Giuliana Sgrena has finally gotten her way. Islamist media already attributes Italy's announced withdrawal as a response to the Sgrena debacle. Expect more hostage taking (real or feigned) immediately. more...

Posted by: Rusty at 02:21 PM | Comments (51) | Add Comment
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1 I don't believe it. After Berlusconi's boasting that "not even England is a better friend to America than Italy," the government will now look like cowards. It truly is a shame that wench lied well enough to cause this and not get a bullet to the head.

Posted by: Rudolph Carrera at March 15, 2005 02:59 PM (wQJ1l)

2 Heh, what if they withdraw them from Iraq...and on the way back they stopp-off in Lebanon? That would be cool!

Posted by: -keith in mtn. view at March 15, 2005 03:18 PM (sE9R7)

3 did anybody check to see if Sgrena had her mail forwarded to her while she was in captivity? That's the kind of pedestrian detail that Communists overlook.

Posted by: BumperStickerist at March 15, 2005 03:24 PM (kmpiO)

4 Yes, Mr.Berlusconi announced today that Italy will begin to withdraw before September. But this decision has little to do with Sgrena (or with the poor soldier who died today in Nassirija). The truth is that an overwhelming majority of the Italian people was, has been and is against this war. And in April, 2006 there will be the elections in Italy, and Berlusconi doesn't want to lose them only to please Mr. Bush. Because you like to bring democracy in every country, and this is, in theory, a noble project. But with democracy people get the right to vote, and now in Europe the hopes of many leaders to get elected grow bigger as they move away from the United States. So many politicians are against your wars, and even those who aren't, will pretend to be against just to be elected. This was true in France, happened in Germany, happened again in Spain, in Poland too, and hopefully, will happen next year here in Italy.

Posted by: paul at March 15, 2005 03:37 PM (fggJ8)

5 Frogs surrendered to terrorists long ago and that was to be expected. The Krauts, saving their energy for another go at the Frogs sometime down the line, decide not to help. Those greasy bastard bull running tomatoe tossers give up after one bombing. Feh.....Oh well. BUT THE FREAKING WOPS TURN TAIL BECAUSE OF THIS COMMIE HARPY? You GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!!! I am pouring all my Ragou down the drain.

Posted by: Filthy Allah at March 15, 2005 03:46 PM (yBHNA)

6 Paul We know that it had nothing to do with her but the terrorists will think they had a part in this and thats BAD!

Posted by: sparky at March 15, 2005 03:56 PM (F1nba)

7 Perhaps the Italians would rather purchase petroleum than steal it.

Posted by: Collin Baber at March 15, 2005 04:21 PM (tpvAS)

8 BUT THE FREAKING WOPS TURN TAIL BECAUSE OF THIS COMMIE HARPY? Maybe its because Americans call the greasy wops too. You don't appreciate what they did for us, you just want them on your side.

Posted by: Roxabunch at March 15, 2005 04:30 PM (ELnLC)

9 Good. Get them all out, they are funding the terrorists to the tune of millions to get hostages released. If they are not there then they can't be taken hostage. I am now all in favor of unilateralisms. If you want something done right you have to do it yourself.

Posted by: Pile On® at March 15, 2005 04:39 PM (kPQ45)

10 So much for the coalition of the willing! See what happens when you start shooting the wrong people? Oh and oops, you seem to have done it again: http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200503/s1324274.htm "US troops shoot dead Iraqi general: police The deputy commander of the Iraqi army in western Al-Anbar province was shot dead by US troops at a checkpoint Tuesday night, a police officer said. "The US forces opened fire at 8:00 pm on Brigadier General Ismail Swayed al-Obeid, who had left his base in Baghdadi to head home," police Captain Amin al-Hitti said. "They spotted him on the road after the curfew, which goes into effect at 6pm," the officer said in Baghdadi, 185 kilometres west of the capital.

Posted by: sonic at March 15, 2005 04:57 PM (Gsn6c)

11 No shit Sonic. Your freaking brilliant.

Posted by: Rusty Shackleford at March 15, 2005 04:59 PM (JQjhA)

12 No doubt Rusty he deserved it because he was a communist/baathist/muslim who got himself shot to embarrass the US army.

Posted by: sonic at March 15, 2005 05:05 PM (Gsn6c)

13 Ah, the perfection of people in their living rooms. I mean, it's only a war zone. How dare those nazi zionist baby-killing soldiers make a mistake? Then again, I don't suppose being out two hours after curfew in the aforementioned war zone had anything to do with it. Mr. sonic? Reality's on line two. Please pick up.

Posted by: Petoht at March 15, 2005 05:13 PM (c7ysE)

14 Colon Babbler again, Greyrooster!

Posted by: Young Bourbon Professional at March 15, 2005 05:42 PM (S5syt)

15 "We know that it had nothing to do with her but the terrorists will think they had a part in this and thats BAD!" we have to be aware of the terrorists feelings!

Posted by: actus at March 15, 2005 05:48 PM (5Lqt9)

16 can you pronounce "xenophobia"? the 'x' sounds like a 'z'. go on try. You yankees might be able to puff up your chests in front of tiny Arab nations, but good luck scaring China. They're bigger than you.

Posted by: concerned at March 15, 2005 06:12 PM (wnm5d)

17 what you on actus where do i suggest we have to consider their feelings. Maybe you dont understand the point i was making. If they think any of this crap with sgrena has helped it opens floodgates for much more of this and now they have more money to do so

Posted by: sparky at March 15, 2005 06:13 PM (F1nba)

18 Thats right Petoht, what does some Iraqi think he is doing driving around his own country later than he is told. You should charge his family for the bullets.

Posted by: sonic at March 15, 2005 06:22 PM (Gsn6c)

19 Berlusca is not about to lose his gig as P.M. for Georgie. Blair is down in the polls too. Watch out!

Posted by: Anna at March 15, 2005 06:31 PM (pB2IF)

20 "If they think any of this crap with sgrena has helped it opens floodgates for much more of this and now they have more money to do so" We have to look at the root causes. At what motivates terrorists!

Posted by: actus at March 15, 2005 07:14 PM (5Lqt9)

21 You have it all wrong, "concerned", we aren't the bullies taking someone's milk money away. We're the ones trying to stop it from happening. The US is doing a damned good job of encouraging democracy in the region, and even the MSM is coming around to this reality.

Posted by: Vonski at March 15, 2005 07:50 PM (AHaCg)

22 I dont disagree with you we do have to look at the root cause what i dont agree with is their methods. They kill innocent people in a horrific manner they are killing iraqis WHY if they are supposed to be fighting to liberate them. What motivates them? Money thats what. The iraqis are running a programme every night showing interviews of caught terrorists and their root cause is money Have you read Hammorabi's blog or the Messopotiman Iraq the Model these are some of the iraqi blogs who have commented on this you should go read them Oh and a lot of them dont even come from iraq. Sgrena angered me when i read of her helping them to make a tape was Margaret Hussan and all the other innocent people they beheaded offered the same hospitality I dont think so. Her helping them is a disgrace to their memory but thats only my humble opinion. In her own words she said they had to re-record the tape because she didnt LOOK SCARED ENOUGH. Now i dont know about you but i will never forget the haunted look on Margaret face on video this woman should be ashamed of herself. I just dont believe that this woman was shot at intentionally i honestly believe it was an accident but again it is only my personal opinion

Posted by: sparky at March 15, 2005 07:55 PM (F1nba)

23 Oh, and another thing. As for being xenophobes, we aren't the ones afraid of any foreign nations. We are the ones sticking around to finish the job, if you haven't noticed. In regards to your China comment, it's not a pissing contest, it's about global freedom and democracy, something it seems you feel comfortable enough denying people the right to.

Posted by: Vonski at March 15, 2005 07:55 PM (AHaCg)

24 The Italians pay ransom AND turn-tail!?!?!? Berlusconi has just - IN EFFECT - invited the neojihadis to WHACK ITALY MORE MASSIVELY THEN THEY WHACKED SPAIN! I expect them to do this SOOOOOOON.

Posted by: reliapundit at March 15, 2005 08:08 PM (8jzrq)

25 Actus There is a link to root causes of terrorism at internet haganah under the 12th march there is a post under Globel called Lies Terrorists Tell the link is there click on it. I think the site might be of interest to you

Posted by: sparky at March 15, 2005 08:36 PM (F1nba)

26 seriously!

Posted by: sparky at March 15, 2005 08:38 PM (F1nba)

27 Typical Europeans,why did Berlusconi have to say this so close to the release of that commie bitch? Not only do the enemy have the ransom money,they have a propaganda tool.I know we killed off all of the real men over there 60 years ago,but good lord,we must have missed a few.Where are they?

Posted by: xtremewing at March 15, 2005 08:52 PM (F++qI)

28 The Italians have wanted this for quite a while. I'm surprised it didn't happen earlier. I appreciate Italy's help. If this is their decision, so be it. Most Italians will continue to plug their ears, shake their heads and make noise to deny that the majority of Iraqis want help, and realize the need for continued economic support to rebuilt the country and repopulate the local and national defense forces. Many will ignore this and any appreciation from Iraqis and dismiss it as "brainwashing." It shouldn't matter to those who have invested an effort into Iraq. No doubt it about, there is a large group of "anti-war" robots who would rather see Iraq fail and fall into chaos if it meant making America look bad. Very sad.

Posted by: Igor Kazakov at March 15, 2005 08:55 PM (xM3Dg)

29 CRAPOLA!!!!! Cindy

Posted by: firstbrokenangel at March 15, 2005 09:21 PM (PEKrh)

30 Dammit all to hell. Italy has had people kidnapped and some killed before - why are they now believing her? The Oval Office must be having a nitfit right about now - especially since they've given in this time and it won't take much for the rest of the coalition to follow. and the USA will be all that's left. Damn her, damn them, for giving in to these terrorists!!!!! Italy was so adament against giving in to the terrorists; they've had losses before; they even paid before, why all of a sudden does this woman have the power to make the Italian goverment change it's mind? Cindy

Posted by: firstbrokenangel at March 15, 2005 09:37 PM (PEKrh)

31 sonic, i have an extra extinsion cord. let me to know where to mail it to.

Posted by: dreamer at March 15, 2005 09:43 PM (bgoXf)

32 Never had any need for an "extinsion" chord loser-boy.

Posted by: sonic at March 15, 2005 09:59 PM (Gsn6c)

33 (Private) Captain, who are we shootin' at? (Captain) Iraqis...who think our oil belongs to them.

Posted by: Collin Baber at March 15, 2005 10:08 PM (tpvAS)

34 If not an extension cord, how about a sense of moral decency and a backbone? You're a coward. Plain and simple.

Posted by: Dough at March 15, 2005 10:09 PM (qCFjx)

35 sonic i thought you might you know want to hang yourself with it -looser boy

Posted by: dreamer at March 16, 2005 05:43 AM (bgoXf)

36 Italy's lower house of Parliament just approved another six months (beginning, I think, in July) for their Iraq deployment. Additionally, they have no timetable for withdrawal, but Berlusconi must be eyeing a sizeable reduction by the May, 2006, election. Consider the position Berlusconi will be in when the next Italian (probably female) is kidnapped in Iraq. Having publically foresworn ransom, there will be tremendous pressure to locate the captive and mount a rescue operation - two things that can't simply be pulled out of a hat. It's a bad situation for a government leader to be in, especially when a sizable chunk of the populace regards such acts as a predictable side effect of a war that it vehemently opposes. I wouldn't want to be in his shoes, now or then. The terrorists have at least 12 more months to further exploit anti-war sentiment in Italy.

Posted by: trish at March 16, 2005 06:15 AM (f3GyK)

37 Everyone is looking to the present and not at the whole picture of terrorism over the past years. The IRA has been killing people for on the bright side of a 100 years, but they have the support of the white house because they only kill "Legitimate targets". Now Hamas and Hizbullah are getting the support of the white house, because they have become legitimate groups. The fact is many countries have been dealing with terrorism long before we woke up and said "oh my God look at the attacks on September 11th!" Italy dealt with the Red Brigade and other nut cases long before we did, hell when they were throwing the key away on the mafia our FBI was going "There is no such thing as the mob!" One woman didnt change the minds of the people, the people are sick and tired of the double talk by our government on who is good and who is bad ... the only fact is they are doing something moronic called thinking! Did they protest us en-mass for Afghanistan? No. Just like the fact that everyone is willing to over look, an illegitimate cause for invading a soveraign nation (albeight dictatorial) doesnt become legitimate because you have something resembling democracy in the end. It brings nothing less than joy every time I hear that progress is being made, but will it really work? Afghanistan is already a full blown Narco State, and that took less than three years ... AND we are still in that country to prevent things like that from happening. The sum of it is you can't apply your views to other countries who have a lot more experiance at this than we do ... and trust me an idoit at the airport with a double digit IQ earning a triple digit income routing around grandma's bags and taking her nail clipper away is not a solution ... controling assault weapon sales is! I hope time proves me wrong.

Posted by: Salamander at March 16, 2005 07:43 AM (V40IZ)

38 From the liberal NYT, no less: New York Times March 16, 2005 Iraqis Say Italians Aren't Cooperating In Kidnapping Investigation By James Glanz BAGHDAD, Iraq, March 15 - Iraqi investigators who are trying to find the kidnappers of the Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena say their work has been stymied by a lack of cooperation from the Italian intelligence services that won her release exactly a month after she was abducted on Feb. 4. The Iraqi investigators say they conducted as many as half a dozen raids in a northwest Baghdad neighborhood where they think Ms. Sgrena, 56, a reporter for the far-left Rome daily Il Manifesto, was being held. But the kidnappers slipped through their fingers, and she was released after the abductors negotiated with Italian intelligence agents. One of those agents was killed when American troops fired on the car taking Ms. Sgrena to freedom. Even after her release, Italian officials have refused to share information with the Iraqis, said Col. Jabbar Anwar, chief of the major crimes unit in the sector of Baghdad that includes Gazalea, the neighborhood where she was thought to be held. The ring that committed the kidnapping was a profit-making organization that is likely to repeat the crime, he said. "They made a big mistake when they let the criminals go, especially if they gave them money," Colonel Jabbar said, referring to reports in the Italian news media and denied by the Italian government that a ransom as large as $8 million was paid. Erminio Amelio, one of the Rome public magistrates leading the investigating into Ms. Sgrena's abduction, said there had been no intent to deprive the Iraqi police of information. "I don't know what type of relationships our people have with the Iraqis in Baghdad," Mr. Amelio said. "Our people have a strong relationship with the Americans, and the Americans deal more with the Iraqis." "We haven't received any request for information," he said. "Maybe they have approached some Italians there in Iraq, I don't know, but we haven't been asked officially." Colonel Jabbar and a second officer in the crimes unit said the investigation suggested that the kidnappers were tipped off to Ms. Sgrena's itinerary on the day she was seized. On Feb. 4, Ms. Sgrena went to a district near the University of Baghdad to conduct interviews at a Sunni mosque where refugees from Falluja had been staying. An Italian photographer who helped arrange Ms. Sgrena's visit to the mosque, Franco Pagetti, saw her in the building's courtyard by about 12:45, he said in an e-mail message. Security guards at the mosque gate were acting suspiciously, Mr. Pagetti said. "They were asking us how many weapons we have," he said, "how many foreigners and if we had a second car." Mr. Pagetti left, but not before taking a picture of Ms. Sgrena with his digital camera; the picture had a time stamp of 1:37 p.m. Around 1:40, her cellphone had been turned on, and it briefly transmitted the sounds of the kidnapping: gunfire and the sounds of footsteps slogging across wet pavement on a rainy day. The Iraqi investigators say eight kidnappers brandishing pistols and Kalashnikovs, their faces hidden by head cloths, had arrived in a gray Opel and a black Kia. Witnesses heard Ms. Sgrena scream as the kidnapping unfolded. Her frightened driver neglected to inform a nearby university guard. The driver was later detained by the police and is still being held, according to the second officer in the crimes unit. The guard finally saw what was happening and opened fire, but took cover as the heavily armed men drove away with Ms. Sgrena, leaving the driver and her interpreter behind. The investigators say they believe that she was taken to a series of safe houses in Gazalea. The Iraqi investigators said they had obtained highly specific tips from two informants about where Ms. Sgrena was taken in Gazalea. But as they raided houses in the area, she slipped through their fingers, probably because the kidnappers moved her from house to house. The only arrest so far occurred when a resident of one of the houses, a major in the Iraqi police force, was found to have an array of phony identification cards, including one for the American Embassy. The other three suspects, who are believed to be originally from Falluja, are still at large. "We were 100 percent positive that she was in Gazalea," the second officer said. "When we received information that they were there, we hit the house. And they were gone. The neighbors said, 'We saw them.' " Twelve days after Ms. Sgrena was abducted, she was seen on a videotape pleading for her life and asking all foreigners, in particular Italian troops, to leave Iraq immediately. But Iraqi investigators believe that the display was essentially a bargaining ploy in ransom negotiations. Information from the Italians, Colonel Jabbar asserted, could have made the difference in cracking the case and bringing the kidnappers to justice. Instead, he said, his investigators saw the lines of communication shut down once the Italians began negotiating with the kidnappers. Jason Horowitz contributed reporting from Rome for this article.

Posted by: Phil McCavitty at March 16, 2005 07:47 AM (x2eX4)

39 "Poland is looking to withdraw its forces by the end of the year" OH NO! Not POLAND! after all they are part of the "BIG THREE" in the allience as Bush so bluntly said during the Pres. debates

Posted by: Red Wolf at March 16, 2005 07:54 AM (tkj+t)

40 Boo-fucking-hoo. As if this was Italy's war from the beginning. People here should open their eyes and smell the "Wake the Fuck Up."

Posted by: Venom at March 16, 2005 08:59 AM (dbxVM)

41 Salamander Are you serious about the IRA having the support of the whitehouse as they only target "legitimate targets" because if you are you are wrong they have targeted civillians in the past eg Manchester, Birmingham and London innocent people were all killed, whether it was interntional or not. I would also like to point out that that would make America a funder of terrorism. Terrorism is terrorism no matter how you want to butter it up, it is never acceptable when innocents are killed. Also if America is our alley what are they doing supporting people who are against our government

Posted by: sparky at March 16, 2005 11:48 AM (F1nba)

42 Sorry that should have been intentional

Posted by: sparky at March 16, 2005 12:03 PM (F1nba)

43 uuuhh sparky ... can you say SOUTH AMERICAN DEATH SQUADS! You are not spliting the hair fine enough to get to the point of the white house ... see if you fight for our cause you are a freedom fighter, i.e. see south american death squads, sandanistas, m19 and any anti-FARC factions, anti-soviet afghan forces, and factions in angolan against the then soviet backed factions. If you fight agaisnt our cause your a terrorist, i.e. see unreformed south american death squads, some broken factions of sandanistas, M19 and FARC, Taleban (not to be mixed with anti-soviet afghan forces), and not to be left out ... "where was angola again?". See its all so clear ... dont you get it? it seams the coalition of the willing understand it so well and are standing beside ... around ... well their somewhere here.

Posted by: Salamander at March 16, 2005 12:14 PM (V40IZ)

44 Sorry Salamander im a bit thick i get your point

Posted by: sparky at March 16, 2005 12:29 PM (F1nba)

45 Salamander Time has been proving you wrong and continues to prove you wrong at this very moment!!!! This is what I have been trying to get dolts like you to understand! It is apparent in your message that all you care about is how America looks in the end. You cannot bear to think that it might be seen in a good light "because you have something resembling democracy in the end." Fine. I agree that the pretense to war cannot be legitimized by the successes in Iraq. People still need to be held accountable for disinformation (cough Challabi cough) as well as neglecting to distinguish between true information, and false information. But that is ALL you care about. Will someone like you ever mention the other movements we're seeing in the Middle East? I'm not a big Bush fan by any means, but if you're really convinced that the renewed effort for peace between Israel and Palestine just HAPPENED to come into existence and was purely an effort on the part of those two groups then you are a fucking idiot. I've decided there is no point in me arguing with people like you anymore. We have completely different belief systems. You don't really care about what happens in Iraq, you care about how America looks in the end. I don't give a shit about weapons of mass destruction. Any dictatorship like the one created by the Baathists deserves to be annihilated. Governments need to be shook up a bit (ahem, Sudan) so that people stop dying needlessly. When the majority cries out against their government but are incapable of doing anything someone should help them. And I don't CARE who's at the forefront of this much needed change. Europe doesn't either, unless it is America. They've decided that it is INHERENTLY detrimental to any and all societies to be supported by America. America is imposing its will! Really? Take a look at Iran you dimwits. If the U.S went in and took the legs of the government from under them, the majority of Iranians would be overjoyed. Young adults in Iran don't want the government to step down so they can continue to do things the way they've been ordered to do for so long. They want change because they want freedoms that are not associated with hardcore, Islamic law. But I guess if this ever happened America would once again be the devil for IMPOSING non-Islamic beliefs, even though such a large number of Iranians have been pushing for such rights for years independently. What is this "sovereign nation" crap thrown around all the time? Do you have any idea what you're talking about? ENGLAND is a sovereign nation. Iraq has not been a sovereign nation for a while. And even if it was, so what? Is that just another pathetic cop out, an excuse to sit around and do NOTHING under the pretense that countries should be left alone to deal with their own problems because they're sovereign? "Well, it's sovereign so, obviously everything is fine." Please provide your source that proves the White House supports the IRA. I remember living in England and seeing plenty of civilians being wiped out by those evil bastards. I've tried searching and I can't find any credible information that shows that the White House in any way supports the IRA.

Posted by: Igor Kazakov at March 16, 2005 03:32 PM (xM3Dg)

46 "Take a look at Iran you dimwits. If the U.S went in and took the legs of the government from under them, the majority of Iranians would be overjoyed" Now where have I heard that argument before? oh I remember it was about how Iraq would be a cakewalk.... http://icasualties.org/oif/

Posted by: sonic at March 16, 2005 09:04 PM (Gsn6c)

47 "Now where have I heard that argument before? oh I remember it was about how Iraq would be a cakewalk...." Compared to past wars, it IS a cakewalk so far. It sounds callous, but compared to past wars our casualties really are very light. Fallujah wasn't Stalingrad by a long shot, and proved the US can adapt effectively to urban warfare and that our MOUT training was going in the right direction. Most of the country is peaceful, even if every car bombing is shoved in our faces by CNN. The number of Iraqis killed that way is trivial in relation to the size of the country. The baseline level of violence in Iraq is not overly destabilising, and as Wahabi Jihadists focus on other Iraqis they are building the backlash that will disempower them. The best thing the Wahabis/Sunnis can do for the US is to keep killing civilians until the civilians become angry enough to strike back with a vengeance. I wouldn't counsel invading Iran though. Iranian mullahs came to power through popular revolution, and nothing reinforces regious fervor like an attack from outside. The best way to get rid off superstious, er..., religious nut cases is public ridicule and homegrown revolution. The youth of Iran wil have to do the bleeding if they are to earn secular freedom like that in civilised nations.

Posted by: monckywrench at March 17, 2005 12:21 PM (x2eX4)

48 Salamander a dolt?

Posted by: greyrooster at March 17, 2005 11:41 PM (CBNGy)

49 Wonder how many terrorists the Italian forces have killed or captured since arriving in Iraq?

Posted by: greyrooster at March 18, 2005 08:59 AM (CBNGy)

50 I believe two people referred to a "cakewalk" prior to the invasion. Former President Clinton and a low-level administration official. The official line from the White House, for those who were napping, was that hard times lay ahead. The administration never suggested this would be a walk in the park, though those who are in opposition to the effort would certainly like to believe they did. But, I believe they were overly optimistic about the timetable, and the level of resistance they expected to encounter after the fall of the Baathists - at least publically. Privately, they may have known full well that Iraq would become a battleground with Islamists, and that in fact may have been an integral part of the plan. It seems a bit of a no-brainer to expect that, espescially after Osama-bin-hidin' called on Islamists to go to Iraq. (To protect or avenge his avowed mortal enemy, Saddam, heh) Did they have a "flypaper" strategy? I hope so, I believe so. because it's working. And one would harldy expect them to announce that strategy pre-invasion, for obvious reasons. Whatever the case, it's obvious that the Islamist terrorist element in Iraq is not having as easy time winning the hearts and minds of the common Iraqi as they are in cowing members of the coalition. Polls seem to indicate that Iraqis really don't want their Arab neighbors meddling in their affairs. After all, they weren't much help when Saddam was "ruling" them. They may not like US occupation, but they're realists. Given the choice of US occupation for a time, or Islamist rule for loooong time, I believe they've chosen to back the lesser of two evils, or dare I say, the "strong horse"? semper fi

Posted by: USMC dad at March 20, 2005 01:37 PM (bJsjY)

51 Here, Here semper fi

Posted by: greyrooster at March 20, 2005 02:34 PM (CBNGy)

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Via Aaron at Internet Haganah the alarming news that plans for a do-it-yourself nuclear bomb have been posted at an Islamic forum. What is even more alarming is that the person posting the H-bomb plans is an American of Palestinian descent and posts the plans from a public library in the U.S. I suppose that the ACLU will cry bloody-murder should the FBI check the activity logs of whichever library this turns out to have come from.

Here is some of the message that he posts:

the nature of my job allowes me to read some confidantial studies presented by retired fbi ....dhs ..cia agents...etc...and i want to participate in bringiing the usa nazi zionist goverment down

The story was reported in the Arab News, the Saudi publication. That story, whether in error or because the Saudis believed this was too hot for public consumption, said the message was about how to build a 'dirty bomb'. It was not, it was how to build an atomic weapon.

Aside from the nuke, though, they seem to get it right. The same American poster also instructs his fellow jihadis on the use of other WMD:

The member, whose expertise veers toward chemical warfare, shows a marked emphasis in making gas bombs. He introduces the subject by naming the different gases used for these purposes, and follows it up with their reaction with the elements, effects and their impact, before concluding by telling all where to buy them....

At the end of his session, the writer, who asked his followers to go for jihad, received a comment from another writer asking him to give more details as they needed it to start making those gases in Iraq. “We need simple quick ways to make them, for us to quickly fight the Americans and the great traitor Allawi,” said the comment.

Oh, and I would be remiss if I didn't mention that the poster left his e-mail address-- let_us_reason2005@yahoo.com

UPDATE: Wow, see why the blogosphere is so great. Checking out the comments and all the various links it turns out that the actual H-Bomb plans are a hoax. *Sigh of relief*

Even so, two questions remain:

a) Are the chemical weapon instructions also a hoax? The Arab News version seems to indicate that the majority of this person's posts are about the use of chemical weapons.

b) Did the poster believe the H-bomb instructions were real? Some are accusing us of jumping the gun on this. The atomic weapon instructions were only part of a long series of posts by an individual who claims he wishes to help the jihadis.

Posted by: Rusty at 10:40 AM | Comments (20) | Add Comment
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Navy Vice Admiral Albert Church will testify before Congress today that while prisoner abuse and torture has occured at the hands of US forces in Afghanistan and Iraq, the abuse was not due to US policy, was not wide spread, and not systematic--multiple sources are reporting this morning. The Church report also outlines a number of new recommendations aimed at further reducing prisoner abuse.

The New York Times (subscription) sums up the findings:

Admiral Church's report faults senior American officials for failing to establish clear interrogation policies for Iraq and Afghanistan, leaving commanders there to develop some practices that were unauthorized, according to the report summary. But the inquiry found that Pentagon officials and senior commanders were not directly responsible for the detainee abuses, and that there was no policy that approved mistreatment of detainees at prisons in Afghanistan, Iraq and Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.

1. There was no policy that condoned torture.

2. There was no policy that encouraged abuse.

3. There was a lot of inconsistency across interrogation techniques. Many of those techniques were developed in the combat theater and migrated to other areas.

4. There was a general lack of military command guidance in dealing with the CIA. [Church] found 30 ghost detainees. One such detainee was in that status for 45 days.

5. There were missed interrogation opportunities in part because the military failed to take account of lessons from prior conflicts
.
6. There was no guidance to CENTCOM or by CENTCOM on interrogations.

It is our opinion that the specific tales of abuse should have remained classified and the report should only contain a general accounting of abuses. The inevetable outcome of the public airing of specific abuses will be to bolster the claims of terrorists that the fight against Coalition forces in Iraq is a just one. Members of Congress could have been briefed on the classified portions of the document in private.

The goal of the report, it should be remembered, is to find ways to prevent abuse in the future. The Times claims that:

Three senior defense officials said Wednesday that the new procedures clarified the prohibition against the use of muzzled dogs in interrogations, gave specific guidance to field units as to how long they could hold prisoners before releasing them or sending them to higher headquarters for detention, and made clear command responsibilities for detainee operations.

UPDATE: Interesting note from Wired:

A 21-page unclassified summary of the report was to be released at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. The full 368-page report is classified.

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Mount St. Helens is spewing some ash this afternoon. Here is a live images from Johnston's Ridge observatory at Mount St. Helens. Other images and news from the volcano are posted below.

See, I'm interested in all things that explode. After all, volcanos are nature's nuclear bombs!

Here is a live image of Mount St. Helens. If you don't see anything it's either a) night b) erupting. In case of b please evacuate. Thank you.

more...

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Mount St. Helens spewed some ash this afternoon. Scroll to the extended entry to see pics from today's eruption and a live images from Johnston's Ridge observatory at Mount St. Helens. See, I'm interested in all things that explode. After all, volcanos are nature's nuclear bombs! more...

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NK in LA Times: We are human and we need to be roved, just like everybody else does. Kevin McCullough fisks the article in the WND here.

By the way, Kevin, I hear that Barbara Demick wrote the story because she didn't want to end up like Hans Brix.

For another perspective on the situation in North Korea here is what the traitor Charles Jenkins has to say about the ronery dictator of the country he defected to 40 years ago:

“I believe Kim Jong Il is an evil person. He is exploiting and oppressing the (North Korean) people,” Jenkins answered the reporters who asked him what he thought.

Jenkins was an American soldier stationed in South Korea, Compound 8, but crossed the Demilitarized Zone into North Korea for fear of being sent to the Vietnam during the war, in January 5, 1965. However, he lived in misery ever since. With three other American soldiers who defected to North Korea, he survived torture and hunger and was obliged to study about Kim Il Sung [the former dictator] ten hours per day. He was expelled from Pyongyang for secretly listening to BBC broadcasts by changing the fixed radio stations, and got into trouble by requesting defection to the Soviet Embassy in Pyongyang. One time, a North Korean doctor cut out his skin on his shoulder where he had a tattoo that read, “U.S. Army” without anesthesia.

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Let's send these guys. If they die in the process, no big.

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From Digger's Realm: more...

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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).

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