Archive for the 'Terrorism' Category
New "Non-Stop" Film Slanders 9/11 Victims as Terrorists
Big Hollywood: 'Non-Stop' Review: Liam Neeson Thriller Hits New Left-Wing Low
It turns out that the villain is not a hijacker but a terrorist — someone who wants to murder everyone on the plane to further a political goal.
You ready…?
The terrorist is a 9/11 family member. Yes, you read that right; the terrorist is a 9/11 family-member who lost a loved-one in the World Trade Center on that terrible September morning.
Posted in Liberalism, Terrorism
5 Arrested For Mostly Peaceful Conspiracy To Bomb Cleveland Area Bridge
Jim Treacher has, amongst other things, screenshots of the would-be bombers' Facebook pages where they self-identify with either Occupy Cleveland or Occupy Wall Street:
DailyCaller: Occupiers try to blow up a bridge near Cleveland
Brandon "Skabby" Baxter has a well documented association with Occupy Cleveland, as it turns out:
Cleveland Plain Dealer: Occupy Cleveland disrupts sheriff's sale of foreclosed properties
Brandon Baxter of Lakewood said he had no regrets for making sure people heard the message.
"I took the risk of getting arrested because I feel the powers that be, whoever they might be — on all levels of government and those who hold corporate power — are not listening because not enough people are actually taking a stance" against foreclosures, he said. "I was hoping that this would be a great way to get Cleveland more involved by showing the potential that a small group of dedicated people can have in making an impact. Even though we are not in any government position or in Congress, we do have the power."
Brandon Blackwell, Cleveland photographer:
Occupy Cleveland organizer Brandon Baxter gets some shade in the Occupy Cleveland tent in downtown Cleveland on March 21, 2012. Baxter, one of the few remaining members of Occupy Cleveland's physical presence downtown, said the group has seen a sharp decline in numbers since last October because of increasing disorganization. "We need guidance," he said.
Media Trackers: FBI Busts Occupy Cleveland Members in Alleged Bomb Plot
Posts on Occupy Cleveland's Facebook page indicate that Baxter was involved in helping the organization organize and advertise events as recently as February 2012. Baxter and two of the other alleged co-conspirators — Joshua Stafford and Anthony Hayne — list Occupy Cleveland as their "Employer" on Facebook, where the three list one another as friends.
Jim Hoft also linked to this video where we see Brandon Baxtor at the Occupy Cleveland Camp.
He was by no means the only one with documented ties. From Big Government:
Another of today's suspects is Anthony Hayne, named previously in a report on Occupy Cleveland. "I just want to be very clear: we are not occupying Lakewood," said Anthony Hayne, who is organizing the information session. Hayne, a Lakewood resident since 2001, said there will be about six or seven members of Occupy Cleveland, which stems from the Occupy Wall Street movement, at the table Saturday.
Obama urging US lawmakers to soften new sanctions on Iran
The original headline from JPost: "Obama urging US lawmakers to soften Iran sanctions," is a little misleading I think, as it makes it sound like the White House might be trying to roll back existing sanctions, rather than new ones.
Given that it has been less than two months since the Department of Justice informed us that Iran had committed an act of war against the United States, the idea of doing any less is just insane.
Going back to the Jerusalem Post:
The administration also sought to "water down the penalties" on foreign banks that do business with Iran'scentral bank, the Senate aide said. The administration favored imposing "strict conditions" on such foreign banks, rather than the all-out cutoff from the US financial system that is in the Kirk-Menendez amendment.
I believe the expression is, "hell no." Anything less than an "all-out cutoff" is useless.
Posted in Terrorism
al Qaeda's chief of Pakistan operations, Abu Hafs al-Shahri killed
They shoot, they score!
Via HotAir:
ABC: Al Qaeda Chief of Pakistan Operations Killed
A senior administration official tells ABC News that officials have confirmed that al Qaeda's chief of Pakistan operations, Abu Hafs al-Shahri, was killed earlier this week in Waziristan, Pakistan.
The administration does not confirm the use of predator drones, but on Sunday, the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, a drone fired two missiles at a car as it entered a compound in Mir Ali, North Waziristan, killing three militants.
"Abu Hafs' death will further degrade al Qaeda's ability to recover from the death last month of AQ's number two, Atiyah, because of his operations experience and connections within the group," the senior administration official said, referring to 'Atiyah 'Abd al-Rahman, the deputy leader of al Qaeda killed in August.
"Abu Hafs' death removes a key threat inside Pakistan, where he collaborated closely with Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan to conduct coordinated attacks."
Nobody is going to mistake me for an Obama fan, but the President has been kicking an awful lot of al-Qaeda ass, or at the very least, putting competent people in charge of doing it for him. "Eight of the network's top 20 leaders were killed this year alone, according to the Pentagon's undersecretary for defense intelligence, Michael Vickers." Like AllahPundit said, credit where credit is due.
A couple weeks ago, John Sexton wrote a piece for HotAir's GreenRoom, Obama Would Make a Good CIA Director in a Perry Administration, and it really doesn't sound so crazy now.
On the morning of September 11, 2001, I awoke to begin my usual morning routine before going off for my day's classes. As I came down the stairs to see about breakfast, I saw on the television the first image so many of us saw on that fateful day, the World Trade Center's North Tower burning. I stood there, on the stairs, eyes fixed on the TV, trying to get my mind around what was going on. Each new piece of news fell on me like a blow: a plane had hit the WTC, a second plane had hit the WTC, a plane hat hit the Pentagon, a fourth plane had gone down.
It felt like the world was ending.
As we came to learn what had happened, the fear and confusion was replaced by shock and anger. It was more than I wanted to face; I needed someone to blame.
I have heard and read many stories about how 9/11 was the event that galvanized many into shedding the comforts of liberalism for the harsh reality of conservatism. I was, unfortunately, not one of those people. I was too far invested in my liberal worldview to give it up. Somehow, this had to be our fault.
Eventually I found what I wanted. "We were attacked because of American imperialism," I was informed of by my liberal college friends. "Bush's incompetence allowed this to happen," came the rallying cry of the left. I wanted easy answers and these were them. "War on Terror? You can't have a war on an idea," came the empty catch-phrase that gave me an excuse not to think. "Religion of Peace," wailed the apologists. "Makes sense," I told myself. "Islamophobia," they wailed again. "Shame on us," I thoughtlessly agreed.
By October, when we invaded Afghanistan, I had walled myself off in ignorance. I had convinced myself that there was no need to go to war over what I told myself was only a handful of bad people, maybe a few dozen. I did not know, had not bothered to learn, that al-Qaeda was a thousand strong and growing rapidly. It never registered that al-Qaeda had been making war on America for years. An army stood ready and eager to destroy us and I wanted to treat them like a street gang.
I gobbled up every anti-Bush and pro-terrorist lie put in from of me short of "it was an inside job." I got all my news from The Daily Show on Comedy Central and considered myself well informed. Needless to say, I didn't support Operation Iraqi Freedom. I allowed myself to be convinced by the left that despising my country and my countrymen was "patriotic."
It was so easy. The years would roll by, September 11th would come and go, and it all served to keep me numb to the memory of that day, to the fear I had allowed the terrorists to inflict upon me. I wanted to believe that the terrorists didn't matter anymore. I remembered the dead, but only abstractly. They became a number felled in a tragedy, like an earthquake or a tornado.
They were murdered. For years I let myself forget that, but that is the truth. In the spirit of the unity our nation briefly held I give my thanks to President Obama, under whose leadership the most notorious of the al-Qaeda murderers, Osama bin Laden, has been brought to ultimate justice. I also offer my belated thanks to President Bush and the troops under his command for being strong when I was weak, for turning the tide of a war America had been losing since 1992, for breaking the back of al-Qaeda, for crushing the dreams of blood, pain, and dealth bin Laden had in store for us, and for capturing the men who ultimately lead us to bin Laden himself.
My thanks to the first responders of New York City, who in the face of hell on Earth did not waiver in their courage and selflessness. When we needed you, you were there.
To the majority of American Muslims, whose love of our country and way of life is strong, and who are working to keep the radicals and militants out of their mosques and communities, I thank you.
There are no thanks I can now give to the crew and passengers of Flight 93, whose bravery saved untold lives in our nation's capitol. May they rest in peace and in honored and blessed memory.
My heart goes out to those whose loved ones were the victims on that terrible day. They will be remembered.
They will always matter.
Three stories on Israel
At the moment, Drudge has an unlinked headline that says:
SHOWDOWN: U.S. APPEALING TO PALESTINIANS TO STALL UN VOTE... DEVELOPING..."
That would be about the September 20th Palestinian petition to the UN for a statehood endorsement I assume. Unless the administration thinks they can stall this until after the 2012 elections (not bloody likely), I don't know what they hope to gain.
Update: Here is the story
Race to douse a new Mideast flash point; American campaign seeks to avert clash over Palestinian bid at U.N.
My mistake was I thought "stall" meant 'delay', rather than 'halt'.
Speaking of the UN…
LegalInsurrection: U.N. Report says Gaza blockade legal and Israel faced "organized and violent resistance" by flotilla
ii. The fundamental principle of the freedom of navigation on the high seas is subject to only certain limited exceptions under international law. Israel faces a real threat to its security from militant groups in Gaza. The naval blockade was imposed as a legitimate security measure in order to prevent weapons from entering Gaza by sea and its implementation complied with the requirements of international law.
iv. Although people are entitled to express their political views, the flotilla acted recklessly in attempting to breach the naval blockade. The majority of the flotilla participants had no violent intentions, but there exist serious questions about the conduct, true nature and objectives of the flotilla organizers, particularly IHH. The actions of the flotilla needlessly carried the potential for escalation.
vii. Israeli Defense Forces personnel faced significant, organized and violent resistance from a group of passengers when they boarded the Mavi Marmara requiring them to use force for their own protection. Three soldiers were captured, mistreated, and placed at risk by those passengers. Several others were wounded.
Of course it woundn't be the UN if they didn't criticize Israel for something, so they said Israel used "excessive force" in enforcing their perfectly legal blockade and rescuing their soldiers from violent attack. The Turks are pissed that the UN vindicated Israel and have decided to turn this into a diplomatic crisis.
Reuters: Biggest rally in Israel's history presses PM
Netanyahu has warned he would not be able to satisfy all the protesters' demands, ranging from tax cuts, to expansion of free education and bigger government housing budgets.
You want the government to spend a bunch of money on a load of new goody programs, and you want them to cut taxes. What, are you people stupid?
I cannot decide…
… which of these statements are more idiotic (both via Newsbusters).
NPR's John Hockenberry: "The Taliban has never been an enemy of the United States."
Thom Hartmann: "The job creators are the people on welfare. The job creators are the people who are on unemployment. They're the people who are working."
I don't think my liver could handle the amount of alcohol I would need to kill enough brain cells to be able to buy this tripe.
Posted in Economics, Liberalism, Terrorism
"any attack on Pakistan would be construed as an attack on China"
By "any" do they by any chance mean the Taliban, who attack Pakistani police and military forces on a regular basis? Why no, that would be silly. China is talking about us.
China 'asks USA to respect Pak sovereignty'
In the wake of the US raid in Abbottabad that killed Osama bin Laden, China has "warned in unequivocal terms that any attack on Pakistan would be construed as an attack on China", a media report claimed today.
The warning was formally conveyed by the Chinese foreign minister at last week's China-US strategic dialogue and economic talks in Washington, The News daily quoted diplomatic sources as saying. China also advised the USa to "respect Pakistan's sovereignty and solidarity", the report said.
Ed Morrissey asks a poignant question (or four):
This new doctrine from China will pose some difficulties for the US. For instance, what about the Predator attacks on terrorists in the border regions? Pakistan has officially protested these attacks while unofficially tolerating them. If China is serious about its message, will they insist on an end to all operations within Pakistan from now on? And how will China respond to an attack on Pakistan under a doctrine that's not dissimilar from NATO's charter? Will they attack the US and start a war, or will they react only diplomatically?
My bet is on diplomatically. I believe China will not want to upset the house of cards they call their economy by interrupting the flow of filthy American lucre. Will we really challenge them though? That's the sort of thing Kennedy or Reagan would have done, and I don't see anyone like them around these days.
Osama Bin Laden killed by US troops
US Navy SEALs took him out in a mansion in Abbottabad, Pakistan yesterday. None of our boys were killed in the firefight.
A picture is worth a thousand words.
A timeline of the operation that took the bastard out.
More on the story at HotAir, Ace of Spades, and Gateway Pundit.
Special mention to Borepatch for tracking down the best joke on the internet:
rm -f /bin/laden
Orwell exercise
This is a pretty simple mental exercise. First, go read this editorial written by George Orwell during World War II about the English pacifists.
Then, read it again, but mentally insert the prefix "Islamo" in front of every instance of the words Fascist or Fascism and substitute "al Qaeda" and "Taliban" for Nazi and Germany.
I used to be against the War on Terror, until I realized that giving it up would still leave Terror's War on Us.
To go back to Orwell again, "The quickest way of ending a war is to lose it. "