I don't know why this is "news" anymore. John from Stop the ACLU also notes that this particular lawyer has a track record of representing Hamas. Typical.

Two civil liberties groups filed legal briefs this week in support of a Virginia man accused of helping to fund Mideast terrorists, arguing that federal agents had no right to search his home without a warrant in 1993. [More]

Posted by: Rusty at 08:59 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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Please don't bother my co-bloggers anymore. You're more than welcome to continue to email me though, I think you're a laugh riot.

Anyway, I forgot to add this to my reply to you; I'm sorry you can't find your stapler, but I didn't take it.

Posted by: Vinnie at 05:47 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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Jose Padilla has pleaded 'not guilty' to charges of conspiring to murder Americans with a 'dirty bomb'. Personally I'm glad Padilla is no longer being held as an enemy combatant and will now be put into 'the system'. He'll make some big inmate a mighty fine catch, if you get what I mean. I have a feeling being a nuclear terrorist isn't going to go over too well in federal pound-me-in-the-ass prison. more...

Posted by: Rusty at 05:17 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Personally, I'd take the porn-star option. But that's just me.

Acting teacher recommends terrorism as a way to 'break in' to showbiz. more...

Posted by: Rusty at 05:03 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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1 I know of him vaguely - he's a loony - which is probably why he's an Intel Officer (as I'm currently an Intel NCO - we have to keep our eyes on these guys!). His material is part put-on and part tongue-in-cheek serious (weird huh). He's OK - don't read too much into the newswire piece. Hey! This is NY! There aren't too many conservatives around here, so we tend to get a lil' odd sometimes. (yeah - he's passable for a conservative). Believe he's back home now from Iraq tour - some of my E8 buddies were hooked up with him in Tikrit - think most of the 42nd has rotated back. Intel joke- Intel Officer say to Intel NCOIC ... Hey! If I'm in charge, how come you have all the keys, the combinations to the safes, n' get to keep two full 9mm magazines in your desk draw? Intel NCOIC ... You say something Sir? Cup of coffee? Its fresh.

Posted by: hondo at January 12, 2006 09:14 PM (3aakz)

2 How can u say "don't read much into the report"?? He said you should be a terrorist. That is only a small part of the article. In the full article which is linked to at the top, it gives a link to his old site and I loaded it up and his list which said "By Monroe Mann' on it at the top said you should be a terrorist, become a pornstar, get arrested and some other stupid stuff just like the report said. He doesn't seem to be "OK" like you suggest. Youre just sticking up 4 him as he's in the army like you. I've never heard anybody tell people to be terrorists or criminals to get ahead. Evn if it was meant to be tounge in cheek (which I doubt it was if you read up more about him) then it is still an incredibly stupid thing to say, especially coming from an army person. What sort of person in New York city would go around telling people to be terrorists? He should be locked up.

Posted by: dale at January 13, 2006 04:47 AM (TbDdZ)

3 Obviously you don't know when your being put on.

Posted by: hondo at January 13, 2006 10:24 AM (3aakz)

4 Put on? Check it out! It is real. Monroe Mann exists. His suggestions to actors exists. His own website monroemann.com has a big banner saying "Oscard bound" on it.

Posted by: dale at January 13, 2006 01:37 PM (E3X9v)

5 I don't get it - what's your point? I told you his comments were a gag.

Posted by: hondo at January 13, 2006 06:34 PM (3aakz)

6 Hi, sorry I thought you meant the story was a gag. Sorry for that.

Posted by: dale at January 14, 2006 07:22 AM (cnMaw)

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Probably victims of Ijaw extremists (who are animists and Christians), but there is a growing Islamist movement in Nigeria as well with its accompanying violence. Nigeria is proof that oil has a terrible track record at making nations wealthy.

UPDATE: Regular commenter Jesusland Joe informs me that his cousin works for Shell in Nigeria. If any one learns of the name of the hostage, please e-mail me. We pray that this hostage will be released unharmed. UPDATE II: Jesusland Joe has confirmed his cousin is o.k.

Washington Post:

Gunmen stormed an offshore oil platform run by Royal Dutch Shell in Nigeria and kidnapped four foreign workers, including an American, while apparent sabotage ruptured a pipeline at a facility processing 106,000 barrels of crude daily, officials said Thursday.

Gunmen in three boats seized the workers from a support vessel attached to the oil platform Wednesday, Shell spokesman Andy Corrigan said in London.

Military spokesman Maj. Said Hameed said the four included an American, a Bulgarian, a Briton and a Honduran, and "efforts are being made to secure their release."

In a separate incident, a major pipeline feeding Shell's Forcados oil export terminal ruptured overnight at Brass Creek, forcing the company to stop production of 106,000 barrels of oil daily, Shell said.

A Shell spokesman in Lagos said the pipeline exploded, though details were sketchy. In December, a major Shell pipeline was blown up by unknown attackers, forcing the company to shut down large volumes of crude oil.

Posted by: Rusty at 04:55 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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The final word on the Alito hearings.

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I'd be a lot happier if he had got more than seven years, but this is Germany which is still in Europe. We'll take what we can get, when we can get it. Via Chad at ITB who also notes the Spaniards got another one, this from ADNKI:

An Iraqi man has been sentenced to seven years by a German court for helping smuggle suicide bombers from Europe to his native country in what is considered a landmark ruling. Amin Lokman Mohamed, 31, was convicted by Munich judge, Bernd von Heintschel-Heinegg, of "belonging to a terrorist association and recruiting militants to send to Iraq."

Mohamed, from Iraqi Kurdistan, was arrested by the German police in 2003, while living in Munich. He denied belonging to the radical Islamic group Ansar al-Islam, which is believed linked to the al-Qaeda network and considered responsible for countless attacks against US troops in Iraq, but admitted collecting funds and recruiting jihadis in Europe.

During the trial, the court was presented with transcripts of hundreds of tapped phone conversations, in which Mohamed allegedly organised for the transfer of young men from Europe to Iraq and of others from his homeland to Germany and Britain.

Posted by: Rusty at 01:44 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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From Heinrich Isaac, who's IP tracks to Northop Grumman, one of America's leading defense contract companies, and who decided to e-mail every single one of us at The Jawa Report in response to an earlier post on a new Polygamy law in Malaysia which would allow husbands to take their wives property if divorced. Besides wasting government contract money surfing the web, Heinrich Isaac is also a moron unable to distinguish between a 'religion' and a 'race' and unable to distinguish between what my relative (who is from Malaysia) and I think.

Not content with writing us an insulting e-mail, he then threatens us not to respond. If you are a glutton for punishment, or maybe into S&M, you will find the letter below marginally interesting. more...

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Warning: Possible eye burning and/or unresolved feelings of confusion below. more...

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Image via Link Mecca

Another haj, another stampede. Or, as Charles Johnson is deeming it, the "annual human sacrifice". Here is what al Jazeera has to say about the annual incident:

Hamad bin Abdullah al-Manei, Saudi Arabia's health minister, said: "So far, the number of confirmed death is 345 and the number of injured in hospital is 289."

Al-Maneh said the stampede was caused by "unruly pilgrims, and a problem of luggage."

"Today, just after sunset, there was a big rush among the pilgrims which led a group of them to be killed or wounded."

Posted by: Rusty at 11:49 AM | Comments (40) | Add Comment
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People who need to STFU:

Pat Robertson. Every time you open your mouth, you score one for Satan. Shut up and quit telling everyone they deserve what they got you idiot.

Ted Kennedy. I could expound on this one for a while, but I'm just sick of his fat, pompus ass.

Lindsey GrahamNearly everyone on the judicial committee. If you're being mean enough to make a woman cry, and you aren't eve talking TO that woman, then you need to reconsider what you're saying.

Ray Nagin. You're an idiot. You've been an idiot forever, but Katrina really brought it out in you. You've got a snowball's chance in hell of getting reelected because the people that didn't hate you before certainly do now. Shut up and go out with a little dignity already.

Chuck Schumer. The sky is falling! The sky is falling!

Arnold Schwarzenegger. If you weren't the Terminator, no one would even notice the fact that you're Governor. I thought you ran as a Republican?

Judge Edward Cashman. The problem, you idiot, is that if you let him go, he's NOT going to get help, he's going to go rape more children. If that doesn't bother you, maybe we should lock the two of you up together and he can rape you for four years. Maybe then you'll have a different outlook on your sentencing.

I'm sure there are more, but I have to get back to work.

Update: OK. Thanks for the update on Graham. I'll admit I got hasty on that one.

Posted by: Drew at 11:19 AM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
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We've heard periodic reports of native terrorists fighting foreign terrorists in Iraq, but this report via Captain Ed is odd news, if true. The Islamic Army in Iraq is not just another 'insurgent' group. These are your hardcore headchoppers, hostage-takers, and civilian murderers.

These are the guys who recently murdered American civilian Ronald Schulz, and who have been implicated in the hostage taking of four Western peace activists. The group has, in fact, cooperated with al Qaeda in various operations in the past.

If The Islamic Army in Iraq has begun to fight with al Qaeda, then I'm afraid it is more likely a turf war than anything else. The news that other groups, which are more nationalist in orientation, though, fighting against al Qaeda, is probably more accurate. Der Spiegel:

According to an American and an Iraqi intelligence official, as well as Iraqi insurgents, clashes between Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia and Iraqi insurgent groups like the Islamic Army and Muhammad's Army have broken out in Ramadi, Husayba, Yusifiya, Dhuluiya and Karmah.

In town after town, Iraqis and Americans say, local Iraqi insurgents and tribal groups have begun trying to expel Al Qaeda's fighters, and, in some cases, kill them.

In October, the two insurgents said in interviews, a group of local fighters from the Islamic Army gathered for an open-air meeting on a street corner in Taji, a city north of Baghdad.

Across from the Iraqis stood the men from Al Qaeda, mostly Arabs from outside Iraq. Some of them wore suicide belts. The men from the Islamic Army accused the Qaeda fighters of murdering their comrades.

“Al Qaeda killed two people from our group,” said an Islamic Army fighter who uses the nom de guerre Abu Lil and who claimed that he attended the meeting. “They repeatedly kill our people.”

The encounter ended angrily. A few days later, the insurgents said, Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia and the Islamic Army fought a bloody battle on the outskirts of town.

The battle, which the insurgents said was fought on Oct. 23, was one of several clashes between Al Qaeda and local Iraqi guerrilla groups that have broken out in recent months across the Sunni Triangle.

Update II: Via James Joyner I read this over at Rantingprofs. I would simply add that The Islamic Army in Iraq and al Qaeda both share the same short-term goals (ousting the U.S.), intermediate goals (harsh Sunni sharia in Iraq), and long-term goals (restoration of caliphate). Both are salafiyist groups and are violent jihadis of the worst kind. I'll say it again, the dispute between the two groups is about who controls the new Iraq, not what that new Iraq should look like. Various pundits would do well if they had a cursory background of the terror organizations named in the article.

Posted by: Rusty at 09:37 AM | Comments (12) | Add Comment
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I saw over at AoSHQ that there were reports that North Korean dicatator's train had disappeared in China. WTF? I asked myself. Did someone pull the ol' Hans Brix shark-tank on his dictatorness?

Alas, I'm afraid it isn't so. Kim Jong Il has become the Elvis of the Far East. He's been spotted all over China, North Korea, and even Russia. And I'm afraid he's getting the rock star treatment in one Chinese city. Leading the Charge:

Chinese authorities took over a hotel in the southern city of Guangzhou on Thursday and barred public access amid rumors North Korean leader Kim Jong-il is making a secret visit.

Traffic was cordoned off several hundred meters (yards) from the White Swan Hotel and police and hotel staff stopped people from walking in.

"I am sorry, but the government has rented the whole hotel and in fact this morning we had to send our guests to other hotels," one employee told Reuters. "We will only open for regular business on the morning of the 16th."

Asked if any special visitors were staying at the hotel, she said: "We don‘t know. We have not been told anything."

In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan told reporters he had "no information to offer" on Kim‘s whereabouts.

Various media reports -- citing witnesses, diplomatic sources and those familiar with his movements -- have put Kim in Beijing or Shanghai. One source said he was in Russia.

Hong Kong reporters began flocking to Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, on rumors Kim was staying at the White Swan.

Posted by: Rusty at 09:22 AM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
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Right. As if the ACLU would be opposed to that. Fredericksburg city Councilman fights for right to pray in Jesus name.

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The face of a 'moderate' Democrat revealed. (But how about that Sheri Belafonte? Hot, hot, hot!)

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Allahpundit points out that Malaysia's impending law legalizing polygamy is on hold--for now. Personally I think polygamy ought to be legal (but only good polygamy--two hot chicks), but Islamic law's version of unfair to women at best and a license for masogony at worst. AFP:

Malaysian women's groups claimed victory after the government put on hold contentious legislation which would have helped Muslim men to take multiple wives and claim property after divorce.

The government agreed to review the Islamic Family Law bill after it triggered a public outcry last month by forcing it through the upper house over the protests of women senators and civil society groups....

Malaysian Muslim men are allowed four wives under Islamic law, but under the new amendments they would no longer have to prove they are financially capable of treating all their wives equally before taking on another.

On taking a new wife, men could seize property belonging to existing wives, and they would be given new rights to claim assets after a divorce, as well as less obligation to pay compensation and maintenance.

Posted by: Rusty at 08:06 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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No, this is not a report about the curricula. It's a story out of Westford, Massachusetts, about a teacher getting pinched for heroin. Although unwelcome, it is a change from the ubiquitous stories of teachers having sex with students.

A 30-year-old sixth-grade English teacher at Stony Brook Middle School, Jessica Palkes (pic), was arrested last Friday and charged with possession of heroin and hypodermic needles after a traffic stop. According to Westford Police Lt. Victor Neal, Palkes admitted that she was a heroin user. Her arraignment was Tuesday in Ayer District Court. Palkes pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The Superintendent of Schools, Stephen Foster, has notified the parents of current and former Stony Brook students of Palkes' arrest. It's notable that in 2004, Westford Academy teacher Rosemarie Pumo was convicted of distributing heroin to students and sentenced to prison.

Two teachers from different schools in the same small town being involved with heroin would appear to indicate a generic drug problem far removed from the crime-ridden center of the big city. An inquiring mind would have to wonder just how extensive the rural Massachusetts drug problem is.

Companion post at Interested-Participant.

Posted by: Mike Pechar at 02:11 AM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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From the Washington Times:

The eight-term senator belonged to an all-male social club -- the Owl -- at Harvard University. The Owl refused to admit women until it was forced to do so during the 1980s, according to records kept by the Harvard Crimson, the student newspaper.

A Kennedy spokeswoman said it was an entirely different matter.

"No one can question Senator Kennedy's commitment to equality, justice and civil rights," said Laura Capps. "What he was part of was a social club, not a radical group pushing a radical agenda."

Anyway, she said, even though women were admitted to the university during Mr. Kennedy's tenure, they weren't fully integrated to the campus until much later.

Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto.

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Yes, that Paris. The one in Fwance. If you were in London anyway, and you had the time and money, would you go?

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Click here to see an Iraq war veteran take Moran to task over his stance on the war.

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