Pot, Meet Kettle

Congress says that “veterans deemed too mentally incompetent to handle their own financial affairs [should] be prevented from buying a gun”. I say that anyone deemed “too mentally incompetent to handle their own financial affairs” should be prevented from serving in Congress.

“Infidel”

Military.com — In the wake of the recent setbacks in Afghanistan, American commanders are working overtime trying to instill sensitivity among U.S. troops toward their Afghan counterparts and their Islamic culture. But many American servicemembers already wear their feelings on their sleeves – sometimes literally – choosing a powerful term to represent the way they believe they’re perceived by the Muslim world: “Infidel.” There are infidel hats, infidel T-shirts and infidel uniform patches – an entire genre of morale wear that emerged from the ashes of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. (H/T: Mandy)

“Infidel” is a versatile term. It describes our servicemen in Afghanistan, and it also describes the tongues of Hollywood liberals who visit Cuba.

I Call Bullshit

Waco, TX — An AWOL Soldier accused of plotting to detonate bombs in a restaurant filled with Fort Hood troops and then shoot any survivors was expected back in court Thursday to be arraigned on six new charges. Among the new charges Pfc. Naser Jason Abdo faces is trying to use a weapon of mass destruction, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. He also was indicted last week by a federal grand jury in Waco on one count of attempted murder of officers or employees of the United States, two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a federal crime of violence, and two counts of possession of a destructive device in furtherance of a federal crime of violence. …

You can read the whole thing at Military.com News (H/T: Mandy), but it here’s the part that stuck in my craw, from the very end:

Abdo, 21, was approved as a conscientious objector this year after citing his Muslim beliefs, but that status was put on hold after he was charged with possessing child pornography. He went absent without leave from Fort Campbell, Ky., in early July.

We no longer have the draft. “Conscientious objector status” is an obsolete relic of a bygone era,¹ when people were conscripted against their wills. We now have an all-volunteer fighting force. If you’re a “conscientious objector,” you don’t enlist. If you enlist, you have made an informed choice as a legal adult, and have sworn an oath. Nobody held a gun to your head. If you join up, you are not a “conscientious objector.” Period.

As for “citing his Muslim beliefs” – exactly who the fuck does he think the US Army’s been shooting at for the last ten years?! Anybody who has joined up in the last decade knows they will probably face action, and that said action will probably take place in a Muslim country and that the people against whom they will have to kill or be killed will be Muslims. Unless you’ve been living in a cave (which I suppose is possible in his case) you know that the US military has been in Afghanistan for ten straight years now, and for most of that time was in Iraq as well (not to mention “kinetic actions” against Libya, and various sundry actions taken in Yemen in elsewhere).

Anybody who enlists knows this. There is absolutely no justifiable excuse for signing up in the military now, and then complaining that you can’t fight, or that you can’t fight muslims. If those are a problem for you, you don’t enlist.

¹like labor unions and the UN.

Thank You, Hollywood

The Islamist who killed two US airmen in Germany was inspired by Hollywood propaganda…

(Telegraph) — A Kosovo Albanian Islamic extremist has confessed to murdering two American airmen and has blamed a faked jihad video showing US soldiers raping a Muslim girl for inspiring his crime. In an emotional confession to a Frankfurt court as his murder trial began on Wednesday, Arid Uka said he had become radicalised by online extremist propaganda before carrying out a lone gun attack US Air Force bus in March. … Uka blamed a video purporting to show American servicemen raping a young Muslim girl for prompting him to try and stop other US soldiers from getting to Afghanistan. … But the rape footage, billed as an authentic video entitled “what was done to our sisters,” turned out to be … from the 2007 anti-Iraq war film “Redacted,” directed by Hollywood’s Brian de Palma. (H/T: WeaselZippers)

I’ll bet they’re proud on the Left Coast today!

Tracks in the Dust – Interview

“Although the story shows us playing some cover songs during our jam session, the CD Tracks In The Dust: Songs from Afghanistan has no cover songs and is 10 Original Tracks put together by 11 Artists from 5 Nations. All songs were written and recorded by deployed personnel here in Afghanistan. Also not all the musicians shown were part of the project CD, but we welcome all to our Jam sessions.” –Vincent Yznaga

Memorial Day Plug

Just released today, Tracks in the Dust is an album put together by personnel (military and civilian) from five countries serving together in Afghanistan. (I know one of them.) The ten tracks sell for 99¢ each, and all proceeds go to the Wounded Warrior Project. Please give them a listen, and pass along the link to anyone you think might be interested.

One Week Left!

President Obama illegally and unconstitutionally declared war on Libya almost two months ago without receiving, or even seeking, Congressional authorization.

“…approximately 3:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, on March 19, 2011, at my direction, U.S. military forces commenced operations to assist an international effort authorized by the United Nations (U.N.) Security Council and undertaken with the support of European allies and Arab partners, to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe and address the threat posed to international peace and security by the crisis in Libya.”

Apart from laughably coining the term “kinetic military action” to claim that this is not a “war”, the only fig leaf provided for Obama’s actions has been the (arguably false) claim that he was operating under the War Powers Resolution of 1973 (50 U.S.C. 1541–1548)

The notification was part of the president’s “efforts to keep the Congress fully informed, consistent with the War Powers Resolution”

Well, it’s put up or shut up time now. The War Powers Resolution only allows the President to run his little war for sixty days without Congress authorizing further action. As he has, to the best of my knowledge, neither received nor even sought Congressional authorization to continue, his time is up one week from today.

The War Powers Resolution requires the President to notify Congress within 48 hours of committing armed forces to military action and forbids armed forces from remaining for more than 60 days, with a further 30 day withdrawal period, without an authorization of the use of military force or a declaration of war.

If he doesn’t cease operations and start pulling our forces back next week, he will clearly be acting in open and deliberate defiance of the law and the Constitution. Will the media report this? Will the Congress hold him accountable? Does this constitute High Crimes and Misdemeanors? Stay tuned…

Well, This Would Explain a Lot…

Too Soon? (Via)

Sausage-Swilling Surrender Schweine

Apparently, it’s illegal in Germany to approve of the killing of Osama bin Laden.

Spiegel Online — Schadenfreude, the enjoyment of others’ suffering, may be a famously German concept, but it is apparently not a feeling that many Germans aspire to. The political and public fallout following Chancellor Angela Merkel’s statement on Monday that she was “glad” Osama bin Laden had been killed was among the most hotly debated topics in the German media this week. Politicians, including those within her own center-right coalition, said that no death was cause for celebration, and reproved the remark as un-Christian and vengeful. But Hamburg judge Heinz Uthmann went even further. He alleges that the chancellor’s statement was nothing short of illegal, and filed a criminal complaint against Merkel midweek … In his two-page document, Uthmann, a judge for 21 years, cites section 140 of the German Criminal Code, which forbids the “rewarding and approving” of crimes. In this case, Merkel endorsed a “homicide,” Uthmann claimed. The violation is punishable by up to three years’ imprisonment or a fine. … While the judge’s reaction may seem extreme, his sentiments are apparently shared by 64 percent of the German population. That was the proportion of Germans who said bin Laden’s death was “no reason to rejoice” in a poll published by broadcaster ARD on Friday. … (H/T: Hot Air)

Why the hell do we still have all of those bases in Germany, pumping billions of dollars into their economy? To prevent the Nazis from regaining power? To keep the Soviets from invading western Europe? There was talk about closing those WWII and Cold War relics last decade, and either bringing the majority of those troops back home or basing them in “New Europe” countries like Poland and Romania who appreciate the USA, capitalism, and democracy; and who’d give us much more favorable terms for our bases. Not incidentally, that would place our personnel and materiel a lot closer to the Middle East as well. I sometimes despair as to whether or not it’s too late to save “Old Europe.”

UPDATE: Dalai Lama: Yeah, I’m Cool With Killing Bin Laden … Wait, He’s Cool With It?

The Raids Will Continue Until Morale Improves

Pakistan Army Warns U.S.: Don’t Raid Our Country Again

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan’s army broke its silence Thursday over the U.S. commando raid that killed Osama bin Laden, acknowledging its own “shortcomings” in efforts to find the al-Qaida leader but threatening to review cooperation with Washington if there is another similar violation of Pakistani sovereignty. The tough-sounding statement was a sign of the anger in the army. It also appeared aimed at appeasing politicians, the public and the media in the country over what’s viewed by many here as a national humiliation delivered by a deeply unpopular America. … (H/T: C2)

Fuck you sideways, Pakistan. You had Osama for years and there’s absolutely no way that you didn’t know it. If anything, further raids on Pakistan are required.

Daily Mail — American bloggers have hit back at Europeans who have criticised the outpouring of joy over the death of Osama Bin Laden. While thousands of U.S citizens took to the streets to celebrate the killing, the reaction in Europe was far more muted. And some are so angered by what they see as a judgmental stance from across The Pond, they have gone online to hit back at the “cheese-eating surrender monkeys.” …

I should just call this post the “fuck you sideways” edition, if that expression weren’t more suitable elsewhere.

Ding Dong, the Bitch is Dead

I’m sure everybody (even Adolf Hitler) knows by now that Osama bin Laden is dead, dead, dead. I for one couldn’t be happier… for a variety of reasons.

First, I’m glad the bastard is dead. Some may have complained that his death was “too quick,” but any other suggestion just isn’t reasonable. Torture him first? Try to take him alive so that Eric Holder can hold his trial in New York City and get him released on a technicality? Just kill him and be done with it. I don’t begrudge the fact that he body was treated “in accordance with Islamic beliefs”, meaning that he was buried (at sea) within 24 hours of death – Yes, I’m sure we’d all prefer that he were buried in a shroud of bacon; but isn’t that just a waste of good bacon? I’m not sure exactly what they meant to accomplish by granting him this “honor”, but hey. As long as he’s not merely dead, but really most sincerely dead, we can afford to be magnanimous.

Secondly, I’m quite happy to see the lack of a groundswell of conspiracy theories surrounding the event. During Bush’s presidency his opponents frequently implied that he knew exactly where Osama was, and that he was just waiting for the right time (before his reelection in 2004, when his polls numbers hit rock bottom or he had a story to distract the media from) to capture/kill bin Laden for personal political gain. If Osama had been killed during the Bush presidency, regardless of the time and details; the media, academia, and left-wing blogosphere would have been abroil with innuendo and lies. Regardless of who gets the credit, I’m glad to see more maturity among the circles within which I move – For the most part, we’re just all happy to see him dead. Can I say “dead” again? A tingle goes up my fingers whenever I type the word… Osama is dead, dead, dead… (This must be Chris Matthews feels all the time since 2008.)

Third,

I Guess They Wear Sneakers

President Obama has secretly sent the CIA into Libya. Apparently, they aren’t covered by his promise not to have any “boots on the ground” in the non-enemy-country we face in the not-war.

The Daily Mail — The President has signed a secret order authorizing covert U.S. government support for rebel forces seeking to oust Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. The revelation comes as Obama and allies talked openly of arming the rebels who, despite the UN-backed no-fly zone, are on the verge of being overrun by Gaddafi’s superior military force. It is not clear what covert operations the CIA will carry out in Libya. The White House and the agency have refused to confirm it will take a role in the revolution, and Obama has insisted the U.S. will not attempt regime change in the country, but will merely support the rebels in their battle. … Obama signed the order within the last two or three weeks, four U.S. government sources told Reuters. (H/T: GatewayPundit)

The last two or three weeks? That could be before he even authorized the no-fly zone and the bombings. Well, we already know that Obama had absolutely no legal or Constitutional authority to send in the military – but what about the CIA?

Foreign Policy — Responding to reports President Barack Obama secretly authorized covert action to support the Libyan rebels, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee said that actually arming the Libyan rebels would require his approval and he hasn’t given it. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI) said in a late Wednesday interview that the Obama administration’s top national security officials were deeply split on whether arming the rebels was a good idea. … Rogers wouldn’t confirm or deny the report that Obama issued what’s known as a “presidential finding” authorizing the intelligence community to begin broadly supporting the Libyan rebels, because such findings are sensitive and classified. But he said that if Obama wanted to arm the rebels, the president would need Rogers’ support, which he doesn’t yet have. “Any covert action that happens would have to get the sign off of the intelligence chairmen, by statute. You won’t get a sign off from me,” Rogers said referring to National Security Act 47. “I still think arming the rebels is a horrible idea. We don’t know who they are, we only know who they are against but we don’t really who they are for. We don’t have a good picture of who’s really in charge.” … (H/T: AllahPundit)