The Logistical Nightmare at School No. 1

[...] Most victims died in [the] last hours. But the final chaos was of a type: from the beginning the Russian response was checkered with mistakes.

In the opening hours the officials insisted there were only about 350 hostages, an error that immediately poisoned relations with Beslan's residents, who accused their political leaders of incompetence.

It may have placed hostages in danger, too. Terrorists were listening to the news on radios. Some taunted hostages with the official count. "One of them said, 'Russia says there are only 300 of you here,' " said Kazbek Misikov, who survived the siege with his wife and two sons. " 'Maybe we should kill enough of you to get down to that number.' "

Throughout those days, a tactical understanding of the crisis seemed to elude the authorities. Beslan filled with troops from the police, the Russian Army, the Interior Ministry and Russia's domestic security service, the F.S.B., which sent elite commandos.

But there was little coordination. Four different headquarters were working at once, Mr. Kesayev said. He added, "To this day we do not know who was in actual command."

The authorities also never set up an effective cordon, a lapse many residents believe allowed the escape of some terrorists, whose existence Russia does not acknowledge. The cordon they did make was within 250 yards of the school - inside the range of the terrorists' grenade launchers. Throughout the siege grenades landed occasionally near waiting relatives.

Some oversights were astonishing, the families said. On Sept. 3, the commandos left Beslan to rehearse tactics in another village. The ingredients for disaster were in place.

The explosions boomed minutes after 1 p.m. on Sept. 3. Although the blasts marked perhaps the siege's most important moment, instantly turning the standoff into a seemingly spontaneous battle, what caused them remains in dispute.

[...] Outside, the soldiers and the police opened fire. Confusion reigned, said Lt. Col. Elbrus Nogayev, a police supervisor whose wife and daughter died in the school. "I heard a command saying, 'Stop shooting! Stop shooting!' while other soldiers' radios said, 'Attack!' " he said.

Moreover, the F.S.B. commandos needed 20 or 25 minutes to return, Mr. Kesayev said, and went into action in a disorganized fashion. "I watched them running to the school through the gardens, putting on vests as they ran," he said.

More signs of poor planning emerged. Not enough ambulances had been readied, and many injured hostages traveled to hospitals in private cars, without medical help.

Were there too many egos in camouflage? Too many would-be heroes?

Where is the culpability in all this mess? Who will come out amidst this shroud of Soviet-esque secrecy and own up here? Or was this all just the result of an emotional breakdown on behalf of the 'leadership" charged with handling this crisis?

Too many innocents died to just let this go.

The people of Beslan deserve the truth.

Basayev's New Post

Beslan massacre chief promoted:

Shamil Basayev, the warlord behind last year's bloody school siege in Beslan, was named second-in-command of Chechnya's rebel government yesterday in a sign of the separatists' growing radicalism.

Since fleeing to the forests after Russian troops reclaimed control of Grozny in 2000, Chechen rebels have maintained what they claim is a legitimate cabinet.

Basayev was named to the post by Abdul-Khalim Sadulayev, the rebels' president, who succeeded Aslan Maskhadov, killed by special forces in March.

Maskhadov, who was seen as a relative moderate, had marginalised Basayev and promised to prosecute him for the Beslan massacre if he retook Chechnya from the current pro-Moscow administration.

Basayev admitted in an interview with an American television station last month that he was a terrorist, but claimed his actions were justified by Russian suppression.

Analysts said his appointment was likely to bolster the rebels' power to attract funding from Islamic radicals abroad. But some commentators said it would play into Moscow's hands by tarring the entire separatist movement with the brush of extremism.

The late Maskhadov had condemned terrorist acts and had given the rebels a veneer of respectability.

People actually think Basayev's promotion will "tar" their image and paint them as extremists?

Somebody missed the memo, evidently, because t doesn't get much more extreme than Beslan.

Govt. account of Beslan siege in question

Beslan mothers: Putin is culpable.

Shamil Basayev is Russia's Osama bin Laden. Yet as Beslan prepares to mark the one-year anniversary of the school siege he engineered, many of the victims' mothers are increasingly laying blame for the September massacre not on Mr. Basayev, but on Russian authorities.

They are stoking controversy by demanding that top leaders, including President Vladimir Putin, stay away from this week's service to commemorate the 331 victims, half of them children, who perished in the Sept. 1-3, 2004, terrorist attack.

Their accusations have been fueled by leaks from two still-incomplete investigations, and evidence presented at the ongoing trial of the sole surviving terrorist, Nurpashi Kulayev. Both have raised sharp doubts about the official version of events.

Witnesses at Mr. Kulayev's trial have testified that Russian security forces, using flame-throwers and tanks against a school holding more than 1,000 hostages, may have been responsible for many deaths.

Others have fingered corrupt officials and inept police officers for allowing the terrorists to drive across a heavily guarded border and seize a school in the center of a large town.

"We want all those who are responsible to face justice," says Roza Sidakova, a spokesperson for the Beslan Mothers group. Ms. Sidakova lost her 9-year-old daughter when security forces stormed the school on Sept. 3.

The mood of disbelief is not confined to victims' families. A countrywide poll conducted last month by the Moscow-based Public Opinion Foundation found that only 15 percent of Russians expect the official investigation, headed by Alexander Torshin, the deputy speaker of parliament's upper house, to get to the bottom of what happened in Beslan.

Another 20 percent think the commission will discover the truth, but keep it secret.

"The reaction of the mothers of Beslan is a manifestation of the profound distrust many Russians are feeling toward the authorities," says Yevgenia Albats, a political scientist at the Moscow Higher School of Economics. "This is because the authorities have covered the truth about those events of a year ago in a thick layer of lies, which contaminates everything."

[...] Kulayev's trial has brought stunning revelations. Russian Deputy Prosecutor General Nikolai Shepel was forced to admit that "Shmel" flame-throwers were used in the assault, after local mothers found several launch tubes and submitted them to the court. Mr. Shepel insisted the weapons fired only fuel-air explosives that day, rather than the incendiary napalm grenades they are also designed to use, and thus could not have caused the gym fire that killed most of the hostages.

But Stanislav Kesayev, who heads an investigation set up by North Ossetia's parliament, says that traces of napalm were found by medical examiners.

"As the days go by, we see that the testimony of Kulayev and other information coming out at the trial is producing a very different view of what happened," he says.

Under pressure from the mothers, Russian authorities also admitted that two T-72 tanks fired several cannon rounds into the school during the battle on Sept. 3, but say they did not shoot at the gym where hostages were held.

Mr. Kesayev says that his local probe, which Russian officials have denounced as "illegal," has been unable to establish who was in command of the security operation at Beslan. "We can't even say who was giving the orders," he says. "There is a general feeling here that Kulayev will be convicted, and that will be the end of it."

The Beslan Trial

Beslan children testify at trial:

Children who were hostages in the Beslan, Russia, school siege, testifying at the trial of the sole surviving hostage taker, have spoken of threats and abuse.

The Moscow Times reported Friday that a 10-year-old boy testified Thursday, One of the female terrorists ... told us that if she found a phone on anyone, that person would be killed and three more people near him or her would be killed too.

A 14-year-old boy wept as he told how on the second day of the siege of Sept. 1 to 3, 2004, the attackers withheld water from the hostages in the school's hot, crowded gym and then told boys to urinate into bottles so that younger children could drink.

As the boy tried to stop sobbing, the courtroom spectators, mostly women wearing black clothes and black headscarves, swore at the defendant, Nurpasha Kulayev, and shouted, Give this terrorist to us! We will tear the bastard apart!

A 17-year-old girl testified that the hostage takers gave a bucket of water to one boy and told him to give it only to the children. They said that if any adult drank the water, they would shoot the boy.

Make sure to check out Eric's commentary, including his posts from last year on the Beslan tragedy: Wake Up, Dhimmis.

Beslan Remembered...

All this week, WK? will be covering the global media in the days leading to
the one year anniversary of the tragedy.

For today, read Wikipedia's chronology: Beslan school hostage crisis.

"Saudi clerics declare football un-Islamic"

Jihad is now a sport.

LAHORE: Ulema in Saudia Arabia have issued a fatwa (religious decree) declaring football an un-Islamic sport, and have urged the youth to quit it immediately, BBC radio reported on Saturday.

According to the report, the clerics urged the youth to indulge in jihad and other constructive activities that could help the Muslim ummah, the radio reported. The ulema argued that football wastes a lot of time and the participants wear shorts, which they said was an un-Islamic dress, the radio reported.

Following the decree, some players of the famous Taif Football Club have quit the game, the report added.

H/T: Charles

Dear Katrina, Please Go Away, Thanks.

Yikes.

Keep our countrymen in your prayers, folks. This is gonna be a rough ride...

Chavez: Civil Rights Leader, Christian, Champion of Poor

Rev. Jackson Lends Support to Chavez:

The Rev. Jesse Jackson offered support for President Hugo Chavez on Sunday, saying a call for his assassination by a U.S. religious broadcaster was a criminal act and that Washington and Venezuela should work out their differences through diplomacy.

The U.S. civil rights leader condemned last week's suggestion by Pat Robertson that American agents should kill the leftist Venezuelan leader, calling the conservative commentator's statements "immoral" and "illegal."

[...] "We must choose a civilized policy of rational conversation," he told reporters at a news conference.

Let's take a look into how you exploit the wealth and minds of black America via your Rainbow/PUSH Coalition.

And as for choosing "rational" conversation... we'll wait for when you're mature enough to come to the big people's table for that, Jesse. You and the rest of your little friends.

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission "must prohibit such threats on the airwaves," said Jackson, who arrived Saturday for a visit along with members of his Rainbow/PUSH Coalition.

"I hope the FCC does not remain silent regarding what Robertson said," Jackson added.

Jackson later met and shook hands with Chavez during the Venezuelan leader's weekly radio and television program.

"Reverend Jackson, you can be sure that we will continue fighting for the ideas of Martin Luther King, for Christ the Redeemer's idea of loving one another and building a society of equals through our peaceful and democratic revolution," said Chavez.

He told Jackson he wanted to discuss the possibility of sending oil at preferential terms to poor communities in the United States.

Since taking office in 1999, Chavez has survived a 2002 coup, a 2003 strike and a recall referendum last year. He is up for re-election next year, and recent polls suggest he has a 70 percent approval rating.

The last paragraph is the MSM's shameless attempt to tout Chavez's record of "democratic" victory...

Seventy (70%) percent approval rating... according to what polling group?

Las mentiras engendran más mentiras y más mentiras y más mentiras...

Col. Coffman Jr., We Salute You.

Colonel awarded Distinguished Service Cross for rallying Iraqi troops during Mosul fighting:

(Army Times) A colonel was presented the second-highest award for valor Aug. 24 for his actions during a furious firefight last year in Iraq when he rallied Iraqi commandos to defend their position against an insurgent assault.

Col. James H. Coffman Jr., who was wounded during the Nov. 14 gun battle at Mosul, received the Distinguished Service Cross in a ceremony in Baghdad.

Last November, insurgents attacked several police stations in Mosul. According to the military’s account of his actions, Coffman was with a group of Iraqi commandos moving to reinforce one police station that was under attack when insurgents ambushed them.

All but one of the commando team’s officers were killed or seriously wounded early in the fight, leaving the Iraqi officer and Coffman, an adviser to the commandos, to direct the battle.

“Coffman exhibited truly inspirational leadership, rallying the commandos and organizing a hasty defense while attempting to radio higher headquarters for reinforcements,” his award citation reads.

During the fight, Coffman was shot in his shooting hand, a shot that wrecked his weapon. But he picked up AK47s from the wounded Iraqis and kept shooting.

The battle lasted four hours, ending only after U.S. armored vehicles and air support arrived. Coffman consented to be evacuated for medical treatment only after all of the Iraqi wounded were evacuated.

Twelve Iraqi commandos were killed, as were 25 insurgents, the military said.

H/T: Charles

Welcome to Hotel bin Laden, Mrs. Europe.

Iraq terror mastermind Zarqawi focusing sights on Europe:

Iraq's most wanted militant, Jordanian Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who as Al-Qaeda's pointman in Iraq has claimed responsibility for dozens of attacks, is overseeing preparations for a major attack in Europe.

Citing European intelligence reports, Time magazine said Zarqawi "has been overseeing preparations by highly trained operatives for a large scale terrorist attack in Europe."

Time did not specify the origins of the intelligence reports, but said Zarqawi has spoken of sleeper cells in Turkey and Iran "in communications with another Al-Qaeda leader."

The reports imply that these cells may be in contact with European jihadist groups that previously had no links to Al-Qaeda, Time said.

We hope you enjoy your stay.

Misguided Xians interupt GI memorial services

Anti-Gay Church Protests at GI Funerals:

Members of a church say God is punishing American soldiers for defending a country that harbors gays, and they brought their anti-gay message to the funerals Saturday of two Tennessee soldiers killed in Iraq.

The church members were met with scorn from local residents. They chased the church members cars' down a highway, waving flags and screaming "God bless America."

"My husband is over there, so I'm here to show my support," 41-year-old Connie Ditmore said as she waved and American flag and as tears came to her eyes. "To do this at a funeral is disrespectful of a family, no matter what your beliefs are."

The Rev. Fred Phelps, founder of Westboro Baptist in Kansas, contends that American soldiers are being killed in Iraq as vengeance from God for protecting a country that harbors gays. The church, which is not affiliated with a larger denomination, is made up mostly of Phelps' children, grandchildren and in-laws.

The church members carried signs and shouted things such as "God hates fags" and "God hates you."

And the problem (well, one of the many) with stories like these, is that to the non-Christian, this often seems like "business as usual." --- they could not be more wrong.

God hates the SIN, not the SINNER.

I am going to throw these wackos in the same pot as those "Christians" who claim 9-11 was the work of God's vengence for being allied with the Jews/Israel, being an immoral nation, or anything other ridiculous reason as those.

Lord only knows what I would do if somebody tried to pull a stunt like that at a military funeral with me in attendance.

"boots"

Chaos in the land of "democratically-elected" Chavez

Chavez supporters, foes clash in Caracas:

Foes of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez clashed with his supporters on Saturday during an opposition march to demand electoral reform before parliamentary elections later this year.

Six people were injured after hundreds of opponents of the populist leader marched from western Caracas to the center of the capital, where they skirmished with Chavez sympathizers in a volley of smoke bombs, rocks, bottles and fireworks.

The street clashes were the most serious violence in months between supporters of Chavez and his opponents, who believe Venezuela's electoral board is biased and must be overhauled before National Assembly elections in December.

Emergency crews whisked wounded away on motorbikes as the two groups whipped rocks and bottles at each other in a chaotic battle in downtown Caracas streets normally packed with vendors.

Venezuela has been relatively calm since August 2004 when Chavez won a referendum on his rule after two years of political violence. But foes of the populist president claim the referendum vote was tainted by fraud and that the electoral council is stacked with Chavez supporters. [Gee, ya think? --ed.]

Opponents say Chavez has become increasingly authoritarian in his rule of the world's No. 5 oil exporter. They say he has packed institutions like the Supreme Court and the electoral council with loyalist appointees and is driving the country toward Cuban-style communism.

"We are protesting, marching to the National Assembly to protest the fraud perpetrated by the CNE (National Electoral Council)," 54-year-old Guiseppe Santini said before the clashes halted the march blocks away from the national assembly.

Obviously somebody didn't get the memo from fellow media-machine AFP:

Chavez, a twice-elected leftist and close ally of Cuban President Fidel Castro [...]

In a world where countries and leaders can call themselves whatever they want (Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Islamic Republic of Iran, etc.) anybody can be a president or a democracy.

When "Top Secret" ain't so secret these days...

Leaks of Classified Data Called Damaging and Widespread:

Washington -- The practice of leaking information to the media has become "almost second nature" in the U.S. capital, and when it is classified, severe damage to U.S. intelligence capabilities can occur, a Michigan congressman says.

Representative Pete Hoekstra, chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, spoke about the problem of leaks of classified information at a Heritage Foundation forum on July 25. In remarks prepared for delivery, he focused on deliberate leaks of classified information, as opposed to accidental or espionage-related incidents.

Some people, Hoekstra said, "seemingly leak just because they can. These are the people, and especially those that have access to classified information, that we need to worry about."

Some years ago, [Hoekstra] said, very sensitive information was leaked about how the intelligence community was collecting data about Osama bin Laden. Thereafter, bin Laden changed his methods of operation and a valuable intelligence opportunity was lost.

Special envoy to Venezuela Jesse Jackson

Jesse Jackson to visit Venezuela, meet Chavez:

US civil rights activist Jesse Jackson will reportedly begin a three-day visit to Venezuela on Saturday, to meet President Hugo Chavez, politicians and community leaders.

Jackson and his delegation will meet Chavez, Venezuelan religious leaders and will attend a special session of Venezuela's National Assembly convened Sunday.

Jackson will also meet leaders of African-descended communities in Caracas, the ABN state news agency said.

On Monday, Jackson travels to Barlovento, 40 kilometers (25 miles) northeast of Caracas, to meet with members of the African-Venezuelan community.

Better watch out Hugo, ol' boy... Reverend Jackson might convince members of the African-descended communities to fight for reparations. You know, for the historical use of African slave labor in Latin America, and all.

West Bank Jewish population growing

Jewish Population in West Bank Expanding.

JERUSALEM - As Israel basked in world admiration for pulling out of the Gaza Strip, new official figures released Friday showed the Jewish population of the West Bank is expanding rapidly, growing by more than 12,000 in the past year alone.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon made no secret of his desire to expand large West Bank settlement blocs even while withdrawing from areas he says became untenable for Israel to hold.

According to Interior Ministry figures, the Jewish population of the West Bank in June stood at 246,000, an increase of 12,800, or 5 percent, in one year.

Interior Ministry spokesman Gilad Heiman said the Jewish population increase stemmed from new births and an influx of new residents, though he could not provide a breakdown.

That figure may be boosted further following the removal of some 8,500 people from 21 settlements in Gaza, many of whom found temporary shelter in West Bank settlements and may look there for permanent homes.

Iraq's "Cult vs. Constitution" dilemma

One hundred thousand Shi'ites protest Iraq charter.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A hundred thousand Iraqis across the country marched on Friday in support of a maverick Shi'ite cleric opposed to a draft constitution that U.S.-backed government leaders say will deliver a brighter future. [What, was there a head count? A roll-call? An attendance sheet passed around? --ed.]

[...] Supporters of young Shi'ite firebrand Moqtada al-Sadr, who has staged two uprisings against U.S. troops, also protested against poor services during their marches, stepping up the pressure on the government.

A hundred thousand Sadr supporters marched in eight cities, including 30,000 people who gathered for a sermon delivered on his behalf in a Baghdad slum district.

They hardly noticed a huge government poster which read "One Nation, One People, One Constitution," instead seeking guidance from Sadr who inspires fierce devotion in his followers.

"We don't need a constitution because Mohammed al-Sadr's writing is our constitution," said Mohammed Ubeidi, 26, sitting below a wall-clock dominated by pictures of Moqtada and his father.

Uzbekistan to evict U.S. military tenants

Uzbeks step up pressure on U.S. to leave air base.

TASHKENT (Reuters) - Uzbekistan on Friday put further pressure on the United States to withdraw troops from an air base near the Afghan border with a parliamentary vote demanding that the American military go home.

The Central Asian state's government told the United States in July to remove personnel, troops and equipment from the Kharsi-Khanabad airbase within six months, following U.S. criticism of a bloody government crackdown in an eastern town.

Friday's unanimous vote by the Uzbek senate, parliament's upper house, comes a day before it and other former Soviet states hold a summit in Kazan, Russia.

"Wherever American bases crop up, so does a fundamentalist mood and so do enemies of America, and we don't want to be caught between the two," Nuriddin Zainiyev, the governor of Kashkadar Region where the base is located, told parliament. [Somebody needs a ball check. --ed.]

Washington won use of the base shortly after the September 11, 2001 attacks, using it as a hub for operations in Afghanistan and praising its authoritarian ex-Soviet host nation as an ally in the global war on terrorism.

U.S. criticism of the suppression of an uprising in the eastern town of Andizhan in May strained relations. Witnesses said troops killed 500 people, including women and children, as they put down a rebellion. Officials say 187 people, most of them "terrorists," died. ["Most" does not mean all. But hey, we'll take your word for it, I guess.--ed.]

Uzbekistan joined China, Russia and other Central Asian states in calling for U.S. troops to name a date when they would leave the region in July. Washington also operates an air base in Kyrgyzstan.

Well, in the words of Eric Cartman...

Screw you guys, [We're] going home!

British to announce teror-raids in advance

...is what the headline should read: Stop and search: A tough choice.

Leaked guidelines from the Bedfordshire force say that when officers raid Muslim homes they should remove their shoes, not use dogs and not mount pre-dawn raids because at that hour people might by 'spiritually busy'.

When two July 21 terror suspects were arrested last Friday in Notting Hill, the reaction of one of them when told to strip to his underpants? 'I have rights.'

It is less than a month since Islamist terrorists murdered 52 innocent people and yet still the forces of law and order find themselves having to walk on eggshells as they confront this deadly threat.

Why? The overwhelming majority of peaceable, law-abiding Muslims are as anxious as anyone else to see the threat of terrorism expunged. After all, Muslims were among the victims of the July 7 bombings, too.

Of course, in European countries with far bigger Muslim populations than ours, there is less hand-wringing as they confront Islamist hard-liners - witness the speed with which both France and Germany deport rabble-rousing imams.

When five British Sikhs on holiday in New York were handcuffed and detained during a terrorism scare last week, their reaction afterwards? 'No hard feelings.'

Isn't that the kind of stoicism we should all try to emulate in the tense days ahead when people's rights are inevitably going to get a little bruised?

British police officers must not conduct raids during times of prayer, must not enter a room when a Muslim woman is not properly covered, must take their shoes off before entering a house, and something about not barging in a room in case a man is praying or woman is not covered. Stuff along those lines.

This political correctness bullshit is going to get one of the good guys killed.

Only in America...

...do we punish those who dedicate their lives to protecting us: Tenet could face 9/11 reprimand.

The former CIA director George Tenet is among more than a dozen current and former officials who could be subject to disciplinary proceedings over the agency's performance before the September 11 attacks.

A classified report by the CIA's independent watchdog, delivered to the US Congress on Tuesday night, sharply criticised more than a dozen senior officials at the CIA, including Mr Tenet, former clandestine service chief Jim Pavitt and former counterterrorism centre head Cofer Black.

The report, the fruit of a two-year investigation by CIA inspector-general John Helgerson, recommended that the officials be placed before accountability boards - the agency's disciplinary bodies.

[...] The decision on whether to discipline the officials rests in the hands
of Mr Goss, a former CIA officer whose history in the field puts him in a difficult position. Before the September 11 attacks he was responsible for oversight of US intelligence agencies as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, and was subsequently leader of the joint congressional inquiry, which requested Helgerson's report in late 2002.

It is by no means certain that he will commission the accountability boards. Some of the less senior officials named are believed to be still engaged in counterterrorism against al-Qaida, and disciplinary proceedings would be feared to be bad for morale and a distraction from the ongoing campaign.

The accountability boards could dismiss officials, clear them of wrongdoing, or, in the case of former employees, issue them with formal reprimands.

No, I'm not pulling the typical partisan blame game. Alot of things were missed throughout the years. Many many things could have been done differently or much better. But remember, hindsight is... aw heck, you know the rest.

"the cia/fbi/mailman/zookeeper could have done something but they
refrained because 911 was all a ZionistBushitlerneocon conspiracy blah blah blah." approach is not the way to go about this either, though the Kos Kidz may tend to disagree.

Only in America, my friends.

"High Re-Enlistment Rates in Combat Units"

Army chief says re-enlistment strong, force not broken.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - High re-enlistment rates in combat units that have served in Iraq shows the army is far from being a broken force despite a likely shortfall in recruiting, the army’s chief of staff said.

“I think we’re a heck of a long way away from the breaking the army. It is a lot more resilient than people believe,” General Peter Schoomaker told reporters here.

His comments came amid a chorus of criticism from members of Congress and retired military leaders that the longer than expected war in Iraq has strained the army to the breaking point, putting in question the viability of the all-volunteer force created after the Vietnam War.

Schoomaker said the army probably will fall short of the active duty forces recruitment goal this year by about 2,000, and he acknowledged that the recruiting climate is likely to remain tough next year as well.

But he said re-enlistment rates in the active duty force are exceeding requirements.

And a reorganization of the army’s active duty divisions and the national guard and reserve forces have generated more deployable units, he said.

“The negative drumbeat that we hear is not helpful,” Schoomaker said. “The overemphasis on the negative is not helpful.”

Chechens fail to assassinate local Russian official

Blasts hit Russian region, local leader wounded:

MOSCOW (Reuters) - A top local Russian official survived an assassination attempt that killed his bodyguard near the border with rebel Chechnya on Thursday, a week before the anniversary of the Beslan school siege.

Prime Minister Ibrahim Malsagov, 44, was injured in the leg by a blast in the center of Nazran, the key town in Ingushetia in southern Russia, a spokesman for the republic's emergencies service said.

The blast took place as Malsagov, an Ingush, returned to work after having lunch at home, state television said. Malsagov and three others were rushed to hospital, where the premier's bodyguard died.

Malsagov's wounds were not life-threatening, local officials said. There was an earlier, smaller explosion intended to divert the attention of security forces, the Interfax news agency reported.

Police gave no indication as to who may have been behind the blasts, the second such incident in four days. On Monday, one person was killed and another two injured when a bomb went off near Nazran's main hospital.

Ingush President Murat Zyazikov, himself the target of a failed assassination attempt last year, said the attack was an attempt to destabilize the region and the whole of the North Caucasus, Interfax reported.

China's resource whoring...

Chinese Firm to Buy PetroKazakhstan:

BEIJING — China's biggest state-owned oil firm has reached an agreement to buy a major oil producer in neighboring Kazakhstan for $4.2 billion — a victory in Beijing's campaign to secure foreign energy supplies for its booming economy.

[...] China is trying to increase its role in Central Asia in part because of unease at the presence of U.S. forces in the former Soviet region that borders Afghanistan.

Beijing is especially interested in Kazakhstan, which is expected to become one of the world's leading oil producers. The discovery of the huge Kashagan oil field on its Caspian Sea coast in 2000 prompted some in the industry to call it the "Kuwait of Central Asia."

Chinese President Hu Jintao visited Kazakhstan in July and signed a pact with Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev to develop a strategic partnership.

[...] Elsewhere, China has signed a multibillion-dollar series of deals to develop oil fields or to acquire oil and gas from countries as far-flung as Sudan, Venezuela and Australia.

The biggest Chinese foreign acquisition to date has been Lenovo Group's $1.25-billion purchase of IBM Corp.'s PC business this year.

Russia's Demographic Disaster

Russian Abortion Killing and Sterilizing Millions:

MOSCOW/VLADIVOSTOK, April 12, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - An English language news magazine from Moscow reports that up to one third of Russian abortions result in the death of the mother. The Russian government has been alarmed for some time at the impending demographic disaster created by the low birth rate. In addition, after decades of communism which endorsed abortion as a form of birth control, the physical and psychological after effects of so many millions of abortions have yet to be completely felt. Communist Soviet Union was the first nation in the world to legalize abortion in 1920.

Conservative estimates put the Russian abortion rate at 60% of all pregnancies, approximately a tenth of which are on girls under 18. Vladimir Kulakov, the deputy director of the Russian Women’s Health Center says that of some 38 million women of childbearing age, about 6 million are infertile, and medical authorities consider abortions a major cause of infertility.

[...] [Vladimir] Kulakov told Mosnews.com that of 3.5 million annual Russian pregnancies, only 1.5 million children are actually being born. Add to that the death rate of one woman in three and the number of women of child-bearing years who are capable of conceiving, Russia’s demographic disaster is promising to be worse even than the most sombre predictions. Kulakov said that as many as 15% of Russian couples are infertile and suggests a government funded programme of artificial insemination.

Aug. 23 (Bloomberg) -- Russians, whose lives are shorter and poorer than they were under communism, have more abortions than births to avoid the costs of raising children, according to the country's highest-ranking obstetrician.

About 1.6 million women had an abortion last year, a fifth of them under the age of 18, and about 1.5 million gave birth, said Vladimir Kulakov, vice president of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences. ``Many more'' abortions weren't reported.

``The appearance of a first child pushes many families into poverty,'' Kulakov said today in the government's official newspaper, Rossiskaya Gazeta. ``Potential parents first try to start a career, stand on their feet and so forth.''

The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the ensuing hyperinflation and depression deprived millions of Russians of their incomes and savings and discouraged couples from having children[...]

"Fetal pain", or lack thereof, a justification for abortion?

Researchers Cast Doubt on Fetuses' Pain:

Doctors should not be required to discuss fetal pain with women seeking abortions because fetuses likely can't feel pain until late in pregnancy, according to a review critics say hardly settles the contentious topic.

Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco reviewed dozens of studies and medical reports and said the data indicate that fetuses likely are incapable of feeling pain until around the seventh month of pregnancy, when they are about 28 weeks old.

Based on the evidence, discussions of fetal pain for abortions performed before the end of the second trimester should not be mandatory, according to the study appearing in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association.

The review, researchers say, is an attempt to present a comprehensive, objective report on evidence to inform the debate over fetal pain laws aimed at making women think twice before getting abortions.

Critics angrily disputed the findings and claimed the report is biased.

"They have literally stuck their hands into a hornet's nest," said Dr. Kanwaljeet Anand, a fetal pain researcher at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, who believes fetuses as young as 20 weeks old feel pain. "This is going to inflame a lot of scientists who are very, very concerned and are far more knowledgeable in this area than the authors appear to be. This is not the last word — definitely not."

Proposed federal legislation would require doctors to provide fetal pain information to women seeking abortions when fetuses are at least 20 weeks old, and to offer women fetal anesthesia at that stage of the pregnancy. A handful of states have enacted similar measures.

Several bloggers chime in at ProLifeBloggers.com -- here, here.

The Wild, Wild...Prague?

Memphis on the Vlatva: Prague's country music blues:

They pick guitars and banjos, wear Stetson hats and sing plaintively about hard men with soft hearts. But these music-lovin' cowpokes are a long, long way from Texas.

They are, in fact, in Prague, the unlikely capital of country music in Europe since the time of Buffalo Bill.

But there's trouble on the homestead, say Prague's country music devotees. The Czech Republic's passion for Old West tunes flourished through world wars, a global depression and forty years of oppressive communist rule. But today the singing Czech cowboy may be a dying breed.

[...] Since the fall of communism 15 years ago, country music lovers no longer risk a spell behind bars, but [Jan] Vycital is pessimistic about the future of the genre.

"Country has had it, especially when you see the young people who take every chance to protest against everything American. In my day we would have punched them in the face," fumed the musician, who adapted to Czech hundreds of American and Australian country songs.

"Country's peak is already behind us. The philosophy of this music is basically conservative, upholding traditional values of family and country. And there hasn't yet been a serious conservative political party here," Cvancara said.

But Cermak thinks that not all is lost, at least not yet. "One day, maybe some of them will get sick of the Internet, DVD's and all that goes with the modern world, and again seek refuge in this little romantic world," he said.

The War Mom

NAMPA, Idaho -- President Bush today took direct aim at Cindy Sheehan, the anti-war protester who has set up camp near the Bushes Texas ranch and purports to speak for military moms who, like her, have lost a son in the Iraq war.

Speaking to hundreds of Idaho National Guardsmen, the president singled out military mom Tammy Pruett of Pocatello, Idaho, whose husband and five sons have all served in Iraq.

"Tammy has four sons serving in Iraq right now with the Idaho National Guard: Eric, Evan, Greg and Jeff. Last year her husband, Leon, and another son, Aaron, returned from Iraq, where they helped train Iraqi firefighters in Mosul.

"Tammy says this -- and I want you to hear this -- 'I know that if something happens to one of the boys, they would leave this world doing what they believe, what they think is right for our country.'

"And I guess you couldn't ask for a better way of life than giving it for something that you believe in. America lives in freedom because of families like the Pruetts."

The crowd, made up mostly of military family members, broke into cheers and chants of "U-S-A! U-S-A!"

"Asesine Chavez" or "Remove the 10 Commandments..."

...and Pat Robertson forgets that "thou shalt not kill.":

"We have the ability to take him (Chavez) out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that ability."

"We don't need another $200 billion war to get rid of one, you know, strong-arm dictator," he continued. "It's a whole lot easier to have some of the covert operatives do the job and then get it over with."

"You know, I don't know about this doctrine of assassination, but if he thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it," Robertson said. "It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war ... and I don't think any oil shipments will stop."

Please, just stop.

P.S. My favorite part?

Paragraph three:

Chavez, who was democratically elected, has emerged as one of the most outspoken critics of
President Bush,

Me or you?

Maradona comes clean...

...and washes his holy hand:

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) - Diego Maradona acknowledged that he struck the ball with his hand in the famous "Hand of God" goal against England in the 1986 World Cup quarterfinals.

Speaking on his local television talk show Monday night, Maradona called one of soccer's most controversial goals "something that just came out of me. It was a bit of mischief."

Maradona appeared to punch the ball into the net, and officials allowed the goal to stand despite protests by the English team. Argentina went on to win the 1986 quarterfinal match 2-1 and then win the World Cup.

In his most detailed comments yet, Maradona said he was unable to reach the ball for a header when he went up against the taller English goalkeeper, Peter Shilton.

Shilton "was very tall. He didn't see anything, and a teammate told him" afterward what happened, said Maradona.

After the score, Maradona said he quickly realized the line referee had allowed the goal but none of his teammates had rushed to celebrate with him - themselves figuring the goal would be waved off.

"I was waiting for my teammates to embrace me and no one came," said Maradona, who was the team captain. "I told them, 'Come hug me or the referee isn't going to allow it."

priceless Maradona.

But the story does not end there... the BBC report reveals there was a bit more to the story:

[...] But that first Argentine goal will remain among the most controversial episodes in football history.

From the referee's angle it looked as though Maradona had headed the ball into the back of the net.

After scoring during the quarter-final match, Maradona said the boys came over to celebrate.

"They were quite timid. They came over to embrace me but it was as if they were saying: 'We've robbed them'," he said.

"But I said to them: 'Whoever robs a thief gets a 100-year pardon.'"

The player was apparently referring to the Falklands War, fought unsuccessfully by Argentina against the UK to take control of the islands it claimed as its own.

Isaiah 53:3-6

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and
familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their
faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he
took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we
considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and
afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was
crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us
peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all,
like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his
own way; and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.

Isaiah 53:3-6

Hagel to the troops: "You're a bunch of losers."

Spoken like a true RepublDhimmicrat: Hagel Says Iraq War Looking Like Vietnam.

WASHINGTON - A leading Republican senator and prospective presidential candidate said Sunday that the war in Iraq has destabilized the Middle East and is looking more like the Vietnam conflict from a generation ago.

Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel, who received two Purple Hearts and other military honors for his service in Vietnam, reiterated his position that the United States needs to develop a strategy to leave Iraq.

Hagel scoffed at the idea that U.S. troops could be in Iraq four years from now at levels above 100,000, a contingency for which the Pentagon is preparing.

"We should start figuring out how we get out of there," Hagel said on "This Week" on ABC. "But with this understanding, we cannot leave a vacuum that further destabilizes the Middle East. I think our involvement there has destabilized the Middle East. And the longer we stay there, I think the further destabilization will occur."

Hagel said "stay the course" is not a policy. "By any standard, when you analyze 2 1/2 years in Iraq ... we're not winning," he said.

What a douchebag.

I'm sure the Dhimmicrats are drooling over this one.

If you tell yourself a lie often enough...

...a country will materialize out of thin air.

The president also praised Irael for taking the "courageous and painful step" of removing Israeli settlements in the Gaza and parts of the northern West Bank. He said the move reflected the "bold leadership" of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

"We're helping the Palestinians to prepare for self-government," he said, adding that the U.S. is giving $50 million in direct assistance to Palestine.

Palestwhat?

Exactly.

Marine verbally slams Matt Lauer, MSM

Again, via Sir Alday.

(NewsBusters) When the Today show sprung a surprise this morning -- an unannounced trip to Iraq by Matt Lauer -- one US soldier had a little surprise of his own for Today and the media at large.

Lauer interviewed a group of soldiers at Camp Liberty in Baghdad, and at one point asked about the state of morale. After getting two responses to the effect that morale was good, Lauer had this to say:

"Don't get me wrong, I think you're probably telling the truth, but there might be a lot of people at home wondering how that could be possible with the conditions you're facing and with the insurgent attacks you're facing. " (video available: Windows Media and Real Media)

If Lauer was the advocate for the anti-war case, he then made the cardinal mistake that no advocate should make: asking a question to which you don't know the answer.

Asked Lauer: "What would you say to those people who are doubtful that morale could be that high?"

Captain Sherman Powell nailed Lauer, the MSM and the anti-war crowd with this beauty:

"Well sir, I'd tell you, if I got my news from the newspapers also I'd be pretty depressed as well!"

"The anti-Cindy"

Via Chairman Alday:

(AP) The mother of a Marine killed in Iraq urged mourners Wednesday not to let their anger and sadness turn them against the U.S. fight in Iraq.

“Honor me in this way,” Kathy Dyer said during a memorial service for Lance Cpl. Christopher J. Dyer, 19, of the Cincinnati suburb of Evendale.

At the funeral at Tri-County Baptist Church, Kathy Dyer delivered what she believed would have been her son’s own message: “It has been with the greatest pride I have served … fighting to preserve freedom.”

She said he would want mourners to continue supporting the troops in the war against terrorism.

Russian arms race back in full swing...

From Cheat-Seeking-Missiles, Laer brings us this urgent news update:

Thanks to a spy who put his life at risk, we now have smuggled images of a truly frightening laser-guided new Russian weapon that appears to be extremely accurate.

View the images here.

[...] Bush created a civil war in Iraq [...]

"[...] BUSH HAS CREATED a situation in Iraq which is rapidly heading towards a civil war between Shiites and Sunnies, while al-Qaeda is enjoying a growing popularity among the population up to a level like it hadn't reached before [...]"

Hint: I should have titled this post, "Fun with ellipses!"

Uh-oh! Humor on WK??

The world's going to end, right?

No.

Time to introduce a little bit of "ha-ha" to this stuffy blog take a break from the typical moonbat nonsense and focus on the more lighthearted:

"This is what happens when you elect a German pope!"

H/T: Barcepundit (edición inglesa, even!)

AC: "Media Shield Law Would Cover Al Qaeda"

From Dough @ all-encompassingly:

So says Deputy Attorney General James B. Comey Jr:

“The definition of a ‘covered person’ contained in subparagraph 7(1)(A) of the bill raises several distinct concerns.

“…it would cover criminal or terrorist organizations that also have media operations, including many foreign terrorist organizations, such as al Qaeda (which, from its founding, maintained a media office that published a newsletter). Indeed, the inherent difficulty of appropriately defining a ‘covered person’ in a world in which the very definition of ‘media’ is constantly evolving, suggests yet another fundamental weakness in the bill.”

When privatization goes (or will go?) awry...

Stephen Peacock writes:

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is recruiting private security forces to load, transport and unload "multi-ton" shipments of seized marijuana en route to destruction in Arizona. It's conducting what is known as a "sources sought" inquiry to determine the availability of commercial firms that can provide on-call deployments of armed contractors to protect these bulk transports of pot.

"The work to be performed will be the loading of multi-ton quantities of marijuana at a secure site, providing protection and security enroute to the destruction facility, offloading multi-ton quantities of marijuana at the destruction facility, and providing security until all the marijuana is destroyed," the sources-sought notice said.

The privatizing of these drug runs, however, is of great concern, the law enforcement sources say. Private contractors, they contend, have a history of cutting corners to save a buck. As a result, “it’s proven that criminals slip through the (hiring) process,” one law enforcer explains.

A Mexican man who used a fake U.S. birth certificate to get into the Border Patrol was helping to smuggle illegal immigrants, authorities said yesterday.

Oscar Antonio Ortiz, 28, an El Cajon-based Border Patrol agent on administrative leave, was arrested yesterday and charged in San Diego federal court with falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen.

He also is charged with conspiring with another Border Patrol agent to smuggle immigrants and is scheduled to be arraigned in U.S. District Court this morning.

The story continues...Fun with Federal subcontracting!

Read it all.

Warrior Words

Regarding the Islamofascist terrorists before the Battle of Fallujah last Fall:

"If they want to die, we'll deliver.
If they want to come, we'll bring it, too."

- Second Lieutenant James P. Blecksmith
3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment,
1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS.

K.I.A. November 11 2004
Operation al-Fajr (Dawn) / Operation Phantom Fury [Fallujah]
Anbar province, Iraq

Semper Fi.

God rest your soul, Lt. Blecksmith.

Denominational meddling

I'm sick and tired of hearing about the PCUSA and now the ELCA airing their positions on how Israel defends herself against Palestinian terrorists: U.S. Lutherans Condemn Israeli Barrier.

ORLANDO, Fla. - The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America denounced the security barrier Israel is building along the West Bank, saying Saturday that Israeli policy throughout the territories has brought "extreme hardship" to Palestinians.

The statement, called "Peace Not Walls: Stand for Justice in the Holy Land," is part of an advocacy plan for Mideast peace that delegates to a churchwide assembly adopted on a 668-269 vote.

It was approved at a time of heightened tension between Protestants and Jews.

Several protestant groups have angered Jews by protesting construction of the barrier, and some Christian denominations have considered divestment from companies that profit from Israeli control of the Palestinian territories.

Wah. Chavez takes his ball, tells U.S. to go home.

¡Oye, Chavez! ¿Quieres queso con tu vino, cabrón?

Venezuela May Deny Americans Visas.

CARACAS, Venezuela - American citizens could be denied visas to visit Venezuela in response to a U.S. decision to revoke the visas of three Venezuelan military officers, the vice president said Friday.

Jose Vicente Rangel said Venezuela decided to take a harder line after the United States pulled the visas of three officers previously involved in anti-drug efforts with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

"The Venezuelan government ... will proceed quickly, with responsibility, but firmly to reciprocate in the cases of U.S. citizens who travel to our country," Rangel said at a news conference.

The visas of three military officers, including two generals, who worked with the DEA were revoked after Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez accused DEA agents of spying in Venezuela and said cooperation with the U.S. agency would be suspended.

"The Great Raid" not to be confused as patriotic(?)

New film strikes patriotic note as US fights wars (link)

NEW YORK (Reuters) - "The Great Raid" is an old-style World War Two movie about U.S. Army Rangers rescuing prisoners of war, but its makers caution it should not be seen as "flag-waving" for America's military today.

Pitching a war film at a time when tens of thousands of U.S. soldiers are at war in Iraq and Afghanistan invites comparisons to the patriotic black-and-white war movies of the 1940s that tried to boost morale at home and on the front.

[...] "It's not about flag-waving," he [Joseph Fiennes] said.

/sarcasm off

Random Quote of the Day # 9,361

"You may not be interested in War but, War is interested in You."

-- Leon Trotsky

Criteria for the 2006 Congressional Elections

Ben, of the Anderson Report, gives us some things to consider turing the upcoming 2006 mid-term elections. We've got a few months (alright, over a year) to evaluate our congressmen and women with the following criteria:

Considering the Non-Accomplishments in Washington, D.C. since 9-11:

* No solving the Border Security issue
* No solving the Illegal Immigration issue
* No addressing the Islamic Threat to our Judeo-Christian Civilization
* No addressing the Trade Balance issue
* No addressing the Out-Sourcing of Jobs to overseas
* No addressing the Pork Barrel Spending & the Fleecing of the Taxpayers
* No addressing the complicated IRS Mess
* No addressing the vast Voter Fraud epidemic
* No addressing the abusive Judicial Confirmation Process
* No Accountability for the Corrupt Manner in which CAFTA was rammed through Congress

and there are more ..........

It would good & wise to vote EVERY Politico in the U.S. Senate (who is up for re-election) and in the U.S. Congress OUT of office in 2006.

There is no way that their replacements, however inexperienced or from whatever party could possibly do worse than the current malfeasant incompetents who talk much during media face-time, dress nice and are well-coiffured -- yet, do Nothing.

It would do the Nation good to have a 2-year flush and remind those elected just who they work for. The few good guys won't mind and they will get back in.

Just imagine the chaos among the myriad lobbyists, influence peddlers, big media mouthpieces, big business, big political funders, political hacks, political commentators, agenda-based think tanks, and all manner of organizations whose sole purpose is to NOT represent the American citizenry.

Absent some radical, if not revolutionary purge, the current politicos and their supporting parasites will just continue destroying our country,

So, just start considering voting the current Senator or Congressman OUT during the Primary or General Election.

It's not as if we don't have 50 State Governments who can't take care of their states without D.C. political meddling.

Ask yourself:

Just what has my Senator or Congressman done for me or my family or business lately? Try to list their accomplishments.... Write down the accomplishments.

Just Think About It. You have many months the mull it over.

But, Things Must Change.

Snacktime América Latina Roundup: 8/11

Colombia Demands Extradition of Fugitives

BOGOTA, Colombia - Colombia is demanding that Ireland hand over three Irish Republican Army-linked fugitives convicted of supporting terrorism in this South American country. The trio unexpectedly turned up in Ireland after eight months on the run.

"A Colombian court issued its verdict that confirmed what we believed from the start: that they were three IRA terrorists, explosives experts, who came to Colombia to train" Marxist rebels in urban terrorism techniques, Vice President Francisco Santos said in a statement.

[...] "These men are on-the-run terrorists," said Peter Robinson, deputy leader of the Democratic Unionists, Northern Ireland's largest party.

But Gerry Adams, leader of the IRA-linked Sinn Fein party, welcomed the men's return to Ireland as "a great relief" and said he hoped "they can now get on with their lives."

KARI'NA LA ISLA, Venezuela - Six of Venezuela's indigenous communities received title to their ancestral lands on Tuesday in a ceremony that Venezuela's president said reversed centuries of injustice.

President Hugo Chavez said he hoped the government would be able to turn over titles to 15 other indigenous communities by the end of the year.

"What we're recognizing is the original ownership of these lands," Chavez said during the ceremony. "Now no one will be able to come and trample over you in the future."

But Chavez warned that the process of granting legal ownership must respect Venezuela's "territorial unity," and he urged other indigenous groups not to ask for "infinite expanses of territory."

"Don't ask me to give you the state's rights to exploit mines, to exploit oil," Chavez said. "Before all else comes national unity."

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica - The Inter-American Court of Human Rights Tuesday refused a request by American Lori Berenson to review its ruling that upheld her 20-year sentence in Peru for terrorism.

In a decision issued in November, the Costa Rica-based court — the legal arm of the Organization of American States — rejected Berenson's arguments that Peru violated her rights in a 2001 civilian retrial. It was Berenson's last formal avenue of appeal.

The former New York City resident has denied any wrongdoing and maintains she is a political prisoner whose concern for social justice was distorted by authorities to look like a terrorist agenda.

Berenson was arrested in November 1995 and sentenced to life without parole by a secret military court, which said she was a leader of the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement and masterminded a thwarted takeover of Peru's Congress to exchange hostages for imprisoned rebels.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina - A former Bosnia Serb paramilitary leader, wanted by a U.N. tribunal on charges of crimes against humanity, was captured Monday in Argentina, officials said.

Milan Lukic, who was indicted in The Hague, Netherlands, in 2000 in connection with a string of notorious killings dating to the Bosnian war, was awaiting initial questioning after his arrest here, authorities said.

[...] According to the U.N. war crimes indictment, Lukic in 1992 organized a group of paramilitaries who between May 1992 and October 1994 "committed, planned, instigated and ordered the executions" of Bosnian Muslims in the territory of Visegrad and elsewhere in Bosnian Serb-controlled territory.

Bangladeshi Christians murdered for supporting 'Jesus Film'

Two Bangladeshi screeners of the Jesus film were murdered on July 29.

(WND) The two-hour docudrama about the life of Christ, based on the Gospel of Luke, has been seen in every country of the world and translated into hundreds of languages.

The men had received threats that they would be killed if they continued their work, and local police say they were sleeping when intruders entered their rented house at 2 a.m. and stabbed them to death. Police have arrested two men in connection with the killings.

Iraqi Air Force Pilot buried at Arlington

Iraqi Air Force Captain Ali Abass was laid to rest this morning at Arlington National Cemetary, alongside with his fellow American comrades who perished in what was reported to be a non-hostile aircraft crash on Memorial Day.

Captain Abass is the first Iraqi serviceman to be buried at the national cemetary. He, along with four fallen Americans, were given full military honors by the Air Force, complete with a 21-gun salute; both Iraqi and American officers were in attendance to honor his sacrifice.

American Air Force Maj. William “Brian” Downs of Frederick Count, VA, Captains Jeremy Fresques, 26, of Clarkdale, Ariz., and Derek Argel, 28, of Lompoc, Calif., both special tactics officers, and Air Force Staff Sgt. Casey Crate, 26, a combat controller from Spanaway, Wash. died in the crash. Due to the nature of the crash, the remains of all five men were unable to be distinctly identified, and thus, were buried together.

Thank you for your service gentleman in the name of freedom.

May ye rest in peace.

Wife, Son of Pinochet charged

(link) A judge has charged the wife and youngest son of Chile's ex-President Augusto Pinochet as accomplices in a multi-million dollar tax fraud case.

Lucia Pinochet and Marco Antonio Pinochet were both granted bail, set at two million pesos (£2,000) each.

Mrs Pinochet is in a military hospital in the capital Santiago, where she has been receiving treatment.

The case relates to offshore accounts where Gen Pinochet and his family allegedly hid more than $13m (£7m).

Investigating judge Sergio Munoz ordered Mrs Pinochet's arrest, having interviewed her and four of her children last month.

"Nobody in Chile is above the law," said Osvaldo Puccio, the government secretary general.

Who's to gain from the violence in New Laredo?

Heard about the mounting violence in Nuevo Laredo (just a stone's throw across the Rio Grande from Laredo, Texas)?

Bill Conroy has an interesting take: New State Department stats contradict media's narco-war hype.

The narco-traffickers engaged in the turf battle in Nuevo Laredo can gain control of a lucrative monopoly by eliminating their competition; politicians and bureaucratic careerists in the United States can score power points by dishing out “national security” cash to fund the war; and the media can prop up newspaper sales and ratings by exploiting the fear generated by the violence.

Cynical, maybe. But it’s far closer to the truth than the “narco-terrorist” fiction the mainstream media is asking us to swallow.

Bill Conroy crunches some numbers and concludes that they just don't add up.

Do your own computations, ese.

The Mobilization of Latin America

Raúl Zibechi on South America’s New Militarism

Several months ago, an official Brazilian commission visited Vietnam. With the goal of “sharing information about resistance doctrine,” the commission composed of colonels and lieutenant-colonels visited Hanoi, Ho Chi Min City (formerly Saigon), and the Cu Chi Province, where 250 kilometers (150 miles) of underground tunnels constructed during the war with the United States still remain. On the Brazilian army’s webpage, Gen. Claudio Barbosa Figuereido, head of the Amazon Military Command, asserts that Brazil will face actions similar to those that have taken place in Vietnam, and now in Iraq, should the Amazon come into conflict:

The resistance strategy does not differ much from guerrilla warfare, and it is an option the army will not hesitate to adopt facing a confrontation with another country or group of countries with greater economic and military power.” He added, “The jungle itself should serve as an ally in combating the invader.”1 The news had little impact on the media, but it demonstrates that Brazil’s armed forces have their own strategic plans and that they see the United States as a potential military enemy.

Media sources say that Peter [Porter? --.ed] Goss, director of the CIA, announced last February to a United States Senate commission that the agency has “evidence” of meetings between the FARC (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia) and Osama Bin Laden’s Islamic network to coordinate terrorist attacks in the region.4 According to this version, the “terrorist threat” looms large in Latin America, as evidenced by the attacks on the Israeli Embassy and the Jewish solidarity institution AMIA in Buenos Aires, carried out in the 1990s, in which hundreds of people died.

Taken out of context, these three pieces of news—and many others—could give the impression that South America is heading toward imminent military confrontation and that militarization is taking place a very rapid rate. The reality, however, is another matter. According to a study carried out by the Military Power Review in 2004, Venezuela, in spite of its revamped armed forces, is ranked just sixth for military strength in South America. Brazil ranks first (653 points), Peru is second (423), and Argentina is third (419), followed by Chile (387), Colombia (314), and Venezuela (282).

On the other hand, Latin America is one of the most stable areas in the world, and few of its resources from the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) are dedicated to the military budget, a mere 1.5%. This figures contrasts with the 4% of GDP dedicated to military spending by the European Union, 3% for the United States (which accounts for 47% of total military spending worldwide), and 12% for the Middle East. A good part of the current purchases and investment in armaments by various South American countries will cover nothing more than the renovation of war materials acquired in the 1960s, which have become useless and obsolete.

Nonetheless, and though it may seem contradictory, there can be legitimate discussion of a growing militarization on the continent. But it is passing through new channels, which have little to do with previous military strategies. In broad terms, four reasons for the emergence of a new militarism can be established: Washington’s new Plan Colombia strategy for the region, which includes combating drug trafficking, guerrilla warfare, and controlling the biodiversity of the Andean region from Venezuela to Bolivia; the new forms war has taken in the neoliberal era, that is, the privatization of war; and Brazil’s new role on the continent, that of being the only poor nation of the South that has strategic military autonomy. The fourth factor is a consequence of the attempts of each country’s elite class, driven by Washington, to contain social protest through the militarization of society and the criminalization of social movements.

Southcom has more employees working on Latin America than the combined departments of State, Agriculture, Commerce, Treasury, and Defense.

Read it all.

Especially the section on the "Privitization of War."

J.B.'s "Mycoherbicide Redux"

Mycoherbicide Redux.

Peruvian campesinos from the Huallaga Valley in Peru with malformed chocolate that they say was due to the Fusarium epidemic of coca that swept through the region from the early 1980s through the 1990s. The origin of the epidemic is still unclear but there are many who believe that it was a U.S. experiment and that it was either sprayed secretly or that it was sold to unwitting farmers as fertilizer or pest killer. Most professionals believe that it was “natural” and exacerbated by poor farming practices. Whatever the origin, most reports indicate that it also attacked other plants, from Lemongrass to staple foods, and contaminated the soil for long periods. Campesinos also complained of unexpected deaths of family members. U.S. State Department cables from Lima complained of entire communities having to leave their lands because nothing would grow on them after the epidemic hit.
Photo: Jeremy Bigwood D.R. 2000

Ariz. Immigrant Law is Safe...for now.

Aw c'mon, whattya mean illegals can't recieve free healthcare benefits? U.S. Court Won't Block Ariz. Immigrant Law.

PHOENIX (AP) - A federal appeals court refused Tuesday to block part of an Arizona law that denies some public benefits to illegal immigrants, saying the plaintiffs had no right to sue.

The voter-approved law appeared on Arizona's November election ballot. The portion at issue bars illegal immigrants from getting certain public benefits and makes it a crime for public employees to fail to report undocumented immigrants who seek the benefits.

A separate provision, unaffected by the court challenge, requires people to show proof of citizenship when registering to vote.

The plaintiffs had asked the 9th U.S. Circuit Court to rule that U.S. District Judge David Bury had abused his discretion when he refused to grant a preliminary injunction to stop the law from going into effect until after a trial is held to determine its constitutionality.

The appeals court panel denied their request, saying the plaintiffs had not demonstrated they were hurt by the law.

The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund had argued that the law was unconstitutional on the grounds that it usurps the federal government's power over immigration and naturalization.

Supporters argued it was necessary because Arizona, the busiest illegal entry point on the country's southern border, spends millions of dollars annually to provide food stamps, welfare and other social services to illegal immigrants.

MALDEF, nobody usurped the Fed's powers over immigration and naturalization... you did. The moment you started defending the "rights" of ILLEGALS and tied up our court system with stupid grievances like this one.

ILLEGALS are entitled to JACK SQUAT.

Funding the disbanding of terrorist orgs...

While this is a non-Islamofascist terrorist organization in question (the rightwing paramilitaries -- A.U.C.), it does beg the question, "What to do with those rascally leftwing communist rebels on the other side of the non-existent negotiating table?"

What an interesting legal predicament: U.S. to help Colombia's demobilization effort.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A secret legal opinion has cleared the way for the Bush administration to help Colombia to fund the disbanding of a far-right paramilitary army despite a U.S. ban on "material support" to groups on the State Department's terrorism list, administration and congressional sources said.

The Justice Department's legal opinion could have significance beyond Colombia, setting a precedent for the United States to participate in future efforts to disarm other banned "terrorist organizations.

It still faces hurdles on Capitol Hill, however, from lawmakers who say the demobilization process is too lax on top drug traffickers and terrorists.

Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, who met last week with President Bush at his Crawford, Texas ranch, wants Washington to help fund his demobilization program, under which former members the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia give up their weapons and disband in exchange for job retraining and in some cases pay.

But proposed U.S. assistance for the effort has been stalled for more than a year because some administration lawyers warned that any U.S. assistance to ex-combatants would violate a strict ban on providing "material support" to groups on the State Department's terrorism list.

Under the Justice Department's legal opinion, completed for the State Department on June 21, U.S. aid can legally flow to the demobilization effort provided certain conditions are met, sources familiar with the opinion said.

The opinion set out legal "parameters by which the United States can assist" in the effort, said an administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the opinion is confidential. "We can move forward," he added.

Iraqi Hospitality

A day late, but very much worth covering.

U.S. Marines Lance Cpl. Zach Merril, left, of Ripley, Ohio, and Pfc. Derek Ward of Portsmouth, Ohio both from the 3rd Platoon from Lima Company of the 3rd Battalion, 25th Regimen from Ohio, eat breakfast given to them by an Iraqi family, right, during a lull in fighting in Parwana, near Haditha, Iraq, Friday, Aug. 5, 2005. A roadside bomb nearby killed 14 Marines, many from this platoon, and a civilian interpreter, in the deadliest roadside bombing suffered by American forces in the Iraq war. (AP Photo/Jacob Silberberg)

Random War Factoid #49,382

Via Zev, the Rogue Jew:

If you consider that there have been an average of 160,000 troops in
the Iraq theater of operations during the last 22 months, that gives a
firearm death rate of 60 per 100,000. The firearm death rate in
Washington D.C. is 80.6 per 100,000.
That means that you are 25% more likely to be shot
and killed in our Nation's Capitol, which has some of the strictest gun
control laws in the nation, than you are in Iraq.

Conclusion:

We should immediately pull out of Washington, D.C.

Socialismo-light, alive & well in Venezuela...

heh. Chavez: U.S. will 'bite the dust' if it invades.

The U.S. government has strongly denied Chavez's claims that it is considering military action against Cuba's closest ally in the Americas.

But Chavez said late Monday that the U.S. government, which "won't stop caressing the idea of invading Cuba or invading Venezuela," should be warned of the consequences.

“If someday they get the crazy idea of coming to invade us, we’ll make them bite the dust defending the freedom of our land,” Chavez said to applause.

I knew this dude once, Saddam something. Said something eerily similar...

Moving along...

He spoke during the opening ceremony of a world youth festival bringing together student delegations from across the world and convened under the slogan “Against Imperialism and War.”

Chavez called the United States the “most savage, cruel and murderous empire that has existed in the history of the world.”

The Venezuelan leader said “socialism is the only path,” and told the students the collective goal is to “save a world threatened by the voracity of U.S. imperialism.”

Earlier, the students waved flags, danced in traditional dress, and held signs praising socialism, Cuban leader Fidel Castro and Ernesto “Che” Guevara.

More than 300 students from the United States shouted out their disapproval of U.S. President George W. Bush, chanting “Get out Bush!” Other students chanted: “Bush, fascist — you’re a terrorist!”

This year's World Festival of Students and Youth is the 16th. The first, in 1947, was held in Czechoslovakia, and during the Cold War most host countries were aligned with the Soviet bloc.

And looky here! Czechoslovakia doesn't even exist anymore! Communism is no more in the former Eastern bloc!

Who the heck do you think organized those youth rallies??? Civic minded youth?

Funny stuff there, those guys at the Asinine Press are a bunch of characters.

60th Anniversary of A-Bomb

Talking head Brian Williams talks with one of the last three surviving members of the Enola Gay crew: Dropping the bomb that ended the war.

...But Dutch and his fellow crew members will have none of the controversy surrounding the bomb. They point out that the firebombing of Japanese cities earlier in the war killed four times as many people.

Williams: You told me the story about one photograph from the war that always kind of catches you — the Japanese soldier returning to his city that’s been destroyed. Do you have remorse for what happened? How do you deal with that in your mind?

Van Kirk: No, I do not have remorse. I pity the people who were there. I always think of it as of being — the dropping of the atom bomb was an act of war to end the war.

It was an act of war to end the war. Plain and simple.

Tony Gets Tough (legislatively, speaking...)

As P$ would say, "Somewhere a fatwa pen is scratching...": Blair unveils new deportation measures.

LONDON - Prime Minister Tony Blair on Friday announced new deportation measures against people who foster hatred and advocate violence following last month’s transportation attacks that killed 52 people and four suspected suicide bombers.

Clerics who preach hate and Web sites or book shops that sponsor violence would be targeted. Foreign nationals could be deported under the new measures.

Blair said his government was prepared to amend human rights legislation if necessary if legal challenges arose from the new deportation measures.

Britain’s ability to deport foreign nationals has been hampered by human rights legislation. As a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights, Britain is not allowed to deport people to a country where they may face torture or death.

“Let no one be in any doubt that the rules of the games are changing,” Blair said, promising to crack down on extremists blamed for radicalizing pockets of Muslim youth.

By the year’s end, Blair wants to pass legislation that would outlaw “indirect incitement” of terrorism — targeting extremist Islamic clerics who glorify acts of terrorism and seduce impressionable Muslim youth.

"More than Number 331" - P.D.O.

Almost one year later, Beslan loses a mother to the ISLAMIC TERRORIST SIEGE: Woman Injured in Russian School Siege Dies.

VLADIKAVKAZ, Russia - A woman injured when Islamic terrorists seized a Russian elementary school last September has died, bringing the number killed in the hostage crisis to 331, a citizens' group said Monday.

Marina Zhukayeva, in her early 30s, died at her home on Monday, said Mairbek Tuayev, the leader of the group in Beslan, the North Ossetia town where the school was located. She had been on life support and in and out of a coma since shortly after the September 2004 attack, which ended in a explosions and gunfire.

Armed assailants seized the school on the first day of classes, setting in motion the deadliest in a series of terrorist attacks that shook Russia last summer.

Zhukayev had been there with her two children, who survived, though more than half of the hostages killed were children.

Steven Bochco's "Over There" = Garbage

Saw the previews for this show a few weeks back, but I missed the first episode last week. Being the war movie/show junkie that I am, I was, at first, disapointed to have forgotten to watch. But, after reading this review from the most excellent American Soldier, I most certainly will not be tuning in.

American Soldier says,

I commented earlier this week that I liked the show Over There to a certain degree. However I want to clarify and say that I think alot of it is a bunch of hoopla. It is Hollywood and I wish the producers would have consulted some people who might have been there. And if they did and decided to cut it like they did then shame on them. The show will not succeed if they display bullshit scenarios.

The Sergeant yelling at all the privates on the berm while getting shot at. If I was one of those Privates I would told that guy to go fuck himself. He wasn’t doing shit to keep them alive. He was just laying on the berm just like them yakking at the mouth. I have a feeling that character will die the day before he goes home. Now that’s Hollywood!

The digging trenches in the dark, I’m sorry but you can mistake the sound of an E-Tool whacking against the desert ground. The sentry’s would have heard that noise from a mile away.

Let’s see…..I didn’t like how they depicted the females. Like they were incapable of being a Soldier. However they did write them to be one too tough for her britches (Mrs. B) and one clueless (Doublewide).

The end of the show kind of bothered me a bit. When the truck drove over a FLAG IED. I’m sorry but IED’s are inside animal carcasses, buried in the ground, etc. They don’t get marked so nicely. Also for anyone that has ever been there. Trucks stop in the middle of the road, no matter what. We own the roads there. So pulling off the road is a testament that they didn’t consult anyone that new the routines and standard procedures over there.

Now I know this show is suppose to give the American public a glimpse into what Soldiers do over there. However if it’s just a producer trying to get rich off the sacrifices of my fellow Soldiers sacrifices, I am going to black list it. I as well as many other Milblogs can make one hell of an affect on the ratings of that show. I know at least 195,000 people would support me.

I will say this, the part of the show I think was dead on was the scenes from back home. The cheating wife. The husband and his baby. This is where the crux of hardship exists, Over here!

So the producers of Over There…..consult people who have lived, breathed and shit this war!

Sincerely,

American Soldier

Dear Russia,

I am so, so, so, so very sorry for this.

I am hardpressed not to agree with the ITAR-TASS article.

Make sure to read the comments of Konstantin Kosachyov--- of the Duma’s committee for international affairs. He's definitely got a point.

UPDATE: I obviously missed the boat on this one. Gateway Pundit's first link mentioned above is from Friday. That's what happens when you take the weekend off from blogging, right?

Here is the commentary after the airing of "Interview with a Monster": Russia Still Outraged at ABC & "Nightline".

'War on Terror' becomes 'War against anti-freedom/West"

This is the new sound, just like the old sound. What's the point? I'm not so sure I get this...

White House drops 'war on terror' slogan (link)

WASHINGTON, July 26 (UPI) -- The Bush administration has begun downplaying the "war on terror" in favor of "a global struggle against violent extremism," the New York Times reports.

Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the National Press Club that if something is a war "then you think of people in uniform as being the solution."

Myers said that while the military may be in the forefront now the long-term solution is more diplomatic, economic and political.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld used the new terminology at a retirement ceremony Friday for the naval chief of operations. Rumsfeld said the country "wages the global struggle against the enemies of freedom, the enemies of civilization."

Officials told the Times that the new language is a product of meetings of President Bush's top national security advisers.

I mean, seriously, can you imagine the new story id screens on Fox News? ::que music:: Global struggle against the enemies of freedom, the enemies of civilization .

Something is just not right about this new "slogan"...

Assaulting the family of the fallen...

This is beyond appalling, and I am beyond angry...: Dead soldier's family victimized by vandals.

FAIRFIELD, Ohio (AP) - Vandals tore American flags out of the yard of a dead soldier's family the day after his funeral, then set a car on fire, authorities said.

Army Pfc. Tim Hines died July 14 of complications of injuries he suffered last month in a roadside bombing in Baghdad. His funeral was Friday.

On Saturday, someone pulled the flags out of the family's yard, stuffed them under a car in the driveway and set the whole thing on fire. Firefighters doused the blaze and no one was injured, but the car was destroyed.

No arrests had been made by early Tuesday. Authorities offered a $5,000 reward for tips.

Neighbors bought the family new flags. "I went by later that morning, Saturday morning, and there must have been 200 flags that had been brought in and reposted," Police Chief Mike Dickey said.

The car belonged to the sister-in-law of Hines.

UPDATE: Greg, of Rhymes With Right, reports two teenagers have been arrested. He also links to additional commentary from The Violence Worker, Instapundit, and NeoBabble.

EMTs risk lives to save lives

EMTs under siege: Attacked by people they're trying to save (link)
By Jessica Heslam

Boston EMTs rushing to the scenes of medical emergencies say they are facing more and more violence from the very people they are trying to rescue – leaving some so badly injured they are unable to work.

``I've been kicked, bitten, spat on, punched, shot at and a few people tried to stab me – you name it,'' said Lt. Dennis Bynum, a supervisor at Boston Emergency Medical Services. ``I've been hurt so many times.''

Last year, 24 EMTs and paramedics lost work days because they were injured in an act of violence while on the job. That number is up from 20 in 2003, and there have been seven cases so far this year. Nationally, experts say, violent assaults on EMTs are becoming more common.

Much of the violence faced by EMTs rolling to emergency calls is attributed to summer boozing and drug abuse, and an increase in calls involving violent mentally ill people who have stopped taking their medication.

``It's a dangerous job. It's explosive and it happens in a nanosecond. Someone is not thinking clearly if they attack an EMT,'' said James Orsino, president of the Boston Police Patrolmen's Association EMS Division, which represents about 300 EMTs and paramedics citywide.

The American Sheik

How cool is this?!?: Iraq Citizens Deem U.S. Soldier As Sheik.

QAYYARAH, Iraq - Sheik Horn floats around the room in white robe and headdress, exchanging pleasantries with dozens of village leaders. But he’s the only sheik with blonde streaks in his mustache — and the only one who attended country music star Toby Keith’s recent concert in Baghdad with fellow U.S. soldiers.

Officially, he’s Army Staff Sgt. Dale L. Horn, but to residents of the 37 villages and towns that he patrols he’s known as the American sheik.

Sheiks, or village elders, are known as the real power in rural Iraq. And the 5-foot-6-inch Floridian’s ascension to the esteemed position came through dry humor and the military’s need to clamp down on rocket attacks.

Late last year a full-blown battle between insurgents and U.S. and Iraqi forces had erupted, and U.S. commanders assigned a unit to stop rocket and mortar attacks that regularly hit their base. Horn, who had been trained to operate radars for a field artillery unit, was now thrust into a job that largely hinged on coaxing locals into divulging information about insurgents.

Horn, 25, a native of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., acknowledges he had little interest in the region before coming here. But a local sheik friendly to U.S. forces, Dr. Mohammed Ismail Ahmed, explained the inner workings of rural Iraqi society on one of Horn’s first Humvee patrols.

Horn says he was intrigued, and started making a point of stopping by all the villages, all but one dominated by Sunni Arabs, to talk to people about their life and security problems.

Moreover, he pressed for development projects in the area: he now boasts that he helped funnel $136,000 worth of aid into the area. Part of that paid for delivery of clean water to 30 villages during the broiling summer months.

“They saw that we were interested in them, instead of just taking care of the bases,” Horn said.

Mohammed, Horn’s mentor and known for his dry sense of humor, eventually suggested during a meeting of village leaders that Horn be named a sheik. The sheiks approved by voice vote, Horn said.

Some sheiks later gave him five sheep and a postage stamp of land, fulfilling some of the requirements for sheikdom. Others encouraged him to start looking for a second wife, which Horn’s spouse back in Florida immediately vetoed.

But what may have originally started as a joke among crusty village elders has sprouted into something serious enough for 100 to 200 village leaders to meet with Horn each month to discuss security issues.

California and the "Bullet ID" legislation

This is crap.

The following is an article from last April or May---thought I just heard about this issue on FNC today: California proposes requiring bullet ID numbers.*

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - California's attorney general introduced pioneering legislation on Tuesday that would require all bullets sold in the nation's most populous state to bear tiny identification numbers.

The bill, aimed at helping investigators solve crime, would require ammunition vendors to submit sales records to a state registry starting in 2007. Anyone bringing bullets into the state not bearing the tiny serial number etched by laser could be punished for up to a year in prison.

"We are losing too many of our young people to seemingly random shootings and anonymous killers," California Attorney General Bill Lockyer said in a statement. The bill "will strip criminals of their anonymity and give law enforcement evidence it can use to quickly and effectively solve more gun crimes."

The legislation -- which could become the first of its kind nationwide -- calls for California to assess fees not to exceed one-half of one cent per bullet to fund the program.

The controversial proposal could spark another major gun control debate in California, a state with some of the toughest U.S. gun control laws. Gun rights groups oppose the idea, saying criminals could easily obtain unmarked ammunition and say the plan would require a costly bureaucracy.

Ravensforge, a Seattle company which has developed a bullet coding system, says bullet engraving machines cost $300,000 (127,000 ponds) to $500,000 each. But the firm says that because the United States sells ten billion bullets a year, the per bullet cost will be very low.

Ammunition manufacturers disagree.

"Although I understand the good intent behind the bill, from a manufacturing perspective it's virtually impossible, both from a cost perspective and keeping the bullet serialization in tact," said Gary Svendsen, a Federal Cartridge Company official who earlier testified at a legislative hearing in Sacramento, California.

"It would virtually obsolete tens of millions of dollars of existing manufacturing equipment," said Svendsen, who is director of quality and product service at the Anoka, Minnesota-based company.

* The original link has since expired, though I randomly selected a source for the full version of the article by Googling the title---therefore there is no endorsement of any other information located on the linked-to site.