US Lists Israel as Sponsor of Terrorism

That's right, folks. ICE has included Israel on a list of countries that sponsor terrorism. Dick Morris (ugh) has the report.

http://www.dickmorris.com/blog/obama-admin-lists-israel-as-terror-sponsor/

Here is the document linked by the Grendel Report:

http://grendelreport.posterous.com/us-designates-israel-as-a-terrorist-threat-an


Do you still think that the Obama administration is a friend of Israel?

Another Jimmy Carter Brain Fart-Stop War on Drugs

Speaking of drugs, it looks like Grandpa Carter is off his meds again. In this New York Times op-ed, he calls for an end to the war on drugs.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/17/opinion/17carter.html

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IN an extraordinary new initiative announced earlier this month, the Global Commission on Drug Policy has made some courageous and profoundly important recommendations in a report on how to bring more effective control over the illicit drug trade. The commission includes the former presidents or prime ministers of five countries, a former secretary general of the United Nations, human rights leaders, and business and government leaders, including Richard Branson, George P. Shultz and Paul A. Volcker.

Fousesquawk comment: First of all, George Schultz, in my view, placed drug enforcement low on his scale of priorities when he was secretary of state. Secondly, what does Paul Volcker know about drugs. And Richard Branson? Virgin Atlantic Airlines? I wonder what distinguished former secretary general of the UN Carter is talking about. Boutros Boutros Ghali? Or was it the crook from Ghana?


The report describes the total failure of the present global antidrug effort, and in particular America’s “war on drugs,” which was declared 40 years ago today. It notes that the global consumption of opiates has increased 34.5 percent, cocaine 27 percent and cannabis 8.5 percent from 1998 to 2008. Its primary recommendations are to substitute treatment for imprisonment for people who use drugs but do no harm to others, and to concentrate more coordinated international effort on combating violent criminal organizations rather than nonviolent, low-level offenders.

What is non-violent? The problem is that Carter and others use this term to describe people who have smuggled or sold commercial quantities of drugs if they were arrested without violence or in possession of a gun. The illusion is that all those people in prison for drug offenses are non-violent drug users instead of dealers and traffickers.



These recommendations are compatible with United States drug policy from three decades ago. In a message to Congress in 1977, I said the country should decriminalize the possession of less than an ounce of marijuana, with a full program of treatment for addicts. I also cautioned against filling our prisons with young people who were no threat to society, and summarized by saying: “Penalties against possession of a drug should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself.”

Carter is doing the same thing here. In this country, people get prison sentences for trafficking in commercial quantities of drugs-not using them. It is true that offenders on parole or probation have been sent back to prison for violating their probation or parole by using drugs. The original charge was invariably something far more serious.

These ideas were widely accepted at the time. But in the 1980s President Ronald Reagan and Congress began to shift from balanced drug policies, including the treatment and rehabilitation of addicts, toward futile efforts to control drug imports from foreign countries.

Those "futile efforts to control drug imports" have kept the drug situation from being infinitely worse in this country. Is Carter suggesting that we should not try to stop illegal drugs from entering our country?




This approach entailed an enormous expenditure of resources and the dependence on police and military forces to reduce the foreign cultivation of marijuana, coca and opium poppy and the production of cocaine and heroin. One result has been a terrible escalation in drug-related violence, corruption and gross violations of human rights in a growing number of Latin American countries.

According to Carter, enforcement efforts have caused all the violence in Latin America.



The commission’s facts and arguments are persuasive. It recommends that governments be encouraged to experiment “with models of legal regulation of drugs ... that are designed to undermine the power of organized crime and safeguard the health and security of their citizens.” For effective examples, they can look to policies that have shown promising results in Europe, Australia and other places.

Europe? Did Carter ever visit Needle Park in Zurich? Is he talking about that failed experiment in England where they gave licensed heroin to addicts-and tripled their addict population before scrapping it? What is a model of legal regulation of drugs? Would everyone comply with those legal regulations-or would there simply be a new form of black market?




But they probably won’t turn to the United States for advice. Drug policies here are more punitive and counterproductive than in other democracies, and have brought about an explosion in prison populations. At the end of 1980, just before I left office, 500,000 people were incarcerated in America; at the end of 2009 the number was nearly 2.3 million. There are 743 people in prison for every 100,000 Americans, a higher portion than in any other country and seven times as great as in Europe. Some 7.2 million people are either in prison or on probation or parole — more than 3 percent of all American adults!

That's because we have a lot of criminals in this country, Mr Carter. Go to the federal prisons and see what they are in for. Yes, a large percentage are drug dealers-dealers not users.



Some of this increase has been caused by mandatory minimum sentencing and “three strikes you’re out” laws. But about three-quarters of new admissions to state prisons are for nonviolent crimes. And the single greatest cause of prison population growth has been the war on drugs, with the number of people incarcerated for nonviolent drug offenses increasing more than twelvefold since 1980.

Again. People don't go to prison-in this country- for simply using drugs. They go to prison for selling drugs. Again, I make note of those who violated parole or probation by using drugs and being returned to prison.



Not only has this excessive punishment destroyed the lives of millions of young people and their families (disproportionately minorities), but it is wreaking havoc on state and local budgets. Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger pointed out that, in 1980, 10 percent of his state’s budget went to higher education and 3 percent to prisons; in 2010, almost 11 percent went to prisons and only 7.5 percent to higher education.

Two reasons for that: First, California spends more on prisoners than virtually any other state. Second, a huge proportion of California's prisoners are illegal alien criminals. Once again, Carter doesn't know what he is talking about.



Maybe the increased tax burden on wealthy citizens necessary to pay for the war on drugs will help to bring about a reform of America’s drug policies. At least the recommendations of the Global Commission will give some cover to political leaders who wish to do what is right.

That's right. Bring it back to those rich people who aren't paying their fair share.



A few years ago I worked side by side for four months with a group of prison inmates, who were learning the building trade, to renovate some public buildings in my hometown of Plains, Ga. They were intelligent and dedicated young men, each preparing for a productive life after the completion of his sentence. More than half of them were in prison for drug-related crimes, and would have been better off in college or trade school.

"Ah wunnerful, ah wunnerful ah."


To help such men remain valuable members of society, and to make drug policies more humane and more effective, the American government should support and enact the reforms laid out by the Global Commission on Drug Policy.



Jimmy Carter, the 39th president, is the founder of the Carter Center and the winner of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize.
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And an idiot!

What Carter is advocating is that the world scrap all the agreements nations have made to cooperate with each other to combat the manufacture and international traffic of drugs (Vienna Convention).

What Carter in his naivete doesn't realize-or want to- is that in America,  we do have rehab and education programs for mere users and addicts. I can't speak for every podunk jurisdiction where someone may get a few days or weeks in jail for possession and use, but long prison sentences are for those who deal or traffic in drugs. Let me ask Mr Carter a question:

Does he consider the manufacture, smuggling, transportation and sale of illegal drugs like heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and PCP to be a criminal activity? If the answer is yes, then why should we not try to enforce those laws? Lack of success? Is that a reason to give up? Have we eliminated murder in this country? Far from it. How about holdups? Should we legalize that? The reason we don't is that society has a moral obligation to enforce our laws to protect our people.

The ATF Scandal

Below link is to NPR.

Linked below is an article by NPR regarding the congressional investigation into ATF's Operation Fast and Furious, a program whereby the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Bureau (ATF) monitored illegal gun sales without intercepting the guns in an effort to trace their movement. An outcry by field agents and alleged retaliation by agency superiors has created a scandal that I predict will grow. What has reaaly outraged agents is the fact that a US Border Patrol agent, Brian Terry, was recently murdered by guns that were allowed to "walk" (not be seized) into the hands of criminals by ATF. The below report has a link to the Congressional Staff Report. It is disturbing.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/06/15/137200205/congressional-report-slams-atfs-fast-and-furious-operation

There is an analogy to this procedure within the DEA and US Customs when it comes to drugs. There are many cases when DEA/Customs seizes a shipment of drugs or has knowledge and/or control (surveillance) of drugs as they are in shipment. In certain cases, it may be decided to follow the drugs to see who the ultimate recipient is. Yet, when you are talking about large commercial quantities of substances such as heroin or cocaine, it is irresponsible to simply let them go into the traffic and circulation in order to develop intelligence. DEA agents are not tasked with simply developing intelligence and writing history books. They are tasked with keeping drugs off the street. In fact, to let a quantity of drugs "walk" into the traffic without being seized would require approval from someone high up in DEA or the Justice Department.

It seems in this case that the "suits" in Washington decided that the question of US guns being used in Mexican gang and drug violence was something that should be "studied", if you will. In other words, let's see how many of these guns turn up in Mexican shootings. Many agents at the street level recognized the recklessness and irresponsibilty of simply allowing weapons to enter the criminal traffic without seizing them. If the reports are correct, the bureaucratic mentality at ATF Hqs and other Washington entities clamped down on the dissenting agents.

One result. A dead Border Patrol agent.

As a DEA agent, I had the occasion to work with ATF on a few occasions. I respected them as an agency. They had one of the most dangerous jobs in federal law enforcement. At that time, they were under the Treasury Department. Since the government reorganization, they are now under the Justice Department, an agency clouded by controversy under Attorney General Eric Holder.

Make no mistake; letting illegal guns sold in the US to go their merry way across the border into the seething cauldren that is Mexico is a serious mistake in judgement. For once, the Mexicans should be rightfully furious at us about this matter. The Border Patrol should be furious at the loss of an agent. One would think that Homeland Security Director Janet Napolitano, who oversees the Border Patrol, would be furious.

Well, maybe not. Here is a report on her testimony in March about the matter. (Hat tip to Gadaboutblogalot)

http://gadabout-blogalot.com/2011/05/19/the-iron-maiden-knows-not-much-about-fast-furious/

As usual, she seems to be blissfully unaware of what is going on within her own agencies. That's one reason why she is the 2010 Fousesquawk Jerk of the Year.

The next question is what involvement or knowledge did Eric Holder have about this operation that also represents a full-fledged diplomatic incident between two neighboring countries. I can tell you unequivocally that this kind of operation could never have been carried out without approval by a high level official(s) of the Justice Department.


"I don't know anything about it."


Hopefully, this will be the final scandal that forces Holder out of office.

http://washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/2011/06/operation-fast-and-furious-should-end-holder-tenure

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2011/03/bloody_fast_and_furious_progra.html

This is just another example of why the boneheads who are running today's federal law enforcement should be thouroughly investigated for malfeasance. This case cries out for an investigation. My hat is off to the courageous agents who have come forward.

The Dicks at MSNBC

Poor MSNBC. Like a reform school in the toughest part of town, they are constantly having to expell or suspend their commentators. Today, it was Mark Halperin, a liberal guy who called President Obama a "dick" on live TV on the Morning Joe show with Joe Scarborough and Mika Bryzxkxzahwski.



The reaction was swift. Well not so swift. Poor Joe was calling for the 7 second delay. The guy with the monitor couldn't find the delay button. Mika Brzfywjksky, as usual, was at a loss for words. MSNBC suspended Halperin swiftly, however.



"I am not a dick."


But just how bad was it, actually? A little semantics lesson may be in order for all you UC Santa Cruz Community Studies majors.

What is a dick?

A dick is a somewhat vulgar term for a male penis. It is similar to the term "wiener", which also has different meanings and can even be capitalized and spelled different ways as the country recently learned.

Strike that.

It can also be a man's name. We once had a president whose name actually was Dick.

But how much of an insult is it to call someone a "dick"? There is another word used (prick) which is stronger in that it suggests the person is not a nice guy. A "dick" would be similar to a jerk in my view.

Setting semantics aside, the question (s) remaining are whether MSNBC would have suspended Keith Olbermann (before they fired him) for calling President Bush a "dick"? After all, Keith, in his "Special Comments" often lectured Mr Bush in the second person for being the biggest and most shamneful disgrace of a human being in the history of the world.

"Have you no shame, Sir?"


In the same vein, would the Huffington Post be calling Halperin "arrogant" if he had called Bush a dick?

In the end, it all comes down to the issue of professionalism. We don't expect to hear news commentators calling people or presidents "dicks" on air. Yet, that is what we have come to expect from MSNBC. The only difference today is that they were calling one of their own liberals a dick instead of some Republican. Final question: Was the President actually being a ........d... jerk yesterday in his press conference?

"I was a Dick."

Olives and Loiterers- New English Review Reviews the Olive Tree Initiative at UC Irvine

Jerry Gordon of the New English Review has written a lengthy article on the Olive Tree Initiative at UC-Irvine and its support from the Orange County Jewish Federation. (A shortened version of this article is also appearing in Pajamas Media.)

http://www.newenglishreview.org/custpage.cfm/frm/92367/sec_id/92367



"Loitering". How spot on is that description?

On a serious note, Gordon has captured the basic issue in his article; the Olive Tree Initiative is a suspicious venture if viewed from the pro-Israel side. There is simply too much involvement of people from the International Solidarity Movement, people who support the BDS movement against Israel (Boycot, Divestment and Sanctions), an actual high level official of Hamas and people who proclaim to be pro-Israel or neutral, but who are anything but.

There are also a lot of questions regarding funding of OTI by the OC Jewish Federation, the Rose Project and members of the local Jewish community who think they are supporting something that may be vastly different.

Let it be remembered that in 2010, the OC Jewish Federation and Orange County Hillel were smearing a local Jewish woman who was raising questions about the involvement of the International Solidarity Movement and people like George Rishmawi. While the Federation was fighting that battle, they were actually aware of a 2009 OTI meeting in the West Bank with Aziz Duwaik, the highest-ranking member of Hamas in the Palestinian Authority. They wrote a letter to UC-Irvine chancellor Michael Drake complaining about it. The only thing they neglected to do was inform their community-even as they were fighting off allegations of contacts with the ISM. In addition, a local rabbi criticized the woman in the monthly OC Jewish Life for speaking out before discussing her concerns with the Federation-which she had, in fact done.

In a recent article in the Jerusalem Post, Federation officials justified the OTI by saying it gave Jewish students a chance to learn the opposing side's arguments in order to become more effective advocates for Israel, a ridiculously lame reason to begin with. That raises the question of whether some of the Jewish participants are, in fact, influenced by the Palestinian activists they meet in the West Bank. It is a fair question if you consider that some OTI students (not just Muslims) have joined the Students for Justice in Palestine chapters on more than one UC campus. That may turn out to be the least of the problems in that respect.

Obama's Press Conference

President Obama's press conference yesterday was another glaring example of his petulance and arrogance.  First, he started off by blaming the Republicans for not caving in on the debt ceiling debate in Congress. He also skirted the edge of reality by claiming that he has "been here" in Washington ready to assist in negotiations or whatever he says he is doing. I guess golf outings count as "being here" in his view. The President also took a swipe at those evil rich people and oil companies, who need to pay more taxes.

“Before we ask our seniors to pay more for health care, before we cut our children’s education,” he said, “it’s only fair to ask an oil company or a corporate jet owner that has done so well to give up that tax break that no other business enjoys.”


As if cutting off deductions for corporate taxes will raise that trillion or so dollars we need.

Isn't it ironic that politicians talk about having to pay our bills when they are spending money that we don't have in the first place? My Dad always told me, "don't incur the bills if you don't have the money". That's why I never got that Mercedes Benz when I was in high school. Seemed to make sense at the time, so I settled for my Dad's hand-me-down 41 Ford.

As for his authorization to continue hostilities in Libya beyond 60 days without congressional approval, he pointed out that no US military personnel have been killed -yet. Therefore bombing a country from off shore ships is not hostilities, I guess. Not that I would mind if one of those missiles landed on Ghaddafi's head, but that hasn't happened yet. But, of course, we have to protect those Libyan civilians from harm at the hands of Ghaddafi's troops, which brings up the question of why we don't have to do the same in Syria. Oh well. Apples and oranges I Guess.

Obama the born again state's righter also praised the decision of the state of New York in approving gay marriage. That's the way things should work, said the President (since the decision was the one he wanted-God only knows what his reaction would have been had the decision gone the other way.) Yet, the President stopped an inch short of saying he now supported gay marriage. His position is "evolving".

But it was another "historic" press conference as the President once again signaled how intransigent he is. Fox News treated it with the respect it deserved. Instead of having any discussion about it, they switched immediately to the Casey Anthony trial in Florida.

Public Letter to UC President Mark Yudof

Tammi Rossman-Benjamin, who teaches at UC Santa Cruz (America's Wackiest University), and UCLA Emeritus Professor Leila Beckwith have written a public letter to University of California President Mark Yudof complaining about anti-Semitism on UC campuses. They have asked that concerned Jewish community members sign the letter. I am posting it below.
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"Dear Jewish Community of California,


Jessica Felber is a recent graduate of UC Berkeley. In March 2010, as she participated in a pro-Israel rally holding a sign that said "Israel wants peace," the leader of Students for Justice in Palestine rammed a shopping cart filled with toys into her back. Because of that assault, she brought the first federal lawsuit against the University of California for allowing the existence of a hostile environment that she believes led directly to her assault.

That attack was not the first that she or other Jewish UC Berkeley students had experienced on their campus. A year before, Jessica was spat on by the same student who had assaulted her. Jewish students have had pro-Israel signs ripped from their hands, been called "Nazis" and "terrorists," and had black plastic guns pointed at them at mock Israeli check points. Swastikas have been drawn on dorm room doors and anti-Semitic hate speech graffitied over pro-Israel bus stop ads. Students in kippahs have been called “kikes.” Jessica was frequently afraid to openly show her Jewishness; she would never wear her Jewish star necklace or IDF sweatshirt while walking alone. These incidents and others like them created a hostile environment for many Jewish students on campus.

For several years, Jessica and other Jewish activists implored the campus administration to help them. They met with the Dean of Students and the Vice Chancellor of Equity and Inclusion numerous times and described incidents of intimidation, harassment, and violence. However despite their concern for the civil rights of other ethnic groups, these administrators acted indifferently to the plight of Jewish students.

These experiences are not unique to UC Berkeley. Jewish students on several UC campuses report feeling harassed, intimidated, and even physically threatened because they are Jews. In some cases it is anti-Israel students groups who are the source of the problem, while in others it is university faculty and administrators who have created an environment hostile to Jewish students by promoting a virulently anti-Israel agenda in classrooms and at university-sponsored events. Many students also describe feeling frustrated and hurt by the uncaring response of the campus administration.

The Jewish students on UC campuses need your help.

Please show these students that the Jewish Community cares about their safety and well-being.

Please let UC President Mark Yudof know that the Jewish Community stands strongly united on this issue and will not back down until the necessary steps are taken to protect Jewish students on UC campuses.

If you haven't already done so, please sign the Amcha Initiative's letter to President Yudof and encourage your family and friends to sign it as well:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LettertoUCPresidentYudof


You can also join our Facebook Cause ("Stop the Harassment and Intimidation of Jewish Students at the University of California") for updates about the letter and to read or report experiences of anti-Semitism on UC campuses or attempts to combat it, and invite others to do the same:

http://www.causes.com/causes/615378-stop-the-harassment-and-intimidation-of-jewish-students-at-the-university-of-california?m=892208b3


Thank you,


Tammi Rossman-Benjamin, Lecturer, University of California at Santa Cruz

tbenjami@ucsc.edu

Leila Beckwith, Professor Emeritus, University of California at Los Angeles

lbeckwit@ucla.edu
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I've signed the letter, and I'm not even Jewish. I signed it because I care.

Let's Play, "Name That Chair!"

Which country has been named to chair the UN Disarmament Conference in Geneva?

a US
b France
c North Korea

d Japan
e Russia

If you guessed "c" (North Korea), you are a winner!

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/06/29/north-korea-to-chair-un-disarmament-conference/

This is the same UN whose secretary general, Ban Ki Moon, just sent a congratulatory note to the Iranian government for hosting last week's "Counter Terror" summit!

Can't make this stuff up, folks.

Judicial Watch Suing DOJ for Refusal to Respond to FOIA Request

Tip of the hat to Creeping Shariah

Hats off to Judicial Watch for filing a lawsuit against the Department of Justice for not responding to a Freedom of Information request for all documents and communications pertaining to the issue of why the DOJ has declined to prosecute CAIR and its co- founder Omar Ahmad in the Northern District of Texas. (Note the use of the word "decline" is in a legal sense as if the DOJ has issued a declination.) A copy of the complaint is in the below link.

http://creepingsharia.wordpress.com/2011/06/29/doj-sued-for-documents-detailing-decision-not-to-prosecute-islamic-extremist-cair-founder/

Freedom of Information request to government agencies, though many are frivolous, are nothing to ignore. There is a legal requirement for the agency to respond. Certain documents can be withheld or redacted for valid reasons, such as protecting identities of innocent persons, national security, protecting investigative methods etc. The request cannot be ignored, and, as is pointed out in the complaint, there is a time frame for responding.

This is hardly a frivolous request. It is a matter of public interest, and if political motives played any part of the decision not to prosecute, any attempt to cover that up now becomes a crime. This is a matter truly worth following.

OC Human Relations Funding-Smoke and Tears

Orange County Supervisor Bill Campbell

"Boo-hoo-hoo"


On June 24, I posted an article reporting that the Orange County Board of Supervisors had unanimously voted to fund the OC Human Relations Commission for the coming year. That was based partly on a report by the OCHRC itself. A unanimous vote to fund was surprising since all indications were that Supervisor John Moorlach was dead set against funding.

http://garyfouse.blogspot.com/2011/06/oc-board-of-directors-unanimously.html

Now reports are coming out that the vote was not unanimous. At this point, it is confusing who voted which way as well as who voted. One thing appears sure; Supervisor Bill Campbell voted in favor. Courtesy of Fullerton's Future blog, here is a video of Campbell doing the John Boehner routine as he talks about the OCHRC.


http://www.fullertonsfuture.org/2010/supervisor-bill-campbell-weeps-for-human-relations/


Yeah, it kinda gets ya right here, don't it?


Here's another video of Campbell singing the praises of the OCHRC (Orange Juice blog).

Note that in the below article in Orange Juice blog, it is reported that the vote was 2-1-1 (one abstaining) and that the vote occurred before the 5th member, Shawn Nelson, was seated. The article also states that $97,000 was cut from OCHRC, yet it was also reported elsewhere that the full $300,000 was granted.

http://www.orangejuiceblog.com/2010/06/oc-human-relations-funded-for-another-year/



Muy confusing.

In addition, what do they mean "prior to the seating of  new member Shawn Nelson "? Nelson was seated there when I appeared before the BoS earlier. Was he in the men's room when the vote was taken?

I would also point something out in response to Campbell's prepared message regarding the OCHRC, who, according to Campbell, speak for the "theys". Mr. Campbell, nobody in this corner is arguing for suppressing the viewpoints or the thoughts of the "theys" as you term them. Yet, sometimes, your "theys" try to suppress the viewpoints or thoughts of  the "wes". In the case of Rusty Kennedy's politically-correct OC Human Relations Commission, they attempted to smear everybody who took part in a February 13 demonstration held in Yorba Linda when two hate-mongering radicals named Amir Abdel Malik Ali and Siraj Wahhaj came to speak at a dinner held by the Islamic Circle of North America-a branch, if you will, of the Muslim Brotherhood. (If you want to hear some hate speech, tune into some of these characters' speeches.) Anyway, some people off to the side of our activity acted inappropriately and engaged in some rude chanting at the attendees of the dinner. As a result, the OCHRC did CAIR's bidding in attempting to smear everyone who spoke at the demonstration or was even present as being part of that fringe group-using a doctored CAIR video and ignoring a hour long video produced by the organizers of the protest.

Anyway, the deed is done. Orange County tax-payers will be treated to another year of Rusty Kennedy, his empty pronouncements, his Rusty awards and wasted money.

The "Rusty" Award



I'll write a letter to Mr Campbell and ask him what the true totals are. He actually responds to his e-mails, as he has twice in my case.

"Dear Mr. Fouse,

Thank you very much for your letter."

Bill Campbell

* Update on June 30. No answer yet from Campbell. Supervisor Moorlach sent me an e-mail this morning stating that the vote was not unanimous. (No further details) I replied asking for clarification stating that I had previously criticized him for voting "yes" (based on an OCHRC article that stated the vote was unanimous). I also stated that I would be happy to retract my criticism of him if he, in fact, voted no. No reply as yet.

Another "Freedom Flotilla" On the Way

Ship of Fools


Stand With Us, a pro-Israel organization, has produced the below article regarding the up-coming flotilla to Gaza to challenge the Israeli blockade.

http://www.standwithus.com/app/iNews/view_n.asp?ID=1893

This flotilla is nothing less than a naked attempt to provoke a violent confrontation with the Israeli Navy. Israel has repeatedly offered to allow these boats to deliver their cargo to Gaza if they will only report to an Israeli port of entry and allow their cargo to be examined. (If that sounds like a normal Customs procedure every nation is entitled to require, you're right.)

Yet, these activists don't want just to deliver food and medical supplies to Gaza; they want an incident to publicize their cause. Now it appears that Israeli intelligence is determining that the usual collection of jihadists will be aboard the ships and are prepared to engage in violence even if they die in the process, which is the normal routine as we all know.

Of course, SWU raises the constant question; why isn't this bunch of activists interested in getting involved in places like Darfur, Syria and Libya? We all know the answer to that question. That goes against their agendas. They are only interested in bringing down Israel. That is their ultimate goal. International Solidarity Movement, Free Gaza, Viva Palestina and all the rest; it is part of a world-wide effort to destroy Israel. One can only hope that Israel stands firm as it did last time.

Laura Richardson in Hot Water Again

That's Laura on the right in Cuba with guess who


Congresswoman Laura Richardson of California (D) is once again under an ethics cloud. Daily Caller has the story.

http://dailycaller.com/2011/06/28/richardson-spokesman-responds-to-damning-ethics-complaint-by-watchdog-group/

What's new? When she was in California politics, she lived under a cloud. She was the deadbeat congresswoman who couldn't pay her mortgage or keep her property up. Fousesquawk has the story.

http://garyfouse.blogspot.com/2008/08/deadbeat-congresswoman-meet-laura.html

Ban Ki Moon Praises Counter-Terrorism Conference in Iran!!!??!

This is straight out of Alice in Wonderland. Iran hosting a counter-terrorism conference!! Be sure and watch the video clip below for a few yuks. From the video, it looks like our old friend, the American wacko rabbi Ysroel Dovid Weiss of Neturei Karta, was in attendance. (In May, he spoke at UC-Irvine on behalf of the Muslim Student Union.) He's always a welcome guest in Iran. He appears to be one of the three clowns with what looks like dead cats lying on their heads. 




http://www.theblaze.com/stories/un-chief-actually-applauds-iranian-counterterrorism-conference-bashing-us-uk-israeli-regime/

And what a conference it was! The presidents of Afghanistan, Pakistan (our friends) were there as well as the much-beloved president of the Sudan, he of the international arrest warrant for all the killing of the Darfurians and minor issues like that.


Below: A conference of nose-pickers


"Defeat is not an option."

-President Zardari of Pakistan

Can't make this stuff up, folks.


UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon, couldn't make it, but he sent his best wishes and congratulations to the conferees as they hammered away at Israel, the US, UK and all those demonic European nations.

Let's say it as it is; this was a conference of nose-pickers from a bunch of 4th-rate countries that are not democratic, most of whom brutalize their own people, and in the case of Iran, are practicioners of terror.  Last year, this regime was shooting down peaceful protestors in the streets. Now they are hosting a "counter-terror confererence"?

Why Didn't CAIR File the Tax-Exempt Documents to IRS?

Nihad Awad
CAIR's Boss


Now that CAIR has lost its tax-exempt status for failing to file the necessary paperwork for the last three years with IRS, the question is why they failed to do so. Was it a simple paperwork error as CAIR is claiming to the public as it appeals the decision? Or is there another reason?

Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) is asking the IRS to investigate. The Investigative Project on Terrorism has the report.

http://www.investigativeproject.org/3011/congressman-asks-irs-to-investigate-cair

Could it be that CAIR chose not to file the required reports (hoping the IRS would turn a blind eye) rather than disclose possible foreign donations from places like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates or Quaddafi's Libya-and God knows who else?

"Uhhhh.....yeaaaaah."

Is it not high time to investigate the Unindicted Co-Conspirators at CAIR?


"Uhhhh....yeaaaah."

Yeah!

A Comparison Between Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia

Hat tip to Doc's Talk

The below article (in Doc's Talk) by Phyllis Chesler and Nathan Bloom examines how American universities are all so willing to study Islamophobia, but downplay anti-Semitism. Which is the biggest problem in North America? Or in Europe? Or anywhere else in the world? This article provides answers-with the numbers to back them up.

http://docstalk.blogspot.com/2011/06/why-can-academics-study-islamophobia.html

Is there Islamophobia in the US (depending how you define it)? In my view there is. Given world events, it is unavoidable. Yet, the article makes a crucial point. What is the true level of Muslim victimization in the US? It is low, not rising, and to include the prosecution of the so-called Irvine Eleven is absurd. The fact is that the American people, with few exceptions, have not translated their anger, suspicion, fear, or whatever you want to call it into carrying out acts of hate against Muslims-which would be wrong in the first place. The American people get that.

Which leads me to conclude that this new outfit up there at UC Berkeley founded by Hatem Bazian is a joke. I would suggest that someone up there establish a department to study how non-Muslims are treated in Muslim countries. Now that would be an education. I don't think that is a project that Mr Bazian wants to delve into.

More Middle East University Financing-This Time at Georgetown

Hat tip to Campus Watch and American Thinker


Some of my readers (at least one) suspect I was drinking too much German beer last week in Erlangen in reaction to my post about universities in the US getting big Arab bucks to set up Middle East Studies departments that have a decidedly slanted bent. Courtesy of Stephen Schwartz, writing in American Thinker and Campus Watch, here is a report on Georgetown University and their Palestinian-favoring professor, John L. Esposito.

http://www.campus-watch.org/article/id/11474

Just another one for the files, as we used to say in DEA.

By the way, don't let the author's name fool you. Stephen Schwartz is a converted Sufi Muslim.

Blago is Guilty-What Does That Portend for Obama?

(Fox News)

"Heigh ho, heigh ho
It's off to jail I go"


Convicted on 17 of 20 counts including the most serious of trying to sell Obama's vacated senate seat to the highest bidder, ex-governor Rod Blagojevich gets ready to join his predecessor in the governor's seat, George Ryan, in prison.

So what is the big-mouth, trash talking Blago going to do now? If he's smart (which he isn't) he will make a deal with the government to talk about all his dirty associations with people like Tony Rezko and others.........




Problem is that it's not for certain that the Justice Department.......



......is really interested in making such a deal. Remember how the Clinton Justice Department under Janet Reno handled the John Huang case; plead guilty, probation, community service, pay a fine and that's it. Talk about his connections? Forget it.

Anyone who knows anything about conspiracy law can tell you that it is time for the prosecutors to sit down with Blago and his attorney for some serious discussions. Let's see what transpires-or doesn't.

The Sale of Western Universities to the Middle East

The below article, by Giulio Meotti, comes from Arutz Sheva (Israel), via Vlad Tepes blog. It concerns a topic many of us already know; Middle Eastern money is pouring into American and British universities to push the anti-Israel, anti-West narrative.

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/10340

Not surprisingly, the University of California at Berkeley has also set up a department with Middle Eastern cash.

http://cmes.berkeley.edu/

Do you really think that anything funded by Middle Eastern regimes is going to be balanced and fair? Am I naive if I say that universities are supposed to be about education not indoctrination?

Don't answer that.

TSA-Keeping Our Skies Safe

Janet Napolitano
Director of Homeland Security and 2010 Fousesquawk "Jerk of the Year"

"OK, grannie. Drop that diaper, bend over and spread em' wide." 


In a dramatic press conference, Janet Napolitano announced that TSA agents have foiled what might have been a catrastrophic terrorist attack designed to blow up a jetliner. Fox News has the breathtaking story.


http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/06/26/dying-woman-undergoes-additional-tsa-security-screening-says-family/

While no explosive devices were discovered, Eric Holder's Justice Department is continuing its investigation to establish if the "no-fly grannie" has any links to known terrorist groups like the Minutemen or the Tea Party. One inside source, who asked not to be identified stated that "it could have been a trial run". Our sources tell us that the "no-fly grannie" is under 24-hour surveillance. National Intelligence Director James Clapper had no comment stating only that "he wasn't aware of anything".





Napolitano stated that there were a number of factors that alerted inspectors based on secret profiling techniques. Apparently, the "No-fly grannie" fit into the appropriate age, gender and ethnic profile most likely to bring down an airliner filled with people.

Thank you, Director Napolitano!!!


"Just doing my job."

PJTV Interviews-The Infiltration of Our Government

Bill Whittle of PJTV has interviewed two sources with inside information on how our government has been infiltrated by the very people we should be investigating when it comes to the war on terror. The persons interviewed are a  DOD analyst and a former FBI agent, both of whom requested anonmynity.

These interviews are disturbing. In the first, the DOD employee describes how he was assigned to research within Islam to find support for our government's official position that terrorism is not really Islamic, rather that extremists have twisted Islamic doctrine to justify terror. When the analyst came back with an opposite finding, his conclusions were not accepted.

The FBI agent describes how agents from CAIR, MPAC and the Islamic Society of North America, Muslim Brotherhood agents all, have succeeded in being accepted as advisers to our investigating agencies, chiefly the FBI and DHS.

Watch these videos. Listen to the names of the organizations mentioned. Remember that the former head of the ISNA, Muzammil Siddiqi, was recently honored with an award by the Orange County Human Relations Commission. It is all unbelievable.



"Good news, mein Fuehrer. Stalin has requested your permission to enter Berlin, and Eisenhower has requested your permission to cross the Rhine."

The Fousesquawk MLB Realignment Plan

Anyone looking at the breakdown of divisions in major League Baseball will instantly note that an unfair balance exists between the American and National Leagues. Each league has three divisions, East Central and West. The problem is that among the 30 teams, the National League has 16 and the American League has 14. Worse yet, the American League West has only 4 teams, while the National League Central has 6. That means that teams in the former have a higher odds of winning their division than teams in the latter. All the other divisions have 5 teams. The answer is obvious; the American League West should add a team, while the National League Central should subtract a team. The problem is how to do it. Here is my plan.

First of all, teams with a long tradition in either league should not be switched. For example, the Yankees, White Sox, Red Sox, Indians etc should remain in the American League. In addition, teams like the Cardinals, Dodgers, Cubs, Reds, etc. should remain in the National League. The other factor is keeping a team in its appropriate geographical division. That makes it somewhat easy.

1. Switch the Arizona Diamondbacks to the American league West giving them 5 teams.

2. Switch the Houston Astros from the National League Central  in the National League West to replace Arizona keeping that division at 5 teams.

Now it looks like this:

AL

West

Arizona
Oakland
Seattle
Angels
Texas

Central

KC
White Sox
Tigers
Twins
Indians

East

NY
Boston
Baltimore
Toronto
Tampa Bay

NL

West

LA
SF
Colorado
SD
Houston

Central

Cubs
Brewers
Cardinals
Pirates
Reds

East

Braves
Mets
Phillies
Marlins
Nationals

Here's another bonus for Cub fans (like me); Now the Cubs don't have to compete in the biggest division in the majors, which is possibly the reason they never win the pennant.

I suggest we try this for a trial period of say, 5 years. If the Cubs still don't win the pennant, then further realignment will be necessary. Plan B would look something like this:

NL West

LA
SF
SD
Colorado
Houston
St Louis
Milwaukee

NL East

Mets
Phillies
Braves
Mets
Marlins
Reds
Pirates

NL Central

Cubs

Playoff format:

Winner of NL East plays 7-game series against NL West. Winner of that series plays winner of NL Central, who would have home field advantage. We could call it the Chicago Cub Fairness Plan.

No?

"....All'alba perdero,
perdero......
PERDEROOOOOO!"

Geert Wilders Acquitted

In a victory for free speech, Dutch politician Geert Wilders was finally acquitted in a Dutch court of whatever silly charges they brought against him in the first place for warning his people about the dangers of radical Islamic extremism in his country and Europe. They called it "hate speech".

http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article.aspx?id=576274&p=1

This entire episode made the nation of Holland look like a bunch of fools. It was a prosecution that never should have happened in the first place. God only knows how many guilders or Euros the Dutch spent on this exercise that could have taken the country back to the good old days of the German occupation.

To make matters worse, the first trial had to be scrubbed and a new trial ordered when one of the judges was found to have improperly tried to influence a witness to alter his testimony against Wilders' interests.

In addition, even though the prosecutors tried to throw in the towel and dismiss the charges, the judges ordered it to proceed. What a joke.

What is left now is for Wilders to organize his party and become prime minister of his country before they all destroy themselves.

Follow up on Amir Mertaban's Appearance at UC Irvine

Amir Mertaban


On the week of May 9-13, the UC-Irvine Muslim Student Union held their annual week of anti-Israel speakers. On the evening of May 10, the speaker was local Muslim activist Amir Mertaban, a former MSA leader. Below is my own posting about the event.

http://garyfouse.blogspot.com/2011/05/amir-mertaban-at-uc-irvine.html

Subsequently, the Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT) wrote a report on Mertaban's appearance highlighting his reluctance during the Q and A to state whether he supports or condemns Hamas and their charter.

IPT received a comment in response from Mertaban and subsequently obtained an interview with him. The link to the original article is contained in the follow up article, which is cross-posted below.

http://www.investigativeproject.org/2930/the-world-according-to-amir-mertaban

At the time I asked Mertaban about the statement from Al-Asi, I appreciated his instant and unequivocal response and returned to my seat with no further follow-up. Now he comes out with this religious recitation that implies (at the least) a threat against his critics-specifically Steven Emerson. It is disgusting.

The United West (which produced the video of the event) website has a clip of the Hamas exchange. It is under the heading of Muslim Keynote Speaker at UC Campus.

CAIR No Longer Tax-Exempt

Nihad Awad, CAIR CEO


Here is something good that happened while I was away; CAIR has lost its IRS tax-exempt status (pending appeal) for not filing the necessary reports for three years. The below report is by the Investigative Project on Terrorism.

http://www.investigativeproject.org/2990/cair-loses-irs-status

One can only wonder how that one slipped through the watchful eyes of the Obama administration. I wouldn't be surprised if wunderkind Tim (Turbo-Tax ) Geithner gets marching orders to rule in CAIR's favor in the appeal.

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


Now that the unindicted co-conspirators at CAIR have lost their tax-exempt status (pending appeal), look for them to take one of two roads. Either they claim victim status as is their wont or they refuse to say anything about it. (You won't find it on their website.)

Silly me for wondering. Here is the statement from spokeshole Ibrahim Hooper.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/06/23/cair-stripped-tax-exempt-status-by-irs/

"This is a technical paperwork issue that we're dealing with with the IRS -- as 275,000 other groups, including the AARP and major universities," Hooper said, before suggesting that reporting on its lost status was part of an effort to spread anti-Muslim "hate."

Of course.