[Flyer]

Now THAT is a compelling pic...
F&S, is it certain that it's authentic and not Photoshopped? If it's real it's becoming the newest weapon in my anti-Liberal arsenal.
Flyer

 

[flyandscuba]

All I can say is that I got it from my buddy in San Diego who is the CO of squadron at North Island NAS, Coronado. I doubt that he'd send along something that wasn't real.

 

[Flyer]

K, good deal!
Into the Arsenal it goes...
Flyer

 

[flyandscuba]

Here's another worthless group of individuals who would make a great target for a minigun.....

 

[Midiman]

Re:

Here's another worthless group of individuals who would make a great target for a minigun.....

Sorry... photoshoped. The shadows don't match.

 

[flyandscuba]

I don't see any shadows in the second shot.

The first one's shadows look completely appropriate to me. The sun is behind the cameraman and is projecting the shadows onto the painting. The shadows of the soldiers standing next to the painting have their shadows appropriately projected behind them. They're also squinting due to the sun in their face...

Am I missing something?

 

[Midiman]

The lighting highlights on the sandcastle are on the top and right side, the front is slightly darker... the people are casting narrow, dark shadows on the people behind them in the opposite direction. Not only do the shadow directions not match, the entire lighting scheme is uneven...

 

[flyandscuba]

Hmmm... I can't see any major shadows in the sand castle shot. The dude with the dark turban on the right side seems to have the same lightening effect to his turbin from the top and right side. I took the original image I have that was bigger than was posted and enlarged it to try to get a better view, but it's just too corrupted/grainy in the enlarged view to tell.

One thing's for sure...some sick person/people went to the trouble to construct the sandcastle.

 

[Flyer]

Yep, that much is for sure...
That castle's real. It's mere existence is indictment enough of it's creators.
Flyer

 

[Props]

On the sand castle shot the guys in turbans appeap to be Indian Sikhs.

While I know Indian Muslims hate us I don't think Sikhs are among them. I believe they're a warrior Hindu caste but I may be mistaken. (Sikh bodyguards once murdered an Indian Prime Minister)

There were street celebrations in Dearborn Michigan too when 911 occurred.

 

[marlin336]

"I did read much of the testimony and found it sad that the questioning was more partisan than fact finding."

They were balanced as a whole. Yes, I watched and read the whole thing. But the point is not their motives. The point is his testimony.

Look at the original posts and tell me how his testimony makes any sense.


"Curious since we're 6 months away from 3 three years since 911 and Al Qaeda still attacks Western nations with impunity. Perhaps getting sidetracked with Iraq hurt us in trying to cripple Al Qaeda. "

Again, we haven't been in a vacuum since Clarke came up with the plan. The world has changed and so has the strategy.

"Eight months did pass without Clark getting his "Principals meeting" on terror. Only after 911 was he able to brief the President on Al Qaeda. "

His brief was...

CLARKE: I think all the measures that I thought should have been taken were in the plan that I presented in January of 2001 and were in the NSPD that the principals approved in September, September 4th, 2001. There were no additional measures that I had in mind other than those that I presented. And as I did explain, both to the commission and to the joint inquiry, those proposals, which ultimately were adopted by the principals committee, took a very, very, very long time to make it through the policy development process.

 

[marlin336]

There were street celebrations in Dearborn Michigan too when 911 occurred.

And this means what?

I can assure you that it won't happen in our town. Don't ask...just trust me on this one.

 

[Props]

And this means what?>>

Re: street celebrations.

I meant that the large Islamic population of Dearborn appeared to be more in keeping with the 911 terrorists than Saddam ever was.
I'm very glad he's gone but am I the only one who was amazed by our not deposing Saddam in "91"? General McCaffery said he was within hours of destroying the Republican Guard and Schwartzkoph said units retreating with their weapons were fair game.

 

[wildames]

I think the political concensus was that invading Iraq and deposing Saddam in '91 would have enraged our Arab/Muslim allies. The Arab/Muslim section of the "Coalition" forces were allowed to take the lead after Swartz did the heavy work.
Not to worry though, as our Arab/Muslim allies and enemies are just as ticked off now as they would have been then.

 

[marlin336]

I agree, we should have finished it in 91 and not let the infection fester.

They don't need any reason to hate us. We are not Arab/Muslim and we will not succumb to their terror. That is enough.

 

[Flyer]

I dunno.
Muslim terrorists are directed by the Koran to never befriend a Jew or a Christian. We're infidels, to be killed.
To be KILLED. Not KISSED, KILLED.
That's their goal.
I don't know why this is so hard to understand for some... but I suspect simply not WANTING to believe it is a very substantial contributing factor.
Flyer

 

[Props]

Re:

I think the political concensus was that invading Iraq and deposing Saddam in '91 would have enraged our Arab/Muslim allies. The Arab/Muslim section of the "Coalition" forces were allowed to take the lead after Swartz did the heavy work.
Not to worry though, as our Arab/Muslim allies and enemies are just as ticked off now as they would have been then.

Yes, the Arab countries only signed on to free Kuwait but would not have liked a US presence in Baghdad. Washington believed Saddam's army was sick of his wars (Iran/Kuwait/Desert Storm) and would topple him. Obviously we were out of touch there.
After the war Bush Sr. urged the southern Shia and the Kurds to rebel but then failed to support them as promised. His fear was that the Iranian cleric that has a huge following in Basra would make Iraq a pro-Iranian Islamic theocracy.

One hopes both the intelligence is better and there is a realization that better long term strategy is absolutely necessary over the long haul.