New GOP Bloggers Presidential Poll

Posted on May 26, 2007 by Thanos

The new GOP Bloggers presidential poll is out, I’ve got it parked below the fold because I am lazy today and didn’t feel like debugging their code for xhtml strict. Hit the “read more” link to vote. Continue reading →

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Myanmar Junta Jails Suu Kyi Another Year

Posted on May 26, 2007 by Thanos

aung-san-suu-kyi-3.jpgThe Military Junta ruling Burma with iron fist will keep Aung San Suu Kyi under arrest another year by extension of a special law created just to detain her. Meanwhile the planned economy is crumbling, an estimated 700,000 refugees are living in camps outside the country, there’s a continuing assault on the Karen tribes in the back-country, and now a polio outbreak. The Junta also arrested 25 more advocates for democracy who went to temples to pray for her release. There are an estimated 1,100 political prisoners from Suu Kyi’s party in Burma / Myanmar. Continue reading →

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Pakistan Update

Posted on May 25, 2007 by Thanos

dawn.jpgDawn Television debuted today in Pakistan, with an announcement by President Musharaaf. It was good to see that freedom of the press in this case is supported, Dawn has been in the past badgered by the government, but on the government’s side of the tale Dawn sometimes gets things wrong. The fact that they have a list of grievances up at their news site that’s remained up for a long time tells me that the Press in Pakistan is much freer than that in China, Iran, and Venezuela. Indeed, I find things in the Pakistan press that go un-reported here and other places.

In other news, Lal Masjid freed the two policemen the madrassa students were holding hostage without an operation by the Islamabad Police. Maulana Ghazi states that he was misquoted when he threatened suicide bombers, which is an outright lie. I’ve seen the videos of the white headbands, and too many different reporters have heard that statement or similar statements too many different times for it to be a misquote. Continue reading →

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Al Qaeda Appoints New Afghanistan Leader

Posted on May 25, 2007 by Thanos

Al Qaeda has released another video following Ayman Al Zawahiri’s to declare a new leader to the flagging and split Taliban front in Afghanistan.  The new leader is Mustafa Abu Al-Yazid aka “Sa’id”.

Al Qaeda has suffered many failings and setbacks the past two months, starting with overthrow in Anbar by the Salvation Councils, to the ouster of the Uzbeks from South Waziristan, and finally the ignominious death of Dadullah; scrabbling on the floor looking for his leg so he could run away from the Afghan Army.

Here’s the video from Memri, in which Al Qaeda now declares Jihad against Turkey for arresting Al Iraqi as he transited to Iraq — I don’t think the followers of Kemal are impressed for some reason.

The Taliban’s promised massive Spring offensive proved to be a lie, just as the extended mythic tale told by Zawahiri of Dadullah’s death was a lie. Now they have given up on winning and are simply hoping to hold some area in Opium country, since dealing drugs is a major source of their funding. They continue to find an occasional suicide bomber among the halt, the lame, and the mentally deficient, but even the thousands of suicide bombers continually promised by Dadullah and others isn’t there.

The truth is that Al Qaeda is anti-muslim — by agitating to set up the Sultanate, they conspire against those who would have the Caliphate. It’s the ancient, cold and calculated power struggle that pits race against race, tribe against tribe, and sect against sect. It’s truly sad that the Islamic world has not awoken to the fact yet that Al Qaeda has murdered, tortured, maimed, and dishonored more Muslims than anyone from the west has.

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The Ends of Extremism

Posted on May 25, 2007 by Thanos

high-priestess.jpgphelps_mullah.jpgAcross a yawning gulf of ignorance lie two extremes of insanity. At one end Rosie O’Donnell, at the other the Fred Phelps church. Both are willing to attack our troops with raucous theatrical falsehoods to gain their moment of spotlight so they can get their rabid, sick message across. Today Rosie was released from “The View” early, which comes as no surprise.

So there you have it folks, Rosie and Fred: bookends on the barren shelf of ignorance.

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Night Off

Posted on May 24, 2007 by Thanos

flowers-and-brick.jpgTaking the night off … it’s been a long day. So a picture, and a poem.

 

 

Libertatis Sacra Fames
by Oscar Wilde

Albeit nurtured in democracy,
And liking best that state republican
Where every man is Kinglike and no man
Is crowned above his fellows, yet I see,
Spite of this modern fret for Liberty,
Better the rule of One, whom all obey,
Than to let clamorous demagogues betray
Our freedom with the kiss of anarchy.
Wherefore I love them not whose hands profane
Plant the red flag upon the piled-up street
For no right cause, beneath whose ignorant reign
Arts, Culture, Reverence, Honour, all things fade,
Save Treason and the dagger of her trade,
Or Murder with his silent bloody feet.

 

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3 Naval Strike Groups in Gulf, 17,000 Marines

Posted on May 23, 2007 by Thanos

uss-stennis-uss-bonhomme-richard-uss-nimitz.jpgThe USS Stennis and other ships sailed through the Strait of Hormuz unannouced today, putting the largest fleet of US Naval strike forces in the Gulf of Oman since 2003. The USS Nimitz (CVN 68), the USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) and the USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) are side by side in the photo, each is the flagship of a different naval strike group. The 9-ship force includes landing ships carrying 17,000 Sailors and Marines.

Continue reading →

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Laura Bush Asks China To Join Hands for Human Rights Reforms in Burma

Posted on May 23, 2007 by Thanos

laura-bush.jpgFirst Lady Laura Bush has asked for China to join the US in calling for human rights reform in Burma. The military junta that took power in the 90’s by coup is holding Aung San Suu Kyi and as many as 1,100 other advocates for freedom prisoner.  Update: The EU has now also called for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi as the military junta is set to review status this weekend. Story at Yahoo. Continue reading →

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Fort Dix Six Update

Posted on May 23, 2007 by Thanos

fort_dix-plotter.jpgNewly breaking reports indicate that one of the suspects in the Fort Dix Terrorism case had applied for police positions in two different cities, Oakland and Philadelphia. This could indicate attempts by the jihadis to infiltrate police departments. Continue reading →

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Osama Bin Laden Wanted Base in Iraq: New Intel

Posted on May 23, 2007 by Thanos

ABC News reports on newly de-classified intelligence that confirms Al Qaeda’s desire for a base of operations in Iraq.

As usual, the news report dwells more on the timing than the import and content of the intelligence. To them this is another Bush “low blow”, but when your primary mission is being jeapordized by a delusional congress then you must pull out all the stops, even if that includes releasing intelligence reports earlier than you would like to.

The report specifically indicates that Osama Bin Laden charged Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi to plan attacks on western countries, including the US, from Iraq. Zarqawi happily accepted the assignment. It also indicates that the United States would be the priority target. Bush spoke about this in a commencement address at the US Coast Guard Academy today. When trying to find news stories on this I can only locate the original newsire alerts, but no stories. I’ll update if more comes in.

What the analysis misses is that if this were released prior to the Anbar and Iraq salvation councils forming and the Anbar awakening, that tide easily could have shifted the other direction. It’s extremely dangerous to our strategy to constantly have to show our hand or telegraph our timetables because loons in Congress want to posture.

UPDATE: John Stopped by and left a link to the video of President Bush’s speech at the Coast Guard commencement address.

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