Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Khamenei: Beware of watching non-Muslim women
In new web ruling, Iran's supreme leader warns of 'vile consequences' of looking at non-Muslim women
Looking at non-Muslim women can lead to "vile consequences," Iran's supreme leader Sayyid Ali Khamenei warned a reader on his website.
The question and answer session is the most recent in a series of online religious rulings made by the Islamic Republic's highest religious and political authority.
Kerry Swiftboats Self (and maybe the Democrat party too) - Updated
"You know, education, if you make the most of it, if you study hard and do your homework, and you make an effort to be smart, uh, you can do well. If you don't, you get stuck in Iraq."
This elitist tripe is despicable and wrong on so many levels.
Update: John McCain reax....
Senator Kerry owes an apology to the many thousands of Americans serving in Iraq, who answered their country’s call because they are patriots and not because of any deficiencies in their education. Americans from all backgrounds, well off and less fortunate, with high school diplomas and graduate degrees, take seriously their duty to our country, and risk their lives today to defend the rest of us in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere.
They all deserve our respect and deepest gratitude for their service. The suggestion that only the least educated Americans would agree to serve in the military and fight in Iraq, is an insult to every soldier serving in combat, and should deeply offend any American with an ounce of appreciation for what they suffer and risk so that the rest of us can sleep more comfortably at night. Without them, we wouldn’t live in a country where people securely possess all their God-given rights, including the right to express insensitive, ill-considered and uninformed remarks.
Not a big fan of John McCain but he's dead right on this one.
Update II: Kerry defiant, condescending, arrogant and belligerent in his presser, Republicans rejoice.
Monday, October 30, 2006
Zawahiri Was Target in U.S. Attack on Religious School in Pakistan
Ayman al Zawahiri was the target of a Predator missile attack this morning on a religious school in Pakistan, according to Pakistani intelligence sources.
ABC News has learned the raid was launched after U.S. intelligence received tips and examined
Predator reconnaissance indicating that al Qaeda's No. 2 man may have been staying at the school, which is located in the Bajaur region near the village that is thought to be al Qaeda's winter headquarters.
Between two and five senior al Qaeda militants were killed in the attack, including the mastermind of the airliners plot in the U.K., according to Pakistani intelligence sources.
Sadr himself approved Sadr City raid: aide
NAJAF, Iraq (AFP) - Moqtada al-Sadr gave the go-ahead to a US-led raid on the bastion of his Mahdi Army militia in Baghdad and plans to purge his movement of violent elements, according to an aide to the radical cleric.
Sheikh Abdel Razzaq al-Naddawi, a senior assistant to the firebrand Shiite preacher, said Sadr had given the green light to last week's action by US and Iraqi forces after meeting Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.
"It was meant to pinpoint the bad elements and hold them accountable before the law," Naddawi told AFP in the Shiite holy city of Najaf. "This movement does not protect those who abuse people and the innocent."
Last week Iraqi special forces and US advisers raided an address in Sadr City, a flashpoint suburb of Baghdad, hunting what they described as a death squad leader. A subsequent battle left 10 militants and four civilians dead.
Chirac's horror as woman burnt in riot
Riot police reinforcements were deployed in Marseille last night after the latest outbreak of urban violence in France left a young woman in a critical condition with life-threatening burns.
President Jacques Chirac expressed his horror at the attack hours after the 26-year-old woman and three others were ambushed by rioting teenagers while travelling on a bus in the southern port city.
The assailants – said by some witnesses to be as young as 15 – forced the vehicle's doors open, spilled flammable liquid inside, and set it alight.
Sunday, October 29, 2006
'Free Saddam or else...'
Amman - Saddam Hussein's defence team has drafted a letter to US President George W Bush warning of dire consequences if an Iraqi court issues a verdict against the ousted Iraqi president for crimes against humanity.
In a copy of the letter received by AFP in Jordan on Sunday, lead Iraqi lawyer Khalil al-Dulaimi also urged Bush to set free Saddam and put an end to the trial which he described again as illegal and a farce.
"We believe that it is necessary to stop this farcical trial and set free President Saddam Hussein, and all the prisoners, because this is the only solution for your troops and your difficult position in Iraq," Dulaimi said.
Saturday, October 28, 2006
'Saw III' Cuts Thru Competition For #1
Newmarket's very controversial Death of a President (91 theaters) did only $.06 mil Friday with a pathetic per screen average of $673 for should be a $0.21 weekend. The Weinstein Company's Dixie Chicks documentary Shut Up & Sing (4 theaters) took in $0.01 mil Friday and a disappointing $2,867 per screen average for what should be a $.04 mil weekend.
Friday, October 27, 2006
Michelle's Naivete
This "above the fray" attitude is as naive as it is self righteous in it's concept. I've read these passages in the context in which they were written. Believe me, it offers some keen insights into the person who authored them. They for the most part are gratuitous, offering little to the narrative other than titillation and shock induced disgust. The people performing these "acts" are neither villains nor anti-hero's but rather average joes who behave deplorably. Creepy is the best way to desribe much of what I read.
Is Webb a pedophile, women hater etc. because of the behavior of fictional characters he created? Of course not. But one must also be aware that a real flesh and bone person created these images in their not so fictional mind. Do the voters have a right to know these things about the man who would be their United States Senator? I think they do. If this doesn't mean anything to a perspective voter, fine, no harm done. If voting for Stephen King for the US Senate makes you a tad bit hinky, fine also.
Malkins argues that both Lynn Cheney and Scooter Libby wrote "pulpy" passages in their books. That may very well be but the fact that they are not running for high office makes this point irrelevent. Michelle would be well advised to remember that the Democrats along with the co-dependent MSM attempted to change the course of an election using a hyped homosexual flirtation without the slightest regret. This is not T-ball , it's not how you play the game that counts.
Reluctance of Republicans to get down in the ditch and fight their advisary on whatever terms neccessary has lost them elections. The Democrats know this well and whether it was GWBs DWI bomb three days before the election or the Mark Foley brewhaha they will do anything it takes to win.
If Michelle wishes to remain holier than thou fine but she also better hope that the RNC does not heed her advice as we will enjoy our warm fuzzy feelings in the minority.
Foley's Phony Blogger Named
Radar has learned that the anony-blogger behind StopSexPredators—the bogus blog that first posted the Mark Foley e-mails and got the ball rolling on PageGate—is a former Democratic Senate staffer named Lane Hudson.
The New York Times reported today that the Human Rights Campaign, a gay-rights organization, had fired an unnamed "junior staff member" after discovering that he was behind the blog. The Times article described the staffer as an organizer working in Michigan that HRC had hired last month.
In addition, Lane Hudson was a pledged SC delegate to John Edwards at the 2004 Democratic National Convention.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
US Preparing to Try 60 to 80 Detainees at Gitmo: Official
GUANTANAMO BAY, CUBA (AFP) - The United States is laying plans to try 60 to 80 Al-Qaeda and Taliban suspects for war crimes at this remote naval base starting as early as mid 2007, senior US defense officials said.
It is unclear whether the biggest fish here -- Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the September 11, 2001 attacks, and 13 other top Al-Qaeda captives brought here September 5 from secret CIA detention centers -- will be among those tried.
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Faux Fox?
Democrats have become masters at exploiting other peoples miseries to further their own agenda. Their are a million examples of this the most recent being John Edwards inferring that Republican policies would keep people like Christopher Reed in a wheelchair. These claims all have one thing in common, they are as intellectually dishonest as they are self righteous.
Embryonic stem cell research is anything but a proven science. Intitial results have proven far more unsuccessful than the Strategic Defense Initiative program ever was yet the press has long ago deemed Star Wars a failure. One thing that has been proven, Embryonic Stem Cells produce tumors in almost all test subjects (mice) whereas adult stem cells do not. There are currently 72 therapies showing demonstrable human benefits using adult stem cells and how many using embryonic stem cells? You got it, nil. Far from even modestly workable let alone a cure all spokeman like Fox unabashadely proclaim this research the Holy Grail of curative potential.
The misinformation I can tolerate what I can't abide is the hyper drama created by Fox going off his meds. This is the heighth of dishonesty because it creates a false premise. It is the willful practice of creating a misleading caricature of oneself. If he could not take the medication for a legitimate reason that would be one thing but that's not the case. He is intentially refusing his medication to make himself look as bad as possible to further his argument. I have seen video of him from last week and his tremors are VASTLY more controlled than he would lead us to believe.
Should a diabetic go off insulin, a schizofrenic off lithium or should an alchoholic polish off half a liter a of Vodka to draw attention to their plight?
I have a great deal of sympathy for Michael J Fox as I do for anyone who battles a debilitating disease. What I do not sympathize with is exploitation of either self or otherwise as a means to manipulate public opinion. Save the theatrics for Hollywood Mr. Fox, when shaving it makes looking at the fellow looking back at you a whole lot easier.
Update: For those who believe that MJF would never go off his meds to enhance the dramatic effect here is a quote taken directly from his book:
I had made a deliberate choice to appear before the subcommittee without medication. It seemed to me that this occasion demanded that my testimony about the effects of the disease, and the urgency we as a community were feeling, be seen as well as heard. For people who had never observed me in this kind of shape, the transformation must have been startling.
If he did it then certainly he's capable of doing it now.
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
One of FBI's 'Most Wanted Terrorists' confirmed dead
CNN) -- An al Qaeda operative wanted in connection with the 1998 U.S. Embassy bombings was killed in April in Pakistan, American officials have confirmed.
Pakistani officials had said that Muhsin Musa Matwalli Atwah was killed in North Waziristan during an airstrike by Pakistani forces near the border with Afghanistan.
DNA testing confirmed the Pakistani government's claim, U.S. officials said, and Atwah's name was removed from the FBI's list of Most Wanted Terrorists.
Atwah, 42, was born in Egypt. He was indicted in connection with al Qaeda's suicide bombings of U.S. embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The attacks killed 224 people, including 12 Americans.
Ceremony to accompany border fence bill signing
Congress yesterday sent the bill to build 700 miles of fencing on the U.S.-Mexico border to President Bush, who will sign it in a ceremony Thursday morning in the White House Roosevelt Room.
The decision to have a public ceremony is a reversal for the Bush administration, which had appeared reluctant to tie itself so publicly to the enforcement-only measure. Although Mr. Bush had committed to signing the bill, aides had said consistently over the past few weeks there would not be a signing ceremony. But Republicans in Congress had demanded a public signing, with leaders saying the bill is a major accomplishment that will help their re-election prospects.
Monday, October 23, 2006
Post #205 ROP Chronicles: Youths in Paris torch bus as authorities fear civil unrest
The attack - which happened in broad daylight on Sunday - is the latest in a string of similar disturbances in housing estates surrounding the French capital.
They come amid rising tensions as the anniversary approaches of widespread rioting and car torching that forced France to declare a state of emergency last October.
Youths from France’s run-down suburban estates began rioting on October 27, 2005, after two teenagers of North African origin died when they were accidentally electrocuted in a sub-station while trying to flee police in Clichy-sous-Bois, east of Paris.
Southern baptist's at it again.
There Might Not Be a Tidal Wave
The bottom line here, as in many other districts, is whether moderate Republican soccer moms will care enough about the Iraq war and social issues like abortion and stem cells to swallow their fears on terrorism and break with their tax-cutting husbands. "If the election turns on taxes, it's a problem for me," Stender concludes. "What's trumping it is a gut-level unease with the direction of the country."
What may, in turn, trump such unease is "GOTV"—get-out-the-vote operations. Karl Rove's eerie confidence about the midterms is a product of the Republicans' "72 Hour Program."
Saturday, October 21, 2006
USA, India to improve strategic relations
Determined to move forward with its strategic relationship with India, a top US state department official will be visiting India in November with a large delegation to fulfil the direction given by their political leadership.
'We have a blueprint and a framework in the July 18, 2005 and March 2, 2006 joint statements of President Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,' undersecretary of state Nick Burns, told the Indian media Friday announcing his plans to visit New Delhi.
Describing the India-US civilian nuclear deal as the 'symbolic centre of the new strategic relationship' he said it was Washington's 'top concern, top objective and top legislative priority' for the lame duck session of the outgoing Congress when it resumes after the Nov 7 midterm poll.
Friday, October 20, 2006
Bush to consult generals about Iraq strategy
WASHINGTON - President Bush acknowledged Friday that the situation in Iraq was tough and said he would consult with American generals to see if a change in tactics was necessary to combat the escalating violence.
Seventy-four American troops have died in Iraq in October, which is likely to become the deadliest month for U.S. forces in nearly two years.
“One of the reasons you’re seeing more casualties is the enemy is active and so are our troops,” Bush said in a brief interview with The Associated Press.
House Intel Chair Suspends Staff Member
WASHINGTON -- House Intelligence Chairman Peter Hoekstra has suspended a Democratic staff member because of concerns he may have leaked a high-level intelligence assessment to The New York Times last month.
In a letter obtained by The Associated Press Thursday night, Rep. Ray LaHood, R-Ill., a committee member, said that an unidentified staffer requested the document from National Intelligence Director John Negroponte three days before the Sept. 23 story about its conclusions.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Inanity or Insanity?
The Congressman's response was the typical response one would expect from the left: "Why not try it" "It couldn't hurt".
Well Mr Congressman it could hurt, it could hurt a lot. An Agreement where only one side honors the terms is far worse than no agreement at all. It only serves to hamstring the party operating in good faith and strategically benefit the cheater.
Einstein had it right, he said: "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." The Democrats have been suffering from this intellectual insanity for decades and regardless of how many times a given course has failed the more determined they seem to be that the next time it will succeed.
Inane certainly, but insane? Einstein would say yes.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Rush to marry ends in tragedy
A Pakistani man has committed suicide outside his fiancee's home after he thought he accidentally killed her while trying to persuade her to get married early, police said Saturday.
The man, Ahmed Ashraf, was shooting a gun in the air outside his fiancee's home in the southern city of Karachi on Friday as part of his efforts to persuade her to get married two months early when a stray bullet accidently hit her, police said.
"He was so eager to get married he stood in front of his fiancee's house and started firing shots in the air to catch her attention," said investigating officer Ghulam Hussain.
The young woman was coming downstairs when a bullet ricocheted off a wall and hit her. She fell down screaming "I have been shot," Hussain said.
"He thought he had killed her and within seconds shot himself. The girl is fine," Hussain said.
8 Soldiers to Be Court-Martialed
Eight soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division will be court-martialed on murder charges stemming from their service in Iraq, including two who face a death sentence for allegedly raping a 14-year-old girl and killing her and her family, the military ordered Wednesday.
The Fort Campbell soldiers facing the death penalty are Sgt. Paul E. Cortez and Pfc. Jesse V. Spielman. Both are accused of raping Abeer Qassim al-Janabi in her family's home in Mahmoudiya, about 20 miles south of Baghdad, then killing her along with her parents and younger sister.
Contrary to those on the left who say this proves we are no better than them, it proves just the opposite.
2nd Quran Found In Toilet At NYC University, Islamic Group Says
NEW YORK -- Another copy of the Islamic holy book has been found in a toilet at a university library, a civil liberties group said Tuesday.
The discovery of the Quran in a toilet at Pace University's lower Manhattan campus on Friday was the latest in a series of recent acts of vandalism tinged with racial or religious overtones at the school, said the New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, an Islamic civil liberties group.
"We once again call on Pace University to take concrete measures to help educate the student population about Islamophobic bigotry and its negative impact on ordinary Muslims and on American society," Maryam Sayar Akbar, the group's civil rights director, said in a statement.
In September, a copy of the Quran was found in a toilet at Pace, and in October someone scrawled racial slurs on a student's car at the Westchester County satellite campus and on a bathroom wall at the campus in lower Manhattan.
Had this been the Holy Bible no one would have taken notice.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Reuters Cameraman Remanded for Inciting Rock Attacks
On Tuesday, a Reuters cameraman was remanded to prison until trial for his part in rock-throwing attacks on security forces in Bil'in, where the separation fence is a constant target of protesters.
The cameraman, Imad Muhammad Intisar Boghnat, was arrested and charged as a result of violent riots in the Arab village of Bil'in, in the Modi'in region, on October 6, 2006. A videotape that the prosecution presented to the judge shows Boghnat encouraging and directing rioters in Bil'in to throw large chunks of rock at Israeli vehicles in such a way as to cause maximum damage. The accused is heard shouting, "Throw, throw!" and later, "Throw towards the little window!"
Couric's Catastrophe
NEW YORK CITY
WABC 7.1
WNBC 5.3
WCBS 3.7
LOS ANGELES
KABC 5.9
KNBC 3.1
KCBS 1.5
WASHINGTON, DC
NBC 9.3
ABC 7.8
CBS 2.5
Before Couric CBS was in 3rd place but at least competitive. No more.
Monday, October 16, 2006
Joan Rivers: Mel Gibson should f***ing die
Joan Rivers has said Mel Gibson “should f**king die” after his drunken anti-Semitic comments earlier this year.
Joan told Celebrity Week: “He is an anti-Semitic son of a bitch. He should f–king die.”
“I think he’s in vino veritas” suggesting he speaks his true thoughts when drunk.
She also suggested that people should have boycotted Mel’s interview for Good Morning America this week, calling it hypocritical: “It’s ridiculous because [Diane Sawyer]’ll get great ratings and [Gibson] will be back in business.”
Suicide bombing kills over 100 in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka has suffered its worst ever suicide attack when suspected Tamil Tiger rebels detonated a truck packed with explosives next to a convoy of sailors, killing at least 102 people and wounding 150 more.
The government said Monday the "barbaric" act, which coincided with increased international efforts to restore a 2002 truce, meant the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was not interested in negotiations scheduled to take place next week in Switzerland.
The bombing occurred about 170 kilometres (105 miles) northeast of Colombo at a transit point for security personnel coming to and from the front line of the drawn-out conflict in the restive northeastern district of Trincomalee.
Hindus? Muslims? A little help.
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Pakistan foils coup plot
KARACHI - A plot to stage a coup against Pakistan's President General Pervez Musharraf soon after his recent return from the US has been uncovered, resulting in the arrest of more than 40 people.
Most of those arrested are middle-ranking Pakistani Air Force officers, while civilian arrests include a son of a serving brigadier in the army. All of those arrested are Islamists, contacts in Rawalpindi, where the military is based, divulged to Asia Times Online.
The conspiracy was discovered through the naivety of an air force > officer who this month used a cell phone to activate a high-tech rocket aimed at the president's residence in Rawalpindi. The rocket was recovered, and its activating mechanism revealed the officer's telephone number. His arrest led to the other arrests.
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Married couples a minority among all couples in the US
49.7%, or 55.2 million, of the nation's 111.1 million households in 2005 were made up of married couples -- with/without children -- just shy of majority...
I don't know whether to believe this or not but if true, God help us.
Report: Muslim Clerics Forgive Pope
Dozens of Muslim scholars and chief muftis from numerous countries sign open letter to be delivered to Vatican envoy in hopes of engaging pope in dialogue to counter prejudice against Islam, Jordan magazine says
Dozens of Muslim scholars and chief muftis from numerous countries have accepted Pope Benedict XVI's statement of regret for hisremarks on Islam and violence, the editor of a Muslim journal said Friday.
The scholars have signed an open letter that will be delivered to a Vatican envoy in the hopes of engaging the pope in a dialogue to counter prejudice against Islam, said the Jordanian-based editor of Islamica Magazine, Sohail Nakhooda.
.....they said with a wink and a nod.
Friday, October 13, 2006
Dalai Lama sees Pope, says few Muslims "mischievous"
ROME (Reuters) - The Dalai Lama said after meeting Pope Benedict on Friday that "a few mischievous Muslims" should not be allowed to give the Islamic faith a bad name.
Muslims worldwide were offended by a speech by the Pope last month in which he quoted a Byzantine emperor who said the Prophet Mohammed spread Islam by the sword.
The backlash has been sometimes violent and hardliners declared war on the Pope.
The exiled spiritual leader of 6 million Tibetan Buddhists living under Chinese Communist rule said Benedict and his predecessor John Paul II, who died last year, shared with himself a vocation for "the promotion of religious harmony".
And the Nazis were merely precocious.
Air America Radio Files Chapter 11
NEW YORK (AP) -- Air America Radio, a liberal talk and news radio network, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, a network official told the AP. The network had denied rumors just a month ago that it would file for bankruptcy, but on Friday Air America said negotiations with a creditor from the company's early days had broken down.
The network will stay on the air while it resolves issues with its creditors, spokeswoman Jaime Horn told the Associated Press. A formal announcement was expected to be made later Friday.
Now the only question remaining, who they're going to blame for this?
S. Korea, China supports U.N. sanctions expected to be authorized Saturday
SEOUL, Oct. 13 (Yonhap) - The U.N. Security Council (UNSC) is expected this weekend to adopt a new U.S. draft resolution slapping non-military global sanctions on North Korea, as South Korea and China agreed Friday to back the moves to punish the North over its announced nuclear bomb test.
In a summit in Beijing, South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao agreed to support the UNSC in taking "necessary and appropriate sanctions" on the North.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Post # 203 ROP Chronicles..Orthodox Priest Beheaded In Iraq
MOSUL, Iraq -- Relatives of a beheaded Iraqi priest said his captors had demanded a church apology for recent papal comments about Islam.
They said the Orthodox priest was abducted Sunday by an unidentified group, which demanded a ransom. The kidnappers also wanted the priest's church to condemn controversial recent remarks by Pope Benedict. In a speech last month, the pope quoted a medieval text describing
Islam as a religion spread by the sword.
The relatives said the priest's church had already posted signs condemning the pope's statement. A similar message was posted again after the abduction.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Reid got $1M in land sale (Updated)
WASHINGTON - Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid collected a $1.1 million windfall on a Las Vegas land sale even though he hadn't personally owned the property for three years, property deeds show.
In the process, Reid did not disclose to Congress an earlier sale in which he transferred his land to a company created by a friend and took a financial stake in that company, according to records and interviews.
The Nevada Democrat's deal was engineered by Jay Brown, a longtime friend and former casino lawyer whose name surfaced in a major political bribery trial this summer and in other prior organized crime investigations. He's never been charged with wrongdoing — except for a 1981 federal securities complaint that was settled out of court.
Update: Audio of Dirty Harry hanging up on AP reporter.
Top terrorist arrested in western Baghdad
BAGHDAD, Oct 9 (KUNA) -- Top leader of the terrorist organization in Iraq, Jamaat Al-Tawheed Wal Jihad, was arrested in Abu Ghraib, western Baghdad, by the Iraqi Army's third brigade of the sixth division, said Iraqi Armed Forces spokesman Brigadier Qassem Al-Moussawi on Monday.
Speaking to a press conference, Al-Moussawi referred to the terrorist as the "prince of princes" but did not disclose his identity.
Moreover, he said there was a drop in the number of terrorist attacks in Baghdad in light of Iraqi Army and police operations in the capital, adding that operations in Diyala were ongoing and that some 300 suspects had been arrested.
As for Kirkuk, he said that operations there led to the arrest of 148 suspects and the confiscation of weapons, noting the cooperation of tribal leaders and citizens in the area.
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
'SCARY MOVIE' PRODUCER MAKES CAMPAIGN AD; MOCKS DEMOCRATS
And don't call me Shirley!
Update: The nimrods at YouTube have seen fit to censor this vid ....This video may contain content that is inappropriate for some users, as flagged by YouTube's user community. To view this video, please verify you are 18 or older by logging in or signing up."
This vid has absolutely nothing in it that would legitimately neccessitate an age verification. Stalinist bastids.
It was an explosion, but it didn't emit any radiation
NORTH KOREA shook the world's political leaders with some sort of blast on Monday, but no one could say for sure yesterday that it really was a nuclear explosion.
"It was explosion-like … That's all we are saying," said an Australian Government source, who asked not to be named. "It could have been a small nuclear explosion, it could have been a chemical explosion." The blast was simply "too small to classify what caused it. Whether it was nuclear or not, we don't know."
Everybody is crawfishing on the nuclear claim. It's beginning to appear more and more like a "conventional" explosion or a nuclear dud.
Monday, October 09, 2006
Will The Left Never Learn
Korea, June 1994: President Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, became the first people to cross the demilitarized zone from South Korea to North Korea and back again. President Carter obtained agreement from President Kim Il Sung to freeze his country's nuclear program in exchange for the resumption of his dialogue with the United States. He also promised to allow joint U.S.-North Korean teams to try to recover the remains of American soldiers killed in the Korean War.
US detects second N Korea 'blast'
US intelligence has detected an explosion of less than one kilotonne in magnitude in North Korea but has not been able to determine whether it was nuclear or not, a senior intelligence official said.
The official, who asked not to be identified, said that first-time nuclear tests historically have been in the several kilotonne range.
“We are aware that there was a sub-kilotonne explosion in North Korea,” said the official. “We have not been able to determine at this point whether it was in fact nuclear.”
Selective Indignation from the Left
9. Former Rep. Gus Savage. The Illinois Democrat was accused of fondling a Peace Corps volunteer in 1989 while on a trip to Africa. The House Ethics Committee decided against disciplinary action in 1990.
8. Rep. Barney Frank. The outspoken Massachusetts Democrat hired a male prostitute who ran a prostitution service from Frank’s residence in the 1980s. Only two Democrats in the House of Representatives voted to censure him in 1990.
7. Former Sen. Brock Adams. The late Washington Democrat was forced to stop campaigning after numerous accusations of drugging, assault and rape, the first surfacing in 1988.
6. Former Rep. Fred Richmond. This New York Democrat was arrested in 1978 for soliciting sex from a 16-year-old. He remained in Congress and won re-election—before eventually resigning in 1982 after pleading guilty to tax evasion and drug possession.
5. Former Rep. John Young. The late Texas Democrat increased the salary of a staffer after she gave in to his sexual advances. The congressman won re-election in 1976 but lost two years later.
4. Former Rep. Wayne Hays. The late Ohio Democrat hired an unqualified secretary reportedly for sexual acts. Although he resigned from Congress, the Democratic House leadership stalled in removing him from the Administration Committee in 1976.
3. Former Rep. Gerry Studds. He was censured for sexual relationship with underage male page in 1983. Massachusetts voters returned him to office for six more terms.
2. Former Rep. Mel Reynolds. The Illinois Democrat was convicted of 12 counts of sexual assault with a 16-year-old. President Bill Clinton pardoned him before leaving office.
1. Sen. Teddy Kennedy. The liberal Massachusetts senator testified in defense of nephew accused of rape, invoking his family history to win over the jury in 1991.10. Sen. Daniel Inouye.
H/T Vaquero at FR
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Critical cleric arrested in Iran - reports
TEHRAN (Reuters) - A senior Shi'ite Muslim cleric who has challenged Iran's system of clerical rule was arrested on Sunday after his supporters clashed with police outside his house in the Iranian capital, Iranian news agencies reported.
Ayatollah Mohammad Kazemeini Boroujerdi was detained with several supporters, Iran's student news agency ISNA quoted the deputy governor of Tehran, Abdollah Rowshan, as saying.
The Iranian authorities are wary of any challenge, particularly from top clerics, to the system of clerical rule that was established after the 1979 Islamic revolution by revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini
More than 200 of Boroujerdi's supporters clashed with police using teargas on Saturday during a protest outside his house, newspapers reported. Some reports said his followers feared the cleric was in imminent danger of arrest.
Post #202 ROP Chronicles France: Schoolgirl Stoned In Playground For Not Observing Ramadan
A schoolgirl was stoned on Wednesday in playground
For non-observance of Ramadan
According to information given by Michèle Vianès, from the Regards de Femmes organization:
The information that I gave Thursday from our cafe Regards de Femmes is in Le Progres today.
A schoolgirl of Jean Mermoz college in Lyon's eighth arrondissement (postal district) was pelted with stones on Wednesday morning in the playground because she ate a snack. The argument that the incident stemmed from the non-observance of Ramadan is confirmed by the Lyon prosecutor's office, based on initial results from its investigation.
Saturday, October 07, 2006
Official Confidential Survey: 65% Unhappy With Ahmad Nezhad
Tehran, 7 Oct. (IPS, with report by Meisam Tavvab of Rooz newspaper) A recent survey operated by the Iranian State-owned and conservatives-controlled Radio and Television showed that the majority of Iranians are unhappy with their messianic President, Mahmoud Ahmadi Nezhad.
Asking interviewees how do they regard the economic, political and social performance of the new government, 65 per cent have indicated that they are not satisfied, reported the pro-reform online newspaper “Rooz”, based in London and Paris on 4 October 2006.
Last year, same kind of survey carried by the same organisation had found that 60 percent of Iranians interviewed approved of the new administration’s performance.
Friday, October 06, 2006
FoleyGate for Dummies
I have been reading everything available concerning the Foley matter and a clear picture of what is and has actually gone on is emerging.
First, it appears that some Democrat members of Congress knew about both the rather tame E-mails and more importantly the selacious IMs for at least a couple of months prior to it being made public, maybe a lot longer. The timing of the release of this whole affair was not coincidental but rather a planned and meticulously exercised attempt to influence the upcoming midterms.
Who exactly these members are is unclear but don't be surprised to find out as this thing unravels that Pelosi, Conyers, and other members of the Democrat caucus as well as Emanuel and Mahoney are involved.
Secondly, the so called victim in this entire mess (Jordan Edmund) is likely a victim more of his own precociousness than from Foley's perversity. First reported by Drudge , the entire series of exchanges were instigated and perpetuated by Edmund and a handful of his buds for anything ranging from a twisted joke to a possible future book deal. The true motivation will undoubtedly come out in time.
Third, from all indications, no laws were broken. According to the FBI who initially investgated the "suggestive" E-mails, they were not actionable. The racier IMs occured after Edmunds 18th birthday so under the law it was two consenting adults.
Fourth, the Republican members of Congress have nothing to apologize for. Hastert, Alexander etc. were informed of the E-mails and told to do what they had to do to stop it. That's exactly what they did. Anything more would not have been warranted with the information they had at the time.
Fifth, there is a tangled web of well choreographed shenanigans that went on behind the scenes by a host of players likely including CREW, StopPredators.blogspot.com, gay outer Michael Rogers, John Aravosis, ABC, David Corn, and who knows how many Democrats in Congress. The actual players and their parts in this WILL be exposed over time.
Ask Yourself: Why is Nancy Pelosi adamantly against the naming of Louie Freeh as special investigator? Why is same unwilling to sign a affidavit stating she had no prior knowledge of the facts in this case or take a polygraf? There are obvious discrepencies between the E-mails offered up as evidence that indicate tampering, why? Why did Jordand Edmund hire not a civil or media attorney but rather a high powered criminal lawyer (Tim McVeigh's attorney). Why did the very smart Democrat operative Lanny Davis warn his party to stay away from this?
Why are Republicans in Congress, (the ones in the know) not in a panic?
The answers all lead to one inescapable conclusion: The left has more than a little hand in this mother of all dirty tricks and if there's any justice in the world we will know about in in the very near future.
9th Circuit Court Blocks Voter ID Enforcement
The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has blocked enforcement of a state law that requires voters to show identification and would-be voters to submit proof of citizenship when registering to vote.
The general election is Nov. 7, The law had already been used for the Sept. 12 primary and in some municipal elections.
State Atty. Gen. Terry Goddard said he would appeal.
Proceed directly to SCOTUS, do not pass go, do not collect $200
Thursday, October 05, 2006
2 Rockets Defused at Pakistan Parliament
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Two rockets rigged with mobile phones and primed to fire toward Pakistan's parliament were discovered by a construction worker Thursday and safely defused by bomb disposal experts, a security official said.
The security scare in Islamabad came hours after a homemade bomb exploded without injury in a park in the neighboring city of Rawalpindi, not far from a residence of President Gen. Pervez Musharraf.
A construction worker found the rockets on a lawn less than a half-scene from the National Assembly, the official said at the scene. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak to media.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
FOLEYGATE! UPDATED
The latest are here and here.
One things a given, the Democrats invariably overplay their hand and this will likely come back to bite them in the a$$.
It is now being reported that this minor with whom Foley was corresponding with in the notorious IMs reported on by ABC was at the time 18 years and 2 months of age. So it looks as though ABC broke the story of an E-affair between two consenting adults GASP!.
Update: More rumblings of Democrat subtrifuge.
Update II: IM exchange between Foley and former page Jordan on April 2nd, a month and a half AFTER Jordan turned 18.
Maf54: then we can have a few drinks
Maf54: lol
Teen: yes yes ;-)
Maf54: your not old enough to drink
Teen: shhh....
Maf54: ok
Teen: thats not what my ID saysTeen: lol
Maf54: ok
Teen: i probably shouldnt be telling you that huh
Maf54: we may need to drink at my house so we dont get busted"
Too many things like this just don't add up. I've read many of these IMs and they seem surreal, I can't put my finger on it but something just isn't right. They're like a play with a badly written script performed by actors who have no acting experience whatsoever. I've just got to believe that there are alot of things that aren't as they appear, we'll see.
Almost 260, including 11 foreign fighters, killed or caught north-east
BAGHDAD, Oct 4 (KUNA) -- More than 260 Iraqi fighters, including foreigners, were killed or rounded up Wednesday in a large army operation in the governorate of Diali, north of the capital Baghdad, a police source said in a statement.
The Fifth Iraqi squad force, which continued to crack down on armed men in the district of Diali, succeeded in killing or arresting about 250 terrorists in the city of Baaqouba, the largest in the governorate of Diali," the statement said.
It added that the operation was called "fast reply." "The success of the operation was due to the cooperation of local Iraqi tribes," the head of the Diali police station Staff Lieutenant-General Ghassan Al-Bawi said.
CBS Terror Expert: Clinton Wouldn't Kill Osama
Bill Clinton created a big stir when he angrily defended his anti-terror efforts as president during an interview with Chris Wallace on "Fox News Sunday.”
But comments by a top anti-terror expert contradicting Clinton’s defense got far less attention in the liberal press.
The day after Clinton’s September 24 tirade on Fox, Michael Scheuer – head of the CIA’s Osama bin Laden unit during the Clinton administration – said the al-Qaida leader "is alive today” because Clinton and his top aides refused to kill him.
Only spports what most of us on the right already know.
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Fighting terrorism together
From our friend Georges F.....
FOR years charges have been levelled against Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the ISI, that it has been involved in the terrorism that has destabilised South Asia. But the Pakistan government has always denied these allegations, insisting that the ISI was never involved in any act of terrorism — be it in Afghanistan or in India. Now we have President Pervez Musharraf admitting for the first time in a television interview that some retired ISI officials may be involved in the insurgency in Afghanistan. True, he has not implicated any serving personnel or the agency collectively, but the fact that any Pakistani who has had links with the establishment should be playing a clandestine role in neighbouring countries and using Pakistan’s territory for the purpose should be cause for serious concern.
Read the rest
Oil slides below $60
SINGAPORE (Reuters) -- Oil fell briefly below $60 a barrel Tuesday, extending a 3 percent drop in the previous session, as forecasts for a further build in fuel stocks in the United States offset slight cuts in OPEC output.
U.S. crude fell $1.14 to $59.89 a barrel in early electronic trade after plunging by $1.88 on Monday. London Brent fell 77 cents to $60.45.
Prices were pressured after oil major BP (Charts) said Monday it had restarted the 30,000 barrels per day (bpd) Lisburne satellite oilfield in Alaska over the weekend after correcting a gas leak, adding to bearish sentiment over high U.S. inventories.
Monday, October 02, 2006
Ex-Rep. Foley Checks Into Alcohol Rehab
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Former Rep. Mark Foley, under FBI investigation for e-mail exchanges with teenage congressional pages, has checked himself into rehabilitation facility for alcoholism treatment and accepts responsibility for his actions, his attorney acknowledged Monday.
The attorney, David Roth, would not identify the facility, but told the Associated Press in West Palm Beach, Fla., that Foley had checked in over the weekend.