"I'm on it Spongebob".  "Hey Squidward isn't wearing any pants".

This is just fucking great!!!!    I sure hope this report is fabricated.

British military limits patrols in Basra amid violence.   

"People in Basra blame the British forces for this situation. They want them to deploy outside their barracks, because this would get rid of the Mahdi militia," said student Wa'il, 24.
    " Of course, people will be killed, but we will accept casualties if the British deploy. We need your help now to prevent these bad things."

…………

With special forces operating in the city, the British army has gathered enough intelligence on the key leaders of the estimated 400 insurgents to "take them out if we want to," according to military sources who said any decision to retake Basra by force must come from the politicians in London.

Then freaken do it.  What are you waiting for?

    " I can understand what the Iraqis are saying, but confronting violence with violence is not going to work," said Maj. Ian Clooney, a British military spokesman in Basra.

This is unbelievable.  Do you know what you do for a living Maj.  This is the kind of shit that keeps the violence going. 

Thanks to Jennifer for spotting this. 

Bombing in Kabul.  A car bomb went off out side the office of Dyncorp, an American Security Company.  At least two Americans appear to have been killed.  I have a number of friends in Afghanistan and Iraq right now with contractors.  Now I just wait and see who it was.  Most that I know aren't with Dyncorp but you never know. 

It looks like Al-Sadr has slipped free again.  He was able to mount a three
week blood bath (for his men) and then just walk away.  "Sorry guy's time
out".  This will come back to bite us in the ass again just watch.  This is
not the way to beat insurgents or win a war.  I still wonder if we have the
resolve to win anymore.  I guess we've turned into a country of whiners that
are more concerned tearing up parks for the hell of it then fighting a war.

I'm a bit disgusted with this diplomatic Bullshit.  Terror leaders
everywhere need to be killed.  That doesn't mean killing their political
ambitions. It means a bullet through their heads.  Does anybody truly
believe the Al-Sadr will just go away?  Will he stop preaching hate to his
flock?  Hell no he won't.  He'll continue to agitate and incite violence
until he is buried.  Good men and women will continue to die while he runs
free.

Gary I'm home....Hey where's Patrick?  Your my new Intel guy.

Yeah I had a few minutes on my hands....LOL

Former senator Max Cleland decides that he’ll hop in his car drive to Crawford Texas. He’s there to deliver a letter from some liberal politicians who happen to be veterans, trying to get President Bush to denounce the Swift Boat Vets to, well, quit it.  Confronted buy Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson a Vietnam Vet himself with a letter signed by other Veterans and Medal of Honor recipients, Cleland would not exchange the mail. Humm, I guess that’s not fair also.   

You see some in Washington and the media are getting a little scared.  Why if the population believe these guys Kerry’s a goner.  Well they can’t have that.  I mean, Kerry’s their boy. 

Did Cleland really think he’d get in and deliver the letter?  It’s not like he’s a non-partisan Vet.  Hell he’s been on the wrong side for many years.  But I also wonder did he think this little stunt would actually help the Kerry campaign? 

Desperation is kicking in folks. The Democratic Party just couldn’t pick a reasonable candidate.  Nope, they had to go for a flake and a fabricator.  They couldn’t look at Lieberman, one of the few Democrats I like.  When a political party puts forward the likes of Kerry and Dean as their stars, they are in trouble. 

But then the American people aren’t paying attention most of the time so who knows…..

Well I shot so much this weekend that my trigger finger and thumb is soar.  The thumb mainly from reloading lots of 9mm.  The 5.56 come with speed loaders so that's not so bad. 

We shot lots of ammo, did lots of drill. Everyone shot well.

We have been pretty lucky lately with ammo.  But next year looks bad at the moment.  Still trying to get some SOF funds to pay for more.

Anyway, I haven't had time to check out the news so I'll wait to comment on anything important for a day or two.

Another weekend of shooting.  If all goes well this should be a good time.  We have lots of ammo and a solid day and a half of various drills scheduled. So I 'll be out of the net for the next couple of days. 

Hopefully we'll be closer to a resolution with Al-Sadr by the time I see the news again.

Oh yeah, and isn't John Kerry turning into a whining little kid, filling a suit with the FCC over the swift boat vets.  This is funny as hell.  All the while organizations like Moveon.org continue to spew garbage about President Bush who doesn't seem to be running to the nearest government agency to stop them.  So who is really for free speech?  How about this John, answer the allegations and quit trying to lead us away from the issues addressed by these guys.

Here is an interesting situation.  CNN appears to have a reporter inside the Imam Ali Mosque.  Now if the Mosque is stormed I wonder if this reporter feels safe.  While he might be somewhat safe if the Mosque was stormed by US forces, but at this moment that seems unlikely and the raid would probably be conducted by Iraq forces.  Now I doubt the Iraqi forces are going to be as discriminating in their fires as US forces would be. 

CNN's Kianne Sadeq, who is inside the compound with other journalists at the invitation of al-Sadr's militia, reported persistent sounds of mortars and gunfire and many explosions and devastation to the streets, homes and businesses around the mosque compound.

Well I guess there is a price to pay for working with terrorist. 

Some in the Iranian Government seem to think threats to the US that they will attack US troops in Iraq if we attack their nuke facilities is smart.

"The moment the great Satan (America) decides to take military action against us, that moment will be the end of all our nuclear obligations," Shamkhani said, referring to Iran's cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog.

No dumbass, the moment the great Satan takes military action against you is the end of the Iranian government as you know it.

Iraq demands Sadr unconditional surrender or prepare for imminent military action.

 "The military action has become imminent," Dawoud told reporters. "If these conditions are not met, then the military solution will prevail."

After hearing Dawoud's threat, Sheik Abdul Hadi al-Daraji, a spokesman for al-Sadr in Baghdad, called for talks to quickly "stop the bloodbaths in the holy city of Najaf."

Stop the blood bath.  LOL yeah he’s losing hundreds of fighters.  I not really a body count person but the Mahdi Army is being decimated.   The kill ratio is staggering. The military doesn’t want to give hard numbers but by all accounts these guys are dying in droves.

Humm well this is a good sign.  I will be watching this pretty closely.  

UPDATE:  Well Sadr  seems to have reneged on his pledge to disband.  Not a surprise!  Smoke over Najaf as I write.

Well once again Muqtada Al-Sadr has agreed to disarm his band of jolly men and become part of the political process.  Some would say this is an Iraqi / US Victory.  Wrong!  This is nothing more than a get out of jail free card.  Every time Al-Sadr is cornered he just calls a time out and slips away to regroup.  Has he learned his lesson?  Of course not!  He will slink away and turn up again with more merry men to kill more innocent people.

Now this event may change as the day goes on since Al-Sadr can't make his mind up lately.

I continue to ask the question, why is this man still alive?  We have the ability and the opportunity yet we appear to be letting this moment slip away again. 

It’s hit the Drudge report but has been obvious to anyone watching the Olympics.  No one is there.  I mean the stands are empty.  Why?  The ticket prices seem pretty reasonable.  So is it the threat of terrorism?  Maybe but if that’s so I think it’s a misplaced concern.  Is it simply a lack of interest in an event that has become mired in controversy?  Perhaps it’s the addition of professional players that has finally been recognized for what it was, a mistake. 

Greece although a bit hot this time of the year is an interesting place to visit and has some great food.

I don’t know why it’s not a full house this year but it’s a shame.  The athletes that train so hard from all countries deserver better.

The Belmont Club has an excellent piece on the possible future and consequences&nbs p;of the Iraqi war.

I just hope he is right.

:twisted:

Why have we stopped the fighting?  Is there some political machine that turns off the power to the military every time they are about to win a battle?  Our troops are doing an unbelievably good job and every time they are about to put an end to this shit bag Al-Sadr we pull up short. 

 A top al-Sadr aide, Sheik Ali Smeisim, said the cleric wanted a U.S. withdrawal from Najaf and the freeing of all Mahdi Army fighters in detention in exchange, among other demands, for him disarming his followers and ending the fighting. (foxnews)

How about this, an unconditional surrender where all top leaders are jailed then hung.  All volunteer Mahdi fighters are jailed then hung.  All religious shrines once occupied by Mahdi fighters are destroyed as enemy headquarters.

We are told that the destruction of a shine will inflame the Arab street.  Well first off who gives a shit and second I'm not sure that's what would happen anyway.  They are not all idiots.  Those that would be inflamed already feel that way and I suspect a whole lot of Iraqis are getting a little tired of these asses tearing up their cities in a fight they won't militarily win. 

Lance may lose his Tour De France title.

 CS-joeuser.com

Men in Black

This isn't quite like the major media story. Our guys are doing one hell of a job folks. 

I wrote a few post back that “I’d hate to debate (Michelle Malkin) on anything”.  Well here is why.

Michelle’s response to Eric Mueller on his review and analysis of her new book “In Defense of Internment”  

I have not read Michelle’s book but I would never be too quick to dispute her facts.  It’s not that she or anyone can’t make mistakes it’s just that in the time I’ve been reading her columns and listening to her speak I have always heard positions based on lots of well researched facts.  Now one may come to different conclusions but that’s a whole lot different from challenging her ethics. 

Either way it’s a pretty in-depth response. 

Swiftboat Vets Ad

What more can be said.  Hey if John Kerry wants to bring up events thirty years ago, well ok.  I don't think the War Hero route was the way to go.