Tag: War

When one of our men goes bad.

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This is what happens when you treat war, like a hobby:

A U.S. Army medic was convicted of murder Friday for his involvement in the execution-style slayings of four bound and blindfolded Iraqi detainees shot in the back of the head in the spring of 2007. The court sentenced him to life in prison.

Sgt. Michael Leahy Jr. was found guilty on charges of murder and conspiracy to commit murder by the nine-person jury who had heard testimony about the killings at the court-martial at the Army’s Rose Barracks Courthouse since Wednesday.

After a sentencing hearing, Leahy received a life sentence, with the possibility of parole. He also will have his rank reduced to private, his pay foreited and be dishonorably discharged.

“Looking back at the canal, I see it was the wrong thing to do,” Leahy read from a statement to the court before he was sentenced. “Please see that I’m not a bad person, that I made a bad mistake. I want to move on.”

via ABC News: US Soldier Guilty of Murder in Deaths of 4 Iraqis.

I just wonder how much more of this happened? This is just one that got caught. It is a sad thing, this turkey got what was coming to him.

Uh-Oh – Senior US soldiers investigated over missing Iraq reconstruction billions

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This cannot be good:

In what could turn out to be the greatest fraud in US history, American authorities have started to investigate the alleged role of senior military officers in the misuse of $125bn (£88bn) in a US -directed effort to reconstruct Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein. The exact sum missing may never be clear, but a report by the US Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) suggests it may exceed $50bn, making it an even bigger theft than Bernard Madoff’s notorious Ponzi scheme.

“I believe the real looting of Iraq after the invasion was by US officials and contractors, and not by people from the slums of Baghdad,” said one US businessman active in Iraq since 2003.

In one case, auditors working for SIGIR discovered that $57.8m was sent in “pallet upon pallet of hundred-dollar bills” to the US comptroller for south-central Iraq, Robert J Stein Jr, who had himself photographed standing with the mound of money. He is among the few US officials who were in Iraq to be convicted of fraud and money-laundering.

Despite the vast sums expended on rebuilding by the US since 2003, there have been no cranes visible on the Baghdad skyline except those at work building a new US embassy and others rusting beside a half-built giant mosque that Saddam was constructing when he was overthrown. One of the few visible signs of government work on Baghdad’s infrastructure is a tireless attention to planting palm trees and flowers in the centre strip between main roads. Those are then dug up and replanted a few months later.

Iraqi leaders are convinced that the theft or waste of huge sums of US and Iraqi government money could have happened only if senior US officials were themselves involved in the corruption. In 2004-05, the entire Iraq military procurement budget of $1.3bn was siphoned off from the Iraqi Defence Ministry in return for 28-year-old Soviet helicopters too obsolete to fly and armoured cars easily penetrated by rifle bullets. Iraqi officials were blamed for the theft, but US military officials were largely in control of the Defence Ministry at the time and must have been either highly negligent or participants in the fraud.

American federal investigators are now starting an inquiry into the actions of senior US officers involved in the programme to rebuild Iraq, according to The New York Times, which cites interviews with senior government officials and court documents. Court records reveal that, in January, investigators subpoenaed the bank records of Colonel Anthony B Bell, now retired from the US Army, but who was previously responsible for contracting for the reconstruction effort in 2003 and 2004. Two federal officials are cited by the paper as saying that investigators are also looking at the activities of Lieutenant-Colonel Ronald W Hirtle of the US Air Force, who was senior contracting officer in Baghdad in 2004. It is not clear what specific evidence exists against the two men, who have both said they have nothing to hide.

via The Independent: A ‘fraud’ bigger than Madoff.

Indeed I have suspected that there was major thievery going on during the war in Iraq. This story shines a light on this. Hopefully this new Administration will bring those to justice, who were responsible for these horrific actions. However, I will not hold my breath.

(H/T Freedom’s Phoenix)

Heckuva of a job Feinstein

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What an idiot…..

A senior U.S. lawmaker said Thursday that unmanned CIA Predator aircraft operating in Pakistan are flown from an airbase inside that country, a revelation likely to embarrass the Pakistani government and complicate its counterterrorism collaboration with the United States.

The disclosure by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, marked the first time a U.S. official had publicly commented on where the Predator aircraft patrolling Pakistan take off and land.

At a hearing, Feinstein expressed surprise at Pakistani opposition to the ongoing campaign of Predator-launched CIA missile strikes against Al Qaeda targets along Pakistan’s northwest border.

“As I understand it, these are flown out of a Pakistani base,” she said of the planes.

via Predator drones flown from base in Pakistan, U.S. lawmaker says — chicagotribune.com.

Feinstein ought to be arrested and tried on treason. Revealing Government secrets is illegal. But because she’s a Democrat, nothing will happen.

Others: protein wisdom, Wizbang , The Strata-Sphere, HotAir

Video: Excuse Me, Mr. President

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Looks like not all Liberals are enthralled with the New Liberal President….

This comes via After Downing Street:

To be clear, I don’t agree with him on Afghanistan. But on the Iraq War, I do, 100 percent. As for the Bush Administration, as much as I hate to say it;  Obama will not do what this man and the far left wants, he just cannot risk the political capital on a crimes tribunal.

But it does give voice to those who are of this mindset. Furthermore, if this is the growing consensus amongst the far left and also amongst independents, who did elect him, Obama will be a one term President. Of course, if this Economic Stimulus fails, Obama will be a one term President. Because the American people are not too happy about all this money being spent. Also, Congress will pay as well. Michelle Malkin is right , the Democrats always overreach and when they do, disaster happens. Then the tide turns and the other party gets in and the same cycle repeats. Been this way since the two party system started and will be this way, until a Switzerland style of Government is implemented here. Which will never happen, too many money bags controlling the strings.

(H/T Freedom’s Phoenix)

Video: The Obama Fraud

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An Excellent Video…..

(Via Freedom’s Phoenix)

Ouch: US Loses two major supply lines to Afghanistan

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This is not good, at all:

The U.S.-led campaign against the Taliban suffered two logistical blows Tuesday as the president of Kyrgyzstan announced that he’d shut a U.S. airbase in his country and insurgents in Pakistan blew up a bridge, disrupting the main U.S. supply route into Afghanistan.

The developments were the latest reminders of the vulnerability of the long and complex transportation system on which the 60,000 U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan depend for fuel, ammunition, construction materials and a great deal more.

The announcement by Kyrgyzstan President Kurmanbek Bakiyev that he will close the Manas Air Base also gave President Barack Obama a first taste of the challenge he faces from Russia, which is trying to restore its clout in countries that were part of the former Soviet Union.

Bakiyev made his announcement in Moscow, not in his own capital, shortly after the Russian government reportedly agreed to lend Kyrgyzstan $2 billion, write off $180 million in debt and add another $150 million in aid. The timing and place of the announcement indicated the Kremlin’s involvement.

“It’s a direct challenge to the new American administration. Russia is going out of its way to close an American base,” said Pavel Felgenhauer, a Moscow-based military analyst.

via McClatchy Washington Bureau — U.S. supply routes to Afghanistan suffer two huge blows.

I tend to agree with Ed Morrissey who writes:

The problem was never in Krygyzstan.  Biden predicted that world leaders would challenge Obama and his inexperience within the first few months of the adminstration, but they’ve already started to line up in the first few days.  Iran launched a satellite on an ICBM to show they could go ballistic once they have nuclear weapons.  North Korea reportedly has set up another ICBM for a test to threaten Seoul.  Now Russia has flipped an ally in the war on terror — and all of this in the first 14 days of Obama’s presidency.

Indeed, I believe this is simply Russia trying to test Obama, to see how he will react. Also, Russia is having problems with it’s people. They are bit angry about the problems with the economy. As I so blogged about yesterday. It could very well be that Putin is attempting to save face with the citizens of Russia by trying to show a little aggression towards Obama and by proxy; America.

Andrew Sullivan: Idiot Faux Conservative Douche Nozzle

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Remember that rant by David Duke, regarding Michelle Steele’s election to the Republican Party Chair that I blogged about yesterday?

Well, it seems that a particular faux conservative has once again showed his incredibly liberal side. I am referring to faux conservative, illegal immigrant and Blogosphere resident fake conservative fag boy;  Andrew Sullivan. Mr. Sullivan gives Duke his so-called “Malkin” award.

He is, of course, referring to syndicated columnist, Conservative Blogger and quite the serious MILF;  Michelle Malkin. (Of course, I am kidding about the M.I.L.F. part! (Well, sorta… She is hot, and yes, I’d hit it, given the chance… :D)

Now this is where this blog entry might just veer off into swearing, name calling and a bit of anger, so, to be safe and because I happen to know that my readership has increased. I’m going to start the butt chewing after the fold.

Proceed at your own risk, DANGER! CONTENT WARNING AFTER THE FOLD!

Read More …

See Liberals? We did win.

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I am so happy to read about this.

The Video:

Voting was extended by one hour due to a strong turnout, including among Sunni Muslims who boycotted the last polls.

The first nationwide vote in four years is being seen as a test of Iraq’s stability ahead of a general election due later this year.

Thousands of soldiers and police were deployed around polling stations.

The election is also being seen as a quasi-referendum on the leadership of Mr Maliki.

“This is a victory for all the Iraqis,” he said, after casting his vote in Baghdad’s highly-protected Green Zone.

He said a high turnout would be an indicator of “the Iraqi people’s trust in their government and in the elections” and “proof that the Iraqi people are now living in real security”.

via BBC NEWS | Middle East | Iraqi PM hails vote as ‘victory’.

Of course, the New York Times cannot provide a positive outlook on the election there. That’s because it messes with the script that the liberal media must stick to. You know, that the war in Iraq cannot be won, that we must retreat in shame and lose. The usual for that crowd. Notice how they drudge up crap from like 2007 and previous to that? Why can’t they just report the positive stuff and not remind people of the past?

I wish the people of Iraq all the best for their future. 😀

I think I would be speaking for many, if I said that every Military death in Iraq was worth the pictures up there in that video. I admit, there were screw ups. But we did finally get it right. That video is proof of that. I believe that somewhere in the distant future, George W. Bush will be remembered for Democracy that exists now in Iraq. However, those on the far left will never let the world forget that the WMD thing was a mistake. Which I think, was unfair. Bush acted on what he knew at the time.

God Bless Our Troops. 😀

Others: Hot Air, RedState, Neptunus Lex, Don Surber,  QandO and More via Memeorandum

Barry will pork the budget, but cut our defense.

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The Dad-blasted idiot!

The Obama administration has asked the military’s Joint Chiefs of Staff to cut the Pentagon’s budget request for the fiscal year 2010 by more than 10 percent — about $55 billion — a senior U.S. defense official tells FOX News.

Last year’s defense budget was $512 billion. Service chiefs and planners will be spending the weekend “burning the midnight oil” looking at ways to cut the budget — looking especially at weapons programs, the defense official said.

Some overall budget figures are expected to be announced Monday.

Obama met Friday at the White House with a small group of military advisers, including Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Gen. James Cartwright, vice chairman, and Gen. Jim Jones, National Security Council chairman.

via Defense Official: Obama Calling for Defense Budget Cuts –  FOXNews.com.

He does this, but he’ll pork the hell out of that stimulus package.  What a damned douche nozzle! 😡

I know what I’d like to call ol’ Bambi right about now. But I’m biting my tongue….. quite hard.

Others: RedState, Josh_Painter’s blog, Hot Air, Stop The ACLU Gateway Pundit, Riehl World View, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, The Jawa Report and Cold Fury

Why does America always do stupid things like this?

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I will never, ever understand why America does stupid things like this right here, ever!

The Obama administration on Friday made an emergency contribution of more than $20 million for urgent relief efforts in the Gaza Strip, a day after the United Nations launched a flash appeal for $613 million to help Palestinians recover from Israel’s three-week military operation there.

The State Department said President Barack Obama had authorized the use of $20.3 million from the U.S. Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Fund for humanitarian assistance to the 1.4 million Palestinians in Gaza.

The money will go to U.N. agencies and the International Committee of the Red Cross, which are distributing emergency food assistance, providing medical care and temporary shelter, creating temporary employment and restoring access to electricity and potable water, the department said in a statement.

The Israeli offensive killed nearly 1,300 Palestinians, including hundreds of civilians, and caused an estimated $2 billion in damage, Palestinian officials say. The assault was launched to halt years of Hamas rocket fire on southern Israel.

via US puts up $20 million for Gaza relief – AP.

You want to know where this money is going to end up? In the hands of Hamas, the very terrorist organization that was attacking Israel, in the first place.  This money is supposed to be reserved for American Citizens, not for foreign countries!  You know, I find it absolutely amazing that the United States of America, would support a military attack on Gaza by Israel to defeat terrorists; only to have them send aid to the very people that Israel attacked. Not only this, our government is using money that is specifically earmarked for the people of the United States of America. This is an outrage! Someone should be complaining to the high Heavens about it!

The reason this outrages me so much is this; yeah, that money might go to American agencies approved by our Government, but ultimately, it will end up right back into the hands of the Hamas terrorists.

I will never understand why America continues to prop up those they claim are terrorists.

Liberals whine about Fox News asking Jackass Murtha’s constituents “Would want these people in your backyard”

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This pretty sad, and a bit stupid.

Rep. Jack Murtha (D-PA) said last week that the U.S. could hold the detainees in federal prisons, just like we hold thousands of other dangerous inmates. This morning, Fox and Friends responded by sending a reporter to Murtha’s district to flash photos of suspected terrorists — their only identification being Muslim headgear — and ask residents, “Would you want a guy like this living in your backyard?”

via Think Progress » Fox Shows Photos Of Muslim Men: ‘Would You Want A Guy Like This Living In Your Backyard?’.

Of course, my fellow Conservatives have a better idea.

Fox News Reports:

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday shrugged off Republican suggestions that the federal government reopen Alcatraz prison in her San Francisco district to house detainees from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

President Obama this week signed an executive order calling for the closure of the prison at Guantanamo within the year. Republican Rep. Bill Young then suggested to White House counsel Greg Craig that the prisoners who could not be released back to their home countries or sent to a third country be put up in “the Rock,” the famous military installation and prison that closed down in 1963 and is now part of the National Park Service.

Asked whether that was a serious proposal, Pelosi said, “It is — no.”

Hey, here’s a better idea, how about putting them all on a nice barge, in a cage; where they cannot escape. Tow the barge out to say the middle of the Atlantic or Pacific ocean , far enough away from land, where nobody will get hurt from the radiation and nuke the damned thing. Will save taxpayers money. I know, I really do not want my tax dollars being used to house, feed, and cloth a bunch of cold-blooded murders.

Of course, this will never happen, seeing that the Moonbat Liberals are terrorist appeasers and all.

Why we can never withdraw from Afghanistan, until the job is done

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(Please note, when it originally wrote this post, I was very angry. After some thought and reflection; I felt it best to edit this posting and basically rewrite from a non-emotional stance. My apologies to those who read the original and were offended.)

It seems that the Liberals, seeing that Iraq is a non-issue and the rest of the United States and the World, and the media is focused on the Economy. The Liberals are attempting to garner support for a withdrawal and retreat from Afghanistan. Yes, Afghanistan.

via  “The Nation”:

I want to let people know about a valuable coalition I’m working with. It’s focused on encouraging the Obama administration to rethink its plans to escalate militarily in Afghanistan. As I explain in Spencer Ackerman’s good piece today, I want this administration to succeed but I believe it risks endangering its promise and draining resources that are vital to economic recovery at home and abroad if it follows this course For more on what I believe is a smarter course– strategically, morally and politically–for what Obama and his team could do to get Afghanistan right (the name of the website this coalition just launched) check out my recent editor’s cut.

Here’s the The site promoting this absurd idea. What the Liberals want is for Obama to pursue a non-violent way of getting Osama Bin Laden.

You know, I must wonder aloud.

What would all 2,998 of the people killed in the attacks would think? What would the 6,291+ people, who were injured think about this?

I do not like using images from the 9/11 attacks for political purposes, because I feel that it is disrespectful to the dead. But I think in the case, the people that died on September 11, 2001 deserve to be defended here.

I know it has been a long time, but has America forgotten?

Has it been that long now? Have the images been forgotten?

Have the memories faded that fast? Of the suffering the pain, the shock and grief, has it become a faint memory in the pages of humanity?

Have the September 11’th attacks become so linked to Iraq that we have forgotten what happened on 9/11 and where the attackers came from?

Has it all just slipped away?

Have the names of those who died just become names? …and not people?

People around the world mourned with us

(German School Memorial)

(Texas A & M)

( U.S. Embassy – London, England)

(Prague, Czech Republic)

(The American Embassy in Berne, Switzerland)

I could go on. But I think that you get it. Because of the shift in the political climate, we’ve forgotten what happened on that horrific day 8 years ago. We’ve allowed politics and the mistake in Iraq; take our eye off the ball and that is avenging the deaths of September 11’th 2001.

I only wish that the liberals understood this.

Trackposted to Rosemary’s Thoughts, Woman Honor Thyself, The World According to Carl, The Pink Flamingo, Leaning Straight Up, Democrat=Socialist, Conservative Cat, and Right Voices, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

Linkfest Haven, the Blogger's Oasis

This right here; is why I do not support the war in Iraq

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Seriously people, is this right here the sort of future that we want for our Country?

Via Reuters:

BAGHDAD, Jan 24 (Reuters) – U.S. troops shot dead a couple and wounded their eight-year-old daughter during an early morning raid on their house in northern Iraq on Saturday, a senior Iraqi police officer said.

Major-General Turhan Abdul Rahman, deputy chief commander of police in Kirkuk province, said U.S. forces stormed the house of Dhiya Hussein, a former officer in the Iraqi army under Saddam Hussein, in Hawija, 210 km (130 km) north of Baghdad.

A U.S. military spokesman confirmed that a man and a woman had been killed and a child wounded in the raid, but gave no further details.

The spokesman said the incident took place during a joint operation with Iraqi forces. The Iraqi police general said no Iraqi troops were present at the raid.

Kirkuk is one of the northern provinces where unrest persists despite a reduction in violence in the country. U.S. forces there have yet to hand over responsibility for security to Iraqi troops as they have done in most of Iraq. (Reporting by Tim Cocks and Khalid al Ansary; Writing by Tim Cocks; editing by Elizabeth Piper.

However, upon closer examination we find.

This part comes via the AP:

The U.S. military said the operation was “fully coordinated with Iraqi authorities (who were also present for the operation) and conducted with full respect for the Iraqi Constitution and the laws of Iraq .”

After a security agreement took effect Jan. 1 , the U.S. military can conduct operations on their own if Iraqi authorities approve them and they are coordinated with Iraqi authorities.

Ali Dabbagh , the Iraqi government spokesman, said he had no information on the raid.

Brig. Gen Abdel Kareem Khalaf , the spokesman for the Ministry of Interior , told National Public Radio that no Iraqi forces were present at the raid, and he demanded an investigation. It was unclear if the raid was approved, he said.

“We have asked for a joint investigative committee plus we have asked for an explanation from the American side regarding what happened,” he told NPR . “Up to now there were victims on the ground and we have to know why.”

In the small village where Dhia Hussein Ali lived, his children and his father questioned the reason for the raid. Ali was a modest farmer with a small fish pool where he raised the popular carp eaten in Iraq , they said. The man was a former officer in Saddam Hussein‘s army.

Omar Dhia Hussein , 14, was in shock Saturday night. He said in a telephone interview that in the morning he’d seen his parents’ bodies side by side in their bed, the sheets covered in blood. The wall was covered with his father’s blood, he said.

At 2 a.m. , Omar said, he heard a bang of a percussion grenade. When he opened his eyes he saw American soldiersIraqis standing over him in the room where he slept with his two sisters. Except for an Iraqi interpreter there were no with the Americans, he said.

The interpreter shouted at the young boy.

“You are hiding weapons,” Omar recalled the interpreter saying. “Where are you hiding the weapons? You are terrorists, you are hiding weapons in that unfinished house. Confess!”

Omar began to cry and his sisters wept with him, he said. Then the American soldiers left and he heard gunfire next door. The soldiers carried Omar’s wounded sister from the room and took the remaining four children, including Omar, to his uncle’s home. Outside were at least four U.S. Humvees and two SUVs, Omar said. His grandfather, Hussein Ali , who lives next door saw no Iraqi soldiers, either.

….and now the part that bugs the living hell out of me, it’s from the same article:

After the Americans left, Omar and his sisters returned to their home with their grandfather. In his parents’ bedroom, Omar said, he saw his father’s body at the very edge of the right side of the bed, motionless and bloody.

His mother lay in the middle of the bed in a pool of her own blood. She’d been shot in the head, the family said.

“I will avenge my father’s death,” Omar said calmly Saturday evening.

Seriously people, is this the sort of America that we want to leave to our children? An America where people in other countries hate our damned guts, because we came in and just fucking slaughtered people, because we happened to believe that the person was a terrorist?  “I will Avenge my father’s death” It’s those words that brings me chills. I mean, that kid is not going to be 14 years old forever. He will grow to be man, a damned bitter man. One who will grow up to hate us.

I sometimes have to ask myself. Who are the real terrorists? Could it be that our actions caused September 11’th 2001? Could it be Osama Bin Laden was paying us back for acts committed by our Military, in the name of democracy?

I’m not saying cut and run, but damn it, something wrong, seriously fucking wrong. 😡

(Via Anti-War)


Living proof that Neo-Cons are flippin’ stupid

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Neo-Con Tony Blankley calls for a National Mandatory draft.

Watch it:

That’s about 75 degrees worth of stupid. What we need to do, is send a drone or a squadron of fighters into that Region where Osama Bin Laden is holed up, bomb everything that fucking breathes  and call it a war and get our fucking people out of there, that’s what we ought to do!

Damned idiot Neo-Cons, they’re about as fucking stupid as liberals!

(Via Anti-War)

Uh-Oh! – Two ex-Guantanamo inmates appear in Al-Qaeda video

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This cannot be good, at all.

via AFP: Two ex-Guantanamo inmates appear in Al-Qaeda video

Two men released from the US “war on terror” prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba have appeared in a video posted on a jihadist website, the SITE monitoring service reported.

One of the two former inmates, a Saudi man identified as Abu Sufyan al-Azdi al-Shahri, or prisoner number 372, has been elevated to the senior ranks of Al-Qaeda in Yemen, a US counter-terrorism official told AFP.

Three other men appear in the video, including Abu al-Hareth Muhammad al-Oufi, identified as an Al-Qaeda field commander. SITE later said he was prisoner No. 333.

A Pentagon spokesman, Commander Jeffrey Gordon, on Saturday declined to confirm the SITE information.

“We remain concerned about ex-Guantanamo detainees who have re-affiliated with terrorist organizations after their departure,” said Gordon.

“We will continue to work with the international community to mitigate the threat they pose,” he said.

…and these guys aren’t exactly tickled pink about being imprisoned at Guantanamo either.

On the video, al-Shihri is seen sitting with three other men before a flag of the Islamic State of Iraq, the front for Al-Qaeda in Iraq.

“By Allah, imprisonment only increased our persistence in our principles for which we went out, did jihad for, and were imprisoned for,” al-Shihri was quoted as saying.

Something tells me that this is bring the releasing of these prisons to a screeching halt, or at least intensify the effort to screen them much better; before releasing them.

Al-Qaeda 1 – Obama 0

Of course my fellow Conservatives are all over it. The silence from the left is quite deafening.

Others: ParaPundit, Flopping Aces, Atlas Shrugs, Weekly Standard, MsUnderestimated, Gateway Pundit, RedState and Sweetness & Light

Freed from Gitmo, Saudi Becomes a Al-Qaeda Chief

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This is not good at all, and timing could not be worse.

The emergence of a former Guantánamo Bay detainee as the deputy leader of Al Qaeda’s Yemeni branch has underscored the potential complications in carrying out the executive order President Obama signed Thursday that the detention center be shut down within a year.

The militant, Said Ali al-Shihri, is suspected of involvement in a deadly bombing of the United States Embassy in Yemen’s capital, Sana, in September. He was released to Saudi Arabia in 2007 and passed through a Saudi rehabilitation program for former jihadists before resurfacing with Al Qaeda in Yemen.

His status was announced in an Internet statement by the militant group and was confirmed by an American counterterrorism official.

“They’re one and the same guy,” said the official, who insisted on anonymity because he was discussing an intelligence analysis. “He returned to Saudi Arabia in 2007, but his movements to Yemen remain unclear.”

The development came as Republican legislators criticized the plan to close the Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, detention camp in the absence of any measures for dealing with current detainees. But it also helps explain why the new administration wants to move cautiously, taking time to work out a plan to cope with the complications.

Almost half the camp’s remaining detainees are Yemenis, and efforts to repatriate them depend in part on the creation of a Yemeni rehabilitation program — partly financed by the United States — similar to the Saudi one. Saudi Arabia has claimed that no graduate of its program has returned to terrorism.

“The lesson here is, whoever receives former Guantánamo detainees needs to keep a close eye on them,” the American official said.

via Freed by the U.S., Saudi Becomes a Qaeda Chief – NYTimes.com.

I suppose you all think that I am going to point blame on Obama or Bush. Well, Surprise. I am not going to do either. Because, quite frankly, it is stupid to point fingers. The sobering truth is, that you take a horse to the water, but you cannot make them drink.

Put another way, you can send someone who’s convicted as a terrorist, to rehab and try to deprogram them, you can beat them over the head and tell them to stop; but they have to want to stop. Truth is, you cannot control people. If they’re going to be a terrorist, they’re going to do it, irregardless of what we or any other country does.

We troubles me is the fact that the far left is blaming Bush, and the far right is screaming that Obama is selling out America, or something like that. I think that want needs to happen is that there needs to be a independent review of each and every case, and the right thing done about it. This should not be a Political situation, but rather something that is right for the country.

I don’t claim to be an expert. So, take my opinion for what it is worth. There are a good number of opinions on this, and I encourage you to read them all.

Others: Washington Monthly, Room for Debate, Weekly Standard, Firedoglake, Balloon Juice, The Strata-Sphere, The Washington Independent, Hot Air, Newshoggers.com, FinkelBlog, Political Machine, A Blog For All, Gateway Pundit , The Huffington Post, Boston Globe, The Corner, Washington Times, The Plum Line, Little Green Footballs, Atlas Shrugs, Flopping Aces, Wizbang

President Obama to order gitmo closed in 12 months

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This is a big change from Bush’s policies.

President Barack Obama will begin overhauling U.S. national security policy Thursday with orders to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center, review military trials of terror suspects and end harsh interrogations, two government officials said.

Together, the three executive orders and a presidential directive will reshape how the United States prosecutes and questions al-Qaida, Taliban or other foreign fighters who pose a threat to Americans.

A senior Obama administration official said the president would sign an order Thursday to shutter the Guantanamo prison within one year, fulfilling his campaign promise to close a facility that critics around the world say violates domestic and international detainee rights. The aide spoke on condition of anonymity because the order has not yet been issued.

A draft copy of the order, obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press, notes that “in view of significant concerns raised by these detentions, both within the United States and internationally, prompt and appropriate disposition of the individuals currently detained at Guantanamo and closure of the facility would further the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States and the interests of justice.

via Sources: Obama to order Guantanamo closed – Yahoo! News.

I have mixed feelings about this. I think it is good that this nightmare for the United States is basically going to be going away. But on the other hand, I do not like the idea of releasing possibly terrorists, who might want to harm us again.

Either way, it is quite the mixed bag. I just hope this new Presidential Administration makes the right call.

(via Memeorandum)

Obama should, but most likely won’t

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Before I start this, let me simply say from the outset, that I am not a George W. Bush fan, nor will I ever be. I am not a part of the Conservative wing that believes that George W. Bush is some sort of hero. Having said all Paul Krugman and Rep. John Conyers have both written articles calling for Obama to fully investigate the actions of George W. Bush during his tenure as President.

First off Paul Krugman writes:

Last Sunday President-elect Barack Obama was asked whether he would seek an investigation of possible crimes by the Bush administration. “I don’t believe that anybody is above the law,” he responded, but “we need to look forward as opposed to looking backwards.”

I’m sorry, but if we don’t have an inquest into what happened during the Bush years — and nearly everyone has taken Mr. Obama’s remarks to mean that we won’t — this means that those who hold power are indeed above the law because they don’t face any consequences if they abuse their power.

Let’s be clear what we’re talking about here. It’s not just torture and illegal wiretapping, whose perpetrators claim, however implausibly, that they were patriots acting to defend the nation’s security. The fact is that the Bush administration’s abuses extended from environmental policy to voting rights. And most of the abuses involved using the power of government to reward political friends and punish political enemies.

At the Justice Department, for example, political appointees illegally reserved nonpolitical positions for “right-thinking Americans” — their term, not mine — and there’s strong evidence that officials used their positions both to undermine the protection of minority voting rights and to persecute Democratic politicians.

The hiring process at Justice echoed the hiring process during the occupation of Iraq — an occupation whose success was supposedly essential to national security — in which applicants were judged by their politics, their personal loyalty to President Bush and, according to some reports, by their views on Roe v. Wade, rather than by their ability to do the job.

Speaking of Iraq, let’s also not forget that country’s failed reconstruction: the Bush administration handed billions of dollars in no-bid contracts to politically connected companies, companies that then failed to deliver. And why should they have bothered to do their jobs? Any government official who tried to enforce accountability on, say, Halliburton quickly found his or her career derailed.

There’s much, much more. By my count, at least six important government agencies experienced major scandals over the past eight years — in most cases, scandals that were never properly investigated. And then there was the biggest scandal of all: Does anyone seriously doubt that the Bush administration deliberately misled the nation into invading Iraq?

Why, then, shouldn’t we have an official inquiry into abuses during the Bush years?

The answer to this question is very simple. Obama simply does not want the political firestorm. As much as it is great thing to see an African-American man for President, I think it would be counter-productive to Obama’s term in office to do something like this. Because you just know; that the Neo-Conservative political machine would swing into action against Obama, if he did try and do something like this. I mean, I might have many reservations about Neo-Conservatives, but their organizational and fund raising abilities is not one of them. If Obama went for a full blown investigation against the Bush Administration, the Podhoretz and Kristol funded minions would be out in full force.

So, while the idea of a full blown investigation with charges being filed is a noble idea; I just highly doubt that it will ever materialize. Obama just does not want to be viewed as a vengeful partisan President.

John Conyers writes basically the same thing, and I can understand his feelings. But again, what is very important; is how this sort of thing will be perceived by the rest of America. Would be it perceived as justice, or would it perceived as a partisan witch hunt? Sure, if your a partisan or a liberal ideologue it would be viewed as justified, but what about those who are not? What they think; matters greatly.

One thing that all Democrats and all Liberal-minded people must remember is, that not all of America is of a Liberal mindset. Just because Congress is of a Liberal majority, does not mean that all of America is. Some just voted for Obama, because he represented a change from George W. Bush, not because they wanted to see a Liberal witch hunt trial.

Others: The Moderate Voice, JustOneMinute, The Huffington Post, Los Angeles Times, No More Mister Nice Blog, Washington Monthly, Washington Post, Matthew Yglesias, Right Wing News, The Seminal, Democrats.com, The Sideshow, Comments from Left Field, The Note, The Immoral Minority, Riehl World View, Gateway Pundit, American Street, Hullabaloo, Seeing the Forest and The Impolitic

(via Memeorandum)

Uh-Oh: U.S. Official says Gitmo detainee was tortured

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I have much mixed feelings on this one.

Via Washington Post:

The top Bush administration official in charge of deciding whether to bring Guantanamo Bay detainees to trial has concluded that the U.S. military tortured a Saudi national who allegedly planned to participate in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, interrogating him with techniques that included sustained isolation, sleep deprivation, nudity and prolonged exposure to cold, leaving him in a “life-threatening condition.”

“We tortured [Mohammed al-]Qahtani,” said Susan J. Crawford, in her first interview since being named convening authority of military commissions by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates in February 2007. “His treatment met the legal definition of torture. And that’s why I did not refer the case” for prosecution.

Crawford, a retired judge who served as general counsel for the Army during the Reagan administration and as Pentagon inspector general when Dick Cheney was secretary of defense, is the first senior Bush administration official responsible for reviewing practices at Guantanamo to publicly state that a detainee was tortured.

Crawford, 61, said the combination of the interrogation techniques, their duration and the impact on Qahtani’s health led to her conclusion. “The techniques they used were all authorized, but the manner in which they applied them was overly aggressive and too persistent. . . . You think of torture, you think of some horrendous physical act done to an individual. This was not any one particular act; this was just a combination of things that had a medical impact on him, that hurt his health. It was abusive and uncalled for. And coercive. Clearly coercive. It was that medical impact that pushed me over the edge” to call it torture, she said.

Military prosecutors said in November that they would seek to refile charges against Qahtani, 30, based on subsequent interrogations that did not employ harsh techniques. But Crawford, who dismissed war crimes charges against him in May 2008, said in the interview that she would not allow the prosecution to go forward.

Is this woman a far lefty loon? A Democrat? Um, No.

“I sympathize with the intelligence gatherers in those days after 9/11, not knowing what was coming next and trying to gain information to keep us safe,” said Crawford, a lifelong Republican. “But there still has to be a line that we should not cross. And unfortunately what this has done, I think, has tainted everything going forward.”

Which is another way, perhaps more artful way of saying that our Government essentially flipped it’s collective shit after September 11’th. We blew it, and we will have to deal with consequences down the road too. Ron Paul, in his book, “Revolution – A Manifesto”, refers to a CIA term that is used to describe what happens when the United States does  things of this nature. It is called “blowback”. I look for the United States to experience blowback because of what happened during the Presidency of Bush. I just hope like hell, that Obama is prepared to deal with such an event. It is truly a sad thing to know, that our Government did engage in such activities that is forbidden under the Geneva Conventions.

I highly suggest that you go read this, because it is, quite frankly, a sobering read. God Help this country in the coming years.

Others: : Jeffrey Goldberg, The Daily Dish, Reuters, Washington Monthly, PoliGazette, Balloon Juice, Pat Dollard, Hullabaloo, Newshoggers.com, Gawker, Jules Crittenden, Brave New Films blog, TalkLeft, Obsidian Wings, No More Mister Nice Blog, Philly.com, Associated Press, Guardian, ACSBlog, theheretik.us, Emptywheel, Sister Toldjah, NO QUARTER, ATTACKERMAN, democracyarsenal.org, TIME.com, JONATHAN TURLEY, The Raw Story, The Atlanticist, Firedoglake, On Deadline, Infidel Bloggers Alliance, Stop The ACLU, Macsmind, Fox News and TPMMuckraker

(via Memeornadum)

shocka!: Obama walks back closing Gitmo

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Obama was on This Week With George Stephanopoulos and told him the following:

President-elect Barack Obama said this weekend that he does not expect to close Guantanamo Bay in his first 100 days in office.

“I think it’s going to take some time and our legal teams are working in consultation with our national security apparatus as we speak to help design exactly what we need to do,” Obama said in an exclusive “This Week” interview with George Stephanopoulos, his first since arriving in Washington.

“It is more difficult than I think a lot of people realize,” the president-elect explained. “Part of the challenge that you have is that you have a bunch of folks that have been detained, many of whom may be very dangerous who have not been put on trial or have not gone through some adjudication. And some of the evidence against them may be tainted even though it’s true. And so how to balance creating a process that adheres to rule of law, habeas corpus, basic principles of Anglo-American legal system, by doing it in a way that doesn’t result in releasing people who are intent on blowing us up.”

But Obama said unequivocally that it will close. “I don’t want to be ambiguous about this. We are going to close Guantanamo and we are going to make sure that the procedures we set up are ones that abide by our Constitution. That is not only the right thing to do but it actually has to be part of our broader national security strategy because we will send a message to the world that we are serious about our values.”

Talk about walking a campaign promise back. WOW! 😮

Of course, because he’s the Obamassiah, it’s just fine.

Liberal Heads exploding and calling for his impeachment in 5…..4……3…..2…..

Update:  Wait a second here! “Anglo-American Legal system’? What the hell is this asshole trying to say? Because America was founded by White people, and because we happen to have laws against murder, that this makes us a racist Nation? Man, for someone who did not run a Campaign based upon race, Obama sure does like to remind people that American is a “Anglo Saxon”. Race Baiting tool. 🙄

Others: Washington Monthly, PoliGazette, theheretik.us, TIME.com and JammieWearingFool

(Via Memeornadum)

US Rejects Aid to Israeli Raid on Iranian Nuke Site

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This is quite the interesting read.

Via the NYT:

President Bush deflected a secret request by Israel last year for specialized bunker-busting bombs it wanted for an attack on Iran’s main nuclear complex and told the Israelis that he had authorized new covert action intended to sabotage Iran’s suspected effort to develop nuclear weapons, according to senior American and foreign officials.

White House officials never conclusively determined whether Israel had decided to go ahead with the strike before the United States protested, or whether Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Israel was trying to goad the White House into more decisive action before Mr. Bush left office. But the Bush administration was particularly alarmed by an Israeli request to fly over Iraq to reach Iran’s major nuclear complex at Natanz, where the country’s only known uranium enrichment plant is located.

The White House denied that request outright, American officials said, and the Israelis backed off their plans, at least temporarily. But the tense exchanges also prompted the White House to step up intelligence-sharing with Israel and brief Israeli officials on new American efforts to subtly sabotage Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, a major covert program that Mr. Bush is about to hand off to President-elect Barack Obama.

This account of the expanded American covert program and the Bush administration’s efforts to dissuade Israel from an aerial attack on Iran emerged in interviews over the past 15 months with current and former American officials, outside experts, international nuclear inspectors and European and Israeli officials. None would speak on the record because of the great secrecy surrounding the intelligence developed on Iran.

For some reason or another, I feel like the New York Times has just sold the United States right to secrecy up the river by revealing this. But on the other hand, I can see why Bush would do something like this. Bush was already mired in the war in Iraq. He knew our presence in Iraq was already causing tension in the middle east and knew also that sending these sort of bombs over to Israel to be used in Iran would just add to that tension. I give Bush a point here, he may have just done the right thing, but just telling Israel “no go” on these type of weapons. As it could have caused more problems that it might have fixed.

The interviews also indicate that Mr. Bush was convinced by top administration officials, led by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, that any overt attack on Iran would probably prove ineffective, lead to the expulsion of international inspectors and drive Iran’s nuclear effort further out of view. Mr. Bush and his aides also discussed the possibility that an airstrike could ignite a broad Middle East war in which America’s 140,000 troops in Iraq would inevitably become involved.

Instead, Mr. Bush embraced more intensive covert operations actions aimed at Iran, the interviews show, having concluded that the sanctions imposed by the United States and its allies were failing to slow the uranium enrichment efforts. Those covert operations, and the question of whether Israel will settle for something less than a conventional attack on Iran, pose immediate and wrenching decisions for Mr. Obama.

The covert American program, started in early 2008, includes renewed American efforts to penetrate Iran’s nuclear supply chain abroad, along with new efforts, some of them experimental, to undermine electrical systems, computer systems and other networks on which Iran relies. It is aimed at delaying the day that Iran can produce the weapons-grade fuel and designs it needs to produce a workable nuclear weapon.

Knowledge of the program has been closely held, yet inside the Bush administration some officials are skeptical about its chances of success, arguing that past efforts to undermine Iran’s nuclear program have been detected by the Iranians and have only delayed, not derailed, their drive to unlock the secrets of uranium enrichment.

[…]

Early in his presidency, Mr. Obama must decide whether the covert actions begun by Mr. Bush are worth the risks of disrupting what he has pledged will be a more active diplomatic effort to engage with Iran.

Either course could carry risks for Mr. Obama. An inherited intelligence or military mission that went wrong could backfire, as happened to President Kennedy with the Bay of Pigs operation in Cuba. But a decision to pull back on operations aimed at Iran could leave Mr. Obama vulnerable to charges that he is allowing Iran to speed ahead toward a nuclear capacity, one that could change the contours of power in the Middle East.

Which proves what I have said time and again, our Government is not stupid, we know what we can get away with and what we cannot. Bush was not going to send our troops into a bloodbath. So, I give Bush credit here, he averted a major problem. However, I do see that Obama is going to have his work cut out for him in the White House. Iran is not going to go away quietly. If anything, with the gas market collapsing, Iran might just get a bit worse during Obama tenure. I just hope that, unlike Kennedy; Obama makes the right call on this issues, because if he does not, The United States could have some serious problems on its hands.

I strongly encourage you to go over to the NYT and read the rest of that report. It is quite the interesting read. Some would take away from it, that Bush was showing deference to the Arabs, but I think that it is much more than just that; in the sense that Bush knew that he would be getting in over his head. This is why he refused the Israelis permission to do flyovers and target Iranian targets.

Others: Associated Press, The Muqata, Israel Matzav, The Moderate Voice, RBO, Power Line, Hot Air, Israpundit, The Raw Story, Jihad Watch, Lawyers, Guns and Money, Weekly Standard, Balloon Juice and THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS

Which proves what I’ve believed all along

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Israel Matzav observes the following:

The Lebanese blog Ouwet, which describes itself as "personal views and opinions of Lebanese forces members," castigates Hamas for using ‘holy mosques’ to store weapons.

Hamas, the Islamist Movement, is hidding weapons in a mosque. How truly “Muslim” of them !

Now i ask you : What do you expect the IDF to do ?

Good question.

This proves what I’ve believed all along, that Muslims, when cornered, cannot fight a war honorably. They resort to human shields and underhanded tactics of this sort. This stuff dates back to the times of the Old Testament in the Bible. When Israel fought in the wilderness against it’s enemies.  

Nothing ever changes, perhaps the name of the terrorist organization maybe, but it is the same mentality.

Here’s hoping that the IDF blows these bastards off the map. Devil 

Anti-Israel Propaganda in the Wall Street Journal

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I knew there was a reason for me to wake up earlier than normal today.

Via the Wall Street Journal, or shall I call it that Arab Journal?  …and this is Rubert Murdoch’s Paper? WTF? WOW! 😮

Israel’s current assault on the Gaza Strip cannot be justified by self-defense. Rather, it involves serious violations of international law, including war crimes. Senior Israeli political and military leaders may bear personal liability for their offenses, and they could be prosecuted by an international tribunal, or by nations practicing universal jurisdiction over grave international crimes. Hamas fighters have also violated the laws of warfare, but their misdeeds do not justify Israel’s acts.

Right out the gate, the Palestine and Terrorist apologist begins to justify the actions of Hamas. He calls them misdeeds. I suppose he considers the attacks on the World Trade Center, our Pentegon and the crash of Flight 93 “Misdeeds” as well? I suppose he considers the 2,998 Dead and the 6,291+ Injured on September 11’th 2001, misdeeds? Which were carried out by those of the islamic faith?

Of course, if we look at the bottom of this article of Anti-Israeli screed, we can see where this Arab apologist is from:

Mr. Bisharat is a professor at Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco

But of course! He is a liberal moonbat! I guess Rupert Murdoch was asleep when they snuck that op-ed piece through the building and to the printer.

Others: War in Context, Washington Post, Reuters, Guardian and THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS

Israeli/Gaza Conflict: Monday Morning Quarterbacking

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I must say this crap is most pathetic. 🙄

First off, we have terrorist supporter and America’s worst former President and Commie Liberal traitor, Jimmy Carter in the WaPo:

I know from personal involvement that the devastating invasion of Gaza by Israel could easily have been avoided.

After visiting Sderot last April and seeing the serious psychological damage caused by the rockets that had fallen in that area, my wife, Rosalynn, and I declared their launching from Gaza to be inexcusable and an act of terrorism. Although casualties were rare (three deaths in seven years), the town was traumatized by the unpredictable explosions. About 3,000 residents had moved to other communities, and the streets, playgrounds and shopping centers were almost empty. Mayor Eli Moyal assembled a group of citizens in his office to meet us and complained that the government of Israel was not stopping the rockets, either through diplomacy or military action.

Knowing that we would soon be seeing Hamas leaders from Gaza and also in Damascus, we promised to assess prospects for a cease-fire. From Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman, who was negotiating between the Israelis and Hamas, we learned that there was a fundamental difference between the two sides. Hamas wanted a comprehensive cease-fire in both the West Bank and Gaza, and the Israelis refused to discuss anything other than Gaza.

We knew that the 1.5 million inhabitants of Gaza were being starved, as the U.N. special rapporteur on the right to food had found that acute malnutrition in Gaza was on the same scale as in the poorest nations in the southern Sahara, with more than half of all Palestinian families eating only one meal a day.

Palestinian leaders from Gaza were noncommittal on all issues, claiming that rockets were the only way to respond to their imprisonment and to dramatize their humanitarian plight. The top Hamas leaders in Damascus, however, agreed to consider a cease-fire in Gaza only, provided Israel would not attack Gaza and would permit normal humanitarian supplies to be delivered to Palestinian citizens.

After extended discussions with those from Gaza, these Hamas leaders also agreed to accept any peace agreement that might be negotiated between the Israelis and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who also heads the PLO, provided it was approved by a majority vote of Palestinians in a referendum or by an elected unity government.

Since we were only observers, and not negotiators, we relayed this information to the Egyptians, and they pursued the cease-fire proposal. After about a month, the Egyptians and Hamas informed us that all military action by both sides and all rocket firing would stop on June 19, for a period of six months, and that humanitarian supplies would be restored to the normal level that had existed before Israel’s withdrawal in 2005 (about 700 trucks daily).

We were unable to confirm this in Jerusalem because of Israel’s unwillingness to admit to any negotiations with Hamas, but rocket firing was soon stopped and there was an increase in supplies of food, water, medicine and fuel. Yet the increase was to an average of about 20 percent of normal levels. And this fragile truce was partially broken on Nov. 4, when Israel launched an attack in Gaza to destroy a defensive tunnel being dug by Hamas inside the wall that encloses Gaza.

On another visit to Syria in mid-December, I made an effort for the impending six-month deadline to be extended. It was clear that the preeminent issue was opening the crossings into Gaza. Representatives from the Carter Center visited Jerusalem, met with Israeli officials and asked if this was possible in exchange for a cessation of rocket fire. The Israeli government informally proposed that 15 percent of normal supplies might be possible if Hamas first stopped all rocket fire for 48 hours. This was unacceptable to Hamas, and hostilities erupted.

After 12 days of “combat,” the Israeli Defense Forces reported that more than 1,000 targets were shelled or bombed. During that time, Israel rejected international efforts to obtain a cease-fire, with full support from Washington. Seventeen mosques, the American International School, many private homes and much of the basic infrastructure of the small but heavily populated area have been destroyed. This includes the systems that provide water, electricity and sanitation. Heavy civilian casualties are being reported by courageous medical volunteers from many nations, as the fortunate ones operate on the wounded by light from diesel-powered generators.

The hope is that when further hostilities are no longer productive, Israel, Hamas and the United States will accept another cease-fire, at which time the rockets will again stop and an adequate level of humanitarian supplies will be permitted to the surviving Palestinians, with the publicized agreement monitored by the international community. The next possible step: a permanent and comprehensive peace.

Disgraceful. The old bastard ought to be charged for Treason and sent to a reeducation camp, along with the rest of Liberal America. 😡

I mean, just who the hell does that old duffer think he is?  This is the same damned President who economic policies were a complete disaster. If it had not been for Ronald Reagan this country would have went into a full scale depression back in the 1970’s. Luckily Reagan made some very much needed changes and rid the country of some of the waste, which in turned staved off a depression and thankfully, we only experienced a slight recession. Again that recession was due to the disastrous polices of Carter. Hell, even Bill Clinton could not stand the old man, Clinton refused to meet with Carter at all. Which caused a major problem during his administration.

On the other hand, Marvin Hier makes some very valid points in a Wall Street Journal in an opinion piece:

At the U.N., no surprise, this double-standard is in full force. In response to Israel’s attack on Hamas, the Security Council immediately pulled an all-night emergency meeting to consider yet another resolution condemning Israel. Have there been any all-night Security Council sessions held during the seven months when Hamas fired 3,000 rockets at half a million innocent civilians in southern Israel? You can be certain that during those seven months, no midnight oil was burning at the U.N. headquarters over resolutions condemning terrorist organizations like Hamas. But put condemnation of Israel on the agenda and, rain or shine, it’s sure to be a full house.

Red Cross officials are all over the Gaza crisis, describing it as a full-blown humanitarian nightmare. Where were they during the seven months when tens of thousands of Israeli families could not sleep for fear of a rocket attack? Where were their trauma experts to decry that humanitarian crisis?

There have been hundreds of articles and reports written from the Erez border crossing falsely accusing Israel of blocking humanitarian supplies from reaching beleaguered Palestinians in Gaza. (In fact, over 520 truck loads of humanitarian aid have been delivered through Israeli crossings since the beginning of the Israeli counterattack.) But how many news articles, NGO reports and special U.N. commissions have investigated Hamas’s policy of deliberately placing rocket launchers near schools, mosques and homes in order to use innocent Palestinians as human shields?

Many people ask why there are so few Israeli casualties in comparison with the Palestinian death toll. It’s because Israel’s first priority is the safety of its citizens, which is why there are shelters and warning systems in Israeli towns. If Hamas can dig tunnels, it can certainly build shelters. Instead, it prefers to use women and children as human shields while its leaders rush into hiding. – Read the Rest

I suggest you go read that entire piece. It is filled with truth. I mean, people sure have short memories when it comes to Israel, Gaza and Palestine. Some people must have forgotten that Israel totally pulled out of the Gaza Strip, gave the Palestinians that land, that was rightfully Israel’s and let them live there. So, what does Gaza do? Elects a terrorist organization to govern and then they whine and cry when Israel invades that land!   Fata was at least honorable enough to uphold a peace agreement, more than I can say for Hamas. The people in Gaza had better be glad I am not running that war campaign for Israel. They think the human toll is bad now? Ha! I’d bomb gaza into the damn stone age. Which is what Israel should rightly do, and take back their damn land from those arab scumbags.

Others on the right side of this conflict: QandO, , A Blog For All,protein wisdom, Don Surber, Little Green Footballs, Pirate’s Cove,  Macsmind, Gateway Pundit, Riehl World View, Yourish.com,Jules Crittenden, neo-neocon and Jihad Watch

(Via Memeorandum)

Andrew Sullivan goes off the damned rails……………again.

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You know, I totally understand Jeffrey Goldberg‘s point about this situation over in Gaza, believe me, I do.  But for Andrew Sullivan to print a picture of a damn dead little girls face on his Blog, that’s just fucking uncalled for man. Sorry for the language in this posting, but damn it, that’s just wrong. 😡

Careful with that link, it’s quite disturbing to look at.

Besides, there’s a possibility that the photo was faked anyhow.

Others: The Sundries Shack