Rumors Redux

Val Prieto at Babalu Blog has been trying to run down the rumors about Fidel Castro being dead. Still no luck, but a lot of odd things going on right now:

We're going on day four of the latest fidel castro is dead rumors. Here are a couple more uncorroborated reports and speculations:

- Hugo Chavez supposedly took an "urgent flight" to Cuba yesterday afternoon along with other high ranking Cuban officials. Details or news accounts of same unavailable.

- Granma once again published articles profiling Raul Castro, heir apparent to the dictator throne.

- WHPC reports that there is much action in Cuba at the moment, with reports from Granma stating that workers are "waging a fierce battle" in attempts to have construction and other related project complete for a huge July 26 island wide celebration. WHPC also speculates that said projects and celebration and construction may be some kind of secret preparations for an elaborate state funeral for the bearded dictator.

- Ive also received unconfirmed reports that castro may not be dead, but suffering from Parkinsons or Alzeimers and not in control of his mental faculties. (natch)

There's more. Go over and have a look.

Bush And Putin

An article in the Washington Post shows the fundamental problem President Bush cannot get past. Literally nothing he tried to do will be favorably reported in the media. After being criticized for being too confrontational, he tries an understated approach to dealing with Putin's repressive policies.

And he's criticized.

ST. PETERSBURG, July 15 — The last time they had a serious talk about Russian democracy, the room bristled with anger. President Bush, aides recounted, pressed President Vladimir Putin about his crackdown on dissent. And Putin threw it back in his face, asserting that Bush was no different because he had supposedly fired CBS anchorman Dan Rather.

As Bush arrived here for four days of meetings at which democracy again is at issue, he and Putin appeared intent on avoiding the same sort of crackling confrontation of that day 17 months ago in Bratislava, Slovakia. After landing on Friday, Bush offered symbolic support for democracy by meeting with embattled activists, but then he and Laura Bush joined Putin and his wife for dinner.

Dressed casually in open-necked shirts, the two presidents hugged in front of the cameras, and Bush admired Putin's 1972 Zaporozhets, a cheap, sturdy Soviet-era subcompact that was the first car he owned. "Solid friendship," a smiling Bush called out to reporters asking about their relationship before the two couples disappeared into a cottage on the grounds of a presidential palace outside this former imperial capital.

Bush no longer views Putin as warmly as he did in 2001, when they first met and Bush said he had got a sense of Putin's soul. But after Bratislava, aides said, Bush concluded that challenging Putin directly only backfires, so he has taken a gentler approach and plans no direct debate over Putin's authoritarian path when the two stage a joint news conference Saturday.

This strategy has disappointed people who want him to speak forcefully for democracy in Russia. Tatyana Lokshina, head of the human rights group Demos and one of 15 activists invited to meet privately with Bush at the consul general's residence here Friday, said the president opened his discussion by speaking of his relationship with Putin and the value it has.

Ok, we have empirical evidence that confrontation doesn't work with Putin. So Bush tries a quiet approach. And the media slams him anyway.

Yeesh.

Tolerance For Me, But Not For Thee

I think that's the message the Mufti of Australia is trying to send. Either that or, "We are a tolerant religion; if you're a Muslim we tolerate you. Everyone else just pound sand." You decide.

THE nation's Islamic leader, Sheik Taj Din al-Hilali, has dismissed the Holocaust as a "Zionist lie" in a series of fiery sermons in which he also lashed out at the West and the US-led occupation of Iraq.

And Sheik Hilali — the Mufti of Australia and a member of John Howard's Muslim Community Reference Group — also accuses the Government of being dishonest for claiming the anti-terrorism laws were not designed specifically for Muslims.

"These laws are tailored to target us precisely," he said in a sermon recorded at Sydney's Lakemba Mosque in November - one of a number of recordings The Weekend Australian has of Sheik Hilali's religious addresses delivered in Arabic over the past eight months.

Revelations that the nation's most senior Islamic cleric has been openly preaching extreme messages to his mainstream followers will be a major setback for the Howard Government.

Sheik Hilali is a senior member of the Prime Minister's Muslim advisory board. Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs Andrew Robb will tomorrow unveil details of federal funding for national projects to help address problems within the Islamic community.

Mr Robb, who oversees the advisory group, told The Weekend Australian Sheik Hilali's reported comments were "inflammatory and unacceptable".

Last night, the mufti stood by his sermons: "We are always saddened and always remember with great sorrow what Nazism did to the Jewish people," he said in a statement.

"However, we do not wish to see these crimes repeated by other hands. "Some who see themselves as supporters of Israel do abuse the Holocaust whenever Israel is engaged in its indefensible wars and crimes against humanity.

"People, myself included, are within their right to question the morality of exploiting the memory of the Holocaust."

Which would be an extremely disingenuous way of reframing his earlier comments which denied the holocaust altogether. We have a word for the mufti in my neck of the woods. But this being a family-friendly blog we can't use it.

Tell Me Again Why A Fence Is A Bad Idea

Last I knew it was pretty much impossible to bribe a fence. Unfortunately, that is not the case with the agents we have guarding our borders, it seems.

SAN DIEGO — Federal law enforcement officials are investigating a series of bribery and smuggling cases in what they fear is a sign of increased corruption among officers who patrol the Mexican border.

Two brothers who worked for the U.S. Border Patrol disappeared in June while under investigation for smuggling drugs and immigrants, and are believed to have fled to Mexico. In the past month, two agents from Customs and Border Protection, which guards border checkpoints, were indicted for taking bribes to allow illegal immigrants to enter the United States. And earlier this month, two Border Patrol supervisory agents pleaded guilty to accepting nearly $200,000 in payoffs to release smugglers and illegal immigrants who had been detained.

Authorities say two trends are at work, causing their concern that larger problems may be developing: The massive buildup of Border Patrol agents in recent years has led to worries that hiring standards have been lowered. And, as smugglers continue to demand higher and higher fees to bring illegal immigrants into the United States, they are intensifying efforts to try to bribe those guarding the border.

The investigations come at a time when the United States is focused on the security of its borders. Congress is mulling legislation that would pour billions of additional dollars into securing the border, including the construction of hundreds more miles of barriers. The Border Patrol, which has tripled in size in the past decade, is due to grow 50 percent in the next six years.

One thing to notice here is the repetition of the "lowering standards" meme. It's also being used by the left-leaning folks to describe what's happening with the military. It's a particularly insidious charge, almost impossible to refute. How does one prove a negative? The use of the vague "authorities" have "worries" is a red flag on a charge like this. There is no evidence presented that standards have been lowered, but there are "worries". The real tip-off is the sentence, "And, as smugglers continue to demand higher and higher fees to bring illegal immigrants into the United States, they are intensifying efforts to try to bribe those guarding the border." Frankly, there is more money out there and intensified efforts to bribe people. That's a more likely source of the problem than vague "worries". But I digress.

"The smugglers have binoculars and spotters, you name it," said James Wong, who heads the Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Office of Professional Responsibility in San Diego, which investigates corruption allegations. "They scan the line looking for a weak inspector, someone, for example, who likes to flirt with women. And then they will send a test person, a chatty female. She shows up and says, 'My friend needs to visit a doctor, but she doesn't have papers, can you help?' They will get friendly, and before you know it, they own the employee."

Despite the recent spate of cases around San Diego, the number of federal corruption cases against agents from Customs and Border Protection and the Border Patrol has not increased since the 2004 fiscal year, according to Kristi Clemens, assistant commissioner of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Washington. So far in fiscal 2006, there have been nine cases. There were 21 the year before and 22 in 2004.

So the number of corruption cases hasn't increased but there are "worries"? Which is it? Here's a thought: build a fence. They can't be bribed.

Iraqi Peacekeepers In Britain

A crack unit of Iraqis has been deployed to Britain to ensure the safety and security of the British people in these troubled times. The government feels it is necessary to overawe those who would do us harm. A proper show of force is required and the Iraqi unit will assist in that effort.

Announcement from Tony Blair? Nope.

The Roman Emperor Flavius Honorius (most likely). It seems that there was a unit, likely from the region around the mouth of the Tigris river, once stationed at Hadrian's wall in Northern England. Funny world isn't it?

While British soldiers battle it out in Iraq, spare a thought for this: troops from Iraq once occupied Britain.

A unit of Iraqis, probably from the Basra region, formed part of the Roman troops defending the empire from incursions at its northernmost border, Hadrian's Wall.

A Roman document from about AD400 called the Notitia Dignitatum - a list of all the military and civil posts of the empire - refers to an irregular unit of "bargemen from the Tigris", based at Arbeia, the fort nearest modern South Shields.

Thorsten Opper, a curator in the Greek and Roman department at the British Museum, clearly relishes the piquancy of this example of history's circularity. "Call it an exchange of peacekeepers," he said.

The "bargemen from the Tigris" had probably been a marine force patrolling the mouth of the Tyne, Mr Opper said. Arbeia was a supply base for the 17 forts along Hadrian's Wall, with supplies transported to the fort by boat.

Mr Opper thinks it probable that the bargemen came from the southern portion of the Tigris towards the Gulf - perhaps from modern Basra.

"The Tigris delta is where the marshes were: that the bargemen came from there is the likelihood." The name Arbeia itself could be derived from the Latin for Arab, he added. "It is not certain, but it is considered a likelihood."

Interesting history lesson, isn't it? One thing that troubles me a great deal in reading this is the very end of the article.

Mr Opper is to curate an exhibition about Hadrian for the British Museum in 2008. He believes that there are pungent historical resonances between then and now. Hadrian, for instance, inherited an empire that was overextended and plagued by incursions and guerrilla warfare on its fringes. His response? To withdraw troops from hotspots.

"It was a successful policy," Mr Opper said. "It is interesting we are experiencing a very similar situation now - and dealing with it in a very different way."

It was a success only if you agree that the continued contraction of the Roman Empire until it collapsed was a good policy - for the Romans. That collapse brought on the Dark Ages. Not sure I'd agree with Mr. Opper that that was a success.

101st Blog Of The Day

Today, my ongoing mission to visit one member of the fighting 101st each day led me over to PostWatch. The Postwatcher keeps an eye on more than just the Washington Post. Today there's a pretty handy takedown of a particularly inane article by Walter Pincus that's really a must read.

Burning Resources

And in another display of exactly what is wrong with the netroots going after Joe Lieberman, the amount of money that is being burned up in fending off Lamont's challenge is phenomenal.

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) _ U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman, facing a strong Democratic primary challenge, said Friday he has nearly $4.3 million cash on hand for his re-election campaign.

Lieberman raised $1.3 million in the three-month period ending June 30, for a total of nearly $8.5 million.

His challenger, Greenwich businessman Ned Lamont, plans to release his campaign finance figures Saturday, the Federal Election Commission's deadline, said Lamont campaign spokeswoman Liz Dupont-Diehl.

Lamont, the wealthy founder of a cable television company, has already contributed more than $1.5 million of his own money to his primary race. Lieberman has not contributed any his own money.

The waste of resources that could go to winning other races is ridiculous. Not that the netroots really cares. They want Joe's scalp.

Talk About Your Illegal Aliens

This weekend, a conference in Denver will hold panel discussions about the ultimate illegal aliens. As in aliens. As in UFO.

BOULDER, Colorado — The 37th annual Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) symposium is being held July 14-16 in nearby Denver, attracting throngs of believers, the downright curious–as well as upright skeptics and debunkers.  

The symposium's title is the drawing card: "Unconventional Flying Objects: The Best Evidence". The three day gathering features a potpourri of UFO discussion - from border crossings of the third kind, UFO crash retrievals, and triangular UFOs to the alien agenda and ethics of contact. Also add in reports on the physical evidence for UFOs.

There is no doubt that UFOs are here to stay, agrees John Schuessler, MUFON's International Director at the group's headquarters in neighboring Morrison, Colorado. "We see no drop in UFO reports," he told SPACE.com, but added that some of the characters in the UFO arena muddy the waters…a lot.

Gee, imagine that.

"We have found that a lot of the scientific-sounding responses given to cases in this field are often nothing more than opinions by well-credentialed individuals that have actually done no field work," Schuessler noted. "They give their answers in a way that makes them seem like they actually know what they are talking about when in fact they are doing nothing but debunking based on their own beliefs. That happens on a regular basis and many people believe them. Science is not well served when this happens," he said. 

Of course, the same pronouncement applies to a lot of other fields, doesn't it? I have commenters here who solemnly recite someone else's analysis of another's opinion as the Stone Tablet Truth™.

"Unproven theories abound," Knapp continued. "We are pretty sure the visitors are ETs…or inter-dimensionals…or time travelers from our future…or manifestations of the collective consciousness. We also know they are benevolent guardians, evil reptilians, harvesters of souls or genetic materials, angels from heaven, demons from hell, or maybe androids dispatched by incomprehensible super-beings. It's a proven fact that they are here to help us, teach us, or eat us, or mate with us,  or mess with our heads, or save their own species while they carve up our livestock, doodle in our wheat fields, and befuddle our most sophisticated technology."

Are UFOs driven by teenage pranksters on a joyride through the cosmos, Knapp questioned, or perhaps anthropologists from a parallel universe, modern manifestations of pixies and leprechauns, or pragmatic politicians from Serpo–a planet of Zeta Reticuli–who have cut a deal to trade advanced technology for the unfettered opportunity to abduct and traumatize certain unfortunate bloodlines?

"Take your pick," Knapp said.

Heh. Sound familiar?

Terror In The Streets

People going about their everyday business. Just doing what the normally do. Riding a bike, vacuuming out a car then, out of nowhere, shots ring out, a person lies wounded or dying or dead. In a city where there is a murder, on average, every 38 hours. Baghdad? Nope.

Phoenix, Arizona.

Fear and paranoia have gripped this sprawling city amid reports that not one, but two serial killers have been striking separately in recent months, killing as many as 11 people at random on the darkened streets.

"I'm terrified," said 25-year-old Valerie Alvidrez, who lives alone with her 6-month-old daughter in the central Phoenix area where many of the killings have occurred. "It's scary. If something happens, I have to defend me and my daughter."

The killings and woundings of at least 16 other people evoked the terror of the 2002 Washington-area sniper shootings because of the randomness of the crimes and the fact the victims were struck down while going about their daily routines. People have been shot from behind while biking; one victim was vacuuming her car at a carwash, another was waiting for a bus.

Six of the killings are being attributed to the "Baseline Killer," whose name refers to the street where he is believed to have committed his first crimes. Police say the man likely wears a disguise — a wig of dreadlocks topped by a fisherman's hat — and strikes just after sunset. Five of his victims have been women. Police have not said how all his victims were killed but several were shot.

The second suspected predator, dubbed the "Serial Shooter," has been definitively linked to the Dec. 29 wounding of one man and authorities believe he could be responsible for a total of five shooting deaths. Police say the shooter likely watches victims — mostly pedestrians and bicyclists — and strikes from behind when no one is looking. The shootings usually occur late at night or in the early morning. Sixteen Serial Shooter victims have survived.

The number of crimes stand out, even in what is one of the nation's most violent cities for its size. Police statistics show a homicide occurred in Phoenix, which has about 1.5 million residents, every 38 hours on average in 2005. (Note: around 230 murders per year).

Doing a little math, if Phoenix had the estimated 5.7 million population of Baghdad (2003 data) and had the same murder rate, there would be around 874 murders. Do I write this to make light of what's going on in Iraq? No. It's merely some perspective.

New York Times Receives Envelope Containing White Powder

The New York Times received an envelope containing white powder. Emergency crews have responded.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The New York Times said on Friday it had received in its mailroom an envelope containing white powder, raising fears of a possible recurrence of anthrax-tainted letters sent to newsrooms and other offices in late 2001.

"At about 12:30 p.m. (1630 GMT) this afternoon … an employee opened an envelope that contained a white powdery substance. The envelope was handwritten and addressed to the New York Times, not to any individual. The postmark was from Philadelphia with no return address," said Times spokeswoman Catherine Mathis.

Emergency vehicles and an ambulance were parked outside the newspaper's offices on 43rd Street. The New York Police Department confirmed it was investigating the incident.

The Post report then has a frankly jarring series of paragraphs:

Conservatives have criticized the Times in recent weeks for writing about the Bush administration's covert efforts to stamp out terrorism financing.

This week protesters rallied outside the newspaper to object to its decision to publish details about terrorism financing and secret government programs to monitor phone conversations of U.S. citizens.

Now, is it just me, or does the insertion of these paragraphs seek to point a finger? This is some appalling behavior by the Post. It is completely irresponsible and totally out of place to put something like that into the story. It has no bearing whatsoever to the factual reporting of the story. None.

UPDATE: The New York Times is reporting that the powder is not anthrax.

Police and environmental workers responded to The New York Times offices today after an employee in the postal services department opened a letter addressed to the newspaper and saw a powdery substance he believed to be suspicious, the police said.

The incident unfolded at about 12:35 p.m. on the eighth floor of the newspaper’s West 43rd Street offices as the mailroom worker opened the white, business-sized envelope with no return address and saw what he later described as a white powder, the police said.

The letter had a postmark from Philadelphia, the police said, and contained an editorial published by The New York Times on June 28 titled “Patriotism and the Press,” with a red “X” written across it, said Paul J. Browne, the Police Department’s chief spokesman. Mr. Browne said the substance had yet to be identified but that it was later deemed to be beige in color, not white.

Shortly before 5 p.m. an announcement was made over the Times public address system saying that the powder had been found to be “nonthreatening and nonhazardous.” No specific identification of the substance was announced.

Following procedures established by the newspaper, the employee, a 54-year-old man from Brooklyn, immediately placed the letter in a plastic bag and alerted his supervisor, who dialed 911, the police said.

“He followed exactly the procedure we had established after the anthrax hoaxes that came about in the wake of 9/11,” said Catherine J. Mathis, a spokeswoman for the newspaper.

Israeli Ship Hit By Missile - No Injuries

Israeli aircraft destroyed the house of the leader of Hezbollah. Nasrallah survived, however. Shortly thereafter, Hezbollah managed to hit an Israeli missile ship off the coast of Lebanon, there are no reported injuries and the amount of damage is not being reported.

Nasrallah also promised that IDF naval ships maintaining a sea blockade on Lebanese ports would be "on fire."

Indeed, a short while later, a navy missile ship deployed off the southern Lebanese coast was targeted on Friday night. The ship sustained light damage and no injuries were reported.

The comments came after Hizbullah threatened to strike Haifa and beyound with improved Katyusha rockets in response to the destruction of Hizbullah headquarters in southern Beirut and Nasrallah's private residence.

In an urgent flash, the organization's al-Manar TV station said the building housing Hizbullah's leadership was destroyed. It did not elaborate, nor say whether there were any casualties.

The report on the destruction of Nasrallah's home was announced by official Hizbullah media outlets.

It is generally known that Nasrallah, whose movements are treated with a high level of secrecy, moves from one place to another, particularly during the Israeli offensive.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's meeting with the "Group of Seven" security-related cabinet advisors ended a short time earlier on Friday evening. At the meeting, the prime minister approved a new list of targets for ongoing IDF operations in Lebanon.

It is becoming a very tough fight from the sounds of it.

UPDATE: The Real Ugly American was on this one early.

UPDATE: AP is reporting the ship was severely damaged. The terrorists appear to have used an explosive-laden drone aircraft to carry out the attack. Which means the helpful little how-to manual from AFP came in handy.

First They Came For Joe

Hillary Clinton will be challenged in a primary by a stridently anti-war candidate.

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is now facing an all but certain Democratic primary from a poorly

funded anti-war candidate who yesterday blamed her for the death of thousands of American soldiers and Iraqis.

“More than 2,500 American men and women will never come home to their families ever again because of Hillary Clinton’s vote for this illegal and immoral war,” said Jonathan Tasini, the former president of the National Writers Union, as he filed the required signatures to secure a place on the September ballot.

Tasini, of New York City, said Clinton “voted with this administration to send our young men and women to war.” Clinton adviser Howard Wolfson dismissed the comments, saying, “That kind of rhetoric speaks for itself.”

Beware of the leftward drift, Democrats. Major H/T to A Blog For All.

Watermelons In Space!

The inflatable experimental spacecraft Genesis 1 has successfully sent pictures back to ground controllers and all systems appear to be operating better than anticipated. (Earlier post here).

Genesis I sent back several photos Thursday taken by its dozen cameras showing sections of the craft, according to its builder Bigelow Aerospace. The company declined to publicly release the images.

The experimental spacecraft rocketed into space Wednesday from Russia on a mission to test technology that could be used to build an inflatable commercial space station.

Genesis I was healthy with functional onboard computers, solar panels, battery power and pressure systems, said company founder Robert Bigelow.

"All systems are operating," Bigelow said in a brief statement posted on his Web site.

Bigelow, owner of the Budget Suites of America hotel chain, has lofty dreams of building an expandable orbital outpost by 2015 to be made up of several Genesis-like satellites tied together.

He has promised to invest $500 million to build a space habitat that could be used as a space hotel, science lab or sports arena.

But first, engineers must test the inflatable technology. Over the next five years, they will study how well Genesis I can withstand space radiation and micrometeoroids. Future missions will focus on docking between spacecraft — another key component to having a flexible commercial space station.

….

Seven hours after entering orbit, mission controllers confirmed the watermelon-shaped craft, which measured 14 feet long and 4 feet wide at launch, successfully inflated to twice that width.

I see an enormous advertising opportunity here for certain, ahem, products of a highly personal nature.

The Twisted Logic Of Terror

The New York Times has an article up about Lebanon, Hezbollah and the logic the terror groups use. It's frankly a pretty bleak picture.

“It is strange that one man representing a faction of the Shia, Hassan Nasrallah, is holding the whole Lebanese population hostage,” said Elie Fawaz, a Lebanese political analyst and critic of Hezbollah, speaking of the Hezbollah leader.

With three Israeli soldiers kidnapped — one now in Gaza and two in Lebanon — and Israel carrying out military reprisals, there is for now less room in the Middle East for moderate voices, voices of peace, according to political analysts, government officials and security officials in Syria, Jordan and Egypt. The region’s agenda, as often in the past, is largely being set by militants — with the masses swept along in emotion, anger and vengeance.

“They are happy, very happy,” said Marwan Shahadeh, an Islamist and researcher in Amman, Jordan, speaking about the groups that want to focus on war with Israel.

The same dynamics are true of governments. The leaders of Egypt and Jordan, the only two Arab countries with peace treaties with Israel, are facing increasing hostility in the news media and on their own streets, while Iran and Syria, strong opponents of peace with Israel, have seen their credibility on the street increase. Sensing the tension among their people, Egyptian and Jordanian officials have stepped up domestic security efforts. In Egypt officials have moved to rein in the news media and stop street demonstrations. In Jordan, officials have pressed older members of the Islamic Action Front, the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, to rein in its more militant young members.

“They are in great embarrassment,” Taher al-Masry, a former prime minister of Jordan, said of Jordan and Egypt. “These two countries have signed peace treaties, but having and observing peace with Israel is not the same as letting Israel do what it likes because we have peace with them. I think there is a major burden on both countries to do something. I don’t know what, but something.”

Regional momentum is supporting hard-liners. Newspapers and television commentators have assailed Egypt and Jordan for trying to negotiate a peaceful solution between Hamas and Israel. The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, who planned to call a referendum on whether to support a two-state solution, has been increasingly silenced. Even the Hamas leadership in Gaza, which had sought to forge a consensus with other Palestinian factions, found itself trumped by its more militant members.

The more misery the terrorists bring down on their own people, the more those people support the terrorists. It is a sick and twisted logic. The saddest thing is that Lebanon once had peace and security, a decent economy and a culture that was at least able to let diverse religions coexist. Then they saw all that turn to dust and ash in a bitter, and ultimately useless, civil war. Just when they were starting to put that behind them, Hezbollah derails the process and rains Hell down upon them again.

You'd think the Muslim "street" would see that picture and not fall for the twisted logic of terror.

Don’t Miss This One

Funniest take on the whole Plame/Wilson lawsuit is Alexandra von Maltzan's photoshop over at All Things Beautiful. Don't miss it - it's a hoot.