Thursday, February 14, 2008
If the Israelis didn't do it,
then somebody else did it, and we owe them a case of good whiskey. Or beer. Or whatever they'd like.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Somebody stop me
Tax refund(the real one). Brownell's. Midway. SOG sale flyer, AIM... AAAAHHHHHHHHH!
I declare this Mohammed Cartoon Day,
as it was two years ago(reminded of this by Michelle Malkin) that that BS started. Marked, as it were, by "the arrests this week of five jihadists accused of plotting to murder one of the Danish cartoonists," so we need to take note of the time.
She's got the rest of the cartoons, too.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
We need to come up with a better name than
'honor killings' or 'honor violence' for this kind of garbage:
Up to 17,000 women in Britain are being subjected to "honour" related violence, including murder, every year, according to police chiefs.
And official figures on forced marriages are thetip of the iceberg, says the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO).
It warns that the number of girls falling victim to forced marriages, kidnappings, sexual assaults, beatings and even murder by relatives intent on upholding the "honour" of their family is up to 35 times higher than official figures suggest.
...
Commander Steve Allen, head of ACPO's honour-based violence unit, says the true toll of people falling victim to brutal ancient customs is "massively unreported" and far worse than is traditionally accepted. "We work on a figure which suggests it is about 500 cases shared between us and the Forced Marriage Unit per year," he said: "If the generally accepted statistic is that a victim will suffer 35 experiences of domestic violence before they report, then I suspect if you multiplied our reporting by 35 times you may be somewhere near where people's experience is at." His disturbing assessment, made to a committee of MPs last week, comes amid a series of gruesome murders and attacks on British women at the hands of their relatives.
This is bad enough they have special units to deal with it? Ain't multiculturalism and tolerance grand in what it leads to?
I also ran across this article on the idiocy of the Archbishop of Canterbury, who's apparently- finally- been given the idea that people are not real happy about his looking forward to sharia law:
By proposing to concede a permanent role to extralegal violence in the political life of England, the Archbishop of Canterbury pushed his phlegmatic countrymen over the edge. No one is better than the British at pretending that problems really aren't there, but once their spiritual leader admits to an alien source of coercion and proposes to legitimize it, they understand that a limit has been reached.
Williams' exercise in what might be termed the Higher Hypocrisy shows how deeply Europe has descended into the Dar al-Harb, or the "House of War" in the Muslim terms for all that lies outside the "house of submission", or Dar al-Islam. Europe's governments refuse to rule, that is, refuse to enforce their own laws because they fear violence on the part of Muslim immigrant communities who refuse to accept these laws. "No-go" zones proliferate that non-Muslims dare not enter. In the United Kingdom, according to evidence presented by respected journalists and public-interest organizations, Muslim community organizations, Muslim police officers and medical personnel collaborate to stop women from escaping domestic violence.
And where might Williams get his 'understanding' of sharia?
...His authority in matters of sharia is Ramadan, whom the Department of Homeland Security prevented from accepting an American university appointment. Ramadan set off a scandal In 2003 when he refused to condemn violence against women (calling instead for a "moratorium," that is, a temporary cessation) precisely because Islamic law sanctions such violence. The Westernized Ramadan will twist himself into a pretzel rather than disagree with Islamic jurisprudence.
This is an excerpt from the 'moratorium' debate, with my bold:
Ramadan: No, no, wait ... What does a moratorium mean? A moratorium would mean that we absolutely end the application of all of those penalties, in order to have a true debate. And my position is that if we arrive at a consensus among Muslims, it will necessarily end. But you cannot, you know, when you are in a community ... Today on television, I can please the French people who are watching by saying, "Me, my own position." But my own position doesn't count. What matters is to bring about an evolution in Muslim mentalities, Mr Sarkozy. It's necessary that you understand ...
At this point, I think the Brits- and we, for that matter- ought to go back to Napier's method*. Especially in light of this from the first article:
The 19-year-old fled, but less than a month after making the grainy video on a mobile phone, Banaz was dead. Her naked body was found buried in a yard in Birmingham in 2006, more than 100 miles from her London home. She had been raped and tortured by men hired by her uncle to kill her. Mahmood's father, uncle and one of her killers were sentenced to a total of 60 years in jail for the murder.
And the fatal potential of honour disputes was laid bare last month when a coroner said he was convinced that a Muslim teenager who feared she was being forced into an arranged marriage by her parents had suffered a "vile murder." Ian Smith said the concept of an arranged marriage was "central" to the circumstances leading up to the death of 17-year-old Shafilea Ahmed, whose decomposed body was discovered on the banks of the River Kent at Sedgwick, Cumbria, four years ago. After running away from home in February 2003, Shafilea told housing officers: "My parents are going to send me to Pakistan and I'll be married to someone and left there." The tragic story of the bright teenager who wanted to go to university and study law is far from the only example of the anguish suffered by British teenagers in recent years.
*In case you haven't heard of it, when faced with the custom of suttee:
"You say that it is your custom to burn widows. Very well. We also have a custom: when men burn a woman alive, we tie a rope around their necks and we hang them. Build your funeral pyre; beside it, my carpenters will build a gallows. You may follow your custom. And then we will follow ours.
Up to 17,000 women in Britain are being subjected to "honour" related violence, including murder, every year, according to police chiefs.
And official figures on forced marriages are thetip of the iceberg, says the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO).
It warns that the number of girls falling victim to forced marriages, kidnappings, sexual assaults, beatings and even murder by relatives intent on upholding the "honour" of their family is up to 35 times higher than official figures suggest.
...
Commander Steve Allen, head of ACPO's honour-based violence unit, says the true toll of people falling victim to brutal ancient customs is "massively unreported" and far worse than is traditionally accepted. "We work on a figure which suggests it is about 500 cases shared between us and the Forced Marriage Unit per year," he said: "If the generally accepted statistic is that a victim will suffer 35 experiences of domestic violence before they report, then I suspect if you multiplied our reporting by 35 times you may be somewhere near where people's experience is at." His disturbing assessment, made to a committee of MPs last week, comes amid a series of gruesome murders and attacks on British women at the hands of their relatives.
This is bad enough they have special units to deal with it? Ain't multiculturalism and tolerance grand in what it leads to?
I also ran across this article on the idiocy of the Archbishop of Canterbury, who's apparently- finally- been given the idea that people are not real happy about his looking forward to sharia law:
By proposing to concede a permanent role to extralegal violence in the political life of England, the Archbishop of Canterbury pushed his phlegmatic countrymen over the edge. No one is better than the British at pretending that problems really aren't there, but once their spiritual leader admits to an alien source of coercion and proposes to legitimize it, they understand that a limit has been reached.
Williams' exercise in what might be termed the Higher Hypocrisy shows how deeply Europe has descended into the Dar al-Harb, or the "House of War" in the Muslim terms for all that lies outside the "house of submission", or Dar al-Islam. Europe's governments refuse to rule, that is, refuse to enforce their own laws because they fear violence on the part of Muslim immigrant communities who refuse to accept these laws. "No-go" zones proliferate that non-Muslims dare not enter. In the United Kingdom, according to evidence presented by respected journalists and public-interest organizations, Muslim community organizations, Muslim police officers and medical personnel collaborate to stop women from escaping domestic violence.
And where might Williams get his 'understanding' of sharia?
...His authority in matters of sharia is Ramadan, whom the Department of Homeland Security prevented from accepting an American university appointment. Ramadan set off a scandal In 2003 when he refused to condemn violence against women (calling instead for a "moratorium," that is, a temporary cessation) precisely because Islamic law sanctions such violence. The Westernized Ramadan will twist himself into a pretzel rather than disagree with Islamic jurisprudence.
This is an excerpt from the 'moratorium' debate, with my bold:
Ramadan: No, no, wait ... What does a moratorium mean? A moratorium would mean that we absolutely end the application of all of those penalties, in order to have a true debate. And my position is that if we arrive at a consensus among Muslims, it will necessarily end. But you cannot, you know, when you are in a community ... Today on television, I can please the French people who are watching by saying, "Me, my own position." But my own position doesn't count. What matters is to bring about an evolution in Muslim mentalities, Mr Sarkozy. It's necessary that you understand ...
At this point, I think the Brits- and we, for that matter- ought to go back to Napier's method*. Especially in light of this from the first article:
The 19-year-old fled, but less than a month after making the grainy video on a mobile phone, Banaz was dead. Her naked body was found buried in a yard in Birmingham in 2006, more than 100 miles from her London home. She had been raped and tortured by men hired by her uncle to kill her. Mahmood's father, uncle and one of her killers were sentenced to a total of 60 years in jail for the murder.
And the fatal potential of honour disputes was laid bare last month when a coroner said he was convinced that a Muslim teenager who feared she was being forced into an arranged marriage by her parents had suffered a "vile murder." Ian Smith said the concept of an arranged marriage was "central" to the circumstances leading up to the death of 17-year-old Shafilea Ahmed, whose decomposed body was discovered on the banks of the River Kent at Sedgwick, Cumbria, four years ago. After running away from home in February 2003, Shafilea told housing officers: "My parents are going to send me to Pakistan and I'll be married to someone and left there." The tragic story of the bright teenager who wanted to go to university and study law is far from the only example of the anguish suffered by British teenagers in recent years.
*In case you haven't heard of it, when faced with the custom of suttee:
"You say that it is your custom to burn widows. Very well. We also have a custom: when men burn a woman alive, we tie a rope around their necks and we hang them. Build your funeral pyre; beside it, my carpenters will build a gallows. You may follow your custom. And then we will follow ours.
Have I mentioned just how much Sen. Reid(Bleeper-NV)
sucks?
Well, Harry Reid managed to stymie movement on DeMint’s measure. He used a rare maneuver to delay the vote until later today–giving the council a chance to backtrack and giving cover to the Dems. A Senate staffer told me: “It’s truly incredible that they went to such great lengths to avoid having to deal with this.”
...
“The only reason to recess is to block something, and the thing that got blocked by Reid’s stall tactic was the Semper Fi Act,” said spokesman Wesley Denton, referring to the bill introduced by his boss, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.).
“Democrats have chosen not to defend the Marine Corps, but to pander to anti-war protesters and Berkeley officials that are actively trying to impede military recruitment.”
This sure-hell is NOT the 'D' party my parents and I once belonged to.
Reid, you suck like a Hoover on turbo.
Well, Harry Reid managed to stymie movement on DeMint’s measure. He used a rare maneuver to delay the vote until later today–giving the council a chance to backtrack and giving cover to the Dems. A Senate staffer told me: “It’s truly incredible that they went to such great lengths to avoid having to deal with this.”
...
“The only reason to recess is to block something, and the thing that got blocked by Reid’s stall tactic was the Semper Fi Act,” said spokesman Wesley Denton, referring to the bill introduced by his boss, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.).
“Democrats have chosen not to defend the Marine Corps, but to pander to anti-war protesters and Berkeley officials that are actively trying to impede military recruitment.”
This sure-hell is NOT the 'D' party my parents and I once belonged to.
Reid, you suck like a Hoover on turbo.
I guess if Obama is really the Obamessiah,
then it's understandable who his followers would choose as saints:
In response, I might suggest a shirt from this gentleman:
Found through Insty
In response, I might suggest a shirt from this gentleman:
Found through Insty
Parents, check out the university you're sending the kids to;
you never know what that money is being spent on:
So, some might be surprised to learn that on this year's Super Bowl Sunday, Duke University played host to a group of strippers, prostitutes, phone-sex operators, and others in a "Sex Workers Art Show" to display their "creativity and genius." The university spent $3,500 from student fees and various programs to pay the performers and cover expenses.
And the show was just FULL of artsy things like
"A transvestite, naked except for some strategically placed tape, with the words 'F___ Bush' painted on his chest, kneeled on all fours and lit a sparkler protruding out of his rectum with 'America the Beautiful' playing...
"A stripper, in the guise of a U.S. flag-draped Lady Justice, ... yanked a string of dollar bills out of her posterior as the sound system played Dolly Parton's version of 'God Bless the U.S.A.' She ended her act by saluting and holding up her middle finger to the crowd. The announcer referred to the performance as her 'Infamous Patriot Act.' Her most private area was kept covered by a small American flag...
"A dominatrix donned a large 'strap-on' male sex organ, and pretended to masturbate while the crowd was urged to shout 'faster, faster,' in Chinese."
So just think: that money you and your kids worked to save for their further education, and the loans they're signing years of their life away for, may be going to educational activities like this. And if you object to this, you can get a"Shut up, you don't question US, you Philistine!"explanation like this:
"There is an obvious difference," Lange responded, "between strippers performing at a private party and a group of artists touring university campuses across the country to present a show with political discussion, musical theater, and displays of sexuality."
Ah yes, 'artists', they do so much to enrich our lives, don't they?
Maybe someone needs to put sparklers in some of the officials and professors at Duke; if these idiots are going to screw students over, at least they could look somewhat decorative while doing it.
So, some might be surprised to learn that on this year's Super Bowl Sunday, Duke University played host to a group of strippers, prostitutes, phone-sex operators, and others in a "Sex Workers Art Show" to display their "creativity and genius." The university spent $3,500 from student fees and various programs to pay the performers and cover expenses.
And the show was just FULL of artsy things like
"A transvestite, naked except for some strategically placed tape, with the words 'F___ Bush' painted on his chest, kneeled on all fours and lit a sparkler protruding out of his rectum with 'America the Beautiful' playing...
"A stripper, in the guise of a U.S. flag-draped Lady Justice, ... yanked a string of dollar bills out of her posterior as the sound system played Dolly Parton's version of 'God Bless the U.S.A.' She ended her act by saluting and holding up her middle finger to the crowd. The announcer referred to the performance as her 'Infamous Patriot Act.' Her most private area was kept covered by a small American flag...
"A dominatrix donned a large 'strap-on' male sex organ, and pretended to masturbate while the crowd was urged to shout 'faster, faster,' in Chinese."
So just think: that money you and your kids worked to save for their further education, and the loans they're signing years of their life away for, may be going to educational activities like this. And if you object to this, you can get a
"There is an obvious difference," Lange responded, "between strippers performing at a private party and a group of artists touring university campuses across the country to present a show with political discussion, musical theater, and displays of sexuality."
Ah yes, 'artists', they do so much to enrich our lives, don't they?
Maybe someone needs to put sparklers in some of the officials and professors at Duke; if these idiots are going to screw students over, at least they could look somewhat decorative while doing it.
Monday, February 11, 2008
If they'd take a little advise, I'd suggest a 12-bore
and suitable shot:
The number of violent attacks on fire crews in England and Wales is going up despite government claims to the contrary, the Fire Brigades Union says.
Assaults rose from 1,300 in 2006 to 1,500 in 2007, the union said. Official figures fell from 1,300 to 400.
It said such attacks had become a "recreational activity" with crews facing a daily threat of being ambushed, shot at, stabbed and abused.
The government said it was not complacent about the issue.
Yeah, they're very damn concerned, you bet.
The FBU is calling for fire crews to receive training on dealing with violent attacks, and for more money to be invested in decent protection and catching attackers.
Shotguns, I tell you! Not too expensive and get the point across the first time! And much easier to catch the bastards when they leave a blood trail.
In Tyne and Wear, crews have been given "spit kits" so attackers' DNA can be collected, and in Greater Manchester engines have been fitted with CCTV cameras.
The union's figures, collated from fire services in England and Wales, painted a more accurate picture of the problem than the government's statistics, Mr Wrack said.
He urged the government to take a lead "rather than sitting on the sidelines ignoring the problem as it is doing in England".
They're not 'ignoring' it: they're practicing "Say fierce things(for us, anyway) and hope the problem goes away."
Or something like that.
The number of violent attacks on fire crews in England and Wales is going up despite government claims to the contrary, the Fire Brigades Union says.
Assaults rose from 1,300 in 2006 to 1,500 in 2007, the union said. Official figures fell from 1,300 to 400.
It said such attacks had become a "recreational activity" with crews facing a daily threat of being ambushed, shot at, stabbed and abused.
The government said it was not complacent about the issue.
Yeah, they're very damn concerned, you bet.
The FBU is calling for fire crews to receive training on dealing with violent attacks, and for more money to be invested in decent protection and catching attackers.
Shotguns, I tell you! Not too expensive and get the point across the first time! And much easier to catch the bastards when they leave a blood trail.
In Tyne and Wear, crews have been given "spit kits" so attackers' DNA can be collected, and in Greater Manchester engines have been fitted with CCTV cameras.
The union's figures, collated from fire services in England and Wales, painted a more accurate picture of the problem than the government's statistics, Mr Wrack said.
He urged the government to take a lead "rather than sitting on the sidelines ignoring the problem as it is doing in England".
They're not 'ignoring' it: they're practicing "Say fierce things(for us, anyway) and hope the problem goes away."
Or something like that.
Whenever someone starts that "Things are better in Britain"
about crime & guns & etc., I remember things like this:
In the intricately planned raid, armed officers, acting on information that guns were being stored at a Pinehurst address, arrived at The Circle in convoy and immediately sealed off the area.
A second wave of officers from the north Swindon neighbourhood policing teams then sealed the outer edges of The Circle, to make sure members of the public did not stray into the line of fire.
A police negotiator spoke to the occupant of the house, before it was thoroughly searched.
During the search, two air rifles and two replica guns were surrendered to police.
Chief Inspector Simon Dicks, leading the operation, said that, although the weapons are not illegal while kept inside the man's home, the raid had helped to make Swindon's streets safer.
The current definition of 'good law enforcement' in Britain: on the word of an 'informant'(sound familiar?) launch a heavily-armed raid on a house, seize two legal airguns and two legal replicas, then declare the 'streets safer'. Oh joy, how do they do it?
"This was absolutely not a waste of time," said Ch Insp Dicks.
"If we have got four firearms less in circulation then I can sleep happier at night.
"These guns look very real, and could cause people to be genuinely scared, and if this man's house was burgled then they could be out on the street.
Uh, dumbass? It WAS a waste of time, they WEREN'T firearms and when you start treating people like this because 'they might be burgled', then you're ALL screwed.
And for the ultimate in GFW wet dreams:
"We will seize any firearms in Swindon, unless there is a lawful purpose for people to have them."
Just wonderful.
"In this case it transpired that the guns were, in fact, lawfully possessed weapons rather than firearms.
Then why did they have to be 'surrendered to police', you sorry excuse for a cop?
"But of course air weapons and BB guns are capable of looking like real fire arms and there is a real risk if people carry them or display them in public."
Oh God, have mercy on the people of Britain, if this is considered Good Police Work.
The occupant of the house was not arrested in the operation.
Gee, how very nice of you to not arrest the poor bastard for having LEGAL objects LEGALLY in his possession. I repeat, you sorry excuse for a cop.
To refresh our memory of the ideals set out by Robert Peel for police officers, let us review:
I added the bold in #7, to emphasize the problem with the "We're cops and you're a lousy civilian" attitude we're dealing with ourselves. We've fallen a long damn way over here, too.
In the intricately planned raid, armed officers, acting on information that guns were being stored at a Pinehurst address, arrived at The Circle in convoy and immediately sealed off the area.
A second wave of officers from the north Swindon neighbourhood policing teams then sealed the outer edges of The Circle, to make sure members of the public did not stray into the line of fire.
A police negotiator spoke to the occupant of the house, before it was thoroughly searched.
During the search, two air rifles and two replica guns were surrendered to police.
Chief Inspector Simon Dicks, leading the operation, said that, although the weapons are not illegal while kept inside the man's home, the raid had helped to make Swindon's streets safer.
The current definition of 'good law enforcement' in Britain: on the word of an 'informant'(sound familiar?) launch a heavily-armed raid on a house, seize two legal airguns and two legal replicas, then declare the 'streets safer'. Oh joy, how do they do it?
"This was absolutely not a waste of time," said Ch Insp Dicks.
"If we have got four firearms less in circulation then I can sleep happier at night.
"These guns look very real, and could cause people to be genuinely scared, and if this man's house was burgled then they could be out on the street.
Uh, dumbass? It WAS a waste of time, they WEREN'T firearms and when you start treating people like this because 'they might be burgled', then you're ALL screwed.
And for the ultimate in GFW wet dreams:
"We will seize any firearms in Swindon, unless there is a lawful purpose for people to have them."
Just wonderful.
"In this case it transpired that the guns were, in fact, lawfully possessed weapons rather than firearms.
Then why did they have to be 'surrendered to police', you sorry excuse for a cop?
"But of course air weapons and BB guns are capable of looking like real fire arms and there is a real risk if people carry them or display them in public."
Oh God, have mercy on the people of Britain, if this is considered Good Police Work.
The occupant of the house was not arrested in the operation.
Gee, how very nice of you to not arrest the poor bastard for having LEGAL objects LEGALLY in his possession. I repeat, you sorry excuse for a cop.
To refresh our memory of the ideals set out by Robert Peel for police officers, let us review:
- The basic mission for which the police exist is to prevent crime and disorder.
- The ability of the police to perform their duties is dependent upon the public approval of police actions.
- Police must secure the willing co-operation of the public in voluntary observation of the law to be able to secure and maintain the respect of the public.
- The degree of co-operation of the public that can be secured diminishes proportionately to the necessity of the use of physical force.
- Police seek and preserve public favor not by catering to public opinion, but by constantly demonstrating absolute impartial service to the law.
- Police use physical force to the extent necessary to secure observance of the law or to restore order only when the exercise of persuasion, advice, and warning is found to be insufficient.
- Police, at all times, should maintain a relationship with the public that gives reality to the historic tradition that the police are the public and the public are the police; the police being only members of the public who are paid to give full-time attention to duties which are incumbent upon every citizen in the interests of community welfare and existence.
- Police should always direct their action strictly towards their functions, and never appear to usurp the powers of the judiciary.
- The test of police efficiency is the absence of crime and disorder, not the visible evidence of police action in dealing with it.
I added the bold in #7, to emphasize the problem with the "We're cops and you're a lousy civilian" attitude we're dealing with ourselves. We've fallen a long damn way over here, too.
How do I despise Pelosi?
Here's one of the ways:
Pelosi: Iraq 'is a failure' -- surge was bust...
al-Qaeda in Iraq in 'total collapse', say seized letters...
Those are two headlines at Drudge, one right above the other. That vile politician Pelosi is still pushing this crap, still trying to tell us how we've failed, but note this:
“The purpose of the surge was to create a secure time for the government of Iraq to make the political change to bring reconciliation to Iraq,” Pelosi said on CNN’s “Late Edition.” “They have not done that.”
The speaker hastened to add: “The troops have succeeded, God bless them.”
Vile, sorry bleep. Trying to play that game, still. "We hate the mission, but we love the troops, homicidal maniacs that they are." Of course, with things coming out like this:
Al-Qaeda in Iraq faces an “extraordinary crisis”. Last year's mass defection of ordinary Sunnis from al-Qaeda to the US military “created panic, fear and the unwillingness to fight”. The terrorist group's security structure suffered “total collapse”.
These are the words not of al-Qaeda's enemies but of one of its own leaders in Anbar province — once the group's stronghold. They were set down last summer in a 39-page letter seized during a US raid on an al-Qaeda base near Samarra in November.
The US military released extracts from that letter yesterday along with a second seized in another November raid that is almost as startling.
That second document is a bitter 16-page testament written last October by a local al-Qaeda leader near Balad, north of Baghdad. “I am Abu-Tariq, emir of the al-Layin and al-Mashahdah sector,” the author begins. He goes on to describe how his force of 600 shrank to fewer than 20.
it's harder for the bleeps like Pelosi and Reid to sell the "WE'VE LOST!" idea. Especially when results have been so good that even the 'help us lose' media have to cover it, or not speak of the war entirely if they can avoid it.
Extracts from letters
Abu-Tariq, al-Qaeda leader
“There were almost 600 fighters in our sector before the tribes changed course 360 degrees . . . Many of our fighters quit and some of them joined the deserters . . . As a result of that the number of fighters dropped down to 20 or less.”
“We were mistreated, cheated and betrayed by some of our brothers who used to be part of the Jihadi movement, therefore we must not have mercy on those traitors until they come back to the right side or get eliminated completely.”
Unnamed emir, Anbar province
“The Islamic State of Iraq [al-Qaeda] is faced with an extraordinary crisis, especially in al-Anbar province. Al-Qaeda’s expulsion from Anbar created weakness and psychological defeat. This also created panic, fear and the unwillingness to fight.
“The morale of the fighters went down and they wanted to be transferred to administrative positions rather than be fighters. There was a total collapse in the security structure of the organisation.”
I can honestly say I don't hate Pelosi & Reid & Surrender Monkeys Inc.; I despise them. They suck so bad Hoover would like to discover their secret. And never forget: because they think it'll be good for them and their party, they want us to lose.
Pelosi: Iraq 'is a failure' -- surge was bust...
al-Qaeda in Iraq in 'total collapse', say seized letters...
Those are two headlines at Drudge, one right above the other. That vile politician Pelosi is still pushing this crap, still trying to tell us how we've failed, but note this:
“The purpose of the surge was to create a secure time for the government of Iraq to make the political change to bring reconciliation to Iraq,” Pelosi said on CNN’s “Late Edition.” “They have not done that.”
The speaker hastened to add: “The troops have succeeded, God bless them.”
Vile, sorry bleep. Trying to play that game, still. "We hate the mission, but we love the troops, homicidal maniacs that they are." Of course, with things coming out like this:
These are the words not of al-Qaeda's enemies but of one of its own leaders in Anbar province — once the group's stronghold. They were set down last summer in a 39-page letter seized during a US raid on an al-Qaeda base near Samarra in November.
The US military released extracts from that letter yesterday along with a second seized in another November raid that is almost as startling.
That second document is a bitter 16-page testament written last October by a local al-Qaeda leader near Balad, north of Baghdad. “I am Abu-Tariq, emir of the al-Layin and al-Mashahdah sector,” the author begins. He goes on to describe how his force of 600 shrank to fewer than 20.
it's harder for the bleeps like Pelosi and Reid to sell the "WE'VE LOST!" idea. Especially when results have been so good that even the 'help us lose' media have to cover it, or not speak of the war entirely if they can avoid it.
Extracts from letters
Abu-Tariq, al-Qaeda leader
“There were almost 600 fighters in our sector before the tribes changed course 360 degrees . . . Many of our fighters quit and some of them joined the deserters . . . As a result of that the number of fighters dropped down to 20 or less.”
“We were mistreated, cheated and betrayed by some of our brothers who used to be part of the Jihadi movement, therefore we must not have mercy on those traitors until they come back to the right side or get eliminated completely.”
Unnamed emir, Anbar province
“The Islamic State of Iraq [al-Qaeda] is faced with an extraordinary crisis, especially in al-Anbar province. Al-Qaeda’s expulsion from Anbar created weakness and psychological defeat. This also created panic, fear and the unwillingness to fight.
“The morale of the fighters went down and they wanted to be transferred to administrative positions rather than be fighters. There was a total collapse in the security structure of the organisation.”
I can honestly say I don't hate Pelosi & Reid & Surrender Monkeys Inc.; I despise them. They suck so bad Hoover would like to discover their secret. And never forget: because they think it'll be good for them and their party, they want us to lose.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
We're supposed to trust the feds WHY? Part II
A while back I wrote about this mess that Balko dug up. Couple of excerpts:
Last week, a federal judge excoriated the FBI for not only hiding exculpatory evidence that would have exonerated four innocent men who served more than thirty years in prison, but for rewarding those who did the hiding and covering up with bonuses and promotions. For this crime against American citizens, American taxpayers will now shell out more than $100 million. Thus far, none of the government agents actually responsible for this crime have been held accountable. Only rewarded.
...
The context: Lundgren and Delahunt have cited incidents in the past in which the FBI has covered up evidence that its confidential drug informants have committed violent crimes (including murder) in order to protect their identities, so that they could continue providing the bureau with information. They’ve cited other incidents, including the case above, in which the FBI has hidden exculpatory evidence, and allowed innocent people to go to prison. Lundgren and Delahunt want Murphy to assure them that the FBI has instituted policies to ensure that these sorts of incidents won’t happen again–that murderers won’t be protected and innocent people sent to prison in order to preserve drug investigations.
Remarkably, Murphy refuses to make such assurances.
Now look at this Insty pointed out:
CLEVELAND (AP) - Wes Ballard is trying to put his life back together after serving 10 months in jail because of lies told by an informant who was handled by a federal agent now facing multiple investigations himself.
Ballard and 25 other people were arrested in a sting meant to clean up the drug trade in Mansfield, about halfway between Cleveland and Columbus. Many of those arrested were convicted.
Now, though, prosecutors are asking a federal judge to dismiss charges including conspiracy and cocaine trafficking against most of the defendants, even some who pleaded guilty.
Why, you may ask?
The sting was based on a tips from Jerrell Bray, a small-time operator who was supervised by Drug Enforcement Administration Agent Lee Lucas.
The 34-year-old Bray, enlisted as an informant in 2005, has admitted concocting a fabric of lies to polish his informant credentials and keep suspects flowing through the court system. He's serving 15 years for perjury and civil rights violations against the individuals targeted in his role as an informant.
...
While police sometimes must rely on informants, "It is very disturbing that they simply accepted this person's claim against so many defendants," Katz said.
Katz said prosecutors sometimes fail to assess an informant's reliability in their zeal to lock up criminals.
"Once they get in the competitive atmosphere of a prosecution, unfortunately too many prosecutors fail to second-guess their own evidence," Katz said.
Where have we heard crap like this before? Why, in stories about SWAT teams kicking in doors of innocent people on the word of an informant, apparently without bothering to investigate before they load up the ram and head for the door. And, just like usually happens in those cases,
U.S. Attorney Greg White, whose staff of 75 federal prosecutors in northern Ohio prosecuted the tainted drug cases, said he was satisfied that his staff had acted in good faith.
Once wrongdoing was disclosed, prosecutors asked the judge last month to undo the charges. "Our feeling was, as a matter of fundamental fairness we needed to do this and we did," White said.
Translation: "Once we got caught having screwed up, we tried to make it go away. And of COURSE none of us did anything wrong! How could you even think that?" Apparently the concept of, oh, INVESTIGATING to make sure the informant wasn't full of crap just didn't occur to them. And I'll bet that they'll do any- and everything to keep the people they screwed over from getting compensation; and they'll damn sure try to keep themselves from facing any real penalty over this. Any takers?
White, the federal prosecutor, cautioned against concluding that "everyone was wrongfully charged," but he would not detail how many of the 13 who pleaded guilty were innocent.
"This is not the finest hour of the justice system for sure. However, I think we've done our best to make that right," White said.
Oh, that just give me such a warm feeling, that you think you've 'done your best'. You miserable lawyer.
But we're supposed to trust these people.
Last week, a federal judge excoriated the FBI for not only hiding exculpatory evidence that would have exonerated four innocent men who served more than thirty years in prison, but for rewarding those who did the hiding and covering up with bonuses and promotions. For this crime against American citizens, American taxpayers will now shell out more than $100 million. Thus far, none of the government agents actually responsible for this crime have been held accountable. Only rewarded.
...
The context: Lundgren and Delahunt have cited incidents in the past in which the FBI has covered up evidence that its confidential drug informants have committed violent crimes (including murder) in order to protect their identities, so that they could continue providing the bureau with information. They’ve cited other incidents, including the case above, in which the FBI has hidden exculpatory evidence, and allowed innocent people to go to prison. Lundgren and Delahunt want Murphy to assure them that the FBI has instituted policies to ensure that these sorts of incidents won’t happen again–that murderers won’t be protected and innocent people sent to prison in order to preserve drug investigations.
Remarkably, Murphy refuses to make such assurances.
Now look at this Insty pointed out:
CLEVELAND (AP) - Wes Ballard is trying to put his life back together after serving 10 months in jail because of lies told by an informant who was handled by a federal agent now facing multiple investigations himself.
Ballard and 25 other people were arrested in a sting meant to clean up the drug trade in Mansfield, about halfway between Cleveland and Columbus. Many of those arrested were convicted.
Now, though, prosecutors are asking a federal judge to dismiss charges including conspiracy and cocaine trafficking against most of the defendants, even some who pleaded guilty.
Why, you may ask?
The sting was based on a tips from Jerrell Bray, a small-time operator who was supervised by Drug Enforcement Administration Agent Lee Lucas.
The 34-year-old Bray, enlisted as an informant in 2005, has admitted concocting a fabric of lies to polish his informant credentials and keep suspects flowing through the court system. He's serving 15 years for perjury and civil rights violations against the individuals targeted in his role as an informant.
...
While police sometimes must rely on informants, "It is very disturbing that they simply accepted this person's claim against so many defendants," Katz said.
Katz said prosecutors sometimes fail to assess an informant's reliability in their zeal to lock up criminals.
"Once they get in the competitive atmosphere of a prosecution, unfortunately too many prosecutors fail to second-guess their own evidence," Katz said.
Where have we heard crap like this before? Why, in stories about SWAT teams kicking in doors of innocent people on the word of an informant, apparently without bothering to investigate before they load up the ram and head for the door. And, just like usually happens in those cases,
U.S. Attorney Greg White, whose staff of 75 federal prosecutors in northern Ohio prosecuted the tainted drug cases, said he was satisfied that his staff had acted in good faith.
Once wrongdoing was disclosed, prosecutors asked the judge last month to undo the charges. "Our feeling was, as a matter of fundamental fairness we needed to do this and we did," White said.
Translation: "Once we got caught having screwed up, we tried to make it go away. And of COURSE none of us did anything wrong! How could you even think that?" Apparently the concept of, oh, INVESTIGATING to make sure the informant wasn't full of crap just didn't occur to them. And I'll bet that they'll do any- and everything to keep the people they screwed over from getting compensation; and they'll damn sure try to keep themselves from facing any real penalty over this. Any takers?
White, the federal prosecutor, cautioned against concluding that "everyone was wrongfully charged," but he would not detail how many of the 13 who pleaded guilty were innocent.
"This is not the finest hour of the justice system for sure. However, I think we've done our best to make that right," White said.
Oh, that just give me such a warm feeling, that you think you've 'done your best'. You miserable lawyer.
But we're supposed to trust these people.
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