A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day...02-05-04....A Massive Breakdown in Intel?

JohnHuang2; Aquamarine; Billie | JohnHuang2

[Aquamarine]

A Few of FR's Finest ....Every Day

FR is a Treasure Trove of talented, compassionate, patriotic, wonderful people who gather every day to discuss the latest news and issues; salute and support our military and our leaders;  tell a few jokes;  learn a new word;  write poetry;  pray for those in need;  and congratulate those who are deserving. Thank you, Jim Robinson, for giving us the vehicle in which we can express ourselves.

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

...

A Massive Breakdown in Intel?

by JohnHuang2

President Bush, affirming he wants to know how "we can do better in this war against terror," announced Monday he would appoint an outside commission to probe pre-war intelligence on Iraq, specifically, why no biological or chemical weapons have been found, and to assess the quality of U.S. intelligence generally. The panel will be styled after the Warren Commission. (Was Bush the lone gunman in Iraq, as Democrats charge? Or were there allies like Britain and Australia behind the grassy knoll?)

Democrats had been pushing for a full Iraq probe on WMD (wait, isn't that what we're doing there now?), demanding a probe of information used for attacking Iraq. (While we're at it, how about a Blue-Ribbon Commission probe of information used for attacking Bush?) They want to know the tragic intel failures tragically leading up to U.S. victory in Iraq last April (these questions aren't frivolous -- this war nearly claimed the life of Saddam! -- see angry Democrats).

What gaps in C.I.A. intelligence led Saddam to think he had Weapons of Mass Destruction? David Kay, former U.S. weapons chief in Iraq, says a massive breakdown in U.S. intelligence was the problem. This massive intelligence breakdown was so massive, it caused all of Saddam's top scientists to massively dupe Saddam into thinking he had unconventional weapons. Kay, who quit his post last Friday, says these top scientists feared Saddam intensely. That's why they intensely duped him and intensely stole from him. They pocketed the money Saddam paid them to cook up WMD, laughing all the way to the bank. Chemical Alli? Dr. Germ? Mrs. Anthrax? Ha! Guilty of no more than petty theft. No chemicals, no germs, no anthrax here. Building on this incredibly compelling theory, Kay notes Saddam's top scientists, now in U.S. custody (thanks to Bush's failed post-war planning), are, shockingly, unwilling to confess involvement in WMD programs -- i.e., unwilling to *out* themselves as war criminals -- which proves there were no war criminals in Iraq and Saddam had no WMD. Kay says the hunt for WMD wasn't even finished when he quit, which is why his report is so reliable, and there's no better time than now to leap to conclusions, to this final verdict: There were no WMD. Sen. John F. Kerry says the War on Terror should be waged on law enforcement grounds (so perhaps if Bush had obtain proper search warrants he'd have found WMD).

Clearly, gaps in intelligence led C.I.A. to file spurious reports on innocent dictators (that's just so wrong! There must be a better system to safeguard dictators) and Bush to make half-cocked statements like the following: "Saddam must not be allowed to threaten his neighbors or the world with nuclear arms, poison gas or biological weapons...(Saddam) presents a clear and present danger to the stability of the Persian Gulf and the safety of people everywhere...if we had delayed for even a matter of days from (the U.N. report), we would have given Saddam more time to disperse his forces and protect his weapons (of mass destruction)."

Oh, wait, that was Clinton in '98, ordering military action.

With this new commission, to be set up by Executive Order shortly, Democrats accuse Bush of launching a full-court press to scapegoat the C.I.A., which Democrats charge provided faulty intelligence, by claiming the C.I.A. provided faulty intelligence. Democrats are convinced Saddam was wrongly accused -- that he was not armed with WMD, rendering the invasion unjustified. Democrats also accuse Reagan and Rumsfeld of arming Saddam with WMD, rendering the invasion unjustified. (We gave Saddam those weapons -- and he didn't have them, too! The gassing of Kurds was just a case of not having your WMD and using it, too.)

Democrats, coming undone like Janet Jackson's outfit during halftime, complain that a report won't be filed until after the elections -- that Bush is trying to delay things. Hmmm, I'm not too sure I buy that. If Bush were trying to delay things, he'd call for a U.N. mandate and 12 years to comply. Another charge is that Bush, who accused Saddam of hiding WMD pre-invasion, is trying to hide something himself. Hmmm, again not too sure about that either. Knowing what we know now, if Bush were trying to hide something -- indeed, keep it from ever being uncovered -- wouldn't he appoint David Kay to find it? Kay, who couldn't detect a hooker at a brothel, would be appointed Commission Chairman. Long before the probe is complete, Kay quits his post and declares, 'We were all wrong' about Bush hyping intelligence. End of story.

Bush's move to seek an inquiry on why no weapons were found has prompted ally Britain to seek an inquiry on why no weapons were found. Australia is mulling an inquiry on why no weapons were found. (After the Janet Jackson 'costume reveal' Sunday, CBS wants an inquiry on why a 'weapon' WAS FOUND and shown on live TV).

Okay, that wasn't nice. I deeply regret my crass remark which occurred in the prior paragraph during this essay halftime. My remark was unrehearsed, unplanned and completely unintentional. (I hate when that happens!) That remark did not conform to "JohnHuang2" standards, and I would like to apologize to anyone who was offended.

Oh, incidentally, while we're on the subject of apologies, if Democrats are waiting for some 'We were all wrong' apology from Bush on Iraq, forget it. For ridding the world of Saddam's regime and making America safer, Bush has nothing to apologize for.

Happy Birthday, President Reagan!
by JohnHuang2
February 6, 2002

Ronald Reagan is the reason I became interested in politics in the first place.

I didn't know much about 'issues' back then, beyond what I knew from high school; monetary policy, the Laffer curve, M1 -- none of that stuff particularly interested me. Yet.

Back in those days, I shared a typical cynicism for politics in general.

'They're all crooks', my dad would tell me. 'Every last one of them'.

Ronald Reagan changed all that.

There's something so utterly different about him. Something so honest, so genuine, so real. Intuitively, you know you could trust him. Believing in him comes so naturally.

It's hard to believe more than twenty years have slipped by since that grand and glorious night of triumph. The former governor of California -- written off by the media as a Hollywood joke and a loser-- had swept the nation in a landslide, crushing incumbent President Jimmy Carter, 51%-40%. In electoral votes, Reagan's victory was truly colossal: 489-49.

The Reagan revolution was born -- and America never looked back.

Candidate Reagan promised a renaissance; President Reagan delivered.

The 'Laffer curve' burst onto the scene -- and into the lexicon. The presstitutes derided the idea with burlesque contempt. To the pompous elite set, who clung to Keynesianism like some pagan religion, the notion of lowering taxes was itself anathema. But the Laffer curve went beyond that, promising, if implemented, to revive the economy, kill inflation while raising revenues.

'Sheer lunacy! Unvarnished buffoonery!', the liberals scoffed.

They mockingly dubbed it "Reaganomics".

Eight years later, guess who had the last laugh?

Not only did Reagan put the kabosh on the Carter recession, he sparked the longest peace-time expansion in American history. Revenues, contrary to the naysayers, exploded as lower taxes restored incentives to work, save and invest. Inflation? Ha! Are you kidding? A little dose of "Reaganonics" and poof! It was gone. Interest rates -- as high as 22% under Carter -- followed suit, plummeting back into single digits.

The "experts" had egg on their faces.

But Reagan's Presidency was more than just about economics. A lover of liberty, Reagan hated communism, and all the evil it represented. He spoke out against it at every opportunity, loudly, clearly, fervently -- even against the counsel of his closest advisors. "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down these walls!", Reagan thundered before a cheering crowd at the Brandenburg Gate. Bureaucrats from Foggy Bottom weren't too happy -- they kept trying to scratch out that line from his speech! They just didn't get it.

President Reagan loved freedom, passionately, fervidly, fiercely. His Presidency was a tribute to it. It's why he called the Soviet Union the Evil Empire, rightfully condemning its appalling record on human rights. The shilly-shally "establishment" had a conniption fit.

But President Reagan was also the quintessential optimist. He knew communism's days were numbered, turning the cherished policy of containment on its head.

At a Notre Dame commencement address in 1981, President Reagan, in these immortal words, confidently predicted communism's eventual demise:

"The years ahead will be great ones for our country, for the cause of freedom, and for the spread of civilization. The west will not contain communism, it will transcend communism. We will not bother to denounce it; we'll dismiss it as a sad, bizarre chapter in human history whose last pages are even now being written."

In less than a decade, those words were vindicated. The west went on to win the Cold War, with President Reagan leading the way. The critics, yet again, were wrong.

Small wonder why an overwhelming majority of Americans remember the Gipper so fondly.

President Reagan's poise and grace -- even under the most excruciating circumstances -- is the stuff of legends. Barely two months into his Presidency, an attempt was made on his life.

As the nation anxiously waited for word on the Gipper, his famous wit and charm was unflinching.

Reagan had just regained consciousness in the emergency ward at George Washington University Hospital, when he jokingly said to a nurse who was holding his hand: "Does Nancy know about us?"

"Honey, I forgot to duck", he told Nancy Reagan moments later.

He uttered his most memorable quip that day as he laid on the operating table just before surgery. Gazing up at his surgeons, he said: "Please tell me you're all Republicans".

Yep, that's the Gipper we all know and love.

Happy Birthday, President Reagan!

My two cents.. "JohnHuang2"

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 02-02-04...Military Monday 02-03-04...February is Funnest at the Finest 02-04-04...Meet GailA's Freedom's Rocket!

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' The guy's good, folks!

Thanks, Mixer!

1) Click on the graphic to open the Calendar.
2) Once there you can click on any month and even click to the right to go into next year. Once you are in the month that you joined FR you will need to click on the number in the calendar and then an add item screen will come up.
3) In the next box enter your name in the "Calendar Text" field and then click on submit.
4) If any of the screens fail to load simply click on refresh in your browser and that will usually fix it.
5) If all else fails or simply if you want me to do this for you send me a FReepmail and I will gladly do it for you. ~Mixer

Click on the photo to view the album. To
submit your photo, please contact dansangel or .45MAN danbh59@yahoo.com
and include Freeper Photo Album in subject line.

[MeekOneGOP]

Hey, everybody ! Happy Thursday !

Running a little behind today. I was out yesterday for the most part.
Then Dad came up this morning and I did his taxes for him.

Now I'm playin' Ketchup !

Kerry 02-03-2004:
"For the second time this week a New England Patriot Won!"

Vietnam Veterans Against John Kerry
(Click here or on the pic)

Ketchup ! Get it ?? John Heinz-Kerry. Ketchup ! haha !

[dixie sass]

I forgot to tell y'all, he stopped at a local restaurant called Sticky Fingers and had an order of ribs and three bar-b-que sandwiches after the speech at the Pier.

Sticky Fingers has the best ribs in the world! I could eat them all day long, in fact, I'm craving them right now...

[Aquamarine]

Happy Birthday..........:)

[Diver Dave]

Happy Birthday, Louie!

[Diver Dave]

Thanks for the transcript, visualops.
Sure is a far cry from what the media is presenting.

[jwfiv]

Miss Aqua...thanks for today's Two Cents...)

Mr. JH2...thank you...you ms. is always a breath of fresh air, blowing away the smoke and fire being belched outta the tube everyday...blessings on you, FRiend.

I've been AWOL for a few day, lost in work as I try to meet a deadline..which was yesterday, so now the job is done and delivered, at least for this round...today, I crash, eat, sleep, Freep.

Regards to all our Hostesses, and all the Finest....and, Happy Birthday to you, Mr. St.Louie1...)

[The Mayor]

First things first....

Happy Birthday Louie !!

Excellent 2 cents John can I add a 1/2 cent or two?

I haven't said much about the Superbowl game except we all are Patriots here so we all won! Even though they are my team, gotta Love them Patriots.

I spent the game here with LadyX, Kudsman and a few others, the game was great, did I say the Patriots won? At 1/2 time I jumped into the shower, I knew I wasn't going to miss anything, I haven't liked 1/2 time since my neice was in the superbowl with her dance team that was at least 10 years ago.

When I got back I started seeing some threads about the boob thingy and even saw it posted on Drudge. It irritated me at first, it was only the next night when I saw it on Fox news. At that point I was absolutley infuriated.. Then I had to torture myself a little more and listen to the vomit coming out of the mouths of the liberals. Ahh what's the big deal, it's only a breast. It's a breast that I didn't want to see and neither did my kids or wife.

How disgusted I have been getting over this whole thing, I don't allow my kids to watch mtv but we are all forced to watch this obscene crap at the superbowl which was broadcast all over the world. Just exactly why we are dispised and hated by the Arab world. They have infiltrated our television sets. Of course this is not all that went on during the half time, but, it's all that is being talked about. We don't need to discuss the almost nudity running around the stage, or the lesbian love making being done under the feet of janet j or the disgrace to the flag or the grabbing at ones crotch, they have stuff called A200 for crabs, wash yourself..

I don't know if I will make it thru the November election. The outright hate of Bush and this Country may just push me over the edge. I have gotten to the point that I don't care if they do shutoff my cable, there is nothing to watch. John Fonda Kerry running for President, how low can they go. This the same guy that threw his ribbons in protest of the war in Vietnam. All of the libs are nothing but spoiled children that cry when they don't get their way, accuse the Republicans and Conservatives of doing exactly what they are doing. They are professional LIARS plain and simple !

Fed up ? Yes I am. Stuck in New York ? Yes, with my elected representatives being hitlery, chuckie, louise slaughter, pataki, bruno, silver, and a democratically controlled county legislature. The highest taxed county in the country. If their not democrats the're RINO's.I didn't move back to NY to lose my job, go on food stamps, get heap and possibly collect welfare. .

Signed
Give me a f'n job and leave me alone..

I'm leaving for Men's Bible study, see ya's in a couple hours.. : )

[LadyX]

To Our Dear & Beloved Resident Wolfie - -

Translation:

It's your birthday!
That entitles you to all my love...
plus complimentary hugs and kisses!

Happy Birthday, Woofie Toofums..:))

[StarCMC]

Hey! Can I copy and paste your message about Pres. Reagan's birthday into the Canteen? It was great!

[Mama_Bear]

Thank you, FRiends, for this thread and essay.

Love your pledge graphic today, Aqua. And, your two cents is (are?) always right on, John.

Hope you are both having a great day.

[visualops]

A problem is most folks will not think to look for and read the transcript.
Couple that with a guy like Kay who is not media saavy, and you have the recipe for lefty media spin.
I am surprised that Kay was so surprised that our intel was somewhat inaccurate. But, it was a mind blower to him, so that's what he emphasized- "Dang, we were wrong". Well, we weren't entirely wrong. And, we were right about what mattered: Saddam was a dangerous murderer, and it would only get worse.

[Billie]

WOW! I think you said what most of us feel.

[Billie]

Hello. Welcome to the Finest. Do we know you? :)

[LadyX]

Dear Fellow Patriot,

Your ire and disgust are totally understandable, and shared by all of us here. Each of us has reached a similar boiling point - repeatedly - in recent years, seeing the erosion of our society brought about by liberal minds and thinking and behavior.

I'm certain your Bible Study session will restore your perspective, strengthening your resolve to turn the tide as best you can. We know your frustration is that of a good man, concerned for his family, and his country.

Now - consider this.
If you continue to sink into this pit of despair and stay there indefinitely, who the heck will I sit by on the fifty yard line in the fall during the Presidential Election, cheering on Our Team??!!
It is unthinkable that Kudsman and I might have to tough it out all alone!!

We need ya, man.....

[dixie sass]

WOW!!!!!!

You could heat a cup of tea on the steam that came off off of that post, Yer Honor!

Glad you got it off your chest though!

[dixie sass]

Happpppppppppppppy Birthhhhhhhhhhhhhhday to youuuuuuuuu!
Happpppppppppppppy Birthhhhhhhhhhhhhhday to youuuuuuuuuu!!!!!

Haaapppppppy Burfday dear wolfie, Louie, cutie pie, Happy burfday to yoouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!!!!

Okay, okay, I won't sing anymore. "Cat"erwauling is not needed here!

lol!

[nicmarlo]

Nope.....his last names starts with a "D" : )

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Possible point of interest: I found this captioned pic on the official U.S. Navy website but I could find no accompanying articles or photos. I searched the Navy's website and FR and didn't find anything. Does anybody have any info about this? They seized half a ton of something apparently.

040202-N-0000X-001 Aboard USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG 58) Feb. 2, 2004 – Just as USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG 58) was in visual range of a 50 ft boat, a large plume of black smoke suddenly appeared on the horizon. The fire was combated with Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF). The crew aboard the 50 ft boat set their boat on fire to destroy contraband. Of the 1.5 tons originally onboard, one half metric ton was recovered and was seized as evidence. U.S Navy photo (RELEASED)

[jwfiv]

Now, that's a sunshiney rose...)

Yes, you know me...all the Dems are running around, accusiing the President of being AWOL, but it's me who's the guilty party.

[Billie]

LOL! See it doesn't happen again and you're off the hook. :)