F-22 Special Morning Price

Japan applies to buy fighter Australia rejects
Tom Allard National Security EditorApril 30, 2007

THE United States has responded favourably to Japanese requests to buy the potent F-22 Raptor fighter jet, undermining claims by the Minister for Defence, Brendan Nelson, that the aircraft was not available for foreign sale.

In February Dr Nelson killed off growing agitation for Australia to seriously consider the F-22, citing a letter from the US Deputy Defence Secretary, Gordon England, stating the F-22 was not for sale.

Soon afterwards, he pushed through the controversial decision to buy 24 Super Hornet jets at a cost of $6 billion.

In recent weeks, Japan and Israel have approached the US to buy the F-22, a long-range fighter that can cruise at supersonic speed, reach extraordinarily high altitudes and has unparalleled stealth and a perfect record in exercises.

Before a visit to Washington this week by the Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, a senior US official said the White House was "positively disposed" towards selling the F-22 to Tokyo.

"We're happy to discuss supplying the next-generation fighters to Japan," said Dennis Wilder, the senior director of East Asian affairs at the US National Security Council.

"China is spurring modernisation of its air force and North Korea's missile and nuclear capabilities come as a threat to Japan. All of these explain why Japan's Air Self-Defence Force requested the future-generation fighters."

The F-22 costs about $US136 million ($164 million) each, but remains attractive because of its exceptional performance and clear superiority over even future generations of rival Russian fighters.

For years, the US has been reluctant to let other nations gain access to such a high-tech jet, which it believes gives it a pivotal strategic advantage in the skies for decades to come.

But Loren Thompson, an analyst close to the Pentagon and military contractors, told Reuters there had been a mood shift in senior air force ranks.

"Strategic reasons for selling the plane are becoming compelling," said Mr Thompson, of the Lexington Institute, citing cruise missile defence and the fact that Japan and other nations could help fund a bomber version of the F-22. The bomber version would most appeal to Australia.

Dr Nelson, who was travelling back from Gallipoli, could not be reached for comment but has said recently that he believes the F-22 is not the right plane for Australia.

Labor's defence spokesman, Joel Fitzgibbon, said: "The Australian Government has egg over its face.

"It's time for the Government to review its own strategy and to push the US hard on the Raptor so it's in the mix when it comes to air capability."

Australia has set aside $15 billion for new fighter jets, and plans to buy about 100 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, which are still in the development phase and could be subject to delays and cost blow-outs.

Fears of such delays prompted Dr Nelson to spend $6 billion on the 24 Super Hornets, a less capable fourth-generation plane, as a stopgap until the F-35s are delivered.

Dr Nelson's declaration that the US would not sell Australia the F-22 came on the eve of a paper from the influential Australian Strategic Policy Institute analyst Andrew Davies.

The paper urged the Howard Government's consideration of the F-22.

Australia is likely to get a receptive hearing if it asks for the F-22 because it is a close ally, in a formal security alliance with the US and Japan.

Any foreign sale of the F-22 would also require congressional approval.

U.S. Congress - AWOL

Australian PM Howard: US Congress aids Al-Qaeda

"I think it is wrong, and I don't think it is doing anything other than giving great comfort and encouragement to Al-Qaeda and the insurgency in Iraq. They are looking at all this, they read newspapers, they see it on television and they say, 'The American domestic resolve is weakening, therefore we should maintain our resolve.' If there is a perception of an America defeat in Iraq, that will leave the whole of the Middle East in great turmoil and will be an enormous victory for terrorism."

Call of Duty 4 Trailer

Call of duty 4

SWORDS

Future Weapons: SWORDS PT 1/2

Future Weapons: SWORDS PT 2/2

Oz Police - Culturally Appropiate?

Police to Abide by Islamic Practice
Written by Persephone
Tuesday, 24 April 2007

In an era of political correctness in a culturally diverse Australia, it is important that our Police Forces embrace culturally appropriate practice.

This is what is stated in a Guide for Islamic Practices for Police Service , a booklet made available as a joint government and Islamic enterprise. It was compiled by Zacariah Mathews, who is an editor of SALAM magazine.

Nothing particularly alarming about that, but SALAM magazine is the paper of FAMSY , an Islamic youth organization with known links to the Muslim Brotherhood (see also this LINK ) .

The guidelines for Islamic practices begins by outlining the demographics of the Islamic community within Australia, before giving accounts of the various religious festivals celebrated by Muslims.

Whilst this bit is relatively harmless, it is the other part which gives reason to be concerned.

From: http://www.australianislamistmonitor.org/

2008 Corvette

2008 Chevrolet Corvette

Offering 36 more horsepower than the previous LS2 versions, the new 2008 Chevrolet Corvette LS3 recieves an updated 6.2 liter V8 enigne that produces 430 horsepower. The optional two-mode performance exhaust system allows the Corvette LS3 to increase horsepower 436. The dual-mode exhaust uses vacuum-actuated outlet valves, which control engine noise during low-load operation, but open for maximum performance during high-load operation.

All Corvette models now come standard with features that were previously optional or part of equipment packages. They include:

OnStar with available Turn-By-Turn Navigation
XM Satellite Radio
Auto-dimming rearview mirrors (with compass)
Audio input jack on all radio systems except navigation; Personal Audio Link is available as a dealer-installed item with the navigation system.

Engine – A new, 6.2L LS3 small-block V-8 is the standard engine in Coupe and Convertible models. It is rated at 430 horsepower (321 kW)* and 424 lb.-ft. of torque (586 Nm)* with the standard exhaust system; with the new, optional two-mode exhaust system, power ratings increase to 436 horses / 325 kW and 428 lb.-ft. / 592 Nm. As a result, the standard Corvette is true supercar, capable of 190 mph. The LS3 with the six-speed paddle-shift automatic is the fastest automatic-equipped Corvette ever, with 0-60 mph capability of 4.3 seconds.

LS7 engine – The Z06’s LS7 7.0L engine delivers 505 horsepower (377 kW) in a 3,132-pound (1,421 kg) package – a combination that delivers 0-60 performance of 3.7 seconds in first gear, quarter-mile times of 11.7 seconds at 125 mph and a top speed of 198 mph (as recorded on Germany’s Autobahn). It also provides maximum lateral acceleration of 1.04 g and 60-0 braking in 111.3 feet; it also circuited Germany ’s famed N ü rburgring in a time of 7:43 .

What War?

Is the War on Terror Over?
By Victor Davis Hanson
Do we still need to fight a war on terror?

The answer seems to be no for an increasing number in the West who are weary over Afghanistan and Iraq or complacent from the absence of a major attack on the scale of 9/11.

The British Foreign Office has scrapped the phrase "war on terror" as inexact, inflammatory and counterproductive. U.S. Central Command has just dropped the term "long war" to describe the fight against radical Islam.

An influential book making the rounds - "Overblown: How Politicians and the Terrorism Industry Inflate National Security Threats, and Why We Believe Them" - argues that the threat from al-Qaida is vastly exaggerated.

Zbigniew Brzezinski, Jimmy Carter's national security adviser, goes further, assuring us that we are terrorized mostly by the false idea of a war on terror - not the jihadists themselves.
Even onetime neo-conservative Francis Fukuyama, who in 1998 called for the preemptive removal of Saddam Hussein, believes "war" is the "wrong metaphor" for our struggle against the terrorists.

Others point out that motley Islamic terrorists lack the resources of the Nazi Wehrmacht or the Soviet Union.

This thinking may seem understandable given the ineffectiveness of al-Qaida to kill many Americans after 9/11. Or it may also reflect hopes that if we only leave Iraq, radical Islam will wither away. But it is dead wrong for a number of reasons.

First, Islamic terrorists plotting attacks are arrested periodically in both Europe and the United States. Just last week a leaked British report detailed al-Qaida's plans for future "large-scale" operations. We shouldn't be blamed for being alarmist when our alarmism has resulted in our safety at home for the past five years.

Second, have we forgotten that Nazi Germany was never able to kill 3,000 Americans on our homeland? Did Japan ever destroy 16 acres in Manhattan or hit the nerve center of the U.S. military? Even the Soviet Union couldn't inflict billions of dollars in damage to the U.S. economy in a single day.

Third, in some ways stateless terrorists can be more dangerous than past conventional threats. Autocrats in some Middle East countries allow indirect financial and psychological support for al-Qaida terrorists without leaving footprints of their intent. They must assume that a single terrorist strike could kill thousands of Americans without our ability to strike back at their capitals. This inability to tie a state to its support for terrorism is our greatest obstacle in this war - and our enemies' greatest advantage.

Read the rest:

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/04/is_the_war_on_terror_over.html

Allied Airpower 25/04

click to enlarge





AIRPOWER SUMMARY FOR APRIL 24
Release Date:
4/25/2007


SOUTHWEST ASIA — Coalition airpower supported Coalition ground forces in Iraq and the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan in the following operations April 24, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here.

In Afghanistan, a U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer provided overwatch for a Coalition convoy near Qarah Bagh. No attacks were reported after the B-1B’s arrival.

U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornets provided a show of force for a Coalition forces position near Saraw. A Joint Terminal Attack Controller confirmed it was successful and no further attacks were reported. The aircrews also provided overwatch for a Coalition patrol in the same area.

French Air Force M-2000 Mirages provided a show of force for a Coalition forces position near Asadabad. No attacks were reported after the M-2000 arrival.


In total, 41 close air support missions were flown in support of the International Security Assistance Force and Afghan security forces, reconstruction activities and route patrols.

Nine, U.S. Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance aircraft flew missions in support of operations in Afghanistan. Additionally, four U.S. Navy and Royal Air Force aircraft performed tactical reconnaissance.


In Iraq, U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons searched for mortar positions and improvised explosive device activity near Baghdad. The pilots were then assigned to look for anti-Iraqi militia hiding nearby. They reported the coordinates of three hot spots.

Other F-16s performed armed overwatch for Coalition forces who received small arms fire near Salman Pak. The pilots reported three individuals hiding along a fence near a mosque.


U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt IIs provided a show of force, releasing multiple flares, for a Coalition forces’ raid near Baqubah. A JTAC reported the show of force was successful. The pilots also provided reconnaissance in the area and reported suspicious activity to a JTAC.

U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornets provided a show of force, releasing multiple flares, for Coalition forces receiving small arms fire near Yusufiyah. A Joint Terminal Attack Controller confirmed it was successful and no further attacks were reported.

Royal Air Force GR-4 Tornados provided overwatch to look for snipers for a Explosive Ordinance Disposal team near Yusufiyah. The aircrews then were assigned to look for a truck involved in an engagement with Coalition forces. The aircrew found a truck matching the description of the truck in the attack, at a building nearby. Individuals were reported to be unloading objects from the truck.

Other GR-4s provided shows of force for Coalition forces near a crowd of approximately 250 people near Baghdad. A JTAC confirmed it dispersed the crowd and no attacks were reported.
In total, Coalition aircraft flew 55 close air support missions for Operation Iraqi Freedom. These missions supported Coalition ground forces, protected key infrastructure, watched over reconstruction activities and helped to deter and disrupt terrorist activities.

Fifteen U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy and Royal Australian Air Force ISR aircraft flew missions in support of operations in Iraq. Additionally, three U.S. Air Force and Royal Air Force fighter aircraft performed tactical reconnaissance.

U.S. Air Force C-130s and C-17s provided intra-theater heavy airlift support, helping to sustain operations throughout Afghanistan, Iraq and the Horn of Africa. More than 125 airlift sorties were flown; nearly 410 tons of cargo were delivered, and approximately 2,200 passengers were transported.


Coalition C-130 crews from Australia, Canada, Iraq, Japan and South Korea flew in support of OIF or OEF.

On April 22, U.S. Air Force, French Air Force and Royal Air Force aerial refueling crews flew 50 sorties and off-loaded more than 3 million pounds of fuel.

Radical Jr

Gun Control Advocates: Take away the guns, no more murders

Earth Day Advocates: Take away the factories and cars, no more Co2, no more climate change

Peace Advocates: Take away the bombs and the military and no more wars

Islam Advocates: Take away the churches and the synagogues and no more hate

Terrorist Advocates: All of the above

…….. LGF

SSAA & NRA- Gun Control Stats & links

The following is the NRAWinningTeam.com synopsis of an interview conducted by NRA-Live's Ginny Simone with Keith Tidswell of Australia's Sporting Shooters Association. The entire RealAudio® interview is available as "Australia Gun Ban Results" in the "Archive News" section of NRA's new. fully Multi-Media-based web site...http://www.nralive.com/

One year after gun-owners were forced to surrender 640,381 personal firearms, including semi-automatic .22 rifles and shotguns, to be destroyed in a government program costing over 500 million dollars, the results are in...

The Aussies' Two Cents

Since they banned gun ownership, Australia doesn't have the problems the United States has. Ohhh Nooo.

DATELINE:SYDNEY, April 17, 2007 (AFP) - Prime Minister John Howard said Tuesday that strict gun controls introduced after one of the world's worst massacres by a lone gunman helped Australia avoid a US-style "gun culture".

Howard, who ordered the controls after gunman Martin Bryant killed 35 people in a rampage through Port Arthur in Tasmania in 1996, was reacting to Monday's shooting spree at the US Virginia Tech University which left 33 people dead.

"We had a terrible incident at Port Arthur. But it is the case that 11 years ago we took action to limit the availability of guns and we showed a national resolve that the gun culture that is such a negative in the United States would never become a negative in our country," he said.

Howard told reporters, however, that "you can never guarantee these things won't happen again in our country."

Wellll, let's see how successful

Australia's experiment in gun control has been. Just 12 months after Howard ordered gun controls:

Australia-wide, homicides were up 3.2%.

Australia-wide, assaults were up 8.6%.

Australia-wide, armed-robberies were up 44%.

In the state of Victoria, homicides-with-firearms were up 300%!

The steady decrease in homicides-with-firearms that occurred during the previous 25 years became an increase in the following 12 months.

The steady decrease in armed-robbery-with-firearms that occurred during the previous 25 years became an increase in the following 12 months.

There has been a dramatic increase in break-ins and assaults-of-the-elderly.

At the time of the ban, the Prime Minister said "self-defense is not a reason for owning a firearm".

From 1910 to present, homicides in Australia have averaged about 1.8-per-100,000 or lower, a safe society by any standard.

The ban has destroyed Australia's standings in some international sport shooting competitions.

The membership of the Australian Sports Shooting Association has increased by 200% in response to the ban and in an attempt to organize against further controls, which are expected.

I have updated stats that are even worse, but they're at home. The lesson is that when guns are banned, crime ALWAYS goes up.

When honest citizens are allowed to arm themselves, crime ALWAYS goes down.

It's a fact liberals refuse to see.

Above article & comments From: http://importantstuffornot.blogspot.com/

Notice the steady decrease until the gun ban?

Notice the upswing from 1997 on?

"...there has been a decline in firearm-related deaths in 1997, mostly due to a decline in the rate of suicides and accidents... There is also preliminary evidence that in some cases, for example suicide and armed robbery, firearms may be being displaced by other methods or weapons..."
-- Summary from Report Main Page

Does this sound like effective Crime Control?

"...The best organization you've got there, the biggest organization you've got there is the NRA. We don't have an organization that size. We didn't have an organization that size, and as a consequence, we suffered. And we hope that you don't suffer..."
Keith Tidswell

Sporting Shooter's Association

Join Now! Links Below: from google

SSAA - Sporting Shooters' Association of Australia
As the National President of the Sporting Shooters’ Association of Australia and on behalf of our 120000 members, I would like to take this opportunity to ...www.ssaa.org.au/ - 17k - 25 Apr 2007 -

Contacts - www.ssaa.org.au/newssaa/contacts/SSAAcontacts.htm

Join Us - www.ssaa.org.au/newssaa/joinus/member.htm

Links - www.ssaa.org.au/newssaa/linkspage/Links.htm

More Stuff:

[PDF]
Gun Laws and Sudden Death: Did the Australian Firearms Legislation ...

File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat

After the 1996 mass killing of 35 people, Australia rapidly enacted gun controls ... The reforms did not affect rates of firearm homicide in Australia. ...

UK Stuff:

UK Stats :10/12/99

-BBC News reports: Crime is doing GREAT in the UK!

Freedom Fighter Babes of April

Opps, wrong photo!

Security = Success in Iraq

Bush - U.S. Security Tied to Success in Iraq.aspx
Posted: 25 Apr 2007 04:14 AM CDT
By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 24, 2007 – Although most Americans would like to see the conflict in Iraq end and U.S. troops come home, America must persevere in Iraq to ensure its own future security, President Bush said here today.

“No matter how frustrating the fight can be and no matter how much we wish the war was over, the security of our country depends directly on the outcome in Iraq,”

Bush said in a White House statement on the 2007 Iraq war supplemental spending bill.

Bush spoke against Congress’s proposed bill, which ties funding for the war with withdrawal deadlines for U.S. troops from Iraq. Setting withdrawal deadlines would let the enemy know exactly how long they have to wait before they can try to take over Iraq and use it as a base for future attacks, he said.

“A lesson of 9/11 is that allowing terrorists to find a sanctuary anywhere in the world can have deadly consequences on the streets of our own cities,” Bush said.

“Precipitous withdrawal from Iraq is not a plan to bring peace to the region or to make our people safer at home. Instead, it would embolden our enemies and confirm their belief that America is weak.”

Withdrawing from Iraq before the job is done would be an invitation to terrorists to attack America and its allies around the world, Bush said, and would increase the chance that American troops would have to return to Iraq one day and face a stronger enemy.

Bush said he listened when, in the November 2006 election, the American people voiced a desire for change in the strategy in Iraq. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, the new commander of Multinational Force Iraq, is carrying out a strategy that’s drastically different from the previous strategy, Bush said.

While the people voted for change in Iraq strategy, Bush added,

“the American people did not vote for failure.”

“The price of giving up (in Iraq) would be paid in American lives for years to come,” Bush said.

“It would be (an) unforgiveable mistake for leaders in Washington to allow politics and impatience to stand in the way of protecting the American people.”


G.W.Bush Rocks!

Pakistan accepts Sharia

Pakistani government accepts Lal Masjid demands

All issues settled: Shujaat," by Syed Irfan Raza for Dawn:

ISLAMABAD, April 24: The government has agreed to accept all demands put forward by the Lal Masjid management, including the enforcement of Sharia...

Full article: <http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/016189.php>

Royal Jihad Agenda

Saudi Royals Mask A Jihad Agenda

Youssef Ibrahim reports on the Saudi double game in the New York Sun ...

For half a century, the West has preferred to believe that its choice in Saudi Arabia is the moderate, friendly Saudi royal family or...

Full article: <http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/016168.php>

Hezbollywood

Hezbollywood Remix "Rocket Ride"

U.S. Army Engineers Complete Mission

Iraqi Villages Benefit from Army Engineers' Mission
By Lana Aziz

Gulf Region North,

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Iraq

ERBIL PROVINCE, Iraq, April 24, 2007 — More than 26,000 residents in 13 villages receive potable water now due to 13 water well projects recently completed as part of the Iraq Reconstruction Program.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) began the well project initiative last year and completed it last month. These 13 villages in Northern Iraq did not have flowing water.

Now, another source of water has been found and tapped in this area.

Each one of these 13 projects consisted of construction of deep water wells; supply of generators and submersible pumps; constructing a concrete and steel water tank; supplying and installing the water pipe line; construction of water taps; and expansion of the distribution system.

“Kurdistan is suffering from a shortage of clean water and lack of water sources and water pipe,” said Younis Talib, an Iraqi electrical engineer employed in the USACE Gulf Region North’s Erbil Resident Office. Talib was responsible for quality assurance and quality control on the project.

“This project is one of many that are essential to solve water problems in the Erbil Province; designed to stabilize the water source in 13 villages.”

The people in some of these villages did not have enough water, and some were depending on spring sources for water. Others relied on water delivery by trucks, or personally carrying water containers in their cars for many miles, according to Talib.

Nawzad Hadi, the governor of Erbil, said, “The water that U.S. Army Corps of Engineers [made possible] to Bnberzi Gchka has allowed many village people to move back to their village.

I am grateful for all other projects which are done and which are under construction by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that positively impacted the Kurdish people.”

Maj. Jennifer Munro, deputy area engineer in the Gulf Region North district Mosul Area office, added, “This is an exciting program that has provided water to 26,000 people. It revitalized communities that had stagnated when families were forced to leave their homes during Saddam's era. [Now] these villages are growing and thriving.”

Years of a neglected infrastructure, violence, and sabotage created a shortage of potable water in Iraq—a country of some 30 million citizens. But, since the time of sovereignty in 2004, the Iraq Reconstruction Program has effected improvements that bring 120 million gallons of treated water daily to an estimated 2.4 million Iraqi citizens.

Estimates show that, nationwide, some 8.4 million Iraqis will benefit from 300 million gallons of treated water daily when all of the original funded water projects are completed.

Photo: Children in Northern Iraq in the Erbil Province play with a water hose, thanks to local water well and pump station projects made possible through the Iraq Reconstruction Program, April 22, 2007. U.S. Army photo

Officials Visit African Nations, Discuss New Command With Leaders.aspx
Posted: 25 Apr 2007 04:05 AM CDT
WASHINGTON, April 24, 2007 – Defense Department officials recently met with leaders in six African countries and had “fruitful” discussions about U.S. Africa Command, the new unified combatant command the department is establishing, a senior department official told reporters at the Pentagon yesterday.

WWII Mechs

Awesome video & computer graphics in this short movie, very different.


World War II Mechs Duke It Out
If you've ever wondered what it would have been like if Germany and the USA had Mechs back in WW II, your wait is over. Crappy voice acting aside, this animated short film is actually pretty cool.

Challenger 2 Tank

Roadside bomb pierces Challenger tank in Iraq
A Challenger 2 tank - the army's heaviest weapon - has been penetrated by a roadside bomb in Iraq, leaving the driver with serious injuries, the Ministry of Defence confirmed yesterday. It is the first time a Challenger has been damaged by an improvised explosive device in this way.

The Soros Influence

George Soros and Media Matters exposed...

Bill O'Reilly (column link) has some serious guts to go after this story that no one else will... and he's doing his research. Awesome:

O'Reilly Attacks Soros

Left Exposed:

David Horowitz and the Discover the Networks.org

Spirit of Freedom

ANZAC- Australian and New Zealand Army Corps

ANZAC DAY 25th April - anniversary of the Anzac landing on Gallipoli in 1915.

The Spirit of ANZAC

The Spirit of ANZAC was suggested by official war historian C.E.W. Bean to have 'stood, and still stands, for reckless valour in a good cause, for enterprise, resourcefulness, fidelity, comradeship and endurance that will never own defeat.' The Spirit was epitomised in the deeds of Simpson with his donkey at Gallipoli - comradeship, courage and sacrifice: others before self. It also encompasses the laughter, the pride and the love of life that is in every Australian. To really understand this Spirit one must delve back into our country's past.

Australia is a huge land. In the early days, settlements were scarce and far apart yet pioneers built our society's foundations in these fragmented tiny communities. The sun and the open land, the independence and the freedom of living under these conditions was a flame in the blood of our pioneers, a flame that burns whenever men are free, wherever there is a spirit which is willing to help those in need. If there were rumours of trouble, immediately someone would saddle a horse and ride off to see if they could help. Though on a comparatively smaller scale, our New Zealand neighbours in this antipodean part of the British Empire also emerged with a very similar culture.

Conflicts were not unknown to this part of the world. The Eureka Stockade troubles of 1854 in Victoria, the shearers' strike of 1890 in Queensland and the subsequent eastern seaboard maritime strikes were but a few home grown examples. New Zealand's Maori wars in the early 1860s saw volunteers from the separate colonies of Australia assisting their Kiwi mates to establish independence in another developing country. Again in 1885 the colonies displayed passionate outrage and a willingness to avenge the brutal death of Britain's General Gordon at Khartoum, despite only a New South Wales contingent being accepted for service. And when the Boer War erupted in South Africa, volunteer units from the colonies competed for a place beside the Mother Country's warriors.

Thus, although the disparate colonies of our great land did not federate till 1901, Australians and New Zealanders had been united since the beginnings of their countries and this unity, this love of life had formed the basis of the Spirit of ANZAC. 'The Mother Country's in a spot of bother again,' was a typical observation when the Great War began in 1914. 'Might as well help her get this sorted out,' was the accustomed response to someone in need. For a century the antipodean survivors had been helping overcome Nature's curses and supporting each other's causes. Now they were equally ready again to assist Britain, this time to overcome German militarism. This was the Spirit which imbued the volunteers as they dashed off with seemingly gay abandon to the First World War and what was to become the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.

These bold, laughing soldiers were a new, unknown factor of a very old Empire. 'They seemed to be of one race, for all of them had something the same bearing, and something the same look of humorous, swift decision' described Poet Laureate John Masefield. But if the British thought they 'took a bit of getting used to', the enemy never got used to them. These 'colonials' fought as they lived - bravely, openly, independently, and without fear. They proved that their young countries could produce men equal to any in the world, perhaps the greatest fighting force this world has known - the ANZACs.

On 25 April 1915 a new world was born. A new side of man's character was revealed. The Spirit of ANZAC was kindled. It flared with a previously unknown, almost superhuman strength. There was a determination, a zest, a drive which swept up from the beaches on Gallipoli Peninsula as the ANZACs thrust forward with their torch of freedom. As they fell, they threw those following the torch so their quest would maintain its momentum. That Torch of Freedom has continually been thrown from falling hands, has kindled in the catchers' souls a zeal and desire for both our individual liberty and our countries' liberty. That desire has been handed down with the memory and burns as brightly as the flame which first kindled it.

But the Spirit of ANZAC is not confined to the battlefield. It lives in the schools, on the sports fields, in fact all over these great countries of Australia and New Zealand. The sun invades our bodies and makes us 'mad'; mad for freedom - freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom to live and think as you will. The Spirit of ANZAC is not something we can see but a powerful driving sensation that can only be felt. It is a feeling that burns in the heart of every Australian and New Zealand countryman. A warm, tender, fiery, even melancholy ideal that nurtures intense patriotism in the innermost soul of every body. Many foundation ANZACs died, but their glorious challenge to catch the thrown torch shouts loud and strong to all. Their goal was freedom for the land they loved.

The Spirit of ANZAC is invincible. It is the flame that burns forevermore in the heart of every true Australian and New Zealander. Today we stand safe and free, clothed with all the privileges and rights of citizens in these great free countries. And all these things - liberty, security, opportunity, the privileges of citizenship - we owe to those men who fought, endured, suffered, and died for us and for their country. Their deeds and their sacrifices gave us the invincible, the intangible, the Spirit of ANZAC.

Retired Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Burke is the honorary secretary of the ANZAC Day Commemoration Committee of Queensland. He was inspired to write this article after reading a collection of essays written in 1961 by the students of St Margaret’s Anglican Girls’ School, Ascot, Brisbane following their attendance at the school's annual ANZAC Day service which included an an address on 'ANZAC and its significance, emphasising the "spirit" of ANZAC.' The article is an amalgam of ideas from several essays and the author's own thoughts.

The Spirit of ANZAC

A Hero Returns Home

Ford Mustang Commercial

Mark Steyn

Steyn on "Gun Free" Zones

Steyn Pleads for Realism

I think we have a problem in our culture not with “realistic weapons” but with being realistic about reality. After all, we already “fear guns,” at least in the hands of NRA members. Otherwise, why would we ban them from so many areas of life?

Virginia Tech, remember, was a “gun-free zone,” formally and proudly designated as such by the college administration. Yet the killer kept his guns and ammo on the campus. It was a “gun-free zone” except for those belonging to the guy who wanted to kill everybody.

Had the Second Amendment not been in effect repealed by VT, someone might have been able to do as two students did five years ago at the Appalachian Law School: When a would-be mass murderer showed up, they rushed for their vehicles, grabbed their guns and pinned him down until the cops arrived.

But you can’t do that at Virginia Tech. Instead, the administration has created a “Gun-Free School Zone.” Or, to be more accurate, they’ve created a sign that says “Gun-Free School Zone.” And, like a loopy medieval sultan, they thought that simply declaring it to be so would make it so.

The “gun-free zone” turned out to be a fraud — not just because there were at least two guns on the campus last Monday, but in the more important sense that the college was promoting to its students a profoundly deluded view of the world.

Mark Steyn: America's College Men Are Spineless Wimps

Mark Steyn on the London Jihadists

Mark Steyn on zombies

Space Hi Def Wallpaper

Meet Guru Frank

He sees all and knows all. In fact, Frank has agreed to pop in every now and again to give us a thought provoking comment from the web...

.

"We are in a war for our civilization and to be PC now is our death sentence."

.

High Danger Level in Germany

Citing "terror" threat, U.S. boosts security in Germany
BERLIN (Reuters) - The U.S. embassy in Germany said on Friday it was boosting security at its facilities in response to what it described as an increased threat of terrorism there.

Neither U.S. nor German officials would provide specific details, but one diplomat said the steps were taken to guard against a particular threat and two newspapers reported that Iraqi militants were scouting U.S. facilities in Germany.

"U.S. diplomatic and consular facilities in Germany are increasing their security posture," the embassy said in a statement sent by email.

"We are taking these steps in response to a heightened threat situation. The U.S. embassy encourages Americans in Germany to increase their vigilance and take appropriate steps to bolster their own personal security."

An official at the embassy said the announcement was related to an increased threat of terrorism, citing recent warnings by Germany's BKA federal police.

This view was echoed by U.S. State Department spokesman Tom Casey, who said in Washington he was not aware of any specific, credible threat that led the embassy to issue its warning.

Germany's interior ministry said the tightening of security came amidst signs that U.S. facilities were at higher risk.

"German security officials share these concerns and have been working closely with the U.S. side to ensure appropriate measures are taken," it said in a statement.

Germany, which holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, has not recently suffered a major attack like Spain and Britain, but government and intelligence officials have urged vigilance in recent months.

DANGER LEVEL HIGH

This week a German newspaper quoted Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble as saying the threat of attacks by Islamist militants had increased in past months and become more specific.
Full article: <http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/016156.php>

More from JihadWatch-

Acting Speaker of Palestinian Legislative Council:

Kill Jews and Americans "to the very last one"

More calls for genocide, while the world yawns. "Acting Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council Sheik Ahmad Bahr from Hamas, Declared during a Friday Sermon at a Sudan Mosque that America and Israel Will Be Annihilated and Called upon Allah...

Full article: <http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/016147.php>

Global Trouble

The trouble with Islam
A few words about the world's fastest growing religion.


Kind Regards to http://newportcity.blogspot.com/

Allied Airpower

AIRPOWER SUMMARY FOR APRIL 19

Release Date: 4/21/2007
Release Number: 07-01-03P

Description: SOUTHWEST ASIA — Coalition airpower supported Coalition ground forces in Iraq and the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan in the following operations April 19, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here.

In Afghanistan, U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles performed a show of force near Saraw under the direction of a Joint Terminal Attack Controller. The F-15s were assigned to observe two individuals and conduct route reconnaissance in the vicinity.

Near Sangin, U.S. Air Force F-15Es flew reconnaissance along the ridgelines and valleys in an area where Coalition forces were operating. The F-15 pilots received an update that a Coalition foot patrol had encountered a mine. The foot patrol had taken cover in a building to avoid being attacked. The F-15s were directed to fly over the building in a show of presence to deter any attack. One F-15E also supported a convoy as it left the same area.

In total, 32 close air support missions were flown in support of the International Security Assistance Force and Afghan security forces, reconstruction activities and route patrols.

Eight U.S. Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance aircraft flew missions in support of operations in Afghanistan. Additionally, four U.S. Navy and Royal Air Force aircraft performed tactical reconnaissance.

In Iraq, U.S. F-16 Fighting Falcons performed a successful show of force for Coalition forces near Tikrit despite a sandstorm and poor visibility. The F-16s also performed counter-improvised explosive device missions in the same area.

In Kumayt, U.S. Air Force F-16s were requested to perform a show of force and provide overwatch for a convoy that was reportedly attacked by explosively formed projectile devices. The convoy reorganized after the attack and continued their mission.

The ground commander asked for aircraft to examine the area near a bridge along the convoy’s planned route. A U.S. Air Force C-130 crew, specially equipped with a Scathe View ISR system, reported that a group of approximately 40 people were gathering at the bridge, a natural chokepoint for the convoy. At the request of the ground commander, the F-16s performed a successful show of force and dispersed the crowd.

The F-16s were then assigned to observe an Iraqi Defense Force attack at coordinates provided by a JTAC. The F-16s observed two vehicles with approximately four passengers involved in activity around what appeared to be a hole in the road. The car’s passengers then got back in their vehicles and drove off. The F-16 crews tracked the vehicles and passed on information to the JTAC.

Near Taji, U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt IIs provided a show of force, dispensing 30 flares in support of a Coalition convoy that was struck by an IED. At the request of a JTAC, the A-10s provided overhead coverage of Coalition forces while a Coalition quick reaction team was en route.

Near Balad, U.S. Air Force F-16s searched for anti-Iraqi forces and IEDs. The F-16s were assigned by a JTAC to scan for suspected shooter locations in support of Coalition forces.

Other U.S. Air Force F-16s supported Coalition forces disarming an IED and receiving small arms fire near Balad. The F-16s provided reconnaissance of the location and observed Coalition forces raiding a house.

Near Baqubah, U.S. Air Force F-16s provided support for Coalition forces receiving small arms fire. The F-16 pilots reported a possible look-out individual on a roof top and observed someone walking to each corner of the roof. They also reported a possible IED along the Coalition forces route.

U.S. Air Force F-16s continued providing counter-IED and counter-insurgent overwatch near Baghdad. At the direction of a JTAC, the F-16s were assigned overwatch of Army vehicles in a convoy.

Royal Air Force Tornado GR-4s provided overwatch and route sweep for a Coalition convoy hit by an IED near Al Amarah.

The GR-4s performed a show of presence. A JTAC reported that the ground forces were reassured by the GR-4s’ presence in the area.

In total, Coalition aircraft flew 49 close air support missions for Operation Iraqi Freedom. These missions supported Coalition ground forces, protected key infrastructure, provided overwatch of reconstruction activities and helped to deter and disrupt terrorist activities.

Fourteen U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy ISR aircraft flew missions in support of operations in Iraq. Additionally, three U.S. Air Force and Royal Air Force fighter aircraft performed tactical reconnaissance.

U.S. Air Force C-130s and C-17s provided intra-theater heavy airlift support, helping to sustain operations throughout Afghanistan, Iraq and the Horn of Africa. More than 150 airlift sorties were flown; more than 275 tons of cargo were delivered, and approximately 2,775 passengers were transported.

Coalition C-130 crews from Australia, Canada and Iraq flew in support of OIF or OEF.

On April 18, U.S. Air Force, French Air Force and Royal Air Force aerial refueling crews flew 38 sorties and off-loaded more than 2.2 million pounds of fuel.

---

Fallon - Radical Islamic Leader’s Aims Remain a Puzzle.aspx
Posted: 19 Apr 2007 03:21 AM CDT
WASHINGTON, April 18, 2007 – The intentions of radical Islamic cleric Muqtada al-Sadr largely remain cloudy amid the shifting sands of power politics in the new Iraq, the commander of U.S. Central Command testified at a Congressional hearing today.

LIVE FREE OR DIE HARDER

Transfomers the Movie trailer

Iran warns the West

Iran warns West: Become Muslim or else

Again -- although this time his call is addressed to "oppressive world powers" in general, not just to Bush. This is in accord with Muhammad's instructions: Fight in the name of Allah and in the way of Allah. Fight against...

Full article: <http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/016121.php>

This is in accord with Muhammad's instructions:

Fight in the name of Allah and in the way of Allah. Fight against those who disbelieve in Allah....When you meet your enemies who are polytheists, invite them to three courses of action. If they respond to any one of these, you also accept it and withold yourself from doing them any harm. Invite them to (accept) Islam; if they respond to you, accept it from them and desist from fighting against them....If they refuse to accept Islam, demand from them the Jizya. If they agree to pay, accept it from them and hold off your hands. If they refuse to pay the tax, seek Allah's help and fight them.... -- Sahih Muslim 4294

Thor needs a cold shower

Thor 2007

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stoned-thor/sets/274424/show/

Fjordman: Jihad and the Collapse of the Swedish Model
Another great piece from the extraordinary European essayist Fjordman:

I decided to write this essay following the riots in Malmö this weekend. Malmö is Sweden's third largest city and by far the worst city in Scandinavia when it comes to Muslim aggression. I read recently that an Arab girl interviewed in Malmö said that she liked it so much there, it felt almost like an Arab city.

Native Swedes have been moving away from the city for years, turned into refugees in their own country by Jihad, not too different from the non-Muslims in some regions of the Philippines, southern Thailand or Kashmir in India, or for that matter, Christian Serbs in Kosovo.

Sweden was presented during the Cold War as a middle way between capitalism and Communism. When this model of a society collapses – and it will collapse, under the combined forces of Islamic Jihad, the European Union, Multiculturalism and ideological overstretch – it is thus not just the Swedish state that will collapse but the symbol of Sweden, the showcase of an entire ideological world view.

I wrote two years ago that if the trend isn't stopped, the Swedish nation will simply cease to exist in any meaningful way during the first half of this century. The country that gave us Bergman, ABBA and Volvo could become known as the Bosnia of northern Europe, and the "Swedish model" will be one of warning against ideological madness, not one of admiration. I still fear I was right in that assessment.

Jonathan Friedman, an American living outside Malmö, mentions that the so-called Integration Act of 1997 proclaimed that "Sweden is a Multicultural society." Notes to the Act also stated that "Since a large group of people have their origins in another country, the Swedish population lacks a common history. The relationship to Sweden and the support given to the fundamental values of society thus carry greater significance for integration than a common historical origin."

Native Swedes have thus been reduced to just another ethnic group in Sweden, with no more claim to the country than the Kurds or the Somalis who arrived there last Thursday. The political authorities of the country have erased their own people's history and culture.

Jens Orback, Minister for Democracy, Metropolitan Affairs, Integration and Gender Equality from the Social Democratic Party said during a debate in Swedish radio in 2004 that "We must be open and tolerant towards Islam and Muslims because when we become a minority, they will be so towards us."

This is a government that knows perfectly well that their people will become a minority in their own country, yet is doing nothing to stop this. On the contrary. Pierre Schori, Minister for immigration, during a parliamentary debate in 1997 said that: "Racism and xenophobia should be banned and chased [away]," and that one should not accept "excuses, such as that there were flaws in the immigration and refugee policies."

In other words: It should be viewed as a crime for the native population not to assist in wiping themselves out.

Continue reading "Fjordman: Jihad and the Collapse of the Swedish Model"

Lots of Dodo's in Oz

The grave danger of ‘gun-free zones’- .

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Classic essay "A Nation Of Cowards"

read it here - Link:

No Freedom Here

Female Saudi TV Newscaster Slams Islamists
Nasser also decribes how Saudi’s are “brainwashed” from an early age:

Walid wondered how I, as a newscaster, can describe Saudi society as being brainwashing. There is nothing to be surprising about, Dr. Walid. From the age of six or seven, from elementary school until high school, when we reach the age of 18, and even later, when we go to university - we memorize, memorize, and memorize. Whoever dares to argue or to question anything is called upon to ask for Allah’s forgiveness. He is told that this will get him into Hell. You, who frighten people with Hell, have brought them a hell upon earth.

You have banned books of the various intellectual streams. You’ve prevented the mind from operating, thinking, comparing, and choosing, even though it is the same mind that the Creator gave people in order to choose between Paradise and Hell. Our Lord honored Man by giving him the freedom to choose his path in this life, and the consequences are revealed in the world to come. Deeds are measured by the intent, and, as the Great Teacher taught us, good intentions steer our behavior.

Yes sir, we are being brainwashed on a daily basis…

Click Here To View the Clip From MEMRI TV

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