June 13, 2005

Don't all the French look like 15 yead old boys?

The funny thing is that the twits at the BBC report this as if it was shocking that 31 year old Frenchman easily pass for young boys. As if we needed the BBC to tell us that! more...

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TerrorCamp Director with Ties to Lodi al Qaeda Cell Goes Into Hiding

You will recall that the original affidavit used to obtain an arrest warrant for Hamid Hayat claimed that he attended a terror training camp run by Maulana Fazlur Rehman. This article from the SF Gate notes that the FBI may have mistaken Maulana Fazlur Rehman for Maulana Fazlur Rehman Khalil, who was recently released from jail in Pakistan after doing eight months--that's right eight months--on terrorism related charges.

Reading the SF Gate article is like reading a press release from the ACLU, isn't it? Notice all the meme-like qualities of the article? The way the FBI is made to seem like they screwed the pooch, how very few terrorists have been convicted, yada, yada.

But even as the SF Gate goes out of its way to discredit the arrests of the al Qaeda suspects in Lodi, this news from Pakistan. Tell me, if the FBI simply mixed the names up, what is the real Maulana Fazlur Rehman Khalil doing on the run?? Pakistan Daily Times:

Maulana Fazlur Rehman Khalil, former chief of Jamiatul Ansar (JA), has gone into hiding after the arrest of Hamid Hayat and Umer Hayat who told the Federal Bureau of Investigation that they received training from a Pakistani Al Qaeda camp allegedly run by Khalil.

Security agencies have begun efforts to arrest Khalil after Hamid Hayat and Umer Hayat were arrested in Lodi, California.

Sources said he was earlier released by security agencies after eight months’ detention. “Khalil was released on the condition that he separate himself from his militant activities but after this new development security agencies have resumed efforts for his arrest,” sources said.

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THE Problem in America Today

I just put this up at Conservative Thinking and would like to share it with you folks here:

Yesterday I experienced a problem that is happening more and more in America today; laziness overcoming the need to provide an appropriate level of customer service. This also goes hand-in-hand with work ethic and personal responsibility.
more...

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The Odd Paranoia and Conspiracy Theories of Leftist Bloggers over the Iraq War

Conspiracy theories begin with a premise and then search for evidence of that premise. But as any C+ student of basic methodology can tell you, evidence does not equal proof. There is some evidence that the moon-landing was fake, yet such evidence is overwhelmed by masses of counter-evidence. At some point the evidence becomes such that any still believing in the conspiracy have gone beyond all rational discussion, are no longer involved in a search for the truth, and have become faith-based zealots believing in a premise that gives their lives meaning.

The Left's obsession with the Downing Street memo is a perfect example of a faith-based conspiracy theory in search of proof. This faith begins with the assumption that the war in Iraq could not have been for the stated reasons but rather that there is a hidden agenda to the Iraq conflict. From what I gather, the Left is divided over the specifics of this hidden agenda (the theories, though, usually center on some sort of Imperialistic grab for power in the Middle East, which will eventually lead to a US war against Syria and/or Iran) but they do agree that a conspiracy existed at the highest levels to lie to the American people as to the real reasons for going to war.

Via Duncan 'Atrios' Black this post by Digby is indicative of such conspiracy theories:

I honestly don't know why there is any question that the Downing St Memo is the most important historical document to emerge showing that Bush and company took us into Iraq on false pretenses. It's true that there have been many hints --- the biggest of which is that, uh, there weren't any f*cking WMD --- but this is clear proof that they lied prior to that....

It is a full-on game plan for obfuscation and "rolling out the product" that proves they knew that Iraq wasn't a threat. ....

They may never be able to admit all that. But in that it officially documents the fact that the administration knew there was no threat and knew there was no connection to terrorism, the Downing Street Memo gives the press the chance to ask, finally, why we really invaded Iraq.

Digby then goes on to offer a number of odd speculations as to the real reason we invaded Iraq.

Another part of this particular conspiracy theory is the notion that it's not enough that members of the Bush and Blair administration are involved but that leading news organizations, such as The New York Times, are also part of the plot to mislead the American people. For instance this post by Kevin Drum and this one by Nico over at Think Progress. Both begin with the premise that the conspiracy has objectively (I mean objectively in the epistemelogical sense, that is that the authors believe as an objective fact rather than as a matter of opinion this view) been proved in the Downing Street memo. Thus with the conspiracy proved, anything short of front-page coverage at The New York Times is evidence that the publication is part of the conspiracy.

The problem with Digby, Atrios , Nico, and Kevin Drum's assesment of the Downing Street memo is the same as with all conspiracy theories: they begin with the conspiracy premise, selectively use evidence, and disregard any evidence to the contrary. So, the Downing Street Memo is seen by these conpiracy theorists as 'the smoking gun' which 'proves' that Bush has ulterior motives for going to war.

Such thinking disregards hundreds if not thousands of statements, both public and private, that the reasons (there were multiple reasons, if you don't have amnesia) for going to war were exactly as stated. Further, such thinking disregards hundreds if not thousands of statements, both public and private, that the decision to go to war was not finally made until shortly before the invasion.

This does not mean that most people, President Bush and Tony Blair included, did not think that the invasion was not inevetable. To assume that Blair and Bush did not believe war was coming is to think that they were idiots. Of course they thought war was coming and were making the necessary arrangements. Duh, this is what governments do! A conspiracy theory about the real reasons for going to war is not needed to explain the Downing Street memo, as Michael Kinsley, to his credit, points out here:

But even on its face, the memo is not proof that Bush had decided on war. It states that war is "now seen as inevitable" by "Washington." That is, people other than Bush had concluded, based on observation, that he was determined to go to war. There is no claim of even fourth-hand knowledge that he had actually declared this intention. Even if "Washington" meant administration decision-makers, rather than the usual freelance chatterboxes, C was only saying that these people believed that war was how events would play out.
The Downing Street memo might be used as evidence that the stated reasons for going to war were not the same as the real reasons for going to war. The same memo can also be used as evidence that our leaders weren't utter morons to believe that the UN could actually enforce it's will on Saddam Hussein.

Did the Bush and Blair administrations believe that a day of reckoning was coming with Saddam Hussein? All indications say yes. But so what? Plenty of times in history the same sort of writing has been on the wall. In June of 1941 did the Roosevelt administration believe a conflict would soon be coming between the U.S. and Japan? Of course it did! Sanctions were not working to get the Japanese out of China and there was a lot of saber rattling on both sides. But that is not proof that some sort of grand conspiracy existed to start a war with Japan. Did Lincoln believe that a war was coming between the North and the South? Yes! Fifty years of history all pointed to such a conflict. But that is not proof of some sort of grand conspiracy by Lincoln to start a war.

The Left's obsession with The Downing Street memo is not borderline paranoia, it is has become full on paranoia. The truth of the matter is that the paranoid obsession with the grand Bush conspiracy theory runs so deep among the Left today, that no amount of evidence to the contrary could make them disbelieve.

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On that whole Sean Penn thing

A picture is worth a thousand words......... more...

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Candlelight Vigil for American Hostage Roy Hallums

I just got an e-mail from a friend if Roy's, Butch Conner, letting me know that a candlelight vigil will be held for American hostage in Iraq, Roy Hallums. Roy's daughter Carrie says, "It will probably be held in the Huntington Beach area. Please join us on this evening so we can show our support for my Dad and to let him know that we care! June 23rd is my Dad's Birthday, which is why we chose that day. He will be 57 years old."

We'll announce further details later or check Carrie's website here. If you're in the Orange County, CA, area it would be nice if you could show your support.

UPDATE: From Roy's daughter Carrie:

Hi Rusty,
We are going to have it next to the Huntington Beach Pier (off of Main
Street) at 6:45 on Thursday June 23rd. Thank you so much for your help! I
hope you are doing well!!
Take care,
Carrie

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No Bias At NY Times: Abu Ghraib on Cover of New York Times for 34 days straight!

Charles Johnson over at LGF points out this old post from the Free Republic. What is so interesting about this is that all weekend long I kept hearing media pundits bring out that old tired Chomskyian lie that the New York Times is some sort of right-wing propaganda machine. That kind of stupid arguement can only be sustained if you are so far to the left, as many reporters and academics are, that you think the Democratic party is right-wing.

more...

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Left-Wing French Journalist Freed, Was Held with Romanian Hostages

Very good news to hear the left-wing French journalist Florence Aubenas has been set free from her hostage ordeal. France, for what it's worth, denies paying a ransom for the journalist.

Why is it that the terrorists continually target left-wing journalists? Is it a) because the vast majority of journalists are leftists and therefore chances are if you take a journalist hostage he'll more than likely be a left-winger? Or is it b) because left-wing journalists are stupid enough to believe their own propaganda about the so-called 'insurgency', thinking that the 'freedom fighters' are really no threat until one day they find themselves hostage?

I'm leaning towards b myself, but there is a good arguement to be made for a.

Our man on the streets in Romania, Adi, points out one of the most fascinating aspects of Florence Aubenas release is that she was held captive for almost two months with three Romanian journalists who were also being held hostage. As you may recall, an American citizen has been formally accused by the Romanian government of setting up the kidnapping of the three Romanians. If the four were held together by the same group of terrorists, why was the French hostage not released until now?

Notice from the article below that the left-leaning French Liberation, for whom Aubenas worked, can't find anything bad to say about the men who held their employee hostage for close to half a year. I can understand how a hostage might develop Stockholm syndrome, but not the employer of a hostage. It never ceases to amaze how far the left-leaning press will go to apologize for the attrocities committed by their terrorist allies. more...

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Iraqi Terror Group, U.S., Blamed for Iranian Bombings (UPDATED)

Four bombs killed at least eight people in Iran over the weekend. The bombs went off in a predominately Arab community targetting buildings associated with the Persian dominated government. Here is the kicker: Iran is blaming a terrorist organization in Iraq that was initially supported by Saddam Hussein's Ba'ath party during the long years of conflict between the two nations. However, the fall of the Hussein regime means those funds dried up.

So now that Iran is busying itself supporting the insurgency in Iraq, at least some of that money is being used for acts of terrorism against the Iranian government. Ironical.

As Ward Churchill would say: "It's just the hens coming home to roost."

UPDATE: I've found a few more articles in which the Iranians blame the US for being linked to the terror attack. After reading that I'm much more inclined to believe that elements within the Iranian government itself is to blame for the bombings in an effort to garner public support for a more hardline candidate than Hashemi Rafsanjani who leads in the polls. Yes, it's a conspiracy theory, but such conspiracies are much more likely to exist in closed societies with formal media controls such as in Iran.

Here is the article from Townhall:

Iran's fundamentalist government has blamed U.S.-sheltered terrorists for a series of bomb blasts on Sunday that killed at least nine people, less than a week before voters choose a new president...

But a spokesman for Iran's Security Council accused groups linked to the ousted Baathist regime in Iraq.

A senior national security official was quoted as blaming Arab separatists whom he said were being trained under the protection of U.S. forces in neighboring Iraq.

The official, Ali Agha Mohammadi, said British forces based in southern Iraq may also be linked to the attackers.

"We call on the Americans and the British to condemn these attacks and hand over the terrorists in Iraq. Sadly, they have so far not said anything," he said.

UPDATE II: Roger L. Simon points to a DEBKA report which ties the White House to the group responsible for the bombing. It is DEBKA, which for those of you who don't know, is kind of like the Israeli version of Matt Drudge, only with a focus on terrorism, and a lot less reliable:
On April 22, DEBKA-Net-Weekly 203 lead article explored Khuzestan Arab Spring offensive and its Kurdish Iraqi backing. On May 6, DNW 204 revealed Khuzestan FrontÂ’s No. 2 leader Said Taher Naama paid secret visit to White House April 23

CNN: more...

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June 12, 2005

Firing Up The Trackback Debate

A year ago I started a brief debate regarding trackback etiquette. James McGovern has given me some inspiration and I'd like to rekindle that debate. My thoughts, ideas, and opinions have been posted over at Lockergnome.

Let's create a standard for blogs and trackbacks; let's end this debate and move along effectively.

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Insurgent attacks decreased in Baghdad due to Operation Al-Barq -- Sulagh

First I have heard these statistics.....

Iraqi Interior Minister Bayan Jabr Sulagh said on Saturday that insurgent attacks in Baghdad have dramatically decreased since launching Operation Al-Barq, asserting that Iraqi security forces will establish full security in Baghdad within the next six months.

In a press conference in Baghdad, the minister said that the number of car-bomb attacks in Baghdad have decreased from 14 attacks a day to one or two attacks only, while the number of arrested insurgents increased from 10 to 85 a day, noting that Operation Al-Barq has a 90 percent success rate.

Sulagh added that the number of detainees was 219 before launching the operation and increased to 1318 detainees during the operation, noting that the number of insurgents killed in the operation reached 36 insurgents, while detainees include four Sudanese, two Jordanians, one Egyptian, and one Syrian.

He said that the Iraqi security forces seized eight ready-for-use car bombs in Baghdad, and seized 27 other car bombs in gunmen hideouts.He added that the forces seized six million US dollars, 52 mortar rounds, 37 missiles, 325 Kalashnikovs, 13 RPG-7 launchers, 36 guns, and 37 grenades. - The minister noted that four Iraqi policemen and army men were killed and 17 others were wounded in Operation Al-Barq, while 35 civilians were killed and 87 were wounded in the operation.

Posted by Traderrob

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Queen Elizabeth Knights Muslim

(London) Yes, it happened. Queen Elizabeth bestowed knighthood on a Muslim. I don't know if there have been others, but I'd surely like to see a photo of the new British Muslim Knight, Sir Iqbal Sacranie, standing between his brothers of the realm, Sir Elton John and Sir Mick Jagger, arguably two people who warped past infidel status decades ago.

The freshly-minted Muslim Knight is said to be in favor of a law "to create an offence (sic) of incitement to religious hatred." I'm not sure if that means he's for or against religious hatred. The Religion of Peace hasn't been all that clear on the subject in recent years.

Note that when a Muslim places a sword next to the neck of an infidel, it's a beheading, but when an infidel places a sword next to the neck of a Muslim, it's a bestowing. The difference between Islam and anything else is not strictly philosophical.

What are the chances that the King of Islam will make the Queen a mullah? Or a mufti?

Companion post at Interested-Participant.

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June 11, 2005

Al Qaeda Threatens to Murder 36 Hostage

Abu Musab al Zarqawi's al Qaeda in Iraq has claimed to have taken 36 Iraqi soldiers hostage and threatened to murder them unless Muslim women are released from Iraqi jails in a series of communiques posted at an Islamic message board. The Iraqi government places the number of hostages as 22. The deadline, and the extention given in a later communique, has run out.

This type of threat is typical of the al Qaeda in Iraq group, but up until now the threat has usually been that hostages would be executed (many by beheading) if the US did not release women prisoners. This threat is indicative that the insurgency in Iraq is now between secularists in governmnet and religious fanatics who's aim is to install a Taliban like government.

In the past, al Qaeda in Iraq (formerly known as Tawhid and Jihad) has followed through with these types of threats by murdering their victims. The group, in an attempt to legitimze their crimes, first forces the victims to confess to various crimes against Islam before murdering them. A video is usually posted some time later. As soon as a video is released, we will post links and images of the crimes committed by the 'insurgents' in Iraq.

The Geo TV:

The Al Qaeda group in Iraq has said that it was holding 36 Iraqi troops hostage and demanded the government free all women prisoners within 24 hours, according to a Web statement.

The statement addressed to Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari 24 hours to free all Muslim women prisoners held in Interior Ministry jails.

The statement said the group was holding 36 National Guards after raids in Western Iraq, and not 22 as reported by Iraqi police on Wednesday.

The Sunni Muslim group, which has often abducted and killed officials and soldiers, said the 36 were being questioned about their "crimes against Sunnis".

Hat tip: Chad at In the Bullpen

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2,000 US Troops Dispatched to Mauritania

So far, I've only seen this AKI report which claims the US has dispatched 2,000 troops to the small Western Sahara nation of Mauritania. Last week, members of the Salafite Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), an al Qaeda linked group which has been fighting secularists in Algeria for some time, killed 17 Mauratian troops.

I know I've said it a dozen times, but if you want to find the hot bed of Islamic radicalism look to Africa. Also, the 2,000 US troops might also want to keep an eye out for Osama bin Laden while they are there. If I had to make a bet on where he is, I'd place it on Africa.

Via Open Source Intelligence this AKI story: more...

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Natalee Holloway (Wait, you mean there's OTHER news? Religion of Peace Update)

Natalee Holloway. Syria has hit list of Lebanese politicians. Natalee Holloway. Pakistan court orders 12 freed in 'honor' gang-rape. Natalee Holloway. Founder of Ansar al-Islam praises bin Laden in Norway. Natalee Holloway. Mother of rape victim may have helped 'honor' rapists. Natalee Holloway. Genocide in Zimbabwe. Natalee Holloway. Al Qaeda being helped by Iran. Natalee Holloway. 5 Marines killed in Iraq. Natalee Holloway. 'Moderate' Muslims call for death penalty for all who defame that child rapists and goat-f*cker Muhammed. Natalee Holloway. Saudis hold woman as slave in Colorado. Natalee Holloway. Two more Marines killed by terrorists breaking Geneva convention in Iraq. Natalee Holloway. Darfur genocide continues as peace talks stall. Natalee Holloway. Coup rumors in the Philippines while misunderstanderers of the ROP call for unification of church and state in South. Natalee Holloway. Ansar al-Sunnah murders Iraqi General. Natalee Holloway. Hamas won't give up weapons, will continue to murder children. Natalee Holloway. Muslim victims of violence in Bosnia again (but by more 'righteouss' Muslims). Natalee Holloway. As predicted, Muslims and their leftist allies already seething over proposal that NATO help end genocide in Sudan. Natalee Holloway. Los Alamos whistleblower getting beat up in order to intimidate him looks phony. Natalee Holloway. Nazi sex dolls discovered. Natalee Holloway. A history of the world (with commentary). Natalee Holloway. A big 'amen' from Michelle Malkin. Natalee Holloway. And Try Jackson. Natalee Holloway. And La Shawn Barber. Natalee Holloway. Oh, and me, like a week ago.

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Islamists in New York Flag Desecration, Anti-American Video

Thanks to Shawn at Bare Knuckle Politics for finally (we went back and forth trying to figure out how to do this) getting the video of The Islamic Thinkers Society of New York desecrating the American flag and openly supporting the enemies of the US hosted. You can view the video here or download it here. Our post about the fifth column that is The Islamic Thinkers Society of New York is here along with images from the video. But, trust me on this, you need to see the video and hear the words coming out of these people's mouths.

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June 10, 2005

"We weren't asked to detain him"

This will chill the very marrow of your bones.

A young Canadian man murdered an elderly couple, then tried to escape across the US border. He was already on the run from the law, scheduled to appear in court that morning for sentencing. With him he carried a flak jacket, a homemade sword, some knives, and a bloodied chainsaw. He told the border officials he was in the US military.

The worst part? US OFFICIALS LET HIM THROUGH.

"Nobody asked us to detain him," said Bill Anthony, a spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

"Being bizarre is not a reason to keep somebody out of this country or lock them up. We're governed by laws and regulations, and he did not violate any regulations," Mr. Anthony told the Associated Press.

Neither had Mohammed Atta when he attempted to enter the US.

Eddie Young, a 38-year-old fish-plant worker, sat next to Mr. Despres in the customs office at Calais, Maine, while the agents processed them. Mr. Young was on his way to catch a flight to Mexico with friends, but was detained when the officers noticed on his file a 20-year-old drug conviction in Ottawa.

"When he come in, they opened his bag up and they took out," Mr. Young said in an interview. "It looked like large bayonets to me, but they could have been a little bit longer for swords, and then two pairs of brass knuckles fastened to his bag, a chainsaw and what looked like a flak jacket."

Mr. Young said the U.S. customs agents appeared to be joking around.

"I watched the customs guys fling the swords around in the back room," he said. "I mean, wouldn't the evidence be ruined with their fingerprints?"

Mr. Young said Mr. Despres was treated better than he was.

"When I come back in (to the room) they were giving him a coffee," he said. "He got processed faster than I did."

Let me remind everyone here that this guy already had a criminal record. He was due in court that morning to be sentenced for threatening to kill the elderly couple's son-in-law. It wasn't like he'd never committed a crime before.

It seems to me that in order to protect our country from unwanted intruders, we're going to have to start taking a little more initiative with detaining people. What is it going to take to get our borders secured?

h/t World Mag Blog.

Cross-posted at Suzanne's Blog

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So, Will Andrew Sullivan Change His Mind Now?

By Demosophist

As I've observed before, Andrew Sullivan's argument in support of gay marriage has been inconsistent. On one hand he argues that it's a matter of fundamental right, on par with opposition to the anti-misogenation Jim Crow laws. But on the other hand he argues that it's a matter of federalism, and that adoption of gay marriage in Massachusettes or California imposes no institutional onus on other states to honor such marriages. Objections to this soft-pedaled federalism ran along the lines that gay marriage could not be extended via the Commerce Clause, because the clause was about regulation of commerce, not regulation of everything that effects commerce. It seems to me that the implications of marriages in one state have a far more significant and certain effect on interstate commerce than six home-grown marajuana plants, so if the intervention of the federal government has already been justified on those grounds the precedent has been set. Once gay marriage is officially recognized and sanctioned in one state it automatically becomes a federal issue.

No, Andrew won't change his mind. He may have been logically inconsistent, but he always knew what he wanted.

(Cross-posted by Demosophist to Demosophia and Anticipatory Retaliation)

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“Camp al-Lodi”: Just The Tip Of The Iceberg: FBI Terror Probe Moves South to San Francisco Peninsula. As Islamists say, "First the Saturday people - then the Sunday people," and Sunday's getting closer!

Get use to it - it's not just Lodi folks, it's all around us where ever Muslims congregate. Again, we're seeing only the tip of the iceberg. And I'll keep saying it until you hear me. Remember - first the Saturday people(Jews), then the Sunday people(Christians), and during the process, there go our freedoms.

Islamdom

Of the image, not exactly what we want to allow to happen. "It's not just the mosques, it's their schools, youth groups, community centers, political organizations, professional associations, and commercial enterprises also tend to share a militant outlook, hostile to the prevailing order in the United States and advocating its replacement with an Islamic one" (Muhammad Hisham Kabbani, of the Islamic Supreme Council of America)."

Californtia Conservative(CC) posts on the S.F. Chronicle report:

“Federal officials investigating possible terrorism links in a Lodi case involving five men are questioning members of a Northern California Islamic group, apparently with an eye to linking it with possible extremist activities.

CC correctly notes - "Getting closer to home." That reference is to his home, but his comment should strike a nerve in every non-Islamic household in America and Europe. Islamofascism is getting ever closer to 'all of our homes'.


“FBI agents interviewed an official of the Farooqia Islamic Center in his East Palo Alto home this week and suggested that other leaders of the group had made inflammatory speeches about terrorism, the official said Thursday. In Lodi, agents went door to door conducting more interviews of Pakistani Americans in the investigation.

In San Francisco, FBI spokeswoman LaRae Quy acknowledged that agents from her office had been drawn into the investigation. She would not speculate about whether the Farooqia center was a front for extremists, but said, “Many legitimate organizations are hijacked for sinister reasons, for criminal activity.

FBI agents interviewed Mohammed Hakik on Tuesday at his house in East Palo Alto. Hakik, who is of Fijian descent, is listed in state records as president of the Farooqia Islamic Center.'Â’

CC appropriately provides the "Politically-correct" disclaimer: "The E. Palo Alto Islamic center is under investigation; no arrests have been made." Yes, in America we have a system of laws and we function under the premise that someone is innocent until proven guilty.

But let's realize too, that the Muslims are exploiting this and consider it one of our weaknesses. Have you asked yourself yet just where are the voices of so-called moderate muslims? Whether and to what degree the Muslim community as a whole subscribes to the Islamist agenda are open questions. "But what is not open to question is that, whatever the majority of Muslim Americans may believe, most of the organized Muslim community agrees with the Islamist goal—the goal of building an Islamic state in America. To put it another way, the major Muslim organizations in this country are in the hands of
extremists."

Do you think that this is just a bit of a reach, stepping from terrorism to the Muslim street? One need only look to what a Muslim who is not among the Islamists has to say on the issue of the Muslim agenda in America. Muhammad Hisham Kabbani, of the Islamic Supreme Council of America. According to Daniel Pipes, "in Kabbani's reliable estimation, such "extremists" have "taken over 80 percent of the mosques" in the United States. And not just the mosques: schools, youth groups, community centers, political organizations, professional associations, and commercial enterprises also tend to share a militant outlook, hostile to the prevailing order in the United States and advocating its replacement with an Islamic one."

So one more time! "... not just the mosques: schools, youth groups, community centers, political organizations, professional associations, and commercial enterprises also tend to share a militant outlook, and are hostile to the prevailing order in the United States and advocate its replacement with an Islamic one".

Continuing from CC's post:


In an affidavit made available to reporters Tuesday, the FBI said Hayat had attended a training camp that was “operated by Maulana Fazlur Rehman. " The FBI deleted all references to Rehman in a revised affidavit released Wednesday but did not remove the reference to the camp."

Rehman is actually Fazlur Rahman Khalil, according to Haqqani.

In 1998, Khalil was one of the three signatories of Osama bin Laden’s “fatwa calling for a jihad (Muslim holy war) against Jews and crusaders and the United States,” Haqqani said. He has since operated within plain sight of Pakistan’s government, which periodically reins him in and lets him return to action months later, Haqqani said.”

CC asks, "A jihad against Jews and the United States; who are the “crusaders?” And why isn’t Pakistan doing something about this?;"

Troubling times in California? Yes, and very troubling times in America!

more...

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Gallup: Public Confidence in Newspapers, TV News Falls to All-Time Low

No surprise, but interesting nonetheless.

Public trust in newspapers and television news continued to decline in Gallup's annual survey of "public confidence in major institutions" in the United States, reaching an all-time low this year.

Those having a "great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in newspapers dipped from 30% to 28% in one year, the same total for television. The previous low for newspapers was 29% in 1994. Since 2000, confidence in newspapers has declined from 37% to 28%, and TV from 36% to 28%, according to the poll.

However, some other institutions fared far worse this year, suggesting a broad level of distrust, cynicism or malaise.

Confidence in the presidency plunged from 52% to 44%, with Congress and the criminal-justice system also suffering 8% drops. Confidence in the U.S. Supreme Court fell from 46% to 41%. The 22% confidence rating for Congress is its lowest in eight years, and self-identified Republicans have only a slightly more positive view of the institution than do Democrats.The military topped the poll with a 74% confidence rating, with the police at 63% and organized religion at 53%. Big business and Congress (both at 22%) and HMOs (17%) brought up the rear.

On the flip side, the Jawa Report enjoys a whopping 98% confidence rating up from 92.5% a year ago.

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