. A terrorist jacket, with patches depicting an Arab military and 9/11, was found in Hebbronville, TX. Finding terrorist garb is nothing new. In 2005:
Ms. Garner, who grew up here in Naco, population 7,000 says..."It is more dangerous and pernicious, with a growing number of people of different nationalities coming across the border, including from the Middle East, India, and Afghanistan."The evidence of that comes in Islamic prayer rugs found in the desert dust, Arabic literature left by still-warm campfires, and Afghani head garb caught on cactus quills. The FBI also recently found a drug tunnel beneath the bedroom of a schoolmate of one of the Garner girls, with $250,000 cash hidden inside.
3. In November 2005, a confirmed al Qaeda operative was arrested near the Mexican border and turned over to the FBI. He had been living in Mexico for six months and making notes of the movement of people and police officers.
4. Also in November of last year, A congresswoman from NC went on the record as noting that three al Qaeda operatives were being held in a jail in Texas, after being apprehended on the U.S.-Mexican border.
5. In 2005, in southern Texas alone, 51 suspected terrorists were captured while crossing the border [from the KGRV news report]. They came from countries such as Iran, Egypt, Syria, Iraq, and Pakistan, and were arrested on various charges of gun smuggling and illegally wiring large sums of money. We do not know where they are today. That's a problem.
6. In 2005, 10 Egyptians were arrested in Douglas, Arizona.
7. In 2004, a high-level al Qaeda operative (comparable to Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the mastermind of 9/11) was arrested in McAllen, Texas attempting to make her way to New York after illegally crossing the border by swimming the Rio Grande. Though she was on a terrorist watch list, she had illegally entered into America at least 250 times before being caught!!!
8. In September of 2004, Action 4 News in Harlingen, Texas, learned that Al Qaeda cells - each group having from seven to fifteen suspected terrorist members were found just across the Rio Grande Valley in Mexico.
"We know from intelligence reports that there are middle easterners that are making their way in our direction," said U.S. Congressman Jim Turner during a news conference at the Veterans Memorial International Bridge in Brownsville."We don't know their purpose, but we do know that they are there and those reports are coming in increasing numbers. So it should be a wake-up call."
9. In July of 2004, Adnan El-Shukrijumah, a high-ranking Al-Qaeda leader and one of the most wanted terrorists in the world, was spotted in Honduras meeting with members of the MS-13 gang. By August, he had may his way north and was spotted in north Mexico.
By the way, if you need proof that al Qaeda is working hand-in-glove with Latino gangs, go here - there's plenty of reading.
10. In October of 2004, an intelligence report supplied to the Department of Homeland Security by Russian security services said that a group of 25 backpack-carrying Chechen terrorists - all white - illegally entered Arizona by way of Mexico last summer.
11. In September 2001, 10 Yemenis were arrested by Mexican police before trying to cross from Agua Prieta into Douglas, Arizona. They were released and they returned to Agua Prieta to try again, where they were joined by several other unidentified Arabs.
12. In November 1998, over 100 Iranians were apprehended in Arizona because of a tip called in by a border rancher.
Those are just a few examples. Our border security is non-existent, and our enemies are well aware of that fact.
While entry into the U.S. is their primary goal in establishing a base in Latin America, Islamist terrorists -- well-aware of the allure Marxism once held for many south of the border -- also see the region as a potential breeding ground for Islamic converts due to its poor economic and social conditions and corrupt governments.For instance, the Shia terrorist group Hezbollah wields a strong presence in the tri-border region, a lawless, crime-ridden area where Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay intersect. Both Osama bin Laden and 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed are also said to have spent time there, during the 1990's.
It was Mohammed who in 2002 encouraged alleged dirty bomber Jose Padilla to 'enter the United States by way of Mexico' in order to carry out attacks on U.S. targets, according to Deputy Attorney General James Comey.
Ironically, before converting to Islam and volunteering his services to Al-Qaeda, Padilla belonged to the Chicago chapter of the Latin Kings -- like MS-13, a violent Hispanic criminal gang.
Although U.S. agents were able to collar Padilla before he could carry out a terrorist attack, the U.S. border strategy, as presently construed, may one day soon yield a much less savory result.
Hm, do you think so???
Nevertheless, as stated in the KGRV news report, our government does not want us to know of the terror threat flowing over our border. Homeland Security refused to respond to KGRV's requests for an interview on the subject. And the government is doing everything they can to shut down the citizens who were once the greatest intelligence asset to to the Border Patrol in stopping terrorists crossing the border: American ranchers living along the border.
Perhaps the most valuable asset that the Border Patrol has is the aid of rural Cochise County (AZ) citizens. Many have attempted to help, in accordance with Arizona law. Through that legal process, landowners may execute a citizen’s arrest for individuals or groups trespassing on their property. However, even that has been nullified. [...] Rural citizens here have met with savage recriminations for exerting their legal rights. Immigration advocacy groups howl in protest, as does the Mexican government. Their lawyers have demanded that the ranchers be prosecuted for false arrest, kidnapping, intimidation, criminal assault and violation of civil rights...Illegal immigrants have now sued some Cochise County citizens in American courts. [...] Ben Anderson, a retired U.S. Army colonel who lives in Sierra Vista, Ariz., has made a detailed study of the border danger since the flood of illegals began through Cochise County in 1997.“There is only one way to handle this,” the colonel says firmly. “In a world now filled with biowarfare agents, backpack nuclear devices and chemical weapons like Sarin gas, we must militarize the border. There is no other way to stop the flow.”
Congressman John Culberson (R-TX) concurs:
FBI Director Robert Mueller had previously "confirmed" in testimony before [a Congressional] committee "that there are individuals from countries with known al-Qaeda connections who are changing their Islamic surnames to Hispanic-sounding names and obtaining false Hispanic identities, learning to speak Spanish and pretending to be Hispanic immigrants.""And these are clearly Arab terrorists," Rep. Culberson added, "from countries like Yemen, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. They're crossing the border, pretending to be Hispanic immigrants, and then disappearing."
Rep. Culberson said news of al-Qaeda’s penetration of the U.S.'s southern border has him worried that the next terrorist plot could involve setting off simultaneous truck bombs in major urban centers.
"The day they blow us up," he predicted, "the border will be sealed tighter than the Berlin Wall and you'll have armed United States military forces" enforcing immigration laws.
That will be too late.
This has been a production of the Guard the Borders Blogburst. It was started by Euphoric Reality, and serves to keep immigration issues in the forefront of our minds as we’re going about our daily lives and continuing to fight the war on terror. If you are concerned with the trend of illegal immigration facing our country, join our Blogburst! Just send an email with your blog name and url to euphoricrealitynet at gmail dot com.
Posted by Wild Thing at 04:41 PM | Comments (4)
Reunited: Pakistan Children Seized by Islamist Slave Traders
Reunited: boys saved from slavers (Christian children captured by Muslim slave-traders)
A SENIOR member of an Islamic organisation linked to Al-Qaeda is funding his activities through the kidnapping of Christian children who are sold into slavery in Pakistan.
The Sunday Times has established that Gul Khan, a wealthy militant who uses the base of Jamaat-ud Daawa (JUD) near Lahore, is behind a cruel trade in boys aged six to 12.
They are abducted from remote Christian villages in the Punjab and fetch nearly £1,000 each from buyers who consign them to a life of misery in domestic servitude or in the sex trade.
Khan was exposed in a sting organised by American and Pakistani missionaries who decided to save 20 such boys and return them to their homes. Using a secret camera, they filmed him accepting $28,500 (£15,000) from a Pakistani missionary posing as a businessman who said he wanted to set up an operation in which the boys would beg for cash on the streets.
The base was funded by Osama Bin Laden, the Al-Qaeda leader, in the late 1990s and the JUD’s assets were frozen last month by the US Treasury after it was designated a terrorist organisation.
The US State Department declared the JUD a front for another organisation, Lashkar-i-Toiba, a terrorist group banned in Pakistan which joined with Al-Qaeda in an attempt to assassinate President Pervez Musharraf in 2003.
Khan, who regularly stays at the JUD’s base, broke his promise to hand over the 20 boys on receipt of the cash and took the Pakistani missionary’s assistant hostage while he checked that the dollars were genuine.
The boys were eventually freed in a dishevelled and malnourished state after being locked in a room for five months during which they suffered frequent beatings.
Last week I accompanied six of the boys on journeys of up to 15 hours to their homes, where they were greeted with astonishment and jubilation by families who had given them up for dead.
The mother of Akash Aziz, who was kidnapped as he played with his friends after school, was so astonished that she could barely move or speak at first.
The undercover missionaries have demanded the prosecution of Khan and an investigation into his work for the JUD, which claims to have created a “pure Islamic environment” at Muridke.
Hafez Muhamed Sayeed, its leader, was accused of inciting riots in Pakistan this year with speeches denouncing western “depravity” after a Danish newspaper published cartoons of the prophet Muhammad.
Wild Thing's comment......
The most dangerous threat to the existence of mankind is the dangerous cult of Islam. The entire world should be horrified with the death cult of Islam. But just look at our own country, the USA, and how the left makes excuses for Islamists ie. Gore, Kennedy, the media, celebrities etc. Odd how they must be thinking that the terrorist have selective killing in mind when they simply do not.
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:47 AM | Comments (18)
Iran: Fund To 'Demolish' Israel Set Up
Iranian students set up fund dedicated to Israel's destruction. Encouraged by regime, students call fund 'symbolic move' in support of Palestinians
YNet news
Iranian students set up fund dedicated to Israel's destruction. Encouraged by regime, students call fund 'symbolic move' in support of Palestinians.
A group of Iranian students announced Sunday at an event attended by a high-ranking member of the elite Revolutionary Guard that they were setting up a fund to destroy Israel.
Although the initiative's name - "The Student Fund for Demolishing Israel" - brings to mind President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's call last year to destroy the Jewish state, an organizer said its goal was to support the cash-strapped Palestinian government.
Some 300 students attended the event hosted by a group calling itself the Movement of Justice-seeking Students at the University of Tehran.
"This is a symbolic move to attract public attention to the Palestinian cause at a time when Western countries have halted financial support to the Hamas-led government," Javad Miri, the group's spokesman, told The Associated Press.
Miri said the group was collecting money that it will send it to the Hamas-led Palestinian government. "When an elected government is in power in Palestine and Israel is pressuring it, everybody should help the Palestinians."
The United States and the European Union halted most of their aid to the Palestinian Authority following Hamas' victory in Palestinian legislative elections in January, requiring that the group renounce violence and recognize Israel.
Popular campaigns to collect money for the Palestinians have been launched in several Arab countries.
'We are ready to support Palestinians by any means'
A general in the elite Revolutionary Guards, Saeed Ghassemi, struck a militaristic note in his address to the crowd. "Resistance is the only solution for Palestinians," He said. "If you abandon the sword, that will be the beginning of your end," he advised Hamas.
But the response to the call for donations was hardly overwhelming. About 10 students dropped money into a box labeled with the fund's name. They also put stones in the box in a symbolic gesture of solidarity that alluded to the first Palestinian intefadeh, or uprising, when youths pelted Israeli soldiers with rocks.
"I hope it's the start of popular financial support for the Hamas government," Einollah Zarrinjoo, 21, a male student of philosophy said.
Mahin Rezai, 20, a female Persian literature student said, "We are ready to support Palestinians by any means. Silence could make the situation worse."
In April, Iran said it would give the Palestinian Authority USD 50 million in aid. Last year, Ahmadinejad said the Holocaust was a myth and that Israel should be wiped out. Apparently taking a cue from the president, the Iranian Foreign Ministry announced plans to hold a conference to examine evidence of the Holocaust.
The hard-line Association of Muslim Journalists has also proposed a similar event. Dates have not been set for either.
Iran is currently home to about 25,000 Jews who are represented by a Jewish lawmaker in parliament. About 75,000 left the country after the 1979 Islamic revolution.
Wild Thing's comment........
On Iran’s side, drop a coin in the turban; on Israel’s, beaucoup nukes, with the brains to put where sent.
Thank you to Linda at Something....and Half of Something for the Video you see above.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (5)
May 21, 2006
In Country ~ Rap
Posted by Wild Thing at 08:55 AM
Iran Prepares 'Judgment Day' Attack Plan
Iran Prepares 'Judgment Day' Attack Plan
by Kenneth R. Timmerman
The Islamic Republic of Iran is planning to use as many as eight different terrorist groups to launch attacks against the United States and its allies in the region should the United States launch military strikes against its nuclear facilities, a London-based newspaper reported.
Another Iranian intelligence source tells NewsMax that Iran plans suicide strikes in the United States, and may seek to hold mass numbers of Americans hostage.
Ali Reza Nourizadeh's column in Al Sharq al Awsat, a London newspaper, citing a "senior source" in the office of Iranian joint chief of staff Hassan Firouzabadi, noted that "eight fundamentalist Islamist organizations have received large sums of money in the last month from the Iranian intelligence services" as part of the plan.
The Revolutionary Guards' "al Qods" Jerusalem Force will coordinate the plan, codenamed "al Qiyamah, the Islamic word for Judgment Day," Al Sharq al Awsat reported.
The al Qods force is the fourth branch of the Revolutionary Guards Corps, after its ground, naval and air forces. The al Qods trains foreign terrorist organizations, both in Iran and in camps in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, the Sudan and elsewhere.
Counterterrorism officials in France, Germany and Austria have identified the al Qods force as the "strike force" used by Iran to assassinate Iranian dissidents living overseas. The U.S. military has captured al Qods force officers in Iraq, where they have delivered special explosives used in roadside bombs by terrorists against U.S. forces and against Iraqi civilians.
Over the last four months, leaders of the eight foreign terrorist groups have made public visits to Iran, where they have met with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and other leaders.
According to the London-based daily, the foreign visitors also met secretly with Iranian intelligence minister Gholahossein Mohseni Ezhei and top aides, who asked them if they were prepared to aid Iran in the event of a U.S. or Israeli attack.
The paper's source said that Iran's Revolutionary Guards force had opened training camps in Iran for fighters of the Shiite Muslim "Mahdi Army" of Iraq, the militia controlled by firebrand Shiite cleric Moqtada al Sadr, and had "increased its financial assistance" to al Sadr to "more than $20 million" per month.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Lebanon's Hezbollah are also receiving large sums of money and fresh weapons, the source said.
Eighty members of Lebanon's Hezbollah movement received terrorist training last year in launching suicide attacks using hang-gliders and small submersibles designed to deliver commando divers or suicide attackers.
Wild Thing's comment.......
I wonder if Murtha and the rest of the lefties give a hoot about this. Probably not, it is just news of their friends discussing how to take Americans hostage and kill us. They have other things to think about like how to trash our troops and how to destroy America from within.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:07 AM | Comments (5)
May 20, 2006
If Only There Were More Men Like Him
A Day In The Life Of...:
Your alarm goes off, you hit the snooze and sleep for another 10 minutes.
He stays up for days on end.
You take a warm shower to help you wake up.
He goes days or weeks without running water.
You complain of a "headache", and call in sick.
He gets shot at, as others are hit, and keeps moving forward.
You put on your anti war/don't support the troops shirt, and go meet up with your friends.
He still fights for your right to wear that shirt.
You make sure you're cell phone is in your pocket.
He clutches the cross hanging on his chain next to his dog tags.
You talk trash on your "buddies" that aren't with you.
He knows he may not see some of his buddies again.
You walk down the beach, staring at all the pretty girls.
He walks the streets, searching for insurgents and terrorists.
You complain about how hot it is.
He wears his heavy gear, not daring to take off his helmet to wipe his brow.
You go out to lunch, and complain because the restaurant got your order wrong.
He does not get to eat today.
Your maid makes your bed and washes your clothes.
He wears the same things for months, but makes sure his weapons are clean.
You go to the mall and get your hair redone.
He doesn't have time to brush his teeth today.
You are angry because your class ran 5 minutes over.
He is told he will be held an extra 2 months.
You call your girlfriend and set a date for that night.
He waits for the mail to see if there is a letter from home.
You hug and kiss your girlfriend, like you do everyday.
He holds his letter close and smells his love's perfume.
You roll your eyes as a baby cries.
He gets a letter with pictures of his new child, and wonders if they'll ever meet.
You criticize your government, and say that war never solves anything.
He sees the innocent tortured and killed by their own government and remembers why he is fighting.
You hear the jokes about the war, and make fun of the men like hi
He hears the gun fire and bombs.
You see only what the media wants you to see.
He sees the bodies lying around him.
You are asked to go to the store by your parents. You don't.
He does what he is told.
You stay at home and watch TV.
He takes whatever time he is given to call and write home, sleep, and eat.
You crawl into your bed, with down pillows, and try to get comfortable.
He crawls under a tank for shade and a 5 minute nap, only to be woken by gun fire.
You sit there and judge him, saying the world is a worse place because of men like him.
If only there were more men like him
Thank you to Mark a friend of mine that knows very well what it means to walk the walk.
Posted by Wild Thing at 11:55 AM | Comments (3)
Reid Calls Language Proposal Racist
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid called a proposal to make English the official language "racist" on the Senate floor yesterday.
"This amendment is racist. I think it's directed basically to people who speak Spanish," the Democrat said during the already tense debate over immigration reform.
Moments later, the Senate approved the measure on a 63-34 vote. Virtually all Republicans were joined by 11 Democrats to approve the largely symbolic amendment. Immediately following that vote, the Senate approved a second amendment, declaring on a 58-39 vote that English is the "common and unifying language."
Such proposals enjoy overwhelming support among American voters.
A poll by Zogby International earlier this year found that 84 percent of Americans say English should be the official language of government operations. The same poll found that 77 percent of Hispanics agree.
And it's a bipartisan issue, according to the poll, which found that 92 percent of Republicans and 82 percent of Democrats approve making English the country's official language.
Mr. Reid's charge of racism caused a stir of whispers in the Senate chamber and gallery, and Sen. James M. Inhofe, the Oklahoma Republican who offered the amendment, was clearly offended.
As Mr. Reid continued his floor speech, an aide passed him a note on a folded sheet of yellow legal paper. After reading the note, the Nevada Democrat tried to clarify his remarks.
"Even though I feel this amendment is unfair, I don't in any way suggest that Jim Inhofe is a racist," Mr. Reid said. "I don't believe that at all. I just believe that this amendment has, to some people, that connotation -- not that he's a racist, but that the amendment is."
It's certainly not the first time that Mr. Reid has used stark language in the debate over immigration.
"Our federal wallet is stretched to the limit by illegal aliens getting welfare, food stamps, medical care and other benefits without paying taxes," he said in 1993. "These programs were not meant to entice freeloaders and scam artists from around the world."
Earlier this year, Mr. Reid confessed on the Senate floor that his anti-immigrant fervor "mostly lasted about a week or two" before his wife brought him around to the more open position he holds today.
But nearly a year after his "freeloaders" statement, Mr. Reid was on the Senate floor criticizing immigrants again and worrying about their cultural impact.
"We must reduce the annual admissions of legal immigrants to more moderate levels in order to provide for a better country -- both environmentally and socially -- in the years to come," Mr. Reid said, according to a June 16, 1994, report by States News Service.
When Mr. Inhofe took to the floor yesterday, he didn't address Mr. Reid over his charge of racism but did defend his proposal.
"I think it's an insult to Hispanics to say that we are not going to have English as the national language because you're not capable of operating and speaking and succeeding in a country like this," he said.
.
Wild Thing's comment......
Gee, imagine that. Wanting to make English the official language of an English speaking nation. What are these guys thinking? By default, dungy Harry is calling English speaking people racist. Almost every country on the earth except us has an official language. It is not racist to have an official language. Is China racist to impose Mandarin Chinese as its official language, Franch has French as their official language as well.
It's the language our Constitution was written in. Oh and it's the language the Atomic Bomb was invented in too.
If Harry Reid gets his way we will have:
Press #1 for English
Press #2 for Spanish
Press #3 for Farsi
Posted by Wild Thing at 02:22 AM | Comments (13)
Iran Providing Heavy Weapons To Al-Qaeda In Iraq
Assyrian International News Agency
As noted by the Iraqi daily newspaper az-Zaman, the Iranian government is supplying Iraq's al-Qaeda terror cells with the heavy weapons they have previously lacked including advanced anti-aircraft missiles, explosives and BKC machineguns.
The surface to air missiles are of the Russian Strela type.
The Strela is a heat seeking, self-contained, shoulder fired weapon and similar to the U.S. "Redeye" missile.
Though not having enough range to seriously challenge fast moving jet fighters and bombers, they are however viewed as grave threats when deployed against helicopters which must operate at much lower altitudes.
The newspaper report details that the technology transfer took place after meetings held in Beirut Lebanon between representatives of Iraqi al-Qaeda leader Zarqawi and the Iranian funded terrorist group Hezbollah.
The weapons were provided by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corp IRGC.
The United States and Iraqi officials have repeatedly accused Iran's Islamist government of sending agents and arms into Iraq to assist the insurgency.
The IRGC is viewed as a religious defense force which was formed in the first days of the Iranian revolution of 1979 which overthrew the Shah of Iran Reza Pahlavi and brought Ayatollah Khomeini to power.
It is believed that the leadership of the IRGC reports directly to Iran's present day Supreme Leader, the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Wild Thing's comment.....
Just a second this is ticking me off big time. I want to hear Iran added to the axis of evil in 5 - count em' 5 seconds.
Or did I miss the memo on this!
Posted by Wild Thing at 02:08 AM | Comments (8)
China Claims Able To Detect U.S. F-22 Jets
Report: China claims its tech can detect U.S. stealth jets
Special to World Tribune.com
EAST-ASIA-INTEL.COM
China’s military claims it has developed technology to detect U.S. F-22 jet fighters.
The F-22 is the newest Air Force jetfighter equipped with radar-evading stealth characteristics. The first jets entered service last year.
According to a report from a weapons research institute in China, the Chinese military has developed “a number” of technologies that can be used to detect and attack stealth jets.
The U.S. military pioneered the use of stealth jets with the F-117 fighter-bomber, the B-2 strategic bomber and the new F-22. The jets use composite material and unique shapes to reduce radar signatures.
"Owing to the fact that some technologies and means of stealth planes were developed in light of current air defense system, we totally can, through analyzing their technologies and facts, weaken or eliminate their stealth capability," a Chinese expert was quoted as saying in the PRC-owned Ta Kung Pao newspaper.
The effort involves the use of multiple sensors to measure reflected radar beams from targets. The new system permits locating and locking on to the targets.
The Chinese expert claimed the technology has been “mastered.”
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:55 AM | Comments (4)
"Elect me or we will all die"
Gore pictured with his rifle aimed at his own head..........Bwahahahahaha!!!
Al Gore, Movie Star
His new documentary on global warming is a great campaign ad: "Elect me or we will all die"
By ANA MARIE COX
Even by Washington standards, the D.C. premiere of Al Gore's new global warming film, An Inconvenient Truth, was lit by some very low-wattage celebrities: political journalists, Congressmen, people from National Public Radio.
Those concerned about greenhouse gases would have done well to avoid Joe Wilson, whose presence at these sorts of things appears to have been written into D.C. liberals' social contract, but all together the wonky audience generated about much heat as Jennifer Lopez's little finger. Fittingly, the carpet wasn't even red, but green, and there wasn't champagne but rather some perfectly serviceable California chardonnay that came in boxes. Or you could hit the "yogurt bar."
Al Gore's movie: It is, essentially, a two-hour PowerPoint presentation, enlivened — if that's the right word — by periodic shots of Al Gore staring pensively out of plane windows, Al Gore frowning contemplatively at computer screens, and Al Gore pacing thoughtfully through airport terminals. The man could make playing a kazoo look like meditation. The movie is about the threat of global warming, and it is full of dire predictions and horrifying scenarios for the Earth's future should we not change our fossil-fuel-guzzling ways. Rising sea-levels, hordes of refugees, parching draughts: Call it a docu-trauma. Surprisingly entertaining docu-trauma, with at least as much emotional range as The Day After Tomorrow, and with more intentional humor.
The crowd at the National Geographic Society — a suitably studious setting — saw it as the world's longest campaign ad. Even as Gore's spokesman circulated, repeating the words "He's not running" so frequently it started to sound like a round, no one wanted to believe it.
Al Gore warns South Park elementary about Manbearpig. ON one of tohe Southpark shows, Al Gore comes to South Park to warn everyone about Manbearpig (read: global warming), a creature who is half man, half bear, and half pig. Or possibly half man and half bearpig. No one really knows for sure because Gore is apparently the only one who believes he exists.
Al Gore is depicted as a crazed, friendless drifter who believes he's doing the right thing but only manages to hurt those he's trying to help. The gist of the show is that despite Gore's supposedly noble intentions, he's really just using issues to get people to pay attention to him.
Wild Thing's comment......
When I was in viet nam...... oops wrong @sshole. sorry. If you want to upset one of those enviro-weenies -- when it's cold out, say, "I could go for some global warming right about now."
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (8)
May 19, 2006
Holocaust-Style Badges ~ New Law In Iran
Wild Thing's comment........
I am going to post the various articles on this below. There is some question as to this being true or not. I tend to believe it because of the hate for the People of the Book by Islamists. But this is for all of us I suppose to see what is true in fact by the actions taken in Iran. If it IS true we need to come down hard on this asap and not wait till another holocaust to ever happen again.
I do not take things like this lightly, threats and this kind of thing never should be. Perhaps they are doing this to anger Israel and our country to jump the gun so to speak making Iran a victim of our attack. I have no idea, but either way, it is a wait and see for sure.
Iran may force badges on Jews, Christians TEHRAN, May 19 (UPI) -- Iran's parliament passed a new law this week that would force the country's Jews, Christians and other religious minorities to wear color-coded ID badges.Iranian expatriates confirmed reports the Iranian parliament, or majlis, has approved a law that would require non-Muslims to adhere to a dress code which mandates they wear "standard Islamic garments," according to Canada's National Post.
The roughly 25,000 Jews living in the Islamic Republic would have to attach a yellow strip of cloth to their clothing, Christians would wear red badges and Zoroastrians would wear blue ones.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader and highest authority, must approve the law for it to take effect.
"This is reminiscent of the Holocaust," said Rabbi Marvin Hier, head of the Simon Weisenthal Center in Los Angeles. "Iran is moving closer and closer to the ideology of the Nazis."
The Weisenthal Center has written to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan to call on the international community to pressure Iran into abandoning the measure.
"There's no reason to believe they won't pass this," Hier told the Post. "It will certainly pass unless there's some sort of international outcry over this."
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejan has publicly called for Israel to be "wiped off the map." The West believes Tehran is secretly and illegally using its nuclear energy program to develop a weapon, a claim Iran denies.
Majlis passes bill setting out new dress requirement Iran-Fashion-Majlis bill Majlis deputies here on Sunday approved the outlines of a bill setting out a dress code suitable for Iranian culture and society and a national fashion trend.When the bill is passed into law, a committee composed of representatives from the ministries of culture, commerce and industries as well as the Management and Plan Organization, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) and Majlis Cultural Commission is to be created.
The culture ministry and IRIB will have the primary responsbility of promoting the required dress or clothing design as confirmed by the committee and prevent Western-style fashion that are against Islamic teachings.
After the law is passed, the culture ministry, with the help of the ministry of commerce, will hold national, regional and international festivals and exhibitions to promote cultural exchanges, including Islamic fashion, among Muslim nations.
Seasonal fairs will be held by the commerce ministry to introduce as well as promote sales of Islamic dresses and garments to the public.
The national dress plan was approved in Majlis by 137 votes in favor, 45 against, and 11 abstentions.
Iran report of Holocaust-style badges questioned The National Post is sending shockwaves across the country this morning with a report that Iran's Parliament has passed a law requiring mandatory Holocaust style badges to identify Jews and Christians. But independent reporter Meir Javedanfar, an Israeli Middle East expert who was born and raised in Tehran, says the report is false. "It's absolutely factually incorrect," he told The New 940 Montreal. "Nowhere in the law is there any talk of Jews and Christians having to wear different colours. I've checked it with sources both inside Iran and outside." "The Iranian people would never stand for it. The Iranian government wouldn't be stupid enough to do it." Political commentator and 940 Montreal host Beryl Waysman says the report is true, that the law was passed two years ago. "Jews should wear yellow strips, Christians red strips, because according to the Iranian mullahs, if a Mulsim shakes hands with a non-Muslim he becomes unclean."
Iran eyes badges for Jews
(Part of long article)
This is reminiscent of the Holocaust," said Rabbi Marvin Hier, the dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles. "Iran is moving closer and closer to the ideology of the Nazis."
Iran's roughly 25,000 Jews would have to sew a yellow strip of cloth on the front of their clothes, while Christians would wear red badges and Zoroastrians would be forced to wear blue cloth."There's no reason to believe they won't pass this," said Rabbi Hier. "It will certainly pass unless there's some sort of international outcry over this."
Bernie Farber, the chief executive of the Canadian Jewish Congress, said he was "stunned" by the measure. "We thought this had gone the way of the dodo bird, but clearly in Iran everything old and bad is new again," he said. "It's state-sponsored religious discrimination."
The new law was drafted two years ago, but was stuck in the Iranian parliament until recently when it was revived at the behest of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Update to this post:
From Captain Ed at Captain's Quarters:....Thank you Captain Ed
"In an interesting twist, Canada.com has pulled the original story, although Amir Taheri's article is stil available. If true, this will send shock waves around the world -- and if not, Canada's National Post may never live down the damage."UPDATE: The National Post appears to be backtracking more intently, if not furiously, this evening:
Several experts are casting doubt on reports that Iran had passed a law requiring the country’s Jews and other religious minorities to wear coloured badges identifying them as non-Muslims.
The Iranian embassy in Otttawa also denied the Iranian government had passed such a law. ...The Simon Wiesenthal Centre and Iranian expatriates living in Canada had confirmed that the order had been passed, although it still had to be approved by Iran’s “Supreme Guide” Ali Khamenehi before being put into effect.
Hormoz Ghahremani, a spokesman for the Iranian Embassy in Ottawa, said in an e-mail to the Post yesterday that, “We wish to categorically reject the news item.
“These kinds of slanderous accusations are part of a smear campaign against Iran by vested interests, which needs to be denounced at every step.”
Sam Kermanian, of the U.S.-based Iranian-American Jewish Federation, said in an interview from Los Angeles that he had contacted members of the Jewish community in Iran — including the lone Jewish member of the Iranian parliament — and they denied any such measure was in place.
It's not the National Post's finest moment, it seems ...
Posted by Wild Thing at 03:55 PM | Comments (17)
Puppy's Are So Cute
We were at Brawler command post when this little puppy came wandering in. A lot of vehicles were moving around, so Sgt. Huber put the puppy on the hood of a humvee. Sgt. Alexander was lying down on the hood having a smoke and the pup crawled up on him. The pup lived with Brawler for a few days then the Marines found him a home with an Iraqi family.
Posted by Wild Thing at 02:17 AM | Comments (10)
First Sex 'theme park' To Open
In The News Around The World..............
From correspondents in London
18may06
THE world's first "theme park" dedicated to sex and relationships is set to open in London's bustling West End later this year, its promoters said today.
Amora: The Academy of Sex and Relationships, featuring "high-tech and interactive exhibits together with new media displays", expects up to 600,000 visitors within its first year in the Trocadero Centre at Piccadilly Circus.
"Titillation is not the goal," the promoters – who include sexologist and self-help book author Sarah Brewer – said in a statement, refuting comparisons with museums of erotica in Amsterdam, Barcelona and Paris.
"Our vision is to build a Kinsey-type institute in Europe for Generation X and Y to bring modern thinking around sexuality. ... It truly is the world's first theme park dedicated to sex and relationships."
Wild Thing's comment.....
I think this seems weird. Say what??? What kind of rides would they have?
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:55 AM | Comments (10)
Murtha's War Hero Status Called Into Question
(CNSNews.com) - While Pennsylvania Democratic Congressman John Murtha has ascended to the national stage as one of the most vocal critics of President Bush's handling of the war in Iraq, he has also long downplayed the controversy and bitterness surrounding the two Purple Hearts he was awarded for military service in Vietnam.
Murtha is a retired marine and was the first Vietnam combat veteran elected to Congress. Since 1967, there have been at least three different accounts of the injuries that purportedly earned Murtha his Purple Hearts. Those accounts also appear to conflict with the limited military records that are available, and Murtha has thus far refused to release his own military records.
One of Murtha's former Democratic congressional colleagues and a fellow decorated Vietnam veteran, Don Bailey of Pennsylvania, alleges that Murtha admitted during an emotional conversation on the floor of the U.S. House in the early 1980s that he did not deserve his Purple Hearts.
"Murtha is putting himself forward as some combat veteran with serious wounds and he's using that and it's dishonest and it's wrong," Bailey told Cybercast News Service on Jan. 9.
Murtha served in the Marines on active duty and in the reserves from 1952 until his retirement as a colonel in 1990. He volunteered for service in Vietnam and was a First Marine Regiment intelligence officer in 1966 and 1967.
World War II Navy veteran Harry M. Fox, previously indicated that Murtha in 1968 personally asked Fox's boss, then-U.S. Rep. John Saylor (R-Pa.), for assistance in obtaining the Purple Hearts, but was turned down because Saylor's office determined that Murtha lacked sufficient evidence of wounds. Murtha later challenged Saylor for his House seat in 1968 and lost. Fox said he personally viewed Murtha's military records in 1968 as Saylor's aide.
When Saylor died in 1973, Fox attempted to succeed his boss in Congress, but was narrowly defeated by Murtha in a 1974 special election.
"Pretending to be a big war hero and boasting about having medals is a slap in the face to our veterans who were seriously wounded or killed in action," Fox was quoted as telling the Uniontown Herald-Standard in the newspaper's Nov. 1, 1996 edition. "He campaigned as a war hero and I've never seen any documentation that he earned any of these honors," Fox reportedly stated.
On Friday, Jan. 13, Murtha's congressional communications director provided Cybercast News Service with a copy of a letter from the commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, citing Murtha's request of Sept. 26, 1967, seeking Purple Hearts. Cybercast News Service did not authenticate the letter.
"The records of this Headquarters show that you are entitled to the Purple Heart and a Gold Star in lieu of a second Purple Heart for wounds received in action against insurgent Communist Guerrilla forces on 22 March and 7 May 1967 in the Republic of Vietnam," according to the letter signed by an individual identified only as A. Gardoni. Gardoni's title is not listed on the letter.
Cybercast News Service attempted to contact Fox for this article, but learned that the health of the 81-year-old was too poor to allow him to communicate. But in a 1996 newspaper article, Fox questioned whether Murtha deserved his Purple Hearts, alleging that there was insufficient evidence of injuries and that Murtha was never confined to a hospital.
"Of course Congressman Saylor wanted to help if he could, but there was nothing in the service record to indicate the wounds were of any severity and the documents specifically indicated that next of kin was not notified in either instance," Fox told the Herald-Standard in 1996. "We were amazed that Mr. Murtha was asking for Purple Hearts for superficial lacerations," he added.
Murtha's accounts of his Vietnam War wounds may also conflict with the available U.S. Marine medical records obtained by the media.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on May 12, 2002, reported that "Marine Corps casualty records show that Murtha was injured in 'hostile' actions near Danang, Vietnam, on March 22, 1967, and May 7, 1967.
"In the first incident, his right cheek was lacerated, and in the second, he was lacerated above his left eye. Neither injury required evacuation," the Post-Gazette reported.
But an Oct. 26, 1994, article in the Herald-Standard quoted Murtha as describing two different injuries.
"I was wounded in the arm with shrapnel from a bullet that hit the motor mount of a helicopter. In the other, my knee was banged up and my arm was banged up when a helicopter was shot down from a very few feet," Murtha told the Herald-Standard.
A June 1, 1967 report in the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat quoted a letter that the newspaper indicated was sent by Murtha to his wife that same year. The letter apparently detailed yet another version of how Murtha qualified for one of his Purple Hearts. According to the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat, Murtha's injuries involved his being "struck in the ankle" by a "shot that ricocheted off the helicopter."
Murtha, a 16-term congressman from southwestern Pennsylvania and the senior Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, drew national attention on Nov. 17, 2005, when he called for an immediate withdrawal of American forces from Iraq.
The Vietnam veteran even took a swipe at President Bush and Vice President Cheney, neither of whom have actual combat experience.
"I like guys who've never been there, who criticize us who've been there," Murtha said. "I like that. I like guys who got five deferments and never been there and sent people to war and then don't like to hear suggestions that what may need to be done."
Murtha discussed his own combat experience as a marine intelligence officer in his 2004 autobiography, "From Vietnam to 9/11: On the Front Lines of National Security."
"I had been awake more than twenty-four hours by the time we landed. A few hours into the battle, an on-again-off-again event, I could no longer keep my eyes open. I curled up next to a bunker and fell into a deep sleep for about an hour. Even the noise of frequent gunfire didn't wake me up. (One of my fellow officers told me the next morning that when he hadn't seen me for an hour or so, he assumed I was dead,)" Murtha wrote of one of his Vietnam combat experiences on page 14 of the 2004 paperback edition of his book. Murtha's two Purple Hearts are referenced on the back of the book.
In addition to his Purple Hearts, Murtha received the Vietnamese Cross for Gallantry and the Bronze Star with combat "V" for service in the 1st Marine Division in Vietnam. Murtha also served in the Marines during the Korean War but did not serve in Korea, according to his book.
'He's a phony and a liar'
Bailey said during the time Murtha was being investigated for his role in the Abscam FBI sting in 1980, Murtha made a confession on the House floor.
... you admitted, back in our corner, that you didn't earn your purple hearts (sic) (you indicated you had small scratch on your cheek that wasn't even directly related to an APC [Armored Personnel Carrier] that ran over a small antipersonnel mine that was behind you). The other purple heart [sic] you even declined to explain," wrote Bailey in an open letter dated May 5, 2002.
Bailey is also a decorated Vietnam combat veteran. He served in the U.S. Army's 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions and was awarded a Silver Star and three Bronze Stars.
"At the time (of Murtha's alleged admission), you were feeling particularly vulnerable because it wasn't too long after you had called me crying and sobbing, thanking me for 'saving your life' before the ethics committee (on Abscam-related charges). There was no doubt in my mind that you were expressing to me that you did not believe you did anything sufficient to earn the purple heart [sic] and that you didn't want to be active in my efforts to laud Vietnam veterans that served with us," Bailey wrote in his May 2002 letter.
"You may deny that all you wish -- but you and I know that that conversation took place," he added.
In the Jan. 9 interview with Cybercast News Service Bailey affirmed the contents of his 2002 letter.
"The issue here is this idea or pretense that [Murtha] knows combat and he's got two Purple Hearts. He's a phony and a liar," Bailey said.
Bailey also questioned why Murtha has thus far declined to release his full military records in order to clear up the controversy.
"The Marine Corps ought to be able to produce all the orders, the medical stuff, the citations and the orders granting [the Purple Hearts] and everything else. Where is that stuff?" he asked.
According to a May 16, 2002, edition of the Washington, Pa., Observer-Reporter, Murtha "produced military paperwork indicating he was entitled to the awards," and a Murtha spokesperson was quoted as saying that "the media for years has investigated 'and found nothing.'"
But Murtha's paperwork did nothing to sway Bailey's opinion.
"You may fool a few reporters into believing that merely because you got some perfunctory paperwork made out by a friend, that that means you earned the purple hearts [sic]. But even if you were awarded the medals later, there should be affidavits from witnesses. These things should be easy to get," Bailey wrote in his letter while demanding an apology from Murtha for questioning his credibility.
Murtha could end the controversy at any time, Bailey added, simply by calling a press conference and producing the evidence of his wounds.
"Explain where you were and what you were doing when you got the purple hearts.[sic] Explain who was with you and treated your wounds, but most important, Jack, describe your wounds or the lack thereof, as you did for me, years ago," Bailey wrote.
"Unless the Marine Corps gives out medals for unsubstantiated noncombat-related telltale scratches, procured for use in political campaign -- then show me the money, Jack," Bailey added.
Murtha: 'I'm proud of my service in Vietnam'
During the 1994 congressional campaign against GOP opponent Dr. William Choby, Murtha's two Purple Hearts became a political issue.
"Explain your Purple Hearts. He (Murtha) used them to get elected," Choby charged in 1994.
In responding to the charges, Murtha claimed that he "didn't ask for the Purple Hearts.
"I'm proud of my service in Vietnam. I don't know if he (Choby) served in the service at all. I left my family and my business to serve in Vietnam. My family made great sacrifice for me to make that service in Vietnam, so I'm very proud of that," he told the Uniontown Herald-Standard in the newspaper's Oct. 26, 1994 edition.
"I am disappointed that a guy (Choby) would say something like that when I volunteered in the reserves and I felt it was important that I go. What's the point in all this? It's irritating," Murtha added.
Choby also challenged the validity of Murtha's Bronze Star with Combat 'V' during the 1996 congressional campaign.
"I find it very curious that Combat 'V' doesn't even exist in any of the materials he had distributed," Choby was quoted as saying in the Herald-Standard of Oct. 13, 1996. "His military record improves over the years," he added.
The Murtha controversy is reminiscent of the flap surrounding the war record of 2004 Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry. But while critics like the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth attacked Kerry in 2004 because of his anti-war activism of the 1970s, Murtha's three chief accusers all made their allegations years and in some cases decades before Murtha emerged last November as a prominent anti-war activist.
Choby told Cybercast News Service on Jan. 5 that Murtha's entire political career is based on his war record. "Without that credibility of those combat medals, he would have never been elected to office," Choby said.
Wild Thing's comment.....
I always thought the way a Purple Heart was awarded is that there is a write up at the unit of the individual and then signed by medical personnel...and then it is processed. I may be wrong, but isn't it very strange that years after...one applies for a PH.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (9)
Riders Across America Thanking Our Wounded Soldiers
Tom Donegan, foreground, Bob Loy, rear left, and Joe Kurnos start out from Fairfax, Va., Monday morning on their “Ride for America’s Patriots” to San Antonio, Texas.
By Leo Shane III -
Stars and Stripes Pacific edition
Thursday, May 18, 2006
WASHINGTON — Tom Donegan wants to send the wounded soldiers at Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas a big, loud “thank you.”
So he and a handful of friends will come roaring into San Antonio later this week on a fleet of noisy motorcycles flying a banner praising the patriots recovering there.
“We just want to thank them for their service,” said Donegan, who owns a Virginia real estate firm. “They need to know that their sacrifice hasn’t been forgotten.”
The 3,200-mile, 10-day round-trip began Monday outside of Washington and will wind through Tennessee, Arkansas and Louisiana. The riders are hoping to raise more than $20,000 for the Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes, which funds grants and programs to help wounded veterans move on with their lives.
Donegan said he was inspired to help the injured soldiers after meeting with coalition spokesman J.R. Martinez, a former soldier who was wounded in an IED attack in Iraq in April 2005.
The group will visit Martinez — and the other patients at the medical center — from May 19 to May 22, delivering souvenirs from the ride and grateful handshakes.
Donegan said he expects other riders to join the convoy for at least part of the ride. One confirmed day tripper is Josh Forbess, a soldier wounded in a Black Hawk helicopter crash in 2003.
Forbess said shows of support like this are crucial during the recovery process. “It’s just you and your thoughts when the lights go out,” he said. “It’s good to see that, to know there is support.”
A webcam mounted on the front of Tom Donegan’s motorcycle will allow the public to follow the progress of the “Ride for America’s Patriots.” Connected to a laptop powered by the engine, the cam will send an image every 10 seconds. At the end of the ride, the images will be combined into a video. (Joe Gromelski / S&S)
The bikers have set up Web cams on the motorcycles and will be giving daily updates of the ride through their Web site.....Ride For America's Patriots
Left to right, Bob Loy, Tom Donegan and Joe Kurnos, before leaving for San Antonio on the “Ride for America’s Patriots.”
Wild Thing's comment......
I love hearing about stories and people like this. God bless them everyone of them! And God bless and protect our troops and keep them safe.
Thank you to all our Veterans and wounded in the military. My heart is full of respect and appreciation for all you have done.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:14 AM | Comments (1)
The Real Democrats Agenda ~ Cut and Run
(D-PA) Joins Growing Dem Chorus Critical Of U.S. Troops; Claims Troops Killing "Innocent Civilians In Cold Blood":
Rep. John Murtha (D-PA): "Our troops overreacted because of the pressure on them and they killed innocent civilians in cold blood." ("Marines Killed Iraqi Civilians 'In Cold Blood: US Lawmaker,'" Agence France Presse, 5/18/06)
Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL): "We are an irritant. And we help spur the insurgency, even as we are defending a fledgling Iraqi government against that insurgency." (NBC's "Meet The Press," 1/22/06)
Sen. John Kerry (D-MA): "There is no reason, Bob, that young American soldiers need to be going into the homes of Iraqis in the dead of night, terrorizing kids and children ..." (CBS' "Face The Nation," 12/4/05)
Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV): "It's our presence that's also a problem. We're an occupying force" (Mort Kondracke, Op-Ed, "Democrats Look Weak Calling For Iraq 'Exit,'" Roll Call, 2/3/05)
Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) Said That U.S. Troops Were Part Of The Problem In Iraq. "'The U.S. military presence has become part of the problem, not part of the solution,' Kennedy said in remarks prepared for delivery at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies." (Lolita C. Baldor, "Kennedy Calls For Troop Withdrawal, Says Military Is Fueling Insurgents," The Associated Press, 1/27/05)
Rep. John Murtha Promises Dems Will Cut And Run In Iraq If They Gain Control Of Congress:
Rep. John Murtha Claimed Dems Will Withdraw From Iraq If They Take Over. MSNBC's CHRIS MATTHEWS: "[A]re the Democrats going to seize the leadership of the Congress, win the votes, take over Congress and end the war? Are they going to do it?" ... REP. MURTHA: "We have to convince Democrats and Republicans that this war has to end." (MSNBC's "Hardball," 5/17/06)
Rep. Murtha: "Let me tell you something, Chris. This war is going to end." (MSNBC's "Hardball," 5/17/06)
Rep. Murtha: "[W]e've got to have a scheduled withdrawal, just like we have to have a schedule around here." (MSNBC's "Hardball," 5/17/06)
Rep. Murtha: "My timetable is to immediately work and say to them, 'Look, you're going to have to take over yourself, this is your responsibility. And we're redeploying our force.' The sooner the better, as far as I'm concerned." (Rep. Jack Murtha, Press Conference, 5/17/06)
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:05 AM
May 18, 2006
Traitor Mullah Murtha Enemy Mouth Piece
Army Times article HERE for complete article
Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., discusses the war in Iraq during a Capitol Hill news conference on Wednesday.
Rep. John Murtha, an influential Pennsylvania lawmaker and outspoken critic of the war in Iraq, said today Marines had “killed innocent civilians in cold blood” after allegedly responding to a roadside bomb ambush that killed a Marine during a patrol in Haditha, Iraq, Nov. 19. The incident is still under investigation by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and Multi-National Forces Iraq.
“It’s much worse than was reported in Time magazine,” Murtha, a Democrat, former Marine colonel and Vietnam war veteran, told reporters on Capitol Hill. “There was no firefight. There was no [bomb] that killed those innocent people,” Murtha explained, adding there were “about twice as many” Iraqis killed than Time had reported.
The Marine Response:
“I do not know where Rep. Murtha is obtaining is information,” said Lt. Col. Sean Gibson, a spokesman for Marine Corps Forces Central Command in Tampa, Fla. “Thoroughness will drive the investigation.”
Translation of Col. Gibson’s statement: “I don’t know where Murtha cane up with this BS but it won’t cut it around here. We’ll do the investigation right.”
Wild Thing's comment......
MURTHA is an UN-AMERICAN pig who uses his prior service as a shield to cover his lies and undermining of another generation of soldiers who are more man than he will ever be. Don't forget - this old coot is a member of Code Pink too.
When Murtha dies, I hope Chesty Puller kicks Murtha's ass at the gates of Heaven deep into the pits of hell.
Since Rep. John Murtha made his splash in November with his call for an American troop withdrawal from Iraq, there have been no stories about Robert C. "Kit" Murtha in the Post. Robert C. "Kit" Murtha is John Murtha's brother -- a Washington lobbyist whose firm reeled in more than $20 million for its defense contractor clients in the 2004 Defense appropriations bill. And the Pennsylvania congressman is the ranking Democrat on the Defense appropriations subcommittee, which he also chaired for six years before Democrats lost the House in 1994.
John Murtha's comments about the war in Iraq , about our troops make for convenient cover in an increasingly critical ethical atmosphere. John Murtha, an ethically suspect member of Congress, with close, personal connections to lobbyists whose clients are benefited by his committee and using the war and his attacks on our troops in an attempt to distract attention from the real issue of his Abscam past and everything else he has done wrong.
BUT besides that he is a triator to this country and to our military! His rhetoric is a help to terrorists. What does one have to do before they are arrested for TREASON!!! Let the entire Democrat Party lanquish in HELL where they all belong, starting with this idiot John Murtha!!!
His email address :
murtha@mail.house.gov
* Mudville Gazette * Let Freedom Ring * BLue Star Chronicles
Posted by Wild Thing at 02:07 AM | Comments (17)
Code Pink Runs Anti-War Ads in Iraq
.
I am not sure what this is but IT belongs to Code Pink
Women for Peace took out full-page ads in 8 Iraqi newspapers today calling on Americans and Iraqi to come together to end the occupation of Iraq. The newspapers are As-sabah Al-Jadid, At-Taakhi, Al-Manar, Al-Haqaeq, Al-Iraq Al-Yaom, As-Syadah, Al-Adalah and Ash-Shahed.
It is sickening!!!!!
They are printed on line at: ( PDF files )
The ad calls on Americans and Iraqis to work together to stop the bloodshed and bring the US troops home. "We have seen in poll after poll that the majority of Americans and Iraqis want the US troops to return home. Even the majority of US troops (72%) think they should return by the end of this year. It is time for the politicians in both countries to listen to us, the people," the ad says. The ad is linked to a website, in Arabic, where Iraqis can sign a petition and communicate directly with Americans, either by internet or through the mail. To view the website, go to www.esteklal.org.
"We are thrilled by the feedback we are getting," says Medea Benjamin, cofounder of CODEPINK, a women's peace group that sponsored the ads. "The newspapers are reporting that they are swamped with calls from readers saying that this ad gives them hope and makes them realize there are Americans who support their desires to be free from foreign occupation. We must find ways to work together to end the bloodshed."
The ads are paid for by hundreds of CODEPINK supporters from around the country, including Annie Nelson, wife of renowned singer/songwriter Willie Nelson. "I have been heartbroken by all the death and destruction from this war in Iraq, and I am delighted to have a way to extend my hand in friendship to Iraqi mothers and their families," says Mrs. Nelson.
The ads follow a weekend 24-hour peace vigil at the White House organized by CODEPINK to commemorate Mothers Day, May 14. The vigil included peace mom Cindy Sheehan, actress Susan Sarandon, comedian Dick Gregory, doctor/clown Patch Adams, and women from Iraq and Iran. It featured a concert, strategy workshops on grassroots organizing and national campaigns, an interfaith gathering, and writing and reading letters to Laura Bush urging her to pressure her husband to end the war.
Remember that Code Pink sent $600,000 to the insurgents in aid to Fallujah. And like that support for terrorists, these ads were paid for with money Cindy Sheehan helped to raise.
Remember, too, that Code Pink, Mother Sheehan's operation and even Truthout are all tax-payer supported 501c3 “charities.”
We used to call this treason! And it still is!!
Our leaders,
our government, the people of the USA
need to pay attention to outright treason
against the nation at home. This is
never going to end unless people
start to be punished for
TREASON!
.
I like MY tank so much better!
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:55 AM | Comments (14)
May 17, 2006
A Dear Friend Nickie Goomba Passed Away
It breaks my heart to share this news with all of you. Nickie Goomba passed away on May 15th. He was a dear frienid and he will be missed so very much.
Nickie passed away in Italy in the village of Pieve San Lorenzo in Northern Tuscany.
I am leaving his logo and link in my Sidebar forever. I will never forget Nickie.
Posted by Wild Thing at 11:47 PM | Comments (3)
Jimmy Carter Screw You Peanut Breath!
Carter denounces Israel's new plan to redraw border
WASHINGTON (AFP) - Former president Jimmy Carter has denounced plans by Israel's new prime minister to unilaterally establish the geographical boundaries of the Jewish state, saying that such a move would be in violation of international accords.
"It is inconceivable that any Palestinian, Arab leader, or any objective member of the international community would accept this illegal action as a permanent solution to the continuing altercation in the Middle East," Carter said in a commentary published Tuesday in USA Today.
He said Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's plan, which would involve Israel ceding some ground but taking about one half of the Palestinian West Bank and encapsulating the urban areas within a concrete wall and fence barrier, was a recipe for disaster.
"This confiscation of land is to be carried out without resorting to peace talks with the Palestinians, and in direct contravention of the 'road map for peace', which President (George W.) Bush helped initiate and has strongly supported," said Carter, the architect of the 1978 Camp David peace accords between Egypt and Israel.
He added that Olmert's plan would be in clear violation of the Camp David treaty as well as the 1993 Oslo accords and UN Security Council resolutions.
Carter said a better course would be for Israel to launch peace talks with Mahmoud Abbas, the head of the Palestinian Authority, under the auspices of the international Quartet, made up of the United States, the European Union, United Nations and Russia.
"A mutual Israeli-Palestinian agreement would undoubtedly result in full recognition of Israel by all Arab nations, with normal diplomatic and economic relations, and permanent peace and justice for the Palestinians," Carter, who now heads the non-profit Carter Center, said.
"It would also remove one of the major causes of international terrorism and greatly ease tensions that could precipitate a regional or even global conflict."
Wild Thing's comment......
Memo to Jimmy: STFU you pathetic snivelling weasel!! The documents and past negotiations you cite are "no longer operative" since the Palis have violated them at every turn and have now elected the most openly terrorist leadership yet. Israel can do anything it deems necessary to its security and the Palis and their terror masters can just stuff it. Jimmy, how DARE you cite the "road map" and Oslo as somehow binding on Israel when the Palis have violated both the spirit and the details of every such effort to achieve peace?
I have an idea for peace: let's watch Israel define its own borders (preferably as expansively as possible), seal them as completely as possible, and declare that 'negotiations' are no longer possible due to the failure of the Pali terrorists to observe the most elemental norms of human civilization.
Posted by Wild Thing at 02:55 AM | Comments (19)
A Heads UP Regarding Ahmadinijad
Ex-Military Intelligence chief Ze'evi warns of impending world jihad 'tsunami'
Former Military Intelligence chief Aharon Ze'evi
By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent
Former Military Intelligence chief Aharon Ze'evi warned Monday morning of an impending world jihad "tsunami" that he said may soon descend on the entire Middle East.
Ze'evi, speaking at a Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies conference in Tel Aviv University, said that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinijad has been overheard promising the "end of history in two or three years."
Ze'evi recommended that the Iranian threats be taken seriously, saying that Tehran will soon have nuclear warhead compatible surface-to-surface missiles with a range of 5,000 kilometers, putting Europe within striking distance.
Ze'evi also warned that Israel should not rule out the possibility of a conventional war against Islamic militants.
Ze'evi said he foresees this war breaking out on Israel's northern frontier, against Syria and Hezbollah.
Emphasizing the radicalization of Islamic militancy, Ze'evi cited recent changes in the objectives of major militant organizations, which have recently begun targeting sites in Arab countries.
"We are seeing attacks carried out in Amman, Dahab and Sharm el-Sheikh," said Ze'evi.
He cited the increased accessibility of Internet in the Arab world as facilitating the process, saying, "Today, anyone who is interested can learn how to blow up a bomb."
Major General (Res.) Ze'evi stepped down as chief of Military Intelligence about four months ago, and was replaced by Major General Amos Yadlin.
Wild Thing's comment......
The rabid wolf that`s in the woods right now has nuclear teeth. The wolf is out there and he is howling.
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:47 AM
Venezuela May Sell U.S. Jets To Iran
Venezuela May Sell U.S. Jets To Iran
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) --
Complete article HERE
Venezuela's military is considering the possibility of selling its fleet of U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets to another country, perhaps Iran, a Venezuelan military official said Tuesday.
Venezuela's military is considering the possibility of selling its fleet of U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets to another country, perhaps Iran, a Venezuelan military official said Tuesday.
In response to a U.S. ban on arms sales to President Hugo Chavez's government, Gen. Alberto Muller, a senior adviser to Chavez, told The Associated Press he had recommended to the defense minister that Venezuela consider selling the 21 jets to another country.
Muller said he thought it was worthwhile to consider "the feasibility of a negotiation with Iran for the sale of those planes."
Even before the United States announced the ban on arms sales Monday, Washington had stopped selling Venezuela sensitive upgrades for the F-16s.
Chavez previously has warned he could share the U.S. jets with Cuba if Washington does not supply parts for the planes.
He also has said he may look into buying fighter jets from Russia or China instead.
Wild Thing's comment.....
What do U.S. fighter pilots call Iranian fighter pilots?
SKEET!!
TV Listing for
September 18, 2036
The History Channel: Tonight "Deepsea Detectives" will send video of
The Venezuelan Air Force LIVE from the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.
This is on the 30th anniversary of the sinking of F-16s in route to the
former Islamic Republic of Iran (now part of
the American Protectorate).
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (13)
May 16, 2006
Noam Chomsky Needs His Passport Cancelled ASAP
NOAM CHOMSKY ATTACKS 'TERRORIST STATE' U.S., ISRAEL WHILE VISITING HEZBOLLAH LEADER
MIT professor Noam Chomsky met with Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut today and branded the U.S. a terrorist state.
"I think that Nasrallah has a reasoned argument and a persuasive argument that they (the weapons) should be in the hands of Hizbollah as a deterrent to potential aggression and there is plenty of background and reasons for that. So, I think his position, if I am reporting it correctly, and it seems to be a reasonable position, is that until there is a general political settlement in the region and the threat of aggression and violence is reduced or eliminated, there has to be a deterrent. The Lebanese army cannot be a deterrent."
There is a meaning to the word terrorist, in fact you can read a definition of term terrorist is the U.S. code of laws. It gives a very clear, precise, adequate definition of the word terrorist. have been writing about terrorism for 25 years always using the official U.S. definition [of the word "terrorist"], but that definition is un-usable, and the reason is that when you use that definition it turns out, not surprisingly, that the U.S is one of the leading terrorist states, and the other states become terrorist or non-terrorist depending on how they are relating to U.S. goals."
"The regional superpower Israel is threatening to attack it [Iran], the U.S. is threatening to attack it. These threats alone are outright violations international law and of the U.N. charter. Iran is in difficulty. Iran has been trying for some years to negotiate settlement but the U.S. just refuses."
Noam Chomsky's Love Affair with Nazis
Frontpage Magazine
Rarely has the world been afforded such a clear glimpse into the unholy alliance between Islamic extremists and secular radicals in the West. That’s exactly what it got last week when the foremost Imam of the radical Left, Noam Chomsky, bestowed his blessings on the world’s largest terrorist army, the Shiite jihad outfit sponsored by Iran and known as Hezbollah (“Party of God.”)
Following a meeting with Hassan Nasrallah, the Lebanese terrorist group’s “secretary general,” Chomsky announced his support for Hezbollah’s refusal to disarm. Then, in an echo of Nasrallah’s recent declaration that President Bush is the world’s top “terrorist,” Chomsky pronounced his own fatwa on the United States calling it one of the “leading terrorist states.” It was a meeting of murderous radical minds.
In many ways, Chomsky’s newly forged friendship with Hezbollah -- the most recent entry in a lifetime befriending America’s most deadly enemies -- is the logical continuation of the professor’s longstanding admiration for global terrorists and Jew-haters. In fact, Chomsky devoted most of the nineties to touting Hezbollah as a “resistance” movement (which occasionally committed misguided acts against civilians) while singing its praises as a crusader for peace and social justice.
Wild Thing's comment........
I don't think Chomsky has ever met a dictator or terrorist he didn't like.His hatred of the US,Israel,and democracy is pathalogical. The articles above once again call the jihadists radical, I just have this to say....... I have yet to hear a Muslim speak that is not radical.
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:55 AM | Comments (7)
US Sanctions Venezuela Over Terrorism
US sanctions Venezuela over terrorism: official
Mon May 15, 2006 - 1:20 PM ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States imposed sanctions on Venezuela on Monday, banning all arms sales to a major oil supplier for what it believes is a lack of help in Washington's war on terrorism, a State Department official said.
The move plummets the two nations' ties to their worst level in decades and comes after years of antagonism between leftist Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Washington on issues ranging from trade to oil prices.
The United States is concerned about Chavez's friendly relationship with Cuba and Iran, two countries it says sponsor terrorism, and his failure to stop Colombian leftist guerrillas using Venezuelan territory, the U.S. official said.
Venezuela has warned for months the United States would move against it over terrorism but says it cooperates with Colombia against guerrillas and denies its ties with countries that are U.S. foes mean that it helps militants.
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:17 AM | Comments (4)
Dialing and the Democrats ~ Democrats Trying to Protect the Terrorists
No sooner had the man who ran the National Security Agency for years been nominated to head the CIA than USA Today rushed out details of our efforts to use technical means to find terrorists using the phones. And no sooner had USA Today disclosed details of an apparent attempt by the National Security Agency to defend Americans from terrorists than the Democratic Party and its leading politicians and interest groups went on the attack. Not against the terrorists but against President Bush.
"This is another example of the Bush Administration misleading the American people," said a spokeswoman for the Democratic National Committee, Stacie Paxton.
Senator Kennedy of Massachusetts called the program "abusive" and said :
"Today's shocking disclosures make it more important than ever for the Republican Congress to end its complicity in the White House cover up of its massive domestic surveillance program. When three major telephone companies are supplying the administration with records of all Americans regardless of any hint of wrongdoing, Congress can't look the other way."
Rep. Harold Ford Jr., a Democrat of Tennessee, went on Fox News Channel to call the news "disturbing." Senator Clinton pronounced herself "deeply disturbed."
Mrs. Clinton might want to have a talk with her husband. It was President Clinton who signed into law the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act of 1994, after it was passed in both the House and Senate by a voice vote.
That law is an act "to make clear a telecommunications carrier's duty to cooperate in the interception of communications for law enforcement purposes, and for other purposes.
" The act made clear that a court order isn't the only lawful way of obtaining call information, saying, "A telecommunications carrier shall ensure that any interception of communications or access to call-identifying information effected within its switching premises can be activated only in accordance with a court order or other lawful authorization."
The law that President Clinton signed into law and that was approved by voice votes in 1994 by a Democrat-majority House and a Democrat-majority Senate not only made clear the phone companies' "duty" to cooperate, it authorized $500 million in taxpayer funds to reimburse the phone companies for equipment "enabling the government, pursuant to a court order or other lawful authorization, to access call-identifying information that is reasonably available to the carrier."
Again, the law, by referring to "other lawful authorization," states clearly that a court order isn't the only form of lawful authorization possible.
President Bush struck exactly the right notes yesterday.
"So far we've been very successful in preventing another attack on our soil," Mr. Bush said. "As a general matter, every time sensitive intelligence is leaked, it hurts our ability to defeat this enemy. Our most important job is to protect the American people from another attack, and we will do so within the laws of our country."
If he seemed calm about the latest disclosures, we can't help wondering whether it's because he recognizes that when Americans go to sleep at night, they're less worried about the "danger" that the government is looking for terrorists than they are about the danger that terrorists are looking for them.
This is the issue that the Democrats of the Howard-Dean-John-Kerry era just don't seem to prepared to credit. The Democrats who controlled the White House and both houses of Congress in 1994 showed signs of understanding the national security issues at stake here when they passed the law. Their understanding seems to have eroded since then. It can't be that they feel America faces less of a threat - if anything, the attacks of September 11, 2001, make the case for such programs even stronger. What's changed isn't the enemy threat but the party that now controls the White House. Which explains why Mrs. Clinton is "deeply disturbed" about activities legal under a law her husband signed.
And then there is also this.....based on a Newsmax article the dimwittocRATS actually are going to try to stop the NSA terrorism surveillance programs. They're joining a lawsuit to do just that.
Dems Join Suit to Ban Terrorist Surveillance
71 House Democrats signed up to sponsor a move that would make it illegal for the NSA to continue to monitor terrorist phone calls. The liberal web site Raw Story reported Thursday:"The 71 Democrats and one independent filed an amicus brief in two federal courts reviewing challenges to the warrantless wiretapping program in Detroit and New York, joining the American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Constitutional Rights."
"Both suits demand the program be stopped."
Michigan Democrat John Conyers led the charge:
"As our brief makes clear, this Congress dealt with this issue authoritatively almost 30 years ago - warrantless spying on American soil is flatly prohibited," he railed.
Wild Thing's comment.....
It seems if you can find a method to catch terrorists, the Democrats and their ACLU handmaidens can find a way to try to stop it. But then we already KNOW the Democrats are on the side of the terrorists!
During WW II, President Roosevelt ordered the Post Office to open and read all mail to and from American citizens where the mail came from or went to any jurisdiction currently controlled by the Axis powers. This was far more intrusive, and done without Congressional approval, compared to the present program of noting patterns of numbers called, without looking into the contents of the phone calls, and being done under a law duly passed by Congress and signed by President Clinton.
Both the Democrats and their supporters in the press are counting on the gross ignorance of the American public about American history, including what we did during and after WW II. So far, and sadly, the ignorance they are counting on seems to be endemic among the American people.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (2)
Kittie Antics
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:07 AM | Comments (4)
May 15, 2006
Guard the Borders Blogburst
Reformation or Revolution?
by Heidi and Kit at Euphoric Reality
Tonight, the President will address the nation on his plans for illegal immigration. Unfortunately, he's already given his word to Vicente Fox on Sunday that his plan to put a few National Guard troops on the border is just a temporary formality, of sorts, and not meant to intimidate anyone. Right. Heaven forbid we intimidate anyone to deter them from breaking our laws!
The question then arises, who does Bush feel more compelled to explain himself to - us Americans or the Mexicans? He owes the American people everything , and the Mexican government nothing! So why is he assuring Fox of anything concerning our internal national policies?!
I have no illusions about what we'll hear from President Bush tonight. But before he tries to lull anyone into complacency tonight, let's look at the reality of the Goode Amendment, which Bush will no doubt reference in his speech tonight. Troops on the border to bolster security? It's not what it sounds like:
OK, here are the dirty little secrets.
“(d) Conditions of Use- (1) Whenever a member who is assigned under subsection (a) to assist the Bureau of Border Security or the United States Customs Service is performing duties at a border location pursuant to the assignment, a civilian law enforcement officer from the agency concerned shall accompany the member.”
So, each military member will simply now be a buddy for a Border Patrol guy.
Now look at this;
“(2) Nothing in this section shall be construed to–
(A) authorize a member assigned under subsection (a) to conduct a search, seizure, or other similar law enforcement activity or to make an arrest;”
So, the military has nada authority.
BUT it gets better;
“(h) Termination of Authority- No assignment may be made or continued under subsection (a) after September 30, 2007.’”
This is a ONE YEAR DEAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bush's speech tonight seems to be a weak bid to stem the hemorrhage of voters from the Republican Party. As the party's leader, Bush has a responsibility to lead and direct his party, and he may just be leading it to a crushing defeat in the upcoming elections. People who voted for Bush not once, but twice, are abandoning the Republican Party in droves. On a recent news radio poll, 80% of the callers who had voted for Bush twice, now heartily disapprove of him. Of that 80%, 90% of them said it was due to his mishandling of our border security. But Democrats shouldn’t celebrate any victories yet, because it’s not just Republicans - what it's doing to the two-party system is even worse.
This issue is splitting the American people into a majority who demand border security and immigration enforcement and a small, but vocal minority who demand amnesty. There are now two schools of thought coalescing around the faltering Republican Party and its bumbling missteps. The debate is happening now and we need to be a part of it. So let’s debate!
Kit and I dove into this a little deeper and have each represented a school of thought concerning the future of the Party, and by extension, our two party-system. In the interest of full disclosure, Kit is an increasingly-reluctant Republican and I am a furious Independent (formerly Republican who split from the party over a year ago).
The Reformer
by Kit Jarrell
Immigration is about as hot an issue as this country has seen in a while. Die-hard conservatives who once proudly pasted Bush/Cheney stickers on the backs of their cars are suddenly screaming for the President's head on a platter in the wake of his seemingly deliberate ignorance of the will of the American people, who in a new poll overwhelmingly call for border security and lower immigration numbers. A low rumbling has been heard in the blogosphere as some call for a conservative boycott of the 2006 elections in an effort to "show those GOP folks who's boss."
In the last few days, several conservative bloggers have stepped back a bit, asking if perhaps we're not being too hasty. Captain Ed says we're shooting ourselves in the foot if we simply sit home on Election Day.
...we still have to vote in November. If our preferred candidate does not win in the primaries, we still have to act responsibly and choose between the two major party candidates in the general election. Not only will abdication result in a loss of control over our own representation, the failure of GOP candidates has national implications that will wind up hamstringing the politicians that really have worked on our behalf -- the Tom Coburns, the John Boehners, the Jon Cornyns. And by sitting on our hands, we will have proven too inflexible to be dependable -- which will only encourage Republican candidates to reach out to the center-left more than ever before.
He's right. Here's how I see it:
The time for us to be acting is now, before the elections. We need to be seeking out and supporting candidates that we know will act with integrity and fortitude, who will understand and respect the rule of law, and who will do the job they were elected to do: represent the will of those who voted them in.
However, if Election Day rolls around and our candidate didn't make it, that is no excuse for us to sit home and do nothing. What happens if we throw a temper tantrum and refuse to vote? Democrats win. And let's face it: As much disillusion as we may feel right now, it's nothing compared to what this country will sink to if a liberal is elected back into the White House.
Stop the ACLU agrees, and quotes the Anchoress:
I just have to ask all of you people - on every side - who have decided that immigration is one man’s burden, and that every good thing President Bush has done is to be negated because he hasn’t snapped his fingers and done what YOU think is the solution to the immigration problem…what did Clinton do about immigration, what did Bush 41 do? What did St. Reagan do? What did Carter do? What has any president, congressperson or senator done about immigration for the last 30 years, except kick the issue down the road for someone else to deal with?
As hard as it may be to hear, she's got a point. The responsibility for the scope and breadth of the current immigration problem lies on all of our shoulders. Illegals didn't suddenly start showing up in the last year. Politicians have been ignoring the problem for decades...and so have we.
Anchoress goes on:
[On] immigration…one man is to blame, one man is at fault, one man must find the Solomonic solution. And if he doesn’t, he’s a bum no matter what else he’s done. Meanwhile, the press can’t get over the president who smiled and cried his way through two terms, and they still work on his legacy. Can you ever recall a time in history where 6 years after an administration ends, the ex-president is still breathlessly being polled-on, still being given (on most days) as much press as the current president? I can’t.
Is Bush wrong on this issue? Absolutely. Am I angry about it? You're damn right I am. But he's what we've got for another two years. I'm not asking everyone to go to Bush rallies and cheer. I am, however, telling you that being a conservative isn't like being a liberal. We don't get to take our toys and go home simply because someone's not playing fair. We don't get to scream for the nanny because we're not getting what we want. We're not part of that tribe. We don't get the luxury of tantrums and whining and petulance. Let's leave that for the cowards who'd rather hold up a sign than pay their dues as freemen.
As conservatives, we are the ones who see the big picture. We have to. Yes, immigration is one of the biggest issues facing this country. Yes, we need to act now. Yes, we need to hold our politicians accountable for their actions (or lack thereof). But sitting at home or boycotting the elections will only show everyone that we're just as spineless as the liberals we deride.
Liberals run when things don't work out. We don't. We stay until they're finished, until they're done, until the problem is taken care of. Don't throw up your hands yet. There's still work to be done.
The Revolutionary
By Heidi
I see the point made above. There is no doubt that we cannot sit back and do nothing. If we do - we deserve worse than we get. But can the Republican Party be reformed by simply finding new candidates? I know Democrats that are vastly disappointed with the direction of their party, too. Personally, I figure the system is broken. I think our Founding Fathers would be heartsick to see the extent of corruption within our two party system - it's like a grandiose house that has rotted from the foundation up. It would be best to tear it down and build something new and rock-solid on the foundation our forefathers built.
I am not prepared to give Bush a free pass by comparing him to our previous do-nothing Presidents. Never has there been a time in history when we have faced the sheer glut of problems rooted in the invasion of illegals - we're at 20 million or more - twice what the government will admit to. Never have we faced the crises of a foreign government managing our internal domestic policies, or our own government actively undermining our own laws, hamstringing our law enforcement, and refusing to listen to the majority of the American people. The American people have spoken - but nobody is listening!
Bush is the leader of the Republican Party. If he did the right thing, our majority-Republican Congress would follow. End of story - mission accomplished. Since he WON'T do the right thing, he puts those elected officials in the vulnerable and dangerous place of having to go against the entire executive branch in order to do what their people demand. As we've already seen, there's few of them that are man enough to do that. And that's what Bush is banking on! He's the one risking his own party, not those who abandon the Republican Party because it no longer speaks for them!
I think the Anchoress' defensive position is much more dangerous to the Republican Party than anything else: "How is one man supposed to do what countless others haven't?" That alone is a losing proposition! She asks what all the other presidents did about illegal immigration. Well, here are several extenuating points to ponder about that:
1) we've never had 20-28 MILLION illegals before
2) we never had a 9/11 before
3) we were not at war
4) those Presidents didn't promise the entire country that nothing mattered to them as much as our national security. Bush did.
The Republicans know that conservatives can't go anywhere else without risking the liberals taking control. I think Republicans count on the fact that conservatives are trapped, and they abuse it. Republicans caution rebellious conservatives by reminding them of how fourteen years ago, disaffected voters split the vote between Bush 41 and Perot. "Look what happened," they mourn, "we got eight years of Clinton." Republicans paint those independents as having sabotaged the election. Yet, what was the best candidate they could field against an incumbent Clinton in 1996? Bob Dole? C'mon - that's the best they could do? Losing two elections to the likes of Bubba Clinton is not the fault of the Independent voter - it's the result of a weak-willed Republican Party. They handed those elections to Clinton with a big red bow on top! That alone tells me they don't have what it takes to survive a reformation - they play it way too safe.
Today, we can't elect third-rate leaders just because we're voting against a floridly silly Al Gore or a treasonous John Kerry - who feels good about that?! Voting for the lesser of two evils, to vote against the worse candidate, is not the way any Republican or Democrat can hope to win an election. Neither party is any longer representing the American people, but rather big money interests and powerful small interest lobbies. Elections are a big money game. Though an Independent Perot couldn't win with his millions 14 years ago, he may have just been well ahead of his time. Here we are a decade and a half later, and millions of us are actively looking for a candidate with a spine of steel and an unswerving loyalty to the American people and the sovereignty of our homeland! I don't know about you, but I'm ready! There needs to be a radical overthrow of the rotten parties currently in control.
There's a confluence of circumstances that may make possible today what was impossible 14 years ago - field a powerful Independent that truly represents the American people. I've heard people caution that we can't afford to be single-issue voters. I beg to differ - when it comes to our national sovereignty, nothing is more important. Illegal immigration and Mexico's meddling in our domestic affairs are the greatest threat to our national sovereignty that our generation has ever seen. Neither the Republicans nor the Democrats can handle the gravity of the problem - they've already proven that to their everlasting shame.
It's time to throw them all out - the spirit of the American Revolution burns deeps inside many of us. It's time to ignite that fire and accomplish what lesser men and women have deemed impossible.
This has been a production of the Guard the Borders Blogburst. It is syndicated by Euphoric Reality, and serves to keep immigration issues in the forefront of our minds as we're going about our daily lives and continuing to fight the war on terror. If you are concerned with the trend of illegal immigration in our country, join the Blogburst! Send an email with your blog name and url to euphoricrealitynet at gmail dot com.
Posted by Wild Thing at 08:57 PM | Comments (4)
A World Without Islam
President Ahmadinejad of Iran wants a "World Without Zionism" (and without America).
I think this graphic above is a much better idea.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (5)
USS Memphis Surges In Support Of GWOT
GROTON, Conn. (NNS) -- USS Memphis (SSN 691) departed Naval Submarine Base New London May 6 on a surge deployment in support of the global war on terrorism.
Navy Newstand
From Commander, Submarine Group 2 Public Affairs
According to Cmdr. Joseph Wiegand, deputy commander for Operations and Training for Commander, Submarine Development Squadron (DEVRON) 12, surge deployments differ greatly from regularly scheduled deployments.
“Surge deployments are made to support real-world taskings from combatant commanders,” he said.
Memphis' surge deployment coincides with the scheduled deployment of USS Alexandria (SSN 757), also of DEVRON 12, and the surge deployment of USS Louisville (SSN 724) of Submarine Squadron 3 in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. All three submarines deployed during the first week in May.
“This is a prime example of the high demand for submarine capabilities in operational theaters around the world,” Wiegand said. “The combatant commanders count on our boats to engage with a range of different threats around the world. They rely on the inherent strengths of speed, persistence, firepower, and agility that only a submarine can provide.”
Memphis returned from a scheduled deployment in November and has remained in a surge-ready status for the past six months.
“All submarines completing a deployment remain surge ready and in a high state of training,” said Wiegand.
Over the past six months, the crew of Memphis and the staff of DEVRON 12 have trained closely with the newly activated Cell for Submarine Counter-Terrorism Operations (CSCO).
The CSCO continuously worked with Memphis in training for mission planning, special forces certifications, and presented real-time lessons learned from other currently deployed submarines.
“The nuclear-powered submarine continues to bring a lot to the table when it comes to the day-to-day operations in the global war on terrorism,” explained Lt. Cmdr. David Kelly, deputy director of the CSCO. “Our submarine force has never been in higher demand than it is today, including in the heyday of the Cold War.”
Kelly added that nuclear-powered submarines are unique in that they are the one platform that can conduct forward missions against threats from traditional naval forces as well as engage in missions against the more elusive and scattered terrorist threats.
Missions that fast-attack submarines like Memphis conduct in support of the GWOT include intelligence-gathering, surveillance and reconnaissance, information operations, strike operations and special operations forces missions.
This surge deployment is a part of the Fleet Response Plan (FRP), a program developed to change the way Navy ships deploy and to provide the United States with a greater range of naval options, adding the element of flexibility to naval efficiency.
The idea behind FRP is to keep the Navy ready to surge and to vary the lengths of deployments, meaning the Navy will be ready to deploy whenever, wherever.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:50 AM | Comments (6)
Iran Wanting to Call The Shots ~ White House Says No
White House dismisses calls for direct Iran talks
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House on Sunday dismissed calls for direct talks with Iran to resolve the stand-off over its nuclear program, saying the United Nations was the best forum for those discussions.
"We think the framework we have is even better, we have a number of countries that are engaged with Iran on this issue, we are supportive of those discussions," White House national security adviser Stephen Hadley told CNN.
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan urged the United States on Friday to enter into direct talks with Tehran, as have others.
But Hadley said the United Nations was the preferred forum for the talks.
"The forum has now shifted to a discussion in the U.N. Security Council where the international community as a whole, of which the United States is a part, can make clear to Iran what it needs to do," he told CNN's "Late Edition. "We think that's the right forum at this time for this issue."
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who sent an 18-page letter to President George W. Bush last week, said over the weekend that he was ready to talk with any country except Israel and not under threat of force.
Bush dismissed the letter, saying it did not addressing the issue of when Iran would abandon its nuclear program, which the West suspects is a cover for building weapons.
Iran says the program is merely for peaceful power generation.
Britain, France and Germany, backed by the United States, Russia and China, are to unveil a package of inducements and penalties for Iran depending on whether it cooperates or resists Western calls that it halt uranium enrichment.
"We are looking at the kinds of sanctions that might be applied if it does not make the right choice. We're also looking at the kinds of benefits that might be applied if Iran does make the right choice," Hadley said.
"There have been a lot of opportunities for Iran to make the right choice, which is respond to the will of the international community and give assurances, by getting out of the enrichment business, that it's not pursuing a nuclear bomb," he said..
Wild Thing's comment.......
I have had it with this freak Ahmadinejad. He sends a long letter, beyond long ....18 pagers, to Bush that basically amounted to a declaration of war.
So far we have had tons of threats made by various leaders in Iran. Besides their ego's needing to have a continuous 15 minutes of fame with their threat making, lies in speeches etc. Ahmadinejad thinks he can boss Bush and the USA around. I am thrilled Bush said NO to the talks right now. Iran should kiss our ass not the other way around.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (5)
Now Terrorists Huggers CAIR are Whining ~ Feelings Hurt
On 10 May, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) posted an item titled:
"CAIR-CA: Muslims Concerned 'United 93' Creates Anti-Islam Sentiment":
According to Bushra Khan, office manager for CAIR's Arizona chapter, she and two Muslim friends were verbally assaulted by a couple who had apparently just watched the movie, "United 93". The movie covered the events of September 11, 2001, when passengers and crew rose up and defended their fellow Americans by denying Islamic terrorists the opportunity to deliberately crash United flight 93 as their co-religionists had done earlier that horrible morning.
Bushra Khan, the office manager for the Council on American-Islamic Relations' Arizona chapter, was so upset that she sent a message out to all 31 CAIR offices nationwide about the incident. However, she apparently wasn't offended enough to call the FBI or local law enforcement in to investigate yet another possible "anti-Muslim hate crime".
Khan has the dubious distinction of working for CAIR, an organization that repeatedly has problems with facts; an organization that has consistently defended Muslims involved in "hate crimes" that never occurred, an organization that labels even the most innocuous of statements about Islam as "Islamophobia" in an effort to bully Americans into acceptance of CAIR as arbiter of everything Islamic in America. In short, CAIR promotes a version of Islam that is at odds with America and American values.
Consider:
August, 2004: CAIR demands law enforcement investigate an intentionally set fire at a Muslim-owned store as a possible "hate crime". The police did investigate and ended up arresting the stores owner, Amjad Adnuar. CAIR, which had pressed for the investigation, was "stunned" when told that Adnuar had been arrested for torching his own store.
"Stunned", indeed!
UPDATE: MAY 15th at 09:49
Taken from "Special Report" by Douglas Hagmann, Director of the NorthEast Intelligence Network:
From the article:
"On 11 May, 2006, I contacted the police department responsible for the protection of the citizens who visit this upscale mall to obtain a copy of the police report of this incident. As Ms. Khan and her companions expressed a genuine fear for their safety, it would not only be reasonable, but prudent to request police assistance when confronted in such a manner. Further, a review of the police report would provide additional avenues of investigation into this alleged verbal assault reportedly caused by "United 93."It was discovered that no police report exists; despite the fear expressed by the young women. Thinking that the women at least requested assistance from the security employed by the Desert Ridge Marketplace, I contacted that office on two occasions to inquire about the incident.
"This is the first I've heard about it," stated the officer answering the telephone on May 10, 2006. "If something like that did happen, we would probably know about it, most definitely," he added. At his urging, however, I contacted the officer in charge on the following day to see if any report of the incident was on file.
"We have no record of the incident. No one from our security detail responded to any complaint as you described," he stated. "I can't say that it didn't happen, but if it did, we were never notified or called for assistance," added the officer in charge.
In summary, it appears that the incident of verbal abuse that allegedly took place on or about April 29, 2006 was not reported to anyone outside of the CAIR organization despite the level of fear the victims expressed and the concern this incident has caused on a national level. My investigation failed to find any independent corroborating evidence that the verbal assault alleged by these three young Muslim women, one who is a CAIR employee, occurred in the manner in which it has been publicly reported. Although it might well have taken place as described, my investigation found no police report, no incident report on file with mall security, and no independent confirmation of this incident of verbal assault that is causing such a panic within the Muslim community."
Wild Thing's comment.......
CAIR's whining is their middle name!
CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations) - has NO redeeming qualities they are PRO terrorists! Muslims are treated much better in this country than Christians and Jews are treated in Muslim countries.
Now get this straight CAIR, it was Muslims that killed 3,000 people on 9-11. And Muslims are the ones that want to kill anyone that is not a Muslim. Now go sit in the corner and shut up!
Note the update above ...... pretty amazing!!! Why I am shocked I tell you shocked. (not) How typical of them......(sipping my morning coffee and rasing one eyebrow).
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:17 AM | Comments (2)
World Wide Terrorism Web
Not In Our Name and the World Wide Terrorism Web
In the run-up to this war, Not In Our Name became one of the major "peace" organizers and coalitions in the United States. Not In Our Name has spared no cost purchasing ads in newspapers around the world to publish its anti-American Statement of Conscience. Its signatories include scores of Hate America bigwigs, like Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn, Michael Parenti, Gloria Steinem and Barbara Kingsolver. Hollywood icons (and many more has-beens) like Danny Glover, Jessica Lange, Tyne Daly, Martin Sheen and Ed Harris have also signed or endorsed the statement. NION organizes marches and other protest activities in its support.
However, Not In Our Name is deeper than the latest academic babblers and limosuine liberals. NION professes peace, yet it is involved - directly as well as indirectly - with terrorist organizations and anti-American propaganda campaigns headed by fanatical Communist and Muslim groups. NION has cemented alliances with bona fide radical organizations like the Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom and the Revolutionary Communist Party.
Not In Our Name: What is IFCO?
Not In Our Name (NION) requests donations on its website, yet on this site donors are asked to make checks payable to NION/IFCO. IFCO is the acronym for the Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization. NION states that the " Interreligous Foundation for Community Organization (IFCO)… is our fiscal sponsor." Fiscal sponsorship by IFCO means Not In Our Name receives donations that are tax deductible because of IFCO's 501c(3) (charitable, federal tax-exempt) status. IFCO charges a fee for this service.
The Interreligous Foundation for Community Organization is a pro-Castro proxy group. Members of their staff such as Lucius Walker (Executive Director), Marilyn Clement (Treasurer) and Ellen Bernstein (Grants Administrator) are all Castrophiles In Havana in November 2000, Lucius Walker proclaimed, “Long live the creative example of the Cuban Revolution! Long live the wisdom and heartfelt concern for the poor of the world by Fidel Castro!" This was a follow-up to his pro-Castro speech in 1996, commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Communist Party USA. Marilyn Clement is a co-organizer of the WILPF’s Sister-to-Sister Cuba project. The WILPF also issued a condemnation of Clinton’s Cuba policy in 1998. Bernstein was also quoted as saying she believes Cuba is the paradigm of democracy.
IFCO does not limit its activity to pro-Castro factions, though. Its management maintains relationships with extremist Islamist groups as well. Walker travels frequently to Iraq, usually alongside Ramsey Clark. IFCO is a member of ANSWER Steering Committee.) Bernstein is a member of the American Muslim Council’s campaign against the use of secret evidence. Clement met with Palestinians during a WILPF “solidarity” conference in May 2002. IFCO is also a fiscal sponsor of the National Coalition to Protect Political Freedom (NCPPF). The co-founder of NCPPF was the recently indicted terrorist financier Sami Al-Arian.
However, NION’s links with Muslim terrorists are not just indirect, through IFCO. NION invited both Sami Al-Arian and Lynne Stewart to address their October 6, 2002 rally in Central Park. Stewart was indicted for passing messages on behalf of her terrorist client Sheikh Omar Abdul Rahman.
One of the members of NION’s Advisory Board, Abdeen Jabara, is a member of the legal advisory board for the American Muslim Council. He is a past president of the Arab-American Ant-Discrimination Committee, a board member of William Kunstler's Center for Constitutional Rights, and a co-counsel with Lynne Stewart for Sheik Rahman, the terrorist convicted for the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
Wild Thing's comment.....
Is NION’s financial relationship with IFCO some innocuous charitable funding arrangement? Is it a coincidence that NION donations are funneled through an organization with links to communist and pro-Palestinian groups? Is it a coincidence that NION’s donations are mailed to an organization that has links with Castro? Is it a coincidence that NION is operated by an organization with links to Communist terrorists? And do the long list of entertainment industry notables who have signed onto its "Statement of Conscience" aware of NION’s links? If not, why not?
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:02 AM | Comments (2)
May 14, 2006
Al-Qaeda Infiltrates Britains M15
EXCLUSIVE: M15 INFILTRATED BY AL-QAEDA
Muslim recruits suspected
Sunday Mirror
By Vincent Moss Acting Political Editor
TERRORISTS from al-Qaeda have infiltrated Britain's security services, the Sunday Mirror can reveal.
Bosses at M15 believe they unwittingly recruited the Muslim extremists after the July 7 suicide bombings in London last year which killed 52 people.
They were signed up as part of a drive to find more Muslims and Arabic speakers to work as spies to help prevent future attacks by Osama bin Laden fantatics.
Spymasters found some of the agents in Britain's universities and colleges and persuaded them to pass on information about suspected terrorists.
But a senior ministerial source has told the Sunday Mirror: "The truth is that it has now been discovered that some of those people have strong links with al-Qaeda.
"There was always a risk that with such a speedy and widespread recruitment some would turn out to be bad eggs.
"But the recruitment has meant we are now in a much better position to stop al-Qaeda attacks than we have ever been before. Several planned attacks have already been stopped thanks to the high quality of our intelligence."
But the disclosure that suspected terrorists have infiltrated the security services will be a further embarrassment to Government Ministers.
They came under ferocious pressure last week after an official report claimed MI5 had failed to follow up vital leads before the July 7 bombings.
The report from the Parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) said greater coverage by M16 - Britain's overseas spies - in Pakistan and more manpower "might have alerted the agencies to the intentions of the July 7 group".
But MI5 director-general Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller is masterminding a campaign to hire hundreds more intelligence officers to the service.
She is looking for IT experts, technicians and language specialists to help monitor "traffic" via emails and phone calls between al-Qaeda terror cells across the world.
MI5 is also offering £27,000 a year for "mobile surveillance officers" to follow targets who are part of "national security investigations".
But the service warns that its strict vetting process means it takes up to eight months to consider applications.
The ISC report last week found that two of the July 7 bombers - Mohammed Sidique Khan and Shehzad Tanweer - were known to the security services.
But they were not seen as a high priority and M15's manpower was diverted to investigate other suspects.
The pair were among the four suicide bombers who detonated their homemade devices on three Tube trains and a bus in the worst terrorist attack in British history.
SECRET HISTORY OF CENTURY OF SPYING
MI5 was founded in 1909, but its title then was the Home Section of the Secret Service Bureau.
IT wasn't until 1916 that it was called MI5, standing for Military Intelligence Section 5, although its official title is the Security Service.
MI5's primary role is to gather intelligence on those posing a threat to homeland security. MI6 keeps tabs on Britain's enemies abroad.
Wild Thing's comment......
Just this morning I had posted this.....Islamic Terror Suspects UP 50 percent in Britain and now this afternoon we have the answer as to why the terror suspects have grown. I just hope our country learns well from this and is very cautious who we get to work for us.
Posted by Wild Thing at 04:17 PM | Comments (3)
New Safety Measures for America's Highways
Posted by Wild Thing at 11:25 AM
Looney-tune Chavez New Latin King
Chavez doesn't pull any punches
Venezuelan president's style surprises many, but foreign oil firms not leaving
SAN TOME, VENEZUELA - Touring a branch office in central Venezuela, an executive from the state-run oil company worked himself into a lather.
Why? Because there weren't enough portraits of President Hugo Chavez hanging in the building.
"I want a nice, big photo of the president in the main entrance," he barked at a press officer. "And that's an order."
Venezuela's leftist president has sharply raised taxes on foreign oil firms and abruptly rewritten contracts, giving his government majority ownership and control over dozens of privately developed fields.
Last week, Chavez announced that his government will increase taxes from 34 percent to 50 percent on petroleum from the Orinoco basin and that royalties will double to 33.3 percent. On Thursday, the Venezuelan Congress, dominated by Chavez allies, recommended that the state convert the four Orinoco projects to joint ventures with the state oil company — known by the acronym PDVSA, pronounced pay-day-VAY-sa — assuming majority control and management.
Venezuela adopted similar changes last month on 32 smaller oil fields. Eventually, all petroleum operations in the country will be brought under majority government control, Oil Minister Rafael Ramirez said last week.
"Companies are making a lot of money taking oil from Venezuela," Chavez said last Sunday on the radio. "For the next year, the extra revenue (for the government) looks like it will come to more than a billion dollars."
Chavez said in Rome on Thursday ( May 11) in case of a military attack against Iran, no country in the world would have access to crude oil.
Chavez made the remark at a press conference, adding, “As Iran’s President Ahmadinejad has reiterated, if Tehran would come under attack, oil would get scarce for everyone.”
He also said that the US President George W. Bush should be put to trial at the international court of justice for having launched genocide in Iraq. “For all the horror it has created around the globe in the course of the past century, the United States’ war machine should be dismantled, since under the current conditions it is a threat against the entire mankind, particularly against our children.”
Chavez added, “The North American empire is the most cruel murderer regime that has ever come to power in world history and a serious threat for all nations.”
He believes the death of the United States had better taken place in the course of the 21st century, because “otherwise the entire world would face the threat of annihilation.”
Wild Thing's comment......
March 4, ***...Chavez appoints radicals to head Venezuelan passport agency - reports of Arabs otaining ID documents*** CARACAS -- Already facing allegations that Muslim extremists have obtained Venezuelan identity documents, President Hugo Chávez has put the country's passport agency in the hands of two radicals -- one a supporter of Saddam Hussein.
Hugo Cabezas and Tareck el Aissami were appointed last month as director and deputy director of the Identification and Immigration Directorate, in charge of border controls and issuing passports and national ID cards. The agency also works with electoral authorities on voter registration.
Both were top student leaders at the University of the Andes in the western city of Merida, described by senior school officials as a virtual haven for armed Chávez supporters and leftist guerrillas.
.........Allegations that Chávez's leftist government issued ID documents to Islamic radicals surfaced most recently in the newsweekly U.S. News and World Report. ''Venezuela is providing support -- including identity documents -- that could prove useful to radical Islamic groups,'' the magazine reported last month, quoting senior U.S. military and intelligence officials...... ***
Chávez was the only head of state to visit Hussein in recent years -- in 2000. He bitterly opposed the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq and tried to have a postwar Iraqi delegation banned from OPEC meetings.
Posted by Wild Thing at 09:55 AM | Comments (6)
Our Troops ~ Bless The and Keep Them Safe
Posted by Wild Thing at 02:07 AM | Comments (4)
Islamic Terror Suspects UP 50 percent in Britain
Islamic terror suspects in Britain up 50 percent since last year: report
(AFP)
The number of Islamic extremist security suspects in Britain has increased by 50 percent since the deadly suicide bombings in London last year, The Observer newspaper said on Sunday.
A senior intelligence source at the country’s domestic spy agency MI5 was quoted as saying that they were targeting 800 such suspects before the bombings on July 7 last year, but that figure now stood at 1,200.
In September 2001, the number of people deemed a “risk to national security” was 250, the newspaper said.
The unnamed MI5 source did not give a reason for the apparent rise in radicalisation but described the threat as “current, relentless and increasing”.
The Observer said a radical Islamic cleric whose sermons were attended by one of the July 7 bombers is to be released from prison ”within weeks” after serving just over half of a nine-year sentence for inciting murder and racial hatred.
Jamaican-born Abdullah el-Faisal once preached at the Brixton, south London, mosque attended by “Shoebomber” Richard Reid and Zacarias Moussaoui, the only man to be convicted in connection with the September 11, 2001 attacks.
He was convicted by a British jury in 2003 after his trial heard he had called for the murder of all non-Muslims and justified the use of nuclear and chemical weapons.
The newspaper said an order for his deportation was filed by the Home Office on March 30 but his lawyers have applied for his release on parole pending his removal.
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:55 AM | Comments (5)
Plane Carrying Sen. Kennedy Struck By Lightning
Plane carrying Sen. Kennedy struck by lightning
BOSTON --A small jet carrying U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy from a commencement speech in western Massachusetts to his Cape Cod home on Saturday was struck by lightning and had to be diverted to New Haven, Conn., a Kennedy spokeswoman said.
The eight-seat Cessna Citation 550 lost all electrical power, including communications, and the pilot had to fly the plane manually, according to Melissa Wagoner, Kennedy's press secretary. No one was hurt.
The Massachusetts Democrat had just delivered the commencement address at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams and was on his way from Pittsfield Municipal Airport to Hyannis to spend Mother's Day with family when the plane was struck at about 4 p.m., she said.
The jet landed at New Haven at 4:11 p.m. without incident, said Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Arlene Murray. A report was filed with the agency, which will look into the incident, she said.
Kennedy planned to stay in Connecticut overnight because he is scheduled to deliver another commencement address at Springfield College on Sunday, Wagoner said
Wild Thing's comment......
God is a Republican, you know.
"Oh, Ted, this is God. You've been flying off on tangents, and going in the wrong direction for too long now. This is my final warning. Can you hear me now?"
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:17 AM | Comments (5)
May 13, 2006
640 GIs of the 3rd Armored Calvary Regiment Re-Enlist
Fort Carson soldiers re-enlist
The mass re-enlistment of 640 GIs of the 3rd Armored Calvary Regiment is considered invaluable to the Army's future.
Fort Carson - A year ago, as Iraqi fighters detonated a bomb that shattered his convoy, Army Sgt. Gene Braxton led survivors scrambling out of their Humvees in the hot dusty haze to hunt for the triggermen.
Five months later, a bigger roadside bomb rocked the armored vehicle Braxton was in. Reeling from a concussion, he dragged a wounded buddy to safety.
Back in Colorado, Braxton has re-enlisted and will undergo parachute jump training in preparation for a possible third stint of combat duty in Iraq.
The 26-year-old is among 640 Colorado-based 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment soldiers who, in an unusually large mass re-enlistment, have extended their military service. Hundreds participated in a re-enlistment ceremony Friday, standing bolt straight on the shiny wood floor in a Fort Carson gym, raising their right hands and swearing they'd do anything to support and defend the United States.
"Out of the Army? I'd never consider that," said Braxton, who hopes his new jump training with the 82nd Airborne Division in Georgia will allow him to visit his daughter Jada, who lives with his ex-wife in Georgia.
For hundreds to re-enlist shows serious professionalism, said John Pike, director of the think tank Global Security. "It reflects well on the chain of command that people want to stick with it."
At Army headquarters, Lt. Col. Bryan Hilferty, who monitors retention efforts, said "640 out of 5,000 soldiers is huge."
The 3rd ACR commander, Col. H.R. McMaster, said "less tangible" factors such as knowing fellow soldiers "would die for you" drive re-enlistment. "Because of their combat experience," he said, "these soldiers will be invaluable to our Army in the future."
Not that soldiers decide easily.
"It's not like I want to go back. But I enjoy what I do and the people I work with. You find work you enjoy, you stay with it," said Staff Sgt. Dennis Busse, 29, who also served in Afghanistan with a wife and three kids back home.
"Money was the least of it" in deciding to stay with the 3rd ACR, which moves to Texas this year, said Busse, who worked previously as a cook at Italian and Mexican restaurants in his native Wisconsin.
"You're always going to find difficulties. There are difficulties on the civilian side, too. The military seems to be closer. The difference is, the employers in the civilian world, some of the owners, they don't want to do what they need to do. Here, anyone who's above you has been where you are."
A friend's death
For Sgt. Heath Gadberry, re-upping was the last thing on his mind a year ago in Iraq. He remembers his 29th birthday there, when he was thinking: "What am I doing out here?"
A field medic, Gadberry had a college degree in outdoor recreation, was working online for a masters in health care administration, with a wife and three kids back home in Colorado.
"I was like: 'What am I doing this for?' "
Then the next day, rolling through an insurgent hotbed south of Baghdad, a roadside bomb in an empty vehicle exploded as he passed, and everything went black. The blast killed his buddy, Spec. Robert Swaney, the gunner atop his Humvee.
It blew Gadberry 100 yards and with such force that the pavement he traveled over tore through his armor.
Once he was stitched and bandaged at base camp, Gadberry walked up to superiors and told them he wanted to re-enlist.
"Everybody looked at me like I was insane - 'Of all people, you should know better,' " Gadberry said.
But Swaney's death "motivated me," he said. "How can I not do this? How could I pawn this off to somebody else?
"I've got other options. But I can't imagine doing anything else right now. I've got to help get the job done."
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (4)
May 12, 2006
London High Court Favors Terrorists ~ WTF?
Britain misused power against Afghan hijackers’
LONDON: London’s High Court accused the British government on Wednesday of “an abuse of power” for refusing to allow nine Afghan asylum seekers who hijacked a plane to Britain to stay in the country as refugees.
In a fiercely critical ruling, judge Jeremy Sullivan overturned the government’s decision and said the conduct of the home office (interior ministry) deserved “the strongest mark of the court’s disapproval”.
“It is difficult to conceive of a clearer case of conspicuous unfairness amounting to an abuse of power by a public authority,” he said.
The nine Afghans, armed with knives and guns, hijacked a Boeing 727 plane in February 2000 after the aircraft left Afghanistan’s capital city of Kabul on an internal flight. They ordered the pilot to fly to Stansted airport near London, where they told negotiators via radio they had fled the Taliban regime and would blow up the plane and kill everybody on board if they were not granted political asylum in Britain.
The High Court ranks third in Britain’s legal hierarchy below the Court of Appeal and House of Lords, which is the upper house of parliament and highest court in the country.
Sullivan criticised the then Home Secretary Jack Straw and his successors, David Blunkett and Charles Clarke, who had all failed to grant the Afghans discretionary leave to enter Britain and allowed them only temporary admission.
He said the government had “defied” judges and legal procedures and “deliberately delayed” implementing a June 2004 appeal panel decision that, under human rights law, the nine could not be sent home because their lives would be at risk.
Junior Home Office minister Tony McNulty said the government was “disappointed with the court’s judgment” and was “considering whether it is appropriate to appeal”.
“It is common sense that to deter hijacking and international terrorism, individuals should not be rewarded with leave to remain in the UK,” he said in a statement.
“The hijackers are not deemed to present a threat to the UK’s national security at present and it remains our intention to remove them as soon as it is possible to ensure that they can be returned in safety to Afghanistan.”
Sullivan noted that the Home Office had feared allowing the hijackers to live and work freely in Britain as it would amount to “a charter for future hijackers”. But he insisted this did not give the ministry a license to ignore the judiciary.
“The issue in this case is not whether the executive should take action to discourage hijacking, but whether the executive should be required to take such action within the law,” he said. He ordered the government to pay legal costs run up by the as hijackers on an “indemnity basis” - the highest level of costs that can be awarded.
Wild Thing's comment.......
I guess I'm a heartless conservative and just don't understand the nuances of why hijackers should be rewarded for their crimes. England can start the motto. "Do the crime pay no time." Pssssssssssssssssssssssssssst.....Osama, here's your ticket to England as a refugee fleeing from American Terrorists who invaded your refugee camp, and who are planning to kill you. The high court of England will grant asylum to you, and freedom of movement throughout the country.
Posted by Wild Thing at 02:27 AM | Comments (16)
In Country With Our Troops Video in Ramadi
Please click
the image above to see
the Video "Lazy Ramadi"
Wild Thing's comment......
The most dangerous part of Iraq is still the region west of Baghdad, especially the city of Ramadi. Ramadi is a hell zone and U.S.-led coalition and Iraqi forces are trying to shut down insurgent supply routes into the area.
Wouldn't it be something if instead of it being 72 Virgins, it was ONE virgin at 72. heh heh Bye Bye Insurgents! But of course the Democrats and terrorists will be deeply saddened at any deaths of the insurgents and the success of our troops.
......* Mudville Gazette
Posted by Wild Thing at 02:07 AM | Comments (5)
Al-Qaeda Calling for "Sea of Blood" Over Cartoons
Al-Qaeda video calls for "sea of blood" in revenge for Muhammad cartoons
News.com
A VIDEO by an al-Qaeda member posted on the Internet overnight calls on Muslims to attack Denmark, Norway and France for publishing cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed.
"Muslims avenge your Prophet .... We deeply desire that the small state of Denmark, Norway and France ... are struck hard and destroyed," said Libyan Mohammed Hassan, who escaped from US custody at Bagram airbase in Afghanistan last July.
"Destroy their buildings, make their ground shake and transform them into a sea of blood," said Hassan, dressed in military fatigues and a black turban, and holding an assault rifle.
Hassan, also known as Sheikh Abu Yahia al-Libi, was one of four Arab terror suspects who broke out of the high-security detention facility at Bagram, the main US military base in Afghanistan.
Click image
below
to see Muhammad Cartoons
at my PC Free Zone Gazette page
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:55 AM | Comments (4)
May 11, 2006
Great Satan Park ~ Keep Pushing Our Buttons Iran!
Will U.S. Embassy in Iran become 'Great Satan Park'?
Tourists and thrillseekers in Iran could have a new attraction in downtown Tehran: the former United States Embassy being converted into a "Great Satan Park."
A top Iranian commander is calling for the creation of such a theme park at the one-time location U.S. facility, which has seen a troubled history dating back to the Carter administration of the 1970s.
"We would be able to nicely show off the American crimes to citizens strolling in the park," General Mir-Faisal Bagherzadeh told the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency. "The former American Den of Spies should become the park of Great Satan."
Bagherzadeh is in charge of the Sacred Defense Foundation, a propaganda organ originally created to commemorate the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war.
The property is perhaps best known from 1979 news footage, when in the wake of Iran's Islamic revolution that toppled the U.S.-backed shah, the embassy was taken over by Islamist students, with 52 staffmembers taken hostage for 444 days.
The downtown location is now used for military training by Iran's ideological army, the Revolutionary Guards, while the main building also serves as a museum to display the "documents of American espionage and crimes against the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Wild Thing's comment......
Yep keep pushing our buttons Iran. Poor little glow in the dark Ahmadinejad wanna be world ruler.
Here ya go......Click on image below turn up volume to hear Samuel Jackson quote Ezekiel 25:17 passage from movie Pulp Fiction
Posted by Wild Thing at 02:34 AM | Comments (7)
Mounted Gunners Seeing Clearer Thanks To New Turrets
Mounted gunners seeing clearer thanks to new turrets
Submitted by: 1st Marine Division
Story Identification #: 200651054548
Story by Gunnery Sgt. Mark Oliva
CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq (May 9, 2006) -- Duty in the turret of Regimental Combat Team 5’s seven-ton trucks just got clearer with new ballistic-glass and steel encased firing positions.
The new turrets, called Marine Corps Armored Turret Systems, are being installed on seven-ton trucks, the first in an upgrade to give gunners greater visibility and beefed-up protection for convoy operations.
“The advantage of these turrets is the protection it provides the gunner,” said Master Sgt. Adam Lyttle, the 42-year-old Motor Transport chief for the regiment. “The most noticeable change is the ballistic glass. They also have higher turrets and they traverse a lot easier.”
Ballistic shields replaced steel plates in front of the gunner’s position and side ballistic glass allows Marines to scan from side to side without having to expose themselves to fire. It’s an important feature. Until now, Marines had to crouch down behind their guns.
“The gunner can stay higher on the guns now,” Lyttle explained. “Their field of view is a whole lot better. The gunner plays a major part on all convoys.”
Higher blast protection and windows that will deflect gunfire and shrapnel now allows gunners to perform duties with a greater degree of confidence. Marines aren’t just gripping .50-caliber machine guns behind the ballistic shields. They’re on the lookout for improvised explosive devices – or roadside bombs.
“I feel a lot safer,” said Cpl. Jose M. Ramirez, a 22-year-old from Lemoore, Calif., assigned to RCT-5’s motor transport platoon. “Before I was afraid of standing up. Now, there’s no fear to get up and peek at something suspicious.”
Ramirez is one of the few gunners in the regiment’s motor transport platoon who has already conducted several missions riding in the new turret. He said it has a lot more room, space to keep his rifle and other tools handy and best of all, better protection.
“It’s a blessing from the gods to get these here,” Ramirez said. “They’re a lot better. This is a big improvement. Everybody likes these.”
Lyttle said the turrets are being added as fast as they arrive in theater, with help from 1st Marine Logistics Group’s, Combat Logistics Battalion-5. It’s not just the regimental headquarters getting the new turrets. Each battalion is getting outfitted as well.
“The hope is before the month is out, we’ll have new turrets on every truck,” Lyttle said.
Lance Cpl. Trevor A Chapman, a 20-year-old from Norwich, Conn., has also ridden a couple of missions in the new turret and said Marines have a lot in which to look forward.
“I figured it would be good with having the windows on each side,” said Chapman, assigned to RCT-5 Motor Transport Platoon. “I felt a lot safer. The armor goes all the way around.”
Chapman makes sure his M-2 .50-caliber machine gun is mounted correctly in the new Marine Corps Armored Turret System. The new turret offers gunners greater protection and visibility with ballistic glass shielding.
Chapman explained the old turrets had gaps that left him feeling exposed to hazards. Now, he’s completely encased in a turret system that allows him to see more and move quicker.
“It’s a lot easier to use,” Chapman explained. “You don’t have to swivel as far because of the windows. That makes the gunner’s job easier because he can react faster.”
Lance Cpl. Trevor A. Chapman, a 20-year-old from Norwich, Conn, and Lance Cpl. Antonio Mendoza, a 20-year-old from Los Angeles, mount a M-2 .50-caliber machine gun in the new Marine Corps Armored Turret System that Regimental Combat Team 5 is installing on their seven-ton trucks. The new armor increases protection and allows for greater visibility with ballistic glass.
Photo by: Gunnery Sgt. Mark Oliva
Lyttle witnessed the change the Marine Corps has made over the past several years with armoring. Initially, gunners were exposed with nothing protecting them but helmets and flak vests. Then barrel-style turrets were installed and now, the angular turret with ballistic glass has taken force protection to a new level.
“The Marines are pretty pleased,” he said. “They were excited about getting them. The Marines are eager to ride in anything, but you see these big improvements … it built their confidence up, big time.”
.
Posted by Wild Thing at 02:27 AM | Comments (6)
Cuba, Saudis, China on Rights Council
Cuba, Saudis, China on Rights Council
AP) Cuba, Saudi Arabia, China and Russia won seats on the new U.N. Human Rights Council on Tuesday despite their poor human rights records, but two rights abusers _ Iran and Venezuela _ were defeated.
Human rights groups said they were generally pleased with the 47 members elected to the council, which will replace the highly politicized Human Rights Commission. It was discredited in recent years because some countries with terrible rights records used their membership to protect one another from condemnation.
"The spoiler governments, the governments that have a history of trying to undermine the protection of human rights through their membership on the old commission are now a significantly reduced minority when it comes to the council," said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch. "That doesn't guarantee that the council will be a success, but it is a step in the right direction."
Yvonne Terlingen, U.N. representative for Amnesty International, said it was "fairly pleased" that the countries elected would provide a good basis for a new "strong and effective human rights body."
"Some countries have been elected with weak human rights records, but they also are now committed to uphold the highest human rights standards," she said.
The United States opposed the establishment of the council, saying it did not go far enough to prevent rights abusers from winning seats, and the U.S. decided against being a candidate.
But U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Kristen Silverberg said "on the whole, we think it is an improvement over the commission."
"We are committed to engaging actively in the coming weeks with all of the elected members ... to make sure that this body is effective," she said. "We think think that the real test of this council will be whether it can take effective action in serious cases of human rights abuse like Darfur, ... Burma, North Korea and other places."
U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., a critic of the U.N., said Cuba's election showed the new council suffers from the same weakness as the commission and "is the perfect example of the U.N.'s failure to reform."
Russia was a candidate in the most hotly contested regional group _ Eastern Europe _ which fielded 13 candidates for six seats. It was the only group where a second round of voting was needed. The other winners were Azerbaijan, Czech Republic, Poland, Romania and Ukraine.
The 13 African winners were Algeria, Cameroon, Djibouti, Gabon, Ghana, Mali, Mauritius, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia and Zambia.
The 13 Asians elected to the council were Bangladesh, Bahrain, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka. The defeat of Iran in that category "just shows their lack of standing in the international community," said Richard Grenell, spokesman for the U.S. Mission to the United Nations.
In Latin American and the Caribbean, the eight seats went to Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay.
The seven countries elected from the Western bloc were Britain, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Netherlands and Switzerland.
Wild Thing's comment.......
Unbelievable. That's like having Charles Manson as a male nurse.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (4)
May 10, 2006
C-141 "Hanoi Taxi" Landed on Friday May 5th, 2006
“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it on to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children what it was once like in the United States when men were free.” -- Ronald Reagan
Families swarm to greet former prisoners of war moments after they landed in the C-141 "Hanoi Taxi" on Friday, May 5, 2006, at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio. The "Hanoi Taxi" was the first aircraft to arrive in Hanoi in February 1973 to pick up POWs returning to the United States. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Larry A. Simmons)
Airman 1st Class Humberto Alcocer leads the honor guard during a ceremony recognizing the last mission of the C-141 "Hanoi Taxi" on Friday, May 5, 2006, at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio. Airman Alcocer is a member of the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base honor guard, and is with the 88th Medical Operations Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Larry A. Simmons
While walking through it you see the equipment box that the POW's signed as they flew back home.
Note in the corner the signature of Col. George "Bud" Day - Medal of Honor winner and outspoken critic of John Kerry He was a POW in North Vietnam, 1967-1973.
For more than five years, Col.Bud Day resisted the North Vietnamese guards who tortured him. On one occasion in 1971, when guards burst in with rifles as some of the American prisoners gathered for a forbidden religious service, Major Day stood up, looked down the muzzles of the guns, and began to sing "The Star-Spangled Banner." The other men, including James Stockdale, the ranking U.S. officer in the prison, joined him.
Jim Lamar (left) talks to Tech. Sgt. Rick Sforza on Saturday, May 6, 2006, about an aerial photograph of the "Hanoi Hilton" prisoner of war camp where he was held captive in Vietnam. The two men were flying on the final mission of the C-141 "Hanoi Taxi" over Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Sergeant Sforza is a Reserve photographer with the 4th Combat Camera Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Larry A. Simmons)
Col. Doug Moe looks out the window while flying on one of the the last missions of the C-141 "Hanoi Taxi" on Friday, May 5, 2006 over Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The "Hanoi Taxi" was the first aircraft to arrive in Hanoi in February 1973 to pick up prisoners of war returning to the United States. The C-141 landed at the National Museum of the United States Air Force where it will be on display this summer. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Larry A. Simmons)
DAYTON, Ohio (AFPN) -- The first aircraft to return Vietnam prisoners of war to the United States arrived at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at 9:30 a.m. May 6.
The C-141 "Hanoi Taxi" was the first aircraft to arrive in Hanoi in February 1973 to pick up POWs returning to the United States. The "Hanoi Taxi" was one of several aircraft involved in repatriating more than 500 American POWs held by the North Vietnamese.
The Hanoi Taxi -- the last C-141 Starlifter still serving in the Air Force -- made two of its final three flights May 5. Former POWs gathered for a reunion and to take part in a weekend of activities created by the Air Force Reserve Command’s 445th Airlift Wing here that included retirement of the famed aircraft.
The aircraft made several passes before its final landing on the runway behind the museum May 6. Crewmembers from the 445th AW flew the aircraft from nearby Wright-Patterson Air Force Base to the museum.
A ceremony was held following the aircraft's arrival at the museum. Speakers included Gen. Duncan J. McNabb, commander of Air Mobility Command; Lt. Gen. John A. Bradley, commander of Air Force Reserve Command; and retired Maj. Gen. Charles D. Metcalf, museum director. Former Vietnam POWs and past crewmembers were in attendance to witness the event.
During the ceremony, Lockheed Martin presented the museum with a painting of the Hanoi Taxi flying over the museum. The painting is titled "The Airlift Legend: Celebrating the 43-Year Career of the C-141 Starlifter."
Herv Stockman - flew more than 50 combat missions during WWII piloting a P51. Flew the first U-2 mission over the Soviet Union. Watched Migs scramble in futility, two colliding, and follow helplessly, far below.
Speaking before the public about his Hanoi captivity:
The last of the morning's speakers was Hervey Stockman, a fighter pilot who saw action in all our hot and cold wars: World War II, Korea, the first U2 flight over the Soviet Union, and Vietnam, where his plane crashed and he spent six years in a sevenbysevenfoot prison cell in Hanoi. He had been reluctant to talk about that ordeal as a prisoner of war, but the class officers asked him to try, feeling that in his character and his generous heart he represented the best of what the class set out so long ago to be."Preparing these words was much like visiting an old, untended graveyard," Hervey Stockman said, looking out at us from the lectern, a trim man with a warm smile. He began by describing the brutal treatment he received in the early months of his imprisonment -- "I was a foul, decrepit wreck of a man" -- and then recalled the slow process by which at last "my mind was awakened and reunited to my body and I had the will to live and regain my strength." He spoke slowly, barely controlling his emotions, but without selfpity, and when he walked back to his seat, his slightly stiff gait betraying his long captivity, the class rose in an ovation that had no relation to the applause usually heard at the end of a speech: mere handclapping. It had tremendous solemnity -- it was emotional without being sentimental -- and it rumbled through the auditorium.
Robert Lewis Stirm
I was shot down over Hanoi 27 October 1967 while leading a flight of F-105Ds on Canal Des Rapides Bridge. They captured me immediately on landing and I was displayed in Hanoi that night. I was detained in various cells of five different POW camps and was in solitary confinement a total of 281 days. They turned me over to US control on 14 March 1973.
I never once lost faith in our government, our President, or my family.
The museum plans for the Hanoi Taxi to be on public display this summer.
Wild Thing's comment............
If our government would have done what John F'n Kerry recommended when he came back from Paris after consorting with the enemy, everyone of those names would have belonged to a dead man! Kerry said we should immediately abandon South East Asia, and pay whatever damages North Vietnam decided we owed them.
my POW MIA page
my Vietnam page
My other post announcing C-141 "Hanoi Taxi" is Retiring
In that post there are also comments of one that flew this plane and others that shared their experiences.
* Argghhh
Posted by Wild Thing at 02:47 AM | Comments (9)
Soldiers clearing rural routes stalk munitions
Army Staff Sgt. Roman Ramos checks
grid coordinates on a map during a
route clearing mission in southern
Afghanistan's Uruzgan District.
Ramos is a combat engineer assigned
to the 37th Engineer Battalion.
By Army Pfc. Anna K. Perry
19th Public Affairs Detachment
KANDAHAR AIRFIELD,
Afghanistan —
Getting service members from point A to point B successfully is essential to mission accomplishment in time of war.
The mission for the Soldiers of A Company, 37th Engineer Battalion is to make sure troops arrive safely at their destinations.
"We're here to provide assured mobility for American and Coalition forces," said Army Staff Sgt. Roman Ramos, a combat engineer assigned to one of the unit's route-clearing packages.
The small team of route-clearing Soldiers is always on the prowl for improvised explosive devices and unexploded
ordnance in their theater of responsibility. Ramos and his troops use various pieces of equipment and tactical vehicles to help detect IEDs and UXOs along the roads they travel throughout Afghanistan.
"We're looking for indicators, like wires or anything that doesn't seem to belong," Ramos said. Indicators could be random patterns or a break in a natural pattern, he added. Handling IEDs and UXOs is a task taken seriously by the team.
"We're in a position where we get hands-on and face-to-face with whatever the munitions might be," he said. "So we take whatever steps we can to mitigate the risk prior to dismounting." The team also focuses on the perimeter of the area bein cleared.
The team also focuses on the perimeter of the area being cleared.
"We want to avoid taking one bad situation and creating two or three more with a secondary device or a coordinated attack," Ramos added. If a Soldier is injured, the route-clearing package relies on a medic who always
travels with them. "I'm here to bring my battle buddies back alive if anything happens," said Army Pfc. Adam Peters, a medic attached to the 37th Eng. Bn. Despite the risk, Ramos said he realizes how beneficial his team's mission is to his fellow service members and the Afghan people.
"Afghanistan is littered with land mines, and we have places where people are putting more devices into the roads," he said.
Ramos said he believes route clearance is a never-ending operation.
"This is extremely important," he said. "There's no number of clearances that we could do that would be enough."
Soldiers dismount from a RG-31 Mine Protected Vehicle during a route clearing mission in southern Afghanistan's Uruzgan Province. The combat engineers are assigned to the 37th Engineer Battalion.
Army Staff Sgt. Roman Ramos uses a metal detector on the road during a route clearing mission in southern Afghanistan's Uruzgan District. Ramos is a combat engineer assigned to the 37th Engineer Battalion.
Wild Thing's comment.......
Prayers for all our troops, stay safe and thank you for all you do. We are all so proud of you.
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:55 AM | Comments (7)
Muslim Savages Following the Quran
11 Bodies found dumped in Tigris near Baghdad
SUWAYRA, Iraq (Reuters) - The bodies of 11 Iraqis, including the headless corpse of a 10-year-old boy, were found dumped in the Tigris river south of Baghdad on Tuesday, police sources said.
The bodies, nine of whom were beheaded, were discovered near the Sunni town of Suwayra, 25 miles southeast of Baghdad. Seven of them were wearing Iraqi security forces uniforms.
Police said the victims had been killed four or five days ago. All had their hands tied.
Police could not confirm the motive for the killing but sectarian violence has increased sharply since the February 22 bombing of a Shi'ite shrine sparked a wave of reprisals.
The dumping of bodies -- many of them bearing signs of torture -- is a common occurrence in Iraq.
Wild Thing's comment.......
This news and the pictures the Media should show the world - let the people world wide see what torture really is - what evil people they are. The Media should also show photos of our troops and all the great things they are donig. Can you imagine if the Media showed these two things, the evil of our enemy and our awesome troops. Just wishing here anyway!
But instead we have the Media telling us this crap from this slime!
The Iraqis who have risen up against the occupation are not "insurgents" or "terrorists" or "The Enemy." They are the REVOLUTION, the Minutemen, and their numbers will grow -- and they will win.
--Michael Moore
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:14 AM | Comments (4)
May 09, 2006
Moussaoui Asks to Withdraw Guilty Plea
Moussaoui Asks to Withdraw Guilty Plea
Convicted Sept. 11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui says he lied on the witness stand about being involved in the plot and wants to withdraw his guilty plea because he now believes he can get a fair trial.
In a motion filed Friday but released today, Moussaoui said he testified March 27 he was supposed to hijack a fifth plane on Sept. 11, 2001, and fly it into the White House "even though I knew that was a complete fabrication."
federal court jury spared the 37-year-old Frenchman the death penalty last Wednesday. On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema gave him six life sentences, to run as two consecutive life terms, in the federal supermax prison at Florence, Colo.
At sentencing, she told Moussaoui: "You do not have a right to appeal your convictions, as was explained to you when you plead guilty" in April 2005. "You waived that right."
She said he could appeal his sentence but added, "I believe it would be an act of futility."
Moussaoui's court-appointed lawyers told the court they filed the motion even though a federal rule "prohibits a defendant from withdrawing a guilty plea after imposition of sentence." They did so anyway because of their "problematic relationship with Moussaoui" and the fact that new lawyers have yet to be appointed to replace them.
Wild Thing's comment......
So he got one look at SuperMax and changed his mind, did he?
Posted by Wild Thing at 02:55 AM | Comments (10)
Caves in Afghanistan to Motown ~ Just Follow the Camel Tracks
In terror war, American 'outreach' has US Muslims wary
By Caroline Drees, Security Correspondent
DEARBORN, Michigan (Reuters) -
When U.S. soldiers raid a cave in Afghanistan, FBI agent William Kowalski knows to expect a call at his office in Detroit.
"When a military raid goes on in Kabul, or in a cave, and they find a computer that contains an address book or names and phone numbers, invariably I'm going to get a call here that says, 'We did a raid and there was this 313 (Detroit-region) area code phone number in it. Check it out,'" Kowalski said.
The Detroit area, and especially the suburb of Dearborn, is home to the largest Arab American community in the United States, potentially fertile ground for U.S. officials looking for information and help to fight the war on terrorism.
Counterterrorism officials are trying to build closer ties to Muslim and Arab Americans through so-called outreach efforts. These include townhall meetings, discussions with community leaders and one-on-one talks with local residents at mosques, schools or cultural events.
Officials hope closer ties will encourage community members -- who are just as eager to live in safety as other Americans -- to tip off authorities to suspicious newcomers or militant activities, allowing agents to foil possible plots before it's too late.
Agents believe immigrant communities may have unique links to conflict areas and can help them distinguish between useful leads and red herrings after incidents such as the raids Kowalski described.
But many Muslim and Arab Americans fear the bridge-building initiative that began after the September 11 attacks means little more than propaganda, recruitment and spying.
"It's not about reaching out to us and including us," said community activist Kenwah Dabaja, whose family emigrated to the United States from Lebanon. "The community is nervous."
Federal, state and local counterterrorism officials say bridging this gap in understanding is key to protecting the country, but efforts are stumbling over deep-seated mistrust and suspicions.
Many Arab and Muslim Americans say they have felt the target of racism and discrimination after the 2001 attacks, and they accuse law enforcement officials of singling them out for scrutiny in the fight against terrorism.
"One thing everybody is taught in this country is that you are innocent until proven guilty, but it seems this is not working with regard to the Muslim community anymore," said Imam Hassan al-Qazwini, the Iraqi-born head of one of the largest U.S. mosques in Dearborn.
"HAVEN'T DONE ENOUGH"
One senior U.S. counterterrorism official in Washington acknowledged that "we haven't done enough" to cooperate with Arab and Muslim immigrants against terrorism.
He said the government had to beef up intelligence gathering at home by building trust between officials and Americans of Middle Eastern descent, linking local police more closely into communities and encouraging residents to volunteer information.
Government agencies as well as state and local law enforcement also say they are eager to hire Arab Americans so their workforce better reflects the community.
"Our job is to convince them (community members) that they can trust us so that they can come forward with information that will further our investigations, or points us in the right direction if they see suspicious individuals," said Kowalski, who is the FBI's acting special agent charge in Detroit.
He said the number of Arab Americans was so large in his area that almost every U.S. security investigation at home and abroad touched his community in some way.
Brian Moskowitz, the Detroit-based special agent in charge for the Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said intense outreach efforts to community members since the 2001 attacks -- including monthly sessions with Arab and Muslim American leaders -- had certainly enhanced security cooperation.
"I don't think it (terrorism) is different than any other crime in the sense that you need to have your sources, your ears and eyes as close to the action as possible," he said. "Law enforcement in general terms has gotten information from the community here. They come because they feel they can."
COMMUNITY WARY
Michael Bouchard, a Detroit area sheriff who is the only Arab American running for the Senate this fall, said law enforcement had begun to take steps to improve security cooperation with the community, "but it takes time. Every time you have a long-standing misunderstanding and distrust, it takes times to break that down."
Several community members -- and even one Washington-based official who spoke on condition of anonymity -- said the authorities were probably not plugged into the communities well enough to know if any extremists were lurking there.
Dearborn activist Dabaja said government "outreach" was a misnomer. "It's not really outreach. To some it's recruiting and propaganda spreading," she said, adding there was a need for genuine closer ties.
Some community members also feared they were under surveillance, especially after the disclosure of domestic wiretapping as part of counterterrorism efforts.
Imam Qazwini praised the regular meetings senior administration and law enforcement officials have held with community leaders such as him, but he said it wasn't enough.
"Outreach means that you treat me equally and respect me like any other U.S. citizen. You don't look at me with a suspicious eye unless you have overwhelming evidence," he said.
Wild Thing's comment......
Well this ticks me off!!!! It seems very simple to me, you raid a cave in Afghanistan and find a computer with address book or names and phone numbers connecting the terrorists to (313) area code in Michigan. OK how hard is that to understand for these freaking Muslims in America. ( insert steam coming out of my nose, ears and eyes with anger and my blood boiling). BUT do the Muslims react innocently HELL NO! Once again they react with the stop picking on me BS. And complain about the outreach to kiss up to them.
Help stop the insanity! Stop giving in to the enemy, stop being diplomatic with them.
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:55 AM | Comments (6)
May 08, 2006
Update On The Killing of Atwar Bahjat
Atwar Bahjat was murdered by inhuman pieces of flesh walking the face of this earth. And even though this is a hoax and it was not her in the video, it should never take away from this womans murder.
The Jawa Report explains that the Times and Halal Jabar, the author of the article, are victims of a hoax. The video actually shows the gruesome murder of a Nepalese man by the Army of Ansar al-Sunna in Iraq from August of 2004. The man was one of 12 victims executed by the terrorist organization--the other 11 were shot.
The Army of Ansar al-Sunna has murdered dozens of civilians in Iraq. The organization is an offshoot of the Army of Ansar al-Islam--a Kurdish Islamist organization. The group routinely murders those suspected of collaborating with the U.S. and Iraqi governments. Before the group murders their hostages they accuse them of 'apostasy', a crime punishable by death under Islamic law. They therefore justify their murders as 'executions' for 'crimes' committed against Islam.
Here is a link to the original video being circulated on jihadi discussion boards as the Atwar Bahjat beheading video (WARNING: VERY GRAPHIC). Disgusting, cruel, and graphic images from it are posted below.
My original post about Atwar Bahjat....The Killing of Atwar Bahjat ~ Her Killers Straight From Hell
Posted by Wild Thing at 06:15 PM
Operation Mountain Lion Roars Into Korengal Valley
DOD
By Sgt. Joe Lindsay, USMC
Special to American Forces Press Service
KORENGAL VALLEY, Afghanistan, May 8, 2006 – Afghan National Army and coalition forces have been taking the war on terrorism to their adversaries in this enemy safe haven in Afghanistan's Kunar province for the past month.
Operation Mountain Lion began April 11 with night helicopter insertions of Afghan and coalition forces at strategic points throughout the valley, followed shortly by troops pushing up on foot through the mouth of the valley.
"We're taking the fight to the terrorists in their own backyard," Army Command Sgt. Maj. James Redmore, of Task Force Spartan, said. "They gave their victims no sanctuary. They'll receive none from us."
An estimated 2,500 Afghan and coalition forces are in the Korengal and surrounding valleys in what military officials are calling the most significant effort yet to bring stability to this war-torn region.
"The enemy has very few options," said Marine Lt. Col. James Bierman, commanding officer of 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, whose Hawaii-based unit is the main thrust of the operation. "The first option he has is to run. If he runs, he leaves the safety and sanctuary of the villages where he's mixed with the local population, and he now becomes detectable by air support."
The next option would be to blend in with the local populace, Bierman added. "The last option (the enemy) has is to fight. If he does that, he's going to have a world of hurt put on him."
Every single company from 1/3 has been in firefights and received fire, said Marine 1st Lt. Kevin Frost, platoon commander for 3rd Platoon, Company C. "It is a credit to our abilities as coalition forces that they've shot at us but haven't come close to winning any engagements," Frost said.
The Marines frequently get into skirmishes with the remaining enemies, and the ones that are left "are just stubborn," said Marine Sgt. Michael Chambers, platoon sergeant for 3rd Platoon, Company C. "They pop off a couple rounds at us and then run back along the ridgeline, trying to get away."
Marine Staff Sgt. Jason Butler, an operations chief with 1/3, said he agrees. "There have been dozens of firefights so far, but the enemy is finding out that they pretty much can't do anything effective against us," he said.
The Afghan army has played a significant role in the success of the operation, so has outstanding support from the U.S. Army's 10th Mountain Division, which cordoned off the other valleys, Butler said. Air support from the U.S. Air Force also has been key. "This has truly been a joint effort," he said.
The Afghan National Army has played the central role in this operation, said Marine Gunnery Sgt. Donald Vollmer, an operations watch chief with the 1/3. "We are here to support them," he said.
Additional support to the mission has included a medical civic assistance program as part of the coalition's humanitarian mission in Afghanistan.
"Our Navy corpsmen have treated over 3,000 Afghan locals in the Korengal Valley since the start of Operation Mountain Lion," said Marine 1st Sgt. John Armstead, of Headquarters and Service Company of the 1/3. "We are here to help make their lives better and to provide whatever support and assistance we can."
Marine Maj. Michael Miller, the battalion's executive officer, said Operation Mountain Lion has the potential to be the catalyst that changes the makeup of the entire region.
The operation essentially has taken away a major enemy sanctuary, which has increased stability and welfare among the people, Miller said. "We are here for the long haul," he said.
All the beneficial factors and accomplishments of Operation Mountain Lion will continue to resonate throughout the Korengal Valley for a long time to come, he added.
"This was ANA and coalition teamwork at its best. We were together shoulder to shoulder on this operation, and it establishes a foundation of support from the local populace when the ANA taking charge," Miller said.
"The operation is stabilizing the area and helping the people of Afghanistan," Marine Master Gunnery Sgt. Carlos Craig, the battalion's operations chief, said.
"Operation Mountain Lion has put us five to 10 years ahead of where we were before the operation started," he said.
(Marine Sgt. Joe Lindsay is assigned to Task Force Lava Public Affairs.)
Troops Today
Posted by Wild Thing at 05:45 PM
Guard the Borders Blogburst
Nuestro Himno: Is It Really "Our Anthem?"
By Rahel B. Avraham of CustomerServant
The pro-illegal immigration folks now have their own campaign song. It’s called “Nuestro Himno,” (our anthem), and it’s peddlers say it’s just a re-interpretation of our national anthem, “The Star-spangled Banner.” Let’s see if that claim actually holds water.
First, an English translation of “Nuestro Himno.”
Verse 1It’s sunrise. Do you see by the light of the dawn
What we proudly hailed last nightfall?
Its stars, its stripes
yesterday streamed
above fierce combat
a symbol of victory
the glory of battle, the march toward liberty.
Throughout the night, they proclaimed: “We will defend it!”Chorus
Tell me! Does its starry beauty still wave
above the land of the free,
the sacred flag?
Chant:It’s time to make a difference the kids, men and the women
Let’s stand for our beliefs, let’s stand for our vision/What about the children, los ninos ?These kids have no parents, cause all of these mean laws.
See this can’t happen, not only about the Latins.
Asians, blacks and whites and all they do is adding
more and more, let’s not start a war
with all these hard workers,
they can’t help where they were born.Verse 2
Its stars, its stripes,
Liberty, we are the same.
We are brothers in our anthem.
In fierce combat, a symbol of victory
the glory of battle,
(My people fight on)
the march toward liberty.
(The time has come to break the chains.)
Throughout the night they proclaimed: “We will defend it!”
Tell me! Does its starry beauty still wave
above the land of the free,
the sacred flag?
And now, to put things in perspective, the lyrics to “The Star-spangled Banner.”
The Defense of Fort McHenry
September 20, 1814
By Francis Scott Key
Oh, say can you see, by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, now conceals, now discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines on the stream:
‘Tis the star-spangled banner! O long may it wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wiped out their foul footstep’s pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war’s desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heaven-rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, for our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust.”
And the star-spangled banner forever shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
As you can see, there’s very little similarity between these two pieces, and that’s just scratching the surface. The fact is “Nuestro Himno” is not a simple translation of our national anthem into Spanish. It’s an attempt to take what is now a very familiar tune, which carries with it very vivid associations for some of us, and slap a pro-invader anthem on top of it.
The Star-spangled Banner was written in response, to a real life-or-death battle. If we had lost that part of the war of 1812, we’d be British subjects. On the other hand, this new cheap imitation that wants so desperately to be our national anthem is a plea for acceptance on behalf of those who have broken the laws of this country, and yet want to be forgiven for their trespass without paying any penalty.
“We know we’ve broken your laws, but can we have some of your hard-earned liberty anyway? After all, we’re brothers. And if you don’t give us some of your freedoms and rights, more than we already have, we say that your flag no longer flies over the land of the free and the home of the brave, because we’re in this land, and we’re not free, and though we were brave enough to cross through Central America and Mexico to sneak across the border, you don’t call us brave. But we are brave! We sneaked past your border guards, and we believe we can halt your economy in one day, and we don’t care if you give us free schooling, government subsidies for every baby born in this country. We’ll wave Mexican flags, and even cover your flag with ours, and we’ll even claim that your entire southwest region is ours and we’re going to take it back, but all the same, we want you to accept us as perfectly legal.”
This, at least, is how I interpret this anthem’s message.
And some record company’s CEO has ingeniously figured out how to cash in in a big way on the immigration fight going on in this country. By asking that “Nuestro Himno” be played simultaneously on Latino radio stations yesterday, and marketing it as simply a re-interpretation of the national anthem that will allow Hispanics who don’t speak English to understand what they’re singing, that CEO stands to make a huge amount of cash, and gain himself a lot of publicity.
If anyone is really interested in understanding what the national anthem’s lyrics mean, they could very easily have the lyrics translated in non-poetic form. But this is poetic license gone horribly wrong. And the national anthem isn’t copyrighted, so no one has to pay any royalties. No record producer could have missed that.
To conclude, I would answer the question I posed in this way. “Nuestro Himno” is a shining example of criminality and greed. Nothing more.
This has been a production of the Guard the Borders Blogburst. It was started by Euphoric Reality, and serves to keep immigration issues in the forefront of our minds as we’re going about our daily lives and continuing to fight the war on terror. If you are concerned with the trend of illegal immigration facing our country, join our Blogburst! Just send an email with your blog name and url to euphoricrealitynet at gmail dot com.
Posted by Wild Thing at 08:11 AM
Internet Jihad ~ Crafts Website Hacked By Terrorists
Glass etching hobbyist and webmaster son shocked to find that Islamic extremists had intruded on their website.
Michael Levenson / The Boston Globe
A plumber who loves glass etching, Andrew Roberge had crafts to sell. His son, Mike, knew Web design. Carriage House Glass is the marriage of their talents, an online catalog of sandblasted vases and goblets that "caters to those who love beautiful and unique gifts," the site proclaims.
But the website, which they started four years ago, offered more than just beautiful baubles, specialists in terrorism say. The site contained hidden files filled with the radical writings of a top aide to Osama bin Laden, including "The International Islamic Resistance Call," Abu Musab al-Suri's 1,600-page manifesto advocating jihad.
The website was hacked a year ago by followers of Suri, a Syrian-born Al Qaeda leader, who turned the Roberge's labor of love into an online reading room for aspiring mujahadeen, the specialists said. The revelation came as a shock to the Roberges, who said they had no idea that Islamic extremists had intruded on their website.
"We got hacked! Unbelievable!" exclaimed Mike Roberge, when told last week of the hidden content on his site.
His startled father added, "Believe me, I wouldn't let this [expletive] get on my site. I don't need that. I don't need none of that. I'm a firm believer in minding my own business."
The father and son from Lawrence, Mass., vowed to delete the postings and replace them with images of eagles and American flags, "something wicked patriotic," Mike Roberge said.
A link to the hidden files on the website was circulated on bulletin boards frequented by Muslim extremists for a year, said Jarret Brachman, director of research at the Combating Terrorism Center at the US Military Academy in West Point, N.Y.
Regular visitors to www.carriagehouseglass.com could never see the hidden material, specialists said. Only visitors who knew the address of the pages inside could access the cache of downloadable Arabic writings, and see the flash animation featuring the Kaaba, the black stone cube that Muslims face when they pray in Mecca.
Brachman and other researchers had been aware of the files, but said the intrusion onto the site was not unusual in the burgeoning world of online Islamic extremism.
"This is a very tangential, very peripheral site that only those who are actively following this sort of literature would be accessing," Brachman said.
"It doesn't cause me alarm: these guys are pests in terms of this stuff," he said. "This is standard procedure for these guys to post this kind of material."
FBI spokeswoman Gail A. Marcinkiewicz declined to comment on whether the agency knew of the website or was monitoring it. She said the FBI would investigate a website only if it directly advocated violence. Specialists said Suri's writings advocate violence, but Marcinkiewicz said, "unless .... there's something very urgent in that paper, it's not that we wouldn't take a look at it, it's just that we have to prioritize. There's no quick and easy answer here."
"Without knowing what it's saying, it may go the bottom of the pile of all the 101 things we have to do over here," she added.
Piggybacking on Carriage House Glass, which is password-protected, allowed extremists to avoid using a credit card or other traceable data needed to start a new website, said Rita Katz, director of the Search for International Terrorist Entities in New York.
"Of course, it's a disturbing phenomenon, but we know that Al Qaeda and the jihadist online community is quite sophisticated, and they use our own techniques against us," Katz said. "It's disturbing because it could happen to anyone."
As more terrorist training grounds shut down globally, more extremists are going online, said Steven R. Corman, an Arizona State University professor who has studied the shift.
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:55 AM | Comments (3)
Muslims Complain About United Flight 93 Film
Muslim Americans upset over new 9/11-related film
FREMONT — At the United Muslim American symposium in Newark, Muslim-American leaders discussed the rhetoric regarding Iran, the war in Iraq, and the image of the United States in Islamic countries. But some also expressed concern that "United 93," a new film about the last moments of the last hijacked plane to crash on Sept. 11, 2001, could stir up anti-Islamic sentiments.
Safaa Ibrahim, executive director of the Council on American Islamic Relations, took her staff of four women wearing a hijab, the traditional Muslim head scarves, to a Thursday matinee.
As a civil rights advocate, Ibrahim said, she wanted to see the movie after reports that several young Muslim-American women in Arizona were verbally assaulted by two people who said they had seen the movie recently.
Ibrahim said she knew the movie would stir up emotions, but she did not expect that all of the members in her group would walk out of the theater in tears.
"We thought it was important to see the movie to find out how it comes across," Ibrahim said. "But it dredged up a lot of emotions. We were watching it — as Americans and as Muslims — and it hurts us to see our fellow Americans hurt, and see people hurt others, acting in the name of Islam."
At the April 29 symposium, Suhail Khan, associate director for congressional affairs at the Department of Transportation and a former White House aide under President George W. Bush, recalled his experience working at the White House on Sept. 11, 2001.
Today, Khan said he still remembers that day "moment by moment," adding that the movie touches a raw nerve. He said he had not made up his mind about whether it is too soon to produce such a film.
"Five short years after 9/11, we're seeing a movie produced that purports to relive the horrific moments of 9/11 and Flight 93," Khan said. "I haven't made up my mind about that issue honestly. I do feel, obviously, that it will stir up anti-Muslim sentiments. But, I mean, it's hard to make the situation worse."
Ibrahim said the opening scene of the movie, where hijackers are reading the Quran, "sent chills up my spine."
"It only reinforced my hatred and resentment toward Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida and reminded me of how much they've hurt Muslims and scarred our faith," Ibrahim said. "I have so much anger toward these guys. The movie only reinforced that. I understand why it makes others angry. It doesn't feel good to watch what happened and see innocent families die. It's senseless."
But Ibrahim added that the movie also reinforced how much has changed since the events of Sept. 11.
"On 9/11, I was working at a high-tech firm and I wasn't wearing a hijab," Ibrahim said. "Now I'm wearing a hijab and dedicating myself to preventing people from trying to ruin the name of my faith. That day helped us grow and made us more civic-conscious."
Khan agreed: "My sense is that the opportunity is still there to educate non-Muslims. Just as we had hate crimes after 9/11, we also had an outpouring of brotherhood and friendship with non-Muslims who stood by the Muslim community and stood by their neighbors and friends. ... I think you need to look at the positives and educate friends about the realities of Islam."
Wild Thing's comment......
Time for you all to be a LOT less Muslim and a bit more AMERICAN! If reminding Americans of the truth stirs up anti-Islamic sentiments, so be it. Where were they right after 9/11? They weren't upset then!
Khan agreed: "My sense is that the opportunity is still there to educate non-Muslims.
Tell that to the family of that muslim woman reporter who was tortured as she had her head sawed off. That will go a long way in educating the non-muslim masses to your true intent.
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:27 AM | Comments (11)
Ahmadinejad Wishful Thinking of Unrivaled Power
Ahmadinejad sees nuclear Iran as “unrivalled” power
Tehran, Iran, May 07 – Iran’s radical President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Sunday that the Islamic Republic could fast become an “unrivalled world power” by obtaining nuclear capabilities.
“The Iranian nation has the potential to quickly become an unrivalled world power by obtaining modern technology”, Ahmadinejad told commanders of Iran’s paramilitary Bassij force in Tehran. His comments were reported by the official news agency.
“With only a short time having passed since the announcement that Iran had obtained nuclear technology, regional and global order have quickly changed”, he said, adding that the “enemies” feared a resurgence of “Islamic identity in the Islamic world”.
The Iranian president reiterated his previous comments that Iran would not heed demands by the United Nations Security Council to suspend its uranium enrichment activities.
“They must know that if they want to make unlawful decisions against Iran and issue statements or resolutions, the Iranian nation will thumb its nose at their unjust resolution”, he said, adding that if any limitations were placed on Iran then the countries that had taken such action would suffer “a hundred times worse”.
Ahmadinejad accused international organisations of being pawns in the hands of “several bullying big powers” and hinted that Tehran might withdraw from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty if the treaty became “discredited”.
He rejected the threat of sanctions on Iran as “meaningless”.
In threatening language, Ahmadinejad warned Iran’s enemies, “Do not make yourselves so hated among nations and do not do things that would bellow up the fire of hatred that the nations of the world harbour against you”.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:27 AM
Good For VP Cheney
Vice President Dick Cheney launched one of Washington's sharpest attacks on President Vladimir Putin on Thursday ( May 4th,2006) , accusing Russia of backsliding on democracy and using its energy supplies to blackmail neighbors.
"Russia has a choice to make," Cheney told Baltic and Black Sea leaders in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, calling on Moscow to return to democratic reforms at a time of increasingly chilly relations between the two former Cold War rivals.
“America and Europe want to see Russia in the category of healthy democracies, and yet opponents of democracy in Russia are seeking to reverse the progress of the past decade,” he said. “In many areas of civil society — from religion and the news media to advocacy groups and political parties — the Government has unfairly and improperly restricted the rights of the people.”
was addressing leaders of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine and Georgia — all former Warsaw Pact countries that are at varying stages of integration with the EU and Nato. He voiced particular support for Ukraine, criticising Russia for cutting off gas supplies to Kiev in January in what was widely seen in the West as punishment for the Orange Revolution of 2004.
Cheney criticized Moscow for playing power politics with its vast energy reserves at a time of record world prices and accused it of bullying neighboring countries, many of which were dominated by the Kremlin in the Soviet era.
“No legitimate interest is served when oil and gas become tools of intimidation or blackmail, either by supply manipulation or attempts to monopolise transportation,” he said. His comments reflect the growing tensions between the White House and the Kremlin. With his own ratings low, President Bush is under pressure to take a harder line with Mr Putin, who has reasserted central control over media, parliament, business and regional government since 2000. Some US politicians are even calling for Russia’s expulsion from the G8.
Russia drew international criticism earlier this year when it briefly turned off its gas taps to Ukraine in a pricing dispute that disrupted supplies to Europe.
Moscow has also warned Europe the Russian state gas monopoly Gazprom, the world's top producer, could divert supplies to Asia if it is barred from the European market.
Update:
The White House on Friday backed Vice President Dick Cheney's tough speech on Russia and said Russian President Vladimir Putin should move on democratic reforms before hosting a major international summit in July.
Bush and Putin had a strong relationship in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, but the ties have cooled in the last year or so and Washington has been disappointed at what it sees as backsliding on democracy in Russia.
"You have to be blind and obtuse not to understand that some of our hopes for the U.S.-Russian relationship in the beginning of the administration have not been realized," said a second senior administration official.
The official said no formal review of U.S.-Russia relationship was under way but that the Bush administration was troubled by Russia's "distrust of democracy and Russia's unconstructive relations with many of its neighbors."
Wild Thing's comment.....
Cheney nailed it and I am proud of him! Cheney is right and it's time we told the Russians that this is not going to be tolerated. Cheney is a favorite of mine.
Putin's a dyed-in-the-wool commie. Always has and always will. The Clinton/Albright/Berger crew helped destroy any chances of a Western-friendly Russia, and gave us the America-phobic monstrosity that is Russia today.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:07 AM
May 07, 2006
The Killing of Atwar Bahjat ~ Her Killers Straight From Hell
Part of me died when I saw this cruel killing
Times Online
EVEN by the stupefying standards of Iraq’s unspeakable violence, the murder of Atwar Bahjat, one of the country’s top television journalists, was an act of exceptional cruelty.
Nobody but her killers knew just how much she had suffered until a film showing her death on February 22 at the hands of two musclebound men in military uniforms emerged last week. Her family’s worst fears of what might have happened have been far exceeded by the reality.
Bahjat was abducted after making three live broadcasts from the edge of her native city of Samarra on the day its golden-domed Shi’ite mosque was blown up, allegedly by Sunni terrorists.
Roadblocks prevented her from entering the city and her anxiety was obvious to everyone who saw her final report. Night was falling and tensions were high.
Two men drove up in a pick-up truck, asking for her. She appealed to a small crowd that had gathered around her crew but nobody was willing to help her. It was reported at the time that she had been shot dead with her cameraman and sound man.
We now know that it was not that swift for Bahjat. First she was stripped to the waist, a humiliation for any woman but particularly so for a pious Muslim who concealed her hair, arms and legs from men other than her father and brother.
Then her arms were bound behind her back. A golden locket in the shape of Iraq that became her glittering trademark in front of the television cameras must have been removed at some point — it is nowhere to be seen in the grainy film, which was made by someone who pointed a mobile phone at her as she lay on a patch of earth in mortal terror.
By the time filming begins, the condemned woman has been blindfolded with a white bandage.
It is stained with blood that trickles from a wound on the left side of her head. She is moaning, although whether from the pain of what has already been done to her or from the fear of what is about to be inflicted is unclear.
Just as Bahjat bore witness to countless atrocities that she covered for her television station, Al-Arabiya, during Iraq’s descent into sectarian conflict, so the recording of her execution embodies the depths of the country’s depravity after three years of war.
A large man dressed in military fatigues, boots and cap approaches from behind and covers her mouth with his left hand. In his right hand, he clutches a large knife with a black handle and an 8in blade. He proceeds to cut her throat from the middle, slicing from side to side.
Her cries — “Ah, ah, ah” — can be heard above the “Allahu akbar” (God is greatest) intoned by the holder of the mobile phone.
Even then, there is no quick release for Bahjat. Her executioner suddenly stands up, his job only half done. A second man in a dark T-shirt and camouflage trousers places his right khaki boot on her abdomen and pushes down hard eight times, forcing a rush of blood from her wounds as she moves her head from right to left.
Only now does the executioner return to finish the task. He hacks off her head and drops it to the ground, then picks it up again and perches it on her bare chest so that it faces the film-maker in a grotesque parody of one of her pieces to camera.
The voice of one of the Arab world’s most highly regarded and outspoken journalists has been silenced. She was 30.
As a friend of Bahjat who had worked with her on a variety of tough assignments, I found it hard enough to bear the news of her murder. When I saw it replayed, it was as if part of me had died with her. How much more gruelling it must have been for a close family friend who watched the film this weekend and cried when he heard her voice.
The friend, who cannot be identified, knew nothing of her beheading but had been guarding other horrifying details of Bahjat’s ordeal. She had nine drill holes in her right arm and 10 in her left, he said. The drill had also been applied to her legs, her navel and her right eye. One can only hope that these mutilations were made after her death.
There is a wider significance to the appalling footage and the accompanying details. The film appears to show for the first time an Iraqi death squad in action.
The death squads have proliferated in recent months, spreading terror on both sides of the sectarian divide. The clothes worn by Bahjat’s killers are bound to be scrutinised for clues to their identity.
Bahjat, with her professionalism and impartiality as a half-Shi’ite, half-Sunni, would have been the first to warn against any hasty conclusions, however. The uniforms seem to be those of the Iraqi National Guard but that does not mean she was murdered by guardsmen. The fatigues could have been stolen for disguise.
A source linked to the Sunni insurgency who supplied the film to The Sunday Times in London claimed it had come from a mobile phone found on the body of a Shi’ite Badr Brigade member killed during fighting in Baghdad.
But there is no evidence the Iranian-backed Badr militia was responsible. Indeed, there are conflicting indications. The drill is said to be a popular tool of torture with the Badr Brigade. But beheading is a hallmark of Al-Qaeda in Iraq, led by the Sunni Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
According to a report that was circulating after Bahjat’s murder, she had enraged the Shi’ite militias during her coverage of the bombing of the Samarra shrine by filming the interior minister, Bayan Jabr, ordering police to release two Iranians they had arrested.
There is no confirmation of this and the Badr Brigade, with which she maintained good relations, protected her family after her funeral came under attack in Baghdad from a bomber and then from a gunman. Three people died that day.
Bahjat’s reporting of terrorist attacks and denunciations of violence to a wide audience across the Middle East made her plenty of enemies among both Shi’ite and Sunni gunmen. Death threats from Sunnis drove her away to Qatar for a spell but she believed her place was in Iraq and she returned to frontline reporting despite the risks.
We may never know who killed Bahjat or why. But the manner of her death testifies to the breakdown of law, order and justice that she so bravely highlighted and illustrates the importance of a cause she espoused with passion.
Bahjat advocated the unity of Iraq and saw her golden locket as a symbol of her belief. She put it with her customary on-air eloquence on the last day of her life: “Whether you are a Sunni, a Shi’ite or a Kurd, there is no difference between Iraqis united in fear for this nation.”
Wild Thing's comment.......
How anyone does not believe we are dealing with demons from hell itself when it comes to the terrorists is beyond me. They are minions of satan! The most horrifying thing about this is the knowledge that there are over one billion Muslims in the world who, if they read this account, will shout "Allahu akbar."
Others discussing this:
Posted by Wild Thing at 10:34 AM | Comments (6)
Two Terrorists Killed By Their Own Bomb ~ LOL
MULTI-NATIONAL DIVISION - NORTH
101ST AIRBORNE DIVISION
TIKRIT , IRAQ (FOB SPEICHER)
APO AE 09363
May 7, 2006
TIKRIT, Country – Two terrorists were killed May 6 near Tikrit when the improvised explosive device they were attempting to emplace detonated.
An explosive ordnance disposal team investigated the site of the explosion and determined that the two artillery shells that composed the bomb detonated while one of the men was placing it along the road, killing both men.
Evidence gathered by Iraqi police officers at the scene led them to the home of one of the bombers where the officers discovered equipment used to make the IED.
Wild Thing's comment.......
Sounds like they were trained by Zarqawi. Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha.......I love a happy ending.
"Now, hook up the red wire"
"The yellow wire?"
"No, the red one. No wait....."
Posted by Wild Thing at 10:11 AM | Comments (4)
Caw! Caw! Culture of Corruption! Caw!
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Confident Democrats Lay Out Agenda Party Plans Probes Of Administration If It Wins the House
By Jonathan Weisman Washington Post Staff Writer Sunday, May 7, 2006; A01
Democratic leaders, increasingly confident they will seize control of the House in November, are laying plans for a legislative blitz during their first week in power that would raise the minimum wage, roll back parts of the Republican prescription drug law, implement homeland security measures and reinstate lapsed budget deficit controls.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) said in an interview last week that a Democratic House would launch a series of investigations of the Bush administration, beginning with the White House's first-term energy task force and probably including the use of intelligence in the run-up to the invasion of Iraq. Pelosi denied Republican allegations that a Democratic House would move quickly to impeach President Bush. But, she said of the planned investigations, "You never know where it leads to."
Wild Thing's comment........
A few days ago I received an email from Ken Mehlmen and I replied to him a scathing email back telling him strongly how I felt about being let down as a Republcian, about what the heck has happened to We The People. But at no time would I consider not voting and let the Dems gain a hold again in power.
I hope those who want to punish the Republicans by voting third party, or by staying home, read this carefully and decide, whether they really want to stay away and not vote, and check out all that the Dems are planning and WILL do, if they get back into power. We have to vote out the weak kneed Republicans. No longer can we compromise. And if the current Republican leadership can't get it done. We will find other Republicans and put them in leadership. At least this is what I wish for. We must never give up.
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:55 AM | Comments (17)
Military Helicopter Crashes in Afghanistan, Killing 10 GIs
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KABUL, Afghanistan — A U.S.-led coalition military transport helicopter crashed while conducting combat operations in the remote mountains of eastern Afghanistan, killing all 10 American soldiers on board, a U.S. military spokeswoman said Saturday.
The CH-47 Chinook crashed late Friday while on a mission in support of Operation Mountain Lion, an offensive to root out Taliban and Al Qaeda militants near the border with Pakistan. The crash was not the result of hostile fire, said Lt. Tamara D. Lawrence, a coalition spokeswoman.
"The remains of all the 10 soldiers have been found and there are no survivors," she told The Associated Press. "There is no indication that the helicopter came down due to some enemy action."
The soldiers were part of a more than 20,000-strong coalition force, mostly operating in the volatile south and east of Afghanistan. About 18,000 of those forces are American.
The helicopter was conducting "operations on a mountaintop landing zone" when it crashed near Asadabad in Kunar province, about 150 miles east of Kabul, the capital, the military said in a statement. Rescue and recovery operations began at daybreak Saturday, Lawrence said. An investigation into the crash is under way.
(Story continues below at......."continued".......)
It is hard to post about injuries or death's of our service men and women. It rips my heart out. Such hard and sad news to read. Heroes, every one of them and I'm humbled by their service and sacrifice. You will be missed. You will not be forgotten.
One of the guys I write to it is his 3rd deployment into Afghanistan and he's in that region of 'stan.
He's been in this fight from the get go...he's also had 2 tours in Iraq. He just had a birthday this past week. I pray he is ok and all of those here that have loved ones serving in Afghanistan and Iraq I pray every day several times a day they will always be ok too.
Some 2,500 Afghan and U.S. soldiers are conducting a joint military operation in Kunar, one of the biggest since the ouster of the hardline Taliban regime by U.S.-led forces in late 2001 for hosting Al Qaeda.
Asadabad is surrounded by rugged mountains, and a large U.S. military base there houses hundreds of troops.
The police chief of Kunar province, Gen. Abdul Ghafar, said the helicopter crashed about 10 miles northwest of the U.S. base in Asadabad. He said the crash was a day's walk from any passable road.
"The area of the crash is a mountainous area and it is difficult to reach," Ghafar said.
A military statement said that other aircraft and crews were near the landing zone during the crash and confirmed that the helicopter was not shot down. Lawrence said that although it was dark, the other coalition aircraft would have known if an enemy rocket had been fired.
The military did not say what unit the U.S. troops were from, only specifying that they were soldiers, meaning from the Army, and not Marines.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (3)
Thanks To VFW Some Troops Can Call Home on Mother's Day
Stars and Stripes - Mideast edition
This Mother’s Day, servicemembers at 191 phone and Internet cafes on bases throughout Iraq will have a chance to call home for free.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars’ “Operation Uplink” program — which normally provides phone cards to deployed troops — will provide free Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls for 24 hours on May 14. The program is designed for troops at “isolated” locations in Iraq.
“There are some locations overseas where phone cards do not work. Sponsoring free call events for the military-operated telephone service allows us to fill that gap and extend free calling time to any servicemember virtually anywhere U.S. forces deploy,” said Linda Ferguson, manager of the Operation Uplink program.
For the past seven years, the program has provided millions of free phone cards to deployed troops; but at many locations, the Morale, Welfare and Recreation phone banks do not run on that service. So, for one day, all those calls will be covered by the VFW.
“It’s the least we can do,” Ferguson said.
For more information on the program, visit their site HERE
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:27 AM
May 06, 2006
John Kerry Another Your Picking On Me Moment
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Kerry accuses Bush of creating 'spirit of intolerance' on war
GRINNELL, Iowa --Sen. John Kerry accused the Bush administration on Saturday of stirring up a "spirit of intolerance" to suppress dissent over the war in Iraq.
The Massachusetts Democrat said the Bush administration is targeting opponents of the Iraq war in much the same way he was attacked for protesting failed policies in Vietnam in the 1970s.
"Dismissing dissent is not only wrong but dangerous when America’s leadership is unwilling to admit mistakes, unwilling to engage in honest discussion and unwilling to hold itself accountable for the consequences of decisions made without genuine disclosure or genuine debate," Kerry said.
He added, "The spirit of intolerance for dissent has risen steadily, and the habit of labeling dissenters as unpatriotic has become the common currency of the politicians currently running our country."
Sarah Sauber, a spokeswoman for the Republican Party of Iowa, rejected Kerry's claims.
"John Kerry continues to bring his record of hypocrisy and flip-flopping back to the state that rejected him in 2004," Sauber said. "Iowans know that John Kerry doesn't share their values."
Kerry, the Democratic nominee for president in 2004, spoke at Grinnell College. During his visit to Iowa he repeated his call for a deadline for American troops to be pulled out of Iraq by the end of the year.
"The Iraqis have shown they only respond to deadlines," he said in an interview with The Associated Press. "I think you've got to be tough here."
Kerry first drew public attention 35 years ago when, as a decorated Navy veteran, he testified to Congress in opposition to the Vietnam war. Some fellow veterans criticized him then, and his opposition to the war has been a point of controversy throughout his political career.
In the last campaign, Kerry was criticized for being slow to respond to the attacks on his patriotism, and his speech Saturday blasted those who sought to suppress dissent from the war.
"Once again, we are imprisoned in a failed policy," he said. "And once again we are being told that admitting mistakes, not the mistakes themselves, will provide our enemies with an intolerable propaganda victory."
Kerry has shown interest in seeking the Democratic nomination again. He's made several trips to Iowa, where precinct caucuses launch the presidential nominating season. His surprising win in those caucuses in 2004 gave him momentum which led to the nomination.
Wild Thing's comment.......
I wish we would follow what Abe Lincoln said.
"Congressmen who willfully take actions during wartime that damage morale and undermine the military are saboteurs and should be arrested, exiled, or hanged." President Abraham Lincoln –
Posted by Wild Thing at 06:55 PM | Comments (7)
Happy Birthday To GUYK
Wishing you a very special Birthday GUYAs most of you know that are regulars here at Theodore's World
GUYK has the blog Charming Just Charming.
He served 22 years in the USAF. Thank you GUY.
Posted by Wild Thing at 09:27 AM | Comments (4)
France May Ask For Moussaoui Transfer
PARIS: (REUTERS) France may ask the United States to allow 9/11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui to serve his life prison sentence in a French jail, the Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.
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Moussaoui, a 37-year old French citizen of Moroccan origin, was sentenced on Thursday to life in prison with no possibility of release, a day after a jury spared his life and rejected US government arguments that he should be executed.
France and the United States signed two agreements in the 1980s about the transfer of convicts. Moussaoui's mother and his lawyer want him to be allowed to serve his sentence in France.
A possible demand for transferring Zacarias Moussaoui could be looked at within this framework," Foreign Ministry spokesman Jean-Baptiste Mattei said at an electronic press briefing.
"But in any case, we have to wait for the American justice system to provide a definitive sentence and to define the conditions of the sentence," he added.
Wild Thing's comment.......
Islam is a death cult, it is not a religion, it is the purest and most widespread manifestation of demonic power yet seen on this Earth.
my September 11, 2001 page ....it was a Tuesday...
France would do well to remember what its government said when we asked them to honor their extradition treaty and send murderer Ira Einhorn back to Pennsylvania. He killed his girlfriend, stuffed her in a trunk, and skipped bail once he was charged with her murder. He was tried and convicted in absentia. France declined to honor the treaty they signed and instead gave us a song and dance about the evils of the American justice system. It wasn't until the PA legislature passed a special law granting Einhorn a new trial, and Pennsylvania DA took the death penalty off the table that France sent him back, and that was after lengthy proceedings in French courts.
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:55 AM | Comments (10)
Police Report: Kennedy Cited For 3 Traffic Violations In Wreck
Kennedy compound
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Kennedy's first statement, released by his press secretary:
"I was involved in a traffic incident last night at First and C Street SE near the US Capitol. I consumed no alcohol prior to the incident. I will fully cooperate with the Capitol Police in whatever investigation they choose to undertake."
His car....
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Like Father like son
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According to the police report, Patrick Kennedy drove his green 1997 Ford Mustang convertible into a security barrier near the Capitol. The officer listed alcohol influence as a contributing factor in the crash and noted that Kennedy was "ability impaired," with red, watery eyes, slurred speech and unsteady balance.
It was Kennedy's second auto crash in three weeks. His car struck the rear passenger door of a car while he was making a left turn from a roadway into a pharmacy in Portsmouth, R.I., according to a police report on the April 15 accident. No injuries were reported and Kennedy was not cited.
In the Capitol Hill accident, police observed Kennedy's car, with no headlights on, swerve into the wrong lane and strike a curb. Kennedy nearly hit a police car, the report said, and did not respond to the officer's efforts to pull him over. He continued at a slower speed before hitting a security barrier head-on, the report said.
Kenney said he was on sleep medication, I wonder if it is something popular with the Democrats?
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Hmmmmm very odd but very typical of a Kennedy....Kennedy now says he has no memory of that night, but has made a detailed statement previously.
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:27 AM | Comments (16)
Bravo Company Patrol Deshir Market Area of Baghdad
DESHIR MARKET PATROL — U.S. soldiers assigned to Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, and Iraqi soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 6th Public Order Brigade, patrol a housing area in the , Iraq, April 28, 2006. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Timothy W. Story)
Thank you Troops!
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM
Taliban Leader Threatens "A River of Blood"
Taliban Issues Warnings To Britain
by UPI Wire
May 5, 2006
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - May 5, 2006 (UPI) -- Britain, about to take command of NATO forces in southern Afghanistan, reportedly has received threats from the Taliban, which is growing active in the region.
Mohammad Hanif Sherzad, spokesman for Taliban leader Mullah Omar, told The Times of London on a satellite telephone: "Our activity will increase day by day. We now have the confidence to fight face-to-face and we have all the ammunition we need."
The spokesman also told The Times, "We will turn Afghanistan into a river of blood for the British."
The threat comes at a time when the Taliban reportedly has rearmed and recruited new followers to fight the 8,000-person NATO force from Britain, Canada and the Netherlands.
But Lt. Gen. David Richards, who will command the NATO forces, said he is not concerned about the threat and that his troops will "respond very robustly" if attacked.
The NATO deployment will allow the United States to reduce the number of its troops.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:04 AM | Comments (2)
May 05, 2006
My Reply to Mestro a Coward too Afraid to Post on Here
I did not want to respond till today since it was just too upsetting to me, I have edited out the photos he included in his email to me.
Wild Thing.....................
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Mestro,
I never reply to jerks like you. I won’t be answering you back in an email I will however answer you right here in front of God and everyone.
First of all these photos you sent are because of war, because of a cult called Islam that teaches to destroy everyone that is NOT a Muslim. You and your people follow moon god you call Allah. Your Muhammad was a thief, liar, assassin, mass murderer, terrorist, warmonger, and an unrestrained sexual pervert engaged in pedophilia, incest, and rape.
Check this out and learn well what your cult is about. Read the verses that the entire world can read. Read further down the page at the LIST OF ATTACKS on Americans (civilians and military) ALL done by followers of Islam.
I don’t know if you are speaking of the war in Iraq or our soldiers in Afghanistan. So how to answer you would determine that. Let’s say you mean the war in Iraq. The war on terror as it has been labeled.
Take a look at this website, it is an Iraqi website.
Look at the dead bodies, the mass graves, and the people crying out for help.
This was under Saddam, and could you think that maybe just maybe the people you see crying out for help are some of the very same ones that held up their purple fingers for the world to see?
If you meant Afghanistan then you are worse off then I thought. America is fighting back from an attack on our soil. So dream on if you think I will be against that in anyway. I am FOR going after those that want to kill us, going after them anytime, anyplace and taking them out anyway we can.
I hate that any of our troops get hurt, get killed and I have cried about this more then I can count. My tears are with pride too and a heart that is so grateful every second of every day for what my security, my freedom has cost.
You however, Mestro can burn in hell for all I care.
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And here is Mestro's email to me:
his email address:
m.essam.m@gmail.com
From: The Mestro
To: wildbronco@comcast.net
Sent: Sunday, April 30, 2006 6:29 AM
Subject: Bush lie on you Americans , Ameicans will be defeated See that Pics
That the result of Terroiest in Army uniform see that Pics and don't cry now theres more and more
1-10 photos of our injured troops edited out by WT
thats enough ??? theres more
11 & 12 edited out by WT
haha lough on him
13 - 17 edited out by WT
"pieces of metal will not be instead of my arm Danzel"
thats enough for now as I have to go to my work I will kill two soldiers and back again ok
cy
Posted by Wild Thing at 07:47 PM | Comments (7)
Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi Outtakes During Press Event
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This undated image from video, released by the The U.S. military command Thursday, May 4, 2006, purportedly shows Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi . The full video was discovered during one of several raids against al-Qaida in Iraq safe houses in the Baghdad area starting with an operation last month near Youssifiyah, (AP Photo/Defense Department)
Coalition Shows Zarqawi Outtakes During Press Event
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
BAGHDAD, May 4, 2006 – Coalition officials here today showed the "outtakes" of terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's latest anti-coalition screed, and it became quickly apparent why they ended on the cutting-room floor, so to speak.
In one, Zarqawi -- the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq -- has trouble trying to operate an automatic weapon. An associate has to show him how to do it. Later in the same shot, an associate takes the weapon from Zarqawi by the barrel and burns his hand. In another, the feared terrorist is shown in a black uniform and bright blue "tenny pumps."
Coalition troops found the tape during a raid on a hideout for foreign fighters. "He is far from being a capable military leader," coalition spokesman Army Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch said during a news conference today.
Zarqawi has the most to lose as Iraq forms its national unity government, the general said. Al Qaeda leaders understand that democracy in Iraq means failure for the extremist organization.
Zarqawi's al Qaeda mission is to destabilize any government in Iraq, to drive the coalition from the country, and to impose an extremist government and expand it across the region.
Lynch said the coalition has made good progress against foiling suicide bombings, the most deadly attacks in Iraq. "The suicide attacks are where the innocent men, women and children of Iraq are being killed or severely wounded," the general said.
About 90 percent of those launching suicide attacks are foreigners recruited and outfitted by Zarqawi. "We have planned and launched operations over the past couple of weeks to deny him that capability," Lynch said.
Over the past year, the coalition has cut the number of suicide attacks Zarqawi can launch. First, operations in the Euphrates River Valley disrupted the flow of foreign extremists from Syria, and now intelligence has allowed coalition forces to kill or capture a significant number of foreign fighters.
A year ago, Lynch said, there were on average 75 suicide attacks per month. Today there are less than 25 per month.
Lynch said coalition officials have targeted suicide bombers. "Since April 8, coalition forces have killed 31 foreign fighters," he said. "These are people that Zarqawi brought into Iraq to be suicide bombers who were killed before they could launch their attacks."
Suicide bombers most often come from Syria, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Jordan. Most come into Iraq over the Syrian border. Lynch said that once captured, suicide attackers have often given coalition officials "actionable intelligence."
Here is the VIDEO
Baghdad Briefing
MG Rick Lynch
Studying the enemy's capabilities, vulnerabilities and intentions. /Disrupting the flow of foreign fighters. /Iraqi Security Forces increasingly take the lead.
Posted by Wild Thing at 02:55 AM | Comments (6)
Allah Akbar No Way ~ But Allah Fubar You Bet!
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Iranian Army Chief of Staff Reveals in Interview Preparations for Military Confrontation With U.S.
The following are excerpts from an interview with Iranian Army Chief of Joint Staff General Abdorrahim Musavi, which aired on Iranian Channel 2.
TO VIEW THIS CLIP, VISIT: HERE
It is followed by transcripts of two Iranian music videos about Iran's nuclear program and uranium-enriching capabilities, which aired on the Iranian news channel.
TO VIEW THESE CLIPS, VISIT:
HERE and HERE ( lots of dancing and ALLAH Akbar going on with this one)
General Abdorrahim Musavi:
"We make our submarines ourselves, and we make them in a way that will serve us in battle with the enemy... with America. In other words, these vessels are not the kind about which the other side gets information even before us. We work on equipment that is locally made, and which is compatible with our own tactics and training."
"This includes various submarines, assault boats, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which we can use in naval battles. We manufacture missiles, torpedoes, mines, naval canons, and sonar. We also make ROVs - remotely operated vessels, which are manufactured by the navy for special purposes."
"Knowing that our number one enemy is the criminal America, we focused on it. We identified its strengths and weaknesses, and prepared the equipment, structures, and tactics necessary to deal with it.
"We studied all the details of America's war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Our military planning teams simulated American capabilities, based on America's activities in Iraq and in Afghanistan. In this simulation, they predicted the kind of attack the U.S. would employ, if an attack indeed takes place. On the basis of these simulations we developed scenarios, and prepared ourselves for dealing with each one."
"This is why we do not compare ourselves to the countries in the region. We compare our force to that of America, because it is from America's force that we want to protect ourselves. We want to put America in its place."
"We realized that America's military power is greatly overestimated, based on statistics and accurate figures. Our conclusion was that 70, 80 percent... 60 to 70 percent of it is psychological warfare. U.S. military power is only 20 or 30 percent of what is portrayed."
"During the war with Iraq, we felt sorry for our enemies. General Dadras remembers this. I am an artillery officer. When we wanted to carry out effective firing, we would not even look sometimes. You saw how we treated the Iraqi POWs. We viewed them as relatives and treated them as such. But we will not treat the Americans this way."
Iranian Video Clip Celebrates Iran's Nuclear Project
The following are excerpts from an Iranian video clip about Iran's nuclear project, which aired on the Iranian news channel.
Singing: "Our beloved homeland
"Proud, green, and steadfast
"From the attack of wickedness the grace of God protects you.
"A homeland of epics
"The land of love and strength
"Your glorified name brings hope and pride."Oh homeland, your honor in the world is eternal
"Every inch of your soil is the arena of heroes
"Science and initiative are the fruit of young men's work
"They are the greatest gift now and forever."Nuclear energy is the symbol of our strength
"Iran, Iran, you must remain forever
"Iran, Iran, you must remain strong
"Iran, Iran, you must remain forever
"Iran, Iran, you must remain strong."
Iranian Leaders Watch Dance Celebrating Iran's Uranium Enrichment Capabilities
The following are excerpts from a dance celebrating Iran's uranium enrichment capabilities, aired on the Iranian news channel.
Young men: "Allah Akbar. Allah Akbar. Allah Akbar. Allah Akbar."
Speaker: "God is great. It has been proven that God is the great supporter of the Iranian people."
Young Men: "Allah Akbar. Allah Akbar. Allah Akbar. Allah Akbar. Allah Akbar. Allah Akbar."
Speaker: "Dear viewers, guests, and listeners, this is the cry of Allah Akbar by the zealous young men of the Iranian people. These young people here represent various ethnic groups of the Iranian people."
Young men: "Allah Akbar. Allah Akbar. Allah Akbar. Allah Akbar. Allah Akbar. Allah Akbar. Allah Akbar. Allah Akbar. Allah Akbar. Allah Akbar. Allah Akbar".
Speaker: "On the cold nights, when we were feverishly striving for the triumph of the Islamic revolution, we used to say Allah Akbar. In the days of the war of defense we shouted Allah Akbar. In all moments of collective steadfastness we shouted Allah Akbar. Now we repeat the same eternal slogan: Allah Akbar. Is this not your slogan? Don't you say Allah Akbar?"
Young men and crowd: "Allah Akbar. Allah Akbar. Allah Akbar. Allah Akbar. Allah Akbar. Allah Akbar. Allah Akbar. Allah Akbar."
Speaker: "I'd like to invite the deputy supervisor of the Imam Reza Shrine, my honorable brother, Mr. Alavi, who proudly wears the uniform of the Imam Reza Shrine. I would like to call him to the stage. He will be presented with a container with the first nuclear product of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
"Mr. Alavi, if you please. Please honor this occasion by reciting prayers to the Prophet and his family.
"With the permission of the supervisor of the Imam Reza Shrine... Deputy Supervisor of the Imam Reza Shrine, Mr. Alavi, will now come to the stage and receive a container with UF6, produced in the nuclear facilities of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Oh honorable people, and all who witness this occasion, remember that we have no mystery besides Allah Akbar, and we have no secret besides the greatness of God and this conviction. Mr. Alavi, if you please. Honor this occasion by saying Allah Akbar."
Crowd: "Allah Akbar. Allah Akbar. Allah Akbar. Allah Akbar. Allah Akbar. Allah Akbar. Allah Akbar. Allah Akbar. Allah Akbar
Wild Thing's comment......
This is something you have got to see if you have not seen it yet. LMAO This is hilarious!!!!!!
Click HERE to see Muslim Rave Party
Posted by Wild Thing at 02:35 AM | Comments (15)
Theodore's World Celebrates Military Appreciation Month
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Website for NMAM .....HERE
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Legislation in the U.S. Senate in 1999 designated May as National Military Appreciation Month. This legislation tells our service members that their country has set aside an entire month to honor, remember and appreciate them. More comprehensive legislation – House Concurrent Resolution 328 – was passed by unanimous consent of both Houses of Congress in April 2004.
Lt. Dan Band to Perform at Pentagon
Gary Sinise and his Lt. Dan Band Help Deptartment of Defense Kick Off Military Appreciation Month
Actor and director Gary Sinise and his Lt. Dan Band will perform during an afternoon concert at the Pentagon beginning at noon, Friday, May 5, helping the Departement of Defense’s “America Supports You” program kick off Military Appreciation Month.
Renowned for his role as Lt. Dan in the movie “Forrest Gump,” Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band have performed USO concerts for military men and women at American military bases across the United States and throughout Europe. Gary Sinise recently returned from a trip visiting the troops in Afghanistan.
Most Soldiers know him as "Lt. Dan." CSI: New York actor Gary Sinise has taken that label to heart as he leads the Lt. Dan Band, a rock group he uses to support and entertain service members around the world.
When Military Appreciation Month wraps up on Memorial Day, Sinise's band will reappear among various artists at a Memorial Day Concert on the West Lawn of the Capitol building in Washington May 28 from 8 to 9:30 p.m. EST.
Sinise has been an active supporter of the well-being of military service members and their families since the onset of Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom. His band has played for Soldiers in both operations for the past two years, and has also performed for service members in places like Germany, Britain and the Netherlands.
A troop morale visit he made to Iraq in late 2003 inspired Sinise to also reach out to the future citizens of Iraq. In March the following year, Sinise teamed up with best-selling author Laura Hillenbrand to co-found Operation Iraqi Children - an organization that enables Americans to help Iraqi children by supporting the Army's overall efforts to improve the quality of life for Iraqis.
While Sinise's efforts through the Lt. Dan Band performances have improved public awareness of the OIC program, they have also raised money for the Wounded Warrior Project. The WWP provides free services and counseling for severely wounded troops from the time they arrive at the hospital through their recovery and rehabilitation stages.
Sinise received an Oscar-nomination for his role as Lt. Dan, a disabled veteran in the Oscar-winning 1994 movie "Forrest Gump.
Other Military Appreciation Month events “America Supports You” will be highlighting are the Joint Open House at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., May 19-20; New York City Fleet Week in New York City, N.Y., May 23-29; and the Indianapolis 500 in Indianapolis, Ind., May 29.
And more days as well for National Military Appreciation Month includes Loyalty Day, May 1, VE Day, May 8, Military Spouse Day, May 12, Armed Forces Day, May 20, and Memorial Day, May 29.
Wild Thing's comment.....
A huge thank you to all our military and to all our Veterans! Thank you with all my heart. In my family so far there have been three Marines, two AirForce, three Army and 4 Navy (my husband is one of the Navy Veterans). Plus two Aunts that were Army nurses. In my husbands family, 1 Air Force, 2 Navy, and 5 Army.
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A special thank you to all of you here at Theodore's World that have family members serving now. Please tell them thank you from all of us!!
Posted by Wild Thing at 02:27 AM
IAEA Headquarters
International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) delegates speak in the boardroom at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna.
Iran has said it was digging in for a confrontation with the West over its disputed nuclear programme, vowing that neither UN Security Council resolutions nor US military action could force a climbdown.(AFP/File/Joe Klamar)
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:07 AM
In Country With Our Troops at Fallujah and Ramadi
A U.S. Navy Corpsman walks passed bullet proof vests and helmets at a Marine base in Fallujah, 65 kilometers (40 miles) west of Baghdad, Iraq, Wednesday, May 3, 2006. In addition to protective vests, helmets, ammunition, first aid kits, guns, knifes, radios and drinking water, some U.S. troops now wear side, shoulder and groin protection bringing the total weight of 'battle rattle' to nearly 36 kilograms (80lbs). (AP Photo/Jacob Silberberg)
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Spc. Carlos Garcia, 21, of Los Angeles, of Charlie Company of the U.S. Army's 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, mans a .50 caliber machine gun and looks through binoculars out a window of a U.S. observation post in Ramadi, Iraq. AP Photo/Todd Pitman)
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Spc. Joe Sommer, 20, of Lawrenceville, Ga., of Charlie Company of the U.S. Army's 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, looks through binoculars at a window where he manned a machine gun guard post at of a U.S. observation post called OP Hotel in Ramadi, Iraq, Saturday, April 29, 2006. (AP Photo/Todd Pitman)
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A U.S. Marine carries a doll with him on a patrol in Fallujah, 65 kilometers (40 miles) west of Baghdad, Iraq, Wednesday, May 3, 2006. A suicide bomber blew himself up Wednesday while standing in a line of recruits outside Fallujah's police headquarters, killing at least 15 people and wounding 30. (AP Photo/Jacob Silberberg) Email Photo Print Photo
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (2)
Iran Playing Down Threats To Israel ~ Just More Lies!
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Iran's Culture Minister Mohammad Hosein Saffar-Harandi (R) speaks with Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during the opening ceremony of Tehran's 19th international book fair in this May 3, 2006 file photo.
On May 4, the Iranian military played down threats by a top Revolutionary Guards commander that Israel would be the Islamic state's first target if attacked by U.S. forces over its nuclear plans, a newspaper reported. (Morteza Nikoubazl/Reuters)
Wild Thing's comment......
We know Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is an evil man, but also look at his eyes. He looks truly mentally ill to me.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:17 AM | Comments (4)
May 04, 2006
Looking At The Why's of Moussaoui That Democrats Don't Understand!
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Notes from a great article at FrontPage magazine.........
The ideology that motivated Moussaoui to get involved with Al-Qaeda and the 9/11 plot. He told prosecutors that he felt “no regret, no remorse” for 9/11:
“We want pain in your country. I wish there would be more pain.”
Why? At his death penalty hearings, according to AP, Moussaoui .....
“told jurors that Islam requires Muslims to be the world’s superpower as he flipped through a copy of the Koran searching for verses to support his assertions. One he cited requires non-Muslim nations to pay a tribute to Muslim countries.”
It is likely that he cited Qur’an 9:29, which commands Muslims to make war against the “People of the Book” (i.e.. primarily Jews and Christians) until they pay the jizya, a poll tax not collected from Muslims, and “feel themselves subdued.”
An echo of this verse comes through in Moussaoui’s statement that ......
“we” -- the Islamic world -- “have to be the superpower. You have to be subdued. We have to be above you. Because Americans, you are the superpower, you want to eradicate us.”
Moussaoui made himself very clear. He identified himself as an adherent of the jihad ideology that fuels Islamic movements around the globe today, who are fighting in part because of the conviction enunciated decades ago by the Pakistani jihad thinker and politician Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi: he declared that non-Muslims have.......
“absolutely no right to seize the reins of power in any part of Allah’s earth nor to direct the collective affairs of human beings according to their own misconceived doctrines.”
If they do....
“the believers would be under an obligation to do their utmost to dislodge them from political power and to make them live in subservience to the Islamic way of life.”
Should Moussaoui feel any remorse for what he did? As he put it....
“There is no regret for justice.” He sees 9/11 as the Muslims doing their utmost to dislodge the infidels from political power. He believes that when he inflicts pain upon those who are at war with Islam, he is doing what pleases Allah. He is working for justice in this world.
Why did he consider his evading the death penalty a victory? .....
Some have suggested that executing Moussaoui would just make him a martyr in the Islamic world. In fact, however, this is unlikely. Strictly speaking, Paradise is promised only to those who “slay and are slain” for Allah (Qur’an 9:111), not to those who die an ignominious death at the hands of Infidel corrections officers. While there is little doubt that a dead Moussaoui would nevertheless be lionized in the Islamic world as another victim of America’s putative “war on Islam,” he is of more value to the global jihad alive than dead.
There are several reasons for this:
[1] The verdict will be seen in the Islamic world as another manifestation of American cowardice and failure of will, akin to Bill Clinton’s withdrawal from Somalia after the Black Hawk incident -- which convinced Osama bin Laden that America could be beaten. A man who believes that the Almighty commands him to be “merciful” to his fellow Muslims but “ruthless” to the unbelievers (Qur’an 48:29) does not readily understand acts of mercy or forbearance as anything other than weakness. In this view a strong America would execute Moussaoui; a weak America allows him to live on.
[2] Moussaoui’s trial has aggravated the fissures between the United States and Europe. France has offered Moussaoui, a French citizen, consular protection. A living Moussaoui will be able to continue to try to worsen the tensions between the emerging Eurabia, made up as it is of terrified governments desperate to placate their growing and restive Muslim populations, and a U.S. still pursuing the war on terror.
[3] A living Moussaoui could become the Leonard Peltier of the jihad movement. Moussaoui executed will cause outrage for a moment; Moussaoui imprisoned will provoke outrage for a lifetime. For the next fifty years Moussaoui could become a symbol of American injustice: a rallying point for protestors, a new occasion for the international Left and the global jihad to make common cause. He himself has a tendency to make extreme, inflammatory statements -- so he will fit right in with the Left’s current crop of overheated rhetoricians.
[4] Moussaoui himself could become a heroic figure, most especially in whatever prison in which he is ultimately incarcerated. He will provide a new impetus for prison conversions to Islam, and a rallying point for jihad recruitment in his prison. This may be the most important reason of all why Moussaoui declared victory on Wednesday: he can see himself training up the next generation of mujahedin who will see his great battle for Allah through to final victory over the American Great Satan.
Wild Thing's comment........
Yes it IS too bad the jury did not get it, did not put security first, did not face up to what Islam is about. Instead they went for the touchie feelie thinking of poor little sick Moussaoui had a bad childhood. The jury is part of the sickness and the enemy of this great country.
Posted by Wild Thing at 03:47 PM | Comments (2)
France Offers To Protect Moussaaoui
France is offering Zacarias Moussaoui consular protection.
The French government is offering Zacarias Moussaoui the consular protection he deserves as a French national, but so far the al-Qaida conspirator has not asked for it, the French Embassy said Wednesday.
In a press communique, the embassy said it had dispatched the consul general from Washington and an embassy official to every session of the trial in US District Court at Alexandria, Virginia, south of Washington.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:40 AM
May 03, 2006
Unfreaking Believable!!! ~ Moussaoui Gets LIFE! WTF!
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As Moussaoui was led away after the verdict, he shouted: “America, you lost!”.....Mr. Moussaoui testified that he was proud to belong to Al Qaeda and took delight in the 9/11 attacks.
Wild Thing's comment..........
If this jury can't give him the death penalty, we've really lost something in this country. He was truly tried by a jury of his peers. The touchy feely asses COULDN'T bring themselves to fry the bastard! The terrorists now know that if they are captured they will not face the death penalty and they can now continue to infiltrate our prisons to gain access to folks that may be with them in their anti american cause.
Islamists will take this as a sign of weakness. The jury has endorsed Islamic terror against the United States. America has passed its greatness and lost its resolve. They had no problem convicting McVeigh, an American Citizen, to death. Rightfully so, OKC was a heinous crime. We needed to send a strong message to the terrorists that if you attack Americans that you will be KILLED.
And we'll have to make sure he has the Quran and that it is treated with respect. I can hear Amnesty International bleating this case for years. Moussaoui can continue to recruit and train others in prison and continue his verbal assaults against the United States.
Kudo's to Fox News for being the only channel to at least split screen the cowardly verdict with actual images of 911.
To those who want him kept alive, remember that Ramzi Yousef, the mastermind behind the 1993 WTC bombing is jailed in this country and preaches jihad from a jail cell and is in contact with terrorists around the world. He's a MUSLIM and as such will probably be greeted as a hero, what with the large muslim populations in prisons these days.
What the hell is wrong with those people? What could that jury have been thinking? They need to be forced to watch Flight 93 continuously for the rest of their lives, mixed in with footage of people leaping to their deaths from the Twin Towers.
Unbelievable. Just freakin' unbelievable!!!! Because he had a bad childhood???? God help us!!!!!
The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema at the end of a two-month trial in which the jury rejected the government's case to have Moussaoui executed.
"God save Osama bin Laden — you will never get him," Moussaoui declared moments after walking into the courtroom flashing a victory sign.
"You have branded me as a terrorist or a criminal or whatever," he said. "Look at yourselves. I fight for my belief." He spoke for less than five minutes; the judge told him he could not use his sentencing to make a political speech.
Moussaoui, who spent much of his two-month trial cursing America, blessing al-Qaida and mocking the suffering of 9/11 victims, offered one more taunt after the jury reached its verdict Wednesday saying, "America, you lost. ... I won," and clapping his hands as he was escorted from the courtroom.
God curse America. God bless and save Osama bin Laden -- you will never get him," he told a packed federal courtroom that included family members of people killed in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
"You think you rule the world -- you are wrong. I will prove it," he said of the U.S. "You don't want to hear it. We will come back again ... You will feel it."
U.S. District Court Judge Leonie Brinkema responded, "You will die with a whimper," never allowed to speak publicly again.
She then followed the decision of the jury and ordered the al Qaeda terrorist to spend the rest of his natural life in prison.
Moussaoui had smiled as he walked into court, flashing a victory sign and waving sarcastically at the judge. His final tirade followed sharp remarks from several 9/11 family members.
Once in prison, Moussaoui will be in lockdown for 23 hours of every day, with one hour of recreation daily. He'll also spend that one hour alone.
CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin said Moussaoui most likely will be locked up inside the federal Supermax prison facility in Florence, Colorado, which is sometimes known as the "Alcatraz in the Rockies."
9-11 Victims family expresses views:
Patricia Reilly, who lost her sister Lorraine Lee in the New York attacks, was deflated. "I guess in this country you can kill 3,000 people and not pay with your life," she said. "I feel very much let down by this country."
It is not known how many jurors wanted Moussaoui sentenced to life and how many wanted a death sentence. Under federal law, a defendant automatically receives life in prison when a jury is split. The 42-page verdict form gives no indication on how, or if, the jury split.
Nine jurors found that Moussaoui suffered a difficult childhood in a dysfunctional family where he spent many of his early years in and out of orphanages.
To some blogs posting about this too.......
* MVRWC
* Hot Air
Posted by Wild Thing at 05:27 PM | Comments (15)
Moussaoui Gets Life in Prison
A federal jury decided Wednesday al-Qaida conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui deserves life in prison for his role in the deadliest terrorist attack in U.S. history, on Sept. 11, 2001.
On the seventh day of deliberation, the jury of nine men and three women informed Judge Leonie Brinkema that it had reached a decision. The verdict was announced at 4:30 p.m. EDT.
Moussaoui, a 37-year-old Frenchman of Moroccan descent, is the only person charged in this country in connection with the suicide jetliner hijackings that killed nearly 3,000 people at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a Pennsylvania field.
The verdict came after four years of legal maneuvering and a six-week trial that put jurors on an emotional roller coaster.
The panel of northern Virginia residents was shown gruesome never- before-released images of the carnage that day, heard the first public playing of the cockpit recorder from United Flight 93 whose passengers tried to retake the jet over Pennsylvania, and watched and listened as dozens of victims and relatives described the horrors and losses they had endured.
The nine men and three women deliberated about 40 hours. They had found Moussaoui eligible for execution after more than 16 hours of deliberations in late March and early April.
Although he was in jail on immigration violations on Sept. 11, the jury ruled that lies he told federal agents the month before the attacks kept the government from identifying and stopping some of the hijackers.
Posted by Wild Thing at 07:55 AM
Bolton Kicks Ass
Please click HERE to see the Video.
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US Ambassador to the UN John Bolton testified before the House subcommittee on international relations today and got in a little argument with Rep. Dennis Kucinich. Rep. Kucinich asked John Bolton about Sy Hersh’s “New Yorker” article on Iran, to which Bolton said he didn’t see it because he doesn’t have time to read “fiction”:
KUCINICH: Have you ever heard of that report?BOLTON: I’d never heard of the report, I never read the article, nor do I intend to.
KUCINICH: Do you have any interest as to whether or not—as the U.S. Ambassador, you don’t have any interest as to whether or not U.S. Marines are actually operating in Iran right now?
BOLTON: I said I had not heard of the report and I didn’t intend to read the article in “The New Yorker.”
KUCINICH: If I gave you this article right now, walked it over, would you look at it?
BOLTON: I don’t think so, honestly, Congressman, because I don’t have time to read much fiction.
KUCINICH: We know that U.S. Troops are in Iran. How does this affect U.N. Negotiations?
BOLTON: Congressman, you know more than I do, that’s all I can say.
Wild Thing's comment......
If Kucinich knows that U.S. Marines are in Iran and this is secret and he’s revealing it… then he’s a traitor.
Posted by Wild Thing at 02:49 AM | Comments (8)
The War Tapes
Straight from the front lines in Iraq, The War Tapes is dedicated to the men of Charlie Company, 3/172nd Mountain Infantry, AND to the troops who have served, or are serving, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
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Director Deborah Scranton has ramped the idea of citizen journalism up a few notches with her film, The War Tapes. Rather than embed with a unit, Deborah went outside the box and came up with the idea of supplying soldiers with video cameras, a revolutionary concept.
Soldiers from a New Hampshire National Guard Unit agreed to work with Deborah. During their deployment to Iraq, they captured the war in all its glory, and all its horror. What you see is what you get and one can hardly refute raw footage from the front lines, something which lends great legitimacy to this film.
The War Tapes is a film about war, soldiers and the women they left behind when they deployed to Fallujah -- once the armpit of hell -- in 2004. The viewer follows three soldiers from their departure for Iraq to their return home, and beyond.
This is NOT a political film. The main characters in this film; Sgt. Steve Pink, Specialist Mike Moriarty and Sgt. Zack Bazzi do not shy away from their political views. But for the most part, to its credit, the film leaves the political world far behind.
The War Tapes takes us to the front lines. It's a film everyone should see, especially military members and their families.
Funnier, spicier, and more gut wrenching than any news report, this is Operation Iraqi Freedom as filmed by Sergeant Steve Pink, Sergeant Zack Bazzi and Specialist Mike Moriarty. Steve is a wisecracking carpenter who aspires to be a writer. Zack is a Lebanese-American university student who loves to travel and is fluent in Arabic. Mike is a father who seeks honor and redemption. Each leaves a woman behind – a girlfriend, a mother and a wife.
These soldiers are hysterically funny, articulate, intelligent, compassionate and loyal to their mission and their brothers-in-arms. Some may not agree with our premise for being in Iraq, but that doesn't stop them from doing their jobs with great integrity and courage.
This is not Hollywood's version of war - this IS war. Raw, unedited, painful and truthful. Through their candid footage, these men open their hearts and take us on an unforgettable journey, capturing camaraderie and humor along with the brutal and terrifying experiences they face.
These soldiers got the story that 2,700 embedded reporters never could.
Click HERE to see Video clips
God bless our troops and keep them all safe......Wild Thing
Posted by Wild Thing at 02:07 AM | Comments (4)
Howard Dean: The Gift Who Keeps On Giving
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Howard Dean: Karl Rove Guiltier than Osama Bin Laden
Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean is telling reporters that there's no doubt top White House aide Karl Rove is guilty in the Valerie Plame Leakgate case.Three years ago, however, Dean urged caution when it came to assessing the guilt of Osama bin Laden, whose role in the Sept. 11 attacks, he said, should not be prejudged.
"There's no question that Rove was the one that leaked the information about the CIA agent's name," Dean told MSNBC's Nora O'Donnell on Friday.
But when it came to the Al Qaida terror chief, Dean insisted that bin Laden was innocent until proven guilty.
"I still have this old-fashioned notion that even with people like Osama, who is very likely to be found guilty, we should do our best not to, in positions of executive power, not to prejudge jury trials," he told the Concord Monitor in Dec. 2003.
The guiltier-than-bin Laden Rove, said Dean, is "a big liability for the administration," since he "continually reminds the American people that the president wasn't truthful about firing leakers, in addition to not being truthful about a number of other things."He pledged that if Democrats win back Congress in November, they'll launch a new round of investigations into supposed White House corruption.
"No doubt there will be investigations because there's been so much corruption in the White House and the vice president's office, even the Republican Senate president is under investigation for insider trading."
Asked whether Democrats would try to impeach President Bush, Dean told O'Donnell: "It's possible."
Wild Thing's comment......
Howard Dean is like Catnip for conservatives. Demos are proving that they are unstable and frankly crazy. OMG LMAO Hey Howard, hate to tell you, Bin Laden admitted doing the deed.
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:55 AM | Comments (3)
May 02, 2006
Iran Threatens Israel If US Acts "evil"
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Iranian women walk past a painting during their visit to a nuclear exhibition at Bahman Cultural complex in Tehran May 2, 2006. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl
Iran threatens Israel if US acts "evil"
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran threatened on Tuesday to attack Israel in response to any "evil" act by the United States and said it had enriched uranium to a level close to the maximum compatible with civilian use in power stations.
The defiant statements were issued shortly before world powers meet in Paris to discuss the next steps after Tehran rejected a U.N. call to halt uranium enrichment.
Senior officials from the U.N. Security Council's permanent members -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- plus Germany were to discuss how to curb an Iranian program that Western nations say conceals a drive for atomic warheads.
The United States and Israel have vowed to deny Iran nuclear weapons. Washington has not excluded war if diplomacy fails, while Tehran has sworn to retaliate if attacked.
"We have announced that wherever America does something evil, the first place that we target will be Israel," ISNA quoted a senior Revolutionary Guards commander, Rear Admiral Mohammad-Ebrahim Dehqani, as saying on Tuesday.
Iran's deputy oil minister said there was "some possibility" of a U.S. attack on his country over its nuclear program.
"I am worried. Everybody is worried," Mohammad Hadi Nejad-Hosseinian said in New Delhi after talks on a proposed $7-billion pipeline from Iran to India via Pakistan.
Concerns that Iran's dispute with the West could lead to disruption of its oil output pushed oil prices above $74 a barrel, close to the record of $75.35 touched last month.
The United States, Britain and France are expected to introduce a resolution to the Security Council this week that would legally oblige Iran to comply with U.N. demands. The three countries favor limited sanctions if Tehran remains defiant.
Iran said Russia and China, also veto-wielding permanent council members, would not back any punitive measures.
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran will target Israel first if the United States does anything "evil", a senior commander in the Iranian Revolutionary Guards said on Tuesday.The United States says it wants Iran's nuclear standoff with the West solved diplomatically but has refused to rule out military action.
"We have announced that wherever America does something evil, the first place that we target will be Israel," Revolutionary Guards Rear Admiral Mohammad-Ebrahim Dehqani was quoted as saying by Iran's student news agency ISNA.
The Islamic Republic has never recognized Israel and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called for the Jewish state to be "wiped off the map."
Dehqani said naval wargames held in the Gulf last month "carried the warning to those countries that threaten Iran, including America and the Zionist regime".Experts said the wargames, in which Iran said it had tested new missiles and torpedoes, were a thinly veiled threat that it could disrupt vital Gulf oil shipping lanes if it was attacked.
Wild Thing's comment.......
Palestinians, take note. Your good friend Iran is threatening to firebomb you.
If they hit Israel, I guarantee that will be the last mistake they ever make. Israel will hit them with a clenched fist and they won't be getting up from that.
Posted by Wild Thing at 03:27 PM | Comments (2)
Theodore Roosevelt On Immigration
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Theodore Roosevelt's words regarding the assimilation of immigrants into American culture.
Theodore Roosevelt's ideas on Immigrants and being an AMERICAN in 1907.
"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or orig in. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American ... There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag ... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language ... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."
Theodore Roosevelt 1907
Posted by Wild Thing at 09:55 AM
Don't Forget Illegal's In Not So Sheeps Clothing
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:47 AM
McCain and First Amendment Rights
McCain says he does not like corruption.....hmmmmm Hey McCain how soon you forget!
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Senator John McCain (R-Az.) crossed a line in a recent response to Don Imus. Without Imus asking about it, McCain responded to a critics attack on his campaign finance reform stance, "I would rather have a clean government than one where quote First Amendment rights are being respected, that has become corrupt. If I had my choice, I'd rather have the clean government."
Stop the ACLU has the Video
Wild Thing's comment......
Hmmmm, clean government ( Kennedy, Clintons, Keating Five????) only started this list for you John McCain!
* Hot Air
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:30 AM | Comments (2)
Iran Urges U.N. Action Against U.S.
Iran Urges U.N. Action Against U.S.
Forbes.com
Iran denounced the United States on Monday for contemplating possible nuclear strikes against Iranian targets and urged the United Nations to take urgent action against what it called a dangerous violation of international law.
In a letter to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan obtained by The Associated Press, Iran's U.N. Ambassador Javad Zarif called President Bush's refusal to rule out a U.S. nuclear strike on Iran and a similar follow-up statement by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice "illegal and insolent threats."
Bush was asked on April 18 whether U.S. options regarding Iran "include the possibility of a nuclear strike" if Tehran refuses to halt uranium enrichment. "All options are on the table," the president replied, but he stressed that the United States will continue to focus on diplomacy.
Iran insists it is legally entitled under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty to enrich uranium to provide fuel for civilian power plants but the United States suspects its real aim is to produce nuclear weapons, a view backed by Britain and France.
Zarif said the use of "false pretexts" by senior U.S. officials "to make public and illegal threats of resort to force against the Islamic Republic of Iran is continuing unabated in total contempt of international law and fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter."
The "U.S. aggressive policy" of contemplating the possible use of nuclear weapons also violates the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and other U.S. multilateral agreements, he said.
Zarif's letter made no mention of recent threats by Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to wipe Israel "off the map."
Instead, the Iranian ambassador honed in on statements from U.S. officials, especially from Bush, which he said "defiantly articulate the United States policies and intentions on the resort to nuclear weapons."
Zarif said past U.N. failures to respond "to these illegal and inexcusable threats have emboldened senior United States officials to go further and even consider the use of nuclear weapons as an `option on the table.'"
In a brief statement responding to the letter, U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said "if Iran wants to be treated differently, then Iran should stop pursuing nuclear weapons and give up terrorism."
After lengthy negotiations, the U.N. Security Council adopted a statement a month ago demanding that Iran stop enriching uranium. A new report Friday from the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. nuclear watchdog, confirmed what the world already knew: Iran has refused to stop enriching uranium.
The United States, Britain and France immediately announced plans to introduce a new Security Council resolution this week which would make Iran's compliance with their demands mandatory. To intensify pressure, they want the resolution under Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter which means it can be enforced through sanctions or military action.
China and Russia, the two other council members with veto power, oppose sanctions and military action and want the Iran nuclear issue resolved diplomatically, with the IAEA taking the lead, not the Security Council.
Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, reiterated Monday that Tehran was "ready for any kind of negotiation to achieve our rights" and again called for Iran's dispute with the international community to be returned to the IAEA, rather than taken up by the Security Council.
He spoke on the eve of a meeting in Paris of political directors from the six countries that have been trying to find a diplomatic solution to the standoff - Britain, France, Germany, the United States, Russia and China.
Wild Thing's comment......
U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said "if Iran wants to be treated differently, then Iran should stop pursuing nuclear weapons and give up terrorism."
I love this guy Bolton! Those poor little ragheads! NOT!
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (4)
L.A. FOX 11 Tony Valdez Remarks
Local Fox News in Los Angeles, Channel 11, had an incredible exchange in a segment with John and Ken. J & K were chastizing the press for not showing the other side about all the costs of illegal aliens.
There was a difference of opinion between FOX personnel and John and Ken about the effect of the boycott.
And then there was an amazing statement, actually a monologue for news reporter Tony Valdez. Rather than posing a question to John and Ken, he launched into the whole Reconquista argument, talking about Manifest Destiny and U.S. invasion of Mexico in 1846. He talked about how this country took this part of the world by force and how they do that in Iraq and Iran.
And then this news reporter, news reporter mind you, said:
"You took this country. You killed people to take this country for yourselves."
Wild Thing's comment......
If we could go back in time and just let the Mexicans have what they now call Aztlan, it would be no better off than the rest of Mexico and we would still have millions of illegals coming accross our southern Nebraska border.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:27 AM | Comments (4)
Rep. Tom Tancredo: Boycott is a Bust
Rep. Tom Tancredo: Boycott is a Bust
Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., a longtime opponent of illegal immigration, says the May 1 Latino worker boycott is "a bust” when it comes to changing public opinion in America.
Tancredo, appearing on Fox News Channel, said the waving of Mexican flags, the chanting of "Today We March, Tomorrow We Vote,” and the in-your-face flaunting of U.S. immigration law will not win many converts outside of large Latino strongholds.
"When the average American looks out on the streets and sees people demanding ‘rights’ ... even though the protesters illegally snuck into our country, it doesn’t play well in Peoria,” Tancredo said. "I don’t think it’s working in favor of the illegals, but I hope they keep it up.”
Tancredo said Americans who may have initially been sympathetic to the plight of families who genuinely wish to come to America by legal means will be turned off by the antics of illegal alien protesters.
"I think some of my [congressional] colleagues in New York and California may be influenced by them, but generally speaking, most of the people I talk to say ‘don’t give in to them; don’t give in to the mobs,’” Tancredo said.
The congressman said most of the e-mails and phone calls he receives from constituents say he and his fellow congressmen should not "give them anything close to amnesty.” Most, he said, have asked Tancredo to persuade the House of Representatives and Senate to stick to the House bill and stricter enforcement of the U.S. borders.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:05 AM | Comments (8)
May 01, 2006
Iran’s President Recruits Terror Master
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Plot for revenge attacks on West
IRAN’S president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, attended a meeting in Syria earlier this year with one of the world’s most wanted terrorists, according to intelligence experts and a former national security official in Washington. US officials and Israel intelligence sources believe Imad Mugniyeh, the Lebanese commander of Hezbollah’s overseas operations, has taken charge of plotting Iran’s retaliation against western targets should President George W Bush order a strike on Iranian nuclear sites.
Mugniyeh is on the FBI’s “Most Wanted Terrorists” list for his role in a series of high-profile attacks against the West, including the 1985 hijacking of a TWA jet and murder of one of its passengers, a US navy diver.
Now in his mid-forties, Mugniyeh is reported to have travelled with Ahmadinejad in January this year from Tehran to Damascus, where the Iranian president met leaders of Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad and Hamas.
The meeting has been dubbed a “terror summit” because of the presence of so many groups behind attacks on Israel, which Ahmadinejad has threatened to wipe from the map.
Jane’s Intelligence Review cited “reports in recent weeks” of Mugniyeh’s presence alongside the president.
Michael Ledeen, a Middle East expert and former Pentagon and National Security Council official who wrote that Mugniyeh had “probably” been there, said last week senior American officials had confirmed it.
“It’s hard to identify Mugniyeh because he is said to have changed his face and his fingerprints,” Ledeen said. “But senior government officials have told me I was right. He was there.”
Shortly after the Damascus summit Henry Crumpton, head of counter-terrorism at the state department, singled out the elusive Mugniyeh as a threat. The Iranians, Crumpton said, “have complete command and control of Hezbollah. Imad Mugniyeh works for Tehran. And you can’t talk about Hezbollah and not think about Iran. They really are part and parcel of the same problem.”
Mugniyeh lives in Iran and has evaded capture for more than 20 years, despite a $5m American bounty on his head. Western intelligence reports claim he has many connections to terrorist cells in Europe, Africa, Latin America and the US and he is said to have met Osama Bin Laden.
“When and if the Iranians decide to hit the West in its soft belly, Imad will be the one to act,” a western intelligence source said last week.
Mugniyeh has also been linked to the demolition of the American embassy and marine barracks in Beirut in 1983 and is wanted in Argentina for his role in recruiting the bombers of the Israeli embassy and Jewish centre in Buenos Aires in the early 1990s.
Mugniyeh left Lebanon for Iran in 1994 with his wife and son after an assassination attempt. He is since believed to have played an active role in fomenting trouble in Iraq. Ledeen described him last week as the “spinal column of the terror war against America in Iraq from the beginning”.
According to Robert Baer, a former CIA agent who pursued Mugniyeh in the 1980s, “he is the most dangerous terrorist we have ever faced. Mugniyeh is probably the most intelligent, most capable operative we have ever run across, including the KGB or anybody else.
“He enters by one door, exits by another, changes his cars daily, never makes appointments by telephone — he is never predictable. He is the master terrorist, the grail we have been after since 1983”.
Wild Thing's comment.......
Just more proof of why we should have NO dealings with the Hezbollah.
Posted by Wild Thing at 11:27 AM | Comments (2)
Guard the Borders Blogburst
BLOGGER REACTION TO MAY 1 - A DAY WITHOUT LATINOS
By Heidi at Euphoric Reality
Today is the much ballyhooed Day Without Latinos......otherwise known as Nothing Gringo Day...officially (yes, as in politically-official) known as the Great American Boycott of 2006: No Shopping, No School, No Work.
Amboy Times has some helpful advice for the title of these strikes/boycotts/stick-it-in your-eye rallies: "I recommend a less confrontational title, perhaps 'Bite The Hand That Feeds You Day' or how about boycotting all the free medical care, schools, and other government services? They could call it 'No Payroll Taxation Means No Government benefits Day' - hmm...a bit wordy, that one...”
Whatever the name, illegal aliens (presumably of Latino descent only, since this is all about THEM, nevermind the hundreds of thousands of illegals from Ireland, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, etc.) intend to show us that THEY are the engine that drives the American economy. They hope to wreak havoc on our economy to prove that we can never live a day without them because "THEY are America."
Pro-immigration activists say a nationwide boycott and marches planned for May 1 will flood Americas's streets with millions of Latinos to demand amnesty for illegal immigrants and shake the ground under Congress as it tackles reform. [...] "There will be 2 to 3 million people hitting the streets in Los Angeles alone. We're going to close down Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Tucson, Phoenix, Fresno," said Jorge Rodriguez, a union official who helped organize earlier rallies credited with rattling Congress as it debates the issue.Organizers of the May Day marches, which have strong support from big labor and the Roman Catholic church, vow that America's major cities will grind to a halt and its economy will stagger as Latinos walk off their jobs and skip school.
Various city leaders, contrary to their appointed duties, are having the opposite kind of reaction you'd expect. In the spirit of truly compassionate sycophants, they plan to aid and abet the lawbreakers:
Teachers' unions in major cities have said children should not be punished for walking out of class. A spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Unified School District said school principals had been told that they should not try to keep students in class but instead should walk with the children to help keep order.In Chicago, Catholic priests have helped organize protests, sending information to all 375 parishes in the archdiocese.
Personally, while I don't like it, I have to thank them for spitting in America's face over and over. That bitter froth is starting to wake up the apathetic to just how wrong everything is. As Right As Usual points out: "The more the Aliens gain 'strength', the more natives get their backs up. Take a hint, Pedro - you DON'T have the right to petition the government - it isn't YOUR government. That's a right granted to CITIZENS of the USA."
BobGriggs.com voices the sentiment of an ever-growing contingent of appalled Americans:
"I have finally reached the boiling point on illegal immigration. We are a nation of laws, including those that control how visitors can enter this country, how long they can stay and how they can become permanent citizens. I expect those visitors to obey the same laws that citizens are expected to follow; and I expect my government to enforce the law when those visitors choose to ignore it.It’s bad enough when the invaders (and that’s what they are) sneak across the border by night, then hide in the undocumented crevices of society. It is quite another thing to then demand, by the light of day, that their lawlessness be excused. Such have been the marches staged across the nation and in my Capitol– thousands of lawbreakers protesting my representatives’ efforts to control our borders and stop the lawlessness.
It angers me when the interlopers so brazenly demand the protection of the same law that they flaunted with their very first steps on American soil. My blood boiled as I watched student illegals skip the classes that you and I paid for to protest that you and I aren’t doing enough. I fumed as I watched illegals, waving the Mexican flag, insist that I 'treat them like Americans'.”
Kit at Euphoric Reality reports that Tulsa is planning a HUGE rally for immigrants where cooperation with the masses and the enabling of lawbreakers is the order of the day. Event organizers, having learned from previous rallies that defiant Mexican flag-waving is counter-productive to their claims that "We are Americans, too", has urged participants to only carry U.S. flags and "wear white as a symbol of hope". They are also referring to their movement as A Day Without Immigrants. Yes, yet another rally nickname, but this one apparently aims to be more generically "inclusive".
...CSA (American Dream Coalition, or Coalicion del Sueño Americano) President, Rev. Victor Orta II, said that arrangements had been made with Tulsa Public Schools, Broken Arrow Schools, and Union School District for high school students to be allowed to leave at 1:30 p.m. in order to give parents the opportunity to take their children to the rally if they wish. .... Orta also wished to dispel rumors in Tulsa's Latino community that the Tulsa Police Department (TPD) is planning on using the event as a way to corral undocumented individuals, or that federal immigration officers would be undercover at the rally."I spoke personally with [acting Police Chief] Bill Wells," Orta said, "and he assured me that a policy was established several years ago that 'no officer of ours is allowed to ask anyone for immigration papers, and that policy has not changed'."
Orta described his discussions as being "very positive," adding that [Police Chief] Wells will be a podium guest and possibly a speaker at the rally, and the only police presence at the May 1 event is to be for security reasons. Orta is scheduled to meet with Sheriff Stanley Glanz this week to work out similar arrangements with county officers.
Tulsa Community College (TCC) has volunteered the free use of its downtown parking lots for rally attendees in another sign of the cooperative spirit many organizations in the community are showing in what is seen as perhaps the most critical time in the history of Latino immigration.
Whoops - there it is again - Latinos only, I guess. It is all about THEM, after all. Fortunately, contradicting Reverend Orta's assurances, an eyewitness trucker one hour south of Tulsa reported seeing 30 ICE vehicles and approximately 10 white government buses heading north toward the city tonight. Are the government vehicles carrying refreshments for the rallying masses or dare we hope that our government has plans to do the right thing?
Similarly, Right on the Right wonders if something is brewing in LA. Another eyewitness spotted something hopeful - go here to find out what he saw - and approached an officer:
"I asked one of the deputies what the deal was, and he said 'The deal with what? I don't see anything.'This boycott tomorrow in L.A. is going to get very interesting. Did anyone else notice that the cops are being really nice in helping to block off streets and herd people into certain areas? The planned route down Wilshire from MacArthur park to La Brea is easily an area that could be cordoned off with the right amount of troops and some strategic planning.
Viva La Revolucion my ass!!!!"
One has to wonder if anyone has remembered to tell the California legislators that they're coddling a huge mass of people who are lawbreakers to a man! They seem to have forgotten that laws are meant to be followed, and instead they are busy issuing obsequious statements of support.
Pamibe reports that "California’s state senators on Thursday endorsed Monday’s boycott of schools, jobs and stores by illegal immigrants and their allies as supporters equated the protest with great social movements in American history:
By a 24-13 vote that split along party lines, the California Senate approved a resolution that calls the one-day protest the Great American Boycott 2006 and describes it as an attempt to educate Americans “about the tremendous contribution immigrants make on a daily basis to our society and economy.”
So I have to ask the obvious: with civic leaders, law enforcement officers, and lawmakers like that, who needs laws??? Apparently, not America.
Make no mistake, the immigration reform being debated endlessly in the Senate is NOT what the illegals really want. It's too complicated, too much work, and will cost a fine – so forget that! Besides, if they cared so much about citizenship, they'd have at least started paperwork somewhere. Remember the illegals I interviewed during the last pro-illegal rally? None of them in 5, 10, or 15 years had ever bothered to apply for citizenship. Too hard, too much work. And why bother - when they get what they want without it?! American citizenship is NOT what really matters to illegal aliens. What is sacred and meaningful to true Americans is nothing more, to them, than convenient access to the world's largest labor market. That's it.
But nevermind, because "earned citizenship", as President Bush cozily calls it, will not cut it anyways. Illegal aliens and their advocates don't have any intention of settling for having to earn their way, no matter how easy the Senate reform may make it for them. They want ever-so-much MORE than that!
"We want full amnesty, full legalization for anybody who is here (illegally)," Rodriguez said. "That is the message that is going to be played out across the country on May 1."
Ace In The Hole acknowledges the blatant slap in the face:
"And so it goes... Want in one hand and SPIT in the other...If our politicians and lawmakers want to keep their jobs, they'd better remember THIS: there's a hell of a lot more than 12 million AMERICANS that ARE here legally, and we VOTE...
Short of taking to the street and engaging in ARMED confrontation, the voting booth is our ONLY option, but something else the politicians had better consider, there are MANY Americans, right now, that are armed and ready, this nation is on the verge of open hostilities, armed conflict committed by our CITIZENS against ILLEGAL INVADERS, and I can't say that this is at all an unimaginable option to be honest about it...
IF the PRESIDENT of the USA would do his job, instead of kissing every Mexican ass he can find, this could ALL be avoided...
Close the border, deport the ILLEGAL INVADERS and restore order to this nation... Wake up President Bush, YOU are personally destroying the southwestern United States with YOUR inaction and incompetent administration of this nation...
Mr. Bush had better decide which side of this fight he's on, because at the moment, it appears he's damn sure on the side of the Mexicans and IF the voters of the USA have ANY sense at all, we will vote OUT any politician that supports Mr. Bush on this amnesty debacle, no matter WHICH party they belong to..."
Frustration with our do-nothing government abounds. Publius Rendezvous states: "The debates within our Senate pertaining to illegal immigration do nothing but illustrate what many have ascertained for quite some time - our Senators know how we feel on this issue, but have blatantly ignored our concerns. What has been glossed over by our 'thorough' MSM is that Congress' approval ratings are worse than President Bush's. And, I assert that their utter disregard for our sentiments directly correlates with such."
AmboyTimes asks: "So what can a poor gringo do? How about 'Nothing Mexican Day'? ...Our leaders in government may be spineless, but we still have control over our own spending, and we can send a message to illegals and the Mexican government that we're not going to take this lying down. There is no reason why this won't work, and we can do it (si ,se puede) without protesting, breaking laws, race-baiting or even calling names."
BobGriggs.com has taken that concept even further and suggests 'Nothing Mexican on Cinco de Mayo'. As seen on Fox and Friends: "This year, Cinco de Mayo will be a celebration of my hope that America will repulse the current invasion of illegal aliens. I will not patronize my favorite Mexican restaurant nor any other Hispanic-owned or “Mexican-themed” business on May 5 or the week thereafter. Neither will I employ the services of any company that I know to employ illegal aliens. If you feel as frustrated and as voiceless as I do, please join me in my mini-protest and support America’s sovereignty with your dollars on Friday, May 5."
The Independent Conservative respectfully disgarees:
"I must say that while I feel his anger, given we live in the same county that is loaded with illegals. I think his response should be a little more measured than an all out boycott of all that has Mexican heritage. The protesters that favor illegal immigration are not representative of all Mexicans. While far too many are on their side, we should be careful not to respond to their anti-American/anti-White actions by treating all Mexicans as if they are in agreement with the activity of the Mexican protesters.So how does one separate those who are in league with condoning illegal activity, from those who do not? Simple, you ask. Just as I’ve shown via my own actions, I think all Americans should strive to do the same every day. I know it may not be doable for all purchases, but try as best you can to always only support businesses that do not employ illegals and do not take part in these protests.
I think instead of boycotting a Mexican restaurant on Cinco de Mayo, that it would have a far greater impact if Americans walked into a Mexican restaurant, asked to speak to the owner and asked 'were you open on May 1?' If they say no, then leave. Also ask 'do you employ illegals?' If they say yes, then leave. That will show them you are serious about taking your money elsewhere. And alternatively, you might find a business owned by people who have Mexican heritage, but wish to be 100% American and respect our laws."
Kender's Musings has yet another perspective, one I call the "Stay Home and Stay Stupid" strategy:
"I agree with this boycott...because [it] is going to backfire on these people, and the disruption they cause to millions of LEGAL CITIZENS who, in the course of living their legal lives of doing their duty to make this country great are going to have to endure millions of whiny criminals and their supporters blocking the streets and taking up airtime on our TV's, making their day that much harder.Anyone that takes the day off to protest should be fired. But that may only happen in a handful of cases. On the other hand, this protest is going to hurt the educations of the kids that are out in the middle of this, and that is fine by me.
Outlined below is my support for this boycott. As far as I am concerned these people can boycott for the rest of their lives. They are much cheaper to hire when they are legal citizens without a decent education.
I Agree with the Boycott
That's right, I agree with the boycott.
Especially for the kids.
Everybody listen up, on May 1st stay home from school.
Do NOT go to school. Stay home and sleep, go protest and work on that car in your driveway while hanging clothes on the line tied between the apartment building and the dead tree, and I will tell you why:
Because when you stay home from school your school loses valuable money that is used to educate your stupid asses, and maybe if your education drops to a low enough level you will be forever stuck cleaning the toilets, washing the cars and mowing the lawns of the people that know what it means to be an American, and your lower economic status will be assured, hence your power in society will be limited to threatening to leave the rest of us with long grass and dirty dishes at the restaurant.
Jarhead's Firing Range agrees with the boycott too, but for different reasons:
"Illegal immigrants plan feeble attempt to strike back at the hand that feeds them. Border jumping criminals are rallying behind a plan to boycott all things American on May 1st. This will include not going to work, and not spending money at any American owned business establishments. It will also be carried out inside the cesspool known as Mexico.These idiots fail to realize that American owned companies are the largest source of employment in Mexico. They whine that the wages paid there are not enough. -Then don't take the job?
As far as their boycott here in the states, I'm all for it. I hope that those that employ these criminals will actually be hurt by this. Perhaps they'll not hire criminals in the future. Hopefully, every illegal that doesn't go to work on May 1st will be fired. I won't hold my breath waiting for that to happen though."
Speaking of protests south of the border, Independent Conservative points out that if the American Chamber of Commerce of Mexico keeps this up, they might end up causing the pro-illegal crowd to realize that their massive protests have been the best recruiting tool for all of us who wish to send illegals back over the border:
US Lobbyists Denounce Mexico’s ‘Nothing Gringo’ Boycott (WSJ.com registration required to view the entire article) … “This is like shooting oneself in the foot,” Rubin said. “U.S. companies have been the first to lobby, launching a huge lobbying effort for immigration reform. … Why hurt something that is helping you?” … South of the border, Mexicans are targeting American stores and chain restaurants - “That means no Dunkin’ Donuts, no McDonald’s (MCD), Burger King (BKG.XX), Starbucks (SBUX), Sears (SHLD), Krispy Kreme (KKD) or Wal-Mart (WMT),” reads one email making the rounds.
Wal-Mart/Walmex is the biggest private employer in Mexico. Huge shocker there, huh? Wal-Mart is like the slum lord of the planet.
Amber and Chaos offers sound advice for furious Americans watching the legislative branch of our government get hi-jacked: "If you are angry as I am about the demonstrations going on [today], then [today] is the time to express your outrage. Write your Senators and Congressperson...do something that could, potentially, put some backbone into our congresspeople on the issue of Immigration Reform. Tell them that if they do NOT vote for a strong secure-border plan, nothing else they do has any meaning for you, and you are going to vote against them, when you get a chance."
While you’re at it, remind them of our laws. Woman Honor Thyself has a quick synopsis of the laws our lawmakers are so willing to overlook [Title 8:Section 1325. Improper entry by alien]: "Know THE LAW, my dear friends. Knowledge is power. What part of LAW do the folks up in Washington and the lefty do-gooders fail to comprehend?"
Meanwhile, A Cool Change has his own plans for boosting the economy that will supposedly be staggering without the contributions of illegal aliens: "Illegal aliens and their supporters have been urged not to buy anything on May 1 to demonstrate just how important they are economically to the United States. (So they buy extra on April 30 or wait until May 2. Big deal.) I’m participating in my own way. I’ve been postponing a much needed trip to Sam’s Warehouse for about two weeks now, and boy do I have one heck of a shopping list."
Third World County scoffs at how seriously the illegal alien lobby takes itself: "... the boycott scheduled for tomorrow in support of Reconquista is B.S.... BTW, I’ve scheduled a shopping trip for tomorrow (May 1). I figure it’s time I bought some Mexican flags to burn on May 5."
On a related subject, Freedom Folks reacts with epithet-laced fury to a Hispanic Marine who has defiantly chosen to side with lawbreakers:
"If any American serviceperson finds their loyalties divided they are in the wrong goddamn job!
[...]
I reiterate, should you find your loyalties divided, here's a thought...Get the fuck out! Go back to the country you seem to feel an allegiance for. When you don that uniform you become an exemplar, what that means, and I'm gonna type this slow because clearly you're an idiot, is you cannot then wave your fucking uniform as a banner for LAW-BREAKING, you ignorant sack of shit!!If you think I'm being too hard on this individual, I would retort -- I don't think I'm being hard enough. When you swear an oath it either means something or it doesn't, if it doesn't mean anything to you that tells me you are a faithless motherfucker not worth pissing on if you were on fire.
I truly cannot tell you how upset I am with this "Marine." This alleged "hero." Because to me when you start advocating for law-breaking you lose hero status pretty goddamn fast.
Is this the price of granting the children of illegals entrance into the proud tradition of the most fearsome fighting machine in the history of mankind? That we must grant them special --above the law -- privileges?
That price is too high for any nation to pay and remain a strong nation.
Quietly, but presciently, Bear Creek Ledger reminds us of some serious national security concerns and cautions us that amid all the hullaballoo, we are still perilously vulnerable: “As Senators and the Administration diddle over amnesty for illegal aliens (which will include members of Hezbollah and MS-13) they are leaving our US borders unprotected. There is no intent by these Senators to stop the flow of illegal aliens over the border thereby ignoring the National Security of our country. All the Republican Senators consider is supposedly "cheap" labor and the Democrats are trolling for votes. Guess with the first suicide bomber (if that truly is the first) all the same Senators will come out pointing the finger at anyone but themselves. I think as we will see in the coming weeks Rep. Hastert will also abandon any veneer of protecting the borders by the House of Representatives."
That is, unfortunately, a very probable prediction.
So...now you know what the Guard the Borders Bloggers think about this, and what some plan to do about it. What about you?
This has been a production of the Guard the Borders Blogburst. It was started by Euphoric Reality, and serves to keep immigration issues in the forefront of our minds as we’re going about our daily lives and continuing to fight the war on terror. If you are concerned with the trend of illegal immigration facing our country, join our Blogburst! Just send an email with your blog name and url to euphoricrealitynet at gmail dot com.
Posted by Wild Thing at 09:32 AM
Welcome To Aztlán ~ NOT! No Way! Never!
Watch this Video on plans for Aztlan........HERE.......thank you.
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One of the organizations that is organizing the immigration protests in Detroit is ACCESS. Seems their President, Noel Saleh (name found on the "Staff" page) is an ACLU lawyer and supports terrorists:
Noel Saleh. The thrice-disciplined attorney (who was suspended from the practice of law) openly stated at a townhall meeting with federal officials that he has financially contributed to Hezbollah.
He heads an Arab welfare agency that gets millions in our tax dollars, yet was raided by the FBI for engaging in Medicaid fraud. The organization also spent thousands in our tax dollars on "job training" (commercial driving lessons and attempts at HazMat hauling certificates) for two men indicted as members of the Detroit al-Qaeda terror cell. He has represented a number of Islamic terrorists, including Ibrahim Parlak and "former" PFLP terrorist Imad Hamad.
La Voz de Aztlán (The Voice of Aztlán) is the Internet publication, or webzine, of the Nation of Aztlán, a secessionist organization based in Whittier, California. The organization's chief objective, as reflected in La Voz de Aztlán, is the formation of a country named Aztlán, which would be composed of present-day Mexico, parts of Oklahoma, and the entirety of Texas, New Mexico, California, Arizona, Utah, and Nevada. According to La Voz and the group that established it, "Aztlán" was the name of the Aztec homeland that supposedly existed in Mexico and the Southwestern United States prior to the Spanish conquest of 1519. The group now seeks to recapture this territory that it claims was "stolen" by white America.
La Voz sides decisively with Palestinian terrorists in their ongoing conflict with Israel. "There are great similarities between the political and economic condition of the Palestinians in occupied Palestine and that of La Raza in the southwest United States,” La Voz says. “… The primary one of course is the fact that both La Raza and the Palestinians have been displaced by invaders that have utilized military means to conquer and occupy our territories.The La Voz website also contains a lengthy tribute to eight female Palestinian suicide bombers who killed many innocent Jewish civilians, describing them as “freedom fighters” who “made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedom and independence of the Palestinian people.” Moreover, La Voz has referred to the late Yasser Arafat as an "extraordinary courageous leader."
A.N.S.W.E.R. is an organizer of the illegal alien marches across the country. They are a front group for the Marxist-Leninist Workers World Party. They idolize Joseph Stalin but when organizing Latino’s they promote Communist leaders Hugo Chavez, Fidel Castro, and Che Gueverra as hero’s of the common man.
Socialist Party USA
“On May 1st walkouts at schools and workplaces across the US will take place in solidarity with immigrant com- munities under attack by Congressional legislation. These walkouts invoke the powerful tradition of May Day - the socialist celebration of international working class solidarity. ”
Wild Thing's comment.......
For me I am going to shop after work today. Instead of shopping over the weekend for groceries, Home Depot (for more plants for the patio) etc. today is the day. In my own way I can try to show they are NOT necessary to our economy.
The saying " You cannot deport 12 million people", is nothing more than a slogan for people who have stopped trying to address the problem. The U.S. government needs to begin deporting illegal aliens, and even if it only deports a fraction of them over the next few years that would be progress. If the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency deported only two million of the 12 million illegal aliens, 10 million illegals would be better than 12 million.
Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.) notes that enforcing employer sanctions could lead many to go home on their own without deportation proceedings: "If you can't get a job in this country, and if you can't get social service benefits, you go home." Additionally, a lot of immigrants visit families on their own, and wouldn't be able to get back in if Congress decides to secure the border.
On the other hand, if the 12 million illegals are legalized, none would be deported. Moreover, this amnesty (whether called amnesty or not) would simply induce more illegals to cross the Rio Grande in the hopes of waiting until the next amnesty.
Please go HERE as well and read how many times amnesty has been done, let us never forget. It never changed anything and it only made matters worse. They give a candy (amnesty) and then they never say NO to the future illegals coming in. (such as close the borders.)
Thank you Jack for a great post at your blog " Reward The Illegals".
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:55 AM | Comments (12)
McCain-Kennedy ~ American 'coyotes'
Author ~ Craig R. Smith
Living in Phoenix, Ariz., makes me acutely aware of the ongoing impact illegal immigration has on our state and country. On a daily basis the evening news is packed with drug busts, car chases or Border Patrol dealing with lawbreakers.
We have the underworld of the "coyotes" (pronounced kai-o-tay) to thank for this problem. And now two new coyotes have entered the business.
If Congress goes along with the "amnesty" bill currently masquerading as the McCain-Kennedy bill, the biggest coyotes will be McCain and Kennedy.
They propose to have all illegal immigrants currently living in the United States pay a fine. What's the difference between this and illegals paying the coyotes?
Illegals save up thousands of dollars and pay a coyote to pack them like sardines into pickup trucks (which have been stolen in the United States) to make the voyage across the desert. With talk of the amnesty soon to be offered in America, illegals are saving their money, walking across the desert on their own with every intention to pay the coyotes who can give them a "pathway" to citizenship – the new coyotes that is.
I can only gather that McCain and Kennedy are spitting mad over the money going to the coyotes instead of going into government coffers to be wasted by fellow Washington bureaucrats. So they are going to offer illegals the option of paying them instead. This is not only insane, but should show the true intentions of the McKennedys in D.C.
Local news has been reporting an increase of border jumpers as the promise of "legal" citizenship is awaiting them in the form of the McKennedy bill. The predictions that anything short of sealing the border, rounding up the criminals and sending them home would cause a rise in crime are starting to come to pass.
We can fight all we want over this issue, but last week's ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) raids on the IFCO companies yielded very productive results. Dozens of illegals were sent home, and American businessmen were arrested and soon will be punished for breaking the law. That is what should happen. I salute Michael Chertoff at Homeland Security as well as ICE and Border Patrol for enforcing the law. It will hinder and hopefully stop the lawbreaking that is having a powerful effect on Arizona and America.
Last weekend in Arizona, we had the largest meth bust in the history of the country. Some 70 pounds of pure meth were seized along with tons of cash. When the smoke settled, who were the criminals? You guessed it: illegal aliens. Yet the local news referred to them as "undocumented migrants." WHAT? That is right. The news wouldn't even refer to them as illegal immigrants. Of course, the undocumented migrants were just here trying to make a better life for their families. They are hard-working people willing to do the jobs Americans refuse to do.
What is more frightening about my sarcasm is the fact some bleeding hearts in D.C. really want to convince themselves that most of the illegals are hardworking, law-abiding folks. They are not. If they broke the law to get here, they will cut corners if given the chance in the future. Show me a crook who got away with a crime and then just turned himself in. They normally continue in their illegal activity until they are caught and then they change. Not because they were wrong, but because they were caught.
I suspect if the meth dealers were skinheads out of Montana, you would have seen the liberal press go on a feeding frenzy. Yet here in Arizona, this whole story received little more than a patronizing yawn. How many young American lives would that meth have destroyed? How many inner-city youth would have been shot over dealing it? How many millions of taxpayer dollars would have been spent mopping up the mess that 70 pounds of pure meth would have created? Where is the outrage from Pelosi, Kennedy, Schumer, Kerry, McCain, Reid and Specter – or are they all too busy grandstanding about $3-per-gallon gasoline to deal with an issue that is slowly bleeding us to death and now, apparently, killing our kids?
I think this issue is so simple to fix. Seal the border, arrest and fine businesses that hire illegals, slowly round up the criminals and send them home. After that basic enforcement of the law, we can discuss the best way to provide the low-cost labor Mexico offers. Until then, we can still allow honest and more than likely hardworking Mexicans looking for a better life here in America to come through the current "Green Card" program.
Do it legally, and 99 percent of America's citizens will welcome you. Until then, stay out of our stinking country, Ese. That is unless you want to pay the new coyotes. Do it by the book and you will never have to look over your shoulder or be in debt to anyone. Do it with the McCain-Kennedy coyote company and, believe me, they will never let you forget how much you truly owe them
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Wild Thing's comment.........
It has been getting worse and worse and worse. And it was like the elephant in the living room that was never talked about. But now it is not only being talked about, but discussed every day! And all the talk radio hosts I hear - who have some pull in the GOP I would think - are with us!
As are the Minutemen and countless other grassroots groups that have had enough. And we do have some brave politicians on our side - Tancredo, Sensenbrenner, Sessions. I pray that more and more will join them as time goes on. We are the ones who are coming out of the shadows, whether the other side calls us racists or not!
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:27 AM | Comments (8)
“When we get people who are more concerned about reading the rights to an Al Qaeda terrorist than they are with protecting the United States against people who are absolutely committed to do anything they can to kill Americans, then I worry,” - VP Dick Cheney
A toast to each of you 
