Theodore's World

Rumsfeld: North Korea Test Threat Must Be Taken Seriously
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
DOD
WASHINGTON, Oct. 5, 2006 –

North Korea is a known weapon proliferator, and there is a danger that the rogue state may sell nuclear technology to non-state entities, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said today.
Rumsfeld spoke during an impromptu Pentagon news conference following meetings with Croatian Defense Minister Berislav Roncevic.
The secretary said the North Korean threat to test nuclear weapons must be taken seriously. He said the North Korean regime has claimed to have nuclear arms since 2003. “We have no way of knowing,” if they have nuclear weapons or not, he said.
The danger to the world is that if the regime does have nuclear arms, it already has demonstrated its willingness to sell the technology to the highest bidder. Non-state actors or terrorist groups are actively seeking weapons of mass destruction. They have no compunction about using those weapons, and they have no hard targets that the civilized world could threaten, Rumsfeld said.
The secretary said diplomacy is still the way ahead in addressing the issue. He said President Bush has pushed the Six-Party Talks – U.S., South Korea, China, Russia, Japan and North Korea – as the way forward.
If North Korea does test a nuclear weapon, then the international community is going to have to examine the situation to understand why the world could not marshal “the cooperation and cohesion to apply leverage to North Korea” to stop the spread of nuclear arms, he said.
The example of North Korea could encourage other states to develop nuclear capabilities, too, he said. It would lower the threshold for these nations.

Wild Thing’s comment……
This guy just won’t give up it seems. Hey Kim!
Nobody likes you,
everybody hates you,
better go eat some worms.

WASHINGTON – Convicted terrorists locked up in U.S. prisons can still use mail and verbal communications to conduct terrorist or criminal activities, according to a report issued Tuesday by the Department of Justice’s inspector general.
The inspector general launched a review after a series of NBC News Investigative Unit reports in February and March 2005 revealed that jailed terrorists — even those responsible for the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center — were continuing to support jihadists and encourage violence around the world.
“We found that the BOP (Bureau of Prisons) has not effectively monitored the mail of terrorist and other high-risk inmates,” concludes the 122-page report.
While behind bars at the Administrative Maximum Penitentiary in Florence, Colo., the 1993 World Trade Center bombers continued their terrorist activities, writing letters to other suspected terrorists and brazenly praising Osama bin Laden in Arabic newspapers. The prison, also known as “Supermax,” houses the largest number of and most dangerous terrorist inmates.
In addition to inmates’ mail, the inspector general’s report revealed another related security problem: The prison bureau “is unable to effectively monitor high-risk inmates’ verbal communications, which include telephone calls, visits with family and friends, and cell block conversations.”
The report found that bureau staff often do not listen to or translate calls in a foreign language by inmates on monitoring lists, including calls placed by inmates identified as posing the greatest risk of being engaged in illegal or suspicious activity. For example, the inspector general’s report found that at Supermax, 50 percent of such calls each month were not monitored.

Wild Thing’s comment…….
We hunt them down, we arrest them and then we do not keep on making sure they cannot plan more attacks there is something seriously wrong with this. I feel badly for our police and those that do all the leg work, risk their lives to catch these terrorists and then the prisons can’t keep a close eye on them once they are locked up.
Amazing!!!

Seizures of radioactive materials fuel ‘dirty bomb’ fears
Times Online
SEIZURES of smuggled radioactive material capable of making a terrorist “dirty bomb” have doubled in the past four years, according to official figures seen by The Times.
Smugglers have been caught trying to traffick dangerous radioactive material more than 300 times since 2002, statistics from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) show. Most of the incidents are understood to have occurred in Europe.
The disclosures come as al-Qaeda is known to be intensfiying its efforts to obtain a radoactive device. Last year, Western security services, including MI5 and MI6, thwarted 16 attempts to smuggle plutonium or uranium. On two occasions small quantities of highly enriched uranium were reported missing. All were feared to have been destined for terror groups.
Scientists responsible for analysing the seizures have given warning that traffickers are turning to hospital X-ray equipment and laboratory supplies as an illicit source of radioactive material.
Investigators believe that the smugglers, who come mainly from the former Eastern bloc, are interested only in making a swift fortune and believe that they may have no compunction in selling to jihadist groups. Most undercover operations and recent seizures have been kept secret to protect the activities of Western security services.
Rigorous controls on nuclear processors, especially with Russia co-operating to stop the trafficking of enriched plutonium and uranium, have limited smugglers’ access to weapons-grade nuclear materials. But medical and laboratory sources, including waste, remain vulnerable. Such radioactive waste can be used to make a dirty bomb.
A dirty bomb combines a conventional explosive, such as dynamite, with radioactive material such as spent nuclear fuel like highly enriched uranium and plutonium. In most instances the conventional explosive would kill more bystanders but the dispersion of the radioactive material would have a hugely damaging “fear” factor.
There were 103 cases of illicit trafficking last year, compared with fewer than 30 in 1996. Fifty-eight incidents were reported in 2002, rising to 90 in 2003 and 130 in 2004. Experts point out that seizures in the past three years equal the same amount of trafficking in the previous seven years.
Olli Heinonen, deputy director-general of the IAEA, which monitors trafficking and inspects nuclear plants to audit their radioactive materials, said that while weapons-grade nuclear material smuggling was now rare there were serious concerns about other radioactive substances.

“A dirty bomb is something that needs to be taken seriously. We need to be prepared for anything because anything could happen,” he said. “Terrorists look for the weakest link. We need to be alert and we need to be prepared.”

Al-Qaeda makes no secret of its desire to obtain a dirty bomb. Last month its leader in Iraq, Abu Hamza alMuhajer, called for scientists to join it and experiment with radioactive devices for use against coalition troops. Even before 9/11, Osama bin Laden invited two Pakistani atomic scientists to visit a training camp in Afghanistan to discuss how to assemble a bomb using stolen plutonium. Captured al-Qaeda leaders have since confessed to the CIA of their attempts to smuggle a radioactive device into the US.
Professor Klaus Lützenkir-chen, who helps to analyse the seized substances, said that even small quantities of radio-active material could be of use to terrorists.

“If someone gets hold of it, it is possible it could be used in a dirty bomb,” he said. He added that if such a dirty bomb were detonated in a town centre the physical effect would be comparatively small and unlikely to cause huge loss of life but would have an enormously damaging “fear factor”.

One of the most serious seizures since 9/11 was that of several kilograms of a radioactive substance known as yellow cake that was found in a consignment of scrap metal at the port of Rotterdam in December 2003.
Professor Lützenkirchen said that seizures have been made across Europe, usually at borders and sea ports. Most of the trafficked material originated from the Caucasus region where he said that there was “considerable activity” among smugglers.
Seizures have continued this year, though overall figures for 2006 are not yet available. They include the discovery in Germany of a small quantity of highly enriched uranium.
Roland Schenkel, director-general of the European Commission Joint Research Centre, which analyses seizures for the IAEA and Western security services, said:

“Illicit trafficking will remain high on our list of activities, including threats by terrorists.”

Wild Thing’s comment……
After reading this then thinking about how Harry Reid stood there and so proudly said they had stopped the Patriot Act. Gosh Democrats I bet you are really disappointed that these radioactive materials get seized since you do not believe in protecting the citizens of our country.

Democrat Clark says Saddam death penalty will unleash ‘catastrophic’ violence
WASHINGTON (AFP) – Democrat Ramsey Clark, a former US attorney general who is one of Saddam Hussein’s lawyers, said that any death sentence against the former Iraqi president would increase violence in the strife-torn country.
“It seems clear that a guilty verdict will set off catastrophic violence” and that a death sentence would be even worse, Democrat Clark told a Washington press conference.
“It’s hard to know how many Iraqis, dozens, hundreds, thousands, will die because of the sentence,” he said.
A date for a verdict in the crimes against humanity trial against Saddam and seven co-accused, which opened in October, 2005, is due to be set soon after the trial resumes on October 16.
If Saddam is found guilty and sentenced to death, Iraqi law lays down that he should be executed within 30 days, said Clark.
The US attorney general from 1967-69 reaffirmed his belief that the court is illegal because it was set up only to try Saddam. He criticised the judges because they were “selected, trained, paid, protected by the United States.”
Saddam and his co-defendants, including a half brother Barzan al-Tikriti, are on trial for a crackdown on a Shiite town of Dujail following an assassination attempt in 1982.
He faces a separate trial for genocide against Iraq’s Kurdish minority in the 1988 Anfal campaign.

Wild Thing’s comment…….
Yes I added “Democrat” where Clark’s name shows up in the article.haha Let’s call it a little emphasis of how wonderful the Democrat party is……NOT!
How about if we hang them both? Save the world a lot of grief. Ramsey Clark’s death will unleash ‘catastrophic’ happiness.

“Currahee” is a Cherokee word meaning “stand alone”. To this day the Regiment yells “Currahee” when they jump from airplanes.

World War II veterans gathering in Kingston
KINGSTON – A three-day conference on World War II – honoring those who battled the Nazis, including veterans made famous in the “Band of Brothers” television series – begins today at Holiday Inn on Washington Avenue.
The event, billed “Ulster County World War II Conference and Banquet,” runs through Saturday.
Organizers say the banquet, which begins at 6 p.m. Saturday, will honor Staff Sgt. Robert Dietz, a Kingston resident who was killed in action during World War II and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism. The Uptown Kingston stadium used by Kingston High School athletic teams bears his name, as does an Army Reserve center on Flatbush Avenue in the city.
Veterans will arrive at the Holiday Inn between 1 and 5 p.m. today. A service will be held at 7 p.m. at the Old Dutch Church on Wall Street, and organizers hope to fill the church’s 800 seats.
A breakfast will be held at 7 a.m. Friday, followed by the veterans visiting local schools and the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor in the Orange County town of New Windsor.
At 3:30 p.m. Friday, a motorcade of more than 300 Harley Davidson motorcycles is expected to travel from the Kingston Holiday Inn to City Hall on Broadway, where Kingston Mayor James Sottile will welcome the veterans to the city during a brief ceremony.
An informal dinner will be held at the Holiday Inn at 5 p.m. Friday, followed by a social and autograph session for ticket-holders only.
On Saturday, featured speakers will include veterans from the Easy Company 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, U.S. Army. The company’s experiences during World War II were depicted in the HBO television series “Band of Brothers,” which was directed by Tom Hanks and produced by Steven Spielberg.
The Saturday seminars will run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will be followed by the banquet.
And this……
Currahee Military Weekend set for
October 13-15
CAMP TOCCOA, GA (October 4, 2006) – The Stephens County Historical Society and the Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce have partnered again this year to present the 4th annual Currahee Military Weekend set for October 13-15.

The Historical Society has invited all paratroopers who trained at Camp Toccoa and Currahee Mountain during World War II to come to a reunion. “We hope that the paratroopers who trained at Camp Toccoa on Currahee Mountain will take the time to visit Toccoa, reminisce about their training experiences and visit with their friends who shared this very significant time in their lives,” says Brenda Carlan, Historical Society President. In addition, we extend an invitation to families, friends, re-enactors, active military and the public to join these very special men for this memorable occasion.

Stephens County is rich in military history. Camp Toccoa had over 17,000 soldiers who trained here in four regiments – the 506th, 501st, 517th and the 511th.
This is the birthplace of The Band of Brothers, Saving Private Ryan and The Dirty Dozen. The event serves to celebrate the accomplishments of the veterans who trained at Camp Toccoa.

Murtha accused of bribe cover-up
Washington Times
Rep. John P. Murtha’s Republican challenger has accused him of negotiating a $50,000 bribe and of trying to cover it up for 26 years.
A recently released FBI video recorded in 1980 shows the Pennsylvania Democrat talking with an FBI agent posing as a representative to an Arab sheik who offers Mr. Murtha $50,000 in cash in exchange for private immigration legislation.

“When you see the video, there was every intent of taking the bribe,” said Diana Irey, a Washington County, Pa., commissioner who is running to unseat Mr. Murtha. “For 26 years, John Murtha has been living a lie.”

Six members of the House and one senator were forced to resign because of their involvement in what became known as the “Abscam” scandal. The video was released last week on the American Spectator Web site (www.spectator.org), a conservative publication. The magazine says it received the video from a source close to the Abscam investigation. \

“It was widely reported that he provided testimony against others,” Mrs. Irey said, when asked why Mr. Murtha was not prosecuted for his ties to the Abscam investigation.

Near the end of the 54-minute video of the meeting, Mr. Murtha and Philadelphia lawyer Howard Criden return to the room after a brief absence. Mr. Criden then begins speaking to undercover FBI agent Anthony Amoroso, who posed as “Tony DeVito,” the purported sheik’s representative.

“John says it’s OK for you to give me what’s in the drawer,” Mr. Criden says, according to the Spectator’s transcript of the video.
“Is that all right, Tony?” Mr. Murtha asks Mr. Amoroso. Then, referring to Thompson and Murphy, Mr. Murtha says: “Let me make it very clear. The other two guys do expect to be taken care of. … And you’re gonna have to deal through [Mr. Criden]. Me, you’ve got my deal.”

Wild Thing’s comment…..
Murtha is one sorry crooked bastardo. I hope that this expose finally opens some eyes in Pa. and he loses his seat.
And I guess now we will see Pelosi channeling Zsa Zsa Gabor. No, wait, that’s Arianna Huffington.

Tim and Kellie Guderian, of Fort Dodge, Iowa, receive a check from Iowa Lottery CEO Edward Stanek, left, on Wednesday. Tim served during Desert Storm; Kelly works at Wal-Mart.

Ex-Marine, wife win $200 million Powerball
Odds of winning were 140 million-to-1; couple bought tickets in Iowa
DES MOINES, Iowa – A Fort Dodge couple who bought three Powerball tickets during a pit stop for soda came forward Wednesday to claim the $200 million jackpot.
Tim and Kellie Guderian bought the winning ticket Sept. 23 at a Kum & Go store in Fort Dodge.
They discovered their good fortune the following evening, as Kellie read off the winning numbers to an awe-struck Tim.
“What a stroke of luck,” Tim Guderian said. “It seemed like a dream.”
According to the Iowa lottery, the odds of winning were about 140 million-to-1.
Tim Guderian, 36, served in the Marines during Operation Desert Storm and works as an automotive detailer in Fort Dodge. His 44-year-old wife of nearly seven years is a sales associate at the Wal-Mart where the pair first met.

Wild Thing’s comment……
I am so happy for this couple, how neat is that to have it be a Veteran and his wife that won.
I love old movies and there is an old Glenn Ford movie called, “It started With a Kiss”. When I read about this couple winning the powerball I thought of that old movie immediately. I realize it is not the same thing but it just made me think of the old film.

It was about a girl that marries Sgt. Joe Fitzpatrick (Glenn Ford), an Air Force sergeant whose good luck wins him first prize in a raffle a $40,000 car. The car that he wins in the film is a 1955 Lincoln Futura, the one-off concept car that ultimately became the Batmobile on “Batman”.

Gitmo prisoners gaining weight
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — A high-calorie diet combined with life in the cell block — almost around the clock in some cases — is making detainees at Guantanamo Bay fat.
Meals totaling a whopping 4,200 calories per day are brought to their cells, well above the 2,000 to 3,000 calories recommended for weight maintenance by U.S. government dietary guidelines. And some inmates are eating everything on the menu.
One detainee has almost doubled in weight, to 410 pounds, said Navy Cmdr. Robert Durand, spokesman for the detention facilities at Guantanamo.
Human rights groups attribute the weight gain to lack of exercise. They cite accounts of released detainees who complained they were allowed to exercise fewer than three times a week outside their small cells.
But Durand said detainees are simply served a wide variety of food and are expected to choose what appeals to them.

“The detainees are advised that they are offered more food than necessary, to provide choice and variety, and that consuming all the food they are offered will result in weight gain,” he said.

Most of the prisoners at Guantanamo picked up in Afghanistan and other conflict zones were slightly underweight when they arrived. Since then, they’ve gained an average of 20 pounds, and most are now “normal to mildly overweight or mildly obese,” according to the most recent measurements, he said.

Even two detainees who have been on a hunger strike for more than a year are at “100 percent ideal body weight,” from nutrients fed through tubes inserted in their noses, Durand said.

The calorie intake at Guantanamo is well above the norm for federal inmates in the United States, who receive about 2,900 calories a day, said U.S. Bureau of Prisons spokesman Michael Truman.

He said weight gain in the civilian system is not widespread and that most inmates “keep themselves in pretty good shape.”

Prisoners at Guantanamo who behave well get more exercise time. The most compliant get up to 12 hours a week, including access to treadmills, stationary bikes and other fitness equipment, Durand said. Guantanamo officials say compliance is gauged solely by whether a detainee follows detention center rules and avoids causing disturbances, and has nothing to do with whether he is providing information to interrogators.

Wild Thing’s comment…..
When the dems make us let them go free, it’ll be easier to locate them, that’s for sure.
Now let’s see they will have to find caves with larger entrances to squeeze through. Praying 5 times a day would be way too hard to accompolish to get down on their knees and back up again. Hahaha

Appeal on school’s lesson in Muslim culture is rejected

San Francisco Chronicle
The U.S. Supreme Court rejected an appeal Monday by evangelical Christian students and their parents who said a Contra Costa County school district engaged in unconstitutional religious indoctrination when it taught students about Islam by having them recite language from prayers.
The court, without comment, left intact a ruling by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco last November in favor of the Byron Union School District in eastern Contra Costa.
The suit challenged the content of a seventh-grade history course at Excelsior Middle School in Byron in the fall of 2001. The teacher, using an instructional guide, told students they would adopt roles as Muslims for three weeks to help them learn what Muslims believe.
She encouraged them to use Muslim names, recited prayers in class, had them memorize and recite a passage from the Quran and made them give up something for a day, such as television or candy, to simulate fasting during the month of Ramadan. The final exam asked students for a critique of elements of Muslim culture.
The students and parents who sued argued that the class activities had crossed the line from education into an official endorsement of a religious practice. A federal judge and the appeals court disagreed, saying the class had an instructional purpose and the students had engaged in no actual religious exercises.
Linda Lye, a lawyer for the school district, said the same instructional material remains available for classes, though it is not required.

“I’m delighted that the Byron Union School District can put this case finally behind it and get on with educating children and exposing them to the world’s great cultures and religions in an appropriate way,” Lye said.

Wild Thing’s comment…..
They will conquer us by terrorist acts or by rulings like this.