Month: August 2005

Blair gets tough on terror

The rules of the game change in Britain[*1] .

In a significant shift away from the human rights policies championed by Labour since 1997, Mr Blair indicated that he was no longer prepared to allow Britain to be a haven for Muslim extremists whose presence in London has resulted in its being dubbed “Londonistan”.

The balance of rights vs. security is difficult in the best of times. One of the truly despicable things about terrorism is that it causes good people to choose security over liberty. This is why terrorists must be mercilessly hunted down and destroyed–not excused, coddled, compared to regular armed forces or political opponents, or otherwise allowed any space in civilized society. Any cause that the terrorists claim to champion is irreparably stained by association. The analogy of terrorism to cancer is apt. It must be quickly excised, lest its foul effects spread throughout all of society.

Russian Submarine Update

Rescuers look at using explosives to free Russian sub[*1] .

The vessel is caught up in an underwater antenna that’s part of an electronic coastal surveillance system, Interfax said, citing Admiral Viktor Fyodorov, commander of Russia’s Pacific Fleet. The antenna is attached to an anchor weighing 60 metric tons, which rescuers are preparing to blow up, Interfax said.

“A decision has been made to blow the anchors up,” Fyodorov said, according to Interfax. An operation taking one to four hours would then begin later today to lift the sub from a depth of about 625 feet (190 meters), said Interfax, citing Deputy Navy Chief of Staff Vladimir Pepelyayev.

Chrenkoff is outa here

Blogger Chrenkoff[*1] takes a new job which will curtail his most excellent blog.

A few days ago, I accepted a new job. Unfortunately, one of the conditions is that I will not be allowed to blog, or indeed write much on my own. As you can imagine, it has not been an easy decision. Oh, what the hell – it has been a damned difficult one. I have enjoyed blogging immensly, and I have enjoyed meeting all of you – virtually – over that time. I will, of course, write a bit more on this topic in due course, but in advance of that, a big thank you to all my readers and my fellow bloggers who have made the last eighteen months of my life so fantastic and so rewarding.

He’ll be around for a few weeks yet, but he’ll be missed.

Plame Game: Rovegate ends in TKO

Whizbang[*1] is all over the revelation that the publication Who’s Who in America listed Valerie Plame as Joe Wilson’s wife — beginning in 1999!

So, let’s briefly review the Plame Game – Rovegate edition:

1. It was public record that Plame was married to Wilson, as shown above.

2. Plame’s covert status ended in the mid-1990’s when she was outed by Aldrich Ames to the Russians. This according to Bill Gertz[*2] , and referenced in Footnote 7, page 8 of This legal filing[*3] of the Amicus brief filed by “36 major news organizations” in the detention case of Judith Miller.

3. Retaining Plame in a covert status beyond this time would be breathtakingly irresponsible of the CIA and the Administration currently in power at that time (now who could that have been?).

Still unanswered is who thought it was a good idea to have a covert CIA agent married to an active U.S. Ambassador. Hint: Once again, who was the President prior to G.W. Bush?

Even if Plame was “covert” at the time Rove didn’t give her name to reporters, she shouldn’t have been. Numerous reports indicate it was common knowledge in Washington that Plame worked in the CIA prior to Rove going on background to Time reporter Matthew Cooper.

Further efforts by partisans to acquire Rove’s scalp can therefore be dismissed without additional consideration. Game, set, match.

I still want to know who thinks it’s a good idea for a U.S. Ambassador to be married to a freakin’ CIA officer in the first place, for cryin’ out loud!

August 6, 2005

The Whip may for the next couple of days be a bit tardy and/or skimpy, as we’re entertaining company here at the Palatial Abode.

#10: NCAA bans “offensive” nicknames from post-season
#9: A’s 5, Royals 4
#8: The National. Football. League. begins pre-season play
#7: Blog Taxonomies
#6: Shuttle undocks from space station
#5: Lawyer accused of Internet soliciting of minor is charged again
#4: Job growth “unexpectedly strong”
#3: Blair gets tough on terror
#2: Operation Quick Strike
#1: Russian submarine update

Lawyer accused of Internet soliciting of minor is charged again

Jan Helder was charged in state court[*1] after being acquitted by a Federal judge for Internet enticement of a law enforcement officer posing as a minor.

Helder is expected to surrender to Platte County authorities. His bond was set at $7,500, with a stipulation that he have no access to the Internet. If convicted, the maximum sentence in Missouri is seven years.

Morning Whip, August 5, 2005

Now with links that work!

#10: Shuttle to come back on Monday
#9: Red Sox 8, Royals 5
#8: Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball schedule released
#7: Rehnquist hospitalized again
#6: Judge rules against pedophilia sting
#5: Russian submarine in trouble
#4: One blog created every second
#3: Syria, Iran get warnings from U.S.
#2: Kelo backlash: Missouri mulls eminent domain
#1: Iran smuggling roadside bombs into Iraq