A Fired Up Muslim Speaks

This is one of the better articles I've seen in recent times. I found it on LGF, and I think it should be seen by everyone. Read it, email it, talk about it, read it again.

The Muslim Mind is on Fire

Youssef M. Ibrahim
July 26, 2005

DUBAI -- The world of Islam is on fire. Indeed, the Muslim mind is on fire. Above all, the West is now ready to take both of them on.

The latest reliable report confirms that on average 33 Iraqis die every day, executed by Iraqis and foreign jihadis and suicide bombers, not by US or British soldiers. In fact, fewer than ever US or British soldiers are dying since the invasion more than two years ago. Instead, we now watch on television hundreds of innocent Iraqis lying without limbs, bleeding in the streets dead or wounded for life. If this is jihad someone got his religious education completely upside down.

Palestine is on fire, too, with Palestinian armed groups fighting one another - Hamas against Fatah and all against the Palestinian Authority. All have rendered Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas impotent and have diminished the world's respect and sympathy for Palestinian sufferings.

A couple of weeks ago London was on fire as Pakistani and other Muslims with British citizenship blew up tube stations in the name of Islam. Al Qaeda in Europe or one of its franchises proclaimed proudly the killing of 54 and wounding 700 innocent citizens was done to "avenge Islam" and Muslims.

Madrid was on fire, too, last year, when Muslim jihadis blew up train stations killing 160 people and wounding a few thousands.

The excuse in all the above cases was the war in Iraq, but let us not forget that in September 2001, long before Iraq, Osama Bin Laden proudly announced that he ordered the killing of some 3,000 in the United States, in the name of avenging Islam. Let us not forget that the killing began a long time before the invasion of Iraq.

Indeed, jihadis have been killing for a decade in the name of Islam. They killed innocent tourists and natives in Morocco and Egypt, in Africa, in Indonesia and in Yemen, all done in the name of Islam by Muslims who say that they are better than all other Muslims. They killed in India, in Thailand and are now talking of killing in Germany and Denmark and so on. There were attacks with bombs that killed scores inside Shia and Sunni mosques, inside churches and inside synagogues in Turkey and Tunisia, with Muslim preachers saying that it is okay to kill Jews and Christians - the so called infidels.

Above all, it is the Muslim mind that is on fire.

The Muslim fundamentalist who attacked the Dutch film director Theo Van Gogh in the Netherlands, stabbed him more than 23 times then cut his throat. He recently proudly proclaimed at his trial: "I did it because my religion - Islam - dictated it and I would do it again if were free." Which preacher told this guy this is Islam? That preacher should be in jail with him.

Do the cowardly jihadis who recruit suicide bombers really think that they will force the US Army and British troops out of Iraq by killing hundreds of innocent Iraqis? US troops now have bases and operate in Iraq but also from Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Oman.

The only accomplishment of jihadis is that now they have aroused the great "Western Tiger". There was a time when the United States and Europe welcomed Arab and Muslim immigrants, visitors and students, with open arms. London even allowed all dissidents escaping their countries to preach against those countries under the guise of political refugees.

Well, that is all over now. Time has become for the big Western vengeance.

Visas for Arab and Muslim young men will be impossible to get for the United States and Western Europe. Those working there will be expelled if they are illegal, and harassed even if their papers are in order.

Airlines will have to right to refuse boarding to passengers if their names even resemble names on a prohibited list on all flights heading to Europe and the United States.

What is more important to remember is this: When the West did unite after World War II to beat communism, the long Cold War began without pity. They took no prisoners. They all stood together, from the United States to Norway, from Britain to Spain, from Belgium to Switzerland. And they did bring down the biggest empire. Communism collapsed.

I fear those naïve Muslims who think that they are beating the West have now achieved their worst crime of all. The West is now going to war against not only Muslims, but also, sadly, Islam as a religion.

In this new cold and hot war, car bombs and suicide bombers here and there will be no match for the arsenal that those Westerners are putting together - an arsenal of laws, intelligence pooling, surveillance by satellites, armies of special forces and indeed, allies inside the Arab world who are tired of having their lives disrupted by demented so-called jihadis or those bearded preachers who, under the guise of preaching, do little to teach and much to ignite the fire, those who know little about Islam and nothing about humanity.

Youssef M. Ibrahim, a former Middle East correspondent for The New York Times and energy editor of the Wall Street Journal, is managing director of the Dubai-based Strategic Energy Investment Group

To Paradise and Back Again

Thanks for the nice well-wishes and all that. The wedding was fantastic. It happened on July 2nd in NYC- probably the most beautiful day the city will have this year. The honeymoon was beyond spectacular. It kicked off on July 4th with dinner and fireworks on a Maui beach. It only got better from there. My wife is the greatest, and I'm now officially the luckiest man in the world.

Other Important Stuff

I don't think I can say anything about the London bombings that hasn't already been said. What a sad and pathetic culture that breeds such senseless savagery...

Not sure who the next Supreme Court Justice will be, but I'm not in the running- squash the rumors NOW.

The Laughably Lame Valerie Plame Name Game- what an unbelievable joke. If you haven't educated yourself about this media-manufactured non-scandal by now, you must dive into it- it's a great laugh, I assure you. Desperation can be really funny. I think Fox News' John Gibson has the best take on it- I like the way he compared it to the Sandy "Pants" Berger fiasco:

Let's tee up a big screaming match about whether a high official of the White House committed a crime by breaching security in a dust-up over terrorists like Saddam Hussein and Usama bin Laden.

No, I'm not talking about Karl Rove. I'm talking about Sandy Berger stuffing secrets into his socks so the 9/11 Commission wouldn't be able to see what he and Bill Clinton were really thinking and saying and doing about Usama bin Laden.

Let's see now, what happened when Berger got caught with the secrets in his socks?

Hmmm. Did we hear the Democratic senators and congressmen wailing about breaking national security? No, we did not.

Did we hear them harrumphing about how a White House operative was tanking an official investigation, trying to steer the snoopy voters in another direction, away from the officials' own complacency, or moral turpitude?

Nawww, we didn't hear that.

But we're hearing it now.

Even the sainted Amb. Joe Wilson has now admitted his wife was not in a covert status when Karl Rove explained to a Time magazine reporter it wasn't Dick Cheney who sent Wilson off to Niger, but that it was Wilson's wife. She recommended him, telling her bosses he had loads of contacts in Africa.

So Wilson comes back and says no reason to think Saddam wanted to build a nuke bomb out of Nigerian yellow cake — the uranium you need for a bomb.

Evidently, Bush and Cheney didn't believe him. Neither did the Select Committee investigating pre-war intelligence. They said Wilson was wrong and didn't tell the truth — could you say lied — about who sent him to Africa.

But, oh no, sorry Valerie Plame is a CIA agent with covert status. Can't tell the country she was the one who set her husband up to go tank a report on a key question leading up to the war.

No, no no. She's a spook you see. She only acts like a political hack trying to pull strings on national policy from behind a curtain.

The American people aren't allowed to know who she is when she does something like that. She's covert, don't you know. And Sandy Berger, the guy with the secrets in his socks? He just gets a pass.

Why? They're Dems, as in 'Dems' the wrong guys to blame.

That's My Word.

Be sure to check out his rubuttal to his rebuttals as well.

Durbin Must Go- Happy July 4th!

I'm usually a forgive and forget kind of guy.

But I will never forgive Senator Durbin for saying what he said about the brave men and women who put their lives on the line for him on a daily basis.

He is an enemy of the United States and should not win another election. Ever. For any office.

I will gladly assist any and all efforts to ensure that Dick Durbin is voted out of office, and I would ask anyone who would ever consider voting for him to look themselves in the mirror and strongly consider the implications of their actions.

The following post is borrowed from the great people at http://www.moveamericaforward.org/. (Many thanks to Joe Wierzbicki)

****From MoveAmericaForward.Org****

Bloggers, website hosts, and others who support the war against terrorism and our troops who bravely fight it. WE NEED YOUR HELP.

Tuesday night President Bush gave a speech from Fort Hood to rally public support for our troops and the important missions they are serving in the fight against terrorism.

There should be NO DOUBT that the President's opponents will surely use the following days as a staging ground to step up their continuing political insurgency - designed to undermine support amongst Americans for the fight against terrorism just as the terrorist insurgents in Iraq seek to undermine support amongst the Iraqi citizenry for a free, democratic and peaceful Iraq.

The political insurgents of the "Blame America First" crowd in America launched their jihad against Operation Iraqi Freedom before it even began (actually even before Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan when led by Congresswoman Barbara Lee they implored us to "Bomb Them With Bread").

They tell us the war in Iraq has nothing to do with Al Qaeda even as their liberal journalist brethren report on the near daily attacks against civilians and Coalition Forces alike by the group "al Qaeda in Iraq" led by Abu Musab Al Zarqawi.

Increasingly, they've resorted to the macabre practice of celebrating "bad news" in the war effort - hoping such news will once and for all discreditthe Bush Administration and anyone who supports the mission in Iraq. They impatiently waited like groupies lined up in advance of a big rock concert for the day the death toll of U.S. Troops in Iraq reached 1,000 - ready with their pre-printed newspaper headlines and NightLine specials to decry thewar effort.

And in recent weeks they've sunk to new lows - orchestrating a multi-front propaganda campaign to make the American public believe that our own sons and daughters serving at GITMO had become infected with some real life "Lord of the Flies" syndrome. becoming the butchers and torturers of the "Nazis, Soviets in their gulags, or some mad regime-Pol Pot or others-that had no concern for human beings."

That last quote of course belongs to Senator Dick Durbin - which gets us to our point.

That the Senator from Illinois was able to utter those words and proceed without a slap on the wrist, without censure by the Senate, and with a near media blackout of his abhorrent behavior by the old line liberal media establishment (aka "mainstream media") cannot be something we tolerate.

We must stand toe to toe with the likes of Senator Durbin in the battle for the hearts and minds of the American public, and we must not allow conduct like Senator Durbin's to stand without consequence.

We need the help of you and your readers/followers/admirers/friends/loved ones and others - to make an example of Senator Dick Durbin. We must make the American public (who largely are still unaware of the Senator's initial statements) aware that these are the tactics being used by those who wish to rile them up into a frenzied state of "BRING THEM HOME NOW" Vietnamization.

On July 4th - Independence Day from those who seek to undermine our national resolve - we will begin a television ad campaign to hold Senator Dick Durbin accountable for his denouncement of our troops. The first ad, "TorturedWords," will air nationwide on cable news channels (Fox News, CNN, etc.) and in Illinois on the major broadcast affiliates (ABC, CBS, NBC, etc.)

However, we need your help to raise the remaining money for airtime in just a few days time.

We are about $174,832 short of our initial budget for the ad campaign. That means we need another 6,993 Americans to contribute an average of $25 to the ad campaign. (Or less Americans to contribute a slightly larger amount).

We haven't got much time to get our order for airtime in with the networks -will you please help us spread word of our efforts - and need for assistance?

The first ad - "TORTURED WORDS" can be seen at our website:

http://www.MoveAmericaForward.org

Direct link to the first ad is:

http://www.moveamericaforward.org/Video/MAFO-7449-HI.wmv

And individuals may contribute online at:

http://www.MoveAmericaForward.org/Contribute

We plan to keep the pressure up after this initial ad run - with a longer 60-second spot featuring the Senator in his own words - but 60-second ads cost twice as much as our current 30-second spot, so first things first. We must pay for our more modest media budget before we worry about the future.

In the 24-hour media cycle we have a tendency to move on to the next story before the last one has ever been fully told. We CANNOT afford to do this with Senator Durbin. We must push back for once and turn the tables in the war for hearts and minds. Let us return the news cycle to the need to hold Senator Durbin accountable and let us demonstrate to those who relish a return to the 1960's that they best put their plans for Woodstock 2006, their campus riots and their spitting upon returning U.S. Troops on hold. We're not going to let them conjure up that kind of America again.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Sincerely, Melanie Morgan & Howard Kaloogian
Move America Forwardhttp://www.MoveAmericaForward.org

P.S. Lest you think our commitment to this cause is not complete, please note that later today we will be sending you an update on "The Truth Tour" -we will be traveling to Iraq July 7th -17th, along with fellow MAF BoardMember, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Buzz Patterson (the man who carried the nuclear football during the Clinton Administration), leading a delegation of talk radio hosts who will interview our troops and allow them to report to America on the accomplishments they are making in Iraq that never get reported by certain media outlets. We're prepared to walk the walk ourselves - and not just ask others to help us in this just cause.

****End Post form MoveAmericaForward.Org****

Have a great 4th, everyone- I'll be honeymooning!!

So Sick of This

I'm so sick of today's so-called "media," I simply had to write something. How pathetic is this article?

Let's examine it, shall we?

FBI Records Cite Quran Abuse Allegations

By ROBERT BURNS, AP Military Writer

WASHINGTON - Terror suspects at the Guantanamo Bay prison told U.S. interrogators as early as April 2002, just three months after the first detainees arrived, that military guards abused them and desecrated the Quran, declassified FBI records say.


That's the OPENING of the article!! He might as well have written it thusly:

Before you read anything else that I'm about to tell you in this article- I want you to know that I'm about to tell you what the honest and forthright terrorists are saying about the evil US interrogators at Gitmo.

Let's look further into this sordid tale of US atrocities-

"Their behavior is bad," one detainee is quoted as saying of his guards during an interrogation by an FBI special agent in July 2002. "About five months ago the guards beat the detainees. They flushed a Quran in the toilet."

Nice work, Mr. Burns!! Let's go ahead and be a sounding board for terrorist propagandists!!!

Better to leave the "evil US" version of events buried somewhere towards the end of the article-

Pentagon officials have said recently that the public claims by released detainees were not credible and that the terror suspects held at Guantanamo Bay had been trained to make such false claims.

Indeed, the FBI records cite at least one instance in which a detainee is said to have falsely claimed that a guard had dropped a Quran. "In actuality the detainee dropped the Quran and then blamed the guard. Many other detainees reacted to this claim," the FBI document said, and that sparked an uprising "on or about 19-20 July 2002."

In response to a recent Newsweek story, later retracted, that U.S. officials had confirmed allegations of Quran desecration at Guantanamo Bay, Pentagon officials have said repeatedly that they have turned up no credible, substantiated claims that U.S. military guards had deliberately treated the Muslim holy book with disrespect.

Wow, that might have been good to have at the BEGINNING of the article. No such luck for the bad Americans.

And then today, we get the same garbage from the same guy.

The newsies want us to believe that a small handful of soldiers who may or may not have "mishandled" the Muslim holy book is a news story. I don't buy it. Why am I supposed to get excited about alleged "Quran mishandling" when I know for a fact that if I attempted to bring a Bible or Torah into just about any Arab state, my head would quickly find itself detached from my body?

You want something worth reading? Read this.

Hypocrisy Most Holy

Muslims should show some respect to others' religions.

BY ALI AL-AHMED Friday, May 20, 2005 12:01 a.m. EDT

With the revelation that a copy of the Quran may have been desecrated by U.S. military personnel at Guantanamo Bay, Muslims and their governments--including that of Saudi Arabia--reacted angrily. This anger would have been understandable if the U.S. government's adopted policy was to desecrate our Quran. But even before the Newsweek report was discredited, that was never part of the allegations.

As a Muslim, I am able to purchase copies of the Quran in any bookstore in any American city, and study its contents in countless American universities. American museums spend millions to exhibit and celebrate Muslim arts and heritage. On the other hand, my Christian and other non-Muslim brothers and sisters in Saudi Arabia--where I come from--are not even allowed to own a copy of their holy books. Indeed, the Saudi government desecrates and burns Bibles that its security forces confiscate at immigration points into the kingdom or during raids on Christian expatriates worshiping privately...(read the rest)

This guy is a Muslim worth listening to. Why do we allow people like him to be drowned out by inciteful accusations made by terrorists who clearly aim to energize their suicide-happy base? Well, it's because of responsible truth-seekers like good 'ol Robert Burns, of course!

Robert Burns hates America. I'm sure Michael Moore is happy to have him in the club...

Haim Harari Wrote a Book!

Hello all. Sorry it took so long to get to this- civilianing is harder than I thought it would be!

I was obviously thrilled when I saw that Haim Harari turned his awesome speech into a book (A VIEW FROM THE EYE OF THE STORM), but I was even more thrilled with the way I found out about it. I got an email from his publicist, who found my blog entry about Haim's speech, and he offered to send me a copy of the book so that I could write a review, and perhaps conduct an online interview with Haim! I thought that was really amazing, and of course I took him up on the offer. He sent me the book the next day, and I plan on reading it this weekend. I'll write my review soon after. I'm certain it will be a favorable review- the guy is a genuis.

More Good News

U.S. Marine cleared in shooting of Iraqi

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Marine Corps has ruled that no charges will be filed against a Marine in the fatal shooting of a wounded and unarmed Iraqi in a Falluja mosque last November in an incident shown in a television pool report, a spokesman said on Wednesday.

After a five-month investigation, the Marine Corps determined that the Marine corporal fired in self-defense and will not face court-martial, spokesman Lt. Col. T.V. Johnson said.

Welcome news, indeed.

This Looks Interesting

Sent: 05 May 05 11.06
To: West Point Class Leaders
Subject: Update on 60 Minutes 2005 Coverage

Dear Class Leaders,

I got a return message based on the information I provided on the 60 Minutes piece on the Class of 2005, expressing some concern that the coverage might not be positive. Because I thought there might be some credibility to that concern I contacted our Public Affairs Office and posed the question. The following is what they have provided.

"-We anticipate a positive story from CBS-TV's "Sixty Minutes" that will set the tone for other graduation media coverage. In particular, we are pleased that throughout the project we were able to remain true to our original premise so the segment will focus on how West Point has changed and how cadets (Class of 2005) prepare to meet the challenges of today's OEF/OIF world environment. The segment will feature several aspects of West Point to include interviews with the Dean and several First Class cadets and footage of classes, technology, Sandhurst military skills competition, etc. It will also include interviews with 1LT Andy Blickhahn (former Cadet First Captain now serving in Iraq) and Dr Leonard Wong from the U.S. Army War College on adaptable leaders.

Barring any major breaking news, CBS-TV 60 Minutes is scheduled to air the segment on this Sunday, May 8, at 7 p.m. EST. It should be the second story to run (a Vladimir Putin story may be first) and has quite a long run-time at 12 and a half minutes."

I'll be interested to see what the young Cadets are doing these days...

Paula Abdul...

...is so guilty, it's not even funny. She should start looking for a new job now.

Some Big News- Spread the Word, Please!

As most of you know, I've been a bit scarce during these past few months, so there probably aren't that many people coming by these days- no problem, I understand. For those of you who inexplicably continue to drop by (thanks!), I'd like to ask a favor. Please help me get the following announcement to as many people as humanly possible- it's for a good cause, I assure you.

DESERT SKY IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE!!!!!!!

Please order a copy today, and tell everyone you know about it. I'll be happy to field any and every question you feel like asking about anything you see in this film- just send them to my email or post them in any comments box. I saw a sneak preview a few months ago when I was still in Kuwait, and I think Eric did a great job of capturing our experience on film. Congrats to Eric for bringing this project to fruition...

And Then There's This

Can you believe RightWingSparkle? She's the coolest. Somehow, she thought I was worthy enough to be on the business end of a hard-hitting online interview! I was flattered to say the very least. Check out the first installment here. I'm about to answer the rest of her questions right now, so I'm guessing she'll post the finale sometime this week- subject to current events, I'm sure. Stay tooned! Update: Part II is up already!

And As If That Weren't Enough...

Something very cool happened to me the other day. I can't wait to tell you about it. Here's a hint: it involves Haim Harari- one of those brilliant minds on this planet...more tomorrow.

Jane Takes On Big Tobacco

I don't condone this sort of behavior AT ALL. But I just felt that this story should be shared with as many people as possible...

Missouri Man Spits on Jane Fonda

TIM CURRAN, Associated Press Writer

A man spit tobacco juice into the face of actress Jane Fonda after waiting in line to have her sign her new book, police said. The man ran off but was quickly caught by police Tuesday night and charged with disorderly conduct.

Fonda has been on tour and doing interviews to promote her just-published memoir, "My Life So Far." The thrice-married, two-time Academy Award winner covers a wide array of topics, including her 1972 visit to Hanoi to protest the Vietnam War, during which she was photographed on a North Vietnamese anti-aircraft gun. She has apologized for that photo, but not for opposing the war.

Capt. Rich Lockhart of the Kansas City Police Department said that although Fonda did not want to press charges against Michael A. Smith, 54, of Kansas City, he was arrested on a municipal charge of disorderly conduct after off-duty officers caught him just outside Unity Temple, where Fonda was signing books.

Lockhart said Smith was released on bond late Tuesday night and is due to appear in municipal court on May 27.

Smith, a Vietnam veteran, told The Kansas City Star on Wednesday that Fonda was a "traitor" and that her protests against the war were unforgivable. He said he normally does not chew tobacco but did so Tuesday solely to spit juice on the actress.

"I consider it a debt of honor," he told The Star for a story on its Web site, www.kansascity.com. "She spit in our faces for 37 years. It was absolutely worth it. There are a lot of veterans who would love to do what I did."

Fonda drew a crowd of about 900 for her appearance, said Vivian Jennings, whose Rainy Day Books of suburban Fairway, Kan., sponsored the event at Unity Temple in Kansas City. Fonda, 67, spoke for about 15 minutes, answered questions for another 15, then began signing copies of her book.

Jennings said Fonda received a standing ovation when she came out and when she finished speaking. Alan Tilson, one of those who had his book signed but left before the incident, said the crowd was very "warm and supportive" to Fonda and he was surprised to learn what had happened.

Jennings said the actress never got up from her seat and continued autographing books after the tobacco juice was wiped off.

"The important thing is that she was so calm and so gracious about it," Jennings said of Fonda. "She was wonderful."

Jennings said that the man had a book to which the name "Jody" had been affixed as he approached to have it autographed. She said that when Fonda got the book, she looked up and said, "You're not Jody."

"At that moment, he turned his head quickly and spit a trail of tobacco juice," Jennings said. "He immediately jumped off the stage and started running down the aisle."

Fonda, who flew to Minneapolis Wednesday for another appearance on the book tour she began April 5, issued a statement through Jynne Martin of Random House, which published her book.

"In spite of the incident, my experience in Kansas City was wonderful and I thank all the warm and supportive people, including so many veterans, who came to welcome me last night," Fonda said.

In Other News

I have some exciting things coming up in the next few days- two interviews. Stay tooned to find out more...

Medal of Honor

Well deserved...

Darrell Carver

Okay, so I'm finally getting settled into my new locale, and I'm about ready to start making noise again. I'll start by posting this great email from Owen West. Looks like Owen wrote this article himself- nice job, Owen...

Below is a short article about a Marine shot 4 times and then fragged in Fallujah. The sacrifice by all the Marines and soldiers in Operation Al Fajr--including those who fought in the April battle--brought extraordinary results. Fallujah has turned from hornet's nest into one of the more peaceful cities in the triangle. Indeed, the excision of the terrorists in Fallujah is directly correlated to the overall drop in violence and the spectacular election. Semper Fi

The Few

The path Darrell Carver chose out of his Salt Lake City high school was similar to that taken by other overachieving classmates. He'd married his high school sweetheart when he was 20, had three wonderful kids by the time he was 27, and was leading an elite team for his company by the time he was 28, sating his mild addictions to fitness and hunting when the occasional free hour presented itself.

But Carver followed a calling imbued in just a sliver of the population. On November 20th, 2004, while most of his peers were in office parks earning money with keyboards, Darrell Carver was approaching a tin-plated door in the heart of Fallujah, Iraq, with his rifle stock held firm in the crook of a shoulder tattooed with "USMC" and two terrorists praying to end him on the other side.

Gunnery Sergeant Carver is a member of an elite slice of America that has emerged on the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq: the warrior class. Drawn from across the socio-economic spectrum by an uncommon confluence of duty, adventure, and martial spirit, this all-volunteer cadre has demonstrated that it belongs among history's elite fighting units.

That men like Carver choose to serve in combat arms, a deadly profession in which few transferable civilian skills are gleaned, says a lot about the fabric of the country. Before September 11th, America carried a soft and feckless reputation among its mortal enemies. Beyond low-risk tactics skewed toward technology-cruise missiles, invisible bombers-they concluded that America had no will to fight. Now those enemies are meeting America's core strength: young men with an innate desire to carry rifles for a living.

The ferocity and direction of the attack into Fallujah shattered the enemy's initial defensive plan. It was left to infantrymen like Carver to rip the terrorists out of closets and bedrooms were they had scattered in small packs.

On one side of the doors stood men who believed they would be judged how they lived. On the other lay men who believed they would be judged on how they died. How these two groups of men, who were more alike than different as boys, had traveled tens of years and thousands of miles to kill each other was best answered by the professional philosopher. For a professional warrior like Carver, combat was the natural culmination of moral divergence. A murderous enemy had infected Fallujah. Politicians could not excise them. Marines and soldiers could.

Fallujah had been parsed into familial nicknames. Clearing the Upper West Side had been hard enough, but when Carver's platoon was sent to help the effort in Queens, a particularly nasty corner of the city near the Euphrates that was littered with corpses of Iraqi "collaborators" who had been executed, it seemed as if a terrorist was hidden in every third house, hell-bent on dragging a Marine into the ground with him.

It was "tiring work," as Carver puts it. For most Americans, the office is a cubicle tract where conflict is limited to harsh emails. For a Marine, the office is a smoldering, stinking, ear-splitting arena filled with young men who are trying to kill each other.

The battle was an intensely personal, face-to-face fight inside individual rooms where the screams often muted the gunfire and the crawl spaces muted the American technological edge. This meant that a Marine had to burst into a room with his rifle shouldered, steady his barrel on a concealed target, then break the trigger before the screaming lunatic trying to ambush him could manage an aimed shot and a proper "Allahu Akbar!"

If anything, the madness of it just made the Marines angrier. Everything in Fallujah was upside-down. Religious leaders demanded violence. Stray cats feasted on fallen men. Zarqawi had constructed a torture chamber twenty-five feet away from a small amusement park.

Even the smoke settled strangely. In his first firefight on November 20, Carver charged into a room behind a grenade. The acrid dust had climbed the walls and spilled across the ceiling, broiling in the top half of the bedroom instead of falling. He heard the terrorist shuffle toward his men. Instead of dropping into a firing position that might have exposed him, Carver leapt up into the smog and onto a bed. He ended the threat.

In the second house, the door swung open and there were two terrorists lumbering toward Carver like zombies in some horror movie. He and the other force reconnaissance Marines had honed their shooting skills over hundreds of hours and thousands of bullets. Four bullets did the trick.

The day was an hour old.

The Marine team crept down the hallway of the third house in a human centipede stack bristling with rifles. Carver had moved into point position and now he stood outside another door wondering what the hell was waiting for him inside. Hundreds of doors opened already. Hundreds more to go.

He opened the door with his left hand, keeping his front sight post moving with his eyes. Someone coming out of a closet, firing an AK-47. The flat, booming report reverberated under his body armor. Carver had to shoot the terrorist several times before he flopped onto the spent casings.

Now more firing from behind the door on his left. Two rounds slammed into his thigh and another passed clean through his calf. They felt more like baseball bats than hot needles. Carver wheeled to maintain his balance and center his weapon. Saw smoking holes in the door. Another bullet popped through and smacked his shoulder, ending any hope of remaining on his feet.

It was an enemy grenade that saved him. Without it, Carver would have tumbled inside the room, into the kill zone. Instead the grenade came bouncing out toward his boots, as mesmerizing as a giant wasp, and blew him clear out of the room.

Twenty-one minutes later Navy doctors were plucking dozens of fragments from his body and sewing the four quarter-sized holes. Twenty-one hours later Carver checked out of the field hospital with a crutch in his armpit instead of a rifle and the hazy memory of a phone call to his wife, Holly.

Holly got the call in the afternoon. "Honey I got hurt," her husband told her. Of all the casualty notifications given to family members, a phone call from the wounded warrior is the best. Phone calls from doctors or officers are bad. Doorbells are the worst. Darrell was now one of the twelve thousand casualties in Iraq. One of the lucky ones.

The untold story of war is the burden shouldered by the families. Devotion to their soldiers is well known. But the hidden buttress of an all-volunteer war is devotion to the cause. Families are serving the country every bit as fervently as their soldiers. Without their commitment to the war, second and third deployments to Iraq would be zero sum decisions for soldiers. "If he had to go back (for a third tour), I support him," says Holly. "It is worth the sacrifice of separation to help the people of Iraq."

The costs of the war on terror may not be spread wide, but they are deep. Families like the Carvers are willing to shoulder the costs of the national interest for the lowest risk-adjusted wage in America and zero fanfare. In other societies, warriors are motivated by externalized power. Ours are motivated by internal duty. Geopolitics aside, the country should be thankful that it has cultivated a tiny warrior class that can dominate an overseas battlefield while upholding its best values.

Owen West, a trader for Goldman, Sachs, served with the Marines in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Great Stuff

From my future brother-in-law via my future mother-in-law- no idea where it originated:

DID YOU KNOW THIS?

Did you know that 47 countries have re-established their embassies in Iraq?

Did you know that the Iraqi government employs 1.2 million Iraqi people?

Did you know that 3100 schools have been renovated, 364 schools are under rehabilitation, 263 schools are now under construction and 38 new schools have been built in Iraq?

Did you know that Iraq's higher educational structure consists of 20 Universities, 46 Institutes or colleges and 4 research centers?

Did you know that 25 Iraq students departed for the United States in January 2004 for the re-established Fulbright program?

2Slick edit- Actually, I did know this. One of those 25 people was my interpretor from Mosul. Here's a snippet from one of the first emails he sent me after arriving in the US:

How is life with you? I miss you too much. I am in Indiana, Bloomington. I am doing my pre-academic course. I will stay here untill August, then the IIE (Institute of International Education ) guys will place me to the college where I will do my masters study. The head of the department of linguistics told me that I can apply for this university, and he gave me a special application form to fill in.

So there is a big chance to stay here for the rest of my study. Except missing home, I am doing good. Although cold, Bloomington is very nice place. I live in an apartment with two Iraqi room-mates. I go to school five days a week. I have a good relation with the professors of my department, and they don't stop encouraging me to stay here.

He's a great guy. OK, back to the post:

Did you know that the Iraqi Navy is operational? They have 5- 100-foot patrol craft, 34 smaller vessels and a naval infantry regiment.

Did you know that Iraq's Air Force consists of three operational squadrons,9 reconnaissance and 3 US C-130 transport aircraft which operate day and night, and will soon add 16 UH-1 helicopters and 4 bell jet rangers?

Did you know that Iraq has a counter-terrorist unit and a Commando Battalion?

Did you know that the Iraqi Police Service has over 55,000 fully trained and equipped police officers?

Did you know that there are 5 Police Academies in Iraq that produce over 3500 new officers each 8 weeks?

Did you know there are more than 1100 building projects going on in Iraq?

They include 364 schools, 67 public clinics, 15 hospitals, 83 railroad stations, 22 oil facilities, 93 water facilities and 69 electrical facilities.

Did you know that 96% of Iraqi children under the age of 5 have received the first 2 series of polio vaccinations?

Did you know that 4.3 million Iraqi children were enrolled in primary school by mid October?

Did you know that there are 1,192,000 cell phone subscribers in Iraq and phone use has gone up 158%?

Did you know that Iraq has an independent media that consist of 75 radio stations, 180 newspapers and 10 television stations?

Did you know that the Baghdad Stock Exchange opened in June of 2004?

Did you know that 2 candidates in the Iraqi presidential election had a televised debate recently?

OF COURSE WE DIDN'T KNOW!
WHY DIDN'T WE KNOW? - OUR MEDIA WOULDN'T TELL US!
DAN RATHER WOULDN'T TELL TELL US.
PETER JENNINGS WOULDN'T TELL US.
THE NEW YORK TIMES WOULDN'T TELL US.
Because a Bush- hating media and Democratic Party would rather see the world blow up than lose their power.

Instead of shouting these accomplishments from every rooftop, they would rather show photo's of what a few perverted malcontent soldiers have done in prisons in many cases never disclosing the circumstances surrounding the events.

Instead of showing our love for our country, we get photos of flag burning incidents at Abu Ghraib and car bombing incidents.

The lack of accentuating the positive in Iraq serves only one purpose. It undermines the world's perception of the United States and our soldiers.

I AM ASHAMED OF MY FELLOW AMERICANS WHO WOULD RATHER SEE TERRORISM SUCCEED THAN A REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT.

And Then There's This...

...a nice slideshow- sent to me by my lovely Auntie M.

Citizen 2Slick

Hello all- sorry I've been out of the loop for a while. I've completed my job search, and I'm now working for a Fortune 500 company near a major city. I look forward to enjoying my new life as a civilian. Things are very much in transition right now, so I'll be away for a little while longer. When the dust settles, I'll get back to blogging. There is obviously very much to discuss these days- freedom is on the march, and the world is changing faster than the MSM can spin it. This is good...

Don't Miss This

Sorry I've been out of the loop- the job search is very demanding. I finally had a chance to check my email, and I found this great update from Diamond Jack. Looks like I missed it, but I'm sure it'll air again soon. If anyone had a chance to see it, please let me know your thoughts...

The film A COMPANY OF SOLDIERS will be broadcast next Tuesday night (February 22) on PBS at 9 pm (check local listings). It is the soldiers' story of fighting in Iraq - a month in the life of the 1st Battalion of the 8th Cavalry stationed in South Baghdad. It was shot last November during one of the most dangerous times for that unit.

A COMPANY OF SOLDIERS was made by October Films under the umbrella of the PBS Frontline Series and we'd like to ask you to email this to everyone you know with a request for them to send it on to everyone they know. We are hoping to get as many US Military families to tune in. One word of warning is that the film graphically shows the risks and consequences of what it is to fight in Iraq - so if you haven't told your loved ones, they might be in for a shock.

One senior confidential source at the Pentagon who has seen the film told us: "It is compelling stuff. It proves once again that it is our Soldiers who are our best spokespeople. It is not only courageous filmmaking (both figuratively and literally), but it's also an example of very insightful filmmaking. The film captures our Soldiers' humanity, putting a human face on a very complex set of issues - that is priceless stuff."

Thinking Outside the Box

Some of you might remember when I mentioned my West Point classmate (we'll call him "Mike") who found my site via the Wizbang Awards (he recognized the "2Slick" moniker- which originated when we were in flight school together). He's a Kiowa Warrior (OH-58D) pilot, and he served a year in Fallujah during the time I was in Mosul. He and I have had some excellent debates and discussions over the past few months, and he recently sent me the following gem- read it, and you'll understand why I've been trying to talk him into starting his own blog:

A suggestion for the first major decision of the new government: a new name for the country.

'Iraq' has a history basically from WWI, and the British mandate following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire - the last vestige of the Muslim Caliphate. The problem is (besides a name imposed by the British Empire) that the name does nothing to unify or appeal to the people who live their now. There is no overwhelming sense of Iraqi nationalism- no ethnic, religious, political or cultural unifying theme in Iraq.

I would suggest that the new government look to the rich history of the region - the birthplace of civilization, and appeal to the historical significance of the area within Iraq's borders. By going back before the birth of Islam, you bypass the Shia-Sunni strife, and going back far enough you can claim the first modern culture in the world. Call the new Nation Sumer or Babylon appeals to the pride, nationalism, and helps redefine an identity. That identity will be key in defeating the Sunni-Shia-Kurd-insurgent factions as they struggle to find a place in the new country. Calling it Babylon appeals to the people and helps them define themselves in a new way, outside of the horrible history of the last century - much in the same way Egypt or Syria claim a historic heritage to the ancient civilizations, the newly elected government should choose a new name that unifies the country, appeals to their rich history, and by passes the existing divisions with a goal of building a newer, stronger nation.

Anyway, just a thought. If I lived there, I'd want people to identify themselves as a Babylonian (or Sumerian, whatever - Babylon may have poor connotations to the Christian world) than a Sunni, or Shia, or Kurd - it's a way to build some unity, and capitalize on the promise of the elections.

Smart stuff, huh? I agree with him 100%. I'd be interested to see how the guys at Iraq the Model feel about such an idea. If anyone out there is tight with those guys (or any other Iraqi bloggers out there), please try to ping them for their thoughts...

Iraqi Official Vows To Fight 'The Ghosts Of Death'

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Ward Churchill- I Thought I was Native American, but...

This guy is a joke. He desperately wants to be famous. Congrats, man- you succeeded. He also wants Osama bin Laden to rule the United States of America. Sorry, bud- not gonna happen. He's so full of insight, I decided I should help him to get his word out:

"I don't answer to Bill Owens. I do not answer to the Board of Regents in the way they think I do. The regents should do their job and let me do mine," Churchill said to thunderous clapping.

What exactly is your job then, Mr. Churchitler? Is it your job to preach the virtues of murder and terrorism to our nation's youth? You do seem to have a knack for that sort of thing...

In an essay, Churchill wrote that workers in the World Trade Center were the equivalent of "little Eichmanns," a reference to Adolf Eichmann, who ensured the smooth running of the Nazi system. Churchill also spoke of the "gallant sacrifices" of the "combat teams" that struck America.

A longtime American Indian Movement activist, he said he is also culpable because his efforts to change the system haven't succeeded. "I could do more. I'm complicit. I'm not innocent," he said.

You certainly could do more, Wardo. You must feel so ashamed that you're still lagging so far behind Timothy McVeigh in your sick and twisted race towards hell. I can only surmise that you're afraid to conduct your own suicide attack against America, so you're doing your very best to inspire young and impressionable college kids to do your dirty work for you. That makes sense.

I like this part:

The Boulder Faculty Assembly, which represents professors at the Boulder campus, has said Churchill's comments were "controversial, offensive and odious" but supports his right to say them based on the principle of academic freedom.

Right. It's perfectly OK to praise and advocate the ritualistic slaughter of New York City "technocrats"- that's covered by academic freedom. Good. Now how about this- Ward Churchill calls for the immediate murder and dismemberment of each and every member of the Boulder Faculty Assembly- would he then still be protected by the principle of "academic freedom?" Just something to think about.

The crowd Tuesday night was loud and orderly as Churchill spoke: "I do not work for the taxpayers of the state of Colorado. I do not work for Bill Owens. I work for you," he said.

Not sure who "you" is. A bunch of screaming terrorists/terrorist-sympathizers? I'm not sure if bin Laden is paying this guy for his work, but he certainly should be.

"I've read some of Ward's work," said 26-year-old Vinita Laroia, an environmental studies major. "I think what he has to say is true and interesting. I wanted to hear his actual voice say what he's thinking."

"True" and "interesting!" Congratulations, Vinita! You're now ready to begin your training at the Al-Jihadi Terrorist Camp for the Pretentious and Idiotic in beautiful Tehran, Iran! Have a nice trip, and watch out for the Daisy Cutters!

I Didn't Realize Soccer Was So Dangerous

I heard something about this on the radio this morning, and it struck a chord. Apparently, Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany made the following remark over the weekend at a Socialist Party event, referring to the Hungarian Soccer Team's 0-0 tie against the Saudi Arabian Team in Turkey last week:

"I think that there were very many terrorists also among the Saudi soccer players, and our sons fought with death-defying bravery against these terrorists, so a draw away from home is a fantastic result,'' Gyurcsany was quoted as saying by state news agency MTI.

Wow! Them's fightin' words! Of course, he was only joking:

On Tuesday, he said his comments were said in the context of a TV show parody and anyone who took them seriously was driven by "political intolerance...or even ill-will.''

"I apologize to anyone who with or without reason was offended by that sentence,'' he said.

Who is he apologizing to? Terrorists or soccer players?

Lucky Totten

If you're a Chris Hitchens fan (as I am), you must check out this report from Michael Totten. The post is thought-provoking, informative, and extremely entertaining. I especially liked the part where MJT taught Hitchens about the importance of the blogosphere:

I asked him if he reads blogs.

“No,” he said. “Not really. I could spend all day reading blogs and not get anything done.”

“You can’t afford not to read blogs,” I said. “Because of who you are and what you do for a living, you’ll be hopelessly behind if you don’t.”

“Yes,” he said. “I know, I know,” but I wasn’t sure he really meant it.

Later he told me he recently saw “that little weasel” Juan Cole speak in public.

“You know about that flap he had with Omar and Mohammed from Friends of Democracy?” (I am referring here to Omar and Mohammed of Iraq the Model. They also founded Friends of Democracy.)

I could tell by the look on his face that he didn’t.

“He floated some conspiracy theory about how Omar and Mohammed, whom you spoke to over the phone on C-SPAN today, are possibly CIA plants.”

He stared at me gape-mouthed.

“He completely disgraced himself,” I said. “Most of the blogosphere piled on. You should have seen it.”

“You mean I stood right there in front of both him and his fans without that ammunition?”

He looked despondent. I felt triumphant.

“Like I said, Christopher,” I told him. “You can’t afford to be unplugged from the blogosphere."

“Angel,” he said. “Can I call you angel?”

“Of course,” I said. (Did he actually say that? – ed. I think so, but keep in mind I was drunk.)

“I want to exploit your knowledge of blogs,” he said.

“Email me,” I said. “You know where to find me.”

(He did email me. I showed him all of my favorites. And I showed him Juan Cole’s lunatic post.)

Read the whole thing.

Thanks to Kate for the head's up...

From Iraq to the US and Back Again

What an excellent story from the Sminkster. Here's a teaser:

Born in Iraq, raised in America

Stryker Brigade Soldier’s passion to help comes from his past

QAYARRAH, Iraq – Pfc. Husam Razaq Almusowi was born in Iraq, but raised in Dearborn, Mich. When asked: Where are you from, he replies “that’s a difficult question.” According to his fellow Soldiers in the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, Almusowi’s journey to become an American Soldier is an unforgettable tale of courage and sacrifice.

A young boy

Born in the southern Iraq city of Samawi, Almusowi lived the life of a prince. His room was covered in marble and his peers treated him like a god. In the Arabic culture, the name Almusowi is of great prominence. All Almusowis are thought to be descendents of the Islam Prophet Mohammed.

Okay, now you're hooked. Go read the whole thing (the story is at the bottom of the post). You'll be glad you did...

And Finally...

-THE Cinnabon Recipe! (thanks Jeff)

-Hog on Ice is funnier than funny. Here's my all-time favorite post- it's a sort of "best of" compilation from his "all-hate Fridays" from 2004.

-Follow my nose! Or...um...don't. (Jeff again)

Eason Jordan- The Pride of CNN

I hope you're all up to speed on the Eason Jordan scandal. If not, please check here and here. This is one of those stories that isn't really surprising on the surface- but the sheer stupidity of the whole thing starts to grow on you after a while. I'm curious to see how this one turns out.

I'd like to go on the record and say that no one in my chain of command ever told me to target journalists- on or off the battlefield. I've never known a soldier who expressed any serious intent to kill a journalist.

Superbowl Ads

The game was okay- I'm sick of seeing the Pats win all the time. Next year, my Dolphins will clean house. Loved the funny commercials. The Anheuser Busch "Thank You" ad was nice. It's pretty overwhelming to experience it in real life (which I have- twice). I give a huge thumbs up to the American people for the way they've treated me and my comerades thus far. I was in my uniform at a Starbucks the other day, and some stranger insisted on buying me a cup of coffee. That's pretty nice, especially considering that it almost takes a 2nd mortgage to be able to afford a cup of coffee at Starbucks. Thank you, Mr. Stranger- it was great coffee.

Cool Round Up

This is nice...

Rumsfeld Speaks Out

I just watched Rumsfeld on the Russert show, and I now feel compelled to write about it. First off, I thought Rumsfeld was brilliant. I especially like the way he defended himself with respect to the SPC Wilson question. He did exactly what we milbloggers have been doing since the whole episode happened- he whipped out a copy of the transcript and showed how the MSM lied and lied and lied about how the exchange went down. I think he made Russert feel ashamed of himself for using the same old trick (showing the dialogue selectively out of context) right then and there on his show.

Now Ted Kennedy is on- please oh please, let him say "Barack Obama Osama Yo' Momma" again. I haven't had a laugh like that in quite a while. Thanks to Cranky Greg for capturing that brilliant soundbyte.

Back to Rumsfeld. I did disagree with one thing he said. Maybe not what he said but the way in which he said it. When asked about why he had twice offered to resign, he talked about how upset he was with the whole Abu Ghraib episode. Of course he was disappointed- we all were. But he went on to say, "that's not how we act in America." Wrong. We need to get away from the notion that Abu Ghraib was some crazy anomaly that could only have been brought about by corrupt policy and tainted memos. Abu Ghraib was no such thing. Go to any strip club, frat party, nightclub, etc.- and you'll probably see some things that will remind you of Abu Ghraib. Any time I watch TV after midnight, I see commercials for videos that look like Abu Ghraib on speed. The fact is we do act like that in America. We may not be proud of that fact (no country or society is perfect), but we do behave in such a way. We need to acknowledge this, because it's the only way to truly understand why such things happen. Leaders need to be aware of this so that they know what the potential shortfalls are- so that they can take action to prevent such things.

To simply assume that "Americans don't behave in such a way" is a surefire way to suffer a dramatic leadership failure on or off the battlefield- just ask anyone who served in the Abu Ghraib chain of command. I've said it once and I'll say it again: boot camp is effective, not magical. The only way to effectively lead soldiers is to know and understand the society from which they came. If I were to have a face to face conversation with the SECDEF, this is the sort of thing I'd like to discuss with him. Overall, he was fantastic on the show this morning. Tim kept trying to catch him in lies and contradictions (Tim's a tough interviewer and he's good at what he does- I don't fault him for it), and each and every time Rumsfeld came back at him with perfectly logical and reasonable explanations. Nice work.

Ted Kennedy just keeps digging and digging. He wants a timeline for troop withdrawal (absurd) and keeps insisting that we're not doing enough to train the Iraqi troops. Sure thing, Ted. Drink a few more, and then see if you have the courage to speak such nonsense to LTG Petraeus' face. Didn't think so. How can someone who's been so wrong about so many things for such a long time stay in office for an eternity? If the Red Sox can finally win a World Series, is it so unimaginable that the Massachusetts voters might one day find a way to dump the drunken Senator? What's the hold up, anyway? Are they afraid of him? He can't drown each and every one of them, can he? C'mon folks! Stand up and take charge over there...

UPDATE:

Argghhh! has a more in-depth review...

The General Speaks

"Actually, it's a lot of fun to fight. You know, it's a hell of a hoot. ... It's fun to shoot some people. I'll be right upfront with you, I like brawling."

-Lt. Gen. James Mattis

Okay, so the guy likes his job. Big deal. I'm glad he likes it and I'm glad he's good at it. If it weren't for people like him, we'd be speaking German or Arabic (or some bizarre combination of both) right now. Our friends at the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) had some choice words for him:

"We do not need generals who treat the grim business of war as a sporting event," said the council's executive director, Nihad Awad. "These disturbing remarks are indicative of an apparent indifference to the value of human life."

Okay, how about this- spend more time condemning people who enjoy blowing up innocent children, and less time condemning people who hurt your feelings with words- and maybe you'll actually do some good for your religion. I won't hold my breath. Observe (my emphasis added):

CAIR condemnation of suicide bombing

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/28/2002) - The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a Washington-based Islamic advocacy group, today condemned a bomb attack on a Passover celebration in the Middle East that left 20 people dead and more than 100 wounded.

In a statement, CAIR said:

"We condemn this attack and all other attacks on innocent civilians. Illegitimate and counterproductive tactics must not be used in the legitimate struggle to end Israel's brutal occupation. This attack is of particular concern coming as it did during a religious observance in which the focus is remembrance of God."

Note: CAIR has condemned numerous such bombings.

Yes, and I'm sure they used each one of those "condemnations" to:

a) completely avoid any mention of the fact that Muslims were behind such bombings.

and

b) take a cheap shot at Israel.

What a joke...

She's Back With a Vengeance

Reaganesque is back- and she's just as fired up as she was before the election. Go see what happens when a politically inclined 18-year-old puts the smackdown on the liberals. Some might argue that she's the next Ann Coulter- I think she'll leave Ann in the dust. She's that good...

VDH Friday

This is one of his best ever. He's got it all straightened out...

A Big Step

I was in a room full of 58 other soldiers when we heard the news. We had been so up to our necks in the "job-finding" seminar, we didn't even have time to think about the historic events that were taking place on the other side of the world. One of our instructors came in the room and said, "there's a new democracy in the world today- and many of you were directly involved in making it happen. Congratulations." Applause rang out, and for a brief moment I felt an amazing sense of relief. Not surprise or wonder. Just relief. Then I reminded myself that much work was left to be done, and my thoughts turned to those who had sacrificed so much and those who were destined to go and help complete the mission. Let's not forget...

SFC Paul Smith- Medal of Honor

I was listening to my favorite radio show on the way home from work- the Kimmer announced that SFC Paul Smith has been awarded the Medal of Honor. Paul's sister called in and thanked Kimmer for his support- not just for getting Paul's story out there, but for all that he does. Kimmer choked up a bit (he does that), and I'd just like to echo her sentiments. Thanks to Kimmer and all the other great radio and TV personalities who support the cause and spread stories of heroism and valor that the MSM just doesn't want to be associated with. Go read Paul's story. He brought new meaning to the word "hero."

I'll try to pick up the pace with the postings. Employmenting is hard...