US AND THEM: US, UN & Iraq, version 8.0

The GOP WILL back a good decision foreign policy-wise. National Security trumps politics with the GOP. Everything is a partisan gotcha game with Democrats--most Democrats.

DeLay Still Up To Dirty Tricks

Tom DeLay thinks the federal treasury is his personal piggy bank. DeLay slipped "a $1.5 billion giveaway to the oil industry, Halliburton, and Sugar Land, Texas" into the energy bill.

But this isn't a normal case of government pork. DeLay has completely dispensed with the democratic process. From a letter Rep. Henry Waxman just sent Speaker Dennis Hastert:

Quote:

The provision was inserted into the energy legislation after the conference was closed, so members of the conference committee had no opportunity to consider or reject this measure.

The $1.5 billion won't be administered by the government by a private consortium in DeLay's district:

Quote:

The subtitle appears to steer the administration of 75% of the $1.5 billion fund to a private consortium located in the district of Majority Leader Tom DeLay. Ordinarily, a large fund like this would be administered directly by the government.

Hastert and DeLay need to explain themselves immediately. No member of Congress who takes taxpayer dollars seriously should vote for the energy bill until this matter is resolved.

Maybe. I may have given up on any semblance of realism here.

The man referred to in the article merely acted like an ass and distracted police officers from much more important things. Anyone can find an imperfection in our safety because you can never be 100% safe. Who doesn't know that? But to make sport of officers who have a horrendous job is disgusting to me. He was so smugly self-congratulatory.

And this--and other ignoble jabs by the left toward our own country, our own safety, our own attempts to make sense of what is happening in the world and our own attempts to respond to it the best way we know how-------and then meeting the derisive Democrats, as if they are jeering spectators, rather than partners-- makes me sick.

They may as well be on the side of the terrorists. They're not helping my country.

Guess you've signed up to go to Iraq, then? Because what you are doing right now? It isn't fighting. Just to let you know.

You have no f*cking clue what the terrorists want, though you do seem to be quite the bigot when it comes to Religion. You just parrot the same old fear talking points over and over...

Cycloptichorn

All praises be to Allah and peace be upon His messenger, Prophet Muhammad, his families, companions and whoever follows:

Al-Qaida Statement Warning Muslims Against Associating With The Crusaders And Idols
Jun 09, 2004
Once again, we repeat our call and send this clear message to our Muslim brothers, warning against fellowship with the Crusaders, the Americans, Westerners and all idols in the Arab Gulf. Muslims should not associate with them anywhere, be it in their homes, complexes or travel with them by any means of transportation.

Prophet Muhammad said "I am free from who lives among idols".

No Muslim should risk his life as he may inadvertently be killed if he associates with the Crusaders, whom we have no choice but to kill.

Everything related to them such as complexes, bases, means of transportation, especially Western and American Airlines, will be our main and direct targets in our forthcoming operations on our path of Jihad that we, with Allah's Power, will not turn away from.

We confirm and repeat this statement in support of the Ummah (Islam nation), caring for our Muslim brothers' blood for who we undertake these operations, to defend them, their religion, honor and lands and to be free from those who disobey Allah's Orders and continue to live with the Crusaders thereby gaining an evil omen.

We further repeat our warning to the officials and those who guard the American complexes and who stand with America and its hired help, who takes up arms against the Mujahideen for defending for them and their interests such as the Saudi government and others who choose to support the idol’s regime over the Islamic one. We call them to repent, separate and to hate idols by fighting them with money, tongues and arms.

Our prayer to Allah is that we may assist His religion and spread His word and we ask to be given His enemies. Allah alone is sufficient and the end belongs to the pious believers. There is no aggression except upon oppressors. Praise be to Allah is our last worship.

Jihad Against Jews and Crusaders
World Islamic Front Statement
23 February 1998
All these crimes and sins committed by the Americans are a clear declaration of war on Allah, his messenger, and Muslims. And ulema have throughout Islamic history unanimously agreed that the jihad is an individual duty if the enemy destroys the Muslim countries. This was revealed by Imam Bin-Qadamah in "Al- Mughni," Imam al-Kisa'i in "Al-Bada'i," al-Qurtubi in his interpretation, and the shaykh of al-Islam in his books, where he said: "As for the fighting to repulse [an enemy], it is aimed at defending sanctity and religion, and it is a duty as agreed [by the ulema]. Nothing is more sacred than belief except repulsing an enemy who is attacking religion and life."

"Declaration of War against the Americans Occupying the Land of the Two Holy Places." August, 1996

Praise be to Allah, we seek His help and ask for his pardon. we take refuge in Allah from our wrongs and bad deeds. Who ever been guided by Allah will not be misled, and who ever has been misled, he will never be guided. I bear witness that there is no God except Allah-no associates with Him- and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and messenger.

{O you who believe! be careful of -your duty to- Allah with the proper care which is due to Him, and do not die unless you are Muslim} (Imraan; 3:102), {O people be careful of -your duty to- your Lord, Who created you from a single being and created its mate of the same -kind- and spread from these two, many men and women; and be careful of -your duty to- Allah , by whom you demand one of another -your rights-, and (be careful) to the ties of kinship; surely Allah ever watches over you} (An-Nisa; 4:1), {O you who believe! be careful- of your duty- to Allah and speak the right word; He will put your deeds into a right state for you, and forgive you your faults; and who ever obeys Allah and his Apostle, he indeed achieve a mighty success} (Al-Ahzab; 33:70-71).

Praise be to Allah, reporting the saying of the prophet Shu'aib: {I desire nothing but reform so far as I am able, and with non but Allah is the direction of my affair to the right and successful path; on him do I rely and to him do I turn} (Hud; 11:88).

Praise be to Allah, saying: {You are the best of the nations raised up for -the benefit of- men; you enjoin what is right and forbid the wrong and believe in Allah} (Aal-Imraan; 3:110). Allah's blessing and salutations on His slave and messenger who said: (The people are close to an all encompassing punishment from Allah if they see the oppressor and fail to restrain him.)
...
Few days ago the news agencies had reported that the Defence Secretary of the Crusading Americans had said that "the explosion at Riyadh and Al-Khobar had taught him one lesson: that is not to withdraw when attacked by coward terrorists".

We say to the Defence Secretary that his talk can induce a grieving mother to laughter! and shows the fears that had enshrined you all. Where was this false courage of yours when the explosion in Beirut took place on 1983 AD (1403 A.H). You were turned into scattered pits and pieces at that time; 241 mainly marines solders were killed. And where was this courage of yours when two explosions made you to leave Aden in lees than twenty four hours!

But your most disgraceful case was in Somalia; where- after vigorous propaganda about the power of the USA and its post cold war leadership of the new world order- you moved tens of thousands of international force, including twenty eight thousands American solders into Somalia. However, when tens of your solders were killed in minor battles and one American Pilot was dragged in the streets of Mogadishu you left the area carrying disappointment, humiliation, defeat and your dead with you. Clinton appeared in front of the whole world threatening and promising revenge , but these threats were merely a preparation for withdrawal. You have been disgraced by Allah and you withdrew; the extent of your impotence and weaknesses became very clear. It was a pleasure for the "heart" of every Muslim and a remedy to the "chests" of believing nations to see you defeated in the three Islamic cities of Beirut , Aden and Mogadishu.

Lash, what are seeing is a difference of opinion in the way to handle things between the left and the right. Bush does everything in an uninformative conservative way so naturally the left is going to object to his way of doing things.

For instance, some people thought it would have been better to have finished one war and actually do it right rather than start to work on going to another war before catching the bad guys-namely Bin Laden.

Some of the bad guys (i.e., malignancy), including bin Laden, fled Afghanistan after we invaded Afghanistan. So some of us thought it would be a good idea to also attack that country with the most murderous government that allowed the malignancy sanctuary.

Some people thought that we did not use all of options in regards to Iraq before going to war.

Some of us thought we waited too dangerously long to invade Iraq.

Some people thought in order to sell the war of Iraq to the American people the administration began a campaign of dishonesty and stretching the truth.

Some of us think the administration, while partially wrong, believed all that they said. Some of us think the administration was right when they said that they believed that our enemy were terrorists and all those who harbored them. Some of us think the administration was wrong when it said Saddam's regime possessed ready-to-use WMD.

Some people thought when the administration forced this war on us they didn't plan worth a hoot and left our troops under armed and were clueless about what to do after toppling Saddam Hussein.

Some of us think Congress authorized the President to invade Iraq if he thought that necessary. Some of us think the removal of the Saddam regime was planned and executed brilliantly. Some of us think that the restoration of a peaceful Iraq was planned and executed badly.

Some people think that everything that has happened in Iraq was the result of poor judgment and planning on the part of the administration.

Some of us think the removal of the Saddam regime was the result of good judgment and planning on the part of the administration, but the failures in the restoration of a peaceful Iraq were the result of poor judgment and planning on the part of the administration.

Some people think that because of the way the administration tried to deal with the detainees in getting around the GC and other international laws which in the past have been honored has encouraged and given permission for the abuses to take place and then when they were actually carried out and the world was shocked they had made scapegoats out the ones who carried out their wishes.

Some of us think that the GC does not apply to those who do not honor the GC when dealing with people they detain. Some of us think that all we are obligated to do is avoid killing, maiming, and disabling such prisoners.

Some people think when we point that out we are doing our duty as American citizens so that next time we go picking a President we don't fall for gimmicks and slogans but rather well thought out plans and reason.

Some of us think that the last two losing candidates offered nothing more than gimmicks and slogans without any plans or reason. Some of us think the winner did provide plans and reasons some of which were not well thought out.

When there is nothing the administration does that meet with approval there is nothing to agree about.

Some of us think that when some things meet with approval then there is somethings to agree with and somethings to disagree with.

However speaking for me there is one action that the administration has done that I do approve of and that is his actions regarding Israel and Palestine. I also agreed with the Afghanistan war. Otherwise there is nothing either domestically or foreign that I agree with the President about and I can't just fake it to be agreeable.

Some of us agree that such an opinion is a rational opinion even though we disagree with some of it. Some of us also think that there is more to approve of (see above). Some of us think this war the malignancy has declared against us is extremely complicated and difficult to determine what in fact is the best way to deal with it. Some of us think the malignancy constitutes a new and very deadly religion whose evangelicals are particularly persuasive in enlisting the capable, well educated and easily frightened. Some of us think that the best we can do is keep trying different ways to conduct this war until we find a way that works.

.............

I'm scheduled to have it all perfectly figured out by next Tuesday, but I'm way, way ...way behind schedule. How about you?

Not only that, but not long ago, this administration made the statement that we are not going to set a time line by which to pull out our troops from Iraq because that'll give the terrorists information that they can wait out. Well, lo and behold, one of the top brass is now saying (today) that we can pull out most of our troops next year. Anybody confused yet?

Unfortunately for you, people like me do know what the **** we're talking about. There are some of us who aren't getting our talking points from blogs and moveon.org and Micheakl Moore. We are reading about Islam, Bin Laden, and related history. Why don't you get some information?

Iraq Affecting Mental Health of Troops
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: July 28, 2005
Filed at 4:44 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A survey of troops returning from the Iraq war found 30 percent had developed mental health problems three to four months after coming home, the Army's surgeon general said Thursday.

The problems include anxiety, depression, nightmares, anger and an inability to concentrate, according to Lt. Gen. Kevin Kiley and other military medical officials. A smaller group, usually with more severe cases of these symptoms, is diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.