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Cox & Forkum: Half-baked
Cox & Forkum: Half-baked
The Washington Times: Holiday pies won’t fly this year by Audrey Hudson.
Airline travelers carrying aboard potential explosives — holiday desserts containing more than 3 ounces of liquid — are being encouraged by Homeland Security officials to find other means of transportation for the goodies.”These items are permitted but may require further inspection. Keep in mind that many holiday foods like cake and pie have characteristics similar to liquids, gels and aerosols,” listed one travel tip released yesterday by the Transportation Security Administration.
“If you are not sure if an item is a liquid, gel or aerosol it is best to pack the item in your checked bag or ship it to your destination in advance,” says the travel guide.
Amy Kudwa, a spokeswoman for the TSA, will discuss the holiday travel checklist with reporters at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport today and demonstrate common holiday travel mistakes.
One air marshal said screening holiday pies is a “half-baked idea.”
“That’s outrageous; people would have gooey pumpkin pie leaking all over their luggage,” said one airport security official.
And what about the Fruit Cake???
Technorati Tags: Cox&Forkum, HomelandSecurity
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Global War on Terror Watch: British Aide in Afghanistan Accused of Spying for Iran
British soldiers in Afghanistan. A military aide to the British commander of NATO troops in Afghanistan has been accused of passing secrets to Iran, press reports said.
AFP: British aide in Afghanistan accused of spying for Iran
A close aide to the British commander of NATO troops in Afghanistan has been accused of passing secrets about activities there to Iran, press reports said.
Thursday’s reports come as British-led forces struggle against fiercer than expected Taliban insurgents in the south of the country, invaded by US-led forces following the September 11, 2001 terror attacks.
Corporal Daniel James, an interpreter to Lieutenant General David Richards, the head of NATO’s more than 30,000-strong force in Afghanistan, has been charged under the Official Secrets Act with “prejudicing the safety of the state.”
Specifically he is accused of passing information “calculated to be directly or indirectly useful to the enemy” by communicating with a “foreign power”, believed to be Iran, said The Daily Telegraph and other newspapers.
James, 44, appeared at London’s City of Westminster magistrates’ court Wednesday but details of the case were not revealed as the judge ordered reporters out of court because of a “possible prejudice to national security”.
Just a reminder that the Global War on Terror is as broad and SERIOUS as the Cold War with the Soviet Union.
How many more Iranian spies will be discovered?
And people wondered and worried about interrogation tactics at Guantanamo?
Please…….
Lieutenant General David Richards, the British commander of NATO in Afghanistan , gestures as he addresses a press conference in Kabul, October 2006. A close aide to Richards has been accused of passing secrets about activities there to Iran.
The Telegraph reported that James, who lived in the southern English resort town of Brighton, was of Iranian descent and spoke fluent Pashtun, the main language in Afghanistan.
The specific charge against him alleges that on November 2, for a purpose prejudicial to the safety of the state, he “communicated to another person information calculated to be directly or indirectly useful to the enemy”.
James, who appeared in court dressed smartly in a quilted jacket and spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth, was remanded in custody until December 27. There was no application for bail.
The Times: British soldier ‘gave Army secrets to Iran’
Corporal James’s appearance before Senior District Judge Timothy Workman was surrounded by secrecy. The case was not on the court list and police refused to give the defendant’s name before the hearings.
One hearing was held in camera to hear argument about why large parts of the case should also be heard in secret. The judge decided that national security was involved, and only a few minutes of a session lasting nearly two hours were open to press and public.
Corporal James said nothing during the hearing other than “Yes, sirâ€, when confirming his name and date of birth and that he understood he would be remanded. After the closed hearing, the judge said: “I have been given certain information which leads me to the conclusion that it will be necessary to hear certain facts in camera as there is a possible prejudice to national security.†The prosecution, he said, was asking for a remand to obtain the Attorney-General’s consent for prosecution.
Corporal James stood at ease as the judge told him he would be remanded in custody until December 27. Four Special Branch officers were in court and the defendant sat in the dock with two guards. Martyn Fischer, Corporal James’s lawyer, would not comment.
Stay tuned…….
Technorati Tags: DavidRichards, DanielJames, Afghanistan, Iran
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Saudi Arabia Watch: Prince Turki al-Faisal (Saudi Arabia Ambassador) Abruptly Resigns and Leaves the United States Redux
Prince Turki al-Faisal, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the U.S., told his staff he wanted more family time.
Flap wrote on this subject last week and I am happy to reprise the post with some additional comments and a possible rationale for Prince Turki’s flight out of the United States.
Washington Post: Saudi Ambassador Abruptly Resigns, Leaves Washington
Prince Turki al-Faisal, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States, flew out of Washington yesterday after informing Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and his staff that he would be leaving the post after only 15 months on the job, according to U.S. officials and foreign envoys. There has been no formal announcement from the kingdom.
The abrupt departure is particularly striking because his predecessor, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, spent 22 years on the job. The Saudi ambassador is one of the most influential diplomatic positions in Washington and is arguably the most important overseas post for the oil-rich desert kingdom.
So, what is up with this?
Internal political manuvering, an impending death in the royal family or a change in direction?
Hugh Hewitt: “Prince Turki Flies”
When Turki was appointed to be Ambassador to the United States, in July 2005 I noted that his movements seem to closely track major terror strikes.
– In July 1998, as head of Saudi intelligence, Turki reportedly traveled to Afghanistan and met with Taliban leaders (and possibly bin Laden) in Kandahar and arranges to send them 400 new pickup trucks. On August 7, 1998 al-Qaeda struck the U.S. Embassies in Nairobi and Dar-el-Salaam. Between the two bombings over 250 are killed and 5000 injured.
– In August 2001, two weeks before 9/11, Turki abruptly stepped down as head of Saudi intelligence (a position he had held since 1977) and shortly thereafter became the Saudi Ambassador to the U.K.
– In July 2005 he left his position in London to become the Saudi Ambassador in Washington – only two weeks after the London Tube bombings.
An interesting set of coincidences, no?
Hugh, Flap hopes you are WRONG.
Stay tuned……
Technorati Tags: SaudiArabia, PrinceTurkial-Faisal
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Global War on Terror Watch: Army & Marine Corps To Ask for More Troops
Washington Post (Via Hugh Hewitt): Army, Marine Corps To Ask for More Troops
The Army and Marine Corps are planning to ask incoming Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Congress to approve permanent increases in personnel, as senior officials in both services assert that the nation’s global military strategy has outstripped their resources.
In addition, the Army will press hard for “full access” to the 346,000-strong Army National Guard and the 196,000-strong Army Reserves by asking Gates to take the politically sensitive step of easing the Pentagon restrictions on the frequency and duration of involuntary call-ups for reservists, according to two senior Army officials.
The push for more ground troops comes as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have sharply decreased the readiness of Army and Marine Corps units rotating back to the United States, compromising the ability of U.S. ground forces to respond to other potential conflicts around the world.
So, enlarge the Army, the Marine Corps and National Guard. What is so difficult to understand?
It is a dangerous world and the United States is fighting a war on terror.
Will the new Democrat Congress vote for the increases?
You betcha but watch the Earmarks and Pork attached to the bill. And the bellowing from Charlie Rangel to re-institute the draft.
Technorati Tags: GlobalWaronTerror, Army, MarineCorps, NationalGuard
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Robert Gates Watch: Gates Confirmed as Secretary of Defense
Defense Secretary-designate Robert Gates, President Bush’s choice to replace Donald Rumsfeld, testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2006 at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
AP: Gates confirmed as secretary of defense
The Senate voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to confirm Robert Gates as defense secretary, with Democrats and Republicans portraying him as the man who will help overhaul President Bush’s Iraq policies.
The 95-2 vote was a victory for Bush, who named Gates to replace Donald H. Rumsfeld at the
Pentagon on Nov. 8, a day after voters gave Democrats control of Congress for next year.Even so, much of Gates’ support stemmed from his pledges to consider new options in Iraq. The vote coincided with the release of an independent study lambasting Bush’s approach to the war, increasing pressure on the White House to change course.
“I am confident that his leadership and capabilities will help our country meet its current military challenges and prepare for emerging threats of the 21st century,” Bush said in a statement after the Senate vote.
He said Gates had shown during his confirmation hearing this week before the
Senate Armed Services Committee that he is “an experienced, qualified, and thoughtful man who is well respected by members of both parties and is committed to winning the war on terror.”But, look who voted against Gate’s confirmation.
Two Bush allies, Sens. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., and Jim Bunning, R-Ky., voted against Gates, citing his criticism of the war and his view that the U.S. should engage Iran as part of a solution.
“Mr. Gates has repeatedly criticized our efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan without providing any viable solutions to the problems our troops currently face,” Bunning said. “We need a secretary of defense to think forward with solutions and not backward on history we cannot change.”
Santorum, who lost his re-election bid last month, said the U.S. needs to confront Iran rather than “engaging someone who is at war with us. I think he is in error.”
Hugh Hewitt has Gates and Byrd on Iran and Syria
The most important exchanges from the Gates confirmation hearings today came when Senator Robert Byrd questioned the Secretary-designate on Iran and Syria. Not only did Mr. Gates answer Senator Byrd’s hypotheticals in ways that had to encourage the mullahs of Iran and the thugs of Syria, he did so in addition to questioning the president’s authority under the AUMF to pursue any terrorists operating out of Iranian or Syria:…..
Read it all…….
The real news came from his answers on Iran, which raise serious questions about the direction of US policy.
When asked by a senator whether he thought Iranian President Ahmadinejad was “kidding” when he denied the Holocaust and called for “wiping Israel off the map,” Gates responded: “No, I don’t think he’s kidding. But I think that there are, in fact, higher powers in Iran than he, than the president. And … while they are certainly pressing, in my opinion, for a nuclear capability, I think that they would see it in the first instance as a deterrent.
“They are surrounded by powers with nuclear weapons – Pakistan to their east, the Russians to the north, the Israelis to the west, and us in the Persian Gulf.”
The senator followed up, “Can you assure the Israelis that they will not attack Israel with a nuclear weapon, if they acquire one?”
Gates responded coldly, “No, sir, I don’t think that anybody can provide that assurance.”
Read it all….
Flap would not have nominated nor voted to confirm Dr. Gates.
Is President Bush going backwards? Or is he attempting to accomodate the newly empowered Democrats?
Bush’s conduct after the November election is like a deer in the roadway startled by car headlights.
The Mullahs and Jihadists must be laughing their asses off and LICKING THEIR CHOPS to pick at the GREAT SATAN and Bush.
Technorati Tags: RobertGates, HughHewitt, RickSantorum, JimBunning
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Global War on Terror Watch: Democrats Renege on Promise to Implement All 9/11 Commission Recommendations
Democratic nominee for Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Ca) (L) and Democratic House Majority Leader nominee Steny Hoyer (D-Md) (C) raise their arms while Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa) (R) applauds following the House Democratic Caucus Leadership elections on Capitol Hill November 16, 2006.Washington Post: Democrats Reject Key 9/11 Panel Suggestion
It was a solemn pledge, repeated by Democratic leaders and candidates over and over: If elected to the majority in Congress, Democrats would implement all of the recommendations of the bipartisan commission that examined the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
But with control of Congress now secured, Democratic leaders have decided for now against implementing the one measure that would affect them most directly: a wholesale reorganization of Congress to improve oversight and funding of the nation’s intelligence agencies. Instead, Democratic leaders may create a panel to look at the issue and produce recommendations, according to congressional aides and lawmakers.
Well, it didn’t take the Democrats long.
First, Pelosi had to weather the loss of Abscam tainted Jack Murtha as Majority Leader.
Then, Nancy had to withdraw (WIMPED OUT) impeached federal judge Alcee Hastings from consideration as a candidate for Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.
And finally reneging on a campaign promise to FULLY implement 9/11 Commission recommendations – READ MY LIPS MOMENT?
Remember the Democrats have a very slim majority in the House of Representatives and when you consider Blue Dog Democrats swings the chamber towards the GOP. And a one person majority in the United States Senate will make Harry Reid Majority Leader but won’t buy you many more majority votes in the filibuster/cloture prone chamber.
So, what does this mean?
Look for cautious stalemate in Congress leading up to the full-out Presidential election in 2008.
A two year term for Speaker Pelosi?
LIKELY…….
Blogosphere:
Technorati Tags: 9/11Commission, GlobalWaronTerror, NancyPelosi, JackMurtha, AlceeHastings, HarryReid, StenyHoyer
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Lebanon Watch: Hundreds of Thousands of Lebanese Mourn Pierre Gemayel – Attend Funeral
Mourners attend the funeral of assassinated Lebanese minister Pierre Gemayel in Beirut. Beirut was a sea of red and white flags as Lebanon turned out in a show of force for the funeral of the anti-Syrian minister, whose murder threatens to plunge the country deeper into political turmoil.
AP: Throngs mourn slain Lebanese official
Hundreds of thousands of Lebanese turned the funeral Thursday for a slain Christian government minister into a massive demonstration of anger against Syria and its allies.
The sprawling funeral for Pierre Gemayel reinvigorated suporters of the U.S.-backed government in a power struggle with Syrian-backed Hezbollah and its allies threatening to split this small Mideast nations along sectarian lines. Police estimated some 800,000 people participated in the rally and funeral.
“The second independence uprising was launched today for change and it will not stop,” Gemayel’s father, former President Amin Gemayel, told the crowd in downtown Beirut, speaking from behind a panel of bulletproof glass. “I pledge to you that we will soon take steps so that your efforts will not go in vain.”
The throng applauded as the coffin, wrapped in the flag of Gemayel’s Phalange Party — white with a green cedar emblem — was carried past the square to nearby St. George’s Cathedral, where the packed congregation sang hymns. The 34-year-old Gemayel’s wife wept in the church, leaning on his mother’s shoulder.
A Mulsim woman holds up a picture of assassinated Lebanese minister Pierre Gemayel during his funeral procession in Beirut. Beirut was a sea of red and white flags.
Lebanese mourners carry the coffin of Lebanon’s Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel during his funeral in Beirut November 23, 2006.
But in the wake of Gemayel’s slaying, Lebanon is polarized to a degree not seen since Lebanon’s 1975-1990 civil war, sharply divided between anti-Syrian Christians and Sunni Muslims and pro-Syrian Shiites. Many fear Thursday’s funeral could be the first round of demonstrations that could bring the political crisis into the volatile streets.
In Martyrs’ Square, men, women and children waved red, white and green Lebanese flags and posters of Gemayel with the slogans: “We want to live” and “Awaiting justice.”
Stay tuned as turmoil and unrest ferments in the streets of Beirut.
Michael Totten has Shove Your Civil War.
Nicole (L) and Patricia, the sister and wife respectively of Lebanon’s Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel, cry during his funeral in Beirut.
Posters of Syrian President Bashar Assad are burned by anti-Syrian protesters during the funeral of assassinated Christian politician Pierre Gemayel, at the Martyrs square, in Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday Nov. 23, 2006
Previous:
Lebanon Watch: Assassinated Lebanese Minister Pierre Gemayel to Be Buried Thursday
Global War on Terror Watch: Hezbollah and Syria Make a MOVE in Lebanon
Technorati Tags: Lebanon, PierreGemayel, Syria, Hezbollah, Israel
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Cox & Forkum: Snow Gray
From the Scotsman: Battered Bush shows new zeal for diplomacy.
THE Bush administration has not been known for dramatic policy shifts, until last week.For while the US President was making tentative noises that Syria and Iran might have a role to play in salvaging something from the wreckage of Iraq, the previously unthinkable was already happening.
Damascus and Tehran have been talking to senior Washington diplomats and advisers about their role in creating some kind of stability in the region.
From Hamilton Spectator: Democracy in Iraq out of reach for now, Kissinger says.
Former U.S. secretary of state Henry Kissinger, a frequent adviser to President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney, has concluded that the United States must choose between stability and democracy in Iraq — and that democracy, for now, is out of reach.
Technorati Tags: GeorgeWBush, Iran, Iraq, IraqWar, HennyKissinger
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Global War on Terror: United States to Require Passports for Nearly All Air Travelers on January 23, 2007
Travelers wait to check baggage Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2006, at San Francisco International Airport in San Francisco.
AP: U.S. to require passports for nearly all
Nearly all air travelers entering the U.S. will be required to show passports beginning Jan. 23, including returning Americans and people from Canada and other nations in the Western Hemisphere.
The date was disclosed Tuesday by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff in an interview with The Associated Press. The Homeland Security Department plans to announce the change on Wednesday.
Until now, the department had not set a specific date for instituting the passport requirement for air travelers, though the start had been expected to be around the beginning of the year. Setting the date on Jan. 23 pushes the start past the holiday season.
The requirement marks a change for Americans, Canadians, Bermudians and some Mexicans.
Currently, U.S. citizens returning from other countries in the hemisphere are not required to present passports but must show other proof of citizenship such as driver’s licenses or birth certificates.
About time. Applying and obtaining an American Passport is not overly burdensome. Requiring a passport for ALL foreign travelers post 9/11 is ESSENTIAL.
Visitors from most countries in the hemisphere are required to show passports. However, people from Canada, Bermuda — and those from Mexico who enter the U.S. frequently and have special border-crossing cards — have been allowed to use other forms of identification, including driver’s licenses.
“Right now, there are 8,000 different state and local entities in the U.S. issuing birth certificates and driver’s licenses,” Chertoff said. Having to distinguish phony from real in so many different documents “puts an enormous burden on our Customs and Border inspectors,” he said.
In a few cases, other documents still may be used for air entry into the U.S. by some frequent travelers between the U.S. and Canada, members of the American military on official business and some U.S. merchant mariners.
Under a separate program, Homeland Security plans to require all travelers, including Americans, entering the U.S. by land or sea to show a passport or an alternative security identification card starting as early as January 2008.
The Homeland Security Department estimates that about one in four Americans has a passport.
The SOONER, the BETTER for ALL foreign travelers in the United States to be required to have a Passport and a biometric one at that.
Stay tuned……..
Technorati Tags: HomelandSecurity, Passport, AmericanPassport, MichaelChertoff, Canada, Bermuda, Mexico
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President George H.W. Bush Watch: Former President Bush Takes on Arab Critics of President Son
Former U.S. President George H.W. Bush speaks at the World Leadership Summit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates November 21, 2006.
AP: Elder Bush takes on son’s Arab critics
Former President George H.W. Bush took on Arab critics of his son Tuesday during a testy exchange at a leadership conference in the capital of this U.S. ally.
“My son is an honest man,” Bush told members of the audience harshly criticized the current U.S. leader’s foreign policy.
The oil-rich Persian Gulf used to be safe territory for former President Bush, who brought Arab leaders together in a coalition that drove Saddam Hussein’s troops from Kuwait in 1991. But gratitude for the elder Bush, who served as president from 1989-93, was overshadowed at the conference by hostility toward his son, whose invasion of Iraq and support for Israel are deeply unpopular in the region.
“We do not respect your son. We do not respect what he’s doing all over the world,” a woman in the audience bluntly told Bush after his speech.
Bush, 82, appeared stunned as others in the audience whooped and whistled in approval.
A college student told Bush his belief that U.S. wars were aimed at opening markets for American companies and said globalization was contrived for America’s benefit at the expense of the rest of the world. Bush was having none of it.
“I think that’s weird and it’s nuts,” Bush said. “To suggest that everything we do is because we’re hungry for money, I think that’s crazy. I think you need to go back to school.”
Papa Bush has the COJONES to tell the Arab ASSHATS what they say is BULL.
The hostile comments came during a quesion-and-answer session after Bush finished a folksy address on leadership by telling the audience how deeply hurt he feels when his presidential son is criticized.
“This son is not going to back away,” Bush said, his voice quivering. “He’s not going to change his view because some poll says this or some poll says that, or some heartfelt comments from the lady who feels deeply in her heart about something. You can’t be president of the United States and conduct yourself if you’re going to cut and run. This is going to work out in Iraq. I understand the anxiety. It’s not easy.”
Maybe George H.W. should tell the “IMPEACHED” Slick Clinton the same when they next meet up for some charity work.
Flap would and so would the FREEPERS.
Former U.S. President George H.W. Bush is seen on a screen as he speaks at the World Leadership Summit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates November 21, 2006.
Technorati Tags: GeorgeHWBush, GeorgeWBush, IraqWar,