March 22, 2003

... in his latest op ed "The Iraqis are certainly acting as if they are headless,"wherein he opines on the war on Iraq, toilet rolls and Robert Fisk.
He also works in the mention of an important terrorist connection that was discovered coincidentally during our decapitation strike on Baghdad:

It's interesting how much was clarified in the first hours of the war. On Thursday, the Palestine Liberation Front released a statement announcing the identity of the first verified casualty: PLF "1st Lieutenant" Ahmed Walid Raguib al-Baz was killed in Baghdad, "while confronting the treacherous US air bombardment on Iraq".

The PLF is the terrorist group that, among other triumphs, hijacked the Achille Lauro back in the 1980s and pushed Leon Klinghoffer, a wheelchair-bound American Jew, into the Mediterranean.

What was a PLF terrorist doing attending a war council of Saddam's inner circle in Baghdad? Well, I leave that to all the experts who've assured us that Baghdad has no ties to terror groups.

So even if we didn't get Saddam with this first strike, we got Islamofascist killer al-Baz and that's a good start!

Turkey Denies Troops Sent to Iraq, West Gets Tough

Turkey said on Saturday there was no truth in reports it had sent troops into Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq overnight, as U.S., European and NATO leaders made clear they wanted Ankara to stay out.

Germany led NATO voices threatening action, saying it would withdraw its crews from the alliance's AWACS surveillance planes patrolling the airspace over Turkey if Ankara became a belligerent force in northern Iraq.[Danke, Deutschland! That'll make 'em think twice!--J.T.]

The United States signaled it did not want Turkey to upset its military campaign to oust Iraqi President Saddam Hussein by triggering any fighting with Kurdish groups Ankara suspects of ambitions to establish an independent Kurdish state.
[...]
In Washington, a U.S. official said: "We know the Turks think that it's necessary to use the military to establish a humanitarian corridor in the north but frankly we don't agree."
[...]
Germany, which is opposed to any involvement in the U.S.-led war against Baghdad, delivered one of the toughest messages to Ankara, saying Berlin would not accept any change in the purely defensive nature of AWACS missions in Turkey.

"If Turkey itself becomes a participant in the war, that would be a new situation that would lead to the withdrawal of German soldiers from the AWACS aircraft over Turkey. We will not participate in a war," German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer told reporters.

Turkey is concerned that a Kurdish state would reignite armed Kurdish separatism in southeastern Turkey that cost 30,000 lives in the 1980s and 1990s.[New Turk Prez & Islamist Erdogan was babbling about these 30,000 lives lost just the other day...Jen] Iraqi Kurdish groups, for their part, fear Turkey might move to crush the autonomy they have enjoyed since Baghdad lost control of the area after the 1991 Gulf War.

Watch this situation in northern Iraq.
Word has it that if Turkey comes into Iraq to fight the Kurds, then so will the Syrians and the Iranians.
This hunger for the northern, Kurdish part of Iraq on the part of the Turks may not just be an act of ethnic "compassion" on Turkey's part; au contraire, it's probably the first part of an effort to effect ethnic cleansing of the Kurds.
But the Turks could capture the rich Kirkuk oil fields in the process and that would we nice for them, wouldn't it?
Turkish ambitions on northern Iraq may explain everything about why they wouldn't cooperate with polite and lucrative U.S. requests to use Turkish terrority for some of our campaign to liberate Iraq.
On the other hand, the Kurds have most eagerly pledged the loyalties of 70,000+ Kurds to the U.S. and her allies to bring down Saddam's regime.

Update: It's now being reported that this attack was carried out by a Muslim-American U.S. soldier. Unforgivable, craven and cowardly, for which I'm sure he'll be court-martialled, if not executed.
That is, if he's a real GI.
If Muslim-American soldiers will put their loyalty to "Islam" above their loyalty to their country, then Washington, we have a problem and these people will have to be weeded out of the military!

U.S. Troops Attacked in Kuwait; 10 Wounded

A camp of the 101st Airborne Division in Kuwait was attacked early Sunday with grenades and small arms fire, wounding 10 people, including six seriously, U.S. military officials said.

From our reports it appears that a terrorist penetrated Camp Pennsylvania, one or more terrorists threw two hand grenades into a tent," said George Heath, spokesman at Fort Campbell, Ky., home base of the 101st.[Not just "a tent;" it was the Command tent.--Jen]
[...]
The attack, which included small arms fire, happened at a rear base camp of the 101st, near the Iraqi border, U.S. military officials said.

The military did not identify the unit of the 101st that was in the camp but said it had been in Kuwait for about one week.

Most of the division has entered southern Iraq.
[...]
Sunday's attack was the fourth against Americans in Kuwait since October. Kuwait was the main launching point for the tens of thousands of ground forces who have entered Iraq.
[...]
Three Kuwaitis were arrested last month on suspicion of planning terrorist attacks on U.S. forces in the tiny, oil-rich emirate.

The men were described as Muslim extremists who followed the principles of Al Qaeda leader Usama bin Laden. The arrests followed several attacks against Americans in Kuwait.

On Jan. 21, Islamic extremists were blamed for killing a San Diego computer contractor and injuring another American close to Camp Doha, where U.S. forces are based.

A Kuwaiti policeman faces trial on charges of shooting and seriously wounding two U.S. soldiers on Nov. 21 after allegedly stopping their car on a highway.

In October, Muslim fundamentalists killed one U.S. Marine and injured another on a Kuwaiti island. Other Marines killed the gunmen, who were religious extremists.

Lest we forget who the enemy is, there's an incident like this to serve as an ugly reminder...
even Fox seems fishing for ways not to call them Islamofascists, though.
This makes me furious, not only because our soldiers have been seriously hurt, but also because these "Muslim extremists" aren't men enough to fight like men and like soldiers themselves, but are content to murder like cowards. "Terrorist scum," indeed.
I pray for the wounded, that they can recover from their injuries.
Back at Camp Pennsylvania, they need to seriously work on their security; however tight it's been, it needs to get even tighter.
Like rats and cockroaches, these Islamist vermin seem "clever" at finding any "holes" in a given security system (like Mohammed Atta and his 9/11 boys with the box cutters, dammit!).
Rumor has it that these "Arab nationals" who perpetrated the grenade attack were allowed in the camp because they were working as translators for the staff.

Caption:An unidentified U.S. soldier gives candy to Iraqi boys as he patrols in the southern border city of Safwan, Friday, March 21, 2003. Waving Iraqi civilians greeted members of the 1st Marine Division as they entered the town of Safwan."

This one's for my dad, who similarly befriended the little children by giving them Hershey bars in Germany when he was with the U.S.Army in WWII!
A great tradition of the U.S. Military continues...

Bush Watches Some of Baghdad Bombardment on TV

The White House came up with this after the Press Corps went literally crazy asking Ari Fleischer this question.
Apparently, those morons don't think the war is "real" for the Commander in Chief unless he sees it on CNN!
However, the TV coverage also explains why I haven't been blogging much...
watching this war happen "live" has had me mesmerized--I admit it.
It's "reality TV" to the max.
And with those reporters being imbedded with the troops, their reports really are the news of the war.
If you can filter out the Liberal cr*p (which is definitely the case with Fox News), it's almost "pure" news, for a change!
[I happened to flip over to MSNBC and caught Bush-hater Bryan Williams comparing our "Shock and Awe" bombing of Baghdad to the fire-bombing of Dresden during WWII.
Happily, somebody in the Pentagon caught this,too, because Rummy had some choice words for Bryan (even though he didn't mention him by name, "you know who you are") about such remarks at his daily press conference this afternoon! Rummy is so great!]

March 20, 2003

Here's several reports that are unconfirmed and/or breaking on the front:
--An unknown number of Iraqi troops surrendered to a contingent of Marines as they crossed the border into Iraq.
--An officer in the Iraqi Army says that the Iraqi military is "breaking from within"
--3-4 oil wells are reported to be on fire in the oil fields outside of Basra.
--King Abdullah's government has rounded up
Islamic "militants" in Jordan.
--On the home front, there's been a threat to the largest US nuclear power plant Palo Verde outside of Phoenix, AZ.
--There's supposed to be a major air offensive coming "tonight," by which I take it that they mean the Baghdad nighttime.
Click on theFOXNews.com link for the latest developments.

Stocks Cut Losses as Saddam Rumors Swirl

Stocks trimmed steep losses in late morning on Thursday as rumors swirled that Saddam Hussein may have been hit in an initial strike by the United States aimed at ousting the Iraqi president.

Well, time will tell if we got the Big Butcher, but in the meantime, there's a report from Albawaba News to suggest that we may actually have killed the son, Uday the Sociopath:
"Report: Saddam son suffers from brain hemorrhage" [I'd give you the link but I can't get there, the server's so overloaded, and you wouldn't be able to either.]
Don't be surprised if the next report out of Araby is that Uday has "passed away" from this "hemorrhage."

As I'm writing this, I can hear the beginning of what I think is the "Shock and Awe" air campaign on the TV--multiple sounds of bombardment, AA fire and Baghdad air raid sirens...
Good hunting, guys!
Update: Apparently, it's a big barrage, but the Pentagon states that this is not yet "Shock and Awe" and that that will be more massive.
*frisson of forbidden delight*

Bush: Opening Stages of War Have Begun

Coalition forces began striking selected targets against Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, President Bush announced in a live address from the Oval Office on Wednesday night.
[...]
Aimed at cutting off the head of the snake, the president called for the attack ahead of schedule, according to defense officials. The Pentagon had told the news media earlier in the evening not to expect an attack on Wednesday night, which is Thursday morning in Iraq.
[...]
Intelligence sources told Fox News that the military was aiming either at Saddam, his two sons or two other key Iraqi leaders that they had intelligence on. Sources said that intelligence officials knew where Saddam was eight hours ago and maybe sooner, and they can not rule out another surgical strike again.
[...]
Several F-117 stealth fighters dropped two precision guided bombs each and as many as three dozen Tomahawk missiles were fired from ships in the Red Sea and Persian Gulf. Now that military force has begun, sources with close ties to the Defense Department say they expect at least 1,000 bombs to fall as soon as the next wave.

"Now that conflict has come, the only way to limit its duration is to apply decisive force. And I assure you, this will not be a campaign of half measures and we will accept no outcome but victory," Bush said.
[...]
White House spokesman Ari Fleischer had announced Bush's plans to speak on short notice.

Fleischer spoke as anti-aircraft fire and explosions were heard across Baghdad after air raid sirens went off at the capital at dawn.

What a night--and very reminiscent of that night back in January of 1991 when I watched the air attack on the "new, cutting-edge" cable channel CNN.

If the Saddam tape played on Iraqi TV after our attack was "live" and it was really him, I guess we didn't get him this time, but he looked and sounded pitiful and if I'd been Iraqi, I think I might have offed myself if my "fearless leader" looked so old and tired.
The Liberal Media isn't making very much of this--they're focusing their attention on the "negative" reaction from around the world to our attack and this story about a "top" White House anti-terror "boss" resigning.
They imply that it's to protest the war on Iraq, but the "top" "boss" insists he's quitting because we're "abandoning" the War on Terror, to fight the war in Iraq even though today, we launched an offensive in Aghanistan against Al Queda at the same time that we attacked Iraq by air:
U.S. Troops Raid Afghanistan in Hunt for Al Qaeda

About 20 minutes after U.S. troops lobbed an opening strike against Iraq the military also launched a terrorist-seeking raid in Afghanistan, Fox News has learned. The operation, dubbed "Valiant Strike," is taking place in the air and on the ground southeast of Kandahar.

About 1,000 troops from the Army's 82nd Airborne Division were combing southeastern Afghanistan for members of Al Qaeda and its elusive leader, Usama bin Laden. Operation Valiant Strike is the biggest U.S. terrorist-seeking operation in over a year, military officials said.

All I can say is that I am impressed as hell by the capabilities of Gen. Tommy Franks, not to mention our military!
Franks coordinated both of these attacks and the air attack on Iraq involved bringing together planes and missiles from probably 4-5 different locales.
We've now shown the enemy that we not only can find them with a great deal of specificity but that even with problems of logistics (such as our bases in Turkey being unavailable for launching sorties or docking facilities), we can successfully manoeuvre around those and still have maximum strike capacity.
Awesome, everybody.
May the remaining days of battle go as well as tonight's operations (except for the missing Saddam part, if indeed we did miss).
Now, I have to get some sleep.
I watched cable news for too long, hoping to hear we'd hit Saddam, and now I am beyond beat....
Back on duty tomorrow.

March 19, 2003

From the White House:
Letter from the President to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate

Text of a Letter from the President to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate

March 18, 2003
Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:)

Consistent with section 3(b) of the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 (Public Law 107-243), and based on information available to me, including that in the enclosed document, I determine that:

(1) reliance by the United States on further diplomatic and other peaceful means alone will neither (A) adequately protect the national security of the United States against the continuing threat posed by Iraq nor (B) likely lead to enforcement of all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq; and

(2) acting pursuant to the Constitution and Public Law 107-243 is consistent with the United States and other countries continuing to take the necessary actions against international terrorists and terrorist organizations, including those nations, organizations, or persons who planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001.

Sincerely,
GEORGE W. BUSH

Hooah, Mr. President!
Let's Roll!

NYC Officials Fear Terrorist Takeover of TV Outlets

The New York Police Department has stepped up security outside major television news outlets in Manhattan to prevent possible takeovers by terrorists who may want to broadcast anti-American messages.
[...]

New York's 36,500-officer police department, the nation's largest, began formulating the sweeping Operation Atlas security plan as war with Iraq grew more certain in recent weeks. The plan arose from fears that the city could become a target for retaliation by terrorists.

The operation, which could cost more than $5 million a week, is "the most comprehensive terror prevention program our city has implemented," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said.
[...]As part of Operation Atlas, police officials are deploying special patrols to guard television stations clustered in midtown Manhattan and elsewhere.

The step was not prompted by a specific threat or intelligence, police said. But counterterrorism experts and broadcast executives have viewed television news studios as potential targets since the Sept. 11 attack.

Well, warbloggers, if the NY nerve centers of the TV news networks were attacked (God forbid!), the world would really be dependent on us!
Islamofascists, if you harm Fox and Friends, you'll have to answer to me!

Bellicose Women are what is going to win this war!
[What better crew could an AF jet have than these professional and pretty ladies?
And when you consider that they're fighting against a foe who thinks that women are only good for childbearing? Awesome!]
Godspeed, girls! Looking very good.

Victory salute to The Professor for this one!

Officer: 15 Iraqi Soldiers Surrender

Fifteen Iraqis surrendered to American forces at the Iraqi-Kuwaiti border on Wednesday, a U.S. Army officer said.

Capt. Darren Theriault of the headquarters company of the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division told journalists with the unit that the Iraqis had been turned over to Kuwaiti custody.

Where I'm sure the Kuwaitis gave them a warm welcome...or maybe not.
There's not only the matter of payback for Saddam's invasion of their country in 1990, but there are several hundreds, if not thousands, of Kuwaitis in Iraqi custody that have never been accounted for!

OIL LOSS HITS UN COFFERS

The United Nations is losing its only cash cow with the shutdown of Iraq's oil fields - profits of more than $300 million a year.

The UN has been taking a tidy gain acting as a partner for Iraq for the past 11 years to sell its embargoed oil in exchange for food and medical supplies.

"It was the only profitable thing at the UN," said one oil analyst. "It paid for a lot of programs and overhead there."[What the Iraqi oil didn't pay for, the U.S. did. What a scam!--J.T.]
[...]
Of all the oil sales handled through the UN, a total 72 percent went to the Security Council to allocate to Iraq and other humanitarian programs, said a UN source.

Another 25 percent of the oil cash went into the coffers of a compensation fund for Kuwaiti victims in the 1991 Gulf war. The UN's own in-house take for handling the oil sales contracts through a worldwide vendor network was 2.2 percent. The remaining 0.8 percent of the cash went to bankroll the UN weapons inspectors for the past several years, the UN source said.[I wondered where they got all that money, which Blix & Co. spent lavishly!--Jen]

"Everyone on the Security Council liked the arrangement because of the relief money it provided," said oil analyst Peter Beutel of Cameron, Hanover.

He said the UN also arranged for the purchase of food and pharmaceuticals with the oil money.

Well, praise the Lord for the pittance that actually went for humanitarian aid.
No wonder those weasels and their 3rd world enablers fought like wildcats to prevent us from enforcing Res. 1441!
This is institutionalized crime and we can only hope that our action on Iraq will surely make the UN irrelevant and will bring this to an end.
BTW, where did all this money go...???

France May Help U.S. in Case of Chemical Warfare

France has led opposition to U.S. war plans in Iraq, but the Foreign Ministry said Iraqi use of biological or chemical weapons in a war could change France's position.

ARRRGGGGGHHHH!
What is wrong with these people?!?
They weren't worried about Saddam's weapons and he wasn't a problem, but now they're concerned and are offering help, after they've made War the only possible solution and we've stepped up to the plate to fight it, over their obstructionism??!
I could go on and on with the convoluted questions!
I am personally delighted that these Frogs aren't in our Coalition!
Their stinking thinking and their bad red wine give me a headache!

Blair's job safe after Commons rebellion says Cook

Robin Cook says Tony Blair's job is safe despite the Labour rebellion over the Iraq crisis.

Mr Cook, who quit as Leader of the Commons this week over the looming war, said no one in the Labour Party was capable of replacing the Prime Minister.

"I don't think his own standing and status is damaged," Mr Cook told CNN's Larry King. "There's nobody who can credibly challenge him for leadership of the Labour party."
[...]
"He's been the most successful Labour leader in my lifetime and I want him to go on."

Former Prime Minister John Major, who also appeared on the programme, praised Mr Blair's stance on Iraq.

Mr Major, who led Britain during the 1991 Gulf War, said his successor had been "very robust" in his support of the US and the actions against Saddam.

"I think that's entirely right," he commented. "He's given America the support that I would have expected of the British Prime Minister."

Go, Tony, Go!
(Note that this is in the TheGuardian no less, the Pravda of London!)
I don't know where Tony's Leftist politics have gone and I can only hope they're gone forever; in fact, his strong stance has routed the "anti-war" Left all over the world, including earning him an endorsement from his old buddy Bubba (However, Clintoon wouldn't go the whole distance and also praise Bush...of course.)
Almost for that alone, I am infinitely grateful to Blair.
The US couldn't hope for a better world leader to stand "shoulder to shoulder" with our President!
Somewhere in Heaven, Winston Churchill is smiling and proud of his living legacy so vigorously alive in Mr. Blair!

Syria blocks Iraqi exodus

As the countdown to war continues, Iraqis have been trying to get out of the country.

But since midday on Tuesday, they have been unable to cross the border into Syria.
[...]
One Syrian border official said they were only allowing in Iraqis who were travelling on their own.

Big groups or families had to be turned back, he said, because it was obvious they were trying to flee.

Many Iraqi taxis and buses and their passengers are now finding themselves stranded on the border with not enough petrol to drive back to Baghdad.

The four-hour drive from the Iraqi capital to Syria requires that cars fill up with petrol just before or just after they leave Iraq.

On the road between Baghdad and the border, however, there were long queues at the few open petrol stations, and cars were not being allowed to fill up completely.

Such is war, but it's tragic to behold.
Hopefully, it's a good thing that these refugees can't get back to Baghdad and that they're out of harm's way.
Let's hope that Syria changes its mind and opens up the border again.

March 18, 2003

Blair: 'Back me or I quit'

The Prime Minister told a hushed Commons this afternoon that his Government now faced a "stark choice" - to stand down the thousands of troops now hours away from war, or to hold firm to the course they have set. And he declared "I believe we must hold firm."

He went on to paint a graphic picture of the consequences of retreat, the United Nations reduced to "a talking shop"; Saddam Hussein triumphant; other tyrants encouraged - and the Iraqi people condemned to continued oppression. And he demanded bluntly: "Who will celebrate and who will weep if we take our troops back from the Gulf now?"

He went on: "If we do act, we should do so with a clear conscience and a strong heart. Our fault has not been impatience. The truth is that our patience should have been exhausted weeks and months and even years ago."

Mr Blair added: "Back away from this confrontation now and future conflicts will be infinitely worse and more devastating."

And he said that to retreat now, he believed, "would put at hazard all that we hold dearest ... tell our allies that at the very moment of action, at the very moment they need our determination, that Britain faltered. I will not be party to such a cause." With the Tories officially backing him there was no real doubt that Mr Blair would gain the paper majority he needs in the vote at 10 tonight.

God bless you, Tony and your like-minded British political allies for your strong, principled support!
In WWII, Britain needed America's help and we gave it.
Now the tables have turned and we'd like to have Britain's help and it makes it feel as if the War is more than half-way won just to know they'll be by our side in the Liberation of Iraq!

12:09 PM Permalink

Troops' reaction to Bush ultimatum: "About time!"

Troop Reaction: 'It's About Time'

Troops waiting for war with Iraq cheered President Bush's 48-hour ultimatum to Saddam Hussein to leave his country or face attack.

From Texas [Yee-haw!] to the deserts and seas of the Persian Gulf region, Americans in uniform are eager to get the job done and then get home.

"It's about time," said Petty Officer 2nd Class Jeff Howard, 33, an aviation electronics technician from Memphis, Tenn.

He and others aboard the USS Kitty Hawk heard Bush's address at 4 a.m. via satellite. Sitting on the mess deck, Howard munched hash browns as he strained to hear the president over the constant din of machine noise.
[...]

In Fort Hood, Texas, home to the Army's 1st Cavalry Division and the 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized), the usually noisy officers' club fell silent from St. Patrick's Day celebrations as Bush spoke.

A holler rang out after the president finished, and the crowd erupted into applause.

"I expected a clear message to us and our allies and Saddam Hussein, and I think the president delivered," said Lt. Sean McBride, 28, an Apache Longbow helicopter pilot.
[...]
There were nods of approval when Bush said U.S. forces would outline actions the Iraqi military should take to avoid attack.

"He laid it out for the Iraqi military that we are not there to destroy them -- we are not there to destroy the Iraqi people," said Capt. Eric Purple, 27, of New Milord, Conn. "You choose to lay down your arms, we're not going to kill you like a bunch of savages."

In the Kuwaiti desert, soldiers from A Company, 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment woke up early to hear Bush on Voice of America radio.

Standing under a full moon in the cold desert, their reaction was subdued, as if they had just been given a solemn mission.

"He (Saddam) better be packing his bags," said Sgt. 1st Class Eric Alfred, of Twin Mountain, N.H.

Keeping morale high after four months of uncertainty has been tough for leaders like Alfred, a 31-year-old platoon sergeant. But the mood in the camp obviously improved with knowing the end game was in sight.

"We don't want to go to war," he said. "But it is good to know what's going to happen."

We hate for you to have to go to war, guys and gals, but that is the way Saddam--and the French--want it.
God Bless you all, men and women, Americans, Brits, Aussies and Poles!
Come home victorious and unharmed.
We love you and are as proud and grateful as heck to you all for what you're about to do!

11:49 AM Permalink

Denmark, Holland, Japan pledge support to Willing Coalition

Powell: 30 Nations in Anti-Iraq Coalition

Thirty nations have joined with the United States in a "coalition of the willing" to bring down Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and another 15 quietly have promised their support, Secretary of State Colin Powell said Tuesday.

Powell told reporters he had received assurances of open support in telephone conversations with the foreign ministers of Denmark and the Netherlands, but that Russian President Vladimir Putin had reaffirmed his opposition to war with Iraq in a telephone conversation with President Bush.

At the same time, Powell said Saddam Hussein so far had rejected Bush's demand that he leave Iraq, but that a number of countries were still trying to persuade the Iraqi president to go into exile.

Add Koziumi's support from Japan to the Coalition, too:

Koizumi backs Bush's demand for Hussein to flee

Japan threw its full support behind U.S. President George W. Bush's demand for Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to leave his country or face war, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Tuesday.

It's nice to see this new 21st Century global "Band of Brothers" forming up to take down the enemy!

11:20 AM Permalink

1 American oilman, 1 Canadian shot dead in Yemen

American, Canadian Shot Dead in Yemen

A Yemeni man shot three foreign oil workers Tuesday, killing an American and a Canadian and wounding another Canadian before shooting himself dead, according to oil workers and a U.S. diplomat.

The attack took place in an oil field in the oil-rich northern province of Marib, about 100 miles northeast of the Yemeni capital San`a, the tribesmen and oil workers said on condition of anonymity. Both Westerners worked at a Hunt Oil Co. rig, and were shot while they were working in the field.
[...]
On Dec. 30, a suspected Islamic militant shot dead three U.S. Christian missionaries who worked at a Baptist-run hospital.

Yemen has long been a hotbed for terrorists and is the ancestral homeland of Al Qaeda leader Usama bin Laden.

In 2000, an explosives-laden boat rammed an American destroyer, the USS Cole, off Yemen, killing 17 U.S. sailors. In November, a CIA-operated Predator drone fired a missile that killed bin Laden's top lieutenant in Yemen, Qaed Salim Sinan al-Harethi, and five other suspected members of the terror group.

How sad.
Rest in peace, gentlemen.
(This strikes pretty close to home as Hunt Oil Co. is one of Dallas'es and Texas's oldest and finest companies.)
We're at war with the IslamoNazis for real and unfortunately, their killers are going to try to keep murdering us wherever they can until we drain that swamp.

10:55 AM Permalink

France sends troops to a 2nd African nation and again without UN approval

France deploys troops in CAR

France has sent soldiers to protect foreign citizens in the Central African Republic (CAR) after rebels overthrew the government there.

About 300 troops from the former colonial power are being asked to secure the airport in the capital, Bangui, to allow foreign nationals to leave safely.
[...]The United States asked France to help protect its citizens and backed a French call for "a real, all-inclusive dialogue" as a necessary step to end the cycle of unrest in the CAR.

This is just one more incident in a growing list of such French incursions into Africa in just the matter of a few months (and by that I mean the sending of troops into Ivory Coast, inviting Mogabe to Paris, Chirac's state visit to Algeria, and now this deployment of troops into yet another country...!
that continues to indicate to me that France wants to regain control of Africa...?
I suppose while we're busy bringing democracy, secularism and 21st Century modernity to the Middle East, the Frogs plan to keep themselves busy with the Dark Continent.
Good luck with that, Jacques.

12:58 AM Permalink

March 17, 2003

France, Russia fake outrage, shrug off blame

Russia and France angered by end of diplomacy

The United States and Britain walked away from the United Nations yesterday, withdrawing their bid for a second resolution, abandoning their pursuit of security council support for war against Iraq and sparking acrimonious exchanges with France and Russia.

Having failed to secure the necessary nine votes, the co-sponsors of the resolution - Britain, the US and Spain - decided not to seek a vote and vowed to attack Iraq without council support if Saddam Hussein fails to disarm, leaving the UN in a state of chaos.
[...]
As the UN secretary general, Kofi Annan, questioned the legitimacy of an attack without council backing, Washington and London explicitly blamed France for the collapse of the process, a charge Paris labelled "absurd."

The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, breaking weeks of silence, labelled military action without UN backing "a mistake", while his foreign minister called it "illegal."
[...]
Although Russia and China were opposed to the resolution, and the so-called "middle six" uncommitted nations had not been won over, the US and UK singled out France for blame.[France was to blame, in point of fact! We had the 10 votes, but with the promised French veto of anything there was no point!--Jen]

France struck back, insisting that Britain, the US and Spain had withdrawn the resolution because the majority of the council was opposed to it.[They've got to know this is a bold-faced lie!--J.T.]

Paris dismissed criticisms in public, but privately French officials were bitter at what they saw as a deliberate distortion of France's position in the search for a scapegoat.[You don't need a scapegoat, when you've got the perpetrator, mes amis!--ed.]
[...]
In Moscow, Mr Putin said a war without UN approval "would be fraught with the gravest consequences, will result in casualties and destabilise the international situation in general ... We stand for resolving the problem exclusively through peaceful means. Any other option would be a mistake."[Still the same old Soviets:"No one can use military force, except for us."--J.]

The Kremlin's foreign minister, Igor Ivanov, said: "The use of force against Iraq, especially with reference to previous resolutions of the UN security council, has no legal grounds."
[We're not in court, Igor!]

In direct contradiction of the advice given by the British attorney general to Downing Street yesterday, he said resolution 1441 "clearly states the security council will convene immediately if the need to ensure the complete observance of the existing resolutions arises."
[No, I don't think 1441 does say that or we would've heard by now.]
[...]
Russia's parliamentary speaker, Gennady Seleznyov, said an attack would cause the world to consider that "the US is a terrorist state that can only be dealt with in the Hague tribunal".
[Thank God we didn't sign that dreadful ICC document! And we're not subject to jurisdiction by the Hague and never will be!] US officials said Moscow had declined a Pentagon offer to coordinate postwar issues such as humanitarian aid.
[Don't forget those oil contracts you're going to miss out on, either, Russkis!]

Meawhile, in the "Who cares? Dept.:"

The Canadian prime minister, Jean Chretien, said his country's military would play no role in a war unsanctioned by the UN.

That's a relief!
Victory may be in sight without the Canucks to slow us down!

11:38 PM Permalink

Patriotic Ice Cream! Enjoy and support our troops!

Star Spangled Ice Cream

AT LAST - A CONSERVATIVE ALTERNATIVE TO BEN & JERRY'S

Like millions of your fellow Americans, you enjoy ice cream but do NOT enjoy seeing your money funneled to wacko left-wing causes.  We are not ashamed of America. We think it's the best country ever, and so we have set out to make the best ice cream ever! We asked Moxley's, one of America's premier producers of gourmet ice cream, to help us create a line of tantalizing flavors from their award winning recipes, and to spare no expense in the selection of ingredients or preparation process.  The result is Star Spangled Ice Cream, an exquisitely delicious hand-crafted super premium ice cream featuring a smoothness, texture and taste you simply cannot find in stores. We invite you to sample it and see for yourself! And when you serve Star Spangled, you serve your country, because we proudly donate 10 percent of our profits to charities that support the men and women of the US Armed Forces.
ICE CREAM DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR DOOR IN 2 DAYS!

Whoo Hoo!
I ordered a 4-qt. pack and I'll let you know how good it is in a couple of days, but come on, join me in indulging yourself and helping a great cause--our Armed Forces.
Click on the logo or the link above to go to their website to place an order.
You've gotta love a company that makes a flavor called "I Hate the French Vanilla!"

Found at NRO

10:51 PM Permalink

Tick, tick, tick....

Bush Gives Hussein 48 Hours to Leave Iraq
The President was firm, very much in control and obviously resolved to effect the end of Saddam's reign of terror.
What happens next is up to the Butcher of Baghdad (at least for the next 45 hours).
It was very "High Noon" with that Gary Cooper-like "Get out of town on the next train or else, pardner."
Viva Bush!
Saddam is more in need of a fatal ass-whoopin' than anyone on the planet I can think of, aside from OBL and Kim Jung Il.

10:24 PM Permalink

Australia also commits troops to the Allied Coalition

Australian troops will go to war

Prime Minister John Howard said cabinet had decided to commit Australian troops already deployed in the Gulf to a war with Iraq following a formal request this morning from President George W Bush.

"The government has authorised the chief of the Australian Defence Force, General (Peter) Cosgrove, to place the Australian forces already deployed in the Gulf region as part of any US-led coalition operation that may take place in the future, directed in accordance with existing authority under UN resolutions to disarm Iraq," Mr Howard told reporters.

The government strongly believes that the decision it has taken is right, it is legal, it is directed towards the protection of the Australian national interest and I ask the Australian community to support it.

Mr Howard said the possible military action was legal under international law because of past resolutions of the United Nations Security Council.
[...]But he said the issue was one of morality and not just legality.

"It is also a question of what is right in the international interest and what is right in Australia's interest - we do live in a different world now," he said.

God Bless Australia and PM John Howard!
Ozzies are oustanding soldiers, too--and they're looking for a little payback for the Bali bombing--and they're more than welcome in helping us drain the swamp in Iraq!
[I wish Howard could have been in the Summit in the Azores, but I think the Loony Left at home would have given him too much heat. Plus, I think that the Azores meeting was a EUrope "thang."]

08:47 PM Permalink

Poland to send troops to join the Willing Coalition

Poland to Commit Troops in War With Iraq

Poland would send up to 200 soldiers to take part in a U.S.-led war with Iraq, President Aleksander Kwasniewski announced Monday.

"We are ready to use a Polish contingent in the international coalition to contribute to making Iraq comply with the U.N. resolutions," Kwasniewski said.

It's a difficult decision but necessary."

Poland backs Washington's tough line on Iraq and was among eight European countries that signed a letter pledging solidarity with the United States in its efforts to disarm Saddam Hussein.

Thank you, Poland.
If 200 troops is all that you can send, that's good enough!
If you hold true to form, your people are pretty fierce fighters!
And we know you know all there is to know about solidarity!
This show of friendship and support is terrific!
And if I knew how to say "Thank you!" and "God bless you." in Polish, I would so I hope you can read English.

08:34 PM Permalink

St. Patrick's Day observed in Kuwait,too

Whereas blessed St. Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland, the Allied Coalition forces are poised to drive the snakes out of Baghdad!
St. Patrick's Marked in Kuwaiti Desert

An American general stood in for Britain's royal family Monday and presented shamrocks to the Irish Guards, celebrating St. Patrick's Day in the Kuwaiti desert while gearing up for war in Iraq.

Lt. Gen. James T. Conway, an Irish-American commanding the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, took time out from overseeing the buildup to spend an hour with the British unit.

The shamrock ceremony is a tradition for the Irish Guards, one of the red-coated regiments that are known to millions of tourists who visit Buckingham Palace every year.

A member of the royal family - most often the Queen Mother Elizabeth, before her death last year - presents the troops with shamrocks to adorn their hats on St. Patrick's Day. The ceremony is customarily followed by liberal amounts of Guinness and whiskey.

"It's always a big morale boost for the boys, no matter where they are, in the jungle or desert,'' said Color Sgt. Tommy Cassidy, 37, of Belfast. "Usually, there's some liquid refreshment, but not this year, owing to future operations.''

May the luck of the Irish be with you all, from this Irish-Italian-American!
I'd like to see you have that booze-up later to celebrate our Victory...and hopefully, it won't be far away.
This is for all of my readers today near and far:

03:44 PM Permalink

President Bush to deliver ultimatum to Iraq at 8:00 PM EST

Bush to Issue Ultimatum in TV Address Tonight
President Expected to Say That Hussein Needs to Leave to Avoid War

Last-minute efforts to salvage diplomatic agreement on Iraq failed this morning, and President Bush is scheduled to deliver a televised address this evening at 8 p.m. War against Iraq now appears certain.[Duh!--J.T.]

The president "will say that to avoid military conflict, Saddam Hussein must leave the country," said White House spokesman Ari Fleischer. "The next move will be up to Saddam Hussein." Hussein has said repeatedly that he will not step down or go into exile, and he has ordered preparations for defense of Iraq against invasion.

Secretary of State Colin Powell said there is no possibility that Saddam Hussein could stave off the end of his regime by some last-minute offer of cooperation or compliance. "I cannot think of anything that Saddam Hussein can do diplomatically. That time is over," he said at a State Department news conference.

The ultimatum that the United States, Britain and Spain issued to the U.N. Security Council on Sunday to approve a new resolution authorizing the use of force against Iraq produced only a further impasse as France and Russia refused to budge from their longstanding opposition to military action.

In the face of a renewed French threat to veto any resolution that the United States and Britain would have taken as authorization for a campaign to remove Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, the United States, Britain and Spain took off the table the text that they had been sponsoring. Given the commitment to disarm Iraq by force if necessary that Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair announced on Sunday, no alternative to a start of hostilities has presented itself.

"We have had to conclude that [Security] Council consensus is not possible," British Ambassador to the U.N. Jeremy Greenstock said, announcing the withdrawal of the proposed resolution.

"A majority of the council confirmed that they do not want to authorize the use of force," said French Ambassador Jean Marc de la Sabliere. No use of force would be "legitimate" at this time because "inspections are producing results." France had proposed an alternative, which would have given Iraq another month to comply with U.N. disarmament demands, but Bush and Blair made clear Sunday that they would accept no further delay.

Powell said the Bush administration is "disappointed" in the outcome, but he noted that the resolution would not have changed the strategic situation anyway because it set a March 17 deadline--today--for Iraqi compliance. He said the time has come for Saddam Hussein to face the "serious consequences" threatened in the resolution passed by the Security Council 15-0 in November. Reeling off a long list of foreign ministers he said he had consulted last night and this morning, Powell said he had asked if any of them saw any prospect of breaking the impasse, for which he blamed France. Their answer was no.
[...]
Also the British government's top lawyer said war on Iraq would be legal on the grounds of existing U.N. resolutions, dismissing arguments that any attack without fresh U.N. backing would break international law. That opinion is politically important to Blair because the British public is strongly opposed to attacking Iraq without specific authorization from the Security Council.

"Authority to use force against Iraq exists from the combined effect of resolutions 678, 687 and 1441," Attorney-General Lord Goldsmith said in a written parliamentary statement.

Ah, the niceties and diplomatic formalities of war....who knew it could be like this?
If the League of Nations meetings in the late 1930's had been televised and on the internet, it might have been something like what we've just witnessed, but it's the strangest run-up to war I've ever heard about or seen.
I wish Bush had hauled off and declared war on Iraq as the first of our bombs were falling on Saddam at least 6 months ago, but he didn't and far be it from me to try and tell the President what to do.
For whatever reason, he chose to go the UN/diplomatic route which brought us to this moment:
I hope that caring, thoughtful people all over the world will recognize that he, Blair and the other leaders on our side tried to work for peace and that we don't want to send our men and women to topple this snake Saddam, but he's got to be taken out and by force, because that's the way Saddam chose to "play" it.
The Liberal Left won't give Bush any credit for diplomacy but I will!
But I couldn't be more disgusted with the UN or France or the ambitions of failing nation-states like Russia to grab a little piece of their erst-while friend and often their benefactor, the United States.
Nothing like finding out who your real friends are when there's trouble.
I hate Life when it gets like this.
But thank you, Britain, Spain, Portugal, Australia, and the other nations of the New Europe 10 and the Vilnius Group!
You all stood by us when we needed you and we will remember.
France (and Germany and Russia), we'll remember your perfidy, too.

12:31 PM Permalink