The Loony Left the Loony Right just LOVE those Islamic Fascists!

I just love it that the leftwingers are now in bed with the Aryan Nation in their support of the Islamic "freedom fighters" who bomb Mosques, churches, schools and cut the heads off of other innocent people. This is who the anti war crowd is. Any thoughtful libs out there might want to rethink their support of the antiwar movenment in light of just who these people are and what they are saying in your name.

Shiia Stuff

One of the more aggravating things in watching MSM news coverage of the ME is the automatic lumping of Muslims as one big monolithic block. Kind of like how the MSM treats minorities and other advocacy political groups in the USA. I saw some clown on NBC the other night who claims to have spent two years in Iraq doing news there and he trotted out the "Shiias in the south, Sunnis in the center, Kurds to the north oh my!" conventional wisdom of those who I see as not having much contact with actual Iraqis. Of course, he was framing his news story about how the Iraqi government was in trouble because TWO WHOLE MONTHS after the elections there wasn't a complete government yet. Two years of living in a Bahgdad hotel might lead one to conclude that but I suspect others who speak to actual Iraqis around the country might find something different. He went on with more blather about how the country could split up, with the Shiiah south joining with Iran to form a Sharia State(nevermind that Iraq and Iran were at war for eight years and their no love lost between the two countries), A Kurdistan to the north and the Sunnis controlling the developed center. This has been the CW since Iraq was declared a "quagmire" by the MSM shortly after Bahgdad fell. Again this ignores what alot of Iraqis actually think and desire.

Having been there for one year less than this supposed reporter, but having been in closer contact to a variety of Iraqis, I found that they are more nationalistic than religiously oriented in their political views, even the devout Muslims. Americans tend to a distrustful view of Shiias because of their dominance in Iran and the perception that they support the sort of Islamic State represented by the revolution that overthrew the Shah back in the 70's. Indeed my views of Shiiah Muslims were largely shaped by those events as I came of age during the hostage crisis, casting my first ever vote for Ronald Reagan because I knew he would put the hurt on Iran if they didnt release the hostages.

It wasnt until I was living on a poultry farm outside of Karbala with the 3/7 Marines of the 1st MEF that I found out that the Shiia majority there were actually failry pro American, aside from some resentful shit disturbers like Muqtada Al Sadr, who was trying to consolidate power and make a name for himself by "standing up to the American Oppressors". You see, the main difference that I have seen between Sunni and Shiiah sects of Islam is that the Shiiahs see a religious duty to over throw oppressive governments. The top Shiiah Mullahs in Iraq also desire a separation of religious and political policy. This has been the position of Al Sistani, the top Shia cleric in Iraq who is an Iranian who fled to Iraq during the Iranian Islamic Revolution. If any branch of Islam has the potential to undergo a reformation in respect to human rights, I see the Shiia being the best able to do so.

But back to my point about the clueless MSM and their boilerplate ideas and attitudes towards Iraqi Muslims desiring a Sharia state. I saw on Powerline a news bit on a poll taken in Najaf, the most holy city for Shiias, was published in an Iraqi newspaper. It confirms what I learned on the streets in that part of the country and utterly refutes the party line of a still clueless Big City Liberal media culture about events and attitudes in Iraq, who seem to be locked in a negative mentality towards anything that might make President Bush look good. Thus they ignore anything with doesn't fit in their mold if "Iraqi Quagmire/Civil War/Sharia State" reporting.

Donald Rumsfelds Town Hall Speech

Yes I was AWOL for some time here. My own unit is being mobilized for an OIF rotation so I've been kept busy. I won't have to go with them as I have hit my 24 month cap and my wife needs me a bit more than the Army does right now. But on with my ramblings...

I got an email oh ten or so days ago with the draft text of Defense Secratary Rumsfelds remarks for a Town Hall speech he gave at the Pentagon on March 18th, on the two year anniversary of our liberation of Iraq. Here it is:

Good morning. Thank you for coming.

March 19th will mark two years to the day since the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom. I'd like to take a few moments to talk about all of the things that have changed in Iraq since that day, and about the great sweep of freedom moving across that region, and what it means to our country.
But first, let me say that the positive changes underway could not have taken place without the hard work and dedication of America's men and women in uniform, their families, and the efforts of all of you who have devoted your lives to our nation's defense. I want you to know that we are grateful -- and your country is grateful -- for your able service.

A few weeks ago, a Staff Sergeant with the 1st Cavalry Division received the Silver Star for heroism for rescuing his trapped comrades from a burning Bradley Fighting Vehicle. At his medal ceremony in Baghdad, William Thomas Payne, of Benford, Oklahoma, asked his commanding officer if he might depart from tradition. He wanted the medal to be pinned on him by his proud dad, a civilian DoD employee, who was also on duty in Iraq.

The story is a useful reminder of the many civilian and military personnel who are risking their lives every day to help build a more peaceful future in Iraq, and to eliminate a threat to the civilized world.

Those folks are doing important and noble work. Indeed, when one thinks of Iraq today, compared to what it was just two short years ago, the changes are truly remarkable. Think of what the Coalition faced back then:

* Saddam Hussein and his vicious sons ruled a regime that had twice invaded its neighbors, a regime that paid rewards to the families of suicide bombers;

* Had defied 17 U.N. Security Council resolutions;
* Regularly fired at U.S. and British aircraft and crews; and that
* Looted his country of billions, building lavish palaces while Iraqis suffered starvation.

The many opponents of the regime were forced to whisper their dissent, ever fearful of the midnight "knock on the door" from Saddam's secret police. Other Iraqis who had received "knocks on their door" were among some 400,000 men, women and children callously tossed into the hundreds of mass graves discovered across that country.

In Iraq two years ago, a dangerous threat had gathered. And that threat was confronted. Through an unprecedented combination of speed, precision and flexibility, U.S. forces, with Coalition support, seized Baghdad, having marched farther and faster than any armed force in military history.

And they did this while:

* Avoiding massive civilian casualties;
* Averting a refugee crisis; and
* Preventing Iraq from firing Scud missiles at neighboring countries to ignite a region-wide war.

Since the early days of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the Coalition has engaged in a test of wills with a savage enemy determined to derail Iraq's progress. The extremists have beheaded aid workers and children. They have attacked symbols of hope. And they tried to make Iraq's election day one of bloodshed and terror.

But if their goal was to force the Coalition into retreat, their mission failed. In the words of President Bush, "the enemy sought to test America's resolve -- and found it firm."

The same can be said of the Iraqi people. The Iraqi security forces successfully protected five thousand polling places. Millions of Iraqi voters marched defiantly past signs that threatened, "You vote, you die."

And day by day, the Iraqi people are building a future that safeguards the liberty that their citizens deserve and on which the world's security increasingly depends.

History teaches that political and economic freedom go hand in hand. Today, unleashed from Baathist control:

* The Iraqi economy is growing;
* Property values are rising;
* Refugees are returning; and
* Foreign investment is increasing.

Indeed, today, in the heart of the Middle East, Iraq is a country offering freedom and opportunity in place of what was a cauldron of tyranny and terror.

In the last two years, from Afghanistan and Iraq to Ukraine and the streets of Lebanon and elsewhere, we have seen again and again that the great sweep of human history is for freedom -- and we are on history's side.

We know that freedom and opportunity are the surest antidotes to extremism.
Extremist ideologies suffer when governments such as Afghanistan's protect women and imprison terrorists, rather than protecting terrorists and imprisoning women.

Extremist ideologies suffer when millions of Iraqis vote in defiance of the dictates of Zarqawi and bin Laden. And the enemy's extremist ideology will meet its end when the wider Middle East sheds itself of tyranny and violence and carves out a future of tolerance.

As we join the Iraqi people in remembering this important anniversary, we might also take a moment to remember another. Sixty years ago this month, American forces fought on the island of Iwo Jima in one of the last and bloodiest battles of the Second World War.

During a month of brutal fighting, some twenty-five thousand Americans were killed or wounded. Those who fought in that conflict not only contributed to a great military victory, they helped to unleash a wave of freedom that transformed tyrannies to democracies, and enemies into friends.

Today, America's men and women in uniform stand on the shoulders of those heroes who fought at Iwo Jima and the other great battles for freedom in World War II. And just as surely, tomorrow's heroes will stand on the shoulders of those who have freed the people of Afghanistan and Iraq, and those who are dealing crippling blows to the extremists who still threaten our Nation.

One day the history of Operation Iraqi Freedom will be written. Though early chapters of that history might tell of that struggle's great hardships -- and it has been hard -- its final chapters will record historic achievements -- the demise of a leading terrorist state and the spread of freedom throughout the region.

All of us in this building, gathered in this room, or listening across the world carry on our mission in memory of all those who have given their lives to the cause of freedom, to the wounded who demonstrate great courage every day, and to all of their families who support our Servicemen and women with their love and support.

And we promise them this: our commitment to their unfinished work.

May God bless them all.

Stupid Leftwing Italian Journalist Gets Lit Up

"The car kept on the road, going under an underpass full of puddles and almost losing control to avoid them. We all incredibly laughed. It was liberating. Losing control of the car in a street full of water in Baghdad and maybe wind up in a bad car accident after all I had been through would really be a tale I would not be able to tell." Giuliana Sgrena

Yes, drive your car so fast that it almost loses control around US troops and you too will most likely get shot for imitating a car bomb. She goes on to claim that she was deliberately targeted. Nevermind that the Joes at that checkpoint didn't know who was in the car in the first place, or who she was, much less that she had been released or what kind of car she was driving; and if US forces wanted her dead, she'd be in a cooler right now in several pieces.

She's a liar who should be apologizing for getting the brave Italian Intel officer killed by her reckless actions, not accusing US troops of an assasination attempt.

Too True

Mudville has his usual great stuff.

Best line: "I've always wondered how they pulled it off so long - living in palaces while convincing the masses that they lived in houses made of camel shit because the US is Satan."

The Arab Street

I recall, way back when in 2001, when we were ramping up to attack Afghanistan. The anti-war crowd was making all sorts of dire predictions about mass casualties, Afghani winters, the Empire breaking toughness of the Afghani guerilla soldiers and the "silent genocide" predicted by Noam Chomsky. All of which were proven completely wrong.

Another prediction that has recently collapsed was the "rise of the Arab Street" babble, ie: the mass uprising of Muslim rage against the insult to Islam that was to come about if we dared to respond to terrorism with more than the oocasional random cruise missile. With the fall of Saddam came Ghaddafis sudden smell-the-coffee turn around on his nuclear ambitions. But most recently, with the successful Iraqi election, there has indeed been a rise of the Arab street. But it has been in the opposite direction of that predicted by the usual leftwing moaners. The PLA has responded to a recent Tel Aviv bombing by arresting 2 terrorists and there wasn't the usual street celebrations or martyr pictures carried by the mob. The Lebanese have responded to a Syrian sponsored assassination with street protests that have forced the Syrian backed Government to resign and Syria to wothdraw their troops from Lebanon. Egypts Musharef has been forced by international pressure to actually include opposition candidates on the ballot.

While the ultimate results won't be clear for some time, this does show that President Bush is right in his Jeffersionian foreign policies which recognize that the human desire for freedom from oppression cannot be crushed and must be supported by other free nations. Since WW2, Many Middle Eastern countries have been under the boot of assorted thugs and their people are responding predictably. Once again, freedom is on the march and once again, leftists and their liberal Democrat enablers are on the wrong side of history.