Larry Kudlow of NRO takes a look at the blogsphere's role in exposing CNN's anti-war bias.
Kudlow notes that several Senators were present when CNN's Jordan claimed that US forces in Iraq were deliberately targeting journalists. More importantly, since legacy media were refusing to cover the controversy surrounding one of their own, it was the bloggers who kept the pressure on CNN and Jordan to come clean; something they still haven't done but at least Jordan resigned. It was through bloggers that the Senators, and the rest of us, were able to follow and indeed influence the story. In short bloggers brought down Jordan just like they had CBS's Dan Rather.
It's not just in the media arena that bloggers are flexing their muscle. Bloggers directly affected the last US presidential elections by, among other things, exposing CBS's use of forged documents in an attempt to smear Bush.
Yes our American blogger brothers are basking in the glow of success upon success in taking on legacy media in the US. The same legacy media that turned success into defeat in Vietnam and turned world opinion against the US for generations. The tide has turned.
Kudlow ends smugly with this:
Seeing as the blogosphere's reporting has moved into the upper reaches of the U.S. Senate, it is unlikely that CNN will succeed in its attempted cover-up. Freedom of the press is the best disinfectant for public corruption. Bloggers are doing their duty.
Stop!
While I am overjoyed at the success you guys are having across the pond, you are only doing part of your duty (an interesting phrase that needs exploring in more detail at a later date).
Kudlow says this about Jordan's remarks:
And, yes, I believe his remarks border on wartime treason, since they so clearly give aid and comfort to our terrorist enemies as well as anti-American Arab militants throughout the Middle East.
He also notes the influence the high priests of the US blogsphere are having in the US.
Powerhouse bloggers such as John Hinderaker, Glenn Reynolds, and Hugh Hewitt, among many others, have flexed their muscles and badly bruised CNN on this story.
Well bigshots where is your outrage when The BBC's version of Eason Jordon, John Simpson, lies about civilian casualties in Iraq? Surely this borders on wartime treason and gives aid and comfort to our terrorist enemies? Why don't you "Powerhouse bloggers" flex your muscles and take on the BBC?
Where is your outrage when the BBC are caught red handed, not once but twice, using anti-war activists to fabricate alleged war crimes by US forces in Iraq? See here and here.
Where is your outrage when BBC journalists, like Hannah Bayman, are caught making comments, albeit on their personal blogs, about Bush and US elections such as this:
There is only one question in this election: do you want Bush in or out of the White House?
Let's hope the US chooses a candidate who stands for international relationships, abortion rights, medical research, secular values and taxes on the richest...
...instead of a warmongering, oil-grubbing, vote-rigging, drink-driving - haven't you seen Fahrenheit 9/11? - weapons-of-mass-destruction-buying, Kyoto-smashing, bible-bashing, chimp.
Where is your outrage when the BBC use an anti-war organization to fabricate a story about the status of Iraqi health care post invasion?
The BBC have replaced Pravda as the world wide propaganda machine against the US and the best you guys can do is call them BBC mistakes?
Where is your outrage???? Where is it? Why are you hell bent for leather taking on the US media and the BBC's world wide anti-American propaganda crusade gets a pass?
I have emailed you "Powerhouse bloggers" and chided you in an earlier post.
Now I'm calling you out.
You guys are in danger of falling into the same trap as legacy media. Thumping your chests and puffing "The blogosphere has gained near immediate influence and credibility..." When you ignore media scandals on the magnitude of the anti-American crusade being waged by one of the worlds largest propaganda machines, The BBC, you are committing the same sins you accuse legacy media of.
For some strange reason in this day and age of world wide 24/7 connections your "immediate influence and credibility" seem to be limited to the US. Why?
One of the things the blogsphere is good at is "blog swarms". If you feel our US cousins are not doing enough to expose the BBC for their American readers, and indeed the world, email the "Powerhouse bloggers" and post about it on your blog. Maybe we can shame these guys into action the way the shame legacy media.
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Sunday, February 13, 2005
Saturday, February 12, 2005
CNN News Executive Eason Jordan Quits
Chalk another one up for the bloggers!
AP is reporting "NEW YORK (AP) - CNN chief news executive Eason Jordan quit Friday amid a furor over remarks he made in Switzerland last month about journalists killed by the U.S. military in Iraq. Jordan said he was quitting to avoid CNN being "unfairly tarnished" by the controversy."
During a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum last month, Jordan said he believed that several journalists who were killed by coalition forces in Iraq had been targeted.
Then the AP come to Jordan's defense.
But the damage had been done, compounded by the fact that no transcript of his actual remarks has turned up. He was the target of an Internet and Web site campaign that was beginning to rival the one launched against CBS's Dan Rather following the network's ill-fated story last fall about President Bush's military service.
Got that? None has "turned up". As if maybe someone, somewhere, you know maybe, just happened to have taped the remarks.
What the AP is not telling you is that Jordan's remarks were taped by the World Economic Forum, who are refusing to release the tape. The fact that neither Jordan or CNN requested the tape to be released tells you all you need to know.
The AP goes on to shower Jordan with praise and point out his numerous awards.
They conveniently leave out Jordan's sins. Such as admitting that CNN's coverage of Iraq was biased in order to stay in favor with Saddam. CNN was the only US news agency allowed access to Saddam and other high ranking Iraqi officials.
The blogsphere is lit up like a Christmas tree over the announcement. First the face of CBS, Dan Rather and now CNN's Jordan.
BBC executive Richard Sambrook was present when Jordan make the allegations. I hope you and the BBC are paying attention Sambrook because the blogsphere is paying attention to you.
Instapundit has a great roundup with some good questions. Like, why did Jordan resign without calling for the tapes release if there is some doubt about exactly what he said.
Another interesting note is that news outlets are having to report on Jordan's resignation when they never covered the controversy in the first place. Except CNN of course, who, last time I checked, have no mention of Jordan resigning on their website.
UPDATE
I found CNN's announcement - buried, and you'll love this - in the Showbiz section! Where he and CNN belong I suppose.
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AP is reporting "NEW YORK (AP) - CNN chief news executive Eason Jordan quit Friday amid a furor over remarks he made in Switzerland last month about journalists killed by the U.S. military in Iraq. Jordan said he was quitting to avoid CNN being "unfairly tarnished" by the controversy."
During a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum last month, Jordan said he believed that several journalists who were killed by coalition forces in Iraq had been targeted.
Then the AP come to Jordan's defense.
But the damage had been done, compounded by the fact that no transcript of his actual remarks has turned up. He was the target of an Internet and Web site campaign that was beginning to rival the one launched against CBS's Dan Rather following the network's ill-fated story last fall about President Bush's military service.
Got that? None has "turned up". As if maybe someone, somewhere, you know maybe, just happened to have taped the remarks.
What the AP is not telling you is that Jordan's remarks were taped by the World Economic Forum, who are refusing to release the tape. The fact that neither Jordan or CNN requested the tape to be released tells you all you need to know.
The AP goes on to shower Jordan with praise and point out his numerous awards.
They conveniently leave out Jordan's sins. Such as admitting that CNN's coverage of Iraq was biased in order to stay in favor with Saddam. CNN was the only US news agency allowed access to Saddam and other high ranking Iraqi officials.
The blogsphere is lit up like a Christmas tree over the announcement. First the face of CBS, Dan Rather and now CNN's Jordan.
BBC executive Richard Sambrook was present when Jordan make the allegations. I hope you and the BBC are paying attention Sambrook because the blogsphere is paying attention to you.
Instapundit has a great roundup with some good questions. Like, why did Jordan resign without calling for the tapes release if there is some doubt about exactly what he said.
Another interesting note is that news outlets are having to report on Jordan's resignation when they never covered the controversy in the first place. Except CNN of course, who, last time I checked, have no mention of Jordan resigning on their website.
UPDATE
I found CNN's announcement - buried, and you'll love this - in the Showbiz section! Where he and CNN belong I suppose.
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Friday, February 11, 2005
Guantanamo - Canadian Teen Abused
Before you cry buckets of tears for OMAR KHADR, read Michelle Malkin first.
“I admit it that we are an al-Qaida family. We had connections to al-Qaida,” said Abdurahman Khadr, who says he resisted his father’s urgings to become a suicide bomber.
But another son, 22-year-old Abdullah Khadr, backed the idea of martyrdom for Islam.
“Every Muslim dreams of being a shahid (martyr) for Islam,” he said. “Everybody dreams of this, even a Christian would like to die for their religion.”
Michelle has lots more, a whole lot more.
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“I admit it that we are an al-Qaida family. We had connections to al-Qaida,” said Abdurahman Khadr, who says he resisted his father’s urgings to become a suicide bomber.
But another son, 22-year-old Abdullah Khadr, backed the idea of martyrdom for Islam.
“Every Muslim dreams of being a shahid (martyr) for Islam,” he said. “Everybody dreams of this, even a Christian would like to die for their religion.”
Michelle has lots more, a whole lot more.
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Thursday, February 10, 2005
BBC - Whitewashing the UN
The BBC report "United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has defended his organisation, insisting the world needs the UN. "
Don't tell that to half a million dead Rawandans or 70,000 dead in Darfur; which by the way is not genocide according to the UN. Or the survivors of the tsunami disaster. A lot more of them would be dead if the world had waited for the UN.
But the BBC are happy to join in with Annan's defense of the indefensible.
The Secretary General has been under intense pressure over his leadership of the UN, following its role in the so-called oil-for-food scandal in Iraq.
"So called"? Annan himself and his son are under investigation over the scam. Annan just suspended the head of the scam and another top official for misconduct. The man heading the investigation, Volcker had to issue an interim report on the investigation because new evidence emerged implicating Annan. There is nothing "so called" about it.
Legacy media, including the BBC, stonewalled and wouldn't report on the scandal until the bloggers shamed them into it.
And it was time the world was united on the issue of Iraq, after last month's election, he said.
No Annan, the time for that was before 18 UN resolutions and ten years of Saddam thumbing his nose at you and your merry band at the UN.
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Don't tell that to half a million dead Rawandans or 70,000 dead in Darfur; which by the way is not genocide according to the UN. Or the survivors of the tsunami disaster. A lot more of them would be dead if the world had waited for the UN.
But the BBC are happy to join in with Annan's defense of the indefensible.
The Secretary General has been under intense pressure over his leadership of the UN, following its role in the so-called oil-for-food scandal in Iraq.
"So called"? Annan himself and his son are under investigation over the scam. Annan just suspended the head of the scam and another top official for misconduct. The man heading the investigation, Volcker had to issue an interim report on the investigation because new evidence emerged implicating Annan. There is nothing "so called" about it.
Legacy media, including the BBC, stonewalled and wouldn't report on the scandal until the bloggers shamed them into it.
And it was time the world was united on the issue of Iraq, after last month's election, he said.
No Annan, the time for that was before 18 UN resolutions and ten years of Saddam thumbing his nose at you and your merry band at the UN.
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Iraq - US plans $400m reward for allies
Boy, the BBC don't even try and hide their bias in this article.
US President George W Bush is asking Congress for $400m (£215m) to reward a number of countries that sent troops to Afghanistan and Iraq.
A White House spokesman said the money would "assist nations which have taken political and economic risks".
The fund is part of a $80bn war funding request President Bush will send to Congress next week.
It is thought the money could prove an incentive for countries to stay in Iraq. Several nations have withdrawn.
Thought by whom? Obviously by the BBC.
The BBC is using John Kerry's old line, the coalition of the bribed. But don't you usually bribe people with money first and then they do your bidding and not the other way around?
Instead of reporting the news the BBC continue to speculate.
Officials declined to say which other nations would benefit, but there has been suggestion that the fund will help to Eastern European nations, such as Ukraine, Hungary, Romania and the Baltic states.
[A suggestion from whom? The BBC?]
It could also be used as an incentive not to leave the coalition in Iraq. Spain, Singapore, Nicaragua, New Zealand, Thailand, the Philippines, Norway and Honduras have all pulled out.
And "it could also be" exactly what the White House says it is.
The fund, called the Solidarity Initiative, will benefit countries "promoting freedom around the world", Mr McClellan said in a statement.
Then the BBC repeat more of John Kerry's talking points that the US did not reach out to other countries.
Democratic Sen Joseph Biden of Delaware, the ranking minority member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the plan was indicative of the administration's inability to attract more well-to-do nations to the coalition at the start of the conflict.
"It's kind of a shame," he told the Associated Press news agency.
"The reason we're having to do this is that we never reached out to those who have the ability and capacity to do this to begin with," he said.
Notice how the BBC repeat the Democrats talking points.
The BBC want you to forget that there were 18 UN resolutions before the US took action.
They and Biden also conveniently fail to mention that some of those "more well-to-do nations" got more well-to-do by being bribed by Saddam not to join the coalition in the first place.
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US President George W Bush is asking Congress for $400m (£215m) to reward a number of countries that sent troops to Afghanistan and Iraq.
A White House spokesman said the money would "assist nations which have taken political and economic risks".
The fund is part of a $80bn war funding request President Bush will send to Congress next week.
It is thought the money could prove an incentive for countries to stay in Iraq. Several nations have withdrawn.
Thought by whom? Obviously by the BBC.
The BBC is using John Kerry's old line, the coalition of the bribed. But don't you usually bribe people with money first and then they do your bidding and not the other way around?
Instead of reporting the news the BBC continue to speculate.
Officials declined to say which other nations would benefit, but there has been suggestion that the fund will help to Eastern European nations, such as Ukraine, Hungary, Romania and the Baltic states.
[A suggestion from whom? The BBC?]
It could also be used as an incentive not to leave the coalition in Iraq. Spain, Singapore, Nicaragua, New Zealand, Thailand, the Philippines, Norway and Honduras have all pulled out.
And "it could also be" exactly what the White House says it is.
The fund, called the Solidarity Initiative, will benefit countries "promoting freedom around the world", Mr McClellan said in a statement.
Then the BBC repeat more of John Kerry's talking points that the US did not reach out to other countries.
Democratic Sen Joseph Biden of Delaware, the ranking minority member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the plan was indicative of the administration's inability to attract more well-to-do nations to the coalition at the start of the conflict.
"It's kind of a shame," he told the Associated Press news agency.
"The reason we're having to do this is that we never reached out to those who have the ability and capacity to do this to begin with," he said.
Notice how the BBC repeat the Democrats talking points.
The BBC want you to forget that there were 18 UN resolutions before the US took action.
They and Biden also conveniently fail to mention that some of those "more well-to-do nations" got more well-to-do by being bribed by Saddam not to join the coalition in the first place.
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Iraq - Targeting Journalists
Yesterday I posted about the growing scandal over CNN's Jordan claiming that US troops intentionally target journalists in Iraq.
Bishop Hill note NRO has an earlier claim two years ago by none other than the BBC.
Kate Adie is quoted in this article: PENTAGON THREATENS TO KILL INDEPENDENT REPORTERS IN IRAQ
" I was told by a senior officer in the Pentagon, that if uplinks --that is the television signals out of... Bhagdad, for example-- were detected by any planes ...electronic media... mediums, of the military above Bhagdad... they'd be fired down on. Even if they were journalists ..' Who cares! ' said.. [inaudible] .."
Adie doesn't name the officer or provide a link to a transcript so we don't have any verification or context of the conversation.
Warning people not to use electronic emmisions out of Baghdad while a war is on seems like pretty good advice. It certainly is not the same as ordering troops to target journalists or a threat to kill them as the headline reads.
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Bishop Hill note NRO has an earlier claim two years ago by none other than the BBC.
Kate Adie is quoted in this article: PENTAGON THREATENS TO KILL INDEPENDENT REPORTERS IN IRAQ
" I was told by a senior officer in the Pentagon, that if uplinks --that is the television signals out of... Bhagdad, for example-- were detected by any planes ...electronic media... mediums, of the military above Bhagdad... they'd be fired down on. Even if they were journalists ..' Who cares! ' said.. [inaudible] .."
Adie doesn't name the officer or provide a link to a transcript so we don't have any verification or context of the conversation.
Warning people not to use electronic emmisions out of Baghdad while a war is on seems like pretty good advice. It certainly is not the same as ordering troops to target journalists or a threat to kill them as the headline reads.
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Humorous Headlines
I wonder if newspapers see the funny side of their headlines.
No drug dealing found by "joint" investigation
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No drug dealing found by "joint" investigation
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BBC discover islamofascist. Yesterday I posted a similar picture showing no results from a search of the BBC website for the term islamofascist. Now today there is one article from the search. Notice the date - Jan 2004! Now if I could just get them to change a few more things.
UPDATE
In my haste I got the date wrong. It's 1 April 2004 - April fools day! Way to go BBC.
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BBC Reads USS Neverdock
On Monday I posted about the BBC's News Watch webpage that promised to give us BBC viewing figures every month. I noted the viewing figures webpage had not been updated in over two months.
On Tuesday the page was gone and with tongue in cheek I suggested the BBC were reading my blog.
Then on Wednesday I posted a picture of a BBC search results page on the term Islamofascist, showing the BBC carried no article with that term.
Low and behold on Thursday The BBC search page now has one entry - from Jan 2004!
Welcome BBC!
Now I hope you folks will be as attentive to the rest of my blog and stop your anti-American, anti-Israel and pro-terrorist campaign.
Might I also suggest you check out the other bloggers listed under "UK Media Watch". These folks are pretty fed up with having to pay you for your biased propaganda.
Heh, just in case they are reading. We know they read Biased BBC.
UPDATE
In my haste to post about this I didn't read the "magic" new entry on islamofacist from the BBC. I should have known the BBC would not carry an article critical of Islam.
The article is a promotion piece for the left wing liberal talk radio Air America, a slam at right wing radio and repeats the "Bush stole the 2000 election" myth.
The perception dates back to the year 2000, when, liberals argue, the right lost the vote, but won the election.
I like this bit though.
"George Bush is going down", announced the host, Al Franken, as Air America Radio went on air in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
Even funnier, In my haste I got the date wrong. The correct date is 1 April 2004 - April fools day!
Way to go BBC!
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On Tuesday the page was gone and with tongue in cheek I suggested the BBC were reading my blog.
Then on Wednesday I posted a picture of a BBC search results page on the term Islamofascist, showing the BBC carried no article with that term.
Low and behold on Thursday The BBC search page now has one entry - from Jan 2004!
Welcome BBC!
Now I hope you folks will be as attentive to the rest of my blog and stop your anti-American, anti-Israel and pro-terrorist campaign.
Might I also suggest you check out the other bloggers listed under "UK Media Watch". These folks are pretty fed up with having to pay you for your biased propaganda.
Heh, just in case they are reading. We know they read Biased BBC.
UPDATE
In my haste to post about this I didn't read the "magic" new entry on islamofacist from the BBC. I should have known the BBC would not carry an article critical of Islam.
The article is a promotion piece for the left wing liberal talk radio Air America, a slam at right wing radio and repeats the "Bush stole the 2000 election" myth.
The perception dates back to the year 2000, when, liberals argue, the right lost the vote, but won the election.
I like this bit though.
"George Bush is going down", announced the host, Al Franken, as Air America Radio went on air in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
Even funnier, In my haste I got the date wrong. The correct date is 1 April 2004 - April fools day!
Way to go BBC!
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Islam - Executing the War Plan
I recently posted about a Muslim "defector" who described Islam's war plan to conquer the world. Despite all the links and facts proving the "defectors" claims were true, some commentors called me names and doubted the truth.
Two of Islam's war strategies are "Hollywood will love us" and "Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) will incubate us". I provided facts and links proving Islam is indeed employing both tactics.
These tactics are even more powerful when combined.
Debbie Schlussel writes:
I’ve written about Hollywood’s worship at the politically correct alter of radical Islam. Despite the reality that all contemporary terrorists are Muslim, Hollywood operates in another universe where all terrorists are Hispanic drug-dealers and neo-Nazis – anybody but Muslims. Because, as we all know, Hispanic drug-dealers and neo-Nazis blew up New York buildings, hijacked planes, murdered their New Jersey Coptic neighbors, and beheaded Americans in Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan.
With “24,” FOX violated this taboo. Therefore, FOX must now repent for committing the heinous sin of actually portraying the truth about the most serious problem of our time.
In the middle of Monday’s episode of “24,” viewers were treated to the following mea culpa, courtesy of Kiefer Sutherland, “24”’s star:
That's the Hollywood tactic but what about CAIR?
CAIR campaigned for these spots to be aired; insisting "24" was portraying ordinary American Muslims as terrorists. CAIR ignores the fact that such people exist, even within CAIR itself.
Since 9-11, CAIR has seen three of its former employees indicted on federal terrorism charges.
CAIR has a long history of ties to terrorism. See here and here.
You can disagree with me all you like but can't ignore the facts. We are at war and each of the tactics described by the Muslim "defector" are being employed.
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Two of Islam's war strategies are "Hollywood will love us" and "Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) will incubate us". I provided facts and links proving Islam is indeed employing both tactics.
These tactics are even more powerful when combined.
Debbie Schlussel writes:
I’ve written about Hollywood’s worship at the politically correct alter of radical Islam. Despite the reality that all contemporary terrorists are Muslim, Hollywood operates in another universe where all terrorists are Hispanic drug-dealers and neo-Nazis – anybody but Muslims. Because, as we all know, Hispanic drug-dealers and neo-Nazis blew up New York buildings, hijacked planes, murdered their New Jersey Coptic neighbors, and beheaded Americans in Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan.
With “24,” FOX violated this taboo. Therefore, FOX must now repent for committing the heinous sin of actually portraying the truth about the most serious problem of our time.
In the middle of Monday’s episode of “24,” viewers were treated to the following mea culpa, courtesy of Kiefer Sutherland, “24”’s star:
"Hi. My name is Kiefer Sutherland. And I play counter-terrorist agent Jack Bauer on Fox's ‘24’. I would like to take a moment to talk to you about something that I think is very important. Now while terrorism is obviously one of the most critical challenges facing our nation and the world, it is important to
recognize that the American Muslim community stands firmly beside their fellow Americans in denouncing and resisting all forms of terrorism. So in watching 24, please, bear that in mind."
That's the Hollywood tactic but what about CAIR?
CAIR campaigned for these spots to be aired; insisting "24" was portraying ordinary American Muslims as terrorists. CAIR ignores the fact that such people exist, even within CAIR itself.
Since 9-11, CAIR has seen three of its former employees indicted on federal terrorism charges.
CAIR has a long history of ties to terrorism. See here and here.
You can disagree with me all you like but can't ignore the facts. We are at war and each of the tactics described by the Muslim "defector" are being employed.
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Iraq - Zarqawi Aides Captured
Is Iraq getting close to capturing Zarqawi?
BAGHDAD, Feb 8 (KUNA) -- Iraqi security forces arrested several assistants to Abu Musaab Al-Zarqawi after storming hideouts in Al-Ramadi, said the Iraqi government in a statement Tuesday.
The statement said the Iraqi forces arrested in Al-Ramadi a group of terrorists including Adnaan Al-Delimi, 34, who is also known as Abu Abdulrahman.
It added, forces arrested another assistant to Al-Zarqawi in the city named Abbas Al-Obaidi, 39, who is also known as Abu Ali.
They also detained Adnan Al-Saadawi, 38, known as Abu Ahmad, who is a suspect of planning and financing several terrorist attacks within Al-Zarqawi network.
The Iraqi government also announced the arrest of Abu Waleed, the military advisor of Al-Zarqawi, also known as Enaad Al-Qaisi.
The Iraqis seem to be having a lot of success in capturing Zarqawi aides. Perhaps the citizens have had enough of Zarqawi.
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BAGHDAD, Feb 8 (KUNA) -- Iraqi security forces arrested several assistants to Abu Musaab Al-Zarqawi after storming hideouts in Al-Ramadi, said the Iraqi government in a statement Tuesday.
The statement said the Iraqi forces arrested in Al-Ramadi a group of terrorists including Adnaan Al-Delimi, 34, who is also known as Abu Abdulrahman.
It added, forces arrested another assistant to Al-Zarqawi in the city named Abbas Al-Obaidi, 39, who is also known as Abu Ali.
They also detained Adnan Al-Saadawi, 38, known as Abu Ahmad, who is a suspect of planning and financing several terrorist attacks within Al-Zarqawi network.
The Iraqi government also announced the arrest of Abu Waleed, the military advisor of Al-Zarqawi, also known as Enaad Al-Qaisi.
The Iraqis seem to be having a lot of success in capturing Zarqawi aides. Perhaps the citizens have had enough of Zarqawi.
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Israel - BBC Upset at Peace Talks
Melanie Phillips notes continuing bias by the BBC.
Switching on BBC News 24 just before going to bed last night, I had the disagreeable experience of being subjected to the poisonous ignorance and prejudice of Lauren Booth who was reviewing this morning's papers. Looking at the pictures of the handshake between Ariel Sharon and Mahmoud Abbas, she complained that while the stories said that Abbas had promised an end to Palestinian violence, there was no equivalent mention of any end to 'Israeli violence' -- only Sharon's promise of an end to 'military activity'.
This of course revealed her gross failure to grasp the fundamental moral difference between Palestinian and Israeli 'violence' -- that Palestinian violence is aggressive terror with the aim of murdering the innocent, while Israeli violence is the military defence of the country's citizens against such murderous terrorism.
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Switching on BBC News 24 just before going to bed last night, I had the disagreeable experience of being subjected to the poisonous ignorance and prejudice of Lauren Booth who was reviewing this morning's papers. Looking at the pictures of the handshake between Ariel Sharon and Mahmoud Abbas, she complained that while the stories said that Abbas had promised an end to Palestinian violence, there was no equivalent mention of any end to 'Israeli violence' -- only Sharon's promise of an end to 'military activity'.
This of course revealed her gross failure to grasp the fundamental moral difference between Palestinian and Israeli 'violence' -- that Palestinian violence is aggressive terror with the aim of murdering the innocent, while Israeli violence is the military defence of the country's citizens against such murderous terrorism.
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Wednesday, February 09, 2005
Islamofascist - Do They Exist?
Shadow Chaser did some interesting searching.
If one goes to the search pages of The Daily Telegraph , The Guardian, and BBC Online and enters the search string “Islamofascist”, which site do you think will return zero hits?
Answer here .
Not surprising is it?
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If one goes to the search pages of The Daily Telegraph , The Guardian, and BBC Online and enters the search string “Islamofascist”, which site do you think will return zero hits?
Answer here .
Not surprising is it?
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Blog Roll Changes
I've made some changes to the blog roll. I renamed the BBC Unspun category to UK Media Watch in order to expand reporting on more than just the BBC.
I've moved some bloggers who regularly report on UK media bias into this category.
If anyone knows of more bloggers who report on UK Media bias let me know and I will add them.
I'd like to see us grow this segment of the UK blogsphere in hopes that we can have some success in holding the UK media more accountable. I'd also like to see us coordinate more like US bloggers do when they create a "blog swarm" on a story.
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I've moved some bloggers who regularly report on UK media bias into this category.
If anyone knows of more bloggers who report on UK Media bias let me know and I will add them.
I'd like to see us grow this segment of the UK blogsphere in hopes that we can have some success in holding the UK media more accountable. I'd also like to see us coordinate more like US bloggers do when they create a "blog swarm" on a story.
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CNN Says G.I.s in Iraq Target Journalists
The New York Sun reports "The head of CNN's news division, Eason Jordan, ignited an Internet firestorm last week when he told a panel at a World Economic Forum gathering in Davos, Switzerland, that the American military had targeted journalists during operations in Iraq."
It has taken legacy media over a week to report on this story after initial silence. Why speak out now?
Bloggers, that's why. More and more legacy media are being shamed by bloggers into doing their job - reporting the news.
Now Jordan's in the stew again. Speaking last week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Jordan made an arresting charge. He claimed the U.S. military, while pacifying Iraq, had targeted both American and foreign journalists.
Panel chairman David Gergen, according to insider accounts, gasped. The man who'd worked in administrations from Nixon's to Clinton's demanded evidence. Liberal Congressman Barney Frank, who was there, also demanded proof.
Jordan backed off — slightly. But afterward he accepted congratulations from Arab reporters who called him heroic.
That's when the bloggers stepped in, including some who were actually there. Then master blogger Hugh Hewitt took up the case. Soon the blogosphere was electric with outrage over Jordan's irresponsible charge. Now there's an easongate.com, tracking the scandal's every fact, every claim, every angle, and demanding CNN come clean.
Why "scandal"? Jordan was spouting outrageous charges with no basis in fact. In journalism, even in High Church Journalism, that is a cardinal sin. Rising to the topmost reaches of media power does not exempt one from the first rules learned in journalism class.
The bloggers, who've done so much recently to correct the elite media's misbehavior — including sending CBS's Dan Rather to newsman's purgatory — now have Eason Jordan as quarry.
Deservedly so. It's time for him to go.
Now if we could just get the blogsphere ignited with a firestorm to correct the BBC and the Guardian. We bloggers in the UK just don't seem to have the clout our US counterparts have.
I only have five blogs listed under the blog roll heading of BBC Unspun. If anyone knows of other blogs who keep tabs on the BBC or other British media, let me know and I'll add a link.
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It has taken legacy media over a week to report on this story after initial silence. Why speak out now?
Bloggers, that's why. More and more legacy media are being shamed by bloggers into doing their job - reporting the news.
Now Jordan's in the stew again. Speaking last week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Jordan made an arresting charge. He claimed the U.S. military, while pacifying Iraq, had targeted both American and foreign journalists.
Panel chairman David Gergen, according to insider accounts, gasped. The man who'd worked in administrations from Nixon's to Clinton's demanded evidence. Liberal Congressman Barney Frank, who was there, also demanded proof.
Jordan backed off — slightly. But afterward he accepted congratulations from Arab reporters who called him heroic.
That's when the bloggers stepped in, including some who were actually there. Then master blogger Hugh Hewitt took up the case. Soon the blogosphere was electric with outrage over Jordan's irresponsible charge. Now there's an easongate.com, tracking the scandal's every fact, every claim, every angle, and demanding CNN come clean.
Why "scandal"? Jordan was spouting outrageous charges with no basis in fact. In journalism, even in High Church Journalism, that is a cardinal sin. Rising to the topmost reaches of media power does not exempt one from the first rules learned in journalism class.
The bloggers, who've done so much recently to correct the elite media's misbehavior — including sending CBS's Dan Rather to newsman's purgatory — now have Eason Jordan as quarry.
Deservedly so. It's time for him to go.
Now if we could just get the blogsphere ignited with a firestorm to correct the BBC and the Guardian. We bloggers in the UK just don't seem to have the clout our US counterparts have.
I only have five blogs listed under the blog roll heading of BBC Unspun. If anyone knows of other blogs who keep tabs on the BBC or other British media, let me know and I'll add a link.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Palestinian groups disown truce
No surprise there.
The BBC reports "Hamas and Islamic Jihad have said they are not bound by the ceasefire agreed between Palestinian and Israeli leaders at a summit in Egypt on Tuesday."
"The resistance is not committed to what has been agreed at the summit today since the Palestinian conditions were not achieved.
"We consider that there is no truce and there is no deal to stop the resistance."
An Islamic Jihad spokesman, Mohammed al-Hindi, said the summit had brought "nothing new".
Will this change the BBC's pro-Palestinian/anti-Israeli coverage?
The BBC's Middle East correspondent, James Reynolds, notes that little appears to have changed since the truce was declared.
Palestinians will still have to queue up at Israeli army checkpoints if they want to leave their towns or cities and security guards will still stand outside Israel's shops and cafes on the look-out as always for suicide bombers.
Sheesh, I guess not. Since the two terrorists groups say they will not abide by the truce what does Reynolds expect Israel to do?
If nothing has changed, how does Reynolds account for this?
Israel is expected to free hundreds of Palestinian prisoners shortly and hand over control of some West Bank towns.
Reports say families will be able to visit other Palestinians detained in Israeli jails and hundreds of Palestinian workers will also soon be allowed back into Israel.
Wait and see how the BBC report the next Palestinian terrorist attack.
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The BBC reports "Hamas and Islamic Jihad have said they are not bound by the ceasefire agreed between Palestinian and Israeli leaders at a summit in Egypt on Tuesday."
"The resistance is not committed to what has been agreed at the summit today since the Palestinian conditions were not achieved.
"We consider that there is no truce and there is no deal to stop the resistance."
An Islamic Jihad spokesman, Mohammed al-Hindi, said the summit had brought "nothing new".
Will this change the BBC's pro-Palestinian/anti-Israeli coverage?
The BBC's Middle East correspondent, James Reynolds, notes that little appears to have changed since the truce was declared.
Palestinians will still have to queue up at Israeli army checkpoints if they want to leave their towns or cities and security guards will still stand outside Israel's shops and cafes on the look-out as always for suicide bombers.
Sheesh, I guess not. Since the two terrorists groups say they will not abide by the truce what does Reynolds expect Israel to do?
If nothing has changed, how does Reynolds account for this?
Israel is expected to free hundreds of Palestinian prisoners shortly and hand over control of some West Bank towns.
Reports say families will be able to visit other Palestinians detained in Israeli jails and hundreds of Palestinian workers will also soon be allowed back into Israel.
Wait and see how the BBC report the next Palestinian terrorist attack.
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Tuesday, February 08, 2005
Why the Islamists Really Hate Us
From Frontpage
American policies in the Middle East fall into three broad categories. The first is support for Israel. Even though an ocean of ink has been spilled trying to show this is a major source of Arab hatred toward America, the results are unconvincing. Few of the real problems that plague the region have anything to do with Israel, and most Arabs know it. From the slaughterhouse of the Iraq/Iran war, to the invasion of Kuwait, to Syria’s continuing subjugation of Lebanon, to the failed experiments in Arab socialism, to the daily crunching of human beings under the heels of tyrants in practically every country of the Arab world — these are Muslim disasters, not Jewish ones. While Israel is certainly a source of irritation and a focus of anger, Bernard Lewis’s theory probably comes closet to the truth:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
American policies in the Middle East fall into three broad categories. The first is support for Israel. Even though an ocean of ink has been spilled trying to show this is a major source of Arab hatred toward America, the results are unconvincing. Few of the real problems that plague the region have anything to do with Israel, and most Arabs know it. From the slaughterhouse of the Iraq/Iran war, to the invasion of Kuwait, to Syria’s continuing subjugation of Lebanon, to the failed experiments in Arab socialism, to the daily crunching of human beings under the heels of tyrants in practically every country of the Arab world — these are Muslim disasters, not Jewish ones. While Israel is certainly a source of irritation and a focus of anger, Bernard Lewis’s theory probably comes closet to the truth:
[Israel] is, so to speak, the licensed grievance — the only one that can be freely and safely expressed in those Muslim countries where the media are either wholly owned or strictly overseen by the government. Indeed, Israel serves as a useful stand-in for complaints about the economic privation and political repression under which most Muslim people live, and as a way of deflecting the resulting anger.[ii]
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Islam - Hollywood, Media and Blogs
Earlier today I posted about a Muslim "defector" who exposed Islam's war plan. Part of that plan says that Hollywood and the Left will protect Muslims while they wage their war.
But what happens when Hollywood makes a TV show about Muslim terrorists as in the case of Fox's "24" show? I know, I know, Fox is persona non gratis in Hollywood but the actors come from there and I imagine the show is filmed there.
Well in a case like this the liberal media step in and slam the show.
Ah, but times have changed and legacy media are no longer the gatekeepers of our thinking. The new motto is "I blog, therefore I am".
Lileks puts legacy media to shame.
[Lileks] Yes, in 1939 someone made an Apache say “ugh,” the motivations for which can be directly tied to including Islamic fundamentalists in a 2005 plot about terrorism, for some peculiar reason. That’s like saying audiences were so steeped in the lessons of Buck Rogers serials they might have expected the trial of “Apollo 13” to be caused by Emperor Ming. If the “wise-guy Italian” stereotyping made outraged WASPs sweep into little Italy and hack people to death with machetes, it didn‘t make the papers here. In fact I seem to remember everyone thinking the mobsters were darkly cool in a fascinating way, but the subsequent absence of Mafia-themed movies obviously puts the lie to my recollections. As for goose-stepping Nazis – well, if the jackboot fits, Fritz, wear it. But even at the height of WW2 we got Nazis like Heinrich Strasser in Casablanca – cool, cultured, measured, not without his snakelike charm. But never mind, never mind. Here’s what amused me:
Read the whole thing.
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But what happens when Hollywood makes a TV show about Muslim terrorists as in the case of Fox's "24" show? I know, I know, Fox is persona non gratis in Hollywood but the actors come from there and I imagine the show is filmed there.
Well in a case like this the liberal media step in and slam the show.
Ah, but times have changed and legacy media are no longer the gatekeepers of our thinking. The new motto is "I blog, therefore I am".
Lileks puts legacy media to shame.
[Star Tribune reporter] In service to story lines calling for "bad guys," America's film and television industries have made cardboard savages of blood-thirsty Apaches, devious Mexicans, Japanese bomber pilots, goose-stepping Nazis and wise-guy Italians, each of whom represents a new wave of fear, cultural bias and the resulting vilification -- some richly deserved, some exaggerated for dramatic purposes.
Generations of actors have been cast not to play a character but to speak lines while exhibiting their DNA and everything audiences believe it to stand for.
[Lileks] Yes, in 1939 someone made an Apache say “ugh,” the motivations for which can be directly tied to including Islamic fundamentalists in a 2005 plot about terrorism, for some peculiar reason. That’s like saying audiences were so steeped in the lessons of Buck Rogers serials they might have expected the trial of “Apollo 13” to be caused by Emperor Ming. If the “wise-guy Italian” stereotyping made outraged WASPs sweep into little Italy and hack people to death with machetes, it didn‘t make the papers here. In fact I seem to remember everyone thinking the mobsters were darkly cool in a fascinating way, but the subsequent absence of Mafia-themed movies obviously puts the lie to my recollections. As for goose-stepping Nazis – well, if the jackboot fits, Fritz, wear it. But even at the height of WW2 we got Nazis like Heinrich Strasser in Casablanca – cool, cultured, measured, not without his snakelike charm. But never mind, never mind. Here’s what amused me:
Read the whole thing.
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CNN - "The Most Busted Name In News"
Hugh Hewitt has the story.
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Iraq - Mark Steyn On the Election
AnotherMark Steyn must read.
Alas, they've got a much tougher job. The snow is still coming down, and they've got nothing in the back of the car except the same watery beer they've been chugging for three years: "They Are Waiting for the Rivers of Blood," proclaimed the headline over Robert Fisk's column in the Independent, another classic for fans of the beloved comic genius to cut out and add to treasured clippings - such as his coverage of the Afghan war ("Bush Is Walking into a Trap") and his confident assertion that there were no Americans at Baghdad airport and that the blundering Yanks had merely stumbled upon an abandoned RAF airfield from the 1950s.
As it transpired, the only folks waiting for the rivers of blood were Fisky, the BBC, CNN and the rest of the gang, and they'll be waiting a long time. So long that, in the Guardian, Martin Jacques has moved on to penning orgasmic fantasies of the mid-century when China will bestride the world and America will be consigned to the garbage heap of history.
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Alas, they've got a much tougher job. The snow is still coming down, and they've got nothing in the back of the car except the same watery beer they've been chugging for three years: "They Are Waiting for the Rivers of Blood," proclaimed the headline over Robert Fisk's column in the Independent, another classic for fans of the beloved comic genius to cut out and add to treasured clippings - such as his coverage of the Afghan war ("Bush Is Walking into a Trap") and his confident assertion that there were no Americans at Baghdad airport and that the blundering Yanks had merely stumbled upon an abandoned RAF airfield from the 1950s.
As it transpired, the only folks waiting for the rivers of blood were Fisky, the BBC, CNN and the rest of the gang, and they'll be waiting a long time. So long that, in the Guardian, Martin Jacques has moved on to penning orgasmic fantasies of the mid-century when China will bestride the world and America will be consigned to the garbage heap of history.
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BBC - Reads USS Neverdock
Well it certainly looks that way.
Yesterday I posted:
The BBC currently has this page linked as a headline story on their vaunted News Watch webpage. The headline reads "Is NewsWatch hitting the mark?"
On the bottom right of the same webpage is a link to this: "Audience report The latest summary on key programme performance". Which proudly proclaims this:
Audience facts and figures BBC News keeps a keen eye on who's watching and listening to what. Every month, NewsWatch will bring you the latest figures on all the latest programmes.
The last time that page was updated was: Last Updated: Friday, 10 December, 2004, 13:16 GMT
My link to their audience figures still works but the link has vanished from the main News Watch page!
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Yesterday I posted:
The BBC currently has this page linked as a headline story on their vaunted News Watch webpage. The headline reads "Is NewsWatch hitting the mark?"
On the bottom right of the same webpage is a link to this: "Audience report The latest summary on key programme performance". Which proudly proclaims this:
Audience facts and figures BBC News keeps a keen eye on who's watching and listening to what. Every month, NewsWatch will bring you the latest figures on all the latest programmes.
The last time that page was updated was: Last Updated: Friday, 10 December, 2004, 13:16 GMT
My link to their audience figures still works but the link has vanished from the main News Watch page!
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MUSLIMS 'PLOTTED MURDERS'
Sky News is reporting "Twelve Muslims arrested in Holland have been accused of threatening to kill prominent politicians critical of Islam."
The arrests followed the murder of a Dutch film director who made a movie that criticised the religion.
Prosecutors, speaking at a pre-trial hearing of the men, said last year's arrests had foiled further attacks.
The war goes on.
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The arrests followed the murder of a Dutch film director who made a movie that criticised the religion.
Prosecutors, speaking at a pre-trial hearing of the men, said last year's arrests had foiled further attacks.
The war goes on.
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'Jews and Christians are Allah's Enemies'
MEMRI reports on a Saudi clerics preachings.
The following are excerpts from a February 3, 2005 IQRA TV program with Saudi cleric Musa Al-Qarni; [4] to view the clip, visit http://memritv.org/Search.asp?ACT=S9&P1=523:
'The Jews and Christians are Allah's Enemies'
Al-Qarni: "The uproar and the chaos that we see today in the human race – the killing, the acts of aggression, the rape, the robbery, and the disgrace of honor – what causes this is that the banners which are hoisted high are those of the Jews, the Christians, and other religions and faiths, and not the banner of 'There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is Allah's Messenger.'
"Let's have a look at what is written in the Koran. What position must we adopt towards Allah's enemies? Is it the position we have adopted? First of all, we must be aware of the fact that at present we see that [the West] doesn't want us even to say the words 'Allah's enemies.' They don't want us to say that the Jews and the Christians are Allah's enemies. They don't want us to say that the Jews and the Christians are the enemies of the Muslims and the enemies of Islam.
The war continues.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following are excerpts from a February 3, 2005 IQRA TV program with Saudi cleric Musa Al-Qarni; [4] to view the clip, visit http://memritv.org/Search.asp?ACT=S9&P1=523:
'The Jews and Christians are Allah's Enemies'
Al-Qarni: "The uproar and the chaos that we see today in the human race – the killing, the acts of aggression, the rape, the robbery, and the disgrace of honor – what causes this is that the banners which are hoisted high are those of the Jews, the Christians, and other religions and faiths, and not the banner of 'There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is Allah's Messenger.'
"Let's have a look at what is written in the Koran. What position must we adopt towards Allah's enemies? Is it the position we have adopted? First of all, we must be aware of the fact that at present we see that [the West] doesn't want us even to say the words 'Allah's enemies.' They don't want us to say that the Jews and the Christians are Allah's enemies. They don't want us to say that the Jews and the Christians are the enemies of the Muslims and the enemies of Islam.
The war continues.
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Islam - Waging War Against the World
I posted recently about the tactics being employed by Islam in the current world war.
"...nearly impenetrable barriers of kinship, language and religion."
Yesterday I posted about what happens when a Muslim "defects" to the other side.
"While Christians who turn to Islam are feted, the 200,000 Muslims who turn away are faced with abuse, violence and even murder".
Here one such "defector" tells us more of Islam's plan for taking over the world.
“I was born and raised as Muslim. My whole family is still Muslim. I know every genetic code of Muslim. I know Islamic brain. I live and breathe with them. I am an insider. I left Islam when I understood that Islam is a sick and evil religion. Following is the Islamic message to the West. To the infidels of the West: Constitution for the new Islamic Republic of EU and USA is under construction. We will fight the infidel to death.
Meanwhile:
American laws will protect us.
Democrats and Leftist will support us.
UNO will legitimize us. (United Nations Organization)
CAIR will incubate us. (Council on American-Islamic Relations)
ACLU will empower us. (American Civil Liberties Union)
Western Universities will educate us.
Mosques will shelter us
OPEC will finance us
Hollywood will love us.
Koffi Annan will pass politically correct sympathetic statement for Jihadists.”
Is he right? Let's take a look.
"American laws will protect us".
From CNN
NEW YORK (AP) -- A judge earlier this week refused to let federal prosecutors present some of the most potentially damaging evidence against a Yemeni sheik charged with funneling millions of dollars to terrorists.
And from Jihad Watch
9/11 hijacker used [legal] bypass to obtain California license
"Democrats and Leftist will support us."
From Free Republic
Democrats who took radical islamic & terrorist campaign $$$ (McKinney, Kennedy, Bonior & more)
"UNO will legitimize us."
From University of Minnesota
Cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization of the Islamic Conference
"CAIR will incubate us."
From Front Page
One group in particular, CAIR or the Council on American-Islamic Relations, an entity masquerading as a ‘civil rights’ organization, has called into question its own support for nefarious causes. The following will prove that, in late 2001, CAIR appeared to be in violation of United States law, as in regards to the providing of material support to terrorists.
"ACLU will empower us."
From NRO
It's official: The Left doesn't believe that Islamic terrorism exists. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, terror watch lists are nothing more than the product of John Ashcroft's paranoid imagination, and should play no more role in government policy than a compendium of his favorite anthems.
"Western Universities will educate us."
From Freedom House
The key hijackers, including Mohamed Atta, were well-educated children of privilege. None of them suffered first-hand economic privation or political oppression. Equally important, it is becoming clear that hundreds, if not thousands, of graduates of bin Laden's schools for terror are Muslims who have grown up and been educated in the United States and Europe.
"Mosques will shelter us"
From Freedom House
“Saudi Publications on Hate Ideology Fill American Mosques,”
Among the key findings of the report:
· Various Saudi government publications gathered for this study, most of which are in Arabic, assert that it is a religious obligation for Muslims to hate Christians and Jews and warn against imitating, befriending, or helping them in any way, or taking part in their festivities and celebrations;
· The documents promote contempt for the United States because it is ruled by legislated civil law rather than by totalitarian Wahhabi-style Islamic law. They condemn democracy as un-Islamic;
"OPEC will finance us"
From Town Hall
In Saudi Arabia, the royal family has been able to, in effect, lease the throne by subsidizing the radical brand of Islam known as Wahhabism. On a smaller scale, oil-rich families from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states directly fund Islamic terrorist outfits, including Hamas, Hezbollah and, of course, al-Qaida.
"Hollywood will love us."
Michael Moore is living proof of that. But what happens when one of Hollywood's own is murdered for making a film critical of Islam?
From Rantburg
Somewhere in the world, a filmmaker creates a short documentary that chronicles what he perceives as the excesses of anti-abortion activists. An anti-abortion zealot reacts to the film by killing the filmmaker in broad daylight and stabbing anti-abortion tracts onto his body. How does the Hollywood community react to this atrocity? Would there be angry protests? Candlelight vigils? Outraged letters and columns and articles? Awards named in honor of their fallen comrade? Demands for justice? Calls for protection of artistic freedom? It’s a pretty safe bet that there would be all of the above and much more. And all of the anger would be absolutely justified.
So I’m trying to understand the nearly universal lack of outrage coming from Hollywood over the brutal murder of Dutch director, Theo van Gogh, who was shot on the morning of November 2, while bicycling through the streets of Amsterdam. The killer then stabbed his chest with one knife and slit his throat with another.
The presumed murderer, a Dutch-born dual Moroccan-Dutch citizen, attached a 5-page note to van Gogh's body with a knife. In it, he threatened jihad against the West in general, and specifically against five prominent Dutch political figures. Van Gogh’s crime? He created a short film highly critical of the treatment of women in Islamic societies. So, again I ask, where is the outrage from Hollywood’s creative community? I mean, talk about a violation of the right of free speech!
"Koffi Annan will pass politically correct sympathetic statement for Jihadists"
From The BBC
UN rules out genocide in Darfur
More than 70,000 people have been killed and two million more forced to flee their homes in Darfur since February 2003.
All of which is happening, not just in the US but around the world, right now.
“You infidels at this site cannot defeat us. We are 1.2 billion. We will double again. Do you have enough bullets to kill us? On the camera: We will always say, ‘Islam is the religion of Peace.’ We will say, ‘Jihad is actually inner Jihad.’ Moderate Muslim will say there is no link between Islam and Terrorism and the West will believe it because the West is so gullible. Moderate Muslim all over the world will incubate Jihadists by their talk by defending Islam. Using Western Legal system we will assert our Sharia Laws, slowly but surely. We will increase in number. We will double again.”
The UK has already begun to adopt Sharia Laws.
Gordon Brown, the chancellor, has already made one significant concession to adapt to the dictates of sharia. In the 2003 Finance Act he spared Muslims from paying stamp duty twice on their properties when they took out “Islamic mortgages” that complied with the sharia ban on paying interest.
More Sharia laws are planned here in the UK.
THE Inland Revenue is considering recognising polygamy for some religious groups for tax purposes. Officials have agreed to examine “family friendly” representations from Muslims who take up to four wives under sharia, the laws derived from the Koran.
What about moderate Islam? "Moderate Muslim will say there is no link between Islam and Terrorism and the West will believe it because the West is so gullible."
The Muslim Council of Britain is the moderate voice in the UK.
Here is what Iqbal Sacranie, general secretary of the Muslim Council of Britain had to say about Muslim terrorists.
'There is no such thing as an Islamic terrorist. This is deeply offensive. Saying Muslims are terrorists would be covered by this provision'.
For those of you reading this who disagree, see if this sounds familiar.
The conversations I have had over the past few weeks bear out Tim’s warning that moderate Muslims swear there is no link between Islam and terrorists. In fact, the first words of those who write to me are usually, “Terrorists are not true Muslims” or “Terrorists are not practicing true Islam.” When I point out the words in the Quran damning all non-believers to hell and the very plain and clearly stated orders to kill all unbelievers, I am told that I am taking the words out of context.
Readers of the Quran may wonder how one can take out of context statements such as: “Allah will bestow a vast reward on those who fight in religious wars” or “Have no unbelieving friends. Kill the unbelievers wherever you find them.” “Christians will be burned in the Fire” seems rather straightforward to me. Yet, the denials come every day. Then, when I question those that contact me, the outrage follows. It has all become quite predictable.
Non-Muslims must understand the definition of unbeliever. In Islamic terms, it does not mean someone who does not believe in God. Unbeliever means anyone who does not believe and strictly follow the laws of Islam and Allah.
I am told that it is me who is full of hate and that I hate Muslims. Americans hate Muslims and that is why we hunt them down and kill them all over the world. But statements such as “War is ordained by Allah” and “When you fight with disbelievers, do not retreat. Those who do will go to hell,” it is argued, are not words of hate driving Muslims to kill. No, those words are “misunderstood” and twisted by those of us just do not understand the peace and love that is true Islam.
One very important "weapon" our "defector" leaves out is the media. Melanie Phillips recently noted
It is this weakness and moral confusion that comprise the great goal of terrorist strategy; it is this that has characterised the west’s response to Islamic terror for many decades; it is this that has brought us to where we are today. In the war that has been declared upon the free world, the western media’s abuse of power is perhaps the most lethal weapon of all.
The world is engulfed by a war declared on it by Islam but you would hardly know it from the western media.
Islam has a great strategy for waging war on the world; use the freedoms of democracy against the world. Protected by freedom of speech and religion they spew their hate from their mosques. Our laws, designed to protect people's rights, are being used as shields by terrorists the world over; incorporating Sharia Law these shields are being turned into weapons. Charities and so called civil rights groups funnel money and support to jihadists. Our universities educate the terrorists and provide another fourm to spread their hate. All the while the elite media provide the propaganda mouth piece.
It is a great plan. While playing the role of the victim they attack; just like the terrorists in Falluja feinged death before blowing themselves up and killing all around them.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. Here is some additional reading.
Jihad Watch
Dhimmi Watch
Counter Terrorism
Daniel Pipes
Rantburg
Internet Haganah
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"...nearly impenetrable barriers of kinship, language and religion."
Yesterday I posted about what happens when a Muslim "defects" to the other side.
"While Christians who turn to Islam are feted, the 200,000 Muslims who turn away are faced with abuse, violence and even murder".
Here one such "defector" tells us more of Islam's plan for taking over the world.
“I was born and raised as Muslim. My whole family is still Muslim. I know every genetic code of Muslim. I know Islamic brain. I live and breathe with them. I am an insider. I left Islam when I understood that Islam is a sick and evil religion. Following is the Islamic message to the West. To the infidels of the West: Constitution for the new Islamic Republic of EU and USA is under construction. We will fight the infidel to death.
Meanwhile:
American laws will protect us.
Democrats and Leftist will support us.
UNO will legitimize us. (United Nations Organization)
CAIR will incubate us. (Council on American-Islamic Relations)
ACLU will empower us. (American Civil Liberties Union)
Western Universities will educate us.
Mosques will shelter us
OPEC will finance us
Hollywood will love us.
Koffi Annan will pass politically correct sympathetic statement for Jihadists.”
Is he right? Let's take a look.
"American laws will protect us".
From CNN
NEW YORK (AP) -- A judge earlier this week refused to let federal prosecutors present some of the most potentially damaging evidence against a Yemeni sheik charged with funneling millions of dollars to terrorists.
And from Jihad Watch
9/11 hijacker used [legal] bypass to obtain California license
"Democrats and Leftist will support us."
From Free Republic
Democrats who took radical islamic & terrorist campaign $$$ (McKinney, Kennedy, Bonior & more)
"UNO will legitimize us."
From University of Minnesota
Cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization of the Islamic Conference
"CAIR will incubate us."
From Front Page
One group in particular, CAIR or the Council on American-Islamic Relations, an entity masquerading as a ‘civil rights’ organization, has called into question its own support for nefarious causes. The following will prove that, in late 2001, CAIR appeared to be in violation of United States law, as in regards to the providing of material support to terrorists.
"ACLU will empower us."
From NRO
It's official: The Left doesn't believe that Islamic terrorism exists. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, terror watch lists are nothing more than the product of John Ashcroft's paranoid imagination, and should play no more role in government policy than a compendium of his favorite anthems.
"Western Universities will educate us."
From Freedom House
The key hijackers, including Mohamed Atta, were well-educated children of privilege. None of them suffered first-hand economic privation or political oppression. Equally important, it is becoming clear that hundreds, if not thousands, of graduates of bin Laden's schools for terror are Muslims who have grown up and been educated in the United States and Europe.
"Mosques will shelter us"
From Freedom House
“Saudi Publications on Hate Ideology Fill American Mosques,”
Among the key findings of the report:
· Various Saudi government publications gathered for this study, most of which are in Arabic, assert that it is a religious obligation for Muslims to hate Christians and Jews and warn against imitating, befriending, or helping them in any way, or taking part in their festivities and celebrations;
· The documents promote contempt for the United States because it is ruled by legislated civil law rather than by totalitarian Wahhabi-style Islamic law. They condemn democracy as un-Islamic;
"OPEC will finance us"
From Town Hall
In Saudi Arabia, the royal family has been able to, in effect, lease the throne by subsidizing the radical brand of Islam known as Wahhabism. On a smaller scale, oil-rich families from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states directly fund Islamic terrorist outfits, including Hamas, Hezbollah and, of course, al-Qaida.
"Hollywood will love us."
Michael Moore is living proof of that. But what happens when one of Hollywood's own is murdered for making a film critical of Islam?
From Rantburg
Somewhere in the world, a filmmaker creates a short documentary that chronicles what he perceives as the excesses of anti-abortion activists. An anti-abortion zealot reacts to the film by killing the filmmaker in broad daylight and stabbing anti-abortion tracts onto his body. How does the Hollywood community react to this atrocity? Would there be angry protests? Candlelight vigils? Outraged letters and columns and articles? Awards named in honor of their fallen comrade? Demands for justice? Calls for protection of artistic freedom? It’s a pretty safe bet that there would be all of the above and much more. And all of the anger would be absolutely justified.
So I’m trying to understand the nearly universal lack of outrage coming from Hollywood over the brutal murder of Dutch director, Theo van Gogh, who was shot on the morning of November 2, while bicycling through the streets of Amsterdam. The killer then stabbed his chest with one knife and slit his throat with another.
The presumed murderer, a Dutch-born dual Moroccan-Dutch citizen, attached a 5-page note to van Gogh's body with a knife. In it, he threatened jihad against the West in general, and specifically against five prominent Dutch political figures. Van Gogh’s crime? He created a short film highly critical of the treatment of women in Islamic societies. So, again I ask, where is the outrage from Hollywood’s creative community? I mean, talk about a violation of the right of free speech!
"Koffi Annan will pass politically correct sympathetic statement for Jihadists"
From The BBC
UN rules out genocide in Darfur
More than 70,000 people have been killed and two million more forced to flee their homes in Darfur since February 2003.
All of which is happening, not just in the US but around the world, right now.
“You infidels at this site cannot defeat us. We are 1.2 billion. We will double again. Do you have enough bullets to kill us? On the camera: We will always say, ‘Islam is the religion of Peace.’ We will say, ‘Jihad is actually inner Jihad.’ Moderate Muslim will say there is no link between Islam and Terrorism and the West will believe it because the West is so gullible. Moderate Muslim all over the world will incubate Jihadists by their talk by defending Islam. Using Western Legal system we will assert our Sharia Laws, slowly but surely. We will increase in number. We will double again.”
The UK has already begun to adopt Sharia Laws.
Gordon Brown, the chancellor, has already made one significant concession to adapt to the dictates of sharia. In the 2003 Finance Act he spared Muslims from paying stamp duty twice on their properties when they took out “Islamic mortgages” that complied with the sharia ban on paying interest.
More Sharia laws are planned here in the UK.
THE Inland Revenue is considering recognising polygamy for some religious groups for tax purposes. Officials have agreed to examine “family friendly” representations from Muslims who take up to four wives under sharia, the laws derived from the Koran.
What about moderate Islam? "Moderate Muslim will say there is no link between Islam and Terrorism and the West will believe it because the West is so gullible."
The Muslim Council of Britain is the moderate voice in the UK.
Here is what Iqbal Sacranie, general secretary of the Muslim Council of Britain had to say about Muslim terrorists.
'There is no such thing as an Islamic terrorist. This is deeply offensive. Saying Muslims are terrorists would be covered by this provision'.
For those of you reading this who disagree, see if this sounds familiar.
The conversations I have had over the past few weeks bear out Tim’s warning that moderate Muslims swear there is no link between Islam and terrorists. In fact, the first words of those who write to me are usually, “Terrorists are not true Muslims” or “Terrorists are not practicing true Islam.” When I point out the words in the Quran damning all non-believers to hell and the very plain and clearly stated orders to kill all unbelievers, I am told that I am taking the words out of context.
Readers of the Quran may wonder how one can take out of context statements such as: “Allah will bestow a vast reward on those who fight in religious wars” or “Have no unbelieving friends. Kill the unbelievers wherever you find them.” “Christians will be burned in the Fire” seems rather straightforward to me. Yet, the denials come every day. Then, when I question those that contact me, the outrage follows. It has all become quite predictable.
Non-Muslims must understand the definition of unbeliever. In Islamic terms, it does not mean someone who does not believe in God. Unbeliever means anyone who does not believe and strictly follow the laws of Islam and Allah.
I am told that it is me who is full of hate and that I hate Muslims. Americans hate Muslims and that is why we hunt them down and kill them all over the world. But statements such as “War is ordained by Allah” and “When you fight with disbelievers, do not retreat. Those who do will go to hell,” it is argued, are not words of hate driving Muslims to kill. No, those words are “misunderstood” and twisted by those of us just do not understand the peace and love that is true Islam.
One very important "weapon" our "defector" leaves out is the media. Melanie Phillips recently noted
It is this weakness and moral confusion that comprise the great goal of terrorist strategy; it is this that has characterised the west’s response to Islamic terror for many decades; it is this that has brought us to where we are today. In the war that has been declared upon the free world, the western media’s abuse of power is perhaps the most lethal weapon of all.
The world is engulfed by a war declared on it by Islam but you would hardly know it from the western media.
Islam has a great strategy for waging war on the world; use the freedoms of democracy against the world. Protected by freedom of speech and religion they spew their hate from their mosques. Our laws, designed to protect people's rights, are being used as shields by terrorists the world over; incorporating Sharia Law these shields are being turned into weapons. Charities and so called civil rights groups funnel money and support to jihadists. Our universities educate the terrorists and provide another fourm to spread their hate. All the while the elite media provide the propaganda mouth piece.
It is a great plan. While playing the role of the victim they attack; just like the terrorists in Falluja feinged death before blowing themselves up and killing all around them.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. Here is some additional reading.
Jihad Watch
Dhimmi Watch
Counter Terrorism
Daniel Pipes
Rantburg
Internet Haganah
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Bush - Mark Steyn's Thoughts
Mark Steyn takes a look at the state of the world and Bush's performance.
Sample
This week's U.N. report on Sudan nicely captures the alternative to Bush-style climate change. After months of expressing deep concern, grave concern, deep concern over the graves and deep grave concern over whether the graves were deep enough, Kofi Annan managed to persuade the U.N. to set up a committee to look into what's going on in Darfur. They've just reported back that it's not genocide. Phew, thank goodness for that. It turns out it's just 70,000 corpses who all happen to be from the same ethnic group; could happen anywhere. But it's not genocide, so don't worry about it.
A must read.
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Sample
This week's U.N. report on Sudan nicely captures the alternative to Bush-style climate change. After months of expressing deep concern, grave concern, deep concern over the graves and deep grave concern over whether the graves were deep enough, Kofi Annan managed to persuade the U.N. to set up a committee to look into what's going on in Darfur. They've just reported back that it's not genocide. Phew, thank goodness for that. It turns out it's just 70,000 corpses who all happen to be from the same ethnic group; could happen anywhere. But it's not genocide, so don't worry about it.
A must read.
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Monday, February 07, 2005
UN - Oil for Food Scandal - A Family Affair
Not only does Kofi Annan, the current Secretary General of the UN, have family members tied to the UN oil for food scandal, so does the former SG Boutros Boutros-Ghali.
UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - The former head of the scandal-tainted UN oil-for-food programme in Iraq and another official have been suspended after a damning investigation last week, the United Nations said.
The decision was taken after Paul Volcker, who is heading an independent probe into allegations of fraud and corruption into the now defunct 64-billion-dollar programme, released his panel's interim report on Friday.
The panel said that Benon Sevan, who headed the programme, had obtained oil allocations from Saddam Hussein's Baghdad regime on behalf of a trading company headed by a relative of former UN secretary general Boutros Boutros-Ghali.
The UN - rotten to the core.
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UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - The former head of the scandal-tainted UN oil-for-food programme in Iraq and another official have been suspended after a damning investigation last week, the United Nations said.
The decision was taken after Paul Volcker, who is heading an independent probe into allegations of fraud and corruption into the now defunct 64-billion-dollar programme, released his panel's interim report on Friday.
The panel said that Benon Sevan, who headed the programme, had obtained oil allocations from Saddam Hussein's Baghdad regime on behalf of a trading company headed by a relative of former UN secretary general Boutros Boutros-Ghali.
The UN - rotten to the core.
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BBC - Missing the Mark
The BBC currently has this page linked as a headline story on their vaunted News Watch webpage. The headline reads "Is NewsWatch hitting the mark?"
On the bottom right of the same webpage is a link to this: "Audience report The latest summary on key programme performance". Which proudly proclaims this:
Audience facts and figures
BBC News keeps a keen eye on who's watching and listening to what. Every month, NewsWatch will bring you the latest figures on all the latest programmes.
The last time that page was updated was: Last Updated: Friday, 10 December, 2004, 13:16 GMT
The Observer knows why the BBC stopped updating this page.
Figures published tomorrow will show that the BBC's audience share has fallen to its lowest level for years. Industry body Barb (the Broadcasters' Audience Research Board), will report that the BBC's overall share of viewers dropped from 38.3 per cent in 2003 to 36.62 per cent in 2004, a fall of just under 4.5 per cent.
The corporation's critics are likely to seize on the figures as proof that the BBC's share of the overall TV market is now in terminal decline, despite the launch of several expensive digital channels, including BBC3, BBC4 and BBC News 24.
The question isn't, is NewsWatch hitting the mark, the question is, is the BBC? Yeah, I know that is an easy one. NO.
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On the bottom right of the same webpage is a link to this: "Audience report The latest summary on key programme performance". Which proudly proclaims this:
Audience facts and figures
BBC News keeps a keen eye on who's watching and listening to what. Every month, NewsWatch will bring you the latest figures on all the latest programmes.
The last time that page was updated was: Last Updated: Friday, 10 December, 2004, 13:16 GMT
The Observer knows why the BBC stopped updating this page.
Figures published tomorrow will show that the BBC's audience share has fallen to its lowest level for years. Industry body Barb (the Broadcasters' Audience Research Board), will report that the BBC's overall share of viewers dropped from 38.3 per cent in 2003 to 36.62 per cent in 2004, a fall of just under 4.5 per cent.
The corporation's critics are likely to seize on the figures as proof that the BBC's share of the overall TV market is now in terminal decline, despite the launch of several expensive digital channels, including BBC3, BBC4 and BBC News 24.
The question isn't, is NewsWatch hitting the mark, the question is, is the BBC? Yeah, I know that is an easy one. NO.
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Al Qaeda Planning Gulf Attacks?
Counter Terrorism Blog thinks so.
A new wire story quoting the Kuwaiti Prime Minister's warning of al Qaeda attacks across the Gulf reminds me of a good EagleSpeak post on February 2 on the collective intel on that possibility, citing several sources.
Be sure and read the EagleSpeak post.
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A new wire story quoting the Kuwaiti Prime Minister's warning of al Qaeda attacks across the Gulf reminds me of a good EagleSpeak post on February 2 on the collective intel on that possibility, citing several sources.
Be sure and read the EagleSpeak post.
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Islamic Terrorists to be Released in UK
A reader tipped me off to this Telegraph article about the legal mess the UK is in over holding terrorists.
The Law Lords have ruled that nine of Britain's most dangerous men should be freed – without being shown the secret material against them. But, as Alasdair Palmer reveals, the 'open evidence' paints a frightening enough picture of the serious threat they pose
They are alleged to be the most dangerous men in Britain. Some among them have been found to "provide active support to a network of extreme Islamists planning attacks in the UK and Western Europe, including the use of toxic poisons". Others have actively raised funds for terrorist operations, trained so that they can take part in them, and have exhorted and encouraged others to do so.
Read the whole article, especially if you think they should be freed.
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The Law Lords have ruled that nine of Britain's most dangerous men should be freed – without being shown the secret material against them. But, as Alasdair Palmer reveals, the 'open evidence' paints a frightening enough picture of the serious threat they pose
They are alleged to be the most dangerous men in Britain. Some among them have been found to "provide active support to a network of extreme Islamists planning attacks in the UK and Western Europe, including the use of toxic poisons". Others have actively raised funds for terrorist operations, trained so that they can take part in them, and have exhorted and encouraged others to do so.
Read the whole article, especially if you think they should be freed.
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Islamists target Christian journalist on website
Internet Haganah reports "Christian journalist and long-time friend of Internet Haganah, Jeremy Reynalds has been targeted for killing by Islamists on the Al Ansar forum (ansarnet.ws)."
The religion of peace at work again.
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The religion of peace at work again.
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Afghanistan - Down the Memory Hole
Chrenkoff notes that since America was successful in Afghanistan the world press are no longer interested. I wonder what the press coverage will be like in Iraq a year from now?
A metaphorical drought also has broken throughout Afghanistan. As Kim Hart of the American Journalism Review writes, "with the establishment of a new government and building of infrastructure, a continuing U.S. military presence and the hunt for terrorists, Afghanistan is rife with stories of long-term consequence." Unfortunately, as Hart notes, there's hardly anyone left in Afghanistan to report it:
Once a journalism hot spot, Afghanistan was all but left behind when the media's spotlight turned to the conflict in Iraq. In June/July 2003, AJR reported that only a handful of reporters remained in the struggling country on a full-time basis, while other news organizations floated correspondents in and out when time and resources permitted.
A year and a half later, Afghanistan has become even more of an afterthought. Only two news organizations--Newsweek and the Washington Post--have full-time reporters stationed in Kabul, the capital. Other major newspapers, such as the Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times, rely on stringers in Afghanistan and correspondents based in New Delhi, India, to cover the region, a stark contrast to the hundreds of reporters pouring into Iraq since the war began. The New York Times uses a stringer, albeit a full-time one. Television networks have nearly disappeared.
As the old saying goes, all dressed up and nowhere to go. Just when, after decades of bloodshed and despair, Afghanistan is finally getting back on its feet, the media have already moved on. But as citizens of countries whose servicemen and -women liberated Afghanistan from the Taliban yoke and continue to help rebuild of the country, we deserve to be told when all that blood, sweat and money is bringing good results. Below are the past month's stories from Afghanistan that you might have missed.
Go read what legacy media and the anti-war crowd don't want you to know about.
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A metaphorical drought also has broken throughout Afghanistan. As Kim Hart of the American Journalism Review writes, "with the establishment of a new government and building of infrastructure, a continuing U.S. military presence and the hunt for terrorists, Afghanistan is rife with stories of long-term consequence." Unfortunately, as Hart notes, there's hardly anyone left in Afghanistan to report it:
Once a journalism hot spot, Afghanistan was all but left behind when the media's spotlight turned to the conflict in Iraq. In June/July 2003, AJR reported that only a handful of reporters remained in the struggling country on a full-time basis, while other news organizations floated correspondents in and out when time and resources permitted.
A year and a half later, Afghanistan has become even more of an afterthought. Only two news organizations--Newsweek and the Washington Post--have full-time reporters stationed in Kabul, the capital. Other major newspapers, such as the Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times, rely on stringers in Afghanistan and correspondents based in New Delhi, India, to cover the region, a stark contrast to the hundreds of reporters pouring into Iraq since the war began. The New York Times uses a stringer, albeit a full-time one. Television networks have nearly disappeared.
As the old saying goes, all dressed up and nowhere to go. Just when, after decades of bloodshed and despair, Afghanistan is finally getting back on its feet, the media have already moved on. But as citizens of countries whose servicemen and -women liberated Afghanistan from the Taliban yoke and continue to help rebuild of the country, we deserve to be told when all that blood, sweat and money is bringing good results. Below are the past month's stories from Afghanistan that you might have missed.
Go read what legacy media and the anti-war crowd don't want you to know about.
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Israel-Palestinian truce 'likely'
The BBC reports on a possible breakthrough. But note the language used by the BBC.
Israeli and Palestinian leaders will sign a truce on Tuesday to end four years of fighting, reports say.
The deal will be agreed when Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon meets Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas for talks in Egypt on Tuesday, sources say.
Four years of fighting? How about four years of Palestinian terrorism? It was the Palestinians who issued the intifada not Israel. A point the BBC want you to ignore.
"The most important thing at the summit will be a mutual declaration of cessation of violence against each other," Mr Erekat told the Reuters news agency.
Well Beeb I'm sure if the Palestinians stopped their terrorists attacks Israel would stop killing the terrorists.
He said the agreement would also lead to the establishment of joint committees that would oversee the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails and the phased withdrawal of Israeli forces from Palestinian areas of the West Bank.
And
Ms Rice earlier re-affirmed her backing for a Palestinian state and said Israel must be prepared to make tough decisions towards realising it.
Er? And Israel gets what exactly? And wasn't Arafat offered all of this years ago?
Mr Abbas, who came to power after the death of veteran leader Yasser Arafat last year, has won praise from Israel for his efforts to curb militant attacks on Israeli targets.
Veteran leader? Arafat is the father of modern terrorism!
Any doubt in your mind who the BBC side with?
Still, let's hope some good comes from it.
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Israeli and Palestinian leaders will sign a truce on Tuesday to end four years of fighting, reports say.
The deal will be agreed when Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon meets Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas for talks in Egypt on Tuesday, sources say.
Four years of fighting? How about four years of Palestinian terrorism? It was the Palestinians who issued the intifada not Israel. A point the BBC want you to ignore.
"The most important thing at the summit will be a mutual declaration of cessation of violence against each other," Mr Erekat told the Reuters news agency.
Well Beeb I'm sure if the Palestinians stopped their terrorists attacks Israel would stop killing the terrorists.
He said the agreement would also lead to the establishment of joint committees that would oversee the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails and the phased withdrawal of Israeli forces from Palestinian areas of the West Bank.
And
Ms Rice earlier re-affirmed her backing for a Palestinian state and said Israel must be prepared to make tough decisions towards realising it.
Er? And Israel gets what exactly? And wasn't Arafat offered all of this years ago?
Mr Abbas, who came to power after the death of veteran leader Yasser Arafat last year, has won praise from Israel for his efforts to curb militant attacks on Israeli targets.
Veteran leader? Arafat is the father of modern terrorism!
Any doubt in your mind who the BBC side with?
Still, let's hope some good comes from it.
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The Guardian - Waste of Good Trees
Greenpeace should take on The Guardian for wasting good trees by publishing absolute rubbish.
Norm Blog points us to two fiskings of this dog trainer of a newspaper.
First, Labour Friends of Iraq tears former (who knows he may still be) Clinton advisor, Sidney Blumenthal, apart over his pooh poohing the Iraqi elections.
Second, Harry's Place takes on Tariq Ali over the same issue.
Strange how The Guardian did all it could to stop the US from freeing Iraq, tried to influence the US elections, and is now downplaying the stunning Iraqi elections. It's almost as if the Guardian had it in for the Iraqi people. Oh, that's right. Their poster boy, George Galloway, was for Saddam and against the Iraqi people. My bad.
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Norm Blog points us to two fiskings of this dog trainer of a newspaper.
First, Labour Friends of Iraq tears former (who knows he may still be) Clinton advisor, Sidney Blumenthal, apart over his pooh poohing the Iraqi elections.
Second, Harry's Place takes on Tariq Ali over the same issue.
Strange how The Guardian did all it could to stop the US from freeing Iraq, tried to influence the US elections, and is now downplaying the stunning Iraqi elections. It's almost as if the Guardian had it in for the Iraqi people. Oh, that's right. Their poster boy, George Galloway, was for Saddam and against the Iraqi people. My bad.
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Iraq - Iraqis Turn on Terrorists
That's what the headline should be but ABC (AU) uses this one instead: "Iraqi insurgents resume deadly attacks".
This is a story about brave, ordinary, Iraqis standing up to the terrorists and ABC choose to highlight the terrorists; even calling them insurgents.
The ABC's Middle East Correspondent, Mark Willacy, is in the Iraqi capital,
Baghdad.
Mark Willacy, we've heard reports about the high voter turnout, but now there are reports of how some voters have taken on the insurgents in order to vote, you know, the people are fighting back.
MARK WILLACY: That's right, Tony. The Iraqi police have investigated a case in the village of al-Mudhariya, which is just south of Baghdad. The villagers there say that before the election insurgents came and warned them that if they voted in last weekend's election, they would pay.
Now the people of this mixed village of Sunni and Shia Muslims, they ignored the threat and they did turn out to vote.
We understand that last night the insurgents came back to punish the people of al-Mudhariya, but instead of metering out that punishment the villagers fought back and they killed five of the insurgents and wounded eight. They then burnt the insurgents' car. So the people of that village have certainly had enough of the insurgents.
TONY EASTLEY: Do you think that is a one off, Mark, or is it a sign perhaps that some Iraqis are no longer sympathetic to the insurgents' cause, or at least no longer willing to turn a blind eye?
MARK WILLACY: It would appear that people are getting sick of the insurgency. I understand, though, that this is the first report of Iraqis confronting insurgents and actually fighting back in such a way.
But certainly many people here see the insurgency as the work of foreigners who want to turn their country into some sort of Islamic state, like Afghanistan under the Talbian.
And a couple of days ago we spoke to some voters in central Baghdad and every one of them basically said that they'd like the insurgents to stop their bombing and shooting attacks. Some even said they'd voted just to send a message to the insurgents that they would not be frightened any more.
I bet you never read or hear this from the BBC.
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This is a story about brave, ordinary, Iraqis standing up to the terrorists and ABC choose to highlight the terrorists; even calling them insurgents.
The ABC's Middle East Correspondent, Mark Willacy, is in the Iraqi capital,
Baghdad.
Mark Willacy, we've heard reports about the high voter turnout, but now there are reports of how some voters have taken on the insurgents in order to vote, you know, the people are fighting back.
MARK WILLACY: That's right, Tony. The Iraqi police have investigated a case in the village of al-Mudhariya, which is just south of Baghdad. The villagers there say that before the election insurgents came and warned them that if they voted in last weekend's election, they would pay.
Now the people of this mixed village of Sunni and Shia Muslims, they ignored the threat and they did turn out to vote.
We understand that last night the insurgents came back to punish the people of al-Mudhariya, but instead of metering out that punishment the villagers fought back and they killed five of the insurgents and wounded eight. They then burnt the insurgents' car. So the people of that village have certainly had enough of the insurgents.
TONY EASTLEY: Do you think that is a one off, Mark, or is it a sign perhaps that some Iraqis are no longer sympathetic to the insurgents' cause, or at least no longer willing to turn a blind eye?
MARK WILLACY: It would appear that people are getting sick of the insurgency. I understand, though, that this is the first report of Iraqis confronting insurgents and actually fighting back in such a way.
But certainly many people here see the insurgency as the work of foreigners who want to turn their country into some sort of Islamic state, like Afghanistan under the Talbian.
And a couple of days ago we spoke to some voters in central Baghdad and every one of them basically said that they'd like the insurgents to stop their bombing and shooting attacks. Some even said they'd voted just to send a message to the insurgents that they would not be frightened any more.
I bet you never read or hear this from the BBC.
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Google News Biased?
Michelle Malkin and LGF think so. I do too.
Note that the Google News index now searches quite a few blogs (including Power Line, Polipundit, and Wonkette) and includes other sites with, to say the least, serious credibility problems (including hard-core anarchist site Infoshop, Justin Raimondo’s paleocon antisemitic site antiwar.com, barking moonbat lunatic asylum Democratic Underground, radical Islamic jihadi sites khilafah.com and Jihad Unspun, and extremist pro-Palestinian site electronic intifada).
Strange that Google would not include Malkin or LGF but include the Democratic Underground with is a bulletin board and not even a blog.
As Michelle says "Got something to say about all this? Send your comments to source-suggestions@google.com"
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Note that the Google News index now searches quite a few blogs (including Power Line, Polipundit, and Wonkette) and includes other sites with, to say the least, serious credibility problems (including hard-core anarchist site Infoshop, Justin Raimondo’s paleocon antisemitic site antiwar.com, barking moonbat lunatic asylum Democratic Underground, radical Islamic jihadi sites khilafah.com and Jihad Unspun, and extremist pro-Palestinian site electronic intifada).
Strange that Google would not include Malkin or LGF but include the Democratic Underground with is a bulletin board and not even a blog.
As Michelle says "Got something to say about all this? Send your comments to source-suggestions@google.com"
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Iraq is not Vietnam
Want proof?
This is an email from Michelle Malkin's blog.
I work for American Airlines at DFW airport and have seen this scene repeated every time we have a military flight arrive here (they all arrive either here or BWI) and the soldiers disperse to take their connecting flights home. Just four days ago I had 37 soldiers returning from Iraq on R and R on our flight. As I made the boarding announcements, I told the other passengers that we had young men and women who were really anxious to get home and we were going to allow them to board first and get settled in before beginning general boarding. As the soldiers stepped up to walk down the jetbridge, everyone in the waiting area clapped. Passengers hurrying to their next flight, airport employees and crew members all stopped and joined in. One young girl whistled really loud and long. The soldiers loved it. They were grinning and waving to everyone. One of the last ones to board asked if he could hug me. As he did he said, "We came from Mosul two days ago. We were getting shot at up until the time we left there. You have no idea what your kindness and this recognition means to all of us." I replied, "No, thank you. You have no idea what your service and sacrifice means to all of us here!"
As I looked around, I saw tears in many eyes. It was a brief, great moment. We love honoring these young men and women in this small way.
Contrast that with the welcome the Vietnam vets got on their return. We have John Kerry and his anti-war buddies to thank for that shame.
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This is an email from Michelle Malkin's blog.
I work for American Airlines at DFW airport and have seen this scene repeated every time we have a military flight arrive here (they all arrive either here or BWI) and the soldiers disperse to take their connecting flights home. Just four days ago I had 37 soldiers returning from Iraq on R and R on our flight. As I made the boarding announcements, I told the other passengers that we had young men and women who were really anxious to get home and we were going to allow them to board first and get settled in before beginning general boarding. As the soldiers stepped up to walk down the jetbridge, everyone in the waiting area clapped. Passengers hurrying to their next flight, airport employees and crew members all stopped and joined in. One young girl whistled really loud and long. The soldiers loved it. They were grinning and waving to everyone. One of the last ones to board asked if he could hug me. As he did he said, "We came from Mosul two days ago. We were getting shot at up until the time we left there. You have no idea what your kindness and this recognition means to all of us." I replied, "No, thank you. You have no idea what your service and sacrifice means to all of us here!"
As I looked around, I saw tears in many eyes. It was a brief, great moment. We love honoring these young men and women in this small way.
Contrast that with the welcome the Vietnam vets got on their return. We have John Kerry and his anti-war buddies to thank for that shame.
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Iraq - Hunt for the Bomb Factories
Nice to see Time reporting on US success in Iraq for a change. Maybe the bloggers are getting to them.
The car bombs that go off in Baghdad are manufactured in the relative quiet of an arc of Sunni tribal lands around the capital. That is the true heartland of the resistance, where it draws on massive weapons depots secreted in river valleys and deserts. The nationalist fighters who control the area supply Abu Mousab al-Zarqawi's networks with the ammo they use for their deadly operations, according to U.S. military intelligence. Even as more attacks took place last week in the run-up to the election--including mortar rounds on the U.S. embassy that killed two Americans--the Iraqi government announced the capture of several key al-Zarqawi lieutenants, including an alleged "bomber-in-chief." U.S.-led forces arrested other significant insurgent leaders, the result of a monthlong sweep beyond Iraq's big cities. On a recent mission, TIME Baghdad bureau chief MICHAEL WARE saw the strategy at work:
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The car bombs that go off in Baghdad are manufactured in the relative quiet of an arc of Sunni tribal lands around the capital. That is the true heartland of the resistance, where it draws on massive weapons depots secreted in river valleys and deserts. The nationalist fighters who control the area supply Abu Mousab al-Zarqawi's networks with the ammo they use for their deadly operations, according to U.S. military intelligence. Even as more attacks took place last week in the run-up to the election--including mortar rounds on the U.S. embassy that killed two Americans--the Iraqi government announced the capture of several key al-Zarqawi lieutenants, including an alleged "bomber-in-chief." U.S.-led forces arrested other significant insurgent leaders, the result of a monthlong sweep beyond Iraq's big cities. On a recent mission, TIME Baghdad bureau chief MICHAEL WARE saw the strategy at work:
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UN - Media Blind to Oil Scandal
Ever wonder why MSM rarely report on the UN oil for food program? Well maybe it's because some reporters, like Linda Fasulo, the U.N. correspondent for NBC News and MSNBC, get paid to ignore the bad and write the good.
UPDATE
EU Referendum has a great round up of the UK Sunday papers coverage of the UN oil for food scandal. It's taken over two years for legacy media to report on the biggest financial scandal in history.
EU ends with some comments from Mark Steyn's article I posted about earlier.
The Americans and Australians had troops and relief supplies on the ground within hours and were coordinating their efforts without any global bureaucracy at all. Imagine that: an unprecedented disaster, and yet robust, efficient, compatible, results-oriented nations managed to accomplish more than the international system specifically set up to manage such events. Would it have helped to elect a steering committee with Sudan and Zimbabwe on it? Of course not."
John Kerry wanted to get a permission slip from the UN before taking action. Thank God we doged that bullet.
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UPDATE
EU Referendum has a great round up of the UK Sunday papers coverage of the UN oil for food scandal. It's taken over two years for legacy media to report on the biggest financial scandal in history.
EU ends with some comments from Mark Steyn's article I posted about earlier.
The Americans and Australians had troops and relief supplies on the ground within hours and were coordinating their efforts without any global bureaucracy at all. Imagine that: an unprecedented disaster, and yet robust, efficient, compatible, results-oriented nations managed to accomplish more than the international system specifically set up to manage such events. Would it have helped to elect a steering committee with Sudan and Zimbabwe on it? Of course not."
John Kerry wanted to get a permission slip from the UN before taking action. Thank God we doged that bullet.
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Islam - Religion of Hate?
The UK Times reports "While Christians who turn to Islam are feted, the 200,000 Muslims who turn away are faced with abuse, violence and even murder".
While those who convert to Islam, such as Cat Stevens, Jemima Khan, and the sons of the Frank Dobson, the former Health Secretary, and Lord Birt, the former BBC Director-General, can publicly celebrate their new religion, those whose faith goes in the other direction face persecution. Mr Hussein, a 39-year-old hospital nurse in Bradford, is one of a growing number of former Muslims in Britain who face not just being shunned by family and community, but attacked, kidnapped, and in some cases killed. There is even a secret underground network to support and protect those who leave Islam. One estimate suggests that as many as 15 per cent of Muslims in Western societies have lost their faith, which would mean that in Britain there are about 200,000 apostates.
What do the police do about it?
The police have not charged anyone, but told him to leave the area. “We feel completely isolated, utterly helpless. I have been utterly failed by the authorities. If it was white racists attacking an Asian guy, there would be an absolute outcry,” he said. “They are trying to ethnically cleanse me out of my home. I feel I have to make a stand as an Asian Christian.”
Meanwhile London police face a new Muslim threat - The Muslim Boys.
"Knives is f***-all. Later, my bruvs will be back from their robberies with our skengelengs [guns] and cream [money]. Later there be MACinside-10s [sub-machine guns] all over the floor, laid wall to wall. And moolah! We count it - 10 grand, 20 grand. Then, after midnight," he adds, matter-of-factly, "me and my bruvs go to mosque to pray."
Winston's casual depiction of a lifestyle of crime tightly bound up with religious observance would normally be regarded as paradoxical, but in his case it is what defines him. For Winston is a member of the Muslim Boys, a gang, the black community says, unlike any that has operated before in south London.
Welcome to World War IV.
UPDATE
Just in case you think the UK is an isolated case here is more from Nigeria.
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While those who convert to Islam, such as Cat Stevens, Jemima Khan, and the sons of the Frank Dobson, the former Health Secretary, and Lord Birt, the former BBC Director-General, can publicly celebrate their new religion, those whose faith goes in the other direction face persecution. Mr Hussein, a 39-year-old hospital nurse in Bradford, is one of a growing number of former Muslims in Britain who face not just being shunned by family and community, but attacked, kidnapped, and in some cases killed. There is even a secret underground network to support and protect those who leave Islam. One estimate suggests that as many as 15 per cent of Muslims in Western societies have lost their faith, which would mean that in Britain there are about 200,000 apostates.
What do the police do about it?
The police have not charged anyone, but told him to leave the area. “We feel completely isolated, utterly helpless. I have been utterly failed by the authorities. If it was white racists attacking an Asian guy, there would be an absolute outcry,” he said. “They are trying to ethnically cleanse me out of my home. I feel I have to make a stand as an Asian Christian.”
Meanwhile London police face a new Muslim threat - The Muslim Boys.
"Knives is f***-all. Later, my bruvs will be back from their robberies with our skengelengs [guns] and cream [money]. Later there be MACinside-10s [sub-machine guns] all over the floor, laid wall to wall. And moolah! We count it - 10 grand, 20 grand. Then, after midnight," he adds, matter-of-factly, "me and my bruvs go to mosque to pray."
Winston's casual depiction of a lifestyle of crime tightly bound up with religious observance would normally be regarded as paradoxical, but in his case it is what defines him. For Winston is a member of the Muslim Boys, a gang, the black community says, unlike any that has operated before in south London.
Welcome to World War IV.
UPDATE
Just in case you think the UK is an isolated case here is more from Nigeria.
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Islamic jihad coming to Europe
Melanie Phillips reports that the Atocha atrocity had nothing to do with Spain's involvement in Iraq but instead was just the start of Islamic jihad coming to Europe.
Their next attack in Spain was meant to dwarf Atocha.
Now, it seems that the belief some of us held at the time that the Atocha atrocity was nothing to do with Iraq and everything to do instead with the aim of the Islamic jihad to retake Andalucia as part of a restored Islamic caliphate was correct. For another, subsequent plot to attack Spain has apparently been uncovered -- and this one would have dwarfed Atocha. According to the Front Line programme transmitted on January 25 by the American TV station PBS, in October 2004 Spanish police disrupted a plot to bomb multiple targets, including a skyscraper designed by the architect who designed the World Trade Center; the offices of anti-terrorism judge Baltasar Garzón; the soccer stadium where the Real Madrid club plays; and, once again, the Atocha train station. 38 suspects are now being held.
This horrific plot was being hatched after Spain had effectively thrown up its hands in surrender over Iraq. According to the programme, the driving force behind these Islamists was the desire to retake Andalucia as an important part of the medieval Islamic caliphate. Well, there's a surprise.
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Their next attack in Spain was meant to dwarf Atocha.
Now, it seems that the belief some of us held at the time that the Atocha atrocity was nothing to do with Iraq and everything to do instead with the aim of the Islamic jihad to retake Andalucia as part of a restored Islamic caliphate was correct. For another, subsequent plot to attack Spain has apparently been uncovered -- and this one would have dwarfed Atocha. According to the Front Line programme transmitted on January 25 by the American TV station PBS, in October 2004 Spanish police disrupted a plot to bomb multiple targets, including a skyscraper designed by the architect who designed the World Trade Center; the offices of anti-terrorism judge Baltasar Garzón; the soccer stadium where the Real Madrid club plays; and, once again, the Atocha train station. 38 suspects are now being held.
This horrific plot was being hatched after Spain had effectively thrown up its hands in surrender over Iraq. According to the programme, the driving force behind these Islamists was the desire to retake Andalucia as an important part of the medieval Islamic caliphate. Well, there's a surprise.
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BBC - The British Bias Corporation
Melanie Phillips has some email exchanges between irate UK readers and the BBC.
This is what we have to do - complain. The BBC do respond sometimes and often their responses do not hold up to scrutiny. The more these exchanges take place the less of a fig leaf the BBC can hide behind.
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This is what we have to do - complain. The BBC do respond sometimes and often their responses do not hold up to scrutiny. The more these exchanges take place the less of a fig leaf the BBC can hide behind.
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Iraq - Support waning for terrorists
NBC is reporting "Attitudes seen shifting since election".
BAGHDAD, Feb. 6 - With a hero who gave his life for the elections, a revived national anthem blaring from car stereos and a greater willingness to help police, the public mood appears to be moving more clearly against the insurgency in Iraq, political and security officials say.
In the week since national elections, police and Iraqi National Guardsmen say that they have received more tips from the public, resulting in more arrests and greater effectiveness in their efforts to weaken the violent insurgency rocking the country.
Like a dog with an old shoe, legacy media can't let go and report on good news from Iraq without getting their digs in.
The insurgency began to emerge soon after the toppling of Saddam Hussein, on a tide of anger over the U.S. occupation. But in interviews over the past week, officials and Baghdad residents cited what they called a renewed nationalist pride since the elections that they said may be dampening anti-American sentiment, and may be starting to dispel Iraqi tolerance and support for the insurgents.
The terrorists did not just rise up out of nowhere on "a tide of anger over the U.S. occupation". Saddam planned a terrorist campaign before he was ousted.
The tide is turning against the terrorists as respect grows for the Iraqi police.
"We are arresting more terrorists than ever before," said Iraqi National Guard Sgt. Kathem Hanish in Baghdad. "The people are coming to us with information. They are cooperating."
At the station where Amir had worked in the Yarmouk neighborhood of Baghdad, policemen said they were encouraged by the reaction to their colleague's heroism.
"It was a turning point," Capt. Muthana Latif said. "People saw that there weren't any Americans or foreigners there. Only policemen. The suicide bomber was just after Iraqis."
"Policemen did not have a role in this country," police Col. Katham Abbas Hamza said. "Now we are considered number one guardians of the country."
Now check out this BBC report on how the Iraqi police are performing. All doom and gloom and not a hint of how things are changing in Iraq - for the better.
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BAGHDAD, Feb. 6 - With a hero who gave his life for the elections, a revived national anthem blaring from car stereos and a greater willingness to help police, the public mood appears to be moving more clearly against the insurgency in Iraq, political and security officials say.
In the week since national elections, police and Iraqi National Guardsmen say that they have received more tips from the public, resulting in more arrests and greater effectiveness in their efforts to weaken the violent insurgency rocking the country.
Like a dog with an old shoe, legacy media can't let go and report on good news from Iraq without getting their digs in.
The insurgency began to emerge soon after the toppling of Saddam Hussein, on a tide of anger over the U.S. occupation. But in interviews over the past week, officials and Baghdad residents cited what they called a renewed nationalist pride since the elections that they said may be dampening anti-American sentiment, and may be starting to dispel Iraqi tolerance and support for the insurgents.
The terrorists did not just rise up out of nowhere on "a tide of anger over the U.S. occupation". Saddam planned a terrorist campaign before he was ousted.
The tide is turning against the terrorists as respect grows for the Iraqi police.
"We are arresting more terrorists than ever before," said Iraqi National Guard Sgt. Kathem Hanish in Baghdad. "The people are coming to us with information. They are cooperating."
At the station where Amir had worked in the Yarmouk neighborhood of Baghdad, policemen said they were encouraged by the reaction to their colleague's heroism.
"It was a turning point," Capt. Muthana Latif said. "People saw that there weren't any Americans or foreigners there. Only policemen. The suicide bomber was just after Iraqis."
"Policemen did not have a role in this country," police Col. Katham Abbas Hamza said. "Now we are considered number one guardians of the country."
Now check out this BBC report on how the Iraqi police are performing. All doom and gloom and not a hint of how things are changing in Iraq - for the better.
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UN - Oil Scam Widens
Instapundit has a round up of some of the latest news on the scandal.
LONDON (Reuters) - Former U.N. head Boutros Boutros-Ghali refused to take all the blame for Iraq's scandal-tainted oil-for-food program on Saturday, pointing the finger at his successor Kofi Annan.
The scam that keeps on giving.
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LONDON (Reuters) - Former U.N. head Boutros Boutros-Ghali refused to take all the blame for Iraq's scandal-tainted oil-for-food program on Saturday, pointing the finger at his successor Kofi Annan.
The scam that keeps on giving.
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Blogsphere - Overtaking Legacy Media
Edward B. Driscoll takes a look at the growth of the blogsphere.
In comparison, as of 1998, there were 1,489 daily "dead tree" newspapers in the US. Just to get a scope of what 50,000 daily newspapers means in terms of readership, let's look at a hypothetical weblog that's riding near the end of the tail. If it only has 100 readers a day, and there are 50,000 blogs with similar quantities of readership, that makes for a whopping 5,000,000 total readers. Five million readers would make weblogs the second largest newspaper group in the nation, behind Gannett, just ahead of Knight-Ridder and with twice the readership of The New York Times Co.
And it's actually greater than five million, of course, since there are many, many blogs with many more than a hundred readers. And some of the millions of "not updated daily" blogs actually have fairly consistent readership.
And he notes the impact of the blogsphere.
The long tail can also create what Hewitt calls "blog swarms", a spiraling vortex where one blogger picks up a story, then 10 or so of his fellow bloggers pick it up, and so on, as it continues to spiral outward. When this happens, the power of the tail becomes clear -- and it's caused major damage to the careers of Senators Trent Lott and John Kerry, anchorman Dan Rather, and to the reputations of the New York Times and CBS.
Despite this, Hewitt says, the tail of the Blogosphere is a concept that the mainstream media simply does not understand. "They've never worried about the tail, ever", he chortles. "And now they've got the tail just eating them, all day, 24/7."
And think of this: blogs only became a real force in opinion journalism beginning with 9/11 and its aftermath -- less than four years ago. Where will they be (and how long will the Blogosphere's tail be) in the next five or ten years?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In comparison, as of 1998, there were 1,489 daily "dead tree" newspapers in the US. Just to get a scope of what 50,000 daily newspapers means in terms of readership, let's look at a hypothetical weblog that's riding near the end of the tail. If it only has 100 readers a day, and there are 50,000 blogs with similar quantities of readership, that makes for a whopping 5,000,000 total readers. Five million readers would make weblogs the second largest newspaper group in the nation, behind Gannett, just ahead of Knight-Ridder and with twice the readership of The New York Times Co.
And it's actually greater than five million, of course, since there are many, many blogs with many more than a hundred readers. And some of the millions of "not updated daily" blogs actually have fairly consistent readership.
And he notes the impact of the blogsphere.
The long tail can also create what Hewitt calls "blog swarms", a spiraling vortex where one blogger picks up a story, then 10 or so of his fellow bloggers pick it up, and so on, as it continues to spiral outward. When this happens, the power of the tail becomes clear -- and it's caused major damage to the careers of Senators Trent Lott and John Kerry, anchorman Dan Rather, and to the reputations of the New York Times and CBS.
Despite this, Hewitt says, the tail of the Blogosphere is a concept that the mainstream media simply does not understand. "They've never worried about the tail, ever", he chortles. "And now they've got the tail just eating them, all day, 24/7."
And think of this: blogs only became a real force in opinion journalism beginning with 9/11 and its aftermath -- less than four years ago. Where will they be (and how long will the Blogosphere's tail be) in the next five or ten years?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UN - Inmates Take Over Asylum
The inmates continue the take over of the asylum at The UN.
Is the United Nations attempting self-parody?
How else to explain the announcement that a panel has been elected to decide which complaints will be heard by the UN Human Rights Commission at its annual meeting in Geneva this spring -- and that three of the five members are Cuba, Zimbabwe and Saudi Arabia?
Placement on the diplomatically-named Working Group on Situations virtually guarantees that these abject human rights abusers won't be criticized, censured or sanctioned no matter what crimes they have committed, are committing or plan to commit.
If any senior UN officials are troubled by this system, they are too discreet to say so publicly.
The composition of the broader Human Rights Commission remains no less Orwellian. Currently, it includes not only China and Russia but also Sudan, just elected to another three-year term despite Khartoum's role in what the United States government calls genocide against black Muslims in the western Sudanese region of Darfur.
Last week, members of a separate U.N. commission appointed by Secretary-General Kofi Annan demurred. They said they were unable to find “sufficient evidence” to conclude that those responsible for the mass murders, rapes, home burnings and ethnic cleansing acted with “genocidal intent.” Instead, they said that what had taken place were “crimes against humanity with an ethnic dimension.”
Predictably, Sudanese officials announced that the UN had “exonerated” them.
Then there is the World Heath Organization, a United Nations “special agency.” WHO's Director General has just awarded its prize for “best anti-smoking and nutrition” programs to al Manar – the television station owned and operated by Hezbollah, among the world's most lethal terrorist organizations.
In fact, Hezbollah has killed more Americans than any other terrorist organization other than al Qaeda. Al Manar routinely broadcasts programs to millions in the Middle East inciting suicide bombings against Americans in Iraq and against Israelis wherever they may be found.
And we pay these idiots.
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Is the United Nations attempting self-parody?
How else to explain the announcement that a panel has been elected to decide which complaints will be heard by the UN Human Rights Commission at its annual meeting in Geneva this spring -- and that three of the five members are Cuba, Zimbabwe and Saudi Arabia?
Placement on the diplomatically-named Working Group on Situations virtually guarantees that these abject human rights abusers won't be criticized, censured or sanctioned no matter what crimes they have committed, are committing or plan to commit.
If any senior UN officials are troubled by this system, they are too discreet to say so publicly.
The composition of the broader Human Rights Commission remains no less Orwellian. Currently, it includes not only China and Russia but also Sudan, just elected to another three-year term despite Khartoum's role in what the United States government calls genocide against black Muslims in the western Sudanese region of Darfur.
Last week, members of a separate U.N. commission appointed by Secretary-General Kofi Annan demurred. They said they were unable to find “sufficient evidence” to conclude that those responsible for the mass murders, rapes, home burnings and ethnic cleansing acted with “genocidal intent.” Instead, they said that what had taken place were “crimes against humanity with an ethnic dimension.”
Predictably, Sudanese officials announced that the UN had “exonerated” them.
Then there is the World Heath Organization, a United Nations “special agency.” WHO's Director General has just awarded its prize for “best anti-smoking and nutrition” programs to al Manar – the television station owned and operated by Hezbollah, among the world's most lethal terrorist organizations.
In fact, Hezbollah has killed more Americans than any other terrorist organization other than al Qaeda. Al Manar routinely broadcasts programs to millions in the Middle East inciting suicide bombings against Americans in Iraq and against Israelis wherever they may be found.
And we pay these idiots.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Iraq - Free At Last
Seems the Iraqis feel their elections set them free at last. That's according to The New York Times no less. Not to worry though, the NYT still manage to insert their bias into the story. But it is good to see them reporting on some good news from Iraq for a change.
All that seemed to change last Sunday, when millions of Iraqis streamed to the polls. Few if any Iraqis had ever voted in anything approaching a free election, yet most seemed to know exactly what the exercise was about: selecting their own representatives to lead their own country.
"Our dilemma is solved," said Rashid Majid, 80, who wore his best jacket to the polls. "We will follow our new leaders, because we have chosen them."
Some Iraqis saw in the election their own liberation, one that many did not feel on April 9, 2003. Mr. Hussein's regime was not toppled by Iraqis but by the American military, a fact that has lingered in Iraqi minds.
Yet after casting ballots in a free election, conducted by more than 100,000 Iraqi poll workers, many Iraqis said they finally felt free - not only from the terrors of the old regime, but also from acute feelings of humiliation about the American occupation.
Now it seems they want America to stay after all.
The new mood appears to have continued since election day. The calls by candidates for a timetable for American military withdrawal have died away. Even a group of Sunni politicians decided last week that they would take part in the drafting of Iraq's new constitution without insisting on a timetable.
Getting Iraqis to take charge of their own affairs, whether by fighting insurgents or taking over government ministries, has been the goal of American leaders here since the fall of Saddam Hussein. After 22 months of trying to persuade the Iraqis to stand on their own, while doing everything for them, the Americans may be finding that Iraqis, now fully sovereign, don't want them to go home so soon after all.
UPDATE:
Even The BBC are forced to report on the Iraq's desire for America to stay awhile longer.
FG: Hugh, what is the talk there regarding the ending of the occupation?
HS: There's some talk. People don't like being occupied; it's pretty straightforward. They do regard it as an occupation, but some regard it as a benign occupation. Others are critical of the occupation, and the time that it's taken to reach this point. Maybe, they wonder, there would have been less violence if sovereignty and elections had happened sooner. But now is now, a lot of people keep telling me, and there's a lot of realism. For example, I asked Alaa [spelling?] a market trader... I asked him... about ending the occupation. 'No way,' he replied.
Alaa: If any kind of foreign forces leave Iraq, there will be no Iraq. We need American and British and any foreign experience to control the country again, because 35 years of Saddam's dictatory, we lost the rules, we lost how to control a country by a parliament. There was one man ruling the whole thing. I haven't been in any kind of elections since was I born.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All that seemed to change last Sunday, when millions of Iraqis streamed to the polls. Few if any Iraqis had ever voted in anything approaching a free election, yet most seemed to know exactly what the exercise was about: selecting their own representatives to lead their own country.
"Our dilemma is solved," said Rashid Majid, 80, who wore his best jacket to the polls. "We will follow our new leaders, because we have chosen them."
Some Iraqis saw in the election their own liberation, one that many did not feel on April 9, 2003. Mr. Hussein's regime was not toppled by Iraqis but by the American military, a fact that has lingered in Iraqi minds.
Yet after casting ballots in a free election, conducted by more than 100,000 Iraqi poll workers, many Iraqis said they finally felt free - not only from the terrors of the old regime, but also from acute feelings of humiliation about the American occupation.
Now it seems they want America to stay after all.
The new mood appears to have continued since election day. The calls by candidates for a timetable for American military withdrawal have died away. Even a group of Sunni politicians decided last week that they would take part in the drafting of Iraq's new constitution without insisting on a timetable.
Getting Iraqis to take charge of their own affairs, whether by fighting insurgents or taking over government ministries, has been the goal of American leaders here since the fall of Saddam Hussein. After 22 months of trying to persuade the Iraqis to stand on their own, while doing everything for them, the Americans may be finding that Iraqis, now fully sovereign, don't want them to go home so soon after all.
UPDATE:
Even The BBC are forced to report on the Iraq's desire for America to stay awhile longer.
FG: Hugh, what is the talk there regarding the ending of the occupation?
HS: There's some talk. People don't like being occupied; it's pretty straightforward. They do regard it as an occupation, but some regard it as a benign occupation. Others are critical of the occupation, and the time that it's taken to reach this point. Maybe, they wonder, there would have been less violence if sovereignty and elections had happened sooner. But now is now, a lot of people keep telling me, and there's a lot of realism. For example, I asked Alaa [spelling?] a market trader... I asked him... about ending the occupation. 'No way,' he replied.
Alaa: If any kind of foreign forces leave Iraq, there will be no Iraq. We need American and British and any foreign experience to control the country again, because 35 years of Saddam's dictatory, we lost the rules, we lost how to control a country by a parliament. There was one man ruling the whole thing. I haven't been in any kind of elections since was I born.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Iraq - Media Aiding Terrorists
Jack Kelly reports on how legacy media are aiding the terrorists in Iraq.
It's also interesting that the terrorists turned to the news media to recover lost momentum. Journalists who fell for these hoaxes may merely be idiots, and their silence about the implications of the hoaxes may simply be the by-product of embarrassment. But more to the point, why are major media so quick to disseminate anything that a terrorist group, or purported terrorist group, releases? For the terrorist, it is like being given millions of dollars in free advertising.
He also exposes Eason Jordan's, CNN's top news executive, bias.
The scandalous remarks of Eason Jordan, CNN's top news executive, last week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and the failure of the major media to report them suggest the distortions are deliberate.
Mr. Jordan told a panel that the U.S. military had killed a dozen journalists in Iraq, and that they had been deliberately targeted. When challenged, Mr. Jordan could provide no evidence to support the charge, and subsequently lied about having made it, though the record shows he had made a similar charge a few months before, and also earlier had falsely accused the Israeli military of targeting journalists.
Mr. Jordan's slander has created a firestorm in the blogosphere, but has yet to be mentioned in the "mainstream" media.
Gee, I wonder why not.
UPDATE
Melanie Phillips notes how the media play into the hands of Palestinian terrorists as well.
A ten year-old Palestinian child, Nuran Deab, was shot dead on Monday in Rafah, after Palestinians fired shots in the air. The Palestinians arrested a suspect on Tuesday evening. But as HonestReporting.com records, intitial false claims by Palestinians that the child had been shot by Israeli soldiers were promoted as correct by a number of outlets, including the Independent newspaper and the UN (of course):
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's also interesting that the terrorists turned to the news media to recover lost momentum. Journalists who fell for these hoaxes may merely be idiots, and their silence about the implications of the hoaxes may simply be the by-product of embarrassment. But more to the point, why are major media so quick to disseminate anything that a terrorist group, or purported terrorist group, releases? For the terrorist, it is like being given millions of dollars in free advertising.
He also exposes Eason Jordan's, CNN's top news executive, bias.
The scandalous remarks of Eason Jordan, CNN's top news executive, last week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and the failure of the major media to report them suggest the distortions are deliberate.
Mr. Jordan told a panel that the U.S. military had killed a dozen journalists in Iraq, and that they had been deliberately targeted. When challenged, Mr. Jordan could provide no evidence to support the charge, and subsequently lied about having made it, though the record shows he had made a similar charge a few months before, and also earlier had falsely accused the Israeli military of targeting journalists.
Mr. Jordan's slander has created a firestorm in the blogosphere, but has yet to be mentioned in the "mainstream" media.
Gee, I wonder why not.
UPDATE
Melanie Phillips notes how the media play into the hands of Palestinian terrorists as well.
A ten year-old Palestinian child, Nuran Deab, was shot dead on Monday in Rafah, after Palestinians fired shots in the air. The Palestinians arrested a suspect on Tuesday evening. But as HonestReporting.com records, intitial false claims by Palestinians that the child had been shot by Israeli soldiers were promoted as correct by a number of outlets, including the Independent newspaper and the UN (of course):
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Sunday, February 06, 2005
UN - Time for a Change
Mark Steyn on the corrupt UN.
A must read.
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A must read.
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I'm back!
I had a great trip to the Isle of Mull. If you've never been there I highly recommend it. Since it's the winter season, most of the tourist sites are closed, and it's not very crowded.
We took some day trips to Oban via the ferry from Craignure. It's a large ferry with lounges, bar and cafe. Plenty of windows to see the beautiful scenery or you can go topside. The trip takes 45 minutes. If you're lucky, as we were, you might get someone to strike up a tune on a fiddle or flute.
Reasonable prices on the ferry. A day trip cost £5 return and a pint of Guinness was £2.20.
Glad to be back home and blogging again!
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We took some day trips to Oban via the ferry from Craignure. It's a large ferry with lounges, bar and cafe. Plenty of windows to see the beautiful scenery or you can go topside. The trip takes 45 minutes. If you're lucky, as we were, you might get someone to strike up a tune on a fiddle or flute.
Reasonable prices on the ferry. A day trip cost £5 return and a pint of Guinness was £2.20.
Glad to be back home and blogging again!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday, February 02, 2005
Lite blogging
Blogging will be lite for the next two days. I'm off to the Isle of Mull.
See you soon.
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See you soon.
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Tuesday, February 01, 2005
BBC Bias - Wake Up Instapundit
Instapundit has a small, and I do mean small, post up about the BBC.
ANOTHER UPDATE: Oops, for the BBC: "The BBC has apologised for incorrectly broadcasting figures which suggested more Iraqi civilians had been killed by coalition and Iraqi forces than by insurgents."
MORE: Roger Simon notices a pattern in the BBC's mistakes.
Instapundit links to the BBC apology over bogus Iraqi civilian deaths and to Roger Simon who has two links; one to the same BBC apology and one to a story on the Hutton report.
That's it? Roger notices a pattern in the BBC's mistakes? Mistakes? Get a clue boys.
The bogus story on Iraqi civilian casualties was put together by veteran BBC World Affairs Editor, John Simpson - think Dan Rather and was timed to be released on the eve of the Iraqi elections. Sound familiar boys?
Further, the story was to be included in a damning segment on the BBC's Panorama - think 60 minutes, to be broadcast on the day of the Iraqi elections. Sounding more familiar boys?
Britain, one of our closest allies, has been turned against America as a direct result of the BBC's propaganda.
I've emailed Instapundit, Powerline and other big US bloggers several times, trying to get them to pay attention to the BBC's propaganda.
Well here is a wake up call Mr. Instapundit. The BBC wages a 24/7 anti-American crusade and there are blogs dedicated to exposing them - daily. Blogs like Biased BBC, Talking Hoarsely, Last Nights BBC News, Scott Burgess and I report extensively on the BBC's wide ranging anti-American pro Palestinian propaganda.
We are not just talking about a left wing newspaper or liberal news organizations like CBS or ABC. This is the BBC; read and seen world wide and in Arabic. To the world the BBC represents Britain as if it were another political party.
I realize the big bloggers in the US are busy taking on MSM back in the US, but you would think they would pay attention to a world news service that has replaced Pravda as the main anti-American propaganda machine.
These big American bloggers are always carping at MSM for not reporting on important stories. Look in the mirror boys.
The BBC are part of that liberal legacy media gang and MSM are not going to expose the BBC. That's left up to us bloggers.
I read Instapundit and Roger daily and recommend them highly. But for some reason they are missing one of the biggest stories right under their noses.
America deserves to know what the BBC are up to and you boys are the ones to do it. So, how about it Instapundit, Roger, Powerline, Wizbang and the other big bloggers, care to inform the American public of the anti-American BBC propaganda machine?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ANOTHER UPDATE: Oops, for the BBC: "The BBC has apologised for incorrectly broadcasting figures which suggested more Iraqi civilians had been killed by coalition and Iraqi forces than by insurgents."
MORE: Roger Simon notices a pattern in the BBC's mistakes.
Instapundit links to the BBC apology over bogus Iraqi civilian deaths and to Roger Simon who has two links; one to the same BBC apology and one to a story on the Hutton report.
That's it? Roger notices a pattern in the BBC's mistakes? Mistakes? Get a clue boys.
The bogus story on Iraqi civilian casualties was put together by veteran BBC World Affairs Editor, John Simpson - think Dan Rather and was timed to be released on the eve of the Iraqi elections. Sound familiar boys?
Further, the story was to be included in a damning segment on the BBC's Panorama - think 60 minutes, to be broadcast on the day of the Iraqi elections. Sounding more familiar boys?
Britain, one of our closest allies, has been turned against America as a direct result of the BBC's propaganda.
I've emailed Instapundit, Powerline and other big US bloggers several times, trying to get them to pay attention to the BBC's propaganda.
Well here is a wake up call Mr. Instapundit. The BBC wages a 24/7 anti-American crusade and there are blogs dedicated to exposing them - daily. Blogs like Biased BBC, Talking Hoarsely, Last Nights BBC News, Scott Burgess and I report extensively on the BBC's wide ranging anti-American pro Palestinian propaganda.
We are not just talking about a left wing newspaper or liberal news organizations like CBS or ABC. This is the BBC; read and seen world wide and in Arabic. To the world the BBC represents Britain as if it were another political party.
I realize the big bloggers in the US are busy taking on MSM back in the US, but you would think they would pay attention to a world news service that has replaced Pravda as the main anti-American propaganda machine.
These big American bloggers are always carping at MSM for not reporting on important stories. Look in the mirror boys.
The BBC are part of that liberal legacy media gang and MSM are not going to expose the BBC. That's left up to us bloggers.
I read Instapundit and Roger daily and recommend them highly. But for some reason they are missing one of the biggest stories right under their noses.
America deserves to know what the BBC are up to and you boys are the ones to do it. So, how about it Instapundit, Roger, Powerline, Wizbang and the other big bloggers, care to inform the American public of the anti-American BBC propaganda machine?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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