Sept. 30 - Paul of

Sept. 30 - Paul of All AgitProp, all the Time... is back from Vermont.

Go over and ask him about the Syrup Conspiracy he might deny any knowledge of.

There's another appearance by Murray, the underrated member of the Acopalypse quartet.

I'll be gone awhile, I have to see to the things I happily ignored these last couple of days. And we're out of coffee! That's asking for big trouble in this house.

Posted by: Debbye at 11:07 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 83 words, total size 1 kb.

Sept. 30 - An interview

Sept. 30 - An interview with former PA security chief Mohammed Dahlan in the Washington Post states the obvious: Palestinians Worse Off After 3-Year Uprising.

The Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, which spurred President Bush to declare an international war on terrorism, were a turning point for the Palestinians, Dahlan told the AP. "We did not understand 9/11 in a correct and fundamental way that would have allowed us to help the national interest of our people, to bring back the international legitimacy of our [Palestinian] Authority," he said.

Nonsense. They understood it correctly and fundamentally. It was an act of war.

What they didn't understand correctly was the strength of the American people, and how we would respond.

I suspect they still don't.

(Via Neale News.)

Posted by: Debbye at 10:14 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 133 words, total size 1 kb.

Sept. 30 - This is

Sept. 30 - This is probably the only time I will ever link to The Dixie Chicks Official Artist Club but there were rumours about an open letter from Natalie that has been confirmed by their official website.

The letter tries to be funny, but fails so spectacularly that it ends up being funny. Or stupid. That's the nicest way I can put it.

(Via Neale News.)

Posted by: Debbye at 10:03 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 77 words, total size 1 kb.

Sept. 30 - Ahmed Melhalba,

Sept. 30 - Ahmed Melhalba, a physician working as a Civilian Guantanamo translator, was arrested today on charges of espionage for having classified materials in his possession. He is being held by officials of a civilian law agency.

Melhalba was arrested after arriving at Logan from Egypt.

The Fox account says he was pulled aside at Logan by agents from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency who found the documents, some of which were on his computer. The FBI was called and they interviewed Melhalba.

The FBI has applied for a warrant to search his computer, the significance of which will probably escape those who scream the USA has become a militarist Nazi-like police state.

Posted by: Debbye at 09:45 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 125 words, total size 1 kb.

Conspiracy Theory about the Blackout

Sept. 30 - It was inevitable that conspiracy theories would arise given the unusual number of blackouts since August in the US, Canada, the UK, Denmark and Italy. I can't deny that I noticed that the countries affected (except Canada) were members of the Coalition of the Willing, and I'm sure terrorism crossed everyone's mind followed quickly by more mundane, earth-bound explanations.

Al Qaeda had issued a statement in which they claimed responsibility for the Northeastern blackout last July, but as it didn't spread panic and, in fact, strengthened some ties to our neighbours, they must have been disappointed. Civilians even got to direct traffic.

The wonderful Sun (UK) compiles the whispers in Dark forces are at work. Excerpts:

One of the most popular is that the Western nations have secretly organised the blackouts as dummy runs against terror attacks.

One US web user said on a chat site: "There's a good chance this was orchestrated to test public response and as a reminder to be prepared."

Others believe a top secret US military experiment is to blame, suggesting it had affected the Earth's magnetic field which caused the cuts.

Behold the unlimited power of the US military. It can control the Earth's magnetic field.

Others attributed the blackouts to aliens taking over the world.

One conspirator said: "The aliens transmit large amounts of electricity into power relay stations and blow out their circuit breakers. It's all part of their invasion plan and every industrial country will be affected."

Perhaps the most bizarre explanation came from a conspirator simply known as Acoloss, who said: "Maybe electricity is a form of life and it's become aware."

Nobody is blaming Klaatu. How times have changed.

Posted by: Debbye at 09:28 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 289 words, total size 2 kb.

Sept. 30 - An interesting

Sept. 30 - An interesting feature on a book that has been released, Hug Them Close by Peter Riddell, chief political commentator with the Times, in an article in the Australian press humorously titled Bill and Tony's excruciating adventure.

I remember a leak during the trial of a man said to be from the IRA (who had gone to Columbia to train guerrillas) which stated that the UK government had decided not to inform then-Pres. Clinton of the investigation because they didn't trust his discretion.

Posted by: Debbye at 09:13 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 95 words, total size 1 kb.

Canadian Ambassador returns to Iran

Sept. 30 - The Canadian ambassador to Iran, Phillip MacKinnon, will return to Iran with instructions to keep an eye on Iran's ongoing nuclear program, the investigation into the beating death of Zahra Kazemi and push for a public trial of the person accused of causing her death, and to press for a return of her body to Canada.

So now he's an expert on the development of nuclear programs. That's a lame attempt to sell his return due to an urgent reason.

Just last week the Canadian government was threatening to suspend foreign aid.

Doesn't it really mean that the Foreign Affairs Ministry is still hoping this issue just "goes away?" "Soft power" indeed. Canada is trying for a Guinness World Record spot as the Most Indifferent when her citizens are arrested and tortured.

Kazemi's death last July gained international attention in great part due to the efforts of her son, Montrealer Stephan Hachemi. There are two petitions at the Project Free Iran website addressed to world leaders which calls them to join in calls demanding that the current regime step down and that the UN oversee a referendum in Iran and free elections.

There is also a lot of news updates and analysis about Iran on that page. Good one to bookmark.

Among other things is the claim that over 120,000 political prisoners and freedom loving Iranians have been executed in Iran over the past 2 decades. Inasmuch as the number of those who were tortured and executed in Iraq under the former regime turned out to be much higher than we suspected, this isn't a claim that can be easily dismissed however much we might wish it weren't true.

Posted by: Debbye at 08:30 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 292 words, total size 2 kb.

Sept. 29 - From Dustbury,

Sept. 29 - From Dustbury, Ken Burns is doing another documentary for PBS:

:In the Age of Teddy Roosevelt, though, a sense of adventure was still something in good supply, and in 1903, a Vermont physician, Dr Horatio Nelson Jackson, having bet $50 (a tidy sum in those days) that he could cross the country in a car in 90 days or less, put his motor where his mouth was, and set off from San Francisco with the hope of getting to New York in one piece.

Posted by: Debbye at 08:42 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 96 words, total size 1 kb.

Sept. 29 At The Lord

Sept. 29 At The Lord of the Rings official website. Available in Quicktime for download or insta-view.

Ith pointed the way.

Posted by: Debbye at 08:28 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 31 words, total size 1 kb.

Sept. 29 - Drew Carey

Sept. 29 - Drew Carey was a Marine! Alpha Patriot has some information about a USO show which featured Drew Carey and Brian Dennehey For the Troops in Iraq.

Posted by: Debbye at 07:43 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 39 words, total size 1 kb.

Sept. 29 - A naturalized

Sept. 29 - A naturalized US citizen, Abdul Rahman al-Amoudi, was arrested when he arrived at Dulles Int'l Airport after an unauthorized trip to Libya and is being investigated in a Terror Financing Probe. The article lists a number of irregularities, but this is notable:

Al-Amoudi also is co-founder of the American Muslim Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs Council, which helps the U.S. military select Muslim chaplains for the armed forces, a system that has recently drawn criticism from Congress following the arrests of a Muslim chaplain on suspicion of spying.

The article makes clear that al-Amoudi has been under suspicion for some time.

Posted by: Debbye at 07:17 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 112 words, total size 1 kb.

Sept. 29 - Sorry. I

Sept. 29 - Sorry. I took a capsule for my cold, and lay down for a minute. That was several hours ago.

Some more news items that tell a different story than at being fed by those mainsteam journalists reclining by a pool in Baghdad, including this column in the NY Post, here which reminds us that the failure to have a scripted plan is because this is unprecedented and having a scripted plan would lead to failure as it would allow for no improvisation when inevitably required, here which looks at how internet fact checking is successfully challenging the media depiction, and this which considers that Tom Brokaw's coverage may be better because he chronicled WWII (and has "historical perspective"!)

(All links via InstaAlly.)

Posted by: Debbye at 07:05 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 135 words, total size 1 kb.

Sept. 29 - The Lebanese

Sept. 29 - The Lebanese trial in absentia of Australian Bilal Khazal (whose name has also come up in connection with the trial of Abu Dahdah in Spain) was told that the Australian 'sent cash' to the terror suspect who has been charged with attacks at KFCs and McDonald's outlets in Beirut but a link between the cash and the attacks has not been made.

Posted by: Debbye at 09:57 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 75 words, total size 1 kb.

Sept. 29 - Another nifty

Sept. 29 - Another nifty new tape has surfaced and been aired by the footsoldiers of al Qaeda (no, not CNN.) The voice is believed to be that of al Qaeda deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri and his message is that the US targets Islam and complains about a Jewish Crusade but doesn't warn about any imminent attacks on the West.

The tape, aired in excerpts on Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya, appeared to be recent, as the speaker referred to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's visit to India earlier this month and the September 6 resignation of Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas.

"The crusade camp that is led by America and its allies from the infidels and hypocrites is targeting Islam and Muslims, even if it claims that it is fighting terrorism. ... This campaign is seeking to abolish Islam as a doctrine and a law," the voice said.

He said that what the West called terrorism was the Muslim's jihad.

The voice identified as al-Zawahri urged Muslims to "resist this Jewish crusade".

He also claims that the portion of the Sept. 11 hearing report that was blacked out contained a recommendation calling on the Saudi government to be barred from printing and distributing the Koran, and attacks Pakistan Pres. Musharref.

Bin Laden was neither seen or heard.

Posted by: Debbye at 09:35 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 223 words, total size 1 kb.

Sept. 29 - Al Qaeda

Sept. 29 - Al Qaeda coordinator and suspected planner of the Bali blasts last year, Hambali, links JI to al-Qaeda cash. According to Media Indonesia, the US handed over Thai and US police interrogation records to the Indonesia govenment.

Hambali reportedly said that money sent by al Qaeda to assist the families of those arrested after the Bali bombings was used to fund the Marriott Hotel bombings in Jakarta last August.

Posted by: Debbye at 09:08 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 81 words, total size 1 kb.

Sept. 29 - CNEWS World

Sept. 29 - CNEWS World - Suspected Taliban rebels burn down girls school in northern Afghanistan. "Nuff said.

Meanwhile, Peter Worthington points out that the quality of mercy under Sharia is quite strained indeed.

Posted by: Debbye at 08:42 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 44 words, total size 1 kb.

Sept. 29 - "It couldn't

Sept. 29 - "It couldn't happen here," sayeth Carlos Andrea Bollino, head of Italy's GRTN electrical network, shortly after the Great Blackout of 2003 which cut power to the American North East and Ontario.

Doesn't this guy know better than to tempt the fates? A countrywide blackout affected 50 million Italians in the dark. The power stayed down for as long as 18 hours in some place.

Posted by: Debbye at 08:36 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 77 words, total size 1 kb.

Sept. 28 - My latest

Sept. 28 - My latest assignment from the Alliance is to come up with music for whacking terrorists.

That's easy: the 1812 Overture. I like efficiency, and nothing says efficiency like cannons taking out the enemy and his shelter and his weapons and his transport and . . . well, you get the general idea.

It celebrates victory.
It celebrates (another French) defeat.
It has church bells.
I saw it peformed live with Arthur Fielder and the Boston Pops on the 4th of July (Stop that arithmetic)

My kids think something rave would be better. Hmm

Okay, you want something way more cool? Then I'd go for any live AC/DC recording of Thunderstruck.

As it's full of a cannony staccatoes, I can still visusalize taking out the (thunder) enemy, and his (thunder) shelter, and his (thunder) weapons and his . . . .

Posted by: Debbye at 11:55 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 153 words, total size 1 kb.

Sept. 28 - I'm coming

Sept. 28 - I'm coming down with a cold, and think the fever has affected my cognitive skills (although it could be the brandy in my coffee) but I'm going to highslight a point of major signficance while I'm still conscious:

There has already been a violation. of the truce in the Blogger War, so we must regretfully resume hostilities. Needless to say, it's all Glenn Reynolds's fault.

Posted by: Debbye at 11:43 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 78 words, total size 1 kb.

Sept. 27 - Chief Wiggles

Sept. 27 - Chief Wiggles reports on the attack on the Rasheed Hotel and the USO show with Drew Carey in Iraq.

TOYS. Toothbrushes, pens, pencils, stuffed animals. Flip flops. Maple Leaf tee-shirts. Show Iraqi kids the depth of the Canadian heart.

Posted by: Debbye at 03:12 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 52 words, total size 1 kb.