Yemen to Increase Democratic Participation

Good news from Yemen. President Saleh has forwarded a series of constitutional amendments to Parliament which include the following: local police (very important), local control of revenues and expenditures, direct elections for the heads of the local councils, 15% female quota fixed by law for parliamentary seats. Shorter terms for the President and Parliament, also good.

Not good, the president appoints half of the electoral commission, but that's better than all. Not good, governors are not be to directly elected from the local populations, whose needs they would understand. Currently they are appointed.

If implemented (a big if), this proposal could go a long way in a) reducing tensions in various governorates b) spurring local economies c) increasing popular participation and public accountability.

However the regime needs to lay off the journalists and let them do their job which is critical. This plan cannot succeed without a free press. Corruption cannot be controlled without a free press. Democracy cannot exist without a free press.

Thats how we will know if Saleh is serious or not, if all the bogus charges and lawsuits against journalists get dropped.

The website of the ruling party has the details. So we'll see if it gets passed and then implemented. I'm hoping it's not another case of a big announcment followed by nothing.

Posted by: JaneNovak at 08:09 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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(BUMPED) Kosbot: Why I have a little crush on Ahmadinejad

BUMPED for two reasons.

1) Given what the little Holocaust-denying POS was spewing forth today, I thought it would be interesting to read this Democrat Kosbot's love letter to the Iranian dictator again for comparison.

2) There appears to be an infestation of Holocaust-denying trolls (or maybe just one sock puppeting) trying to be cute in the comments. And if there's one thing I detest more than 9-11 Truthers, it's Holocaust deniers (although they are often one and the same).

Target practice, fellas! Have at 'em!

- - -
The left goes full-on woo, and the comments are permeated by lefties and Democrats trying to set aside his role in the slaughter of US troops, execution of gays and women, threats to destroy Israel and his Holocaust denial in order to maintain their chosen orthodoxy - that BOOSH is worse.

ht: LGF

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58% Disapprove of MoveOn.org's Betrayus Ad

Strange. I was told that the vast, 95% majority of the United States was on board with the anti-American, anti-Troop leftwingnut echo-chamber.

Oh, well. You live and you learn.

Posted by: Good Lt. at 08:54 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Eaglespeak: Everything Naval

Eagle Speak is one of my favorite blogs. I always learn something.

Today's selection: Iran's Swarm Attack Tactics in the Strait of Hormuz .

Also, John Paul Jones: I have not yet begun to fight.

Posted by: JaneNovak at 08:29 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Google Hosts How to Build Bombs for Jihad Website

Well, this is interesting: http://mojahidmouslim.blogspot.com.

Here's a screenshot of the translated Google hosted webpage translated in to English.

The site is old, most of the links are dead, but some of them are still active. Have fun with it.

Thanks to Allahakchew for some of the leg work on this.

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Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Says

"We propose more humane methods of establishing peace."

Mamand Mamandy - After 130 lashes for drinking beer

Sorry Mookie, but I'm afraid we'll have to pass on that one. more...

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Video: Ron Paul Girl Stripping

Jay at Stop the ACLU has the new Ron Paul Girl video up. Oh, and it features her stripping.

What next: a full-length hardcore XXX porno for Joe Biden?

Bonus image: Here she is. Your typical Ron Paul supporter.

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The Idea of Freedom is Bigger than any President, any Party, any Country

Natan Sharansky on freedom at the Intelligence Squared US debate. The debate resolution: "Spreading democracy in the Middle East is a bad idea".

Thanks to Karol from Alarming News for the tip.

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No Gays In Iran

There's just not any gay persons in Iran, therefore there is no discrimination against them, dinnerjacket says.

This guy is making me sick.

UPDATE: AllahP has video of him saying it.

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Can Some Reader Clarify Columbia U Prez's Remarks?

Columbia President Lee Bollinger said this on ABC's Good Morning, America:

"It's extremely important to know who the leaders are of countries that are your adversaries. To watch them to see how they think, to see how they reason or do not reason. To see whether they're fanatical, or to see whether they are sly."

My question to readers is this: was Bollinger talking about Iranian ruler and goat pleasurer Ahmanutjob, or President Bush. It's so hard to tell with liberal whackjobs these days. Yes, I'm aware that "liberal whackjob" is pretty much a tautology, but I'm trying to be polite.

Update: Did Columbia president Lee Bollinger plan to humiliate the Iranian madman all along, or did criticism of the invitation to the Holocaust-denying Iranian ruler motivate him?

I don't care. The result is priceless, and I applaud Bollinger for putting Ahmadinejad on the spot:

NEW YORK - As hundreds protested outside, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad took the stage at Columbia University on Monday after a blistering introduction from the school's president, who said the hard-line leader was a dictator with preposterous beliefs.

Ahmadinejad smiled as Columbia President Lee Bollinger took him to task over Iran's human-rights record and foreign policy, as well as Ahmadinejad's statements denying the Holocaust and calling for the disappearance of Israel.

"Mr. President, you exhibit all the signs of a petty and cruel dictator," Bollinger said, to loud applause.

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Terrorists Announce Death of 'Juba, the Baghdad Sniper'

A forum connected to al Qaeda has announced the death of 'Juba, the Baghdad sniper'. Several videos produced by The Islamic Army in Iraq purporting to be of 'Juba' began to appear online 2005. A 'Top 10' video went viral and 'Juba' became a pop phenomenon.

It also caused outrage when CNN aired clips from the video showing an American being shot and killed.

The announcement of Juba's death claimed that the sniper had left the Islamic Army in Iraq to join al Qaeda when the latter group formed 'The Islamic State of Iraq'. Juba, the announcement claimed, had been betrayed by an informant and 'was killed like a hero'.

On hearing the announcement, the popular Canadian based pro-terror website Jihad Unspun, released a poem lauding 'Juba':

My targets were many
Crusaders and traitors
All on my hit list
For a bullet through their chest
Or mortal wound
As a warning to others

Jihad Unspun is a Google News source.

Of course, the problems with the announcement of 'Juba's' death are many.

First, the claim that he left the IAI to join al Qaeda. Possible, but not likely.

Second, the claim that he was killed just a few days ago during Ramadan. In November of last year the Iraqis claimed they had captured a man named Ali Nazar al Jubori and that he was the original Baghdad sniper.

Third, it seems clear that even if there was a Baghdad sniper who called himself 'Juba' (there is a popular myth that the Americans named him that, but it's not true) that the vast majority of sniping videos were not of the same man.

How do we know that 'Juba' could not have been one man? Because the very first Islamic Army in Iraq produced "Juba Top 10 video" included footage of an American soldier being hit near his Humvee. What is not shown in the Juba footage is the fact that the American survived, the sniper was killed, and this "Juba's" sidekick who filmed the incident was captured down the road, videotape in hand.

The survivor's name is Lance Cpl. John McClellan, and his story is here.

Juba was a myth created for propaganda purposes by The Islamic Army in Iraq. The same group that murdered American hostage Ronald Schulz and Italian Red Cross worker Enzo Baldoni.

This is also the same group that produced the Lee Tucker: Lee's Life for Lies video, which was also a complete fabrication.

So it's not surprising that a group which glorifies the murder of civilian hostages and makes propaganda films showing a 'dead anti-war' soldier would also lie and create a sniper 'hero' named Juba. It's also not surprising that the Islamic State of Iraq would lie about this 'hero' joining al Qaeda before being 'martyred' during Ramadan. After all, al Qaeda in Iraq is the same group that paid an actor to play the part of the leader of The Islamic State of Iraq.

So, we welcome the news that another Baghdad sniper has been killed. But he's not the Juba. If there ever really was a Juba, he was either killed in 2005 or captured in 2006. And if it just so happens that this Juba is the Juba, then all the better.

Howie has more at our sister website Juba Sucks.

Hat tip: Thalja

UPDATE: Blackfive weighs in. He doesn't think Juba was real either.

Just to clarify, it wasn't Jihad Unspun--the Canadian website--that announced Juba's death. They just reacted to it by praising.. The actual announcement came on one of al Qaeda's favorite forums, al Hesbah.

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On Scheuer, Israel, and "Minding Our Own Business"

Michael Scheuer, along with a few of our commenters, is of the opinion that cutting Israel loose would be in America's best interests, as it would enable us to smooth things over with the likes of bin Laden and Ahmadinejad, and thereby improve our "standing in the region."

This is a specific example of the general idea that peace is always an option. Where there is a conflict, one side or the other always has the option of capitulating and thereby garnering short-term peace.

Thus, when the Barbary Pirates asked President Jefferson for bribes in exchange for peace, he could have paid their bribes rather than engaging us in a war.

In the 1940s, we could have decided that the conflict between Germany and the British was "not our problem," and sat back and let the Europeans sort it out.

When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, FDR could have realized that the conflict arose out of our meddling in the Far East (which it did), that we'd "brought it on ourselves," and that we'd be better off moving our sphere of influence back from the Pacific. We had the option of abandoning the people of the Pacific Rim under the heel of Japanese Imperialism.

When the Chinese moved into Korea, we could have decided Korea wasn't worth one American life or one American dollar, and allowed the entire peninsula to become the hell that is now North Korea.

At different junctures in our history, our efforts to spread democracy and freedom to the darker corners of the world have always caused us trouble.

Our belief that the world should be free has always cost us--sometimes dearly.

But, at the end of the day, it is what we have done, time and time again.

We are America. Freedom is just what we do. We are Reagan's "shining city on a hill," and the citizens of this beautiful city care deeply about freedom--not only for ourselves, but for the hundreds of millions of our fellow human beings who are still trapped in darkness.

And if we ever stop caring about that, we will cease to be America.

Posted by: Ragnar at 09:16 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Yemeni-Americans Say Yemeni President Saleh Supports Terrorism

And they sign their names.

However, our governments have to dry up the source of the international terrorism that exists in the Yemen regime and his traditional allies before explosion.

Those traditional allies are the terrorist organizations such as Al Qaeda, the Islamic Army of Aden-Abyan, and the Wahhabi movement in Yemen which led by AbdullMajid Al-Zandani (spiritual father of Osama bin Laden).

Read it all, they mention the USS Cole: more...

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Turkish Hackers Deface Vietnam Memorial Website

This comes shortly on the heels of the actual Vietnam Memorial being defaced by unknown vandals who's patriotism is not allowed to be questioned. PC World:

A Vietnam War memorial Web site run by veterans was defaced in recent days by a "hacker" who left messages attacking the U.S., Israel, Armenia and the Kurds, the Washington Post reported in Thursday's issue....

Someone identified as "Turk Defacer" took responsibility for the hack, which was reported to the site by several hundred visitors. The group that operates the site, the 4/9 Infantry Manchu (Vietnam) Association, removed the defacement and restored the site late Wednesday.

You may recall that we had our own run in with some Turkish hackers some time ago.

Thanks to Allahakchew

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Terrorist Visits Columbia University

An editorial cartoon sent in by Ronny Gordon about President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visit to Columbia University today.

Iranian military agents are routinely arrested in Iraq. Iranian made EFPs routinely kill Americans in Iraq. Ahmadinejad, though, claims Iran is not responsible.

Seems to me that if Iran is not responsible for the deaths of Americans at the hands of Iranian agents and explosives, then the U.S. would not be responsible for the death of Ahmadinejad at the hands of outraged students.

Warped logic? Yes, but that's kind of the point.

Posted by: Rusty at 08:42 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Swedish Cartoon Blasphemer Checks for Car Bombs Daily

Ever wonder what it's like to have a death fatwa and a bounty on your head for drawing something? To be honest, I've been trying to get a fatwa for ages now, so I'm kind of jealous that Internet Anthropologist scores this interview with Lars Vilks:

G: How are you doing?

L: I am doing quite well. Checking my car for bombs every day and keeping my eyes open. Otherwise I can do my regular work.

G: Do you have good security?

L: Yes. Unfortunately I cannot say anything more.

Religion. Of. Peace.

Just in case Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, the alleged head of al Qaeda in Iraq who placed a $100,000 bounty on Vilks head, is reading The Jawa Report today.....here's a little fishing expedition.

Can I please get my fatwa now?

Posted by: Rusty at 08:21 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Italian Hostage Shot During Rescue

Two Italian soldiers kidnapped in Afghanistan Saturday were rescued by NATO troops earlier today, but one of the hostages was injured in the raid. Via Times Online:

Two Italian soldiers kidnapped in western Afghanistan were freed in a Nato-led raid early this morning after a two-day ordeal, the Italian Defence Ministry reported.

The two men were taken to hospital after the raid by British and Italian troops, during which one of the hostages was shot in the head and chest, according to Italian media reports. Up to seven of the kidnappers were killed.

It was not clear immediately who the abductors were, with reports suggesting variously that they belonged to the Taleban or to an independent criminal group planning to sell the hostages to the extremist fighters in Farah province, fast becoming a hotbed of unrest.

"According to our intelligence information, a Taleban commander, Mullah Abdul Hamid, had taken them," said Ali Khan Husseinzada, the police chief of criminal investigations for western Afghanistan.

However, the main Taleban spokesman, Yousuf Ahmadi, insisted he knew nothing about the men. The Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (Isaf), said it would release details later today.

UPDATE on Soldiers' Condition:

One of the Italians was seriously wounded and doctors were evaluating whether to operate, Parisi said. The other had broken his shoulder and left collarbone, but his injuries were not considered life-threatening.

Both had been beaten by their captors, said Afghan Gen. Jalandar Shah.

Maj. Charles Anthony, a spokesman for the NATO force here, said it was not clear if the two Italians were wounded by gunfire from their rescuers or their kidnappers.

The Italians' Afghan translator was also wounded, and another Afghan, apparently their driver, was killed, Parisi said. Anthony hinted the driver might have helped in the kidnappings.

Posted by: noburqa at 07:43 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Two Italian Soldiers Believed Kidnapped in Afghanistan

Two Italian soldiers went missing along with their Afghan driver and translator earlier today while on patrol in western Herat province. The Afghans returned to Herat City late Sunday without the soldiers, and Italian officials now believe the men to have been kidnapped. Via AFP:

The two Italians had been travelling in a volatile part of western Herat province with an Afghan interpreter and an Afghan driver when they went missing on Saturday, police said.

But the Afghans returned to Herat city late Sunday and were to be questioned Monday, said the police chief in charge of criminal investigations for the region, Ali Khan Husseinzada.

"We have not questioned them yet but we will summon them tomorrow to question them about the Italians," he said, adding it was still unclear what had happened to the foreigners.

Husseinzada said earlier that the group had been out of contact since Saturday when they visited Shindand district, a volatile area that has seen some activity by the hardline Taliban militia, known for kidnapping foreigners.

A Taliban spokesman, Yousuf Ahmadi, said he did not know anything about the missing Italians.

Italians have been frequent targets of the Taliban in recent years. Aid worker Clementina Cantoni was abducted in 2005 in Kabul; photojournalist Gabriele Torsello was kidnapped in Helmand province in October 2006; and journalist Daniele Mastrogiacomo and his driver and translator were kidnapped this past March. Mastrogiacomo was released in exchange for 5 imprisoned Taliban terrorists, however driver Sayad Agha was beheaded during the 3-week-long abduction, and translator Adjmal Nakshbandi was beheaded on Easter Day.

Prayers for the safety of the missing soldiers and all Coalition troops in Afghanistan.

Posted by: noburqa at 08:47 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Michael Scheuer : Israel "not worth an American life or an American dollar"

From ex-CIA agent Michael Scheuer's recent appearance on Bill Maher's show:

Bill Maher : "But Israel is a democracy in a part of the world that has none."

Scheuer : "What? So what? It doesn't matter to Americans if anyone ever votes again."

Maher : "It doesn't?"

Sheuer : "We'll get by just fine, sir."

Maher : "I wouldn't. I wouldn't get by just fine."

Video at LGF.

Bill Maher's wrong about a lot of things, but he's spot-on here, and I'm willing to give him props for it.

Now, Scheuer's opinion isn't particularly disturbing. We already knew where he was coming from. What's disturbing is the wildly enthusiastic response Sheuer's statements elicit from Maher's audience

Posted by: Ragnar at 04:02 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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UK Paper: Israelis Snatched Nork Nuke Material in Syria

From the Timesonline:

Israeli commandos seized nuclear material of North Korean origin during a daring raid on a secret military site in Syria before Israel bombed it this month, according to informed sources in Washington and Jerusalem.

The attack was launched with American approval on September 6 after Washington was shown evidence the material was nuclear related, the well-placed sources say.

No word yet on when House majority leader Nancy Pelosi plans to visit Syria to apologize for the raid.

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Sat. Nite Music Blogging: Neal Morse

I've put up a Spock's Beard song here before, in the vain hopes that you Neanderthals would appreciate some real neo-prog. I don't know if it happened.

At any rate, here's Neal Morse (on the left, gabbing away and simultaneously shredding with his brother Al Morse with the original lineup of Spock's Beard, with drummer Nick D'Virgilio joining in later on vox, who was a drummer for Tear for Fears and for a latter-day Genesis album in addition to his primary gig with the Beard, which he now fronts after Neal's departure after he left Spock's Beard after becoming a devout Christian...phew...)

So pay attention to Neal. He was the original voice, keyboardist, songwriter, musical force and leader of Spock's Bead before 2003. He's a phenomenal singer, songwriter, guitar player, keyboardist and all-around great musician that I hold in high regard, and I think you thugs should, too. If you want a taste of his vocal abilities and full-band prowess with Spock's Beard and beyond, look below the fold.

Now start listening to real music and turn off the crap you're listening to. I'm serial. :-)

more...

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'They Have No Right To Be Able To Speak Here'

"They have no right to be able to speak here..." - Columbia junior Ryan Fukumori, after student criminals rushed the stage and forced security to escort Minutemen founder Jim Gilchrist away.

This incident is one of two similar attacks on free speech by Columbia students that The Sixth Sense has discovered after "five minutes" of research.

I'll bet the student Gestapo at Columbia has stifled legitimate debate more often than that. Of course, a free propaganda platform is just fine for worldclass terrorist assmonkey Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as far as Columbia is concerned.

Update: photo of Fukumori.

Posted by: Bluto at 06:22 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Report: NorK training Syrian Missle Engineers

How's that "diplomacy" working out for everyone, Nancy? Denny? Democrats?

So now the story, apparently, is that the road to peace goes through Pelosi, Kucinich, North Korea and Damascus.

I guess this is just a consequence of the "tough, smart" leadership the Democrats went on and on about last year.

Maybe Syria will nuke Israel next summer. Wouldn't that prove the Democrat position effective!

Maybe we really should be dusting the Logan Act again, and start asking some tough questions of the Donk leadership.

§ 953. Private correspondence with foreign governments.

Any citizen of the United States, wherever he may be, who, without authority of the United States, directly or indirectly commences or carries on any correspondence or intercourse with any foreign government or any officer or agent thereof, with intent to influence the measures or conduct of any foreign government or of any officer or agent thereof, in relation to any disputes or controversies with the United States, or to defeat the measures of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.

This section shall not abridge the right of a citizen to apply himself, or his agent, to any foreign government, or the agents thereof, for redress of any injury which he may have sustained from such government or any of its agents or subjects.

Posted by: Good Lt. at 04:19 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Baghdad Patrol: Caption Contest

Caption this photo. Thanks to Carlo.

Posted by: Rusty at 03:57 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Don't Tase me Bro: Jawa Style

Thanks to Son of the Godfather, who noticed this link as a response to the 'Can't Tase This' video posted by Charles.

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