Individual Liberty — Individual Responsibility 

Murderous thugs outraged at the use of their own tactics

From the New York Times:

CAIRO, Jan. 16 — The botched hanging of Saddam Hussein and two lieutenants in Iraq by its Shiite-led government has helped to accelerate Sunni-Shiite sectarianism across an already fragile Middle East, according to experts across the region.

...

“The reality of the current situation is that we are approaching an open Sunni-Shiite conflict in the region,” said Emad Gad, a specialist in international relations at the government-financed Al Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies in Cairo. “And Egypt will also be a part of it as a part of the Sunni axis. No one will be able to avoid or escape it.”

This changing dynamic in the region, described by many scholars, analysts and officials in recent days, is a result not only of the hangings, the Iraq war and the Lebanese political struggle. It has also been encouraged by Sunni-led governments like those in Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, and some Sunni religious leaders alarmed by the rising influence of Iran, the region’s biggest Shiite power...

Should this come as any surprise? Sunnis and Shiites have been fighting for a long time. The conflict in Iraq is nothing but a new front for them in their ages old war.

Sunnis make up a vast majority of the Islamic world. Shiites, who lead Iran and the Iraqi government, are the next largest sect. The two split over who would lead Islam after the death of the Prophet Muhammad.

While the two have theological differences — and similarities — the gathering conflict is being stoked by a determination by Sunni leaders to preserve, or reinvigorate, their waning influence in the region — while emboldened Shiites have pressed for more influence.

Of course the New York Times takes the opportunity to find yet another way to praise Saddam Hussein...

In December, a top religious leader close to the Saudi royal family, Abdul Rahman al-Barak, said that Shiites, whom he called rejectionists, were worse than Jews or Christians.

“By and large, rejectionists are the most evil sect of the nation and they have all the ingredients of the infidels,” he wrote.

Such talk is causing a creeping sectarian tension, political analysts said. In Mr. Abdullah’s village in the Nile Delta region of Egypt, where many people had posted a picture of Sheik Nasrallah, there is a growing sense of disunity with Shiites that mirrors partly what is happening in Iraq. “Saddam Hussein was the one courageous man among Arab leaders,” said Ibrahim Mustafa Ibrahim, a school janitor. “We saw how he was executed. We saw everything.”

Remember, these are representative of the religion of peace. The terrorists and others involved in the sectarian violence in Iraq are the same people that decapitate people s-l-o-w-l-y, using dull serrated knives, all the while filming it on aging video-tape so they can broadcast their cruel barbarity to the world. These are the people that now are outraged at a quick decapitation, and a couple of hangings of people that deserved to die.

Terrorists hardly need an excuse for violence. Neither do two "religious" sects that have been fighting for hundreds of years. Bringing justice to mass murderers and thugs is hardly to blame for their hatred of one another. It's just the latest in a long line of excuses.

Trackposted to Outside the Beltway, Is It Just Me?, Adam's Blog, Big Dog's Weblog, basil's blog, Common Folk Using Common Sense, Conservative Cat, Rightwing Guy, Wake Up America, stikNstein... has no mercy, The Crazy Rants of Samantha Burns, Pirate's Cove, The Pink Flamingo, Planck's Constant, Dumb Ox News, Dumb Ox News, Right Voices, and Gone Hollywood, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

Wednesday Hero(es) - Roy, Jose and Andrew Velez

This week I have three people to talk about. Roy Velez and his two sons, Jose and Andrew. One who was lost in Iraq and another who lost his life in Afghanistan.

It happens almost daily. A stranger reaches out to comfort Roy Velez, unintended symbol of unspeakable loss and grief.

Today it's a woman who approaches as he's halfway through breakfast at Montelongo's Mexican restaurant.

"My brother told me about you and your sons," she says, extending her hand.

He takes her small hand between his - this sturdy man who has buried two boys who went off to war - and listens gently as her own story of sorrow spills forth. Her 8-year-old daughter, a traffic accident, her son at the wheel.

As waiters bustle about with trays of huevos rancheros and barbacoa plates, Mr. Velez does what he does best: offers up a soft prayer to help this mother endure her emptiness.

Strangers learn about Mr. Velez from newspapers and TV. They come to him to share their gratitude or their grief. They come to thank him and console him, tearfully, for his family's sacrifice.

This is how Mr. Velez chooses to live after losing two sons in two years, not riven with anger or paralyzed with sadness. But as someone ready for those who might slip into the darkness of despair.

For his strength for others, compassion and grace - and for serving as inspiration for anyone who knows his story - Mr. Velez is the 2006 Dallas Morning News Texan of the Year.

Because this story is so long, I've linked to the article which you can read in it's entirety.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero. We Have Every Right To Dream Heroic Dreams. Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. If you would like to participate in honoring the brave men and women who serve this great country, you can find out how by clicking here.

Ninth Circus Strikes Again

The Ninth Circuit cout of appeals has vacated the sentence of another terrorist. From the Seattle Times:

SAN FRANCISCO — A federal appeals court on today vacated the sentence of ``millennium bomber'' Ahmed Ressam, who was arrested near the U.S.-Canadian border and convicted of plotting to bomb Los Angeles International Airport.

Ressam was arrested in December 1999 in Port Angeles when he drove off a ferry from British Columbia with a trunk full of 124 pounds of explosives. Prosecutors said he was intent on bombing the airport on the eve of the millennium.

The arrest raised fears of terrorism attacks and prompted the cancellation of millennium celebrations at the Space Needle.

He was sentenced to 22 years after being convicted of all nine charges, including terrorism conspiracy and explosives charges. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco reversed his conviction on one of the charges and sent the case back to a lower court judge to issue a new sentence and explain the rationale behind the original 22-year term.

This may or may not be good. The original 22-year sentence was far too lenient. Hopefully prosecutors can argue successfully for a tougher one. Unfortunately, overturning one of the nine convictions may end up getting the millenium bomber an even lighter sentence.

Trackposted to Outside the Beltway, Is It Just Me?, Big Dog's Weblog, Adam's Blog, basil's blog, Common Folk Using Common Sense, Sujet- Celebrities, Rightwing Guy, stikNstein... has no mercy, The Crazy Rants of Samantha Burns, Pirate's Cove, The Pink Flamingo, Planck's Constant, Dumb Ox News, Dumb Ox News, Right Voices, and Gone Hollywood, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

Bloggers to Cover Libby Trial

This looks like a big win for the blogosphere! From the New Zealand Herald:

WASHINGTON - Internet bloggers will be allowed to cover the criminal trial of former White House staffer Lewis "Scooter" Libby alongside reporters from traditional media outlets, a court spokesman has confirmed.

Bloggers will control at least four seats during the high-profile trial in which Libby's former boss, US Vice President Dick Cheney, is expected to testify, said Sheldon Snook, a spokesman for the US District Court in Washington. Jury selection begins on Tuesday.

The arrangement is believed to be a first for a high-profile court case, although trade shows and political conventions have issued media passes to bloggers in the past several years.

"Bloggers are part of the media landscape and if we were to ignore bloggers, we would be ignoring reality," Snook said.

,,,

Two seats will be controlled by members of the nonpartisan Media Blogging Association, a trade group that provides legal advice and promotes increased access for its 1,000 members.

...

Two more seats will be controlled by writers for several liberal-leaning blogs, including Firedoglake, The Huffington Post and DailyKos, said Firedoglake founder Jane Hamsher.

Sounds pretty cool if you ask me, even if the blogger coverage will probably be leaning predominantly to the left.

Trackposted to Rightwing Guy, Is It Just Me?, The Crazy Rants of Samantha Burns, Big Dog's Weblog, Adam's Blog, stikNstein... has no mercy, basil's blog, Pirate's Cove, The Pink Flamingo, Planck's Constant, Common Folk Using Common Sense, Dumb Ox News, Right Voices, and Gone Hollywood, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

New Trackback Pinger

I've finally managed to break all of my dependencies upon Haloscan. I've implemented my own trackback pinger. It's not pretty yet, but it works, and it pings multiple URLs. This was the last thing I was dependent upon Haloscan for.

Don't get me wrong. I think Haloscan is a great service. Haloscan's commenting and trackback support is fabulous. I just wanted to implement my own.

Now when I post to a linkfest, I can ping all of the URLs I link to at once, instead of having to throttle down to 5 at a time.

If you want to use the trackback pinger from my site, you must be a site member. I don't want to let the spammers get at it after all. The URL for the pinger is http://perrinelson.com/members/trackbackping.aspx.

Trackposted to Rightwing Guy, Is It Just Me?, Perri Nelson's Website, The Crazy Rants of Samantha Burns, Big Dog's Weblog, Adam's Blog, stikNstein... has no mercy, basil's blog, Pirate's Cove, The Pink Flamingo, Planck's Constant, Common Folk Using Common Sense, Dumb Ox News, Right Voices, and Gone Hollywood, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.