Theodore's World

Rangel calls again for the draft
What would the Democrats do if they take control of Congress? Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., offered his predictions to Sam Donaldson and Mark Halperin on ABC News Now’s “Politics Live.”
Rangel is currently the ranking member on the House Ways and Means Committee. If Democrats pick up six seats in next week’s crucial midterm elections and gain the majority, Rangel would become chairman of the committee.

Donaldson suggested that Democrats seem to be all over the lot on how to handle the war in Iraq. Rangel countered, “The Democrats believe we should withdraw. … This election is a referendum on the president, a referendum on the war. Once the pubic says that there is no place for a military victory, we have to find some way to take our young men and women out of harm’s way.”

If Democrats regain control, Rangel said the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Vice President Dick Cheney, and the president will have to work with the Congress and the American people to “make certain that we get the heck on out of Iraq.”
Rangel was careful when pressed on what the Democrats would do about taxes if they regain the leadership.
Some Republicans believe Rangel and the committee would undo the Bush administration’s tax cuts that are set to expire in 2010.

“It doesn’t make sense to be increasing people’s taxes unless it’s part of a bigger package,” Rangel said, while refusing to pledge he would not raise taxes.

Instead, the possible future chairman of House Ways and Means diplomatically emphasized:

“I will not be the powerful chairman. For us to succeed, it’s going to take Democrats, Republicans and the administration has to be cooperative.”

Rangel reiterated his feeling that the military draft should be reinstated.

“I truly believe that if we had a draft system, we would never have our men and women in Iraq. Everyone wants to fight with someone else’s children.”

Rangel insisted that a new draft should be fair, with people from every part of society coming to a national public service.

Hussein sentenced to death
(AP)Saddam Hussein was sentenced Sunday to death by hanging for his role in a brutal crackdown nearly 25 years ago in Dujail. A five-member tribunal is meeting amid heavy security and sweeping curfews in Baghdad and elsewhere, as authorities brace for violent reactions.
Iraq’s High Tribunal on Sunday found Saddam Hussein guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced him to hang, as the visibly shaken former leader shouted “God is great!”
His half-brother and former intelligence chief Barzan Ibrahim, and Awad Hamed al-Bandar, head of the former Revolutionary Court, were sentenced to join Saddam on the gallows.
After the verdict was read, a trembling Saddam yelled out, “Life for the glorious nation, and death to its enemies!”
Iraqi Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan was convicted of premeditated murder and sentenced to life in prison. Three other co-defendants were convicted of murder and torture and sentenced to up to 15 years in prison. One defendant was acquitted for lack of evidence.
Baghdad was under a total curfew to guard against violence and shops were shuttered and pedestrians and vehicles almost completely absent from the streets of the city of 6 million people.
Iraqi security forces and U.S. troops mounted additional patrols, but no major incidents had been reported by midmorning, said police Maj. Mahir Hamad Mousa of the al-Khansa station in Baghdad’s Jadeeda district.
“There is close cooperation between Iraqi and coalition forces in maintaining the curfew,” Mousa said. “We have fully prepared for this duty,” he said.
The verdict’s announcement marks a political and social watershed for Iraqis who endured more than two decades of brutal rule under the former leader.
A guilty verdict would likely enrage hard-liners among Saddam’s fellow Sunnis, who made up the bulk of the former ruling class. The country’s majority Shiites, who were persecuted under the former leader but now largely control the government, will likely view such an outcome as a cause of celebration.
Saddam and his seven co-defendants had been tried over a wave of revenge killings carried out in the city of Dujail following a 1982 assassination attempt on Saddam, and Saddam faces additional charges over an alleged massacre of Kurdish civilians.
Even with the verdict imminent, Saddam’s lawyers and some Sunni politicians called for the court proceedings to be suspended.
“It has become clear to the Iraqi people and the whole world that this court is politicized 100 percent,” Salih al-Mutlaq, head of the second largest Sunni parliamentarian block, told the Doha-based al-Jazeera satellite channel.
Al-Mutlaq accused the U.S. and Iraqi governments of interfering with the work of the court and said a verdict would further polarize Iraqi society, already traumatized by sectarian violence between Shiites and Sunnis.
“This verdict will be the last nail in the coffin of the national reconciliation plan and the political process,” al-Mutlaq said. “I call upon Arab leaders and … to interfere for the sake of Iraq’s unity.”
The head of another prominent Sunni group, Harith al-Dhari, said any verdict should be delayed until after the departure of U.S. forces, who toppled Saddam following their March 2003 invasion of the country.
“If this court issues the verdict, I would consider it to be illegal, illegitimate and political,” al-Dhari told al-Arabiya, viewed throughout the Arab world.
Echoing those sentiments, the Association of Muslim Scholars, a hard-line Sunni clerical group, demanded that Saddam’s trial be postponed until “the occupation leaves.”
One of Saddam’s lawyers, former Qatari justice minister Najeeb al-Nu’aimi, said Saddam and his co-defendants had not been given sufficient time to present their cases.
“The court is not neutral. It lacks legitimacy,” al-Nu’aimi said.
The curfew was only lightly observed in Baghdad’s sprawling Shiite slum of Sadr City, where the Mahdi Army militia of radical anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr holds sway.
Local police commander Col. Hassan Challoub said special reaction teams made up of the Iraqi police, army and the Interior Ministry commandos units are on patrol in the city.
“No incident and nothing abnormal is reported so far,” Challoub said.

Thank you Rhod, John 5, and Marcie, for the fun images and toons.LMAO These are great!

This woman has been seen on every news channel and in more places at the same exact time that only God Himself could pull off. She is a favorite file photo fro AP and Reuters and she always has the same pained look on her face. It is hilarious!

From Baghdad, Iraq………….
I am the Civil Affairs Officer for an MP unit. I work directly with the people of Baghdad, Iraq. Once a week, we visit a local clinic to provide medical care, health education, clothing, shoes, food, and toys to these people.

A reporter, here, once asked me what my mission was and I told him. His next question was if I knew where the Infantry guys were. I never saw him again. The media is only interested in “guts-on-the-ground” stories. apparently “Good news is no news.”
I love intelligent conversation and debate, be it politics or religion or anything. I like to meet intelligent friendly people who are not assholes. I would like to meet Osama Bin Laden and kick him in the nuts, so I would forever be known as the guy who kicked Osama in the nuts. My sons could grow up and tell their friends that one day. Just thinking out loud here.
The soldiers here take the treats from their own care packages to hand out to the kids. We are doing pretty well, at least at our FOB as far as necessities go. We even have a small PX set up here.
As for the generosity of the soldiers, You spoke of toiletries for the Iraqi people – Yes, that is a popular request. The last time we visited the clinic, one of my soldiers asked if we could stop by the mini-PX on the way. When I asked what he needed, he told me that he promised a little girl that he would bring her some shampoo. How could I say no to that? He bought her some with his own money.
One thing that is also never mentioned, this generosity pays off. many of the local Iraqis are more than eager to mention to us when “strangers” move into their area. The local Iraqis KNOW who their friends are, They just fear the reprisals from the terrorists. They fear even more that we will leave Iraq.
I thank you all for your support. We are all in this together. Thanks for doing your part, it makes a difference.

Handing out beanie babies.

This little girl wasn’t heavy enough to work the teeter-totter, so I gave her a hand. (note the sign in the background)

This is a close-up of the sign in the background and THIS IS WHY there are now playgrounds in Iraq.

“Many years ago I had a decision to make…
I could join the military, gain real-world experience, receive a college education, and develop a true grasp on reality…
or…
I could have quit school, become a Liberal, and voted for John Kerry.
I feel that I have chosen wisely.- K Soldier “

.

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
Hi Chrissie,
Just some quick notes right now, but wanted to check back with you just in case things change here fast. Yesterday was pretty quiet, but it’s been kind of bumpy the past week or so. We expect tomorrow to be a bit wild because the Saddam verdict is due. The IZ is now on high alert because of it.
I am not far from that courthouse at all. I imagine it’s going to be pretty bumpy around here by Sunday. But if he gets convicted, there will likely be celebratory gunfire in the streets. Perhaps a stray celebratory bullet could, well you know, just going to be careful.
I had to laugh when you said in your last email about Ramsey Clark can stay over here. LOL We have enough terrorists here. We don’t want that one, too. Maybe we can come up with some other country where he can be left, like Iran or something.
The Iraqis seem to favor hanging. Saddam said he prefers a firing squad because it’s more dignified for his “position.” (All the more reason to favor hanging.
🙂
Iraq tends to carry out death sentences within 30 days after sentencing. All in all I have a feeling Sunday might be a little noisy in the Green Zone.
About my being here again this year at Christmas, I’m OK with it. If all of these troops have to be away from their loved ones for Christmas, then I’ll do it too. We’ll makle it nice. 🙂
Sent my ballot in October 9th. Even us dumbasses stuck here in Irak are allowed to vote. Thanks Kerry. That stupid Kerry I am still very angry for Kerry saying such a nasty thing about our noble troops.
It makes me shudder to think what might have been if we had waited any longer to invade Iraq. Reading that New York Times article online from over here, everyone I talk to says the same thing. I supported the war and the reasons for it all along, but I never, ever suspected that Iraq was that close.
OH and before I end this letter, I have lost all my patience with Maliki. He had better get it together fast and stop kissing Iran’s butt.
Stay strong and thanks for your prayers
Andy

Wild Thing’s comment…….

“In 1972 Kerry unburdened himself of his concern that a volunteer Army would be dominated by the underprivileged (who I think he described as “black, brown and the poor”) and these volunteers would be prone “to the perpetuation of war crimes”….”….Rhod

Yesterday Rhod mentioned a quote by Kerry, I had never heard it before but last night when I was looking at some things to post I saw this video. It has other quotes in it as well and I thought you might want to see it.

U.S. Web Archive Is Said to Reveal a Nuclear Guide
New York Times <<<<<....and for complete article
Mideast Edition
By WILLIAM J. BROAD
Published: November 3, 2006

NYT REPORTING FRIDAY, SOURCES SAY: Federal government set up Web site — Operation Iraqi Freedom Document Portal — to make public a vast archive of Iraqi documents captured during the war; detailed accounts of Iraq’s secret nuclear research; a ‘basic guide to building an atom bomb’… Officials of the International Atomic Energy Agency fear the information could help Iran develop nuclear arms… contain charts, diagrams, equations and lengthy narratives about bomb building that the nuclear experts say go beyond what is available elsewhere on the Internet and in other public forums

New York Times put on the front page that IRAQ HAD A NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM AND WAS PLOTTING TO BUILD AN ATOMIC BOMB?
The New York Times tells how in 2002 Saddam Hussein’s “scientists were on the verge of building an atom bomb, as little as a year away:”
Among the dozens of documents in English were Iraqi reports written in the 1990’s and in 2002 for United Nations inspectors in charge of making sure Iraq abandoned its unconventional arms programs after the Persian Gulf war.
Experts say that at the time, Mr. Hussein’s scientists were on the verge of building an atom bomb, as little as a year away.
Had the United States not eliminated this threat, today we would be facing a nuclear armed Iraq and possibly a nuclear armed Iran.

Shocker: New York Times Confirms Iraqi Nuclear Weapons Program
Jim Geraghty
National Review Online
What? Wait a minute. The entire mantra of the war critics has been “no WMDs, no WMDs, no threat, no threat”, for the past three years solid. Now we’re being told that the Bush administration erred by making public information that could help any nation build an atomic bomb.
Let’s go back and clarify: IRAQ HAD NUCLEAR WEAPONS PLANS SO ADVANCED AND DETAILED THAT ANY COUNTRY COULD HAVE USED THEM.
I think the Times editors are counting on this being spun as a “Boy, did Bush screw up” meme; the problem is, to
do it, they have to knock down the “there was no threat in Iraq” meme, once and for all. Because obviously, Saddam could have sold this information to anybody, any other state, or any well-funded terrorist group that had publicly pledged to kill millions of Americans and had expressed interest in nuclear arms. You know, like, oh… al-Qaeda.
The New York Times just tore the heart out of the antiwar argument, and they are apparently completely oblivous
to it.
The antiwar crowd is going to have to argue that the information somehow wasn’t dangerous in the hands of Saddam Hussein, but was dangerous posted on the Internet. It doesn’t work. It can’t be both no threat to America and yet also somehow a threat to America once it’s in the hands of Iran. Game, set, and match.
Having now read it, I can see that every stop has been pulled out to ensure that a reader will believe that posting these documents was a strategic blunder of the first order.
But the story retains its own inherent contradiction: The information in these documents is so dangerous, that every step must be taken to ensure it doesn’t end up in the wrong hands… except for topping the regime that actually has the documents.
(By the way, is it just me, or is the article entirely devoid of any indication that Iran actually accessed the documents? This threat that, “You idiot! Iran could access all the documents!” is entirely speculative. If the government servers hosting the web site have signs that Iranian web browsers accessed those pages, it’s a different story; my guess is somebody already knows the answer to that question.)
I’m still kinda blown away by this paragraph:
Among the dozens of documents in English were Iraqi reports written in the 1990’s and in 2002 for United Nations inspectors in charge of making sure Iraq abandoned its unconventional arms programs after the Persian Gulf war. Experts say that at the time, Mr. Hussein’s scientists were on the verge of building an atom bomb, as little as a year away.
Is this sentence referring to 1990, before the Persian Gulf War? Or 2002, months before the invasion of Iraq? Because “Iraq is a year away from building a nuclear bomb” was supposed to be a myth, a lie that Bush used to trick us into war.
And yet here is the New York Times, saying that Iraq had a “how to manual” on how to build a nuclear bomb, and could have had a nuke in a year.

Wild Thing’s comment…….
I used the article write up by Jim Geraghty on this it is so excellent, and as you can see only a small portion of the NY Times write up. Jim Geraghty did such a great job of it. If you wish to read the entire NYTimes article I have it availvable at the top with the first link.
Well they think this will humiliate Bush. The newest bit from Drudge is “NYT: U.S. POSTING OF IRAQ NUKE DOCS ON WEB COULD HAVE HELPED IRAN…”
But see … the problem with the NYT thinking (beyond the obvious fact that they’re traitors) is that it proves that Bush was RIGHT. The New York Times may think they are reporting another “gotcha” on Bush….but, this is THE gotcha that Bush has for all of the war in Iraq naysayers!!!
Bottom line is as simple as this, the DOCS are proof of Saddam having WMD and how he supported destruction and terrorism.

* Thank you to Sierrahome
* Flopping Aces
* Stop the ACLU
* The Dread Pundit Pluto
* Captains Quarters
* Michelle Malkin

“Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism.” –George Washington
Kerry has a long list of antics designed to undermine America’s military strength and resolve. Kerry, who fancies himself a war hero, has spent much of his political career denigrating American military personnel and the nation they defend. But his anti-American actions preceded his first campaign for Congress — indeed, they were the platform from which he launched his political career.
Kerry was (and remains) an effective spokesperson for his Leftist cadre. His anti-war protest period culminated with his 1971 congressional testimony, after which he told the press:
“There are all kinds of atrocities and I would have to say that, yes, yes, I committed the same kind of atrocities as thousands of other soldiers have committed in that I took part in shootings in free-fire zones. I conducted harassment and interdiction fire. I used 50-caliber machine guns, which we were granted and ordered to use, which were our only weapon against people. I took part in search-and-destroy missions, in the burning of villages. All of this is contrary to the laws of warfare. All of this is contrary to the Geneva Conventions….”
As for the success of Kerry’s anti-democracy protests and his leadership of the VVAW and association with Fonda’s Winter Soldier Investigation, General Vo Nguyen Giap, Vietnam’s most decorated military leader, wrote in retrospect that if not for the disunity created by such stateside protesters, Hanoi would have ultimately surrendered.
But the consequences of Kerry’s actions should not stop with the fall of Saigon.
Kerry, by his own account, violated the UCMJ, the Geneva Conventions and the U.S. Code while serving as a Navy officer, and he further stands in violation of Article three, Section three of the U.S. Constitution.
Upon entering the Navy in 1966, John Kerry signed a six-year contract (plus a six-month extension during wartime) and an Officer Candidate contract for five years of active duty and active Naval Reserve.
This indicates that Kerry was clearly a commissioned officer at the time of his 1970 meeting with NVA Communists in Paris — in direct violation of the UCMJ’s Article 104 part 904, and U.S. Code 18 U.S.C. 953.
That meeting, and Kerry’s subsequent coddling of Communists while leading mass protests against our military in the year that followed, also place him in direct violation of our Constitution’s Article three, Section three, which defines treason as “giving aid and comfort” to the enemy in time of warfare. (As General Vo Nguyen Giap is his witness….)
The Constitution’s Fourteenth Amendment, Section 3, which states:
“No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President … having previously taken an oath … to support the Constitution of the United States, who has engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.”
* Thank you Rhod for this graphic of Kerry as Uncle Sam it is perfect.
God help America if this so called man, John Kerry ever becomes President. It is shameful enough that he has been allowed to hold office of any kind in the United States of America. Because he was allowed to do so, we pay the price now for this blind eye, non punishment for the treason Kerry and others committed as we continue to hear him bash our military at every turn.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards test missiles, including the long-range Shahab-3, in the central desert region

Telegraph.CO.UK
Iran flexed its military muscle yesterday by test-firing missiles capable of hitting Israel and local US bases in manoeuvres the hard-line regime codenamed “Great Prophet”.
In what was taken as a clear warning to America, the commander-in-chief of the elite Revolutionary Guards said the tests were intended to display his country’s military strength.

“We want to show our deterrent and defensive power to trans-regional enemies, and we hope they will understand the message of the manoeuvres,” Gen Yahya Rahim Safavi said.

Last night Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, criticised Iran for trying to act “tough” and said it would “suffer greatly” if a weapon was used in anger.
Iranian state television reported the missiles, including the long-range Shahab-3, were fired from mobile launching pads in the country’s central desert region at the opening of 10 days of military operations. The test is the first use of the nuclear-capable version of the Shahab-3, which The Daily Telegraph reported in April was being developed by Iran.
The exercise came just 48 hours after an US Navy-led flotilla in the Gulf exercised close to Iranian territorial waters, practising drills for intercepting ships carrying missiles components and weapons of mass destruction.
Shahab-3 missiles are believed to be capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and to have a range of more than 1,200 miles, within range of Israel and US military bases in the Middle East. The Shahab-3 is a modified version of the North Korean Nodong missile, based on the Soviet-made Scud.
Among other weapons tested was the Shahab-2, which has a cluster warhead that can send 1,400 bomblets, solid-fuel Zalzal missiles and guided missiles such as Scud-B, Zolfaghar-73 and Z-3, Iranian television said.

As the six missiles were fired from near the holy city of Qom, Gen Safavi and other guardsman were heard shouting: “God is the Greatest”.

Gen Safavi said the military exercises would comprise drills by ground, air and naval forces, including submarines, mainly in the Gulf and Sea of Oman.
Meanwhile, the Iranian-aligned Hizbollah group in Lebanon yesterday rejected White House claims that it and Syria were seeking to topple Beirut’s pro-Western government of prime minister Fuad Siniora as “a blatant interference. . . concerning the Lebanese people’s choices over their government and policies”.

Wild Thing’s comment…….
Iran has shown their cards to the world. I think we have a new version of the card game WAR about to happen.