M.A.W.B. Squad

Wilson: Tell Me Lies, Tell Me Sweet Little Lies

Joe Wilson lied about Niger, screamed poor Valerie's position at the CIA had been compromised, and sparked a leak investigation leading to the indictment of Scooter Libby.  We all knew that, right?  Did you know:

• Joe made a previous trip to Niger for the CIA? That his company is headquarted out of the offices of Mohammed Alamoudi, now serving 23 years for terrorism related charges?
• Some speculate he's being used in a French disinformation campaign?
• Two West Point Generals confirmed yesterday that Joe Wilson had casually disclosed to them Valerie's position at the CIA during Green Room meetings at FOX news prior to the Novak column, a charge Joe denies. Links here, here, and here.
• Calling out the CIA for their role in this whole mess.

There's no doubt in my mind that Joe Wilson is an immensely partisan, publicity seeking opportunist.  It might have been nice to remind people of this detail prior to indictments being handed down.  Then again, if you're playing the long press game, indictments are not convictions.  Also, Republicans should welcome the fight on the pre-war intelligence,.  Every prominent US politician and the majority of our allies were on record that Saddam was a threat.  All the shouting in the world won't change that fact.

Dear Jihadist: Zawahiri Letter to Zarqawi

A paraphrase of Zawahiri's letter to Zarqawi:

Dear Z,

Hey! I'm Z too!  How cool is that?

We love what you're doing there in Iraq.  Seriously, dude.  You rock.  Everyone knows that Iraq is where we jihadists have to win, and you're the man for the job.

Binnie, (well I call him Binnie, but I don't suggest anyone else try it), asked me to remind you though of the order of the Hate List.

-  Jews:  It goes without saying, doesn't it.

-  Infidels:  Almost as bad as the Jews.

-  Shiites:  They might be Muslims, but they're not our people, right?

You know we're going to wipe out the Jews, but we're pretty sure they've got nukes.  So Binnie and I are thinking long term.  We want you to focus on number two on the list, the Inifidels.  We know that the Shiites are easier to blow up, and the infidels are armed.  But, some of the cleric types get all bent out of shape when we kill other Muslims, and it's really gonna make crowd control a b*itch if we keep wiping out hundreds of them.  You know how it is.  Everyone is related to everyone.

So, work on killing the infidels for now.  You don't have to be successful, after all, because the media will do all the heavy lifting for you.  As long as the media says the Infidels are losing, they are losing.  It doesn't matter what the facts are.

Look at that Washington peace march.  That Cindy Sheehan is sweet, eh?  Blaming that madman Bush, when it was our guys who killed Casey.  We got the Sheehan's, that Moore idiot, the commies, the socialists, the anti-semites.  All on our side. 

Have you ever been to D.U.?  I love that place.  Thinking they're patriots while they attack their own country, instead of us.  I just about wet my pants laughing so hard. "ChimpyMcBushitler!"  Rolls off the tongue, don't it? "Iraq is not part of the war on terror!"  Post it again, brother!

You just need to keep the media line going.  They'll raise enough of a stink that the weak Americans will be forced to take their toys and go home.  The sooner the better because I hear some of those local Iraq boys are getting their house in order.  Not one unit has gone out the back door during a fight since that cursed election last winter, eh?  Rotten luck.  All the more reason to keep them yelling Quagmire!

Speaking of the media, we need to talk about Infidel Videos.  (We've played them so many times, we had to burn a new CD.) I know how you love that sword, but all the blood, you know?  Again with the clerics.  It also makes it hard for the peace freaks to describe us as "freedom fighters."  Their freedom fighters used guns.  We think you should stick with that when you tape the infidel murders.  Sometimes you have to compromise, Z.

So, once the infidels leave Iraq, we'll come join you there for Taliban - The Sequel.  From Iraq we spread to Syria, Lebanon, and Egypt.  Celibrate the Caliphate! Finally, we wipe Israel off the map.

I hate to tell you that it's all over for us here in Afghanistan.  Of course, D.U. still thinks we're winning here, so it's not all bad.  Most of the top dogs were wiped out by the mangy infidels.  Remember the days when we had our own camps, when the cash flowed from everywhere?  Now I'm lucky to get a shower and a decent meal.  Which reminds me, I need to pay the Al-Jazeera dues.  Can you spot me some cash?  We'll get it back to you when we meet again in Iraq.

We're counting on you, Z.

E-Mail from Iraq: Anti-War Protestors Take Note!

Beth at My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy received an e-mail from a Marine in Iraq, which says in part:

The trick here is to convince the bad guys they have been beat. The idiots at the peace rallies are what’s really hurting since the stated goals of the insurgents is to break down public support for the war in the US.

Take note peace protestors.  The troops say you are giving aid and comfort to the enemy trying to kill them. If you really support the troops you will support Victory.

Update Sept 29:  Beth provides a link to add an "I Am Pro-Victory" image to your blog.  I can't think of a better cause to promote. I've added it to the sidebar.

Al-Jazeera Reporter Convicted in Spain

Spain convicted Eddin Barakat Yarkas and sentenced him to 27 years in prison for his connection to the 09/11 plot.  In total, 18 people were convicted including an Al-Jazeera reporter:

"Tayseer Alouni, 50, was found guilty by Spain's High Court of collaborating with a terrorist group but acquitted of being a member of al Qaeda.....................Alouni, a Syrian with Spanish citizenship, had told the court he delivered $4,000 to Yarkas but said he was doing a favour for an acquaintance."

Iraq the Model wonders if the Al-Qaeda collusion goes higher up the Al-Jazeera ladder.

Flight 93 Memorial: The Red Crescent?

They're calling the winning memorial design for Flight 93  "The Crescent of Embrace."  Go here to see the animated image of the crescent overlaying the memorial.

I saw the story first on Redstate, A Post-Gazette article on the controversy reveals:

Eight family members served on the second-stage jury that selected the final memorial design.

The jurors recognized there could be some backlash because of the crescent. That's why, in their recommendations, they wrote: "Consider the interpretation and impact of words within the context of this event. The crescent should be referred to as 'the circle or arc,' or other words that are not tied to specific religious iconography."

An earlier article describes the reaction to the design as follows:

In the front row, three family members --a woman who lost her mother, a woman who lost her husband and a woman who lost her brother -- leaned into each other, in a show of love and support.

"It's powerful but understated," said Kiki Homer, whose brother, LeRoy W. Homer Jr., was co-pilot on the plane that crashed after passengers rebelled against terrorist hijackers. "It's beautifully simple.

"My breath is taken away."

Esther Heymann, whose daughter, Elizabeth Wainio, died in the crash, agreed.

"The understatement speaks to the profoundness of what occurred here," she said.

According to jurors who chose the winner, it offers "tranquility, beauty and silence. It will be a place for everyone who visits to feel the spirits of the 40 heroes in the whisper of the trees and honor their unselfish sacrifice of their lives to preserve the lives of countless many."

I have a real hard time going against the family members in this situation.  However, I find it incredulous that the design firm did not consider the symbolism of the crescent as it relates to Islam.  In support of this viewpoint, why did they specifically choose red maples?  For at least a few weeks each year, this memorial will look like a brand upon the landscape, recalling the memory of the hijackers, not the victims.

I understand how elements of the design are very appealing to the families, and I grant that we have not been presented with the detail that they have.  However, now that the flaw of memorializing the hijackers has been revealed, it's time to go back to the drawing board and modify the design to eliminate this aspect.

More at  Real Clear Politics, Little Green Footballs, An American Expat in Asia, Captain Ed, Pardon My English, Smoothing Plane, Junkyard Blog.

Malkin tells us where to call:

Call the Superintendent of the Flight 93 National Memorial at (814) 443-4557. Or fax (814) 443-2180.

Confederate Yankee reminds us of the WTC Memorial plans:

The Far Left has attempted to hijack the Ground Zero Memorial in lower Manhattan and turn it into a "Blame America First" monument. Don't let them Go to Take Back the Memorial and sign the petition.

Update Sept. 27:  Aelfheld points to this critique and of course, it's confirmed the design will be changed.  (Late getting to this update, cause of life.)

09/11: Never Forget: A Day for Tears and Rage

I wasn't there on 09/11, except as a eyewitness in the heartland.

We didn't lose any family or friends.  (The closest was a family friend who worked in building 7, but got out OK.)

I spent much of today watching shows about that day, tears running down my face.

It was MY nation they attacked.  I owe it to all Americans to Never Forget.  There have been many times after that day that I have sought out pictures and remembrances, as if by steeping myself in that shock and sorrow, I can keep the knife of reality sharpened.

I will not forget that Islamic extremists declared war on that day.

The rest of this is going to be graphic, so I'm putting it after the jump. (language warning)

Six More Months

I'm sure St. Kate mentioned that Mustang, a MN National Guard soldier, blogging from Iraq at Six More Months was a friend or relative.  But, I can't for the life of me find the post.

Don't miss his pictures of a dust storm.  (Wow.  Orange air.)  He also relates the story of a day on base with their Iraqi translator, Junior:

During the course of the game, which we were losing badly already, one of our MP’s had to respond to a call. Junior was pressed into service as catcher, ironic because he had never put on a glove in his life. He learned the basics of catching and throwing rapidly, and thoroughly enjoyed the game.

Unfortunately, despite Junior’s strong performance behind the plate, we still lost. Base running remains a mystery to him. He asked me after the game “why, after they hit the ball and run, do they just stop running for no reason? How do they know where to stop?” Those lessons will have to be covered before the next game.

Later, after dinner, Junior was introduced to another great American game, Texas hold’em. After watching a couple of hands, he wisely decided to remain a spectator. Can’t say that I blame him, I don’t quite get the game either. But he hung out, told jokes, and listened to some good old American trash talking around the card table. For a few hours, this corner of Baghdad was transformed into a backyard deck in southwestern Minnesota, and Junior got a glimpse of who we are. 

Afterwards, he thanked us for a great day, and told me “Today I felt like I was with family.” So maybe what we really need here is 25 million softball gloves. You never know.

Thanks, Mustang, for your service.  Stay safe.  I've added Six More Months to the sidebar under the M.O.B. blogroll.

09/11 Transcripts: Never Forget

Via Buzzmachine, the oral histories of the firefighters and EMT's at Ground Zero on 09/11.  The following excerpt is from Glen Asaeda, Civilian E.M.S.:

By the same token, I had looked up at the same time and noticed what I thought was debris turning out to be people, and at first I just couldn't imagine it would be people, but as they landed I was pretty sure it was people. I thought, well, they must be unconscious or falling out. Upon looking closer, there were some people that seemed to be on fire coming down, some that looked like rag dolls coming down, but at least 70 percent of them actually flailed until they hit the ground and one, I mean, they looked like ants from the distance we were at, but actually looking like he or she wanted to get to the next window.

I remember thinking under my breath and saying out loud that I could hear myself, I go, oh, my God, please , no, no, no, no, and they were jumping. I've seen people, you know, I've worked as a paramedic in the past in California, so I've seen people jump as high as 25 stories, but that was very different in that in that it was just kind of, oh, my gosh, and they hit . Here, with four times the height , it was kind of an oh, my God, oh, my God, oh, my God, until they finally hit.

Our emergency services personnel put their lives on the line everyday.  On this day though, the cost was incredibly high.

The media has been cautious in showing the video from what we all saw that day.  I think we need to be reminded of who our enemy is and their brutality.  The people in those buildings and those who came to rescue them did not deserve to die.

Contrast this brutality with the response of America.  We could have chosen to retaliate on a scale that wiped out entire cities from the safety of the skies.  Instead, we've actually put the lives of our men and women at greater risk in order to take out the oppressive regimes of our enemies with as few civilian deaths as possible.  I don't know of any other nation that bombs the bad guys while dropping food for the population at the same time.

However, we can never forget that if we let the Islamofascists have their way, we would be either dead or living under the brutality of Sharia law.  I'm not willing to wear a burkha.

I can understand people having objections to certain aspects of planning or implementation.  But, if you don't understand that we're at war, or that the war needs to be fought, you're not facing reality.  The words of the men and women who were there that day are a hard dose of reality.

Never forget.

To Kill an American

This comes from Jim Hake at Spirit of America.  Apparently this has been circulating on the internet.  He can't verify it's true, but passes it along because it highlights the ideals of America, the personal initiative to try to make things better, something Spirit of America does every day in their work in Afghanistan and Iraq.

To Kill an American 

You probably missed it in the rush of news last week, but there was
actually a report that someone in Pakistan had published in a
newspaper an offer of a reward to anyone who killed an American, any
American. 
 
So an Australian dentist wrote the following to let everyone know what
an American is... so they would know when they found one. (Good on ya,
mate!!!!) 
 
An American is English, or French, or Italian, Irish, German, Spanish,
Polish, Russian or Greek. 
 
An American may also be Canadian, Mexican, African, Indian, Chinese,
Japanese, Korean, Australian, Iranian, Asian, or Arab, or Pakistani,
or Afghan. 
 
An American may also be a Cherokee, Osage, Blackfoot, Navaho, Apache,
Seminole or one of the many other tribes known as native Americans. 
 
An American is Christian, or he could be Jewish, or Buddhist, or
Muslim. 
 
In fact, there are more Muslims in America than in Afghanistan. The
only difference is that in America they are free to worship as each of
them chooses. 
 
An American is also free to believe in no religion. For that he will
answer only to God, not to the government, or to armed thugs claiming
to speak for the government and for God. 
 
An American lives in the most prosperous land in the history of the
world. 
 
The root of that prosperity can be found in the Declaration of
Independence, which recognizes the God given right of each person to
the pursuit of happiness. 
 
An American is generous. Americans have helped out just about every
other nation in the world in their time of need. 
 
When the Soviet army overran Afghanistan 20 years ago, Americans came
with arms and supplies to enable the people to win back their country!

 
As of the morning of September 11, Americans had given more than any
other nation to the poor in Afghanistan. 
 
Americans welcome the best, the best products, the best books, the best
music, the best food, the best athletes. But they also welcome the
least! 
 
The national symbol of America, The Statue of Liberty, welcomes your
tired and your poor, the wretched refuse of your teeming shores, the
homeless, tempest tossed. These in fact are the people who built
America. 
 
Some of them were working in the Twin Towers the morning of September
11, 2001, earning a better life for their families. I've been told
that the World Trade Center victims were from at least 30 other
countries, cultures, and first languages, including those that aided
and abetted the terrorists. 
 
So you can try to kill an American if you must. 
 
Hitler did. 
 
So did General Tojo, and Stalin, and Mao Tse-Tung, and every
bloodthirsty tyrant in the history of the world. 
 
But, in doing so you would just be killing yourself. Because Americans
are not a particular people from a particular place. They are the
embodiment of the human spirit of freedom. Everyone who holds to that
spirit, everywhere, is an American. 
 
Author unknown 

Pass this around the World 

Update:  Corrected Iran to Iraq.

Update II:  Rats!  Normally I check Snopes whenever anyone sends me a story by e-mail.  (I'm always returning things to let people know whatever e-mail they forwarded is a hoax.)  I suppose because of the source, this time I didn't.  Aelfheld did and discovered:

The "What is an American?" article quoted above was not penned by an Australian (or a dentist), but by Peter Ferrara, an associate professor of law at the George Mason University School of Law in Northern Virginia. Mr. Ferrara's commentary was originally published in the National Review on 25 September 2001.

I don't know where my head was at that the "I can't confirm" part didn't send me off to investigate, but thanks to Aelfheld for catching it.

Doug Giles: A History Test

Doug Giles in Townhall this morning makes a point about profiling with a History Test:

1. 1968 Bobby Kennedy was shot and killed by:
a. Superman
b. Jay Leno
c. Harry Potter
d. A Muslim man between the ages of 17 and 40
 
2. In 1972 at the Munich Olympics, athletes were kidnapped and massacred by:
a. Olga Corbett
b. Sitting Bull
c. Arnold Schwarzenegger
d. Muslim men mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
 
3. In 1979, the US embassy in Iran was taken over by:
a. Lost Norwegians
b. Elvis
c. A tour bus full of 80-year-old women
d. Muslim men mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
 
4. During the 1980's a number of Americans were kidnapped in Lebanon by:
a. John Dillinger
b. The King of Sweden
c. The Boy Scouts
d. Muslim men mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

Finish the test here.