June 07, 2005

Biden Wants to Shut Down Gitmo (But Don’t Fall for the Spin)

Here’s an original argument for shutting down Gitmo, made by Dem Senator Joseph Biden:

WASHINGTON (AP) — A leading Senate Democrat said Sunday the United States needs to move toward shutting down the military prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

“This has become the greatest propaganda tool that exists for recruiting of terrorists around the world. And it is unnecessary to be in that position,” said Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del.

Biden wants to shut down Gitmo, not because of any wrongdoing, but because, he says, there’s so much “propaganda” about it.

Biden knows well that shutting down Gitmo would be taken as an admission that wrongdoing was done there.

It’s an insincere argument; he is aware that an enemy always launches propaganda campaigns against any efforts made by a nation to protect and defend the well-being of its citizens. The notion of responding by doing precisely what is demanded by that “propaganda” is absurd.

It appears likely that Biden’s real goal is to embarrass the current administration. In short, Biden has allied himself with the terrorists in an effort to make some political hay.

Don’t fall for the spin.

SENATE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE APPROVES NEW FBI POWERS IN PATRIOT ACT:

WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI would get expanded powers to subpoena records without the approval of a judge or grand jury in terrorism investigations under Patriot Act revisions approved Tuesday by the Senate Intelligence Committee.

This is encouraging. It’s tougher to get things through the Senate than through the larger House of Representatives.

REPORT: SCIENCE MAY FIND A WAY TO END HEROIN ADDICTION. The drug’s been successful in tests on lab rats; human tests are to follow.

The Current WTC Design is In and Of Itself an Attack on America. A New Design is Needed.

LGF, Michelle Malkin, and others are commenting on efforts to develop the “Ground Zero” memorial as an attack on America.

I’d like to add that the current design of the new WTC, is in and of itself an assault on the city:

As I’ve noted previously:

Can you believe that? The proposed new buildings appear to lean, as if they are about to fall over. They’re a reiteration of the threat of the terrorists to the people of the city: they say, “Look out, these buildings are about to fall on you.” And they say it for as long as those buildings remain standing. The people of New York would pay to have them torn down. The new design is a nightmare. It should never be perpetrated on that great city. It should never be built.

I’ve posted on a Donald Trump’s proposed new WTC design here.

The Real Mid East “Cycle of Violence”

ISRAELIS KILL A TERRORIST—TERRORISTS RESPOND BY KILLING CIVILIANS:

GANEI TAL, Gaza Strip (Reuters) – Israel’s killing of a Palestinian militant commander drew a deadly rocket barrage on a Jewish settlement in Gaza on Tuesday, the latest in a string of flareups since a ceasefire was declared in February.

It’s not a mystery. This is how it works. Israel targets killers; the killers respond by murdering more civilians.

The targeted murder of civilians cannot be excused by any argument.

And after a while it just gets silly. For war to be conducted according to terms that are intended to lessen the terrible damage, both sides have to agree to the same terms. For example, the Geneva Conventions don’t apply to an army that violates them.

If the other side is murdering your civilians, you have to admit that you are in a war and you have no recourse but to bomb some of their cities.

Israel is to be commended for not responding in this manner for so long, but they tried that and it didn’t work—the terrorists continue killing civilians, and the world does not demand that the terrorists stop doing so. In fact, it is Israel’s de facto acceptance of the terrorist killing of its civilians, that most justifies the terrorists’ actions in the eyes of the world. If Israel itself accepts such actions without responding in kind, why should anyone else object?

Of course, Israel may fear that doing so would lead to a full-scale war with many Arab nations. And this fear by Israel is sensed by the terrorists and is a further incentive for them to continue.

That’s the real “cycle of violence.” Israel accepts the killing of civilians without responding in kind, which leads to more killing of civilians.

Israel should stop pussyfooting around and respond in kind to these attacks. That’s how these things have been conducted throughout history. Israel’s forbearance to do so, in the name of being noble, only leads to additional terrorist attacks.

IRAQ NABS NEARLY 900 SUSPECTED MILITANTS:

BAGHDAD, Iraq – The Iraqi government announced Monday it detained nearly 900 suspected militants and set up more than 800 checkpoints in a two-week sweep that appears to have somewhat blunted attacks in the capital.