By now we have all heard the news about an Israeli aistrike on a building they beleived to be a Hezbollah base and the source of rocket attacks on southern Israel.

EU Referendum now makes a very strong case that many of the grizzly photographs being circulated around the world were staged.

Among other things EU Referendum compares several photographs from several different news organizations with the same rescue worker carrying the same lifeless childs body for well over an hour.

The piece concludes:

Whatever else, the event in Qana was a human tragedy. But the photographs do not show it honestly. Rather, they have been staged for effect, exploiting the victims in an unwholesome manner. In so doing, they are no longer news photographs - they are propaganda. And, whoever said the camera cannot lie forgot that photographers can and do. Those lies have spread throughout the world by now and will be in this morning’s newspapers, accepted as real by the millions who view them.

The profession of photo-journalism thereby is sadly diminished by them, and the trust in those who took them and in those who carried them is misplaced. Truly, we are dealing with loathesome creatures.

The Strata-Sphere theorizes that Hezbollah may have gone much farther than staging a few photos for their propaganda:

Did Hezbollah collect bodies from morgues to stage this? It is coming clear why Israel gave a short reprieve to their attacks. They are banking on journalists to do their jobs and not be caught up in their emotional biases. I doubt it will work. The headlines all day screamed about children dying in their beds wihtout any thought of what happened.

The international media has behaved disgustingly during this event. They jumped to conclusions and did something for Hezbollah they never did for Israel, the wept for their dead children. But it seems those dead children died days before hand. No matter to the liberal news media and their completely slanted reporting. For they do no wrong. Ever.

The Confederate Yankee suggests the childrens fathers may have been directly responsible for their deaths.

It seems increasingly probable that the Shalhoub and Hashem men were likely members of Hezbollah, involved in launching the very rockets at Israel that the called in counter-battery fire that killed their families.

I don’t know what the truth is but neither do the MSM. The timeline of the photos certainly needs to be addressed. The possibility of the bodies being moved to the cite for propaganda reasons, or that rockets were fired from that building or adjacent buildings, and that munitions were possibly stored in the building and caused the explosions that killed these people all should be investigated by credible main stream media. Unfortunately the chances of that happening are slim.

A couple days ago now Digby at Hullabaloo said:

The Iraq invasion, too, has exposed the great military superpower as being incapable of handling the next generation of warfare. Everyone had an inkling of this after Vietnam, but I suppose that many assumed the US had managed to regroup and learn from its mistakes. We Americans were certainly led to believe the military had done so — we’ve been bombarded with propaganda for years about how the new generation of officers had a completely different understanding of assymetrical warfare and the military’s relationship to the political institututions it served.

Huh?

What did his readers have to say?

Mostly the predictable Bush is an idiot, and the Dick Cheney has masterminded the complete dismantling of the constitution etc. I did find one comment interesting in so far as it seemed to come straight from the Al-Jazeera propoganda machine.   

While the twin fuckups in Lebanon and Iraq are visiting undeserved pain on many decent people in the US and Israel (the victims in Iraq and Lebanon go without saying), nobody forced either country to commit these follies. Rather, they were the outcome of an overweening imperial hubris that responds to festering injustices with violence and exploitation. Both countries are long overdue for a serious comeuppance. I would have preferred a more storybook resolution, but if the neighborhood bullies need to get their noses broken, I prefer that to a continuation of the bullying that brought them and the regions to this place.
Potato Head

What Potato Head and Digby seem unable to comprehend is the only thing that has stopped the American military is a concern for world opinion and civilian leadership.

 

I am not advocating a more forceful response in anyway; only pointing out that the overwhelming military superiority of the USA is unquestionable.

 

If we really wanted any one of our two bit enemies to be devastated economically, destroyed materially, or dead and completely exterminated they would be.

 

The same is true to a lesser extent with Israel and the Arab dictators that surround them. The only thing that prevents the extermination of the Jews in Israel by the aforementioned Arab dictators is Israel’s overwhelming military superiority.

 

The only thing that prevents the extermination of Israel’s enemies like Hezbollah is the restraint of Israel.

Last night my wife and I went to see a one act play that a friend of ours wrote, directed, and starred in. It wasn’t a major broadway production or anything.  It was at the Lyceum theatre in San Diego.The theatre sits 300 people at most. It was fun.

Her play titled “Cold Beer” was one of six one act shows for the evening put on by a group of actors and playwrights known as “the Actors Alliance”.

“Cold Beer” is about one relatively unknown author’s resistance to a group of aliens who have landed on earth, discovered beer, became alcoholics, and forced all of humanity to make beer for the universe. Worst of all they only beer the aliens like is “Natural Light”. All other breweries are shut down.
Leslie Ridgeway (our friend) is a very talented and funny. If you are ever in San Diego and looking for something to do check the SD TheatreScene website to find out whats playing in town. They currently have a nice review of Leslie’s play.

Tis now the very witching time of night, When churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out Contagion to this world.”

…William Shakespeare: Hamlet; Act III, scene ii

What better to describe the sheer arrogence of those decrying the defense of Israel when attacked by Hezb’ollah? Victor Davis Hansen, writing in National Review Online puts forth a lexicon to describe the reaction of the world, the left and those who do not believe in Israel’s right to exist. A sample:

“Collateral damage” refers mostly to casualties among Hezbollah’s human shields; it can never be used to describe civilian deaths inside Israel, because everything there is by intent a target.
[…]
“Disproportionate” means that the Hezbollah aggressors whose primitive rockets can’t kill very many Israeli civilians are losing, while the Israelis’ sophisticated response is deadly against the combatants themselves. See “excessive.” Anytime you hear the adjective “excessive,” Hezbollah is losing. Anytime you don’t, it isn’t.
[…]
“Eyewitnesses” usually aren’t, and their testimony is cited only against Israel.

Of course, anything VDH writes is worth reading, but this “lexicon” is worth reading in its entirety and I urge you to follow the link and do so. This brings up, of course, a larger question. What do we do about the mini-war going on right now in Southern Lebanon? Negotiate? With terrorists or their supporters in the UN or Iran or Syria? Why for pete’s sake? The terrorist organization known as the “Party of God” or Hezb’ollah has no intention of keeping an agreement, Iran most certainly set up this little war to keep the G8 focus off of their nuclear weapons program (and if you don’t really believe that they have one, then you are no where near as bright as you think you are and your ability to read and understand facts is less than your ability to read chicken entrals) and to get the Arab/Muslim world to rise up against Israel:

DOHA, Qatar (CNN) — With a poster of the burning World Trade Center behind him, Osama bin Laden’s top lieutenant appeared on tape Thursday calling on Muslims to join the fight against Israel and “rise up seeking martyrdom and attack the crusaders and Zionists.”

Crusaders and Zionists indeed. Notably, this yo-yo made his tape standing in from of a poster of the burning WTC. And they wonder why we take up arms against them and in defense of liberty. In today’s Wall Street Journal’s Opinion Journal Leslie Gelb calls for “negotiations” with Syria, Iran, and if necessary Hezb’ollah and Hamas. Wow, could he be any more dense? Folks, this is not about Israeli aggression, this is about an ideology called islamofascism that is out to destroy everything you believe in, to kill you and yours or to convert you to Islam in “dhimmitude.” Well, I don’t know about you, but I’ll submit when hell freezes over, when Bin Laden converts to Christianity or when the Democrats quit their quest for power and begin governing. Cross Posted in GM’s Corner

I have a short road trip to Vegas. Will be back tomorrow night. Be safe all.

Angel, writing in “Woman, Honor Thyself” has a post up asking if we can put “United” back in “United States Of America.” It is a must read!

Cross posted at GM’s Corner

I had planned to parse the Prime Ministers speech and take a few digs at some feckless Democrats but after reading the entire thing it seems inappropriate. This is a very moving speech and deserves to be read in its entirety. This is the kind of speech American Presidents give at their best. This is the kind of speech Americans fight and die for. The ideals expressed in Prime Minister al-Maliki’s speech are exactly the kind ideals 2570 Americans have fought died for.

I only wish I spoke Arabic so I could have heard it as he meant it to be heard.

Real Clear Politics has the complete transcript.

Mr. al-Maliki in his own words:

Thank you. Thank you.

In the name of God, the most gracious, the most merciful, Your Excellency, the Speaker of the House, Mr. Vice President, honorable ladies and gentlemen, members of Congress. it is with great pleasure that I am able to take this opportunity to be the first democratically and constitutionally elected prime minister of Iraq to address you, the elected representatives of the American people. And I thank you for affording me this unique chance to speak at this respected assembly.

Let me begin by thanking the American people, through you, on behalf of the Iraqi people, for supporting our people and ousting dictatorship. Iraq will not forget those who stood with her and who continues to stand with her in times of need.

Thank you for your continued resolve in helping us fight the terrorists plaguing Iraq, which is a struggle to defend our nation’s democracy and our people who aspire to liberty, democracy, human rights and the rule of law. All of those are not Western values; they are universal values for humanity.

They are as much for me the pinnacle embodiment of my faith and religion, and they are for all free spirits.

The war on terror is a real war against those who wish to burn out the flame of freedom. And we are in this vanguard for defending the values of humanity.

I know that some of you here question whether Iraq is part of the war on terror. Let me be very clear: This is a battle between true Islam, for which a person’s liberty and rights constitute essential cornerstones, and terrorism, which wraps itself in a fake Islamic cloak; in reality, waging a war on Islam and Muslims and values.

And spreads hatred between humanity, contrary to what come in our Koran, which says, “We have created you of male and female and made you tribes and families that you know each other.” Surely (inaudible) of you in the sight of God is the best concept.

The truth is that terrorism has no religion. Our faith says that who kills an innocent, as if they have killed all mankind.

Thousands of lives were tragically lost on September 11th when these impostors of Islam reared their ugly head. Thousands more continue to die in Iraq today at the hands of the same terrorists who show complete disregard for human life.

Your loss on that day was the loss of all mankind, and our loss today is lost for all free people.

And wherever humankind suffers a loss at the hands of terrorists, it is a loss of all of humanity.

It is your duty and our duty to defeat this terror. Iraq is the front line in this struggle, and history will prove that the sacrifices of Iraqis for freedom will not be in vain. Iraqis are your allies in the war on terror.

History will record their bravery and humanity.

The fate of our country and yours is tied. Should democracy be allowed to fail in Iraq and terror permitted to triumph, then the war on terror will never be won elsewhere.

Mr. Speaker, we are building the new Iraq on the foundation of democracy and are erecting it through our belief in the rights of every individual — just as Saddam has destroyed it through his abuse of all those rights — so that future Iraqi generations can live in peace, prosperity and hope.

Iraqis have tasted freedom and we will defend it absolutely.

I implore you to go to Real Clear Politics and read Prime Minister al-Maliki’s speech in it’s entirety.

Others blogging this: Outside the Beltway, Austin Bay, Red State, Blue Crab Boulevard, Deans World, The Jawa Report,

Has anyone else seen this?

According to General Wesley Clark–the Pentagon, by late 2001, was Planning to Attack Lebanon

“Winning Modern Wars” (page 130) General Clark states the following:

“As I went back through the Pentagon in November 2001, one of the senior military staff officers had time for a chat. Yes, we were still on track for going against Iraq, he said. But there was more. This was being discussed as part of a five-year campaign plan, he said, and there were a total of seven countries, beginning with Iraq, then Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Iran, Somalia and Sudan.

…He said it with reproach–with disbelief, almost–at the breadth of the vision. I moved the conversation away, for this was not something I wanted to hear. And it was not something I wanted to see moving forward, either. …I left the Pentagon that afternoon deeply concerned.”

I don’t understand the Democrats, well, actually I do, but I don’t like it.  In the interests of full disclosure as well, sometimes I don’t understand the Republicans either, especially on spending, earmarks and their general obtuseness as to why they were elected and by whom.

But over the last several days, the hypocracy of the Democrats in the U.S. Senate has shocked even me; and that is saying something.  No doubt, some of my more leftward friends and relatives will disagree with this statement, but they can’t and still be honest withthemselves.

In todays “Best Of The Web Today” in the Wall Street Journal’s Opinion Journal, James Taranto starts off with this bon mot: 

Iraq’s Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki spoke this morning to a joint meeting of Congress, and some Democrats seized an opportunity to burnish their credentials as supporters of Israel, CNN reports:

In a letter to al-Maliki, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, Democratic Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois and Sen. Charles Schumer of New York called the Iraqi leader’s comments troubling.”Your failure to condemn Hezbollah’s aggression and recognize Israel’s right to defend itself raise serious questions about whether Iraq under your leadership can play a constructive role in resolving the current crisis and bringing stability to the Middle East,” the letter said.

The senators said some Democrats are considering boycotting al-Maliki’s speech before Congress.

“I want the prime minister to denounce what Hezbollah has done,” Reid said at a news briefing. “I will lose a lot of confidence in al-Maliki if he does not denounce what Hezbollah has done.”

Now, Durban, Schumer and Reid have castigated Bush and Company for at least the last several years over the war in Iraq, so for any of them to say “…raise serious questions about whether Iraq under your leadership can play a constructive role in resolving the current crisis and bringing stability to the Middle East,” should make each of them shudder in shame.  What the hell have any of the three done to “…play a constructive role in resloving…” the crisis or in “…bringing stability to the Middle East,” exactly what gentlemen?Taranto also notes these two quotes from Prime Minister al Maliki: 

“We call on the world to take quick stands to stop the Israeli aggression.”
“What is happening is an operation of mass destruction and mass punishment and an operation using great force that Israel has–and Lebanon does not.”

Taranto then compares those two statements to two statements made by none other than that great America basher Kofi Anan: 

“[Israel’s] excessive use of force is to be condemned.”
“While Israel has stated its military objective is to hit Hezbollah’s infrastructure and physical strength, it has, in the words of the Lebanese prime minister, torn the country to shreds.”

As Taranto says, where is the Democratic condemnation of Kofi Anan?  I’ll add to that “Should we hold our breath?”Today, Howard Deaniac (dean+maniac) called al Maliki an (gasp) anti-semite.  Oh my goodness, the chair of the Democratic Party calling someone else an anti-semite.  Well, Mr. Deaniac, you of course know that Arabs are semites as well, so, if you say bad things about an Arab does that make YOU an anti-semite? No?  Hypocrite!

I’m also curious as to how the Democrats including the four mentioned in this post can harp about Israel’s self defense against Hamas and Hezb’ollah in the “occupied territories” and defend Israel in it’s battle against Hezb’ollah.  Is it possible that the Dems have read the polls and understand (understand?…. you’ve got to be kidding…ed!) that the vast majority of Americans support Israel in the war on terrorism and the Dems want to play politics?  Nah, that can’t be, we all know that the Democratic Party is full of “plans” for ending the carnage.  Just ask John F. Kerry: 

“If I was president, this wouldn’t have happened,”
[…]
“The president has been so absent on diplomacy when it comes to issues affecting the Middle East,” […] “We’re going to have a lot of ground to make up (in 2008) because of it.”

Oh really Senator?  Let us harken back to 2004 when you had a “plan” for the Middle East in general and Iraq in particular.  Did you ever, and I mean even once mention that “plan” to anyone so that after you lost the election it could have been implemented and lives saved?  Could you have been bull-s***ing us?  Or, more likely, were you merely mouthing things you thought would get you elected, oh, say like Nixon’s “secret plan” to end the war in Vietnam in ‘68 in the runup to the election or perhaps like John Kennedy’s tag football games that you tried to emulate by playing catch on the tarmac so often?  Just who did you think you were fooling Mr. Sportsman?  Yourself or the public? If it wasn’t so much BS then, where are the photos of you doing it on the tarmac NOW Senator? Where is your plan now? Yes oh beloved readers, the Democratic Party is absolutely playing politics with this, and we have to call them on it.  No wonder that the vast majority of American’s don’t trust the Democratic Party with our National Security.  And no, I don’t mean all Democrats, Zell Miller for one, Joe Liberman for another, and quite a few of my conservative friends who consider themselves Democrats (including the owner of  this blog; The Real Ugly American). 

As a side note, 11 Mayors in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, the vast, vast majority of whom are Democrats have endorsed Rick Perry (R) for Governor.  Interesting isn’t it? Wonder what that portends for this solid bastion of Democratic voters?

Cross Posted at GM’s Corner

A tip ‘O The GM Derby to James Taranto

Christopher Hitchens adds another nail to Wilson’s coffin

If anyone still believes any portion of Joe Wilson’s lies then I strongly suggest you read Christopher Hitchens latest article in Slate.

Not one but two WMD experts have confirmed to Mr. Hitchens that Iraqi diplomat Wissam al-Zahawie was one of the top men in Iraqs nuclear weapons program and that his trip to Niger certainly concerned obtaining yellowcake for that program.

Neither of these officials is could be considered a Bush adminstration supporter. From Hitchens Slate article:

Ambassador Rolf Ekeus, currently high commissioner for national minority questions for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, and a founder of the renowned Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, former Sweedish envoy to the United Nations and the United States, and first chairman of UNSCOM.

Thérèse Delpech the director for strategic studies at the French Atomic Energy Commission and also a senior research fellow at CERI, the Center for International Studies and Research, at Sciences-Po, the national political-science university in Paris.

In a letter to Mr. Hitchens Ambassador Ekeus had this to say about the Iraqi Ambassador:

His participation as leader of the Iraqi delegation to the 1995 Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference merely confirms his standing as Iraq’s top negotiator on nuclear weapons issues. [italics mine]

Ms. Delpech was also unambiguous and not very kind to Mr. Blix. Again from Hitchens Slate piece:

Until fairly recently, she was also a board member of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission chaired by Hans Blix. She has since resigned from this body. According to a letter from her to me, at a meeting of the WMDC in Cairo in February 2005, Wissam Zahawie attended one closed session of the commission. Delpech:

asked the Chair [Blix] to get him out of the room in the following ten minutes if he wanted me to stay. This was done in writing (a note). Since this was not done, I left the room myself. The intervention of another member was then necessary to have him out at the coffee break. In my letter of resignation, I have indicated to Hans Blix that this incident was one of the three reasons for my resignation.

When I asked her on the telephone why she reacted so strongly to Zahawie’s presence, Delpech told me that she had been the adviser to the French envoy to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty “extension conference” at the United Nations in New York in 1995 and had recognized Saddam’s ambassador to the Vatican. She commented dryly that “the French ambassador to the Holy See does not go on official visits to West Africa.” When I told her of Zahawie’s claim that he didn’t know Niger made and exported uranium yellowcake and described this claim as “unlikely to be true,” she responded that ” ‘unlikely to be true’ is a very British understatement.”
Make no mistake about it. Joe Wilson is a proven liar at best, at worst an incompetent boob as well.

This is who the left wants to hold up as their hero?

No wonder no one takes them seriously.