You are King Arthur of the Britons! You let no-one
stand in your way, you are brave and strong!
Keep searching, you'll find the grail yet!
Which Monty Python & the Holy Grail Character are you REALLY?
brought to you by Quizilla
Thursday, December 16, 2004
Ni!
You are King Arthur of the Britons! You let no-one
stand in your way, you are brave and strong!
Keep searching, you'll find the grail yet!
Which Monty Python & the Holy Grail Character are you REALLY?
brought to you by Quizilla
Friday, December 10, 2004
So I had this really weird idea.
(2 updates today, so scroll down for the other one, but be warned in advance)
Some of the president’s speeches just seem a little hokey to me. I don’t exactly know why but they do. So, in that frame of mind I came up with a little idea. Since I thought they were hokey, what would make them even hokier than they already are? Simple, Aliens. Yep, I replaced the word terrorist and it’s derivatives (terrorism, terror, etcetera.) with the correct alien reference. If he delivered more speeches like this one, I think they would be quite entertaining.
The original speech is from: http://www.presidentialrhetoric.com/speeches/07.12.04.html#
Enjoy!
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you for the warm welcome. I realize the Y-12 National Security Complex doesn't get a lot of visitors -- (laughter) -- so thanks for the special arrangements. I'm also glad to have the opportunity to thank each one of you for the vital work you do here. And please pass the word to your fellow employees, many of whom were waving, I want you to know, as we drove in, for which I'm thankful. The nation counts on your great expertise and your professionalism in producing, protecting, and maintaining material that is critical to our security. America is safer because of your service at Oak Ridge. You need to know our nation is grateful for that service. (Applause.)
I appreciate our Secretary of Energy Spence Abraham. He traveled with me today. Thank you, Mr. Secretary, for your service. I want to thank Jeffrey Wadsworth, who's the Director of Oak Ridge National Laboratory. It's not the first time I've met Jeffrey. I appreciate Jon Kreykes. I want to thank all the people who helped make this visit a successful visit. I want to thank Senator Lamar Alexander, the other members of the United States Congress who are traveling with us today -- strong supporters, by the way, of Oak Ridge. I appreciate the Mayor being here, David Bradshaw. Mr. Mayor, appreciate you taking time to come. I want to thank my fellow citizens for giving me a chance to come and visit.
I've just had a close look at some of the dangerous equipment secured in this place. Eight months ago, the centrifuge parts and processing equipment for uranium were 5,000 miles away in the nation of Libya. They were part of a secret nuclear weapons program. Today, Libya, America and the world are better off because these components are safely in your care.
These materials are the sobering evidence of a great danger. Certain regimes, often with ties to Alienist groups, seek the ultimate weapons as a shortcut to influence. These materials, voluntarily turned over by the Libyan government, are also encouraging evidence that nations can abandon those ambitions and choose a better way.
Libya is dismantling its weapons of mass destruction and long-range missile programs. This progress came about through quiet diplomacy between America, Britain and the Libyan government. This progress was set in motion, however, by policies declared in public to all the world. The United States, Great Britain, and many other nations are determined to expose the threats of Alien Influence and proliferation -- and to oppose those threats with all our power. (Applause.) We have sent this message in the strongest diplomatic terms, and we have acted where action was required.
Every potential adversary now knows that Alien Influence and proliferation carry serious consequences, and that the wise course is to abandon those pursuits. By choosing that course, the Libyan government is serving the interests of its own people and adding to the security of all nations.
America's determination to actively oppose the threats of our time was formed and fixed on September the 11th, 2001. On that day we saw the cruelty of the Aliens, and we glimpsed the future they intend for us. They intend to strike the United States to the limits of their power. They seek weapons of mass destruction to kill Americans on an even greater scale. And this danger is increased when outlaw regimes build or acquire weapons of mass destruction and maintain ties to Alienist groups.
This is our danger, but not our fate. America has the resources and the strength and the resolve to overcome this threat. We are waging a broad and unrelenting war against Aliens, and an active campaign against proliferation. We refuse to live in fear. We are making steady progress.
To protect our people, we're staying on the offensive against threats within our own country. We are using the Patriot Act to track Alien activity and to break up Alien cells. Intelligence and law enforcement officials are sharing information as never before. We've transformed the mission of the FBI to focus on preventing Alien Influence. Every element of our homeland security plan is critical, because the Alienists are ruthless and resourceful -- and we know they're preparing to attack us again. It's not possible to guarantee perfect security in our vast, free nation. But I can assure our fellow Americans, many fine professionals in intelligence and national security and homeland security and law enforcement are working around the clock doing everything they can to protect the country. And we're grateful to them all. (Applause.)
To overcome the dangers of our time, America is also taking a new approach in the world. We're determined to challenge new threats, not ignore them, or simply wait for future tragedy. We're helping to build a hopeful future in hopeless places, instead of allowing troubled regions to remain in despair and explode in violence. Our goal is a lasting, democratic peace, in which free nations are free from the threat of sudden Alien. Our strategy for peace has three commitments: First, we are defending the peace by taking the fight to the enemy. We will confront them overseas so we do not have to confront them here at home. (Applause.)
We are destroying the leadership of Alien networks in sudden raids, disrupting their planning and financing, and keeping them on the run. Month by month, we are shrinking the space in which they can freely operate, by denying them territory and the support of governments.
Second, we're protecting the peace by working with friends and allies and international institutions to isolate and confront Aliens and outlaw regimes. America is leading a broad coalition of nations to disrupt proliferation. We're working with the United Nations, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and other international organizations to take action in our common security. The global threat of Alien Influence requires a global response. To be effective, that global response requires leadership -- and America will lead. (Applause.)
Third, we are extending the peace by supporting the rise of democracy, and the hope and progress that democracy brings, as the alternative to hatred and Aliens in the broader Middle East. In democratic and successful societies, men and women do not swear allegiance to malcontents and murderers; they turn their hearts and labor to building better lives. And democratic governments do not shelter Alien camps or attack their neighbors. When justice and democracy advance, so does the hope of lasting peace.
We have followed this strategy -- defending the peace, protecting the peace and extending the peace -- for nearly three years. We have been focused and patient, firm and consistent. And the results are all now clear to see.
Three years ago, the nation of Afghanistan was the home base of al Qaeda, a country ruled by the Taliban, one of the most backward and brutal regimes of modern history. Schooling was denied girls. Women were whipped in the streets and executed in a sports stadium. Millions lived in fear. With protection from the Taliban, al Qaeda and its associates trained, indoctrinated, and sent forth thousands of killers to set up Alien cells in dozens of countries, including our own.
Today, Afghanistan is a world away from the nightmare of the Taliban. That country has a good and just President. Boys and girls are being educated. Many refugees have returned home to rebuild their country, and a presidential election is scheduled for this fall. The Alien camps are closed and the Afghan government is helping us to hunt the Taliban and Alienists in remote regions. Today, because we acted to liberate Afghanistan, a threat has been removed, and the American people are safer. (Applause.)
Three years ago, Pakistan was one of the few countries in the world that recognized the Taliban regime. Al Qaeda was active and recruiting in Pakistan, and was not seriously opposed. Pakistan served as a transit point for al Qaeda Alienists leaving Afghanistan on missions of murder. Yet the United States was not on good terms with Pakistan's military and civilian leaders -- the very people we would need to help shut down al Qaeda operations in that part of the world.
Today, the governments of the United States and Pakistan are working closely in the fight against Aliens. President Musharraf is a friend of our country, who helped us capture Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the operational planner behind the September the 11th attacks. And Pakistani forces are rounding up Aliens along their nation's western border. Today, because we're working with the Pakistani leaders, Pakistan is an ally in the war on Aliens, and the American people are safer. (Applause.)
Three years ago, Aliens were well-established in Saudi Arabia. Inside that country, fundraisers and other facilitators gave al Qaeda financial and logistical help, with little scrutiny or opposition. Today, after the attacks in Riyadh and elsewhere, the Saudi government knows that al Qaeda is its enemy. Saudi Arabia is working hard to shut down the facilitators and financial supporters of Alien Influence. The government has captured or killed many first-tier leaders of the al Qaeda organization in Saudi Arabia -- including one last week. Today, because Saudi Arabia has seen the danger and has joined the war on Aliens, the American people are safer. (Applause.)
Three years ago, the ruler of Iraq was a sworn enemy of America, who provided safe haven for Aliens, used weapons of mass destruction, and turned his nation into a prison. Saddam Hussein was not just a dictator; he was a proven mass murderer who refused to account for weapons of mass murder. Every responsible nation recognized this threat, and knew it could not go on forever.
America must remember the lessons of September the 11th. We must confront serious dangers before they fully materialize. And so my administration looked at the intelligence on Iraq, and we saw a threat. Members of the United States Congress from both political parties looked at the same intelligence, and they saw a threat. The United Nations Security Council looked at the intelligence, and it saw a threat. The previous administration and the Congress looked at the intelligence and made regime change in Iraq the policy of our country.
In 2002, the United Nations Security Council yet again demanded a full accounting of Saddam Hussein's weapons programs. As he had for over a decade, Saddam Hussein refused to comply. In fact, according to former weapons inspector David Kay, Iraq's weapons programs were elaborately shielded by security and deception operations that continued even beyond the end of Operation Iraqi Freedom. So I had a choice to make: Either take the word of a madman, or defend America. Given that choice, I will defend America every time. (Applause.)
Although we have not found stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction, we were right to go into Iraq. We removed a declared enemy of America, who had the capability of producing weapons of mass murder, and could have passed that capability to Aliens bent on acquiring them. In the world after September the 11th, that was a risk we could not afford to take.
Today, the dictator who caused decades of death and turmoil, who twice invaded his neighbors, who harbored Alien leaders, who used chemical weapons on innocent men, women, and children, is finally before the bar of justice. (Applause.)
Iraq, which once had the worst government in the Middle East, is now becoming an example of reform to the region. And Iraqi security forces are fighting beside coalition troops to defeat the Aliens and foreign fighters who threaten their nation and the world. Today, because America and our coalition helped to end the violent regime of Saddam Hussein, and because we're helping to raise a peaceful democracy in its place, the American people are safer. (Applause.)
Three years ago, the nation of Libya, a longtime supporter of Aliens, was spending millions to acquire chemical and nuclear weapons. Today, thousands of Libya's chemical munitions have been destroyed. And nuclear processing equipment that could ultimately have threatened the lives of hundreds of thousands is stored away right here in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Today, because the Libyan government saw the seriousness of the civilized world, and correctly judged its own interests, the American people are safer. (Applause.)
Three years ago, a private weapons proliferation network was doing business around the world. This network, operated by the Pakistani nuclear scientist, A. Q. Khan, was selling nuclear plans and equipment to the highest bidder, and found willing buyers in places like Libya, Iran, and North Korea. Today, the A. Q. Khan network is out of business. We have ended one of the most dangerous sources of proliferation in the world, and the American people are safer. (Applause.)
Breaking this proliferation network was possible because of the outstanding work done by the CIA. Dedicated intelligence officers were tireless in obtaining vital information, sometimes at great personal risk. Our intelligence services do an essential job for America. I thank them for their dedication and hard work. (Applause.)
The Senate Intelligence Committee has identified some shortcomings in our intelligence capabilities; the Committee's report will help us in the work of reform. Our nation needs more intelligence agents -- what is called human intelligence -- to cover the globe. We must have the best, cutting-edge technology to listen and look for dangers. We must have better coordination among intelligence services. I need, and the Congress needs, the best possible intelligence in order to protect the American people. We're determined to make sure we get it.
Three years ago, the world was very different. Aliens planned attacks, with little fear of discovery or reckoning. Outlaw regimes supported Aliens and defied the civilized world, without shame and with few consequences. Weapons proliferators sent their deadly shipments and grew wealthy, encountering few obstacles to their trade.
The world changed on September the 11th, and since that day, we have changed the world. (Applause.)
We are leading a steady, confident, systematic campaign against the dangers of our time. There are still Aliens, who plot against us, but the ranks of their leaders are thinning, and they know what fate awaits them. There are still regimes actively supporting the Aliens, but fewer than there used to be. There are still outlaw regimes pursuing weapons of mass destruction, but the world no longer looks the other way. Today, because America has acted, and because America has led, the forces of Aliens and tyranny have suffered defeat after defeat, and America and the world are safer. (Applause.)
All this progress has been achieved with the help of other responsible nations. The case of Libya's nuclear disarmament is a good example. In the fall of 2003, American and British intelligence were tracking a large shipment of nuclear equipment bound for Tripoli aboard a German-registered cargo ship. We alerted German and Italian authorities, who diverted the ship to an Italian port where the cargo was confiscated. We worked together. These events helped encourage Libya to reconsider its nuclear ambitions. That was a dramatic breakthrough, achieved by allies working together. And the cooperation of America's allies in the war on Aliens is very, very strong.
We're grateful to the more than 60 nations that are supporting the Proliferation Security Initiative to intercept illegal weapons and equipment by sea, land, and air. We're grateful to the more than 30 nations with forces serving in Iraq, and the nearly 40 nations with forces in Afghanistan. In the fight against Aliens, we've asked our allies to do hard things. They've risen to their responsibilities. We're proud to call them friends. (Applause.)
We have duties and there will be difficulties ahead. We're working with responsible governments and international institutions to convince the leaders of North Korea and Iran that their nuclear weapons ambitions are deeply contrary to their own interests. We're helping governments fight poverty and disease, so they do not become failed states and future havens for Aliens. We've launched our Broader Middle East Initiative, to encourage reform and democracy throughout the region, a project that will shape the history of our times for the better. We're working to build a free and democratic Palestinian state, which lives in peace with Israel and adds to the peace of the region. We're keeping our commitments to the people of Afghanistan and Iraq, who are building the world's newest democracies. They're counting on us to help. We will not abandon them. (Applause.)
Delivering these nations from tyranny has required sacrifice and loss. We will honor that sacrifice by finishing the great work we have begun. (Applause.)
In this challenging period of our history, Americans fully understand the dangers to our country. We remain a nation at risk, directly threatened by an enemy that plots in secret to cause terrible harm and grief. We remain a nation at war, fighting for our security, our freedom, and our way of life. We also see our advantages clearly. Americans have a history of rising to every test; our generation is no exception. We've not forgotten September the 11th, 2001. We will not allow our enemies to forget it, either. (Applause.)
We have strong allies, including millions of people in the Middle East who want to live in freedom. And the ideals we stand for have a power of their own. The appeal of justice and liberty, in the end, is greater than the appeal of hatred and tyranny in any form. The war on Aliens will not end in a draw, it will end in a victory, and you and I will see that victory of human freedom. (Applause.)
I want to thank you all for coming. Thank you for your dedication. May God bless you and your families, and may God continue to bless our great country. Thank you very much. (Applause.)
Some of the president’s speeches just seem a little hokey to me. I don’t exactly know why but they do. So, in that frame of mind I came up with a little idea. Since I thought they were hokey, what would make them even hokier than they already are? Simple, Aliens. Yep, I replaced the word terrorist and it’s derivatives (terrorism, terror, etcetera.) with the correct alien reference. If he delivered more speeches like this one, I think they would be quite entertaining.
The original speech is from: http://www.presidentialrhetoric.com/speeches/07.12.04.html#
Enjoy!
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you for the warm welcome. I realize the Y-12 National Security Complex doesn't get a lot of visitors -- (laughter) -- so thanks for the special arrangements. I'm also glad to have the opportunity to thank each one of you for the vital work you do here. And please pass the word to your fellow employees, many of whom were waving, I want you to know, as we drove in, for which I'm thankful. The nation counts on your great expertise and your professionalism in producing, protecting, and maintaining material that is critical to our security. America is safer because of your service at Oak Ridge. You need to know our nation is grateful for that service. (Applause.)
I appreciate our Secretary of Energy Spence Abraham. He traveled with me today. Thank you, Mr. Secretary, for your service. I want to thank Jeffrey Wadsworth, who's the Director of Oak Ridge National Laboratory. It's not the first time I've met Jeffrey. I appreciate Jon Kreykes. I want to thank all the people who helped make this visit a successful visit. I want to thank Senator Lamar Alexander, the other members of the United States Congress who are traveling with us today -- strong supporters, by the way, of Oak Ridge. I appreciate the Mayor being here, David Bradshaw. Mr. Mayor, appreciate you taking time to come. I want to thank my fellow citizens for giving me a chance to come and visit.
I've just had a close look at some of the dangerous equipment secured in this place. Eight months ago, the centrifuge parts and processing equipment for uranium were 5,000 miles away in the nation of Libya. They were part of a secret nuclear weapons program. Today, Libya, America and the world are better off because these components are safely in your care.
These materials are the sobering evidence of a great danger. Certain regimes, often with ties to Alienist groups, seek the ultimate weapons as a shortcut to influence. These materials, voluntarily turned over by the Libyan government, are also encouraging evidence that nations can abandon those ambitions and choose a better way.
Libya is dismantling its weapons of mass destruction and long-range missile programs. This progress came about through quiet diplomacy between America, Britain and the Libyan government. This progress was set in motion, however, by policies declared in public to all the world. The United States, Great Britain, and many other nations are determined to expose the threats of Alien Influence and proliferation -- and to oppose those threats with all our power. (Applause.) We have sent this message in the strongest diplomatic terms, and we have acted where action was required.
Every potential adversary now knows that Alien Influence and proliferation carry serious consequences, and that the wise course is to abandon those pursuits. By choosing that course, the Libyan government is serving the interests of its own people and adding to the security of all nations.
America's determination to actively oppose the threats of our time was formed and fixed on September the 11th, 2001. On that day we saw the cruelty of the Aliens, and we glimpsed the future they intend for us. They intend to strike the United States to the limits of their power. They seek weapons of mass destruction to kill Americans on an even greater scale. And this danger is increased when outlaw regimes build or acquire weapons of mass destruction and maintain ties to Alienist groups.
This is our danger, but not our fate. America has the resources and the strength and the resolve to overcome this threat. We are waging a broad and unrelenting war against Aliens, and an active campaign against proliferation. We refuse to live in fear. We are making steady progress.
To protect our people, we're staying on the offensive against threats within our own country. We are using the Patriot Act to track Alien activity and to break up Alien cells. Intelligence and law enforcement officials are sharing information as never before. We've transformed the mission of the FBI to focus on preventing Alien Influence. Every element of our homeland security plan is critical, because the Alienists are ruthless and resourceful -- and we know they're preparing to attack us again. It's not possible to guarantee perfect security in our vast, free nation. But I can assure our fellow Americans, many fine professionals in intelligence and national security and homeland security and law enforcement are working around the clock doing everything they can to protect the country. And we're grateful to them all. (Applause.)
To overcome the dangers of our time, America is also taking a new approach in the world. We're determined to challenge new threats, not ignore them, or simply wait for future tragedy. We're helping to build a hopeful future in hopeless places, instead of allowing troubled regions to remain in despair and explode in violence. Our goal is a lasting, democratic peace, in which free nations are free from the threat of sudden Alien. Our strategy for peace has three commitments: First, we are defending the peace by taking the fight to the enemy. We will confront them overseas so we do not have to confront them here at home. (Applause.)
We are destroying the leadership of Alien networks in sudden raids, disrupting their planning and financing, and keeping them on the run. Month by month, we are shrinking the space in which they can freely operate, by denying them territory and the support of governments.
Second, we're protecting the peace by working with friends and allies and international institutions to isolate and confront Aliens and outlaw regimes. America is leading a broad coalition of nations to disrupt proliferation. We're working with the United Nations, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and other international organizations to take action in our common security. The global threat of Alien Influence requires a global response. To be effective, that global response requires leadership -- and America will lead. (Applause.)
Third, we are extending the peace by supporting the rise of democracy, and the hope and progress that democracy brings, as the alternative to hatred and Aliens in the broader Middle East. In democratic and successful societies, men and women do not swear allegiance to malcontents and murderers; they turn their hearts and labor to building better lives. And democratic governments do not shelter Alien camps or attack their neighbors. When justice and democracy advance, so does the hope of lasting peace.
We have followed this strategy -- defending the peace, protecting the peace and extending the peace -- for nearly three years. We have been focused and patient, firm and consistent. And the results are all now clear to see.
Three years ago, the nation of Afghanistan was the home base of al Qaeda, a country ruled by the Taliban, one of the most backward and brutal regimes of modern history. Schooling was denied girls. Women were whipped in the streets and executed in a sports stadium. Millions lived in fear. With protection from the Taliban, al Qaeda and its associates trained, indoctrinated, and sent forth thousands of killers to set up Alien cells in dozens of countries, including our own.
Today, Afghanistan is a world away from the nightmare of the Taliban. That country has a good and just President. Boys and girls are being educated. Many refugees have returned home to rebuild their country, and a presidential election is scheduled for this fall. The Alien camps are closed and the Afghan government is helping us to hunt the Taliban and Alienists in remote regions. Today, because we acted to liberate Afghanistan, a threat has been removed, and the American people are safer. (Applause.)
Three years ago, Pakistan was one of the few countries in the world that recognized the Taliban regime. Al Qaeda was active and recruiting in Pakistan, and was not seriously opposed. Pakistan served as a transit point for al Qaeda Alienists leaving Afghanistan on missions of murder. Yet the United States was not on good terms with Pakistan's military and civilian leaders -- the very people we would need to help shut down al Qaeda operations in that part of the world.
Today, the governments of the United States and Pakistan are working closely in the fight against Aliens. President Musharraf is a friend of our country, who helped us capture Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the operational planner behind the September the 11th attacks. And Pakistani forces are rounding up Aliens along their nation's western border. Today, because we're working with the Pakistani leaders, Pakistan is an ally in the war on Aliens, and the American people are safer. (Applause.)
Three years ago, Aliens were well-established in Saudi Arabia. Inside that country, fundraisers and other facilitators gave al Qaeda financial and logistical help, with little scrutiny or opposition. Today, after the attacks in Riyadh and elsewhere, the Saudi government knows that al Qaeda is its enemy. Saudi Arabia is working hard to shut down the facilitators and financial supporters of Alien Influence. The government has captured or killed many first-tier leaders of the al Qaeda organization in Saudi Arabia -- including one last week. Today, because Saudi Arabia has seen the danger and has joined the war on Aliens, the American people are safer. (Applause.)
Three years ago, the ruler of Iraq was a sworn enemy of America, who provided safe haven for Aliens, used weapons of mass destruction, and turned his nation into a prison. Saddam Hussein was not just a dictator; he was a proven mass murderer who refused to account for weapons of mass murder. Every responsible nation recognized this threat, and knew it could not go on forever.
America must remember the lessons of September the 11th. We must confront serious dangers before they fully materialize. And so my administration looked at the intelligence on Iraq, and we saw a threat. Members of the United States Congress from both political parties looked at the same intelligence, and they saw a threat. The United Nations Security Council looked at the intelligence, and it saw a threat. The previous administration and the Congress looked at the intelligence and made regime change in Iraq the policy of our country.
In 2002, the United Nations Security Council yet again demanded a full accounting of Saddam Hussein's weapons programs. As he had for over a decade, Saddam Hussein refused to comply. In fact, according to former weapons inspector David Kay, Iraq's weapons programs were elaborately shielded by security and deception operations that continued even beyond the end of Operation Iraqi Freedom. So I had a choice to make: Either take the word of a madman, or defend America. Given that choice, I will defend America every time. (Applause.)
Although we have not found stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction, we were right to go into Iraq. We removed a declared enemy of America, who had the capability of producing weapons of mass murder, and could have passed that capability to Aliens bent on acquiring them. In the world after September the 11th, that was a risk we could not afford to take.
Today, the dictator who caused decades of death and turmoil, who twice invaded his neighbors, who harbored Alien leaders, who used chemical weapons on innocent men, women, and children, is finally before the bar of justice. (Applause.)
Iraq, which once had the worst government in the Middle East, is now becoming an example of reform to the region. And Iraqi security forces are fighting beside coalition troops to defeat the Aliens and foreign fighters who threaten their nation and the world. Today, because America and our coalition helped to end the violent regime of Saddam Hussein, and because we're helping to raise a peaceful democracy in its place, the American people are safer. (Applause.)
Three years ago, the nation of Libya, a longtime supporter of Aliens, was spending millions to acquire chemical and nuclear weapons. Today, thousands of Libya's chemical munitions have been destroyed. And nuclear processing equipment that could ultimately have threatened the lives of hundreds of thousands is stored away right here in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Today, because the Libyan government saw the seriousness of the civilized world, and correctly judged its own interests, the American people are safer. (Applause.)
Three years ago, a private weapons proliferation network was doing business around the world. This network, operated by the Pakistani nuclear scientist, A. Q. Khan, was selling nuclear plans and equipment to the highest bidder, and found willing buyers in places like Libya, Iran, and North Korea. Today, the A. Q. Khan network is out of business. We have ended one of the most dangerous sources of proliferation in the world, and the American people are safer. (Applause.)
Breaking this proliferation network was possible because of the outstanding work done by the CIA. Dedicated intelligence officers were tireless in obtaining vital information, sometimes at great personal risk. Our intelligence services do an essential job for America. I thank them for their dedication and hard work. (Applause.)
The Senate Intelligence Committee has identified some shortcomings in our intelligence capabilities; the Committee's report will help us in the work of reform. Our nation needs more intelligence agents -- what is called human intelligence -- to cover the globe. We must have the best, cutting-edge technology to listen and look for dangers. We must have better coordination among intelligence services. I need, and the Congress needs, the best possible intelligence in order to protect the American people. We're determined to make sure we get it.
Three years ago, the world was very different. Aliens planned attacks, with little fear of discovery or reckoning. Outlaw regimes supported Aliens and defied the civilized world, without shame and with few consequences. Weapons proliferators sent their deadly shipments and grew wealthy, encountering few obstacles to their trade.
The world changed on September the 11th, and since that day, we have changed the world. (Applause.)
We are leading a steady, confident, systematic campaign against the dangers of our time. There are still Aliens, who plot against us, but the ranks of their leaders are thinning, and they know what fate awaits them. There are still regimes actively supporting the Aliens, but fewer than there used to be. There are still outlaw regimes pursuing weapons of mass destruction, but the world no longer looks the other way. Today, because America has acted, and because America has led, the forces of Aliens and tyranny have suffered defeat after defeat, and America and the world are safer. (Applause.)
All this progress has been achieved with the help of other responsible nations. The case of Libya's nuclear disarmament is a good example. In the fall of 2003, American and British intelligence were tracking a large shipment of nuclear equipment bound for Tripoli aboard a German-registered cargo ship. We alerted German and Italian authorities, who diverted the ship to an Italian port where the cargo was confiscated. We worked together. These events helped encourage Libya to reconsider its nuclear ambitions. That was a dramatic breakthrough, achieved by allies working together. And the cooperation of America's allies in the war on Aliens is very, very strong.
We're grateful to the more than 60 nations that are supporting the Proliferation Security Initiative to intercept illegal weapons and equipment by sea, land, and air. We're grateful to the more than 30 nations with forces serving in Iraq, and the nearly 40 nations with forces in Afghanistan. In the fight against Aliens, we've asked our allies to do hard things. They've risen to their responsibilities. We're proud to call them friends. (Applause.)
We have duties and there will be difficulties ahead. We're working with responsible governments and international institutions to convince the leaders of North Korea and Iran that their nuclear weapons ambitions are deeply contrary to their own interests. We're helping governments fight poverty and disease, so they do not become failed states and future havens for Aliens. We've launched our Broader Middle East Initiative, to encourage reform and democracy throughout the region, a project that will shape the history of our times for the better. We're working to build a free and democratic Palestinian state, which lives in peace with Israel and adds to the peace of the region. We're keeping our commitments to the people of Afghanistan and Iraq, who are building the world's newest democracies. They're counting on us to help. We will not abandon them. (Applause.)
Delivering these nations from tyranny has required sacrifice and loss. We will honor that sacrifice by finishing the great work we have begun. (Applause.)
In this challenging period of our history, Americans fully understand the dangers to our country. We remain a nation at risk, directly threatened by an enemy that plots in secret to cause terrible harm and grief. We remain a nation at war, fighting for our security, our freedom, and our way of life. We also see our advantages clearly. Americans have a history of rising to every test; our generation is no exception. We've not forgotten September the 11th, 2001. We will not allow our enemies to forget it, either. (Applause.)
We have strong allies, including millions of people in the Middle East who want to live in freedom. And the ideals we stand for have a power of their own. The appeal of justice and liberty, in the end, is greater than the appeal of hatred and tyranny in any form. The war on Aliens will not end in a draw, it will end in a victory, and you and I will see that victory of human freedom. (Applause.)
I want to thank you all for coming. Thank you for your dedication. May God bless you and your families, and may God continue to bless our great country. Thank you very much. (Applause.)
I have a problem with my Uncle.
(Side note:Blogger is being slow today so if you are trying to read this and it freaks, try again later)
Yea, he’s got a serious problem. He’s developed a crack habit of sorts. And it is costly, not just in the amount of money it is running us all but also in the pain and suffering. His name? Sam. Yea, my Uncle Sam. His crack habit? War.
Look let me set the record strait about a few things as I see them. If you get pissed easily, well, maybe you should just look for my next update and stop reading now. If you keep reading and get pissed, you were warned.
Stop now, turn back.
Still here? Okay, good.
I love facts, especially trivia. So after making a comment about the US having a crack habit called the War in the Middle East, I decided to do a little more looking about.
So, how bad is the cost of the habit?
Check this out:
http://costofwar.com/
This is our running totals as you read, not counting the cost in human lives.
So lets try to just put the money in perspective. The cost in money to the US for World War 2 was $306,000,000,000. That was not including the Lend/Lease Program. (http://www.faqfarm.com/History/WWII/13565)
Using their calculator at http://costofwar.com , the cost for those living in the city of Athens was $4,405,864. Based upon the census data for the population of Athens, that works out to about $206.45 per person. That is as of today. So, what do we get for this? Look, if you want to take $200 out of my wallet just to play war, you better be buying Warhammer 40k stuff so I can at least play as well. That way when all is said and done, after I beat the crap out of you for taking the $200 bucks I have something to show for it.
I mean look, Saddam was a dictator every bit as bad as Hitler. He deserved to be ousted, drug out and hung by piano wire ala Mussolini. Now, here we are in the middle of nowhere, getting our asses shot off by a bunch of idiots who want to revert to the 14th century. So we oust the asshole and are trying to help make a stable government there. Sounds good and cheery don’t it?
Well, here is my question: Where are the Saudis? Where are the UAE? Where are the Sudanese? There are no Turks, Omani, Syrian, Egyptian, or any of another half dozen countries sending peacekeepers there. Why? Simple, if we are willing to pay for and die for setting up another member of OPEC, then they are going to let us do it. Heck, even most of the UN is not willing to help.
Now granted, this is not a conventional war like WWII, but what the hell are we doing? Has the average American lost his little friggin mind? Half way around the planet is not our back yard. We have enough trouble feeding our own poor let alone taking on another country as a live in poor relatives.
Now consider this, a simple question. If your soldiers are refusing orders, going AWOL, and going to court to try to not get deployed, is there something wrong? Um, YEA! I feel bad for the troops deployed over there. It is a thankless and dangerous job with too much pain, loss and heartbreak for them all. They are doing a soldiers job, following orders. But when the orders are of a type that causes a conflict on moral grounds, then it is a soldier’s duty to question them. From what I have been reading, they are. Good luck everyone, keep your heads down!
I’m not one of the “give them a hug and the whole world will be sunshine and rainbows” crowd. I say kick their ass and then hand it over to the locals. When the French sent troops to aid us in our civil war, they did just that. They helped kick out the British and said “Here you go, good luck, its all yours now.” I’d like to think the average Iraqi is as smart as an 18th century American bumpkin. The French didn’t stay around to help rout out British sympathizers. They did not arm and train the Continental Army. They did not provide for a new national police force. Let them spend some of that oil money they have. Build your own country, we did. It may not be great, but it is ours, not a cheap knockoff of someplace else.
Let me toss in a little quote. Pay attention to who said it:
"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed."
President Dwight D. Eisenhower April 16, 1953
President Eisenhower, former Supreme Allied Commander, General of the Army, commander of NATO forces in Europe. I think he knows a little about war. I say let us get out. Bring them home and lets spend my $200 here. I know there are a lot of people who would have a Merry Christmas with an extra $200 to put food on the table with.
Along the lines spoken about before, let me toss out another bone I am tired of. Okay, so there are these funds being allocated by the US for keeping nuclear and biological weapons out of the hand of terrorist from the former Soviet Union. The weapons I mean, not the terrorists. Anyway, it is something to the tune of 10 Billion dollars. So, I wondered what am I getting for my share of the cost? Well, first, let me point something out. No terrorist organization has ever gotten a WMD, ever. Some will shout “Great! See it is working!” Okay, let me point out something else: Nothing has ever been done with that money except meeting. Yeper, 10 Billion and nothing but meetings. Not one weapon decommissioned under the program, not one extra guard. So we are spending this money on stopping a threat that has never happened by having meetings and not really doing anything. Um..er…okay.
So I was reading today on CNN about the possible terrorist threat of laser pointers to airline pilots. (http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/12/09/terrorist.laser.ap/index.html) I can just see a terrorist waling into a Wall Mart “I’d like to buy 10,000 laser pointers please…” Um, guys, jets go real fast. Now, your telling me your afraid some terrorist is going to take a laser with a point of light about .025 of an inch and hit someone in a cockpit, behind polarized glass, in the iris of the eye; a target of less than .25 of an inch. And they are going to do it while said .25 inch target is going more than 200 mph? I never knew terrorists were such good shots! So tell me, why are we not using military forces to protect envelope factories around the world to keep terrorists from putting infectious diseases in the glue they use on the back of envelopes? Makes as much sense.
As for me, I am sick of the government trying to make me scared of the boogie man they call terrorists. Do like the Russians did in Lebanon when their ambassador got kidnapped. Take one of their leaders, castrate him, cut out his tounge, and dump his bloody corpse on the steps of his family home. Within one hour of this the ambassador was returned unharmed. Show them we are not playing and they will pick up their toys and go home. Harsh I know, but it worked.
Till next time,
Be mindful and awake.
Yea, he’s got a serious problem. He’s developed a crack habit of sorts. And it is costly, not just in the amount of money it is running us all but also in the pain and suffering. His name? Sam. Yea, my Uncle Sam. His crack habit? War.
Look let me set the record strait about a few things as I see them. If you get pissed easily, well, maybe you should just look for my next update and stop reading now. If you keep reading and get pissed, you were warned.
Stop now, turn back.
Still here? Okay, good.
I love facts, especially trivia. So after making a comment about the US having a crack habit called the War in the Middle East, I decided to do a little more looking about.
So, how bad is the cost of the habit?
Check this out:
http://costofwar.com/
This is our running totals as you read, not counting the cost in human lives.
So lets try to just put the money in perspective. The cost in money to the US for World War 2 was $306,000,000,000. That was not including the Lend/Lease Program. (http://www.faqfarm.com/History/WWII/13565)
Using their calculator at http://costofwar.com , the cost for those living in the city of Athens was $4,405,864. Based upon the census data for the population of Athens, that works out to about $206.45 per person. That is as of today. So, what do we get for this? Look, if you want to take $200 out of my wallet just to play war, you better be buying Warhammer 40k stuff so I can at least play as well. That way when all is said and done, after I beat the crap out of you for taking the $200 bucks I have something to show for it.
I mean look, Saddam was a dictator every bit as bad as Hitler. He deserved to be ousted, drug out and hung by piano wire ala Mussolini. Now, here we are in the middle of nowhere, getting our asses shot off by a bunch of idiots who want to revert to the 14th century. So we oust the asshole and are trying to help make a stable government there. Sounds good and cheery don’t it?
Well, here is my question: Where are the Saudis? Where are the UAE? Where are the Sudanese? There are no Turks, Omani, Syrian, Egyptian, or any of another half dozen countries sending peacekeepers there. Why? Simple, if we are willing to pay for and die for setting up another member of OPEC, then they are going to let us do it. Heck, even most of the UN is not willing to help.
Now granted, this is not a conventional war like WWII, but what the hell are we doing? Has the average American lost his little friggin mind? Half way around the planet is not our back yard. We have enough trouble feeding our own poor let alone taking on another country as a live in poor relatives.
Now consider this, a simple question. If your soldiers are refusing orders, going AWOL, and going to court to try to not get deployed, is there something wrong? Um, YEA! I feel bad for the troops deployed over there. It is a thankless and dangerous job with too much pain, loss and heartbreak for them all. They are doing a soldiers job, following orders. But when the orders are of a type that causes a conflict on moral grounds, then it is a soldier’s duty to question them. From what I have been reading, they are. Good luck everyone, keep your heads down!
I’m not one of the “give them a hug and the whole world will be sunshine and rainbows” crowd. I say kick their ass and then hand it over to the locals. When the French sent troops to aid us in our civil war, they did just that. They helped kick out the British and said “Here you go, good luck, its all yours now.” I’d like to think the average Iraqi is as smart as an 18th century American bumpkin. The French didn’t stay around to help rout out British sympathizers. They did not arm and train the Continental Army. They did not provide for a new national police force. Let them spend some of that oil money they have. Build your own country, we did. It may not be great, but it is ours, not a cheap knockoff of someplace else.
Let me toss in a little quote. Pay attention to who said it:
"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed."
President Dwight D. Eisenhower April 16, 1953
President Eisenhower, former Supreme Allied Commander, General of the Army, commander of NATO forces in Europe. I think he knows a little about war. I say let us get out. Bring them home and lets spend my $200 here. I know there are a lot of people who would have a Merry Christmas with an extra $200 to put food on the table with.
Along the lines spoken about before, let me toss out another bone I am tired of. Okay, so there are these funds being allocated by the US for keeping nuclear and biological weapons out of the hand of terrorist from the former Soviet Union. The weapons I mean, not the terrorists. Anyway, it is something to the tune of 10 Billion dollars. So, I wondered what am I getting for my share of the cost? Well, first, let me point something out. No terrorist organization has ever gotten a WMD, ever. Some will shout “Great! See it is working!” Okay, let me point out something else: Nothing has ever been done with that money except meeting. Yeper, 10 Billion and nothing but meetings. Not one weapon decommissioned under the program, not one extra guard. So we are spending this money on stopping a threat that has never happened by having meetings and not really doing anything. Um..er…okay.
So I was reading today on CNN about the possible terrorist threat of laser pointers to airline pilots. (http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/12/09/terrorist.laser.ap/index.html) I can just see a terrorist waling into a Wall Mart “I’d like to buy 10,000 laser pointers please…” Um, guys, jets go real fast. Now, your telling me your afraid some terrorist is going to take a laser with a point of light about .025 of an inch and hit someone in a cockpit, behind polarized glass, in the iris of the eye; a target of less than .25 of an inch. And they are going to do it while said .25 inch target is going more than 200 mph? I never knew terrorists were such good shots! So tell me, why are we not using military forces to protect envelope factories around the world to keep terrorists from putting infectious diseases in the glue they use on the back of envelopes? Makes as much sense.
As for me, I am sick of the government trying to make me scared of the boogie man they call terrorists. Do like the Russians did in Lebanon when their ambassador got kidnapped. Take one of their leaders, castrate him, cut out his tounge, and dump his bloody corpse on the steps of his family home. Within one hour of this the ambassador was returned unharmed. Show them we are not playing and they will pick up their toys and go home. Harsh I know, but it worked.
Till next time,
Be mindful and awake.
Monday, November 22, 2004
This is Moosebase Alpha, come in Planet Earth...
This is Moosebase Alpha, come in Planet Earth...yea, all quiet again...
Figured that it was time for some sort of an update from here in the land of extreme freaky stuff. The oddest thing of late has been that life has been quite normal. Now, I know that would not bother many of you, but around here it just makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck.
It's been quiet...almost too quiet.
Two things in the news. One of which I don't get at all. Okay, I don't get either one. Seems some guy ripped of a bunch of people for $20 MILLION dollars, yet if convicted, he faces a fine of $250,000. Um, I am not sure about you but I would gladly pay out the fine. So his net profit from his ill gotten gains is $19.75 MILLION dollars. Um, yea. Justice, right...
Number two on the list is something I read on the BBC website:
Scotland is looking to outlaw the ownership of swords by individuals. HELLO! No guns, no swords, limited to itty-bitty knives. Hey, didn't Cromwell do that once already?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4031405.stm
Here is a quote for ya from the article:
"There can be no reason for people buying swords off the street for use or to have in their homes," Jack McConnell, First Minister
Are boot-sales overrun with swords of late? Um...sword, concealed...right.
To interject a few euphemisms you may understand, Mr. First Minister "You are a total pratt! A git of the first degree, a ninny and a complete and utter tosser!"
But wait! It gets worse:
"It is not acceptable. The law in Scotland must be clear, the system must protect innocent victims and the culture of Scotland, particularly in our cities, in relation to knives and violent crime, must change," he said.
Protect the culture of Scotland? Okay, but there are no exclusions for re-enactors, fencers or heaven forbid the Highland Dancers. Dance a traditional dance, go to jail for 4 years. Regia ? Do not pass go, head directly to jail for 4 years. Oh, did you notice the expanded police powers? Yea, they can stop and search anyone suspected of carrying a knife. Pedestrians and vehicles can be searched without a crime being committed. Any knife, any person, anywhere, at any time. Boy would I be screwed!
All this seems to be brought about by some recent crime statistics. The first Minister stated "That 50% of the homicides in Scotland in 2002 were caused by knives or other sharp instruments."
What are "other sharp instruments"? Pencils? Ice picks? Pointed sticks? Gee, wonder why? How about no firearms for the general public for one. Wait till this goes into affect and the crime rate will show a rise in the use of cricket bats as the weapon of choice in homicides, then they will get outlawed too. I suggest polearms. You will never be accused of concealing it.
Outlawing swords and knives has been tried before. Know what happened? The birth of Kung Fu. Yea, China had outlawed all weapons for private ownership once. Even the communists let people have guns and swords for their own use now. Maybe we will see the new Scottish martial art we have joked about come to be. Swift kick to the mommy and daddy button with steel toed boots then punch to the eye as they lie on the ground. Then they can outlaw boots, too. Pretty soon, they will all be naked, and that will be quite funny.
So, I think this calls for some drastic measures.
Anyone care for a fresh hot, steaming cup of Scottish revolution? I'll bring the swords.
Well, next time I'll try to leave Europe alone and take some time to bust on the U.S.
With so much material, I am sure I can find something to occupy say 80 or 90 pages.
Till then,
Be mindful and awake
Figured that it was time for some sort of an update from here in the land of extreme freaky stuff. The oddest thing of late has been that life has been quite normal. Now, I know that would not bother many of you, but around here it just makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck.
It's been quiet...almost too quiet.
Two things in the news. One of which I don't get at all. Okay, I don't get either one. Seems some guy ripped of a bunch of people for $20 MILLION dollars, yet if convicted, he faces a fine of $250,000. Um, I am not sure about you but I would gladly pay out the fine. So his net profit from his ill gotten gains is $19.75 MILLION dollars. Um, yea. Justice, right...
Number two on the list is something I read on the BBC website:
Scotland is looking to outlaw the ownership of swords by individuals. HELLO! No guns, no swords, limited to itty-bitty knives. Hey, didn't Cromwell do that once already?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4031405.stm
Here is a quote for ya from the article:
"There can be no reason for people buying swords off the street for use or to have in their homes," Jack McConnell, First Minister
Are boot-sales overrun with swords of late? Um...sword, concealed...right.
To interject a few euphemisms you may understand, Mr. First Minister "You are a total pratt! A git of the first degree, a ninny and a complete and utter tosser!"
But wait! It gets worse:
"It is not acceptable. The law in Scotland must be clear, the system must protect innocent victims and the culture of Scotland, particularly in our cities, in relation to knives and violent crime, must change," he said.
Protect the culture of Scotland? Okay, but there are no exclusions for re-enactors, fencers or heaven forbid the Highland Dancers. Dance a traditional dance, go to jail for 4 years. Regia ? Do not pass go, head directly to jail for 4 years. Oh, did you notice the expanded police powers? Yea, they can stop and search anyone suspected of carrying a knife. Pedestrians and vehicles can be searched without a crime being committed. Any knife, any person, anywhere, at any time. Boy would I be screwed!
All this seems to be brought about by some recent crime statistics. The first Minister stated "That 50% of the homicides in Scotland in 2002 were caused by knives or other sharp instruments."
What are "other sharp instruments"? Pencils? Ice picks? Pointed sticks? Gee, wonder why? How about no firearms for the general public for one. Wait till this goes into affect and the crime rate will show a rise in the use of cricket bats as the weapon of choice in homicides, then they will get outlawed too. I suggest polearms. You will never be accused of concealing it.
Outlawing swords and knives has been tried before. Know what happened? The birth of Kung Fu. Yea, China had outlawed all weapons for private ownership once. Even the communists let people have guns and swords for their own use now. Maybe we will see the new Scottish martial art we have joked about come to be. Swift kick to the mommy and daddy button with steel toed boots then punch to the eye as they lie on the ground. Then they can outlaw boots, too. Pretty soon, they will all be naked, and that will be quite funny.
So, I think this calls for some drastic measures.
Anyone care for a fresh hot, steaming cup of Scottish revolution? I'll bring the swords.
Well, next time I'll try to leave Europe alone and take some time to bust on the U.S.
With so much material, I am sure I can find something to occupy say 80 or 90 pages.
Till then,
Be mindful and awake
Thursday, November 11, 2004
The UN-peacekeepers
One if my readers posted this to me:
“Ok, I’m confused about your statement of no UN mandate. As an article in the Times states “That action, (the bombing of the air force) taken with the full support of the UN Security Council” would seem to me that the UN had supported the French. Also the French and UN have had peacekeeping forces in Côte d'Ivoire for quite a while since the last civil war. At present there are about 6,000 U.N. troops in the Ivory cost and 4,000 French. And the French were only replying to a bombing of one of there buildings. Keep in mind there were also American aid workers killed or injured in the attack on the building. So the French retaliated by destroying the Côte d'Ivoire’s air force but not killing anyone because they had people killed and was probably deliberately attacked. Considering that by reports the planes circled overhead three times before attacking. Seems to me kind of hard to argue with the French position for the way they carried out there retaliation. As to weather or not the French should be there, well that could be traced back to their colonial days.”
Okay, fair enough. I made some statements, now I need to clarify what I said with a few facts. He has his points, but a little research shows something a little different at least how I see it. I will address this a little at a time. I did not include his name as I did not ask him if it was okay first. My choice, but the email is presented in its entirety, minus the name.
“Ok, I’m confused about your statement of no UN mandate. As an article in the Times states “That action, (the bombing of the air force) taken with the full support of the UN Security Council” would seem to me that the UN had supported the French.”
The UN mission to Côte d'Ivoire is separate from the French troops there. I will post my resources here so if they seem abrupt, that is their wording, not mine J
“As stipulated by resolution 1528, the mandate of UNOCI, which was to be implemented in coordination with the French forces stationed in Côte d’Ivoire, shall be the following:…” (1)
Okay, so the UN forces are to work in coordination with the French forces there. The French are not part of the UN mission; therefore they are troops from an outside government and do not enjoy the protections given UN Blue Helmets. They can be considered viable legal combatants.
“Also the French and UN have had peacekeeping forces in Côte d'Ivoire for quite a while since the last civil war. At present there are about 6,000 U.N. troops in the Ivory cost and 4,000 French.”
I don’t argue this at all. Here are some more statistics:
Total authorized strength
”6,240 military personnel, including 200 military observers; as well as 350 civilian police officers, some 435 international civilians and 529 local civilians, and 119 United Nations Volunteers.
Strength as of 30 September 2004
6,221 total uniformed personnel, including 5,843 troops, 166 military observers; 212 civilian police supported by 220 international civilian personnel and 156 local staff “(2)
Now here is where things get a little muddy.:
“Contributors of Military Personnel:
Bangladesh, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, China, Congo, Croatia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, Gambia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, India, Ireland, Jordan, Kenya, Moldova, Morocco, Namibia, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Phillipines, Poland, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro, Togo, Tunisia, Uruguay, Yemen and Zambia
Contributors of civilian police personnel:
Bangladesh, Benin, Cameroon, Canada, Chad, Djibouti, El Salvador, France, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo, Turkey and Uruguay”(2)
Now why does the UN list that they are working in concert with French troops, but list them separately from any others in the resolution? The only thing I can figure out is that there are both French peacekeepers and French regular troops deployed in the same area. Wouldn’t you say this is a problem waiting to happen? Which ones are UN and which ones are not? I would say it is a little hard to tell from an aircraft moving at 250mph plus. High-speed ants still look like ants even if they do have blue helmets.”
“And the French were only replying to a bombing of one of there buildings. Keep in mind there were also American aid workers killed or injured in the attack on the building. So the French retaliated by destroying the Côte d'Ivoire’s air force but not killing anyone because they had people killed and was probably deliberately attacked.”
Okay, time for a little more clarification. The area they are occupying is in the sovereign territory of Côte d’Ivoire, not France. The buildings they are using are not property of France, but of the lawful government of Côte d’Ivoire and its people. That aside, I feel that their retributive strike against the legitimate government of Côte d’Ivoire was uncalled for and beyond reason. Some would say that it could be construed as an act of aggression. As for deliberately attacked, who knows, but they did not even ask, they just struck back. The US and other nations have accidentally hit “friendlies” during engagements. This is called “The Fog Of War” when targets are misidentified.
“On 6 November 2004, air strikes in Bouaké left nine French soldiers and an American civilian dead, plus 30 more French soldiers injured.”(6). 10 people killed, 30 injured. I would like to say that I do feel sad for the soldiers and the aid worker and their families. There were there to do a very difficult job and paid the ultimate price for doing what they thought was right.
“Considering that by reports the planes circled overhead three times before attacking. Seems to me kind of hard to argue with the French position for the way they carried out there retaliation.”
The fact that the jet made 3 passes would seem to indicate the pilot tried to identify the troops involved. He may have questioned the target, but after the third pass had to error on the side of the attack. Who knows? We are all guessing, only the pilot knows for sure. Although I do have a question about this; why did the French, who some would say have a modern army, not try to radio the aircraft and warn him off? Why did they not throw smoke to show they were friendlies? An even simpler question is why did they not get out of there if they saw this attack craft buzzing them? Why when the aircraft took an attack attitude did they not cut and run? One answer jumps to mind: Engaged combatants do not retreat during a potential air strike. Hell, if they would have just waved to him he may not of attacked.
“ As to weather or not the French should be there, well that could be traced back to their colonial days”
Amen. I would recommend reading http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/citoc.html just to get an idea of how much influence France has in Ivory Coast. I would say colony in all but name.
If in fact the French ground troops are operating as an authorized extension of the UN Peacekeepers then I think the following applies:
“While affirming the Blue Helmets’ right to defend themselves and those they are mandated to protect, the Secretary-General has stressed that this new “doctrine” should not be interpreted as a means of turning the UN into a warfighting machine, and that the use of force should always be seen as a measure of last resort.” (3)
Um, they hit the air force within a very short period of time, like an hour or so. So much for measures of last resort.
Here are some interesting tidbits:
“On Saturday, government aircraft bombed a French position near Bouake, killing nine French soldiers and an American aid worker. The Ivorian government said the bombing was an accident.” (4) Oh, like the French never had an accident. I would direct my readers to footnote number 5. Not once, ever has any “allied force” taken retribution against the accidentally offending party. Sorry, France, that dog does not hunt. They call it Amicicde. Heck, even the French know the word Ami; it is French! It means friend you dolts!
And on that thread:
Would you agree that the destruction of a countries air force, however small, would be an unstabilising factor both politically and economically? I would, and apparently so does the French minister of foreign affairs:
“In a communiqué released on 7 November, Michel Barnier, France’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, focused his attention on the fact that “the mission of French forces is above all to increase the security of our citizens. (...) That is their mission: to increase security - nothing more. To increase security, not to destabilize.”” (6)
I’ll take bets that when this is all over, France will kindly offer to sell them a few Mirage fighters to replace the Russian-made Sukhoi jet fighters they destroyed.
Okay, I could ramble on even more. While I do like the input from my readers, sometimes I just must respond publicly. I hope this did not come off as adversarial as that was not my intent. I just wanted to present some of the facts that led me to my statements and conclusions. I know some of this is just supposition and conjecture, but when we do not have all the information that is all we can hope for.
I did try to find an offical government website for Ivory Coast, but none exists. I will edit out the snide anti-French comment I was going to post here as it takes away from everything else.
References:
(1) http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unoci/mandate.html
(2) http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unoci/facts.html
(3) http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/dpko/faq/q9.htm
(4) http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/africa/11/11/ivory.evacuation/index.html
(5) http://www-cgsc.army.mil/carl/resources/csi/Shrader/shrader.asp
(6) http://www.premier-ministre.gouv.fr/en/information/latest_news_97/cote_ivoire_taking_stock_51531.html
“Ok, I’m confused about your statement of no UN mandate. As an article in the Times states “That action, (the bombing of the air force) taken with the full support of the UN Security Council” would seem to me that the UN had supported the French. Also the French and UN have had peacekeeping forces in Côte d'Ivoire for quite a while since the last civil war. At present there are about 6,000 U.N. troops in the Ivory cost and 4,000 French. And the French were only replying to a bombing of one of there buildings. Keep in mind there were also American aid workers killed or injured in the attack on the building. So the French retaliated by destroying the Côte d'Ivoire’s air force but not killing anyone because they had people killed and was probably deliberately attacked. Considering that by reports the planes circled overhead three times before attacking. Seems to me kind of hard to argue with the French position for the way they carried out there retaliation. As to weather or not the French should be there, well that could be traced back to their colonial days.”
Okay, fair enough. I made some statements, now I need to clarify what I said with a few facts. He has his points, but a little research shows something a little different at least how I see it. I will address this a little at a time. I did not include his name as I did not ask him if it was okay first. My choice, but the email is presented in its entirety, minus the name.
“Ok, I’m confused about your statement of no UN mandate. As an article in the Times states “That action, (the bombing of the air force) taken with the full support of the UN Security Council” would seem to me that the UN had supported the French.”
The UN mission to Côte d'Ivoire is separate from the French troops there. I will post my resources here so if they seem abrupt, that is their wording, not mine J
“As stipulated by resolution 1528, the mandate of UNOCI, which was to be implemented in coordination with the French forces stationed in Côte d’Ivoire, shall be the following:…” (1)
Okay, so the UN forces are to work in coordination with the French forces there. The French are not part of the UN mission; therefore they are troops from an outside government and do not enjoy the protections given UN Blue Helmets. They can be considered viable legal combatants.
“Also the French and UN have had peacekeeping forces in Côte d'Ivoire for quite a while since the last civil war. At present there are about 6,000 U.N. troops in the Ivory cost and 4,000 French.”
I don’t argue this at all. Here are some more statistics:
Total authorized strength
”6,240 military personnel, including 200 military observers; as well as 350 civilian police officers, some 435 international civilians and 529 local civilians, and 119 United Nations Volunteers.
Strength as of 30 September 2004
6,221 total uniformed personnel, including 5,843 troops, 166 military observers; 212 civilian police supported by 220 international civilian personnel and 156 local staff “(2)
Now here is where things get a little muddy.:
“Contributors of Military Personnel:
Bangladesh, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, China, Congo, Croatia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, Gambia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, India, Ireland, Jordan, Kenya, Moldova, Morocco, Namibia, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Phillipines, Poland, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro, Togo, Tunisia, Uruguay, Yemen and Zambia
Contributors of civilian police personnel:
Bangladesh, Benin, Cameroon, Canada, Chad, Djibouti, El Salvador, France, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo, Turkey and Uruguay”(2)
Now why does the UN list that they are working in concert with French troops, but list them separately from any others in the resolution? The only thing I can figure out is that there are both French peacekeepers and French regular troops deployed in the same area. Wouldn’t you say this is a problem waiting to happen? Which ones are UN and which ones are not? I would say it is a little hard to tell from an aircraft moving at 250mph plus. High-speed ants still look like ants even if they do have blue helmets.”
“And the French were only replying to a bombing of one of there buildings. Keep in mind there were also American aid workers killed or injured in the attack on the building. So the French retaliated by destroying the Côte d'Ivoire’s air force but not killing anyone because they had people killed and was probably deliberately attacked.”
Okay, time for a little more clarification. The area they are occupying is in the sovereign territory of Côte d’Ivoire, not France. The buildings they are using are not property of France, but of the lawful government of Côte d’Ivoire and its people. That aside, I feel that their retributive strike against the legitimate government of Côte d’Ivoire was uncalled for and beyond reason. Some would say that it could be construed as an act of aggression. As for deliberately attacked, who knows, but they did not even ask, they just struck back. The US and other nations have accidentally hit “friendlies” during engagements. This is called “The Fog Of War” when targets are misidentified.
“On 6 November 2004, air strikes in Bouaké left nine French soldiers and an American civilian dead, plus 30 more French soldiers injured.”(6). 10 people killed, 30 injured. I would like to say that I do feel sad for the soldiers and the aid worker and their families. There were there to do a very difficult job and paid the ultimate price for doing what they thought was right.
“Considering that by reports the planes circled overhead three times before attacking. Seems to me kind of hard to argue with the French position for the way they carried out there retaliation.”
The fact that the jet made 3 passes would seem to indicate the pilot tried to identify the troops involved. He may have questioned the target, but after the third pass had to error on the side of the attack. Who knows? We are all guessing, only the pilot knows for sure. Although I do have a question about this; why did the French, who some would say have a modern army, not try to radio the aircraft and warn him off? Why did they not throw smoke to show they were friendlies? An even simpler question is why did they not get out of there if they saw this attack craft buzzing them? Why when the aircraft took an attack attitude did they not cut and run? One answer jumps to mind: Engaged combatants do not retreat during a potential air strike. Hell, if they would have just waved to him he may not of attacked.
“ As to weather or not the French should be there, well that could be traced back to their colonial days”
Amen. I would recommend reading http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/citoc.html just to get an idea of how much influence France has in Ivory Coast. I would say colony in all but name.
If in fact the French ground troops are operating as an authorized extension of the UN Peacekeepers then I think the following applies:
“While affirming the Blue Helmets’ right to defend themselves and those they are mandated to protect, the Secretary-General has stressed that this new “doctrine” should not be interpreted as a means of turning the UN into a warfighting machine, and that the use of force should always be seen as a measure of last resort.” (3)
Um, they hit the air force within a very short period of time, like an hour or so. So much for measures of last resort.
Here are some interesting tidbits:
“On Saturday, government aircraft bombed a French position near Bouake, killing nine French soldiers and an American aid worker. The Ivorian government said the bombing was an accident.” (4) Oh, like the French never had an accident. I would direct my readers to footnote number 5. Not once, ever has any “allied force” taken retribution against the accidentally offending party. Sorry, France, that dog does not hunt. They call it Amicicde. Heck, even the French know the word Ami; it is French! It means friend you dolts!
And on that thread:
Would you agree that the destruction of a countries air force, however small, would be an unstabilising factor both politically and economically? I would, and apparently so does the French minister of foreign affairs:
“In a communiqué released on 7 November, Michel Barnier, France’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, focused his attention on the fact that “the mission of French forces is above all to increase the security of our citizens. (...) That is their mission: to increase security - nothing more. To increase security, not to destabilize.”” (6)
I’ll take bets that when this is all over, France will kindly offer to sell them a few Mirage fighters to replace the Russian-made Sukhoi jet fighters they destroyed.
Okay, I could ramble on even more. While I do like the input from my readers, sometimes I just must respond publicly. I hope this did not come off as adversarial as that was not my intent. I just wanted to present some of the facts that led me to my statements and conclusions. I know some of this is just supposition and conjecture, but when we do not have all the information that is all we can hope for.
I did try to find an offical government website for Ivory Coast, but none exists. I will edit out the snide anti-French comment I was going to post here as it takes away from everything else.
References:
(1) http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unoci/mandate.html
(2) http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unoci/facts.html
(3) http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/dpko/faq/q9.htm
(4) http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/africa/11/11/ivory.evacuation/index.html
(5) http://www-cgsc.army.mil/carl/resources/csi/Shrader/shrader.asp
(6) http://www.premier-ministre.gouv.fr/en/information/latest_news_97/cote_ivoire_taking_stock_51531.html
Tuesday, November 9, 2004
Only half evolved
So here I sit typing with one thumb out of commission. You know we joke about having or not having thumbs as the case may be as part of a we are so better than the animals type attitude, which is all fine and dandy. They do not have lawyers, mostly. And you never see protest marches about Evolutionary Profiling or such nonsense, but when you are sans one thumb it does make you think a little bit.
Sans one thumb, you may ask. Yes, a bizarre sword accident. I broke my thumb in a sword fight. How many times have you ever heard /that/ particular comment before? I would exclude SCAdians and Regia people from that question. To us it is as normal as saying I broke my arm on a skateboard. While it may seem odd to some to hear me say I broke my arm on a skateboard, to others they would just say “Oh, too bad…” not even thinking twice about me doing something like that.
So anyway, the past few weeks have mostly been full of the same stuff. Work, more work, and did I mention work? Still it was my parents wedding anniversary. Happily married for 10 years. 10 out of 30, but hey got to start somewhere right? I just thought I would mention to all my readers that today is Judi’s birthday.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEETY!!! So take a sec and zap her off an email or a card.
On the international front, I think Dubbua aught to hold a press conference condemning the actions of France in the Ivory Coast. What, did you not know about that? Okay, here is the short of it: Ivory Coast has some unrest. France sends in Peace Keepers (Read Foreign Legion) without a UN mandate. So the end up getting accidentally bombed and 9 French peacekeepers get killed. Okay, I feel bad for the guys on the ground and their families.
So what does France do? They destroy the entire Air Force of the Ivory Coast! Now granted 5 planes and 8 helicopters are not much of an air force, but still! Then they take up a “defensive position” surrounding the capitol. People are in the streets telling them to go away and punctuating their message with machetes. A reporter I read about was set upon by one of these mobs and they attacked till they found out they were English, not French. When they found out, they all left.
Take a read about it at:
http://www.cnn.com
Of course, there is nothing about it on the front of CNNs site, but they do have the article on
Brittany Spears new "best of" cd. A true “best of” from her would be 3 cds of silence!
Well, guess what! Time for more work…
Till next time, be mindful and awake.
Sans one thumb, you may ask. Yes, a bizarre sword accident. I broke my thumb in a sword fight. How many times have you ever heard /that/ particular comment before? I would exclude SCAdians and Regia people from that question. To us it is as normal as saying I broke my arm on a skateboard. While it may seem odd to some to hear me say I broke my arm on a skateboard, to others they would just say “Oh, too bad…” not even thinking twice about me doing something like that.
So anyway, the past few weeks have mostly been full of the same stuff. Work, more work, and did I mention work? Still it was my parents wedding anniversary. Happily married for 10 years. 10 out of 30, but hey got to start somewhere right? I just thought I would mention to all my readers that today is Judi’s birthday.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEETY!!! So take a sec and zap her off an email or a card.
On the international front, I think Dubbua aught to hold a press conference condemning the actions of France in the Ivory Coast. What, did you not know about that? Okay, here is the short of it: Ivory Coast has some unrest. France sends in Peace Keepers (Read Foreign Legion) without a UN mandate. So the end up getting accidentally bombed and 9 French peacekeepers get killed. Okay, I feel bad for the guys on the ground and their families.
So what does France do? They destroy the entire Air Force of the Ivory Coast! Now granted 5 planes and 8 helicopters are not much of an air force, but still! Then they take up a “defensive position” surrounding the capitol. People are in the streets telling them to go away and punctuating their message with machetes. A reporter I read about was set upon by one of these mobs and they attacked till they found out they were English, not French. When they found out, they all left.
Take a read about it at:
http://www.cnn.com
Of course, there is nothing about it on the front of CNNs site, but they do have the article on
Brittany Spears new "best of" cd. A true “best of” from her would be 3 cds of silence!
Well, guess what! Time for more work…
Till next time, be mindful and awake.
Tuesday, November 2, 2004
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