Freedom Folks Do It Again!

Jake and Michelle over at the Freedom Folks just published a great post thanking the troops!

The Freedom Folks always go out of their way to give a "hooah!" to our Soldiers deployed overseas in support of the War on Terror. Considering this (Tanker Brothers) is a blog about the War on Terror and our observations on it, we always make a point of reading their blog daily.

Do yourself a favor...check them out. And keep clicking to their photomontage with Michelle's awesome vocals (and keep your eyes peeled for the Tanker Brothers!). Turn your audio up, you'll thank me later. And if you really dig their music as much as I do, click "What I'm Listening To Now:" in our left sidebar to pick up a copy of their excellent CD!

Jake and Michelle: Happy New Year!

...and thanks.

Photomontage Link Here:

Front And Center: Tanker Brothers' Holiday Safety Brief!

We like having you as a reader. We appreciate your comments and suggestions. Most of all, we want you to keep reading!

One of the time-honored Army traditions is the weekend/holiday safety briefing. First Sergeant and the Commander Commander get everyone into formation, and put out safety guidance. It's usually the last formation of the working week. So here goes ("Fall In!"):

1. Everyone likes to ring in the New Year with beer, wine, or champagne. Please drink responsibly. You don't need to be stuttering drunk to have a good time.

2. If you're going to drink (and I personally do not), please don't drive. The designated driver idea is a great one. Designate one guy/gal to drive you home. If you're hosting a party, be a responsible host and please make sure every one of your guests gets home alive and in one piece. If that means you have to personally refrain from drinking and drive everyone home, then it's a small sacrifice to make to make sure all your friends will enjoy 2006 alongside you.

3. We live in a day and age when sex with the wrong person will frickin' kill you. If you plan on getting some coital relations this New Years Holiday with someone other than your spouse...please, pretty please, use a condom. You don't have to worry about an unwanted pregnancy or picking up something that a shot of penicillin can't fix. Remember that old G.I. saying: "No Glovee, No Lovee, G.I.!"

4. Everyone always wants to pop fireworks on New Years. I know my family has been doing it since I was born. This is probably the first year we're not going to pop firecrackers. It's really dry here in Texas, and in the wake of the recent brush fires in North Texas, we're probably going to "check fire" on the tradition this year. All I ask is that you're aware of the environment around you. If there is tall, dry grass, it's probably not a good idea to go lighting firecrackers. And above all else, be careful! We wouldn't want you to catch yourself on fire! Keep a fire extinguisher or bucket of water nearby. And watch out for cars.

5. Some parts of our great country have snow on the ground. Snow, as we are all aware, can make driving hazardous. Please give yourself extra time to get to and from your destination, and take it slow.

Remember, we want you back for formation on Monday! And we definitely want to see you back here reading the Tanker Brothers' Blog!

God Bless you and your friends and family, and have a Happy New Year! "Dismissed!"

2005 - A Big Year...

Wow. Today is the last day of the year.

Been a roller coaster, hasn't it? The world has literally changed  for me in 2005. It's not the same place as it was.

My Personal Significant Events in 2005 (in Chronological Order):

1. I started this blog in January.
2. On 30 January, the Iraq people had their first free democratic elections in decades, and I was there.
3. After almost 14 months in Iraq, I finally made it back home to Fort Hood and my beautiful wife.
4. Bought a cool 4x4 Ford Ranger, just because we had orders to PCS to Germany (we didn't go after all).
5. After being away from home since R&R leave, I was lucky enough to see my son born 1248hrs, 1 Apr 05.
6. My wife and son finally moved up to be with me at Fort Hood.
7. My 31st (*yikes*) birthday was on July 4th.
8. I had to go to Germany on short notice for TDY.
9. My wife's sister had a baby girl in August. My wife and son flew to Germany to welcome her.
9. My wife and I celebrated our 2nd Wedding Anniversary.
10. I made two good friends, Jake and Michelle over at Freedom Folks.
11. My son experienced his first Thanksgiving.
12. My son celebrated his first Christmas.

I just want to wish y'all a Happy New Year, and offer my sincerest best wishes for you and your families in 2006. Please keep coming back and checking us out when you have a chance.

God Bless!

Camp Katrina - A Different Kind Of Military Blog!

I just wanted to take a second to point you in the direction of "Camp Katrina", a blog dedicated to showing a different side of the US military: the humanitarian side.

You'll really be impressed, and tell 'em the Tanker Brothers sent ya.

Link: Camp Katrina

The Week in Review!

These are the Tanker Brother's "Must Read" posts for the week ending 30 December, 2005.

1. Read my heartfelt essay on what real heroism is.

2. Find out who won the "Rusty Center Guide Award" this week!

3. We report to you how independent election auditors are traveling to Iraq to certify the elections!

4. We report on the ACLU's shameful quest to move a Korean War Veterans Memorial in California...using YOUR tax dollars!

5. We report to you how the stupid NSA leak and Patriot Act shenanigans in Congress has actually weakened our efforts in the War on Terror!

Y'all have a great weekend, and have a happy and safe New Years Weekend!

God Bless you and your families, and remember to say a prayer this New Years for our brave Soldiers, Marines, Airmen, and Sailors serving overseas, away from thier families.

Rusty Center Guide Award!

Iraqi Dictator Captive Saddam Hussein for for having the stones to actually parrot John Kerry and Harry Reid's claims of prisoner abuse, even going so far as offering himself as evidence!

Congrats, Saddam...you're the second recipient of the Tanker Brothers' Rusty Center Guide Award.

Ann Coulter: Tells It Like It Is (Happy Kwanzaa Edition)

You know what I like about Ann Coulter? She doesn't mince words.

KWANZAA: A HOLIDAY FROM THE FBI By Ann Coulter Legal Affairs Correspondent, Human Events President Bush's 2005 Kwanzaa message began with the patently absurd statement: "African-Americans and people around the world reflect on African heritage during Kwanzaa." I believe more African-Americans spent this season reflecting on the birth of Christ than some phony non-Christian holiday invented a few decades ago by an FBI stooge.

Update: Edited post to include link to article (I forgot when I posted it...duh)

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International Auditors To Review Iraqi Elections

On the front page this morning: the International Mission for Iraqi Elections (IMIE), a group of independent electoral management organizations, is going to audit the Iraqi Parliamentary elections, at the request of the Sunni minority.

Good.

Then we can finally get these whole "election fraud" allegations thrown around by the Sunnis put to rest. The Sunnis are the minority in Iraq. That means there are less of them than there are of any other cultural group. After being in power for decades (when Saddam was dictator), they just can't grasp the fact that they won't be the ruling party anymore.

That's how democracy works. The minority will still have representation in the Parliament, but that's not good enough. They want it all. Just like Democrats.

BAGHDAD -- An international team agreed yesterday to review Iraq's parliamentary elections, a decision lauded by Sunni Arab and secular Shi'ite groups who have staged repeated protests around Iraq complaining of widespread fraud and intimidation... ...The decision by the International Mission for Iraqi Elections (IMIE), a group of independent electoral management organizations, to send a team of assessors should help placate the opposition, which has complained of ballot-box rigging. The review also should mollify those groups who thought their views were not being heard, especially among hard-line Sunni Arab parties. "It is important that the Iraqi people have confidence in the election results and that the voting process, including the process for vote counting, is free and fair,' said U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad. He also said: "These experts will be arriving immediately, and we are ready to assist them, if needed." The team was coming at the invitation of the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq, despite a U.N. observer's endorsement of the Dec. 15 vote, which gave the Shi'ite religious bloc a big lead in preliminary returns. The observer, Craig Jenness, said Wednesday that his team -- which helped the Iraqi election commission organize and oversee the poll -- found the elections to be credible and transparent. Sunni Arabs and secular Shi'ites rejected Mr. Jenness' findings, saying their concerns -- which included political assassinations before the elections -- were not addressed. There have been about 1,500 complaints lodged against the elections, including about 50 serious enough to alter the results in some districts. The overall result, however, was not expected to change.

We'll see what will happen. But after seeing the Elections validated by both the Coalition of the Coerced Willing and the United Nations.... I don't expect the results to change significantly, if at all.

New Poll: Future of US in Iraq?

Please take the time to vote in our newest poll:

What do you think the US should do, in terms of our immediate future in Iraq?
	Cut and Run: Get the hell out! We can't win this war!
	Grind it out, get the job done, and get home as soon as we can.
	Pull back to the border of Kuwait, fight terrorists from there
	We went to Iraq to Kick Ass and chew Bubblegum, and we're fresh out of Bubble Gum...
Free polls from Pollhost.com

Cowards

Instead of attacking Coalition forces (guys who can fight back), these terrorist scum are instead killing Iraqi families (people who can't).

Is it any surprise? These terrorists are cowards.

Gunmen Kill 11 Family Members South Of Baghdad BAGHDAD Unknown gunmen stormed a house in a town south of Baghdad on Thursday, killing 11 family members, an Interior Ministry source told Xinhua. "Six armed men stormed a house in Latifiyah town and killed 11 members of the same family," the source said on condition of anonymity. The attackers shot dead some of the family members and cut throats of the rest, the source added. Latifiyah, some 40 km south of Baghdad, is part of a Sunni area called the triangle of death. December 30, 2005

If the reward for blowing yourself up is 72 virgins, what's the reward in heaven for killing unarmed civilians?

France = Chicken; Terrorists = Stupid

Okie Dokie: this is really dumb...

A boneheaded terrorist group called "The Battalion For The Look Out For Iraq" (and where do these splinter groups come up with these names?) really hit the "jackpot" (insert sarcasm here) when they kidnapped a Frenchman. I guess they didn't realize that France doesn't have any soldiers in Iraq.

Paris urges release of French hostage in Iraq PARIS French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy called on Thursday for the release of a French hostage in Iraq, highlighting the fact that France has no military presence there.

In typical Frenchie fashion, the French government even whined instead of talking tough to at least intimidate the bad guys into releasing their guy:

"Nothing justifies Bernard Planche being held in captivity. I call again on the kidnapers to release our fellow countryman immediately," Douste-Blazy said in a statement. "France has no military presence in Iraq and has always pleaded for this country's full sovereignty to be restored," he added.

Note to France: President Bush has told you time and time again. These people (the terrorists) don't wait to be provoked. They hate you just because you're you. They hate you because you're not a Muslim extremist, like them. Do you honestly think that terrorists attacked the WTC because of something we did to them? Terrorists attacked the WTC because it was a symbol of the economic superiority of the West. And they resent that. They hate the fact that they all hail from Third-World countries, and will never be relevant on the world stage, unless they resort to causing problems.

Bottom line: They hate you because you're you.

Either that, or they are probably the most incredibly stupid terrorists on the face of the planet:

A group calling itself the Battalion of the Look-out for Iraq claimed responsibility for the kidnapping and "threatened to kill him if France does not end its illegitimate presence in Iraq".

*pssssst*, Terrorists...they were too chicken to go present an "illegitimate presence in Iraq".

And what about the victim? Poor guy. All he wanted to was treat some sewage. (No stinky Frenchman jokes, please).

Bernard Planche, who was working for a non-governmental organization at a water treatment plant in eastern Baghdad, was seized on December 5 at his home in an upmarket Baghdad neighborhood.

You screwed it up and got the wrong guy. Do the right thing and let him go.

Border Patrol Getting "Serious"? (Finally)

As my wife, son, and I are driving to South Texas (I'm writing this on the road), we just noticed something we've never seen before!

In South Texas, there's a US Border Patrol Checkpoint about an hour's drive north of the Border. They do a really admirable job: this year, they've literally caught thousands and thousands of illegal immigrants.It's actually one of the more professionally-run checkpoints I have seen. Dogs, lots of agents, the works.

Well, you obviously don't go through the checkpoint if you're traveling south.There's a wooded median between the northbound and southbound lanes of the four lane highway.

But guess what I saw?

CAMERAS! A frickin' CAMERA FARM on the southbound side of the highway!

I guess the Border Patrol figured out that coyotes were "dismounting" the illegals, going through the checkpoint while the illegals ran north through the wooded median or on the other (southbound) side of the highway, and then picking them up on the north side of the Border Patrol personnel. I guess they won't be doing THAT anymore, thanks to these new cameras.

Thank goodness someone over there is finally using their heads! With any luck, we'll catch a hell of a lot more illegals (and possibly terrorists entering our country through the southern border).

ACLU: What's Next?

In yet another shameful display of Anti-Americanism, the ACLU fought to have a Korean War Veterans Memorial moved, citing that the cross that was integral to the memorial "offended" people.

I wish I was just making this up.

Mt. Soledad cross case seems settled A plan to move it gets tentative OK By Ray Huard STAFF WRITER March 31, 2004 The Mount Soledad cross would be taken down and moved to a church or other privately owned land under a tentative agreement presented to the San Diego City Council in a closed meeting yesterday. The proposed deal to end a 15-year legal fight has the support of the American Civil Liberties Union, the lawyer for the self-described atheist who filed the federal lawsuit challenging the cross' presence on city-owned land and the Mount Soledad Association, which maintains the 43-foot-tall cross and a veterans memorial around it. Federal courts have repeatedly ruled that the cross violates the California Constitution's "no preference clause," which prohibits religious symbols on public land. City Attorney Casey Gwinn said the City Council voted unanimously in closed session yesterday to consider the proposal in a public hearing along with two other options. No date has been set for the hearing. The other choices, Gwinn said, are for the city to continue what has been a losing court fight to keep the cross in place or to try for a third time to sell the land around the cross to a buyer who could keep or remove the cross. Gwinn said he has not decided which action to recommend, but said he would advise against further litigation because the city would likely lose. Relocating the cross is favored by the Mount Soledad Association and lawyers for the ACLU and atheist Philip Paulson because it would allow the association to retain ownership of the land and the nearly $1 million in memorial walls the group has erected at the foot of the cross. "That is the most viable, most intelligent and most reasonable resolution," said James McElroy, Paulson's lawyer. Relocating the cross removes the constitutional issue, he said. "I hope the City Council wholeheartedly endorses this." Jordan Budd, managing attorney for the ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties, said relocating the cross and allowing the association to keep the land as a nonsectarian memorial is the least complicated option. The ACLU joined McElroy in handling court appeals of the cross litigation. "We would prefer that the city not destroy the cross but remove it to some other venue, somehow place it in the hands of a private party that would like to display the cross on private land," Budd said. William Kellogg, the association's president, said his group would prefer to keep the cross in place, "but that appears to be impossible at this point. "Our goal is to honor veterans, whatever happens," he said, and keeping the site as a memorial would make that possible. The association has erected six concrete walls at the foot of the cross. The walls have room for 3,200 granite plaques honoring individual veterans. Each plaque costs from $600 to $1,000. The dispute over the cross began in 1989, when Paulson filed a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the city's ownership of the land under the cross. The city has offered various proposals to resolve the suit, but nothing has worked. After voters approved selling the cross property in a 1992 ballot measure, the city in 1994 sold 224 square feet of land at the base of the cross for $24,000 to the Mount Soledad Association. The association has maintained the cross since 1952 as a memorial to Korean War veterans. A federal judge rejected the sale in September 1997 because it wasn't open to competitive bidding. In 1998, a half-acre of land around the cross was sold to the association for $106,000. The association submitted the highest among five bids, but the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in June 2002 said that sale too was improper because sale procedures gave an edge to the association over groups that would remove the cross and who therefore had to include removal costs in their bids. The case has cost the city $230,000 in legal fees, which it agreed to pay the ACLU and McElroy after losing at the appeals court, Gwinn said. He was unable to estimate how much his office spent internally on the case. If the council approves the latest deal, who will pay to relocate the cross must still be negotiated, McElroy said.

What's next, ACLU? Perhaps urinating on the graves of heroes at Arlington? They do, after all, have Crosses and Stars of David. And *gasp*, it's Federally funded....

Reminder: Rusty Center Guide Award Friday!

Just a friendly reminder: tomorrow is THE DAY!

Every Friday, we're awarding the Rusty Center Guide Award...who will it be THIS week?

Saddam Hussein? Harry Reid? Howlin' Howie Dean? The President of Iran?

Check back tomorrow and find out!

"Torture": Not All Bad?

I'm of the opinion that pouring water over someone's head isn't really torture. When I think of torture, I think of some thug pulling out someone's fingernails with pliers. Or to quote Marsellus Wallace in "Pulp Fiction":

"What now? Let me tell you what now. I'ma call a couple of hard, pipe-hittin' n****s to go to work on homes here with a pair of pliers and a blowtorch. You hear me talkin' hillbilly boy? I ain't through with you by damn sight. I'ma get medieval on your a55..."


To me, that's torture. Comparable to listening to Ving Rahmes' dialogue.

Anyway, on to the article:

Al-Qaida operative became fountain of information for U.S. Moral and legal aspects aside, conventional wisdom is that torture simply isn't practical: that someone who is being tortured will say anything to make the torture stop, and that information gleaned through torture is therefore not reliable. Some former military and intelligence officers say, however, that physically aggressive interrogation techniques that some human rights groups consider torture can be effective in the short term. When asked for specifics, the technique they cite is "waterboarding," in which water is poured over a subject's face to create the sensation of drowning. Consider Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the 39-year-old former al-Qaida operative who was the Sept. 11 mastermind and bearer of many al-Qaida secrets. If anyone had a motive for remaining silent it was the man known to terrorism investigators as "KSM." But not long after his capture in Pakistan, in March 2003, KSM began to talk. He ultimately had so much to say that more than 100 footnoted references to the CIA's interrogations of KSM are contained in the final report of the commission that investigated Sept. 11. Not that everything KSM said was believable. But much of his information checked out in separate questioning of other captures al-Qaida figures. What made KSM decide to talk? The answer may be waterboarding, to which KSM was subjected on at least one occasion, according to various accounts. Intelligence operatives point out that while waterboarding can break through a suspect's initial resistance, it isn't effective for long-term interrogation. Once a suspect begins to communicate, however, an interrogation specialist can put into action a wide range of far more subtle techniques, which include playing to a subject's ego or pretending to be his friend. It could not be learned exactly when KSM was "waterboarded," or whether the technique was used more than once. But only 12 days after being captured in Pakistan, on March 1, 2003, KSM made his first reported major revelation. As part of his initial proposal for the attack on America, he had "considered targeting a nuclear power plant," KSM said. But al-Qaida chieftain Osama bin Laden "decided to drop that idea," evidently concerned about a Chernobyl-type fallout that might threaten countries adjacent to the United States. There are no footnotes keyed to the next 12 days. But on March 24 KSM began talking again, this time about assistance provided by al-Qaida to Zacarias Moussaoui, who was arrested in Minnesota three weeks before Sept. 11 and later pleaded guilty to planning to fly a hijacked airplane into the White House as part of a separate plot. On April 17, KSM spoke about the abortive 1995 plot in which several U.S. airliners were to have been brought down simultaneously over the Pacific by bombs smuggled onboard. On May 15, KSM began divulging something of the inner workings of al-Qaida. From that point onward, according to the commission's footnotes, KSM became a veritable fountain of information. It was Osama bin Laden, he said, who had argued for increasing the number of Sept. 11 targets and planes beyond the four ultimately selected. The 1998 bombings of two U.S. embassies in Africa had cost less than $10,000, KSM continued, adding that after the success of those attacks al-Qaida had decided to focus on "soft targets" in the West like oil refineries, embassies and airliners. The Sept. 11 report reflects five productive interrogation sessions during the last two weeks in May 2003, four in June, eight in July, four in August, three in September, three in October and four in November. The interrogations continued through the winter and early spring of 2004, producing increasingly detailed information about al-Qaida. KSM said bin Laden's No. 2, Ayman al-Zawahiri, opposed the Sept. 11 attacks, disagreeing with bin Laden over whether to honor the request of Afghanistan's Taliban leader, Mullah Omar, not to attack the United States. In early April 2004, KSM revealed that the 15 young men who joined the hijacking plot for the express purpose of subduing the airplanes' passengers and disabling their crews hadn't known they were to become part of a suicide mission until a month before Sept. 11. The last footnote, dated June 15, 2004, reflected KSM's annoyance with hijacker Khalid al-Mihdhar, who left the United States without al-Qaida's permission in the summer of 2000 to visit his family in Saudi Arabia. The commission's report was published in July 2004. But for all the world knows, KSM may be talking still.

I'll close with another Marsellus Wallace quote, edited for the War On Terror: "I'm prepared to scour the Earth for that motherf**ker. If Saddam goes to Indo-China, I want a n****r hidin' in a bowl of rice ready to pop a cap in his a55."

Cookies! Get Your Free Cookies Here!

Why is this even news?

NEW YORK -- The National Security Agency's Internet site has been placing files on visitors' computers that can track their Web surfing activity despite strict federal rules banning most of them. These files, known as "cookies," disappeared after a privacy activist complained and The Associated Press made inquiries this week, and agency officials acknowledged Wednesday they had made a mistake. Nonetheless, the issue raises questions about privacy at a spy agency already on the defensive amid reports of a secretive eavesdropping program in the United States. "Considering the surveillance power the NSA has, cookies are not exactly a major concern," said Ari Schwartz, associate director at the Center for Democracy and Technology, a privacy advocacy group in Washington, D.C. "But it does show a general lack of understanding about privacy rules when they are not even following the government's very basic rules for Web privacy." Until Tuesday, the NSA site created two cookie files that do not expire until 2035 - likely beyond the life of any computer in use today. Don Weber, an NSA spokesman, said in a statement Wednesday that the cookie use resulted from a recent software upgrade. Normally, the site uses temporary, permissible cookies that are automatically deleted when users close their Web browsers, he said, but the software in use shipped with persistent cookies already on. "After being tipped to the issue, we immediately disabled the cookies," he said. Cookies are widely used at commercial Web sites and can make Internet browsing more convenient by letting sites remember user preferences. For instance, visitors would not have to repeatedly enter passwords at sites that require them. But privacy advocates complain that cookies can also track Web surfing, even if no personal information is actually collected. In a 2003 memo, the White House's Office of Management and Budget prohibits federal agencies from using persistent cookies - those that aren't automatically deleted right away - unless there is a "compelling need." A senior official must sign off on any such use, and an agency that uses them must disclose and detail their use in its privacy policy. Peter Swire, a Clinton administration official who had drafted an earlier version of the cookie guidelines, said clear notice is a must, and 'vague assertions of national security, such as exist in the NSA policy, are not sufficient." Daniel Brandt, a privacy activist who discovered the NSA cookies, said mistakes happen, "but in any case, it's illegal. The (guideline) doesn't say anything about doing it accidentally." The Bush administration has come under fire recently over reports it authorized NSA to secretly spy on e-mail and phone calls without court orders. Since The New York Times disclosed the domestic spying program earlier this month, President Bush has stressed that his executive order allowing the eavesdropping was limited to people with known links to al-Qaida. But on its Web site Friday, the Times reported that the NSA, with help from American telecommunications companies, obtained broader access to streams of domestic and international communications. The NSA's cookie use is unrelated, and Weber said it was strictly to improve the surfing experience "and not to collect personal user data." Richard M. Smith, a security consultant in Cambridge, Mass., questions whether persistent cookies would even be of much use to the NSA. They are great for news and other sites with repeat visitors, he said, but the NSA's site does not appear to have enough fresh content to warrant more than occasional visits. The government first issued strict rules on cookies in 2000 after disclosures that the White House drug policy office had used the technology to track computer users viewing its online anti-drug advertising. Even a year later, a congressional study found 300 cookies still on the Web sites of 23 agencies. In 2002, the CIA removed cookies it had inadvertently placed at one of its sites after Brandt called it to the agency's attention.

If tracking my web surfing is going to aid in the War on Terror....I'm all about it. Maybe we can even share the cookies with the FBI and CIA, as well (Oh, waitasec...the Dems killed the Patriot Act. Nevermind). If it stops people from going to Terrorist web sites, if it stops people from surfing kiddie porn, if it stops people from doing illegal stuff on the web...I'm all for it!

I picked up my free cookie this morning! LOL!

Terrorists: Stupid

1. Don't attack a heavily Armed Special Forces/ 82nd Airborne camp.
2. Don't attack a heavily Armed Special Forces/ 82nd Airborne camp when their BIG BOSS is in the country.

Al-Qaida Attacked Afghanistan During Donald Rumsfeld's Visit Hundreds of al-Qaida insurgents attacked a heavily armed U.S. Special Forces camp in Afghanistan on the day Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was in the country discussing U.S. troop reductions, according to the New York Daily News. A statement by the Taliban, al-Qaida's allies, said 400 mujahedeen staged "the biggest attack upon the crusading forces in Afghanistan." U.S. sources said no Americans were hurt in the nighttime shootout at Camp Tillman on the Afghan-Pakistan border. The camp is home to several hundred soldiers, including elite 82nd Airborne Division paratroopers and Green Berets.  B-52 bombers, Apache gunships, A-10 Warthog jets, artillery and infantry delivered a "devastating" counterattack outside the camp's walls, resulting in more than a dozen confirmed enemy kills, sources told the Daily News. The suicidal assault came last week on the day Rumsfeld visited American troops at Bagram Airfield, and hours after Vice President Dick Cheney made a stopover on his way to Iraq. The fight is the latest sign that a group now calling itself al-Qaida in Afghanistan is adopting the aggressive tactics used against U.S. forces in Iraq, the Daily News reports, as Washington is increasingly talking about withdrawing from Iraq.

...yeah, they're getting more aggressive. And also getting increasingly stupid. Just a matter of time before we wipe them all out...

Saddam Wanna Cracker? - Parroting MSM Talking Points

It's just like I always say:

The bad guys have newspapers, radio, television, and the internet. They read about the Anti-War crazies and their talking points. The read about Howlin' Howie Dean ("YEEEAAARRRGGHHHH!) and parrot his talking points when they are caught. They're using our own press against us. And the "Elite" Bush-hating media is only too happy to oblige.

Is your hatred of President Bush so great that you would be willing to undermine the efforts of our brave men and women fighting for their lives overseas?

Do you even care?

Or are American Soldiers and American Deaths just numbers on a tally board you can point to and throw in President Bush's face?

Note to the media: even our sworn enemy is using this stuff against us:

Torture; Saddam accuses Gzedit WAS Saddam Hussein tortured or mistreated in American custody? We have no idea - but his claims spotlight damage done to American credibility by the scandals at Abu Ghraib prison and elsewhere. Saddam is smart, and understands how to use the international forum he has been given at his Baghdad trial. He has turned the court into his own personal theater. He cites past evidence of U.S. soldiers torturing prisoners, along with the Bush administration's false claims about weapons of mass destruction, to show that Americans are both capable of torture and capable of lying. Meanwhile, never having been a particularly pious man, Saddam now courts conservative Muslims by loudly demanding breaks in court proceedings to pray. On the torture claims, Saddam may well be lying - or at least stretching the truth. But it's also conceivable that some U.S. soldiers may have yielded to the temptation to rough up the former dictator, especially if he displayed the kind of arrogance he has shown the world in recent weeks. Unfortunately, many in the Muslim and Arab worlds will believe him, no matter what the merits of his claims. That's bad enough. It's even more disturbing that, given past revelations, Americans can't be entirely sure what to believe, either. December 23, 2005

Tough Titty, Said The Kitty (Part Three)

May they rest in pieces....

Ten killed in U.S. airstrike in northern Iraq BAGHDAD Ten suspected insurgents were killed in a U.S. airstrike on a village in northern Iraq on Tuesday, the U.S. military said on Thursday. Pilots saw three men digging holes near a main road in an attempt to plant bombs, according to a U.S. military statement. Hearing the U.S. fighter jets overhead, the suspected men fled the scene in a car and were soon joined by a second vehicle, heading toward a small village near the Hawija town, southwest of the northern city Kirkuk, the statement said. U.S. fighter jets then dropped two 500-pound (225-kg) bombs, targeting the two cars hiding "by parking between two buildings" in the village, it added. U.S. forces then destroyed the roadside bomb the suspected insurgents had planted and searched the village, seizing assault rifles, a machine gun and bomb-making equipment. December 29, 2005

That's Awesome! Bet the MSM won't cover that....

Well, It's About Time!

Leave it to the Euro-wimps...

Interpol issues international wanted persons notice for al-Zarqawi PARIS International police organization Interpol on Wednesday issued an international wanted persons notice for leader of al-Qaida in Iraq Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Interpol said in a statement it issued the Red Notice for the Jordanian-born al-Zarqawi at the request of Algeria, which has accused him of involving in the kidnapping and murder of two Algerian diplomats in Iraq in July 2005. Al-Zarqawi is also wanted by authorities of Germany, Iraq and Jordan for sorts of terror activities, said Interpol. Al-Zarqawi claimed responsibility for the triple suicide bombings in the Jordanian capital, Amman, on Nov. 9 that killed 60 people. Earlier reports said Iraqi security forces detained Zarqawi last year but released him because they didn't realize who he was. The notice will be distributed to all of Interpol's 184 members using the organization's global police communications system.

Reminder!

I just wanted to remind y'all to take a second to sign our "Battle Roster" (link is underneath the banner at the top). We really appreciate you checking out our Blog, and we want to know who you are and what you think!

God Bless!

Just So You Know:

Do you know what the first sentence in Article One of the Military Code Of Conduct is?

"I am an American, fighting in the forces which guard my country and our way of life..."

US Intelligence: Disarmed!

I'll tell you what, I've really gotta hand it to the Democrats and the New York Times. They have to be in cahoots.

First, the Dems giddily kill the renewal of the Patriot Act (and don't give me that stuff about it being extended for five weeks. If you really think it's going to be in effect a day after the five weeks are up...you're crazy).

Then, the New York Times "exposes" the NSA's anti-terror eavesdropping.


Between the two of them, we're in worse shape than ever in terms of our ability to predict and stop terror attacks on our shores.

This article is so good, I'm publishing the whole thing:

LOOSE LIPS SINK SHIPS; THE NSA PROGRAM UNCOVERED AL-QAIDA PLOTS, AND EXPOSURE CRIPPLES IT Jack Kelly Finally, some good may come from the Valerie Plame kerfuffle -- if Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has the stones to do what's right. A grave crime was exposed Dec. 16 when New York Times reporters James Risen and Eric Lichtblau published a story revealing President Bush authorized the National Security Agency to listen in on conversations between al-Qaida suspects abroad and people in the United States without first obtaining a warrant. "We're seeing clearly now that [President] Bush thought 9/11 gave him license to act like a dictator," wrote Newsweek's Jonathan Alter. But the scandal was not the program Mr. Risen and Mr. Lichtblau wrote about. The scandal is that they wrote about it. The intercept program has uncovered al-Qaida plots, and public exposure cripples it, Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden said at a news conference Monday. Now deputy director of National Intelligence, Gen. Hayden was head of the NSA when the intercept program was started. Among the plots uncovered was one by Iyman Faris, a naturalized U.S. citizen living in Ohio, to blow up the Brooklyn Bridge, sources say. Mr. Faris discussed the plan on the phone with Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, then al-Qaida's operations officer. Mr. Alter and others in the news media assert the intercept program is illegal, and unprecedented. It is neither. "The Department of Justice believes, and the case law supports, that the president has the inherent authority to conduct warrantless physical searches for foreign intelligence purposes," said Jamie Gorelick, deputy attorney general under President Clinton, in testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee on July 14, 1994. "It's important to understand that the rules and methodology for criminal searches are inconsistent with the collection of foreign intelligence and would unduly frustrate the president in carrying out his foreign intelligence responsibilities," she said. Mr. Risen and Mr. Lichtblau chose not to mention the following story, which appeared in The New York Times on Nov. 7, 1982: "A federal appeals court has ruled that the National Security Agency may lawfully intercept messages between United States citizens and people overseas, even if there is no cause to believe the Americans are foreign agents, and then provide summaries of these messages to the Federal Bureau of Investigation." Even the feckless Jimmy Carter issued on May 23, 1979, an executive order authorizing the attorney general "to approve electronic surveillance to acquire foreign intelligence information without a court order." President Carter cited as the authority for issuing his order the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that Congress had passed the year before, and which Mr. Alter and other hyperventilating hypocrites claim President Bush has violated. In a 2002 case, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review -- the special court that hears appeals in FISA cases -- said the president "did have inherent authority to conduct warrantless searches to obtain foreign intelligence information." The news media didn't think warrantless electronic surveillance was a threat to our liberty when Democratic presidents authorized it. National Review's Byron York, who dug up the Gorelick testimony mentioned above, noted that The Washington Post reported on it on Page A-19. It is despicable, but not illegal, for the news media to publish vital national secrets leaked to them. But the leakers have committed a felony. Those who have demanded severe punishment for whoever it was who told reporters Valerie Plame worked at the CIA have been remarkably forgiving about who leaked the existence of the NSA intercept program, which -- like the earlier leak of secret CIA prisons for al-Qaida bigwigs and unlike the Plame kerfuffle -- has done serious harm to our national security. But fortunately, by clapping New York Times reporter Judith Miller in irons until she talked, overzealous special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has set a valuable precedent. Attorney General Gonzales should subpoena Mr. Risen and Mr. Lichtblau, and have them cited for contempt of court if they do not disclose their source or sources. Maybe they could share Judy Miller's old cell.

Those morons. I feel like a gunslinger walking into an Old West gunfight armed with a pocketknife.

Way to go, guys. Way to contribute to the team. Too bad you scored two points for the other side.

From the "What A Moron" Dept:

This guy is dumb. Really Dumb. If you're on trial for attempted murder, why are you saying you would "try it again", if you could?

Because you're an idiot. And a lunatic. And based on your actions and words...I'm nominating you for the DNC Chairmanship!

I'll try again to kill Bush - Grenade thrower's vow MATP MISHA DZHINDZHIK TBILISI: A man charged with trying to assassinate the US and Georgia presidents appeared in court yesterday with his mouth sewn shut and vowing to try to kill George W.Bush again. Vladimir Arutyunian faces life in prison if convicted on charges of trying to assassinate the visiting US President and Georgian President Mikhail Saakashviliat at a rally in May. He is also accused of killing a policeman in a shootout before he was arrested. His lips were yesterday sewn together in what he told the court was a show of solidarity with thousands of inmates who are conducting a hunger strike in the ex-Soviet republic. Arutyunian admits he threw a grenade in the direction of the stage where Mr Bush and Mr Saakashviliat were standing behind a bulletproof barrier. He said he would again try to kill Mr Bush if he was given the chance. The grenade landed about 30m from the stage, but did not explode and no one was hurt. Arutyunian has refused to testify at the trial, which began earlier this month, saying the verdict is preordained, and has demanded the presence of human rights monitors. Yesterday in a written statement to judges he said his mouth was sewn shut in support for inmates on a hunger strike to demand better conditions.

He.
Sewed.
His.
Lips.
Together.

Is this guy for real? If only we could get Howlin' Howie Dean to do the same thing....YEEEAAARRRRGGGHHHH!

Deplorable

How long are al-Qaeda terrorists going to stoop to such cowardly tactics as kidnapping and executing women?

We need to get these bastards.

Al Qaeda kills Arab women in Iraqi abduction; Website shows ID cards after execution of kidnapped team ALASTAIR MacDONALD and BILLY BRIGGS IN BAGHDAD THREE Arab women and a man who were working for US authorities and the Iraqi government were abducted and executed, according to a website linked to al Qaeda. The terror group's Iraqi wing posted pictures of four victims' identity cards online and said it had carried out "God's judgment". Abductions and killings of women have been rare in Iraq, where thousands of civilians have been kidnapped by insurgents or gangs seeking ransom since the fall of Saddam Hussein's government. One of the cards, apparently issued by a US security contracting firm, said the female holder worked as a translator. The women's faces were blacked out in the posting, apparently in line with the group's strict interpretation of Islam which includes a ban on showing women's faces. It was not immediately clear whether the four victims were Iraqis.

Tough Titty, Said The Kitty (Part Two)

More Dead Terrorists...what's the problem?

Death for six al-Qaida suspects in Kuwait KUWAIT CITY, Dec. 27 A Kuwaiti court sentenced six men belonging to an al-Qaida affiliated group to death on Tuesday for their roles in armed clashes with police in January. The death sentences were the most serious in a trial of 37 suspects, allegedly members of the Peninsula Lions Brigade, known to be linked to al-Qaida in Iraq and Saudi Arabia. One defendant was sentenced to life in prison, seven were acquitted and another 22 -- including 10 who are still at large -- received jail terms ranging from four months to 15 years, Voice of America reported. Prosecutors linked the group to several shootouts with police in January, claimed the group plotted to stage suicide attacks in Kuwait and also planned a coup, the BBC said. Defense lawyers said their clients were forced to make confessions after being tortured. December 28, 2005

Don't you love how the new "hip" defense is to parrot Liberal Democrat "Torture" talking points? Wake up, people, the bad guys are listening! Remember the old WWII poster that said "Loose Lips Sink Ships"?

Same logic applies here.

Tough Titty, Said The Kitty

One Down, more to go...

Saudi al-Qaeda computer expert on most-wanted list killed by police Riyadh A member of the Saudi Arabian branch of al-Qaeda who was on the kingdom's most-wanted list died after being shot by police, the Interior Ministry said in a statement Wednesday. Mohammed Abdel-Rahman al-Suwailimi, 23, a Saudi citizen, died Tuesday after being shot by police in pursuit of him for the shooting deaths of five policemen earlier in the day near Buraydah, some 300 kilometres northwest of Riyadh. Al-Suwailimi was number seven on the list of 36 persons issued by Saudi authorities last June in connection with terrorist incidents. The Ministry of Interior statement Wednesday did not say whether al-Suwailimi had accomplices in Tuesday's incidents in which two police on patrol in a vehicle were killed and three others were killed at a checkpoint. Authorities said they had discovered six hand-grenades, three machine guns, five revolvers, ammunition and fake license plates in the car al-Suwailimi was driving. They also found a cache of gold jewellery and Saudi currency worth more than 100,000 dollars. According to the most-wanted list, al- Suwailimi was skilled in the use of computers and the Internet. According to the Interior Ministry, terrorist attacks since May 2003 have killed 90 civilians and 49 security personnel. At the same time, 118 terrorist suspects were killed in pursuit after the incidents.

Rot in Hell, Terrorist Scum. Don't worry, we'll get your buddies, next.

It's Not About Medals, Stupid!

Surfing LexisNexis News today, I happened to come across this from USA Today:

Only one Medal of Honor given in conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan; Modern warfare has fewer chances for troops to show unusual valor Tom Vanden Brook American troops have been fighting and dying in Iraq and Afghanistan for more than four years, but just one soldier from those wars has received the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military honor for bravery. The lack of such medals -- by comparison, two were awarded for fighting in Somalia -- reflects today's unconventional warfare and the superior weaponry of U.S. forces, military experts say. It's not that today's troops lack valor, but they lack opportunities to display it in the extraordinary way that would merit the Medal of Honor. "The situations today are less likely to warrant the Medal of Honor than in past conflicts," says Nicholas Kehoe, president of the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation. "That doesn't mean our troops aren't acting courageously or even heroically."

Ummm...Who cares? It's been my experience that the people that complain the most about medals and ribbons are the same guys who don't deserve to pin one on (or have ever had the testicular fortitude to get the opportunity to earn one).

Yes, it's true, with the advent of Air Supremacy (as opposed to the antiquated Air Superiority), usually the bad guys are so softened up, most large enemy formations have been destroyed or severely disrupted. I don't think you'll ever see another Audie Murphy jumping over Germans as he single-handedly wipes out forces many times larger than his own. Combat has changed. We've got to change along with it.

"We don't have full frontal battles, like the Battle of the Bulge," says David Burrelli, a specialist in national defense for the Congressional Research Service. Charles Moskos, a military sociologist at Northwestern University, points out that patrolling where insurgents plant bombs takes courage. However, it doesn't require the out-of-the-ordinary valor required for the Medal of Honor, he says. "It reflects the nature of this war," Moskos says. "Not the lack of heroes."

To me, heroism isn't just charging machine gun nests. Heroism is so much more than that. Leaving your cushy desk job/ parent's house to join the US Military even though you know that you'll deploy and be in danger...to me, that's heroism. Guys like Pat Tillman, who turned his back on a very lucrative job as a pro football player, to me, are heroes. The scary thing is that in our society, guys who are too scared to go to war, we pin the "hero" label on. Cindy Sheehan, for instance...what did she do that was so heroic? Ninety-nine percent of pro athletes...what did they do that makes them so heroic?

To me, heroes are the guys that make the tough decisions, then stick by their choices in the face of adversity. Guys like President Bush, who knows the War in Iraq has lost popularity, but sticks it out because it's the right thing to do.

Doing the right thing, even when no one is looking. To me, that's a hero. And you don't need a ribbon or a shiny piece of metal to do that, or to remind you that you did the right thing.

Anti-War Stupidity (Part...Uh, I Lost Count)

I'm sure that y'all folled my post about the new mass grave that was discovered in Iraq.

This brings the total number of discovered Iraqi mass graves to 259.

Let's do the math, shall we?

259 mass graves discovered to date
x20 bodies (we're assuming there were 20 per grave - reports claim some had as many as 200)
____
5180 approx. # of bodies found murdered by Saddam Hussein (VERY conservative number)

Now, what would happen if we caught a guy in Dallas who had murdered 5,000 people? Not even our most prolific serial killer in US history murdered 1% of Saddam's body count!

Then you have sites like iraqbodycount.org that claiming:

Civilians reported killed by military intervention in Iraq
Min	Max
27592	31115

Oh my GOD! Look at those numbers! "If the big, bad Americans hadn't gone to Iraq, then none of those people would be dead", right?

Wrong. (But notice the prominent "Make A Donation" PayPal links, though).

Those numbers are derived from terrorists killed (officially civilians since they don't belong to an actual "army"), innocent civilians that are killed by terrorist suicide bombers, etc... Don't think for a second that the US Army has gone in and murdered 31,115 innocent civilians since March 2003. But the splashy web page seems to suggest that, doesn't it? Shameful.

Would you like some real eye opening numbers, though?

THE CONFLICT IN IRAQ; Mass Grave Found Near Shiite City in Iraq's South From Times Staff and Wire Reports BAGHDAD Maintenance workers digging up a sewage pipe have discovered a grave holding at least 20 bodies, including those of women and children, in a park less than a mile from the southern Shiite city of Karbala. The bodies, found Monday, are believed to be those of people killed in the aftermath of a failed 1991 uprising against President Saddam Hussein. Human rights experts say Hussein may have killed as many as 300,000 Iraqi Shiite Muslims after the uprising. The former dictator is on trial in connection with the deaths of more than 140 Shiites after a 1982 attempt on his life in Dujayl, north of Baghdad

(Emphasis mine)

Three Hundred Thousand. Chew on that number for a while.Then tell me we weren't justified in going to war.

UN On Iraqi Elections: Everything Looks Good So Far!

The UN, ever vigilant in its fight to undermine the successes of the United States, did a complete 180 degree turnaround and actually said the Iraqi Elections were credible!

U.N. Official: Iraqi Elections Credible NewsMax.com Wires Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2005 BAGHDAD, Iraq -- A United Nations official said Wednesday that Iraq's recent parliamentary elections, which have given a strong lead to the Shiite religious bloc dominating the current government, were credible and that there was there was no justification in calls for a rerun.

Mind-boggling, isn't it? Did Kofi okay this new Pro-Iraqi sentiment?

Of Course They Do...

This just in from LexisNexis:

"Germany seeks bigger role in Iraq, but no troops: official BERLIN Germany's new government will seek to play a bigger role in Iraq but has no plans to send any troops there, an official said Wednesday. "There is consensus in the grand coalition that no German soldiers will be sent to Iraq," Deputy Defense Minister Friedbert Pflueger told the Neue Osnabruecker Zeitung -- or the New Osnabruecker Daily. "But the German government wants to more strongly support the democratization and sterilization process in Iraq after the successful elections," the official added. He did not give details of how Germany will play a bigger role in Iraq."

What will tomorrow's headline read? "US To Germany: Thanks, But No Thanks".

Look, I know that Germany's new Chancellor, Angela Merckel, is making a big "hoolpla" about trying to patch relations with the US. But the bottom line is this: not a whole lot gets done in Germany by the Chancellor without the okay from the Bundestag (German Congress). I think that the German Government has seen three good Iraqi elections, an increase in security, some increased oil production/exports from Iraq into the world supply, announcements of US troops starting to go home after handing over security responsibilities to the Iraqi Army, and favorable treatment by the US to countries that put it all on the line as members of the "Coalition Of The Coerced Willing".

Now they want in on some of that action.

America's Response?

A Funny Thing Happened To Me Yesterday

...There I was, at a book outlet store in San Marcos (TX), getting ready to pay for my purchase.

On the counter, I had placed "The Idiot's Guide to Iran", "The Idiot's Guide to North Korea", a book on the 2004 Election, and a book on Adobe Premiere. As the blond-dreadlocked, Anti-War tee-shirt wearing "neo-hippie" was ringing up my purchase, he attempted to start up a conversation. What follows is the dialogue, to the best of my memory:

"Dreadlock Guy": "North Korea and Iran, huh? You planning a trip or something, dude?"

Me: "No, I'm prepping early. I figure I'd better research who I have to go thump next."

"Dreadlock Guy": "Well, you know, we went to War in Iraq for oil, dude."

Me: "Really? Then why was I paying $3 a gallon for gas a month and a half ago?"

"Dreadlock Guy": "No, man...the War was for Halliburton."

Me: "Really? So why has Michael Moore made more than Halliburton ever will from the War in Iraq? Can you ring up my purchase, or do I have to listen to you parrot Howard Dean's talking points?"

Silence.

"Dreadlock Guy": "An election book, huh? You must be one of those Bush crazies..."

Me: "Look, this is a book outlet, right? Y'all sell closeouts from publishers and stuff, right? Stuff that they couldn't sell?"

"Dreadlock Guy": "Well, yeah."

Me: "I notice there's a whole lot of Anti-Bush books on your shelves... Does that mean the Publisher couldn't sell them?"

"Dreadlock Guy": "Well, I guess."

Me: "If the Publisher couldn't sell them, that probably means the American public didn't buy them. If the American Public didn't buy them, they probably didn't believe all that crap that's in them. Probably one of the reasons he's the President now, huh? Maybe because most of the people voted for him?"

"Dreadlock Guy": "Uh..."

Me: "Just ring up the books."

Silence as "Dreadlock Guy" is finishing up.

Me (pulling out and showing my Military ID card): "Do I get a discount?"

"Dreadlock Guy": "Uh...no."

Me (Slapping down the cash and on my way out the door): "I didn't think so."

Big (Bad) Surprise!

This is interesting, considering Saddam Hussein and his cronies are on trial for "Crimes Against Humanity". How much is anyone willing to bet that ABC, CBS,  NBC, or even CNN won't even cover this?

"KARBALA, Iraq, Dec. 27

Workmen installing a water main in the Iraqi Shiite city of Karbala on Tuesday unearthed a grave containing dozens of bodies from a 1991 massacre.

Iraqi police said clothing found among the remains indicate the victims were a mix of men, women and children, the BBC reported.

The grave in the city south of Baghdad is near a Shiite shrine of Imam Hussein, the Prophet Muhammad's grandson, who died 1,300 years ago.

Police said they believe the bodies are Shiite rebels killed by Saddam Hussein's army after its defeat in the 1991 Gulf War. The Shiite revolt was crushed, and officials estimate as many as 30,000 people were killed."

Of course they won't cover it. You know for a fact CBS won't cover it, considering:

1. Former Attorney General Ramsey Clark is Saddam Hussein's Attorney.
2. CBS owes Clark a shameful debt for Dan Rather's interview with Saddam Hussein prior to the invasion (he was the "go between")

"FOX CLARK BAITS RATHER

Fox's question of the day asked if the interview was "Proper or Propaganda?" Their bombshell is that Rather & Co relied on former US Attorney General Ramsey Clark as his fixer. There was even the suggestion that had we been at war, and had Rather been a CIA asset, he would be ok to take out Saddam."

So, where's the justice for the "dozens of bodies from a 1991 massacre"? Why is the American Mainstream media killing stories and details of how this brutal madman killed his own people? Why do you think he got the nickname "The Butcher Of Baghdad"?

Better yet...all the Anti-War crazies that cry and lament the killing of Iraqi Civilians during the ground war need to demand justice for the killing of the Iraqi men, women and chldren that were murdered and buried in mass graves throughout the entire country of Iraq, by Saddam Hussein. Avenging those deaths, for me, is reason enough to have invaded Iraq. How many more sets of bones are buried, waiting to be found?

Passing The Torch...

Here's some news you probably missed if you've been wasting your time watching CBS News or reading the New York Times: the US is sytematically handing over security responsibilities for Iraq to...Iraqis.

"BEIJI, Iraq -- The U.S. Army is hastening efforts to hand over command of military posts to Iraqis after parliamentary elections that many hope will produce a more stable government and set the stage for American soldiers to begin going home.

Seventeen of the 109 former Iraqi bases used by coalition troops since the 2003 invasion have already transferred to Iraqi command, while 30 have been shut down, Army officers say. The Pentagon is pushing for more in the coming months.

"Eventually they're all going to go," said Maj. John Calahan, executive officer of the 101st Airborne Division's 3rd Brigade. "The ultimate plan is that we're going to have less presence in Iraq until finally we're gone."

Defense analysts caution it may not be a fast process. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld made similar comments in Iraq this week, even as he said two Army brigades would not deploy to Iraq as planned. Commanders said that would cut U.S. troop strength by 7,000, to around 130,000. "

Now, be advised: Iraqi soldiers are in many ways not like US Soldiers. Keep in mind that we have the strongest, best trained military in the world. Bringing the Iraqi Army up to standards approaching the excellence our Soldiers exhibit day after day is a long, arduous process.

The plan, however, is still on schedule. President Bush has always maintained that US Soldiers would leave as Iraqi soldiers stood up and were ready to take over security of their country. These things take time.

Losing Bin Laden - Richard Miniter

Edit: (Yeah, I know, the Graphic says "Unabridged Audiobook", but I read the hardcover version checked out from my Library. Even "Killing Machines" can read...as long as there are lots of pictures.)

I just finished reading this book, and once again, I'm going to publish a review in case you're interested.

Mr. Minter does an excellent job of providing insight into what happened behind the scenes during the Clinton Adminstration, when it came to combatting International Terrorism.

The short answer? Not much.

Clinton spent eight years so paraniod of public opinion polls, he was frozen from acting decisively in regards to combatting Islamic Extremism. Clinton was petrified of poll numbers dropping, so he continued to "turn the other cheek" when we were attacked. The Clinton Administration treated acts of terrorism against American Citizens, and on American Soil as criminal acts. Clinton was dead wrong. He should have treated them as Acts of War.

Mr. Minter describes, and verifies with the likes of Richard Clark and Louis Freeh, the various times that Bin Laden was literally offered to the US, only to be refused. Mr. Minter describes the complete lunacy of the Clinton Administration's refusal to push for funding for translators in Farsi and Arabic. This failure let to the maddening lack of human intelligence (HUMINT) in the months up to, and the period immediately after, the terrorist attacks of 9/11.

New material in this edition of this book even provides an interesting analysis of the suspected links between Bin Laden and the Iraqi Dictator Saddam Hussein.

The beginning of the book is rather dry, but it livens up quickly. I learned more and more with each turn of the page.

Definitely four and a half stars out of five.

Rumsfeld Announces Troop Reductions!

After all the hoopla from the Democrats and Anti-War crazies, Secretary Rumsfeld anounced troop cuts in Iraq in 2006.

Rumsfeld announced approximately 7,000 troops (roughly two Brigade Combat Teams) will be sent home in 2006.

FALLUJAH, Iraq -- Just days after Iraq's elections, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld on Friday announced the first of what is likely to be a series of U.S. combat troop drawdowns in Iraq in 2006.

Rumsfeld, addressing U.S. troops at this former insurgent stronghold, said President Bush has authorized new cuts below the 138,000 level that has prevailed for most of this year.

Rumsfeld did not reveal the exact size of the cut, but the Pentagon said the reductions would be about 7,000 troops, about the size of two combat brigades. The Pentagon has not announced a timetable for troop reductions, but indications are that the force could be cut significantly by the end of 2006. Source: Here

Democrats are quick to claim credit for pressuring the Adminstration to cut the mumber of troops. Unfortunatley for them, that's not the case. President Bush has always maintained that as Iraqi brigades stood up ready to take over security responsibilities, US troops would draw down, one for one.

That's exactly what's happeneing.

OMG This is Funny!

The frustration over the ACLU Anti-Christmas loonies has finally sent a guy completely over the edge!


You'll need the Shockwave plug-in to see this (most people already have it), and be advised...there are some bad words in it.

But if you can brave the language...it's worth it!

Military Free Zone?

Okay, sorry...I knew I was going to sign off for the day, but this link was sent in an email, and my blood began to boil.


Seems like the Anti-War crazies have started another moron Anti-War movement targeting Schoolkids.

Here's a quote from their "About Us" section:

"Ending militarism around the world starts with ending militarism at home. We encourage students in this country one by one to OPT OUT of the recruitment process and to speak out against the misleading recruitment tactics of the US military."
-– Justin Sane, singer of the band Anti-Flag."

Hmm....did some research on the band "Anti-Flag", and guess what I came up with?

"Die For Your Government - by Anti-Flag"

"(excerpt)

you've gotta die,
gotta die,
gotta die for your government?
die for your country?
that's shit! (x2)

first world war veterans slaughtered,
by general eisenhower,
you give them your life,
they give you a stab in the back,
radiation, agent orange,
tested on us souls,
guinea pigs for western corporations,
i never have,
i never will pledge allegiance to their flag you're getting
used,
you'll end up dead!

you've gotta die,
gotta die,
gotta die for your government?
die for your country?
that's shit! (x2)"

Yeah. these frickin' guys are real poets, huh? Don't worry. You won't be seeing them at Madison Square Garden anytime soon. Seems like these "Americans" are playing the Chickens**t card and touring in...Germany.

Why am I not suprised?

But you know what's really sad? If you look at the top of their page, the banner....it's an American Flag. Whata bunch of dingbats. They don't even deserve consideration for the "Rusty Center Guide".

The Week In Review:

These are the Tanker Brother's "Must Read" posts for the week ending 23 December, 2005.

1. We expose the hypocrisy of the Liberals when they defame President Bush over the NSA revelations!

2. We point out that Slick Willie did much, much worse in the 90's!

3. We give you insight on the view from the guys on the gound in Iraq! (And how pissed they are at the "Cut And Run" crowd!)

Y'all have a great weekend, and Merry Christmas!

Don't worry...we're not signing off for the Holidays. I'll be posting throughout the weekend, people. Remember, a Soldier's week lasts seven days...

The Very First "Rusty Center Guide Award" Goes To...

Iranian Dictator President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for being a complete Holocaust-Denying, Anti-Semitic, Depraved, Wackaloon.

Why was he selected for our first award?

1. Denies the Holocaust.
2. Denies Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons, then turns around and says they'll "wipe Israel off the map".
3. Is rumored to be the mastermind of the Iranian Hostage Crisis in 1979.
4. Just looks like a scruffy douche-bag.

Two words of advice, moron....bomb shelters. Lots and lots of bomb shelters.

Just One Guy's Way Of Saying "Thanks"

Dallas Man Gives Away $5,000 to Servicemen

KILLEEN, Texas - A real-estate developer carrying a sign that read "grateful citizen" passed out $5,000 in $20 bills Wednesday to members of the military and their families.

"I just want to say thank you for your service," Jim Johnson, of Dallas, told the recipients as he shook their hands in a Wal-Mart store in Killeen. "We're safe and secure because of you."

Johnson said in a story in Thursday's Killeen Daily Herald that he and his son Matt drove from Dallas with the hope of meeting as many soldiers as possible. He said Killeen, which is home to Fort Hood, seemed like an obvious choice for finding soldiers and their families.

Killeen is about 130 miles southwest of Dallas.

Johnson held a sign that read, "Grateful citizen. You make my life possible."

Store owners gave him permission to come inside to hand out the money after he had to vacate his post on a corner near the shopping center. He handed out the money in about three hours.

At one point, he shook the hand of a timid military wife, reached into his pocket and found he was out of money, the newspaper reported. His son gave his father the last $20 bill.

Johnson said he was just trying to show some gratitude.

"We all have ways to give back to these families that don't complain and serve," Johnson said. "It's a tough life, and I'm so grateful for what they do."

He promised to come back next year and bring some friends along. Link:Here

You know something? Handing out $20 bills was nice. But that's not the part that "gets" me. The part that gets me is that the guy said "Thank You".

You know something else? All over the US, there are guys and gals just like him, people that understand what Soldiers go through, and what they sacrifice. People like my good buddy Jake and Michelle Jacobsen over at Freedom Folks. People like Mrs. Olivarez over at St. Paul's , who's kindergarden class adopted the two of us while we were in Iraq. People like James Solís over at Philologous. There are people all over the US who appreciate what Soldiers do for our country.

We don't do it for the thanks, the praise, or the $20 bills though (LOL). We do it because we want to make a difference. We want to make our country and our families safe. We don't want to watch History being made; we don't want to be the guys that watch History unfolding on the evening news. We want to be the guys that are making History possible.

Note To The "Cut And Run" Crowd!

One last quote for today.

"I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, then questions the manner in which I provide it."
- Jack Nicholson (A Few Good Men)

Note To France!

Sorry...I read this quote, and I thought it was appropriate.

"The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis." - Dante

The Battle Roster

Okay...we decided to add something new to our Blog: The Battle Roster. Link can always be found on the top of the posts section. All you need to do, if you ever want to leave a note to us (as opposed to a comment on a post), is click the "Sign Our Battle Roster" graphic. (Duh). If you want to send us an email, all you need to do is click the spinning email graphic on either sidebar. The left one is for me, the right one is for my brother.

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A Letter From A Soldier

A good friend of mine, retired Military, sent this to me. He actually knows the guy that wrote this. They were in Vietnam together. I wanted to share it with you, my readers:

A Letter from a Soldier

Two weeks ago, as I was starting my sixth month of duty in Iraq, I was forced to return to the USA for surgery for an injury I sustained prior to my deployment.  With luck, I'll return to Iraq in January to finish my tour.  I left Baghdad and a war that has every indication that we are winning, to return to a demoralized country much like the one I returned to in 1971 after my tour in Vietnam.  Maybe it's because I'll turn 60 years old in just four months, but I'm tired:

I'm tired of spineless politicians, both Democrat and Republican who lack the courage, fortitude, and character to see these difficult tasks through.

I'm tired of the hypocrisy of politicians who want to rewrite history when the going gets tough.

I'm tired of the disingenuous clamor from those that claim they 'Support the Troops' by wanting them to 'Cut and Run' before victory is achieved.

I'm tired of a mainstream media that can only focus on car bombs and casualty reports because they are too afraid to leave the safety of their hotels to report on the courage and success our brave men and women are having on the battlefield.

I'm tired that so many American's think you can rebuild a dictatorship into a democracy over night.

I'm tired that so many ignore the bravery of the Iraqi people to go to the voting booth and freely elect a Constitution and soon a permanent Parliament.

I'm tired of the so called 'Elite Left' that prolongs this war by giving aid and comfort to our enemy, just as they did during the Vietnam War.

I'm tired of anti-war protesters showing up at the funerals of our fallen soldiers.  A family who's loved ones gave their life in a just and noble cause, only to be cruelly tormented on the funeral day by cowardly protesters is beyond shameful.

I'm tired that my generation, the Baby Boom - Vietnam generation, who have such a weak backbone that they can't stomach seeing the difficult tasks through to victory.

I'm tired that some are more concerned about the treatment of captives then they are the slaughter and beheading of our citizens and allies.

I'm tired that when we find mass graves it is seldom reported by the press, but mistreat a prisoner and it is front page news.

Mostly, I'm tired that the people of this great nation didn't learn from history that there is no substitute for Victory.

Sincerely,

*** *****
Lieutenant Colonel
U. S. Army
101st Airborne Division

To the good Lieutenant Colonel: God Bless You, Sir. I'll help get the word out.

To my readers: I blocked his name out, to protect his privacy. But you get the idea.

I'll leave you with the immortal words of George Orwell: "People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."

To which I add: "Don't let them down again, America".

It's All Hillary's Fault, Part Two!

I made a reference to the Clinton Co-Presidency in my last post, so allow me to elaborate.

Rather, allow Newsmax to elaborate:

"Yesterday, one of the Senate's leading Republican critics of the Patriot Act explained that his opposition wasn't to the security measure itself - but rather to the prospect that it could be abused under future presidents who aren't as respectful of civil liberties as President Bush has been.

That critic, Sen. Larry Craig, mentioned presidential candidate Hillary Clinton by name, asking ominously during an interview with Rush Limbaugh: "Who will be her attorney general, and what might he or she do to your liberties and mine?"

One wonders, however, where Sen. Craig was, along with the rest of the civil liberties crowd, during the eight years prior to the Patriot Act - when civil liberties went out the window with Hillary and her husband actually in charge.

Sen. Craig, for instance, has yet to demand the release of Independent Counsel David Barrett's report - which reportedly documents how the Clintons used the IRS to target their political opponents.

But even without Mr. Barrett's findings, we know that Clinton accusers Billy Dale, Gennifer Flowers, Elizabeth Ward Gracen and Juanita Broaddrick were all targeted by IRS audits.

After turning down an offer to settle her sexual harassment suit against Mr. Clinton, Paula Jones was not only audited - but had her confidential tax returns leaked to the media.

In a Sept. 17, 1997 report, the New York Daily News had no compunction about exploring the details of Jones private IRS return in print.

Apparently oblivious to the massive civil rights violation that he was in the midst of committing, late News columnist Lars Erik Nelson even complained that Jones was profiteering from her lawsuit - based on the fact that she had "reported [her legal] defense fund to the IRS on a Schedule C: 'Profit or Loss From Business (Sole Proprietorship)'."

Outrage from the civil liberties crowd? Zippo."

But most Americans forget that little piece of American history. But wait! There's More!
 

" Neither did the Clintons need the Patriot Act to have 1,100 FBI files shipped over to the White House Counsel's office, where - according to Linda Tripp [whose file was among those requisitioned] - the FBI dossiers where stacked floor-to-ceiling in the office of one-time Hillary crony, Associate White House Counsel Bill Kennedy.

When the Clintons explained that it was all just a "bureaucratic snafu," today's Patriot Act opponents bought their laughably transparent excuse hook, line and sinker.

The civil liberties brigade was also AWOL when Hillary's advance man admitted that he regularly recruited "goon squads" to stifle protesters at events where she spoke during her 2000 Senate campaign.

"Less genteel souls sometimes referred to them as goon squads," wrote Patrick Halley in his 2003 memoir, "On the Road with Hillary." "But I objected to that term. I was proud of the fact that not one of them had ever been arrested."

Halley unabashedly recalled that whenever an anti-Hillary protest looked likely, he'd "sprinkle" his goons throughout the crowd "so there was always someone able to respond quickly."

He said his enforcers "could certainly be intimidating if the occasion called for it," lamenting: "Sadly, but inevitably, things sometimes got a little frisky."

Nowhere in Halley's book does he describe how the Patriot Act allowed Mrs. Clinton's campaign to get away with roughing up protesters - probably because at the time Halley was working crowd control for the then-first lady, it wasn't on the books yet.

The lesson here is simple: If the American people insist on electing candidates with a clear inclination to abuse power, it's a fair bet power will be abused once they get in office - regardless of whatever safeguards built into the legal system." Source: Here

Tom Delay may be sneaky...but Hillary? Hillary be de Debil! (Thanks, Jake!)

It's All Hillary's Fault!

Y'know, I was a little ticked off that the Patriot Act is in danger of being shut down. Okay, I was very ticked off. But Sen. Craig has a really good point:

From Newsmax:
"Republican Sen. Larry Craig is citing Hillary Clinton as the reason he opposes renewing the Patriot Act in its current form, saying Mrs. Clinton is likely to abuse the security measure if she becomes president - unless additional safeguards are built in.

"There will come a day when there will not be a George W in the White House," Sen. Craig warned, after calling top conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh on Wednesday to explain his position. "And tragically enough, and I hope never, it could be a Hillary Clinton."

Craig wondered aloud: "Who will be her attorney general, and what might he or she do to your liberties and mine? There's the question."

The Idaho Republican told Limbaugh: "You know, I've been here a little while, and I remember Janet Reno, and I remember Waco and Ruby Ridge."

"And I fear the day that we get a president, not this president, who has a very liberal attorney general and sees the opportunity, to leap through the holes that are crafted in the Patriot Act, that could tread on our civil liberties."

Craig reminded that he voted for the initial version of the Patriot Act and intends to support it again.

"At the same time," he explained, "we see this as a once-in-a-two-or-three-year opportunity or four to make sure that it never gets misused."
Source: Here

Y'know...that makes perfect sense. Let's fine-tune the Act. We have six months to get it right before it expires. How about doing something sneaky, like building in a "self-destruct" provision to expire the Act on 31 Dec 2008. No matter WHO is elected President. That would lock the current version of the Patriot Act and give Congress three years to streamline the language to prevent any abuse on the part of the Executive Branch.

I agree with Sen. Craig. Think about it for a second: during the Clinton Administration, Slick Willie and his Co-President (the Hilldabeast) illegally used Government assets to target political opponents. Remember the reports of Clinton using the IRS to harass Republican Congressmen? Or how about the Clintons pulling Confidential FBI files on selected members of Congress?

If they could do that, imagine what they would do if it was legal!

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Introducing: The Rusty Center Guide Award!

As all Tankers know, a missing or loose Center Guide can be disastrous. I should inform the non-tankers out there: the Center Guide's sole purpose is to keep the roadwheels on a tank centered on the track. Without center guides, the track would slide to the outside or the inside of the tank, and you would "throw track".

A broken or missing center guide can do all kinds of damage: torn up roadwheels, thrown track, and eventually, a "deadlined" tank.

I'm creating what I call "The Rusty Center Guide" award, to be awarded weekly (on Sunday) to the one dingbat that puts all the other dingbats to shame. Stay tuned for the award of this dubious honor! And feel free to nominate whomever you like!

More Changes!

For you regular reads, you no doubt noticed the change in the Color Scheme. Sorry, but Solid black with little grey letters was hard on the eyes.

My eyes, at least. I've decided to go with the grey. At least for now. Let me know if you thought that the Black Background/Grey letters combo was better.

Clinton Used NSA for Economic Espionage

Okay, dingbat Democrats... what do you say about THIS?

Turns out Slick Willie had been using NSA surveillance to spy on *gasp* the American People!

"During the 1990s, President Bill Clinton ordered the National Security Agency to use its super-secret Echelon surveillance program to monitor the personal telephone calls and private email of employees who worked for foreign companies in a bid to boost U.S. trade, NewsMax.com has learned."

Wait! There's more!

"As NewsMax reported exclusively on Sunday, Echelon had been used by the Clinton administration to monitor millions of personal phone calls, private emails and even ATM transactions inside the U.S. - all without a court order."

Yes, ladies and gentlemen... the Dems were dirty. But here's what really gets my goat. Slick Willie didn't eavesdrop in order to protect us. He didn't eavesdrop on Terrorists (we didn't HAVE a "War On Terror" back then, remember?); but instead used it to get insider information to benefit Big Business.

Meanwhile, during Clinton's Watch, we had the first WTC bombing, "Blackhawk Down" in Somalia (with Osama Bin Laden playing some role), a plot to assassinate a former US President in Kuwait (Bush 41), two US Diplomats were killed in Pakistan, the Kohbar Towers bombing, a Palestinian gunman opens fire on the observation deck of the Empire State Building, the Islamic Revolutionary Council in Pakistan murders two US businessmen, the bombing of US Embassies in Tanzania and Kenya by Al-Qaeda, the attack on the USS Cole, and Moro Islamic Liberation Front bombed a plaza across the US Embassy in the Philippines!

Do you think, just maybe, if we would have started hunting down terrorists back in the 1990's, when the problems were small and the terrorist groups were not organized, maybe we wouldn't have lost almost 3,000 people on 9/11? And why in the heck did a second WTC bombing even happen? Does anyone other than yours truly realize how ludicrous it is for the same place to be attacked twice?

Dingbats

Gotta love the comments people leave on Blogs.

I frequent The Chip Mathis Experience, alot (even though he's been slacking on updating it), and I came across THIS POST on the NSA "spying". Great post, witty, but it was the comment that "Amanda" left that really irritated me. Read on:

"How is spying on me going to prevent terrorism? Once the government spies on one person, it makes it easier to spy on another, which makes it not much of a violation to spy on us all. 1984? Bladerunner? There's too much of a problem with what could happen. When people could be targeted because they don't like the president or something, not because they make have contact with a potential terrorist.

And the Times sat on this story for a year before they reported it at the request of the government.
amanda | 12.18.05 - 7:20 pm | #

---

To which I curtly replied with my OWN comment:

"How is spying on me going to prevent terrorism?"

...Because, dingbat, the government isn't spying on YOU. All that's done is they run an Elecronic Screening on phone calls overseas. When the program comes upon certain words or phrases, or a call is made to a targeted number or person, it tags it for further scrutiny.

I agree, it WOULD make it easier to target political ememies of the President, kind of like how Slick Willie used the IRS against HIS political enemies in the 90's. Kind of like how he had people pull FBI files of prominent Republicans in the 90's.

Do you mean like that?

The bottom line is this: if you aren't doing anything illegal, talking to wanted terrorists or extremists, then the government really doesn't CARE what you're saying on the telephone. So your midnight calls to Lesbian Chat Heterosexual Date lines remain safe. I promise.
Dragon Master Gunner | Homepage | 12.19.05 - 5:25 pm | #"

Any Questions?

Trackback: Chip Mathis Experience

UPDATE:

Okay, I apologize to Chip's little sister Amanda for calling her a dingbat.

UPDATE, Part Deux:

Found out that one of the parties being monitored must be outside of the United States. In other words, if you call from San Fran to New York, for instance, you're not tagged. But if you call from New York to, say... Amman, Jordan - your call is subject to screening. So, no, Libs Code Pink, you making your weekly report to the Communist Party in America isn't being monitored...LOL!

Evil Mr. Bush Spying On US!

To the Looney Left:

Okay, people, I am getting sick and tired of blatant attacks on President Bush. The left-wing MSM is whooping and hollerin' about a recently published (in the New York Times) report that President Bush authorized wiretaps and electronic eavesdropping on the American Public.

"WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 - Months after the Sept. 11 attacks, President Bush secretly authorized the National Security Agency to eavesdrop on Americans and others inside the United States to search for evidence of terrorist activity without the court-approved warrants ordinarily required for domestic spying, according to government officials."

Sounds evil, doesn't it? When is everyone going to "get it"? We're in a war, people! If winning that war means eavesdropping on your phone sex conversations and email spam, then that's what we've gotta do! Come on...let's look at this rationally: When my Grandfather was in the Pacific fighting Japanese Imperialists, we rationed everything from gasoline and tires to coffee and sugar. The American public back then was patriotic, we were all on the same team. We all wanted to win the war. Thousands and thousands (well over the 150,000 we have on the ground in Iraq) of brave men and women we putting their lives on the line every single day to beat the bad guys overseas before they could expand their empire to our shores. Rationing served two purposes: it helped the war effort by sending crucial supplies to the forces in battle, and it showed solidarity to the war effort and a commitment to the health and welfare of the Soldiers fighting on the Nation's behalf.

People, your country isn't asking anything like that from you. All you're country is asking for is a little understanding and help. You know what that means? Don't bitch when you're asked to take your shoes off at the Airport. Don't complain when your email or phone calls are screened to ensure your safety, and the safety of the rest of America.

How would you feel about the NSA's screening if a future bombing on US soil was averted?

How would you feel about the NSA's screening if it stopped a chemical weapon-toting terrorist from entering our country?

Don't answer that. I already know what you're going to say, Liberals: "I would be outraged that the terrorists' civil rights were violated! Civil rights are sacred!"

Libs, your stupidity defies logic.

Anyway, back to the topic:

Why is everyone so outraged at President Bush? Do you people really think that Dubya and VP Cheney are sitting in the war room gleefully plotting against the American Public? Think again:

Harry Reid: I Knew All About It

"An uncomfortable Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid admitted on Sunday that he was briefed on the Bush administration's decision to have the NSA monitor domestic communications in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, as reported in the New York Times on Friday."

Where's the Liberal Outrage against Dingy Harry? Reserved for Dubya, of course. Read on:

Nancy Pelosi: I Knew About It

"House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi confessed late Saturday that she signed off on President Bush's decision to have a top intelligence agency conduct "unspecified activities" to gather intelligence on possible terrorists operating inside the U.S. in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.

"I was advised of President Bush's decision to provide authority to the National Security Agency to conduct unspecified activities shortly after he made it and have been provided with updates on several occasions," Pelosi admitted."

The outrage over Pelosi's complicity? Reserved, of course, for President Bush.

Even John "Both Sides Of The Aisle" McCain thought the measures were well justified:

McCain: Right On!

"Sen. John McCain disappointed Democrats on Capitol Hill on Sunday by defending the Bush administration's decision to use the National Security Agency to monitor a limited number of domestic phone calls in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.

Saying that Sept. 11 "changed everything," McCain told ABC's "This Week": "The President, I think, has the right to do this."

Let me get this straight: he disappointed the Democrats on Capitol Hill (the ones who knew about the measures being taken, and even signed off on them) by agreeing with the President's actions?

And what are the results of the President's "Horrific Violation of Civil Rights"? Not a single successful terrorist attack on US soil since 9/11.

Your hypocrisy knows no bounds. And you, New York Times, are officially the first recipient of the Tanker Brothers' "Idiot of the Week" for the week of 12-18 December, 2005.

(Not) Very Respectfully,

Mike Gulf

UPDATE: President Bush Says NSA "Spying" Will Continue As Long As US Is Threatened

Man, I have so much respect for my Commander-In-Chief. Instead of "Bobbing and Weaving" like Slick Willie did, and John "Flip Flop" Kerry would have done (had he been elected), Dubya's lettin' the critics have it.

"But the program will continue, Bush said, adding that he has reauthorized it over 30 times. "And I will continue to do so for so long as our nation faces the continued threat of an enemy that wants to kill our American citizens."

He also pointed out that he is in complete compliance with the US Constitution:

"On the eavesdropping issue, Bush said "absolutely" he has the legal authority to order such surveillance, and cited Article 2 of the Constitution, which he said gives him the responsibility and authority to deal with an enemy that declares war against the United States. After the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, Congress also gave him the authority to use force against Al Qaeda, he noted, to tackle an "unconventional enemy," some of whom lived in U.S. cities and communities while planning attacks.

"We need to recognize that dealing with Al Qaeda is not simply a matter of law enforcement. It requires dealing with an enemy that declared war against the United States of America," Bush said."

Git 'em, Mr. President!

Get Well Soon, PM Sharon!

I just want to extend sincerest "get well" wishes to Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. It's no secret around here that the Tanker Brothers are big supporters of Israel, and we have the greatest admiration for the Israeli Army, in particular the Barak Elite Tank Brigade.


PM Sharon is recovering from a mild stroke.

"JERUSALEM -- Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was hospitalized Sunday after apparently suffering a mild stroke and briefly losing consciousness, officials said. His condition did not appear to be life threatening, Sharon aides said.

Officials at Jerusalem's Hadassah Hospital said the prime minister was awake, in satisfactory condition and undergoing medical tests. His sons, Omri and Gilead, rushed to the hospital.

Sharon, 77 and extremely overweight, has been a fixture in Israeli politics for more than three decades. Last month, he broke away from his hard-line Likud Party and formed the centrist Kadima faction to contest March 28 parliamentary elections."

Ariel Sharon has long been a figure in Israeli Defense and politics:

"Ariel Sharon, Soldier / Political Figure

* Born: 1928
* Birthplace: Kefar Malal, Palestine
* Best Known As: Prime Minister of Israel, 2001-

Ariel Sharon became Prime Minister of Israel in 2001. Sharon already had a long history of service in Israel's military and government: he was active in all of the Israeli-Arab wars, rising to the rank of major general by 1967 and distinguishing himself as a strategist in the Six-Day War of 1967 and the Yom Kippur War of 1973. The same year he helped form the Likud party, and in 1974 he was elected to his first term as member of Israel's parliament, the Knesset. Sharon served as Minister of Agriculture and then Minister of Defense under Menachem Begin, and led the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982. When hundreds of Palestinian refugees were murdered by Lebanese Christian militiamen, Sharon was severely criticized and forced to resign his position. He remained in the cabinet, however, and served as Minister of National Infrastructure under Benjamin Netanyahu. In 1998 Sharon was named Minister of Foreign Affairs. Sharon capped his political comeback by winning election to the post of Prime Minister in February of 2001, unseating Ehud Barak in a landslide."

Hide Yourself From the Evil Mr. Bush!

Okay, I saw this on Gizmodo, and I almost spit coffee through my nose.


I know you're dying to know "Master Gunner, WTF is that thing?" Well, Glad you asked! Read On:

"After the Sept. 11th 2001, trade center incident surveillance in New York City and in the United States in general, increased dramatically. We are at a point today where it is difficult be present anywhere without our image being captured by some camera or our presence being tracked or documented in some way. Although to some extent this is necessary to ensure security, on the other hand it infringes on a person’s right to privacy. The purpose of the “Counter-Surveillance Headdress” is to empower the wearer by allowing him/her to claim a moment of privacy."

So the Black CIA Helicopters can't see you, 'natch.

"The design of the headdress borrows from Islamic and Hindu fashion. The reason behind this is to comment on the racial profiling of Arab and Arab-looking citizens that occurred post-9/11. Unfortunately the fear of terrorism led to the targeting of those of non-western decent. Therefore in its design my headdress is a contradiction; meaning although it’s goal is to hide the wearer it would make the wearer a target of heightened surveillance."

I love the whole "racial profiling" crap. HELLO! Of the nineteen hijackers on 9/11...how many were Middle Easterners? Anyone? Anyone? NINETEEN! If we would have "racially profiled" all Middle Eastern-looking males on 9/11... There's a good chance we would have got the hijackers before they executed thier dstardly plan. But you know something? We've turned into the country that doesn't want to hurt anyone's feelings, so we'll just target everyone, even the people that don't make sense! Guess what, people: Your feelings aren't protected under the Constitution or the Bill Of Rights...so GET OVER IT! How many Hispanics have hijacked airplanes? NONE. How many Asians? NONE. I'll agree, maybe a few white people hijacked planes in the past...but haven't for a really long time. LOL! So, why don't we just target all the Middle-Eastern looking males and females (remember the hotels in Jordan!) at airports for searches?

But back to the topic at hand:

"The “Counter-Surveillance Headdress” is a laser tikka (forehead ornament) attached to a hooded vest and reflective shawl. The laser is activated by pressing a button enclosed in the left shoulder area of the vest. When pointed directly into a camera lens, the laser creates a burst of light masking the wearer’s face. Additionally the wearer can use the reflective cloth to cover the face and head. The aluminized material protects the wearer by reflecting any infrared radiation and also disguises the wearer by visually reflecting the surroundings, rendering the wearer’s identity anonymous. Source: Here"

And also remarkably attracts incredible attention to the moron wearing it: inviting closer scrutiny, stares, etc! So basically, we have a silver headress and laser doohickey to mask someone's identity, that in turn causes the cops to say "WTF?!?!?" and chase the person down for a body cavity search.

The Truth About Hillary - Edward Klein

Just finished reading this book yesterday evening, so I figured I should publish another review.

I thought it was an "okay", yet well-written book from Mr. Klein. He does a pretty decent job of telling us things we already know. Not-so-suprising revelations?

1. Hillary *gasp* explored Lesbianism in College. Excuse me, "Political Lesbianism" or Lesbianism as a political statement.
2. Hillary *gasp* is a hypocrite.
3. Hillary knew all about Gennifer Flowers, Paula Jones, Monica Lewinsky, etc...
4. Hillary had people keep an eye on Bill Clinton, so his extra-marital affirs weren't made public.
5. The Marriage was a marriage of convenience.
6. She's not the greatest mother in the world, and had Chelsea so she could "reach out" and wouldn't look so... masculine.

Basically, there are "revelations" that everyone already knew...no huge secrets exposed. I didn't, however, want any dirt on Hillary. I wanted to find out what made her tick. In this regard, Mr. Klein does an excellent job of dissecting the things she does, and the shrewed decisions she makes in order to selfishly pursue her own agenda.

The other thing he does, rather well, is document her sinister plan to centralize herself and "re-project" herself not as the looney liberal that "championed" the attemp to socialize our healthcare, but as more of a mainstream ideologue.

Make no mistakes, Hillary is looking at how she can snatch some Red States in 2008.

I would reccomend this book if you know absolutely nothing about Hillary. If you do, however (know all about her), then skip to the last 100 pages or so, and see what she's got planned for the future. That, by itself, is worth the read.

Three and a half stars.

Iraqi Elections: Success!

Yet another great day for the Iraqi People! The Elections went off with minimum violence, and huge voter turnout!

Initial estimates were that between 10-12 million voted, an impressive percentage of the estimated 15 million eligible voters.

"BAGHDAD, Iraq - On a remarkably peaceful day, an estimated 10 million to 12 million Iraqis went to the polls Thursday in a heavy turnout to elect the country's first permanent parliament since the fall of Saddam Hussein, setting the stage for months of negotiations to form a new government.

Sunni Muslims turned out to vote in large numbers, after most stayed away from the polls in January, either following calls from Sunni political leaders to boycott the vote or in fear for their safety. Eight million Iraqis voted in the January election.

The broader participation promised to make the new National Assembly far more representative than the outgoing one, which drafted Iraq's Constitution. Yet it remained far from clear whether Iraq's feuding ethnic groups would be able to overcome their sharp differences in political negotiations and avoid a slide into open civil war.

``There's a lot of joy as far as I'm concerned in seeing the Iraqi people accomplish this major milestone in the march to democracy,'' said President Bush at a White House meeting with Iraqi expatriate voters."

You would think that after such a momentous day, everyone would be happy for the Iraqis...right? Everyone except Sen. Joe Biden and the Looney Left:

"Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., who was visiting Baghdad on Thursday, said that while he was pleased to see the elections go off without much of a hitch, he remained concerned that Sunnis would be frustrated should they fail to achieve the fundamental revisions they are seeking in the new constitution.

"If it's something the Sunnis don't buy into . . . you couldn't have enough troops here,'' Biden said at a luncheon. ``The fact is we could end up with a Shiite-based theocracy after this election.'' Source: Here

Way to go, Party Pooper. "The fact is" that you're an idiot.

Iraqi Vote: Interesting Facts

From The Scotsman:

"ABOUT 15 million of Iraq's 27.5 million people are eligible to vote. They have 231 parties, coalitions and independents to choose from. In all, 7,648 candidates are seeking election, and organisers say that there will be 6,291 polling stations across the country.

• There are 275 seats up for grabs in the new parliament, 230 of which will be allocated in Iraq's 18 provinces in proportion with the population of each. The other 45 "compensatory" and "national" seats will go mostly to smaller parties which fail to win seats in the provincial votes.

• This will be the third major vote in Iraq this year. The first was on 30 January for an interim government. The second was a referendum on a new constitution on 15 October - three years to the day after Saddam Hussein won a plebiscite on his rule with 100 per cent of the vote.

• Iraq's rulers and their US backers have hailed this year's votes as the first free elections in Iraq since the 1950s. However, many historians question how free those votes half a century ago were. Iraq held ten elections between 1925, when a constitution was approved, and 1958, when the monarchy was overthrown. But women could not vote and the king and his mostly Sunni Muslim advisers ensured that neither the Shiite majority nor the then powerful Communist Party came to power.

• Iraq's new constitution says 25 per cent of parliament members must be women. To achieve this, electoral law says at least every third nominee on each list must be a woman. Women will have more representation in the new Iraqi assembly than they do in the parliaments of most western countries."

Okay, check this out...you have one more day: Purple Fingers For Freedom

Take a Magic Marker, paint your finger purple, just for tomorrow. Let's show the Iraqi's that we support them on thier election day! If you email me your pic giving the "V" for Victory, purple finger and all, I'll publish it in a "not too far in the future" post. Email pic to dragon dot master dot gunner AT gmail dot com

Good luck to the people of Iraq on this, thier historic day. God Bless, and best wishes. We're in this together.

Europe To Iran: We Mean Business, Dude!

You know something? Every once in a while, something happens on the world stage where responsible nations can band together to overcome a common enemy.


The last time this happened was the Iraq War. The "Coalition Of The Willing", free nations of the world that were sick and tired of Saddam Hussein thumbing his nose at the UN, stood and and said "We're not taking this anymore", got behind the US, and liberated the oppressed citizens of Iraq from thier power-mad dictator, "The Butcher Of Baghdad".

The time before that, nineteen terrorists hijacked planes and crashed them into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and attempted to crash a fourth into our Nation's Capital. The free nations of the world got together and said "Terrorism has no place in this world", and banded together to wipe out the Al Qaeda-harboring Taliban government of Afghanistan.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, every so often, something happens when the free nations of the world stand up and show what they are made of. They stand up and show that goodness and virtue will always overcome the forces of evil.

This isn't one of those times:

"Iranian President Calls Holocaust A 'Myth' In Live TV Broadcast

Robert Tait in Tehran and Luke Harding in Berlin
Thursday December 15, 2005
The Guardian

Iran's ultra-Islamist president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, triggered a fresh wave of international outrage yesterday by dismissing the Holocaust as a myth and calling for Jews to be moved to Canada and Alaska.

In a speech broadcast live on Iranian television and calculated to generate maximum publicity, Mr Ahmadinejad described the Nazi genocide of 6 million Jews in the second world war as a fabrication concocted to justify Israel's existence.

"They have invented a myth that Jews were massacred and place this above God, religions and the prophets," he told an audience in the south-eastern city of Zahidan. "If someone were to deny the existence of God ... or prophets and religion, they would not bother him. However, if someone were to deny the myth of the Jews' massacre, all the Zionist mouthpieces and the governments subservient to the Zionists scream against the person as much as they can."

The outburst was the latest in a string of anti-Israeli statements from Mr Ahmadinejad. Analysts in Tehran yesterday said the wave of rhetoric was calculated to increase Iran's international isolation, strengthening the president's radical camp against more pragmatic regime figures who have been critical of his performance since he took office four months ago. The remarks drew angry condemnation from Israel, the EU and Germany, which warned that they jeopardised the resumption of talks between the EU and Iran about its nuclear programme. Germany's foreign minister, Franz-Walter Steinmeier, said: "I cannot hide the fact that this weighs on bilateral relations and on the chances for the negotiation process, the so-called nuclear dossier."

Harsh words from Europe. Seems like they're going to stick together, and take this anti-Semitic Terrorist-loving government to task, right? Wrong!

"One MEP yesterday suggested that the best way to express Europe's frustration with Mr Ahmadinejad would be to throw Iran out of the World Cup. Iran, a football-mad country, is due to take part in next summer's tournament in Germany. Millions of Iranians watched last week's draw in Leipzig.

The best way to isolate Iran internationally would be to exclude it from the tournament, Daniel Cohn-Bendit, the joint leader of the Green group in the European parliament, said yesterday."Link: Here

Lemme get this straight, Europe: These guys are about to develop a nuclear arsenal and threaten to nuke Israel! They're thumbing thier nose at the United Nations! And to punish them, you're going to *gasp* kick them out of the World Cup?!?!?!?

Lemme tell you what Americans do when we even suspect some tin-pot dictator of attempting to develop Weapons of Mass Destruction: we go kick his ass! Then, we topple his government and help the people establish a democracy!

Look...we know you're weak. We know you haven't won a war without our help....er...EVER. If you need some pointers, let us know. But don't let these guys get off with being banned from a frickin' soccer game! Are you out of your MINDS? We already thought you were effeminate (I mean, you lack testicular fortitude) ...don't confirm it to the rest of the world!

Mullahs = Stupid

Rule number one of trying to keep your aspirations of obtaining or developing a nuclear arsenal a secret:

KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT ABOUT WHAT YOU WOULD DO WITH A NUCLEAR ARSENAL!


C'mon...let's use a little common sense.

"Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2005 12:55 a.m. EST

Iranian Cleric: Muslims Could Nuke Israel

Ruling Iranian cleric Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani declared Friday that the Muslim world could survive a nuclear exchange with Israel - while accomplishing the goal of obliterating the Jewish state.

"[The] application of an atomic bomb would not leave anything in Israel - but the same thing would just produce damages in the Muslim world," Hashemi-Rafsanjani said, in quotes picked up by the Iran Press Service.

"If a day comes when the world of Islam is duly equipped with the arms Israel has in possession, the strategy of colonialism would face a stalemate," he posited.

Analysts told IPS that Mr. Hashemi-Rafsanjani’s speech, delivered at a Tehran prayer service, was the first time that a prominent Islamic leader openly suggested a nuclear attack against the Israel.

Six weeks ago, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told a "World Without Zionism" conference that Israel should be "wiped off the map."

Last week, United Nations nuclear watchdog Mohammed ElBaradei said Iran would be able to produce nuclear weapons in a matter of months. "

What...did this guy graduate from the Dr. Evil School of Megalomania, with a Doctorate in "Make Your Diabolical Plans Stupidly Obvious To The Rest Of The World"?

Meanwhile, Iran's Nuclear program is under the microscope right now, and everyone suspects them of enriching uranium in order to develop nuclear weapons. Iran's story, however, is that they want to make reactors in order to provide electricity.

Note to Iran: get your people out of mud huts and throw them some human rights every once in a while, THEN worry about nuclear power.

Jane Fonda: U.S. Troops Are 'Killing Machines'

Is anyone ever gonna shut this broad up? I am sure, by now, she has realized her credibility is exactly ZERO with the American people after posing with a North Vietnamese Anti-Aircraft gun in Vietnam (During the war).

Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2005 11:45 p.m. EST

"Hanoi Jane" Fonda is claiming that ever since Vietnam, U.S. troops have been trained to commit atrocities against innocent civilians as a matter of military policy.

"Starting with the Vietnam War we began training soldiers differently," the anti-American actress says in an email to the Washington Post.

Fonda claims she learned of the policy switch in "secret meetings" she had with military psychologists "who were really worried about what was happening to our combat personnel."

One doctor, she insists, told her U.S. troops had been deliberately trained to be "killing machines."

"This began," Fonda maintained, "because the military discovered that in World War II and Korea, [U.S.] soldiers weren't killing enough."

"So they changed training procedures" to teach troops how to commit atrocities.

Still, the anti-war gadfly cautions, it's important not to blame the soldiers themselves for carrying out war crimes.

Recalling the "Winter Soldier" hearings that she and John Kerry staged in 1971, Fonda lamented: "When you put young people into an atrocity-producing situation where enemy and civilian are commingled, where the 'other side' is dehumanized, we cannot be surprised."

Anti-war vets now returning from Iraq, Fonda cautioned, should be listened to instead of being dismissed as "unpatriotic." Link: Here

But, to be honest..."Killing Machine"...I'm kind of flattered, LOL!

Fascism

Question:

Why do all these left-wing looneys call us (Conservatives) "Fascists"?

From the Online Mirriam Webster Dictionary:

"Fascism

One entry found for fascism.

Main Entry: fas·cism
Pronunciation: 'fa-"shi-z&m also 'fa-"si-
Function: noun
Etymology: Italian fascismo, from fascio bundle, fasces, group, from Latin fascis bundle & fasces fasces
1 often capitalized : a political philosophy, movement, or regime (as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition
2 : a tendency toward or actual exercise of strong autocratic or dictatorial control fascism and brutality -- J. W. Aldridge>
- fas·cist /-shist also -sist/ noun or adjective, often capitalized
- fas·cis·tic /fa-'shis-tik also -'sis-/ adjective, often capitalized
- fas·cis·ti·cal·ly /-ti-k(&-)lE/ adverb, often capitalized"

1) If we exhalted "nation and often race above the individual", then why would we be defending the Bill of Rights (Individual Rights, Inalienable Rights, granted to us by our Creator, I might add) according to the intent of the founding fathers?

2) If I am not mistaken, and if Ol' Mirriam Webster is not mistaken, Autocratic means "wielding Absolute Power". As we all know, our President has anything BUT absolute power. Our President cannot make laws. He can propose them to Congress, he can approve or veto them, but he cannot legislate. If the President wants to go to war, he must have the Approval of the Congress, the People's Representatives and Senators. The Supreme Court can rule a Presidential policy Unconstitutional. The President can be impeached, and if convicted, he can be removed from office. Can someone explain to me how this is absolute power, excuse me, autocratic?

3) I don't see any "severe economic and social regimentation"... on the contrary, having a Capitalist system and a booming economy, we have quite the opposite.

4) I also haven't seen any "forcible suppression of opposition". The government, for example, doesn't drown out someone trying to make a speech that they don't want people to hear. We enforce a little thing called "The First Ammendment". We don't practice censorship. We don't burn books. We don't arrest people for defaming our flag (although, I admit, we should probably start).

So...where does "World Can't Wait" get off calling our government Fascists?

Comparing Bush To Hitler
"People look at all this and think of Hitler — and they are right to do so. The Bush regime is setting out to radically remake society very quickly, in a fascist way, and for generations to come. We must act now; the future is in the balance."

This passage from the Call for The World Can't Wait - Drive Out the Bush Regime! has galvanized many into action, and at the same time been very controversial among many who consider this analysis of the direction of society to be "too extreme." In particular, the analogy to Hitler has been hotly debated. While, as an analogy, this is not an exact comparison, what is most striking are the parallels between the US today and Nazi Germany in the 1930's. Further, what's difficult about confronting the reality of the above passage is what it requires of us to do to stop this course."

These people are completely out of thier minds. They make Cindy Sheehan and Howlin' Howie look almost...sane.

Liberal Bias

Okay, Dubya gives an excellent speech on the lead-up to the Iraqi Elections.

Does Reuters report on the President's War on Terror update? HELL NO.


They take one response that President Bush had for a reporter that asked a question about civilian deaths:

Q Since the inception of the Iraqi war, I'd like to know the approximate total of Iraqis who have been killed. And by Iraqis I include civilians, military, police, insurgents, translators.

THE PRESIDENT: How many Iraqi citizens have died in this war? I would say 30,000, more or less, have died as a result of the initial incursion and the ongoing violence against Iraqis. We've lost about 2,140 of our own troops in Iraq.

Keep in mind, people, that's civilian good guys, AND civilian bad guys.

But what does Reuters report? Read on:

"Bush says 30,000 Iraqis killed since war began - By Tabassum Zakaria

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush said on Monday about 30,000 Iraqis have been killed since the Iraq war began and predicted this week's election will not be perfect but will be part of a Middle East turning point."

Why does Dubya even bother answering questions? Frickin' reporters...

Freedom Folks: Media Bias -- What Media Bias?

Purple Fingers

You can take a stand against the Anti-War, anti-Iraqi Freedom Liberals out there. Show Solidarity with the Iraqi People as they get ready to do something that we, as Americans, have taken for granted for so long: Vote.

Purple Fingers for Freedom has some great things you can do to show the people around you, and the world, that we're going to stand up alongside the Iraqi People and help them get on thier feet.


All the preparations have been made. Thursday will be the biggest step the Iraqi people will have taken since thier liberation in 2003.

"WASHINGTON, Dec. 11, 2005 – Iraqi and coalition forces have set the conditions for a successful Dec. 15 parliamentary election in Iraq that will be mostly free of violence, U.S. officials said today.

The officials also said a broad and representative cross-section of the Iraqi population, including Sunnis, will participate.

"By and large, with the exception of the al Anbar province, (we) are very confident that there will be a large turnout and little or no violence," Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr., commander of coalition forces in Iraq, said.

(Click For Bio)

Even in Anbar, "we expect better turnout this time than we saw in the (Oct. 15 constitutional) referendum. By and large, the Iraqis have pulled this together, both from an election logistics perspective and from a security perspective," he said in an interview with Fox News Channel's Bret Baier.

U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad, also speaking on Sunday talk shows, agreed that Iraq's political and security situation has improved significantly in recent months.

"The Sunnis seem to be developing confidence in the political process," Khalilzad said. "That is really the single most important development of the past several months politically. ... They believe that their grievances can be dealt with politically."

General Casey commands the Multinational Force - Iraq. He is for all intents and purposes, "THE GUY" in the Iraqi theater. GEN Casey also said:

"This war "is very much winnable," Casey said. "Our strategy leads to a gradual reduction in the coalition presence as Iraqi security force capabilities improve.

The Iraqis are getting better and better," he noted.

To maintain this progress, Casey said, U.S. transition teams will remain embedded with Iraqi military and police units, even as U.S. forces begin to withdraw from Iraq. Reductions in U.S. troops levels "will be tied to improvements in the capabilities of Iraqi security forces and evaluations of the situation on the ground," he explained. "I'm not getting pressure from Washington to do this. This is bottom-up."

Take THAT, Sens. Murtha, Pelosi and Kerry! Why not let the Commanders on the ground make the call if we need to pull out or not? Again from GEN. Casey:

"There will be violence on election day because the terrorists and insurgents understand that this is their last chance to stop the (democratic) process" in Iraq, Casey said. "To withdraw (coalition forces) from Iraq precipitously would be catastrophic, not only for Iraq but for the entire region."

Dubya Tells Like It Is!

Look...I'm getting sick of the libs crying about President Bush "Invoking 9/11" whenever he makes a speech on Iraq. The truth of the matter is, 9/11 DOES have a significant meaning in the context of Iraq.

When the Twin Towers came down, we (the smart people) realized that the days of war planning for organized armies invading the US or it's allies/interests were over. The Cold War doctrine was long gone. The battlefield is no longer linear. The warfare is no longer symmetrical. A jihadist with a claymore mine strapped to his chest can walk into a crowded civilian place and do more damage, physical and psychological, than we could (or ever would).


We had to start looking at these new threats.

One of the ugliest, most devestating, would be a Chemical or Germ attack against civilians. Guess who had the stuff, and had used it before on his own people? Would it really be that far-fetched that this guy would give the stuff away to our enemies? If Saddam didn't have the capability to strike us conventionally, why wouldn't he try to do it unconventionally?

Think about it.

Here's an excerpt from President Bush's speech today:

"Q Mr. President, I would like to know why it is that you and others in your administration keep linking 9/11 to the invasion of Iraq when no respected journalist or Middle Eastern expert confirmed that such a link existed.

THE PRESIDENT: What did she -- I missed the question. Sorry. I didn't -- I beg your pardon, I didn't hear you. Seriously.

Q I would like to know why you and others in your administration invoke 9/11 as justification for the invasion of Iraq --

THE PRESIDENT: Yes --

Q -- when no respected journalists or other Middle Eastern experts confirm that such a link existed.

THE PRESIDENT: I appreciate that. 9/11 changed my look on foreign policy. I mean, it said that oceans no longer protect us, that we can't take threats for granted; that if we see a threat, we've got to deal with it. It doesn't have to be militarily, necessarily, but we got to deal with it. We can't -- can't just hope for the best anymore.

And so the first decision I made, as you know, was to -- was to deal with the Taliban in Afghanistan because they were harboring terrorists. This is where the terrorists planned and plotted. And the second decision, -- which was a very difficult decision for me, by the way, and it's one that I -- I didn't take lightly -- was that Saddam Hussein was a threat. He is a declared enemy of the United States; he had used weapons of mass destruction; the entire world thought he had weapons of mass destruction. The United Nations had declared in more than 10 -- I can't remember the exact number of resolutions -- that disclose, or disarm, or face serious consequences. I mean, there was a serious international effort to say to Saddam Hussein, you're a threat. And the 9/11 attacks extenuated that threat, as far as I -- concerned.

And so we gave Saddam Hussein the chance to disclose or disarm, and he refused. And I made a tough decision. And knowing what I know today, I'd make the decision again. Removing Saddam Hussein makes this world a better place and America a safer country. (Applause.)"

So, pretty please, with sugar on top, Libs... CUT IT OUT!

Thanks to my buddy Jake over at FreedomFolks for the Speech Link.

What The Dems DON'T Want You To Hear

After Howlin' Howie Dean's and John "Flip Flop" Kerry's recent comments to the effect that the Iraq War is a bust, I came across this interesting article about just how successful our fight has been. Check it out:

"An opinion poll suggests Iraqis are generally optimistic about their lives, in spite of the violence that has plagued Iraq since the US-led invasion.

But the survey, carried out for the BBC and other media, found security fears still dominate most Iraqis' thoughts.

Their priority for the coming year would be the restoration of security and the withdrawal of foreign troops.

A majority of the 1,700 people questioned wanted a united Iraq with a strong central government."

And:

"The BBC News website's World Affairs correspondent, Paul Reynolds, says the survey shows a degree of optimism at variance with the usual depiction of the country as one in total chaos.

The findings are more in line with the kind of arguments currently being deployed by US President George W Bush, he says. "

What about:

"Interviewers found that 71% of those questioned said things were currently very or quite good in their personal lives, while 29% found their lives very or quite bad.

When asked whether their lives would improve in the coming year, 64% said things would be better and 12% said they expected things to be worse."

Source: Here

All I'm saying is this: give us a chance to finish the job. Millions of Iraqis are depending on it.

US Stalls Some Deployments To Iraq

"WASHINGTON: The US military has delayed the deployment of a combat brigade to Iraq and put another on standby in what could suggest the start of a long-awaited drawdown of US forces there, a US defence official said on Thursday.

US commanders also are considering holding back the deployment of a third army brigade to Afghanistan after a NATO-led force expands into the southern part of the country next year, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “There’s always lots of planning going on and no decisions have been made,” said Lieutenant Colonel Barry Venable, a Pentagon spokesman.

“The planning accounts for the full range of possibilities. It will be the commanders’ assessment of the conditions on the ground that will prompt any adjustments of force levels,” he said.

But the defence official who asked not to be identified said the deployment of the 1st Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade from Fort Riley, Kansas, which was supposed to be in Iraq by early January, already has been delayed.

And the Germany-based 1st Armored Division’s 2nd Brigade, which is now in Kuwait preparing to deploy inside Iraq, also has been placed on hold, the official said.

“One’s delayed and one’s on standby,” the official said.

“What General Casey and his commanders have to decide given the situation, given the increased capability of the Iraqi security forces, is there the opportunity to reduce the US presence? That is being evaluated at this time,” the official said. General George Casey is the commander of the 155,000 US troops now in Iraq."

Source: Here

Slow down...this doesn't really mean anything. No, the Dems and Anti-War looneys aren't getting to the Commanders on the ground. We do regular assessments of the manpower we have on the ground all the time, and adjust manning according to the security assessment of the Units on the ground.

Don't let your Liberal buddies point at this and claim victory (thiers). You heard it here first. Also, keep in mind, this is an article from Pakistan, which lends yet more credibility to my earlier warning to the Anti-War crowd: "BE CAREFUL. THE WORLD IS LISTENING."

The Anti-Post

No real caption for this one. I just thought it was a pretty frickin' funny picture.

Slick Willie at the UN, makin' a face like he just got caught with an intern.

Hypocrisy At It's Best

In perhaps the most remarkable example of "Do As I Say, Not As I Do" in 2005 (and what a way to close out the year!) the Dems feelings have been hurt (HURT I SAY!) by the recent GOP "White Flag" ad. How dare the GOP politicize this war! How dare they!


Too bad for the Dems, though. This War has been politicized for a very, very long time now:

"The president led us into the Iraq war on the basis of unproven assertions without evidence; he embraced a radical doctrine of pre-emptive war unprecedented in our history; and he failed to build a true international coalition. - Nancy Pelosi"

"And there is no reason, Bob, that young American soldiers need to be going into the homes of Iraqis in the dead of night, terrorizing kids and children, you know, women, breaking sort of the customs of the--of--the historical customs, religious customs. Whether you like it or not... - John Kerry"

Why is it that the Dems in the Senate (and let's face it, the House, as well) can attack the Soldiers in Iraq who are putting thier lives on the line every single day, yet when they get called out on it, they cry "political attack"?

"As a Veteran of World War II, I know what it’s like to fight a war and put your life on the line every day. I also know what it takes to win a war, and I know that politics and an attack machine like the President’s plays no part in it.

"The Republican Party’s latest ad is a shameful and disgusting attempt to distract the American people from the problems in Iraq. It may improve the President’s political fortunes, but the American people and our troops will pay the price. I hope that President Bush realizes how shameful it is to play politics when what we really need is leadership, and that he will direct his Party to take down this ad immediately. - Sen. Daniel Inouye"

C'mon, Dems. You got called out. Live with it. Tell you what: why don't you resolve to shut up, until you can come up with an actual plan to win the war, as opposed to crying about the one in place now. And "Cut and Run" isn't a plan. Remember, I said a plan to WIN the War.

MISUNDERESTIMATED

Just finished reading this book, so I figured I should publish a review.

I thought it was an excellent, well-written book from a senior member of the media. Mr. Sammon does a bang-up job of what happened "behind-the scenes" during President Bush's first term.

He gets into the "Rise Of The Bush Haters", points out the blatant lies of the media meant to undermine the Bush Doctrine of Preemption, and gives a riveting blow-by-blow account of both President Bush's historic landing onto the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln and the "2003 Thanksgiving Suprise" in Baghdad.

This is probably one of the best books I have read all year.

Five stars.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, From My Family To Yours!

John Kerry Strikes Back!

Guess John "Three Purple Hearts In Three Months" Kerry can't do his own mudslinging. He got a "spokesman" to attack Talk Show Host Rush Limbaugh and RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman after they (rightfully) called him out for accusing US Soldiers of "terrorizing Iraqi women and children".

"RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman and conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh, among others, took aim at Kerry for the remarks. Now, spokesman David Wade says, "Political hack Ken Mehlman and draft dodging, donut eating Rush Limbaugh have something in common. Neither of them knows anything about how to make American troops safe,” adding, "John Kerry will continue to speak out about how to succeed in Iraq and protect brave American troops." Source: Here

"Donut Eating"? Your boss gets called out (again...and again...and again) for attacking the honor of US Soldiers and Marines putting thier lives on the line for a war that JOHN KERRY voted for, and your best comeback is "donut eating"?


Your boss gets called out (again...and again...and again) for attacking the honor of not one, but TWO GENERATIONS of US Soldiers and Marines putting thier lives on the line for the interests of thier nation, and your best comeback is "donut eating"?

Dude...you can do better than THAT. Let's talk about "Spokesman" (read: underling) David Wade for a second. I found this on the John Kerry for President site:

"Communications Director in Kerry's Senate office. Served as national president of College Democrats of America (and addressed the 1996 Democratic National Convention in Chicago). Graduate of Brown University ('97)." Source:Here

Spokesman David Wade is running around calling people "Draft Dodger"? He friggin' graduated from College in 1997, people! He wasn't even born when we HAD a draft! Who the heck is this guy to throw rocks in a glass house? How has this schmuck served HIS country? As being an "attack puppy" for John Kerry?

But the funny thing? I'm not suprised.

LOL..."donut eating"...

Howard Dean..."We're Gonna Lose! Er...I Mean Win! Yeaaaaarrrggghhh!"

In probably one of the fastest reversals this side of John Kerry, Howlin' Howie Dean changed his mind about the United States' strategy in Iraq, while, um...defending it? Read about it:

"Asked Thursday to defend his statement in the Texas radio interview, Dean said: "It was a little out of context. ... We can only win if we change our strategy dramatically. ... We want to serve our troops well. They're doing a fantastic job in Iraq."

Dean charged that Bush is "going in the wrong direction. We'll go in the right direction and save soldiers lives while we're doing it."

Source Here


The "Wrong Direction" is obviously, for Howlin' Howie, into battle. The "Right Direction" for the DNC Chairman, seems to be retreat. Based on his earlier comments (and those of Nancy Pelosi, John Kerry, and the rest of the Libs), I would take Howie's comments to translate into: "We'll retreat with our tail between our legs, and save Soldier's lives doing it!"

What new strategy is Howie suggesting? The current strategy is to (1) help Iraq hold the last round of Elections, (2) help the new Iraqi Army and police forces secure the safety of its citizens, and finally (3) Hand over the mission when we are sure the Iraqi Forces can handle it.

Is there some other winning option that I'm missing?

Howie? We're waiting. (Can we have him measured for a straight jacket?)

CODE PINK!

Any of y'all ever heard of "Code Pink 4 Peace"? They claim they are "Women for Peace". That makes them Anti-War loonies, in my book. Usually, I would ridicule and laugh at them. However, Code Pink has put me in a Catch-22 position:

"Clinton Vilified For War Vote:

WASHINGTON -- Two dozen anti-war protesters camped outside the Los Angeles mansion of "Friends" producer Marta Kauffman on Oct. 8, hoping to catch Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton as she entertained donors over soba noodles and chilled fish.

Clinton's fundraiser collected twice what was predicted, an estimated $150,000. But that little throng of polite, Code Pink protesters outside was an unsettling reminder of just how much the shadow of Iraq is creeping into Clinton's political career."
Link Here

What to do, what to do?

I can give the thumbs up to Code Pink, and risk being called an Anti-War Supporter, or I can attack Code Pink, and risk *shudder* helping out Hillary.

What to do, what to do?

I checked out Code Pink's website, and one thing in particular caught my interest. These women are on a campaign to ban "War Toys".

"WAR IS NOT FUN & GAMES!!!
Every holiday season manufactures prey on our children with pro-war propaganda disguised as innocent toys. Don’t let your child be a victim of G.I. Joe! As you’re out buying holiday gifts, make a point this year to show little ones that war is not game. Set an example for the children in your life and use the opportunity to teach them non-violence."
Link Here

War is not fun and games? What frickin' Rhodes Scholar came up with THAT valuable pearl of wisdom? Let's get one thing straight. Children like to emulate the people they look up to. Children have heroes. Do you want your children to respect and look up to a retarded purple frickin' dinosaur? Or do you want them to look up to and respect the brave men and women that put thier lives on the line, unselfishly, day after day? People like Policemen, Firemen, and yes, Soldiers?

I asked a little boy the other day what he wanted to be when he grew up. He said "a Soldier."

I, of course, asked "Why?".

To which he responded: "Because they go get the bad guys!"

Isn't strange how Children "get it", but "it" completely eludes some adults? Even at a very young age, Children can differentiate between good and evil. They know who the Good Guys and who the Bad Guys are. And they choose thier side. To them, the US Soldier represents thier country, thier freedom, and thier safety.

The Code Pink "War Is Not Fun And Games" campaign really bothers me. So in protest to the protest, I bought my eight month old son a Remote Control M1A2 Tank.

The Jury is still out on Code Pink, but they've ruled on the War toys issue...

GI Joe is "Da Man".

The World Isn't Perfect..

We all want to live in a perfect world ( at least I hope we all do).

Something happened today that was extremely tragic: a man, claiming to have a bomb on an airplane, was shot by U.S. Air Marshals.



Was there a bomb?

No, there wasnt.

Should have the marshals taken that chance?

Personally, I believe that they did the right thing.

It was a descision that HAD to be made. One persons life? Or if he did have a bomb, a couple hundred? Don't get me wrong now. I wish it never happened. I wish that man was back at home with his family. I wish that the man would have taken his medication before he made the trip ( his wife said he hadn't). However, the Marshals did what they had to do, what they were hired to do. So please, lets keep the criticism away from this one.

It won't happen, I know. I am not naive. The world is not perfect.

Full Story here

Master Gunner's Hate Mail

Being married to a native German citizen, I get lots of exposure to other Germans living in the United States. All of them busted thier butts to immigrate to the United States.

As many of us know, Germany is probably one of the most liberal countries in Europe in terms of thier political and social ideologies. Thankfully, I married one of the very few Conservative Germans I have ever met (and having lived in Germany for nine years, that's saying alot). If she had been born in the United States, she would have definitely been a Red Stater.


When I talked to most Germans, though, you would be suprised to find that the overwhelming majority of them are illegal immigration sympathizers!

Here's what I don't get. These hard-working, admirable people paid hard-earned money and went through all of the INS' (Now BCIS') wickets to finally secure for themselves the opportunity to immigrate to the US, and in many cases apply for and gain citizenship to our great nation. Wouldn't that make them more appreciative of the hard work and determination it takes to make it this country, legally?

You would think, right? Wrong.

I have recieved so much hate mail recently over my landmines suggestion, it's crazy! (Now, have some testicular fortitude, people. Post it in a comment, not in an email!)

Let's get a few things straight:

1. I don't advocate (Out Loud, LOL!) blowing people up. The anti-personnel landmines I'm proposing act as an additional deterrent to the ten foot tall razor-wire topped fence I also proposed. Not to mention the warning signs (written in English, Spanish, and even Arabic) that I said would be posted every ten feet along the aforementioned fence.

2. Someone pointed out that persistent Anti-Personnel mines are contrary to US policy. I never mentioned laying persistant AP mines. I would suggest laying non-persistent mines, and reseeding as necessary with VOLCANO or FASCAM.

Look, let's be brutally honest about our committment, here. If I was sent by my Commander to guard the US Border against invasion, I would give my life if need be to accomplish my mission and secure the border. That's my job, to accomplish my military mission and as a result, protect the American people and their interests, at home or abroad.

Reality check: how many of these "illegal immigrant sympathizers" would do the same to keep the borders from being secured?

Insurgency...Gangsta-Style!

Dude...this is AWESOME! Obviously, the fighters in Monrovia, Liberia have been watching TOO MUCH HOLLYWOOD, or taking lessons from the Iraqi Insurgents! Here's an action shot of one of these guys:


This guy is obviously an honor graduate of the Hajji School of Close Quarter Combat, with Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi as the Headmaster. Note the almost dancer-poised form. The "shoot-on-the-run" stance. The open "Miami Vice" shirt. The focus. Oh, yeah...and the absolute lack of accuracy.

Thanks to my good friends over at Freedom Folks for the link!

More pics on AR15.com and Barking Moonbat!

Howard Dean..."We're Gonna Lose! Yeaaaaarrrggghhh!"

OKay, what the hell is up with Howard Dean? I know that Anit-War is hip right now, but claiming outright defeat?


I don't even think John Kerry would go that far!

Check it out:

"Dean stirred Republican wrath by telling San Antonio, Texas, radio station WOAI that "the idea that we're going to win the war in Iraq is an idea which is just plain wrong."

He predicted the Democratic Party would come together on a proposal to withdraw National Guard and Reserve troops immediately, and all U.S. forces within two years."

More:

"Dean is a former governor of Vermont who one point was a top contender for the role of Democratic candidate for president in 2004. His outspoken style has both admirers and critics in and out of the party."

And still more:

"Dean called Iraq "the same situation we had in Vietnam."

"Everybody then kept saying, 'Just another year, just stay the course, we'll have a victory.' Well, we didn't have a victory, and this policy cost the lives of an additional 25,000 troops because we were too stubborn to recognize what was happening," he said. Source: Here

What the hell does Howard Dean know about Vietnam? Unlike my Dad, he was never there. As you know, Howlin' Howie was a "Democratic Contender" for the nomination in 2004. Now he's the DNC Chairman. Let's be honest...this guy makes ex-DNC Chair Terry MacAullife look almost sane.

Allow Me To Introduce Myself: I'm the "New Guy"

Hey, how is everyone doing?

I'm sorta new to this, so "Regulars" to the site: please be patient. My brother approached me about joining the blog to kinda get another perspective on events happening around us. Well, tough. I hate to break it to you but our topics and opinions are the same, just worded different.


No I'm not a puppet or follower, it's just thats how we were raised -Conservative- and I truely thank my parents for that everyday. They raised my brother and I to be outspoken, strong-minded and to stick up for ourselves. In case you haven't noticed, that's what he does in pretty much every entry, and so do I. If you thought one was bad....it's about to get a whole lot worse. So in closing... hang on for a ride!

Saddam's Defense: "But I'm Not As Bad As The Americans"

See where all this anti-war, Bush-hating stupidity has gotten us?

Perhaps the most brutal and deranged dictator in the Middle East is using the Democrat's very own talking points as evidence in court! Check this out:

"Then the leading defence counsel acting for Saddam Hussein questioned her.

She had been held in the infamous Abu Ghraib prison, he said, where he agreed that conditions had been terrible until just recently.

But had dogs been used against her? Were photographs taken of her? No, she said.

By reminding the court, and the wider audience in Iraq, of the way prisoners in Abu Ghraib were treated by their American gaolers (sic) after the invasion of Iraq, the defence managed to weaken the force of the case against Saddam Hussein."

Source: Here

You've gotta be kidding me. This has really gotten out of hand, and to tell you the truth, I'm at the frickin' boiling point with these traitors. They are doing so much to undermine the war, and they gleefully continue!

Anything to screw over the President and the troops, right?

Oh, but waitasec, I forgot to tell you why the witness was even on the stand:

"She was known only as Witness A, and spoke from behind a curtain.

In a voice grotesquely disguised by electronic means, she told how, at the age of sixteen, she had been stripped naked in what she called an "operation room" and chained to a table.

Five men beat her with steel cables and gave her electric shocks."

So let me get this straight, Saddam... you had people chain a naked woman to an Operating Room table and beat her with Steel Cables, and give her electric shocks? But hey, at least you didn't *shudder* take any pictures of it, right? Or *shudder* use any dogs? Man, you're such a humanitarian. We need to make you Secretary-General of the UN. You couldn't be any worse than Kofi Annan.

What The Hell Is He Talking About - Saddam Hussein Edition

Okay, everyone knows Saddam Hussein was a megalomaniacal dictator who tortured and murdered countless Iraqis for his personal amusement. If that wasn't crazy enough, when he's brought to trial, he says that depriving him of exercise equipment is "terrorism".

"Saddam also complained he had no fresh clothes and had been deprived of shower and exercise facilities.

"This is terrorism," he said.

When Chief Judge Rizgar Mohammed Amin said that the session would continue Wednesday, Saddam, shouted: "I will not return. I will not come to an unjust court! Go to Hell"

Link Here

Okay...I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, but lets ask the victims' families of his unspeakable tortures what they think terrorism is. Better yet, lets ask some of the victims of his "rape rooms" (if they are still alive) what they think terrorism is. Oh, I have an idea! Lets ask the scores of people he killed with poison gas what they think terrorism is.

Waitasec...we can't. They're frickin' DEAD.

Excuse me while the tiniest violin in Iraq plays just for Saddam Hussein.

Support The Troops

Okay, as you know, I am a Soldier (so is my co-author). I'm really sick and tired of the war defeatism being spread by the Looney Left.

Now imagine the brave men and women in Iraq. Imagine you are deployed to Iraq, putting your life on the line, day in and day out. Imagine the dust and sand swirling around you, getting into damn near everything. Imagine the mess hall chow. Imagine the pota-pottys and latrine trailers all around. Imagine the Shamal (dust storm) rolling in, blacking out the sun and covering you in wretched sand and dust. Randomly throughout the day, "Ji-Hajji" lobs in some mortars or rockets into your compound. At any given time, a frickin' mortar could just come out of nowhere and land on you (or near you), ending your War on Terror for good.

Now imagine walking into the Mess Hall, or the AAFES PX/Shopette and picking up your free daily copy of the Stars And Stripes Mideast Edition. You read about World and U.S. events, and especially about the Democrats in Congress selling you out.

Saying you can't beat the bad guys. Saying there's nothing more you can do to win the War in Iraq. Accusing you of atrocities, like the "Honorable" John Kerry.

Selling you out.


What do you do? What CAN you do? Do you give up hope? Do you put your hands up and say "screw it, I'm done"? Not if you're a US Soldier, Marine, Airman, or Sailor. You get mad. You grit your teeth, and it makes you want to fight that much harder. You want more than anything to prove these pathetic Liberals wrong.

Enter Rush Limbaugh. He's on a crusade to let you know just how much of America is on your side. He wants to let you know that the Liberal Looneys are in the minority, that the American Public are behind you 100%. So he starts the Adopt-A-Soldier Program.

Basically, you sign up for the program, and Rush links you up with a donor who has bought and donated a one-year membership (just about the length of time you'll be in Iraq, by the way) for Rush 24-7. You get emailed the Limbaugh Letter, unrestricted access to every resource (a very impressive resource, by the way) on his site. You get the show on MP3, if you want to listen to it on your Media Player. And get this: for every single person that signs up to donate a subscription, Rush matches it with another subscription.

Now you have a voice on your side. Actually, two voices: Rush's, and you Benefactor. And you hear about the brave men and women back home, standing up for your fight. Getting your back while you're off doing your mission. You hear about Democratic Senator "Smokin' Joe" Lieberman, fighting back against the anti-war defeatism in his own Party.

Now, wouldn't that make you feel better? Do the Tanker Brothers a favor and check it out. We're not asking you to buy anything. We're just asking you to check it out. See what people are doing back home to support the troops: giving them not just cookies and candy, but giving them information, and most importantly, Hope.

Women's Rights... Insurgent Style (Part II)

Okay, this is becoming a disturbing trend now. I think you remember this post. Then that crazy insurgent woman tried to blow herself up, unsuccessfully, at that hotel in Jordan (her male companions succeeded in blowing themselves up, however). And now, two female suicide bombers blow up 27 police officers!

"At least 27 Iraqi police officers have been killed and another 32 wounded in a suicide attack on a police academy in east Baghdad, the US military has said.

A US forces' statement said that the policemen were killed when two women blew themselves up inside a classroom at about 1245 (0945 GMT)."

Is this the new Insurgent TTP (tactics, techniques, procedures)? Using the "honeytrap", with a strange and gruesome twist?

How do all these left-wing looneys justify thier anti-war craziness? People are being manipulated into blowing themselves up for what they think is a noble cause. They are killing poice officers and public servants, the exact same people that are trying to establish thier security!

But then you have people like Cindy "My Fifteen Minutes Are Over" Sheehan calling them "Freedom Fighters", basically throwing gasoline on a fire!

I honestly don't know who is more dangerous for the American Soldier. The insurgents, armed with an AK-47 and a Suicide Vest; or a Liberal back on the homefront, armed with politics and a hatred of the US Military.

What The Hell Is Wrong With John Kerry?!?!

Seriously, now... this makes AT LEAST the second war in which he has dishonored America's Soldiers and thier efforts during a time of war.

First, he did it to my Dad in 1971:

"They told the stories of times that they had personally raped, cut off ears, cut off heads, taped wires from portable telephones to human genitals and turned up the power, cut off limbs, blown up bodies, randomly shot at civilians, razed villages in the fashion reminiscent of Jen-giss [sic] Khan, not isolated incidents, but crimes committed on a day-to-day basis with a full awareness of officers at all leveled of command." -John Kerry

And now, he's doing it to my brother, and he's doing it to me! Read on:

"But I think what we need to do is recognize what we all agree on, which is, you've got to begin to set benchmarks for accomplishment; you've got to begin to transfer authority to the Iraqis, and there is no reason, Bob, that young American soldiers need to be going into the homes of Iraqis in the dead of night, terrorizing kids and children, you know, women, breaking sort of the customs of the -- of -- of -- of -- historical customs, religious customs, whether you like it or not. Iraqis should be doing that." - John Kerry

So just so I'm getting my point across on this: this guy has literally pissed off two generations of American Soldiers in a time of war! Isn't there some kind of decency law or something against that? And to think, this guy actually think he's going to be the nominee in 2008! Has he gone off to Tah-Ray-Zuh Land?

Dude, that $87 Billion you voted for, before you voted against it? You need it more than the US Military does. You need to buy yourself a frickin' clue.

BIG Changes!

I've had my Blog for almost a year now. To be honest, it's been a blast. The other day, I was thinking, how could it be even MORE fun?

Well, that's easy...add more people!

So, I decided to add my Brother as a collaborator in this Blog. Only problem is this: Dragon Master Gunner is me. I don't think that, if we're going to have a 50%-50% partnership in writing this thing, that just my name should be at the top. So I kicked around the idea of calling it "Dragon Master Gunner and Cav Tanker", but that took up TOO much space at the top of the page. Afterkicking around a few more ideas (and admittedly, "Wedge Bolts" was a finalist for the title), I decided on calling it "Tanker Brothers". At least until we come up with something better.

So, you heard me correctly. The Dragon Master Gunner Blog is no more. Long Live the Dragon Master Gunner. Without any further ado, I now present you with "Tanker Brothers: Random Thoughts From Two Soldiers in the War On Terror".

Enjoy.

I'm Gonna Level With You...

...because I've been getting alot of hate mail lately, calling me an elitist and accusing me of not having any compassion for the plight of immigrants.

I don't usually like posting alot of personal information about myself, but after talking to my wife, she's advised me to tell you our story. Maybe it will give you a better insight into WHY I get so frustrated about the immigration problem.


I met my lovely wife in July 2002, while I was stationed in Germany. I knew she was the one for me. She is the most incredible person I have ever had the privilege to know. Anyway, I proposed to her, and we decided to get married. Because I wanted to marry her in Texas, we decided to submit the paperwork for a K-1 Visa, more commonly known as a "Sweetheart Visa". My wife was really bummed to have to leave everything she knew, and her family, behind in Germany. She understood, however, that I wouldn't be able to stay in Germany forever. In the end, love won her over, and I convinced her to move to the US with me. We gathered up all the information, filled out the paperwork, and began the long wait. We filed for the Visa in December 2002. After a few months of medical examinations and consulate visits (for interviews and such), her Visa was granted, and we packed up to move back to the US and prepared for our wedding. We were married on October 18, 2003 in South Texas.

My wife filed her Adjustment of Status and Work Authorization soon after, literally the first working day after we were married (on my suggestion).

Soon afterwards, I recieved orders to deploy to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Admittedly, we had a pretty sweet set-up, because she was able to stay at my parent's place while I was deployed. While I was traveling to Baghdad, my wife was submitting resumes (she's a trained business accountant) and conducting interviews. Ninety days after she filed, my wife recieved her work authorization (and she literally started working the very next day). Since she started working, she paid federal income taxes, she paid Social Secutity taxes, everything you and I do as productive memebers of society. She was a legal resident of the United States, working and paying taxes. Two years to the day that we filed the very first piece of paper for her K-1 visa, my wife was the proud recipient of a Green Card. In the entire time, she never used any government assistance (not even job placement services), she never took anything from anyone. Not one single taxpayer, except for me, paid a dime for my wife to exist in the United States.

Yeah, it cost a decent amount of money (for filing fees), and alot of waiting and proofreading, but we did everything by the book. We dotted every "i" and crossed every "t".

So here is my question: if my wife can do it, why can't the people that jump the border? Last I checked, we had an embassy and consulates in Mexico; just like they do in Germany. You can file for your visa there, so why don't they (the border jumpers)?

These people are willing to walk for days through the desert, go without food and water (boo hoo), or pay huge sums of money to be smuggled across the border, but if they would have just paid the fees and submitted the paperwork, it would have cost much, much less.

If these people are really that stupid, then why in the HELL should we take them in?

Now, do you have an idea of why these illegal immigrants piss me off? Here is a hardworking, skilled young woman who did everything the right way: paid her dues, and put up with the paperwork shuffle. Meanwhile, some unskilled schmuck from Guadalajara just frickin' jumps a fence or swims a river. That's crazy.

Wanna know something that pisses me off even more than that? The tax dollars that my wife (a legal immigrant), pays, in all likelihood go to pay for the health and welfare that a criminal that illegally invaded our country gets from our government to survive. Meanwhile, this young woman made it on her OWN.

Sorry for my language, but in my eyes, that's bullshit.

America Has Spoken!

“November 7, 2005--Seventy-five percent (75%) of Americans say that immigration issue are somewhat or very important in terms of how they will vote for President and Congress on Election Day. That includes 46% who consider the issue "very important."

Sixty percent (60%) of Americans say they favor building a barrier along the border between the United States and Mexico to help reduce illegal immigration. A Rasmussen Reports survey found that just 26% are opposed to this approach.” Source: Here

Guess what, America…I agree with you. We need to get this problem under control. I don’t usually like reading Rasmussen (they predicted Kerry would win in ’04), but in this case, I’ll make an exception.

So…America has spoken, Congressman. Whatcha gonna do about it?

Well, nothing, of course. Look, let's be honest. Illegal Immigration is bad for America.

Don't believe me? Well, allow me to educate you:

"The National Research Council has estimated that the net fiscal cost of immigration ranges from $11 billion to $22 billion per year, with most government expenditures on immigrants coming from state and local coffers, while most taxes paid by immigrants go to the federal treasury." Source: Here

And then you complain about high property taxes. Hey, dummy...didn't you notice who is footing the bill? YOU ARE.

"As a consequence, poverty in the U.S. is increasingly being driven by immigration policy. Between 1979 and 1997, immigrant households increased their representation in the U.S. population by 68 percent, but over that same period their share of the total poor population increased 123 percent. And the gap between the immigrant and native poverty rates is widening - this gap tripled between 1979 and 1997." Source: Here

So here is my question: if illegal immigration is against our best interests, and we elect our Representatives and Senators to represent our best interests, then it would only be logical to say that a Congressman or Senator that panders to illegal immigration is in fact working against our best interests!

So what can we do about it?

Glad you asked.

2006 Mid-Term Elections are coming up. Illegal Immigration is going to be a HOT issue. We, as Americans, have a duty to elect our Representatives based on thier potential to act in our best interests, and the best interests of our country. Do the right thing. Vote the weak-willed out of office, and lets put people in there that will DO something about the problem!

Edit:
I'm all about the "barrier" that the majority of America wants to install. But I'll go one better.

Landmines.

Edit#2: I suggest you read this excellent post by my good friends over at Freedom Folks about RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman pandering to illegal immigration.

Look, people, I'm a Republican, but I'm a conservative first. If Ken really feels that emotional about "Anti-Immigrant Sentiment", then he can find another job. Obviously, the rest of America doesn't share his "compassion". Can we show a little compassion to the men and women who can't find work, because jobs are being stolen by the criminals that illegally cross our borders? How about showing a little compassion to the men and women who, with exhorbiant property taxes and high income tax rates, have to finance social programs and health care for these criminals? Some of 'yall might say "But they aren't criminals, they're people that want to make a better life for themselves by going to America, the land of opportunity."

That's cool. I can appreciate that. But why can't they do it legally? As soon as they cross that border without a visa or Green Card, they're criminals.

John Kerry Does It Again

Does this guy ever learn his lesson? You would think that after getting busted numerous times for "flip flopping" during the Election campaign, John Kerry would have learned his lesson, right?

C'mon, you know better than that:

"Massachusetts Senator John Kerry came out firing in his response to the president's plan for victory in Iraq, saying that the presence of U.S. troops, "presents food for the insurgency. And you need to reduce that presence." But just five months ago, Senator Kerry argued exactly the opposite. During a June TV appearance, Kerry said U.S. generals were telling him, "We don't have enough tro