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.

04/18 Wednesday Hero

This Weeks Soldier Was Submitted By Anna

Chief Master Sgt. John Gebhardt
Superintendent of the 22nd Wing Medical Group at McConnell Air Force Base


Have you heard of Chief Master Sgt. John Gebhardt? Maybe you have and maybe you haven't. CMSgt. Hebhardt gain some notoriety recently. Not for an action that he took on the battlefield, but rather for a picture(not shown because it is graphic) that was taken of him.

In 2006, CMSgt. John Gebhardt was photographed holding a little Iraqi girl that had been injured. Her family had been attacked by insurgents. Both of her parents were killed, along with many of her siblings, and she had been shot in the head and left for dead. But she was tougher than that. She was brought to Balad Air Base Hospital where she was operated on and ultimately saved. As you can imagine, it was an extremely hard time for this little girl. Her recovery was hellish. But when CMSgt. Gebhardt would hold her, she seemed to be comforted. He spent many nights sleeping in a chair with her in his arms. The picture wast taken by a fellow airman while CMSgt. Gebhardt and the little girl were napping. Said CMSgt. Gebhardt, "I'm sure that probably just gave her some inner peace that she could reach."

On a side note. This is why I started doing these Wednesday Hero posts. Because of people like Chief Master Sgt. John Gebhardt. It's soldiers like him that make me proud of our military.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. If you would like to participate in honoring the brave men and women who serve this great country, you can find out how by going here.

03/04 Morning Report

I think the Taliban and Iraqi insurgent forces have learned more lessons from the Viet Cong. Putting US and NATO forces in the position of not knowing who to trust has caused more civilian deaths. How well those tactics have succeeded is summed up in this:

After a suicide attack by an explosives-filled minivan, the Americans treated every car and person along the highway as a potential attacker, though none of the people showed hostile intent, said Mohammad Khan Katawazi, the district chief of Shinwar.

Unfortunately, when only one side wears uniforms—your own-- it’s easy to get trapped into that behavior.

By the way, want to know what Muslim extremists think? Well there are two good examples.
First, according to Chechnyan President Ramzan Kadyrov, ”if you’re a leader, people fear you”.
(…maybe someone should tell that to the Democrats?...)

Second, there is Iran, who once again proved the UN does not care if they get thumbed in the nose. It seems UN leaders cannot agree on sanctions against Iran for nuclear stone walling.
(…must be nice to be able to say what you want…and do what you want…and get away with it…how come America can’t do that in the UN?...)

And, in case you were wondering just how much Iran and the Saudis distrust each other, they have agreed to keep Muslim ranks unified. It should be interesting to see that happen between Shiite and Sunni factions. They are already tearing each other apart in Lebanon, Iraq, and among the Palestinians. And each of these nations is fueling the fight, one way or another.
(…somehow…that’s supposed to make sense…to someone…maybe the Muslims get it…that’s why they are so unified…right?...)

By the way, if you think our annual defense budget increases are big? Take a look at what China announced! Their defense spending will jump almost 18% next year.

Jiang said most of the money would be spent on boosting wages and living allowances for the 2.5 million-member People's Liberation Army, and on upgrading armaments.

(…at least all of theirs are home…putting down dissenters and tyrannizing the populace…I wonder what the liberals would do if our military was used like that…and how come the liberals aren’t doing this about the Chinese…and the Russians…and…oh, never mind…)

Give peace a chance was a favorite slogan of American peace activists back in the 60s and 70s. Considering all the violence that ensued between leftists then and American authorites, should anyone be that surprised at the Danish riots? It could be these guys are taking lessons from the Muslims in Iraq…

Police said they arrested about 100 activists in raids on houses, schools and hostels. About half were foreigners who police said would be expelled.

Defying the courts, leftists have occupied a building that was sold to Christian fundamentalists, and even resorted to using molotov cocktails to ward off police.
(…really makes you believe their interested in peace…as opposed to…say…forcing everyone to give them what they want…hhhmmm…can you say “Chavez”?...)

02/24 Morning Report

The North Koreans seem to be continuing their course for settlement of nuclear issues. Earlier this month, they agreed to close their reactor in exchange for fuel aid. Now, they are welcoming inviting the UN nuclear chief Mohamed ElBaradei to talk some more. ElBaradei said “he hoped to discuss the suspension of North Korea's nuclear activity.”
(…does any one else see shades of Hussein and Ahmadinejad…).

Speaking of the Iranian head of state, as if it’s a big surprise, he’s defying the UN again.

The UN Security Council had given Iran until 21 February to halt uranium enrichment.

But the IAEA concluded in a report on Thursday that Iran was expanding rather than halting its enrichment programme, defying a UN resolution of December 2006.

And, as usual, the UN is choosing to negotiate—while threatening force.
(…isn’t that special!...)

Meanwhile, isn’t it interesting that “detaining at the border” is the same as seizing and then releasing? Well, according to the NY TIMES it’s the same thing. Of course, according to the article, the Iraqis—specifically the Shiites—think so, too.

“They arrested me and my guards in an unsuitable way, and they bound my hands and blindfolded me,” he said. “They took our phones, bags, money, documents and the guards’ weapons, and sent us to an American base.”

If I’m not mistaken, standard procedure when someone is detained is to take them to a facility to determine what to do next. Of course, these should be something of a clue:

(supposedly) Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, a Shiite who depends on Mr. Hakim’s support, intervened to help release the son
(…snip…)
One of Amar al-Hakim’s most prominent public roles of late has been canvassing the Shiite provinces of southern Iraq to build support for his father’s controversial plan to cleave nine Shiite provinces into an autonomous region
(…snip…)
Amar al-Hakim was educated mostly in Iran…

Maliki depends on al-Sadra and Hakim for support? The two don’t like each other’s ideas. But, both are seeking Shiite expansion and control…just like Iran.
(…I don’t see any problems here…do you?…)

The Times is also making a point of showing that President Bush is planning a war against Iran. The idea of protecting US soldiers and interests seems to automatically mean wanting a war. When do we hear the outcry for supplying weapons to those who are murdering Iraqi civilians—along with American troops?
(…wouldn’t that be a switch…)

02/16 Morning Report

I’ve been really busy with some school projects and tax season at the brokerage. So, I’m doing a little catch up on the news. Did you have any idea how fragmented the Democrats really are over Iraq? The Ft. Worth Star Telegram reported on Saturday, February 10 that:

In the House, Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio has an 11-point plan to end the war.

Sens. Hillary Clinton of New York, Barack Obama of Illinois and Chris Dodd of Connecticut have outlined their own proposals. Sen. Joseph Biden has said he will have one, too.

More than a dozen such measures are competing for notice as Congress moves deeper into its war debate; virtually all make the safety of the troops a priority.

Sen. Russell Feingold, D-Wis., was the first to introduce a bill on the subject in the current Congress. He proposed, the day after lawmakers convened in January, that money for combat troops be cut off after six months.

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., was the first lawmaker to propose legislation denying permission for Bush to increase troop strength.

Rep. Sam Farr, D-Calif., supports legislation to rescind the authorization that Congress approved in 2002 for the invasion of Iraq, and requiring the withdrawal of troops "in a safe and orderly manner."

Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., and others have a bill to begin withdrawals within 30 days and turn all U.S. military facilities over to the Iraqis.

More than 70 members of the House Progressive Caucus announced last week they favor a withdrawal over six months. A group of moderate Democrats has filed legislation requiring greater accountability over funds spent in Iraq.

Some withdrawal measures make exceptions for targeted anti-terrorist activity or security for U.S. personnel. Sestak's plan would allow the military to provide air support for Iraqi forces.

Several bills would ban permanent U.S.. military bases in Iraq, and some place Iraq's oil off-limits to U.S. government agencies or American companies. Some provide for reconstruction aid, others endorse regional diplomatic efforts.

One bill places a limit of 500 personnel on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad; provides assistance for elimination of land mines; envisions compensation for Iraqi noncombatant casualties; and supports establishment of an Iraqi Institute for Peace.

The truth is, the Democrats probably have enough clout and bipartisan support to actually get most of this stuff passed.

The evidence is mounting against staying, that is if you count leadership by public opinion poll as a valid measure of doing what is or is not right. With Iranian support of the Shiite militias, and with Moktada al-Sadr probably living there, too, and the American media all ramped up to get the soldiers out of Iraq, all I can do is feel sorry for the Iraqi people. At the moment, US forces are all the security worth mentioning that they have.

Meanwhile, Pelosi and company are declaring Bush doesn’t have power to invade Iraq. Under the Constitution and War Powers Act, he actually could do it—short term. Technically, it only comes under Congressional oversight if it goes over 30 days. The President only has to inform Congress of his actions. All that really is meaningless. The Democrats have created a lot of fear in the American people. But, the truth is, given Bush’s work at getting bipartisan support for going into Afghanistan and Iraq, why does anyone believe he would just arbitrarily attack Iran? All it does is succeed in dividing the American people, and solidifying left wing hardliners' belief in Bush’s supposed “dictatorial agenda.” It also gets the attention of the American people off the issues America must face in Iraq—like seeing a stable government formed, even if we don’t like the shape of it.

02/15 Morning Report

Here was a really odd news story. Do you think we have highway congestion problems in the states? Well, the British government thought of a way to deal with it. How about a $2 per mile congestion tax? No lie. This was actually proposed in Britain. The cost to motorists—combined with satellite tracking to ensure compliance—raised a popular revolt against the idea.
(…something light to start the day with…)

Well, I spent the morning poking around at the NY Times. And, in a no big surprise move, the NY Times is once again revealing it’s bias on things Iraqi.

On Monday the NY Times said our military claims Iranian involvement in Iraq.

In a news briefing held under strict security, the officials spread out on two small tables an E.F.P. and an array of mortar shells and rocket-propelled grenades with visible serial numbers that the officials said link the weapons directly to Iranian arms factories.

That’s pretty substantial evidence. Now, I will grant the denial of US claims, without proof, of direct control of Iranian officials is fair. I will also state that it is lame. I should believe that the Iranian government has no involvement with the Shiite insurgents who are openly using Iranian weapons—but not other nation’s devices? (…hhmmm…I can say Iran-Contra..can’t you?...)

So, the next day, the Times reported that skeptics doubt US claims because of the failure of pre-Iraq War US intelligence failures. Again, lame! There is even an additional reason. This time, we have hard intelligence on the ground. Pre-Iraq, there was little to none—allowing lots of hearsay evidence to be used.

And today, the Times reports Bush’s pronouncement that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has been supplying these weapons to Iraqi Shiites militias and insurgents. Interestingly, early in the article, the Times points out that assertions of Iranian involvement have been made, up to now, by “anonymous military and intelligence officials.” The point, of course, being to discredit any information by the administration—and by extension—the military.

(…what happened to tables full of items from Iran…on Monday…that Congressional officials all got to see?...)

Then there are the US claims that Moktada al-Sadr is already living in Iran--and has been for a while. Isn’t that encouraging! The man who has been doing so much to keep the Iraqi government from becoming established may be living in Iran?
(…of course…that’s just speculation…there couldn’t be any truth to it…heaven forbid there should be any truth to the idea that Iran would want to keep things destabilized…)

02/09 Morning Report

Well, the Palestinians are happy with each other again. A new peace deal has been worked out. At least the bullets have stopped flying. There are still a lot of issues left to deal with. First and foremost, there is the issue of how Israel will be treated by Hamas, which refuses to recognize Israel—stopping all the aid desperately needed by the people.
(…personally, I hope it lasts…but, it’s all I can do not say “Here we go again”…)

Meanwhile, Hezbollah—and possibly Syria—have some serious egg on their face. It seems that Lebanese government troops a truck of weapons that Hezbollah claims is theirs.

An opposition alliance led by Hezbollah has vowed to bring down the government, and has demanded the formation of a new cabinet in which it has the power of veto.

In a statement, Hezbollah called on the government to respect a policy statement adopted two years ago that describes the group as a resistance movement against Israeli occupation.

But under UN resolution 1701, which ended the war between Hezbollah and Israel last summer, the militant group is banned from re-arming.

Since they aren’t getting their way, they brought in more weapons—with total disregard to their promises. The truck came from the Becca valley—a long time Syrian stronghold. Which leaves me wondering just how uninvolved Syria really was in this. Of course, it didn’t help the cause any when they accused Bush of pushing Isreal into invading. There are those who will think so, one way or the other. And, this is in spite of the evidence that enough bombs and rockets had been fired without any change on the horizon. (…and, Hezbollah wonders why so many in the West don’t trust them?...)

This was a scary announcement. A $1.5 Billion vaccine fund is being set up to help vaccinate people in poor nations. According to Jeffrey Mecaskey, head of health at Save the Children,

"However, despite the great strides from this investment, political and financial support must go beyond developing and buying drugs.

"Clinics need to be built, doctors and nurses trained and fees for medical treatment scrapped so people can afford to seek medical help in the first place.

And we thought a national socialist health care plan was bad? This plan is for a global one! And, for those who believe vaccines are the way to future global health, let me ask a question…why are there so many new flu strains if the vaccine is so effective? For the record, I think vaccines do have a level of positive effect. But, I also believe they are not tested thoroughly.

For example, take Gov. Rick Perry’s recently announcement a mandate that all sixth grade girls should be immunized for hpv. On the surface, that looks wonderful. But, there are problems. For starters, it takes some 10-15 years for the virus to develop. The vaccine has only been tested out 4 years. So, how do they know it really works all the way out? There has been a huge firestorm of protest to his announcement! From all sides, too. The legislature is hacked because they weren’t involved. Even some area media thinks he’s gone too far.
(…makes it pretty obvious there was some serious money at work here somewhere…doesn’t it?...)

In another statement on the times we live in, GPS equipped shoes will soon be available. I think it was about ten years or so ago, the new rage was Kevlar backpacks and jackets. That was brought on by rising school violence. (I seem to recall it even predated Columbine.) That particular fad died off due to high prices. They are still for sale, though.
(…it does make you wonder what will happen with these shoes…and where these will lead us next…)

02/04 Morning Report

This is REALLY dis-heartening. I can actually agree with the ACLU on the issue of caring for the homeless…well, partially anyway.

the American Civil Liberties Union filed suit challenging the Las Vegas ban, saying it violated constitutional protections of free speech, right to assembly and right to practice one's religion.

What this says about our nation is truly sad. We don’t care about doing what is morally right and kind and considerate to others. All that matters is our constitutional rights—not that those really matter to the ACLU, but they do put up a great smoke screen.

In a similar vein, Jaques Chirac says the US should be taxed if it doesn’t sign the Kyoto accords. Aside from the fact that the accords do not address the growing industrial pollution of , say, India and blame it all on current industrial nations, there are some serious flaws in the science behind the conclusions of it. But, the EU will use it to raise money—even if it does break international trade rules!
(…talk about the easy way to gain a financial advantage in the global economy…H/T to the denizens ofCastle Argghh for the info!...)

Meanwhile, in Iraq, neighboring countries are trying to deal with the refugee problem. For the WashPo, this is the usual article that pulls at the heart strings—and tries to blame the US. But, hidden in the text are some real nuggets.

On the roads to both Jordan and Syria, Sunni insurgents have dragged Shiites from buses and executed them.

So, it’s not all about the Shiite death squads? Where is this reporting? And, just why would the other countries not want Iraqis?

Jordan's tolerance has waned, however, since a group of Iraqis bombed three hotels in November 2005, killing 60 people, according to Iraqis, aid officials and human rights groups. The government fears that Iraq's mostly Sunni Arab refugees could remain in the country permanently or become recruits for Iraq's insurgency.

(…hhhhmmmmm…cant see any logic to that argument…I wonder why the sectarian violence is all America’s, I mean Bush’s fault…oh, you may need to register to read the article…)

Is it really the end of US primacy in the Middle East? Actually, US power and influence has been dropping world wide for many years. Part of the problem has been our unwillingness to see the ugly jobs through to the end just because we get tired of being involved and want something new. And, part of it is, as this article points out, we do not factor in all the results of what we initiate. Did US action really accelerate the rise of Iran? The claim has merit. The focus on Iraq has diverted attention and resources from reigning in Iran. Would much of anything be different if the Iraq and Afghanistan invasions had not happened? Overall, the claim is doubtful. Iran already had secret nuclear development well underway. Also, Iran’s supremacy in the Middle East had been growing for sometime, via arms and monies supplied to various terrorist groups. Those terrorist groups are now in power in Gaza and Lebanon.
(…besides…the real question is not whether or even why Iran’s influence has become more visible…the question is will the world do anything about it…)

The most under-reported announcement from Iraq came on Monday.

The Sadrist bloc, or members of parliament loyal to Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr, and the Iraqi Islamic Party (Sunni Party). Signed an agreement to set up joint committees in the areas inhabited by a mix of Shiites and Sunnis with the aim of preserving security and cooperating with Iraqi security forces, according to Bahaa al-Aaraji, a Sadrist member of parliament, on Sunday.

The Sadrists are giving their full support to the new plan for plans involving American and Iraqi troops? Where is this in the media?

In related news, Virginia freshman Senator (and Marine vet) James Webb claimed the military no longer supports the war—in respsonse to the President’s state of the Union address. The interesting part is no one seems to have questioned the basis of that claim. Greyhawk dug out the truth. There are surprises for both sides in the analysis. The one I liked the most? The troops favor an increase of troops to about the level Bush is proposing. But this information came available BEFORE the “surge.”
(…I’m sorry I missed this when it was originally posted…)

And, finally, there was this sad announcement from Any Soldier:

Sgt. Alejandro Carillo, 22, of Los Angeles, CA, died January 30 while conduting operations in al-Anbar Province, Iraq. Sgt. Carillo was assigned to Combat Logistics Battalion 7, Combat Logistics Regiment 1, 1st Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, based out of Twenty-nine Palms, CA.

Sgt. Carillo, 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.

02/02 Morning Report

I saw this yesterday, but didn’t get to it. Nonetheless, it’s got be giving the left manic fits! A bill has been entered in the Texas legislature to allow homeowners and business owners to actually get to defend themselves! As it stands right now…

" Texas law effectively imposes a duty to attempt to retreat before using force against an intruder…Texans who do not attempt to escape before using force to protect their homes, their businesses or their vehicles may be criminally prosecuted and face possible civil suits alleging wrongful injury or death."

We’ve been told forever the way to survive a robbery or attack is to give the criminal what they want. Now, lawmakers on both sides of the fence want to make it the criminal’s responsibility to avoid harm by not acting criminally. There are 15 other states that think like this, too.
(…I like it!...I wonder what will happen to it between now and the time it gets voted on…if it gets voted on…)

Meanwhile, it seems the Flu has taken on proportions equal to terrorism. There will soon be a severity index, based on the number of deaths that may be caused by a given strain.

The mildest flu strains, those expected to kill fewer than 90,000 Americans, would be known as Category 1 outbreaks. The most severe, a Category 5 epidemic, could kill more than 1.8 million U.S. residents. State and local leaders would adjust their precautions according to the rankings, which the CDC will issue.

This was the major item of the 108-page manual to standardize procedures at state and local levels (Here is the official web site). Why do we need this index…

"Pandemic influenza is not necessarily imminent, but we believe it's inevitable….”

(…that is not encouraging…but at least it’s out in the open…think it will make any difference?...)

The short lived truce in Gaza continues to fail. Given the sectarian issues in play, it should come as no surprise. There is currently more Arab on Arab and Palestinian on Palestinian violence in Gaza AND Lebanon than there is against the Israelis—despite the bakery bombing earlier this week. Even buildings are becoming targets in Gaza now.

These are many of the same sectarian issues in play in Iraq. A new report says that sectarian violence is a bigger problem than al-Qaeda operations. This is, of course, no surprise. Why the media keep trying to report it like one is up for debate. My short version is there is a power struggle going on with the repressed Shiites backlashing against the repression of the Sunnis under Sadaam. It’s a normal historical event after regime changes. The original colonies wnet through it trying to deal with “Torries.” And, admittedly, the US should have planned better for it. Still, given that it is occurring in places the US has not taken an active role with troops, why is everyone surprised by the level of violence?

On the subject of sectarian violence in Iraq, even Iraqi generals are being investigated over the January 20th killing of five GIs. True or not, the possibility of Iranian involvement and planning is even being considered.

Though I haven’t mentioned them earlier here, these are the names of the fallen: Pvt. Johnathon M. Millican, 1st Lt. Jacob Fritz, Capt. Brian S. Freeman, Pfc. Shawn P. Falter and Spc. Johnathan Bryan Chism. We at our house 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 you for 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.

02/01 Morning Report

This was a bizarre conclusion. Vladimir Putin isn’t happy about radr stations and rockets in the Czech Republic. Well, I can understand that. The US would get nervous if the Russians put something like that in, say, Mexico. He also isn’t happy about US sanctions because of arms sales to Iran and Syria. OK…I’ll give the benefit of the doubt on that one. The Russian economy could probably use the business. But, I want to know how he came up with this for a motive:

The real motive, he said, was to stop Russian arms firms from taking business away from U.S. rivals.

(…any ideas…or thoughts…or even wild flights of fancy to explain this are welcome…)

And…the sound you just heard was the Palestinian truce going BOOM! Hamas attacked a supposed convoy of weapons headed to supporters of President Abbas’ military guards.

"Hamas's heroes have commandeered arms shipments that came through Kerem Shalom as part of the fight against the Palestinian people," a presenter on a Hamas radio station said.

That doesn’t explain the 2 dead and 17 wounded—including two children.
(…all to keep the President from being guarded…makes you wonder, doesn’t it…)

The Cartoon Network, a subsidiary of Turner Broadcasting Systems Inc., broke out a new ad campaign in Boston. It didn’t sit well with authorities.

The 1-foot tall signs resembled a circuit board, with protruding wires and batteries. Most depicted a boxy, cartoon character giving passersby the finger - a more obvious sight when darkness fell.

These “signs” were hung from bridges and overpasses all over the city. In our post-9-11 nation, that would be bad. But, it gets worse…

As soon as Turner [Broadcasting Systems, Inc.] realized the Boston problem around 5 p.m., it said, law enforcement officials were told of their locations in 10 cities where it said the devices had been placed for two to three weeks: Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle, Portland, Ore., Austin, Texas, San Francisco and Philadelphia.

(…no further comment from me…I’m sure you can do just fine on your own…)

Meanwhile, the Global Warming conference in France is winding down. The issues now seem to be about wording in various announcements and statements.

According to drafts and participants, the document says it is "very likely" — which means at least 90% certain — that climate change is caused by humans burning fossil fuels, and will result in a temperature increase of between 2.5-10.4 F by the year 2100.
Some participants apparently want to change that wording to "virtually certain," which connotes a 99% likelihood.

It’s interesting how changing one word—or leaving one out can change the entire gist of something. For example, the NY Times published an article on Wednesday, on a hearing in Congress regarding this very subject. It points out that witnesses, and a vaguely identified “source”, basically vilified the administrations policies. What the Times did not say (Courtesy of Times Watch) was that of the four witnesses, three were from major left wing global warming groups. It also did not say that the “source” was one of those groups--the Union of Concerned Scientists. The deception…I mean, misinformation…gets worse.

"The UCS mailed out over 1600 survey forms to climate scientists and based their assertions of political interference on the 297 that got returned. That's a response rate of just 19 percent. OMB guidelines clearly state that a response rate of less than 80 percent requires an investigation of potential biases and an even closer investigation for a response rate lower than 70 percent. A response rate of lower than twenty percent is clearly vulnerable to the charge of a self-selecting sample, perhaps those with an axe to grind against their bosses, the politically motivated, and so on. In short, it provides all sorts of legitimate reasons to dismiss the survey as utterly unrepresentative."

(…really makes you want to trust the media…doesn’tit…)

01/30 Morning Report

Today will be a bit different, for those who are regulars here.

I know this gets covered a lot in Blogdom. Still, lest we forget too quickly, MSNBC posted an interactive map of Sunni and Shiite regions. Iran is almost entirely Shia. As the Saudi's are saying--and have been acting on since the wahabbists rose to power, Iran's interest is in exporting its version of Islam. So, we must remember that when Iran says it wants to support "the people of Iraq", the truth is pretty clear they are only interested in supporting other Shia. The same would apply to Lebanon.

There were apparently two terrorist groups behind the bombing yesterday in Israel. USA Today posted this information in their side bar on the situation today:

Two Palestinian militant groups, Islamic Jihad and the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, claimed joint responsibility for Monday's suicide bombing in the southern Israeli resort town of Eilat, the first suicide bombing in Israel in nine months and the first ever to hit Eilat, Israel's southernmost city:

Islamic Jihad, a radical group backed by Iran and Syria, has been behind most of the Palestinian attacks against Israel since the sides declared a truce in February 2005. It says the violence is a legitimate response to an Israeli crackdown on its members.

Islamic Jihad has claimed responsibility for nine of ten suicide attacks in Israel and the West Bank since the cease-fire declaration, and its militants in Gaza continue to fire homemade rockets at Israel on a daily basis.

The group is believed to have at least 7,000 militants in Gaza, with hundreds more in the West Bank, armed with M-16 and AK-47 automatic rifles, grenades and anti-tank weapons. It considers the 1979 Iranian Revolution to be the beginning of a new era for the Muslim world and wants to turn all of Israel, the West Bank and Gaza into an Islamic state. It rules out compromise with Israel.

The Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, affiliated with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement, is considered more moderate but has also carried out numerous suicide attacks against Israelis.

It has at least about 20,000 members, many of whom are also part of the official Palestinians security services. The group has a large weaponry arsenal that includes homemade rockets, mortars, rocket-propelled grenades, land mines, heavy machine guns and a bevy of automatic rifles. The group does not have a central command, and its members often carry out rogue attacks.

Did anyone notice the groups are tied to Iran? Perhaps not. A bit of history...The PLO split into two main factions: Fatah and Hamas. The principle difference between the two groups is Fatah is more secular. Arafat and Abbas are from Fatah, which means they were more willing to use secular means of attaining their goals. Hamas is more religiously based. that means they are more prone to use the violence of Islam in attaining their ends. But, the important point is the PLO was primarily a Sunni group.

(...if all that does not make you wonder about Iranian intentions in Iraq, what would?...)

01/29 Morning Report

The Iranians are planning to expand their role in Iraq. Well, I guess it was inevitable. They have long been supplying weapons to the insurgents and Shiites. No one should be surprised they want some economic and military ties within Iraq. The frightening comment was when the ambassador said:

“We have experience of reconstruction after war,” Mr. Qumi said, referring to the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s. “We are ready to transfer this experience in terms of reconstruction to the Iraqis.”

(…does any one else hear the undertones of someone trying to put spin on this?...)

Meanwhile, an Iraqi cult leader is dead along with many followers—including women and children. For the record, I’m not happy about that. But, I am also realistic enough to know that if you stand around someone proposing violence, you can get hurt pretty bad if not killed.
(…watch how the media turns the blame on the Iraqi government and US forces, instead of those who were advocating the violence…even now, you can read it between the lines of this article…)

With a death toll of nearly 30 people, even the local Palestinians are calling it civil war. And, it all got wound up because of the call for new elections.
So, what kind of solution did the Palestinians come up with? Sending more suicide bombers against Israel. The first suicide bombing in 9 months killed three Israelis. The one thing the terrorist groups in Lebanon and Gaza have been consistent about is killing Israelis. We can’t trust them to govern their affairs. But, we can trust them to kill others.
(…and the Israelis are to blame, of course…)

Democrats from Congress, lead by Pelosi, are touring Afghanistan. (…should they be there?...that’s up for real debate…members of Congress have gone on “fact finding missions” for years...will it become political mud?...well…why are we bothering to even ask the question?...) To be honest, the visit itself does not bother me. However, the fact that Democrats and Republicans are spending so much time worrying about who crosses the Pakistani and Iranian borders while refusing to defend our own really upsets me.

Here at home, the immigration political fight is heating up again. Hearings are about to start over National Guardsmen withdrawing while Mexican gunmen approached.

The encounter has broader border security implications because armed people will know the National Guard will retreat, said state Rep. Warde Nichols, the committee's chairman.

Democrats rightly expect the anti-ILLEGAL immigration crowd to make a big deal out of this. They also seem to expect the effort to fail. Well, Democrats should have to answer to why American citizens—even the military—have to allow these kinds of incursions and activities.
(…they probably won’t…the media probably won’t say a word about it, either…other than to blame the right for being so intolerant…)

01/25 Morning Report

I thought this piece of media analysis was interesting. It goes through the media economic reporting trend for 2006. What I find most interesting is the focus has been basically the same since Clinton left office. Why is they never said these things during Clinton’s last few years in office? The economy was on a slide through that time frame leading up to Bush first inauguration. Meanwhile, the CBO predicts another drop in the deficit for 2007.
(…oh…but I forgot…there is no media bias…)

On the subject of partisan politics, the Democrats are now looking
For Republican support for their Iraq Resolution. The great victory—kind of like the deficit—over Bush plans seems to be a little short on backing. Whether it stays that way as everyone postures and positions themselves politically for the coming election season, and the aftermath, remains to be seen.

The border fence is going up--finally. Given the politics of the whole thing, thought the emphasis of this article started properly:

Construction began Wednesday on vehicle barriers that will be part of a mix of fencing along the Arizona-Mexico border to discourage illegal border crossings.

As with all things Washington, the goal is not to really accomplish something. It is merely to discourage something Americans find offensive. This is the source of the legal climate that stymies efforts to uphold existing laws. There were two quotes in that article that really had meaning. City Councilman O’Hare said:

“People are upset that the law is not being upheld,” Mr. O’Hare said.

“They’re trying to send a message that minorities aren’t welcome,” said Ms. Villafranca, adding that she had been told to “go back to Mexico,” even though she was born in the United States.

The problem is both positions are right. But, the media only looks at the one. We cannot assume that someone is an ILLEGAL immigrant because of their skin tone. However, we also cannot ignore the ILLEGAL immigration problem.

In a tangent article, though sort of related to ILLEGAL immigration, one of the 2002 Bali bombers has been wounded was traced to the Philippines. That alone says a lot about how well terrorists are tracked—alternatively how good security measures are. And, that’s not to mention the arrest of a Russian uranium smuggler.
(…I wonder what kind of legislation on privacy rights will come out of all this…)

In other disturbing foreign news, it seems the North Koreans are helping the Iranians with nuclear testing.
(I missed this. So, go read Op-For’s breakdown on it.)

On the subject of military technology, El Capitan has a good write up on the new “Trojan Suit.” Should work really well with the new heat ray gun.
(…does this article seem to put the focus on crowd control or what…)

***UPDATE***
On the subject of media effectiveness, there is a continuing series on 5th Generation Warfare over at Fix4RSO. His latest post is on the subject o military planning, development and the need for media involvement. GO READ THIS!!!

01/22 Morning Report

So, Hamas and PM Abbas can’t agree on a unity agreement? What a surprise.
(…is anyone surprised?...)

In other foreign government news, Chavez is throwing another anti-US tantrum. This comes amid expectations of increases to his dictatorial power. And, in usual fashion for left wing dictators, he is using the US as his whipping boy to keep attention from problems in his own nation. Of course, he doesn’t help his cause by bringing on the silence of opposing voices. The WashPo even called it reminiscent of right-wing dictatorships of old.
(…and the lefties see nothing wrong with him…makes you wonder about who supports dictatorships…doesn’t it?...)

The recent change in Maliki’s attitude towards al-Sadr comes after the US finally convinced him the Shiite militia was rife with death squads.
(…I, personally, would normally ask why it took so long…but I understand the Islamic outlook towards admitting being wrong…)

And, somehow, the Washington Post has concluded that American policy is now solely focused on containing Iran, rather than solving the problems in Iraq. According to their take on the issue, that’s all the Arab nations and peoples see, too. I think many media writers have lost sight of a couple of things. In oppressive regimes—especially in developing and third world nations (historically speaking)—power changes have always been violent. It’s not that they have to be. But, they are. The oppressed (Shiites) become oppressors (aka al-Sadr)—perhaps trying to make up for what they were denied. The former oppressors (the Sunnis) refuse to give up power. And, the people suffer. The lawless (aka insurgents, or the mobs in the US) take advantage and encourage social disruption. The US is simply a good target. Unfortunately, the US has made enough mistakes it would be hard not to make some of this mud stick.
(…it’s really interesting, though, that no one seems to take note that more and more of Iraq is being taken care of primarily by Iraqis…)

01/21 Morning Report

The Serbs are electing a new parliament. Kosovo and war crimes have trumped the issues of the economy and corruption. But, as Uncle Mac posted in his 8 part series on Serbia, there are a lot of things that haven’t been done or were hidden by authorities.

In other news, the Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr says his forces will end their boycott of Parliament. It seems to me he made this deal before. And then bailed on it when he didn’t get what he wanted. How do we know he will not do the same again?

And, the Kenyans turned over Somali Islamists. The suspected Islamic fighters included one Canadian, and some of the leaders of the Somalia Islamic Courts Council.
(…too bad about the Canadian…well, there are Islamists in every nation…I guess it was just a matter of time…)

In another “not surprise” announcement, Iran has thumbed it’s nose at the UN. Sadaam set a bad precedent—or at least continued one—in defying the international “authority”. Why so many put their trust in an institution that has accomplished very little, enforces nothing, and is rampant with unaddressed corruption (aka Kofi), I have no idea. Iran is even planning war games around short range missile tests.
(…I hate to say it, but I think I’m glad it doesn’t have any real power…)

In immigration news here at home, Bush is considering a pardon for border patrol agents currently in prison for shooting—but not killing—a Mexican drug runner. Among other things that bother me about this case, in exchange for his testimony against the border agents, the drug runner got immunity—after admitting he was transported hundreds of pounds of illegal drugs.
(…like there couldn’t have been a real reason to get the guy?...)

Meanwhile, in Massachusetts, Gov. Romney signed legislation that allows state troopers to detain illegal aliens they discover in the course of their regular duties. Can someone explain why we needed this law? Can our police and law enforcement officers not arrest…excuse me…detain those they find that have broken the laws? But, given the latest coalition to get more immigrants into the country, I can’t say that I blame him.
(…that it needed to be done is a terrible commentary on the state of our nation…not to mention just so much political grandstanding and election posturing…)

Finally, I thought this comment by the NY Times was a bit strange. Speaking on the President’s planned State of the Union address, and his health care plans, the Times said:

White House officials say the health tax plan would neither increase spending nor reduce tax revenues. Supporters say it would expand coverage to some of the 47 million uninsured. But critics say it would, in effect, tax people with insurance to provide coverage to those without it.

So, is their complaint that the government wouldn’t be in control of this plan? It strikes me as something close to the end results of the Clinton Plan of the 90s.

01/20 Morning Report

Though not unexpected, the BAD news of the day is Sir Hillary…uuummm…Her Highness…I mean…Senator Clinton will announce her candidacy for President. While I couldn’t link the article, but I loved the headline on the January 1 issue of Newsweek about Obama and Clinton: “Is America Ready For Either One?”
(…great question…I think the answer is “No”…but have enough others figured that out, yet?…)

In better news, Mexico is extraditing drug smugglers to the US! In another step that seems to lead credence to President Calderon’s claim to crackdown on smugglers and drug lords, 11 suspects were handed over, including one leader of a powerful cartel. This comes after sending several thousand troops into border areas.
(…now if he would just do something about ILLEGAL immigration…)

There was also some good news on the terrorism front. The Phillipino government reported the death of rebel leader Khaddafy Janjalani, head of Abu Sayyaf. Admittedly it is a small group of terrorists. However, it is linked with al-Qaeda and has been responsible for several deaths and kidnappings.

And, the Iraqis may actually reach an agreement on oil revenue control. It actually looks like they might reach a deal for keeping control of it in the central government. I can still see a fight brewing over the distribution of those funds. It will be interesting to see how the various groups reach agreement on that. But, this is an encouraging step for the fledgling government.

On the subject of Iraq, the Pelosi-Bush War is heating up. Of course, it’s mostly just partisan stuff leading up to the State of the Union address. As one commenter on this article put it:

…what is worse, Bush getting us in Iraq or the Democrats pandering for your votes to get us out? They knew going into the election that their is nothing they can do about it except use it as a political football to get their power back.

I thought that was a really accurate statement.
(…the problem is everyone is still jumping on the Democrats bandwagon…)

McCain-Feingold is being revisited by the Supreme Court. Basically, the issue is what constitutes candidate endorsement and what is merely issues based. What the court will do is something of an open issue. The majority opinion when this was last reviewed (2002) was Sandra Day O’Conner. She has been replaced by Samuel Alito.

01/19 Morning Report

The crowing has begun in earnest. Social barriers could be broken in 2008 election. In their continued rush to get a socialist agenda totally established in government, the media is doing all it can to distract the people from the real issues. A fear of government by conservatives will end up ushering in a different kind of rulership. (…I hope people wake up to themselves before it is too late…)

The Democrats are still working on getting their “resolution” passed. Among other things, it bases conducting a war on public opinion. With our fickle society and short term agenda on everything from the stock market to our attention spans, we are going to base foreign policy on it now? I could say a lot more, but I think Chickenhawk wrote one better than I could have thought up.

On the subject of useless government, normally, I would classify this as a frivolous lawsuit. But, since the police refuse to do anything about it, I’m with the shop owner—except for the damages part. Suing homeless people for millions is way over the top.

In most communist socialist countries, the Parliamentary body becomes a rubber stamp operation. One more piece of evidence to that in Venezuala is Chavez new power to rule by decree. Does anyone really believe he will give it up in 18 months? Seriously believe?

In more strange news today, a court convicted a right wing government leader of "disputing a crime against humanity". The official was denying, or at least questioning, the gassing of Jews during the Holocaust. Even so, who thought up a cockamamie charge like that? (…well, it did happen in France…maybe we should give the benefit of the doubt…nnnaaahhhh…)

01/18 Morning Report

No More Domestic Spying. Bush has decided not to renew electronic surveillance regulations. The official statement says the secret court, established by Congress will be able to get the job done. Personally, I don’t think an added level of bureaucracy is a solution. I it will probably end up accomplishing nothing. The criticism of the Bush administration over this has not been well founded. Congressional oversight was in place from the beginning. Congress new what was going on all along. The “civil liberty protectors” have placed this way above the importance of public safety.

The BBC is making hay with the “announcement” that Bush snubbed their offer back in 2003. Can I say “Good!” The offers from Iran and Syria, and now even the threat from the Saudis, are not solutions. I think the sectarian violence would escalate even farther under Iranian control—as do many others. Iraq belongs to the Iraqis. Maybe it does need to be broken out into autonomous regions. That is still a very likely scenario. But, the Iraqis need to decide that.

Meanwhile, the NY Times had this article on what remains of Iraqi factories. I don’t buy the repeated statement of “last hope”. There are many signs of hope in Iraq. However, I do agree that a strong industry—even the beginnings of one—would be huge.

01/17 Morning Report

Of course, the big news in our area is SNOW! Yup. I woke up this morning to a white horizon…yard…car…neighborhood…well, you get the idea.
(…hopefully this does not mean North Texas has had it’s two weeks of Winter for the year…personally, I need a little more than that…)

Speaking of snow jobs, in Washington, Congress—specifically the Senate—is expanding the role of opinion polls in establishing legislation. Making the assumption that the American people’s fickle happiness and short term focus will be a good measure of military and foreign policy, Democrats are drafting a resolution.

The resolution also would put the Senate on record as saying the U.S. commitment in Iraq "can only be sustained" with popular support among the American public and in Congress, according to an official familiar with the draft.

(…I thought the whole point of government, as envisioned by the founders of America, was the government being guided by and for the people, but making decisions for the betterment of all—and not based merely on public opinion? My, how far we have fallen from our beginnings…)

Flopping Aces has the info on the Democrats coming tax hike.
(…did anyone really believe the line that they could accomplish their agenda without tax hikes?...it went right along with the line that Bush was bankrupting government—even though the deficit is going back into decline…sheesh…)

As strange—despite it’s normality--as that behavior may be, this was actually worse.
(…animal protection has reached a whole new level of stupidity with this one…and these folks are in the government!...)

Back to the subject of Iraq, it seems the Saudis are ready to send in troops. Saudi Arabia is threatening to send in troops if the situation continues to destabilize. It isn’t just Iran and Syria anymore.
(…H/T to the Castle Denizens for today’s post. Go check out the rest of today’s info…uumm…latest intel…)

Finally, there was a sad announcement from The Dallas Morning News:

A Texan stationed at Fort Drum, N.Y., has been killed in Iraq.
The Department of Defense said Sgt. Paul T. Sanchez, 32, of Irving, died Sunday when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.
Sanchez was assigned to the 543rd Military Police Company, 91st Military Police Battalion, 10th Sustainment Brigade, 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum.

You see, we at our house remember your cry, Sgt. Sanchez—the cry of all fallen 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.

01/16 Morning Report

Such as it is, this article onILLEGAL immigration is a great illustration of the problems. The article does a good job of pointing out both sides of the issues. Then, it makes racism the focus of all efforts to control ILLEGAL immigration. Why is it racist to want the laws—existing laws—enforced? Why can I, a non-Hispanic, really have a problem with Illegal immigration without having a problem with non-Illegal Hispanics? Taking this from another angle, do we enforce immigration laws differently for those from Latin America than we do for those from say Nigeria? I work with two people from the African continent. They tell me there is a difference. So, why should Mexicans, or El Savadorans, or whoever be treated any differently? And, why am I branded a racist for wanting that?
(…aren’t we thankful for no media bias on such issues…)

Of course, that just goes right along with the Mexican government plan to give GPS units to migrants--just in case they need help from the border patrol.

The locators would be given to migrants who are thinking of crossing the border, and would give U.S. border patrol agents the location of those in trouble. The U.S. government has yet to sign off on the project, which is still in the planning stages.

(…sure…the Mexican government wants to help us fight ILLEGAL immigration…right…)

And, of course, we are always told the truth, right? In a surprising announcement, it seems that low levels of “bad” cholesterol may be bad for you. There seems to be a link with Parkinson’s disease.
(…this is becoming like eggs many years ago…first they are bad…then they are not…then they are…then…so where do you think “bad” choloestorl will end up?...)

Speaking of health issues, the BBC has an interesting map of the spread of bird flu. This along with the news of a fresh outbreak in Japan and two women dying in Indonesia just a few days ago. There is a high risk with this disease—if it truly crosses over to humans. The similarities between this flu strain and the flu strain that decimated populations at the end of WWI are striking.