The Rant

By Bob Clasen In retrospect, I question my own idealistic notion that Iraq offered an opportunity to install a democracy in the heart of the Mideast. I am very tempted to put my tail between my legs, abandon the Neocons, and ask the old fashioned "Realpolitik" Republicans if they will take me back, a sadder but wiser man. The balance of power between Iraq and Iran, Sunni and Shia, Hussein and the Ayatollah doesn't look nearly so bad to me now. George Bush Sr.'s decision to leave Iraq after the first Gulf War starts to make more and more sense. It is interesting that some of the conservatives are dropping off the Bush-Cheney Titantic, like rats deserting a sinking ship, including George Will and perhaps Willliam F. Buckley. Debate is now out in the open among various conservatives as to what went wrong and what is to be done. The idea that a minimal occupation force could "Nation Build" in Iraq is looking more and more like a pipe dream. This Islamic c...

Bob: You have been more than vocal recently about Islamic Terrorists. I think your concerns are well founded. Unfortunately all the BS surrounding the 9/11 - Iraq link totally appears to have reduced the debate to Bush Lied, stay the course, get out of Iraq, etc. without the public having a real discussion about how big the Islamic threat is and is Osama really behind all of it. You really ought to buy the book or CD "The Osama Bin Laden I Know"...I think its by Peter Bergen, the CNN journalist who interviewed Bin Laden a long time ago. The book is a collection of interviews, newspaper articles, news releases, etc. about Bin Laden and other terrorists over many years. What the book makes clear is that the modern Jihad movement that started with the Russian invasion of Afghanistan. Because it suited our aims of keeping the Russians in check, we didn't pay any attention to Egyptian clerks, who seem to be the most influential in the Jihad movement. They called upon ALL G...

A MILITANT Islamic group has filed a police report against Indonesia's Miss Universe candidate, accusing her of indecency. Nadine Chandrawinata's participation in the contest and display of her body in a swimsuit "is actually insulting for Indonesian dignity and women", Islamic Defenders Front lawyer Sugito said yesterday. Ms Chandrawinata did not make it to the competition's final in Los Angeles on Sunday, which was won by Miss Puerto Rico, but she had drawn heavy media coverage in Indonesia. Mr Sugito said the Islamic Defenders Front had also filed complaints against four people involved in sponsoring and organising Ms Chandrawinata's participation. Under Indonesian law, police would have to investigate whether there was sufficient evidence for a case under the complaint, and if so, turn their findings over to prosecutors for a decision on whether it merited going to court. The offences carried potential sentences ranging from two to six years in jail, Mr Su...

7/7 bombings 'justified' say a quarter of British Muslims ______________________________________________ So what percentage of the Religion of Peace support terrorism? _______________________________________________ Almost a quarter of British Muslims say the 7/7 bombings can be justified because of the Government's support for the war on terror, according to an opinion poll. And nearly half of those polled, or 45%, believe the 9/11 attacks on New York were a conspiracy between the US and Israel. The survey, for a Channel 4 Dispatches documentary to be screened tonight, found Muslims under the age of 24 were twice as likely to justify the 7/7 attacks as those aged over 45. It found 24% across all age groups either agreed or tended to agree that the 7/7 bombings were justified, although 48% said they "strongly disagreed" and 17% said they did not know. The figures are significantly higher than those from a poll last month, in which 7% thought suicide attacks on c...

What the quotes from the Koran quoted below suggest is this: It is not heretics that represent the problem in Islam. It isnot the mass of lukewarm Moslems who don't regularly study the Koran, who place their personal lives and family higher than the religion they were born into. Rather, it is the true believers who actually study the Koran. It is the orthodox, true believers who become violent and intolerant of other faiths. What if it turns out to be true that it is true believers that make up the corp of terrorists because Islam is, at its heart, a violent, war prone, terrorist religion? Because of America's "multiculturalism" and belief that no culture is better than any other, this thought seems to be unthinkable for most Americans. That a popular religion could advocate violence and intolerance seems to be unthinkable for most conservatives and liberals. The key to unraveling this mystery is not the undeniable truth that there are many peacefull Moslems who ...

by Bob Clasen As a result of religious wars between Catholics and various sects of Protestants over hundreds of years, in the west the doctrine of freedom of religion and the separation of church and state arose and became ascendant in the United States. The concept of freedom of religion is one of our most fundamental tenets, which we hold as a sacred legacy from our forefathers, enshrined in the First Amendment of the Constitution. It is closely connected with the belief in freedom of speech. But what of a man who preaches violence and intolerance against all other beliefs? What if there was a religion that preached religious war to the death as part of its core belief system? How do we resolve this inherent contradiction between the principle of freedom and tolerance and people who believe in violence and intolerance? It seems to me that a free and civilized society can only grant rights and freedom of speech and religion to those who respect these rights and freedoms themselves....

I repeatedly hear from both liberals and conservatives that Islam is a religion of peace that has been hijacked by a few radical heretics for political reasons. We have nothing to fear from true Islam, I am told. If you think that Islam is a religion of peace, can you explain for me the quotations from the Koran on the subject of war and peace taken from this article? http://answering-islam.org.uk/Terrorism/peace-loving.html This article talks about the doctrine of "Abrogation" which I had not heard before. According to this author, scholars in Islam deal with the admitted contradictions in the Koran by saying that later verses "abrogate" earlier verses. Unfortunately, as Muhammed aged he became more prone to violence. Quotation from the article: ____________________________________________ “Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress limits, for Allah does not love transgressors”. 2:190 "قاتلوا في سبيل الله الذين يقاتلونكم ولا تعت...

by Bob Clasen What motivates the State Department, the CIA or the Department of Defense to do their jobs competently and efficiently? They have no competition. Their main task it to keep their jobs and cover up mistakes. The experience of the past four years is that they are not very competent. People in other countries do not participate in our government. They do not vote and cannot sue our government about a war. What motivation does our government have to reduce civilian casualties or to treat them justly? Very little, sad to say. Why should we expect that our military is any more efficient than the post office, or the Department of Roads and Highways or the IRS? They have no competition. There is no market pressure forcing them towards efficiency. Unlike market based decisions which are based upon millions of consumer choices, the decision to go to war is usually in the hands of a cabal of "experts" (currently the neocons) who disagree with oth...

Iran calls for Israel’s “elimination” Thu. 03 Aug 2006 Iran Focus Tehran, Iran, Aug. 03 – Hard-line Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called on Thursday for the “elimination” of Israel. Ahmadinejad was speaking at an emergency session of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) in Putrajaya, Malaysia, which had been organised to discuss Israeli attacks in Lebanon. His remarks were carried in full by the state-run news agency ISNA. He described the Jewish state as “fake” and said that it lacked any “legal foundation or legitimacy”. “The United States and Britain and a considerable number of Western government do not have any limits on the extent of their political, propaganda, financial, and military backing for this regime”, he said. He said the Lebanese militia Hezbollah, which has been in intense battle with Israel over the past three weeks, had become the “symbol of Muslim resistance”. “The main solution is the elimination of the Zionist regime”, Ahmadinejad said. He cal...

by Bob Clasen If I was an Israeli, I would move to the U.S. Is it not inevitable that when Moslems finally get nuclear weapons, someone will lob a few into Israel, just as Hezbollah is currently lobbing primitive missiles with no regard to the consequences? In this not to distant future, the Mid-east will become a vast plain of radioactive glass as Israel responds in its usual disproportionate way to attack. How can a rational treaty be reached between two parties when the primary motivations are not rational self interest, but religous ideas such as "Holy Land" "Jihad" " and theological disputes about the presumed wishes of God. Religous war is a fight to the death over who has the best imaginary playmate. In the long run, the best hope for the West in its world conflict with Islamic fundamentalism is that the oil will run out. What other wealth has Islamic fundamentalism produced in the past 300 years? At that time, the primitive ideas that underly Islam...

Here is a straightforward elucidation of the moral defense of Israel. Does Hezbollah have any moral defense? If morality is besides the point, then Israel cannot be criticized for destroying a dangerous enemy. No Cease-Fire Remove Hezbollah's missiles--or destroy them. BY BENJAMIN NETANYAHU Sunday, July 23, 2006 12:01 a.m. EDT JERUSALEM--Some 44 years ago, when Soviet missiles in neighboring Cuba threatened American cities, John F. Kennedy set one goal and ultimately prevailed in achieving it: Remove the missiles. Today, when Israel's cities are pummeled by Hezbollah missiles launched from neighboring Lebanon, our goal should be the same: Remove the missiles. Or destroy them. It is not enough to push Hezbollah 30 kilometers north of the border. Hezbollah rockets have a range of up to 200 kilometers, and could easily be fired from Beirut. Nor is it enough to achieve a cease fire. With its missile arsenal intact, Hezbollah could re-emerge triumphant a year or two from now and a...

Here is another aspect to the so-called "Culture War." On July 19, 2005, Iranian officials executed two teenage boys in the city of Mashad in northeastern Iran. It was first reported that the boys were convicted of homosexuality. Prior to their execution, the teenagers were held in prison for 14 months and severly beaten with 228 lashes. The executioners, fearing reprisals, wore masks and anti-riot forces were mobilized to prevent outbreaks of public protests. Ironically, the boys were hanged in Edalat (Justice) Square. http://mpetrelis.blogspot.com/

So Who is radical Islam at war with? Israel? America? The West? Anything that is not radically Islamic? Do the Mullahs in Iran have any desire to live at peace with Israel? With the West? Here is one man's point of view. http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=ZWVhMDY5Y2U0M2FiYTgyZGFhZWVhZTJmMzEwM2E1MDk= While there are moderate Moslems out there, they do not seem to be running Iran right now, or have anything to do with Hezbollah. bob

I am not personally a big fan of the World cup, but this seems a little too strict for me. Bob Clasen Somali Islamist militia kill two over World Cup By Mohamed Ali Bile Reuters Wednesday, July 5, 2006; 12:14 PM MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Somali Islamist militia shot dead two people demanding to watch the World Cup semi-final, witnesses said on Wednesday, in the latest sign of a hardline religious edge to the newly powerful movement. Four others were wounded in the fracas outside a cinema. The Islamists, who kicked U.S.-backed warlords out of Mogadishu then took control of a large swathe of southern Somalia last month, initially sought to project a moderate image but have been increasingly showing a more radical side. Tuesday night's shooting came when militiamen in the central town of Dusa Mareb -- the home area of the Islamists' hardline leader Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys -- shut a cinema showing the Germany-Italy semi-final, inhabitants told Reuters. "They stood in front of...

After condemning NY Times ' NSA wiretap story, WSJ editorial page mum so far on disclosure of bank monitoring Summary: After criticizing the revelation of the Bush administration's warrantless domestic wiretapping program, The Wall Street Journal editorial board has been silent on the disclosure of the administration's monitoring of international financial transactions, on which the Journal 's own news division reported. On December 20, 2005, four days after The New York Times broke the story that the Bush administration was conducting a vast domestic electronic surveillance program without obtaining warrants apparently required by law, The Wall Street Journal printed an editorial saying that the Times ' disclosure of the secret program was "likely to do genuine harm" to the country. On June 27, more than four days after The New York Times , The Wall Street Journal (subscription required), and the Los Angeles Times disclosed the e...

Many Westerners see Muslims as fanatical, violent and intolerant, according to the study by the Pew Research Center in Washington. Muslims, for their part, tend to view the West as selfish, immoral, and greedy - as well as fanatical and violent - the survey says. The researchers canvassed the opinions of 14,000 people in 13 countries. BBC Islamic affairs analyst Roger Hardy says a string of events, from last year's London bombings to the more recent row over cartoons satirising the Prophet Muhammad, appear to have taken their toll on relations between Islam and the West. Muslim opinions about the West and its people have worsened over the past year and by overwhelming margins Pew Center report The Pew Research Center's survey, published on Thursday, speaks of a "great divide" between the two. It says that Muslims and Westerners blame each other for deteriorating relations. Muslim people "have an aggrieved view of the West" and are "much more likely t...

There's an enemy living among us I think you who I mean Nobody really knows a thing about them Not even Martin Sheen They're a threat to our standard of living And the cheap supply of oil I say let's rout their sorry asses out Before they soil our American soil Oh, let's go after the Buddhists Let's knock some shaven heads Those humanistic, non-materialistic, Pacifistic slugabeds They're ego-less and nonviolent Un-American and weird They just sit and stare at the wall and their God doesn't even have a beard Oh, I don't want to say too much about it They might be listening right now Meet me later in the parking lot I got the yellow El Camino with the Bumper sticker saying, "Isolationism — Ask Me How!" It's a nation of freedom and tolerance And that's just plain dangerous Let's wipe out terrorism everywhere Except, of course, where the terrorists are us Oh, let's go after the Buddhists Let's go rough up some monks Those semi-m...

Bob: Check out the future. If giant databases get to be public. http://www.aclu.org/pizza/images/screen.swf This is worth the look.

from a blog ( http://www.tcsdaily.com/article.aspx?id=051206A ) Ten Points of Difference Between America and Radical Islam to consider when we are not embroiled in partisan politics. 1. Many people have fled radical Muslim regimes to live in the U.S. Hardly anyone has fled the U.S. to live under radical Muslim regimes. 2. In the United States, women are allowed to choose whether or not to where modest clothing. Radical Muslims deny them that right, as well as others. 3. Americans who abuse enemy prisoners cower in shame and are prosecuted. Radical Muslims celebrate war crimes, proudly display photos and videos of war crimes, and honor the criminals. 4. More Iraqis would like to see the terrorists give up tomorrow than see the Americans leave tomorrow. (If there is any doubt about that, we can put the issue up for a vote in Iraq.) 5. Americans see negotiations as a way to resolve differences. Radical Muslims see negotiations as a sign of weakness. 6. When Muslims come to live in Americ...

By Leslie Cauley, USA TODAY Thu May 11, 7:21 AM ET The National Security Agency has been secretly collecting the phone call records of tens of millions of Americans, using data provided by AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth, people with direct knowledge of the arrangement told USA TODAY. The NSA program reaches into homes and businesses across the nation by amassing information about the calls of ordinary Americans - most of whom aren't suspected of any crime. This program does not involve the NSA listening to or recording conversations. But the spy agency is using the data to analyze calling patterns in an effort to detect terrorist activity, sources said in separate interviews. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS: The NSA record collection program "It's the largest database ever assembled in the world," said one person, who, like the others who agreed to talk about the NSA's activities, declined to be identified by name or affiliation. The agency's goal is "to create a ...