The Talk Show American

THE TALK SHOW AMERICAN: 03/11/2007 - 03/18/2007

Saturday, March 17, 2007

The Boo Hooing Begins On Sheikh Mohammed's Handling

From The Washington Post comes this story:

Probe of Al-Qaeda Leader's Handling Sought

Two senators who observed last week's closed military proceedings against al-Qaeda leader Khalid Sheik Mohammed called for an investigation into allegations that the accused planner of the Sept. 11 attacks was physically abused while in CIA custody.

Mohammed told the tribunal last Saturday that he had been mistreated during three years in CIA custody before his transfer to Guantanamo Bay, and he submitted a written description of the alleged abuse. The military panel immediately classified the submission and redacted from transcripts details of Mohammed's treatment in the CIA's secret prison program.

According to one portion of the transcript made public earlier this week, however, Mohammed told the panel of three unnamed military officers that his children had been held for four months and abused during his incarceration.

"Allegations of prisoner mistreatment must be taken seriously and properly investigated. To do otherwise would reflect poorly on our nation," Sen. Carl M. Levin (D-Mich.), the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), a committee member, said in a statement issued yesterday.


You have just got to be kidding me ! This guy is responsible for 3,000 deaths in America, not to mention the destruction of property and landmarks, and the sniveling patrol is at it already. And, if you believe his claim that he beheaded Daniel Pearl and killed a US Marine in Kuwait in 2002, who would actually care if he if he was abused.

However, He claims he was abused, but then tells another gullible panel that his children were abused. It is well known among terror experts that Al Qaeda members are taught to claim abuse by their captors if questioned. This is part of the overall plan to win the propaganda war.

What makes this even more ridiculous is that the very people who doubt his claims made during his confession will be the same persons who will take his word that he was abused as Carte'Blanche'.

I am beginning to believe that it is not Al Qaeda's plan to wage attacks in the United States at all, they are just going to wait until we become a nation of complete snivelng whiners and walk right in.

God help us all.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed Arrest Slowed Al-Qaida

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed's capture four years ago didn't shut down al Qaida or bring the Americans to Osama bin Laden. But if his mega confession is to be believed, his arrest was a crushing blow to bin Laden's plans for even more deadly attacks in the wake of 9/11.

His expertise was never replaced and his absence has contributed to the group's transition from a fear-inspiring attack force to a hate filled voice on the Internet, urging others to wage terror against the West.

"In terms of competence for managing, planning and executing terrorist attacks, KSM was the best in al Qaida," said Rohan Gunaratna, a terrorism expert and author of a book on al Qaida. "That's why Osama bin Laden and other important al Qaida leaders entrusted him with so many operations."


But even if his self proclaimed status is somewhat exaggerated, he "gave the Americans lots of information about what kind of ideas al Qaida had, and how they put their plots together," said Magnus Ranstorp, a terrorism expert at the Swedish National Defense College.

"Mohammed's information gives us a glimpse into the group's imagination. On an operational level, I don't think they have ever been able to replace his experience," he said.

Experts agree the arrest was a major setback for bin Laden's terror network, and one from which the group has never quite recovered.

North Korea To Shut Down Nuke Reactor

According to AP:

North Korea told delegates at nuclear talks on Saturday that it is preparing to shut down its main reactor,South Korea's chief nuclear envoy said, a key step promised in a landmark disarmament pact.

The apparent progress in implementing last month's agreement came only hours after North Korea's lead nuclear envoy said his government would not close its main nuclear facility until all $25 million of its money frozen in a Macau bank is released.

But U.S. Assistant Secretary of States Christopher Hill, the top American envoy, said late Saturday that the North was still "fulfilling their obligations."

At one follow-up meeting Saturday, another North Korean diplomat, Kim Song Gi, said North Korea has "begun preparations to shut down its Yongbyon nuclear facility," South Korean envoy Chun Yung-woo told reporters afterward.

Kim promised that North Korea will submit a list of its nuclear programs and disable its nuclear facility "as soon as the right conditions are created," Chun said, without explaining what the conditions were.

Under the Feb. 13 agreement, which involves the United States, China, Japan and Russia as well as the two Koreas, North Korea has 60 days to shutter the Yongbyon reactor and a plutonium processing plant which have produced material for a nuclear weapons program.

U.N. monitors are supposed to be allowed in North Korea to verify the shutdown, and once confirmed North Korea is to receive energy and economic assistance.

As part of the disarmament meetings in Beijing, Hill said he would push North Korea to disclose all its nuclear programs, including an alleged uranium enrichment program.

Chlorine Gas Attack Injures 356 in Iraq Bombing

AP Reports That:

Multiple suicide bombings struck the Sunni insurgent stronghold of Anbar province, and about 350 Iraqi civilians and six U.S. troops were treated for exposure to chlorine gas, the military said Saturday. At least two policemen also were killed in the attacks.

The violence started Friday afternoon when a driver detonated the explosives in a pickup truck northeast of Ramadi, wounding one U.S. service member and one Iraqi civilian, the military said in a statement.

That was followed by a similar explosion involving a dump truck south of Fallujah in Amiriyah that killed two policemen and left as many as 100 residents showing signs of chlorine exposure, with symptoms ranging from minor skin and lung irritations to vomiting, the military said.

Another suicide bomber detonated a dump truck containing a 200-gallon chlorine tank rigged with explosives Friday evening, also south of Fallujah in the Albu Issa tribal region, the military said. U.S. forces responded to the attack and found about 250 local civilians, including seven children, suffering from symptoms related to chlorine exposure, according to the statement.

Suicide car bombers have used chlorine against Iraqis in Anbar a total of five times since Jan. 28, it said.

Friday, March 16, 2007

Another Hollywood Moron Weighs In

Suggests U.S. tortured Mohammed, 'robbed him of humanity' to get false confession

According to WorldNet Daily:

Rosie O'Donnell, hosting ABC's popular "The View" morning show, came to the defense of terrorist Khalid Sheikh Mohammed today, suggesting the government elicited a false confession from the 9/11 mastermind by using torture, robbing him of his humanity and treating him like an animal.

A transcript of Mohammed's confession to 31 terrorist attacks was released today, but O'Donnell argued it came only after having a "hood on his head and being beaten to death."

Pointing out Mohammed was arrested in March 2003, O'Donnell asked, "Why hasn't he admitted it until now?" according to clips posted on the weblog HotAir.com.

"They didn't allow reporters there and he hasn't had a lawyer," the talk show host stated, insinuating the confession was coerced with no accountability.

Defending U.S. handling of Mohammed, co-panelist Elisabeth Hasselbeck asked, "You don't think he had ties to any of (the terrorist acts)?"

"I think the man has been under custody in secret CIA torture prisons and Guantanamo Bay where torture is accepted and allowed and he finally is the guy who admits to doing everything," O'Donnell said. "They finally found the guy, it's not that guy bin Laden, it's this guy they've had since March 2003."


O'Donnell added:
"And look, this is the picture they release of him. Doesn't he look healthy?"

The photo of an unkempt Mohammed, however, was taken upon his arrest four years ago.

O'Donnell then argued terrorists are people too, and asserted the U.S. "robs them of their humanity."


"They've been treating them like animals … they have hoods over their heads, they torture them on a daily basis," she said.

Suggesting the U.S. is looking for a scapegoat, O'Donnell said of Mohammed,
"for whatever he did or didn't do, he is not the be all, end all of terrorism in America. And our government has not found the answer in this one man."


In November, O'Donnell told Hasselbeck in an exchange on "The View" that Americans shouldn't fear terrorists.

"Faith or fear, that's your choice," she said.

"You can walk through life believing in the goodness of the world, or walk through life afraid of anyone who thinks different than you and trying to convert them to your way of thinking."

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Hillary Flip Flops on Iraq Already

According to NewsMax:

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., says that if she is elected president, she will keep a reduced military presence in Iraq.


In an interview with the N.Y. Times, Clinton said that under her administration a "remaining military as well as political mission" would stay in Iraq to deter al-Qaida and Iranian aggression, as well as protect the Kurds and bolster the Iraqi military.

Clinton discloser is a departure from her usual "bring the troops home" stance.

Without pinpointing the number of American troops she would keep in Iraq, she said that the continued presence was necessary to the "remaining vital national security interests in Iraq," according to the Times report.

Thus far in her stump speeches, Clinton has consistently pledged to end the war if the fighting is still ongoing as she takes office as president.

"If we in Congress don't end this war before January 2009, as president, I will,"
she has said.

School Requires 14 Year Olds To Sign Non-Disclosure Agreement After Attending "Gay" Seminar

According to WorldNet Daily:

Officials at Deerfield High School in Deerfield, Ill., have ordered their 14 year old freshman class into a "gay" indoctrination seminar, after having them sign a confidentiality agreement promising not to tell their parents.

"This is unbelievable," said Matt Barber, policy director for cultural issues for Concerned Women for America. "It's not enough that students at Deerfield High are being exposed to improper and offensive material relative to unhealthy and high-risk homosexual behavior, but they've essentially been told by teachers to lie to their parents about it."

In what CWA called a "shocking and brazen act of government abuse of parental rights," the school's officials required the 14 year-olds to attend a "Gay Straight Alliance Network" panel discussion led by "gay" and "lesbian" upperclassmen during a "freshman advisory" class which "secretively featured inappropriate discussions of a sexual nature in promotion of high-risk homosexual behaviors."

He said not only is forcing students to be exposed to the pro-homosexual propaganda bad enough, but then school officials further required that students sign the "confidentiality agreement" through which they promised not to tell anyone, including their own parents, about the seminar.

The situation, according to district Supt. George Fornero, was partly "a mistake."

He told CWA, the nation's largest public policy women's organization, that requiring children to sign the confidentiality agreement wasn't right and the district would be honest with parents in the future about such seminars. But CWA noted that even after the district was caught, parents still were being told they were not welcome to be at the "freshman advisory" and they were not allowed to have access to materials used in compiling the activist curriculum.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed Beheaded Daniel Pearl

According to AP:

Transcripts show that suspected 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed confessed to the beheading of American journalist Daniel Pearl, according to a revised transcript released by the U.S. military.

"I decapitated with my blessed right hand the head of the American Jew, Daniel Pearl, in the city of Karachi, Pakistan,"
Mohammed is quoted as saying in a transcript of a military hearing at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, that was released Thursday by the Pentagon.

Mohammed's claimed involvement in Pearl's 2002 slaying was among 31 attacks and plots, some of which never occurred, he took responsibility for in a hearing Saturday at the U.S. naval prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the Pentagon said. It released the bulk of the transcript late Wednesday, but held back on the section about Pearl's killing to allow time for his family to be notified, said department spokesman Bryan Whitman.

Renewed Sense of Hope in Iraq

The Iraqi people have a "renewed sense of hope," a senior U.S. diplomat said in Baghdad today.


At a news conference, Daniel Speckhardt, charge d'affaires for the U.S. Embassy in Iraq, said he has been assigned in Iraq for almost two years, and that part of the sense of hope is due to increasing confidence in the Baghdad security plan.

Speckhardt added that this sense of hope goes beyond Baghdad, noting that people in Anbar province are getting this sense from local tribal sheikhs who are joining Iraqi security forces and banding with coalition forces to fight al Qaeda. He also pointed to Karbala, where an estimated 6 million Shiia pilgrims performed religious rites tied in with the religious holiday of Arbaeen.

"The last 30 days have seen important developments in the history of Iraq,"
Speckhardt said. The Iraqi government has taken steps to improve security, governance, economic development and economic opportunities, he noted.

"At the end of February, the Iraqi parliament's Council of Ministers passed a hydrocarbon law that outlines the equitable sharing of Iraq's oil wealth," he said. This is the first of five laws that must be passed. Varying estimates say Iraq has either the second-most or the most proven reserves of oil and gas in the world.

"Not only does this lay the groundwork for the future prosperity of all Iraqis, it is notable that in the midst of violence, Iraqi leaders are crossing sectarian and ethnic lines and continue to come together to in support a unified, democratic and inclusive Iraq and the development of its resources and the sharing of its wealth," Speckhardt said.

The Iraqi government also showed how it has grown by hosting the Neighbors' Conference last weekend. "This is the first international conference here in Baghdad since 1990," Speckhardt said. "The conference ended with regional and international partners issuing a pledge to fight terrorism and enhance security in support of the goal of peace and security for the people of Iraq."

Iran and Syria -- along with Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan, Turkey and the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council -- attended the conference. "This was an important first step in the government of Iraq building cooperation from all neighbors, stemming the violence, supporting reconciliation and addressing economic concerns," he said.

Speckhardt said terrorists are getting "more frantic" in their efforts to disrupt progress.

While he said is encouraged, Speckhardt acknowledged there is no magic bullet to solve all of Iraq's problems. "These challenges will require Iraqi solutions, and from what we've seen in the past month, this government is honestly facing these problems," he said.

Khalid Sheikh Muhammad Admits to Masterminding 9/11 Attacks

Suspected al Qaeda operative Khalid Sheikh Muhammad has admitted masterminding the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks as well as the World Trade Center bombing in 1993.

"I was responsible for the 9/11 operation, from A to Z,"
an interpreter read from Muhammad's statement to the Combatant Status Review Tribunal on March 10 in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The tribunal was an administrative trial to determine only whether Muhammad could be designated as an enemy combatant. Muhammad used the opportunity to submit, through an interpreter, a two-part personal statement with 38 terrorism-related admissions.

He led the list by pledging his jihad allegiance to Osama bin Laden and finished with an admission to trying to destroy the American oil company in Indonesia owned by former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.

Muhammad claimed responsibility for the 2001 attempted shoe bombing of American Airlines Flight 63 from Paris.

He offered a chilling confession to "managing and following up on the Cell for the Production of Biological Weapons, such as anthrax and others, and following up on Dirty Bomb Operations on American soil."

He also named four other skyscrapers that were supposed to be destroyed in a "second wave" of attacks after 9/11. They were the Library Tower in Los Angeles, the Sears Tower in Chicago, the Plaza Bank in Seattle and the Empire State Building in New York City.

"I shared responsibility for the assassination attempt against Pope John Paul II while he was visiting the Philippines,"
Muhammad also admitted.

Muhammad's lengthy closing oral statement began with a pledge to Allah in Arabic followed by a refusal to take an oath as part of the tribunal. He explained that he was not lying, but that his religious beliefs prevented him taking the oath and thereby accepting, at least in part, American law and its constitution.

Muhammad went on to say that he was not trying to make himself out to be a hero, but an enemy of America.

He drew a comparison between bin Laden and George Washington, both fighting for independence, and said that the term terrorist is "deceiving." He said that during the Revolutionary War, Washington would have been considered a terrorist by the British.

Muhammad said he did not like to kill people, especially children.

"I don't like to kill people. I feel very sorry they been killed kids in 9/11," Muhammad said in broken English. But, he said, their deaths are part of the "language" of war."


He closed by stating that war is part of life and that it will never stop.

Unclassified transcripts of the tribunal are online at: www.defenselink.mil/news/Combatant_Tribunals.html at the bottom of the page.

Muhammad's tribunal was one of three for the 14 high-value detainees who were transferred Sept. 6 to Guantanamo Bay from CIA custody.

Proceedings were March 9 for Abu Faraj al-Libi, an alleged senior member of al Qaeda, and Ramzi bin al-Shibh, who is said to have helped Muhammad plan the Sept. 11 attacks.

Shibh also elected to not participate in the tribunal. His personal representative said that Shibh was "uncooperative and unresponsive."

Evidence submitted by the U.S. government against Shibh included a diary recovered in a 2004 raid detailing his involvement in the Sept. 11 attacks. He was also identified on a videotape of potential suicide operatives, the evidence cited. Shibh attempted to obtain a U.S. visa four times in 2000 for the purpose of attending flight school here, the evidence states. All applications were rejected.

Many other connections to pre-9/11 terrorist activities were cited in the evidence, including wiring money to the actual terrorist hijackers.

Libi elected to not participate in the tribunal, citing through his personal representative that his freedom "far too important to be decided by an administrative process" and that he is awaiting legal proceedings.

Evidence submitted against Libi included sources who stated that Libi was the supervisor of an al Qaeda training camp in Afghanistan. Computer and other documentation were seized during his capture that contained manuals for explosives, detonators, chemicals, military tactics, missiles and tanks.

CSRTs are a one-time administrative process used to determine whether detainees at Guantanamo Bay can be designated as enemy combatants. No decisions have been made about the detainees' status.

Not all of the three detainees chose to participate in the CSRT proceedings. It was not released which detainees did or did not participate. The detainees have a right to personal representation and to receive an unclassified summary of evidence in advance of the hearing.

The CSRTs for the detainees were not open to media because of national security concerns.

The U.S. government established the CSRT process at Guantanamo Bay as a result of a June 2004 Supreme Court decision in the case of Salim Ahmed Hamdan, a former driver for bin Laden who challenged his detention at Guantanamo Bay. Between July 2004 and March 2005, DoD held 558 CSRTs at Guantanamo Bay. At the time, 38 detainees were determined to no longer meet the definition of enemy combatant, and 520 detainees were found to be enemy combatants.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Downturn in Violence, Increased Confidence in Iraq

Violence is down in Iraq and Iraqis "are starting to see this growth and gaining new confidence," a coalition spokesman in Baghdad said today.

Army Maj. Gen. William Caldwell told reporters at a news conference that the decrease in violence has created an opportunity for new progress.

Combined efforts between coalition forces and Iraqi fighting forces have brought down the level of violence in the Iraqi capital, Caldwell said.

"Iraqi forces are getting better each day, and are demonstrating the commitment needed to defend the government and the people," he added.

He cited two recent incidents in which Iraqi forces demonstrated their willingness to defend all citizens. On March 10, a terrorist attempted to penetrate Sadr City, a Shiia enclave in Eastern Baghdad. Seven Iraqi soldiers manning a checkpoint were killed, but the the unit foiled the attack. Had the bomber been able to gain access, hundreds could have been killed, Caldwell said.

On March 12, another terrorist tried to take a car bomb into a crowded area in Ramadi.
"The Iraqi security forces did not let him succeed," Caldwell said. "They stopped him at the gate with small-arms fire, causing him to prematurely detonate his car bomb."


The attack wounded three Iraqi soldiers and eight civilians, including two children. But the actions of the Iraqi forces prevented a greater tragedy, the general said.

In both cases, terrorists were again "trying to spark that cycle of violence by creating another high-profile massacre," Caldwell said.

"For decades, the Iraqi army was used to divide and oppress the Iraqi people," he said. "Now the Iraqi people are being protected by an Iraqi army that is demonstrating great resolve and is starting to prove its loyalty to all."

The decrease in violence allows political and economic progress in the country, Caldwell said. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki - a Shiia Muslim - visited Ramadi yesterday and met with Sunni tribal leaders and the Anbar provincial governor. The prime minister said terrorists driven from Baghdad as part of the security plan will try to move to other areas of the country. He promised to help the provincial forces fight the insurgents.

All of this requires patience and determination, Caldwell said. The Baghdad security plan is well started, but it is in its early stage, Caldwell said. Two of the five U.S. brigades that ultimately will work in the city have arrived, and another is in Kuwait. Defense Department officials said the surge will be finished by the end of May.

"We are seeing positive signs in the streets," Caldwell said. "There are signs that life is improving for the people in Iraq. There has been a decrease in violence, but things need to get better. We still need to be patient."


Caldwell said the way forward in Iraq requires more than the military.
"We can and we will win every battle," he said.
"But we cannot win the peace alone. In the end, Iraq needs political and economic solutions."

Study Shows Need for Unbiased Domestic Violence Services

Many men suffer physical abuse from their female partners, live in fear of them, and are denied help by the domestic violence system, according to a ground-breaking study recently published in the Journal of Family Violence.

The study describes 190 male callers to a domestic violence hotline, men from all walks of life who found that resources for males seeking help with an abusive female partner are virtually nonexistent. It appears to be common for abusive wives to use controlling behaviors, and they are especially prone to using their children as pawns to control their husbands. And federally funded shelters and hotlines commonly deny services to men, and ignore Congress' stated intent that services are to be provided to victims regardless of gender.

Co-author Edward Dunning explains that the idea for the study was conceived by Mark Rosenthal, now President of Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting (RADAR). "I worked closely with Mark during his term as a member of the helpline's board. He broached the idea that the data we'd been collecting was the only data in the world at that time on the characteristics of men who've been subjected to violence by the women in their lives. He realized that this data could be an invaluable resource in furthering society's understanding of the dynamics of family violence."

"The situations described by these callers are hardly surprising to anyone who has followed high-profile cases of female violence" explains Rosenthal.

"Clara Harris, for example, repeatedly drove over her husband while their daughter begged her not to kill her father. Men are not the only victims of a system that refuses to recognize that some women can be abusive. The children in these families are also victimized when the parent they look to for protection is denied help for no reason other than having been born male."

Dunning, co-founder of the Family Interventions Project in Vacaville, Calif. began answering helpline calls shortly after completing a study of men and women convicted of domestic violence. Both that study and the one just published explored the dynamics of intimate partner violence using the Duluth Power and Control Wheel.
"Conventional wisdom holds that all domestic violence stems from male power and control, as evident in DV laws and policies. Both of these studies strongly indicate that this belief system is incorrect. Females are equally capable of power and control behaviors."

"Allowing callers to define their own problems in their own words provided a method of controlling for researcher bias and yielded practical information on working with males in abusive relationships," says Dunning. After the data had been collected by Dunning and Jan Brown, the helpline's founder, and Rosenthal had written custom software for recording the data, researcher Denise Hines, then of the Univ. of New Hampshire Family Research Laboratory, did statistical analysis and collaborated
with Dunning on authoring the paper.

Violence Down in Baghdad Since Month Old "Surge"

According to Reuters:

Civilian deaths and militant attacks in Baghdad have fallen sharply since a U.S. backed Baghdad security plan was launched a month ago, an Iraqi military spokesman said on Wednesday.

Brigadier Qassim Moussawi said the number of Iraqis killed by violence in the capital since Feb. 14 was 265, a sharp reduction from the 1,440 Iraqis killed in the 30-day period before the plan went into effect.

The number of car bombings was down to 36 from 56, Moussawi told a news conference. Roadside bombs, mortar attacks, kidnappings and assassinations were also down.


General Abboud Qanbar, the commander of the offensive, warned militants to abandon their fight or face further force.

"I present a clear message to those terrorists and those who don't want the plan to succeed and return security to Baghdad, to recalculate their positions and return to using logic and the correct path before its too late,"
he said.

"Otherwise the feet of Mesopotamia's honourable soldiers will crush them and throw them into the garbage of history,"
Qanbar added.

Huge Decline in US Military Deaths in Iraq Since "Surge"

According to the Kuwait News Agency:

The rate of killings of US troops in Iraq has been on the decline, down by 60 percent, since the launch of the new security measures in Baghdad, according to statistics revealed by the Multi-National Force Iraq Combined Press Information Centre.

Only 17 members of the US military in Iraq have been killed since February 14 till March 13, compared to 42 from January 13 to February 13; the rate was on the decline during the first month of the security crackdown, compared to a month before.

Two of the 17 soldiers died at US Baghdad camps of non-combat causes.


The remarkable decrease in killings among the US troops came at a time when more of these troops were deployed in the Iraqi capital, especially in districts previously regarded as extremely hazardous for them such as Al-Sadr City, Al-Azamiyah, and Al-Doura.

Meanwhile, US attacks on insurgent strongholds north of Baghdad curbed attacks against helicopters. Before the new security plan, many such craft were downed leaving 20 soldiers dead.

The US army in Iraq had earlier said that sectarian fighting and violence in Baghdad had dropped sharply, by about 80 percent, since the launch of the plan.

"Don't expect to hear any of this information from the Main Stream News Media...J.R."

Dems: "We're So Confused....."

The Washington Times reported Friday:
"For all the fanfare surrounding the announcement of the House Democrats' Iraq war plan, few members seem to understand the specifics in the bill or when it would actually bring troops home."


At one press conference, Rep. Maxine Waters, now serving her 9th term in the House of Representatives, declared that under the Out of Iraq Caucus's plan, the United States could remove U.S. troops from Iraq "by August of 1980".

Then, Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Illinois, reasoning that 1980 had already taken place, said the actual date was August 2008.

Rep. Lloyd Doggett suggested that Mr. Bush, "the misleader," was to blame for his colleagues' confusion.

Rep. Lynn Woolsey, California Democrat, tried to explain the caucus plan, but stumbled over the chronology of the withdrawal, saying at one point that it would take place in the "20th century." She became flustered, then said:

"Actually, we want our troops home with their families by Christmas."


The caucus proposal is "confusing," said Mrs. Waters, noting the obvious as Capitol Hill reporters managed to stifle laughter.

Meanwhile, a rival press conference staged by Mrs. Pelosi and the House Democratic Leadership was if anything even more incoherent, as Mrs. Pelosi flailed away, trying to explain a convoluted series of benchmarks for "progress" in Iraq later this year.

After members of the Capitol Hill press corps giggled and said they were confused, an exasperated Mrs. Pelosi finally blurted out:

"No matter what, by March 2008, the redeployment begins."


Rep. David Obey, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, dazzled reporters with his incoherence, stating that:

"our troops must be out of a combat role by October -- I mean by August of 19 of 2007."

Mrs. Pelosi then reminded him that the correct date was actually 2008.

Rep. John Murtha, chairman of the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, and committee staffers were unable to say precisely how much money was in the Iraq supplemental bill the panel was considering.

"Can you just imagine if President Bush had made any of these misstatements, the Dems would have been all over him like a cheap suit."...J.R.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Fred Thompson Not Registered To Vote ?

According to the Chattanoogan.com State Democrats cannot find any record of former Senator Fred Thompson being registered to vote in Tennessee.

Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Gray Sasser said,

"As Sen. Thompson considers whether or not he should run for president, he also should consider whether or not he should register to vote in Tennessee.

"While we do not normally make it a practice to recruit more Republican voters to Tennessee, we would welcome Senator Thompson rejoining the roles of registered voters in the Volunteer State."


He added:
"After reviewing the state's voter file and consulting with state officials, it does not appear that Fred Dalton Thompson is a registered voter in the state of Tennessee.

"I hope that Sen. Thompson will clear up any ambiguity and let us know whether he is registered in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, Hollywood, California or somewhere else."


Chris Devaney, executive director of the Tennessee Republican Party, responded:

"The Democrat Party is obviously nervous about a Fred Thompson run for the presidency or they wouldn't be putting out such desperate releases. They know if Fred Thompson runs, the Democrats are in trouble."

"24" Actor : "I can't handle Living in America anymore"

According to WorldNet Daily, James Cromwell, who plays Jack Bauer's father on "24", told the London Telegraph that he can't stand living in America anymore.

Cromwell told the London Telegraph:

"I can't handle living in the United States of America when I know the last two elections were rigged, and that we were denied our right to vote, where we live in a country where 32 percent of the people vote and even those people's votes don't count, and the people who should really have a stake, kids, don't have any say at all, people of color, very little to say, unions, practically nothing any more, we're losing our jobs."


Mr. Cromwell touts the liberal left mantra as evidenced by his statement above. There is no evidence that the last two elections were rigged, or evidence that anyone was DENIED their right to vote. The fact that only 32 percent of the people vote attests to what America is all about, if you wish to vote you do, if you don't, you stay home.

Kids don't have any say ? So is he suggesting that we allow 5 year olds to vote ? People of color have very little to say ? Then why are both parties always looking for their vote ?

Unions ? I am not even going to begin on that one. If he had his way Unions would probably be running the country.

"We're losing our jobs", apparently Mr. Cromwell does not keep up on current events, unemployment is at an all time low, but don't let that fact get in the way, after all he is on a roll.

I don't see Mr. Cromwell starving or unemployed, as a matter of fact I'm sure he makes a fat salary as Jack Bauer's father and other various roles he's played over the years, making a nice living here in the good ol' USA.

So what about it, James ? How can someone who can't stand to live in America, play in a series such as "24" which has been criticised as putting Muslims in a bad light.

Here's his answer, folks:

"I am on the horns of a dilemma, I can walk away if I think it's really bad," Cromwell explains. "It's hard to explain. It's a job."


In other words, I am making big money here in the country I can't handle anymore.

Hey James, If you don't like it here, I have six words for you:

"Delta is ready when you are !"

Monday, March 12, 2007

NPS Demonstration Permit for GOE - UNACCEPTABLE

The National Park Service in Washington, DC has authorized demonstrations areas that are unacceptable for the purpose of the GOE counter demonstration on March 17. Here is a map of the area:




It is fairly obvious to most casual observer that the areas do not provide GOE with a good position from which to defend the wall and nearby statues from being defaced by the A.N.S.W.E.R. protestors from the West. However, Harry Riley, COL, USA, Ret., Gathering of Eagles Co-Coordinator reports that "BOTTOM LINE: AS UNACCEPTABLE AS THE PERMIT GRANTED IS, WE WILL BE ABLE TO PROTECT THE VIETNAM MEMORIAL WALL"

The Troops Have A Little Fun !

This is a video that was made by a British unit in Iraq. Looks like they are having fun doing it.

Troops having fun in Iraq

At the time of the posting I did not realize this was an older video of troops in Iraq having fun. I have since learned that it was a British unit that made it. It was posted on Jan 7 of this year.

It's still worth watching though.!

You Tube has it also:

Sunday, March 11, 2007

Court Overturns D.C. Gun Ban !

Federal appeals judges' opinion declares 2nd Amendment grants individual right

In a major decision addressing interpretation of the Second Amendment, a federal appeals court today overturned the District of Columbia's handgun ban, declaring the constitutional right to bear arms is not limited to militias as the city had argued.

The majority opinion in the 2-1 decision said activities protected by the Second Amendment
"are not limited to militia service, nor is an individual's enjoyment of the right contingent upon his or her continued intermittent enrollment in the militia."

The judges also ruled unconstitutional the city's requirement that registered firearms be kept unloaded, disassembled and under trigger lock.

Writing for the majority, Judge Laurence Silberman said the Second Amendment's "prefatory language announcing the desirability of a well regulated militia – even bearing in mind the breadth of the concept of a militia – is narrower than the guarantee of an individual right to keep and bear arms."

"The Amendment does not protect 'the right of militiamen to keep and bear arms,' but rather 'the right of the people,'"
the judges asserted.

The opinion continued:


"The operative clause, properly read, protects the ownership and use of weaponry beyond that needed to preserve the state militias. Again, we point out that if the competent drafters of the Second Amendment had meant the right to be limited to the protection of state militias, it is hard to imagine that they would have chosen the language they did. We therefore take it as an expression of the drafters’ view that the people possessed a natural right to keep and bear arms, and that the preservation of the militia was the right’s most salient political benefit—and thus the most appropriate to express in a political document."


Silberman said in his opinion, however, the Second Amendment is still "subject to the same sort of reasonable restrictions that have been recognized as limiting, for instance, the First Amendment," including gun registration, firearms testing and restrictions on ownership for criminals or the mentally ill.

The decision overturns a 2004 ruling by a lower-court judge who told six D.C. residents – seeking to be armed for protection – they did not have a constitutional right to own handguns.

In dissent of today's decision, Judge Karen Henderson wrote the Second Amendment does not apply to D.C. because it is not a state.

'Law & Order' Fred Thompson for President

TV star is pro-life, opposes gun control, supports troop surge, pardon for Libby

Is America ready for a "Law & Order" president?

Actor Fred Thompson, star of the NBC crime drama, thinks so, and is seriously considering a run for the White House.

"I'm giving some thought to it. Going to leave the door open," Thompson, a former U.S. senator from Tennessee, said on "Fox News Sunday." "A lot of people think it's late already. I don't really think it is, although the rules of the game have changed somewhat. ... I think people are somewhat disillusioned. I think a lot of people are cynical out there. I think they're looking for something different."

The 64-year-old Republican said he was thinking about a bid after former Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker and other Republicans touted his possible GOP candidacy, trumpeting his conservative positions.

On the issues, Thompson says he:


Opposes gun control. "You check my record. You'll find I'm pretty consistent on that issue."

Opposes same-sex marriage, but would let states decide on civil unions. "Marriage is between a man and a woman, and judges shouldn't be allowed to change that."

Opposes abortion. "I think Roe vs. Wade was bad law and bad medical science. And the way to address that is through good judges. I don't think the court ought to wake up one day and make new social policy for the country. It's contrary to what it's been the past 200 years."

Supports President Bush's troop surge in Iraq. "Wars are full of mistakes. You rectify things. I think we're doing that now."

Supports an immediate pardon for former White House Aide Lewis "Scooter" Libby. "This is a trial that never would have been brought in any other part of the world. This is a miscarriage of justice. One man and his wife and 14-year-old and 10-year-old children are bearing the brunt of a political maelstrom here that produced something that never should have come about."


Regarding illegal immigration, Thompson said:


We woke up one day after years of neglect and apparently discovered that we have somewhere between 12 million and 20 million illegal aliens in this country. So it became an impossible situation to deal with. I mean, there's really no good solution. So what do you do? You have to start over. Well, I'm concerned about the next 12 million or 20 million. So that's why enforcement, and enforcement at the border, has to be primary.

I think most people feel disillusioned after 1986 when we had this deal offered to them before, and now we're insisting that, you know, we solve the security problem first, and then we'll talk about what to do with regard to other things – certainly no amnesty or nothing blanket like that.

But figure out some way to make some differentiation between the kind of people that we have here.

You know, if you have the right kind of policies, and you're not encouraging people to come here and encouraging them to stay once they're here, they'll go back, many of them, of their own volition, instead of having to, you know, load up moving vans and rounding people up. That's not going to happen.

Gathering of Eagles Petition - Please Sign It.

There are two petitions now up online. One for people to sign only if they WILL be at the Gathering of Eagles on March 17th:
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/GOE31707/petition.html

The second petition is for those who will be with us in spirit:

http://www.PetitionOnline.com/GOE317/petition.html

This will be very helpful in giving us some idea of how many Eagles will be in attendance on the 17th and how many will be supporting us from home.

If you plan to be there, sign in. Those who just can’t attend but stand with us in spirit are asked to sign the second petition.


755 so far have signed in as attending.

940 have signed is an with us in spirit.


(as of 1214 CST, March9th)

Air Strike Targets Taliban; Five Terrorists Detained in Afghanistan

Afghan and coalition forces captured five suspected terrorists early today near Jalalabad, Afghanistan, during a search for individuals believed to be responsible for transporting and hiding al Qaeda terrorists and other fighters moving into and around Nangarhar province, officials said.

No shots were fired, and there were no injures to Afghan or coalition forces.

Yesterday in the Gereshk district of Helmand province, a precision air strike targeted a Taliban weapons facilitator. Officials said the goal of the operation was to destroy a command element of the Taliban's terrorist organization responsible for facilitating the movement of anti-aircraft weapons in southern Afghanistan.

The air strike, using precision-guided munitions, targeted the suspected terrorist's vehicle when he stopped to meet with other suspected terrorists in an isolated area, officials said.

Coalition Forces Killed Terrorist Capture 61 Others

Coalition forces killed one terrorist and captured 61 others during various raids and operations throughout Iraq over the past three days.

Today, during operations targeting al Qaeda in Iraq and foreign fighter facilitators, combined forces captured a suspected foreign terrorist facilitation network leader and one of his associates west of Abu Ghraib, officials said.

Elsewhere today, combined forces captured four suspects northwest of Karmah and three suspects in Fallujah. The seven suspects had alleged ties to al Qaeda in Iraq and foreign-fighter facilitation.

Northeast of Asad, coalition forces detained three suspects who allegedly operate an al Qaeda associated foreign fighter training camp, and coalition forces captured three suspected al Qaeda members operating west of Taji.

"Coalition forces are working diligently to eliminate al Qaeda and foreign facilitation networks in Iraq," said Army Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman.

In other developments, six Iraqi army soldiers were killed when they stopped a car bomb from entering Sadr City yesterday, officials said. The vehicle was attempting to maneuver through an Iraqi checkpoint just south of the Sadr City security district when troops from 1st Battalion 1st Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army, stopped it at the checkpoint. After stopping, the explosives in the vehicle were detonated. In addition to killing six soldiers, approximately 20 civilians were injured by the blast, officials said.

Also in Sadr City, special Iraqi army forces with coalition advisors detained six suspected terrorists believed to be associated with the Jaysh al-Mahdi militia. The Iraqi-led operation was targeting a rogue element believed to be responsible for numerous kidnappings and murders of Iraqi civilians, officials said. It is also implicated in conducing IED attacks targeting coalition and Iraqi security forces in the area.

Elsewhere yesterday, a terrorist was killed after he began firing on coalition ground forces operating near Taji. Eighteen other suspected terrorists were captured during the operation, including an alleged member of the al Qaeda-associated terrorist group Islamic State of Iraq.

During air assault operations yesterday, special Iraqi security forces and coalition advisors captured three suspected members of an improvised-explosive-device cell in Tarmiyah, north of Baghdad. The suspects are implicated in detonating a car bomb near a water factory in Tarmiyah and for targeting an Iraqi police station two weeks ago. Officials also believe the suspects are involved in placing IEDs targeting coalition and Iraqi security forces in the area, officials said. There was minimal damage to the objective and no civilian or coalition casualties.

Meanwhile, coalition forces conducted several raids in Mosul. One raid targeted terrorists believed to have been involved in the distribution of weapons during a January attack on an Iraqi police station. Three terrorists were captured during the raid. Another raid in Mosul netted two terrorists believed to have direct involvement in the facilitation of foreign fighters into Iraq.

Coalition forces also conducted a raid in Ramadi yesterday, detaining one terrorist with alleged foreign fighter ties, officials said.

"Coalition forces continue to systematically disrupt al Qaeda in Iraq operations, restrict the flow of foreign fighters and reduce the terrorist organization's manpower pool,"
Garver said.

South of Baghdad a day earlier, 5th Battalion 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, soldiers with support from 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, paratroopers conducted a targeted operation that resulted in the capture of 10 detainees and a weapons cache near Arab Jabour, officials said. The cache consisted of six AK-47s, 13 AK-47 ammunition magazines, one rifle, one ammunition bandolier, 13 cellular phones, 39 7.62 mm ammunition rounds and several pieces of anti-coalition propaganda. The raid was the third in a month with Iraqi army forces taking the lead with support from coalition forces, officials said.

Also on March 9, coalition forces conducted a raid in Mosul and detained three terrorists suspected of foreign-fighter facilitation and possible involvement in a recent prison break.

Troop Talk Radio Show - Voice of the Troops



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