mypetjawa v. 2.0 (beta) "<i>Tolerance becomes a crime when applied to ev

January 11, 2006

Fun with Anti-War Rhetoric

Dean Esmay has come up with "anti-war bingo", a game featuring your favorite meaningless anti-war zingers. Fun for the whole family!

Posted by: Rusty at 08:49 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Murdered American Hostage Ronald Schulz to be Memorialized

The family of an American hostage now believes that the video released by The Islamic Army in Iraq showing the murder of a hostage was Ronald Schulz. The family has scheduled a memorial service for Ronald Schulz. Mr. Schulz was in Iraq as a private civilian contractor helping rebuild the war torn country when he was abducted by the murderous al Qaeda linked terror organization. For more background, visit The Jawa Report's Ronald Schulz archive.

Norman Kember of England, American Thomas Fox, and Canadians James Loney and Harmeet Singh Sooden were taken hostage by an unknown group calling themselves 'The Swords of Righteousness Brigade'. As first revealed at The Jawa Report, 'The Swords of Righteousness Brigade' has been linked to the Islamic Army in Iraq. The Islamic Army in Iraq is an al Qaeda linked Salaafist jihadi group that has murdered foreign hostages in the past.

A French hostage, Bernard Planche, was released over the weekend, and we now know he was freed only after a joint U.S.-Iraqi security sweep caused his captors to flee. The best hope for the peace activists is that Coalition troops rescue them, despite the objections of the Christian Peacemakers Team's moral equivications.

We pray that the family of Ronald Schulz will find comfort and for the safe return of all hostages currently in Iraq. more...

Posted by: Rusty at 08:12 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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January 10, 2006

What's More Annoying Than a Braindead Senator?

So, what I'd like to know is how come, with 435 Representatives and 100 Senators, nobody thought to suggest that Arlen Specter might be a senile old fart with his head stuck where "the sun don't shine?" This is such an assinine piece of legislation that anyone but a Hollywood actor could see it defines folly. Yet we have 535 elected legislators who apparently thought it at least reasonable?

Well, I'm ready to get rid of whoever is in office who couldn't see their way clear to pointing out such utter nonsense, not so much because the folly itself offends me, but because it offends the very principles of the nation that I consider my own, not to mention civilization itself. I mean, did anyone tell Arlen or the half-wits that stood silently behind the old coot that the Federalist Papers were anonymous? Huh?

Jesus H. Christ!

And yeah, Arlen, I do mean to offend you... you foolish old twit! Although I could hardly do as good a job of it as you've done yourself. Apparently the damage done by mercury-amalgam fillings is irreversible.

Posted by: Demosophist at 11:55 PM | Comments (11) | Add Comment
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1 You made the fatal mistake of assuming that the 534 other congresscritters actually read the legislation they voted for. Mheh.

Posted by: Vinnie at January 11, 2006 12:15 AM (Kr6/f)

2 Well, I'm ready to get rid of whoever is in office who couldn't see their way clear to pointing out such utter nonsense... I mean, like, replace through the election process. Honestly, I need help. Can someone tell me a reasonable scenario explaining how legislation this stupid didn't get laughed off the hill? How did we come to this?

Posted by: Demosophist at January 11, 2006 12:17 AM (GwZM/)

3 At the very least, you should read the text before you get all worked up. Eugene V. may be correct about the ultimate interpretation, although I doubt it. Given that the law explicitly excludes "interactive computer services" from the "telecommunication device" definition, and the new subparagraph just as explicitly must be constructed consistently with that exclusion, it's hard to argue that the law could ever be used to apply to online interactions. But never mind that, for the moment. The intent was to do nothing more than ensure VOIP phone calls weren't exempt from the restriction. Otherwise, people could make obscene phone calls over the internet with impunity. (leaving aside, for the moment, why we're so worked up about banning them to begin with.) More info here, and there's a second entry with more info linked at the bottom.

Posted by: Cal at January 11, 2006 01:06 AM (oLRYk)

4 Vote every one of the sons-O-bitches out I say. From now on, I'm not voting for anyone on a party ticket.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at January 11, 2006 01:28 AM (0yYS2)

5 Cal: Well, it's hard to work up a good self-righteous head of steam if people keep pumping in icewater. But Volokh seems to think that "interactive" doesn't cover blogs, and since he's a law prof it's hard to just dismiss what he's saying on the grounds that he doesn't understand the legislation. What "B" seems to refer to is an exemption for the service (and/or software) provider, not for the anonymous person posting the message. And again, not being a legal eagle I gotta go with what the law prof says. And he even expands on those comments here.

Posted by: Demosophist at January 11, 2006 02:55 AM (QZT4w)

6 Anyway Cal, if Eugene is wrong then this legislation simply doesn't cover "one to many" communication, and his objections aren't relevant. But if the wording is so confusing that it's causing Volokh to drop all the loose change from his topsy-turvy pockets then it would seem to be ill crafted, at best. So why don't they have a "Violence Against Men" act? Or at least a "Violence Against Over-Educated Men?"

Posted by: Demosophist at January 11, 2006 03:14 AM (8zHwD)

7 Specter is still a senile old fart. And many of those in the House and Senate really don't read the text of these bills before they sign off on them. There's far too much mumbo-jumbo in the text of this bill to make any sense at all to me. I'm an bookkeeper, not a lawyer. And the fact that there are so many others, well versed in law, arguing over the merits or demerits of it is proof enough of its confusing wording. The intent may be benign, but I think it just boils down to some worrying about the chance of an over-zealous litigator twisting this to the advantage of someone who simply gets "annoyed" somewhere down the line. Annoying is a subjective word. With this new development, it's a good thing Tex at Whackingday is in Australia.

Posted by: Oyster at January 11, 2006 06:14 AM (YudAC)

8 ABOUT ITALY Still now I can't read in conservatives italian newspapers, the true question about the post communist holding system, called Cooperative LEGACOOP. Nevertheless it was a very big trouble, last summer, when the postcommunist party insurance company UNIPOL tried to buy one of the most important italian bank, the BNL, against the spanish Bank of Bilbao. The governor of Bankitalia (Bank of Italy), Antonio Fazio was part of the war, trying to help the Unipol, that is linked to the first postcommunist bank Monte dei Paschi di Siena (the oldest bank of the world born in 1472). UNIPOL got 20 billion euros last year, but BNL is bigger a lot. Strange case. Now the jump to Unipol is broken, the management of Unipol is impeached for many crimes (the top manager Mr. Consorte had 50 millions euros in a Swiss bank). The DS, the post communist party, is accused to have the biggest conflict of interest, bigger than the Berlusconi conflict. In fact, if the mr. Berlusconi tv broadcast Mediaset (3 channels) has 5600 workers, the red cooperatives have 500.000 workers! Moreover the DS is allied to the mr. Prodi (the ex UE President) party, the Margherita Party, linked with an other holding of cooperatives, named CONFCOOPERATIVE. Both all the leftist cooperatives have ONE MILLION WORKERS, billing every year 100 BILLION EUROS OF SALES. But is not this the true question of the postcommunist power. The fact is that almost all municipalities and provinces and italian regions (the some of the single states for USA) are in hands of DS and MArgherita parties. So they can give jobs and work public orders to the cooperatives holding. So thousands of mayors, councillors, and members of regional councils, may lawfully give money to their parties, their parents and friends working in the cooperatives, that do every thing: facilities, roads, buildings, social welfare, supermarkets, upkeeps... Italy may be conquered by this system, that improve the old leninist State capitalism. What gloomy prospects! PAOLO DELLA SALA LINKS http://www.leguerrecivili.splinder.com/1123860856#5473174 http://leguerrecivili.splinder.com/1136934338#6817879

Posted by: Paolo della sala at January 11, 2006 06:42 AM (vWhIy)

9 Oyster The real problem with this is that its easily open to abuse or better yet "legal harrassment". Someone - anyone files a complaint - well er - let a court decide! Next - you need a lawyer - and lawyers are expensive. How it proceeds from there is more often dependent on your financial and legal resources. Stupid cases will be prosecuted! Why - why not! - more often than not justice is just an indifferent assembly line and everybody gets paid reguardless. A DA will pursue a stupid case - win/lose - so what - its nothing more than a boxscore to them 20W 10L 2T

Posted by: hondo at January 11, 2006 10:42 AM (3aakz)

10 I'm pretty sure that's what I said. ;-) You just elaborated on it more.

Posted by: Oyster at January 11, 2006 11:00 AM (osKlJ)

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This Is What We Do

Read Marcus Aurelius. Of each particular thing ask: what is it in itself? What is its nature?

"She just radiates good feeling. She looks you in the eye. She is smiling now. She is cooing in the most delightful little way," he said.

Rusty has written several posts on winning the propaganda war. I won't pile on.

But it should be noted that Zarqawi isn't fixing Iraqi babies with spina bifida. Nor is Mookie al-Sadr, or the Ba'athists and fedayeen remnants. Neither is Sistani, for that matter. The surgery wasn't performed in any of the oil-rich nations of the ME, either.

The soldiers who found this kid didn't care about p.r. The people who arranged the trip didn't, neither did the doctors who performed the surgery.

I do care, though, because it's stories like these, published to a worldwide audience, that shows we are something that our enemies aren't.

Human beings.

Posted by: Vinnie at 11:10 PM | Comments (14) | Add Comment
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1 "Of each particular thing ask: what is it in itself? What is its nature?" What is Man in himself? What is his nature? Man is a relatively large primate, one of the five existing species of great ape, and the only mammal with pronounced frontal lobes of the brain. This region gives rise to exquisitely complex behavior and an unmatched capacity for learning, which charactaristics set Man apart from the other animals. Behaviorally speaking, Man is a hunter-gatherer, and in his natural habitat drifts about the margins of African woodlands in troops of about 30 to 60, foraging for fruit and occasionally preying upon other beasts. Because he cannot survive alone in this environment Man, like other social animals, has powerful insticts that compel him to behave in a mannar that benefits the group. Hence, if we injure a female of this species, she she makes a distress display which evokes a protecive response from the males of her tribe. Similarly, an injured infant of this species evokes protective responses from adults. This is what gives crippled baby stories their powerful emotional tug. Man, like other animals of his type, is posessed of powerful territorial drives. Males especially are enraged by the presence of foreign males, and will attempt to drive off or destroy these, thus preventing their females from being fertilized by outsiders. This accounts for the behavior of Arab males toward European males, European males toward African males, and countless other unsightly episodes of violence. We observe that Man naturally has both attractive, protective social instincts (which cause him to get all emotional over spina bifida babies, for example) and repulsive social instincts (which cause him to get all worked up over unbearded infidels). Neither of these is more "human" than the other.

Posted by: ShannonKW at January 11, 2006 01:28 AM (dT1MB)

2 Ladies and gentlemen. Shannon has just displayed the epitome of cynicism by describing man only in his most primal state using his obsession with "spina bifida babies" as his only example of the best of human traits, compassion, by implying or portraying it is a "fault" or "aberration". I suppose it was folly to have shown such compassion for Helen Keller or Beethoven or any number of those who overcame great odds to inspire further compassion or optimism. Let it go, Shannon, let it go.

Posted by: Oyster at January 11, 2006 06:52 AM (YudAC)

3 What Shannon doesn't and can't explain is why so many other humans DON'T exhibit the heartlessness noted therein. That's because that the explanation offered, while perhaps technically correct, is incomplete at best, misleading and belying of an anarchic cynacism at worst. Basically, it's sophmoric foolishness. Intellect with no wisdom, deserving no more attention than just enough to be quickly discredited and dispensed with.

Posted by: goldpython at January 11, 2006 07:49 AM (6lRNE)

4 I find Shannon a bit too "creepy" in an odd intellectual way. He's difficult to place - its not that he's wandering all over the map - its that he's clearly "fixed" on points all over the map.

Posted by: hondo at January 11, 2006 10:05 AM (3aakz)

5 Yet none of you can refute anything he said in his post, but merely criticize him for saying it, with the word "cynic" thrown in, sounding a lot like "heretic". Honestly, I'm disappointed in you guys, because you're treating him like a liberal leper rather than engaging him in rhetorical conversation, of which he is obviously capable, unlike the average non-conservative that swings by here. You may not agree with his view, but at least hear him out as long as he doesn't start pasting in quotes from leading libtard traitors. The reason intellectual discourse creeps you out is because you all use the right side of your brain more than the left, whereas people like Shannon and I tend toward the left side, i.e. the logical side. Most people depend more on their right hemisphere more than the left, and this is the birthplace not only of human compassion and creativity, but also of baseless hysterical fear of the unknown. Shannon and I may seem short on compassion, but actually we're just long on logic, though we may arrive at different conclusions based on myriad factors. I learned long ago not to make decisions based on emotion, but rather logic, and it has served me well, though it has won me few friends along the way. If I have to forego the approval of the mob for the sake of making the right decision, then I will do so without hesitation. Let us not forget that So-crates, (damned filter), was murdered for corrupting the youth, because he taught them how to think. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at January 11, 2006 11:03 AM (0yYS2)

6 Maxie, chill out. Nobody refuted what he said because there is fact there. The manner in which it is presented, coupled with past comments, however, is not beyond criticism. All that I myself brought up is Shannon's cold, calculated manner in which he approaches subjects. He stated the obvious without regard to that which is less obvious - human nature as it is applied to nuance and a million other factors which make us all unique. Shannon didn't say anything that we couldn't have gotten from any text book or college lecture on the origin of man's intellect. There is no evidence that a proclivity for left brain thinking is better than right brain thinking. A balance between the two is the ideal. For a complete reliance on one is what produces hysterical, and illogical fear or a total lack of compassion and inability to think in the abstract. So with all due respect, sir, because I do respect you - cram it.

Posted by: Oyster at January 11, 2006 01:47 PM (osKlJ)

7 Comments noted and crammed, but instead of just criticizing him, why not engage him? He's definitely not a moonbat, so maybe he just needs to hear the humanitarian perspective. Then again, maybe you also need to hear the cold, calculating perspective too? A different view is good from time to time. /devil's advocate mode off.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at January 11, 2006 05:37 PM (0yYS2)

8 Damn, you took that well. I was starting to feel bad last night about telling you where to put things. Frankly, I'd be more interested in a dialog not about primal human drives, which is an undisputed subject in my book. We know the harsh world man was born into made many of these basal and aggressive instincts primary to survival. What would interest me more is the changes in certain societies which have somewhat supressed many of these hard wired instincts and the societies that have not progressed beyond them and other societies which have gone so far as to attempt their complete supression and the disasterous results of that. What would interest me more is the differences between the male and the female of the species and the push in many societies toward an androgenous society and its repercussions. I don't think Shannon is a moonbat or even a liberal, and never made a comment in that regard about him. You may have me confused with someone else on this board. If you'll re-read my response, perhaps I didn't engage him in the classic sense, but I did challenge him. And I end up talking to you. That's okay, but I want to make myself understood. (I had this typed out this morning, but got sidetracked and forgot to submit it. Just got home and found it still on my screen. So if it gets missed, well, I tried.)

Posted by: Oyster at January 12, 2006 04:52 PM (YudAC)

9 I didn't say that you did anything you didn't do, I was just pointing out what I saw. Now, as to suppressed instincts etc., you have broached an important subject. What we see happening to the West since the rise of Christianity in the beginning, and feminism in the end, is the death of masculinity and with it the slow death of society. The only societies in the world that are expanding right now are the ones that have not fully civilized yet, and it seems that civilization is a contributing factor to the decline of society, because societies, like people, can only prosper when they're willing to get their hands dirty. What we are seeing now is the third great decline of Western culture, with Europe and America in a race to see who can collapse their civilization first. We're also seeing the fourth ascendancy of Eastern culture, led by the Chinese, with the Arabs and other primitives neither ascendant nor declining, but merely breeding like rats and infesting everyone else's space. The world will look drastically different in a hundred years, with primitives in control of all major urban areas in the West, which will become de facto wastelands, as Detroit is today, and the few remaining civilized people forced to live in small rural enclaves which they will have to defend vigilantly if they want to survive. This may sound like a sci-fi scenario, but it actually began around one hundred years ago with the flight of white urbanites from northeastern cities with the waves of Eurpean immigrants, and is continuing as the civilized world is overrun by the modern version of the barbarian hordes. Anyone who disagrees should go to Detroit for a visit, but make sure your life insurance is paid up first, because it's all blacks and muslims, and a white person who sets foot there is likely to not return.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at January 13, 2006 09:43 AM (0yYS2)

10 Whew, that was a mouthful. I won't try to sum up the history of the world here, but I will take one subject you mentioned. I'm a firm believer that women have a role and so do men. One is no more or less important than the other. I never understood feminism, well, I do understand, I just never could advocate most of it. Why some women feel the need to invade every aspect of male society from Boy Scouts to the men's room is effed up and affirms their inferiority/superiority issues and a sprinkle of paranoia. Demanding special consideration beyond common sense or reason (affirmative action is one example), perpetuating the notion that hostility toward women is rampant (which is sort of a self-fufilling prophesy) and propagandizing women as a whole to be kinder, smarter, superior and in tune with mother earth. Sure - I can raise children right and be a lawyer - Horseshit. I know some pretty rotten women - and they're not even feminists. Just naturally rotten bitches. But the worst of them have taken the whole feminist movement way too seriously and do a lot of subtle damage to those they come in contact with along their way. These women can't think individually. Their biology tells them one thing and society tells them another and they can't reconcile the two because they ignore and don't understand the former. So they continue to blame men. That day is long past. No one told them the world moved on in the mid sixties. The best women I know don't celebrate their vaginas. They're feminine in the classic sense and psychologically secure in it and they don't feel a need to beat you over the head with it. What's happening is that we're fighting a lot of different battles on a lot of different fronts trying to preserve western culture. Feminism is only one of the battles. And we're losing. This "Us or Them" philosophy becomes clearer to me every day.

Posted by: Oyster at January 13, 2006 12:17 PM (YudAC)

11 Point of order to Shannon. Humans aren't an order of great ape, the two evolutionary lines diverges ~6M years ago.

Posted by: MegaTroopX at March 14, 2006 10:24 AM (yT/Rw)

12 diverged

Posted by: MegaTroopX at March 14, 2006 10:26 AM (yT/Rw)

13 Why would So-crates be filter-bait, Improb? Your comment could not be submitted due to questionable content: So-crates What is so questionable about the name of a famous philosopher? Is the filter set to uber-paranoid or something? Will it censor the word Massachusetts? How about Dick Cheney?

Posted by: MegaTroopX at March 14, 2006 10:29 AM (yT/Rw)

14 Okay, it didn't. I still don't get it.

Posted by: MegaTroopX at March 14, 2006 10:31 AM (yT/Rw)

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Jonathan Pfender Funeral ~~Threatened~~ Goes Well.

(Updated please scroll down)Evansville Ind. has been preparing to mourn the loss of Private Jonathan Pfender. Mr. Pfender was killed serving in Iraq. The last report I had heard was that his family was awaiting the arrival of his body in Evansville for burial.

FOX59 : Evansville -- An Evansville woman whose son was killed by a bomb in Iraq says she's proud of her son. The Army says 22-year-old Private Jonathan Pfender of Evansville, Indiana, was killed in Bayji, Iraq, during a patrol.

His Father expressed similar pride in an interview on WTVW(sorry no link).

Last night it was brought to my attention that radical group plans to protest this fine you manÂ’s funeral. See this link and make sure you view the entire clip.

WEHT : EVANSVILLE - As the family of a fallen soldier prepares for his funeral, our media partners at the Evansville Courier and Press report the funeral is being targeted by a Kansas based group called the Westboro Baptist Church.

For examples of this groups propaganda see this link and I quote..

Westboro Baptist Church : Â“God Hates Vets!Â”

These links do not indicate support, but you have to see it to believe it.

Is it not enough that these people have lost a son? Now these jerks have to Â“protest a funeralÂ”. Sorry but the proper way to Â“protest a funeralÂ” is to not go. The proper way to support Mr. PfenderÂ’s family is to respectfully attend. Seems some people just donÂ’t know what rude means any more. What ever happened to Â“Love your neighborÂ” or Â“Do unto othersÂ”. If you ask me itÂ’s the members of this group that will be Â“burning in hellÂ”. Show some respect. I hope Mr. Ellsworth puts you in the old jail about 15 to a cell!

Updated: It's raining like hell on these jerks outside the funeral. Hmm... God's will maybe?.

Update II: Hundreds of supporter stood in the rain in support of Private Pfender and his family, They included Rolling Thunder, Patriotic Guard Riders, VFW, Active Service people and just people. They braved the rain and formed a wall protecting the family from the small number of protestors who were kept to one corner across the street. Supporters also stood watch at the cemetery. In fact the protestors were so outclassed that they left early. Hundreds of bikes showed up to cheers and totally drown them out Apparently the determination of the supporters in the face of wind, Rain and falling temps was far greater than the Westboro Baptist Church's taste for foul weather. They left after a short time. Not one supporter left early. . Said one Patriotic Guard Rider, Â“ItÂ’s all about respect for a fallen comradeÂ”.

WEHT : Pfender's Aunt Vicki Wolf said, "Jonathan would have loved all the veterans the support, forget the protestors this is glory."

Another Family member via Patriotic Guard Riders :

I promised the mother of Pvt. Pfender - she is Peggy Hammond that I would post a quote about her son on our site. I think it's revealing of this young man's character - a true Patriot - It is: "He wanted people to know President Bush didn't come to our door," Hammond said. "He went to his."

Illinois and Indiana are considering laws to make distrubing the peace at a funeral a felony. Indiana at less than 500 ft. ILL less than 300 ft.

Why they got run plumb off! Hell Yeah! Still we grieve for the family and only hope the support can help a bit on a difficut day.

Hat Tip: Dave and the rest of the readers and bloggers who helped fill us/me in on these nuts and those who work against them.

more...

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1 Howie, Not sure if you know this or not but Fred Phelps is a disbarred Lawyer, his "Church" is mostly made up of his family members which are mostly lawyers. Many people believe that this is a method to get assaulted, and then sue the municipality for not providing enough police protection! Before he protested soldiers funerals, he picketed gay peoples funerals.

Posted by: dave at January 09, 2006 09:23 AM (CcXvt)

2 I think it's disgusting that this moron Phelps is still alive, but he makes his living by suing people once he's provoked them into action, and he's married to a lawyer. If there is a god, he should get busy on this one and drop a house on him or something.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at January 09, 2006 09:23 AM (0yYS2)

3 Nope I had no Idea who this jerk was! (I hope he reads that)

Posted by: Howie at January 09, 2006 09:26 AM (D3+20)

4 Some of Phelps' family members have managed to escape his madness. It's a real testament to strength of character. What that says to me is that idiots are born. Not bred.

Posted by: Oyster at January 09, 2006 09:34 AM (osKlJ)

5 Even most liberals I know think these people are a bunch of whack-jobs. If it's the same website I'm thinking of that you have linked, I'm pretty sure this is the same group of nuts who came down to Houston to protest at NASA after the Columbia accident. I may be wrong about the timing but their protest was so bizarre that I can't quite remember what it was. I just remember that pretty much everyone of every political persuasion was appalled. I'll see if I can find it if no one else remembers but I'm almost positive it was the 'godhatesfags' website that they were associated with. These people were so far to both the left and right that they came back around and met on the other side when time and space collapsed in on them.

Posted by: slug at January 09, 2006 09:37 AM (wcNc2)

6 God forgive me, but there are times when I believe in the concept of a Â“Star ChamberÂ”. This is one of those times.

Posted by: Brad at January 09, 2006 09:41 AM (6mUkl)

7 This past spring the city of Santa Fe NM was visited by the Westboro Baptist church of Topeka, Kansas Â–as you know is a hateful, militant group that promotes words of hate and death as though it were GodÂ’s word. Following is a statement that was published in a New Mexico newspaper. The statement was made by a person who opposed the message of this church. Poet Joanna Cattonar, 63, waved a large placard with the words: "Fear + Ignorance = Bigotry.'' She said she got her orders to attend the rally from Vice President Dick Cheney. "When the vice president was speaking at the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, he said that hatred and intolerance must be opposed before they turn into action,'' she said. Cattonar said some activists suggested ignoring the anti-gay group. "But what happened when people ignored the situation in the 1930's? It led Hitler to power'' How can freedom of speech continue to protect people like this, while their actions directly affect others by denying the freedom for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness? Is this freedom of speech, or just freedom to spread HATE? This Westboro Baptist church hates the Gay-Community, African-Americans, Canada, Sweden, the Fire Department of NY, victims of 911, Christian Churches, The Pope, Judaism, America, Our American Troops, and the list goes on and on. Many of the groups they despise are specifically named on their hate propaganda, picket signs, and their many websites. They not only hate, but wish death on all that they abhor. This sick, so called church spreads its hate through picketing in our streets, provoking attacks, with abusive vulgar language. Worst of all, they endanger their own young children, having them man the front lines in their combative demonstrations Â– attempting to create a confrontation and cause for one more of their frivolous lawsuits.

Posted by: West at January 09, 2006 09:48 AM (edYmr)

8 Tar, feather, rail.........enough said!

Posted by: jesusland joe at January 09, 2006 10:01 AM (rUyw4)

9 I think that the situation in America is going to deteriorate to the point that it will fall on the citizens to go out and do something, as in the old days. This moron should be found hanging from an overpass somewhere.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at January 09, 2006 10:21 AM (0yYS2)

10 Kind of like what happened to that horrid woman Madeline Murray O'Hare. What her murderers did was wrong, but no one really misses her.

Posted by: Oyster at January 09, 2006 11:44 AM (osKlJ)

11 Yup, it's time to take some of these loonies to fist city and face a sympathetic jury on assault charges - surely to God the Legion and VFW will muster and face off with these a**holes - I'm sure if some old vet were to accidentally stumble and ram a flag staff down one of their throats, no charges would be brought

Posted by: goesh at January 09, 2006 12:21 PM (vX0fY)

12 these guys would be glad to help. http://www.patriotguard.org/

Posted by: walker at January 09, 2006 12:35 PM (WGCpU)

13 Checked out some of the sites related to this group - and I swear - I can feel the presense of Mike Crook - somewhere. Its errie! Any idea Bluto?

Posted by: hondo at January 09, 2006 12:45 PM (3aakz)

14 I've heard of these wipes before. All they do is preach hate and death to those who disagree with their personal worldviews. Intolerant in the extreme is the only phrase that describes them. They don't belong on the internet.

Posted by: kip at January 09, 2006 01:00 PM (UHKaK)

15 One day, We the People will have had enough of scumbags like this, and our completely corrupt, inept, incompetent government refusing to do anything about it, there'll be a reckoning. It's about time for the people to rise up in arms and take our country back.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at January 09, 2006 01:46 PM (0yYS2)

16 wow, just been checking out these boards and the extremist views shared by some are disturbing. whatever happened to just loving thy neighbor? good and honest people can even be black sometimes....or possible not-christians. does that shock you? if it does, you need to get back to reality or at least stop breeding.

Posted by: smith at January 09, 2006 10:22 PM (hfctS)

17 But besides that, you are going to hell Declared yourself God, have you? so now you are the one that decides where I may go after I die? It doesn't matter, you guys only play at Religion, and your drive-by moonbatting is a joke -- like your whole organization.

Posted by: dave at January 09, 2006 11:37 PM (CcXvt)

18 All those wonderful folks at Westboro Baptist are fine, upstanding Republicans and hence can do NO wrong. Shame on you all.

Posted by: Steve at January 10, 2006 02:30 AM (hfyZt)

19 What the ....?

Posted by: Oyster at January 10, 2006 06:11 AM (YudAC)

20 I suggest Magor and his buddies need to find Jesus. Hey try reading the new testament you damn nuts (OTHER THAN REVALATION I SUGGEST JOHN) and guess what this board is not your personal propaganda tool. It's mine so... Bye Bye.

Posted by: Howie at January 10, 2006 09:30 AM (D3+20)

21 Ahh that felt good to dump jackasses like that. Oh and for the record they annoy me. Tell me jerk were those "real" names? and I get all comments and IP addresses emailed now. I have you Now! HA.. HA.. HA.. !!! Jawa Rocks

Posted by: Howie at January 10, 2006 09:34 AM (D3+20)

22 Fuck you smith and steve. How's that for loving thy neighbor? Get off this blog you stupid liberal morons.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at January 10, 2006 12:12 PM (0yYS2)

23 Me breed more and more red state rednecks. Haha! I'm a breeding maniac. I have four, count them, four redneck crazy Christian kids. They will all vote Republican and watch Fox News. And join the military. And kill jihadists all over the World. Take that, you liberals!

Posted by: jesusland joe at January 10, 2006 04:36 PM (rUyw4)

24 Good work joe.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at January 10, 2006 06:58 PM (0yYS2)

25 All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Let he among you who is without sin cast the first stone. Judge not lest ye be judged. So yeah I read the Bible to commit a homosexual act is sinful. God cannot stand the sight of sin. That is any sin. God does not grade sin. He cannot stand the sight of any of it. The westboro sin of hate offends him equally as the immoral acts prohibited in the bible. WWJD Would Jesus say "I know this man" to the Father when speaking of a hater? I dunno

Posted by: Howie at January 10, 2006 10:15 PM (D3+20)

26 An Indiana state senator has proposed making such hate protests a felony. The story from the Indianapolis Star is here (http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060111/NEWS02/601110476) Best of luck, ProCynic

Posted by: ProCynic at January 11, 2006 08:47 AM (bfkgE)

27 An intolerant bunch ....... everyone who does not agree should be hung

Posted by: john Ryan at January 11, 2006 09:49 AM (TcoRJ)

28 John, are you drunk? Oh, yeah, give my regards to your mother!

Posted by: jesusland joe at January 11, 2006 10:14 AM (rUyw4)

29 Now you're getting the idea John. I'm easy to get along with as long as everyone understands that I'm right. See? It's not so hard.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at January 11, 2006 05:38 PM (0yYS2)

30 Yeesh. Now they're targeting fallen heroes? *sigh* I'd love to say I've lost all respect for Fred Phelps and his "church" and he makes me sick... Unfortunately that happened a LONG time before this. Love, Respect and condolences to Pvt. Pfender's friends and family. -=e=-

Posted by: -=e=- at January 12, 2006 10:05 PM (69064)

Hide Comments | Add Comment

The Blog Sabbath Caption Contest: Matrix Edition

Caption this photo of regular commenter Agent Smith:

Fatwas will be issued.

Someday.

***Fatwas Issued***

Stephen Macklin - "I just saved a ton of money on my car insurance."

lawhawk - "Do you hear that sound Ms. Sheehan. That is the sound of your 15 minutes in an endless feedback loop. It is the sound of your doom.

Goodbye Ms. Sheehan."

Brad - "There is Mr. Liberal, that shows up to work, pays their taxes, and is a productive member of the community. Then there is Donk, a revolutionary behind the computer screen, cheering on the goat-herders-with-a-cause.

Only one of you has a future.

Which one will it be?"

Honorable mention to Mr. Venom - "I can't keep my mouth open forever. Hopefully Vinnie dishes out some fatwas soon."

Posted by: Vinnie at 09:04 PM | Comments (27) | Add Comment
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Military Readying for Air Strikes in *undisclosed* Southwest Asian Country

Patrick at Clarity and Resolve speculates that Iran is about to get bombed for its nuclear brinksmanship. Me? I'm thinking the Afghanistan-Pakistan border is looking especially hot today. Let's not forget, though, that Centcom also is over The Horn of Africa where the looming war between Eritrea and Ethiopia has forced U.S. diplomatic intervention. Something about speaking softly and carrying an F-16 suddently pops into my mind.

Fort-Wayne News Sentinel:

Members of the Fort Wayne-based 122nd Fighter Wing are scheduled to leave for Southwest Asia about 2:30 a.m. Tuesday from the unitÂ’s headquarters on Ferguson Road. It represents the wingÂ’s largest single deployment since it was called to Chambley, France, in 1961 during the Berlin Crisis. This deployment is in support of ongoing operations in the U.S. Central Command Air Forces (CENTAF) area of responsibility, which includes Southwest Asia. The unit will deploy fighter pilots, as well as maintenance and support personnel.

Good luck and Godspeed to the 122nd Fighter Wing!

SEE-DUBYA notes: At first I thought, fighters? Why fighters? But F-16s armed with Mk-84 2000-lb. bombs were used by the IAF in the 1981 strike on Iraq's Osirak reactor.

UPDATED NOTE by Vinnie:

We have no compelling national interest in either Ethiopia or Eritrea

The Pakistanis have their own F-16s to bomb with.

Just about every "fighter" in our arsenal is capable of converting to a bombing role. Only the B-52, B-1, and B-2 are strictly bombers.

If this were 1942, the Fort Wayne newspaper staff would have been jailed for telegraphing troop movements.

I (Vinnie) am blinded by my burning desire for revenge in the face of 25 years of Mullahcratic hostility.

Posted by: Rusty at 06:10 PM | Comments (41) | Add Comment
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1 I can't believe this. Just this morning I bet a friend at work $20 that we would be bombing Iran before the end of February. Looks like Andy Jackson is gonna be buying me briefs any day now! You can always count on U.S. foreign policy to keep you in fresh underwear.

Posted by: ShannonKW at January 10, 2006 06:22 PM (dT1MB)

2 Let's hope this isn't a strike heading for Iran.

Posted by: dave at January 10, 2006 06:36 PM (CcXvt)

3 Why not dave? Would you rather we wait until an American city lies in smoking ruin? Maybe we should appease them some huh?

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at January 10, 2006 06:45 PM (0yYS2)

4 It's still early for this. I would expect a bit more saber rattling from the involved parties, and a few more "strongly worded protests" from the U.N. before any real bombing started. Bush will first seek the U.N.'s blessing, and only then will he act (regardless of any U.N. blessing, of course).

Posted by: Jesusland Carlos at January 10, 2006 06:45 PM (8e/V4)

5 So.... Will you blogroll the poor lad now?

Posted by: Vinnie at January 10, 2006 06:46 PM (Kr6/f)

6 I don't know Carlos, they didn't seem to mind our protests in 1979, and things haven't gotten any better. I'd like to see Teheran go up in one big mushroom cloud, just to make a point.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at January 10, 2006 06:48 PM (0yYS2)

7 No time like the present, JC. Why should we let them hide, harden, or speed up their program based on the UN's timetable? We should take the initiative and not surrender it to them.

Posted by: See-Dubya at January 10, 2006 06:50 PM (Twe7B)

8 What has that statement got to do with appeasement? We would need some serious force build up again in Iraq in case Iran decided to retaliate against our troops stations there? I don't think they would just pull out the bulldozers and a white flag if the U.S hit them with an air strike.

Posted by: dave at January 10, 2006 06:57 PM (CcXvt)

9 But when it happens, expect boots on the ground. This won't be a mere Clintonesque lobbing of cruise missiles. F-22 Raptors will cover the skies, then commandos and Army Rangers will establish a perimeter on the ground, while Army corp of engineers demolishes the place. Should be over in 2-3 days. That's my dream op ;-)

Posted by: Jesusland Carlos at January 10, 2006 07:06 PM (8e/V4)

10 I'm with you on this one, Dave. Iran and its allies in Iraq are sure to hit us from inside Iraq. Shia militia aligned with Iran are well armed and fully capable of a pretty intensive insurgency. I say wait a little bit longer. I sympathize with others on the danger posed by Iran, but I think we have more time rather than less.

Posted by: jesusland joe at January 10, 2006 07:09 PM (rUyw4)

11 I don't think the response to Iran will be an invasion, I should imagine it would be a carpet bombing operation on their industrial/military complexes only. The U.S would most likely have to defend our interests in the region because all the gloves will be off.

Posted by: dave at January 10, 2006 07:09 PM (CcXvt)

12 Just to make sure I'm understood, I'm not pushing the Left talking point that Iran would be a "Quagmire" and Iran is undefeatable I'm saying when Iran gets rocked we will need to have a lot of protection for our forces in the region.

Posted by: dave at January 10, 2006 07:31 PM (CcXvt)

13 If it must be war, then there's no time like the present. If we strike Iran, we could invade with considerable force from east and west, since we control the territory on either side of them. We could occupy Teheran within three to four weeks. Iraq is pretty much self-governing at this point, and the various parties have too much at stake politically to risk running afoul of the US military, which has well demonstrated what it can do. Our military is all-weather, all-terrain, day or night capable, and can roll over any defense the Iranians can put up. There is also the fact that most Iranians would probably welcome an invasion, as has been mentioned on many blogs. Time is running out for us to take action while we have the forces in place, so they'd better invade soon, before it's too late.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at January 10, 2006 08:08 PM (0yYS2)

14 There is also the fact that most Iranians would probably welcome an invasion With flowers right? where have I heard that one before.

Posted by: dave at January 10, 2006 08:21 PM (CcXvt)

15 Don't forget the continue turmoil in other island nations in the Pacific with regards to Jemaah Islamiya and the increased terror warnings coming out of one of those nations. An embassy of a close ally just closed down in one of those. In other words, there are far too many scenarios to be betting this is an impending bombing run on Iran. Hell, it could be to have something to back up the threats probably needed to push Iran back to the table and Ahmadinejad from going down the well to find the 12th Imam.

Posted by: Chad Evans at January 10, 2006 08:30 PM (+DXHJ)

16 In some respects, I have to agree with Chad. I think that this is the step by step process where we ramp up the pressure and say "look, this is what we can do". Although, i would also point out that this report does not talk about what forces are rotating back. This COULD be simply a change of guard.

Posted by: kat-missouri at January 10, 2006 08:38 PM (Rdcm7)

17 Dave, don't be stupid, if at all possible. Go read the Iranian blogs, which number over 100,000 currently, and while you'll see that many don't trust us, they hate the mullahs, who have made their lives a living hell.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at January 10, 2006 08:49 PM (0yYS2)

18 Yes, substitute Mullah's with Saddam Hussein and we'd be hearing the Iraq war plan all over again. Seriously. I'm with you on the Iran thing, however I don't think we should count on any Iranian participation, it was a mistake we corrected much later in the Iraq war. American overwhelming force is the only solution to the Iran nuclear threat.

Posted by: dave at January 10, 2006 08:52 PM (CcXvt)

19 airforces exercises

Posted by: phuong at January 10, 2006 09:07 PM (4IwOD)

20 military exercises

Posted by: phuong at January 10, 2006 09:09 PM (4IwOD)

21 Military exercises

Posted by: phuong at January 10, 2006 09:11 PM (4IwOD)

22 (AP) Fort Wayne's 122nd Fighter Wing headed to Iraq mission December 30, 2005, 4:59 PM EST FORT WAYNE, Ind. -- Members of the Fort Wayne-based 122nd Fighter Wing will participate in its largest overseas deployment in more than four decades as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom within three weeks. The exact number of members being deployed or where they will be going in Iraq will remain classified until the unit has arrived, the wing's commander, Col. Jeffrey Soldner, said Friday. The Indiana Air National Guard unit based at the Fort Wayne International Airport and nicknamed "the Blacksnakes" is being deployed on a rotation with two other National Guard units from Atlantic City, N.J., and Burlington, Vt. A typical rotation lasts about 120 days, Soldner said. The deployment will be the largest for the 122nd since October 1961, when the entire unit was sent to Chambley Air Base in France, unit leaders said. It wasn't clear how large the unit was then. Today it has 989 members. Previously, the unit deployed 275 men and women to Qatar in August 2004 to serve for a month, and it took part in an 18-month mission at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, to patrol Iraq's no-fly zone in the summer of 2001. " http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newjersey/ny-bc-nj--guarddeployment1230dec30,0,6680245.story?coll=ny-region-apnewjersey

Posted by: reliapundit at January 10, 2006 09:20 PM (cZY6q)

23 When we finish with Iran, could we please incinerate Mecca's black box? Thank you.

Posted by: arturo at January 10, 2006 09:29 PM (NbjYa)

24 Lots of hype and wishful thinking - not going to happen!

Posted by: hondo at January 10, 2006 10:06 PM (3aakz)

25 U.S. Warplanes Deployed For Possible Air Strikes On Iran Posted by Spirit Of Truth on Wednesday January 11, 2006 at 12:10 am MST Link to story: http://thefinalphaseforum.invisionzone.com/index.php?showtopic=988&view=findpost&p=10889 Following a trip by CIA Director Porter Goss to Turkey reportedly to warn "Ankara to be ready for a possible U.S. air operation against Iran and Syria" (see http://www.phxnews.com/fullstory.php?article=29658 ), U.S. warplanes are being deployed to Southwest Asia. Also, the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier battle group is reportedly headed to the Western Pacific. From - http://www.f-16.net/news_article1586.html Indiana Air National Guard set to deploy to SW Asia By Lieven January 9, 2006 - The Indian ANG 122nd wing will be deployed in upcoming days to Southwest Asia, officials announced. Col. Jeffery A. Soldner, 122nd commander, did not give specific numbers, but said it is the largest single deployment for the wing since it was called to Chambley, France, in 1961 during the Berlin Crisis... From - http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060110/NEWS01/601100389&SearchID=73232136212561 Air Guard: 122nd Fighter Wing to deploy The Indiana Air National Guard's 122nd Fighter Wing is sending troops to Southwest Asia today in the outfit's biggest deployment since the 1960s. Based in Fort Wayne, the outfit flew P-51 Mustangs during the Korean War and also deployed to Europe during the Berlin Crisis in 1961 and 1962, according to the unit's Web site. In Europe, pilots flew the Republic F-84F "Thunderstreak." The 122nd also sent some personnel overseas during Desert Storm. This time, the wing is expected to ship out fighter pilots, who now fly a variant of the F-16, along with maintenance and support personnel. The exact numbers involved, along with their precise destination, is not being released by the Pentagon. They were scheduled to leave from Fort Wayne about 2:30 a.m. today. -- Keith Manring From - http://www.timesargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060107/NEWS/601070311/1003 Send-off for Guard today (from Vermont) January 7, 2006 Associated Press COLCHESTER Â— Approximately 115 members of Vermont's Air National Guard will leave for Iraq next week for missions of up to four months. A send-off ceremony will take place Saturday at 3 p.m. at the Tarrant Field House at Saint Michael's College. The group is part of the nearly half of the Vermont Air National Guard's force Â– nearly 400 members of the 158th Fighter Wing Â– who will be deployed to an undisclosed location in Iraq this spring. The remaining 250 airmen are expected to leave Vermont in March.They will take some of the Vermont Guard's fleet of F-16 fighter jets with them and serve for 15 to 120 days, alongside Air Guard members from New Jersey and Indiana. The U.S. Air Force has divided Guard and Reserve units into 10 forces in an effort to deploy anywhere in the world quickly. Vermont's Air National Guard is one of the forces and is expected to be on-call or deploy for up to 120 days every 18 months, Guard officials said. The entire deployment will be the largest of the Air Guard's in 10 years, officials said. From - http://www.f-16.net/news_article1569.html Singapore F-16s deploy to India for air exercise SINDEX 06 By Lieven January 3, 2006 - The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) is holding a bilateral air exercise with the Indian Air Force from 03 to 20 January. Eight RSAF F-16s flew into Kalaikunda Air Force Station in Eastern India for the exercise. RSAF F-16D Block 52 #672 of the 145th sqn pictured against the morning sun at Paya Lebar AB on June 15th, 2005. The Singapore F-16s were supported by an RSAF KC-135 tanker, which conducted air-to-air refuelling during the four-hour journey. From - http://www.alamogordonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060106/NEWS01/601060307 Holloman deploying airmen (from New Mexico) BY ELLIS NEEL STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER/WRITER Jan 6, 2006, 06:00 pm Approximately 200 airmen from Holloman Air Force Base are readying themselves for a trip overseas. The airmen soon will deploy as part of the Air and Space Expeditionary Force cycle 9 and 10 to various locations in the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa. From - http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,84486,00.html USS Ronald Reagan Departs on Maiden Deployment Navy News | January 04, 2006 SAN DIEGO - USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) departed San Diego Jan. 4 on a deployment to conduct naval operations in support of the global war on terrorism, as well as national and theater cooperative security commitments in the western Pacific.

Posted by: J. Adams at January 11, 2006 01:23 AM (F7SQ6)

26 Whats with all the info? Fundamentally, it's meaningless. There seems to be an obsessive desire on the part of elements of both the left and right to see war with Iran. All the (strange) wishful thinking ain't gonna make it happen.

Posted by: hondo at January 11, 2006 09:42 AM (3aakz)

27 Oh well, I'm not giving up hope yet. Before W leaves office, he should have sorted out Iran and Syria if he wants his legacy to really mean something.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at January 11, 2006 10:47 AM (0yYS2)

28 Iran's not Iraq or NK - one size or method doesn't fit all. Iran is going to have to play itself out internally - how long? - I don't know. Another revolution or internal civil war is in the cards - but we are not going to be participants.

Posted by: hondo at January 11, 2006 11:22 AM (3aakz)

29 If we count Israel as part of Asia, then we can go ahead and bomb every country in all of Asia except Israel, Thailand, Singapore, and Taiwan. No problem with target practice on the other countries.

Posted by: Steve Sharon at January 11, 2006 12:12 PM (e/IFH)

30 I think an invasion would set off a revolution hondo. We could sweep in from east and west, surround Tehran, and let the people deal with the mullahs while we get video of them all hanging from lamp posts and balconies.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at January 11, 2006 05:41 PM (0yYS2)

31 It seems some would like us not to be involved(hondo). Unfortunately, it looks more and more like the Iranian's are pushing it to the limit. The way this may work out is a Israel and Turkey coalition taking on the Iranians. The Turks will just be the flyover country and possible safe spot to put down after if need be, providing them with a little plausible cover that they didn't know what was going on. Israel needs a shorter route to Iran and it won't be through Iraq, going through Turkey allows them to come out of the mountains of north west giving good cover. We(US)have to play the diplomatic cover until the very last, unfortunately the current situation here at home and abroad, especially in Iraq means we cannot be the ones to attack first. Remember we have a new government in Iraq and I don't think it would look to kindly of us to say we allowed Israel to over fly them because it was in our best intersest. This way if the Iranians decide to strike back at Turkey for cooperating a little bit then they have NATO backup. If they try to strike US anywhere else in the gulf we can say we did not have anything to do with this and we can hammer them. The best way is to let Israel strike first, see if they succeed, if the Iranians decide they are going to strike back they have to go through Iraq. Syria won't say anything, Assad would lose his country in a heartbeat. The Palistinens will rise up, but will be put down just as quick. Let Israel take care of the problem to begin with and have a big hammer ready to finish the job if need be.

Posted by: patrick at January 11, 2006 05:51 PM (7KYmz)

32 Go play Stratego on your own - if eveything was that easy you'd be head of the JCS.

Posted by: hondo at January 11, 2006 10:47 PM (3aakz)

33 This deployment is just saber-rattling, to synergize with a step-up of the EU harsh-word offensive. I think there's still lots of time before we need to actually resort to bashing with a big stick. I don't think that most of these facilities are easily portable, and I'll bet we can bust any bunker the mullahs can come up with.

Posted by: Mark at January 12, 2006 01:12 PM (G6key)

34 The deployment was planned as a standard rotation per the December newsarticle cited above. This is an Air National Guard unit with older equipment, FWIW.

Posted by: Robin Burk at January 12, 2006 01:30 PM (oogdQ)

35 As Robin mentioned, this the standard AEF (Air Expeditionary Force) rotation, not a new contingency deployment. Obviously the assets in theater can be used for the purposes speculated in prior posts, but that was as true last month as it will be next.

Posted by: Phat at January 12, 2006 01:38 PM (7Dt96)

36 Any American operation against Iran would probably require insuring air superiority, at least over specified air corridors.

Bombing nuclear facilities can sometimes create more problems than it solves.

I could foresee a scenario where after achieving air superiority, the Americans would launch a massive helicopter air assault against the nuke facilities, with close air support keeping Iranian ground reinforcements from arriving on the scene.

Once the facilities were secured, nuclear technicians could then begin dismantelling the facilities and confiscating any critical materials.

Then everyone would leave. The Americans do not have the stomach for anymore nation building.

Posted by: Neonknight at January 12, 2006 03:27 PM (fe4z0)

37 Actually, it is that easy, but it just takes balls to do it; a quality that seems to be in short supply these days. One day soon, when an American city lies in smoking, radioactive ruin, you will try hard to forget my words.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at January 12, 2006 04:42 PM (0yYS2)

38 Oy Vey, You guys just do not know truth from fiction. The truth is; the US is run by Puerto Rican Jews who own everything and will soon invade with their brut pelican airforce whose pelican fecal mater will spread the bird flu as well as aerial death style invasion from the new killer vaccine Tami flu. Certain strategic combat factions from Joe's Bar and Grill will infiltrate the publishing rooms where they publish korans and fill the pages with new subject matter describing how mohammed was actually gay and had a fetish for fried pork rinds. This will be the demise for all of islam and bare mute testimony for a muslim conversion to Sagittarians leaving them totally mindless. This is how to win a war!!

Posted by: DrLawrence at January 12, 2006 10:42 PM (6mUkl)

39 Just a couple points to throw out: 1. The arab shia in Iran have been rioting on and off for the last year and a half. I don't think that the Iraqi shia are going to care much what happens to the Persian Shia. 2. I suspect that most every Sunni country would like to see Iran get nailed on this nuclear thing. I don't see the Arab street caring much for what happens with the Persian Shia. 3. We are in the middle of two major rotations (One in Iraq and One in Afganistan where much of the 10th Mountain is going). For about 60 days we will have a troop spike in Southwest Asia. On a personal note, if I am correct about 1 and 2, I would love to see a raid.

Posted by: David at January 14, 2006 12:57 PM (mmb0B)

40 The 122nd is on a regular scheduled rotation. The mission has been scheduled for months. My son-in-laws brother is a deploying member. Someone mentioned that Guard aircraft are older FWIW. That may be true but the Guard equipment is well maintained by people who have years more experience then their active duty counterparts. The airframe may be older but the engines and electronics are current, state of the art, better maintained and very capable.

Posted by: Ron On The Rio Grande at January 14, 2006 10:55 PM (oEelD)

41 This seems to be a well-informed blog, with some great tech experts. May I present the following scenario for consideration: 1.Israel for existential reasons (i.e. their existence) elects to launch a preemptive conventional strike on nascent Iranian nuclear capability, including but by no means limited to the Bushehr site. 2. US not involved in strike EXCEPT possibly furnishing tanker support (deniable) to multiply sorties and intel. The IAF does not have much tanker capability. 3. IAF plans figure 500 or so sorties. Less if conventional Jericho missiles are used in tandem. Question: what deployments would be necessary, i.e. USN units to the Indian Ocean/Arabian Sea and USAF units to any -Stan countries that might serve as leading indicators. Especially tankers. My thinking is that if Iran tosses inspectors, and/or begins producing weapons-grade uranium, or Iran begins upgrading its AAA capability as per recent deals with Russia, the scenario would develop rapidly. Thanks for your thoughts.

Posted by: ross hugo-vidal at February 04, 2006 12:48 PM (Awrxw)

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Military Readying for Air Stirkes in *undisclosed* Southwest Asian Country

Fort-Wayne News Sentinel:

Members of the Fort Wayne-based 122nd Fighter Wing are scheduled to leave for Southwest Asia about 2:30 a.m. Tuesday from the unitÂ’s headquarters on Ferguson Road. It represents the wingÂ’s largest single deployment since it was called to Chambley, France, in 1961 during the Berlin Crisis. This deployment is in support of ongoing operations in the U.S. Central Command Air Forces (CENTAF) area of responsibility, which includes Southwest Asia. The unit will deploy fighter pilots, as well as maintenance and support personnel.

Good luck and Godspeed to the 122nd Fighter Wing!

Posted by: Rusty at 06:09 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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My Son in NY Times. They grow up so fast!

Good on you Traderrob of Exposing the Left and The Jawa Report for making the NY Times. I guess you've finally made it.

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Are ALL Florida Professors Terrorists or Spies?

Another traitor found teaching at another Florida institution of higher learning. Sami Al-Arian must be happy to know that he's not the only traitor running loose in South Florida's academy. I'm thinking they could get their buddies together for an annual conference of the University Association of Spies, Traitors, Jew Haters, and Terror Supporters of South Florida.

UPDATE: Here is what FIU's webpage says about Carlos M. Alvaraz.

Carlos M. ÃƒÂlvarez is associate professor in the department of educational leadership and policy studies and a member of the faculty coordinating committee of the graduate certificate program in conflict resolution. He holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Florida. Dr. ÃƒÂlvarez teaches graduate level courses and conducts research on topics related to conflict resolution and the construction of ethnonational identities. He recently published a book entitled Ethnic Identity: Understanding Contemporary Perspectives. He has also published essays on the issue of Cuban American identity from a social psychological perspective. Dr. ÃƒÂlvarez has worked for more than 25 years as a consultant, visiting professor, lecturer, and trainer at different educational institutions in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Spain.

From another FIU webpage:

Carlos M. Alvarez is Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Foundations and Professional Studies in the College of Education at FIU. He received a Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Florida in 1972, and is a specialist in the psychology of ethnic identities, interactive conflict resolution,and higher education in Latin American and the Caribbean. Dr. Alvarez has chaired discussion groups and presented papers relating to Cuban-American ethnic identity, education and society in Cuba, and the political psychology of U.S.-Cuban relations at several international conferences. He has been a consultant for a number of educational institutions and organizations, including the Department of Educational Planning and Research for the Organization of American States in Washington, D.C. Published works include "Ethnicity: A review of related concepts" in Cultural and Social Foundations of Education: An Interdisciplinary Approach (1996) and "La identidad Cubano-Americana en el sur de la Florida: Un analisis contextual" in Razon y pasiÃƒÂ³n: Veinticinco aÃƒÂ±os de estudios cubanos (1996).

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Mosque Raided, Cleric Detained in Baghdad as Troops Search for Jill Carroll

Wait, you mean a mosque might be connected to the abduction by al Qaeda of American journalist Jill Carroll? We at The Jawa Report are shocked, SHOCKED, SHOCKED! And how do certain segments of the Sunni population react? Why, they are indignent that the insurgent supporting Association of Muslim Scholars would be implicated or that any infidel Shia, Christian, or Jew would dare enter a mosque (which we all know are never used to hide insurgents or weapons).

Christian Science Monitor:

Several hundred Sunni Arabs protested Tuesday the raid on a Baghdad mosque Saturday by US and Iraqi soldiers looking for Jill Carroll, a kidnapped freelance journalist on assignment for The Christian Science Monitor....
The US military told AFP that the raid was linked to the hunt for Carroll. Lt. Col. Barry Johnson, a US military spokesman, said the raid was ordered "as a direct result of a tip by an Iraqi civilian that activities related to the kidnapping were being carried out inside the mosque." ...
"Both Iraqi and coalition forces raided the mosque in the early morning hours in order to minimize the impact on worshipers and the surrounding neighborhood," Johnson told AFP Tuesday.
Six people were detained for questioning, he added.
The Association of Muslim Scholars, which is based at the mosque, confirmed that one of its members, Yunis Aikali, and five mosque guards were arrested in the raid.

More in The Jawa Report's Hostage Archive and the newly created Jill Carroll Archive.

UPDATE: Just as I was posting this Traderrob saw the same story and posted on it here along with satellite images of the mosque and neighborhood in question.

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1 Somewhere in all of the Middle East there have got to be Muslims willing to be mercenary mosque-stormers. We've got a base in Bahrain, a country with a downtrodden Shiite underclass that amounts to 75% of the population, many of whom would love to blast on some Sunnis for a few dinars. We need a foreign legion for this sort of thing.

Posted by: ShannonKW at January 10, 2006 06:07 PM (dT1MB)

2 Muslims are completely undependable, as treachery is considered a high art in muslim countries.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at January 10, 2006 06:47 PM (0yYS2)

3 Below is a speech given by Sheikh Harith Sulayman al-Dari - secretary general of the Association of Muslim Scholars, imam of the Umm al-Qura mosque and arguably Iraq's most influential Sunni cleric - in Fallujah in March, 2004. Qatar: Al-Jazirah Satellite Channel Television in Arabic 1505 GMT 19 Mar 04 [Announcer-read report over video] Dr Harith al-Dari, secretary general of the Iraqi Muslim Ulema Council, has called for the continuation of all forms of resistance against the occupation until the liberation of Iraq. This came in a speech following a mass prayer in Al-Fallujah city. [Begin Al-Dari recording] We hope that resistance, with all forms and directions, will escalate in the next year, the year of liberation, with the help and grace of God. Your brothers in all of Iraq now know that the occupation has not come for the sake of anybody or in order to help any side against the other side. Rather, it came to achieve its own ambitions and schemes. The occupation intends to stay in our country and even set up military bases, as propagated by the occupation and its agents, who know that their existence is contingent on that of the occupation. I hope that your resistance will escalate through words, actions, prayers, demonstrations, protests, and other forms. I also hope that all our brothers in the homeland will wake up and rise up to join their brothers in resisting the occupying to expedite its departure, God willing. [end recording] [Video shows Al-Dari addressing worshippers] Shaykh Al-Dari's speech was delivered just eleven days prior to the murder and mutilation of the Blackwater security contractors.

Posted by: Robert Stevens at January 10, 2006 07:47 PM (ywZa8)

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U.S. Forces Raid Umm al-Qura Mosque

U.S. forces raided Baghdad's Umm al-Qura mosque Sunday after receiving a tip that activities related to Jill Carroll's kidnapping were going on inside:

ABC OnlineÂ—Sunni Arabs in Iraq have branded a US raid on a mosque complex a "sinful assault" and say it will worsen their relations with the US military.
The United Nations (UN) has also criticised Sunday's military operation.
Sunni Arab political parties say the raid on the Baghdad offices of the influential Muslim Clerics Association targeted the clergy and violated a place of worship.
Witnesses say US soldiers slid down ropes from helicopters as troops on the ground burst into the mosque complex, blowing doors off hinges and ransacking offices.
It came two days before the major religious holiday of Eid al-Adha.
A UN statement from the office of special envoy Ashraf Qazi says he "noted with regret the incident at the Umm al-Qora mosque" and that it "underlined the importance of all parties respecting the sanctity of holy sites and places of worship".
A UN spokeswoman, amplifying the statement, says Mr Qazi was referring specifically to the US and Iraqi military operation. ...

The United Nations criticized the raid. I say leave no stone unturned ...

Resources:

These images show that the Umm al-Qura mosque is very near the Al-Adel district where Jill Carroll was kidnapped:

Satellite image: Umm al-Qura mosque
Satellite image: Umm al-Qura mosque/Al-Adel district in west Baghdad
Google maps: Al-Adel district in west Baghdad

Cross-posted at OpinionBug.com

Related at Rocket's Brain Trust

Update (1/10/2006 9:37pm):

Here is a story about SRSG Ashraf Qazi's reaction to the Umm al-Qura raid:

UNÂ—Reacting to an incident at the Umm al-Qura mosque in Iraq, the senior United Nations envoy to the country today stressed that all parties must honour the sanctity of holy sites.
In a statement released in Baghdad, Ashraf Qazi voiced regret at the event yesterday, when some security forces entered the mosque.
Mr. Qazi called on the responsible authorities to ensure that the issue is investigated as quickly and transparently as possible.
This incident, following others in recent weeks involving places of worship, should serve as a reminder of the need to eschew violence and build mutual trust and confidence, Mr. Qazi said, calling on all concerned to support a fully inclusive political process that would increase stability and a peaceful future for the people of Iraq. ...

Before I blow a gasket I want to respond to Mr. Qazi's outrageous remarks.

Mr. Qazi, a "holy" site becomes unholy when it allows terrorists to defile it.

Mr. Qazi, the raid on the Umm al-Qura mosque was the direct result of intelligence that indicated activities related to Jill Carroll's kidnapping were going on inside.

Mr. Qazi, a young woman was kidnapped and her companion murdered in cold-blood and you express regret and call for an investigation into a raid whose sole purpose was to possibly rescue her? How dare you Sir!

And Mr. Qazi, you say the raid on Umm al-Qura should be a reminder of the need to eschew violence and build mutual trust and confidence? Eschew violence? How dare you Sir! What about the senseless violence directed at Jill Carroll? What about the blood of Alan John Ghazi spilled on an al-Adel street!

With all due respect Sir, your remarks are about as asinine as any I've ever read. And by them, you make yourself a part of the problem rather than a part of its solution.

"Leave no stone unturned."

Posted by: OpinionBug at 02:47 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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1 Who gives a shit about their stupid f'ing religion! If they are doing anything terroristy in a mosque, it is fair game. Bomb the place. At this point, is there really any hope of mending the schism between the west and Islamofascism anyway? NO! So let loose the tomahawks and to hell with those hadjis. If their religion was so sacred, they wouldn't use the mosques as rallying points for insurgents and IEDs anyway. Violence is the only thing these people understand, so lets oblige them. Enough pussyfooting around; we need to take lessons from the Israelis and simply brutalize these people. Beat them into submission. I don't know about the rest of you, but I am so f'ing sick of these people kidnapping and killing noncombatants, planting roadside bombs and all manner of other cowardly shit, staging all of it from mosques, and then becoming outraged when these same mosques are targeted for raids. Are IQs just lower in that part of the world? It is the same logic that makes them think it is their duty to come to America to destroy buildings, which is cool, but the thought of an infidel in the holy land is cause enough do do what? Come to America and destroy buildings. Beheading someone in the name if Islam is cool, but conducting a search of a mosque is a inconsolable outrage. Enough is enough. Fuck their religion and fuck respecting their religion. Nuke them until they glow and then shoot them in the dark. Thats my opinion and I'm sticking to it.

Posted by: Jack's Smirking Revenge at January 10, 2006 05:07 PM (CtVG6)

2 As I have said, these people deserve neither compassion, sympathy, OR respect. They have no problem with killing any of us, our women, or even children. Nothing is off limits to them. NO apologies, NO symapthy. They hate us and our way of life, it's that simple. They hate that we have a system that, while not perfect, enables to live far better than their rat-like existences. They hate that our ideals enables us to have choices in life while they remain dominated and ruled by a backward set of beliefs under threats of losing their heads. THEY CAN'T STAND IT These people cannot be fixed or reasoned with in any sense. They will never have peace, they would not know how, nor are they willing to learn! War and death are all they know or understand. I am all for getting this problem under control in any manner necessary so that the rest of us can live peaceably.

Posted by: Dee at January 12, 2006 01:24 PM (HUims)

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Australians Send More Troops to Afghanistan, Iraq

I love Australia. From their hot-hot sheilas to their blokes' commitment to kill the bad guys, wherever they may be and however tough the fight. Herald Sun:

AUSTRALIA will send helicopters and more troops to Afghanistan as part of the fight against a resurgent Taliban and al-Qaida.
efence Minister Robert Hill confirmed yesterday Australia would send two Chinook helicopters and 110 support personnel to Afghanistan, bringing the total number of Australian military in the country to 300.
Australia is also expected to send a 200-strong team of soldiers and engineers as part of a NATO force this year.

And it looks like Australia has it's share of whiney biyatches, too.

The troop boost comes as Labor steps up calls for Australian soldiers to pull out of Iraq.

What is the government's response for the Labor call to reduce troops?

But while Labor is hardening its troop pull-out line, the Government instead looks likely to add to the 1350 Australian military personnel in and around Iraq.

Thank you friends in Australia. Australia, f*ck yeah! Coming to save the mother-f****** world again!

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All I Wanna Do Is Wear a Tin-Foil Hat: Crow spouts lunacy

I'm thinking that maybe she was just drinking beer at noon again. Sheryl Crow's time would be much better spent peeling labels off of beer bottles than entering a philisophical discussion on neo-imperialism. Here she is via Michelle Malkin:

Like his father, the President has sought to turn America into "an imperial power and create strongholds over oil-heavy countries in order for us to control and manipulate them," she told us. "Now, if we pull out [of Iraq] we are going to leave a complete and total mess. We don't even know who we're fighting over there

Typical nonsense often heard down on Santa Monica Blvd.

Posted by: Rusty at 01:28 PM | Comments (17) | Add Comment
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1 Like a typical liberal moron, her mind is so small and self-centered that it can't hold more than a few ideas at a time, and none of any complexity.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at January 10, 2006 01:36 PM (0yYS2)

2 As I recall, last year she wrote a piece on her website predicting that the Iraq War would produce "bad karma" for President Bush. Her geopolitical commentary was apparently based on her view that war is icky.

Posted by: Mike at January 10, 2006 01:52 PM (ACSbV)

3 Why is this so upsetting to you? All she is doing is parroting PNAC neo-conservative ideology as expressed by the national security strategy of 2002.This is common, open information. Tin foil? It's called reality, you might want to look at it some time. Dont take my word for it though, READ THE UNITED STATES NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY OF 2002, it is all there. ernie

Posted by: ernie at January 10, 2006 02:01 PM (X4Dyg)

4 Looks like somebody doesn't realise that the movie Syriana is not a documentary.

Posted by: Graeme at January 10, 2006 02:15 PM (05ivy)

5 No, really, i feel sorry for you guys, this is common knowledge. I know fox news and rush limbaugh refuse to tell you these things, but what sheryl crow stated is nothing that PNAC and the US NSS 2002 doesnt state outright...please, turn off the tv and read it. ernie

Posted by: ernie at January 10, 2006 02:20 PM (X4Dyg)

6 Hey ernie, don't look now, but there are JOOOOOOOZ under your bed. BOO!

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at January 10, 2006 02:27 PM (0yYS2)

7 IM, You had better quit scaring 'lil ernie like that. The next thing you know and they will be harvesting his organs, if his were worth harvesting, which I doubt. Too much dope and alcohol would be found in 'lil ernie's system to make his organs worthwhile. However, his brain might be salvaged for use in a remake of Young Frankenstein as a standin for AB Normal.

Posted by: jesusland joe at January 10, 2006 03:23 PM (rUyw4)

8 Of more importance perhaps is this aspect of the story. Is Lance Armstrong still her boyfriend? Weren't they to be married? Lance has indicated a desire to run for governor of Texas. A moonbat as a potential First Lady would not be helpful to him.

Posted by: jesusland joe at January 10, 2006 03:57 PM (rUyw4)

9 I'd like to harvest his organs, and let him watch.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at January 10, 2006 04:00 PM (0yYS2)

10 A la Braveheart, IM? I'll bet 'lil ernie would holla' like the little bitch he his. Haha!

Posted by: jesusland joe at January 10, 2006 04:21 PM (rUyw4)

11 I wouldn't offer him the same mercy that Longshanks' men offered to Wallace. God I'm looking forward to when TSHTF, I'm gonna have a ball. My county will be a libtard free zone PDQ.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at January 10, 2006 04:52 PM (0yYS2)

12 >>>Hey ernie, don't look now, but there are JOOOOOOOZ under your bed. BOO! lmao! pure comedy. On a more serious note, I couldn' care less if Ms. Crow was right. It wasn't Saddam's oil, it was the Iraqi people's. Now it's back in their hands, and they are selling it to us, and we are buying it at world market prices. If that was Bush's one and only reason for taking Saddam out, fine with me.

Posted by: Jesusland Carlos at January 10, 2006 06:09 PM (8e/V4)

13 lil' ernie's a trollin' idiot! Please Agent Smith come back! Spare us from the 20W Dimleft-bulbs!

Posted by: hondo at January 10, 2006 10:11 PM (3aakz)

14 That's why crow spends her time having fun, safe and sound, while the president is left to make hard decisions and the soldiers to carry out the 'icky' decisions. I don't know why celebrities are asked for their opinion or why they offer them, if they know so little about reality.

Posted by: MathewK at January 10, 2006 10:11 PM (pVHqF)

15 Don't wear tin foil hats. They weaken regular frequencies, but actually strengthen most frequencies reserved for military and government usage.

Posted by: A Finn at January 11, 2006 04:21 AM (cWMi4)

16 Nice to see one lefty with a sense of humor and assemblance of wit. Gopd help us if all we are left with it screechin' lil' ernie! come back Shane, come back .. er I mean Smith.

Posted by: hondo at January 11, 2006 09:55 AM (3aakz)

17 Apparently Mathew, libtards equate opinion with wisdom, rather than understanding that a valid opinion is based on wisdom, which is derived from exposure to reality and inquiry thereinto.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at January 11, 2006 11:11 AM (0yYS2)

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Arab Women Praise Ethnic Cleansing, Mass Rape, in Sudan

Sick. Disgusting. Disheartening.

While African women in Darfur were being raped by the Janjaweed militiamen, Arab women stood nearby and sang for joy, according to an Amnesty International report published yesterday. The songs of the Hakama, or the "Janjaweed women" as the refugees call them, encouraged the atrocities committed by the militiamen. The women singers stirred up racial hatred against black civilians during attacks on villages in Darfur and celebrated the humiliation of their enemies, the human rights group said....
During an attack on the village of Disa in June last year, Arab women accompanied the attackers and sang songs praising the government and scorning the black villagers.
According to an African chief quoted in the report, the singers said: "The blood of the blacks runs like water, we take their goods and we chase them from our area and our cattle will be in their land. The power of [Sudanese president Omer Hassan] al-Bashir belongs to the Arabs and we will kill you until the end, you blacks, we have killed your God." ...
The Janjaweed have abducted women for use as sex slaves, in some cases breaking their limbs to prevent them escaping, as well as carrying out rapes in their home villages, the report said.

Hat tip: Ace's biyatch and future Jawapundit, Allah, with more commentary from Ace here.

Posted by: Rusty at 01:15 PM | Comments (13) | Add Comment
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1 Once again: Arabs are primitive savages and should just be exterminated.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at January 10, 2006 01:41 PM (0yYS2)

2 Just for the record, that Amnesty report is more than a year old: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sudan/story/0,14658,1264901,00.html

Posted by: Eugene at January 10, 2006 01:44 PM (byXhQ)

3 Good catch Eugene. It's interesting how long it takes for some of this to hit the MSM or how much of it recirculates after lengthy periods.

Posted by: Rusty at January 10, 2006 02:03 PM (JQjhA)

4 We all know that the MSM only pops it's head up to do something when it helps their agenda. For the record, the MSM still hasn't picked up on this story and won't.

Posted by: Drew at January 10, 2006 02:53 PM (Zs4Wk)

5 Savage is the word that comes to my mind after reading about these people. The World really hasn't changed much at all since the 1500's, the only progress has been in the West and parts of the Far East. Depressing!

Posted by: jesusland joe at January 10, 2006 03:50 PM (rUyw4)

6 The Janjaweed are animals. Period.

Posted by: RepJ at January 10, 2006 04:12 PM (IaYgg)

7 That's really, really shocking : Volume 1, Book 11, Number 662: Narrated Anas: The Prophet said, "Listen and obey (your chief) even if an Ethiopian whose head is like a raisin were made your chief." Ishaq:243 "I heard the Apostle say: 'Whoever wants to see Satan should look at Nabtal!' He was a black man with long flowing hair, inflamed eyes, and dark ruddy cheeks…. Allah sent down concerning him: 'To those who annoy the Prophet there is a painful doom." [9:61] "Gabriel came to Muhammad and said, 'If a black man comes to you his heart is more gross than a donkey's.'" Ishaq:144 "A rock was put on a slave's chest. When Abu Bakr complained, they said, 'You are the one who corrupted him, so save him from his plight.' I will do so,' said Bakr. 'I have a black slave, tougher and stronger than Bilal, who is a heathen. I will exchange him. The transaction was carried out."

Posted by: dave at January 10, 2006 04:45 PM (CcXvt)

8 The MSM did pick it up - when it was reported last July. This story is not new.

Posted by: Eugene at January 10, 2006 05:56 PM (WegFO)

9 They must have buried it on the back page, Eugene. And I don't read the Guardian.

Posted by: jesusland joe at January 10, 2006 06:02 PM (rUyw4)

10 The world doesn't care about Sudan, it was long forgotton by the leftists and anti americans protesting for peace and against the odd injustice against some terrorists in Iraq or Afghanistan. As we all know, they don't give a crap about peace and justice, as long they can all get together and have a good whine about America, that's it.

Posted by: MathewK at January 10, 2006 07:35 PM (pVHqF)

11 Its nice to see Muslim women getting involved in affairs of state - its almost "progressive" in a bizzaro kinda way.

Posted by: hondo at January 11, 2006 09:57 AM (3aakz)

12 I have a book called "The Damned Die Hard", it's about the French Foreign Legion. In once chapter it speaks of the North African campaigns, and how legionnaires learned to save their last bullet for themselves, because the arab women would skin them alive and use tear their genetals off with their bare hands. Arabs are nothing but primitive savages and should be exterminated.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at January 13, 2006 09:47 AM (0yYS2)

13 Nice Â“little dickÂ” theory Improbulus Maximus. You have got a way with words. Your little dick, lack of overall intelligence, and respect for humanity. I have a question for youÂ…. Were you abused by a Muslim when you were a child???Â…. Let me know little dick!

Posted by: Straight White Man at January 15, 2006 12:05 PM (p9OTP)

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Eleven Military Personnel Killed in Iranian Crash

Our ace reporter, Scott Baio, has the list of those on board. That is an awful lot of military brass to be on one plane, but stranger things have happened.

Posted by: Rusty at 11:05 AM | Comments (15) | Add Comment
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1 If this is true and accurate, I'd say either it's the biggest coincidence in the history of military accidents, or someone just virtually decapitated the Iranian military leadership. This kinda does have Mossad written all over it. If so, good on 'em!

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at January 10, 2006 11:49 AM (0yYS2)

2 I wouldn't want to be the mechanics that certified that plane good to go. What is the penalty for this? Being flayed alive and your skin given to hungry dogs? I am not so sure about that list - it is a red herring.

Posted by: goesh at January 10, 2006 12:08 PM (vX0fY)

3 Yeah Iran seems to lose a lot of people in plane accidents : A military transport plane has crashed on the outskirts of the Iranian capital Tehran, killing at least 128 people. Most of the passengers on board the plane were journalists and photographers from Iranian news agencies on their way to cover military manoeuvres on the southern coast. Nearly 40 employees of state-run television died. Who else wants a one way ticket, on Iran Air Dissident? First person they blame is the U.S on that occassion! Officials blame the high frequency of crashes on a lack of aviation spare parts due to US sanctions.

Posted by: dave at January 10, 2006 12:16 PM (CcXvt)

4 Sounds like a Great day for the GWOT. Just the same, Look out for payback. I suggest Rusty, Howie, Bluto, Vinnie, Mike, Drew, and Demosophist start taking separate flights.

Posted by: Brad at January 10, 2006 12:19 PM (3OPZt)

5 If this was Mossad's doing, I only have one thing to say: Mazel Tav! (sp?)

Posted by: Brian B at January 10, 2006 12:22 PM (rGfpg)

6 The cynic in me thinks that this was an internal move to prevent any military personnel from trying a Coup d'ÃƒÂ©tat that would marginalize the Mullahs and their voices within Iran. I would love to think that the Mossad brought this plane down, but I would imagine that anything that the Mossad would do would be made to look like the Iranian Kurds or Sunni Muslims were behind it. The idea being that you create internal strife in Iran whenever and however possible. Just my two cents.

Posted by: Drew at January 10, 2006 12:22 PM (Zs4Wk)

7 I wouldn't be quite so quick to celebrate - might Ahmadinejad have gotten word of a coup and relieved the plotters of their commands?

Posted by: ericj at January 10, 2006 12:23 PM (hrQvk)

8 I'm going internal knockoff as well.

Posted by: Howie at January 10, 2006 12:26 PM (D3+20)

9 When I lived in Moscow, we'd get reports from friends about Aeroflot planes that would land and then extort money from passengers claiming the plane 'ran out of gas'. In other words--incompentence is normal for third-world national airlines.

Posted by: Rusty at January 10, 2006 12:46 PM (JQjhA)

10 I think it has something to do with some equipment Iran recently received from Russia... They probably donÂ’t understand the safety guideline yet! SourceÂ…http://tinyurl.com/84sgr

Posted by: Dan at January 10, 2006 12:53 PM (Z2OsI)

11 I would doubt that Iran would send high up military brass onto a plane, that their mechanics had not given a complete safety inspection to, and approved. Can you imagine if any personnel had survived? They would punish the ground crew in ways more horrible than I could imagine. I'm fairly certain after thinking it over, that this plane with the people on it, was never meant to land safely.

Posted by: Drew at January 10, 2006 12:54 PM (Zs4Wk)

12 IRGC personnel - Iranian military is seperated into two commands with the IRGC officially alligned with the mullahs and their president - it like the Praetorian Guard - the personal military of the gov't. They also have sole control of NBC weapons. This does smell - what goes on inside Iran is actually more important than the speeches coming out.

Posted by: hondo at January 10, 2006 10:02 PM (3aakz)

13 Does this blogger page really work? We would be hanging around the SCOTT BAIO THREAD or the ALL THINGS SCOTT BAIO blogger pages in THE JAWA REPORT but some wise guys had shut them down to prevent additional commentaries. Thanks to said unfair move, we have no choice but to STAY HERE for the time being. We'll gladly leave as soon as the SCOTT BAIO THREAD or ALL THINGS SCOTT BAIO blogger pages of THE JAWA REPORT are reopened once again.

Posted by: the arcolytes at February 13, 2006 10:24 PM (LrQKm)

14 Meanwhile, here is a compiled list of various news articles or interviews regarding Mr. SCOTT BAIO during and after 2000: 1. "Happy Days' Scott Baio Is A Real Life Romeo" by Todd Gold US WEEKLY (June 12, 2000) 2. "Baio Savors 'The Bread's Lead Role" by Ron Weiskind THE POST-GAZETTE (November 1, 2001) 3. "Scott Baio's Sense Of Humor Most Wicked Against Himself" by Mark Hinson TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT (August 16, 2002) 4. "Happy Days Here Again For Baio On, Off Screen" by Cindy Pearlman THE CHICAGO SUN-TIMES (November 2002) 5. "Acting Just Excuse For Baio To Eat In 'The Bread'" by Margaret A. McGurk THE CINCINATTI ENQUIRER (February 20, 2003) 6. "Scott Baio Breaks Away From Sitcom Rep To Headline Art Film" by John Niccum LAWRENCE.COM (March 14, 2003) 7. "Baking With Scott Baio" by John Griffiths THE WASHINGTON POST (May 11, 2003) 8. "Still In Charge: The Scott Baio Interview" by Chris Ingui G.W. HATCHET (May 19, 2003) 9. "Don't Ask Baio Where He's Been The Past 20 Years" by Keith Ryan Cartwright THE TENNESSEAN (June 26, 2003) 10. "Known For TV Work, Scott Baio Wows Film Critics" by Kelly O'Connor THE DESERT SUN (January 19, 2004) 11. "Stupid Questions With Scott Baio" by Dan Snierson ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY (February 6, 2004) 12. "From Chachi To Prince Charming: In Bed With Scott Baio" PLAYGIRL (March 2004) 13. "Scott Baio Does Day Care" Celeb Spot CBSNews.com THE EARLY SHOW (August 23, 2004) 14. "Scott Baio In Charge Of NBC Sitcom" by Nellie Andreeva THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER (December 27, 2004) 15. "Chachi's 'Development' Deal" ZAPZIT TV NEWS and E! ONLINE NEWS (September 7, 2005) 16. "Baio Feedback" by Tyler Gray RADAR (October 2005)

Posted by: the arcolytes at February 13, 2006 11:04 PM (LrQKm)

15 17. "Unexpected Development: Scott Baio's Survival Tips" by Tim Stack (The former 'Charles In Charge' star shows us how to live in the Hollywood trenches.) ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY, ew.com (posted November 4, 2005)

Posted by: the arcolytes at February 22, 2006 10:18 PM (mDIfL)

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More on Propaganda in a State of War

As most regular readers know, a lot of space in this blog has been devoted to arguing for the need for pro-American propaganda under war-time conditions. Those who object to American 'propaganda' neither have a firm grasp of the definition of propaganda (which is a morally neutral term) nor are familiar with our use of propaganda in the past (which has always been widespread, especially during war-time). Even more troubling are the moral implications given that some who are against the use of propaganda in war are not against killing in war! An odd moral hierarchy, to say the least.

An editorial at The Washington Post agrees. Via Glenn Reynolds this article by Reuel Marc Gerecht:

Once again we are confronted with stories about how the Pentagon and its ubiquitous private contractors are undermining free inquiry in Iraq. "Muslim Scholars Were Paid to Aid U.S. Propaganda," reports the New York Times. Journalists, intellectuals or clerics taking money from Uncle Sam or, in this case, a Washington-based public relations company, is seen as morally troubling and counterproductive. Sensible Muslims obviously would not want to listen to the advice of an American-paid consultant; anti-insurgent Sunni clerics can now all be slurred as corrupt stooges.
There is one big problem with this baleful version of events. Historically, it doesn't make much sense. The United States ran enormous covert and not-so-covert operations known as "CA" activities throughout the Cold War. With the CIA usually in the lead, Washington spent hundreds of millions of dollars on book publishing, magazines, newspapers, radios, union organizing, women's and youth groups, scholarships, academic foundations, intellectual salons and societies, and direct cash payments to individuals (usually scholars, public intellectuals and journalists) who believed in ideas that America thought worthy of support....
Why did the United States spend so much covert-action money in Western Europe after World War II? Washington was unsure of Western Europe's commitment to democracy and its resolve to oppose the Soviet Union and its proxy European communist parties. The programs had to be clandestine: The foreigners involved usually could not have operated with open U.S. funding without jeopardizing their lives, their families or their reputations. Did these CA projects retard or damage the growth of a free press and free inquiry in Western Europe after World War II? I think an honest historical assessment would conclude that U.S. covert aid advanced both.
Surely democracy in Iraq is at least as shaky as it was in Western Europe after the defeat of Hitler. The real complaint that ought to be made against the Bush administration is that it has allowed such important work to be contracted to a public relations firm (in the case cited above, the Lincoln Group) that has done a poor job of protecting anonymity. Nevertheless, one has to give the Pentagon credit: It seems to be the only government agency that is at least trying to develop Iraqi cadres to wage the "hearts and minds" campaign. The CIA seems to have all but abandoned its historical mission in this area.
The Bush administration shouldn't flinch from increasing its covert "propaganda" efforts in Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East. The history in the last great war of ideas is firmly on its side.

Amen to that!

UPDATE from Joyner:

"Propaganda" has come to carry a pejorative connotation but it does not have to be a bad thing. Delivering information to persuade a target audience of your viewpoint is value neutral.

Indeed. Goldstein, in top form:

The battle over ideas is essential to a peaceful world; and to insist that the process of disseminating ideas be fair and balancedÂ—that because we are a hyperpower, our use of propaganda is unseemly, whereas the use of propaganda by, say, al-Qaeda is a natural part of asymetrical warfareÂ—is to engage not in self-righteous idealism, but rather to devolve into a moral relativism that disguises itself as high-mindedness. It is the CNN view of the world, one in which the purveyor of information forgets that s/he is supposed to be Â“objectiveÂ” and not neutral, particularly where neutrality means resisting taking the side that is objectively pressing for freedom rather than, say, theocratic tyranny and medieval law.

Heh.

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Sandcrawler PSA

We have been in the process of hiring a new pilot for the Sandcrawler. The old one hits too many bumps and makes it hard to type. Sandcrawlers are actually quite complex so we are accepting applications from airline pilots.

Rusty, I reckon we should call this one back for a second interview. From his resume I think he may be just the guy were looking for.

You are now free to move about the Sandcrawler.

Posted by: Howie at 10:08 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Freed Hostages We'd Like to Meet: Bernard Planche Freed by Troops, Helps them Hunt Down Captors

He's French and he tried to help U.S. troops hunt down his captors! It just goes to show that while France generally sucks, there is a large minority that I'd love in my corner when fit hits the shan. Army News Service:

Soldiers from 3rd Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division and Task Force Ironhorse Soldiers liberated a French hostage Jan. 7 in the Abu Ghraib area of western Baghdad.
The Iraqi Army Soldiers were searching farm houses for weapons caches while U.S. Soldiers from Task Force Ironhorse manned a checkpoint as part of an outer cordon. As the Iraqi Army closed in on their location, the kidnappers fled from a nearby farmhouse and left the French hostage.
After the kidnappers fled, the hostage, Bernard Planche, a 52-year-old employee of a French non-governmental Organization, ran up to a checkpoint manned by Soldiers of the 2nd Battalion, 22 Infantry.

It's in Le Monde that we learn Planche tried to help U.S. soldiers hunt his captors down. No Pasaran has this:

Even though his kidnappers allowed him to listen to the radio and keep a personal journal Â— how thoughtful of the dears Â— Bernard Planche is one Western hostage who did not give in to the Stockholm Syndrome, helping in turn the United States army troops who freed him.

Great News!

Posted by: Rusty at 09:56 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Professor Chaos is a Traitor (on dual citizenship)

Professor Leopold Stotch has jumped the shark and claimed Irish citizenship as is his right. After calling him a traitor, he responded to me by saying that if the U.S. and Ireland ever got into a war that he'd be the first to volunteer to push the button turning Belfast into 'The Forbidden Zone' of any number of Mad Max films.

Although I don't doubt his loyalty, I say it again: traitor. Or, if not a traitor, something really really icky.

One of the main problems with mass-immigration is that it leads to mixed loyalty. Soccer games between the U.S. and Mexico bring crowds of Mexican immigrants who root for Mexico. That's just a little example of the mixed loyalty of immigrants who fail to assimilate fully. In the conflict between the I.R.A. (allied with the Soviets) and the Brits (allied with us), pro-republican sentiments were often expressed by Irish-Americans who backed their sentiments up with aid to the terror organization.

So, how can having dual citizenship ever be a good thing?

Posted by: Rusty at 09:23 AM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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