I just finished reading the decision in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld (thank you, Michelle Malkin), along with Paul Mirengoff's review at Powerline. As “legalese” sometimes appears a bit murky, I felt a bit better that Paul seemed to take away many of the same the same things that I did (though I must admit I missed a few things on my first reading that only became apparent after reading his comments).

One thing I did find interesting in the opinion that I don't think anyone has mentioned was the importance the court placed on the joint resolution passed by Congress in the wake of Sept. 11, 2001, which authorized the President:

"to use all necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations, of persons he determines planned, authorized, committed or aided” the attacks and recognized the President's “authority under the Constitution to take action to deter and prevent acts of international terrorism against the United States."

The Court then goes on to state:

Â…the joint resolution "went as far toward a declaration of war as it might, and as far or further than Congress went in the Civil War, the Philippine Insurrection, the Boxer Rebellion, the Punitive Expedition against Pancho Villa, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the invasion of Panama, the Gulf War, and numerous other conflicts."

The Court mentioned the resolution is the context that Hamdan claimed that Bush violated the separation of powers, which the court rejected. But at the same time the Court rejected Hamdan's appeal, wasn't it also rejecting the "illegal war" myth of the far left?

By citing in their decision that the post 9/11 joint resolution "went as far toward a declaration of war as it might, and as far or further than" many other wars in our nations past, the Court validated the legal standing of the Global War on Terror. In so do, doesn't it therefore invalidate the myth perpetrated by the far left that President Bush was fighting an "illegal war?"

Seems like it to me, but I'm open to other interpretations.

Posted by: Confederate Yankee at 06:25 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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From the NY Times:

Karl Rove, the White House senior adviser, spoke with the columnist Robert D. Novak as he was preparing an article in July 2003 that identified a C.I.A. officer who was undercover, someone who has been officially briefed on the matter said.

Mr. Rove has told investigators that he learned from the columnist the name of the C.I.A. officer, who was referred to by her maiden name, Valerie Plame, and the circumstances in which her husband, former Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV, traveled to Africa to investigate possible uranium sales to Iraq, the person said.

After hearing Mr. Novak's account, the person who has been briefed on the matter said, Mr. Rove told the columnist: "I heard that, too."

Why bother with facts when you can run a story based on hearsay? According to this article, all Rove essentially said to Robert Novak was, "Oh, you know about it."

That is a leak?

I'm pretty sure Rove heard about the Kennedy Assassination as well. Does that make him a suspect?

Posted by: Confederate Yankee at 07:08 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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It's funny how every time that liberals get louder and more shrill over their outrage -of-the-day, the better this sells.

I wonder what that is?

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You would think think Eminem would be smart enough not to hire Stan as a bus driver with his track record, wouldn't you?

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...and the major news media doesn't deem to report it, does the importance of the conviction still matter?

Ali Al-Timimi was given a life sentence for treason-related charges yesterday, but you probably won't find that on the front page of your favorite news web site. We've just had a major terrorist attack on one of our allies.

We have growing concerns about terrorist sleeper cells that may be operating in this country. You might think that the conviction of a man calling for holy war against the United States from just outside our nation's capitol might merit some discussion. If you think that, you'd be wrong, judging by leading U.S. news web sites.

Here is a simple table showing a quick survey of major U.S. news Web sites and how they handled the story of Al-Timimi's conviction on their front pages:

Web News Source Home Page Coverage

Of course, I'm sure that there is a logical explanation for the major news media either not reporting or under-reporting one of the few (less than 40) treason-related cases in our nations history, especially in a time of war. My guess is that it might mess up Oliver Stone's narrative, but I could be wrong.

Posted by: Confederate Yankee at 11:41 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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As Britons are urged to give two minutes of silence at noon today to mark the one week anniversay of suicide bombings in London, one can only assume that the folks at the International Freedom Center will be hard at work planning an exhibit showcasing exactly why Londoners deserved to die for British Imperialism. *

Posted by: Confederate Yankee at 07:04 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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What Chimpy McHalliburton wingnut Freepers would write such a headline?

The New York Times.

Senator Durbin, how do you like your crow?

Posted by: Confederate Yankee at 11:09 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Not Educating Anyone.

Posted by: Confederate Yankee at 09:52 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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Ever since The Jawa Report went group blog and I got a day job that discourages 9-5 blogging, Rusty & Co. have occasionally written the articles I wanted to before I got a chance. The Jawas did it not once, but twice today.

The first discusses the shock of Leeds-area Muslims in discovering that the terrorists came from their midst. Presumably, they were expecting to find that the suicide bombers were Episcopals.

The second discusses the horrible, if somewhat predictable backlash against Muslims within Britain following last week's homicide bombing, focusing on the beating death of Kamal Raza Butt at the hands of English teens. There have also been at least two mosques firebombed and thousands of threats issued against British Muslims.

I feel sympathy for the vast majority of innocent Muslims, but by allowing radical Islam to flourish with little or no internal opposition, they've brought this hatred upon themselves. I'm sure that the vast majority of Germans alive in the 1940s were wonderful people, but we firebombed the civilians of Dresden just the same. If moderate Islam does not eradicate the terrorists within its midst, we will assuredly be forced to end Islam at large.

Update:

Dresden, 1945 or Riyadh, 2010?
Islamic moderates will ultimately decide.

Posted by: Confederate Yankee at 09:40 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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Looking at the media feeding frenzy, you'd have to think that George Bush was crazy to stand behind Karl Rove amid allegations in the affair dubbed "Plamegate."

Liberal bloggers and professional journalists alike are giddy with the thought that Karl Rove may be forced out the White House door. Via to the Hotline's Blogometer, we see that Armando at Daily Kos dug up a 2003 press conference in which Scott McClellan states:

"If someone in this administration leaked classified information, they will no longer be a part of this administration, because that's not the way this White House operates."

Armando then goes on to make the claim:

It can not be disputed now that Karl Rove did indeed "leak classified information."

But there is a problem Armando, because actually, it can be disputed. As a matter of fact, it might be rather easy to prove that Rove did not leak classified information. more...

Posted by: Confederate Yankee at 08:25 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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From WRAL:

Legislators may be asked to decide if the Quran and other religious texts can be used for courtroom oaths, said a spokesman for the agency that manages state courts, as the ACLU pressed for a response on the texts' use.

The legal foundation of the ACLU of North Carolina has called on the state Administrative Office of the Courts to adopt a policy allowing the Quran and other religious texts for oath-taking in North Carolina courtrooms.

The request came after Guilford County's two top judges decided that Muslims could not legally take an oath on the Quran.

"We think they are dragging their feet," said Jennifer Rudinger, the state ACLU's executive director.

In addition, a Washington-based Islamic civil rights organization and Greensboro-area religious leaders have called on the AOC to act. The ACLU wrote a formal letter to the state agency June 28 but has not received a response.

Would you really like a response, Ms. Rudinger? I can provide a one-word response as to why the courts and legislature should prevent using the Quran for courtroom oaths.

Taqiyya.

more...

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As police sources within the London terrorist bombing investigation indicated yesterday that the bombs were constructed with military grade explosives thought to come from the Balkans, U.S. and European leaders attended a ceremony marking the tenth anniversary of the execution of nearly 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica during the Bosnian War in 1995.

In July of 1995, Bosnian Serbs overwhelmed the unprepared Dutch peacekeepers and massacred every Muslim man or boy they found.

The British foreign secretary, Jack Straw, made the most direct statement, saying it was "a shame on the international community that this evil took place under our noses."

"I particularly regret this," Straw said. "And I am deeply sorry for it."

It could be that the London bombings using explosives traced to the region ten years to the month of the anniversary of the massacre was just a coincidence. It could just as well point to international collusion between various Islamic terrorist groups.

Time will tell, as the investigation continuesÂ…

UPDATE: According to the Guardian, experts are now saying the Balkan bomb thery is a dud:

A senior anti-terrorist official also denied claims that the explosives originated from the Balkans, and said it was far from clear that they were of military grade - claims made by French anti-terrorist officials earlier this week.

British anti-terrorist officials have consistently said that the explosives were of "high grade", but could be acquired on the commercial market in the UK if the bombers knew where to look.

Posted by: Confederate Yankee at 02:30 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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The London Times is reporting that the explosives used in the London terrorist attacks were possibly imported military-grade high explosives:

Similar components from the explosive devices have been found at all four murder sites, leading detectives to believe that each of the 10lb rucksack bombs was the work of one man. They also believe that the materials used were not home made but sophisticated military explosives, possibly smuggled into Britain from the Balkans.

“The nature of the explosives appears to be military, which is very worrying,” said Superintendent Christophe Chaboud, the chief of the French anti-terrorist police, who was in London to help Scotland Yard.

I'd be glad to be wrong on this, but it still doesn't explain how forty pounds of military explosives managed to cause so few casualties in such a densely-packed environment. It could have been far worse. It should have been far worse. London was very lucky.

Or perhaps, just perhaps, someone was looking out for London.

Posted by: Confederate Yankee at 10:44 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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At some point I'm sure most of you have seen this circulating in your email:

At a small terminal in the Texas Panhandle, three strangers are awaiting their shuttle flight. One is a Native American passing through from Oklahoma. Another, a local ranch hand on his way to Ft. Worth for a stock show. The third passenger is an Arab student, newly arrived at the Texas oil patch from the Middle East.

To pass the time they strike up a conversation on recent events, and the discussion drifts to their diverse cultures. Soon the Westerners learn that the Arab is a devout Muslim. The conversation falls into an uneasy lull.

The cowpoke leans back in his chair, crosses his boots on a magazine table, tips his big sweat-stained hat forward over his face. The wind outside blows tumbleweeds and the old windsock flaps, but no plane comes.

Finally, the Native American clears his throat and softly, he speaks: 'Once my people were many, Now we are few.'

The Muslim raises an eyebrow and leans forward, 'Once my people were few,' he sneers, 'and now we are many. Why do you suppose that is?'

Posted by: Confederate Yankee at 06:28 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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Breaking on Fox News is the arrest of three suspects under anti-terrorism laws at Heathrow Airport in London. Obviously, it is too early to officially say this is related to the bombings in London earlier this week, but I somewhat doubt they're targeting anyone else.

CNN has more.

Posted by: Confederate Yankee at 10:22 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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As Hurricane Dennis bears down on the Gulf Coast and various television news weather girls are getting pounded by high winds, it seems like the perfect time to republish this post.

Confederate Yankee's Guide to Dealing with Hurricane Season

Days Before the Storm Arrives

1. Move. Seriously, people in Idaho never have to deal with this crap.

2. Get milk and bread. Nobody seems to know exactly why, but I'm pretty sure it's the law.

3. Send Mama and the kids away to her folks for a few days.

4. Go to the beach and grab a seat in the dunes. Huge waves are cool to watch crashing on the beach, and if you're lucky, you can see some idiot from Quebec get swept out to sea. Screaming is funny in French.

5. Go home.

6. Throw all the crap you don't want any more in the yard. If the storm surge comes you can avoid a dumping fee, and if it doesn't, you can use all the debris to convince the guys from FEMA that it did and they'll cut you a big, fat check.

1. Get more beer. Lots of it. If you're living in hurricane country, you might as well make the best of it.

2. Get ice. That way your beer stays cold even if you lose power for a couple of days.

3. Get one of those huge 490-quart Igloo coolers that looks like chest freezer, but bigger. It'll keep your iced beer cold, and can be used as a raft. Put it in the bass boat tied to your back porch.

4. Board up the windows of your trailer. You already have all the boards numbered from last year, so it should be a snap. Put all the crap you really need (rifles, radio, lawn chairs, cans of vienna sausages, etc.) in a big waterproof bag and tie it tightly well off the ground in a nearby tree.

5. Invite your best buddy over. Remind him to bring his cooler.

6. Wait.

Landfall

1. Sit inside and drink beer. Watch that 90-pound girl reporter from the local television news crew get battered by the wind and sideways rain while doing a live report. Take bets on whether or not the cameraman will warn her about that dumpster bearing down behind her. Wonder why he hates her so much. Giggle until you loose power.

2. Put on your lawn ‘n leaf bag and step outside for a smoke. Wow, those 100 MPH lighters really do work.

3. Go out back, get in the boat, and tie a rope around your cooler. Mount up. When the storm surge comes, you can ride that bucking 490-quart beast like a bull.

4. Yee-haw!

5. Float serenely along, drinking more beer. At this point you should have enough beer in you to “contribute to the storm surge,” if you know what I mean.

6. Empty your bladder up-current from that still-screaming guy from Quebec.

7. Thow your empty cans at, err, to him. Empty beer cans are nature's unsung floatation devices. Don't let him get too close though—he smells like piss.

8. Enjoy the ride while it lasts. Likes the French, storm surge always retreats eventually, and you'll be back on land soon enough.

1. Climb off your cooler, hop out of the boat, and immediately start picking up full cans and bottles of beer left over from that convenience store down the street that washed away.

2. If he hasn't stopped screaming yet, an ice-cold beer should encourage “Frenchy” to settle down—especially if you catch him in the temple.

3. When he comes too, have him help pick up beers. If he refuses to work—which you should expect of socialists—simply hum a few bars of “Dueling Banjos.”

4. Deliverance needs no translation.

5. Have “Frenchy” drag your cooler back to your freshly scoured lot and then send him on his way.

6. Retrieve your rifle, radio, lawn chairs, and viennas from that waterproof bag you tied in a tree.

7. Pose for the CNN news crews that come by. They LOVE filming guys guarding nothing from lawn chairs. When Mama sees you on CNN, she and the kids will know you're “ah-ight.”

8. Have a can of viennas and a beer.

9. Wait for FEMA to come by.

10. Listen to the radio. According to the National Weather Service, you'll get to do it all again next week.

Posted by: Confederate Yankee at 09:21 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Tom Elia at The New Editor catches Durbin stepping in it again.

Hey, at least he didn't call Mayor Daley a Nazi.

Yet.

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I missed this roundup of progress from the Iraqi army earlier in the week, but Mustang 23 didn't.

Mustang 23 is one of our milbloggers "over there," so I tend to trust his judgement.

Posted by: Confederate Yankee at 08:53 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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1 I tend to trust my judgement as well.

Posted by: Mustang 23 at July 10, 2005 12:53 AM (WsyQC)

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Via MSNBC:

"...violent incidents in the Iraqi capital are declining since Iraq's U.S.-backed forces launched an operation against insurgents in the city six weeks ago.

The commander of U.S. forces in Baghdad, Maj. Gen. William G. Webster Jr., said car bombings had dropped from 14 to 21 a week in May to about seven or eight a week now. But he said it was “very difficult to know” whether the insurgency has been broken."

I'll offer the guess that the insurgency is far from broken, but it may well be possible that the Baghdad insurgents have reduced bombings for a number of reasons.

• They may be low logistically, either in detonators, munitions, or transport options. I view this option as unlikely, but possible.


• They may be low on bomb-builders. As arrests have increased it is possible that the insurgency in Baghdad is facing a manpower shortage. This is more likely than a shortage in munitions, but is still probably not the root cause of decreased bombings.


• The most disturbing option is that the insurgency has cut down on minor operations to focus on a major attack. While I doubt that this is the case, it is not inconceivable.


• The most hopeful option is that the native Iraqi insurgents have started to realize that the random murder of Iraqi citizens is not breaking their resolve, and instead, it is hardening them against the insurgency. If this is the reason for declining attacks, it could mean that at least the native insurgents may be considering other options, including a political solution.

I think it premature to declare Baghdad insurgency "broken," but these are certainly developments worth watching.

Posted by: Confederate Yankee at 08:41 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Via My Way News:

The bombs that destroyed three London Underground cars and a double-decker bus each weighed less than 10 pounds and could be carried in a backpack, police said Friday. Police said the bodies of 49 people had been recovered, but warned that the number of deaths would rise.

An explosives expert said they were likely crude homemade devices set off with a simple timer. Experts say Thursday's attacks had all the hallmarks of an al-Qaida strike, and authorities were gathering evidence on the ground and investigating a purported claim of responsibility.

Sir Ian Blair, commissioner of London's Metropolitan Police, said no arrests had been made but officials have "lots and lots" of leads.

Home Secretary Charles Clarke, the Cabinet minister responsible for law and order, said it was a "strong possibility" that al-Qaida or a sympathetic group had carried out the attack.

I've maintained since the first details of the London terrorists attacks started coming to light that these bombing appeared to be the work of amateur terrorists. The crude construction of the bombs was apparent yesterday. Failed detonations, the erratic timing of the detonations, the relatively low number of fatalities and a potential accidental detonation by one bomber are not indicative of professional terrorists.

London's bombers can hate with the best of radical Islamists, but fortunately, they lack technical expertise. They are not al Qaeda (I'll let other argue "al Qaeda" vs. "al Qaida"). They are inept. They are cowards. If it weren't for the fact that they still managed to kill with their bumbling attempts, they would even be clownish.

UPDATE: Cliff May at The Corner isn't very impressed with the wannabes, either.

Posted by: Confederate Yankee at 10:02 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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