FULL SADDAM HANGING VIDEO - WARNING: GRAPHIC

FULL SADDAM HANGING VIDEO

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Using Technology to Undermine the Ballot Box

This commentary is a follow-up to an article posted here on December 1, 2006, Sore Losers.

"Placing the will of a candidate or the will of a political party above the sanctity of the ballot box is reprehensible. It exemplifies the evils associated with the current 'politics before government' attitude that permeates the elitist society of America's politicos today.

That many, if not most, of those who seek political office today lust for political power so badly they would be content to believe cockamamie conspiracy theories, conspiracy theories that would need the coordination of NASA, the NSA and the CIA combined, is telling of the quality of stewardship We the People provide our Constitutional Republic." Read more of the commentary.

Saddam Hanging - SKY NEWS EXCLUSIVE

A sky news exclusive of Saddam Hussein being hung.

Incredulity, joy, anger in Iraq at Saddam hanging

"Scarcely able to believe the pictures of Saddam Hussein on the gallows, Iraqi Kurds and Shi'ites said he had received a dose of his own medicine when he was hanged on Saturday.

But for many of the former president's fellow Sunni Arabs, it was a sombre day.

'What happened today is unbelievable, it's a great joy that I can't even express,' said Mohammad Kadhim, a 30-year-old journalist in the Shi'ite city of Basra in southern Iraq.

'I can't believe what I'm seeing on television -- Saddam led to the gallows where he hanged tens of thousands of innocent Iraqis by the same method,' Kadhim said.

Popular reactions were fairly muted as Iraqis woke on the holiest day of the Muslim calendar to begin a week of religious holidays for Eid al-Adha. Unlike at previous times of tension, no curfew was imposed on Baghdad after the execution." Reuters

Some good things about Duke Lacrosse for a change

By Mary Katharine Ham: "This week, the Duke lacrosse team is back in the news because Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong has finally decided to drop charges of rape against three lacrosse players in the face of increasing evidence of both the players’ innocence and his own prosecutorial misconduct.

He has yet to drop charges of sexual offense and kidnapping, but experts expect him to do so shortly, since the accuser in the case can no longer even remember if she was penetrated on the night of the alleged attack.

When you’ve heard about Duke lacrosse for the past 9 months, ........" Continue.

Pretty Boy ... The 'Breck' Boy.... Announces Presidential Run

The former North Carolina senator's campaign Web site accidentally launched a day early; the former vice presidential nominee plans to formally make the announcement tomorrow from New Orleans' Lower 9th Ward.
Read on...

Rwanda genocide accused remanded

"Four men accused of taking part in the Rwanda genocide in 1994 have been remanded in custody by UK magistrates.

Vincent Bajinya was arrested in north London, Charles Munyaneza in Bedford, Celestin Ugirashebuja in Essex and Emmanuel Nteziryayo in Manchester.

The four appeared at City of Westminster Magistrates Court after an extradition request from Rwanda.

They all deny charges of conspiring to kill the Tutsi ethnic group and aiding and abetting the mass killings." -- BBC NEWS

Saddam Hussein hanged, says Al Hurra TV station

"BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S.-backed Iraqi television station Al Hurra said Saddam Hussein had been executed by hanging shortly before 6 a.m. (0300 GMT) on Saturday. Arabic satellite channel Arabiya also reported the execution had taken place." -- Reuters.com


Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has been executed by hanging at an unspecified location in Baghdad.

Iraqi TV said the execution took place just before 0600 local time (0300GMT). It was witnessed by a doctor, lawyer and officials. It was also filmed. -- BBC News

U.S. Judge Rejects Saddam Plea

"As his execution drew near, Saddam's lawyers filed an appeal trying to stave it off. However, U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, who heard arguments from attorneys by phone, rejected the challenge Friday night. She said U.S. courts do not have jurisdiction to interfere in another country's judicial process."

"The right of freely examining public characters and measures, and of free communication among the people thereon . . . has ever been justly deemed the only effectual guardian of every other right."
-- James Madison

The Symbiotic Conjoining of Liberalism and Militant Islam

"A great many Muslim nations sit atop nearly incalculable reserves of the No. 1 commodity of the 20th and 21st centuries (that would be oil), yet they are almost to the last economic wastelands, rife with poverty and ruled by thugs.

As with any failed state, or state of things, a bogeyman must be named to blame, to avoid the painful and far more accurate look within.

The Jews and Israel will do, and often have, in explaining away the dictatorial overlording done by the Middle East powers that be. But the Great Satan gets a great deal of the “credit” as well, and it is here that the Islamists and the leftists find common cause.

It is difficult to demarcate daylight betwixt Ahmadinejad promising to “end Anglo-Saxon civilization” and the 1960s-era Berkeley mantra (alive and in play on campuses today), 'Hey hey, ho ho, Western Civ. has got to go'." Read more...

Pelosi Targets Grassroots Freedom of Speech

"House Speaker-to-be Nancy Pelosi (D.-Calif.) has pledged to take up a lobbying reform proposal that would impose new regulations on speech by grassroots organizations, while providing a loophole in the rules for large corporations and labor unions.

The legislation would make changes to the legal definition of “grassroots lobbying” and require any organization that encourages 500 or more members of the general public to contact their elected representatives to file a report with detailed information about their organization to the government on a quarterly basis." Read on....

Top Ten Junk Science Moments for 2006

This top 10 list assembled by JunkScience.com.

Brainroom: Saddam Hussein's Atrocities - International News | News of the World | Middle East News | Europe News

"Hussein's regime killed, tortured, raped and terrorized the Iraqi people and its neighbors for over two decades. Hundreds of thousands of people died as a result of Hussein's actions. Hussein has had approximately 40 of his own relatives murdered." Continue...


Related:
U.N. concerned over 'unfairness' in Saddam verdict
Human Rights chief: Former tyrant has right to appeal to 'appropriate authorities'

Unlicensed DUI 'illegal' kills mom, 2 children

Half of family wiped out in Christmas Eve crash

"A suspected illegal alien from Mexico is being held in the Salt Lake County jail in lieu of $500,000 after running a red light and broadsiding a family of six, killing three, on Christmas Eve.

Carlos Prieto was arraigned this morning and charged with three counts of automobile homicide, three counts of driving under the influence and driving without a license. The charging documents say his blood-alcohol level was above the legal limit, KSL-TV of Salt Lake City, reported."

Links between illegal immigration, terrorism, drug trade worry U.S officials

COLUMBUS, N.M. - "On Sept. 5, a man calling himself Miguel Alfonso Salinas was apprehended off a deserted highway near the U.S.-Mexico border.

The tinted windows on Alfonso Salinas' vehicle aroused the suspicion of Border Patrol agents patrolling a dark and desolate stretch of Highway 9, which runs parallel to the border and is the site of large numbers of illegal crossings.

The agents discovered three Mexican migrants in the vehicle with Alfonso Salinas.

But what they discovered several days later made a far greater impression.

Alfonso Salinas was not who he seemed, according to U.S. Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security documents. He lied to the agents about who he was, where he came from and what he was doing.

It would take nearly a week of interviews with federal agents before Alfonso Salinas would give his real name: Ayman Sulmane Kamal, a Muslim born in Egypt - a country designated as "special-interest" by the United States for sponsoring terrorism.

Kamal's case is not an isolated one." Read more at DailyBulletin.com.

Deported illegal who shot officers killed

"California patrolmen fired on as they sat in their cruiser"

Paper: U.S., Japan Strengthen Security Ties

"TOKYO -- Japan is set to agree to a U.S. proposal that the two countries protect classified military information in a move to further strengthen security ties, a Japanese newspaper reported on Friday. The agreement, set to be finalized in the first half of next year, will allow Tokyo and Washington to share more highly confidential information and have more Japanese companies take on tasks such as repairing U.S. navy vessels, the Asahi Shimbun said."

S. Korea report calls N. Korea a threat

"South Korea's Defense Ministry said North Korea is believed to have about 110 pounds of plutonium, enough to produce up to seven nuclear weapons.

In its biennial defense report, released Friday, the ministry also said the North is believed to be capable of producing biological weapons, including anthrax weapons, and possesses up to 5,000 tons of toxic agents.

The report described North Korea 'as a serious threat, considering the serious nature of its nuclear test and threat of weapons of mass destruction,' the ministry said in a statement." -- Yahoo! News

N.C. Bar Files Charges Against Duke D.A.

"RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - The North Carolina bar filed ethics charges Thursday against the prosecutor in the Duke lacrosse sexual assault case, accusing him of saying misleading and inflammatory things to the media about the athletes under suspicion.

The punishment for ethics violations can range from admonishment to disbarment. The complaint could also force District Attorney Mike Nifong off the case by creating a conflict of interest.

'He's got this hanging over his head,' said Thomas Metzloff, a Duke law professor and member of the bar's ethics committee for the past 10 years. 'It relates so much to his underlying conduct in the case.' " -- My Way News

Chavez to shut down opposition TV

"Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has said he will not renew the licence for the country's second largest TV channel which he says expires in March 2007.

In an address to troops, Mr Chavez said he would not tolerate media outlets working towards a coup against him." -- BBC NEWS

The 'Butcher of Baghdad' appears to be down to his last hours

Official: Saddam to Be Executed Tonight

"The official witnesses to Saddam Hussein's impending execution gathered Friday in Baghdad's fortified Green Zone in final preparation for his hanging, as state television broadcast footage of his regime's atrocities.

The Iraqi government readied all the necessary documents, including a 'red card' _ an execution order introduced during Saddam's dictatorship. As the hour of his death approached, Saddam received two of his half brothers in his cell on Thursday and was said to have given them his personal belongings and a copy of his will.

Najeeb al-Nueimi, a member of Saddam's legal team in Doha, Qatar, said he too requested a final meeting with the deposed Iraqi leader. 'His daughter in Amman was crying, she said 'Take me with you,'' al-Nueimi said late Friday. But he said their request was rejected.

An adviser to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said Saddam would be executed before 6 a.m. Saturday, or 10 p.m. Friday EST. Also to be hanged at that time were Saddam's half-brother Barzan Ibrahim and Awad Hamed al-Bandar, the former chief justice of the Revolutionary Court, the adviser said." -- BREITBART.COM

Judge: Saddam to Be Executed by Saturday

"Saddam Hussein has been transferred from U.S. custody, his lawyers said, and an Iraqi judge authorized to attend the former dictator's hanging said he would be executed no later than Saturday.

The physical hand-over of Saddam to Iraqi authorities was believed to be one of the last steps before he was to be hanged, although the lawyers' statement did not specifically say Saddam was in Iraqi hands." -- BREITBART.COM

Lawyers Work to Stop Saddam's Execution

"Saddam Hussein will be executed no later than Saturday, said an Iraqi judge authorized to attend his hanging. American and Iraqi officials met to set the hour of his death.

Lawyers for Saddam Hussein asked a U.S. judge to block his transfer to the custody of Iraqi officials poised to carry out his execution." -- BREITBART.COM

U.S. Border Arrests Drop by One-Third

"Arrests of illegal migrants along the U.S.-Mexican border have dropped by more than a third since U.S. National Guard troops started helping with border security, suggesting that fewer people may be trying to cross."

Ahmadinejad Writes to Pope Benedict XVI

"Pope Benedict XVI received a letter Wednesday from Iran's hardline president about the recent U.N. Security Council resolution imposing sanctions against Tehran for refusing to compromise on its nuclear program, Iran's state-run news agency reported."

Sen. Reid to Skip Ford Funeral for Peru Trip

"Incoming Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will miss the state funeral for former President Gerald Ford at the Capitol Rotunda on Saturday night, opting instead to lead a delegation to South America with an expected stop at the Machu Picchu Inca ruins."

Hollywood's four-letter word: God
Brent Bozell III

Atheist activist Sam Harris recently proclaimed on National Public Radio that America needed a lot more mockery of religious belief.

I have one question. Why is he not advocating the same for Islam? Is he afraid? Afraid of a fatwa being issued against him? Afraid that someone might take a sharp instrument and saw off his little pin head that contains a small amount of grey mushy matter that is atttached to his scrawny little neck which in turn is attached to his linguine-strength spine?

Ohhh.... and a Happy New Year to all ...... even you evil Christians.

Iraq, Iran and Democrats
By David Limbaugh

As the end of the year always occasions retrospectives, prospectives and resolutions, it might be a worthwhile exercise to consider our experiences with Iraq as a guide to what might happen with Iran.

A dangerous obsession: Part IV
By Thomas Sowell
One of the questions often asked by those obsessed with income "gaps" and "disparities" is: "Is anyone really worth the millions of dollars a year that some people receive as personal income?"

ONE BIG ....... HUH?

It makes no sense to me. The Massachusetts Supreme Court can tell their state legislators that they must craft a particular piece of legislation (CNN: a 4-3 ruling, the court gave the Massachusetts state Legislature six months to rewrite the state's marriage laws for the benefit of gay couples) because they were violating constitutional rights, but yet they cannot tell their legislators that they must follow that very same constitution.

In an AP story appearing in the Washington Times:

Court Can't Force Gay Marriage Vote:

"Massachusetts' highest court said Wednesday it has no authority to force lawmakers to vote on a proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. But it rebuked the Legislature for its "indifference to, or defiance of, its constitutional duties.

[and....]

that 'There is no presently articulated judicial remedy for the Legislature's indifference to, or defiance of, its constitutional duties,' the court said."

Shaking my head in bewilderment.

In a statement, Governor Romney said: "The issue is now whether the Legislature will follow the law."

If the legislature of Massachusetts does not have to follow the law, how can they be forced to write law by the Mass. Supreme Court? This makes my head hurt.

There goes an honest man

Also related:
Gerald Ford: The Man Who Healed a Nation.

Iran may review cooperation with U.N.

Understanding the question is half of the answer...

IRAQ THE MODEL: "The new military component should be designed to create a friendly climate where politicians can strike deals and reach compromise without coercion from radical extremists.

And so if more boots are to be added on the ground then the mission will have to include freeing politicians and parties such as Maliki and al-Hashimi (the Dawa and the Islamic party respectively) from the ropes that bind them to Sadr and harmful elements in the Sunni political scene.

Right now is a good time, perhaps the best time we have to launch this effort since there's already a large front forming from the parties that are willing to talk against the extremists' camp.

Either persuade Maliki and his team and promise them great support and protection from Sadr's reach. Or, deal a lethal blow to Sadr and his militia in order to render him unable to inflict harm on Maliki and other members of the UIA.

Now really, it shouldn't be that difficult to figure out that the first way isn't working out right, what's needed now is to take the decision to try the second way and deal with the biggest threat to stability in Iraq in the way we should."

Read more.

SURVEY SAYS:

A recent survey conducted by MTV Networks International among younger residents of 14 nations worldwide indicates that young people in the most developed countries of the world are around HALF as likely to be happy as those in poorer and developing nations. Consider:

Less than 30% of 16-34 year olds in the U.S. and Britain reported satisfaction with their lives

Only 8% within the same age group in ultra-modern, plugged-in Japan said they were happy

75% of youth in sparsely developed Argentina and South Africa reported feeling happy with their lives

84% of this demographic in relatively poor (but up-and-coming) China expected to lead happy lives

The findings were based on responses from 3 basic categories: How young folks felt about their safety (from crime, terrorism, etc.), their place in society, and their prospects for the future. Young people worldwide with more access to mass media were inclined to feel far less safe that their more sheltered counterparts in poorer or less developed nations.

From Dr. WC Douglass' Daily Dose

Rockets Fall on Israel Despite Ceasefire With Palestinians

Jerusalem - Palestinians fired five Kassam rockets from the Gaza Strip at Israel on Tuesday despite an Israeli-Palestinian ceasefire and a weekend meeting of Israeli and Palestinian leaders. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert agreed to a number of "confidence-building measures" when he met with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday evening. The meeting followed weeks of international diplomatic activity intended to promote the Olmert-Abbas meeting in an effort to strengthen Abbas, who is considered by the current Israeli government to be a Palestinian "moderate." Full Story

Obama More 'Pro-Choice' Than NARAL

Sen. Barack Obama (D.-Ill.) portrays himself as a thoughtful Democrat who carefully considers both sides of controversial issues, but his radical stance on abortion puts him further left on that issue than even NARAL Pro-Choice America, according to a Human Events online report. In 2002, as an Illinois legislator, Obama voted against the Induced Infant Liability Act, which would have protected babies that survived late-term abortions. That same year, a similar federal law, the Born Alive Infant Protection Act, was signed by President Bush. Only 15 members of the U.S. House opposed it, and it passed the Senate unanimously on a voice vote. Read more....

Islamist Fighters Retreat in Somalia

Islamist radicals, many of them exports from outside the region, retreated from Mogadishu, Somalia, Tuesday, amid the advance of forces loyal to the United Nations recognized Somali government and allied Ethiopian troops. Even in their retreat, the Islamist fighters promised a "new phase" in their war, heightening the threat of suicide attacks. Read more.

Iran Protests US Arrests in Iraq

Iran has formally protested to the U.S. over the arrest in Iraq of two Iranians that Tehran said were diplomats invited there by the Iraqi government. According to BBC News, American officials said U.S. forces had detained several Iranians suspected of planning attacks in Iraq. A spokesman for the Iraqi president, Jalal Talabani, said he is unhappy about the U.S. action, but the White House said the arrests validated US claims of Iranian "meddling" in Iraq. Full story.

Oil Prices Drop Again, in Spite of Iran Crisis

In spite of United Nations sanctions against Iran that were approved over the weekend and could endanger oil supplies in 2007, the price of crude and that of natural gas were down again on Tuesday. Light sweet crude oil for February delivery dropped $1.11 to $61.12 per barrel. Full story.

Saddam Hussein Execution Expected Within Month

Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi dictator that the United States deposed in its 2003 invasion of Iraq, could reportedly be executed at any time during the next 30 days, following the rejection of his appeal on a conviction of crimes against humanity. Full Story

Hillary Hires Evangelical Consultant

"Hillary Clinton has hired an 'evangelical consultant” to help woo Christian conservatives in her likely 2008 presidential campaign." More.

Doctor Claims Castro Has No Cancer

ACLU Sues Texas Town for Not Renting to Illegals

Pelosi: Democrats Will Target 'Big Oil'

MUSLIMS BROUGHT TO THE U.S. TO TEACH U.S.TOLERANCE AND JUSTICE ...

.... And to make the world a better place.

According to the Detroit Free Press, Rep.-elect Keith Ellison (D-MN) gave a speech to a crowd in Dearborn, Michigan and quoted as saying:

"You can't back down, you can't chicken out, you can't be afraid, you got to have faith in Allah, and you got to stand up and be a real Muslim," Detroit native Keith Ellison said to loud applause.

"Allahu akbar" - God is great - was the reply of many in the crowd.

[....]

Ellison said in Dearborn that Muslims can help teach America about justice and equal protection, suggesting that Muslim activists may be part of God's plan. He spoke at the annual convention of two Muslim groups, the Muslim American Society and the Islamic Circle of North America. The convention ended Monday morning.

"Muslims, you're up to bat right now..." he said. "How do you know that you were not brought right here to this place to learn how to make this world better? How do you know that Allah, sallalahu aleyhi wasallam," (meaning peace be upon him) "did not bring you here so that you could understand how to teach people what tolerance was, what justice was?... How do you know that you're not here to teach this country?"

I thought we were supposed to keep religion and politics separate. When did the "wall" fall?

What about Somalia?

Ethiopia's military, concerned about radical Islam gaining a strong foothold in Somalia, has decided to help the weak Somalia government by taking on the the Islamic militants in Somalia and having much apparent success.

Cliff May at National Review Online's The Corner:

"I’ve just been talking with an FDD researcher who has been monitoring developments in Somalia via Arabic media. It does indeed appear that the Ethiopians are defeating Islamist forces there. Why are they achieving what American forces in Somalia in1993 did not and what American forces in Iraq today apparently are not?

More “boots on the ground” may be part of the explanation. The Ethiopians are not attempting to have a “light footprint.” They are not worried about whether they will be seen as “occupiers” or whether their “occupation” will be viewed as benevolent.

Secondly, the Ethiopians are not overly concerned about whether their tactics will win approval from the proverbial Arab Street – or the European Street or Turtle Bay. They are fighting a war; their intention is to defeat their enemies; everything else is secondary or tertiary.

In other words, "damn the torpedoes ...... full speed ahead." They are fighting to win; something we seem to have forgotten how to do.

If a Quarantine of North Korea is called . . .

From The American Thinker
By D.M. Giangreco

"North Korea's apparent detonation of a nuclear device in October, and threats to test fire nuclear missiles present the United States with no useful military option, but may have finally sent enough of a chill down Chinese spines that we may be able to do something that the US Navy is quite good at --- establish and maintain an effective quarantine of the Pyongyang regime." More

South Korea: U.S. made North an offer

Yahoo! News:
"SEOUL, South Korea - The United States offered to remove North Korea from Washington's list of states sponsoring terrorism if the communist regime dismantles its atomic weapons program, South Korea's main nuclear envoy said Tuesday.

The proposal was just one of the incentives the U.S. spelled out last week at six-nation nuclear disarmament talks with the North, along with offers of security guarantees, a peace treaty and normalization of relations, Chun Yung-woo said.

'The point of the proposal is that everything is possible if North Korea denuclearizes and nothing is possible if it refuses,' Chun told ....."

CHRISTMAS DAY

My 3 year old grandson showing off a new shirt. That's HH Jr. in the background holding up the shirt.

WE WERE ONE

I have finished reading the book, "We Were One." It was excellent. Written by Patrick O'Donnell, an embedded reporter, and who, as the book cover says, was "Shoulder to Shoulder with the Marines Who Took Fallujah." Mr. O'Donnell has written three other books: Beyond Valor; Into the Rising Sun; and Operatives, Spies, and Saboteurs.

Although, I believe it came out October 30th of this year, I was fortunate enough to receive, just recently, a complimentary advance reading copy (paperback) from Da Capo Press/Perseus Books, so I could read and review the book.

The book can be purchased online from: Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million, BookSense.com, BordersStores.com, Buy.com, Hastings, Powells, and WalMart.

O'Donnell spent several weeks in combat with both the U.S. Army and Marine special units before joining the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment (3/1). This unit would be one of the infantry units performing the initial frontal assault into the city of Fallujah. The 3/1, attacking from the north, "would play the crucial role of driving through the heart of the city's defenses, the Jolan neighborhood - and hooking west toward the Euphrates River - pushing the muji into a kill zone."

The battle of Fallujah's code name was Operation Phantom Fury and began November 7, 2004. Initially, in April of 2004, the Marines were ordered to take Fallujah. But because of poor, inaccurate reporting, and then international indignation, the Marines were ordered to pull out as the Iraqi leaders said they would diffuse the situation. For the next few months it continued to fester with Abu Musab al Zarqawi setting up shop and turning it into a terrorist base and training ground as well as a bomb making factory, while at the same time organizing suicide bombing missions.

That's when the marines were ordered to re-enter Fallujah, where this new generation of fighters labeled the "Next Greatest Generation" engaged in, perhaps, the most intense house-to-house fighting seen since WWII.

The book is stirring with its' gripping details of the fierce battles against a very determined and formidable foe, high on drugs and adrenaline; and at times, seemingly almost impossible to kill.

When it was over, there were 35 casualties from this platoon which included four Marines that were killed in action. The book centers around 8 Marine warriors, 4 pairs of friends, with each pair of men losing their best friend.

It is awe inspiring to read the story of brotherhood and sacrifice, and in some cases, the ultimate sacrifice. We cannot imagine what it is like. We'll never know unless we went through the whole experience ourselves from boot camp, to discovering your new best friend, to bonding with your brothers, to fighting hand-to-hand against your enemy, and seeing death up close, and in some case that of your best buddy. With that being said, O'Donnell does a fine job in trying to portray it, as best as it can be done, the commitment needed and the horrors of such an epic battle.

I highly recommend this book and encourage you to pick up a copy and read it for yourself.

This review will be rolled to the top of the site. Please scroll down to see new posts.

Let's be honest here .....

This is always the case when we give money away for whatever purpose. Even here at home, when we give money for some particular program, the New Orleans/Katrina give-away being the most recent example, fraud follows .... like clock work. When we participate in dollar give-aways to other parts of the world, the problem is ten fold (or more):

Poor records plague Bush AIDS effort - Yahoo! News:
"WASHINGTON - President Bush's ambitious AIDS-fighting program in poor countries has pushed so hard for fast results that basic record keeping and accountability often went by the wayside, making it hard to judge the true success, according to .... "

Let's not play partisanship here. This is not a "Bush problem." It is a case of our government taking our money (thru taxes) and throwing it around as if we can solve the world's problems, and having little accountability, little trackability, and little "wannability."

There are just too many dishonest people in this world who are willing to divert the money for purposes other than what the funds are intended for, mostly to line their own pockets. We have to look no further than Turtle Bay for the proof of what I speak.

ON MY DESK

Now that I have finished "We Were One," (see review) I have started reading "Culture Warrior" by Bill O'Reilly.

N. Korea-Iran alliance should worry U.S.

"North Korea ratcheted up the tension several notches last week by announcing its intention to conduct a nuclear test. It appears the North Korea-Iran tag team is giving fits to the United States and adding to the worry that the two nations are coordinating strategies to keep us off balance.

Shortly after North Korea launched its missiles last July, intelligence appeared alleging that Iranians observed the launches as guests. Israeli intelligence sources believe that North Korea sold Iran 18 intermediate-range missiles.

As annoying as these items are to the West, in one sense it should come as no surprise that the two nations cooperate. The relationship has been flourishing for some time and the weapons alliance has become a foregone conclusion." Read more...

This is not satire .....

This is not satire, nor meant to be a comedy (it is comical though, however unintentional).

Channelnewsasia.com: "SEOUL : A mysterious halo appeared in the sky over North Korea just before its leader Kim Jong-Il marked an important anniversary, the communist state's official media has reported.

The 'unprecedentedly great halo' appeared over the city of Kusong on December 23 during a day of cloud and gentle hail, the Korean Central News Agency reported.

'The big ring around the sun stayed for 30 minutes, throwing bright rays of seven colours. And when it disappeared, the hail stopped and not a speck of cloud was seen,' the agency said.

'It occurred the day before the 15th anniversary of leader Kim Jong-Il's assumption of the supreme commandership of the Korean People's Army and the birth anniversary of anti-Japanese war hero Kim Jong-Suk.' " For more yuks, full story here.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and for ever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this."

Isaiah 9, 2,6,7

North Korea rejects New York as venue for sanctions talks: report

Channelnewsasia.com: "SEOUL : North Korea has rejected New York as a venue for talks on US financial sanctions which it insists must be lifted before any further nuclear negotiations, a South Korean newspaper has reported." More...

North Korea says it is not afraid of war after impasse

"North Korea’s official media blamed the United States on Saturday for an impasse in talks aimed at ending Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons program and said it was not afraid of war." Read more.....

Why radical Islam - and why now?

By Victor Davis Hanson: "Read any newspaper or turn on any news broadcast and you're bound to encounter stories of Islamic radicals fighting, killing and threatening each other — and just about everyone else."

[....]

"While each conflict is unique and rooted in its own history, the common thread — radical Islam — is obvious. It's thus worth asking why this violent, intolerant strain of Islam has taken hold in so many unstable places — and at this particular time.

The ascent of radical Islam is, perhaps, the natural culmination of a century's worth of failed political systems in Muslim countries that were driven by morally bankrupt ideologies, led by cruel dictators, or both." Read on...

Will Jimmy Carter please just go away?

By Burt Prelutsky:

"....... how is it that Jimmy Carter, that sanctimonious phony who was a disaster during his four years in the White House and a disgrace in the quarter of a century since, can pass himself off as equal parts statesman and saint? While most of us wished that he would simply slink back to his peanut farm after Ronald Reagan whupped his butt in ‘80, we hadn’t realized how starved he was for the spotlight." Read on...

Drunken driving charges dropped against pols’ pal

BostonHerald.com: "A politically wired campaign fund-raiser with ties to Gov.-elect Deval Patrick and former President Clinton has been cleared of drunken driving charges, despite allegedly failing sobriety tests and blowing over the legal limit on a Breathalyzer."

[....]

"But the case was tossed out of Attleboro District Court on Friday at the request of a prosecutor from Bristol District Attorney Paul F. Walsh Jr.’s Office. The prosecutor, Roger Ferris, told the Sun Chronicle the case was dismissed at the request of his superiors."

[....]

"Neither Ferris nor officials from Walsh’s office returned calls."

It never hurts to have conncections, does it.(?) Those 'get-out-of-jail cards' come in handy.

Red Storm Rising

By Joel C. Rosenberg

"Since taking office in 2000, former KGB chief-turned Russian President Vladimir Putin has built strong personal, political and military ties to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il.Putin has sold Iran and North Korea billions of dollars worth of arms and even nuclear technology. He is arming America's worst enemies for war, and in so doing, Russia has joined the 'Axis of Evil.' Yet on this critical issue, official Washington seems to be in a true state of denial."
Read on.

U.N. imposes sanctions on Iran

JTA - Breaking News:
"The United Nations Security Council voted unanimously Saturday to impose sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program." Read on...

North Korea warns of "tough" action against the US over sanctions

Channelnewsasia.com:

"SEOUL: North Korea warned the United States on Saturday of retaliation if it stepped up sanctions against the regime over the deadlock in this week's nuclear disarmament talks, North and South Korean media said."