Sunday, 16 March 2008
 

Be There!

This post will remain at the top of my site through 16 March. Please scroll down for newer entries.

Thank you William "1stCav" Page for information and the image. BTW, I'm pretty sure you don't have to be a Nam Vet to show up and support our troops. Y'all come.

Contributed by Bill Faith on March 16, 2008 at 11:59 PM in Caring about our troops | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Saturday, 15 March 2008
 

Just be there!

Via email from William "1stCav" Page:

From Dan in NY...

PLEASE FORWARD THIS ALERT TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW

Fighting the Insurgency at Home
Action Alert

Who:    Gathering of Eagles, Eagles Up!, Rolling Thunder, and more!
What:    Eagles Muster to denounce Winter Soldier II
Where:  Washington, DC and Silver Springs, MD
When:  Friday and Saturday, March 14 and 15

Have you had it with the left wing organizations demeaning and slandering our troops at every opportunity?  Has the escalation in attacks against our recruiters across the nation, which progressed to the bombing of the Recruiter Station in Times Square last week, alerted you to the fact that we are fighting a REAL INSURGENCY in this country?

In NY City this weekend we held a rally in support of our troops and our recruiters in Times Square.  You can read my after action report here:

http://tinyurl.com/yv34lr

This morning I discover the cretins from Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW), who are running their program to slander and defame this generation of American Warriors in the same fashion as their guiding lights from the old VVAW did to our Vietnam Veterans, noticed our display of patriotism in Times Square.

Their response:

You are going to eat it if unless you cease and desist from your planned "events".

Their earlier comment on the bombing of the Times Square Recruiter Station was:

Fuck recruiters.

I don't know about you, but it gets my Irish up when someone can, in effect, condone and endorse domestic terrorism against our troops and then threaten more against anyone who supports the troops.

Up until now I have wanted to protest their planned defamation of our warriors at the Labor College in Silver Springs, Maryland, but work requirements were going to restrict my travel only to the Saturday Rally and March in DC.  Now, wild horses couldn't keep me away on Friday.

I condemn in the strongest language the willful terrorist enabling of the AFL-CIO for allowing this group to use the Labor College for their planned seditious  blackballing of our American Troops. 

I strongly recommend that anyone with a union card and patriotism join us in a mass burning of union cards outside the university gates on Friday to demonstrate to the fat labor bosses what we think of their collaboration. 

I demand that any media organization planning to cover the IVAW lie fest explicitly  include in their reports the above IVAW quotes to demonstrate IVAWs true level of support for our troops.
I demand that any media organization who runs anything on the IVAW propaganda campaign specifically use the DUPES process outlined here: http://tinyurl.com/2lmmqq   to perform their due diligence on anything the IVAW may claim.

The agenda for Friday, March 14th is:

Truth Challenge against IVAW Winter Soldier II
National Labor College
10000 New Hampshire Avenue
New Hampshire Ave and Powder Mill Road
Silver Spring, Maryland 20903
Map Link: http://tinyurl.com/3attuz
Starting 8am, All Day

The agenda for Friday Night, March 14th is:

Support our Wounded and counter Code Pink
Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Ave.
Georgia Ave and Elder Street
Washington DC 20307
Map Link: http://tinyurl.com/257qwf
From 7pm until the Troop Bus returns from dinner

The agenda for Saturday, March 15th is:

Eagles Muster and March
Washington Monument
15th St NW south of Constitution Ave
Map Link:  http://tinyurl.com/2jw8wq
From 10am.  March at 1pm to Capital

Bring your flags, signs, banners, whistles, cowbells, megaphones and anything else you think will be required to get our message across.  Never again will one generation of warriors abandon another!

Never Again!

www.eaglesup.us/

***

I just realized this information is also posted here on the GOE site.

See also: A bomb threat against the Gathering of Eagles

Contributed by Bill Faith on March 15, 2008 at 11:59 PM in Caring about our troops, Politics and National Defense | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Wednesday, 30 May 2007
 

2007.05.30 Patriotism in America Roundup

See previous: 2007.05.27/28 Patriotism in America Roundup

Below the fold:

• Palmetto Silver, "The Silence and the Thunder"

Just go read it:

• Kit Jarell: "In the Company of the Brave"

*** *** *** Fold (but please don't spindle or mutilate) *** *** ***

The Silence and the Thunder
Palmetto Silver

It was blistering hot and muggy. Moisture oozed from every pore in my face and the face of everyone else in that crowd. We stood on the steps facing the Tomb. It holds the bones of men who gave their lives in service to their country and whose names are known only to God. Their identities will never be known to man. We who sat were young, old, of various heritage and many languages. Some came from far away, some from the city just over the bridge. Our differences were there for all to see and yet one compelling component bound us together as one. The silence. It rolled over everyone who approached the steps and took their place in the crowd. It carried to restless children who though hot and tired were compelled by the solemnity to watch in utter quietness. Babies in strollers only let out a brief, muted wail as though even they in their infancy knew that they were in the presence of greatness. The silence deepened as the guards began their honored ritual of change. The click of their heels sounded like gunshot in the backdrop of silence. The crowd moved not, spoke not, it seemed almost breathed not. The silence was one of awe-filled respect. There laid men who had shared their lifeblood and had given their all. We in the crowd seemed to know of our mere mortality in the face of such greatness. They deserved our silence, as words could not define their sacrifice, their courage, their commitment. Talking would have been noise, denigrating and demeaning. The tombs said it all. In utter silence, we watched as the guards completed their march. Respect could ask no less.

It was still beastly as I stood on the bridge and in the distance saw the bright lights of the cavalry. They came preceded by those who have sworn to enforce the law. They came with a rumble, with a roar, with a thundering reminder that we owe those men and women who go off to service our thanks, our commitment and our remembrance of them always. They came in wave upon wave, bikes with leather-clad drivers who carried the flame of those who have fallen and those for whom there has been no accounting. They came with a rumble, a thunder, a roar to remind us that freedom is never free, that duty often means death, and that we as a nation have our liberties today because of those who have sacrificed their own. They rode with honor, with pride, with purpose. They rode with a mission. And in the thunder I heard the respect and honor that the pipes cried to communicate." Let us never forget", they roared. "Let us honor those who have served" they called to a seemingly indifferent nation. "Let us respect our flag, our country, our heritage and our people". Rolling Thunder, rumbling to shake the conscience of a people that seems so easily to forget those who have given their blood and on whose backs this country has been built.

Then I saw them up close and personal. These men had been there. They saw the jungles; they heard the bombs, they served their country. They still have the memories and weep as they walk the Wall. They know the stories of those names forever etched in stone….who they were and how they died. As I watched on that sweltering day, I saw clearly heroes among us. Beneath the gray of the hair and aging of the flesh, I saw the steel, the resolve, the mettle of real men. I saw the strength of character that had caused them to give their personal liberty for their country. I saw a certain confidence, maybe yes, even a swagger in their walk. They know who they are; they know what they are. They know what they did not do and what they did do. They know their own and they are proud. I saw handshakes, hugs, and nods. There was an unspoken communication that those of us on the outside cannot share….only those who are part of that brotherhood can understand. They are the vets and they are proud. In addition, perhaps what in my mind came to be the most amazing paradox was that though their own fellow citizens, their own society mocked, scorned and spit upon many of them, they are still the vanguard of the colors. They honor the flag and they know the meaning of liberty. Wounds are still there but they move beyond to the enduring legacy they know they have left. Theirs is a legacy of character, of strength, of sacrifice. In their gathering, they prove the great fiber of the country. We have become the nation that we are because of men who gave and asked nothing in return. We are a nation with protected freedoms because of the Unknown Soldier, the wounded soldier, the POW, the one still unaccounted for and who perhaps will remain ever in obscurity, and the vet who lives and works and moves incognito among us.

In the silence, let us ponder and with thunder, let us remember.

God bless America.

Contributed by Bill Faith on May 30, 2007 at 12:16 AM in Caring about our troops, Gathering of Eagles | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Monday, 28 May 2007
 

2007.05.27/28 Patriotism in America Roundup
(Updated and bumped)

Below the fold, newest items at the top:

• Bush, bikers mark Memorial Day weekend
• Gathering of Eagles/Rolling Thunder rally for the troops
• Court: West Point Can Deny Access To Smelly Anti-War Hippies
• Eagles, doves clash at Academy protest
  • AAR: An Eagle Eye View of West Point
  • Battle of Bullhorns: "Eagles" & Moonbats Clash at West Point!
  • Gathering of Eagles West Point

*** Updated and bumped. Original timestamp 2007.05.27.15:18

Just go read it:

• Where Eagles Dare

*** *** *** Fold (but please don't spindle or mutilate) *** *** ***

Bush, bikers mark Memorial Day weekend 

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush likes a serene White House most Sundays. Every now and then, though, he is ready for rumble.

Leaders of Rolling Thunder, the motorcycling group that raises awareness about missing veterans, roared up the mansion's driveway Sunday. Bush, just back from a weekend at Camp David, stood alone outside the South Portico to meet them.

No Memorial Day weekend in the capital is complete without the ritualistic rumble of Rolling Thunder. For 20 years, the nonprofit group has led a "Ride for Freedom" along the National Mall, a full-throttle demonstration in support of soldiers held captive or missing in action.) [The CNN post contains a link to a great video at this point. You'll have to go there to watch it.]

"How you doing, Artie? Welcome back," Bush said to Artie Muller, the founder and executive director of the group.

Muller led 13 visitors on eight motorcycles. The guests included Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, Transportation Secretary Mary Peters and White House chief of staff Josh Bolten, whose Harley-Davidson was decked out with patriotic bunting.

Bush shook hands and hugged visitors, looked at the gleaming bikes and then invited his visitors into the Oval Office.

Rolling Thunder seeks a full accounting of veterans who are prisoners of war or are missing in action. It also advocates for fair treatment of veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and has been critical of Bush's Veteran Affairs Department on that front.

Afterward, Muller said he presented a series of concerns to Bush. ...

Gathering of Eagles/Rolling Thunder rally for the troops 
Jonn Lilyea

Every Memorial Day weekend on Sunday, Rolling Thunder, an organization of mostly Viet Nam veterans, comes to DC for their motorcycle ride from the Pentagon to the Vietnam Memorial. It’s an hours-long parade of thousands of participants from across the country to insure that America doesn’t forget the men and women who died for this country in that unpopular war.

This year it’s a little different - today they partnered with the newly-formed Gathering of Eagles, which has it’s roots in the internet. When Vietnam veterans felt that the Wall was threatened by anti-protesters back in March of this year, they hastily assembled an internet gathering point and made plans to protect that monument from being defaced. On March 17th, they gathered around the three Vietnam memorials and the Korean War Memorial and lined the protest to the Pentagon. Crowd estimates were about 20,000 pro-troops participants to about 4,000 anti-war protesters.

I reported on that event and brought you pictures and videos, so I felt it my duty to you and the rest of the nation to bring the same to ya’all this time, too. It doesn’t look like the traditional media is going to cover the event - I didn’t see any journalists there for the three-and-a-half hours I roamed the area. No trucks, no shoulder-carried cameras. Nothing on C-SPAN’s schedule. I remember when they used to cover Rolling Thunder’s event, Brian Lamb himself interviewing participants, but none of that anymore.

Traditionally, Rolling Thunder gathers to remember the Vietnam veterans, but this year, the day before their customary ride, they partnered with Gathering of Eagles to show their support for the next generation of warriors. There probably weren’t 20,000 this time, but the were a few thousand there, as you can see from the following pictures. ...

Court: West Point Can Deny Access To Smelly Anti-War Hippies
By Rob

The correct ruling, in my estimation:

West Point — A federal appeals court today upheld a decision giving the U.S. Military Academy authority to ban political protesters on Graduation Day.

Goshen civil rights attorney Michael Sussman and the Democratic Alliance of Orange County had asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit to overturn a federal judge’s decision barring them from campus.

Their request would have required West Point Garrison Commander Col. Brian Crawford to open the gates to roughly 1,000 anti-war demonstrators tomorrow.

But in a decision issued today, the appeals court reaffirmed the Academy’s long-stated position that it is a non-public forum exempt from some forms of free-speech.

The left’s reaction will be “B-b-b-but, free speech!,” but this isn’t a free speech issue. ...

Eagles, doves clash at Academy protest
By John Doherty, (H/T: Michelle Malkin)

Highland Falls — After hours of waiting, the first glimpse of slow-moving police cars down the road, lights flashing, let Tim Woods, 56, know it was time to get ready.

"Now remember, honey," he said to his 10-year-old daughter, Rebecca, "yell real loud."

Woods, a retired Army Special Forces soldier, was one of about three dozen protesters gathered on the main strip here yesterday, flags in hand.

As hundreds of anti-war activists gathered down the street to mark Vice President Dick Cheney's commencement address at West Point with a protest march, Woods and others aimed to protest them.

"Daddy," his daughter asked as the crowd of banner-holding anti-war demonstraters drew closer, "what are they going to do?"

"Make asses out of themselves," Woods answered. ...

Don't miss these related posts:

• Gathering of Eagles West Point
• Battle of Bullhorns: "Eagles" & Moonbats Clash at West Point!
• AAR: An Eagle Eye View of West Point

Contributed by Bill Faith on May 28, 2007 at 09:49 PM in Caring about our troops, Gathering of Eagles | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Sunday, 27 May 2007
 

Bagpipes Cryin'

Just go there. (H/T:B5)

Contributed by Bill Faith on May 27, 2007 at 10:44 PM in Caring about our troops, Memorial Day | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

No Substitute Yet Found for U.S. Troop Blood
Scott Ott (not quite satire)

(2007-05-27) -- As the United States marks Memorial Day, recognizing those who sacrificed their lives in service to the country, scientists worldwide admit they are likely years away from discovering a “fertilizer for freedom” as effective as the blood of American troops.

“Where liberty has sprouted around the world,” said one unnamed scientist, “we usually find American blood at its roots.”

Studies show that the rich soil of Europe, Japan, South Korea, hundreds of Pacific Islands and thousands of square miles of other foreign territory have been saturated with what one scientist called “that costly catalyst of human rights, that priceless antidote to tyranny, that precious reagent of democratic revolution.” ...

Contributed by Bill Faith on May 27, 2007 at 06:39 PM in Caring about our troops, Memorial Day | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Decoration Day
Contributed by J D  Pendry, CSM, USA (Ret.)

We still call it Decoration Day here in Wild Wonderful. Many of us will visit a cemetery this weekend and pay our respects to those who have stood final muster and answered their last recall. I’ll visit my Father, WWII Navy Veteran Hudson Grey Pendry. Most of our youngsters don’t know about this special day and what it represents. Take the opportunity this weekend to forget politicians and their antics. Instead, take time to visit a cemetery and reserve some time in your mind and heart for people who truly deserve our thoughts. Take time to educate a youngster about Memorial Day. Tell them why we must remember the Men and Women who have sacrificed so that we can remain a free nation.

As you remember those who’ve served and sacrificed, take a moment and a knee and give thanks for those who are serving and sacrificing now.

Please have a safe Memorial Day Weekend.

[Read the whole thing here.]

Contributed by Bill Faith on May 27, 2007 at 12:16 AM in Caring about our troops, J D Pendry, Memorial Day | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Saturday, 26 May 2007
 

Three for a long weekend

Read 'em in order. One today, one tomorrow and one Monday maybe.

• No Tears in Heaven

• At the Station

• At the Canteen 

Contributed by Bill Faith on May 26, 2007 at 06:30 AM in Caring about our troops, Memorial Day, The American Warrior, US Air Force, US Army, US Coast Guard, US Marine Corps, US Navy | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

We made it to Arlington

Video: Memorial Tribute to Marine Sgt. Adam Leigh Cann

Turn your speakers on and click the image to watch. ("Allergies" alert) Hat tip: Cookie (via email)

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***

Click here to watch another excellent video set to the same song.

***

My sister just pointed out to me that the official Trace Adkins video to go with the song is available here on CMT.com. I think I like the second one I posted above better but they're all three worth watching.

***

Confederate Yankee has the lyrics to the song ("Arlington") here.  

Contributed by Bill Faith on May 26, 2007 at 01:02 AM in Caring about our troops, Memorial Day | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Sunday, 20 May 2007
 

How about a little Sunday afternoon awesomeness?

Video: Dean Kamen debuts bionic arm for injured soldiers 
Allahpundit 

Turn up the sound before watching as the audio’s pretty bad. It’s worth it, though.

Kamen’s known primarily as the inventor of the Segway. If he pulls this off, that’ll change dramatically.

[video link]

Contributed by Bill Faith on May 20, 2007 at 01:50 PM in Caring about our troops | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Saturday, 19 May 2007
 

Armed Forces Day

This Saturday, May 19, is Armed Forces Day. For their dedication to protecting America, we offer our gratitude to all the men and women of the military, especially those risking their lives. From the Department of Defense.

On August 31, 1949, Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson announced the creation of an Armed Forces Day to replace separate Army, Navy and Air Force Days. The single-day celebration stemmed from the unification of the Armed Forces under one department -- the Department of Defense. Each of the military leagues and orders was asked to drop sponsorship of its specific service day in order to celebrate the newly announced Armed Forces Day. ...

The theme of the first Armed Forces Day was "Teamed for Defense." It was chosen as a means of expressing the unification of all the military forces under a single department of the government. Although this was the theme for the day, there were several other purposes for holding Armed Forces Day. It was a type of "educational program for civilians," one in which there would be an increased awareness of the Armed Forces. It was designed to expand public understanding of what type of job is performed and the role of the military in civilian life. It was a day for the military to show "state-of-the-art" equipment to the civilian population they were protecting. And it was a day to honor and acknowledge the people of the Armed Forces of the United States.

Other relevant links:

According to that Department of Defense page the first Armed Forces Day was celebrated on 20 May 1950. Being one day old at the time I probably didn't get very excited about it.

Contributed by Bill Faith on May 19, 2007 at 01:42 AM in Caring about our troops | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Friday, 18 May 2007
 

Cheers on Corridor Three

Just read it. Just. Read. It. (H/T: B5)

Contributed by Bill Faith on May 18, 2007 at 08:05 PM in Caring about our troops | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Monday, 14 May 2007
 

DoD blocks MySpace, YouTube, others (and part of this blog)

Not smart, people.

Military puts MySpace, other sites off limits 

DENVER, Colorado (AP) -- Soldiers serving overseas will lose some of their online links to friends and loved ones back home under a Department of Defense policy that a high-ranking Army official said would take effect Monday.

The Defense Department will begin blocking access "worldwide" to YouTube, MySpace and 11 other popular Web sites on its computers and networks, according to a memo sent Friday by Gen. B.B. Bell, the U.S. Forces Korea commander.

The policy is being implemented to protect information and reduce drag on the department's networks, according to Bell.

"This recreational traffic impacts our official DoD network and bandwidth ability, while posing a significant operational security challenge," the memo said. ...

The sites covered by the ban are the video-sharing sites YouTube, Metacafe, IFilm, StupidVideos, and FileCabi, the social networking sites MySpace, BlackPlanet and Hi5, music sites Pandora, MTV, and 1.fm, and live365, and the photo-sharing site Photobucket. ...

More here. Apparently this isn't just something CNN dreamed up.

After the reaction the recent threats to shut down milblogs got it will be interesting to see how long this lasts once the word gets out.  If it actually does last more than a few days I'll have to make some changes to Bill's Bites and Old War Dogs. If you're reading this over a DoD network I apologize for all the missing pictures on my sidebar and in some of my posts; it wasn't my idea. (I make extensive use of Photobucket.)

***

DAMN IT! I just realized I got lazy the last time I redesigned the banner at the top of Bill's Bites and stored the images on Photobucket. I need a lot more coffee than I've had yet before I trust myself to start messing with blog templates but I'll fix the banner as soon as I can and start fixing sidebar pics as time permits.

Personal to our troops: I blog for you and the least I can do is at least present you with a friendly site.

If you're reading this over a DoD network could you take a minute to let me know whether the new policy has actually been implemented? If they've blocked Photobucket you'll see a lot blank spaces where there should be images on this blog.

*** 2007.05.14.15:58

As far as I can tell I should have the top banner on this site working right now. I'll try not to be too long getting to the sidebar.

***

Confederate Yankee comments on the matter here.

Contributed by Bill Faith on May 14, 2007 at 11:49 AM in Caring about our troops | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Wednesday, 09 May 2007
 

2007.05.09 Dem Perfidy // Islamism Delenda Est Roundup

See previous: 2007.05.08 Dem Perfidy // Islamism Delenda Est Roundup

Halfway down the road to hell,
In a shady meadow green,
Are the souls of all dead troopers camped
Near a good old-time canteen.
And this eternal resting place
Is known as Fiddler’s Green.
-Author Unknown (via Sgt Hook)

And there shall our warriors rejoice at the sight as the Dhimmicrats parade by in chains on the way to their eternal reward.

Pelosi threat to sue Bush over Iraq bill 
By Jonathan E. Kaplan and Elana Schor (H/T: Jules C.)

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is threatening to take President Bush to court if he issues a signing statement as a way of sidestepping a carefully crafted compromise Iraq war spending bill.

Pelosi recently told a group of liberal bloggers, “We can take the president to court” if he issues a signing statement, according to Kid Oakland, a blogger who covered Pelosi’s remarks for the liberal website dailykos.com. ...

It is a scenario for which few lawmakers have planned. Indicating that he may consider attaching a signing statement to a future supplemental spending measure, Bush last week wrote in his veto message, “This legislation is unconstitutional because it purports to direct the conduct of operations of the war in a way that infringes upon the powers vested in the presidency.” ...

Dan Riehl has some choice comments here.

Don't miss Dafydd ab Hugh's excellent analysis here.

Below the fold, newest items at the top: 

• US Embassy Attacked During Cheney Visit
• How did they get here?
  Answer: Three came across the Mexican border
• Tenet’s Tim Time
• Bush Would Veto Democrats' New Iraq Bill
• Does the LA Times know about the Fort Dix Six?
• The John Doe at Circuit City
• Jersey Jihadists, open borders, and the thanks we get
• A Little Competence Would Be Nice
• Democrats Move Closer To De-Funding
• Some other good early morning reads
• The political tornado in Greensburg
• KS Gov tries her hand at disaster chasing
  Video added: Dingy Harry joins in after gov is debunked

*** ***     *** ***     *** ***     *** ***     *** ***     *** ***

US Embassy Attacked During Cheney Visit
Kim Priestap

The rocket attack did nothing to interrupt the vice president's activities in the embassy.

A rocket exploded near the US embassy in Baghdad on Wednesday, an Iraqi defence official said, during a visit by US Vice President Dick Cheney to the heavily fortified mission.

Smoke could be seen rising near the US compound shortly after the blast, which was heard at around 6:15 pm (1415 GMT). The Iraqi official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, could not say if there were any casualties.

Cheney's movements during his visit are being kept secret for security reasons, but the vice president later confirmed at at a press conference that "I spent today here basically in our embassy and military headquarters." ...

***

How did they get here?
Answer: Three came across the Mexican border
Michelle Malkin

So, what about the three illegal alien Jersey Jihadist suspects--the Duka brothers? Were they smuggled across the border or stowaways? That's what the feds are checking out now.

They're also checking to see if the three other accused jihadi plotters--one a naturalized US citizen, the other two green card holders--lied on their applications.

Yeah, that would be a shocker.

***

Update: Shocked, shocked...

Three brothers charged in the alleged Fort Dix terror plot have been living illegally in the U.S. for more than 23 years and were accepted as Americans by neighbors and friends who had no idea they would scheme to attack military bases and slaughter GIs. ...

***

Tenet’s Tim Time
By Fred Thompson

I watched George Tenet’s interview with Tim Russert on Meet the Press Sunday. Tenet’s new book gives his version of history leading up to September 11. It’s almost obligatory nowadays; after you have been in the inner circles of an administration, you write a “tell all” book, including private conversations with even the president himself.

I haven’t read the book, but I have followed the media accounts. My attention was drawn to Tenet’s statements that al Qaeda is here and waiting and that they wish nothing more than to be able to see a mushroom cloud above the United States.

Naturally, the media emphasis is not on that.  ...

***

Bush Would Veto Democrats' New Iraq Bill 
By Anne Flaherty and Lolita C. Baldor (H/T: Lorie Byrd)

WASHINGTON (AP) - The White House threatened on Wednesday to veto a proposed House bill that would pay for the war only through July—a limit Defense Secretary Robert Gates warned would be disastrous.

The warnings came as Democratic leaders wrestled with how to support the troops but still challenge President Bush on the war. Bush has requested more than $90 billion to sustain the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan through September.  ...

Lorie has more here.

***

***

Does the LA Times know about the Fort Dix Six?
Don Surber

Timing is everything in journalism and comedy. The day after the FBI prevents the biggest terrorism threat since 9/11, the LA Times ran an editorial smacking President Bush for “eavesdropping” on Americans:

When the Bush White House proposes changing a law that protects Americans from unchecked electronic surveillance, civil libertarian knees begin to jerk. And understandably so. ...

Blah, blah, blah. The Washington Post, New York Times and the rest also ignored the Fort Dix Six. Readers read this for what it is: A failure to credit the FBI with an obvious success.

***

The John Doe at Circuit City
Michelle Malkin

I said it yesterday. I repeat it today: Thank you, whistleblower. Now, we know a bit more. He works at Circuit City:

A male employee who works at Circuit City behind the Moorestown Mall is the unsung hero that first enabled authorities to foil the Fort Dix terror plot.

Circuit City corporate spokesman Jim Babb confirmed this morning that a current employee was asked by one of the alleged terrorists to dub a Jihadist training VHS cassette into a DVD...

***

Jersey Jihadists, open borders, and the thanks we get
Michelle Malkin

Yesterday morning, I noted early on that Fort Dix had been a refuge for ethnic Albanians from Kosovo. As I suspected, Agron Abdullahu, one of the Jersey Jihadist suspects, was indeed one of the thousands of ethnic Albanian refugees from Kosovo whom we welcomed there in 1999 (hat tip: Allah):

A trained sniper during the war in Kosovo, Abdullahu and his family were among thousands given safe haven in the U.S. under the Clinton administration to protect them from the Serbs. For months, they would be housed in refugee camps at Ft. Dix, a circumstance which now points to a terribly ironic twist.

Terribly ironic? Or sadly predictable?

WPVI interviewed one of Abdullahu's co-workers:

"He never really came out and said he had a hatred towards Americans and I told him many times, 'look, you would have been left there if it wasn't for us helping you out.' If Clinton didn't bring them in, he never would have had the chance that he had. This is how he repays us," [Bob] Watts said.

Indeed. That's the theme of my syndicated column today. Here you go: ...

***

A Little Competence Would Be Nice
Confederate Yankee

It should probably come as no small wonder that the majority of the American people are against the War in Iraq; getting faulty misleading or inaccurate or even purposefully biased information does that.

Time and again and again, our soldiers and Marines tell us that the war they are fighting in Iraq is not the one being reported in the professional media.

Karin Brulliard's article in today's Washington Post is a prime example, starting with the headline, "Bombs Kill 20 in Sunni Insurgent Stronghold."

It may come as a bit of a shock to both Brulliard and her WaPo editors, but Ramadi has not been an insurgent "stronghold" by any practical definition for months.

***

Democrats Move Closer To De-Funding
Ed Morrissey

The Democrats have moved closer to using their actual Constitutional power to defund the Iraq war in a compromise bill being floated in the House. In the new supplemental, funding for the troops in Iraq would only be unconditional for two months. After that, it would cease entirely unless the Iraqis passed an oil revenue sharing plan and other restructuring bills that have not progressed as planned:

A House Democratic proposal introduced yesterday that would give President Bush half of the money he has requested for the war effort, with a vote in July on whether to approve the rest, hinges on progress in meeting political benchmarks that Iraq has thus far found difficult to achieve....

One concession has to be made, which is that the Democrats have finally started to work within their Constitutional authority. Prior plans used elaborate ruses to force the President to end the war by juggling troop requirements and the like, all of which infringed on his authority as commander-in-chief of the armed forces. Hillary Clinton has begun to pursue an equally noxious violation of the Constitution by attempting to revoke the original authorization for the war, which she and other Democrats claim the President could not veto. It would amount to a diktat by the legislative branch, one about which the Supreme Court would have to squelch its laughter before throwing it out with great force. ...

I hope when the mushroom clouds eventually start rising above the U.S. Reid, Pelosi and Murtha are together so they have a couple of minutes to congratulate each other on how well they handled the war just before they die. Three would be OK. Anything longer is more than they deserve.

(Update) Don't miss Ed's follow-up post here.

***

Some other good early morning reads (I might or might not find time for excerpts later):

• Andrew C. McCarthy: Bush Plummets … As He Wins the Argument
• Byron York: Should We Be So Dead-Set Against Deadlines?
• Tony Blankley: September May Be the Cruelest Month

***

The political tornado in Greensburg
Michelle Malkin

President Bush heads to Greensburg, Kansas tomorrow to tour the devastation from the recent tornado.

Meanwhile, the political hurricane is still swirling in the wake of Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius' smackdown over a claimed National Guard shortage that she blames on the Iraq war. ...

See also:

• KS Gov tries her hand at disaster chasing
  Video added: Dingy Harry joins in after gov is debunked

Contributed by Bill Faith on May 9, 2007 at 01:24 AM in Caring about our troops, Dem Dumbness, Dem Perfidy, Iraq, Islamism Delenda Est | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Saturday, 05 May 2007
 

Over There

Kit Jarrell writes:

I am performing this song at GOE II on May 26th, and this is the second in my series of videos for GOE. I will be making the song available for download as well. Please feel free to share this video as much as you like. I hope it encourages people to attend the event, and to become active in their communities. ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYt8Em-omj0

I've embedded Kit's video to make it convenient to watch but do click that link right under it when you're done and check out some of the other videos on the "Related" list; there are several good ones there.

Bonus: Don't miss "Welcome Home" at Viper's Vietnam Veterans Page.

Contributed by Bill Faith on May 5, 2007 at 01:27 PM in Caring about our troops, Gathering of Eagles | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Wednesday, 02 May 2007
 

2007.05.02 Dem Perfidy // Islamism Delenda Est Roundup

See previous: 2007.05.01 Dem Perfidy // Islamism Delenda Est Roundup

Below the fold:

• No safe way for U.S. to leave Iraq, experts warn
• Debutantes of Defeat
• House Fails to Override Bush Veto of Iraq War Spending Bill
• Even A Liberal Notices: Democrats Are
  "Illiterate" And Willfully, Cynically Blind About Iraq
• The mask slips in Palestine
• Now What?
• Freed UK sailors back in the Persian Gulf
• If It’s Not Lost, How Can We Win?
• If Entering Iraq Was a Mistake, Leaving Is Worse
• Bush Keeps Vow to Veto War Funding Bill
• The 'new' Democrats and the war
• They Are Not Serious. They Are Not Patriotic.

***

Another Grunt’s Rant on Iraq
Jules Crittenden

George Bush vetoed the surrender bill with a pen given to him by the father of Marine Cpl. Dustin Derga, killed in Anbar May 8, 2005. Robert Derga wanted him to use the pen to veto that bill, and called to make sure he was going to do it.

Larry Gwin, former XO of 2/7 Cav, veteran of the Ia Drang battles of 1965 and author of “Baptism, A Vietnam Memoir,” is very familiar with death in war. He has not been a great fan of this war but has stated all along that once troops are committed, the nation must be behind them to the end. He circulated the following among some friends the other day and said I could run it. The Democratic-controlled Congress is giving Gwin a flashback. I’m guessing he’s not the only one:   

Another Grunt’s Rant on Iraq

Am I wrong, or am I wrong?  It looks like there’s going to be a Constitutional crisis on the war in Iraq –  a showdown between Congress and the President. Congress has voted to tie military funding to a timetable for withdrawal, and the President has vowed to veto their bill.  That will put the burden back on Congress to reconsider legislation that will fund the war, i.e. support the troops, and if they refuse, the Defense Department’s budget is going to take a hit.

The Democrats insist that what they’re doing is obeying the will of the people, as demonstrated by the November elections that gave them a majority in both houses.  What a crock that is!  There never was any referendum on the war– just a straight election for representatives in the House and Senate, some of whom supported the war, and some of whom didn’t.  It seems to me that the Democrats, who have a majority in both houses of Congress for the first time since 1994, now think they can ram a surrender down our throats in the name of the people, even though there has never been a specific referendum on making a stand or withdrawing in Iraq.  So, who is right?

We’ll see. ...

What the Democrats are doing is akin to what we did in Vietnam by signing a peace agreement with the North Vietnamese, tantamount to bailing out on our allies’ without their concurrence, then departing with absolutely no intention of ever coming back, no matter what the North Vietnamese did. Congress also cut off financial support for South Vietnam after our departure.  And sure as hell, as soon as we left, the North Vietnamese attacked south in full force, and for two more years, the two sides pounded each other until the more determined North, supported by Russia and China, won the war.  And we veterans here at home who had fought and seen so many of our buddies die over there, had to keep our mouths shut and just take it.

And we felt the shame of defeat.  Not a defeat we’d suffered, but a defeat of our national will.  And that enraged me and made me feel ashamed.  It took me more than forty years to get over it, and I still simmer when I think about it.

And we’re going to do it again, thanks to the Democrats in Congress. ...

Read the whole thing and don't forget to follow the links to learn more about the gentleman who wrote it.

*** ***     *** ***     *** ***     *** ***     *** ***     *** ***

(I've moved an item that I originally posted here to my 5/3 roundup.)

Debutantes of Defeat
Contributed by Russ Vaughn

In 2003 they came to the Ball,
For some merry martial dancing;
Girlishly giggling in the Capitol hall,
Finding chords of war music entrancing.
Filled with excitement, throwing care to the wind,
DebiDems wanted Bush to be tough,
So the ladies signed on for a Ball with no end,
Without thinking it just might get rough. ...

***

House Fails to Override Bush Veto of Iraq War Spending Bill 

WASHINGTON —  The Democratic-controlled House failed Wednesday to override President Bush's veto of an Iraqi war spending bill with timetables for troop withdrawals. Lawmakers went directly to the White House to talk about a new version.

"Yesterday was a day that highlighted differences," Bush said. "Today is the day where we can work together to find common ground."

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sat on either side of the president. The Democratic leaders were stone-faced as Bush made his brief statement. The White House meeting started late, apparently delayed by the failed override attempt.

"I'm confident we can reach agreement," Bush said.

The 222-203 vote, far short of the two-thirds majority needed for a veto override, occurred just ahead of a White House meeting that Bush called to begin compromise talks with congressional leaders of both parties on new legislation to finance the war, now in its fifth year.

Voting to override Bush's veto were 220 Democrats and two Republicans. Voting to sustain the veto were 196 Republicans and seven Democrats. ...

***

Even A Liberal Notices: Democrats Are
"Illiterate" And Willfully, Cynically Blind About Iraq
Ace of Spades

... Maybe it was a slip of the tongue. But, when Nancy Pelosi confessed last year that she felt "sad" about President Bush's claims that Al Qaeda operates in Iraq, she seemed to be disputing what every American soldier in Iraq, every Al Qaeda operative, and anyone who reads a newspaper already knew to be true. (When I questioned him about Pelosi's assertion, a U.S. officer in Ramadi responded, incredulously, that Al Qaeda had just held a parade in his sector.) Perhaps the House speaker was alluding to the discredited claim that Al Qaeda operated in Iraq before the war. Perhaps. But the insinuation that Al Qaeda's depredations in Iraq might be something other than what they appear to be has become a staple of the congressional debate over Iraq. Thus, to buttress his own case for withdrawal, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said, "We have to change course [away from Iraq] and turn our attention back to the war on Al Qaeda and their allies"--the clear message being that neither plays much of a role there.

What is going on here? There are two possibilities: First, Reid and Pelosi could be purposefully minimizing the stakes in Iraq. Or, second, they don't know what they're talking about. My guess is some combination of the two. Political maneuvering certainly contributes to the everyday pollution of Iraq discourse. But a lot of the pollution derives from legislators being functionally illiterate about the war over which Congress now intends to preside....

***

The mask slips in Palestine
By TigerHawk (H/T: Jules C.)

I missed this story the first time around, but it has longer shelf life than most news these days. And besides, we should all know what our enemies say when they think we aren't paying attention.

The "Nancy Pelosi" of the Palestinian Arabs had this to say Friday before last:

Sheik Ahmad Bahr, acting Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council, declared during a Friday sermon at a Sudan mosque that America and Israel will be annihilated and called upon Allah to kill Jews and Americans "to the very Last One."

The United States has given the Palestinian Authority more than a billion dollars in aid since 1993. We are the only country on Earth that sends massive amounts of aid to governments whose elected leaders then bend over backwards to insult us or, in the case of the Palestinians, call for our annihilation. Presumably, we only gave this money to the Palestinians to suck up to Muslims with oil and mollify European politicians and American transnational progressives. Even so, it's pretty damned degrading. ...

***

Now What?
Ed Morrissey

With George Bush delivering only the second veto of his presidency, the question of funding the mission in Iraq became even more acute. Eighty-six days after the start of the 110th Congress, the military still has not received funding for operations in Iraq this year, and the process has to start from Square One while the Pentagon has to start juggling the books:

[...]

At some point, a compromise has to be reached -- but it cannot take the form of mandated timetables for withdrawal. The British did that in Basra, and the result has been the formation of militias and internecine fighting in a region homogenous to Shi'ites. Imagine what would happen in the melting pot of Baghdad, let alone the al-Qaeda theater of operations in Baghdad. Announcing withdrawal dates only emboldens those who oppose the democratically-elected government of Iraq and encourages the rest to choose the least-egregious warlord to obey.

***

Freed UK sailors back in the Persian Gulf
Bryan Preston

Because, you know, it worked so well the last time.

Seven of the 15 British Royal Navy personnel held captive by Iran are back in the Persian Gulf searching for smugglers, Britain’s military said Tuesday.

The seven returned to duty on the frigate HMS Cornwall, the Defense Ministry said. Another seven of the Royal Marines have returned to duty at a naval base in Scotland. No decision has been made on whether to send those marines back to the Persian Gulf, the Defense Ministry said.

The seven sailors back in the Gulf include the group’s only woman, Leading Seaman Faye Turney. They are again working in small boats boarding ships in Iraqi waters to check for contraband goods, the ministry said. It was during one such operation that the sailors and marines were captured by naval forces of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on March 23.

The Littlest Sailor isn’t among his mates in the Gulf. ...

***

If It’s Not Lost, How Can We Win?
War buzz from Lt. Col. Patterson

Retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Robert “Buzz” Patterson is author of the upcoming book War Crimes: The Left’s Campaign to Destroy Our Military and Lose the War on Terror (Crown Forum, June). As the president prepares to veto Congress’s timetabled war-funding bill, Lt. Col. Patterson took some questions from NRO editor Kathryn Lopez about the Democratic congressional majority, war reporting, and more.

Kathryn Jean Lopez: Your upcoming book begins with a quote from Cicero about how a nation “cannot survive treason from within.” Surely you’re not calling Democrats traitors. Or are you?

“Buzz” Patterson: I am. They certainly are if their behavior during our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is held up to the light of the U.S. Constitution. Article III, Section 3 defines treason against the United States as “adhering to (our) enemies, giving them aid and comfort. Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Dick Durbin, and John Murtha, amongst others, are guilty of exactly that. When a government official stands on the floor of Congress and declares the war lost; or travels to Syria, a state-sponsor of terror, and meets with the leadership that is funneling insurgents into Iraq to kill Americans; or, publicly compares our military men and women to Nazis, Soviets in gulags, and Pol Pot; or refers to our Marines as “cold blooded killers” before an ongoing investigation is completed and charges filed, they have crossed the line and have taken their politics to the battlefield. These are behaviors that give aid and comfort to our enemy.

It’s not just the Democrats though but many on the Left — its faculties and administrations on college campuses, big media, Hollywood, and left-wing organizations such as the Ford Foundation, Moveon.org, United for Peace and Justice, etc. What is particularly disturbing to me is that these Americans are doing it while their fellow citizens are fighting and dying in combat. The best ally that al Qaeda has these days is the Democrat Party leadership. It’s reprehensible.

Lopez: Is it fair even to say “The Left has declared war on the U.S. military and the global War on Terror”? ...

***

If Entering Iraq Was a Mistake, Leaving Is Worse
By Dennis Prager

In arriving at their decision that America should withdraw its forces from Iraq, the Democratic Party and the Left around the world regularly make reference to what they regard as America's initial error -- invading Iraq.

Perhaps the Left is correct in its contentions that bringing freedom to a Muslim Arab country at this time in history is impossible and that an Iraq under Saddam Hussein would be better for American and world security.

But even if the war was a major blunder and even if everything the Left charges -- including "Bush lied" -- were true, none of these contentions has any bearing on the question of what should be done now.

The preoccupation of the Left with the alleged wrongness of the war and the alleged deceit of President Bush is another example of passion rather than reason determining a leftist position on a major issue.

A responsible, rational opponent of the war in Iraq and of George W. Bush would say, "I am appalled by the disastrous war in Iraq, appalled by the wasted American lives, appalled by the moral wasteland of Iraq, and I loathe this president. But we are in Iraq. And as much as I loathe supporting anything this president does and as much as I oppose this war, I know what is likely to happen if we leave Iraq. So I cannot in good conscience advocate an American withdrawal or fixing a specific date to do so." ...

***

Bush Keeps Vow to Veto War Funding Bill

President Says Pullout Deadline Is 'Date for Failure'
By Michael Abramowitz and Peter Baker, Washington Post Staff Writers

President Bush vetoed a $124 billion measure yesterday that would have funded overseas military operations but required him to begin withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq as early as July, escalating the most serious confrontation between the White House and Congress over war policy in a generation.

Bush carried through on his veto threat just after the legislation arrived at the White House, calling the timetable a "prescription for chaos and confusion" that would undercut generals. "Setting a deadline for withdrawal would demoralize the Iraqi people, would encourage killers across the broader Middle East and send a signal that America will not keep its commitments," he said last night. "Setting a deadline for withdrawal is setting a date for failure." ...

***

The 'new' Democrats and the war

With President Bush meeting today with congressional leaders on the war-funding bill, the administration continues to be hammered by Democrats who are never at a loss for words when it comes to professing their admiration for our troops or browbeating the Iraqis to "do more" to defend their own country. But these talking points from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi bear little resemblance to the actual behavior of House and Senate Democrats, who have undercut the ability of U.S. and Iraqi forces to carry out their missions. ...

***

I Question
They Are Not Serious. They Are Not Patriotic.
By Erick (at Redstate)

I question the seriousness of the Democratic Party. They have been so intent to cut off funding to the troops in Iraq, they passed the bill and then held it for a week so Nancy Pelosi could read it. Or was that to print it on parchment. Their unserious excuses have been all over the map for the past week.

Witness the seriousness of the President who vetoed the bill upon receipt versus the unseriousness of the Congressional Democrats who wanted to time the delivery to the anniversary of President Bush's speech aboard the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln, only to deny that today and tell NPR that the timing was a "coincidence." ...

I question the Democrats' seriousness. I question the Democrats' patriotism too. ...

The Democrats say they support the troops, but they have consistently sought since 2002, to undermine the efforts of the troops, the military leadership, the cause, and protective measures the Bush Administration has implemented to keep this nation safe -- from terrorist surveillance to unionization of the Department of Homeland Security to the Patriot Act.

You're damn right I question their patriotism. ...

Contributed by Bill Faith on May 2, 2007 at 12:37 AM in Caring about our troops, Dem Dumbness, Dem Perfidy, Iraq, Islamism Delenda Est | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Sunday, 29 April 2007
 

2007.04.29 Dem Perfidy // Islamism Delenda Est Roundup

See previous: 2007.04.28 Dem Perfidy // Islamism Delenda Est Roundup

Deadlocked War Funding Bill May Halt Troop Carriers 

CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq —  The armored carrier has a grim black slash across its side, burn marks on the door and a web of cracks along the window.

Like most of the Mine Resistant, Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles in Anbar province, this one has been hit as many as three times by enemy fire and bomb blasts. Yet, to date, no American troops have died while riding in one.

But efforts to buy thousands more carriers — each costing about $1 million — could be delayed if the White House and Congress do not resolve their deadlock over a $124.2 billion war spending bill.

About $3 billion for the vehicles is tied up in the legislation. The spending plan has stalled because of a dispute over provisions that would set a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. ...

Joe Katzman has an excellent related post here.

Bottom line: Replacing HMMWVs with MRAP's saves American lives. The Army and Marines are waiting for money to replace a bunch of 'em. They don't have it yet because the Surrendercrats are playing political games instead of taking care of the troops.

It is my fervent and heartfelt hope that when the jihadis finally manage to nuke DC Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, and Mad Jack Murtha are just far enough from Ground Zero to see the flash and have a split second to realize what happened before the shock front arrives and liquefies their bodies. Catching the three of them somewhere on the left coast for a moonbat convention would be even better, of course.

Update after a night's sleep and some time to surf the web a little: I don't really want the Three Ratateers to die in the initial blast. I'd much prefer they die slow lingering deaths trapped in the rubble, preferably under the same rubble pile so they have time to congratulate each other on how well they managed the war. (No, Bill isn't "off his meds again." I'm not wishing any worse fate for the Ratateers than will be suffered by thousands of others if they succeed in implementing their proposed policies.)

Below the fold (newest items at the top):

• Rice: 'Slam dunk' comment didn't lead to war
• Officers: Ex-CIA chief Tenet a 'failed' leader
• Scheuer: Don't Buy Tenet
• A Basic Tenet of Public Life...
• Meet the Press: Harry Reid's Plan for America
• Top general: U.S. needs a bigger Army faster
• Video: Murtha suggests impeachment
  if President doesn’t “compromise”
• Good News In Anbar
• Saudi’d Straight
• And then what?
• Terrorists Ecstatic With Democrats' Debate
• 1st Assault Accordians, Advance to Rear!
• "If Osama bin Laden stood up and said 'Here's my timetable for withdrawing from Iraq'...
• "I'm ready for my fatwa"
• US aircrews show Taliban no mercy
• Certified Madness
• Winners And Losers
• Forgive My Unstiff Upper Lip
• Another big fish in Iraq? 

*** ***     *** ***     *** ***     *** ***     *** ***     *** ***

Rice: 'Slam dunk' comment didn't lead to war

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Sunday said the administration did not use former CIA Director George Tenet's "slam dunk" comment as the reason to invade Iraq, disputing his complaints.

"We all thought that the intelligence case was strong." Rice said, speaking to CNN's "Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer," just hours before an interview with Tenet was set to air on CBS News' "60 Minutes."

The "slam dunk" issue arose last September, the fifth anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Vice President Dick Cheney told NBC's "Meet the Press" that before the U.S.-led invasion, President Bush asked Tenet how good the case was against Saddam Hussein involving weapons of mass destruction.

"It's a slam dunk, Mr. President," Tenet responded. ...

***

Officers: Ex-CIA chief Tenet a 'failed' leader

(CNN) -- In a letter written Saturday to former CIA Director George Tenet, six former CIA officers described their former boss as "the Alberto Gonzales of the intelligence community," and called his book "an admission of failed leadership."

The writers said Tenet has "a moral obligation" to return the Medal of Freedom he received from President Bush.

They also called on him to give more than half the royalties he gets from book, "At the Center of the Storm," to U.S. soldiers wounded in Iraq and families of the dead. ...

The letter, signed by Phil Giraldi, Ray McGovern, Larry Johnson, Jim Marcinkowski, Vince Cannistraro and David MacMichael, said Tenet should have resigned in protest rather than take part in the administration's buildup to the war.  ...

Johnson is a former CIA intelligence official and registered Republican who voted for Bush in 2000. McGovern is a former CIA analyst.

Cannistraro is former head of the CIA's counterterrorism division and was head of intelligence for the National Security Council in the late 1980s.

The writers said they agree that Bush administration officials took the nation to war "for flimsy reasons," and that it has proved "ill-advised and wrong-headed."

But, they added, "your lament that you are a victim in a process you helped direct is self-serving, misleading and, as head of the intelligence community, an admission of failed leadership.

"You were not a victim. You were a willing participant in a poorly considered policy to start an unnecessary war and you share culpability with Dick Cheney and George Bush for the debacle in Iraq." ...

***

Scheuer: Don't Buy Tenet
Ed Morrissey

Michael Scheuer, the CIA chief of the now-defunct Osama bin Laden unit, wrote a book recounting his frustrations spanning more than a decade of counterterrorism work for Langley. The author of such books as Imperial Hubris and Through Our Enemies' Eyes has spent the last few years detailing how senior intelligence officials have failed several administrations and the nation. Now he responds to George Tenet and his new memoirs, and warns Americans that Tenet has not told the truth:

At a time when clear direction and moral courage were needed, Tenet shifted course to follow the prevailing winds, under President Bill Clinton and then President Bush -- and he provided distraught officers at Langley a shoulder to cry on when his politically expedient tacking sailed the United States into disaster.

At the CIA, Tenet will be remembered for some badly needed morale-building. But he will also be recalled for fudging the central role he played in the decline of America's clandestine service -- the brave field officers who run covert missions that make us all safer. The decline began in the late 1980s, when the impending end of the Cold War meant smaller budgets and fewer hires, and it continued through Sept. 11, 2001. When Tenet and his bungling operations chief, James Pavitt, described this slow-motion disaster in testimony after the terrorist attacks, they tried to blame the clandestine service's weaknesses on congressional cuts. But Tenet had helped preside over every step of the service's decline during three consecutive administrations -- Bush, Clinton, Bush -- in a series of key intelligence jobs for the Senate, the National Security Council and the CIA. Only 9/11, it seems, convinced Tenet of the importance of a large, aggressive clandestine service to U.S. security. ...

In fact, what Scheuer describes here is only a hair short of cowardice. Tenet willingly went along with the flow, regardless of who was in charge. With Clinton, he was only too happy to undermine the intelligence for a pre-emptive strike on bin Laden, because he sensed that Clinton didn't want to take any risks. With Bush, he went along with the strongest possible analysis of the intelligence because he sensed that Bush would take action anyway. And if Tenet really means what he says in this book -- Scheuer gives examples of his accusations against Condoleezza Rice, Dick Cheney, and the "neocon" cabal -- Tenet never bothered to mention it to Congress or the 9/11 Commission, years after the fact.

Scheuer says that Tenet wants to get back into the good graces of the Democrats, his first political home. He well might. Some in Congress have already mentioned Tenet's name on witness lists for their investigation, and Scheuer sees that as a rehabilitation opportunity that Tenet will not allow to pass. Tenet apparently lets Bush off the hook, as well as Colin Powell, but seems willing to throw everyone else under the bus to protect himself.

Don't think that Scheuer is defending the decision to go into Iraq: far from it. ...

***

A Basic Tenet of Public Life... 
John Hinderaker

...should be that, if you are given a vitally important responsibility and screw it up badly, you should thereafter maintain a discreet and humble silence.

Someone forgot to tell George Tenet. He's now written a book, which I haven't read and won't, in which he apparently whines about all the other people who are to blame for whatever has gone wrong in Iraq, while "taking responsibility" for the CIA's abysmal performance in the usual modern way: that is, by changing the subject.

Tenet apparently admits, as he must, that the CIA misadvised the White House and Congress about Iraq's WMD programs. Still, the war wasn't his fault. He blames the administration, and Dick Cheney in particular, for going to war without a proper debate about the need to do so. He premises this conclusion, apparently, on the fact that "those debates did not happen in the presence of Tenet or other senior CIA officials." What's too bad, really, is that discussion of intelligence matters did take place in the presence of Tenet and other CIA officials. We might all have been better off if they had been excluded from the process entirely.

As for Tenet's claim that there was no debate about whether the war was really necessary, it is ridiculous. The decision to go to war was debated in the White House; it was debated in the U.N.; it was debated in Congress; it was debated on Sunday morning talk shows; it was debated in every tavern in North America. If the decision was wrong, as Tenet apparently believes with the benefit of four years of hindsight, it wasn't for lack of debate. ...

***

Meet the Press: Harry Reid's Plan for America
Doug Ross (H/T: Lorie Byrd)

Tim Russert: Senator Reid, many on the right side of the aisle took you to task for saying the war is 'lost'. How do you respond to your critics?

Harry Reid: No one wants to succeed in Iraq more than I do, but this war cannot be won militarily. It must be won diplomatically, via earmarks, and backroom political corner-cutting.

TR: But can negotiation be expected to dampen the ever-growing threat of global extremism?

HR: We on the left side of the aisle believe war never solved anything.

TR: You mean 'war never solved anything' except for ending Slavery, Fascism, Nazism and Communism?

HR: Don't be a smart-ass, Tim. You know what I mean.

TR: Not sure that I do, Senator. How does calling the war 'lost' help anyone but Al Qaeda?

HR: The truth will set you free, Tim. How can our military possibly stand up to the terr-- uhm, insurgents' -- awful weapons of AK-47s, suicide bomb-belts, and old artillery shells? Their weapons are too powerful, their tactics too sophisticated, and their goals too evil for us to prevail! ...

[Read the whole thing.]

***

Top general: U.S. needs a bigger Army faster

SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii (AP) -- The Army's new chief of staff said he wants to accelerate by two years a plan to increase the nation's active-duty soldiers by 65,000.

The Army has set 2012 as its target date for a force expansion to 547,000 troops, but Gen. George Casey said he told his staff to have the soldiers ready earlier.

"I said that's too long. Go back and tell me what it would take to get it done faster," he said in an interview Saturday with The Associated Press during a stop in Hawaii.

Casey became the Army chief of staff April 12 after serving as the top U.S. commander in Iraq for more than two years. ...

Casey said his staff has submitted a proposal for the accelerated timeline but that he has yet to approve the plan. He said the Army was stretched and would remain that way until the additional troops were trained and equipped.

Casey told a group of soldiers' spouses that one of his tasks is to try to limit the impact of the strain on soldiers and their families.

"We live in a difficult period for the Army because the demand for our forces exceeds the supply," he said. ...

***

Video: Murtha suggests impeachment
if President doesn’t “compromise”
Ian Schwartz

Rep. John Murtha suggested the possibility of impeachment to “influence” the President to “compromise” over funding for Iraq. Is it just me or does John Murtha sound like Vito Corleone? Does Murtha not know he is talking about impeaching the President of the United States because he is not compromising with the will of the far-left of Congress? That’s neither a high crime nor even a misdemeanor, which are the behaviors that are supposed to trigger impeachment. Murtha’s suggestion is outside the bounds of what Congress is supposed to do to influence the behavior of a sitting president, to say the least. ...

Transcript:

BOB SCHIEFFER: Are you seriously talking about contemplating an impeachment of this President?

MURTHA: What I’m saying is there are four ways to influence a President.

SCHIEFFER: — and that’s one of them?

MURTHA: [unintelligible] and the fourth one is –

SCHIEFFER: — that’s an option that’s on the table?

MURTHA: I’m just saying that’s one way to influence the President

Aww gee whiz, Ian. You mean to say having the audacity to refuse to march to Congress's kazoo isn't a firing offense? Dang! There oughta be a law! [/snark] Actually, there really should be a law, against continuing to serve in Congress after the onset of senility.

Kim Priestap comments here. 

***

Good News In Anbar
Ed Morrissey

Just as the Democrats have raised the white flag on Iraq, the New York Times reports that the surge strategy has started paying off in Anbar. Shops have reopened, people have moved back, and everyone's challenging the insurgents except Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi:

Anbar Province, long the lawless heartland of the tenacious Sunni Arab resistance, is undergoing a surprising transformation. Violence is ebbing in many areas, shops and schools are reopening, police forces are growing and the insurgency appears to be in retreat.

“Many people are challenging the insurgents,” said t