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You are here: Home / Archives for 2004

Archives for 2004

Our Saudi Allies

by John Cole|  June 20, 20042:30 pm| 16 Comments

This post is in: War on Terror aka GSAVE®

Fabulous:

According to the account of Johnson’s kidnapping, posted on an Islamic extremist Web site, militants wearing police uniforms and using police cars set up a fake checkpoint June 12 on al-Khadma Road, leading to the airport, near Imam Mohammed bin Saud University.

“A number of the cooperators who are sincere to their religion in the security apparatus donated those clothes and the police cars. We ask God to reward them and that they use their energy to serve Islam and the mujahedeen,” the article read.

When Johnson’s car approached the checkpoint, the militants stopped his car, anesthetized him and carried him to another car, the article said. Earlier Saudi newspaper reports had also said Johnson was drugged during the kidnapping.

The article said they then blew up Johnson’s car.

Security officials said last week that Johnson’s car was found near Imam University. Saudi press reports said the car was booby-trapped and later caught fire.

Then there is this:

Almost half of all Saudis said in a poll conducted last year that they have a favorable view of Osama bin Laden’s sermons and rhetoric, but fewer than 5 percent thought it was a good idea for bin Laden to rule the Arabian Peninsula…

“They like what he said about what’s going on in Iraq and Afghanistan. Or about America and the Zionist conspiracy. But what he does, that’s where you see the huge drop,” said Obaid, referring to the bombings that had already begun taking place inside Saudi Arabia at the time the poll was conducted.

He also said he would like to update the poll numbers in the wake of the recent series of terrorist attacks that have taken place in Saudi Arabia.

BTW- People like to shit all over Fox News, but I defy anyone to find a more thorough grilling Adel al-Jubair. I cant find a link, but she went after the man.

Our Saudi AlliesPost + Comments (16)

Happy Father’s Day

by John Cole|  June 20, 200412:44 pm| 3 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads

You didn’t have to spend all those summers working the second job at Oglebay, but you had a family to raise.

You didn’t have to spend all those years painting and wallpapering on the side, but you wanted to make sure your kids got to go to the beach every year.

You didn’t have to spend all those years driving second-hand cars, but you wanted your kids to have new clothes for school.

You didn’t have spend all those summers getting up at 5 am to go work in the garden, but it helped to feed the family and allowed you to help pay for four sets of braces and four sets of glasses.

You didn’t have to always defend me, but you did- even when I was probably definitely wrong.

You didn’t have to be mayor for 20 years, but who else was going to take care of your family’s town?

You didn’t have to put up with me when I was a bastard as a teen, but you did- and you even blamed yourself for my behavior.

You didn’t have to stand up to all the bullies at work who were doing the wrong things and picking on those who couldn’t defend themselves- but who else in your Department could and would take the heat?

You didn’t have to travel to my Basic Training, but you were so excited to see me finally listen to an authority figure that you did.

In short, you didn’t have to do any of those things, but you did.

Thanks, and Happy Fathers Day.

Happy Father’s DayPost + Comments (3)

Drum Quote of the Day

by John Cole|  June 20, 200412:27 pm| 8 Comments

This post is in: General Stupidity

I guess the point of this Drum post is to do the old bait-and-switch on Kerry’s deplorable goal of ‘stability over Democracy.’ Drum quotes members of the Carnegie Moscow Center, who state:

“It’s apparent that Russians and President Putin are interested in a second term for Bush,” said Liliya Shevtsova of the Carnegie Moscow Center. “We’ve always had good relations with Republicans. We dislike Democrats, because Democrats always care about democracy in Russia.”

Kevin opines:

Yeah, Democrats can be annoying that way. It’s much easier to deal with Republicans who occasionally jabber about democracy but never actually do anything about it, isn’t it?

Let’s not even get into the factual aspects of the comment from the folks at Carnegie (although this piece from the same group is interesting: “Reagan’s unfinished agenda. Democracy still has a way to go in Russia“), but let’s instead look at the words of his own candidate:

“With respect to getting our troops out, the measure is the stability of Iraq. [Democracy] shouldn’t be the measure of when you leave. I have always said from day one that the goal here . . . is a stable Iraq, not whether or not that’s a full democracy.”

From the other piece I listed above:

Reagan’s ideas about freedom are still alive and well among Russia’s citizens. Vast majorities still say in opinion polls that they prefer democracy over dictatorship; that they value their right to choose their leaders; and that they want to maintain their newly acquired rights to travel, own property or practice religion. Yet, after a decade of social, political and economic upheaval, firm majorities of Russian also value stability over everything else, and these Russians perceive Putin as providing stability.

Now, Kevin can argue that Bush should be doing more to pressure Putin. I might agree with that, although some of that realism but may be taking place and the administration has decided to shelve those concerns while seeking support in the current war on terror. However, when his candidate’s STATED goal is almost IDENTICAL to Putin’s the man you are criticizing, Drum’s silly cheapshot looks just like what it is- a cheap shot from a paid partisan.

John Kerry: “I have always said from day one that the goal here . . . is a stable Iraq, not whether or not that’s a full democracy.”

Kevin Drum: “It’s much easier to deal with Republicans who occasionally jabber about democracy but never actually do anything about it, isn’t it?”

Try not to giggle.

Drum Quote of the DayPost + Comments (8)

Enough, Already

by John Cole|  June 20, 200412:07 pm| 14 Comments

This post is in: Media

The title of Dana Milbank’s piece today says it all: “9/11 Panel May Hurt Bush Reelection Campaign.”

It is listed as ‘News Analysis,’ so as usual, Milbank can getaway with any lie or distortion he wants, making this newsitorial seem like legitimate hard news, but serving only as agitprop for the DNC. The second paragraph made me scream (apparently it had the same effect on the folks at the Belgravia Dispatch):

After the commission staff released its findings Wednesday that there was no “collaborative relationship” between Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda — challenging an assertion Bush and Vice President Cheney have made for the past two years — Bush declared again that there was, in fact, a relationship.

This, folks, is how to get it done. Spend months distorting the commission’s findings, then wryly point out that your distortions might just be used against the President. Why don;t you just join the Kerry campaign, Dana? Although if you asked, I am betting they like you just where you are.

Time for a new google bomb:

Incompetent DNC Hack

Enough, AlreadyPost + Comments (14)

Home, Crap Home

by John Cole|  June 19, 20045:33 pm| 14 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads

After reading this Matthew Yglesias post, I am beginning to understand how David Dinkins got elected.

BTW- From what movie did this post derive its name?

Home, Crap HomePost + Comments (14)

Coy Andy

by John Cole|  June 19, 20045:15 pm| 12 Comments

This post is in: Politics

The Instapundit seems to think that Andrew’s statement that he will not endorse Bush means that he will not support him at all. The IP notes:

There are plenty of things that I disagree with Bush on — stem cell research (and pretty much all other biotech/bioethics issues), abortion, gay marriage, the Drug War, etc. If it weren’t for the war, I’d probably be on the fence. But I can’t take Kerry seriously on the war, and for me it’s the number one issue. For Sullivan, I guess, it’s not. I had thought that it was.

Yeppers. At any rate, I continue to find it fascinating that Democrats are crowing about polls that show the war is losng support. While I understand their immediate glee at anything that can be perceived to be negative for Bush, I think they are forgetting something.

Kerry opposed almost everything Reagan did during the Cold War, and Kerry was against the first Gulf War. That makes him 0-2, from my perspective. Now the Democrats want to spin this as a failed war, but they fail to remember that their candidate SUPPORTED this war. From their own perspective, their candidate is 0-3 on the three major national security issues of the last three decades.

And yes, I know- Kerry supported the operation in Afghanistan. So did everyone else on the planet, except Ralph Nader (he wanted to send in a multinational police force to arrest Osama- really- stop giggling). I think we can effectively call Afghanistan a no-brainer.

Coy AndyPost + Comments (12)

Protein Wisdom v. Ted Kennedy

by John Cole|  June 18, 20045:25 pm| 4 Comments

This post is in: Humorous

Jeff Goldstein at his best.

Protein Wisdom v. Ted KennedyPost + Comments (4)

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