PrairiePundit

Quagmire watch As US forces aggressively go after the bad guys Secretary of Defense Rusfeld is asked about the "quagmire." "...Speaking to reporters at the Pentagon, Rumsfeld dismissed suggestions that 146,000 U.S. troops in Iraq are engaged in a guerrilla war or bogged down in a Vietnam-like 'quagmire.' "Rumsfeld said the five groups opposing U.S. forces -- which he identified as looters, criminals, remnants of Saddam Hussein's government, foreign terrorists and Iranian-backed Shiites -- 'are all slightly different in why they are there and what they are doing.'" Reporter's "quagmire" fetish will continue to come up. If they are still asking the question five years from now it might be relevat. At this point, US forces are a long way from the several hundred casualties a week totals in the Vietnam war. In fact there are just a few more than 200 casualties in the whole war to date. Since the so called insurgenc

UK Army disputes BBC version of facts "ARMY chiefs last night joined the attack on the BBC over its accuracy in reporting the war in Iraq, accusing it of painting a distorted picture of the British campaign." "Senior figures in the army are furious about the BBC’s coverage, which they say bears no relation to events on the ground. They are particularly angry about suggestions in a BBC documentary, broadcast on Sunday night, that the army embellished reports of a militia attack on Iraqi citizens for propaganda purposes. "The row comes at an awkward moment for the BBC, which has been embroiled in a bitter dispute with Alastair Campbell, the Downing Street communications director. The BBC had accused Mr Campbell of spinning an intelligence report to improve the government’s case for going to war, but he looks set to be cleared of those accusations by a Commons inquiry...." "The row has once again raised questions about the BBC’s coverage of the

Gilligan's island BBC defense correspondent Andrew Gilligan has accused the British government of "sexing up its dossier on Iraq WMD. His specific allegation are that a report that Iraq could activate its WMD in 45 minutes was added late in the drafting process. The report makes the false presumption that since Saddam was not able to launch his WMD this report was on his time to launch was wrong. There is no disputing the fact that the government had received a report that was the basis of the claim. It is not clear whether Gilligan or his snitch is the source of the term "sexed up." Whoever the source, the implication is that it was added to make the dossier more seductive. A more fair presentation of the facts would be that the report was added to make the dossier more persuasive. By using "sexed up" Gilligan or his source is implying that the government was trying to get in the public's knickers rather than persuade them to support th

Unfair attacks on Justice Thomas Because he is black, Justice Clarence Thomas has had more unfair and racist attacks on his opinions than anyone in modern times. "...I wonder how far these critics would take their criticism. In the 1970s, the Supreme Court held that sex discrimination was unconstitutional. The justices who voted for this position had spent their lives in a nation in which women were largely excluded from the legal profession. Those men may well have benefited from this exclusion — when half the population is out of the competition, the competition is easier. Maybe if men hadn’t gotten preferences, some of those justices wouldn’t have made it onto the high court." Actually the same could be said for the Brown v. Board of Education opinion. Justice Hugo Black was from Alabama and got the advantages of a segregated education. Segregation no doubt enhanced his political career prior to his appointment. The "ingratitude" argument is just an

Mark Steyn takes on language abuse at the Supreme Court "The correct term is ''racial quotas,'' but that's too bald, too clear. So its proponents came up with the coy evasion of 'affirmative action.' But over the years that also became tarnished. Hence the invention of 'diversity.' Who could be against 'diversity'? Who wouldn't want to celebrate it? It's the perfect enlightened vapidity." ''...'Diversity' doesn't extend to, say, some dirtpoor piece of fundamentalist white trash. Her presence wouldn't 'enrich' anyone. 'Diversity' means 'more blacks.' That's why traditional African-American colleges are exempt from its strictures: As 100 percent black schools, they're already as diverse as you can get...." "...American liberals have had great success inventing evasive language to advance their agenda, ever since 'abortion' became 'choice.&

Myers compares Gulf War I to Gulf War II Joint Chief Chairman General Richard Myers compared the two Gulf Wars at a war college briefing. "The air-ground campaign against Iraq centered on removing Saddam Hussein's Ba'ath Party regime, 'not annihilation of enemy army,' said the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman in a private briefing." Others also discussed al Qaeda communications. "'They have good access to satellite phones,' the officer said. 'We can intercept them. We hear them talking. But it's hard to figure out' exactly what they are talking about."

Iranian cleric says human bomb attacks are against Islam "An influential Iranian cleric connected to hardliners in Teheran issued a powerful conciliatory signal yesterday when he denounced suicide bombings against civilians as a 'crime' and came close to recognising the State of Israel." "...Dr Safavi, a follower of Sufi mysticism who shares his time between London and Teheran, criticised the suicide bombers on the grounds that even in a military jihad,' or holy war, Islam does not permit the targeting of the innocent. "'For Muslims to kill civilians unconnected with any attack on them is a crime. This is not in accordance with Islam,' he writes, 'The principal law of Islam is, 'Don't attack civilians'. This includes Jewish, Muslim or Christian civilians.' He added: 'If we have an enemy, then our enemy's child and our own child have no involvement in our confrontation . . . It is not right to involve childre

BBC's director general bets his job in fight with Blair team The BBC's anti war agenda has reached the point where its reporters and government officals are calling each other liers. The BBC's agenda has been more obvious than Harold Raines' agenda when he was editor of the NY Times. The reporter who started the latest fight is the same one that could not see the US forces after they got to Baghada. He was like a more suttle Baghada Bob who also said their were no US forces in Baghdad. He also indicated that Baghdad residents were living in fear of the US forces after the fall of the city, when others were showing pictures of their delight at being liberated. The BBC needs to have its assets sold to a private company. It should be required to compete with commercial stations and find commercial support. It is clear that Rupert Murdoch's Fox News did a better job of covering the liberation of Iraq. Perhaps he should buy it and get on with improving

US strikes back in Iraq US forces if nothing else denied Iraqi opposition forces a good night sllep. "...The raids involved thousands of soldiers and hundreds of tanks and armored vehicles. Starting about 1 this morning, the raids struck homes, farms and abandoned buildings from the northern edge of Baghdad to the city of Tikrit." "...Army units fanned out to dozens of different locations, generally moving in on their targets around 2 a.m. and often interrogating people until well after the sun had come up. "Airplanes backed up the ground troops, dropping low-level flares that provided just enough light to let soldiers see easily with their night-vision goggles. "Dubbed Operation Sidewinder, the fast-moving and nearly simultaneous raids were focused most intensively on villages and towns north of Baghdad, including Balad. The area, which some have nicknamed the 'arc of danger,' has been the staging ground for an accelerating stream of o

Saddam hunting Newsweek gives details of the chase scene at the Syrian border. "...The search for Saddam continues. The hope is that if the scorpion’s head is cut off, maybe its tail will finally stop twitching."

Comments from a writer at The Guardian The BBC controversy over WMD claims in a government dossier show signs of high emotion from what are supposed to be dispassionate journalist. "...There are three broad possibilities. And here we have to keep both eyes on the ball. The first is that there is still stuff out there and that eventually it will be found. The second possibility is that the Government hugely exaggerated the threat, creating the impression of the existence of WMD when, privately, they were being told that almost nothing remained. And the third is that the intelligence that Ministers were receiving was completely wrong." "...Symmetrically, Campbell believes that Gilligan has form. On 5 April, the day that the Americans did their drive-by into Baghdad, Gilligan reported: 'I'm in the centre of Baghdad, and I don't see anything. But then the Americans have a history of making these premature announcements.'" ( He made this incre

Brits and the BBC Tony Blair's government is in a war of words with the BBC. The BBC acts like an angry exwife that keeps haranging you while you are writing checks to her for alimony. It is a govenment owned, but not a government run media outlet. The BBC is news with an attitude. The attitude is both arrogant and condecending. During the war in Iraq, BBC officials critized the Fox News Channel, for wanting the coalition to defeat a despot and tyrant. At the same time, Fox was presenting a much more accurate picture of what was happening in the war. At one point, the BBC was chastised by one of its reporters at Centcom. Some of the Brits who were actually fighting in the war turned the BBC off on their aircraft carrier. The current war of words is over who put what in a dossier prepared by the governemnt to persuade people of the need to liberate Iraq. The BBC seems to be controlled by people that opposed the liberation of Iraq for any reason. They are particul

Wolfowitz has it right on "guerilla war" Paul Wolfowitz on the current state of battle in Iraq: "...I think it is worth emphasizing that these guys lack the two classical ingredients of a victory in a so-called guerilla war if that's what you want to say they're conducting. They lack the sympathy of the population and they lack any serious source of external support. They are getting some of these foreign killers coming in which is fine. It's better to kill them in Iraq than have to have them come and get killed in the United States. But basically they're on their own in a population that I think can and will be turned."

Tony Blair's government is not the only one that thinks the BBC is biased and unfair "ISRAEL broke all contact with the BBC yesterday in protest at its repeated “demonisation” of the country and today’s planned showing on BBC World of a critical documentary on Israel’s nuclear, biological and chemical arsenal." “The attitude of the BBC is more than a pure journalistic matter; it is dangerous to the existence of the state of Israel because it demonises the Israelis and gives our terrorist enemies reasons to attack us. There is no dialogue between Israel and the BBC and no recognition inside the corporation of the sensitivity of a people who have faced attempted annihilation. The questions about nuclear weapons asked by the BBC are never directed against the US or Britain. Mr Sharon is never mentioned without some critical reference to his alleged right-wing tendencies or military past, while Islamic terrorists are politely referred to as ‘militants’ out of a reluct

Barking mad at Thomas The left does not get it on affirmative action and its latest reason for being--diversity. Earlier in the week Maureen Dowd called Justice Clarence Thomas, a black man, "barking mad" because he was ungrateful for what affirmative action had achieved for him. In todays paper Bill Kellor calls Clarence Thomas "Mr. Diversity." "Clearly Justice Thomas would be mortified to have himself held up as evidence in the case for diversity, but in a slightly off-kilter way he is exactly that." In fact Justice Thomas in his opinion discussed how every black who achieves anything is stigmatized by affirmative action, because people think his success was achieved because he got favorable preferences instead of on his own merit. Kellor did have an interesting quote from a liberal opponent of "diversity." "...The astute court-watcher Dahlia Lithwick, writing in Slate, ridiculed the notion that campuses should be desi

The US ambush that also netted 5 Syrian border guards Austin Bay analyzes the attack on the convoy making a break for Syria. "...Last week's U.S. attack on a convoy near the Iraqi-Syrian border (south of the Iraqi town of Qaim), a convoy possibly transporting 'major figures' in Saddam's regime, supplies a quick military and political snapshot of the War on Terror. "It's a sketchy snapshot, one that catches the sharp high-technology angles, the murky targets and troubling international political grayness.... "... its larger messages are fairly clear. Rogue states that aid and abet terrorists are erasing their own borders. After 9-11, incomplete intelligence won't stop a counter-attack. Dictators who play hide and seek with weapons of mass destruction won't stall one, either."

Liberians ask for US to liberate them In Liberia the US is not considered a colonial power. Tired of their civil war and their thug president, Liberians are asking the US to intervene and bring piece to the African country. "...Liberians have little faith that any of their leaders can bring the peace they crave. "Even Taylor (the President of Liberia) asked for American assistance on Friday, despite Bush's demand a day earlier that he step down to end bloodshed that has also spread violence to all Liberia's neighbors -- Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast and Guinea."

Greens singing the blues The tone of the debate over the environment shows the Dems green lobby is more interested in attacks than progress. "...For too long the environmental debate has centered on counting the number of new laws we've passed and new regulations we've written, on tallying up how much in fines, fees and penalties we've levied on polluters. Focusing on those aspects -- measuring process instead of progress -- may be easier, but it has made it difficult to adapt environmental policymaking to changing times and challenges. "When the environmental debate turns on questions of process, attempts at innovation have a hard time getting out of the starting gate. An attempt to modernize a law is cast as an effort to undermine it. A good-faith effort to try new methods of achieving better results is characterized as a retreat from existing commitments."

Dems shoot selves in the foot Democrat supported campaign finance reform has hurt the Democrats ability to raise money much more than Republicans. It seems millionaires who like to pay high taxes have provided 92% of their support to Democrats before the restrictions were put in place that limit soft money donations. In contrast, the little guy who donate less than $200 gave 64% support to the GOP.

The media's green bias The NY Times non story on changes to an EPA report sparked the liberal food chain. "To hear the networks tell this tale, there aren't liberals and conservatives in this policy battle. There aren't scientific boosters of global-warming theory on one side and scientific skeptics on the other. No, liberalism for the purposes of this news cycle was packaged as the essence of nonpartisanship, idealism, sound science, the public interest, and the well-being of small children and bunnies. The conservative perspective was, naturally, the opposite: partisan, unscientific, cynical, bought and paid for by arrogant corporate polluters."

Religion of peace riots in Malawi Malawi had to send the army in to quell riots by muslims upset about the extradition into US custody of alleged al Qaeda operatives. Showing the lack of emotional maturity that many muslims have in the so called arab street, the African muslim street attacked churches and overturned the car of a Catholic priest.

Iraq attacks The random violence by some Iraqis that has resulted in the death of US troops is not militrily significant. It could not at this time be called guerilla war. (Guerilla is French for small. A guerilla war usually implies a raiding strategy.) To be militarily significant, the attacks would have to be coordinated with an objective other than random acts of killing. The people involved in the attacks have a significant problem in coordinating attacks, and an even greater problem in massing forces to take and seize an objective. Attempts to coordinate and communicate leave them vulnerable to discovery by the US forces. Attempts to mass forces for an attack also makes them vulnerable to discovery. Until the attackers are destroyed, the US will need more troops on the ground and increase their force to space ration in cities where the attackers are operating. The US should also increase Predator drone trafic in areas where attacks are occuring. In dangerous par

North Koreans feels threatened by US pulling forces back from their border “The redeployment of the US forces in South Korea is a very dangerous military measure prompted by the US imperialist attempt to use nukes in the second Korean war,” Rodong said. “It is the view of US military strategists that when a war starts in Korea, Seoul and areas north of it will turn into a sea of fire in a matter of a few days due to North Korea’s strong artillery fire power and none of the US troops within its firing range will be able to survive,” it said. “That’s why they are now craftily working to prevent disastrous consequences through the redeployment of the US forces before the outbreak of a war.”

Iran says it isn't so Iran's foreign minister denied that Ayman al-Zawahiri had been arrested. "Tony Blair Democrats" Democrats who cannot find a rational voice in the current leadership have adopted Tony Blair. It is long but worth the read. It is an all out assualt on political correctness. Bin Laden behind Indonesian terror attacks Attacks against churches and a plot in Singapore were put in motion by Osama bin Laden and approved by an islamic cleric who is on trial in Indonesia in connection with the bombings.

Mad Muslims Muslims in Malawi showed their displeasure with the extradition of al Qaeda suspects by rioting and destroying offices of the global "Save the Children" charity and a Catholic church.

Saudis suspend 1000 clerics The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is cracking down on clerics and distancing itself from Whabbism. "On Wednesday, a senior official said the affected clerics would be retrained to promote religious moderation and reject the 'extremism' of Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda terrorist network. "The 1,000 clerics reflect but a small part of the kingdom's clergy, which reportedly number around 80,000. "Deputy Minister Abdul-Rahman Al-Matroudi of the Religious Affairs Ministry said that clerics would be instructed to tell worshippers that the Sept 11 terrorist attacks in the United States violated Islamic teachings."

Al Qaeda number two guy in Iranian custody? "Ayman al-Zawahiri, right-hand man of al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, and Suleiman Abu Ghaith, spokesperson of the terror group, are among al-Qaeda members detained in Iran, Al-Arabiya news channel said on Friday." "Zawahiri, Abu Ghaith and one of bin Laden's sons are among a group of aides of the al-Qaeda chief held in Iran, the Dubai-based satellite television said, quoting 'Western diplomatic sources.'"

Creation and evolution at the Supreme Court In 1965 the US Supreme Court created a right of privacy finding it in the "penumbra" of the constitution. It was created to permit birth control pills to be sold. Once created, it evolved to permit abortion, and most recently to permit homosexual conduct. In some ways the right appears to be one not to procreate. While always couched in terms of sexual conduct in private is not subject to legislation by the states, the bottom line is that people have a right to engage in sexual activity without the normal consequences of that activity, i.e. reproduction.

Death penalty for land purchase "A senior Iraqi Shi'ite Muslim cleric has issued a decree, or fatwa, ordering the killing of any Jew who buys real estate in Iraq, an aide has said." "...A cleric at Haieri's representative office in the holy city of Najaf said several Iraqis had sought Haieri's religious decree after Jews from abroad approached them over the past six weeks. '''Any Jew who tries, from now on, to buy a lot of land or a house in Iraq should be killed,' the decree said. 'Selling any lot of land or a house in Iraq to Jews is forbidden.''' Remeber this "fatwa" the next time someone attempts to make a case that there is moral equivalence between these guys and christian conservatives who are critical of islam.

Liar, liar Jonah Goldberg takes on those accusing President Bush of lying about WMD in Iraq. "...The basic problem with this analysis is it requires that Bush knew the truth but said the opposite. After all, a lie is only a lie if you know the truth and then say something very different. So in this case, Bush needed to know something nobody had an inkling of." "...But according to the purist "Bush lied" school, not only was everyone wrong about Iraq and weapons of mass destruction, but Bush secretly knew it and didn't say so. Moreover, he was so convincing in his lies he was able to mislead Democratic leaders, veterans of the Clinton administration and the global intelligence community. And you thought Reagan was an actor."

Policing Iraq John Keegan suggest the long term solution to the current problems of policing Iraq is to recreate the Iraqi army. "...There is plenty of raw material -- the 200,000 unemployed soldiers at present not under orders and only erratically paid. Their discontent is fuelling the disorder. "It must be a matter of priority to enlist as many as possible, give them Western training and use them to replace the American and British soldiers patrolling the cities and countryside. That program will take several years until it is completed. Casualties among the Western occupation forces will, meanwhile, continue."

Baghdad Bob says he was misinformed Comical Ali resurfaced to say he relied on "authentic sources' for his claims made during the Iraq war. He and many other Iraqi's had been conditioned to believe the flase reports they were getting. I suspect that even Saddam believed these reports. It was also too dangerous to tell him the truth. The bearer of bad news was subject to the death penalty in Saddam's Iraq. "...He said the war was 'a difficult situation, not for one individual, but for everybody.'"

June 26, 2003

Interest rate drop goes against Dem's theory on deficits The Federal Reserve lowered short term interest rates to 1 percent, the lowest it has been since 1958. Democrats have been arguing that the deficit would actually drive up interest rates.

June 25, 2003

Us presses Euros on Hamas The destruction of Hamas is necessary to secure peace between Israel and the Palestinians. The US is attempting to get the Europeans to see the wisdom of Hamas's destruction. In the upside down world of Austrialia this is reporteds as "The United States was yesterday expected to ask European Union states to declare the Palestinian militant group Hamas a terrorist organisation, as Israel continued to question many of the 130 suspected Hamas supporters it detained in Hebron on Monday." If it was yesterday why is it expected?

June 25, 2003

Yemen attacks militants linked to al Qaeda "Yemeni troops have launched an offensive against Islamic militants believed to be hiding in a mountainous area in the south of the country." "...Hundreds of troops backed by helicopters, tanks and heavy artillery are said to be searching the Hatat mountains for at least 60 members of the Islamic Jihad group and the Islamic Army of Aden-Abyan." "...Sympathisers of Osama Bin Laden's al-Qaeda terror network, which was blamed for the 11 September 2001 attacks in the United States, are also said to have based themselves in the Hatat mountain hideouts."

June 25, 2003

US removes al Qaeda suspects from Malawi "Five suspected al-Qaeda members arrested by Malawi have been handed to US authorities, despite an injunction blocking deportation." "...State prosecutors say the five men - two from Turkey, one Saudi, one Sudanese and a Kenyan - were arrested in a joint operation run with US officials at the weekend, barely two weeks before President Bush is scheduled to visit Africa. "A spokesmen for the police chief and interior ministry said that Malawi intelligence and immigration officers apprehended the men after they were identified by the US Central Intelligence Agency."

Critical Mass This is the liberals new word for quota.

Italians make several arrest in terror probe "An imam and five other men have been arrested in a series of anti-terror raids in Italy." "Police say they are investigating possible links with Osama Bin Laden and the al-Qaeda terror network. "The raids were launched at dawn on 40 sites, including a mosque, in and around the northern city of Milan. "The detained imam was named as as Moroccan Mohamed el Mahfoudi, 38, of Gallarate mosque on the outskirts of the city. "Five Tunisians were also held."

Sen. Cornyn moves to stop filibusters on judicial nominees The Senate rules committee has voted to eliminate filibusters for judicial nominees. "This resolution is a reasonable, common-sense proposal," Sen. Cornyn said. "There are at least 26 laws on the books today that prohibit a minority of senators from using the filibuster to permanently block certain kinds of measures. The judicial confirmation process should surely be added to this list. By passing this resolution, the committee recognized that, and took a crucial first step in judicial nomination reform."

Former bin Laden body guard on trial in Germany "The trial of a Jordanian man accused of plotting terrorist attacks in Germany as part of an al Qaeda affiliated terror group has begun in the German city of Düsseldorf." "'It was (Abdallah's) task to identify potential targets in Germany and above all to procure the necessary weapons,' prosecutor Dirk Fernholz said in the opening statement of the trial on Tuesday. Abdallah had ordered the gun which was to be used in an assassination attempt and a box of hand grenades supposedly destined for the attack on a Jewish/Israeli installation from a contact person in Düsseldorf. But, anti-terror police closed in on Abdallah and his cell before the arms could be delivered. "In the course of the proceedings, Abdallah admitted to attending a training camp in Afghanistan from December 1999 until May 2001, and claimed to have served briefly as Osama bin Laden's bodyguard in Afghanistan. While testifying a

Israel arrest Hamas activist in Hebron Israel arrested 130 Palestinians in Hebron who are associated with Hamas. While Palestinians complained, this is a necessary action for the Palestinians to have a state, because until Hamas is destroyed there will be no Palestinian state. Instead of complaining, the Palestinians should be cheering Israel for taking this action.

Palestinian's bizaar position The Palestinians take the weird position tht it is wrong for the Israelis to fight back. In the Palestinian mind, they should be allowed to kill all Israelis and any resistance to their will is wicked. "The Palestinian terror groups are blaming the Israeli armed forces for prolonging the violence. The terrorists insist that the Israeli armed forces attacks on their leaders makes it impossible for them to halt their attacks. The Israeli attacks kill Palestinian civilians, because the terrorist leaders, quite naturally, live among civilians (and take advantage of the fact that, at least in the past, the Israelis tried to make their attacks only when the terrorist leaders were away from innocent civilians.) The Israelis, on the other hand, have been bluntly telling American or European leaders who criticize them for such attacks that the Americans or Europeans would do the same if their populations were subject to the same kind of terrorist

A genealogy of anti-Americanism James W. Ceaser has an interesting essay on bigotry toward the US. "America's rise to the status of the world's premier power, while inspiring much admiration, has also provoked widespread feelings of suspicion and hostility. In a recent and widely discussed book on America, Après L'Empire, credited by many with having influenced the position of the French government on the war in Iraq, Emmanuel Todd writes: 'A single threat to global instability weighs on the world today: America, which from a protector has become a predator.' A similar mistrust of American motives was clearly in evidence in the European media's coverage of the war. To have followed the war on television and in the newspapers in Europe was to have witnessed a different event than that seen by most Americans. During the few days before America's attack on Baghdad, European commentators displayed a barely concealed glee - almost what the Germans ca

Malawi dentention of al Qaeda suspects Lawyers are still attempting to see five men arrested in Malawi in connection with al Qaeda activities. "Two of those arrested are Turkish, the others are from Saudi Arabia, Kenya and Sudan -- the supposed destination of a massive explosives cargo seized in the Mediterranean at the weekend. "The detentions are the latest attempt to uproot the shadowy group in Africa. The United States and Britain have both warned of an imminent "terrorist" attack in nearby Kenya. "U.S. security officials have been on the ground ahead of Bush's first visit to the continent early in July. He is not scheduled to visit Malawi or Kenya. "Asked about the conditions of the group's detention, one senior Malawian government official told Reuters: 'This is not a human rights issue, this is a security issue.'"

Ship with 680 tons of explosives captured by Greeks was way off course Why would cargo boarded in Tunesia and headed for Sudan be on a ship wandering around between Turkey and Greece? "...Baltic Sky had left Albania on April 22 on its way to Gabes, Tunisia, where it picked up the cargo on May 12. "It then sailed around the Mediterranean where it had been spotted by Turkish officials near the Dardanelles. "Greek authorities began tracking the vessel during the past five days before launching the raid Sunday. "Rear Adm. George Papachristodoulou of the Greek Coast Guard officials wanted to know what the ship was doing in the waters between Turkey and Greece when it was supposed to be delivering its cargo. "The 37-year-old cargo ship, owned by Alpha Shipping, had been sailing under a flag of convenience from Comoros, off Africa's southeast coast. Alpha is registered in the Marshall Islands, a Pacific Ocean nation. "Baltic Sky wa

Americans support use of military force against Iran "By 56 percent to 38 percent, the public endorsed the use of the military to block Iran from developing nuclear arms." "Support for a military solution in Iran came despite rising concern about the growing number of casualties among U.S. military personnel in neighboring Iraq. About half said the current level of U.S. dead and wounded is "acceptable" -- down from two-thirds in early April."

Al Qaeda targets Texas Intercepted communications suggest an al Qaeda attack on the Texas energy business around July 4. "...With Texas as the target, officials are especially concerned about oil or gas facilities and pipelines because al-Qaida terrorists in the past have talked about attacking the energy sector as a way of damaging America's economy, officials said. "A federal official confirmed an account first published in Newsweek magazine that a possible al-Qaida operative known as 'Sakr' told another person during an Internet chat room conversation that an attack had been planned for a long time, and that terrorists inside the United States were only waiting for approval from a man dubbed 'the Sheik' before striking in early July. "The information was more intriguing to intelligence analysts than much of the avalanche of vaguely suspicious electronic intercepts because Sakr had sent a message predicting 'good news' coming

Iranian clerics fear the people, ban street demonstrations "Iran today banned street protests to mark the fourth anniversary of a bloody raid by hardliners on a university dormitory in an apparent bid to prevent any repeat of similar clashes that rocked Tehran last week." "In a bid to pacify angry students, government spokesperson Abdollah Ramezanzadeh also demanded that the judiciary, which is dominated by hardline clerics, punish the vigilantes who raided two Tehran university dormitories 10 days ago, injuring more than 50 students." "...Last year, thousands of Iranians demonstrated to mark the anniversary despite a similar government ban, triggering clashes that saw anti-riot police and vigilantes break up protests and arrest several people."

Greeks charge crew of ship carrying 680 tones of explosives Explosives that were put on board the ship in Tunesia were destined for a non existant company in Sudan. "...After the ship set sail from Gabes on May 13, the ship's owners had demanded payment of additional expenses, threatening to confiscate the cargo, the Tunisian company said. "On June 10, the ship's owners had published an advertisement on the Internet, offering the explosives for sale."

Supreme Court finds exception to 14th Amendment Michigan can discriminate against the unpreferred in order to get a "critical mass" (quota) of minority students, so that white students can have a diverse experience. This is possible the worse decision by the court since Dred Scott. Iraqi's want US to stay A recent poll of Iraqi's found 65 percent of Iraqi citizens want U.S. troops to stay in their country according to Fox News. That is more than Brits and Euros who support US troops in Iraq.

Al Qaeda suspects held in Malawi Five men were detained in Malawi in connection with al Qaeda activities. Local papers speculate they were detained at the request of the US CIA, and were to be moved to Guantanamo, Cuba. However, a local judge has entered a restraining order.

Missile defense Missile defense will primarily protect West Coast liberals from nuclear attacks by North Korea. It makes you wonder why so many liberals take so much delight in ABM test failures.

Unraveling of Iran's mullahs Mark Steyn says it is "mullah time." "...The question now is whether Iran's ayatollahs and the original 'Islamic republic' can survive the summer, or whether President Bush will mark the second anniversary of September 11, 2001, with two-thirds of his axis of evil consigned to the trash can of history. "That would be a remarkable achievement, by any measure save that of Democratic presidential candidates such as Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, who seems to be running as the French foreign minister (a niche market of limited appeal even among Dem primary voters, one would think)...."

June 22, 2003

Belgium to change war crimes law Apparently Rumsfeld has been heard. "...Mr. Verhofstadt said today that the law would be amended again to require that either the defendant or the victim be a Belgian citizen. He said the amendment would be sent to Parliament once his Liberal Party and the Socialists had formed a new coalition government, after their victory in elections last month. Parliament reconvenes in October."

June 22, 2003

Hellfire strikes convoy in Iraq A Predator drone spotted a convoy in western Iraq after a cell phone call that could have been from Saddam Hussein. The strike was so devastating that US forces are using DNA test to identify the remains. "...The officials said they had obtained intelligence indicating that senior Iraqi leaders were traveling in the convoy. They suggested that the intelligence might have come from an intercepted telephone conversation or an informant. The attack took place Wednesday near the Syrian border in western Iraq. "There was no evidence so far, the officials said, to support the idea that Mr. Hussein or his sons might have been killed in the raid, and some officials were doubtful that they were. But they said intelligence teams, including DNA experts, were at the site to review the wreckage and assess the evidence. "Officials declined to say how many people, or vehicles, were in the convoy, but they said it had been completely destro

Dem's incredible attacks on Bush's credibility The NY Times revoew of charges against the President leads them to conclude, "In fact, a review of the president's public statements found little that could lead to a conclusion that the president actually lied on either subject. But more pertinent than whether the president told the literal truth is what factors he stressed and which ones he played down...."

Was Saddam on the move? "American specialists were carrying out DNA tests last night on human remains believed by US military sources to be those of Saddam Hussein and one of his sons, The Observer can reveal." "The remains were retrieved from a convoy of vehicles struck last week by US forces following 'firm' information that the former Iraqi leader and members of his family were travelling in the Western Desert near Syria. "Military sources told The Observer that the strikes, involving an undisclosed number of Hellfire missiles, were launched against the convoy last Wednesday after the interception of a satellite telephone conversation involving either Saddam or his sons...." "The Pentagon last night refused to comment on what it called 'operational matters'. However, other military sources indicated they were optimistic the tests would show that Saddam and at least one of his two sons, Uday and Qusay, were among the dead,

Land in Russia, new opportunity for Uk farmers "British farmers entangled in the European Union's red tape are aiming to break free by moving to Russia to cultivate land being offered to foreigners in a fertile region." "'It's the scale that appeals to me, and the chance to get outside the European Union,' he told The Telegraph. 'I'm convinced that almost all the problems facing UK farming today stem from EU bureaucracy and restrictions. In Russia, you can just get on with it. It's up to you.'"

Al Qaeda base in Lebanon "A seething Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon has been infiltrated by al-Qa'eda extremists...." "'The attack (on a Lebanon TV news room) was planned from within the camp,' the official admitted. 'It's an extension of the campaign in Saudi Arabia. They want to hit at Saudi interests in Lebanon, to cause them problems.' "More than 200 hardened al-Qa'eda and Taliban veterans arrived in the camp last year and took control of a district known as Emergency Street after a bitter turf war with Fatah, the movement for the liberation of Palestine, whose leader last week boasted to The Telegraph about orchestrating suicide attacks in Israel."

Getting close to Saddam With the capture of Saddam's close advisor, US forces feel they are getting closer to capturing the tyrant who ran Iraq. "The best hope may not be that Hamoud breaks down and reveals what he knows under interrogation at Baghdad airport; but rather that the fact that he has been detained will unnerve Saddam so much that the ousted tyrant may decide that he has to move from his current whereabouts, thought to be in the wedge of Sunni Muslim tribal lands and desert that spreads west and north of Baghdad. "The raid that snared Hamoud followed a tip-off from a local. Tikrit sits in a bend on the Tigris 90 miles north west of Baghdad. Saddam was born in the neighbouring village of Al Ouja, which is now near-deserted as many of his family members have also disappeared in recent weeks. "'Saddam will be at his most vulnerable if he is on the move. And hopefully he is on the move now,' said the Pentagon official. Despite the public

In a message to demonstrators, Iranian cleric calls for death penalty "A senior Iranian religious leader has urged his country's courts to use the death penalty against protesters who have been calling for political reforms." Iranian clerics obviously think they have a pipeline to gods will on earth. "In his sermon, broadcast on state radio, Ayatollah Yazdi said the country's courts should consider the demonstrators as among the corrupt on earth, a charge, which has in the past carried the death penalty. "Ayatollah Yazdi is a member of Iran's Guardian Council, the country's top political oversight body. In the Friday sermon, he also warned the United States not to use its forces against Iran." The last time these yo-yos thought the death penalty was appropriate, they had to back down as a wave of protest spread across the country. The Ayatollahs do not seem to realize how tenous their grasp on power is. Their attitude reflects

Begium hoisted on own petard The Belgium foreign minister has been sued under the Belgium law that has been used to sue presidents of the US and military officers. His problem is that the case cannot be referred to another country for dismissal. "Michel, an outspoken critic of the U.S.-led war in Iraq, was furious about the allegations against him. '''This is extremely irresponsible. It's completely crazy and irrational,' Michel told reporters at a European summit in Greece. ''It will ridicule Belgium on the world stage ... I'm accusing them of blackening our name.''

Iraq is doing better than the Congo Mark Steyn says that the scare stories are wrong: there is no humanitarian disaster in Iraq. "...I’d rather take my chances with nation-states and great power politics than submit to ‘international law’. I think Nato and the UN Security Council need ‘damaging’, and so does America’s relationship with ‘Europe’. And the jet-set humanitarians, as represented by Will Day, might also benefit from being forced to rethink their act. There is, of course, a real humanitarian crisis in the world today — in the Congo, an environment blessedly free of blundering Yanks, where ‘international law’ has ridden to the rescue and, as in the Balkans and elsewhere, the UN is providing the usual genteel multilateral cover for ethnic slaughter. But, because it doesn’t accord with the New Universal Theory of Texan-Zionist neocon aggression, nobody cares. "In Iraq, the Americans and British are muddling through; in the Congo, ‘international law’, as rep

Israel's WMD The Arab News ask why there is no objection to Israel's WMD. The answer is obvious. Israel has never threatened to wipe any arab country out or push its people into the sea. The weapons are strickly defensive and have acted as a deterent to arab aggression.

President Bush "professional fascist A "weather report in New Zealand contained a "human error." "A graphic on an evening news broadcast identifying President Bush as a "professional fascist" has touched off confusion, apologies and an investigation. "The estimated 360,000 viewers of New Zealand's TV3 news program last night were "surprised and confused" by the graphic, which was supposed to promote an upcoming weather report, the New Zealand Herald said. "TV3 issued an apology for 'a completely unintentional mistake' and said it is conducting a thorough probe into the matter. "'It was an absolute case of human error,' said spokesman Roger Beaumont, according to the Herald. 'The fact that it made it to air was extremely unfortunate and we apologize for any offence that may have been taken.'" Let's see, a weather report graphic says President Bush is a "profess

Kristof prefers Iraqi spin Kristof has joined the Pfc.Lynching. "...I did find something related, here in the city where it seems (contrary to early Pentagon leaks) that Pfc. Jessica Lynch did not mow down Iraqis until her ammo ran out, was not shot and apparently was not plucked from behind enemy lines by U.S. commandos braving a firefight. It looks as if the first accounts of the rescue were embellished, like the imminent threat from W.M.D., and like wartime pronouncements about an uprising in Basra and imminent defections of generals. There's a pattern: we were misled." Actually Central Command did not say any of those things. Most of the "embellishments" were the results of intercepts of Iraqi communications, that were then reported by the Washington Post. Kristof's problem is that he would rather believe Iraqi doctors who have an incentive to lie, than believe the US military who did not lie.

Iraqi survivors Some Iraqi survivors are looking for justice. "Ali Abid Hassan has had 12 long years to consider the virtues of revenge and forgiveness. He has preserved in chilling detail the memory of the night in March 1991 when he should have been executed by Saddam Hussein's firing squad - and how, badly injured but alive, he crawled out from under a heap of bodies and scrambled to freedom. "Immediately after the fall of the regime two months ago, he was filled with a bitter anger and a thirst for vengeance. Since then, like all Iraqis, he has wrestled with his conscience, and, like some, his temper has calmed. "While many still yearn for retribution, others are beginning the slow process of bringing to court the men responsible for three decades of unimaginable human rights abuses."

In Iran the worry is that the US will not come "A taxi driver, no friend of the government, frets that North Korea is too belligerent about acquiring nuclear weapons and may prompt American forces to skip Tehran and head for Pyongyang, North Korea's capital."

Saddam alive? Live from Iraq, it Saddam Hussein. "American intelligence analysts now believe that Saddam Hussein is much more likely to be alive than dead, a view that has been strengthened in recent weeks by intercepted communications among fugitive members of the Saddam Fedayeen and the Iraqi intelligence service, according to United States government officials. "The officials said the recently obtained intelligence had re-intensified the search for Mr. Hussein along with his sons, Uday and Qusay. The search is being led by Task Force 20, a secret military organization that includes members of the Army's highly specialized Delta Force and of the Navy's elite counterterrorism squads, with support from the Central Intelligence Agency. "The intercepted communications between some of Mr. Hussein's supporters have included credible discussions indicating that the former Iraqi president is alive and must be protected, two Defense Department offici

Why it makes sense for the US to be interested in middle east oil Ken Pollack explains the US interest in the Persian Gulf. "...America's primary interest in the Persian Gulf lies in ensuring the free and stable flow of oil from the region to the world at large. This fact has nothing to do with the conspiracy theories leveled against the Bush administration during the run-up to the recent war. U.S. interests do not center on whether gas is $2 or $3 at the pump, or whether Exxon gets contracts instead of Lukoil or Total. Nor do they depend on the amount of oil that the United States itself imports from the Persian Gulf or anywhere else. The reason the United States has a legitimate and critical interest in seeing that Persian Gulf oil continues to flow copiously and relatively cheaply is simply that the global economy built over the last 50 years rests on a foundation of inexpensive, plentiful oil, and if that foundation were removed, the global economy would collapse.&

Pryor not hesitant about prior remarks "The attorney general of Alabama, William Pryor, is the most refreshing thing to happen to Washington since William Faulkner said the reason he wouldn't be going to President Kennedy's Nobel prize-winner party at the White House was that Washington was a long way to go for dinner...." "Mr. Pryor, you once said that you thought the Supreme Court's decision in Roe v. Wade was 'the worst abomination of constitutional law in our history.' Do you still think that?" "Oh yes," said Pryor. When asked whether he thought that that decision had had moral consequences, he said, oh yes. He explained: "It has led to the slaughter of millions of innocent unborn children." The liberals were gasping for their breath while thanking him for his candor. They will oppose him because they do not like his beliefs. It is not enough that his record shows he will uphold the law whether he lik

The liberals problem George Will discusses how the Democrats have hurt themselves with campaign finance reform and their reflexive hatred of the rich. The Democrats have no new ideas, they just oppose Republican ideas. They ahve become the Republican party of the sixties. The gripe about the dficit and oppose any inovation.

More frivalous cases filed against Bush and Blair Beguim has received cases against Bush and Blair for liberating Iraq. The cases will be forwarded to the US and UK where they will be dismissed as frivalous. If Begium is going to keep this silly law theyneed a mechanism for sanctions against people who file frivalous cases.

Brits say Fox News not bias Complaints about Fox News coverage of the war in Iraq were rejected by the UK's independent television commission. The Guardian which reported on the finding is clearly no friend of Fox. In describing fox's debate show "Hannity and Combs" the paper said, "The Fox show Hannity and Combs, a discussion programme that pits a liberal thinker against a right wing opponent, was one such example, it said." In the Guardian's view of impartiality, the liberal is a "thinker" and the conservative is a "right wing opponent." Liberals have their own perspective on what is fair and balanced.

Bore TV Al Gore thinks there is not enough liberal media, so he has been talking with liberals in Hollywood about starting an liberal cable news channel. I gues it will be in direct competition with CNN which has owned the liberal cable network slot. "...But there seems to be a feeling on the left that all it takes is some major bucks and the right liberal loudmouths to put together a successful network that would be the antithesis of Fox. This ignores some of the past failures -- from Mario Cuomo on radio to Phil Donahue on MSNBC -- that haunt the graveyard of liberal media ventures. "One reason such efforts have fizzled is that too many liberals tend to be of the dull and earnest variety. Talking about eight-point plans to revive the economy or protect the environment doesn't quite have the entertainment pizzazz of Rush/O'Reilly/Hannity spouting off against big government and low morality. That's also why a spate of in-your-face conservative books ha

Indian Trust Fund The ongoing problems with the Indian Trust Fund, via Instapundit, continue to grind along. The trust fund while apparently mismanaged, is not the biggest problem. It's existance makes indians dependant in much the same way welfare does. This holds back the indian population. The trust fund should be liquidated with the proceeds going on a prorata basis to its beneficiaries. They could invest it or spend id it, but in the end they would be better off because they would get out from under dependancy status, and join mainstream America where they belong.

The Carter legacy in Iran and Afghanistan President Carter saw two huge foreign policy failures on his watch right next door to each other. In Iran he did nothing to keep the Shah of Iran from being overthrown by people who hate the US. Since that time Iran has sponsored terror attacks against the US and Israel and generally made trouble in the middle east. The Iranian regime currently stirs trouble several ways. "...The Islamic regime collaborates with terrorist organizations like Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah, and assists them in their murderous operations through financing, weapons transfers, intelligence sharing, and other measures. These groups disrupt efforts to craft a peace settlement that allows Israel and an independent Palestinian state to live side by side. The current effort on the part of the Bush administration to bring about a comprehensive solution to the Arab-Israeli peace process will benefit from a change in Iran. "Iran's apparent pursuit

SEC should examine NY Times press release The NY Times says earnings are up after a decline in March and April. The release blames those declines on the war in Iraq, which would normally have increased circulation. "Other factors that are constraining our second-quarter advertising growth include softer sales in the hotel and transportation/travel category related to SARS and geopolitical instability, a weak retail category, and the difficult job market, which continues to negatively affect recruitment advertising. At the same time, we are experiencing higher costs in the second quarter as a result of war-related expenses, higher newsprint prices and increased benefit and compensation expenses." Are the increased benefit and compensation expenses related to the Raines, Boyd terminations? Could it be that the Blair scandel made it more difficult for the paper to sell ads?

Was Kerry Brainwashed? John f. Kerry/a> says he was misled by President Bush on Iraq. Kerry really wants it both ways. "Kerry supported the war and said Wednesday, ''I'm glad Saddam Hussein is gone.'' But the Massachusetts senator has criticized the president's diplomatic efforts. He emphasized that concern, saying Bush had alienated U.S. allies in the run-up to war."

French kissing The French these days make you regret that Henry V died before he could consolidate his victories. The country would have been so much better if ruled by Englishmen who are not afraid to speak the language. Recently the French have been on something of a "charm offensive," trying to lure back US tourist. There are certainly lovely things to see in France. It is just that you have to share it with the French who have made arrogance a virtue except when describing Americans. Why do the French think it is important to protect their language from coruption from American inspired English words? Americans are not so insecure. They adopt words from any language if they find them descriptive and useful. There have been many great Frenchmen. Napolean is one of the "great captains." As Dirty Harry said, he just did not know his limitations. That is a problem with current leadership in France. It is their pretensions of importance that is a

Dems complain about democracy Texas Democrats show new hudspuh. After having thwarted democracy in the legislatures regular session, Democrats now complain about the cost of a special session that could have been avoided if they had not bugged out to deny a quorum. "Texas Democrats accused Gov. Rick Perry of wasting taxpayers' money and House Majority Leader Tom DeLay of creating an entitlement for Republicans to seats in Congress after the governor called for a redistricting special session."

Two more al Qaeda arrest in Pakistan A long time aide to Osama bin Laden was arrested by a swimming pool Peshawar in northwest Pakistan. "The second suspect, identified as Abu Naseem of Tunisia was arrested a short time later outside the Katcha Ghauri Afghan refugee camp on the western edge of Peshawar, according to an intelligence source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. He said Naseem was 'highly expert in forgery and arranging fake documents for Al Qaeda men.'" If Osama is alive, why aren't guys like this hanging out with him?

Poll measures world's irrational fear of US Paranoia over the use of force by the US is reflected in a poll showing many in the world fear the US more than North Korea. Actually North Korea is a threat mainly to South Korea, Japan and the US, so it is not surprising tht people in other parts of the world would not feel particularly threatened by tht bizaar government. The fear of the US is mainly a fear of power and not based on any threat the US poses to those countries. It is a realization that if the US decided their country was a threat, there is very little they could do stop the US use of force against them. That people have this fear, notwithstanding, a complete lack of threat from the US is irrational. It shows a lack of understanding of how the US chooses to use force. The fact of the matter is, that the US does not want to use force in any country, and does so reluctantly when it feels its national security is threatened. For example, if North Korea had

"There can be no freedom of thought in turbans and beards." Iranians are demonstrating for freedom. "Iran is simmering. The students are restless. The mullahs are nervous. The fundamentalist Islamic regime has run amok. It is deeply unpopular and its credibility is shot. "The liberation of Baghdad and Kabul puts America in a unique position to positively influence events in Iran toward greater freedom. And unless Iran changes its course on proliferation and terrorism, the U.S. government should consider embracing regime change as its official policy. "But for the moment, it is vital that we let the people of Iran know we are with them in their desire for reform through strong public diplomacy. We must not miss this opportunity to support those in Iran yearning to be free."

Europe's reproduction problem Europeans are not making enough babies. "The ageing of Europe is a growing talking point among major investors as it has huge political and economic ramifications. The trend could put a big strain on European government finances, as the demand for pensions and healthcare will rise. It could also cause the EU economy to fall behind other regions, notably America, where the population is more youthful. "The European birthrate is just 1.5 per female, compared with 2.1 in the US, where immigrants from Hispanic countries tend to have large families. Immigration is also lower in Europe, at about 2pc per 1,000 people, compared with 4pc in the US. "As a result, European population growth has stalled and could fall by 7m to 370m by 2050, according to United Nations projections quoted by Mr Williams. The European population is also much older. The average age is 39, whereas in the US it is 35."

North Korea sounding like they get their diplomatic advice from a WWF coach North Korea says the US and Japan will be in a heap of trouble if they do anything about their bad conduct. "North Korea on Tuesday threatened "limitless" retaliation against any US blockade of its economy and warned it would target Japan if war broke out. "The comments were in response to efforts by the US, Japan and other countries to curb North Korea's trade in arms and illegal drugs. "US officials have described the clampdown as an enforcement of existing laws rather than sanctions. But most analysts think the measures are designed to force North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons programme by starving the regime of cash." "...A pre-emptive military strike by North Korea is considered highly unlikely because it would guarantee the regime's annihilation by US forces."

For eight nights Iranians ask for freedom Eight nights in a row Iranians have taken to the street asking for freedom. "Tehran's government and 217 of its 290 parliamentary deputies have condemned the United States and charged U.S. leaders with blatant interference in Iran's internal affairs. Hardline clerics say they have detected a U.S.-inspired plot to destabilize Iran. "But demonstrators said they were not on the streets for the sake of Washington, they were there for themselves. "'If coming to the streets will give me more freedom, I don't care who calls for it, I will come here and tell all my friends to come with me,' said teenage high school student Amir."

Jessica Lynch's ordeal and rescue The Washington Post has a lenghty and detailed report on what happened to Pfc. Lynch and the other soldiers in her unit. It is the story that the BBC should have told. Read the whole thing.

The Special Ops war In Iraq, special operations forces had some special moments. "...Special forces were usually ahead of the tip of the spear: as U.S. troops pushed toward Baghdad, secret combat teams zipped into Iraq aboard specially outfitted MC-130 Combat Talon planes that used highways as landing strips, surprising the enemy at its rear. On the road to Tikrit, they fingered Iraqi vehicles fleeing the capital for destruction by M1 tanks. And inside the capital, the elite Delta Force slipped into Baghdad's back alleys and into its sewers to eavesdrop on communications, cut fiber-optic cables, target regime leaders and build networks of informants. "Sometimes they just got lucky: a 12-man Green Beret team in customized humvees came upon a Shi'ite cleric and several hundred of his anti-Saddam disciples near Basra on March 20, according to the team's intelligence officer. The cleric sheltered the U.S. troops and their vehicles in warehouses as they plo

Is anyone fooled by claims that the media aren't liberal? Jonah Goldberg takes on the attempt by liberals to claim "what liberal media." "You see, large chunks of "What Liberal Media?" are simply prose versions of those spider-webby diagrams purporting to expose a vast right-wing conspiracy. So-and-so gave money to think tank A, which gave a job to writer B, who penned an article for magazine C, which once got a grant from foundation D, blah, blah, blah. You can almost imagine, in Mr. Alterman's mind's eye, a retromingent slug leaving a trail linking each nefarious conservative outlet and scalawag. Wherever the creature goes and whatever it touches becomes automatically tainted, somehow less than honest. "According to Mr. Alterman's massive guilt-by-association charge, no American conservative could write fairly about his book--or much of anything else. Because we're all guilty of . . . well, of actually believing what we say

More arrest in saudi Arabia Saudi authorities continue to show their seriousness in rooting out terror cells. Sunday more men were arrested outside of Mecca, which followed the bloody raid on Saturday in which five terrorist were killed. "The suspects killed in Khaldia had allegedly been planning an imminent terror attack and were heavily armed with bombs and guns. "One of those arrested was reportedly wearing a suicide bomber's belt."

What would a Leahy "consensus" Supreme court candidate look like? Sen. Patrick Leahy want president Bush to consult with him and other left wing Senators before making a high court nomination. He says he wants to avoid a fight. He probably does. The only candidate he would be happy with is someone as liberal as he is, so what is the point? To Sen. Leahy, any nominee that does not agree with him on liberal issues is a polarizing figure. What is wrong with the people in Vermont that they send so many left wing ideologs, who are out of the mainstream to Washington?

Iranina faculty challenges "Divine Right" of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Maybe there is a chance for an Iranian Magna Carta. "Khamenei has the final say on all matters. The ruling clerics regard him as God's representative and say his word cannot be challenged. "'Considering individuals to be in the position of a divinity and absolute power ... is open polytheism [in contradiction to] almighty God and blatant oppression of the dignity of human being,' the statement said. "'People [and their elected lawmakers] have the right to fully supervise their rulers, criticize them, and remove them from power if they are not satisfied,' said the statement, which was published in the reformist newspaper Yas-e-nou on Monday."

Dem Crazy Aunts want to take over One quote from Donald Lambro's column tells what is wrong with the "Democrat wing of the Democrat party." "The message was heavily anti-capitalism, anti-business and anti-profit. 'We believe in the politics where people come ahead of profits,' an AFL-CIO official said." It is seldom you see people so openly display their ignorance of economics, and it says alot about what is wrong with left wing labor organizations. Lesson number one is tht business that do not make a profit do not stay in business. Without profits, business shutdown and workers lose their jobs. When businesses make a profit they can expand and add new jobs. If businesses pay dividends, the money can be used for new investments or to buy goods and services which also means more jobs. The crazys also want to blame the US for bad things that happen in the world and their anti war fever will be soundly rejected by the US voters who are int

Hamas has fallen into President Bush's trap "It is clear that the free world, those who love freedom and peace, must deal harshly with Hamas and the killers. And that's just the way it is in the Middle East," Mr. Bush said. "The message is clear: Prime Minister Abbas wants peace; Prime Minister Sharon wants peace; America wants peace; the European Union wants peace. But there are clearly killers who don't," Mr. Bush said. By refusing to go along with a cease fire, Hamas is no longer just a target for the IDF. They are now a target for the world and will be blamed for any failure to find peace.

Tax cuts blamed for urban poverty The rational for tax cuts is that they create jobs, not poverty, but libs need a boogy man so they claim deficit projections based on non dynamic scoring are going to hurt the poor. But, you do not hear much talk about how a deficit caused by spending the money that would be received by recinding the tax cuts on a national health care program the way most of the Dems want to do would really wreck the economy.