Target Centermass

Day: August 2, 2004

  • PA Fails to Protect Prisoners in Jail, Hospital

    Demonstrating their inability to control (or maybe their ability to direct) their own terrorists, the Palestinian Authority repeatedly failed to protect prisoners from terror, as alleged Israeli collaborators were attacked in a PA jail and two of the injured were later capped while in hospital care.

    In dramatic, daytime raids on Gaza City’s largest hospital, Palestinian vigilantes killed two men convicted of collaborating with Israeli intelligence, shooting them at close range hours after they were admitted for wounds suffered when a grenade exploded in their jail cell Monday.

    The two had confessed during their trials to helping Israeli forces kill two top Islamic militants. While killing of suspected collaborators are common, the audacious military-style operations in broad daylight with hundreds of witnesses illustrated a progressive breakdown of law and order in the Palestinian territories.

    Paging Michael Corleone. Mr. Corleone, please pick up the white phone. Your hospital security ingenuity is needed in the land of the lawless.

  • Kerry Claims Bush Policies Encourage Terrorism

    Sorry, but I’m utterly aghast at this stupidity.

    John Kerry is now claiming that, by taking the fight to the terrorists sans the approval of Saddam’s French and German bankrollers, the policies of President Bush are feeding terrorism.

    Kerry repeated his argument that the Bush administration is encouraging the recruitment of terrorists. He said Bush hasn’t reached out to other countries and the Muslim community.

    “The policies of this administration, I believe and others believe very deeply, have resulted in an increase of animosity and anger focused on the United States of America,” Kerry told reporters after a campaign meeting with first responders. “The people who are training terror are using our actions as a means of recruitment.”

    Bush said, “It is a ridiculous notion to assert that, because the more the United States is on the offense, more people want to hurt us.”

    One simple response is all that is needed for this tripe: were the current Bush policies in place while the 9/11 attack was planned? No, we were operating at the time under the Clintonian policy of tit-for-tat. That is, tit means “you hit us” and tat equals “we chuck a cruise missile somewhere.”

  • US to Send Armed Troops to Olympics

    This tidbit is almost two week old, but I’m just now finding out about it. It seems that, contrary to their own laws, the Greeks have decided to allow armed American, British and Israeli soldiers to accompany their respective athletes and VIPs.

    Greece is reported to have agreed to permit 400 U.S. special forces troops to be present at next month’s Summer Olympic games in Athens.

    The New York Times cites Greek and U.S. officials as saying the American soldiers, along with Israeli and British security officers will be allowed to carry weapons. The agreement appears to run counter to a Greek law barring foreign personnel from carrying weapons.

    A NATO official is quoted as saying the Bush administration persuaded Greece to ask for NATO sponsorship for the U.S. contingent to avoid controversy.

    The Times says Greece also will permit 100 armed U.S. agents to serve as bodyguards for American athletes and dignitaries. The FBI reportedly plans to send armed hostage-rescue and evidence-gathering personnel.

    Is this not an outright admission that the Greeks themselves have doubts about the security at the Olympics? While viewing, I’ll be understanding of anyone I see who hits the deck when a starter’s pistol is fired.