February 02, 2005

State of the Union to Feature Sharansky's Philosophy

I have long been an admirer of Natan Sharansky. It seems I am in good company.

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Jesse Jackson to Intervene on Behalf of US Hostage Roy Hallums

Unfortunately for the family, I do not believe that the Rev. Jackson's intervention will greatly affect the release of Roy Hallums [background on Roy Hallums here]. We are not dealing with heads of state here but either a) Islamofascist terrorists or b) common thugs bent on getting money. The latter seems more likely.

Jackson ought to be applauded for his efforts despite the slim chance of success. Let's hope and pray this can make some difference.

AP:

The Rev. Jesse Jackson will try to help negotiate the release of a kidnapped American contractor who was snatched in Baghdad three months ago and recently appeared pleading for his life at gunpoint.

Susan Hallums, 52, turned to the founder and president of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition after calling on politicians and President Bush to help free her ex-husband, Roy Hallums, 56, who was kidnapped Nov. 1 at his office with another man.

"I feel so drained, and this has given me more strength again to have more hope and faith," she said.

The United States government has a policy of not negotiating with terrorists or insurgents.

Jackson, who has successfully secured the release of hostages on several occasions since the 1980s, said he was confident the captors would cooperate.

"We hope that the captors will pick up on the spirit of what has happened the last few days in Iraq and not use Roy as a trophy," Jackson said, referring to Sunday's election in Iraq. "While our government can't negotiate, someone who can ought to."

Jackson said he will appeal to religious leaders who know the hostage takers.

Libyan President Moammar Gadhafi has already called for Roy Hallums release. It is not clear what appeal Jackson, an infidel, would have with 'religious leaders' that Arab statesmen would not.

Susan has been hitting all the media she can to try and get Roy's plight some publicity. I'm not sure what more we can do other than offer our moral support to her and her family. Any one with media connections or their own blog might also help by keeping Roy in the headlines. Below is a picture Susan sent me at an interview with Paula Zahn on CNN. From left to right: Carrie Hallums Cooper, Paula Zahn, Susan Hallums.

h/t: Chad Evans

Related: Terrorists Release Video of American Hostage Roy Hallums, Tribute to American Hostage Roy Hallums, Remembering the Forgotten American Hostages in Iraq

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February 01, 2005

Washington Post, 1944: UN Finds No Genocide in Germany

Feb. 1, 1944 Washington Post story: U.N. Panel Finds No Genocide in Germany but Urges Tribunals (printer friendly version)

Linked at OTB

*Hint

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Still Not Gay

*

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The First-Best Option

by Demosophist

A link to an article in a left-leaning paper, in a left-leaning area of a left-leaning country, sent to me today by a left-leaning friend. In his words: "All I want is a good outcome. I don't have to have been right."

Admit It: Bush Was Right About Iraq. Excerpt:

But on the defining, fundamental question, Bush was right.

He understood that to defeat an idea, no matter how perverse and brutal it might be, it was necessary to have an opposite and superior idea.

He understood, in other words — instinctively rather than intellectually — that the only way to win a war against terrorism was to turn it into a war for democracy.

This is now happening. Against the quest of ordinary Iraqis for dignity and self-respect and freedom, the terrorists in Iraq had nothing ultimately to offer, except blood and hatred.

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

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More Hoaxes: Experts Doubt Authenticity of British Plane Downing Video

This is an archive page. For the latest news about communiques and videos coming from terrorists in Iraq, please go to the MAIN PAGE HERE.
--------------------

First, the Jawa report debunked Ansar al-Islam's claim to have downed a British plane yesterday. Then, we help the blogosphere debunk the claim that the Mujahideen Squadrons captured a US soldier in Iraq today. (Incidentally, both claims were made on the same Islamist bulletin board, meaning whoever is behind the claims speaks Arabic.) Today, there is word that the video released by the 1920 Revolution's Brigade and shown on al Jazeera, of the British C-130 being shot down is also a hoax.

AFP in Turkish Press:

Francis Tusa, editor of Defence Analysis, said the footage contained numerous discrepancies, noting that it was taped in broad daylight while the crash took place early evening.

There was also no direct image of the supposed attack, simply three different clips edited together. One showed a finger pressing a button to launch a rocket, followed by a fireball and finally the wreckage of what was alleged to be the British plane.

"At the moment there is no evidence they have shown that shows that is the RAF aircraft," Tusa told AFP.

If the militants had really put all the camera gear in place, you would have expected to see more of the action, he said.

"The other thing is that it took them over a day to get that video out, which we think was because they were taking time to try to edit footage to make it look right."

The wreckage of an engine shown in the film could have come from a Hercules but "it also bears some similarity to a large helicopter engine," said Tusa, referring to a Sea Stallion such as the one that crashed in Iraq last month, killing all 31 US marines aboard.

Allahu-akhbar!!!

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Terrorists Threaten to Behead US Soldier John Adam (Update: HOAX!!)

johnadam.jpgWe will post video as soon as it becomes available. Reuters:

A little-known Iraqi insurgent group said on Tuesday it was holding a U.S. soldier and threatened to kill him within 72 hours if Iraqi prisoners were not released, according to an Internet statement.
"Our mujahideen ... have managed to capture the American soldier John Adam after killing a number of his colleagues," said the Mujahideen Squadrons in the undated statement.

It carried a picture appearing to show a U.S. soldier sitting in front of a black banner with a rifle pointed at his head. The authenticity of the claim, which did not say where the man was seized, could not be verified.

"We will cut his throat in 72 hours if our male and female prisoners in the occupation jails are not released," it said.

A group using the same name, Mujahideen Squadrons, last month claimed responsibility for the kidnapping of a Brazilian engineer in Iraq.

Developing....

Update: Kevin Aylward chimes in

If you think that there's something odd about the picture you're not alone. My bullshit meter went off immediately. The size of the head looks all wrong, like the picture was created in Photoshop.
Let me just ad this: Why isn't the "terrorist" holding an AK-47?? Let's hope Kevin's hunch is right....

Update II: Evan Kohlman writes:

1.) The soldier is seen seated in front of the trademark rising sun banner of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's Al-Qaida faction in Iraq. Yet, this was not the group that took credit for the kidnapping. In fact, no credible representative from Zarqawi's group has yet taken credit for this kidnapping.
2.) As pointed out by several colleagues, the boots and uniform worn by "John Adam" are not U.S. military issue. For that matter, where is John Adam's name patch on his uniform?
UPDATE III: CNN (h/t: Venom)
Marks, a retired Army general, said he has several questions about the photograph's authenticity.

A flak jacket the man is wearing in the picture has an unfamiliar kind of piping or trim along its edges, Marks said. The man's open-legged pants, as opposed to gathered hems, seem odd, he said.

Marks also questioned what appeared to be camouflage paint on the man's face. "We have not used camo paint with conventional forces serving in Iraq," Marks said.

UPDATE IV: Bloggers expose the hoax!!! I knew this was a fake, but a freaking G.I. Joe doll???

Click for bigger image

I'm happy to have been in on this expose from the beginning. Jeff Quinton has a good run down of the progression, starting with Kevin Aylward, my own, and Evan Kohlman's (who e-mailed me early about the hoax and who will be on MSNBC's Keith Olbermann @ 8:00 p.m.) questions. Others involved in the expose seem to be Michelle Cantalano (who gives the credit to Total Farkers).

Something seemed fishy from the start. I started looking through my photo archives to see if I could match the banner. Unfortunately I had this thing called 'a job' where I had to be in class to 'teach'. Damn, the blogosphere works fast!!

UPDATE V:

Note to self:

Calculate probability that the hoax was generated by an American--very likely because this is, after all, a G.I. Joe doll.

Next, calculate probability that an American would have the wherewithall to post the 'hostage photo' at a website run entirely in Arabic---hmm, very unlikely.

Last, calculate probability that the culprit is an Arab-American..........

All the blogs below are also on the story. I got to hand it to Preston Taylor Holmes, Ace, Powerline, and
GOP & the City for making reality even funnier.

(h/t: Jeff Quinton & M.H. King)

Others: Wizbang, Moderate Voice, Counterterrorism, OTB, ITB, SondraK, Ace, Instapundit, M. H. King, Cynical Nation, Blogs for Bush, Charles Johnson, and a billion more......

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Jihadi Love Mail from UK

Here's a first at the Jawa. In the past reader love mail has ranged from supporting the actions of terrorists to the occasional death threat. Reader 'kaka' writes and tells me--among other things--that he will be joining the Mujahadin in Iraq this summer. What other amazing things do my Jedi powers tell me about 'kaka'? Well, he logged in from the City of Westminister College in London, where he is presumably a student (WARNING: Foul Language): more...

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Egypt Attempts Cover Up of Christian Murders in New Jerssey

In yesterday's Religion of Peace Update we told you of a website where Muslims were tracking Christians who had the cajones to speak out against repressive Islam. Today, more info from Robert Spencer who has the exclusive:

A close friend of Hossam Armanious and relatives of the family murdered in New Jersey [background info here] have revealed the following:

Shortly after the murders, members of the Egyptian consulate went to visit the family to encourage them to keep quiet. And many family members have obeyed, saying nothing to reporters or anyone else....

Though the family wants to reserve judgment until the results of the case are released, they did say that the way the four family members were bound and gagged and the way their throats were slit with holes carved is similar to executions that are shown on al-Jazeera. The American public is not aware of this because the details of the executions are not often described in news accounts.

The Egyptian government goes out of its way to put on a secular face. The myth they attempt to reinforce is of the happy Christian community in Egypt. While the government officially denies it, persecution of Christians is routine in Egypt.

Thus, it comes as no surprise that the Egyptian government wants to keep reports of a possible religiously motivated mass murder out of the headlines of American newspapers. That, after all, would not look good for the Religion of Peace. I'm paraphrasing here but remember: It is better to look good than to be good.

(h/t: Tim at Opinion Bug) more...

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