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May 31, 2004
Dog SevenDouglas Hanson
As the USS Thomas Jefferson and USS Bayfield pulled into Inchon harbor, the young Marine Fire Team Leader peered toward the dock area and the city beyond. What had been a bustling seaport and center of commerce with 250,000 residents had been rendered unrecognizable. Eleven days before,... More
May 31, 2004
D-Day Plus 60John B. Dwyer
This June 6th we commemorate the 60th anniversary of the allied landings on France's Normandy coast, the largest amphibious assault in history. It was the supreme effort of World War Two, the forces of freedom and democracy launching themselves at Hitler's 'Fortress Europe', one that led to the... More
May 30, 2004
Saudis overwhelm Khobar terroristsDan Berard
The small town of al—Khobar, Saudi Arabia became the focus of a seemingly amateur terrorist attack on an expatriate compound. Khobar is a small town that borders the headquarters of Saudi Aramco, a city called Dhahran. The small town of Khobar hosts luxury Western apartments and businesses... More
May 29, 2004
Battle Blog 23 - 29 May 2004Douglas Hanson
This Memorial Weekend edition of the Battle Blog provides the opportunity to focus on the heroic actions of our service men and women fighting in the War on Terror.
As President Bush has said several times, their operations may not be fully revealed until some time in the distant future, due... More
May 28, 2004
The Governator rides highThomas Lifson
A recent poll reveals that Californians support Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's performance in office by almost a 2—to—1 margin. Startling as this enthusiasm in a dispirited state may be, it is only part of the story of his extraordinary success in office, and probably understates... More
May 28, 2004
Will al Qaeda re-elect the President?Richard Baehr
The Baehr Essentials
Howard Fineman reported that the Kerry campaign is leaning strongly towards John Edwards for his VP pick. Edwards was a favorite of the media during the primary season —— he is a fresh face, a smooth speaker (performer, really), and apparently polls well... More
May 27, 2004
Playing Bush league politicsDennis Sevakis
"May I please have some more arsenic in my water, Mommy?", asks a darling little blonde girl in a blue shirt, who's holding a glass up to the camera as she awaits its filling with poison by the monstrous, killer—of—children Bush Administration. "More salmonella in my cheeseburger,... More
May 27, 2004
Stay of executionBob Weir
There's an air of contentment surrounding me. I feel warm, well fed, and comfortable in a sea of fluid. The light thumping inside my form is the only perceptible sound in my tiny universe. I don't know how I got here or what forces operated to create me, but I sense I'm experiencing the beginning... More
May 26, 2004
The low-down on ZinniDouglas Hanson
The latest retired general to voice his concerns over the strategy to topple Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq has been Anthony Zinni. Naturally, the good general has co—authored a book with (surprise!) Tom Clancy, criticizing the war with Iraq. The anti—Semitic undercurrent... More
May 25, 2004
Iraq War refresher courseJohn B. Dwyer
Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please, especially you BCCs — belief—challenged conservatives. I beg your indulgence and your patience while we run through a brief refresher course on the war in Iraq, on why we are fighting there, in Afghanistan, and elsewhere... More
May 25, 2004
The Protocols of the Elders of ZinniRichard Baehr
A few months back, leftist Jewish critics, such as Frank Rich, Abraham Foxman and Leon Wieseltier, trashed Mel Gibson's movie, The Passion of the Christ, for what they called its blatant anti—Semitism, warning of the danger the movie could create for Jews wherever the movie was shown. So far,... More
May 24, 2004
Lost posterityThomas Lifson
Posterity was once a central concept of American Civilization. We sacrificed our welfare, even our lives, for the sake of future generations, especially for our descendants More
May 24, 2004
Cold-blooded murderBob Weir
On a bitter cold December night in 2000, five people were brought to a deserted soccer field where they were forced to kneel down in the snow as their abductors shot them in the back of the head, execution style. Then, as the naked bodies lay bleeding to death in the snow, a pickup truck was driven... More
May 24, 2004
Doomsday machineDennis Sevakis
'We are rapidly approaching a moment of truth for ourselves as human beings and for the life of our nation. Now, truth is not always a pleasant thing, but it is necessary now to make a choice. To choose between two admittedly regrettable, but nevertheless distinguishable, post—war... More
May 22, 2004
Has Bush Bottomed?Richard Baehr
The Baehr Essentials
We are over five months away from the Presidential election, and supporters of both candidates continue to behave in a manic—depressive fashion, as their candidate first pulls away and then falls behind.
For several weeks, the story line of the race was that Democratic... More
May 21, 2004
The Other Coming Out PartyRichard Baehr
On Monday, the first legal gay marriages took place in Massachusetts. Tuesday was another 'coming out' day — for Jewish Republicans. I attended the AIPAC Policy Conference in Washington, as I have for the last 14 years. Israeli Prime Ministers Yitzhak Rabin, Ariel... More
May 21, 2004
Image of a promise not keptDennis Sevakis
The mind will seize an image, often powerless to shed it. Music, poetry, a scent, a taste or a feeling will all linger. But an image can be unsurpassed in its power to freeze and distill an experience, an event or even the struggles of an era.
A newspaper clipping of an Associated Press story... More
May 21, 2004
Why capital punishment doesn't workBob Weir
Whenever we hear about the futility of the death penalty from the liberal oracles of neo—modernism, they always conclude by saying that capital punishment has been around for a long time but has not stopped people from committing murder. A common tactic of liberals is to use every dilatory... More
May 20, 2004
The Steeple at ViervilleJohn B. Dwyer
[Memorial Day approaches, soon followed by the sixtieth anniversary of the D—Day invasion of Normandy. Military historian John B. Dwyer, author of last week's article on John Kerry's Swift boat service in Vietnam, presents an inspiring story of military intelligence... More
May 20, 2004
Pesticides, Precursors, and Petulance RevisitedDouglas Hanson
The recent find in Iraq of a binary Sarin projectile that was rigged as an improvised explosive device (IED), has produced a large amount of press on the nature of this WMD, and even bizarre attempts to define this weapon as something other than one of mass destruction. More sophisticated... More
May 20, 2004
Kerry and energy policyDan Berard
John Kerry has finally started to unveil his views on energy. He just yesterday pronounced that we should stop filling up our Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), and instead feed crude oil into the market so gasoline prices would moderate. Since he was on a run, Senator Kerry also mentioned that... More
May 19, 2004
America is a racist countryBob Weir
Twenty—three years ago, a police officer was brutally murdered on the cold, dark streets of Philadelphia. Patrolman Daniel Faulkner, making a routine traffic stop at about three o'clock on the morning of December 9, 1981, was knocked to the ground and shot several times in his upper body and... More
May 19, 2004
Rumsfeld and the Civil WarLona Manning
As Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld looked at the faces of the young soldiers before him, you could see him hesitate for an instant. Should he mention the Civil War? Should he draw the comparisons which seemed to obvious to him? After all, many of the young soldiers attending the Town Hall... More
May 18, 2004
Don't call it marriageBob Weir
'Do you, George, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?' Does that sound right to you? How about: 'Do you, Alice, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?' Something about those questions appears to be out of sync with centuries of religious and moral underpinnings, and, I hasten... More
May 18, 2004
The Oil-for Food scandalThomas Lifson
Is the investigation into the United Nations Oil—for—Food Program degenerating into chaos? Disconcerting news reveals that Coalition Provisional Authority head Paul Bremer has appointed a second auditing firm, Ernst & Young, to begin auditing Iraqi documents, some of them already... More
May 16, 2004
Saving Lt. SevakisDennis Sevakis
Unbelievable nonsense has been uttered about what took place at the Abu Ghraib prison. I say nonsense, because my sense of those activities is that they were more like fraternity hazing pranks than abuse, humiliation, torture, and, least likely, atrocities. All those adjectives, and many... More
May 15, 2004
Propagandists protecting their ownThomas Lifson
What do you do if you're a left wing newspaper, and you have hyped—to—the—limit a leftist propaganda venture, which goes on to become a disaster? Admit that you were wrong? Not if you are the Minneapolis Star—Tribune, perennial contender for the title of worst major daily... More
May 15, 2004
Torture may save livesBob Weir
As American troops continue the battle against terrorism in Iraq, Afghanistan and neighboring countries, how do they protect themselves (and us) from homicidal fanatics who are willing to sacrifice their lives, in order to take large numbers of their enemies with them? It is often said that we must... More
May 14, 2004
Not from MEMRISteven Zak
Even before the savage display by Arab terrorists of body parts of six Israeli soldiers —— including a severed head —— Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon made clear that he may have plans to consign terror leader Yasser Arafat to the fate of other barbarians like Ahmed... More
May 14, 2004
Drawing BloodRichard Baehr
The Baehr Essentials
A new Ohio Poll by ARG, released Thursday, gives Senator Kerry a 7 point lead over President Bush in a three way race, with Ralph Nader at 2%. The President is highly vulnerable in Ohio, a state he won by just under 4% last time, and where manufacturing job losses have... More
May 14, 2004
Information Warfare 101Douglas Hanson
Disinformation is information disseminated primarily by intelligence organizations or other covert agencies designed to distort information, or deceive or influence United States decisionmakers, United States forces, coalition allies, key actors, or individuals by indirect or unconventional... More
May 13, 2004
The games people playRichard Baehr
Senator Ted Kennedy bellowed this week that Saddam's torture chambers never closed; they are just under new American management. The comment was so outrageous that John Kerry tried to create some distance from Kennedy, saying he understood the sentiment but would have 'framed it'... More
May 13, 2004
Don't just sit there -- do somethingBob Weir
Is there anyone out there who still thinks we should play nice with the terrorists? Does anyone feel that taking photos of naked prisoners is on the same level as cutting off a prisoner's head? I suppose if you're Ted Kennedy, you'll find a way to spin the latest savagery by our enemies as merely... More
May 13, 2004
Call sign: Boston stranglerJohn B. Dwyer
Thomas Wright was one of John F. Kerry's fellow Swift boat officers in Vietnam. Since Wright outranked Kerry, he was Kerry's sometime boat group Officer—in—Charge, so Wright had occasion to observe Kerry's behavior and attitudes, and the circumstances surrounding his early... More
May 12, 2004
The media are unwittingly helping BushThomas Lifson
How do we account for the continued strength of President Bush in the polls, relative to his presumptive Democratic opponent, despite the stream of bad news from Iraq? Much of the journalistic and intellectual establishment is plainly baffled ...and dismayed. The answer is not that complex: the... More
May 11, 2004
The U.N. is a Failed OrganizationRachel Neuwirth
The U.N. recently passed another blatantly anti—Israel resolution in support of extremist Arab Palestinian claims. There is no longer any point in entering into any serious dialogue with this organization. In countless ways, over many years, the U.N. has proven to be a discredited... More
May 10, 2004
Their own worst enemyThomas Lifson
Fanatic opponents of George W. Bush and the war in Iraq are running headlong into a cul—de—sac. The prisoner abuse pictures at Abu Ghraib have given them a tool with which to attack, and they are intoxicated with the potential they sense. Gleeful that they at last have a hammer which... More
May 10, 2004
War is hellBob Weir
While watching the House and Senate Armed Services Committee hearings regarding the prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib, I was filled with admiration for the greatness of our country. Here we are, fighting a war against terrorists who have no regard for human life, yet we don't hesitate to penalize any of... More
May 7, 2004
Friedman's follyEd Lasky
The pathological distaste that New York Times columnist Tom Friedman has shown for President Bush is well—known. He is just one of the many columnists at the Times who feel obligated to disparage George Bush at every turn (think Paul Krugman, Maureen Dowd). Perhaps Friedman has tired of his... More
May 7, 2004
Hillary's path to the White HouseThomas Lifson
Hillary Clinton is ambitious, audacious, and fully capable of creating devious, multi—step strategies. Blindsiding her fervent opponents, she may yet shock the world and realize her longstanding ambition to win election as President —— in the year 2004. Doing so would only require... More
May 7, 2004
Deutschland Unter AllesDouglas Hanson
Thirty years of socialist policies have finally taken their toll. In an attempt to reverse the inevitable slide into economic disaster, Germany is adopting massive cost—cutting reforms. Of course, under left—wing Chancellor Herr Schroeder's (Social Democratic Party of... More
May 6, 2004
The UN bribery scandal cover-upThomas Lifson
While the American and world press obsess about photographs of abusive behavior by soldiers assigned to be prison guards, Kofi Annan and his minions at the United Nations are covering up the paper trail of what appears to be the largest bribery scandal in history. The corrupt administration of the... More
May 6, 2004
A Bad Week for the President is a Mixed Week in the PollsRichard Baehr
The Baehr Essentials
There are very mixed messages in the most recent polling for the Presidential election. Several surveys, particularly those that include Ralph Nader, continue to show a Bush lead of from 2 to 6 points. These include NBC News/Wall St. Journal, CBS, Quinnipiac, and Sacred Heart... More
May 5, 2004
The college tuition scamThomas Lifson
The higher education industry has ruthlessly exploited its privileged role as the assigner of prestige to young adults beginning their professional lives, in order to grab a larger share of national income. Tuition has increased substantially faster than inflation for the last half century, rising... More
May 5, 2004
Here's JohnnyBob Weir
I've been watching the late night talk shows since Johnny Carson began in the early sixties, after Jack Paar left the Tonight Show and was replaced by the man that would rule the night for thirty years. Carson was an original, and a first class stand up comedian. He could crack me up with a simple... More
May 4, 2004
Prestige and the leftThomas Lifson
During the past century, the left managed to seize the commanding heights of those institutions which generate and grant prestige in American society. Control over higher education, arts organizations, charities, publications and broadcasters, as well as most major foundations and... More
May 4, 2004
The Gaza RetreatRichard Baehr
Israel's Likud party members voted overwhelmingly Sunday to reject Prime Minister Sharon's plan to evacuate 21 settlements in Gaza and 4 in the West Bank. Generally, a high percentage of voters turn out in Israeli elections, but the day before yesterday, barely half of the Likud Party's... More
May 3, 2004
Happy Birthday, GodzillaThomas Lifson
Marking the fiftieth anniversary of its debut in Japan, a crisp clean print of the original uncut Japanese version of the first Godzilla movie is being released in the United States. What a long strange journey it has been for the beast. First came monstrous box office success in the 1954 Japanese... More
May 3, 2004
Danger: Tariq Ramadan is coming to the USOlivier Guitta
The University of Notre Dame, the elite university founded by the Holy Cross Order, (thanks to numerous readers for the correction of the founding order) in South Bend, Indiana, has offered a three—year professorship to the 'moderate' Muslim scholar Tariq Ramadan, a resident and citizen of... More