Small Town Veteran: February 2006

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2006.02.28

How Do You Close "Intelligence Gaps?"

How Do You Close "Intelligence Gaps?"
Hatched by Dafydd ab Hugh

With more intelligence, of course.

Yesterday, a story flew furiously around the media (hat tip to Michelle Malkin) that the Coast Guard, which handles port security, at one point had serious concerns about the Dubai Ports World deal; though the Department of Homeland Security says those concerns were addressed, the clear implication of the story was that they were glossed over or ignored entirely... and liberal Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), no friend of the Bush administration, carefully poured gasoline on the fire:
[...]
[Read on here.]

Posted by Bill Faith on February 28, 2006 at 08:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Bruce Kesler: How reliable is Zogby poll of military in Iraq?

The latest Zogby “poll” purports to show heavy unclarity of mission and support for leaving Iraq during the next year or sooner among our servicepeople in Iraq.

However, Zogby’s poll purposely leaves open too many questions, which combined with the performance and nature of the Zogby polling organization, raises many doubts as to the poll’s reliability.

[Read on here.]

***

A Soldier's Perspective: Soldiers Want To Go Home (ht: Curt)

Posted by Bill Faith on February 28, 2006 at 08:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Salman Rushdie, Ayaan Hirsi Ali et al: Together facing the new totalitarianism

Manifesto:

Together facing the new totalitarianism

After having overcome fascism, Nazism, and Stalinism, the world now faces a new totalitarian global threat: Islamism.

We, writers, journalists, intellectuals, call for resistance to religious totalitarianism and for the promotion of freedom, equal opportunity and secular values for all.

The recent events, which occurred after the publication of drawings of Muhammed in European newspapers, have revealed the necessity of the struggle for these universal values. This struggle will not be won by arms, but in the ideological field. It is not a clash of civilisations nor an antagonism of West and East that we are witnessing, but a global struggle that confronts democrats and theocrats.

Like all totalitarianisms, Islamism is nurtured by fears and frustrations. The hate preachers bet on these feelings in order to form battalions destined to impose a liberticidal and unegalitarian world. But we clearly and firmly state: nothing, not even despair, justifies the choice of obscurantism, totalitarianism and hatred. Islamism is a reactionary ideology which kills equality, freedom and secularism wherever it is present. Its success can only lead to a world of domination: man's domination of woman, the Islamists' domination of all the others. To counter this, we must assure universal rights to oppressed or discriminated people.

We reject « cultural relativism », which consists in accepting that men and women of Muslim culture should be deprived of the right to equality, freedom and secular values in the name of respect for cultures and traditions. We refuse to renounce our critical spirit out of fear of being accused of "Islamophobia", an unfortunate concept which confuses criticism of Islam as a religion with stigmatisation of its believers.

We plead for the universality of freedom of expression, so that a critical spirit may be exercised on all continents, against all abuses and all dogmas.

We appeal to democrats and free spirits of all countries that our century should be one of Enlightenment, not of obscurantism.

12 signatures

Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Chahla Chafiq
Caroline Fourest
Bernard-Henri Lévy
Irshad Manji
Mehdi Mozaffari
Maryam Namazie
Taslima Nasreen
Salman Rushdie
Antoine Sfeir
Philippe Val
Ibn Warraq

[Source]

Hat tip: Michelle Malkin, who has much more here.

Rusty Shackleford: "Add my name." Add my name too, Rusty. Islamism delenda est! Death before dhimmitude.

Agora has more here.

I'll collect more blog reactions as I have time to look around.

***

Charles Johnson: "And you can add my name to that list."

Lawhawk's in.

Vince Aut Morire: I'll Take Your Fatwa And Raise You A Manifesto

Bryan Preston: Sign me up.

Pamela at Atlas Shrugs: "Heads are gonna roll...........no pun intended."

Jay at Stop The ACLU:

"What can one say to such a magnificently written, and clear cut message. Wake up America! We are talking about freedom here! Add my name to the list!"

Beth at Blue Star Chronicles:

"Solidarity. The 12 people who wrote and signed this document know very well the risk they take. We need to send a clear message that they don't stand alone."

If you've signed on and I haven't noticed yet please leave a trackback or comment and I'll add you to my list. ... Later: Agora's doing a great job of keeping track of reactions to this so I'm not going to spend any more time prowling around looking for them.

***

Don't miss Greyhawk's latest Open Post.

Posted by Bill Faith on February 28, 2006 at 08:08 PM in Death before dhimmitude | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Bush Hails Blogosphere

John Hinderaker of The sixty-first minute fame:

Bush Hails Blogosphere

Until now, I don't think President Bush has commented publicly on the 60 Minutes/National Guard story. But the Drudge Report has excerpts from Bill Sammon's new book, Strategery, in which both Bush and Karl Rove talk about the document scandal:
President Bush, for the first time, is hailing the rise of the alternative media and the decline of the mainstream media, which he now says “conspired” to harm him with forged documents.

[...]
[Read the whole thing.]

Michelle Malkin has more here.

***

Pamela has more here.

Posted by Bill Faith on February 28, 2006 at 07:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Bush Still More Popular Than CBS News

Poll: Bush Still More Popular Than CBS News
Scott Ott

(2006-02-28) -- With his characteristic optimism, President George Bush said today that his 34 percent approval rating in the latest CBS News poll, an all-time low for his presidency, could be worse.

"I'm concerned, but I'm not pulling my hair out," said Mr. Bush. "After all, it could be worse — I could be as unpopular as the CBS Evening News."

[Read on here.]

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Dafydd ab Hugh: CBS = Certifiably Bogus Surveys

Posted by Bill Faith on February 28, 2006 at 05:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

IED Roll-Up #15

Click here.

Posted by Bill Faith on February 28, 2006 at 05:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

The Reverse Crusades

From Blackfive:

"The Reverse Crusades"

That's what some of my friends still in the Special Ops community have been calling the War on Terror since 9/11 (and maybe since Khobar - I just may not have been paying attention). We're fighting the crusaders this time - crusaders that want us either converted to their religion or dead.

And our fear and unwillingness to fight in various ways may be our undoing.

Osama and his murderers want to drive a wedge between the West and Islam, and guess what?

It's working.

[Read on here.]

Read the whole thing. It's important. And don't forget to read the comments, where there's a great discussion of the situation taking place among some very intelligent people.

***

Grim has an excellent related post here.

Posted by Bill Faith on February 28, 2006 at 04:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Rove has to be behind this

CIA Plot To Destroy The Moonbats

Really. I’m serious. There’s no other possible explanation for this riotously funny, over the top, idiocy that I predict will be linked to by more right wing bloggers than any story this year so far:
TAKE THE WHITE HOUSE BY STORM - Stop Genocide, Torture and Occupation

U.N. SOS - We need your help to end the reign of international criminals.

It is our duty and the duty of the United Nations to rescue the people of the world from the U.S. dictators. Murder for occupation and theft of land is illegal. Murder of journalists is criminal. Remove the traitors who have stolen the U.S. budget and used it to commit international crimes against humanity.

[...]
[Read on here.]

Alexandra has an excellent related post here, as do Sweetness and Light here and Rand Simberg here. See also: Michelle Malkin.

Team Moonbat, meet Team Bradley. Team Moonbat has won the toss and elected to receive.

***

Anitmedia comments here.

Posted by Bill Faith on February 28, 2006 at 05:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

The Impeachment Bandwagon Starts To Roll

Rick Moran:

What began as something of a joke on far left websites like Daily Kos and the Democratic Underground has hit the big time as one of the left’s leading lights has jumped on the impeachment bandwagon and started it rolling toward an uncertain future.

Lewis Lapham, the iconoclastic intellectual whose lucid, well written essays and columns have been a source of inspiration and thought provoking debate to two generations of American liberals has written an essay in Harpers Magazine calling for the impeachment of President Bush.

[Read on here.]

Elections have consequences, people. If the GOP still controls the House after November the moonbats can howl all they want to but they still won't be any less powerless than they are right now. Don't forget to vote.

Posted by Bill Faith on February 28, 2006 at 05:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

The ports deal: Time for a Team B?

Hugh Hewitt explains his proposal here. I think he has an excellent idea. Hat tip: Tom Maguire

Posted by Bill Faith on February 28, 2006 at 04:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack