Remember Jenin?

Yeah. Nothing says "line of dead corpses" like one of those supposed dead people sitting up. Resident Evil, anyone? Nah, me neither.

Look, can someone tell me why anyone trusts a single thing coming out of the Arab media again? Because as of this point, if I even see something resembling an Islamic name, I assume every word out of their mouth to be a lie, including the words "the", "and", "but", and "neoconzionistjewlovinginfidel".

As a side note, when did we get taken off of the KisP blogroll? Sondra! Don't abandon us!

Making the point YET AGAIN!

For anyone still laboring under the belief that the MSM is an honest, objective organization, I present to you this. There's an entire history of propaganda photos being used as "news" or "photojournalism".

Horseshit.

Jeff Goldstein breaks down a "news" release for you. Just go read it. The MSM is so completely ruined by the Leftist bias of the reporters, editors, and almost everyone associated with them that their "news" articles fairly drip with prejudice. I've taken a few beginner courses in journalism. There are standards that you have to use when referring to the people in the news stories. And just from my small intro into journalism I can pick almost any story about the Middle East apart. There are double standards everywhere. Now, if the "mistakes" that the MSM were admitting to happened for both sides of the conflict, then one could deduce that the editors were simply being a bit sloppy in their effort to get news out as quickly as possible.

But that's not what is happening, is it?

Every "mistake", every glitch, every altered photograph has been to the detriment of Israel, and the gain of the terrorists who are attacking them. Every time an "error" occurs, it demonizes Israel. There are no "errors" or "mistakes" or "accidental photoshop jobs" that put Hamas, Syria, Iran or Lebanon in a bad light. It is all against Israel.

That is not mistakes or errors folks. That is flat out and out bias, dripping out of "news" stories like pus out of a festering wound. Which in it's own way, perfectly symbolizes the MSM today.

Gosh, no kidding?

I mean, who woulda thunk that Islamist "photojournalists" would try to enhance their pictures? That might mean that they're..... BIASED or something!

Mark my words - this is just one "photojournalist" out of hundreds. I'm willing to bet my entire month's paycheck that there are other "photojournalists" doing the same damn thing.

First Casualty

Cox & Forkum

Elian Gonzalez Wishes Castro Well

See? The Great Old Coot's not so bad.

Nobody should miss this

Pajamas Media: August 06, 2006 Archives

Nailing it down

I've been going bonkers watching the Left defend Hezbollah, Lebanon, and any state that attacks Israel, while decrying Israel's response. And quite honestly, I've been so damn frustrated that I couldn't manage to put my thoughts into words.

Ace must've used some brainwave reading machine, because he nails my thoughts down rather nicely.

If the left consists of such kill-crazy super-terrorist-keyboard-warriors as they so often claim, who are really, really are eager to fight the "right war" against terror (generally defined as any war the US is not actually involved in, or about to enter), then why are they incapable of supporting Israel's war against a group which is

1) unambiguously terroristic,

2) without any legitimate claims to land (as Hamas might have),

3) supported and armed by Iran, the country they often claim is the country we should have fought instead of Iraq (of course, had we done so, they'd've said we should have fought Iraq instead),

4) provoked Israel into an unavoidable defensive War of Necessity, not a "War of Choice," by raining rockets upon its cities

and

5) is furthermore required by the UN -- the UN! -- to disarm and cease all illegal paramilitary attacks on Israel?

All the usual prerequisites the left usually lists for gaining their blessing for war are easily met here. And yet-- no blessing.

Why?

In essence, the Left has exposed itself to be bigger terrorism supporters than anything we at the Right could have guessed. There is no nuance here. Hezbollah fires rockets into civilian towns. That the wrong thing to do. Hezbollah targets civilians. That is the wrong thing to do. Hezbollah hides behind civilians, and bases their operations out of civilian areas such as apartment buildings, schools, and hospitals. That is the wrong thing to do! Israel is defending themselves from a group of terrorists who receive money and weapons from Iran and Syria, who target women and children, who kill as randomly as possible, who are operating illegally out of a sovereign nation in defiance of international law, the list goes on and on.

And yet, the Left, both international and here in America, do not, cannot, and will not support Israel's war against Hezbollah. A war that is needed to protect and defend the citizens of Israel.

If they cannot support this war, then it is clear to anyone with half a mind that they will not support any war against terrorism, and thus are on the side of the terrorists. Plain and simple. What was it that Orwell said? "A pacifist is essentially pro-fascist." Well, it's time to update that - "A pacifist is essentially pro-terrorist."

If you do nothing but prevent, hinder, or otherwise impede the war against a terrorist group, then you are pro-terrorist. When this country eventually ends, whether it be next year or the next millennium, it will be because of people like the American Left, who care more about their politics and gaining power than protecting this country from terrorists.

I hate to be a Yuppie

But all I can do is read this and go "Yup".

One of the most classic lines parenthood is; "You're known by the company you keep".

And when neighbors choose as their company those who are sworn to the destruction of America, whose blood oath entails forcing me and you to choose between converting to their perverted cult of a false religion, or paying a huge jizya (tax) in order to rent the right to live as an infidel, or worse, to be slaughtered like a beast in the field merely because they deem it fitting.......

.....When they choose them as their company, companions and allies, they have then declared their emnity towards me, my friends and loved ones, your neighbors and this Nation.

You can go read the rest.

GREAT GOOGLY MOOGLY!

I'm in the wrong damn Army!

The Women of the IDF.

Mwuahahaaaa!

Ace

Make you sure you catch the last line.

Quick Digest

See Ned Run. See Ned Run From Jane. Or not.

Key endorsement for Ned:



Not contented by slurring blacks, Lamont's people go for gays.

Meanwhile, Radical Muslims target children - protest in Cambridge imminent!!!

Dave, TVE, other bloggers

2,996: A Tribute to the Victims of 9/11

"This Says It All"

An Unsealed Room

CREEP

Jane Hamsher.

Ironically, liberal blogs such as Eschaton and TalkLeft have criticized the use of blackface in other settings. And even more ironically, Hamsher herself went ballistic last fall when first lady Laura Bush made a reference to comedian Eddie Cantor, who gained a following with his blackface routine.

"Does the first lady not know who Eddie Cantor was?" Hamsher wrote. "Or does she actually think it's appropriate to invoke a comedian famous for appearing in blackface when talking about minority students, and then crack wise about their erstwhile future as criminals?"

Beltway Blogroll: Blogger Kills Lieberman Image At Lamont's Bidding

Hamsher, earlier this week:



UPDATE: Ned Lamont is lying about the nutroots and he.

Maxine Waters has gone silent, which is one good thing about this, I reckon.

RCOB

Tell me about border security again?

WASHINGTON — Undercover investigators entered the United States using fake documents repeatedly this year — including some cases in which Homeland Security Department agents didn't ask for identification.

At nine border crossings on the Mexico and Canadian borders, agents "never questioned the authenticity of the counterfeit documents," according to Government Accountability Office testimony to be released Wednesday

I'm speechless. I really am. After years of living in a world where people want to blow up Americans any way possible, the fact that these agents could easily get into this country just blows my mind.

What. The. HELL?!

Homeland Security spokesman Jarrod Agen said agents are trained to identify false birth certificates, driver's licenses and other documents. But he conceded that agents sometimes cannot verify more than 8,000 different kinds of currently acceptable IDs without significantly slowing border traffic.

Then simply narrow the list of accepted documents! WOW, WHAT A CONCEPT! I can't get into any other country without a passport. No other form of ID is acceptable. I can't stroll into Panama with just my driver's license. Why can't we enforce that same rule here? No passport, NO ENTRY!

It seems that people in the government still don't get it. If we don't have a secure border, then we cannot stop people from coming into America to kill us. Or run drugs. Or other contraband.

Gah. I think I'm done reading the news today. My blood pressure can't stand it.

SSDD

That's Same S**t, Different Day.

U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Mark Malloch Brown may want to stick to reforming his own office and stop criticizing member states, a State Department spokesman said Wednesday.

Malloch Brown was quoted in a British newspaper Wednesday suggesting that he does not think that Hezbollah, the Syrian- and Iranian-backed group currently fighting Israeli Defense Forces, is a terrorist organization.

"It's not helpful to couch this war in the language of international terrorism. Hezbollah employs terrorist tactics; it is an organization, however, whose roots historically are completely separate and different from Al Qaeda," he said, according to a transcript of an interview.

And he wonders why most of America regards the U.N. much as they would regard a malignant tumor? Tell me, just what would make Mr. Brown call Hezbullah a terrorist organization? I mean, beyond the using civilians as human shields, beyond the daily rocket fire into civilian areas of Israel, beyond the calls for Israel's destruction, just what in the name of all that is holy would make Mr. Brown call Hezbullah a terrorist group?

My sweet God, what an asshat. My opinion of the U.N. drops with every passing day.

Tropical Storm Update

Well, that was dissapointing.

TS Chris passed to the North of us, giving us nothing more than a few showers. We've gotten more rain on a normal day. We'll see if we get any more rain today, but I think it's safe to say that we won't be getting hit.

Israel hijacking TV and radio broadcasts

Neat:

A series of pictures and statements, apparently from Israeli-backed hackers, have appeared on Lebanon's Hezbollah-run television station, some showing pictures of corpses and others labelling the group's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, as a liar.

One of the images shown on al-Manar television portrayed the body of a fighter lying face-down, wearing khaki trousers with a text in Arabic beneath: "This is the photograph of a body of a member of Hezbollah's special forces."

I have wondered for years why we don't do this stuff, which, I guess, requires me to assume that we don't.

I mean, if American imaging machines can make Drew Barrymore deliver a flying roundhouse kick to the head of a 6'6" 245 pound man, they surely can make Osama bin Laden have sex with his brother.

You know?

Yoni the Blogger

Blackface of the day

What a bunch of assholes the Left are.

UPDATE: Graphic removed, without comment.

See it here: Michelle Malkin: Ned Lamont's favorite nutball

From a political discussion...

...at the Hockey's Future boards:

Hezbollah is using civillians (and UN observer posts) as shields. Or as you say, Hezbollah are firing rockets into Israel from positions next to apartment buildings. Or from within hospitals and schools, even. Or from playgrounds filled with smiling Hezbollese children. Take any or all of those statements as you like.

Israel is then bombing those Hezbollah-occupied positions.

I just don't understand what kind of person thinks it's ok to fire back in that situation.

It's that kind of thinking that causes many to type the words "We're doomed" these days.

Need a knife?

I've always stated that you need to support the companies that support you. So when I read this, I thought I'd pass it on.

POST FALLS -- Five area businesses were recently honored for their dedication toward employing veterans.

American Legion National Commander Thomas L. Bock presented special Employment of Veterans awards to Life Care Center of Coeur d'Alene and IMCO Recycling of Post Falls during the recent American Legion state convention at Templin's Red Lion Hotel in Post Falls. Ground Force Manufacturing of Post Falls earned the Small Employer of the Year award. The category was for businesses with less than 50 employees. Buck Knives of Post Falls won the Large Employer of the Year award for firms with more than 250 employees.

Buck knives recently relocated from California to Post Falls, Idaho. So what did they do to win this award?

• Buck Knives employed 276 at the time of the nomination and had 30 veterans (12 percent) on staff.

"Buck Knives has long been committed to providing employment opportunities for veterans, including the disabled," Shoeman said. "Patriotism has deep roots within the Buck family. It is clear that issues affecting our nation's veterans receive top priority with Buck Knives."

All local members of the 116th Engineer Battalion of the Idaho National Guard were presented a specially engraved knife upon return from combat duty in Iraq. The company also hosted a knife sale open to the public, with proceeds supporting troops and family members.

(emphasis mine)

I know what kind of knife I'll be buying when I next need one.

Murtha to be sued

Check it out:

The move by Wuterich is rare, as statements made by members of Congress generally are protected under the "speech or debate" clause in Article I, Section 6, of the Constitution. But legal experts said the clause grants immunity only for what lawmakers say in legislative proceedings and does not apply to news releases, speeches and other public comments.

Rodney A. Smolla, dean of the University of Richmond Law School and a libel expert, said yesterday that Wuterich would have the burden of proving that he is innocent and that Murtha's statements were false, but he added that the quotations appear to be actionable in court. He said the suit shows that Wuterich probably thinks he did nothing wrong.

"Part of the subtext of this is it's a showing of confidence and a preemptive strike of sorts," Smolla said. "The congressman's statement does not sound as if it is merely hyperbole or opinion or name-calling. Instead, it conveys the idea that the Marines violated professional standards and perhaps the law."

The questionable events at Qana in Lebanon sure do place Haditha in a different light, don't they?

Marine Names Murtha in Defamation Suit

Linky Love

Via Malkin comes the story of a Marine who's had enough of Murtha's BS.

A Marine Corps staff sergeant who led the squad accused of killing two dozen civilians in Haditha, Iraq, will file a lawsuit today in federal court in Washington claiming that Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.) defamed him when the congressman made public comments about the incident earlier this year.

Attorneys for Frank D. Wuterich, 26, argue in court papers that Murtha tarnished the Marine's reputation by telling news organizations in May that the Marine unit cracked after a roadside bomb killed one of its members and that the troops "killed innocent civilians in cold blood." Murtha also said repeatedly that the incident was covered up.

Since Murtha made these statements on every newscast that would have him, and not on the floor as part of a legislative session, there's a good chance this lawsuit has legs. And if it does, good. Murtha called those Marines murderers, thugs, and brutal animals without a shred of evidence to back up his accusations. Every chance he got, he slandered them endlessly. It's about time that someone reminds Murtha of a statement that he should have remembered from his own days as a Marine.

You don't fuck with the Marine Corps.

Murtha may have served in the Marines, but he's an EX-Marine. I don't think there's a Marine alive that would claim allegience to Murtha in any regard. Just think about the meaning of that statement.

Captain Ed reports that the IDF has captured Hezbullah terrorists in a hospital.

After several hours of intense fighting in and around the hospital in the eastern Lebanon town of Baalbek, which was built by Iran for the express purpose of treating Hizbullah operatives, IDF commando forces on Wednesday morning took a number of Hizbullah operatives captive.

An IAF helicopter dropped commando forces a short distance from the hospital late Tuesday night. The force was discovered as it moved towards the structure, where Hizbullah operatives were suspected of hiding. Several hours of gunfights ensued, and at least 10 Hizbullah guerrillas were reported killed. Another force was helicoptered in to extricate the commandos and provide backup for the mission.

But gosh, why would Hezbullah be operating out of a hospital? I mean, that's against the rules of war and stuff!

Feh. Hezbullah delights in the murder of civilians, and will do anything they can in order to cause more civilian deaths. After all, if they could get Israel to bomb their base of operations and then show a blown up hospital on Arab TV, they get the propaganda victory. They don't care how many innocent people die. Because they're worthless TERRORISTS!

It really is that simple.

Personally, I'm at the point where I think that not only should we be killing the terrorists, we should be killing anyone associated with the terrorists as a message to anyone who would support them. But then, I'm not in charge. Probably for the best.

And last, it looks like Floyd Landis got busted for doping.

Just damn.

If it turns out to be true, then as far as I'm concerned, we need to pound his ass into a pulp just as quickly as we rejoiced when he won. American loves a winner, but not one who cheats. That is, unless you're a San Francisco Giant's fan.

Look, steroids have been a problem for years. The NFL has had people juiced up to their eyeballs. Anyone remember Lyle Alzado? Guy was pumped on steroids for years, and it ended up killing him. Most people who juice have health problems later on in life, which is the most likely reason why Barry Bonds' knees are now as fragile as 300 year old paper. And as much as I hate to say it, Mark Maguire is in the same boat. Sammy Sosa? Can anyone else explain to me how a skinny little base-stealing kid bulks up quickly and has an acne problem that would make a teenage boy sympathetic? Steroids, man. He's juiced.

I think that the steroid problem goes a lot farther than any of us can guess. And the only way I can see it stopping is if we, the sports fans, turn our backs on anyone who is a confirmed doper. Just let them hang on their own petard. Protest your team hiring someone who's a doper. If they can't get the big bucks with their hormonally enhanced performance, then maybe they'll stop using it.

It could be a start, at least.

A little something from vacation

Have a nice day!

The Senate did something yesterday

Booyaka!

The US Senate approved legislation that would make 8.3 million acres (3.4 million hectares) of Gulf of Mexico coastline available for oil and natural gas drilling.

The bill, which passed by a vote of 71 to 25, would end a quarter-century ban against tapping the coastal waters for energy, and comes as Americans face ever-spiraling prices at the gas pump and to heat and cool their homes.

We'll see what happens in conference with the House.

This is the kind of thing Republicans should be running ads on, to disabuse "working families" (and union workers) of the notion that Democrats care about them.

US Senate backs opening protected US coastline to oil, gas drilling

Seen @ Gateway Pundit

Batten down the hatches

'cause I think I'm gonna get hit with this one.

Tropical Storm Chris, the third named storm of the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season, developed early Tuesday near the Leeward Islands, forecasters at the National Hurricane Center said.

Now, my family and I live in a concrete house that resembles a bomb shelter, so I doubt that we're going to be in any danger whatsoever. I also have a week's worth of fresh water saved up, and plenty of non-perishable food. However, knowing the quality of utility services down here, any storm stronger than a mouse fart is going to knock out power for a day or two. So, if I don't blog in the next couple of days, don't worry about me. I'm safe. I just don't have any electricity. I have a generator for my house, but that won't help the company that provides me with the internet.

Granted, I'll have to deal with all the Puerto Ricans who didn't plan ahead and are now completely SOL, but I think I can handle that.

More About Qana

Related to TVE's post below:

On the morning of July 30, according to the IDF, the air force came in three waves. In the first, between midnight and one in the morning, there was a strike at or near the building that eventually collapsed. There was a second strike at other targets far from the collapse building several hours later, and a third strike at around 7:30 in the morning. There too the nearest hit was some 460 meters away, according to the IDF. But first reports of a building collapse came only around 8 am.

Thus there was an unexplained 7 to 8 hour gap between the time of the helicopter strike and the building collapse. Brigadier General Amir Eshel, Head of the Air Force Headquarters, in a press briefing, told journalists that "the attack on the structure in the Qana village took place between midnight and one in the morning. The gap between the timing of the collapse of the building and the time of the strike on it is unclear."

I must admit I am having trouble keeping it all clear in my role as a part time analyst of the event (har). One of the things the "Hezbollah Staged It" crowd are saying is that the bodies show signs of rigor mortis in the early morning just an hour after the collapse. But what if the collapse occured at the initial strike "between midnight and one in the morning"? Then rigor mortis at 0900 would be consistent.

I guess this is where lack of intrepid and objective reporting adds to "the fog of war".

Who says the strike occured "between midnight and one in the morning"? Who says the building collpase occured at 0800 or thereabouts?

Who in the MSM are digging deep to cover this story?

Confederate Yankee: Were the Qana Bodies Staged?

UPDATE: Michelle Malkin gathers the research here.

A Truth Exploited By The Terrorist-Leftist Nexus

From David Galula's treatise on insurgency war via The Corner on National Review Online.

Propaganda and spin is always easier for an insurgent force:

"The asymmetrical situation has important effects on propaganda. The insurgent, having no responsibility, is free to use every trick; if necessary, he can lie, cheat, exaggerate. He is not obliged to prove; he is judged by what he promises, not by what he does. Consequently, propaganda is a powerful weapon for him. With no positive policy but with good propaganda, the insurgent may still win.

The counterinsurgent is tied to his responsibilities and to his past, and for him, facts speak louder than works. He is judged on what he does, not on what he says. If he lies, cheats, exaggerates, and does not prove, he may achieve some temporary successes, but at the price of being discredited for good. And he cannot cheat much unless his political structures are monolithic, for the legitimate opposition in his own camp would soon disclose his every psychological maneuver. For him, propaganda can be no more than a secondary weapon, valuable only if intended to inform and not to fool. A counterinsurgent can seldom cover bad or nonexistent policy with propaganda. "

The utter lack of accountability inherent in the nature of terror organizations is what lead President Bush to state that you are either with us or you are with the terrorists. An absolute truth, for by their very actions they demand to be dealt with by all civilized societies. Who is Hezbollah accountable to? Lebanon? They utilize Lebanese land and infrastructure. If the government of Lebanon is forced to provide Hezbollah these resources against their will, then Lebanon is a failed state incapable of reigning in the foriegn financed terror organization perched on their land and Israel's norther border. Iran and Syria are paying the terror group's bills. If Lebanon's intentions are pure, then we can strenthen their state and force Hezbollah to find another host. And if they have no willing host (or failed state to leach off of), they will eventually run out of resources and starve. If, on the other hand, they have a symbiotic relationship with the government of Lebanon, then they join Iran and Syria in waging a proxy war on their neighbor and all three governments must be held accountable for essentially waging a war by proxy.

That same lack of accountability is what lead to the creation of Article 28 of the 4th Geneva Convention:

The presence of a protected person may not be used to render certain points or areas immune from military operations.

As RD pointed out, anyone who hides in the midst of civilians to shield themselves from counter attack is responsible for the deaths of those they put in harms way. That is true in southern Lebanon, it is true in the al Anbar province in Iraq where insurgents attack our soldiers wearing civilian clothing and rush into civilian homes to evade capture, and it is true anywhere such tactics are employed.

Our soldiers are scrutinized in every possible way. In fighting for their lives, in holding captives caught in battle, in questioning captives, and in their very words and attitudes. They receive tepid and fickel support for performing near impossible tasks. Yet when is the last time you heard of a terrorist group being taken to account for the ghastly beheading of a captured soldier or civilian or for setting off bombs in crowded civilian areas or for the brutal torture and mutilation of a captive? You don't. And that is partly because there is no way to hold a stateless and often faceless and nameless foe to account, and partly because the only ones that could possibly hold them to account are OUR SOLDIERS. And they know it. And they TARGET and kill the very people they claim to fight on behalf of in order to further their goals. And they get away with it because people offer them the legitimacy EARNED by those who strive toward civility and are accountable to all. The terrorists know full well how to take advantage of this and the left willingly serves their cause by breathlessly covering incidents like Qana as the great human tragedy it is without telling you that Hezbollah had been firing rockets from Qana and then rushing to hide in civilian structures. Hezbollah is responsible for the deaths in Qana. If they cared about the people in souther Lebanon, they wouldn't use them as shields. And if the left concerned themselves with responsible dissent rather than the scorched earth variety they engage in almost exclusively then perhaps the civilian targeting, civilian shield using terrorists would be incapable of selling their deceptive propaganda, or at least much less capable. Buying into their ploys is bad enough. Today the left fabricates propaganda for them.

What Dave Said...

...Ben Stein-style:

Because it is impossible to beat a terrorist movement without using terror tactics, and we as a people of compassion and restraint, both in Israel and the U.S., will not use terror tactics even when survival is at stake, and this means we will not survive.

It is very much as if, after Pearl Harbor, after the bombing of London, we said, "We will fight the Japanese and the Nazis, but we will only use humane means, and we will show total restraint and will never kill civilians. And we will search our souls and agonize about every move."

Roger that.

The American Spectator: How to Lose to Terrorists


I, like Dave, am not agonizing about Qana.

More:

We know, from e-mails discovered after the Israelis killed four UN observers at an outpost more than a week ago, that the UN "peacekeepers" had been overrun and held captive by Hizballah. The UN people wanted to get out of the path of the battle, but the Hizballah wouldn't let them leave. On Sunday morning, we awoke to the reports of horrific civilian casualties in the Lebanese town of Qana. Dozens of children are among the dead.

Qana, like many other villages in south Lebanon, was papered with Israeli leaflets warning the citizens to flee the impending battle. Israeli aircraft have been broadcasting warnings and the Israeli forces -- imitating what our Commando Solo aircraft did in Iraq before the 2003 invasion began -- were literally telephoning Lebanese in their homes asking them to get out of the line of fire. Thousands have not. Why?

Israel as George Bush

It reminds me of The Final Countdown, 1980, when F-14s from an American carrier were buzzing, and being buzzed by, World War Two era Zeros. The F-14s go head-to-head with the Zeros, who narrowly miss the F-14s with machine gun fire.

"What are we messing around with these guys for????", one of the F-14 pilots asks.

I am reminded of that.

Qana

Look, I'm about to sound pretty damn heartless right now, so if you're some bleeding heart Leftist, don't stick around unless you want to hear some unpleasant truths.

Hezbullah uses civilian as shields. They hide amongst them, they bury themselves in civilian areas, and they use civilian facilities as bases to attack Israel. They attack from apartment buildings, schools, and anywhere they think that Israel is afraid to counter-attack.

Add to this the fact that there are people in Lebanon who not only agree with what Hezbullah is doing, but actively work with them to further their goal.

So what do you get when you mix terrorists who use civilians as shields, with civilians who agreeably turn themselves into shields ?

You get civilian deaths, that's what you get.

The one constant in all of this is the fact that Israel must be allowed to defend herself. And despite what the Leftists think, they ARE defending themselves. Perhaps when Hezbullah stops firing rockets from the middle of apartment complexes, Israel won't have to drop a bomb on the people who are launching that rocket.

Do I want people to die? No, of course not. I can't think of any sane person who cheers for the death of innocents. But let's just keep in mind that the people responsible for those deaths are the terrorists who use apartment complexes as rocket-launching pads.

Don't blame Israel for defending herself. Blame the people who made in necessary.

Deb Frisch...

...is still all over Jeff Goldstein and his family. What a cavedweller.

Hezbollah...

..., they loves them some human shields.

Marine does job, patriots react

Florida Marine metes out swift death in Iraq

Democratic Underpanters mete out swift condemnation in their air conditioned rooms

Quick Digest

Back from vacation, glad to see Dave back online, quick linkz here:

Gateway Pundit does a wee bit more digging on this story:



(I took the time to draw a multiline box around the "key graf" because I found it interesting that "ADVERTISEMENT" appears right beneath it.)

---

If a drunken Mel Gibson did indeed call out...

BANG!

---

Tragedy Presentation at Qana.

---

The Ravers are out in force: "Obviously not, so why hasn't USA done something about the misuse of their Apache helicopters used to deliver bombs, not to mention the bombs themselves?"

---

Confederate Yankee: "There Are No Civilians Here". Go see it.

---

Power Line ponders banners.

Yeah, sure, you were in the Army

I'm calling Bullshit.

Smash confronts someone wearing DCU's at a protest, with ribbons and an inverted flag. Claimed to be Army.

I wish I had been there. I really do. Because I'll bet my paycheck that stupid bastard never served a day of his life. Because we all know how honest those IVAW vets are, don't we?

Really, if I curb-stomped them, would anyone care?

So, I haven't commented much

On Israel lately. That's because every time I turn around, there's someone much better doing it for me.

Captain Ed, who also has a good takedown on a Rolling Stone piece that proves that the writers at that magazine are still taking way too many drugs.

DANEgerus. Just start scrolling. Also, check out the video of a UN ambulance picking up terrorists and transporting them.

Michelle Malkin. Check out the picture of the two flags flying together. Now, when you fly two flags together, it's normal that the flag of the host nation is flown above any other flag. Take a look at that picture and draw your own conclusions.

My own thoughts on this are predictable and clear - Israel has the right to defend itself against anyone who attacks her. The terrorists who Israel is currently engaged with have attacked her constantly for years, and in my opinion should have been destroyed years ago. Hamas is a group of thugs who's stated goal is the destruction of Israel. Hezbullah is an Iranian financed proxy who have been launching missiles at Israel from Lebanon for years.

The only thing that the United States should do at this point is hold off any international pressure from Israel. Anytime some pansy-assed terrorist-appeasing country comes up with a "cease-fire" plan, the US should bitchslap that country back into submission and tell them to shut up and go away. Let Israel deal with the terrorists. Because at this point, every terrorist-appeasing plan that can be tried, has been tried. Land-for-peace? The land that Israel gave up in the name of peace is now being used as a launching point for attacks on her. Prisoner exchanges? Gee, that worked so well in the past, didn't it? Aid money? Used to buy weapons that in turn were used to attack Israel.

The West can finally send a clear message to the Middle East - knock this shit off, or deal with the consequences. My fear is that most of the West doesn't have the balls to keep the pressure on the terrorists. Judging from the unhinged reactions of the "progressive" Left, who have done everything in their power to excuse Hezbullah and Hamas from their actions, they would love nothing more than to see a "cease-fire" enacted, which as anyone with half a brain knows, means that Israel would stop fighting while the terrorists would simply redouble their efforts. That cannot be allowed.

We need to stand fast, hold the line, and let Israel defend herself. It really is that simple.

Pardon me whilst I dance!

So, there's a company down here in Puerto Rico called Bive. Pronounced BEE-vay. It's a subsidiary of Speakeasy.net. It's wireless internet that you obtain through a rented antennae.

And that antennae is now sitting above me cheerfully blinking it's lights in a signal-receiving fashion.

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAW! I'm BACK, baby!

And the best part is this - since I've told PRTC to go lick my anus, plus canceled my dial-up account, I'm now paying LESS money for faster internet access. Sometimes, life is good. So I can now actually see the blog for the first time in weeks. I've been able to post, but due to the firewalls at my other internet connection (which I don't own and have no control over) I could never load up the actual blog. Kinda sucky. In any case, I have the internet again. My wife is even happy about it. It's a two-fer!

I look forward to many more hours of blogging in the future!

Possible good news for me?

The internet problem might be solved, and I'll still be able to tell Puerto Rico Telephone Company to kiss my ass....

I'll let you know tonight if it works or not.

Chickenhawk? Better than the other options...

So, I guess Jeff Jacoby has been doing a thorough trashing of the slur "chickenhawk" and people who use it, as recorded by Captain Ed.

You hear a fair amount of that from the antiwar crowd if, like me, you support a war but have never seen combat yourself. That makes you a ``chicken hawk" -- one of those, as Senator Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey, defending John Kerry from his critics, put it during the 2004 presidential campaign, who ``shriek like a hawk, but have the backbone of a chicken." Kerry himself often played that card. ``I'd like to know what it is Republicans who didn't serve in Vietnam have against those of us who did," he would sniff, casting himself as the victim of unmanly hypocrites who never wore the uniform, yet had the gall to criticize him, a decorated veteran, for his stance on the war.

``Chicken hawk" isn't an argument. It is a slur -- a dishonest and incoherent slur. It is dishonest because those who invoke it don't really mean what they imply -- that only those with combat experience have the moral authority or the necessary understanding to advocate military force. After all, US foreign policy would be more hawkish, not less, if decisions about war and peace were left up to members of the armed forces. Soldiers tend to be politically conservative, hard-nosed about national security, and confident that American arms make the world safer and freer. On the question of Iraq -- stay-the-course or bring-the-troops-home? -- I would be willing to trust their judgment. Would Cindy Sheehan and Howard Dean?

The cry of ``chicken hawk" is dishonest for another reason: It is never aimed at those who oppose military action. But there is no difference, in terms of the background and judgment required, between deciding to go to war and deciding not to. If only those who served in uniform during wartime have the moral standing and experience to back a war, then only they have the moral standing and experience to oppose a war. Those who mock the views of ``chicken hawks" ought to be just as dismissive of ``chicken doves."

You remember 'ol Kenny Boy, who emailed an argument to me, who then devolved into screaming "CHICKENHAWKYBABYNEOCON!" at me while I posted his ever-increasingly insane emails? You know that the person you're debating has no argument, no facts, and no clue when they whip out the old "chickenhawk" crap.

When someone calls me a chickenhawk, it's because they know they've lost. They know that they cannot counter a single argument I've put forth. They know that I have facts and logic on my side, while all they possess is a cesspool of BDS sufferers and flat out lunatics on their side. They're like screaming children who have just been put in their place by an adult, and now they're throwing their temper tantrum. "YOU NEOCON CHICKENHAWK! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Me, personally, I get a kick out of it when people call me a chickenhawk. When little Kenny Boy whipped that comment out, I was laughing my ass off. Calling an active duty military member a chickenhawk is the height of idiocy, and it shows just how shallow little Kenny Boy's thought processes are. There are millions of veterans, many of whom have their own blogs, and I'm sure that they've been smeared with the same insult. Watching the Left fling their favorite word around is like watching a three-year old with urine running down his leg screaming "I DID NOT PEE MY PANTS! I DIDN'T! I DIDN'T!" The sheer absurdity of the situation makes you want to laugh and cry at the same time.

But I say let them keep calling us chickenhawks. We can make it like "Godwin's Law". You know, the first one to bring up a Nazi reference in the debate automatically loses? We can call this one "The Kos Dictum". When someone calls the other side a "Chickenhawk", you know that they have no substantive arguments whatsoever and can safely be ignored on any further debate on that subject.

Let's spread it around! The Kos Dictum! Go ahead Kos, call ME a chickenhawk! I dare ya!

And were we face to face, I'm sure he'd do it. And I would once again get to laugh at a mental midget.

Using enemy tactics against them

NYC Mayor Bloomberg is a RINO beyond any question of a doubt, and the Republican Party knew that when it ran him for that office. Bloomberg has proven his RINO status with lawsuit after lawsuit in pursuit of his nanny-state policies.

Well, here's one that may bite him in the ass.

A Georgia gun dealer that Mayor Bloomberg sued as part of his effort to get firearms off the city's streets hit the mayor with a lawsuit of his own yesterday, saying Mr. Bloomberg slandered his business and broke federal law.

Adventure Outdoors Inc., which is being represented by a former Republican congressman of Georgia, Bob Barr, filed a $400 million lawsuit in Superior Court of Cobb County.

Hit 'em where it hurts. And with Democrats (and their RINO counterparts) you have to hit them in the wallet. Bloomberg has been nicknamed "Nurse Bloomberg" due to his habit of trying to ban anything and everything that might be considered slightly hazardous in the City of New York, and he's done most of his damage with lawsuits. Well, what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. I hope Adventure Outdoors wins it's lawsuit, although I don't have much hope for that happening.

I've got my fingers crossed, though.

No, it's not perfect

But it's a hell of a lot better than people make it out to be.

KABUL, Afghanistan — More than 600 suspected Taliban militants have been killed since a U.S.-led offensive began last month in southern Afghanistan, a coalition spokesman said Tuesday.

Dead terrorists = good thing.

More than 10,000 U.S.-led troops have been operating in former Taliban strongholds across southern Afghanistan. The region has witnessed the brunt of the deadliest upsurge in Taliban-led violence since the hard-line regime's 2001 ouster.

Not "US Troops", it's "US-led troops", meaning Afghani troops with a lil help from Uncle Sam. Notice how they still have to include the US into that paragraph? I guess "Afghani troops" or "coalition troops" doesn't strike the same emotion as including those two letters.

It ain't all bad news, folks.

Well, that answers that....

We're still better than the French.

During the course of the race, American Floyd Landis proved that he had the strength of a bear, the speed of a puma, the ingenuity of a Colonial-era minuteman, the purple heart of a true American hero, and perhaps the most powerful left hip in the history of athletics as he gained, then lost, then grabbed and ultimately held onto the yellow jersey.

What really amazes me is the fact that Landis won the Tour with a hip that will have to be replaced this year!

The guy can't even walk due to his hip, but he's out there riding his ass off and winning the Tour de France. That's outstanding. That's worthy of inclusion to the Clank Brigade.

(For those who don't know, the Clank Brigade is made up of people who have brass balls so damn big that they clank together when they walk. Gender does not determine membership, either. Condi Rice has brass balls. Big'uns. Trust me on this.)

Vacation Blog

On vacation, you'all.

Quick pics:


Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel


Dittoes

That's all for today, except to say that when you drive 8 hours to the beach, and it rains, that suggz.

Out.

Islamic Chutzpah

Earlier this week we blogged about Princess Mahmoud and how for a couple years he's been spouting about the coming Islamic Storm that will annihilate Israel blah blah blah, but now that he has his chance to fire up his tanks, ships, and planes to protect the Muslim Peoples of Lebanon from the raiding Zionist Horde, he's opting to call upon the UN to come make Nicey Nice.

I'm not a huge fan of profanity in blogging but I know of no other way to put this, so here goes: Check out this similarly tough-talking punk ass bitch.

I only regret that I don't have time to Photoshop his head onto the body of an eleven year tap dancer named Nancy.

Nice

ZionistMurca@WaPo.

Speak, Kofi, Speak!

Yourish.com ? See Kofi speak

I hope to meet President Lahoud. But I think when it comes to 1559, let us be clear here: a large part of the mandate has been fulfilled. The key elements of the mandate were to ensure that Syrian military redeployed out of Lebanon; that has been done. That the security apparatus is withdrawn; and they have done that. And that free and fair elections were organized; and that has also happened. As to the issue of disarmament of the militia, this is something that we are discussing with the Lebanese, it is the Lebanese Government that will have to do it. We are discussing it with them and they will have to determine when and how to do it.

G'boy!

Pic Post

Some pictures for you. All apologies to those of you on slow connections.

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Spotted Apatelodes, on a window screen, actual size:



Click for closeup (200k): mothbig.jpg

Prehistoric little critter, eh?

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I was one of the Quarter-million earlier this week, for roughly 23 hours. I had just gotten home from the gym and there were stormclouds moving in but it was totally calm. Forty-five seconds later, no lie: ubergale force winds. I swear I saw rotating clouds overhead, but then I heard that "freight train" sound, soiled myself like a New York Times shareholder looking at the latest subscription numbers, and ran inside.

Crabapple down:



White pine down:



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And lastly:

Prepare for Liftoff !!!

Remember these things?

I think all the ones I ever owned were muscle-powered, not powered by rubber band, but whatever.

American Leftists were pissed at Barbara Boxer for voicing support for Joe Lieberman, heads spinning slowly...

Well, go at throttle up!!!!

Bill Clinton to campaign for Lieberman

Oh dear.

UPDATE: KosKidz react!!!

Reach of Ace

One thing that is cool about being linked in the content of a blog with lots of traffic is seeing where all the visitors visit from. Below appears a map of some of the traffic at the height of Ace's referrals to 4rwws today.



Taiwan, Anchorage, Canberra, Hawaii, Fort McMurray in beautiful Alberta..., neat.

And someone from Avondale, which is right around the corner from here.

It's Odd at Ace's Place

Is Glenn Greenwald posing and making glamorous comments about himself?

Ace of Spades HQ

Gosh who knows? But what if...



UPDATE: Ace-a-lanche! Can someone tell me how to throw together a Tip Jar lickety-split???

Prepare thyself....

...then click.

Let's get it on

From Power Line

Linky Love

Incumbants try to shake do-nothing image.

Yeah. Good luck with that.

American's bitching about not being evacuated fast enough.

Gee, let's think. Where can we go for vacation? Hey, I know, let's go to a country where the bottom half of the nation is controlled by a terrorist group! Yeah, that's a great idea!

I swear, what are these people smoking? Did the USA send these people to Lebanon? No, except for the minority who work in the embassy. Did the USA force these people to go to Beirut? Nope. They all went on their own, and now they're whining about not getting evacuated soon enough when the fit hit the shan.

Cry me a river, spanky. And I'll whip out the world smallest violin to play "My Heart Bleeds For You" while you use up a box of Kleenex tissues.

Oh Our Sweet Princess

Hahahahahaa!

This was made clear Friday, when Ahmadinejad, speaking in a provincial tour, called on the "international community" to end the conflict by "restraining Israel." This was strange coming from a man who, before the current fighting, had vowed to destroy Israel on more than a dozen occasions.

Heh. What a pansie!


Talkin' tough, then dressing up sweet for Kofi.

A DUBIOUS 'DISTRACTION'

Facing a Bleak Future

Ah well we all knew it would be that way when we voted for the AWOLChimp.

A profitable company is to shutter a factory it built in 1992 as part of a much-hailed visionary strategy to take advantage of technology. But now it is just a cost to be cut. Eight hundred jobs, many of them well-paying blue collar positions (supposedly an endangered species) will disappear, while managerial and professional jobs are being protected.

Rethuglicans strike again.

Downsizing the New York Times



Cue Tom Petty!

Stupid Pet Tricks

Hezbollah kills --> UN snoozes.

Jews get to killin' (disproportionately, natch) --> Annan calls for beefed-up U.N. force in Lebanon.



Good boy!

Brother, can you spare a dime?

Because it looks like the Army needs it.

FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas — A diversion of dollars to help fight the war in Iraq has helped create a $530 million shortfall for Army posts at home and abroad, leaving some unable to pay utility bills or even cut the grass.

In San Antonio, Fort Sam Houston hasn't been able to pay its $1.4 million monthly utility bill since March, prompting workers in many of the post's administrative buildings to get automated disconnection notices.

This just chaps my hide. The US Government spends billions upon billions of dollars on all kinds of programs. Most programs have had their budgets increased. And yet the military is still scraping by.

This either needs to be fixed soon, or you're going to see a huge failure of equipment and manpower in the near future.

Let's Get Informed !!!

Juan Cole is wee-weeing his pants because the President said "shit".

On his site he has a link to this book, which took me back to this.

UPDATE: ! Fabulous ! Flashbacks !

QUIZ: Is the image below an original from the book, or altered, to make it look idiotic?

Prepare to Puke

Hot Air ? Blog Archive ? Which side is the NYT on?

Because they're better than anyone else

Judges are now allowed to pack pistols while on duty in New York.

So tell me, if judges are in such danger that they're allowed to pack a pistol while on the bench, in a courthouse, with some of the highest security you can find in a city, what about the rest of us poor bastards who have to live our lives without all the security enhancements? Try getting a concealed carry permit in NYC, and see what happens. I have a better chance of growing a third arm than getting a permit to carry concealed in New York.

But I guess those judges are more equal than us, eh?

Look, I'm not pissed because they're allowed to pack some heat, I'm pissed that they're allowed to carry while the plebes are told to fuck off on a daily basis. Yes, judges make some enemies, and in New York some of those enemies have a long reach. But I guarantee that there are parts of the city that are more dangerous than any courtroom could ever be, and the people who live there are not allowed to protect themselves with a handgun. But a judge is allowed to carry a concealed pistol while sitting in one of the most protected environments the city can provide.

To me, that's elitism, plain and simple. Anyone see it a different way?

Take off your hats

and bow your heads. A visionary has died today.

Robert Brooks, the chairman of Hooters of America, Inc. who made his fortune selling chicken wings served by scantily clad waitresses, was found dead at his home Sunday, officials said. He was 69.

Seriously, is there any more manly a place? Beer, sports, hotwings, and hot women in skimpy clothing.

Brooks was a man's man.

Cache of Linkz

Anti-war in Tel Aviv.

Jacques Chirac's two faces.

Power Line: Dr. Goebbels, call your office

Pajamas Media: The Israel-Hezbollah War Part Ten

Sunday talk shows: The Democrats were relentless today

It's all Bush's fault. The most common "meme" was that "we don't have the respect and partnership of other nations so we are powerless to influence what is happening in Lebanon".

Oy! Like maybe if we were better friends with France, Bush and Chirac could do a joint presser, and Hezbolla would stand down, thinking: "Holy shit! Jacques is pissed! Let's get back to tea!"

Ludicrous.

And then there was Joe Biden with Tim Russert, saying we need to get one on one with North Korea and say: "Hey Jack, this is the way it's gonna be."

No, he really did say "Hey Jack".

Twice.

Biden said we should get with North Korea one on one and tell them if they do the right things we won't mess with them but if they do the wrong things we will. And he was SERIOUS.

The crack squad at NBC didn't have the appropriate graphic ready, naturally.



Ace saw the same kind of thing.

Linky Love

Glenn Reynolds says he and others are throwing up their hands regarding the Middle East. I think we all should, at Step Four.

Step One: Drill ANWR.

Step Two: Pay Gulf Coast states to allow drilling off their shores.

Step Three: Sign a mutual defense treat with Israel.

Step Four: Wash hands. Rinse well.

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Misery, with Arab child abuse.

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The New York Times is on the other side. So are the Kos Kidz.

Power Line: "It would have required courage to hang out with the Mahdi Army, if there were any likelihood that a member of the Iraqi 'insurgency' would regard a representative of the New York Times as an enemy."

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Gingrich says it's World War III. Moi aussi.

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Following the reported ultimatum.

Re: "Disproportionate"

French, Spanish, Russians, The Vatican, they've all used the word. Putin elaborates:

Putin, whose government has expressed concern about the region sliding into war, said he agreed that Hizbollah's actions were "absolutely unacceptable".

"This is all true, and in this context, we consider Israel's concerns to be justified," the Russian president said. But, he said, "the use of force should be balanced".

Paul at Power Line replies: "Call me naive, but I had always thought that the object in a military action was to employ disproportionate (i.e., more) force than the enemy."

I suggest you scroll around Power Line while you are there -- great stuff in the past two days regarding a number of topics including Lebanon, the Democratic Gubernatorial Primary in Maryland, and a notably slanted AP poll regarding the 2006 elections.

Oh, and one more thing

How much more fugged would this situation be if Saddam Hussein were still in power in Iraq?

Only a handful of dominoes remain

Way back in Feburary I blogged about Abqaiq, the massive Saudi petroleum processing facility through which a substantial portion of Saudi Arabia's substantial oil exports flow. See below.



Northeast of Abqaiq is the likewise massive oil terminal at Dammam. Both are roughly 300 miles from Iran's Persian Gulf coast.

Roughly 500 miles to the east is the Strait of Hormuz, "at its narrowest, 21 miles wide, having two 1 mile wide channels for marine traffic separated by a 2 mile wide buffer zone, and is the only sea passage to the open ocean for large areas of the petroleum exporting Persian Gulf States". The Strait is bounded on the north by Iran, and so I think we might all become intimate with it in the next sixty days.



See what I'm getting at?

I figure Syria and Iran have already joined in Lebanon (Hezbollah didn't build no UAV), but if they really join, well then America will join as well and that is when we all find ourselves in jeopardy as Iran could easily topple a domino across the Strait, which doesn't just mean expensive oil, it might mean, for hundreds of millions worldwide, no oil.

If the mullahs are on the losing end then they might take a stab at Abqaiq or Dammam, which would have no strategic value, but it seems clear that Radical Islam is engaged in economic warfare with the West moreso than they have engaged the West with bullets or other weaponry.

As the title states, I think only a handful of dominoes remain between where we are today and real worldwide economic strife, and maybe even catastrophe.

Melodramatic? Perhaps, but my guess is that just about every American combat aviator, in the next two weeks, will study the arena until he knows it like the back of his hand, right down to the turds of camels in the desert west of Bandar Abbas. Any move Iran makes on the Strait or the Saudis must result in an American response that is just plain wicked.

Musings on a gym workout, Part 2

OK guys, this one is for you.

If I had my way, I would remove every last floor to ceiling mirror in existance. You want to work out? Fine, get on those weights and pump some iron. But if you want to slooooooooooooooooowly pull that weight up so that you can admire your flexed biceps in the mirror, get out of the way so that some of us can finish our workout.

I know you like to socialize. I know you like to look at yourself. You show it every day. You probably have a mirror above your bed so that when your tiny little steriod-shriveled dick is being ridden by whatever floozy you convinced to come home with you, you can look up in that mirror and pretend that you're having sex with yourself, because you're just that damn SEXY!

Yeah. Right.

Listen up, meathead: Some of us people have lives. Real lives, with real people involved in them. And we'd like to go about our lives, including our workouts, but we can't, because you're monopolizing the damned curl bench with your narcissism. And while you're trying to impress Little Miss Bubblehead with your hormone-enhanced deltoids, the rest of us are waiting to use the bench you've parked out on!

Find somewhere else for your self-glorification. Let the rest of us work out so that we can get on with our day.

Linkz

Best Middle East coverage:

Pajamas Media

Blogs of War

Counterterrorism Blog

Hot Air

Crime and Guns

DC and Florida.

Seen on Instapundit

Shining Light On The Behavior Of Liars - Bumped Posts

I orginally posted this on October 28th, 2005:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

FIRST - POOR POOR POOR POOR POOOOOOOR Li'l Plame just wants her privacy:

WRONG!

Here we see a picture of the very very very shy valerie in the July Issue of Vanity Fair!



The photo was taken at the magazine's annual dinner for the Tribeca Film Festival, and Plame's and Wilson's fellow guests included Robert deNiro, Nicole Kidman, Barry Diller, Willem Dafoe, John McEnroe, and many others. A "low key social life" indeed! Poor poor poor pooor poooooooooor li'l Plame!

SECOND - Pooor Poooooooor Poooooor li'l Plame was not "Outed"

Since "Straight Shootin'" Fitzgerald won't touch the issue, let's ask our friends in the Main Stream Media whether Plame was a secret agent at the time Robert Novak "outed" her:

"The nation's largest news organizations and journalism groups" filed a brief in federal court Wednesday arguing that "a federal court should first determine whether a crime has been committed in the disclosure of an undercover CIA operative's name before prosecutors are allowed to continue seeking testimony from journalists about their confidential sources," the Washington Post reports:

The 40-page brief, filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, argues that there is "ample evidence . . . to doubt that a crime has been committed" in the case, which centers on the question of whether Bush administration officials knowingly revealed the identity of undercover CIA operative Valerie Plame in the summer of 2003.

But don't take their word alone. Authors of the Law Say No Law Broken – Plame Doesn’t qualify



THIRD - Bush's 16 words were WELL FOUNDED:

The British government yesterday bolstered President Bush's assertion that Iraq sought uranium from Niger, casting further doubt on former Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV's claims to the contrary.
The conclusion was reached by Robin Butler, who once was Britain's top civil servant, in a major report on prewar intelligence that came five days after the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence reached a similar conclusion in its report.
Taken together, the British and U.S. reports appear to undermine Mr. Wilson's criticism of Mr. Bush, which led to a criminal investigation of the White House and made the retired diplomat a media darling.
"It is accepted by all parties that Iraqi officials visited Niger in 1999," the British report said. "The British government had intelligence from several different sources indicating that this visit was for the purpose of acquiring uranium.
"Since uranium constitutes almost three-quarters of Niger's exports, the intelligence was credible," the report added.
That buttressed an assertion by Mr. Bush in his 2003 State of the Union speech: "The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa."
Yesterday, the British report called that assertion "well founded." The report was cited by British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who told Parliament: "It expressly supports the intelligence on Iraq's attempts to procure uranium from Niger in respect of Iraq's nuclear ambitions."
The State of the Union assertion rankled Mr. Wilson, who said he found no evidence of such an attempted purchase during a CIA-sponsored trip to Niger. Mr. Wilson arrived in the African nation in late February 2002.
"I spent the next eight days drinking sweet mint tea and meeting with dozens of people," he wrote in the New York Times 18 months later. "Niger formally denied the charges."

FOURTH- Why are we even having this debate? Because Joe Wilson, attempting to bolster his credibility, claimed that Cheney was responsible for sending him to Niger. That's a lie. It was his wife:

Wilson was on CNN's "American Morning" the day after his column ran, spinning his straw into golden fabrications:

HEMMER: It's a wonderful day for us here at American Morning! You went to Niger several years ago. You concluded essentially that Iraq could not buy this uranium from that country. Why not?

WILSON: Well, I went in, actually in February of 2002 was my most recent trip there — at the request, I was told, of the office of the vice president, which had seen a report in intelligence channels about this purported memorandum of agreement on uranium sales from Niger to Iraq.

The Senate Intelligence Committee also found that Wilson lied about the role played by his wife, Valerie Plame, in his trip to Niger. Wilson wrote in his book, ironically titled The Politics of Truth, "Valerie had nothing to do with the matter. She definitely had not proposed that I make the trip." In fact, however, the Committee reported at p. 4:
[D]ocuments provided to the committee indicate that [Wilson's] wife, a CPD employee, suggested his name for the trip. The CPD reports officer told Committee staff that the former ambassador's wife "offered up his name" and a memorandum to the Deputy Chief of the CPD on February 12, 2002 from the former ambassador's wife says, "my husband has good relations with both the PM [prime minister] and the former Minister of Mines (not to mention lots of French contacts), both of whom could possibly shed light on this sort of activity."
The former ambassador was selected for the 1999 trip after his wife mentioned to her supervisors that her husband was planning a business trip to Niger in the near future and might be willing to use his contacts in the region.

FIFTH - More Lies from Joe Liar Wilson (note: there are more than this even):

The Senate Intelligence Committee's report says about Wilson's trip to Niger - The following, at p. 8 of the report's "Niger" section:
The intelligence report based on the former ambassador's [Wilson's] trip was disseminated on March 8, 2002 ... The intelligence report indicated that former Nigerian Prime Minister Ibrahim Mayaki...said that in June 1999, [redacted] businessman, approached him and insisted that Mayaki meet with an Iraqi delegation to discuss "expanding commercial relations" between Niger and Iraq. The intelligence report said that Mayaki interpreted "expanding commercial relations" to mean that the delegation wanted to discuss uranium yellowcake sales.
When Wilson talked to the Committee's staff, he related a version of events that was different from the official CIA report that summarized his oral debriefing, and it also contradicted the recollections of the relevant CIA employees. The committee wrote, at p. 9 of its report:
When the former ambassador spoke to Committee staff, his description of his findings differed from the DO intelligence report and his account of information provided to him by the CIA differed from the CIA officials' accounts in some respects. First, the former ambassador described his findings to Committee staff as more directly related to Iraq and specifically, as refuting the possibility that Niger could have sold uranium to Iraq and that Iraq approached Niger to purchase uranium. The intelligence report...did not refute the possibility that Iraq had approached Niger to purchase uranium.
See also p. 38 of the report, where the Committee notes that most analysts understood Wilson's report from Niger as supporting the original CIA concerns about a possible uranium deal between Niger and Iraq.

And that's not all. The Senate committee also found that Wilson falsely leaked to the Washington Post the claim that certain documents purporting to show uranium sales between Niger and Iraq were forgeries because "the names were wrong and the dates were wrong," when in fact, he had never seen the documents and was not familiar with their contents. See p. 10 of the Committee's report:
Committee staff asked how the former ambassador could have come to the conclusion that the "dates were wrong and the names were wrong" when he had never seen the CIA reports and had no knowledge of what names and dates were in the reports. The former ambassador said that he may have "misspoken" to the reporter when he said he concluded the documents were "forged." He said he may have become confused about his own recollection....

To Sum up:

The Senate Intelligence Committee's report shows that:
1) Wilson lied in the New York Times about what he told the CIA after he returned from Niger. In fact, far from debunking the concern that Iraq may have tried to buy uranium from Niger, Wilson reported that Niger's former Prime Minister told him that Iraq had made just such an overture in 1999.
2) Wilson lied when he leaked a report to the Washington Post about documents he had not even seen.
3) Wilson lied when he said that his wife Valerie "had nothing to do with" his being chosen to go to Niger.

More to come....

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And I orginally posted this on November 3rd, 2005:

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Joe Wilson October 2003 on "Meet the Press":

"My wife has made it very clear that -- she has authorized me to say this -- she would rather chop off her right arm than say anything to the press and she will not allow herself to be photographed.".

The reason, said Wilson, is that "she's still employed" by the CIA "and has obligations to her employer."


Then in December of 2003.....2 MONTHS LATER:


October 2005:

BLITZER: Even though some of your supporters... they say your decision and your wife's decision to let her be photographed represented a major mistake because if there were people out there who may have been endangered by her name certainly when people might have seen her picture, they would have been further endangered.

WILSON: Her contacts and her network was endangered the minute Bob Novak wrote the article. The photograph of her did not identify her in any way anybody could identify.
To give you an indication of how effortlessly this guy lies, CNN was at that moment displaying the Vanity Fair photo of Wilson and Plame on a huge screen right behind him. So Wilson was asserting that no foreign intelligence service would be clever enough to see through the sunglasses-and-scarf "disguise" Plame is wearing in the photo.

WILSON: Let me just get this very clear. When one is faced with adversity, one of the ways that one acts in the face of adversity is to try and bring a certain amount of humor to the situation. It's called irony. And uh, if uh, people have no sense of humor or no sense of perspective on that, my response is it's about time to get a life. But in no way did that picture endanger anybody. What endangered people was the outing of her name, her maiden name, and subsequently the outing of the corporation she worked for...

BLITZER: So you don't have any regrets about the Vanity Fair picture?

WILSON: I think it's a great picture. I think...

BLITZER: It's a great picture, but I mean...

WILSON: I think someday it too will be in the International Spy Museum.

"HUMOR"!?! "IRONY"!?! What happened to "chopping off her right arm"?! I thought she was "still employed" by the CIA "and has obligations to her employer." "HUMOR"!?! "IRONY"?!?

July 2005:



"She's still employed" by the CIA "and has obligations to her employer." "She would rather chop off her right arm than say anything to the press and she will not allow herself to be photographed." "HUMOR" "IRONY"

Wait a tick! This poor poor poooooor woman's "cover" has been blown, her career is ruined.....right?

"She's still employed" by the CIA "and has obligations to her employer." Right?

"HUMOR"? "IRONY"?

BULLSHIT

Both are worth revisiting since we've recently learned that Rove will not be indicted, and Novak got Plame's name from the 2002 Who's Who in America. How is that for a compendium, Tim? :)

Best Links re: Israel

I have found these sources to be handy today:

Jerusalem Post

Austin Bay

Blogs of War

Israel Matzav

Of course: The Belmont Club

Pajamas Media

Hot Air

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Also:

Sharon was succeeded by Ehud Olmert, a man who once said in a speech,'We are tired of fighting, we are tired of being courageous, we are tired of winning, we are tired of defeating our enemies... .' No words could more aptly demonstrate the success of Hezbollah's strategy against Israel. And the presence now in Gaza of Israeli troops, engaged in pitched battle with Palestinans, demonstrates the bankruptcy of the Gaza disengagement plan.
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By its displays of weakness, in Lebanon and Gaza, in the cause of 'Peace Now,' Israel has convinced its deadly foes of its vulnerability and has invited attack. As a result, Israel now fights a two-front hot war."

The Hedgehog Blog

"Bring a Gun to DC Day"

Can't even walk on the Mall anymore without fear of assault. Anyone got a handy way to blame this on Bush? I want a Diary at Kos.

Well, it's finally happened.

Now we wait to see how this plays out.

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Hezbollah fighters launched a raid into Israel and captured two Israeli soldiers Wednesday, triggering an Israeli assault with warplanes, gunboats and ground troops in southern Lebanon to hunt for the captives.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert called the Hezbollah raid "an act of war" and held the Lebanese government responsible, vowing that the Israeli response "will be restrained, but very, very, very painful."

Hezbollah has been fighting a war against Israel, along with Hamas, and other countries through the terrorist organizations. It was only a matter of time before Israel was forced to retalliate.

Honestly, I hate to say it, but the best thing for Israel is to simply go to war with the countries that are supporting the terrorists. It's not nice, it's not pretty, but I think that is was is needed for Israel to be allowed to exist unmolested.

And that sucks. But Israel has been nice for too long, and it's about time that they finally reached the point where they won't take any more crap from genocidal terrorists hell-bent on destroying their country.

All Star Game

So, I have my Irish Whiskey at hand, right? Jameson's. Good stuff. I have pretzels. I have other snack foods. Weather is good, almost no rain and little wind where I am.

I settle into my favorite chair. Find the channel and watch the opening ceremonies. Star Spangled Banner was done well, without all the bullshit stylizing that people today seem to have a fetish for. I see the first pitch. And just about halfway through the top of the 1st inning....

*poof* Power goes out. For no reason. All over my section of post.

I'm sure they heard my scream all over this crappy little island.

I loathe the "race card", but...

...I tuned to cable news, including Fox, MSNBC, and CNN, several times tonight and there was very, VERY little coverage of Mumbai. Fox was talking Bill Keller, MSNBC was talking budget deficit, CNN (heh) was talking about Robert Novak. The bombings in Mumbai that claimed 147 lives, it appears, are going to get about 1/10th the coverage of the London bombings that killed 52 just one year ago.

What can one glean from that?

Question

"Are the people who bombed trains in India, killing over 150 people, possessive of the rights of signatories to the Geneva Conventions, Justice Ginsburg?"

Another State sees the light

And simply says, "If you're a criminal breaking into a house in Mississippi, the owner can shoot you without a hassle"

The safety valve for the "Castle doctrine" is for burglars, crackheads, carjackers, strong-arm robbers, muggers, rapists, thieves and other assorted boils on the butt of humanity to stay out of homes, cars, stores, offices and other domiciles that don't belong to them and to stop mugging, robbing, raping and stealing.

Those who utilize that course of action aren't terribly likely to be shot. Those who don't likely will be.

Ah, the simple concept that the pants-wetting gun-grabbers simply cannot comprehend. If you don't break into a person's house, you won't get shot.

In short, if you're not a criminal, you don't have to worry.

The "Castle doctrine" should serve notice on those who choose a life of crime that the consequences of that choice may prove dire indeed - and that potential victims may indeed "shoot first and ask questions later."

Again, there's a safety valve for those criminals. It's called not breaking the law in the first place.

I've got a big grin on my face right now.

Found via Kim du Toit (link on the sidebar)

Objectification Pontification

Heh. Dave's post reminds me that I owe the crowd a note re: catheterization and objectification. It also reminds me that most women who object to objectification of women are women who would barely be objectified by a blind man on mushrooms.

It also reminds me of Kos.

Random Musings from a Gym Workout

So, all us guys know that we're not supposed to objectify women, right? Right.

So please tell me this: Why is it, that after decades of women saying they don't want to be objectified, do women walk into a weight room wearing pants so tight that I can tell if she's clean shaven or not, and proceed to use the hip-flexor machine? Legs spread, legs closed, legs spread, legs closed, all while wearing a lip-biting expression that says "YES, YES, YES!"

You wonder why men in this country are so screwed up? I don't. Not anymore. It's the sexual frustration caused when women's words and actions constantly contradict themselves. Modern society is pretty damn messed up. "I AM NOT A SEXUAL OBJECT" + clothing that clearly delineates the pubic region = Messed up. "DO NOT LOOK AT MY BREASTS!" + clothing that clearly shows the size, shape, and relative color of your nipples = Messed up.

Don't get me wrong, if women want to wear tighter-than-painted-on-latex clothing while performing exercises that mimic a sexual act, that's fine and dandy with me. That may even encourage more men to go to the gym. Just don't do it and then complain about being objectified.

I expect pissed off comments tomorrow. But honestly, I don't really care at this point. I know that there are women who behave much more modestly than the women I'm currently around, so if my little rant doesn't apply to you, please don't take it as such.

And guys, don't think I'm letting the male gender off to easily. That's just a rant for another day.

New York Daily News: World War III is in progress

As John McClane would say: "Welcome to the party, pal."


New York, 1993


Saudi Arabia, 1996


Kenya, 1998


Tanzania, 1998


New York, 2001


Bali, 2002


Spain, 2004


Beslan, 2004


London, 2005



New York Daily News - News & Views Columnists - Michael Goodwin: It's WWIII, and U.S. is out of ideas

The Judge Came Back

...and there's gonna be trouble. Hey na, hey na, the judge came back!

WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Monday upheld the FBI's unprecedented raid of a congressional office, saying that barring searches of lawmakers' offices would turn Capitol Hill into "a taxpayer-subsidized sanctuary for crime."

Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas F. Hogan rejected requests from lawmakers and Rep. William Jefferson to return material seized by the FBI in a May 20-21 search of Jefferson's office.

At this point, I say search the offices of every damn congresscritter. They're all so damn corrupt that only a complete extermination of all the parasites can turn it around in any kind of quick measure.

Hell, if it works in congress, I say it's guilty by association. I wouldn't trust a congresscritter to wipe it's own as without finding a way to steal tax dollars for some pet project (or in the case of congresscritter Jefferson, a way to turn tax dollars into bribery cash for his own pocket).

Plus, I like the thought of congresscritters looking over their shoulders while they funnel tax dollars into their pockets. Let them know that we're finally tired of this crap.

Sick. Just plain sick.

Who in God's green earth would rape an ELEVEN YEAR OLD GIRL???

Police said Monday that more arrests are likely in a rape case involving an 11-year-old girl who may have been attacked by as many as 10 men.

Two arrests have been made in the Saturday attack, and officials said they have identified eight others as persons of interest. Most or all are students at either Fresno City College or Reedley College, police said.

Now, should I ever become a parent (the wife and I are in discussion about that, and have been for the past two years) and my little girl was raped by as many as 10 men, I can guarantee you one thing - I would do my best to ensure that the people who attacked my girl would never get a chance to go to trial.

Because they'd be six feet under before the trial date.

Kee-RIST! Eleven years old! ELEVEN!

If they're found guilty, I say give them a full castration, and I mean take EVERYTHING off, and then lock them up for the rest of their lives.

Breaking News ! ! ! !

Maxine Waters Joins Ned Lamont ! ! !

Al Qaeda thumbs its nose at the Geneva Conventions ! ! !

LGF has more 9/11 science ! ! !

Hmmm

DANEgerus wonders aloud about Debbie Eph.

I have said it before....

North Korea is China's dog. And if China doesn't want to keep their dog on a short leash, then the countries threatened by that dog will take steps to deal with it themselves.

Japan on Monday was considering a pre-emptive strike against North Korea's missile bases, signaling a firm stance before a possible U.N. Security Council vote on sanctions against the communist-led country.

When Japan is looking into the possibilities of a pre-emptive strike, you know that people are sick of Kimmy Dimmy Ding Dong's bullshit. China needs to understand that we, meaning the USA and our allies, are not amused.

I still say that we tell the ChiComs this: Any more missile tests, and we will arm any and all of our allies within that missile's range with nuclear weapons.

Watch how fast China pulls their dog in.

Why is this news?

I don't know what movie it's from, (hell, it's been used in dozens of movies) but there's a line, normally spoken with a massive New York accent, that goes:

"Hey, you mess wit da bull, sometimes you get da horns, yaknow?"

Or let me put it this way: If you choose to sprint in front of a one-ton animal that can run at high speeds, possesses rather large, sharp horns and a really bad attitude, then at some point someone is going to have a few large holes appear in random order in their body.

And yet it makes the news year after year. "BULL GORES RUNNER!" "DOG BITES MAN!" "THE SKY IS BLUE!" "WATER IS WET!" "ALGORE IS AN ANIMATRONIC ROBOT!"

We already know these things. Is it just a slow news day?

I don't feel sorry for Deb at all

I've been watching Protein Wisdom when I can, and Deb Frisch has shown to me what happens when a human being discards every scrap of morals they can and dives to the bottom of the sewers of their mind.

If Frisch has suffered because of what came about, it is self-inflicted suffering.

In the meantime, Shamil Basayev, who masterminded the Beslan massacre in Russia, has kicked the bucket.

I truly hope he's burning in hell right now. I know that God's forgiveness can make anything possible, but how you can forgive the wholesale slaughter of children is beyond me.

Trust me, the world wouldn't like it if I were the Holiest of Holies, I can tell ya that much.

The thing about Deb Frisch is...

...that she has an extended history of being a malevolent numbskull.

UPDATE:



So it's BDS, then, Sullivanesque BDS. Sheesh.

That sucks.

Now I feel sorry for her.