Report: Progress, Shortcomings in Iraqi Security Forces

Strides have been made in building Iraq’s security forces and increasing their responsibility, but more progress is needed, according to a new congressional report released today.

The report, “Stand Up and Be Counted: The Continuing Challenge of Building the Iraqi Security Forces,” follows an investigation by the House Armed Services Committee’s Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee.

It reports that the $19 billion the United States has invested over the past four years to organize, train and equip Iraq’s military and police forces “has yielded mixed results.”

“Despite making significant progress in generating a sizeable national force, the Iraqi security forces have not developed as fast as the coalition planned and, as a result, are not yet ready to take full responsibility for their nation’s security,” the report states.

The report also notes various states of readiness within the Iraqi forces. It recognizes that “some units are willing and capable of engaging the enemy” while others, particularly the Iraqi Police Service, are less effective.

The report’s findings track closely with those offered earlier this month by the U.S. general in charge of training those forces until turning over command of the Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq on June 10.

Army Lt. Gen. Martin E. Dempsey told the House Armed Services Committee oversight subcommittee many Iraqi units, particularly in the Iraqi army,

“have become increasingly proficient and have demonstrated both their improved capability and resolve in battle.”

However, he acknowledged that both army and police units “have a lack of tactical staying power of sufficient capability to surge forces locally.” They also suffer from shortages of leaders, he said.

The congressional report echoed Dempsey’s recognition of the need for improved leadership and an indigenous logistics capability keys to independent, self-sustaining Iraqi security forces.

Bryan Whitman, assistant secretary of defense for public affairs, reviewed with Pentagon reporters today some of the successes the Iraqi security forces have demonstrated.

Nine out of 10 Iraqi army division headquarters are in place, 31 of 36 Iraqi army brigade headquarters have been formed and 95 out of 112 battalions have security responsibilities in their respective areas.

“If you compare that today … to October 2005, when there was only one division, four brigades and 23 battalions, I think it is reflective of progress,”

he said.

Army Lt. Gen. James M. Dubik is working to build on that progress as the new commander of Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq.

During the change of command ceremony June 10, Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of Multinational Force Iraq, acknowledged that much work needs to be done to ensure the Iraqi security forces are capable of protecting the Iraqi people.

But in working toward that goal, Petraeus called Dubik “precisely the right man for this position at this time.”

Black Activists Applaud Supreme Court Ruling

For Release: June 28, 2007
Contact: David Almasi at (202) 543-4110 x11 or dalmasi@nationalcenter.org

Black Activists Applaud Supreme Court Ruling
Against Racial Preferences

Washington, D.C. - Today’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling against the use of racial preferences in public school admissions is being hailed by members of the Project 21 black leadership network as a necessary step in breaking down existing racial resentment and promoting true equal access to educational opportunity.

“It’s refreshing that the Supreme Court decided race-based admission standards are unconstitutional,” said Project 21 fellow Deneen Borelli. “Racial quotas are harmful because they reinforce resentment towards minorities and increases racial tensions. Parental judgment and educational needs should be the basis for choosing what schools children should attend.”

The ruling combined two cases: Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1 (Washington) and Meredith v. Jefferson County Board of Education (Louisville, Kentucky). In the Seattle case, school administrators implemented an enrollment quota of 40 percent white and 60 percent minority in each high school to reflect the racial makeup of the overall student body. In Louisville, all schools must have between 15 percent and 50 percent black enrollment, forcing parents to rank which schools they would prefer their children to attend. In both cases, there are students who must travel great distances to get to the schools selected for them.

Project 21, a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization sponsored by the National Center for Public Policy Research, has been a leading voice of the African-American community since 1992. For more information, contact David Almasi at (202) 543-4110 x11 or dalmasi@nationalcenter.org, or visit Project 21’s website at www.project21.org/P21Index.html.

Another Unconstitutional $20 million on Global Warming Study

Corning, N.Y. — You can definitely smell it, but you can’t see it.The United States Department of Agriculture has released reports stating that when you smell cow manure, you’re also smelling greenhouse gas emissions.

That will be the focus of new research that might happen right here in the Southern Tier.

Agriculture Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment, Mark Rey, was in Corning Wednesday morning at the Big Flats Plant Materials Center to annouce the award of nearly $20 million in Conservation Innovation Grants to fund 51 research projects across the country designed to refine new technologies helping dairy and other agricultural producers cut back on their greenhouse emissions and cash in on governmental incentives for the research.

Listen, I’ll do this for free and save you the money and trouble. There is no effect from these emissions on Global Warming.

There. Now rescind this idiotic and unconstitutional redistribution of funds.

Car Bomb Attack In Glasgow - Mormom Tabernacle Choir To Be Blamed

GLASGOW (Reuters) - A four-wheel-drive vehicle raced across a central reservation and rammed into the front doors of Glasgow airport’s main terminal on Saturday before exploding in flames, Glasgow police and witnesses said.

A Glasgow police spokeswoman said there were no immediate reports of any injuries and said the blaze was extinguished. She said two people had been arrested following the incident.

Witnesses told the BBC the vehicle, a Land Rover or a Jeep Cherokee, had exploded shortly after crashing into the glass front doors of the terminal, and said there was a heavy stench of petrol. Another said it already appeared to be on fire as it raced towards the building.

“It raced across the central reservation and went straight into the building,” said taxi driver Ian Crosby, who was waiting outside Glasgow’s Terminal One.

Crosby said a stocky Asian man had got out of the car and was quickly tackled to the ground by angry bystanders.

“It would appear to me to have been a deliberate attack. I think this was a terrorist attack,” Crosby said.

Witnesses have also reported that one of hte men repeated yelled “Allah! Allah!”.

Because of the incident, warrants for the arrest of the entire Mormom Tabernacle Choir have been issued because OBVIOUSLY they were to blame. Police believe they were working in cahoots with the Boy Scouts and the Salvation Army who are suspected in the two failed car bomb attacks in London yesterday.

Stay tuned …

John Edwards Continues “Personal Attacks” on Coulter

The whole Ann Coulter, John Edwards & Elizabeth Edwards tiff is just too priceless! Now John Edwards continues the “personal attacks” on Ann even as he defended his wife for saying that the “personal attacks” should be stopped.

A day after his wife Elizabeth called in to MSNBC’s “Hardball” to confront conservative commentator Ann Coulter, Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards made his own appearance on the show.He dismissed Coulter, calling her “mean-spirited,” having no shame and being “crazy.” He defended his wife’s efforts to ask Coulter to drop her personal attacks, saying, “You have to stand up to them.”

“I don’t think [Coulter] has any shame; there’s no doubt about that,” Edwards said. “I think that’s just the way she behaves. That’s who she is. And I think that’s a lot of what we see from these people who are just — that are crazy.”

Call me “crazy” John, but calling someone “crazy” certainly seems like a personal attack! You got to love the left and you got to love the lemmings that follow them. They can say anything while attacking others for the same thing.

Listen John, and you too Liz, I know you two think you’re smart. But you’re not. Sure, you’re pretty smart compared to other liberals, but in the grand scheme of things these kind of stunts show you as below average when compared to the population at large.

“Personal attacks” are part of politics John. Go back and look at what our founding fathers said about each other for Heaven’s sake! When your politics are “personal”, any attack on your politics is by its very nature “personal”.

You’re going to have to grow up and stop having your wife fight your battles for you John. Because, like I said before, I highly doubt that Usama bin Laden will take the phone call from Liz asking him to play nice.

Conversation With A Smoking NAZI

Jimmy writes:

I think you are an idiot for saying that smoking causes not cancer in your article. My dad smoked and he died from ung cancer and it was certainly caused by his smoking. You want people to die and put a straign on our health care sustem because of your ignorance nad desire to let the tobaacco companies kill people.

Jimmy here refers to this article: Assaulting Liberty Through Regulation

My response:

Perhaps you didn’t read my article. I clearly explained that smoking does not cause cancer any more than simply depressing the accelerator of your car makes it go forward.

Jimmy writes back:

Obviously cmoking causes cancer you idiot! May father died from his smoking! Don’t be and idiot! Second hand smoke is even worse! I have asthma because of his smoking too! Obviously if you smoke you will get cancer and if you around people that smoke your will get sick!

My response:

Hmmm. Interesting. Are you saying that if one smokes one will get cancer and that if one is exposed to second hand smoke they will get sick? Think before you respond to that.

Jimmy responds again

OBVIOUSLY!

My response:

Then how is it that I neither have cancer not asthma or other diseases caused by exposure to second hand smoke? I smoke a nice cigar every now and again and also grew up with a friend whose father smoked a pack a day while we were sitting there in front of him playing video games and watching TV.

Jimmy whines:

OBVIOUSLY SMOKING CAUSES CANCER! ITS A FACT!

My response

Obviously it is not a fact since I do not have the health problems you describe and have both smoked and been around smokers. You’ve bought into the anti-smoking myths that if you smoke you will get cancer. That is not true. Even the leading research only shows smoking has an increase in the risk of getting diseases not a direct and is absolute cause.

Jimmy roars

IT CAUSES CANCER! STOP LYING!

My response

No Jimmy. Sorry that you don’t understand. There are lots of things that have to happen, and most of those we do not understand, before one gets cancer if one smokes. Let me ask you another question. If you add salt to water will it dissolve?

Jimmy goes Howard Dean

IT CAUSES CANCER! STOP LYING! IT SHOULD BE BANNED AND EVEYONE THAT SELL TOBACCO WOULD BE PUT IN JAIL!

My response

You didn’t answer the question. If you add salt to water will it dissolve?

Jimmy goes Al Gore

EVERYONE KNOWS THET IT DOES!

My response

No Jimmy. That is not true. There are many facts that effect whether or not that salt will dissolve. Factors such as what is the temperature of the water, is the water already saturated with salt (in which case no more will dissolve), etc. Basic chemistry. You cannot say based on such a simplistic understanding and limited information that X will happen if we do Y because most actions have other factors that effect X happening than just Y.If smoking caused cancer and other health problems then everyone that smoked or was around smokers would have those health problems.

I’m sorry that you do not understand this type of simple logic and problem solving.

No response yet from Jimmy on that one …

Mexican president says US Senate made ‘grave mistake’ killing immigration bill

MEXICO CITY (AP) — President Felipe Calderon said Thursday the U.S. Senate made a “grave error” by killing legislation that would have led to the legalization of millions of unlawful immigrants, most of them from Mexico. Calderon said the Senate’s failure to pass the bill will close the door to legal immigration, permit continued illegal immigration and human rights violations, and decrease security on both sides of the border. He added that the bill would have been a “sensible, rational, legal solution to the immigration problem,” and that the Senate’s decision will negatively affect the competitiveness of both the United States and Mexico. “It worsens the possibility of progress and prosperity not just for the immigrants, but also for the citizens of the United States,” he told a news conference held with visiting Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega.

The Voice

Bad Conservatives! Bad! Bad! No!

In recent conversations with some conservatives these days I get the impression that they aren’t acting very “conservative”. My case and point is the latest outrage over the immigration bill which is basically amnesty for illegals who have broken the law.
I really cringe when I hear conservatives, such as one of my friend, say, “80% of the people are against this! Why aren’t our Senators listening to us? They are supposed to serve us!”

I responded by saying that was a dangerous statement to make because it is a bad assertion to make that just because a majority of Americans are for or against something that therefore our elected representatives should be similarly inclined. It is a bad assertion because there are a lot of bad things, unconstitutional things, liberty infringing things that a majority (or at least a plurality) of people are for. Does that mean that our representatives should support them?

No.

Yes, Senators, Representatives and even the President are elected by the people to do the people’s business. But ONLY in as much as they are not violating the compact they have with the American people in the form of our Constitution which is a limited grant of authority to them.

I think a lot of conservatives are missing that point in their attempts to make valid points about the amnesty bill of Teddy Kennedy, Harry Reid, George Bush, John McCain and others. But make sure you keep your arguments rooted in conservative principles.

We are a Republic. We are not a Democracy. In Democracy straight majority opinions rule. In a Republic the rights of all are protected regardless of what the majority believes. Because your definition of “serving” us is not the same definition of what liberals and other un-American types believe “serving” us means.

Two Suspected Illegal Immigrants Killed After Chase

(CBS13) Two suspected illegal immigrants died in a fiery head-on crash after the driver of a pickup fled the Border Patrol. The driver swerved into oncoming traffic on a winding, rural road, striking another car. Several others were seriously injured the crash yesterday afternoon near Ocotillo, about 70 miles east of San Diego. The Border Patrol said today that agents halted their pursuit after reaching the speed limit of 55 miles per hour. Agents later spotted a plume of smoke several miles away and found the pickup in flames on a two-lane road. Authorities say the 1994 Dodge Dakota carried eight suspected illegal immigrants from Mexico, two of whom died. Pablo Arnaud, Mexico’s consul in Calexico, said the driver ignored the migrants’ pleas to slow down as he raced toward San Diego.

The Voice

Iran Institutes “Fairness Doctrine” Of Its Own

Liberals, liberals everywhere … Different countries but same policies.

Iran’s top security body has ordered local journalists not to report on problems caused by petrol rationing, a day after its surprise introduction.

Angry motorists have reacted violently to the curbs, attacking up to 19 petrol stations in the capital, Tehran.

There are still long queues outside filling stations.

The authorities switched off the mobile text messaging system in Tehran overnight to prevent motorists from organising more protests.

Now think about who in government these days in the United States wants to act in a similar manner. Think about who wants to control the information and entertainment you receive. If you said liberals you earned yourself a cookie.

Day after day we see how those that put into practice the same policies liberals here in the States propose act. And we keep electing liberals. Do we have a death wish? How much longer will we fail to heed the warnings that their fellow travelers put clearly before our eyes?