Take a quiz

From James Taranto:

Here’s a fun little quiz. We’ll give you a series of quotes, and you see if you can figure out who said each. This time it’s not a trick question; the answer in each case is one of the people listed.1. “Governments are there to serve their own people. No people wants to side with or support any oppressors. But regrettably, the U.S. administration disregards even its own public opinion and remains in the forefront of supporting the trampling of the rights of the Palestinian people.”

a. Jimmy Carter
b. Pat Buchanan
c. John Mearsheimer
d. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

2. “Since the commencement of the U.S. military presence in Iraq, hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have been killed, maimed or displaced. Terrorism in Iraq has grown exponentially. . . . The U.S. Government used the pretext of the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, but later it became clear that that was just a lie and a deception. Although Saddam was overthrown and people are happy about his departure, the pain and suffering of the Iraqi people has persisted and has even been aggravated.”

a. Howard Dean
b. Markos “Kos” Moulitsas
c. Howard Zinn
d. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

3. “You have certainly heard the sad stories of the Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib prisons. The U.S. administration attempts to justify them through its proclaimed ‘war on terror.’ But everyone knows that such behavior, in fact, offends global public opinion, exacerbates resentment and thereby spreads terrorism, and tarnishes the U.S. image and its credibility among nations.”

a. Dick Durbin
b. Andrew Sullivan
c. Erwin Chemerinsky
d. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

4. “The legitimacy, power and influence of a government do not emanate from its arsenals of tanks, fighter aircrafts, missiles or nuclear weapons. . . . The global position of the United States is in all probability weakened because the administration has continued to resort to force, to conceal the truth, and to mislead the American people about its policies and practices.”

a. John Kerry
b. Glenn Greenwald
c. Michael Moore
d. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

5. “Undoubtedly, the American people are not satisfied with this behavior and they showed their discontent in the recent elections. I hope that in the wake of the midterm elections, the administration of President Bush will have heard and will heed the message of the American people.”

a. Harry Pelosi
b. Nancy Reid
c. Josh Marshall
d. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

6. “Now that Iraq has a Constitution and an independent Assembly and Government, would it not be more beneficial to bring the U.S. officers and soldiers home, and to spend the astronomical U.S. military expenditures in Iraq for the welfare and prosperity of the American people? As you know very well, many victims of Katrina continue to suffer, and countless Americans continue to live in poverty and homelessness.”

a. John Murtha
b. Ned Lamont
c. George McGovern
d. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Here are the answers: 1. d; 2. d; 3. d; 4. d; 5. d; 6. d.

How did you score?

Reaching out to Iran? Maybe not.

Much has been made of the Bush administration’s reaching out to Iran and Syria. The right perceives this as a risible example of negotiation-from-weakness. The left is just waiting to see what happens. The Baker Report is hogging most of the headlines with leaked status reports. A drawdown of troops over time but no established timetables? Really? Now THAT was a committee worth convening! If this is the case, the Baker Report has served its purpose as a meaningless diversion. But does anybody know what is really being said in these backdoor discussions with Tehran and Damascus?

A hint given by ABC news:

U.S. officials say they have found smoking-gun evidence of Iranian support for terrorists in Iraq: brand-new weapons fresh from Iranian factories. According to a senior defense official, coalition forces have recently seized Iranian-made weapons and munitions that bear manufacturing dates in 2006.

This suggests, say the sources, that the material is going directly from Iranian factories to Shia militias, rather than taking a roundabout path through the black market. “There is no way this could be done without (Iranian) government approval,” says a senior official.

That ABC would acknowlege that Iranian influence is at least partially responsible for the violence in Iraq is commendable. But don’t confuse their sudden grasp of the reality of the situation with any effort to represent the wider strategic view of the occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan by Western troops. The long view is that we went into Iraq — and Afghanistan — partly BECAUSE of Iran. That we’re now just starting to see fresh Iranian weapons popping up on the battleground is not news.

Like Afghanistan before it, we had plenty of justifiable reasons to project our power to Iraq. As the world—still to this day—is wringing their hands worrying about the “unwinnable” war in Iraq, the US has been able to realize the ultimate intent of our multitheater strategy–the confrontation of Iranian (and Russian) regional power that has taunted us for almost 30 years.

Despite an colossal barrage of news stating the exact opposite, we are uniquely positioned to counter fascist rhetoric originating from Tehran. A belligerent Iran is proof positive that our pressure is working, not floundering.

The popular–and much derided–notion of the US “reaching out” to our enemies may be an incorrect reading of what’s really happening. Instead, we may be setting the agenda for staged cooperation a la Robert Oakley to Somali warlords in 1993–(to paraphrase Mark Bowden) “America will help you steer events toward a peaceful resolution, but so help us, if you screw up your end, we’ll bring this place down. Nobody wants that to happen, do they?”

We’ll see.

Another take on the Spy

Strata-Sphere has a totally different take on what you’ve heard about Alexander Litvienenko, the deceased ex-Russian spy.

Beats working…

Cleveland cracks down on the “homeless“…

Knowing your sources

It’s not that MSM reporting of the Iraq conflict can be inaccurate, it’s that it can be remarkably inaccurate, with no evident self-correction mechanism.  Consider the case of this weekend’s searing headlines of increased violence, as reported by the wires.

Now consider that with only a modicum of intellectual curiosity–this time generously provided by a single blog–we learn that these headlines are nothing but rubbish and do nothing but inflame criticism and further hysteria. These headlines are the spam of the traditional media and are devoured whole by groupthink know-nothings.
Why, Media, do you demand accountabililty and consistency from government when you cannot indulge in such niceties yourselves?  At the very least–please stop scaring the grandmas!

Lost Angeles Times

Another stellar piece of reportage by the LAT categorically decimated by Patterico.

I’m sure it’s just a coincidence. . .

More on the Imam bust in Minneapolis (the same airport with the stubborn, religious taxi drivers)

. . . there’s the case of Muhammed al-Qudhaieen and Hamdan al-Shalawi, two Arizona college students removed from an America West flight after twice trying to open the cockpit. The FBI suspected it was a dry run for the 9/11 hijackings, according to the 9/11 Commission Report. One of the students had traveled to Afghanistan. Another became a material witness in the 9/11 investigation.Even so, the pair filed racial-profiling suits against America West, now part of US Airways. Defending them was none other than the leader of the six imams kicked off the US Airways flight this week.

Turns out the students attended the Tucson, Ariz., mosque of Sheikh Omar Shahin, a Jordan native. Shahin has been the protesters’ public face, even returning to the US Airways ticket counter at the Minneapolis airport to scold agents before the cameras.

In an Arizona Republic interview after 9/11, he acknowledged once supporting Osama bin Laden through his mosque in Tucson. FBI investigators believe bin Laden set up a base in Tucson.

Hani Hanjour, who piloted the plane that hit the Pentagon, attended the Tucson mosque along with bin Laden’s onetime personal secretary, according to the 9/11 Commission Report. Bin Laden’s ex-logistics chief was president of the mosque before Shahin took over.

“These people don’t continue to come back to Arizona because they like the sunshine or they like the state,” said FBI agent Kenneth Williams. “Something was established there, and it’s been there for a long time.” And Shahin appears to be in the middle of it.

It would be really nice to get some updates on this in the next few weeks.

From Russia with love

Thanksgiving wishes from Putin, according to this former spy.
Whatever the real story, this guy took it like a man.

Brangelina in surprise Vietnam visit - CNN.com

Brangelina seen riding a motorcycle in Vietnam! Folks, this is big.

A way out for Nancy

House Intelligence Chair could be Harman, Hastings, Silvestre, or Holt, or. . . Bishop.

From Kausfile, a seemingly no-lose solution for the sticky situation Nancy Pelosi has gotten herself into:

Amy Holmes, appearing on Hannity and Colmes, came up with a more ingenious solution: Pelosi could reach out and give the job to Rep. Sanford Bishop. Why Bishop? Because CBC’s original beef with Harman, according to the LAT, is that when Harman returned to Congress in 2001, after a failed run for governor, she was awarded all the seniority she’d acquired from an earlier stint in the House. As a result, she vaulted over Hastings and bumped another black Congressman off the intelligence committee. The name of the bumped black Congressman: Sanford Bishop. Pelosi would be correcting an old injustice. Bonus factor: Bishop’s a Blue Dog!

My guess is a lot of feelings would still be hurt but that’s a risk the big dog has to take. Right, Nancy?

James Baker, the President would like to speak with you

Pajamas Media has a roundup of news on the latest (allegedly) Syrian assassination.  Of all of the boneheaded things to do at a time like this. . .

Show of weakness

A heavy demographic midsection, a lack of thought leadership, and an questionable economy keep Iranian leaders up a night. This is without considering that thousands of Western troops are garrisoned in close proximity. As I have written before, erratic Iranian diplomacy is the result not of some perceived weakness of the West, but of desperation within the Revolutionary leadership.

To Newsweek and Time, the only revolution that sputters is the Reagan Revolution.

This a pattern?

Federal investigators questioning six Middle Eastern men removed from flight at Minneapolis-St. Paul airport.

Rangel’s draft

Rep. Rangel will seek to reinstate the draft within this House session.  Why not, Charlie?

Streets claimed, change uncertain

Tim Blair’s interesting photoblog on globalization.

Time Magazine Gets Caught Lying

Hezbollah can count on a little help from its friends.  Remember, also, how a Hezbollah cruise missile “struck and damaged” an Israeli warship?

Man busted at Detroit airport with cash, nuke plans, dope, guns and hookers

Just joking about the last three, but his cash did reek of some narcotic (per the dogs).  But what a way to trip the wires!

A man was arrested at Detroit Metropolitan Airport after officials say they found him carrying more than $78,000 in cash and a laptop computer containing information about nuclear materials and cyanide.

Sisayehiticha Dinssa, an unemployed U.S. citizen, was arrested Tuesday after a dog caught the scent of narcotics on cash he was carrying, according to an affidavit filed in court.

When agents asked him if he had any cash to declare, he said he had $18,000, authorities said. But when agents checked his luggage, they found an additional $59,000. When they scrolled through his laptop, they said they found the mysterious files.
At a court hearing Wednesday, Dinssa was ordered held in custody until at least until Monday at the request of prosecutors.

Dinssa, who is from Dallas, arrived in Detroit from Nigeria by way of Amsterdam and was headed for Phoenix, Feller said. He is charged with concealing more than $10,000 in his luggage, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, the Detroit Free Press reported.

He also told police that when he arrived in Phoenix (his stated destination), he planned to do a little partying, a little wrestling, and shoot dogs from his hotel window.  (Couldn’t resist–I’m gripped by Borat fever)
Do you think we should have been able to make warrantless intercepts of any phone calls he was making to the US to arrange his trip?

Detainees have no rights? What a headline!

Why tell the whole story when you can just blast out a misleading headline?

(AP)WASHINGTON - The Bush administration said Monday that Guantanamo Bay prisoners have no right to challenge their detentions in civilian courts and that lawsuits by hundreds of detainees should be dismissed.

The detainees are challenging the military’s authority to arrest people overseas and detain them indefinitely without allowing them to use the U.S. courts to contest their detention.

Human rights groups and attorneys say that’s unconstitutional. Prisoners normally have the right to challenge their imprisonment.

In court documents filed Monday with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, the Justice Department said the detainees have no constitutional rights.

President Bush gave the military broad authority when he signed a law setting up special commissions to hold trials for foreigners designated as “enemy combatants.” Bush hailed the law as a crucial tool in the war on terrorism and said it would allow prosecution of several high-level terror suspects.

So what’s wrong with the headline?  Nothing big, really, just that it’s completely false! In addition to the normal legal protections offered to defendents in military commissions, there are mandatory Article 5 hearings, Federal court oversight of individual cases, and yearly Administrative Review Board meetings.  Congress and President Bush tag teamed this legislation in response to the Supreme Court’s strong Hamdan statement several months ago, conceivably to enact law that would hold up to constitutional scrutiny.  Although this new legislation will almost certainly be challenged in court (which is healthy), there is no reason for a major news organization to lie about it.

Court-shopping gone bust

Germany Won’t Prosecute Rumsfeld

Germany’s federal prosecutor will not pursue a criminal complaint accusing US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld of war crimes in Iraq.

Do you think there was any blowback on this one?

Update:  Suit filed anyway. The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.

Election recap

Some ‘intelligent’ musings from people nobody asked:

AQ Leader in Iraq.

Iranian biggie welcomes American election outcome.
They neglected to make any complaints about electioneering (Where are they. . . .?)

Iraq *is* Vietnam, if only imagined

George McGovern will meet with over 60 members of Congress on the Iraq War. The legacy media will have a field day.
Republicans travel travel back 15 years to enlist James Baker III as a second set of eyeballs.  Democrats tunnel back even further.

Larry King: More Senile With Every Day

What is CNN thinking?

Another bad day for K-Fed

Depending on how you look at it.

Shut down by the man

Greensboro, North Carolina: News: 17 cars seized for Interstate racing

Police arrested 11 people and seized 17 cars after a four-month sting operation targeting illegal racing on Interstate 485.Police made the arrests Sunday after receiving complaints that more than 100 people gathered on Saturday nights to watch races with cars that hit speeds of up to 165 mph.

Getting tired of gettin’ hassled by the man?

Anti-Hugo

Big crowds down south marching against Chavez.  If Manuel Rosales actually beats Chavez in the election next month (not likely, yet) will Jimmy Carter rush down to valdiate the results?

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