Tribute to the Military

Friday, June 30, 2006

RE-POSTED the article, Abetting terrorism with permission from the editor of the Cavalier Daily, University of Virginia. DISCLAIMER: The different points of views of Cavalier Daily are not supported nor do they reflect the views and beliefs of the Bosun Locker or any entity affiliated with the Bosun Locker.

Abetting terrorism

Josh Levy
Cavalier Daily Columnist

ON SEPT. 20, 2001 President Bush declared, "Afghanistan's people have been brutalized -- many are starving and many have fled. Women are not allowed to attend school. You can be jailed for owning a television. Religion can be practiced only as their leaders dictate. A man can be in jailed in Afghanistan if his beard is not long enough." Bush then went on to demand that Afghanistan sever all terrorist ties or face the consequences -- the famous Bush Doctrine. Today, Somalia is the new Afghanistan. The civil unrest and rise of the ruling Conservative Council of Islamic Courts (formerly the Islamic Courts Union) parallels the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan in the early 1990s almost perfectly. In its shift from idealism and democratization to realism and caution in its foreign policy, the Bush Administration is missing the opportunity to nip a terrorist regime in the bud and make the world a safer place.

After the Soviet-installed regime in Afghanistan was overthrown in 1992, civil war raged. Various factions and warlords vied for control in the power vacuum, but a grouping of Mujahideen (religious fighters) proved victorious by 1996. The war-weary Afghan people were grateful that one side had prevailed. Unfortunately, the victors were a band of firebrand Islamic radicals bent on strictly enforcing Sunni Islamic law with no dissidence tolerated. The Taliban regime was known to be harboring terrorists -- most notably Osama bin Laden's Al Qaeda. Throughout this whole ordeal, the Clinton Administration looked the other way, blissfully ignorant. The results were the bombing of the U.S.S. Cole (which drew a token response of a few Cruise missiles) and the horrific events of Sept. 11. One would think that America has learned that radical Islamic groups with terrorist ties cannot be trusted to govern. Unfortunately, that does not seem to be the case.

The autocratic government of Somalia collapsed in 1991 in the wake of a bloody coup d'etât led by warlords and the succession of Somaliland (northern Somalia). In keeping with Clinton's internationalism, U.N. forces with U.S. troops tried to restore order from 1993-1995. By 1995, the United States and the United Nations decided to cut and run like frightened rabbits because of mounting casualties. (Remember the movie Black Hawk Down?) As a result, civil war continued to rage with a loose coalition of Islamic courts eventually becoming a significant military and political force by 1999. The secular warlords formed the Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism (ARPCT) which, according to former U.S. intelligence officials, received U.S. funding (although this was never officially confirmed or denied). The Islamic Courts stuck their first decisive victory a few weeks ago capturing Mogadishu; they now have effective control over the surrounding area. According to BBC News, the Islamic Courts have been associated with "al-Qaeda-linked attacks in East Africa –- including the 1998 bombing of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania and the 2002 attacks on Israeli tourists in Kenya." If according to President Bush, "It is the policy of the United States to seek and support the growth of democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world," then what gives?

Since 1995, the only "action" the United States has taken with regards to Somalia is to fund the ARPCT whose human rights record is at best suspect but at least has not been linked to Islamic terrorists. The United Nations has spent more time condemning the U.S. for funding the ARPCT than actually trying to secure peace. Since fighting its way into power, the Islamic Courts have called even the use of African Union troops in Somalia "foreign occupation" and the people of Somalia are too worn out from 15 years of anarchy to organize effective resistance. All the western powers are doing is calling meetings despite the fact that both the United States and Great Britain officially have stated that the Islamic Courts are harboring at least 3 major Al Qaeda leaders. This whole time, the rights of average Somalians are slowly disintegrating –- local Islamic Courts leaders have banned television and are requiring men to grow beards, just as the Taliban did in Afghanistan. American inaction on Somalia is the most dangerous part of a larger trend within the Bush Administration towards realpolitik, as evidenced by the departure of prominent neoconservatives such as Doug Feith and Paul Wolfowitz. This may well be the right course to take, particularly for Iran and Eastern Europe. But in Somalia, allowing an Islamic government with terrorist ties and little if any respect for rights to rise to power does not bode well for future security.

Josh Levy is a Cavalier Daily Columnist. He can be reached at jlevy@cavalierdaily.com

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Stolen VA Laptop Found, But, Scam Warning Issued

The following information was passed to me through Military Office Assocation of America (MOAA) email. They have also posted it on their website: Link to MOAA

Stolen VA Laptop Found, but Scam Warning Issued

Department of Veterans' Affairs Secretary James Nicholson says the stolen laptop computer that contained millions of veterans' personal data has been recovered. The equipment is being analyzed by FBI forensic specialists in an effort to determine whether the data may have been compromised.

The Associated Press reported earlier this week that VA has been spending $200,000 a day to maintain a call center for concerned veterans.

Ironically, the VA issued a new warning of a so-called "phishing" scam that targets veterans who may be worried that their VA data was stolen. It involves Internet fraudsters who send mass e-mails or pop-up messages asking unsuspecting recipients to provide personal information [credit card numbers, bank account information, Social Security number, passwords, or other sensitive information] so the scammer can "check whether their data has been compromised."

According to the VA, some of these e-mails originate from the address "abuse@vba.va.gov," and ask the recipient to check an account by clicking on a link. The VA says it has no such e-mail address, and the link in the email is to a web site in Asia.

If you receive a suspicious email, DO NOT open it, but delete it immediately.

Bosun's comment: If an isn't one thing it is another. The criminals scam the vets in the United States and the terrorists make threatening calls to (British) families back home. Just a matter of time before we get calls here too. We are degrading fast. And the appeasers, apologists, and those soft on terror and crime are making it easier for vets on both sides of the Atlantic to become targets.

Category: Military.

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Thursday, June 29, 2006

Veteran Reporter Blasts NY Times: It's Like Giving Anne Frank's Address to the Nazis

Veteran Reporter Blasts NY Times: It's Like Giving Anne Frank's Address to the Nazis by Rich Noyes on June 29, 2006 - 17:20. Re-ported from News Busters by permission of their terms of use. DISCLAIMER: The different points of views of News Busters are not supported nor do they reflect the views and beliefs of the Bosun Locker or any entity affiliated with the Bosun Locker.

So much for the loopy Olbermann-esque spin that it’s just conservatives hoping to “stoke the base” who are distressed by journalists’ leaking of government secrets. Veteran NBC News reporter Richard Valeriani says the New York Times’s decision to publish a front-page story exposing a classified government program designed to track terrorist financing is “irresponsible,” saying it smacks of “giving Anne Frank’s address to the Nazis.” (Hat-tip to Poynter's Jim Romenesko.)

An excerpt of Valeriani’s June 28 posting on the Huffington Post blog:

As someone who spent most of his adult life as a journalist, much of it covering national security affairs, I find the decision of The New York Times and other newspapers to publish the story about the Administration’s money-tracing program to be really irresponsible.

The fault does not lie with the reporters.

It’s their job to find out such things.

The fault lies with the editors who put what they perceive as their own self-interest or the interest of their newspaper ahead of the national interest.

Where was the so-called “public interest?” There was no compelling need for the public to know about this. The story itself acknowledged there was nothing illegal going on—only an anonymous acknowledgement that there was a “potential” for abuse.

This was show-off journalism, pure and simple....

After the take-over of the American Embassy in Iran in 1979, I found out that six American diplomats had escaped and were at large somewhere in Teheran. The executive Editor at NBC Nightly News wanted to run the story, but fortunately, management was more sensible, and we did not report the story at the time. As someone pointed out, it would have been like giving Anne Frank’s address to the Nazis.

Running the story about the money-tracing program is a version of giving Anne Frank’s address to the Nazis.

NewsBusters, a project of the Media Research Center, the leader in documenting, exposing and neutralizing liberal media bias.

Rich Noyes's blog Categories: NBC New York Times Surveillance War on Terrorism

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Supreme Court Says Guantánamo Bay Military Commissions Are Unconstitutional; ACLU Calls Decision a Victory for the “Rule of Law”

Reposted from Stop the ACLU. This article was written by Jay at Stop the ACLU and is filed under ACLU, War On Terror, News at his website.

I (JAY) knew this wouldn’t take long! The ACLU are breaking out the champaign glasses and popping the cork! It is celebration time for the left, as Al Qaeda terrorists now have ‘protections’ via the Geneva Conventions thanks to the US Supreme Court. Andrew Sullivan thinks it is a great day too.

In a sharp rebuke to the Bush administration, the United States Supreme Court today ruled 5-3 that the military commissions system established by President Bush to try detainees at Guantánamo Bay is unfair and illegal. The American Civil Liberties Union, which filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the case, applauded the decision.

“Today’s decision is a victory for the rule of law in the United States,” said ACLU Executive Director Anthony D. Romero. “The Supreme Court has made clear that the executive branch does not have a blank check in the war on terror and may not run roughshod over the nation’s legal system. This decision moves us one step closer to stopping the abuse of power that has become the hallmark of this White House. Now that the Supreme Court has issued its decision, the president should make good on his promise and close Guantánamo.”

Maybe they shouldn’t be so fast to celebrate. Not being able to detain these guys means that instead of them hiring ACLU lawyers they will probably just be killed on the battlefield.

Captain’s Quarters is on the same wavelength.
The opinion should have some interesting tap-dancing. In any case, the Supreme Court has effectively negated the ability for us to detain terrorists. Instead, we will likely see more of them die, since the notion of having the servicemen who captured these prisoners forced to appear to testify to their “arrest” is not only ridiculous but would require us to retire combat units as a whole whenever their prisoners appear for trial.

Congress needs to correct this issue immedately. The mischief that this enables will not only hamstring this war on terror, but any future war we may be forced to wage.
See my (Jay's) post below for the blogosphere’s reactions.

Hot Air has a great roundup too.Wizbang as well!

Update: Webloggin provides us with Justice Scalia’s dissent.

Moreover, the President’s determination that the present conflict dates at least to 1996 is supported by overwhelming evidence. According to the State Department, al Qaeda declared war on the United States as early as August 1996. See Dept. of State Fact Sheet: Usama bin Ladin (Aug. 21, 1998); Dept. of State Fact Sheet: The Charges against International Terrorist Usama Bin Laden (Dec. 20, 2000); cf. Prize Cases, 2 Black, at 668 (recognizing that a state of war exists even if “the declaration of it be unilateral” (emphasis in original)).

In February 1998, al Qaeda leadership issued another statement ordering the indiscriminate—and, even under the laws of war as applied to legitimate nation-states, plainly illegal—killing of American civilians and military personnel alike. See Jihad Against Jews and Crusaders: World Islamic Front statement 2 (Feb. 23, 1998), in Y. Alexander & M. Swetnam, Usama bin Laden’s al-Qaida: Profile of a Terrorist Network, App. 1B (2001) (“The ruling to kill the Americans and their allies—civilians and military—is an individual duty for every Muslim who can do it in any country in which it is possible to do it”).

This was not mere rhetoric; even before September 11, 2001, al Qaeda was involved in the bombing of the World Trade Center in New York City in 1993, th ebombing of the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia in 1996, the bombing of the U. S. Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998, and the attack on the U. S. S. Cole in Yemen in 2000. See id., at 1. In response to these incidents, the United States "attack[ed] facilities belonging to Usama bin Ladin’s network” as early as 1998. Dept. of State Fact Sheet: Usama bin Ladin (Aug. 21, 1998).

Based on the foregoing, the President’s judgment—that the present conflict substantially predates the AUMF, extending at least as far back as al Qaeda’s 1996 declaration of war on our Nation, and that the theater of war extends at least as far as the localities of al Qaeda’s principal bases of operations—is beyond judicial reproach. And the plurality’s unsupportable contrary determination merely confirms that “‘the Judiciary has neither aptitude, facilities nor responsibility’” for making military or foreign affairs judgments.

I think he nailed it.

Justice Thomas was so angry about the decision that he read his dissent from the bench for the first time in fifteen years.

More…
U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Jon Kyl (R-AZ) today issued the following statement on the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on the Hamdan case:

“We are disappointed with the Supreme Court’s decision. However, we believe the problems cited by the Court can and should be fixed.

“It is inappropriate to try terrorists in civilian courts. It threatens our national security and places the safety of jurors in danger. For those reasons and others, we believe terrorists should be tried before military Commissions.

“In his opinion, Justice Breyer set forth the path to a solution of this problem. He wrote, ‘Nothing prevents the president from returning to Congress to seek the authority he believes necessary.’

“We intend to pursue legislation in the Senate granting the Executive Branch the authority to ensure that terrorists can be tried by competent military commissions. Working together, Congress and the administration can draft a fair, suitable, and constitutionally permissible tribunal statute.”
Hot Air has a video of Bush’s initial reaction.

Also see:
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Government claims VA laptop recovered

According to an Associated Press (AP) story this morning at My Way News, the government claims that a laptop with sensitive information on its harddrive stolen from a home of a Veterans Affairs (VA) analyst on May 3rd. has been recovered. The stolen harddrive contained information on 26.5 million vets' social security numbers, dates of birth, and other identity theft capable information. Details regarding the recovery of the laptop and the identity of the suspects have not yet been released.
According to Secretary Nicolson, "There is reason to be optimistic," he told reporters just before the start of another in a series of hearings Congress has had on one of the worst breaches of information security. "It's a very positive note in this very tragic incident..."
For the AP story: Government Says Stolen VA Laptop Recovered

On a positive note:

The initial loss of personal information brought to the forefront a growing national problem of identity theft and some steps the consumer may want to consider. Fortunately, existing laws indicate that YOU (the consumer or victim of identity theft) has the right to ask that nationwide consumer reporting agencies place “fraud alerts” in your file to let potential creditors and others know that you may be a victim of identity theft. Of course there is a charge for that protection and depending on who looses the information and if the person or organization that looses the information will step up to the plate and be responsible, you may have to pay for the fraud alert service.

A fraud alert can make it more difficult for someone to get credit in your name because it tells creditors to follow certain procedures to protect you. Of course, it also may delay your ability to obtain credit, a small price to pay for the damage it will cause if the information falls into the wrong hands. Individually, one may place a fraud alert in ones file by calling just one of the three nationwide consumer reporting agencies. As soon as that agency processes the fraud alert, it will notify the other two, which then also must place fraud alerts in the consumer's file.
An initial fraud alert will stay in your file for at least 90 days. You may file an extended alert which will stay in your file for one year or seven years. To place the 90 day, one year, or seven year alert, the consumer reporting agency will require you to provide appropriate proof of your identity, which may include your Social Security number. If you ask for an extended alert, you will have to provide an identity theft report.

The identity theft report includes a copy of a report you have filed with a federal, state, or local law enforcement agency, and additional information a consumer reporting agency may require you to submit.

For more detailed information about the identity theft report, visit www.consumer.gov/idtheft

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Wednesday, June 28, 2006

12 down:Top Secret War Plans, 30 across: Treason

DISCLAIMER: The different points of views of Ann Coulter are not supported nor do they reflect the views and beliefs of the Bosun Locker or any entity affiliated with the Bosun Locker.

In Ann Coulter's latest column posted at World Net Daily (WND), 12 down: Top secret war plans, 36 across: Treason, the take-no-prisoners commentator, Ann Coulter, takes aim at the New York Times, as she wonders when the paper will uncover an al-Qaida secret program.

Ann discusses the latest of a long list of formerly top-secret government anti-terrorism operations that have been revealed by the New York Times. Last week the paper printed the details of a government program tracking terrorists' financial transactions that has already led to the capture of major terrorists and their handmaidens in the United States.

Ann Writes, "Thanks to the New York Times, the easiest job in the world right now is: 'Head of Counterintelligence - al-Qaida ..... You just have to read the New York Times over morning coffee, and you're done by 10 a.m." She continues, "The greatest threat to the war on terrorism isn't the Islamic insurgency - our military can handle the savages. It's traitorous liberals trying to lose the war at home." Link to Ann's commentary at WND

Also here is a link to Ann's commentary at Human Events Online...

Related stories of interest:
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Samarra bombers killed, some arrested

Great news coming out of Iraq through Omar at Iraq the Model. As he was watching TV today, there was breaking news. National Security Advisor Muwaffak al-Rubaie addressed the public to let them know that they had captured Abu Qudama al-Tunisi and killed 15 more foreign fighters (according to al-Rubaie) in a raid in the suburb of al-Dhuloiya north of Baghdad.

This is significant because these are the bastards that bombed the Askari Shrine in Samarra on February 22, 2006. This group is also responsible for the Arabiya female Iraqi reporter, Atwar Bahjat.

NSA Muwaffak al-Rubaie Haitham is searching for al-Badri who is believed to be the field commander under whom Abu Qudama was operating. If you know anything of his whereabouts, please do not approach him. Call the authorities so they can handle him properly. And properly I hope they do. hehehe.
Al-Rubaie described Al-Badri is a terrorist with connections to elements in the past regime who later became one of the leaders of Ansar al-Sunna and later al-Qaeda organization in Iraq.

Al-Rubaie described ho the bombing was organized and says details were taken from the confessions of the captured Abu Qudama:
4 Saudis, two Iraqis and one Tunisian entered the mosque at night, handcuffed and locked up the guards in a room and spent the night planting the bombs all around the mosque. Next day they kidnapped and murdered Atwat Bahjat while she was trying to cover the news of the bombing.
Al-Rubaie displayed a poster showing the Shrine before and after the bombing along with a photo of Haitham al-Badri and urged the people to cooperate with authorities in locating the runaway terrorist. [continue reading]
This is great news. I want everyone who was connected with the destruction of any Holy site caught, whether it is my Holy site or not. These are not people. They are animals, and they need to put down.

PS. I urge you to read their following of the reconciliation. You are not getting the truth back home. Here are some very good posts: Some are sad just because we're happy.
Iraq, Jordan send powerful messages to Zarqawi's lovers.
Forward Together!
Forward Together...Day 2.
Forward Together faces a serious challenge.
Sir, would you please fill out this form? This one reminds me of the IRS!
Rumor of the day. This one is sounds like the NY Times!
Forward Together update; Maliki sends a powerful message to the militias. Read this one! They never told you about this.
Who should recognize whom? The Iraqi people are our friends. They will not allow this to happen.
Seven militant groups accpet al-Maliki's offer. Moving in the right direction.

All of these have something very interesting and/or important to say. We should be reading this site everyday. If you want to find out what is happening in an Iraq, why not ask an Iraqi who lives in Iraq? If only the press would think about that!

Update: More good news from Iraq. In another article from Omar from Iraq the Model, (No Amnesty for killers") it has finally been spoken outloud. No amnesty for anyone who murdered Iraqis or Multi-National Forces (MNF)!
The amnesty doesn't include those who have killed Iraqis or even coalition forces because those soldiers came to Iraq under international agreements to help Iraq.
Also, there is a possiblility that three more groups have decided to lay down their arms.
Vice president Dr. Tariq al-Hashimi told al-Sabah that he proposed to organize a meeting for tribal powers to empower the good relationships among the sons of the one nation and to smother the fires of sectarian rift.Sheikh AbdulSalam al-Dulaimi said that more than 30 sheikhs who are prominent tribal leaders in al-Anbar region are about to announce an 'honor pledge' that forbids bloodletting.
That brings the number of groups to 10. I would not expect that al Qaeda in Iraq will be agreeing to anything, nor should we accept any such agreement.

As Omar said, "So far things seem to be progressing smoothly, but nice words and promises mean very little until they translate into real work; which is my hope." Mine too.

Category: (Military) News, News and Iraq.
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Update: Swiftboat II? Newspapers issuing correction on reporting.

Re-posted with permission from the editors at The Infozone News - 'Following the truth, and reporting on the journey'.

DISCLAIMER: The different points of views on the The Info Zone are not supported nor do they reflect the views and beliefs of the Bosun Locker or any entity affiliated with the Bosun Locker.

As reported at The Infozone News:
June 28, 2006 - US Congressman John Murtha D-PA was in Florida over the weekend at a Townhall meeting at Florida International University. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported, Murtha saying, "American presence in Iraq is more dangerous to world peace than nuclear threats from North Korea or Iran to a crowd of more than 200 in North Miami Saturday afternoon." Teri Hayt, Managing Editor of The Arizona Star emails, "Sharon Rosenhause(Managing Editor of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel) from Ft. Lauderdale has just sent me a note saying that Rep. MurthaÂ’s office has contacted them saying he was quoted out of context. Sharon will be issuing a correction that will will run."

The Arizona Star version of the story, which was linked on Sunday night by Matt Drudge has yet to issue a correction. Both the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and the Arizona Daily Star have now published corrections.
Bosun comments: The Press and the blogosphere got spanked on this one. Folks, we have to get the facts right. Or, we turn out to be like those we critique, on both sides of the pundit aisle. Fortunately, The Infozone checked the facts before they leaped on the story. But then again, The Infozone has been good at that. "Bravo Zulu in honest reporting" to the folks at The Infozone.

Britt Hume of Fox News has not updated his story, which reported on the comments alleged to have been made by Murtha. Hume however has not issued a correction to his earlier story.

John Fund, who wrote on Murtha's comments in The Wall Street Journal has neither corrected his article, or offered a correction. When the South Florida Sun-Sentinel corrected their story, both the Fox News story by Brit Hume and John Fund's Op-Ed in the Wall Street Journal are no longer accurate representations of what happened. Yet neither writer has corrected their story.

The News Media Guild "The News Media Guild's Professional Activities Committee is a group of reporters, editors, photographers, and broadcasters who work to foster quality journalism." This incident demonstrates the need for such a universal standard. In the article, reporter Elizabeth Baier quoted several other of Congressman John Murtha's statements in her article, as well as a quote from others at the event, but did not quote the comments alleged to have been said by Murtha in the first paragraph of her article. Melissa Sanchez of the Miami Herald replying to an email, says that while Murtha made the comment, "That was in reference to international polls. It was not so much his own conjecture, but a conclusion drawn from polls in various countries."

So this alleged and most controversial statement, written by Baier appears to have taken his comments out of context.

The article has become a hot topic on the blogsphere. Conservative bloggers picked up the story and are repeating Baier's first paragraph of her article as a statement of fact. This started Sunday night, when Matt Drudge picked up the story on his web site.

June 27, 2006
Rep. Murtha Responds to Misquotes

Rep. John Murtha D-PA in a statement issued today says, "I was recently misquoted following a speech I gave at a Veterans forum at the Florida International University Biscayne Campus on June 24, 2006. During the speech, I made a point that our international credibility was suffering, particularly due to our continued military presence in Iraq and that we were perceived as an occupying force. For illustrative purposes, I provided the example of a recent Pew Poll which indicates a greater percentage of people in 10 of 14 foreign countries consider the U.S. in Iraq a danger to world peace than consider Iran or North Korea a danger to world peace.

Pew Poll Murtha added, "It is imperative that these issues be discussed in an open and informative manner. I will continue to insist that this administration face the true realities of its policies with respect to Iraq and insist that they change direction."

Read Murtha's Press Statement

Link to original story: Swiftboat II? Has 'Jerry Springer Journalism' Hit the Mainstream Media?

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Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Swiftboat II? Has 'Jerry Springer Journalism' Hit the Mainstream Media?

Re-posted with permission from the editors at The Info Zone.

DISCLAIMER: The different points of views on the The Info Zone are not supported nor do they reflect the views and beliefs of the Bosun Locker or any entity affiliated with the Bosun Locker.
US Congressman John Murtha D-PA was in Florida over the weekend at a Townhall meeting at Florida International University.

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported, Murtha saying, "American presence in Iraq is more dangerous to world peace than nuclear threats from North Korea or Iran to a crowd of more than 200 in North Miami Saturday afternoon."

In the article, reporter Elizabeth Baier quoted several other of Congressman John Murtha's statements in her article, as well as a quote from others at the event, but did not quote the comments alleged to have been said by Murtha in the first paragraph of her article. Melissa Sanchez of the Miami Herald replying to an email, says that while Murtha made the comment, "That was in reference to international polls. It was not so much his own conjecture, but a conclusion drawn from polls in various countries."

So this alleged and most controversial statement, written by Baier appears to have taken his comments out of context.

The article has become a hot topic on the blogsphere. Conservative bloggers picked up the story and are repeating Baier's first paragraph of her article as a statement of fact. This started Sunday night, when Matt Drudge picked up the story on his web site.

The Wall Street Journal, in an OP-ED piece covered this story on Monday, June 26, 2006. The Wall Street Journal story cites the South Florida Sun-Sentinel as quoting US Rep. John Murtha. Fox News has picked up the story, as well, The India Times and many other mainstream media outlets are picking up the Florida Sun-Sentinel article.

Technorati which is a blogging link site, has as of 1800Hrs, on June 26, 2006 grown to 460 blog references to Baier's article.

Jerry Springer Journalism?
Earl Maucker, the editor of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel newspaper, when asked why the statement was not quoted like other comments by Murtha in Baier's article, said the reporter "may have been giving the essense of what the congressman's speech covered". Maucker knew the article was creating a buzz on the Internet but he had not talked with his reporter about the story, but stated he would be talking to Phillip Ward, the deputy editor of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

The Miami Herald, which also covered the Town Hall Meeting, quotes Murtha, but does not mention his controversial comment.

Murtha's press secretary, Cindy Abrams, stated that Murtha does not speak from a prepared text, but usually uses speaking points for his speeches. Abrams was unaware if Murtha had actually made the comment.

Infozone readers have contacted this site. They are concerned that the blogsphere, in leaping on Baier's controversial comments in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel is a form of 'Jerry Springer Journalism'.

In journalism today, reporters usually tape events they are attending to make sure the comments they quote are accurate.

Has Ms Baier's article, in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel started a 'Swiftboat campaign' against US Congressman Murtha?
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Monday, June 26, 2006

To desecrate or not to desecrate the flag, what is the answer?

As the senate debates Flag Burning Amendment, one has to search where one's position is on the issue.

When I heard the uproar opposing the amendment, my mind went back to last year, June 2005, when a group of American radicalized Muslims produced a video that showed its members on a New York City street corner stomping on U.S. flag and then ripping it apart while declaring dominance over America.

In the video, released by the New York-based Islamic Thinkers Society, was the group pushing the envelop? The group said their demonstration was "in response to the desecration of the holy Quran by the Crusaders & Zionists at Guantanamo Bay," an allegation based on a retracted Newsweek story.

William Teach at The Pirates Cove made a good observation:
It is against the law to kill a bald eagle, which, besides being endangered, is a national icon. If the (New York) Times can claim that burning a Flag is protected Free Speech, why couldn't I claim that I should be able to shoot a bald eagle as Free Speech (not that I would, mind you)? Or, burn the New York Times building as a protest against their anti-American articles? Isn't that Free Speech? Or just a violent action, designed to make one feel better, but harm and offend others in the process?
Whether an individual or group desecrates a U.S. flag by ripping, stomping, or burning, one has to ask, "Is it an appropriate gesture of our freedom of speech?" Or, have we missed something in the translation of what freedom of speech means? What does freedom of speech mean to you?

For more on the desecration story out of New York City last year, please visit the archived article: U.S. Muslims desecrate American flag

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Senate Debates Flag Burning Amendment

Senate Debates Flag Burning Amendment
The U.S. Senate could vote later this week on a constitutional amendment that would ban flag desecration.

"I think of the flag as a symbol of what the veterans fought for, what they sustained wounds for, what they sustained loss of limbs for, and what they sustained loss of life for," said Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa.


Concerned voters should consider lighting up their senators fax machines, email, and voice mails to let those senators know where voters stand. Both sides of the amendment claim that the amendment has 66 votes. However, some Democrats called the debate the latest example of (Republicans) scoring points with conservative voters in the midterm elections. Some liberal Dems will do anything to spin away from a Flag Burning Amendment.

It is interesting that Democrat Senator Jay Rockefeller was a co-sponsor of the amendment.

More Details at Seattle's KIRO News

Cross Posted at: The Bosun Locker

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Radical Islam Finds Fertile Ground on African Island

Reprinted from Christian Broadcast Network (CBN) News by permission from the editor. For superb reporting on a world wide scale, please visit CBN News Network

Radical Islam Finds Fertile Ground on African Island

By George Thomas
CBN News Sr. Reporter

CBN.com – STONETOWN, Zanzibar - At first glance, Zanzibar is a picture of paradise: the tropical weather, palm-fringed, white sand beaches, and spectacular views leave visitors feeling they have journeyed to the very edge of the Earth.

But this vision of an island paradise is only half the story. In recent years, another side to Zanzibar, often hidden to outsiders, has emerged: the face of radical Islam.

Islam's roots along Africa's east coast go back more than 1,000 years. Intelligence officials believe that the stretch of land from Sudan to this island off the coast of Tanzania is now fertile ground for fundamentalist militants.

Zanzibar's shift towards radical Islam is led, in part, by Sheikh Azzani Khalid Hamdan.

He heads up a group that wants to turn Zanzibar into an Afghanistan-like island -- the kind of island where Sharia law, which includes punishments like amputation, stoning and beheading, would be the law of the land.

"Sharia law is the basis of all law,” Hamdan stated. “It allows us to render judgment based on the Koran against those who don't follow the laws of Allah."

Fully 97 percent of Zanzibar's population practices the Islamic faith. The remaining mix is a combination of Christian and Hindu. But Hamdan is not satisfied. He wants everyone to convert to Islam.

"It is our duty to spread Islam, and to especially try to convince the Christians to change their faith,” Hamdan said. “A man has the right to choose his religion, but once he is a Muslim, then he has lost that right. If he changes, under the laws of Sharia, he should be put to death.”

While not all Muslims on the island share his radical ideology, a growing number are attracted to the allure of fanatical Islam.

Life for Zanzibar's tiny Christian minority has become increasingly difficult, as a segment of this island's Muslim population pushes for a stricter and more radical interpretation of Islamic law.

The Zanzibari constitution guarantees freedom of religion, but recent converts to Christianity in particular, feel the constitution cannot protect them.

One Christian convert named Juma said, "The Muslims are teaching people to hate Christians, that if you behead a Christian you will go to heaven. After I became a Christian, the Muslims excommunicated me."

She added, “"They call me a Kafir, which means an infidel."

Meanwhile, other Christians say they face constant threats-- for example, just walking to church on Sunday morning.

"When I go to church, Muslim men along the way hurl abuses at me,” said Christian convert Venessa. “They call me an infidel. They call me a prostitute because I do not cover my face like other Muslim women do. Even the Muslim friends I have, told me that this island belongs to them and that Christians are not welcome."

The hostility has gone far beyond insults and threats. In recent years, several churches have been attacked and burned down.

Rodney Lobow pastors a small church on the Island. "The people are made to believe that Christians should not worship in Zanzibar, because Zanzibar is Muslim," Lobow said.

Lobow and others here worry that what is happening in Zanzibar is just part of a bigger agenda by radical Muslims to turn Africa into the first Islamic continent.

Despite the tensions, the tiny evangelical church in Zanzibar is growing. Dickson Kaganga has witnessed this first-hand, as pastor of one of the fastest growing churches on the island.

"There is a big revival all over the island," he explained. Fueled in part, he says, by miracles.

Kaganga said, "Most of the miracles I've been seeing here are people being set free from demonic powers. I've seen people come here with deaf ears, and when you pray, you realize that there are demons that are oppressing them. So when we pray, they are being set free!"

Susie Salom is one of the many who experienced God's healing power, after years of battling disease. "After two years of suffering from constant Malaria attacks,” Susie exclaimed, “God has healed me!"

And apparently, the healings are creating such a stir on the Island that even the Muslims are being drawn into the church services.

"The Muslims come to the service,” stated Kaganga, “and I have seen God healing them and setting them free."

According to Kaganga, it is not only the miracle service that is bringing crowds, but also the sound of praise.

"Some are attracted by the music, the kind of music we are playing -- and that way they listen to the message and they get saved," he said.

But as the churches on the island grow, so does the hostility.

Hamdan said, "The biggest threat to our Islamic faith today is the influence of Christianity and Western culture."

Yet in the face of persecution, Christians in Zanzibar say they will continue to spread the message of Christ.

"We still come together and worship,” Lobow remarked, “we still encourage one another, and we still preach love."

"We make the church a place where everybody can come,” he declared. “They are attracted now because they have seen that church is not a place where you go and nothing happens. They see changes happen. They come depressed, they meet Jesus, and He sets them free!"

Additional article about Terrorism in Africa at CBN:

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MEMRI: Profile of Reformist Algerian Cartoonist Ali Dilem

Inquiry & Analysis- North African Reformist Thinkers Project / Reform Project
June 27, 2006
No. 282

Profile of Reformist Algerian Cartoonist Ali Dilem

To view this Special Dispatch in HTML, visit: HTML version of the profile .

By Nathalie Szerman*

Introduction

Algerian cartoonist Ali Dilem was born in 1967 in El-Harrach, a suburb of Algiers, and is of Kabyle origin. He studied at the National Art School in Algiers.(1) Dilem began his career as a cartoonist for the Algerian Communist weekly Alger Republican. In 1991, he drew cartoons for the independent Algerian daily Le Matin,(2) whose editor, Mohamed Benchicou,(3) was recently released from prison after serving a two-year sentence on charges of corruption.(4) Since 1996, Dilem has worked as a cartoonist for the French-language Algerian independent daily Liberté. Dilem also works for French TV5's Kiosque program. In 2000, he was awarded the International Prize of Drawing in Written Press.(5) In 2005, Dilem was awarded the Freedom of Press Trophy, which he dedicated to Benchicou; in 2006, he received the prestigious Cartoonist Rights Network Award.

Dilem became internationally known for his depictions of the Algerian political process and for his support of political pluralism in his country through his cartoons. In them, Dilem portrays Algerian civil society's criticism of the FLN (National Liberation Front) Party, in power since Algeria became independent in 1962; of the Islamist groups; and of the role of the army in the country. In an interview with Kabyles.com , Dilem describes Algeria's political situation as follows: "The majority is General Toufik [military security director Mohamed Mediène], and the opposition is also General Toufik."(6)

On February 11, 2006, Dilem was sentenced to one year's imprisonment and fined 50,000 dinars (?550), for dozens of cartoons he had published in Liberté during 2003 depicting Algerian President Abdelaziz Boutlefika. Dilem was sentenced under Article 144b of the Algerian Criminal Code, which allows for a prison term of two to 12 months as well as a fine for "insulting" or defaming the president.(7) Currently, 24 cases of press offenses are pending against him.(8)

During the Algerian civil war between Islamists and the Algerian government (1990-1998), Dilem received death threats from Algerian Islamist groups. In 2004, a fatwa was issued against him "in all mosques throughout Algeria."(9) Algerian Minister of Religious Affairs Boulem Ghoulamallah took responsibility for this fatwa.(10)

In his interview with Kabyles.com , Dilem reiterated his concerns about Islamist factions in Algeria, and said, "Everything that gave birth to the FIS [the Algerian Islamist party Front Islamique du Salut](11) in Algeria still exists."(12)

The following is a selection of 32 cartoons by Dilem, published by Liberté and by TV5(13) in 2005-2006. The cartoons focus on freedom of expression in the Arab world, especially with regard to the case of Benchicou in Algeria; women's rights; Iran's nuclear program; Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and his widely criticized decision to undergo medical treatment in France rather than in his own country; and the release from prison of Islamists in Algeria, under the 2005 general amnesty.(14) An additional theme is human and civil rights.

TO VIEW CARTOONS, VISIT: To view this Special Dispatch in HTML, visit: MEMRI HTML of cartoons .


*Nathalie Szerman is Director of MEMRI's North African Reformists Project.

Endnotes:
(1) http://winne.com/algeria2/english/bf04.html
(2) Le Matin was closed in 2004, when editor Mohamed Benchicou was imprisoned. After Benchicou's release, he declared that Le Matin would soon return. http://www.elkhabar.com/FrEn/lire.php?ida=33550&idc=52 , June 15, 2006.
(3) Mohamed Benchicou is the editor of Algerian daily Le Matin. In 2004, he published a biography of Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, titled Bouteflika: Une imposture algérienne, that exposed the corruption of the regime. Benchicou was imprisoned in June 2004 on charges of corruption and was released on June 14, 2006.
(4) http://www.elkhabar.com/FrEn/lire.php?ida=33550&idc=52 , June 6, 2006.
(5) http://winne.com/algeria2/english/bf04.html .
(6) http://www.kabyles.com , February 17, 2005.
(7) http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=16478 , February 16, 2006.
(8) http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=16478 , February 16, 2006.
(9) http://www.kabyles.com , February 17, 2005.
(10) http://www.algerie-dz.com/article2.html , Associated Press, as cited by Algerie-dz.com, February 15, 2004.
(11) The Algerian political party Front Islamique du Salut has been banned since 1992. In December 1991, the Algerian government cancelled the second round of elections after the first round showed an FIS victory. The Algerian civil war broke out shortly afterwards.
(12) http://www.kabyles.com , February 17, 2005.
(13) http://www.tv5.org/TV5Site/kiosque/kiosque_tous_dessins.php , L'année vue par Dilem, http://www.tv5.org/TV5Site/fetes/dilem2005/janvier.php?image=jan1&ext=gif&back=1 .
(14) Algeria Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Charte pour la Paix et la Reconciliation Nationale: http://193.194.78.233/ma_fr/stories.php?story=05/09/06/3612066 .

*********************
The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) is an independent, non-profit organization that translates and analyzes the media of the Middle East. Copies of articles and documents cited, as well as background information, are available on request.

MEMRI holds copyrights on all translations. Materials may only be used with proper attribution.
The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI)
P.O. Box 27837, Washington, DC 20038-7837
Phone: (202) 955-9070
Fax: (202) 955-9077
E-Mail: memri@memri.org
Search previous MEMRI publications at www.memri.org

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SCOTUS Case: Kansas v. Marsh, 04-1170

This is a death penalty case that has decided whether or not juries must decide for the death penalty only if the crime fits punishment. It was a five-four decision affirming Kansas' right to write it's own laws, as long as they remain constitutional. For a better review, please go to SCOTUSblog. You will also find many other very good pieces of information. Have a great day.

Category: Constitutional Issues.
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Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi

Wanted to share parts of an email that I received from a senator this morning:

Dear Fellow American:

Imagine for a moment this nightmare scenario, the six words no conservative wants to hear:

"Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi"

Sound scary to you? If the liberals at MoveOn.org have their way, that nightmare may very well become reality. Just who are Nancy Pelosi's friends? And what kind of power would they have if the Democrats took over the House?

John Murtha - who has irresponsibly called for a complete pull out of our troops from Iraq - would suddenly have control over the country's defense budget as chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee for Defense. You would think our troops would have the strongest support of a decorated war veteran like Murtha, yet he continues to hurt our bravest soldiers by claiming that we are "losing in Iraq."

Bosun's comment about a new Murtha rant over the weekend: According to the South Florida Sun Sentinel on Saturday, June 24th Murtha said that American presence in Iraq is more dangerous to world peace than nuclear threats from North Korea or Iran,to a crowd of more than 200 at at Florida International University's Biscayne Bay Campus in North Miami.

Charlie Rangel - who led the charge against personal retirement accounts in Social Security - would be chair of the Committee on Ways and Means. Someday, when our children are retired and are struggling to pay the bills, they can remember it was Rangel who had the chance to help but refused for his personal, political gain.

John Dingell - who voted against lower gas prices - would be chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee. Dingell also voted AGAINST making tax cuts permanent - once again leaving it to the taxpayer to figure out how to pay the bills.

Henry Waxman - no friend of Republicans - would be chair of the Government Reform Committee, where he could lead all sorts of unfounded investigations against Republicans. Already, Waxman has called for congressional hearings against President Bush's closest advisors, including Karl Rove.

Barney Frank - who was recently named one of the most liberal members of Congress - would be chair of the Financial Services Committee. Frank received a pathetic 4% approval rating from the American Conservative Union.

John Conyers - who starred in Michael Moore's ultra-liberal Fahrenheit 911 - would be chair of the Judiciary Committee.

David Obey - who recently called the federal marriage amendment "ridiculous" - would be chair of the powerful Appropriations Committee.

Technorati tags: Terrorism ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
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Sunday, June 25, 2006

Restricting the Media Activities in Afghanistan

This is an article written by Waheed, an Afghani man who has been writing with us over at Love America First. The government has sent a two page memo telling the press what they can and cannot write. There is a big uproar in the free press! Please go read this article either at Waheed's or DoD Daily News. Thank you, and have a nice day.

Category: Afghanistan and Freedom.
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Japan Preparing to Sanction NK over 'Missile Crisis'

If North Korea launches any missiles, Japan is prepared to sanction the North Korean country without going to the UN. (They will be acting unilaterally, because of fears that the UN won't do a daggone thing because of China's and Russia's veto. Isn't this a hoot?!)
"The laws have been passed, so all those options would come on to the table," Aso told NHK television, referring to provisions that could be used to freeze cash transfers and ban ferry services between Japan and North Korea.
<...>
Japan and the United States have threatened to refer North Korea to the U.N. Security Council if it launches a missile. But analysts have said the Security Council is unlikely to impose sanctions, due to likely opposition by China and Russia. [continue reading]
The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is writing another bill to deal with other sanctions that may be viable. For instance, they would ban Japanese financial institutions from doing any business with anyone suspected of money laundering. (They don't even have to be found guilty! Maybe we should start looking closer at these people who are upset with our human rights record, eh?)

Category: (Military) News, North Korea, Japan and News.
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Saturday, June 24, 2006

Detainee Transfer Announced

NEWS RELEASES from the United States Department of Defense
No. 594-06 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jun 24, 2006
Media Contact: (703)697-5131
Public/Industry(703)428-0711

Detainee Transfer Announced

The Department of Defense announced today that it transferred 14 Saudi detainees from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to Saudi Arabia.

This movement included one detainee found to no longer be an enemy combatant by the Combatant Status Review Tribunals. The other thirteen detainees were approved for transfer by an Administrative Review Board (ARB) decision at Guantanamo.

With today's transfer, approximately 120 detainees remain at Guantanamo who the U.S. government has determined eligible for transfer or release through a comprehensive series of review processes. Departure of these remaining detainees approved for transfer or release is subject to ongoing discussions between the United States and other nations. The United States does not desire to hold detainees for any longer than necessary. The department expects that there will continue to be other transfers or releases of detainees.

There are ongoing processes to review the status of detainees held at Guantanamo. A determination about the continued detention or transfer of a detainee is based on the best information and evidence available at the time, both classified and unclassified.

With this transfer, approximately 310 detainees have departed Guantanamo to other governments, including Albania, Afghanistan, Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Kuwait, Morocco, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden and Uganda.

Approximately 450 detainees remain at Guantanamo.

-- Web Version: Web Version of Defenselink Mil
-- News Releases: Defenselink Mil Releases
-- DoD News: DoD News
-- Today in DoD: Today in DOD
-- U.S. Department of Defense Official Website - Defenselink Mil
-- U.S. Department of Defense News About the War on Terrorism -Defend America Mil

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Kidnapped victim freed; 9 terror suspects captured by Iraqi Security Forces

In a press release by CENTCOM on June 23, 2006, we find that the Iraqi forces freed a kidnapped woman after receiving a tip from an Iraqi citizen. They also captured the man who was holding her. When they brought him in for questioning, he admitted to the crime and told where the rest of the men involved were hiding.

Congratulations Iraqi Forces. Great job.

Category: (Military) News.
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Syria and Russia Strengthen Ties

Syria and Iran have already strengthened ties, and now Russia is entering fray. The USSR used to use the Tartus naval base in the harbor. This was a strategic port for them against the USA. They are now back, and they are bringing weapons and men with them.

This does not appear friendly toward the Global War on Terror (GWOT).
A team of technicians is currently replacing hatches and antennas on the base's floating dock, where incoming ships are refueled and loaded with provisions. More and more Russian landing vessels like the "Jamal," and modernized warships like the "Smetlivy" and the "Pytlivy," are dropping anchor in the ancient Crusader port. The missile cruiser "Moskva," the flagship of Russia's Black Sea fleet, with a crew of 850 and Vice Admiral Vassily Kondakov on board, paid a visit to the Latakia naval base in February. As in the old days, Kondakov met with the head of Syria's navy to assure his Syrian counterpart that Russian-Syrian relations are about to experience "an upswing." [continue reading]
The USA must take precautions to make sure the Ba'athists who are hiding in Syria, and the terrorists as well, do not gain access to the weapons of mass destruction that Syrians president has in his possession. Also, this is a base for Hizbollah.

There is much more information in the Der Spiegel, a German newspaper. I recommend this paper highly, because our own papers only want to play gotcha. They are not concerned with our national security. Don't let them fool you.

Germany has better dealings with the news around the world. A friend of ours, Jorg, covers the Carnivals of German-American Relations. While this article does not directly deal with our trans-Atlantic relationship, I would like to submit it to the Carnival.

I really want to encourage all of you who have a blog or a site to look through your archives. You may have an article recently written dealing with Germany, Europe, or our relationship that you would like to submit as well. Let me know, and I will help you.

You may also want to visit Jorg's site to read what the Germans and Americans think. Some articles are pro-trans-Atlantic, some are not. No surprise there. Give it a try. Thank you, and have a good day.

Category: Syria, USSR, Terrorism and Germany.
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Kelo's Almost Dead!

Today (June 23, 2006), with the stroke of his pen, President Bush made it impossible for governments to steal private land to give to private owners. He essentially killed the Kelo decision.

While it is restricted to the federal government, no state shall make laws that go outside the scope of the federal government. Let's see if this argument stands up in court.

Category: Politics/Debate and News.
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Friday, June 23, 2006

Iraq's Reconcilliation Plan

The rumors of an amnesty of all insurgents (terrorists) turns out to be just that, a rumor. In an article written by Joshua Partlow of the Washington Post, he states that PM al-Maliki was going to grant amnesty to those who had "carried weapons" but not to those who have committed crimes.
Earlier proposals suggested offering pardons to Iraqis who have attacked U.S. troops but not to those who attacked Iraqis, an idea the U.S. Senate strongly denounced. The new plan does not make that distinction, Iraqi officials said.

"It says that the government will issue an amnesty for all those who have not committed crimes against the people of Iraq and the friends of Iraq," said Deputy Prime Minister Barham Saleh, an ethnic Kurd from President Jalal Talabani's Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. "Those who attack U.S. forces are not immune from legal consequences. An attack on Iraqi forces or multinational forces are seen legally . . . as the same thing from the perspective of the government."
Good job on both sides. It was the best way to work out the differences between those who are citizens and those who fought for your freedom. Otherwise, us Americans might not so understanding.
The plan has about 20 central points, which include inviting human rights organizations to monitor Iraqi prisons and allowing certain members of Hussein's Baath Party who were removed from their jobs after the U.S. invasion to make a case for reinstatement, officials said. "Implementing it will be the real challenge," Saleh said.
Special correspondent K.I. Ibrahim contributed to this report.

Category: (Military) News and News.
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Troopers would arrest immigrants

The Boston Globe brings us this article.

Romney seeks federal OK to expand powers
By Yvonne Abraham and Scott Helman, Globe Staff June 21, 2006.

The Governor of Mass., Mitt Romney (R), has asked the federal government for permission to catch illegal aliens. They would do this through routine traffic stops. As it is stands right now, this is not allowed.

An aside: Are we not allowed to catch bank robbers? Well that's a federal crime. I have the perfect way to break the federal governments back.

Stop upholding all federal laws, including collecting income taxes and social security (FICA). Collect only those monies that pertain to the individual states.

This way, we let the federal government know they cannot choose the laws we are to uphold! Back to the story.
Federal immigration authorities would provide the troopers with 4 1/2 weeks of training in immigration laws and procedures, civil rights, and avoiding racial profiling.

If the proposal is approved, Massachusetts would join a handful of states and localities that have entered into such pacts since they were first authorized in 1996. That list includes Florida, Alabama, and a few counties in California and North Carolina, where a limited number of officers have been trained to enforce immigration laws.
How many knew of this? We at this cyber-paper did not. We are glad to see someone is on the ball.

Category: American News & Issues, Constitutional Issues, News and Terrorism.
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Bush v al Qaeda + al NY Times

I learned about the al New York Times front page story giving our enemies aid and comfort 17 minutes after it happened. I haven't been able to write, because I just don't know anymore. What purpose was there for us to have this information?

Do they want us all dead? Is this a ploy to bring out the financiers who will come to transfer their money out of those banks? I don't know, but I do know that I am angry. When we get attacked again, I'm blaming the al Qaeda and the NY Times and all big media for it.

Just in case they remove the story, you can read it here: My Newz 'n Ideas Plus!.

Category: Terrorism.
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CNN: FBI Director Robert Mueller regarding home grown terrorism

Email passed on from CNN Pipeline.

I thought you might be interested to know that CNN Pipeline will be featuring FBI Director Robert Mueller giving a speech to the City Club of Cleveland regarding home grown terrorism. He is expected to have a short press conference afterwards. Both will be LIVE on CNN Pipeline at 12PM ET.

CNN Pipeline is an online, commercial-free, multiple live-news feed. It showcases four simultaneous news feeds from around the world and an on-demand function that allows you to select from a variety of news stories.

According to CNN, you may be able to visit their URL, www.cnn.com and click on the CNN Pipeline link to watch it *live.* This is a pay for view feature at CNN. Check to see if you qualify for two-week free trial. The Bosun Locker is not affiliated with CNN, but, is passing on the email message announcing CNN Pipeline and Director Mueller's speech.

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Thursday, June 22, 2006

BN: FBI arrests 7 suspected of terrorism plot

Seven people were arrested, 5 were citizens, 1 has permantent residency, and the other was here ILLEGALLY (overstayed visa). The only one of two targeted plots that I caught was the Sears Towers in Chicago, Illinois. More news to come.

I cannot believe it. The AP is actually covering this! And, so is CNN Domestic Terrorism Plot!! I am in shock. I must lay down. lol.

It takes about 30 seconds to come up on the screen. Here is the same article, only easier to access. (This is my "My Newz 'n Ideas Plus!" site.) Remember, I did not write this, they did. Have a good day.

Category: Terrorism.

Also posting about this story:
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Senate Rejects Calls on Iraq Troop Pullout

In two votes today, the GOP-controlled Senate rejected Democratic calls to start withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq by years' end, as the two parties sought to define their election-year positions on a war that has grown increasingly unpopular.

In an 86-13 vote, the Senate turned back a proposal from some Democrats that would require the administration to withdraw all combat troops from Iraq by July 1, 2007, with redeployments beginning this year.

Minutes later, the Senate rejected the nonbinding phased withdrawl plan with a vote of 60-39. The Levin & Reid proposal was a nonbinding resolution that would call for the administration to begin withdrawing troops, but with no timetable for the war's end. More from Channel 8 San Diego>>

On Fox News: Senate Rejects BidsTo Set Iraq Pullout

Stop The ACLU has posted: 'Senate rejects calls on Iraq troop pullout '

Also writing about the Senate Rejecting: Hot Air .... Sister Toldjah .... Captain’s Quarters .... Right on the Right

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