Kerfuffles

Inauguration Week 2009: America Descends into Self-destructive Insanity
How else can one describe a nation that is planning to close down an off-shore island prison housing dangerous terrorists, and bring them all into the United States where they will have the same rights and protections as any American citizen, and the same access to the courts as any red-blooded American burglar? While, at the same time, the government of the United States of America wants to hand over the former administrators of its nation, Bush, Cheney, CIA operatives and anyone else involved in the War on Terror, to a World Court, to be prosecuted as War Criminals, outside of the United States.

“If terrorists suddenly get the same rights as citizens, then we’ve turned the world upside down,” said Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, as he attempts to introduce a bill that would outlaw the release of known terrorists into the United States when President Obama closes Guantanamo.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. John Conyers, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee Plan to Prosecute Bush Administration Officials for War Crimes, January 18, 2009.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is receptive to the idea of prosecuting some Bush administration officials, while letting others who are accused of misdeeds leave office without prosecution, she told Chris Wallace in an interview on “FOX News Sunday.”

“I think you look at each item and see what is a violation of the law and do we even have a right to ignore it,” the California Democrat said. “And other things that are maybe time that is spent better looking to the future rather than to the past.”

Rep. John Conyers, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, announced Friday he wants to set up a commission to look into whether the Bush administration broke the law by taking the nation to war against Iraq and instituting aggressive anti-terror initiatives. The Michigan Democrat called for an “independent criminal probe into whether any laws were broken in connection with these activities.”

President-elect Barack Obama has not closed off the possibility of prosecutions …

MSNBC News Call for Prosecution of Bush Administration as War Criminals (Rachel Maddow and Jonathan Turley, 19 January 2009)

“Are we literally looking at a possibility,” Maddow asked, “where administration officials from this [previous] administration cannot travel abroad to the other 145 countries that have signed the torture treaty because they might get arrested?”

“Most certainly,” Turley replied. “The status of George Bush is not that different from Augusto Pinochet. They’ve both been accused of running a torture program. And outside this country, there’s not this ambiguity about what to do with a war crime. … Most people abroad are going to view you not as former President George Bush, they’re going to view you as a current war criminal.”

“And they’re going to view us as an outlaw regime for not arresting him on our own soil,” Maddow remarked.

“I think so, unfortunately,” Turley agreed. “A lot’s at stake.”

9/11 Families Outraged by Obama Call to Suspend Guantanamo War Crimes Trials

Families of victims of terrorist attacks say they are outraged by President Obama’s call to halt the trials of detainees at Guantanamo Bay. Family members of people killed on September 11, 2001, and in other terror attacks say they are outraged by President Obama’s draft order calling for the suspension of war crimes trials of prisoners being held at Guantanamo Bay.

Murtha Says He Welcomes Guantanamo Prisoners in His Pennsylvania District

Rep. Jack Murtha volunteers to house prisoners from Guantanamo Bay in his Pennsylvania district, as President Obama prepares to order the shut-down of the facility.

Rep. Jack Murtha, D-Pa., says he’d be willing to house prisoners from Guantanamo Bay in his congressional district if President Obama makes good on a plan to close the U.S. prison there.

As one of his first acts in office, the president circulated a draft Wednesday that would shut down Guantanamo Bay within a year.

Murtha only has a minimum security prison in his district. But he says he’d have no reservations about holding detainees there in a maximum security prison.

“Sure, I’d take ‘em,” said Murtha, an outspoken critic of the Iraq war. “They’re no more dangerous in my district than in Guantanamo.”

Murtha added that there was “no reason not to put ‘em in prisons in the United States and handle them the way they would handle any other prisoners.”

Liberals think it is funny - Guantanamo Baywatch

The John Murtha Jihadist Correctional Facility by Michelle Malkin

No Terrorist Attacks In the United States! Why?

• On October 12, 2002, in Bali, Indonesia, Al-Qaeda’s Jemaah Islamiyah terrorists targeted packed nightspots, killing 202 people, including more than 160 foreigners. There are even more nightclubs in the United States, why didn’t al-Qaeda target us here?
• On March 11, 2004 in Madrid, Spain, 191 people were killed and more than 1,800 injured in a series of explosions on four trains. al-Qaeda took responsibility for that accomplishment to avenge the presence of Spanish troops in Iraq. But why didn’t the terrorists bomb American trains on American soil? We had even more troops in Iraq than did the Spanish.
• On the morning of Wednesday September 1, 2004, in Beslan, Russia Muslim terrorists and Arab mercenaries wearing explosive belts stormed a school taking 1,200 parents, students, children, and infants hostage. They wired the room with explosives and threatened to blow up the school during a three-day standoff. The children were refused food and water and were held in stifling heat in a gymnasium while the world waited. As Russian forces were collecting corpses from the initial raid outside the school, the militants in the school triggered the explosives inside the school. As the surviving hostages attempted to flee, the terrorists shot them and their rescuers in their backs. At least 326 people — 156 of them children — were murdered at that school and more than 700 wounded. Although 26 of the terrorists were killed, several escaped. Why did not these terrorists take over an American school on American soil? We have lots of schools here.
• On July 11, 2006, in Mumbai, India, seven high-powered blasts on suburban trains killed more than 200 commuters and injured at least 800. America has commuter trains too, why did not al-Qaeda target American trains with bombs?
• On November 26 of this year, again in Mumbai, India, Islamist gunmen launched attacks against luxury hotels. Gunmen from al-Qaeda’s Deccan Mujahedeen group claimed responsibility for the attacks, which killed more than 100. A rabbi, Gavriel Hertzberg, and his pregnant wife were sought out and murdered as were other Jews and Americans. America has many luxury hotels, many Jews and many, many more Americans. Why did al-Qaeda spare American hotels and tourist on American soil?

Could these “Seven Years of Calm in America” have had anything to do with the leadership of America’s Commander in Chief, George W. Bush, his administration and the fighting men and women of his military?

Happy Birthday United States Marine Corps. On November 10th, 1775, the Second Continental Congress resolved to raise two battalions of Continental Marines. The rest is history.

In March of 1785, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were in London to meet Ambassador Abd Al-Rahman of Tripoli and inquire of him why it was that Barbary states felt a right to impede American ships, pirating their cargo and enslaving their crews and passengers. America’s two most illustrious Founding Fathers were told by the “Mussulman” Ambassador: “it was written in the Koran, that all Nations who should not have acknowledged their authority were sinners, that it was their right and duty to make war upon whoever they could find and to make Slaves of all they could take as prisoners, and that every Mussulman who should be slain in battle was sure to go to Paradise.”

Jefferson’s new nation found itself immediately at war with North Africa’s Islamic potentates who occupied the lands that are today Algeria, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia. No longer under the protection of the British Royal Navy, the Founding Fathers had to decide how to secure free navigation of the seas for the new United States of America. In 1801, when Thomas Jefferson became president, he refused to accede to the Barbary pirates of Tripoli’s demands for an immediate payment of $225,000 and an annual payment of $25,000. This refusal brought about the first “war” the U.S. would fight as a country. The first line of the Marine hymn, “from the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli,” references the 600-mile march across the Libyan Desert of a group of Navy men and others to capture the port city of Derna, Tripoli. It took a concerted effort by England, France, Spain, and the United States to end over 400 years of Muslim piracy on the Barbary Coast.

It seems that it was our beloved Democrat Thomas Jefferson who first decided to make war upon the Muslim Barbaries, instead of appeasing them. President George W. Bush has been struggling to follow in Jefferson’s mighty footsteps as the ancient battle continues. Give thanks for Jefferson’s foresight and courage and say a prayer for George W, who has a much tougher task than Jefferson. Commander-in-chief George W. Bush has had to fight against his own nation’s enemies, as well as many of his own countrymen, who wish America to fail.

“TJ and the Barbaries” by Kerfuffles
“Jefferson’s War on Terror” by Edna Barney

Headwaters of War

This morning, I came upon a blog that proclaimed: “terrorism itself was not even thought about before September 11th.”

This blogger learned history from “Stewie and Family Guy,” whoever they are. Maybe “Stewie and Family Guy” never thought about “terrorism” before 2001, but others did - like the Irish and British, and the Basques and Spanish, and the Turks and Greeks, and the Communists and the Free World (which includes the U.S.). That is before we even get to tiny Israel and the Israelis who have lived with terrorism since time out of mind. Because terrorism had not been substantially inflicted against the homeland of the U.S. before September 11th, is to the credit of our government including our military who were able to keep us safe. However, many U.S. interests abroad were victims of cowardly terrorists, including the U.S. airmen asleep in the Khobar Towers, pictured here, in 1996.

When did this War on Terror begin? At the one year anniversary of September 11th, I wrote at The Spirit of September 11th, that I believe the War on Terror began almost 30 years ago in the days of Jimmy Carter, when American citizens were taken as hostages in Iran. Perhaps “Stewie and Family Guy” were not alive then, therefore are clueless.

Others believe this current war is but a new phase in an old war that began in the seventh century. The second phase of that war was fought with Sulieman and ended with the Siege of Vienna in 1683. I guess “Stewie and Family Guy” never learned about the Turks outside of the Gates of Vienna, when all of Europe was about to be overrun by the military forces of Mohammed. Europe was saved, for a few centuries, but that war never ended. Since “Stewie and Family Guy” and the blogger cited above obviously eschew the reading of history books, perhaps they could learn a bit from reading the blog “Gates of Vienna” which describes this current war as a continuation of an ancient conflict of cultures that began in the seventh century.

“When the Turks stood at the Gates of Vienna it seemed that all of Europe would be overrun by the legions of the Prophet. This war never ended. While many individual treaties were made between various states over the centuries, no truce was ever declared between Islam and the infidels, and no permanent peace was established.” (Gates of Vienna)

We are now in the third wave which began with either: 1) the establishment of the Muslim Brotherhood in 1928 by Hasan al-Banna; or 2) the Iranian Hostage Crisis in 1979; or 3) September 11th, 2001 - take your pick.

July 2002 ~ They Are Trying To Kill Us! ~ The first anniversary of September 11th is upon us and there is talk of a loss of interest in our fight against the evildoers. Some are hoping to wish the bad things of terrorism away. We cannot do that - we are under mortal threat. Just this week four nicely dressed young men walked into a Christian school in Pakistan and began shooting to kill the small American, Australian and European students there. Failing, because the youngsters were hidden behind strongly fortified doors, the gunmen calmly walked into a nearby woods and found some of the school’s employees hiding in a tree and shot them dead. A teacher heard the murderers exclaim “God is good!”

These people are trying to kill us! They are trying to kill our children and grandchildren!

• 1983 - 2 suicide car bombings embassy and Marine barracks in Beirut: 300 killed
• 1993 - World Trade Center bombing: only 6 killed
• 1995 - Saudi Arabia: 7 killed
• 1996 - Khobar Towers, Saudi Arabia: 19 killed
• 1997 - Pakistan: 5 U.S. oil-workers murdered
• 1998 - U.S. embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam: 263 killed, 5,000 injured
• 2000, USS Cole in Yemen: 17 killed
• 2001 - World Trade Center.

When will we get the message? They are trying to kill us!

I formerly was concerned that young Americans of today were learning current news and politics from late night comics on television. This new revelation that they are learning history from cartoon characters such as Stewie and Family Guy is indeed troubling. Is there no hope for the future?

Physics professor Steven E. Jones of BYU in Provo, Utah, has developed a new theory about the terrorist attack in New York City on September 11th, 2001. He believes planes alone did not bring down the buildings. Both towers collapsed in place after the attacks, and later that day, #7 World Trade Center, which was never hit by a plane, fell in less than seven seconds.

Professor Jones has written an academic hypothesis that powerful explosives may have been pre-positioned in the buildings. He says that #7 World Trade Center, damaged and ablaze from nearby debris, did not topple over as would be expected from the second law of thermodynamics. It came straight down, such as in a pre-planned demolition. The professor says that models conducted in tests since 9/11 have not been able to duplicate what happened to the buildings in New York. His is not a proven theory, but a hypothesis, that he believes warrants a new independent investigation.

9/11 Hypothesis of Professor Jones Explained

We Remembered
We were afraid to remember that day, yet in remembrance of those murdered innocents, we did remember. We will always be afraid to remember our vulnerability, but our will to survive will always overcome the fear to remember September 11th.

ChrisCam wondered why we are so fickle:

It is highly disturbing to me that on this day the number one search item at Technorati is ‘Impeach Bush’. Furthermore, between 9am and 930am this morning, only Fox was running 9/11 commemoration. MSNBC’s headline was ‘Who’s to Blame for Katrina’, CNN Headline News was featuring the opening of the Hong Kong DisneyWorld, and CNN was running ‘Katrina Aftermath’ coverage. None of the broadcast networks had any coverage.

Sister Toldjah told about her experience on America’s Day of Terror. Basil at basil’s blog told how he received the news of the attacks on the World Trade Center.

The Skipper at Barking Moonbat wrote an open letter to “All those who died on September 11, 2001″. He has a number of posts for the day of rememberance, including never before seen images that are heart rending.

Left & Right linked to a list of those “murdered” on September 11th, 2001. Charmaine at Reasoned Audacity remembered the people in the Twin Towers. Beth at MVRWC posted words from President Bush and more images.

Don Surber scientifically calculated how our country has changed in the last four years, using “The New York Times”.

While Osama bin Laden, Iraq, North Korea and Saudi Arabia are plotting our demise, we find the American people are

* still arguing over tax cuts
* still trying to run Israel from our side of the Atlantic
* still arguing about stem cells
* still flogging the 2000 election results (Paul Krugman’s recent columns)
* still excusing terrorism and terrorists — particularly if they have an academic bent.

Until Americans are willing to take this threat seriously, we are doomed.

On the commemoration of September 11th, I found this posted at liberal websites (here’s one):

A Letter to All Who Voted for George W. Bush from Michael Moore

To All My Fellow Americans Who Voted for George W. Bush:

On this, the fourth anniversary of 9/11, I’m just curious, how does it feel? How does it feel to know that the man you elected to lead us after we were attacked went ahead and put a guy in charge of FEMA whose main qualification was that he ran horse shows? (The incoherent, disjointed ranting letter continues here.)

Dear Mr. Moore - It feels really, really great to know that for four years this country has not been attacked by our enemies, present company excluded.

Furthermore, Mr. Moore, your constant attacks aren’t worth a tinker’s damn. You bring shame upon yourself and your followers by the venom-filled epistle you wrote to your own country on its national day of mourning. The more you unfairly attack George Bush, the more the rest of us love him and the more we pray for him. Few presidents have had such heavy burdens placed upon their shoulders and this president has earned the respect of his people. You, Mr. Moore have earned their contempt with your juvenile impudence and churlish unmannerliness. You have made yourself into the national laughingstock.

PS: For your information, George Bush owns no “second home” in Washington, D.C. The house he lives in, the White House, belongs to the American people. You need to take Civics 101.

The greatest success of the Bush/Cheney administration over the past four years is what has NOT happened to us. Our cities’ transportation systems have not been turned into raging infernos as happened in London this past July. Our trains have not been blown up as happened in Spain. American planes have not exploded in the air as happened in Russia. School children have not been taken hostage by terrorists.

The acolytes of the evil one have been planning attacks on America and until now our government has been able to thwart them. We know that we could again be hit, at anytime, for America is the apple of the eye for the terrorist. If you are a resident of New York, Virginia (The Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia 2001) or Pennsylvania you know full well your own vulnerability to terrorism. We three states have been attacked on our own blessed soil. We have seen the devastation first hand. The fact that nothing has happened since, is NO coincidence!

Just one year ago in Beslan, Russia, was demonstrated exactly what this War on Terror is about. Never forget that even your children are not safe from these barbarians. Radical Islamists think nothing of blowing up your grandchildren. You are not safe as long as their hatred exists on the face of this earth.

This month the city of New Orleans was deluged and destroyed, as had been feared by those in charge of our nation’s security (see “Cajun Counterterrorism“). Yet it did not happen by an act of terror, but by the unconquerable force of nature.

Who are America’s Angels? They are the citizens of this great land, civilians, military and government employees, who every single day are watchful of this nation’s security. Be ever grateful to them and never forget September 11th. Be ever Proud to be an American.

Here is Ray Charles singing “America”. If you want more patriotic music for today, check out Jack’s Patriotic Midi Tunes.

Linked at Wizbang’s Comparison of Katrina and 9/11 and Mudville Gazette’s Open Post. Graphic from Irene’s Corner.