Tuesday, 25 September 2007

Jihad funding ring in Maryland…with illegal alien help
Michelle Malkin

Via Jihad Watch, here’s news of a bunch of FBI arrests in connection with a busted jihadi funding ring. Those ensnared include nine Pakistani illegal aliens, and one defendant charged with attempting to finance al Qaeda. National security-immigration enforcement nexus, anyone: ...

Quick hits:

• San Francisco is at it again
  Michelle Malkin: KGO reports that San Francisco is dissing the military again:" New York said “yes,” but we said “no.” Why were the U.S. Marines denied permission to film a recruiting commercial on the streets of San Francisco? San Francisco is, once again, the center of a controversy over how city leaders treat the U.S. military. This time, it involves an elite group of Marines who wanted to film a recruitment commercial in San Francisco on the anniversary of 9/11. ..."
• Bruce Kesler: Marines Stabbed In Heart In San Francisco

Continue reading "2007.09.25 Politics and National Defense Roundup"

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Monday, 24 September 2007

Ahmadinejad in America
Washington Times Editorial

Not since the days of Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich has a head of state spoken as openly about the destruction of Jewish people and his contempt for the Western democracies and international law as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. On Saturday, as Mr. Ahmadinejad prepared to fly to New York and address the U.N. Security Council, he once again displayed his "peaceful" intentions at a military rally in Tehran. The Iranian government put on display for the first time a new long-range missile called the Ghadr-1 (Power-1), which it said had a range of more than 1,100 miles — enough to put in range, Israel, the nation Mr. Ahmadinejad has repeatedly vowed to destroy, as well as hundreds of thousands of U.S. troops and other Americans working in the region. At the parade, there were banners and slogans such as "Death to America" and "Death to Israel"; "Israel should be eliminated"; and "Israel has to be wiped off the map." Thousands of goose-stepping members of the Iranian army and the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps paraded by and saluted Mr. Ahmadinejad and Iranian military leaders reviewing the parade. To make sure that no one missed his message, Mr. Ahmadinejad vowed that neither sanctions nor military action could stop Iran's nuclear program from going forward. ...

Related:

• Ed Morrissey:  Bollinger Tries To Butch Up After Providing Forum To Ahmadinejad
• Frank J: "You guys are great; I'll kill you last."
• Uncle Jimbo: Ahm-a-nuttah-job speech
• Bollinger Rope-A-Dopes Ahmadinejad and Many Conservative Blogs
• Video: There are no gays in Iran, says Ahmadinejad; Update: Photos — Iran executes gays
• Video: Bollinger’s rebuke to a “petty and cruel dictator”;
  Update: Students cheer Ahmadinejad’s rebuke to Bollinger
• Video: Ahmadinejad at Columbia; Update: Columbia speech “OK with me” says Bush
• Ahmadinejad: Lie, deny, and redirect the question
• Video: Ahmadinejad; There Are No Gays In Iran
• Eyewitness to Nonsense
• Freedom's Watch's Full-Page Ad Against Ahmadinejad and Columbia in Monday's NYT
• New York Legislatures May Act on Columbia
• Mahmoudapalooza: The madman comes calling;
  Update: A Columbia/nutjob quid pro quo?;
  Update: 11:45am Eastern blogging from CU;
  Update: 1:35pm Eastern Hundreds counterprotest at Columbia
• A few questions [mad Mahmoud] won't be asked today
• Aid and comfort by any other name
• Mahmoud's Manhattan Moment
• Anti-Ahmadinejad protesters removed from Ground Zero?
  Flashback: U.S. denied Arafat UN visa in 1988
• Video: Glorious free-speech moment slightly less glorious than thought
• Ahmadinejad: “Israel is not a nation”
• New York Times Will Run Anti-Ahmadinejad Ad [Today]
• Ahmadinejad Ground Zero Visit Still On?
• I want to pay my respects at Ground Zero, says Ahmadinejad — and also talk about “root causes”

As far as this ol' dog's concerned they need to give the son of a bitch a helicopter tour of the area, soak him in gasoline, light it and kick his ass out about 100 stories up so he can learn about the real 9/11 experience.

Below the fold:

• U.S. says Iran sending missiles to Iraq

• Violent Incidents Down; Al Qaeda ‘Off Balance’ in Iraq, Spokesman Says

• Michael Barione: Return on Success?

Quick hits:

• Hillary Against The Free Press
  Ed Morrissey: Both Hillary Clinton and GQ have a lot of explaining to do if the Politico has this story correct According to Ben Smith, Hillary's campaign pressured GQ to kill a piece critical of her by threatening to withhold Bill Clinton's cooperation in the future. The editors of GQ caved into the threat and spiked the article: ...
• Ben Smith: Clinton campaign kills negative story.

• Michael J. Totten: “Al Qaeda Lost”

• The thoroughly corrupted New York Times

• New York: Sanctuary for illegal alien drivers

Continue reading "2007.09.24 Politics and National Defense Roundup"

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Sunday, 23 September 2007

J. D. Pendry

I took some time off from serious news and politics for few days following my last post. The American media did too, but that’s not unusual. When I tired of the newest chapters in the sad lives and times of Orenthal James and Britney and the ensuing solemn discussions about his guilt and her fitness to raise children, I thought I’d poke around and see if there was anything else important and deserving of my attention - other than football.

Read the rest:

Trackbacks:

Snatched: Israeli commandos ‘nuclear’ raid
Uzi Mahnaimi, Tel Aviv, Sarah Baxter, Washington, and Michael Sheridan
(H/T: Clarice Feldman)

ISRAELI commandos from the elite Sayeret Matkal unit – almost certainly dressed in Syrian uniforms – made their way stealthily towards a secret military compound near Dayr az-Zawr in northern Syria. They were looking for proof that Syria and North Korea were collaborating on a nuclear programme.

Israel had been surveying the site for months, according to Washington and Israeli sources. President George W Bush was told during the summer

that Israeli intelligence suggested North Korean personnel and nuclear-related material were at the Syrian site.

Israel was determined not to take any chances with its neighbour. Following the example set by its raid on an Iraqi nuclear reactor at Osirak 1981, it drew up plans to bomb the Syrian compound.

But Washington was not satisfied. It demanded clear evidence of nuclear-related activities before giving the operation its blessing. The task of the commandos was to provide it.

Today the site near Dayr az-Zawr lies in ruins after it was pounded by Israeli F15Is on September 6. ...

See also:

• Syria's move
• Israel's Raid on Syria: Prelude to a Nuke Crisis?

Below the fold:

• 25 Held in Slaying Of Iraqi Sunni Chief

• Do or die

• N.Y. Times admits Petraeus ad sold to Moveon.org at 1/2 off

• Dan Rather's Colleagues Must Be Part Of The Conspiracy

• Missteps in the Bunker: How Nuclear Warheads Made Unplanned Flight 

Quick hits:

• Americans against Ahmadinejad;
  Update: Planning to meet 9/11 families and ‘war critics’?!
• Columbia Dean: Of Course We Would Invite Hitler
• Robert Tracinski: The Buildup to a US-Iran War

• Police, Shin Bet foil suicide attack in Tel Aviv
• Israel says thwarts suicide bomb attack in Tel Aviv

• Newsweek: Osama/Zawahiri power struggle at top of AQ?

• John F. Burns: The Deadly Game of Private Security

• Thomas Lifson: More harbingers of victory against Al Qaeda

Continue reading "2007.09.23 Politics and National Defense Roundup"

Trackbacks:

When I announced a few days ago that I was going to start doing just about all of my blogging at Old War Dogs I didn't take into account that sometimes I may want to blog about things that really don't belong on that site. I think from now on I'm going to start doing a little blogging at Bill's Bites, about things I don't consider appropriate for OWD, but keep doing my daily Politics and National Defense roundup here.

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Saturday, 22 September 2007

Why Dems' Iraq pullout failed
Anne Flaherty (Hat tip: Surber)

WASHINGTON - Democrats' momentum on their anti-war effort has stalled abruptly, ending weeks of White House hand-wringing.

The reason? A convincing four-star general, an activist group that overplayed its hand and a plainspoken Defense secretary who doesn't bother to defend the Iraq invasion.

"I think it's better today," Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., said of the war. "I think we're on a better path than we were."

Although a longtime skeptic of President Bush's troop buildup in Iraq, Alexander joined his GOP colleagues in blocking each of the Democrats' three anti-war bills this week.

His vote and those of his colleagues dealt a demoralizing blow this week to Democrats, who had hoped that by September more Republicans would have broken party ranks. Republican votes are crucial because Democrats lack a veto-proof majority in Congress.

Above all, GOP members say they were deeply impressed by the testimony last week of Gen. David Petraeus, top commander in Iraq. ...

Does SOCOM have Spec Ops troop's backs?
Jim Hanson

The cases of CPT Dave Staffel and MSG Troy Anderson seem very strange and the circumstances that led to their being charged with murder even stranger.

They are charged for the shooting of an Afghani male who had been identified and vetted by ODA 374 as a High Value Target and leader of a local terrorist cell. He was shot by MSG Anderson from approx. 100 yards on order from CPT Staffel. Both agreed they had positive identification (PID) of Nawab Buntangyar, and their Rules of Engagement (ROE) allowed them to use lethal force once they had PID of enemy forces or combatants. This standard was met and the hammer dropped.

The problem is the hammer was then dropped on these two gentlemen for this action seemingly in accordance with ROE.  ...

Eric B. has more here.

Continue reading "2007.09.22 Politics and National Defense Roundup"

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Friday, 21 September 2007

Senate bill to cut funds for troops fails
S.A. Miller

The Senate overwhelmingly rejected a bill [yesterday] that would have cut off funds for U.S. combat troops in Iraq, as Democrats said that staging repeated failed votes for a pullout is a worthwhile exercise. ...

The lopsided 70-28 vote was predicted even by backers of the bill by Sen. Russ Feingold, Wisconsin Democrat, because it risked criticism for not supporting troops at the battlefront. ...

Can we question their patriotism now?

Iraq withdrawal proposal fails
By Anne Flaherty

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Senate rejected legislation today that would have ordered most U.S. troops home from Iraq in nine months, culminating a losing week for Democrats who failed to push through any anti-war proposal.

The vote, 47-47, fell 13 votes short of the 60 needed to pass.

How about now?

Sorta related:

• Video: McCain tells Code Pink, “We won’t choose to lose this time”
• McCain to Protestor: 'We beat you yesterday,
  we'll beat you today, and we'll beat you tomorrow!'

Iranian Qods Force agent captured in northern Iraq
Bill Roggio

Camp Victory, Baghdad Province: The US and Iraqi Army continue to target Iran’s surrogates inside Iraq. Today, US forces captured an officer of Iran’s Qods Force during a raid in the northern Kurdish province of Sulimaniyah. US forces also conducted a series of raids against Mahdi Army and Special Groups cells inside Baghdad and Diwaniyah over the past 24 hours.

The Qods Force officer was identified as an Iranian citizen. “Coalition forces identified the individual on the scene from a photo, so we are confident we have the guy we were looking for,” said Major Winfield Danielson during an inquiry with Multinational Forces Iraq. The Iranian officer’s rank has not been identified at this time, said Danielson.

See also:

• U.S. military says it nabbed Iranian commando in Iraq
  BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Coalition forces on Thursday arrested a suspected member of an elite Iranian unit that has been accused of training and equipping insurgents in Iraq, the U.S. military said. ...
• Iranian Officer Nabbed For Smuggling Bombs Into Iraq

Somewhat related:

• Too bad to check: NYT taking Ahmadinejad to lunch at Four Seasons?
  Update: Debunked? Update: Confirmed — joke gone bad
• No joke: National Press Club to host Ahmadinejad at videoconference luncheon;
  Update: Revoke his visa, says Fred
• Rick Moran: Nightmare at Ground Zero
• Bookworm: How New York should handle Ahmadinejad’s proposed visit to Ground Zero
• Iran Spokesman: Ahmadinejad Won't Visit WTC [I guess he got wind of that group of "students" that was planning to take him hostage ;-)]
• Columbia U. students organize: Ahmadinejad is not welcome here
• “Monday Mission for Columbia Students”
• Ahmadinejad Yes, ROTC No.
• 

Continue reading "2007.09.21 Politics and National Defense Roundup"

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Thursday, 20 September 2007

Sad news via Russ Vaughn:

Bill, you might want to put something up on this. SGT Jeffers' essay is very well-written for one so young. So sad we had to lose this brave and talented young soldier, but his dying makes it all that much more important that his words should be heard.

Russ

Hope Rides Alone
Sgt. Eddie Jeffers, USA (Iraq)

Sgt. Eddie Jeffers was killed in Iraq on September 19, 2007. He was 23.

I stare out into the darkness from my post, and I watch the city burn to the ground. I smell the familiar smells, I walk through the familiar rubble, and I look at the frightened faces that watch me pass down the streets of their neighborhoods. My nerves hardly rest; my hands are steady on a device that has been given to me from my government for the purpose of taking the lives of others.

I sweat, and I am tired. My back aches from the loads I carry. Young American boys look to me to direct them in a manner that will someday allow them to see their families again...and yet, I too, am just a boy....my age not but a few years more than that of the ones I lead. I am stressed, I am scared, and I am paranoid...because death is everywhere. It waits for me, it calls to me from around street corners and windows, and it is always there. 

There are the demons that follow me, and tempt me into thoughts and actions that are not my own...but that are necessary for survival. I've made compromises with my humanity. And I am not alone in this. Miles from me are my brethren in this world, who walk in the same streets...who feel the same things, whether they admit to it or not. ...

Read the whole thing. Rest in peace Sergeant.

Continue reading "Rest In Peace Sgt. Eddie Jeffers - Hope Rides Alone"

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GOE Leader’s Report On Counter-Protest Week In D.C.
Bruce Kesler

My friend Larry Bailey wrote the below after-action report on his organization’s week in Washington, D.C. The Gathering Of Eagles and other patriotic organizations countered the failed culmination to the Left’s so-called “Iraq summer” meant to undermine America’s support for success in Iraq. Bailey, a retired Navy Captain, former Commanding Officer of the Naval Special Warfare Center, where SEALs undergo training, demonstrates why no one can beat a SEAL. You'll also note that no one can beat a man with a hearty sense of humor. Here’s the after-action report: ...

Don't miss Steve Schippert's excellent related post here.

Senate kills bid to curb deployment
S.A. Miller

Senate Republicans yesterday blocked a bid by Democrats to restrict troop-deployment schedules for a second time, saying it would impede the ability of President Bush and generals to wage the war in Iraq.

"The majority has brought this back in order to reduce the numbers of fully trained and combat-experienced troops available to our military commanders and thus to force an accelerated drawdown of troops and units in Iraq and Afghanistan. Let's be honest about this," said Sen. John McCain, Arizona Republican and presidential aspirant.

The troop-deployment measure, which would have required troops to get "dwell time" at home equal to time deployed overseas, died 56-44, falling four votes shy of the 60 needed to pass, ...

Continue reading "2007.09.20 Politics and National Defense Roundup"

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Wednesday, 19 September 2007

Your laugh for today:

• Dan Rather has not moved on
  Michelle Malkin: Yes, my friends, Gunga Dan is suing Viacom and CBS for $70 million over the loss of his network career after the Rathergate debacle: ...

• Disgraced journalist wants $75 million for destroying network’s credibility

• Dan Rather Strikes Back

• Just tell me when I can get in line for tickets to attend the trial: Rather v. CBS

Time to revive a classic from Russ:

The Road Less Graveled
(A down home message for Dan Rather in the colorful Texas idiom he so loves)

Y’all know what we all been thinkin’ out here in Texas, Dan, since you started all this foolishness? We think y’all been pissin’ down our necks an’ tellin’ us it’s rain for so long that you boys done got to believin’ it yourselves. Heck, we think maybe you been back East so long you got yourself thinkin’ us folks out here couldn’t hit sand if we fell off our horses; couldn’t hit water if we fell outta the boat. Danged if you ain’t been treatin’ us like you think we got squirrels swimmin’ in our gene pools or sumthin.’ You need to remind yourself that a tree don’t ever get too big for a short dog to lift his leg on, Dan.

Bout them documents bein’ genuine; well, hells-bells, Danny Boy, Grannie’s glasses are so thick, when she looks at a bare wall she see’s folks wavin’ at her, an’ even she can tell them memos are bout as phony as hips on a rattlesnake. We’re startin’ to think your brain done got harder than a woodpecker’s lips if you can’t see that. As far as that story bout George an’ his National Guard duty, looks to us like you’re tryin’ to put wheels on a cow an’ call it a dairy truck. Then you go pokin’ up her butt hopin’ you’re gonna find ice cream. Besides, ever time you durn fools put that picture of young George in his flyboy outfit on the TeeVee, ol’ Jane Fonda loses another herd of her Vagina Voters. Hell, Charlene says that sweet boy’s purtier than my new tangerine metalflake bass boat.

Well, Danny, you still ain’t lost all your redneck habits; you boys took one pickup load to the dump an’ come back with two. Dadgummit, Dan, where you gittin’ all this stuff? You been callin’ some kinda mystery numbers that ol’ boy, whatsisname, Kenneth, is bringin’ you offa bathroom walls at truck stops? Somethin’ you oughta be worryin’ about, Danny Boy: you know how the boys say when you go on a hunt always make sure to save a round for your huntin’ guide? Like if he don’t find nuthin’ else for you to shoot? You suppose any a them rich, fancy-shmancy, New York dudes you work for ever been on a hunt and heard that, Dan, hmmm?

You know how you always been fond a sayin’ you feel like a long tailed cat in a room full a rockin’ chairs? Well, seems to us like you’re startin’ to look more like the ground floor tenant in a two-story outhouse. Yeah, for sure you ain’t lookin’ like the tallest hog at the trough no more. Why, we bet you got yourself wired so tight right now that if we stuck a chunk a coal up your butt it’d come out a diamond in about five minutes. Last time we seen you on TeeVee your smile looked like Charlene’s little ol’ chihuahua dog that time he bit down on one a them ol’ yeller-jacket wasps; you know, kinda like that look a feller gets when he squats with his spurs on.

An’ about your boss, that city slicker fella, Johnnie Klein, the one said somethin’ bout all us sittin’ out here in our long johns? Well we’re gonna give him some advice so good he can take it out back an’ bury it in a Mason jar. You see, the fact is, Danny Boy, now that all us earthworms is gittin’ guns, you big birds is gonna have to be more careful bout where you’re peckin.’ Somebody needs to tell that dude, Klein, that his cage may still be turnin’ but his squirrel’s done died. Course, maybe the boy can’t help hisself; it might run in the family, you know, generic. We heard tell when he was born his ol’ momma carried the little feller around upside down for a whole year wonderin’ why he only had one eye.

Yeah them ol’ boys up there at Power Line done gone an’ slapped you dudes nekkid an’ hid your clothes. Them blogger cats watched you fellers jump in that ol’ litter box an’ they just flat covered you up, quicker ‘n slicker than WD 40 on a doorknob. Yeah you boys done gone skinny dippin’ in a pond full a snappin’ turtles. Looks like them broadcastin’ geniuses at CBS done let them yeller-dog Democrats talk you inta sellin’ your mule so you could buy a plow. When you crawled into the sack with little Miss McCauliffe you done got yourself a real ugly bed partner there, Dan, like a real three-bagger, I mean. You know the drill: one bag over her head, one over yours and one over the dog’s so’s at least he’ll have some respect for you come mornin.’

Before all y’all up there at CBS go tryin’ to saddle up another hog for a quarter horse race, you need to think about this: us ol’ boys out here know a keyboard ain’t where you hang the pickup keys and a byte ain’t what Bubba’s pit bull did to Cousin Billy; we know modem ain’t what we did when the weeds got up to the porch and digital ain’t countin’ on our fingers, least not any more. Yeah, we done got ourselves a dog in this fight, a bloggin’ pit bull, Dan Boy, an’ he’s justa slobberin’ for another big ol’ bite of Liberal blubber butt. Didn’t your ol’ daddy ever tell you that you ain’t never gonna be the brightest bulb on the tree if you go huntin’ bobcats with a BB gun?

But cheer up, Dan, maybe one a these days all you pointy-headed, liberal, media fellers will see the light. Course, seein’s where y’all seem to be keepin’ them pointy heads, it’ll prob’ly be one a them there things the doctors use.

Whatcha call ‘em, proctoscopes?

Russ Vaughn,
A Texan

P.S. Charlene says to tell you don’t even think about comin’ back to Texas. Way folks out here feel, you’d have to tie a pork chop around your neck just to get a dog to play with you. Well, and maybe Mollie Ivins.

Trackbacks:

• American Thinker Blog linked with "Dan Rather's road"

In my email:

Dear Vets for Freedom member,

Yesterday, 250 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans took to Capitol Hill and delivered a strong message: support General Petraeus and don't tie his hands with burdensome legislation. It was an extremely successful event and we will send a wrap-up email tomorrow.

However - this afternoon - we need our members to reinforce the great work that our vets did yesterday. Today Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) is introducing an amendment that-on the surface-looks good because the amendment would require a fixed amount of rest time for troops between deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.

But in actuality, the amendment is a backdoor attempt to legislate an end the war in Iraq. The Pentagon, General David Petraeus, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and leading military officials all agree that this legislation is nothing more than a "slow bleed" on our current strategy which would actually tie the hands of the Generals on the ground and make it nearly impossible to continue to defeat Al Qaeda in Iraq.

This is just another sneaky tactic to force America into surrender.

We need your help! Please call 1-888-362-2813 today and an operator will connect you with your Senators. Tell them:

• The Webb Amendment is wrong and hurts America’s military.
• Now is not a time for politics and posturing in the U.S. Senate.
• Don't legislate strategy in the U.S. Senate - leave that up to the Generals on the ground.

In addition to your Senators, take a moment to call the following 6 Senators. They are considered "on the fence" in this debate-and need to hear from veterans who understand how important it is to complete the mission in Iraq.

Senator George Voinovich (R-OH) (202) 224-3353
Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) (202) 224-6665
Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) (202) 224-4254
Senator John Sununu (R-NH) (202) 224-2841
Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) (202) 224-2523
Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) (202) 224-4944

Today, The Politico reported that one of the leading anti-war activists said this about Senators who support the war in Iraq, "We're going to smash their heads against their base and flush them down the toilet."

Friends, the radical anti-war groups have never been more serious and today they are getting help in Congress from Senator Jim Webb.

The question is: who do you trust to fight the war in Iraq: General Petraeus or Congress?

Please join me in calling today...your actions will back up the 250 veterans who took the Hill yesterday!

Move out and Draw Fire!

Pete Hegseth
Iraq War Veteran 2005-2006

   

***

Good news:

Senate Rejects Bill to Regulate How Long Troops Spend in Combat

Stalemate: Webb’s troop-rotation amendment fails again, draws no new votes since July

Continue reading "2007.09.19 Politics and National Defense Roundup"

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Tuesday, 18 September 2007

Can we really desert them now? Today's must read: Anbar Awakens Part II: Hell is Over

Hot Air TV: Vigil at Walter Reed
Bryan Preston (H/T: Michelle Malkin)

Read the rest of Bryan's post here.

Continue reading "2007.09.18 Politics and National Defense Roundup"

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Monday, 17 September 2007

US Park Police confirm:
Vietnam Veterans War memorial was vandalized
Michelle Malkin

We brought you our video report on the Vietnam War memorial last week. Now, the Park Police confirm this afternoon:

The unidentified substance that was found splashed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial earlier this month was the result of vandalism, the U.S. Park Police said today.

See also: It’s official: Someone vandalized the Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Moonbats on the march: It’s bigger than Iraq
Bryan Preston

Michelle and I joined about a thousand patriots who came to Washington on Saturday to protect our war memorials and to show the world that Cindy Sheehan doesn’t speak for most Gold Star families or even most Americans. It was an honor to be among so many good folks who give of their own time and money to show up and support our troops when they could be doing something else. But as inspiring as the Gathering of Eagles III was, the fact is, we were outnumbered. The other side had more people, were better organized and enjoy better financing, mainly because there is no right-wing equivalent of George Soros who will commit any resources to the cause and because we have no single national organization or voice on our side who will champion the Eagles. One or two patriots in the right place could make all the difference in the world. But instead of seeing photos of patriots supporting the troops: ...

See also: Hot Air video: Infiltrating the Moonbats in DC

***

Let us win
John Lynch

The dynamic in Iraq has changed, but more important is the dynamic in America. ...

The military is the most respected institution in the country. By bypassing the political leadership (anyone seen Sec. Gates lately?) they are using that influence to make the war about them rather than the President. They're saying "OK, so there was no WMD. The war was run badly by Bush and Rumsfeld. But now the professionals are running it and we're starting to win. Let us finish the job. You don't like them, but you respect us. Don't let us down, like you did in Vietnam." ...

As John McCain pointed out Saturday, some big mistakes were made on the road to where we are now. Don Rumsfeld was stupid not to remember how well 'search and destroy" worked in Nam and George Bush was stupid not to fire his ass as soon as things hit the fan in '04, if not before. That's all water over the dam, now. The question isn't "How did we get here?" it's "Where do we go from here. As Bryan pointed out in that first post above, it's bigger than just Iraq. The fate of this country for decades to come, if not longer, depends on finishing the job in Iraq. We finally have a general in charge who knows what he's doing. It's time to listen to him.

Continue reading "2007.09.17 Politics and National Defense Roundup"

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Sunday, 16 September 2007

Today's must-read: An Unforgettable Reunion (H/T: Michelle)

About that raid
Scott Johnson

The Sunday Times (London) reports that Israeli Air Force destroyed a cache of nuclear material in its September 6 raid on Syria. The story combines unnamed "Israeli sources" with a statement by "an expert on the Middle East, who has spoken to Israeli participants in the raid," quoted in yesterday's Washington Post. It's the most comprehensive report on the raid to date, but it's still not clear what happened.

Read the whole thing, and do follow the link. The thing I find most fascinating about this whole affair is that if Israel can overfly Turkey to bomb eastern Syria they can overfly Turkey to bomb Iran. If W doesn't pull his head out of his ass and do what needs done, soon, they may have to. It's 1939, people. Are the Jews on their own again?

***

IAF reportedly hit NKorean nuke facility
David Horovitz

Amid reports in the American media that the alleged Israeli raid into Syria 10 days ago targeted a North Korean-Syrian nuclear facility, John Bolton, the former US ambassador to the UN, told The Jerusalem Post over the weekend that "simple logic" suggested North Korea and Iran could have outsourced nuclear development "to a country that is not under suspicion" - namely Syria. Tellingly, he added: "Why would North Korea protest an Israeli strike on Syria?"

Bolton suggested that Syria, which he said has long sought a range of weapons of mass destruction, might have agreed to provide "facilities for uranium enrichment" on its territory for two allied countries which are being closely watched for nuclear development. ...

See also:

• What Did Israel Really Attack in Syria?
• Report: Israel feared Syria was trying to buy nuke warhead from North Korea
• Syrian Raid: Details, Details
• The Axis Threw A Spoke
• Osirak redux, and the idiom of military action

Continue reading "2007.09.16 Politics and National Defense Roundup"

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Saturday, 15 September 2007

This post will remain at the top of the site through Saturday 2007.09.15. Scroll down for possible newer content. I'll do my best to keep this post up to date as things develop through the day. If you missed Of Eagles and Chickens Monday now's an excellent time to read it and get in the proper frame of mind.

Photoblogging Gathering of Eagles 3: Us and Them
Michelle Malkin

I can’t tell you how proud and honored I was to meet so many Eagles out on the streets of D.C. today. We’re just beginning to wade through our photos and video, but the difference could not be starker between the Eagles and the ANSWER mob. Here’s a quick compare-and-contrast between us and them. ...

***

Protests and Counter-Protests in DC
John Hinderaker

Anti-war, anti-troop and anti-American protesters turned out in Washington today, led by International ANSWER, a Communist front organization. The turnout doesn't seem to have been very impressive; news accounts say there were "thousands" of protesters. The yellow and black signs are characteristic of International ANSWER: ...

***

War protesters, supporters to converge in D.C.

WASHINGTON - Thousands of opponents and supporters of the U.S. presence in Iraq will converge Saturday in the nation's capital for a day of demonstrations. ...

***

Liveblogging GOE: Hour one;
Update: 1:30pm Eastern;
Update: 5:00pm Eastern “Fuck Bush,” “Oink Oink!”;
GOE leader Col. Harry Riley: “We’re not going away.”
Michelle Malkin

The Gathering of Eagles are on Madison Ave. and 7th in front of the Capitol. Melanie Morgan of Move America Foward and Kristinn Taylor of FreeRepublic.com have just addressed a growing crowd. A priest ends his invocation: “Surrender is not a word in our vocabulary.”

Larry Bailey and Chris Hill of Gathering of Eagles have welcomed the activists. Hill: “What happened in Vietnam will not happen to this generation.” Hill mentions a 9/11 survivor who brought a large American flag flying on stage. “That’s what we fight for.” ...

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Victory Caucus meets Gathering of Eagles
N.Z. Bear

I'm pleased to be on site at the Gathering of Eagles rally on the mall in DC. Great folks and a great crowd. Here's a few quick photos that I've taken; check back for more throughout the day...

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DC Gathering Has Higher Purpose
Col. Harry G. Riley

The arrangements are nearly complete: the word is out and the streets of Washington, D.C. will be lined with patriots Saturday, protecting our monuments from further defacement, supporting our troops, and demanding victory, not surrender, in the War on Terror. ...

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Eagles Landing
Col. George "Bud" Day (H/T: John Hinderaker)

On September 15, in a scene that America’s enemies are hoping mimics similar events in the 60s and 70s, a coalition of anti-American amateur anarchists will descend on the nation’s capital attempting to convince the US Congress to surrender in the War on Terror.

They won’t know even know to whom they’d like us to surrender, nor what the terms of such a travesty might be. But their ilk didn’t care in the 70s and the new crowd doesn’t care now.

But this time, also flocking to the Capitol with a far greater sense of purpose, direction and duty, will be the Eagles: America’s veterans and pro-troop patriots. Just as they did on March 17, the Eagles again will deflect the hatred hurled at our military, the attempts to deface our memorials, and the political efforts to bully a shaky Congress into giving away the successes that have been earned through more than two centuries of democracy. ...

Do read the whole thing, folks. Learn some history from a great man.

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Photoblogging: The Gathering of Eagles at Walter Reed 
Michelle Malkin

The Eagles joined Free Republic.com members at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center for the weekly Friday “Freep” tonight to show support for the troops. Bryan Preston and I were there to join in, meet fellow Eagles, and film the gathering for a future Hot Air special (see our video report on the first Gathering of Eagles in March here).  ...

Read the whole thing, and don't forget to check out the Eagles Up site if you haven't yet.

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Gathering of Eagles III: Get ready
Michelle Malkin

... And from Eagles Up, another detailed map (click for full-size): ...

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Hot Air video: Get ready for Gathering of Eagles III
Bryan Preston

The original Gathering of Eagles was organized to protect US war memorials that radicals at ANSWER and other leftist groups had threatened to desecrate. The third Gathering of Eagles is this weekend in Washington. Michelle interviews N.Z. Bear of The Victory Caucus about the Gathering, and how you can get involved. [video link]

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Backers of slain Iraq Sunni sheik vow revenge
Al-Qaida in Iraq claims responsibility for Abu Risha assassination

BAGHDAD - Some 1,500 mourners called for revenge Friday as they buried the leader of the Sunni revolt against al-Qaida, who was assassinated by a bomb after meeting with President Bush earlier this month.

An al-Qaida front in Iraq claimed responsibility for the blast that killed Adbul-Sattar Abu Risha, 37, and three companions. ...

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AQI Declares War On The Sunni
Ed Morrissey

The leaders of al-Qaeda in Iraq will never run short on enemies, mostly because they hate everybody. Today they issued a statement declaring war on the Sunni tribes of western Iraq, a move that will undoubtedly underscore the folly of believing them to be liberators in the post-invasion, pre-surge period: ...

Continue reading "2007.09.15 Politics and National Defense Roundup"

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Friday, 14 September 2007

Backers of slain Iraq Sunni sheik vow revenge
Abu Risha killed 10 days after meeting Bush

BAGHDAD - Mourners vowed revenge and perseverance Friday at the funeral of the leader of the Sunni Arab revolt against al-Qaida militants who was assassinated just 10 days after meeting with President Bush in Iraq’s Anbar province. ...

“We will take our revenge,” the mourners chanted along the six-mile route to Risha’s family cemetery, many of them crying. “We will continue the march of Abu Risha.” ...

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Another Miscalculation By AQI
Ed Morrissey

If al-Qaeda hoped to win the Sunni tribes in western Iraq back to their banner, they severely miscalculated in their assassination of Sheikh Abdul-Sattar Abu Risha. Instead of cowing his tribesmen and intimidating them back into submission, 1500 of them defiantly lined the road for his funeral, swearing revenge on AQI: ...

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See also:

• W. Thomas Smith Jr.: Thoughts on the Murder of Sheik Abdul Sattar

Continue reading "2007.09.14 Politics and National Defense Roundup"

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Thursday, 13 September 2007

I just watched President Bush's speech on Iraq and overall I'd say it was a good speech and his delivery wasn't half bad. I'll post a link to a transcript as soon as I locate one.

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Glenn Reynolds has the full transcript of the speech here.

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The White House people finally got their act together and posted the official version here.

See also:

• President Bush’s speech on Iraq
• Bush’s speech on Iraq; Update: “An enduring relationship”; Update: Video highlights added

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The moment of truth
Don Surber

President Bush laid it on the line for the American people: Either we finish what we started in Iraq, or we place our own nation in peril.

If we are to surrender Iraq, then let us do so immediately and allow the slaughter of hundreds of thousands to begin. Why wait? We know what is coming; we saw it in Vietnam.

Throwing away nearly 4,000 American lives is not peace. It is really wasting lives. The nearly 500,000 Americans killed in World War II did not die in vain. Nor should these young men and women. ...

Vandalism. Desecration. Cowardice. Coddling. Enough is enough.
Michelle Malkin:

Bryan Preston and I went down to Washington to document the recent damage at the Vietnam War Memorial, first reported by Free Republic members. Photos do not do it justice. Here’s our video: ...

Transcript of our report:

Over the weekend, something happened here at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC. Something destructive. Something dishonorable. Along the foot of the wall, covering a stretch almost two-thirds of the entire monument, an oily substance was spilled on the panels and paving stones that were built to pay tribute to those who gave their lives on the battlefield. ...

See also: Vietnam War Veterans Memorial Defaced

Still, Bush firmly rejected calls to end the war, saying the insurgents who threaten Iraq's future are a danger to U.S. national security. American troops must stay in the battle, Bush said, and more than 130,000 will remain after the newly ordered withdrawals are completed in July.

"The principle guiding my decisions on troop levels in Iraq is: return on success," the president said. ...

Vandalism. Desecration. Cowardice. Coddling. Enough is enough.
Michelle Malkin:

Bryan Preston and I went down to Washington to document the recent damage at the Vietnam War Memorial, first reported by Free Republic members. Photos do not do it justice. Here’s our video: ...

Transcript of our report:

Over the weekend, something happened here at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC. Something destructive. Something dishonorable. Along the foot of the wall, covering a stretch almost two-thirds of the entire monument, an oily substance was spilled on the panels and paving stones that were built to pay tribute to those who gave their lives on the battlefield. ...

See also: Vietnam War Veterans Memorial Defaced

Still, Bush firmly rejected calls to end the war, saying the insurgents who threaten Iraq's future are a danger to U.S. national security. American troops must stay in the battle, Bush said, and more than 130,000 will remain after the newly ordered withdrawals are completed in July.

"The principle guiding my decisions on troop levels in Iraq is: return on success," the president said. ...

Continue reading "2007.09.13 Politics and National Defense Roundup "

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Wednesday, 12 September 2007

Petraeus: Iran Trying to Bolster Influence in Iraq
By William Branigin

Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, accused Iran today of seeking to "create a Hezbollah-like force" in Iraq to exert Tehran's influence there, but denied that he was preparing the ground for a U.S. attack on Iran.

In a news conference at the National Press Club in Washington after two days of testimony on Capitol Hill, Petraeus and Ryan C. Crocker, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, defended their assessments of incremental progress in Iraq and again warned that the way forward will be difficult.

"It will be a long, hard grind," Crocker said. "Right now, I think that grind is making progress."

Asked whether his testimony about Iran could be viewed as part of a campaign to build toward an attack, Petraeus said: "I'm not blaming Iran for all that's gone wrong in Iraq." But he said Iran has contributed to sophisticated attacks in Iraq that otherwise would not be possible, including strikes with armor-piercing "explosively formed projectiles" and 240mm rockets. ...

See also:

• Video: Petraeus to MoveOn — you’re welcome
• US Has Iranian Missile Debris After Attack 

Syrian Air Strike Explained?
John Hinderaker

Last week's strike by Israeli aircraft against a site in northern Syria has been a bit of a mystery. Possible explanations are now emerging, as reported by Ynet. Some say the target was weapons caches sent by Iran to Hizbollah. The more dramatic possibility, however, is that the Israelis took out a nuclear facility that was funded by Iran and supplied by North Korea: ...

See also:

• What Did Israel Bomb In Syria? (Update: A Second Osirak?)
• Syria complains to U.N. about Israeli airstrike
  (CNN) -- Syria accused Israel of a "flagrant violation" of its obligations when it carried out an airstrike inside the country last week, according to a copy of a letter released Tuesday.
• Did Israel Strike Iranian Missiles In Syria?

Continue reading "2007.09.12 Politics and National Defense Roundup"

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As I noted before I just don't have the energy lately to do justice to two blogs and I don't know if/when I will again. It may or may not be a permanent thing but for now I'm going to do all of my political and national defense blogging at Old War Dogs and use Bill's Bites for stuff only my friends and family are likely to be interested in, like my health, our new lake, the horse that may or may not be moving here, etc.

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Tuesday, 11 September 2007

We've been at war since 1979 but it took the events of 6 years ago to wake a lot of people up to the fact. We're still at war, with the same people, just on a different battlefield. The question of the hour is whether we'll fight for all we're worth or tuck our tails between our legs and run home whimpering. There are those in DC who'd gladly sacrifice your freedom and mine for short term political gain. Will we let them? Never forget. Never forgive.

Some links I've used in the past but you might have missed:

• Read how Lila remembers that day.

• Read how Greyhawk remembers it.

• Read about young Sara's grasp of the situation.

• Maybe Charles Johnson's slideshow will refresh your memory.

• Or how about a short movie?

• Don't miss Beldar's excellent essay here.

And a new must read: The Wind in the Heights (H/T: Michelle)

Lorie Byrd: Six Years Later -- We Will Not Forget.

Don Surber: 9/11 thoughts

The Anchoress: What do YOU remember about 9/11?

Continue reading "Never forget. Never forgive."

Trackbacks:

• James Hooker's War linked with "I ain't forgettin' nuthin'"

The Times Is a Terrible Thing to Waste
Michael Yon

General David Petraeus's first day of testimony was completely accurate, and consistent with my recent experiences around Iraq. Everything he said during the public hearing on Monday was measured, cogent, and demonstrably accurate. That his reputation was attacked in an entirely inaccurate full-page advertisement in the New York Times is a smear on the reputation of the New York Times. That the advertisement was placed by a political organization of poor reputation is beside the point. To the point is that numerous parts of the text were wholly inaccurate to the point that a candid person might call them lies. A more generous person might call the authors ignorant. But again, the authors are from an organization with a naked political agenda and their methods are at times even juvenile. The responsible parties are those at the New York Times who accepted money and prostituted their pages to print tabloid-level rants.

Hot Air Video: Sen. James Inhofe, on the Petraeus hearings and MoveOn’s “Betray Us” ad (H/T: MM)
Bryan Preston

On Monday, Michelle interviewed Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) about a range of topics. First up, this week’s Hill hearings with Gen. David Petraeus, commander of MNF-I, and US Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker. Sen. Inhofe also reacts to the MoveOn “General Betray Us” ad. Sen. Inhofe is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, which is hearing testimony from Petraeus and Crocker today.

See also: CQ Guest Post: Senator James Inhofe

Continue reading "2007.09.11 Politics and National Defense Roundup"

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Monday, 10 September 2007

We Americans are a mix of birds,
Some soarers, others grounders;
And from their strong, enduring words,
More Eagles were among our Founders.
But different birds this domain share,
Some soaring, some just clucking;
While Eagles soar, patrol the air;
Penned Chickens wait for plucking.

Eagles have sharp, raptor eyes,
Not so in birds fear stricken;
An Eagle fights to own his skies,
Not so the hen-housed Chicken.
Feckless fowl, they placidly peck,
Flocking to their foolish fate,
Flashing blade on feathered neck,
Must they always learn too late?

That’s why we use the very word
To taunt those who won’t fight;
A Chicken is some fear-filled bird,
Whose fear provokes his plight.
Frightened fowl will surrender all,
Hoping for a peaceful ending,
Unmindful that their heads may fall,
Blind to bright blades descending.

But Eagles being bolder birds,
Seek our enemies in their lair,
Screaming Eagles, forgoing words,
Strike with deadly talons there.
Proud raptors who together fight
Know something Chickens never will,
Love of country and birthright,
A rara avis grounder skill.

The anti-war capons of Answer
And hysterical hens of Code Pink,
Let bird flu turn into fowl cancer,
And their pen is beginning to stink.
As they flock to the Mall in September
To disgrace and dishonor their nation
It would behoove them to remember
Watchful Eagles are on station.

Russ Vaughn
101st Airborne (Screaming Eagles)
Vietnam 65-66

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Vietnam Memorial Wall Defaced This Weekend
Free Republic. H/T: William Page

Mrs. Trooprally called me this evening to tell me that she and her husband, as well as Concretebob, saw damage along almost the entire length of the Vietnam Memorial Wall. They found this damage this morning, when they walked through the area before participating in the September 11th Freedom Walk.

Concretebob was told by a National Park Service employee that the damage was done on Friday night. There was no police report taken or written about the vandalism, apparently. And the damage was still very much there today.

Here are a few of the photos that Mrs. Trooprally took this morning...

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Rob Bluey has more: Vietnam Veterans Memorial Vandalized

• General David H. Petraeus: Report to Congress on the Situation in Iraq
• Multi-National Force-Iraq: Charts to accompany the testimony of GEN David H. Petraeus

• Petraeus Pwns Wexler

• Showdown in the House: Petraeus/Crocker testimony Update: Dems pounded for MoveOn ad; Update: Fiasco…mirophones broken…hecklers run amok; 1:45pm Eastern update: Petraeus interrupted by hecklers whom Dems refused to remove before his testimony began; Mid-July 2008….drawdown of 15 BCTs expected
  Update: Crocker interrupted…the fiasco continues

• Hot Air Open thread: Petraeus mania;
  Update: Reid distances himself from MoveOn ad;
  Update: Petraeus expects drawdown to pre-surge troop levels by next summer;
  Update: Iran building an Iraqi Hezbollah, says Petraeus, as moonbats screech;
  Update: “A traumatized society,” says Crocker

• Video: Code Pink removed from Petraeus hearing;
  Update: Video — Skelton calls protesters a**holes

• Video: Iran has pulled Hezbollah and the Quds Force out of Iraq?

Continue reading "2007.09.10 Politics and National Defense Roundup"

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Sunday, 09 September 2007

In my email:

I know many of you have already seen Angela Lashley's video for "Soldiers' Moms."  Now, here's the scoop. She's been asked, then ignored, to be in D.C. next week to perform her song(s).  Politics aside, it's time we help those that help us.

The "Soldiers' Moms" video is now up at YouTube.  So I'm asking that all of you go to YouTube to watch it one more time.  THEN, WHILE YOU ARE THERE, GIVE IT A 5 STAR RATING AND LEAVE A NICE COMMENT."  The more we help her, the more it helps the Blue Star Mothers, Gold Star Moms, and Silver Star Families.  And guess what?  It helps all Eagles.

Secondly, after you do this, I want you to email the link with this recommendation to everyone you know.   Lets, let Angela know how much we appreciate her, her son, and all of the other soldiers' moms and their sons and daughters.  Let's get this YouTube video on the charts and help Eagles Up and all Eagles going to D.C. this week.

You can do this.  Let's make it happen.  Thanks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9Zx8RcBguQ

You can view the full announcement by following this link:

http://eaglesup.us/forum/index.php?topic=351.0

Regards,
The Eagles Up! Team.

Do it. Now. I deliberately didn't embed the video here so you'll have to go to YouTube's site and won't have any excuse not to rate it while you're there.

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