Soldier In Iraq Sends Gifts Home For The Needy

Folks, this is what “Selflessness” looks like…

Please go to the link for the video. God has a special place in His heart for men like this.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Clause, but sometimes, he wears BDU’s.

Margie Snow spent Tuesday unpacking clothes and food sent by her son in the military. He’s stationed in Iraq, and even that far away, he was thinking about the needy back home “He said, I just want to give back, he said, because we got plenty over here. He said, I just want to give back because I feel blessed. So every day he calls about a different box on its way,” Snow said.

Army Staff Sergeant Jeremy Snow has been in Iraq since January, but he came home earlier this year and that’s when he got the idea to buy gifts for the less fortunate. Snow and his Army buddies went on-line and used their own money to buy new shirts, coats and even mp3 players.
Snow said, “They got together and they was like, what do they need? What do they need? And I said, I don’t know, just send little things because I know like, especially with the coats and shirts, and he got together with his unit and boxes just started arriving.” Sergeant Snow also shipped cereal, crackers and noodles. It’s the kind of stuff usually sent to soldiers. This time, it’s the soldiers who are giving.

Snow said, “I’m retired military. Being over there during the holidays, I know it’s lonely and a gift means so much, so that was my main thing and to have it surprise me, it was just a good feeling to know that he was not so worried about what he was getting, but he was more worried about that people here had stuff.”

http://lftbhndagn.wordpress.com/2008/12/17/soldier-in-iraq-sends-gifts-home-for-the-needy/

Jihad by the Shoe: Who Was Behind it and why?

By Walid Phares

As I observed the immediate aftermath of the shoe throwing incident in Baghdad, I noted that the most striking effect occurred among the Western public, and particularly within the United States. Commentators and regular citizens were asking themselves again, seven years later, “why do they hate us?” missing one more time the fact that this particular violent expression, far from being a unique emotional reaction by one individual, is part of a war of ideas; it is a continuous organized confrontation over the future of the region. In short, this was another form of Jihadism, one I am coining now as a Jihad by the Shoe (Jihad bil Hizaa). Here is why.

The main question on anchors’ minds and lips reflected the shock and awe felt by many Americans. It wasn’t really about the Iraqi journalist al Zaidi targeting President Bush with his two leather “missiles,” for in liberal democracies, the scene of flying eggs, pies or liquid in the direction of politicians, legislators, Prime Ministers or Presidents is part of the political culture. Even obscene gestures and words are frequently uttered against leaders; this behavior comes with the package of democratic freedoms. It ends up usually with a sensational picture on the front page, as a joke on TV’s late night shows, and/or it can come with some minor legal consequences. But the shoe bombing of President Bush stunned Western commentators for another reason: the seemingly vast outpouring of support the thrower received in the region. In the absence of sound expert analysis as to the meaning of the colorful reporting on Arab channels, and as many Western media went overboard in their guilt-ridden commentaries, the public was left alone to figure this out. Obviously their conclusion was that “whatever we do for them, they will continue to hate us.”

The Shoe Thrower:

According to Arab commentators, Iraqi journalist Muntazar al Zaidi, who launched his two shoes against U.S. President George Bush while calling him “dog”, is a controversial militant. Dr. Abdel Khaliq Hussein, writing in Elaph accused al Zaidi of being a “friend of the terrorists.” Furthermore, along with other analysts, Hussein said the “shoe thrower” used to know about the “terrorist attacks before they took place and managed to be at the location beforehand.” These are serious accusations against a person who was made into an icon of “Arab pride” by the Jihadi media machine. Furthermore, Hussein wrote that al Zaidi fabricated his abduction story last year to get “maximum publicity.” One can see a pattern here. Maybe President Bush’s instincts were right. In the daily al Shaq al Awsat, another observer wrote that al Zaidi is a Sadrist. Others disagree and describe him as radical opportunist. Nidal Neaissi, also writing in Elaph, reminded his readers of an historical precedent in Bedouin history: a well known greedy man, Abi Qassem al Tamburi was always trying to get rid of his shoe by throwing it against well known people, attracting the support (and more) of their enemies. Too many comments about the so-called “shoe hero” have appeared in the Arab media - unread in the West - leaving us with one conclusion. The man had a plan for his shoe: a major show. And it worked.

War of Ideas:
The West was left to see only what it was allowed to watch: a repeat of previous cycles in the War of Ideas. Viewers in New York and Paris can see the angry protesters of the Danish Cartoons and Guantanamo and the insulting of a U.S. President; but they cannot see the men and women who wish to shoe bomb their own dictators and oppressors. Sometimes the public has a mere glimpse of the other side: when Saddam’s statue was toppled and beaten with shoes for few hours, and when a million people demanded the Assad regime to take their boots off of Lebanon’s soil.

Full article:
http://counterterrorismblog.org/2008/12/jihad_by_the_shoe_who_was_behi.php

Hamas attacks Southern Israel (70+ Rockets) Dec 24, 08

Hamas childs puppet show-child stabbing President Bush.

Pray for Israel,that they make the RIGHT decisions and stop acting as though there can be peace with Hamas ruling Gaza.Hamas is choosing war.Israel can no longer turn a blind eye or pretend there will ever be peace without a willing partner.NO 2 STATE SOLUTION.until they can prove they are willing to govern like a democracy-not the terrorist thugs

Palestinian patch show there is No Israel..It is not in Hamas interest to have a "2-State Solution"

Over 60 Kassam rockets, Grad Katyusha rockets and mortar shells have struck Israel in the past hours. Rockets have hit the Greater Sderot Area, and penetrated deeper into Israel, striking Ashkelon and Netivot, as terrorists based in Gaza promised would be the case."

As such, Israel is compelled to respond appropriately, which means border crossings must remain closed, totally, every day, not opening from time-to-time. There must be a total embargo. In addition, it is preferable to launch strategic attacks over a ground forces operation. Targeting Kassam launchers is a waste of time. It is not effective. Attacks will stop by one of two ways, if we retake control of areas used to fire, which is a costly operation, or changing realities that it is not in Hamas’ interest to fire rockets.

This can be accomplished by targeting structures of the Hamas government, police stations, and government buildings, whatever it takes. 100 civilians will be killed daily and that is just the price. Nothing can be done. When the world shouts, Israel must question the silence of the international community when rockets were compelling our children to cry in fear, for years. Yes, the world will be outraged and it’s about time!

This method has a high probability of success and it is considerably less risky and a worthwhile place to begin before ordering a ground forces operation. We can definitely bring Hamas to a point it will no longer wish to fire rockets.

http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/article.php?p=27602

Finding Jesus in London

James Mumford is a well-dressed 27-year-old from the posh London neighborhood of Pimlico. He holds degrees in philosophy from Oxford and Yale and, like many of Britain's elite, spent a post-graduate stint working in London's finance industry. But tonight he wants to talk about how he came to accept the Lord Jesus Christ into his heart. "I don't mind talking about my faith," he says, sheepishly. "But it's a touch embarrassing. Just don't brand me as a mindless evangelical."

The church has become so popular that it recently began encouraging hundreds of its congregation to attend dying churches around London — as much to ease its own congestion than anything else.

Judging by the success of the HTB, however, the humanists may be fighting a losing battle. Once considered a stalwart of rural England, the Anglican church has found new life in the largest of Britain's supposedly godless cities. And the new converts are perhaps even more fervent than their small town equivalents. HTB's Sunday services include singing, dancing, and speaking in tongues. "I've looked everywhere for the answers to my deepest questions," the philosophy major Mumford says. "It took me a while to realize that I'd find them in a London Church."



http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1866094,00.html?xid=rss-topstories

Why is Muntader al-Zaidi so Revered by the Liberal Blogosphere?

As per usual the left are excited about the man who threw the shoe at President Bush. The story behind the story. Now we understand why the left are cheering along with the anti-free Iraq goons in the Arab world.

Iraq airliner crashing into bldg

Marines find mural after the invasion.
full article here at the CNN website

http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/03/26/sprj.irq.mural/index.html

As would be expected, Muntader al-Zaidi, the Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at President Bush during a press conference in Iraq on Sunday, is being extolled as a hero by the Leftwing blogosphere.

However, it should be noted that Mr. al-Zaidi was once the head of the student union under Saddam Hussein. [He was also a fellow Baathist. Another individual to head the National Students Union in Iraq was a fellow by the name of Umar Sabawi Ibrahim al-Hasan al-Tikriti. Mr. al-Tikriti, who was also the head of Saddam Hussein's Fedayeen, allegedly provided support for the Iraqi insurgency. A warrant for his arrest was issued by the Central Criminal Court of Iraq in March of 2005.

What's more, Mr. Al-Zaidi - the notorious shoe thrower - had previously been detained in November of 2007 for two weeks after videotaping the scene of an improvised explosive device that targeted an American Humvee. Why they released him from detention is anyone's guess.

Nevertheless, in spite of Mr. al-Zaidi's appaling resume, the Liberal blogosphere is celebrating his shoe throwing heroics. Because in the eyes of the Liberal blogosphere, it is not the American troops fighting in Iraq who are the true heroes, but rather the Saddam Hussein loyalists and those who murder our troops, who are the real heroes.

Surprise, surprise, surprise................

http://obamareport.blogspot.com/2008/12/why-is-muntader-al-zaidi-so-revered-by.html

Mexican Violence Continues to Unfold

Found a new (to me) site that concentrates on the threats we face in America. Here is the latest on how bad the drug related violence has escalated this year. What are we to expect in 2009? Nothing good-sad to say..

As the year draws to a close, the drug related violence in Mexico continues.

Last week in Ciudad Juarez Mexico, four police officers were murdered in four separate attacks. This brings the 2008 murder toll in Juarez alone (across the border from El Paso) to 1,300; in all of Mexico, the death toll has reached more than 5,300 – more than twice 2007. This is based on government figures.

All of this happens in a year following the deployment of over 20,000 military troops across the country by President Calderon in an attempt to quell the violence of the drug cartels. The change in Administration will not change the danger posed to Americans by the continuing and expanding drug cartel violence. At the same time, reports of drug cartel-related violence crossing the border to Arizona, New Mexico and Texas continue. Further, the blending of the drug cartels with youth gangs now threatens to spread to border cities. The question of border (in)security is much more than the continuing flow of illegal immigrants.

If it wasn’t such a serious situation it might not be believable. In an unrelated crime, last week anti-kidnapping consultant Felix Batista was kidnapped in Mexico.

U.S. security consultant Felix Batista was in Saltillo in Coahuila state to offer advice on how to confront abductions for ransom when he himself was seized, local authorities said.

At this point, and understandably, no one is offering comment about the situation including who or what group is suspected in the crime or whether negotiations are occurring.

http://threatswatch.org/rapidrecon/2008/12/mexican-violence-continues-to/

Army's new manual warns of 'persistent conflict'

Col. Newlin and Iraqi leader Sheik Al Tamini

This story comes from Andrew Breitbart's excellent website. For the latest up to date information on current events and politics, it is a must go to site. breitbart.com.

I have been looking for the story about how Gen Petraeus worked for years to develop the strategy know as "the surge". I saw a documentary about it on Fox so I may need to try to buy a copy through them. It showed all the people the General interviewed and consulted with in order for him to develop the final draft. Pres Bush didn't have any solid strategy before Gen Petraeus wrote the handbook and as soon as he presented it to the President is was adopted as the way forward in Iraq. That didn't happen until 07, after the violence was spiraling out of control. Many times we talk about how the aftermath of the Iraq war was failing, falling into disarray and that was true. If it weren't for the insight and hard work of Gen Petraeus and our brave troops, we may still be struggling and never had the backing of the Sons of Iraq. This story about how the Army is transforming itself, I believe, is a direct result of that new forward moving strategy that we are now implementing and will be implementing in the future. Our military should be taking more responsibility in defending the aftermath of a war, taking over the security for the people directly affected rather than the private companies that are now performing that task, filling a void that our military should have been prepared for. This is a step in the right direction. We saw what happens when a brutal dictator is removed, where the people have been demoralized and victimized for decades and there is no set policy in place to secure the country. We will be better prepared for future conflicts. You can't expect a nation to build itself back up when there is no control and terrorists and hoodlums run the streets.






FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) - The Army has released its first new training field manual in six years, highlighting the need for units to be ready to conduct stability operations after traditional combat has ended.

The manual, titled "Training for Full Spectrum Operations" and written at Fort Leavenworth, explains what soldiers can expect when in combat.

It replaces a 2002 edition and comes on the heels of the Army's release earlier this year of its latest operations doctrine, which emphasized that soldiers must be prepared and proficient in offense, defense and stability skills. The Army says it is the first time it has synchronized the manuals for operations and training.

Army officials say the latest manual released Tuesday is a reflection of the past seven years of conflict in Afghanistan and Iraq and a reality that units will be in a period of "persistent conflict" for years to come.

"While we will never be able to fully comprehend the thousands of variables in a complex system, we can train to recognize those which are found in most. So the first time our soldiers come across a certain type of situation is in training, not on the battlefield," said Maj. Michael Sullivan, 36, of Bardonia, N.Y., and a planner with the 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Ga.

The manual's release comes as the U.S. prepares to reduce its forces in Iraq and shift the focus to Afghanistan, where commanders have requested as many as 20,000 additional troops.

Brig. Gen. Robert B. Abrams, commander of Fort Leavenworth's Combined Arms Center-Training, said units will have to deal with the current conflicts and still be able to wage conventional warfare against large enemy formations.

The task may seem daunting, Abrams said, but the training doctrine reflects the combat situations units already have faced in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Our soldiers and our formations are up to this. They do it every single day," Abrams said. "This is about codifying what they've already been doing and putting it in our doctrine so we don't lose sight of our capability."

The manual also refers to units training for homeland security missions, such as helping with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2006 and the potential for another Sept. 11-style attack.

"It means you're training America's Army to meet all possible contingencies," said House Armed Services Chairman Rep. Ike Skelton.

He said the manual was "quite ambitious" but necessary.

"It's asking a lot of soldier, but today's environment is so different than World War II or Korea," said Skelton, D-Mo. "It deals with civil affairs. We have not been as active military in civil affairs in recent years. This puts it front and center."

Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Chiarelli said he was aware of concerns among some policymakers and military leaders that the Army is too focused on counterinsurgency, the type of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. Critics have said the Army may lose its ability to respond to NATO obligations.

Chiarelli said soldiers already go from stability operations in neighborhoods to high-intensity combat and back to stability "in a wink of an eye." That flexibility isn't something U.S. forces were immediately prepared to do when they trained for Iraq in 2002 and 2003.

"I don't worry about that," Chiarelli said.

Col. Joseph Martin, commander of Fort Riley's 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, said in an e-mail Tuesday from Iraq that his units used a draft of the training manual earlier this year to prepare for deployment.

"The Army has crafted a model that establishes a balance between being trained for mid- to high-level intensity combat operations and the rigors of the current conflict against terror," said Martin, 44, of Dearborn, Mich.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D954DLNG1&show_article=1&catnum=0

Iraqi shoe thrower elicits mixed reaction among Iraqis,some mortified

Have you heard there are Iraqis who are mortified by this mans actions anywhere in the media? The pro-Sadr, pro-terror people are cheering and that is ALL you see on the MSM and Fox...Don't let the media convince you everyone in Iraq is happy about what happened.That's why so many people think everyone is against us, they don't see the reports from those who consider Bush a hero, that doesn't fit their agenda.Many journalists said the act reflected poorly on them. Others-it's humiliating, are mortified.

"By Monday, the burgeoning Arab online scene was bursting with positive commentary, poems and even an online fan club for Zeidi on Facebook that quickly accumulated more than 280 members, with people weighing in from Tirana, Albania, to Fargo, N.D."

These people are on the wrong side of liberty. Those Arabs/Muslims who don't see the US as liberators must be pro-Saddam, pro-terror, anti-freedom radicals. Why would any Arab/Muslim not want their brothers and sisters to have a chance to live in freedom as they do HERE? Any Arab/Muslim who doesn't want a free, democratic Iraq (Middle East) are the problem and I am skeptical of their intentions here at home.

This guy has embarrassed the people of his country..one person said: "I had to take two Valiums," said pharmacist Abu Ali, who called the shoe-throwing an affront to his people's dignity. across the Arab world the reaction was mixed. In Iraq, many journalists said the act reflected poorly on them, and some Iraqis who consider Bush a hero for ousting Hussein were mortified.AND:"For anyone to behave that way ... is just too humiliating and unbelievable," said Tariq Harb, a leading Iraqi lawyer. He said there are laws against assaulting a foreign leader who is a guest in Iraq that would apply in Zeidi's case.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-shoemandec16,0,5447795.story

Hugging Shari'a Finance at the Fed: How tough is Obama's new economic tough guy?

This has been happening right under everyone's noses and the American public doesn't quite understand how dangerous it is to allow the "soft Jihad" to infiltrate our economy.... I like to monitor this site, who takes information from others knowledgeable sites like FrontPage who they credit for the story... both links available.

By Alyssa A. Lappen

The first market day after President-elect Obama announced plans to appoint Federal Reserve Bank of New York president Timothy Geithner as Secretary of the U.S. Treasury, U.S. equities rose 6.5%. Pundits praised his experience handling crises and understanding of the troubled economy. But possibly, the market hoopla was premature, or even unwarranted. Some analysts seek his retirement.

As turmoil built, Geithner criticized Wall Street's self-regulatory system, negative incentives and market forces, sought tighter supervision and berated insufficient “derivative securities” regulation and “credit-default” swaps allowing investors to “insure” against loses---only to fail. The Treasury Department's former attaché to the International Monetary Fund had overseen U.S. responses to the 1990s Mexican, Indonesian and Korean bailouts. But at the Fed, Geithner did not use regulatory powers to check abuses, or advocate for more regulation, impartial supervision or new laws. He even concluded that markets were improving---and after Bear Stearns' collapse confessed, nobody “understands [the causes] yet.”

Worst of all, since Nov. 2003, Geithner let dangerous new Islamic and shari'a-based securities, markets and financial institutions gain business currency---despite the Fed's role in U.S. monetary policy, currency distribution, government securities markets, legal supervision, regulatory enforcement, bank and capital markets investigation, foreign accounts and a payments mechanism handling over $4 trillion daily in funds and securities transfers. Not to mention Fed officials' admitted lack of understanding.

Source found at Muslims against Shariah website: FrontPage Magazine


http://muslimsagainstsharia.blogspot.com/2008/12/hugging-sharia-finance-at-fed-how-tough.html

A Christmas Letter From the Front Lines in Iraq

Something we all need to read.. A letter to all America from a soldier on the front lines in Iraq to Chuck Norris and his letter back to him. Chucks letter first..From Human Events.

------------------------------------------

There's no better feeling for American military personnel in faraway lands than the one they get when they receive letters from loved ones. But this is close competition. It's an "insider" letter to you, me and all Americans from a senior officer in our armed forces on the front lines in Mosul -- his third tour in Iraq.

God bless you, Capt. Bowers, and all who serve this Christmas season!
-- Your friend, Chuck Norris

Here is the letter sent to Chuck Norris

------------------------------------------

Dear Families, Friends and all Americans,

During this Christmas season, I would like to take the time to express my deepest thanks for your wishes, praises and concerns for our troopers here in Mosul, Iraq.

During this past week, Chuck Norris' syndicated column ("The Most Overlooked News Story of 2008") spoke of the success in Iraq, what the reality of it is, and how it is portrayed in the media. Some media outlets only portray the violence of Iraq, and that is fine, but I want to tell you that there are far more nonviolent acts than there are violent ones. There are daily meetings with local sheiks, civic leaders and politicians, as well as humanitarian aid and civil affairs missions that have helped shape Mosul into a better place today for the civilians. Our troop has conducted more civil affairs and humanitarian aid missions during my current tour in Iraq than I can ever recall having done here in my two previous tours.

Let me be the first to tell you, as a cavalry troop commander on the ground, that we have been very successful here in Mosul. Success can be measured in many ways. I measure the success of my ground cavalry troop by the day-to-day dealings and patrols that we conduct with the Iraqi army, police and, most of all, local civilians. Since we arrived here in November 2007, we have seen a drastic difference in Mosul. When we first arrived in Mosul, there were very few Iraqi army and police units conducting operations, civilians did not move about the city freely, and most of all, the total number of daily incidents of insurgent attacks was outrageous. This is not true today.

When people traverse the city of Mosul now, they notice the number of civilians that are moving freely about the city. This is because they now feel safe and have had security provided to them by their own Iraqi security forces. Attacks are way down compared with this time last year, and now a large majority of ISF operations are being conducted jointly between the Iraqi army and police. When our unit arrived in Iraq, our mission was to provide security to the civilians while at the same time ridding the city of insurgents. Although the city is not totally free of insurgents, the number of them and their freedom to conduct attacks are severely hampered. With Iraqi army and police forces in the lead, we have been able to establish a very competent security force for Mosul. The Iraqi army and police's ability to plan and conduct operations with U.S. forces in a follow and support role has led to this success.

This aforementioned success was obviously not something that happened overnight. This success is the result of many man-hours and sacrifices made by not only our coalition force soldiers but also all Iraqi security forces. We have spent countless hours helping them to construct new traffic control points, outposts all over the city, as well as joint operations. We have also developed relationships with not only the ISF leaders but also the local leaders and civilians. They have our trust and know that the ISF will prevail in the overall mission, even after coalition forces pull out of Iraq.

This success is what I wish that everyone could see. It is not nearly as enticing as violence, which leads in the media, but it is the real story here in Iraq. I just hope that you spread the word of what the real story is here in Iraq, and that is that the Iraqi army and police are doing a tremendous job, and it is not without the hard work and dedication of our soldiers. Our soldiers are dedicated to the mission and their duty. They understand that the harder they work now the more likely they will not have to come back to Iraq in years to come.

It is for these reasons and this success that we are thankful. It is also something for you to be thankful for during this holiday season. Please continue to support our troops, and from here in Mosul, Iraq, and on behalf of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, we wish you all a happy holiday season and look forward to a safe return in the coming weeks.

I would also like to extend my seasonal greetings and love to my family and friends. I also extend those wishes to all of my troopers' families. I wish my immediate family, Patti and Ken Johnson, Tom and Barbara Bowers and Kat and Paul Connerty happy holidays, as well. I would especially like to thank my wife, Lyza, for all her love and support, for this is our fourth holiday season to be apart since 2002.

Merry Christmas, America,

Capt. Hunter Bowers

Lightning Troop, 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment

http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=29829

ILLINOIS GOV IN LAND OF $TINKIN'

File under best headlines so far!-ILLINOIS GOV IN LAND OF $TINKIN'
Leave it to the NY Post!

BID TO GET CASH FOR BAM SENATE SEAT WIRETAPS CATCH CUSSING AND PLOTTING

December 10, 2008

The feds nabbed Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich yesterday, charging he plotted to sell President-elect Barack Obama's Senate seat to the high bidder - saying it was a "golden" opportunity to cash in for himself and his wife.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/12102008/news/politics/illinois_gov_in_land_of_tinkin_143534.htm

Iron Man Is Jewish

StrategyPage is one of the most informative websites you can get when it comes to all things military.. If you want to know why we need to spend MORE money on defense, all you have to do is read some of the articles here on the new technology being developed.. This story is about the technology being developed by Israel. We need to build our military, build better ships, better equipment in order to be prepared in this dangerous world. The danger from our enemies will not go away, we need to never forget that.. NEVER FORGET THAT..

Over the last two years, Israeli firms have developed several remotely controlled weapons for guarding the Gaza security fence. This is not just a fence, but a network of sensors for detecting Palestinian terrorists attempting to cross, or set up bombs for use against Israeli patrols. The Israeli border with Gaza is 51 kilometers long, and most of it is in desert or semi-desert terrain. For a long time, most of the border was patrolled by troops in vehicles, while parts of it, near gates, were also guarded by manned watchtowers. But the Palestinian terrorists have been persistent in attacking the fence, and trying to get through it. None have ever succeeded, and survived. But the patrols were often attacked. One Israeli soldier was kidnapped two years ago, and some are killed each year.

The solution has been a system of unmanned towers and vehicles. The Sentry-Tech pillbox towers were developed four years ago. These are unmanned, armored towers, about 15 feet tall and six feet in diameter. At the top of the tower is an armored shelter that conceals a remotely control machine-gun. This technology is similar to that used for many armored vehicles. The tower also contains vidcams, and other sensors. But the remotely controlled machine-gun has a vidcam that can see at night and the ability to enlarge and enhance the image. The operators are at a central location (and are mostly female soldiers). If intruders are detected, the operator opens the top of the tower and brings out the machine-gun. The 12.7mm machine-gun has a range of 2,000 meters. Some towers use a 7.62mm machine-gun, with a range of 800 meters. Allowing for some overlap, 16-17 of these towers can cover the entire Gaza border.

http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htinf/articles/20081210.aspx

Illinois Gov. Blagojevich (D) arrested on federal charges

Party in the Lincoln Bedroom

Of course the "One" could never have known about the corruption in his home State. It's not the same State he's known for all the years he's lived there! He wasn't listening, never heard anything having to do with pay to play. Of course the "one's" rise in the political field never had anything to do with backslapping, intimidation, favor getting/giving good ole' style Chicago thug politics. Naaaaah


Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his chief of staff, John Harris, were arrested today by FBI agents for what U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald called a "staggering" level of corruption involving pay-to-play politics in Illinois' top office.

Blagojevich is accused of a wide-ranging criminal conspiracy, including alleged attempts by the governor to try to sell or trade the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by President-elect Barack Obama in exchange for financial benefits for the governor and his wife. Blagojevich also is accused of obtaining campaign contributions in exchange for other official actions.

Blagojevich was taken into federal custody at his North Side home this morning--one day shy of his 52nd birthday.

At a news conference late this morning, Fitzgerald said Blagojevich "has taken us to a truly new low" and went on "a political corruption crime spree. We acted to stop that crime spree."

Fitzgerald also accused Blagojevich of attempting "to sell the U.S. Senate seat" that President-elect Barack Obama vacated.

Tribune Editor Gerould W. Kern said today that the newspaper delayed publishing some stories at the request of the U.S. attorney's office during the course of reporting on the accelerating investigation of Blagojevich.

http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2008/12/source-feds-take-gov-blagojevich-into-custody.html

Criminal Elect, His Veep And The Goracle Get Together: Hold Onto Your Wallets

This next post comes from Democrat=Socialist blog. A must visit site. Even though the globe in now in a cooling phase, that will not stop the global warming alarmists agenda of taxing the public to build their "green" army. I'm all for clean air and water but sorry, cows and pigs do not dispense pollution.... Now the UN has come out with recommendations to tax farmers for the air pollution created when cows and livestock fart... The EPA is looking it over, after all, the Supreme Court (those wise scientists up there in black robes) had declared it just that... What is wrong with seemingly smart people? How do they get away with it? Why isn't the American public marching on Washington with pitchforks and torches?

A great many of them have bought into the lie. This all began at the UN, that band of anti-American, anti-freedom, despot loving thieves. They would love nothing better than to knock the US down a few pegs, sad to say they now may have an ally in an UhBama Administration. After a couple of years of the new policies of change, the American public may be marching on DC... after the damage has been done. Right now they are still (half the Nation is) all giddie about the hope and change President.

The three eco commies are getting together to plan their next premeditated rape of the American taxpayer, the carbon trading scam. Nice huh?

President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden will meet with former Vice-President Al Gore in Chicago tomorrow in Chicago “to discuss energy and climate change and how policies in this area can stimulate the economy and create jobs.”

Gore endorsed Obama in June and the two spoke regularly throughout the election season.

Obama has spoken multiple times of his fondness of the former Veep and the fact that he would draw upon his expertise on climate change in his administration.

A slimy trio to say the least.

http://www.dequalss.com/wp/2008/12/08/criminal-elect-his-veep-and-the-goracle-get-together-hold-onto-your-wallets/

Iraqi Author 'Aref 'Alwan: The Jews Have an Historic Right to Palestine

MEMRI is an excellent website where you can see what is being said on TV as well as the newspapers in the Arab world. Too bad you have to search for yourself in order to see those reports and they aren't shown on TV and in the newspapers here at home.

Islamic Mufti and Nazi unity

Article only one year old-Have you heard about it yet? No? Didn't think so...

We hear all the time from people who speak out on behalf of Palestinian rights, but how often do you hear about the rights for Israelis? Especially coming from the Middle East. The big lie is explained in simple terms by this Iraqi author. There are others who understand that Jews have been a part of the Middle East and their presence even preceded the Arab conquest, but rarely do you hear their words reported in the media.

File this under "Iraqi tells the truth" There are those who have told the truth from Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, the UAE and other Arab nations that actually do say they are glad the USA got rid of Saddam. They understand that it will not be easy but are willing to die to bring liberty and freedom to a place far too long forgotten by the international community of nations who do business with the dictators and depots. Too bad the average person in those western nations don't hear more of the pro-freedom writers, politicians and citizens instead of always listening to the reports in the media from the enemies of freedom and liberty and reacting to what THEY say..

In an article posted December 7, 2007, on the leftist website www.ahewar.org, 'Aref 'Alwan, an Iraqi author and playwright who resides in London and is the author of 12 novels, states that the Jews have an historic right to Palestine because their presence there preceded the Arab conquest and has continued to this day.

In the article, titled "Do the Jews Have Any Less Right to Palestine than the Arabs?" 'Alwan called on the Arab world to acknowledge the Jews' right to Palestine, because justice demanded it and also because doing so would end the violence and the killing of Arabs, as well as intra-Arab strife. He added that such a move would also open up new avenues for the Arab world that would be more consistent with the values and needs of modern society.

'Alwan writes that the Arab League is to blame for the refusal to recognize the 1947 U.N. partition plan, for starting a war to prevent its implementation, and for the results of that war, which the Arabs call the Nakba (disaster). He points an accusing finger at the Arab regimes, the Arab League, and the educated circles in the Arab world, saying that they had all used the term "nakba" to direct popular consciousness toward a cultural tradition that neither accepts the other side nor recognizes its rights - thereby promoting bigotry, violence and extremism. He also claims that there have been attempts to rewrite Palestinian history, in order to deny any connection between it and the Jewish people.

'Alwan contends that the "Nakba mentality" among Arabs has boomeranged, giving rise to tyrannical rulers, extremist clerics, and religious zealots of every description. In his view, the Arab world will never shed the stigma of terrorism in the West unless it abandons this concept and all that it entails.

To boost his claim that the Jews have an historic right to Palestine, 'Alwan provides an overview of Jewish history in the land of Israel. He questions the validity of the Islamic traditions underpinning the Arab claim to Palestine, Jerusalem, and the TempleMount, and presents evidence that religions that preceded Islam had conducted rituals on the TempleMount.

As an example of the traditional Arab mentality that does not accept the other or recognize his rights, 'Alwan discusses the Arabs' abuse of the Kurds in Iraq and of the Christians in Egypt and Lebanon.

The following are excerpts from the article:

The Nakba: A Great Lie

"When the Salafi mob in Gaza tied the hands and feet of a senior Palestinian official and hurled him, alive, from the 14th floor, I asked myself: What political or religious precepts must have been inculcated into the minds of these young people to make them treat a human life with such shocking cruelty?

Earlier, I had watched on TV as the bodies of two Israeli soldiers were thrown from the second floor [of a building] in a Palestinian city. Whether or not it was the same Salafi mob behind that incident, one asks oneself: What language, or rather, what historic linguistic distortion could have erased from the human heart all moral sensibilities when dealing with a living and helpless human being?

Arabs who are averse to such inhuman behavior must help me expose and eliminate the enormous lie that has for 60 years justified, extolled, and supported brutality. Such behavior is no longer limited to the expression of unconscious impulses by individuals, but constitutes a broad cultural phenomenon, which began in Lebanon, spread to Iraq and Palestine, and then spread - slowly but surely - to other Arab states as well.

This enormous lie is what the Arabs called the Nakba - that is, the establishment of two states in Palestine: the state of Israel, which the Jews agreed to accept, and the state of Palestine, which the Arabs rejected.

In our times, when science, with its accurate instruments, can predict climatic changes that will lead to drought or the movement of tectonic plates that causes earthquakes, it is inconceivable that a modern man can, without making a laughingstock of himself, attribute the destruction of cities ancient or modern to the wrath of Allah. Nevertheless, today, 80% of Arabs claim this to be the case. They are neither embarrassed nor afraid of being laughed at.

read more here:

http://www.memri.org/bin/latestnews.cgi?ID=SD189708

Edit Bill Jefferson Lost House Seat, N.Y. Times Frets About Surge of White Voters

Joseph Cao wins Rep Jefferson seat!! Taking back Louisiana from the failed policies of the Democratic Party!!! Louisiana was the most obvious examples of what those failed policies produced.

Controversial Rep. Bill Jefferson (D-Louisiana), the congressman who notoriously hid tens of thousands of dollars of federal sting money in his freezer, lost his House seat in a shocker Saturday in an election delayed by Hurricane Gustav. ...

Anh "Joseph" Cao, a 41-year-old Republican, will be the first Vietnamese-American in Congress. Obviously, this happened with next to zero national media attention, just as Rep. Jefferson was re-elected in 2006 after the freezer revelations without much national media attention. Will they report this ethnic first now?

Reporter Adam Nossiter in the New York Times suggested that the system failed, that a black-majority district failed to work as it was designed. Nossiter found that the problem was a surge of white voters angered by corruption charges

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/tim-graham/2008/12/07/bill-jefferson-lost-house-seat-n-y-times-frets-about-surge-white-voters

Louisiana voters oust indicted Rep. Jefferson-Hold on to 2 Congressional seats.


In the 2nd Congressional District, which includes most of New Orleans, Republican attorney Anh "Joseph" Cao won 50 percent of the vote to Jefferson's 47 percent and will become the first Vietnamese-American in Congress. His only previous political experience was an unsuccessful 2007 bid for a seat in the state legislature.

In the 4th Congressional District in western Louisiana, Republican John Fleming squeaked past Democrat Paul Carmouche in the race to replace retiring 10-term Rep. Jim McCrery, R-La. Only a few hundred votes separated the two.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/07/AR2008120700304.html

Pearl Harbor History: Why Did Japan Attack? Eyewitness Accounts, Casualty List, Background

3,500 Americans were killed or wounded in the attack on December 7, 1941. Prior to December 1941, Japan pursued two simultaneous courses: try to get the oil embargo lifted on terms that would still let them take the territory they wanted, and ... to prepare for war.

The Attack On December 7th 1941, on an otherwise peaceful Sunday morning on a beautiful Hawaiian island, the first wave of Japanese airplanes left 6 aircraft carriers and struck Pearl Harbor a few minutes before 8 AM local time. See Map of Pearl Harbor In two waves of terror lasting two long hours, they killed or wounded over 3,500 Americans and sank or badly damaged 18 ships - including all 8 battleships of the Pacific Fleet - and over 350 destroyed or damaged aircraft. At least 1,177 lives were lost when the Battleship U.S.S. Arizona More about the Arizona exploded and subsequently sank.

Eyewitness Accounts Read books by Survivors Read accounts from the people who were there.

However, they did not sink any of our Pacific aircraft carriers and they left most of the fuel that was needed to win the war in the Pacific. In one stroke, the Japanese navy scored a brilliant success—and assured their ultimate defeat. The Japanese attack brought the U.S. into the war on December 8—and brought it in the war determined to fight to the finish.

http://www.pearlharbor.org/history-of-pearl-harbor.asp

Attack on Pearl Harbor video..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAnOtWm5OrM&eurl=http://www.pearlharbor.org/history/live-videos/japanese-video-december-7-1941-attack/

Introducing Israel Studies in U.S. Universities

Introducing Israel Studies in U.S. Universities [incl. Kenneth Stein, John Esposito, and Rashid Khalidi]

JCPA Institute for Global Jewish Affairs

The first two centers for Israel Studies were established in 1998. Their initiators were driven by the concept that it was important to teach American students about modern Israel. Israel Studies remained largely neglected, however, until 2004. Since then it has rapidly grown.
The anti-Israeli activism on college campuses during the Second Intifada created the incentive among the American Jewish philanthropic community to promote education and scholarship on Israel at universities. The less visible problems in academic teaching were, however, more serious and endemic. There was also an absence of information as courses about Israel were lacking. There are at present nine Israel Studies centers throughout the United States. By the end of 2008 about 15 chairs in Israel Studies will have been endowed. The program for visiting professors from Israel started in 2004-2005 and, in the current academic year, has 27 such scholars teaching on 26 campuses.
"An Association of Israel Studies was already created in 1985. It was a professional organization without any specific mission to expand beyond Israel. Several of its key members were among the most outspoken critics of Israel, including post-Zionist revisionist historians. This association is now becoming increasingly mainstream as less politicized scholars have assumed an active role in it."

http://www.actforamerica.org/index.php/home/10-newsmaster/606-introducing-israel-studies-in-us-universities-incl-kenneth-stein-john-esposito-and-rashid-khalidi-

BLACKFIVE: Back to Iraq- Videos & Round Up

The embeds are all heading back to Baghdad for exfil. They got all kinds of good video and interviews etc, there just wasn't enough bandwidth in country to get it back here. They get back to America on Thursday and I will begin compiling the video. We will also be making a documentary and a show for the Arena USA platform as well. Here is a round up of what has gone before. An interview and slideshow from Kate Norley
An interview and slideshow from Shawn
A report from Pete Hegseth on rebuilding the Golden Mosque in Samarra
Kate's Dispatches
An interview and slideshow from Shawn Bryan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wlg20ZrVEkU&eurl=http://www.blackfive.net/main/2008/08/back-to-iraq--v.html

An interview and slideshow from Kate Norley
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxGcAVvwMug&eurl=http://www.blackfive.net/main/2008/08/back-to-iraq--v.html

A report from Pete Hegseth on rebuilding the Golden Mosque in Samarra
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPFWx2xU2lw&eurl=http://www.blackfive.net/main/2008/08/back-to-iraq--v.html

Go To Blackfives website here:
http://www.blackfive.net/main/2008/08/back-to-iraq--v.html

John O. Brennan, a C.I.A. veteran Withdraws His Name

In his letter to Brennan argued, "It has been immaterial to the critics that I have been an opponent of many of the policies of the Bush admin such as the pre-emptive war & coercive interrogation tactics, waterboarding. The fact that I was not involved in the decision making process for any of these controversial policies and actions has been ignored."

The Liberal Bloggers and the radical left are proving to be extremely powerful in affecting the decisions that will be made with regard to some of the most important positions in an Obama Administration.

Those who think Obama is making centrist appointees must be projecting their own hopes that below the surface he will be a Pres for all Americans, make the right decisions. What you are seeing now is not very rosy, look at his pick Eric Holder for AG. The man is the CIAs worst nightmare besides pushing for FALN terrorist pardons. Brennen was a perfect left wing pick, but because he served in a Bush Admin, the lib bloggers, the loony left shot him down. Can you imagine what man WOULD be acceptable to them? Homeland Sec/AG/CIA-NOT looking all that good & I didn't even get to the Supeme Court!

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/25/candidate-for-cia-post-withdraws-his-name/

MUMBAI: DEADLY MEDIA EUPHEMISMS

Al Jazeera and The Guardian label the terrorists "gunmen"; CNN calls them "militants." Some analysts identified the underlying cause as the Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan. Psychological guru Deepak Chopra called it the result of "collateral damage" from the US war on terrorism and the Iraq war.

The New York Times theorized that Chabad House may have been an "accidental hostage scene." The BBC initially chose to hide the Jewish character of the target by describing it as just "an office building." Al Jazeera refused to show Chabad House as the site of the carnage. Some Western media outlets unsympathetically labeled victims there as "ultra-Orthodox" or "missionaries."Contrary to these fantasies, the all-too-obvious truth is now being confirmed:

http://www.nypost.com/seven/12022008/postopinion/opedcolumnists/mumbai__deadly_media_euphemisms_141763.htm

An American Muslim vs. Islamists

By Jamie Glazov
FrontPageMagazine.com | Tuesday, September 09, 2008 Frontpage Interview's guest today is Khalim Massoud, the president of Muslims Against Sharia, an Islamic reform movement.

FP: Khalim Massoud, welcome to Frontpage Interview.

Massoud: Thank you.

FP: I would like to talk to you today about what kind of Muslims the U.S. government uses for its government experts. What is your view of this matter?

Massoud: My view on this subject is very simple. A great number of Muslim "experts" used by the US government are connected, in one way or another, to some kind of terrorist group. This connection is either direct or through a front organization, such as CAIR, ISNA, MPAC, etc. These "experts" almost in every case declare that their loyalties lie with Islamism and not with America. I'm not aware of every single expert ever used by the US Government, but almost every single Muslim "expert" that I know of, and that's quite a few, is an Islamist.

FP: What is the reason for this?

Massoud: The reason for this is very simple. The majority of mosques and civic Islamic organizations in America are funded by Wahhabi petro-dollars and push the radical agenda of the Muslim Brotherhood, which includes "eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within and ‘sabotaging’ its miserable house by their hands and the hands of the believers so that it is eliminated and God's religion [Islam] is made victorious over all other religions."

So, when the government is looking for a Muslim expert, it turns to the Muslim establishment, which is comprised of radicals, leaving out moderate Muslims by default.

FP: Moderate Muslims obviously exist in America, right? So they can be hired and heard from etc., correct? Why are most of them either silent or simply not heard from?

Massoud: Of course moderate Muslims exist in America. Religious figures like Sheikh Muhammed Hisham Kabbani of Islamic Supreme Council of America or secular figures like Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser of American Islamic Forum for Democracy do exist. It's just that those people are known to a very limited circle while Imams like Siraj Wahhaj of Muslim Alliance of North America who said that "In time, this so-called democracy will crumble, and there will be nothing. And the only thing that will remain will be Islam." or Ibrahim Hooper of Council on American-Islamic Relations who said "I wouldn't want to create the impression that I wouldn't like the government of the United States to be Islamic sometime in the future." are very prominent and well financed figures. That's why government bureaucrats, who are not known for making an extra effort to begin with, fail to do their due diligence and end up following recommendations of other members of Muslim establishment to use radical Muslims as government experts.

Full interview at:

http://frontpagemagazine.com/Articles/Read.aspx?GUID=FC499610-133C-464B-999B-AD5EB959435E

UAE Columnist on Mumbai Attack: Those Who Cite Various Conflicts as an Excuse for Terror Must Be Silenced

"Moderate Muslims Dread the News of Yet Another 'Holy Attack'... in the Name of Their Religion"

The perpetrators of last week's Mumbai attacks could not have chosen a more powerful symbol of humanity than India, with its beautiful mosaic of ethnicities - a mosaic that will undoubtedly continue to shine despite the crimes of an unrepresentative minority who hijack Islam whenever the state of their miserable existence dawns upon them..."

It Is Time to Take a Serious Stand Against These Terrorists - And "Reclaim Our Religion"

"It is not enough for moderate Muslims to be revolted by the attacks in Mumbai as we have been revolted by the attacks on the New York office towers, Amman wedding, London transport system, Madrid trains, Beslan school, Jerusalem pizzeria, Baghdad markets and numerous other places. It is time to take a serious stand against these perpetrators and reclaim our religion. Muslims must be more vocal in their sentiments regarding such criminals, and Islamic states must counter this behavior [forcefully]. To borrow an unpopular phrase, the Islamic states must launch a psychological preemptive strike against these terrorists, and, more importantly, [against] those who encourage them. Muslim preachers who fail to condemn terror must either be reeducated or discredited completely, and those who excuse terror [by] using certain conflicts as a pretext must be silenced, because the poison that they spread today will come back to haunt us all tomorrow.

"Some media outlets can also act as a conduit for the terrorists' propaganda. The stories of reformed radicals such as Sayyed Imam, also known as Dr. Fadl, must be highlighted to the ignorant minority. Our message must be clear: 'These acts of violence contradict all human values and can be justified by nothing.' Nothing."

http://www.memri.org/bin/latestnews.cgi?ID=SD213508

The Free Speech Alliance Declares War on the “Censorship Doctrine”

The innocuously named "Fairness" Doctrine was a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulation enacted in 1949. Promising "equal time" on broadcast radio, it instead resulted in zero time and silenced political speech. Stations avoided political discussion so as to stay clear of the Censorship Doctrine's onerous regulations. President Ronald Reagan rescinded the Doctrine in 1987; since then, conservative talk radio has flourished, and liberals have hated every minute of it.

Over the last two years, many left-wing elected officials have expressed their desire to see the Censorship Doctrine reinstated, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senators Chuck Schumer, Jeff Bingaman, John Kerry and Dick Durbin and Congressman Dennis Kucinich. Congresswoman Louise Slaughter has drafted legislation (the MEDIA Act) that would codify the Fairness Doctrine in law.

You too can join the Free Speech Alliance. Click here and sign the petition, and stand at the ready for whenever any liberal again threatens the First Amendment with talk of reinstating the Censorship Doctrine.

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/nb-staff/2008/12/01/free-speech-alliance-declares-war-censorship-doctrine

India: How’s That Gun Control Working Out?

Attackers expose luxury hotels' vulnerabilities

"Security in the hotel business is a fine balance between effective security measures and the convenience of hotel customers, becoming more intrusive as the threat increases," Coldrick said.

The Oberoi and the old wing of the Taj hotel, where most of the fighting took place, both have high, central atriums. After throwing grenades and directing considerable automatic weapons fire at staff members and diners in ground-floor lobbies and restaurants, the attackers at each hotel ascended the atriums.

This allowed them to start hunting down guests while dropping grenades and shooting at commandos below who tried to engage them in combat.

The Oberoi Group employs many plainclothes security officers in its hotels, but these are unarmed, Oberoi said. Obtaining a license for even a single officer to carry a gun is extremely difficult in India, which has tight gun control laws.

Yet even security guards armed with handguns might hesitate to resist an assault by heavily armed terrorists who have a detailed knowledge of the hotel's layout, as was the case at the Oberoi and Taj.

http://www.alphecca.com/?p=1069