Everyone is my friend until they prove otherwise.
Fred’s blogging at red state, his commentary is very lucid and compelling. Please stop by for a read.
Something I missed yesterday: The government has blocked the Lal Masjid website, and stopped FM broadcasts from them, as reported in Pak online forums & Dawn. Also note that the government is searching for Lal Masjid’s presses, this article points out the multitude of Jihadi newspapers in Pakistan.
Parachinar UPDATE: The Sunni / Shia sectarian violence in Parchinar near the border continues to heat up, reports have it at 83 43 casualties so far, with 40 10 dead [ed note: most stories in Pakistan they interview both sides, who each inflate body counts and casualties, corrected later via updates in paper.] Authorities have called a curfew and promise to “shoot violators on sight.” The conflict then moved to surrounding villages, and there are reports that many market sections are now burned down. The factions are using sophisticated weapons including rocket launchers against each other.
 Continue reading “Jamia Hafsa Update”
Since the Imus show runs on MSNBC, how far will this carry is the question? Will this get as much play in the press and on the blogs as Ann Coulter’s remarks?
Don Imus has apologized for his racist remarks regarding the Rutgers basketball team on his nationally syndicated show April 4th. I won’t repeat them here, if you must know follow the link to the article. The President of the National Association of Black Journalists says this about the remarks:
“Has he lost his mind?” said NABJ President Bryan Monroe, vice president and editorial director for Ebony and Jet magazines in Chicago. “Those comments were beyond offensive. Imus needs to be fired. Today.”
From Don Imus the apology:
“(I) Want to take a moment to apologize for an insensitive and ill-conceived remark we made the other morning referring to the Rutgers women’s basketball team,” Imus said Friday. “It was completely inappropriate, and we can understand why people were offended. Our characterization was thoughtless and stupid, so, and we’re sorry.”
I find his apology less than heartfelt and sincere, note the use of the “Royal We” instead of “I”. This is the sort of train wreck that can happen when comedians try to be cool — at the heart of every joke is hurt. Someone must be the butt of it, someone must be denigrated for a truly humorous effect. The only jokes or humor that I can think of which do not usually attack an individual or group are Puns, and those just aren’t that popular anymore.
Continue reading “Imus Apologizes; NABJ Wants Him Fired”
Frontier post reports on the rally of Jamia Hafsa and Lal Masjid, who are declaring Taliban style Sharia court in Islamabad. They are threatening waves of suicide bombers if they are opposed, and in this step they have gone too far both with the citizens of Islamabad and with the Government.
Frontier post reports on the rally of Jamia Hafsa and Lal Masjid, who are declaring Taliban style Sharia court in Islamabad. They are threatening waves of suicide bombers if they are opposed, and in this step they have gone too far both with the citizens of Islamabad and with the Government.
Continue reading “Jamia Hafsa Declares Jihad on Downtown Islamabad”
The released British sailors retracted all statements they made while imprisoned by the Iranians, and now state that they were in Iraqi waters. See video here
For a contrasting view from a British Marine Colonel, please stop by LGF. Personally, I am not going to judge them as we don’t know full circumstance, the pressures brought to bear, and we probably never will.
Continue reading “British Sailors Retract all Statements Made in Iran”
In Wana, Pakistan 20 more Uzbek Al Qaida were killed by mixed Taliban and tribal forces bringing the total deaths to 270, with aproximately 70 deaths since the Taliban brokered peace failed on the 19th. Seven tribals died in the fighting at the high houses near Wana.
Continue reading “The Hill Forts Fall”
the practice of misjustice in China, which includes the death sentence en-masse, assumed guilt until proven innocent, torture, and suppression of dissidents who speak about it.
Britain’s Sky News presents a report on the practice of misjustice in China, which includes executions en-masse, assumation of guilt until proven innocent (and sometimes not even then,) torture, and suppression of dissidents who speak out about it. Warning: this is horrid, not for the gentle or innocent.
Where does the left stand on this? Will the “free Mumia” crowd protest these abuses? Will Hollywood speak out? Will Codepink protest? Will ANSWER or People for the American Way say anything? Highly doubtful, Global Warming and surrendering the Global War On Terrorism are their priorities right now.
Continue reading “Chinese Execution Busses”
The Jawa Report, Little Green Footballs, and US Centcom are reporting that a new Osama Bin Laden video might be coming soon. This is coming from reports on extremist websites
UPDATE: This is up at CT Blog:
UPDATE, 4:45 pm ET: Experts on Al Qaeda tape releases, including Evan Kohlmann, doubt the reliability of the website on which this was posted. Rita Katz of SITE Institute has issued a press release stating, “These reports are inaccurate and are based only on inauthentic, unsubstantiated rumors on jihadist messageboards. There has been no word of a forthcoming bin Laden video through the traditional channels al-Qaeda uses to make such announcements.”
If we do nothing, then once the USS Stennis and other carriers are moved, then Iran will continue to press claims and extend boundaries, threatening eventually all traffic through the gulf which obviously cannot be allowed.
Here’s Tony Blair speaking of the released sailors, as well as the four British soldiers killed this morning by IED’s. Note how he tapdances around the fact that Iran is manufacturing and supplying IED’s capable of destroying armored vehicles to insurgents in Iraq (reported here last July,) and clandestinely supporting the insurgency in Southern Iraq.
Ynet reports on the roadside bombing in Shia-Majority Basra:Â
Four British soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed in a roadside bomb blast that destroyed their Warrior armoured fighting vehicle in the Iraqi city of Basra on Thursday, the British military said.
The deaths brought to six the number of British soldiers killed in Iraq this week, making it one of the deadliest for British forces since the US-led invasion in 2003. “Last night four soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed in a roadside bomb attack on a Warrior to the west of Basra,” British military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Kevin Stratford-Wright said from the southern Iraqi city. A fifth soldier was seriously wounded.
 The tactical and strategic considerations of this need to be examined.
Tactical first:Â
First, review of Rules of Engagement is needed for everyone in theater vis-a-vis Iran.
Second, examination of the timing and what this sideshow distraction was for is definitely in order. (Did Iran want the Brits backed down from inspections in Shat Al Arab for a period of time, and if so, why? Who or what might have been smuggled into Southern Iraq during this timeframe?)
Strategic:
We have to expect more bellicosity if this wasn’t a temporary distraction, and have to look at this in light of their past practices (Straits of Hormuz engagements, previous kidnapping in 2004, and the arrest of Romanian Oil workers on platforms in the gulf.)
If this is purely a move to extend domain (as all the previous actions indicate,) what does that tell us? Is Iran after oil in this area?
What moves should we make to clearly overthrow the false claims? (Show the flag patrols? UN Hearings/resolutions?)
What are the ramifications for the government of Iraq, especially considering the past war with Iran over some of these boundaries?
If we do nothing, then once the USS Stennis and other carriers are moved, then Iran will continue to press claims and extend boundaries, threatening eventually all traffic through the gulf which obviously cannot be allowed.
In this excerpt from Penn & Teller’s Showtime Series “Bullshit!” they take on some Wal-mart haters.
*** Warning: Not work-safe, even with the bleeping ***
In this excerpt from Penn & Teller’s Showtime Series “Bullshit!” they take on some Wal-mart haters. I recommend you see the whole thing, or buy the series when it comes out on CD, it’s well worth the money or time spent.
Disclaimer: I am a long standing fan of Penn and Teller, I shook hands with Penn Jillette in the early nineties in Sacramento, I used to subscribe to The Skeptical Inquirer (aka The Zetetic,) I’ve given them money two times, and I even bought one of their crappy refridgerator magnets in Las Vegas. (Ok… so the refridgerator magnet’s not that crappy, matter of fact it’s kind of cool, but boy was it overpriced!)
I also worked for Viacom / Showtime around the time they were getting sued by Chuck Barris for broadcasting “The Gay Dating Game” on public access television in San Francisco. Penn’s really making me write all this… he’s been remotely mind controlling me ever since he shook my hand in the 90’s. One more thing: You really need to get them a better picture at Wikipedia Penn.
