Islammunism v. Freedom
9/30/2006
Second Amendment Carnival V
Welcome to the Fifth edition of the Second Amendment Carnival!Providing the best 2nd Amendment coverage the blogosphere has to offer.
...if the persons intrusted with supreme power become usurpers, the... districts of which it consists, having no distinct government in each, can take no regular measures for defense. The citizens must rush tumultuously to arms, without concert, without system, without resource; except in their courage and despair. The usurpers, clothed with the forms of legal authority, can too often crush the opposition in embryo. -Alexander Hamilton
The Last Action Hero, on the wrong side of the War on Guns.
And help ask this candidate to not turn his back on the 2nd Amendment.
Acme Anvil shares our feelings with the passing of Colonel Jeff Cooper.
And should we be hating guns or reducing crime?
Front Sight, Press notices his gun is inanimate, so why all the gun crime?
Banning guns where they are most needed, considered a win for the cities?!? If we now could only figure out how to make criminals obey the law. Times like this require a Keyboard and a .45
Liars and their Second Amendment victims. Don't Say Uncle to the anti-gunners.
Hungry for 2nd Amendment news? Then Gun Law News is Thanksgiving dinner.
What a shocker, Alphecca on Dianne Feinstein and her blocking of ATF legislation.
Got your tickets to the Gun blogger rendezvous? Better hurry.
As always, there are guns galore at the Carnival of Cordite.
Perhaps another reason the UN wants a gun ban. Better know your Arms and the Law, and that you might be criminalized as a victim
Michael Bane discovers the unintended consequences of gun control. The Squirrel apocalypse!
Don't agitate the Agitator, or have a SWAT team invade the wrong address, again.
"the ultimate authority ... resides in the people alone" -James Madison
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Many thanks to all those who participated in this edition, and stay tuned for Carnival VI. If you would like to participate in the next 2nd Amendment Carnival please go here, or submit via email to freeconstitution-at-gmail.com
9/29/2006
Tyranny
It's late. But as I prepare everything for the Carnival tomorrow, I can't help but post this video. It is very relevant, and largely IS the essence of what our Constitution serves to prevent.
Tiananmen. June, 1989
Homeland Security Hindering Border Awareness
Cross Posted from the Uncooperative Blogger:
From the San Bernadino Sun:
Congressmen who visit the U.S.-Mexico border unannounced are being monitored by the Department of Homeland Security, and at least one U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent has been suspended for speaking to a congressman without first getting supervisory clearance, according to documents obtained by the Daily Bulletin.
Congressional members interviewed by the newspaper said they were unaware until recently that Border Patrol agents were required to file Significant Incident Reports - normally used for shootings and other serious border incidents - when congressional members made unannounced visits in the summer along the U.S.-Mexico border.
A second document obtained by the paper reveals that one agent was suspended for 10 days without pay for speaking with Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, who made an unannounced visit to the border in May.
“Preventing Congress from speaking freely to federal employees violates at least two federal statutes, and agents are fearful of telling the truth,” said King, who recounted several visits to the Mexican border when Border Patrol agents would not speak with him for fear of reprisal.
“Filing these reports is a form of intimidation. If anyone is going to be punished, then they should be punished for not speaking to a member of Congress, rather than for telling the truth.”
Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas, who also has made unannounced visits to the border, said he is concerned congressional oversight of border matters has suffered as a result of the Homeland Security monitoring. Poe echoed King’s assertion that forcing agents to file reports is a form of intimidation, and said Congress is prepared to call for hearings and issue subpoenas to investigate the matter.
“Members of Congress should not be under surveillance by Homeland Security because we ask the tough questions (of) border agents, and border agents should not be intimidated into having to report our visits and conversations with them like we are criminals,” Poe said. “Members of Congress are not the enemy because we want to find out the truth at the border.”
I keep wondering what they have to gain from playing down the situation on the border? You would think the opposite would be true, that they would want them to know how bad it is so they get more men, tools and money; that is usually the way it works.
A Tucson Border Patrol agent, whose name is being withheld for fear of reprisal, was suspended on Aug. 21 for 10 consecutive days without pay for speaking with King while on duty, according to a suspension letter obtained by the newspaper.
Office of Border Patrol officials, who had heard that congressional members were making unannounced visits to the border, discovered the identity of the agent while performing an Internet search, when they found a photograph of the agent with the congressman.
“On May 6, while on official duty, you met with your friend, Congressman King, and three other individuals,” the letter stated. “You took them to an area west of your office and gave them a tracking demonstration, and you spent approximately three hours with these individuals. You did not have prior supervisory permission to perform these activities while in an on-duty status.”
King said he is “seeking a positive resolution to that matter.”
Numerous field agents interviewed by the Daily Bulletin over the past month said directives from U.S. Border Patrol headquarters have also kept them from filing accurate reports about incidents along the southwest border.
“It feels like we just can’t speak the truth,” said an Arizona Border Patrol agent, speaking on condition of anonymity. “They want to know what we say and who we say it to. If we say something that doesn’t fit with the agency line, then we’re reprimanded.”
There you have it, the government goes out of its way to prosecute two decorated border patrol officers for an encounter with an illegal alien drug runner and now they are hidding the truth from congress.
Well we will get a fence Bill with high tech gadgets to help seal our border, but it seems like those in charge don’t want the border sealed. During the time the fence is being built, I guarantee, in the next Congress, they will be pushing for amnesty and an increased guest worker program.
Hat tip: American Freedom Riders
**This was a production of The Coalition Against Illegal Immigration (CAII). If you would like to participate, please go to the above link to learn more. Afterwards, email the coalition and let me know at what level you would like to participate.
Adios Foley
Updates below...
Florida Republican Congressmen Mark Foley has resigned, and for the better, apparently:
Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fla., abruptly resigned from Congress on Friday in the wake of questions about e-mails he wrote a former teenage male page.Predictably, the Lefties are all over it, naturally gluttonous with the hasty ingestion of every last morsel of Foley's reputation."I am deeply sorry and I apologize for letting down my family and the people of Florida I have had the privilege to represent," he said in a statement issued by his office.
His departure sent Republicans scrambling for a replacement candidate less than six weeks before midterm elections in which Democrats are making a strong bid to gain control of the House.
But this guy allegedly knew about Foley's sexual tendencies long ago:
Ten years ago, I outed Foley as a gay man for The Advocate, the national gay and lesbian newsmagazine...*UPDATE*
...asking a lawmaker if he was gay and how his sexuality affected his vote was just not acceptable. It wasn't in 1996, and I doubt many reporters would do it today. It's not homophobia per se. It's really more like homo-aversion.
Details on the email, Foley's position in Congress, and it ain't looking good for the GOP.
From Reuters:
Six-term Republican Rep. Mark Foley of Florida resigned... on Friday following reports he sent sexually inappropriate e-mails to underage congressional interns.Foley, chairman of the House caucus on missing and exploited children, said he would resign immediately after ABC News reported he sent messages to current and former congressional pages with repeated references to sexual organs and acts...
Foley was the author of the key sexual predator provisions of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006, which Bush signed in July.
Foley, who represents a district in southern Florida, also was a member of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, which oversees tax and trade policy.
Six weeks to the election and this Republican turns out to be, or if not, will be made out to be a hideous child-molesting monster.
More ABC News coverage here, and the actual emails republished over here at the Leftist CREW.
Foley is ruined. Pending results of the inevitable investigations, he could face prison time.
NAMBLA to the rescue???
*UPDATE*
I don't recommend it because language gets rather disgusting, but if you must, here is the email conversation in its entirety.
Foley is yet another example of the abundant worthless, hypocrite, self-serving idiots running Congress.
*UPDATE*
ABC News was inaccurate, Foley's page was 18 at the time, the IMs were a prank.
Foley is not a worthless hypocrite, at least not from what we know now.
2nd Amendment Carnival Tomorrow
The Second Amendment Carnival is here tomorrow. If you have any submissions, they're due tonight.
9/27/2006
7-Eleven Taking the Lead.
The All-American Convenience Store, dropping Hugo:
7-Eleven Inc. is dropping Venezuela-backed Citgo as its gasoline supplier after more than 20 years as part of a previously announced plan by the convenience store operator to launch its own brand of fuel.Maybe I'll stop by for a Big Gulp.
Citgo Petroleum Corp. is a Houston-based subsidiary of Venezuela's state-run oil company and 7-Eleven is worried that anti-American comments made by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez might prompt motorists to fill-up elsewhere.
Cut and Run
Why Liberals are wrong, and why the GOP may lose:
"That's one of the main reasons why we think that we need an American presence, even symbolical, in the country to prevent our neighbors attacking us," he said at a forum at the Woodrow Wilson Center, a Washington think thank.
Talabani also said Baghdad could not "further tolerate" neighbors' interference in its internal affairs. "I think that our neighbors must understand that our patience is limited..."
An Emerging Pattern
Cross Posted from InMuscatine:
See if you can spot the pattern in these headlines from today, September 26, 2006 :
U.S. fence a cynical appeal to voters
EDITORIAL: Fence not the answer
Mexican president-elect criticizes fence plans
EDITORIAL: Fence is hardly immigration ‘reform’
Fence won’t mend broken border policy
Gee… I wonder how the enemies of American sovereignty are going to spin immigration ENFORCEMENT into a negative? Anyone have any ideas?
**This was a production of The Coalition Against Illegal Immigration (CAII). If you would like to participate, please go to the above link to learn more. Afterwards, email the coalition and let us know at what level you would like to participate.
9/26/2006
The Leak, the Secret Session, and the NIE
**I have updated this post and put it back on top (7:30pm). Scroll for updates.**
It started with a leak from certain "U.S. officials" to the media that an intelligence report had come to the conclusion that the Iraq war actually increased the threat of terrorism to the United States.
Naturally, the Democrats took this opportunity to bash the Bush administration:
Rep. Rahm Emanuel, head of the Democratic effort to take control of the House, said, "Unfortunately this report is just confirmation that the Bush administration's stay-the-course approach to the Iraq war has not just made the war more difficult and more deadly for our troops, but has also made the war on terror more dangerous for every American.So far the politicians and the press only have what was leaked. The entire intel report has not been declassified, yet the reporting and bashing continues as if the entire document had been thoroughly examined:
So Nancy Pelosi, bent on impeachment, holds a secret meeting.At a news conference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Bush said political opponents had disclosed only select parts of the National Intelligence Estimate, a U.S. global report on terrorism, and he decided to make the document public so "you read it for yourself."
"Somebody has taken it upon themselves to leak classified information for political purposes," Bush said.
*UPDATE* Here is the declassified portion of the NIE in pdf (via LGF)
Some of the probable key phrases which were selectively leaked and used by the Democrats to bash the President:
The Iraq conflict has become the “cause celebre” for jihadists, breeding a deepSome key phrases which provide more context:
resentment of US involvement in the Muslim world...
Anti-US and anti-globalization sentiment is on the rise and fueling other radical
ideologies. This could prompt some leftist, nationalist, or separatist groups to adopt
terrorist methods to attack US interests...
United States-led counterterrorism efforts have seriously damaged the leadership ofKeep in mind that this intel report was completed in April, and that this is only part of it. Probably a small part.
al-Qa’ida and disrupted its operations...
We assess that the global jihadist movement is decentralized, lacks a coherent global
strategy, and is becoming more diffuse...
The loss of key leaders, particularly Usama Bin Ladin, Ayman al-Zawahiri, and
al-Zarqawi, in rapid succession, probably would cause the group to fracture into
smaller groups. Although like-minded individuals would endeavor to carry on the
mission, the loss of these key leaders would exacerbate strains and disagreements.
However, if the content of the declassified document reflects the content of the whole, the only criticism that can be made is a lofty one. That being the Iraq strategy, as far as reducing terrorism, lacked foresight, and that our methods (if not already) need to adapt to counter what has been revealed by this intelligence. Though this wasn't too surprising of a revelation, even in April.
Hugh Hewitt covers this as well:
Nothing in it supports the Pelosi-Dean-Reid-Murtha Democrats' demand to cut-and-run from Iraq. Just the opposite in fact: "If democratic reform efforts in Muslim majority nations progress over the next five years, political participation probably would drive a wedge between intransigent extremists and groups willing to use the political process to achieve their local objectives."Hugh places a lot of courage in that word probably. To be fair so do I. But I don't have the same courage in the administration of that reform nor in its execution. I do agree that cutting and running would embolden the insurgency and Iran to the point that the Iraqi government would largely collapse and prove ineffective against instability and the breeding of terrorism.
If this report remains to be accurate, coalition forces must improve their success at picking off terrorist leaders and fortifying the Iraqi democracy. And we will need an army of hackers.
Armageddon.
I listened to Glenn Beck today, and it seems his show is the only media outlet extensively covering the Iranian threat. Since it's a talk show, the style is not very fact-checker friendly, but so far, the amazing chain of events that have thus far taken place in Iran and the behavior of their president Adolf Ahmadinejad fits Glenn's assessment.
Glenn pretty much said Iranian President Tom (Ahmadinejad) and his staff are members of the Hojjatieh, and they have usurped the power of the Ayatollah (Supreme Leader, especially in Iran) by claiming that he was appointed by Allah to bring back the 12th Imam, who is viewed as the Shi'ite Messiah to redeem mankind. As you know, war, chaos and Armageddon must happen before the return of the Messiah, and the Iranian President plans to bring just that. Hence the desire to acquire nuclear weapons.
Historian, Patriot, Firearms Expert
"World-renowned firearms expert Jeff Cooper, founder of the Gunsite firearms training center in Paulden, died Monday afternoon at his home..."
He will be missed.
(via WarOnGuns)
Senate Votes to Extend Border Fence
Cross Posted from the Uncooperative Blogger:
From the NY Times:
I know, the NY Times, but I can’t imagine them messing up reporting on this story.
The Senate voted overwhelmingly today to add hundreds of miles of fencing along the border between the United States and Mexico and to bar illegal immigrants convicted of a felony or three misdemeanors from remaining in the United States and having a chance at eventual citizenship.
The measure calling for an additional 370 miles of fencing and 500 miles of vehicle barriers carried by 83 to 16. Since the House of Representatives has already approved some 700 miles of additional fencing, it is likely that whatever immigration legislation emerges from the full Congress will provide for extra barriers.
Let me see the House passes a 700 mile long fence and the Senate only 370 miles. It seems to me that we ALWAYS run into trouble getting anything really accomplished in the Senate. In my opinion, the Senate is not interested in really accomplishing anything.
No Republican voted against the fence measure, which attracted wide support from Democrats. The 15 Democrats who voted against it (as did the independent James Jeffords of Vermont) were Daniel Akaka and Daniel K. Inouye, both of Hawaii; Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico; Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray, both of Washington; Christopher Dodd and Joseph I. Lieberman, both of Connecticut; Richard J. Durbin and Barack Obama, both of Illinois; Russell D. Feingold of Wisconsin; Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts; Frank R. Lautenberg and Robert Menendez, both of New Jersey; Jack Reed of Rhode Island, and Paul Sarbanes of Maryland.
There are your traitors, but to only fence 370 miles is no heroic act by any in the Senate.
Earlier, the Senate voted 99 to 0, on an amendment offered by Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Jon Kyl of Arizona, both Republicans, to deny citizenship chances to those illegals guilty of a felony or three misdemeanors. But this afternoon, the Senate rejected by 66 to 33 an amendment offered by Senator David Vitter, Republican of Louisiana, that would have denied citizenship chances to illegal immigrants who have been in the United States more than two years.
They voted to deny citizenship to those illegals guilty of a felony or three misdemeanors. This is telling me that they are still wroking on Amnesty for those in this country illegally and that would be WRONG and will destroy this country. On top of that they voted against an amendment that would have denied citizenship chances to illegal immigrants who have been in the United States more than two years! Not that this would make me happy because you do not reward illegal aliens with citizenship. Becoming a U.S. Citizenship is valuable and must be earned, not stolen.
The bottom line is the President, and Republicans in the Senate, want to give amnesty to illegal alien invaders. They obviously do not put the good of our country above their political goals.
They want a ‘comprehensive’ immigration plan, let’s give them one!
- Secure the border by any means necessary. This includes the Military.
- Stiff penalties for employers, which are actually enforced.
- No taxpayer funded programs for illegals or their families. (including school for children of illegals and non-emergency medical care for any illegal)
- No “Anchor Babies” (no automatic citizenship for children of illegals born in the US)
- No path to Citizenship in any name or form for those here illegally.
- No Guest worker program until the above measures are put in place and the need can be PROVEN
- English only education and the official language of the USA
**This was a production of The Coalition Against Illegal Immigration (CAII). If you would like to participate, please go to the above link to learn more. Afterwards, email the coalition and let me know at what level you would like to participate.
9/25/2006
The Calm Before the Storm?
Falling oil prices -below $60.00 a barrel.
'Talks' with Iran are 'on track.'
Pope meets with Muslims.
North Korea may wait out the Bush Administration.
Things are seemingly about as calm as they can possibly get, considering the Muslim protesting/rioting has largely subsided, the good news about falling oil prices and that the Brits killed an al-Qaeda leader.
That is of course, unless you want to talk about Bill Clinton.
Immigration Reform for Dummies?
From DeMediacratic Nation:
Ruben Navarette, a syndicated columnist, member of the San Diego Union-Tribune editorial board and editorial writer at CNN.com calls the Republicans 10 enforcement measures, "Immigration Reform for Dummies."
I get the sense that he doesn't support them. According to Navarette they just caught a glance at the calendar and realized they had better do something; odd that Democrats aren't doing the same type of thing.
At CNN.com Navarette says:
"So they hurriedly cobbled together a slate of 10 enforcement measures, as if the immigration problem could be fixed with spit and glue."10 measures consisting of no more than "spit and glue," sounds more appropriate to "comprehensive" reform, especially since if it had passed there would be less border/illegal immigration discussion; so we and our elected could all go back to sleep for a few more years on this issue.
The fence won't work according to Navarette because:
"First, as any border patrol agent will tell you, there's no fence that can keep out someone who is desperate to feed his family and who's willing to go around, go over, or go under."The quote isn't that different than the defeatist attitude of Arizona governor Janet Napolitano's recent comment:
"You show me a 50-foot wall and I'll show you a 51-foot ladder at the border."To which I say, you show me a 50 foot wall and I'll show you someone trying to enter the country illegally while hampered by a 51 foot ladder.
The quote above attempts to point out how the fence won't work, and that people wanting to come here still will if their desperate enough. According to Navarette these steps are all the Republicans will be taking in the quest for immigration reform, or at least would like readers to believe it. Hey Ruben, that's the idea. Nothing alone will resolve the dillemma....
Additionally according to Navarette:
Next, every time we crack down on the border, it enhances the bottom line for these multimillion-dollar smuggling outfits. Whereas it used to cost about $500 to cross the border, now the price is closer to $3,000. If we build more walls, the smugglers will raise prices again. That's bad. It creates an incentive for smugglers to stay in business since business is so goodIncentive for smugglers? Would they easily get 10 customers at $3K a head or more so at $500 per head? Eventually the price would become too high, no? 3 grand? Do they have $3 grand? If so, perhaps they're not as bad off as they thought. Every step we take on immigration reform or anything else for that matter has it's own side effects; with the exception I guess of Navarette's plan, right?
Pay a visit to Right Truth for an extremely detailed and fact filled post, "CAIR, LaRaza, Immigration and You"
Also, stikNstein offers up "FAMOUS LAST STANDS……The Battle with the Fighting 109th"
**This was a production of The Coalition Against Illegal Immigration (CAII). If you would like to participate, please go to the above link to learn more. Afterwards, email the coalition and let me know at what level you would like to participate.
9/24/2006
Syrian President a bit Arrogant
In an interview with a German magazine, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said why our embassy was almost bombed.
From Reuters:
"This seems to have been the background of the attack, a reaction to America's policy in Iraq, Palestine and Afghanistan."Could that be the one against exremists?
"Because they contribute to hopelessness here, to silencing dialogue between cultures."We're starting to believe you communicate with bombs.
Assad then proclaims his wisdom because he predicted the Iraq war would be won quickly and then fall into a quagmire. This guy is a waste of space. He has brought nothing constructive to the table, and continues to insult the United States.
It may be prudent to march a few thousand troops up to his border -just knowing Assad is wetting himself would be major victory in the war on terror.
9/23/2006
Marketing Jihadi-style.
Freedom of Speech and of the Press can be mutually exclusive, at least according to this guy:
"... everything we’re about is promoting the values of diversity. To air things of that sort would go against our mission statement."
Diversity; I have grown to hate that word. More good things have been wasted in the name of diversity than the number of hot dogs sold in Yankee Stadium. Diversity itself should be allowed to take it's natural course, not promoted nor inhibited.
Wouldn't this ad bring more diversity to the kinds of ads out there?
Update on Thailand Military Coup
I will. It's still getting considerable news coverage, and the importance of what is taking place is significant. We can better judge the motives of the coup by the outcome. We're not at that point just yet.
The international significance of Thailand is that it is a key geographic area in southeast Asia, largely encompassing the gulf of Thailand, with access to the Indian Ocean. It also has a small, but significant Muslim population. It neighbors Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, and Burma. All of which are suffering from a combination of either widespread corruption, instability, military dictatorship, or excessive subordination to the state. It is largely a semi-suppressed, instable and potentially volatile region.
Here's what's happening after the coup, during the supposed interim military rule:
According to an AP story, Thailand military will investigate and possibly seize overthrown Prime Minister Thaksin's fortune. This very well may be a legitimate action, for Thailand has suffered from a lot of corruption, and Thaksin is a billionaire.
Keep in mind that Thailand has also been suffering from a Muslim separatist insurgency which Thaksin had been vigorously trying to end. Guess who leads this military coup. A Muslim General. Some food for thought.
In another AP story, the military rulers criticize foreign reporting about the coup. What are they criticizing? Reportedly, they won't say. But the story suggests it has something to do with the possibility of the monarchs frustration with Thaksin's administration, and that "it is taboo even to suggest that the king - a constitutional monarch with limited powers - might play a role in politics." Why aren't they criticizing the domestic media? Oh yeah it's state controlled.
Do you think the monarch had something to do with the coup? I just don't know what would give you that idea.
But at least the Thailand Coup is a happy coup.
But really, coups are generally bad, and this coup was no exception. Hopefully the end will bring some justification to the means, but I remain skeptical.
*UPDATE* Chatumongol Sonakul is reportedly favored by military rulers to be the interim Prime Minister (Oddly, this story was removed from the Bangkok Post). This is interesting; back in 2001, this guy was fired by Thaksin. Things seem to be pointing toward the idea that this was a monarchial influenced military coup against the will of the people. Thaksin after all, was a very popular democratically elected prime minister, of course the legitimacy of his popular vote is questionable.
More to come.
2nd Amendment Saturday: Classic Clip on Despotism
This looks like it's straight from the '50s, and somewhat relevant today:
9/22/2006
A Warning to the West from Islam
About 1,000 Pakistani clerics and religious scholars have demanded the removal of the Pope for making "insulting remarks" against Islam, and warned the West of severe consequences if it didn't change its stance regarding Islam.Severe consequences?
Some Westerner says something arguably insulting, and in return we get violent displays of hate.
Muslims blow up buildings, kidnap and murder innocent people, incite more violence and we give them the status quo.
I think it is time to stick a fucking boot up their ass.
I really don't think they are in any postition to threaten the rest of the world for exercising the most respected right among free nations. I really don't think Islam is in any position to declare war on an increasingly impatient society. Their lives are hanging on by the mercy of Western public opinion. They are wise as they are peaceful.
And I really am getting sick of this sheer idiotic behavior being tolerated among the "elite." I am weary of holding the Islamist bastards to a lower standard, and to treat them as if they are somehow special. I'm beggining to think there are so few Muslims willing to aid the United States for moral reasons, that we'd have a better chance with the Jehovah Witnesses.
The Muslim world had better pray to Allah that there won't be another attack on our soil, for their very survival may depend on it.
Iran to Operate from Cuba & Venezuela
I am not sure of the credibility of this source, but it fits the bill.
According to this story, Iranian intelligence is seriously undertaking the establishment of a network of operations against the United States all over the world, especially in Cuba, and Venezuela:
Exclusive intelligence and counter-terror sources disclose that the three teams were made up of intelligence officers and civilian officials on the staffs of the three rulers; their job is maintaining clandestine ties with underground and terrorist organizations...If this is true, it is time to starve and cripple Iran. Build a coalition promising to sanction, freeze every last bank account, take out known and suspected locations of top government officals, destroy all logistical lines, take out all known and suspected nuclear, military and terrorist sites, and every top government office. Peace would be up to them.
Iranian sources report that Ahmadinejad also talked persuasively to Chavez about making a show of deploying a few Iranian-made 2,000-km range Shahab-3 missiles – first in Venezuela then in Cuba – as a menace to the United States.
Oh there's more:
The three-way talks have thus far yielded a solid decision for Iranian intelligence agents, some of them sabotage specialists, to be sent soon to Cuba and Venezuela. They will operate in the guise of road network and industrial development experts. Their real mission will be to conduct surveys on the practicability of using Cuba and Venezuela as bases for subversive activities against the United States and other parts of Latin America.These actions are the textbook precursors to war.
Iran is also busy... in E. Africa... Sudan... Somalia... Yemen... In Mogadishu...
Iranian ambitions to harm American know no limits.They are literally asking for it.
H/T Glenn Beck
Gun Laws that Make Sense.
I don't know the specifics of the bill, but in the small Idaho town of Greenleaf the proposed legislation with the objective of crime prevention, is not like your ordinary gun law.
The Civil Emergencies Ordinance will ask the citizens legally able to own a firearm, to do so:
The proposed ordinance is modeled after a similar plan that went into place in 1982 in Kennesaw, Ga. In that instance there was a dramatic decrease in criminal activity. Although crime isn't a huge problem for residents of Greenleaf, the growth in neighboring counties leads them to believe they too are in for some changes."There's not a lot of crime here, but I think it's coming, it's getting worse everyday," said Art Bailey, owner of the Greenleaf Store.
While the plan does encourages firearm ownership, the ordinance goes beyond that.
"The largest part itself deals with emergency capabilities," said Belt.
The plan will establish an emergency response plan, and promote its citizen response teams and neighborhood watch volunteer groups, a proactive approach to keep the crime rate to a minimum. So how have residents responded? According to almost everyone we spoke to, they already owned a gun or multiple guns, so this would have no effect on them either way.
I am impressed. It's the return of the American Militia.
And don't forget about the 2nd Amendment Carnival.
Protesting the Pope, some more.
Let me see if I've got this in perspective:
The Pope quotes a 14th-century Byzantine emperor: "Show me just what Mohammed brought new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached."
The Muslim reaction:
At Islam's third-holiest shrine, the Al Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem, hundreds of worshippers hoisted black flags and banners that read, "Conquering Rome is the answer." Protesters chanted, "The army of Islam will return."
Could they try any harder to prove the point? And why is it the Religion of Peace is increasingly oxymoronic in practice?
Not Unified, courtesy the Jew-hating Thugs.
As I doubted before, the potential Palestinian unification between Hamas and the more moderate Fatah, will apparently be put on hold. Probably forever.
From the AP:
Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas said Friday he will not head a government that recognizes Israel, striking a potential blow to President Mahmoud Abbas' attempts to create a national unity government.
Haniyeh spoke a day after Abbas indicated at the United Nations that a coalition government of Hamas and Abbas' Fatah movement would recognize the Jewish state.
"I personally will not head any government that recognizes Israel," Haniyeh said in a mosque sermon in Gaza City, laying out his group's position in coalition talks with Abbas.
They say this as if there is a real chance of Israel being "wiped from the map."
Of course, given France, Venezuela, China, and Russia's reactions to Iranian President Adolf Ahmadinejad's behavior, they have hope.
The chance for a sustained peace between Israel and the Palestinians may have been slim, but thanks to Iran and the other idiots at the UN, that slim chance just evaporated.
Second Amendment Carnival
Just a reminder, the Second Amendment Carnival will be held here next Saturday, September 30th.
Submit articles here or email to freeconstitution-at-gmail.com
Impact of Immigrants on Young Non-immigrant Workers.
Cross Posted from Border Pundit:
Over the 2000-2005 period, immigration levels remained very high and roughly half of new immigrant workers were illegal. This report finds that the arrival of new immigrants (legal and illegal) in a state results in a decline in employment among young native-born workers in that state. Our findings indicate that young native-born workers are being displaced in the labor market by the arrival of new immigrants.
Between 2000 and 2005, 4.1 million immigrant workers arrived from abroad, accounting for 86 percent of the net increase in the total number of employed persons (16 and older), the highest share ever recorded in the United States.
Of the 4.1 million new immigrant workers, between 1.4 and 2.7 million are estimated to be illegal immigrants. This means that illegal immigrants accounted for up to 56 percent of the net increase in civilian employment in the United States over the past five years. Between 2000 and 2005, the number of young (16 to 34) native-born men who were employed declined by 1.7 million; at the same time, the number of new male immigrant workers increased by 1.9 million.
Multivariate statistical analyses show that the probability of teens and young adults (20-24) being employed was negatively affected by the number of new immigrant workers (legal and illegal) in their state.
The negative impacts tended to be larger for younger workers, for in-school youth compared to out-of-school youth, and for native-born black and Hispanic males compared to their white counterparts.
It appears that employers are substituting new immigrant workers for young native-born workers. The estimated sizes of these displacement effects were frequently quite large.
The increased hiring of new immigrant workers also has been accompanied by important changes in the structure of labor markets and employer-employee relationships. Fewer new workers, especially private-sector wage and salary workers, are ending up on the formal payrolls of employers, where they would be covered by unemployment insurance, health insurance, and worker protections.
Full article
**This was a production of The Coalition Against Illegal Immigration (CAII). If you would like to participate, please go to the above link to learn more. Afterwards, email the coalition and let me know at what level you would like to participate.
Hizbollah won't Disarm
I, Prophet of prophets commend the righteous leader of the Freedom Fighters known as Hizbollah, for he fights the infidels and Little Satan with great perseverance. Of course, my beloved follower Sheik Hassan Nasrallah doth bask in the pleasures and advantages of those given unto him from my beloved Persian President Ahmadinejad, seeker of the coming Al-Masih or Messiah to you infidels, and conquerer of the weak infidel nation of France.
And thus, Freedom Fighter Nasrallah vows to surrender the sword, for he doth not obey the laws of the infidel, and protects the spread of my Peaceful faith in Allah.
Speaking to hundreds of thousands of flag-waving supporters in bombed-out southern Beirut, he said giving up Hezbollah's weapons now "under this government ... means leaving Lebanon exposed before Israel to kill and detain and bomb whoever they want, and clearly we will not accept that."I, Prophet of prophets, am pleased to see the President of Persia, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad usurp the power of the Great Satan's allies in the UN, and the feable-minded in Europe, to enable my Freedom Fighters to push Little Satan into the sea.
But even I, Great Prophet of Islam, doth find it hard to understandeth the strategem of Great Satan and Little Satan, for they still alloweth the feable Europeans to control their fate.
9/21/2006
Illegal Arrested for Murder
Cross Posted from the Uncooperative Blogger:
From The Las Vegas Sun:
A man pictured in a photo found at the crime scene was arrested in the death of a woman whose body was found after she was dragged behind a vehicle for at least a mile, authorities said Wednesday.
Jose Luis Rubi-Nava, 36, was arrested Tuesday night on a charge of first-degree murder and was being held without bail in the Douglas County jail, Sheriff Dave Weaver said.
Preliminary results of an autopsy indicated the woman died of asphyxiation and head injuries from being strangled by being dragged by a vehicle.
Weaver said federal officials had placed an immigration hold on Rubi-Nava but did not say whether he was an illegal immigrant. Weaver refused to take questions after reading a brief statement at a news conference.
Of course not, we don’t talk about those things anymore. Of course he is an illegal alien invader, otherwise why would they need the immigration hold?
Weaver said Rubi-Nava was the man pictured in a photograph found near the woman’s body when it was discovered Monday in a subdivision about 20 miles south of Denver.
The photo had been released to the public, and Weaver said without elaborating that tips from citizens had helped lead to the arrest. The picture shows a couple who appear to be in their 30s; he is leaning with his arm on the woman’s shoulder; she is looking away from the camera.
Neighbors discovered the woman’s body before dawn. Her face was unrecognizable and an orange tow rope was found around her neck, said Nancy Foley, who lives nearby.
Preliminary results of an autopsy indicated the woman died of asphyxiation and head injuries from being strangled by being dragged by a vehicle.
Yup, doing the jobs Americans don’t want to do…
**This was a production of The Coalition Against Illegal Immigration (CAII). If you would like to participate, please go to the above link to learn more. Afterwards, email the coalition and let me know at what level you would like to participate.
Also reporting:
Red Hot Cuppa Politics
9/20/2006
Roundup
Everybody has covered Crazy Man's 'Devil' speech so I'll just point out the good ones:
Hot Air with video, Ace with Leftist reactions, and Malkin.Thailand's Military Coup Leader says they will appoint a new Prime Minister in two weeks, this supported by the king.
The Saddam Trial takes a turn: new judge appointed, then to kick Saddam out of court.
Oil prices continue to fall.
An idiotic lawsuit.
I pledge allegiance to... Mexico???
Enjoy.
9/19/2006
Iranian President Ahmadinejad's UN Speech
I suppose if one were inclined to distrust the United States, Israel or Britain; the speech -rich in rhetoric, might enflame the passions of the human spirit. Of course that is exactly what Adolf desires.
In the speech, (video provided by Hot Air among others, and a transcript here), Ahmadinejad criticizes the United States and Britain for the war in Iraq, and Afghanistan:
Some occupy the homeland of others, thousands of kilometers away from their borders, interfere in their affairs and control their oil and other resources and strategic routes, while others are bombarded daily in their own homes; their children murdered in the streets and alleys of their own country and their homes reduced to rubble...And here he labels Israel the 'aggressor' in the conflict with Hezbollah:
...Occupation of countries, including Iraq, has continued for the last three years. Not a day goes by without hundreds of people getting killed in cold blood. The occupiers are incapable of establishing security in Iraq. Despite the establishment of the lawful Government and National Assembly of Iraq, there are covert and overt efforts to heighten insecurity, magnify and aggravate differences within Iraqi society, and instigate civil strife.
For thirty-three long days, the Lebanese lived under the barrage of fire and bombs and close to 1.5 million of them were displaced; meanwhile some members of the Security Council practically chose a path that provided ample opportunity for the aggressor to achieve its objectives militarily.Ahmadinejad continues declaring its right to nuclear power, and implies the Security Council's lack of recognizing that right:
All our nuclear activities are transparent, peaceful and under the watchful eyes of IAEA inspectors. Why then are there objections to our legally recognized rights? Which governments object to these rights? Governments that themselves benefit from nuclear energy and the fuel cycle. Some of them have abused nuclear technology for non-peaceful ends including the production of nuclear bombs, and some even have a bleak record of using them against humanity...More Anglo-American bashing:
...The question needs to be asked: if the Governments of the United States or the United Kingdom who are permanent members of the Security Council, commit aggression, occupation and violation of international law, which of the organs of the UN can take them to account? Can a Council in which they are privileged members address their violations? Has this ever happened? In fact, we have repeatedly seen the reverse.Ahmadinejad then implores the UN to regain its legitimacy and effectiveness by, you guessed it, putting anti-Western representatives on the Security Council with veto power:
It must be acknowledged that as long as the Council is unable to act on behalf of the entire international community in a transparent, just and democratic manner, it will neither be legitimate nor effective...And then he continues on with love, peace, progress, etc. etc. etc.
...the Non-Aligned Movement, the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the African continent should each have a representative as a permanent member of the Security Council, with veto privilege.
It must be noted that Mr. Adolf Ahmadinejad's speech was idealistic to the point that Iran itself is a far cry of, or more accurately, the atithesis of which the moral freedoms and responsibilities he preaches.
He then declares that the world longs for the return of the Messiah. If you have swayed the UN as you have apparently swayed France, Mr. Ahmadinejad, you and too many others may meet Him before we do. Guaranteed.
Allahpundit views it as Orwellian. Agreed.
French Appeasement
So quick to feed the alligator.
From Hot Air:
Just ahead of the big Iranapolooza at the UN, France announced that it no longer supports sanctions against the Islamic Republic and that there is in fact now a split on the Security Council on the question of whether Iran has to freeze its enrichment programs as a precondition to entering talks. This abrogates France’s previous support for sanctions, and gives the Russians and Chinese an out on sanctions both clearly were reluctant to support. Like its backdoor support for Iraq in the run-up to that war, France’s move combined with its veto power on the UNSC all but guarantees that either a) Iran gets nuclear weapons, or b) there will be a nasty war to make sure that Iran doesn’t get nuclear weapons.Could this be related to the French Commander's decision to NOT disarm Hezbollah?
Perhaps:
Yet the Iranians now have France by the short hairs, because French troops are within shooting distance of Nasrallahs goons, and it’s clear to everyone that Nasrallah’s goons will fire if told to do so. This gives Iran an important wedge on the UNSC. That probably wasn’t the outcome the Iranians hoped to achieve when Hezbollah kidnapped Israeli troops and started launching those Khaibar missiles. But for the Iranians, it’s not a bad outcome. Not bad at all. (Hot Air)In this Reuters story, French President Chirac throws a red herring of a statement:
"I do not believe in solutions that do not involve dialogue, in any case a dialogue taken to its limits. I am never in favour of sanctions. I have never observed that sanctions were very effective."This move, among others, simply reflects for the most part, French opposition to American superpower. It's no secret France is buddying up with China, and shows ambivalence toward the U.S.
This is Foreign Policy 101, power politics. The French aren't boldly asserting their power, simply because they would be laughed out of the international community. They are however, instrumentally undermining the uni-polar world favoring the United States, while comforting up to a growing China and securing their image in the ever-increasing Islamic world.
Thailand's Military Coup
From the AP:
Thailand - The Thai military launched a coup against Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on Tuesday night, circling his offices with tanks, seizing control of TV stations and declaring a provisional authority pledging loyalty to the king. The army commander took over the government and declared martial law.Prime Minister Thaksin is currently in New York City for the UN General Assembly, and for whatever it's worth declared a state of emergency.An announcement on Thai television declared that a "Council of Administrative Reform" with King Bhumibol Adulyadej as head of state had seized power in Bangkok and nearby provinces without any resistance.
"The armed forces commander and the national police commander have successfully taken over Bangkok and the surrounding area in order to maintain peace and order...
*UPDATE* Thai Military suspends constitution, parliament, and a high court.
*UPDATE* Pajamas Media covers the coverage, with lots of links.
A more recently updated post on the Thailand Coup can be found here.
QOTW
It's about time for another Quote of the Week, and for better or worse, Mr. Codrea never ceases to amaze me:
If you're unfit to live in a free society, you're unfit to live free.Speaking on the legislative affront to our inalienable right.
His logic stops the dangerous rationalizations of eroding liberty dead in their tracks.
9/18/2006
Hizbollah Freedom Fighters Remain Armed
My beloved Fighters of Freedom known to infidels as Hizbollah, will be victorious against Great Satan's ally. For Allah hath shown favor to my fundamentalists in their extermination of Little Satan, and great disdain for the Western infidels; thus the leader of the infidel forces hath no choice but to submit unto His will:
The French general commanding U.N. peacekeeping forces in Lebanon said Monday his troops would not intervene to disarm Hezbollah, even as French President Jacques Chirac said the militant group should not keep a military wing.The Western infidels are weak, especially those they call French, and my Islamist Freedom Fighters will not surrender the sword, for it is Allah's will. But even I, Prophet of prophets, understandeth not, the workings of the Great Satan and his allies, for Great Satan and Little Satan deliver blows to my people, only to then let my people picketh up the sword at a later time.
Maj. Gen. Alain Pelligrini told reporters the main task of his U.N. force is to ensure southern Lebanon cannot be used as a base for attacks on Israel.
"The disarmament of Hezbollah is not the business of UNIFIL. This is a strictly Lebanese affair, which should be resolved at a national level," he said.Pelligrini's assessment underscored the constraints facing the beefed-up U.N. mission despite a tougher mandate and far greater manpower.
Allah must have great power over the people of the land of Great Satan and his allies, for the Great Satan and his allies must want to be destroyed by Jihad for their failings in the understanding of Victory.
Illegal Receives Huge Settlement.
Cross Posted from Pursuing Holiness:
“HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT:
Injured illegal workers often left with nothing. He came for the American Dream and found an American nightmare”
The Charlotte Observer has the sad, sad tale of Francisco Ruiz.
Thousands of immigrant workers are hurt and killed each year as they take on some of America’s most dangerous jobs. U.S. workers’ compensation laws require most companies to pay injury benefits, even if the employees are working illegally. But many are denied those benefits. Those workers, unaware of their rights and unable to withstand a drawn-out legal battle, go home to their families to heal.
Francisco Ruiz is a Tampico native who decided to stay in America and fight.
He was partially paralyzed and brain damaged when he fell 30 feet at a construction site near Lake Wylie. His employer, Belk Masonry Co., and its insurer refused to pay injury benefits because, they said, Ruiz was an “illegal alien.”
But Ruiz wouldn’t go home disabled to a wife and three children, with no money and no way to earn it.
What followed was a six-year struggle between the Mexican laborer and his employer’s well-financed insurance company.
I love how the Observer put scare quotes around the phrase, illegal alien, as if that made it less true. Here are the relevant facts in this guy’s tale of woe.
-He’s from Tampico Mexico where he dropped out of school in the 8th grade.
-He got work as a taxi driver, groundskeeper at a cemetary, and selling tacos.
-He got married at 19.
-When he was 36, the economy in his area tanked and he needed more money to support his family.
-He illegally crossed the border twice, and the second time he made it to Charlotte, N.C. where he had friends living illegally, and where there is “one of the nation’s fastest growing populations of illegal immigrants.”
-He bought a Social Security card for $10, bringing the number of his known crimes to at least three. If the card he bought had a real person’s information on it, make that four, for identity theft.
-He got a job as a laborer for $300 a week, 8am - 5pm. That’s $7.50 an hour, and I’m sure he got no benefits.
-A “crane hoisting Ruiz along with a load of bricks collapsed. He plunged at least 30 feet onto a concrete floor and was pelted with falling bricks.” [Hello? OSHA?]
-The insurance company paid his initial medical bills, but when they found out he was illegal they cut him off.
-Ruiz is now permanently disabled.
-While this made its way through the court system, the state made the insurance company pay him $200 a week.
-In spite of his permanent disability, after three years Ruiz managed to go home for a visit and then sneak across the border yet again, this time with some extra help.
-Finally, Ruiz won in the court system and the insurance company had to pay him $438,000.
-He’s back where he started in Tampico. But his son in law is living illegally in Charlotte, N.C. and working at a fast food restaurant.
Now, this is legitimately a sad story. I don’t wish ill for anyone. In spite of the fact that he deliberately and repeatedly broke the law, I’m not going to say that Ruiz deserved what he got. But a couple of notes about this… The Observer story reads like something written by Ruiz’ attorney. It is in no way objective. It’s loaded with phrases that illlustrate how eeeevil the insurance company is. But the insurance company has an obligation to its stockholders to not pay out unless they have to. And the concept that Ruiz is partly responsible for his problems is completely absent. Had he come here legally, the insurance company would have had to pay promptly, there would have been no question about what was right. Finally, while the insurance company is vilified, Ruiz’ employer, Belk Masonry, gets a free pass for hiring an illegal alien and violating OSHA regulations.
This is a disgrace, and somehow I doubt that Belk Masonry is chastened by the whole experience and now only hires legal workers. We need interior enforcement of our immigration laws, and we need to crack down hard on the employers. At the end of the day, severe employer sanctions will do more to stop illegal immigration than any other single action. If there are no jobs here, they won’t come. And if they don’t come, or if they come legally, wages will rise.
**This was a production of The Coalition Against Illegal Immigration (CAII). If you would like to participate, please go to the above link to learn more. Afterwards, email the coalition and let me know at what level you would like to participate.
9/17/2006
Illegal Alien Raid Cripples Town...
Cross Posted From the Uncooperative Blogger:
From the Seattle P.I.:
Trailer parks lie abandoned. The poultry plant is scrambling to replace more than half its workforce. Business has dried up at stores where Mexican laborers once lined up to buy food, beer and cigarettes just weeks ago.
This Georgia community of about 1,000 people has become little more than a ghost town since Sept. 1, when federal agents began rounding up illegal immigrants.
The sweep has had the unintended effect of underscoring just how vital the illegal immigrants were to the local economy.
Excuse me is that what this story underlines? I think not…
More than 120 illegal immigrants have been loaded onto buses bound for immigration courts in Atlanta, 189 miles away. Hundreds more fled Emanuel County. Residents say many scattered into the woods, camping out for days. They worry some are still hiding without food.
Federal agents also swarmed into a trailer park operated by David Robinson. Illegal immigrants were handcuffed and taken away. Almost none have returned. Robinson bought an American flag and posted it by the pond out front - upside down, in protest.
“These people might not have American rights, but they’ve damn sure got human rights,” Robinson said. “There ain’t no reason to treat them like animals.”
You sir, are a moron. They were not treated like animals, they were treated like criminals. Also, flying the USA Flag upside down is a sign of distress and in need of help.
Other than the Crider plant, there isn’t much in Stillmore. Four small stores, a coin laundry and a Baptist church share downtown with City Hall, the fire department and a post office. “We’re poor but proud,” Mayor Marilyn Slater said, as if that is the town motto.
You are proud people are you? Making money of illegal alien slave laborers is a proud and honorable thing to do?
There's more.**This was a production of The Coalition Against Illegal Immigration (CAII). If you would like to participate, please go to the above link to learn more. Afterwards, email the coalition and let me know at what level you would like to participate.
9/16/2006
(anti-Great Satan) Non-Aligned Movement Declaration
The righteous anti-Great Satan kingdoms of the Non-aligned movement speaketh strongly against all that oppose the divinely bestowed rights of my benevolent Islamist freedom fighters in Lebanon, Palestine, and Iraq.
Behold, the virtues of such a monumental occasion:
Denounces the brutalization of peoples under foreign occupation as the gravest form of terrorism. Asks that terrorism not be associated with any religion, nationality or ethnic group and that it be recognized that the struggle of peoples under colonial or alien domination does not constitute terrorism.They are inspired with the infinite wisdom of Allah. Let it be known to the Great Satan, that he must cease to marginalizeth my Islamist freedom fighters with the cunning of their blasphemous tongue.
Strongly condemns "the relentless Israeli aggression launched against Lebanon."Such infinite wisdom doth great things for my freedom fighters to push Little Satan into the sea.
...Calls for a "nuclear-weapon-free zone" in the Middle East, including Israel.
Defends the right of all countries to use atomic energy for peaceful purposes...The great kingdom of Iran shall be blessed by Allah himself with great gifts of nuclear proportions.
Thus, I, the Prophet speaketh in Peace, converteth yourself, lest you suffer the fate of the infidel.
Islamic Fascism Taking Over the World.
Spreading the Religion of Peace:
Of course this outrage, similar to the cartoon wars, was over what the Pope said, but he was actually quoting. Yet the deeply offended and peaceful Muslims demanded an apology for uterring anything that may be construed as negative on the all knowing Prophet of prophets, Muhammed:
Stressing that they were not his own words; [Pope Benedict] quoted Emperor Manual II Paleologos of Byzantine, of the Orthodox Christian Byzantine Empire which had its capital in what is now the Turkish city of Istanbul...
The emperor's words were, he said: "Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached."
Pope Benedict said "I quote" twice to stress the words were not his and added that violence was "incompatible with the nature of God and the nature of the soul".
So the Pope, being the leader of the largest Christian faith, shies away from confrontation and apologizes for their ignorance.
Not good enough, for the "Esteemed Muslims" however.
So we get firebombed churches and threats to Vatican City.
Hypocrisy?
These guys don't think so:
...the Mujahadeen Army, posted on the website used by militant groups, was addressed to "you dog of Rome" and threatened to "shake your thrones and break your crosses in your home".
"We swear to God to send you people who adore death as much as you adore life," said the message, which contained links to video recordings of what the group claimed were rocket attacks on US bases.
The same group has claimed responsibility for scores of attacks in Iraq, including the April 2005 downing of a helicopter carrying 11 civilians, including six Americans.
9/15/2006
Friday Night Roundup
Not much time so here's a roundup of today's news:
DOW Jones nearing an all time high currently at 11,560.77
Probably in part from the other good news about falling oil prices.
Muslims Angry at Pope for his Jihad comments. Honest remark, typical reaction.
Baghdad to build a trench around the city. With Moat potential? A common-sense approach given the influx of and consistent car-bombings.
President Bush on the anti-terror/interrogation/tribunal legislation, angry at the GOP's blockage:
Bush urged lawmakers to quickly approve legislation authorizing military tribunals and harsh interrogations of terror suspects in order to shield U.S. personnel from being prosecuted for war crimes under the Geneva Conventions, which set international standards for the treatment of prisoners of war.But I do think the McCain lemmings may have a point, albeit not what one would think. The bill is supposed to clarify a treaty on the treatment of detainees, but one provision of it says no to torutre and yes to "coercive interrogation". I understand such a difference, but don't think it would do justice in clarifying the law to people who think torture is plucking eyebrows. Perhaps McCain thinks plucking eyebrows is torture, or perhaps he thinks SCOTUS will throw it right back. Stupid.
5 years after 9/11, the Senate voted to tighten security at seaports by scanning virtually all incoming cargo for nukes or dirty bombs.
And oh how sweet, Hugo Chavez will help defend Iran against an attack. One more reason to topple the Chavez regime.
9/14/2006
Fence Resolution Passed.
From Uncooperative Blogger:
A few minutes ago, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a stand-alone border security and fence bill (H.R. 6061).
H.R. 6061 was introduced just this week (as a result of the special hearings) by Homeland Security Committee Chairman Peter King (R-NY).
VOTING YES
GOP——219
DEM—–64
————————
Total——283
VOTING NO
GOP——6
DEM——131
IND——1
————————
Total——138
See how your own Representative voted.
Probably the most encouraging news in this vote was to see 64 Democrats vote for the fence.
That is up from the 49 who voted for a fence amendment last December.
**This was a production of The Coalition Against Illegal Immigration (CAII). If you would like to participate, please go to the above link to learn more. Afterwards, email the coalition and let me know at what level you would like to participate.
DHS Authorizes Illegal Alien Arrest
From Right Truth:
Many states say that local police, sheriffs deputies, highway patrol are not allowed to arrest or detain illegal aliens. This is just not true and is a sign of lazy and uninformed local law enforcement.
The Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement directorate authorized 16 additional Alabama state troopers to enforce federal immigration law, following their completion of ICE training at the Center for Domestic Preparedness in Anniston, Ala.A Florida deputy sheriff was also authorized to enforce federal immigration law after participating in the same class. Today's graduation boosts the number of Alabama troopers trained and certified to a total of 60.
The Immigration and Nationality Act includes section 287(g), added in 1996, that grants local and state jurisdictions the ability to enforce immigration law with proper training and supervision by federal authorities. In 2003, Alabama became the second state in the nation to participate in the program by signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Department of Homeland Security. Florida was the first state to participate, in 2002.
While many politicians claim their police officers are not allowed to conduct immigration laws, their excuse for ignoring illegal aliens is a canard. Too few police agencies are taking advantage of the training offered by ICE and DHS. source
Perhaps more states will learn their options and responsibilities when it comes to detaining, arresting, deporting illegal aliens.
*This was a production of The Coalition Against Illegal Immigration (CAII). If you would like to participate, please go to the above link to learn more. Afterwards, email the coalition and let us know at what level you would like to participate.
Montreal Shootings
Many are hospitalized, and one victim was killed.
An unstable killer, despite very strict gun control laws, gets his hands on a gun and takes out as many unarmed innocent people as he can.
Sure enough, the police think they did a good job:
Police credited aggressive new procedures with stopping the gunman, who died in a shootout with police.Tell that to the family of the woman killed. Tell that to the others who remain in critical condition. The sad thing is you police officers did as good of a job as police can do, but an unarmed citizenry must wait for you to do that good job.
Montreal Police Chief Yvan Delorme said the lessons learned from other mass shootings had taught police to try to stop such assaults as quickly as possible.
"Before our technique was to establish a perimeter around the place and wait for the SWAT team. Now the first police officers go right inside. The way they acted saved lives," he said.
A War of Civilizations.
With the advent of the internet, an astronomical surge of international communication capability at an individual level resulted. This dramatic change in the world obviously will continue to usher in the good with the bad, and a lot of it.
Henry Kissinger points out what many don't want to hear, the erosion of the nation-state, which is arguably inevitable, but changing nonetheless, and speaks of a war of civilizations.
From the AFP:
Former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger warned that Europe and the United States must unite to head off a "war of civilizations" arising from a nuclear-armed Middle East...I think he's right, no government can stop the flow of information, which include dangerous cocktails of religion, ideology and hate. And with the international community's record on handling rogue states, failed states, and common thugs, placing our eggs in the community's basket is hardly a good idea. The United States must take the initiative, more so than it has with the War on Terror. Isolation is out of the question. Pursuing a soft American empire would much better serve the interests of free people world-wide.Kissinger wrote that the big threat lay in the erosion of nation states and the emergence of transnational groups. Iran was at the centre of the challenge, he said, with its support for Hezbollah, radical Shiite groups in Iraq and its nuclear program.
Washington must accept that many European nations were more optimistic about talks designed to convince Iran to halt uranium enrichment -- a process Tehran denies is aimed at making weapons, he wrote.
But in return, he said, Europe should accept the process must include a "bottom line" beyond which diplomatic flexibility must not go and a time limit to ensure talks did not become a shield for "developing new assaults."
Kissinger is not just talking about Iran, he speaks of Islamic fascism, penetrating virtually every geographic region at an increasing rate. That is the fact. What doesn't have to become fact is a nuclear Iran. The combination of the two is unconscionable.
9/13/2006
Hamas and Fatah, United?
They said they would unite, largely out of necessity, but can they really pull it off?
From Reuters:
Hamas and President Mahmoud Abbas voiced conflicting views on Wednesday on unity government policies central to resumption of international aid to the Palestinian Authority.Doubtful.
The governing Hamas movement said in a statement its agreement to form a coalition with Abbas's Fatah faction should not be seen as a softening in the Islamic group's position toward Israel.
"Hamas does not and will not recognize the occupation and will not accept any government agenda that may imply a recognition of the occupation," Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said, using the Islamic group's term for the Jewish state.
His comments seemed to challenge remarks Abbas made earlier to reporters in which the moderate leader said that under his deal with Hamas, a unity government "will respect the agreements (Israel) signed with the PLO."
Abbas was referring to interim peace accords that Hamas, which advocates Israel's destruction, has long rejected.
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