Say Anything Blog

Virtual fence a virtual failure. As regulars hear well remember, I said this would happen. “The government will replace its highly touted “virtual fence” on the Arizona-Mexico border with new towers, radars, cameras and computer software, scrapping the brand-new $20 million system because it doesn’t work sufficiently, officials said.”

Not only $20 mil pissed away, the cost of replacing it,"DHS will put in about 17 new towers, some holding just communications gear, others featuring new cameras or new radars, at an undetermined cost.”, but redoing the entire mess and an “undetermined cost” to boot.

That $20 mil could have built one hell of a lot of fence, not to mention the massive amount of money that will now be pissed away “fixing” this complete failure.

So, gang, question of the day. Why are tax payers having to pay to straighten this boondoggle out? We didn’t screw it up. And yet we are paying for it. Twice. Hell, most likely 3,4, even 10 times over. Because they are still wasting money on building more “virtual fences”, on top of reworking this current failure.

Here is a hint, Uncle Sugar, to stop illegal immigration you have to have a REAL fence, with guards carrying REAL weapons. Not sitting at computer consoles, playing the DHS equivalent of pong and asteroids.

That is the drumbeat from Democrats and media. And yet, from the BBC,this short article.

“Iraq army ‘in control’ of Basra”

“The Iraqi Army commander in Basra says his forces are in “almost complete control” of the city.

The commander, General Mohan al Freiji, denied reports that he had given the leaders of Shia militias in the city 24 hours to give themselves up.”

The above will be ignored in the American press. This,"The US has sent 1,000 combat troops to Basra to help the Iraqi army and UK and US special forces are launching raids to detain key figures in the militias.” will be all they focus on.

Well, lets us smack it down now. Is the Iraqi military and police capable of running Spec Ops at this point in time? No. Is it unreasonable that American and British Spec Op forces are hoeing that row? No. It is, in fact, what Democrats have listed as a primary mission for Coalition Forces in the GWoT.

And this,"There are signs of the militias’ hold on the city weakening, says our correspondent.

There are reports of women dressing less conservatively, couples walking arm-in-arm and live music being played at weddings - all things that would have been impossible a few weeks ago, adds our correspondent.”, will also be ignored. As soon as Mookie and his criminals start retaliating against the citizens of Iraq, then the Democrats and media will crow about failure again.

Count on it.


UPDATE; from Xinhua.
From (more...)

Ran across this, earlier. A good one for the “bitter, clingy, religious gunnut crowd”! So, which do you like?

I was disappointed to hear of the decision to switch to 25mm on the XM29. The change is simply not needed. The 20mm round had been quite successful, in programed VT mode and direct impact. The change threw the whole system out of kilter. And as some here know, I’m a .30 man. 7.62 NATO or WARSAW. Like to reach out and touch things. What can I say.

And no. I never been a fan of the M16. Just too delicate and finicky.

Read this through twice. Only thing I can say is, if this was a covert DoD op to influence news reporting it failed. Miserably.

I watch very little broadcast or cable news, and from what I have seen, and has been frequently commented upon, the officers doing the analysis are of the “war on terror is lost”, “its just a law enforcement problem” variety.  The Colon Powell school of thought. Perhaps I am mistaken! It is possible that there has been this drum beat of possitivity and optimism in the MSM. Been wrong before.

Over the years I have read the accounts given by survivors of this event, it has long been a subject I wanted to find the answer to. Or to, at least, get a handle on.

I first heard about it as a child of 11, sitting in a room, keeping company with a dying old man. He told me of his years in The Orient, Macao, Shanghai, Saigon and Rangoon, prospecting along the coasts of Borneo and New Guinea, sitting in the Colonial Magistrates Cantonment in Hong Kong after a drunken brawl with a group of Diggers.

In his final days he grew frantic to recount the events of August to February, evacuation from Shanghai, the streams of refugees, the train packed to overflowing, the dead lying along the tracks and roads, killed by Japanese strafing, exhaustion, starvation.

Of helping people to the river landings outside of Nanjing to move west, away from the Japs and deeper into China. It was several years later that I understood that the friend Jack he spoke of was Jack Belden, and my respect and reverence for Gen Joe Stilwell began in that dark room during July and August 1973.

People have forgotten, or simply never knew. Stephen Hunter has an excellent review of this film, and if it is still at any theater near you be sure to see it. And think of all the atrocities people are ignoring today.

"Russia ships nuclear fuel to Iran”

This headline leaped right out at me this morning, immediately raising a slew of questions. If Russia is supplying fuel for Iran’s peaceful nuclear reactor/electric generation program, for what reason is Iran enriching uranium? That was the first. And exactly where has Iran obtained the uranium it is currently, feverishly working to enrich? That was #2.

Then this passage,"The latest report on Iran from the UN’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), concluded that Tehran was being more open about some aspects of its programme, but there remained unanswered questions and uranium enrichment had not been halted despite the UN’s demands.” brought to mind another. Did not a group of people tell the world that Iran had suspended this activity?

Exactly why, in reality, are the Mullahs of Iran pushing so hard to enrich uranium when all the fuel needed for their “peaceful” nuclear program is included in the package with the reactors and electric generation systems being built for them by Atomstroiexport? Does this not put the lie to their claims that their centrifuge complex is merely needed to produce fuel for reactors?

It would certainly appear so. Read the whole article , and ponder the implications therein.

h/t BBCNews.

A public apology is in order. I have, on quite a few occasions of late, been offensively profane. No excuse. Having anger problems does not excuse anything, just means I got to control my foul mouth, as puzz has so aptly pointed out in the past. Rob, my apologies to you, and to all the regulars. Also to the readers who do not comment. My language has been improper and offensive and entirely uncalled for.

Humilis Apology!

How many staunch supporters of the right of all peoples to freedom of speech/expression of a political nature know the name Abdel Karim Suleiman? Perhaps they know him as Karim Amer? Hard to say, since there is an effective silence over this individual’s case, and his treatment since being imprisoned in Burj al-Arab prison in Egypt.

Many of the members at MidEast Youth are involved in efforts to bring the world’s attention to this young man’s plight. They are not being assisted by the global media community. A group who should be at the forefront of this.

There is an organized effort online, in America, Europe and the Mideast, to get this issue brought to the fore. Such sites as this one, and Mideast Youth are spreading the word. Others, such as Committee to Protect Journalists ,Zimbio,Freedom for Egypt,andthe Sandmonkey are also working to bring the light of day to this.

So, why are CNN,FOX(a complete blank),Al Jazeera,AsiaTimes,MSNBC, et al, so bereft of even a reference to this?

Why the ringing silence from our political chattering class, on all sides, concerning the continued suppression of people’s right to speak their minds?

And this is not the only case. The self-proclaimed Defenders of All are stridently clamoring about America’s military and intel agencies interrogating and imprisoning terrorists, treating us all to a continual wailing&gnashing of teeth in defense of known murderers. And yet not a word, not one, about the violent suppression by our enemies AND allies of the voices calling for freedom to live their own lives.

Why the silence? Indeed.

This caught my eye early this AM.

This,"Official figures were expected to be announced at a press conference later on Wednesday.

“There was clear vote-rigging in several districts,” IAF spokesman Jamil Abu Baker told the French Press Agency.

“We did not expect all of our candidates to win, but thought that at least 16 or 18 of them would on the basis of our extensive polling.” is so Carvellesque as to be hilarious.

Did Pelosi and Kucinich make a stop in Jordan to palaver with their Fundamentalist Muslim paisanos? Or did they have one, big, mega-church style meeting with all of their terrorist supporting brethren?

For some time now many Muslims have been pulling away from such religion based political parties, and the mullahs and imams who have been wielding power lo these many years are quite unhappy about it. This could well be the beginnings of the Reformation of Islam, and long over due it is.

h/t BBC

update: Here are a couple of articles from around the region.
http://news.monstersandcritics.com/middleeast/news/article_1375442.php/Official_Jordan_poll_results_confirm_Islamists_defeat__Roundup_

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/21/AR2007112100708.html

http://www.stratfor.com/products/premium/read_article.php?selected=Situation%20Reports&sitrep=1&id=298643

Good reading, and y'all have a good Thanksgiving!

Gang, y’all got to check out the latest FroggyProduction over at thedissedentfrogman. And watch the firearms training for journalists piece, must see TV for all members of the MSM.

Perhaps someone should get Algore:The Goreacle a calender and teach him how to keep track of the number of years till all life on Earth dies. It might make him slightly believable if his timelines were consistent.

Typical of the press/media, they left out the first 20 minutes of Sanchez’s remarks. The ones that smacked them squarely in the face. Here it is in its entirety. Won’t be seeing the first half of this reported in many places.

Hinderaker does an excellent write up on this point. John? They gonna crap on you again for this, but you already know that.

UPDATE:
Here is the first half of his comments in a slightly easier to read format.

GOOD AFTERNOON LADIES AND GENTLEMEN

SOME OF YOU MAY NOT BELIEVE THIS BUT I AM GLAD TO BE HERE. WHEN SIG ASKED ME IF I WOULD CONSIDER ADDRESSING YOU THERE WAS NO DOUBT THAT I SHOULD COME INTO THE LION'S DEN. THIS WAS IMPORTANT BECAUSE I HAVE FIRMLY BELIEVED SINCE DESERT SHIELD THAT IT IS NECESSARY FOR THE STRENGTH OF OUR DEMOCRACY THAT THE MILITARY AND THE PRESS CORPS MAINTAIN A STRONG, MUTUALLY RESPECTFUL AND ENABLING RELATIONSHIP. THIS CONTINUES TO BE PROBLEMATIC FOR OUR COUNTRY, ESPECIALLY DURING TIMES OF WAR. ONE OF THE GREATEST MILITARY CORRESPONDENTS OF OUR TIME, JOE GALLOWAY, MADE ME A BELIEVER WHEN HE JOINED THE 24TH INFANTRY DIVISION DURING DESERT STORM.

TODAY, I WILL ATTEMPT TO DO TWO THINGS - FIRST I WILL GIVE YOU MY ASSESSMENT OF THE MILITARY AND PRESS RELATIONSHIP AND THEN I WILL PROVIDE YOU SOME THOUGHTS ON THE CURRENT STATE OF OUR WAR EFFORT. AS ALL OF YOU KNOW I HAVE A WIDE RANGE OF RELATIONSHIPS AND EXPERIENCES WITH OUR NATIONS MILITARY WRITERS AND EDITORS. THERE ARE SOME IN YOUR RANKS WHO I CONSIDER TO BE THE EPITOME OF JOURNALISTIC PROFESSIONALISM - JOE GALLOWAY, THOM SHANKER, SIG CHRISTENSEN, AND JOHN BURNS IMMEDIATELY COME TO MIND. THEY EXEMPLIFY WHAT AMERICA SHOULD DEMAND OF OUR JOURNALISTS - TOUGH REPORTING THAT RELIES UPON INTEGRITY, OBJECTIVITY AND FAIRNESS TO GIVE ACCURATE AND THOROUGH ACCOUNTS THAT STRENGTHEN OUR FREEDOM OF THE PRESS AND IN TURN OUR DEMOCRACY. ON THE OTHER HAND, UNFORTUNATELY, I HAVE ISSUED ULTIMATUMS TO SOME OF YOU FOR UNSCRUPULOUS REPORTING THAT WAS SOLELY FOCUSED ON SUPPORTING YOUR AGENDA AND PRECONCIEVED NOTIONS OF WHAT OUR MILITARY HAD DONE. I ALSO REFUSED TO TALK TO THE EUROPEAN STARS AND STRIPES FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS OF MY COMMAND IN GERMANY FOR THEIR EXTREME BIAS AND SINGLE MINDED FOCUS ON ABU GHARAIB.

LET ME REVIEW SOME OF THE DESCRIPTIVE PHRASES THAT HAVE BEEN USED BY SOME OF YOU THAT HAVE MADE MY PERSONAL INTERFACES WITH THE PRESS CORPS DIFFICULT:

"DICTATORIAL AND SOMEWHAT DENSE",

"NOT A STRATEGIC THOUGHT",

LIAR,

"DOES NOT GET IT" AND

THE MOST INEXPERIENCED LTG.

IN SOME CASES I HAVE NEVER EVEN MET YOU, YET YOU FEEL QUALIFIED TO MAKE CHARACTER JUDGMENTS THAT ARE COMMUNICATED TO THE WORLD. MY EXPERIENCE IS NOT UNIQUE AND WE CAN FIND OTHER EXAMPLES SUCH AS THE TREATMENT OF SECRETARY BROWN DURING KATRINA. THIS IS THE WORST DISPLAY OF JOURNALISM IMAGINABLE BY THOSE OF US THAT ARE BOUND BY A STRICT VALUE SYSTEM OF SELFLESS SERVICE, HONOR AND INTEGRITY. ALMOST INVARIABLY, MY PERCEPTION IS THAT THE SENSATIONALISTIC VALUE OF THESE ASSESSMENTS IS WHAT PROVIDED THE EDGE THAT YOU SEEK FOR SELF AGRANDIZEMENT OR TO ADVANCE YOUR INDIVIDUAL QUEST FOR GETTING ON THE FRONT PAGE WITH YOUR STORIES! AS I UNDERSTAND IT, YOUR MEASURE OF WORTH IS HOW MANY FRONT PAGE STORIES YOU HAVE WRITTEN AND UNFORTUNATELY SOME OF YOU WILL COMPROMISE YOUR INTEGRITY AND DISPLAY QUESTIONABLE ETHICS AS YOU SEEK TO KEEP AMERICA INFORMED. THIS IS MUCH LIKE THE INTELLIGENCE ANALYSTS WHOSE EFFECTIVENESS WAS MEASURED BY THE NUMBER OF INTELLIGENCE REPORTS HE PRODUCED. FOR SOME, IT SEEMS THAT AS LONG AS YOU GET A FRONT PAGE STORY THERE IS LITTLE OR NO REGARD FOR THE "COLLATERAL DAMAGE" YOU WILL CAUSE. PERSONAL REPUTATIONS HAVE NO VALUE AND YOU REPORT WITH TOTAL IMPUNITY AND ARE RARELY HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR UNETHICAL CONDUCT.

GIVEN THE NEAR INSTANTANEOUS ABILITY TO REPORT ACTIONS ON THE GROUND, THE RESPONSIBILITY TO ACCURATELY AND TRUTHFULLY REPORT TAKES ON AN UNPRECEDENTED IMPORTANCE. THE SPECULATIVE AND OFTEN UNINFORMED INITIAL REPORTING THAT CHARACTERIZES OUR MEDIA APPEARS TO BE RAPIDLY BECOMING THE STANDARD OF THE INDUSTRY. AN ARAB PROVERB STATES - "Four things come not back: the spoken word, the spent arrow, the past, the neglected opportunity." ONCE REPORTED, YOUR ASSESSMENTS BECOME CONVENTIONAL WISDOM AND NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO CHANGE. OTHER MAJOR CHALLENGES ARE YOUR WILLINGNESS TO BE MANIPULATED BY "HIGH LEVEL OFFICIALS" WHO LEAK STORIES AND BY LAWYERS WHO USE HYPERBOLE TO STRENGHTEN THEIR ARGUMENTS. YOUR UNWILLINGNESS TO ACCURATELY AND PROMINENTLY CORRECT YOUR MISTAKES AND YOUR AGENDA DRIVEN BIASES CONTRIBUTE TO THIS CORROSIVE ENVIRONMENT. ALL OF THESE CHALLENGES COMBINED CREATE A MEDIA ENVIRONMENT THAT DOES A TREMENDOUS DISSERVICE TO AMERICA. OVER THE COURSE OF THIS WAR TACTICALLY INSIGNIFICANT EVENTS HAVE BECOME STRATEGIC DEFEATS FOR AMERICA BECAUSE OF THE TREMENDOUS POWER AND IMPACT OF THE MEDIA AND BY EXTENSION YOU THE JOURNALIST. IN MANY CASES THE MEDIA HAS UNJUSTLY DESTROYED THE INDIVIDUAL REPUTATIONS AND CAREERS OF THOSE INVOLVED. WE REALIZE THAT BECAUSE OF THE NEAR REAL TIME REPORTING ENVIRONMENT THAT YOU FACE IT IS DIFFICULT TO REPORT ACCURATELY. IN MY BUSINESS ONE OF OUR FUNDAMENTAL TRUTHS IS THAT "THE FIRST REPORT IS ALWAYS WRONG." UNFORTUNATELY, IN YOUR BUSINESS "THE FIRST REPORT" GIVES AMERICANS WHO RELY ON THE SNIPPETS OF CNN, IF YOU WILL, THEIR "TRUTHS" AND PERSPECTIVES ON AN ISSUE. AS A COROLLARY TO THIS DEADLINE DRIVEN NEED TO PUBLISH "INITIAL IMPRESSIONS OR OBSERVATIONS" VERSUS OBJECTIVE FACTS THERE IS AN ADDITIONAL CHALLENGE FOR US WHO ARE THE SUBJECT OF YOUR REPORTING. WHEN YOU ASSUME THAT YOU ARE CORRECT AND ON THE MORAL HIGH GROUND ON A STORY BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT RESPOND TO QUESTIONS YOU PROVIDED IS THE ULTIMATE ARROGANCE AND DISTORTION OF ETHICS. ONE OF YOUR HIGHLY REPECTED FELLOW JOURNALISTS ONCE TOLD ME THAT THERE ARE SOME AMONGST YOU WHO "FEED FROM A PIG'S TROUGH." IF THAT IS WHO I AM DEALING WITH THEN I WILL NEVER RESPOND OTHERWISE WE WILL BOTH GET DIRTY AND THE PIG WILL LOVE IT. THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOUR STORY IS ACCURATE.

I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THIS IS WHAT OUR FOREFATHERS INTENDED. THE CODE OF ETHICS FOR THE SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS STATES:
...PUBLIC ENLIGHTENMENT IS THE FORERUNNER OF JUSTICE AND THE FOUNDATION OF DEMOCRACY. THE DUTY OF THE JOURNALIST IS TO FURTHER THOSE ENDS BY SEEKING TRUTH AND PROVIDING A FAIR AND COMPREHENSIVE ACCOUNT OF EVENTS AND ISSUES. CONSCIENTIOUS JOURNALISTS FROM ALL MEDIA AND SPECIALTIES STRIVE TO SERVE THE PUBLIC WITH THOROUGHNESS AND HONESTY. PROFESSIONAL INTEGRITY IS THE CORNERSTONE OF A JOURNALIST'S CREDIBILITY

THE BASIC ETHICS OF A JOURNALIST THAT CALLS FOR:

1. SEEKING TRUTH,

2. PROVIDING FAIR AND COMPREHENSIVE ACCOUNT OF EVENTS AND ISSUES

3. THOROUGHNESS AND HONESTY

ALL ARE VICTIMS OF THE MASSIVE AGENDA DRIVEN COMPETITION FOR ECONOMIC OR POLITICAL SUPREMACY. THE DEATH KNELL OF YOUR ETHICS HAS BEEN ENABLED BY YOUR PARENT ORGANIZATIONS WHO HAVE CHOSEN TO ALIGN THEMSELVES WITH POLITICAL AGENDAS. WHAT IS CLEAR TO ME IS THAT YOU ARE PERPETUATING THE CORROSIVE PARTISAN POLITICS THAT IS DESTROYING OUR COUNTRY AND KILLING OUR SERVICEMEMBERS WHO ARE AT WAR.

MY ASSESSMENT IS THAT YOUR PROFESSION, TO SOME EXTENT, HAS STRAYED FROM THESE ETHICAL STANDARDS AND ALLOWED EXTERNAL AGENDAS TO MANIPULATE WHAT THE AMERICAN PUBLIC SEES ON TV, WHAT THEY READ IN OUR NEWSPAPERS AND WHAT THEY SEE ON THE WEB. FOR SOME OF YOU, JUST LIKE SOME OF OUR POLITICIANS, THE TRUTH IS OF LITTLE TO NO VALUE IF IT DOES NOT FIT YOUR OWN PRECONCIEVED NOTIONS, BIASES AND AGENDAS.

IT IS ASTOUNDING TO ME WHEN I HEAR THE VEHEMENT DISAGREEMENT WITH THE MILITARY'S FORAYS INTO INFORMATION OPERATIONS THAT SEEK TO DISSEMINATE THE TRUTH AND INFORM THE IRAQI PEOPLE IN ORDER TO COUNTER OUR ENEMY'S BLATANT PROPAGANDA. AS I ASSESS VARIOUS MEDIA ENTITIES, SOME ARE UNQUESTIONABLY ENGAGED IN POLITICAL PROPAGANDA THAT IS UNCONTROLLED. THERE IS NO QUESTION IN MY MIND THAT THE STRENGTH OUR DEMOCRACY AND OUR FREEDOMS REMAIN LINKED TO YOUR ABILITY TO EXERCISE FREEDOM OF THE PRESS - I ADAMANTLY SUPPORT THIS BASIC FOUNDATION OF OUR DEMOCRACY AND COMPLETELY SUPPORTED THE EMBEDDING OF MEDIA INTO OUR FORMATIONS UP UNTIL MY LAST DAY IN UNIFORM. THE ISSUE IS ONE OF MAINTAINING PROFESSIONAL ETHICS AND STANDARDS FROM WITHIN YOUR INSTITUTION. MILITARY LEADERS MUST ACCEPT THAT THESE INJUSTICES WILL HAPPEN AND WHETHER THEY LIKE WHAT YOU PRINT OR NOT THEY MUST DEAL WITH YOU AND ENABLE YOU, IF YOU ARE AN ETHICAL JOURNALIST.

FINALLY, I WILL LEAVE THIS SUBJECT WITH A QUESTION THAT WE MUST ASK OURSELVES--WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING THE ETHICAL STANDARDS OF THE PROFESSION IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT OUR DEMOCRACY DOES NOT CONTINUE TO BE THREATENED BY THIS DANGEROUS SHIFT AWAY FROM YOUR SACRED DUTY OF PUBLIC ENLIGHTENMENT?

H/T and thanks to militaryreporters.org

I first heard this squid’s name in July ‘05.

Navy SEAL to receive Medal of Honor
Navy
Lt. Michael P. Murphy died in June 2005. He is the first SEAL to receive the honor since the Vietnam War.
Lt. Michael P. Murphy, the first to be awarded the highest military award for combat in Afghanistan, was killed during a 2005 mission.
By Tony Perry, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
October 12, 2007

Marcus Luttrel documents that day in “Lone Survivor”.

And yet Lt Murphy’s hometown TV station is screamingly silent on this. Just why is that? Perhaps someone from News12 Long Island would care to drop by and explain. I would go ask them, but you must pay a subscription fee for that privilege.

Hat tip to Scott at Powerline and Tony Perry at LATimes.

And to the family of Michael P. Murphy, your sacrifice is not in vain. Your son knew the cost that he could, and did pay. And we honor him.

Funny, I first saw this at EurekAlerts through my bloglines feed, and not anywhere else, so far.

You would think good news like this would be trumpeted from the roof tops.

Ozone hole is smaller. Guess that is about as good news as a substantial drop in deaths in Iraq. Both are getting the same non-coverage.

Saw this at Xinhua this AM, thought it would be a nice eye opener.

At least the leftards are finaly figuring out who the enemy is.

h/t Xinhua.

Gang, and random passers through, I would like to bring a newly printed novel to everyone’s attention.

House to House, the combat narrative of the battle of Fallujah as recounted by Staff Sergeant David Bellavia. For all you civs I highly recommend this as a primer for what soldiers do and how they cope.

For the vets, he pulls no punches. You got those memories shut away and are happy that way you may want to skip this one. He is neither clinical nor detached. Lays it right out there with no apologies or glossy prose, like a 3 days bloated corpse.

Here is the Amazon link, for all you online bookrats. I broke my rule about paying retail for books and got my copy at Borders Books.

Check this troop out.