This ain't Hell, but you can see it from here

Category: Terror War

Carter: Hamas ready for peace

Jimmy Carter is an idiot – that probably can’t be said enough. According to Associated Press, he announced that Hamas is ready to accept Israel’s existence. Isn’t that grand? That’s probably why they attacked Israel this weekend, within hours after their last talks with Carter.

Former President Jimmy Carter said Monday that Hamas is prepared to accept the right of Israel to “live as a neighbor next door in peace.”

Carter said the group promised it wouldn’t undermine Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ efforts to reach a peace deal with Israel, as long as the Palestinian people approved it in a referendum. In such a scenario, he said Hamas would not oppose a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza.

Hamas, a militant Islamic group that both the U.S. and Israel consider a terrorist organization, calls in its charter for Israel’s destruction. It has also traditionally opposed peace negotiations with the Jewish state.

Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas spokesman, later said Carter’s comments “do not mean that Hamas is going to accept the result of the referendum.”

So what was accomplished? They won’t undermine Abbas’ efforts to reach a deal as long as the people approve it – but they reserve the right to ignore the referendum. So, actually, Carter got nuthin’ – except he’s written a new lie that Democrats can use to tell their sheep. That being that Hamas responds to negotiations – we all know it’s not true, but it sounds nice and it’ll probably fit on a bumpersticker somehow and that’s all that matters to the tiny-brained, drooling dolts.

April 21, 2008
Mahdi Army refuses to disband

So, while they’re being killed in droves, the Mahdi Army makes a verbal stand and al Sadr, is more than willing to let them die (AP/Yahoo link);

In a sign of that resolve, Iraqi soldiers took control Sunday of the last stronghold of al-Sadr’s Mahdi Army militia in the southern city of Basra, where an Iraqi offensive last month triggered the current wave of Shiite fighting.

Al-Maliki, a Shiite, has demanded that al-Sadr disband his Mahdi Army, the country’s biggest Shiite militia, or his followers will not be allowed to run in provincial elections this fall.

Al-Sadr’s followers, who control 30 of the 275 parliament seats, rejected that demand Sunday and instead called for an end to U.S.-Iraqi military operations in Sadr City, the Baghdad stronghold of the Mahdi Army, and Shula, another Shiite district of the capital.

al Sadr has, in the past been able to call an end to the hostilities and save face, but it seems Maliki isn’t backing down this time – as well he shouldn’t.

“All must know that disbanding the Mahdi Army means the end of al-Maliki’s government,” Sadrist lawmaker Fawzi Akram told reporters.

He called the government campaign against the Mahdi Army a “filthy military and media campaign” planned and supported by the Americans. He urged the United Nations, non-governmental organizations and human rights groups to intervene.

“Random airstrikes, killings and bloodletting will not help but rather will increase hatred and enmity,” he said, adding that if operations continue “all options are open for us.”

Actually, the only options you have are to lay down your weapons or die. Akram is calling for NGOs and the UN to help because he knows his ass is grass. al Sadr sits out the violence in Iran and protests while his army is disassembled. He calls his people to fight without even knowing the condition of his army or without understanding the strength of his enemy. Good leader ya’all picked there.

In another AP story, al Sadr denounces the concrete wall the government is building through their neighborhood;

Followers of anti-U.S. Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr denounced the American military’s construction of a concrete wall through their Sadr City stronghold in Baghdad, the scene of renewed clashes between his militiamen and U.S. and Iraqi troops.

The Sadrist movement stepped up its rhetoric Friday, denouncing Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s government as “just like Saddam Hussein’s,” and the Mahdi Army called on Iraqi troops to put down their weapons and stop fighting.

So, if they’re complaining and threatening, something’s working.

Iraqi soldiers stand guard in Basra.

April 20, 2008
Anger for the sake of being angry

This morning, the Washington Post runs an article that tries to explain why Muslims mistrust the Pope;

On Sunday, the pope will visit Ground Zero, perhaps the most poignant symbol of the divide between the West and the more extremist elements of Islam. But interviews in New York and elsewhere indicate that even those Muslims who do not hold such radical views are critical of the pope.

Many still recall the pope’s September 2006 lecture at the University of Regensburg in Germany, in which Benedict quoted a Byzantine Christian emperor saying that the prophet Muhammad brought “things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.”

That lecture sparked days of protests in Muslim countries, some of them violent, and an Italian nun in Somalia was killed in retaliation. The Pope repeated several times that he regretted the offense his speech caused, and that he has deep respect for Islam. But the remarks have caused lingering damage, according to Muslims and some Catholic scholars interviewed.

“I don’t think he did enough to apologize,” said Omar T. Mohammedi, a member of the New York City Commission on Human Rights.

Ya know what, screw you guys. I’ve pretty much stayed away from this discussion, but this “Religion of Perpetual Outrage” crap really should end. Ya’all Muslims sound like a bunch of pussy-ass crybabies. The Pope was QUOTING another Pope from a few hundred years ago first off – how does that justify murdering an Italian nun? How does it justify the violence? How does it justify ya’all being angry about it two years later?

He’s going to Ground Zero to speak – if ya’all are ashamed about Ground Zero, let’s hear some apologies. Apologize for the governmen-funded education that led to the act, apologize for the reaction in much of the Muslim world after it happened. And those “moderate Muslims” the Post writes about wouldn’t be moderates anywhere in civilized society. While the rest of the civilized world is expected to apologize for every perceived sleight against Islam, who’s demanding apologies from Islam for the atrocities that Muslims commit around the world?

You say you want a dialogue – but that’s completely false – you want to dictate to the rest of the world how we should treat your backwards, inbred culture and how we should assuage your never ending outrage. If you wanted a dialogue, you’d make overtures without the preconditional apologies that never get accepted.

Pound sand. If ya’all don’t want to be part of the civilized world, suffer the consequences.

Why don’t you get outraged over stuff like this, instead;

Most of the boys — 90 percent, the study found — are sent out to beg under the cover of Islam, placing the problem at the complicated intersection of greed and tradition. For among the cruelest facts of Coli’s life is that he was not stolen from his family. He was brought to Dakar with their blessing to learn Islam’s holy book.

In the name of religion, Coli spent two hours a day memorizing verses from the Quran and over nine hours begging to pad the pockets of the man he called his teacher.

It was getting dark. Coli had less than half the 72 cents he was told to bring back. He was afraid. He knew what happened to children who failed to meet their daily quotas.

April 20, 2008
Al Jazeera; US casualties in Iraq reach 44,000

This is just too good to not repeat. Hat tip to Grim at Blackfive who calls this, from CNS News, “Another Grim Milestone”;

At this point, according to the BBC translation, the moderator interrupted Al-Shammari. “Excuse me, the figure you have is 44,000?” the moderator asked.

“The Americans do not count those who have Green Cards,” explained Al-Shammari.

“The Americans do not count those who die in explosions on a daily basis. The Americans do not count deaths among the logistic support teams and other Green Card holders, as I said,” he added.

“They only count holders of U.S. nationality. Our people in the Islamic Army had found earlier some of the mass graves for U.S. soldiers in Al-Iskandariyah area, Al-Habbaniyah, and elsewhere; and there are recorded videos of these,” he said.

“Do you have an accurate calculation and a clear follow-up on this issue that allows you to announce the figure 44,000?” asked the moderator.

“Yes, we in the military office have precise statistics that are highly professional in calculating the daily losses and casualties of the enemy,” said Al-Shammari.

So apparently, we’re handing out green cards, sending the new recipients straight to the front lines where they’re then used as sand bags. It’s no wonder that Al Jazeera enjoyed better access than I did at Winter Soldier.

April 19, 2008
Muqtada al Sadr threatens to call off ceasefire

Iraqi Army soldiers take take part in a military operation in Basra, Iraq, 550 kilometers (340 miles) southeast of Baghdad, Saturday April 19, 2008.

al Sadr sounds serious this time (AP/Yahoo link);

“So I direct my last warning and speech to the Iraqi government to refrain and to take the path of peace and abandon violence against its people,” al-Sadr said in the statement. “If the government does not refrain and leash the militias that have penetrated it, we will announce an open war until liberation.”

Associated Press must feel relieved that there’s something besides good news to report since they rushed this particular story out but it’s mostly bluster on al Sadr’s part. He’s still in Iran hiding out, and his “army” is being worn down to a nub. You don’t know because the media is only reporting the bad news. They’ve neglected to rush out stories like what Bill Roggio reported yesterday;

In today’s New York Times, Michael Gordon writes about the wall being built to partition Sadr City. Buried in the article, we learn that the Mahdi Army assaulted a police station and the Iraqi forces were running low on ammunition. As the U.S. military prepared to reinforce the position, the Iraqi Army beat them to the punch:

The militias’ main effort on Thursday was focused on dislodging Iraqi forces from a police station. American advisers took up positions with the Iraqi unit.

As the fighting intensified and there were reports that militia fighters had closed to within 100 yards, Colonel Barnett moved tanks into position so they could rush to the Iraqis’ aid. Stryker vehicles also moved forward.

But two Iraqi T-72s and four other Iraqi armored vehicles arrived on the scene before the American tanks were needed. The Iraqi Army has rushed ammunition to Sadr City, including machine-gun rounds and rocket-propelled grenades to give its units more firepower and address complaints of shortages.

Moving armor into Sadr City while under fire is no small feat, particularly for the young Iraqi Army. The Iraqi Army outperformed their American betters on that day. Isn’t that worth a headline as well?

Well, not really, Bill, it doesn’t fit the template. AP still thinks it’s 2006 and they write that the Iraqi Army is just a participant in the battle, notice the caption under the photo above. You have to reap into the story to find the Iraqis are leading the battle against al-Sadr;

At least 14 people were killed and 84 wounded in Saturday’s fighting in Sadr City, police and hospital officials said. Sporadic clashes were continuing after sundown, with gunmen darting through the streets, firing at Iraqi police and soldiers who have taken the lead in the fighting.

al Sadr is out numbered by his own countrymen, even the Shi’ite leadership has thrown him under the bus. Bluster won’t save him this time.

April 19, 2008
Car found with bomb and Iraqi cash in NM

Gateway Pundit writes that a car was found in New Mexico containing a bomb and Iraqi cash and the odd story of how the thieves were discovered (from KOB.com);

The car was reported stolen last week. After the theft, the car’s owner was fueling his motorcycle when he spotted his stolen car.

“While he was refueling his motorcycle, low and behold, the vehicle that he had reported stolen that belongs to him happened to pull into the gas station area also,” said Los Lunas Police Captain Charles Nuanes.

The car’s owner pulled the keys out of the ignition of his stolen car and the people in the car fled.

But the oddest part of the story is that although the car found to contain an explosive device and Iraqi cash;

FBI agents say that they have ruled out terrorism.

Is that just the standard line from the FBI these days, or what?

April 18, 2008
New York Times’ narrow view

This morning, the New York Times‘ headline screamed that Iraqis were abandoning their posts in Sadr City. The truth is that only a few dozen green troops got cold feet;

A company of Iraqi soldiers abandoned their positions on Tuesday night in Sadr City, defying American soldiers who implored them to hold the line against Shiite militias.

The retreat left a crucial stretch of road on the front lines undefended for hours and led to a tense series of exchanges between American soldiers and about 50 Iraqi troops who were fleeing.

You have to read down a few paragraphs to discover that another Iraqi unit took it’s place immediately. Then, after complaining that the Iraqis are all cowards, the NYT complains that they’re too agressive;

One big problem is that the Iraqi troops have responded to militia gunfire with such intense fusillades that the soldiers have endangered civilians, American soldiers and even their own forces.

So which is it? Of course, the whole point of the New York Times article is that it’s a useless fight for Americans. That the Iraqis are the Keystone Kops of our war against terror. That judging by these incidences, we should just turn tail and run like a few dozen green Iraqi troops. Where are the New York Times stories about the other thousands of Iraqis who are standing their ground and doing the heavy lifting?

Someone send the NYT a copy of Michael Yon’s new book “Moment of Truth in Iraq“.

April 16, 2008
Jimmy Carter; Hugging terrorists so you don’t have to

Jimmy Carter places a wreath on the AIDS-ridden corpse containment system of Yassir Arafat

Hamas is so bloody that when the Israelis walled them off from killing Jews in Israel, they turned on their Fatah supposed allies, dragged many into the street and shot them in front of their families. Yet, here we are treated to this description of Nobel Prize laureate Jimmy Carter hugging one of their senior leaders from the Washington Times;

At a reception in the West Bank town of Ramallah organized by Mr. Carter’s office, the former president hugged Nasser Shaer, a senior Hamas politician, meeting participants said. Embraces between men are a common custom in Arab culture.

“He gave me a hug. We hugged each other, and it was a warm reception,” Mr. Shaer said. “Carter asked what he can do to achieve peace between the Palestinians and Israel … and I told him the possibility for peace is high.”

Mr. Carter’s office refused to comment, saying he does not discuss closed meetings.

I’ll bet he doesn’t comment – especially when the discussion of a closed meeting would include a narrative involving Carter dropping trou and bending over.

Quoted in the Chicago Tribune, Carter explained why he made overatures towards Hamas;

“Since Syria and Hamas will have to be involved in a final peace agreement, they ought to be involved in the discussions leading up to … peace,” Carter said.

Israel was displeased;

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said Mr. Carter’s meeting with Hamas “dignified” a group committed to Israel’s destruction. “One cannot but wonder how this attitude is supposed to promote peace and understanding,” he said.

Carter misses the primary prerequisite for reaching a peace agreement – both sides must be rational actors and they must have demonstrated a willingness in the past to keep their respective word. he should explain to the rest of us why we should trust anything that comes out of the mouths of Hamas or Syria.

April 16, 2008