Carmela Bousada, 67, Gives Birth to Twins ...

... without Cathy Seipp's permission. LA Times reports:

Carmela Bousada, a 67-year-old retired Spanish department store clerk, gave birth to twin boys Dec. 29 in Barcelona. Over the weekend, the single mother admitted to European reporters that she had deceived [Dr. Vicken] Sahakian [of the Pacific Fertility Center] in order to become pregnant.

Cathy Seipp responds:

Yet did any honest reader come across that story this week about the 67-year-old Barcelona woman who just gave birth to twins - by lying about her age to a Los Angeles fertility doctor - and not relexively think: Freak show?

Actually my first, "reflexive" thought was: Wow, good for her. Oh, but wait, I forgot - Cathy Seipp can read minds. I am not being "honest".

Cathy explains what's really bothering her:

Leaving aside all the increased health risks to these older mothers and their babies, the cold, hard reason your life and health insurance premiums rise each year is that the longer you live, the more likely it is that the passage of time means you will, in the near future, sicken and die.

Is that a fact? Gosh, sure wish I'd thought of that. I'll bet that 67-year-old woman never thought of it either. Now how about this for a concept: As we grow older, we often become more acutely aware of our own mortality, and of the need to leave something of ourselves behind to carry on. I would have thought that the right-hand side of the blogosphere, which has been sounding warnings about the falling birthrate in Western countries (interspersed with stern admonitions about the "selfishness" of failing to "be fruitful and multiply") would get this; can't we leave the mom-bashing to the left-wing moonbats?

Now, I wouldn't want to be in the shoes of Dr. Sahakian, or of the clinic's director, Dr. Richard J. Paulson. The clinic's policy of not wanting to be party to a risky pregnancy is, from their standpoint, only prudent. But Bousada passed their health screening, knew the risks, and accepted them of her own free will. And even Paulson opposes a government-imposed age limit:

"As soon as you get into an area of zero tolerance, it's easy to find a case when regulation becomes wrong or harmful," Paulson said in an interview Monday. "To go and try to interfere with someone's reproductive rights is a very touchy area."

A more serious issue is the question of "who will look after the kids?" The LA Times article notes that Bousada is a single mother, and that the clinic's policy is not to treat either single women over 55 or married women when the combined age of the couple is 110. So by my math, Bousada could have avoided the whole mess by marrying a 42-year-old man before going to the clinic. As it is, though,

Bousada said she is looking for a younger man to marry and be the father of her sons.

- which seems sensible enough.

So, what is Cathy Seipp's issue with all of this, exactly?

Sure, older men can still marry younger women and father children. We all know about Tony Randall et al. But why spend tens of thousands of dollars to raise the odds that a child will grow up motherless?

So, it is not simply a parent (i.e. a surviving younger husband) that is essential, but, specifically, a mother. By this reasoning, then, no woman with a terminal or life-threatening disease ought to consider getting pregnant, for fear of bringing into the world a child who will be left motherless. (Presumably a stepmother through the husband's remarriage doesn't count.)

But wait! That's not the real problem either, apparently:

Those aging celebrites like Geena Davis and Angela Bassett you see giving birth in their late ’40s and beyond can afford expensive fertility treatments. If they die before the babies grow up, at least they have enough money to make sure their children will be well provided for.

So according to Seipp, the "motherless child" objection can be offset by a sufficient bank account.

No, the real problem for Cathy Seipp is that she just thinks it's gross. She makes that clear with her initial assessment of the situation - "freak show" - and with her column title: "A new low."

Having a baby at 67, "a new low"? Maybe, but not as low as this 90-year-old woman:

18:11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, and well stricken in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.--

18:12 And Sarah laughed within herself, saying: 'After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?'

18:13 And the Lord said unto Abraham: 'Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying: Shall I of a surety bear a child, who am old?

18:14 Is any thing too hard for the Lord. At the set time I will return unto thee, when the season cometh round, and Sarah shall have a son.'

Morning Report: January 30, 2007

The latest terror attack strikes in Iraq, and an American vet faces hostility on the home front. But there's more to the picture.

Attacks kill 23 Iraqis. Debka: 'At least 23 Iraqis killed in attacks targeting Shiites Monday at the high point of their Ashura rites. A suicide bomber attacked a Shiite mosque in Mandali near the Iranian border, killing 12 people and injuring 40. Further north, a roadside bomb killed 11 Kurdish Shiites walking in procession through the ethnically mixed town of Khanaqin. More than two million pilgrims are gathered at the Shiite shrine city of Karbala south of Baghdad, where there have been no reports of violence.' Yedioth: 'The death toll from a suicide bomb that hit Shi'ite worshippers marking the climax of the Ashura religious festival in a town northeast of Baghdad on Tuesday has risen to 23, with 57 wounded, a doctor said. Doctor Yassir Ahmed of Baladruz hospital said the bomb was at a Shi'ite mosque in an area of Baladruz called Dur Mandali.' (Debka, YNet)

Guardian unhappy with Nick Cohen's portrait of the Left. The Belmont Club: ' I have an extract, provided courtesy of a reader, which suggests why the Leftist readers would find Cohen's book infuriating. All I can say is that Cohen barely fails to scratch the surface; in terms of absurdity and tragedy, of the Leftist Deep. ...' (Belmont Club)

OpFor: Progress amid the violence. LtCol P at OpFor interviews fellow Marine historian Kurt Wheeler (who served during the same period as your present blogger). Wheeler reports the following: 'Obviously the violence is being reported, as we continue to suffer casualties from IEDs, SAF and IDF. There are two problems with the violence-only reporting: 1) Almost none of the steady progress being achieved in the development of Iraqi security forces, enhancement of the security of communities, improvement of local government or setting conditions for economic growth is being reported. (The argument I always here is that "news" is reporting the exceptional not the routine. By that standard, isn't a new police station far more newsworthy than the ubiquitous 120 mm mortar shell?) And, 2) Some equate the continued violence with a lack of progress. Specifically: The numbers of Iraqi police have grown dramatically during the past year (from less than 2000 to 9000 by the end of this rotation). Iraqi Army units in this AO have not grown in numbers, but they have fought, stood their ground, become much more effective and have taken over significant amounts of battle space. Overall, Marines and soldiers in this AO are doing the couterinsurgency basics extremely well. They are getting out, patrolling on foot in neighborhoods, making connections with locals. These connections are increasingly leading to intel and tips which are making us much more effective. The second piece is that you can't measure our success by the number of attacks received because our increased activity, "taking the fight to the enemy," has as much to do with the level of violence as does enemy will/actions. ...' Worth reading in full. (OpFor)

Disabled Iraq vet gets abuse from anti-war protesters. Gateway Pundit: 'CPL Joshua Sparling, an Iraqi War veteran and amputee, talks about getting spit on, flipped off, and having cigarette butts thrown at him during a "peace" rally in Washington DC on Saturday January 27, 2007.' Michelle Malkin has more. (Gateway Pundit, Michelle Malkin)

Commentary. So, what happened to "supporting the troops"?

Morning Report: January 29, 2007

Killers strike in Israel and Iraq, but the good guys are striking back with a major terror bust. A specter is haunting Europe. And a high-tech aircraft has some surprising limitations.

Pigua in Eilat. A terrorist killed three innocent Israelis in Eilat on Monday. Debka:

'Israeli military and security chiefs fear first Palestinian suicide bombing in Eilat, which killed 3 Israelis Monday, signals deadly new wave funded from Tehran and Damascus. The bomber, Mohamed Faisal al-Siksik, 21, from Gaza, blew himself up in a bakery in the Red Sea resort of Eilat Monday, Jan. 29, killing the two proprietors and a third Israeli. This was the first such attack the holiday paradise has ever experienced. DEBKAfile’s counter-terror sources report that the next wave of suicide attacks is expected to be mounted from Gaza and Sinai by the Palestinian Jihad Islami in conjunction with local al Qaeda cells with funding from Tehran and Damascus. Although two Palestinian groups – Jihad Islami and Fatah-al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades claimed the attack, DEBKAfile’s counter-terror sources disclosed it was in fact the first joint operation of the third group, the Army of Believers – an al Qaeda cover name – and Jihad Islami of the new anti-Israel terror offensive. A senior Israeli officer familiar with the Israeli-Egyptian Sinai border region told DEBKAfile after the Eilat attack: “Olmert and Peretz have missed the train. Their policy of military restraint in the face of Qassam missile attacks and a terrorist build-up has given the most violent elements free rein to get set for a fresh, well-organized assault.” Some attacks may also come from the sea. He stressed: “It’s no use expecting the Egyptians to secure the Sinai border. Since Israel pulled out of the Gaza Strip 15 months ago, the Egyptian-Gazan-Israeli borders are a highway for smugglers of terrorists, missiles, explosives and traffickers of every kind. The IDF is the only force capable of putting a stop to this traffic and suppressing the collaboration between Hamas, Jihad Islami, Fatah-al Aqsa Brigades and al Qaeda. Unfortunately, its hands are tied by the government.”'

Arutz Sheva:

For the first time, a suicide terrorist detonated himself in the southern port city of Eilat. After he hitchhiked to the city, the man who innocently drove him called the police - but too late.

Three Jews were murdered, and five people were treated for shock.

Initial reports implied that the explosion inside a small bakery in Eilat around 9:45 AM was caused by a gas canister explosion. However, shortly after 10:30, the police abruptly issued an announcement saying that it was the work of an Arab suicide terrorist. The police announced that the murderer had entered the bakery carrying a large bag and detonated himself. Three dead were reported, in addition to the terrorist himself.

The Al Aksa Brigades of Fatah - an arm of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah organization - and Islamic Jihad have claimed joint responsibility for the murderous attack. In general, Fatah's Al Aksa Brigades has shared responsibility with Islamic Jihad for the terror attacks against Israel over the past two years.

MK Levy urges response: 'National Union-NRP MK Yitzhak Levy urged Israel to react to the suicide bombing attack in Eilat, saying the government policy of restraint is a failure. "I believe that the government is erring by acting with restraint. We need to set a price tag for attacks like this," he said.' Eilat's mayor responds: 'Meir Yitzhak Halevi, mayor of Eilat, called the fact that suicide bombers had managed to infiltrate the city "very disturbing," and said that he hoped that city officials would soon have all the information necessary to address the threat.' Internal security minister cites infiltration: 'Internal Security Minister Avi Dichter said Monday afternoon that the bomber who killed three Eilat residents in a suicide attack on Monday morning had infiltrated Israel from Egypt, echoing the conclusion of all of the Israeli intelligence agencies.' A reservist who gave the terrorist a ride became suspicious: 'An Israeli reservist who gave a ride to Muhammed Faisal al-Saksak, the suicide bomber who killed three people in Eilat on Monday morning, said Monday evening that he had suspected al-Saksak was up to something, but that he could do nothing until the terrorist got out of the car. Lt.-Col. (res.) Yossi Voltinski said in an interview with Channel 10 that he had told the man to get out before reaching his destination. "Still, unfortunately, he succeeded in his plot," Voltinski lamented. "He succeeded in killing innocent people, and I don't feel good about that."' IRIS: 'The southern resort city of Eilat has had its first suicide bombing, thanks to the decision of Ariel Sharon and Ehud Olmert to turn over Gaza to Islamists. Precisely as I predicted the terrorist strategy was two-pronged: arm Gaza and then use that base to move terror into Israel. In this case, the suicide bomber apparently travelled from Gaza across the now open border to Egypt, and then through the desert border into Israel.' (various)

Terrorists continue murdering in Iraq. CENTCOM: 'FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY, Iraq – Fifteen Iraqis were killed in two vehicle-borne improvised explosive device attacks in a New Baghdad commercial district Jan. 27. The first attack, at approximately 12:12 p.m., killed 11 Iraqis and wounded 30 more, including two Iraqi police officers. Small arms fire broke out immediately following the explosion but stopped after Iraqi police arrived on the scene. The second attack, minutes later, killed four Iraqis and wounded 20 more. Fire trucks arrived and starting treating victims. The wounded in both attacks were taken by Iraqi emergency personnel to nearby hospitals.' (CENTCOM)

Coalition forces capture suspected terrorists. CENTCOM: 'BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition Forces captured 21 suspected terrorists including a senior al-Qaida in Iraq courier, an improvised explosives devices cell leader and a foreign fighter facilitator during operations Sunday morning around Iraq. In Baghdad, Coalition Forces captured three individuals with ties to senior al-Qaida in Iraq leadership. During operations in Karmah, Coalition Forces captured 11 suspected terrorists including a high-level al-Qaida courier who is a known associate of multiple senior al-Qaida in Iraq personnel. He is also known for facilitating the movement of multiple senior al-Qaida personnel in the region.' (CENTCOM)

Update on Iraqi-led operation in Najaf. Bill Roggio at The Fourth Rail:

Iraqi security forces, backed by American tanks and air support, attacked what appears to be a mixed group of Sunni insurgents and a Shia end-times cult known as the "Soldiers of Heaven." The battle occurred in the suburbs and orchards north of Najaf. "Police Colonel Ali Nomas said 250 militants had been killed," reported Reuters. "The political source said up to 1,000 had been involved. An army source said they wore camouflage and appeared well organised." They were also believed to have possessed anti-arircraft missiles.

Later counts put the number of enemy fighters killed at up to 350, with a minimal loss to Iraqi and U.S. troops. Three Iraqi soldiers were killed and 21 wounded, five police were killed and 19 wounded, and two U.S. soldiers were killed when their helicopter was downed. The leader of the Shia cult, Ahmed Hassani al-Yemeni "who claimed to be the Mahdi, a messiah-like figure in Islam," was killed during the fighting, which lasted over 24 hours. ...

An American military intelligence informed us the early indications are that the Omar Brigade, al-Qaeda in Iraq's unit designated to slaughter Shia, was involved in the fighting. Al-Qaeda in Iraq would have a vested interest in causing mass casualties of Shia during the pilgrimage to Karbala for the festival of Ashura. Over 11,000 Iraqi Army and police have been deployed to Karbala to provide security for the event. ...

Read the rest for more great intel, and links. (TFR)

Anti-Semitic acts in Europe rose in 2006. Ha'Aretz: 'The number of anti-Semitic incidents rose significantly in Europe last year, according to a joint study released Sunday by the Jewish Agency's Forum for the Coordination of the Struggle Against Anti-Semitism, the Foreign Ministry and the Prime Minister's Office. Figures for anti-Semitic acts in Germany, Austria and the Scandinavian countries increased dramatically in 2006, the study said. The study indicated that 360 incidents were registered in France in 2006 (compared to 300 in 2005), 312 in Britain (compared to 321), some 300 in Russia (250), 83 in Austria (50) and 53 in Scandinavia (35). The study shows an increase of 60% in anti-Semitic incidents in the Berlin area, though figures were not provided for Germany as a whole.' (Ha'Aretz)

And if that doesn't work, they can install a Morse Code key. The Standard: 'There's no denying it, the F-22 is the most advanced fighter in the world. Stealthy, maneuverable, and lethal, it is without rival. Still, there may yet be a few kinks to work out. First, Defense Tech reports that the F-22, unlike many older fighters, was built without the ability to send data. Hard to believe, but F-22 pilots need to pass on all information through the comm system. Defense Tech's David Axe: "I asked the Raptor jockeys at Virginia's Langley Air Force Base about this last year and they shifted uncomfortably in their seats while feeding me some line about how voice comms work just fine." Axe says a fix is in the works. But according to Aviation Week & Space Technology (via Defense News), the F-22 is also having problems receiving data. ...' Read the rest at the link. (Standard)

Commentary. As of this morning, I'm officially dropping my former policy of not reporting terror attacks unless they are unusual in some way. From now on, all terror attacks get reported.

My original reasoning was that I didn't want to play the MSM's game by giving you a steady stream of demoralizing, bad news. I figured that if a car bomb killed fifteen people in Baghdad this morning, you had probably already heard about it from the news and didn't need to hear it again from me. I could concentrate on providing the information that went unreported in the media.

But terror attacks are certainly part of the reality in the Middle East, and I don't want to create the idea that I'm ignoring them or selectively reporting them. Better you should get the whole picture. And anyway, why should I give you a reason to watch CNN?

Dreams Into Lightning and its Morning Report feature aim, first and foremost, to inform. My goal is to provide you with a collection of information that will help you understand the world better. If you're reading this, I assume you are capable of handling the information.

Regarding today's attack in Israel, a Stratfor analysis (subscription) echoes the view of A7 and others that the bombing was a rushed or botched affair - that is, the killer had intended to detonate in a more crowded location, but became concerned that he would be apprehended soon, and so chose a target of opportunity - resulting in fewer innocent deaths than the terrorist might have wished. According to Stratfor, "The bomber struck at approximately 9:40 a.m. local time, missing the morning rush hour -- and thus an opportunity to kill or maim a greater number of people. In addition, rather than striking an area crowded with tourists, he hit a bakery in a residential area."

I'll post more information as it becomes available.

Michael Yon in Mosul

Michael Yon: Desolate roads.

Mosul is poised. Mosul is poised to become an example of progress and success. Yet with each passing day here, it becomes clear that Mosul is at least as equally poised to fall again into the wretched chaos of crime, violence and anarchy that define certain other areas of Iraq. ...

History shapes the future. In 2005, I spent five months in Mosul, chronicling a little of both. As “The Surge” begins down in Anbar and Baghdad, Mosul’s back alleys likely will tremble with at-first-imperceptible aftershocks, because historically, this crossroads city has served as a reliable bell weather. Sensing that this 2-7 battalion is suddenly about to become an important pivot in the war, I changed course. Instead of heading back down to Baghdad or Anbar, on 14 January, I requested to extend my time with the lone infantry battalion in Mosul. The commanders-that-be, whoever they are, permitted my stay.

Next morning, the Iraqi Army 2nd Division was to officially take over its battle space in Nineveh, meaning there are now two Iraqi Divisions operating in Nineveh, leaving 2-7 CAV in a largely supporting role. Yet there is more to standing up an army than giving people guns and training them to fight, and the Iraqi Army depends on the Coalition for much of its logistics. On 31 December 2006, free fuel was mostly cut off to the IA in a further attempt to show the Iraqi government that the Coalition means business. There is finite time to stand up; the Coalition wants to go home sooner than later, and if we leave the nipple wet, the baby will never grow up. Free fuel was cut.

As predicted by our military leadership, this caused lurches in the system. In Mosul the IA scaled back patrols. This is where national policy meets the road. Literally. At the battalion level. The route where the giant bomb was hidden had not been swept by IA in four days.

There were five occupants in the humvee: 2LT Mark Daily born in Los Angeles; SSG John Cooper born in Cleveland; SGT Ian Anderson born in Prairie Village, Kansas; Specialist Matthew Grimm from Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. Matt Grimm had recently been awarded a Purple Heart for injuries he suffered while on patrol in a humvee that came under attack. It was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade that killed Sergeant Brent Dunkleberger. Matt had been driving the day Brent was killed, and he was driving again on the morning of 15 January. The fifth occupant was “Jacob,” a Christian Assyrian-Iraqi, born in Mosul in 1967, now performing arguably the most dangerous job in Iraq: interpreter for American combat forces. ...

Read the rest at the link.

Nabil Soliman Amer - Update

Via Freedom For Egyptians:

This update is driven from Wa7damasrya blog (Arabic) who attended detained Egyptian blogger Abdelkareem Nabil Soliman Amer's trial in Alexandria last Thursday. I m writing the heads-up in English for a better reach out. The update is followed by response from human rights organizations like RSF and U.S. Congress.

Thursday, January 25, 2007 was the trial session of Egyptian Blogger Kareem Amer who is accused of insulting Islam among other accusations that level to disrupting public state security and insulting the President.

Some Egyptian and foreign journalists as well as bloggers were there to attend the court session. Egyptian bloggers included wa7damasrya, Benhawy and Sandmonkey . Journalists were from the daily Egyptian Al Masry Al Youm , Reuters and other press outlets.

Lawyers attending on behalf of Kareem were from Hisham Mubarak Center, on top of which was Mr. Ahmed Seif. He was the first to come to court. Mr. Seif is known to be among top lawyers in the field of defending human rights in Egypt.

Television stations were not allowed to film inside the court hall. Video cameras were not allowed as well. A crew from Dream TV channel was there and could not film the trial.

Kareem was not seen entering the building as he was given access to the trial through the garage and from there to the dock.

The trial started at noon. The judge was surprised to find a big number of interested people in Kareem's trial. The session started with Mr. Ahmed Seif's defense. He pleaded that there are no regulations or laws for internet publications or blogging in Egypt that justify the trial. He confirmed that the Egyptian laws have no say on blogging. He also requested delegating a professor from the faculty of engineering from Alexandria University to identify the venue and the owner of Elaph site. This is the site from which the prosecution printed Kareem's articles. If it was proved that the site has a non-Egyptian domain or server, Kareem cannot be charged in Egypt for that.

Following the lawyers' defense, a man stood up to say he is filing a lawsuit against Kareem. The lawsuit is called "Hessba" in Islamic Jurisdiction. The "Hessba" lawsuits are (voluntary) soliciting good and advising against evil in Islam. ...

Full post at the link.

US, Iraqi forces kill terrorists in Najaf.

Reuters: 'U.S. and Iraqi forces killed 250 gunmen in a fierce battle involving U.S. tanks and helicopters on the outskirts of the Shi'ite holy city of Najaf on Sunday, a senior Iraqi police officer said. The day-long battle was continuing after nightfall, Colonel Ali Nomas told Reuters, as tens of thousands of pilgrims converged on the nearby city of Kerbala for the climax of the Ashura commemorations. A U.S. helicopter was shot down in the fighting, Iraq security sources said. The U.S. military declined comment. A Reuters reporter saw a helicopter come down trailing smoke.'

Wizbang: 'The US military isn't commenting on the helicopter that crashed because the mission is still ongoing, but I expect we'll have more successful missions where we send terrorists to their waiting virgins. The question is will the media actually report on our and the Iraqi troops' successes or will they completely ignore them?'

Debka: 'The US military confirmed the downing of the helicopter and the death of the two-man crew in fighting near Najef as hundreds of thousands of Shiite pilgrims converged on the Shiite shrine city of Karbala for the Ashura festival marking the 7th-century Battle of Karbala. The governor of Najef said Iraqi troops fought all day with hundreds of Sunni gunmen, including foreign fighters, who had plotted to murder Shiite clergy on the 10th day of the festival which falls on Monday. About twenty were captured, including a Sudanese national. They said they belonged to the Army of Imam Ahmed al-Yemeni.'

LGF thread here.

Afternoon Roundup

Tammy Bruce: Jihad Jane. 'In this love-letter disguised as a "news story" from the Washington Post, it's apparent Jane Fonda really meant that apology for encouraging the Vietnamese enemy and has clearly moved on. Fom Hanoi Jane to Jihad Jane. ...'

Via Sandmonkey: Ahmadinejad catches a few Z's. A picture is worth a thousand words.

Via YNet: Mortars kill five at Baghdad girls' school. 'Mortar shells hit the courtyard of a girls' school in a mostly Sunni Arab neighborhood of the capital Sunday, killing five pupils and wounding 20. At the time, US troops and Iraqi government forces were fighting gunmen allegedly plotting to kill Shiite pilgrims and clerics during a religious festival.'

Morning Report: January 28, 2007

Iran gears up to go orbital (read: intercontinental) while the allies score successes in Iraq ... and may start scoring against Iranian troops soon. The BBC doesn't want you to know what's happening in England, but a Portland blogger has the scoop on Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Debka: Iran close to acquiring satellite launch capability. Debka: 'Iran is closer than ever before to the launch of a spy satellite by a BM25 ballistic missile, 18 of which were purchased from North Korea, notwithstanding Pyongyang’s denials of aid to Iran’s nuclear program. Allaeddin Boroujerdi, chairman of the Iranian parliament’s national security and foreign policy commission, said last week that Iran had finished building a reconnaissance satellite and converted a ballistic missile into a space launcher. If this claim is correct, then Iran has a launcher able to put 300 kg into earth orbit - and by the same definition, an ICBM that could drop more than 300 kg anywhere in the world, including Washington DC. While the new Shehab 3ER can strike any part of the Middle East as far west as Turkey, according to the former head of the Israel Missile Defense Organization, Uzi Rubin, the BM25s with a range of up to 4,000 km can reach targets in Europe. Little is known about this missile. However, its conversion to a space launcher would produce an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) able to drop a payload weighing 300 km, the estimated weight of a reconnaissance satellite, anywhere in the world. DEBKAfile’s military sources report that Iran has just finished upgrading its Shehab series, adapting them to solid fuel.' (Debka)

ITM: Operation Baghdad to begin. Iraq the Model:

The head of one of the two city councils in Sadr city told AFP that he's ready to cooperate with the Iraqi forces in implementing the security plan. In the statement that appeared on al-Mada Kareem Hassan said "The presence of popular armed committees [Sadr militias] will end automatically when Iraqi forces enter the city because the need for the committees will cease to exist".

We talked earlier about insurgents and terrorists fleeing Baghdad to Diyala, and today there's another report about a similar migration, from al-Sabah:

Eyewitnesses in some volatile areas said that large numbers of militants have fled to Syria to avoid being trapped in the incoming security operations. According to those witnesses, residents and shopkeepers are no longer concerned about militants whose existence in public used to bring on clashes that put the lives of civilians in danger. A shopkeeper in al-Karkh [western Baghdad] said that many of them [militants] packed their stuff and headed to Syria to wait and see what the operations are going to be like. While experts consider this a failure in protecting the plan's secrecy which might lead to the loss of the surprise factor, they also say it indicates the seriousness and resolve in this plan that is already scaring away the militants. PM Maliki pointed out that seeing them run away is a good thing but he returned and said the security forces would chase them down everywhere after Baghdad is clear.

As we said in the last update, Maliki won unanimous support for his plan in the parliament and despite some opposition from the radical factions the major blocs are expressing their support and approval of the plan:

Spokesman of the Accord front Saleem Abdullah said after the session that the principles of the security plan have the approval of the front and "constitutes a quality leap toward serving Iraq's people". Hussein al-Sha'lan of the Iraqi bloc stressed on the importance of cooperation among political powers to ensure the success of the plan which he called "realistic and well-thought". Abdul Khaliq Zangana of the Kurdish alliance said the plan would deal a heavy blow to Iraq's enemies and put an end to the crimes of outlaws and their backers.

On the other hand citizens we talked to after the prime minister made his speech before the parliament say that there's no place for mistakes or weakness this time but they also seemed confident that Maliki has prepared the right tools for success.

Immediately after president Bush authorized the US military to capture and kill Iran's agents who are involved in the violence in Iraq, the Iranian Khalq [Mojahedin-e-Khalq, or People's Mujahidin - aa] opposition group released a list with the names of 31,000 Iraqis the group said are paid agents for Tehran operating in Iraq, story in the same report linked above. Jawad Dberan the spokesman of the national council of Iranian resistance, the political wing of Khalq duing a press conference in Germany, accused Tehran of sending weapons and millions of dollars in cash to Iraq every month. According to Azzaman which quoted from Jawad's statement, that list includes only elements who were directly recruited by the Quds force in Iran. The list is said to provide the Arabic and Farsi names of recruits, their monthly payment in Iranian money along with the code name they use during operations.

Full post at the link. (ITM)

How do you define "overreact"? The Belmont Club links to Bill Roggio's post on a possible Iranian connection in the Karbala attack, in which 'On January 20th, a team of twelve men disguised as U.S. soldiers entered the Provincial Joint Coordination Center in Karbala, where U.S. soldiers conducted a meeting with local officials, and attacked and killed five soldiers, and wounded another three.' So, are American soldiers now finally authorized to use deadly force to defend their own lives? (Belmont Club, The Fourth Rail)

BBC bans LGF. For a second time in as many days, Little Green Footballs has been banned from BBC message boards. What the BBC doesn't want its readers to know is that the Muslim Council of Britain forced the Bolton City Council (in Manchester, England) to shut down observance of Holocaust Memorial Day. Here's the item in Manchester News - Jewish Telegraph (UK):

IN A move widely seen to be bowing to Muslim pressure, Bolton Council has scrapped its Holocaust Memorial Day event.

The council is to replace it with a Genocide Memorial Day in June. This is in line with the policy of the Muslim Council of Britain, which continues to boycott HMD and is asking for a Genocide Day, which will also mark "the ongoing genocide and human rights abuses of Palestinians" by Israelis.

The council decision was made in consultation with the town's Interfaith Council.

But Rabbi Joseph Lever of United Synagogue who has participated in the Bolton event for around three years was not consulted on the decision. He said: "I mourn the fact that the Holocaust Memorial Day event will not take place in Bolton this year."

Louis Rapaport, president of the Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester, was equally disappointed that the Jewish community was not consulted.

Second banning here. Before the thread was shut down by the BBC thought police, one commenter wrote:

Towards the end of last year I saw a BBC news report on the continuing anarchy in the Paris suburbs with protests by French police against the increasing number of attacks they were coming under. This was around three weeks after the same story first began circulating on the blogs.

By now all of us will have familiarised ourselves with the anodyne Mohammed cartoons that provoked such controversy last year - not through the MSM but through the blogosphere. Would any of us know about last years riots in Windsor, the Reuters fauxtography scandal or the home office ordering 12,000 nuclear protection suits for the Met over Christmas if it wasn't for the blogs? Do you know what one of the main uses of Polonium-210 is? Look it up on the internet because the recent Panorama programme didn't tell us.

And more recently have you heard about last week's conference in London hosted by the Mayor where Ken Livingstone was debating with Daniel Pipes on the topic of 'A World Civilisation or a Clash of Civilisations'? No? Didn't you hear about it on the BBC? Odd that, particularly since the debate was chaired by the Beebs own Gavin Esler.

However if you do rely on the BBC for your news coverage you will today know which Archbishop turned down an appearance on Celebrity Big Brother and that a photo of David Beckham slaying a dragon is on display at Disneyworld. You will also no doubt recall the story of motorists caught on CCTV driving into traffic bollards in Manchester and of the pelican that swallowed a pigeon. ...

More information at the links. And if you depend on the BBC for information, even about Britain, please consider adding Little Green Footballs to your browser bookmarks. (LGF)

Pelosi in Afghanistan; hears Karzai request more troops. Reuters: 'New U.S. House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi met senior Afghan leaders on Sunday, days after Washington announced a major boost in troops and money to bring peace after the bloodiest year since the Taliban's ouster in 2001.
Pelosi met President Hamid Karzai in Kabul, as well as other officials and U.S. military commanders.
She did not speak to journalists.' Houston Chronicle: 'The Afghan president told House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that his security forces need to be stronger as the two discussed possible U.S. troop increases on Sunday, days after the Pentagon extended the tour of 3,200 soldiers, an Afghan official said. President Hamid Karzai stressed his desire for increased training and equipment for Afghanistan's fledgling army and police forces, the Afghan official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information publicly. Pelosi, D-Calif., and Karzai discussed plans announced last week by the Bush administration to ask Congress for $10.6 billion for Afghanistan, a major increase aimed at rebuilding the country and strengthening government security forces still fighting the Taliban five years after the U.S.-led invasion.' (Reuters, AP)

Kerry to Iranian regime: America is "international pariah". The ever-witty John F. Kerry, in a cordial meeting with former Iranian president Mohammad Khatami in Davos, Switzerland, declared that the United States has become "a sort of international pariah". Fox: 'DAVOS, Switzerland — Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry slammed the foreign policy of the Bush administration on Saturday, saying it has caused the United States to become "a sort of international pariah." The statement came as the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee responded to a question about whether the U.S. government had failed to adequately engage Iran's government before the election of hard-liner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2005.' The Spirit of Man: 'Two idiots, one a very crazy mullah from Iran and one clueless senator from the United States, are chatting and thinking how to screw the world harder. Given the fact that Kerry has met with all enemies of the United States so far, this does not surprise me at all but what makes me feel terrible is that people like Sen. Kerry, and those who support him, are the most clueless people of this planet. They are not just ignorant, they are really dangerous to the world.' (various)

Bahrainis face jail for downloading articles. Or Does It Explode has the latest on Dr M. Al Sahlawi (Dentist, age 35) and Mr. H. Al Hebshi (Insurance sales executive, age 32), who were sentenced to seven years for downloading articles critical of the Bahraini government. Please take a moment to sign the petition. (ODIE)

The Tharwa Foundation. Amarji wants you to know about the Tharwa Foundation: 'Awareness, activism, empowerment, and education. These goals of the Tharwa Foundation are what direct its tireless efforts to develop and strengthen Muslim communities throughout the Mideast. The institution's Director, Ammar Abdulhamid, explains that one of the ultimate objectives is for individuals to make greater political strides, becoming more involved in their governments' futures, and to personally define what they expect from their fellow countrymen and themselves. This Maryland-based non-profit acts as the mechanism to help thousands of Muslims highlight cross-culture commonalities and set aside divergent ideologies. In operation since 2001, the Tharwa Foundation has outlined a number of exciting proposals, such as the Tharwa Institute for Leadership and Tharwa Radio & TV, to launch its business capabilities to the next level.' (Amarji)

Iranian women's rights activists arrested. Azarmehr: 'The following three Iranian women’s rights activists were arrested yesterday in Tehran's Imam Khomeini airport as they tried to attend a journalism workshop in New Delhi, India. They are held in the section 209 Evin Prison in Tehran. The three are Talat Taghinia, Mansoureh Shojaee and Farnaz Seifi. After the three were arrested at the airport, the security agents escorted them to their homes, searched their houses, and seized their personal belongings such as their computers, books and writings.' Azarmehr has a lot more to say about this. Go read the rest at the link. (Azarmehr)

Ich bin ein Israeli. YNet: 'Several hundred demonstrators marched to Berlin's Holocaust memorial Sunday to call for solidarity with Israel against threats from Iran's hardline president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Some 700 people participated, in driving rain, some carrying Israeli flags and placards demanding that the international community "defend Israel."' (YNet)

100 terrorists killed in Diyala province. CENTCOM: 'WASHINGTON – U.S. and Iraqi forces killed 100 terrorists, detained 50, and dismantled a large terrorist group in January during Operation Turki Bowl, the senior U.S. Army officer in Iraq’s Diyala province said yesterday. The operation, conducted from Jan. 4 to 13, occurred south of Balad Ruz in the Turki Village, Tuwilla and 30 Tamuz areas of the province. During the operation, U.S. Army and Iraqi soldiers isolated and defeated a terrorist group known as “The Council,” Col. David W. Sutherland, commander of 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, told reporters via satellite connection from a news conference in Iraq. “The group, made up of former Baath Regime members, al Qaeda and Sunni extremists, refused to participate in any political dialogue and preferred attacking innocent civilians in the Diyala province,” Sutherland said. The council killed as many as 39 civilians in one kidnapping and mass murder in November, he added.' (CENTCOM)

Petraeus supports troop increase. Also from CENTCOM: 'WASHINGTON – President Bush’s pick for command of Multinational Force Iraq today supported the new strategy for Iraq, emphasizing that additional U.S. forces are essential in accomplishing the mission there. “If we are to carry out the Multinational Force Iraq mission in accordance with the new strategy, the additional forces that have been directed to move to Iraq will be essential, as will greatly increased support by our government’s other agencies, additional resources for reconstruction and economic initiatives, and a number of other actions critical to what must be a broad, comprehensive, multifaceted approach to the challenges in Iraq,” Army Lt. Gen. David Petraeus said at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee. Petraeus was nominated Jan. 17 to be promoted to general and take over command of MNFI from Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr., who has been nominated to become the Army’s chief of staff. ' (CENTCOM)

Iraqis, Coalition reestablish security on Haifa Street. MNF-Iraq: 'The company of Soldiers starts the day before the sun, knowing in the back of their minds that it is going to be a long day full of fire fights with the enemy. As grenades detonate around them and bullets fly by, they target the enemy and engage immediately, proving that “courage is the absence of fear.” For the second time in the past several weeks, Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division teamed up with Iraqi Army troops to take on insurgents on Haifa Street, in Baghdad’s Karkh district Jan. 24. The Haifa Street operation, dubbed Operation Tomahawk Strike 11, aimed to disrupt insurgents in order to establish security, said Capt. Isaac Torres, commander, Company C, 1-23 Inf. ' (MNFI)

Iraqi-led team finds torture house, weapons. MNF Iraq: 'Iraqi Police and Marines completed Operation Three Swords in an area south of Fallujah Tuesday. The purpose of the operation was to detain members of murder and intimidation cells within the rural area of Zaidon and the villages of Albu Hawa, Fuhaylat and Hasa. It was led by the Iraqi Police with support from the Marines of Regimental Combat Team 6 and Marines and soldiers of I Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward) Headquarters Group. During the operation, members of the Fallujah police Department and Coalition Forces discovered a torture house and rescued three individuals. Two of the hostages were transported and treated at Camp Fallujah. The third hostage was transported by helicopter to Camp Taqqadum for further treatment. Torture devices were found and confiscated. The house was demolished by Coalition Forces in order to remove the reminder of such violence from the landscape. Also, one of the victims asked that it be destroyed so that no one will ever be taken there and tortured like him.' (MNFI)

Commentary. Today's MR is pretty long - I haven't posted for a few days and I guess I'm trying to make up for lost time. I hope you get a chance to read at least some of the items, because (I know, you've heard me say this a zillion times) the information war is important. Well, it is.

But I'm fighting the information war from the comfort of my apartment in Portland. One infowarrior who isn't content to do that is Michael Totten. If you follow The Blog Which Shall Not Be Linked At The BBC, you might have already found Charles' link to Michael's latest post: "They had machine guns welded in windows." Here, addressing the question of whether or not Hezbollah used human shields, Michael recounts his interview with a pseudonymous Israeli soldier in a long-range patrol unit:

MJT: There is a controversy about whether or not Hezbollah was using the civilian population and infrastructure as shields, whether were hiding behind people and apartment buildings and the like.

Eli: Did they use populated areas to fire? It was clear that they did. Except Israel also dispersed flyers ordering all the civilian population of South Lebanon to leave. So it was in those villages after the, I don’t remember the date, except anyone who was in those villages was probably helping Hezbollah fighters.

MJT: Where in Lebanon was your unit?

Eli: We went all around the West. Opposite Metulla there’s all these villages called Hula, Abbasieh, Markaba, Jwayya. It was 15 kilometers in. So we would go in 15 kilometers, mark targets.

MJT: So you were marking targets yourself? What kind of targets were you marking? I was on the border at the end of the war, and I watched a lot of Israeli artillery being fired, but it was impossible to tell what you guys were shooting at.

Eli: I can’t explain exactly what we use, but we use very advanced scopes and thermal scopes and stuff like that so you can see exactly what’s going on in villages at night or during the day or whenever. We could see armed personnel walking around there, carrying big bags. So as long as they’re armed they are targets for us to mark, for Air Force and artillery.

MJT: The reason I ask what kind of targets you were marking is because the majority of people inside Lebanon think the Israelis were firing at civilians deliberately.

Eli: If you ask me what should have been done in the villages in Lebanon during this war, I think Israel wasn’t harsh enough. Now, I’m not right-wing, I’m not…I just think that if we are in a war…it’s like, if you play with fire, people get burned. There’s nothing you can do about it. These whole villages, they were empty, just filled with Hezbollah terrorists. They should have been totally wiped off the map. Except Israel left them standing. Many of our soldiers were killed because of that, so Israel wouldn’t be blamed after the war for war crimes and destroying civilian houses. ...

So today's overlong post has just gotten longer. What can I tell you? Go read the rest at the link. What I want you to know, and the reason I'm consuming so many pixels on your monitor this morning, is just how deep and depraved the double standard against Israel is in the mainstream media and the so-called "international community".

Rabbi Steven Greenberg in Portland

This post explores some of the issues around Judaism, homosexuality, and gender raised by Rabbi Steven Greenberg at his brunch appearance in Portland. This is not a transcript of the talk, but rather a reflection on its main points.

Rabbi Greenberg begins by discussing lesbianism in the Jewish tradition. Traditional rabbis tend to avoid the subject because it is a "doubled alienness" and because it is seemingly less of a biblical challenge than male homosexuality. The result is the perception that male homosexuality, rather than homosexuality itself, is an issue in Judaism. ...

Rabbi Greenberg opens up the issue of gender differences within the G&L community and invites guests to suggest some common differences between lesbians and gay men. ...

"Lesbian Relations" handout is passed around ...

RSG: The HRC worked for many years, doing important work, but never addressed the question of religion - because religion was never seen as a potential ally. Then they hired Harry Knox ...

How can the gay Jewish community reach beyond the victim identity? Can we offer some insights from our own experience that are relevant for the non-Jewish world?

Lesbianism: "Doubled alienness" and the lesser challenge. Almost inevitably, discussions on homosexuality and Judaism begin with the topic of male homosexuality, which is explicitly prohibited by the Torah (Leviticus 18:24 and 20:13). By comparison, lesbianism appears to be a "lesser challenge" scripturally speaking, and therefore gets less attention. Rabbi Greenberg challenged this approach, opening the talk with a discussion of lebianism. Lesbians, he noted, experience the "doubled alienness" of being both homosexual in a heterosexual culture and female in a male-dominated culture. The general rabbinic reticence around the subject, he said, owed in large part to the difficulty of finding solid legal ground to declare lesbianism forbidden.

"I did not have sex with that woman!" Is lesbian sex sex? Don't laugh, it was a real question for the Rabbis. Talmudic sources disagreed as to the degree to which a sexual encounter between women could be counted as "sex" for purposes of establishing infidelity or eligibility to marry a man of the priestly caste (kohanim).

Lesbians and gay men. For political reasons, it's natural for lesbians and gay men to join together in LGBT organizations. But, Rabbi Greenberg observed, in real life they form separate communities. Greenberg suggested that recognizing the differences between gay men and lesbians (which, after all, are a subset of the differences between men and women) is an important step toward building a truly cohesive community.

Traditional religion as an ally. "The Human Rights Campaign did important work with governments for many years, but they never worked with churches because they didn't see religion as a potential ally. Then they hired Harry Knox ... " Traditionally religious people and secularists often have an adversarial relationship (as was made evident by one very argumentative non-religious guest).

Beyond the victim identity: finding our voice. Rabbi Greenberg asserted that the generosity necessary to dialog with people very different from ourselves is exactly what is asked of the queer community today. We delude ourselves, he said, if we deny that there are some people whose "otherness" makes us uncomfortable; the challenge is to learn what these people come to teach us. Regarding the gay community, Rabbi Greenberg envisioned a future where we can look "beyond our victim status" and find lessons in our own experience that will be meaningful to the world at large.

Gender and power. Drawing on the legend of Lilith, whose "sin" was her refusal to take a subordinate sexual postition to Adam, Greenberg explored the ways in which "top" and "bottom" sexual positions (in both heterosexual and homosexual acts) have been read as indicators of power relationships. The equation "bottom = submissive = female" has profound and far-reaching implications.

Morning Report: January 21, 2007

An assassin is caught, but his words are ignored; an Iranian resistance icon is in prison; and some ship movements come to light.

Hrant Dink killer caught. Gateway Pundit: ''Turkish officials captured the murderer of Turkish-Armenian writer, Hrant Dink!' Citing Reuters: 'A man identified as Ogun Samast (C), accused of killing Turkish-Armenian author Hrant Dink, hides his face as he is led away by police officers after he was captured in Turkey's Black Sea town of Samsun, late January 20, 2007. Turkish police on Saturday arrested the suspected killer of [Dink] who had angered nationalists with articles referring to a Turkish 'genocide' of Armenians.' Little Green Footballs reports on a little detail the American MSM seem to have overlooked: 'NTV television said Dink had been shot three times in the head and neck. Muharrem Gozutok, a restaurant owner near the newspaper, said the assailant looked about 20, wore jeans and a cap and shouted “I shot the non-Muslim” as he left the scene. This little piece of essential information is now being excised from all wire service and media reports.'

SKF: Update on Ahmad Batebi. You might remember Ahmad Batebi, the Iranian activist who was photographed holding up his friend's bloodied T-shirt. Shiro-Khorshid Forever reports: 'Ahmad Batebi is still in prison. The best thing we can do is keep on writing letters to different human right agencies and gov. officials on his behalf. I will have a few samples up in the next few days. Let us not forget about him in his time of need.'

Debka: Stennis heading for Persian Gulf. Debka: 'The USS Stennis carrier with thousands of troops and 80 warplanes aboard is heading for Persian Gulf. Saturday, Jan 20, the ship picked up 2,500 troops at San Diego. The Stennis Strike Group has still to collect two ships at Hawaii before heading east with a complement of 6,500 US soldiers.'

Commentary. So, is Bush ready to do more than bluff this time?

Open Letter to Jay Dixit

Dear Jay Dixit:

Last week I was having lunch with Cinnamon Stillwell and she mentioned that she'd been the subject of a Psychology Today article on political conversions. Turns out that this was the same article for which your intern contacted me last August. At the time, I wrote a somewhat lengthy response indicating that I didn't feel my politics had changed abruptly and that I didn't consider myself a case of "political conversion".

I'm curious, though, to know what it is exactly that your article is trying to establish. Because it looks as if you're trying very hard to find psychological, i.e. non-rational, explanations for cases where people adopt "conservative" political beliefs. There's no acknowledgment that such a political shift could come about as the result of a rational assessment of the relevant facts and arguments; nor, conversely, is there any discussion of fear-related psychology on the political left (dire warnings about global warming and the ever-impending American police state spring to mind). And instead of encouraging people to inform themselves on political issues while listening with an open mind to different points of view, your article prescribes the simple expedient of "reminding ourselves to think rationally", as if the fear itself, rather than its objective cause, were the real problem.

In fact, in an entire article devoted to what you call the "9/11 effect", there is not a single direct reference to the terrorist attacks that killed almost 3,000 Americans.

In this light, it's difficult for me to escape the conclusion that your article is ideologically driven. The agenda seems to be to encourage readers to dismiss precisely those fears which, in your analysis, lead to conservative politics. In short, you want to "cure" people of being conservative.

Is this a fair assessment of the goal of your article? Or am I missing something?

If I receive a reply from Jay Dixit, I will post it here.

Psychology Today Examines "The Ideological Animal"

"First, let me just say: Bullshit!" - Dr. Sanity

"This article tends to end up spouting nonsense." - Shrinkwrapped

"The author, Jay Dixit, is an idiot." - Sigmund, Carl and Alfred

The subject of these accolades is the article "The Ideological Animal" by Jay Dixit, which appears in the current issue of Psychology Today and may be read at the link. An audio interview program by The Sanity Squad, four political bloggers who are also practicing psychologists, produced the reactions quoted above.

Dixit's article featured an interview with Cinnamon Stillwell, who is presented as the prototype of a formerly liberal American who underwent a sudden "political conversion" on September 11, presumably (so the article suggests) as the result of an irrational, fear-based reaction.

Neo-Neocon, who has argued at great length precisely the opposite position - that is, that "A Mind Is a Difficult Thing to Change" - was also interviewed for the article by Jay Dixit, and she recalls that Dixit kept hammering her with questions about "fear", notwithstanding her insistence to the contrary. Her interview was not used for the article.

I was also contacted by Dixit's staff for this article; I replied that I didn't feel I'd undergone a "political conversion" but rather - at most - a subtle and gradual political evolution. But that wasn't what Jay Dixit was looking for.

(More posts on this topic to follow.)