This just comes from an email over the Internet, sent by Von Kreedon.

I've heard this "riddle," such as it is, before, but that hardly makes it genuine. Still, it's kind of interesting, even if complete bullshit.

Fake but accurate, I guess. more...

Posted by: Ace at 09:29 AM | Comments (74)
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Michael Issikoff, as usual.

Let's concede that talking about WMD's is not the same thing as actually having them.

However, talking about WMD's does establish a few things:

It is not proven, but it is more likely, that Saddam had WMD's. If a man is caught on tape talking about a murder he committed, yes, there's always the possibility he's bullshitting, playing the hardguy for one reason or another. But you surely do not leap to that latter conclusion. You start looking for bodies with great seriousness.

Saddam, it seems, *thought* he had WMD's. This makes it harder to claim Bush lied. If even Saddam thought he had WMD's, what kind of intelliegence ever could have proven otherwise?

Saddam, as Bush has said, never gave up on his desire for WMD's, even if he didn't have them when we attacked. Charles Duelfer's report made it clear -- though the media kept it quiet, of course -- that while no stockpiles of WMD's were found in Iraq, Saddam kept all the scientists, equipment, infrastructure, and intent to begin producing WMD's as soon as sanctions were lifted and the UN wasn't looking over his shoulder. Discussing DC's vulnerability to a biological attack (even if Saddam follows this up with a disclaimer that of course Iraq would do no such thing) is certainly reason for worry, given his appetite for (Weapons of Mass) destruction.

It could turn out that Bush invaded at the perfect, golden moment -- the moment when Saddam actually had dismantled his WMD's, so they couldn't be used on our troops or Israel or given to Al Qaeada, but just before he planned on revving up his WMD program again.

Thanks to a really cool commenter named "Jack Straw" whom I like to think of as "Slublog."

There Is No Sanctuary Update: I just want to note that...

* When Saddam said he didn't have WMD's, the Left believed him, and called him truthful and Bush a liar.

* When Saddam said he did have WMD's, the Left didn't believe him, and called him a liar and Bush (who has admitted that Saddam seemed to have no stockpiles in Iraq) truthful.

It's getting kinda confusing.

Posted by: Ace at 09:24 AM | Comments (16)
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It seems that ChiCom party hacks take "Don't be evil" more seriously than Google:

Reuters reports that 13 scholars and ex-officials released a letter to the Chinese government, condemning its decision to shut down "Freezing Point," an investigative section of the China Youth Daily. They called the closure a "historic incident" in the struggle between Communist Party controls and media freedoms, and expressed concern over what such censorship would mean for China.

"Depriving the public of freedom of expression so nobody dares speak out will sow the seeds of disaster for political and [social] transition."

The BBC notes that the letter "is all the more surprising because of who it comes from." Among the letter's signatories are Li Rui, a former secretary and biographer of Chairman Mao; Hu Jiwei, a former editor in chief of the People's Daily; Zhu Houze, a former propaganda boss; and Li Pu, a former deputy chief of the official Xinhua News Agency.

Thanks to Allah's LinkMecca.

Posted by: Ace at 09:12 AM | Comments (3)
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Okay, they're no Chroicles of Narnia. Or even The Heist.

Still, if you've got the feveh, they're okay.

The West Coast response to Chronicles of Narnia-- Lazy Monday.

The Midwest response-- Lazy Muncie.

Thanks to Tim.

Posted by: Ace at 09:07 AM | Comments (4)
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It's kept me out of trouble so far.

MAJOR CONTENT WARNING for an unedited transcript of the dialogue in this particular tape. The woman involved in the, um, group sex claimed rape. The videotape tell an entirely different story.

YouÂ’ll never convince six lucky Orange County guys that porn is bad: a single raunchy sex video is keeping them out of prison. Of course, these 20-year-olds couldnÂ’t have foreseen this fate when they filmed their wild gangbang after a night of drinking at a Fullerton bar.

This tale begins in the wee hours of June 6, 2004, when a distraught Tamara Anne Moonier entered a Fullerton police station. She said sheÂ’d been kidnapped a few hours earlier from a parking lot at Heroes Bar & Grill, hooded and driven to an unknown residence. Moonier, then 28, told police that a group of men brutally raped her at gunpoint for more than an hour, forced her to perform numerous degrading sex acts on film, demanded her silence and then released her.

But the tape proves she was into Betsy, if you know what I'm saying.

Thanks to Marc.

Posted by: Ace at 08:35 AM | Comments (43)
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Not just huge, but Donald Trump 'uuuuuuge:

Secret audiotapes of Saddam Hussein discussing ways to attack America with weapons of mass destruction will be the subject of an ABC "Nightline" program Wednesday night, a former federal prosecutor told Cybercast News Service.

The tapes are being called the "smoking gun" of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in Iraq. The New York Sun reported that the tapes have been authenticated and currently are being reviewed by the U.S. House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

The panel's chairman, Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-Mich.), declined to give the Sun details of the content or context of the recordings, saying only that they were provided to his committee by former federal prosecutor John Loftus.

Loftus has been tight-lipped about the tapes, telling the Sun only that he received them from a "former American military intelligence analyst."

On Tuesday night, Loftus told Cybercast News Service that ABC's "Nightline" would air an "extensive report" on the tapes Wednesday night. Loftus also described an ABC News "teaser," which reportedly contains audio of Saddam Hussein discussing ways to attack America with WMD. "Nightline will have a lot more," said Loftus.

By the way, yeah, that's on Drudge, but he has the wrong article linked. The article quoted below, actually.

More...

Reportedly armed with 12 hours of Saddam Hussein's audio recordings, the organizers of an upcoming "Intelligence Summit" are describing the tapes as the "smoking gun evidence" that the Iraqi dictator possessed weapons of mass destruction in the period leading up to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

The U.S. House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, which according to the New York Sun has already authenticated the Saddam tapes, has reopened its investigation into the possible existence and location of the Iraqi weapons of mass destruction (WMD). But some long-time liberal skeptics are showing no inclination to change their minds.

Do tell.

...

Danny Schechter, author and producer of the film version of "Embedded: Weapons of Mass Deception," said he is "weary of these intercepts."

"Nobody denies that Saddam Hussein did have a WMD program. The United States knows that, we have the receipts, we supplied some of the initial technology," Schechter said.

No one is denying it? Gee, that's funny, Danny. I've heard little but such denials from the left/the media for two years now.

...

"The question is not, did he have a program, but did that program represent a threat to the United States, to England, or to anywhere else," Schechter said. "I would be hesitant about raw intelligence that has not been analyzed, but that is being used in a partisan way by members of Congress," he told Cybercast News Service.

Way to change the goalposts, Danny. Reverting to your pre-2003 talking points. Well, that's a good start.

Still More: WMD's-Were-Sent-To-Syria Claim Repeated By Second Iraqi Military Officer--

Yooooogeness abounds.

Via Peter GloverÂ’s website Wires from the bunker, we learn of an interview between Ali Ibrahim al-Tikriti, a southern regional commander for Saddam HusseinÂ’s Fedayeen militia in the late 1980s and a personal friend of the dictator and Ryan Mauro of Worldthreats.com....

I know SaddamÂ’s weapons are in Syria due to certain military deals that were made going as far back as the late 1980Â’s that dealt with the event that either capitols were threatened with being overrun by an enemy nation. Not to mention I have discussed this in-depth with various contacts of mine who have confirmed what I already knew. At this point Saddam knew that the United States were eventually going to come for his weapons and the United States wasnÂ’t going to just let this go like they did in the original Gulf War. He knew that he had lied for this many years and wanted to maintain legitimacy with the pan Arab nationalists. He also has wanted since he took power to embarrass the West and this was the perfect opportunity to do so. After Saddam denied he had such weapons why would he use them or leave them readily available to be found? That would only legitimize President Bush, who he has a personal grudge against. What we are witnessing now is many who opposed the war to begin with are rallying around Saddam saying we overthrew a sovereign leader based on a lie about WMD. This is exactly what Saddam wanted and predicted.

Thanks to Geoff for that last bit.

Posted by: Ace at 08:17 AM | Comments (55)
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10. Sura 27, Verse 9: "Do not trust a polysterene clamshell that lies to say it keeps the 'hot side hot, and the cool side cool.' This is abomination."

9. Sura 4, Verse 18: "'Have it your way?' By what arrogance does this Burger 'King' presume to rule? There is only one King, and he is Allah, and you will have it His way, or you will have your feet struck off by a sword."

8. Sura 9, Verse 3: "You may eat of chicken, but not in 'McNugget' or 'Tender' form. Such are the eating habits of the polytheists, who prefer their chicken in the manifold forms of their tripartite false god."

7. Sura 43, Verse 2: "Regarding Wendy's: Burgers are round, not square. 'Nuff said. Don't even get The Prophet started on White Castle."

6. Sura 22, Verse 17: "And Satan sent upon the Earth a Deceiver to lead the believers into apostacy and wickeness, and that Deceiver had a name: the Grimmace. And he was served by bizarre demons called 'the Fry Guys.'"

5. From a 1999 audiotape by bin Ladin: "And do not forget they betrayal of Acre, when Saladin's noble warriors were defeated by the infidel crusader Colonel Sanders, who burned my people at the stake, women and children alike, burning them both regular and Extra Crispy."

4. Sura 19, Verse 12: "What's the deal with those nasty pickles in McDondald's hamburgers? Seriously, is there anyone who doesn't immediately just take those vile cucumber chips and toss them on their Riddles & Mazes tray-paper? Why do they even bother? And what genius got the idea to put cheese on a Filet O Fish? Most likely, it was the Jews, who are insidious and crafty."

3. From terror-apologist Edward Said's Occidentalism: "The drive for Western imperialistic hegemony is in full flower at Bennigan's, with its American kitsch decor and Nachos Grande platters and Wings & Things and their Ultimate Tater Skins. Plus, I had a Death By Chocloate there one time, and it went right to my hips. I should have just smeared it on my thighs and cut out the middle-man."

2. Sura 11, Verse 15: "Taco Bell dispenses guacamole and sour cream in grease-guns. Doesn't this kind of bother anyone else? Or is it just me? Wait, I'm the Prophet. It must bother you too. It is thusly commanded."

...and the Number One Islamic Grievance Against American Fast Food Companies...

1. Sura 14, Verse 5: "Ronald McDonald's real name? Ronald Goldfarb. I think you see where the Prophet is heading with this."

Posted by: Ace at 07:32 AM | Comments (20)
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Jihadis destroy every western fast-food restarurant they can get their barbaric hands on.

Even the Colonel. Even the Colonel, the bastards. A decorated military hero who safeguarded this country against the Chicken Menace.

Do they realize how buffoonish they look?

I've had an idea for a while that we should stop treating "Islamic fury" so seriously and treat it the way it deserves to be treated -- with ridicule and derision. Treating the jihadis' determination to wig out over everyfriggingthing just seems to feed into their psychosis.

Dear Jihadis, Morons, Esq.,

Please stop posthaste. You look, frankly, like a bunch of maniacs. A bunch of maniacs who don't shave.

Try to channel your energies into more productive ventures, such as oh, I don't know, work. That's the thing some people do when they're not burning businesses down. It's kind of boring at times, but there's a paycheck involved.

Yours in Satan,

Ace

Posted by: Ace at 06:48 AM | Comments (26)
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He's been saying this for a while, but he seems to have new sources and new details:

Pre-Sept. 11 intelligence conducted by a secret military unit identified terrorist ringleader Mohamed Atta 13 different times, a congressman said Tuesday.

During a Capitol Hill news conference, Rep. Curt Weldon, R-Pa., said the unit - code-named "Able Danger" - also identified "a problem" in Yemen two weeks before the attack on the USS Cole. It knew the problem was tied into the port of Aden and involved a U.S. platform, but the ship commander was not made aware of it, Weldon said.

The suicide bombing of the Cole killed 17 sailors on Oct. 12, 2000.

If anyone had told the Cole's commander that there was any indication of a problem in Aden, "he would not have gone there," Weldon told reporters. "He had no clue."

In my interview with Julian Sanchez yesterday, he was bothered that the amount of useful information was so greatly outweighed by useless information collected. All that useless information collected and analyzed by the government, and for nothing much, except a small degredation in our civil liberties.

But what sort of signal-to-noise ratio would one expect in such a wideranging inquiry?

And, just as the terrorists only need to get lucky once to kill thousands of people, we only need to get lucky once -- to identify that smoking-gun needle in the informational haystack -- to shut down an entire cell of terrorists and possibly save dozens or even hundreds of innocent human lives.

Posted by: Ace at 06:33 AM | Comments (5)
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They're losing, and so they are calling for their go-to corrective: governmentally-enforced regulations and monopolies.

Brian Anderson wrote about this in an excellent City Journal article. Basically, having lost their media monopoly -- they still basically control the media, mind you, but not completely as they once did -- the Left would like to reintroduce the "Fairness Doctrine" to stamp out right talk-radio, and use the power of the government to shut down FoxNews and other such Shadow Media ventures.

I interviewed him on Hoist the Black Flag about this, and it seems the Left is quite serious about this. And they have big-name backers for the their plan-- including Howard Dean.

Protein Wisdom recaps the controversy for you, quoting new articles on the subject (as well as Brian Anderson's) and adding his own thoughts.

I noted earlier today that as a remedy to our current state of journalistic affairs, which offers a legacy media proclaiming for “fairness” while practicing barely-disguised advocacy journalism, a more subjective and market-based approach could act as a potential corrective—though the issue is a debatable one (specifically, whether the idea of surrendering an avowed institutional desire to approach objectivity in favor of competing advocacy media is a wise one, as such a could easily lead to consumers seeking out echo chambers that simply parrot their views), what is clear is that deregulation has certainly been a boon to free speech. And any increase in free speech is, to an electorate we rely upon to keep informed and interested in public policy, both enabling and ennobling.

The fragmentation of news and information, with different people trusting different sources and operating under different default "facts" about the state of the world, does indeed present some problems. It's hard to talk to liberals these days, not just because they're angry, but because they operate within an entirely alien universe of "facts" and no intelligent discussion can proceed until the basic "facts" are agreed upon.

Then again, radio and music badly fragmented along tribal lines after having been unified (by corporate tastemakers, mostly playing from the same playlists) in the seventies, and we survived that.

Plus, it gave us Foghat. And for that we should always be grateful.

Posted by: Ace at 06:26 AM | Comments (19)
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