Free Republic

I just went to the ANSWER webpage linked to by doug from upland and noticed that the entry for

Michael S. Berg, Teacher, Prometheus Methods Tower Service, Inc., West Chester, PA

(Nick Berg's father) is now missing. The list of endorsers has been truncated about 86 lines above where Michael Berg's was when doug posted the list back on March 7th.

Isn't that special?

From the Ogden Standard Examiner

I noticed something interesting in this Telegraph story on the finding of the nuclear documents,

...Saddam has gone to extraordinary lengths to conceal the true nature of his nuclear weapons programme.

Key Iraqi scientists have been given new identities and smuggled out of the country to take up postings in the Far East...

Now where in the Far East do you think Sadam is hiding those scientists? Ya don't think it could be on the other end of the Axis of Evil?

Really Good List.

I always thought it was the "Come and Get it" cannon.

Happy New Year!

Some cool pictures from the web. Sorry it took so long to post, but I'm HTML ignorant

The Al-Badr I base in Jalalabad [34°25'00"N 70°27'00"E] is about 120 kilometers east of Kabul. The Tora Bora base near Jalalabad was rebuilt on the site of a camp first constructed by the US Central Intelligence Agency in the early 1980s. According to one report, bin Ladin's "Abu Khabab" camp is focused on development and training with chemicals, poisons and other toxins. This camp is named after the Egyptian who runs it, Midhat Mursi — who uses the name Abu Khabab. The camp, about eight miles from Jalalabad, is part of a complex of training sites known as Darunta [34°28'00"N 70°22'00"E], after a nearby stone dam.

The Ikonos satellite imagery below was acquired on December 21, 1999.
For all the pictures go to:
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/afghanistan/darunta.htm

Overview of the Darunta Location

It appears that the satellite images below are flipped with regards to the maps above.

Note, the dam (providing hydroelectric power?).

Here we have bin Ladin's "Abu Khabab" camp and the "Taliban" area. Note how few trees there are.

Tunnel Entrances, Observation Post, and Possible Helipad.

Alot more imagery and info at http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/afghanistan/darunta.htm

The link to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has a sidebar which states:

"Attorney General John Ashcroft decided to allow investigators to monitor
conversations between some people and their attorneys, without judicial review."

I will admit, there is plenty to be upset about with the terrorist bill. I also agree that lawyer-client confidentiality should be respected.

However, Military Tribunals (even secret ones) for forigners suspected of terrorist activity is constitutional, and necessary for national defense.

Ever wonder why most Spy cases in the US are settled out of court? Because the government doesn't want to present in open court the classified information necessary to ensure the conviction. For example, the US government withheld the most damning evidence against the Rosenberg's to protect our having broken the Soviet codes (the Verona files). Fortunately, there was sufficient evidence for a conviction anyway. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case with the Chinese Scientist at Los Alamos. (That's why I think the FBI spent so much effort trying to find those hard drives!)

Let's think this through...

- Do we really want our Spies and informants being called to testify in court, thus blowing their covers and endangering their lives (and hindering recruitment of other informants)?
- Do we really want our methods of electronic surveillance, satellite imagery, & decryption techniques revealed in court?
- Do we really want all our counter-terrorist/counter-intelligence doctrine broadcast to the world on Court-TV?

Revealing such secrets would be a far greater victory for our enemies than any conviction obtained, even of Bin Laden himself. Enemy possession of such national secrets would greatly enhance their ability to evade our defenses, opening the door for even worse attacks than those experienced Sept. 11.

Every time I see or hear arguments against the Military Tribunals I come to one conclusion, the individual doesn't trust the government.
Well, in some things we are just going to have to, as Justice Robert Jackson wrote:

"There is danger that, if the Court does not temper its doctrinaire logic with a little practical wisdom, it will convert the constitutional Bill of Rights into a suicide pact."

bttt

EDS NOTE: PICTURE MAY HAVE BEEN REVIEWED AS IT WAS SENT VIA NAVY COMMUNICATIONS

So why do you think it was so important for AP to give us this little disclamer?
I don't recall having seen disclamers like this attached to any of the BS put out by OBL or the Taliban.

Just my simple observation...

In the latest Reader's Digest Mrs. Beamer is quoted,

"Many people leave no legacy after they are gone.
But my son's will be told for the rest of their lives that their Dad was a Hero."

I think I have her quote right, I'm writing this from memory.

Disinformation, I think.
Anything flying would be picked up by AWACS or JSTARS (if flying really low).

I may have an insanity defense, I had a cat and a 8 year old ballerina helping me...

I know I goofed, see my post #16.

Oh CRAP! Cut and paste error!
Replace all references to Michael Kelly on my post with Paul Kvin's name.

Sigh... You'd think I'd know better, especially since I saved a copy of Kelly's original article.

Grampa Dave posted the following quote in another thread, but worthy of repeating here.

In 1942, George Orwell wrote, in Partisan Review, this of Great Britain's pacifists: "Pacifism is objectively pro-Fascist."

OK, back to me. Philosophically, I see no difference between Bin Laden, Hitler or any other despot.

- Bin Laden uses the Crusades as an example how the west has denied the Arabs rightful greatness.
- Hitler used the Treaty of Versailles to rally the Germans.

- Bin Laden wants to return lost lands to his people & conquer even more for "Islam".
- Hitler wanted to return lost lands to his people, & add some "Liberstaum" in the east for good measure.

- Bin Laudin has intrigued to pervert Islam as a vehicle for despotic control.
- Hitler used the National Socialist German Workers Party as a vehicle for despotic control.

- And they both blame everything on the Western Democracies & the Jews.

In my opinion, Bin Laudin passes the Fascism "Duck Test."

The President wasn't just being rhetorical about Bin Laudin & the perurveyors of tyranny. Bin Laudin is no different than Hitler, Stalin, Tojo, or any other despot in history. I just thank the good Lord that Bin Laudin doesn't have access to an industrail base the way Hitler did in Germany.
And if he gets ahold of one, you can bet your sweet bippy that Bin Laudin won't think twice about dropping the "the big one" on Michael Kelly's neighborhood. Mr. Kelly can risk his life for his principles & trust in Bin Laudin's mercy. But when it comes to my wife & three kids, he has no business putting them at any futher risk. Irrational pacificsm (& a bit of liberal stupidtiy) like Kelly's, in my opinion, encouraged the 911 attacks. He may claim to be a pacifist, but blood is on his hands for having supported policies that crippled our Nation's ability to defend itself.

...of Great Britain's pacifists: "Pacifism is objectively pro-Fascist."
(Snip a bit here)
Replace pro-facist with pro-Arab Mass Murderers...

Grampa Dave, I agree with you, but why not call Bin Laden what he really is, a fascist?

Bin Laden uses the Crusades as an example how the west has denied the Arabs rightful greatness.
Hitler used the Treaty of Versailles to rally the Germans.

Bin Laden wants to return lost lands to his people & conquer even more for "Islam".
Hitler wanted to return lost lands to his people, & add some "Liberstaum" in the east for good measure.

Bin Laudin has intrigued to pervert Islam as a vehicle for despotic control.
Hitler used the National Socialist German Workers Party as a vehicle for despotic control.

And they both blame everything on the Western Democracies & the Jews.

In my opinion, Bin Laudin passes the "Duck Test" for Fascism.
I don't mean to sound like I'm picking on you, but I'm using your comments to illustrate that the President wasn't just being rhetorical about Bin Laudin & the perurveyors of tyranny. Bin Laudin is no different than Hitler, Stalin, Tojo, or any other despot in history.

In all, experts say, the Sept. 11 attacks probably cost the hijackers only about $200,000.

Whoever the "experts" are, they evidently can't add. The flight training alone cost around $200,000.