The Talk Show American

THE TALK SHOW AMERICAN: 07/02/2006 - 07/09/2006

Saturday, July 08, 2006

Jump in Tax Revenues Is Curbing Deficit

An unexpectedly steep rise in tax revenues from corporations and the wealthy is driving down the projected budget deficit this year, even though spending has climbed sharply because of the war in Iraq and the cost of hurricane relief.

On Tuesday, White House officials are expected to announce that the tax receipts will be about $250 billion above last year's levels and that the deficit will be about $100 billion less than what they projected six months ago. The rising tide in tax payments has been building for months, but the increased scale is surprising even seasoned budget analysts and making it easier for both the administration and Congress to finesse the big run-up in spending over the past year.

Tax revenues are climbing twice as fast as the administration predicted in February, so fast that the budget deficit could actually decline this year.

The main reason is a big spike in corporate tax receipts, which have nearly tripled since 2003, as well as what appears to be a big rise in individual taxes on stock market profits and executive bonuses.

On Friday, the Congressional Budget Office reported that corporate tax receipts for the nine months ending in June hit $250 billion � nearly 26 percent higher than the same time last year � and that overall revenues were $206 billion higher than at this point in 2005.

Congressional analysts say the surprise windfall could shrink the deficit this year to $300 billion, from $318 billion in 2005 and an all-time high of $412 billion in 2004.

Republicans are already arguing that the revenue jump proves that their tax cuts, especially the 2003 tax cut on stock dividends, would spur the economy and ultimately increase revenues.

"The tax relief we delivered has helped unleash the entrepreneurial spirit of America and kept our economy the envy of the world," President Bush said in his weekly radio address on Saturday.

Iraqi Forces Capture Wanted Extremist

Iraqi forces backed by U.S. aircraft battled militants Friday in a Shiite stronghold of eastern Baghdad, killing or wounding more than 30 fighters and capturing an extremist leader who was the target of the raid, Iraqi and U.S. officials said.

In another operation, Iraqi troops backed by U.S. soldiers arrested a top regional commander of a Shiite militia near the southern city of Hillah, an American statement said. The moves appeared part of a crackdown on sectarian militias blamed for the escalation in Shiite-Sunni violence that has raised fears of civil war in recent months.

The U.S. military said the raid in eastern Baghdad was launched to apprehend "an insurgent leader responsible for numerous deaths of Iraqi citizens." Iraqi troops came under fire from a rooftop, triggering a 43-minute gunbattle after which the insurgent leader was arrested. There were no U.S. or Iraqi casualties, the Americans said.

U.S. officials did not identify the insurgent. Residents of the Shiite slum Sadr City said they believed the raid targeted Abu Diraa, a commander in the Mahdi militia of radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, but he apparently had escaped.

The U.S. statement said only that the insurgent was involved "in the transfer of weapons from Syria into Iraq" in an effort to break away "from his current insurgent organization." The statement made no mention of any U.S. role but residents said they could hear American aircraft providing cover during the raid.

Also, the United States said Thursday that Iraqi and American forces arrested Adnan al-Unaybi, commander of a Mahdi militia force. The statement said he was arrested north of Hillah, about 60 miles south of Baghdad.

An Iraqi officer with the army division responsible for the Baghdad area said the Americans gave them a list of people to be arrested in Sadr City. Iraqi soldiers led the raid while the Americans played a supportive role, but nobody was arrested because of the clashes, the officer said, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

CA man ID'd as al-Qaida figure on video

A man identified as an al-Qaida operative on a video posted to the Internet this week is a former Orange County teenager who converted to Islam � and is being sought by the FBI � a local mosque leader said Friday.

Haitham Bundakji, vice chairman and spokesman for the Islamic Society of Orange County, said the face he saw on a computer screen Friday was that of the man who slapped him during an altercation at the Garden Grove mosque in 1997.

Adam Gadahn was arrested and sentenced to two days in jail and 40 hours of community service after pleading guilty to an assault charge.

Bundakji said he was sure of the man's identity even when his face was hidden in previous militant videos. Now, with no disguise, he was even more certain.

"He's the same man I was able to identify when his family denied it was him, with his voice, head movement and I could see his eyes also," said Bundakji after seeing an image of the bearded speaker on an Internet site.

"It certainly appears to be Adam Gadahn," said Laura Eimiller, spokeswoman for the FBI's Los Angeles office. "The bureau is employing further technical methods to evaluate the tape in order to verify it's him."

The FBI has sought Gadahn for questioning since 2004 on suspicion of making terrorist threats against the United States.

Although the agency has not linked him to specific terrorist activities, Gadahn is believed to have trained at an al-Qaida camp in Afghanistan after leaving Orange County in 1998, and to have worked as a translator for al-Qaida leaders.

In the tape, the speaker believed to be Gadahn is seen in a robe and a turban, speaking in English for about five minutes. He refers to recent suspected atrocities by U.S. Marines in Iraq and suggests that a shooting spree at Camp Pendleton's housing facilities would be justified in response.

"He's the only known individual of Britain or American background in senior levels of al-Qaida," said Evan Kohlmann, a New York consultant.

Another speaker is Ayman al-Zawahri, the deputy leader of the terror network, who says that two of the four suicide bombers who attacked London on July 7, 2005, spent time at an al-Qaida camp to prepare themselves for a suicide mission.

In the video, the man believed to be Gadahn speaks against British and U.S. involvement in the Middle East and Asia, saying no Muslim should "shed tears" for Westerners killed by al-Qaida attacks.

The speaker was identified with the Arabic nickname "Azzam al-Amriki" � Azzam, or "Adam the American." The same name was used in previous al-Qaida videos by the man identified as Gadahn.

An excerpt is available at the Web site www.siteinstitute.org.

'Dr. Germ' had bio-weapon program just before war

Newly released document shows how far Saddam regime had advanced

The U.S. Army has released a Saddam-regime document revealing the infamous "Dr. Germ" prepared an analysis as late as 2002 of how to employ biological weapons using aircraft.

The document is part of a collection held by the Foreign Military Studies Office, a research and analysis center under the U.S. Army's Training and Doctrine Command. The material is made available to the public though a website.

The analysis by Dr. Germ, Rehab Rasheed Taha, shows how far the Iraqi regime had advanced on its application of the weapon of mass destruction, notes blogger Ed Morrissey

The document � which begins: "In the name of Allah, most Merciful, most Compassionate" � refers to a March 10, 2002, meeting of the "biological committee" that followed a trip by "delegates" to Moscow.

Taha refers to "aircraft sprayers that are able to scatter dust" and outlines a number of technical issues that indicate the scientist continued to pursue application of biological weapons.

Morrisey notes that in this case, Taha carefully exploited the parameters of U.N. weapons inspectors in order to hide the existence of the source material, its weaponization into the proper size for dissemination and the process by which it's produced.

The memo was issued prior to the vote by Congress in 2002 to authorize force against Iraq. But Morrissey points out its timing also was well after the 9-11 attacks and the renewed focus on the region.

"Saddam and his henchmen not only had every intention of reconstituting their WMD programs, they obviously continued them unabated during the entire twelve-year quagmire while the [weapons inspectors] slept," Morrisey commented.

Friday, July 07, 2006

The Bush Economic Boom Creates 5.4 Million Jobs

With 121,000 jobs created last month, the Bush economic boom has created 5.4 million jobs since August 2003. Nearly two million jobs have been created over the past 12 months, and the unemployment rate is 4.6 percent, which is lower than the average unemployment rate of the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.

UPDATE: Report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics...

Video: 2 London bombers al-Qaida trained


Two of the four suicide bombers who attacked London a year ago had spent time at an al-Qaida camp to prepare themselves for a suicide attack, the deputy leader of al-Qaida claimed in new video excerpts released Friday.

Al-Qaida No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahri said that Shehzad Tanweer and Mohammad Sidique Khan had come to a base of al-Qaida.

It was known that the two Muslims from north England had visited Pakistan, but al-Zawahri's comment was the first claim that they had actually visited al-Qaida camps.

"Both of them were seeking martyrdom and wished that they could carry out a martyrdom operation," al-Zawahri said, using the Islamic euphemism for a suicide attack.

It was not possible to independently verify the claim, part of a video that was posted on the Internet on the first anniversary of the July 7, 2005, bombings that killed 52 people and the four bombers. Other portions of the video, broadcast Thursday by Al-Jazeera TV, showed Tanweer warning that the attacks were only the beginning of a campaign of terror.

"This tape is very interesting from the standpoint that the Metropolitan police said they had no evidence linking the bombers to al-Qaida," said Bob Ayers, a security and intelligence expert at the Chatham House think tank in London.

"The coordinated timing of the tape shows these guys did not act independently and were at a minimum supported by al-Qaida if not recruited, trained and supported by them."

"It makes the police look pretty bad," Ayers said. "It means the investigation was either wrong, or they had identified links, but were reluctant to reveal them."

The War on Bush

by Mac Johnson

Click Here to Listen

Click Here for the MP3

Many people claim that the mainstream media have done nothing to contribute to the war effort. But that is not true. They have contorted themselves into a veritable journali stic Kama Sutra of uncomfortable positions, exposed themselves to grand juries, and sacrificed more of their already waning audience all to further the cause of victory in war. The only problem is that it is not the War on Terror they are so committed to. It is the War on George W. Bush.

To see what I mean, just look at the coverage of last week�s ridiculous Supreme Court decision overturning the planned military tribunals for the terrorists held at Guantanamo. This decision has profound implications for the status of these prisoners, affording them protections legitimately due only to uniformed military personnel captured while in the service of a recognized national government and conducting themselves in accordance with the established rules of war.

It also represents yet another power grab by the court, which claims it made its decision in order to strengthen the hand of Congress in defining the status of these illegal combatants. This is a curious assertion given that the Congress passed the Detainee Treatment Act just seven months ago, declaring in unusually clear language that �no court, justice, or judge� has the authority to hear habeas corpus petitions filed by detainees.

But for the media, such national and immediate consequences were secondary at best, as the headlines and stories declared gleefully what they saw as the real news:

�In a major defeat for the Bush administration, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Thursday�� ��the decision was a stinging blow for the administration�� (Reuters)
�The Supreme Court today delivered a sweeping rebuke to the Bush administration�� �The decision was such a sweeping and categorical defeat for the Bush administration�� (New York Times)
�Supreme Court Blocks Bush�� �5 to 3 Ruling Curbs President's Claim Of Wartime Power.� ��emphatically rejecting a signature Bush anti-terrorism measure and the broad assertion of executive power upon which the president had based it.� (Washington Post)
�In a blow to President Bush's strategy�� (Los Angeles Times)
The New York Times even continued into a delusional Watergate flashback, so frenzied was it�s joy at the decision: �The courtroom was, surprisingly, not full, but among those in attendance, there was no doubt that they were witnessing a historic event, a definitional moment in the ever-shifting balance of power among the branches of government that ranked with the court's order to President Nixon in 1974 to turn over the Watergate tapes or with the court's rejection of President Truman's seizure of the nation's steel mills, a 1952 landmark decision from which Justice Kennedy quoted at length.�

If any major media source made a serious reference to whether or not the decision would help or hinder the nation�s fight against terrorism, I missed it. No, the news and analysis was all about George W. Bush, his image, his popularity, his effectiveness, and his defeat.

This myopic obsession with the political consequences of all actions in the War on Terror neatly explains every seemingly inexplicable action taken by members of the elite media over the last five years. While America fights the War on Terror, the media are fighting the War on Bush, in which the terror war is just one more battlefield in a far-ranging domestic rebellion.

If the U.S. must lose the War on Terror so that the media can finally show people just what a bad, bad man Bush is, then so be it. As a matter of fact, losing the War on Terror might demonstrate what a failure Bush is better than any other possibility.

The New York Times doesn�t expose national secrets for profit as some have claimed. It does so for ideology.

To their mind, it is better that 10 guilty terrorists (or even 100) go free than that George W. Bush remain President, possess a successful legacy or pass his political capital onto the next Republican nominee for the presidency.

In pursuit of the War on Bush, the old media have:

Revealed covert wiretapping programs aimed at foreign terrorists trying to contact collaborators within the United States.


Revealed CIA transportation infrastructure, right down to the tail numbers on individual airplanes.


Revealed covert banking investigations designed to find the donors and money launderers that make terrorist mass murder feasible.


Focused on the rare abuses, rapes, murders, civilian casualties, and friendly fire incidents that offer to discredit the entire military while it is under Bush�s command. While at the same time, ignoring any individual act of heroism, medal ceremony, or inspirational tales of valor, charity, humanity or honor among our troops in combat.


Revealed covert detention facilities and the foreign allies that have helped us to capture and detain those in them, threatening these alliances and exposing these allies to terrorist retribution.


Taken up the cause of the brutal prisoners at Guantanamo as if they were child-like victims of Bush, human rights martyrs unrelated to the war they began.


Tracked each new death among our military personnel in Iraq as if it were the countdown to the end of Bush�s life, the political equivalent to the flashing crystals from Logan�s Run. Normally, highlighting our casualties would be a job for enemy propaganda. But since the casualty clock helps in the war the media really believes in -- the War on Bush -- they dutifully report every tick, tick, tick, even exaggerating the numbers by including those who spontaneously die of natural causes and traffic accidents as far away as Kuwait. Likewise, they have claimed that the lower-than-civilian suicide rate among our troops is an epidemic caused by the �cracking� of morale.

In short, the elite media have functioned as the intelligence services and the propaganda publishers of our enemies, solely because they share with them a hatred of George W. Bush. If the enemy of one�s enemy really is one�s friend, then the terrorists have certainly found friends in America�s newsrooms.

NYC Tunnel Terror Plot Disrupted

Authorities have disrupted planning by foreign terrorists for an attack on New York City tunnels, two law enforcement officials said Friday. FBI agents monitoring Internet chat rooms used by extremists learned in recent months of the plot to strike a blow at the city's economy by destroying vital transportation networks, one official said.

Lebanese authorities, acting on a U.S. request, have arrested one of the alleged plotters, identified as Amir Andalousli, the other official said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is still under way.

The planning for the tunnel attacks was first reported by the New York Daily News in its Friday editions, the first anniversary of the attacks on the London transportation system that killed 52 people.

It was unclear how far along the planning was.

But the FBI, in a brief statement, said, "At this time, we have no indication of any imminent threat to the New York transportation system or anywhere else in the United States."

The Daily News reported that the plotters wanted to blow up the Holland Tunnel, the southernmost link between Manhattan and New Jersey, in the hopes of flooding New York's Financial District. The desired effect would be akin to the flooding that ravaged New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the newspaper said.

A government official with knowledge of the investigation said while the alleged plot did focus on New York's transportation system, it did not target the Holland Tunnel. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the case is ongoing, would give no further details about the intended targets.

It's unlikely that any plan to flood the financial district would work because it is above the level of the Hudson River.

U.S. Service Sector Expands in June

The service sector of the U.S. economy expanded in June, but at a slower pace than in May, according to a monthly survey of supply managers released Thursday. The expansion was also slower than analysts had been expecting.

The Institute for Supply Management, a research group based in Tempe, Ariz., reported that its index of activity in the service sector stood at 57 in June, versus analysts' expectations of 59.

In the prior month, the index came in at 60.1, in line with expectations. A reading of 50 or more indicates expansion, while below 50 indicates contraction.

June marked the 39th consecutive month of expansion in the service sector of the economy.

The indicator is closely watched since it is one of the earliest readings on economic activity in the prior month. The services sector - including banking, construction, retailing and travel - makes up about two-thirds of economic activity in the United States.

While signaling a slower rate of expansion overall, the report found that strength in the service sector was broad, with 14 of the 16 industry groups in the non-manufacturing sector reporting expansion.

On Monday, the ISM reported that the manufacturing sector expanded in June, but at a slower pace than expected. Manufacturers had said they were seeing their prices for raw materials ease slightly.

The ISM's manufacturing index registered 53.8 last month, slightly below the level of 54.4 in May and the slowest measure of growth since last August. Analysts had been looking for a reading in the manufacturing index the range of 55 to 56.

Labor Market Strong as Jobless Claims Fall

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits declined slightly last week, indicating continued strength in the labor market despite a spring slowdown in the economy.

The Labor Department said Thursday that applications for jobless benefits totaled 313,000 last week, a drop of 2,000 from the previous week.

That was a slightly better performance than economists had been expecting. They had forecast that jobless claims would rise by 2,000.

The government is scheduled to report new unemployment figures on Friday. Analysts are expecting the jobless rate will remain at 4.6 percent and they believe businesses created 160,000 new jobs in June. That would be a significant rebound after only 75,000 jobs had been created in May, the smallest gain in seven months.

The decline of 2,000 in jobless claims last week was the first drop in three weeks. The four-week moving average for claims edged up slightly to 308,500, compared with 306,000 in the previous week, but still remained at a level that analysts believe shows a healthy labor market.

North Korean Missile Targeted Hawaii

North Korea targeted waters near Hawaii when it fired a long-range missile this week, a Japanese newspaper reported Friday.

The long-range Taepodong-2 was part of a barrage of seven missiles test-fired by North Korea on Wednesday. They all fell harmlessly into the Sea of Japan, but South Korean officials said the long-range missile had malfunctioned, suggesting it was intended for a more remote target.

Japan's conservative mainstream daily Sankei said that Japanese and U.S. defense officials have concluded that the Taepodong-2 had targeted the U.S. state of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean, after analyzing data collected from their intelligence equipment.

The newspaper quoted unidentified Japanese and U.S. government officials.

The officials decided that the missile was pointed at Hawaii from its angle immediately after launch and the altitude it reached, after analyzing data collected by destroyers equipped with the Aegis radar combat system and RC-135S electronic reconnaissance aircraft, the newspaper said.

It said the findings support a belief North Korean intended the launch as a protest over U.S. economic sanctions against the isolated regime.

Japanese Defense Agency refused to confirm the Sankei report.

The Taepodong-2, North Korea's most advanced missile, has a range of up to 15,000 kilometers (9,300 miles) and believed capable of reaching parts of the United States with a light payload.

Hawaii is about 7,000 kilometers (4,350 miles) southwest of North Korea.

The daily said it was not immediately known why Hawaii was targeted, but added that analysts believe Pyongyang might have tried to demonstrate that the missile could reach the United States, or because Hawaii is home to the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet.

North Korea might have avoided targeting Alaska because of a risk that the missile could mistakenly hit a land area in that route, the report said.

US Army Apparrel fashion craze in Gaza

Some Palestians actually praise the US Army as "Very Powerful".

Wearing a green Hamas headband, waving a Hamas flag, swinging a Kalashnikov and chanting for Israel's demise, Bassem Shorah looks to be a prototypical Palestinian militant.

His olive green shirt, however, tells a different story. It's a spot-on replica of those worn by soldiers in the United States Army, replete with combat patches and unit designations.

Though he's a committed Islamist activist in a movement that denounces the United States for supporting Israel and occupying Iraq, Shorah proudly sports what has become the latest trend in Palestinian street wear: US military apparel.

"This is the new fashion in the market," says Shorah. "It's a show of force, because the US army is powerful. It's a symbol of strength and of our refusal to put down arms."


On their television sets these young people see images of US soldiers in Iraq, and they view them as the ultimate symbol of military might.

"People look in the streets and they see gunmen, they watch TV and see the US Army, and they say, 'I want to be a militant, too. I want that shirt,'" says Omar Bilbaysi, who owns three clothing shops in downtown Rafah.


The trend is not limited to clothing. At barber shops across the West Bank and Gaza young Palestinians are demanding what's known as a "Marines," meaning a high and tight crew cut, the kind that is mandatory for US Marines.

Similarly, Abu Sim, a rank and file gunman in the Popular Resistance Committees' armed wing, has wrapped the barrel of his Kalashnikov with desert camouflage padding, another nod to US military fashion.

"I saw a US Marine sniper on TV doing the same thing," he says. "It's natural to copy the US military because they are powerful and so are we."

2 Top Courts Rule Against Gay Marriage

The highest courts in two states dealt gay rights advocates dual setbacks Thursday, rejecting same-sex couples' bid to win marriage rights in New York and reinstating a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage in Georgia.

Activists had hoped to widen marriage rights for gays and lesbians beyond Massachusetts with a legal victory in liberal New York, but the Court of Appeals ruled 4-2 that the state's law allowing marriage only between a man and a woman was constitutional.

In Georgia, where three-quarters of voters approved a ban on gay marriage when it was on the ballot in 2004, the top court reinstated the ban Thursday, ruling unanimously that it did not violate the state's single-subject rule for ballot measures. Lawyers for the plaintiffs had argued that the ballot language was misleading, asking voters to decide on same-sex marriage and civil unions, separate issues about which many people had different opinions.

The twin rulings, which came less than two hours apart, become part of the nationwide debate that has continued to evolve since a Massachusetts court ruling in late 2003 ushered in a spate of gay marriage controversies from Boston to San Francisco.

High courts in Washington state and New Jersey are deliberating cases in which same-sex couples argue they have the right to marry. A handful of other states have cases moving through lower courts.

Forty-five states have specifically barred same-sex marriage through statutes or constitutional amendments. Massachusetts is the only state that allows gay marriage, although Vermont and Connecticut allow same-sex civil unions that confer the same legal rights as heterosexual married couples.

The New York court said any change in the state's law should come from the state Legislature, Judge Robert Smith wrote. The decision said lawmakers have a legitimate interest in protecting children by limiting marriage to heterosexual couples. It went on to say the law does not deny homosexual couples any "fundamental right" since same-sex marriages are not "deeply rooted in the nation's history and tradition."

"There's no question they looked to New York as a place where they could win," said Mathew Staver, president of Liberty Counsel, a conservative legal group based in Florida. "It would have been a major victory for them. Instead it's a stunning defeat for the same-sex marriage movement."

Thursday, July 06, 2006

Report: N. Korea has more missiles to launch

The Bush administration on Thursday dismissed North Korea�s threat to test-fire more missiles and pressed for international efforts to get the secretive communist regime to �cease and desist� such actions.

�We�re certainly not going to overreact ... to these wild statements out of Pyongyang and North Korea,� said Undersecretary R. Nicholas Burns. �We�ve seen them before.�


The North Korean Foreign Ministry, in a statement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency, insisted that the communist state had the right to missile tests and argued the weapons were needed for defense.

On Tuesday, the country launched several missiles, including a long-range Taepodong-2 missile � the object of intense international attention for more than a month � that failed 42 seconds after liftoff, suggesting a catastrophic failure of the rocket�s first, or booster, stage.

That heartened U.S. officials, since an earlier version of the missile � last tested in 1998 � failed later in its flight, apparently due to a third-stage malfunction. A working version of the intercontinental missile, with a top range of 5,000 to 7,500 miles, could potentially reach the United States with a light payload.

�One thing we have learned is that the rocket didn�t stay up for very long,� President Bush said Wednesday. �It tumbled into the sea.�


The South Korean press was reporting Thursday that the North had three or four short- or medium-range missiles on launch pads ready for firing.

Burns, asked on a round of morning television news shows about North Korea�s latest threat, said, �I think the North Koreans would like to pit the United States against themselves in a one-on-one battle of wills. We�re not going to fall for that.�

Instead, Burns said, the U.S. would work to muster international pressure on North Korea to �cease and desist� such actions.

�We are much stronger, frankly, from a diplomatic standpoint, and much better off if we have a wide of countries working together and sending the same message to the North Koreans,� Burns told CNN.

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

Private sector adds 368,000 jobs in June: survey

U.S. private sector employers created an estimated 368,000 jobs in June, compared with 122,000 jobs in the previous month, a report by a private employment service said on Wednesday.

The monthly ADP National Employment Report is based on payroll data and measures the change in total private sector nonfarm employment each month.

The report is released each month, two days before the government's own job survey of a net gain in nonfarm jobs in the U.S. private and public sectors.

"These findings indicate a strong acceleration of employment in June," said Joel Prakken, chairman of Macroeconomic Advisers, LLC, said in a statement. Macroeconomic Advisers developed the ADP report together with ADP Employer Services.

He separately told Reuters that private sector jobs growth in June was "broad-based," averaging around 218,000 over the last six months. "I'm pretty confident that jobs growth on Friday would be healthy and I wouldn't be surprised if it shows an acceleration."

Marines gain control of Iraq hospital

Hundreds of U.S. Marines stormed through dimly lit hallways of the largest hospital in western Iraq on Wednesday, taking control of a facility allegedly used by insurgents � and encountering a regional health infrastructure in serious decay.

Members of al-Qaida in Iraq had been using the Ramadi General Hospital, a seven-story building with some 250 beds, to treat their wounded and fire on U.S. troops in the area, the Marines said.

They said wounded Iraqi police officers who had been taken to the hospital were later found beheaded.

Though there was no resistance during Wednesday's operation, the Marines from the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment said they found about a dozen triggering devices for roadside bombs hidden above the tiled ceiling of one office. They knocked down dozens of locked doors and searched medicine chests and storage closets for additional weapons.

Hospitals are considered off-limits in traditional warfare. In western Ramadi, however, insurgents have fired on Marines from the rooftop of a women and children's hospital so often that patients were moved to a wing with fewer exposed windows.

The early-morning raid Wednesday exposed the wartime conditions that have endangered the wounded, sick and elderly in this city of 400,000 people. Doctors said they were struggling to provide basic care.

During Wednesday's raid, tensions were apparent between some doctors and Marines. The Marines, based in Camp Lejeune, N.C., said one member of their platoon had been shot in the arm near the hospital while handing candy to children at a nearby school. Some angrily accused doctors of harboring and helping insurgents.

Doctors said they knew nothing of insurgent activity or the explosive triggering devices found hidden in the hospital. They insisted they were bound by the Hippocratic oath to serve all patients.

Marines expressed frustration at the lack of cooperation.

"They don't play by the same rules that we do," said Pfc. Gilberto Rodriguez, 20, of Alexandria, Va., as he stood guard in a hallway. "Insurgents have free rein here. They can do whatever they want. They use whatever tactics are most effective."

US interceptors were ready for NKorean missile

The United States placed its interceptor missiles in Alaska and California on alert for the long-range North Korean missile that failed less than a minute after being launched, U.S. officials said on Wednesday.

The launch of Pyongyang's intercontinental Taepodong 2 missile, and at least five shorter-range missiles, marked the first time the fledgling U.S. anti-missile shield has been officially reported to have been primed in response to a specific event.

The U.S. Northern Command, which operates the interceptors in Alaska and California as part of its homeland defense mission, said it was "able to determine quickly the missiles posed no threat to (the) United States or its territories."


The Northern Command said its personnel detected the launches immediately after North Korea's first series of test-firings.

Bryan Whitman, a Pentagon spokesman, told reporters, "What I will tell you is that each and every launch was detected and monitored and that the interceptors were operational during the missile launches that took place."

The anti-missile shield includes early-warning satellites for launch detection, ground-based and sea-based radar stations for surveillance and tracking, the interceptors in California and Alaska silos to destroy incoming warheads plus command nodes in Alaska and Colorado.

The shield, while still being tested, has been made "operational" many times since the end of 2004 but is never known to have been activated in response to a perceived threat.

In a typical engagement scenario, infrared sensors aboard satellites detect the hot plume of a missile launch and alert operations centers of a possible attack.

Land- and sea-based sensors are then directed to search for the incoming missile and pick out the warhead from among decoys and space debris, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress.

Based on this tracking data, an interceptor, consisting of a barrel-sized "kill vehicle" mounted atop a booster rocket, may be launched to engage the threat -- a decision that must be made within minutes.

In the case of the Taepodong 2, which fell harmlessly into the Sea of Japan about 40 seconds after launch, there was "far too little time to make a decision on whether to shoot it down," said Victoria Samson, an expert on missile defense at the private Center for Defense Information.

Iraq considers arming insurgents

Iraq's government is studying a request from some local insurgent leaders to supply them with weapons so they can turn on the heavily armed foreign fighters who were once their allies, according to two Iraqi lawmakers.
Leaders claiming to represent about 11 insurgent groups asked for weapons to fight foreign al-Qaeda elements in Iraq, said Haider al-Ibadi, a Shiite lawmaker and member of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's Dawa Party.

"They want to take part in the war against terrorists," said al-Ibadi, who supports the proposal. "They claim they could wipe out the terrorists and work with the government."


The insurgent request was confirmed by al-Ibadi and Mithal al-Alusi, another lawmaker. Al-Maliki was out of the country, and several officials in his office declined to comment.

The request came out of talks between people claiming to represent insurgent groups and the Iraqi government.

The U.S. military said insurgent talks are an Iraqi matter.

Coalition forces would "fully support the broad dialogue for reconciliation" but would not discuss details, military spokesman Lt. Col. Barry Johnson said in an e-mail.

Al-Ibadi said a committee of top Iraqi officials is being formed to study the request.

A cornerstone of al-Maliki's government has been a reconciliation plan aimed at undermining Sunni support for the insurgency and drawing Sunnis into the political process.

Al-Maliki has called for the release of 3,000 detainees in U.S.-run prisons and amnesty for some fighters.

Al-Maliki has not specified which fighters might be pardoned. The issue of whether to extend amnesty to fighters who have killed Iraqi or American soldiers has generated a vigorous debate. The idea of arming insurgent groups also could raise troubling issues.

Al-Alusi, an independent lawmaker, said when he heard that Sunni insurgents had asked for weapons to fight foreign groups, he advised al-Maliki against it. Al-Alusi said al-Maliki was considering it.

"We should stop creating militias," al-Alusi said. "We have too many political mafia groups in this country. Enough is enough."

U.S. and Iraqi military officials have been trying for the past couple of years to drive a wedge between Iraqi fighters and foreign groups.

Foreign fighters account for 4% to 10% of the estimated 20,000 or more insurgents in Iraq, according to a U.S. State Department report.

Foreign fighters are behind some of the deadliest bombings, however.

Asked about the measure, some parliamentary members opposed the idea.

Others, including Mahmoud Othman, a leading Kurdish lawmaker, said they were unaware of it, highlighting the secrecy and sometimes confusion surrounding government meetings with insurgents.

The insurgents are represented by a mix of tribal leaders and former Iraqi army leaders. Government officials are still trying to determine whether the officials speak with authority for the insurgents, al-Ibadi said.

Tuesday, July 04, 2006

GI Awarded Rare Medal of Honor in Iraq

In the early days of the Iraq war, on the last day of his life, Army Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith showed valor that no U.S. soldier has matched in Iraq.

Smith's men came under attack as they mopped up after the capture of Baghdad's airport. The sergeant braved hostile fire to evacuate three wounded soldiers and single-handedly killed dozens of enemy soldiers before being killed himself as he covered the evacuation of other wounded Americans.

Smith posthumously became the first soldier in the Iraq war awarded the Medal of Honor, America's highest military award, given in recognition of extreme valor in combat. More than three years later, Smith remains the only service member to receive the honor for action in either Iraq or Afghanistan.

That the U.S. military's top honor has become so rare is a sign of how warfare has changed.

Instead, the attacks are often fast and deadly, like the blast of a roadside bomb.

Smith's was an exception.

It was April 4, 2003. A company of Iraqi Republican Guards attacked Smith and other soldiers as they built holding areas for prisoners of war.


Smith's medal citation said he organized a two-platoon defensive wall, braved hostile fire to attack with hand grenades and anti-tank weapons and evacuated three wounded soldiers from their disabled armored personnel carrier. Still under fire, he mounted a damaged armored personnel carrier and fired its .50 caliber machine gun into the Iraqi ranks.

In helping defeat the Iraqi attack, Smith killed as many as 50 Iraqis and allowed the extraction of numerous wounded soldiers before being killed himself, the citation said.

No Time to 'Walk Away' in Iraq

Returning from a weekend visit to Iraq, Rep. Jim Ryun said Monday that he was "heartened" by the commitment of members of the U.S. military fighting there.

Ryun spoke with The Associated Press by telephone en route back to the United States. The Kansas Republican was part of a delegation of elected officials who made the weekend trip. It was his first visit to Iraq.

Ryun said his impression of the war was consistent with those views shared by U.S. military members he has spoken with who have returned from Iraq since the war began in 2003.

"I was very encouraged," Ryun said. "It is really remarkable what our young men and women are doing there for us."


Ryun, who is seeking his sixth term in Congress in the November election, said he saw that the U.S. military is playing more of a support role to Iraqi forces in fighting the insurgency. While in Iraq, he said, the delegation was informed that some Iraqi soldiers had been killed by insurgents.

"It is evidence that they are taking more of a lead role," he said.


Ryun was part of a bipartisan delegation that included GOP leadership and members of the House Armed Services Committee. The delegation visited Jordan and Iraq over two days.

House Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, said the issue of the United States leaving Iraq too early was raised by the Iraqi leaders. The delegation repeatedly told the Iraqis that the United States was staying put, Boehner said during a conference call with reporters Monday.

"This is not time to walk away from them," Boehner said from Spain.


Recently, the Senate defeated two measures that would have set a timeline for removing U.S. troops from Iraq, currently numbering about 127,000. Ryun said it would be wrong to set deadlines for troop withdrawals, creating a situation for the insurgents to wait for the United States to leave before thrusting Iraq into further chaos.

Ryun said that during his visit, Iraqi leaders said they were frustrated by negative media reports in the United States, which they say focus more on the conflict and less on the progress being made. Part of the problem, Ryun said, is that it has been just three years since Saddam Hussein was removed from power.

Missiles launched from North Korea

Reports indicate 3 rockets fired, including long-range

North Korea launched at least three missiles from its territory today, including a long-range Taepodong-2 missile.

U.S. officials at the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) confirm the detection of missile launches.

While the two smaller land-to-air weapons landed harmlessly in the Sea of Japan, the long-range rocket test apparently failed early in its test.

"This is a clear escalation by a belligerent state which is progressing toward ... a delivery vehicle," said Mike Norman, a talk-show host on the BizRadio Network. "It is time we finish this. We take their missiles on the launch platform, take 'em out, send a clear unequivocal message."


The missiles were launched from a site other than the one intelligence officials have watched for weeks ahead of a possible long-range weapons test, a senior State Department official told CNN.

"This is just an attempt by North Korea to intimidate the nations in the region," said Maj. Gen. Bob Scales, a military analyst on the Fox News Channel. "This is a far cry from being a legitimate threat, particularly to the United States. ... The rising threat in the world today is Iran. North Korea is pretty much a sideline state."


Rep. Dana Rohrbacher, R-Calif., appeared on Fox News to note the importance of having an operational missile-defense system in America.

"Now we're faced with a situation where some lunatic in North Korea may well be developing a rocket that can hit the United States with a nuclear-armed missile," he said. "Isn't it good to be prepared? Aren't we happy that Ronald Reagan didn't give in and that we are now in the process of deploying a system that could protect us against this?"


President Bush has warned the communist state it would face further isolation if it violates agreements by launching a rocket capable of reaching the American continent.

"The North Koreans have made agreements with us in the past, and we expect them to keep their agreements," Bush said last month at the European Union summit.

President Celebrates 4th at Fort Bragg

At an outdoor pep rally for troops at Fort Bragg, Bush recalled the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the former leader of al-Qaida in Iraq, who died last month in a U.S. airstrike that boosted troop morale and offered hope to Americans weary of the war.

"At this moment of vulnerability for the enemy, we will continue to strike their network," Bush told 3,500 U.S. troops and others at an outdoor speech at Fort Bragg, home of the 82nd Airborne Division. "We will disrupt their operations, and we will bring their leaders to justice."

Since al-Zarqawi's death, Bush said U.S.-led coalition and Iraqi forces have launched more than 190 raids on targets throughout the country, captured more than 700 enemy operatives and killed 60 more. Members of Fort Bragg's special operations forces were among the first coalition troops to arrive on the scene of the bombing of al-Zarqawi's safe house, Bush said.

"They administered compassionate medical care to a man who showed no compassion to his victims," the president said to the troops, who greeted him with shouts of "Hooah!"

"When this brutal terrorist took his final breath, one of the last things he saw was the face of an American soldier from Fort Bragg, N.C."


In his talk, Bush made a veiled jab at some Democrats who have called for an immediate withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq. He said setting a timetable for pulling out troops would undermine a fragile new Iraqi government, undercut the efforts of U.S. troops and signal to the enemy that if they wait a little longer, American forces would leave Iraq.

"This moment, when the terrorists are suffering from the weight of successive blows, is not the time to call retreat," he said.


Bush thanked the soldiers for their service, and recognized the more than 2,500 members of the U.S. armed forces who have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003.

"On this day when we give thanks for our freedom, we also give thanks to the men and women who make our freedom possible," Bush told the troops, perspiring in muggy, hot holiday weather. "You are serving our country at a time when our country needs you. And because of your courage, every day is Independence Day in America."


Before Bush spoke, dozens of members of the 82nd Airborne and Army Special Operations units showed him an array of military equipment.

He met a helicopter pilot who ferried former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein from the spider hole where he was captured to an airfield in Baghdad. The pilot, who declined to give his name for security reasons because he is going back to Iraq, told the president about the unusual mission.

"Good job," the president said, standing with the pilot next to a MH-6 like the one used to transport Saddam.

He also chatted with soldiers who have served in Afghanistan, where U.S.-led forces are facing fierce resistance from the Taliban in southern sections of the nation.

"It's heating up, but that's expected," said Capt. Jason Walters, 33, from Humboldt, Tenn., who has spent eight months in Afghanistan. He blamed the warmer weather. "Nobody wants to operate in the cold, not even the bad guys," Walters said.

After his speech, Bush strode through a cafeteria where he helped himself to salad, macaroni and cheese and a piece of fried chicken. As he finished his lunch with soldiers, U.S. troops carried over a birthday cake decorated as a flag and began singing "Happy Birthday!" He blew out a candle on the cake and exclaimed, "Give me a knife and I'll cut it! Anybody want a piece?"

Monday, July 03, 2006

Iran has until July 12 to stop enrichment

Western powers will reactivate efforts to punish Iran through possible U.N. Security Council sanctions unless it suspends uranium enrichment and agrees to talks on its nuclear program by July 12, diplomats said Monday.

The envoys - some of them senior U.N. diplomats, and all familiar with details of the six-nation drive to persuade Iran to compromise on its nuclear activities - spoke just two days before a key Iran-European Union meeting in Brussels meant to make clear to the Iranians that their time is running out.

On Wednesday, senior EU envoy Javier Solana will urge top Iranian nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani to commit his country immediately to suspending enrichment and starting negotiations, the diplomats said.

They also said Russia and China were closer than ever to supporting the West on U.N. Security Council action - including sanctions - if Tehran refuses the package of incentives meant to wean it off enrichment.
"We are looking forward to hear from Iran ... the official response," said Cristina Gallach, Solana's spokeswoman.
A European official outlined more realistic expectations, saying Larijani would likely come back with questions - and perhaps a counterproposal.
If so, the diplomats said, Solana plans to tell him Iran must accept the terms of the package by July 12, when foreign ministers of the five permanent Security Council nations and Germany consult in Paris.

"If Iran has not answered positively by this date, the ministers will likely adopt a decision to resume negotiations on the Security Council resolution," said one of the diplomats, who, like the European official, demanded anonymity in exchange for divulging the game plan on Iran.

The European official said Russia and China were contemplating sending high-level officials to Wednesday's meeting in a symbolic show of unity with the West.

Work on a U.N. Security Council resolution was suspended May 3 to allow the six powers to draw up a plan of perks if Iran agrees to a long-term moratorium on enrichment - or punishments that include the threat of selective U.N. sanctions if it doesn't. Solana last month presented the rewards to Larijani but made no mention of the punishments, so as not to rile Tehran.

Zarqawi had numbers of Iraqi officials in cell phone

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi had the phone numbers of senior Iraqi officials stored in his cell phone, according to an Iraqi legislator.

Waiel Abdul-Latif, a member of former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi's party, said Monday that authorities found the numbers after al-Zarqawi, leader of al Qaeda in Iraq, was killed in a U.S. air strike on June 7.

Abdul-Latif did not give names of the officials. But he said they included ministry employees and members of parliament.

He called for an investigation, saying Iraqis "cannot have one hand with the government and another with the terrorists."

Law targets those with unearned military medals

Marine majors have accomplished plenty in the Corps' 230-year history, but tales from "The Terminator" just didn't add up.
He'd been a SEAL, a sniper and a pilot. His stories were larger than life, and no one at the Soldiers & Sailors National Military Museum and Memorial in Oakland believed him. But it was the Navy Cross pinned to his dress blues that proved too much to stomach.

"He had more battle activity than eight guys together," Ron Gancas, museum president, said about John Eastman, who faces federal charges of impersonating a military officer. "Why he picked this place to B.S. I don't know. Everybody was in the military here."


Eastman, 58, of New Galilee, Beaver County, is accused of falsely wearing a major's insignia at a Veteran's Day function in 2004. He was indicted this year and, if convicted, would face a maximum penalty of six months in prison and a $5,000 fine.

A bill -- the Stolen Valor Act -- making its way through Congress would increase the penalties for imposters and help prosecutors go after phonies.

Falsely claiming to be in the military or to have earned a medal is a misdemeanor under current law. Imposters can be charged only if they've worn medals or insignia they didn't earn. The penalty is a jail term of up to six months, a fine or both.

The new legislation would make the crime a felony and enable prosecutors to charge imposters for simply claiming -- verbally or in writing -- a rank or medals they didn't earn.

Under the Stolen Valor Act, falsely claiming to have received the Navy Cross, Air Force Cross, Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star or Purple Heart would double the maximum penalty to up to a year in prison, bringing those medals in line with the Medal of Honor.

Should the Stolen Valor Act become law, investigators would be able to go after many more, said Doug Sterner of Pueblo, Colo. Sterner operates homeofheroes.com, a Web site dedicated to honoring veterans. His work has made him a de facto hunter of phonies.

Troops Targeted by ACLU and Anti-War Media

By Tom Kelly

As a retired military officer with combat experience, I find it disgusting to read every day how badly the Iraq war is progressing and how guilty our service personnel are portrayed in the unjust, uncivilized treatment of captured Islamic Jihad terrorists both in prison camps and in the treatment of terroris t women and children.

Yes, as in Vietnam, Islamic women and children engage and kill our fighting men and women. The press reports center on providing the most sensational events even before they are investigated as to their truthfulness.

Our troops are labeled as being guilty without the completeness of any Article 32 investigations.

Having spent eight months in Iraq as a volunteer to assist the military in security, I can assure your readers that these one-sided, anti-U.S. press releases serve only as an instrument by which radical Arabic news agencies print large bold headlines depicting our service personnel as monsters. I have seen those articles and they are sickening.

Believe it or not, our troops are sick and tired of hearing anti-war rhetoric and pay little attention to those who publish it. These troops know how much their efforts are appreciated by the people of Iraq as they observe it daily in the faces of mothers, children and accomplishments in schools, hospitals, local businesses, etc. Their goals are to assist the Iraqi people form a government which they so desperately desire and deserve.


In time of war, our press should support our troops and the newly-elected Iraqi government by printing articles of successes vice sensationalizing isolated failures. To consistently print anti-war sentiments of those who are in disdain of our position in the Iraq war is wrong. How can one say that they support our troops and yet state that what our troops are doing is immoral, unjustified and that they should be brought home now.

This is balderdash and the troops know it.
It is time to highlight the gross atrocities which these Islamic radical Jihad terrorists practice on a daily basis. The New York Times recently reported that the two U.S. soldiers who were captured were abused. In fact, their bodies were mutilated with their eyes being torn out.

This truth must be reported to leave little doubt as to the difficulty our soldiers face while performing their assigned missions. The consequences we face as a nation if we fail to understand this violent Islamic creed to wage war and destroy those opposed to their mission is alarming. We must defeat these radicals preferably on their territory before they once again reach our own shores.

Many left-wing American Civil Liberties Union members glee with excitement upon receiving press reports highlighting alleged abuses of Iraq citizens. More than 90 percent of these "reports" are untrue and are provided by outside sources including the Jihad terrorist prisons and anti-U.S. Arabic countries such as Syria, Iran and Sudan.


Our Red Cross has an office a few meters from the Gitmo prison detention facility and have substantiated only two possible abuse events which may, repeat may, be cause for appropriate punishment. The ACLU would have one believe that thousands of alleged violations of abuse have occurred and that these reports were provided by our Naval Investigating Service, FBI and other government agencies.

However, what they fail to tell you are the names and organizations of those who filed these alleged violations; namely, the prisoners themselves or other Arabic news agencies. Do not be misled by ACLU members who have never been in Iraq, never personally witnessed these military abuses and fail to mention or divulge the sources of these so-called tortures.


The media, including the ACLU, tend to report that our troops are guilty of crimes without waiting for the complete investigation by appropriate authorities to determine guilt or innocence. All valid incidents of substantiated "torture" will be investigated by those who are in command to do so and if found guilty, they
will receive appropriate punishment.


The anti-war media, ACLU and peace activists should never forget that those freedoms which they enjoy were provided to them through the sacrifices of millions of American troops. I recall the numerous times our troops would say, "Let those anti-war media, ACLU and peace activists come join us in our convoys and observe firsthand the tortures we face from the terrorists including those who are captured and in prison cells."

The troops are not holding their breath; however, they will be victorious.

Tom Kelly, a resident of Blue Hill, is a retired Navy captain.

Did Al Qaeda Sell Out Al Zarqawi ?

Al-Zarqawi's wife told an Italian newspaper that al Qaeda leaders sold him out to the United States in exchange for a promise to let up in the search for Osama bin Laden.

The woman, identified by La Repubblica as al-Zarqawi's first wife, said al Qaeda's top leadership reached a deal with U.S. intelligence because al Zarqawi had become too powerful.

She claimed Sunni tribes and Jordanian secret services mediated the deal.

"My husband has been sold to the Americans," the woman said in an interview published Sunday. "He had become too powerful, too troublesome."

She was identified only as "Um Mohammed," which means "mother of Mohammed" and would be a nickname, not her full name.

The Rome-based newspaper said the interview was conducted in Geneva and described her as Jordanian and about 40 years old.

In Jordan, Al-Zarqawi's eldest brother, Sayel al-Khalayleh, said the family had not been aware of the woman's whereabouts for about two years.

Read the Full Story Here

In praise of our heroes at Gitmo

On Thursday, Rusty Humphries delivered the following speech to U.S. military personnel stationed at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility:

I am honored to have been extended an invitation to speak with you today. It's humbling to appear before the most civilized and powerful fighting force the world has ever known.

Before I plunge into my main topic today, please allow me a personal comment. As the proud son of a fallen war hero, I've always hoped to stay connected to the armed services in some meaningful way. Due to the fact that I'm almost as wide as I am tall and that I shoot better with my mouth than with a gun, my connection has evolved to battling what I see as a D-Day-like assault on the truth and American values. The people leading this assault are a few elected officials and what has become the Anti-American Media. A friend in the military told me long ago that propaganda never works when the truth is known. And, when the truth is known, free people tend to make pretty good decisions. My belief is Americans will remain united if we can prevent irresponsible, partisan politicians and journalists from defaming those who serve their mission and their commander in chief. That's a full-time job and I only have three hours a day to get it done!

I'm fully aware of the military's pledge to never leave one of your own behind. Well, my pledge is to never, ever leave the truth behind. That's the least I can do. That's my mission. I do it for my dad, I do it for my listening audience, and you can better believe I do it for you!

You are all familiar with the phrase, "The pen is mightier than the sword." One would use this proverb to suggest the world's problems can be solved more effectively through communication with words than with weapons. Oh, if it were only true.

This is really a gross misunderstanding of the world we live in. "The pen is mightier than the sword" is a false and dangerous choice. This is the kind of sloppy thinking from pacifists who would like to see America become a second-rate power with the help of their third-rate pens.

I can promise you, the cowards in the Anti-American Media are not mightier because of their pens and printing presses. We now know who they are and what they stand for.

I can tell you that a liberated pen is mightier than an unliberated pen. There are now millions of liberated people with pens in Afghanistan and Iraq thanks to the swords of American heroes. Those people are now free to write their thoughts and speak their minds thanks to the wisdom of our commander in chief and to the power of America's military.

That's an applause line for you. Please give yourself a hand!

Safety and security is key if we are to remain free. We hear so much about the awesome power of plotting terrorists. But let's stop and think. Right now, who is being terrorized? Who is crawling into caves and spider holes? The United States military has sent the oppressed to the polls and their oppressors into holes!

Again, I ask, who is being terrorized? You wouldn't know it from reading the papers, but we, thanks to you, are winning the war on terror. I would have liked to drop that message off to al-Zarqawi myself, but your brothers in Iraq had two 500-pound messages that arrived first.

And those two messages were: Ka-Boom!

Anyway, there is a disconnect between those who live free� no, the disconnect is between those who live carefree and those who do the dangerous work of defeating our sworn enemies. It is unfortunate, but the carefree back home are oftentimes careless about what they say about our warriors and the war on terror. It is clear to me that too many Americans not only take their freedoms and safety for granted, but they have become smug and cynical toward those who remember the dastardly and reprehensible attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Back home, there are Americans and Ameri-can'ts. Why the negativity? Why the venom?

This brings me to what I wanted to focus on today. The political rhetoric back home regarding our warriors and the war on terror has become so reckless and destructive it has made me stop and think:

The manner in which you, our warriors, go about your jobs, both on the battlefield and here confining terrorists who tirelessly plan our demise, is far more restrained, orderly and professional than the Anti-American Media and many of the politicians who are supposed to be respected caretakers of freedom and distinguished public servants!

Think about it. You are trained killers. You are put in harm's way. You are put in situations when twisted terrorists taunt, threaten, assault and plot against you. Yet, you are trained and required to carry yourselves responsibly and to treat these monsters with respect� respect for their religion, respect for their safety and respect for them as human beings.

How you do it, I do not know. But I do know this kind of professionalism and restraint is not what is going on in Washington, D.C.! Again, I'll repeat myself: America's warriors conduct themselves in a more professional and restrained manner than do many in the press or our poll-iticians in Washington.

Yes, I did say poll-iticians. One of my pet peeves is the blind reliance on polls by so many elected officials. We all know that 90 percent of the time polls are taken just after the press has passed off their propaganda as news. Then they go out and ask questions of people who are simply responding to what they heard on the news or from their favorite late-night comic.

Thus, poll-iticians was born on the "Rusty Humphries Show," thank you very much.

Poll-a-ganda, poll-iticians � so much B.S. So much hysteria. If America's warriors acted this carelessly with facts, policies and their responsibilities, we'd be ... like pre-invasion Iraq.

We're better than that largely because you have set the standard. Those back home can learn from you.

This drives me crazy! Where is it written that deviating from the Rules of Engagement is any more important than deviating from honesty, ethics and civility in the press and in the halls of Congress? Oh yeah, the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Details! My point is reckless, undisciplined conduct causes problems wherever it occurs. Just so you know, I think it is fabulous that the United States military behaves with more civility and more honor than do our poll-iticians and Anti-American Media!

They behave like unsupervised adolescents at their first beer bash, yet they go ballistic if Osama bin Terrorist didn't get his frickin' Happy Meal!

Your professionalism is an inspiration. I admire you for your restraint. I tip my hat to your training and to your instructors. I just hope you take some of that back home when you return to civilian life!

Those who have goals that are bigger than themselves � a mission, faith, unconditional love of country � those that have a "big picture," long-term outlook on life are more likely to go through the day with clear eyes, a confidant attitude and a settled mind. Petty political power trips don't make for good copy or good policy.

A clear-headed, disciplined warrior is a beautiful thing. An addle-brained, foul-mouthed, America-hating journalist and a weak-spined poll-itician are, well, let's just say they are less than beautiful. In fact, they make fighting and winning a difficult war damn near impossible.

You continue to do the right thing. Stay above the fray. Be true to your code, true to your faith and true to your training. You are setting the standard for civilized conduct when faced with uncivilized killers.

That's the truth, and you, by God, can handle the truth!

I would have thought all Americans would be united in our declaration of war against terrorists and terrorism. What was it about the attack on New York and the Pentagon they didn't understand? Do these people need to go see the movie "United 93" for a refresher course?

I'll never forget Americans jumping off the Twin Towers to their deaths because they were silly enough to go to work and expect to go home that night to see their families. Cowards � twisted Islamofascists � declared war on our way of life and thousands of innocent Americans never got the chance to fight for their lives, liberties or their right to be happy. We're fighting for them, are we not?

Yet, we have people in office and in the media that seem to have forgotten we are at war. What once stopped at the water's edge, is now spoken with seemingly no thought about the impact on those fighting for our very way of life.

What the devil is going on here? I ask you, what is their code? Where is the discipline to deal with facts? What happened to being more careful in times of war? Loose lips sink ... approval numbers? Is this what it has come to? A battle in Washington to affect a political opponent's approval numbers in a time of war?

Unthinkable.

Regardless what others do or say, don't lower your standards. Don't take the bait. Continue to conduct yourselves with honor. It is the right thing to do.

My hope is poll-iticians and the media who get their kicks from publishing our country's secrets � the very things that give us an advantage over those who would kill us if given half a chance � will stop playing into the hands of Islamofascist killers. Appeasement might work in a marriage and it might work in congressional smoke-filled back rooms, but it doesn't work in a shooting war! There is no compromise when it comes to Life, Liberty or to the Pursuit of Happiness.

American pens wrote that and your swords have preserved it. Do the right thing � it always pays in the long run.

July 3, 1776, is in some ways similar to Sept. 10, 2001. Life changed after those dates � and I would say that in one way, they changed for the better. In the tragedy and darkness of losing thousands of innocent American lives, America, for a short while, remembered that freedom is a fragile thing. We saw how silly and destructive the misguided war protesters were. We all saw those fools for what they were.

The fact is the military does the jobs pacifists and appeasers won't do.

I have heard some say our military did their jobs so well that folks back home just assume putting a safety net over this country is as easy as Britney Spears popping out kids. See, this is what impresses me most about those that serve. The people charged with protecting the country and our freedoms have stayed focused. You remain vigilant and alert to the threat. It isn't easy; you just make it look that way.

You set the standard.

Your courage and your faith make your pledge to protect our country an absolute inspiration. And let's be clear � you have pledged allegiance not to a poll-itician or a political party; rather, your pledge is to uphold the values symbolized by our flag. That's why our flag is sacred. It is symbolic of our declared intention to pursue life, liberty and happiness here in America.

You keep the faith.

My heartfelt belief is the decision to spread the blessing of freedom around the world is our best hope for peace. This was a stroke of genius and compassion. Let me tell you something. In this country, winning the lottery has come to mean winning freedom. Don't you believe it. Purple fingers and free elections mean freedom, not free money. And Purple Hearts, not yellow bellies, keep us free.

You keep fighting the good fight.

We all know the world is a dangerous place. But when we are lectured by pacifists about how to bring peace on earth, I am reminded our anti-military friends hope religion and the military play minimal roles in our lives. Sounds like a recipe for anarchy and war. But then again, these are the same folks that think B-1s and B-52s are vitamins found in Brussels sprouts.

You keep above the fray. Continue to conduct yourselves with honor and courage.

I must admit, I feel like I am fighting a war myself these days. There's an assault in progress against the truth regarding what you do and the progress made in bringing peace to the Middle East. That assault is meant to demoralize the American public, our troops and negatively affect the world's opinion of our commander in chief. My small role in this assault on the truth is to help set the record straight. The truth about the war on terror is inspirational, and I will never cease in my efforts to bring your deeds to the American public. That's the least I can do. Your successes and sacrifices will not be sullied by purveyors of propaganda and half-truths. Those who serve will be honored by the truth. You are an inspiration, and the facts will brought to the American public � you have my word on that.

Let me conclude by making one last observation. The truth about what our armed forces have accomplished has set us free and it has set free millions of people around the world. Your missions have been just. Your sacrifices have been unimaginable. And, your successes have changed the world for the better.

Despite the criticisms in the press and the occasional jab by late-night comics, please know that it is a common human failing to take our many blessings for granted. That's why we have a Thanksgiving Day � it's a good reminder. But I hope you know that deep down, 99 percent of the people respect you and appreciate your sense of duty and sacrifice. You do your job so well I think many of us are allowed to forget why we feel safe and secure despite the efforts of our country's enemies.

I can't tell you how honored I am and how willing I am to continue to do verbal battle every day to help sing the praises about our heroes and your accomplishments. Our Constitution allows great freedoms, and I will always work hard to respect what has been so honorably fought for. I'm humbled by the discriminating use of the awesome power with which you have been entrusted. I am most grateful for your sacrifices and the sacrifices of your families.

Thank you for allowing me this opportunity to offer my thoughts and to convey my thanks. America is forever in your debt.

Rusty Humphries is a nationally syndicated talk-radio host who is heard in over 200 cities across America.

U.S. Authenticates bin Laden's Voice

The Bush administration said Sunday it had verified that an audio message posted on the Internet is in Osama bin Laden's voice.

The al-Qaida head is hearing endorsing the terrorist network's new leader in Iraq and warning Shiites there against collaborating with the United States against Sunni insurgents.

After a technical analysis, the CIA said it determined that the voice heard on the tape is bin Laden's.

In Saturday's message, bin Laden also warned nations not to send troops to Somalia, where Islamic militants have taken control of the capital and much of the south.

It was his fifth audio message this year and second in two days. On Friday, bin Laden paid tribute to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the head of al-Qaida's operations in Iraq who was killed in a U.S. airstrike on June 7.

NORAD air base on heightened alert

No reason given for 'Bravo-Plus' security level

As the U.S. continues to express concern about the possibility of a North Korean missile test directed toward American territory and the rest of the world holds its breath over a close encounter with an asteroid, several U.S. air bases are on heightened alert.

But no one is talking about why.

The Cheyenne Mountain Air Station, which houses NORAD � charged with monitoring the North Korea situation � is now at "Bravo-Plus."

Other air bases in Colorado, California and Florida are also on heightened alert status.

There are five levels of alert: normal, Alpha (low), Bravo (medium), Charlie (high) and Delta (critical). "Bravo-Plus" is slightly higher than a medium threat level.

Meanwhile, in a development that may or may not be related to the heightened security alert, an asteroid up to half a mile wide is due to brush past the Earth early today.

Scientists who have been tracking asteroid 2004 XP14 say it will approach almost as close as the Moon, traveling at 10.5 miles per second.

It has been classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA), along with 782 known others.

Initially there were concerns that the asteroid might collide with the Earth later this century. However, further analysis of its orbit has ruled this out - at least for the foreseeable future.

If XP14 did hit the Earth the effects would be devastating.