July 03, 2006

Libertarian Commentary on the News 1 July 2006 Exclusive to TPOL

Elsewhere in the Price of Liberty, I am celebrating the Second of July – once more not able to join with family and friends and fellow lovers of liberty at a conclave or jamboree to celebrate the anniversary of the day when a few brave men (backed by their women) in Philadelphia said, enough is enough. When a nation was born for the first time in history dedicated not to a land or a ruler, or even a deity, but to an ideal – a gift from God: the ideal of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

The best way to celebrate the Second (or, the Fourth, if you insist) is not with fireworks, not with parades and waving of flags not even with going out and sharpening your shooting skills, but with reminding people and YOURSELF that the alternative to liberty, to freedom, to life, is – unthinkable: bitter and cruel and harsh and very, very frustrating. So take a look at the permits and signs that Mama Liberty has elsewhere, but only after you review the week’s news with me.

Warning, I’m starting the commentary this week with a tirade/lecture on the laws of war. But there is still plenty to read and argue with me about! (And a few more tirades, albeit shorter, are hiding in here, too.) Let me have your feedback, good or bad! However, before I start lecturing, here is a neat thing from California.

CA: Property seizure revolt heads for ballot
San Francisco Chronicle
"A revolt that began when the U.S. Supreme Court upheld government's right [sic] to take private property for economic development a year ago is sweeping much of the nation. Legislatures in 25 states, as well as numerous local governments, including at least seven in California, have passed a variety of laws and ordinances to blunt the court's June 2005 ruling that the city of New London, Conn., was justified in using the legal process known as eminent domain to seize private land for a different owner to develop a hotel, condominiums and commercial space. Property rights activists in 11 states, including California, also are responding to the ruling, called Kelo vs. City of New London, by supporting ballot initiatives to restrict land seizures and protect landowners. But California's proposed Protect Our Homes Act may be the most controversial." (06/26/06)

What the Chron does NOT point out is that at the same time as "great strides" are being made, the theft of more and more property by more and more governments is also picking up (as we discussed in last week's commentary). As usual, California tries to prove its superior nuttiness in everything with the legislation being proposed. But for once, I applaud and hope the nutcases win - because this initiative is the closest thing to eliminating eminent domain that is actually going to make it to the ballot this year. I really, really hope it passes! The Bear deserves a little bit more liberty, don't you think?

Supreme Court nixes Gitmo tribunals
Lafayette Journal and Courier
"The Supreme Court rebuked President Bush and his anti-terror policies Thursday, ruling that his plan to try Guantanamo Bay detainees in military tribunals violates U.S. and international law. The president and congressional Republicans immediately pledged to work on a new strategy for special trials for some of the hundreds of suspected al-Qaida and Taliban operatives rounded up in Afghanistan, Pakistan and other countries." (06/29/06)

While these tribunals would NOT have been the "kangaroo courts" that so many people would make them out to be, it is still better to have trials in which every possible standard procedure is followed - including public observation. The ONLY reasons I personally can see having trials at all for people who are actually prisoners of war is (1) to attempt to determine if they are indeed combatants (rather than thugs taking advantage of the situation to go out and kill, steal, etc.) and (2) if they are indeed combatants, to determine if they violated any of the substantive Laws of War. Let me explain: normally, killing a stranger unless they are actively shooting at you or threatening to shoot at you is considered to be either murder or manslaughter (if they are shooting or threatening, it is then homicide justified by your right of self-defense). In wartime, the "normal" civilian laws are somewhat put aside (I'm not saying this is right, just that it is) and the same rules don't apply. You still have every right to shoot someone who is shooting at you or threatening to shoot at you, but you are NOT considered to be murdering someone if you fire an artillery shell, launch a missile, or drop a bomb on someone who is NOT shooting at you etc. But only IF that person is a legitimate military target.

These thugs in Gitmo may be that (thugs) and they may NOT be "soldiers" under the traditional laws of war (ie, wear uniforms, be part of an organized force with a clear chain of command, etc.) but even as irregular combatants they are still subject to the laws of war - most specifically, what is and what is not a legitimate target. Church buildings, mosques, hospitals, schools, libraries, museums, etc. are NOT legitimate targets except as they are being used to fight by enemy soldiers (regular OR irregular) although they can be collateral damage (in which case the attacker has to prove that the damage was unintentional). In the same way, civilians, even of an enemy state which is so vile and evil to your way of thinking that they deserve to all be wiped out are NOT legitimate targets, NOR are civilian type facilities behind the battle lines (itself a vague concept today, I admit) legitimate targets.

In part, the target is determined by the type of weapon used against it, but the general rule is that the more accurate and narrower the effects of a weapon, the more closely the fighting man/woman must adhere to the ideal of damaging no civilian target and hurting no civilian. In other words, bombs dropped to destroy an enemy headquarters or weapons factory might incidentally destroy civilian houses and offices, and kill civilians nearby. A precision laser-guided missile or a grenade or hand-placed bomb should be used ONLY against a military target and should have very little potential for damage to civilian property and persons. A sense of proportion is also necessary: you don't use a hand grenade to kill a mosquito: you don't use a nuke to wipe out a squad of enemy soldiers.

That said, on 9-11, the Pentagon, for better or for worse, WAS a legitimate target under the laws of war - a military headquarters. The WTC was NOT a legitimate target, even though it had some government offices in it - they were not a military headquarters directly involved in a war effort. Attacks on Spanish trains or Russian primary schools, unless those trains or schools were being actively used at the time of the attack for transporting or housing/training military personnel were NOT legitimate targets. IF an American soldier intentionally attacks a civilian or a civilian's property when there is no direct military use being made of it, that is a violation of the laws of war and should be punished. Severely. That may have happened in Iraq - it has happened in other wars, right back to the War Between the States and the First War of Independence. A trial may necessary to determine IF the act committed was legitimate under the laws of war (even though it may not have been under normal civilian, peacetime law), and whether, as a result, the soldier has forfeited his rights to be treated as a member of the services - or possibly as a prisoner of war.

This is the only justification for trying any of these detainees - otherwise they should continue to be detained as EPW until the wrongly named "War on Global Terror" ends. (Properly it should be the Anti-Islamist War - note "Islamist" not "Islam" or "Muslim.") Speaking of POWs, another key part of the laws of war is the humane treatment of prisoners - and beheading and flaying prisoners, alive or dead - is not humane, by anyone's standards - it is a crime, and more, a war crime. Usually, psychological "abuse" is in the eye of the beholder - whether it is playing raucous rock music or showing pictures of naked girls or telling them their girl back home doesn't love them any more - but physical torture, killing them, refusing them medical treatment, and doing sick things with them ARE crimes and may result in the soldier (or "combatant") who does them losing the privileges of service and having to face criminal charges AND A FAIR TRIAL. Just as happened to PFC England.

Culture Wars At Home And Abroad
Do people have a right to speak up when they disagree with something government or other people do? It used to be that libertarians said, unanimously, that we did - that freedom of speech extended to all people, regardless of position or whether we agreed with them or not. Sadly, that no longer seems to be the take on issues by many people - churches turn into "governments" if they speak up and say that governments were wrong on something, individuals turn into baby Hitlers if they say that they believe that someone is wrong in doing or promoting something. Never mind that there is no force or fraud involved, just merely disagreeing with the secularly-sacred position is itself evil and to be condemned. Well, here is some more ammo for people like that.

MA: Court to decide if homosexual Rhode Islanders can wed
Boston Globe
"A Massachusetts Superior Court judge heard arguments yesterday that a gay couple from Providence should be allowed to marry in the Bay State because Rhode Island law does not explicitly ban same-sex marriage. 'Massachusetts need not and should not search high and low for a barrier to marriage,' said lawyer Michele Granda, who argued before Judge Thomas Connolly on behalf of Wendy Becker and Mary Norton, who were denied a marriage license in Attleboro in 2004. 'The court should look only for an express prohibition in the laws of another state and look no further,' said Granda, a lawyer from Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders." (06/27/06)

I seriously doubt if Rhode Island law explicitly bans letting someone marry his horse, either, so why doesn't Mass let people marry their horses, too, if they are from Rhode Island. I realize that "marriage shopping" has been around since the days of Gretna Green, but doesn't this judge and everyone else involved have more important things to do than try and corrupt an institution that predates government itself by a good many centuries? Government has no business regulating marriage, and that INCLUDES forcing so-called homosexual "marriage" down anyone's throat.

Anglicans Seek Ways to Avoid Split
CNS News.com
The head of the worldwide Anglican Church has laid out a proposal aimed at keeping the fractious denomination together by means of a two-tier structure of conservatives and liberals, but a leading conservative archbishop says the church is already divided. This week, several U.S. dioceses began a process of withdrawing from Anglicanism's liberal American branch, the Episcopal Church (ECUSA). Differences over homosexuality have triggered one of the most severe crises in the history of the 77 million-strong worldwide Anglican Communion, whose roots predate the Reformation.

Gee - wonder if we could get the political liberals to accept a "compromise" like this for the US - you all go your way and we'll go back to being a free country in the parts we want to keep. This points out the only kind of government that really works is a completely voluntary association where people agree to abide by the same rules, and if they will not agree, then they separate and stop bothering each other. Sadly, the artificial hierarchy the Anglicans have built for themselves makes that all but impossible. While this might mean an end to a century or more of wishy-washiness when it comes to any kind of principles on the part of Anglicans, I won't hold my breath. One of the major reasons we have things happening like the last story is because the churches themselves couldn't and wouldn't make a firm stand on virtually ANY moral issue for decades. Some people tried to get "government" to take up the slack, but government, as usual, messed it up even more.

Vatican fears being sued for positions
Arizona Republic
"The Vatican is worried its opposition to abortion, embryonic stem-cell research and gay marriage could one day land it before an international court of justice, a senior Vatican official said in an interview published Wednesday. Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, who heads the Pontifical Council for the Family, reiterated traditional Roman Catholic Church positions and criticized some European countries, including Belgium, the Netherlands and France, for giving legal recognition to civil unions. 'We worry especially that, with current laws, speaking in defense of life and the rights of families is becoming, in some societies, sort of a crime against the state,' Lopez Trujillo told the Catholic news magazine Famiglia Cristiana for its issue scheduled to hit the stands today. The remarks were posted online Wednesday." [FND editor's note: Fascinating! The Vatican is well aware it is meddling in things that should only be decided by the individuals involved, yet only the threat of a lawsuit concerns anyone. Sure sounds like a government to me! - SAT] (06/29/06)

No doubt their fear is justified, for many churches, preachers, and others have already been attacked and sued for speaking out on issues like this. At least the threat is not causing them to back off on teaching morals, as it has too many people and institutions. Still, the Vatican should not be too worried about persecution, even in international courts - traditionally the church has always grown the fastest in times of persecution - look at the church in Poland today and in the 1980s in contrast.

I think that Steve is way off in left field with his comments, though - apparently because he does not understand (or pretends not to) that churches are trying to teach people what they need to do to make individual decisions, and that they have an obligation created by their faith to speak out against nations that have turned their back on morality. This is NOT a government function, and should never be. Steve apparently would just as soon silence the right of popes, cardinals, priests and any Catholic to speak up on anything that can be claimed to be "personal decisions." What this amounts to is stating that churches have no right to exist, unless they abdicate from the very principles on which they were founded - that people will answer to their Creator for their actions. Too bad - people of faith just can't have the same rights as people with the correct point of view, can they?

The Economy And Related Matters
Just a few items this week, but very much of interest. The phrase, "Nero fiddling while Rome burned," popped into my head.

BP unit charged with price manipulation
Hattiesburg American
"Federal investigators said Wednesday that BP energy traders cornered the U.S. propane market in the winter of 2004 and illegally manipulated prices, driving up heating and cooking costs for rural consumers. The charges come at a time when oil and gas companies are under intense scrutiny from consumers and Congress over soaring energy prices and record profits, and analysts said the entire industry's credibility could be damaged." (06/28/06)

This, I suppose, is striking while the iron is hot - everyone is up in arms about fuel prices, so what a great time to make a name for yourself by dredging up something from two or three years ago, claiming "illegal manipulation" and "monopolization" by the evil corporations. I think that they could find something more worthwhile to do, than start another corporate witch hunt.

House votes to end 25-year offshore drilling ban
MSNBC
"The House voted Thursday to end a quarter-century offshore drilling ban and allow energy companies to tap natural gas and oil beneath waters from New England to Alaska. Opponents of the federal ban argued that the nation needed to move closer to energy independence and insisted the gas and oil could be taken without threatening the environment and coastal beaches. They said a state choosing to keep the moratorium could do so. The measure was approved 232-187." (06/29/06)

Remember, this is NOT going to the President yet - the Senate still has to vote on it - and we can expect a filibuster. But it is a good sign and an action long needed. It will move a good many battles to the local scene, where they belong. But don't expect to see oil rigs floating in Long Island Sound or off Cape Mendocino any time soon - remember how Teddy Kennedy suddenly became anti-windpower when they wanted to put the windmills up off Hyannisport!

The Coming Fall Of Europe, Foreshadowed
Europe continues to gallop down the path to the dustbin of history, dragging most of the continent with it this time, unlike in the past when there were a few backwaters to carry on civilization.

Russia: Moscow cops stop mostly minorities
Christian Science Monitor
"Levon, who declines to give his last name, says his visit to Moscow has been a nonstop nightmare of police harassment and extortion, especially whenever he enters Moscow's underground transit system, the Metro. 'The police always check me, and often they detain me claiming my papers are false,' says the swarthy, middle-aged Armenian sports trainer. ... Stories like Levon's abound in Moscow, where anecdotal evidence -- and a new study -- show police routinely single out dark-skinned migrants from former Soviet republics as well as citizens from Russia's own southern regions for document checks that often lead to detention, harassment, and paying of bribes. Still experts say they are shocked by the results of a new study showing the scope of racial profiling by police in the Moscow Metro. It found that non-Slavs are almost 22 times more likely to be stopped than those who look like fair-skinned ethnic Russians." (06/26/06)

Gee, sounds like some parts of the US, doesn't it? Guess the Russkies must be picking up on this democracy thing better than we thought. The reason is obvious, but that doesn't make it right.

UK outrage as Big Brother keeps an eye on kids
The Age [Australia]
"British Government plans for the surveillance of all children, including information on whether they eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, have been condemned as a Big Brother system. Experts say it is the biggest state intrusion into the role of parents in history. Changes are being introduced after the death of a girl from abuse. They include a database tracking all 12 million children in England and Wales from birth. The Government expects the program to be operating within two years. But critics say the electronic files will undermine family privacy and destroy the confidentiality of medical, social work and legal records. ... The Children Act 2004 gave the Government the powers to create the database." (06/26/06)

Even a single death can be a perfect excuse for establishing a brave new world can't it? And yet, the Brits keep electing the same Parliamentary thugs election after election, and giving them more power than old King John or James II ever dreamed of - forgetting their heritage. "Ye were once free."

UK: plan to overturn rights laws labelled "complete nonsense"
Independent [UK]
"David Cameron's promise to scrap the Human Rights Act has provoked a bitter backlash from lawyers and civil liberties groups who accused him of endangering society's most vulnerable members. Critics of the leader of the Conservative Party pointed to a succession of individuals who have benefited from the legislation since it came into force six years ago. They range from abuse victims and an NHS patient who won the right to have a hip replacement operation in France to disabled children who received free transport and asylum-seekers denied the right to food and shelter." [FND editor's note: Geez, is there anything that ISN'T considered a "right" over there? Besides speech and self-defense, I mean - TLK] (06/26/06)

Lest anyone think that I'm constantly banging on Tom and Steve, let me say Tom is right on the money. That is very Orwellian, of course - to claim that the people have more rights than ever while at the same time REAL rights are being sucked up at 1984 miles an hour. But notice that these "rights" make it very clear that some pigs are more equal than other animals: even if it is not their fault.

Half of Scottish bingo halls threatened by smoking ban
Independent [UK]
"About half of Scotland's 86 bingo clubs could close after the smoking ban introduced at the end of March hit the industry much harder than expected in the first three months. Five clubs have closed already, a further three are expected to shut in the next few weeks and between 30 and 40 are at risk of closure in the long run, the Bingo Association said yesterday. Revenues at all Scottish bingo clubs have fallen as players come in for shorter periods or stop going altogether, with independent operators feeling the greatest pressure." (06/27/06)

Speaking of rights - how about the right of businesses to run their own business? No one can claim that bingo is an essential service and that people have no choice but to expose themselves to secondhand smoke. Not that bingo hall closures are necessarily a crisis - it is nothing but another form of gambling, after all - the sucker's tax, and fully taxed by the state. But if people want to play and smoke, where is the right of government to take their right away?

UK: Rapper likens bin Laden to Che Guevara
Guardian [UK]
"Two record company executives are threatening to resign from a label over an album by a radical Muslim musician which has tracks about the immorality of the west, suicide bombers and Osama bin Laden. Aki Nawaz is determined to release what is, by anyone's standards, a phenomenally angry album. He says he fully expects a knock on the door from MI5. As the main component of the band Fun-da-Mental, Nawaz has been producing politically challenging music since 1991 but accepts he is pushing those boundaries further. ... Nawaz, a former drummer in the Southern Death Cult, said yesterday: 'I have a right to push the boundaries as much as anyone else has, whether it's Ken Loach or Harold Pinter or George Galloway or Neil Young or the Sex Pistols.'" [RRND editor's note: I'm not sure what's so controversial about comparing bin Laden to Guevara. Guevara probably racked up a bigger body count, but a murderous thug is a murderous thug - TLK] (06/27/06)

I certainly agree with you, Tom. Makes you wonder about these Brit record company executives, doesn't it? It is hard to tell who is being diss'ed here, from the article and the lyrics. I suspect that the execs are Marxists of some type of worship the dead demigod of Latin American communism, but maybe they are afraid of Islamists who would consider issuing a fatwa for claiming bin Laden is similar to an atheist Russian pawn. Of course, the mere idea that Nawaz even is taken seriously when he talks about being run in by MI5 shows how little freedom of speech means in the UK anymore.

Spain: Demanding rights for great apes
Yahoo! News
"Spain's parliament is to declare support for rights to life and freedom for great apes on Wednesday, apparently the first time any national legislature will have recognized such rights for non-humans. Parliament is to ask the government to adhere to the Great Ape Project, which would mean recognizing that our closest genetic relatives should be part of a 'community of equals' with humans, supporters of the resolution said. The move in a country better known for bullfighting would follow a string of social reforms which have converted Spain from one of Europe's most conservative nations into a liberal trailblazer." (06/27/06)

Just when we think American governments are the most bizarre on the planet. I'm as willing to grant equal rights to great apes as anyone - as soon as they sit down at a table and write out a petition to be granted those rights. Clearly, Spain has rotted completely - unborn human children are killed routinely while we waste time and money proclaiming officially that apes and humans are equal?

Mama's Note: I don't even care if the apes learn to write. Just as soon as they are able to support themselves and act as rational members of society, exercising both rights and responsibilities, they are welcome. As long as they are in need of food, shelter, etc. provided by others, they are not ready to be regarded as humans.... Funny thing, I suspect many of us feel the same about some of the other irrational "animals" who demand their "rights," but have no use for their responsibilities.

Our Ridiculous Public Schools
So-called "public schools," that is -government-run (or ruined) and tax (well, theft-) funded is what they are: RFTF. Their purpose is not to train up children in the way that they should go, but to raise new subjects/slaves/serfs for the state to use for its own glory. When reading the first article, remember that the modern American public school system was largely based on the old Prussian system, which is essentially identical to the modern Bundesrepublik's system.

German Homeschoolers appeal to Euro Court
WND
German homeschooling parents who face fines or jail sentences are prepared to take their cause to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. The German Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe recently turned down an appeal by Christian parents. According to the justices, the parents are required to send their children to state registered schools.. Homeschooling is illegal in Germany, even if parents object to institutional education for religious reasons. Many Christians, however, are defying legal requirements. Some have been fined or incarcerated after refusing to pay the fines. It is estimated at least 1,000 children in Germany are taught by their parents.

I do wish them success, but the Euro-Courts are very unlikely to reduce the power of the state on this issue. Now that Germany's elites have all but consolidated the Fourth Reich, they need all the cannon-fodder that they can get.

Valedictorian Complains of 'Hollow' Public School Education
CNSNews.com
The valedictorian of a New Jersey high school has left teachers and administrators with a sour taste in their mouths after using his June 20 valedictory speech to describe his education as "hollow" and one filled with "countless hours wasted in those halls."

Truth from a babe. This young man had a lot of courage - he even refused to accept his diploma to show his contempt for the education he hadn't received. People, get your kids out of these places.

Mama's Note: Well, bless his heart!! I do hope he finds a true education and makes use of his obviously brilliant mind. We need many more such young people!

Home Front News
Lots this week from our home front, including a good many items that aren't really all that encouraging, and a few that that are very much encouraging, or could be.

US population to hit 300 million in 2006
Dalton Daily Citizen
"The U.S. population is on target to hit 300 million this fall and it's a good bet the milestone baby -- or immigrant -- will be Hispanic. No one will know for sure because the date and time will be just an estimate. But Latinos -- immigrants and those born in this country -- are driving the population growth. They accounted for almost half the increase last year, more than any other ethnic or racial group. White non-Hispanics, who make up about two-thirds of the population, accounted for less than one-fifth of the increase." (06/26/06)

I'd rather have a freedom loving illegal as a neighbor than a fifth-generation blueblood who thinks that the elites should rule and we can't use freedom responsibly. But enough is enough, and maybe it is time to retroactively send home not just a few illegals, but a lot of other people who have, by their actions, demonstrated that they are NOT Americans save by birth. I know that we are still just a fraction of the population density of Europe or much of Asia, but this is still too many people for me, and the more people we have with our current government and society, the less likely we are to regain the liberty that is the birthright of ALL Americans, "native-born" or immigrant.

Continuing to divide up the country on "racial" or ethnic grounds is one of our problems. Just because someone's name is "Martinez" does not make them "Latino" or "Hispanic" any more than a last name of Cohen makes you a Jewish priest or O'Higgins makes you an Irish Catholic - it is time to get rid of this false division and remember that spiritual ancestry has always counted for more than other kinds in a free nation.

Granny Brigade to march on DC
WCBS-TV
"They're back. Those opinionated octogenarians who made headlines last fall by trying to enlist in the military to stop the War in Iraq. Now, they're heading to Washington D.C. for the Fourth of July. With wheelchairs, walkers, canes and pictures of their grandchildren on their backs, the Granny Brigade was back in Times Square, the scene of their arrest last fall for blocking the entrance to the Military Recruitment Center to stop the war. This time, they're kicking off a 10-day trek to the nation's capital. 'We want to wake up an apathetic American public,' Joan Wile, the Brigade's founder said. 'Maybe they're against the war, maybe they're not. But they're totally indifferent.' Actress Barbara Barrie says the next 10 days of marches and rallies by these gutsy grannies will make a difference." (06/24/06)

Speaking of nutcases like Saddam (see the story later in "Middle Eastern Tarbabies about his latest meanderings), we have these people, who cannot seem to understand that, for good or bad, the one thing Americans are NOT about the continuing occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan is "apathetic." Will they make a difference? Please, what planet did this actress come from? And for that matter, what alternate dimension did the CBS news crew come from?

AZ: Republicans slam Goldwater for camp quote
Yahoo! News
"A Republican gubernatorial candidate's call for creation of a forced labor camp for illegal immigrants drew rebukes Friday from two GOP lawmakers, who labeled it a low point in the immigration debate. Don Goldwater, nephew of the late Sen. Barry Goldwater, caused an international stir this week when EFE, a Mexican news service, quoted him as saying he wanted to hold undocumented immigrants in camps to use them 'as labor in the construction of a wall and to clean the areas of the Arizona desert that they're polluting.'" (06/23/06)

As it turns out (see later story) the Mexican "newsman" was simply imitating his colleagues north of the border and made the quote up. EFE backpedaled, at least, which is more than most Norte Americano agencies and media do.

Limbaugh detained at Palm Beach airport
MSNBC
"Rush Limbaugh was detained for more than three hours Monday at Palm Beach International Airport after authorities said they found a bottle of Viagra in his possession without a prescription. Customs officials found a prescription bottle labeled as Viagra in his luggage that didn't have Limbaugh's name on it, but that of two doctors, said Paul Miller, spokesman for the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office. A doctor had prescribed the drug, but it was 'labeled as being issued to the physician rather than Mr. Limbaugh for privacy purposes,' Roy Black, Limbaugh's attorney, said in a statement."

Look, if this can happen to Limbaugh, it can happen to any of us. Put your pills in a little box labeled "Monday, Tuesday," etc. Violation of federal law - felony. Pharmacist misspell your name on the label? Violation of federal law - felony. Medicine outdated? Violation --- so while the TSA goons are busy looking for those evil fire-starters, they can amuse themselves by thwarting terrorism by getting scofflaws in trouble. Even unknown ones.

Mama's Note: Hard as it may be to believe, watch for ordinary vitamins and other food supplements to be added to the list of "illegal" substances that will require a prescription. Oh, and by the way, you'll only be able to buy them from the pharmacy and the cost will be a hundred times higher. Got to pay for all that "safety," you know. But don't buy the nonsense that the pharmacy manufacturers want this crap. They stand to lose billions, no matter how much the prescription price is raised. Most people simply won't pay it.

CA: Possible terror threat closes port
McAlester News-Capital
"A Southern California port was closed for several hours Monday afternoon while authorities investigated a possible terrorist threat on a cargo ship. A dock worker at the Port of Hueneme in Ventura County discovered a threatening message written in the cargo hold of a ship carrying bananas from Guatemala, said Will Berg, the port's marketing director. Federal authorities said the message was written in English and read: 'Nitro + glycerin my gift for G. W. Bush and his Jewish gang.'" (06/26/06)

Disrupting our economy and government is getting cheaper and cheaper, both in time and money. Be careful when you bite into your next banana!

Port security study urges economic focus
Philadelphia Inquirer
"There is no foolproof way to secure America's seaports against terrorism, so the government should focus more time and money on plans to revive the economy in the aftermath of an attack, a report released Tuesday said. The recommendation by the nonprofit Public Policy Institute of California was based partly on its finding that, almost five years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, many of the nation's 361 ports are still highly vulnerable. Cargo containers pose the biggest threat, yet only a fraction of the 10 million shipped to the country every year get fully inspected, according to the San Francisco-based institute's report. Limited staffing and funding have led to unclear priorities and uncoordinated strategies among port security authorities. And programs to credential port workers, buy new Coast Guard ships, planes and helicopters, and protect international cargo have lagged." (06/28/06)

Speaking of ports - while it is true that we can't prevent ports from being targets, the conclusion that we just wait for it to happen and then pick up the pieces is EXACTLY the same attitude that most Gulf-Coasters have towards hurricanes. Common sense says that building in tidal flats and floodplains is really, really stupid, and refusing to take any action (or allow any action to be taken, like allowing dock workers to be armed) to protect ports is stupid as well. As usual, give it to government if you want the project to fail.

Outside New Orleans, cities stem crime on their own
Christian Science Monitor
"As hundreds of National Guardsmen roll into New Orleans to help stem the violence in that hurricane-ravaged city, other cities with large populations of evacuees are managing to control crime without the use of the military. Some, such as Baton Rouge, La., have beefed up police patrols and have seen a slight decline in violent crime. But in Houston, which received the most Gulf Coast refugees, the jury is still out. On one hand, the city saw a 23 percent increase in murders last year, which police attribute in part to the influx of 150,000 hurricane evacuees. So far this year, overall violent crime is running at a rate higher than any of the past three years. On the other hand, the Houston Police Department has implemented a number of programs -- targeted at neighborhoods where large numbers of evacuees ended up -- to stem the rise in violent crime." (06/27/06)

What should we expect of the residents of a city like New Orleans? Like feral children raised by wolves or third-generation welfare recipients, they are only imitating their "betters" - the thugs that controlled Sin City Central (New Orleans), and now, they know no other way. Yes, many people CAN overcome their upbringing - but even Abraham couldn't find five righteous people in Sodom and Gomorrah. Imagine what Sacramento, San Jose, and Petaluma will be like after the Big One hits San Fran and Oakland.

FBI Abandons Connecticut Library Security Case
Space War Daily
Washington (UPI) Jun 28, 2006 - The FBI has abandoned its effort to obtain user records from a group of Connecticut libraries employing a controversial investigative tool known as a national security letter -- a broad and secret demand for communications and financial information.

I am very glad that this library stood its ground. Obviously, if the Feebs had done a bit more investigation (heaven forbid) they could have come to this conclusion without even trying to get the book list.

AP: Guard to miss border mission deadline
USA Today
"The Bush administration has been unable to muster even half the 2,500 National Guardsmen it planned to have on the Mexican border by the end of June, officials in the border states said. The head of the National Guard Bureau disputed that tally and said the goal would be met by Friday. As of Thursday, the next-to-last day of the month, fewer than 1,000 troops were in place, according to military officials in Texas, California, New Mexico and Arizona." [FND editor's note: Pancho Villa's attack on Columbus occurred on March 19th, 1916. Gen. John J. Pershing entered Mexico with 12,000 troops ten days after that, on orders from Woodrow Wilson. 90 years later, Bush can't get 2,500 troops to, let alone over, the border in a month. Yeah, those Republicans sure are "strong on national security," aren't they? - TLK] (06/29/06)

Just how far can you stretch the soldiers in the Guard? And just how completely tangled in red tape and strangled by their own incompetence and bungling can the government be before it collapses? It isn't the GOP to blame for this, it is ALL parts of a government system that has bloated and been pulled in too many directions for too long. The solution? Get government out of 99% of what it is doing, and let it concentrate on a very few things - until such time as private enterprise can take over those things, too.

Army wives get phone death threats from Iraq
Daily Telegraph (Filed: 25/06/2006)
Wives and family members of soldiers fighting in Iraq have received telephone calls, believed to include death threats, from insurgents, according to military documents seen by The Sunday Telegraph. The "nuisance" calls have been made with increasing frequency over the past few weeks after insurgents managed to obtain home numbers from soldiers' mobile telephones.

A bizarre result of our modern technology and communications systems. A rather personal and direct form of propaganda - it surely beats dropping flyers from aircraft or Tokyo Rose.
26.

Idiot pol: Prosecute Times for exposing crimes
Houston Chronicle
"The chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee called Sunday for criminal prosecution of The New York Times, saying its report Friday on government surveillance of confidential banking records 'compromised America's anti-terrorist policies.' Interviewed on Fox News Sunday, Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., accused the newspaper of compromising national security when it exposed a Treasury Department program that attempts to track terrorist financing by secretly monitoring worldwide money transfers. The program, instituted after the Sept. 11 attacks, bypasses safeguards put in place to prevent government abuse." [Editor's note: For "bypasses safeguards," read "breaks the law" - TLK] (06/26/06)

The drastic difference in views on this entire issue is an example of just how badly divided the Union has become: on the one hand, we have those frothing at the mouth to lock 'em all up as traitors, while the other side is praising them as steadfast and loyal defenders of freedom. Both positions make me want to barf, to be honest. And as usual, much of this turns out to be a tempest in a teacup, or Congress doing its usual crisis-panic-mode act - as the next story implies.

Terrorist funds-tracking no secret, some say
Boston Globe
"News reports disclosing the Bush administration's use of a special bank surveillance program to track terrorist financing spurred outrage in the White House and on Capitol Hill, but some specialists pointed out yesterday that the government itself has publicly discussed its stepped-up efforts to monitor terrorist finances since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. ... [A] search of public records -- government documents posted on the Internet, congressional testimony, guidelines for bank examiners, and even an executive order President Bush signed in September 2001 -- describe how US authorities have openly sought new tools to track terrorist financing since 2001." (06/28/06)

I shouldn't blame just Congress of course, for overreacting - clearly the Executive Branch has done the same. As have the conservative talk show hosts.

House vote slaps news organizations
CNN
"The House on Thursday approved a Republican-crafted resolution condemning news organizations for revealing a covert government program to track terrorist financing, saying the disclosure had 'placed the lives of Americans in danger.' The resolution, passed 227-183 on a largely party-line vote, did not specifically name the news organizations, but it was aimed at The New York Times and other news media that last week reported on a secret CIA-Treasury program to track millions of financial records in search of terrorists." (06/29/06)

Of course, a lot of people are saying it wasn't a secret (see the story above), which reminds me of the big noises over the Valery Flame "outing" for several months. As usual, Congress can't justify their claims - like explaining exactly how this places lives in danger.

VA worker had OK for data later stolen
Winona Daily News
"The Veterans Affairs worker faulted for losing veterans' personal information had permission to access millions of Social Security numbers on a laptop from home, agency documents obtained by The Associated Press show. Separately, President Bush on Wednesday asked Congress for $160.5 million for credit monitoring for millions of veterans affected by the May 3 burglary. He proposed tapping dollars set aside but not used yet for food stamps, student loans and trade assistance for farmers." (06/28/06)

Curiouser and curiouser, eh?

VA asks for more money after data theft
Helena Independent Record
"Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson promised Congress on Tuesday he could turn his agency into a 'model for information security' but said lawmakers will have to be patient. Nicholson also said the Bush administration was asking for at least $160.5 million in emergency funds for credit monitoring and other measures to protect veterans and military troops whose sensitive personal information was stolen from a VA employee's laptop computer. Besides covering monitoring for about half of the 17.5 million people whose Social Security numbers were compromised, the money would pay for out-of-pocket expenses ranging from $10,000 to $20,000 for those whose identities are stolen, Nicholson told a House panel." (06/28/06)

This came just the day before the computer was found. I particularly found Sen Tim Johnson's (D, SD) remarks disgusting: he said it was wrong to take food and education funding away from people to pay for the costs of the VA's mistake. In other words, he treated an obligation of a government to protect people who have honorably served that government as equal to welfare benefits - except of a lower priority. Tim, at least the Constitution authorizes the Federal government to defend the country, but show me where it authorizes the Federal government to spend one thin dime on welfare benefits like food stamps, educational grants, or pork projects for towns in East OR West River.

Our Imperial Courts
Gee, you think the judges have better things to do than some of what we've already read today? I think so, but these next few stories aren't necessarily what they should be doing. You know, with today's judges as they are (or 99.9% are), I think we'd be better off with the wicked judge in the parable that Jesus told - he finally was willing to listen to the widow, and he was still alive! Today's judges apparently don't really start listening until they get to face THE Judge.

MO: Judge halts executions, orders changes
Santa Barbara News-Press
"A federal judge on Monday halted executions in Missouri until the state makes sweeping changes to ensure that inmates do not suffer excruciating pain when they are put to death. U.S. District Judge Fernando Gaitan Jr. cited 'numerous problems' with the state's lethal injections, including a lack of a written protocol setting drug levels and a dyslexic doctor who is in charge of mixing the three drugs used. Gaitan said the state's practices subject condemned inmates to an unnecessary risk of unconstitutional pain and suffering. Ruling in the case of condemned inmate Michael Taylor, he gave the Department of Corrections until July 15 to come up with a new protocol, and said no executions can occur until he approves it." (06/26/06)

So if he is so dyslexic that he can't tell the three drugs apart, how did he get his license to practice medicine in the first place? This entire thing sounds bogus to me. Much as I hate the death penalty, this just creates more problems than it solves. If we don't want pain, supposedly the guillotine is so fast it is painless. Or perhaps they could just go to that good old staple carbon monoxide, which also is reported to be completely painless, putting the victim to sleep before killing them.

Supreme Court takes up carbon case
Fox News
"The Supreme Court agreed Monday to consider whether the Bush administration must regulate carbon dioxide to combat global warming, setting up what could be one of the court's most important decisions on the environment. The decision means the court will address whether the administration's decision to rely on voluntary measures to combat climate change are legal under federal clean air laws. 'This is the whole ball of wax. This will determine whether the Environmental Protection Agency is to regulate greenhouse gases from cars and whether EPA can regulate carbon dioxide from power plants,' said David Bookbinder, an attorney for the Sierra Club. The EPA said in a statement that the agency 'is confident in its decision (not to regulate carbon dioxide) and will address the issue before the court.' It said voluntary programs 'are helping achieve reductions' in carbon emissions 'while saving millions of dollars.'" (06/26/06)

As with many environmental laws, it is not what is actually written by Congress that is at dispute, but how it is interpreted and what the Congress's original intent was. (Sound familiar - you remember Constitution 101!) The real point that should be, but won't be, argued is whether the EPA or Congress or the President or any other government agency should have ANY power to regulate carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, NOx or anything else that might pollute the air. Who should? Would you believe, no one?

TN: Judges order halt to executions
Philadelphia Inquirer
"Federal judges stayed the executions of two convicted murderers Tuesday, only hours before the state was to administer back-to-back lethal injections on the same day. Judge Gilbert S. Merritt on the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a stay for inmate Sedley Alley after a last-minute appeal was delivered to his home in Nashville. Gov. Phil Bredesen and the U.S. Supreme Court had rejected all requests for a stay. Alley confessed to killing 19-year-old Marine Suzanne Collins in 1985 while she jogged north of Memphis." (06/28/06)

This would make a lot more sense as an important issue if the murders had been in 2005 and NOT 21 years ago. The best we can say is that Alley at least has not killed anyone else since his assault on a young woman. The sick thing is that in 1985, a Marine, of all people, shouldn't have been able to carry a gun as protection against an attacker.

Supreme Court upholds insanity law
CNN
"The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Arizona's law on the insanity defense is not too restrictive in limiting evidence defendants can present at trial. By a 6-3 vote, justices affirmed the murder conviction of Eric Clark, who thought he was being pursued by space aliens when he killed an Arizona police officer. Clark, a paranoid schizophrenic who was a teenager at the time, is serving 25 years to life in prison." (06/29/06)

A bizarre case, all the way around. The Arizona law seems to verge on the British "guilty but insane" verdict rather than the traditional "not guilty by reason of insanity" and the first makes more sense to me. If this Clark was insane at the time he killed the guy, the place to decide if the meds are helping is probably in a parole board hearing - meanwhile, he will be a bit safer from the space aliens, and so will the rest of us.

Middle East Tarbabies Continue To Hang On!
I've used this title for years, but recently got to watch that wonderful (and often banned and derided) Walt Disney movie "Song of the South" including the wonderful telling of Brer Rabbit and the Tarbaby (although my imagination does even better when reading or hearing the story). The Middle East is indeed as bad a tarbaby as there ever was for the United States, and I see no signs of someone showing up with turpentine anytime soon.

The US, of course, is not the only one stuck to the baby - the EU and Russia are not much better off, as several stories point out. Meanwhile, let me start out with something funny, for once.

Saddam believes US will beg for his help
Roseburg News-Review
"Saddam Hussein believes the United States will have to seek his help to quell the bloody insurgency in Iraq and open the way for U.S. forces to withdraw, his chief lawyer said Sunday. Khalil al-Dulaimi argued in an interview with The Associated Press that the former leader is the key to returning stability to Iraq. 'He's their last resort. They're going to knock at his door eventually,' the lawyer said. Saddam is 'the only person who can stop the resistance against the U.S. troops.'" (06/26/06)

Like asking Hitler to help keep the Soviets from taking over West Germany? Please. The man is egotistical enough to believe what he is saying, certainly. But he is not loved by the Islamists and his rule drowned the nation in blood - just hidden and not quite so seemingly-random.

Bin Laden hails al-Zarqawi as "lion"
Winchester Herald Chronicle
"Osama bin Laden defended attacks by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi against civilians in Iraq, purportedly saying in a taped Web message Friday that the slain al-Qaida in Iraq leader was acting under orders to kill anyone who backs American forces. Bin Laden paid tribute to al-Zarqawi in a 19-minute audio message posted on an Islamic militant Web site. The message has narration by a voice resembling bin Laden's as a video shows an old photo of him in a split-screen next to images of al-Zarqawi taken from a previous video." (06/30/06)

I am sure this message is a comfort to the families of the thousands of children, students, worshippers, people walking on the wrong street at the wrong time, media reporters, and social workers whom Zarqawi and his followers killed over the years. I suppose that Zarqawi can tell the Judge, "Lord, I was just following orders." As one other commentator wrote: "No virgins for Zarqawi." But Osama's hands are bloodier still - not perhaps as bloody as the democides of the world, but still an enemy of liberty and of humanity.

Iraq: Al Qaeda says three Russians murdered
Washington Times
"The Russian government said Monday it had no official word on three of its kidnapped diplomats who al-Qaida in Iraq claims to have executed. Sunday, al Jazeera Arabic television network reported an Islamist Web site had a video of two blindfolded men being beheaded, and there was a claim that the third man had been shot, the Novosti news agency said. ... Four Russian embassy staff members were kidnapped and a fifth was killed June 3 ..." (06/26/06)

Apparently Russia is very unhappy about this, and will be sending more diplomats to take care of the situation. But apparently, the next diplomats to visit will be the kind more used to wearing blue and white striped tee-shirts (ie, Spetznaz goons to hunt down the killers). Meanwhile, Ms. Rice is blunt (see story below) in telling the Russians they should not gripe so much.

Poll: Majority of Americans want withdrawal plan for Iraq
USA Today
"A majority of Americans say Congress should pass a resolution that outlines a plan for withdrawing U.S. Troops from Iraq, according to a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll taken Friday through Sunday. Half of those surveyed would like all U.S. Forces out within 12 months. The poll finds support for the ideas behind Democratic proposals that were soundly defeated in the Senate last week. An uptick in optimism toward the war after the killing of terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi earlier this month seems to have evaporated." (06/26/06)

Well, I'd like a million dollars and a brand new 2007 Saab and a good Cessna four-seater. These polls are meaningless - just like asking soldiers in Iraq when they'd like to go home (immediately is the only true answer that can be given - who wants to be doing anything over there?) But if wishes were horses, we'd all be horse ranchers. Congress will continue to be congress, and nothing will be done.

Iraq: Bombs kill at least 40
Citrus County Chronicle
"Bombs killed at least 40 people at markets in two Iraqi cities Monday, hours after key lawmakers said seven Sunni Arab insurgent groups offered the government a conditional truce. Despite the fresh opening between the government and the militant organizations -- which do not include al-Qaida or Islamic terror groups -- a top Iraqi commander said Baghdad's forces would not be ready to keep the peace for at least a year in Anbar province, the insurgent heartland." (06/26/06)

If anyone can ever keep the peace in Anbar, except for the civilians who live there.

Iraq: Two US soldiers, 43 Iraqis killed
PakTribune [Pakistan]
"Twenty-five Iraqis including children were killed when a motorbike bomb exploded in a market square where villagers were watching a World Cup football match on Monday, according to a new toll Tuesday. ... a home-made bomb exploded in the main market in Hilla, 100 kilometres south of Baghdad, killing 15 people and wounding at least 79 .... A car bomb exploded in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk on Tuesday, killing at least three people .... A US Marine was killed on Tuesday and a soldier died the day before in fighting in a volatile province west of Baghdad, the military said." (06/28/06)

These are the kind of "American supporters" that Osama was praising Zarqawi for killing. Right.

Iraq violence displaces 150,000
Reuters
"The number of displaced people in Iraq has swelled by 150,000 since the bombing of a Shiite shrine in February pushed the country to the brink of civil war, a United Nations agency said on Tuesday. The U.N. Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) put the number of displaced higher than the 130,386 estimate of registered internal refugees given by the Ministry of Displacement and Migration on Monday. 'It is estimated that 1.3 million individuals are displaced inside Iraq, nearly 5 percent of the country's total population,' said a UNAMI statement. " (06/27/06)

No wonder, given the fact that the killing is seemingly more and more random. Can Iraq's people put up with having Iraq? Maybe breaking it up into five or six little nations, each capable of defending itself but not of messing with each other, would be the best. Sort of a Morganthau plan as was proposed for Germany in 1945: break it up in small enough pieces that they won't bother anyone else for a long time.

Iraq: Seven dead in latest attacks
Hindustan Times [India]
"A trash collector and the head of security for Baghdad University were killed in separate drive-by shootings on Thursday as a string of attacks left at least seven people dead in the capital, police said." (06/29/06)

Gee, a trash collection as an enemy of the people? What, he wasn't obeying shariah by working too hard, or not hard enough? Maybe he was looking at the pictures in the magazines that people throw away?

Iraq: Insurgents offer to halt attacks
Port Huron Times-Herald
"Eleven Sunni insurgent groups have offered an immediate halt to all attacks -- including those on American troops -- if the United States agrees to withdraw foreign forces from Iraq in two years, insurgent and government officials told The Associated Press on Wednesday. Withdrawal is the centerpiece of a set of demands from the groups, which operate north of Baghdad in the heavily Sunni Arab provinces of Salahuddin and Diyala. Although much of the fighting has been to the west, those provinces are increasingly violent and attacks there have crippled oil and commerce routes." (06/28/06)

It sounds like these folks may be engaging in a little bit of heretical study - Mao's Little Red Book, for one. For now, just the people desperately trying to get the US out of Iraq will listen to them, of course. And we should point out that the "eleven groups" do not represent either Al-Qaeda OR any of the Shi'a groups, or for that matter, the Ba'athists. This would NOT stop the bloodshed, unfortunately.

Military claims gains on Iraqi terrorists
Abilene Reporter News
"The U.S. military claimed an advantage in the fight against al-Qaida in Iraq on Thursday, saying raids since the death of its leader have forced many of its foreign fighters out into the open to be captured or killed. Iraq's bloodshed continued. At least 46 deaths from violence were reported across the country, including nine bullet-riddled bodies pulled from rivers -- apparent victims of sectarian death squads." (06/29/06)

It may be darkest before the dawn, but it is still too early to say one way or the other. Certainly Zawqari's death has changed a lot of things, but al-Qaida and the other organizations still have a lot of time to fix things. Time that Coalition troops may not have.

Iraq frees hundreds of prisoners
CNN
"Iraq has freed about 450 prisoners from Abu Ghraib prison outside Baghdad as part of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's national reconciliation plan to restore law and order in his war-torn country. None of the prisoners had been convicted of any crime, Iraqi national security adviser Mowaffak al-Rubaie told CNN on Tuesday. 'These detainees were detained on a security basis,' al-Rubaie said. 'I believe it's a goodwill gesture toward our people in our country to show that the government is serious about the national reconciliation.'" (06/27/06)

This is about on a par with France releasing captured German troops just because Paris was liberated. Talk about a stupid government trick. If these people were insurgent soldiers, this is crazy. If they weren't insurgent soldiers, what were they doing in jail all this time?

Senators wary of "amnesty" in Iraq plan
CNN
"U.S. senators on Sunday called Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's national reconciliation plan a positive step but expressed concerns about its 'amnesty' provision. Al-Maliki's plan, announced earlier in the day, would extend an olive branch to some Iraqi militants and grant the phased release of 2,500 detainees from Iraqi prisons. Part of the strategy spells out 'amnesty for all prisoners who were not involved in any terrorist activity, war crimes or crimes against humanity.' ... This could leave the door open to freeing someone who might have killed an American service member in battle. And that possibility was deemed troubling by U.S. lawmakers asked about amnesty in Sunday talk-show interviews." 06/25/06)

Amnesty for illegal immigrants is okay but not for jailed suspects who ever did anything to justify getting locked up? Normally, you wait until after the end of a war or occupation to release all the POWs, although prisoner swaps are common. But this is neither - and may spell the doom of the new Iraqi government.

Two US soldiers charged in killing of civilian
MSNBC
"Two U.S. soldiers have been charged in the February killing of an unarmed Iraqi civilian near the city of Ramadi, the military said Sunday. Spc. Nathan B. Lynn was charged with one count of voluntary manslaughter for allegedly shooting and killing the man on Feb. 15. He and Sgt. Milton Ortiz Jr. also were charged with one count of obstructing justice for allegedly conspiring with another soldier to put an AK-47 near the body to make it look as though he was an insurgent." (06/25/06)

Much as I hate seeing yet another situation in which soldiers have been charged with a crime, I would much rather see these trials than NOT see or hear anything. We have to face it - the vast majority of soldiers, airmen, and marines are honorable and decent people, but in a force of almost 2 million (plus civilian employees) there are some bad apples. Sometimes these bad apples kill their own families, sometimes they kill other (US) service men or women, sometimes they kill civilians, either here or in the occupied territories or in overseas basing areas.

Whether in wartime, occupation conditions, or "peace", these things will happen and the criminals in uniform need to be caught, tried, and punished and prevented from committing crimes again, just as much as if they were civilians - if not more.

ACLU seeks disclosure of Pentagon files on Haditha
Long Island Press
"The American Civil Liberties Union filed suit on Thursday demanding that the U.S. Defense Department publicly release its files on the investigation into the deaths of 24 civilians in Haditha, Iraq. The Freedom of Information Act request also seeks records relating to any killing of civilians by U.S. Forces in Iraq and Afghanistan since January 1, 2005, the ACLU said in a statement. U.S. Marines have been accused of killing 24 unarmed Iraqis in the city of Haditha on November 19 in retaliation for the death of a fellow Marine from a roadside bomb." (06/28/06)

I thought the ACLU was interested in protecting people's rights - like the right of the Marines to a fair trial? (I'm being sarcastic, of course - the ACLU has always been just as selective as the FedGov in which "rights" it "protects" and which (like the right to keep and bear arms or worship God without interference) it disdains to support. This and the previous article and commentary tie right into the my opening tirade on the rights and privileges of soldiers and combatants. Let justice be done, promptly. But stop with the hypocrisy that makes more and more of a mockery of our judicial system, civilian, military, or detainee.

Afghanistan: Bomber targets convoy
Palm Springs Desert Sun
"A suicide car bomber targeted a coalition convoy Monday and wounded two Afghan civilian bystanders near a U.S. base north of the Afghan capital, officials said. The attacker detonated his explosives-packed Toyota Corolla behind the convoy, which was heading toward Kabul, said district official Kabir Ahmed. The bombing occurred less than a mile from Bagram Air Field, the main U.S. Military base in Afghanistan, Ahmed said." (06/26/06)

The Taliban may be doing more, but the quality of their "work" has taken a turn for the worse, as this and the next story related. Like Zarqawi, these people are unable to take any infidels with them - or for that matter, any of
their Muslim brethren. No virgins, guys, for you, either.

Afghanistan: Attack on US convoy fails
USA Today
"Two suicide bombers attacked a U.S. Military convoy Wednesday in southern Afghanistan, killing only themselves while soldiers escaped unhurt, police said. The attack came as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited Afghanistan and promised victory over a resurgent Taliban. Rice said the United States is committed to Afghanistan for the long haul. 'We are not going to tire, we are not going to leave,' she said after talks in Kabul with President Hamid Karzai and military commanders." (06/28/06)

I suppose that this means no virgins for these guys, either - since they didn't even hurt an infidel. Still, their faith is touching, and a faith that has seemingly completely deserted Western Civilization.

Afghans tell troops: "No security, no help"
Christian Science Monitor
"Capt. Floy Rodriguez, leader of a US Marine advisory team to the Afghan National Army (ANA), was listening to Johnny Cash at a forward operating base deep in the arid mountains of northeast Afghanistan when the group of about 30 insurgent fighters attacked last month with rocket-propelled grenades and machine-guns. The base, called Lumberyard, had been established in early May, as a foothold for Afghan and US troops pushing north into Kunar and Nuristan Provinces. The attack, and the killing of a local informant whose information could have prevented it, typify the difficulties faced by US and Afghan forces as they push farther into this rugged corner of Afghanistan, often mentioned as a possible hiding place of top Al Qaeda figures. As coalition forces move into remote insurgent havens, but they have been unable to provide security locals say they need in order to help oust insurgents completely. Villagers who do help coalition forces suffer, or die, for it." (06/28/06)

This is the chronic problem of a counterinsurgency or guerrilla operation like this - it is very very difficult to provide security to those who need it and want it and are willing to help. Why? Because heaven forbid that the villages be given the opportunity to acquire and use decent weapons to defend themselves against the enemy - like mortars, armored vehicles, and heavy machine guns. Why? Well, they might turn them on the Kabul government, of course. It has happened before, after all.

Israel blames Hamas in deadly sneak attack
Arizona Star
"Palestinian militants sneaked into Israel underneath a Gaza border crossing Sunday, killed two Israeli soldiers and captured another, raising the threat of an all-out conflict in the Gaza Strip just a year after Israel's pullout. Israel, which sent ground troops into Gaza after the assault, blamed the Hamas-led government and warned that militants and their leaders will be killed if the abducted soldier is harmed. Hamas appealed for restraint. Three Palestinian attackers were killed in the battle with Israeli forces at the crossing point where the borders of Israel, Egypt and Gaza converge." (06/26/06)

Why is it that we all seem to have such visceral reactions when a soldier is taken prisoner (or "kidnapped" if you prefer). Human nature, clearly, but in this case, the Israelis have found themselves again at war, and appeals aside, Hamas is clearly the mainstay - and if elections are to be believed, have at least a plurality of "Palestinians" behind them.

Israeli troops enter Gaza; bridges hit
Brocktown News
"Israeli troops entered southern Gaza and planes attacked three bridges and a power station, knocking out electricity in most of the coastal strip early Wednesday and stepping up the pressure on Palestinian militants holding captive a 19-year-old Israeli soldier. The Israeli strikes came amid intensive diplomatic efforts in the Arab world and by the United Nations. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urged Israel to 'give diplomacy a chance.' The group holding the soldier released a statement early Wednesday threatening to kill a Jewish settler it claimed it was also holding unless Israel stops its military action. Early Wednesday, Israeli planes fired at least nine missiles at Gaza's only power station, cutting electricity to much of the Gaza Strip , Palestinian security officials said." (06/27/06)

The story continues in the next article, as things deteriorate more and more in Canaan.

Israel kidnaps Arab pols; terrorists murder hostage
Porterville Recorder
"Israeli forces arrested one-third of the Hamas-led Palestinian Cabinet and 20 lawmakers early Thursday and pressed their incursion into Gaza, responding to the abduction of one of its soldiers. Israeli warplanes also buzzed the summer home of Syria's president, accused by Israel of harboring the hard-line Hamas leaders its blames for masterminding the kidnapping. ... a Palestinian militant group said it killed an 18-year-old Jewish settler kidnapped in the West Bank. Israeli security officials said Eliahu Asheri's body was found buried near Ramallah. They said he was shot in the head, apparently soon after he was abducted on Sunday. Army Radio said the arrested Hamas leaders might be used to trade for the captured soldier. Israel had refused earlier to trade prisoners for the soldier's release." (06/29/06)

The feuding continues, and as always, the innocent suffer as much as the guilty.

Israel hits ministry; Hamas offers soldier
Sonora Union Democrat
"Israeli warplanes struck the Palestinian Interior Ministry early Friday, setting it ablaze as Arab leaders tried to forge a deal that would halt the Israeli offensive and free a 19-year-old soldier held by gunmen allied with the ruling Islamic Hamas. The bombing was one of more than a dozen across the Gaza Strip after midnight, though Israel called off a planned ground invasion of northern Gaza on Thursday in order to give diplomacy another chance." (06/29/06)

It is getting a lot worse and I don't see any sign of it getting better.

Pakistan beefing up anti-militant forces
CNN
"Pakistan is moving 10,000 more troops into its northwestern frontier as part of a U.S.-led crackdown on militants there, Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri said Tuesday. Pakistan now has about 80,000 troops in the mountainous region. They frequently have engaged in battles with Taliban and al Qaeda remnants, Kasuri said. The announcement came as U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was paying a brief visit to Islamabad and as Afghan troops, British soldiers and Taliban militants were fighting what were reported to be deadly battles in neighboring southeast Afghanistan." (06/27/06)

We can't forget our "staunch American ally" this week, can we? As usual, the Islamabad government is buttering up everyone they can - probably on both side. And dreaming of a day when Pakistan rules a lot more than a small piece of mountains and a half-decent river valley.

More News and Commentary on Page 2

Nathan Barton is writing this from a wonderful place in the West, which might be in the Black Hills of South Dakota or Wyoming, or might be in one of the Four Corners States. Exactly where it is, the breezes blow with the scent of liberty, and the sound of the pines or the pinions is the sound of freedom. For thousands of years, people have fought and died for the liberty that Americans in the great spaces of the West enjoy, and he writes these commentaries in the hopes that continued generations will be able to do so, until the end of Time.

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