Bush speaks at Annapolis - and again avoids the obvious

President Bush addressed the graduating class of cadets at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD today. Here is a link to his full speech:
GOP.com | Republican National Committee :: Remarks By The President On The War On Terror

Again, what President Bush didn't say was a lot more revealing than what he did say.

After the usual warm up joke, thank yous and obligatory mentions of local politicians in attendance, the President made a reference often missing from his speeches, discussing the global nature of this war, and on its Islamist content. And he again, intelligently in myopinion,
compared Islamism with fascism and the communist enemy of the cold war.

The President then gave a detailed analysis of his strategy in Iraq. He mentioned whom he felt the opposition consisted of ("rejectionists, Saddamists and terrorists") and the steps being taken to create 'a democratic Iraq led by a federal government that is a strong enough government to protect minority rights.'

Apparently, the President still feels that all it takes to turn the Arab World into a peaceful democratic haven is ballots and the vote. Needless to say, he didn't mention the results of the recent elections mounted under heavy US pressure in Egypt and the Palestinian Authority , which saw Islamists and terrorists like Barghouti making major gains.

Bush then weighed in on terrorists `linked with or inspired by al Qaeda' and stated that if victorious `They would then use Iraq as a base from which to launch attacks against America, and overthrow moderate governments in the Middle East, and try to establish a totalitarian Islamic empire that reaches from Indonesia to Spain. That's their stated objective.'

All well and good. But no mention of how he plans to deal with states that actively support the Great Jihad and are already bases for it..like our `friends' the Saudis. Or Iran. And most importantly, no mention of how America is going to fight the Islamist enemy on the home front.

Bush goes on to say that there is no appeasing this enemy, and that America will not accept anything less than total victory. He then pointedly refuses to go into what victory over global jihad would consist of!

The President concluded with a detailed account of how the USA is training Iraqi security forces and the progress that's been made. Anyone with any knowledge of what's been going on there can't help but be impressed by the progress.

But here's the kicker:the president seems to think that a `victory' in this war consists of Iraqis securing their own country and our troops returning home. As if that is going to deter the Iranians from getting nukes, end the exporting of Islamic terrorism and jihad throughout the globe and magically dissapate the Islamist mindset!

Can President Bush actually believe this?

The president's speech at Annapolis was much better than some of his previous outings, and each time he appears to get a leetle bit closer to actually telling his fellow Americans the real deal. But this speech was only halfway there. Just as, unfortunately, President Bush seems to be content in fighting half a war.

Today's Quote: Jihad Johnny Sez

scene from the Bali bombing


"Give courage to the believers. I shall cast terror into the hearts of the infidels. Strike off their heads, strike off the very tips of their fingers!" —Koran 8:12

Poll show most Americans DO feel the anti-war Dems are hurting the troops morale

As the FreedomFighter has frequently written, most Americans understand why we are in Iraq and support our efforts there, in spite of serious reservations about the way the Bush Administration is fighting this war, and the hypocritical way the label `War on Terror' is selectively applied.

They also can see that much of the outrageous nonsense peddled by certain segments of the Democratic party is in fact aid and comfort to our enemies. It's truly a pity our president doesn't think enough of the common sense of the American people to level with them, adopt a consistent approach to fighting this war and provide leadership to rally them to victory. Let's hope he changes direction and does exactly that...and soon.


Sympathetic Vibrations

By Chris Cillizza and Peter Slevin
Washington Post-Sunday, November 27, 2005; A04

Democrats fumed last week at Vice President Cheney's suggestion that criticism of the administration's war policies was itself becoming a hindrance to the war effort. But a new poll indicates most Americans are sympathetic to Cheney's point.

Seventy percent of people surveyed said that criticism of the war by Democratic senators hurts troop morale -- with 44 percent saying morale is hurt "a lot," according to a poll taken by RT Strategies. Even self-identified Democrats agree: 55 percent believe criticism hurts morale, while 21 percent say it helps morale.

The results surely will rankle many Democrats, who argue that it is patriotic and supportive of the troops to call attention to what they believe are deep flaws in President Bush's Iraq strategy. But the survey itself cannot be dismissed as a partisan attack. The RTs in RT Strategies are Thomas Riehle, a Democrat, and Lance Tarrance, a veteran GOP pollster.

Their poll also indicates many Americans are skeptical of Democratic complaints about the war. Just three of 10 adults accept that Democrats are leveling criticism because they believe this will help U.S. efforts in Iraq. A majority believes the motive is really to "gain a partisan political advantage."

This poll is one of the few pieces of supportive news the administration has had lately on Iraq. Most surveys have shown significant majorities believe it was a mistake to go to war, as well as rising sentiment that Bush misled Americans in making the case for it.

Even so, there is still support for Bush's policy going forward. A plurality, 49 percent, believe that troops should come home only when the Iraqi government can provide for its own security, while 16 percent support immediate withdrawal, regardless of the circumstances.

Gee, What a surprise...turns out the Israelis were right about the EU funding terrorism after all.

Charity cash for Palestinian poor was siphoned to suicide bombers >Independent Online Middle East

Not that it changes anything, right?

Good news! Supreme Court upholds judgement against Palestinian Authority

Today, the United States Supreme Court refused today to overturn a $116 million judgment against the Palestinian Authority in the murder of a Jewish couple near Judea (the West Bank). I included portraits of the young couple to remind people that these murder victims were human beings, not `settlers' or statistics...just a young couple who's lives were callously ended not because of anything they did, but because of whom they were.Supreme Court passes up PLO case


The PA was succesfully sued in federal court in Rhode Island over the 1996 drive-by shooting of Yaron Ungar, an American citizen, and his Israeli wife, Efrat, as the couple returned home from a wedding.

The family’s relatives succesfully proved that that the PLO and Palestinian Authority provided a safe haven and operational base for Hamas, who carried out the actual murders. A judge issued a default judgment of $116M after the Palestinian Authority refused to respond to requests for depositions from Yasser Arafat and others.

Former Attorney General and terrorist groupie Ramsey Clark(who else??) was the lawyer for the PA, continuing his record of standing up for evil and indecency.

Talk about denial..check out the Euro-Mediterranean Summit!

Today at the so-called `Euro-Mediterranean Summit' The European Union, Israel and its Arab neighbors supposedly endorsed an anti-terrorism code of conduct that denounced `terrorism in all it's forms'. Jerusalem Post | Breaking News from Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World Only one slight problem. Except for Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, none of the Arab leaders showed up, or even had their countries participate in any major degree! The article doesn't mention that little tidbit until the last paragraph.

Why Israel and the EU continue to delude themselves or participate in farces like this is anybody's guess. Abbas and the Turks I can understand. Abbas needs the EU to keep funding the Palestinian Jihad and the Turks want into the EU.

Of course, the EU taxpayers continue to foot the bill for jihad, and the article mentions grants and `soft' loans to the tune of $23.5 billion that the EU has doled out since 1995, with next to no effect on the region's poverty or in promoting democracy. Though I'm sure a good bit of it ended up in numbered accounts in Switzerland or the Caymans.

EU plans to make East Jerusalem Jew free

In a stunning revelation, a secret document has leaked prepared by the European Commission with the help of the British Foreign Ministry(Britain is now head of the European Parliament) criticizing Israel for essentially allowing Jews to live in `traditionally Arab'East Jerusalem!EU downplays leaked memo on east Jerusalem - Yahoo! News

The EU apparently considers such long time Jewish communities such as Gilo, French Hill, and New Talpiot to be `settlements' aimed at `thwarting Palestinian aspirations to have Jerusalem as their capitol and prejudicing final settlement negotiations'...

No mention, of course, that East Jerusalem only became `traditionally Arab' after Jordan invaded and anexed it in 1948 and murdered or expelled every Jew living there! Oddly enough, that Jordanian army was equipped and under the command of British officers headed by none other than notorious anti-Semite Colonel John Glubb (`Glubb Pasha').

And no mention of the fact that Israel has annexed Jerusalem and consistently said that Jerusalem is not a subject for negotiation.

Neck deep in this were,of course, the usual suspects - British Foreign Minister Jack Sraw and EU envoy Marc Otte. Straw was instrumental in creating a de facto arms embargo to Israel...even extending to ejector mechanisms designed to save the lives of Israel's pilots.

The document stated that "Israel's activities in Jerusalem are in violation of both its roadmap obligations and international law," and further mentioned the EU's "grave concerns at Israeli activities in and around East Jerusalem, including construction of the separation barrier", citing the kangeroo court ICJ ruling at the Hague.

There is no mention of the first step in the Roadmap..the Palestinians disarming terrorists and ending incitement in their mosques, schools and media.

And the EU are the people Sharon agreed to have monitor the Gaza border crossings!

Looks like all the `diplomatic progress' supposedly generated by Israel turning over Gaza to the Palestinians was just a lot of smoke and mirrors. There are apparently still a lot of European diplomats who figure that giving Israel to the Arabs will buy them some peace.

They're horribly mistaken.

And the Israelis had better start being a lot less cooperative with people that have a vested interest in their destruction.

The latest on Iran...

The Mullahs are crowing in triumph after the Europeans backed down on referring Iran to the Security Council over it's nuclear program.Iran Focus-News - Special Wire - Iran trumpets "EU retreat" over nuclear issue Click on the link to see what the Iranians themselves are saying about this latest retreat.

Originally, the EU's stance was unconditional on a halt to enrichment as a precondition for negotiations. And of course, Dubbya appears to prefer to ignore all this and leave it in the hands of the Europeans. The mullahs, as the Freedom Fighter predicted, are adamant about the complete nuclear cycle remaining in their hands and have essentially spit on the deal Putin and Bush cooked up last week.outlookindia.com | wired

In other news, agreements have come to light between North Korea and Iran in a swap of oil for missles.Bangkok Post - Breaking News

The Freedom Fighter documented the last deal, which was brokered by Russia for a handsome commission. Again, it only takes a glance at the map to show that only secure route for an oil-and-missle trade between these two rogue regimes is via-you guessed it- Russia. Uh, thanks Vladimir.

Denial ain't a river in Egypt, Jose

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso Thursday stressed that there is no connection between acts of terrorism and Islamic countries.Barroso: No linkage between Muslim countries and terrorism - Irna

He told a press conference in Brussels Thursday afternoon that the upcoming Euro-Mediterranean summit will be an opportunity for Arab leaders "to distance themselves from the idea that there is a linkage between Islamic countries and terrorism."

"I know it is not true. We don't want to make that linkage but it would be helpful if the Islamic countries take this opportunity to clearly denounce terrorism," he said.

Unbelievable.

The real story, of course was in the basic no-show by Muslim leaders to the conference.The Courier-Mail: Summit undermined by Muslim no-show [28nov05]

I guess even Barrosso and his European pals couldn't grovel quite enough.

Iranian Mullahs plan to deal with unemployment

Openings for suicide bombers and shaheeds!
Full benefits for full term of employment.

Thanks and a hat tip to the Persian Journal

Palestinians elect jailed terrorist

Yep, in another move designed to increase Israeli confidence in its `peace partner', Palestinians voting in the primary election for the ruling party Fatah overwhelmingly elected jailed terrorist Marwan Barghouti, currently serving a life sentence after being convicted in an Israeli civilian court of masterminding the murder of 5 Israeli civilians.Jailed Palestinian Leader Wins Primaries - Yahoo! News

Several of the boys from al-Aksa also won office including Jamal Abu Rob in Jenin,who calls himself `Hitler'.

Lovely people. Just the kind of folks you want living next door.

Quote O' The Day:

"It is a dream come true for us to be here to celebrate the re-opening of the Rafah terminal as a free crossing between us and our brothers in Egypt that is part of the progress toward an independent Palestinian state whose capital
is Jerusalem...until then, the martyrs will not rest."

-Mahmoud Abbas, PA Chairman at the opening ceremony of the Rafah border crossing.

Abbas is upfront about saying that the terrorism will not cease until the Pals get everything they want. Gee, what ever happened to `land for peace'?

Muslim Brotherhood wins stunning victories in 2nd round of Egyptian elections

The Muslim Brotherhood captured 29 more seats in weekend parliamentary runoff elections, meaning that Islamists will control at least five times more seats in the new legislature than it does now. And there are several more rounds of voting to come. AP Wire | 11/27/2005 | Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood wins seats

The election was marked by violence, massive police turnout and undoubtedly by certain `irregularities'. In a real, uncooked election, the Brotherhood would have probably done even better.

Apparently Dubbyah's theory of democracy being an antidote for radical Islam is just a mite flawed in places. Look for an Islamist regime or a military dictatorship once an aging Mubarek dies off.

Ramsey Clark to join Saddam's defense team..who lifted up the rock?

CNN.com - Lawyer: Ex-U.S. attorney general to join Saddam defense - Nov 27, 2005

There are some people with a sense of ethics and humanity so warped and damaged that there is literally nothing beneath them. Ramsey Clark, ex-Attorney General of the United States is such a creature. Aside from being a long time shill and proponent of Saddam Hussein and his regime, Clark has a long history of siding with some of the worst dictators and murderers of recent history.

Clark was appointed to the post of Attorney General by Lyndon Johnson, and was held in so little regard that he was actually frozen out of the guest list for LBJ's farewell luncheon at the White House. After leaving office, Clark started out by defending various `counter culture' icons from the `60's, including anti-war leftists such as Philip Berrigan and Tom Hayden and various Black Panthers. Ramsey Clark was the guy Senator John McCain(r-AZ) was talking about when he said that while what Jane Fonda did during the time he was a POW was `hurtful, there were others, like our attorney General, who were even worse.' Clark was and remains a big fan of the PLO and Castro.

In June 1980, with America in the middle of the Iran hostage crisis, he joined a forum on "Crimes of America" in Tehran--the first of many such junkets. The '80s saw him globetrotting to schmooze with any dictator who happened to be on the White House shit-list. After the US bombing of Libya in 1986, he met with Col. Moammar Qadaffi in Tripoli. He went to Grenada to advise Bernard and Phyllis Coard, leaders of the clique accused of murdering Maurice Bishop.

Clark also represented PLO leaders in a suit brought by the family of Leon Klinghoffer, the elderly wheel chair bound vacationer who was shot and thrown overboard from the hijacked Achille Lauro cruise-ship by Palestinian terrorists in 1986 on Clark's pal Arafat's orders.

Another Clark client was Karl Linnas, an ex-Nazi concentration camp guard in Estonia (where he had overseen the murder of some 12,000 resistence fighters and Jews), who was being deported from the US to the USSR to face war crimes charges. Clark again lost the case, but again went to bat for his client in the public arena, questioning the need to prosecute Nazis "forty years after some god-awful crime they're alleged to have committed."

Not coincidentally, Clark is a harsh and one-sided critic of Israel.What a surprise!

Clark attempted to stymie the first Gulf War and protect his pal Saddam in 1990 by leading the National Coalition to Stop US Intervention in the Middle East. He ws inbed in this endeavor with an orthodox Stalinist sect, the Workers World Party (WWP), an arm of the Socialist Worker's Party here in America. He's still part of that organization, which favored the communist invasion of Hungary in 1956, the brutal Chinese invasion and repression of the indigenous culture in Tibet, and supported Deng Xiaoping in the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, attacking the protesting students and workers as "counter-revolutionaries."

In November 1990, Clark flew to Baghdad to meet with Saddam. In February, with the bombs falling, Clark was in Basra, Iraq's southern port, witnessing the destruction. But his consistent failure to complain about Saddam's regime made it clear he was there at its invitation. He also had nothing to say about the post-war genocide by Saddam against the Shiites and Kurds, and in fact has been an outspoken proponent of `understanding' al Qaeda and other Islamic terrorist organizations.


There's a lot more, but I think you get the idea.What we have here in Ramsey Clark is someone so devoid of basic morality that he naturally gravitates to the worst in humanity. Every criminal may merit a legal defense, but it is something quite different to make a career of seeking out the enemies of one's own country, terrorists and genocidal dictators to defend and make common cause with.

Required reading for those who consider the Iraqi terrorists `freedom fighters'

And for those that consider them "not evil, just people with another perspective that we have to understand"...yeah, YOU Chris Matthews. And your ilk.

Suicide bomber kills scores, targets US troops handing out toys in hospital - Africa & Middle East - International Herald Tribune

Apparently another one of what Michael Moore calls `minutemen' decided to bomb a hospital in central Iraq where those vicious occupying mercenaries known as the American Army were spending their Thanksgiving handing out toys to kids...many of them victims of prior Islamic terrorism. Two US soldiers were wounded.

Read this story and remember it the next time you hear somebody bloviating about rights for the so-called `insurgents', criticizing the conduct of the US military in Iraq and yakking about 'freedom fighters'.

Iran headed for UN Security Council? Well...maybe

Apparently the UN is `considering' referring Iran to the Security Council after a forthcoming EU accusation that documents and blueprints were found in Iran's possesion `that could have no other purpose except making nuclear weapons.

The forthcoming statement alludes to a report drawn up for the board meeting by IAEA head Mohamed ElBaradei, including a finding showing the Iranians in possession of what appeared to be drawings of the core of an atomic warhead.

Of course, the EU finessed this with various options, including the scheme Bush and Putin cooked up to have the uranium enriched in Russia. I wouldn't count on the mullahs accepting it.

Unless decisive action is taken- and quickly- the question wil become moot, as Iran is proceeding at a breakneck pace to get its facilities online and the material and delivery systems completed.

US Congress wants to ban Hamas participation in PA elections

Dubbya and Condi may be willing to tolerate Hamas participating in the `Palestinian' elections, but apparently there is significant sentiment in Congress against it.

Jerusalem Post | Congress wants to ban Hamas

While the US administration has agreed to accept the participation of Hamas activists in the Palestinian elections, Congress is working on a resolution that will ban Hamas from taking part in the election process and that threatens that the relations between the Palestinian Authority and the US would be damaged if the PA does not disarm Hamas.

Resolution 575 was introduced last Friday by a group of congressmen from both parties and was referred to the House International Relations committee. A similar letter is circulating now in Senate.

The resolution calls for Abbas to ban Hamas from participating in the election, declare his intention to disarm terrrorist groups in PA areas before the elections happen and make a strong statement recognizing Israel's right to exist.

While the Bush administration determines policy, Congress allocates funds, and if this passes and Abbas doesn't comply, Dubbya might have a problem propping him up with more of the US taxpayers' dollars. Maybe if we're really fighting Islamic terrorism, we should stop funding it...ya think???

WRITE YOUR CONGRESSMAN!!!

Islamic Jihad commander captured by Israel

Good news ! IDF troops tracked down and captured Iyad Abu Rob, a senior commander of Islamic Jihad in the northern Samaria (The West Bank).

This `militant' apparently dcided that being taken alive by Israel was better than taking a chance on those 72 virgins. Pity...but hopefully the Shin Bet can get him to sing a few show tunes about his pals.

In other news, Hamas and Islamic Jihad both rejected the Palestinian/Israeli border deal.Khaleej Times OnlineWhat a surprise. It makes one wonder why Israel bothers to make agreements that a substantial part of the `Palestinian' population is quite forthright about admitting it has no intention of keeping!

New German Chancellor wants to heal rift with US

Merkel Calls for Closer Ties With U.S. - Yahoo! News
Angela Merkel, Germany's first female chancellor, took power Tuesday saying the public was eager for the government to get to work after six months of political limbo.




She has a a tough job ahead of her. For one thing, she was barely able to put together a governing coalition, and had to merge with elements of the left-wing Social Democrats..which in turn watered down her conservative stance. Germany's economy is stagnant, and she will somehow have to jumpstart it while still catering tothe welfare state oriented leftists in her coalition.

Another pressing problem is the issue of Turkey's entry into the EU, which Merkel's party basically opposed, but the Social Democrats favored. The issue is not only one of flooding Western Europe with Islamic workers who will work for less money and/or complicate the social welfare system. Under the EU's agreements, citizens of member nations can travel anywhere in the EU with little or no scutiny or formalities. Given the problems with Islamic terrorism in the EU, this has some people worried. To say the least.

Merkel at least is making some of the right noises, pledging closer relations with the US and Britain. It remains to be seen how well she accomplishes this in view of the makeup of her government. Hals und beim gebrochen, Frau Kanzellor.

The Secret to Defeating Radical Islam

Author David Kupelian identifies the essential ingrediant in defeating Islamic terrorism..and the fallacy of much of our current approach. A worthwhile read:WorldNetDaily: The real secret to defeating radical Islam

you can't make stuff like this up

Hardball's own blow dried talking empty head Chris Matthews took the opportunity of a trip to Canada to badmouth the USA at Toronto University . I especially like this bit:.. "the person on the other side is not evil -- they just have a different perspective."TorontoSun.com - Toronto And GTA - Hatred blinds U.S. to truth: Journalist

Yup..Osama is just misunderstood.

And yeah, I question this moron's patriotism. Not to mention his morals and common sense.

How Iran is educating its children for `peace'

A children's cartoon now being shown on Iranian State Televison:

Internet Video Powered by CastUP

Thanks and a hat tip to MEMRI

How To Lose A War

Ralph Peters,one of America's foremost writers on military matters weighs in - brilliantly- on the recent defeatism in congress. A must read. New York Post Online Edition: How To Lose A War

Uh-oh. More bad news for the `Palestinian Authority'

Looks like Palestinian Finance Minister Salam Fayyad, US trained and looked on by the US and The World Bank as a brake on the usual Palestinian kleptocracy has quit..Palestinian finance minister submits resignation - Yahoo! News

Officially, the explanation given is that he wants to run in the upcoming Palestinian elections. But the real reason,mentioned in this article and confirmed by the Freedom fighter's Palestininan sources is that Fayyad was fed up with fighting a losing battle with the cronyism and corruption within the PA,which included government monopolies to well connected Fatah `bosses' and outright bribes (AKA`salaries') to terrorists and gunmen in an attempt to buy support for Abbas' failing government.

Another rumor I got wind of is that Fayyad was just a leetle too diligent in trying to track down where some of the massive aid the Palestinians have received ended up and ticked off some of the wrong people...shades of the Godfather! Maybe he woke up one morning and found a camel's head on the pillow next to him.

Fayed was one of the few people in the Palestinian government trusted by foreign donors.

It doesn't look good, and this is just another nail in the coffin. Salaam Aleikem.

Mark Steyn on the fallacy of the `exit strategy'

Mark Steyn weighs in with his usual brilliance on the quagmire in the US Senate

Senate adopts 'exit strategy' from reality

Commentary: Murtha's anti-war gambit backfires on opponents of Iraq War.

I've said many times that in spite of cooked polls and constant hammering by the Main Stream Media,the American people continue to basically support this war, even as they recognize problems and even hypocrisy with some aspects the way Bush is waging it-as I do.

I've also said that the majority of the `liberal' Democrats in congress are simply cowards without the courage of their convictions, playing politics with the lives of our troops. And that if they REALLY felt that`Bush lied to us' and wanted to end this war, they could do it in a heartbeat, by cutting the funding or advancing legislaton and bringing it to a vote. Instead,they want it both ways. They mouth the anti-war gibberish for the appeasment crowd but refuse to go on record because they know..THEY KNOW..that the American people would never stand for them disgracing our troops and seizing defeat out of the jaws of victory for a second time.

I have to thank congressman Murtha for proving my point.

Representative John Murtha(d-PA) came out with a call to immediately withdraw US troops from Iraq, a policy in line with the neoisolationist far Left wing of the Democratic party. Murtha was obviously picked by the Democratic leadership because of his superb military record as a decorated veteran of Korea and Viet Nam. His resolution called for a iron clad date for US withdrawal within 6 months, and frankly was everything Zawahiri and Zarqawi could have wished for.

The anti-war forces in Congress obviously expected a series of useful soundbites and play in the media. Instead, House majority leader Dennis Hastert and othe rconservatives in Congress insisted on bringing a simplified version of the resolution calling for an immediate withdrawal to a vote, to put these craven cowards on record. This was a chance for the House Dems to put their votes where their big mouths are.Instead, the anti-war dems ran like rats,leaving Murtha high and dry.

House minority leader Nancy Pelosi (d-CA) attempted to spin this, but the fact remains that today, the anti-war democrats had a chance to put their votes where their rhetoric was, and ran for the hills. Politicians can add,if nothing else, and it's obvious that pols like Pelosi realized that the political damage they would sustain by supporting this measure would be catastophic. So they left Murtha to twist in the wind.

As for Murtha himself, he is obviously someone who behaved in the past with great personal courage who allowed himself to be pressured into a disgraceful act.

Rest assured that bin Laden, Zarqawi and the rest of our enemies took note of this.

The latest on Iran's nukes....

Today, Iran's majlis(parliament) approved a bill that requires the government to block intrusive inspections of Iran's facilities if the UN nuclear agency refers the Iranian program to the UN Security Council. I'm sure the debate on that was forceful and spirited...and maybe lasted all of three minutes.Jerusalem Post | Breaking News from Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World

In other news, apparently in a move to counter the new Bush /Putin proposal to enrich nuclear fuel in Russia, Iran agreed Sunday, Nov. 20, to suspend work on the conversion of raw uranium to UF6 gas at its high-speed centrifuge plant in Isfahan...on a strictly arbitrary basis.

Putin's proposal will probably be unacceptable to Iran, and the mullahs may simply be stalling for time to talk Putin out of it. Aside from the affront to that all-important Iranian national honor and the loss of control over the nuclear program, The Russians would not only charge Iran for the privilege, but might even try to get the Mullahs to pay for the processing plant.

If I were the Iranians, I'd at least pay lip service to this deal, as there is always the possiblity of siphoning off supplies little by little, or bribing the Russians to look the other way.

Or it may be that this proposal of Putin's is a sign that at long last, he realizes that Iran has played Russia for a sucker and has no intention of curtailing the jihad in Russia's Caucasus region. The attack on Nalchik last month might just have been a wakeup call.

With the new legislation,Iran is laying the groundwork for tossing the IAEA inspectors out if Iranis referred to the UN security council.

We'll see what happens..

Israeli politics: The dance continues

A number of interesting developments have taken place in Israeli politics, all with a definate bearing on the War against Jihad.

First of all, Israel's Labour Party has left the government following the victory for the party leadership of Amir Peretz over long time fixture Shimon Peres.
Jerusalem Post | Labour votes to leave government

Peretz is an extremly Leftist candidate who favors appeasement of the Palestinian Authority and opposes ex-Finance Minister Benjamin Netenyahu's free market reforms.

A labor ideologue in Israel his nickname among Israelis is `Mr. Strike'.

By moving to the far left in its politics, Labour is obviously seeking to polarize the Israeli electorate and receive a clear mandate for returning to a Socialist, government managed economy and a `nuanced' attitude towards terrorism. The disarray of Israel's political Right created by Sharon's Gaza disengagement and the subsequent border deal have encouraged the Israeli Left that an opportunity may now be at hand to avenge the landslide defeat they suffered in the last elections.

Peretz's victory destroyed any illusions Sharon had about a `national unity' party with Shimon Peres. However, Ariel Sharon, after doing much to destroy the Likud party he helped to found has decided to leave it behind and look for a political home elsewhere.Jerusalem Post | Sharon leaving Likud to form centerist party Who Arik's new allies will be remains unknown.

The Israeli Right has yet to rally around a leader. Netanyahu is still in the picture, but has substantial negatives mainly centering around an ongoing credibility problem. Many of my sources inIsrael have been touting Uzi Landau as the new Likud leader.

Sharon has already asked president Katsav to dissolve the Knesset. Elections are set for March 28th of 2005. it should be very interesting, to say the least....

Iran begins processing 2nd batch of uranium; Bush and Putin meet

An interesting day in the Iran saga.

First off the Iran continues to defy the IAEA and the EU and said that it had started processing a second batch of uranium at its facility in Isfahan. This has essentially halted the `diplomacy' with the EU over the matter.The Hindu : International : Iran begins processing second batch of uranium Whoops.

It was also revealed today the the Iranians `just happened' to get technical blueprints for building nukes `from a black market source'. I guess that Iran bought the plans as a curiousity, since they continue to insist that they have no interst inbuilding nuclear weapons and that all that oil they're sitting on isn't sufficient for their energy needs!Iran should explain uranium documents: US - Sify.com


In a related story,President Bush and President Vladimir Putin of Russia had a sitdown that's been long overdue. The two met in South Korea and essentially went at it over Iran's nukes. They agreed- in theory- to `emphasize their cooperation on limiting Iran's nuclear program and sidestep differences over how to do it'. Yeah,that makes sense.


The latest brilliant proposal that Bush now backs involves Russia taking spent nuclear fuel from Iranian reactors back to Russia for reprocessing, to prevent it frombeing used to make nuclear weapons. As if the Iranians couldn't scam THAT arrangement and siphon off enough fuel..with or without Russian cooperation! Bloomberg.com: Top Worldwide

I don't know which is more pathetic...Putin actually putting this out with a straight face or President Bush apparently swallowing it. Bush appears to be disengaged from the threat of Iran going nuclear. I hope I'm wrong.

A subtext to all this, of course, is that Putin may be belatedly realizing that the mullahs have played him for real sucker and may be looking to worm himself back into Bush's good graces.

As the Freedom Fighter related before, Russia has been the key supplier and builder of Iran's nukes, including transporting ICBMs from North Korea to Iran through Russia..for a suitable commission, of course.J O S H U A P U N D I T: Russians Help Iran With Missile Threat to Israel, Europe And Russia, along withEgypt and the Saudis have also been protecting the Assad regime in Syria from any serious consequences for supporting and harboring the Iraqi terrorists which cross their border with impunity.

My thought on all this is that Putin felt he had made a deal with the Iranians for them to keep Islamic terrorists out of Chechnya and the Caucasus region of the Soviet Union in exchange for all that assistance. The recent mass attack on Nalchik by al Qaeda forces supplied and armed in Iran and made up of mostly local, radicalized Muslims might have a wake up call for ol' Vladimir.J O S H U A P U N D I T: Al Qaeda strikes in Nalchik, Russia

Im sure thatPutin burned up the wires to Teheran after that one, only to be told: "eh those crazy al Qaeda guys..what're you gonna do, eh? Oh about those navigational systems, Vlad..are they en route?"

Putin may just be starting to realize that he's playing with fire.

News From Our `Friends' in Egypt

The political situationin Egypt is increasingly tenuous. Proof of this was the recent Egytian Parliamentary `elections' which saw the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood (father organization of Hamas, CAIR, etc.) doubling its representation in Egypt's parliamentZAMAN DAILY NEWSPAPER (2005111926497)

While the elections were undoubtedly rigged towards the the ruling party of President Hosni Mubarak, the stong showing of the Islamists is a portent of things to come, as the Egyptian aged dictator's 24 year old regime regime winds down. Mubarak intended to grease the way for the succesion of his son, but a combination of circumstances made this untenable,not the least of which was his son's basic personality. Given a REAL election, the Brotherhood would have obviously done much better...proof that the Bush Doctrine of democracy as the cure for Islamism is somewhat flawed in it's premise.

Hitler was democraticaly elected too, one might remember.

The US taxpayers subsidize Egypt to the tune of $2.5B per year and have done so since the Camp David Accords, based on the perception that they're our `friends'..though you'd never know it to read the government controlled Egyptian press. After the rapidly aging Mubarak leaves the scene, Freedom Fighter wonders how long that `friendship' will last.

Mosque Bombings in Iraq kill 74; hotel bombing in Baghdad kills 8

Iraq is reeling over two seperate bombing incidents.

in the first one, terrorists set off bombs in two seperate mosques in Eastern Iraq,killing 74 people and injuring hundreds ABC News: Bombers Kill 74 at Two Mosques in Iraq

Later two massive vehicle bombs exploded this morning near the Hamra Hotel complex here that serves as a base for international journalists and several Western security firms, killing several Iraqi civilians.Car Bombs Targeting Baghdad Hotel Kill 8 Iraqis - Los Angeles Times

This second assualt was obviously aimed at the Western Media, with the idea of intensifying the negative tone of the stories being filed from Iraq by the resident journalists. Good move for Zarkawi and Zawahiri, at least in terms of strategy. Perception is reality, especially in this part of the world.

Want to bet they heard about John Murtha's(d-PA) move in the US House of Representatives to legislate an immediate pullout of troops fromIraq?ABC News: House GOP Seeks Quick Vote on Iraq Pullout

Interestingly enough, Murtha is being characterized by the MSM as a `hawk' when in fact he is on record in 2004 calling the Iraq war `unwinnable'.

An important Meeting; US and Australia agree to coordinate counter terrorism efforts in Southeast Asia

Today,in Adelaide Australia, Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, Defense Minister Robert Hill and US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick met and agreed to coordinate anti-terrorism strategy both in Iraq and in Southeast Asia.Xinhua - English

This is a major development, sparked by the recent relevations that Australia's nuclear power facility was targeted by home grown Islamic terrorists..and by the reality of the on going Jihad in Thailand, and the Phillipines..and the continued efforts to subvert Islamic governments in Indonesia and Malaysia.

Australia now has perhaps the most comprehensive anti-terror laws in the western world, and has remained a staunch US ally in Iraq under the inspiring leadership of John Howard.

Mark Steyn has opined on the idea of the `anglosphere' as an alliance against terror, consisting of a core of Australia, India, the US, and Britain, combined with other allied countries like Poland. Given the new nuclear deal signed between India and the US (as reportd here in Joshuapundit) Steyn may be on to something.

US and Israel resume negotiations on $1.2 B aid for Negev resettlement

Well, well..looks like Condi and Bush gave Sharon a carrot to open the Gaza borders after all. One of my Israeli sources tells me that Sharon and some of his cronies own a good bit of the land that the Gaza Jews will be resettled on in the Negev; so the proposed aid is obviously going to make this land quite valuable, and the owners quite wealthy. I guess Arik had his price for endangering Israel's border security....

Jerusalem Post | Breaking News from Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World

A little Flashback with Mr. Bill..for those people who now want to rewrite history on Iraq

Is that why Mr. Bill's nose is so long in this picture??????


Mr.Bill TODAY, in Israel: Jerusalem Post | Clinton says invading Iraq was big mistake

But wait a minute! Here's Clinton in 1998 on Iraq:


December 16, 1998
Web posted at: 8:51 p.m. EST (0151 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- From the Oval Office, President Clinton told the nation Wednesday evening why he ordered new military strikes against Iraq.

The president said Iraq's refusal to cooperate with U.N. weapons inspectors presented a threat to the entire world.

"Saddam (Hussein) must not be allowed to threaten his neighbors or the world with nuclear arms, poison gas or biological weapons," Clinton said.

Operation Desert Fox, a strong, sustained series of attacks, will be carried out over several days by U.S. and British forces, Clinton said.

"Earlier today I ordered America's armed forces to strike military and security targets in Iraq. They are joined by British forces," Clinton said.

"Their mission is to attack Iraq's nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programs and its military capacity to threaten its neighbors," said Clinton.
(gee, THOSE WEAPONS SADDAM DIDN'T HAVE???)


Clinton also stated that, while other countries also had weapons of mass destruction, Hussein is in a different category because he has used such weapons against his own people and against his neighbors.

'Without delay, diplomacy or warning'

"Along with Prime Minister (Tony) Blair of Great Britain, I made it equally clear that if Saddam failed to cooperate fully we would be prepared to act without delay, diplomacy or warning," Clinton said.

The president said the report handed in Tuesday by Richard Butler, head of the United Nations Special Commission in charge of finding and destroying Iraqi weapons, was stark and sobering.

Iraq failed to cooperate with the inspectors and placed new restrictions on them, Clinton said. He said Iraqi officials also destroyed records and moved everything, even the furniture, out of suspected sites before inspectors were allowed in.

"Instead of inspectors disarming Saddam, Saddam has disarmed the inspectors," Clinton said.

"In halting our airstrikes in November, I gave Saddam a chance -- not a license. If we turn our backs on his defiance, the credibility of U.S. power as a check against Saddam will be destroyed," the president explained.

Dennis Prager: Five questions non-Muslims would like answered

Sometimes, the simplest questions are the hardest ones to answer..a great piece by Dennis Prager

Five questions non-Muslims would like answered - Los Angeles Times

Michael Graham has a new job

Remember Michael Graham? The talk show host CAIR blackmailed ABC into firing?

Well he has a new job...and CAIR might just end up rueing the day.

Talk Radio Host Puts 'Anti-Free-Speech Fiasco' Behind Him -- GOPUSA

Jihad in Thailand; 9 executed

Nine villagers from the same family were executed in their sleep in southern Thailand.

Isalmic militants used grenades and automatic weapons to attack three homes in Bo-Ngo village, killing all of those in one of the houses, including an infant.

The massacre brings to 18 the number of people killed during the last week. Almost 1,000 people have been killed since the jihad started in earnest in Thailand's 3 southern provinces a year ago.

Radio Australia - News - Nine killed in ambush in Thai south

UK OKs extradition of suspected terrorist to US

The Brits appear to be getting serious about fighting jihad in the UK. Good news, if belated.Bloomberg.com: U.K.

Israel pressured into accepting `mobility' in border crossings. All of Israel's security organizations send protest letters to Sharon.

Condi Rice,James Wolfenson and the EU succeeded in pressuring Israel to allow full access to the Palestinians with little or no safeguards.

In an unprecendented move, written protests and warnings were submitted to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz about the major hazards in store when the crossings are reopened later this month and the rest of the accord goes into effect. Obviously the Israeli security services wanted this in writing to clearly record their opposition and establish where responsibility lies in the event things go wrong..as they most certainly will.

The protests came from the top levels of Israel’s armed forces, the Shin Beit and all other intelligence services, as well as the police...and with good reason.

According to the agreement:

1.Israel is divested of the means of keeping terrorists from making free use of the crossings which reopen Nov. 25 and the Palestinian convoys driving from Gaza to the West Bank and back from Dec. 15. There is no longer any barrier to Palestinian terrorists bringing shoulder-launched anti-air missiles any time to the point from which they can turn Israel’s international airport into a disaster zone and paralyze international air traffic to and from the country. As General Dan Halutz reluctantly admitted, such weapons have already been smuggled into Gaza since the Israeli pull out.

2.Israel is denied any veto power over the arrival of terrorists from Sinai to Gaza or from Gaza to the West Bank in both directions. A wanted terrorist can simply board a bus in Gaza and commute to Hebron or Ramallah without a problem. Israel officials may not stop and search it the vehicle, albeit on Israeli soil, let alone make an arrest.

3.American and European inspectors at the Gaza-Israeli crossings will not allow the Israeli officers free rein to effectively search them for hazardous freights so that the 150-per-day quota can be reached. The Palestinians will thus be quite free to move as many terrorists and as much material and explosives as they like between the Gaza and the West Bank.

At the crossings from Gaza into Israel, Israel surrendered the prerogative to shut down them down to secure personnel against terror alerts, although these facilities are prime terrorist targets and an attempt was made against the Karni crossing yesterday. The Israelis have to first notify the US embassy in Tel Aviv and back up its “request” with specific information, thus giving away its intelligence sources. It must then wait for permission from Washington – or its refusal - to the closure!

By surrendering this point, Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon relinquished a key part of Israel’s sovereign right to self-defense and agreed to make the task of its own security forces in protecting the country an impossible job. It's likely that Palestinian `security forces' will be let loose on a wide swathe of southern Israel to escort 150 trucks a day bound for Hebron, Ramallah, Jenin and Nablus.

The agreement over the Rafah crossing will also be applied to Gaza’s deep sea port which the Palestinians will begin constructing immediately. Israel has therefore forfeited control and oversight over incoming goods and people to Gaza by sea as well as overland.

In reviewing this, it's hard to avoid the conclusion that Sharon and the present Israeli government have a death wish. And you have no idea how much it pains the freedom fighter to record this. The way is clear for the Palestinians to invade South Israel from two directions while lauching missles at Israel's coastal strip.

Obviously, the impetus for this came from the Saudis, who just got through talking to Secretary Rice... AND who incidentally were just allowed to join the WTO on the provisio that they end the de facto boycott of Israel.

Sharon's office made sure the six-page accord left by Rice was not translated into Hebrew. Israeli television and radio audiences were not exposed to the substance of this agreement. No wonder.

The BBC glorifies Palestinian child abuse

Just when you think the beeb has hit a new low, they surprise you.

In this picture, based on a glowing review of the Pal proganda film glorifying homicide bombers `Paradise Now' the caption reads: `Palestinians learn early about the struggle for freedom' under a picture of a child dressed as a homicide bomber.
BBC News | In pictures | Shooting Paradise Now

I guess, to the BBC, the `struggle for freedom' consists of `freedom' to blow up innocent people.

These people are pretty much dead to shame, but you can voice your disgust with them here:
BBC Complaints - Make a complaint

Aussie workers upset with Muslim co-workers who attacked cameramen

Aussie workers at a 500 worker Woolworth's center are upset with Muslim co-workers who attacked journalists outside a court where ninemembers of the Religion of Peace were facing terrorism charges.Herald Sun: We don't want to work with these thugs [11nov05]

Work at the center has been stopped twice due to unrest. At a meeting yesterday, workers were warned they faced the sack if caught bullying or harassing the men.
I guess Woolworth's is worried about further retalition at the hands of those peaceful Muslims.

One angry worker weighed in, wondering why the parent company was protecting the workers who assaulted the cameramen:

"We don't want them here," he said. "Not all Muslims are terrorists, we know that. But beating up television crews . . . that's just un-Australian.

"This is the country I love . . . the company needs to take a stance to protect us."

There's a dinkum Aussie for you...with an entirely reasonable point of view.

Condi In Wonderland

Secretary Rice now says - with a straight face- that a `Palestinian' state will enhance Israel's security! I wonder who writes her material.
Rice calls for a Palestinian state | WORLD | NEWS | tvnz.co.nz

What's even more bizarre is that her statement occurred as an IDF force intercepted a Palestinian band approaching the goods terminal for Palestinian exports armed with explosive devices and a recoilless grenade launcher. One terrorist was killed and two seriously injured in the second Palestinian attempt in two days to blow up the Karni terminal with Israeli personnel. Palestinians also shot a Qassam missile at the Sderot-Yad Mordecai sector outside Gaza.Every single visit by a US secretary of state to the region on a peacemaking mission has been accompanied by a ritual of a Palestinian terror attack.

After being essentially rebuffed by the Saudis after asking them to please curtail the financing of jihad and terrorism in the West and in the US in particular, Condi traveled north to Israel to lend her efforts to the push to get Israel to `make a deal' on the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza.

The sticking point has to do with the Palestinian's rejection of any kind of monitoring by Israel of what is coming in, a very real concern in view of the ongoing terrorist attacks against Israel originating from Gaza, the total lack of control by the Palestinian Authority and the orgy of weapons smuggling that occurred after Israel withdrew from Gaza...exactly what opponents of the `disengagement' predicted.

At first, the Palestinians and Israelis agreed to have EU monitors stationed at the crossing, but the Palestinians balked at the idea of the EU monitors having any power to stop anyone or anything. The Palestinians also have refused even to allow CCTV cameras to monitor the crossing in real time for the Israelis.

Rice and EU external affairs executive Xavier Solana keep pushing hard for Israel to relent on its demand for security cameras to relay images of Rafah arrivals incoming from Sinai. They also continue to demand that all the Gaza-Israel crossings remain open amid continuous Palestinian terrorist attacks on Israeli personnel!

I wonder how the US or the EU would react to `open border crossings' with a terrorist state on their borders.

Complicating the issue is a fresh Palestinian demand for a presence on the Kerem Shalom crossing from Egypt which is wholly located in Israel territory. The Palestinian demand is in line with its ambition to move Israel back to the defunct 1949 lines rather than the borders they themselves endorsed in the 1994 Oslo interim peace accords. This would entail enlarging the Gaza Strip by adding slices of the Israel Negev. The Israelis had better find the spine not to knuckle under, for their own safety...and for the sake of the legitimacy of any agreements they make with the Palestinians in the future.

Some photos of the IDF that will never make the news....

A few photos of the IDF in action...and an interesting comparison when one considers the normal targets of the terrorists they fight. I wouldn't look for these pix on CNN, that's for sure!

Thanks and a hat tip to Giv Cornfield, Joshuapundit's Hawaiian correspondant:

Senator Clinton on Israel's Defensive barrier

While touring the Jerusalem section of the fence at Gilo, Hillary Clinton said: “This is not against the Palestinian people. This is against terrorists. The Palestinian people have to help prevent terror. They have to change their attitudes about terrorism, starting with the Palestinian Authority and going through Palestinian society.”

Gee..ya think? I'm not sure how much of this was politics,but I appreciate the sentiment anyway, Senator. How it will play back home with the appeasement wing of the Democratic party back home is undoubtedly another matter.

Telling the truth about our `friends' the Saudis

The blatant hypocrisy of our government towards one of the chief funders and sources of jihad against America was on display full throttle today as Condi Rice asked the Saudis to pretty please do a wee bit more to fight terrorism and prevent incitement.. but the Saudis said they were doing everything they could....Rice urges Saudis to do more to fight terrorism - Yahoo! News

Ri-ight...

What's really going on, of course, is that the Saudis are cracking down on unauthorized terrorism within the Kindom directed at their corrupt selves...but that the funding and exporting of wahabi jihad to America and the West continues unabated. As the Freedom Fighter reported here:J O S H U A P U N D I T: State Department to US Senate on Saudi Arabia- "Take a Hike!"

And here:J O S H U A P U N D I T: How the Saudis influence what children learn k-12 at US taxpayer's expense

Frankly, I'm getting sick and tired of this hypocrisy. Just this Friday, the 11th, in a Veteran's Day speech that was otherwise a decent defense of America's Iraq policy (finally!) President Bush AGAIN referred to the Saudis as ` our friends'!

Who does Dubbya think he's kidding?

This stuff has been going on with the Saudis ever since we showed `em how to get at the oil back in the 1930's. And by and large, every administration since Roosevelt has been willing to ignore the Saudis little quirks and generally kiss their behinds ot keep the oil flowing.

We can't afford that kind of complacency anymore, since the jihadis upped the ante on 9/11.

Write your congressmen and urge them to pas the Saudi Accountability Act NOW!

Is this the face of `One of the severest enemies of Islam'???

Yep, good `ol Queen Elizabeth was named by al Qaeda in a video as one of the severest enemies of Islam!Al-Qaeda names Queen as enemy of Islam

The remarks went out in a 27 minute video tape released by one of the number one al Qaeda shock jocks, Ayman al-Zawahiri, a leading lieutenant of terrorist boss Osama bin Laden. The tape also seeks to justify the 7/7 terrorist bombings. Zawahiri says the Queen is responsible for what he terms Britain's "crusader laws" and calls her `one of the severest enemies of Muslims' on the tape, which also ran on (where else?) al-Jazeer.

Interesting,if creepy thought: Given that Prince Chuckie is very symphathetic to the poor, persucuted Muslims, to the point that some observers think he may even have secretly converted to Islam...could this be the onset of a death threat against Queen Elizabeth, in order to bring Chuckie to the Throne? One wonders...stranger things have happened in the current Jihad.

Breakthrough in Delhi Bombings

Indian police claim to have made a major breakthough in investigating who was behind the triple homicide bombings in Delhi on October 29th. They aparently caught the front man,organizer and financier, Tariq Ahmad Dar...and guess what? He belongs to Lashkar e Tayyaba, the Kashmiri `freedom fighters' organization sheltered by Pakistan. World news from The Times and the Sunday Times - Times Online


As the Freedom fighter reported here :
J O S H U A P U N D I T: The Dewali bombings
the Pakistani government denied these folks were involved. Let's see what happens next - particularly as Dar has apparently sung like a birdie, according to Delhi police chief K. K. Paul. We'll follow this story and see where it goes......

State Department to US Senate on Saudi Arabia- "Take a Hike!"

The US State Department withdrew at the last minute from a Senate Judiciary hearing yesterday into Saudi Arabia's sponsorship of terrorism. It featured testimony by investigators and analysts of the Saudi kingdom who told the committee's chairman, Senator Arlen Specter, a Republican of Pennsylvania, and its ranking Democrat, Senator Leahy, of Vermont, that Saudi Arabia has been ineffective in curbing the propagation of anti-Semitic, anti-Christian, and anti-American ideologies.

The director of Freedom House's Center for Religious Freedom, Nina Shea, testified that the Saudis had also distributed extremist Wahabi "hate materials" at mosques here in America inciting violence against Jews and Christians. Committee members also showed video clips of Muslim clerics urging, over Saudi government-controlled television, that "throats must be slit" and "skulls must be shattered" in the fight against infidels. The video was translated and provided by the Middle East Media Research Institute. (MEMRI). Both the committee and the witnesses were reportedly quite ticked off at being treated in this fashion.

State Department Spurns Senators On Saudi Arabia - November 9, 2005 - The New York Sun - NY Newspaper

The boys at Foggy Bottom apparently reacted to this hearing like vampires to garlic, especially as Condi Rice has an upcoming visit to the kingdom tomorrow. Not that they like offending our `friends' the Saudis any time. Interferes with those nice, Saudi funded lobbyist and `foundation president' jobs after retirement. It pays, in hard cash, to be nice to the Saudis...just ask Brent Scowcroft. This has been going on for YEARS.

And the Saudis are our pals...just ask Dubbya.

It's truly an exercise in cognitive dissonance that President Bush can talk about a `war on terror' and `our friends the Saudis' in the same speech. It's a pity he either feels he can't or won't level with the American people, and I think it has a lot to do with the skepticism and dissension voiced among some of the American people towards the Bush Administration.

He would do a lot better to trust the good instincts of his fellow Americans.

A little signpost for what's upcoming...

"Our strategy will depend on surprise such as when near simultaneous attacks were carried out in Morocco and Turkey. Al Qeada's aim was to target the border between Europe and the Muslim world, east and west, so let this serve as a lesson to the entire west; we have arrived at your borders and no one will be able to stop us”

“Al Qaeda’s new soldiers were born in Europe of European and Christian parents. They studied in your schools. They prayed in your churches and attended Sunday mass. They drank alcohol, ate pork and oppressed Muslims, but al Qaeda has embraced them so they have converted to Islam in secret and absorbed the philosophy of al Qaeda and swore to take up arms after their brothers. They are currently roaming the streets of Europe and the United States planning and observing in preparation for upcoming attacks....”

-The Global Islamic Media Front, the voice of al Qaeda on the internet.


Asharq Alawsat Newspaper (English)

Le Jihad Francais; Winding down for now, but not over by any means

Apparently the intensity of the Jihad Francais has begun to wind down a bit, in the face of an apparent willingness to make concessions by the French Government, coupled with the State of Emergency. France has also arrested and is reportedly in the process of deporting some 120 foreigners of guess what religious persuasion? BREITBART.COM - Just The News

The big winner, unfortunately, is Jean Marie Le Pen's National Front Party, which Le Pen claimed in an interview Wednesday has been "submerged" with prospective members and supportive e-mail since rioting erupted in heavily immigrant communities near Paris.

Considering that 1 in 5 Frenchmen voted for Le Pen in the last election, I can well believe it. The government may be prepared to capitulate and hope for the best, but a number of Frenchmen appear to be willing to settle this in the streets instead of the ballot box...BREITBART.COM - Just The News

Here's Some Good News

Azahari bin Husin, a Malaysian accused of masterminding at least four deadly blasts in Indonesia in recent years - including bombings on Bali - was believed to have been killed in by Indonesian security forces in an operation in Malang, 850 kilometers east of Jakarta. He was a key figure in Jemaaya Islami, the local al Qaeda franchise.

Apparently, he blew himself up to avoid capture. SQUASH!!

The Standard - China's Business Newspaper

Tony Blair gets a setback

Tony Blair received his first defeat in 8 years when his anti-terror bill was defeated in Commons over police powers to detain terrorist suspects for 90 days without charge.

The vote went 291 for the government and 322 against, with roughly 50 abstentions...
the government was forced to accept a 28-day detention amendment which it had rejected earlier. Given the large Labour majority, this signifies a significant rebellion in the Labour ranks and may be a sign that Blair's tenure may be limited.

In any event, it is a surprising victory for the forces of appeasement. Especially given the lessons of Le Jihad Francais.
Prime Minister Blair loses crucial parliamentary vote on anti-terror bill