No Runny Eggs

CNN and Fox News (saw it on FNC, but CNN has the Web-friendly story first) are reporting that the Iraqi High Tribunal has upheld Saddam Hussein’s conviction and death sentence in the Dujail massacre case. Under Iraqi law, Saddam now has no more than 30 days left to live.

Good bye and good riddance, Saddam. Satan is waiting for you.

Revisions/extensions (8:40 am 12/26/2006) – Allahpundit has more background, including why Saddam tried to delay this until April.

(H/T – Allahpundit)

The Los Angeles Times is reporting that the Pentagon is going to ask for some more troops (perhaps as many as 40,000 to join the 140,000 currently there) to go along with the rest of its plan for victory in Iraq. The rest of the plan:

– More industrial aid to Iraq
– An offensive against Muqtada al-Sadr’s Shiite insurgents
– Another offensive against the Sunni insurgents in Al Anbar province

Hopefully, the rules of engagement will be simple; see the enemy, kill same. Hopefully the ‘Rats in Congress will vote for victory instead of defunding, but I’m not holding my breath.

Which Saddamite?
The gassing Saddamite.
Ding-dong.
The Iraqis have said he’ll hang.

Still want to put him back in power, ‘Rats?

(H/T, many thanks, and a plea to reopen registration – Allahpundit)

Item #1 – The New York Times reports that both the Red Chinese and South Koreans will continue to maintain significant business deals with North Korea. Indeed, the ChiComs are refusing to inspect cross-border commerce (I’m shocked, SHOCKED that they would refuse this after demanding that such inspections be made voluntary).

As for the South Koreans, we should no longer concern ourselves with the fate of Seoul when considering whether to do the one thing that will disarm Krazy Kim the Younger (forced regime change). Indeed, we should pull our troops out of South Korea and conduct the operation as an amphibious/air campaign. Glad to see the SKs are practicing their duck-and-cover technique over on Fox; the next time, it probably will be for real regardless of what else happens.

Item #2 – The Daily Telegraph reports that the Royal Navy, once the unrivaled master of the seas and the victim of 9 years of ‘Rat-style cutbacks under the Labour Party, has been so emaciated that they will be no more than bit players in any naval blockade. And for you lefties out there; all of these cuts were planned before Iraq:

• The attack submarine force is down 17% (to 10), and will shortly be losing another one for 2 years while the first-in-class HMS Astute (which is due to replace the HMS Sovereign, scheduled to be decommissioned no later than January 2007) undergoes sea trials.
• The surface “tin-can” fleet is down 29% to 25 hulls, with only 8 destroyers (with no effective short-range anti-aircraft/missile defense) and 17 frigates (specializing in anti-sub warfare, containing short-range but no long-range anti-aircraft/missile defense).
• The baby-carrier fleet has been cut from 3 to 2, with HMS Invincible put in mothballs last year. While the Telegraph bemoans the loss of the Sea Harrier squadrons, they have been replaced by the more-capable Harrier GR.7 and GR.9.

Hmmm, any lessons to be learned here? I do note that the ‘Rats want to draw down our military in a similar fashion. I further note that the last time the Royal Navy was drawn down, the Argentines thought it would be a good time to go grab the Falklands.

Item #3 – The Washington Post reports that the policy chief for Japan’s ruling party is opening questioning whether Japan should remain non-nuclear.

Japan has a LOT to worry about from a nuclear Korea. Before the Rape of Nanking, there was the 30+-year rape of Korea, which continued until the end of World War II. Like much of the rest of the world, the Koreans have long memories and aren’t exactly forgiving. Even if Krazy Kim the Younger does eventually disappear without nuking Tokyo, if a reunited Korea is nuclear, it’s only a matter of time before Japan gets nuked again if they don’t take the “15 minutes” that it would take for them to go nuclear.

Speaking of that, does anybody doubt that there would be actual sanctions imposed on Japan if they were to take that step? Heck, if it wouldn’t be for the US’ veto seat and the 7th Fleet, it may well face UN-sanctioned military action.

The Asian Badger – Russ, you ignorant slut.

That about sums up my reaction to Russ el-Slimeroad’s (Moonbat-Al Qaeda) call for a new term to replace “Islamic fascist”. May I suggest “Islamokazi”? It captures the nature of them so well; Islamic kamikaze Nazis.

– I highly recommend that you read as many of the tributes to the 2,996 people murdered by Islamic terrorists on 9/11/2001 as your heart can take.

– Fox News has live streaming video of their 9/11/2001 coverage.

– 620 WTMJ has an excellent dedication site, which includes (or will include in real time as the case may be) audio and blog commentary from the staff (both current and former), a timeline podcast of coverage (which will appear as it aired on 9/11/2001).

OpinionJournal’s Political Diary could not be having their “open house” at a better time. While they still don’t archive them, I will archive this little gem from today’s edition:

Weapons of Mysterious Discovery

Saddam Hussein was lying when he claimed he had destroyed all his weapons of mass destruction. Since the Iraq Survey Group called off its search for WMD in Iraq in early 2005, some 500 artillery shells containing Sarin or mustard gas have been found, according to a newly publicized Pentagon intelligence report. Banned weapons continue to turn up. Why does the the Bush Administration seem allergic to discussing the fact?

House Intelligence Chairman Pete Hoekstra, who held a news conference yesterday on the weapons discoveries, said the findings raise questions about the years of weapons inspections that had not resulted in locating the fairly sizeable stash of chemical weapons. He also noted that it was unfortunate that Americans had been given the impression that the 16-month search by the Iraq Survey Group was the definitive statement on the existence of WMD in Iraq. After continuing to get leads on possible WMD sites, the Defense Department’s National Ground Intelligence Center took up where the ISG left off and discovered the 500 shells in a variety of sites.

The Pentagon is downplaying the weapons discovery because, in the words of a spokesman, they were “not the weapons we were looking for” when the 2003 invasion occurred. Then Secretary of State Colin Powell had mesmerized television audiences when he spoke at the U.N. Security Council in January 2003 detailing stockpiles of anthrax and other toxins he believed Saddam Hussein had.

Still, the discovery should prompt curiosity about what more digging might turn up. To date, there has been an almost pathological reluctance on the part of the U.S. intelligence community to translate and analyze 36,000 boxes of documents captured from Saddam Hussein’s government. “The information released today proves that weapons of mass destruction are, in fact, in Iraq,” said Senator Rick Santorum, a Pennsylvania Republican. “It is essential for the American people to understand that these weapons are in Iraq.” He pointed out that during yesterday’s debate on a troop withdrawal resolution, several Senate Democrats said that no WMD had been found in Iraq, a claim, Mr. Santorum said, the declassified document proves is untrue.

The tantalizing clues found in the tiny portion of the National Ground Intelligence Center’s report that has been declassified should serve as a wakeup call for the Bush administration to consider releasing more material from the treasure trove of Saddam documents. The Bush White House’s failure to defend and explain its Iraq policies has proven to be one of the major reasons support for the war has fallen so dramatically.

Folkbum, check your fax machine for new talking points :-)

Zarqawi’s last seconds on Earth (courtesy DoD via Yahoo/AP).

FoxNews is running with an AP dispatch that convicted 9/11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui wants to withdraw his guilty plea now that the jury caved and didn’t order his deserved execution. The “good” news: it likely won’t fly because of a federal rule prohibiting a withdrawal of a guilty plea after sentencing. The bad: Moussaoui’s fellow Islamokazis will be scheming to get him sprung for the rest of his natural life, and it is likely that a future appeasement ‘Rat administration would cave.

ABC News is reporting that the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey gave out ID cards that give all-areas access to their ports in the New York City and Newark areas with virtually no background checks. The Department of Homeland Security recently investigated the ports and found that, among 9,000 truckers investigated, nearly half had criminal records, including homicide, assault, weapons charges and drug dealing, and more than 500 used bogus driver’s licenses to obtain their Port Authority ID cards. The ABC story goes on to detail the presence of at least one MS-13 member and a recent incident involving “four cabs without containers (which) exited the terminal without stopping at the red light and ignored verbal commands to stop.”

While the DHS found similar problems at other ports nationwide, problems that expose “vulnerabilities that could be capitalized by terrorist organizations”, the focus on the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey should ring the irony bells. They owned the World Trade Center complex, which was completely destroyed on 9/11.

(H/T – A FreeRepublic thread)

Greyhawk, who runs The Mudville Gazette has the text of a powerful letter from the mayor of Tall ‘Afar, Iraq to the men and women of the 3rd Armored Calvary Regiment:

In the Name of God the Compassionate and Merciful

To the Courageous Men and Women of the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment, who have changed the city of Tall’ Afar from a ghost town, in which terrorists spread death and destruction, to a secure city flourishing with life.

To the lion-hearts who liberated our city from the grasp of terrorists who were beheading men, women and children in the streets for many months.

To those who spread smiles on the faces of our children, and gave us restored hope, through their personal sacrifice and brave fighting, and gave new life to the city after hopelessness darkened our days, and stole our confidence in our ability to reestablish our city.

Our city was the main base of operations for Abu Mousab Al Zarqawi. The city was completely held hostage in the hands of his henchmen. Our schools, governmental services, businesses and offices were closed. Our streets were silent, and no one dared to walk them. Our people were barricaded in their homes out of fear; death awaited them around every corner. Terrorists occupied and controlled the only hospital in the city. Their savagery reached such a level that they stuffed the corpses of children with explosives and tossed them into the streets in order to kill grieving parents attempting to retrieve the bodies of their young. This was the situation of our city until God prepared and delivered unto them the courageous soldiers of the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment, who liberated this city, ridding it of Zarqawi’s followers after harsh fighting, killing many terrorists, and forcing the remaining butchers to flee the city like rats to the surrounding areas, where the bravery of other 3d ACR soldiers in Sinjar, Rabiah, Zumar and Avgani finally destroyed them.

I have met many soldiers of the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment; they are not only courageous men and women, but avenging angels sent by The God Himself to fight the evil of terrorism.

The leaders of this Regiment; COL McMaster, COL Armstrong, LTC Hickey, LTC Gibson, and LTC Reilly embody courage, strength, vision and wisdom. Officers and soldiers alike bristle with the confidence and character of knights in a bygone era. The mission they have accomplished, by means of a unique military operation, stands among the finest military feats to date in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and truly deserves to be studied in military science. This military operation was clean, with little collateral damage, despite the ferocity of the enemy. With the skill and precision of surgeons they dealt with the terrorist cancers in the city without causing unnecessary damage.

God bless this brave Regiment; God bless the families who dedicated these brave men and women. From the bottom of our hearts we thank the families. They have given us something we will never forget. To the families of those who have given their holy blood for our land, we all bow to you in reverence and to the souls of your loved ones. Their sacrifice was not in vain. They are not dead, but alive, and their souls hovering around us every second of every minute. They will never be forgotten for giving their precious lives. They have sacrificed that which is most valuable. We see them in the smile of every child, and in every flower growing in this land. Let America, their families, and the world be proud of their sacrifice for humanity and life.

Finally, no matter how much I write or speak about this brave Regiment, I haven’t the words to describe the courage of its officers and soldiers. I pray to God to grant happiness and health to these legendary heroes and their brave families.

NAJIM ABDULLAH ABID AL-JIBOURI
Mayor of Tall "˜Afar, Ninewa, Iraq

Go, read both the letter and the follow-ups Greyhawk has. Then ask your local presstitutes why they didn’t cover this story. Oh, that’s right; it doesn’t fit their template of the US being the bad guys and Al-Qaeda in Iraq being “freedom fighters”.

Brendan Miniter brings up the other half of the War on Terror – countering the Islamokazi view that an Islamist caliphate spanning the entire Islamic world from Indonesia (side note to Brendan; Indonesia is the largest majority-Islamic country in the world) to Spain.   Despite efforts by the Department of Defense to publicize this half of the WOT, including a luncheon by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld at the National Press Club and the release of the Quadrennial Defense Review, this hasn’t been picked up by the press.

I wonder why.   Could it be that Americans aren’t dying on this front?   Or perhaps it’s  that we’re starting to be successful on this front, with the disaster relief in South Asia after the 2004 tsunami and the earthquake in Pakistan in 2005, as well as a successful joint military venture with Djibouti (for those of you who went to public school in the last 15 years, Djibouti is a Muslim  country on the Horn of Africa, with Somalia to its south, Ethiopia to its west, and directly across the Red Sea from Yemen).   Perhaps it’s because  it is going to be a long war that will go on long after President Bush leaves office.   Maybe the presstitutes are like the moonbats and believe that the only groups capable of being eeeeeeevil are Republicans, conservatives (at least the Cold War definition of being strongly opposed to Communism),  and Christians.