The World Around You

Yasmin Elhady of Huntsville found out that being a rational human being is sometimes not valued by a segment of the American population. The people who have made threats against Ms. Elhady because of her question about the need to repair America’s image in the Muslim world are terrorists of a different sort.

America is great because we can have dialogue, not because we all believe whatever policy has been implemented by our government is correct. When anyone attempts to squelch that dialogue, they are squelching what made this country the envy of the world for many decades.

“The beautiful thing about America is that you and I disagree but we respect each other. You and I can share our thoughts with each other and not have to be hateful toward one another. That’s why we’re the greatest nation on Earth,” she said.

But some of that respect was missing from the online conversation Wednesday night and Thursday morning. She was personally threatened, insulted and maligned and her entire religion was blamed for the violence of a few.

“I know that’s not the America I love and defend all the time and speak about when I’m in the Middle East,” she said.

Huntsville woman’s YouTube debate question spurs threats, insults- al.com

I hope you have a secure bunker at your house…

Two days before the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, President Bush’s domestic security adviser dismissed Al Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden as “virtually impotent.”

Frances F. Townsend made her comments three days after a new video recording of bin Laden appeared, with the terrorist leader comparing the Iraq war to Vietnam and praising the actions of the 19 airline hijackers who caused the deaths of almost 3,000 people on Sept. 11, 2001.

We have yet to capture him, and HE’S the one whose impotent?

Bush adviser dismisses Al Qaeda leader - The Boston Globe

Unreal, and we treat a few hundred deaths in Louisiana as if its the end of the world… I hope the outpouring of support we received from around the world will be reciprocated to the people of Pakistan.

Via Poliblog, British police shot the wrong man last week. Tragedy built onto tragedy, no doubt. I hope the reasons behind the error are fully revealed so as not to repeat such a horrible error.

James Joyner directed me to a report that the UK will be introducing a complete ban on smoking in public places on Monday. I’ll be interested to see how this plays out. I actually prefer what we have done in Prattville and what Montgomery has done, by just eliminating the myth of a non-smoking section. Either you allow smoking or you don’t, but don’t pretend that there is some way for the rest of your non-smoking patrons to avoid inhaling the smoke.

We have yet to hear what the charges are in this case. Though the article seems to indicate it has something to do with a Swiss undercover operation that was being exposed by an Indymedia site. However, it does smack of intimidation.

In the US, the civil liberties group, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) said it was working with Indymedia over how to react to the seizures.

“The constitution does not permit the government unilaterally to cut off the speech of an independent media outlet, especially without providing a reason or even allowing Indymedia the information necessary to contest the seizure,” said EFF Staff Attorney Kurt Opsahl.

The BBC has a startling report on the rise of pirates last year.

The body that monitors piracy around the world has reported a sharp rise in the number of ships crew killed in the first half of 2004.

The International Maritime Bureau says 30 crew members were killed, twice as many as in the same period last year.

It is the highest number of piracy related killings for a decade, despite a global fall in the number of attacks.

Half of those killed were in Nigerian waters. Other hot spots were Vietnam, Bangladesh, and the Philippines.

“The increased ferocity and the number of attacks are linked to law and order problems ashore,” the British-based bureau said in a report released by its piracy watch centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

“The (Nigerian) authorities are under pressure and unable to respond adequately to attacks at sea.”

Leave it to our good friend Moammar to break up the good will being shared at the passing of our 40th President:

“I express my deep regret because Reagan died before facing justice for his ugly crime that he committed in 1986 against the Libyan children.” — Libya’s official JANA news agency, quoting Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. Gadhafi was referring to the 1986 air strikes Reagan ordered, in which the Libyan leader’s adopted daughter and 36 other people were killed. Reagan ordered the raid in response to a discotheque bombing in Berlin allegedly ordered by Gadhafi that killed two U.S. soldiers and a Turkish woman and injured 229 people.

President Aristide has to save face. It’s much better for him to say he was removed by force. I doubt we did it, but even if we did, it was a favor to him. He was about to be eliminated, so he should be thanking us for keeping him alive. I’m no fan of this administration and I certainly don’t say anything is beneath them, but I just don’t see the advantage of kidnapping Aristide.

EXTRA! EXTRA!

Book your vacations to beautiful Tripoli, Libya today. Now that the ban has been lifted you can experience all the excitement and allure of this magical city!