"Lawfare" Keeps Israeli Officials Home

Using the usual tactics of fear and intimidation, Palestinians stop Israeli officials from travelling. It matters not that the so-called government of the Palestinians is run by groups who are perpetrating violence against a sovereign nation and innocent civilians. The fact that Palestinians have died makes Israel guilty of "evil."

When will the Palestinians hold their own government and the terrorists of their own lands guilty for the violence they commit? The rest of the world graciously welcomes those visitors. Perhaps they should be arrested when they travel to other nations. Then, they could be charged with war crimes. Undoubtedly, the Palestinian activists would scream about being singled out and discriminated against. They would get all kinds of media sympathy and attention. People would feel sorry for them and give them sepcial treatment. Oh. My mistake. That's already happening.

hmm...Why is it that so few people recognize this two-faced behavior and media manipulation for what it really is?

Immigration, Democrats Duck-and-cover, and The FDA

For those who think the United States is alone in it’s immigration troubles, you should check out Italy’s immigration situation. Kind of reminds me of how the US deals with Cuban refugees. If they are fond at sea they are returned to Cuba, if found on land, they are on arrested. Meanwhile, the Obama administration is in it’s own kettle of hot water over that. Recent reports indicate no change from Bush policies. Isn’t it amazing how many policies and plans from the Bush era that Obama promised to change, but is now claiming to be new and better? Like…when the troops are getting out of Iraq.


Speaking of Iraq, Nancy Pelosi is battling the CIA over interrogation briefings. News reports in 2002 quoted Congressmen as saying they received full briefings on CIA and other agencies actions. But, once the war began to drag on, losing public support, Democrats followed public opinion. They also began claiming they had no knowledge of actions that were going on in various places and organizations. Well, sooner or later, the truth comes out, as Pelosi is finding. Still, the number two Democrat, Stephen Hoyer, twisted the focus of the story away from Pelosi is making up stories to something else:

But Hoyer added that focusing on what had been told to lawmakers on interrogations was a distraction from the question of what techniques were used, and whether they were legal.

The point of the article, and the issue, is that Pelosi and other high ranking Democrats knew all along what was going on. But, the media and Leftists are spinning things to blur that focus.

(…soon, no one will care that Democrats lied…only that Bush did something wrong…just wait, you’ll see…)


Finally, I would like to weigh on the whole Cherios vs. the FDA thing. The media would have you believe that right wing crazies are rabidly claiming all kinds of things on this issue. It doesn’t matter that the same style of attacks are used by the Leftwing to demean right wing actions. Nor does it matter that most of the media claims are taken way out of context. It seems that America, and it’s government, has lost focus on something pretty important. The basic point of the FDA is that only drugs can be advertised as healing things. But, the truth is that drugs do not heal. They only help manage health. People worldwide have used diet to maintain health for millennia. So, at its core, the FDA claim is flawed. We seem to have forgotten that a proper diet, as opposed to the standard US diet, can maintain and help manage your health. Instead we believe the lie that we need all these drugs to keep us healthy. I do not deny there are circumstances where drugs are needed. But, we need to have a better focus on what drugs really do. They help manage health issues, but they do not heal them. The FDA needs to get it’s facts straight on that.

History Repeats Itself In Afghanistan and Pakistan

Reports on Friday and Saturday indicated that the Taliban is using civilians as human shields. This article seems to imply that this is a surprise. I fail to understand why it should be. This has been a tactic of intimidation used by every terrorist guerilla warfare group, at least in recent history--Hamas, the Taliban, all the way to Vietnam, Moa, Che Guevara, and even farther back in time. Unfortunately, the frightening part of the article is the last paragraph:

On Friday Karzai said "we cannot justify in any manner, for whatever number of Taliban, for whatever number of significantly important terrorists, the accidental or otherwise loss of civilians."

Like it or not, civilian suffering is a part of standing against evil. The Taliban, or whatever extremist group you care to name, will always use that suffering to get their opponents to stop fighting for fear of hurting innocent someone. They will try to plaster the media with how ugly the destruction is that gets “imposed by the good guys.” We must remember one very important thing. THEY DO NOT CARE ABOUT THE SUFFERINGS OF OTHERS. And, extremeists will never be stopped if we put suffering or some other difficulty ahead of defeating those extremist groups. Taking President Karzai’s statement at face value would indicate he has already given up the will to fight. For the sake of our soldiers, and those of supporting nations, I hope not. If that occurs, Afghanistan will become another Vietnam for someone.


But, then again, given Thursday’s announcement that US troops won’t go to Pakistan just brought flashbacks of Vietnam to me. Any student of history knows that a big reason North Vietnam overcame the South was the ability to hide and build forces in Laos and Cambodia. The communist forces successfully controlled those other countries, and then used them as bases. With the take over of the Swat area and areas closer to Islamabad by militant forces, coupled with the inability of the Pakistani Army to turn back the tide (some reports indicate they are being complicit in the takeover), this is looking more and more like Vietnam. Contrary to popular media reports, Bush did indeed set us on the road to get out of Iraq. His timetable has become the same timetable that President Obama is using. The question now becomes: will Obama be able to get us out of Afghanistan without the disgrace we suffered in Vietnam?

Afghanistan, and Liberal Europe

Did you know that many Taliban fighters are afraid to defect from cause? Much as Iraq has changed since former fighters began to fight for the country, it could also be true in Afghanistan. But, a stronger, more secure government is needed to pul it off.

"Ninety-five percent of the Taliban want to reconcile with the government if they can be assured security," Mullah Abdul Salam, a former high-ranking Taliban commander and now district chief in Musa Qala in the southern Helmand Province, told Reuters. "But the government of Afghanistan cannot ensure their safety. If they defect to the government, the other Taliban will kill them. They are fighting for their lives."

This possibility has a lot of promise. Petraeous has said what worked in Iraq will not work in Afghanistan. And, he has cited several good and valid reason why. Yet, while the tactics and applications that brought so much success in Iraq may not work in Afghanistan, the goal needs to be the same.

Meanwhile, the Spanish are out to arrest Bush administration officials.

The case, against former Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales and [five] others, was sent to the prosecutor’s office for review by Baltasar Garzón, the crusading investigative judge who ordered the arrest of the former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet.

A previous attempt was made by human rights groups in Germany. This attempt has been filed by a different human rights group, the Association for the Dignity of Prisoners, using Spanish jurisdiction since Spanish prisoners are believed to have been tortured. Mr. John yoo, whose legal opinions were the basis for Bush policies, commented that such cases could prompt military and intelligence agencies to reduce efforts to protect due to the threat of legal actions. Needless to say, there is a fine line between gathering intelligence and abuse of prisoners. The problem is that many “prisoner rights” are based, not on good policy, but on self esteem and other such concepts. This whole line of thinking ignores the wrong that is done, and the need for restitution to the victims, in the name of making nice to those who did wrong. Terrorists are no different. They hide behind legal obscurities to maim and destroy, but are treated exactly the same by liberaldom. Without some sort of punishment, aside from locking people up in country club environments—even though surrounded with barbed wire and walls—there will never be any real change in a criminals’ or terrorists’ hearts. These types of lega; actions, while perhaps motivated to keep excesses in check, will most likely only curb truly necessary and proper action, giving criminals and terrorists even greater reign.

Abandoned Partners

Sunday’s announcement that former insurgents were under Iraqi control was fantastic news. It defied all the gloomy predictions since the plan was announced. Of course, independent journalists, like Michael Yon have been telling the real story of these former al-Qaeda members for a long time. While only about 10-15% of those fighters will actually have positions in the Iraqi security forces or military, the remainder have been promised jobs or training to help them get them. And, all of it was accomplished under the Bush administration’s watch. It leaves me wondering what may happen under Obama’s watch. Will it end up being a string of broken promises and abandonment like the Democrats handed South Vietnam after Nixon? Let us sincerely hope not. Unfortunately, in his latest dispatch, Michael notes that this just might be the case:

The hints coming out of Washington tend to cause me to believe we will abandon Afghanistan. I’m making no personal comment one way or the other yet, other than Iraq was worth the effort and costs all the way around – so long as we cement that success.

You should read the rest for yourself.

Meanwhile, here at home, Democrats continue to circle the wagons around each other. Well, at least the President is doing that for his cabinet folks—still. Despite tax evasion issues, and faulty bailout implementations 9both of which ruined Bush’s popularity levels due to the media), Obama still stands behind Geithner. And then, true to form, the media lets Obama off the hook by merely changing the point of the story to Republican failures. Isn’t it amazing that the media does not care one whit if their party abandons foreign governments, or that Democrats are getting away with all the stuff Republicans can’t do without MAJOR scrutiny?

The Iran Contra debacle caused the Democratic legislature to abandoned Afghanistan to warlords, and eventually the Taliban, during the 80s. The diligent prosecuting of war against communist forces in Vietnam under Nixon caused the Democratic legislature to pass laws which doomed any democratic rule in South Vietnam. I fear what the Democratic President and legislature will bring about in the Middle East in the years ahead.

bin Laden speaks, Obama changes nothing and Democrats...well...

A new tape from bin Laden is calling for the ousting of Somalia President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed. The tape claims Sharif has sold out to the infidels. Sharif has already called for, and received cabinet backing, for implementation of Shari Law. But, for those who think appeasement will be enough:

But the hard line Islamists rejected the move, saying it would not be a strict enough version of Islamic law.

Not strict enough? That should give serious pause to anyone thinking of negotiating with bin Laden and those like him. Even though Sharif has support from several Islamic groups, al-Qaeda linked al-Shabab still fights the government, and controls most of southern and central Somali. bin Laden was previously based in Somalia, so there could easily be large sentiment in his favor among extremists. And, the focus is on that word: extremists. As Sharif is finding, appeasement does not work with hard line extremists.

More concerning is the possible home connections of al-Shabab.

For several months the FBI has been investigating at least 20 Somali-American men from the Minneapolis area who traveled to war-torn Somalia, where some of them trained and fought with an Al Qaeda-linked terrorist group known as al-Shabaab, according to counterterrorism officials.

While there is no proof that these men are actually planning any type of attacks in the US, there is growing concern over the possibilities, especially since the latest bin Laden message. Several investigations are on-going.

Meanwhile, The Senate confirmed Obama’s nominee for Solicitor General, who just happens to be a former law school colleague. But, there are other indications in his continuing lack of change.

A former Clinton administration lawyer who's been the dean of Harvard Law School since 2003, Kagan is seen as a possible Obama nominee for any future opening on the high court.

Despite his call for change, and his claim to want Washington outsiders in his government, Obama continually seems to be picking former Clinton advisors and colleagues for his administration.

(…so much for any real change…)

Finally, another Democrat has been caught in a scandal.

A divided Ohio Elections Commission found Thursday that former Attorney General Marc Dann twice violated state elections law by using campaign funds to pay for an expensive in-home security system and a cell phone often used for personal calls.

His election was part of a Democratic near sweep of Ohio’s elected offices after state investment scandal involving Republicans. It is interesting to note that, in Clintonesque style, Dann had already resigned back in May due to a sexual harassment scandal.

09/12 Morning Report

It may be late, but it is always time to remember those who have fallen.


You can read my thoughts on that awful day at “Where Were You.” It’s a couple of years old, but the sentiment, the hurt, and the final question still remain. I’m still trying to answer it. How about you?

Meanwhile, politics had a dead day yesterday, as the candidates agreed to shelve everything in honor of 911. That is a rare and awesome thing, to have both parties lay down their bitter disagreements and stand together for anything. It reinforces the adage that we might fight amonst ourselves, but that’s just a family squabble. Don’t you get involved or we will both kick your @$#. Nice to know some things don’t really change much.

In one piece of good news, Saudi police arrested five men who were using the internet to recruit for al Qaeda.”

The five men are accused of encouraging people to take up arms in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Traditional security measures have led to the arrest of hundreds of al-Qaeda suspects over the last seven years.

(…interesting that it makes no claim on what non-traditional security measures have done…other than an implied innuendo…)


Meanwhile, General Petraeus is dinged by the BBC for refusing to declare victory in Iraq.. They did say all the right things, though—there is a long difficult road ahead, the surge was a success, that Iraqi forces were standing up and taking control. But, they mostly said using the word “not”--“He did not say…He did not confirm…he resued to say…, etc. Too bad it’s such a negative article on someone who has done something very successfully that the entire left wing establishment claimed was impossible.


And, here at home, Hurricane Ike is headed for the Texas coast. And, like always, some stubborn folks are refusing to get out of the way. I understand the sentiment. Some have no where to go. Some see no reason to go, in case they have to start all over. But, I think life is a reason to go. It speaks of hope. And that’s the thing that has kept this country alive in some very dark hours and trying times.

(…personally, I’m worried that too many in our country have lost hope and that will make way for other, darker things…)

12/11 Morning Report

Hugo Chavez is making a lot of moves these days, despite having lost his referendum push at home. The Banco del Sur is slated to take the place of the IMF, which Chavez describes as a “tool of Washington.”

Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela have all joined the initiative.

Chile and Peru decided to remain on the sidelines, while Colombia, which had expressed interest, has put its decision on hold following recent disagreements between Colombian President Alvaro Uribe and Mr Chavez.

Believing the IMF plays favorites with developed nations over emerging and developing ones, Chavez has been pushing this since December 2006. Some of the difficulty getting funds is due to a wave of industry nationalization in the region. Of course, withdrawing from the World Bank and IMF would mean Venezuela would default on its bonds.

(…can’t imagine why a dictator would want to get out of his debts…can you?...)


In other South American news, Christina Frenandez has been sworm in as President of Argentina. She ran a very unorthodox campaign.

Refusing to debate any of her rivals and granting few interviews, Fernandez preferred to be photographed overseas meeting world leaders - projecting a flair for diplomacy while masking a lack of executive branch experience.

She faces a lot of tough challenges. High on the list are strengthening the courts, continuing economic improvement. She expected to govern from the center-left political position. She also expected to continue the relationship with Chavez.

(…unfortunately she is being compared to Hillary Clinton, too…)


Meanwhile, in Afghanistan, NATO and Afghan troops took back a Taliban stronghold. Breaking a deal with the British back in February, the Taliban took over the town and began terrorizing the area, bringing a death toll of some 6000. French media reports the Taliban simply walked out of town, supposedly to protect civilians from bombings. But, according to the BBC report, reminiscent of al-Qaeda tactics in Iraq, people seem to be turning against the Taliban once again.

President Hamid Karzai said the decision to enter Musa Qala came after local Taliban commanders agreed to side with the Afghan government because of brutality committed against townspeople by the Taliban, al-Qaeda and foreign fighters.

(snip)

He told of a 15-year-old boy accused of spying by the Taliban who was hung from a ceiling and roasted to death by a gas-fed fire started beneath him. The next morning the militants told the boy's mother she could pick up her son, the president said.

(…fear will keep people cowed for a while…but hope of something better will bring a change…amazing how with all it’s problems, people keep turning to coalition forces for that help…)

12/07 Morning Report

The good news? Employers added 94,000 jobs in November, and unemployment held steady at 4.7%. The bad news?

The jobs report showed a loss of 33,000 jobs in goods-producing industries during November while 127,000 jobs were created in service-providing businesses. Manufacturing industries continued to shed employees, cutting 11,000 jobs last month on top of the 15,000 that were dropped in October.

. Unfortunately, service sector jobs do not have the salary range of manufacturing jobs. Still, this increase is believed to raise the probability of a rate cut when the Fed meets next week.

More bad news? According to this NY Times article, The subprime bailout announced by the White House may not do as much as people expect.

“The approach announced today is not a silver bullet,” said Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr., who hammered out the agreement. “We face a difficult problem for which there is no perfect solution.”

On top of that non-revelation, one industry analyst believes only about 20% of those facing rate increases in the next 18 months will be helped by it. BUT, analysts agree that a “sweet spot” must be found, and that this is what Bush is trying to find.

(…does the Times, and everyone else, seem to think this can be quick fixed?...it took years to get into this mess…Americans…well people…are so short term focused…)


Meanwhile, Democrats their own tax conundrum.

Trying to find a way out of a sticky tax problem, the Senate on Thursday voted overwhelmingly to prevent the alternative minimum tax from hitting millions of middle-class Americans without replacing the $50 billion that would be lost.

So, the AMT would reduce taxes by $50 million to the middle class and the Dems gave it the ax? The very people who voted them into office yanked the rug out? I understand the need to find a source for the money before cutting the taxes. But, you would think the Democrats would have had solutions for that before now.

(…maybe they were just too busy bashing Republicans and posturing for election…think the media will bash them the way they do Republicans over similar issues?...oh yeah…no media bias…how silly of me…)


Meanwhile, in Iraq, the decline in violence seems to make each new attack that much more spectacular. Now using female suicide bombers, al-Qaeda struck once again at the offices of those who have turned against them. Actions such as this, and wiping out villages for sake of power and control, demonstrate al-Qaeda’s total disregard of people—much like the Taliban was doing in Afghanistan. Frankly, the whole thing reminds me of the history lessons on how organized crime families (i.e. “the Mob”) had to be taken down by the feds after shooting lots of people and blowing up lots of stuff. They haaven’t been eliminated, but their power has been reduced and in some cases broken. Unfortunately, I think the same will be true for al-Qaeda. And, I think the Democrat ”phased withdrawal” has more risks than people want to see.

(…I wonder when that will actually come back to bite them in the @#$#...)


And finally, but not least important, did you remember—without media help—today was the anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor?



Of the 16 million who served in WWII, only 2.9 million are still alive. There are even fewer who were actually on the island of Oahu that morning. In Ft. Worth, one of the few still alive who were there tells his story.

11/24 Morning Report

Liberal rumblings are being heard in several countries. Australia’s Labor Party is claiming victory in the elections there. Conservatives are split. Prime Minister John Howard says Labor, dominated by trade unionists, would end the economic growth in Australia. That would be bad for Australians, as well as the global economy. But, what would a Labor victory mean for Americans?

[Kevin] Rudd has pledged to withdraw combat troops from Iraq and sign the Kyoto Protocol, further isolating Washington on both. The Mandarin-speaking former diplomat would also be expected to forge closer ties with China and other Asian nations.

Not good news.


The NY Times, meanwhile, feeding a Liberal bias, notes that market bombs spell the end of the lull. Showing that security can be undermined in “safe areas,” terrorists killed 8-13 people in the Ghazil animal market. It’s interesting that the Times puts all blame on the Bush administration. It makes no attempt to place blame on terrorists—those who wantonly kill innocent people for the sake of their desires. US military officials blamed Iran-backed militants. The bomb was packed with ball bearings, according to Rear Adm. Smith.

"In raids overnight, Iraqi and coalition forces were able to identify and detain four members of a militia extremist group we assess as responsible for this horrific act of indiscriminate violence," he said at a news conference. "Based on subsequent confessions, forensics and other intelligence, the bombing was the work of an Iranian-backed special groups cell operating here in Baghdad."

(…so, if Bush is a criminal…what does that make the bombers…or Iran? interestingly, the NYT does not say…)


Unfortunately, in Lebanon, things have become even more precarious. Unable to hold elections, due to actions by Hezbollah and other pro-Syrian opponents, President Emile Lahoud stepped down, appearing to declare a state of emergency. And, he handed power over to the army. His departure has been a long standing goal of anti-Syrian groups, who are trying to gain control of the presidency. In some ways, the hand over is sensible. The army has tried to stay neutral. But, the constitution requires the cabinet to declare any state of emergency. With the boycott of cabinet activities by Shiite/Hezbollah members, the legitimacy of government is on questionable ground. And, that leaves many afraid of violence breaking out on a greater scale.

(…it pointedly states things against Bush…yet against those who thwart the will of the Lebanese people—like Hezbollah--it says nothing…but, of course, there is no media bias…)

11/9 Morning Report

(...be warned...today I just felt like going on a rant...I've been nice for too long...)

It’s really sad that all the MSM can do is recognize how bad some things are. You would think, somewhere along the way, they would recognize successes. Like the report 3 days ago that IED deaths are down. Some estimates say by about 50%! What does the media report? There was this NY Times article that proclaimed 2007 deadliest year for troops. It is a true statement. However, the Times blames the increase on the surge. Ground commanders say the surge has worked, to a degree. Some independent journalists are saying there has been a significant change among Iraqis that is making a difference. Michael Yon has done a good job of pointing fingers in all directions during the conflict. He was among the first to see a civil war brewing. Now, he reports that various local insurgent groups are joining the government, and American forces, to get rid of al-Qaeda. A month ago, he said something profound in his dispatch Hunting al-Qaeda:

Their end goal still includes getting us ushered out the door: something they are clear about. This means we have further common interests; we want to walk out that door just as fervently, but we don’t want to watch the house full of kids burn down behind us when we leave. Neither do they.

The question for our nation will be did we run away and let the house burn down, or did we make every effort to do right by the Iraqi people? Given the changing political winds in Washington, I suspect that will prove to be THE question that defines the next Administration and the Congress.

(…by the way, if you re not reading Michael Yon, you should be…)


Speaking of things the Liberals should have to answer for: Illegal Immigration. More specifically, they should answer for refusing to control it. 23 were found working at O’Hare Airport. Many in sensitive areas. And, yet, Liberals decry any attempt to control the problem. The claim of discrimination is absurdly placed as an overarching concern, when in fact, it really isn’t the issue in the first place. Certainly, it appears from time to time. And, it should be dealt with accordingly. However, the issue is ILLEGAL immigrants. And, frankly, I don’t see why the one is discriminating against the other.


But, then of course, they would also have to respond to the latest moves of the Liberal darling Hugo Chavez. Portrayed as the benign, loving dictator of Venezuela, his supporters re apparently pretty violent, killing two after the anti-Chavez rally the other day. Funny thing…I didn’t catch much about it in the MSM. Nor do I hear any cries of dictitorialism for his moves to consolidate and perpetuate power. But, here in the US, the Liberals are going after various conservative icons again. With their return to power, they are back after televangelists. Do I believe they live extravagantly? Yeah, they probably do. But, who said they have live in poverty? And where do you draw the line? And…more importantly…why is the line more sharply drawn for Christians and preachers than other groups?

(…now there is a question Liberals should have to answer…think they ever will?...)


And, for those that want to use Yahoo to help our troops, Any Soldier now has a Yahoo toolbar available. When you use it, it helps keep that site alive. They exist because people give to the site, as well as the troops. Do what you can. They are more than worth it.

11/4 Morning Report

Sounding like most “benevolent dictators” of the past, Gen. Pervez Musharraf suspended Pakistan’s constitution. With troops surrendering to militants in some areas, police raising the jihadist flag, and suicide attacks in major cities, Pakistan is a growing trouble spot. I think former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, recently returned from exile, made the most telling statement:

"I agree with him that we are facing a political crisis, but I believe the problem is dictatorship, I don't believe the solution is dictatorship…The extremists need a dictatorship, and dictatorship needs extremists.”

In this BBC article, another political rival, Imran Khan, is quoted as saying:

"When you stop all legal and constitutional ways of people challenging [the president], then the only ones who challenge him are people with a gun".

(…so…having gained power by military coup…are we surprised that he decides to keep power with the same methods?...I wonder what this will do for the GWOT…)


Meanwhile, in Libya, Islamists joined al-Qaeda. According to an internet audio message, the Fighting Islamic Group has joined bin Laden’s network. Interestingly, the message called for opposition to and the toppling of North African and Palestinian leaders, calling on Fatah to depose President Abbas and branding Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi “an enemy of Islam.” Islamic influence is growing all across the Middle East. Even Azerbaijan is having a resurgence of Islamic influence. Mostly beginning from the vacuum created by the break up of the Soviet Union, Islamic teaching of both Sunni and Shia ideas has been spreading, although under state control. Given the changes in Pakistan, iraq, Libya and other places, it does open the question of how long it will remain such an open society.


Closer to home, a pipe bomb was found at the Palo Verde nuclear plant. It was in the bed of a contractor’s truck, who claimed no knowledge of the device.

The pipe bomb was probably powerful enough to damage the vehicle but not the power plant, Sheriff Joe Arpaio said…."The mystery is how did it get in the truck and how he knew nothing about it. It's all very puzzling,"

In our open society, it would be quite simple to put something in a truck unnoticed. So, the question, on the surface, sounds kind of stupid. But, it does open the subject of social restrictions and searches that will further erode constitutional freedoms and protections—in the name of maintaining social order.

(…maybe one day we can say we are Pakistan!...)


And, in political news, reports from Arizona show that Democrats are out-fundraising republicans again. Through more efficient use of the internet, Democrats raised more cash than Republicans in the last Presidential election. You can visit Act Blue to see just how they are doing this year. Ignoring the political bias of the source, there was a lot of interesting information in today’s NY Times. And, let’s not forget the reported plan to manipulate Google data to bias the elections. Republicans need a focused vision for the future, and a united voice. Republicans and conservatives once took over Congress by successfully using the airwaves of talk radio. Now, the Democrats are showing you have to learn to use the internet to be really successful.

(…I hope conservatives learn this lesson quick…)

9/14 Morning Report

Why is everyone so surprised that Bush stated the war in Iraq will stretch beyond his administration? When it all started, he said it would be years before this was completed. Admittedly, he thought it would be around the end of his administration at the time. I seem to recall hearing others who thought it would be longer. Nevertheless, he was up front about it. Our problem, as Americans, is we are so short sighted on the future. We tend to think everything can be solved quickly and efficiently, when in fact the problem really requires a long term fix. I really snorted over the MSM’s idea that Bush is “finally agreeing to troop cuts”. The truth is he is following the directives of the man he put in charge, General Petraeus, just like he promised. You might want to check out Frederick Kagan’s view of how the surge has gone. He is believed to be it’s chief architect.

The assassination of Abdul-Sattar Abu Risha is a blow to Coalition efforts.

On Thursday, Bush spokeswoman Dana Perino said Abu Risha "was one of the first to come forward to want to work with the United States to repel al-Qaeda."

"Remember, al-Qaeda was killing some of the sheiks' children and, in one instance, severed several heads from young children and put them in a cooler to deliver to the sheiks," Perino said. "This is the type of enemy that we're dealing with."

She said that while the death was not a setback to the U.S. efforts in Anbar, U.S. officials would "have to redouble our efforts to work with the local populations to get the support they need to prevent other such murders."

At the same time, it is also a blow to al-Qaeda forces in Iraq. It has seriously damaged al-Qaeda’s efforts to separate Iraqis and Coalition forces. Of course, they haven’t been doing themselves any favors through their murderous deeds among the people. Michael Yon did a great job of documenting some of it—though the rest of the media has not paid nearly enough attention. It has left the American people thinking al-Qaeda is not a major presence in Iraq.
(…but we trust the MSM to tell us everything that matters…right?...yeah, sure whatever…)

The good news of the day is someone is hitting back at MoveOn.org. After their “Betray Us” ad denouncing Petraeus’s as yet unmade Congressional testimony, Freedom's Watch is mounting a multimillion dollar ad campaign against the liberal foul-mouth piece. Democrats as yet have not denounced the campaing, although Sen. John Kerry (?) did cal it “over the top.” And, how is the liberal media reacting?

The Hill reports that presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani, who criticized the ad as "abominable," is asking The Times for the “same heavily discounted rate they gave MoveOn.org” for an ad.

The New York Post has reported that The Times charged MoveOn $65,000 instead of its standard $181,000 for the ad. The Times, according to Reuters, responded that there are many different categories of ads, with varying rates depending on variables such as multiple buys.

(…I’m glad there is no bias in the media…aren’t you?...)

9/11 Morning Report

The big news, of course, is General Petraeus’s testimony to Congress.Simply put, the military is achieving it’s objectives via the surge, and that major or total withdrawals should wait until Spring 2008. While the GAO reports that 4 of 18 objectives are actually achieved, Petraeus clearly shows several other military objectives are well in progress. The part that concerned me was:

In Baghdad, Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh responded to Petraeus’ comments by saying that Iraq would be comfortable with a gradual withdrawal of U.S. troops as long as it was first discussed with the Iraqi government.

That statement indicates the Iraqis realize how much they can actually control US decisions. It indicates that Democrats may not be far off the beam when they cry for real measuring points of Iraqi progress, and that the US hold them to it. This is supported by Ambassodor Cocker’s testimony, following Petraeus.

"A secure, stable, democratic Iraq at peace with its neighbors is, in my view, attainable," he said. "The cumulative trajectory of political, economic, and diplomatic developments in Iraq is upwards, although the slope of that line is not steep."

Of course, Democrats in Congress snubbed Gen. Petraeus’s testimony out of hand. Pelosi called his proposals “unacceptable,” including a rather substantial troop withdrawal this year. Rep. Tom Lantos, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, even called it a “token withdrawal.” Personally, I loved Petraeus’s response:

“What I recommended was a very substantial withdrawal,” the general replied evenly from the witness chair, his uniform adorned by four gleaming general’s stars and nine rows of medals. “Five Army brigade combat teams, a Marine Expeditionary Unit and two Marine battalions represent a very significant force.”

Republicans also called on Democrats to denounce the work of MoveOn.Org in their “Betray Us” campaign. None of them have, although none have endorsed it either.
(…like I really expect them to give up that kind of media benefit to their campaigns…)


In other Iraq news, the US is building a base on the Iran border.

The base will be located about four miles from the Iranian border and will be used for at least two years, according to the report. U.S. officials told the paper it is unclear whether it will be among the small number of facilities that would remain in Iraq after any future large-scale U.S. withdrawal.

(snip)

Lynch told the paper, “We’ve got a major problem with Iranian munitions streaming into Iraq. This Iranian interference is troubling and we have to stop it.”

U.S. officials accuse Iran of fomenting violence to destabilize Iraq and of seeking to build nuclear weapons under cover of civilian nuclear program, charges Iran denies.

(…wonder what the liberals will make of that…)

Meanwhile, Georgia is increasing its troop commitment to Iraq. And, finally, it seems al-Qaeda wanted Bosnia for a European base.
(…any acknowledgement that there might be some benefit for being in Iraq from the left on this…???...)

9/8 Morning Report

Spoiling Petraeus’s report yesterday that gains are being made, but they are in a fragile state, come the Osama video. The only surprise was unlike his 2004 video, this one lacks any threats. He made two statements, one of which has no bearing on reality. He called the killing of insurgents and terrorists who murder innocent women and children wrong. The removal of murders is wrong? That’s frightening because he and his followers sincerely believe it. Somewhat more disturbing, and perhaps more realistically possible, he said the way to bring this to an end is for America to convert to Islam.

Meanwhile, as Reuters reports, General Petraus’s report is a mixed bag.

"Up front, my sense is that we have achieved tactical momentum and wrested the initiative from our enemies in a number of areas of Iraq. The result has been progress in the security arena, although it has, as you know, been uneven," Petraeus wrote to coalition forces.

But he said Iraqi politicians had not made the gains hoped for when the Bush administration added 30,000 U.S. troops to the war under the "surge" strategy.

There are, of course, no real surprises in the letter released to the troops in advance of his testimony to Congress. Many sources, mainstream and independent, have been saying this in one form or another. Unfortunately, the Democrats are already set to denounce it.

In advance of Petraeus' appearance, the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate charged the general was part of a Bush administration attempt to mislead the public with manipulated information to show the current strategy a success.

"By carefully manipulating the statistics, the Bush-Petraeus report will try to persuade us that violence in Iraq is decreasing and thus the surge is working," said Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois.

Many liberal officials have been in the news for the last month saying everything has failed and to expect just such a thing as
Durbin described, should we be surprised there has been no change?
(…and they say conservatives have closed minds…)

And, here in the States, Sir Hillary is having legal problems again. Just weeks after suspicions were raised about contributions to her Presidential campaign, a court in California will hear arguments about a possible illegal fundraiser for her Senate campaign in 2000. The principle issue is the inclusion of a video tape where Clinton is acknowledging direct involvement with what would constitute an illegal fundraising act. The judicial panel will consist of two Democrats and one Republican.
(…I’m interested to see where this does…and how much Bush bashing goes on to drown out the whole event…)

Of course, given the political hey made over the Republican campaing contribution scandals, the MSM is soft peddling the damage of Mr. Hsu for Democratic campaigns. After failing to show up in California court again, he was found on a train in Colorado…ill. Despite several felony charges and a long history of questionable activity, the media still paints him as a poor unfortunate—instead of the criminal he is. Meanwhile, Democratic candidates are painted as heroes for offering to give the contributions he gave them to charity.
(…I thought if it was illegal for one, it was illegal for all…must be nice to be Democrat and able to make the laws do what you want…)

And, finally, I missed some sad news reported by Any Soldier on 30 August:

Maj. Henry S. Ofeciar, 37, of Agana, Guam, died Aug. 27 at Forward Operating Base Naray, Afghanistan, from wounds suffered when insurgents attacked their unit during combat operations in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.

Major Ofeciar, at our house we remember your cry—the cry of all warriors:

"Tell them of us and say,
For their tomorrow, we gave our today."
--The Kohima Epitaph--

We remember what you have given. And we say thank you for the tomorrows you have given others. May God give back to your family more than they have sacrificed and lost.

And, now, we dance In Memoriam.

8/27 Morning Report

For those who think you now what Congress or the President can and can’t do about wars, funding, deployments, and the like, you should read this article at the Christian Science Monitor. I’ll be honest, I haven’t researched this one out. So, if you know something different, please post a comment and share your source information.

On the subject of War in Iraq, it seems the extremists are continuing their same old atctics. Innocent people, on their religious pilgrimage, are being attacked. Meanwhile, the governor of the province was also attacked, with the usual roadside bomb. He survived un injured, though two others were killed earlier this month. Of course, security in such a violent area is difficult, at best. But, I loved what U.S. military spokesman Lt. Col. Michael Donnelly told the Associated Press:

"Any civilian casualties are truly regrettable, but it is important to understand that our forces are there to secure the people of Samarra and bring them peace, not bring them harm like the insurgents did,"

(…don’t you wish the liberal lefties would get that message?...)

It will be interesting to see if the Islamic moderates win out in Morocco.

Analysts and diplomats said any Islamist-linked bombings in the run-up to next month's elections would become new ammunition in the ideological war between Islamists and their secular foes, but the vote would not be much influenced by any attacks.

With terrorists not having any concrete agenda, it makes thigns a bit easier. Although, I suspect that, given terrorist ideas about allowing change, it is likely to be noisy, messy and bloody all the same.

Meanwhile, the big news here at home is the Gonzales resignation. Every major news source has it plastered on their web site. And, of course, the focus is the failure of another Bush crony.

Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, blamed Gonzales and Bush for "a severe crisis of leadership" at the Justice Department.

Believing in more vindictiveness, Sen. Harry Reid had his own comments:

"This resignation is not the end of the story. Congress must get to the bottom of this mess and follow the facts where they lead, into the White House."

well, If we are going to point at Clinton and his cronies for the malfeasance, we should expect the same treatment from those on the left.
(…hopefully they won’t follow the normal political path of inventing and expanding what only appears to be there…)

Meanwhile, the Dallas Morning News reported this sad news on Saturday:

A Fort Hood soldier from Georgia died in combat in Iraq, the Department of Defense said Saturday.

Pfc. Edgar E. Cardenas, 34, of Lilburn, Ga., died Wednesday in Abu Ghraib from wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device.

He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

Pfc Cardenas, at our house we remember your cry—the cry of all warriors:

"Tell them of us and say,
For their tomorrow, we gave our today."
--The Kohima Epitaph--

We remember what you have given. And we say thank you for the tomorrows you have given others. May God give back to your family more than they have sacrificed and lost.

And, now, we dance In Memoriam.

8/14 Morning Report

Of course, today’s MSM feeding frenzy is all about Karl Rove’s resignation. But, there are many more pressing problems that should have America’s attention, and western society in general.

Did any one notice the rally in Jakarta calling for a single Islamic caliphate? According to this BBC report, over 100,000 gathered to support the idea. The idea of uniting all the Islamic world into one state is not new. In fact, the organizing group (Hizb ut-Tahrir) was formed in 1953. It is a Sunni organization, strongly anti-Israel. It has also been banned in several Arab and Asian countries. This is a harbinger that western society is not grasping. Here is my question: since we cannot get 100,000 gathered to agree on one thing, how are we going to combat that kind of unity?

Want some implications here in America? How about The Khalil Gibran International Academy in New York City? Or perhaps you should consider this statement by American al Qaeda militant Adam Gadahn:

"The amount of respect we have for your international law is even less than the respect you hold for defined shariah, and our observance of it is comparable to your observance of shariah," he said, referring to Islamic law.

Or, maybe, we should look at the idea that defensive Jihad is considered a viable defense strategy in US courts. (…this time, it was rejected by the judge…but what might that mean for the future…)

The wake up calls keep coming. When will the West answer the phone?

05/06 Morning Report

Oh, my God! Hell is freezing over! The NY Times reports that liberal professors are changing their views on gun controlThe Liberals have said for years that the Second Amendment does not cover the individual right to have guns—only for state militias to be armed. Well, there are now several liberal professors who are changing their minds. And, their views are beginning to change a judiciary opinions. Professor Levinson, at the University of Texas said:

If only as a matter of consistency, Professor Levinson continued, liberals who favor expansive interpretations of other amendments in the Bill of Rights, like those protecting free speech and the rights of criminal defendants, should also embrace a broad reading of the Second Amendment. And just as the First Amendment’s protection of the right to free speech is not absolute, the professors say, the Second Amendment’s protection of the right to keep and bear arms may be limited by the government, though only for good reason.

Of course, the Times, being staffed by liberals, also did it’s best to undercut the potential of these changes by further stating:

The individual rights view is far from universally accepted. “The overwhelming weight of scholarly opinion supports the near-unanimous view of the federal courts that the constitutional right to be armed is linked to an organized militia,” said Dennis A. Henigan, director of the legal action project of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence. “The exceptions attract attention precisely because they are so rare and unexpected.”

Scholars who agree with gun opponents and support the collective rights view say the professors on the other side may have been motivated more by a desire to be provocative than by simple intellectual honesty.

It took two decades for the idea to break loose that the individual has gun rights as liberally interpreted as free speech (aka pornography publishers). I wonder what the next two decades will hold in this arena.
(…well…it just goes to show that wonders never cease…)

Meanwhile ABC seems to have discovered that Evangelical Christians are ”suddenly” supporting adoption. Well, I admit it is becoming more main stream. However, adoption has been advocated nationally by many ministries over the years. In fact, on thing Christians were known for in ancient Rome was taking in homeless, abandoned and orphaned children. My suspicion, though I cannot prove it, is more of the moderate (…yes, read that liberal…) elements of the church are re-discovering how important this action is. Here is what I believe: If you claim to be a Christian, and you do not take personal action to help those in need (…yes, read that mean not letting the government or church leadership take responsibility for doing everything…), then you are a hypocrite. Your personal action may take the form of writing soldiers to let them know they are not forgotten. It may take the form of adopting orphans. It could take many different forms. But, it must be a personal action—not something another party does for you. It’s time the Church began being the Church, again.

Meanwhile, in Iraq, an al-Qaeda video declares the Democrats recent withdrawal proposal is proof of America’s defeat. Is anyone really surprised by that? Critics of the liberal cry for departure dates have said this claim would be made. And, the liberals have denied it would be an issue. The fact that the video played the race card—using video from the 1960s to claim US racism—is really pathetic. Sure, there are still problems among different races in America—and it isn’t just between whites and other races (aka the Asian/Hispanic turf wars in many West Coast cities). But, at least there are efforts being made to work through those issues. Why don’t we compare apples to apples, for just a moment. Can someone show me similar efforts being made by al-Qaeda? Iran? Hamas? In fact, al-Qaeda seems to have been behind the suicide bomb aimed at Sunni Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi. They also warned Sunnis not to cooperate or work with Shiites. Their brand of racism (aka religionism) is much more destructive, not to mention bloodier, than what we see here.
(…do I really need to go on…)

Finally, there was more sad news reported in the Dallas Morning News.

HOUSTON – A 19-year-old soldier from a Houston suburb died this week in Afghanistan, the Department of Defense said Friday.

Pfc. Joseph G. Harris, of Sugar Land, died Thursday. His death is under investigation, officials said.

Harris was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C.

Pfc. Harris, at our house we remember your cry—the cry of all warriors:

"Tell them of us and say,
For their tomorrow, we gave our today."
--The Kohima Epitaph--

We remember what you have given. And we say thank you for the tomorrows you have given others. May God give back to your family more than they have sacrificed and lost.

And, now, we dance In Memoriam.