How Phony Letter Drove Iraq War

MSNBC.com

It was 3 a.m. in Italy on Jan. 29, 2003, when President Bush in Washington began reading his State of the Union address that included the now famous -- later retracted -- 16 words: "The British Government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa." Like most Europeans, Elisabetta Burba, an investigative reporter for the Italian newsweekly Panorama, waited until the next day to read the newspaper accounts of Bush's remarks. But when she came to the 16 words, she recalled, she got a sudden sinking feeling in her stomach. She wondered: How could the American president have mentioned a uranium sale from Africa? Burba felt uneasy because more than three months earlier, she had turned over to the U.S. Embassy in Rome documents about an alleged uranium sale by the central African nation of Niger. And she knew now that the documents were fraudulent and the 16 words wrong.

This is awfully egotistical of her to think she is what caused the Iraq phase of the War on Terror. Several countries had various investigations about Saddam trying to acquire uranium, including the United States. I'm sure we are going to take the word of some hack writer for a rag-mag as part of our national security.

 

Technorati tags: Iraq, Saddam Hussein, Uranium, President Bush, State of the Union

British Navy Accused Of Failures And Complacency

Telegraph

Royal Navy intelligence gathering has been criticised as being "poor" for allowing 15 personnel to fall into the hands of the Iranians, serving officers told The Daily Telegraph yesterday. The training of boarding parties has also been labelled "inadequate", with insufficient funding or time for proper instruction. Others accused the Cornwall's crew of "complacency" for not picking up the Iranian fast boats on radar and not heightening its "threat posture" after the detention of five Iranians by US forces in January. One officer, recently returned from the Gulf, said: "The Government has to realise if they want to carry out gunboat diplomacy then they really need to start spending money on warships that they are willing to use." The current boarding party course offered by the Navy covered only basic elements that were described by one officer as "elementary and slightly laughable". The two-day training package was not long enough because the Navy was operating under strict budgets, he added.

We certainly do not want any of our allies to be kidnapped by a terrorist state, but there's only so much the United States can do. Britain is in the middle of a war and they're cutting funding for the military.

This is kind of like a premonition for the United States. This is what can happen when you are not properly funding a WAR. Everyone seems to forget that. This is not a card game, or playing tag out in the yard. Real people live and die depending on the quality and quantity of their equipment and ammunition. The Democrats need to remember that. Of course, we can't question their patriotism.

 

Technorati tags: Britain, British Sailors, British Navy

More Evidence Iran Is Causing Problems In Iraq

Al-Reuters

The United States has growing evidence of Tehran's involvement in destabilizing Iraq, with more sophisticated Iranian weapons being found, a senior State Department official said on Tuesday. Jim Jeffrey, principal deputy assistant secretary of State for Near East Affairs, said Iranian interference in Iraq had intensified in recent months. Tehran denies this. "It's growing, it's quite frightening. We are getting much more accurate indirect fire and we see this as both Iranian munitions and possibly Iranian training," Jeffrey said in an interview with Reuters. He said over the last couple of months many more recently manufactured Iranian rockets and other "modern munitions" had found their way into Iraq. He did not provide figures. "It is various caliber mortars and rockets and better, what we call, fire control," said Jeffrey, whose main dossier is Iran at the State Department.

No, let's continue to negotiate this people. After all, they keep saying they want to "help" in Iraq. Apparently, in Persian, there is a different meaning to the word "help". To those sane Americans, this is called "war by proxy".

 

Technorati tags: United States, Iran, Iraq, War on Terror, Proxy War, Iranian Weapons, Insurgents, Terrorists

UGH!

 

 

 

Pelosi, D-Calif., is scheduled to meet Assad and other Syrian officials on Wednesday. She made no comment on arrival and headed for the Old City of Damascus where she toured the 8th-century Omayyad Mosque.

Pelosi draped a scarf over her head as she entered the historic mosque

 

 

 

Technorati tags: Pelosi, Hijab, Syria

Cheney Speaks The Truth, Again

The Birmingham News

Vice President Dick Cheney said in Birmingham on Monday that the Democratic-controlled Congress must learn there is only one commander in chief, and he lives in the White House. Criticizing congressional resolutions supporting the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, Cheney said, "The fact is that the United States military answers to one commander in chief in the White House, not 535 commanders in chief on Capitol Hill. "We expect the House and Senate to meet the needs of our military on time, in full and with no strings attached," Cheney told an audience of about 500 at The Club [...] "This action by the House of Representatives is irresponsible and sends exactly the wrong message to our enemy," Cheney said. "When members of the Congress speak not of victory but of time limits, deadlines or other arbitrary measures, they're telling the enemy to simply watch the clock and wait us out. It's time the self-appointed strategists on Capitol Hill understood a very simple concept: You cannot win a war if you tell the enemy when you're going to quit," Cheney said as the audience jumped to its feet applauding. Cheney vowed Bush would veto any funding bill for the war containing a date for U.S. troop withdrawals. He also said it's clear that the votes are not there to override a presidential veto, and he called on Democrats to stop what he called "political theater" and send Bush a bill he can sign. Cheney said that if Democrats believe they can delay funding for the war and force Bush to accept restrictions, they are wrong. "It's nothing less than an attempt to force the president's hand," said Cheney. "They're going to find out they've misread George W. Bush."

While I appreciate the Vice-President stating these facts, The President also needs to start talking like this. He's got nothing to lose and everything to gain. His approval rating is down and he can't seek re-election. If he spends the rest of his term doing the things that need to be done to protect this country, and causing the Democrats to have fits, my view of him will be greatly improved.

Technorati tags: Vice-President, Cheney, Congress, Democrats, War on Terror, Troops

Florida Can Go To Hell

That is all

Good News From The War On Terror

IMPROMPTU CLINIC HELPS SICK IRAQIS

AL NUR, Iraq - Multi-National Division-Baghdad Soldiers took another stride toward earning the trust of the Iraqi people through humanitarian service March 29 here. After Soldiers from B Battery, 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment arrived to secure the schoolhouse designated as the clinic's site, medics from 1-37 FA.; 115th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division; and 82nd Airborne Division assisted Iraq Army medics in providing more than 100 citizens care for basic medical problems. Iraq Army Soldiers screened scores of patients, completing a worksheet that delineated patient's problems and blood pressure, before American medics and doctors provided a thorough diagnosis and care plan. Medics said this clinic is just another way the U.S. Army is empowering Iraq's security forces and civilians to take responsibility for the care of the Iraqi people.

HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE TO THE CITIZENS OF TAL'AFAR CONTINUES

TAL'AFAR, Iraq - Iraqi Security Forces and Tal Afar civic leaders continue to lead from the front in providing aid and humanitarian assistance to the citizens of Tal'Afar displaced by the terrorist bombing on March 27. The Iraqi military coordinated and flew a critical airlift resupply mission, bringing supplies for distribution by Iraqi ground forces to the civilian population.  The mission was unique in nature as it was executed by Iraqi military pilots and crew members. Coalition civil affairs teams continued to provide assessments, making sure the aid provided was funneled through the Iraqi leaders to population most in need.

IRAQI FORCES CONDUCT RAID IN BAGHDAD

BAGHDAD - Iraqi police forces conducted an early-morning operation on April 1, in Al-Kut, capturing a suspect believed to be involved in insurgent activities.  With coalition advisers present for support, Iraqi forces raided a residence in the al-Shuada District of Al-Kut southeast of Baghdad and captured their primary target without incident.    Iraqi forces also detained one other suspicious individual who was present during the operation.  The primary target of this operation is alleged to be responsible for weapon smuggling and improvised explosive devices activities intended to kill Iraqi citizens, Iraqi Security Forces and Coalition Forces.  No Iraqi or coalition forces were injured during this operation.

IRAQI SECURITY FORCES, CAVALRY DISCOVER EXTREMIST TRAINING CAMP

ZAGANIYAH, Iraq – Iraqi Security Forces from the 5th Iraqi Army Division, working with Coalition Forces, discovered a terrorist training camp in Zaganiyah, Iraq, while conducting clearing operations in the Diyala River Valley palm groves Thursday. Soldiers from 2nd Brigade, 5th IA and Company B, 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, attached to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, discovered a fortified underground bunker with three exit points, four prepared fighting positions and a training camp building. While clearing the area, the Soldiers unearthed five weapons caches consisting of more than 100 rocket-propelled grenade rounds, more than five RPG launchers, approximately 70 mortar rounds, bomb-making materials, home made explosives and terrorist planning and training materials.

IRAQI POLICE GRADUATES KEY TO THE FUTURE

BAGHDAD - Recruits of the 3rd Battalion, 6th Brigade, 2nd Division Iraqi National Police graduated from training at Forward Operating Base Falcon March 28, the first group of "shurta," Arabic for police, to come onto a U.S. forward operating base and receive complete, 24-hour-a-day training by a National Police Training Team.

PHONE TIP LEADS COALITION FORCES TO RESCUE KIDNAPPED VICTIMS

BAGHDAD - Coalition forces rescued two male Iraqi citizens who were kidnapped at a checkpoint March 31. The two men were traveling on a motor scooter when they were stopped by two men dressed as Iraqi Army soldiers, who detained them and made a cell phone call. A short time later, eight men, suspected of being militia members, showed up at the checkpoint.  They beat the two men while the alleged Iraqi Army troops watched. The two victims where then shoved into vehicles and taken to a house where the beatings continued. A phone tip to a hotline run by 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne infantry Regiment, spurred a series of events that eventually led to the rescue of the two men. The tip led coalition troops to the vicinity of the house where an immediate house-to-house search began. The two kidnapped men were found in what appeared to be a torture house, still bound and badly beaten. The victims were taken by coalition forces to a nearby base and given immediate medical treatment.

 

Technorati tags: Iraq, War on Terror, Good News

Democrats To Cut Troop Funding

Yahoo! News

WASHINGTON - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Monday he wants to cut off money for the Iraq war next year, making clear for the first time that Democrats are willing to pull out all the stops to end U.S. involvement. Reid's new strategy faces an uphill battle because many of his colleagues see yanking funds as a dangerous last resort. The proposal increases the stakes on the debate and marks a new era for the Democratic leadership once reluctant to talk about Congress' power of the purse. "In the face of the administration's stubborn unwillingness to change course, the Senate has no choice but to force a change of course," said Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., who signed on Monday as a co-sponsor of Reid's proposal with Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis. The move is likely to intensify the Democrats' rift with the administration, which already contends Democrats are putting troops at risk by setting deadlines. "It's time the self-appointed strategists on Capitol Hill understood a very simple concept: You cannot win a war if you tell the enemy you're going to quit," Vice President Dick Cheney said Monday at a fundraising luncheon for Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala.

Can we question their patriotism yet? Doesn't this go along with that legal thing about giving aid and comfort to the enemy. It's obvious that do not care about winning the war, but rather, how fast can we retreat.

Even though only half of the troop "surge" is deployed, it's already showing results. This must have the idiot left in fits because it shows we are winning.

Words cannot describe the ignorance and worthlessness of these Democrats.

The British Blame Game

Independent Online Edition

A failed American attempt to abduct two senior Iranian security officers on an official visit to northern Iraq was the starting pistol for a crisis that 10 weeks later led to Iranians seizing 15 British sailors and Marines. Early on the morning of 11 January, helicopter-born US forces launched a surprise raid on a long-established Iranian liaison office in the city of Arbil in Iraqi Kurdistan. They captured five relatively junior Iranian officials whom the US accuses of being intelligence agents and still holds. In reality the US attack had a far more ambitious objective, The Independent has learned. The aim of the raid, launched without informing the Kurdish authorities, was to seize two men at the very heart of the Iranian security establishment.

First off, I think it's ridiculous that we are being blamed because the British Navy was unprepared. If they would have fired on the Revolutionary Guard, we probably would not be in this mess. I know many Americans support Britain and any actions they need to take to get those sailors back. This is just a slap in the face to those who support them.

Second, those Iranian "security" agents were members of Iranian intelligence and were linked to providing training and weapons to terrorists. We are responsible for security in Iraq and we certainly do not Iran's interference. Iran has already declared war on the United States and we surely would not allow intelligence agents from Iran relay info back or any other type of action that would aggravate the situation.

 

*** UPDATE ***

Someone who knows a lot more about this kind of stuff has just posted about his. Check out In From The Cold for a better understanding of this situation.

 

Technorati tags: Britain, United States, Iran, Iraq, Abduction

These Are The Animals We Are Dealing With

The Catholic Herald VIA Jihad Watch 

“When they cook a dish in the Middle East, it is traditional to put the meat on top of the rice when they serve it. They kidnapped a woman’s baby in Baghdad, a toddler, and because the mother was unable to pay the ransom, they returned her child – beheaded, roasted and served on a mound of rice.” The infant’s crime was to be an Assyrian, but this story, reported by the Barnabus Fund, went unnoticed in the West, like so many other horrific accounts of Christian persecution in Iraq. Since the invasion of Iraq, Muslim militants have bombed 28 churches and murdered hundreds of Christians. Last October, Islamists beheaded a priest in Mosul in revenge for the Pope’s remarks about Islam at Regensburg. But never let it be said that jihadis do not have a sense of ironic humour: that same month they crucified a 14-year-old Christian boy in Basra.

These people have no right to live. The international community mourns deeply and condemns every Muslim death, but how can anyone in their right mind sympathize with these animals. If they want to act like animals, they should be treated like such.

 

Technorati tags: Assyrian, Christians, Muslim, Islam, Religion

Iran Accuses US Jet Fighters Of Violating Airspace

Yahoo! News

TEHRAN (AFP) - US warplanes have violated Iranian airspace in the southwestern oil province of Khuzestan, the Arabic language channel of Iranian state television quoted a local military chief as saying on Sunday. However, a US military spokesman said he had checked into reports of an airspace violation and denied that any took place. "Two US aircraft trespassed into Iranian airspace northwest of (the port city of) Abadan before flying southwest into Iraq," a Revolutionary Guards commander in Abadan identified only as Colonel Aqili was quoted as saying by the Al-Alam channel's website. "The planes left white vapour trails, attracting the local people's attention," he said, without elaborating on when the alleged incursion took place. The incident happened close to Iran's border with Iraq, where the US and British military are deployed in force, he said. A US military spokesman told AFP that he had investigated the Iranian military's claim and found no evidence to support it. "There is nothing that we saw that would indicate that that happened," he told AFP.

I think we can assume that Iran believes Iraq is now their territory. Either that, or they don't know where their territory begins or ends. Oh well, that's primates for you.

 

Technorati tags: Iran, United States, Iraq, Airspace

'US Ready To Strike Iran On Good Friday'

Jerusalem Post

The United States will be ready to launch a missile attack on Iran's nuclear facilities as soon as early this month, perhaps "from 4 a.m. until 4 p.m. on April 6," according to reports in the Russian media on Saturday. According to Russian intelligence sources, the reports said, the US has devised a plan to attack several targets in Iran, and an assault could be carried out by launching missiles from fighter jets and warships stationed in the Persian Gulf. [...] The reports come as the Iranian chief of staff, Hassan Fayrouz Abadi, was quoted on Saturday by Iran's Fars news agency warning leaders of Arab countries that Israel plans to open a "suicidal attack" on its neighbors this summer, to "prevent the withdrawal of the US troops from Iraq and the area."

There you have it. I'm not sure where they are getting this info. It could just be intimidation. I doubt our military is ready for such a feat at this moment. There would be retaliation into Iraq, and we need many more troops to combat the new threat. I would guess at least twice as many as we have there now.

 

Technorati tags: United States, Iran, Missile Attack, Nuclear, Russia

IDF Intel: Iran, Hizbullah Preparing For Possible US Strike

Ynetnews

Iran, Syria and Hizbullah are preparing for a possible military confrontation with the United States in the summer, the head of the IDF's Military Intelligence said Sunday.

"Their preparation is defensive ahead of war … They fear a war initiated by the Americans because they understand that there might be an attack against Iran over the summer, but not by Israel," Maj. Gen. Amos Yadlin told the Cabinet.

"We are closely following these preparations, for fear that one of the sides misinterprets certain moves in the region. I bring up the Six Day War in this context – when you reach a war no one is interested in as a result of the involvement of many players.

It just kind of makes you wonder what goes through their little minds. What makes them think it won't be until summer? Now looks like a pretty good time. Hopefully while they are preparing their arms build-up they go bankrupt and the people overthrow the gov't.

Movie Review: Blades Of Glory

Saturday, I ventured out to the movie theater for the first time in many years. I had intended to see the movie "300". But, as fate would have it, I went outside to discover a flat tire on my truck. By the time I finished changing the tire, the movie had already started.

After those two events, my day was pretty much ruined. I promised I would go to the theater, so I had to find another movie. That's when I picked "Blades of Glory".

After the first 10 minutes, I was regretting my decision. I was bored and wanted to leave. I'm glad I stayed because it ended up being one of the funniest movies I've seen. Chazz Michael Michaels (Will Ferrell) was the "masculine" skater and Jimmy MacElroy (Jon Heder) as the "effeminate" skater, it was the perfect combination. Just about any time the two get together is hilarious.

In the movie, they showed a film from North Korea with two skaters attempting the "Iron Lotus". Everyone in the theater was roaring, including myself, after the result.

As a side note, Jenna Fisher (from the tv show "The Office") plays the part of Katie Van Waldenberg. There is a particular part in the movie where she displays a level of hotness that I had not realized prior. In short, She looked awesome.

If you like the type of movies Will Ferrell and Jon Heder star in, you will love Blades of Glory.

This movie is #3 on my funniest movies list. #1 is Dodgeball and #2 is Benchwarmers

 

Technorati tags: Blades of Glory

No. 1 Buckeyes Advance To NCAA Title Game With 67-60 Win Over Georgetown

 

ohiostatebuckeyes.cstv.com

ATLANTA (AP) - Not even three minutes into the game, and the whistle blew. Greg Oden dropped his head and started a slow walk to the bench. Two quick fouls, and he was done for the half. The turning point in the game, for sure. But not in the way anyone expected. Take Oden away from Ohio State and the Buckeyes still play for the national championship. Take Roy Hibbert away from Georgetown and ... the Buckeyes still play for the national championship. That much-anticipated matchup between Oden and Hibbert fizzled because of foul trouble. Instead, it was Mike Conley and the rest of the Buckeyes who carried top-seeded Ohio State to its first national title game since 1962 with a 67-60 victory over Georgetown on Saturday night. "I just sat back and watched my teammates take over," Oden said. The Buckeyes will face defending champion Florida for the championship Monday night in a title rematch - of sorts. This one comes on the hardwood, not the grass. The Gators upset the Buckeyes at the BCS title game in January. Conley finished with 15 points, six assists and five rebounds for Ohio State (35-3). Oden added 13 points - all in the second half - and eight rebounds in 20 minutes. "When he goes down with two fouls, our guys did a tremendous job stepping up," Ohio State coach Thad Matta said. "Michael was tremendous." Hibbert was tremendous, too. He scored 19 points, had six rebounds and one blocked shot in 24 minutes for the Hoyas, and he more than held his own against the younger, more celebrated Oden. Problem was, he spent too much time as a spectator. So did the rest of the Hoyas.

I am ecstatic that my beloved Ohio State Buckeyes get to play for a National Championship for the second time this year. As fate would have it, Florida also won their semi-final game. So the two teams that played for the National Championship in football, will also play in the basketball championship.

I only hope that the Buckeyes put up a more respectable game than the football team did. I don't think I could go on after another loss to Florida.

 

Technorati tags: Ohio State, Buckeyes, Basketball, NCAA, National Championship