More Charges For O.J.; Faces Life In Prison...Again

The prosecutor has filed 10 felonies against O.J., the newest being kidnapping. Once again he faces life in prison. Let's hope he gets nailed this time.

Prosecutors filed formal charges Tuesday against O.J. Simpson, alleging the fallen football star committed 10 felonies, including kidnapping, in the armed robbery of sports memorabilia collectors in a casino-hotel room. Simpson was arrested Sunday after a collector reported a group of armed men charged into his hotel room and took several items Simpson claimed belonged to him. Simpson, 60, was booked on five felony counts, including suspicion of assault and robbery with a deadly weapon. District Attorney David Roger filed those charges and added five other felonies, including kidnapping and conspiracy to commit kidnapping, according to court documents. Simpson, accused along with three other men, faces the possibility of life in prison if convicted in the robbery at the Palace Station casino. He was being held without bail and was scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday.

 

Technorati tags: O.J. Simpson, Las Vegas, Armed Robbery, Kidnapping, Life In Prison

Ohio-Based Saudi “Charity” Supporting HAMAS Terror University

It's beginning to look like my state is becoming a hotbed of terrorist activity. The author, Patrick Poole, makes me want to move away. He has written several articles about terrorist links in Ohio.

First there was the Holy Land Foundation. Then came Benevolence International, followed by Al-Haramain and KindHearts. Is Arab Student Aid International soon to join the list of Islamic “charities” closed down by the US government for financing terrorism? The Dublin, Ohio-based not-for-profit organization, Arab Student Aid International (ASAI), has funneled millions of dollars over the last decade to the HAMAS-founded and -operated Islamic University of Gaza (IUG) – an institution well known to be a financial and operational front for the terrorist organization – in addition to two other universities, Al-Quds and Al-Najah, both with extensive ties to HAMAS and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. IUG was not only founded in 1978 by HAMAS founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, but its past and present staff includes many HAMAS leaders and legislators. HAMAS has also repeatedly used IUG as an operating base in factional clashes with their Fatah rivals and to store weapons and missiles for use in terror attacks against Israel. HAMAS was listed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist organization by President Bill Clinton in January 1995. Additionally, according to an April 2006 article published in the Washington Post, “Distance Learning: Hamas’ US Education”, several members of the HAMAS leadership conducted post-graduate study at US universities through scholarships provided by ASAI. This discovery comes at the same time as there is a present struggle in Congress to keep US public funds, particularly through the USAID program, from the IUG because of its critical role in the HAMAS terror infrastructure. Washington Times reporter Joel Mowbray disclosed earlier this year in a March 5th article, “School linked to HAMAS gets U.S. cash”, that USAID had provided $140,000 to IUG in violation of a US law that prohibits such support, which prompted congressional hearings where legislators grilled USAID Director Ambassador Randall Tobias about these payments. According to subsequent report by Mowbray, “How We Fund HAMAS University”, House Foreign Affairs chairman Rep. Tom Lantos told USAID Director Tobias, "Providing U.S. assistance to a terrorist-controlled university in Gaza was out of the question and, in fact, violates U.S. law." He added, "This outrageous support for terrorism must and will end." The disclosure about ASAI’s financial role in supporting the HAMAS terror university also comes amidst the ongoing Holy Land Foundation terror financing trial, where it has been revealed that payments made by US-based Islamic “charities” to IUG have been funneled to HAMAS operatives.

 

Technorati tags: Ohio, Hamas, Saudi Arabia, Charity, Terrorists, Arab Student Aid international, Islamic Jihad, Turki bin Abdel Aziz

Good News From The War On Terror 9/16

Key al-Qaeda in Iraq terrorist captured

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition forces captured a suspected longtime al-Qaeda in Iraq terrorist during an operation Sept. 4 in Tarmiyah. Mu’ayyad ‘Ali Husayn Sulayman al-Bayyati, also known as Abu Wathiq, is believed to have helped bring the al-Qaeda in Iraq terrorist group to Tarmiyah.  He is allegedly an advisor to senior terrorist leaders and was responsible for conducting executions. Intelligence reports indicate al-Bayyati is closely associated with a senior al-Qaeda in Iraq leader and conducts executions either by shooting or beheading people at the main intersection in Tarmiyah. Reports also indicate residents of Tarmiyah feared al-Bayyati’s constant threat of violence and knew him as “The Executioner.”  Furthermore, detainee reporting indicates that al-Bayyati tortured two 12-year-old boys by burning their hands and beating them, because he believed the boys were spies for Coalition forces. Al-Bayyati and two other suspected al-Qaeda in Iraq terrorists were captured on Sept. 4 during coordinated raids northwest of Tarmiyah. One of the other detainees is linked to an operation Sept. 2 where Coalition forces destroyed 12 tons of explosives. During this raid, Coalition forces found two caches of weapons and explosives. An air strike safely destroyed the bomb-making facility and caches found during this operation, which contained rocket-propelled grenades, explosive materials and fully assembled improvised explosive devices.

 

Iraqi Special Operations Forces, U.S. Special Forces detain two key extremist militant leaders

BAGHDAD – Iraqi Special Operations Forces, with U.S. Special Forces as advisers, detained a extremist militant company commander and a cell member Sept. 15 during an operation in Ad Diwaniyah. During the operation, enemy fighters initiated an attack on Iraqi and U.S. Forces with an improvised explosive device, small arms and machine gun fire. The forces returned well-aimed and proportional fire to eliminate the threat, killing three enemy fighters and wounding several others. Intelligence indicates the extremist commander leads more than 20 enemy forces, who are responsible for launching improvised explosive device, explosively formed penetrator and indirect fire attacks against Iraqi and Coalition Forces in the area. On July 5, the group attacked the Coalition base in Ad Diwaniyah with indirect fires. Further intelligence reports that the group has launched more than 450 rocket and mortar attacks on the base during the past four months.  Reports also indicate this group assaulted the local police station on July 7 of this year, killed two Iraqi police officers and then fired on Coalition forces rushing to aid the police. In a separate operation Sept. 15 in the Bayaa area of Baghdad, ISOF detained an extremist militant battalion commander.  The suspect is linked to extra judicial killings, kidnappings and the forcible removal of Sunni residents from the same area.

 

Eight terrorists killed, seven suspects detained

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition forces killed eight terrorists and detained seven suspected terrorists during operations Sunday targeting al-Qaeda in Iraq's leadership nodes and Baghdad-area operations. Coalition forces conducted two operations to bolster security in Baghdad and the surrounding belts. West of Tarmiyah, Coalition forces used information from an operation Aug. 31 to target associates of the al-Qaeda in Iraq emir of the northern belts. As the assault force approached the target building, several armed men engaged them with small arms fire. Coalition forces returned fire in self-defense, killing one armed terrorist. Three of the armed men maneuvered into tactical positions in a nearby palm grove, and Coalition forces called in close air support to defend against the enemy elements, killing three more armed terrorists. As they secured the target buildings, one man refused to comply with the interpreter's instructions and remained barricaded in the building. After repeated attempts to convince the suspected terrorist to come out, Coalition forces engaged the man, killing him. The ground forces detained one suspected terrorist and discovered a cache of bomb-making materials, which they safely destroyed with an air strike. In an operation in the southern belts around Baghdad, Coalition forces targeted al-Qaeda in Iraq in the Arab Jabour area, including leaders replacing those who have been recently captured or killed. When the ground forces approached the target building, an armed man engaged the assault force. Coalition forces, responding in self-defense, killed the armed terrorist. Another armed man attempted to penetrate a Coalition forces security element, and a third attempted to engage the assault force from a nearby building. Coalition forces, responding in self-defense, engaged and killed both armed terrorists. The ground forces detained two suspects and discovered a cache of weapons and bomb-making materials, which they safely destroyed on site. Based on intelligence from an operation Sep. 15, Coalition forces captured a suspected al-Qaeda in Iraq leader south of Ramadi. Coalition forces also conducted a raid in Mosul targeting al-Qaeda in Iraq operatives who facilitate a foreign terrorist network, and detained three suspected terrorists.

 

ANAP, Coalition forces defeat insurgent attack in Helmand Province

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Afghan National Auxiliary Police, advised by Coalition forces, defeated an attack by a large group of insurgents during a combat patrol nine kilometers (5.5 miles) north of the Sangin District Center in the Helmand Province this afternoon. The initial extremist Taliban attack began when 12 fighters engaged the ANAP-led force from three sides with small arms, heavy machine gun, mortars and RPG fire as the patrol neared Shalban Village, Musa Qalah District. The combined force repelled the attack and forced the insurgents to retreat into a nearby tree line.   The extremists Taliban reinforced their positions away from the village with additional fighters throughout the battle.  The combined force called in Coalition close air support to destroy the positively identified and exposed insurgents. The ground force commander estimated that more than 40 insurgents were involved during the failed attack on the combined force. A dozen enemy fighters were killed in the engagement.  No ANAP, Coalition or non-combatants were reported injured or killed during the fighting.

 

Several suspected militants killed in operation

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Afghan and Coalition forces killed several suspected militants during an operation earlier today in Helmand Province using a combination of small-arms fire and precision munitions. The precision munitions were employed on locations in Garmsir District where the combined forces suspected Taliban militants were hiding. There was some damage to a building in the area throughout the course of operation. During the operation, a vehicle with a weapons cache inside it was found and destroyed. The cache consisted of several rockets, numerous AK-47s, a heavy machine gun, multiple boxes of ammunition, rocket propelled grenades and ammunition vests with magazines.

 

Nine suspected insurgents detained west of Kandahar City

BAGRAM, Afghanistan –Afghan National Security Forces, advised by Coalition forces, detained nine Taliban insurgents during an operation west of Kandahar City, Afghanistan, early this morning. Credible intelligence led the ANSF and Coalition forces to two compounds in Senjary Village, 14 km (8.7 miles) west of Kandahar City.  Intelligence suggested that the compounds contained a high-level-insurgent leader responsible for the deaths of Afghans and Coalition forces during IED attacks.

 

Sept. 16 airpower summary: Tankers fuel the fleet

 

 

 

Technorati tags: Iraq, Afghanistan, War on Terror, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, Military, Coalition, Terrorists, Insurgents, al-Qaeda, Taliban, Middle East

Today In History; Sept. 17, 1787, The Constitution Was Adopted

Here is the first page. If you don't know what it says, you can read the transcript and the rest of the Constitution here.

 

Technorati tags: Constitution, 1787

Blackwater Security In Iraq Incident

I happened to notice several hits coming from search engines looking for "Blackwater". I'm not a genius, but it appeared something was up. So I did a search. Apparently; Blackwater Security was involved in a shoot-out. I'm pretty sure Blackwater's policy is only fire when being fired upon. Since they were in Iraq, it's not unfathomable that they were being fired on. Nevertheless; the Iraqi government announced that they were revoking Blackwater's license to operate in Iraq and those responsible would be held accountable.

Iraq's Interior Ministry has revoked the license of Blackwater USA, an American security firm whose contractors are blamed for a Sunday gunbattle in Baghdad that left eight civilians dead. The U.S. State Department said it plans to investigate what it calls a "terrible incident." In addition to the fatalities, 14 people were wounded, most of them civilians, an Iraqi official said. Sunday's firefight took place near Nusoor Square, an area that straddles the predominantly Sunni Arab neighborhoods of Mansour and Yarmouk. The ministry said the incident began around midday, when a convoy of sport utility vehicles came under fire from unidentified gunmen in the square and the men in the SUVs, described by witnesses as Westerners, returned fire. One witness told The Associated Press that he heard an explosion before the gunfire began. "We saw a convoy of SUVs passing in the street nearby," Hussein Abdul-Abbas, owner of a mobile phone store in the area, told the AP. "One minute later, we heard the sound of a bomb explosion followed by gunfire that lasted for 20 minutes between gunmen and the convoy people who were foreigners and dressed in civilian clothes. Everybody in the street started to flee immediately." A team from another security company passed through the area a few minutes afterward. "Our people saw a couple of cars destroyed," Carter Andress, CEO of American-Iraqi Solutions Groups, told CNN on Monday. "Dead bodies, wounded people being evacuated. The U.S. military had moved in and secured the area. It was not a good scene." An Interior Ministry spokesman, Brig. Gen. Abdul Kareem Khalaf, said, "We have revoked Blackwater's license to operate in Iraq. As of now they are not allowed to operate anywhere in the Republic of Iraq. The investigation is ongoing, and all those responsible for Sunday's killing will be referred to Iraqi justice." U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was to call Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Monday to discuss the matter, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.

According to a former State Dept official, Blackwater doesn't need nor have a license to be revoked.

Questions are being raised about the efficacy of Iraq’s attempt to close down Blackwater's operations in the country after civilian deaths. Iraqi Interior Ministry officials told reporters in Baghdad Monday they would revoke the company’s license and initiate criminal proceedings after Blackwater contractors providing security for U.S. diplomats allegedly opened fire from aircraft into a Baghdad street -- killing 11 people, according to some reports. The problem is, Blackwater does not have or need a license, and its employees are not subject to Iraqi criminal jurisdiction. Former senior State Department official Larry Johnson wrote in his Web long No Quarter Monday, “Blackwater does not have a license to operate in Iraq and does not need one. They have a U.S. State Department contract through (the Bureau of) Diplomatic Security.” U.S. State Department security staff, whose duties Blackwater contractors perform in Iraq, typically enjoy the same immunities accorded to all foreign diplomats.

They are operating under a contract by the United States. In fact, Blackwater cannot be arrested or tried in Iraq because of the Military Extra-Territorial Jurisdiction Act (.PDF) Which states:

To amend title 18, United States Code, to establish Federal jurisdiction over offenses committed outside the United States by persons employed by or accompanying the Armed Forces, or by members of the Armed Forces who are released or separated from active duty prior to being identified and prosecuted for the commission of such offenses, and for other purposes.

 

Technorati tags: Blackwater, Iraq, War on Terror, State Department

Middle East Round-Up 9/17

U.S. confirms Syria-N. Korea nuke link

The United States has determined that Syria has been seeking nuclear weapons from North Korea. "We do know that there are a number of foreign technicians that have been in Syria," Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Andrew Semmel said. "We do know that there may have been contact between Syria and some secret suppliers for nuclear equipment. Whether anything transpired remains to be seen." One North Korean-flagged ship, Al Hamad, arrived in the Syrian port of Tartous on Sept. 3. Three days later, the Israel Air Force attacked an unspecified target in northeastern Syria along the Euphrates River near the border with Turkey.

 

France ups ante in war of words with Iran

France took the first steps Monday to set up a European sanctions regime against the Islamic government in Tehran, after warning that Iran's failure to renounce nuclear weapons could lead to war. The tough talk from Paris came as the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany prepared to discuss new UN sanctions on Iran, which has failed to respond to demands to stop enriching uranium. French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner met his Dutch counterpart Maxime Verhagen in Paris and said European countries should prepare their own sanctions programs outside the orbit of the UN. "These would be European sanctions that each country, individually, must put in place with its own banking, commercial and industrial system. The English and the Germans are interested in talking about this. We will try to find a common European position," Kouchner said. Verhagen said the "first effort should be to convince the Security Council to apply more sanctions. But when the Security Council doesn't agree, I am prepared, I am willing, to apply European Union sanctions in common with the United States sanctions." France has taken a more threatening posture towards Iran since the election of President Nicolas Sarkozy in May, and its willingness to promote extra-UN sanctions puts it closely in line with the position of the United States. On Sunday, Kouchner used the toughest language to date from a French minister, warning that "we have to prepare for the worst, and the worst is war." If Tehran possessed an atomic weapon, it would be a "real danger for the whole world," he said in an interview.

 

Iran warns Western nations against confrontation

ran on Monday warned Western states against picking a confrontation in the dispute over its nuclear program. Iranian Vice President Reza Aghazadeh, who is also head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization (AEOI), told a meeting of the UN nuclear watchdog that Western countries "have always chosen the path of confrontation instead of the path of understanding and cordial relations toward the great nation of Iran." His comments came one day after French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner warned that a war with Iran was possible over its nuclear program.

 

Bush setting America up for war with Iran

Senior American intelligence and defense officials believe that President George W Bush and his inner circle are taking steps to place America on the path to war with Iran, The Sunday Telegraph has learnt. Pentagon planners have developed a list of up to 2,000 bombing targets in Iran, amid growing fears among serving officers that diplomatic efforts to slow Iran's nuclear weapons program are doomed to fail. Pentagon and CIA officers say they believe that the White House has begun a carefully calibrated program of escalation that could lead to a military showdown with Iran. Now it has emerged that Condoleezza Rice, the secretary of state, who has been pushing for a diplomatic solution, is prepared to settle her differences with Vice-President Dick Cheney and sanction military action. In a chilling scenario of how war might come, a senior intelligence officer warned that public denunciation of Iranian meddling in Iraq - arming and training militants - would lead to cross border raids on Iranian training camps and bomb factories. A prime target would be the Fajr base run by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Quds Force in southern Iran, where Western intelligence agencies say armor-piercing projectiles used against British and US troops are manufactured.

 

600 Iranian missiles said to be pointed at targets in Israel, dozens at Iraq

Six hundred Iranian Shihab-3 missiles are pointed at targets throughout Israel, and will be launched if either Iran or Syria are attacked, an Iranian website affiliated with the regime reported on Monday. "Iran will shoot at Israel 600 missiles if it is attacked," the Iranian news website, Assar Iran, reported. "600 missiles will only be the first reaction." According to the report, dozens of locations throughout Iraq, which are being used by the US Army, have also been targeted. The Shihab missile has a range of 1,300 km, and can reach anywhere in Israel. On Sunday, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said that the nuclear Iranian crisis forces the world "to prepare for the worst," and said that in this case it "is war." Kouchner emphasized, however, that negotiations should still be the preferred course of action. Kouchner, quoted by French daily Le Figaro, added that "Iran does whatever it pleases in Iraq ... one cannot find in the entire world a crisis greater than this one." In response to Kouchner's comments, Iran's state-owned news agency accused France of pandering to the interests of the United States.

 

Technorati tags: Iran, North Korea, Syria, United States, U.S. France, Israel, Nuclear, Missiles, War on Terror, Military Strike

HillaryCare II; Say Good-Bye To Your Money

The tax money abyss knows as HillaryCare has been sighted recently. This time it want's to suck $110 billion of taxpayers dollars per year. 

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton is unveiling a sweeping health care proposal Monday that would require everyone to carry health insurance and offer federal subsidies to help reduce the cost of coverage. Fulfilling a pledge to bring health care to all, Clinton's "American Health Choices Plan" has a price tag of about $110 billion per year. It represents her first major effort to achieve universal health coverage since 1994, when the plan she authored during her husband's first term collapsed. "It is long past time that Americans and the richest of all countries realize that health care is a right and not a privilege," Clinton said at a labor forum in Chicago. "And that goes especially for people who work hard every single day." The former first lady says she has learned from the 1990s experience, which almost derailed Bill Clinton's presidency and helped put Republicans in control of Congress for years to come. Aides say she has jettisoned the complexity and uncertainty of the last effort in favor of a plan that stresses simplicity, cost control and consumer choice. The centerpiece of Clinton's plan is the so-called "individual mandate," requiring everyone to have health insurance — just as most states require drivers to purchase auto insurance. Rival John Edwards has also offered a plan that includes an individual mandate, while the proposal outlined by Barack Obama does not.

It's not that I really disagree with a national health plan. But, you know that when democrats get a hold of it, it will turn into this giant, bloating, bureaucracy. I think it should be targeted to those who make too much for medicare/medicaid, yet don't make enough to pay for a private health care plan.

Many people in lower paying jobs are essentially punished for working. Those who are on any type of federal assistance are better off staying on it, than working. Some of the people that work at my store are single mothers. Being a cashier is not a high paying job. If you're exceptional at it, you may top out around $8.00/hr. They lose all benefits at that amount. Once you hit $7.00/hr, their benefits begin to decrease. Minimum wage is only $6.85. If you want people to get off welfare and get to work, in order to have a successful transition, you need some aid to continue. If they're working, they contributing taxes also.

 

Technorati tags: HillaryCare, Universal Insurance, Hillary Clinton, National Health Care

A Letter From An Iraq Vet To Congress

By Jeff Nuding

Dear Senators and Representatives: You shared in starting this war, now you want to end it, without regard for our progress, or the consequence of defeat? I served in Iraq two years ago, at your request. We have a saying in the noncommissioned officer corps, "I get my power from Congress." That's you. As a first sergeant, I led 160 soldiers from a New York Army National Guard military intelligence battalion. When politicos and pundits talk about a surge, men and women like us serve as the vital fluids that form the waves. We deployed about two-and-a-half years after the initial invasion, which toppled Saddam Hussein and destroyed and scattered his military. My job was to continue that mission. Prepare convoys. Keep my troops focused. Make sure they ate, drank water, got necessary rest. Keep them safe, get them home. We ran over a hundred convoys. We withstood mortar attacks, a rocket sailed right over our billets, a nearby vehicle-borne improvised explosive device rained car parts and shrapnel down around us. A rocket hit the dining facility, and mortars hit its parking lot. One sailor attached to us, having a late night smoke, lost his legs when a mortar landed at his feet. We aggressively identified terrorist cells and local area anti-coalition forces for targeting. Our ground surveillance radar guys ran missions with Army scouts in remote areas, survived IEDs and a complex ambush. We came back home knowing there was more job to be done, but we knew we'd done well. We did our job. Why are you resigned to failure? Back in 2003, you — including both of my senators, Charles Schumer and Hillary Clinton — voted to authorize the President to take military action. You voted, and by virtue of your authority, that means the U.S. government went to war. You approved the appointment of Gen. David Petraeus, who last week sat in front of your committees and explained the progress of the war and the difficulties of the way ahead. It was an honest and forthright assessment from a soldier who thinks the military can achieve our objectives and that the military can create the environment for real change in Iraq. Critics seemed to tune him out even before he began. They seem to believe that this war has already been too long and too painful to continue. Sen. Clinton, you rejected Gen. Petraeus' testimony as a "positive view of a grim situation," stating that accepting his testimony at face value required a "willing suspension of disbelief." I wonder if being a politician means knowing how to call your opponent an opportunist and a liar to his face, without ever stating it plain. I voted for you in 2000. Could I take that vote back, the way you seem to want to take back your vote to authorize force? My soldiers know about the long and painful costs of war. All of us left our civilian jobs for a year and a half, and left our families and loved ones behind. Some lost their families or their marriages, and some lost their grip on home or health. Yet none of us in the military serve under any illusion. We know what we signed up for. That's why so many of us reenlist. Wars take time. They require steady will and determination. They compel commitment. If fighting Saddam Hussein, and later Al Qaeda, in Iraq was important when earlier in this mission, they should still be important today. Al Qaeda is badly wounded there and elsewhere, but they aren't dead yet. Iraq is making gains as a democratic nation, but they still need help. They still need time. Dear Senators and Representatives, you criticize President Bush relentlessly — picking apart the speech he gave last week with withering words, looking for any and every chance to bring him down. But at least he maintains steady attention to this war. At least he seems to grasp the stakes of losing and the danger of giving up. Not so Congress. Leaders influence the morale of their people, for good or bad. I wish you wanted to lead your constituents toward victory rather than defeat. Nuding served in 2005 in Operation Iraqi Freedom in the Military Intelligence Battalion, 42nd Infantry Division of the N.Y. Army National Guard.

A Day Enjoying The Outdoors

I finally did it. I took vacation. I'm not sure how often I will be posting. I have a lot of things I want/need to do.

Yesterday I went to Resthaven Wildlife Area in Castalia. I started out at the hand trap range to prepare for bird hunting. It's been a long time since I've shot clays. I didn't do too bad considering. I hit about 20 out of 50. My brother didn't fare so well, he only hit 2 out of 50. I have a New England Firearms 12ga single-shot shotgun. It's very similar to shooting a cannon. I have a shoulder hickey from the recoil. It doesn't feel too good today. I expect my arm to fall off shortly.

I also took my dog along. He's a 5 year old black lab/rottweiler mix. He's my pet, not a hunting dog. He can barely find his food much less track animals. This would be his first experience with gunshots. Surprisingly enough, he wasn't gun-shy. He felt uneasy about the gunshots, but he didn't bolt. He just laid down in my truck for a while. After several shots, he become accustomed to the gunshots and was right there with us while we were shooting. Usually you have to train them as pups to get them used to gunshots. Nevertheless; he won't be flushing out pheasants any time soon.

After the hand trap range, we went fishing at the ponds. I caught a largemouth bass and a bluegill, my brother caught the same. Fishing wasn't going too well so we headed to the dove fields.

After wading through waist-high soybeans, I was pretty much exhausted. I only saw one dove, I missed. My brother claims to have seen five, he missed all of them. It shouldn't be too shocking considering his performance at the hand trap range.

I completely forgot about the early goose hunting season. The 15th was the last day of the early season. I almost went and got the necessary licenses to hunt waterfowl, but I didn't. Toward the end of the day, I had 10 Canadian geese fly low over my head. It would've been nice to have a goose dinner on my vacation.

If anyone needs to wonder why wildlife areas with public hunting is shrinking, you can point the finger at PETA (for the obvious reasons) and lazy hunters. At the hand trap range, I picked up approximately three dozen shotgun shells that weren't mine. It was even worse in the dove fields. In some spots there were piles of shells. It doesn't take that much effort to bend over and pick up your spent shells. Money that could be spent on improving or expanding public wildlife areas now have to be used to clean up after lazy hunters. I wish there were more game wardens there to dole out hefty fines to those hunters.

Wednesday, I may be heading to Clarksfield. Apparently, someone knows a spot near a grain silo where 100's of doves congregate. I hope so, those tasty morsels are making my mouth water.

Good News From The War On Terror 9/15

Iraqi Army, Iraqi Security Forces, U.S. Special Forces detain extremists

BAGHDAD – Iraqi Army and Iraqi Security Forces, with U.S. Special Forces as advisers, detained a Shi’a extremist cell member Sept. 14 during an operation in Wassit Province.  Intelligence reports say the suspect conducts attacks using improvised explosive devices and explosively formed penetrators as well as launching direct fire attacks against Iraqi and Coalition Forces in the Al Aziziyah area.   On Aug. 23, the suspect’s cell detonated an EFP on an Iraqi Security Forces and Coalition Forces convoy, killing two Coalition Forces soldiers and wounding three others. He was also involved in an Aug. 2 IED attack on a convoy that killed two civilian contractors. Further intelligence indicates the extremist is also a member of a cell that conducts extra judicial killings against innocent civilians. The suspect is also accused of several criminal acts against the citizens of the town of Al Aziziyah. These criminal acts include emplacing IEDs, assault and kidnapping. During the raid, Iraqi and U.S. Forces confiscated two AK-47 rifles and six grenades. Two other suspicious individuals were also detained for further questioning.

 

Iraqi Security Forces, U.S. Special Operations Forces detain nine

BAGHDAD – Iraqi Security Forces, with U.S. Special Operations Forces as advisers, detained nine suspected terrorists and destroyed approximately 170,000 rounds of anti-aircraft ammunition during operations Sept. 11 and Sept. 13 in northern and western Iraq.  Iraqi Security Forces led an operation in Mosul Sept. 13 and detained a suspected al Qaeda in Iraq Emir who is an alleged battalion commander for the terrorist group.  He is also suspected of financing illegal activities in the local area.  One rocket propelled grenade launcher, three RPG rockets, two hand grenades, ammunition with magazines, propaganda and various materials used to make improvised explosive devices were seized during the operation.   Five other suspected terrorists were also detained.     In a separate operation Sept. 13, ISF detained six individuals believed to be linked to al Qaeda in Iraq during an early-morning operation in Al Qaim.  Intelligence reports indicate that one of the detainees is responsible for facilitating the re-supply of insurgents operating in the southern Rutbah deserts, just south of Al Qaim.  He is also suspected of obtaining weapons and equipment to be used in vicious attacks against Iraqi soldiers and police.  The second detainee allegedly supplies weapons, water and food to the al Qaeda in Iraq network south of Al Qaim and is believed to be meeting with foreign fighters and al Qaeda in Iraq Emirs to plan future attacks in the area.  During an earlier operation, ISF detained a suspected al Qaeda in Iraq insurgent and seized more than 170,000 rounds of anti-aircraft ammunition near Rawah Sept. 11. While operating in the vicinity of Samsiyah, forces detained the cell leader and discovered a buried storage container containing 3,500 cases of 14.5-millimeter armor-piercing incendiary anti-aircraft ammunition.   The ammunition was seized and the storage container was destroyed.  During a patrol near Lubiyah, forces discovered IEDs at two separate locations and destroyed the devices in place.

 

14 terrorists killed, 17 detained in Coalition operations

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Iraqi and Coalition forces killed 14 terrorists and detained 17 suspects during operations Saturday targeting senior leaders of al-Qaeda in Iraq and their facilitation networks in central and northern Iraq. Iraqi and Coalition forces targeted al-Qaeda in Iraq senior leaders during two operations in Tamim and Diyala provinces. As the assault force moved toward a target north of Bayji, surveillance elements observed several enemy elements moving into tactical position against the friendly forces. Iraqi and Coalition forces, responding to the hostile threat, called for close air support, which engaged and killed nine terrorists. Iraqi and Coalition forces detained one suspected terrorist during the operation. Another raid targeted al-Qaeda in Iraq senior leaders north of Muqdadiyah. Four armed terrorists engaged Coalition forces with small arms fire and grenades when the ground forces approached the target building. Responding in self-defense, Coalition forces returned fire and killed them. The ground forces detained two suspected terrorists and called in an air strike to destroy two buildings used as terrorist safe houses. Coalition forces captured two wanted individuals and four additional suspected terrorists believed to be part of the facilitation network in Mosul. One individual allegedly facilitates the movement of foreign terrorists and funding for use in al-Qaeda in Iraq operations. The other wanted individual is believed to be a cell leader who coordinates the distribution of mortars and improvised explosive devices for the al-Qaeda in Iraq network in northern Iraq. During the operation, two armed terrorists engaged the assault force with small arms fire and Coalition forces responded in self-defense, killing one terrorist and wounding another. Coalition forces treated the injured suspect on scene and transported him to a military medical facility. Coalition forces also disrupted the foreign terrorist network in the southern belts around Baghdad when they captured six suspected associates of the network’s leaders west of the city. Two other operations around Baghdad netted two suspected terrorists. One of the suspects was wanted for his involvement in al-Qaeda in Iraq’s operations in the city’s car bombing network.

 

Sept. 14 airpower summary: F-15Es cover coalition forces

 

 

Technorati tags: Iraq, War on Terror, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Military, Coalition, Terrorists, Insurgents, al-Qaeda, Middle East

Good News From The War On Terror 9/14

Coalition forces target foreign terrorist facilitators; 5 killed, 21 detained

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition forces killed five terrorists and detained 21 suspected terrorists during operations Friday in central and northern Iraq targeting senior leaders of al-Qaeda in Iraq and a foreign terrorist network. Near Yusufiyah, Coalition forces targeted the network that facilitates the movement of foreign terrorists in the southern belts around Baghdad. Surveillance elements observed four armed men maneuvering from the target building into position against the assault force. Responding to the hostile threat, Coalition forces engaged the armed men and called in close air support to assist them. Two armed terrorists were killed by ground fire and two were killed by aircraft fire. The ground forces detained five suspected terrorists for their alleged ties to that foreign terrorist network. Two coordinated operations in the Jabouri Peninsula east of Balad targeted foreign terrorists and associates of al-Qaeda in Iraq senior leaders. Coalition forces captured two brothers who allegedly operate a safe house for foreign terrorists planning and conducting attacks in the area. The brothers are also believed to be responsible for attacks on Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces. Four additional suspected terrorists were detained in the operations. Operations in Mosul and Kirkuk targeted senior leaders of al-Qaeda in Iraq and their networks in northern Iraq. Coalition forces captured a suspected administrative leader for al-Qaeda in Iraq’s Mosul network and detained nine other suspected terrorists. Based on information from an operation Sep. 8, Coalition forces conducted a raid northwest of Tarmiyah and killed an armed terrorist who attempted to engage the assault force.

 

Shi’a extremist leader killed, one insurgent detained

BAGHDAD –Iraqi Special Operations Forces, advised by U.S. Special Forces, killed a Shi’a extremist company commander during an intelligence driven operation Sept. 13 in Diwaniyah. Reports indicate the dead insurgent leader, Najah Al-Agra also known as Abu Ali, was responsible for leading a group of more than 25 individuals who conducted mortar and small arms fire against Coalition Forces in the Diwaniyah area. Intelligence connects the suspect and his company to various criminal activities including a July mortar attack on the Coalition base in Diwaniyah and a separate attack on a Coalition patrol in the same area. The insurgent leader aimed his pistol at the Iraqi and U.S. Forces, displaying hostile intent during the mission. The Iraqi and U.S. team members responded, killing the individual. While on target, the team also received fire from a building to the south. The team suppressed the hostile fire with proportional and well-aimed fire. One suspicious individual was detained for further questioning during the raid.

 

Suspected militants killed in Helmand

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Early today Afghan and Coalition forces killed several suspected militants and detained two others during an operation in Helmand Province. The detainees include a suspected militant who was wounded during the course of operations and evacuated for further medical attention. The forces suspected the targeted compounds, located in the Garmser District, were housing a weapons facilitator. Several caches of opium and multiple weapons were found on-site. These weapons included several AK-47s, numerous full ammunition vests, a machine gun and several rocket propelled grenades. Some damage was done to compounds in the area during the course of operations. There were no injuries or deaths to non-combatants. The detainees will be questioned as to their involvement in militant activities.

 

One detained, several killed in operation

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Several suspected militants were killed and one was detained during an operation in Ghazni Province today. Afghan and Coalition forces were led by credible intelligence to Qara Bagh District where they suspected Taliban-affiliated militants were hiding. There were no non-combatant injuries or casualties. The detainee will be questioned as to his involvement in militant activities.

 

Sept. 13 airpower summary: B-1Bs keep enemy in check

 

 

Technorati tags: Iraq, Afghanistan, War on Terror, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, Military, Coalition, Terrorists, Insurgents, al-Qaeda, Taliban, Middle East

O.J. Arrested In Armed Robbery

I really hope they can nail him. He's already gotten away with murder, hopefully he won't get away with this.

O.J. Simpson was arrested Sunday on charges related to an armed robbery involving sport memorabilia, police said. Simpson was arrested shortly after 11 a.m. and is being brought to a police office, Capt. James Dillon said. Simpson has said he and other people with him went to the Palace Station casino-hotel on Thursday to retrieve items that belonged to him. He told police no guns were involved. Police said earlier Sunday that two firearms and other evidence had been seized during the investigation after a search of a private residence. At least one other person has been arrested.

 

***UPDATE***

O.J. is held WITHOUT bail on armed robbery charges.

O.J. Simpson was arrested Sunday and held without bail on charges related to the armed robbery of sports memorabilia in a Las Vegas hotel room, Las Vegas police said Sunday. Prosecutors were planning to charge Simpson with two counts of robbery with use of a deadly weapon, conspiracy to commit robbery, burglary with a deadly weapon, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon and coercion, said Clark County District Attorney David Roger. A conviction on the most serious charge, robbery with use of a deadly weapon, could bring a sentence of three to 35 years for each count, he said. "He is facing a lot of time," Roger said.

 

Technorati tags: O.J., Simpson, Las Vegas, Robbery, Murderer

Good News From The War On Terror 9/13

Five terrorists killed, 11 suspects detained in Coalition operations

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition forces killed five terrorists and detained 11 suspected terrorists during operations targeting al-Qaeda in Iraq leaders and their operatives in central and northern parts of the country. Using intelligence gained from an operation Aug. 30, Coalition forces targeted a senior leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq in Baqubah. Two armed men attempted to maneuver against the assault force and, in response, the assault force engaged the men in self-defense, killing them. As they called for the target building’s occupants to come out, the assault force saw a woman attempt to draw a pistol from a weapons belt she was wearing.  Responding in self-defense, Coalition forces engaged the armed woman, killing her. Another woman approaching the assault force dropped a grenade from under her clothes. When she attempted to retrieve and activate the grenade, Coalition forces responded to the hostile threat, killing the woman. The assault force detained five suspected terrorists during the operation, including another woman who was armed with a pistol. Coalition forces targeted a senior leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq’s Baghdad network involved in planning and executing car-bombing attacks against Iraqis and the security forces that protect them. When an armed man emerged from the target building and maneuvered against the ground forces, Coalition forces engaged and killed him. Two suspected terrorists were detained in the operation. In Mosul, Coalition forces captured a wanted individual believed to conduct assassinations for al-Qaeda in Iraq. The ground forces detained three additional suspected terrorists in the raid.

 

Taji terrorist safe house destroyed, 12 suspected insurgents detained

FALLUJAH – Iraqi Army Scouts, with U.S. Special Operations Forces as advisers, conducted an intelligence driven helicopter assault raid Sept. 12 resulting in the detention of 12 suspected insurgents and the destruction of an explosively-rigged structure. Assault forces conducted a series of raids in the vicinity of Taji and detained ten targeted individuals and two additional persons of interest. While securing one of the objectives, an assault team discovered a command detonation wire leading from an abandoned structure and the area was immediately evacuated. After ensuring full accountability of all forces and ensuring no civilians were located within the vicinity of the structure, close air support was called in to destroy the target with four laser-guided bombs. The targeted individuals are purportedly linked to the Lions of Islam Martyr Group and are suspected of improvised explosive device trafficking, facilitating foreign fighters and conducting murder and intimidation campaigns in the region.

 

10 detained in Garmser District

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Acting on credible intelligence, Afghan and Coalition forces detained 10 suspected militants early today in Garmser District of Helmand Province. The detainees will be questioned as to their identities and involvement in militant activities. A small cache consisting of multiple small arms, ammunition and a grenade was found on-site and destroyed.

 

Commandos successful in first operation in Nangahar Province

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – The brand-new battalion of Afghan National Army Commandos, along with a contingent of Afghan National Police advised by Coalition forces, conducted its first mission successfully during a two-day operation, which concluded this morning. The operation was conducted 30 miles southwest of Jalalabad in the Sherzad District of Nangahar Province and the Commando-led force is credited with eliminating two weapons caches, a large quantity of opium and capturing a known Taliban facilitator, along with two other possible Taliban extremists, from three targeted compounds. The planning and execution of the operation fell to the first unit of Commandos, an elite organization of Afghan soldiers, which graduated from the three-month training program at a camp near Kabul on July 28.  The Commando and ANP teams, acting on credible intelligence, moved to the objective by both helicopters and ground vehicles. The Commandos detained a key Taliban extremist facilitator identified as Haji Shir Khan.  Khan is a known improvised explosive device maker, who is responsible for numerous IED attacks on Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and Coalition forces in the Nangahar province. During the search of the three compounds, the combined force discovered 18 rocket propelled grenade rounds, one anti-tank mine, 10 hand grenades, one 12-gauge shotgun, eight fully-loaded AK-47 magazines, and more than 80 kilograms of opium.  All the items, except the shotgun and AK-47 magazines, were destroyed at the site.

 

Sept. 12 airpower summary: A-10s unleash the thunder

 

 

Technorati tags: Iraq, Afghanistan, War on Terror, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, Military, Coalition, Terrorists, Insurgents, al-Qaeda, Taliban, Middle East

160 Crazies Arrested During Protest In D.C.

It would be better if they had just "disappeared".

Several thousand anti-war demonstrators marched through downtown Washington on Saturday, clashing with police at the foot of the Capitol steps where at least 160 protesters were arrested. The group marched from the White House to the Capitol to demand an end to the Iraq war. Their numbers stretched for blocks along Pennsylvania Avenue, and they held banners and signs and chanted, "What do we want? Troops out. When do we want it? Now." ... Counterprotesters lined the sidewalks behind metal barricades. There were some heated shouting matches between the two sides. The arrests came after protesters lay down on the Capitol lawn in what they called a "die in" — with signs on top of their bodies to represent soldiers killed in Iraq. When police took no action, some of the protesters started climbing over a barricade at the foot of the Capitol steps. Many were arrested without a struggle after they jumped over the waist-high barrier. But some grew angry as police with shields and riot gear attempted to push them back. At least two people were showered with chemical spray. Protesters responded by throwing signs and chanting: "Shame on you."

 

 

Technorati tags: September 15, War Protesters, Washington, D.C.

NY Times Gives MoveOn.org Bargain Price For Petraeus Ad

It's sickening, yet it doesn't surprise me that the NY Times would drastically cut their ad price for MoveOn.org. I'm beginning to think that whole fairness doctrine thing would be a good idea. The democrats would lose most of their favorable media coverage.

The New York Times dramatically slashed its normal rates for a full-page advertisement for MoveOn.org's ad questioning the integrity of Gen. David Petraeus, the commander of U.S. forces in Iraq. Headlined "Cooking the Books for the White House," the ad which ran in Monday's Times says Petraeus is "a military man constantly at war with the facts" and concluded - even before he testified before Congress - that "General Petraeus is likely to become General Betray Us." According to Abbe Serphos, director of public relations for the Times, "the open rate for an ad of that size and type is $181,692." A spokesman for MoveOn.org confirmed to The Post that the liberal activist group had paid only $65,000 for the ad - a reduction of more than $116,000 from the stated rate.

 

Technorati tags: NY Times, Democrats, MoveOn.org, Petraeus, Liberal, Nutroots