Items found in U-Haul prompt terrorism investigation

Courtesy of Arizona Central

U-Haul prompt terrorism investigation

by Christopher Ramirez, The Arizona Republic

Sept. 28, 2007

Unusual items discovered in the back of a rental truck in Tempe prompted the county's anti-terrorism unit to launch an investigation Friday evening.

An employee at the U-Haul rental center near Priest Drive and Elliot Road called authorities around 5 p.m. after finding items that Maricopa County Sheriff's Deputy Doug Matteson called "suspicious" in a 15-foot rental truck.

No explosive material, hazardous items or weapons were inside the truck, Matteson said. Instead papers and other items were found.

Matteson would not divulge exactly what the other items were or what they were related to, only saying it was significant enough for the Maricopa County's anti-terrorism group to be called out to investigate.
Authorities are currently checking where the truck came from and who last rented it.

Matteson said that he believes the truck has been at that U-Haul location for 3 to 6 months and that as far as he knows no one has had access to it during that time. The rental center is surrounded by fences and has a security unit, Matteson said.

The Department of Homeland Security would be notified, Matteson said, although the current situation was not to a level that would require that federal agency or the FBI to get involved in the investigation.

Technorati tags: homeland security, dhs, u-haul, terror, domestic terrorism, arizona, maricopa county, arizona central, arizona republic, security response

Libs should get their facts straight with talk radio host Limbaugh

From my friends at Orbusmax: 

ORBUSMAX: NORTHWEST-BASED MEDIA AND PROGRESSIVE BLOGGERS, ALONG WITH NANCY PELOSI, NEED TO GET THEIR FACTS STRAIGHT BEFORE SHOOTING OFF THEIR FAT MOUTHS IN ORDER TO SCORE CHEAP POLITICAL POINTS... QUIT ACTING LIKE TEENAGERS RUNNING A WEBSITE FROM MOMMY'S BASEMENT...

***************************
UPDATE: LIMBAUGH RESPONDS:

• TRANSCRIPT...
• VIDEO...

***************************
THE REST OF THE STORY: WHAT LIMBAUGH ACTUALLY SAID ABOUT "PHONY SOLDIERS"

• SUMMARY FROM RWN - COMMENTS REFERRED TO JESSIE MCBETH, MICAH WRIGHT...
• WEEKLY STANDARD: "Attackers ought to render comments honestly and own up to their own embarrassing record..."
• CQ: "Phony Outrage..."

Technorati tags: rush limbaugh, talk radio, liberalism, liberals, dnc, democrats, political pundits

On The Spot: Should Congress Make Taxpayers Subsidize Columbia University?

 

Courtesy of CNSNews.com

Rep. Duncan Hunter (Republican - California) on Monday threatened to cut off federal funding to Columbia University in New York City, which on Monday hosted Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for a speech and question-and-answer session with students.  (Iran, according to the State Department, is a state-sponsor of terrorism.)

“If the left-wing leaders of academia will not support our troops,” Hunter said in a statement, “they, in the very least, should not support our adversaries.”

Bosun: Just why should the taxpayers subside Columbia University's social agenda?   Since 1969, Columbia has banned military recruiters since 1969 and will not sanction a ROTC program.

Prior to the Vietnam War, Columbia cadets had peacefully coexisted with their classmates since the inception of ROTC in 1916. Columbia’s dedication to service was profound—at one point in its history the university was producing more officers per year than even the U.S. Naval Academy. In spite of Columbia's military tradition, the administration expelled ROTC programs from campus in 1969 to appease student protesters and disgruntled faculty. When the war in Vietnam ended in 1975, students resumed their studies and the protests faded away. Columbia's ban on ROTC, however, has remained to this day.  Source: Advocates for Columbia ROTC.

For the rest of the CNSNews story: On The Spot: Should Congress Make Taxpayers Subsidize Columbia University?

Duncan has already written a letter to Columbia University President Bollinger and releases a press release;

Press Release/Statement

For Immediate Release
September 22, 2007
CONTACT:  Joe Kasper
(202) 225-5672

HUNTER DENOUNCES COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY INVITATION TO IRANIAN PRESIDENT

Washington, D.C. – In a letter to Columbia University President Lee Bollinger, U.S. Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-CA) today criticized the University for inviting Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to speak to students and faculty this coming Monday, September 24th.

 “This leader of state, which supports terrorists, is presently sending deadly roadside bombs across the Iraqi border to injure and kill American troops,” said Hunter.  “Columbia University’s hosting of Ahmadinejad is a slap in the face of the 165,000 U.S. troops serving in Iraq.  As he speaks, his agents will be moving roadside bombs onto the battlefield to be used against America’s military men and women. 

 This event, following the slanderous advertisement by MoveOn.org, depicting General Petraeus as “General Betray Us,” represents the emergence of the extreme left-wing of American politics. 

 Hunter concluded, “If this event takes place as scheduled, I intend to introduce legislation to cut-off Columbia University from every form of federal assistance.  If the left-wingers of academia will not support our troops, they, in the very least, should not support our adversaries."

Please call, fax, and/or email your congressmen and congresswomen and express your outrage at taxpayer dollars subsiding a social agenda and undermining our military.

Use this link to:
Contact Elected Representatives

Technorati tags: ahmadinejad, columbia university President Lee Bollinger, columbia university, congressional representatives, congressman duncan hunter, socialists, social agenda, liberalism

Monks Allowed Past Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's House

In a move to perhaps quell some of the public discourse  after recent government crackdowns, police unexpectedly let more than 500 monks through at a roadblock where Aung San Suu Kyi's house is located.

The monks stopped briefly in front of Suu Kyi's house and said some prayers before leaving

"Today is extraordinary. We walked past lay disciple Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's house today. We are pleased and glad to see her looking fit and well," a 45-year-old monk told about 200 people at Sule Pagoda in downtown Yangon. "Daw" is an honorific used in referring to older women.

"She came out to the gate and paid obeisance to us and later waved at the crowd when we left," said the monk, who did not give his name. Courtesy of AP: Monks Allowed Past Suu Kyi's House   

Aung San Suu Kyi is the elected leader of Burma and a pro-democracy activist.

The State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) military junta, that took control of Burma in 1988, changed the name of the country, Burma, to the "Union of Myanmar" in 1989. It also changed the capital's name from Rangoon to Yangon.

In 1990, the junta refused to hand over power after Aung San Suu Kyi's party landslide victory, and has kept Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest for ten out of the last 18 years.

The world has continued to watch in deep dismay as a country of Burma’s beauty and potential deteriorates under the oppressive weight of the junta.  The junta created and nurtured a repressive regime with no regard for human rights.

For what it is worth, Burma’s neighbors in the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) have publicly condemned the regime’s lack of tangible progress in returning to the democratic path.  Unfortunately there has been no progress.

I encourage everyone to pray for the junta to release Aung San Suu Kyi and allow democracy to florish in Burma.

Sources for the article:

Monks Allowed Past Suu Kyi's House

Quiet prayers, protests as Aung San Suu Kyi turns 61

Burma Freedom and Democracy Act of 2003

Hillary is playing both sides against the middle

When are we going to learn our lessons about Clinton, Inc.  Hillary is once again playing both sides against the middle.  The American public is being deceived by the great sham artists of Clinton Inc.

Hillary Clinton Refuses to Cross MoveOn.Org
(CNSNews.com) - The Senate -- without Sen. Hillary Clinton’s support -- on Thursday passed a Republican-sponsored amendment condemning “personal attacks on the honor and integrity of General Petraeus and all members of the United States Armed Forces.” Sen. Clinton, in refusing to condemn MoveOn.org, appears to be trying to mollify the group that has criticized her for her earlier cautious, "centrist" stance on the Iraq war...

I need not say any more about this subject.  Here is the news, you form your own opinions.

Columbia University rolls out red carpet for Ahmadinejad

Columbia University is trying to paint itself as a beacon of freedom of speech and opportunity by their move to invite Ahmadinejad over for a speaking engagement.   However one of their little secrets is that they have banned military recruiters since 1969 and will not sanction a ROTC program.

Prior to the Vietnam War, Columbia cadets had peacefully coexisted with their classmates since the inception of ROTC in 1916. Columbia’s dedication to service was profound—at one point in its history the university was producing more officers per year than even the U.S. Naval Academy. In spite of Columbia's military tradition, the administration expelled ROTC programs from campus in 1969 to appease student protesters and disgruntled faculty. When the war in Vietnam ended in 1975, students resumed their studies and the protests faded away. Columbia's ban on ROTC, however, has remained to this day.  Source: Advocates for Columbia ROTC.

On with the Columbia University - Ahmadinejad love affair, a marriage of questionable nature. 

Courtesy of NY Daily News:

Ripped for inviting Iranian thug

Prominent politicians, religious groups and some alumni were outraged yesterday at Columbia University's decision to allow Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to spew his hate on campus.......For the rest of the story  alumni were outraged

Join the discussion at NYDailyNews.

This is the news you come to your own conclusions. 

Hat tip to Stop the ACLU

Bin Laden Urges Pakistani Jihad

Courtesy of AP News, MyWay

  CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - Al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden called on Pakistanis to rebel against President Pervez Musharraf in a new recording released on Thursday, saying his military's siege of a militant mosque stronghold makes him an infidel.

The storming of the Red Mosque in Islamabad in July "demonstrated Musharraf's insistence on continuing his loyalty, submissiveness and aid to America against the Muslims ... and makes armed rebellion against him and removing him obligatory," bin Laden said in the message.

"So when the capability is there, it is obligatory to rebel against the apostate ruler, as is the case now," he said, according to a transcript released by Laura Mansfield, a U.S. terrorism expert who monitors militant message traffic.

Bin Laden's voice was heard over a video showing previously released footage of the terror leader. It was posted Thursday on Islamic militant Web sites.  For the rest of thg story: Bin Laden calls for Jihad in Pakistan

Ayman al-Zawahri releases new video tape days after Osama

CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - Al-Qaeda's deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahri said the United States was being defeated in Afghanistan, Iraq and other fronts in a new video released Thursday, the latest in a series put out by the terror network.

The video came days after Osama bin Laden released two messages to mark the Sept. 11 anniversary—including his first new appearance in a video in nearly three years.

The 80-minute video posted on Islamic militant Web sites Thursday was in a documentary style, touting al-Qaeda's activities in various areas, including Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia and North Africa.   For the rest of the article: New al-Qaeda Video Released

Immigration News: Arizona to screen out undocumented workers

Courtesy of the Arizona Republic

Firms begin hiring-law sign-up.  Thousands more take wait-see approach

By Daniel González,The Arizona Republic

Nearly 700 employers in Arizona enrolled in a federal program to screen out undocumented workers after Gov. Janet Napolitano signed the new employer-sanctions law on July 2.

Thousands more are waiting to see whether the law survives a legal challenge. The law requires every employer in Arizona to enroll in the E-Verify program, formerly Basic Pilot, by Jan. 1 or risk seeing their business license revoked if caught employing an undocumented worker.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said 1,117 Arizona employers were registered as of Friday. That is more than double the 433 participants when the law was signed, but still a fraction of the more than 150,000 employers in Arizona.

Immigration lawyers are suggesting employers hold off on enrolling until December, when a federal judge may have ruled on the law. If not, lawyers plan to tell employers to sign up en masse to test the program.

E-Verify has been stymied by errors and is not designed to screen out undocumented workers using stolen identities. Still, it should be able to handle the rush, CIS spokeswoman Marie Sebrechts said.

"Terrorists have been arrested on the border, security chief says"

Courtesy of Counterterrorism Blog

By Michael Cutler, Counterterrorism Blog

Here's the lead from an article that deals with the nexus between our nation's failure to secure our borders and the imminent danger that this lunacy poses to our nation's security, six years after the attacks of September 11, 2001: "Texas' top homeland security official said Wednesday that terrorists with ties to Hezbollah, Hamas and al-Qaeda have been arrested crossing the Texas border with Mexico in recent years." The official described one person caught in 2004 as being tied to a Pakistan insurgent group and whose specialty was smuggling Afghanis and other illegal aliens across the border.

I want you to take a moment to let the significance of all of this sink in. Our nation is at war with terrorists who have already killed thousands of innocent victims within our nation's borders. The commonly quoted number of victims is approximately 3,000. In point of fact I fear that the ultimate toll will actually be a multiple of that number when you factor in all of the people who are dying of lung diseases and other ailments associated with the various highly toxic pollutants that were released when the buildings at the World Trade Center complex collapsed. And now we see how the open borders of the United States facilitate the entry of terrorists, at a time when "We the People" are being inconvenienced, and our freedoms and expectations of privacy are being significantly reduced.

We know that in order to carry out their pernicious plans, terrorists must gain entry into our country and embed themselves in communities around the United States. The key to both of these activities is the way in which our nation secures its borders and enforces the immigration laws from within the interior of the United States. So it is critical that USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) create as tight and effective system as possible. It is also important that all governments deny illegal aliens sanctuary, because sanctuary for illegal aliens will encourage still more illegal aliens, and will enable criminals (and especially terrorists) to set up shop in those communities willing to provide sanctuary.

Ann Coulter rips em again: 'Are liberals traitors? Or just stupid?'

Even before his testimony was given, Democrats contended that Gen. David Petraeus' report to Congress on the surge was a put-up job with a pre-ordained conclusion.  The Democrats in action organization, Moveon.org, ran a full page advertisement in the the New York Times proclaiming General Petraeus as a betrayer of America. 

"If liberals are not traitors, their only fallback argument at this point is that they're really stupid." That's how our take-no-prisoners commentator,  Ann Coulter, ends her new column today, after using the left's own words to highlights their errors.

Coulter points out that "(d)emocrats yearn for America to be defeated on the battlefield and oppose any use of the military – except when they can find individual malcontents in the military willing to denounce the war and call for a humiliating retreat. "

"After citing many pre-war concerns of pundits, Coulter notes: "We took Baghdad in about 17 days flat with amazingly few casualties. There were no al-Qaeda attacks in America, no attacks on Israel, no invasion by Turkey, no attacks on our troops with chemical weapons, no ayatollahs running Iraq. We didn't turn our back on the Kurds. There were certainly not 100,000 dead American troops. ..."

Continues Coulter: "Now our forces are killing lots of al-Qaeda jihadists, preventing another terrorist attack on U.S. soil, and giving democracy in Iraq a chance - and Democrats say we are 'losing' this war. I think that's a direct quote from their leader in the Senate, Harry Reid, but it may have been the Osama bin Laden tape released this week. I always get those two confused." 

Read Ann's new column at WorldNetDaily.com: From the halls of Malibu to the shores of Kennedy

Bin Laden's Video Message to the American People

Special Dispatch – Jihad & Terrorism

September 10, 2007 

No.1709

Osama Bin Laden's Video Message to the American People

To view this Special Dispatch in HTML, visit:
Osama Bin Laden's Video Message to the American

On September 8, 2007 the Islamist forum http://al-ekhlaas.org, hosted by Layered Technologies, Inc. in Texas, USA, posted a video message from Osama bin Laden to the American people titled "The Solution."
The following are excerpts.

Bin Laden opens his message by discussing the effect of the 9/11 attacks, which, he claims, "further harmed America's reputation and its prestige worldwide..." He goes on to characterize U.S. policies throughout history, and more recently in Iraq, as morally reprehensible. For example, he presents Bush's claim that the U.S. is "cooperating with Al-Maliki's government in order to spread freedom in Iraq" as an attempt to cover up Bush's "true intentions," which are "to work with leaders of one sect in Iraq against another sect" in hope that this will turn the war in his favor, while in fact this policy has precipitated a civil war "which [Bush] can no longer control." Thus, bin Laden claims that while the U.S. "proclaim[ed] the slogans of justice, freedom, equality, and humaneness," in reality its policies yielded "fear, destruction, killing, famine, illness, and vagrancy." As a result of this war, he continues, "there are more than one million orphans in Baghdad alone, and hundreds of thousands of widows... The American's [own] statistics... [reveal] that more than 650,000 people have been killed in Iraq as a result of the war and its consequences."

Bin Laden then points out that the Democrats have so far failed to stop the war in Iraq, despite winning the congressional elections. He interprets this as an indication that wealthy individuals still dominate policy decisions, and says to the Americans, "Now that your representatives in the Democratic party failed to fulfill your desire to stop the war, you can keep marching in the streets of big [U.S.] cities holding up anti-war signs," but this will be to no avail.

Bin Laden then adds that "there are [nevertheless] two [ways] to bring [the war] to an end. The first... is for us to continue killing and fighting you with ever increasing intensity [until we defeat you]... The second is... [for you] to liberate yourselves from the deception and restrictions... inflicted upon you by the capitalistic system... in the same way you liberated yourselves from the monks and kings that once enslaved you, and from feudalism." The goal of the capitalist system, he warns, is to turn the entire world into a fief controlled by large corporations..."

As an alternative to the capitalist system, bin Laden offers Islam. He calls upon the Americans to embrace Islam, saying: "The biggest and most irreversible error one can commit in this world is to die without surrendering oneself to Allah, namely, to die without embracing Islam." He warns that, once the owners of the major corporations realize that the Americans people have lost confidence in the democratic system and have started searching for an alternative, i.e., Islam, "they will run after you to please you and fulfill your every desire, in order to turn you away from Islam." He therefore advices the Americans not to waver in their pursuit of Islam, since the benefits they will receive by embracing it are numerous, including a significant reduction in taxes, since Islam does not impose taxes beyond the mandatory 2.5% Zakat (i.e., alms) tax.

*********************

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

Mexican Truckers are now here, Where is the Mainstream Media?

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

MEXICAN TRUCKS NOW WELCOME ON U.S. ROADS
Courtesy of Rick Roberts, 760 KFMB AM San Diego 
September 5th, 2007

Get ready… Mexican truckers are hitting American streets starting this Thursday. Yes, President Bush finally got his way.

The President didn’t succeed with amnesty - so instead, he is trying to piecemeal the “selling out of this country” through ways that the lamestream media will not pick up… or just don’t care about.

Are there safety standards for these Mexican trucks?

Well, loose ones at best…

The Mexican drivers are supposed to speak English.

Will they? No.

The cargo is supposed to be check for drugs and illegals.

Will it all be caught? Hell No!!

I’m sure the safety standards and other regulations will be enforced on our nation’s highways, much like the laws are enforced against illegal aliens in our sanctuary city.

…sort of a “don’t ask, don’t tell” free pass, with certain privileges that U.S. citizens don’t get.

The trucks from Mexico won’t be held to the same standards as ours.

The drivers from Mexico won’t be held to the same standards as ours, either.

The trucks provide an outlet for drug lords to smuggle narcotics.

They also provide yet another outlet for coyotes…

Not to mention the potential for yet another drunk illegal alien…
ONLY THIS TIME BEHIND THE WHEEL OF A HUGE 18 WHEELER.

OH! And lets not forget the loss of more American jobs.

But I guess being a truck driver is now just another job that Americans don’t want to do… Right, El Presidente Bush?

It’s just a bad idea all the way around.

The cons outweigh the pros… But you’ll never get the Bush administration or the department of Transportation to admit it.

You will never get them to fess up to the fact that they cannot keep track of every single truck from Mexico.

So, get ready America… Your border is now open for the Mexican trucker, and all that he hauls.

Comments at Ricks Blog, 760 AM, KFMB San Diego

Video for Darfur - Send peacekeepers NOW!

Please listen to this video. It says in a few seconds what I have been saying for years. There is only one difference. I am not asking you for anything other than a phone call (Toll free: 866-340-9281). I will never ask you for a dime or a penny. They do not ask for any money in this video for which I am grateful. However, when you go to their site, they will.

They do not have a bad site. You should visit it just to educate yourself. BTW, it has been 400,000 killed for a couple of years now. Do ya think the number ought to be higher? I do.

The Darfurians have no voice other than yours. Please consider abolishing slavery and Jihadist genocide. If you have any questions, please contact me. I will gladly answer any questions to the best of my ability. Thank you for your time to read this. It would mean a lot more to me if you would raise your voice...politely! :)

Glenn Beck's Show on CNN: Exposed: Climate of Fear

A discussion about Glenn Beck's book, "Exposed: Climate of Fear" will air on CNN at 7pm and 9pm on May 2, 2007.

There are still questions about why Earth is warming and what man can do about it. In “Exposed: Climate of Fear,” a one-hour special airing May 2, Glenn Beck examines how the media portray global warming – such as in the documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" – and he looks for answers and solutions.

Glenn Beck airs every night at 7 and 9 p.m. ET on Headline News.

This should be very interesting...Since I do not have cable, please let me know how it turns out. Thank you.

Hat tip: Atlas Shrugs. (It is an advertizement on the top-right side of her site.)

Religion of Peace: UK-5 found guilty; Video

Imagine that? Such nice young men. All they want is your head. Is that too much to ask? Come on! The democrats believe them, why don't you? Could this have something to do with it? Aww, but these are peaceful people.

Hat tip: LGF.

Libby found guilty

I am too upset to write a long piece. Here is the AP's spin on it. Libby's lawyer is asking for a new trial. If that fails, he will ask for an appeal.

Here are some articles you can read: American Thinker, Michelle Malkin, Bloomberg's Libby, Ex-Cheney Aide, Convicted in CIA Leak Case (Update2) and Fox News' I. Lewis 'Scooter' Libby Guilty on Four of Five Counts in CIA Leak Trial.

Update: Dagney has written an article more in the way I am feeling today, the next day. I am still appalled at this injustice, and she nails it with her title: The InJustice Department Strikes Again.

Update II: Victoria Toensing has written an article from a legal point of view and more information as to the conduct of the Special Counsel Attorney and Judge. Amazingly breathtaking. That's how discumbobulated this sham has turn out to be.

A Photo to Kill Over

I couldn't pass this one up. It is quite interesting. It is the last photo I would have expected to see in Selma, Alabama, but here it is. Hey, don't blame me. I didn't do it! lol.

For those of you who don't understand the title, this is my reasoning. This a celebration and remembrance of how far we have come since that horrible day in Selma, Alabama, when Democrats ran much of the South. They would beat our Americans of African descent with impunity. On this day almost 50 years ago, there was a march. On the way crossing the bridge, these beast (police) beat them (marchers) with clubs and hoses. It was a very bloody sight.

This also happens to be a political year(s) already, and the 2 front-runners are in Selma at separate Churches (ACLU anyone?) speaking. I've said enough. You look at the picture and you will know who wants to kill whom!

"Operation Imposing the Law" according to Iraqis

There has been much talk about this new operation, depending on which side of the discussion you find yourself. We all know what we think, so I thought it would be good if we just stepped back and out of the way for a moment to listen to what the Iraqis who live right there have to say.

Obviously I am going to bring you their personal beliefs from their blogs. Sometimes it was the only news I could get from this war. I feel confident in the sincerity of these people whom I am going to quote. Shall we?

First I would like to share with the opening of operations as seen through the eyes of Omar at Iraq the Model. This was written on Feb. 15, 2007 and is named, "Operation Baghdad Update":

Despite the traffic jams and though this is the largest deployment for troops in the capital, daily life and civilian activity-contrary to what was expected-still continues at a rather normal level, unlike previous crackdowns where life came to near paralysis. Read more.

He also goes into detail about Maliki and his observations as to this man's actions in the recent days.

His brother, Mohammed, has written an article titled, "Attacks in Baghdad down by 80%" on Sunday, Feb. 18, 2007:

Since the multiple bombings in Shroja market district on the 12th, Baghdad hasn’t seen any major attacks and there’s a tangible decrease in all kinds of attacks.

Not only official statements say so (Defense ministry officials said today that attacks are down by 80% in Baghdad). It’s a reality I live in nowadays, at least in my neighborhood and its surroundings. It is also what I hear from friends and relatives in other parts of the city.We are hearing fewer explosions and less gunfire now than two weeks ago and that, in Baghdad, qualifies as quiet. Read more.

This is an awesome post. I never would have guessed any of this just by reading our own newspapers. Do we have journalists over there?

The latest post from the ITM brothers (Mohammed) is titled, "Bombs strike again but hope remains" and was written Monday, Feb. 19, 2007:

Although soldiers and policemen are filling the streets, the terrorists are too coward to face the troops and choose to massacre unarmed civilians instead. What are they trying to prove with these cowardly acts? They can’t defeat the troops, so they attack civilians to discredit the security plan. But I don’t think such attacks can change the course of events on the long term; the Baghdad plan is a strategic effort that will go on for months, and time doesn’t seem to be on the terrorists’ side right now.
...
Although attacks happen here and there, the general feeling is still closer to hope and appreciation of the plan than pessimism. More families are returning to the homes they were once forced to leave, and we’re talking about some of the most dangerous districts such as Ghazaliya and Haifa Street.

Al-Sabah reports that yesterday alone 327 families returned home and that the scene of vans loaded with furniture of refugees leaving Baghdad is no more. There were times when the average was around 20 a day. The 327 figure brought the total to more than 500 families across Baghdad. Read more.

They seem to be able to find the confidence within themselves that our politicians are sorely lacking. Alas, let us keep the pols out of this.

Here is another person who has written about the recent events. IraqiPundit has this to say in this post written Mon, 2/19/2007. The title is, "A Baghdad Homecoming":

Here’s a quick snapshot of the Baghdad security crackdown, from my own family’s point of view. My story involves only a single household, but – so far – it has a happy ending. I don’t pretend that this one household’s story is a counterweight to all the misery and murder that the crackdown is intended to address, but it’s my profound hope that this story is – or soon will be --representative of many other such individual tales that will be told by many other Iraqi families. Read more.

IraqPundit has a very keen sense of what is happening in and around Iraq. Very nice and moving article.

All of these posts are insightful and informative. They have much more news than you will find in our dinosaur media. You may also wish to read Pajamas Media. This is a collection of several citizen journalists who dedicate their time going after the news that is really out there but we never see. Have a great day.

CENTCOM Unveils New WebSite

The new CENTCOM Website has press releases, video clips (this was done through a search), several links (this does not mean that they are endorsed by CENTCOM) and a variety of information from the CENTCOM area of responsibility. New features are available as well including the CENTCOM News Podcast. Please go check it out. Maybe you could help by sending some feedback about the new site? If you would like to, you may reach them here. BE POLITE. Thank you. :)