Yes, almost once again. What is it with this guy that he gets away every freaking time? Seriously, we get news like this almost every week.

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Via Traderrob at OpiniPundit this interesting news that a Reuters camerman has been detained by authorities in Mosul. The man's name is Nabil Hussein and he was a stringer.

Reuters:

Iraqi police have detained a Reuters Television cameraman for more than 24 hours in the northern city of Mosul, with no details released of any charges, relatives and colleagues said on Sunday.

The father of cameraman Nabil Hussein, 30, has also been detained since he tried to visit his son a few hours after the arrest. Relatives said about 20 policemen raided the home of Nabil Hussein on Saturday morning and then beat him, his driver and a fellow journalist before detaining them.The driver and the second journalist were released later on Saturday.

Driver Ismail Ibrahim and Hussein's brother, Namir, who said he also witnessed the arrests, said police did not state a reason for their actions and no charges were mentioned.

"They put bags on our heads and beat us," Ibrahim said, adding the men had been taken to Mosul's police headquarters.

Police and Interior Ministry officials in the city said they knew nothing of the detentions: "When I asked about my brother they said they did not know about it," Namir Hussein said.

Interior Ministry officials in Baghdad said they would inquire about the case....

Hussein was arrested before an Associated Press cameraman was killed and an AP photographer wounded in a shooting incident in Mosul on Saturday. The exact circumstances were unclear but Saleh Ibrahim died after going to cover an explosion.

Hussein, who is also a producer, has worked as a stringer for the London-based international news agency since 2003.

Mercury News:

Mohammed Ibrahim, a photographer working for The Associated Press, was released Sunday by the U.S. military, which had held him after a shooting in which a television cameraman working for The AP was killed.

Ibrahim was wounded when gunfire broke out after an explosion Saturday in the northern city of Mosul. Saleh Ibrahim, a television cameraman working for The Associated Press, was killed in the same incident. The two men were brothers-in-law.

Mohammed Ibrahim said U.S. forces escorted him and his brother, Wamidh, who contributes to European Pressphoto Agency, from the hospital hours after the shooting and released them after nearly 24 hours in detention.

A U.S. military official, who would not allow the use of his name, said the two men had been "caught up in the sweep after the situation."

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The arrest of four more suspects yesterday brings the number of suspects arrested over the downing of a Bulgarian helicopter and the subsequent murder of its pilot to 10. The most important aspect of this story is that all of the arrests were made because Iraqi civilians turned the suspects in. Terrorists need an environmnet of sympathy from which to operate. It seems that it is becoming harder and harder for the terrorists to operate with impunity in Iraq.

Thanks to the, literally, scores of people who e-mailed me about the story yesterday. Really, too many people to give the hat tip to right now. You can see images and a link to the video of the helicopter downing here.

Here is the original report of 6 men being caught followed by news that four more were nabbed. Boston Globe:

The suspects in the helicopter downing were caught after US soldiers from Task Force Baghdad were tipped off by an Iraqi civilian who told the Americans that he knew where insurgents had stashed a blue Kia pickup truck that was used in the attack and led them to the site, the military said in a statement.

Soldiers searched two nearby houses shortly after midnight yesterday, arresting three men and seizing bomb-making material in the first home. Three suspects were grabbed from the second residence, and all were being questioned, the military said.

The U.S. military said Sunday it has arrested four more suspects in Thursday's downing of a civilian helicopter north of Baghdad, bringing the number apprehended so far to 10. All 11 helicopter passengers and crew were killed, including one shot by insurgents....

The American military said Sunday it detained the additional suspects in the downing of the helicopter during the past 24 hours. Iraqi civilians helped U.S. forces locate the first six suspects captured Saturday, the military said.

The Russian-made Mi-8 helicopter was shot down about 12 miles north of Baghdad. The dead included six American bodyguards for U.S. diplomats, three Bulgarian crew members and two security guards from Fiji, officials said.

Two militant groups claimed responsibility for the attack and released video to back their claims. In one video, insurgents are seen capturing and shooting to death the lone survivor, identified as a Bulgarian pilot.

The aircraft was owned by Heli Air of Bulgaria and chartered by Toronto-based SkyLink Aviation Inc.

The six Americans were employed by Blackwater Security Consulting a subsidiary of security contractor Blackwater USA of Moyock, N.C., which had four employees slain and mutilated by insurgents in Fallujah a year ago.

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Yesterday marked the 90th anniversary of the beginning of the Armenian genocide. While the Young Turk governmnet was much more secular than the Ottomans, the mass killings and deportations of Armenians could not have been accopmplished without the rhetoric of jihad.

Here are a few important points from The Institute for the Secularization of Islamic Society. Much of this report relies heavily on Vahakn Dadrian's work on the subject.*

During the reign of Sultan Abdul Hamid, the Ottoman Turks massacred over 200,000 Armenians between 1894-96. This was followed, under the Young Turk regime, by the Adana massacres of 25,000 Armenians in 1909, and the first formal genocide of the 20th century, when in 1915 alone, an additional 600,000 to 800,000 Armenians were slaughtered.21 The massacres of the 1890s had an "organic" connection to the Adana massacres of 1909, and more importantly, the events of 1915. As Vahakn Dadrian argues, they facilitated the genocidal acts of 1915 by providing the Young Turks with "a predictable impunity." The absence of adverse consequences for the Abdul Hamid massacres in the 1890s allowed the Young Turks to move forward without constraint.22

Contemporary accounts from European diplomats make clear that these brutal massacres were perpetrated in the context of a formal jihad against the Armenians who had attempted to throw off the yoke of dhimmitude by seeking equal rights and autonomy. For example, the Chief Dragoman (Turkish-speaking interpreter) of the British embassy reported regarding the 1894-96 massacres:

"Â…[The perpetrators] are guided in their general action by the prescriptions of the Sheri [Sharia] Law. That law prescribes that if the "rayah" [dhimmi] Christian attempts, by having recourse to foreign powers, to overstep the limits of privileges allowed them by their Mussulman [Muslim] masters, and free themselves from their bondage, their lives and property are to be forfeited, and are at the mercy of the Mussulmans. To the Turkish mind the Armenians had tried to overstep those limits by appealing to foreign powers, especially England. They therefore considered it their religious duty and a righteous thing to destroy and seize the lives and properties of the Armenians..."...

The genocide of the Armenians was a jihad. No rayas took part in it. Despite the disapproval of many Muslim Turks and Arabs, and their refusal to collaborate in the crime, these masssacres were perpetrated solely by Muslims and they alone profited from the booty: the victims' property, houses, and lands granted to the muhajirun, and the allocation to them of women and child slaves. The elimination of male children over the age of twelve was in accordance with the commandments of the jihad and conformed to the age fixed for the payment of the jizya. The four stages of the liquidation- deportation, enslavement, forced conversion, and massacre- reproduced the historic conditions of the jihad carried out in the dar-al-harb from the seventh century on. Chronicles from a variety of sources, by Muslim authors in particular, give detailed descriptions of the organized massacres or deportation of captives, whose sufferings in forced marches behind the armies paralleled the Armenian experience in the twentieth century...

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Update: Victims' identities begin to be revealed. Scroll down for updates.

The Islamic Army in Iraq has released a videotape in which they claim responsibility for the downing of a civilian helicopter in Iraq in which 11 were killed, including 6 Americans. The Jawa Report has obtained a copy of the video. The video may be downloaded here [see April 22nd]. Extremely graphic images from the video are posted below.

The video shows the downed helicopter, which is the first civilian aircraft shot down in Iraq. In the past, the Islamic Army in Iraq has claimed to shoot down aircraft, but these were always unmanned military drones.

Of the eleven on board, one man survived, but was severely wounded. The wounded man had apparently crawled away and was hiding in tall grass some distance from the crash. The helicopter can be seeen burning in the distant background. The man's accent reveals him to be an American, not a Bulgarian or Belgian as is being reported in the press. (Update) According to this AP story, the man is positively identified as the Bulgarian pilot Lyubomir Kostov. I stand corrected. Except for the rolling of his r's, his English was perfect and American accented. (thanks to Chad for tracking this down).

Unaware of who has found him, the American says to them, "give me a hand. Give me a hand. It's broken..."

The terrorists help him up and then ask him, "Weapons?" then order him to "Go! Go!" The man is able to walk. "Carry out God's verdict," they say. They then shoot him as he holds his hand up. He is murdered in cold blood as the terrorists yell "Allahu akhbar!" shooting him over and over.

The terrorists murder the man on the video. In a statement released with the video, the Islamic Army in Iraq says they killed the man in retaliation for the "cold blood in the mosques of tireless Fallujah before the eyes of the world and on television screens, without anyone condemning them."

This is a reference to the video released by American journalist Kevin Sites showing a Marine killing a wounded Iraqi insurgent who was playing dead inside a mosque in Fallujah. The Marine was later cleared of all wrong doing. His unit had encountered this type of feigning before with tragic results.

When that video was released, The Jawa Report claimed that Sites' actions in releasing the video would directly lead to more deaths and destruction in Iraq/

Houston Chronicle:

Thursday's chartered flight was believed to be the first civilian aircraft shot down in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion two years ago. The dead included six American bodyguards for U.S. diplomats, three Bulgarian crew and two security guards from Fiji, officials said.

The helicopter went down about 12 miles north of Baghdad. Associated Press Television News footage showed burning wreckage from the craft and personal belongings scattered across a wide area.

U.S. officials could not confirm the cause of the crash. However, the Bulgarian Defense Ministry said the helicopter was struck by missile fire.

Bulgarian Defense Minister Nikolai Svinarov said today the crash was a "terrorist attack," but it will not affect Bulgaria's military involvement in Iraq.

"Bulgaria should not waver under terrorist pressure," said Svinarov, whose country has a 460-member contingent in Iraq.

A group calling itself the Islamic Army in Iraq posted a video on the Internet Thursday purporting to show the shooting of a survivor.

The authenticity of the footage, posted on a Web forum often used by militant groups, could not be confirmed. A U.S. Embassy official in Baghdad said he had no knowledge that anyone on board survived the crash and was killed later.

"Heroes of the Islamic Army downed a transport aircraft belonging to the army of the infidels and killed its crew and those on board in the regions of al-Taji north of Baghdad," the group said in a written statement accompanying the video. "One of the crew members was captured and killed."

In the footage, which shows burning wreckage and two charred bodies, militants come across an injured man wearing a blue flightsuit lying in tall grass. His nationality was not immediately known.

"It's broken," he says in accented English, apparently referring to his leg, as militants — unseen except in brief glances — tell him to stand up. "Weapons? Weapons?" the gunmen ask him in Arabic and English as he stands uneasily.

The gunmen tell him, "Go!", and the survivor starts to hobble away, holding his hands up toward them. The gunmen then open fire, shouting "Allahu akbar!" or "God is great!" with the bullets hitting his body. They fire more shots into his body on the ground.

The six Americans were employed by Blackwater Security Consulting, a subsidiary of North Carolina-based security contractor Blackwater USA, which had four employees slain and mutilated by insurgents in Fallujah a year ago — deaths that touched off a Marine assault on insurgents in the city.

The Islamic Army statement said it killed the survivor "in revenge for the Muslims who have been killed in cold blood in the mosques of tireless Fallujah before the eyes of the world and on television screens, without anyone condemning them." It was apparently referring to the Nov. 13 shooting by an American soldier of a wounded Iraqi in a Fallujah mosque during a U.S. offensive in the city.

UPDATE 11:40:One victim identified as Jason Obert, of El Paso. News 4 Colorado:

A former El Paso County sheriff's deputy was among the six American contractors killed Thursday when insurgent missile fire downed a commercial helicopter outside of Baghdad, Iraq, a Colorado Springs television station reported.

Jason Obert left the sheriff's office in February to earn extra money working in Iraq for Blackwater Security Consulting, KKTV-TV reported. The company is a subsidiary of North Carolina-based Blackwater USA.

Obert is survived by a wife and two boys, the station reported.

Update II 1:55: Another victim identified. Stephen Matthew McGovern, of Danville KY. Danville Advocate Messenger:

Stephen Matthew McGovern, of Danville, has died in Iraq, his family confirmed today.

McGovern was involved in a helicopter crash, according to his stepfather, who said the family was notified Thursday night....

McGovern had been a sergeant in the National Guard with the 20th Special Forces Group in Louisville. He got out of the Guard in February, according to a spokesman there....

UPDATE III 2:35: Long-time collaborator of The Jawa Report and sometimes contributor Interested Participant hunts down a few more names.

Jim Atalifo and Timoci Lalaqila were the two Fijians killed, as reported in The Australian

The three Bulgarians are named as pilots Lyubomir Kostov and Georgi Naidenov and board-engineer Stoyan Anchev by the Bulgarian News Network.

Others covering the story: I would urge these sites NOT to link to Ogrish, which is a snuff site. An alternate video can be found at this anti-terrorism site. Ranting Profs, Michelle Malkin, Blogs of War, Hyscience, Speed of Thought, In the Bullpen, Blogger Beer, Bittersweet Me, The Tomo Report, Kill Righty, The Blue Site, Dangerous Dan, Caos Blog, Dread Pundit Bluto, Outside the Beltway, Rambling's Journal,

WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES BELOW!!

I show these images because they reveal the true face of the 'insurgency we are fighting'. COLD. BLOODED. MURDERERS. AND. COWARDS.

These images are EXTREMELY GRAPHIC and ARE OFFENSIVE. more...

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Collin sends me this Washington Times story, but the info in it is not new to The Jawa Report. Ever since Zarqawi's base of operations in Fallujah was discovered, reports have been trickling in that he might have WMD capability.

For awhile Zarqawi actually claimed to have WMD, but those claims seemed to have been more bluster than anything else. And Zarqawi did attempt to make chemical and biological weapons in Fallujah.

I seriously doubt this story, though. If Zarqawi actually had WMD capability, why has he not used it? The only thing that keeps me from dismissing such stories out of hand is the possibility that Zarqawi is trying to bring the war to the U.S. Something bin Laden has suggested to him.

The story claims that the device is in Afghanistan. A possibility, since Zarqawi was in that country prior to coming to Iraq. But again, it still seems unlikely.

I'm much more inclined to believe that Zarqawi or his people are spreading the rumor that they have a nuke. You know, it just makes him look that much more macho. What, you think cutting off a few infidels heads were going to keep the population from turning him in for this long?

UPDATE: Joyner agrees with my assessment. Chad at ITB has more. Heretical Ideas seems to disagree. more...

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Muslims are very tolerant of Christians---as long as Christians keep their traps shut that is. Pop quiz: what is the penalty for trying to convert a Muslim under sharia law? more...

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1 I really think it is time to outlaw Islam. The civilized nations of the world should ban together and get rid of this disease.

Posted by: greyrooster at April 18, 2005 02:14 PM (OJsiJ)

2 Oh, the great genius, Rooster, thinks Islam should be outlawed. Good Luck, dumbass.

Posted by: greg at April 18, 2005 03:14 PM (/+dAV)

3 So conquering those countries is a good thing after all.

Posted by: Carlos at April 18, 2005 03:21 PM (paKD6)

4 Now if Jehova's witnesses would move there...

Posted by: steven baber at April 18, 2005 03:51 PM (FogDg)

5 "I really think it is time to outlaw Islam. The civilized nations of the world should ban together and get rid of this disease." So how many people were tried and convicted when hundreds of african-americans were lynched and hanged ? Hmm... maybe we should outlaw the white people as well ? That is a very ignorant thing to say... You do not judge a nation by the actions of an extremist - just as US was not judged by the actions of the KKK..... There are extremists everywhere, including in the US... e.g. Daniel Carver.... to generalize a race, religion or nation on the basis of such extremists shows narrowmindedness and ignorance.

Posted by: MR at April 18, 2005 04:37 PM (b3L7w)

6 steve, Jevoha's witnesses don't decapitate people.

Posted by: Carlos at April 18, 2005 05:08 PM (paKD6)

7 You do not judge a nation by the actions of an extremist MR, unless you're judging white folks, Westerners, Americans, christians, conservatives, Republicans, etc. Then you can make judgments of a group based on individuals.

Posted by: Carlos at April 18, 2005 05:41 PM (paKD6)

8 Mr, there are extremists everywhere but not in equal proportions.

Posted by: Rusty Shackleford at April 18, 2005 05:41 PM (JQjhA)

9 No Carlos They just make you want to kill yourself. ha ha. By the time you get through with them telling them politely your not interested youll have grown a beard, I know I did and Im a woman.

Posted by: sparky at April 18, 2005 05:47 PM (F1nba)

10 MR: What hundreds of Blacks lynched? Are to doing the moonbat thing and talking about hundreds of years ago? I don't believe there were hundreds of blacks lynched even back then. I am talking about today. What's happening today. I think mongols lynched thousands. I that an excuse for today's behavior? Your reply was a very ignorant thing to say. Outlaw white people? What does that have to do with a religion. There's all colors of muslims. Another pie in the sky liberal dingleberry." You do not judge a nation by it's extremists." What nation you talking about. That is a double ignorant thing to say. What the hell does a nation have to do with a rogue religion. When they hunted down and outlawed the Thugee religion in India. They didn't kill all Indians. They didn't destroy a nation. You are just talking a bunch of hippy retoric. Popular in the sixties but laughed at today. Light a dubby for me. Its ignorant to bring up the word ignorant when you are just blowing wind.

Posted by: greyrooster at April 18, 2005 06:52 PM (OJsiJ)

11 Carlos: Outlawing this cursed religion may not be feasible in the world but it is certainly feasible in modern countries. That is what I was referring to. Less face it Christianity, is pretty much banned in many muslim countries. I know some dingbat is going to blow wind and come back with "what about the 17 Jews living peacefully in Iran" or other such garbage. This country in particular was founded on Christian beliefs. I am not a Christian but I am not dumb enough to believe otherwise. I see no reason not to tell muslims they should live elsewhere if they insist on practicing this religion of hate. America better wake up. ISLAM is at WAR with anyone who isn't a muslim.

Posted by: greyrooster at April 18, 2005 07:06 PM (OJsiJ)

12 Greyrooster - few things: 1. When I said 'outlawing white people', I meant that sarcastically. Meaning that is as ridiculous thing to say as much as outlawing a religion. I would have expected you to get that, because from the posts here, I gather you are quite a fan of dry humor :-/ 2. If you believe for one second that hundres of blacks were not lynched - not even hundreds of years ago - but only about 50/60 years - then you are dreaming. In fact it was only in the 1950s that segragation was overturned. I said this to prove a point that racism/bigotry exists on all levels, and it still exists to this day on a more subtle level - not just on a religious level, but also on a racial and financial level. My point is that if any one of those people did something to me, I would not judge the entire social group and try to 'outlaw' them.... for your reference - http://www.galeschools.com/black_history/timeline/ 3. What nation I'm talking about ? I'm referring to this comment - So conquering those countries is a good thing after all. Posted by: Carlos at April 18, 2005 03:21 PM 4. So you say what does the blacks being lynched have to do with whats happening today ? Well... again - its to prove a point that is all too similar. What's happening today is that a religion is being judged on the basis extremists in that religion - and its not right - just like it was not right to do what happened to them years ago... 5. The fact that christianity is banned in many muslim countries is far fetched - name me a country outside the middle east area and a few african countries that it is true for.... 6. You know nothing about the Islam religion - all you know is what you see in the news, and what people who don't like the religion tell you. Their are 'experts' on tv all the time proclaiming that they know exactly what the religion is about. None of these experts are muslim of course, and never even left the country. If you knew anything about it, you would know that the Quran forbids killing of any kind - all the terrorists and extremists that tell you that It says 'kill of infidels' are talking out of their ass - for reasons that are selfish and are for their own goods. It is unfortunate that they use this religion to back their beliefs - however ludicrous it may be, and it unfortunate that they have the means to reach such a wide group of people and have the effect that they do. I'm sorry that you feel it is a rogue and a cursed religion, but you are entitled to your beliefs. Islam is NOT at war with anyone who is not muslim - a group of people who are of Muslim origin are - but as said before in previous posts - this comprises of about 0.01% of all muslims. To base your judgements on the actions of this 0.01% of muslims is pretty ignorant indeed......

Posted by: MR at April 18, 2005 09:09 PM (VbIGe)

13 MR, sick islam in Pakistan: Christians persecuted in Pakistan. Enraged Muslim allegedly hacks off man's arm, family assaulted, tortured. http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=42758 Christian beaten to death in hospital by Muslim cop http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=38716 Muslim seminary students in Pakistan tortured a young Christian for five days and nights to force him to convert to Islam, according to a British human-rights monitor. http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=38509 Christians in Pakistan fear a 14-year-old girl kidnapped by several men will be forced to convert to Islam and marry a Muslim. http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=36713 There was tons more but I got tired of posting it.

Posted by: Carlos at April 18, 2005 10:45 PM (paKD6)

14 Carlos - what exactly is your point ? I'm not denying that that there are muslim extremists out there that do these kinds of horrendous acts to promote their beliefs - but do not mistake this to be the teachings of Islam - and do not misjudge a whole religion because of it.

Posted by: MR at April 19, 2005 12:12 AM (VbIGe)

15 Hating Jews is in the Quran too, in the book An-Nisa, that also explains women in Islam.

Posted by: A Finn at April 19, 2005 03:15 AM (cWMi4)

16 The book Al-Humazah, the reason why Muslims should hate all others except Muslims.

Posted by: A Finn at April 19, 2005 04:05 AM (cWMi4)

17 Quotes:"...every slanderer and backbiter..."=> people, who refuce to worship Allah. "...he will be thrown into the crushing Fire..." Well that was a surprise, the justification for ritual killings of non-Muslims

Posted by: A Finn at April 19, 2005 04:12 AM (cWMi4)

18 Guess buddhism is the real religion of peace and wisdom...

Posted by: A Finn at April 19, 2005 04:15 AM (cWMi4)

19 MR: please name these hundreds of blacks lynched 50 or 60 years ago. If you cannot you are grossly exaggerating. An ignorant thing to do. Which is exactly what you are doing. It's a lie. Never happened. A few isolated cases. The numbers never approached the number of whites killed by blacks every week in America today. " Christianity banned in many muslim countries is farfetched" "Name me a country outside the middle east area and few countries in Africa". Moonbat! THAT IS WHAT I SAID! The middle east and a few countries in the middle east is many countries. In fact, there is not muslim dominated country where members of any other religion can live in peace. You are dribbling ignornant rantings. If you cannot see that Islam is the single most cause of pain, suffering and murder in the world today then you are ignorant. 1% of a billion is a lot of extremists. Only 1% of an ant hive may bite me. But I get rid of the 1% by getting rid of the hive. Merely, mentioning that those that die fighting for allah will go straight to heaven shows that fighting is on their minds. If you don't understand what Carlos was saying then you are ignorant. Just blowing wind. Don't you know it is now out of fashion to play the liberal hippy bit. Waiting for the names of the hundreds of blacks lynched 50 or 60 years ago. This lynched the blacks, KKK, Nazi bullshit is getting old. It's stupid and barely exists. The terrorists are muslims and their facilitators are liberals, commies, America haters, etc: I leave A FINN to quote the rest which proves my case. The Kuran is interpreted by stupid old, jealous, hateful, blind assholes and then the rest of you follow. Being to ignorant to separate the truth from fiction. All muslims are not terrorists. But all terrorists are muslim. Enough for me. Ban the sickos from modern civilization until they evolve enough to cope with it. IGNORANT to do elsewise.

Posted by: greyrooster at April 19, 2005 05:20 AM (K/qjk)

20 A FINN: If the buddist were a powerful force, would they still be so passive and peaceful? Makes you wonder? Any time a religion gets power within or over a government then comes the shit. Maybe ban religion? Nah, the commies tried that and it didn't work.

Posted by: greyrooster at April 19, 2005 05:29 AM (K/qjk)

21 Why is it that whenever a liberal moonbat holdover from the sixties enters this blog the first thing out of his mouth is ignorant. Then comes the KKK, then the Nazis, then the lynch the blacks. Crazy. Must be some mindset sublimenally installed during a drug induced anti establishment rally from the past.

Posted by: greyrooster at April 19, 2005 05:35 AM (K/qjk)

22 Buddhism has loads of power in the far East but since buddhism is a religion that doesn't seem to require faith in anything except yourself it is different to every buddhist and buddhism allows people to be in many religions at once (and most buddhist people are under communist rule, so theyre technically atheist, and can't effect as a buddhist force).

Posted by: A Finn at April 19, 2005 05:46 AM (cWMi4)

23 My friend Greyrooster, As for religion and government, this person would be willing to help deprogram you of the horrible grip of the Bushian War Cult.

Posted by: Collin Baber at April 19, 2005 06:07 AM (FV4oJ)

24 I don't talk to traitors.

Posted by: greyrooster at April 19, 2005 06:24 AM (K/qjk)

25 Easy ways for learning to ignore: - alway gather info from both sides radicals, usually contradictory and way too onesided - find pathetic radicals who live in exact opposite situations from the ideal of his/hers cause - don't believe anything right away, check if the sources are reliable and versatile - pay extra attention on things that turn out to be false to lessen trust towards info - get bored of serious stuff quickly - forget all you did to achieve the ignorance and your mind will not object to ignoring, since it won't remember being manually brainwashed to do so (heavy drinking and a nasty hangover, or a week of extremely boring school)

Posted by: A Finn at April 19, 2005 06:31 AM (cWMi4)

26 Buddhism--the ultimate religion of self-worship. Nice Tid-bits from the Koran: They long that ye should disbelieve even as they disbelieve, that ye may be upon a level (with them). So choose not friends from them till they forsake their homes in the way of Allah; if they turn back (to enmity) then take them and kill them wherever ye find them, and choose no friend nor helper from among them If they keep not aloof from you nor offer you peace nor hold their hands, then take them and kill them wherever ye find them. Against such We have given you clear warrant. There's an interesting web-site of there of people who fled the Religion of Peace and have some interesting things to say. (This is for those who commit the logical fallacy which states that a person must BE something to know anything about it. (So a scientist has to be a fish in order to undersytand them.) These people WERE Moslems. http://www.faithfreedom.org/ Also this site: http://www.exmuslim.com/ Enjoy!

Posted by: Young Bourbon Professional at April 19, 2005 08:04 AM (x+5JB)

27 Greyrooster - stop reapeating the word 'ignorance' - it makes you sound like one. Its because of people like you there is so much hatred in this world - lack of understanding of things different from them and intolerance of anything that is not like you. So the KKK, the Nazis are all insignificant, huh - yeah - tell that to the jews and the blacks... PS. If you can't argue intelligently other than calling people Moonbat and Libral - you are more stupid that I thought.

Posted by: MR at April 19, 2005 09:18 AM (b3L7w)

28 Excellent links. YBP

Posted by: Howie at April 19, 2005 09:42 AM (D3+20)

29 "I really think it is time to outlaw Islam. The civilized nations of the world should ban together and get rid of this disease." While that is absurdly impractical, actions like initiating bioterrorism in the Third World, which is infested with these vermin would be worthy of consideration. If the West were to hit Makkah with Marburg/Ebola/superflu (multiple threats would require more and different efforts to combat)it would be like poisoning a colony of fire ants. The civilised world would take casualties too, but the untermensch would expire in droves.

Posted by: Third Horseman at April 19, 2005 09:43 AM (x2eX4)

30 Mr: I don't call people moonbats. I call moonbats moonbat. Moonbat. I guess the Jews are ignoring the muslims while they ponder the nazis and KKK. Ignorant Moonbat.

Posted by: greyrooster at April 19, 2005 07:28 PM (K/qjk)

31 Mr: Refer to your posts. You were the first to use the word ignorant to those that disagree with you. We have learned its a liberal moonbat phase. So we respond with the word ignorant right back to set the stage level. A moonbat is a liberal who begins calling people ignorant. Moonbat. You could have posted what you believe without calling people ignorant. You chose the setting. not I. The greyrooster seldom hits first but always hits back. Don't like being called ignorant. Then don't call others ignorant first.

Posted by: greyrooster at April 19, 2005 07:41 PM (K/qjk)

32 MR, we no longer the "extremists" apologies for islam. It's not the extremists at all, but the GOVERNMENTS of these muslim countries who are implementing strict sharia law. See Saudi Arabia beheading gays, see Pakistan beheading "blashphemers" and converts to christianity.

Posted by: Carlos at April 19, 2005 08:40 PM (1MpEr)

33 Moonbats don't see beheadings, stonings, hand chopping, bombings, etc: If Bush din't do it. It doesn't exist.

Posted by: greyrooster at April 19, 2005 09:35 PM (K/qjk)

34 No - instead we just see pastors and priests fondling little boys...

Posted by: MR at April 19, 2005 10:43 PM (VbIGe)

35 My friend Greyrooster, You're not ignorant.

Posted by: Collin Baber at April 20, 2005 06:50 AM (FV4oJ)

36 Collin, he's right.

Posted by: Carlos at April 20, 2005 07:33 AM (tFXpR)

37 MR, true, and those things are considered a BAD thing in our culture. But in islamic countries, barbarity is legal and celebrated.

Posted by: Carlos at April 20, 2005 07:35 AM (tFXpR)

38 Well said, Carlos.

Posted by: Young Bourbon Professional at April 20, 2005 08:57 AM (x+5JB)

39 Mr: Why are you so up to date on the fondling of little boys? Your bag?

Posted by: greyrooster at April 20, 2005 02:15 PM (aq8Ok)

40 Mr: Still waiting for the list of hundreds of blacks lynched by whites. Or would you rather go ahead and admit to being an exaggerating Bullshit artist. How about the truth. Here's one. There were more blacks lynched by New Yorkers in 1862 than were ever lynched by the KKK. There were more blacks killed by whites in Detroit, Mich in 1933 than were ever killed by so called American Nazis. See how silly this KKK, Nazi bullshit is. And I will state that there are 50 times as many white victims of black muggers, robbers, rapists, murderers on America's streets than the other way around. Read the newspapers and grow up. Face reality and be a good racist. Because once any one admits to the truth gains that title. Ever see a white man hit a black man 1st in a college or professional basketball game? Never is the answer. Always whites attacked first. Ever see a white professional football player attack a black first. Never. Always the other way around. And on & on & on. Quit making false claims against white people. Liberal moonbats are ruining the black race in America. They believe your bullshit. The only official inequality in America is that of white men being held back by silly, unneeded, liberal, moonbat academia policies that somehow wormed its ugly way into American government. You are one of the facilitators that make this misjustice possible.

Posted by: greyrooster at April 20, 2005 02:35 PM (aq8Ok)

41 and I know I can't spell worth a shit. A racist thing.

Posted by: greyrooster at April 20, 2005 09:00 PM (aq8Ok)

42 MR: WHERE IS MY LIST OF LYNCHING YOU CLAIM TO KNOW ABOUT? Start shit and run. You friggin liberal.

Posted by: greyrooster at April 20, 2005 09:05 PM (aq8Ok)

43 Carlos Barbarity is not celebrated by all muslims - this is where your misconception lies... for you to assume that all muslims in the muslim countries celebrate this is a misguided assumption on your part. I will not be posting anymore - if you have something to say - email me.

Posted by: MR at April 20, 2005 09:39 PM (VbIGe)

44 Greyrooster... http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/aap/aapmob.html#bio http://crimelibrary.com/classics2/carnival/ http://college.hmco.com/history/readerscomp/rcah/html/ah_055200_lynching.htm If you want to read more (on paper) here is a list that you can look up in the local library.. http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~jimi/cjbib/lynching.htm If you REALLY need proof about this, then you are living in a dream world and you are not worth my time... All you can do is put labels on people and judge and critisize about things you obviously have no clue about. So far, your only argument has been to call me 'Moonbat' and ignorant and 'liberal' and say that everything I've said is 'bullshit'. If thats all you got to go on for your beliefs, I feel sorry for you.. As for the little boys being fondled by priests, its in the news all over the place - same place probably where you get your news about the beaheading and kidnappings - am I to say thats your bag ? Like I said - you are not worth my time and I will not be posting or reading your propaganda anymore. If you have something to say (I'm sure you will), email me and I will respond. And run a spellcheck...

Posted by: MR at April 20, 2005 09:46 PM (VbIGe)

45 According to this moonbat. MR. The KKK, Nazis and perverts fondling little boys has something to do with muslim idiots cutting the heads off of Christian pastors. I guess that says it all. Moonbatitis. One of the worse diseases a human can catch. Ignorant moonbats always go back to the same thing, over and over. Someone lynching a few blacks a hundred years ago somehow cause Islamofacist to cut the heads off of people that disagree with their religion. Nazis and the KKK are responsible for terrorists bombings. And now, the new one. Terrorism is okay because a few Catholic weirdos molested some children. How do these stupid freaks earn a living? Are they all in academia? Are the tax payers paying for their computer time? The social ist or democratic parties? No way they could function in a competitive enviroment. Sick!

Posted by: greyrooster at April 22, 2005 07:14 AM (CBNGy)

46 Plus theres molestation in other religions. It's not just in the catholic one.

Posted by: youngdude at April 22, 2005 08:33 AM (x+5JB)

47 I agree with the points of greyrooster. Everyone writes books on how Bush is a tyrant dictator, but a guy like Putin is never written about. In a few years Bush will be in the cronicles of history, but I bet Putin will still be going strong at the expence of his country. Europe seems to complain against any allied action to stop a problem at it source. When that problem turns into a world war they cry "oh USA please help us" Then as the case of France, when you liberate them they say "well we were about to do it anyways" If Islamics did not want to associate with infidels then they certainly would not mind handing all the technology back that was invented by them. They could use there own except they have none. No chance of ever having any advancments because they are so busy cutting every creative persons head off. The middle east also keeps very closed borders to out siders. In saudi arabia foriegners are banned, except for a few places. I am sure this is to keep there citizens brain washed of the out side world. Heaven forbid a kid should dream of "scoobie Dooh" instead of dreaming for a glorry death blowing them selves up. Then the authors that write books about islamic cultures, and there laws get death threats, and even killed in some instances. Does the world ever ask questions about that? No!! they are to busy bashing Bush for opening up there society to ideas outside killing 75% of the world who is not muslim. 80% if you count those who convert out of islam, and 90% if you add those who are of a different sect.

Posted by: Kantipala at May 10, 2005 09:39 PM (PFX0R)

48 I agree with the points of greyrooster. Everyone writes books on how Bush is a tyrant dictator, but a guy like Putin is never written about. In a few years Bush will be in the cronicles of history, but I bet Putin will still be going strong at the expence of his country. Europe seems to complain against any allied action to stop a problem at it source. When that problem turns into a world war they cry "oh USA please help us" Then as the case of France, when you liberate them they say "well we were about to do it anyways" If Islamics did not want to associate with infidels then they certainly would not mind handing all the technology back that was invented by them. They could use there own except they have none. No chance of ever having any advancments because they are so busy cutting every creative persons head off. The middle east also keeps very closed borders to out siders. In saudi arabia foriegners are banned, except for a few places. I am sure this is to keep there citizens brain washed of the out side world. Heaven forbid a kid should dream of "scoobie Dooh" instead of dreaming for a glorry death blowing them selves up. Then the authors that write books about islamic cultures, and there laws get death threats, and even killed in some instances. Does the world ever ask questions about that? No!! they are to busy bashing Bush for opening up there society to ideas outside killing 75% of the world who is not muslim. 80% if you count those who convert out of islam, and 90% if you add those who are of a different sect.

Posted by: Kantipala at May 10, 2005 09:40 PM (PFX0R)

49 - Remember My Words ... One day you will watch the slaughter of innocent people worldwide. Sept 11 will be nothing compared to this ... there will be a third world war ... Horrors of which has never been seen before. Who will be responsible for this? MUSLIMS. All because we were too civilized to rid of this evil cancer called islam. -

Posted by: A.A.Rocks at May 27, 2005 09:43 PM (9f9zT)

50 I also agree with greyrooster. Reality is Reality - all you need to do is open your eyes. Bias against whites and Christians is rampant. I'm no skinhead or nazi idiot, just someone who with his eyes open watches the world turn day after day. What greyrooster is saying, is correct. ================== Remember My Words ... One day you will watch the slaughter of innocent people worldwide. Sept 11 will be nothing compared to this ... There will be a third world war ... Horrors of which have never been seen. And who will be responsible for this? MUSLIMS. All because we were too civilized to rid the world of this evil cancer called islam. ==================

Posted by: A.A.Rocks at May 28, 2005 09:56 AM (9f9zT)

51 because of the protostand refermation came the industrial revolution. Not because protostants are more progressive than catholics, but because there was greater religious freedom. You were not burned at the stake for every little thought that was against dogma. The United States was founded largly on barring religion from inter-fearing with social / political afairs. Minus the individual persons life opinions, and personal convictions. Through that great freedom from boggoted religious retardation holding individuals back we gained the inovations we have. Not religion per say, but people enforcing there beleifs on others. Still in the usa you have fundimentalist christian rights, who push for evolutionism to be banned from schools, and prayer to be put back in. Basically setting the laws to be there religious opinions. It amounts to a home grown saudi Arabia. Other countries who are of different faith majorities suffer the same sort of thing respectivly. The history lesson is that ledgislating your religious views onto society does not work. making the state law be what the bible or qoran or what ever says is foolish. Government is just a referee` of the social footbal game. Not societies religious guardian. The only thing wrong with islam is there biggoted view of them selves, and the close minded view they have to the rest of the world. If muslims just personal followed there religioun, and kept it to them selves. Then islam would be as peaceful as anything. There is no such thing as true religion just peoples opinions about religion. bible, quron, buddha all these are those persons opinions about religion. The only question is: "what is you opinion about there opinion?" Your faith maybe true, and the sincerity to wich you apply there opinions to your life may also be true. In the end there is only opinion

Posted by: kantipala at June 09, 2005 10:12 PM (4SZsC)

52 Dearest my friend in Christ, Greetings from the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I am Pastor Michael Quismondo. I am Pastor in a Church located at Agusan Christian Fellowship Philippines. (Christ Centered) It is a Pioneering Church. We starting in 15th family and now we are growing in to 20 families by the grace of God. I write you cause I want to have a Prayer Partner in the Ministry. Presently, we have more bible studies, feeding programs for the Childrens. And we are also giving them rice every ones a month because there are many people here are very poor, and I love to give them very much, pls pray for these ministry so that I could continue to help people and to gain the lost to Christ. And we have also conduct a many concert crusades every ones a month to reach out the young people for there drug addiction. Please help us in Prayer, because your Prayers is not in vain in the Lord. I know and I believe that God will save more soul through your Prayers. Hallelujah praise the Lord. And I would love to know you more and to hear from you also. We will always Praying for your family and your Ministry. God bless you allÂ…. Surely your Labor is not in vain in the LordÂ… In Christ Jesus, Pastor Michael Quismondo Villanueva Misamis Oriental Cagayan De Oro City Villanueva Christian Center Philippines 9000

Posted by: Michael at June 26, 2005 05:14 AM (c6LNR)

53 For the truth about what's going on, go to the above url and read it all, that's the real truth. I have an english Koran, every biblical quote in it is a miss quote, and on every other page it says to kill the "Infidels", that's all non Moslems. I'll put the URL here also: http://www.davenettlesgospelmusic.com/endtime.html

Posted by: David at July 01, 2005 01:20 AM (Er9Qz)

54 Every year both Business, and technological achievements cement the world closer together. As time moves forward the over whelming guarantee is that the global fabric will continue to be woven in ever greater networks. This "melting pot" as it is starting to become meets with obvious friction as ideologies meet together. Ideology of Islamic rule versus ideology of constitutional law. Human history conflicts have largely to do with such ideologies butting heads. Also because the international community is anarchy, survival of the fittest rules. The concept of "super powers" begins to play. Nuclear arms type races become the object. The bigger the guns,the stronger the super power. You need the strongest gun, because everyone else is gunning for you. As long as the concept of "super power" is the driving force behind foreign policy then the rat race of gathering arms stays strong. Human nature is to drive for power, status and wealth. If this is not possible by normal means than unconventional means will be sought. The United nations works largely off of the super power status quo. It is composes of appointed representative of the current regime, not neccisarly representative of the people there in. The members view not themselves as a cemented who but as pawns to a greater gain for themselves. The USA dictates policy, the French embezzle, and UN workers have been charged with raping children in Africa. The problem of different regions wanting due representation on strategic councils is also a problem. I personally think the answer is to abolish the concept of "super power" To instead group the continents of the world into autonomous regions. Like the European Union, a loose union existent for trade standards, regional policies, and such. Then have the people of those continents "elect" representatives to a strong central world government. A strong government who will be politically nutural, and distant to the will of any one country. I am not suggesting that cultures change, or anything the like. Just that the "social contract" thus in place would give certain powers of common "judicial appeal" "global political parties" "checks and balances" and giving the judgment of how to govern the globe to the people who reside there in. I believe a world government is necessary, and also is coming. The question then becomes "how to govern?" "what duties it will have?" I think the time of "superpowers", as we knew them before, is coming to an end.

Posted by: kantipala at August 11, 2005 10:22 PM (4SZsC)

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It appears that Iraq's minutemen didn't really care that Marla Ruzicka was in Iraq trying to help civilians affected by the 'Evil Zionist Crusader forces occupation'. Note that she appears to have been killed on the same road that Giuliana Sgrena's car was shot by U.S. tropps. SF Gate:

Marla Ruzicka, 28, of Lakeport (Lake County), founder of CIVIC -- Campaign for Innocent Victims of Conflict -- died with her driver on the Baghdad Airport road Saturday when a suicide bomber attacked a convoy of security contractors that was passing next to her vehicle, according to her family and news reports quoting U.S. Embassy officials in Iraq.

The target of the attack apparently was not Ruzicka's vehicle, said her mother, who received the account from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.

She was killed while traveling "to visit an Iraqi child injured by a bomb, part of her daily work of identifying and supporting innocent victims of this war," said CIVIC representative April Pedersen in a statement on the group's Web site.

Given the U.S. military's policy of not accounting for civilian casualties in Afghanistan and Iraq, Ruzicka's work played a key role in drawing attention to the human tragedy of the war and giving the world a well-researched accounting of the cost in innocent lives.

Ruzicka grew up in Lakeport and made New York City her base for her frequent trips to the war areas. She continued going into the increasingly violent Iraqi conflict areas even after most international aid organizations and relief agencies had bailed out.

In Iraq and Afghanistan, she worked 15-hour days going out to scenes of civilian carnage and painstakingly documenting the toll. She also struggled to obtain relief for the families of the victims.

CIVIC has Marla's online journals here. Apparently Marla Ruzicka was more than just a peace activist. Her mission, it seems, was to document the victim's of U.S. aggression. No documentation of those killed by terrorists, like herself.

Here are some more thoughts on Marla Ruzicka.

UPDATE: Via LGF this WSJ piece from 2002:

"Flaws in U.S. Air War Left Hundreds of Civilians Dead," blares the lead headline of yesterday's New York Times. "The American air campaign in Afghanistan, based on a high-tech, out-of-harm's way strategy, has produced a pattern of mistakes that has killed hundreds of Afghan civilians," claims reporter Dexter Filkins.

But the BBC reports that the Afghan government rejects Filkins's account: "A spokesman for Afghan President Hamid Karzai told the BBC that fewer than 500 civilians were believed to have been killed in US air strikes--a low figure considering the size of the military campaign."

Whom to believe? This passage from the Times account gives ample reason to doubt Filkins's objectivity:

Field workers with Global Exchange, an American organization that has sent survey teams into Afghan villages, say they have compiled a list of 812 Afghan civilians who were killed by American airstrikes. They say they expect that number to grow as their survey teams reach more remote villages.

Marla Ruzicka, a Global Exchange field worker in Afghanistan, said the most common factor behind the civilian deaths has been an American reliance on incomplete information to decide on targets.

"Smart bombs are only as smart as people on the ground," Ms. Ruzicka said. "Before you bomb, you should be 100 percent certain of who you are bombing."

So what is this Global Exchange, which Filkins describes only as "an American organization"? A look at its Web site makes clear it's a far-left outfit that opposed any military intervention in Afghanistan. Blogger Michael Moynihan has more details on Marla Ruzicka, who turns out to be a fervent admirer of Fidel Castro. There's also a "report" on the 2000 election dispute from the World Socialist Web Site, which quotes her as suggesting Republicans are terrorists:

Marla Ruzicka, 23, an officially accredited observer from the Green Party, commented on the tactics of the Bush supporters. She described them as "really nasty. There was one guy with a bald head, like a skinhead. They surrounded me and called me a baby killer, because of my support for the right to abortion. When I pointed out Bush's presiding over the death penalty, they said: no, no, that's justice. They're scary. Maybe they're the ones who should be on the terrorist lists."

Ruzicka, of course, is entitled to her opinions--but surely her extremist political agenda is relevant to Filkins's readers in determining how much weight to give to her comments. Meanwhile, buried in the 16th paragraph of Filkins's story is an admission that the whole thing is trumped up: "Indeed, the extraordinary accuracy of American airstrikes since they began in October has produced few of the types of disasters that plagued past wars, when bombs aimed at one target hit something else instead." Oh well, never mind.

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Horrible. The rest of the article reveals even worse. It is to our everlasting shame that we didn't finish this war the first time around. NY Times:

Investigators have discovered several mass graves in southern Iraq that are believed to contain the bodies of people killed by Saddam Hussein's government, including one estimated to hold 5,000 bodies, Iraqi officials say.

The graves, discovered over the past three months, have not yet been dug up because of the risks posed by the continuing insurgency and the lack of qualified forensic workers, said Bakhtiar Amin, Iraq's interim human rights minister. But initial excavations have substantiated the accounts of witnesses to a number of massacres. If the estimated body counts prove correct, the new graves would be among the largest in the grim tally of mass killings that have gradually come to light since the fall of Mr. Hussein's government two years ago. At least 290 grave sites containing the remains of some 300,000 people have been found since the American invasion two years ago, Iraqi officials say.

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Guantanamo prisoner admits to fighting on Taliban front lines against U.S. Goes home to Kuwait. Now claims he was really in Afghanistan working for an Islamic charity. Right. Is Nasser al-Mutairi taking truth telling lessons from John Kerry?

Posted by: Rusty at 08:22 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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The Dread Pundit Bluto e-mails with some information he received from a friend of his serving at the Camp Bucca prison, Iraq. Follow the post carefully.

a) Terrorists post propaganda messages to Islamist forums.
b) Terrorist sympathizers translate the messages into English.
c) Translations are posted by 'alternative media' as fact.
d) Leftists revel in the propaganda and spread them as fact.
e) Gullible Europeans and college students believe the worst about America and our efforts in Iraq.

Posted by: Rusty at 08:16 AM | Comments (10) | Add Comment
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It should surprise no one that the Karbala bombing, which killed over a hundred Shias, was an al Qaeda operation. Kuna:

A member of the Abu Musaab Al-Zarqawi group was apprehended by Iraqi security forces in the southern city of Karbala, police chief in the holy city Abbas Al-Husseini said.

Al-Husseini said in a press statement policemen in Karbala arrested Hamed Obeis, an Iraqi national who masterminded the killing of some foreigners and a number of policemen in southern Iraq.

Obeis, he added, was also behind a number of car bombs in and outside Karbala, which killed hundreds of Iraqis.

Posted by: Rusty at 07:51 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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A few days ago we brought you news that Abu Musab al Zarqawi's al Qaeda in Iraq had led an 'attack' against a Marine base in Western Iraq.

The score? 3 wounded Marines, 10-15 dead al Qaeda bitches.

Since that time the international terrorist loving media has been trying to claim that a U.S. counter-offensive against the nearby city of al Qaim is a bloody mess. Some of them go so far as to claim that the U.S. [wait for it...I know this will shock you...big surprise ending] is massacring civilians. Right.

Anyway the brave al Qaeda fighters released an announcement of their [again....steady....wait for it....just one more second] victory.

You can see it here. Almost funny in that kind of Charles Mansoneseque kind of way......

One of the suicide bombers who attacked the Marines turns out to be a Saudi named Hadi bin Mubarak al-Qahtani who is said to have 'grown eager' to 'martyr himself'. I was thinking maybe he meant 'pleasure himself' but that kind of fell on deaf ears.

These guys also consider sending teenagers on a suicide bombing mission to blow up street vendors bravery. Right.

What was that line from the movie Patton? You know, the one about the point of war not being about dying for your country but letting the son-of-a-bitch you're fighting die for his?

With all this talk of bravery over suicide bombings and victory over failed attacks, the next thing we might expect coming out of Zarqawi's mouth is the claim that decapitating bound and gagged civilians is some sort of triumph.

Oh. Wait. Nevermind.

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Ok, I can't imagine many babes in Hezbollah land, but you can't blame Michael Totten for trying. Check out the photos he took while on a recent trip through Hezbollah occupied Beirut. Pretty scary stuff, I know.

On a more pleasent note, Totten e-mailed to assure me that as soon as he gets home there will be plenty of hot protester babe photos! So just wait for it.......

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Actual Reuters headline: Palestinian Gunmen Sign Peace Pledge for Jobs

Gunmen. You know. Members of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Fatah.

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The Dread Pundit Bluto has the details. What can I say? Awesome. Even better news is that more and more reports seem to indicate Iraqis are helping fight the insurgency.

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This is the second large scale attack by terrorists in the past two weeks.

Over a week ago al Qaeda attacked Abu Ghraib prison and claimed success. However, as the video released by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's group shows, the attack was an utter failure (imgages and link to video here).

Expect a video to be released in the next several days. Unless, of course, the cameraman was killed. We will post footage from the video as soon as it becomes available.

In other news, as reported here yesterday, an American contractor has been taken hostage in Iraq. Also, Playboy interviews Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

Seattle Times:

Insurgents claiming to be linked to al-Qaida tried to overrun a U.S. Marine base on the Syrian border yesterday using gunmen, suicide car bombs and a firetruck loaded with explosives, U.S. and Iraqi officials said.

U.S. officials described the assault as the second time in less than two weeks that foreign insurgents have employed new tactics of massing an organized military-style offensive rather than staging smaller-scale bombings and attacks.

Yesterday's raid was on Camp Gannon, a U.S. base at Husaybah, a few yards from the Syrian border near the Euphrates River. U.S. Cobra attack helicopters fired on the insurgents to repel simultaneous attacks by suicide bombers and armed fighters, officials said. A second car bomb exploded 15 minutes after the first assault, "at the same entrance, while the soldiers were busy rescuing the wounded," Iraqi army Capt. Saad Abdul Fattah said.

Posted by: Rusty at 08:45 AM | Comments (10) | Add Comment
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Unfortunately, close only counts in horse-shoes and hand grenades. The recent beheading snuff film released by Zarqawi's al Qaeda in Iraq does suggest that the man may be at the end of the line. Washington Times Insider (subscription):

Abu Musab Zarqawi, the most-wanted terrorist in Iraq, is on the run in an undeveloped western border region where he was nearly caught in recent weeks, a U.S. Marine commander says.

"He's going from brush pile to brush pile just like a wet rat," said Lt. Gen. John F. Sattler, whose 1st Marine Expeditionary Force is back home at Camp Pendleton, Calif., after months of intense combat in Anbar province. "I believe he possibly slid back into the Anbar area, possibly the hinterlands."...

He can't use cell phones," Gen. Sattler said of the Jordanian-born terrorist, whose capture promises a $25 million reward. "He can't use any type of Internet. He doesn't know who he can trust."...

Gen. Sattler disclosed in the interview that his Marines and special operations troops came within a whisker of capturing the terror master "within the last six weeks" in western Iraq.

While guarded on details, Gen. Sattler said that only poor visibility in bad weather allowed Zarqawi to escape.

"The elements worked to his advantage," the three-star general said.

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While American liberals fret over whether those opposed to gay marriage are realy Nazis or if they're just really-really bad, the Saudis are busy delivering lashes to those who even appear to be heavy loafer deficient.

Jeff Gannon not available for comment.

Guardian:

Dozens of Saudi men caught dancing and "behaving like women" at a party have been sentenced to a total of 14,200 lashes, after a trial held behind closed doors and without defence lawyers. The men were also given jail sentences of up to two years.

They were arrested last month when the police in Jeddah raided a party which was described by a Saudi newspaper as a "gay wedding".

"Prosecuting and imprisoning people for homosexual conduct are flagrant human rights violations," Scott Long, of the US organisation Human Rights Watch said. "Subjecting the victims to floggings is torture, pure and simple."
HRW said it had established that 31 of the men received prison sentences of six months to one year, plus 200 lashes each. Four were jailed for two years with 2,000 lashes.

A further 70 men were released after the raid but summoned to a police station on April 3, where they were told they had been sentenced to one year's imprisonment.

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Apparently cutting off heads is much too fun to give up. The Peninsula (Qatar):

The Al-Qaeda-linked group of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi said yesterday it was determinated to continue its jihad or holy war after Iraq's new president proposed an amnesty for insurgents, an Internet statement said.

"The agent of America, Jalal Talabani, announced a so-called amnesty for the mujahedeen, whom he called on to take part in political life," said the statement on an Islamist website whose authenticity could not be verified.

"We in the Organisation of Al-Qaeda in the Land of Two Rivers, we will never pardon you for your infidelity, spilling of the blood of Muslims and harming their honour," it said.

As for killings by Iraqi insurgents, Talabani said, "There are two kinds of killing: In battle or in action, this could be covered by the amnesty. Those who are involved in killing innocent people, detonation of car bombs, killing people in mosques and in churches, these would not be covered by the amnesty." ...

It is essential that we separate those who came from outside the country, like all those organizations affiliated with al Qaeda, from Iraqis," Talabani said. "We must seek to win over the Iraqis to the democratic process going on in the country and fight the criminal gangs" from outside the country.

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