Wednesday's Bombing in Afghanistan

Wednesday, we lost eight more Americans in Afghanistan, apparently seven of whom were CIA officers. In a separate incident, five Canadians, four soldiers and a journalist, were killed by a bombing in Afghanistan. I mourn for every soldier, law enforcement officer and intelligence officer we lose, and this is no exception. The CIA takes a lot of abuse, but the fact remains that in trouble places like Afghanistan, they are also there fighting the good fight for their country.

As is routine, we don't even know their names, and at CIA Hqs in Langley, Virginia, only stars will be placed on their Wall of Honor. Nevertheless, this country should honor their memories and support the war they have fought.

We should also honor the memories of our Canadian allies in the War on Terror.

Politics in 2010-What Must be Done?

Let's keep it up!


There is growing anger in the US since President Obama entered office and began instituting his changes-with the help of a solid Democratic majority in Congress. If I were to choose a Person of the Year for 2009, it would be the men and women who turned out for the Democratic town hall meetings and tea parties across the nation to voice their outrage at the rapid socialization of America. Now with the Christmas day attempt to blow up an airliner over Detroit by a man who never should have been able to even get near a plane to begin with, the nation is reacting to the sheer incompetence and neglect shown by our national leaders in their most important responsibility-to protect the American people. In 2010, we have a mid-term election coming up. That will be the big test. Can the American people sustain their anger until next November? Given the propensity of our president and Congress to rush and shove as much down our throats as they can, I think the anger will continue.

But what to do? The most obvious answer as a conservative is to say that we must vote as many liberal Democrats out of office as possible in 2010 followed by Obama in 2012. I don't say that as a Republican because I am not a Republican. I am a (small-i) independent who votes Republican because they are the only alternative to a Democratic Party that is going progressively to the left-and beyond.

However, the long-term answer for America is not to establish the Republicans as the one party holding power for a couple of reasons. First of all, one party rule in any nation only leads to abuses of power and corruption-at the expense of the people. Remember 1994, when Newt Gingrich instituted the Contract with America and the Republicans took power? What happened? New politicians came to Washington, learned the system, which was entrenched, and liked what they saw; the power, the cameras, the public recognition, the perks, and the sex. Came next election time, the only thing that mattered was re-election. They joined the system, made the deals, and the promises were forgotten. Result? They got their punishment in 2006 and 2008, and they deserved it.

The question is; have they learned their lesson and if so, for how long?

I don't wish for the destruction of the Democratic Party, as many Democrats have been trying to put the final nails in the Republican coffin by gaming the political and electoral system to ensure their own elections-fair or not (ACORN). Obviously, I would like to see the Democrats move to the center, just as liberals want to see the Republicans move to the center.

The idea of a third party merits at least consideration. Currently, neither party is satisfying its members to any great extent. Michael Medved correctly points out that today, a third party only splits the vote and guarantees defeat for the party which suffers the defectors; thus, it is merely a case of cutting off one's nose to spite one's face. Yet, what happened in 2009 with the tea party protests raises the idea of a Tea Party in 2010. Could it be successful? Probably not unless it had access to large sums of money, prominent candidates and mass defections from the Republican Party.

The other argument against more than two parties is that it would paralyze government and lead to a situation as you see in European countries like Italy, where fragile and temporary coalitions have to be formed to accomplish this and that.

Paralyze government? That may not be as bad an idea as it might seem on the surface.
Currently in California, there is a petition going around to put a measure on the ballot that would limit our legislators to serving only 90 days a year. Preposterous? Not really when you consider the massive damage our Democrat-controlled legislature is doing every day. I will gladly vote for this measure. To me, what is going on in America today is reinforcement for the argument that "the government that governs best governs least".

On the other hand, there are two areas in which the government must be active; that is in the areas of national defense and protecting our citizens from crime. Guess what? Those are the two main functions of our government. Our government (according to the Constitution) has no role in getting us a job, a promotion, or otherwise putting money in our pocket. Some of you may find that shocking, but it is true. All these massive government programs that have taken over our lives are an intrusion into our lives that has nothing to do with the Constitution. We need leaders who will begin the long process of drawing back from a welfare state mentality. It will take a long time, but we must begin the process.

We must also demand-now-that our government get serious about protecting the American people from an enemy that is fighting a war whose intention is to kill as many of us as possible, wipe out Western civilization, and install a theocratic system of governance called Shariah over the land.

The first step is that someone has to lead our leaders by the hand and insist they identify and openly acknowledge who that enemy is. It is fundamentalist Islamism-maybe not as a religion, per se, but as a political ideology that would strip away all the rights we enjoy as a free and Democratic nation. Yet, go to the Department of Homeland Security's own website. Click away to your heart's content, and see if you can find any mention as to who the terrorists are. It might as well be Casper the Friendly Ghost.

http://www.dhs.gov/index.shtm

(At least they are using the word, "terror".)

Does that mean we stigmatize millions of innocent Muslims in this country as the enemy? No, but we must vigorously investigate and identify those individuals who pose a threat to us. It also means we use our common sense when trying to detect terrorists as they attempt to board planes. As I have pointed out before, criminal profiling goes way beyond looking at a person's ethnicity. On the other hand, those at our security check points know exactly where the threats are coming from. Strip-searching or giving full-body X-rays to people who are obviously not terrorists is nothing more than an exercise in covering their butts from lawsuits.

So, in this day and age, would this result in thousands of innocent Muslims, particularly young Muslim men being subject to closer scrutiny before they are allowed to board a flight? Unfortunately, yes, just as innocent Colombians and Nigerians (I thought) have been subjected to increased secondary searches because of the huge amount of drugs being carried on international flights by Colombian and Nigerian couriers. If the Muslim community in America or elsewhere is offended by constantly being examined every time they fly, they should reserve their outrage for the terrorists, who are causing us all to be increasingly inconvenienced. They should remember that it for their protection as well.

In the meantime, we must keep the pressure on Obama and his administration by protesting their woeful performance. We must keep clamoring for people like Janet Napolitano to resign. Should that occur, she should be replaced not by another politician, but by someone who has a solid background in anti-terrorism, knows who the enemy is, and will not be concerned about political correctness.

And we must keep speaking out. We must not allow ourselves to go back to sleep as we did after 9-11. If we don't keep the spirit alive, we will miss our chance next November.

A Get Well Wish for Rush Limbaugh

Get well, Rush.

The Vision of our Founding Fathers-Why We Fought the Revolution

"So tell us, why should we declare independence from Great Britain?"

"You see, it's not just about us. We must have the vision to see what lies ahead 250 years from now."

"Vision? What vision?"

"Here, just let me set up my Power Point presentation."










Patrick Henry: "Give me liberty or......."

More on Georgie Galloway and His Friends

George Galloway. This is a member of British Parliament, folks. Where's his powdered wig?


The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) TV has a recent report (December 21-27) on the adventures of British MP George Galloway as he heads to Gaza with his 3rd Viva Palestina convoy of holiday goodies for his terrorist pals in Hamas. Watch and listen to the rhetoric from this bloated boob. Also take in the Jihadist rhetoric from his beneficiaries.

http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/2313.htm

Quote of the Day-Suzanne Malveaux

This just in. Suzanne Malveaux, "filling in" for the hapless Wolf Blitzer in the "Situation Room" on CNN, said this....

"And later, we will take you to the home town in Nigeria of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab as we search for a possible motive."

Give that lady the Mr Magoo award.

"Motive? I don't see any motive."


Here's a hint, Suzanne. Maybe he wanted to make a statement about Global Warming. Maybe he was angry because the big summit in Copenhagen collapsed.

Yeah, that's the ticket.

Random Shots in the Dark (21)

As they say this time of year, "Tis the season to be thankful" or something like that. And we have so much to be thankful for.

First of all, we have our glorious president with all the world's problems firmly under control as he fires one hole-in-one after another in Hawaii. Yes, we did have a near "man-caused disaster" over Detroit carried out by an "isolated extremist", but it failed because "the system worked".

Don't forget, now that "the system worked" flopped as a talking point, it is the "system that has been in place for several years now."

Translation: It's all Bush's fault, you see.

"The buck stops here."


Question of the day; how long do you think Janet Napolitano will last as Director of Homeland Security? If you said 4 years, you're probably correct. How safe does that make you feel? And that 6'5 guy you can't see over in the row in front of you on your next flight? You'd better check him out. It could be Osama bin Laden flying to Miami for a vacation.

"It's OK. I have my visa, ticket, and I'm not on the no-fly list. The system is working. Stewardess! Another drink, please."



But with Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab safely in the hands of the federal court system with his court-appointed attorney and a probation officer interviewing him to see if he is a good candidate for bail and/or probation, the health of the nation is good.

Speaking of health, to hear the Democrats tell it, you'd think we are all going to live forever once they pass this 1,000 page monster called a health care bill which was drafted by a bunch of drunken senators and their staffs.

Yes, you heard that right. A bunch of drunken senators-behind closed doors, no less.

Which leads me to my next question; what will be the next explanation coming out of Max Baucus' office about that 99 bottles of beer on the wall speech he gave a few days ago on the Senate floor? First, they say it's a vicious smear by right-wing bloggers (Me?). I bet the next thing we hear is something about the Senator forgetting to take his prescription meds. Yes, the old Patrick Kennedy "I screwed up with my medication" line.

"Hey Louie! I think I forgot to take my heart medication."

"I can tell."


This guy Baucus is a one-man CSI Washington, isn't he? Tries to get his mistress appointed as US Attorney in Montana, pays her big government bucks, takes her on official trips, then shows up on the Senate floor doing a Dean Martin imitation while talking in circles about the health care debate. And this is one of the principle architects of the bill??!!?

"Yee gads!!"



"Damn Republicans won't drink with me."


Have you heard about Charlie Sheen? He's the "star" on that dopey TV sit-com called "Two and a half men" or something like that. He's apparently the half. Anyway, one-man crime wave Charlie is now charged with assaulting his wife. She says he put a knife to her throat. I say, why did you hook up with a mope like Charlie Sheen? Did you think that you could reform him? Charlie Sheen. No wonder Michael Jordan avoids him like the plague in those commercials.


Exclusive Fousesquawk booking photos

"OK, Charlie face to your left."























As I write, that other famous mope, George Galloway, is trekking all over the Middle East trying to get his latest Viva Palestina convoy into Gaza. Guess who won't let him pass? If you said Israel, you lose! It's Egypt that won't let him pass into Gaza.

There goes George now. (He's the one in the center.)

Of course his spin doctors insist that Egypt is just doing the bidding of Zionist Israel and the US. Right. Now they're trying to get in through Syria. By the way, if you think we got it bad in the US with guys like Harry Reid, Max Baucus and a thousand others I won't name, this guy Galloway is a member of the British Parliament. (Course, he's never around.)

"God save us all. Where is Charles?"

"He's playing polo with George Galloway, Your Highness."


Question: What does George Galloway have in common with Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab?

Answer: They both have US multiple entry visas. (Actually, Georgie is a Brit, so he doesn't need a visa, so who knows when we will see his fat behind on US soil again.)

Finally, is there a bigger hypocrite in the world than David Letterman? First of all, this jerk has never succeeded in getting me to even break a smile with his lame humor.


More importantly, how can this guy make sexual cracks about Sarah Palin, her 14-year-old daughter and Tiger Woods when he gets embroiled in his own super-messy sexual scandal?

And on that unfunny note, I shall close.

Obama is Clueless on Iran

Homosexuals being hanged in Iran


The current strife under way in Iran represents a great opportunity to resolve this great issue in our favor-indeed in the favor of the world. Unfortunately, with the Obama administration in power, that opportunity will likely be squandered.

Obama, in typical Carteresque fashion, believes naively that he can negotiate with the mullahs of Teheran and come to some sort of peaceful resolution of the on-going nuclear issue. Iran not only ignores him but spits in his face. Meanwhile, the Iranian regime goes merrily along supporting terrorism by its proxies, Hamas and Hizbollah, while viciously repressing its own citizens who are being shot down in the streets, arrested, tortured and hanged.

The issue is not negotiation. The issue is not reform. The issue is regime change. Lest those of you Iraq-war weary pacifists charge me with advocating an invasion, I am not there yet. What is needed from America (and our feckless "allies" in Europe) is a number of things that could support the dissidents in Iran without rashly driving them back into the arms of the government by using military action.

First of all, Obama should have long ago condemned the oppressive action of the Iranian regime. Instead he has been dragged off his Hawaii golf course into making some sort of statement to the effect that we "stand behind the protesters".

Secondly, instead of talking about stronger sanctions, it is time for the West to apply sanctions, not gradually, but drastically. Whatever the Iranians need, make sure they don't get it. Freeze their overseas assets. We could also keep them from access to gasoline. Surprisingly, with all the oil they have, they don't have the means to refine it. If we need to start a blockade of Iran, then what are we waiting for?

Should we eventually attack Iran? The danger of that is that it could turn around all those protests in favor of the government. First of all, given what happened in 1979, I would not send US troops to Iran solely for the purpose of liberating the Iranian people. Eventually, however, the regime has to be stopped from getting and using nuclear weapons or passing them off to terrorists. Under Obama, I doubt that will happen. Israel may have to take out the reactors in their own self-defense-without US support and is sure to be condemned by the feckless "World Community" that wishes Israel would just go away so "we could all live peacefully with the Arab world" (and their oil), another naive assumption.

Finally, we should be giving the Iranian protesters whatever clandestine assistance we can to make them stronger. (We can pretend we are back in the Cold War.) One important resource they need is communications equipment to keep reporting to the outside world what the government is trying to suppress.

Now is not a time for pleas for meetings and negotiations. History tells us that you can't negotiate with evil. It is time for us to ratchet up the screws on Iran in any manner we can and let the people overthrow this odious regime. Will we get any help from the Russians and Chinese? Of course not, but we can't let that stop us.

But alas; with this administration, instead of the above, we pretty much know what we are going to get. None other than John Kerry will be going to Iran to sit down and talk with the leaders of this outlaw regime.

He'd better pack his umbrella.

(For all you UC-Santa Cruz Community Studies majors, that's a reference to Neville Chamberlain.) Who is Neville Chamberlain, you ask?

Never mind.

Swedish Firemen in Action

This Norwegian news documentary features firemen in the Swedish city of Gothenburg. The language is in Swedish with both Norwegian and English sub-titles. (Hat tip to Holger Awakens)

Janet Napolitano's "Accomplishments" in 2009

Let's go to the official website of the Department of Homeland Security and see what Janet Napolitano's accomplishments have been in 2009!!!!

http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/releases/pr_1260906632475.shtm

If your clicker isn't working, here is the text.

Secretary Napolitano Highlights DHS’ Major Accomplishments in 2009
Release Date: December 15, 2009

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010

Fact Sheet: Department of Homeland Security 2009 Accomplishments & Reforms
(PDF, 8 pages - 118 KB)

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today highlighted the Department's 2009 accomplishments in an address to employees—emphasizing the major steps the Department has taken this year to enhance America's capabilities to guard against terrorism; secure the nation's borders; engage in smart enforcement of our immigration laws; prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters; and unify and mature the Department and its 230,000-employee global workforce.



"We have built a spirit of collaboration into everything we do—within DHS and with our state, local, tribal, private sector and international partners," said Secretary Napolitano. "DHS and our 230,000 employees are connected by a common mission and responsibility to protect the United States from all threats and disasters."

"Tribal?"




Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab
Hello!!!!


The year-end accomplishments outlined today reflect Secretary Napolitano's commitment to strengthening activities in each priority area through three cross-cutting initiatives—increasing cooperation with federal, state, local tribal, private sector and international partners, deploying the latest science and technology to support DHS' mission; and maximizing efficiency in operations across the Department.

To guard against terrorism and threats to cyber networks and critical infrastructure, Secretary Napolitano forged new global partnerships in 2009 to share information, facilitate scientific research and coordinate law enforcement efforts; opened a new DHS-led coordinated cybersecurity watch and warning center; and created a new Fusion Center Program Management Office to support information sharing between federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners.

To secure our borders while facilitating lawful travel and trade, Secretary Napolitano deployed additional personnel and technology to the Southwest border while increasing coordination with federal, state, local and Mexican law enforcement as part of the Obama administration's Southwest Border Initiative; implemented the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative for land and sea travel to the United States; expanded Global Entry, a pilot program that streamlines the screening process at airports for trusted travelers through biometric identification;
Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab
"Hello!!!"

.....and entered into new partnerships across the federal government and with international counterparts to crack down on drug and firearms trafficking.

To engage in smart and effective enforcement of our immigration laws, Secretary Napolitano implemented a new, comprehensive worksite enforcement strategy to reduce demand for illegal employment and protect employment opportunities for the nation's lawful workforce; initiated major reforms to the nation's immigration detention system to enhance security and efficiency while prioritizing the health and safety of detainees; and expanded the Secure Communities program, which uses biometric information to target criminal aliens in U.S. correctional facilities, to over 100 jurisdictions across the country.

To prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters, Secretary Napolitano awarded more than $2.1 billion to Louisiana and Mississippi for recovery and rebuilding from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita; established two joint public assistance teams and a new arbitration process to resolve long-standing issues over public assistance funding; and partnered with the Department of Housing and Urban Development to provide long-term housing to more than 11,000 families displaced by Hurricanes Gustav and Ike while providing families remaining in temporary Katrina-Rita housing new options to buy their mobile homes and park models.

To unify and mature the Department, Secretary Napolitano has launched major reforms to foster a culture of responsibility and fiscal discipline, including a Department-wide Efficiency Review to cut costs and streamline operations through a series of initiatives ranging from eliminating non-mission critical travel to acquiring enterprise licenses for commonly used software—collectively expected to lead to hundreds of millions of dollars in cost avoidances.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

To view a comprehensive list of DHS accomplishments in 2009, visit www.dhs.gov.

This page was last reviewed/modified on December 15, 2009.
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Confrontation on a Paris Street

(Hat tip to Europe News DK-Original by Daily Motion.com)

The above video was shot recently in Paris. It shows Muslims on the sidewalk of a street outside of a mosque during prayers. A confrontation results when a Frenchman tries to pass down the street and take photos of the people on the sidewalk. It turns out that a private Muslim security has, in effect, closed off the street to non-Muslims. The language is in French with (small) sub-titles in English above. The Frenchman wants to know why he is being denied access while the Muslim security man tells him that it is forbidden to take pictures.

Today in Teheran

This video was posted today by Green Revolution (Teheran).
Hat tip to Europe News DK,

George Galloway Distorts the Israeli Body Parts Scandal

George Galloway. (He's the one in the red spandex.)


Our old friend, British Member of Parliament and Hamas ally, George Galloway is at it again with his absurd accusations against Israel. Galloway, if you don't know, is so ridiculous that he makes our Representive Alan Grayson look like a statesman. Below is an article published by Honest Reporting that addresses Galloway's supporting accusations that the Israeli army deliberately targeted Palestinians with killing so they could harvest their body parts a la Josef Mengele, the infamous Auschwitz physician who selected who would live and who would die. It is a distortion of a past scandal which is described in detail in the article. The below article also contains a direct link to Galloway's op-ed in the Daily Record(Scotland).

* Honest Reporting is a pro-Israel website that refutes false media reporting against Israel.


http://www.honestreporting.com/articles/45884734/critiques/new/Israelis_Playing_Mini-Mengele.asp

While we are on the topic of comparing people to previous monsters like Mengele, let's look at some of Galloway's associates of more recent times.

Here's George with the Gaza Hamas leader Ismail Haniyah, to whom George delivers all kinds of goodies with his Viva Palestina fund drive (Department of Justice, please take note).




Here's Georgie visiting none other than Saddam Hussein in Baghdad. You might recall that Georgie was a vocal opponent of sanctions against Saddam and any idea of invading Iraq. Then came accusations that Georgie and his wife were being paid off by Iraq in the form of oil vouchers. (Georgie denies the charges.)




This is Georgie in Baghdad greeting Saddam's charming son, Uday, who was a noted rapist, torturer and murderer.




And finally, Here's Georgie giving a speech in Gaza flanked by New York City Councilman and race-monger Charles Barron on his right with former Representative Cynthia McKinney on his left. She's the one who hit the Capitol Hill cop and whose father and other followers blamed the Jews for her electoral defeat.

The Friends of George Galloway.

(As for that other mope in the top picture, I have no idea who he or she is, nor do I want to know.

Who Will be the 2009 "Jerk of the Year"?

Only two more days to go before the grand announcement of who will win the Golden Penguin award as the 2009 Fousesquawk "Jerk of the Year" award.


John Edwards-Last year's winner
(Only two more days, John!)


The reason I will wait until New Year's Day to announce the winner is because there are so many worthy nominees and events are happening so fast that the winner could actually emerge on the final day. I tell ya this is an excrutiating decision. At any rate, here are the final nominees:

Harry Reid (no list would be complete without "Dingy Harry".)

Barbara ("Call me Senator") Boxer

Joe ("I miss my son") Jackson

Nancy Pelosi

Keith "Slack-jawed tea-baggers") Olbermann (Mr Consistency)

Gov. Mark Sanford

Honduran ex-President Manuel Zelaya

Hugo Chavez

David Letterman (for mocking others' sexual activities)

Perez Hilton

Michael Musto

Sen. John Ensign

Professor Henry Louis Gates

British MP George Galloway

Janeane Garofalo ("Redneck racists")

Bill Maher ("America is a stupid nation."

Kathy Sebelius

Steny Hoyer

Hillary Clinton (for her performance in the Congo)

Ex-Calif State Senator Mike (the spanker) Duvall

Kanye West

Jimmy Carter

Richard Heene (Balloon boy)

Rep. Alan Grayson (ridicuous statements too numerous to list here)

Sen. Max (babes, booze & bills) Baucus

Janet Napolitano

Charlie Sheen (late entry)

Nadya Sulemon (Octomom)



Feel free to add your own nominee. Results will be announced by me on New Year's Day.

("Inshallah")

Flight 253-What They Are Saying in Denmark

Below is an editorial comment on flight 253 from Europe News DK, a Danish blog which is link on this blog under the section, "Our real European allies".
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Flight 253: The Failure of Counterterrorism

"The chief lesson of the attempted jihad attack on Flight 253 from Amsterdam to Detroit on Christmas Day is that our entire anti-terror strategy is a huge and abject failure.

Of course, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano would beg to differ, as she has said that the stopping of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab attempt to set off an explosive on the airplane showed that “the system worked” and “everything happened that should have.”

(Cartoon from Europe News)

The “system worked”? So the “system” now involves hoping that other passengers will tackle the jihadist? After all, a passenger on Flight 253, Jasper Schuringa, subdued Abdulmutallab. The “system” now relies on all of the jihadis’ detonators failing, as did Abdulmutallab’s? Napolitano’s optimism was based on an appalling disconnect from reality that in saner times would result in her dismissal. Barack Obama, by contrast, would be more likely to issue her a commendation, if he weren’t too busy golfing and shooting hoops during his Hawaii vacation.

In contrast to Napolitano’s fantasies, Flight 253 revealed a massive failure not only of airline security procedures, but also of the larger strategy that America and the West has been pursuing against jihad terrorism.

As for airline security procedures, Abdulmutallab was able to get on the airplane without a passport, and with ingredients for an explosive that would have destroyed the plane and killed everyone in it. TSA officials are busy tightening security procedures with new Abdulmutallab-inspired rules such as forcing passengers to stay in their seats for the last hour of the flight, but these new measures will do nothing to prevent another attack.

One thing we have seen over the years since 9/11 is that airport security is always one step behind the jihadists:

•After jihadist Richard Reid attempted to set off a bomb hidden in his shoes, we all have to take off our shoes and send them through security scanners.
•After a group of jihadists tried to sneak onto planes explosive chemicals hidden in drink bottles, we can’t carry drinks through airport security terminals.
•Because Abdulmutallab attempted his jihad attack just before the plane landed, now we can’t get up during the last hour of the flight.
The one thing that the TSA should have learned, but hasn’t, is that next time the jihadists will do something else, not just repeat what they did before. And even if every passenger were given a full body cavity search, they will find some way to get around it. But attempt a new approach based on sensible profiling? The TSA would rather fold up shop altogether.

Flight 253 also shows that long-term anti-terror strategies have failed miserably. Abdulmutallab was a classic recipient of Western largesse designed to win over the loyalties of Muslims – he was educated at the British International School in Lome, Togo, he.

Yet contact with solicitous and friendly non-Muslim Westerners obviously did nothing to quell his jihadist fervor. And the son of a rich man (who notified American authorities about his jihadist sentiments, to no avail), Abdulmutallab once again proves false the idea that poverty causes terrorism. The myriad aid programs that are based on this false assumption have done nothing to stop or even slow jihad terrorism, and they never will.

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab has told the FBI that there are more Muslims training in Yemen now for jihad attacks against American airplanes. British intelligence has confirmed that at least twenty-five Muslims from Britain are in Yemen for that purpose now. What will be the outcome if and when these men make their way onto an aircraft bound for the United States?

If the DHS and Janet Napolitano were honest, they would admit that Flight 253 represents the crumbling of their entire anti-terror edifice, and set to work building a more effective model. For the failure of the existing strategy is colossal and far-reaching; until it is scrapped, nothing is more certain than that there will be many, many more incidents like the one on Flight 253. But instead of beginning the hard work that needs to be done now, Napolitano is congratulating herself – and the President is trying for a hole in one."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fousesquawk comment: Again, where is the clear thinking and moral clarity that this article represents to be found among our own American leaders?

Frank Gaffney Article on Jihad 101

Frank Gaffney

Frank Gaffney is the president of the Center for Security Policy. Read his reaction to the Christmas day attack on the Northwest flight to Detroit and ask yourself why we can't have someone like this in charge of Homeland Security instead of the feckless Janet Napolitano. How can we defeat Islamic terror directed at us if our leaders can't even call it what it is? Frank Gaffney knows what it is.
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Jihad 101
Center for Security Policy | Dec 28, 2009
By Frank Gaffney, Jr.

"Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano came in for some well-deserved criticism for declaring over the weekend that "the system worked" with respect to Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab's effort to blow up the plane he was flying from Amsterdam to Detroit. By Monday, she was backpedalling, acknowledging that "our system did not work in this instance."

In truth, for a lot of Americans, Ms. Napolitano has not had much credibility since she tried to ban "terrorism" from the official lexicon of her department. But arguably the most serious indication that she is wholly ill-equipped to carry out her present responsibilities can be found in another - as yet uncorrected - statement she made on Sunday. She told CNN's "State of the Union" that, "Right now, we have no indication [that Abdulmutallab's actions were] part of anything larger."

Not "part of anything larger"? Is she serious? Does she take us for fools?

Read my lips, Secretary Napolitano: Abdulmutallab's actions were absolutely, positively part of something larger. What they were part of is the comprehensive theo-political-legal program that authoritative Islam calls Shariah.

This supremacist program requires its adherents to engage in jihad, or holy war, to bring about the triumph of Islam under a global theocracy, one that will impose Shariah on Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Pursuant to Shariah, jihad should - wherever practicable - be pursued through the terrifying use of violence. Where violent jihad is impractical or would be counterproductive, Shariah directs faithful Muslims to use other means to advance the same goal. Koran expert Robert Spencer calls the latter "stealth jihad."

The question must be asked: Are we seeing a dramatic increase in violent jihadism in America - National Public Radio reported on Saturday that there had been fourteen attempts in 2009 (compared to two or three in recent years) and that they had been increasingly "operational" in character, not just "aspirational" - because violence is now seen to be practicable here?

Specifically, could it be that jihadists have been emboldened by what they see as weakness and/or fecklessness on the part of the U.S. administration? Could steps Team Obama has taken - such as the closure of Guantanamo Bay, the release of some hardened terrorists held there to Yemen (where Abdulmuttalab claims he got his plastic explosive device), granting others access to civilian courts and constitutional rights, etc. - actually be emboldening them to believe that murder and mayhem will accelerate the defeat and conquest of the infidel West?

The U.S. government was warned by Abdulmutallab's father at least two months ago that his son had been "radicalized" - in other words, that he had embraced Shariah. That being the case, he was transformed from being one of the hundreds of millions of Muslims around the world who are not a problem into one of those who are.

In the wake of the latest, narrowly averted massacre at the hands of jihadists, we are being promised executive branch reviews of the practice that, in the wake of his father's warning, put Abdulmuttalab on the improbably named Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment (TIDE) database - but did not revoke his multiple entry U.S. visa or otherwise keep him from flying. Multiple congressional investigations will be launched, as well.

Such reviews will, however, amount to little more than a waste of time and taxpayer resources - and possibly a serious distraction - if they do not address, and henceforth require screening for, the motivation for such attacks. It is absurd to think that "the system" is going to do anything other than exponentially increase the amount of discomfort for airline passengers as long as it does not weed out those who embrace as an article of faith their duty to destroy us.

We need to be equally clear about the menace posed by those who adhere to Shariah but profess to seek to "Islamicize" America through non-violent means. In the wake of the recent actual and averted attacks, the press has, for example, trumpeted the views of parents of five jihadists from Northern Virginia, imams at mosques where they worshipped and prominent fixtures in the various Muslim Brotherhood front organizations. Unsurprisingly, all of them profess shock - shock! - that these young people would want to do as they have been taught to, pursuant to Shariah: namely, follow the way of jihad against the Dar al-Harb (the "House of War" that is the non-Muslim world).

Nowhere in these disinformation operations is any mention made of the Muslim Brotherhood's self-declared mission in America. According to an internal Brotherhood strategic plan dating from 1991, that mission is: "A kind of grand jihad in eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within and "sabotaging" its miserable house by their hands and the hands of the believers so that it is eliminated and Allah's religion is made victorious over all other religions."

As long as Janet Napolitano, Attorney General Eric Holder, the intelligence community, law enforcement, the military, the media and most especially President Obama refuse to acknowledge what animates our enemies, we will never develop an effective strategy for defeating them, let alone successfully implement it. Part and parcel of achieving such an understanding is to stop allowing the stealth jihadists in our midst to blind us to this reality."

Frank J. Gaffney, Jr. is President of the Center for Security Policy, a columnist for the Washington Times and host of the nationally syndicated program, "Secure Freedom Radio."


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What Are They Saying in the Netherlands?

The below-linked article is from Klein Verzet, a Dutch blog. It is quite critical of the Dutch government's silence in the wake of the flight from Amsterdam to Detroit that was nearly blown out of the sky. It also wonders why the Dutch passenger who restrained the would-be bomber has been ignored by the Dutch government rather than being hailed as a hero. It also repeats a report from one of the passengers who claims to have observed a well-dressed man at Schiphol Airport assisting Abdulmutallab in boarding-representing him to airline officials as a Sudanese refugee who lacked a passport. I cannot vouch for the information in Klein Verzet's article, but it bears looking into.

http://kleinverzet.blogspot.com/2009/12/deafening-silence.html

There is a link to Klein Verzet in my blog list (Our real European allies).

Get Ready for the New TSA Security Measures

In the wake of the attempting bombing ("man-made disaster") of the Northwest flight from Detroit to Amsterdam, we are already seeing what new security measures are being put into place.

Passengers will have to stay in their seats for the last hour of the flight.

Passengers can't cover their laps with blankets.

Can you say Con Air?


How about we just handcuff every passenger for the duration of the flight?

Maybe, just maybe the powers that be in our government, especially, the incompetent Janet Napolitano, will realize that real security is on the ground before a passenger even gets on a plane. Once that terrorist passes through all the intelligence, the watch lists, the so-called security on the ground and that plane is in the air, it all comes down to the passengers who are in control of their fate (assuming no air marshals are on board). That point has been reinforced by the Abdulmutallab incident.) Abdulmutallab might has well have been an elephant walking through airport security and onto that plane.

What will happen on the ground will be more strip-searches of Grandma Moses and others who no sane person would ever suspect. Why? Political correctness, that's why. Heaven forbid we single out travelers from countries in the Middle East, Pakistan, Africa and Afghanistan. That would mean lawsuits. So everybody will have to suffer the indignities-like my 88-year-old father-in-law, a native of Mexico. When we boarded a flight from LA to London a few years ago, he had to get out of his wheelchair, remove his belt and shoes and be patted down. While all that was happening, 2 or 3 Abdulmutallabs, visas in order, probably walked right on through.

And Janet Napolitano insists that we are safe!

Meanwhile in Hawaii.....

"What? Terror attempt in Detroit? Protesters being killed in Iran? Think I should say something, Rahm?

Are Jewish Students Afraid to Defend Israel?

Republican pollster Frank Luntz recently conducted a study of students at Harvard and M.I.T., which is reported below in the Jewish Week:

http://www.thejewishweek.com/viewArticle/c37_a17467/News/National.html

This falls in line with what I have observed for the past 3-4 years at UC-Irvine when the Muslim Student Union holds its regular Israel-bashing fests with radical speakers whom they invite to speak on our campus.

There have been occasions when pro-Israel groups on campus like Anteaters for Israel will turn out to make a counter-protest with signs and pamphlets (I have never seen them disrupt an anti-Israel event.) On the other hand, there have been occasions when Jewish students failed to turn out to counter the MSU speakers. There have also been times when Jewish organizations have discouraged Jewish students from counter-protesting. Finally, ss I have previously said, there have been times when speakers have crossed the line into anti-Jewish speech.

I also wrote a few months ago that a friend of mine who is a Jewish teacher at UC-Irvine and counselor for Jewish students queried a large of group of them if they felt intimidated on the campus. About half of them, virtually all females, responded in the affirmative. It is anecdotal, but it is a troubling exmple.

I maintain that this is going on university campuses throughout the US and Canada. The Israel-Palestinian conflict has led to increased activism on campuses on the part of many Muslim Student Associations in concert with various far-left groups including several professors. The result is that many Jewish students are uncomfortable asserting their Jewish identity on campus and speaking out in defense of Israel. This is an inexcusable situation and should be addressed by university administrators (which to date has not been the case).

I applaud Mr Luntz for his study. It is an issue that should be followed up on.

Max Baucus (D-MT) -Your Congress in Action

"And now I would like another drink. Bartender!!"

(The caption above the video which describes Senator Baucus as drunk and intoxicated is from the original YouTube video.)

Yes, folks. This is one of the leaders of the government health care bill in the Senate. This is the same guy you have seen recently on TV standing behind Harry Reid and next to Chris Dodd and the other gang-members in Congress as they talk to the press about their bill. Isn't this also the guy who was writing his own version of the bill a couple of weeks ago? (Yes) Isn't this the guy who was trying to get his mistress appointed as US Attorney from Montana? (Yes)

Of course, Baucus' office is angrily denying the senator was drunk and called it a "smear".

"This is beyond the pale, and this type of gutter politics has no place in the public sphere," said Baucus spokesman Ty Matsdorf (who has been a busy man lately).

Well, I am no expert, so to be fair, let's bring in someone who is. You, Sir. Do you think the senator had a few too many highballs?

"Uhhhh,...... yeaaaah."

This is one of the guys (Baucus, not my expert above) who is crafting how our health care is going to be delivered for the rest of our lives. One wonders what Senator Baucus' condition was when he was writing his version of the health care bill.

Is Alan Grayson After Me Now?

Alan Grayson

Several days ago, I posted a story about how Florida Congressman Alan Grayson (a serious contender for the 2009 Fousesquawk Jerk of the Year award) had written a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder asking him to investigate a blogger who was running a blog called "My congressman is nuts.com" (about him). Well, guess who read that article:
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Domain Name usdoj.gov ? (U.S. Government)
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(courtesy of sitemeter)

What does this mean?


Does it mean that any enemy of Alan is an enemy of Eric? Am I next on Grayson's "hit list"? Am I going to spend 5 years in prison for making fun of Grayson? Maybe an extra count if I choose him as Jerk of the Year? I'm expecting the knock on my door any minute. In fact, I have noticed my computer making strange noises lately.

Where can I run? Where can I hide? They're coming to take me awaaaaaaay!

Here's How Janet Napolitano's System Works

Rex the right-winger detector dog gets a "hit".

Janet Napolitano Out of Context

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

"The system worked."

"The system didn't work."

"The system worked before it didn't work."

"The system didn't work before it worked."

Which is it, Janet?

Today, Matt Lauer got Janet Napolitano to concede that the "system did not work" prior to Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab trying to set off an explosive device on Christmas aboard a Northwest flight from Amsterdam to Detroit.

But she says she was taken out of context by those who reacted to her Sunday statements that that "system had worked". Excuse me. Napolitano did not make that statement once. She made the round of the network talk shows Sunday and repeated the line over and over. "The system worked." (like clockwork was the phrase I believe she used.)

This lady can't even do a competent job of spinning. How many times can you repeat the same mantra and then claim to be taken out of context? On Sunday, she never said the system did not work prior to the plane landing in Detroit. All she said was that they were reviewing everything that had happened prior. She was spinning then, and she is spinning now.

As Lauer pointed out, how does anyone, let alone a Nigerian, show up for a one-way trans-Atlantic flight, pay cash for the ticket and check no luggage? Forget about terror. In such a scenario, every Customs and drug agent from Lagos to Amsterdam to Detroit should have been all over this guy. Talk about fitting profiles!!

Can we please get somebody into this job who is competent-before it is too late?

Meanwhile in Karachi...

Thirty reported killed during a suicide bombing aimed at a procession of Shi'ite Muslims in Karachi, Pakistan


Above is the latest bombing carried out in Pakistan during the past 24 hours, which I think raises an interesting question. We hear a lot these days about how America is "targeting Muslims", "waging war against Islam" and how Americans and Westerners are engaging in Islamophobia. Yet, in places like Pakistan and Iraq, Muslims are waging war against each other. Sunnis kill Shi'ites, and Shi'ites kill Sunnis. The Taliban in Pakistan is killing people right and left. When Islamic fighters take shelter in mosques, the world rises in outrage when any damage occurs to said mosques at the hands of non-Muslim soldiers. Yet, Muslims are blowing up each others' mosques in the above two countries.

As I understand it, Sunnis and Shi'ites have a centuries-long disagreement about who should have been the rightful successor to the Prophet Mohammed upon his death in the 7th century. What better reason to be killing each other 1400 years later?

How many times have you heard that Muslims are not supposed to kill other Muslims? Of course, that might lead one to ask; "Who are they supposed to kill?" Of course, the answer to that is that killing of "innocents" is forbidden.

Next question: Who is "innocent" and who is "guilty"? It all becomes very complicated, doesn't it?

But that is not the main point I want to make. It seems to me that organizations like CAIR have their priorities all wrong; instead of looking for the next "Islamophobe" under every bed and looking for that next lawsuit to file, shouldn't they be more involved in putting an end to Muslim against Muslim killing? Fortunately, the great Sunni/Shi'ite war is not raging in America, but who is to say that won't come here as well? Is CAIR involved in making sure that American Shi'ites and Sunnis are co-existing peacefully and that any disagreements don't "get out of hand"? The same applies to Muslims who have "political disagreements". (That is not a rhetorical question. I don't know the answer.)

CAIR, of course, claims to be strictly an American organization with no foreign links, a claim many would call into question. Yet, it seems to me that given events in Pakistan and Iraq, there is a major crisis (one of many) going on within Islam that is not even connected to non-Muslims.

And it is anything but peaceful.

Memo to Janet Napolitano: Meet Your First Line of Defense

Janet Napolitano: "The system worked."

When it comes to flying, WE are the Department of Homeland Security. Janet Napolitano says that the "system worked" in Detroit. Yes, it worked when passengers did what they know they must do after 9-11. On the other hand, Napolitano and her subordinates are running around after the fact trying to pick up the pieces of a system that failed.

Iranian Protesters Stop Hanging

(Viewer warning; this video contains graphic images.)
(Video from Gateway Pundit and American Thinker. Photo by Doug Ross.)

If you want to see a bit of heroism, watch as these Iranian protesters come to the rescue of two student activists in the process of being hanged by the government.
In addition, in protests around the country on Sunday, between 5-9 protesters have been killed according to which source you believe.



You should note that I have a link to an Iranian blog (Revolutionary Road), run by an Iranian dissident. Over the past several months, this blog has reported on the protests in Iran with photos and videos. It appears that the Iranian government has now succeeded in shutting down this blog as you will see if you try to access it. My prayers go out for the safety of the blogger.

My question is this; are you watching, President Obama? Why are you so silent about what is going on in Iran? And a note to John Kerry; follow the request of the protesters and stay home. Your visit to Iran will be seen as an act of weakness.