Although I'm not sure what this 'Christmas' thing every one seems to be supporting these days, I have always been a big fan of X-mas. Except for that killer robot Santa. Anyway, I'll axe all of you to sign the petition to save X-mas.

I, for one, welcome our new Messiah overlord in Iran.

Osama bin Laden is dead. I know becaue Harry Reid told me.

I've been following the case of Joel Henry Hinrichs closely and have read all of the documents released from the FBI which Michelle Malkin has archived. Although I agree with Michelle and Jason that the MSM reaction to Hinrichs was baffling, to say the least, given the context of a hot war against Islamist extremists, I find that the documents are exculpatory rather than damning. In fact, given the large number of e-mails read by the FBI in Hinrich's Yahoo account, you would expect that if a larger Islamist plot existed that it would be in these e-mails that such a plot would be revealed. The FBI--at least in its public statements--have found no such evidence. Further, the documents reveal that Hinrichs Muslim room mate cooperated with the FBI and allowed them to search his room. So, in my opinion: case closed.

Happy Birthday Winston Churchill

Saddam's top prison complaints include: "The rape rooms in this prison are way different, and far less enjoyable, than the ones I used to run."

A new pro-Iraqi democracy blog written by Nibras Kazimi. Cool.

Need I remind you that failure is not an option in Iraq?

The Man has evidence of photoshopping by Moveon.org to cover up their ignorance of the American military. Personally I'm glad they replaced those gay British shorts with some American pants.

Fwance imploding.

New Orleans to become largest free-porn city in America in effort to attract residents to move back in.

Bill Moyers believes that it is a myth to call the media 'liberal' since, you know, focusing reporting on how the government ought to spend more on welfare programs is just 'good reporting'. (hat tip: Joe Goat)

Rusty Shackleford is hoping to displace his Imperial Highness as Most Annoying Right-Of-Center Blogger. So any blogger involved in this year's RWN poll, please remember just how annoying I have been this year.

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Yeah I reckon I had best rant about something. So first of all my dog who is black as coal but won’t leave me alone since I put that deer in the freezer. He says he wants a deersicle. Bad dog, daddy’s deer meat, go lay down!! Then we have old DUKE who is not a dog but forgot who his master is. Really DUKE who did you work for? Can’t say much for the way the system is running right now look what it did for old DUKE. I pretty much figure that about 534 others need to take a look at this. I can understand the salary that “we the people” pay you pales in comparison to the real money in politics. That might lead to a little confusion about who you are working for, so let me remind you. It’s the people who you represented dipshit. Nothing pisses me off like scraping around all year for nickels and dimes only to see this crap. And it’s not just one side of the isle. People like Jackass Abramof lobby both sides. Maybe the people should put a boot up both sides ass to you know kind of remind them. It’s hard to forget who you are working for when he has a size 13 shoe up your rectum. Speaking of rectum, DUKE a word of advice I hope you saved back a few bucks for rectum protection. So look at what greed has done in this case. Taken a fine man and 8 term congressman and made him into a slave to the money and left the people holding the bill.

So while IÂ’m all pissed and stuff we have another big giant rectum out there somewhere hacking Grey EagleÂ’s site. Mr. Right emails again today that Anna, his co-blogger (see got that right this time), is calling our attention to Grey Eagles plight again. So another size 13 boot should be fit snugly in some hack bastardÂ’s sphincter.

Here are your White Trash Wednesday bloggers

more...

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Yes vacation over. I could have taken another year or so off cept for I need the money. But look what falls into my lap this AM on MYYAHOO. Plus I see we have a new font. Wow I did miss a lot. Whew I'm worn out from all that resting.

Updated : Howie has picked a winner for this one tough job.

Caption this pic of Cindy's book signing last week in Crawford Texas. I mean just look at the line.

Winner Graeme :

Even during moments of mind numbing boredom, Cindy Sheehan still wasn't willing to read her own book.

Honorable mention Thirdee:

We should've had refreshments.

00:15:01

V the K does not win cause his captions are on his blog not here, but read em here anyway. Good title too.

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The 'news' site uruknet blames the CIA:

One look at the CPT (Christian Peacemaker Teams) in Iraq website and it becomes obvious who abducted Kember and his associates and why....No doubt all of this Christian activity sincerely upsets the Pentagon and the Bushcons.

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Now this is fascinating. From the CPT History/Mission page:

Iraq – a Baghdad-based presence since October 2002. Team members accompanied the Iraqi people through the U.S.-led 2003 war and continue during the post-war occupation to expose abusive acts by U.S. Armed Forces and support Iraqis committed to nonviolent resistance.

This organization went into Iraq while Saddam Hussein was still in power.

Yet, I still hope for the hostages safe release.

UPDATE: Geez, 18 comments on this post and no one noticed that I spelled "history" as "hisory." With friends like you, who needs enemas?

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The 'Christian Peacemaker Teams' organization has confirmed the identities of four Westerners kidnapped in Iraq after The Jawa Report first revealed their names earlier today. In addition, the group blamed the U.S. and U.K. governments for the terrorist abductions of their team members. Like many Left wing 'peace' activists, the group decided to condemn the unintended consequences of the U.S. invasion while overlooking the very intentional acts of violence against civilians by terrorists.

Sources tell The Jawa Report that the "The Swords of Righteousness Brigade" may be an offshoot of The Islamic Army in Iraq. The announcement and video were posted on that group's website earlier today. The Islamic Army in Iraq has murdered foreign hostages in the past, including Italian Red Cross worker Enzo Baldoni, and has worked with Abu Musab al Zarqawi's al Qaeda in Iraq in the past. The group routinely murders those suspected of being 'collaborators', 'apostates', and 'spies'.

This is bad news for the hostages if confirmed. If the mesage from the Christian Peacemaker Teams is meant to garner sympathy from the Salafist terror organization, then they are barking up the wrong tree. The only hope for the four Westerners is if the U.S., British, or Iraqi armies find them and liberate them--as they did former hostage Roy Hallums. Ironic, since these are the very people who are risking their lives yet who are blamed by the pacifist organization for the plight of their representatives.

Despite the misguided efforts of the pacifist organization, these four activists are victims of Islamist aggression. We condemn the hostage takers and pray for the immediate release. And, unlike the 'Christian Peacemaker Teams', we hope that the terrorists die at the hands of an angry Marine.

Their press release is below: more...

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The Christian Peacemaker Teams organization to which the 4 hostages belong just recently suspended their Adopt-a-Detainee program.

You read that right. Adopt-a-Detainee:

After a year and a half of coordinated advocacy for Iraqis detained by U.S. and other occupying forces, Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) is ending its Adopt-a-Detainee Letter-Writing Campaign. CPT's Iraq project will, however, continue to monitor the situation of Iraqis captured by the Multinational Force in Iraq (MNF) and by the new Iraqi Forces.

The Adopt-a-Detainee Letter-Writing Campaign, beginning in March 2004, matched individual detainees with congregations, mosques, synagogues, and peace groups in North America and around the world. These groups wrote letters to U.S., Iraqi and other relevant officials on the detainees' behalf. The campaign grew out of CPT's investigation of and reporting on abuses within the U.S.-run detention system in Iraq during the fall of 2003. The Adopt-a-Detainee Letter-Writing Campaign included a total of twenty-seven detainees, nine of whom U.S. officials released during the campaign, ten of whom were still detained at last word, and seven of whom U.S. officials never confirmed as detained (i.e., the "disappeared.")

They're still running the Campaign For Secure Dwellings though:

Since 1995 the Christian Peacemaker Team in Hebron has provided a violence-reduction presence with street patrols, responding when we hear word of trouble, and staying with people in tense times and places. The team also supports Israeli and Palestinian peacemakers in their work. It is clear to us that there can be no security for Israelis or Palestinians as long as the Israeli military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip continues.

Hm, guess no one bothered to tell them about the Gaza withdrawal earlier this year.

I still hope the hostages are released unharmed.

Posted by: Vinnie at 05:54 PM | Comments (21) | Add Comment
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Clinton Taylor's latest from Townhall:

WP is a terrible weapon, but it isnÂ’t illegal, and the charges are ably refuted in this essay by Scott Burgess. All that needs to be added to BurgessÂ’ analysis is some context: Fallujah was Al-QaedaÂ’s vision of paradise on earth, their ideal Taliban-style Islamic government, and it was hell. It was a nest of insurgent command and control, a site for making suicide vests and IEDÂ’s, and a slaughterhouse where beheadings were filmed and sent over the Internet to recruit more terrorists. (This slide show offers a chilling retrospective.)

Our troops are there to kill the enemy efficiently, not to inflict pain on them. When a bullet or a conventional explosive can do the job, it makes moral, tactical, and public-relations sense to employ it instead of WP. In this case, though, more Marines would have been killed had the Fallujah jihadists not been routed from their fortifications by the Willie-Peter rounds. Most of America sheds no tears for the head-hacking ghouls of FallujahÂ’s dungeons, who got no worse than they deserved, and who now reside where white phosphorus feels like a cool shower.

Let's not forget that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi had turned Fallujah over to 'Shura councils' that were enforcing Taliban-like Sharia law. Crimes such as owning Western CD's were punished in Fallujah with execution for the unrepentant.

And the Left still thinks liberating that city was a mistake? Perhaps they also think Europe should have been left to the Nazis since, you know, invading the Continent caused so many civilian casualites......?

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A convert to the ROP left France Junior (Belgium) to become a suicide bomber in Iraq. Here's the saddest part: her Muslim husband is said to have talked her into it.

UPI:

A woman who carried out a suicide attack in Iraq two weeks ago was identified Tuesday as the first European female suicide bomber.

The Belgian anti-terrorism unit has confirmed that the woman was a Belgian citizen who converted to Islam after her marriage to a Muslim fundamentalist, news service RTL reported Tuesday.

American military forces identified the woman at a combat scene in Baghdad. She was carrying recently issued Belgian identity papers which revealed she had traveled via Turkey. There are no traces of her radical husband who is believed to have organized her trip.

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**Jawa Report Exclusive**

***The Jawa Report releases names of four Western hostages.***

A hostage video has been released of the four Western peace activists taken hostage in Iraq. The Jawa Report has obtained a copy of the video. Images from the video and links to video posted below. The video shows American Thomas Fox of Clear Brook Virginia, Canadian Harmeet Singh Sooden, who resides in Auckland, New Zealand, British citizen Norman Kember, and some one who appears to identify himself as James Loney(spelling confirmed) of Canada.

Previously only Norman Kember had been identified. The Christian Peacemaker Teams organization has confirmed to The Jawa Report in an e-mail that the four hostages were working for that group.

The copy of the video I have makes no ransom demands, although a voice can be heard directing the hostages in the background. UPDATE: Ian at the Political Teen is hosting a segment of the video here.

Here is a transcript of the video:

My name is Norman Kember. I am 74. I am a member of the Christian Peacemaking team in Iraq.

My name is Harmeet Sooden. I am 32 and I am working..I'm a volunteer for the CPT in Iraq.

My name is James Loney. I am 41 years old. I am from Canada and I am part of the Christian Peacemaker team in Iraq.

My name is Tom Fox and I am 54 years old. I am from the United States and I am a member of the Christian Peacmakers team in Iraq.

Here is a rough translation of the statement accompanying the video--again, thanks to Doubletap:

foreign arrest of four spy

Praise be to God god of the scientists and the prayer and the faithful peace on the prophet, and on his family and accompanied him ['ajme'yn]

As for after. Losing managed your brothers in secrecy of swords the truth from arrest of four spy is foreign forces of the occupation under cover do for what Christian team the peace rises in, [wllh] the praising god of the scientists.

Secrecy swords of the truth

The original announcement in Arabic can be downloaded here if some one would like to offer a better translation.

UPDATE: Flip from Suitably Flip has a different machine translation here which is a little clearer.

UPDATE II: Shawn of Bareknucklepolitics points us to these dispatches from Iraq written by hostage Thomas Fox who wonders if Americans are inheritly racists and have colonialist attitudes. We pity people like Tom who have such low regard for the men who will now risk their lives to save his.

UPDATE: Jawa Report revelations force CPT to confirm identities of hostages.

We can confirm the identities of those who are being held as follows:

Tom Fox, age 54, is from Clearbrook, Virginia and is a dedicated father of two children. For the past two years, Mr. Fox has worked with CPT in partnership with Iraqi human rights organizations to promote peace. Mr. Fox has been faithful in the observance of Quaker practice for 22 years. While in Iraq, he sought a more complete understanding of Islamic cultural richness. He is committed to telling the truth to U.S. citizens about the horrors of war and its effects on ordinary Iraqi civilians and families as a result of U.S. policies and practices.

Mr. Fox is an accomplished musician. He plays the bass clarinet and the recorder and he loves to cook. He has also worked as a professional grocer. Mr. Fox devotes much of his time to working with children. He has served as an adult leader of youth programs and worked at a Quaker camp for youth. He has facilitated young people's participation in opposing war and violence. Mr. Fox is a quiet and peaceful man, respectful of everyone, who believes that "there is that of God in every person" which is why work for peace is so important to him.

Norman Kember, age 74, is from London, England.He and his wife of 45 years have two married daughters and a 3-year old grandson. He has been a pacifist all his life beginning with his work in a hospital instead of National Service at age 18. Before his retirement he was a professor teaching medical students at St Bartholemew's Hospital in London. He is well-known as a peace activist, and has been involved in several peace groups. For the past 10 years he has volunteered with a local program providing free food to the homeless. He likes walking, birdwatching, and writing humorous songs and sketches. In his younger days he enjoyed mountaineering.

James Loney, 41, is a community worker from Toronto, Canada. He has been a member of Christian Peacemaker Teams since August 2000, and is currently the Program Coordinator for CPT Canada. On previous visits to Iraq, his work focused on taking testimonies from families of detainees for CPT's report on detainee abuse, and making recommendations for securing basic legal rights. James was leading the November 2005 delegation in Iraq when he went missing.

James is a peace activist, writer, trained mediator, and works actively with two Toronto community conflict resolution services. He has spent many years working to provide housing and support for homeless people.

In a personal statement from James to CPT, he writes: "I believe that our actions as a people of peace must be an expression of hope for everyone. My hope in practising non-violence is that I can be a conduit for the transformative power of God's love acting upon me as much as I hope it will act upon others around me."

Harmeet Singh Sooden, 32 is a Canadian electrical engineer. He is studying for a masters degree in English literature in Auckland University in New Zealand to prepare for a teaching career. He enjoys art, is active in squash and worked part time as a local squash coach. His family describes him as peaceful and fun-loving and he is known to be passionate about the plight of the underprivileged around the globe. He works tirelessly in his spare time to educate and help others.

I was deeply saddened to hear that more hostages were taken. These men were good Christian men trying to help promote peace in Iraq. I will pray for their safe release and for their families. There is such devastation to the families , I know this horror... I pray for them , I wish I could help in some way.

-Susan Hallums

Developing.....

Images below. more...

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The Jawa Report has learned that the name of the German woman shown in a hostage video is Susanne Osthoff. Osthoff is an archaeologist working in Iraq and was abducted with her driver last Friday. Osthoff was presumably working on a dig at the ruins of Isin when she was abducted.

UPDATE: Chad at In the Bullpen e-mails me about a NY Times report that Osthoff had been targetted by Abu Musab al Zarqawi's al Qaeda in Iraq over the summer. If she has been abducted by al Qaeda then her only hope lies in a quick rescue and your prayers.

After news of Ms. Osthoff's kidnapping became known here, a German newspaper, the Neue Osnabrücker Zeiting, reported that Ms. Osthoff had been targeted by extremist groups close to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi during the summer, when she was living in Mosul in northern Iraq. At the time, the newspaper said, Ms. Osthoff was escorted by American soldiers to Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone. Since then, Ms. Osthoff has been negotiating both with the German Embassy in Baghdad and the local Kurdish-dominated government in the northern town of Arbil to build a German cultural center there, the newspaper said.

More information about Susan Osthoff below and in the Susan Osthoff archives. more...

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(Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates) Authorities raided a hotel and arrested 26 men for alleged adultery and prostitution during a mass homosexual wedding. The men were UAE nationals, Arabs, and Asians. Some were dressed as women, with make-up and hairstyles, and the others were dressed in Arab attire.

A rash of Muslim Arab homosexual gatherings and group arrests has occurred recently and the country's leadership is alarmed. According to Interior Ministry spokesman Issam Azouri, the men will probably be tried under Sharia Law and they could be sentenced to receive government-ordered hormone treatments, jail and lashes. However, Islamic scholar Abdul Salam Mohammad Darwish said that a man who has intercourse with another man "should be executed" under Sharia Laws.

From LATimes.com:

Police acting on a tip raided the hotel in Ghantout, a desert region on the Dubai-Abu Dhabi highway, and found a dozen men dressed as female brides and a dozen others in male Arab dress, apparently preparing for a ceremony that would join them as husbands and wives, Azouri said.

"It was a real party with balloons and champagne," he said.

The 26 men arrested include those from the Emirates as well as an Indian disc jockey and three men from neighboring Arab states. One of the arrested was to perform the wedding ceremony. Azouri said some of the group told police they worked as prostitutes. Others had been arrested before.

"There are so many others like these guys," al-Kumaiti said. "The police and rulers need to do more than just lash them and let them go."

As would be expected, the Arab and Muslim media have been very reluctant to report on the homosexual clusterings out of fear that tribal leaders will become incensed by the appearance that homosexual behavior is tolerated. Homosexuality among Muslims in an Arab country is deemed too "delicate" a matter to be reported to the public. Consequently, if people in Muslim countries want to know what's going on in their gay communities, they won't find it in the local newspaper. They'll have to backdoor it from the Western media.

Companion post at Interested-Participant.

Posted by: Mike Pechar at 09:50 AM | Comments (23) | Add Comment
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UPDATE: Jawa Report Exclusive--names of hostages released. Names, images, and video of the hostages here.

The Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) organization has confirmed to The Jawa Report in an e-mail that Norman Kember, an unidentified Canadian, and two unidentified Americans were abducted from that group's Iraq peace delegation.

The Christian pacifist organization declined to name the three other hostages at this time.

In a seperate statement released today by the organization, the CPT said:

CPT has been present in Iraq since October, 2002. The Team's work has focused on documenting and focusing public attention on detainee abuses and connecting citizens of Iraq to local and international human rights organizations. Iraqi friends and human rights workers have welcomed the Team as a non-violent, independent presence and asked that the Team tell the stories of Iraqis.

In a "Statement of Conviction," the long-term Team members stated that they "are aware of the many risks both Iraqis and internationals currently face," and affirmed that the risks did not outweigh their purpose in remaining. They express the hope that "in loving both friends and enemies and by intervening non-violently to aid those who are systematically oppressed, we can contribute in some small way to transforming this volatile situation."

CPT does not advocate the use of violent force to save our lives should we be kidnapped, held hostage, or caught in the middle of a conflict situation.

Advice to CPT from a long-time hostage activist: trying to convince the hostage takers that you are on their side may work, depending on what type of group abducted your representatives. Arab nationalist, non-Salaafist jihadis, and Shia jihad groups may be convinced using this method but only if a simultaneous public campaign from clerics is undertaken. To do this you must release the names of the other victims.

Of course, if this was simply a criminal act then the above should be undertaken in addition to ransom negotiations. Many criminals who engage in hostage taking of Westerners do so with the justification (backed by certain Islamic traditions) that the ransoming of infidels is permitted. Shame from influential clerics can go along way in convincing criminals to release hostages.

However, if it was Zarqawi's al Qaeda in Iraq, Ansar al-Sunna, or any related Salaafist jihad organization then this will have no effect. The only hope would be a rescue. Fortunately if the hostages are located a rescue will be attempted, even over the objections of CPT.

UPDATE: Via Captain Ed, we learn that Norman Kember was a family friend of blogger Hammerswing. As mentioned in our earlier post, we join Hammerswing with our prayers for Kember, even if we think he was a misguided idealist.

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UPDATE: The Jawa Report has learned that the name of the woman is Susanne Osthoff. More on Osthoff here.

A German woman has been taken hostage in Iraq. The image right shows the woman and her driver as they appeared in a hostage video. The woman's name has not been released. We will publish her name and the name of her driver as soon as they are known.

According to ADNKI the woman was an archeologist and was abducted with her driver near Ninevah.

Further:

The kidnappers sent a video to the broadcaster's offices in Baghdad in which they showed the hostages and threatened to kill the woman if the German government does not suspend every form of cooperation with the Iraqi government.

The video shows a woman and a man blindfolded and on their knees. Nearby are three armed men with their faces covered. The woman has a chain around her neck, with her passport attached to it.

The German Foreign Ministry has confirmed that the archaeologist and her driver have been missing since Friday. "We are doing everything possible to guarantee the safety of the woman," a spokesman said. "We are in contact with all the offices of the government of Iraq to confirm what has happened."

Hat tip to Dread Pundit Bluto who has more.

Developing........

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A revalation came to me this morning in the form of an email from Amawalk John. I have finally figured out what the Democrats mean by "wrong war, wrong place, wrong time." But before we get to that, let's play a game. I'm going to give you a list of quotes and you see if you can tell me who they belong to. The answers will be in the additional section of this article.

1. He will rebuild his arsenel of weapons of mass destruction. Some day, somewhere, I am certain, he will use that arsenel again as he has ten times since 1983.


2. Saddam Hussein certainly has chemical and biological weapons. There's no question about that.


3. There's unmistakable evidence that Saddam Hussein is working aggressively to develop nuclear weapons. And will likely have nuclear weapons in the next five years. We also should remember we have always underestimated the progress that Saddam has been able to make in the development of weapons of mass destruction.


4. He continues to attempt to gain access to additional capability including nuclear capability. There is a real debate on how far off that is. Whether it is a matter of years or whether it is a matter of less than that.


5. Good Evening. Earliear today I ordered America's armed forces to strike military and security targets in Iraq. Their mission is to attack Iraq's nuclear, biological and chemical weapons programs. Saddam Hussein must not be allowed to threaten his neighbors or the world with nuclear arms, poison gas or biological weapons.


6. Other countries posess weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles. With Saddam, there's one big difference. He has used them. Not once, but repeatedly. And I have no doubt today that left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will use these terrible weapons again.


7. Inspectors are saying that even if they could stay in Iraq their work would be a sham. Saddam's deception has defeated their effectiveness. Instead of the inspectors disarming Saddam, Saddam has disarmed the inspectors.


8. The hard fact is that as long as Saddam is in power, he threatens the well-being of his people, the peace of the region, the security of the world. The best way to end that threat, once and for all, is with a new Iraqi government. A government willing to live in peace with its neighbors. A government that respects the lives of its people.


9. The decision to use force is never cost free. Whenever American forces are placed in harm's way, we risk the loss of life. And while our strikes are focused on Iraq's military capabilities, there will be unintended Iraqi casualties.


10. Heavy as they are, the costs of action must be weighed against the price of inaction.


11. Saddam will strike again at his neighbors. He will make war on his own people. Mark my words. He will develop weapons of mass destruction. He will deploy them. And he will use them.

Posted by: Drew at 08:16 AM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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I don't really understand this. All of a sudden everyone's all, "Whoa! Can you believe Ramsey Clark is going to defend Saddam? What a scumpuppet!"

Yes, he's an America-hating turd, but I thought I knew that already. And sure enough, we've been talking about his representing Saddam here on the Jawa Report for quite a while--since December of 2004, in fact.

I'm just wondering why this is news again.

Posted by: seedubya at 04:28 AM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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1 Clark never met a dictator/killer/communist/terrorist he didn't like. He and Galloway came from the same mold. He truly is scum.

Posted by: Oyster at November 29, 2005 05:19 AM (YudAC)

2 Agent Brown says that Ramsey Clark is 100% American

Posted by: Agent Smith at November 29, 2005 06:03 AM (hNv1g)

3 Agent Jones says Ramsey Clark is 100% NORML too.

Posted by: Agent Smith at November 29, 2005 07:04 AM (hNv1g)

4 Ramsey Clark is also defending the PLO in a case where relatives of a terrorist attack are suing them: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1154AP_Scotus_Terrorism_Lawsuit.html The PLO, and its governmental entity, had been sued in federal court in Rhode Island over the 1996 drive-by shooting of Yaron Ungar, an American citizen, and his Israeli wife, Efrat, as the couple returned home from a wedding. .... Former Attorney General Ramsey Clark, the lawyer for the PLO, told justices in the appeal last month that Ungar relatives have "commenced sweeping national and international efforts" to collect the millions of dollars, including an attempt to seize Palestine's U.N. Mission building in New York. Clark said U.S. courts "are marching off to the conflicts of the Middle East and elsewhere carrying with them the integrity of the U.S. judiciary and risking the foreign perception that U.S. courts will extend their jurisdiction globally deciding the most sensitive political questions affecting the foreign policies of the U.S. and other nations as they go." He also defended the PLO in a lawsuit filed by the family of Leon Klinghoffer. He has given legal advise / defended a whole slew of controversial figures and entities: David Koresh, PLO, Elizaphan Ntakirutimana,Slobodan Milosevic, Don't question his patronism though, he was a Soldier once. This Administration should confront, or at least bring into the limelight what he does, the light of day is awefully bright to things that spend most of their time living under rocks.

Posted by: dave at November 29, 2005 07:15 AM (CcXvt)

5 It's Bush's fault!

Posted by: Sissy Willis at November 29, 2005 07:30 AM (mrcD4)

6 somehow I miss aimed and tracked back the wrong post.

Posted by: Mr. K at November 29, 2005 09:38 AM (/sxIZ)

7 Clark was kicked off the legal team by the Iraqi lawyers defending Saddam, but since a couple of those lawyers were killed, Clark has come back into the picture. The Iraqis didn't care for the anti-American bent and grandstanding. Go figure.

Posted by: lawhawk at November 29, 2005 12:36 PM (eppTH)

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Background on the hostage taking here.

What do Giuliana Sgrena and abducted 'humanitarian' worker Norman Kember (pictured right at a Hiroshima memorial) have in common?

Both went to Iraq to promote "peace".

Both decided to work for "peace" by documenting allegations of prisoner abuse and mass-murder by American forces in Fallujah.

Both thought it would be a good idea to meet with 'victims' of America and that their sympathies with the 'resistance' would make them immune.

Both ended up being taken hostage by the 'resistance'.

Our deepest sympathies are with Norman Kember and the American and two Canadians taken hostage with him. But, wasn't it a little foolish to believe your own rhetoric? The U.S. military is in Iraq to help the Iraqis. If civilians are killed or innocents detained by the U.S., these are regretful mistakes. Errors made in the fog of war.

But when the so-called insurgents kill civilians and take hostages--only to murder them later by proclaiming them guilty of violating Islamic law--they do this on purpose.

It is the policy of the United States of America and Great Britain to avoid civilian casualties when possible. It is the policy of al Qaeda and other mujahidin forces in Iraq to kill civilians, on purpose, when such civilians are deemed too eager to help rebuild that country.

For the peace activists of the Left, there is no distinction between an American soldier and an al Qaeda in Iraq suicide-bomber.

That distinction should be clear now to Norman Kember and the other victims of jihadi fanaticism in Iraq.

We pray for their safe return.

Norman Kember archives here.

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Interesting quote of British Foreign Minister Jack Straw:

“We are working on the basis that it is indeed a kidnapping. But we have no further confirmation,” he said.

I never have, and never will be a conspiracy theorist, but this is interesting as well:

Pat Kember said that her husband was representing a number of different organisations when he was taken. Yesterday she was seen leaving the family home in North London escorted by police.

I figure there's a 99.9% chance that this is SOP.

But after reading Rusty and Bluto, I have to admit that something smells Vichy around here.

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UPDATE 11/29 A.M.: Christian Peacemakers has confirmed to The Jawa Report that the hostages were indeed taken from their organization. However, at this time, Christian Peacemakers has declined to release the names of the one American and two Canadian hostages.

Related: German woman taken hostage in Iraq, hostage video released.

Developing.........

UPDATED: Scroll down for updates. "Humanitarian" group named in MSM actually a peace activist group there to monitor U.S. and Iraqi 'abuses'. This story is becoming more and more like the Giuliana Sgrena drama as facts are slowly uncovered.

The so-called aid workers were actually part of a peace organization which focuses on alleged U.S. abuses. Which is the one political party that this 'peace' organization decides to meet in Baghdad? The Iraqi Communist Party.

Scroll down for more specifics and updates
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An American was among the Westerners kidnapped in Iraq over the weekend as reported earlier here and here. The U.S. State Department continues its insane policy of not releasing the name of the kidnapped victim. We will report his name and the name of the two Canadians as soon as we get word.

More information about Norman Kember is below.

Tribune-Democrat:

An American citizen is missing in Iraq, the U.S. Embassy said Monday, apparently one of four humanitarian workers reported kidnapped a day earlier.

U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Elizabeth Colton said only that an American had been reported missing. The person's name was not immediately released. Dan McTeague, parliamentary secretary for Canadians abroad, also refused identify the Canadians, their organization or the location where they were kidnapped to protect their safety.

Norman Kember was an officer in the Baptist Peace Fellowship which proclaims:

The FELLOWSHIP was founded as a fellowship of Baptist ministers with pacifist convictions; later it was expanded to include all Baptist Pacifists, and in 1940 became affiliated to the Fellowship of Reconciliation (FoR).

WE AIM to provide a fellowship for Baptists who feel constrained by their Christian faith to renounce war and to stir the minds and consciences of our fellow Baptists so that they may come to see that military force cannot be reconciled with the teaching of Jesus Christ and His acceptance of the Cross; to work at all times for reconciliation, justice and the things that make for peace in national, community, church and personal life.

WE BELIEVE that we will be led to witness in ways appropriate to the conditions in which we find ourselves. Like the early Christians we endeavour to talk to those whom we meet about the good news of the gospel of the Prince of Peace.

We must prepare to die by the thousands

As always, The Jawa Report will be following this hostage story carefully. Please e-mail tips to mypetjawa-at-gmail-dot-com.

UPDATE: Here is a picture of Norman Kember at a Hiroshima vigil. He is the on the right.

In response to Rhonda's comments that Kember would never try and evangelize a Muslim, I offer this, penned by Norman Kember himself:

Peace people may spend rather a lot of time talking to the 'converted'. We work and pray for new conversions!

My reading of Kember's public statements is that he is a committed Christian pacifist in the Mennonite. Jehovah's Witness or Quaker sense. As such he is a perfect example of Christian fundamentalism vs. Islamic fundamentalism. Christian fundamentalists take Jesus' 'turn the other cheek' and Paul's exhortation to Roman soldiers to 'do no violence' very seriously and, indeed, are willing to die for their beliefs but never kill for them (in the Catholic tradition, Augustine is a good example).

Muslim fundamentalists, on the other hand, follow the example and teachings of Muhammed perfectly when they kill.

Hence 'religious fundamentalism' is not really that big of a problem when the religion is fundamentally pacifist. The Dali Lama is another good example of a person taking his religion seriously, yet posing no threat of violence.

UPDATE II: WRAL:

The four were believed to be affiliated with Christian Peacemakers, one of the few Western humanitarian organizations still operating in Iraq. The organization's Web site states that among other things, the group seeks to expose and document abuses of Iraqis by U.S. and coalition forces.

Kenberer and the other hostages would have been part of this group, scheduled to be in Iraq from Nov. 17th to Dec. 1st:

As Iraq continues to suffer under unstable and difficult conditions, delegates will meet with representatives of nongovernmental organizations, fledgling Iraqi civil society groups, the US military, and others, to assess the current situation. They will may visit hospitals, schools, mosques, and churches, and will talk with Iraqis whose loved ones have been detained by US forces or under the previous regime. Based primarily in Baghdad, the delegation may travel to outlying areas.

COST: US $3000 US, which includes round-trip airfare.

Here is the scenario as it might have happened. A group of peace activists (dubbed 'aid workers' by MSM) go to Iraq trying to prove that the U.S. are the bad guys in Iraq. They then go and talk with the 'resistance' who they believe are the good guys. They are shocked when some terrorists show up at meeting with 'resistance' and kidnap them.

Possibly outcome? a) Sgrena scenario--terrorists release infidels after they have been paid off and realize hostages are really allies b) Enzo Baldoni scenario--terrorists don't care that hostages there to help, behead the infidels c) rescued by U.S. forces

Another Update: Ekklesia:

Kidnappee Professor Norman Kember, aged 74, is a long-time advocate of nonviolence. He has been involved both in the Baptist Peace Fellowship and in Fellowship of Reconciliation (FoR), an international network of religious pacifists.

An opponent of war and occupation in Iraq, Professor Kember had decided to join a two-week visit to the insurgency-torn country.

He had been telling friends, and wrote in a recent FoR newsletter, that he could not remain a spectator any longer. He understood the risks involved, he said.

The team he was working in was established by Mennonites and other historic peace churches in North America. It works to build trust and cooperation among conflicting groups, and works through the invitation and agency of local peace, social justice and human rights workers.

Local security forces and a multinational hostage team are currently searching for all four humanitarian workers.

Speaking on Channel 4 News (UK) this evening, Bruce Kent – a high profile peace campaigner, former Catholic priest, and close friend of Norman Kember – said that he was a strong and resourceful person.

It is uncertain whether the professor has been captured by a group with a political motive, or by one of the hundreds of criminal gangs seeking to make money out of hostage taking in a lawless environment.

Asked whether it was foolish to venture into Iraq under such volatile conditions, Mr Kent said that Professor KemberÂ’s Christian faith and peacemaking convictions were such that he was prepared to take risks which other might regard as unwise.

A spokesperson for the Baptist Peace fellowship said that he was a man who lived out his beliefs with courage and compassion.

Yet Another Update: This time from the Independent:

His group, who were investigating human rights abuses, had reportedly been travelling with "minimal security" when they were seized in the west of the city after dark on Saturday.

The men were in the final days of a two-week fact-finding trip with a Canada-based humanitarian organisation, Christian Peacemaker Teams (PCT). The group, which was working with Iraqi groups and was not involved in missionary work, had been due to return on Friday.

The Rev Alan Betteridge, president of the UK Baptist Peace Fellowship, who has known Mr Kember for more than 40 years, said: "Norman is a very committed worker for non-violence and peacemaking. He is a very gentle man, quiet, with a good sense of humour.

"He does not try to force his views on people - a listener rather than a talker and very committed to what he believes. I hope he has the opportunity to tell his captors about his work."

CPT, a pacifist group based in Toronto which cites the removal of coalition forces from Iraq as one of its aims, declined to comment on the abductions.

Virtually all Iraqi's we talked to would like for US troops to leave. now. Most that we talked with said that they know immediate with drawl is impractical in that they believe a civil war will result if the troops leave now. Few had a real passion about the US troops leaving right now [italics mine].

Mr Kember was part of a delegation of around eight people who had gone to Iraq to meet local human rights campaigners and assist with the setting up of a Muslim peacemakers' organisation. The organisation had sent four previous civilian delegations to Iraq.

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Ok I did see FNS yesterday. Carl Levin started off pretty good but then drifted to the same old same old. Chris Wallace did a pretty good job on the Senator but I have one statement in particular that bothered me a bit.

FOXNEWS: LEVIN: Yes, but what he also said in the same sentence was that Saddam Hussein would like nothing more than to use a terrorist network to attack and to kill, and that is not what the intelligence was, which said that Saddam Hussein was, quote, "intensely secular, wary of Islamic revolutionary movements."

OK Carl let see what Howie can do with that. Saddam was intensely wary of Islamic movements challenging his power in Iraq I can agree with that. But his support of Hamas is well documented. See links below. So what does Hamas have to do with Al-Qaeda? See this post and check the links to understand how this works. Al-Qaeda is an offshoot of HamasÂ’ military wing the The Abdellah Azzam Brigades. Read this and you begin to see the loose relationship. Even Hamas itself is leery of its stepchild. For instance after the bombings in Egypt last summer the Abdellah Azzam Brigades claimed responsibility but that claim was quickly replaced by another claim by an unknown group to downplay the relationship. HamasÂ’ attempts to become a political party are haunted by its past. So while Saddam was careful to keep control of Iraq he supported terrorist activity outside Iraq and lent aid as he could to those who seek to kill Jews and Americans. We donÂ’t often think about the fact that Al-Qaeda was born of the Palestinian conflict. ItÂ’s apparent when Egypt gets bombed but more subtle when the US, England or Iraq is attacked but itÂ’s there none the less.

Need more?
try this
or this
or this
or maybe here
or there
and here
and here too.

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