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June 30, 2006
Soldier Makes Chopper-style Bicycle
U.S. Army Spc. Keith Jennings
1st Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs, 4th Infantry Division
CAMP TAJI, Iraq, June 29, 2006 -- As soldiers on Camp Taji move about in their Humvees or bicycles from one place to another, one soldier from Fort Hood, Texas, truly stands out. Spc. Keith Jennings, a welder with Company B, 4th Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, gets a lot of double takes from soldiers on the camp north of Baghdad as he rides around on his custom-made bicycle.
“I like to be creative and it (the bike) was something different,” Jennings said. “I like seeing people’s heads turn while we are in this stressful situation.”
Jennings, originally from Tazewell County, Va., built a custom chopper-style bicycle from materials he found around the camp. The tires and brakes were taken off a previous bike he owned and the frame is made of half-inch thick chain. He arc welded each link of the chain eight times, threw on a coat of bronze paint, and covered the seat with a red, velvet rag he found in a rag box.
The brakes, which were just recently added, are on the pedals with the right foot engaging the rear brake and the left foot engaging the front. The pedals are custom-made just for him, so there is enough clearance between his foot and the rocky roads of Iraq.
“At first I was kind of baffled at what he was doing because I didn’t know what he was going to do with it (the materials to make the bike),” said Sgt. Brian Kilough, the senior welder with the Service and Recovery Section, Company B, 4th Support Battalion, and Jennings first-line supervisor.
“When he started making it, I was shocked and I wasn’t really sure what it was going to look like when he was done. Now it looks real good and it gave me a lot of ideas for another bike, but I doubt I’ll ever have the time to build one of my own.”
The bike took about a week to build. Jennings used his lunchtime and after-duty hours to complete the project. This is the third chopper-style bike he has made, but this is the first one he has made of metal.
“This is definitely the heaviest bike I’ve ever made,” Jennings said, who is currently serving his second tour in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. “This bike has made it easier to get around camp, and I have a quicker response time if I need to be somewhere fast. It’s great for (physical training).
“Someone stops me at least once a day and asks me about it, and a lot of people take a picture of it,” Jennings added. “When it comes time to leave here, I’m going to chop it in half and send it home. Then I’m going to put it back together, fix it up real nice, and I plan to dip it in chrome. Also, I’m probably going to have to make some of these for my three children because they love this kind of stuff.”
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:55 AM | Comments (8)
Memo:Hamas Cabinet Meetings To Be Held in Cell Blocks
Israel expanded its military operation against the Hamas-led government in the Palestinian Authority by embarking on mass arrests of senior Hamas officials before dawn Thursday.
Israel Defense Forces troops launched early Thursday a major arrest operation against Hamas officials, detaining 64 of the ruling militant group's ministers and parliamentarians in the West Bank and 23 military operatives.
The arrests took place in Ramallah, Qalqilyah, Hebron, Jenin and East Jerusalem, according to Palestinian reports. Soldiers carried arrest warrants signed by judges that were issued following cooperative preparatory work by the state prosecution and police.
A Hamas official called the arrests an "open war against the Palestinian government and people," and said that Israel must be prepared to pay their consequences.
In Ramallah, troops arrested at least two cabinet ministers and four lawmakers, all from Hamas, in a raid on a complex of buildings, Palestinian security officials said.
In Ramallah, at the terrorists' Palestinian Council of Ministers.
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Wild Thing's comment....
Remember how happy the Palestinians were on 9-11, dancing in the streets, ululating and passing out candy as American office workers leapt from the flames to their deaths. And their blowing up buses full of innocent people. And walking into a room full of people celebrating a Passover meal and blowing them all to pieces. And sneaking into a house in the middle of the night and shooting to death a mother and her young daughters.......Never will I forget that news.
The world condemns Israel at every turn, and by extension the Jews. When you listen to the Arabs, they refer to the "Zionists" or the "Jews". They do not refer to "Israelis". To them all Jews are Zionists, and all Zionists are Jews.
When the Arabs murder an 18 yr old kid, in cold blood, the world doesn't condemn them. Instead we hear that Israel is going to cause a "humantarian crisis".
When a Palestinian kid is killed, immediately Israel is blamed. See Mohammed Al Dura. And when it is proven, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the Palestinians themselves killed the kid in order to blame Israel, not a word is said.
The Dinosaur Media, doesn't correct the record. It is simply ignored.
In the interim, we (the US) talk about our regret regarding the child's death. We tell Israel that they need to take greater care of "innocent civilians. But when the truth comes to light, we, as a country, do not express our outrage at the diabolical minds that conjured up a scenario like this. We don't condemn the animals that killed this kid.
The world is left with the distinct impression and knowledge that Israel killed that kid.
Terrorists are referred to as "militants", all the time...even on Fox News. They are only terrorists when they target us in the US. In Iraq, they are sanitized as "insurgents".
Why can't we, as a country, stand up for what is right? Why can't our leaders, make the statement loud and clear, that the Arabs started this....way back in 1947 and it hasn't changed in 60 years! Why must there always be the qualifier...."Israel has the right to defend themselves, BUTT-MONKEY!!!...."
I'm so tired of this. I'm so tired of seeing Jews killed, kidnapped, terrorized, blown up. I am tired of hearing of our troops being injured and or killed by IED's and then the media making a fuss about a solider that pushed a door in with force instead of knocking gently on the door of a home known for hiding terroriosts, or our politicians and our media attacking a soldier for defending himself when he KNEW the enemy in the room was reaching for a gun. I'm so tired of terror attacks today, being yesterday's news, so quickly.
Kids are left orphaned, whole families wiped out, thousands are maimed and scarred, and always we have our eye on the "poor, ancient, down-trodden Palestinians" who were invented in 1967, or the Iraqi's or Arabs...Muslims one and all.
I'm sorry to lay this out there, but sometimes the frustration is almost overwhelming. Why are we, as a nation, so reticent to make known that we stand for what is right? That we will not equivocate and look for the gray areas?
Why can't our President and Sec of State stand and proudly say that we, unequivocally, support Israel in their struggle for peace and that we stand four-square behind them without any reservations? And the same thing with our troops when those calling themselves Murtha, Reid, Kerry and others seek and get the limelight in the media to bash and slander those defending our freedom and our security here at home.
Why can't we tell the world that the only way that the violence stops in the ME is if the Palestinians and Hezbollah stop attacking Israel, that we are at war with Islam no matter what country. Develop a true take no prisoner mentality toward our enemy and let those complaining of the treatements of prisoners that they should count their lucky stars they are even able to breath another day, and are only alive as long as they are useful to us catching more of their ilk.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (12)
Young Muslims Conference In CT Hosts Al Qaeda Linked Cleric
Young Muslims conference in CT hosts Al Qaeda linked cleric Mazen Mokhtar -group held Jihad & Afterlife camps 6/30/ -7/20/06
Young Muslims of North America, the youth division of the Islamic Circle of North America and The Muslim American Society, groups with ties to Al Qaeda, have announced they will be holdng a conference on June 30th to July 2nd in the newly opened Connecticut Conference Center 'Following in The Footsteps of the Prophet" Living Islam, Loving Humanity'. One of the speakers is Mazen Mokhtar, a New Jersey Imam who was investigated by the FBI for his ties to Al Qaeda. He ran a mirror website for Azzam.com an Al Qaeda 'mouthpiece' and was also linked to a bomb plotters in the UK who tragetted US landmarks.
The news of Moktars scheduled appearence at a recent MAS conference in Tampa caused an uproar resulting in the event being disrupted and forced to find an alternative venue, after irate citizens called the Presbytarian retreat where the event was scheduled to be held, and expressed their outrage that they would be hosting a group with ties to terrorism, and were alleged to have issued threats
The Young Muslim activities include Jihad and and Afterlife camps, and MAS and ICNA were recently in the forefront campaigns to free Bush assassin wanabee Omar Abu Ali and George Mason University professor Ali Al Tamimi, a Jihad recruiter and part of the Virginia Paintball network. Both men were convicted and jailed on terrrorism charges.
A excerpt for the website of the Investigative Project counter terrorism blog shows how groups such as MAS and by extension Young Muslims are actually part of the Muslim Brotherhood, and promotes their Islamist agenda which aims to turn American into A Muslim American Society. These facts go unmentioned by the media, which aids and abets them to operate behind a facade as moderates.
The Muslim Brotherhood: What Do They Really Want To Teach American Muslim Youth?
Certain journalists from respected media outlets - most recently Mary Beth Sheridan of the Washington Post - continue to display a certain naiveté in reporting stories on extremist organizations who falsely profess to be mainstream moderates. Merely parroting their words without examination creates articles that are void of fact and nuance.
However, in an August 8 article titled "Educating Against Extremism; Muslims Reach Out to Youths Who Could Be Susceptible to Radicalism," Sheridan neglected to mention that MAS is intimately and publicly connected to the Muslim Brotherhood, a secretive society dedicated to the establishment of Islamic rule, who recently issued a public appeal for support of the forces fighting the coalition in Iraq.
Unfortunately, Sheridan's omissions are part of a larger problem of journalists who have wittingly or unwittingly become defacto public relations representatives for extremist Islamist groups. Taking their press releases at face value, journalists have helped effectively to cover up the larger, serious issue of the growing secret network of the Muslim Brotherhood in the US.
MIM: The Young Muslim conference announcement .The speakers list is a Who's Who of radical Islamists.
Please go HERE to see this..............thank you.
Wild Thing's comment.....
Do you think they will be talking about taking over the U.S. "peacefully". hmmmmm I think not.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (16)
June 29, 2006
Hamas Is No Match For The Lion
Thank you Cox and Forkum.
Posted by Wild Thing at 02:55 AM | Comments (6)
Palestinian Cowards Kill Kidnapped Eliyahu Asheri
Eliahu is the eldest of five children, and his parents have been living in Itamar since 1991. His father immigrated from Melbourne, Australia.
Eliahu's body was found in the A-Tira neighborhood of Ramallah . Shin Bet agents and special IDF troops found the body buried in a field around 2:30 A.M. Thursday (Israeli time), and determined that he was shot in the head soon after he was kidnapped on Sunday.
Prayers for his family, loved ones and friends.
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:55 AM | Comments (8)
Don't You Just Love It When Suicide Bombers Screw Up?!
Suicide bombers miss US soldiers, kill selves
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan American soldiers escaped injury in Afghanistan when two suicide bombers wound up killing just themselves.
Local officials are searching for a third man they believe was working with the pair. That third suspect apparently wasn't in the car that blew up near a U-S convoy.
Afghan police say the would-be attack took place in southern Afghanistan. That's where more than ten-thousand U-S-led forces are on a counteroffensive, hunting down militants.
Wild Thing's comment....
Every so often we hear of this happening and each time it makes me very happy. There is just nothing like the blowing up of a suicide bomber when no one else gets hurt or killed. OH - yeah!
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (6)
Stop The ACLU Blogburst
If it is a tool we use in the fight against terror one can bet that the ACLU will be against it. When the NY Times revealed classified information that we are trying to track international phone calls of suspected terrorists, the ACLU took that ball and are still running with it. When the NY Times leaked classified information that we are trying to track international bank transactions in order to catch terrorists the ACLU jumped on board with that too. If the NY Times doesn't leak it to everyone, the ACLU will do its best by filing freedom of Information Act requests.
In the face of suspicions that the government is using cutting-edge brain-scanning technologies on suspected terrorists being held overseas or at home, the American Civil Liberties Union today announced that it has filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests with all the primary American security agencies. "There are certain things that have such powerful implications for our society -- and for humanity at large -- that we have a right to know how they are being used so that we can grapple with them as a democratic society," said Barry Steinhardt, Director of the ACLU's Technology and Liberty Project. "These brain-scanning technologies are far from ready for forensic uses and if deployed will inevitably be misused and misunderstood."
I know that the ACLU claim to be the experts on rights, but I'm not sure where they found this "right to know" every secret government program used in a time of war. This must be one of those rights the ACLU made up out of thin air. Furthermore the ACLU's leap that it would be inevitable that the program would be misused and misunderstood is pure biased opinion on their part.
I'd just like to know how the ACLU would have us handle the war on terror. It seems they want us to fight the killers with kid gloves. If someone can name me one anti-terrorist program our government has implemented that the ACLU has approved of we might have a debate. I can't think of one. If we are to fight the war on terror the way the ACLU wants we might as well just go ahead and surrender.
This was a production of Stop The ACLU Blogburst. If you would like to join us, please email Jay or Gribbit. You will be added to our mailing list and blogroll. Over 200 blogs already on-board.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:07 AM
June 28, 2006
Day by Day
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:29 PM
Wictory Wednesday Diana Irey
This week Wictory Wednesday presents Diana Irey for US Congress. Diana is running against ex-Marine Rep. John Murtha from Pennsylvania who needs no explanation as to why he should be replaced. This race began as what seemed to be an uneventful race against an incumbent who not only didn’t expect competition, but is planning on making a run to become House Minority Leader.
Diana Irey served for ten years as commissioner of Washington County and served on a number of boards and commissions bring jobs and fiscal discipline to the local government. She supports not only lower taxes but lower government spending. While Murtha’s campaign seems to revolve around nothing else but the Iraq War (albeit an important issue), Irey is approaching running for office with a variety of stances on issues including supporting victory in Iraq and treating soldiers with respect, not as criminals.
Most importantly Diana is not a beltway bureaucrat and has served only in local offices until now. She will not only bring a local perspective to a seat that is held by an individual more concerned with his own national profile, she will support balanced budgets and intelligent policy-making to a Congress that has shown itself to be free with the money entrusted to it.
This has been a production of the Wictory Wednesday blogburst. If you would like to join Wictory Wednesday, please see this post or contact John Bambenek at jcb (dot) blog [at] gmail {dot} com. The following sites are members of the Wictory Wednesday team:
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:05 PM | Comments (7)
Israel Fights Back and Arabs Kill Websites
Israeli troops enter Gaza; Bridges hit
Israel said only freedom for the captive soldier, Cpl. Gilad Shalit, could defuse the crisis, not a political agreement. The Israeli military said in a statement that the object of the attacks on the bridges was "to impair the ability of the terrorists to transfer the kidnapped soldier." Knocking down the bridges cut Gaza in two, Palestinian security officials said.
Early Wednesday, Israeli warplanes attacked one of the bridges for a second time, Palestinian security officials said. Before daybreak, Israeli warplanes flew low over Gaza city, causing sonic booms and breaking windows.
Overnight, Israeli planes fired at least nine missiles at Gaza's only power station, cutting electricity to much of the Gaza Strip, Palestinian security officials said. The station's three functioning turbines and a gasoline reservoir were engulfed in enormous flames that firefighters were unable to control.
Hundreds of Israeli web pages hacked
In light of Israel's recent incursion into the Gaza strip a group of hackers have attacked hundreds of Israeli web domains, rendering them out of use. When clicking on one of the pages a message appears:
"Hacked by Team-Evil Arab hackers u KILL palestin people we KILL Israel servers"
Hundreds of websites were damaged by hackers in recent hours, following IDF activity in the Gaza Strip. The hackers are members of the Moroccan “Team Evil” group, responsible for most of the website damage in Israel in the past year. This is the largest, most concentrated attack on Israeli websites in recent years.
A range of different websites have been targeted by the group including banks, medical centers, car manufacturers and pension websites. Sites affected include Bank Hapoalim, the Rambam Medical center, Bank Otsar Ha-Hayal, BMW Israel, Subaru Israel and Citroen Israel. The real estate company Tarbut-Hadiur and the Jump fashion website have also been targeted.
.......
* Dry Bones
* Israeli Cool ( you can go here for updates as they are happening)
Posted by Wild Thing at 09:45 AM | Comments (6)
NY Times....The Terrorist's Tipsheet
The New York Times's new publisher, Arthur "Pinch" Sulzberger Jr ... was a sixties anti-war activist who famously declared that in a confrontation between an American and a North Vietnamese soldier he'd want to see the American get shot."
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:08 AM | Comments (6)
Now It is Two That Are Kidnapped by Hamas Group
The Popular Resistance Committees, which has claimed responsibility for abducting both the settler and an Israeli army corporal, said in a statement that "we are running out of patience."
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Israeli Oshri Eliahu, 18, is seen in this undated photo released by the family Tuesday, June 27, 2006. A spokesman for the Popular Resistance Committees, a violent group with close ties to the Hamas-led Palestinian government, who took part in Sunday’s cross-border infiltration near Gaza in which militants killed two Israeli soldiers and abducted Cp. Gilad Shalit, said the group had taken Eliahu, a Jewish settler from Itamar in the West Bank hostage. Israel Radio reported the settler had been hitchhiking Monday night and failed to return home. (AP Photo)
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:57 AM | Comments (2)
Iraq Frees Detainees Under Amnesty Plan
Breitbart.com
About 450 detainees have been released from Iraqi and US-run prisons under a national reconciliation plan aimed at bringing insurgents into the political process and ending the deadly tide of bloodshed in Iraq.
But almost 70 people have been killed in attacks across the country over the past 24 hours, including 22 people blown up by a motorbike bomb while they were watching a World Cup match in a largely Shiite village.
The detainees held at Abu Ghraib and other facilities run by the US military and Iraqis were freed under an amnesty contained in the reconciliation plan presented to parliament on Sunday by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.
A US military spokesman in charge of detainee operations said that all of the 2,500 inmates released since Maliki first unveiled his initiative on June 6 are just suspected of being involved in the insurgency but have committed no violent crimes like bombing, killing, torture and kidnapping.
"Your release today is part of the prime minister's national reconciliation plan," national security advisor Muwaffaq al-Rubaie told the prisoners at the notorious Abu Ghraib prison before they were loaded on to buses.
"This is not a political game, it is a sincere attempt of reconciliation and to unite Iraq."
Almost 13,000 detainees remain in US custody.
But some influential Sunni Arab leaders like Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi have said that without a clear and unconditional amnesty to all "resistance fighters" the plan would do little to stem the insurgency, which has now branched out into vicious sectarian violence.
"We were expecting a clear nod to the resistance and a clear strategy on how to lure it to the political process, but the plan has fallen short of that," he told AFP on Monday.
This manifested itself on the ground over the past 24 hours in acts of violence that have claimed the lives of almost 70 people.
In the ethnic tinderbox northern city of Kirkuk, at least three people were killed and 26 wounded when a suicide bomber exploded his vehicle as civil servants were filling their tanks at a petrol station, police said.
The death tolls from attacks on Monday also rose.
Twenty-two people, including children, were killed and 40 wounded when a motorbike bomb exploded in a market square where villagers were watching a World Cup football match in the mainly Shiite village of Khairnabat, northeast of Baghdad, a security official said.
Another attack in a busy market in the predominantly Shiite city of Hilla, south of Baghdad, killed 10 people and wounded 79.
In further violence on Tuesday, three policemen were killed and four wounded when their patrol hit a roadside bomb in the central Karradah district of Baghdad, a hospital said.
The US military said one of its soldiers was killed in a bomb attack while on foot patrol in the capital and that another soldier was killed in fighting in the volatile Al-Anbar province, west of the capital.
Gunmen also shot a civilian waiting at a petrol station in Baghdad.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (2)
My New Favorite Song "Hadji Girl" !
UPDATE:
US Marine exonerated for song about killing Iraqis
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. military will not punish a Marine who performed an obscenity-laced song to a laughing and cheering crowd of fellow troops in Iraq making light of killing Iraqis, the Marine Corps said on Tuesday.
The Marines two weeks ago launched a preliminary inquiry into whether Cpl. Joshua Belile, who returned home from Iraq in March, violated military law or rules in singing the song, a four-minute video of which was posted on the Internet.
You can read the rest of the article HERE.
CAIR Goes After Marine For ‘Insensitive’ Song, “Hadji Girl”
CAIR: Pentagon Calls Online Song 'Insensitive,' 'Inappropriate'; Music Video 'Contrary to the High Standards Expected of All Marines'
The video was removed from the youtube.com Web site after CAIR issued its news release. For more of the article you can go HERE.
Wild Thing's comment......
Hey screw you CAIR! Why don't you go after the beheading loving Muslims, the IED infested, hiding behind women and children coward Muslims. The lying, want to kill us all Muslims? HUH?
How is 'hadji girl' offensive? It is about a Marine who is setup by a girl. The girl leads the guy into an ambush and the Marine ends up killing the attackers.
I saved it to my storage place online just in case it get pulled from other places. There is NO way I would let CAIR Islam freaks rule this country. And Marines??? Listen please, PC is detroying our counrtry, please don't cave in to them. Stand strong, stand tall and we are here to support you and all of our troops!
Here are the lyrics:
Hadji GirlI was out in the sands of Iraq
And we were under attack
And I, well, I didn't know where to go.
And the first think I could see was
Everybody's favorite Burger King
So I threw open the door and I hit the floor.
Then suddenly to my surprise
I looked up and I saw her eyes
And I knew it was love at first sight.
And she saidDurka Durka Mohammed Jihad
Sherpa Sherpa Bak Allah
Hadji girl I can't understand what you're saying.
And she said
Durka Durka Mohammed Jihad
Sherpa Sherpa Bak Allah
Hadji girl I love you anyway.
Then she said that she wanted me to see.
She wanted me to meet her family
But I, well, I couldn't figure out how to say no.
Cause I don't speak Arabic.
So, she took me down an old dirt trail.
And she pulled up to a side shanty
And she threw open the door and I hit the floor.
Cause her brother and her father shoutedDurka Durka Mohammed Jihad
Sherpa Sherpa Bak Allah
They pulled out their AKs so I could see
And they said
Durka Durka Mohammed Jihad
Sherpa Sherpa Bak AllahSo I grabbed her little sister and pulled her in front of me.
As the bullets began to fly
The blood sprayed from between her eyes
And then I laughed maniacally
Then I hid behind the TV
And I locked and loaded my M-16
And I blew those little f***ers to eternity.
And I said
Durka Durka Mohammed Jihad
Sherpa Sherpa Bak Allah
They should have known they were f***ing with a Marine
* Blackfive
* Hot Air
* Stop the ACLU
* Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler
* All Things Beautiful
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:27 AM | Comments (19)
June 27, 2006
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Rejects Talks with USA
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has rejected the prospect of talks with the United States on the nuclear program, saying nothing would be gained, state television reported Tuesday.
"Negotiations with the United States would have no benefit for us, and we do not need them," the television quoted Khamenei as telling Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade.
Khamenei did not rule out nuclear negotiations, although he insisted any such talks would be on Iranian terms.
"We will not negotiate with anybody on our certain right to reach and use nuclear technology. However, if they recognize this right for us, we are prepared to talk about international controls, supervision and guarantees, and the grounds for such negotiations have been prepared," he said.
The United States, China, Russia, France, Britain and Germany have offered Iran state-of-the-art civilian nuclear technology and other incentives on condition it halts enrichment. Western diplomats say this demand is not negotiable.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in April such talks were not needed since a permanent Iraqi government was in place.
Direct talks between the United States and Iran are rare. Most famously, they met in secret during the Iran-Contra scandal in the 1980s in which Washington supplied arms to Iran in return for Tehran's help releasing U.S. hostages held in the Lebanon.
Washington broke ties with Tehran shortly after the 1979 Islamic revolution when radical Iranian students held 52 Americans at the U.S. embassy hostage for 444 days.
Posted by Wild Thing at 05:47 PM | Comments (6)
Till Then ....for Acidman at Gut Rumbles
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I just learned that friend Rob (”Acidman” of Gut Rumbles) has died. He will be missed and was loved and cared about by many.
Rob was one of the first to welcome Theodore's World blog. He was supportive of a new person in the blog world and it meant a lot to me.
You will be missed my friend.
Posted by Wild Thing at 11:00 AM
Reveille ~ A Tribute To Veterans
I received this from a friend that is one of the Swift Boat Vets. Thank you Robert and thank you for your service to our country. This video is very touching and as soon as I saw it I just knew I had to share it with all of you.
Posted by Wild Thing at 02:55 AM | Comments (4)
Hamas Says Islam Will Conqur The West and The World
Islam Will Conquer the West and the World, Says Hamas
Several new videos proclaim that Islam will rule the world and that Western nations will be conquered by terrorists, according to a report by the Palestinian Media Watch.
Terror organization Hamas released one new video in the wake of the death last week of one of its leaders, Yasser Ghalban, during an internal battle between warring factions in Gaza.
The clip is a collection of Ghalban’s statements and proclamations of Hamas dogma, as well as the broader Islamic philosophy promoted by the Palestinian Authority.
To view this video, anticipating Islam's conquering of US and Britain, click here.
We will rule the nations, by Allah’s will, the USA will be conquered, Israel will be conquered, Rome and Britain will be conquered…” pronounces a reclining Ghalban in the video, promising to “crush the Jews and expel them from our country Palestine.” He adds, “Just as the Jews ran from Gaza, the Americans will run from Iraq and Afghanistan…"
According to PMW, the video was produced by the Al-Qassam Brigades terrorist group, the military wing of Hamas.
In addition to the Hamas clip, a video from the Al-Qaeda international terrorist organization is posted on the PMW site, featuring pictures of dead and injured American soldiers with English-language captions, including “They Are Coming.”
The Al-Qaeda video may be viewed by clicking here.
A number of additional reports on Palestinian Authority propaganda and terrorist threats broadcast on Islamic television and radio and printed in Arabic language newspapers may be seen on the PMW website.
Wild Thing's comment......
In times past, an utterance like that from a so-called foreign official would be enough to cause an international incident or have the country on the receiving end of the threat to start mobilizing for a quick smackdown.
Just a little side note here for you Hamas pig fearing sweaty headband wearing goat lovers. A-hem, before you take on the task of conguering the world, I think you need to figure out how to pay your employees. And your friend Murtha and the NY Times employees might be looking for work soon .
And one last thing Hamasitos, you threaten Israel and the US, two countries that have the most awesome military and ways of taking you down imaginable. You can't even have a nightmare as awful as what Israel and the U.S. of A. could and would do to your sorry camel riding ass. Bye -Bye!
Linda of Something and Half of Something commented that under the poster it says......
"Israel will no longer exist"
Thank you Linda for the translation.
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:55 AM | Comments (16)
How The Media Does Things
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM
June 26, 2006
Aksa Martyrs Brigades
Jerusalem Post
The Aksa Martyrs Brigades announced on Sunday that its members have succeeded in manufacturing chemical and biological weapons.
In a leaflet distributed in the Gaza Strip, the group, which belongs to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah Party, said the weapons were the result of a three-year effort.
According to the statement, the first of its kind, the group has managed to manufacture and develop at least 20 different types of biological and chemical weapons.
The group said its members would not hesitate to add the new weapons to Kassam rockets that are being fired at Israeli communities almost every day. It also threatened to use the weapons against IDF soldiers if Israel carried out its threats to invade the Gaza Strip.
"We want to tell [Prime Minister Ehud] Olmert and [Defense Minister Amir] Peretz that your threats don't frighten us," the leaflet said.
"We will surprise you with our new weapons the moment the first soldier sets foot in the Gaza Strip."
Wild Thing's comment......
Oh really Aksa Martyrs Brigade? I wonder if you got them from Iran or Syria, or maybe 'made in Iran via Russia'.
Just wondering of course. So let's see you have invented chemical weapons, but have not found the formula for soap yet?!
But wait, Not WMDs accoring to the lefties -- so no cause for concern. Right??!!
It always amazes me how the terrorists love to brag, like Iran's President, the Hamas, this group Aksa Martyrs Brigades etc. Well OK, brag all you want, and one day my wish and prayer is that you will be blown up into little itty bitty pieces, thank you ever so.
Posted by Wild Thing at 10:17 AM | Comments (5)
IDF Soldier Kidnapped
Sunday morning, 2 soldiers were killed - Pavel Slutsker and Hanan Barak, while a third Guilad Shalit was kidnapped during a Palestinian attack at Soufa,near the kibbutz Kerem Shalom. At midnight, Monday, it seems that Guilad is still alive.
Israel's prime minister has promised prolonged and extensive military action to free Guilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier.
"Let it be clear: We will reach everyone, no matter where," Ehud Olmert said in a speech in Jerusalem.
No Israeli soldiers have been seized by Palestinian militants since 1994 and it is being seen as a crisis in Israel.
The kidnap is thought to have taken place during a guerrilla attack on an Israeli guard post outside the Gaza Strip on Sunday.
Mr Olmert said he had instructed army chiefs to be ready for "a prolonged and extensive military operation in order to strike the terror organisations and commanders".
He said he held senior officials in the Palestinian Authority including Mr Abbas and Prime Minister Ismail Haniya of Hamas responsible, with "everything that it implies".
Tunnel Attack
Cpl Shalit was the gunner on a tank attacked in a pre-dawn raid by militants from a 300-metre tunnel dug under the Gaza border fence near the Kerem Shalom crossing, Israeli military officials said.
Seven or eight gunmen lobbed grenades at the tank and an empty armoured personnel carrier, the military said.
Two other members of the tank crew were killed in the raid, Israel's army said in a statement, and at least two Palestinian militants were also killed.
The raid was claimed by the military wing of the ruling Hamas party, Izzedine al-Qassam, the Popular Resistance Committees and a group calling itself the Army of Islam.
Israeli tanks pushed into the Gaza Strip after the attack and on Monday morning blew up the tunnel, sending a thick plume of black smoke into the air.
Wild Thing's comment......
Prayers for this soldier and his family, and all of our friends in Israel.
UPDATE:
Israel rejects militants' demands over kidnapping
Palestinian militants on Monday demanded Israel free Palestinian women and minors in its jails in exchange for information on a kidnapped Israeli soldier, but Israel rejected any deal and threatened a big offensive.
UPDATE: June 27th
The IDF blew up the tunnel used Sunday by Palestinian terrorists to perpetrate their attack at Soufa. This subterranean passage measured 1 kilometer in length, of which 300 meters were in Israeli territory.
Posted by Wild Thing at 09:55 AM | Comments (3)
NorthEastern Floods Force Evacuations
For all our friends and family of Theodore's World blog that live in the Northeast, you are in our thoughts and payers.
One of the big weather headlines for Sunday was heavy rain falling in the East. A nearly stationary front sitting atop the region, has been bringing rain and thunderstorms to the region for the past few days. The recent rain has prompted the National Weather Service to issue flood watches and warnings throughout the Mid-Atlantic states and into coastal New England.
Nick has a lot of relatives that live in the NE and there are several friends that are a part of Theodore's World blog that live in the NE as well.
Posted by Wild Thing at 02:55 AM | Comments (7)
Syria and Iran Strengthen Ties
SAYEDA ZEINAB, Syria, June 24 — For a long time, the top-selling poster in Hassan al-Sheikh's gift shop here showed President Bashar al-Assad of Syria seated beside the leader of Hezbollah in Lebanon.
A few weeks ago a slightly different poster overtook it, this one with the Syrian president, the Hezbollah leader and Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Mr. Sheikh's shop is on a bustling street in Sayeda Zeinab beside the entrance to a Shiite shrine that shares a name with the town, and both have been packed with Iranian pilgrims, many more than in years past.
Those changes illustrate what may well be a worrying phenomenon for Washington as it seeks to contain Iran and isolate Syria: the two governments, and their people, are tightening relations on several fronts as power in the region shifts away from the once dominant Sunni to Shiites, led by Iran.
This is, in part, the result of the American installation of a Shiite-dominated government in Iraq after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein and his Sunni-led government. But it is also spurred by the growing belief in Arab capitals that the Bush administration may soon negotiate a deal with Tehran over Iraq and nuclear weapons.
Arab governments once hostile to Iran have begun to soften their public posture after decades of animosity toward Tehran. President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt met Iran's national security chief, Ali Larijani, in Cairo recently, and Saudi Arabia's foreign minister, Prince Saud al-Faisal, visited Tehran this month and declared the two nations to be good friends. In addition, Iranian officials recently sent messages of friendship to every Persian Gulf state.
Amid all that activity, Syria has managed to inflate its power in the region by playing a subtle double game and setting itself up as a possible go-between.
Syria and Iran began establishing closer ties decades ago, but the real strides have been recent.
Syria has signed expanded military and economic agreements with Tehran covering everything from telecommunications projects to higher education. Syria will buy missiles from Iran. Iran will build cement and car plants in Syria.
At the same time, Arab nations that have been cool to Syria are now reaching out to it. Syria received the king of Bahrain this month, he met Thursday with Mr. Mubarak, and this week President Assad held a telephone conference with King Abdullah II of Jordan. Relations between Amman and Damascus became strained when Jordanian officials accused Syria of allowing Hamas to smuggle weapons across Syrian territory and into Jordan — charges Syria has denied.
"Iran injected Syria with a lot of confidence: stand up, show defiance," said Sami Moubayed, a political analyst and writer in Damascus. "Iran is giving them advice. This is certain."
The rest of the article HERE
Wild Thing's comment......
A Muslim by any other name is still a Muslim. Syria is a terrorist-supporting nation and remember when their Syrian paper accused Israel of having spread the bird flu to kill Arabs.
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:55 AM | Comments (4)
The Real John Murtha
Rep. John Murtha is thinking big thoughts. Since coming out for an immediate withdrawal from Iraq last year, he has accused Marines of murder "in cold blood" before a preliminary investigation is even complete; accused the military of a cover up over the same incident; declared his candidacy for the House majority leadership post; and, most recently, refined his cut-and-run strategy in Iraq to mean "redeployment" to Okinawa, Japan.
That's quite a splash for such a veteran congressman, who a year ago had zero name recognition outside Washington. That he's made a name for himself now by slandering our troops and their mission deserves a brief recital of some other activities associated with Mr. Murtha.
Last June, the Los Angeles Times reported how the ranking member on the defense appropriations subcommittee has a brother, Robert Murtha, whose lobbying firm represents 10 companies that received more than $20 million from last year's defense spending bill. "Clients of the lobbying firm KSA Consulting -- whose top officials also include former congressional aide Carmen V. Scialabba, who worked for Rep. Murtha as a congressional aide for 27 years -- received a total of $20.8 million from the bill," the L.A. Times reported.
In early 2004, according to Roll Call, Mr. Murtha "reportedly leaned on U.S. Navy officials to sign a contract to transfer the Hunters Point Shipyard to the city of San Francisco." Laurence Pelosi, nephew of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, at the time was an executive of the company which owned the rights to the land. The same article also reported how Mr. Murtha has been behind millions of dollars worth of earmarks in defense appropriations bills that went to companies owned by the children of fellow Pennsylvania Democrat, Rep. Paul Kanjorski. Meanwhile, the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan campaign-finance watchdog group, lists Mr. Murtha as the top recipient of defense industry dollars in the current 2006 election cycle.
As Rep. Joe Wilson, South Carolina Republican, has said, "If there is a potential pattern where Congressman Murtha has helped other Democrats secure appropriations that also benefited relatives of those members, I believe this would be something that merits further review by the ethics committee."
It's odd that the media, which has been fairly unbiased in going after corrupt politicians recently, has gone silent on Mr. Murtha's questionable actions. Or maybe it isn't. Since December, Mr. Murtha has become the darling of the antiwar crowd, and, as we've seen with other such darlings, scrutinizing their behavior is considered disrespectful. But as we're on the subject, few might recall that after the massive 1980 Abscam scandal, Mr. Murtha was named by the FBI as an "unindicted co-conspirator."
Maybe the next time the new Jack Murtha thinks up another big idea someone can ask him about the old Jack Murtha.
Thank you BobF for sending this to me.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (4)
Murtha and ABSCAM
ABSCAM was an early 1980s scandal in which phony Arab businessmen (actually FBI agents) offered cash bribes to several congressmen. Everything was videotaped.
"You know, we do business for a while, maybe I'll be interested, maybe I won't." -Jack Murtha to Undercover FBI Agent Offering him a $50,000 Cash Bribe
This runs 13 seconds -- audio of Jack Murtha being offered cash, bribes, during the Abscam sting. He turned this down at first but then says later, "I'm not interested -- at this point." He was an unindicted coconspirator!
My earlier post about Murtha and ABSCAM:
Murtha's War Hero Status Called Into Question
FBI:Pubic's Response to ABSCAM
CNS News: Murtha's Anti-War Stance Overshadows Abscam Past
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:17 AM
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)
The following article is reprinted with permission via Minuteman HQ email.
An Update from the Minuteman Fence Project Manager
First, let me say thanks to the brave ranchers who are stepping up to put their lives on the line to stop the illegal invasion. They live and work within spitting distance of the Mexican border every day. These brave men and women are working side by side with Minutemen in this war zone they call home, allowing us to secure America.
Second, let’s be clear. Not every single mile of the border or every ranch or rancher is the same. The full-on Israeli-style Security Fence is our primary design and first choice for construction. However, when circumstances dictate adjustment to a Border Fence with barbed wire and a vehicle barrier or another design to meet local requirements, we will make the necessary adaptations—and keep building.
Our plan: Do the job until our government does its duty.
* Announce the need for the Minuteman Border Fence.
* Ask again that President Bush do his duty and secure the border.
* Schedule a groundbreaking to get the Border Fence launched.
* Begin raising the $55 million needed for 70 miles of fence in AZ.
* Work with ranchers to design fence to meet specific private landsite requirements.
* Get steel and contractors to manage the sites.
* Register and vet fencing volunteers.
* Build a Minuteman Fence Security Plan to patrol fencing.
* Set up Volunteer Crews administration and crew management
* Continue to build fence as fast as resources allow.
* Start more sites in TX, CA and NM as donations and volunteer capacity permit.
* Continue Border Watch and Fence Operations until the border is secure.
Numerous fence design variations will be required to effectively deal with border crossings by illegal aliens, drug dealers and livestock. Derivation from the primary design is necessary to accommodate local ranchers’ specific terrain, topography, herds and other factors.
The important point to remember is that MCDC will not let Vincente Fox tell us or the US ranchers we are working with where or what we can build. No matter what the fence design, MCDC will erect a well-built fence—and fences work. We know they are effective, because we see the results; incursions reduced, and all of the opposition groups and open border supporters screaming to stop the fence.
1) Security Fence - Illegal alien crossing design: A physical barrier capable of stopping people and vehicles has been designed to fit the general terrain. It is also a daunting psychological deterrent that cuts illegal crossings by 95% or more. The security fence will not be easy to compromise by climbing over with a ladder, cannot be cut with wire cutters, breached by ramming with a vehicle, or tunneling under undetected. While no fence can be a 100% impenetrable barrier—the Minuteman Border Fence is an excellent design and will prove time-consuming enough that Border Patrol agents can be alerted and respond before the incursion can be completed.
Our fence plan will keep costs near $150 per foot.
2) Border Fence – Halting drug dealers, illegal aliens and livestock: This style of fence is necessary where full Security Fencing cannot be installed. A physical barrier with a 5 wire barbed wire fence 5' 6" high, a vehicle barrier with a horizontal steel barrier in 12’ sections welded to steel post 30” high and razor wire on the ground between the wire fence and the vehicle barrier. This barrier will stop vehicles and cattle and slow down illegal aliens.
This design similar to Border Patrol designs is intended to accomplish the following: Mexican drugs are coming across the border in vehicles and on the backs of mules. The steel barrier stops drug vehicles and is high enough to stop mules from walking over and low enough to keep them from going under. The barbed wire fence keeps Mexican livestock in Mexico. Thousands of diseased Mexican cattle are presently allowed to walk freely into the US unchecked, and MCDC is working with our ranchers to stop the spread of disease. This design is cheaper and faster to erect where urgent conditions warrant, especially in cases of diseased cattle incursions.
Schedule Facts:
April 20, 2006 – Chris Simcox announces the Minuteman Border Fence is to be built if President Bush does not send armed troops to secure the US – Mexico border by Memorial Day 2006.
May 27, 2006 - Successful groundbreaking was held in Arizona on Memorial Day weekend. First 2.5 miles of 10 miles of Border Fence erected. Continue fence fundraising through direct mail, email, national radio affiliates and national speaking tours.
May 27 to June 30 – Finished the first 2.5 mile section of fence, applied for permission on next 7.5 miles, repaired vandalized fence, ordered steel, finalized fence design/civil engineering specifications, retained two local Arizona contractors who hire legally, started vetting volunteers for work crews, completed volunteer delivery of donated construction truck, continue next 7.5 miles, acquire vehicle barrier steel, install vehicle barrier, test/install fence camera technology, plan and implement 24x7 fence security.
June 27 - Second site layout to be finished.
July 6-15 – Security Fence at second location starts.
Peter Kunz
Project Manager
MinutemanHQ.com
Minuteman Border Fence
A Successful Start on a Security Fence
The successful groundbreaking was held in Arizona on Memorial Day weekend,
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.
as President Bush refused to immediately deploy National Guard and reserve troops to secure America’s out-of-control southern border with Mexico.
Hundreds of volunteers—along with Minuteman Founder Chris Simcox, Ambassador Alan Keyes, Congressman Steve King, AZ gubernatorial candidate Don Goldwater, WeNeedAFence.com founder Colin Hanna and AZ Congressional candidate Randy Graf—dug holes, mixed concrete, put up fencing while opposition groups jeered and skeptics said it could not be done. Now MCDC continues with dedicated volunteers, engineers and contractors using LEGAL crews to work with local Arizona land owners in building mile after mile of border security fencing on private land along the border with Mexico. The first site is 10 miles long and the first 2.5 miles of Minuteman Border Fence already has been completed.
How can You Help?
Build the Minuteman Border Fence by sending donations and volunteering to participate in making the US border secure.
Donate to Build the Minuteman Border Fence
VOLUNTEER to Build the Minuteman Border Fence
Sign up as a volunteer and get access to the “Minutemen Border Cams” an active web based surveillance link on the fencing project. The Minuteman Border Fence is placing cameras which will be monitored via computer over the Internet by registered Minutemen across the country, so that Minuteman volunteers can observe and report illegal crossings from the computer in their living rooms 24/7.
The Border Fence is already making a difference.
Local reports indicate that drug and human trafficking has already been reduced. There are fewer vehicles in the area where the fence is under construction—proving again that having a presence and taking positive steps to do SOMETHING to secure the border reduces the flow of illegal aliens, potential terrorists, drug and human traffickers, murderers, rapists and thieves in these areas.
More than 1,500 have volunteered to build the fence.
Planning and organization continues as volunteers, materials and contractors are being coordinated in an unprecedented alliance with over 1,500 Minuteman Border Fence volunteers. In the true spirit of the Minutemen of the American Revolution these patriots have joined together to form an army of volunteers to secure our borders and protect America’s sovereignty, security and prosperity.
“The undertaking is monumental and historic” says Chris Simcox.
MCDC is beginning construction of the Israeli-style border security fence at a second ranch location in early July and later throughout the year in TX, CA and NM as more resources are marshaled. Two fencing companies that hire legally have been retained to run the jobs sites and coordinate volunteer construction crews as Minutemen volunteers are scheduled to provide labor and security. Crews of four to ten volunteers under the guidance of professional fence installers can install as much as 3 miles of fence in a week.
The nay-sayers are wrong. The reality is the Minutemen are here to stay, and this mission will be completed. In April of 2005, over 800 volunteer men and women took action to secure the border. This year there are more than 200,000 Minuteman Civil Defense Corps activists not only guarding the border but building fence, faxing our elected representatives, making phone calls, voting open border politicians out of office, starting local chapters and contributing their time, money and expertise. MCDC is an explosive grassroots effort enjoying the energetic support of political Democrats, Republicans and Independents—all American patriots who have earned the trust of the public by keeping our word to remain vigilant until our borders are secure.
The fencing will be built on private land with privately donated funds, engineering and labor. Its construction at every step will serve as an example to educate the public about the feasibility and efficacy of fencing to secure America’s borders from illegal invasion by aliens and international criminal cartels. An IRS-authorized charitable non-profit organization is facilitating, administering and reporting tax-deductible donations specifically and solely for construction of this Minuteman Border Fence project. Monetary and in-kind contributions for this effort will go directly into meeting hard costs such as building materials for this private fencing operation.
We have a monumental challenge ahead to raise $55 million. We urgently need your help for this effort to succeed. With your help MCDC can make America more secure by continuing to urge citizen volunteers to support the Minuteman Border Fence.
Be sure to send this to EVERYONE you know who wants to help STOP illegal aliens at the border! Thank you!
Donate to Build the Minuteman Border Fence
VOLUNTEER to Build the Minuteman Border Fence
Go www.minutemanborderfence.com and join with us TODAY .
Sincerely for America,
Chris Simcox, President
Minuteman Civil Defense Corps
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:07 AM | Comments (2)
June 25, 2006
The Left's Complaints of Torture to US Soldiers Are AWOL
Wild Thing's comment......
The bodies of 2 of our soldiers were found just this last Monday ( June 21). I agree with this video, where is the outrage? Where are all the political talking heads that were so upset about Abu Ghraib over panties on a terrorists head.
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:55 AM | Comments (9)
U.N. Conference on Small Arms
U.N. Conference on small arms will convene this week
As we recently reported, the "U.N. Conference to Review Progress Made in the Implementation of the Programme of Action to Prevent and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects," will begin Monday, June 26.
The conference's absurdly lengthy title tells you all you need to know--this meeting is about "action to prevent and eradicate" your rights. And make no mistake, the U.N., fueled and financed by the likes of Rebecca Peters and George Soros, is trying to do just that (if you have any doubt about where Rebecca Peters stands on the issue of a U.N. sanctioned ban on your firearms, please visit HERE to view video of her publicly stating her views). But they're in for a fight.
As CNN.com reported this week, conference chairman Prasad Kariyawasam has received more than 100,000 letters of complaint from Americans who want the U.N. to stay out of the business of regulating lawful gun ownership in the United States.
To learn how you can continue to fight the U.N.'s Global Gun Ban and save Your Right to Keep and Bear Arms, please visit www.stopUNgunban.org, or call (800) 672-0636. This site provides valuable information and an opportunity to order Wayne LaPierre's new book The Global War On Your Guns. The book spells out a chilling warning that gun owners in the United States and abroad must heed, and exposes a far-reaching scheme to pass a global ban on civilian ownership of arms--including yours.
Wild Thing's comment.......
The UN counters to our nation's interests at every turn. It's long past time we ended our membership and removed them from our country. We in many ways legitimize their existence by being a part of it.
* thank you Jack ( Conservative Insurgents)
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (4)
June 24, 2006
Court Bars Info Request On NSA Wiretapping
A federal appeals court on Friday declined to force the government to turn over information on the National Security Agency's wiretapping program to a man charged in a terrorism case.
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in the case of Yassin Aref, an imam at an Albany mosque who is accused of laundering money for an FBI informant posing as an arms dealer.
Aref wanted the government to say whether any of the evidence against him had been gathered through the warrantless electronic surveillance program, which has been challenged by some civil liberties groups.
He asked the court to force the NSA to reveal details of the program, rule it illegal and toss out evidence gathered from it. The New York Civil Liberties Union joined Aref's motion.
Much of the legal debate over the request has been conducted under a shroud of secrecy because of the program's classified nature, with key court documents available only to those with security clearance.
Although the government made redacted portions of some documents available to the defense, Aref petitioned the appeals court for greater access.
The three-judge panel said it didn't have jurisdiction to grant much of what Aref requested.
Aref and Mohammed Hossain, a pizzeria owner and mosque member, are accused of laundering money from 2003 to 2004 for the FBI informant, a Pakistani businessman posing as an arms dealer. The mosque was raided by federal agents on Aug. 5, 2004, following a yearlong sting.
Posted by Wild Thing at 07:10 PM | Comments (4)
Theodore's World's Reply to the New York Times
Wild Thing's comment........The New York Times has teamed up with the death cult of Islam. Yes folks time and time again the NYTimes shows the world whose side they are on. What they have been donig is TREASON and there is no other word for it. No flowering it up to excuse it away. What the NY Times has been doing is putting the lives of Americans in danger and our troops in more danger as well. The NY TImes does not care about America they want it destroyed. And they have been working overtime to prove this to us and to the world.
We should demand this be treated for what it is TREASON! There MUST be consequences and I am sick and tired of our government allowing treason to continue either from a newspaper like this or from people like Kerry, Murtha etc.
Leaks and the Law
The case for prosecuting the New York Times.
Weekly Standard
CAN JOURNALISTS REALLY BE PROSECUTED for publishing national security secrets? In the wake of a series of New York Times stories revealing highly sensitive counterterrorism programs, that question is increasingly the talk of newsrooms across the country, and especially one newsroom located on West 43rd Street in Manhattan.
Last December, in the face of a presidential warning that they would compromise ongoing investigations of al Qaeda, the Times revealed the existence of an ultrasecret terrorist surveillance program of the National Security Agency and provided details of how it operated. Now, once again in the face of a presidential warning, the Times has published a front-page article disclosing a highly classified U.S. intelligence program that successfully penetrated the international bank transactions of al Qaeda terrorists.
Although the editors of the Times act as if prosecution is not a possibility, not everyone concurs. One person who is still mulling the matter over is Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Asked in late May about the prospect of prosecuting the Times and others who publish classified information, he by no means ruled it out. "There are some statutes on the books," he said, "which, if you read the language carefully, would seem to indicate that that is a possibility."
Unsurprisingly, given what is at stake, even that tentative opinion elicited a fire and brimstone denunciation from the Times. An editorial on May 24 dismissed as "bizarre" the attorney general's "claim that a century-old espionage law could be used to muzzle the press." It has long been understood, added the newspaper, that the "overly broad and little used" Espionage Act of 1917 applies only to government officials and "not to journalists."
But this interpretation, even if it were accurate (which it is not), is entirely beside the point. The attorney general did not mention the 1917 Espionage Act or any other specific law. But if the editors of the paper were to take a look at the U.S. Criminal Code, they would find that they have run afoul not of the Espionage Act but of another law entirely: Section 798 of Title 18, the so-called Comint statute.
Unambiguously taking within its reach the publication of the NSA terrorist surveillance story (though arguably not the Times's more recent terrorist banking story), Section 798 reads, in part:
Whoever knowingly and willfully communicates, furnishes, transmits, or otherwise makes available to an unauthorized person, or publishes, or uses in any manner prejudicial to the safety or interest of the United States or for the benefit of any foreign government to the detriment of the United States any classified information . . . concerning the communication intelligence activities of the United States . . . shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both [emphasis added].
This law, passed by Congress in 1950 as it was considering ways to avert a second Pearl Harbor during the Cold War, has a history that is highly germane to the present conduct of the Times. According to the 1949 Senate report accompanying its passage, the publication in the early 1930s of a book offering a detailed account of U.S. successes in breaking Japanese diplomatic codes inflicted "irreparable harm" on our security.
PLEASE go HERE to read the entire article. Thank you.
* Michelle Malkin
* MVRWC
Write to the NY traitors:
letters@nytimes.com
fax (212)556-3622
Letters to the Editor
The New York Times
229 West 43rd Street
New York, NY 10036
Posted by Wild Thing at 11:27 AM | Comments (12)
I Prefer This Version of 'Imagine'
Imagine, With No Apologies To John Lennon
by Big Dog
Imagine there’s no Muslims
It’s easy if you try
Just drop a bomb upon them
Watch the bastards fry
Imagine all the people
Rejoicing in their pain
Imagine there’s no jihadis
It isn’t hard to do
If we eliminate them
And their religion too
Imagine all the people
living without these fleas
You may say I’m pissed off
But I’m not the only one
I hope some day to be rid of
Mohammad’s terrorist sons
Imagine no more terrorists
An issue really big
All the Allah Akbars
Buried with a pig
Imagine all the virgins
freed from this disease
You may say I’m uncaring
But I say it’s a lot of fun
To rid the world of this vermin
So let’s kill them and be done
This is one of those times when you see something that just has to be shared with the world. I love what Big Dog has done with this song. Thank you Big Dog!!! It is brillant!
Posted by Wild Thing at 09:55 AM
The Left Working With Terrorists Against Our Troops
from Cox and Forkum
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:57 AM
7 Terrorists in Miami - Foiled- Thank you!
The group has been under surveillance for some time and was infilitrated by a government informant who allegedly led them to believe he was an Islamic radical, a Justice Department official said.The group had expressed interest and discussed bombing targets in Miami and the Sears Tower in Chicago, sources familiar with the investigation said.
Sources say the arrests reflect the government’s concern about so-called “homegrown terrorists.” It’s a threat FBI Director Robert Mueller discussed during a recent speech in New York.
FBI arrests 7 in alleged terror plot
Seven people were arrested Thursday in connection with the early stages of a plot to attack Chicago’s Sears Tower and other buildings in the U.S., federal law-enforcement sources told NBC News.
Residents near the warehouse said FBI agents spent several hours in the neighborhood showing photos of the suspects and seeking information. They said the men had lived in the area about a year.
Residents said the men taken into custody described themselves as Mulims and had tried to recruit young people to join their group, which seemed militaristic.
"They slept there" in the warehouse, said Tashawn Rose, 29. "They would come out late at night and exercise. It seemed like a military boot camp that they were working on there. They would come out and stand guard."
She talked to one of them about a month ago. "They seemed brainwashed. They said they had given there lives to Allah," Rose said.
She said they tried to recruit her younger brother and nephew for a karate class but it never happened.
"It was weird," Rose said.
Benjamin Williams, 17, said the group had young children with them sometimes.
"We were under the assumption that they were opening up a garage business," he said, adding that they wore normal clothes "but sometimes they would cover their faces. Sometimes they would wear things on their heads, like turbins."
A man calling himself Brother Corey and claiming to be a member of the group told CNN that the individuals who worship at the building call themselves the “Seas of David.”
Their plan intended to “kill all the devils we can.”
Wild Thing's comment.....
The day this happened (yesterday) I was away all day and was not around to post about this. Maybe it is a good thing, I would have gone ballistic about the comments I have heard being made how the FBI has to defend themselves and how touchie feelie the media is being toward these terrorists. Shocking is not even close to how I feel about the reaction of the media in their response to this.
Now I ask you why on earth is anyone surprised that we have homegrown terrorists! I mean we have allowed Mosques to be on our land, Saudi Universities, Muslim camps, etc. all of these teach hate and more of their Quran teachings from their favorite terrorist of all their Muhammad. I am not surprised one bit only disappointed that the left does not get it and never will. It seems they think that if they speak up and for the terrorists they will be safe and this is simply not reality.
We are at war with Islam and it is as simple and as dangerous as that, dangerous for Islam because we kick ass and our troops deliver the ass kicking most splendidly!
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:55 AM | Comments (9)
What Fun to Meet Blogger Friends
Having a blog is very special to me and one of the great things that happens can be a chance to meet other bloggers in person. As many of you know I have met my blog mom, Linda of Something....and Half of Something, in person. We have known each other for many years, long before either of us had a blog. Outside of blogging she is the sister I have always wanted.
This last week I was honored and blessed to be able to meet two other bloggers I have admired. We have become friends after meeting online and now we were able to meet in person. My blog Uncle Vinnie of Vince Aut Morire and his beautiful wife Merri of Merri Musings. It was also special for me to meet their children and what a pure joy it was meeting them too.
We had such a wonderful time of laughter and great conversation. We were also able to go to Busch Gardens only an hour away in Tampa together, and then a relaxing dinner at a friend of Linda's that lived in the area. The day went way too fast, but every minute was filled with cherised memories.
How special it is to meet someone that you have met online and already know your hearts and souls have the same desire for our country and a bonding that will last forever.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (7)
June 23, 2006
Bound For Glory
Posted by Wild Thing at 04:39 PM | Comments (7)
June 22, 2006
CAIR Launching A Massive $50 Million Media Campaign
Media Campaign in US to Dispel Islamophobia
Arab News
A survey conducted by Cornell University recently found that around half of Americans have a negative view of Islam and would like the US government to curtail the political activity of Muslims in the US.
Addressing a press conference at the headquarters of the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY), Paul Findley, a former US Congressman, said that the cancer of anti-Muslim and anti-Islamic sentiments was spreading in American society and requires corrective measures to stamp out this malaise.
It was also announced that the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) would be launching a massive $50 million media campaign involving television, radio and newspapers as part of its five-year program to create a better understanding of Islam and Muslims in the US.
Referring to the anti-Islamic sentiments in the US, Findley said that the campaign was being spearheaded by a tiny but influential section of society, including some politicians, academics and opinion-makers.
Findley commended CAIR’s initiative that he said could go a long way toward improving the image of Islam and Muslims, which has been badly dented in part due to the events of Sept. 11, 2001.
Speaking on his interaction with the US media, Ibrahim Cooper, spokesman for CAIR, said that his own feeling was that American journalists are receptive to issues affecting Muslims. For this reason, nearly all American newspapers, print or online, refrained from reproducing the caricature of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) that were at the center of a controversy earlier this year. He said CAIR took advantage of the issue by distributing DVDs free of charge, bringing out a book on the Prophet, and launching an awareness campaign.
“All of this had a positive impact,” said Cooper.
Parvez Ahmed, CAIR chairman, spoke on what he described as the most “vicious attacks on Islam” he has ever seen in recent years, adding that the campaign is being orchestrated by a minority fringe element in the US seeking to drive a xenophobic wedge between Muslims and non-Muslims.
He said a minority of Muslim extremists helps perpetuate anti-Muslim sentiment in the US, but that it is wrong for Americans to rush to conclusions based on these groups that have distorted or misinterpreted Qur’anic text. He compared it to making judgments on Christians based on the Crusades.
Elaborating on the CAIR campaign to dispel misunderstandings of Islam and Muslims, Nihad Awad, CAIR executive director, said that his group proposes to spend $10 million annually for five years in a media campaign. He said that CAIR would also recruit volunteers and produce educational material as part of its initiative.
Wild Thing's Comment......
So there's this RHINO named Finley and a group called CAIR (death cult fans and terrorists huggers), and then the Media (communists, socialists, military haters, lefties twisting the truth and supporting the cult of Islam).......and they want to attempt to brainwash this other half of America ( that is you and me) that think for ourselves, don't need a brick to fall on our heads to know that we are at war with Islam and not just at war with some little sporadic groups of radicals having a bad hair day wanting to kill us!
Gosh do you think we might not have liked the dancing in the streets on 9-11 by the followers of Islam? Ya think? And when they attacked the USS Cole, and when they tried to blow up the World Trade Center before, and when they blew up the Marine barracks in Beirut, and when they attacked the Khobar Towers, and....... No outrage from you CAIR when those things happened. Do you think we might be ever so slightly pissed off ladies and gentlemen that every step of the way we have to hear the media, the politicians, the ACLU, CAIR and other groups, spew their military phobia, and watch them er ah forget to mention how great the troops are doing and all they have accomplished? Ya think?
I bet if a person would add up every minute since 9-11 the statements made that are negative about this war, about our being in Iraq, in Afghanistan, negative statements about our troops, how many deaths in our military, cut and run bullcrap by our government officials and others, kill your ‘officers and we will support you’ anti-war protestors…… the negative would so outweigh the positive and put on a scale of the world this earth would be spinning.
Fine CAIR you freaks, bring it on! Bring on your most expensive ads, keep proving to those in the know how radical (your word) YOU are! Keep bending over and praying 5 freaken times a day farting to the wind your chants to moon god Allah.
All your akbars belong to us, with every whine you make, every propaganda BS statement we have to see, read and hear about, you only make our fighters stronger, our troops more deliberate and deepen our embedded resolve that we will never let you win! NAKBA to anyone that is NOT against Islam and their goals against humanity.
Remember CAIR and Finley you did say HALF of America! I’ll take that half and raise you another dead Muslim! The ENEMY is here! And, a mortal enemy it is!
Quote from article above............. "A survey conducted by Cornell University recently found that around half of Americans have a negative view of Islam and would like the US government to curtail the political activity of Muslims in the US."
One of CAIR's friends
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:55 AM | Comments (12)
British Suicide Bomber 'in link to New York mosque'
British Suicide Bomber 'in link to New York mosque'
Timesonline
AN AMERICAN al-Qaeda operative who was a close associate of the leader of the July 7 bombers was recruited at a New York mosque that British militants helped to run.British radicals regularly travelled to the Masjid Fatima Islamic Centre, in Queens, to organise sending American volunteers to jihadi training camps in Pakistan.
Investigators reportedly found that Mohammad Sidique Khan had made calls to the mosque last year in the months before he led the terrorist attack on London that killed 52 innocent people....
A new book, The One Percent Doctrine, by Ron Suskind, claims that FBI and CIA agents discovered that Khan had made trips to the US and was in contact with American Muslim extremists on the East Coast.
Mohammad Junaid Babar, one recruit from the Masjid Fatima Islamic Centre, has told US intelligence officials that he met Khan in a jihadi training camp in Pakistan in July 2003. He claims that the pair became friends as they studied how to assemble explosive devices.
Babar, 31, a computer programmer, says that it was at the Masjid Fatima centre that he became a radical. He has admitted in a US court to supplying money and military materials to a high-ranking al-Qaeda official at the jihadi camp in South Waziristan, close to the Afghan border. Babar moved to Britain after his month at the camp. FBI agents who arrested him in Queens in April 2004 say that he had been under surveillance “for some time” but so far they have not revealed all that Babar told them about Khan.
Wild Thing's comment.....
STOP calling them radicals first of all. That might just be a start to being honest about these vile death worshipers.
Islam is a death cult!
Next close down that New York mosque STAT! That would be the second step to telling the world we will not condone the actions of Islam...YES Islam! Hear me freaking CAIR! I said ISLAM!
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (2)
Wictory Wednesday Diana Irey for US Congress
Every Wednesday I will participate in Wictory Wednesday. Each week we highlight a Republican candidate from around the country to give people the opportunity to see who is out there and to contribute to their efforts.
I missed the one for this week since I just sent off the email today. This week Wictory Wednesday presented . Diana is running against ex-Marine Rep. John Murtha from Pennsylvania who needs no explanation as to why he should be replaced.
If you would like to join Wictory Wednesday too, please contact John Bambenek at jcb (dot) blog [at] gmail {dot} com.
* Wictory Wednesday - Part Time Pundit
The following sites are members of the Wictory Wednesday team:
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:07 AM
STOP the ACLU Blogburst
ACLU Accuses U.S. Of Human Rights Violations
ACLU released a report to the U.N. Human Rights Committee condemning the U.S. government for failing to comply with its treaty obligations to protect and preserve a range of human rights protections at home and abroad.
The report, Dimming the Beacon of Freedom: U.S. Violations of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, documents the U.S. record on human rights in five areas: national security, women’s rights, racial justice, immigrants rights and religious freedom.The Human Rights Committee is the U.N. body of experts charged with monitoring countries compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the primary human rights treaty. The United States ratified the treaty in 1992. The committee will review the official submission of the U.S. government on July 17 and 18 in Geneva. The ACLU will send a delegation to present the report and monitor the proceedings.
Dimming the Beacon of Freedom provides a detailed description of human rights violations in the United States. In addition to the impact of these rights violations on other vulnerable groups in the U.S., the report highlights how in the wake on September 11, 2001, Arabs, Muslims and South Asians, and to some extent all immigrants, were victims of discriminatory targeting by the government. It draws attention to the erosion of the right to privacy, discussing expanded surveillance and the government’s growing use of the states secret privilege to avoid accountability for abuses.
The ACLU goes on to list their recommendations to the UN to urge the United States on. The list includes trials or “judicial remedies” for all persons detained in the war on terror.
Well, the treaty’s provisions call for protecting civilians and civilian infrastructure. Al Qaeda targets civilians for mass murder and intentionally destroys civilian infrastructure.The provisions call for membership in a regular military force which carries its arms openly. Al Qaeda’s idea of a weapon in open view is a hijacked jumbo jet in the seconds before it crashes into a building. Otherwise, it favors roadside bombs or high explosives concealed in vans burrowed in underground garages beneath bustling civilian skyscrapers.
The provisions call for wearing uniforms in order to distinguish members as authentic soldiers. Al Qaeda’s jihadists dress and conduct themselves ostensibly as civilians — the better to hide from real armies and lull actual civilians to their deaths.
The provisions call for treating captured enemy soldiers with the dignity and respect accorded to honorable prisoners of war: accounting for them, keeping them safe, allowing the International Committee of the Red Cross access to ensure their proper treatment.
Al Qaeda tortures and slaughters them.
When it comes to the prisoners they capture, al Qaeda doesn’t much care about the Geneva Conventions, the approbation of the ICRC, or Kofi Annan’s latest grandiloquence on the post-sovereign alchemy of international law.
All it cares about is “the verdict of the Islamic court.” It was that verdict, and no other, that the Mujahedeen Shura Council — Iraq’s thugs-in-chief — announced had been “carried out” against our fallen heroes by their new Zarqawi, Abu Hamza al-Muhajer. Needless to say, the deed was done “with God Almighty’s blessing.”
This was a production of Stop The ACLU Blogburst. If you would like to join us, please email Jay or Gribbit. You will be added to our mailing list and blogroll. Over 200 blogs already on-board.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:04 AM | Comments (2)
June 21, 2006
We Cannot Fight a Politically Correct War
Zarqawi’s replacement reportedly murdered the two soldiers using the same barbaric technique we’ve seen before:
U.S. soldiers' bodies mutilated, booby-trapped
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- The bodies of two U.S. soldiers found in Iraq Monday night were mutilated and booby-trapped, military sources said Tuesday.
Pfc. Kristian Menchaca and Pfc. Thomas L. Tucker went missing after a Friday attack on a traffic control checkpoint in Yusufiya, 12 miles (20 km) south of Baghdad.
The sources said the two men had suffered severe trauma.
The bodies also had been desecrated, and a visual identification was impossible -- part of the reason DNA testing was being conducted to verify their identities, the sources said.
A tip from Iraqi civilians led officials to the bodies, military sources told CNN. The discovery was made about 7:30 p.m. Monday.
Not only were the bodies booby-trapped, but homemade bombs also lined the road leading to the victims, an apparent effort to complicate recovery efforts and target recovery teams, the sources said.
It took troops 12 hours to clear the area of roadside bombs. One of the bombs exploded, but there were no injuries.(
The bodies were found in the Yusufiya area, Maj. Gen. William Caldwell said, adding he believes the soldiers were mortally wounded, then moved.
It was unclear whether he meant the wounds were suffered in the initial attack on a checkpoint or afterward. "Where we found them was not based on their own movements," he said.
The soldiers' families have been notified of the developments, he said.
The bodies were transferred to a coalition base and were to be taken to the United States for DNA testing.
Group claims killings
Meanwhile, a claim posted on a Web site Tuesday said the soldiers were "slaughtered" in accordance with God's will."We announce the good news to our Islamic nation that we executed God's will and slaughtered the two crusader animals we had in captivity," says the claim, reportedly from the Mujahedeen Shura Council, a group linked to al Qaeda. "And God has given our Emir, Abu Hamza al-Muhajer, the good fortune of carrying out the legitimate court's command in person."
Menchaca's uncle, Mario Vasquez, said family members were distraught, and were waiting to receive the body before making any arrangements. Earlier, some family members heard of the possible discovery through the media, before being notified by the military, Vasquez said.
"I wish they'd punish the people that do these kinds of things right away, instead of taking forever and spending millions of dollars," Vasquez said. "I think, you capture them, make them pay for what they did. Don't think that it's just two more soldiers. Don't negotiate anything. They [the killers] didn't. They didn't negotiate it with my nephew. They didn't negotiate it with Tucker."
Another of Menchaca's uncles, Ken MacKenzie, lashed out at the government Tuesday on NBC's "Today Show," saying it didn't do enough to bring the men home safe,
Wild Thing's comment......
What does Murthawi have to say on this? Is he concerned that these soldiers where killed in cold blood? Where are those who complain of panties on prisoner's heads? Where are those who complain of suspected torture at Guantanamo? When real torture is used on our men, there's not a peep out of the terrorist sympathizers. We will note how the democrats and Murthawi will not rile against the terrorists over this.
These people Murthawi, the media, etc. are most definitely aiding the enemy and putting our military people in graver danger by their anti-American sentiments and stance on the Iraq War. Don't forget about Charlie Rangle's claim that the U.S. acted illegally when it "assassinated" Uday and Qusay Hussein. "We have a law on the books that United States should not be assassinating anybody," he said. They are abusing the freedoms that the soldiers are shedding their blood for and should be held accountable along with the insurgents.
As Col. David Hunt so wisely advises, the only way to fight this war is to kill kill kill the bad guys!! Overwhelming force SHOULD be used but we all know what will really happen here. If we did do what needs to be done we would probably have more soldiers sitting in the brig for doing their job.
It's time to carpet bomb that 'triangle'! Every building, every person within 50 miles of where they found our soldiers should be leveled or killed. To hell with playing nice. The left will no doubt figure out how to turn this into another anti-Bush, anti-war, and anti-Republican issue, instead of talking about the kind of enemy we confront on the war against Islam. Take those bastards by the bushel. Brute force is the only thing they understand!
Imagine a diagram of all Muslims. In one group we have our violent jihadists, in another those "moderate tolerant" jihadists. Just how much overlap is there in sympathy? There certainly isn't a large group of Muslims asking us to help them rid their world of the jihadists. In the absence of a large, prominent group of such people when will people finally realize that indeed we are at war with all of Islam?
I have been really horrified by this story, like all of us, and at first I thought that the libs were probably going to draw out all the gory details and fixate on it to scare people out of Iraq. But then it occurred to me that what they will probably do is make it go away fast, the way they did 9/11.
No more gruesome details will come out, just as we ceased to see the awful 9/11 images, because it might make us angry and might make us even more committed to winning. No, there'll be just a vague hint that something bad happened, but also an implication that it was somehow our fault. After all, the media wouldn't want to make their terrorist darlings look bad, would they?
I flat guarantee the Screaming Eagles will be looking for- and will GET- payback on these raghead scum-sucking bastards. This makes me heartsick for those our men killed, and the great loss to their families. May God rest their souls. They will be avenged, without doubt. We are held to high standards, because we HAVE high standards. But having those High standards should NEVER take away from fighting a war the military way and NOT the PC way! Fighting a PC war gets American soldiers killed.
We owe it to their memories and to all our other troops that are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
* Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler has a great rant to a leftie that does not want to blame the terrorists.
Posted by Wild Thing at 03:47 AM | Comments (24)
News From Iraq ~ The Bunker Notebook ~
.
This Category Bunker Notebook at Theodore's World,
will be about the things shared in emails from
our troops and other Americans that are
located in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Theodore's World is very aware of how
loose lips endanger our troops and other Americans
working in the hot zones, so at all times great care will be
taken in how much information is posted.
Some notes will be directly from the troops
and other notes from those such
as employees with Halliburton and others..
.
From an employee of Haliburton in Baghdad
"Thanks! Baghdad is being dealt with as we speak. We can hear the sounds, of freedom. We've been hearing the same chatter about XXXXXXX for the last several days that we heard about Fallujah just before they whacked it in November 2004.We have no electricity at the moment and this place is HOT. The Media reports, still the sameI have yet to see them ever tell the whole truth about events in Iraq. Why should they start now? WT, I know you and I agree on the media as other things I share with you.
What happened to our soldieres literally turns my stomach. This pisses me off.
Our guys get tortured while we tip-toe around trying to fight a PC war so as not to "offend" anyone. The "insurgents" need to suffer a mass slaughter in order to send a message.
I agree. We need to drop some more of the 500-pounders. They are routing out quite a few of them.
We fight an enemy that holds nothing higher than religion and it's purposes for them, to include human life or the lives of their own people, and as military members who have been or are now deployed to these areas we must fight blindfolded and our hands tied around our backs vor fear of the " CNN " issues that we may face for doing our job.
Thank you for your support.I get a chance to read your blog and the comments are good. The Vets there for their support too.
Sincerely, Lt.
Scout Sniper Platoon Commander
We are still doing our best to get these [bad guys], they are definitely getting allot smarter though as far as tactics. [They] are hiding in crowds of people after throwing grenades at us. Its hard as hell to avoid an ambush because they always seem to know we are coming and the people don't give us any accurate intel as to what and where the insurgents are. Anyway we were on a night patrol and one of the [Bad Guys] was hiding in an alley and tossed a homemade grenade in the middle of the element. one of my shooters got hit in the hand (non shooting hand). He is fine, its a million dollar wound, he was back doing missions the next day. We think he ran into a nearby crowd of people and then disappeared, but of course the crowd did not see anything.
thanks for the email and support. later.
SSG.A
Posted by Wild Thing at 02:55 AM | Comments (2)
June 20, 2006
Never Leaving One of Our Own Behind
Al Qaeda-Linked Group Claims Kidnapping of GIs
Fox News report
BAGHDAD, Iraq — An umbrella group that includes Al Qaeda in Iraq claimed in a Web statement Monday that it had kidnapped two U.S. soldiers reported missing south of Baghdad.
There was no immediate confirmation that the statement was credible, although it appeared on a Web site often used by Al Qaeda-linked groups. U.S. officials have said they were trying to confirm whether the missing soldiers were kidnapped.
"Your brothers in the military wing of the Mujahedeen Shura Council kidnapped the two American soldiers near Youssifiya," the group said in a statement posted on an Islamic Web site.
The Web site did not name the soldiers.
The U.S. military said Monday that seven American troops have been wounded, three insurgents have been killed and 34 detained during an intensive search for two soldiers.
Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, a spokesman for U.S. forces in Iraq, said fighter jets, unmanned aerial vehicles and dive teams had been deployed to find the two men. The men went missing Friday during an attack on their checkpoint in the volatile Sunni area south of Baghdad that left one of their comrades dead.
"We have surged intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms and employed planes, boats, helicopters and UAVs to ensure the most thorough search possible on the ground, in the air and in the water," Caldwell said in a statement issued Monday.
He did not comment on reports that the two men had been seized by insurgents, saying only that they were listed as "duty status and whereabouts unknown." He said seven other U.S. service members had been wounded in action during the search efforts that began Friday night.
The Defense Department identified the missing men:
Pfc. Kristian Menchaca, 23, of Houston, and Pfc. Thomas L. Tucker, 25, of Madras, Ore. It said Spc. David J. Babineau, 25, Springfield, Mass., was killed in the attack. The three were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.
Caldwell said more than 8,000 U.S. and Iraqi troops were participating in the search.
"While searching for our soldiers, we have engaged in a number of significant actions against the anti-Iraqi forces," he said, adding that three insurgents had been killed and 34 taken into custody.
He also said the military had received 63 tips and had launched 12 cordon and search operations, eight air assaults and 280 flight hours were logged.
"Approximately 12 villages have been cleared in the area, and we continue to engage local citizens for help and information leading to the whereabouts of our soldiers," he said, without elaborating.
Caldwell also said the military was still searching for Sgt. Keith M. Maupin, of Batavia, Ohio, who went missing April 9, 2004.
Maupin was captured when insurgents ambushed his fuel convoy with the 724th Transportation Co. west of Baghdad.
CNN report ( just click for complete article, thank you)
An al Qaeda-affiliated group on Monday claimed it kidnapped two U.S. soldiers south of Baghdad, although the captives were not named.
The group -- Mujahedeen Shura Council -- made the unverified claim in a statement posted on a Web site. It did not post images or video of the soldiers as it has in the past.
The statement said, "the strongest army in the world is turned around, ashamed of their failure to find the soldiers and we will give you more information on the incident in the following days."
Update:...just click for complete article, thank you
Missing US troops in area where many live in fear
BAGHDAD - Two US soldiers missing in Iraq since Friday disappeared into a lawless Qaeda stronghold where residents describe being terrorized by unknown militants.Military helicopters and divers are combing the rural Euphrates river area south of Baghdad for the troops who went missing after an attack on their checkpoint near the town of Yusufiya killed another US soldier.
Most people in the Sunni Arab region resent the presence of the US troops. But even if they wanted to help the two soldiers, doing so could be fatal.
"We live in fear. Gunmen always go to people's houses asking about who works for the Iraqi army or police or the Americans," taxi driver Abdullah Jassim told Reuters by telephone.
And this is very alarming:
Many more of your soldiers gonna be killed in the days and weeks ahead. Summary of death will be as follows: we’ll cut their genitals/boobs depending on their gender, disembowel their intestines and slit their throats and then post the videos of the executions/massacres on our newssites: www.kavkazcenter.com and english.aljazeera.net. Comment by MansurAlIraqi 06.19.06 @ 1:00 pm
Wild Thing's comment....
ENOUGH! Damn, damn, damn! The calls for withdraw (cut and run) embolden are enemy and are the cause of such attacks. Every call for withdrawl every negative statement about the effort spills the blood of good American Servicemen and women.
Prayers for these men and for all our troops. For their families and loved ones.
As for these vile pieces of flesh that have done this you are too evil even to be sent to hell. There will be a day soon when you will feel the rath of America on you and I pray it will be soon, very soon.
UPDATE:
I am so sorry to have this update. My sympathies to the families and other loved ones of these fine soldiers. They are true Americans, and they gave their all.
Bodies of Pvt. Kristian Menchaca and Pvt. Thomas Tucker Reportedly Found
Pvt. Tucker’s family released a recording of his last phone call home:
“Be proud of me Mom, I’m defending my country. Tell sis and my nephews hello for me, I’m OK, I’m on my way.”
Maj. Gen. Abdul-Aziz Mohammed said:
the bodies were found on a street near a power plant in the town of Youssifiyah, just south of Baghdad.Maj. Gen. Abdul Aziz Muhammed-Jassim, head of operations at Iraqi Ministry of Defense said the soldiers had been “barbarically” killed and that there were traces of torture on their bodies. He offered no further details.
Wild Thing's comment......
To all you lefties, Murtha, Pelosi, etc. in government, and the rest of you anti-war traitors to America and to our military STFU! You are part of the reason these soliders are dead, YOU are working hand in hand with the enemy.
You have these soldiers blood on YOUR hands, you damn well better believe it.
Where are you now? Where are you callking your 15 minutes of fame press conferences to say how sorry you that we lost 2 soldiers lives? NO you are too busy bashing the military and the war against Islam!
Posted by Wild Thing at 09:55 AM | Comments (15)
Islamists Live For Violence
Islam = Militants hack off noses, tongues
Islamist militants killed a villager in Indian Kashmir by slitting his throat and cut off the tongues and noses of four others, accusing them of being police informers, authorities said today.The attackers also beat up seven other villagers and set several houses ablaze.....
"These foreign militants are ruthless," said a Police Officer, referring to guerrillas India says are Islamists who cross into its part of Kashmir from Pakistan, and sometimes even Afghanistan.
Wild Thing's comment........
Take them out , to the last man....however long it takes.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM
Engineers Hunt for Roadside Bombs in East Baghdad
Getting really close to an area you suspect may contain an improvised explosive device may seem counterintuitive, but that is exactly what engineers assigned here do each night.
IEDs - homemade bombs often planted along roads - are the leading killer of Americans in Iraq. They are the terrorists' weapon of choice.
The American military is combating the threat on many fronts, and one of those fronts means soldiers go out on Iraqi roads and actively search for the roadside bombs. The engineers platoon is part of A Company, 4th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 506th Regimental Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division. The brigade, though, reports to 4th Infantry Division.
To check out potential bombs, engineers use a vehicle called the Buffalo. "Don't worry," said platoon leader Army 1st Lt. Richard Peacock. "This is the safest vehicle in Iraq."
The South African-designed behemoth is heavily armored and has an arm that an operator inside can maneuver to check out suspicious areas. The Buffalo also is loaded with cameras and electronic gizmos. With the arm extended, the vehicle looks like a metallic dinosaur feeding on the side of the road.
The Buffalo doesn't work alone. Another South African vehicle - the RG-31 - drives ahead and spots suspect areas or objects. Both vehicles were designed to find mines and render them harmless. They have been admirably adapted to their new duty, the engineers say.
Night after night, the engineers take to the roads in and around East Baghdad, Sadr City, Rusafa and Salman Pak to search for IEDs. "This platoon has found 14," said noncommissioned officer in charge Staff Sgt. Jeremy Wagner.
"These engineers seem to have a sixth sense when it comes to finding IEDs," Capt. Jim Krueger, the company commander, said. "People all over request them."
Peacock said the engineers have technical means at their disposal, "but the best thing is the soldiers' minds and powers of observation." The soldiers spot things that are out of place or objects that have been disturbed.
That, and they have Chaplain (Capt.) Mike Griffith. "The one time the chaplain wasn't here to pray with us, we got hit," Krueger said. "We didn't lose anybody, but we appreciate the chaplain's words even more now."
Here is more on the Buffalo: Good DOD article.
'Buffalo' Finds Explosive Devices, Saves Lives
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:17 AM
June 19, 2006
Awesome!
06/18/06 - A U.S. Air Force B-2 bomber and 16 other aircraft from the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps fly over the USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63), USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), and USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) carrier strike groups during a photo exercise in the Western Pacific Ocean June 18, 2006, to kick off the start of exercise Valiant Shield 2006.
The joint exercise consists of 28 naval vessels including three carrier strike groups and more than 300 aircraft and approximately 20,000 service members from the Navy, Army, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Photographer's Mate Todd P. Cichonowicz) (Released)
Posted by Wild Thing at 09:10 AM | Comments (3)
Liberators and Defenders
Thank you Troops, I love you and am so very grateful!
* Something.....and Half of Something
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:27 AM | Comments (2)
Do's and Don'ts of Evangelism
A priest, a Pentecostal preacher, and a Rabbi, all served as chaplains to the students of Northern Michigan University in Marquette. They would get together two or three times a week for coffee and to talk shop.
One day, someone made the comment that preaching to people isn't really
all that hard. A real challenge would be to preach to a bear. One thing
led to another and they decided to do an experiment. They would all go
out into the woods, find a bear, preach to it, and attempt to convert it.
Seven days later, they're all together to discuss the experience.
Father Flannery, who has his arm in a sling, is on crutches, and has
various bandages, goes first. "Well," he says, "I went into the woods to
find me a bear. And when I found him I began to read to him from the
Catechism. Well, that bear wanted nothing to do with me and began to
slap me around. So I quickly grabbed my holy water, sprinkled him and, Holy
Mary Mother of God, he became as gentle a lamb. The bishop is coming out
next week to give him first communion and confirmation."
Reverend Billy Bob spoke next. He was in a wheelchair, with an arm and
both legs in casts, and an IV drip. In his best fire and brimstone
oratory he claimed, "WELL brothers, you KNOW that we don't sprinkle! I went out
and I FOUND me a bear. And then I began to read to my bear from God's
HOLY WORD! But that bear wanted nothing to do with me. So I took HOLD of him
and we began to wrestle. We wrestled down one hill, UP another and DOWN
another until we came to a creek.So I quick DUNKED him and BAPTIZED his hairy soul. And just like you
said, he became as gentle as a lamb. We spent the rest of the day praising
Jesus."
They both looked down at the Rabbi, who was lying in a hospital bed. He
was in a body cast, and traction, with IV's and monitors running in and
out of him. He was in bad shape.
The Rabbi looks up and says, "Looking back on it,
circumcision may not have been the best way to start..."
Thanks Jack...Conservative Insurgents........ this is so funny. I love bear stories.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:57 AM | Comments (2)
"Murtha" - isn't that half a word?
Commenting on Karl Rove's remarks in a speech in New Hampshire where he charged that Democrats are "wrong, profoundly wrong" in wanting to cut and run in Iraq, an increasingly rabid anti-war Congressman John Murtha resorted to a personal attack on Rove on Sunday.
"He's in New Hampshire, he's making a political speech. He's sitting in his air-conditioned office on his big fat backside saying, 'Stay the course,'" said Murtha, D-Pa., in an appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press."
Obviously rattled by criticism from Rove, Murtha said:
"I disagree completely with what he's saying. We need to change direction. We can't win a war like this. This guy's sitting back ... getting paid by the public taxpayer and he's saying to us that we're winning this war ... we've got to change direction. You can't sit there in the air-conditioned office and tell the troops fighting in Iraq that we have to stay the course."
Despite recent gains in Iraq, Murtha insisted the U.S. is losing the war in Iraq. When told by "Meet the Press" host Tim Russert that Rove had told the New Hampshire audience that "if Murtha had his way, American troops would have been gone by the end of April" and American forces wouldn't have killed Abu Musab al-Zarqawi,.
Murtha downplayed the importance of killing the top terrorist in Iraq, saying dismissively: "They built Zarqawi up, they have a thousand foreign fighters" -- that the intelligence "came from the outside" and that all the U.S. did was bomb his hideout and kill him."
Turning to his own plan for cutting and running, Murtha became increasing irrational, suggesting that U.S. troops there be redeployed outside of Iraq yet close enough to be ready to go back in if the situation required it. When pressed by Russert to say where the troops could be deployed if neighboring countries refuse to accept their presence, as Rove had has said, he suggested they could be set to Okinawa, Japan, which is 5,000 miles from Baghdad.
"We don't have to be right there, Murtha said. "We can go to Okinawa. We could redeploy there instantly."
Wild Thing's comment.....
Murtha is a walking, talking hate crime!
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (12)
June 18, 2006
New Name of One of Our C-17's
Military officials unveil the new name of a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft as "Spirit of Go for Broke," during a dedication ceremony at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, on Wednesday. The name stems from a WWII battle cry. (Marco Garcia / AP Photo)
Posted by Wild Thing at 07:55 PM | Comments (4)
Let's Go For A Special Flight Today
Thank you TomR for sending this to me.
God Bless Our Troops and keep them safe.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 PM | Comments (4)
Take Our Country Back ~ Insufferable Prick Party Leads The Way
Six Meat Buffet has the answer.
Join the Insufferable Prick Party as we offer Americans a true alternative to government that serves its own interest.You can read the Platform Positions at his blog.....Six Meat Buffet. This is a must read. hahaha I LOVE it!
Thank you!
* Six Meat Buffet
* Something....and Half of Something
Posted by Wild Thing at 11:55 AM | Comments (4)
Happy Fathers Day
It was Fathers who preserved our Freedom from tyrants in WWII.
It was Fathers who froze at the Chosin, preserving our Freedom
It was Fathers who went to a far away place called Vietnam to preserve our Freedom
It was Fathers who went to Grenada, Panama, Iraq and now the War today.
Thank you to all Fathers for Protecting and Defending us through the years
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:55 AM
Prepare For Launch? North Koreans Asked to Raise Flags
The North Korean leadership has told its people to raise the national flag at 2pm (1500 AEST) on Sunday, in what may be a sign that Pyongyang will go ahead with a missile launch test, a Japanese government official was quoted as saying.Japanese daily Sankei Shimbun also quoted the Japanese official as saying that the North Koreans had been instructed to monitor television and other broadcasts for a "message to the people".
North Korea prepares to test missile that can reach USA
Seoul: North Korea loaded booster rockets onto a launch pad, preparing to test as early as Sunday a missile that might be able to reach the US mainland, media reported.
The reports follow US government warnings that the communist North is accelerating preparations to test a Taepodong-2 missile.
A US government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said on Friday that a test may be imminent. South Korea's Chosun Ilbo newspaper said intelligence authorities of Seoul and Washington had made the assessment, based on satellite images, that the North had loaded booster rockets onto a launch pad and moved 10 large tanks of liquid fuel close by.
The Taepodong-2 is a three-stage missile, but the warhead section hadn’t been loaded yet, the paper said, quoting an unidentified high-level South Korean government official. South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman Choo Kyu-ho couldn't confirm the report.
Japan’s Foreign Minister and the US ambassador to Japan on Saturday called North Korea’s possible missile test a provocative action, and Tokyo urged Pyongyang through diplomatic channels not to proceed with the launch, news reports said.
Japan’s Foreign Minister Taro Aso and US Ambassador to Japan Thomas Schieffer met on Saturday evening.
Japan’s concern can be traced back to 1998, when North Korea test-fired a Taepodong-1 ballistic missile over northern Japan, claiming it was a satellite launch. There were reports that Japan had dispatched two Aegis destroyers to the Sea of Japan and Pacific Ocean.
Japan's foreign minister and the U.S. ambassador in Tokyo held a 30-minute meeting late Saturday to discuss what actions their governments would likely take, if North Korea test fires a ballistic missile.
NK warned over 'provocative' test (CXN/AP)
TOKYO, Japan -- The U.S. and Japan both urged North Korea to halt preparations for a test-launch of a long-range missile, after Japanese and South Korean news reports said the North had loaded booster rockets onto a launch pad and could test-fire the missile as early as Sunday.Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso warned North Korea on Sunday Tokyo would regard any missile that dropped on Japan as an attack, the Reuters news service reported.
"If it is dropped on Japan, it will complicate the story. It will be regarded as an attack," Aso said on a Fuji TV program.
"The possibility is not zero of a missile dropping on Japan. That's why we are worried," Aso said on the program, according to Reuters.
North Korean officials, however, denied that preparations for a launch of a Taepodong-2 missile -- with the capacity to reach the U.S. -- were under way, according to a South Korean lawmaker quoted by Japan's Kyodo News service.
Wild Thing's comment.....
A president with spine and foresight could have solved this problem in 1993 and 1994. Unfortunately we were stuck with Clinton. He sent the preening Carter; Kim Il Sung laughed and made a total fool of him. And here we are 12 years later, just about to fall within range of North Korean nuclear weapon delivery systems perfected after Carter "solved" the problem and got his standing ovation from the assembled clowns in Oslo.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (9)
June 17, 2006
It Just Never Ends
Kerry flip-flops, again
Washington Times
John Kerry's sorriest moment, until now, sounded like this: "I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it." But this week he has arguably outdone that equivocation.
"It is essential to acknowledge that the war itself was a mistake," the Massachusetts Democrat told a crowd of cheering leftists Tuesday at the "Take Back America" conference in Washington. "It was wrong, and I was wrong to vote for that Iraqi war resolution."
He called on President Bush to withdraw all troops from Iraq by the end of the year. Sen. Hillary Clinton disagreed and was booed. Thus, Mr. Kerry, in his bid to remake himself as the antiwar partisan his liberal base has wanted all along, has flip-flopped his way to an even bigger self-contradiction than the one that did him in two years ago.
This is just too convenient. The supposed change of heart comes at the very moment President Bush's polling numbers ticked up on news of terrorist Abu Musab Zarqawi's death; at the very moment an Iowa poll places Mr. Kerry behind John Edwards among Democratic voters there for 2008; at the moment other Democratic hopefuls like Mrs. Clinton are being called formidable by Republican commentators; at the moment John Kerry is being written off as a has-been among presidential contenders.
Consistency has never been Mr. Kerry's strong suit, but this is exceptional. We don't know whether the actions are sheerly cynical or a cynical calculation coupled with colossal bumbling. It would be "bumbling" because prospects in Iraq are looking better this week than they have in some time, and American voters are noticing. The Iraqi government has filled key cabinet posts. A massive raid on insurgent positions is underway (452 raids and 104 insurgent deaths have reportedly happened since Zarqawi's death). Even if this is not "the beginning of the end" of al Qaeda in Iraq, the way that bullish officials in Baghdad were quoted as saying yesterday, the timing suggests that Mr. Kerry might not even care if it was. The position he espoused this week would doubtlessly unintentionally play right into the hands of the enemy's strategy, which is to survive long enough to grind away the American will to fight.
Mr. Kerry was a flip-flopper during the 2004 campaign. Now, apparently, he is an even bigger flip-flopper. He seems not to have learned anything from 2004. Even now, with more than two years to go until his next shot at the presidency, his finger in the wind still directs him, even on matters as vital as Iraq.
Wild Thing's comment.....
I just can't stand to even hear a MR. in front of Hanoi Kerry's name. UGH!
Posted by Wild Thing at 08:55 PM | Comments (12)
Thank You To All Of You
A toast to
each of you
for coming to
Theodore's World Blog
aka PC Free Zone Gazette
My blog started on September 21,2005 and I want to thank each one of you for your awesome support, kindness and friendships. You all mean so much to me! Thank you for your input, your comments, your joy, rants and tears as we talk about the good, bad and ugliness in this world.
We support our troops together as one and I love you for that too. Thank you to all of you that are Veterans, thank you for serving our country and even today going that extra mile as you get the word out on things happening that are against America and your sharing about politics, and the war.
Thank you for the pings, the trackbacks and support since day one of my having this little blog. It has all meant so much to me. I have met some of the finest men and women in the entire world from having this blog and I am truly blessed and honored.
Thank you to the troops, thank you for peeking in here and your emails letting me know how you are doing.
Our friendships will go on into forever and always live in my heart.
On this day, Theodore's World blog aka PC Free Zone has hit the 100,000 mark.
I toast each one of you and there is plenty of champaign for each of you.
Thank you to my blog Mom Linda at Something.....and Half of Something for helping me set up my blog. And to my blog Uncle Vinnie at Vince aut Morire
Thank you
((((((( hugs )))))))
Wild Thing
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 PM | Comments (29)
Citgo is Not User Friendly
Chavez: Venezuela to Buy 24 Russian Fighter Jets This Year
CARACAS, Venezuela — President Hugo Chavez said Venezuela will purchase 24 new Russian-made Sukhoi fighter jets this year — and may purchase more — while his government moves forward with plans to set up factories to produce Kalashnikov assault rifles under license.
Chavez said Wednesday the SU-30 jets will replace a fleet of U.S.-made F-16s, which Venezuela has had trouble maintaining because the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush has refused to sell Caracas parts.
"First we are going to buy 24 Sukhoi S-30's and we are going to leave open the possibility of a future acquisition" of Sukhoi S-35s, said Chavez, speaking at a packed auditorium in Caracas.
Chavez said he could imagine a Sukhoi fighter jet launching a missile at an invading U.S. aircraft carrier anchored off La Guaira, a seaport located along Venezuela's Caribbean coast, from skies above the central city of Valencia.
"From Valencia, or even farther, a Sukhoi plane can fire at an invading vessel stopped in front of La Guaira, and it doesn't miss my friend," he said.
Speaking to hundreds of soldiers at a military base earlier Wednesday, Chavez said the first shipment of Russian-built jets would arrive in this oil-rich South American country by the end of the year.
Wearing olive green military fatigues and a red paratrooper's beret, Chavez personally handed out newly-acquired Kalashnikov rifles to soldiers after being presented with his own brand new AK-103 assault rifle.
Venezuela "is going to set up the first Kalashnikov factory in South America," said Chavez, whose "revolutionary" government is buying 100,000 Russian-made AK-103 assault rifles along with ammunition and accessories.
Chavez used surging oil revenues to modernize Venezuela's military, signing defense deals worth an estimated US$2.7 billion (euro2 billion) with countries including Russia and Spain.
Despite Washington's objections, Venezuela is purchasing 15 Russian helicopters for US$200 million (euro160 million), and officials say they hope to buy 18 more.
Washington announced last month it was curtailing arms sales to Venezuela, saying the South American nation has failed to cooperate in counterterrorism efforts.
"We are preparing for the defense of sacred land," Chavez said Wednesday after personally distributing new rifles among the soldiers at Fort Tiuna, Venezuela's main military facility.
Wild Thing's comment......
These men like Chavez are nuts, they are insane and that to me is what makes them dangerous to the world. How does a person get through to an individual that has no reality of how things truly are. OH wait, the Dems are like that too. (sigh)
* Jack at Conservative Insurgent
Thank you Jack
Posted by Wild Thing at 10:55 AM | Comments (4)
Night of The Living Dead - Doom and Gloom
Close Up
Nancy Pelosi is what pathological hatred looks like. And what the heck is it with her hand like that. Nancy and Harry pulling an all-nighter, trying to come up with one good idea for their Party. - Wild Thing's comment
Democrats call for 'new direction'
Democratic Party leaders in the U.S. Congress Friday announced a "new direction," with a plan that seeks affordable healthcare and fiscal responsibility. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., issued a release claiming the "failed Bush Republican leadership has taken America in the wrong direction."
Our new direction will advance a common agenda, seek common ground, and apply common sense in the service of the common good," said Pelosi. "We know that with a new direction, we can meet our national challenges in a way that makes our nation stronger, our economy more vibrant and our families more secure."
Among the points in the plan, Democrats said they would change the prescription drug program and invest in stem-cell research; lower gas prices through elimination of subsidies for oil companies and "restore the budget discipline of the 1990s that helped eliminate deficits and spur record economic growth."
Wild Thing's comment........
Is this the word of the day or what......"common", are they trying to speak to the common folk er ah what'z up with that any hoo?!?!?!
Why don't they just use the slogan used by many of their supporters - "Death to America".
Ronald Reagan, 1964, "A Time for Choosing":
"You and I are told we must choose between a left or right, but I suggest there is no such thing as a left or right. There is only an up or down. Up to man's age-old dream-the maximum of individual freedom consistent with order or down to the ant heap of totalitarianism. Regardless of their sincerity, their humanitarian motives, those who would sacrifice freedom for security have embarked on this downward path. Plutarch warned, "The real destroyer of the liberties of the people is he who spreads among them bounties, donations and benefits."
The Founding Fathers knew a government can't control the economy without controlling people. And they knew when a government sets out to do that, it must use force and coercion to achieve its purpose. So we have come to a time for choosing.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (4)
Col. William Bernhard, 75 years young - On The Way To 3rd Deployment
Col. William Bernhard, an Army surgeon, stands in front of a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter on Forward Operating Base Lima, Iraq, Oct. 15, 2005. Bernhard, 75, is about to deploy to Kabul, Afghanistan, reportedly as the oldest deployed member of America's armed forces. (Courtesy photo)
Most military members end their careers by the time they are half his age, but one Army doctor says he would rather come out of retirement to help the troops than watch from the sidelines.
Tomorrow, retired Army Reserve Col. William Bernhard, a 75-year-old surgeon, will start a journey to Afghanistan, his third deployment in the war on terror.
"It's a great opportunity for me to serve the young men and women who, as we all know, have medical and surgical problems," said Bernhard. "We need trained, experienced physicians to take care of them, and I feel honored that I've been selected to go over there and provide medical care for these troops."
Bernhard, who lives in Cecil County, Md., has over 40 years' medical experience, directing anesthesia at the University of Maryland's shock trauma center for 10 of those years. He said he has trained countless military medics in the emergency room, and he remains one of the Army's most experienced flight surgeons, keeping his skills up part time at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.
"It doesn't take any training for me to go to war," he said. "All I have to do is get new uniforms ... and qualify again with the 9-millimeter (pistol)."
Bernhard said every February he calls the National Guard Bureau in Arlington, Va., headquarters for the Army and Air Guard, and talks to the people in charge of a program called "BOG," for "Boots on the Ground," which puts doctors in field hospitals for 90-day rotations.
Over the past three years, the National Guard has been operating with fewer doctors than it would like, Bernhard said. "Unfortunately we used to have 850 Guard physicians," he said. "Now there are under 450 -- and less than 400, I'm told, are deployable." So he takes his turn, helping fulfill the Defense Department's commitments overseas.
Bernhard said he knows three other physicians who have also come out of the retired reserve to serve actively again.
Going back to active duty is always a funny process, he said:
"I go in to get an ID card, and they punch in my numbers, and they say, 'You're retired. You can't have an ID card.'" The same thing happens as he stands in line to change insurance policies, get new uniforms and all the rest.
Having joined the Marine Corps in 1950, Bernhard was soon discharged due to a knee injury, which he said was a major disappointment. He joined the Navy as an anesthesiologist and served 10 years on active and reserve duty, then switched to the Army Reserve for 22 more years.
When Bernhard leaves his home tomorrow, he will spend about five days at Fort Benning, Ga., before traveling to Ramstein Air Base in Germany. From there he'll fly to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, then convoy into Kabul, where he will connect with the Oregon Army National Guard's 141st Support Battalion.
"I don't sign up when I go overseas for anesthesia because I've done all that," he said. "I'd much rather sign up to be a field surgeon, which means that I can work at a battalion aide station and at a trauma station, and I sign up to work also as a flight surgeon, and that gets me flying a lot of missions and taking care of aviators."
Last year, he deployed to Iraq with the Mississippi Army National Guard's 155th Brigade Combat Team. He took charge of medical facilities at five forward operating bases west and south of Baghdad.
"Any time I went outside the wire -- and I was out a lot flying all over and doing missions outside the wire -- I usually carried a 9mm and a sawed-off 12-gauge shotgun because you're close in to them there, and you're in villages," he said.
On Nov. 23, 2005, Bernhard and his unit found themselves guarding a bombed-out building on the Euphrates River 85 miles west of Baghdad. "I was the one with the shotgun, so I had to cover the little alley coming down behind us," he said. "We got in a firefight for about 10 hours that night. A patrol coming down got within a quarter of a mile of us, and (the insurgents) ambushed them, and they killed one of my medics that night."
Experiences like that make him want to continue to do all he can to help his fellow servicemembers, he said. Being semi-retired offers him the time to work on research projects while he's stateside. And thanks to his military background, he can pursue new technologies to help in combat situations.
In Iraq he tested a new stethoscope, which he had been working on for years at the Army's research lab at Fort Rucker, Ala. "This stethoscope worked magnificently," he said. "It could work in a Black Hawk (transport helicopter). It worked in a noisy trauma center. It was just great." This year, a dozen of the new stethoscopes are being sent overseas with Army doctors.
"Here's an idea that I had that we've built, and now it's starting to be used by the active duty military," he said. "It feels good."
Army Col. William Bernard stands in front of his tent at Forward Operating Base Kalsu, Iraq, where he lived from July to December 2005. He said the temperature inside climbed as high as 144 degrees, and the force protectors around the tent collected shards of shrapnel from insurgent attacks. (Courtesy photo)
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:17 AM
June 16, 2006
Knowing Murtha He Might Have Wanted To Say This
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:17 AM | Comments (4)
Cleric Calls on Bush to Convert to Islam
Cleric Calls on Bush to Convert to Islam
A reputed leader of the al-Qaida-linked terror group blamed for deadly bombings across Indonesia on Thursday accused President Bush and Australian Prime Minister John Howard of waging wars against Muslims in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Militant cleric Abu Bakar Bashir also called on Bush and Howard to convert to Islam, saying it was "the only way to save their souls," adding that families still grieving after the 2002 Bali blasts that killed many foreigners should also become Muslim to find "salvation and peace."
Bashir, 68, was released from prison Wednesday after completing a 26- month sentence for conspiracy in the Bali bombings that killed 202 people, was at a hardline Islamic boarding school that has spawned some of Southeast Asia's deadliest terrorists.
The firebrand cleric also declined to directly condemn young men who carry out bombings in Indonesia in the name of Islam, saying they he still considered them "holy warriors," because they believed they were defending the oppressed.
The United States and Australia said they were disappointed at Bashir's release.
Bashir said the attacks "were God's will" and that survivors should "convert to Islam" if they wanted to soothe their suffering.
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:05 AM
Iran Says It Would 'use nuclear defense' If Threatened
Iran's defense minister on Thursday vowed that his country would "use nuclear defense as a potential" if "threatened by any power."
Speaking following a meeting with his Syrian counterpart Hassan Ali Turkmani in Teheran on Thursday, Iranian Defense Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar emphasized that Iran "should be ready for confronting all kinds of threats."
Teheran has denied accusations by the US and its allies that Iran was seeking uranium enrichment technologies in order to develop nuclear weapons, saying its program was only meant to generate electricity.
Meanwhile, Turkmani told reporters that Syria and Iran's "policy is the policy of strengthening resistance and tackling the threats of United States and Israel."
He added that he wouldn't give details of joint defense plans against Israel, although the plans were "not secret."
Answering a question regarding a newly-developed Shahab 4 missile, Najjar said that research activities were underway. Iran would continue production of "different missiles and research," Najjar declared.
The most recent Iranian missile was the Shahab 3, and Iran recently claimed to have followed it up with the development of the Shahab 4.
Wild Thing's comment.......
Iran's definition of a threat is the continued existence of Israel and the United States. So much for their claims of not having Nukes in the Works!
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (4)
June 15, 2006
Band-Aid Hero Murtha Might Be Called As A Witness
Marine may call Murtha as witness
A criminal defense attorney for a Marine under investigation in the Haditha killings says he will call a senior Democratic congressman as a trial witness, if his client is charged, to find out who told the lawmaker that U.S. troops are guilty of cold-blooded murder.
Attorney Neal A. Puckett told The Washington Times that Gen. Michael Hagee, the Marine commandant, briefed Rep. John P. Murtha, Pennsylvania Democrat, on the Nov. 19 killings of 24 Iraqis in the town north of Baghdad. Mr. Murtha later told reporters that the Marines were guilty of killing the civilians in "cold blood." Mr. Murtha said he based his statement on Marine commanders, whom he did not identify............
You can Click HERE for the complete article.
Posted by Wild Thing at 02:55 AM | Comments (6)
US Warns N Korea On Missile Test
North Korea's missiles are based on Scud technology.
Last Updated: Wednesday, 14 June 2006 - 11:51 GMT - 12:51 UK
By Charles Scanlon - BBC News, Seoul
The United States has warned it will respond if North Korea goes ahead with a test launch of a new inter-continental ballistic missile.
South Korea also called on the North to halt preparations for a test, saying it would damage regional security.
North Korea last tested a long-range missile in 1998 but it warned last year that it was calling off a self-imposed moratorium on further tests.
The US and Seoul are expressing growing concern about the North's intentions.
The US ambassador to Seoul, Alexander Vershbow, said Washington would respond to a missile test with what he called "appropriate measures".
He told a local radio station that the North's missile technology was a threat to the international community, as well as to north-east Asia.
Diplomats say North Korea has been preparing a possible launch of its new Taepodong 2 missile, which is estimated to have a range of 6,000km (3,500 miles) and to be capable of hitting parts of the United States.
Deadlock
South Korea's Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon also called on the North to halt its preparations. He said a test would seriously damage efforts to resolve the confrontation over the North's nuclear weapons programme.
The diplomatic process has been stalled since last year, when North Korea pulled out of the talks citing American financial pressure.
North Korea may be using the missile threat to try to break the deadlock. Its demands have been largely ignored while Washington has focused on the nuclear challenge from Iran.
Analysts say North Korea already has enough plutonium for about eight nuclear bombs.
It will be much harder to ignore if it can demonstrate a successful delivery system as well.
Wild Thing's comment......
Kim Jong is dangerous and we should never bow down to anyone. We are the most powerful Nation in the world!
Keep the heat on this creep Kim Jong !
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:55 AM | Comments (3)
In Country
Spc. Shan Neiger and fellow Soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division try to avoid blowing sand while a Chinook CH-47D Helicopter from the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade lands in the western desert area of Iraq during the last hours of Operation Iron Triangle on May 11, 2006. The goal of the operation was to capture or kill terrorists on the most wanted list.
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:47 AM
USS Cole Joins 6th Fleet In The Mediterranean
Sailors aboard the USS Cole, bombed by terrorists in 2000 as it refueled in Yemen, are getting their feet wet in the Mediterranean before the repaired ship returns for the first time to the Middle East since the deadly attack.
On Monday, the guided-missile destroyer entered into the U.S. Navy’s 6th Fleet as part of a seven-vessel expeditionary strike group, led by the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima. Now, roughly 6,000 sailors and Marines will spend three weeks in the Mediterranean before heading to the Middle East.
While the deployment is the Cole’s second since the attack, it is the first cruise back to the Middle East since October 2000, when terrorists blew a hole in the side of the vessel and killed 17 sailors.
“I am proud to hear that [the Cole] is actually going back to the Middle East, but at the same time concerned because, as we know by history of al-Qaida, they will try again,” said Master Chief Petty Officer James Parlier, who was on the Cole when it was attacked.
The destroyer’s return “shows our enemy that we are not defeated, and the very ship they attacked is going to help defend our cause, and that is doing the right thing for Iraq and its people,” Parlier said by e-mail in Great Lakes, Ill.
While in the Med, the strike group will work with navies from Greece, France, Cyprus, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom, officials said.
“The port visits are twofold: we have a strong desire to get the ships and their crews to good liberty port calls, but there is more of a strategic focus, and that is to build and strengthen partnerships with those countries,” said Navy Lt. Chris Servello, a 6th Fleet spokesman.
USS Cole's Namesake Was 'Fighting Field Musician'
It's fitting that the man the Navy named the destroyer Cole after was wounded but rose to serve his country again and again.Sgt. Darrell Samuel Cole enlisted in the Marine Corps on Aug. 25, 1941. Following boot camp at Parris Island, S.C., he was sent to Field Music School for training as a field music Marine, the equivalent of a bugler.
After he completed instruction, he was transferred to the 1st Marine Regiment, and on Aug. 7, 1942, he and his unit reached the shores of Guadalcanal for the first American offensive of World War II.
Cole wasn't too happy in his role of field musician in a fighting outfit. After he proved himself by acting as a machine gunner in the absence of the regular gunner, he applied for a rating change. His request was refused, because the unit was short of buglers.
Cole completed his first tour of duty in February 1943 and returned to the United States, where he joined 1st Battalion, 23rd Marines, which was then forming as a part of the 4th Marine Division at Camp Lejeune, N.C.
When the unit moved to California, Cole again asked to transition from the field music rating, but his request was again denied.
During the 4th Marine Division's first engagement at Roi-Namur in the Kwajalien Atoll, Cole, forsaking his bugle, went into action as a machine gunner.
Four months later, when the division stormed ashore at Saipan, he was not only a member of a machine-gun unit, but was a machine-gun section leader - a post awarded to him because of his proven ability as a gunner.
On Saipan, Cole's squad leader was killed. Although he was wounded, Cole assumed command of the squad and was awarded the Bronze Star for "his resolute leadership, indomitable fighting spirit and tenacious determination in the face of terrific opposition." He was also awarded the Purple Heart.
A few days after the battle of Saipan, Cole led his squad ashore in the invasion of the neighboring islands of Tinian, where he continued to live up to his growing reputation as "the fighting field musician."
After the Marianas campaigns, he again requested a change of rating, and this time his request was approved. Cole was redesignated "corporal, line" and was subsequently promoted to sergeant in November 1944.
On Feb. 19, Cole led his machine-gun section ashore in the assault on Iwo Jima. Moving forward with the initial assault wave, the section's - and the entire company's - advances were slowed by a hail of fire from two Japanese emplacements, which Cole then personally destroyed using hand grenades.
His section continued to advance until it again was pinned down by enemy fire from three Japanese gun emplacements. One of these emplacements was silenced by Cole's machine gun, but then the gun jammed.
Armed with only a pistol and a hand grenade, Cole made a one-man attack against the two remaining positions. Twice he returned to his own lines for additional grenades and continued the attack under fierce enemy fire until he had succeeded in destroying the Japanese strong point.
On returning to his squad, he was hit by an enemy grenade and killed instantly.
His one-man attack and self-sacrifice allowed Cole's company to move forward against fortifications and attain its objective.
Wild Thing's comment.....
Smooth sailing, USS Cole! I will never forget we had a spineless SOB for a President at that time when the USS Cole was attacked!
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM
June 14, 2006
Happy 231st Birthday US Army!
The United States Army was born out of the desire to defend liberty and proudly celebrates its 231st birthday on 14 June 2006.
Since 1775, millions have worn the uniform and lived the “Warrior Ethos.” Soldiers have always understood that the freedoms our nation guarantees are worth fighting for and America’s decision to put “boots on the ground” illustrates like no other action its continued commitment to these ideals.
This year’s theme is “Call to Duty – Boots on the Ground.”
“To all of our Soldiers around the world, our thoughts are with you and your families on this 231st Army Birthday. We are humbled by your sacrifices and awed by your achievements,” said Secretary of the Army Dr. Francis J. Harvey.
Wild Thing's comments......
Thanks to American Soldiers, freedom’s light shines as a beacon throughout the world.
The Army has courageously fought our country’s wars and served honorably in peace for over two and a quarter centuries. We can all be justifiably proud of The Army’s achievements—a distinguished history of service to the Nation. From our victories in the American Revolution through the trial of our Civil War, from the trenches of World War I to the beaches of Normandy and the island battles in the Pacific of World War II, from the frozen mountains of Korea to the sweltering paddies of Vietnam, from Grenada and Panama to the sands of Kuwait and Iraq, and now on the plains and in the mountains of Afghanistan, Soldiers have marched at the van of democracy and the cause of liberty.
We will never be able to tell you enough how very proud we are of you. Thank you for your service, for your sacrifices, and for your abiding devotion to something greater than self. God bless each and every one of you and your families, God bless our magnificent Army, and God bless America.
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:17 AM | Comments (5)
~ * ~ Flag Day ~ * ~
I am the flag of the United States of America
I was born on June 14, 1777, in Philadelphia.There the Continental Congress adopted my stars and stripes as the national flag.
My thirteen stripes alternating red and white, with a union of thirteen white stars in a field of blue, represented a new constellation, a new nation dedicated to the personal and religious liberty of mankind.
Today fifty stars signal from my union, one for each of the fifty sovereign states in the greatest constitutional republic the world has ever known.
My colors symbolize the patriotic ideals and spiritual qualities of the citizens of my country.
My red stripes proclaim the fearless courage and integrity of American men and boys and the self-sacrifice and devotion of American mothers and daughters.
My white stripes stand for liberty and equality for all.
My blue is the blue of heaven, loyalty, and faith.
I represent these eternal principles: liberty, justice, and humanity.
I embody American freedom: freedom of speech, religion, assembly, the press, and the sanctity of the home.
I typify that indomitable spirit of determination brought to my land by Christopher Columbus and by all my forefathers - the Pilgrims, Puritans, settlers at James town and Plymouth.I am as old as my nation.
I am a living symbol of my nation's law: the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights.
I voice Abraham Lincoln's philosophy: "A government of the people, by the people,for the people."
I stand guard over my nation's schools, the seedbed of good citizenship and true patriotism.
I am displayed in every schoolroom throughout my nation; every schoolyard has a flag pole for my display.
Daily thousands upon thousands of boys and girls pledge their allegiance to me and my country.
I have my own law—Public Law 829, "The Flag Code" - which definitely states my correct use and display for all occasions and situations.
I have my special day, Flag Day. June 14 is set aside to honor my birth.
Americans, I am the sacred emblem of your country. I symbolize your birthright, your heritage of liberty purchased with blood and sorrow.
I am your title deed of freedom, which is yours to enjoy and hold in trust for posterity.If you fail to keep this sacred trust inviolate, if I am nullified and destroyed, you and your children will become slaves to dictators and despots.
Eternal vigilance is your price of freedom.
As you see me silhouetted against the peaceful skies of my country, remind yourself that I am the flag of your country, that I stand for what you are - no more, no less.
Guard me well, lest your freedom perish from the earth.
Dedicate your lives to those principles for which I stand: "One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
I was created in freedom. I made my first appearance in a battle for human liberty.
God grant that I may spend eternity in my "land of the free and the home of the brave" and that I shall ever be known as "Old Glory," the flag of the United States of America.
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:05 AM | Comments (2)
Three Cheers For JDAM
F-22 Raptor Scores Direct Hit in Testing of Supersonic, HIgh-Altitude JDAM drop
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif., June 12, 2006 --
A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor air dominance fighter, flying at a speed of Mach 1.5 and an altitude of 50,000 feet, released a GPS-aided Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) from a range of 24 nautical miles, destroying a small ground target in the F-22's fastest and highest JDAM delivery yet.
This was another milestone testing event for the Combined Test Force of Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT], The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] and U.S. Air Force pilots who conducted the joint developmental and operational test in early May at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., using a 1,000-pound Mk-83 JDAM with live warhead supplied by Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.
The ability to release a munition at supersonic speeds and standoff ranges greatly enhances the aircrew's survivability against heavily defended targets.
“We've already demonstrated the airplane's ability to operate with virtual impunity in the air-to-air realm and have had many successful JDAM deliveries previously, but successfully attacking a ground target at this speed, altitude and standoff range with a live weapon shows that to be true in the air-to-ground mission as well,” said pilot Lt. Col. Raymond “Buzz” Toth following the test. “The Raptor is ready to fight and is uniquely capable of supporting Air Force and Joint Command objectives against any enemy.”
The LAR algorithm developed by this interdisciplinary team offers the robust capability of updating to the latest weapon performance without requiring a new software build,” said Paul Bay, vice president and F-22 program manager at Boeing.
“Our JDAM, Phantom Works and F-22 units each brought a specialized expertise that was essential to making the LAR integration a success.”
"The successful drop of the JDAM from the Raptor has demonstrated our Systems Engineering process throughout the design life cycle,” said John E. Paquet, director, F-22 Mission Systems and Software at Lockheed Martin. “Early in the design phase, we brought Raptor pilots to the high fidelity air combat simulator and received valuable feedback on the new JDAM LAR. We were able to quickly incorporate their feedback into the software design, and the results of that collaborative effort were evident in the recent test."
The F-22 is capable of dominating any adversary through an unmatched combination of stealth, supercruise speed, agility and precision strike, together with a complete view of the battlespace provided by an advanced sensor suite and integrated avionics. The Raptor will enable combat commanders to change the way wars are fought over the next 40 years.
Please click HERE for complete article
Video's
F-22
JDAM Launch Standard Motion
Wild Thing's comment.....
Mach 1.5...50,000 feet...bullseye! It's called Reach out and touch someone.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:57 AM | Comments (4)
Democrats Are Mentally Unhinged
I voted against Zarqawi before I voted for him.
I have a plan before I didn't have a plan.
No. Wait.
I had a plan before I have a plan.
Uh...
First I didn't have a plan, then I had one.
Now where did I put that thing.
Actual comment by Kerry....
"No matter how brave our soldiers are, no matter how valiant, no matter what their caring," said US Senator John Kerry, pictured here, "Our soldiers cannot bring democracy to Iraq at the barrel of a gun." Opposition Democrats used President George W. Bush's secret visit to Iraq as an opportunity to renew their calls for speedy end to America's military involvement there.
No, there is no truth to the rumor that if my plastic surgery were to ever fail, my eyebrows would be slapping against my knees! And Zarqawi was one of our best Allies, He is going to be missed by all democrats.
Actual quote......."Have you had enough of a war that is failing to make America more secure?..Democrats will accomplish this with civility, honesty, and fiscal responsibility because on the very first day, we will pass a reform package, Honest Leadership, Open Government, to make the most corrupt, closed Congress in history into the most open and honest one. We will pass our civility package, which will turn the Congress into an arena of ideas instead of an auction house where legislation goes to the highest bidder."
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Where's an exorcist when you need one? Quick, someone bring me a drink!
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Posted by Wild Thing at 12:56 AM | Comments (4)
Thank You Screaming Eagle's ~ Currahee's!
Ramadi, Iraq
Terrorist-infested Ramadi in the wild west of Iraq is for U.S. troops the meanest place in the country, "the graveyard of the Americans" as graffiti around town boast. There is no better place to observe American troops and the fledgling Iraqi army in combat. That's why I came. When military public affairs asked where I wanted to be embedded, I told them, "the redder, the better" (red means hostile).
So they packed me off to Camp Corregidor in eastern Ramadi with the 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). The 506th's official motto is "Currahee," Cherokee for "stands alone." But they're better known as the "Band of Brothers" – so dubbed by author Stephen Ambrose and HBO (although the term originally applied to just one company in the regiment).
Michael Fumento has exclusive coverage, with the "Band of Brothers."
Wild Thing's comment......
I want to thank Michael Fumento for his email to me about this and for sending me his site. Thank you Michael you are doing a great job of sharing things with us about our awesome troops.
And here is another post I did on this......In Country
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM
Welcome Home 2006 in Branson ~ Thank you Vietnam Vets
Welcome Home... America's Tribute To Vietnam Veterans
Celebrate our veterans with parades, concerts, and eight days of activity at the Welcome Home Tribute to Vietnam Veterans. This week long procession of thanks invites all who are Vietnam veterans and those who would like to appreciate them to join in the festivities.
Awards will be given, rides on the Huey helicopter, and a Sky Soldiers air assault demonstration will light up the eyes of all visitors. The week will end with a Native American Powwow, veterans luncheons, and a Heartland Benefit concert.
Vietnam era veterans wishing information or to register for the Homecoming may do so by going on-line at:
Welcome Home
or by calling 1-800-335-4587. Tickets for general public go on sale May 11, 2006 at 7:00 am. Tickets available by phone at 1-866-464-2626, or online HERE
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (2)
June 13, 2006
U.S. Marines Build Shrine To Islam
My Title would be!!
PC Pentagon Gives Red Carpet Treatment to CULT Islam
U.S. Marines Build Shrine To Islam
We are at war with militant Islam, but you wouldn't know it from the Pentagon, which is busy erecting a shrine to Islam just five short years after Islamic terrorists destroyed a good chunk of its own building and killed more than 100 of its occupants. Worse, it's consulting on the project with a Wahhabi-educated cleric posing as a moderate.
Last week, military brass -- along with representatives from the terror-tied Council on American-Islamic Relations -- dedicated the first Muslim prayer center for the Marines as a symbol of the military's "religious tolerance" and "respect" for the faith the enemy uses to attack us. Already, plans are in the works to build by 2009 a bigger mosque at the Marine base in Quantico so Muslim service members can have a "proper place" to worship, and one that "honors their religious heritage," officials say, not realizing that the mosque can also be used by the enemy to build a Fifth Column inside the Marines.
The idea for the center came from Navy Lt. Abuhena Mohammed Saifulislam, a young, smooth-talking Muslim chaplain, who wanted a permanent place of worship -- and "education" -- for the growing number of soldiers who are interested in -- and converting to -- Islam.
Quantico has only 24 Muslims on base, so the mosque -- the first of its kind in the 230-year history of the Corps -- will also serve to introduce and draw other Marines to the faith. Large posters explaining how "Muslims love and respect Jesus" (but only as a minor prophet and not the son of God, which they view as blasphemous to Allah) line the inside of the white building. This is one way imam Saifulislam -- known on base simply as "Saif" -- bridges the faiths to reach out to Christian soldiers. Blacks are particularly susceptible to his pitch.
Apparently, whatever Saifulislam wants, he gets -- even at the terrorist prison camp at Gitmo, where he was first assigned after 9-11. There, he recommended that al-Qaida detainees be served halal meals -- including traditional dates and lamb -- prepared according to Islamic dietary law. The Gitmo menu now boasts 113 Muslim-appropriate meals for the benefit of finicky terrorist tummies.
That's not all. Thanks to Saifulislam's advice, our enemy now wakes to the sound of Muslim chaplains calling them to prayer instead of barking dogs or guards, who are now trained in Muslim sensitivity. Also thanks to Saifulislam, detainees can brush up on jihad by reading paperback Pentagon-issued copies of the Quran. They can even finger prayer beads and wear makeshift turbans and skull caps.
While at Gitmo, the Navy imam privately counseled al-Qaida prisoners in their native tongues of Urdu and Arabic. "I must give hope for them to cope," Saifulislam said. How thoughtful of him.
It turns out Saifulislam also ministered to Marine Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun, a fellow Muslim charged with desertion, just before he went AWOL again last year. Hassoun deserted his post in Iraq where he served as an Arabic translator. After he was captured, and after he met with the Quantico imam, he deserted again.
Saifulislam is clean-cut with a Colgate smile. The Pentagon gives him great latitude because he claims to be moderate.
However, Saifulislam studied Islam at a hardline Wahhabi school in Virginia that was raided by federal authorities after 9-11. And one of his mentors is Taha Jaber Al-Alwani, an unindicted co-conspirator in the Sami al-Arian terror case. Federal court records allege he gave at least $50,000 in jihad money "to support suicide bombings" in Israel.
Saifulislam, born in Bangladesh, insists he is only a Sunni Muslim and does not adhere to the faith's more orthodox and militant Wahhabi sect practiced by Osama bin Laden and his ilk. Still, his pro-jihad academic background should raise flags at the Pentagon.
Instead, it's giving him a permanent taxpayer-supported platform from which to convert grunts to Islam. With the Quantico mosque, the Pentagon is facilitating the study of the holy texts the enemy uses, heretically or not, as their manual of war. This is tantamount to the Marines setting up a Mein Kampf reading room during WWII.
The timing of the dedication ceremony is ironic by half. As the deputy secretary of defense and Marine commandant respectfully removed their shoes to enter the mosque and intoned pleasant PC platitudes about being one big happy "family" with Muslims, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police announced the arrest of 17 Muslim men who had allegedly plotted to explode fertilizer-based bombs at important sites in Canada. Their plans also called for attacking parliament and even beheading the prime minister. Almost half of them had attended the same mosque in Toronto.
Several military officers chose to sit out the Quantico ceremony than hear deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England mouth "salaams" to the Muslims in attendance. They think the mosque is misplaced, and don't trust its imam.
"I have great concern about this young Muslim chaplain," said Lt. Comm. Gary P. Stewart, also a Navy chaplain. "I don't trust him."
The Pentagon's over-the-top gesture is only the latest sign that political correctness is running amok inside the military. Chief chaplains for the Navy, Army and Air Force routinely meet with top leaders from the Islamic Society of North America for PC powwows, even though ISNA is a Saudi-backed group with ties to terrorists. No matter, the Pentagon distributes ISNA literature on Islam and Muslims to help increase troops' "sensitivity" toward Islam.
The first principle of war is knowing your enemy and what motivates him. The PC-addled Pentagon seems to have forgotten that rule.
Wild Thing's comments.......
I got sick at my stomach reading this article. This is what happens when politically correct politicians get involved with trying not to offend the enemy instead of killing them. I am sure that most Marines are pissed as hell about this especially after returning from Iraq where they were fighting against the very people that we are now trying to coddle. This is just unbelievable. Zarqawi didn't create Islam, Islam created him. It's one thing to give them space to worship it's another to build a new Mosque.
This is embracing the very cult and culture of death that we are fighting against!! Churchill said "We will never surrender". We say "We'll kiss your ass".
Islam is not a "great religion". It is a cult/religion following a blood-thirsty murderer. It brooks no opposition, it does not co-exist with other religions. It believes it must reign supreme and will use force to subjegate it's opponents.
The United States should declare that is does not view Islam as a religion in this country. That will be the ONLY way we can defeat Islam. This will be a long and bloody war.
Posted by Wild Thing at 08:55 AM | Comments (7)
Al Gore: Next Movie May Have Nude Scene ~ OMG
Al Gore jokes he's been getting a taste of the movie star treatment.
The former vice president was on the "Tonight" show Thursday night. Host Jay Leno asked about the reaction to Gore's documentary on global warming, "An Inconvenient Truth."
Gore says since he's been on the Hollywood A-list, he's had a huge feud with Lindsay Lohan. When Leno asked for details, Gore said Lohan "knows what she did." The line got a big laugh.
Gore also jokes he might consider a nude scene in his next movie if the script had integrity and it advanced the story.
Wild Thing's comment.....
File this under the I don't get it category!
Global warming and nudity?? Just seeing 'Al Gore' and 'nude scene' in the same sentence makes my eyes hurt. And how could we forget this quote by Al Gore, " don't want to diminish the threat of terrorism at all, it is extremely serious, but on a long-term global basis, global warming is the most serious problem we are facing.".....
...HUH Al?? Hell's bells you mean global warming is worse then the threat of terrorism?? I think Islam missed the memo on that!
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:55 AM | Comments (2)
June 12, 2006
God Is Busy Now
A Marine was attending a college course between missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. The professor, an avowed atheist, shocked the Class one day when he walked in, looked toward the ceiling, and said loudly,"God, if you are real, then I want you to knock me off this platform. I'll give you exactly 15 minutes."The lecture room fell silent and the professor began his lecture. Ten minutes went by and the professor proclaimed,
"Here I am God - still waiting."It got down to the last minute when the Marine stood up, walked toward the professor and threw his best punch knocking him off the platform and out cold. The Marine went back to his seat and sat down. The other students were shocked and stunned and sat there looking on in silence.
The professor came to, noticeably shaken, looked at the Marine and asked,
"What the hell is the matter with you? Why did you do that?"The Marine calmly replied,
"God is busy today protecting America's soldiers who are protecting your right to behave like an idiot and say stupid stuff. So He sent me."
Thank you Jack (Conservative Insurgents) I LOVE this!
Posted by Wild Thing at 11:55 AM | Comments (13)
Hurricane Warning Issued for Storm Alberto ~ Surfs Up!
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- Forecasters issued a hurricane warning for parts of Florida's Gulf Coast on Monday as the first named storm of the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season quickly gained strength in the Gulf of Mexico.
The warning from Longboat Key near Sarasota to the Ochlockonee River south of Tallahassee means Tropical Storm Alberto was expected to produce hurricane conditions within the next 24 hours.
A tropical storm warning remains in effect for Longboat Key to Englewood.
At 11 a.m., Alberto's winds had increased to 70 mph, up from 50 mph just three hours earlier. The storm was centered about 190 miles south-southwest of Apalachicola and was moving north-northeast at about 7 mph, National Hurricane Center forecasters said.
I live in Sarasota and so far just lots of much needed rain and some wind.
Posted by Wild Thing at 11:24 AM | Comments (4)
Fox News Julie Banderas Takes On Phelps-Cult Hatemonger!
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Fox News host to guest: 'You're going to hell!'
"You are the devil!" Banderas exclaimed to Shirley Phelps-Roper. "If you believe in the Bible, miss, you're going to hell!"
Phelps-Roper, who believes America's sinful behavior has resulted in God's cursings rather than blessings, was appearing on "The Big Story" last night to talk about why members of her Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan., protest at funerals for slain U.S. troops with slogans such as "Thank God for 9-11," "Thank God for IEDs (improvised explosive devices)," and "God Hates Fags."
"What would you do if you had a son in the military?" an outraged Banderas asked. "Would you damn him to hell as well? Because you're gonna join him there if you had a son!"
"I have eight sons and I have three daughters," responded Phelps-Roper, "and none of them would dare, dare fight for a nation who has made God their No. 1 enemy."
Banderas engaged in a heated, rapid-fire, name-calling exchange with Phelps-Roper, which included:
Banderas: "The Bible says 'the fear of the Lord is hatred of evil,' [from the Book of] Proverbs. 'Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.' Perverted speech like yours: 'God hates fags.' You are preaching absolute B.-., and you know the final letter."
Phelps-Roper: "If you don't tell them that this nation is full of idolatry, full of adulteries ...
Banderas: "Full of insane people like yourself, ma'am."
Phelps-Roper: "You're proud. You're proud of your sins. You can't do enough sinning. You think 'gay' pride, bimbo. You have sinned away your day of grace."
Banderas: "OK, you are an abomination."
Phelps-Roper: "America is doomed. America is doomed. ... Before your eyes, missy, you're gonna see the destruction of America."
Banderas: "If America is doomed, then why don't you get out? Why are you in this country? Why are you an American? Are you an American?"
Phelps-Roper: "I am exactly where my God put me to tell you plainly, that you are going to hell, and there's nothing you can do about it."
Banderas: "Why don't you take your church to another country, then, ma'am? Thank you so much. You should not be proud to be an American, and thank you. Good-bye."
Last week, a Pennsylvania man filed a lawsuit against WBC for its "intentional and outrageous" conduct during and since services were held for his son, Lance Cpl. Matthew A. Snyder, who killed in a noncombat vehicle accident in Iraq.
The WBC is planning another protest tomorrow in New Castle, Del., at the funeral of Army Staff Sgt. Darren Harmon, who was killed by an IED.
Wild Thing's comment......
Thank you Julie, you did GREAT! And thank you Patriot Guard Riders for all the work you do to counter this evil group of military haters.
* Michelle Mallkin
* Stop the ACLU
Posted by Wild Thing at 08:55 AM | Comments (7)
Marine Says Rules Were Followed
Sergeant Describes Hunt for Insurgents in Haditha, Denies Coverup
By Josh White
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, June 11, 2006; Page A01
A sergeant who led a squad of Marines during the incident in Haditha, Iraq, that left as many as 24 civilians dead said his unit did not intentionally target any civilians, followed military rules of engagement and never tried to cover up the shootings, his attorney said.
Staff Sgt. Frank D. Wuterich, 26, told his attorney that several civilians were killed Nov. 19 when his squad went after insurgents who were firing at them from inside a house. The Marine said there was no vengeful massacre, but he described a house-to-house hunt that went tragically awry in the middle of a chaotic battlefield.
"It will forever be his position that everything they did that day was following their rules of engagement and to protect the lives of Marines," said Neal A. Puckett, who represents Wuterich in the ongoing investigations into the incident. "He's really upset that people believe that he and his Marines are even capable of intentionally killing innocent civilians."
Wuterich's detailed version of what happened in the Haditha neighborhood is the first public account from a Marine who was on the ground when the shootings occurred. As the leader of 1st Squad, 3rd Platoon, Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, Wuterich was in the convoy of Humvees that was hit by a roadside bomb. He entered the house from which the Marines believed enemy fire was originating and made the initial radio reports to his company headquarters about what was going on, Puckett said.
"I can confirm that that version of events is consistent with our position on this case," Myers said. "What this case comes down to is: What were the rules of engagement, and were they followed?"
Puckett said that while Wuterich was evaluating the scene, Marines noticed a white, unmarked car full of "military-aged men" lingering near the bomb site.
Wuterich told Puckett that no one was emotionally rattled by Terrazas's death because everyone had a job to do, and everyone was concerned about further casualties. As Wuterich began briefing the platoon leader, Puckett said, AK-47 shots rang out from residences on the south side of the road, and the Marines ducked.
A corporal with the unit leaned over to Wuterich and said he saw the shots coming from a specific house, and after a discussion with the platoon leader, they decided to clear the house, according to Wuterich's account.
There's a threat, and they went to eliminate the threat," Puckett said.
A four-man team of Marines, including Wuterich, kicked in the door and found a series of empty rooms, noticing quickly that there was one room with a closed door and people rustling behind it, Puckett said. They then kicked in that door, tossed a fragmentation grenade into the room, and one Marine fired a series of "clearing rounds" through the dust and smoke, killing several people, Puckett said.
Although it was almost immediately apparent to the Marines that the people dead in the room were men, women and children -- most likely civilians -- they also noticed a back door ajar and believed that insurgents had slipped through to a house nearby, Puckett said. The Marines stealthily moved to the second house, kicking in the door, killing one man inside and then using a frag grenade and more gunfire to clear another room full of people, he said.
Wuterich, not having found the insurgents, told the team to stop and headed back to the platoon leader to reassess the situation, Puckett said, adding that his client knew a number of civilians had just been killed.
Neighborhood residents have offered a different account, saying that the Marines went into the houses shooting and ignored pleas from the civilians to spare them.
For the complete article please click HERE , I only put some pieces of it here at Theodore's.
Wild Thing's comment.....
The press and Murtha 
decided to execute Marines before a complete investigation.
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:55 AM | Comments (4)
KorComms Threaten US Spy Flights
N. Korea threat on US spy flights
Seoul, June 11: North Korea’s Air Force Command on Sunday threatened to "punish" the US for its spy flights over the communist state, recalling the fate of a US Navy plane it shot down 37 years ago.
In a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency, the Air Force said that a US RC-135 reconnaissance aeroplane had made flights over its territorial waters on June 6, 8 and 10.
Describing the alleged US espionage flights as "openly crying out for a pre-emptive attack" on the communist state, the command warned of a possible repeat of 1969, when it shot down another US Navy plane, killing all 31 crew. "The (North Korean) Air Force seriously warns the US imperialists that it will sternly punish the aggressors if their planes continue illegally intruding into the sky on espionage missions," it said.
"They had better not forget the miserable end EC-121 met in the 1960s." North Korean fighters shot the reconnaissance aeroplane down off the country’s east coast in the Sea of Japan (East Sea) in April 1969.
Another US-North Korean incident occurred when North Korea fired missiles at an SR-71 spy plane in August 1981. The Blackbird jet was undamaged.
North Korea has been sensitive to US spy flights, with its media citing military sources as issuing a monthly report on US aerial espionage. Sunday’s statement was rare in that it was issued in the name of the Air Force Command.
North Korea has claimed the US is preparing to invade the communist country despite repeated US denials. The two sides are locked in a standoff over North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme. Pyongyang declared in February 2005 that it had built nuclear weapons. During six-way talks in September, North Korea agreed in principle to dismantle its weapons programme in exchange for diplomatic and economic benefits and security guarantees.
But North Korea has boycotted the talks since November when it said US financial sanctions imposed on Pyongyang over allegations of money laundering were blocking progress. Pyongyang has said that it would return to talks — which involve both Koreas, the United States, China, Japan and Russia — only after the sanctions are lifted. One North Korea expert here said on Sunday’s strongly-worded North Korean statement may have been designed to draw US attention back to the deadlocked nuclear issue after Washington snubbed Pyongyang’s offer of bilateral talks.
"Given North Korea’s traditional pattern of diplomacy, it is time to get tough to bring the US interest back," Nam Sung-Wook, a North Korea expert and professor at Korea University, said.
The US has rejected an invitation from Pyongyang for US nuclear negotiator Christopher Hill to visit the country and has urged the communist state to come back to six-way talks unconditionally.
Wild Thing's comment.....
How about if we send a couple of F-22's along as escort. They had better not forget this is not the 1960s. There's a new Sheriff in town. He's not up for re-election and the U.S. public loves to see creeps like Kim Jong-Il get theirs. The MSM has already whined NK is more dangerous than Iraq was. They'd look awfully stupid for criticizing a reprisal on NK if they took hostile action against our Armed Forces.
I just wonder if they took hostile action against a reconnaisance plane, as they threatened, that is the first thing I would target. Their little "trophy" would be Tomahawked to oblivion. It's still a commissioned vessel with the U.S. Navy, so technically it's ours....we can do what we want with it.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (2)
June 11, 2006
Some Wounded GIs Opt to Stay in Iraq
Some Wounded GIs Opt to Stay in Iraq
MAHMOUDIYA, Iraq — Parallel scars running down 1st Sgt. Rick Skidis' calf tell the story of how he nearly lost his leg when a roadside bomb blew through the door of his armored Humvee.
The blast shredded muscle, ligament and tendon, leaving Skidis in a daze as medics and fellow soldiers rushed to help him. Skidis remembers little of that day last November except someone warning him that when he woke, his foot might be gone.
After five months and six surgeries, the foot remains intact but causes Skidis haunting numbness and searing pain caused by nerve damage.
CountryWatch: Iraq
Skidis, 36, of Sullivan, Ill., fought through the surgeries and therapy to return in April to Iraq, conducting the same type of patrols that nearly killed him.
He is not an exception.
Nearly 18,000 military personnel have been wounded in combat since the war began in Iraq more than three years ago, according to Defense Department statistics. Some have lost legs and arms, suffered horrific burns to their bodies and gone home permanently.
But the vast majority have remained in Iraq or returned later — their bodies marked by small scars and their lives plagued by aches and pains.
"I wear my scars proudly," said Skidis as he gingerly lifted his pant leg to show the railroad-like tracks where doctors made incisions to save his foot. Why didn't he stay home? "I felt guilty because I wasn't sharing the same hardships that they were," Skidis said shyly, while another soldier nodded at his side.
For some soldiers in Iraq, it was a roadside blast that muffled their hearing or peppered their body in shrapnel. Others have been ripped by gunfire, sometimes leaving them with jabbing pains in their limbs and compromised movement.
Their wounds are often similar but there are many reasons for remaining at war when their wounds are a ticket home.
Some can't imagine any other job than being a soldier. Some know no other life. Others, like Skidis, feel the guilt, an obligation to their fellow soldiers.
Staff Sgt. Katherine Yocom-Delgado, 28, of Brooklyn, N.Y., lost 70 percent of the hearing in her left ear weeks ago when an artillery shell landed just a few feet away from her. Her teeth still hurt and she has frequent headaches, especially in the morning.
Yocom-Delgado tilts her head when she listens to people talk.
But she hasn't considered leaving — the wounds are not as important as the mission.
"I'm alive and I'm happy to be alive," she said with a smile. "I don't hurt every day."
As a woman, Yocom-Delgado represents just two percent of those injured in Iraq, a figure she quotes and has read in new articles. It's an odd distinction, she said, just her luck.
Spc. Steven Clark's luck is worse. The 25-year-old has been shot three times and wounded by shrapnel from a grenade that tore into his legs and back. He has been awarded three purple hearts — a fourth is on the way — and a bronze star with valor.
His friends have nicknamed him "Bullet Magnet" — but he won't consider leaving.
Clark, of Fitzgerald, Ga., says getting wounded was a mistake and his pain is punishment for letting people down. He won't show the scars on his calf or shoulder or back. He calls the attacks "incidents."
"I have pains. I have numbness from nerve damage. But it's just something I'm going to have to live with," Clark said. "I'm not going to change what I am just because it's dangerous."
Soldiers in the battalion, the 502nd Infantry Regiment of the Army's 101st Airborne Division, have been struck by more than 230 roadside bombs since they arrived in Iraq last October, leaving 15 dead. They've discovered about 350 more on the roads that crisscross their swath of desert.
More than 100 of the soldiers have been wounded, mostly on patrols in their sector south of Baghdad where Shiite and Sunni Arab tribes often clash with coalition forces. Twenty-seven of those wounded were evacuated from Iraq and remain at hospitals in the United States.
Pfc. Salvadore Bertolone, 21, of Ortonville, Mich., was injured when a roadside bomb blew glass shards into his face and arm. A scar curls down his cheek, but he dismisses his injury.
There are perks to staying in the fight after an injury, he said.
"I get free license plates for the rest of my life," Bertolone said. "And I've got people who are definitely going to be buying me drinks when I get home."
Though proud of their fellow soldiers, medics fear long-term health problems lie ahead.
"The soldiers here are so focused on staying in the fight that they suck up the pain and push through," said Capt. Dennison Segui, 33, a medic and physician's assistant from Browns Mills, N.J. "I know I'm busy here, but I'm nowhere near as busy as I will be when we get back."
Many of the injured soldiers have begged their commanders to let them come back. One soldier was sent home after a bomb exploded in his face and damaged his eyes. He likely will never return to Iraq, but still asks. Another was sent home because of a heart condition, but returned to Iraq three times, according to Lt. Col. Thomas Kunk, a commander in the 502nd Infantry Regiment.
Kunk, who is not a doctor, decides every week which wounded soldiers can return to duty. Often the soldiers research regulations and argue endlessly, he said.
It's heartbreaking when he has to say no, but he does.
"Sometimes there's too much 'Hooah!' in us guys," Kunk said. While he doesn't want to dampen that enthusiasm, he said, "I don't want to hurt the guy the rest of his life."
Kunk has injuries of his own, so he understands a soldier's conviction to fight. His leg swells and throbs by the end of the day, the lingering effect of a roadside bomb that damaged nerves and muscle. But he, too, won't think of leaving.
"I'm a father. Heck, I'm a grandpa to be honest with you. So I just kind of look at it from that perspective," said Kunk, 48. "I want to do right by them."
Wild Thing's comment.....
Thank you Jack H. for sending this to me. This is Jack H.'s old unit from Vietnam.
I rememebr them from my visit to Camp Eagle with Bob Hope.
As Jack H. said......" it's the good old 50duce or for people that dont know the 502nd inf."
Courage isn't something you can see or touch. It comes from deep within us, it comes from deep within our troops. We can never thank them enough for all they do.
Posted by Wild Thing at 11:55 AM | Comments (15)
British Troops in Basra
British troops from the 20th Armoured Brigade in Basra celebrate England's goal against Paraguay. Photo: Corp. Anthony Boocock RLC
Posted by Wild Thing at 11:29 AM
Nuremberg Protest Over Iran Visit
Nuremberg protest over Iran visit
By Ray Furlong
BBC News, Nuremberg
Demonstrations are due to take place in Nuremberg on Sunday ahead of a World Cup match in which Iran faces Mexico. The Iranian vice-president is attending the match and protests have been announced by the local Jewish community as well as Iranian exile groups.
One of the biggest fears the Germans have for the World Cup is that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will come here to watch his team play.
His comments casting doubt on the Holocaust caused outrage in Germany.
This match is serving as a focus for protests against him, even though he is only sent his deputy, Vice-President Mohammed Aliabadi.
Historical reference
Nuremberg is where the Nazis promulgated their infamous race laws and the head of the German Jewish community has declared that the Iranian president is "a second Hitler".
Another leading member of the community said this demonstration would also be a protest against the proposals made for resolving the dispute over Iran's nuclear programme, which he described as latter-day appeasement.
The protest will also be supported with speeches by important German politicians such as the interior minister of Bavaria and the leader of the Green Party.
And with exile Iranian opposition groups planning a separate demonstration, the authorities are deploying extra police to ensure security.
Posted by Wild Thing at 11:16 AM | Comments (2)
Hey Fidel, Watch The Sky! ~ LOL
Castro: Al-Zarqawi Killing a 'Barbarity'
Sunday June 11, 2006 4:01 AM
President Fidel Castro called the U.S. airstrike that killed Abu Musab al-Zarqawi a ``barbarity,'' saying he should have been put on trial.The United States acted as ``judge and jury'' against the leader of the al-Qaida in Iraq, Castro said late Friday.
``They bragged, they were practically drunk with happiness.''``The accused cannot just be eliminated,'' he told a literacy conference. ``This barbarity cannot be done.''The U.S. military has said al-Zarqawi initially survived the dropping of two 500-pound bombs on his hide-out Wednesday, but died a short time later.
Castro said if Cuba used the same logic, it could bomb the United States to kill its No. 1 enemy, Luis Posada Carriles, who is being held in El Paso, Texas on immigration charges.
The communist government accuses the Cuban-born Posada of masterminding numerous violent attacks against the island, including the bombing of a Cuban airliner that killed 73 people in 1976. Posada denies involvement in the bombing of the plane.
Wild Thing's comment....
Laughable coming from this champion of human rights. It can't be long now, till Jimma Carter jumps in.
Posted by Wild Thing at 02:55 AM
Thank You Ft. Bragg and Our Troops!
Fort Bragg special operations forces played an integral role in the air strike that killed Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, according to a congressional source.
Al-Zarqawi was al-Qaida’s leader in Iraq and the mastermind behind a bloody campaign of terrorist attacks on U.S. soldiers and Iraqi civilians.
Army officials in the United States and Iraq would not discuss the role of special operations soldiers, but a congressional source confirmed that Fort Bragg special operations soldiers took part in the operation.
President Bush said in a statement Thursday morning that special operations soldiers played a role in the bombing of al-Zarqawi, and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole’s office confirmed that special operations forces from North Carolina were involved in the hunt for him.
Andrew Cochran, founder and editor of The Counterterrorism Blog, said special operations soldiers from Fort Bragg “are on the front lines. They are right up to their eyeballs in this.” His site is the first multi-expert blog dedicated solely to counterterrorism issues.
“Reliable reports have said that the (task force) is divided into four teams, three U.S. and one from the U.K. The teams have been occasionally augmented by Army Rangers and paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division, and have been supported by special operations helicopter and combat units, as well as by fixed-wing aircraft units operating in support of quick reaction targeting.”
See Video HERE..........I LOVE this! Thank you Hot Air!
Comments by a U.S. soldier in Baghdad this morning to his parents here: "I know it is the middle of the night there, but have you heard the news? We got Zarqawi. We bombed his place just outside of Baqubah and got a lot of them. It is so great! The guys really needed this. We are all so proud."
Wild Thing's comment.....
I am so proud of you, thank you troops!
* Hot Air ( Michelle Malkin) the video
* Counterterrorism Blog
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:55 AM | Comments (2)
Freedom Journal
Please click
photo above
to watch VIDEO.
It might need a few seconds to load.
Video is of the 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment battle insurgents in Ramadi, and MP's visit Iraqi police station.
There are more Video's at this LINK
.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM
June 10, 2006
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the Left, Loony Alliance
Wild Thing's comment.......This is a great write up and I would like to share it with you. I never heard of this writer before. His name is John Burtis. He is a former Broome County, NY firefighter, a retired Santa Monica, CA, police officer, and obtained his BA in European History at Boston University and is fluent in German. He resides in NH with his wife, Betsy.
Zarqawi, the left–Never give a sucker an even break
By John Burtis
Saturday, June 10, 2006
It’s so darned funny and I am such a naïf. I thought it would take a day or two for the left to begin to down play the death of Zarqawi, one of the premier death dealers on the planet today, and a guy responsible for a litany of murder and mayhem among our troops--OUR TROOPS. You know, the guys everybody pledges to support even though the liberal cognoscenti and the progressive Nomenklatura all hate the war.But my feeble calculations were off by a power of ten. It appears that the left, the Democrats and Air America were right in there slinging mud, down playing the impact of Mr. Zarqawi’s death, belittling the accomplishments of the "Prince of al-Qaeda" in Iraq--directed last fall to set-up a caliphate in Iraq by none other than Mr. Zawahiri--and calling for our withdrawal almost as soon as the news broke.
But from John Kerry, to Knight-Ridder, UPI, Pete Stark, Dennis Kucinich, and Randi Rhodes, among the other notables, the great round up of left wing apologists were right in there pitching their tales of woe before the dust had cleared around the bomb blasted house and before the plastic surgeons had rearranged Abu’s shattered face for the early morning roll-out.
Mr. Kerry (H-UA) stepped right in to call for the withdrawal of combat troops by the end of the year, not a new tune for the Winter Soldier, but the death of Mr. Zarqawi has served to add another verse and refrain to the same old song he sings so well.
Nancy Pelosi (S-OL) congratulated our troops, before calling for our retreat because of the loss of the VA records of the WWII veterans, which she valiantly confused with those currently serving.
The faux Night Riders scribbled that the death of the foremost murderer in Iraq will have no impact there, of course, not where he has been killing a ton of people for years, or in Jordanian hotels during weddings for that matter. While the left-handed UPI sky writers exclaimed that the capture of Mr. bin-Laden would be of absolutely no help for Mr. Bush, let alone anybody else who might be on the receiving end of one of his dastardly upcoming "plans."
Brother Pete Stark (D-OA) goes on to say that whole thing is a cover for Mr. Bush’s nether regions, in an echo of anther quaint liberal voice belonging to that sweet Ms. Whoopi Goldberg, and a last gasp to improve his poll numbers, while Br’er Dennis Kucinich (D-IP) touts his own addled version of reality where Mr. Zarqawi was just a walk-on bit player on an already booming anti-American stage, though the name of the director currently escapes him.
Randi Rhodes, fellow assassination jokester with Alan Hevesi, and impromptu impresario of the amazing disappearing Air America, which has finally lost their flagship station in NYC after a prolonged scuttling, extolled al-Qaeda for pleading with Mr. Zarqawi to slow down the slaughter of the innocents, and opined that we should do the same with our troops.
For days, if not weeks, there will be a deafening silence to be heard from those two outlandishly pantomiming former chief executives, Mr. Carter and Mr. Clinton, who will reserve judgment until the proper audience can be assembled and properly shaken down for cash.
For Mr. Carter, this will have something to do with the confluence of those two great pro-American bodies, the lily pure UN and the perfectly democratic Palestinian State, and will feature Mr. Peanut’s views on how the premeditated murder of a poor suffering Mr. Zarqawi, the victim of a troubled youth, will in some way deleteriously affect the rightful operations of these two sainted and august bodies.
Mr. Clinton, before a paying foreign audience, where he can really let fly, will sagely review his own wise anti-terrorist policies and recall how their implementation by the Bush administration, had they but taken his wise counsel, so often and painfully offered, would have resulted in the stultification of radical Islam, the marginalization of dubious characters like Mr. Zarqawi, and an enduring legacy for Mr. Clinton.
And it saddens me, as it should all Americans, that the party in opposition, must sit down and compose themselves and their thoughts, and not appear too joyous, too happy, and not too glad that the primary killer of their sons and daughters — our sons and daughters, too — has been taken out by a precision combined arms operation directed by Iraqis and Americans.
There are no even breaks offered from the left, not in a war that threatens every American with annihilation of some kind to be delivered by boyos just like Mr. Zarqawi, especially when the old gods — Stalin, Guevara, Ho Chi Minh, Mao — are gone.
The new gods of the left — Chavez, Castro, Ahmadinejad, Kim Jong Il — are lesser men than the old, while the new tin gods — Clinton, Annan, Carter — are reed thin jokes.
But in the end, I am a sucker, as we all are, to think that the left wing, the Democrats and their slavish tools in the drive-by media could in any way whatsoever view the swift elimination of a piratical serial killing bandit as anything other than a ploy or a hoax to be denigrated.
On we go, into the next bit of high camp, where the next bit of good news for all Americans will be greeted with silence, sneers, denunciation and lip service from our friends on the left — such is the bottomless depth of their love for their country and its citizens.
And it won’t matter if we capture Osama, if the Dow hits 12,000, if housing starts are way up, if unemployment reaches 4.2%, if Mr. Ahmadinejad surrenders to Great Britain, and if gasoline falls to $2.21 a gallon.
Posted by Wild Thing at 10:47 AM | Comments (4)
A Dying Al-Zarqawi Mumbles and Sees Our Troops
A Dying Al-Zarqawi Tried to Get Away
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi could barely speak, but he struggled and tried to get away from American soldiers as he lay dying on a stretcher in the ruins of his hideout.
The U.S. forces recognized his face, and knew they had the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq.
Initially, the U.S. military had said al-Zarqawi was killed outright. But Friday new details emerged of his final moments.
For three years, al-Zarqawi orchestrated horrific acts of violence guided by his extremist vision of jihad, or holy war - first against the U.S. soldiers he considered occupiers of Arab lands, then against the Shiites he considered infidels.
On Wednesday, the U.S. military tracked him to a house northwest of Baghdad, and blew it up with two 500-pound bombs.
Al-Zarqawi somehow managed to survive the impact of the bombs, weapons so powerful they tore a huge crater in the date palm forest where the house was nestled just outside the town of Baqouba.
Iraqi police reached the scene first, and found the 39-year-old al-Zarqawi alive.
"He mumbled something, but it was indistinguishable and it was very short," Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, spokesman for U.S.-led forces in Iraq, said Friday of the Jordanian-born terrorist's last words.
Iraqi police pulled him from the flattened home and placed him on a makeshift stretcher. U.S. troops arrived, saw that al-Zarqawi was conscious, and tried to provide medical treatment, the spokesman said.
"He obviously had some kind of visual recognition of who they were because he attempted to roll off the stretcher, as I am told, and get away, realizing it was the U.S. military," Caldwell told Pentagon reporters via videoconference from Baghdad.
Al-Zarqawi "attempted to, sort of, turn away off the stretcher," he said. "Everybody re-secured him back onto the stretcher, but he died almost immediately thereafter from the wounds he'd received from this airstrike."
So much blood covered al-Zarqawi's body that U.S. forces cleaned him up before taking photographs. "Despite the fact that this person actually had no regard for human life, we were not going to treat him in the same manner," Caldwell said.
The airstrike killed two other men and three women who were in the house, but only al-Zarqawi and his spiritual adviser have been positively identified, he said.
Caldwell also said experts told him it is not unheard of for people to survive a blast of that magnitude.
"There are cases when people, in fact, can survive even an attack like that on a building structure. Obviously, the other five in the building did not, but he did for some reason," Caldwell said.
He said he did not know if al-Zarqawi was inside or outside the house when the bombs struck.
"Well, what we had found, as with anything, first reports are not always fully accurate as we continue the debriefings. But we were not aware yesterday that, in fact, Zarqawi was alive when U.S. forces arrived on the site," Caldwell said.
His recounting of the aftermath of the airstrike could not be independently verified. The Iraqi government confirmed only that Iraqi forces were first on the scene, followed by the Americans.
An aide to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media, said he saw Caldwell's news briefing but could neither confirm nor deny that al-Zarqawi briefly survived the blast.
"Well, I think it's clear: The Americans said he was seriously wounded and he died," the aide said.
Wild Thing's coment....
I cannot tell you how happy I am that his last vision was that of one of our troops. Big smile on my face!
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:14 AM | Comments (4)
Vignettes of The War
A couple of our guys at QAIM, Iraq
QAIM, Iraq
US Dept. of Defense
American Forces Press Service
AFPS reporter Jim Garamone ( no photo available) has traveled in the U.S. Central Command theater since April, covering various aspects of the mission and the men and women who make it happen. He is a photographer and journalist.
Here are a few of those vignettes:
Boom, Boom! Out Go the LightsEarly one morning at Camp Hit came the unmistakable sound of a mortar launching. A door opened and a woman yelled, "Is that incoming or outgoing?"
Before anyone could answer came a huge "boom" that rocked the mud buildings. "Oh, that's definitely incoming," she said, and shut the door.
No one was injured in the attack.
Be Like MikeAnbar province is the center of anti-coalition sentiment. Or is it?
The Iraqis in Anbar profess to not like Americans, but they are trying mighty hard to look like them. As you pass the men in the streets, they look with flint-hard stares -- underneath their New York Yankees or Chicago Bulls caps.
American companies find excellent billboards on Iraqi T-shirts, and Nike and Reebok shoes are "tres chic" here.
The Iraqis even emulate the servicemembers who are enforcing security around their cities. The latest fad among young men is to get "high and tight" haircuts like the soldiers and Marines who patrol in the area.
Silence is ScaryA line of servicemembers coming out of an Internet café is a moment of dread in Iraq.
"I hate to see that," said an officer as soldiers filed out of the facility at an Anbar province forward operating base.
He didn't like it because commanders shut down the Internet and phone lines without notice if they take casualties. Military officials do not want families to find out of the death or wounding of a loved one via e-mail or a satellite phone call. "Most soldiers wouldn't do that, but who wants to take the chance?" said a coalition official.
In this case, the café wasn't closed for a casualty, but a power surge that crashed the system. It may have been the only time losing all data was greeted with a sigh of relief.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:07 AM | Comments (2)
Speak English and Get Great Cheesesteaks at Geno's in Philly
Joseph Vento, whose grandparents came from Italy, insists that customers at Geno's Steaks order in English. "Why should I have to bend?" he says.
Vento is also a huge supporter of the cause of Police Officer Danny Faulkner, who was murdered by Wesely Cook, AKA Mumia Abul Jamal. Many events and fund raisers have been helped by him and his establishment.
Eatery's English-only sign raises irePHILADELPHIA (Reuters)
A sign in a landmark Philadelphia restaurant asking customers to order in English is sparking controversy in the metropolis known as the "City of Brotherly Love."The owner of Geno's Steaks said on Thursday that the sign, "This is America -- when ordering speak English," is intended to encourage immigrants to learn the language and assimilate into U.S. society, but one Latino activist said it's racist.
The controversy comes amid a national debate over immigration in the United States. The U.S. Senate passed an immigration bill last month that includes a provision which would make English the national language.
"They should be glad that I put the sign up. I'm trying to help them to speak English," said Joey Vento, 66, whose grandparents moved to the United States from Italy. "Without the English language, they are going to have a lot of problems in this country.
"There is nobody who can say they are turned down because of the language," he added. "They can point if they want to."
The sign, which Vento posted at his cheese steak restaurant about six months ago and says he has no intention of removing, has made some people angry.
Roberto Santiago, executive director of Philadelphia's Council of Spanish Speaking Organizations, said he was "appalled" by the policy.
"I think what's coming out of his mouth is racist," said Santiago. "He is saying, 'I don't like these brown faces in my community and I will do everything I can to get them out of there.'"
Santiago said he has urged Latinos to boycott Geno's Steaks, a fixture in South Philadelphia's Little Italy neighborhood which has seen an influx of Hispanic immigrants in recent years.
Vento denied that anyone would be refused service if they ordered one of the sliced beef-and-cheese sandwiches, a famed bit of cuisine in the Quaker-founded "City of Brotherly Love," in a language other than English.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:05 AM | Comments (10)
June 09, 2006
Terrorists ~ Better Off Dead haha
Some reason's why Muslim terrorists are so quick to commit suicide. Let's see now. . . . .
No Jesus
No Christmas
No television
No cheerleaders
No baseball
No football
No hockey
No golf
No tailgate parties
No Wal-Mart
No Home Depot
No pork BBQ
No hot dogs
No burgers
No chocolate chip cookies
No lobster
No shellfish, or even frozen fish sticks
No gumbo
No jambalaya
No Beer
Rags for clothes and towels for hats.
Constant wailing from the guy next-door because he's sick and there are no doctors.
Constant wailing from the guy in the tower.
More than one wife.
You can't shave.
Your wives can't shave.
You can't shower to wash off the smell of donkey cooked over burning camel dung.
The women have to wear baggy dresses and veils at all times.
Your bride is picked by someone else.
She smells just like your donkey.
But your donkey has a better disposition.
Then they tell you that when you die it all gets better!
I mean, really, is there a mystery here?
Thank you Jack (Conservative Insurgents) for sending this to me.
Posted by Wild Thing at 06:45 PM | Comments (3)
Air Force Hero To Defend Accused Marines
Honored Veteran Takes Lead Defense Position
by Senior Correspondent Kevin R.C. "Hognose" O'Brien
Aero-News has learned that USAF Col (Retired) George Everett "Bud" Day MOH, one of the most highly decorated veterans of the Vietnam War, or of US history for that matter, has undertaken to defend "up to 20" Marines who have been accused of crimes up to and including murder in connection with an alleged massacre in Haditha, Iraq.
Col. Day is a veteran, peculiarly enough, of World War II as a Marine, and later of the Army, and then of Korea and Vietnam in the United States Air Force. In Vietnam, he started and led the Misty Super FAC program, which includes among its old boys Dick Rutan and several other aviation luminaries. In a tradition begun by Day, each Misty pilot had a unique numbered callsign beginning, of course, with Misty 1 (Day, of course; Rutan was Misty 40).
Day was marked for success in the Air Force early in his flying career, when he made a "no-chute" ejection from a doomed F-84F and survived. "I bailed out of a burning F-84 in 1957 in England," he wrote in response to an enquiry from the Free Fall Research Page. "My parachute did not open, but lucky for me I landed in the Queen's forest, and the riser cords of the chute wove in and out of the pine tree I fell in. I bailed out between 300 and 500 feet and lived."On August 24, 1967, then-Major Day was breaking in a new pilot on F-100F "Misty" "fast FAC" duty in the southern reaches of North Vietnam. He was instructing pilot Corwin Kippenham on how best to approach the target, a missile site, when their aircraft was hit. At over 500 knots it became a fireball.
Day ejected, followed by Kippenham, and they landed in North Vietnam near the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Vietnam. Day had a broken arm -- broken in three places -- and a dislocated knee, and the North Vietnamese grabbed him only a mile or so from where Kippenham boarded a helicopter to safety. Later Day escaped, only to be wounded by US fire when he slept too near an enemy artillery site, and ultimately recaptured after being wounded yet again.
In almost six years of captivity, Day endured unspeakable tortures, and, his fellow captives recall, drove his captors wild. In one case he responded to them by singing "the Star Spangled Banner," which earned him a particularly violent beating -- as the other prisoners all joined in, and the guards saw it as a loss of face.
There's no official list of most highly decorated veterans, but Day and Army Colonel Bob Howard are more or less tied for the top title. There was a more highly decorated veteran in World War II, though: Douglas Macarthur. In all, Day has a staggering 70 awards and decorations, not to mention such post-service honors as having the Sioux City Airport named after him.
After retiring from the Air Force in 1977, Bud Day put his long-dormant law degree to work and he has been a lawyer and an activist for veterans ever since. He has not always won, but government attorneys have come to fear him almost as much as the North Vietnamese prison guards did.
These days, the old warrior even sees a rosy side to his bleak years of captivity: "Freedom has a special taste!" His legal record is a formidable as his military record; he has frequently argued appellate cases, and has taken cases to the Supreme Court and argued them there.
While there has been much reaction to probable charges in the Haditha case, no details have been released, charges laid, nor defendants named by officialdom -- yet. But the defendants, whoever they may be -- and we hadn't heard numbers like "20" before -- will not lack effective counsel.
Wild Thing's comment.....
Thank you Col. Day, I believe in our Marines and all of our troops too! God Bless you Sir! God bless and keep our troops safe!
Posted by Wild Thing at 02:05 AM | Comments (5)
Embedded in Congress Coward Murtha Still At It
Excerpts from transcript of CNN's " Live Today", Thursday, June 8th,2006
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Fred, one of the most vocal critics of troops in Iraq is Congressman John Murtha. He -- last November, as recently as last November, asked -- called for U.S. troops to be withdrawn. He joins me now live with reaction to this death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Congressman, it is a pleasure to have you, an outspoken critic in this war, but a very big day for this administration. Is it fair to say that this attack and the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi wouldn't have happened if U.S. troops were not on the ground?
REP. JOHN MURTHA (D), PENNSYLVANIA: Well, I'm not sure about that. I'm not sure it was a bomb that killed him from the air. So I'm not sure about that … There's no question we can't win this militarily … I think the intelligence came from the Iraqis, as I understand it. Now, this is the early reports. And it came to the security forces and the Iraqis and then passed on to the Americans. So this was a key element. Whether they could have done this themselves in this isolated area, I don't know.
And this if from Wolf Blitzer on CNN, The Situation Room
Let's turn now to a strong critic of the president's policies, Democratic Congressman John Murtha of Pennsylvania. He's joining us live from Capitol Hill.
Congressman, thanks very much for joining us.
Your critics are already saying, you know what? If we would have listened to John Murtha, we would have never gotten Abu Musab al- Zarqawi. What do you say to that?
MURTHA: Well, let me tell you, Wolf, they too it from the air.
And the encouraging thing about what happened today is, you had information from the Iraqis go to the Iraqis, then go to the Americans. Now, this is a significant event, there's no question about it, to have gotten the top leader of al Qaeda.
You have got to remember, though, al Qaeda is a very small part of what is going on in Iraq. And you have got to be careful not to overestimate the impact this is going to have.
Naturally, we're delighted to get him. But, even more importantly, they announced the defense minister today. They announced the interior minister today -- and that intelligence flowing through the Iraqis to the U.S. forces. They could have done this from outside, just like I have -- I have been -- been suggesting right along.
The air came in and knocked it out, from every report that I have. So, you know, this is a significant event. I'm pleased. I compliment the troops about the way they handled it. I compliment the Iraqis. But we have got a long ways to go.
BLITZER: What does it do to your strategy, your recommendations, recommendations that the United States begin an orderly what you call redeployment from Iraq? What does today's event do...
MURTHA: Yes.
BLITZER: ... if anything, toward your thinking?
MURTHA: Well, it doesn't change my thinking a bit.I have said right along, we have become the enemy.
Wild Thing's comment.....
Murtha is just without concern for the troops. It is his way or the highway. I believe Murtha and the rest of the leaders of the Jackass Party want failure. It makes me sick to my stomach to think these people put their Jackass Party above our great Nation.
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:55 AM | Comments (12)
Zarqawi's Last Words ~ What's That Whistling Sound
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the al-Qaida leader in Iraq, was killed by 500-pound bombs dropped by two F-16 fighter jets on a house north of Baghdad, it was the result of intelligence information gathered, in part, by an elite task force of international special operations forces formed just a month ago with the express purpose of taking him out.
The "A-Team" created for the mission drew on the skills and expertise of U.S. Army Green Berets, "Tier 1" of Britain's Special Air Service and the Israeli Mossad.
The decision to form the unit was taken after a top-level conference between U.S. and British defense chiefs in Washington a month ago.
The unit was part of the already-secret Task Force Black run by Britain's MI6 out of coalition forces headquarters in Baghdad. Nicknamed "The Untouchables," it was given a no-holds barred brief in pursuit of Zarqawi in May.
To avoid detection, the team dressed in clothes bought from second-hand stalls in Baghdad's back-street markets. They regularly sprayed themselves with a pungent, sweat-smelling odor known as "souk scent." Each man wore contact lenses that turned their eye color brown or black. The goal was to permit them to look like any other Iraqi peasant as they hunted the most bloodthirsty killer in Iraq.
"The Untouchables" were assured in advance they need fear no investigation into their methods to bring Zarqawi to summary justice.
Though Zarqawi was done in ultimately by massive bombs delivered from high-tech fighters, the unit members were each equipped with L115A-353 sniper rifles that allowed them to kill at 1,000 yards. But the key to the mission was the fact that each made high-risk surveillance operations into normally no-go areas in Iraq.
While officially Israel denies any presence in Iraq, four Mossad assassins were assigned to serve with the unit.
"The Untouchables" also used thermal-imaging equipment to probe the "rat holes" the terror chief used as he flitted around Baghdad and other cities. They also had at their disposal a CIA-operated Predator unmanned aircraft able to provide a real-time video feedback of any area where Zarqawi was spotted.
Zarqawi boasted on his website of beheading innocent victims, including the murders of more than 1,000 British and American soldiers in Iraq over the past two years. Zarqawi also led terrorists that killed thousands of Iraqis through relentless suicide bombings and organized attacks. Many of the bombings were directed at large crowds of Shi'ites under a strategy U.S. and Iraqi officials said was designed to trigger a civil war.
Gen. Sir Timothy Granville-Chapman, Britain's vice chief of the defense staff, had told senior officers in Baghdad that "removing this terrorist will be a massive blow against al-Qaida." Maj. Gen. William Caldwell told a news conference today the big breakthrough that led to Zarqawi's location came while U.S. forces were trailing Zarqawi's spiritual adviser, Sheikh Abdul-Rahman.
"Through painstaking intelligence efforts we were able to start tracking him, monitoring his movements. ... Last night, he went to meet [Zarqawi] again at 6.15 pm when the decision was made to go ahead and strike that target," he added.
Zarqawi came from humble beginnings – a former street thug from Jordan. But he remained elusive despite several U.S. military offensives, a $25 million bounty on his head and the capture of what officials said were several of his aides.
Caldwell said an Egyptian militant trained in Afghanistan named Abu al-Masari, who established the first al-Qaida cell in Baghdad, may succeed Zarqawi as head of the group in Iraq.
"What everyone needs to understand is the strike last night did not occur in a 24-hour period," he said. "It truly was a very long, painstaking, deliberate exploitation of intelligence, information gathering, human sources, electronics, signal intelligence that was done over a period of time, many, many weeks."
There were six people in the house, including a woman and a child, but only Zarqawi and Abdul-Rahman have been identified.
Caldwell said important information was found at the location that led to 17 simultaneous raids later that night in Baghdad and its outskirts that uncovered a "treasure trove" of information.
But he cautioned against being overly optimistic because Zarqawi's followers still posed a threat.
"It's not the beginning or the end but it is a step forward," said Caldwell. "Ridding Iraq of Zarqawi will not instantaneously stop the violence."
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:47 AM | Comments (2)
D*E*A*D and Loving It!
This is my favorite one, Linda of Something ....and Half of Something made this graphic above, and it is perfect. heh heh I love it.
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Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (5)
June 08, 2006
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Dead ~ Thank you Troops!
Airstrike kills terror leader al-Zarqawi in Iraq
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the coalition's most wanted man in Iraq, was killed in an airstrike near Baquba, jubilant U.S. and Iraqi authorities announced Thursday.
"At 6:15 Baghdad time, Special Operations forces, acting on tips and intelligence from Iraqis, confirmed Zarqawi's location and delivered justice to the most wanted terrorist in Iraq," said President Bush during a White House statement.
Bush said al-Zarqawi's death gives Iraq a chance to "turn the tide" in the fight against the nation's insurgency.
Earlier, U.S. and Iraqi officials first announced the attack at a news conference in Iraq.
The 3-year-old insurgency has "lost its leader," said U.S. Gen. George Casey, the highest-ranking U.S. commander in Iraq. Casey was joined during the announcement by U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.
"Today," exclaimed the prime minister, "Zarqawi has been killed." The announcement was greeted by cheers and applause.
A Web site used by Al Qaeda in Iraq confirmed al-Zarqawi's death and urged its followers to continue the insurgent fight.
Another Web site used by the group issued a statement: "People of Islam, God will not let our enemies celebrate and spread corruption in the ground. Expect the right that was stolen to come back to us and destroy the Crusaders" -- an apparent reference to U.S. troops in Iraq.
CNN could not independently verify the authenticity of the Web messages.
Al-Zarqawi was the self-proclaimed leader of al Qaeda in Iraq who pledged allegiance to Osama bin Laden.
Rest os story HERE
Wild Thing's comment....
I love our troops! Thank you for all your hard work finding this piece of humuan flesh al-Zarqawi and taking him out.
Posted by Wild Thing at 07:55 AM | Comments (13)
Congressional Funding Stalemate Threatens Safety of Troops
Congressional funding stalemate threatens IED work
Stars and Stripes Mideast edition
ARLINGTON, Va. — Research into combating roadside bombs could be in jeopardy as lawmakers continue debate over the latest round of supplemental funding for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to a Pentagon official.
If Congress fails to pass this fiscal year’s Defense supplemental by the end of this month, the Defense Department would have to hold off funding “any new initiatives” to protect troops from roadside bombs, according to Defense Department spokesman Bryan Whitman. He defined new initiatives as “anything that requires new funding.”
House and Senate negotiators were scheduled to meet Tuesday night to craft compromise legislation on the supplemental funding issue.
The House’s emergency spending bill totals $93.2 billion, with about two-thirds of that to pay for military operations overseas. Another $20 billion would go for reconstruction efforts related to Hurricane Katrina.
In April, the Senate passed a $106.5 billion version, which included additional funds for things such as port security, agriculture disaster assistance and aid for industries affected by the hurricane.
The extra spending has come under fire from both the House and President Bush. Both versions call for $1.9 billion of additional funding for the Joint IED Defeat Organization, a group lead by retired Gen. Montgomery Meigs and tasked with combating the problem of roadside bombs in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Whitman said the Defense Department is close to its legal limit of transferring funds to fight the war on terrorism, but would not discuss other possible ways to fund the anti-IED efforts.
“We are squeezing money out of where we can and where we have sufficient authorities to do that,” Whitman said.
The Army has already announced spending cuts on spare parts, travel and transportation, and temporary civilian contractors due to the delay in the emergency spending bill’s passage.
Wild Thing's comment.......
The enemy believes that life has no meaning. They are eager to sacrifice their own life and take the life of anyone (women, children, our troops, etc.) who does not support their beliefs.
In contrast, the brave men and women of our armed forces have much to live for, and wish to return home to their family and a positive future.
Our troops need to aggressively defend their lives, by killing anyone perceived to present a lethal threat to them or the rest of their troop. Thus our Government needs to back them up 100% with whatever equipment they need, money they need, supplies they need to protect themselves as well as fight the enemy.
It would be not only a disgrace NOT to give our military whatever they need, make funds possible for protection it would be a catastrophe to the lives of our troops.
Give them what they need you mental midgets in Washington!
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (4)
Cher Supports Operation Helmet For Our Troops
Cher's War: Helmet Safety for Troops
Memorial Day weekend, Cher was fighting for American troops on C-SPAN. The legendary singer called into "Washington Journal" early Sunday morning -- 4:20 a.m. her time, to be exact.
"Hello? This is Malibu, California. I'm going to try to be really calm while I'm talking about this . . ." and she launched into a passionate argument for helmet safety upgrades for troops and her frustration with the government for not providing them to every soldier. Host Steve Scully recognized her famously husky voice.
"Is this Cher?" he asked.
"Yeah," she answered. "I know that I am an entertainer and from Hollywood and should have no conscience, but I am an American and I just cannot bear these people for another moment."
Her new cause is Operation Helmet, which has donated 6,850 of the liners to troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan since it was founded two years ago. Bob Meaders , a former Navy doctor, was asked by his Marine grandson to research the liners. He founded the nonprofit because he believes the liners offer better protection against brain injuries. The Army uses them, he says, but other branches of the military do not.
Meaders, 71, was sitting on his back porch in Texas earlier this year when Cher first called. She donated $25,000 to the organization last month and told C-SPAN she'll join Meaders on June 14 in Washington when he testifies about the helmet liners for the House Armed Services Committee.
"She has been a great supporter and good friend," he says. "I said, 'If you could stand behind and sing in case I get nervous, I'd feel more comfortable.' "
Letter from Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld
Interview with Lou Dobbs, CNN, 18 May 2006
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM
Oriana Fallaci Goes To Trail ~ Her Crime Is Insulting Islam
Writer facing jail for mosque threat
The Italian author Oriana Fallaci, who once wrote that Muslims "breed like rats", may be facing up to three years in prison after she vowed to blow up a mosque.
Ms Fallaci, 75, who has cancer, is due to appear in court next week charged with the lesser offence of vilifying Islam, punishable with a £3,450 fine.
But after her latest outburst in the New Yorker last week Muslim leaders are demanding that she be tried for inciting religious hatred, which carries a three-year jail term.
The former journalist, who has said she will not attend Monday's hearing in Bergamo, told the magazine that she intended to destroy a mosque being built at Colle di Val d'Elsa, near Siena.
"I do not want to see a 24-metre minaret in the landscape of Giotto when I cannot even wear a cross or carry a Bible in their country, so I blow it up!" she said. In a trilogy of books published after the attacks of September 11, Ms Fallaci lamented the Islam "invasion" into Europe.
Judge Armando Grasso ruled in a preliminary hearing that Ms Fallaci had made 18 statements "offensive to Islam and Muslims".
Following her most recent comments, Adel Smith, the president of the Italian Muslim Union, said he would press for the sterner charge of inciting religious hatred.
Wild Thing's comment......
Here are some quotes by her from the past that I have saved. I think she is aweseome!
“But we cannot escape. We can confront the monster with honor, with courage; and by remembering the words that Churchill said to the English when he went to war against Hitler’s Nazism. He said “We will pour out tears and blood.” Oh, yes: we too will pour out tears and blood. We are at war: do we or do we not want to get this through our heads ! And in war, you cry ! Period." – Oriana Fallaci
"Resignation leads to apathy. Apathy leads to inertia. Inertia leads to indifference. Indifference paralyzes the instinct for self-defense, that is, the instinct to fight back."
"Can anybody guess how many cemeteries of Allied soldiers there are in Italy? More than sixty. And the largest, the most crowded, are the American ones. At Nettuno, 10,950 graves. At Falciani, near Florence, 5,811. Each time I pass in front of it and see that lake of crosses, I shiver with grief and gratitude."-Oriana
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:14 AM | Comments (5)
June 07, 2006
Tim McGirk Lover of Terrorists
From National Geographic
"I found that people were more open to me when I dressed like them because the Pashtuns basically haven't changed their habits, customs, and dress for hundreds of years. So I grew a beard, wore long flowing clothes, and got a turban, which the warriors accompanying us often had to help me tie. However, when I traveled with the American military, I dusted off my Western clothes and put them on because, naturally, I didn't want to look like someone they'd be shooting at."
....Hey Tim FUCK YOU! - ---Wild Thing
Who is Tim McGirk?
The reporter who supposedly first broke the Haditha story ....."One Morning in Haditha"....Time Magazine...Mar. 27, 2006 ..............for the western media was Tim McGirk. Tim McGirk is a graduate of Berkeley, class of 1974.
Tim McGirk who celebrated Thanksgiving with the Taliban just two months after 9.11.
Saturday, Nov. 24, 2001 Thanksgiving With the Taliban TIME correspondent Tim McGirk shares bread, raisins, and thoughts about the afterlife with some Taliban fighters, and finds some common groundBy TIM MCGIRK
"There was a genuine Thanksgiving glow about the meal. The bread is good, and more Taliban fighters come in to partake. One of them, a little man with a beard like a troll's, says he's Mullah Mohammed Omar's nephew. But he hasn't seen his uncle much lately: the Taliban supreme commander has been awfully busy since Sept. 11."
"I leave thinking that maybe this evening wasn't very different from the original Thanksgiving: people from two warring cultures sharing a meal together and realizing, briefly, that we're not so different after all."
Still, look at the sources Mr. McGirk courageously interviewed by email:
In the ensuing weeks, McGirk and TIME’s Baghdad staff members interviewed more than a dozen Haditha locals by e-mail (travel between Baghdad and Haditha is exceedingly dangerous for Iraqis, let alone foreign journalists), including the mayor, the morgue doctor and a local lawyer who negotiated a settlement between the Marines and the families…
The "mayor" is the mayor of the Sunni insurgent stronghold where only 150 people out of 90,000 dared to vote in the Oct. 15 constitutional referendum. The mayor holds his job solely at the pleasure of the terrorists who are in total control of Haditha.
The "morgue doctor," Dr. Walid Abdul-Khaleq al-Obeidi, claims to have been arrested, held prisoner for a week and brutally beaten by US troops. From his remarks in interviews it is clear he hates the US. And of course he too only holds his job as the head of the Haditha hospital at the sufferance of the Sunni "insurgents." Also Abdul Wahab Al Obeidi is an advisory board member of the BRussells Tribunal, which is an ultra radical terrorist-supporting organization.
The "local lawyer," Khaled Salem Rsayef, claims to have had several relatives murdered by the Marines. He also wants further compensation for himself and his clients. Which he will surely get if the Marines are found guilty.
Wild Thing's comment......
This terrorist loving liberal scum Tim McGirk got his info from the neighborhood residents, the same neighborhood where the terrorists came from, live etc.
I just keep thinking of our troops and of their families. How hard this has to be for them. I always want to fix everything, and make things that are sad go away. This is not only sad it is outrages what is being lied about by people that would not tell the truth no matter what.
They DO remind of the left because they lie when they do not have to, they hate our military, they are bent on destroying America, both the left and the terrorists from within since we give in to the BS of the Muslims with their schools and mosques where they teach hate. Give in to the left by not punishing them for their treason to America i.e. Jane Fonda, John Kerry, John Murtha, Bill Clinton and others.
I pray for our troops, I pray they KNOW those of us are here for them. That they know we do not prejudge them like Murtha has and others. That we are so very grateful to them for all they do for us, and for America. Thank you!
And YOU Tim McGirk can absolutely BURN in freaken hell!
Posted by Wild Thing at 02:55 AM | Comments (9)
Why Is It That We Have To Speak English?
Why Is It That We Have To Speak English?
A U.S. Navy Admiral was attending a Naval conference that included admirals from the U.S., English, Canadian, Australian and French Navies.
At a cocktail reception, he found himself standing with a group of half dozen or so officers that included personnel from most of the countries.
Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped their drinks but a French admiral suddenly complained that, whereas Europeans learn many languages, Americans learn only English. He then asked: "Why is it that we always have to speak English in these conferences rather than speaking French?"
Without hesitating, the American Admiral replied: "Maybe it's because the Brits, Canadians, Aussies and Americans arranged it so you wouldn't have to speak German."
Suddenly the group became very quiet.
* Thank you Jack of Conservative Insurgent for sending this to me. I love it!
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (10)
June 06, 2006
England Afraid To Fly Its Own Flag
Following threats by extremist Islamic group, several corporations, chain of pubs ban England flag
Following warnings by extremist Islamic group al-Muhajiroun, in which the group said that the red cross in the England flag symbolizes the 'blood thirsty crusaders' and the occupation of Muslims, some of the largest companies in England have ordered their workers not to wave the flags.
The flag has recently appeared in England on everything from bikinis to cars, and sold in endless versions in stores.
But the Islamic protest forced some corporations, such as cable companies NTL, and even the Drivers and Vehicles Licensing Agency to ban the flag in every form due to fears from reactions of Muslims.
The Sun tabloid newspaper has in recent days launched a campaign to bring back the flag, and has published a blacklist of companies preventing their workers from expressing their patriotism at work.
The Sun said that a large pub network has banned drinkers from entering with symbols of the national team.
The hero of the day is a two year-old toddler, who was thrown out with his parents from Leicester, because he wore the England team's uniform.
Wild Thing's comment.......
Can I hear a GOOD Grief!?!?! I bet Churchill is about to leap out of his grave. If Muslims are so easily offended by the sight of a British flag while they're in Britain, they should leave.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:00 PM | Comments (17)
D-Day ~ Never Forget
It was on 6th June 1944 that Operation Overlord - the long anticipated Allied invasion of Nazi-held Europe - went into action. What came to be known as the 'D-day landings'.
On the French beaches and in those hedgerows, many making the ultimate sacrifice. Over two thousand Americans, British, Canadians, and Australians died that first day, trading their lives for a single ambition...so we could live free.
The allied commander of the D-Day invasion, Gen Dwight D Eisenhower gives the order of the Day.
"Full victory - nothing else" to paratroopers in England, just before they board their airplanes to participate in the first assault in the invasion of the continent of Europe.
….”In some sectors the area was so heavily occupied by the Germans the paratroopers were fired upon while in the plane, in decent, and after landing... Many men were wounded or killed during one phase or another... The illumination created by fires on the ground was a death sentence if you were caught in an open field... This great confusion created by the troopers, moving in all directions, completely baffled the Germans in that they could not establish how many allied paratroopers had landed, or determine where our front line was. The fact that we were scattered over many miles, (mistakenly,) became advantageous to our mission..”
The first wave of assault troops of the 29th Infantry Division, it was four rifle companies landing on a hostile shore at H-hour, D-Day - 6:30 a.m., on June 6, 1944
The long-awaited liberation of France was underway. After long months in England, National Guardsmen from Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia found themselves in the vanguard of the Allied attack. In those early hours on the fire-swept beach the 116th Infantry Combat Team, the old Stonewall Brigade of Virginia, clawed its way through Les Moulins draw toward its objective, Vierville-sur-Mer. It was during the movement from Les Moulins that the battered but gallant 2d Battalion broke loose from the beach, clambered over the embankment, and a small party, led by the battalion commander, fought its way to a farmhouse, which became its first Command Post in France.
The 116th suffered more than 800 casualties this day - a day that will long be remembered as the beginning of the Allies' "Great Crusade" to rekindle the lamp of liberty and freedom on the continent of Europe. They were part of the part of the National Guard
"Members of an American landing party lend helping hands to other members of their organization whose landing craft was sunk be enemy action of the coast of France. These survivors reached Utah Beach, near Cherbourg, by using a life raft".
General Cota was second in command of the 29th Infantry Division. He had little faith in the accuracy of air and naval bombardment, thought it would do little good, and had wanted to make the landing under cover of darkness.
Cota landed at 0730 with the main command group of the 116th, Company K. Several in his LCVP were killed immediately as the ramp went down. When Cota got to the sea wall he made an immediate and critical command decision. He saw at once that the plan to go up the draws was obsolete. It simply could not be done. Nor could the men stay where they were. They had to get over the shingle, get through the heavily mined swamp, and climb the bluff to drive the Germans from their trenches and take the draws from the inland side.
Lieutenant Shea described Cota's actions:
"Exposing himself to enemy fire, General Cota went over the seawall giving encouragement, directions, and orders to those about him, personally supervised the placing of a BAR, and brought fire to bear on some of the enemy positions on the bluff that faced them. Finding a belt of barbed wire inside the seawall, General Cota personally supervised placing a bangalore torpedo for blowing the wire and was one of the first three men to go through the wire. At the head of a mixed column of troops he threaded his way to the foot of the high ground beyond the beach and started the troops up the high ground where they could bring effective fire to bear on the enemy positions."
Although the lead elements of the assault had been on the beach for almost an hour, none had progressed farther than the seawall. Most were clustered under the wall, pinned down by machine-gun fire. The beach was jammed with dead and wounded. General Cota had landed to fine a completely stalled attack. He went to work immediately.
Once on the beach, General Cota did move from group to group, encouraging the men to begin to move.
"Don't die on the beaches, die up on the bluff if you have to die, but get off the beaches or you're sure to die."
Cota found Schneider at his CP. Cota remained standing, even with the German firing; Schneider also stood up to converse. One witness remembers Cota saying to Schneider,"We're counting on your rangers to lead the way."
Father Joe Lacy
Father Lacy was described by one of the Rangers as a "small, old, fat Irishman." But there he was, on the beach that first terrible morning, tending to the wounded.
The Rangers had insisted that he would never be able to keep up with them in combat. They were finely tuned and in great physical shape, he was not. But he had insisted in coming along. On the transport on the night of June 5-6, he told the others:
"When you land on the beach and you get in there, I don't want to see anybody kneeling down and praying. If I do I'm gonna come up and boot you in the tail. You leave the praying to me and you do the fighting."
Once on the beach, the men saw Father Lacy:
"go down to the water's edge and pull the dead, dying, and wounded from the water and put them in relatively protected positions. He didn't stop at that, but prayed for them and with them, gave comfort to the wounded and dying. A real man of god."
On D-Day strange canvas covered bathtub looking vehicles came in from the ocean and landed on the beach. The vehicles were Sherman tanks fitted with a flotation device, which allowed them to drive off an LCT and into the ocean, and then navigate to the beach. One tank driver later said, "I still remember very vividly some of the machine gunners standing up in their posts looking at us with their mouths wide open."
These tanks were the brainchild of Maj. General Percy Hobart of the British Army. The floating tank, These tanks were the brainchild of Maj. General Percy Hobart of the British Army.
The Real "Saving Private Ryan" & Colonel Vandervoort
Ste,-Mere-Eglise was a quiet village with a couple of hundred gray stone houses. It was a village in which nothing much of consequence had happened for ten centuries. The road N-13 ran through the village, heading north to Cherbourg and east to Caen and onto Paris. Without the use of N-13 the Germans to the north would be cut off. If the Americans lost control many paratroopers would be cut off and the 4th Infantry Division would be unable to move off the beach to the west and north. Because of this the battle for the little village took on a great importance.
Colonel Vandervoort, despite a broken ankle during the parachute drop and having to be moved around in a wheelbarrow, moved his battalion into the village. Between them and another battalion, they did not have the men form a complete defensive perimeter so they decided to only defend both ends of the main road.
About 1pm on D-Day a Frenchman rode his bicycle up to them and announced in English that some American paratroopers were bringing in a large contingent of German prisoners from the north. Sure enough, when Vandervoort looked in that direction there was a column of troops marching in good order right down the middle of N-13, with what appeared to be paratroopers on either side of them waving orange flags (the American recognition signal on D-day).
Vandervoort grew suspicious when he noticed two tracked vehicles at the rear of the column. He told one of his men to fire a short machine gun burst to the right of the column. Sure enough the "prisoners" and "paratroopers" both jumped into ditches and began to return fire. The Germans outnumbered the Americans five to one and began to flank his position. He sent for reinforcements and ordered the men to begin a fighting withdrawal.
Finally only sixteen of his forty three men were in a condition to fight and they were preparing for a "last stand". Then a medic volunteered to stay behind and look after the wounded. Pvt. Julius Sebastain, Cpl. Ray Smithson, and Sgt. Robert Niland offered to form a rearguard to cover the retreat of the remainder of the platoon. The three were able to put up an energetic defense that actually stopped the German advance for a time and allowed the others to escape.
The twenty-eight badly wounded men which were left behind along with two of the three volunteers who stayed behind were captured. The third volunteer, Sgt. Bob Niland, was killed at his machine gun. One of his brothers, a platoon leader in the 4th Division, was killed the same morning at Utah Beach. Another brother was killed that week in Burma. Mrs. Niland received all three telegrams from the War Department announcing their deaths on the same day. Her fourth son, Fritz, was in the 101st Airborne and was pulled out of the front lines by the Army.
Lt. Col. Ben Vandervoort, and his 2nd Battalion (505th PIR, 82nd Airborne Division) later saw action at the Nijmegen bridge in Operation Market Garden (movie: A Bridge Too Far). His battalion was assigned to take the west end of the Nijmegen bridge while Maj. Julian Cook's 3rd Battalion took the east end, crossing the river in the small boats.
The 82nd was to then later play a major role in the defense of the allied position during the Battle of the Bulge.
St. Mere Eglise ,was the principal objective of the 82nd Airborne on the early morning of June 6. It was the site of three days of intense fighting as the Germans repeatedly counter attacked in attempts to retake the strategic town from the occupying American paratroopers. The village is perhaps best remembered for its church, in the center of the town square, where Paratrooper John Steel of the 505th PIR became trapped when his parachute was ensnared by a steeple. He watched helplessly as the rest of his company was killed by the waiting Germans.
The stained-glass windows of the church are a tribute to those who liberated St. Mere Eglise:
* At the upper left are airborne wings.
* At the upper right is the parachute and glider that made up the badge of American Airborne Command.
* The lower left cut-out shows the insignia of the 82nd Airborne Division (AA for "All American Division").
* The faint parachutes at the lower right are a constant motif in the windows.
* The symbol of the Free French (the Cross of Lorraine) is shown bottom center.
Wild Thing's comment .......
We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to those who gave their lives in this giant struggle and to those who were lucky enough to come back home.We can only imagine the horror and the dying that took place. We need to perpetuate their story of sacrifice and glory for as long as we live.
Can you see the thousands of ships offshore that formed the most powerful armada that the world has ever seen? A huge salvo is being laid down prior to the invasion. Troops climb down rope ladders into landing craft. Many invasion force craft are circling around, grouping up, just before they make their final drive for the beach.
The Germans are entrenched in concrete bunkers and gun emplacements and are shelling the approaching landing craft. Many men never make it to the beach, but instead die in the churning surf. Those who do get to the beach and tumble out of their craft are subject to horrendous machine gun fire from pillboxes that rake the entire shore. There are the dead and the dying.
Valiant army engineers mount a superhuman effort to blow a hole in the concrete barricade so troops can move inland, away from the murderous fire coming from above them.
Those first few hours must have indeed been some of the longest ever faced by bold and courageous men. May their honor and sacrifice not be forgotten, and may this event in history go down not as just about death and dying, but as a turning point for the world, toward peace. God willing, it will never have to be repeated.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (6)
Kerry 180
Hanoi Kerry was still a USNR officer while he:
gave false hearsay testimony to Congress
negotiated with the enemy
helped the US lose a war
abetted in the deaths of millions
created a hostile environment for all servicemen
Why is Kerry still in the US Senate?
This is in violation of
U.S. Constitution Amendment 14 Sec 3 (1868)
Section 3. No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress,
or elector of President and Vice President,
or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States,
or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath,
as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States,
or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer
of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States,
shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same,
or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.
But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.
The FBI has proof of his giving aid and comfort to the enemies
Hanoi Kerry Timeline of a traitor includes FBI files
May 1970
Kerry and Julia traveled to Paris, France and met with Madame Nguyen Thi Binh, the Foreign Minister of the Provisional Revolutionary Government of Vietnam (PRG), the political wing of the Vietcong, and other Viet Cong and Communist Vietnamese representatives to the Paris peace talks, a trip he now calls a "fact-finding" mission.
(U.S. code 18 U.S.C. 953, declares it illegal for a U.S. citizen to go abroad and negotiate with a foreign power.)
a) A person charged with absence without leave or missing movement in time of war,
or with any offense punishable by death, may be tried at any time without limitation.
904. ART. 104. AIDING THE ENEMY
(1) aids, or attempts to aid, the enemy with arms, ammunition, supplies, money, or other things; or
(2) without proper authority, knowingly harbors or [protects or gives intelligence to or communicates or corresponds with or holds any intercourse with the enemy, either directly or indirectly;
shall suffer death or such other punishment as a court-martial or military commission may direct.
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 12:47 AM | Comments (4)
June 05, 2006
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)
Foreword by Heidi at Euphoric Reality
From Spanish-speaking illegal workers, to angry tenured professors and arrogant politicians, we are hearing more and more tenets and demands from a movement called Reconquista. The movement, once dismissed as extreme racist rhetoric, has rapidly gained traction and momentum among millions of ill-educated illegal aliens and well-established Mexicans alike. Reconquista gives voice to the angry demands of present-day Mexicans who mistakenly think they have indigenous rights to the land of the Southwestern United States - which they claim was "stolen" by an imperialist American government. The centerpiece of their agenda is the mythical Aztlan.
In the spirit of a new people that is conscious not only of its proud historical heritage but also of the brutal "gringo" invasion of our territories, we, the Chicano inhabitants and civilizers of the northern land of Aztlan from whence came our forefathers, reclaiming the land of their birth and consecrating the determination of our people of the sun, declare that the call of our blood is our power, our responsibility, and our inevitable destiny.
"From whence came our forefathers...?" Nothing could be further from the truth - not that the facts matter much in their efforts to further "La Raza" - or The Race. Using racially-charged arguments to batter at the traditional guilt mentality of Americans, proponents of Aztlan aim to "reconquer" the Southwestern United States as their due. Apparently, they fail to understand that the tribes of present-day Mexico never inhabited the Southwest U.S., nor for the most part did Mexicans themselves - it was mostly open land [frontier] except for northern Native Americans (as you will see below).
A manifest destiny has been embraced by many within mainstreamed advocacy groups in America such as La Raza, LULAC, and most commonly MECHa, the radical student organization which has specifically embraced the tenets of Atzlan. "Por La Raza todo, Fuera de La Raza nada," is translated as "For the Race, everything, for those outside of the Race, nothing." Though that singular statement seems to sum up the demands of today's angry illegal Mexican aliens, there is much more to their Plan to restore Aztlan:
Aztlan belongs to those who plant the seeds, water the fields, and gather the crops and not to the foreign Europeans. We do not recognize capricious frontiers on the bronze continentLove for our brothers makes us a people whose time has come and who struggles against the foreigner "gabacho" who exploits our riches and destroys our culture ... Economic control of our lives and our communities can only come about by driving the exploiter out of our communities, our pueblos, and our lands and by controlling and developing our own talents, sweat, and resources.
Education must be relative to our people, i.e., history, culture, bilingual education, contributions, etc.
Self-defense of the community must rely on the combined strength of the people ... For the very young there will no longer be acts of juvenile delinquency, but revolutionary acts.
A nation autonomous and free - culturally, socially, economically, and politically- will make its own decisions on the usage of our lands, the taxation of our goods, the utilization of our bodies for war, the determination of justice (reward and punishment), and the profit of our sweat.
So there is a Plan for Reconquista. But do these emotional and racial claims have any historical basis?
Clearing Up A Misconception About Reconquista
by Loma Alta
Introduction.
Spain conquered what was to become modern Mexico and part of the southwestern United States in 1521. Spanish rule lasted 300 years until 1821 when Mexico gained independence. Mexico ruled what is now part of the southwestern United States for a very, very short time. Mexico ruled Texas from 1821 until 1836, some 16 years. Mexico ruled California from 1821 until 1846, 26 years. Mexico ruled most of New Mexico from 1821 until 1848, 28 years, and the southern most portions of Arizona and New Mexico until purchased by the United States in 1853, 33 years. The United States began ownership of these territories in 1845 (Texas), 1846 (California), and 1848-1853 (New Mexico and Arizona). Thus the United States has owned this land since 1845-1853, 153-162 years.
The ownership has thus been: Spanish 1521-1821 or 300 years; Mexican 1821-36 to 1853 or 16 to 33 years; and American 1845-1853 or 154 to 162 years. Almost all development and modernization came under United States ownership. Please see Spain, Mexico, Texas, California, and New Mexico-Arizona for more details.
Comparison of Ownership Time and Development.
Spain owned the area for 300 years and operated it as a colony. The central area, and most developed part was around Mexico City with much of the current southwestern United States being the frontier, relatively undeveloped, and subject to Indian raids and predations. The situation was much the same in the very, very short period, 16-33 years, of Mexican ownership. With the United States ownership, 154 to 162 years, beginning as territories, exploration and development proceeded rapidly and modern civilization came with, or shortly after, statehood.
The Absurdity of Reconquista.
Whether by time of ownership or degree of development and civilization, Mexico had virtually no temporal or civil weight of authority in the southwestern United States. Mexico never really established military or civil control over the area and it was never really a normal part of Mexico, but was always the frontier with vast expanses of nearly unexplored and lightly inhabited regions far from Mexican rule and authority. So tenuous, unpopular, and corrupt was Mexico’s presence and claim to the areas, and the Mexican government so hated by American and Mexican pioneers alike, that they only lasted from 16 to 33 years.
Thus, Reconquista is another myth, promulgated for racist reasons (it is the spawn of Mexican supremacist groups such as La Raza - literally “the Race”) much as the Germans’ “Lebensraum”, or living space, was for the master race. And, Reconquista is equally racist and equally the deranged product of irrational hate groups.
Therefore, we can dismiss the concept of “Reconquista” as a racist, hate group concept that has no place in America, or in any other just and tolerant society or country. There is no need to give any credence whatsoever to the false and meritless claims of any moral attachment to territory by radical, racist groups. They are as phony as last year's bird's nest.
Posted by Wild Thing at 08:55 AM | Comments (2)
The President of Greatness Ronald Reagan
Today June 5, 2006 is the anniversary of the death of President Ronald Reagan. He walked the high ground and stayed the course. This is to honor President Reagan and to show my gratitude for his strengths.
Below are some quotes by Ronald Reagan.
- Wild Thing
"I don't think you can overstate the importance that the rise of Islamic fundamentalism will have to the rest of the world in the century ahead-especially if, as seems possible, its most fanatical elements get their hands on nuclear and chemical weapons and the means to deliver them against their enemies." --Ronald Reagan
"So, let me today speak for a united people. Let me say simply: We're Americans. We love this country. We love what she stands for, and we will always defend her.... We live for freedom -- our own, our children's -- and we will always stand ready to sacrifice for that freedom." - President Ronald Reagan, Remarks at the Annual Convention of the American Bar Association, July 8, 1985.
" We dare not shirk our responsibility to keep America free, secure, and at peace."- Ronald Reagan, State of the Union Address, January 25, 1984.
"We must restore America's ability to defend itself and fulfill its responsibilities as a trustee of freedom and peace in the world..." - President Ronald Reagan, Radio Address to the Nation on Administration Policies, August 25, 1984.
"There must be no wavering by us, nor any doubts by others, that America will meet her responsibilities to remain free, secure, and at peace."- Ronald Reagan, Second Inaugural Address, January 21, 1985.
"In this storm-tossed world of terrorists and totalitarians, America must always champion freedom, for freedom is the one tide that will lead us to the safe and open harbor of peace. "- Ronald Reagan, State of the Union Address, January 25, 1986.
"We Americans make no secret of our belief in freedom. In fact, it’s something of a national pastime." - Ronald Reagan, speech at Moscow State University, May 31, 1988.
"Every lesson of history tells us that appeasement does not lead to peace. It invites an aggressor to test the will of a nation unprepared to meet that test. And tragically, those who seemingly want peace the most, our young people, pay the heaviest price for our failure to maintain our strength. "- Governor Ronald Reagan, Speech, Sept. 15, 1972.
"Above all, we must realize that no arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women. It is a weapon our adversaries in today's world do not have." - President Ronald Reagan, First Inaugural Address, January 20, 1981.
"However, our task is far from over. Our friends in the other party will never forgive us for our success, and are doing everything in their power to rewrite history. Listening to the liberals, you'd think that the 1980's were the worst period since the Great Depression, filled with suffering and despair. I don't know about you, but I'm getting awfully tired of the whining voices from the White House these days. They're claiming there was a decade of greed and neglect, but you and I know better than that. We were there. "- President Ronald Reagan, RNC Annual Gala, Feb. 3, 1994
"There was a time when our national security was based on a standing army here within our borders and shore batteries of artillery along our coasts, and of course, a navy to keep the sea-lanes open for the shipping of things
necessary to our well-being. The world has changed. Today, our national security can be threatened in faraway places. It's up to all of us to be aware of the strategic importance of such places and to be able to identify them."
--Ronald Reagan
"We stand here on the only island of freedom that is left in the whole world. There is no place left to flee to ... no place to escape to. We defend freedom here or it is gone. There is no place for us to run, only to make a stand.
And if we fail, I think we face telling our children, and our children's children, what it was we found more precious than freedom. Because I am sure someday -- if we fail in this -- there will be a generation that will ask."
--Ronald Reagan
He had a great sense of humor:
"My fellow Americans, I am pleased to tell you I just signed legislation which outlaws Russia forever. The bombing begins in five minutes."- Ronald Reagan, Said during a radio microphone test, 1984"
He also loved his country:
"The house we hope to build is not for my generation but for yours. It is your future that matters. And I hope that when you are my age, you will be able to say as I have been able to say: We lived in freedom. We lived lives that were a statement, not an apology."
* Something.....and Half of Something
* Portia Rediscovered
* A Mom and Her Blog
* MVRWC
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:27 AM | Comments (4)
Veterans who've had enough of Murtha!
A few veterans have started a new site, called Vets for Irey. It is just an upstart so is small right now, but I'm sure will catch a lot of steam as November approaches.
I recommend that if you're a vet (even if you're not), make a visit and support this.
"IF YOU DON'T STAND BEHIND OUR TROOPS, PLEASE, FEEL FREE TO STAND IN FRONT OF THEM !" Source: Unknown Veteran
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:04 AM | Comments (6)
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Say What?
Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivers a speech on the 17th anniversary of death of the late revolutionary founder Ayatollah Khomeini, in his mausoleum just outside Tehran, Iran, Sunday, June 4, 2006. Khamenei, warned Sunday that energy supplies from the Gulf region would be disrupted if Iran came under attack from the United States and insisted his country would not give up the right to produce nuclear fuel. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
TEHRAN, Iran - Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Sunday that Western accusations Iran seeks nuclear weapons are a "sheer lie," and he declared that attempts to punish Tehran would jeopardize the world's oil supply.
The implied threat was dismissed by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who said Iran was too dependent on oil revenues to disrupt the flow of crude. She also put Iran on notice that the incentives offered by the West to suspend its nuclear program are not open-ended, although she declined to say Tehran had a firm deadline to respond.
Khamenei, who has the final say on all state matters, made his comments in a speech broadcast live on state radio.
"If you make any mistake (punish or attack Iran), definitely shipment of energy from this region will be seriously jeopardized," Khamenei said, addressing Western nations.
Khamenei said the United States and its allies would be unable to secure oil shipments passing out of the Gulf through the strategic Strait of Hormuz to the Indian Ocean. At its narrowest point, the strait separating Iran from the Arabian peninsula is 44 miles wide.
"You will never be able to protect the energy supply in this region. You will not be able to do it," he said.
Khamenei, however, did not specify how oil supplies would be disrupted, and he insisted to the assembled throng that Iran would not be "the initiator of war."
In a television interview later Sunday, Rice sought to play down Khamenei's remarks.
"I think that we shouldn't place too much emphasis on a threat of this kind," she said on "Fox News Sunday." "Obviously it would be a very serious problem for Iran if oil were to be disrupted on the market."
Last week, Rice said the United States was prepared to join the European Union and Germany in negotiations with Iran only if Tehran agreed to stop enriching uranium. The Western nations fear Iran is using what it calls a peaceful civilian nuclear program as a cover to build atomic weapons.
Khamenei said Iran was not a threat to any country.
"We have not threatened any neighbor," he said, calling the accusation that Iran is seeking an atom bomb "a sheer lie."
"It's against Islamic teachings," he said.
However, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad repeatedly has questioned Israel's right to exist and said in October the Jewish state should be "wiped off the map." Israel is believed to possess the world's sixth-largest nuclear arsenal.
Khamenei's harsh rhetoric came a day after Ahmadinejad said a breakthrough in negotiations was possible. He welcomed the U.S. offer to join talks but rejected preconditions. Ahmadinejad attended Khamenei's speech Sunday.
Contrary to Khamenei's remarks, other Iranian officials have repeatedly ruled out using oil as weapon. Iran is the world's fourth-largest oil exporter and has the second-largest reserves in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.
Iranian political analyst Saeed Leilaz said Khamenei's remarks were more important for what he did not say.
"He didn't close the door for dialogue or understanding with the U.S.," Leilaz said. "Khamenei even didn't close the door for possibility of Iran suspending uranium enrichment. Iran is after maximum concessions from America."
Rajabali Mazrouei, a former reformist lawmaker and political analyst, said Iran would be unable to close the strait.
"Khamenei's comments should be assessed as part of usual exchange harsh of rhetoric between Iran and the United States," he said. "Iran is in a position to temporarily disrupt oil shipments from the region but it will not be in a position to close the Strait of Hormuz permanently."
Khamenei's remarks appeared to reflect a deep concern for his country's future energy supplies. Despite its huge oil reserves, Iran already must import a large portion of the gasoline and diesel it needs because domestic refinery capacity is insufficient.
"That a country has no right to achieve proficiency in nuclear technology means it has to beg a few Western and European countries for energy in the next 20 years," he said. "Which honest leader is ready to accept this?"
After months of threats and counter-threats, Washington said last week it was prepared to join talks with Iran if it stopped enriching uranium, which can produce fuel for electricity-generating reactors or, if sufficiently processed, the fissile core for a warhead.
In conjunction with the U.S. offer, the five permanent U.N. Security Council members and Germany drew up a fresh economic incentive package for Iran last week but made it conditional on an end to enrichment. Iran could face sanctions if it declines the package.
Ahmadinejad said the Iranians would study the offer carefully but rejected preconditions.
Rice said the offer is not open-ended.
"I'm not one for timelines and specific schedules, but I think it's fair to say that we really do have to have this settled over a matter of weeks, not months," she said.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:01 AM
June 04, 2006
The “No Right Answer” Game
Inspired by “ The Wrong Army,” by Jeff Edwards, USN, Ret., warrior and novelistThe “No Right Answer” Game
America’s forces have won all their wars,
From Revolution to war in Iraq;
And Lefties don’t point to the Vietnam War,
Where you stabbed winning troops in the back.
No, the truth is we win; we win time and again;
Done it time after time after time.
Doesn’t matter to you, ‘cause whatever we do,
We’ve always somehow dropped the dime.To Lefties our generals just have to be wrong,
Wrong tactics, wrong weapons, wrong forces;
We’re the gang who somehow can never shoot straight,
To hear the mainstream media sources.
Just look at their headlines, view every day’s news,
With their blistering barrages of blame.
To warriors out here at the point of the spear,
It’s those losers’ “No Right Answer,” game.In this lugubrious game loved by Liberal elites,
There’s just but one rule to enforce:
Whatever we do, in whatever war,
Must naturally be wrong of course.
There is no right answer, no matter what,
Even when our warriors are winning;
There’s always the sly implication we lie,
In the splenetic stories they’re spinning.In peacetime they charge our forces too large
During wartime they squall they’re too small;
In peacetime they whine we’re spending too much;
But in war, “Where’s the armor for all?”
With consummate confidence they know what’s best,
Puerile pundits so smug and so smarmy,
Pontificate loud to their Liberal crowd,
That we once again have the wrong Army.Pick a war, any war, or a period of peace;
Field marshals of the media are spinning;
If generals of journalism are so in the know,
Why are genuine generals winning?
So here at the front, harsh home of the grunt,
We ignore their attempts to defame.
The troops know the score, know what this war’s for;
They can stuff their “No Right Answer,” game.SSGT Russ Vaughn
2d Bn, 327th Parachute Infantry Regiment
101st Airborne Division
Vietnam 65-66
Wild Thing's comment......
God bless all our troops! I love this poem and I agree, those like Murtha and the left and ANYONE that does not get that this is the time to stand up for our troops to be supportive of them more then ever can get the hell out of dodge!
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:47 AM | Comments (6)
Canada Stops Terrorist's Inspired By Al-Qaida
Canada nabs 17 terror suspects in Toronto
TORONTO - Canadian police foiled a homegrown terrorist attack by arresting 17 suspects, apparently inspired by al-Qaida, who obtained three times the amount of an explosive ingredient used in the Oklahoma City bombing, officials said Saturday.
"These individuals were allegedly intent on committing acts of terrorism against their own country and their own people," Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in a statement. "As we have said on many occasions, Canada is not immune to the threat of terrorism."
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police arrested 12 adult suspects, ages 43 to 19, and five suspects younger than 18 on terrorism charges including plotting attacks with explosives on Canadian targets. The suspects were either citizens or residents of Canada and had trained together, police said.
The group acquired three tons of ammonium nitrate — three times the amount used to blow up the Murrah Federal Building on April 19, 1995, in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people and injured more than 800, said assistant Royal Canadian Mounted Police commissioner Mike McDonell.
The fertilizer can be mixed with fuel oil or other ingredients to make a bomb.
"This group posed a real and serious threat," McDonell said. "It had the capacity and intent to carry out these attacks."
Luc Portelance, assistant director of operations with Canada's spy agency, CSIS, said the suspects "appeared to have become adherents of a violent ideology inspired by al-Qaida" but that investigators have yet to prove a link to the terror network.
Five of the suspects were led in handcuffs Saturday to the Ontario Court of Justice, which was surrounded by snipers and bomb-sniffing dogs. A judge told the men not to communicate with one another and set their first bail hearing for Tuesday.
FBI Special Agent Richard Kolko said in Washington there may have been a connection between the Canadian suspects and a Georgia Tech student and another American who had traveled to Canada to meet with Islamic extremists to discuss locations for a terrorist strike.
Portelance, of Canada's spy agency, said it was the nation's largest counterterrorism operation since the adoption of the act and that more arrests were possible.
The adult suspects from Toronto are Chand, alias Abdul Shakur, 25; Fahim Ahmad, 21; Jahmaal James, 23; and Asin Mohamed Durrani, 19. Those from Mississauga are Ghany; Abdelhaleen; Zakaria Amara, 20; Asad Ansari, 21; Saad Khalid, 19; and Qayyum Abdul Jamal, 43.
Mohammed Dirie, 22, and Yasim Abdi Mohamed, 24, are from Kingston.
Wild Thing's comment.......
GOOD! It makes my day when terrorist's are caught! Keep up the good work Canada!
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (2)
June 03, 2006
Army Dog Handler Gets 90 Days Hard Labor
Army Dog Handler Gets 90 Days Hard Labor
A military jury sentenced an Army dog handler to 90 days hard labor and a reduction in rank Friday for allowing his Belgian shepherd to bark within inches of an Iraqi detainee's face at Abu Ghraib prison.
Army Sgt. Santos A. Cardona was the 11th soldier convicted of crimes stemming from the abuse of inmates at the prison in late 2003 and early 2004.
He was found guilty of dereliction of duty and aggravated assault for allowing his dog to bark in the face of a kneeling detainee at the request of another soldier who wasn't an interrogator.
The military jury acquitted him of other charges, including unlawfully having his dog bite a detainee and conspiring with another dog handler to frighten prisoners as a game.
It wasn't clear where Cardona, who was based at Fort Bragg, N.C., will serve the sentence or what sort of hard labor he will be require to do. He won't be confined during the sentence.
Cardona's rank was reduced to specialist and the court ordered him to forfeit $600 a month in pay for 12 months.
"It wasn't an acquittal," Cardona's civilian attorney, Harvey Volzer, told his client, "but it was pretty darn good."
Prosecutor Maj. Matthew Miller had recommended 12 months confinement and a bad conduct discharge.
"You can win all kinds of battles and end up losing the whole dang war basically for boneheaded decisions and misjudgments," Miller told the jury.
Santos' military lawyer, Capt. Kirsten M. Mayer, said Miller exaggerated the circumstances.
"What we have here is a soldier who let his dog get too close to a detainee, and the dog barked," she told the jury.
Although none of the offenses was alleged to have occurred during interrogations, Cardona's defense team focused on interrogation policies, including three memos issued in a month's time by Lt. Gen. Ricardo S. Sanchez, then commander of U.S. forces in Iraq.
The memos authorized harsher interrogation techniques such as stress positions, sleep deprivation and dogs at Abu Ghraib _ but only with written authorization.
The changing policies confounded Col. Thomas M. Pappas, an intelligence officer who assumed the prison's management in late 2003. Pappas was reprimanded last year for approving a request to use dogs in an interrogation without Sanchez' approval _ something Pappas testified he believed at the time the policy allowed.
"We were all confused at one time or another," Pappas testified.
Wild Thing's comment.....
This really sucks! Leave our troops alone will ya!
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 PM | Comments (2)
Probe Clears Coalition Forces March Raid in Ishaqi
U.S. Troops Cleared of Misconduct Re: March raid in Ishaqi
BAGHDAD, Iraq - A military investigation into allegations that U.S. troops intentionally killed Iraqi civilians in a March raid in Ishaqi, a village north of Baghdad, has cleared the troops of misconduct, the military said Friday despite dramatic video footage of slain children.
The investigation of the March 15 attack in Ishaqi concluded that the U.S. troops followed normal procedures in raising the level of force as they came under attack upon approaching a building where they believed an al-Qaida terrorist was hiding, said Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, a U.S military spokesman.
The military is still conducting two investigations into the Haditha case, one to see if U.S. troops committed crimes there and a second to see if the actions were covered up.
Probe Clears Coalition Forces of Wrongdoing in March 15 Raid
By John D. Banusiewicz
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, June 3, 2006 – An investigation has concluded that coalition forces "operated in accordance with the rules of engagement governing our combat forces in Iraq" during a March 15 raid in which Iraqi civilians died, a coalition spokesman said early today in Baghdad. Army Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV, Multinational Force Iraq spokesman, said that in response to claims that as many as 13 civilians were killed in the raid near Ishaqi, south of Samarra, officials launched an investigation the next day."The investigation revealed the ground force commander, while capturing and killing terrorists, operated in accordance with the rules of engagement governing our combat forces in Iraq," Caldwell said.
Credible intelligence led to the raid, in which Ahmad Abdallah Muhammad Nais al-Utai, also known as Hamza, a Kuwaiti-born al Qaeda cell leader, was captured and Uday Faris al-Tawafi, also known as Abu Ahmed, an Iraqi involved in making roadside bombs as well as recruiting local people to join the insurgency, was killed, Caldwell said.
When ground forces arrived at a house that intelligence reports said was being used as an insurgent safe house, they came under fire from the building, the general said.
"As the enemy fire persisted, the ground force commander appropriately reacted by incrementally escalating the use of force from small arms fire to rotary wing aviation, and then to close air support, ultimately eliminating the threat," he said.
"Allegations that the troops executed a family living in this safe house, and then hid the alleged crimes by directing an air strike, are absolutely false," the coalition spokesman added.
In the subsequent search, the general said, coalition forces documented the discovery Abu Ahmed's body and those of three noncombatants.
"The investigating officer concluded that possibly up to nine collateral deaths resulted from this engagement, but could not determine the precise number due to collapsed walls and heavy debris," Caldwell said, repeating that the investigating officer ascertained the ground force commander properly followed the rules of engagement as he "necessarily escalated the use of force until the threat was eliminated."
Caldwell noted that Arab and Western media have focused a great deal of attention recently on allegations of coalition troops killing innocent civilians in Iraq.
"Temptation exists to lump all these incidents together," he said. "However, each case needs to be examined individually. Let me be clear. Multinational Force Iraq does not and will not tolerate unethical or criminal behavior. All allegations of the loss of civilian life are thoroughly investigated. All loss of innocent life is tragic and unfortunate, and we regret such occurrences. We take all reports of improper conduct seriously; we investigate them thoroughly, and hold our troops accountable for their actions."
Wild Thing's comment.....
But of course! This does not surprise me at all. I am very proud of our Marines. Screw you Arab Media, Western media, and politicians slandering our troops. Nuff said from me anyway!
Posted by Wild Thing at 11:55 AM
Haditha An Insurgent Citadel Part Four
Wild Thing's comment
This is what I think about all of this. I have thought long and hard to put into words to try and express how I feel. It has not been easy believe me. I am beyond angry at the left, and I distrust the enemy with all their lies. But I do know I believe in our troops and I have to have solid proof before I will even consider they did anyhing wrong. I stand behind them 100% if you don't then you are in the wrong place.
I have done 4 parts to this.
Part One tells about Haditha and what it is like there
Part Two tells about Blood money and the money for lies
Part Three tells about Miguel Terrazas’ father and what he has to say about all of this
Part Four and this one which is my comment just an opinion of a girl that has never served our country but adores our troops and appreciates what they and our Veternas have done.
Let’s look at Murtha’s track record his MO regarding pulling out troops shall we.
1993 Murtha.... He's been a pull-out artist for years. After terrorists attacked our troops in Mogadishu, Murtha asked President Clinton to pull U.S. troops from Somalia. "Our welcome has been worn out," Murtha said on NBC 9/93, a month after 4 troops were killed in Somalia by an IED.But he said more: After 18 Rangers were killed in Mogadishu, Murtha visited Somalia and then told the world the 18 deaths had ruined the Rangers' morale. "They're subdued compared to normal morale of elite forces," Murtha said. "Obviously, it was a very difficult battle. A lot of Somalis were killed, but it was a brutal battle." Murtha then added,
"There's no military solution. Some of them will tell you to get Aidid is the solution. I don't agree with that."
Sound familiar? Last week he said,
"the U.S. cannot accomplish anything further militarily. It is time to bring the troops home."Clinton took the advice and Osama Bin Laden loved it. He said in a '98 interview on ABC (John Miller),
"Our people realize more than before that the American soldier is a paper tiger that runs defeat after a few blows...and left dragging their corpses and their shameful defeat."
Murtha has appointed himself judge and jury instead of letting the Pentagon complete the investigation. Due process has completely gone out the window when it comes to Murtha, Clark and others. What ever happened to innocent until proven guilty? The more I find out, the more I am coming to believe there was NO "war crime" nor "Mistake" but simply an act of war. And act that is being reshaped and spun by terrorists and their Domestic Political lackeys to be something it was NOT.
Murtha has decided to convict his brother Marines before their trial! Murtha is an abomination to the Marines, to Congress and our entire country. I cannot believe he was a MARINE. I cannot believe he was in our military! He should be ousted from the Corp. ASAP!
So when did this war become a normal war?? What the heck is a ‘normal’ war’ anyway. What the hell does humane war mean? This is a war with Islamic fascists.
War is hell. We have all heard that, read that and been told that by Veterans and our troops today. Many movies and books have tried to show us how gut wrenching it is to be in combat, to loose a brother in battle, to be expendable when returning home or even when still in country and left behind as the POW’s have been in wars. Damn straight it is HELL!
Someday you should watch the films of the Marines on Iwo Jima who took a measure of vengeance against some of the Japanese Soldiers who had killed so many of their buddies. It was brutal, but understandable. To those that have experienced the "thrill" of combat only you would know how you might react in these circumstances.
How many politicians, anti-war chanters, and reporters have been issued a rifle and experienced a few firefights where they are actually desperately fighting for their life before they make any decisions regarding combat Marines or any of the branches that has seen combat? Terrorists routinely use women and children as human shields. There in lies the difference, the enemy and OUR troops. It happened in Nam often, it happens in today’s war fighting Islamic fascists. Women, children, bicycles, dogs you name are being used to kill our troops. IED’s strapped, hidden, carried you name it by all I just mentioned as well as other things used to hide IED’s. If they don't want their women and children killed in firefights, don't hide behind them to attack us.
Funny. All day long our Justice system makes sentencing judgments based on "Extenuating Circumstances." But let the guys doing the absolute worst job in the world under the worse situation in the world make a mistake and the SAME people who cry for "Mercy" for every thug and street hood suddenly want to hang the Marines out to dry.
I will give you a for instance. Arab culture is intensely tribal. So terrorists often meet to conduct business in their homes with their families around them. Drop a bomb on them it is "Collateral Damage", A Marine Team accidentally kills them in a firefight and arm chair lawyers want to hang the 20 year old Marines out to dry as "War Criminals" Funny….NOT! All this angst about "Damage to our Country" yet the New York Times, News Week and Time have done FAR more damage by falsely reporting NSA secrets and phony "Flush the Koran" or other atrocity nonsense. Yet the SAME people gunning for the Marines do NOTHING to punish REAL criminal behavior by the "News Media". And why our government does not take a strong, firm stand on politicians or anyone speaking out against our military in war time shocks and is something I will never understand. What they are doing is treason and there is no other word for it.
Given the enormous damage Murtha, Kerry and other politicians, News Week, The Washington Post and others have done with wholly fraudulent reporting or slander and hateful comments about our troops, what measure of atonement/punishment can we expect our Civil Authority to impose on them? They have been actively aiding enemy propaganda in a time of war for years now. "Flush the Koran" The Phony CIA Prisons story, "GI raping Iraqi women" and dozens and dozens of other fraudulent stories. To those interested in "Justice" regarding these Marines, I ask you, when do we get Justice for this that I mentioned, that is doing FAR more harm to our war efforts?
War is NOT the fantasy played out on your Movie screens were the good guys never make mistakes and only the bad guys die. Our enemies know this high-minded moralizing and try to use it against us. They claim "torture" and "atrocity" so all the self righteous types will fall all over themselves screaming at OUR side to "Be better then them". After Murtha’s comments the attacks increased against our troops they did not lessen from fear of so called cold-blooded killers. "Iraqi Civil Rights Group" just breeze in and out of there, as they want? Seems they must be working with the terrorist’s permission.
We did not start this. Saddam did in Kuwait in 1991. And YES there is complete and total linkage between Iraq, Afghanistan and the war against Islamic fascists. Just because Left wing POS’s scream there "is no linkage" does not make it so. There is one real simple linkage. We are busy killing terrorists THERE so we do not have to kill them in your local elementary school like the Russians had to in Beslan.
Politically Correct politicians that don't have the testicular fortitude to level the place and kill the enemy. People who actually bomb innocent civilians, kidnap and assassinate teachers and government officials, and ambush our troops, using women and children as human shields, are labeled by the same MSM, as insurgents. It is 3 times harder to fight this war against terrorists, when you also have to fight the US Media and The Democrat Party of the United States. ...the enemies within! The left will always believe the worst take the side that puts our men and women in the worst light.
My gut instinct is they did NOT make a mistake. What if it is a terrorist "Staged Atrocity". Sort of like what the Pals accused the Israelis of doing in Jenin during the 1990s. Only this time Al Quada actually massacred some civilians to set up the Marines. The Claims of "Civilians made to knee and being shot while praying" is pure Al Quada tactics. It could also be the legitimate collateral damaged caused by Terrorist hiding among Civilians is being stage managed as a "Massacre". And yes, it is possible someone lost it. We don't know. Neither do those screaming the accusations in the Junk Media.
What the Left seems unwilling to grasp is this simple fact. No amount of money, peace vigils or encounter groups are going to keep them safe from people who are convinced their god wants all Americans dead. There is no ground for "peaceful coexistence" with the Islamic Terrorists. We have three choices, kill them, convert to Islam or die. Since I have no desire for the last two, the first is my choice.
Now we learn that the U.S. Troops in Iraq are getting Ethics Training. Well what about mandatory ethics training for "Journalists.
Our troops deserve better then to analyze every breath they take, every move they make. The sick JOY that the left and Murtha and his clones take in this incident only shows me how VILE Murtha and his ilk are and nothing more.
Did any of our troops get hurt in what happened??? I care about THAT! You have read on here how the enemy lies, so it does not take a brain surgeon to realize that maybe just maybe the lies flow from the Iraqi’s just as they do from the Kerry’s, Murtha’s, Clinton’s and Kennedy’s of our country.
What the Left seems unwilling to grasp is this simple fact. No amount of money, peace vigils or encounter groups are going to keep them safe from people who are convinced their god wants all Americans dead. There is no ground for "peaceful coexistence" with the Islamic Terrorists. We have three choices, kill them, convert to Islam or die. Since I have no desire for the last two, the first is my choice.
They did this to the guys in 'Nam, they will NOT do it to these men. Democrats and the Leftist better wake up. They are taping a vein of rage that has been festering in many Americans for some 35 years. Either at the ballot box or in a cell, there will be a reckoning for this time.
When you see a service member from any of the military branches, go up to them and thank them!
Thank you Marines!
Also linked at:
* Midnight in Iraq ( A Marine in Fallujah)
* The Gun LIne
* Blackfive
* Cat House Chat
* MVRWC
* Michelle Malkin
* BIG DOG's blog
Posted by Wild Thing at 10:55 AM | Comments (13)
Haditha An Insurgent Citadel Part Three
Father of Marine backs son's Iraq comrades
Exactly what happened that day remains unclear. Miguel Terrazas’ father, Martin, said the Marines his son fought with told him that after the car bomb exploded the Marines took a defensive position around his son’s battered vehicle. Insurgents immediately started shooting from nearby buildings, and the insurgents were using women and children as human shields, Martin said he was told.
The Marines shot back because “it was going to be them or” the insurgents, Martin said of what his son’s fellow Marines briefly described to him.
“It’s very hard for me, I don’t even listen to the news,” Terrazas said of reports of the mass killings.
Marine officials initially gave the same story, that 15 civilians were killed Nov. 19 in the explosion and a subsequent firefight that also killed eight insurgents. Several months later Time magazine and then Arab television stations obtained a videotape of the scene, showing the bodies of women and children. The video, Iraqis' accounts of the day and other emerging details sparked a criminal investigation.
Terrazas said he has met with many from his son's unit who told him they did only what was necessary to survive. He wouldn't say when he spoke with them.
"Those Marines just did their job," he said. "Some of these kids were saying, 'We have to live with it'."
Former Marine Luis Terrazas, Miguel's uncle, said Marines are trained to stay cool under pressure.
"Jarheads don't just go out and kill because they get frustrated," Luis Terrazas said. "Their training is exquisite. It just doesn't make sense."
I have done 4 parts to this.
Part One tells about Haditha and what it is like there
Part Two tells about Blood money and the money for lies
Part Three tells about Miguel Terrazas’ father and what he has to say about all of this
Part Four and this one which is my comment just an opinion of a girl that has never served our country but adores our troops and appreciates what they and our Veternas have done.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:07 AM | Comments (2)
Haditha An Insurgent Citadel Part Two
The best report on this situation so far........Wild Thing
Haditha: Blood Money, Lies and Videotape?
Much of the media commemorated Memorial Day weekend by using the deaths of 24 Iraqis in Haditha last November to smear US Marines. Over 40 stories Memorial Day weekend named Marines as “murderers” guilty of “atrocities” and called the incident a “massacre”.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Marine General Peter pace says, “it would be premature for me to judge….” President George W Bush says: "I am troubled by the initial news stories. I am mindful there is a thorough investigation going on. If in fact laws were broken there will be punishment." Marine Second Lt. Ilario Pantano who was charged with war crimes only to see the charges dropped after autopsy results presented at trial contradicted testimony that he had shot insurgents in the back. Pantano spoke out about US Rep John Murtha’s rush to judgment in the Haditha case in a May 28 letter to the editor of the Washington Post. Said Pantano, “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.”
From their air conditioned comfort, heedless media commentators and members of Congress rush to sit in judgment of US Marines’ conduct in combat. Worse their eager frenzy comes before the military investigation is complete, before any charges are filed and before any military trial is held. But even worse—they are doing so on the word of local Iraqi sources. There is a possibility these Iraqi sources’ credibility may fall apart in the event of a trial. It has happened before in similar cases. The reasons are deep rooted in Iraqi culture.
In a May 27 Washington Post article, the chain of events in Haditha is described in detail based on interviews conducted by an unidentified Washington Post “special correspondent”. Often western media outlets depend on freelance Arab reporters with questionable loyalties to work combat zones.
Notable about the account are the sources. They are all Iraqi locals. The first source sited is: “Aws Fahmi, a Haditha resident who said he watched and listened from his home”. Fahmi is later described as also being a friend of five men in a taxi who were killed by Marines during the IED attack on their convoy. The Post points out that, “The descriptions of events provided to The Post by witnesses in Haditha could not be independently verified, although their accounts of the number of casualties and their identities were corroborated by death certificates.” Another source was the Post’s special correspondent’s interview with doctors at the local hospital who described bodies riddled with bullet holes. This information does not answer the question of who killed the civilians. Were the civilians killed by insurgents who took over their homes to detonate the IED? Was it Marines? Were the civilians killed accidentally in a firefight or as Murtha charges—“in cold blood”? It is known that a large firefight occurred in Haditha on November 19 about 1/3 of a mile away from the site of the IED attack which killed 20-year-old Lance Cpl. Miguel Terrazas, of El Paso, TX and either killed or led to the death of 15 Iraqi civilians and 9 deemed hostile.
One person, Aws Fahmi, claims to live next door to the house where the massacre allegedly occurred and also claims to be a friend of the men killed in the taxi.
According to the Post, “only 13-year-old Safa Younis lived -- saved, she said, by her mother's blood spilling onto her, making her look dead when she fell, limp, in a faint….Townspeople led a Washington Post reporter this week to the girl they identified as Safa. Wearing a ponytail and tracksuit, the girl said her mother died trying to gather the girls. The girl burst into tears after a few words. The older couple caring for her apologized and asked the reporter to leave.”
This account differs slightly from an ABC News report which shows a video of Safa Younis. She calmly says yes to leading questions from an off-camera interviewer describing Marines throwing a grenade into the bathroom of her home and killing the other seven members of her family. She responds with amazing composure for one who has witnessed the murder of her parents and siblings. She does not mention her mother’s blood spilling all over her. She says she is 12 years old. Is it staged testimony? This can only be discovered in an investigation or trial.
ITV news March 30 carries yet another interview—this time with a ten-year-old Iraqi girl named Iman Walid. Like Safa, Iman calmly describes the murder of seven members of her family by US Marines in Haditha on November 19.
A non-Iraqi account comes from Lance Cpl. James Crossan who was sitting next to Terrazas when he was killed. Wounded in the IED explosion, Crossan was evacuated and did not see any of the action after the explosion. He therefore has no eyewitness story to tell about any possible massacre of civilians. This does not keep the media from splashing selectively quoted pieces of his speculation all over the airwaves anyway.
Another of the Marines in Haditha that day, Lance Cpl. Roel Ryan Briones of Hanford, CA, describes the removal of bodies after the incident in a May 29 Los Angeles Times article. He was part of a crew dispatched to take the bodies to the morgue. He says he did not witness their deaths.
All accounts of the incident describe 15 civilians being killed—with the cause of death in dispute. There is dispute over whether the nine other deaths were hostiles. The total is 24 deaths. Is it possible that Marines entered two separate homes, killed seven or eight civilians—including women and small children--in each home and in each case left a young girl in each home as the sole witness? Is it not impossible—but since all the reports depend entirely on Iraqi witnesses and the possibly coached testimony of two young girls, it is worth taking a look at other cases where these type of charges fell apart at trial.
There is another case which speaks directly to the credibility of local Iraqi witnesses and to the Iraqi tradition of “blood money”. On trial were seven British soldiers charged with murder stemming from a May, 2003 incident in Ferkah, Iraq. The trial collapsed November 3, 2005 after it became clear that many of the key Iraqi witnesses were lying in order to gain “blood money”. The BBC describes the collapse of the trial as follows:
“…it has become clear to everyone involved as the trial has progressed that the main Iraqi witnesses had colluded to exaggerate and lie about the incident.”
Three women had admitted lying about being assaulted by British soldiers and one witness had told the court that Mr. Abdullah's family encouraged others to tell lies, Judge Blackett said.
Witnesses some distance from the scene “could not possibly have seen what they said they saw”, he added.
And Iraqi court witnesses had used the case to seek “compensation to what were patently exaggerated claims”, he said.
One witness at the court martial, Samira Rishek, a Marsh-Arab who had claimed to have been brutally beaten by the soldiers while she was pregnant, admitted to the court it was a “wicked lie".
The court heard that Mrs. Rishek, along with other witnesses, was paid $100 a day to give evidence at the trial and that she only agreed to give evidence after being told she would be paid.
BBC correspondent Paul Adams said there was an "underlying sense" that some of the witnesses were "out to try and get something for themselves".
A number of questions were going to be asked about why the trial had been mounted, he added.
Roger Brice, solicitor for defendant Pte Samuel May told BBC News there had never been a case to answer.
"What the judge has done today is stop the case when the prosecution have concluded... there was never a case for any of the defendants to answer.
“He summed up the fact that the evidence as it came out in these last two months has been one of acknowledged lies."
Why all the lies? The tribal tradition of demanding “blood money”. A February 2, 2004 BBC article explains the workings of the blood money system:
On the side of a road in a ramshackle tent tribal elders have gathered for a court case, but it is not an ordinary law court, it's a tribal court. The case defies logic - one brother has killed another, but the tribe they belonged to is blaming a rival tribe for the killing.
Their argument is that if there had not been a feud with the other tribe, the killing would not have taken place; they are now demanding $20,000 in blood money….
At the tribal court, the discussion is heated, but not about guilt or innocence. Through a complex network of tribal support, both sides know where they stand, now it is just a matter of agreeing the money.
Eventually the price is knocked down to $4,000 and a woman, her value to be determined in later negotiations.
For many Iraqis it's a system that works, and in a violent region recompense appears much more practical than locking someone away.
The logic in the British case and possibly in Haditha is simple: If the coalition did not have a fight with the insurgents, the deaths would not have occurred. Therefore the coalition owes blood money regardless of who actually killed the 24 people in Haditha or the circumstances of those deaths. In this system the payment of blood money is not an admission of guilt, it is a balancing of tribal obligations.
What tribal Iraqis would understand as blood money has already been paid by US military representatives in Haditha. According to the May 31 New York Times payments totaling $38,000 were made “within weeks of the shootings” to the families of 15 of the 24 dead. The Times continues:
In an interview Tuesday, Maj. Dana Hyatt, the officer who made the payments, said he was told by superiors to compensate the relatives of 15 victims, but was told that rest of those killed had been deemed to have committed hostile acts, leaving their families ineligible for compensation.
After the initial payments were made, however, those families demanded similar payments, insisting their relatives had not attacked the marines, Major Hyatt said….
The list of 15 victims deemed to be noncombatants was put together by intelligence personnel attached to the battalion, Major Hyatt said. Those victims were related to a Haditha city council member, he said. The American military sometimes pays compensation to relatives of civilian victims.
The relatives of each victim were paid a total of $2,500, the maximum allowed under Marine rules, along with $250 payments for two children who were wounded. Major Hyatt said he also compensated the families for damage to two houses.
"I didn't say we had made a mistake," Major Hyatt said, describing what he had told the city council member who was representing the victims. "I said I'm being told I can make payments for these 15 because they were deemed not to be involved in combat."
The description of compensation “within weeks” of November 19 places the payments in mid to late December. Time magazine broke the Haditha story in its March 19 edition. Time says it was January when they gave US military spokesman Col. Barry Johnson, a copy of a video of the Haditha aftermath. The video was purportedly made on November 20 showing the aftermath of the incident. That would place the release of the video to Time just after the payment of compensation to some—but not all--of the families. Could the release of the video have been motivated by demands for blood money?
There is another unsavory connection involving the video. According to the Time article:
A day after the incident, a Haditha journalism student videotaped the scene at the local morgue and at the homes where the killings had occurred. The video was obtained by the Hammurabi Human Rights Group, which cooperates with the internationally respected Human Rights Watch, and has been shared with Time. This video is the source of all the images being spread across the international media purporting to show the aftermath of the Haditha incident.
The “internationally respected” Human Rights Watch (HRW) has been accused of anti-Israel bias and is funded by numerous left-wing foundations including George Soros’ “Open Society Institute.” HRW accuses US forces of “torture” in Iraq and Afghanistan which in one report it describes as, “interrogation techniques including hooding, stripping detainees naked, subjecting them to extremes of heat, cold, noise and light, and depriving them of sleep….” HRW advocates putting US soldiers under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court which would make them subject to the whim of pink Belgian bureaucrats.
The online encyclopedia Wikipedia describes blood money traditions throughout the Islamic world:
In Islamic and Arab traditions, blood money is the money paid by the killer or his family or clan to the family or the clan of the victim. It is unlawful for a believer to kill a believer except if it happens by accident. And he who kills a believer accidentally must free one Muslim slave and pay ‘Diyat’ to the heirs of the victim except if they forgive him. The tradition finds repeated endorsement in Islamic tradition; several instances are recorded in the Hadith, which are the acts of the Prophet Mohammad.
The Blood-Money tradition has found its way into legislation in several Islamic countries, including Saudi Arabia, Iran and Pakistan. Some of these countries also define, by lawful legislation, a hierarchy of rates for the lives of people; religious affiliation and gender are usually the main modulating factors for these Blood Money rates.
Would Muslims lie in order to obtain blood money payments? Some insight comes in this response to the collapse of the British trial posted online by a Baghdad-based US contractor.
I’ve been in Iraq for about 18 months now performing construction management. It is simply not possible for me to exaggerate the massive amounts of lies we wade through every single day. There is no way - absolutely none - to determine facts from bulls*** from these people.
To be fair to individual Iraqis, lying and deception is an integral part of their culture. It is not even considered lying to them; it is more akin to being clever - like keeping your cards close to your chest. And they don’t just lie to westerners. They believe that appearances--saving face--are of paramount importance. They lie to each other all the time about anything in order to leverage others on a deal or manipulate an outcome of some sort or cover up some major or minor embarrassment. It’s just how they do things, period.
I’m not trying to disparage them here. I get along great with a lot of them. But even among those that I like, if something happens I’ll get 50 wildly different stories, every time. There’s no comparison to it in any other part of the world where I’ve worked. The lying is ubiquitous and constant.
Obviously in the case of these soldiers, the “witnesses” were lying with malice for profit - saving face had nothing to do with it.
But every Westerner here has been taken totally by surprise by the lies upon lies upon BS and lies. It makes it impossible to form any agreements, impossible to plan anything, and impossible to investigate anything….
Remember this every time you see news reports where Iraqi “witnesses” say that American planes killed a bunch of civilians somewhere…. First, those people are living under the threat of terrorists in their midst - what do you think they are going to say when a western camera is thrust into their face, nice shot America! Death to the terrorists! They’d be dead in 5 minutes.
It drives those of us who work closely with the Iraqis absolutely mad. It makes me sick and alarmed to think of any westerner being brought up on charges of any kind based strictly on the words of an Arab. I’m sure the prosecutors were informed by field officers and others about the Iraqi propensity to lie about everything all the time. Shame on them (the British Ministry of Defense) for going forward without any other evidence.
The British Ministry of Defense spent the equivalent of about $18 million dollars on the investigation and the trial which collapsed in November, 2005—over 29 months after the initial incident. The Haditha charges could also collapse, but not until the media and politicians have enjoyed months of free reign to slander US combat troops’ conduct in Iraq. If the British case is a model then the investigation will be followed by a trial which could drag out until early 2008. Investigators, defense attorneys and the honest media need to dig out the truth and defend our troops before their sacrifices in Iraq are swept away in a sea of lies.
I have done 4 parts to this.
Part One tells about Haditha and what it is like there
Part Two tells about Blood money and the money for lies
Part Three tells about Miguel Terrazas’ father and what he has to say about all of this
Part Four and this one which is my comment just an opinion of a girl that has never served our country but adores our troops and appreciates what they and our Veternas have done.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:04 AM | Comments (2)
Haditha An Insurgent Citadel Part One
This is an article from last August (2005)
Under US noses, brutal insurgents rule Sunni citadel
Taken from Jihad Watch , FrontPage Magazine and The Guardian
The executions are carried out at dawn on Haqlania bridge, the entrance to Haditha. A small crowd usually turns up to watch even though the killings are filmed and made available on DVD in the market the same afternoon.
The Guardian has the complete article
One of last week's victims was a young man in a black tracksuit. Like the others he was left on his belly by the blue iron railings at the bridge's southern end. His severed head rested on his back, facing Baghdad. Children cheered when they heard that the next day's spectacle would be a double bill: two decapitations. A man named Watban and his brother had been found guilty of spying.
With so many alleged American agents dying here Haqlania bridge was renamed Agents' bridge. Then a local wag dubbed it Agents' fridge, evoking a mortuary, and that name has stuck.
A three-day visit by a reporter working for the Guardian last week established what neither the Iraqi government nor the US military has admitted: Haditha, a farming town of 90,000 people by the Euphrates river, is an insurgent citadel.
Two groups share power. Ansar al-Sunna is a largely homegrown organisation, though its leader in Haditha is said to be foreign. Al-Qaida in Iraq, known locally by its old name Tawhid al-Jihad, is led by the Jordanian-born Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. There was a rumour that Zarqawi, Washington's most wanted militant after Osama bin Laden, visited early last week. True or not, residents wanted to believe they had hosted such a celebrity.
That Islamist guerrillas were active in the area was no secret but only now has the extent of their control been revealed. They are the sole authority, running the town's security, administration and communications.
A three-hour drive north from Baghdad, under the nose of an American base, it is a miniature Taliban-like state. Insurgents decide who lives and dies, which salaries get paid, what people wear, what they watch and listen to... Monday, August 22, 2005
.
I have done 4 parts to this.
Part One tells about Haditha and what it is like there
Part Two tells about Blood money and the money for lies
Part Three tells about Miguel Terrazas’ father and what he has to say about all of this
Part Four and this one which is my comment just an opinion of a girl that has never served our country but adores our troops and appreciates what they and our Veternas have done.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:01 AM
June 02, 2006
Rummy and Doolittle Tokyo Raiders Attend USAF Academy Graduation
Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld delivers his commencement speech to the 2006 graduating class of the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., May 31. (Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley, USN)
"Violent extremists are trying to terrorize and intimidate free people into submitting to their will," Rumsfeld told the graduating airmen in Colorado Springs, Colo. "Our country has sent its finest young men and women in defense of the ideal that people, when faced with paths either leading to tyranny or freedom, will forever choose freedom."
He said the graduates are well-prepared to meet the terror threat head on. "Everything you folks have done in your life before, what you've studied, your experience, your accomplishments, has prepared you for this moment," he said.
The war against terror is more than just a struggle between opposing sides. The terrorists' goal is to control or destroy the United States, he said. "These extremists are waging a war against society itself," he said.
"The U.S. armed forces must constantly adapt to meet the terrorist threat, and pointed to operations in Afghanistan as examples, Rumsfeld said.
"From the moment they landed in Afghanistan, our forces began adapting to the circumstances on the ground," he said. "They ended up riding horses that had been conditioned to ride through machine-gun fire."
He said some of those forces operating in Afghanistan were Air Force combat controllers. "And those airmen likely thought they would have sooner found themselves riding jet aircraft rather than horses," he said. "But they joined the American tradition of daring and ingenuity that has defined America for generations."
The United States must continue to transform and streamline its military forces to meet future challenges, he said. People who want change always face resistance, Rumsfeld said, and urged the airmen to challenge inherited assumptions and seek out better approaches.
"I urge you to make that the bedrock of your careers," he said.
( Please CLICK
above graphic to watch
the presentation of The Doolittle Raid)
Three members of the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders were present for the commencement ceremony. The raiders were volunteer airmen from the Army Air Forces, predecessor of the Air Force, led by then-Army Lt. Col. James H. "Jimmy" Doolittle, who flew a daring mission to bomb Japan just four months after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
"I remember as a boy the electrifying emotion in our country when America learned what that small band of airmen had done," Rumsfeld said of the raiders. "They inspired our country. They gave the American people the strength to persevere on behalf of human freedom."
Rumsfeld also spoke about the raiders' legacy to today's young airmen.
"That is the force you join today," he said. "A force where the improbable can become the norm, where individuals are dedicated to securing our liberties no matter what the circumstances, no matter what the odds."
Rumsfeld closed his remarks by thanking the graduating airmen, the first class to enter the academy after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, for volunteering to defend America.
"You raise your right hands to say, 'Send me to serve others,'" he said. "So to each of you, I thank you for what you do. I thank you for all you are. Go out and make history."
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (10)
Toby Keith USO Tour FOB Marez
Famous country music star Toby Keith performs a free concert for Soldiers at Freedom Rest in central Baghdad on Memorial Day. Hundreds of Soldiers turned out to watch the performance and to remember the legacy of the nation's fallen heroes.
June 01, 2006
By Master Sgt. Denise Slater - 138th MPAD
MOSUL, IRAQ (May 28, 2006) --Soldiers from Forward Operating Base Marez started lining up three hours in advance to get a good seat for the appearance by Toby Keith on his yearly United Service Organizations tour.
As the temperatures neared 100 degrees, Morale, Welfare and Recreation personnel passed out water to cool the crowd, and pulled out as many folding chairs as they could to make room in the MWR tent.
Contests that were held during the month afforded a lucky few front-row seats for the event. Sgt. Wayne Morey and Staff Sgt. James Sullivan from the 511th Military Police Company, Fort Drum, N.Y., won their front row seats during a volleyball tournament.
“It shows his support for us.” Morey said.
Keith arrived by helicopter, and after taking a short break was whisked away for a ride on a Stryker vehicle. Meanwhile, the doors were opened to hundreds of fans who were happy to come inside and take a break from the rising temperatures. Seats filled quickly and isles were taken up by a standing crowd anxiously awaiting his return.
Keith came back to a packed house, and was a big hit with the audience. He played songs new and old but, the biggest hit was the song “American Soldier.”
“This is a salute to every one of you sitting here today,” he said before he started playing.
The song was interrupted several times by applause from the crowd and ended in a standing ovation.
“This is a labor of love for us, we really appreciate what you guys do over here,” Keith said.
Between songs Keith talked about making time in his schedule every year to perform for Soldiers. This tour had Keith performing six concerts at six bases in two days. It was a short engagement at FOB Marez, but there was a big impact on the Soldiers.
“It’s a big moral booster,” said Spc. Renee McFarland, 47th Combat Support Hospital out of Fort Lewis, Wash.
At the end of the show, Keith was awarded several plaques for his support. It was then announced that he would be sticking around to take some photos with Soldiers. Long lines again formed to wait to see the performer and get some one-on-one time.
“It was awesome of him to come and support the troops,” said Spc. Jamie Guillen, 47th CSH out of Fort Lewis, Wash.
Country singer Toby Keith stands in an air gunners hatch of a Stryker Brigade Combat Vehicle. Keith performs for Soldiers and civilians on Forward Operating base Marez, Mosul, Iraq.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:50 AM
Terrorists Combat Unit Arrest al-Batawi
This photo released by the Iraq Government on Tuesday, May 30, 2006 is said to show Ahmed Hussein Dabash Samir al-Batawi, who was arrested by a terrorist combat unit on Monday in Baghdad, according to the Iraqi Prime Minister's office. The Iraqi Government said in a statement that terror suspect al-Batawi confessed under questioning that he beheaded hundreds of Iraqis in Baghdad and other Iraqi provinces. (AP Photo/Iraq Government)
Wild Thing's comment.....
Let's see, our troops are finding these people from hell, protecting the people so they could vote for the first time, building schools, bringing them better living conditions with running water and electricity where it had not been before, fixing roads and bridges, the list goes on and on. And at the same time fighting the Islamic Fascists, IED's everywhere, and summer heat of 130 degrees with all their 80 pound gear on.
Yessss our troops ROCK alright, they are why the sun shines brighter and the smiles are broader and the sleep is safer for all of us. Thank you!
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (2)
Spain Gives Sentence 'Lite' to Terrorist
Thu Jun 1, 9:38 AM ET - Eddin Barakat Yarkas (C), also known as Abu Dahdah, during a trial of suspected Islamist militants in Madrid, September 26, 2005. Judicial sources on Thursday said Abu Dahdah would serve 12 years in jail for leading a terrorist group rather than the full 27 years to which he had been sentenced. (REUTERS/Juanjo Martin/Pool)
6/1/2006 - 8:18:00 PM
MADRID, June 1 (UPI) -- Spain Thursday acquitted a man who had been suspected of helping plot the Sept. 11 terror attacks in New York and Washington, El Mundo reported online.
Imad Eddin Barakat Yarkas will, however, serve 12 years in prison for leading a terror group.
Yarkas was originally sentenced to 27 years for being a member of al-Qaida, and for playing a role in plotting the attacks while being the leader of the terror group in Spain.
Wild Thing's comment....
Oh Man don't get me started on this one! More touchie feelie justice! Helloo Spain, don't call us we'll call you.(not)
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:14 AM | Comments (2)
In Country
Soldiers Discover Weapons Caches & Capture Terror Suspects
DOD
WASHINGTON, June 1, 2006 –
In separate incidents in Iraq, U.S. soldiers discovered a large weapons cache May 30 and captured 10 suspected terrorists May 23, military officials reported today.
Soldiers from Multinational Division Baghdad's Troop A, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, discovered a large weapons cache and ammunition aboard a wheat dump truck northwest of Baghdad May 30 at about 6 p.m.
Soldiers had stopped the truck May 9 and discovered seven fuses, 15 mortar tips and wire commonly used in roadside bombs. However, it wasn't until May 30, while the unit was looking for more evidence, that they found the weapons hidden under bags of wheat in the bed of the truck.
The cache consisted of Katusha rockets, anti-personnel land mines, rocket-propelled grenade rounds, an RPG launcher, mortar systems, mortar rounds, rocket-propellant sticks, and other bomb-making materials.
The driver of the truck was detained May 9.
Soldiers from 1st Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, also discovered a weapon cache while conducting a cordon and search operation of buildings in western Baghdad yesterday at about 11 a.m.
The cache consisted of four Russian-made bombs and three hand grenades.
Elsewhere, while conducting multiple assaults along Southern Lake Thar Thar on May 23, coalition forces captured 10 suspected terrorists and destroyed two vehicles and one tent used as a terrorist safe house.
The troops also found ammunition and electronic equipment used for making improvised explosive devices at the terrorist camps.
All family members at the scene were unharmed and released once the area was secured.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:05 AM
June 01, 2006
A Special Video of Our Troops
Please click HERE to wacth this VIDEO, you will not be disappointed.
Wild Thing's comment........God bless all our troops may God watch over all of you and keep you safe.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (7)
In Country
To all our troops.....Thank you for all you do! Prayers for you and your loved ones! Stay safe and know how much you mean to all of us, we owe you so much! ---- Wild Thing
Headquarters of 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division
"Currahee” is the battalion motto. It means “stands alone” in Cherokee.
This is proudly displayed at 2nd Battalion, 4th Brigade, First Division heaquarters. Note bullet pock marks behind. Our guys They caught the terrorist who painted the sign!
That “fencing,” labeled a “cheese grater,” causes rounds to explode before they can strike the armor. This greatly reduces their penetrating power
A 122 mm mortar shown in contrast to various fire extinguishers
Humvee with back end ripped off by RPG. Fortunately, nobody was hurt. (Photo courtesy of 1st of the 506th, 101st Airborne.)
Photographer checking out Vietnam-era M14 7.62 mm rifle. They’ve been brought back into limited use because they have greater stopping power than the 5.56 M16, have longer range, and are more accurate. Pfc. Tony Wickline of A Company looks on.
Another view. I’m looking tough to impress the girl on the calendar. Incidentally, both nude photos and alcohol are forbidden to US troops in Iraq so as not to offend our Muslim allies -- though the British have no such rules.
Note the wooden-barreled Vietnam-era M79 grenade launcher, affectionately known as a “Thumper.”
Pfc. Robert Killion of A Company marks his position with a friend-foe identifier panel. Only the coalition knows what color should be up on any given day.
Photos taken by Michael Fumento , he also a regular contributor to Townhall.
Wild Thing's comment......
Take a human being, a person that loves this country, that knows that Freedom is not just given to us from some politican on his campaign trail or a teacher at school. For whatever reason that HUMAN BEING goes into the military is his own, but somewhere within his own very personal reason(s) he/she knows this is the greatest country in the world and the reason he/she grew up in the land of the free is ONLY because of the BRAVE!
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:27 AM | Comments (13)
Just Wondering
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:14 AM | Comments (5)
Stop the ACLU Blogburst
The above banner and slogan is quite deceptive and an utter joke to those that are truly aware to the ACLU's workings. Just in the past week the ACLU has launched a massive campaign against the NSA's efforts to trace terrorist phone calls into the U.S. This campaign with full page ads has even been denounced by media that usually defend the ACLU as completely lacking in context. In just the last few days the ACLU has pounced at the chance to bash America, applauding the decision of an EU Court that struck down an anti-terrorism agreement that allows the European Union and the U.S. to share information on airline passengers. And in the same day the ACLU of Florida came out against a new law that restricts colleges and universities from using state funds for travel to countries classified as terrorist states by the U.S. government.
The ACLU consistently allign themselves with groups like CAIR, and other organizations that have known terrorist ties. They have turned down donations from some of their most generous donors because of anti-terrorism stipulations. They can always be seen defending our enemies. It is no wonder that they fight to exempt lawyers from anti-terror supporting oaths.
A while back, my friend Kathy wrote about how deceptive this banner is, and it still applies today.
So now the ACLU is promoting itself as a champion of both safety for our citizens and of freedom. What a joke! When 9-11 occurred what measures did the ACLU take to ensure our safety? None, zip, nada. This organization has done nothing to ensure our safety, in fact it has chosen to sue our government on behalf of terrorists outside of their legal jurisdiction while they were located in prisons on foreign soil.
They have since then demanded that the government release and make public top secret security information regarding not only the activities of our military, but also that of our intelligence forces. They have also initiated one lawsuit after another against the government to stop the searching of individuals for security purposes in mass transit situations, to stop what they call profiling (we will never see a Protestant white middle-aged woman as a terrorist working with an extremist Islamic organization) by race, sex and religion, and to stop the government from detaining and questioning or interrogating individuals who have ties or contact with known terrorist individuals and organizations.
They want to kill the Patriot Act because they see the rights of an individual who may or may not be an American citizen as more important than the safety of the nation at large. They want the borders open because they see that as an infringement of the rights of non-Americans to become Americans however they can manage it. They want to have military and intelligence sources, activities, and planning revealed to the public so they can "watch dog" and ensure freedoms of individuals and/or groups are not being compromised, but in doing so will enable those very individuals and/or groups under surveillance the ability to avoid surveillance and possible capture before they do something destructive to American citizens.
This was a production of Stop The ACLU Blogburst. If you would like to join us, please email Jay or Gribbit. You will be added to our mailing list and blogroll. Over 200 blogs already on-board
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:05 AM | Comments (2)
“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
