Today is supposedly when millions of illegal Mexican squatters are being told to stay home from work and not buy anything to show the omnipotent power they have over the U.S. economy.

No word yet on whether illegal Chinese, Saudi, or Haitians (or any other nationality) have been invited to take part.

Racism has nothing to do with it. Since the illegals agitating for attention are Hispanic, then it's the illegal Hispanics who will get the attention. And the mocking that goes along with it.

Here where I live, some businesses, mainly Mexican restaurants, are closing for the day in solidarity with the insurgents. Therefore, if your situation is similar, I'm marking this as Make Your Own Taco Day.

Just trot down to your favorite still-open market, purchase the delicious fresh ingredients (no box crap allowed! That's too easy) and make your own scrumptious Mexican-style meal. If you want a nice frozen adult beverage to go with it, swap the tequila for rum and have a Daquiri instead of a Margarita.

Or, if you are just lousy in the kitchen, find an authentic Mexican restaurant that is open and offer them your patronage and hard earned cash.

Our current open-border policy is a bona fide national security threat. Anyone can sneak over our border, nobody's sitting there qualifying Mexicans over Muslims to creep in.

Seal the damned border, we can figure out what to do about those already here later.

And fly your American flag proudly today, if you aren't already.

Posted by: Vinnie at 06:12 AM | Comments (19) | Add Comment
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Showing the sort of initiative that should be coming from an alert mainstream press, Ed Morrissey of Captain's Quarters has confirmed the translation of a captured Iraqi document asking for volunteers for a "Suicide Mission" against "American Interests".

Fearing that critics would claim the document had been mistranslated because the original translation had been done for the Free Republic, Morrissey hired two independent translators to confirm the original. Captain Ed has posted the results, both of which confirm the original translation:

The top secret letter 2205 of the Military Branch of Al Qadisya on 4/3/2001 announced by the top secret letter 246 from the Command of the military sector of Zi Kar on 8/3/2001 announced to us by the top secret letter 154 from the Command of Ali Military Division on 10/3/2001 we ask to provide that Division with the names of those who desire to volunteer for Suicide Mission to liberate Palestine and to strike American Interests and according what is shown below to please review and inform us.

The mainstream media has yet to report the existence of this document.

Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.

Posted by: Bluto at 12:40 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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How else to explain the grossly offensive way that Washington Post writer Thomas E. Ricks chose to phrase his "exposé" disclosing that [gasp] the American military would like Iraqis to think badly of brutal terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi? [emphasis added to excerpt below]

The U.S. military is conducting a propaganda campaign to magnify the role of the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, according to internal military documents and officers familiar with the program. The effort has raised his profile in a way that some military intelligence officials believe may have overstated his importance and helped the Bush administration tie the war to the organization responsible for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Ricks is likewise outraged that the US "home audience" is part of the "propaganda operation". Horrors! Everyone knows that only mainstream journalists are allowed to target American citizens with propaganda. Actually, Ricks' outrage seems to be jealousy that a New York Times reporter, Dexter Filkins, was given a scoop that Ricks missed out on. Since it wasn't given to Ricks it's not a "tip", it's a "leak".

In his zeal to damage the Bush administration, reporter Ricks has betrayed his profession, as well as his country.

Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.

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On Hugh Hefner's 80th birthday, Playboy magazine went on sale in Muslim Indonesia.

From the BBC:

An Indonesian version of Playboy has gone on sale in the world's most populous Muslim nation.

A spokesman for the magazine, which has promised to tone down its erotic photographs, said copies would be available in major cities on Friday.

The launch has drawn criticism from Muslim clerics, who condemn the magazine as a corrupting influence.

Earlier this year there were street protests in many towns when the magazine announced its plans to launch.

Nevertheless, here's wishing Hugh Hefner a "Happy Birthday!" and congratulations on Playboy magazine's successful launch in the Muslim nation of Indonesia.

As an interesting side note, the last I heard, Playboy is still prohibited from being sold on military bases in the U.S. I guess this means that Muslim suppression of free speech doesn't hold a candle to good American political correctness. (H/T Pirate's Cove)

From Interested-Participant.

Posted by: Mike Pechar at 10:06 PM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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Or posted way late edition, whatever

Ap Via Yahoo : An unidentified intruder, right, shouts as he is approached by a member of the Secret Service Emergency Response Team on the North Lawn of the White House, Sunday, April 9, 2006 in Washington.

Yahoo : Secret Service spokesman Eric Zahren identified the man as 40-year-old Brian Lee Patterson, "I have intelligence information for the president," he said, waving his arms in the air. "I'm not afraid of you!"

Fatwa issued against the winner Improbulus Maximus for :

Time to up the dosage it seems.

Fatwa issued against Orlando for :

I will remain here until President Sheehan takes her lawful place.

Honorable mention to Venom becuase Vinnie says if I want to live a long life I'd better. And sorry Graeme you can't win very time.

Posted by: Howie at 08:20 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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I hope they are returned and the criminals who took them face justice soon.

BBC : In an internet statement, their captors issued a threat to kill them if US forces did not release Iraqi prisoners.

Describing the men as "German agents", they said they would be killed if men and women were not freed from the "occupation prisons".

BERLIN (Reuters) via Bareknucklepolitics : - Two German hostages held in Iraq since the end of January have appeared in a video pleading for help, German media reported on Sunday.

The two men appearing in the video were identified by German broadcasters as Rene Braeunlich and Thomas Nitzschke.

The German government stopped short of identifying them, but confirmed it had received a video showing the hostages.

Looking distraught and exhausted, Braeunlich and Nitzschke were shown in front of a black banner with white Arabic writing on it.

One of the men, thought to be Nitzschke, could be heard saying in German: “We have been here for more than 60 days. We are at the end of our nerves. Please help us. We cannot bear this any longer. Please help us.”

The video has a March 28 date stamp on it and is believed to be the fourth video message showing the Germans.

Al Jazeera television also aired a brief portion of the tape, showing the two bearded men standing in front of a black banner bearing the name of the Ansar al-Tawhid Wa-Sunna group.

Hat Tip Orgish : Hosting the video here.

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Gateway Pundit has a great post showing reaction to yesterdayÂ’s bombings. It seems they dislike al-Qaeda.

Gatewaypundit : As the media paints a picture of Civil War, the terrorists in Iraq continue to murder innocent civilians. The worst massacre of the year on Friday was blamed on Al Zarqawi and his thugs and NOT on sectarian division.

After the suicide bombings yesterday at the Buratha mosque in Baghdad that killed over 70 people, Shiites protested for unity today in Iraq..

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They are not hiding here in the stove! No really guys where are you?

Instapundit : We need to make the moderates feel safer -- and the extremists much more nervous. That's why things like the pandering response to the Cartoon Wars by everyone from Borders to the Bush Administration, are exactly wrong. Plus, there's this:....

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Donald H. Rumsfeld talks about what we have gained in the last three years. HeÂ’s not been fired yet so what the hell.

Secretary Rumsfeld Via Centcom :Some have described the situation in Iraq as a tightening noose, noting that "time is not on our side" and that "morale is down." Others have described a "very dangerous" turn of events and are "extremely concerned."

Who are they that have expressed these concerns? In fact, these are the exact words of terrorists discussing Iraq -- Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and his associates -- who are describing their own situation and must be watching with fear the progress that Iraq has made over the past three years.

The terrorists seem to recognize that they are losing in Iraq. I believe that history will show that to be the case.

Donald H. Rumsfeld

Posted by: Howie at 06:52 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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(Lod, Israel) Nineteen-year-old Rim Abu Ganem, an Israeli Arab, was allegedly choked to death by her brothers in an "honor killing." Rim had fallen in love with a Palestinian man who wasn't the family's choice for her mate. Shortly before she was murdered, police had warned that her life was in danger and referred her to a shelter. Tragically, Rim didn't heed the warning.

Rim's brother Suliman, a pediatrician at Assaf Harofeh Hospital, allegedly gave the other brothers an anesthetic to put her to sleep. While Rim dozed, they choked her. Rim's body was later found in a well.

The five brothers were arrested and they may actually face legal consequences since the crime was committed in Israel. I hope so. More here.

From Interested-Participant.

Posted by: Mike Pechar at 05:36 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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Gratitude:

World opinion says that this war was illegal because the Coalition found no weapons of mass destruction. What have been found, however, are heaps of bodies, buried in mass graves, which would not have been discovered otherwise. Five-hundred thousand people — men, women and children — had been executed or buried alive. Saddam Hussein and many of his henchmen were captured alive and, in contrast to the way they treated people, are being treated humanely. Saddam Hussein's 35-year war against the population of Iraq cost over two million people their lives, and this campaign is not over yet. Now, however, we are no longer alone in this war. We have the United States on our side. We know that we can win this struggle.

Posted by: Vinnie at 11:54 PM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
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From the Telegraph:

The Bush administration is planning to use nuclear weapons against Iran, to prevent it acquiring its own atomic warheads, claims an investigative writer with high-level Pentagon and intelligence contacts.

The Iranian nuclear program must be taken out, and if the vicious current regime goes with it, so much the better. The risk, not only of the mad mullahs using nuclear weapons, but of their providing them to one of the terrorist groups they sponsor is too great. If it takes tactical nuclear weapons to accomplish the destruction of the Iranian nuclear threat, so be it.

Via Signal 94 and Stop the ACLU.

Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.

Posted by: Bluto at 11:29 PM | Comments (16) | Add Comment
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It seems that playing the race card is just as popular as always. This week we had Cynthia McKinney and now Mablean.

Mablean Ephriam, television's "Divorce Court" judge, claims her firing by FOX was because of racial and ethnic issues. FOX stated that Ephriam wanted too much money and reportedly turned down a contract for $2 million a year.

Since FOX replaced Ephriam with ex-Ohio Judge Lynn Toler, also an African-American, her racism charge seems baseless. I suggest that she try claiming FOX is sexist.

Posted by: Mike Pechar at 06:46 PM | Comments (10) | Add Comment
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We're often told by the media that it's the seriousness of the accusation that matters. If that is the case, how come there is no press coverage of the accusation that Syria routinely totures and kills their own Kurdish citizens?

A Kurdish website run out of Holland is reporting that 19 year old Mohammed Wayso was recently tortured to death by his commanders in the Syrian Army because he couldn't speak Arabic well enough. Syria is run by the Arab nationalist Ba'ath Party.

The Kurdish political party in Syria, Yeketi, claims that at least 5 others Kurds have been tortured to death in Syria in the past two years because of their ethnic identity.

You can see a translation of the Azady story here (warning: graphic images). More images of the murdered Kurd here (graphic)

Posted by: Rusty at 11:54 AM | Comments (16) | Add Comment
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Last word on Jill Carroll kidnapping. Jeff Jacoby:

To some people hearing this, it was plain that Carroll could only have been speaking under duress. "Jill Carroll forced to make propaganda video as price of freedom," the Monitor headlined its story the next day. Anyone tempted to accuse Carroll of some other motive, cautioned Ellen Knickmeyer of The Washington Post, "should think about what they would do (after) three months with machine guns held to their heads."

In it Jill Carroll seems more than eager to give the 'correct' answers asked by her captors. It's quite sickening some of the answers she gives, but understandable under the circumstances. But, before you accuse Jill of being a victim of Stockholm Syndrome, keep in mind that she was under duress....

Very scripted, very much what you would expect the terrorists wanted to hear.

What would you say to your captors after months as a prisoner? You'd tell them exactly what they want to hear. Remember, the only video we have of Jill Carroll are two segments taped while she was still a prisoner--under a considerable amount of duress. The second video we have is one taped in the offices of The Islamic Party of Iraq--the political front for the same terrorists who had victimized her!

"During my last night in captivity, my captors forced me to participate in a propaganda video. They told me I would be released if I cooperated. I was living in a threatening environment, under their control, and wanted to go home alive. So I agreed," she said in a statement read by her editor in Boston.

"Things that I was forced to say while captive are now being taken by some as an accurate reflection of my personal views. They are not."... ...In the statement, Carroll also disavowed an interview she gave to the party shortly after her release. She said the party had promised her the interview would not be aired "and broke their word."... ..."At any rate, fearing retribution from my captors, I did not speak freely. Out of fear, I said I wasn't threatened. In fact, I was threatened many times," she said. "Also, at least two false statements about me have been widely aired: One — that I refused to travel and cooperate with the U.S. military, and two — that I refused to discuss my captivity with U.S. officials. Again, neither statement is true."

Jim Geraghty also chimes in against both the Right and Left, but since we've already discussed the Right's reaction:

There was much ugliness on the right, but there was plenty of the same nastiness to go around on the left. Shortly after her initial remarks, John Podhoretz predicted on National Review Online's group blog The Corner that there would be a lot of talk about Stockholm Syndrome. Shortly thereafter, a contributor to the liberal blog ThinkProgress demanded an apology (presumptuously speaking for Carroll) and other commenters on that site wished for Podhoretz to get kidnapped himself, labeling him a "Reichwingnut" and so on.

No matter how much you may disagree with a network anchor, reporter or columnist, it's unheard of for a professional writer to say in published work, "I hope that guy gets kidnapped." Even on his worst day, it's unimaginable that Rather (or Bob Schieffer, or any new anchor) would label, on-air an opponent a "Reichwingnut." (Okay, maybe Bryant Gumbel. But when he called Robert Knight "a ****ing idiot," he at least thought he was off the air. ) Nor is any columnist likely to speculate in print that abducted prisoners are in cahoots with their captors, at least without evidence....

The Pajamahadeen have gone from fact-checking Dan Rather to speculating that Jill Carroll faked her tears on her hostage tape. This is not progress.

Posted by: Rusty at 09:19 AM | Comments (12) | Add Comment
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One of the stories being widely circulated right now is that the King of Nepal has ordered that protesters would be shot on site. What the headline does not say, is that Nepal is in the midsts of a civil war with Maoist rebels. And that no protesters have, in fact, been shot on site!Guardian:

Protesters demanding a return to democracy postponed a rally that had been expected to draw thousands on Saturday, after the king imposed an all-day curfew and ordered violators shot on sight.

One person was killed and at least two wounded when security forces fired at demonstrators in Pokhara, a resort town 125 miles west of the capital, Katmandu, said Gangadhar Baral, who was among those wounded.

"We were protesting and some of us were throwing stones at the soldiers. Suddenly, the soldiers fired shots at us. One of my friends was killed instantly,'' Baral said. He spoke from the town's main hospital.

And why the imposition of the restrictions?

The rebels bombed government buildings and attacked a jail in the southwestern town of Taulihawa on Friday night, freeing 104 prisoners, officials said. Insurgents also attacked security bases in the nearby town of Butwal.

Officials said the curfew was in response to information that the rebels would try to infiltrate the rallies and wage terror attacks against government targets.

Impending geek alert: Interestingly enough, last night's episode of Dr. Who featured a Prime Minister of England ordering the Doctor shot on site. Which is neither here nor there, but I just figured you ought to know a little about Macktastick Rusty Wicked's geek factor. It's off the scale.

Posted by: Rusty at 08:57 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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If NASCAR gets a fatwa before me, I swear I'll sue!

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As I pointed out here after the Hamas election win, it is illegal for the US to give aid to a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.

From Reuters:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and the European Commission suspended aid to the new Hamas-led Palestinian government on Friday, pushing the Palestinian Authority closer to financial collapse.

The State Department, making its announcement, said it would boost humanitarian aid to the Palestinians through U.N. agencies to avoid widespread distress in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, but the United States would not fund an organization committed to the destruction of Israel.

Hamas has appealed to Arab states and Iran to fill the shortfall, but has not even been able to find a bank willing to handle its finances.

Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.

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In a cheap attempt to break our will the enemy in Iraq has attempted to copycat the Somalia incident that broke Bill ClintonÂ’s will. The US military has called the video despicable. Our thoughts and prayers go to our fine pilot and his family.

CNN : "We are outraged that anyone would create and publish such a despicable video for public exposure," military spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Withington said in a statement. "The terrorists continue to demonstrate their immoral disregard for human dignity and life."
The U.S. military reported Sunday that an Army AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopter went down, likely from enemy fire, west of Yousifiah on Saturday evening while conducting a combat air patrol.
The video shows what appears to be a helicopter ablaze -- and later with no flames -- and insurgents dragging what appears to be "part of" a burning body away from the wreckage.

Update : Al emails to question the last part of clip that shows the body. It's not very clear exactly what it is. Possibly a dummy? Right above the belt where the hips meet the waist it does not look quite right to me either.

Update II : Darcey also is hosting the Video here and a Hat Tip too for the frame grabs below the fold.

Update III 04/07/06 Hat Tip Infovlad: I saw this over at MSNBC today .

Military analysts have authenticated the terrorist videotape released this week that militants said showed the burning wreckage of an Apache helicopter and the body of a U.S. Army pilot being dragged, U.S. military officials have told NBC News.

Vlad : Recipe of flammable liquid? Whose logo is this? The video looks bit old though.

Posted by: Howie at 10:27 PM | Comments (18) | Add Comment
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I look forward to Friday, not because it's the start of the weekend (I work most Saturdays) but because it's Victor Davis Hanson day at NRO. And this Friday, like most, fails to disappoint:

So far the Iranian president has posed as someone 90-percent crazy and 10-percent sane, hoping we would fear his overt madness and delicately appeal to his small reservoirs of reason. But he should understand that if his Western enemies appear 90-percent children of the Enlightenment, they are still effused with vestigial traces of the emotional and unpredictable. And military history shows that the irrational 10 percent of the Western mind is a lot scarier than anything Islamic fanaticism has to offer.

10% > 90%

Mark it down, it's the only time it will ever make sense.

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