A Few of FR's Finest...Every Day...03-06-03...Shock Waves from Pakistan

JohnHuang2 and Dutchess and Billie | JohnHuang2

[dutchess]

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.   I can remember lurking when there were only a few regulars who posted, and now there are over 60,000 who have registered for posting privileges. The forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

A Few of FR's Finest November 11, 2001

So many people have written me since my original Veteran's Day Tribute, asking how they, or a loved one, could be included in that tribute. Since I can no longer add the photos to the body of the thread, I've been including them in additional posts as I received enough to make another collage.

Still that doesn't seem to be enough. I think there's never been a better nor more appropriate time to keep the faces of our own Veterans and Active Military in front of FReepers--every day! That's why I wanted to do yet another Daily Thread .....ABOUT FReepers .....and FOR FReepers. But not only about our Military FReepers; for all FReepers! Wouldn't it be nice to get to know a few of the other FReepers as well? That's why, in addition to seeing FR's Finest Military Personnel every day, I thought it might be fun to feature a different FReeper (or FReepers) each day. If you would like to be pictured, or know someone who would, please FReepmail me and we'll turn the spotlight - on YOU - for the day!

And do let me know if you'd like your picture added to the groups of Veterans/Active Military below. I will keep this page updated, and continue to add them to the comment section of the original Veteran's Day thread as well.

TOP: Logos, SwedeGirl's hubby, Neil E Wright, FallGuy, 1John, Sneakypete
MIDDLE:  T'wit, COB1, LadyX, Dick Bachert, 68-69TonkinGulfYatchClub
BOTTOM:  YankeeinSC, Delta21, JoeSixPack1

TOP:  Bosniajmc, AFVetGal, Archy, A Navy Vet
MIDDLE:  4TheFlag, Aeronaut, 68Grunt, Xinga
BOTTOM:  Codger, AAABest, Clinton's A Liar, Duke809, dcwusmc

TOP:  mc5cents, Norb2569, LBGA's son, VanJenerette
MIDDLE:  Jim Robinson, KJenerette, davidosborne, KG9Kid
BOTTOM:  gwmoore, Equality7-2521, SAMWolf

TOP:  porgygirl, Phil V., MudPuppy, NorCoGOP
MIDDLE:  RaceBannon, OneidaM, rdb3, jwTexian
BOTTOM:  USMC Vet, TheMayor, Vineyard, rhododogma

We now have eleven groups of veterans/active military; we will post each group of three or four twice a week, with thumbnail/links of the remaining seven or eight groups on each thread. Click on any of the thumbnails below to see the group full-size.

         

GROUP 5A: TOP:  spectr17, RightOnline, SERE_Doc, Tet68. MIDDLE:  FutureSnakeEater, RightOnline's wife, CIApilot, Clamper1797. BOTTOM:  usmcobra, onedoug, DiverDave, Joe6-pack.

GROUP 6A: TOP:  g'nad, AgThorn's son Justin, SLB, AgThorn's son Brett. MIDDLE:  fish70, razorback-bert, CheneyChick, Leroy S Mort, Mark17. BOTTOM:  Terry's Take, Taxman, DinkyDau.

GROUP 7A: TOP:  ValerieUSA's son Grant, SK1Thurman, kd5cts, RangerVetNam, dansangel and .45man's son-in-law Tony.BOTTOM:  rangerX, Old China Hand, Trish, Howlin's dad, Mustang.

GROUP 8A: TOP: ohioWfan's son, MamaBear's father-in-law, MamaBear's dad, ladtx. MIDDLE:  The Mayor's niece, M.Kehoe, Beach_Babe's son-in-law. BOTTOM:  deadhead's dad, HiJinx, Severa's hubby, viligantcitizen's granddad.

      

GROUP 9A: TOP: Q6-God, Scan59, Mama Bear and JKPhoto's son, ofMagog. MIDDLE:  Big'ol_freeper, JustAmy's great uncle, Prodigal Son. BOTTOM:  JustAmy's husband, JustAmy's brother-in-law, JustAmy's brother.

GROUP 10A: TOP: dakine's wife, MeeknMing's dad, Auntbee's nephew, MilitiaMan7, AlasBabylon. BOTTOM:  Joe Brower, Temple Owl, Temple Owl's wife, dutchess' dad, Aomagrat.

GROUP 11A: TOP: ladtx #2 son; DiverDave's twin Don; petuniasevan and husband poorman; Mustard; ladtx #1 son. BOTTOM: AlamoGirl's brother Floyd; AG's dad; AG's brother Jim (inset); WVNan's husband; ladtx' Aunt Eva.

                     

Shock Waves from Pakistan

by JohnHuang2

The Saturday arrest of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, September 11 terror mastermind and brains of al-Qaeda, dealt a stunning blow to Democrats, who argued that Bush's pursuit of Saddam needlessly diverted attention from the pursuit of al-Qaeda.

How dare Bush divert FBI B-52 bombers, FBI aircraft carriers, FBI F-15 planes, FBI cruise missiles, FBI Bradley fighting vehicles, FBI Abrams tanks, and FBI artillery like that? What's Bush thinking, he's Commander-in-Chief or somethin'? Imagine -- just imagine -- how furious FBI's Robert Mueller must have been after seeing his USS Nimitz and Sailors quietly snuck away to the Persian Gulf!

The nation can only pursue one terrorist at a time, you see. (Tellingly, many Democrats, who say they don't defend Saddam, defend Saddam from charges of links to terrorism.)

The Democrats' 'Can't-Walk-And-Chew-Gum-At-Once' claim was, of course, an obvious ruse. Bush has this penchant for winning wars (see the Taliban) and Democrats have this penchant for worrying and fretting about Bush winning wars. Victory in Baghdad would make Bush all the more harder to unseat in '04, and Democrats know it.

The Kuwaiti-born Mohammed, whose rap sheet stretches back a decade to the first World Trade Center bombing, was set to launch a new wave of terrorist attacks, according to U.S. and Pakistan officials, whose pre-dawn raid of his home in Rawalpindi netted a treasure trove of laptop computers, cell phones, discs and documents detailing al-Qaeda finances, sleeper cells, safe houses, names, operational secrets, etc. Al-Qaeda -- which Democrats insist has no links to Baghdad -- was poised to launch attacks concurrent with U.S. military action in Iraq, in a show of solidarity with Saddam, whom Democrats insist has no links to al-Qaeda.

Experts say Mohammed's arrest will lead to bin Laden's arrest, but somehow I doubt that. (How do you "arrest" stain on the walls of caves in Tora-Bora? No "expert" has offered a clue, though Clonaid is reportedly working on it -- just as soon as the sect returns from a meeting with green little aliens at a volcano in Auvernge.)

Mohammed's capture sent shock waves all across the terror network.

"Nobody's safe now," former CIA officer Bob Baer told the New York Times, adding that "they're going to have to move. Everything they considered reliable is gone -- safe houses, sources of money and the rest."

Indeed, as news of Mohammed's arrest crossed the wires, DNC operatives were seen fleeing safe house headquarters in Washington D.C., Martin Sheen and Janeane Garofalo in tow.

The arrests, Rand Corp. director Bruce Hoffman tells the Times, "cuts the senior [al-Qaeda] leaders off from their conduit for orders to foot soldiers, and foot soldiers from guidance and planning and implementation of operations."

So now the 'Bush-Isn't-Doing-Enough-To-Hunt-Down-al-Qaeda-Because-He's-Too-Distracted-With-Poor-Saddam' Democrats are faced with the worst of both worlds: The prospects of U.S. victory in Iraq without their much-ballyhooed 'blowback' here at home.

To recap, the 'Can't-Walk-And-Chew-Gum' Democrats awoke Saturday morning to Bush walking Saddam off a steep cliff while chewing his buddy Mohammed to bits like Skoal out of a can.

The only glimmer of hope in an otherwise dismal weekend for Democrats was the '3-votes-shy' rejection by Turkey's Parliament of U.S. plans to deploy 62,000 troops along the border with Iraq -- opening a northern front against Saddam.

But the al-Qaeda arrests were too big a bombshell, too huge a story for the media to give it anything but wall-to-wall treatment. Pentagon war planners, in any event, told sources that even had Parliament's vote been final (the ruling Justice and Development Party is reportedly mulling resubmitting the request for a 2nd up-or-down), Plan B contingencies were already in place. Even timing of hostilities were unaffected, given extra troop deployments to the region for just such contingencies.

Meanwhile, media hearts went all aflutter in glee Tuesday morning after reports of a powerful explosion outside an airport in the southern Philippines city of Davao, killing at least 21 (one of them an American missionary) and wounding over 150 others (3 Americans were reportedly hospitalized.)

"The blast rocked the front of the terminal building, smashing windows and causing considerable damage," CBSNEWS reports, citing an unidentified airport security official.

Bush's enemies were hoping the Davao bombing, which president Arroyo condemned "as a brazen act of terrorism which shall not go unpunished," would put an end to the rosy afterglow of success after Mohammed's arrest in Pakistan.

Ha! So much for Bush's vaunted War on Terror, right?

Er, not so fast.

Muslim rebel bombings, kidnappings, extortion, murder-for-hire, mayhem and other religious activities (what Patty "Osama-Mama" Murray would call 'militant social activism') in the southern Philippines is 3 decades old, long predating al-Qaeda. And while the 'peaceful' Muslim terror group Abu Sayyaf has ties to 'peaceful' al-Qaeda, the latest Islamic 'peace' offensive began two weeks ago, with a deadly car bombing outside an airport in Cotabato City. Officials believe it was the magnanimous 'out-reach' work of a Muslim separatist group called Moro Islamic Liberation Front. The 'Reach-Out-And-Bomb-Someone-For-Allah' group yearns for a separate Islamicist hellhole, a la Iran.

Anyway, later events Tuesday brought Democrats more bad news, with the BBC reporting several arrests and interrogations, according to Arroyo spokesman Ignacio Bunye.

Next: Democrats claim al-Qaeda nabbing in Pakistan was White House stunt: "Mohammed" a GOP operative hired by Karl Rove to make Bush look good. Film at 11.

Meanwhile, Sen. Teddy Kennedy of Chappaquiddick blasted the Bush administration Tuesday, using a completely new line of attack: "We should not have a go-it-alone, rush-to-war policy!" Teddy told NBC's Katie Couric. The imminently fair and impartial Couric had asked, scrupulously avoiding loaded language, why Bush appeared "hell-bent (hell-bent, I tell ya!) on military action."

In Baghdad, dictator Saddam Hussein, whom liberals see as more legitimate than Bush because at least he won the popular vote (final returns showed Saddam got 150% of the vote in a highly competitive, though uncontested, national 'election last October), blasted Bush as "the despot of the century."

Kennedy, in a speech to the annual conference of the United Methodist Church, agreed with Saddam, blasting Bush as "a bully in the world school yard," who's "squandered too much good will of the world community because of his single-minded rush to war with Iraq."

Here Kennedy has, I must admit, a valid point. Only one thing isn't clear: Does Bush's 'hardline' on Iraq mean no more expressions of "good will" from the "world community" a la Mohamed Atta and the boys on September 11? We haven't had another terrorist attack on U.S. soil, so Kennedy, by golly, must be right.

Kennedy also said Bush failed to garner the "support of our people" in his rush to war.

"The reason for that lack of support is clear," said Kennedy. "The administration has not made a convincing case for war against Iraq..."

Underscoring the lack of public support for military action, a brand new Washington Post/ABCNEWS Poll backs up Kennedy's dispassionate observations, showing only a tiny fraction -- 59% -- of Americans favoring the use of force to remove Saddam Hussein, even without U.N. approval. An overwhelming 37% disapproved of such action, however.

Bush's job approval rating, moreover, appears to be slipping, from 60% two weeks ago down to a troubling 62% in the latest Post poll (conducted Feb. 26 - March 2, 2003).

In view of the lack public support, Kennedy is sponsoring a Senate resolution requiring bully Bush seek new Congressional approval before launching military action.

The measure has, surprisingly, garnered widespread backing in the GOP-controlled chamber, doubling its support in the 2 months since its introduction: Leaping from 1 to 2 co-sponsors. Sen. Robert Byrd (D-KKK) is the other co-sponsor. (He says his dog Billy would happily join the bandwagon, were he still alive.)

Kennedy is especially incensed that Bush appears willing to 'go-it-alone' with Britain, with Spain, with Italy, with Poland, with Bulgaria, with Romania, with Czech Republic, with Hungary, with Jordan, with Kuwait, with Bahrain, with Qatar, with Oman, with Israel, with Saudi Arabia, with United Arab Emirates, but without the support of the brave French. Nor Syria.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Babs has finally had enough!

The highly respected geopolitical strategist and washed up Hollywood has-been has had enough with being called a "traitor".

"I've been grouped into this category," she wrote on her Homepage this week, adding she feels the "need to say something in response to these outrageous charges."

Treason is a very grave charge, she notes, and highly offensive. A charge that should not be leveled so blithely. Especially by Republicans who only want to poison the water, poison the air, poison school lunches, kill Grandmother, shred the Constitution and sell out the country to Big Oil and foreign interests!

How dare these GOP traitors hurl such a serious charge -- treason! -- like that?!

"I, for one," Babs declares, "am a patriotic American who loves this country."

Yep, and no doubt she gets warm and fuzzy about Republicans, too.

Babs continues: "It used to be in politics that there was a certain amount of class and eloquence. The debate was civilized even though there were strong disagreements over deeply important questions. But, as usual, the Republicans have resorted to name-calling and mean-spiritedness."

You tell 'em, Babs! Can't these GOP racists, bigots, polluters, gun-nuts and warmongers engage in civil debate for once?!

"It's interesting," she writes in closing, "how the actors that are criticized for their political activism always happen to be Democrats. The press does not criticize Republicans actors" like "Ronald Reagan..."

Oops...

Not only does poor Babs need spelling lessons, a remedial course in recent history wouldn't hurt either. She'd discover "the Republican actor Ronald Reagan" was a 2-term President.

Anyway, that's...

My two cents..

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 03-03-03 Pippin's Thoughts 03-04-03 It's Mardi Gras Time 03-05-03 BilltheDrill..the exclusive interview

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 an FReepmail and I will gladly do it for you. ~Mixer

[FreeTheHostages]

Yes, should I wear my dark blue jeans or my faded blue jeans?

[jwfiv]

LadyX, I found, on another thread, the wonderful image below, and for some reason thought of you.

Pippin, after just visiting the Finest Coffe House and catching up on the gossip, this makes me think of you, too...hmm, seems you've 'found your voice'...)))

Orcs and liberals, be very afraid.

[Billie]

Good grief! What a lull! It had been almost 3 hours since anyone 'said' anything....when you came along!

I just came back to check, and am checking out again - don't know what Wolfie's plans for taking us to dinner are, but I have to for real, get dressed for dinner with some 'non-Freeper Friends'.

Got your mail - hope you hear something soon - don't have next week's schedule yet (except for Tuesday and Thursday) :)

[Aquamarine]

Just got in from a busy day and enjoyed reading Johns article. Sure did miss everyone!

Simple Man
By Charlie Daniels Band

Click on the pic

[MeekOneGOP]

I'm right here. I've been playing a serious game of catch up today. Finally getting caught up.

Thank you ! I'll try to check it out regarding Clara. I will definitely watch President Bush tonight. It's at 8 p.m. Eastern time tonight. That's 7 Central . . .

[dutchess]

Thanks for the great song and picture aqua...

meekie..you are always the best! Getting ready to watch GW ON OUR JUST DELVERED BIG SCREEN TV.... Awesome for just 50 year olds whose eyesight are going LOL! I can now read the bottom FOX stuff LOL!

[The Mayor]

I wanted to post this before I went to bed.

I put up my flag today on the Log i'm building!
I'm posting this for all that liked the Log Cabin

Log Cabin Update

[LadyX]

Have been unable for several hours to get online, my server not cooperating..:(

In truth, jw, when the hippies in America began to make love - not war, I was fully immersed in the Cold War.
My 3rd child, a daughter, was born September 30, 1962, and days later came the Cuban Missile Crisis.
My husband was in SAC Security, guarding the B-52's - workhorse of that and many days. Ellsworth AFB and a 100-mile radius was the # 2 Target of Russia, our missile silos located in the mountains, as well as the birds.

My best friend next door and I - husbands working together 12 hours on, 12 off - kept one of our station wagons ready, fully gassed and packed to leave town should the first missile be fired. The reality was our husbands would be the last ones on base by virtue of their assignment, if they lived.

My plan was to head out with Susan and her 2-month old baby, and mine, plus my boys 7 and 8, and head for a summer cabin area 30 miles northwest. She would maintain a cabin we 'adopted,' and care for the chidren and cook. I, with some country living experience, would fish and trap and shoot, chop firewood, etc.
Need I spell out this was a very serious Survival Plan - and I was just 28 years old?

We knew SAC somewhere in the mountains had a 2-year supply of food stored, and we hoped to 'make it' until we had help to connect to that...that the military would look for those like us, out of the nightmare Rapid City would be, desperate and hungry persons doing unspeakable acts to insure they themselves survived.
Have to forgive me if I didn't have Flower Power on my mind.

Three months later, my family left the night after Christmas to drive through Canada and around the end of the Rocky Mountains and over the Alaska Highway to go to Fairbanks, Alaska - the next survival course.

As we reached the beginning of the Eielson AFB runway, on our left the setting sun at 1330 hrs flanked by twin vertical rainbows, on our right a U-2 took off!
For those of you too young to remember, it was after the Gary Powers U-2 over Russia was downed, and President Eisenhower pledging we would halt the flights.
My husband guarded them and other secret projects being developed there, as well as sitting in Russia's back yard.

Sorry to have missed out on all that 'love and peace' going on. Was distracted by ice fog and 50 below zero temps and the Good Friday Earthquake in 1964 - Russian MIG's doing flyovers of our base, knowing they were faster than the F-102's we had. Surprise! Brought up some F-104's from Seattle to launch on their next visit, and a pilot described to my husband he escorted a MIG to Russian air space, dropping his missile rack and shaking his finger at him...turned plumb white, did the Russian pilot!

What did a dumb patriotic Marine wife of an Air Force man know about demonstrations and drinking and sex and drug fests, and 'free' love?? Too busy raising three decent American children on woefully minimal pay, defending their right to frolic and be so self-absorbed and important.

Think I'll pass on most of the indignities of the Nam Era with my husband there as the forerunner of AF Special Forces, in many of the major battles (Tet;Da Nang, etc.) and weeding out communist infiltrators to the villages around his base.

Oh, yes - might mention in his off time, he scrounged food and goods and drove them in the Chaplain's jeeps to feed the starving villagers. The infiltrators routinely took all their food and crops, and they would otherwise have starved to death. While there, they tortured, raped and killed any in authority - and their children and grandchildren, did those communists. But they still say the war was in vain????? "We were just babykillers".....

I have before described here how those sweet college kids greeted my man and his friends coming home after a year in the jungles....snapped the arm of the girl who spit in his face, and he and his friends gave several of them a lesson in the restroom, since they'd skipped class to be there.
The airport police stayed out, and afterward smiled as they mopped up the human debris.

You have a glimmer of the depth of my contempt for those who choose to be blind in a situation like the one today when the threat is a clear one - act, or risk suffering something WORSE should Iraq use weapons on Israel or other neighbors, in addition to us through terrorists already living among us.

I PAID THE PRICE FOR THEIR PEACE, IN SPADES, and yes, would do it all over again...I will never abandon my post for helping ensure America's survival.

Many of us have paid the price of peace, and will not shirk doing so as often as need be....tonight with one arm broken, yes, jw, I could still verbally indeed kick some serious hippie butt...and my three children will do their part as well when I am through.

[GopherIt]

Nomination for quote of the day 3/6/03: PhiKapMom post 1021 in the Press Conference Live Thread -- "And don't you lady me!" LOL

By the way, who's the keeper of the QOTD?

Thanks for all you do.

[Pippin]

WOW!

Loved that poster, JW!

LadyX I read your post and your story. Every time I read about your life in the military with a military husband and those wonderful children. I grow more proud that I know you. Now go kick some hippie butt!

[firewalk]

Good morning LadyX

Thank you so much for your post at #148....I am so happy to have met you.

....Wonderful place this FreeRepublic (-:

[JohnHuang2]

Thank you so much, friend :^)

[JohnHuang2]

G'morning, Mama_Bear! :^)

[JohnHuang2]

Thanks, friend :^)

[JohnHuang2]

Thanks for the heads up, friend.

By the way, who's the keeper of the QOTD?

FReeper RJayneJ.

Jayne, check out #149

[FreeTheHostages]

I am so happy to have met you.

Yup. Ladyx is a "keeper." I've been so busy last couple of weeks, sorry I haven't been around much to play.

[firewalk]

Good morning Free (-:

[Billie]

Another must-read essay by LadTx today