Jihadist Smuggling At The Mexican Border Revisited

I am not much on linking back to previous posts to prove I was right about something. But this is one exception worth making--one that is imperative that we revisit, as we head deeper into this present legislative (and eventually election) cycle.

Way back when, I wrote some things about immigration that I thought was worth considering and well within the appropriate scope of the debate. One of the posts was what I think, very short and to the point. It dealt with this story, which was reported back in 2007.

The FBI is investigating an alleged human smuggling operation based in Chaparral, N.M., that agents say is bringing "Iraqis and other Middle Eastern" individuals across the Rio Grande from Mexico.

An FBI intelligence report distributed by the Washington, D.C. Joint Terrorism Task Force, obtained by the Blotter on ABCNews.com, says the illegal ring has been bringing Iraqis across the border illegally for more than a year.

Most of you, especially who come here regularly, can probably guess what I said back then and I still maintain that same stance now. But it gets worse.

In the present news cycle, we see this one from the Mail Online.

Let's excerpt the following from the article:

U.S. border guards got a surprise when they searched a Mexican BMW and found a hardline Muslim cleric - banned from France and Canada - curled up in the boot.

Said Jaziri, who called for the death of a Danish cartoonist that drew pictures of the prophet Mohammed, was being smuggled into California when he was arrested, along with his driver Kenneth Robert Lawler.

Before we go any further, the title of the article indicates this guy is a "controversial" cleric. I don't know how they come up with this stuff, but he's been kicked out of France and Canada (that ought to tell you something right there). I'd say he was a bit MORE than just controversial.

But I digress....and here is what we do know:

Four years ago in the federal legislature, the Democratic party was the party in power. Congress spent 75% or more of its energies crying racism, xenophobia, and paranoia.... and they were loudest whenever we heard of things like this. They knew it all. You couldn't tell them anything. They knew what was best for us, and that (at the time) was the pressing need to end war in Iraq, and close Gitmo.

I know fully good and well, this blog was only one of many sites that warned of impending consequences of turning a blind eye to a porous and uncontrolled border, because I read countless blog posts that carried this warning. So I am not being an egotist here, just a concerned citizen.

It's even more important to note that in this the midst of all of this massive world turmoil, it is not inconsequential or unrealistic to believe this still needs to be addressed. And it needs to be done sooner, rather than later. There is no doubt in my mind that many will use the civil unrest in both Tunisia and Egypt as cover, to export some people who want to harm this country in some way.

My biggest fear is that if we do not get more people to wake up to this grave error of philosophy, this will be an issue that may cost us dearly someday (and not too far into the future). Even though, we have made some good finds along the way... some have only failed because the plan failed.

Some were caught through hard work and attention...I am certain of this. But we got lucky on a few of them... with some damned close calls along the way. And even with all of this going on, there are still plots and subplots going on 24/7/52.

It only takes one instance of success to kill innocent people. It's not a pleasant reflection to look back on with any sense of integrity and be forced to come to the conclusion that it was preventable. This is why we need to be ready to confront the same arguments that the Democrats will most certainly once again make.... once anyone with an ounce of sense begins to call attention to stories like this.

They will say this is but one time. They will undoubtedly claim that this was the exception, not the rule. And... they will surely tout the fact that this man was caught.

So there, the system worked. Shut up and listen!!!

But when they do, please understand something here: For everyone we catch, ten or more may come in undetected. It may end up being someone who has been trained in Pakistan or Yemen, somebody who has a goal of becoming a martyr for jihad purposes, and someone who may get past everything that one point in time....well after we have exhausted our hard work and unearned luck.

One time...that's all it takes to have funerals and memorial services we hadn't planned on having. One time....that's all it takes to ruin innocent lives for a lifetime, all for an evil cause. But now that we who are concerned are supposed to have some voices in Washington, we need to remind those voices of our concerns through phone calls, letters, and e-mails.

We turned over Washington once, we can do it again. And we'd prefer to not be compelled to do it after an attack has taken place. But it's not just about an election. See if you can find one country in the world that does not make every attempt to protect the integrity of its own border. Name one that is content to allow any and everyone access to its landed territory, and its services without any documentation or reasonable purpose for being there.

Putting The Moscow Attack Into Perspective

The world is once again aghast at the carnage brought on by a simple, bomb-toting coward. But should this really come as a shock?

Take a look at a little timeline of attacks in Russia.

I counted 23 attacks on this list that was so nicely put together by the Associated Press. I counted 20 of them since 9/11.

We all know that Russia is very instrumental in helping Iran develop nuclear technology. We all know that Russia has been supportive of anti-Semitic forces in the Middle East. One would think that it would be enough to garner some favor in the jihadist world that includes Hezbollah, Hamas, and countries that sponsor such messengers of hatred and vile influence.

But it hasn't. Has it?

Until the civilized world can come to terms with the fact that radical jihadists (and the states that sponsor them) have no friends (other than other blood-thirsty killers who use violence to advance their warped and twisted theology), no nation will be safe.

Today's attack on innocent and defenseless people goes far to prove this claim, quite well. It only goes to show there are enemy forces who care nothing for any other culture, no matter how much that culture's government kisses the feet, rings, and asses of evil men.

CAIR's Undue Foreign Influence

Why should we care about the activities of CAIR?

Watch this video:



In addition to this little snippet, we should also consider this piece of info.

If you tally up the numbers correctly, you will note that approximately 3/5 of the world's richest Arabs are from Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom is a large financier of CAIR and other organizations that hostile towards this country or are actively undermining it.

More than anything, I would like to know why the world's socialists are not trying to redistribute these people's wealth. These people employ very few and are not helping their Palestinian brothers and sisters, in their plight of poverty. Instead, they are blaming Israel and Jews around the world for the situation in Gaza.

The sad part about this ruse is, the world is falling for it.

Provocation And Consequences

The world has now seen the consequences that result in provoking Israel. At the same time, the world is now outraged that Israel took the initiative to defend itself. Of course, the world is also convinced that "peace activists" were involved in attacking the Israeli commandos--not anti-semitic activists, as it now appears.

But I contend that if they were truly "peace activists", they would have chanted and sang Kumbaya when the Israelis entered their ship. Would they not?

I ask this only because they attacked with weapons as if to do physical harm (if not kill them), at the same time expecting the Israelis to not retaliate against them. These are not actions of anyone who loves peace. Maybe they thought bringing a metal bar or club to a gun fight would endear them to the world, even more so than they are already.

If there is honor in fighting this way and it does identify someone as a "lover of peace", why is it that Hamas seeks to lob rockets into Israel?

In today's world Israel is the demon and the Palestinians are the the good guys, despite the fact they have a government that is controlled by Hamas. They are the oppressed, despite the fact they are one of the many forces who seek to push the Israelis into the sea. Instead of living in peace with their neighbors and seeing them as human beings (with a right to live and breathe air on this planet), they want to eliminate them. They want war, they live for it.

In the meantime, has anyone else noticed that since the blockade was implemented, rocket attacks from Gaza have ceased? If we think this out a little, we can see that the objective is being met here. Despite what the enemies of Israel say, the goal is not to put undue hardship on Palestinians, as was evidenced by the shipment sent to Gaza--that was promptly refused. It is to keep weapons out of the hands of enemy forces....nothing else.

We know that Hamas cannot exist in the form of its mission statement, if it cannot make war with its perceived enemy. This is why they wanted to test the waters (no pun intended). They are out of rockets, therefore they are out of the tools of their only trade. Instead of using Israel's economy as a model to pattern their own after, they refuse to do anything that will help themselves out of the poverty they find themselves in.

Their Arab brothers like the Saudis will not help them, either. They want them to stay in poverty, so they can remain bitter about their condition and have Israel blamed for it.

The anti-semitic left and their Islamist allies want the world to believe the ships were carrying good things for the people of Gaza. And who knows? Maybe this particular load was just that.

Be that as it may, if one can think outside the box, they can safely conclude that this was a test run to see if Israel would allow themselves to be provoked. If they could have gotten this into Gaza, weapons would have surely followed.

Either way, Israel was in a no win situation.

They had to enter the ships, even if it was a dry run for something greater later on. If they hadn't, the next shipment could (and maybe would) have been something disastrous for the existence of Israel. We can never know for sure but why should we be skeptical, why should we doubt it when Iran and others have made their anti-semitic threats for years now? Are we so far in denial to think that there is no belief and/or intent, behind their hateful and contentious words?

And.....who knows? Maybe the occupants of the ship that attacked the Israelis had something on board that has yet to be revealed? It's not outside the realm of possibilities, if you consider how much these people hate Jews.

If we can see this, why is the world so inclined to side with these thugs?

That's a good question, one that is very tough to answer. But what we do know is, the world has historically been against the Jews from the moment of their very being. One only needs to read history from accurate sources to ascertain this. Europe has been, even before the Nazis came to power and instituted a genocidal slaughter against them.

We may not know the whys, but right now we can all be certain of a few things. The Turks are showing Europe precisely why it was not a good idea to allow them into the EU. They seem to be the driving force in all of this. We know they have been very vocal, we also know that Turkey has no room to talk after the way they have historically sought to wage war in the region. At one time, they ruled the Muslim world under the Ottoman Turk Empire, and have a ruthless track record of human rights abuses.

Just ask the Armenians.

In fact, one can only wonder how the Turks would feel, if the Israelis (or other outside elements) were to smuggle rockets into Armenia to be used against Turkish towns just inside the border or if weapons were to be given to Kurdish rebels.

My suspicion is they would have killed every last one of the transporters, and asked questions later. Dead men tell no tales. Maybe that's what the Israelis should have done in this case.

Food For Thought

Barack Obama said in his 2008 Presidential campaign, he would support a limited increase in offshore drilling--if it were included as part of a comprehensive energy plan. Naturally, the Green freaks were not pleased. In the beginning of April, he repeated this pledge and designated which areas he would be willing to allow new drilling. Those same activists were again, not pleased.

Three weeks after this last reiteration, we note that a large explosion takes place in an offshore platform off of the coast of Louisiana. Naturally, the blame game has started for the ensuing oil leak that now threatens the entire Gulf Coast region.

HuffPo wasted no time in running with a WSJ story that puts the blame on Halliburton. Naturally, they would never put much stock in much of anything the Journal has to say about much of anything, unless it supported their biases and delusions. But this is Halliburton we are talking about--- or to hear some describe it, Satan Inc.

Some are blaming BP. They say cost-cutting is the primary culprit. The Obama Administration seems to agree.

BP is blaming Transocean Ltd., the owner of the rig. They say something called a "blowout preventer" failed to work.

But the one theory that has yet to be considered in all of this is eco-terrorism.

Think about it for a minute.

When was the last time an event like this occurred? How often does it occur? And doesn't it seem odd that it comes so close to a Presidential announcement like the one that occurred in early April?

Now that this has happened, we have more clarion calls for "no new drilling". Obama has even said that until we get to the bottom of the cause of this disaster, there can be no new consideration of new drilling efforts.

I know this makes me sound paranoid and I could be 100% wrong. But am I the only one that has thought about this possible scenario?

1. Announcement

2. Event

3. Negative Reaction

4. Shutdown of Announcement.

Who is to say this wasn't the plan, all along?

More Moonbat Conspiracy

I have said it before and I will say it again. Whoever coined the word "moonbat" deserves royalties.

Got a few minutes? Give a listen to this snippet from the John Gibson Show. I lifted it from I Hate The Media, who lifted it from Olbermann Watch. (We all need uplifted now and then.)



These moonbats think we are paranoid because we believe more attacks are imminent. But when an attack occurs, can you see who starts spinning outrageous theories? These asinine belief systems come from those who might meet the DSM-IV criteria for Paranoid Personality Disorder, or some thought disorder that requires anti-psychotics just to be able to start therapy.

This is precisely why I will not even watch Olbermann doing Sunday Night football pre-game. He is a certifiable idiot.

A Real And Modern Persecution

If you have ever wondered about how Islamic radicals respond when someone in their society who is not Muslim commits a heinous act, look no further than this AFP story.

Hundreds of Muslim protesters on Saturday burnt Christian-owned shops in southern Egypt and attacked a police station where they believed a Christian accused of raping a Muslim girl was being held, a police official said.

A Muslim man in the military shoots up an army installation killing innocent people, and the cry from all Muslims (moderate and otherwise) is to exercise caution and restraint. Here we have a Christian in Egypt who is being accused of a heinous crime. He is being held in jail, but evidently that's not good enough. Instead of hearing the same crowd calling for restraint in situations like this, we hear nothing.

This is the perfect moment, for those who claim moderation within the framework of what they call a "peaceful" religion, to take that very same step and call for their brothers to exercise restraint. This would be an optimal time to call a news conference and condemn this act of retaliation. But alas, there is nothing happening. They are silent.

Some may even seek to rationalize this violent reaction, in various ways. They may say these people are merely airing their grievances and that to deny these people a chance to do so is to suppress their rights as Muslims in a predominately Islamic country. To which I say, whatever.

There is a long history of Muslim suppression against other religions in regions where Muslims are a majority. Many have been driven out, forced to emigrate to other areas with more religious freedom and tolerance. But the Egyptian Coptic community has not.

Here is an excellent article to read on this community, read it when you get a moment. It's a story of perseverance and survival in the midst of a hate-filled and often times violent persecution. If after you read this and want to address someone who truly believes Muslims are being persecuted in this country, you can point them to this story.

Some Reflections On The Ft. Hood Shooting

In the days that have followed the mass slaughter in Ft. Hood, a number of things have been revealed and reported. Many have spoken, many condemning the act but some have praised it as "the right thing to do". We have heard stories about the dead and the injured, along with their families. We have heard a detached President make a half-hearted attempt at a statement, after he gave several shout-outs at an American Indian conference. We have also heard him and many of the American Muslims warn against rushing to judgment, stating that people should not blame Islam.

From the Indy Star this past Saturday, we see what one leader in the local Muslim community had to say. We were also treated to two other articles on the subject, this one and this one.

In the midst of all this "so-called" condemnation, I cannot help but wonder about some things:

Are these people sincerely appalled at this senseless act of terrorism? Or are they simply afraid of the possibility of a backlash against them?

It's not enough to be sorry after the fact. After years of watching attack after attack on Americans, Israelis, Brits, Spaniards, and even other Muslims, we heard nothing from these people. Rockets are casually sent into Israel from Gaza and Lebanon and these people cannot bring themselves to say one damned thing. But now that there is a sense of anger as a direct result of this bastard's dirty deed, they suddenly have words to express their outrage. Personally, I think they are full of fecal material and believe they are scared of whatever may be coming their way.

Don't get me wrong here. Let me say that I DO NOT approve of retaliation of any kind against Muslims. (Repeat...DO NOT approve.) I do believe that there are some who really are not on the same page as this murderous coward, and the many who came before him. But how is anything like this ever going to be stopped from occurring, unless the people who claim to be members of "moderate Islam" have the guts to speak up for what is right here?

How about the next time someone hears a hate-filled speech in a mosque, someone has the courage to object and/or leave?

How about the next time someone hears anti-American rhetoric calling for the destruction of this nation, someone can exhibit the courage to report them?

How about the next time Hamas or Hezbollah kills innocent Jews, we hear the imams who are calling for calm right now, speak up and condemn it?

How about the next time the Taliban blows up innocent people in Pakistan or Afghanistan, we hear someone from these mosques hold a news conference and speak out for peace?

Maybe, just maybe, if these damned people would have been calling these kinds of acts what they really are instead of trying to justify them by mincing words and blaming the victims, this kind of thing could have been prevented back when the bastard was exhibiting his erratic behavior.

Instead, their endless complaints through CAIR and the ACLU made it difficult for people to act on these kinds of suspicions. They made people afraid to speak out and report their observations for fear they would be labeled a xenophobe and a racist. They couldn't investigate for fear that they would be sued and the media would be reporting it as some irrational fear and/or paranoia.

Until they do any of these things I have listed of their own free will and volition, I reserve the right to blame whoever the hell I want. And f I want to blame Islam, someone from Islam needs to prove me wrong.



Sunsett Out

Nothing Funny Today

As most know by now, a senseless carnage took place at Fort Hood yesterday. As a result of this tragedy, I do not feel it to be appropriate to post a Friday Funnies today.

I have some thoughts about this incident, but I have been too short on time to organize them into a reasonably cogent post and there are just too many questions that have not been answered. One can only hope that the authorities are asking the same questions that are popping into our minds and will make those answers public at such time as it is appropriate. But with the current leadership in Washington being remiss in the vast majority of their duties, I have my doubts.

Rest assured, those in the blogosphere who seek and understand wholesale truths will be asking tough questions and demanding answers. PYY will be there, also.

The Clown Gordon Brown

Many have been following the debacle that is quickly becoming known as the "oil for terrorist" scandal. The Sunday Times had a good piece that you should read when you get a moment. Here is a snippet:

The British government decided it was “in the overwhelming interests of the United Kingdom” to make Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi, the Lockerbie bomber, eligible for return to Libya, leaked ministerial letters reveal.

Gordon Brown’s government made the decision after discussions between Libya and BP over a multi-million-pound oil exploration deal had hit difficulties. These were resolved soon afterwards.

People were outraged at the French government a few years ago, when it was learned that during Chirac's regime, French companies were violating the (supposedly) strict terms set by the UN in the "oil for food" program. I would think this recent discovery would border on the same level of justifiable outrage, but I haven't heard anything near it.

Gordon Brown is not worthy of being such a lofty position of authority and the Obama Administration should communicate some level of moral outrage. But as is usually the case in these kinds of situations, they have put out their "strongly worded statement" already, and that's where it ends.

Bottom line here is, Brown is a clown and Obama is a coward. Neither deserve the trust of their electorates.

Bravery On The High Seas

I stated in earlier posts after the election that Barack Obama would get a fair shake here at PYY, much fairer than the Left gave to GWB. But this doesn't mean I cannot criticize him and if you've read this blog with any regularity, you'll know that I've been highly critical on most of what we've seen from his administration, so far.

Naturally, if it's fair to argue against the bonehead policies and interventions assumed so far, it's also fair to give praise, when actions and implementations warrant it. This is but one moment, where a good job was done.

From the outcome, we can ascertain that this was handled well. There was no politicizing of this situation. The President's people were tight-lipped, as they should have been. They knew the situation and Obama had the guts to give the Navy authorization to execute the operation, as they saw fit. As an inexperienced Commander in Chief, he wisely allowed those who knew what they were doing, to do it without micromanagement.

We can surmise that time was getting short. The pirates and their hostage were out on the sea for quite awhile in just a lifeboat. Essentials (like drinking water) were probably getting scarce and the opportunity for action was becoming a shrinking window, by the hour. Add to this the imminent danger to the Captain and we have the makings of one of those split decisions that you cannot get back, once made,

As this story unfolded, I was only privy to the information available through the media. I didn't have any inside knowledge of anything, I just had my intuition. And like many, I probably would have acted a bit sooner with just as much authority, strength, and determination. But allowing the pirates to weary in the elements for a little while had its value, and in the aftermath shows that it was the wisest thing to do.

It will be interesting to see how future events like this are handled. We know that there will be future acts of piracy, because there many more out there just lurking and waiting for a victim. It's what they do for a living. The pirates have already sworn revenge and we must take them at their word.

So let's not kid ourselves here. We will have to be ready for some measure of retaliation. They will see this as a challenge and will most certainly up the ante next time. If I were the Administration, I would not hesitate to show others who are part of this discipline of criminals a thing or two. I would let them know rather swiftly, what is at stake if this kind of thing continues.

At this juncture in time, this kind of thing is merely a distraction from other more important issues. Right now, it's just a pesky fly that could cause us to not pay attention to those other issues. And it's one that must be swatted down. But if left unchecked, it will become a larger problem that will take more resources than what may be prudently available.

After all is said and done, the Captain who was held captive by these thugs is the real hero. At least to the crew of his ship, he is. Volunteering to be taken so that his crew could be left alone is an act of bravery, from an individual that represents what this country used to be all about. Not enough can be said about this man and I doubt that there are many like him left in the world.

Gaza Aid: Enter The Bottomless Money Pit

From the "how much more insane can it get" department, comes this story:

United States aid for the Gaza Strip's reconstruction will likely top $900 million, an official said, as U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton prepared to make her first Mideast trip as America's top diplomat.

Israeli and Palestinian officials said Monday that Clinton will visit Israel and the West Bank during the first week of March. Clinton said during her Asia trip last week that she would attend an international donors conference in Egypt on March 2 to discuss reconstruction in Gaza.

She provided no other details, but a U.S. official in the United States said Monday that the Obama administration's donation will be at least $900 million in humanitarian and rebuilding aid to the Palestinian Authority to help Gaza recover from Israel's offensive against Hamas last month.

Close to one billion dollars will be leaving a strapped economy and a government that hasn't got an ounce of brains, all because Hamas launched attacks from Gaza and Israel took them out. Anyone with a dimwit's intelligence can easily see it will be another colossal waste of money, because this fragile cease fire is not going to last.

Already today, it is being reported that Hamas has launched another rocket attack into Israel. So can anyone tell me just how wise this expenditure is going to prove to be, if we throw this money away and Israel ends up blowing it all up again?

Besides the fiscal irresponsibility angle of this idiotic move, who really believes this is going to make these people like us? Let's see a show of hands.

The French have pretty much worked as hard as anyone trying to kiss the Muslim nations' derrieres and they are not given any special treatment when their citizens visit one of those countries. Evidence to this claim can be found here in this story.

The French teenagers had finished a day touring Cairo's 650-year-old Khan el-Khalili bazaar, gathering in its main square to board a bus back to their hotel. Then the blast went off.

The explosion killed a 17-year-old girl with the group and wounded 24 other people, most of them fellow students. According to the government account released Monday, a bomb had been planted underneath a stone bench on which the girl was sitting.

The Sunday night blast was the first attack in three years targeting foreigners in Egypt, and it raised fears of a blow to the country's vital tourism industry, which is already suffering from the global economic downturn.

The attack shocked the Paris suburb of Levallois-Perret, hometown of the more than 40 high school students who were on a tour of Egypt. "We are faced with a dreadful drama," the suburb's mayor Patrick Balkany told France's RTL radio on Monday.

Terrorists do not see Western nations as anything but an enemy and certainly are not willing to award any special treatment because any of them are willing to appease and understand their violent demands. So it stands to good reason that $900 million will not have any effect on the average citizen's opinion about America.

Frankly, it will be be seen as compensation for supporting the evil Jews, and will only open the door for demanding/expecting more in the future. The money pit in this case is a bottomless one, because the beast that lives in it will get hungrier and will need to be fed more as times goes on.

Just enter this as dumbass move # 136, by the Obama Administration. One month down, 47 more to go.

Forest Jihad In Australia Fires? Is America Next?

Forest jihad by fire, is a distinct possibility in considering the rash of fires that are sweeping through Oz right now.

Firefighters and homeowners aren't the only ones keenly watching Australia's massive wildfires, responsible for killing at least 173 people in the southern part of the continent.

Terrorism experts suspect Muslim extremists are watching closely, too — and taking note of the devastation.

There are some who will say this is over the top. And while it hasn't been proven, it is not something that should be blown off. We know that authorities believe some of the fires are the work of arsonists. But they are stopping short of saying they suspect any of these blazes are the work of terrorist organizations:

While Australian authorities have revealed no evidence linking the wildfires to extremists, terrorism experts say the large death toll, the huge swath of destruction and the massive financial blow to the country are proving to Islamic terrorists that arson can be a highly effective — and simple — tool of holy war.

In November, an extremist Web site called on Muslims to launch a "forest jihad" in Australia, Europe, Russia and the United States. The posting, which quoted imprisoned Al Qaeda terrorist Mustafa Setmariam Nasar, said setting forest fires was legal under "eye-for-an-eye" Islamic law.

"Scholars have justified chopping down and burning the infidels' forests when they do the same to our lands," the posting read.

This should be a red hot tip for Americans and frankly, it should concern anyone that lives in an area that may suffer some level of drought conditions. Other larger scale options for terrorists have been thwarted or are not logistically possible at this time. But this one has a low overhead and endless potential targets, when dry conditions are so widespread. All they need is a couple gallons of gasoline, a lighter, some wind, and dry vegetation out in the middle of nowhere.

I am even more apprehensive after reading this little tidbit from the Federal Register:

_______________________________________

[Federal Register: February 4, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 22)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Page 6115]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr04fe09-106]



Presidential Documents




[[Page 6115]]


Presidential Determination No. 2009-15 of January 27,
2009


Unexpected Urgent Refugee and Migration Needs
Related To Gaza

Memorandum for the Secretary of State

By the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
the laws of the United States, including section
2(c)(1) of the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of
1962 (the ``Act''), as amended (22 U.S.C. 2601), I
hereby determine, pursuant to section 2(c)(1) of the
Act, that it is important to the national interest to
furnish assistance under the Act in an amount not to
exceed $20.3 million from the United States Emergency
Refugee and Migration Assistance Fund for the purpose
of meeting unexpected and urgent refugee and migration
needs, including by contributions to international,
governmental, and nongovernmental organizations and
payment of administrative expenses of Bureau of
Population, Refugees, and Migration of the Department
of State, related to humanitarian needs of Palestinian
refugees and conflict victims in Gaza.

You are authorized and directed to publish this
memorandum in the Federal Register.


(Presidential Sig.)

THE WHITE HOUSE,

Washington, January 27, 2009

[FR Doc. E9-2488
Filed 2-3-09; 8:45 am]

Billing code 4710-10-P

_______________________________________

I don't know about you, but I think we are going to markedly increase our risk of attack if Palestinians can simply claim refugee status, to gain entry to live in the United States. Who knows whether this will bring in a wave of arsonists waiting for summer?

Typical Responses

This Gary Varvel cartoon was published earlier this past week in the Indianapolis Star. While it is a humorous take on the events that are taking place at this time in Gaza, it speaks the truth of the situation.

Most that read this blog have no trouble seeing this for what it is. But there are many out there in la-la land, who see this as unprovoked Israeli aggression and are calling for it to stop. They do not take into account that Hamas has no desire for peace. They do not consider the fact that all Hamas had to do to prevent this reaction was to stop firing rockets into Israel.

This has the EU divided.

Sarkozy is condemning the Israeli response, which is what you would expect a French President to do (because it is tradition). But surprisingly enough, the Czechs are calling it what it is, defensive. And as you would guess, there are some vocal critics from the entertainment community calling for the end of hostilities.

London - Singer Annie Lennox and other celebrities are calling on Israel to stop its air attacks on the Gaza Strip.

Lennox said violence could never be a solution to conflict.

My questions to Ms. Lennox:

- Where the hell are you when the rockets are flying out from Gaza?

- Where are you when the rockets get dangerously close to nuclear facilities, threatening the entire region?

- Why is that you and others in your business are blind to the decades-old aggression of Hamas, but open to Israel's actions to defend itself?

But that's not all.

The ex-Eurythmics singer attended a press conference in London on Friday alongside activist Bianca Jagger, comedian Alexei Sayle and politicians including former London mayor Ken Livingstone.

Jagger called on President-elect Barack Obama to condemn the Israeli air strikes. Israel says it is responding to rockets fired from Gaza by the Hamas militant group.

Nice try Bianca, but Obama isn't President yet. Even he realizes it and is respectful of that fact.

"The president-elect is closely monitoring global events, including the situation in Gaza," his national security spokeswoman Brooke Anderson said in a statement after the ground assault got underway.

But she offered no further comment on the violence in Gaza and used a phrase repeated often by Obama and his aides: "There is one president at a time and we intend to respect that."

Senior advisor David Axelrod said Sunday that Obama is "committed" to achieving peace in the Middle East, in the only extended comments from the president-elect's team so far.

"Obviously, this situation has become even more complicated in the last couple of days and weeks... But it's something that he's committed to," Axelrod told CBS television.

Obama transition team officials told AFP the president-elect would not comment publicly in the coming days on the Gaza offensive, and the future president will likely keep silent on the issue until his January 20 inauguration.

As we read on, we see this silence is not sitting well with some people.

His muted response has already drawn the anger of some in the Middle East.

"The start is not good," said Khaled Meshaal, leader of the Hamas Islamist movement that has ruled Gaza since June 2007.

"You commented on Mumbai but you say nothing about the crime of the enemy (Israel). This policy of double standards should stop."

I can understand Meshaal's frustration. Hamas contributed to Obama's Presidential campaign and now they want a return on their investment. But it all leads back to the basis for all of this, which is the rocket attacks.

All it would take is a strongly worded statement which commits to halting them, and then actually living by that commitment. But keeping agreements is not part of the Hamas legacy and it never will be, as long as their charter calls for the destruction of their neighbor. So, why is anyone surprised when that neighbor wants to take out the infrastructure that is being used to advance violence against their civilization?

The same people have no trouble condemning Hitler's attempt to rid the world of Jews, but seem to lack the courage to condemn Arabs who want the nation of Israel eradicated.

Where Is "The One" When You Need Him?

India is currently at "war level", after the terrorist attacks in Mumbai last week, militants in Thailand are in control of the airport, and Nigeria is burying its dead after days of Christian-Muslim riots.

Am I missing something here? Wasn't Obama's election supposed to bring peace to the world?

Not only has this magical peace and goodwill eluded the planet since his election, not a word has been said on any of these events, by anyone in the Obama camp. Nothing, nada, zip, nil, zero.

Oh well, don't mind me. I am just thinking out loud again.

9/11/01

I still haven't forgotten.

Have you?

News In Brief (And The Usual Opinionated Commentary)

Rezko Guilty On 16 Of 24 Counts

A prominent fundraiser for Sen. Barack Obama and Gov. Rod Blagojevich was convicted Wednesday of fraud and money laundering after a high-profile federal trial provided an unusually detailed glimpse of the pay-to-play politics that has made Illinois infamous.

"A prominent fundraiser for Sen. Barack Obama" means that he raised money for Obama. Why? Influence peddling, which is nothing new to those familiar with Chicago politics. It is one of the most corrupt systems in the nation.

It's crystal clear to me that Obama is not offering a new kind of politics, unless you count the change from the Washingtonian to Chicagoan. The only difference there is the spelling.


Al Qaeda Claims Pakistani Attack

At least six people were killed and 30 injured in the attack in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad.

The statement said the attack was to exact revenge over the reprinting of a cartoon depicting the Prophet Muhammad in Danish newspapers in February.

The naysayers will use this as a chance to deny that Al Qaeda has been severely weakened, as the vast majority of terrorism experts maintain. But when we consider this attack was confined locally and was relatively weaker than past attacks, we must see that AQ has been contained in a huge way. This does not mean they are completely destroyed (nor does it mean other groups are not hellbent on wreaking death and destruction), but their status as a worldwide entity has been crippled.


Marine Acquitted On Cover-Up Charge

A military jury acquitted a Marine intelligence officer yesterday of charges that he tried to help cover up the killings of 24 Iraqis.

Meanwhile, the Marines are still waiting on apologies from Murtha and Kerry.


Go LA!!

No, I am not cheering myself in shameless self promotion. Tonight is Game One in the renewal of the biggest rivalry in the history of the NBA, the Lakers vs. the Celtics. Chamberlain vs. Russell, West vs. Havlicek, and Johnson vs. Bird have been classic battles of the ages. Now, it's time for a new generation to pick up the gauntlet.

I am not the biggest NBA fan, since the punks and the thugs have permeated the culture. But both of these teams have a more mature veteran base. And although Boston has never been my favorite team due to this rivalry which dates back to my boyhood days as a Laker fan, they are better than many people think and I have always had respect for them.

The Lakers are favored, but I see them as evenly matched. It's anyone's series and it will go to the one that plays best on the court. Naturally, I hope it's LA and I am sure my friend Greg will disagree. But, we cannot agree on everything; now, can we?.

;)

Ex-Gitmo Detainee Identified In Terror Attack

A former Gitmo detainee has been identified as a terrorist who not only killed himself in an intentional act in Mosul last week, he took some innocent bystanders with him.

Interestingly enough, one could survey those that have been critical of the operational objectives of this facility and still hear the litany of complaints from them. No doubt the words "torture" and "human rights" will come up during the course of the conversation, as well as phrases like "the US needs to take the high moral ground".

While we all love to feel good about showing goodwill towards all men, I advise all who still have the ability to see clearly, to strongly consider the effect of releasing the ones that remain. What if we let them go and one of them carries out a major attack? What if that attack kills hundreds or thousands?

Think about it.

Carter's Attention Seeking Behavior

There is an excellent article from the WSJ about Carter's recent meetings with Hamas. It even notes that Barack Obama has taken a stand opposite of the former President.

It's not that he met with them so much as it is, the total picture that Carter has painted of Israel in his later years. He has demonized that nation and beatified it's sworn enemy, with this latest folly being the"mother of all screw-ups" ever committed by an ex-president.

Check it out, when you get time.

Jimmy Carter May Meet With Hamas Leader

It has been announced that former President Jimmy Carter is planning to visit Syria next week. Well-known Democrats visiting a rogue state that sponsors terrorism is nothing new. Just review the passports of Nancy Pelosi and Jesse Jackson.

But if visiting a state that sponsors people who kill innocents for political purposes is not enough to provoke disdain, consider this disturbing thought. While Mr. Carter is in-country, he has also plans to visit with Hamas leader, Khaled Meshaal.

As you may guess, the State Department is not pleased with this idea.

The Bush administration has urged former President Jimmy Carter not to go forward with plans to meet with the leader of Hamas, the U.S. State Department said Thursday.

As you may guess, left-wing Carterphiles are not usually overly concerned about what the Administration wants (as they rarely are on a variety of issues). During the course, one must expect this type of hostile defiance from those that do not like the current President. But this issue may have far-reaching consequences for the presumed Democratic nominee, Barack Obama.

Carter's decision to meet with Hamas could have blowback for Obama. In Nigeria last week, Carter signaled his support for Obama, without officially endorsing him. Asked about that, sources close to both Obama and Carter told NBC NEWS that they are ducking a formal endorsement to avoid alienating Jewish voters critical of the former president's Middle East policies. Carter is a superdelegate and has long had rocky relations with the Clintons.

With Obama already in some controversy for suggesting talks with Iran (with no set pre-conditions), this would really weaken an Obama candidacy in the area of foreign relations, especially with independent moderate voters that tend to think rationally. People like Jeremiah Wright and William Ayers would probable give it two thumbs up and would receive Mr. Carter with a hero's welcome, after his return. But people who have the ability to think critically and analyze things with an open mind will not be impressed.

Because this may do some serious political damage to Obama's campaign, it is being reported that Obama's camp is not really to keen to this idea. From the same MSNBC article comes this update:

The Obama campaign provided NBC with a statement it released yesterday. "Senator Obama does not agree with President Carter's decision to go forward with this meeting because he does not support negotiations with Hamas until they renounce terrorism, recognize Israel's right to exist, and abide by past agreements. As President, Obama will negotiate directly with the head of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas."

Whether it's a sincere disagreement or a proactive political ploy to prevent an enormous amount of future damage control, it is the right thing to do. In fact, if Democrats are really smart, they would isolate Mr. Carter on the fringe - where he has conducted much of his ex-presidential legacy building, over the past few years. Whatever legacy he has left is now being neutralized by his statements, behaviors, and actions over this latest round of ideological blunders and missteps.

In the grand scheme of things, it just further illustrates the claim that the Democratic Party is impetuous and growing more reckless as time goes on. There is no consistency, there is no vision, except to undo anything that has be done in the battle against worldwide terrorism just to undermine the current President.

Furthermore, it solidifies my belief that JFK and FDR are currently rolling over in their graves. Even LBJ would have never dreamed of making such a foolish and subversive gesture, which now places him way above Jimmy Carter on the PYY favorability scale.