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War for oil (and bat mitzvahs)
Some on the left now believe that the war in Iraq is not only financing corruption at Halliburton, it's financing bat mitzvahs on Long Island. By Ed Moltzen · 30 November 2005
"Al Qaeda is being Challenged"
Barbara Slavin of USA Today interviewed Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice this week. Here's an excerpt: MS. SLAVIN: Well, Al-Qaida certainly is doing a booming business lately. Here is Slavin's story. By Ed Moltzen · 30 November 2005
Know Thy Enemy
The White House has released the full version of The National Strategy for Victory in Iraq. There's really not much new in the 38-page document, but it does something nobody in government has done in one, clear, coherent narrative up to this point: define the makeup of the current enemy there. Here's an excerpt: The enemy in Iraq is a combination of rejectionists, Saddamists, and terrorists affiliated with or inspired by Al Qaida. These three groups share a common opposition to the elected Iraqi government and to the presence of Coalition forces, but otherwise have separate and to some extent incompatible goals. The strategy document says it has been policy to drive a wedge between the various terror factions - since they each have their own agenda. It looks like that might be working. By Ed Moltzen · 30 November 2005
Those Oldies But Goodies
WABC-AM radio in New York, which was known as "Music Radio, 77 WABC" during the '60s and '70s but then changed formats to pioneer the talk radio format, is now going to give listeners a weekly "oldies" program. A show that hearkens back to the days of Donna Summer, Smokey Robinson, The Beatles, Dan Ingram and Ron Lundy sure beats four hours of personal finance discussion. By Ed Moltzen · 30 November 2005
The Metro Report
The Big Apple Blog Festival is a great way to stay in touch with what other New York-area bloggers are writing about. This week, it's hosted by A Guy In New York. And if you're from outside the area and are planning to visit New York City during the holiday season, you really ought to check out NewYorkOlogy first. By Ed Moltzen · 29 November 2005
Two Axis of Evil Members Working Together
The German press is apparently reporting that Iran offered a trade of oil and natural gas to North Korea in exchange for help building nuclear missiles: Der Spiegel reported that a senior Iranian official in mid-October made the proposal during a visit to Pyongyang. The magazine said it was unclear how the North responded. The IAEA is clearly responding with, um, "dialogue." By Ed Moltzen · 28 November 2005
Advantage: Daily Pundit
Drudge has an above-the-fold story right now on the firing of a CNN employee who had some rather unsavory things to say about the vice president and the Bush Administration last week. The first one with the story seems to have been Bill Quick (days ago), but Drudge offers him no credit for getting there first. For what it's worth, WorldNetDaily did give Daily Pundit the hat tip. By Ed Moltzen · 28 November 2005
"Resign, Resign"
Regime Change Iran has the news, and photos, of a student uprising designed to oust an Ahmadinejad-backed Mullah as head of Tehran University: The protestors chanted slogans: "Resign, resign, installed president" and "We students would rather die than put up with such affliction"; then they sang the anthem EY IRAN and other anthems that have become symbols of the anti-regime and nationalistic movement. More here. By Ed Moltzen · 27 November 2005
MoneyBlogging
Cynthia Brumfield asks, "Is there money in blogging?" Well, sure. Just like there's money in standup comedy, painting portraits, nightclub singing, playing baseball and shooting golf. There's plenty of money, for the top 1 percent of the top 1 percent. Everyone else has a tough slog. Brumfield also says she's rooting for outlets like Federated Media that might be able to help bloggers or writers make some money to keep the content coming. If you want to make money, the better bet is simply this: Be brilliant. Be so absolutely good at what you do that the market can't help but throw money at you. (Don't try to be clever. Don't try to be too clever. You get found out.) The really cool thing, though, is that if you work really hard and write a really great blog, you get found out, too. In the mean time, bloggers may find a way to make some money through outlets like Federated Media or Pajamas Media. But for now it's a saturated market with a low barrier to entry, so don't count on it even if you're brilliant. Or clever. By Ed Moltzen · 27 November 2005
Noise In Iran
Iran's president appears to be threatening the U.S.: "You (the big powers) accuse Iran of pursuing non-peaceful nuclear programs while, we believe that your nuclear activities are inhumane and that you have weapons of mass destruction," President Ahmadinejad added. The big powers who daily threaten freedom-seeking nations with expansion of their nuclear activities have no right to prevent Iran from utilizing peaceful nuclear technology, he said. Regime Change Iran, though, reports that Ahmadinejad appears to be facing significant political problems at home, including a corruption scandal in Tehran, where he used to be mayor. And some former political allies of his suddenly don't like the closed-door nature of Ahmadinejad's government. By Ed Moltzen · 27 November 2005
One by One
Zarqawi's consigliore is dead, according to a report out of CentCom. Zarqawi's trusted aide, Bilal Mahmud Awad Shebah (also known as Abu Ubaydah) was actually killed a month and a half ago, and he seems to have been very important to the Iraq-based terror mastermind: Detained members of al-Qaeda claim Abu Ubaydah served as an "executive secretary" for Zarqawi; met with Zarqawi frequently; served as a messenger and gatekeeper for Zarqawi; screened all messages and requests for meetings with Zarqawi; was one of Zarqawi's most trusted associates; provided Zarqawi with safe house locations; and used intimidation and death threats to gain the cooperation of the Iraqi people to support al Qaeda in Iraq terrorist activity. Not a very good time to be a FAZ (friend of Zarqawi). MORE: Zarqawi's operation isn't really very good at lying these days, either, according to Buzzurro. By Ed Moltzen · 27 November 2005
If Michael Moore Took On Lincoln...
...You might get something like this. By Ed Moltzen · 26 November 2005
Zarqawi Denial
This isn't a Thanksgiving Day question exactly, but a question on Thanksgiving Day nonetheless. The liberal blogger and "60 Minutes" collaborator is questioning the conventional wisdom that Zarqawi is a terror mastermind with deep Iraq roots: But it is hard not to see this information in the light of the fairly constant tendency through the War on Terror to build up varous Terrorist Masterminds, who become the focus of most or all news reportage, then trail off into nothing. Not infrequently, they have an uncanny resemblance to characters out of 1984. And with Zarqawi particularly there is a welter of contradictory and often difficult-to-credit information about him that invites further suspicion. For a number of reasons, he posits, "building up Zarqawi into the Iraq's al Qaida boss must be tempting" for the Bush Administration. So, he wants to know if the intersecting needs of President Bush and the bloodthirsty maniac, Zarqawi, may be leading to the creation of a galloping ghost of a terrorist - a man whose myth is bigger than his reality. Well, here's the reality: Zarqawi has sworn allegience to Osama bin Laden, and Ayman al-Zawahiri, bin Laden's right-hand man, has written a long treatise to Zarqawi that has clearly established their coordinated efforts at terror. As early as March 24, 2002 - months before President Bush took to the U.N. podium and demanded Iraq come into compliance with Security Council demands - The New York Times portrayed Zarqawi as a Middle East terror mastermind operating on bin Laden's behalf. That story (in The Times' firewall-protected archive), cited Israeli intelligence as saying Zarqawi had escaped to Iran (not Iraq), and was pulling the strings on a series of terror attacks and planning. Ten and a half months later, then-Secretary of State Colin Powell, in his address to the U.N., spent much of his time detailing Zarqawi's importance to bin Laden's network and work in Iraq: When our coalition ousted the Taliban, the Zarqaqi network helped establish another poison and explosive training center camp. And this camp is located in northeastern Iraq... Foreign intelligence services, Powell noted, tied Zarqawi's network to poison-developing cells in France and England - cells which have been broken up. And, importantly, Powell noted at the time that men involved in the 2002 assassination of State Department official Lawrence Foley in Jordan said they received their funding, training and support from Zarqawi's network. How do we know Powell was right about Zarqawi, even if his presentation was flawed in other respects? Well, for starters, Zarqawi is in Iraq now, leading terrorist action against the Iraqi democracy efforts. And, secondly, his communications with bin Laden and al-Zawahiri. Powell said that Zarqawi was in Iraq, reporting to bin Laden. And that's exactly what the evidence shows. Israeli intelligence, according to The Times' piece, named Zarqawi early on as a bin Laden-associated terror mastermind. That's what the evidence shows. The only arguments that these facts might not be true come from conspiracy theories from the likes of Juan Cole, in addition to a year-old story out of Newsday that Marshall links to which voices "skepticism" that Zarqawi is who everyone says he is. This is where it now stands: with the U.S. killing or capturing terrorists in Iraq by the hundreds, with the insurgency in Iraq starting to run the white flag up the pole, with a new constitution guiding free elections for a permanent government in Iraq, and with major victories ready to be credited to the Bush Administration, panic is setting in in certain quarters. And that is leading to the first seeds of the next big question Bush opponents could very well be asking: How do we even know al Qaeda was such a big threat to the U.S., anyway? (Marshall says in his Zarqawi post: "...I'm curious-bordering-on-suspicious about just what we know about Zarqawi, how much specific information we have about who he is and what attacks he may be responsible for.") Zarqawi denial? Perhaps. But, if so, can 9-11 denial be far off? By Ed Moltzen · 26 November 2005
The Althouse Blog Death Pool (Not)
Actually, no, this isn't a death pool for Ann Althouse's blog, although she's giving some energy to a Pajamas Media death pool. It's just so much silliness to wait, or hope, or pray for a blog or business venture to die - whether it's Pajamas Media, Althouse's blog, or CBS News. The commentary/criticism has long since passed the "piling on" period for the Roger Simon-Charles Johnson venture. Althouse has been one of the fiercest critics of Pajamas Media since it was in the idea stage. She's made many valid points - comparing it negatively to Blog Ads, among other things. (She's also made some good points about the site's content and business model.) Fair game: in the comments section of the dead pool item, she writes, "It's a little thing we call blogging." But here are some things to take into a account: 1) Most new businesses die before they become successful. You're not exactly going out on a limb if you predict Pajamas Media will die because, frankly, it's a new business; 2) It does have $3.5 million in venture money. Even after a Rainbow Room launch event, there's quite a bit of road left on its map with what at best guess is a pretty slow burn rate; 3) Of new businesses that do become successful, it's very common for them to change business models, CEOs, focus and even names before taking off and becoming a success. (Folks, even The Beatles started out as The Quarrymen with Pete Best as its drummer.) One week after its ribbon-cutting ceremony is kind of early to start dancing on Pajamas Media's grave. To be fair, Althouse isn't running the dead pool. She's just linking to it. But by this point it would be more fun to start a dead pool for the Pajamas Media dead pool. Eventually, the organization will find its voice, find its legs and become what it's going to become. It's got cash, it's got time and it's got bandwidth. Maybe a year from now, The New York Times Company buys it. Or it hires a new CEO. Or it changes its name again. Or maybe it even hires Althouse as its ombudsman. Or maybe it's still Pajamas Media and is turning a profit. But for now, the piling on has gotten even more boring than the name, "Open Source Media." By Ed Moltzen · 23 November 2005
Steel Curtain Closes On 400 Terrorists
"Operation Steel Curtain" has ended, and here are some statistics according to CentCom: Ten Marines were killed in fighting during Operation Steel Curtain. Since the operation began 139 terrorists were killed and 256 processed for detention. Not only was the border area with Syria cleaned up, but 1,000 Iraqi troops were used in this major military operation, according to the U.S. military. But if you pick up the New York Times, the only way you can find out about U.S. troops taking almost 400 terrorists out of commission in the span of a couple of weeks is to wade down to the ninth paragraph of an inside-the-book story. By Ed Moltzen · 23 November 2005
Spitzing Into The Wind (Con't)
New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer has seemed to be the frontrunner in the race for New York governor for so long, it's hard to imagine anyone else in the running. But now a few dynamics are beginning to emerge, a full year before the election, that could have his campaign scrambling - and with good reason. First of all, his reputation as a crusading prosecutor is taking a big hit after dropping another high-profile Wall Street investigation. Second, he now has a credible Democratic competitor - the Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi. And, for good measure, it now looks like he'll have to face an experienced, deep-pocketed Republican opponent in the 2006 race: Thomas Golisano. (Golisano may be considered a maverick - he's run before as an independent - but he's certainly no Pierre Rinfret, the disastrous, threatening, joke-of-a-candidate Republicans fielded the last time Mario Cuomo was re-elected and Democrats won the Albany statehouse.) What seemed like a runaway for Democrats in New York next year could actually turn into an interesting 2006 campaign. Stay tuned. By Ed Moltzen · 22 November 2005
Broken Promises
On CNN, Wolf Blitzer invited Ron Silver on his program to talk about Silver's new movie, Broken Promises: The United Nations at 60. And then he spent the entire time grilling Silver about his continued support for the war in Iraq without spending a second talking about the movie. For what it's worth, the trailer looks absolutely riveting and the movie is available via DVD. By Ed Moltzen · 21 November 2005
Ugh
The All-Christmas Music radio format has begun again in New York City. By Ed Moltzen · 21 November 2005
No James Bond
Iran and Syria bigwigs have gotten together to talk about strategy, according to the Iranian president's web site: Mottaki who is visiting Syria for the first time as the Islamic Republic's foreign minister meanwhile surveyed the most important regional and international developments with his Syrian counterpart Farouk al-Shara. Foreign policy chiefs of the two countries agreed during the meeting on the point that the region's security and stability had to be ensured relying on capabilities of the regional nations. And what "capabilities" could those be? Well, leave it to your imagination. Andrew Stuttford over at The Corner raises this cheery possibility: I don't think that the regime would ever launch a nuclear missile at the US, or, for all the fire-breathing, even Israel. Letting some nuclear material 'accidentally' slip into the hands of terrorists is, however, an entirely different matter. Stuttford notes that James Bond isn't around to solve the case. (There's not even a Kermit Roosevelt, either.) By Ed Moltzen · 20 November 2005
Too Good To Be True?
The Jerusalem Post is reporting witness statements that the bloodthirsty Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is dead. (Via Little Green Footballs.) So far, none of the cable TV networks are making any reference to this story. (Fox News is providing a story on a 37-year old woman who is pregnant by a 15-year old boy.) Whether or not Zarqawi is still breathing our air, his family is sending him a clear message: "You're dead to us." By Ed Moltzen · 20 November 2005
"Wow"
Rep. John Murtha, a Pennsylvania Democrat, said 18 months ago that he was "in this for the long haul" for the Iraq war, but he has been opposing it ever since. Now, after he gave another speech yesterday condemning the war, the White House press secretary issued a statement calling it "baffling" because "nowhere does he explain how retreating from Iraq makes America safer." Writes National Journal's Hotline: "Wow." Meanwhile, Kathryn Jean Lopez reminds everyone that Murtha supported anti-war Howard Dean for Democratic chairman. So where is all this going? Has anyone noticed that, in Iraq, U.S. troops aren't fighting Saddam's henchmen anymore, as much as they're fighting Bin Laden's? This week alone, U.S. fighting forces killed at least 80 al Qaeda in Iraq terrorists - Mohammed Atta wannabes - and captured 150 more. Wow. By Ed Moltzen · 18 November 2005
OSM's Iraq Pre-War Intelligence Project
The origanization formerly known as "Pajamas Media," now OSM, is hosting a Pre-War Intelligence Carnival on Iraq. Thanks to the public record, and literally reams of public reports available with a few mouse clicks, it's not that difficult to sort through what we thought we knew before the war from what we actually found out. Contrary to popular belief, the Iraq Survey Group did, in fact, find hard evidence of a WMD program inside the former Saddam Regime - even though vast stockpiles were never found. This post focuses on WMD seed stocks, which Iraq held on to and which would have enabled it to quickly produce bio-weapons, according to the reports. Here's part of the Joint Congressional Resolution authorizing use of force against Iraq: "Whereas after the liberation of Kuwait in 1991, Iraq entered into a United Nations sponsored cease-fire agreement pursuant to which Iraq unequivocally agreed, among other things, to eliminate its nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons programs and the means to deliver and develop them, and to end its support for international terrorism..." Here is what UNMOVIC, as reported by Hans Blix' pre-war Cluster Document, told the world just days before Operation Iraqi Freedom began: "Iraq currently possesses the technology and materials, including fermenters, bacterial growth media and seed stock, to enable it to produce anthrax. Many of the skilled personnel familiar with anthrax production have been transferred to civilian industries. There does not appear to be any choke points, which would prevent Iraq from producing anthrax on at least the scale of its pre-1991 level... "Since Iraq produced more botulinum toxin than other agents and it still possesses the expertise and possibly the seed stock, material inputs (such as growth media), and equipment (fermenters), then production at least at the scale of its pre-1991 level could be rapidly recommenced... "Although agent G spores produced by Iraq in 1990 could still be viable in 2003 if properly stored, Iraq probably has seed stocks and can produce this agent quickly following a decision to do so... "In 1985, a biological weapons group was established at the Muthanna State Establishment (MSE), Iraq’s main CW production agency. Iraq declared that, starting in April 1986, it acquired a range of biological isolates (seed stocks) both locally and abroad for its BW programme." Here's what the Iraq Survey Group, headed by Charles Duelfer, found after Saddam's Regime collapsed: "Iraq retained some BW-related seed stocks until their discovery after Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF)... "Dr. Rihab Rashid Taha Al 'Azzawi, head of the bacterial program claims she retained BW seed stocks until early 1992 when she destroyed them. ISG has not found a means of verifying this. Some seed stocks were retained by another Iraqi official until 2003 when they were recovered by ISG..." "Two vials of smallpox vaccine seed stock labeled 'Rijks Instituut V.D. Volksgezondheid—10 ml seed virus—L1 K2—Strain Elstree—Utrecht' were discovered at ASVI. These two large vials may be the seed vials referred to in the 1994 report to the NMD, however, SMEs note that the vials were markedly different in content and appearance. No locally produced vials labeled 'Elstree' were discovered at ASVI. ISG is awaiting confirmation on the contents of these vials..." So while stockpiles weren't found, seed stocks were. And Dr. Rihab Rashid Taha Al 'Azzawi (also known as "Dr. Germ") has provided no evidence she destroyed what seed stocks she had. And, remember, Iraq had a sophisticated deception program (which Duelfer also found); hiding more vials of seed stocks in an area the size of California wouldn't seem to be all that difficult. By Ed Moltzen · 17 November 2005
$3.5 Million For Pajamas Media
Pajamas Media announces some significant funding: EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Nov. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Pajamas Media, a new media venture designed to bring together bloggers, journalists and commentators under a single umbrella, today announced it has closed its first round of private financing in the amount of $3.5 million. Pajamas Media will use this investment to build out its operations and marketing efforts and to expand its news and opinion coverage. Pajamas Media will be renamed at its official launch on November 16th in New York. The fact that Pajamas Media has gotten a significant investment, coupled with the fact that it's attracted a top-flight editorial board, should make some people very nervous and others very happy. By Ed Moltzen · 14 November 2005
Eyewitness Report: Federal Air Marshalls On The Job
First hand report: This morning, at the Orlando International Airport by the Delta gates, two plain clothes federal air marshalls pinned and took into custody a 20-ish, socially challenged, caucasian man who was causing a VERY LOUD DISRUPTION. Until their quick action (they quieted the guy down very quickly and moved him into a corner away from other passengers), it was completely impossible to distinguish the marshalls from any other passenger moving through the terminal on business. By Ed Moltzen · 10 November 2005
Iraq Errata
The New York Times' editorial page takes one of its continuing series of liberties with the facts surrounding the U.S. decision to go to war in Iraq, with its column today saying: "(Joseph Wilson) had drawn the White House's ire by disputing one of the central and ultimately false justifications for war with Iraq: that there was an active effort by Saddam Hussein to get parts for a nuclear bomb." This runs against the facts, especially those outlined by the Butler Report from 2004 which noted: We conclude that, on the basis of the intelligence assessments at the time, covering both Niger and the Democratic Republic of Congo, the statements on Iraqi attempts to buy uranium from Africa in the Government's dossier, and by the Prime Minister in the House of Commons, were well-founded. By extension, we conclude also that the statement in President Bush's State of the Union Address of 28 January 2003 that: It may be the Times' opinion that the Iraq-nuclear attempts were false, but others with access to far more amounts of intelligence than the newspper, or even Wilson, have concluded otherwise based on the available facts. Tag: Iraq Errata By Ed Moltzen · 10 November 2005
Howard Stern
Way back in 1985, when Infinity Broadcasting's K-Rock hired Howard Stern, fans gave the company kudos for bringing him back to New York radio after WNBC-AM unceremoniously dumped him a few months earlier. Shortly afterward, WNBC-AM - the NBC Network's New York flagship - went four feet in the air and sold its frequency to a sports talk radio station. Now it's Infinity that's throwing Howard Stern off the air (for one day, but it's a bitter, infantile dispute that led them to the action). The Ghost of WNBC-AM must be making room for Infinity in the radio afterlife. By Ed Moltzen · 7 November 2005
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