What did you do in the war, UNIFIL?

Lori Lowenthal Marcus of The Weekly Standard writes You broadcast Israeli troop movements, that's what.

"DURING THE RECENT month-long war between Hezbollah and Israel, U.N. "peacekeeping" forces made a startling contribution: They openly published daily real-time intelligence, of obvious usefulness to Hezbollah, on the location, equipment, and force structure of Israeli troops in Lebanon.

UNIFIL--the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, a nearly 2,000-man blue-helmet contingent that has been present on the Lebanon-Israel border since 1978--is officially neutral. Yet, throughout the recent war, it posted on its website for all to see precise information about the movements of Israeli Defense Forces soldiers and the nature of their weaponry and materiel, even specifying the placement of IDF safety structures within hours of their construction. New information was sometimes only 30 minutes old when it was posted, and never more than 24 hours old.

Meanwhile, UNIFIL posted not a single item of specific intelligence regarding Hezbollah forces. Statements on the order of Hezbollah "fired rockets in large numbers from various locations" and Hezbollah's rockets "were fired in significantly larger numbers from various locations" are as precise as its coverage of the other side ever got.

Inquiries made of various Israeli military and government representatives and analysts yielded near unanimous agreement that at least some of UNIFIL's postings, in the words of one retired senior military analyst, "could have exposed Israeli soldiers to grave danger." These analysts, including a current high ranking military official, noted that the same intelligence would not have been provided by the U.N. about Israel's enemies.

Sure enough, a review of every single UNIFIL web posting during the war shows that, while UNIFIL was daily revealing the towns where Israeli soldiers were located, the positions from which they were firing, and when and how they had entered Lebanese territory, it never described Hezbollah movements or locations with any specificity whatsoever.

This partiality is inconsistent not only with UNIFIL's mission but also with its own stated policies. In a telling incident just a few years back, UNIFIL vigorously insisted on its 'neutral ity'--at Israel's expense."

UNIFL has looked the other way for the last 6+ years and turned a blind eye as Hezbollah brought in weapons and missiles, dug trenches and bunkers, to the detriment of Israel's safety.

They also looked the other way on October 7, 2000, when three IDF soldiers were kidnapped by Hezbollah in very close proximity to a UNIFIL shelter and taken across the border into Lebanon. Suspecting the U.N. had a videotape of the incident, Israel asked for the videotapes but their requests were spurned. Instead of helping in the attempt to rescue the kidnapped IDF soldiers, by furnishing the videotape of the incident, Kofi Annan chose to take the obstruction route and stymie the Israeli investigation - first by denying that a tape existed.

Eventually (nine months later), Kofi admitted not only did a tape exist, but that three tapes existed. UNer's claimed that it was not their responsibility to provide the videotapes and doing so would violate the UN peacekeeping mandate of impartiality and objectivity.

The U.N. report on the incident was adamant that its force had "to ensure that military and other sensitive information remains in their domain and is not passed to parties to a conflict."

Uh, huh. Do you see a little inconsistency here? So do you think a larger contingent of peacekeepers will make a difference? It's possible. You can take the position that with a larger contingency, it will be harder to ignore events on the ground by wearing blinders. But, I'm not overly confident that it will.

When Abu Oudai, one of the leaders of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades terror group was asked by the Galili Report if Hezbollah would continue to get arms shipments from Syria and Iran despite the cease fire, Oudai responded:

Hezbollah will continue to arm because it had a strategic role in this conflict of the Middle East and only dumb, stupid and blind people can think that any international or local force can prevent the organization from keeping its military posts in the south and from receiving arms supplies from all around the world.

I must admit that some of the United Nations International Force In Lebanon members had a very friendly and cooperative (Abu Udai laughing) attitude towards Hezbollah. And can you imagine Hezbollah being defeated by thousands of soldiers who will be deployed with no political interest and with no enthusiasm on the ground?

Home grown terrorists

" 'We are not at war with the Muslim faith.' So say various members of the media and government, either because they actually believe it, or because their blind adherence to political correctness dictates as much.

I know a number of Muslims in this country, and the farthest thing from their minds is joining or assisting a terrorist organization, or harming anyone. They just want to make a living, raise their children, and live in peace."

Ex-teacher gets 15 years for aiding terror group
A federal judge yesterday sentenced a former third-grade teacher at a Muslim school in Maryland to 15 years in prison for providing support to a terrorist organization known as the "Virginia jihad network," which used paintball games to train for a holy....

Pulitzer Prize-Winning Journalist for Chicago Tribune Charged With Espionage in Sudan

"CHICAGO -- A Pulitzer Prize-winning foreign correspondent for the Chicago Tribune was charged in a Sudanese court Saturday with espionage and other crimes.

Paul Salopek, 44, was charged in a 40-minute hearing with espionage, passing information illegally and writing 'false news,' the Tribune reported on its Web site. His driver and interpreter, both Chadian nationals, faced the same charges."
Read more.

Let's Hope This Report is Accurate

PA: Kidnappers to free Fox newsmen | Jerusalem Post

"The kidnappers of the two Fox News journalists abducted in Gaza City on August 14 have promised to release them unharmed, Palestinian Authority officials said on Saturday night.

According to the officials, the PA has managed to establish contact with the kidnappers, who promised to resolve the affair peacefully.

PA Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said he had personally received assurances from the kidnappers that the two, reporter Steve Centanni, from the US, and cameraman Olaf Wiig, from New Zealand, would be released unharmed and unconditionally." Read on.

Most Israelis want Omert to step down

JERUSALEM, (Reuters) - Sixty-three percent of Israelis want Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to resign in a sharp public rebuke over his handling of the war in Lebanon, a newspaper poll showed on Friday. More.

Berlin demands to board Lebanese ships

"German sailors must be empowered to board ships against the will of their crew in order to stop arms smuggling to Lebanon, a senior leader said in remarks released Saturday.

Germany is offering to patrol Lebanon's coast rather than send ground troops as part of a UN peacekeeping force after the conflict between Israel and Lebanon-based Hizbullah." More details.

Iran launches new nuclear project

ARAK, Iran - "Iran's president launched a new phase in the Arak heavy-water reactor project on Saturday, saying Tehran would not give up its right to nuclear technology despite Western fears it aims to make atomic bombs.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was speaking just days before an August 31 deadline set by the U.N. Security Council for Iran to halt uranium enrichment -- the West's biggest worry in Iran's atomic program -- or face possible sanctions.

'No one can deprive a nation of its rights based on its capabilities,' Ahmadinejad said in his speech to inaugurate the heavy water project." More at Reuters.

BRITISH LEFTIST WAKES UP TO THE PERILS OF MULTICULTURALISM

"Ruth Kelly broke with decades of Labour support for multiculturalism as she admitted the Government's failure to impose a single British identity could have led to communities living in 'isolation'. The Communities Secretary became the first Cabinet minister to question the idea that different faiths and races should not be forced to integrate but should be allowed to maintain their own culture. In an extraordinary volte face, she appeared to concede that Government policies had contributed to communities drifting into segregation. 'In our attempt to avoid imposing a single British identity and culture, have we ended up with some communities living in isolation of each other, with no common bonds between them?' she said." Continue reading.

Do we really want Democrats in charge?

By Larry Elder

"Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California and other House Democrats recently released a six-pronged 'New Direction for America' agenda for change: Real security and immediate phased pullout in Iraq; higher minimum wage; more affordable college; energy independence and lower gas prices; affordable health care; and something called 'Retirement Security and Dignity,' which calls for shoring up private pensions.

Notice anything missing? Not one word about North Korea. Not one word about Iran. And virtually every one of the six Democrat initiatives requires greater federal government intrusion, higher taxes and contempt for the private sector to compete and innovate. In short, 'fiscal irresponsibility.' " Read more.

The Ayatollah's Answer

Iran's nuclear strategy is to divide and conquer the U.N.

"Two months ago the U.N. Security Council offered Iran a choice: Stop enriching uranium in violation of its treaty agreements, and the world would negotiate better diplomatic and commercial relations. Keep enriching the fuel for nuclear weapons, however, and face isolation and sanctions. Tehran's rulers have now given their answer: They won't stop enriching uranium, but they're happy to keep talking about it." More.

The good, bad and ugly side of multilateralism

By Charles Krauthammer

WASHINGTON -- "The cowboy has been retired. Multilateralism is back. Diplomacy is king. That's the conventional wisdom about Bush's second term: Under the influence of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the administration has finally embraced ``the allies.''

This is considered a radical change of course. It is not. Even the most ardent unilateralist always prefers multilateral support under one of two conditions: (1) there is something the allies will actually help accomplish, or (2) there is nothing to be done anyway, so multilateralism gives you the cover of appearing to do something." Full commentary.

Stunningly naive

By Oliver North

ATHENS, GREECE -- "While changing planes here in this ancient capital, I arranged to meet with an old friend who has long experience in the Middle East. Fluent in many Mediterranean and Persian Gulf languages and intimately familiar with the long, sad history of enmity in the region, he worked quietly with Americans for decades.

'Does anyone in the United States understand what's happening today?' he asked as we sat down over cups of strong coffee. 'Look at this,' he said, gesturing to headlines in the stack of newspapers he had placed on the table. 'The world is at the brink of a cataclysm with radical Islam, and no one in the U.S. government seems to know it. Washington is stunningly naive.' " Read on.

Wal-Mart drives Democrats batty

By Jonah Goldberg

"The New York Times reported recently that the Democrats have, en masse, declared their party to be the enemy of the mega-box store. Sen. Joe Biden Jr., D-Del., recently delivered what the Times called a 'blistering attack' on the company at an anti-Wal-Mart rally in Iowa, and other Democrats have appeared at similar events. Indeed, one of the few times Lieberman and Lamont appeared at the same event during their primary contest was at an anti-Wal-Mart clambake in the Nutmeg State." More.

Race and economics

By Thomas Sowell

"Andrew Young's statement that blacks have been 'ripped off' by stores run by Jews, Koreans, and Arabs has been rightly criticized and he has apologized. But these irresponsible remarks have wider implications than Andrew Young and wider implications than their political repercussions." Read on.

Rudy Still Looking Good, a Year Later

By Lorie Byrd
As it now appears a 2008 Rudy run is a sure thing, I thought it was about time to update that column to take a look at how Rudy is looking right about now, almost a full year later. More.

“People trust Democrats to handle our national security.” —Howlin' Howard Dean

Click Here for Audio.

Maryland early voting law fails court test

"Weeks before an election that promises a bruising finish to a U.S. Senate primary, a Maryland judge overturned legislation allowing for early voting. The successful plaintiffs argued that early voting violated the Maryland Constitution, which states a specific single-day occurrence.

Anne Arundel County Circuit Judge Ronald Silkworth, a Democrat appointee, angered party members with his decision. State AG Joseph Curran’s office quickly turned to the Maryland Court of Appeals, which is expected to rule by month’s end.

Other Free State Democrats expressed disdain as well. State Senator Lisa Gladden opined, “A constitution is a living, breathing document. If you always literally interpret the Constitution you get strange results, like ‘all men are created equal,’ so what do you do with the women?” (Memo to Gladden: “All men are created equal” would be a phrase found in the Declaration of Independence, not the Constitution.)"

-From The Patriot

Senate immigration bill carries big government flag

"A Congressional Budget Office analysis of the Senate’s immigration reform bill placed a ten-year, $126-billion price tag on the measure, adding 31,000 federal workers to the payroll and generating $50 billion in federal benefits for newly legalized immigrants. To be fair, a large chunk of the money does go toward enforcement measures such as building a fence along the border with Mexico and hiring additional border-patrol agents. These are elements that are integral to the House version of the package, which offers the best chance for real immigration reform. However, the entitlements that are included in the Senate legislation are in line with the soft-on-enforcement take that President Bush has favored, and they could thus sink the bill altogether."

Source- The Patriot Post

“Humiliation and hate go together. Why humiliation? Because a once-proud, dynamic culture in the forefront of world civilizations, and still carrying a message of their own superiority to ”infidels“ today, is painfully visible to the whole world as a poverty-stricken and backward region, lagging far behind in virtually every field of human endeavor... There is no way that they can catch up in a hundred years, even if the rest of the world stands still. And they are not going to wait a hundred years to vent their resentments and frustrations at the humiliating position in which they find themselves.” —Thomas Sowell

“We should not be apologetic or defensive in defining the problems of terrorism.”
—British Prime Minister Tony Blair

“For the president to articulate who the enemy is so clearly and unambiguously is a huge step forward. You cannot diagnose and treat a disease without first identifying and naming it. So, a strategist cannot defeat an enemy without first identifying it and naming it.” —Daniel Pipes

U.S. eyes Chavez ties to China
The visit to China by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez this week is being watched closely by U.S. national security officials who are concerned that Beijing is increasing its backing for the leftist leader.

US Islamic Group Hosting ‘Moderate’ Former Iranian President
The Council on American-Islamic Relations is hosting a dinner for Mohammad Khatami, the former president of Iran, next month. While Khatami is reputed to be a “moderate” by Iranian standards, he is a critic of U.S. Middle East policy, a foe of Israel, a supporter of Hizballah and Syria -- and some Americans many not like what he has to say...

Southern Border Sheriffs Outgunned by Drug Cartels
(CNSNews.com) – Drug cartels operating along the southwestern U.S. border are a “country unto themselves” with intelligence capabilities, weaponry and communications equipment that far exceed the resources made available to local law enforcement in the U.S., according to sheriffs who have organized a new border security coalition...

Annan: "Disarming Hezbollah is not going to be done by force"

European Jewish Press - Brussels,Belgium
By Yossi Lempkowicz.

BRUSSELS (EJP)--- "United Nations secretary general, Kofi Annan, said that disarming Hezbollah "is not going to be done by force." ..... More.

Translation: Hezbollah won't get disarmed .... by anyone ...... despite any UN resolution calling for it .... because the UN is incapable of accomplishing .... well ..... anything.

Pennslyvania 12th CD - Murtha lies again

Wizbang - Washington,DC,USA
"John Murtha, hero of the anti-American left, wasted no time in attempting to cast the decision in "quagmire" terms, as RawStory reports: ..." Read RawStory.

"Just one problem, though - it just ain't so. Leo Pusateri over at Murtha Must Go! fisks the new darling of the anti-American left with DOD numbers."says Wizbang.

Read Leo Pusateri here.

At Funeral, a Sunni Village Condemns Hezbollah
New York Times - United States
"For months, the residents of this predominantly Sunni village near the Israeli border watched anxiously as the Shiite Hezbollah militiamen brought arms ..."

Rifts emerging over Hezbollah's role in Lebanon
Taipei Times - Taiwan
... a new era of turmoil. The new green line wobbles uncertainly around the role of Hezbollah. As Israeli warplanes pulverized Lebanon's ...

FM: Syria must accept Lebanese sovereignty, Hezbollah arms ban
Ha'aretz - Tel Aviv,Israel
Syria must respect Lebanon's sovereignty and an arms embargo imposed on Hezbollah, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said Friday at a meeting with her Greek

Many feel threatened by Islam: poll

Guardian Unlimited -UK

"Most people in the UK feel threatened by Islam, a poll has revealed, after the Government launched a bid to tackle inter-faith tensions.

The YouGov survey for the Daily Telegraph found 53% were concerned about the impact of the religion - not just fundamentalist elements - up 21% from 2001."

Germans, Spared Until Now, Awaken to Reality of Terror Threat

Bloomberg.com: Asia
"Germans are beginning to awaken to a new reality: Their country is no longer one of the apparently safe havens in the post-Sept. 11 world.

'It's never really bothered me what people next to me in the train are doing,' said Juergen Darsch, 36, a graphic artist, at Berlin's Friedrichstrasse rail station. But ever since a Lebanese student was arrested Aug. 19 on suspicion of helping plant bombs on German trains, 'you look around more carefully. That's something I really don't want to live with.' "

Battles Over Abortion, Euthanasia in United Nations Disability ...
LifeNews.com - Helena,MT,USA
New York, NY (LifeNews.com) -- Debate is continuing on a United Nations treaty regarding the disabled and fierce battles are expected to continue until the end ...

THE QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“France backed off its pledge to send seventeen hundred troops to Lebanon Thursday and offered to send two hundred. No wonder we keep testing positive in their bicycle races. Everyone looks like they’re full of testosterone when they’re surrounded by Frenchmen.” —Argus Hamilton

I SECOND THE MOTION

“I have two words of advice for Kofi Annan when he visits Tehran: Stay there.” —Rich Galen

“Unless we learn to see our enemies for who they are, we cannot hope to win this war. We’ve got to stop treating our own government as the enemy. We have to quit worrying about whether the rest of the world will love us when we take actions to protect ourselves. We have to give up the illusion that if we just retreat from the world or abandon Israel the Islamist fanatics will leave us alone.” —Linda Chavez

“Here’s my credo. There are no good guns, there are no bad guns. A gun in the hands of a bad man is a bad thing. Any gun in the hands of a good man is no threat to anyone, except bad people.” —Charlton Heston

“The fact remains that young Middle Eastern males have committed a disproportionate amount of violent terror attacks in recent years. Accordingly, it is simply a waste of resources to subject all airline passengers, from grandmothers to toddlers, to equal scrutiny, while refusing to spend more time investigating passengers who come from the group from which most terrorists spring nowadays.” —Robert Spencer

“To begin something and be unable to stick with it to the finish is far more damaging to your reputation than if you’d never begun it in the first place. Nitwit Democrats think anything that can be passed off as a failure in Iraq will somehow diminish only Bush and the neocons. In reality—a concept with which Democrats seem only dimly acquainted—it would diminish the nation, and all but certainly end the American moment.” —Mark Steyn

“The republic was not established by cowards, and cowards will not preserve it.” —Elmer Davis

Thomas More Law Center Asks Supreme Court to Review New York City’s Ban on Nativity

ANN ARBOR, MI – The Thomas More Law Center, a national public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to review its case challenging New York City’s ban on the display of the nativity in its public schools during Christmas. The City policy expressly discriminates against Christians by allowing the menorah to be displayed as a symbol of the Jewish holiday of Chanukah and the star and crescent to be displayed as a symbol of the Islamic holiday of Ramadan, but does not allow a crèche or nativity scene to be displayed as a symbol of the Christian holiday of Christmas. More.

Commentary

Will the West Defend Itself?
By Walter E. Williams

Does the United States have the power to eliminate terrorists and the states that support them? In terms of capacity, as opposed to will, the answer is a clear yes. Terrorist supporters know we have this capacity, but because of worldwide public opinion, which often appears to be on their side, coupled with our weak will, we'll never use it. Today's Americans are vastly different from those of my generation who fought the life-and-death struggle of World War II. Any attempt to annihilate our Middle East enemies would create all sorts of handwringing about the innocent lives lost, so-called collateral damage…

MISC. HEADLINE NEWS

Reuters:
Iran to Germany: Let's Work Together Against 'Tyranny'

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Woman gets 90 days in jail for mistreatment of her cat

Shreveport Times:
Black students ordered to give up seats to white children
Status of Red River Parish bus driver is unknown.

Jerusalem Post:
Israel may have to 'go it alone' against Iran

Washington Times:
Chavez to boost oil sales to China

USA Today:
Cease-fire collapse could draw other militias into the conflict

Washington Post:
Immigration Plan Gets a Boost
Chertoff to Tour Border With Lawmakers Seeking a Compromise

Washington Post:
Republican Panel Fault US Intelligence on Iran

Fox News/AP:
US-Led Operation in Afghanistan Kills Seven Suspected Al Qaeda Operatives

Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Wal-Mart defender Cain lashes out
Calls Democratic critics of retailer 'Hezbocrats'

Americans Must Understand the Threat Posed by Iran, Senator Says
Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-Mich.), the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said he is releasing a report on Iran Wednesday morning to “help Americans understand the threat” posed by that radical Islamic regime...

HOW ABOUT THIS FOR ASSININE REPORTING PROPAGANDA?

Disarming Hezbollah: Setting the Israeli-American Trap

"As if to emphasis its role as obedient lap dog for Israel and the United States, the United Nations has changed its 'rules of engagement' in Lebanon. 'New rules of engagement for U.N. troops in Lebanon permit soldiers to shoot in self-defense, use force to protect civilians and resist armed attempts to interfere with their duties, a U.N. document says,' reports Reuters. In other words, UNIFIL 'peacekeepers could respond if small groups did not disarm voluntarily when confronted with U.N. troops,' that is to say Lebanese will be killed if they resist efforts to take away their weapons, as demanded by Israel and the United States.

Hezbollah understands well what will undoubtedly happen if they disarm. As an example, look no further than the open-air prison camps of Gaza and the West Bank." Read more crap here.

Are Iranians Fed Up With Their Government Funding Hezbollah?
FOX News - USA
... hit hard by recent wars and natural disasters are outraged over allegations that their government has pledged $500 million to support Hezbollah, saying they're ...

The United Nations taking a more visible Pacific role

"The first of eight new United Nations offices in the Pacific is to open next year. It follows a request from leaders in the north Pacific that the UN step up its presence there. The UN has never had an office in the north Pacific.

UN agencies will shortly begin establishing offices in Majuro, Pohnpei and Koror, under the auspices of the United Nations Population Fund. UNICEF is to take the lead to establish offices in Kiribati and Vanuatu, while the UNDP is to establish offices in Palau, Tuvalu and Nauru.

Each office will represent the three UN agencies. A bigger office for the three agencies is also to be established in Solomon Islands."

I have two words for this: Window dressing.

What good is 'presence' when you're worthless in deed?

Arab nations make new push for peace
Ireland Online - Dublin,Ireland
"Arab nations have asked for a United Nations Security Council ministerial meeting next month to launch a new effort to settle all Arab-Israeli conflicts and ..."

Hey, I have a thought. How 'bout leaving Israel alone. Don't shoot a dozen rockets into Israel on a daily basis. Quit threatening to push them into the sea. Quit threatening to wipe them off the face of the earth. Quit crossing over their borders and killing their citizens and kidnapping their soldiers. Let them continue to flourish in that little piece of desert that the world (UN) gave them which they have successfully made productive in a mere 60 years that you could not do for centuries.

Don't fall for Hezbollah's PR campaign
Daily Trojan Online - Los Angeles,CA,USA
Hezbollah, although formed in 1982, officially began its terrorist campaign against Israel in 1985. While Hezbollah supporters believe ...

Radical Group May Declare Islamic Caliphate in Gaza

"Jerusalem (CNSNews.com) - Encouraged by Hizballah's perceived victory in Lebanon, another radical Islamic party may declare an Islamic caliphate in the Gaza Strip on Friday, another step in its effort to see Islam rule the world.

The Hizb ut-Tahrir (Liberation Party) advocates replacing all Muslim governments in the world with one Islamic leader who would then declare the establishment of a worldwide Islamic caliphate." Read on.

Bush guest-worker plan lacks support
One hundred days into his all-out push to win an immigration bill President Bush has convinced House Republicans he is serious about enforcing the border, but he has failed to win their support for his plan to create a guest-worker program or a path to ....

Offer by Iran 'falls short'
The Bush administration said yesterday that Iran's proposal for talks on its nuclear programs "falls short of the conditions" demanded by the U.N. Security Council.

Michigan Man Guilty of Funding Militant Group Hezbollah

"A Dearborn Heights man is the third defendant to plead guilty to racketeering in a plot to fund the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. The 36-year-old man entered his plea Wednesday in a US district court." More.

Will Annan Raise Destruction of Israel With Iran?

"United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan plans to visit Tehran during a Mideast trip next week, but his spokesman could not say Wednesday whether he would bring up President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s Holocaust denial and calls for Israel’s destruction..." Full news story.

I doubt it. I really, really doubt it. The United Nations is worthless; Kofi the Grand Poobah of worthlessness.

NYC Man Charged for Selling Hezbollah TV Access

NEW YORK -- "For those wanting to watch Hezbollah's TV station, a New York City man allegedly had the answer. And because of that, he's under arrest.

Federal agents got tipped off that the man, Javed Iqbal, was supposedly selling access to the station through a business in Brooklyn. Hezbollah TV is off-limits in the U.S., after the government declared it a global terrorist entity.

Two stores and a Staten Island house were raided. According to prosecutors, a number of satellite dishes were found, which they say the suspect used to distribute the militants' broadcasts."

I'm not convinced

"Scientist's" want us to believe there's global warming going on. What's more, they want us to believe that it is man made. More importantly, they want us to believe that we can conquer nature and stop global warming ... even reverse it.

Well, Im not convinced; hell, they cannot even figure what is and is not a planet.

Former Marine takes down man after clerk is hit

deseretnews.com

"A man who had just been released from jail was sent right back Monday after police say he picked the wrong store to attempt a robbery."

An individual who started to leave a 7-11 store without paying for his carton of cigarettes punched a female clerk in the face who approached him in attempt to stop him. The 'brave' thug was kneeling over her, apparently ready to punch her again when the ex-marine went outside to help and the thug then took a swing at 30 year old James Sjostrom; a big mistake. Read the rest.

A PICTURE IS WORTH A 1,000 WORDS

Charles Johnson of LGF and James Taranto of WSJ OpinionJournal inform us that an Iran-based Hezbollah Web site put up a photo on their site of what was purported to be a photo of the Israeli warship that it had struck and 'blown up' at the beginning of their most recent conflict.

One minor problem, however: Andrew Bolt of the Melbourne, Australia, Herald Sun (you can see the photos there) informs us that the photographic image is, in reality, the HMAS Torrens, which was decomissioned from the Australian Navy and deliberately torpedoed and sunk in 1998.

A picture is worth a thousand words; unless the picture is altered or staged for propagandistic purposes, for it is then worth a thousand words times ten.

WALMART BASHING

A surprising editorial from the LA TIMES.

Democrats' Shameful Wal-Mart Demonization

Presidential hopefuls only hurt themselves when pandering to unions by bashing the country's largest employer.

The gusto with which even moderate Democrats are bashing Wal-Mart is bound to backfire. Not only does it take the party back to the pre-Clinton era, when Democrats were perceived as reflexively anti-business, it manages to make Democrats seem like out-of-touch elitists to the millions of Americans who work and shop at Wal-Mart.

Continue.

THE POWER OF IRAN

From STRATFOR Geopolitical Intelligence Report
(Paid subscription)

"The Iranians, correctly or otherwise, perceive that their moment in history has arrived. With the nuclear issue, through Hezbollah, and to some extent in Iraq, they are moving to secure their interests and extend influence -- seeing before them the opportunity to establish Persian, Shiite Iran as a hegemon in the Middle East and a power within the Muslim and wider worlds. And for the United States, like its Western allies, there are few meaningful options left to block it."

[snip]

"The outcome of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has given Iran the opportunity to strengthen the influence it wields in the Levant, while also bolstering perceptions that any attempts to solve the nuclear issue militarily could be very costly.

The Israelis' mismanagement of the war effort worked to the advantage of the Iranians, who are intimating to other Muslim states that Israel not only is not an invincible military power, but now is a power in decline. At a higher level, the war also has divided Arab states into two camps -- pro- and anti-Hezbollah -- and, at the same time, allowed Iran, through its sponsorship of Hezbollah, to project itself as the leader of all Muslim groups in the struggle against Israel.

Given the psychological impacts that Hezbollah's successful resistance brings throughout the region, it is little surprise that Iran is surging forward with new, and probably excessive, confidence. From Tehran's standpoint, this is the perfect moment to press its advantage and establish itself as a regional hegemon and global player."

I LOVE IT........

THE MURTHA OF ALL MORONS.
(Caption and Picture Swiped From Thespis Journal)

Thanks for the link Thespis.

Business owners sue firms accused of hiring illegal aliens
Business owners frustrated by lax enforcement of immigration laws are taking their fight to court, accusing competitors of hiring illegal workers to achieve an unfair advantage.

Legislators seek review of border agents' conviction
Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill have asked for congressional hearings and reviews by the White House and Justice Department into the conviction of two U.S. Border Patrol agents who shot and wounded a fleeing drug suspect.

Iran tries to split United Nations
Mail & Guardian Online - Johannesburg,South Africa
... country's chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, to a broad-ranging incentive package, set Iran on a collision course with the United Nations Security Council ...

Murtha-Driven Talking Points (And Other Troubling Matters)

Murtha Must Go!!
"This morning, I was shocked to see UFPJ supporting Amy Klobuchar's campaign. I've written about UFPJ's work before here. Now they're using John Murtha's own words in their campaign to end the war in Iraq. Here's what they're saying:"

Go read the rest of the Gary Gross post at Murtha Must Go!!

Pennslyvania 12th CD - Murtha in bed with UFPJ

"If you aren't familiar with the anti-American radical group 'United for Peace and Justice,' just take a look at how they plan to celebrate the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. These are people who were considered a 'communist front group' until the fall of the Soviet Empire. For them, the dream lives on." Continue at Wizbang Politics.

Hezbollah is about hate, not resistance
Canadian Jewish News - North York,ON,Canada
In the immediate aftermath of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, as a fragile UN-brokered ceasefire moves into place, we are seeing a distinction ...

UN Eyes Israel-Hezbollah Prisoner Swap
All Headline News - USA
... and Israeli officials earlier in the week, a senior UN official said on Tuesday that a prisoner swap between the Jewish state and Hezbollah could materialize ...

"What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value."

-- Thomas Paine

Iran's Nuke Quest

From Captain's Quarters regarding Iran's non-answer response to the United Nations Security Council demands pursuant to their nuke program .....

"....... it will replay the entire Iraq issue all over again, only this time in less than twelve years. The UNSC teeters on the brink of extinction as it continues to follow the League of Nations playbook. If the UNSC gets stymied in its attempt to halt Iranian nuclear development, then the delay of the past several months may come back to haunt the region if Iran achieves success. In fact, if the UNSC cannot agree to unite against the mullahs in Teheran, they may well push the Anglosphere into military options as the only course of action left to us that have some chance of stopping the Islamic Nuke.

Once again, we have tried to engage the global community to stand fast against nuclear extortion and terror-supporting states. If the global community surrenders again, we hope that the multilateralists among us will finally take notice of the futility in engaging nations too committed to appeasement to act in their own defense, let alone ours."

The Irony of it all....

"Europe and the UN want to be taken seriously and they want international law to mean something."

But how can you be taken seriously when you cannot put together a 'peacekeeping' force of 15,000 troops? At the beginning stages, they were talking of 30,000 troops. HA! What a joke that was. They slice it in 1/2 and still cannot get the "world" to even come up with 15,000 troops.

John Hawkins at Right Wing News opines:

"See, this is the problem with the whole "peacekeeping mentality" that so many European nations have fallen into. They don't have very good militaries in the first place and even if they did, they're not willing to fight for anything. Their idea of "peacekeeping" is a bunch of guys in blue helmets walking around with unloaded rifles and trying to stay out of trouble. The whole idea that "peacekeepers" should actually use force if necessary to keep the peace is alien to them. That's why, in a situation like this one, where Israel is demanding the peacekeepers actually live up to their names, Europe is so decadent and weak that they're incapable of dealing with it."

Not much to argue with here.

Judge Anna Diggs Taylor's Dirty Donations

Judge Diggs Taylor's Foundation Donated $45,000 to Michigan ACLU

The Jimmy Carter appointee, Judge Anna Diggs Taylor may be in serious trouble.

Go to Hot Air and Gateway Pundit to get the lowdown.

WHEN LIBERALISM COLLAPSES

An excellent post at Chicago Boyz:

A vast array of citizens watch with eagle eyes every new power of the state and seek to obstruct most of them, believing that the powers represent a greater threat than the enemy they seek to contain.

History, however, suggest they are looking in the wrong direction.

The history of the 20th Century paints a very clear picture of how liberal orders collapse into authoritarian ones. Contrary to popular belief, liberal orders do not gradually evolve into authoritarian ones by the accumulation of state power. Instead, liberal orders fail suddenly when they cease to provide basic physical and economic security. The functional power of the state decays until conditions reach a degree of disorder that triggers a sudden collapse into an authoritarian order. Ineffectiveness kills the liberal state, not excessive powers.

The major cases of Russia, Italy, Germany and Japan all follow this pattern . . .

If we cannot successfully curtail the escalation of terrorism we face the collapse of our liberal order. Today we face Islamist terrorists, but if others view terrorism as successful we will face attacks from other groups as well. Terrorist attacks will undermine social and economic functions and people will increasingly view the liberal order as a failed one. 9/11 illustrates this risk in miniature. During the '90s the West proved unable to restrain Al-Qaeda and its attacks grew increasingly destructive. People worried more about increasing state power than they did about the external threat. Finally, 9/11 caused a counter-reaction and we saw a sudden expansion of state power. Had we treated terrorism more seriously and had we authorized relatively minor expansions of state power in the '90s we would not have the Patriot Act and NSA surveillance today.

Political correctness threatens to cripple the effectiveness of the liberal order. For example, we refuse to use proven techniques such as profiling airline passengers and instead use invasive and ineffective searches for any object that might contain a bomb or weapon. We consider profiling, even accurate profiling, unjust. Neither will we use data mining, keyword searching or other modern tools, preferring instead to rely on invasive techniques such as planting informants. In the end we create the illusion of programs that are both powerful and ineffective. If a future attacks succeeds on a grand scale, many may conclude, just as they did after 9/11, that the state (or worse, a successor state) needs vastly more power.

We may be sliding down a slippery slope towards authoritarianism, but I fear we do so facing up-slope and unawares. We fix our eyes uphill on the minor threat while we slide insensibly down into the maw of the beast.

Hat tip to Marc Schulman at American Future.

Globalism's toll mounting for U.S. citizens

It's not just U.S. ports that are fast slipping into foreign ownership; it's highways, too.

By Phyllis Schlafly

SHUT UP AND SING

Actors and other idiots
By Burt Prelutsky

"I have lived in Los Angeles most of my life, and for a good part of it have worked in Hollywood, writing for TV. What’s more, for many of those years, I was a registered Democrat. I even voted for Jimmy Carter. Being in such a confessional mood, I almost feel as if I should stand up and introduce myself as Burt P, a recovering liberal, and proudly announce that I’ve been politically sober for over 5,000 days."

[snip]

"One thing that became glaringly apparent is that for all the populist claptrap these folks spout, when the caste system was banished from India, it simply packed its bags and moved to Hollywood. There are people in the business who seem to devote more time to spouting left-wing inanities than they do to their acting and singing careers, and, almost without exception, they treat their underlings like indentured serfs."

[snip]

"That is the thing that is so maddening about these Hollywood characters. It isn’t that they’re greedier or cheaper than other people, it’s that they are totally oblivious to the abyss that exists between what they say and what they do."

[snip]

"But, with [those] relatively few exceptions, I find most actors, with their proclivity for playing dress-up, to be rather childish." The whole thing here.

Point of no return?

An excellent column written by one of my favorites, Thomas Sowell:

"It is hard to think of a time when a nation -- and a whole civilization -- has drifted more futilely toward a bigger catastrophe than that looming over the United States and western civilization today."

[snip]

"Fanatics filled with hate cannot be either deterred or bought off, whether Hezbollah, Hamas or the government of Iran.

The endlessly futile efforts to bring peace to the Middle East with concessions fundamentally misconceive what forces are at work.

Hate and humiliation are key forces that cannot be bought off by "trading land for peace," by a "Palestinian homeland" or by other such concessions that might have worked in other times and places."

[snip]

"Hitler was able to rouse similar resentments and fanaticism in Germany under conditions not nearly as dire as those in most Middle East countries today. The proof of similar demagogic success in the Middle East is all around." Full column.

On the low-tax economy, Bush has the story right

By Lawrence Kudlow
Some conservatives are alleging that the president suffers from an inability to communicate with the American people, and there may be some overrated truth to this. More commentary.

Israeli reservists protest Olmert
Israeli reservists, fresh from fighting in southern Lebanon, demanded yesterday that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert resign over what they describe as the debacle of the monthlong war with Hezbollah.

Buchanan warns of flood of illegals
Pat Buchanan says illegal immigration from poor and developing countries will overwhelm the United States and other Western countries in the next 50 years unless something is done.

Dealing With Damascus: Isolate Assad
By Peter Brookes
Notice anything different about the recent round of diplomatic efforts to resolve Lebanon's latest crisis? Strikingly, Syria was nowhere to be found. Thankfully, for the first time in years, Damascus played no visible role in resolving a Lebanese predicament. It’s a small victory for the Bush administration, vindicating its policy of isolating the mischief-making dictatorship of Syrian strongman, Basher Assad…

Time to Profile Airline Passengers?
By Daniel Pipes
The debate over profiling airline passengers revived after the thwarted Islamist plot to bomb ten airplanes in London on Aug. 10. The sad fact is,due to a mixture of inertia, denial, cowardice, and political correctness, Western airport security services – with the notable exception of Israel's – continue to search primarily for the implements of terrorism, while largely ignoring passengers…

Peacekeeping Force Won’t Help, May Hurt, Israel, Analyst Says
The deployment of an international force in southern Lebanon could strengthen Hizballah and even pave the way for an al Qaeda presence in southern Lebanon, and therefore Israel should abandon the idea, a senior Israeli lawmaker said...

KOFI'S IN CHARGE ... OH GREAT!

Annan, Not Israel, to Decide on Makeup of Peacekeeping Force
A new row is brewing between Israel and the United Nations over which of the U.N.’s member-states should be eligible to contribute troops to a mission to keep the peace between Israel and Shi’ite terrorists in Lebanon. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s spokesman, asked whether recognition of Israel was a criterion for troops participating in the force, replied that the decision “belongs to the secretary-general.”

US mulls new resolution against Hezbollah

NDTV.com

"The United States is planning to introduce a new UN resolution on disarming Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

However, US Ambassador John Bolton said this should not hold up the quick deployment of UN peacekeepers.

A new Security Council resolution could help break the impasse over getting an expanded UN force on the ground quickly.

Countries that are potential troop contributors have expressed concern about the rules of engagement and exactly what the troops would be required to do, especially regarding the disarming of Hezbollah." (AP)

Many Lebanese fear next conflict will be with Hezbollah

Mercury News / McClatchy Washington Bureau

"BEIRUT, Lebanon - Glossy new billboards touting Hezbollah's 'divine victory' over Israel line Beirut's highways. The capital's famed nightspots are full again with scantily clad students drinking to make up for a month lost to war. Leaders of the country's political dynasties appear nightly on live television, urging their weary constituents to rebuild, forgive and move on.

But this rosy image of resilience, a week after a U.N.-brokered cease-fire brought a halt to Israeli airstrikes, masks a growing realization among Lebanese that the next battle Lebanon faces probably will be among its own." More.

HEZBOLLAH'S MANY MISTAKES

By Uri Dromi
International Herald Tribune

"In order to be a political dove, one needs to be a military hawk. In other words, Israel will never be able to make peace with enemies like Hezbollah if they can harass the Jewish state at will and get away with it.

But has Israel really beaten Hezbollah enough to make it think twice before it tries again? I think the answer is yes." More.

HEZBOLLAH NEWS

Tory MP says Hezbollah reminiscent of Nazi party in 1930s
Canada.com - Hamilton,Ontario,Canada
OTTAWA - Conservative MP Jason Kenney said Tuesday that Hezbollah is no different than the German Nazi party in the 1930s and, by visiting Lebanon, opposition ...

Tory MP compares Hezbollah to Nazi party
CBC News - Canada
Despite its political wing, the militant group Hezbollah is a terrorist organization that is comparable to the Nazi party of the 1930s, says Prime Minister ...

Hezbollah minister says Lebanon may try to break Israeli blockade
Canada.com - Hamilton,Ontario,Canada
BEIRUT (AP) - A Hezbollah cabinet minister said Tuesday the government may try to break the Israeli naval and air blockade of Lebanon by calling on ships and ...

'Turkey Should Consult Hezbollah Before Deploying Troops'
Zaman Online - Istanbul,Turkey
... Foreign Relations Commission member and former ambassador Unal Batu advised the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) hold talks with Hezbollah ahead of ...

FOLLOW ME MEN ... I'LL BE RIGHT BEHIND YOU

Nations now shrinking from calls for urgent action in Lebanon
Kansas City Star

"President Bush correctly describes the need for an effective international force in Lebanon as urgent. Unfortunately, the United Nations and some of its key members don’t seem up to the task.

The French government deserves particular scorn for its decision to send only 200 more troops to Lebanon, for a total of 400. When French President Jacques Chirac finally announced the number last week, it seemed like some sort of joke.

French officials had been issuing grand pronouncements about their special interest in Lebanon, their notions about a successful peace agreement and their plans to lead an international force of 15,000.

So it was generally assumed that Paris would commit several thousand soldiers, not just a few hundred. “March to the rear,” sneered The Times of London." Read on.

Rep. Murtha: Bush 'Doesn't Get It' on Iraq War

"Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., a vocal critic of the war in Iraq, says President George W. Bush 'just doesn't get it' when it comes to the 'catastrophe' for U.S. soldiers still fighting in Iraq.

'The president's attacks against Democratic Party critics of the war at his news conference Monday fail to recognize the reality of the catastrophe that is occurring daily in Iraq because of the war,' Murtha said in a press statement." You can read more here.

He also made this profound statement, "Sixty percent of the American people say they want an end to this war sooner rather than later."

Hell, what moron wouldn't want the war to end sooner than later? I got to believe, it would be more accurate to say 100% would rather it end sooner than later.

That's entirely different than people wanting to get out of Iraq immediately before the job is complete and before Iraq can function on its own.

Today's Posting

Blogger has been acting up today and has not been real cooperative. I have had trouble posting.

Israeli reservists protest Olmert
Israeli reservists, fresh from fighting in southern Lebanon, demanded yesterday that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert resign over what they describe as the debacle of the monthlong war with Hezbollah.

Buchanan warns off lood of illegals
Pat Buchanan says illegal immigration from poor and developing countries will overwhelm the United States and other Western countries in the next 50 years unless something is done.

2006 Atlantic Tropical Storm Season Below Normal (August 21)

"What a difference a year makes. After the record-breaking 2005 Atlantic hurricane season, the 2006 season is now below normal.

As of yesterday (20 August) three tropical storms will have formed in the Atlantic in an 'average' year, which is the same number that have formed this year so far. Because of multi-year averaging, that means that today (August 21) slightly more than three storms would have formed, making this year (statistically speaking) just below normal.

In the hurricane category, this year is decidedly below normal, with no hurricanes so far, while by this date 1.5 hurricanes have formed in the average of years 1944 though 2005." More.

Since last years bad hurricane season was 'caused by global warming' and then taking into consideration the above reported data, one can, then, with the same definitive, scientific, and compelling conviction, claim undeniably that global warming must be over. I'm waiting for the 'scientific' community and the media to report this 'scientific fact' with the same vigor that it did last year on the global warming/bad hurricane connection.

Study: Greenland's glaciers have been shrinking for 100 years

"Greenland's glaciers have been shrinking for the past century, according to a Danish study, suggesting that the ice melt is not a recent phenomenon caused by global warming." More.

Now this is an 'inconvenient truth.'

Hip-hopper sings Steele praise

The Washington Times

"Hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons will be the host of a campaign fundraiser Thursday for Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele's run for U.S. Senate.

The fundraiser for Mr. Steele, a Republican who would be the state's first black U.S. senator if elected, will be held at the Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park in Baltimore.

Also scheduled to participate in the event are Cathy Hughes, founder and chairman of Radio One, a black-run broadcasting company specializing in urban markets, and hip-hop pioneer DJ Kid Capri." More.

Bush Argues Democrats Don’t Understand Threat to U.S.

By JIM RUTENBERG
New York Times

Islamists in Charge

"Something is changing in the Turks’ sense of who they are. You hear it from cab drivers or columnists, old friends and fresh acquaintances. For a long time, the Turks put their Turkish identity first, snubbing their Muslim neighborhood. Now they’re acting like members of the Muslim umma.

The Justice and Development Party (AKP), which assumed power in November 2002, is driving this change. Rooted in Turkey’s Islamist opposition, the government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been widening the wedges between Turkey and the West, while building bridges with the Muslim Middle East. If anyone had doubts about the AKP’s Islamism, the proof is in the party’s foreign-policy pudding.

Since the AKP took over, Turkish attitudes toward the U.S. have soured significantly. Four years of harsh criticism of American foreign policy in the Middle East—last year’s U.S. military incursions into Fallujah, for example, were officially a “genocide” in Turkey—has created what could be a permanent dent in public opinion." Read on.

The Confused Security Situation in Iraq: Some Less Publicized Units

"While U.S. and coalition forces—and increasingly the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF)—struggle to defeat the Sunni insurgency in Iraq, they are also dealing with a range of armed groups that complicate the security scenario. Militias and ad hoc units with different levels of government sanction are growing in strength, and the training of the ISF is progressing unevenly. While it is not possible to conduct a comprehensive survey of both independent groups and ISF units, a sampling of less publicized units illustrates how diffuse military power in Iraq has become." Continue reading...

Now, the Fallout

Israeli leaders face a reckoning, while the people prepare for the next round of fighting.

"Even though Nasrallah's rockets killed lots of Israelis, and many Arabs among them, I have yet to meet an Israeli who is scared or even nervous. Still, most here believe that they are always walking a very fine line with little room for error, and what mistakes that have been made need to be corrected quickly.

In contrast, the Bush administration is now behaving more like an Arab regime, as though no one will ever have to pay the price for endangering the lives of people the administration is supposed to protect. Why Secretary of State Rice spent so much time and prestige working on U.N. Resolution 1701 is baffling. Presumably, it was to garner support for America's own fight with the Iranians; if that's so, the White House should learn from its mistakes here and correct them before crunch time. If Washington was more like Jerusalem, Rice would probably be looking for another job right now. Her ceasefire is on the verge of falling apart after less than a week for reasons that were obvious from the outset." Read more.

The Emerging World Conflict

"With the world preoccupied with a cease fire in Lebanon and the subsequent deployment of 15,000 troops from the Lebanese army in the newly created “demilitarized zone,” the search for a way to prevent the enrichment of uranium in Iran has left center stage. Yet this issue could have a more profound effect on the region than any armistice between Israel and Hezbollah.

In fact, there is a seamless unity among Hezbollah as the vanguard for Iranian ambitions, Syria, a state now inextricably tied to Iran, as well as al Qaeda, Hamas and terror groups around the globe. What happens in Iran affects the entire terrorist equation.

If Hezbollah can retain its missiles and rockets and sit behind Lebanese forces as it rearms, Iran will have gained virtual control of Lebanon, despite United States’ efforts to prop up the existing government in that embattled country." Read on.

On the Trail of Hugo Chavez

Council on Foreign Relations:

"Hugo Chavez is better known for his hyperbolic statements—he calls President Bush 'Mr. Danger' and labels Israel's campaign in Lebanon a 'new Holocaust' (Miami Herald)—than his diplomacy. But a recent world tour (SFChron) marked by visits to Belarus, Russia, and Iran suggests the Venezuelan president's foreign policy ambitions may be just as outsized as his rhetoric.

Among the many reasons for his trip—lobbying for a temporary seat on the UN Security Council (BosGlobe), arms purchases, and strengthening relationships with anti-U.S. leaders of several countries at odds with Washington—one dominated: energy deals. In Russia, President Vladimir Putin appeared cool to requests to fund a South American oil pipeline, but in Iran, calls for oil investment in Venezuela's Orinoco region fell on more responsive ears. On July 30, Iran's state-owned oil company agreed to invest some $4 billion in two Venezuelan oil fields (WSJ).

Read more here.

Europe Remains Center of Islamist Focus

By Douglas Farah

"Perhaps the most interesting move, and one with long-term implications, is the (largely successful) efforts by these groups to buy large amounts of real estate, territory that effectively becomes “Muslim” land once it is in the hands of Islamist groups. Some groups are signing agreements to guarantee that they will only sell the land to other Muslims.

The Brotherhood, particularly, is active in investments in properties and businesses across Europe, laying the groundwork for the future network that will be able to react rapidly and with great flexibility in case of another attempted crackdown on the group’s financial structure." More...

“It is long past the time when we need to start ‘playing’ the equivalent of smash-mouth football with these [islamofascists]. They’ve got our number, but we don’t yet have theirs. The British are still shocked that people who are born in their country, go to their schools, have British accents and eat fish and chips would kill their fellow Brits. They do so because their allegiance is not to Britain, or to the Queen, but rather to their perverted view of God and the instructions from the hate preachers telling them to go bag some Jews, Christians, Westerners and other ‘infidels.’... This isn’t about ‘civil rights’ and constitutional protection. These people use our Constitution to protect themselves so they can kill us. And this is decidedly not a game. It is life and death. We want to live and they want us dead. Any questions?” —Cal Thomas

Thuggery & Trickery: How Islamic terrorists manipulate the media

By Joel Mowbray

Thuggery helps explain the obscenely low volume of negative press coverage of the Palestinian Authority, Fatah, Hamas, Hezbollah, and others. But it doesn’t account for all, or even most, of the persistently slanted coverage.

As any veteran of Middle East media coverage knows, many Arab stringers and free-lancers—hired on the cheap by Western outlets, ostensibly because of their superior knowledge for local leaders and events—see it as their duty to demonize Israel, while exalting fellow Arabs or Muslims. More.

Islamic Fascists?

By Chuck Colson

"Shortly after British authorities announced that they had foiled a plot to bomb transcontinental flights, President Bush called it a “stark reminder” that the United States is “at war with Islamic fascists.”

The president’s comments triggered a series of responses. The Saudi government rejected even the possibility of Islamic fascism. A spokesman for King Abdullah said that “what Islam is being charged with today, such as fascism, is primarily the result of Western cultural heritage.”

The expression “Islamic fascism” is used in order to distinguish between ordinary Muslims and the perpetrators of terrorism. It serves also to make a point that our enemy isn’t Islam itself, but a particular kind of Islam that perpetrates terrorism and tyranny."

Read more.

Our covert enemies

By Michael Barone

"In our war against Islamo-fascist terrorism, we face enemies both overt and covert. The overt enemies are, of course, the terrorists themselves. Their motives are clear: They hate our society because of its freedoms and liberties, and want to make us all submit to their totalitarian form of Islam. They are busy trying to wreak harm on us in any way they can. Against them we can fight back, as we did when British authorities arrested the men and women who were plotting to blow up a dozen airliners over the Atlantic.

Our covert enemies are harder to identify, for they live in large numbers within our midst. And in terms of intentions, they are not enemies in the sense that they consciously wish to destroy our society. On the contrary, they enjoy our freedoms and often call for their expansion. But they have also been working, over many years, to undermine faith in our society and confidence in its goodness. These covert enemies are those among our elites who have promoted the ideas labeled as multiculturalism, moral relativism and (the term is Professor Samuel Huntington's) transnationalism." Read more.

Hezbollah told not to incite Israel
Lebanon's defense minister said yesterday that he is certain Hezbollah will not break the cease-fire, but warned all militant groups of harsh measures and a traitor's fate if they incite Israeli retaliation by firing rockets into the Jewish state.

Iran

Speculation Rages About Iran’s Plans for August 22
As Tuesday approaches, the Internet is running hot with speculation about what Tuesday may bring, ranging from a new refusal by Iran to shut down its controversial uranium-enrichment activities to an attack -– even a nuclear attack – against Israel...

Iran Looks Set to Say No on Nuclear Offer
Two days ahead of its self-imposed deadline to respond to a nuclear package offered by six leading nations, Iran said Sunday it would not stop enriching uranium...

Texas Sheriffs Say Terrorists Entering US from Mexico
The chief law enforcement officers of several Texas counties along the southern border warn that Arabic-speaking individuals are learning Spanish and integrating into Mexican culture before paying smugglers to sneak them into the United States. The Texas Sheriffs’ Border Coalition believes those individuals are likely terrorists and that drug cartels and some members of the Mexican military are helping them get across the border...

HEZBOLLAH NEWS

MPs call for Canada to drop Hezbollah from terror list
Canada.com - Hamilton,Ontario,Canada
BENT JBAIL, Lebanon - It would aid the cause of peace if Canada dropped Hezbollah from a list of banned terrorist organizations, according to two Canadian MPs ...

HeavyHanded: How? HOWWW....? How would it help bring PEACE? Hezbollah wants to destroy Israel because they (Hezbollah) are on Canada's terrorist list? Did I miss something? Was there some big announcement to this affect that was made and I missed it? Maybe I had too many Michelob Ambers that night it was announced.

Bush: Hezbollah must not be allowed to re-arm
CNN - USA
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush called Monday for an effective international force in Lebanon to ensure Hezbollah doesn't re-arm and "wreak havoc in the ...

Turkey Searches Iranian Trucks for Hezbollah Arm Shipments
Zaman Online - Istanbul,Turkey
... custom officials have stepped up inspections on Iranian trucks entering Turkey on suspicion that they may be involved in shipping arms to Hezbollah in Lebanon. ...

Hezbollah rearming, returning to positions
WorldNetDaily - Grants Pass,OR,USA
JERUSALEM - Hezbollah has returned to many of its strongholds in south Lebanon and is capable of launching another round of attacks against the Jewish state ...

US resolution would disarm Hezbollah
Seattle Post Intelligencer - USA
UNITED NATIONS -- The United States is planning to introduce a new UN resolution on disarming Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, but US Ambassador John Bolton said ...

Hezbollah's Counterfeit Generosity
KXMC - Minot,ND,USA
... Israel: Hezbollah leader killed, but militants claim they never heard of hi... Hezbollah: No ceasefire until Israeli troops leave Lebanon... ...

HILLARY AND A KFC SPECIAL

Hizbullah: Zionist regime will be destroyed

Ynetnews: Hizbullah representative in Tehran conference: We think that this war has one significance and it is the destruction of the Zionist entity.

"In the course of the last month a war waged between the IDF and Hizbullah on Lebanese territory, but Iran is also busy with evaluations of the situation and summaries, following the ceasefire.

A conference was held on Sunday in Tehran under the banner 'Clarifying the results of the Lebanon war and the future of the Middle East'. During the conference, Hizbullah's representative in Iran, Muhammad Abdullah Sif al-Din said: 'We think this war has one significance and it is the destruction of the Zionist regime.'

'The Zionist regime is a not a real regime,' said the envoy, who was quoted by an Iranian news agency.

'The state (Israel ) did not rise in a natural way but in a way different from all of the countries: First an army was set up and only after people from various nations were assembled and formed a country,' said al-Din.

Al-Din said that following the Hizbullah victory, Israel does not have a right to exist: 'There's no reason to leave the Zionist regime on its base. For the United States this regime is the police officer of the area that must always win, but the minute it loses – there's no reason for it to exist.' " More.

Mexico Bracing for Social Unrest

Los Angeles Times: Tanks are deployed as the nation awaits a ruling on who won the July 2 presidential vote.

By Héctor Tobar, Times Staff Writer


MEXICO CITY — "A line of armored vehicles awaits outside Mexico's Congress building. Most are brand-new and have never seen action. But many Mexicans wonder whether their menacing presence is a harbinger of this divided country's future.

Federal authorities deployed the tanks to prevent supporters of leftist presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador from shutting down Mexico's legislature in a bid to pressure the Federal Electoral Tribunal to order a full recount of all 41 million votes in the disputed July 2 presidential election." Read more...

172nd Stryker Soldiers discover huge weapons cache

172nd Stryker Soldiers discover huge weapons cache
By Multi-National Division – Baghdad PAO

Blackanthem Military News, BAGHDAD, Iraq – "Soldiers from 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, detained two suspected terrorists and seized a large weapons cache in a warehouse during a search of Nur and Ghazalyia Friday in support of Operation Together Forward.

The weapons and munitions seized included more than 580 mortar rounds, about 39,000 rounds of small-arms ammunition, more than 100 rocket-propelled grenades, more than 270 rockets, two landmines, a shape charge, a crater charge, 11 fragmentation grenades, several machine guns, ammunition drums, 5,000 feet of detonation cord, mortar tubes and bipods, land mines, more than 50 rocket motors and various other bomb-making materials and ordnance.

Five hundred buildings were searched during the operation.

Operations have taken place in Doura, Shula, Ghazaliyah and Ameriyah from Aug. 7-16. During this time, Iraqi Army, Iraqi Police and MND-B Soldiers have cleared more than 23,000 buildings, 21 mosques, detained 54 suspected terrorists, seized 326 weapons, registered 341 weapons, found 10 weapons and munitions caches and removed 900 tons of trash."

A New Frontier of Jihadi Islam?

Commentary: The future bodes ill for Somalia, however tolerant and moderate its Islamists may have been in the past.

By Najum Mushtaq

"Somalia today is very much like Afghanistan was in 1996. In the wake of years of civil war, chaotic rule by warlords, and the death and displacement of countless Muslims, a ragtag Islamic militia has moved in to take control of much of Somalia." More....

'Anti-Americans' Ought to Ponder the Alternatives ...

"If you ask why such anti-American sentiment exists here in Korea, you will get a laundry list of responses. But rather than try to defend or attack such notions, I'd like to try a different approach. I'd like to look at the current wave of anti-Americanism from a different angle, by arguing that compared to alternative superpowers, the United States is a relatively benign (yet robust) one, and thus, should be given due respect for not exercising its full might and will upon other nations, including Korea, as other superpowers most likely would have chosen to do.

First, imagine if the United States and allied powers had not won World War II. What would the world look like today, and more to the point, how would this alternative victorious superpower look upon and treat Korea?" Read the whole thing.

Sabotaging U.S. Sovereignty

By Alan Caruba

The problem with the Bush administration is that not enough of its officials have read the U.S. Constitution. Take, for example, Section 2 of Article 2. When dealing with foreign nations, it says that the President 'shall have the power, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to make treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur….'

So, why is President Bush and his administration seeking to establish a North American Union that would, in effect, abolish the borders between Canada, Mexico, and the United States of America?

Moreover, it would involve our government in so many common regulatory mandates with these two nations as to render the sovereignty of the United States a memory of what national self-governance is supposed to be.

The name of this effort is called the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP) and, guess what, it has not been submitted to the Senate for its oversight or concurrence because, by some magic of governmental definition, it is not a treaty. Instead, its administration is buried in the bowels of the Commerce Department.

It does have, however, the blessing of the political and corporate elites of all three nations. A visit to the SPP Internet website (www.spp.gov) says it 'was launched in March of 2005 as a trilateral effort to increase security and enhance prosperity among the United States, Canada and Mexico through greater cooperation and information sharing.' " More details...