USMC: Master Gunner
KIA March 25, 2003
US Army: Master Gunner
KIA May 27, 2003
US Army: Master Gunner
KIA August 9, 2006
| "Obviously there are some who are trying to sow the seeds of sectarian violence," Bush said. "They destroy in order to create chaos. And now, the people of Iraq and their leaders must make a choice. The choice is chaos or unity, the choice is a free society, or a society dictated by evil people who would kill innocents." |
| President Ahmadinejad of Iran chooses a sports jacket, white shirt, and no tie. Prefering to look casual and unconcerned about being the target of the free world as he continues his nuclear program today...
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Seriously, you've gotta check it out. And if you leave a comment, tell her the TankerBrothers sent you.
| European Union foreign ministers are expected to continue providing millions of euros in aid for much-needed funds to the Palestinian caretaker government today. |
| FORWARD OPERATING BASE CONSTITUTION, Iraq  More than 150 3rd Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division Soldiers stood proudly at attention Feb. 5 to receive their graduation confirmation following six weeks of grueling training. The soldiers had just completed the Iraqi ArmyÂs new basic training course and are amongst the first training cycles to graduate from the academy here. The basic training course was run completely by the Iraqi Army, but a U.S. Military Transition Team was available for guidance when needed. Lt. Col. Hazim Abdel, executive officer for the Iraqi brigade, said he is proud of his new soldiers and that more recruits are on their way. ÂThese men felt very lazy before joining the army because many of them did not feel like they had a purpose before, he said. ÂNow they feel that they are doing something important by protecting their great country of Iraq. Soon we will have another group coming for the next cycle. |
| Early on day one, as tired recruits waited patiently in formation outside a still-closed barbershop, their drill sergeant strongly encouraged them to ask questions. "What's basic training like, drill sergeant?" one of them asked timidly. "You need to be thinking, right now: 'I'm not going to quit. You can't make me quit.' That's what it's like," answered SSgt. Michael G. Wood, a member of Company A, 46th Adjutant General Battalion. "It's red week. Nothing comes easy; you've got to want it. We're going to tighten the screws to put you under some pressure. But nobody's going to get killed here - that can happen to you in combat if we don't train you right," Wood added. After standing in the biting cold for a while, the recruits moved inside and waited. One-by-one, each had his head shaved and returned to formation. Then the group marched to the health clinic for a battery of shots and blood tests. The sign outside Copple Center at Fort Knox, Ky., reads: "Welcome to the United States Army -- 46th AG Reception Station." A Hollywood film crew erected the prop for the movie "Stripes" and left it behind when the movie was completed, said drill sergeant SSgt. Ace Clark. The Army begins here for prospective new armor crewmen and reconnaissance scouts entering One-Station Unit Training at Fort Knox. Following several days of orientation and preparation for basic training -- completing paperwork, drawing uniforms, obtaining I.D. cards and so forth -- the privates move into their quarters about a mile-and-a-half away. "The rationale behind OSUT is better training in MOSs where it's feasible to consolidate basic and Advanced Individual Training, that is, if the MOS population is large enough," said Col. Scott Feil, commander of the 1st Armored Training Brigade that's responsible for turning recruits into the Army's next generation of armor crewmen and scouts. Among the benefits of OSUT is a better drill sergeant-trainee ratio, Feil said. Army regulations call for a 1 to 17 ratio in basic training; 1 to 50 in AIT. "OSUT achieves the 1 to 17 ratio throughout its 15 to 16 weeks." Additionally, the cadre in basic and AIT hold the same MOSs for which the recruits are being trained. That's true in AIT at non-OSUT posts, too, but not true in non-OSUT basic training, where drill sergeants represent the Army's full spectrum of MOSs, Feil said. "New recruits come in three times a week at various hours in the evening," Feil continued. "We sit them down, welcome them and tell them what to expect." Upon arrival, some sport baggy pants over wiry frames. They wear thin jackets in the dead of winter. And their crops of long hair fall across their faces with every movement. Some look like they'll never make it through 14 grueling weeks of basic and AIT, 15 weeks for reconnaissance scouts and armor crewmen who get orders to an M1A2 tank unit. One's chubby and slow, others simply look too scared. (Starting on Oct. 1, all new recruits will undergo an additional week of training in human relations, focusing on Army values.) "The initial reaction to being in the Army is shock," said Pvt. 1 Mikael Madsen, 19, a recruit from Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, who enlisted in the Army for "discipline, money, maturity and college benefits," he said. "I'm a little scared, a little confused. I got in at midnight and got up at 4 a.m." He spent part of his first full Army day lying on the floor, waiting for his head to stop spinning after the shots. "During the first portion of OSUT, we turn civilians into soldiers, teaching them basic training skills like those taught elsewhere in the Army," said Capt. Mark Elfendahl, commander of Co. C, 2nd Bn., 81st Armor, part of the 1st ATB. During the first eight weeks of training, prospective armor crewmen must learn 119 common soldier tasks and 127 MOS-specific tasks. Prospective scouts, who undergo training on the Bradley fighting vehicle and Humvee, must learn 218 MOS-specific tasks, Feil said. Difficulty levels increase as the weeks progress. During a recent rotation, fourth-week OSUT trainees warmed their hands over large, coal-burning drums as they waited to fire the Army's new M-4 carbine. Snow dusted the hilly terrain at Mendick Range, where trainees gathered for the weapon familiarization training. The privates would fire 10 rounds each at computer-driven pop-up targets 50 to 200 meters away. Elsewhere on post, trainees in their sixth week faced a landmark event - Act l - 10 individual tests that would gauge what they had learned at the end of the first phase of instruction. Act II, Act III and the Tank Crew Gunnery Skills test follow. To pass Act I, soldiers must be able to give a SALUTE -- a report that includes information about enemy size, activity, location, unit, time and equipment, said 1st Sgt. Robert Headlee, from Co. A, 2nd Bn., 81st Armor. They have to know how to load and clear a 9mm pistol, don MOPP-4 gear and follow decontamination procedures, and provide first-aid, among other things. "Act I is the toughest of the tests," said Headlee, "because it's the first big test. Once the privates get this under their belts, they feel more comfortable." A majority of Act II involves map reading, said SFC Michael Bennett, an 81st Armor drill sergeant. Act III covers crew-served weapons, including the M-240 and M-2 machine guns. The Tank Crew Gunnery Skills test, required of every U.S. Army tanker before he's allowed to fire, includes assembling and disassembling weapons, successfully identifying 18 of 20 vehicles and the three main tank-gun rounds, bore-sighting, and preparing the gunner's and loader's stations for operation. "There's not one event that's a 'killer,'" said Bennett of the variety and level of training conducted during OSUT, including eight to 10 days in the field. "If there was one major thing, it could very well be physical training. Trainees are supposed to be able to do 13 pushups when they arrive at OSUT, 42 by the 15th week," Bennett said. "That's when they must achieve 60 points in each event, or a total of 180, the minimum Army requirement. That's tough for someone who's been in the Army for only 15 weeks." To get in shape, privates perform 3- to 10-kilometer road marches carrying a 35-pound rucksack, weapon and Kevlar helmet. Before they leave Fort Knox, trainees will "drive" more than 50 miles in various computer-simulated scenarios via one of the Armor School's $2.7 million tank-driver simulators. The $58 million Tank Driver Simulation Facility includes 18 M1A1 simulators and two, $8.9 million M1A2 simulators, said SSgt. Harold Peckenpaugh, from Headquarters, HQs Co., 3rd Bn., 81st Armor. They will have live-fired six rounds from the M1A1's main gun and driven a tank about 18 actual miles, some of it over hardtop roads, some in mud and water, Headlee said. Depending on their follow-on unit assignment, some privates will also learn to operate the more technologically intricate M1A2. "The training is easier than I thought it would be," said PFC Shane Pulig, a member of Co. D, 1st Bn., 103rd Armor, a National Guard unit in Connellsville, Pa. Pulig received an accelerated promotion because he entered the Army with 65 college credits. "I thought we'd spend more time in the field," he said. "Possibly the toughest part of this is just getting adjusted to the life, to all the rushing around. I'm not used to getting up at 5 a.m. and doing PT at 5:25, or sharing a room with 10 other guys." "They say being in the Army gives you an edge," said Madsen. "It gives you a physical and mental awareness that's an important part of life. That's why I'm here, and I'm definitely going to make it through. "I've traveled around the country, and the people I've met who have been in the military seem to be better off," he continued. "The first thing they tell you is 'you'll be part of a team,' and that 'the Army teaches family values that aren't present everywhere today.'" It's a package recruits like Madsen are willing to work hard to attain. |
1. Any racist or otherwise offensive comments will be deleted as soon as I read them. Cursing is okay, as long as it's not cursing for cursing's sake.So let's keep it clean, and let's keep it "real". (Fo' Rizzle).
2. Any comment violating our disclaimer or OPSEC guidelines for official information release will be deleted immediately.
| Check it out, Katrina Campers: it's been fun here, but our efforts to tell the good news about the U.S. military have started to outgrow this blog's name and design. |
Click the graphic for a direct link to MilTracker!"We cannot cede sovereignty over critical infrastructure like our ports. This is a job that America has to do."Pretty good attempt at interjecting herself into current events, but...
No, but really, it's a picture of Iranian 
| Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan will be the guest of honor at the "Bring `Em Home" concert at New York`s Hammerstein Ballroom. Among the performers scheduled to play March 20 are R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe, Bright Eyes, Rufus Wainwright, Fischerspooner, Public Enemy`s Chuck D, Devendra Banhart and Peaches, Billboard.com reported. Sheehan will address the audience at the concert noting the third anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Billboard said. Janeane Garafalo will broadcast her Air America Radio show \'The Majority Report\' live from the concert. Money raised by the show will go to Iraq Veterans Against the War and Veterans for Peace. |
1. Cindy Sheehan: Has-Been that has burned up her 15 minutes of fame a long time agoOkay... now my take:
2. Bright Eyes: Never heard of them [Edit: Still never heard of them, but previewed them on iTunes...they suck.
3. Rufus Wainwright: Never heard of him [Edit: Previewed on iTunes, Read about him on Wikipedia...still sucks]
4. Fischerspooner: Kind of Depeche Mode-ish, never heard of them until today. Suck.
5. Chuck D: Used to be cool during the Public Enemy days, currently a Has-Been.
6. Devendra Banhart and Peaches: Really Wierd. Kinda Scary. Scruffy San Fran Folky wierdo.
7. Janeane Garafalo: Has-been comedienne, annoying, tightly integrated into train-wreck Al Franken "Air America" Radio. Loser.
8. REM: Used to be cool. Haven't produced anything even remotely good in at least 10 years.
| Dar al-Harb (Arabic: دار الحرب "house of war") is a term used to refer to those areas outside Muslim rule. In some conservative traditions of Islam the world is divided into two components: dar al-Islam, the "house of submission" , and dar al-Harb, the "house of war" . The terms are usually understood to refer, respectively, to those lands currently administered by Muslimgovernments and those administered by non-Muslim governments. Taken from the Wikipedia |
| ...For Usama Bin Laden, his declaration of war against the United States marks the resumption of the struggle for religious dominance of the world that began in the seventh century. For him and his followers, this is a moment of opportunity. Today, America exemplifies the civilization and embodies the leadership of the House of War, and like Rome and Byzantium, it has become degenerate and demoralized, ready to be overthrown. But despite its weakness, it is also dangerous. Khomeini's designation of the United States as "the Great Satan" was telling, and for members of Al-Qa'ida it is the seduction of America and of its profligate, dissolute way of life that represents the greatest threat to the kind of Islam they wish to impose on their fellow Muslims." (emphasis added for clarification) |
| Let me get this straight. Islamic apologists want us all to believe that Islam is a religion of peace. Even our own president is pushing this idea on us, but when put to practical application, no one in the known world can find a peaceful Muslim anywhere. 16 are dead in Nigeria, 11 in Libya, and the Pakistani cleric, Mohammed Yousef Quereshi has offered a $1 million dollar reward to kill the cartoonist who depicted the Muslim leader as violent. Gee. Wherever did the cartoonist get that nutty idea? I’m sick of this. The world has gone crazy. All over the place, newspapers are buckling under the pressure. In Russia a newspaper was shut down after printing the cartoon. Are they insane? Way to go! The terrorists win yet again! All it takes, apparently, is some rioting and a few deaths and the free world caves. What is going on here? Personally, I’d like to see them try and pull that @!#$ here. We’re still smarting from losing 3000 Americans on 9-11. If even one more person dies at the hands of angry Muslims on our soil, expect vigilante style uprisings. They have pushed us pretty far, but there is a limit to our tolerance. And speaking of tolerance, the holy grail of the liberal faith, do you think liberals are figuring out who the real intolerant fundamentalists are yet or do you think they still hold Jerry Fallwell up as public enemy number 1? If they think the Christian right is homophobic, try a same sex smootch on the streets of Iran. I’d say you’d be lucky if all you got was a bullet in the head from one of Iran’s “peaceful” clerics. Or what about all the other devient lifestyles the left embraces? Have you ever seen what Muslims do to adulterous women? All of Hollywood’s leading ladies would have had their perfect plastic surgeries marred by the flying rocks at their public stonings. |
| Could we rescind the “peaceful religion” Oscar from Islam and give it to the Hindis or the Jews for Jesus? They’re pretty quiet. Neither one has made it into the news in the past few years for hiring contract killers or detonating suicide bombs in crowded cafes. But that would just make too much sense, (something that liberals just don’t have and sadly never will.) |
Technorati Tags: Islamic apologists, Islam, religion of peace, Mohammed Yousef Quereshi, cartoonist, Alec Baldwin, Cheney is a terrorist, islamofascists
| Iran is playing "a negative role" in Iraq by providing weapons, training and other support to militias and insurgent groups that interfere in Iraqi politics, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq said at a news conference on Monday. "I have said to Iraqis that we do not seek to impose our differences with Iran on them," Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said. "But we do not want Iranian interference in Iraq." Khalilzad also bluntly rejected recent Iranian calls for a British withdrawal from the southern Iraqi city of Basra, saying the demands were "uncalled for." The Iranians, he said, were trying to divert attention from a recent crisis over their nuclear program by "getting involved in something that's none of their business." "The coalition forces are here under a U.N. mandate at the request of the Iraqi government," Khalilzad said. "Basra is Iraqi territory, the last time I checked the map." |
| Al-Qaeda will try to exploit the Muslim uproar over cartoons satirising the Prophet Muhammad, the Danish foreign minister has warned. Per Stig Moeller also said a $1m offer by a cleric in Pakistan to anyone who kills one of the cartoonists was incitement to murder and "un-Islamic"... ...Mr Moeller also condemned the $1m bounty put on the cartoonist's head by Peshawar cleric Maulana Yousaf Qureshi and his followers on Friday. "It's murder and murder is also forbidden by the Koran," Mr Moeller said. "Islam is also a religion of peace, mercy and forgiveness. That is why it is my opinion, but also the opinion of many Muslims, this is un-Islamic," he added. Mr Qureshi last week defended his move. "If the West can place a bounty on Osama bin Laden and Zawahiri we can also announce a reward for killing the man who has caused this sacrilege of the holy Prophet," he said, referring to the al-Qaeda leader and his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri. |
| Osama bin Laden promised never to be captured alive and declared the U.S. had resorted to the same "barbaric" tactics used by Saddam Hussein, according to an audiotape purportedly by the al-Qaida leader posted Monday on a militant Web site... ..."I have sworn to only live free. Even if I find bitter the taste of death, I don't want to die humiliated or deceived," bin Laden said. He also said U.S. actions in Iraq were comparable to the actions of the ousted Iraqi leader. |
| Dennis Viglienzone shared an e-mail from his son -- sent to a cousin shortly before Caesar died -- that shed light on the soldier's feelings about his mission. "Iraq is definitely going to be OK," it said. "The Iraqis don't hate us; they almost all wave at us and seem to like us. The vast majority of Iraqis want us here; not to keep occupying their country forever but want us to stay, finish the job and pass the torch onto them." |
PFC Viglienzone, 21 years old, was serving with the legendary 101st Airborne (Air Assault) out of Ft. Campbell, KY. He was tragically killed in action on 01 Feb 2006 by a roadside bomb (IED) in Baghdad. Not mentioned in the LA Times article, however, is that PFC Viglienzone was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, and Combat Infantry Badge.| The purpose is to teach Soldiers that using the wrong gestures can potentially cause offence and escalate already tense situations. In the program, users must build trust with local people through verbal communication and gestures. One of the system's creators says the training tool, known as Tactical Iraqi, has already been a great success. Hannes Vilhjalmsson, a research scientist at the University of Southern California, gave details of the Tactical Iraqi at a conference in St Louis, US. The system also teaches troops Arabic language skills. |
| "In Iraq, to show sincerity you have to put more effort into your gestures," said Dr Vilhjalmsson. "In Western countries, we control our body language more. In Arabic culture, it is important you show how open you are." He added that reserved body language in exchanges with local people could be interpreted as having something to hide in Iraq, potentially escalating a tense situation. |
| Tactical Iraqi is built on top of the game engine for Unreal Tournament, a first-person computer "shoot-em-up". In the training tool, though, subjects use communication to resolve situations. |
| HOMECOMING!... |
| The first case of bird flu has been detected in Iran, officials there say, but it is unclear whether it is the deadly H5N1 strain. Tests in Iran and abroad confirmed 135 swans had died of the virus in Anzali marshes, near Bandar Anzali in the north-west, in the past two weeks. But statements conflict on the nature of the virus. The finding follows reports of bird flu in wild water fowl further up the Caspian Sea coast in Azerbaijan. A statement from the Iranian State Veterinary Organisation said only that the tests had shown the presence of the H5 virus, which kills only birds. The highly-pathogenic H5N1 sub-strain has killed five people in Iraq and Turkey in recent months. However, an official from the veterinary organisation, who declined to be named, told the Reuters news agency the strain was H5N1. The official state news agency, Irna, also reported that "laboratory tests have confirmed H5N1 flu was the cause of death" of the 135 swans. |
| Deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein has told a Baghdad court that he and his seven co-accused are on hunger strike in protest at their treatment. "We have been on a hunger strike for three days," Saddam Hussein declared as he appeared in the courtroom. The session, which ran for about three hours, heard testimony from three former regime officials. The trial has been adjourned until 28 February. The defendants deny charges over the 1982 massacre of 148 people in Dujail. |
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| Kit & Heidi from Euphoric Reality have asked for some help. They need to raise some money to attend the milbloggers conference in DC. We have offered to donate half the money from any sale of our CD to the cause, and three quarters of any MP3 sale. |
| BAGHDAD: Iraqi forces have arrested a top leader of the Al Qaeda terror network, General Mahdi Sabeh Hashim of the interior ministry said in press remarks published on Monday. |
| Radical Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr met Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus on Monday for talks on developments in Iraq, Syria's official news agency SANA reported. President Assad called for Iraqis to "close national ranks" to save Iraq and "liberate it from occupation," SANA said. Referring to the internationl pressure on Iran over its nuclear programme, al-Sadr said he would be "one of the defenders of Syria and Iran and all Islamic states."Al-Sadr, who arrived in Damascus Sunday, hailed Syria's support for the Iraqi people and expressed solidarity with Damascus, saying he would continue to cooperate in the best interests of both countries. The Shiite cleric told also reporters after meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa that "relations between Syria and Iraq are good but our mutual enemies; Israel, America and Britain try to make a rift between the two countries." The two discussed bilateral relations and ways of improving them in all fields, SANA said. Al-Sadr is the son of Mohammed Sadiq al-Sadr, a grand ayatollah slain by Saddam Hussein's forces in 1999. A popular leader among young and impoverished Shiites, he rose to prominence after the U.S. invasion in 2003. |
| The al-Assad family are members of the minority muslim Alawite group, and members of that group have been prominent in the governmental hierarchy and army since 1963 when Baath first seized power. Their origins are to be found in the Latakia region of north-west Syria. Bashar's family is originally from Qardaha, just east of Latakia. |
| Sheehan, whose soldier son was killed in Iraq, was once a figure of considerable sympathy. Now she comes off as shrill, humorless and self-promoting, which is hard to do in the nation's capital, given the level of competition. The night of President Bush's State of the Union message, she was ousted from the House visitors' gallery for wearing a T-shirt - that personal billboard for beliefs, products and places - with an antiwar slogan, "2,245 dead. How many more?" She feels her right of free speech was infringed and wrote on her Web site, "I don't want to live in a country that prohibits any person ... from wearing, saying, writing, or telephoning any negative statements about the government." She apparently does like living in a country that allows frivolous lawsuits, because she plans to file one. |
Cheers, Cindy. Here's to you, and you winning the (not) coveted Tanker Brothers' Rusty Centerguide Award!
| * Muslims fly commercial airliners into buildings in New York City. No Muslim outrage. |
Does anyone have any ideas/suggestions for smooting out the burrs in the blogging process?| Disgraced former National Security Advisor Sandy Berger is blasting President Bush for undermining U.S. defenses by "breaking" the military. A just-released report co-authored by Berger and several other top Clinton administration officials complains: "We believe that the Bush administration has broken faith with the American soldier and Marine." According to the web site ISN Security Watch, the report by Berger & Co. contends that the Bush administration's poor planning ahead of the Iraq war, a shortage of troops and not enough equipment or protection for troops could result in "breaking the force." The disgraced Clinton official offered his national security criticisms despite pleading guilty less than a year ago to stealing and destroying top secret national security documents in a bid to thwart the 9/11 Commission investigation. Other ex-Clinton officials who contributed to the report include former Secretary of State Madeliene Albright, former Defense Secretary William Perry and former presidential candidate, Gen. Wesley Clark. |
| Military chiefs call for tens of billions more in defense spending September 27, 2000 "WASHINGTON (CNN) -- America's top military leaders told Congress on Wednesday that the U.S. military needs tens of billions of dollars in additional funds to reverse its recent decline in readiness, and to replace aging weapons and equipment. Testifying before the Senate and House Armed Services Committees, [Clinton's] Joint Chiefs of Staff presented a unified front, saying budget cuts in the mid 1990s 'mortgaged the future' of the military." |
| As Secretary of State, Albright incurred the wrath of many Serbs in the former Yugoslavia because of her perceived anti-Serb position and her role in participating in the formulation of U.S. policy during the Kosovo War and Bosnian war as well as the rest of the Balkans. From Bosnia, international news reports and video footage showed Bosnian men detainees in concentration camps down to skin and bones. John Fox, a US State Department specialist told Peter Jennings of ABC News that he was told not to tell the truth: "We could not continue to confirm the existence of concentration camps." He said the order came from a very senior official "on the seventh floor of the State Department". ABC News executive producer David Gelber told Jennings: "Imagine that the US government knew there were concentration camps in Bosnia and wouldn't confirm it because they didn't want political pressure put on them to do something about it." |
| Clearly Perry bore a heavy load during his term as secretary of defense between 1994 and 1997. Fine-tuning the budget, downsizing the military, and conducting humanitarian, peacekeeping, and military operations provided him with a full agenda. |
| ...in April 1999 Clark had stated in an interview with the BBC program Panorama, that the NATO bombing campaign “was not designed as a means of blocking Serb ethnic cleansing. It was not designed as a means of waging war against the Serb and MUP [paramilitary police] forces in Kosovo. Not in any way. There was never any intent to do that. That was not the idea.” Thus, the war's opponents claimed that NATO's armed intervention was both unlawful in nature and means. |
| Arab Cartoons Trash 9/11, Holocaust
Muslims all over the world are outraged over a series of cartoons that have appeared in European newspapers in recent months that feature the prophet Mohammed in ways that suggest he condones terrorism. Al Jazeera reports, for instance: "Up to 300 Indonesian Muslims went on a rampage in the lobby of a building housing the Danish embassy in Jakarta on Friday. Shouting 'Allahu Akbar' [God is Greatest], they smashed lamps with bamboo sticks, threw chairs, lobbed rotten eggs and tomatoes and tore up a Danish flag." These same outraged folks, however, have yet to express a peep of protest over cartoons that routinely appear in the Arab press, which poke fun at the 9/11 attacks and the Holocaust. Mideast media watchdog Tom Gross has collected on his web site a few of the cartoons that keep some of these sensitive souls in stitches. One knee-slapper that ran Qatar's Al-Watan newspaper nine months after the 9/11 attacks shows former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon watching as an Israeli plane crashes into the World Trade Center. The Arabic words alongside the Twin Towers are "The Peace." Then there's the cartoon that appeared in the Jordanian newspaper Ad-Dustur in October 2003, which depicted the railroad tracks to Auschwitz-Birkenau. The punchline? Israeli flags have replaced the swastikas flying above the death camp - with a caption that reads: "Gaza Strip or the Israeli Annihilation Camp.” And for those who can't appreciate the humor in that tableau, there's always the cartoon that ran in Saudi Arabia's Arab News in April 2002, which shows Prime Minister Sharon wielding a swastika-shaped axe to chop up Palestinian children. As Mr. Gross notes: Most print media in the Arab world are under the full or partial control of the ruling regimes. |
| GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Tens of thousands of angry Muslims marched through Palestinian cities, burning the Danish flag and calling for vengeance Friday against European countries where caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad were published... ...The caricatures, including one depicting the Muslim prophet wearing a turban fashioned into a bomb, were reprinted in papers in Norwegian, French, German and even Jordanian after first appearing in a Danish paper in September. The drawings were republished after Muslims decried the images as insulting to their prophet. Dutch-language newspapers in Belgium and two Italian right-wing papers reprinted the drawings Friday. |
| Early Friday, Palestinian militants threw a bomb at a French cultural center in Gaza City, and many Palestinians began boycotting European goods, especially those from Denmark. "Whoever defames our prophet should be executed," said Ismail Hassan, 37, a tailor who marched through the pouring rain along with hundreds of others in the West Bank city of Ramallah. "Bin Laden our beloved, Denmark must be blown up," protesters in Ramallah chanted. In mosques throughout Palestinian cities, clerics condemned the cartoons. An imam at the Omari Mosque in Gaza City told 9,000 worshippers that those behind the drawings should have their heads cut off. |
| Ayman al-Zawahiri has peeped out his little prairie dog head to launch a video missile at George Bush. According to CNN, he stated, "My first message is to the butcher of Washington, Bush: You are not just defeated and lying about it, but you are, with God's help, a loser," he said. "You are bad luck to your people; you brought them disasters and catastrophes, and you will bring them even more disasters." Oh my! Whatever shall the good people of the United States do? The US is losing this war to these brave terrorists, these scary warriors of Allah? Never mind that Saddam will soon be swinging from the end of a rope. Never mind that the US soldiers and marines toppled two tyrannical Islamo-fascist regimes like taking candy from a baby. Never mind that all these courageous jihadists can do is kidnap and kill their own people, a bunch of unarmed contractors, and defenseless women and children. Contrary to all reason and fact, Allah has apparently made the US a bunch of losers after all. Of course! It is so clear to me now. That is why George Bush will actually be broadcasting his State of the Union speech from a forgotten cave in West Virginia. The speech will not be live. It will be previously taped and delayed to give him enough time to crawl into another hole, lest the all-powerful al Qaeda pinpoint his location and bomb him to oblivion. These glorified camel riders just do not get it. They do not understand the American spirit. The more these holy warriors threaten, the more they hurt, the more they kill, the more they pave their own highway to hell. |
These guys get a TankerBrothers "Kickass Design Award". (click the pic)| ...We remain on the offensive in Afghanistan - where a fine president and national assembly are fighting terror while building the institutions of a new democracy. |
| And we are on the offensive in Iraq, with a clear plan for victory. First, we are helping Iraqis build an inclusive government, so that old resentments will be eased, and the insurgency marginalized. Second, we are continuing reconstruction efforts, and helping the Iraqi government to fight corruption and build a modern economy, so all Iraqis can experience the benefits of freedom. Third, we are striking terrorist targets while we train Iraqi forces that are increasingly capable of defeating the enemy. Iraqis are showing their courage every day, and we are proud to be their allies in the cause of freedom. Our work in Iraq is difficult, because our enemy is brutal. But that brutality has not stopped the dramatic progress of a new democracy. In less than three years, that nation has gone from dictatorship, to liberation, to sovereignty, to a constitution, to national elections. At the same time, our coalition has been relentless in shutting off terrorist infiltration, clearing out insurgent strongholds, and turning over territory to Iraqi security forces. I am confident in our plan for victory ... I am confident in the will of the Iraqi people ... I am confident in the skill and spirit of our military. Fellow citizens, we are in this fight to win, and we are winning. The road of victory is the road that will take our troops home. As we make progress on the ground, and Iraqi forces increasingly take the lead, we should be able to further decrease our troop levels - but those decisions will be made by our military commanders, not by politicians in Washington, D.C. |
| Our coalition has learned from experience in Iraq. We have adjusted our military tactics and changed our approach to reconstruction. Along the way, we have benefited from responsible criticism and counsel offered by Members of Congress of both parties. In the coming year, I will continue to reach out and seek your good advice. |
| Yet there is a difference between responsible criticism that aims for success, and defeatism that refuses to acknowledge anything but failure. Hindsight alone is not wisdom. And second-guessing is not a strategy. |
| With so much in the balance, those of us in public office have a duty to speak with candor. A sudden withdrawal of our forces from Iraq would abandon our Iraqi allies to death and prison ... put men like bin Laden and Zarqawi in charge of a strategic country ... and show that a pledge from America means little. Members of Congress: however we feel about the decisions and debates of the past, our Nation has only one option: We must keep our word, defeat our enemies, and stand behind the American military in its vital mission. |
| Our men and women in uniform are making sacrifices - and showing a sense of duty stronger than all fear. They know what it is like to fight house to house in a maze of streets ... to wear heavy gear in the desert heat ... to see a comrade killed by a roadside bomb. And those who know the costs also know the stakes. Marine Staff Sergeant Dan Clay was killed last month fighting the enemy in Fallujah. He left behind a letter to his family, but his words could just as well be addressed to every American. Here is what Dan wrote: "I know what honor is. It has been an honor to protect and serve all of you. I faced death with the secure knowledge that you would not have to.... Never falter! Don't hesitate to honor and support those of us who have the honor of protecting that which is worth protecting." |
I wasn't the only one that was pissed off. That cartoon got some pretty important people pissed off as well (trust me....it's worth clicking to get a bigger view):
| ...We have served America through one of the most consequential periods of our history - and it has been my honor to serve with you. ...there will always be differences and debate. But even tough debates can be conducted in a civil tone, and our differences cannot be allowed to harden into anger. To confront the great issues before us, we must act in a spirit of good will and respect for one another - and I will do my part... In this decisive year, you and I will make choices that determine both the future and the character of our country. We will choose to act confidently in pursuing the enemies of freedom - or retreat from our duties in the hope of an easier life. We will choose to build our prosperity by leading the world economy - or shut ourselves off from trade and opportunity. In a complex and challenging time, the road of isolationism and protectionism may seem broad and inviting - yet it ends in danger and decline. The only way to protect our people ... the only way to secure the peace ... the only way to control our destiny is by our leadership - so the United States of America will continue to lead. |
| Abroad, our Nation is committed to an historic, long-term goal - we seek the end of tyranny in our world. Some dismiss that goal as misguided idealism. In reality, the future security of America depends on it. On September 11th, 2001, we found that problems originating in a failed and oppressive state seven thousand miles away could bring murder and destruction to our country. Dictatorships shelter terrorists, feed resentment and radicalism, and seek weapons of mass destruction. Democracies replace resentment with hope, respect the rights of their citizens and their neighbors, and join the fight against terror. Every step toward freedom in the world makes our country safer, and so we will act boldly in freedom's cause. Far from being a hopeless dream, the advance of freedom is the great story of our time. In 1945, there were about two dozen lonely democracies on Earth. Today, there are 122. And we are writing a new chapter in the story of self-government - with women lining up to vote in Afghanistan ... and millions of Iraqis marking their liberty with purple ink ... and men and women from Lebanon to Egypt debating the rights of individuals and the necessity of freedom. At the start of 2006, more than half the people of our world live in democratic nations. And we do not forget the other half - in places like Syria, Burma, Zimbabwe, North Korea, and Iran - because the demands of justice, and the peace of this world, require their freedom as well. |
| Terrorists like bin Laden are serious about mass murder - and all of us must take their declared intentions seriously. They seek to impose a heartless system of totalitarian control throughout the Middle East, and arm themselves with weapons of mass murder. Their aim is to seize power in Iraq, and use it as a safe haven to launch attacks against America and the world. Lacking the military strength to challenge us directly, the terrorists have chosen the weapon of fear... ...But they have miscalculated: We love our freedom, and we will fight to keep it. |
| In a time of testing, we cannot find security by abandoning our commitments and retreating within our borders. If we were to leave these vicious attackers alone, they would not leave us alone. They would simply move the battlefield to our own shores. There is no peace in retreat. And there is no honor in retreat. By allowing radical Islam to work its will - by leaving an assaulted world to fend for itself - we would signal to all that we no longer believe in our own ideals, or even in our own courage. |
| But our enemies and our friends can be certain: The United States will not retreat from the world, and we will never surrender to evil. ...America rejects the false comfort of isolationism. We are the Nation that saved liberty in Europe, and liberated death camps, and helped raise up democracies, and faced down an evil empire. Once again, we accept the call of history to deliver the oppressed, and move this world toward peace. |
| We remain on the offensive against terror networks. We have killed or captured many of their leaders - and for the others, their day will come. |
| Robin Williams' plan...(Hard to argue with this logic!) "I see a lot of people yelling for peace but I have not heard of a plan for peace. So, here's one plan." 1) "The US will apologize to the world for our "interference" in their affairs, past & present. You know, Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Tojo, Noriega, Milosevic, Hussein, and the rest of those "good ole boys", we will never "interfere" again. 2) We will withdraw our troops from all over the world, starting with Germany, South Korea, the Middle East, and the Philippines. They don't want us there. We would station troops at our borders. No one allowed sneaking through holes in the fence. 3) All illegal aliens have 90 days to get their affairs together and leave. We'll give them a free trip home. After 90 days the remainder will be gathered up and deported immediately, regardless of whom or where they are. They're illegal!!! France will welcome them. 4) All future visitors will be thoroughly checked and limited to 90 days unless given a special permit!!!! No one from a terrorist nation will be allowed in. If you don't like it there, change it yourself and don't hide here. Asylum would never be available to anyone. We don't need any more cab drivers or 7-11 cashiers. 5) No foreign "students" over age 21. The older ones are the bombers. If they don't attend classes, they get a "D" and it's back home baby. 6) The US will make a strong effort to become self-sufficient energy wise. This will include developing nonpolluting sources of energy but will require a temporary drilling of oil in the Alaskan wilderness. The caribou will have to cope for a while. 7) Offer Saudi Arabia and other oil producing countries $10 a barrel for their oil. If they don't like it, we go someplace else. They can go somewhere else to sell their production. (About a week of the wells filling up the storage sites would be enough.) 8) If there is a famine or other natural catastrophe in the world, we will not "interfere." They can pray to Allah or whomever, for seeds, rain, cement or whatever they need. Besides most of what we give them is stolen or given to the army. The people who need it most get very little, if anything. 9) Ship the UN Headquarters to an isolated island someplace. We don't need the spies and fair weather friends here. Besides, the building would make a good homeless shelter or lockup for illegal aliens. 10) All Americans must go to charm and beauty school. That way, no one can call us "Ugly Americans" any longer. The Language we speak is ENGLISH...learn it..or LEAVE...Now, isn't that a winner of a plan? "The Statue of Liberty is no longer saying "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses." She's got a baseball bat and she's yelling, 'you want a piece of me?' " |
| Comments: One would expect a piece written by Robin Williams to be smart and funny, which this lackluster synopsis of the Top Ten Sentiments Most Likely to be Heard on Right-Wing Talk Radio is not. Apart from the final quotation (an actual quip, sans original context, from his comedy act), Williams — a so-called "San Francisco liberal" whose left-leaning political views have angered conservatives and earned him billing on at least one Internet-posted "celebrity blacklist" — clearly did not write the thing. Who did write it remains a mystery, if not a particularly interesting one. Early versions circulated in March 2003 before the Robin Williams tagline was added went entirely uncredited. |
"... my observation is that today's anti-liberation/hatebush(progressive Leftists) crowd holds such hatred for President Bush because he symbolizes the noble American character that progressive Leftists had been attempting to destroy these past three decades. They project all their failures unto Bush as the reason why their quest for a Collective Equalized Utopia has failed never realizing for one moment that the reason for their failure is due to the fact that individual Liberty is far more effective than collective Equalization..." (posted by syn)That's awesome. And it explains alot.
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