UPDATE: Initial reports proved wrong. Scroll down for critical corrections and information. The Judge was named Parwiz Muhammad Mahmoud al-Merani and he was killed along with his son, a prosecutor in for the tribunals, Aryan Mahmoud al-Merani. It has also been revealed that he was a leading member of the PKU, one of the two major Kurdish parties that fought against the Hussein regime.
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Posted by: Rusty at 09:49 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Thanks to the Sanity Inspector who points out this MSN review of Natalie Portman's Oscar night clothes. What was she wearing? 'Jawa Cloaks'. It looks like she got my care package after all.

Posted by: Rusty at 09:33 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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Friends, it's not about the hits. No, it's about THE TRUTH. And not just any truth, the IMPORTANT TRUTH. You want THE TRUTH, than why aren't you reading Wonkette? The New York Times, CNN, ABC News, and CBS all agree that Wonkette is an important blogger.

I mean today's important posts reveal that the Jenna Bush, er, bush shot was not really Jenna Bush. So that bush you thought was Bush's was some one elses, er, bush.

For the life of me I've no idea why the MSM pays attention to this Joan Rivers of the blogosphere.

Posted by: Rusty at 09:16 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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Jeff Goldstein does the interview of the century...with Jeff Gannon's, er, well, you know, his thingy.

But isn't the real question for Gannon's pet rooster "How did you bring down the regime in Lebanon? You know, since you're like all-powerful and all."

This calls for some Gannon-bell! more...

Posted by: Rusty at 08:46 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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The Associated Press has just reported that an FBI witness testifying in the bail hearing of the would-be presidential assassin, Ahmed Omar Abu Ali, heard the terror suspect confess his al Qaeda connections on numerous occasions.

Further, FBI agent Barry Cole testified that Abu Ali is an admitted member of al Qaeda. Cole testified that Abu Ali had also discussed with his al Qaeda associates the possibility of another 9-11 style attack either in the United States and that (Reuters):

"Once into U.S. territories they would fly into designated targets," he said.

Abu Ali also discussed killing U.S. congressmen, soldiers and blowing up naval ships in American ports, Cole said.

This would mesh with earlier reports made here that Ali was raised in a household that supported the Muslim Brotherhood. The Muslim Brotherhood is a world-wide movement dedicated to the restoration of the Islamic Caliphate. The teachings of the mosque attended by Abu Ali in his youth would have indoctrinated him to believe that the Saudi government had corrupted 'true Islam' and was a front for Zionist and Crusaders.

Lawyers for Ahmed Omar Abu Ali are scheduled to testify later today. more...

Posted by: Rusty at 04:29 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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Dean admits there is a crisis in Social Security.

Posted by: Rusty at 03:28 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Slightly used Mercedes for sale.

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Jose Padilla has been held as an 'enemy combatant' for over 2 years now. It's time to charge him with something. Releasing him, of course, is not an option.

NYT:

A federal district judge in South Carolina ruled Monday that President Bush had greatly overstepped his authority by detaining an American citizen as an enemy combatant for nearly three years without filing criminal charges. The judge, Henry F. Floyd, ruled that the government must release the American, Jose Padilla, within 45 days from the military brig in Charleston, S.C., where he has been held since June 2002. That left the Bush administration time to appeal, and a Justice Department spokesman, John Nowacki, said officials immediately decided to do so.

Yes, the Bush Administration should have to prove it, but in a military tribunal not in a civilan court.

Much of the evidence against Padilla--his own statements, the statements of other captured al Qaeda operatives, information provided by intelligence agents--either would not be admissable in a civilian court or could not be presented without compromising intelligence assets. A military tribunal, by contrast, could admit such evidence and would not be obligated to share it with Padilla or his lawyer.

[Update: Never blog on an empty stomache. Seriously, I'm on a Snickers diet. No joke. Just replace one meal a day with Snickers and you lose the weight. Do you think I could get that same deal that Jarred has going with Subway? The post has been changed to reflect a now Snickers full stomache]

When you engage in military actions against the US you ought to be treated as an enemy. The last time I checked the Geneva Convention allowed captured non-uniformed combatants caught engaged in acts of sabatoge to be put to death. Even when those combatants are domestic citizens.

Let's see how Padilla enjoys an old-fashioned firing squad.

James Joyner and Steve the Poliblogger are obviously thinking about ex Parte Milligan when they argue that US citizens must be tried in a civilian court. The rule does not apply to US citizens engaged in insurrection against the US. The difference being that Padilla was actually involved in military actions (ie, he is a combatant) vs. Milligan who was only engaged in drumming up support for the Southern cause (ie, he was a non-combatant).

Posted by: Rusty at 01:16 PM | Comments (11) | Add Comment
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A very interesting Newsday article discusses the nature of the Iraqi insurgency and speculates on the whereabouts of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. The main thrust of the article is that Zarqawi is not nearly as central to the insurgency as many believe. The main leadership of the insurgency is a revised Baathist party. Buried in the report is this interesting piece of information:

Most of the communication between various militant groups, including al-Zarqawi and his supporters, is done through Internet cafes. "Telephone communications in Iraq are difficult," Majid said, "but the Internet is everywhere and it is difficult to track."

If US Intelligence truly wishes to fight the global jihad, then these forums must be shut down. Whether or not we use legal injunctions or covert cyber-attacks, it does not matter. What matters is that the main tool for terrorist communications must be broken.

It might be argued that the Intelligence community allows these forums to continue operation as a source of tracking the terrorist networks. If this is the case then US Intelligence operations are operating in a pre-911 law enforcement mode. Disrupting the capability of terrorist cells is far more important than capturing any single terrorist. This is not a law enforcement exercise we are engaged in, this is war.

Posted by: Rusty at 12:51 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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The following people get a fatwa:

Vince Aut Morire for supporting Zionist-Crusader forces.

Tim for revealing mujahadin funding source.

No Easy Answers for mocking Syrian umma brothers.

Six Meat Buffet for calling UBL 'terrorist'. No, Bush is terrorist!

Sortapundit for trying to oust brother Oliver Willis.

Confederate Yankee for support of criminal Bush.

Trey Jackson for lying Howard Dean video--all Americans bad!!

Reliapundit for harem reference to 'long' and 'Saddam' in same sentence.

Pirate's Cove for waging war on innocent mujahadin.

Secure Liberty for support of American censoring FCC.

Interested Participant for discussion of harem 'uncomfortable' sex.

Hyscience for objecting to legitimate communications from innocent mujahadin.

Posted by: Rusty at 12:48 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Yesterday we reported that an American child was rescued from his kidnappers in Iraq [earlier story here]. The boy's name is Hussein al-Saadi. The ten year old boy is an American citizen and was taken hostage two weeks ago in Basra, Iraq. Yesterday, the Iraqi police discovered the boy and arrested his captors.

The above AP photo via (Daily Tribune) shows young Hussein al-Saadi pointing at his captors, now in custody. Not so tough now, eh?

Posted by: Rusty at 12:30 PM | Comments (10) | Add Comment
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Is this Jeff Gannon / James Guckert at an illegal anti-Syrian protest in Beirut, Lebanon? But I thought the homophobic GOP was about anything but freedom? The tentacles of KKKarl Rove's VRWC run deep. More photos from Lebanon here. (hat tip: Steve, Ace, Bill)

HINT: Check out the shirt.

UPDATE: Guckert was "a plant" by the Bush administration...!!!!

UPDATE II: Jeff Gannon speaks about his role in the Lebanese revolution. No, seriously. Here is an interview with Jeff Gannon at Lifelike Pundits.

Posted by: Rusty at 11:57 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Ahmed Omar Abu Ali, the 'Rosa Parks' of the Muslim-American community, is scheduled to appear before a federal judge today for a bail hearing. So what is the MSM saying about the man who plotted to assassinate the President of the United States? Daniel Pipes in today's Front Page Mag: more...

Posted by: Rusty at 11:35 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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This week's Bonfire of the Vanities is up, and it's written in an ambic iambic pentameter style. Too high brow? Think Snoop Dogg meets Alfred, Lord Tennyson--biyatches.

Posted by: Rusty at 09:15 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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DrewB comes up with some funny schtick over at a conservative bulletin board as he fantasizes what would happen if the left and right blogosphere got together for a conference. My favorite part?

Rusty Shackleford: Hey Kos, Yoda did a survey that says 47% of blog readers know your mother!

Willis: Racist! [read the rest]

Posted by: Rusty at 08:48 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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French journalist Florence Aubenas has appeared in a new video pleading for her life. Unlike other hostage videos, no clear demands were reportedly made for her release.

She is described in the video as looking in poor health and her clothing filthy. The one-minute video is in English. Al Jazeera reports Ms. Aubenas as saying:

My name is Florence Aubenas. I'm French. I'm a journalist with Liberation....

Please help me. My health is very bad. I'm very bad psychologically also...

I ask particularly for the help of the French deputy Didier Julia. Help me Mr Julia, help me. It's urgent.

Because Florence Aubenas comes from a country that opposed the war in Iraq, it is presumed that her captors are simply seeking ransom. Common criminals and terrorist groups have resorted to hostage taking as a way of funding their activities in Iraq.

(Image: AFP)

Posted by: Rusty at 08:14 AM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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