Eyewitness

I have heard it said that prosecutors hate to rely on eyewitness testimony, although juries seem to love it. I think I understand why, too. A long time ago, while in training for a new job, we did an exercise where the trainer took a volunteer from the group and stood in front of the class to act out a little scene. The trainer and the volunteer whispered together, then there was a brief flurry of hand motions between them. The trainer than asked people what they had just witnessed. Answers ranged from selling drugs, to betting, to about any illegal act you can imagine. When the trainer asked the volunteer to show what had changed hands, it was a note saying that nothing had transpired.

Patterico has something you really should see if you think video can't lie.

Iraqi Reaction To Zarqawi’s Killing

One of the really good friends I have made since starting this blog is Rick over at the Really Ugly American. He linked to me very early on and has been a good source of tips and ideas of things to blog about ever since. Today is no exception. He sent me an email a short while ago to point to something he had gotten from an Iraqi blogger who has not been all that supportive of the American effort in Iraq up until now. Here's what Rick sent:

Hey Gaius,

I just finished reading a post by an Iraqi journalist/blogger and friend of
mine and had to share it with you. You may want to pass it on to your son
and his buddies as well.

This was a very big deal for Iraqis and for my friend in particular who
is/was against the US occupation until todays events which gave him new hope
in the US and in his own government. He has posted and told me before when
Al Malaki was named Prime Minister that all iraqi politicians are the same.
Today he feels different.

This man represents  exactly the type of hearts and minds we can and need to
win in order to be successful in Iraq.

Here is a link and a brief excerpt of his post:

http://baghdadtreasure.blogspot.com/2006/06/thousand-miles-road-starts-with-one.html

Here is an excerpt from the post at Treasure of Baghdad:

The cluster of journalists and cameramen at the convention center is a
normal scene every time the country’s lawmakers gather for a parliament
session or for an important press conference. I was assigned today to cover
the parliament session where we expected the Prime Minister, Maliki, to
announce his candidates for the interior and defense ministries along with
the State ministry for National Security.

As I was leaning on the black leather coach in the hall talking to another
journalist and friend, some journalists ran towards a small TV set which
al-Iraqiya correspondents and cameramen use to check the live broadcasting
with. I immediately ran after them to see what was the thing that made them
run hysterically like this.

“Prime Minister Maliki announced that the Jordanian terrorist, Abu Musab
al-Zarqawi, was killed north of Baghdad,” a breaking news bar read. We were
all surprised despite the fact that the rumor was already spread among us
before we read it.

We held our breath for a second and then a loud “Mabrook” [Congratulations]
was said by one of the radio stations reporters. Few minutes later,
journalists started congratulating each other. Some danced in the hall,
female journalists halulated, and others rushed to call their offices of the
braking news. The news of his death made up our day.

Finally, he is dead. I couldn’t believe one day this pig will be killed.
Finally, the brutal Zarqawi, whose bloody campaign of beheadings and suicide
bombings made him the worst terrorist in the world, was killed. Finally the
thousands of families and victims he killed will rest in peace.

I have to say that I haven’t been happy like this for a long time. When I
met my other colleagues back in the office, I waved the victory sign, which
I also haven’t done since a long time ago.

   Although everybody knows that I am against the U.S. occupation to Iraq,
I believe what they did in helping the Iraqis kill Zarqawi was a good real
step for a better Iraq after three years of destruction and struggle. It’s
only now that I feel the US forces are really serious and want to get rid of
the terrorists who came as a reaction to their occupation to the country in
a way or another. It’s only now I felt that they really want to accomplish
their mission and go back home soon. I really hope that what I am feeling is
right.When I saw Maliki in the conference, I wished I could shake his hands
to thank him and tell him how I want his government to be strong. I have a
feeling that this man is really serious in taking Iraq to the safe side. I
really feel that he is doing his best to do a better job than the ones
preceded him. Killing Zarqawi is a good omen that Maliki’s government is no
longer silent.

This, I think, means that Donald Sensing is exactly right in his thinking. We can make a difference. We can change the fate of the Iraqi people. We can help them defeat the elements that seek to destroy both them and us.

We can make a difference.

Isn't that a great phrase?

Donald Sensing And A Home Run

Donald Sensing has always been one of my favorites. I've been reading him for years, have always been disappointed when he took a break and elated when he came back. He's back now at Winds of Change while still keeping that one hand clapping. Today he has a great take on what the death of Zarqawi may very well signify. It's a lot more than some of the naysayers are already pumping out. There really is some hope here.

The man whose wedding party was bombed by al Qaeda in November says that the air strike that killed al Qaeda mastermind Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was "heavenly justice."

Ashraf al-Akhras lost his father and both his new in-laws in the attack in Amman, Jordan, an event that brought almost all Jordan's people to denounce Zarqawi and his terrorist network.

"Time may heal something simple, but what happened to us was big," he said. "I don't remember it as my wedding day, it's a day in which the eyes of Amman turned black and cried. "I can't describe how I feel," he said, tears in his eyes.

The slackening of the appeal of radicalized, violent Islam will almost certainly be accelerated by Zarqawi's death.

"Maybe this will signal the start of the road to safety for our brothers in Iraq," said Akhras, a Muslim who had no time for Zarqawi's radicalism. "We pray to God that such people wake up and go back to the true religion."

From there, Sensing explores what this may very well mean for the people who are sick and tired of the radical ideology. One cannot but hope that he is right.

UPDATE: Thanks very much to Hugh Hewitt for the link and the kind words. Visitors, please do take a look around the humble Crabitat. Oh heck, we should have dusted.

UPDATE: This is really a must read as well, a post from an Iraqi on what Zarqawi's death means.

Hitchens On Zarqawi

This would be a must read, a good days work.

The death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is excellent news in its own right and even more excellent if, as U.S. sources in Iraq are claiming, it resulted from information that derived from people who were or had been close to him. (And, if that claim is black propaganda, then it is clever black propaganda, which is also excellent news.)

It hasn't taken long for the rain to start falling on this parade. Nick Berg's father, a MoveOn type now running for Congress on the Green Party ticket, has already said that he blames President George Bush for the video-beheading of his own son (but of course) and mourned the passing of Zarqawi as he would the death of any man (but of course, again). The latest Atlantic has a brilliantly timed cover story by Mary Anne Weaver, which tends to the view that Zarqawi was essentially an American creation, but seems to undermine its own prominence by suggesting that, in addition to that, Zarqawi wasn't all that important.

Not so fast. Zarqawi contributed enormously to the wrecking of Iraq's experiment in democratic federalism. He was able to help ensure that the Iraqi people did not have one single day of respite between 35 years of war and fascism, and the last three-and-a-half years of misery and sabotage. He chose his targets with an almost diabolical cunning, destroying the U.N. headquarters in Baghdad (and murdering the heroic envoy Sérgio Vieira de Melo) almost before it could begin operations, and killing the leading Shiite Ayatollah Hakim outside his place of worship in Najaf. His decision to declare a jihad against the Shiite population in general, in a document of which Weaver (on no evidence) doubts the authenticity, has been the key innovation of the insurgency: applying lethal pressure to the most vulnerable aspect of Iraqi society. And it has had the intended effect, by undermining Grand Ayatollah Sistani and helping empower Iranian-backed Shiite death squads.

Believe it or not, it gets better from there. In comments earlier, Hurricane Shirley made this point:

I think the import attached to taking out this key leader of al Qaeda has to do with funding. I think their movement depends on the money their leaders provide. The money trail has been disrupted. Do I have that right?

Conversely, it seems to me that if one of our top U.S. generals were to be “eliminated” it wouldn’t disrupt our fighting efforts. Do I have that wrong?

And the funding issue is a very big deal. How much was Zarqawi the funnel? We don't know that. But Hitchens raises some interesting questions on the connections that may help solve that puzzle.

Careful Handling

The New York Times provides some insight into the careful way the White House handled the breaking news that Zarqawi had been killed.

But it would be exactly five hours until the news would be confirmed, through finger prints, scars and, Mr. Snow said, possibly tattoos.

Mr. Rumsfeld today said that he had been notified Wednesday night in a call from Gen. George W. Casey Jr., the American commander in Iraq, that the attack had been made and that troops were moving in to search the site and confirm the identities. White House officials said today that they decided to hold off from the obvious temptation to try to break into prime time television right away with the rare good news. Rather, they decided it would be best to keep the secret for as long as possible and allow it to be announced in Baghdad, along with the news that the government there had finally filled three key posts, the ministers of defense, interior and national security.

Officials also decided to proceed carefully and not repeat mistakes of the past by referring to the killing as a turning point or an end to violence in Iraq, which is expected to, if anything, increase in coming days.

"There are no delusions that violence will dry up," Mr. Snow said. "We wouldn't be surprised if we saw a spike in violence as those who were Zarqawi's charges say, 'Look, we're still a factor.' "

Mr. Bush was careful to speak in measured tones this morning, when he announced the news at a hastily called 7:30 a.m. announcement in the Rose Garden.

"Zarqawi is dead, but the difficult and necessary mission in Iraq continues," Mr. Bush said, speaking somberly and betraying no elation. "We can expect the terrorists and insurgents to carry on without him. We can expect the sectarian violence to continue."

Sounds like they made absolutely sure about the news and made a very deliberate and careful release of the information.

UPDATE: And you really should not miss Planck's Constant's take on this either. Oh, and do look at the new Canadian currency as well.

UPDATE: Mike over at Mike's America has a good roundup (he was kind enough to include this blog in it - thanks, Mike).

101st Blog Of The Day

Continuing my project to visit one member of the fighting 101st each day, today I went to Tigerhawk. There's a pretty good smackdown of the UN - a subject near and dear to our hearts around here. Quite a lot of other stuff as well, including some quotes from the Jersey Girls that might interest some folks.

But Was She Licensed To Carry?

A woman bought a chihuahua puppy from a breeder. When she took it to the veterinarian, it turned out the puppy was only four weeks old, too young to leave it's mother. Unfortunately, the puppy died before the woman could take it back.

So early one morning the purchaser showed up at the breeder's house, forced her way inside and tried to get to the basement to get another puppy. Foiled in her attempt, the purchaser began beating the breeder over the head.

With the dead chihuahua.

She pushed her way into the house and tried to get to the basement to get another puppy. But after some hair-pulling, the breeder managed to wrestle the woman out of her house.

When she got outside she started hitting the breeder on the head with the dead puppy, drawing the attention of a neighbor who called police.

The woman then went back to her car but waved the dead puppy out of the car's sunroof while yelling threats at the breeder, who did not seek medical attention, police said.

The weight of the puppy was unknown, but Chihuahuas weight between two and six pounds when fully grown.

The dog owner could face felony burglary and misdemeanor assault charges police said.

What we are curious about here is was the woman licensed to carry the dead puppy? Or was the puppy licensed? And did she try to flee, or did the puppy have fleas?

Sometimes we get so confused.

UPDATE: CNN, but not much difference.

UPDATE: Thanks to Pajamas Media for the link (do NOT miss the picture they have up over there!) Visitors, please do take a look around.

Weird - Sanity Prevails In Senate

Somebody get a picture. In a rare display of sanity, virtually unknown in the Senate these days, the bill to introduce a race-based government in Hawaii has been defeated.

It is a core moral and constitutional principle of the United States that equal protection of our laws and equal participation in our government should never again be denied to Americans because of race or ethnicity. And it is a clear provision of our Constitution that American states be guaranteed a “Republican Form of Government.” Both would be endangered by Senator Akaka’s Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act, which was just defeated on the Senate floor moments ago.

Senator Akaka’s legislation would have created a new, independent government within our country – a government defined by and composed of a specific racial group. Worse still, Senator Akaka recently made clear that this race-based government would have been under no obligation to remain within the United States or to adhere to the most basic of our political principles: “[T]he governing entity will make a decision as to what happens to independence or returning to the monarchy.” 

Well, I guess that puts our plans here in the Crabitat on hold. Had the bill passed we would have begun agitating to declare the Blue Crab Republic. We probably could have done it too. Are crustaceans not people, too? Preston will be very disappointed.

Betting Pool

Bruce Kesler is starting a betting pool.

I'm in for no more than 8 hours from the time stamp of this post.

UPDATE: Oh Heck. I already lost. Dr. Sanity has a roundup of left wing reaction. Someone at Left I already asked the question. Unless it doesn't count since it's not in the MSM.

USS Cole Deploys

The USS Cole is finally heading back to the Persian Gulf area. The sailors have a memorial to those who died in the terrorist attack on the ship that they see every day.

The floor in the corridor leading to the dining area has 17 gold stars — one for each sailor killed when terrorists bombed the Cole as it was refueling in Yemen's port of Aden on Oct. 12, 2000.

No sailors from that crew are still on the Cole, which leaves Thursday to head to the Middle East for the first time since an explosives-laden boat rammed into it, blasting a huge hole in its side.

The ship has been deployed before this but this is the first time it's back in the waters where the attack occurred.

The stars in the Cole's "Hall of Heroes" signal to the sailors to stay vigilant and do their jobs well, said Petty Officer 2nd Class Jessica Saunders, 21, of Belfast, Maine.

The sailors killed in the attack "died defending our freedom," she said. "The only thing we can do is continue defending our freedom so it's safe for our children and their children's children."

The Cole is one of six ships and a submarine with 6,000 sailors and Marines leaving the East Coast this week to conduct security operations in support of the war on terrorism. They'll be gone six months.

The ships will deploy to the Fifth Fleet's area of responsibility, 7.5 million square miles that include the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Gulf of Oman and parts of the Indian Ocean.

It would seem an auspicious day for it.

UPDATE: Article from the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

CentCom Posts Video Of Strike

CentCom sent me an email to let me know that they have posted the video of the strike that killed Zarqawi. Unfortunately, the site seems to be under severe load right now, so you'll want to wait until later to go over there if you're interested.

UPDATE: While CentCom has a video, Reverse Vampyre has a VIDEO (courtesy the mighty Allah at Hot Air).

Senate Votes To Tax The Dead

Now my advice for those who die,
Declare the pennies on your eyes,
‘Cos I’m the Taxman,
Yeah, I’m the Taxman.
(Lennon/McCarney)

The Senate today failed to pass a bill that would have ended the estate tax permanently. Even with significant compromises offered, the vote fell three short of the total needed to pass the bill. Senate Majority leader Bill Frist said the bill will come up for a vote later this year.

A 57-41 vote fell three votes short of advancing the bill. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said the Senate will vote again this year on a tax that opponents call the "death tax."

"Getting rid of the death tax is just too important an issue to give up so easily," he said.

A small group of senators, knowing Republicans lacked the votes to eliminate the tax, had hoped to keep the issue alive with an agreement to remove the tax from smaller estates and lessen the hit on larger ones.

Frist had given the negotiators a lift by agreeing to give such a compromise a vote. That didn't give the tax's strongest critics enough support to maneuver the issue around Democratic opponents, however.

The compromise would have made the exemption amount higher and would have capped the tax on very large estates at 30% rather than 46%. It was actually a good compromise.

Blog Power

Bruce Kessler over at Democracy Project has a post up showing that blogs are being recognized by some media outlets as a powerful voice. Instead of seeing it as competition, smart media operations like the Baltimore Examiner are using blogs as another resource and a way to reach more people.

The Examiner’s editorial editor, Mark Tapscott, a significant blogger himself, emailed me a few minutes ago of the forming Blog Board of Contributors:

Thus far, it includes in addition to Ed: LaShawn Barber of LaShawn Barber's Corner, Mary Katharine Ham of Hugh Hewitt, Lorie Byrd of Wizbang, Betsy Newmark of Betsy's Page and Jeralyn Merrit of TalkLeft.com. More will be added, but it will be limited to no more than a dozen at any one time. I've had some turndowns, especially from people on the Left, and am still waiting for responses from some others.

The Examiner is on its way to becoming a daily must read. With Tapscott at the helm, it could be no less. The RNC should be paying close attention, as should we all.

Coupled with the RNC's recognition that talking to bloggers is a good idea, blogs are beginning to come into their own.

Here's a link to Captain Ed's column in the Examiner.

Hey! The Horse Is Gone!

Let's lock the barn doors! PC Magazine is reporting that the head of the VA is recalling all laptop computers at the agency. One presumes that "recall" is being used in the context of taking the computers away from everyone who has one.

The Secretary of the Department of Veteran Affairs, R. James Nicholson, will announce a VA-wide recall of all laptop computers June 8 in a 10:00 a.m. hearing at the House of Representatives Government Reform Committee.

According to Rick Weidman, executive director for Policy & Government Affairs, this recall will cover every laptop computer in the agency. Weidman said that in meetings he had with Nicholson Wednesday evening this recall was not mentioned to him or to others in the veterans' community; however, he said that his office was notified this morning. eWEEK will provide updates as they become available.

Well, at least it will keep any other computers from getting stolen, I suppose. Kind of way too little, way too late, though.

British Authorities Arrest Suspect In Canadian Jihadi Case

A 21 year old suspect wanted in connection with the Canadian Jihadi probe was arrested as he stepped off an airplane in Manchester, England.

A BRITON said to be a key figure in an alleged plot to bomb public buildings in Canada, including the Parliament, was arrested by counter-terrorist police as he stepped off a plane at Manchester airport.

The 21-year-old man had arrived from Canada, where security services claimed that he had been living alongside some of the 17 terror suspects arrested in Toronto at the weekend in one of the biggest operations in North America. Hours later police in West Yorkshire arrested a 16-year-old youth after documents and mobile phone records seized in Canada revealed a British link to the alleged gang of Muslim militants operating from their homes in the Toronto suburbs.

Canadian prosecutors have claimed that the plot involved taking over the Parliament building, holding MPs hostage and beheading Stephen Harper, the Prime Minister. They wanted to force Canada to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan.

A security source told The Times yesterday: “We believe that people living in the UK played a pivotal role in helping to organise this series of planned attacks.”

I suspect there will be quite a few more arrests in this case as the investigation goes forward.