To update RustyÂ’s post here we have good news. AP is reporting that Abdul is safely out of Afghanistan.

AP via Yahoo :KABUL, Afghanistan - An Afghan man who had faced the death penalty after converting from Islam to Christianity left Afghanistan Early Wednesday, according to a foreign legal expert closely connected to the case.

The official, who declined to be identified due to the sensitive nature of the case, said Abdul Rahman, 41, had been flown out of Afghanistan, but it was unclear to where.

Italian authorities said Wednesday that they had granted asylum to Rahman, who faced the death penalty for converting to Christianity.
The Italian authorities said Rahman could arrive in Italy as soon as Wednesday.

""If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under."

"No arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women."

- Ronald Reagan

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Dean Esmay has his new Iraq Update. Dean really digs for the news that just is not negative enough to make the MSM. For those in Iraq who want civil war take a quick peek at DeanÂ’s graphic today. Is it really worth the cost? Ours cost us dearly. DonÂ’t doom your nation to a repeat of what we experienced.

Dean Esmay : Why can't some people just say, "you know what, now that we're in it we want to make sure we win--what can we do to actually help make that happen?" There are plenty of ways you know.

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Today is 3.14--International Pi Day. Mmmmm, pi. more...

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Today Iraq hung 13 people convicted of fighting against the new government there.

Yahoo News : The Cabinet announcement listed the name of only one of those hanged, Shukair Farid, a former policeman in the northern city of Mosul, who allegedly confessed that he had worked with Syrian foreign fighters to enlist fellow Iraqis to kill police and civilians. "The competent authorities have today carried out the death sentences of 13 terrorists," according to the statement.
It said Farid had "confessed that foreigners recruited him to spread the fear through killings and abductions." A judicial official said the death sentences were handed down in separate trials and were carried out in Baghdad. "The 13 terrorists were tried in different courts and their trials began in 2005 and ended earlier this year," an official of the Supreme Judiciary Council said, speaking on condition of anonymity due to fears of reprisal from insurgents... ...Capital punishment was suspended during the formal U.S. occupation, which ended in June 2004, and the Iraqis reinstated the penalty two months later for those found guilty of murder, endangering national security and distributing drugs, saying it was necessary to help put down the persistent insurgency.
Death sentences must be approved by the three-member presidential council headed by President Jalal Talabani, who opposes the death penalty. In the September executions and again in the Thursday hangings, Talabani refused to sign the authorization himself but gave his two vice presidents the authority.

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Yes this week we can all use a shot of good news and The Vonski delivers a boat load for us today and most every Friday. Just a sample for you: Vonski

• Soldiers from 1st Mechanized Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army Division, along with Soldiers from elements of 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment and 4th Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, conducted a combined operation to provide much needed medical care to a local Iraqi Sunni community, relieving tensions in the area while simultaneously fostering hope in a unified Iraq.
Approximately 85 local civilians showed up for free medical treatment. They formed a single line and were ushered forward to the waiting medical personnel. Two medical professionals saw the customers with the support of several medics.

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1 Good news from Iraq? next you'll tell us about a Unicorn sighting!

Posted by: dave at March 03, 2006 12:05 PM (CcXvt)

2 No but I thought I hit some guys dog the other day. Turned around to go back and tell him. Got there and...it was the fox!!! Actually seen several foxes and coyotes around they are coming back around my neck of the woods. See a few more every year. Parvo really hit em hard a few years back. One fox has a den right across the field from my. She a purty little thing. I'd like a pup can I get you to reach in there and get me one?

Posted by: Howie at March 03, 2006 12:08 PM (D3+20)

3 yeah, but it's "Bush" who's stifling our liberties, bwahaha!

Posted by: Jesusland Carlos at March 03, 2006 12:13 PM (8e/V4)

4 I'd like a pup can I get you to reach in there and get me one? What do you think we have Greenpeace / PETA for? They're useful for attempting to protect animals who's sole nature is to kill, or maim them. Like that "Grizzly Adams" guy they made a movie out of, who's remains were fished out of a steaming pile of Bear feces and placed in a ziplock bag. He was "protecting" them.

Posted by: dave at March 03, 2006 12:26 PM (CcXvt)

5 Thanks for the link, Howie! Dave, your last comment reminded me of a joke I saw. The Pope took a couple of days off to visit Alaska. He was cruising along in the Pope Mobile when there was a frantic commotion just at the edge of the woods. A helpless Democrat, wearing sandals, shorts, a "Save the Whales" / "Bush Lied" T-shirt and a tree hugger hat, was screaming while struggling frantically, thrashing around trying to free himself from the jaws of a 10 foot grizzly. As the Pope watched horrified, a group of Republican loggers came racing up. One quickly fired a 44 magnum into the bear's chest. The other two reached up and pulled the bleeding semiconscious Democrat from the bear's grasp. Then using long clubs, the three loggers finished off the bear and two of them threw it onto the bed of their truck while the other tenderly placed the injured Democrat in the back seat. As they prepared to leave, the Pope summoned them to come over. "I give you my blessing for your brave actions!" he told them. "I heard there was a bitter hatred between Republican loggers and Democratic environmental activists, but now I've seen with my own eyes that this is not true." As the Pope drove off, one of the loggers asked his buddies "Who was that guy?" "It was the Pope", another replied, "He's in direct contact with God and has access to all God's wisdom." "Well," the logger said, "he may have access to all God's wisdom but he sure doesn't know anything about bear hunting!" "By the way, is the bait holding up or do we need to go back to town and grab another one?"

Posted by: Vonski at March 03, 2006 12:46 PM (aJDow)

6 No I'm just afraid the little vixen will be in there and eat my arm off.

Posted by: Howie at March 03, 2006 02:07 PM (D3+20)

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Operation Enduring Service helps convert obsolete military vessels into disaster response ships. Details here and here.

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Following up on that last bad news post, here's a great source for good news about our military in general.

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