December 28, 2004

Damn You Glenn Reynolds!!!!

The Jawa Report got it's first Instalanche!! Maybe I should stay on vacation, like, forever? After begging Reynolds for a link for about 9 months I gave up on him. But he finally, of his own free will, links to this old post on Johnny Ramone. Why does this piss me off? Well, after I hit number 33 in the Ecosystem (granted the Ecosystem was screwed up at the time) I made it my goal to be the first Mortal Human to never get an Instalanche. Now Reynolds has to drop a link and take away my last ounce of dignity.

Reynoooolds!! (screamed out loud, eyes to heaven, think "Khaaaan!!")

Anyway, still on vacation. Limited access to the internet. Chad is doing excellent work banging away at the keys while I'm gone. Thanks for keeping us all informed man.

Interested Participant, Cranky Neocon, Flea, Buckethead have also been busy keping it real--Old School style. Thanks.

Don't know where BRD and Demosophist are. Maybe holed up in an Idaho bunker or something waiting for the Y2k thing to finally hit five years late.

Ok, back to visiting with relatives. How can one be both bored and extremely busy at the same time??

Posted by: Rusty at 03:05 PM | Comments (12) | Add Comment
Post contains 209 words, total size 1 kb.

Tsunami Death Toll Exceeds 55,000

The extent of the disastrous undersea earthquake off the west coast of Sumatra is becoming clearer. Channel AsiaNews reports confirmed deaths at 27,174 in Indonesia, more than 17,640 in Sri Lanka, 8,523 in India, 4,000 in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, 1,439 in Thailand, 65 in Malaysia, 90 in Myanmar, 55 in The Maldives, 100 in Somalia, 10 in Tanzania, 2 in Bangladesh for a total greater than 55,000. Xinhua reports similar numbers.

Officials warn that the figures are expected to rise steeply.

Companion post at Interested-Participant.

Posted by: Mike Pechar at 11:35 AM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
Post contains 97 words, total size 1 kb.

Beheading Video Shown at Rock Concert

(Urayasu, Japan) For more than ten minutes, a rock band named Klack showed a video of the terrorist beheading of 24-year-old backpacker Shosei Koda at a concert Sunday. It's not clear how many people expressed outrage, however, the sponsoring Tokyo Broadcasting System angrily stated it had no foreknowledge of the stunt and voiced apologies to all who were offended.

If the members of the group Klack believes that a beheading video enhances their concerts, just how bad is their music. Obviously, they're shamelessly inconsiderate of the sensibilities of the public and the family and friends of Shosei Koda.

Companion post at Interested-Participant.

Posted by: Mike Pechar at 11:20 AM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
Post contains 114 words, total size 1 kb.

Sunnis Withdraw from Iraq Election

- Washington Times

BAGHDAD, Dec. 27 -- The largest political party representing Iraq's Sunni Muslim minority announced Monday that it would drop out of the Jan. 30 election, dealing a fresh blow to the vote's credibility on the same day the top Shiite Muslim candidate survived a car bombing.

The withdrawal of the Iraqi Islamic Party, combined with the assassination attempton cleric Abdul Aziz Hakim, heightened concerns that the parliamentary election may produce a lopsided result, further alienating Sunni areas where the armed insurgency is growing.


I would imagine there was a very minor effect from the assassination attempt of a Shiite leader and an even bigger effect from Osama Bin laden's audio tape calling for a boycott of elections. While the Sunnis and Al Qaeda terrorists have different goals, they are in fact cooperating and have been for well over a year inside of Iraq.

The Sunnis primary goal is to stop Democracy from entering Iraq because they are a minority and they also had all the power under Saddam Hussein. Al Qaeda's primary goal is to reunite Persia under Islamic rule which Democracy in Iraq would crush this dream of Bin Laden's. Both groups are willing to cooperate in order to keep Democracy out of Iraq.

There are many Baathists among the Sunni ranks and Sunni terrorists are responsible for hundreds of Iraqi deaths and a few Coallition deaths as well. Sunnis were held up in Fallujah until the Coallition cleared the city and they are actively supporting the terrorist's war by every means available.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

Posted by: Chad at 10:47 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 272 words, total size 2 kb.

NHSA: Teens Can't Handle SUVs

- Washington Times

Washington, DC, Dec. 28 (UPI) -- A U.S. traffic safety group says teenage drivers are often incapable of driving sport utility vehicles safely, the Washington Post reported Tuesday.

The National Highway Safety Administration said that 49 people aged 15 to 20 died in SUV and pickup truck accidents in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia last year.

The group says SUVs have a higher center of gravity and are harder to control in an emergency, which makes inexperienced drivers more likely than others to end up as statistics.


I can think of another large demographic that cannot control SUVs too. I'll let me readers infer as to which I mean.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

Posted by: Chad at 10:38 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
Post contains 129 words, total size 1 kb.

UN Criticizes U.S. For Stinginess

After the Bush administration pledged $15 million in immediate relief aid for tsunami victims and directed the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to send a 21-member disaster-relief team to the region, the Norwegian-born UN Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Jan Egeland said the U.S. is stingy and should raise taxes to give more.

Thanks for the suggestion, Mr. Egeland. In return I'd like to suggest you have your entire paycheck donated to relief efforts. It's also worth mentioning that if you're attempting to rekindle an American fondness for the UN, you are going at it all wrong. Let the American people decide what our taxes should be. The next time you want to weigh in on U.S. tax policy, with all due respect, put a sock in it.

[Update] From a commenter, those interested in relaying some pleasantries to Mr. Jan Egeland, his phone and fax numbers are displayed here.

Companion post at Interested-Participant.

Posted by: Mike Pechar at 08:36 AM | Comments (14) | Add Comment
Post contains 163 words, total size 1 kb.

In Case You Were Wondering If The War On Terror Was Effective

Consider that on September 11, 2001 Osama bin Laden organized an assault on the United States that led to the deaths of 3,000 people and the destruction of an American symbol of prosperity.

On December 27, 2004, Osama urges a "boycott" of Iraqi elections.

Osama bin Laden endorsed Abu-Musab al-Zarqawi as his deputy in Iraq and called for a boycott of next month's elections there.

Ouch. His pals on IndyMedia have been advocates of such hard-hitting calls to action for years now.

I predict that sometime in the next six months Osama will organize a protest where his loyal Mujhadeen will wear paper-mache heads of Tony Blair and George Bush. They will march, then in a symbolic gesture, drink Coors and induce vomiting to symbolically show their outrage at corporate excesses. Due to cultural misunderstandings, however, we will completely agree that Coors is piss-water. Sales of Sam Adams (Brewer-Patriot) will skyrocket.

(cross posted at Cranky Neocon)

Posted by: Neocon at 07:39 AM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
Post contains 180 words, total size 1 kb.

December 27, 2004

About Time

- Denver Post (via Interested Participant)

Colorado Springs - Colorado drivers have less than a week before they will start getting fined for using the left lane of highways for anything but passing.

Starting Jan. 1, troopers will stop warning drivers and start issuing $35 tickets, plus a $6.20 surcharge and three points on their license.

A six-month-old law says the left lane is to be used only for passing on any of Colorado's multilane highways where the speed limit is 65 mph or faster. Lawmakers passed the bill, hoping to prevent traffic congestion and cut down on road rage.

"When I learned to drive, they told me, 'The left lane is for passing. The right lane is for driving,"' State Patrol Trooper Sara Shipley said recently.


As I consider Colorado my second state and hopeful future destination, I can't believe they are finally doing something about this. Never before have I seen more people who go under the speed limit park in the left lane of traffic on an interstate. The right lane is usually the faster of two lanes, however due to rush-hour traffic, the right lane gets clogged when people are trying to exit the highway.

I was in the Denver area for about a month over the Summer when this law became active. People were protesting the law while outsiders were laughing as to why this was even an issue. I can confirm this is an issue and it's about damn time Colorado officers will start enforcing it.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

Posted by: Chad at 10:26 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 261 words, total size 2 kb.

Terrorist Blows Himself Up Trying to Make a Bomb

- ABC News (via My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy)

An insurgent accidentally has killed himself and four members of his family in Iraq's southern city of Karbala.

Police say a bomb he was making exploded inside his house.


Unfortunately a woman was hurt in the blast, however I'm hardly saddened by the terrorist killing himself trying to make a bomb. In fact, I'm rather pleased. A terrorist killing himself, and only himself, should be awarded 72 virgins and the state of martyrdom.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

Posted by: Chad at 09:58 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
Post contains 105 words, total size 1 kb.

What he said

death_star_smile.gif

Just to second the Cranky Neocon. Though I am still on a vacation blogging schedule too so it's not like I am making a constructive contribution...

The Flea

Posted by: Flea at 07:18 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 34 words, total size 1 kb.

While The Jawa Is Away

Rusty's people called my people this afternoon. They were concerned that Chad's writing was giving this site too much respectability while the Ruster was on vacation.

"Can I my add own personal brand of bling-bling?" his PR man Jimmy Tusken asks me.

"Babe, the Cranky Neocon can do that," I reply.

sandcrawler_trick.jpg

So enjoy a few of my special touches around here. I'll be blogging until Rusty returns or he takes the keys away. Whichever comes first.

Posted by: Neocon at 05:39 PM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
Post contains 86 words, total size 1 kb.

Bin Laden Releases Tape to Boycott Iraq Elections

- Associated Press

CAIRO, Egypt - In an audiotape broadcast Monday by Al-Jazeera satellite television, a man purported to be Osama bin Laden endorsed Abu-Musab al-Zarqawi as his deputy in Iraq and called for a boycott of next month's elections there.

The voice on the tape described al-Zarqawi as the "emir," or prince, of al-Qaida in Iraq and said Muslims there should "listen to him."

The man speaking on the tape also referred to an October statement in which al-Zarqawi, a Jordanian, declared allegiance to bin Laden and changed his group's name to al-Qaida in Iraq. The speaker called that "a great step on the path of unifying all the mujahedeen in establishing the state of righteousness and ending the state of injustice."


The statements by Bin Laden show more and more his intentions on switching to a diplomat rather than a terrorist. While the key to the statement, as translated at least, is the following phrase:
a great step on the path of unifying all the mujahedeen in establishing the state of righteousness and ending the state of injustice

The state of righteousness is in fact an Islamic state, but more correctly termed as the return to the idea of Persia under Islamic rule. It would be a large area of the Middle East, actually all of it if it were true to historical standards, under one government. The government would be an Islamic rule, much like Iran is run under today.

While there have been many people who have tried to explain away Al Qaeda's long-term goals in the Middle East as nothing more than getting rid of infidels, the larger goal of Al Qaeda is in fact a reunification of the Middle East into one country. Of course that country would have to be under Islamic rule where women are stoned and beaten because they can be and where poverty will flourish because of the lack of a quality economic system in an Islamic government.

No Democracy in Iraq would make Bin Laden and his supporters happy. A Democracy puts too much power into the hands of the people. It also, in the eyes of Bin Laden, puts people on the same platform as Allah. Only an Islamic government would, somehow, make a difference between the people of a nation and Allah.

I still question why, using the above, the top leaders of a Islamic nation would not be equal with Allah, however 99.9 percent of Bin Laden's statements and actions have made no sense and contradict each other. Then again, that's the Religion of Peace for you run under the nutbags that too many seem to support.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

Posted by: Chad at 02:10 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
Post contains 462 words, total size 3 kb.

Al Qaeda Plotting Attack in London

- The Telegraph (via Jihad Watch)

A secret intelligence report has revealed that security chiefs believe al-Qaeda may target New Year celebrations across Britain, The Telegraph has learned.

The document, which has been distributed to every military base in Britain warns that "crowded places or events" are under "a severe threat" of attack from terrorist bombers. The report, which is marked "restricted", is understood to have been compiled by military intelligence specialists, MI5 and Special Branch officers.

Under the heading "International Terrorism", the report warns that military personnel and establishments within the Government Security Zone in central London, which includes Horse Guards in Whitehall, and Buckingham and St James's Palaces, face a "substantial" threat of attack. It says military bases across the country are also facing a similar threat.

The report, which is part of a monthly security update for the armed forces, adds that the threat "comes from al-Qaeda and associated terrorist groups". It continues: "Targeting against US and UK interests both at home and abroad remains a priority for al-Qaeda. Their attacks - including the Madrid train bombings in March - have been against soft targets with the aim of creating as many casualties as possible."


The investigations by MI5 have disrupted Al Qaeda plots in England before. I only hope this investigation has done the same because they arrested 10 Al Qaeda suspects just last week. In September, the Leader of the Commons (Peter Hain) warned of an Al Qaeda plot to detonate a dirty bomb in Westminister. While these two may be entirely unrelated, it does give reason for pause.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

Posted by: Chad at 11:31 AM | Comments (9) | Add Comment
Post contains 281 words, total size 2 kb.

Shia Leader Dodges Suicide Bomber

- Times Online

The head of IraqÂ’s leading Shia Muslim political party narrowed escaped assassination today when a suicide car bomber blew himself up outside his headquarters, killing 15 people and wounding dozens more.

The attempt on the life of Ayatollah Abdel Aziz al-Hakim, the head of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (Sciri) came just five weeks before the countryÂ’s first post-war elections, which were today plunged into fresh chaos as the main Sunni political party said it would boycott the polls.


Question of the day. If you launch a martyrdom operation and actually miss your target yet still kill 15 innocent bystandards, do you get 72 virgins or do you get laughed at by your terrorist friends?

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

Posted by: Chad at 11:06 AM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
Post contains 137 words, total size 1 kb.

December 26, 2004

Heh

Could a school find something more useful to spend their time debating then banning?

Hat tip: The Roth Report

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

Posted by: Chad at 09:39 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
Post contains 26 words, total size 1 kb.

Two Al Qaeda Terrorists Arrested in Iraq

- Associated Press

BAGHDAD, Iraq - U.S. forces captured two senior figures in al-Qaida's branch in Iraq, the U.S. military said Saturday, and one of Turkey's richest businessmen was reported kidnapped, appearing in a video along with a weeping employee saying they were being held hostage.

[snip]

The U.S. Marines said Saturday they captured two men who led cells in Anbar province for Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's Al-Qaida in Iraq network. The province is a center for the insurgency and home to the cities of Ramadi and Fallujah.

A Marines statement identified the men as Saleh Arugayan Kahlil and Bassim Mohammad Hazeem. Their cells kidnapped and executed 11 Iraqi National Guardsmen, carried out car bombings and other attacks in the Ramadi area and "smuggled foreign terrorists into the country," the Marines said.

"This group is responsible for intimidating, attacking and murdering innocent Iraqi civilians, Iraqi police and security forces, and business and political leaders throughout the Unbar province," the statement said.


Great news concerning the capture of two Al Qaeda members directly ties to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's group 'Al Qaeda in Iraq' (Tawhid wal Jihad). My only concern is that the matter was publicized which could effect any interrogation tactics that should be used to find the leadership of the group responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Iraqis and many non-Iraqis including the beheadings of Jack Hensley, Eugene Armstrong and Nicholas Berg among others.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

Posted by: Chad at 08:32 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 254 words, total size 2 kb.

Turkish Businessman Taken Hostage

- Associated Press

ANKARA, Turkey - One of Turkey's richest businessmen said he has been kidnapped in Iraq, appearing in a video aired Saturday alongside one of his weeping employees and saying they were being treated well by their captors.

Kahraman Sadikoglu, president of the Istanbul-based Tuzla Shipyard, and ship captain Ahmet Yurtdas had not been heard from since they left the southern Iraqi city of Basra by land on Dec. 16, according to their families.

The footage did not say who was holding the two men or mention demands.

Several newspapers said a ransom demand of $25 million had been made, but Foreign Ministry officials and family members of the hostages refused to confirm the reports.

"Today is Dec. 23. We were captured four or five days ago," Sadikoglu said on the videotape, broadcast on Turkish television. "We're fine and they will check us out, what we're doing here, and will hopefully release us. God is Great."

Sadikoglu said he was working for the United Nations and the Iraqi government on a project clearing harbors of sunken ships. "We don't have any problems with the Iraqi government, we're creating jobs and food for the Iraqis," he said. "If that is a crime too, then we will accept the punishment."


Hopefully Sadikoglu will be freed and if the reports indicating a ransom has been called for, his release is more probable. He was however working to better lives of Iraqis and pursue Democracy inside of Iraq therefore he is a target as designated by the two main terrorist groups in Iraq.

With a growing hostage trade, though it has quieted down significantly since the U.S. and Iraqi forces cleared Fallujah, Sadikoglu may end up in the hands of terrorists who could care less about money and only care about making a statement by beheading anyone helping Iraqis.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

Posted by: Chad at 08:28 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
Post contains 320 words, total size 2 kb.

Suicide Bomber Not Iraqi National Guard Soldier

The suicide bomber who attacked the mess hall in Mosul, Iraq was not a member of the Iraqi National Guard according to a top Iraqi General. Ansar al-Sunnah released a video of the attack which I've been unable to locate at present. Two of their sites have been taken down and the exact placement of the video is not known.

The bomber is believed to have recieved help from moles working inside the base, entering the main gate wearing an Iraqi National Guard uniform with the help of a guard. He was able to enter the base with a police identification under the premise of fixing air conditioning units.

General Babaker B. Shawkat Zebari also commented upon Syria's role in feeding the terrorism within Iraq.

Zebari said foreign fighters are still entering Iraq from Syria.

"I don't know if the (Syrian) government is closing its eyes or the terrorists are finding their ways to cross," he said.

Zibari said six Arabs using forged Iraqi identity cards and carrying explosives were detained near the Syrian border on Thursday.

His comments came a day after Najaf's police commander, Ghaleb al-Jazaeri, said they detained an Iraqi who confessed to receiving training in a camp in Syria under the supervision of a Syrian military officer. The detainee is suspected in a bombing in Najaf this month that killed 54 people.


Ansar al-Sunnah, the terrorist group claiming responsibility for the Mosul attack, allegedly consists primarily of Iraqis however there has been a growing amount of evidence pointing to many foreigners joining the ranks of the group. Syria of course has housed, indoctrinated, armed and equiped terrorists heading into Iraq for months now with the government of Syria either looking the other direction or fueling the fire.

Update:
The video of the Ansar al-Sunnah suicide bombing in the U.S. mess hall in Mosul can be downloaded here, courtesy of Global Terror Alert.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

Posted by: Chad at 09:51 AM | Comments (13) | Add Comment
Post contains 335 words, total size 3 kb.

December 25, 2004

Merry Christmas...

...and may the Force be With you!!

yoda.jpg

PS-Still on vacation, but thank Allah I'm off the cruise!! My Christmas? Great. Best Christmas Present? My Pet Jawa in National Review Online. Thanks La Shawn!!!

Posted by: Rusty at 01:49 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
Post contains 37 words, total size 1 kb.

December 24, 2004

Saudi Reporter: U.S. Steals Iraqi's Organs

- MEMRI

"Secret European military intelligence reports indicate the transformation of the American humanitarian mission in Iraq into a profitable trade in the American markets through the practice of American physicians extracting human organs from the dead and wounded, before they are put to death, for sale to medical centers in America. A secret team of American physicians follow the troops during their attacks on Iraqi armed men to ensure quick [medical] operations for extracting some organs and transferring them to private operations rooms before they are transferred to America for sale.

"The reports confirm the finding of tens of mutilated cadavers or cadavers missing parts. Some were found without a head. The American military command could not offer reasons to explain the bewilderment about the missing parts, suggesting that this may have been caused by the penetration of bullets to the [missing] parts. But these excuses cannot be medically accepted. The reports also confirmed that the burning of bodies was deliberate in order to conceal the crime of organ extraction. [The reports] further indicate that American medical teams have [made] active and suspicious moves in Iraq to recruit some Iraqis to guide them to dead and critically injured individuals to engage in the extraction of organs. These teams offer $40 for every usable kidney and $25 for an eye. The reports confirm the finding of mutilated bodies in Fallujah. The reports indicate that the cadavers are immunized inside special cars to prevent the spread of the plague until the bodies are buried by their relatives.


What nonsense. Has a head ever been able to or even wanted to be transplanted? This follows a report where a television show in Iran accused Israel of stealing Palestinian children's eyes (via Gamblog).

I fully understand the need for a nation to demonize the enemy and of course this is nothing new. It happens on both sides of a war. During the Cold War for instance similar theories were written to demonize the United States.

My only question is this. Can't those who are trying to demonize the United States be a bit more realistic than this?

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

Posted by: Chad at 09:55 AM | Comments (12) | Add Comment
Post contains 366 words, total size 3 kb.

<< Page 2 of 10 >>
144kb generated in CPU 0.0516, elapsed 0.2246 seconds.
136 queries taking 0.1911 seconds, 409 records returned.
Powered by Minx 1.1.6c-pink.