News from Iran 9/30/2005

Hat tip to Dr. Etebar.

"Cuba, Syria and Belarus joined the International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-nation board Thursday, bolstering the ranks of countries expected to oppose any decision to refer Iran to the U.N. Security Council in November."

This will tie in nicely with the report that Japan is thinking about reducing it dues to the UN, because they pay the second highest dues but were refused a permanent seat on the panel.

The Brittish Embassy was attacked Wednesday by about 300 paramilitary (Hezbollah) forces. About six of these myrmidones were injured.

Syria has a new law allowing the people to choose and elect their own local administrations in the next elections! This will be the first time ever the Syrian people will have their voices heard.

Plans for the new law, explained Syrian Minister of Local Administration Hilal Attrash, will allow the 15,000 members of the country’s municipal councils to be freely elected in 2007.

"Hazem Sha'lan, Minister of Defense of the Iraqi interim government, who has repeatedly and emphatically stressed the Islamic Republic of Iran's continued meddling in Iraqi affairs as well as the revolutionary guards' support system for Islamic terrorists, in an interview with Asharq Alawsat, exposed the fact that Abu-Mussab Al-Zarqawi, the head of the Iraqi branch of Al Qaeda is in direct collaboration with the security and intelligence apparatus of the Islamic regime."

No more Presidential Commissions! The CIA seems to believe it is perfectly fine to let the enemies of our country know every plan, every intelligence gathered...or not, and God knows what else! Why don't we just invite them over for tea? Arrgghh!

Political Prisoners

Twenty-three year-old Kianoosh Sanjari has been in Evin Prison in solitary confinement for four months. When his Mother finally was permitted to visit him, he was so weak he did not recognize her at first. He was taken from his home June 16, 2005, the day before the first round of elections. He has not been charged with any crime, nor has he been allowed to visit a lawyer. He has been arrested since he was 16 years old, and has spent a total of 2 years in and out of prison, enduring severe torture.

The State Security Forces opened fire on hundreds of people in the city of Ahwaz, killing Heydari and Filabi. The rioting continues in the districts of Shilang-Abad and Malashieh in Ahwaz. While the clashes continued, "according to an opposition website, several of those detained were killed under torture and their charred corpses placed outside the homes of their families."

Technorati tags: Iran, Political Prisoners, and Terrorism.

Round-up of News on Iran 9/29/2005

Political Prisoners
Imprisoned Lawyers Wife Speakes out. Massoumeh Dehqaan has spoken out about her husband's, Abdolfatah Soltani, incarceration. He has been in prison for 58 days now, and no lawyer or NGO has been able to see him. He was representing the family of murdered photo-journalist Zahra Kazemi and several incarcerated student activists.

Eli Lake at the New York Sun: Ganji's Wife Goes Public. Massoumeh Shafiehhas not seen her sick husband since August 26, 2005. Reporters without Borders have spoken out saying they believe he is in solitary confinement where only the Revolutionary Guards have access to him.

IranPressNews: Ismail Mohammadi and Mohammad Panjooyi were executed on September 3, 2005. Ismail had been in prison for 3 years, and he suffered much torture. There are more political prisoners, Behrooz Javid-Tehrani, Bina Darab-Zand and Hodjat Zamani, who were threatened by the Islamic Republic's judiciary.

Student leader dissident, Ali Afshari, was jailed for 6 years. He has already spent 3 years in prison since 2000. The charge is "attacking national security," and he also received 5 years deprivation of civic rights.

Human Rights Violations. Three human rights defenders are reported to have been detained in recent weeks: Azad Zamani, a member of the Association for the Defense of Children's Rights from Sinne; Jalal Qavani, a journalist, and Mahmoud Salehi, a labor rights activist. These are women.

Other News
Iran Focus: The Revolutionary Guard is going to extend the "plan" to arrest dissidents and "trouble makers," because the program has been "successful." They have locked up many people you would send the ACLU to go after for such things!

Khaleenj Times: Iran has decided to sever ties to the EU in favor of Russia, China, and other members of the non-aligned movement. Iranian Reformists are against this move, as well as the nuclear plans of this new government.

The Media Line: "Arab opposition groups in Iran's Ahvaz region began a 'full boycott' on Monday against what they called the "Iranian occupier." They are calling for a boycott of all political, economic, social, and cultural cooperations with the occupying enemy."

The Globe and Mail: Kazemi-linked journalist denied asylum in Sweden. "Early this year, Rabi Nikoo, a 38-year-old Iranian exile in Stockholm, helped emergency room physician Sharam Azam find the contacts he needed to reveal his explosive testimony that Ms. Kazemi had been beaten, tortured and raped in an Iranian prison." <...> This is a must read for those who care about justice for this woman's son pictured to the right.

Technorati tags: Iran, Political Prisoners, and International News. Hat tip to Daily Briefings on Iran.

Before You Take My Money To Rebuild Louisiana ...

Two hurricanes have now hit Louisiana, wreaking terrible destruction. New Orleans continues to flood. Hundreds of thousands of people are scattered across the country, many in shelters. Given the scale of the calamity, surely it's time for Louisiana politicians to stop, assess the damage and work out the most rational way to help their state recover. Surely this is not the time for the government to write blank checks, for legislators to get greedy about unnecessary canals in their districts, or for federal agencies to launch projects that make future flooding more likely. Surely this is the time to spend money wisely. Right?

As ex-FEMA chief Mike Brown calls Louisiana "dysfunctional," the New Orleans police superintendent resigns with 250 officers under investigation for going AWOL. Was the Big Easy a disaster waiting to happen?

One need only revisit events such as 200 buses sitting idle in a flooded city lot or the blocking of an American Red Cross relief convoy from reaching the New Orleans Superdome, to accept the premise that there's enough blame to go around.

As we've also noted, nine months before Katrina, three officials of Louisiana's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness were indicted for obstructing an audit of the use, or misuse, of federal funds for flood-mitigation activities.

Louisiana ranks third in the nation in the number of indicted officials per capita. Just the past generation has seen a governor, an attorney general, a federal judge, a state Senate president and a swarm of local officials convicted of assorted crimes.

Police Superintendent Eddie Compass didn't say why he suddenly resigned. But it comes after his department announced that about 250 New Orleans police officers — 15% of the force — could face punishment for leaving their posts without permission during Katrina.

Before Katrina, New Orleans was a crime-ridden city with a murder rate 10 times the national average. Only one in four murders result in a conviction, largely because retaliation against potential witnesses is common. Yet New Orleans had only three cops per 1,000 residents, a ratio less than half that of Washington, D.C.

Investor's Business Daily

Before using MY money to rebuild a city that I DON'T live in, I would like some ASSURANCES that my money is being WELL SPENT, and not foolishly dumped into the muddy Mississippi River. Is that too much to ask?

The Louisiana congressional delegation's new request is for $250 billion in hurricane reconstruction funds. This money - more than $50,000 per Louisiana resident - would come on top of the $62.3 billion Congress has already appropriated, on top of the charitable donations, on top of the insurance payouts. Wow.

The proposal demands $40 billion (yep, as in $40,000,000,000) of new Army Corps of Engineers spending, 16 times more than the Corps says it needs to protect New Orleans from a Category 5 hurricane. They are playing by the rules of the only system for distributing federal funds that there is, and that system allocates money not according to the dictates of logic, but to the demands of politics and patronage.

our sympathy for the Pelican State's political leaders is starting to fade. Louisiana has been ravaged by two hurricanes, much of its largest city is in ruins and huge numbers of its people are without homes. All true.

If America's spirit of compassion has no limits, its public purse does - or rather my private purse does. The federal government is rightly helping Louisiana clean up, rebuild and guard against future catastrophes. But it's not obliged to hand over hundreds of billions in aid with no questions asked. Nor is it morally required to build up Louisiana into something grander than it was before.

Congress needs to muster up the courage, for once, to fulfill its obligations to American taxpayers.

USA Protects Internet

The Washington Times reports today that the UN and some of it's "un-friendly" partners of America would like to have more control of the internet as far as censorship, filtering, content, etc. In other words, if you do not agree with your government, they want to be able to find you and punish you.

This is not to be taken lightly, and the USA said, "Hands off!" The article is interesting to those of us who care about issues such as life, liberty, freedom, and the basic decency of having the government out of our private lives. [read the article] You may need to register, but it is free. Have a good day.

Victory for Take Back the Memorial

Today the Washington Post carried an article stating that the International Freedom Center would no longer be permitted to construct their anti-American project at Ground Zero due to pressure from September 11, 2001 families. He also admitted it was too controversial.

The campaign by Sept. 11 families to oust the freedom center had grown to include four police and fire unions, an online petition with more than 40,000 signatures, and several politicians including Giuliani and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.

"Goodbye and good riddance," said Rep. Vito Fossella, one of three congressmen who had threatened hearings on federal funding if the freedom center stayed where it was. "The IFC will not stand on the hallowed grounds of the World Trade Center site."

When Governor Pataki offered to find another place for the Freedom Center, they turned him down. They declared the plans dead if they could not put it on Ground Zero.

Was it really about having a museum at all? Was it about making sure that America knows she is a terrible country? You can answer this question for yourself.

Successful Missile Defense Mission

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The Pentagon has successfully tested an upgraded surveillance radar in Alaska.

A long-range ballistic missile was fired across the face of the Cobra Dane radar on Shemya island in Alaska. Then the target missle's flight was tracked by a Cobra Dane radar. Information received from the radar was relayed back to the comman centers at Colorado Springs, Colorado and Fort Greely, Alaska.

Fort Greely was used to aim the interceptor missiles based in Alaska and California. No interceptor missiles were launched as part of this test.

The target missile was dropped from a C-17 transport plane, and then launched in the air 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) from Shemya, mimicking the trajectory of a real missile fired across the Pacific at the United States.

Good for us! Maybe next time we can use false targets, also.

There have been several successful tests, and a couple unsuccessful tests. One incident had to do with a technilogical issue.

Also linked to: The Mudville Gazette, Dawn Patrol.

UN Allows Kosovo War to Continue

It has finally been reported that the conditions in Kosovo are not only bad, they are getting worse by the day. A whistle-blower from the UN, an ex-employee, has spoken to Sherrie Gossett of CNSNews. (Please read the entire article.)

The UN has been the protectorate of Kosovo after NATO bombed Serbia during March through May of 1999, and that is when Mr. Thomas Gambill became responsible for overseeing operations of a region in Kosovo from 1999-2004. This was to make sure there was no more ethnic cleansing and to keep the peace.

After the NATO incursion, there was much ethnic cleansing. The UN and NATO stood by and did nothing. Why? It was the Albanian Mafia and Muslim Kosovars murdering, raping, setting fires, kidnapping, and torturing the Kosovar Christians. After all, the Muslims are who were freed from Serbia.

Anyone who tried to complain to their superiors about these conditions were told not to bother them with isolated incidents, and it was swept under the rug. They, the UN, mostly desired an appearance of stability, whether there was one or not. This is how the jihadists came into power.

Reports filed by the OSCE indicate that the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), which had been trained and supported by the Clinton administration, was predominantly responsible for the ethnic cleansing.

Next are the words that would give chills to anyone with a knowledge of the pre-war attitudes of WWI and WWII.

The overall goal of the groups was the creation of an ethnically pure state that included Albania, Kosovo and parts of Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia "They will push for more. That is the plan. It's called Greater Albania," said Gambill.

Al Qaeda and other jihadist groups are using the area to train its men, and the world shall see this. When is the only question.

Mr. Gambill's reason for coming forward is because the UN is preparing it's final status report. This cannot happen without endangering the entire world. Make your voices heard by calling the UN at (212) 879-8700. This is the number to the Permanent Representative of Serbia and Montenegro to the United Nations. Ask questions about these conditions. If you are lied to, say so. Politely, of course.

The Sunday Herald has more on this subject. Hat tip to Daily Briefing on Iran.

Also linked to: The Mudville Gazette, Dawn Patrol.

Iran's Dictator Wants Negotiators Tried

Al Arabiya Television has written an article about Ahmadinejad. He was so angry because Iran is now facing possible sanctions. This is due to the IAEA's reporting them to the UN, regardless of all the threats from Iran.

He blames the prior negotiators. He wants them to be tried. For what crime is still unknown.

Ahmadinejad has demanded that the authorities of the previous team of nuclear negotiators of the regime, headed by Mullah Hasan Rowhani (who was also the previous head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council) be prosecuted. This reportage added that Ahmadinejad's administration blames Rowhani and his team for agreeing to the suspension of Uranium enrichment, which lead to the IAEA's board of governors' present decision. The report also states that Ahmadinejad has accused the team of showing weakness and vulnerability, leaking secret information regarding the regime's nuclear activities to the Europeans.

Wait one minute. Iran has claimed for the last 3 years that they had no secret plans, so what secret plans could he possibly be referring to? Is it within the scope of anyone's imagination they have a nuclear weapons program going on here? Hmm. Very interesting. Indeed.

Sources: Daily Briefing on Iran and Iran Press News.

Stand Back, Because I Am Above The Law!

From the Atlanta Journal/Constitution:

David Graves is a state representative for the state of Georgia. On February 15 he was caught at a police roadblock and arrested for drunken driving.

This is his second offense - he has another drunken driving charge when he ran a red light in March 2004.

Graves is the chairman of the House committee overseeing laws governing the alcohol industry. He says that he and other committee chairmen went from the Capitol to a dinner meeting, where they conferred about the status of legislation and plans for the next legislative day, and that such a meeting was tantamount to a committee meeting. Therefore during his dinner and immediatly afterwards he says he cannot be arrested during sessions of the General Assembly because of a 1789 law that says that a lawmaker cannot be arrested during sessions of the General Assembly, legislative committee meetings or while they're "in transit," except in cases of "treason, felony, or breach of the peace." Such provisions were generally written to protect lawmakers from political intimidation.

Huh?

The Macon Republican is using an obscure provision in the state constitution to argue that he should not be prosecuted for a DUI he received in Cobb County in February, during the 2005 session of the General Assembly.

"Just because you're having dinner with other politicians doesn't make it a committee meeting. They could be at a casino doing the same thing, and he could allege it was a committee meeting, even though they're gambling. Only in this case, they were drinking — which to me is another indication it was not a committee meeting."

- Gary Jones, the assistant solicitor in Cobb State Court

The prosecutor said Graves could not remember details of the meeting such as whom he met with or which laws were discussed. And Graves is the chairman of the House committee overseeing laws governing the alcohol industry?

As a lawmaker, Graves cannot break the law — at least not while the Legislature is at work. Or so he says.

This clown is also the representative that came up with House Resolution 240 which designates April 29th of each year as "Dale Earnhardt Day in Georgia". Wow.

Georgia's legislative immunity provision has been part of its constitution since 1789. It's one of many across the country. But in recent years legislators and staffers have tried to use immunity laws to defend themselves against nonpolitical charges. In 1996, a Virginia judge rejected a legislative aide's immunity claim and convicted her of drunken driving. And in 2002, courts rejected a Wisconsin senator's attempt to use the provision to shield himself from charges of illegally raising campaign contributions.

In 1985, then-state Attorney General Michael Bowers weighed in on the topic in Georgia, issuing a legal opinion that the provision in the constitution might give legislators immunity from physical arrest. But, he concluded, "There is no constitutional immunity for members of the General Assembly from prosecution for speeding violations or other violations of criminal law."

Cobb State Court Judge Irma B. Glover is expected to make public her ruling today on Graves' "legislative immunity" defense. His trial is set for today. Jones expects today's ruling will delay Graves' trial and won't be the last word on the immunity issue. "I'm sure either side will appeal, which means we'll end up in the Supreme Court over this constitutional provision," he said.

Turkey: Leaning Toward Islamofascism?

An article by Mr. Frank Gaffney (President of the Center for Security Policy and columnist for Washington Times) focuses on a few problems brewing in Turkey. This EU will be meeting with Turkey October 3, 2005, as to whether or not to allow Turkey to join the EU. Mr. Gaffney says, "NO." He gives several very convincing reasons for his reasoning.

1. Financing Islamofascists. USA is concerned about the unaccountable monies. They seem to have appeared after September 11, 2001. Saudi Arabia and other dictators in the other seem to have given cash to Turkey upon which " Mr. Erdogan's Islamist agenda is lubricated by these resources."

2. The secular education system is now being turned into Madrassas. The only thing being taught is Islam and the Koran in the fashion of bin Ladin. They have also lowered the age of educating children radical Islam from 12 to 4.

3. Due to this type of education, most have acquired government jobs such as justices, parliament, teachers, etc. No good can come from this type of education. There are not enough government jobs to employ everyone.

4. Religious intolerance is prevalant and accepted. Over one third of the country is Alevis whom are Muslim. The problem? They believe in a more moderate form of Islam. For this, they are targeted as "hypocrytes" and "apostates," and they are increasingly discriminated against.

5. The government seizes assets and businesses from political opponents. The international mandate is to reform it's banking system. This is not what they meant.

6. Due to this behavior, they have successfully taken over control of the media. Some out of fear, some because they agree with the government. Nevertheless, there is no free speech. This is apparent there is no contrary opinion:

The risks of deviating is clear from the recently announced prosecution of Turkey's most acclaimed novelist, Orhan Parmuk, for "denigrating Turks and Turkey" by affirming in a Swiss publication allegations of past Turkish genocidal attacks on Kurds and Armenians.

7. Mr. Erdogan's domination over the press has caused the hatred toward President Bush AND Americans. "Today, a novel describing a war between America and Turkey leading to the nuclear destruction of Washington is a runaway best-seller, even in the Turkish military."

8. "Mr. Erdogan's skillful manipulation of popular interest in the European bid to keep the military from serving as a control rod in Turkish politics."

The Turkish Army is being encouraged to become part of all government offices. Turkey has also made a deal with Syria and Iran of "zero problem." This means you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours. Either this, or I won't notice what you are doing.

Mr. Gaffney believes the EU should not only NOT allow Turkey to join the EU, but they should specifically and forcefully explain why.

The prime minister is making Turkey ineligible for membership on the grounds that the AKP program will inevitably ruin his nation's economy, radicalize its society and eliminate Ankara's ability to play Turkey's past, constructive role in the geographic "cockpit of history."

It is to be hoped this meeting will serve one other purpose, as well: It should compel the Europeans to begin to address their own burgeoning problem with Islamofascism. Both Europe, Turkey and, for that matter, the rest of the world, need to find ways to empower moderate Muslims who oppose Islamists like Turkey's Erdogan. Oct. 3 would be a good time to start.

I could not have said it better. Thank you, Mr. Gaffney, for all the hard work you do serving this country. Have a great day.

News from Iraq 9/26/2005

Omar from Iraq the Model has quite an overall view of the way opinions and elections are going in Iraq. They are very credible, and this site recommends them highly. Have a good morning.

News from Asia 9/25/2005

HONG KONG-Villagers in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong who have been campaigning for weeks to remove their elected chief from office are being pressured into resigning from the village committee ahead of a decisive vote next month, sources there say.

KATHMANDU—Chinese border forces opened fire in a bid to halt the flight of 51 Tibetan asylum-seekers into Nepal...

WASHINGTON-Former Czech President Vaclav Havel and retired South African archbishop Desmond Tutu are calling for the United Nations Security Council to step in and demand democratic change in military-ruled Burma, citing a steady worsening of conditions there. <...> In a 70-page report, the two leaders compared Burma with seven other countries, including Haiti, Afghanistan, and Rwanda, in which the Security Council had previously intervened, saying the situation in the Southeast Asian country was “far worse.”

WASHINGTON-Schoolchildren in China's northwestern Xinjiang region are routinely pressed by army-backed production brigades into backbreaking, unpaid labor to help with the yearly cotton harvest, residents and officials say.

HONG KONG-An international media watchdog publishes a guide to help citizen journalists and non-mainstream commentators around the world dodge censors and avoid retaliation for what they write, especially in countries where freedom of expression is severely limited.

SEOUL—North Korean laborers assigned by Pyongyang to camps in Siberia to earn their government foreign currency are increasingly fleeing their work teams to go it alone as illegal workers.

News source: Radio Free Asia.

News from Afghanistan: Part 2 9/25/2005

This may be a little belated, but it is definitely worth noting. Afghanistan has had an historic election to set them on their way closer to life, liberty, and a Republican form of government.

Before everyone gets upset, please look up the definition of democracy and republican forms of government. Democracy is mob rule. Republican is when we choose people to represent us. That is what I am referring to, and I am not stating American politics.

Waheed has also written a very good piece on these events entitled, "First Parliamentary Election in Afghanistan for 3 Decades." He has much information we are not privy to see by the MSM. It's very insightful.

Waheed lives in Afghanistan, and he works closely with the authorities. The information he writes about is pretty consistent with that which is printed weeks or months later, if ever. In other words, he is credible. Thank you, Waheed. Everyone have a great day.

News from Afghanistan 9/25/2005

Waheed has some news entitled, "Assistance Still Required." He does a very well job describing the need for the International Forces, especially the Americans, to remain in his country. The Taliban is still causing trouble, and they are attacking civillians and goverment officials.

He also describes how it is better for the ANA (Afghan National Army) to carry out all searches within the homes. It seem to keep the people more confident to have someone who knows and can respect their custums.

The Afghani people would like to thank to thank the American people. Since the main street news does not cover such issues, I shall be their voice. Afghanistan, we have heard you, and you're welcome.

Please read his lasted post. Thanks, and have a great day!

Abbas and Sharon Lost

Yesterday, 15 Arabs died when they mishandled explosives. They blame this, of course, on Israel.

These Arabs have been parading up and down the Gaza Strip claiming it was because of their ferosity that forced Israel to leave. Apparently, Abbas has made a deal with them that they could have their explosives, as long as they didn't show them publicly. (Why would they need rocket propelled launchers if not for war?)

Abbas refuses, against international pressure, to disarm Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, and the many other new groups that are fracturing from the others. Due to his lack of leadership, he loses all authority to command respect from within and without the disputed land.

Israel has responded with targeted air strikes and men on the ground. They have closed of entry to Israel to the Arabs whom work in Israel. It was a decision that had to be made. This shall continue until into the week when the Israeli Army enters the Gaza Strip. [read more].

Resolution passed against Iran based on IAEA report

Reuters reports, by Louis Charbonneau and Francois Murphy, today "requiring Iran to be reported to the Security Council over a failure to convince the agency its nuclear program was entirely peaceful." This resolution was ultimately passed with 22 yeah, 12 abstentions, and 1 no vote. The no vote comes from Venezuela, Iran's great friend and wannabe enemy of the USA. Russia, China, and Africa abstained.

The "papers" claim the split was between the west and "developing countries." One question must asked. What are they developing? China is doing well financially. So well that they are building their own arsenal. Russia has had it's arsenal for a very long time. They are even upgrading it by selling arms to North Korea and Iran!

Their people are struggling? Yes. Since when did a communist care about the fate of it's people? No. These are not developing countries. Africa is a developing country. They have been since the everyone left them to themselves. Why is this? We left without teaching them that they have minds to create, and we did not remove their bloodthirsty dictators. That is a story in itself! Back to the UN.

India, who at first did not want this to go forward and was against it, did vote for it.

Iran denies seeking atomic bombs and says its nuclear program is only for generating electricity. However, it concealed its atomic fuel program from the IAEA for 18 years.

Russia, which is building a $1 billion nuclear reactor at Bushehr in Iran and has much to gain from Iran's plans to develop atomic energy, has long been an opponent of referring Iran's program to the Security Council.

China, which needs Iran's vast energy resources for its own booming economy, also opposes the Western drive against Iran.

Both countries fear a U.N. referral will cause the standoff over Iran's program to escalate into an international crisis.

WATERED DOWN RESOLUTION

The EU resolution requires Tehran to be reported to the Security Council, but at an unspecified date—

COMMENTARY: The ball is now in Iran's court. Would anyone care to gamble that they stop their programs? I say they won't stop. I say they will make more threats than they have already made. I just wonder...do we wait until they take out a country with it's nukes before we respond, or do we...what? Hmm.

Revolutionary Guard to stand guard at schools

The Commander of the disciplinary forces in Iran, Revolutionary Guard Zaareii, expressed his concern about reopening the schools due to disciplinary actions needed to be enforced.

"Mobilizing security forces, secret police and disciplinary teams around schools is of utmost importance and must at all times be kept in place. The operation, entitled 'ZAFAR' has been so far effective in the province of Tehran. Since the second week of September 3000 people have been arrested and 8450 others have been ordered to appear in court.

Of the people who have given a notice to appear, 227 have already been put in jail while 11 more have been detained. Most of these people are between the age of 25 and 29.

The Revolutionary Guard is permitted to enter homes and business without warning. If you have a satellite dish, you will go to jail. They do not want anyone to receive any information from outside what the government is telling them.

"We have so far arrested 12500 people for the socially corruptive and disorderly use of 3000 satellite dishes."

Ahmadi-Moghad'dam is the Executive Director of at least one squadron. He has noted that the Revolutionary Guard will be at the schools all year to make sure no one is "socially corruptive and disorderly."

They will be all over the schools the whole school year. Right now, they are just in Tehran. They may face much dissent amongst the students in the Mahabad Capital of Kurdistan, Iran. Earlier this year, the Revolutionary Guard murdered one of the Kurdish activists. There was a month of protests, but the "press" did not report it. [read more].

Oh This Is Just Peachy

BATON ROUGE, La. - Police found cases of food, clothing and tools intended for hurricane victims at the home of the chief administrative officer for a New Orleans suburb, authorities said Wednesday.

Officers searched Cedric Floyd's home because of complaints that city workers were helping themselves to donations for hurricane victims. Floyd, who runs the day-to-day operations in the suburb of Kenner, was in charge of distributing the goods.

Police plan to seek a charge of committing an illegal act as a public official against Floyd, and more charges against other city workers are possible, police Capt. Steve Caraway said.

The donations filled a large pickup truck four times. "It was an awful lot of stuff," Caraway said.

news.yahoo.com

Cedric Floyd, Chief Administrative Officer

The Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) manages the day-to-day operation of City government. The Chief Administrative Officer, under the direction of the Mayor, shall supervise all departments, except the Legal Department, the Fire Department, and the Police Department. The CAO coordinates emergency management procedures, attends and participates in Council and Agenda Meetings, and represents the Mayor as directed.

Chief Administrative Officer Cedric Floyd was appointed to the highest non-elected position in city government on January 5, 2004.

www.kenner.la.us

But this character, Cedric Floyd, is no stranger to mismanagement and theft. Earlier this year Councilman Michael McMyne set up displays during a council meetring showing dozens of credit card bills from Mayor Capitano and CAO Floyd - expenses that did not include information on the business purpose of the bills. Seems Mr. Floyd enjoys eating at fine restaurants and getting free gasoline for his car - all paid for by the taxpayers.

In 1999 he violated the Campaign Finance Disclosure Act by loaning campaign funds to an individual when the loan was not related to his campaign or the holding of his public office. A $500 penalty was imposed.

People in Louisiana are without food, clothing, and shelter and this government employee, with his salary paid by the taxpayers, is found to be hoarding food, clothing, and tools intended for hurricane victims at his home. And this clown was in charge of distributing the goods!

There needs to be a special prison for this weasel.

Germany Elections

Well decided to cover this issue as seems might be round a while Shuggy covered some of this already as well further down on blog, but here we go.

Germany Election Defeat

Well Germany election just seems to sum up what is wrong with PR for elections. This is especially ominous since this is theorectically possible in scotland, which uses PR system very similar to this in elections.

German Electoral system

The way it is going, it is possible that the German Chancellor could end up being the leader of a party that did not even win the most votes among the parties, never mind overall.

Possibilities

Already the many countries are becoming worried about what will happen. Also incidently this quote "the Franco-German couple will remain the engine of the European Union" by French minister for European affairs, can sum up why so many people in the UK are skeptical of the European Union

European Countries Reactions

This is the reason why I am skeptical of PR as a system of Goverment as it leads to unstable systems in power. Compare the Chaos of the German election with that of a country like Japan or the UK which do not use PR.

Michael Yon LIVE in Florida 9/22/2005

TODAY Michael Yon will be giving an interview on the radio with Shawn Wasson at 7pm, Florida time (EST). The call numbers for the program are WJNO in the Palm Springs/Ft. Lauderdale area.

For the people who do not Michael Yon, he is a young journalist who went to Iraq on his own to find out what the truth is. He has been reporting many different stories than the other media has been reporting. At the same time, he also reports the bad news. Just the facts. What a concept! Have a great day.

Update: I woke up a little late, but I do not believe Micheal was able to make the show. Either that, or I had found the wrong station. My apologies.

Move America Forward

Move America Forward is taking another bus tour until they reach their final destination at Washington, DC for the big rally on Sunday, September 25, 2005.

You may support this effort by making yourself available at the sites of the stops. You can find your stop at this site: www.SupportTheTroopsWeekend.org.

They have started to get some recognition as a serious organization. Here is a list of some of the articles and shows they have done:

Deseret Morning News - CLICK HERE

NBC Affiliate in Salt Lake City - CLICK HERE

ROLL CALL Magazine - CLICK HERE

Rocky Mountain News (Denver, Colorado) - CLICK HERE

Elko Daily Free Press - CLICK HERE

Sacramento Bee - CLICK HERE

Vacaville Reporter - CLICK HERE

It may be possible that this pro-America-Pro-Troops organization will have a gathering of more than 29 people; the number of people that showed up with Ms. Sheehan. Have a great day.

You Are Stuck On Stupid

Hat tip to The Political Teen:

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin held a press conference on Tuesday, and started losing control to a media pool assembled that was showing signs of panic, due to the previous incompetence in the region by the local and state government. Lt. Gen. Russel Honore stepped in and literally took over. Here's what he had to say (from the Radio Blogger):

Honore: Again, the current place, I just told you one time, is the convention center. Once we complete the plan with the mayor, and is approved by the governor, then we'll start that in the next 12-24 hours. And we understand that there's a problem in getting communications out. That's where we need your help. But let's not confuse the questions with the answers. Buses at the convention center will move our citizens, for whom we have sworn that we will support and defend...and we'll move them on. Let's not get stuck on the last storm. You're asking last storm questions for people who are concerned about the future storm. Don't get stuck on stupid, reporters. We are moving forward. And don't confuse the people please. You are part of the public message. So help us get the message straight. And if you don't understand, maybe you'll confuse it to the people. That's why we like follow-up questions. But right now, it's the convention center, and move on.

Male reporter: General, a little bit more about why that's happening this time, though, and did not have that last time...

Honore: You are stuck on stupid. I'm not going to answer that question. We are going to deal with Rita. This is public information that people are depending on the government to put out. This is the way we've got to do it. So please. I apologize to you, but let's talk about the future. Rita is happening. And right now, we need to get good, clean information out to the people that they can use. And we can have a conversation on the side about the past, in a couple of months.

I think the General just started a movement, and he may not even realize it. Every time a reporter, in any situation, starts spinning, or completely misses the point, they need to be peppered with, "Don't get stuck on stupid." General Honore actually says what we all seem to be thinking when we hear the inane questions from the "mainstream media". This man knows how to get the job done, what's important, and what's not.

When a liberal refuses to move on from a particular line of questioning when asked to do so by the person being interviewed, that interviewer is "Stuck on stupid".

The blogosphere has begun to embrace Honore's "Don't get stuck on stupid," comment. I wonder how long until there is a t-shirt available - I want one! President Bush, who has so meekly dealt with his political opponents and their sycophants in the mainstream media, should move quickly to create the new cabinet position and elevate Lt. General Honore to that seat. No pussyfooting, no prevarications, no equivocations. He reminded me of the way men used to speak.

Honore commands the 1st Army, based at Fort Gillem in Forest Park, Georgia, outside Atlanta. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in vocational agriculture from Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge in 1971. He also has a master's degree in human resources from Troy State University. He has served in a number of infantry command positions and at the Pentagon. Before taking command of the 1st Army, Honore commanded the Standing Joint Force Headquarters-Homeland Security, U.S. Northern Command.

"You are stuck on stupid. I’m not going to answer that question." Absolutely marvelous, and I'm going to actively look for situations where I can use the new blogosphere catch-phrase.

Commentaary: Club for Growth v. FEC

I have decided to publish this whole e-mail, because I am very upset about this situation. This is a Club of which I am a member. As a matter of fact, it is the only place I give money. What is happening is wrong! Please, if you are not a member, go their site and join. (Emphasis mine.)

Late yesterday afternoon the Federal Election Commission filed suit against the Club for Growth in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. News accounts report that Federal Election Commission officials view the filing as a "test case". We view it as a preposterous assault on your rights and those of every American.

After the FEC made its filing in Court, I released the following statement to the media:

"The Federal Election Commission's suit against the Club for Growth continues this agency's war on the First Amendment and its defense of incumbents from criticism of their policies. The FEC's claims and legal theories are a bizarre interpretation of the Club's mission, the Constitution, the laws adopted by Congress and their own regulations governing nonprofit organizations.

"The Club's principle purpose is to advocate for and defend pro-growth policies. One of the ways we do that is through the Club for Growth PAC, which allows Club members to donate to pro-growth candidates and independent expenditure campaigns. We have consulted with counsel every step of the way and have followed the law and regulations that govern our work.

"This action by the commission was triggered by a Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee complaint about ads we ran criticizing former Sen. Tom Daschle's refusal to back pro-growth tax cuts. The complaint had no supporting detail and the Commission allowed it to lie inactive for nearly a year and one half and then resurrected it as a platform to seek to take away our members' rights and exact a huge civil penalty from the Club.

"The FEC, under pressure from liberal organizations that want to regulate free speech, is attempting to regulate organizations through the Courts when the Congress and the agency itself have rejected additional regulations on 527 groups such as the Club.

"The Club will vigorously defend the rights of our members, and all Americans, to organize and speak out about our government's policies. The FEC's outrageous lawsuit will further boost our members' determination to work harder than ever before for free speech and free markets."

No doubt you have questions about what this means to the Club. Here are some questions we've been hearing already and some answers that might be helpful.

Q: What is this lawsuit about, specifically? What exactly are they saying the Club did wrong?

A: There are two main points in the FEC's very complex legal theory. The first is that they allege that some Club for Growth TV ads which ran in 2000 and 2002 crossed the gray line into what is known as "express advocacy" for or against a candidate. Second, the FEC then jumped to the ridiculous conclusion that this turns the Club into a Political Action Committee instead of a membership organization. PACs are not allowed to have members and contributions to such groups are limited. In essence they want to strip you and every other Club member of your right to be a member of the Club.

The ads in question were all reviewed by outside counsel before they aired on TV, and the advice we received was that the ads were not express advocacy. The ads simply referred to a candidate and critiqued the candidate's views on economic issues. None of the ads in question in this case told anyone how to vote.

Q: Why was the Club targeted instead of George Soros and his liberal allies?

A: We have always known that the Club is a tempting target for federal regulators for several reasons. First, they don't like what we stand for. Reducing the size and power of the federal government and expanding freedom is our core mission.

Needless to say, the FEC's real mission is to expand the reach of the federal government and reduce the freedom of the American people. Engaging in frivolous lawsuits is their chief weapon.

Second, unlike the establishment political parties and even most issue advocacy organizations, the Club engages in an activity that is considered out-of-bounds in Washington - we strongly criticize incumbent politicians of both parties when they support policies that would damage our economy, and the Club's PAC sometimes even supports challengers to incumbents in primaries.

That's a big no-no in Washington, but it's essential if we are to stop the bipartisan move toward ever-bigger government.

Third, the regulators target us because we're successful. No organization in America raised and spent more money than the Club and Club PAC did last year advocating the philosophy of limited government. Our very existence poses a mortal threat to those who want unlimited government.

Q: What does this mean for me as a member of the Club for Growth?

A: Essentially nothing. Individual Club members have no liability whatsoever, regardless of what happens in court. If anything, this overreaching and unfounded action by the federal bureaucracy is even stronger proof that the Club's mission is more important than ever.

The big government establishment in Washington wants to silence your participation in the political process - now is the time to step forward and redouble all of our efforts both to promote our advocacy of pro-growth economic policies and to defend our First Amendment rights.

Q: What does this mean for the Club's operations?

A: We will continue our advocacy of economic growth policies and our PAC's support for the best pro-growth candidates. With your help, thus far in 2005, the Club, the Club's PAC and the Club's lobbying affiliate have already broken our previous fundraising records. The Club has been the national leader in advocating key pro-growth policies such as permanent repeal of the death tax and Social Security personal accounts. All of that will continue at a record setting pace. We will continue to obtain the best possible legal advice as to our rights and obligations.

The only thing that will change is that we will have to bear the additional burden and expense of a legal battle with the FEC. That's a process that will take several years, and could go all the way to the Supreme Court. Rest assured that we have a plan in place to finance this legal battle, without detracting one bit from our pro-growth advocacy mission.

Q: How can I help?

A: While we are very confident in our legal position, we take this matter very seriously, and we will have the best possible legal representation. In the coming weeks we will provide you with information about how best to assist in our legal battle with the federal bureaucrats and their liberal allies.

We welcome additional questions you might have on this outrageous action by the FEC and will post more questions and answers on our blog.

Finally, I must say that our efforts to work this out with the FEC were a real eye-opener for me. The arrogance and unfair treatment was incredible. At one point when the Club asked the FEC how we could operate consistent with their view of the law, they refused to tell us.

We will have more information on this in the days and weeks to come. Clearly this is an agency that is out of control and refuses to uphold and defend the Constitution.

Thank you for your support.

Best Regards,

Pat
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Patrick J. Toomey
President, Club for Growth
2001 L Street, NW, Ste 600
Washington, DC 20036
PH: 202-955-5500

Let us show big government that they just cannot do this! They cannot go back to a year when the McCain-Feingold law was not even in effect yet. We have standing. It is called the Constitution. "No bill of attainder or ex post facto Shall be passed." The USA Constitution.

We are not helpless. We may contact them in many ways:
Federal Election Commission
999 E Street, NW
Washington, DC 20463
(800) 424-9530

In Washington (202) 694-1100

For the hearing impaired, TTY (202) 219-3336 Send comments and suggestions about this site to: webmaster@fec.gov.

If you would care to show your support, you could join the team. Just go to Club for Growth.org. It is a very good club, and they even have a blog! lol. Hey, you have to find something bright, right?!

Iraq War Trouble In Basra

Well finally found the time to post, first one here so hope everyone likes it

Iraq Inquiry

Militia takes custody of troops

Well the two sources above, show that basically
1. The Iraqi police arrested 2 british undercover soldiers, after one of them appears to have shot dead an iraqi policeman
2. They were then transferred to an Iraqi Prison, instead of British custody
3. Britain sent in 6 soldiers to negotiate release of the men. However they found a mob had congregated around the prison. This is where the tank was set on fire, as well as the soldier inside. Also two iraqis appear to have been killed at this stage
4. The forces storm the prison to rescue the negotiaters trapped there, found out the police had transferred the 2 soldiers to custody of a militia group, in defiance of iraqi goverment who ordered them to placed into UK custody.
5. A rescue team then freed them from militia custody.
This raised a lot of questions, about what special forces doing probably trying to infiltrate or gather intel on insurgency. Why they were turned over to militia by police, One report says that only 25% of police not aligned with militias.

Political situation

Tony Blair will come under increasing pressure to leave or at least set a date to begin leaving. Liberal democrats have come out to support leaving Iraq soon and the conservatives could end up being lead by anti war leader Kenneth Clarke , which would leave Labour as only pro war party left.

Uk Casualties

Psychological Effects Of War

Just to say that war can cast a dark shadow, for those that suffered and not only from the UK

Workers' Rights v. Unions

Recent News on Proposition 75-Paycheck Protection

Yesterday Governor Schwarzenegger endorsed Proposition 75, even after saying he was only going to work on his own Proposions. This Proposition will be on the ballot for the special elections scheduled for November 8, 2005. You may read about this in the SFGate.

The Landmark Legal Foundation is now asking the California Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) to investigate the California Teachers Association (CTA). Apparently, the union is allegedly diverting special "debt retirement" assessment funds to use in campaign advertising against Proposition 75.

The union is said to use not just it's members dues, but the dues of those whom choose to work where, by law, they must pay union dues even though they do not belong to any union. In this case, these "dues" shall be used against the very people who paid them to defeat the right-to-work initiative. The Union has been known to spend millions of dollars preventing initiatives such as these. Nov. 8

Here is a sample of people from all spectums of the workforce and their opinions of their unions:

"Only union leaders would characterize my ability to make a choice as restrictive," said Allan Mansoor, member of the Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs (AOCDS). "In my line of work, if you take something without permission, it's called stealing."

"I am terribly disappointed that union leadership continues to use our dues against us," said Patti Armanini, former CTA member and teacher in the Ross Valley District. "We should not be forced to choose between retaining our rights and making political contributions."

"This is a workers rights issue," said Jim Galley, a San Diego union member of the Local 127 AFSCME AFL-CIO. "I find it ironic that union leaders who claim they are for workers rights want to take away my freedom of choice."

If you would care to become involved or help in any way, you may contact Californians for paycheck protection. Thank you, and have a nice day.

Afghanistan Elections

Publius Pundit has very good coverage of the Afghanis elections. Please read from the beginning. There will be updates as more news as it comes. It will be posted underneath what is already posted. (I am going to sleep. Sorry. lol.) Have a great day.

Hat tip to Iraq the Model, who sends their most warm and heart-felt congratulations to the Afghani people, as do I!

Update: California Yankee also has much good news about yesterday's elections in Afghanistan. He also has many links to people who are actually in Afghanistan! Afghan Lord is blogging up a storm, as you knew he would. Afghan Warrior is also blogging. He is very knowledgeable about what happens on the ground in Afghanistan. They both live there, but I doubt if they know each other. lol. Now I'm going to sleep. lol. Good night.

Not Entirely Clear On The Concept, vol. 307

Crossposted to Love America First:

Problem: There is a rising number of men arrested for sexual relations with girls below the age of 16 in Sri Lanka. What should the government do to reduce this number?

Answer: The Sri Lankan Cabinet has decided to reduce the age of consent for sexual encounters from 16 to 13 years. Now having sex with a girl under 16 years old (but older than 13) is no longer a crime. See www.colombopage.com.

Sri Lanka is an island in Southern Asia, in the Indian Ocean, south of India with an area slightly larger than West Virginia. Sri Lankans are 69.1% Buddhist, 7.6% Muslim, 7.1% Hindu, and 6.2% Christian. Their legal system is a highly complex mixture of English common law, Roman-Dutch, Muslim, Sinhalese, and customary law. There is 7.8% unemployment with 22% living below the poverty line. They are $587.3 million USD in debt, or around 104.3% of their GDP.

The Minister said this proposal was made to the Cabinet by Justice Minister W.D.J. Seneviratne and was approved this week after much debate and a long review.

With the new amendment to the law, in a rape case, the matter of consent would arise only when the individual is below the age of 13. The Amendment Bill will be presented in Parliament shortly.

Isn't it nice that the young girl pictured here can now have sex and the guy is legally blameless for his actions? And yet the world's news organizations are more concerned about how the US is treating captured terrorists in Gitmo. It absolutely boggles the mind.

Special Report: Afghanistan

There is a man in Afghanistan who has been doing some wonderful reporting. He is a native of Afghanistan, and he reports the facts as they come in. Here is a sample of his reporting:

Killing of Seven Civilians for Carrying Election Cards
Seven innocent civilians was killed by the enemies of peace and stability when armed rebels stopped their vehicle in Gizab district of Uruzgan province on Tuesday. Unknown armed men killed 7 civilians after they searched the vehicle and passengers and found official documents. It was a very cowardly act of the enemies because these civilians were just carrying voter registration cards and documents for the weekend's parliamentary election and they wanted to cast their vote for a better future of their country and they were not armed men and nor were they goverment officials.

In another incident 3 more civilians were killed and 4 injured including a child by a remote-controlled landmine blast in the Tirinkot district of the same province on Wednesday. In southeastern Zabul province a man was hanged by Taliban rebels on Tuesday. He was an intelligence official working for the district intelligence department. He was captured and killed by the Taliban. He was hanged. After all these killings it is impossible to trust the Taliban. However the Taliban announced that they will not target the polling stations during the election day because they don't want civilian casualties. But the killing of these 7 innocent civilians reveals that the enemies try to deceive the people. So when they kill 7 civilian just for carrying voter cards they will also attack and kill the people during on election day. While the Taliban killing innocent people everyday, in the meantime the government has established a reconciliation program in order to strengthen peace. Over 100 Taliban, including a few top officials have joined the reconciliation program but if they again continue the violence against Afghanistan and Afghan people then this program should be cancled and the government must punish the criminals so that no-one dares to use violence against Afghanistan and the Afghan people. Around 50,000 police together with 20,000 Army and some 30,000 coalition troops are ready to provide security during the parliamentary election so I am sure nothing much will happen during the election and Afghans will peacefully vote and elect their honest representatives.

I have invited him to write here. I sure hope he will. You must visit his site!

News in other places

Knickerbocker News has a reputation (hopefully) of presenting the news in a way whereas you may determine your own ideas and basis for contemplation. There are other sites that my colleages and I post more often if you would care to visit them.

Christopher Leavitt has a few sites, but his main stay is LEAVWORLD. He is a very kind man, and he does have his opinions. He leans to the right. Well, he is the right. lol. He has a very deep article on the Israeli/Palestinian Arab discussion.

Jane Novack has a wonderful site at Armies of Liberation. She is a publish reporter, and she is very talented. If you have any questions about Yemen, she is the go-to person. Right now she has two articles of interest. First is The FBI and the PSO: Buddy Buddy, and the next one is Able Danger and the Cole. Very good reads.

Alan K. is from the United Kingdom, and he has many interesting facts and links everytime I visit his site, AK Land. This one is titled, "Age of Terror - Domestic and International fronts."

Korosh is an Iranian student who has a site devoted to freeing his country. He has some pictures from the protests held over the weekend at the UN denouncing Terrorist Ahmadinejad. He has also caught two American companies possibly helping Iran cencor the blogging community.

Shamalama is a country boy from Georgia who adds much humor and down to earth news. Some of it, well, you just can't find it here! I recommend his site, Common Folk using Common Sense.

Cody Herche is a brilliant minded lawyer. (I think he's a lawyer, lol). He looks at cases in way that really make you think. He also writes about other issues, but I think he does that with his brilliant lawyer's bent. lol. It is a very good site. It also brings more information about cases and issues than you would normally aquire. His site is Legal Redux.

That should keep you busy this weekend. Everyone except Alan is also a writer over at Love America First. Everyone is welcome. Comments are encouraged, except please choose your words wisely and stick to the topic. lol.

In other words, please, no cussing. If you absolutely have to, start you word, then use the star (Shift+8) to finish your word. I think we'll be able to figure it out. Those of us who would prefer not to would be spared. Sound fair? Good. Have a nice day!

Iranian President To Share His Nukes With His Islamic Friends

Hat tip to Interested-Participant, from Ynetnews:

Iran is willing to provide other Islamic nations with nuclear technology, Iran's hard-line president said Thursday.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made the comments after meeting Turkey's prime minister on the sidelines of a gathering of world leaders at the United Nations, according to the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency.

Iran has said it is determined to pursue its nuclear program to process uranium and produce energy, despite European attempts to limit it. The United States accuses Tehran of secretly seeking to develop nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran denies.

Y'all sleep well tonight.

Katrina Victims Praise Bush and Blame Nagin

Crossposted at Love America First:

ABC News producers probably didn't hear what they expected when they sent Dean Reynolds to the Houston Astrodome's parking lot to get reaction to President Bush's speech from black evacuees from New Orleans. Instead of denouncing Bush and blaming him for their plight, they praised Bush and blamed local officials.

---

Reynolds: “Did you harbor any anger toward the President because of the slow federal response?”

London: “No, none whatsoever, because I feel like our city and our state government should have been there before the federal government was called in. They should have been on their jobs.”

Reynolds: “And they weren't?”

London: “No, no, no, no. Lord, they wasn't. I mean, they had RTA buses, Greyhound buses, school buses, that was just sitting there going under water when they could have been evacuating people.”

---

Reynolds: “Was there anything that you found hard to believe that he said, that you thought, well, that's nice rhetoric, but, you know, the proof is in the pudding?”

Marshall: “No, I didn't.”

---

Reynolds: “Do you blame anybody for this?”

London: “Yes. I mean, they've been allocated federal funds to fix the levee system, and it never got done. I fault the mayor of our city personally. I really do.”

Stop right there - quit what you are doing - and read the rest of it for yourself. One of the biggest problems with live media is that they don't have the opportunity to spin the words of average Americans to suit the agenda of the media.

UN, Iran, and Protestors

Here stand silently hostages taken in 1979 for 444 days. They are still wondering if their government cares about it's diplomats, because it gave a visa to the man in charge, Ahmadinejad.

Titled: Iran is a Prison of 70 million people.

On June 26, 1945, 50 countries signed on and ratified the charter to the United Nations. However, it did not come into existence until October 24, 1945. This week they are celebrating 60 years of the UN's existence, however United Nations Day is not celebrated until October 24.

This a picture of Akbar Ganji after being on hunger strike for several weeks.

The State Department in charge of South Asia has allowed a visa to be approved for Ahmadinejad of Iran. For those who do not know of him, he is a terrorist. Retired Air Force colonel, David Roeder can attest to this, along with others.

This is Mr. Batebi, political prisoner on the run.

Mr. Ahmadinejad was escorted to the UN, and he presented a speech that sounded as if it came from the USA. At this time, sources have told The Daily Briefing on Iran there were 7-9,000 protesters outside of the UN. They were protesting his election, his strict rule, his treatment of political prisoners, his governments murder of a Canadian reporter who was Iranian, and many other topics, such as political prisoner Akbar Ganji and Batebi. "I was told that there were also speakers including Ken Timmerman speaking at the event." Quote by Dr. Zin.

There are also many bloggers covering this issue because of the Iran situation. People from Iran, such as Korosh, Daily Briefing on Iran, and RoozOnline, an Iranian cyber newspaper.

Here are some pictures captured at the UN. Some were taken September 13, 2005 by the Sun Sentinel. There were many people protesting from all over the country. Can you imagine this happening in...say...Iran?

These people are protesting the Chinese government to free Tibet.

Stay Off Work, Get Paid

Hat tip to Sigmund, Carl and Alfred.
Hat tip to The Himalayan Times.
Crossposted to Common Folk Using Common Sense.

Stay home from work, laze about or travel, while collecting 70 per cent of your salary — an illusion? Not in Sweden, where the government will pay workers to take a guilt-free year off and replace them with long-term unemployed, who will get their foot in the door of the job market.

The profile of the typical volunteer for the programme is a 47-year-old woman who works in the public sector. Birgitta Wiklund, 45, is one such person. She jumped at the opportunity when it presented itself, and in November 2002 she packed her bags and flew off to sunny Thailand with her 10-year-old daughter for three months. "When I got back I was very rested, but starting work again was difficult. Without the government's help I would never have been able to treat myself to this holiday," Wiklund, who works at a local employment office, said. Volunteers are free to travel, study, take care of their kids, build a new home or even startup a company during their year off — anything they want as long as they are not gainfully employed.

On average, 52 per cent of unemployed people who fill in for someone on sabbatical are offered a full-time job in the company, according to the Institute for Labour Market Policy Evaluation. That is however just a drop in the bucket, what with more than 250,000 Swedes currently out of work in a country of nine million. In July, unemployment hit 5.6 per cent of the workforce, a figure that would be enviable in most other European countries but which is a nightmare for the Swedish state: the country's generous cradle-to-grave welfare benefits are funded by high income taxes, and fewer workers means less revenues.

Wow. Nice work if you can get it.

Some facts on Sweden (from the CIA World Fackbook):
- Land area: slightly larger than California
- Median population age: 40.6 years
- Life expectancy at birth (total population): 80.4 years
- Religions: Lutheran 87%
- Government type: constitutional monarchy
- Tax rates: local tax of 26-35%, plus a national income tax of 20%
- Princess Madeleine Thérèse Amelie Josephin Bernadotte, Duchess of Haelsingland and Gaestrikland, 24-year-old daughter of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia (OK, so I'm a pig - sue me)

Now comes the $64,000 question:

Is this what you want for the United States (the TAX RATES, not the Princess)? Is it worth giving up 50% of your annual income (outside of income from capital or income from business) for the ability to take a year off work and still get 70% of your paycheck? Do you really desire cradle-to-grave welfare from the government, welfare that you actually pay yourself through high taxes? Remember that NO government ever gives you anything for free - you, yourself, pay for it in one way or another.

Hamas blows hole in Gaza border

Hamas militants have destroyed a section of a concrete barrier erected along the Gaza-Egypt border.

Palestinian and Egyptian troops have been trying to shore up the barrier to stop Palestinians crossing into Egypt after the withdrawal of Israeli troops.

In chaotic scenes, thousands of Palestinians have streamed over the border in the last few days without undergoing official checks.

Despite this, Egypt says that its Gaza border is officially closed.

Militants from Hamas cleared an area before setting off explosives that blew away a section of the wall. Palestinian security officers present did nothing to prevent them.

A local Hamas commander warned them not to try to intervene, AFP news agency reported.

Hamas is now spreading itself into Egypt. Israel fears militants will exploit the situation to smuggle weapons into Gaza. Palestinian security officers did nothing. So what was Israel's departure from Gaza all about?

Hmmm ... let's see ... give us back Gaza ... so we can leave it.

It's all Israel's fault. Because they left Gaza. Or the way they left Gaza. Or because they're still really occupying Gaza. Or because they're still in the West Bank. Or because they're still in Tel Aviv.

Or something.

But for sure it's Israel's fault.

A masked Hamas spokeman said the Palestinians blamed the Egyptian Pharoah for letting the Hebrews out of bondage to begin with, although that was some time ago.

"Israeli military sources said hundreds of weapons, including anti-aircraft missiles, anti-tank rockets and bomb components, have been smuggled over the last three days from the Sinai Peninsula to the Gaza Strip."

Or maybe it's Chimpy Bush's fault, another nefarious scheme cooked up by Rove & Cheney to get more work for Halliburton repairing greenhouses and border fences.

Anyone else wonder how the photographer knew the explosion was going to happen at that exact point and time ... and in that very location?

It's Official: Nuking Terrorists Now on Table

From The Jawa Report:

The U.S. government has revealed for the first time that a pre-emptive nuclear strike could be used against terrorists who threatened America with weapons of mass destruction. The discussion paper was accidentally posted at a Pentagon Website over the weekend, but has since been removed.

In other words, nothing prohibits the US from initiating a first strike nuclear attack.

The document uses this figure to show the mix of nuclear and non-nuclear weapons that could be used in a premptive strike.

From the Washintgon Times:

A Pentagon planning document being updated to reflect the doctrine of pre-emption declared by President Bush in 2002 envisions the use of nuclear weapons to deter terrorists from using weapons of mass destruction against the United States or its allies.

The "Doctrine for Joint Nuclear Operations," which was last updated 10 years ago, makes clear that "the decision to employ nuclear weapons at any level requires explicit orders from the president."

But it says that in a changing environment "terrorists or regional states armed with WMD will likely test U.S. security commitments to its allies and friends."

"In response, the U.S. needs a range of capabilities to assure friend and foe alike of its resolve," says the 69-page document dated March 15.

A Pentagon spokesman said Saturday evening that Navy Cmdr. Dawn Cutler, a public affairs officer for the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has issued a statement saying the draft is still being circulated among the various services, field commanders, Pentagon lawyers and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's office.

Its existence was reported initially by The Washington Post in Sunday editions, which said the document was posted on a Pentagon Internet site and pointed out to the paper by a consultant for the Natural Resources Defense Council.

The file was not available at that site Saturday evening, but a copy was available at www.globalsecurity.org.

September 11, 2001 Remembered

Iraqi Army Donates to Hurricane Katrina Victims

On September 5, 2005, Iraqi base commander Col. Abbas Fadhil surprised Taji Coalition base commander, U.S. Col. Paul D. Linkenhoker, by presenting him with a donation of 1.000.000 dinars (roughly $680 US dollars). This happened during a staff meeting.

While the amount of money may seem small, it represents a much larger picture.

“We are all brothers,” said Abbas. “When one suffers tragedy, we all suffer their pain.”

The amount of money is small in American dollars - roughly $680 - but it represents a huge act of compassion from Iraqi soldiers to their American counterparts, said U.S. Army Maj. Michael Goyne.

“I was overwhelmed by the amount of their generosity,” Goyne said. “I was proud and happy to know Col. Abbas, his officers, NCOs and fellow soldiers. That amount represents a month’s salary for most of those soldiers.”

After Col. Abbas had given the money to Col. Linkenhoker, he went on to read a letter he had written.

"I am Colonel Abbas Fadhil; Tadji Military Base Commander,” Abbas wrote. “On behalf of myself and all the People of Tadji Military Base; I would like to console the American People and Government for getting this horrible disaster. So we would like to donate 1.000.000 Iraqi Dinars to help the government and the People also I would like to console all the ASTs who helped us rebuilding our country and our Army. We appreciate the American's help and support. Thank you."

One must only read, as many as you can to get a broad understanding, a few blogs by Iraqi people who actually live there. To believe that relations are going poorly in Iraq is to disavow truth. This is indeed an encouraging letter.

While it is true that it is still not safe for some reporters to just go wandering off by themselves, there are some that are doing a fantastic job reporting facts on the ground. One name comes to mind: Michael Yon. He is a "citizen" reporter, as am I. He is doing very well, and his site is highly recommended.

Please remember to continue your support in the effort of Soldiers Angels to care for our men and women in need. Many have lost everything in this hurricane. Let us not be the reason the suffer even more.

Technorati tags: Hurricane Katrina and flood aid. Also, Instapundit has a running list of blogs and contributions. NZ Bear is doing wonderful work to keep bloggers apprised of donations, charities (scroll down a little), blogs that are participating, and many other items. He also has a blog which is very nice.

Source: Blackfive.

Today's News 9/10/2005

I must apologize for the slow reporting. We are investigating several stories at this time. I thank you for your patience. We will be with you later today. In the meantime, have a great day.

Collapse of Cohension: Hurricane Katrina

There is a news story which not that many have heard. Major Garrett of Fox News has been giving interviews on the radio. He is speaking about information he has gathered since the events of the hurricane. He has been looking for the "dots" leading to the events responsible for the collapse of cohesion during and after Hurricane Katrina.

The Red Cross was on the scene days before the hurricane. They housed over 150,000 thousand people who evacuated. They have already provided several million meals. The only place they were not allowed to enter was the Superdome. (They were there before the levees broke.)

When inquiring why they were not allowed to into the Superdome the response was, "You will have to ask the State Homeland Security office. It was their decision." When pressed, she said she said she did not feel comfortable disclosing anymore information.

This is understandable, because they have to keep good working relationships with each state. The question is, "Why would homeland security deny access to food and shelter?" During one of Mr. Garrett's interviews, he said the State Homeland Security did not want the people fed. This was because they did not want them to stay and not cause a "magnet." They wanted them to evacuate.

As Mr. Garrett has said even with all the Red Cross had to offer, it may not have been all that was needed. They had many of the things they required. The question now remains, why was everyone calling on President Bush while the President was trying to get permission to take over?

Stay tuned. The national news souces should be covering this shortly. Hopefully. The Congress and Senate are going to assemble "Committees" to find the holes and plug them. Maybe, within all the politization, we will find the truth.

Please remember to continue your donations. You may feel comfortable with the Red Cross, but be careful. There are some groups out there who will call or make fake websites. Please, go to www.redcross.org if you wish to contribute to them.

You may also contribute to Soldiers Angels, as our men and women in the Military have suffered also. Please remember them.

Technorati tags: Hurricane Katrina and flood aid. Also, .Instapundit has a running list of blogs and contributions. Thank you.

Update: I have the wrong number of people for Louisiana. It must be for the total operation.

The Red Cross has been meeting the needs of thousands of New Orleans residents in some 90 shelters throughout the state of Louisiana and elsewhere since before landfall. All told, the Red Cross is today operating 149 shelters for almost 93,000 residents.

I hope this is more clear. I apologize for making a mistake and for any inconvenience I may have caused. Thank you. Have a nice day.

Take Back the Memorial update

Here is an e-mail I received from , and I thought I should share it with you. Please pay close attention.

Greetings Supporters!
We have received several emails asking if the rally is still on and the answer is YES!

We had considered postponing the rally because of the tragic events in the Gulf Cost, but New York Officials have not stopped their efforts to raise funds for the International Freedom Center (IFC) and there is no time for inaction. Yesterday, New York Mayor, Mike Bloomberg, urged American corporations to continue to fund his vision of a 9/11 memorial, one that includes the IFC.

Over the course of the last ten days, we have channeled our energies into Katrina relief. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the victims in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. But New York Officials are moving ahead aggressively to ensure the IFC remains part of the memorial to the heroes of 9/11. For that reason, the rally must take place as scheduled.

So stories in the Washington Post that have begun referring to the campaign to take back the memorial in the past tense are wrong. To take a cue from Mark Twain, the reports of our demise have been greatly exaggerated.

The IFC, the LMDC, Governor Pataki and Mayor Bloomberg are not off the hook.

With the plight of our fellow Americans in the wake of Katrina, our tone will change. However, our determination and our message will not. The International Freedom Center must go.

We look forward to seeing you there!

WHERE TO MEET
At the World Trade Center Site (corners of Church and Liberty Streets in front of the stage)
TIME
Program will begin promptly at 9:30 a.m. and conclude at 10:30 a.m.
SIGNS
Family Member Group members will have a limited number of signs to hand out. Please feel free to bring a signs. All signs should reflect the message: No politics where heroes died - The IFC Must Go.
RALLY PROGRAM

*Rally Welcome and Moment of Silence and Reflection, Anthony Gardner, Brother of Harvey Joseph Gardner III
*Nondenominational Prayer Frank Siller, Brother of Firefighter Stephen Siller, 9/11 Families for Katrina Relief
*Edie Lutnick, Sister of Gary Lutnick
*Jim Slevin, Uniformed Firefighters Association
*Jack Lynch, Father of Firefighter Michael Lynch
*Michael Burke, Brother of Captain William Burke
*Closing Remarks, Patricia Reilly, Sister of Lorraine Lee
*God Bless America, performed by Patrick Lynch, Brother of Firefighter Michael F. Lynch

Take Back the Memorial Rally organizers will be available for Q & A at designated press risers.

Thank you for all your support. People who live in the NYC area, please find time in your daily schedule to attend. We need you there, because numbers seem to be the only thing that matter to the MSM. Unless, of course, if you are protesting against the war.