Hamasistan

Unfortunately, those of us who thought that the Gaza pullout would result in the formation of “Hamasistan” were right. I did not, however, believe that they would actually become the government and I don’t think they did either. They have overplayed their hand and now must face the consequences. The next rocket attack by Hamas will be an act of war by the legitimate government of the PLA. Another consequence will be the withholding of $400 Million in aid from the US. Condi has said so.

The bedrock principle here is we can’t have funding for an organization that holds those views just because it is in government…It is important that Hamas will now have to confront the implications of its covenant if it wishes to govern. And so that becomes a primary consideration in everything that we do.

They are not going to change their charter that calls for the destruction of Israel. Will the EU withhold it’s $600 Million? One indication that they might not is the recent call by some to take Hamas off the EU's terror list

Conservative MEP Edward McMillan-Scott said: "The European Union is right to demand the renunciation by Hamas of violence, and to demand that Hamas recognise Israel. But Europe also has to note that Hamas has stuck to a ceasefire since February 2005 and that it is now an elected political, Islamist force in the Middle East, even if it is one which comes from a terrorist background. Hamas is a terrorist organisation, but now it should come off the blacklist - especially considering that it is on the list and Hezbollah is not."

Hezbollah isn’t on the list? That is what should change. Getting elected doesn’t change whether or not you’re a terrorist, your actions determine that. Leave to the EU to get it wrong.

Iranian Nukes? So what?

An article by Abolghasem Bayyenat has been making the rounds on liberal and anti-war blogs, including of course the KOS kids, claiming that a nuclear armed Iran poses no threat to anyone. He tries to argue that a pragmatic Iran would be deterred by the MAD policy that kept the United States and the Soviet Union from blowing each other up during the cold war. Some of his arguments however are, shall we say, rather stretched.

First, it would be a mistake to think that the character of the Iranian government has remained unchanged since the Islamic Revolution in 1979. In fact, the Islamic Republic has lost much of its revolutionary and ideological fervor over the past two decades, and its government has mellowed considerably.

Hanging a young girl for self defense against rape or giving a 14 year old 85 lashes (which killed him) for breaking his fast during Ramadan doesn't seem very mellow. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has lost none of his zeal.

It has contributed significantly to the development of democratic processes in post-conflict Afghanistan and Iraq

It has also contributed to the attempts to destroy democratic Afghanistan and Iraq.

Third, while it would be controversial to argue from a religious perspective against possessing nuclear weapons for deterrent purposes, given the indiscriminate destructive nature of nuclear weapons, any nuclear attack against civilian population centers would definitely be against the ethical teachings of Islam.

Firing Kassam rockets at civilian population centers however is apparently not. Keep in mind that Hamas is Tehran's creature, which brings me to the most outrageous statement in the article.

Fourth, there are no credible grounds to fear that Iran might arm terrorist groups with nuclear weapons to attack Western nations. Itself a longtime victim of terrorist attacks, Iran should feel no sympathy with terrorist groups who disapprove of its Shi'ite and Persian identity and whom it blasts for tarnishing the image of Islam through violent extremism.

Seeing how Iran is the largest sponsor of terrorism in the world one has to admire the audacity of Mr. Bayyenat’s last statement. Even knowing that Abolghasem Bayyenat is a trade representative for Iran working to get his government into the WTO, such a statement would make Baghdad Bob blush. While the KOS kids may believe this stuff, (they are actually considering taking up Bin Laden’s olive branch BTW), the scary thing is that some in the State Department echo this sentiment thinking that a nuclear armed Iran can be contained.

Marine Corp vs. Liberal Professors! Hurrah!

My Nephew Josh, who BTW has been accepted to the Air Force Academy, sent me this:


Marines 

There are two things Marines are always taught:

1. Keep your priorities in order.
2. Know when to act without hesitation.

A college professor, avowed atheist and active member of the A.C.L.U., was teaching his college course. He shocked several of his students when he flatly stated that once and for all he was going to prove that there was no God. Addressing the ceiling he shouted: “GOD, if you are real, then knock me off this platform!!! I’ll give you exactly 15 minutes!!!!” The lecture room fell silent. You could here a pin drop. Ten minutes went by. “I’m waiting God, if you’re real, knock me off this platform!!!” Again, after four minutes, the professor taunted God saying, “Here I am, God!! I’m still waiting!!!”

His count got down to the last couple of seconds when a Marine, who was just released from the Corp, after serving in Afghanistan and Iraq, and who had newly registered for the class, walked up to the professor. The Marine hit him full force in the face. This sent the professor tumbling from his platform. The professor was out cold. The students were stunned and shocked . They began to babble in confusion. The Marine nonchalantly took his seat in the front row and sat in silence. The class looked at him and fell silent also… waiting. Eventually the professor came to and was noticeably shaken. He looked at the Marine in the front row. When the professor regained his senses and could speak, he asked “What the heck is the matter with you? Why did you do that?”

The Marine said “God was really busy protecting America’s soldiers who are protecting your right to say stupid things and act like an ass. So…He sent me.”

If you would like me to E-mail you the image let me know.

Iraq vs BBC and Al-Jazeera

NRO has an excerpt of Paul Bremer’s book My Year in Iraq. In this segment he describes the first meeting between the Iraqi Governing Council and a hostile media.

First on his feet was a BBC reporter who facetiously asked, "Isn't it true that" the [Governing] Council was just a creature of the Americans, had no powers, and was essentially useless?

Talabani grabbed the mike and chided the reporter for representing "our former colonial masters. BBC never tells the truth about Iraq," he continued. Warming to his subject, Talabani said, "The Council is the most representative government Iraq has ever had." He went on to enumerate some of its powers and suggested in no uncertain terms that the reporter didn't know what he was talking about.

Then a reporter from Al-Jazeera Television, always hostile to the Coalition, made a speech, thinly disguised as a question, along similar lines. This set off a chain reaction among Council members.

Pachachi with great dignity refuted the implication that the Council was a plaything and suggested that the Arab media would do well to pay attention to the real changes taking place in Iraq.

Not to be outdone, Naseer al-Chaderchi, the elderly lawyer from a highly regarded Sunni family who had stayed in Iraq throughout Saddam's tyranny, blasted Al-Jazeera. "I say this to the Arab media: stop advising the Iraqis to fight the Americans." There was loud applause from the audience, including, we noted, a number of Iraqi journalists.

This brought Bahr al-Uloum up out of his chair. "All Arab TV coverage of the war and Liberation had been one-sided, biased against the Iraqis," he practically shouted. "These media have been threatening us from the first day of the war until now!" As he took his seat, his passion provoked more applause. This inspired the elfish mullah to rise again.

"You people from Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya and others-you never covered the atrocities committed by Saddam! He killed hundreds of thousands of Iraqis! He gassed Iraqis! Why haven't you shown the mass graves to your audiences?" There was more applause as Bahr al-Uloum sat down once more.

This is a great story of a new government facing a new free press but the MSM seems to have missed it and it’s taken over two and a half years to be told.

Rewarding Terror

Former U.S. special-forces Kenneth Stethem has written a letter to President Bush concerning the despicable release by Germany of Hezbollah terrorist Muhammed Ali Hammadi. Hammadi tortured and murdered Kenneth’s brother Robert Dean Stethem during a hijacking 20 years ago. Germany decided to reward the kidnappers of one of its citizens by releasing Hammadi who is back with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Hopefully this letter will convince the President to at least pressure Lebanon to arrest Hammadi and turn him over to the US for justice.

Date: January 8, 2006 4:15:57 PM PST

To: president@whitehouse.gov

Cc: vicepresident@whitehouse.gov

Subject: ROBERT DEAN STETHEM
Mr. President,

I would like to provide you with an explanation as to why Muhammed Ali Hammadi's recent release by Germany, and your Administration's lack of any attempt to prevent it, is so upsetting to our family and to Americans everywhere. I am not writing you out of grief or anger but out of a hope that his example will inspire you to follow act on your own words and the dictates of your conscious in this War on Terror.

Robert Dean Stethem was singled out, beaten beyond recognition and tortured in order to make him scream into a transmitter (so that the tower would send a fuel truck). Not a cry was heard to come from him, despite the brutal beating he endured. Instead he chose to remain silent and endure the beatings because he knew that the only way a rescue attempt could be conducted by U.S. forces was if the aircraft remained on the ground.

After Robert was beaten and tortured and bleeding from puncture wounds all over his body, he was placed next to a 16-year old Australian girl. As bad as Robert was beaten, he had the courage and strength to comfort and console her. He told her that, "She would be okay and that she would get out of here alive." When she tried to return the comfort, he said, "No, I don't think so. I am the only one in my group that is not married and some of the guys have children, too." Some time later, Robert was again taken up to the cockpit and tortured in order to get the fuel. But it didn't work, he would not give in to them.

One of the hijackers, Muhammed Ali Hammadi, was so enraged that he dragged Robert to the door, pulled a trigger and shot Robert in the head. Then he dumped Robert's body onto the tarmac. While Robert was being dragged to the door, he knew that all he had to do in order to live was to cry into that transmitter, but he wouldn't do it. He would not give in to the demands of the terrorists. He would not allow the honor and dignity of America to be intimidated by the fear and pain that Hammadi and terrorists everywhere represent. Robert sacrificed his life in order to protect our liberty and defend our way of life.

You have rightly said, "Whether we bring our enemies to justice, or bring justice to our enemies, justice will be done." You have truly said that "We are in a fight for our principles, and our first responsibility is to live by them." Robert lived by them. Robert also died by them. The motto of the USS STETHEM (DDG-63), named in Robert's honor, is "Steadfast and Courageous." I hope that his example, and the example of other heroes like him can inspire you to understand why allowing Germany to release Hammadi was a wrong. Justice was not done, Robert was not honored and Americans are not safer by allowing Hammadi to return to Lebanon and Hezbollah.

You know this, we know this and the American people know this.

The Stethem family

The payments of ransom to these terrorists by the German government will insure that Germans all over the world will be considered prime targets for kidnappers.