DarkStar Spouts Off

Why No Uproar?

You say you back the military?
You say that women serving on the front lines undermines military readiness?
You say "don't ask don't tell" is wrong?

But you say nothing about this?

A controversial suit brought by a U.S. Army reservist has been joined by a retired Army two-star general and an active reserve Air Force lieutenant colonel.

Maj. Stefan Frederick Cook filed the suit July 8 in federal court here asking for conscientious objector status and a preliminary injunction based upon his belief that President Barack Obama is not a natural-born citizen of the United States and is therefore ineligible to serve as president of the United States and commander-in-chief of the U.S. Armed Forces.

However, before the issue got to court, Cook’s orders to deploy to Afghanistan were revoked. Lt. Col. Maria Quon, a public affairs officer with the U.S. Army Human Resources Command-St. Louis, said Tuesday that Cook was no longer expected to report Wednesday to MacDill Air Force Base in Florida for mobilization to active duty. Cook, who claims he is now the victim of retaliation due to his suit, received his mobilization orders to report for active duty at MacDill on Wednesday. From there, he was to go to Fort Benning on Saturday for deployment to Afghanistan.

Then you ain't $%$#@%&^!

Gitmo Query

Gitmo houses terrorists who are targeting Americans in their Jihad.

A number of people formerly held at Gitmo, have been recaptured on the battle field and/or killed on the battle field.

My question is, why were they released in the first place?

Thoughts On Gitmo

The core of the problem, as I see it, is that congress is full of pansies who don't want to define the dead zone area that exists.

If war is declared, the people caught on the battlefield are POWs.

If they are individuals inside of our borders, they get the rights our Constitution demands and are criminals.

Terrorists aren't fighting us because they are aligned with a country. They are fighting us because they are aligned with an ideal. In our borders, the Constitution gives them rights.

Outside our borders?

What defines a "battlefield"?

What is "terrorism"?

What defines a "war"? After all, Vietnam was not a war under our Constitution because Congress never declared it, but was a "military action." And the people captured were covered by the Geneva Convention.

This is a gray area that, if defined, the "LEGAL" problem would "go away."

Brand New World

Welcome to your world, Mr. President.

An al Qaeda affiliate in Algeria closed a base earlier this month after an experiment with unconventional weapons went awry, a senior U.S. intelligence official said Monday.

The official, who spoke on the condition he not be named because of the sensitive nature of the issue, said he could not confirm press reports that the accident killed at least 40 al Qaeda operatives, but he said the mishap led the militant group to shut down a base in the mountains of Tizi Ouzou province in eastern Algeria.

He said authorities in the first week of January intercepted an urgent communication between the leadership of al Qaeda in the Land of the Maghreb (AQIM) and al Qaeda's leadership in the tribal region of Pakistan on the border with Afghanistan. The communication suggested that an area sealed to prevent leakage of a biological or chemical substance had been breached, according to the official.

"We don't know if this is biological or chemical," the official said.

The story was first reported by the British tabloid the Sun, which said the al Qaeda operatives died after being infected with a strain of bubonic plague, the disease that killed a third of Europe's population in the 14th century. But the intelligence official dismissed that claim.

And the beat goes on...

WT!?!?!?!? PANETTA?!?!?!??!

This has to be a friggin' joke!

President-elect Barack Obama has selected Leon E. Panetta, a former California congressman with little experience on intelligence matters, to serve as the next director of the CIA, according to Democratic officials familiar with the decision.

The selection puts the prominent Democrat in charge of an agency that has been at the center of a storm of criticism in recent years, including the intelligence failures leading up to the 9/11 attacks and the aggressive tactics that were embraced in their aftermath.

This CAN'T be real!!!!!!
What does Panetta bring to the table?

This is a dumb move!

Seriously Pissed @ M$

Have I mentioned that the old laptop bit it?

Have I mentioned I quickly brought a new laptop with Vista on it?

Have I mentioned it's a pain in the ass with all of the security settings that the A/V software seems to not like at all?

Have I mentioned the a/v s/w seems to battle the o/s on permission settings on a constant basis, all behind the scenes?

Have I mentioned that automatic updates haven't worked in a month since I installed "automatically mind you" SP1?

Have I mentioned there is a SERIOUS threat ongoing right now that the latest updates somewhat patch but I can't update because the update is hosed and all attempts at using the suggestions from M$ friggin fail?

next 'puter is an Apple if I buy it. it's linux if I build it.

'eff it.

Yeah, I'm Packin' [ UPDATED ]

The Giants have decided to suspend Plaxico Burress without pay for the rest of the season.

All of this happened because Plaxico went to a club packin' heat, and shot himself in the leg. Now, me, I'm thinking dude is a fool for carrying a gun in New York when New York has the strictest gun control laws in the country. I was also thinking that he is supposed to be hurt, and there he is, out partying at a club, a few nights before a game, even if he is not going to play.

A team is paying you millions of dollars, you are already hurt, and there you are, out there ready to get your groove on instead of trying to get back playing. Yes, I realize you can't rehab 24/7, but hanging out at a club with a messed up hamstring? And you're packin' heat?

In NYC?

Look, I understand that high profile people in this day and age may need protection, but at dude's level, couldn't he hire a bodyguard? Couldn't he just NOT go to the club?

Here is a quick list:

• Broncos player Darrent Williams was killed outside of a club in a drive by after leaving a club.
• Raiders player Javon Walker beat up and robbed.
• Jaguar Richard Collier shot.

I say just don't go to the club. But then there is the case of Sean Taylor.

He was in his home. He was at home.

If I'm making enough money, there is a "safe room" in the basement, a safe room on the living level, and safe rooms in the bedroom level. The safe room would be in the master bedroom closet and in the children's bedroom closets.

If I'm not making enough money, there would be a safe room somewhere in the house and at a minimum, I'm packin' on every level.

Dude should have hired a body guard, so the comments about him being dumb, are on point, even when you take into account players "being targeted."

[ UPDATE ]

I forgot to mention something important to the story. Plaxico's teammate, Steve Smith, was robbed a few days before Plaxico was caught with the gun. It's important to mention but my comment still stands; he should have had a body guard or not gone out.

What 4th Amendment

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/content/article/2008/08/01/laptops.html

Federal agents may take a traveler's laptop or other electronic device
to an off-site location for an unspecified period of time without any
suspicion of wrongdoing, as part of border search policies the
Department of Homeland Security recently disclosed.

Also, officials may share copies of the laptop's contents with other
agencies and private entities for language translation, data
decryption or other reasons, according to the policies, dated July 16
and issued by two DHS agencies, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

"The policies . . . are truly alarming," said Sen. Russell Feingold
(D-Wis.), who is probing the government's border search practices. He
said he intends to introduce legislation soon that would require
reasonable suspicion for border searches, as well as prohibit
profiling on race, religion or national origin.

4th amendment? What's that?

Kick In The Groin

This is a size 13 double E steel toed boot kick in the groin.

Kansas politicians are fuming over the US Air Force's decision to award a 40-billion dollar tanker refueler modification contract to a foregn company.

Boeing and French rival Airbus had been vying for the contract. Boeing said the deal would have meant hundreds of jobs in Wichita if it were awarded to them.

Boeing's Wichita facility would have served as a finishing location for the 767, in essence, outfitting it to become a KC-767, as well as test flying the planes before delivery to the military.

Kansas Congressman Todd Tiahrt told KAKE News previously that the contract would have meant nearly 4,000 jobs in the Wichita area for Boeing and its contractors. He also said the contract would have injected 14-million dollars into the local economy annually.

*UFFFFFFHHHHH*

Africa Is Of No Importance To The U.S.?

The next time some fool states that Africa is of no strategic importance to the U.S., point that fool to this:

Although there is no way of knowing how many of the total entrants the 606 recorded individuals represent, officials said Sinjar was a primary entrance point. Its importance increased as Iraq's Anbar province -- farther south and bordering Saudi Arabia and Jordan -- became more difficult for foreigners to cross.

"We also adjusted our analysis [to say that] more North Africans were foreign terrorists than previously assessed," said Col. Steven A. Boylan, spokesman for Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq.

Although Saudi Arabia was by far the most common country of origin of foreign fighters, with about 40 percent of the total, a surprising share -- 19 percent -- came from Libya. Overall, about 40 percent were North African.

Then stand back and watch that person's head spin with foam spewing out of the mouth.

Quickie On The NIE

I have A LOT to do but very little time to do it. So, taking a quick break, I need to make a few comments on the release of some information from the NIE as it pertains to Iran and its nuclear capabilities:

• Self proclaimed neo-cons are in a tizzy, and I think they have a very good reason to be in The Carrie State (head spinning around, speaking in a dead language, vomiting green goo).
• What "intelligence" made decision makers think that Iran had a real nuclear capability?
• What "intelligence" now makes decision makers think that Iran gave up trying to obtain nuclear in 2003?
• Why was there a belief that Iran was on its way, only recently, as in July?
• Is politics playing a role in ANALYSTS writing the NIE?
• Is politics playing a role in revisions of the NIE?
• What intelligence can be trusted?
• Did the administration know about this much earlier and have they lied for months or years?
• Is this a dis-information campaign?

This needs to be discovered and taken seriously.

Ummm... If True, "We" Told You So!

If this is true, the people who worry a lot about border security and have stated concern about "other than Mexicans" coming across the Southern borders, like me, are about to say, "I TOLD YOU SO!!!!"

The nation's largest intelligence training center changed security measures in May after being warned that Islamist terrorists with the aid of Mexican drug cartels were planning an attack on the facility.

Fort Huachuca changed security measures after sources warned that possibly 60 Afghan and Iraqi terrorists were smuggled into the U.S. through underground tunnels with high powered weapons to attack the post, according to multiple confidential law enforcement documents obtained by The Washington Times.

This is serious...

Breakdown In Command

Even though he is retired, this demonstrates the breakdown in command. Yes, I do realize he was forced out, however, I think that he would still have respect for the troops and honor for the troops. I think he still has contacts in the service and his contacts are telling him to stand firm.

ARLINGTON, Va. – The former top commander of U.S. troops in Iraq slammed the handling of the war and gave a bleak assessment of the current situation in Iraq.

“There is no question that America is living a nightmare with no end in sight,” retired Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez told a convention of military journalists on Friday.

Sanchez commanded U.S. troops in Iraq from June 2003 to July 2004. His controversial tenure saw the capture of Saddam Hussein and the handover of sovereignty to the Iraqi government, but also the rise of the insurgency and the Abu Ghraib prison scandal.

Honestly, I hope he's wrong.

Internal Threat

NEW YORK -- As first reported by NewsChannel4's Jonathan Dienst, three people were arrested and one other was being sought Saturday in connection to a plot to blow up jet-fuel lines at John F. Kennedy International Airport, officials said.Four people have been charged. Three suspects are in custody: Russell Defreitas, Kareem Ibrihim and Abdul Kadir. Another suspect, Abdul Nur is still at large.Defreitas is to be arrainged Saturday in Brooklyn on terror conspiracy charges.

...

Sources said Defreitas, a former cargo worker at JFK allegedly began to plot attacking the US last July or August. Defeitas sought help in carrying out a plan and went to an FBI informant, who gathered information about the plot.

...

Defreitas is a U.S. citizen with roots in Guyana.Kadir, a former member of Parliament in Guyana, was arrested in Trinidad for attempting to secure money for "terrorist operations," according to a Guyanese police commander who spoke on condition of anonymity. Kadir, a Muslim, left his position in Parliament last year. Muslims make up about 9 percent of the former Dutch and British colony's 770,000 population, mostly from the Sunni sect.

This Should Speak For Itself

OK, this is from the Weekly Standard. This should speak for itself. Enjoy.

Strange Allies

George Michael's "The Enemy of My Enemy" details the unlikely alliance between militant Islam and the extreme right.

The extreme right and militant Islam now possess the same enemies. They both loathe the Jews and believe that the American government is controlled by a shadowy Jewish elite. Both movements also have revolutionary aspirations, seeking to replace the existing order with "monocultural states built around racial or religious exclusivity."

While both sides began to recognize these ideological similarities in the 1990s, 9/11 hastened the convergence of interests. After the Twin Towers collapsed, many far-right leaders exulted at both the punishment inflicted on the United States and the courage displayed by the hijackers. As National Alliance organizer Billy Roper said shortly thereafter: "The enemy of our enemy is, for now at least, our friends. We may not want them marrying our daughter, just as they would not want us marrying theirs. . . . But anyone willing to drive a plane into a building to kill Jews is all right by me."

Since then, here have been intensified efforts to build bridges between radical Islam and the extreme right. Ahmed Huber, a Swiss convert to Islam who is a self-proclaimed admirer of both Adolf Hitler and Osama bin Laden, jubilantly declared that 9/11 would help align the two movements: "The eleventh of September has brought together [the two sides] because the new right has reacted positively. . . . They say, and I agree with them 100 percent, what happened on the eleventh of September, if it is the Muslims who did it, it is not an act of terrorism but an act of counterterrorism."

In the United States, late National Alliance founder William L. Pierce praised Osama bin Laden prior to his death. The Aryan Nations established a Ministry of Islamic Liaison, and the group's head August Kreis declared his solidarity with Osama bin Laden during an interview with CNN. Kreis even advised bin Laden that his followers were willing to fight on al Qaeda's side: "They might not be cells of Islamic people, but they are here and they are ready to fight."

I Was Wondering...

[ Updated ]

I was wondering how long it would take and how we would find out that terrorists tried or wanted to try to blow something up using liquid materials for explosives.

When my bride and I returned from our honeymoon in Aruba in 2001, we weren't allowed to bring aboard cell phones or cameras. I tried and they took my cell phone apart and later gave it to me in a plastic bag. They did the same for my 35 mm camera. I carried my camera because I wasn't about to let them steal lose my camera and film of our honeymoon.

I knew that cell phones could be used to set off explosive devices or be the explosive device itself. So, why does this not get more media attention?

There is a lot more I can write and may do so later. But I know that most people really don't have a clue what could happen.

Think about this: why would 14(?) Egyptian citizens, who are enrolled in colleges in the U.S., NOT show up for school and NOT be involved in terrorist activities? If they are not doing something to actively destroy something, then are they scouts?

Stopped Terrorism in NYC

It is being reported that a plan by terrorists to bomb the Holland Tunnel in NYC was prevented.

This is great news. However, since it is being reported that the investigation is still ongoing and there is at least one more suspect who hasn't been arrested, I don't understand why this is being publicized.

Compare that to the NY Times situation. Tell me what the difference is.