An interesting read from Deroy Murdock.
War on Terror aka GSAVE®
Israel
More blood has been spilled in the Israeli/Palestine issue:
A large explosion ripped apart a vehicle in a United States diplomatic convoy in the Gaza Strip this morning, killing three Americans and injuring one in what appeared to be the first direct attack on an American target since the Palestinian uprising started more than three years ago.
The convoy had passed through the Erez Crossing, which connects Israel with the Palestinian-ruled Strip, and was traveling on the outskirts of the Palestinian town of Beit Lahiya when the explosion took place. It appeared to be caused by a remote controlled roadside bomb. Israeli and American investigators went to the scene afterwards.
Maybe this will wake some people up (State Department, please) that the PLO, the Palestinian Authority, whatever you want to call it, is nothing more than a tightly knit association of garden-variety terrorists, led by a known terrorist, Arafat.
At any rate, I wonder how long it is before some nut claims that the Mossad really caused this explosion in an attempt to make this administration and the American people more pro-Israel.
No Kidding
This is news only to those who like to continuously say that Bush is lying to the American people:
President Bush said Wednesday there was no evidence that Saddam Hussein was involved in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 — disputing an idea held by many Americans.
“There’s no question that Saddam Hussein had al-Qaida ties,” the president said. But he also said, “We have no evidence that Saddam Hussein was involved with the Sept. 11” attacks.
The president’s comment was in line with a statement Tuesday by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who said he not seen any evidence that Saddam was involved in the attacks.
In one week, Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, and Rice have all stated the same exact thing they have stated for the past two years- there is no evidence that Hussein had anything to do with 9/11, but we do know that he was connected to Al Qaeda and had ties with numerous other terrorist groups. I am sure someone out there is going to be misguided enough to claim that this is yet another Bush lie, or that he is just ‘coming clean’ from his previous lies (apparently mentioning Al Qaeda, 9/11, and Osama all in one speech qualifies as a ‘lie’ nowadays).
Once again, whether you agree with their assessment or not, the administration believes the action in Iraq was an integral part of the wear on terror, not a distraction. I am inclined to agree, and I am glad we have ended the regime and are taking care of the hornet’s nest. Still a long row to hoe, though.
Distracted?
More evidence that the War in Iraq has distracted us from the War on Terror:
Three men charged as part of a local jihad network have pleaded guilty to conspiracy and gun charges, with one admitting in federal court yesterday that he trained with firearms in Northern Virginia to prepare for a possible mission fighting for Muslims abroad.
Yong Ki Kwon, 27, told a federal judge in Alexandria that he also trained in Pakistan at a camp run by the Lashkar-i-Taiba organization, which is fighting to end Indian control over much of Kashmir and has been designated a terrorist group by the U.S. government. At the camp, he said, he fired weapons ranging from machine guns to rocket-propelled grenades.
UN Bombing
If you have not seen the film from the cameraman who was inside the UN compound yesterday taping as the explosion went off, you should definitely go take a look, if for no other reason than to see what terror looks and feels like. In a word, it is awful. Kevin Drum provided the link, so I will use his instructions, as well:
CBS News has some video from a cameraman who was inside the UN building in Baghdad when the bomb went off. It’s about five minutes long and not for the squeamish, but if you want to know what it’s like being in the middle of a suicide bombing, this is (hopefully) as close as you’ll ever get.
To view it, go to the CBS News site and then click on “CBS News camera captures explosion, aftermath” at the top left of the page. If it’s gone, cut and paste this URL into your browser once you’re at the CBS site:
javascript:vlaunch(‘clip=/media/2003/08/19/video569057.rm’)
You’ll need the RealMedia player to watch the video.
I watched it, and I have several comments.
1.) I am even more convinced that people who think anything of this nature is a cause for celebration need to think about their remarks. Misha at the AI Rottweiler has been widely assailed for his flip and inappropriate remarks, yet sees the UN as a target of terror as poetic justice. There is simply no reason for celebration, and I gain little satisfaction in any ‘irony’ that may have been created by the attack. This was simply devestating and awful- those are real people bleeding and traumatized for life in that video- not just UN employees.
2.) Why, in events like this, when there is a cameraman filming, do you always hear people yelling for them to turn the camera off? It needs to keep rolling- people need to see this sort of thing.
3.) The guy at the beginning of the video yelling to keep everyone calm deserves a medal. Human responses to events like this are utterly unpredictable, but thank goodness there is always one person around who manages to keep his/her head. The benefits of training and instinct, perhaps.
4.) I am shaking with anger.
*** Update ***
Here is a direct link to the video.
Starting From Scratch?
I am not sure if this is feasible, but it sounds like an appealing idea:
Simply put, the C.I.A. is not suited to the mission of homeland security. Its tradecraft is imbedded in everything from its training manuals to its computers. For example, because the agency deals in sensitive secrets, you need C.I.A. clearance, including a polygraph exam, to log on to its computer network. Even officials from other agencies with the highest government security clearances are banned. Thus if the Terrorist Threat Information Center answered to the C.I.A., it would be very hard for someone from a state or local government to get information unless a C.I.A. official decided the person had a “need to know.”
This sort of impediment to information-sharing is exactly what the recent Congressional report says contributed to the Sept. 11 intelligence failure. It is why Congress correctly wants the secretary of homeland security, not the director of central intelligence, to have authority over collecting and releasing intelligence for our domestic defense.
Moreover, making sure the new agency gathers and assesses information efficiently may not be our greatest challenge
Bring ‘Em On
Looks like it is time for some more house cleaning in Afghanistan:
Bands of 50 or more pro-Taliban fighters have begun appearing around Kandahar, both along the border with Pakistan and in the interior of the province. Just over the border in the Pakistani town of Chaman, high-ranking Taliban officials are meeting openly and handing out guns, money and motorbikes, according to a witness and Afghan police officials. Poor Afghans who don’t share the Taliban’s strict interpretation of Islam or its mission of jihad are nevertheless accepting Pakistani money to plant land mines and bombs in Afghanistan, they said.
In addition to Taliban fighters, other men with guns — warlords — dominate much of Kandahar, allowing the trade in illegal drugs to flourish. Civic activists who once hoped to provide an alternative to both radical fundamentalists and marauding militiamen feel silenced and afraid.
“If someone rises up to say something about democracy or social equality, then tomorrow he won’t exist anymore,” said Mohammad Wali Hotek, head of one of the largest tribes in the Pashtun ethnic group, which is predominant in the south. “As there is no rule of law in Afghanistan, the gunmen can do anything they want.
I hope people understand it is going to take a long time to ‘fix’ Afghanistan.