Last day in class today. Finals start next week. No time to read other blogs or much news today. If you want me to link one of your posts, please e-mail me and I'll add it to this one. Also, if you hear any words on hostages please e-mail me by clicking on contact link above.

The Washington Post says the U.S. military is probing a video that surfaced on the internet and purports to show indiscriminate weapons fire by private contractors directed at Iraqi civilians. MORE HERE. Of course, the context the MSM doesn't report on is that these vehicles have enormous signs on them warning other vehicles to stay back or they will be fired on. Still, the video does not look good and I applaud the military for looking into the matter.

Thank a soldier week starts on Dec. 19th. Get busy by going here and supporting our troops.

12 Days of Christmas presented by Cranky Neocon. Send this to your liberal buddies. Tons of great gift ideas for them.

UPDATE I: We've posted on this before, but it sooo cool. A guy, a blog, and his quest for a personal Navy. It's also a good cause. Phin has more here as does Confederate Yankee.

UPDATE II: Cop gets caught stealing evidence. Evidence just happens to be the victim's skull. Hilarity ensues.

UPDATE III: Pat Oliphant, asshat.

UPDATE IV: Krauthammer and Astute Blogger--both brilliant.

Posted by: Rusty at 08:52 AM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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(Marion County, Florida) As most people know, teacher Debra Lafave (photos) pleaded guilty to irresponsibly and criminally engaging in sex with a 14-year-old boy. Subsequently, she was sentenced in Hillsborough County Court to no jail in accordance with plea deal which some people considered outrageous. But the story doesn't end there.

Unfortunately for 25-year-old Lafave, when she was engaging in sex with the boy, she was committing crimes in two different jurisdictions. Although her case has been settled in Hillsborough County, it remains to be adjudicated in Marion County.

Yesterday, Marion County prosecutors and Lafave's attorney, John Fitzgibbons, presented a plea agreement to Judge Hale Stancil to resolve the charges against Lafave. Unexpectedly, Judge Stancil rejected the plea agreement and set April 10 as the trial date.

According to Ric Ridgeway, a spokesman for the State Attorney's Office, Judge Stancil said he had some concerns which needed to be addressed. The attorneys have promised to have a new plea agreement before the scheduled trial date.

Consequently, the soap-opera sex saga of Debra Lafave continues. Stay tuned.

Companion post at Interested-Participant.

Posted by: Mike Pechar at 06:26 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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(West Milton, New York) A map of the Kesselring nuclear submarine prototype facility in the Adirondacks was found in the possession of a naturalized Chinese-American citizen during a search of his Southern California home.

From TimesUnion.com:

A defense contractor accused of sharing sensitive U.S. military information with the Chinese government had a hand-drawn map of the Kesserling (sic) nuclear reactor site in Milton among his possessions, according to federal court documents obtained by the Times Union.

A federal indictment and probable cause affidavit does not say how Chi Mak, a naturalized American citizen, got the map or what significance it has. But the map was among the items seized when federal agents executed a search warrant Oct. 28 on the Los Angeles-area home, office and vehicles of Mak, his brother Tai Mak, and both men's wives.

The map allegedly in his possession was the first of two recent security breaches of the 3,900-acre Kesselring site, operated by Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory. It's home to prototype nuclear reactors used in Navy submarines.

Mak and his brother are being charged with failing to register as Chinese agents, which is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. In court papers, Chi Mak, an electrical engineer for a defense contractor, is accused of stealing computer discs with information about Navy hardware, including a new system for launching aircraft from aircraft carriers.

According to the original affidavit, Mak, 65, stole discs from defense contractor Power Paragon, where he was a lead engineer on a sensitive research project involving propulsion systems for Navy warships, as reported by The Associated Press.

Interestingly, it seems these alleged spies focus on specific areas of technical data related to naval vessels and systems. I wonder how many previous times the group's members took trips to China.

Companion post at Interested-Participant.

Posted by: Mike Pechar at 05:39 AM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
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Somewhere, an ABC News executive is weeping quietly. UN flags at mainstream media headquarters are flying at half-staff, and an Apple falls in the Gray Lady's orchard (profit yes, prophet no). There is no joy in Leftville, for the numbers don't pan out.

And now, a few results from the recent ABC News poll taken in Afghanistan [emphasis added]:

77 percent of Afghans say their country is headed in the right direction — compared with 30 percent in the vastly better-off United States. Ninety-one percent prefer the current Afghan government to the Taliban regime, and 87 percent call the U.S.-led overthrow of the Taliban good for their country. Osama bin Laden, for his part, is as unpopular as the Taliban; nine in 10 view him unfavorably.

Eighty-three percent of Afghans express a favorable opinion of the United States

Eighty-three percent of Afghans express a favorable opinion of the United States overall, similar to the 87 percent who call the U.S.-led overthrow of the Taliban a good thing.

85 percent of Afghans say living conditions there are better now than they were under the Taliban. Eighty percent cite improved freedom to express political views. And 75 percent say their security from crime and violence has improved as well. After decades of oppression and war, many Afghans see a better life.

Nine in 10 Afghans support girls' education and women voting, three-quarters support women holding jobs and two-thirds support women holding government office — remarkable in a country where the Taliban so thoroughly repressed such rights.

Eighty-three percent rate their overall living conditions positively, and ratings are nearly as high both for local schools and the availability of food. Just more than seven in 10 likewise say their security from crime and violence is good.

Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto.

Posted by: Bluto at 11:45 PM | Comments (12) | Add Comment
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The Jawa Report needs your help. Please go to HERE NOW and vote for Vince Aut Morire. You can vote once a day, so go back tomorrow.

I can't believe that other guy, who PUBLICLY delinked The Jawa, is winning! Here's a guy who claims to be classy and yet does the most unclassy thing a blogger can do. If you're going to take someone off your blogroll you should do so quietly.

I don't care if The Jawa wins our category because, frankly, I don't think we are the best conservative blog out there. However, I DO CARE if he wins. Besides, Vince Aut Morire is written by our own Mad Dog Vinnie! And I swear to Muhammed and his 72 virgins that if he wins then I will forever quit blogging!*

YIPES! from Vinnie Thank you Rusty, and thanks to all of you voting. However, Armies of Liberation (Jane) and Interested Participant (Mike Pechar) both post here as well, and our combined votes give the Jawa Report a comfortable lead.

So, in the interests of fairness, I will ask that you also vote for that other, classy blogger, in this category. Yanno, just to give 'em a fightin' chance.

thankyougoodnightweloveyouall more...

Posted by: Rusty at 06:33 PM | Comments (10) | Add Comment
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I had never heard of Blogniscient until I noticed a lot of referrals coming from them a couple of weeks ago. From time to time we at The Jawa Report do actual first-hand 'news', and these posts (or are they 'articles' when they're 'news'?) generate a lot of links. Unfortunately, most of the 'news' we bring is bad, and, unfortunately, in the last week or so there has been a lot of bad news of the kind we primarily cover.

So, it wasn't surprising to see that Blogniscient ranked several of our posts in the last few weeks as their 'Top Blog Article'. After all, we've had that distinction over at NZ Bear's TTLB dozens of times.

But 'Top Blog'? That's a stretch, isn't it? Well, not according to Blogniscient which ranks The Jawa Report 4th on their 'Top Blog' page. Only left-of-center blogs are ranked higher. And if you look at their 'Top Conservative Blogs' page you see something fascinating if not completely and utterly wrong: The Jawa Report is ranked the #1 conservative blog!! more...

Posted by: Rusty at 05:53 PM | Comments (14) | Add Comment
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Scroll down for updates.

Reports have begun circulating that Ronald Schulz has been murdered. The website used by The Islamic Army in Iraq, though, has not carried this message. Instead, it was posted at an Islamic bulletin board. It sometimes takes a few hours for these messages to become 'official'. We had earlier reported that the deadline had passed without word from the group.

The bloody, filthy, bastard vermin who did this should be hunted down and killed!

We will post the translated message, video, and images from it as soon as they are available.

MSNBC:

The Islamic Army in Iraq insurgent group said on Thursday it had killed a U.S. security consultant, according to an Internet statement.

The group said the man was killed because the U.S. government did not fulfil its demands, which included the payment of compensation to Iraqis affected by U.S. attacks.

Developing....

Yahoo has a translation of at least part of the statement posted here.

"War criminal (U.S. President George W.) Bush continues with his arrogance and no one has any value unless they serve his criminal interests, therefore the American security adviser pig at the Housing Ministry has been killed,"

White House press secretary Scott McClellan said he could not confirm the death and said he had no additional information on the matter. "Any time there is an American that is taken hostage it is a priority for the administration, and their safe return is a priority for the administration," he said.

Posted by: Rusty at 10:55 AM | Comments (73) | Add Comment
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UPDATE: An posting from the Islamic Armyin Iraq at an Islamic bulletin board claims that Ronald Schulz has been murdered. See this post for more information.
more...

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(Bangui, Central African Republic) It seems that even in the middle of the Dark Continent, broadcasters are subjected to censorship.

From ABC News:

Central African Republic has ordered radio and television stations to stop broadcasting songs which encourage men to dump their wives, saying such music is a hindrance to the country's development.

Broadcasters had been told not to play any music which might inspire Central African men to look for new partners if the ones they were married to no longer satisfied their needs, interim Communications Minister Fidele Ngoundgika said.

Posted by: Mike Pechar at 05:38 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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1 This is funny to me But, as much as I hate unneccessary censorship, I do appreciate the fact that they take lyrics seriously. I don't think people take seriously how much lyrics impact our thought patterns.

Posted by: Narnia Nerd at December 08, 2005 09:17 AM (rjg51)

2 Of cause people take the lyrics seriously - they just refuse to admit it. Right now, as I type, here in NY - there are all kinds of "rememberances" going on for John Lennon - and how much his "lyrics" affected their lives. Kinda wish someone would show up at one of these vigils with a boombox playing 50 cent.

Posted by: hondo at December 08, 2005 09:49 AM (3aakz)

3 I hate John Lennon and the dirt in which his filthy carcase is buried.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at December 08, 2005 03:38 PM (0yYS2)

4 Agent Jones says the French abandoned cannibal president Bokassa of that country and then abandoned the country. Agent Brown says land is cheap and Greyrooster should move there.

Posted by: Agent Smith at December 09, 2005 06:43 PM (6LOUW)

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A while back I posted about the immedia's unmasking of a leftist antiwar fabulist named Micah Wright who assumed the persona of a former Green Beret who had participated in the invasion of Panama, and used this stolen valor to berate and belittle pro-war bloggers. Turned out, the extent of Mr. Wright's service was kinda being in ROTC in college.

Over at Big Lizards, Sachi and Dafydd ab Hugh might have scented another Micah Wright. Watching the RAI crockumentary purporting to detail U.S. "atrocities" in Fallujah, their hackles were raised by the testimony of one Spc. Jeff Engelhardt, who says he served with "3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division in Baquba, Iraq" and who claimed to be an eyewitness to the use of White Phosphorus weapons to massacre civilians in the assault on Fallujah. (The documentary is linked from BL's post; I should point out that I haven't yet watched the whole thing and won't have time to do so until at least tomorrow night, so I'm relying on their description of Englehardt's evidence.)

The Lizards noticed several inconsistencies, both between different accounts by Engelhardt (some of which are on his antiwar milblog) and also in his misuse of military terminology. Some of the whoppers are things that even moderately informed civilians might catch, like calling Bradley Fighting Vehicles "tanks" and describing Apache helicopters armed with "chain gun missile launchers". (They're armed with Hughes chain guns, yes, and they're armed with missile launchers, but there's no such thing as a "chain gun missile launcher.")

But one of the strangest flubs he makes is hearing an order over the radio to use the WP--he tells the RAI crockumentarians:

And as they'd say, “In five [inaudible], we're going drop some Whiskey Pete.” “Roger. Commence bombing.” I mean, it just comes across the radio, and like, when you hear “Whiskey Pete,” that's the military slang.

Bullshit. Even I know it's called Willie Pete, or sometimes Willie Peter. But just to make sure, I googled "Whiskey Pete" and found two sorts of hits---
more...

Posted by: seedubya at 04:46 AM | Comments (26) | Add Comment
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1

I've been out of the Army since 1992, but the only slang that I remember for White Phosphorous is "Willie Pete". If they were going to call for it over the radio, they'd use "whiskey papa" which uses the correct phonetic alphabet for "WP".

Even so, I'd be surprised that they'd use voice to transmit a fire mission or that he'd be listening to that particular net.

Posted by: Mark A. Flacy at December 08, 2005 05:21 AM (Vrc8z)

2 Yeah, things don't add up with this guy. In fact the bulk of the transcript of the RAI "documentary" is a real head scratcher. In particular Engelhardt's description about how WP won't burn through clothes, but will burn right through a protective mask. Obviously cotton and polyester technology is much more advanced than I thought. Other point that's off is the narrator saying that tracers were used for illumination of enemy positions - huh? Mark's right about the radio discipline. Isn't the assumption that the enemy is listening in? So I doubt when calling in munitions, it would be done using a general transmission to everyone like Engelhardt describes.

Posted by: Graeme at December 08, 2005 07:11 AM (47jzq)

3 Things definitely don't seem to add up with Engelhardt. In fact the bulk of the RAI transcript is a real head scratcher. It's unbelievable (okay maybe not) that people jumped on this as fact. WP will burn through a rubber mask but will not burn clothes? Huh? Tracers being used for illumination? Huh? And that's just to name a few.

Posted by: Graeme at December 08, 2005 07:17 AM (47jzq)

4 Dammit, I hate it when comments suddenly come back from the dead like that.

Posted by: Graeme at December 08, 2005 07:18 AM (47jzq)

5 I too have been out of the US Cav since 1992, but IIRC, WP, or 'willie pete' was used to generate smoke. I do recall calling in smoke on arty strikes, but I can never recall one time using or hearing 'willie pete', 'whiskey papa', or WP to call in smoke rounds.

Posted by: Fersboo at December 08, 2005 09:16 AM (x0fj6)

6 The Winter Soldier parade/aspect of all this was evident early on. Its a fringe thing of the left. Thanks to the Internet and today's technology, it is a totally ineffective and idiotic approach - why some still attempt it says a ton about their own internal personalities and failings. RAI runs with it because they want to - if it blows up in their face - so what - they are playing to an Italian and European audience - no significant risk involved. The MSM here is leery about touching "them" - not because they don't want to - but the risks are enormous and embarrassing. So go for it Jeff! The reason he does it is to give him credibility for his crap. But strip away the credibility all he his left with is crap. Conservatives should remember - one of the reasons we are running the show (I think sometimes) not because there are so many of us - but because the left has has alienated and pushed so many others towards the right. So, come on left! Let's have another Winter Soldier repeat! We are ready for it! Come on Jeff - tell us about the orbital deathray platforms zapping Iraqi children by the tens of millions - the candies are locator beacons. Whiskey Tango Papa Mo Larry Curry Shabazz! And away we go!

Posted by: hondo at December 08, 2005 09:32 AM (3aakz)

7 fersboo Another Cav! Scouts out! Used WP for smoke - seen it used for LUM - and was taught how to use it for spot DEMO (usually on our own sensitive items left in place) - but that's about it.

Posted by: hondo at December 08, 2005 09:42 AM (3aakz)

8 Sometimes I have to wonder how so many people can be so stupid, and I actually have a hard time believing it, but they're either that stupid, or completely treasonous, neither of which is exactly forgivable, but especially the latter. I believe that unless the dhimmicrats lose massively in '06 and '08, and the MSM loses market share to an untenable extent, and America starts to straighten up, the butcher's bill will be heavy.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at December 08, 2005 11:05 AM (0yYS2)

9 Wright was a fake Army Ranger, not a fake Green Beret. For someone who's such a stickler for facts, maybe you should get yours straight? Besides, it was TWO FREAKING YEARS AGO. That's some hot news! Here's some other hot news: your President and Republican Congress is going to cut and run from Iraq by October of 2006, whether the job is finished or not.

Posted by: Late To Dinner at December 08, 2005 01:18 PM (T7Z7V)

10 I served with the First Infantry Division about a decade ago. My memory on the subject is somewhat fuzzy, but im dont recall First ID having a 3rd brigade.

Posted by: Jones at December 08, 2005 01:29 PM (jTpef)

11 Ooooops! sea-dubya made a boo-boo! A typo of a sort! How horrifying! Later to Dinner - What's Your Point (think there is a tie-in with lil' Jeffery E. on this board) My president - cut & run? - hardly - he's a rather obstinate kind of guy (you'd agreed on 99.9999% of everything else - right?) But don't worry! Now that YOUR behind us to stay the course he wouldn't dare! That is what your last line is saying - get the job done - right? Howard Dean! Is that you?

Posted by: hondo at December 08, 2005 01:33 PM (3aakz)

12 Ok my bad I guess they have had a third brigade since 1996. First ID has gone through some reorginization since my day. Well at least this guy is claiming to be from a real unit.

Posted by: Jones at December 08, 2005 01:44 PM (jTpef)

13 Late to Dinner can sell you some bird prints for all you bird watchers out there. They are most popular on his site along with the art decor....blah blah blah. Rusty, I don't know why the Jawa attracts those types. I guess because they have nothing else to do, the art business going to hell and all. Bush's fault, probably.

Posted by: jesusland joe at December 08, 2005 03:33 PM (rUyw4)

14 Boy that's a shock; a bedwetting, artsy-fartsy libtard making idiotic remarks on this blog. Never saw that coming. Hey Late, stick some of your art up your ass and take a picture of it, and you just might get an NEA grant.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at December 08, 2005 03:42 PM (0yYS2)

15 Checked out his site - well er, I am restoring a 120 yr old home and I am decorating - so if I check out and maybe buy some of his stuff ... you guys aren't going to give me a hard time now, are you?

Posted by: hondo at December 08, 2005 04:04 PM (3aakz)

16 Appropo of nothing: Whiskey Pete's is a wild west themed casino... in a castle. It has the Bonney & Clyde death car on display. It also has a decent wooden roller coaster.

Posted by: Leo at December 08, 2005 04:13 PM (8WK3z)

17 hondo, If I were you I would be careful with those decorators. They are real dangerous kinds of fellows and I wouldn't want something bad to happen to you, because hey, you're my favorite expert on pronouns. So watch your backside, hondo, and go to Home Depot for your decorating needs. A lot safer! HaHa!

Posted by: jesusland joe at December 08, 2005 04:19 PM (rUyw4)

18 Heck, I'm a reserve medic up here in the Great White North, and even I know that White Phosphorous isn't considered a chemical weapon. And this guy's saying it doesn't burn cloth but goes right through a rubber gasmask? Wow, must either be a real "smart" weapon, or must be some pretty high-end clothing... And "chain gun missile launchers"? Damn if that existed that would really wreck someone's day! I would have to say this guy is full of shit...

Posted by: LC CanForce 101 at December 08, 2005 11:29 PM (3smJS)

19 LC CanForce 101 Getting ready for bed - got a lot of snow shoveling to do tomarrow. If you get over to Gagetown anytime soon do me a favor. Go way up northwest where the rockhills are and shout "HEY MOOSE! GET THE HELL AWAY FROM THERE!" Few years back some nastyass bull ate a box of cookies my daughter baked for me and my cellphone! (OK - he bit it in half n' spit it out). I told that son of a bitch I'd come back for him one day.

Posted by: hondo at December 08, 2005 11:57 PM (3aakz)

20 See Dub: Whoops, one correction: we did not (thank goodness) actually sit through a viewing of that Italian documentary. We read through the partial transcript posted at the hard, hard Left radio show (to the point of being Communist) Democracy Now. We liked to their website, where the transcript can be found. Other than that, great writeup! Dafydd

Posted by: Dafydd at December 09, 2005 02:30 AM (9eKoE)

21 Agent Jones suspects Improbulus is a Chinese Butcher.

Posted by: Agent Smith at December 09, 2005 06:44 PM (6LOUW)

22 Hondo: I will definately yell at the mooses (is plural of moose, mooses or meece?) if I'm there, but I doubt I'll be out there anytime soon. Sorry about the cookies and cellphone, but at least you have a funny story to tell.

Posted by: LC CanForce 101 at December 10, 2005 04:02 AM (3smJS)

23 You choose your destination, you choose your schedule, you choose which ticket price suits YOU best airplane ticket and when youre finished, you complete the transaction, right from the comfort of your own home. http://airplane-ticket.dkmhosting.com/cheap-airplane-ticket.htm

Posted by: Mike at February 28, 2006 01:02 AM (KznTu)

24 The accountant may register a profit in the books but the sales may not be generating sufficient cash to replenish the cash outflows required winning in the cash flow business for the production and investment. http://cash-flow.100megsfree5.com/real-estate-cash-flow-note.htm

Posted by: Mike at March 04, 2006 04:12 AM (KznTu)

25 Parents might want to set a time limit, or attach Neopets playtime as a reward after chores neopets site web and homework. http://neopets-site-web.cafe150.com/top-site-neopets.htm

Posted by: Eric at March 05, 2006 12:36 AM (KznTu)

26 CEO, Matt Moog, had been elected to direct response marketing the Direct Marketing Association s Board of Directors for a three-year term. http://direct-response-marketing.kogaryu.com/direct-response-marketing.htm

Posted by: Mike at March 17, 2006 05:05 PM (K0jrF)

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Answers to some of the troubling questions about the Able Danger data-mining project can be found in this National Journal article posted at Govexec.com. In interviewing Erik Kleinsmith, the officer who destroyed the Able Danger electronic data, Shane Harris has managed to resurrect quite a bit of the short history of the Information Dominance Center, of which Able Danger was a part, and offers this explanation as to why the massive stores of data and analysis were destroyed:

In early 2000, in the midst of Able Danger, a lawyer with the Army's general counsel visited Kleinsmith. As Kleinsmith testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in September, the lawyer reminded him that under Army regulations, any data the IDC collected on U.S. persons -- even inadvertently -- had to be destroyed within 90 days. If analysts could establish a legitimate reason to investigate a person further, they could keep the corresponding data.

But with potentially tens of thousands of names, checking each one would have been impossible, Kleinsmith said. In the Pentagon briefing, Gandy concurred: "I don't think they had the capability to scrub it in the fashion that the oversight rules could live with."

Posted by: Bluto at 12:30 AM | Comments (9) | Add Comment
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Saddam and his cronies, not to mention the laplickers of the media, are all doing their level best to distract the rest of us from the real meaning of this trial.

If you find yourself getting lost in Saddam's antics, or Ramsey Clark's bullshit, or the media fawning, come back to this post and click below the fold for a dose of reality.

(gratuitous graphic image warning) more...

Posted by: Vinnie at 10:27 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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I posted about a hijacking in Colombia in September, here, though the link to the AP story is now expired.

It is an extremely violent society.

UPDATE: Which is pretty well irrelevant to this because the guy was a US citizen. Coming back from a mission trip to Ecuador.

This is tragic and I'm very sorry for his wife's loss. What an awful way to lose witness her husband's death, as she was unable to control him or make him calm down. But just as with another tragic mistake in England this summer, the policy is still the correct one. Here was a man running up and down the aisles claiming he had a bomb, and then he runs on to the jetway (toward the people in the boarding lounge at the other end) and reaches into his bag...

We have to shoot. We can't ignore those threats.

It was a very brave Air Marshal who tackled him. That guy was, as far as he knew, throwing himself on a grenade. I'm glad there are people in the air willing to take those risks for us.

Posted by: seedubya at 06:15 PM | Comments (13) | Add Comment
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1 It is an extremely violent society. See Dub, we're nominated for Best Conservative Blog, not Understatement of the Year. Heh.

Posted by: Vinnie at December 07, 2005 06:34 PM (Kr6/f)

2 Seems the guy was manodepressive and had a deathwish. How is anyone supposed to handle situations like that.

Posted by: V at December 07, 2005 08:49 PM (7ZsmI)

3 That Air Marshal deserves a cold beer. Hell, I would buy the bar a whole round (at least) in the Air Marshal's honor.

Posted by: Wine-aholic at December 07, 2005 08:54 PM (sH4J5)

4 Hell I'm manic/depressive or bipolar, what the hell ever you want to call it, and doing stupid crap like that isn't a characteristic symptom. Normally on a downswing it's either mad rage or depression, but not like running around screaming about a bomb, at least not if you don't have one. But that's another story.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at December 08, 2005 01:12 AM (0yYS2)

5 too bad it wasn't one of you Jawa supporters

Posted by: rusty sucks at December 08, 2005 08:05 AM (/3n/k)

6 No too bad it was not you Mr. Sucks coward with masked IP and fake email chickenshit dipwad punk peter puffer.

Posted by: Howie at December 08, 2005 08:41 AM (D3+20)

7 This shows again, that you people are sheep, and have much fear, to shoot an innocent, unarmed man, and then say it is the right policy. Be afraid. Very afraid. Whatever, you are still sheep.

Posted by: hurl at December 08, 2005 12:26 PM (0GkF1)

8 On the killing of Ronald Schulz the infidel occupier, and contractor soaked in blood money- "A tough decision but the right one" A beer for the marshall? No, string his ass up like they do on the bridges at Fallouja! Justice for Rigoberto!

Posted by: rusty sucks at December 08, 2005 01:39 PM (/3n/k)

9 Scotty! What the hell's the matter with that transporter! I said beam me up!

Posted by: hondo at December 08, 2005 01:42 PM (3aakz)

10 So far search for "justice for rigoberto" turned up just 2 child murderers (1 executed 1 pending) You guys on the left really got to get a professional PR guy!

Posted by: hondo at December 08, 2005 01:52 PM (3aakz)

11 What greg lacks in intelligence, he makes up for in stupidity.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at December 08, 2005 03:46 PM (0yYS2)

12 he never said he had a bomb http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1138965,00.html "I never heard the word bomb until the FBI asked me did you hear the word bomb. That is ridiculous."

Posted by: rigomartyrsbrigade at December 08, 2005 07:32 PM (bh1Uz)

13 rusty sucks: Your muslim mama is as ugly as the camel who humped her.

Posted by: greyrooster at December 09, 2005 08:56 AM (SHEau)

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Breaking news that a federal Air Marshal has shot a passenger disembarking in Miami from a flight from Columbia. Hat tip to several people, including Tim at Opinion Bug and Ron. More below. UPDATE: Tim at Opinion Bug is following story closely here. Reports suspect is DEAD. Check his site for updates. Update II: Malkin also following closely. more...

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A new video released by terrorists on an Islamic website today shows two of the four peace activists held hostage in Iraq in a scripted message asking for U.S. and U.K. troops to withdraw from Iraq. In the video, British hostage Norman Kember and American hostage Thomas Fox urge U.S. and U.K. withdrawal from Iraq several times, sometimes repeating themselves word for word.

Canadian hostages James Loney and Harmeet Singh Sooden are not seen on the video.

The Jawa Report has obtained a copy of the video (hat tip Tribeca). A transcript of the video and images from it are posted below. The video is being hosted by Laura Mansfield here in Real format and by Ogrish here (note: Ogrish's site has been revamped so that it is now safe for work) in .wmv format.

Although the group claiming to hold Kember calls itself 'The Swords of Truth Brigade', the website is linked to the Islamic Army in Iraq, the same group which has threatened to murder American civilian Ronald Schulz.

The hostages are seen blindfolded and in heavy chains. Like many other hostage videos, they are made to wear the orange jumpsuits reminiscent of Abu Ghraib. The video shows the hostages repeating their lines, sometimes in more than one take and at the direction of a voice heard offscreen.

Here is a transcript from the video:

American hostage Thomas Fox:

I'd like to offer my pleas to the people of America, not to the government of America--a plea for my release from captivity and also a plea for a release from captivity of all the people of Iraq. We are all suffering from the same fate, and that is the occupation of the American troops and the British troops which have brought me to this condition and has brought the Iraqi people to the condition they are in. So I would ask the people of America to do what they can to free us all from this captivity.

American hostage Thomas Fox in a second take:

We plea for my release from captivity and also a plea for the people of Iraq for the release from their captivity of the occupation of the American and British soldiers. We are all suffering the same fate, and the only way that we can all be free is for the American and British soldiers to leave Iraq as soon as possible.

British hostage Norman Kember:

I'm a Christian Peacemaker. I'm a friend of Iraq. I have been opposed to this war, Mr. Blair's war, since the very beginning. I ask of him now, and the British government, to do all that they can to work for my release and the release of the Iraqi people from oppression.

(Directed to say more from voice offscreen)

I have been opposed to the war, the British troops in Iraq, from the very beginning and I ask Mr. Blair, the British government, and the British people, to work both for my release and for the release of the Iraqi people from oppression.

(pans to two hostages, Norman Kember and Thomas Fox side by side, sounds of horn honking outside--end)

In response to the statements of the British Foreign Secretary

Praise be to Allah the Lord of the World, and prayers and peace to the Honest Prophet, and to his Family and his Companions:

And then:

So that all the world knows that we are standing by our legitimate demands and that we have heard the statements of the British Foreign Secretary, and so that we prove to the world that they are not serious in what they say, and so that we can show the liar who lies to the world, we extend the deadline for two more days to that the world can see the difference between the truthful ones and the liars.

The Sword of Righteousness Brigades

What is equally disturbing is the fact that the hostages probably believe every word they say. The video was every bit as predictable in it's content as it was disturbing.

UPDATE: I've been asked how to interpret the video. The images on the video are disturbing. Orange jumpsuits are often used by terrorist organizations in beheading and other snuff videos they produce. The shackles are also disturbing in that they are there to server as a symbol of humiliation.

The blindfolds are also very disturbing. If you remember the Giuliana Sgrena videos, she looked right into the camera as she cried.

So, the visuals tell the story that these hostages lives are indeed in danger.

However, what is being said is very different than what one would expect if the terrorists really were serious with their threats. Usually the hostages plea for their lives, but these are only told to plea for their release.

Speculating that their lives are not really in danger, though, is a luxery pundits have and that intelligence officials do not have. They must, out of necessity, treat the hostages as if their lives were immediately in danger because to assume otherwise, and be wrong, is too risky.

More images below. more...

Posted by: Rusty at 02:18 PM | Comments (57) | Add Comment
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Terrorist media outlet Al Jazeera still has this story posted on their website passing on al Qaeda second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahiri's instructions to his terrorist minions:

Al-Qaida deputy chief Ayman al-Zawahiri has said in a video posted on a website that the network's leader Osama bin Laden is alive and leading the jihad against the West.

In a bid to play down US claims of achieving progress in the "war on terror", al-Zawahiri said al-Qaida was expanding, spreading and getting stronger, and called on supporters to attack oil sites in Muslim countries.

Al-Jazeera said a videotape it aired Wednesday showing Al-Qaeda number two Ayman al-Zawahiri claiming that bin Laden was still alive and leading "jihad" or holy war against the West dated back to September.

In the tape, Al-Jazeera said Zawahiri also called for attacks on oil installations, remarks that sent oil prices higher on international markets.

"We got the videotape in September, and back then we aired what we thought were the important parts," Al-Jazeera editor-in-chief Ahmad Sheikh told AFP.

"There was a misunderstanding today, and we aired these extracts today by mistake."

Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto.

UPDATE by Rusty Shackleford: Al Jazeera lies, MSM eats it up and reports as fact. U.S. tells truth, MSM skeptical of claims. See anything perverse here?

Posted by: Bluto at 11:40 AM | Comments (11) | Add Comment
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Our thoughts and prayers are with Rusty and Howie after their unfortunate incident last night. The video is very long, but I think it clearly shows that their families will have a good case for a Storm Trooper brutality suit.

Meanwhile, somewhere in deepest Jersey, mystery blogger Ace of Spades finally goes public with his own domestic troubles. He's been talking some on his own site about the battle of the sexes, but I never realized he was living it at home. Ace is just trying to cultivate some awareness of issues and she just doesn't care.

Posted by: seedubya at 06:20 AM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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Rusty's too polite to make a big deal out of this but that's why he has guest bloggers. The weblog awards are being voted upon this week and the Jawa Report needs your help for best conservative blog. How many other blogs on that list actually, umm, do something, umm, take down posts about terrorists, because, umm...whatever it was Rusty did here?

It'll take you two seconds and it's nice for Rusty to get noticed. So start out here and vote for the Jawa. If everyone with posting rights at the Jawa actually votes we'll win in a walk.

Best Humor/Comics blog? The Hatemonger's Quarterly and Iowahawk are very different but both frickin' hilarious. Throw 'em a bone here. (Problem here is that there are so many good conservative humor spots it's splitting the righty vote up. So maybe help whoever's ahead.)

Best Group Blog? No question, it's the Brothers Judd. Great aggregators and a huge output of interesting stuff. Click here.

There are more recommendations with links below the fold. (I'm just going to use this post to vote every day). This must be irritating to casual blog browsers but do remember: the blogosphere runs on applause and attention. Thanks in advance for your support. more...

Posted by: seedubya at 04:22 AM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
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The results are perhaps not what mainstream media expected in a new AP/Ipsos poll about the use of torture to interrogate terrorists. With all the recent stories about alleged torture and abuse of al Qaeda prisoners, and the CIA "renditions" of terrorist suspects, it seemed that the MSM had succeeded in creating a hostile environment for any sort of aggressive interrogation. Not so, according to the poll, though some major outlets are shading what they report to put the best face on the results. MSNBC and ABC run with the AP feed:

WASHINGTON - Most Americans and a majority of people in Britain, France and South Korea say torturing terrorism suspects is justified at least in rare instances, according to AP-Ipsos polling.

CBS and Fox have not reported on the poll. more...

Posted by: Bluto at 01:01 AM | Comments (11) | Add Comment
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Tim Blair has the details, and a bit of what seems like gloating.

Apparently Margo Kingston, a frequent target of Tim Blair's scorn, had tried to swing it as an independent web journalist--one pushing a leftist agenda. As much as I'd like to see that sort of independent journalism succeed and be financially viable, I'm glad to know the fine citizens of Australia weren't receptive to her anti-American, anti-Howard politics.

Posted by: seedubya at 12:14 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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