An Ol’ Broad’s Ramblings
Morning Coffee 06/19/08
Top Sadrist official arrested in Amarah
Iraqi troops on Thursday arrested the top official in Amarah, a Muqtada al-Sadr loyalist, officials said, drawing swift condemnations from followers of the anti-U.S. cleric and raising tensions as a military operation against Shiite militias got under way.
Rafia Abdul-Jabbar, who also was acting deputy governor for Maysan province, was seized from his office Thursday morning along with a member of the provincial council, a local official said.
The arrest came as Iraqi troops fanned out and gunmen tossed weapons on the streets or in canals with the official launch of the military crackdown in Amarah, a stronghold of al-Sadr’s Mahdi Army militia and the purported center of weapons smuggling from neighboring Iran.
The military action came a day after the expiration of a four-day deadline for militants in Amarah to surrender their arms or face arrest.
I guess he didn’t surrender his arms, eh? Notice it was the Iraqi troops who made the arrest, and not the U.S. military? 
Seems that they really are taking more control. Oh, I’ve no doubt they had US back up, but still….it’s nice to know they are doing SOMETHING besides sitting on their thumbs. Now, if they took down al-Sadr, and his closest buds, I’d be REAL impressed.
Obama opts out of public campaign finance system
Obama campaign lawyer Robert Bauer said he had met with McCain lawyers to discuss terms for both campaigns operating in the public financing system, but he said they could not agree on how to limit spending by the campaigns and outside groups heading into the late summer party conventions.
My guess is that the McCain camp actually stood up for free speech? One question: How do you “limit” the spending of “outside” groups? Wouldn’t that be stifling free speech? Would the Obamanation put duct tape on the Moron.org bunch? Doubtful.
Bredesen vetoes Brentwood church school’s exemption from fire code
Bredesen, in his veto letter from last Friday, said “I believe it would be a mistake to erode Tennessee’s reasonable system of fire and building code protections.”
This was only the fifth time that Bredesen has vetoed legislation.
Earlier this year, he similarly vetoed a bill that would have exempted at least two Henry County schools from building regulations.
Sargent said he was disappointed with the veto.
He said the church, which had been grandfathered from building codes but was in the process of moving, just needed temporary relief while it built a new school building.
If the school had been “grandfathered”, why was there a need to have the bill in the first place? Also, if they are in the process of building a new school, shouldn’t Bredesen have used to some common sense? Even the the name of the place wasn’t mentioned in the bill, no doubt he had knowledge of just who the bill would help. Makes me wonder.
Dearth of Ships Delays Drilling of Offshore Oil
As President Bush calls for repealing a ban on drilling off most of the coast of the United States, a shortage of ships used for deep-water offshore drilling promises to impede any rapid turnaround in oil exploration and supply.
Perhaps if Congress hadn’t sitting on their heads for the last, oh, say 30 years, there wouldn’t be a shortage of ships. No doubt, if there are any available, they were made somewhere else, and US companies will get screwed……again. Just a thought.
2 men found dead outside Garland recording studio Zion Gate
Garland police have identified the men as Matthew Butler, 28, owner of Zion Gate recording studio, and employee Stephen Swan, 26, of Carrollton.
Authorities were notified about 1:20 a.m. that two men appeared to be dead in the 800 block of State Street. Police found the men in a parking lot. Both men appeared to have been shot several times.
Police were searching for Mr. Swan’s car, a tan 1995 Ford Crown Victoria with Texas license plate number S05VCD.
Garland use to be a really safe suburb of Dallas. Times sure have changed. Prayers with their families.
Goldwasser slams IDF for opposing deal
Miki Goldwasser, the mother of kidnapped IDF reservist Ehud Goldwasser, slammed the army on Thursday for opposing a deal to free her son, claiming that if Lebanese terrorist Samir Kuntar had been released earlier, her son would not have been abducted in the first place.
I pray I never have to experience the pain this woman has suffered. That being said, the idea of blaming anyone other than the terrorists themselves for the kidnapping is ridiculous.
IED-Caused Casualties in Iraq Down 89 Percent Since Surge
Deploying more U.S. troops in Iraq has resulted in a dramatic decline in the number of U.S. troops being killed by improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in that country.
IED-caused casualties have dropped 89 percent since the surge went full force last June, according to a Cybercast News Service database of Iraq casualties.
IED-caused casualties spiked in the early part of last year as the surge began. In January 2007, the U.S. started deploying an additional 30,000 troops to the country. The surge in forces was completed in mid-June.
Odd, I haven’t really read a headline like this in any of the “BIG” news outlets. Wonder why that would be? (insert MASSIVE sarcasm here)
Memphis cop fired for role in beating of a suspect
The suspect, 42-year-old Duanna Johnson, said Wednesday she believes repulsion and hatred for those like her is why she was beaten and sprayed with tear gas on Feb. 12 while being booked for suspicion of prostitution.
The incident was caught on video, which also shows Johnson striking the officer at least once. It was released this week by Johnson’s attorney, who is threatening to file a federal lawsuit for civil rights violation.
Amnesty International, which has been tracking police violence against lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgendered individuals is holding a news conference today in Chicago to discuss a campaign it is launching in that city to protest such violence.
I saw that video. I’m thinking it was a mutual problem, and Johnson not only struck the officer, but kicked him as well. HE was also mouthing off from what I could tell. No, I don’t hold the officer blameless, but I sure as hell don’t see a reason for any law suit.
Iran refutes US media for linking Iran to Iraq terrorist attacks
“The US has given refuge to terrorist Mujahideen Khalq Organization (MKO) on one hand and its media are misleading the public opinion by linking Iran to the terrorist bombings in Iraq, on the other,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad-Ali Hosseini said.
He said that the desperate attempts made by the US media aimed at justifying prolongation of occupation and sow discord between the Iranian and Iraqi governments and nations have failed so far.
I guess all those weapons that basically has “Made In Iran” stamped on them has nothing to do with it, right? Pfft!
FALCON swoops up 120 fugitives
U.S. Marshal Larry Wagster in Oxford and U.S. Attorney Jim Greenlee will announce today the arrest of approximately 120 fugitives in a roundup that stretched from Mississippi into Arkansas and Tennessee.
Chief Deputy Kelly York said the roundup was part of a nationwide effort to put fugitives behind bars.
Operation FALCON 2008 — Federal And Local Cops Organized Nationally — is a fugitive dragnet that started in June 2008 and is currently in progress, according to the national office of the U.S. Marshal Service.
Yeah, since it’s still June of 2008, I’d say it was currently in progress. It’s my understanding they’ve found some pretty bad guys running around free who shouldn’t be. Congratulations!
Son of an MDC leader found beaten to death in Zimbabwe
The son of a Zimbabwean opposition leader has been kidnapped and beaten to death along with three other men, in the latest politically-motivated killing attributed to the Mugabe regime.
Archfred Chipiyo was one of three men discovered by the roadside in Harare today with their skulls smashed after they were abducted by loyalists of the president’s Zanu-PF party on Tuesday. The body of a fourth man was later discovered nearby.
The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has accused President Robert Mugabe’s government of waging war on its activists in an attempt to intimidate voters in next week’s elections.
I’d say the MDC is right. And where are the “peacekeepers”? You know, the ones that the Useless Numnuts are suppose to send in where there is a major problem? 
Mars Lander Glitch Leads to Lost Photos
The Phoenix lander stopped digging soil near Mars’ north pole Wednesday as engineers on Earth worked to fix a glitch that caused the loss of a day’s worth of photos.
The problem was discovered late Tuesday after the spacecraft dug a trench inside a polygon-shaped surface feature that was likely caused by seasonal expansion and shrinking of ice.
The lander beamed back pictures of the trench, but an overload of data prevented it from saving images of the landscape and atmosphere in its flash memory.
Well, nuts. I enjoy looking at those pictures. I think it’s kind of cool to see something that is that far away.
Engineer sentenced to 2 years for spying
Xiaodong Sheldon Meng, 44, was the first to be convicted under a 12-year-old anti-espionage law. In sentencing Meng, U.S. District Judge Jeremy Fogel agreed with federal prosecutors’ recommendation of a two-year prison term. Meng, a Cupertino resident and Chinese national, pleaded guilty last year to violating the Economic Espionage Act of 1996 and federal export laws, admitting he stole technology from his former employer, Quantum 3D.
The espionage act makes it a crime to steal trade secrets to benefit a foreign government, and was passed by Congress in response to concerns that engineers were robbing U.S. companies of valuable technology and secretly shipping it overseas.
2 years? Didn’t they use to shoot people for doing stuff like that?
Gaza Cease-Fire Between Israel and Hamas Goes Into Effect
A long-sought truce between Israel and Gaza militants went into effect early Thursday, with the aim of halting militant attacks and a bruising Israeli blockade that have made life unbearable for people living on both sides of the border.
A day of intense Palestinian rocket and mortar fire and Israeli air reprisals on Wednesday underscored just how fragile the Egyptian-brokered agreement would be. Hamas security reported that the Israeli navy fired four shells into the waters off Gaza City after the truce began; the military had no immediate comment. Hamas has run the territory since seizing control a year ago.
Excuse me if I don’t hold my breath on this one either. Some Israeli soldier will fart in their direction, and it will be called an attack.
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Samir Kuntar. The return of the child killer!
http://SamirKuntar.net
Talk about freeing a murderer one year my senior has been hailed by some fellow Lebanese as yet another “Divine Victory”. Yes I am talking about the “hero” Samir Kuntar and his soon to be “shameless” release. Without a doubt our “Divine”/spiritual/ resistance/ leader will take credit for his safe return bombarding us with notions of how Samir was and still is the epitome of Hizbollah’s fight against the Zionist evil. On that ill fated day(and I do pray that it will never come) many of my fellow Lebanese (so called) will beat their chests in stupor in between speech poses delivered by the only patriotic leader (Hassouna that is).
To those FUCKS I would like to point out that Samir was never part of Hizbollah when he and 3 others (Abdel Majid Asslan, Mhanna Salim Al Muayed, Mohammad Al Abras) took it upon themselves to attack NAHARIYA in Israel in an operation they called “Nasser”. This operation was commissioned by the PLF (Palestinian Liberation Front) under the leadership of Abou Abbass (does Achille Lauro ring a bell to any one?).
After having killed a policeman who came across their way (that might be justified by some as part of a military operation) they split in two groups and the Hero to be, entered the apartment of the “Zionist” Dany Haran with intent to kill. The “soon to be hailed hero” took Dany and his daughter Einat (mother “Smadar”, other daughter “Yael” and a neighbor managed to hide) to the beach (and not for a picnic I can assure you). The “would be hero” shot Dany a close range and drowned him in the sea (to make sure he was dead, after all he is a thorough person) in front of his daughter (4 years of age, may I remind you), and then turned his rage (sorry Divine mission) against the child. He then started bashing her head with the butt of his riffle, and when need be using rocks to finish her off. This “so called hero” did not flinch.
The other tragedy is that while hiding, the mother (Smadar) in an attempt to muffle the sounds and moans of her 2 years old daughter (Yael) had suffocated her own child.
To cut a long story short, the only survivors of this “heroic adventures” (from the LEBANESE side) were Kuntar and his fellow “1/2 hero” Ahmad Al Abrass, who was later freed by Israel in the Ahmad Jibril prisoner exchange of May 1985.
Attempts were made by the PLF to free Kuntar when they hijacked the Achille Lauro where a wheel chair bound “Zionist” (Leon Klinghoffer) was murdered with no avail.
“The LEBANESE hero” Samir has admitted the murder of Dany and, yes wait for it, Einat; and was sentenced to spent the rest of his life in jail. Some “Zionists” even asked for the death penalty to be reinstated in this case.
Rumor has it that “Kuntar”, the Hezb newfound hero, will be released by the end of the month in exchange for the 2 (Goldwasser and Regev) DEAD soldiers that our Divine protector (Hasouna that is) took in 2006 causing the destruction of MY country.
How can any HUMAN rejoice and embrace the return of a cold blooded criminal and give him a hero’s welcome?
If ever Kuntar will be freed and delivered to the Lebanese (not the Hizb) authority, he should be tied for having killed an innocent child, and such a crime in Lebanon (the one I know) holds the death penalty.
To those who will rejoice for the return of such an evil incarnate, I say TFEH!!!!!!!!!!!!