Dick Cheney - soft on terrorists?

From that filthy British commie-pinko sensationalist rag The Times:

Dick Cheney, the former US Vice President, nearly destroyed Britain's efforts to bring the airline bomb plotters to justice, police and intelligence experts said today.
By ordering the early arrest of Rashid Rauf, the bombers' link man in Pakistan, Washington forced British police to detain the suspects in the UK before all the evidence had been gathered, it was claimed.
Yesterday three British Muslims - Abdulla Ahmed Ali, Tanvir Hussain and Assad Sarwar - were finally convicted of plotting to blow up seven transatlantic airliners in mid-air in a co-ordinated attack intended to surpass the horror of 9/11. But the plotters were arrested before they had bought the airline tickets that would have been the ultimate proof of their intentions. Police fear that several key figures of the plot have remained free.

So Dick jumped the gun and had the Pakistanis arrest the "mastermind" before the British could gather all the info and evidence they needed -- But we are safer now with this terrorist mastermind in custody, right?

Mr Clarke added that the airline bomb plot trial had brought home the extent to which the myriad of terrorist cells and plots in Britain were connected and aided and kept in touch through key figures such as Mr Rauf, who was also in contact with the 7/7 bombers on London transport, the failed 21/7 London bombers, and the fertiliser bomb plotters picked up by Operation Crevice.
Mr Rauf's fate is unclear. After his arrest, he managed to escape from Pakistani custody under suspicious circumstances. Late last year the Americans reported that they had killed him, along with several other key al-Qaeda figures, in a barrage of Hellfire missiles fired from a Predator drone at a bungalow in Pakistan's tribal territories on its border with Afghanistan.
Mr Rauf's DNA was never retrieved from the bombing however, leaving open the possibilities that he is either still on the run or is secretly in custody and under interrogation.

Religion of peace, my ass

"A man with 'political and religious motives' killed a soldier just out of basic training and wounded another Monday in a targeted attack on a military recruiting center, police said."...

When is the United States going to realize that they really do have a gun problem? And when is the world going to realize it has a religion problem?

Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad -- a 24-year-old Little Rock resident formerly known as Carlos Bledsoe -- faces a first-degree murder charge and 15 counts of engaging in a terrorist act, Little Rock Police Chief Stuart Thomas said. The terrorist counts stem from the shots fired at an occupied building.
While authorities continued to investigate a motive, Thomas said Muhammad is a Muslim convert and, based on preliminary interviews with him, investigators believe there were "political and religious motives" in the shooting.
Military officials initially believed the shooting was a random act, but Thomas said police believe the shooter acted alone "with the specific purpose of targeting military personnel."

None are so zealous as the converted I suppose. From the looks of things at this point it woould appear that the shooter is an African-American man who has been born and bred in the United States and spent his formative years in the shadow of the 9/11 attacks. The last eight years have not exactly been a time that has made Islam look attractive to Americans, so I'm curious to know how he came to convert. This is complete speculation, but given the number of African-American men recruited by the Nation of Islam in the prison system, I'm wondering if this guy had previously done time and that was where he came in contact with Islam. I'm guessing he probably didn't grow up with a poster of Osama Bin Laden on his wall or anything, but who knows?

While a very devout fundementalist Muslim may well have reason to dislike the US Army, I don't think the Koran says anything praising the ambush murder of unarmed foes. So much for this "Religion of Peace" -- the real problem is that fundementalist religion of any stripe seems to bring out the worst in human beings. Having military-style weaponry easily available doesn't make the crazy stew any less poisonous either.

One headline I don't think we are ever going to see is "Atheist bludgeons six to death at local library"

Interesting that this was instantly treated as terrorism - which it is - but the shooting of George Tiller was not.

UPDATE!!!

Dr. Roy is very, very concerned about whether "Teh Left" will denounce this cowardly attack on the brave soldiers of our ally (h/t Canadian Cynic) because normally, you know, we lefty-types are busy high-fivin' each other when religious fundementalist whackjobs murder people.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Culture of life, my ass

"We are shocked at this morning's disturbing news that Mr. Tiller was gunned down," anti-abortion group Operation Rescue said in a statement on its Web site. "Operation Rescue has worked for years through peaceful, legal means, and through the proper channels to see him brought to justice. We denounce vigilantism and the cowardly act that took place this morning. We pray for Mr. Tiller's family that they will find comfort and healing that can only be found in Jesus Christ."

Protesters blockaded Tiller's clinic during Operation Rescue's "Summer of Mercy" protests during the summer of 1991, and Tiller was shot by Rachelle Shannon at his clinic in 1993. Tiller was wounded in both arms, and Shannon remains in prison for the shooting.

The clinic was bombed in June 1986, and was severely vandalized earlier this month. According to the Associated Press, his lawyer said wires to security cameras and outdoor lights were cut and that the vandals also cut through the roof and plugged the buildings' downspouts. Rain poured through the roof and caused thousands of dollars of damage in the clinic. Tiller reportedly asked the FBI to investigate the incident.

No arrests were made in the 1986 bombing."

Added the spokes douche bag for Operation Rescue: "All those times we called Tiller a murderer and baby-killer- well, we didn't really think anyone would do something like this again. After all its not like we've constantly called for abortion providers to be prosecuted or said that they deserved to be punished or argued that our interpretation of what the Bible says overrules the law of the land...oh wait, yes we did...uhm nevermind"

In other coverage: "Abortion foes fear backlash"  -- Really? Are they afraid that pro-choicers are going to start stalking and shooting their leaders? Bombing their offices?  Endlessly harrassing the people who work in their movement with death threats and screaming demonstrations outside their places of business?

Also - Randall Terry - a "Klass" act.

While many anti-abortion leaders swiftly issued statements condemning the shooting, their expressions of dismay were not echoed by Randall Terry, a veteran anti-abortion activist whose protests have often targeted Tiller.

"George Tiller was a mass murderer and we cannot stop saying that," Terry said. "He was an evil man - his hands were covered with blood."

Terry said he was now concerned that the Obama administration "will use Tiller's killing to intimidate pro-lifers into surrendering our most effective rhetoric and actions."

A month ago, Terry was arrested protesting President Barack Obama's appearance at the University of Notre Dame commencement. The president's graduation speech was dominated by abortion issue - and an appeal for the nation to seek common ground instead of vitriol.

Gunpowder, treason and plot - hurrah!
Okay, so I'm a couple of days late with it, but here's a thought provoking look at Guy Fawkes Day.