American Thinker Blog
February 28, 2006
Rush to Judgement (a poem)
My knee jerked faster than anyone's did When I first contemplated what dangers hid In the possibility that the UAE Would get a foothold in ports that we Must hold secure from a terrorist threat, But as I step back,... More
February 28, 2006
Who did the deed?
The latest commentary and analysis from Iraq the Model offers further insight about the Golden Mosque bombing and its aftermath. Here is a portion of the most recent post. The shrine crisis...words that need to be said. Life is coming... More
February 28, 2006
Bolton acts while Kofi dithers
UN ambassador John Bolton pushes for action on Darfur, while Nobel Prize (and Dubai) Prize—winner Kofi Annan avoids comment. Benny Avni of The New York Sun reports: American Ambassador John Bolton admitted yesterday that despite his best efforts, the U.N.... More
February 28, 2006
BBC: "Auschwitz 'claims'"
How's this for a BBC headline? "Irving rejects Auschwitz claims" Is the BBC a Holocaust denier? Is the horror of Auschwitz in question? Jailed British historian David Irving has again (after recanting before his sentence was handed down) said he does... More
February 28, 2006
Dubai Ports World and the Arab Boycott of Israel
Dubai Ports World is owned by the UAE government, via a holding company called the Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCZC) of Dubai. PCZC also owns the Dubai Customs Department and the Jebel Ali Free Zone Area. The two... More
February 28, 2006
Is Black Panther Boulevard next?
Chicago plans to name a street after a Black Panther leader who people to shout "off the pig!" Fran Spielman of the Chicago Sun—Times reports: Fred Hampton —— slain state chairman of the Black Panthers party that urged followers to... More
February 28, 2006
Andrew Young supports Wal-Mart
Congratulations to former UN Ambassador and Atlanta mayor Andrew Young. He has agreed to chair the steering committee of Working Families for Wal—Mart, a group funded by the retailer. Evidently the former aide to Martin Luther King, Jr. understands and... More
February 28, 2006
NYT covers for the Kennedys
A New York Times editorial refuses to "Name Names" The imperium that runs the Grey Lady Times again shows its stripes (they are blue and yellow). A Times editorial, "Sneak Attack on Cape Wind" bemoans the fact that a group... More
February 27, 2006
SNAPSHOT(an occasional feature)
From "While Europe Slept" by Bruce Bawer (page 181). On Denmark's immigration policy and a study by Eyvind Vesselbo, a cultural sociologist: Vesselbo selected a cohort of 145 Turkish men who, emigrating to Denmark as guest workers in 1969 and 1970,... More
February 27, 2006
Desperate Dems and the NSA leak investigation
The American Spectator reports that the investigation of the overseas terrorist prisons and the NSA leak is proceeding rapidly and Senator Rockefeller, in the investigators' sights, is trying a ridiculously obvious and ineffective diversionary play: The number of Senators who received... More
February 27, 2006
AP media bias
The once—respected Associated Press lets its bias show in an obituary by Gary Gentile: Otis Chandler, the former publisher of the Los Angeles Times who transformed his family's provincial, conservative newspaper into a respected national media voice, died early Monday.... More
February 27, 2006
Major Ben Connable reports from Iraq
Major Ben Connable writes from Iraq, via John B. Dwyer. He debunks many media myths and supplies essential perspective to the news coverage of the Sunni—Shia violence. I'm still in Iraq, safe and sound at Camp Fallujah. I still feel... More
February 27, 2006
Europeans deny defense system to Israeli airliners
Ynet news picks up a Der Spiegel report that Switzerland and other unnamed European countries are planning to deny landing rights to Israeli airliners equipped with anti—missile defense systems. The technical ground on which the decision is allegedly being made... More
February 27, 2006
Libby gets his shot at reporters
This account offers few details of the judge's order and makes one puzzling assertion——that Fitzgerald was seeking to subpoena reporters, too, when I see no evidence he was. Make no mistake, Libby has just won a major victory in his... More
February 27, 2006
Libby case update
You cannot rely on the antique media to give an appropriately detailed report of what is happening in the Libby case. Luckily Byron York, who does pay attention, attended Friday's hearing and notes that the Prosecutor is resisting turning over evidence as... More
February 26, 2006
Iraq sectarian violence update
For those interested in keeping an accurate body and mosque count as related to the recent sectarian violence in the Baghdad municipal civil war, Omar at Iraq the Model has updated stats that indicate a lower level of rabid behavior... More
February 26, 2006
Don't wanna study peace no more
At Bethesda Chevy—Chase High School in the suburbs of Washington .D.C. a group of students has taken a look at the Peace Studies course taught by former Washington Post reporter Colman McCarthy and decided the course should be scrapped. Since... More
February 26, 2006
The Legacy of Jihad reviewed in the Washington Times
Our contributor Andrew Bostom's important book, The Legacy of Jihad, has just been favorably reviewed today by Julia Duin in the Washington Times. With numbing detail, Mr. Bostom shows how the idea of jihad as being an inner struggle as... More
February 25, 2006
What NYT Elitists Think of You
The New York Times' elitist management and editors make no secret of their disdain for ordinary Americans, as they open today's lead editorial with this comment: The illegal immigrants who trim our hedges, prepare our food and care for our... More
February 25, 2006
Apt pupils with machine guns
Ed Lasky spotted a fine example of the phenomenon of Third World revolutionaries learning and regurgitating the rhetoric of their First World intellectual patrons. From Lydia PolGreen's account in the New York Times of an attack on a Nigerian oil... More
February 24, 2006
Big Tort
Elizabeth Peek of the New York Sun brings us information from a Manhattan Institute Panel discussion on the impact of tort lawyers on medical costs. The costs are massive and spread throughout the system like ripples in a pond. Most surprising... More
February 24, 2006
China in Africa
The Financial Times takes a hard look ($) at China's drive for resources, markets and influence in Africa. China is a poised to grab an increasing share of all three. ...the continent is... benefiting from the rise in commodity prices... More
February 24, 2006
More good news from Canada
As predicted by Paul Jackson on these pages, Canada's new prime minister Stephen Harper is moving to make the confirmation process for Canada's supreme court justices more politically accountable to parliament. According to the Globe and Mail his first choice... More
February 24, 2006
The culture war on police
Matt May has discovered, via a relative in law enforcement, that a new video game, "25 To Life" is due out in stores this month. The object of this game is to kill law enforcement officers. The National Law Enforcement Officers... More
February 24, 2006
Libby's Motion to Dismiss
Yesterday Scooter Libby's Counsel filed a motion to dismiss. There has been a lot of bad reporting on what the motion argues. The New York Sun, however, does a good job explaining what I think is a solid argument for... More
February 23, 2006
The "Peace Plan" of Tom Friedman's friends, the Saudis
Many journalists have an overweening pride regarding their intelligence and foresight. They consider themselves superior to not only us but the people we vote for in elections. They often quote a small cadre of so—called experts to project the future... More
February 23, 2006
Getting beyond rhetoric on the ports issue
Powerline has some solid information, via administration e—mail, on the port security issue, clarifying essential facts. There is also solid info on this matter at the Heritage Foundation website. John B. Dwyer 2 23 06... More
February 23, 2006
Will Iraq join NATO?
Iraq the Model reported yesterday that the new Iraqi Department of Defense may recommend that the country seek to join NATO, once the contending political factions agree on a Parliamentary government. That would be an extremely important move. 1. It... More
February 23, 2006
What the jihadists are telling us
Recently I wrote about a newly released study from the West Point Combating Terrorism Center. The CTC just released documents associated with a study on al—Qaeda. One of them was a letter described here. As I read the letter, I... More
February 22, 2006
Democrat officials' firm helped Dubai purchase ports
Little noticed in the kerfuffle over the takeover of major US ports by Dubai Ports is the key role being played by former Democratic Party leaders. Lobbying firms associated with ex—Democratic Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle and Madeleine Albright (Clinton's Secretary... More
February 22, 2006
Reluctant critic
Matt May likes and supports David Horowitz (as do I). But he is disturbed that David has taken on Professor Harry Targ as one of the 101 most dangerous academics in America, the subject matter and subtitle title of his most... More
February 22, 2006
The Method That Dare Not Speak Its Name
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to review a 2005 decision of the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals declaring the federal Partial—Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003 unconstitutional. The Second and Ninth Circuits have also ruled the statute unconstitutional. (See here.) This... More
February 22, 2006
Have they gone mad?
It would appear that some in Britain are greatly troubled by the possibility that the United States has used their airspace for rendition flights of suspecting terrorists. This attitude should cast serious doubts on the sanity of these people. After... More
February 22, 2006
Qadhafi loses control of the cartoon controversy
Proving once again the old adage, it's an ill wind that blows no good, Michael Ledeen shares an email he received from a Libyan indicating the cartoon riots there, ginned up by the government, have turned into anti Qadhafi riots.... More
February 22, 2006
Muslim hackers hit 3000 Danish websites
Call it a form of cyberterror. Muslim hackers have launched an attack unprecedented in scope on Danish websites. It is more and more evident that they are nothing but bullies who see no limits on their tactics in getting their... More
February 21, 2006
The "Good-bye Lenin" press
Some of you may be familiar with a recent German movie, Good Bye, Lenin, a hilarious comedy satirizing the former East German communism. In it, an idealistic East German socialist schoolteacher and mother has a stroke and goes into a coma... More
February 21, 2006
The NYT lauds Stevens for the Kelo decision
The New York Times runs an article today about the strong negative reaction to Kelo across the nation and how it has spurred lots of anti—Kelo legislation. The piece includes favorable reference to Justice Stevens who wrote the decision as... More
February 21, 2006
Explaining Jewish fears
Dennis Prager has an excellent column today, concisely explaining the mentality of most contemporary Jews. If you have ever wondered why Jews seem to have an exaggerated fear of persecution, this one's for you. ... More
February 21, 2006
More information about the UAE
Cal Thomas adds some new (to me) information about the United Arab Emirates, would—be operators of 6 American ports, in his column this morning. On Sunday, the Australian government issued the following alert to its citizens: "We advise you to exercise... More
February 21, 2006
Hugo Chavez moving money offshore
Vcrisis, a website with a good track record covering Hugo Chavez of Venezuela — the proof is in the numerous attacks made on it by Venezuelan authorities — today charges that the dictator and his cronies are stashing millions of... More
February 21, 2006
Environmentalists once again show their true colors
As President Bush tours the country touting progress in our bid to discover alternative sources of energy, he is criticized by environmental groups for not going far enough. They urge the administration to consider greater fuel—efficiency standards for cars and... More
February 21, 2006
The Museum of the Cultural Revolution
One very hopeful sign of change in the People's Republic of China is the opening of a new museum devoted to the shameful period known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revoltuion. The UK Independent reports: "There is Chinese proverb which... More
February 20, 2006
North Korea threatens Japan in high level talks
From the Japan Times: North Korea's top envoy for normalization talks with Japan said in bilateral discussions earlier this month his country would use a "strong physical response" to economic sanctions by Tokyo, sources said Sunday. Song Il Ho gave... More
February 20, 2006
Lakota Sioux honor a fallen warrior
I could not get through this photo slideshow of the commemoration of a fallen Lakota Marine warrior without blessing God for the men and women who lay it all on the line for the rest of us. These are great patriotic... More
February 20, 2006
Declinologists in America
Many liberal journalists are afflicted with a variation of Bush Derangemenet Syndrome: they look, and find, everywhere signs of America's decline on the world stage. The French have a term for these thinkers: declinologists. Of course, the French have reason to... More
February 20, 2006
Can Liberals Be Trusted?
In his Boston Globe column last Saturday, liberal pundit Robert Kuttner "honored" the "courage" and "patriotism" of Senator Russ Feingold (D—WI) for opposing the Patriot Act, both when it originally was passed after 9/11 and again now that it has... More
February 20, 2006
The media and bin Laden
I'm sure that you remember Osama bin Laden's latest audio release, his January 19 tape in which he offered us a truce. Incidentally, if he's going to releasing these tapes, why doesn't he just have a podcast that we can... More
February 20, 2006
The Mayor from Minnesota
While Islamists contend with warlords for control of Somalia, a man living in Minnesota was appointed mayor of Mogadishu, the capital of the anarchical state. Mahomud Hassan Ali, a Somali refugee who settled in the Twin Cities area in 2001, was... More
February 20, 2006
Universities and Leftwing Philanthropy
Leftwing philanthropist Peter B. Lewis recently donated $101 million to Princeton University, where he graduated in 1955. This was the largest single contribution in the university's history. Lewis has made several other multi—million dollar contributions to Princeton over the years.... More
February 20, 2006
University rioting
As Americans watch, mainly in shock, at the lethal rioting in the Muslim world over the publication of a few cartoons, spurring debate about free speech and free press, perhaps we could teach our Muslim brethren how the United States... More
February 20, 2006
I am a liberal (a poem)
Under the covers I long to be. It's under the covers where I'll be free To turn the dark nighttime into day And dream the cares of the world away. All is sweet and lovely, everything is serene. All... More
February 19, 2006
Canada: a matter of facts
Following Paul Jackson's most recent article, "Canada's Foreign Policy Turning Pro—American," we have received considerable comment from north of border. One writer raised several points of factual contention, to which Mr. Jackson has responded. The correspondence is below: Regarding Paul... More
February 19, 2006
The threat of progress
Jack Risko of Dinocrat.com puts together a lot of pieces when he looks at some stunning patent data and asks the Big Question: "How does the modern world look when you have done nothing to help create it, and innovation... More
February 19, 2006
Clinton wants to throw cartoonists in jail
Unbelieveable though it seems, according to the Times of Pakistan, Bill Clinton wants the Danish cartoonists thrown in jail. Former US president Bill Clinton on Friday condemned the publication of Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH) caricatures by European newspapers and urged countries... More
February 19, 2006
Italian Minister who resigned over cartoon T-shirt
Roberto Calderoli is the minister in the cabinet of of Silvio Berlusconi who has just been forced out of office for taking his short off on Italian television, revealing a tee shirt with a Muhammad cartoon on it. He is... More
February 19, 2006
Price of Kofi Soars
Claudia Rosett find what Kofi costs these days in a Weekly Standard expose: "Cash—for—Kofi: The U.N. secretary—general wins a half—million dollar prize in Dubai." Apparently the Left's celebrated candidate for Ruler of the World comes at a high price. But Mr.... More
February 18, 2006
Abu Ghraib pile-on continues in Germany
Davidsmedienkritik posts the latest cover of the mass circulation weekly magazine Der Spiegel, with its incendiary cover drawn from the latest batch of photos from Abu Ghraib, now years old. The cover caption reads: "America's Disgrace: Torture in the Name... More
February 18, 2006
First things first
Media Channel taped the Able Danger hearings and documents how little coverage they got——a total of 25 minutes on all TV channels. If only it were about birdshot and a hunting accident. Clarice Feldman 2 18 06... More
February 18, 2006
The great conservative slogan contest
Bookworm has posted the winners at Bookworm Room. Some of them are pretty good: Bush spied, terrorists died. Give peace a chance. Kill a terrorist. It takes a conservative to feed a liberal. Check them all out.... More
February 18, 2006
The jihad continues
Get set for dhimmitude, all you Kufrs. A million dollar bounty has been placed on the heads, according to a Muslim cleric in Pakistan. That will teach you to avoid offending the exaggerated sensibilities of radical Muslims. And this is... More
February 18, 2006
Able Danger Summary
A.J. Strata has summarized the Able Danger open hearings. And it appears that this program was working, that it was used to roll up Al Qaeda quickly after 9/11 , and that the reasons for discarding what it had uncovered... More
February 18, 2006
The Saddam tapes (2)
Today the Intelligence Summit released transcripts from the Saddam tapes on the intelligencesummit.org website. There are some interesting revelations in the MS PowerPoint presentation they have posted. The translation is indeed different than the one provided by ABC News. The... More
February 17, 2006
The Intelligence Summit
Much though we want tomorrow's Intelligence Summit to yield a smoking gun proving the existence of WMD in Iraq, the more we learn the more discouraged we get. The estimable Debbie Schlussel has cancelled her scheduled appearance (a first for... More
February 17, 2006
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam
That phrase in the title hardly requires translation, does it? Jesuits place the abbreviated form, AMDG, at the end of letters and other documents to indicate that what they've done has been done for the greater glory of God. Muslims... More
February 17, 2006
Hunters, not skiers
Rabbi Daniel Lapin has an interesting insight into the journalists' braying obsession with the Dick Cheney shooting incident. Yes, yes the mostly liberal media has an adversarial relationship with this administration and yes, yes they were peeved that no one... More
February 17, 2006
Hubert Humphrey weeping in his grave
Rick Moran has a moving article on Rightwing Nuthouse about the late Hubert Horatio Humphrey. Like me, Rick was first galvanized into his political fascination by the "Happy Warrior," a man whose purity of purpose and enormous personal charisma overhwelmed... More
February 17, 2006
BBC caves to Islamicist pressure
The UK Sun, reports that the BBC has caved in and is junking an already filmed episode of a hit series for fear of offending Muslims — because an al Qaeda terrorist is shot dead: a £1million episode of hit... More
February 17, 2006
The awful truth
Clueless liberal intellectuals never fail to astound us with their ignorance. Frenchman Bernard—Henri Levy is famous enough as a philosopher and left wing activist to be known by his initials BHL in chic French intellectual circles, as well as among... More
February 17, 2006
Feeding at the Saudi trough
Al Gore is far from unusual in taking money from the Saudis and echoing their propaganda. The San Francisco Chronicle reports: Back in August 2002, a congressional delegation was traveling around Saudi Arabia, home to 15 of the 19 al... More
February 17, 2006
Ray Robison on the Saddam tapes
Ray Robison, whose letter we published yesterday, writes again, regarding the Saddam tapes, John Loftus, and appearance of Bill Tierny last night on Hannity & Colmes. Here is the complete letter: Last night, Bill Tierney was on Hannity and Colmes... More
February 16, 2006
C-SPIN doesn't cover Able Danger
The Able Danger hearings yesterday were of considerable interest to many.Here's some background explaining why. Among other things, it is likely that they will highlight serious intelligence problems during the Clinton Administration, shortcomings which helped make 9/11 possible. Many expected that... More
February 16, 2006
Opposition grows to Dubai port acquisition
New York Sun reports that the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is considering raising obstacles to the takeover of their port, while members of Congress are also raising concerns. Frank Gaffney earlier pointed out in the Washington Times that... More
February 16, 2006
Anti-Christian hate crimes ignored by media
Jeff Jacoby wrote a powerful column yesterday in the Boston Globe, demonstrating the media's refusal to acknowledge even the possibility of anti—Christian hate crimes existing, despite strong evidence. Of course, the fact that so many major media themselves heap scorn... More
February 16, 2006
Missing headlines (a continuing series)
From Marketwatch: "Housing starts soar on warm weather — Jan. starts most since 1973; single—family homes set record" Ed Lasky 2 16 06... More
February 16, 2006
Caution on Loftus and the
Our contributor Rick Moran supplies a valuable caution on the Saddam tapes and John Loftus' claim of a "smoking gun." He also references Byron York's excellent post on NRO's The Corner and Lorie Byrd of Polipundit. ...when John Loftus, the... More
February 16, 2006
Information war upgrade
Understanding the vital importance of information operations, Multi—National Force—Iraq (MNF—I) just upgraded its website, now titled Operation Iraqi Freedom. The site still contains stories of successes, achievements & heroism which won't be found anywhere else in the media. And it... More
February 16, 2006
Dems
Redstate is well—connected on Capitol Hill and reports the Democratic party is heading toward a civil war: Howard Dean has compiled a solid file on the corruption of Harry Reid. For years Reid has operated as the quintessential back room... More
February 16, 2006
Reader letter
AT just received the following letter and we are passing it on. Absent assume the writer is who he claims he is, but have not had an opportunity to independently authenticate it. It does make sense. My name is Ray... More
February 15, 2006
Cheney's misfire
Unruly press conferences at the White House reveal the press as very upset at not being informed earlier about Cheney's hunting accident. And it may well be that providing information this was not handled as well as it could have... More
February 15, 2006
Al Gore's "Truth"
Fresh from pandering to the Saudis and several days after a major snowstorm along the East Coast which included the largest recorded snowfall in New York, a film on purported global warming featuring Al Gore is set to be released. ... More
February 15, 2006
No first hand knowledge
The authors of a UN report on "torture" at Guantanamo did not even visit the prison prison, according to the New York Sun. Authors of a report commissioned by the U.N. claiming that detainees in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, are being... More
February 15, 2006
False claim in NYT editorial
A New York Times editorial accuses the US and Israel of hypocrisy in allegedly planning to destabilize the Hamas government of the Palestinians because "two countries that have shouted the loudest about the need for Arab democracy." The terminology is... More
February 15, 2006
A second Iraqi former commander confirms WMDs
Slowly, very slowly, we are beginning to discover what happened to the WMDs of Saddam. The left and the antique media have made it an article of faith that there never were any WMDs, and that "Bush lied." So deep... More
February 15, 2006
Able Danger redux
LTC Anthony Schaffer, who was previously blocked from testifying publicly, will do so today at 2:30 Eastern Time this afternoon before the Strategic Forces Subcommittee. C—SPAN will carry it live. To refresh memories, Able Danger was established in 1999 at the... More
February 15, 2006
ABC to air Saddam tapes
According to Drudge, ABC News is planning to air tapes of Saddam discussing hitting Washington, DC, and confirming his posession of WMDs. The upcoming Intelligence Summit Feb. 17—20 has scheduled a public airing of these tapes, which have been authenticated... More
February 15, 2006
Damadola DNA
[quote] February 15, 2006: DNA analysis of the bodies recovered from the attack on an al Qaeda meeting in Pakistan last month, have confirmed that the main target, al Qaeda number two leader Ayman al Zawahiri, was not there. In... More
February 15, 2006
Dhimmitude in Norway
Bruce Bawer, an American writer resident in Norway (and a former lefty reporter for KQED radio in San Francisco), has a stunning report on the dhimmitude embraced by the government and establishment of that Nordic oil—producer, in the wake of... More
February 15, 2006
Coach molests 3 girls, sentenced to 1 year of work furlough
School athletic coaches have the potential to reach the youngsters placed in their charge as few other authority figures can. Embodying the quest for excellence, getting behind a student's aspirations for competition and improvement, a coach can sometimes turn around... More
February 14, 2006
The Sore of Gore
Their gluteus maximus bears a sore, A festering furuncle named Al Gore. A six year old deep down infection, Contagion caused by close election. Party doctors can't decide just what, Will cure this boil upon their butt, Knowing only that... More
February 14, 2006
Anti-American, anti-Semitic film a hit in Turkey
The anti—American and anti—Semitic movie Valley of the Woves—Iraq, described by Lee Kaplan here, is a hit with audiences in Turkey, at least according to the New York Times. ...scenes show ruthless marines killing Iraqis and soldiers mistreating inmates at... More
February 14, 2006
Democrats run away from NSA "scandal"
AJ Strata has been carefully watching the NSA "scandal" unravel and has some interesting news which confirms his long held belief that this is an important program and not unlawful. Most importantly, he disputes the often—heard argument that FISA was... More
February 14, 2006
Patrick Fitzgerald vs. Judith Miller redux
In 2005 Judge Robert Sweet, a federal district Court judge, denied Patrick Fitzgerald's motion to obtain the telephone records of then—New York Times reporter Judith Miller to ascertain her sources after she tipped off an Islamic charity of a coming... More
February 14, 2006
Freedom for cartoonists?
Where is the famous liberal cartoonist Art Spiegelman, who wrote Maus and then illustrated a cover of The New Yorker with a Hassid kissing a black woman? The same man who wrote In the Shadow of No Towers, a liberal rant against Pres.... More
February 14, 2006
Brazil's nuclear ambitions
Brazil has been sending mixed signals about their own 'right to nuclear power'... though they only recently voted to have Iran reported out to the board of governors of the IAEA to 'comply with the Nuclear Non— Proliferation Treaty.' During his... More
February 14, 2006
Important issues of the day
NYT wastes editorial page space today to slam Cheney for the "24 Hour gap" in reporting the accidental shooting while hunting. Let's see: we have an nuclearizing Iran, the cartoon crisis, Hamas victory, worldwide spread of genocidal anti—Semitism, and the... More
February 14, 2006
More from the Islamic Revolutionary Guards
"Iran's suicide bombers threaten to 'burn down' U.S. interests" A senior commander of Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) vowed that following the printing of insulting cartoons of Islam's prophet Muhammad in European dailies, the Islamic Republic's suicide volunteers... More
February 14, 2006
New York Times ignores fraud in Katrina Aid
The New York Times ran a front—page article today which criticizes the Bush Administration for stinginess in extending aid to Katrina victims. The article is replete with instances of people being asked to leave hotels where they have been staying... More
February 14, 2006
A Cuban-American meets Carlos Santana
In an amazing encounter, a traveling Cuban—American blogger known as Conductor ran into the Che Guevara—admiring Carlos Santana on the street in Sausalito. Santana is famous for wearing a great big Che t—shirt at the Oscars a couple years ago,... More
February 14, 2006
Our friends the Saudis
In this column, Maureen Dowd cooed over the Saudi Ambassador to America. She characterized Prince Turki al—Faisal as the "charming new envoy from the royal family." The very same Saudi Ambassador, who founded the Saudi equivalent of the Gestapo, just... More
February 13, 2006
Ahmadenijad's bullying gets more explicit
Intoxicated by his own rhetoric, the president of Iran gets more specific about his demands. The man who has, or is about to have, nuclear weapons laid it on the line in a mass rally in Tehran, Saturday: 'We ask... More
February 13, 2006
A solution to the FISA controversy
A solution to the FISA controversy is suggested in a Chicago Tribune op—ed by former Clinton Associate Attorney General who supports Bush, and is reinforced by a Tribune editorial explaining and endorsing the concept: John Schmidt, a prominent Chicago attorney and former... More
February 13, 2006
Even the poor are losing in Venezuela
Venezuela's Marxist dictatorship is destroying property rights across the country. We've noted in the past how it's happened in the countryside, at sugar farms, on nature reserves, among the large and small corporations, and in apartment and office buildings. But... More
February 13, 2006
Into the Maghrib
Seeking stronger military ties with North African states, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld stated Saturday from Tunis, 'We are continuing to participate with these three countries one way or another on military—to—military relations and that is something we value and want to... More
February 13, 2006
Al Gore panders to the Saudis
Whose side is Al Gore on? Saudi Arabia, one of the chief sponsors of terrorism in the world, a kleptocracy that has reaped hundreds and hundreds of billions from the poor of the world by oligopolistic control of oil, a nation... More
February 13, 2006
Publish or perish
Demonstrating again why the antique, legacy MSM is so well...antique and rapidly ossifying, Deborah Howell, the Washington Post's ombudsman, sets forth a long and twisting explanation why her oh—so—important newspaper didn't publish those mild cartoons. To be fair other media are... More
February 13, 2006
Oriana Fallaci beheaded
Robert Spencer covers an artistic outrage on exhibit in Milan for Front Page Magazine. An artist whose anti—American work is on exhibit features a painting of Italian author Oriana Fallaci beheaded. Fallaci faces trial in Italy for defaming Islam, but apparently... More
February 13, 2006
Moral preening
Bishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa is seen by many as unassailable because of his years in prison and his refusal to engage in retribution for apartheid. While he deserves credit for this, the man is no saint. As his... More
February 13, 2006
The OTHER cartoon angering Iran's leaders
The Iranian regime is angry about a cartoon that has no depiction of Muhammad. You can see it here. From the German Press Agency DPA: The new controversial cartoon shows the Iranian national team standing in a World Cup stadium... More
February 13, 2006
Iraqi mayor thanks American troops
The following comes from Col. Ren Hart. We know this is happening — we just don't hear it enough. John B. Dwyer As I'm sure you know, the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment has been serving in Iraq (its second deployment there) for the... More
February 12, 2006
Sacre bleu! France rapped over human rights
Aren't they supposed to be the exemplars of human rights? After all, their leaders regularly condemn America for human rights abuses. The BBC reports: France's law enforcement and prison system have been sharply criticised by Europe's human rights watchdog. The... More
February 12, 2006
The bravest man in the world?
The leader of Iran's surviving Jewish community takes on Ahmadinejad. The BBC reports: The chairman of Iran's Jewish Council has strongly criticised the country's hardline president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for saying the Holocaust was a myth. In a letter to the... More
February 12, 2006
What about our national security?
The Washington Times reports and alarming development: a United Arab Emirates firm is to take control of some ports in the US. A company in the United Arab Emirates is poised to take over significant operations at six American ports... More
February 12, 2006
Canada's Conservatives and Liberal Corruption
Paul Jackson, whose analyses here of Canada's election and the cabinet picks of new Conservative PM Harper have proven prescient, writes a hard—hitting column today in the Calgary Sun, one that Americans ought to read with great interest. It seems that... More
February 11, 2006
A must-read
Spengler, the provocative columnist for the Asia Times, has produced another must—read column on the subject of the cartoon crisis. And much more.... More
February 11, 2006
Amir Taheri on Iran: The second clock is ticking.
Amir Taheri just wrote a column in Asharq Al Awrsat pointing out that Iran's rush to nukes will be shaped by its domestic politics — specifically, an ongoing battle between the most dangerous faction led by Ahmadinejad, and a more... More
February 11, 2006
NSA leak investigation
The New York Times is reporting that the investigation of the NSA leaks is progressing rapidly, even as it implies it is only the right wing which is concerned about it and quotes a lawyer (Mr. Boutrous) to the effect... More
February 11, 2006
A Yemeni gambit?
Did Yemen look the other way as terrorists escaped its jail as a protest against aid cutoff? How should prisoners be treated? Certainly, this sort of gamesmanship is practiced throughout the region. American aid in return for help on the... More
February 11, 2006
Two big fat egos
Jack Shafer highlights two of the worst.... More
February 11, 2006
Update on the "failed" air strike
It seems that the media are hasty in reporting bad news when it regards works of the Bush administration. From Reuters via MSNBC: PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf said on Saturday he was almost certain a U.S. airstrike... More
February 11, 2006
The Muslim Brotherhood's strategy
Our contributor Olivier Guitta writes an excellent anlysis in the Weekly Standard of the foundations underlying the cartoon crisis, with a focus on the role of the nefarious Muslim Brotherhood in the incident and in a longer term strategy which the... More
February 11, 2006
The Great Conservative Slogan Contest
Bookworm Room is running the Great Conservative Slogan Contest, and you are eligible to vote. There are several amusing categories, and some of the slogans are very, very funny. Take a look, and as they used to say in Boston,... More
February 11, 2006
Labor unions outsource picketing
John Fund, writing in the subscription—only Wall Street Journal Political Diary, catches labor unions practicing exactly what they denounce large corportations such as Wal—Mart for doing. McClatchy Newspapers reports that in Washington, Baltimore, Atlanta and other cities, homeless shelters are... More
February 11, 2006
The Week the Sixties Died
The past 7 days may have been the week in which the over—hyped spirit of the 1960's has finally been put to rest. Who could have imagined the now prune—faced Rolling Stones as a half time nostalgia act at Super Bow... More
February 10, 2006
Media treason?
Accuracy in Media reports that the pro—terrorist, anti—American behavior of the mainstream media is beginning to disgust even those within these organizations. And well it should: ...producer/correspondent for CNN, Reuters Television and CBN News says that she is disgusted by... More
February 10, 2006
Curious George, imperialist lackey
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, quoth Freud. But for the lunatic left, one of my cherished memories of being read to as child is now revealed as species—ist, imperialist indoctrination. When I read these books to my kids (who... More
February 10, 2006
Where is Jimmy Carter when we need him?
Here's a question: If the U.S. is going to be giving out National Endowment for Democracy money, what happens when something goes horribly wrong and someone gets burned? That's what's happened to Maria Corina Machado, the democracy campaigner in Venezuela... More
February 10, 2006
Broken feedback loop for Democrats and Iran
Jack Risko of Dinocrat.com notices that President Ahmedinejad of Iran and the Democratic Party may suffer from a similar problem: misinterpreting the biased antique media as somehow representative of the feelings of Americans. The MSM have succumbed to fear of... More
February 10, 2006
Rebellious college kids' cartoons
Oh those rebellious college kids. Get them away from their parents' supervision and all of a sudden they think they know more than their wise elders. While outgoing Chicago Tribune public editor Don Wycliff (who is leaving the Trib for... More
February 10, 2006
Deja Vu
Walter Pincus leads off with yet another story from an Ex—CIA official whining about the Administration not taking the professionals' sage advice. This time, the whiner is Paul R.Pillar: "The former CIA official who coordinated U.S. intelligence on the Middle... More
February 10, 2006
NY Times gets it right
After the Commerce Department today announces the country's trade deficit numbers, which some experts say will hit record levels, get ready for another round of 'China is a growing economic threat' warnings coming from protectionist advocates like Senators Schumer and... More
February 10, 2006
Dems: no faith in their leadership
An unremarked upon aspect of the fracas over the NSA eavesdropping intelligence program is the implication that Democrats in Congress have no faith in their leadership. In bygone days when there was bipartisanship on foreign policy and security matters —... More
February 10, 2006
Muslim cartoon rage has many applications
The manufactured rage of the Muslim street over the 12 cartoons is now being factored in and discounted by countries facing their own issues in the Muslim world. Yesterday marked seven years since five Bulgarian nurses and one Palestinian doctor... More
February 10, 2006
Tom Friedman's tax-avoiding in-laws
New York Times columnist Tom Friedman has spilled a lot of ink over the last few years bemoaning the sorry state of schools in America — particularly in light of competition our children will be facing with those of upwardly—mobile... More
February 10, 2006
"Munich" screenwriter's false premise
Talk about timing. Tony Kushner, co—screenwriter of Steven Spielberg's film Munich —— about Israel's efforts to track down the planners of the murders by Palestinian terrorists of eleven Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympics —— defended himself in the Los... More
February 09, 2006
Iran to hang teenage girl attacked by rapists.
What kind of comment could possibly be needed about this? An Iranian court has sentenced a teenage rape victim to death by hanging after she weepingly confessed that she had unintentionally killed a man who had tried to rape both... More
February 09, 2006
Reasoned, seasoned censorship
Well, at last in black and white on paper and its online presence, a public editor of the Chicago Tribune shares his oh so seasoned, reasoned excuses for censoring those cartoons by Thinking out loud ...The economic value of a newspaper... More
February 09, 2006
Hugo Chavez's thugspeak
Does this sounds like the language of a world leader? "You've messed with me. Now, you will have to deal with me. From now on, I'm watching you, anything you do or say!" This is the menacing language of Venezuelan... More
February 09, 2006
No Cinco De Abramoff
First no Fitzmas, now no Cinco de Abramoff. It's a bad year for the party which has been counting on scandal to obviate the need for decent candidates and a popular platform: Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid wrote at least... More
February 09, 2006
Yet another Kerry flip-flop
John F. Kerry just can't help himself. It now turns out that he was opposed to Daily Kos before he was for it. The Washington Times reports: Sen. John Kerry blogs on his "diary" at the Daily Kos. [....] "John... More
February 09, 2006
The gift that keeps on giving
Howard Dean. To Republicans. Newsbusters reports: You're the host of a morning news show, and the head of the country's major opposition party has just invoked the danger of America under its current president becoming a police state akin to... More
February 09, 2006
Every three months?
Jack Risko of Dinocrat.com notices an odd regularity to events involving conflict between the Islamic world and the West. We don't know what the next excuse will be for large orchestrated Islamist riots, only that there will be one, and... More
February 09, 2006
Generosity no shield from Muslim wrath
Scandinavia offers lessons for those seeking to continue the supply of foreign aid to Hamas. The Reuters, via the Washington Post notes that the very Scandinavian nations which have been most generous in supplying aid to Muslim nations are now the... More
February 09, 2006
Cartoons and Cowardice
An article yesterday on The American Spectator website, "The Politics of Religious Mockery" by Patrick Hynes, is a typical example of the "Christians peaceful —— Muslims violent" genre that has exploded since the start of the Cartoon Jihad. The thesis... More
February 08, 2006
"Ashamed to be an Anglican"
Lord Carey, the former archbishop of Canterbury, has said that he is "ashamed to be an Anglican" following a vote of the Church of England to disinvest in companies like Caterpillar, whose products are used by Israeli forces in the... More
February 08, 2006
Winston Churchill wrote it a century ago
"How dreadful are the curses which Mohammedanism lays on its votaries! Besides the fanatical frenzy, which is as dangerous in a man as hydrophobia in a dog, there is this fearful fatalistic apathy. The effects are apparent in many countries.... More
February 08, 2006
Not so many biopics planned,
The late writer Richard Grenier (d. 2002) made these trenchant observations in his novel The Marrakesh One—Two [1983, pp. 3—4] which depicted the fictional travails of Burt Nelson. Attempting to film a version of the life of the Muslim prophet... More
February 08, 2006
Laid back, enlightened Santa Cruz
The latest in tolerance: Vandals painted anti—Christian messages on five churches and two other places with Christian ties in Santa Cruz over the weekend, police said Tuesday. The vandals equated Christianity with Nazism by stenciling a cross, an equal sign... More
February 08, 2006
Listening to Churchill (a poem)
It's the late 1930s and an old man paces The corridors of Parliament, as his country races To self destruction with the practiced eye Of those who deny and deny and deny. He waits and listens, shakes his head... More
February 08, 2006
NYT ediorial page and the
The New York Times editorial page cannot bring itself to use the word "Bush" when reporting positive developments. Instead of using the "B word" it praises "Washington." The New York Times editorial page lambastes Bush by name at every opportunity... More
February 08, 2006
Reversing Swedish censorship of Muhammad images
A correspondent in Sweden draws our attention to a Swedish news dispatch from the large newspaper Dagens Nyheter which says (so I am told — I don't read Swedish) that the book Religion, published by a Swedish company, was returned... More
February 08, 2006
Will Al Gore betray our allies, the Danes?
Judith Apter Klinghoffer raises an important question: WILL AL GORE TOO BETRAY OUR DANISH ALLIES?On Saturday the annual Jeddah Economic Forum 2006 will open and Denmark will not be invited. I suspect a more precise wording would be that Denmark... More
February 08, 2006
Early release for convicted terrorist in Germany
Reuters reports that Mounir El Motassadeq, a Moroccan man convicted in August of membership in a terrorist organisation and sentenced to seven years in prison, will be released early, an official in the Hamburg Justice Ministry said on Tuesday. "I... More
February 08, 2006
Burning Bush in a Georgia Church
Somebody owes President Bush an apology. While honoring the life of Coretta Scott King at a memorial service in an Atlanta church, the President took political shots from Joseph Lowry, the co—founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and then... More
February 08, 2006
Rural riots and denial in China
Our contributor Brian Schwarz highlights in his blog China Challenges the deep denial of Chinese authorities about the escalating domestic unrest they face. Last month, Beijing reported that the number of disturbances to public order rose 6.6 per cent last... More
February 08, 2006
Jimmy Carter did it again
Our frequent contributor Matt May casts a gimlet eye on the worst former president in history, Jimmy Carter, and his disgraceful behavior at the funeral yesterday of Coretta Scott King. Read it at his blog Matt May. An excerpt: How low... More
February 07, 2006
Responding to hatred of a religion
Barcepundit supplies a helpful reminder of the way in which Americans responded to a deliberate and hateful insult to the largest religion in our country — when Sinead O'Connor sang a song harshly critical of the Catholic Church and finished... More
February 07, 2006
A Bat Ye'or reading list
For those who have not yet purchased Bat Ye'or's important book Eurabia, here are some some more Bat Ye'or links. These are articles I've saved and all the links are still good. The first two are pre— 9/11 and, in... More
February 07, 2006
Mohammed in textbooks
The potential seeds of a Moslem victory in Europe have been sown; a Swedish publishing company has withdrawn a decade old textbook because of two pictures of yep...Mohammed. And just who drew these pictures? Danish cartoonists? Crusader descendants? Jews? The pictures... More
February 07, 2006
King's funeral at mega church
Well, you can't please everyone I guess. Even the funeral of Coretta Scott King is causing some grumbling because The church where Coretta Scott King's funeral will be held is not the historic inner—city church where her husband preached but... More
February 07, 2006
Blame it on the Super Bowl
Brokeback Mountain again expanded in release on last Friday, from 1522 theaters to 2,089. And for the second weekend in a row, its box office gross receipts fell, this time by 8.2% to $6.003 million. Last week Hollywood analysts found... More
February 07, 2006
Plame quickies
In re—reading Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald's affidavit (now online thanks to the blog YARGB), I notice that he recites the events of the Mission to Africa from Wilson's storyline and describes Wilson as a "whistleblower" long after the Senate Select Commission... More
February 07, 2006
An open letter to the Chicago Tribune
Reader Steven Peck has given us permission to publish as an open letter his message sent to the editors of the Chicago Tribune, which they have so far declined to publish in their own pages. It follows below: The Chicago... More
February 07, 2006
The Chavez campaign kickoff
In yet another mockery of democracy, Venezuela's Hugo Chavez has kicked off his presidential re—election campaign ... illegally early and using misappropriated government funds, for it is not with bankrupt ideas that he leads his masses — but with buyoffs... More
February 07, 2006
Blatant New York Times cartoon hypocrisy
The New York Times runs an editorial today objecting to newspapers publishing the cartoons that caricatured Mohammed. The Times feels that the cartoons were needlessly insensitive and pats itself on the back for refraining from running them. Given the self—righteous... More
February 07, 2006
Indispensible manual in the War on Terror
There are emerging some indispensable 'manuals' for the Global War on Terror (GWOT). One of those is Eurabia by Bat Ye'or, referenced recently elsewhere on AT. Another is Tony Blankley's book The West's Last Chance. Consider this imagined 'Nightmare Scenario'... More
February 07, 2006
Weighing the Options
Every time I hear some liberal Democrat ranting about our not providing enough armor to protect the troops I just shake my head and tell myself, that idiot's obviously never humped a ruck in combat. Hell, most combat infantrymen in... More
February 06, 2006
Some ads are more equal than others
The liberal mainstream press has come up with a new way to stem its falling revenues. An "open forum" op—ed article in the San Francisco Chronicle calls for the federal government to ban all TELEVISION AND RADIO commercials for new... More
February 06, 2006
Iran and the cartoon crisis
The always—insightful Jack Risko of Dinocrat.com — a site we highly recommend — sees a complex game underway in the cartoon crisis. Read the whole thing. The escalation and counter—escalation of rhetoric and action seem to us to indicate... More
February 06, 2006
What women don't need
"What do women want?" psychiatry's founding father Sigmund Freud famously asked. Well apparently even some women don't know even though they think they do. Or maybe the question is just inherently unanswerable. Yeah, that's it. Thinking women absolutely needed a new... More
February 06, 2006
Nothing new...
This remarkably prescient interview Bat Ye'or gave in 1993, which was published in early 1994 in Midstream, and is available at this link, from her dhimmitude.org website. NONE of the talking heads, academic "pundits" etc. around today have even caught... More
February 06, 2006
Appeasement won't work: The lesson of France
The State Department has in effect sided with Islamists in the cartoon controversy. This stance of appeasement certainly will not win the U.S. Moslems' good graces. Nothing will. We have to look no further than France to see that any... More
February 06, 2006
Why Jack Straw should be replaced
An anomaly in the British structure of Government is that members of the Cabinet can also hold seats in the Parliament. We know that most politicians are eager to hold onto their positions of power. Jack Straw, the Foreign Minister... More
February 06, 2006
The West's only hope
America — the West's only hope This past weekend Moslems marched straight through the heart of London carrying placards and chanting slogans calling for Europe's annihilation. And the British authorities just stood by. There were no arrests and no effort... More
February 06, 2006
The abject cowardice of the mainstream media
The trumped—up Danish cartoon crisis in which three vicious and pornographic cartoons were secretly spread around the Islamic world, claiming that they were published by the Danish newspaper Jyllands—Posten, throws a harsh light on the moral cowardice of our mainstream... More
February 05, 2006
Protecting the Islamic brand
I found this remark as fascinating as the Charles Moore did in his Telegraph article "If you get rid of the Danes, you'll have to keep paying the Danegeld" On the Today programme yesterday, Stewart Lee, author of Jerry Springer:... More
February 05, 2006
A pair of pictures
A pair of pictures has emerged from the cartoon controversy that shows just what is wrong with the West's let's—get—along crowd. One photograph depicts a group of angry Muslim students in Pakistan burning an effigy of the Danish Prime Minister.... More
February 05, 2006
Quite a charmer
The new Saudi Ambassador to the United States, Prince Turki al—Faisal, was responsible for the growth and the overwhelming power of the Saudi Secret Police. He has worked with terror—supporting groups and sponsored the growth of anti—Semitism around the world.... More
February 05, 2006
Celebrating the power to make newspapers cower
When journalists around the world are defending European media's right to publish cartoons that are caricatures of Mohammed (and that in some cases are forgeries, apparently by Muslim agitators), one syndicated American columnist, Ray Hanania, scripts a column that celebrates... More
February 05, 2006
Anne Frank and Adolf Hitler in bed?
Dutch Islamists post cartoons of Anne Frank and Adolf Hitler in bed. Just as it seeks to enforce a global norm that one respect the religious prohibition against images of Muhammad, Muslims go out of their way to be offensive to... More
February 05, 2006
WaPo op ed goes off the deep end
The Washington Post today publishes on op—ed by Abdallah Alsami, identified as a Gaza resident and employee of a Palestinian NGO, which goes straight into propaganda territory. Israel is responsible for the Hamas win. Palestinians were voting not for the destruction... More
February 05, 2006
Empathy and the Muhammad cartoons
Our frequent contributor Rick Moran writes on his site Rightwing Nuthouse of the importance of empathy and his reservations about publication of the Muhammad cartoons. Muslims don't just find these cartoons offensive. They consider them so far beyond the pale... More
February 04, 2006
No guns, please?
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is one of those places where you can find plutonium, uranium, and every other dangerous substance coveted by the world's terrorists and terror—sponsoring states. It's also got live nuclear bombs. There aren't many places in the... More
February 04, 2006
The NYT attempts humor
In an article about the leadership of Hamas, the NYT starts with a charming anecdote about a doctor who obviously does not believe in the Hippocratic oath. In an interview a few years ago, Mahmoud Zahar, a surgeon and senior... More
February 04, 2006
LA Times gives Cindy Sheehan op-ed space
Mother Sheehan joins a previous honoree this past week, Khaled Meshaal, who spun Hamas as a force for good; compared its principles to the Constitution and Declaration of Independence,—but could not refrain from declaring his promise that Israel will be... More
February 04, 2006
NYT comes "crawling back"
William Grimes writes in the New York Times: WE came crawling back, of course. Is anyone out there skipping over the Burgundies on the wine list and, just to twist the knife a littler harder, opting for a tangy Finger... More
February 04, 2006
Whatever happened to John Bull?
This past week, there were vocal protests in London over the Danish cartoons that have sparked a violent reaction throughout the Islamic world. Hundreds of Muslim protesters, dressed in terrorist and Taliban garb, waved placards with slogans such as 'freedom... More
February 04, 2006
Some deal!
You are kind enough to accept refugees into your home. Yougive them aid and comfort and the fruits of an advanced social welfare system. They reject your rights of free speech and democratic values. They protest over cartoons, boycott your products,... More
February 04, 2006
Losing the fight for Europe?
David Schwammenthal, a member of the Wall Street Journal editorial board, writes today on the paper's subscriber—only website that Denmark has in effect capitulated in the cartoon crisis, and that this bodes ill for the future of Europe. It is... | 
