MONDAY,  DECEMBER 28,  2009

IS THIS THE END OF SOCIOLOGY? – AT 8:57 P.M. ET:  One of the standard lines of the left is that crime is caused by "the socio-economic circumstances of inner-city peoples," and assorted stuff like that.  Consider please:

NEW YORK (AP) -- New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly and Mayor Michael Bloomberg say 2009 is another record-setting year in crime reduction.

New figures released Monday show overall crime in the nation's largest city is down 11 percent from last year and 35 percent since 2001. Murders are down 11 percent. The only major crime that is rising is felony assault. It's up 2 percent.

The figures reflect a nationwide trend.

FBI crime figures for the first half of 2009 show crime falling across the country. Murder and manslaughter fell 10 percent for the first half of the year.

COMMENT:  Now, wait a minute.  We are in the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, and crime is falling?  Even in a city like New York?

Yeah.

And it happened during the Depression as well.

But, didn't we learn in sociology..?

Yeah. 

So what should we do?

Contact your college and try to get your money back.

December 28, 2009   Permalink 

BULLETIN – AT 7:40 P.M. ET:  From The Politico: 

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano reversed course Monday and admitted the U.S. air travel security system failed after a Nigerian man allegedly attempted to blow up a plane on Christmas Day.

Now we know, don't we?

And, gee, I'd thought everything worked so smoothly.

December 28, 2009   Permalink

PURE DECEPTION – AT 7:22 P.M. ET:  Al Qaeda, knowing it has the attention of the world, spoke out today on the reason behind the airliner bombing – what the trendy left likes to call the "root cause."  Al Qaeda noses are growing longer already:

Al-Qaeda claimed the failed December 25 bombing of a US-bound aircraft in a statement picked up by US monitors Monday as the jihadists threatened attacks on Western targets and Yemen vowed no let-up in its campaign against them.

Al-Qaeda's Arabian peninsula franchise acknowledged in the posting on the Internet that a "technical fault" had caused the failure of the plot against Friday's Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Detroit, SITE Intelligence said...

...He used explosives technology developed by the mujahedeen in Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula's (AQAP) "manufacturing department," it added.

And...

The posting also called on Muslim soldiers in Western armed forces to repent for their service and kill all "Crusaders" by every means available, SITE added. 

"Crusaders" is a code word for Christians.  Calling on Muslims in Western forces to kill "Crusaders" is a call to repeat the Major Hasan massacre at Fort Hood.

And the root cause:

...a statement posted on an Islamist website in the name of Al-Qaeda threatened revenge for this month's attacks, in which 68 suspected militants were killed in eight days. Tribal sources and witnesses said many of the dead were civilian bystanders.

That is nonsense.  Every indication we have points to the idea that the airline bombing had been planned for many weeks.  A Christmas-day attack is not a last-minute idea. 

Expect more "root cause" talk from Al Qaeda.  This is the way they use events to propagandize, and to attract the sympathy of the Western left. 

December 28, 2009   Permalink

OBAMA SPEAKS – OH, NO! – AT 7:02 P.M. ET:  Barack Hussein Obama Jr., president of the United States, including its territories and possessions, took time out from the important work of swinging a golf club today, to speak out on the airline terror bombing.  Get ready for nothing:

President Barack Obama said today "we will not rest" until the U.S. finds everyone responsible for a suspected terrorist's alleged attempt to blow up an airliner on Christmas Day.

You think?

"We will continue to use every element of our national power to disrupt, dismantle and defeat the violent extremists who threaten us," said the president, who interrupted his vacation in Hawaii to make his statement.

Violent extremists?  No.  As Charles Krauthammer said, a guy who kills an abortion doctor is a violent extremist.  These are jihadists, Muslim fanatics, but the president can't get those words out of his mouth.

"The American people should be assured that we are doing everything in our power to keep you and your family safe and secure during this busy holiday season," Obama said.

Just during the holiday season?  Do they get overtime for this?

He said Washington must "keep up the pressure on those who would attack our country," adding that the situation required much more than just efforts to "simply strengthen our defenses."

Simply?  Does he understand how complex that is?

"The American people should remain vigilant but also be confident," Obama said.

"Those plotting against us seek not only to undermine our security but also the open society and the values we cherish as Americans."

Translated into English:  We won't do anything to upset the civil liberties crowd.

As I said, get ready for nothing.

The defender of liberty then turned his attention to Iran.

He noted the U.S. joins the international community in "strongly condemning" the violent and "unjust repression" of Iranian citizens.

He said that the world had watched with "deep admiration" the courage and conviction of the Iranian people.

Oh, I'm so moved by that stirring statement.  A real Reagan, this one.

The Iranian government has to respect the rights of his own people, he said.

And a Lincoln, too.

"History will be on the side of those of who seek justice," Obama said, saying the U.S. will continue to bear witness to "extraordinary" events taking place in Iran.

Bear witness?  That is our policy?  You mean, watch it all on TV between trips to the gym?  What the president is saying is that we intend to do nothing. 

For those interested:

After his statement, the president resumed his vacation with a round of golf at Luana Hills Country Club.

The Obamas and a group of guests dined at Alan Wong's last night.

In a media pool report from Anne E. Kornblut, White House correspondent for the Washington Post, the Obamas settled down for dinner shortly after 8.

Among the items on their menu were butter-poached Kona lobster and ginger-crusted onaga.

We're all so impressed.  The man was a great candidate, but has a tin ear as president.

December 28, 2009   Permalink

OBAMA GAINS IN RASMUSSEN POLL – VIEW WITH CAUTION – AT 9:33 A.M. ET:  President Obama registers a rare bounce in the Rasmussen poll.  View the numbers with caution, however.  This poll was taken over a holiday weekend, which may not yield the most accurate results.  Also, the president might have gotten a brief bounce after the airline terror incident, a "rally round the chief" effect.  That is speculation.  We'll have to watch the polling as we exit out of the holiday spirit:

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Monday shows that 28% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Forty percent (40%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -12.

He was -21 just six days ago.

Overall, 47% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the President's performance. That’s the first time in more than two weeks the President’s overall approval has topped 46%. Fifty-two percent (52%) now disapprove of the President’s performance.

That's a six-point gap.  But it was 12 points six days ago.

COMMENT:  The wild swing, and the holiday disruption, makes us emphasize, once again, that these are tentative figures.  The president will not be coming back to a Washington that is happy or optimistic.  Severe challenges await him, especially internationally, but domestically as well. 

And if a terror attack is successful?  No one knows the impact that would have on a president who promised us peace in our time.

Bah, humbug!

December 28, 2009    Permalink 

IRANIAN UPRISING – AT 8:29 A.M. ET:  As we're watching airline terrorism, street terrorism is being committed by the mullahs of Iran against their own people.  Another day of demonstrations is underway, met by violence, as Fox News reports:

At least 15 people were killed during massive anti-government protests in Tehran when opposition supporters clashed with security forces in the streets, Iranian state television reported Monday.

Remember, you're getting this from state television, which means the mullah regime.

The report said 10 people killed during Sunday's fierce clashes in the Iranian capital were members of "anti-revolutionary terrorist" groups, apparently referring to opposition supporters.

The other five who died were killed by "terrorist groups" in a "suspicious act," the report said, without elaborating.

The five may be government security thugs.

Iranian security forces stormed a series of opposition offices on Monday, rounding up at least seven prominent anti-government activists in a new crackdown against the country's reformist movement, opposition Web sites and activists reported.

The bloodshed, some of the heaviest in months, drew an especially harsh condemnation from one opposition leader, who compared the government to the brutal regime that was ousted by the Islamic Revolution three decades ago.

The American response thus far has been restricted to a bland statement issued by a low-level spokesman for a division of the White House.  We're not talking Churchill here.

Foreign Minister Carl Bildt of Sweden, which holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, expressed concern about the "increased repression" in Iran.

Well, that's a relief.  Sweden has taken the side of democracy.  I don't recall seeing this before.  In Sweden they call it the hard line.

COMMENT:  This can easily grow into the story of 2010.  An overthrow of the mullah regime won't solve the nuclear issue, but it will go a long way toward reducing the threat.

December 28, 2009   Permalink

THE PLOT DEEPENS – AT 8:09 A.M. ET:  More detail is coming out on the airline bomber's actions before Christmas day.  From AP:

LAGOS, Nigeria — A Nigerian official says the man accused of trying to bring down a U.S. airliner bought his ticket with cash in Ghana eight days before the flight departed Nigeria.

Harold Demuren, the head of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, says Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab's ticket came from a KLM office in Accra, Ghana. Demuren said Monday that Abdulmutallab bought the $2,831 round-trip ticket from Lagos, Nigeria, to Detroit via Amsterdam on Dec. 16.

Demuren declined to comment about Abdulmutallab's travels in the days before he boarded his Dec. 24 flight from Lagos to Detroit via Amsterdam, saying FBI agents and Nigerian officials view the information as "sensitive." He says Abdulmutallab checked into his flight with only a small carryon bag.

COMMENT:  So, let's see:  This poor, oppressed man – an obvious victim of American imperialism, capitalism, and NBC programming – buys an expensive ticket, in cash, in a country not his own, then boards an airliner for a long trip...without any luggage. 

And no one noticed, or cared to notice.  Buying tickets in cash, and boarding without luggage, are two of the most prominent red flags in civil aviation. 

Unbelievable.

December 28, 2009   Permalink

OH DEAR, OH DEAR, THEY REALLY MUST TALK – AT 7:48 A.M. ET:  As the Brits say, there is a bit of bother over whether the airline perp acted alone.  From London's Daily Mail:

Home Secretary Alan Johnson today declared he did not believe the Christmas Day airline bomber was acting alone.

He must chat up our secretary of Homeland Security, Janet "Big Sis" Napolitano, who said exactly the opposite. 

British security services are now hunting for possible accomplices of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab as they probe his links in the UK.

Mr Johnson said: 'We don't know yet whether it was a single-handed plot or (there were) other people behind it - I suspect it's the latter rather than the former.'

The minister also confirmed this morning that Abdulmutallab had been put on a UK watch list after he was refused a student visa following an application to study at a bogus college.

He suggested the U.S. authorities should have been warned about the British ban, which was issued last May, saying he 'doubted' there had been any 'hiccup' in procedures.

'If you are on our watch list then you do not come into this country. You can come through this country if you are in transit to another country but you cannot come into this country,' Mr Johnson said.

I like this guy's directness.  Bring him here.  Give him a job.

The revelation will increase incredulity that the 23-year-old, who was also on a U.S. watch list, was not stopped before he boarded the Amsterdam-Detroit flight on Christmas Day.

Ah yes, incredulity.  We're shocked, shocked, that something went wrong.  Like at Fort Hood.  Like at
9-11.  Like at...what's the next one to come?

December 28, 2009   Permalink

EXTRAORDINARY – AT 7:37 A.M. ET:  The Nigerian family of the airline terrorist has now issued a public statement, extraordinary for its forthrightness and moral dignity.  Some highlights:

Our family, like the rest of the world, were woken up in the early hours of Saturday, 26th December, 2009 to the news of an attempt to blow up a plane by a young Nigerian man, who was later identified as Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab. Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab is the son of Alhaji (Dr.) Umaru AbdulMutallab, the head of this Family.

Prior to this incident, his father, having become concerned about his disappearance and stoppage of communication while schooling abroad, reported the matter to the Nigerian security agencies about two months ago, and to some foreign security agencies about a month and a half ago, then sought their assistance to find and return him home.

This confirms reports that the family did notify authorities, including "foreign" (apparently meaning American) authorities of the son's behavior.

The disappearance and cessation of communication which got his mother and father concerned to report to the security agencies are completely out of character and a very recent development, as before then, from very early childhood, Farouk, to the best of parental monitoring, had never shown any attitude, conduct or association that would give concern. As soon as concern arose, very recently, his parents, reported it and sought help.

Note the phrase "any attitude, conduct or association that would give concern."  The gun is smoking.

The family will continue to fully cooperate with local and international security agencies towards the investigation of this matter, while we await results of the full investigation.

Fair enough.  Fine statement. 

December 28,  2009   Permalink

SUNDAY,  DECEMBER 27,  2009

BRIT WRITER SUMS IT UP - AT 7:22 P.M. ET:  AS I'VE SAID BEFORE, I LIKE THE DIRECTNESS OF BRITISH JOURNALISTS.  HERE, SEAN RAYMENT OF THE TELEGRAPH GIVES THE BEST SUMMING UP OF WHAT THE AIRLINE TERROR INCIDENT MEANS:

Tough questions need to be asked of not just the US security agencies – such as the CIA and the FBI – but also of Britain's MI6, MI5 and the Metropolitan Police's counter-terrorist unit.
How can a Muslim student, whose name appears on a US law enforcement database, be granted a visa to travel to America, allegedly acquire an explosive device from Yemen, a country awash with al-Qaeda terrorists, and avoid detection from the world's most sophisticated spy agencies?

Spot on.  And may the subject "political correctness" be included in the answer.

Attacking airlines is not exactly new territory for al-Qaeda. After 9/11, Richard Reid, a British Muslim convert, tried to blow up a transatlantic airliner by detonating explosives hidden in his shoes. More recently, Britain was the base for the so-called liquid bomb plot when a group of British Islamists plotted to destroy up to 10 US bound airliners in a series of attacks designed to kill thousands.

As 9/11 showed, for a relatively cheap outlay- the cost of the operation was estimated at round £300,000 – the impact of an airline attack can be global: the desired conclusion for every al-Qaeda mission.

Yet Abdulmutallab, a 23-year Nigerian, who US officials said studied mechanical engineering at University College in London, came frighteningly close to committing a terrorist atrocity undetected.

There are credible reports that the perp was either trained in Yemen or got help from Yemenis.

Any Yemen connection brings an international dimension to the plot and suggests that this "near miss" was a conspiracy and not the work of one man acting alone. Such a notion will prove hugely worrying for the US and Britain because it would suggest that al-Qaeda have managed to create another international, and as yet unknown, network capable of planning and mounting attacks.

That is very well stated, and better than the fluff we're getting from American media.

Reports suggest that Abdulmutallab was able to carry the powdery substance undetected by concealing it on the inside of his upper thigh, close to his groin – an area likely to avoid detection even by the most conscientious of security officials. It would appear that he was allowed to take a syringe containing a liquid on board the aircraft by apparently taking advantage of airlines' policy of allowing diabetics to inject themselves during flight. Changes of some sort to passenger travel would seem to be a certainty.

That's the clearest description of what's happened that I've read.

But what this incident demonstrates is that despite all the improvements in security since 9/11, determined terrorists can and will continue to mount terrorists attacks against western targets – and one day they will succeed.

COMMENT:  That is correct.  And yet, the history since 9-11 teaches us that, within a few weeks, the public will forget, and the Obama administration will not go out of its way to remind us.

December 27, 2009   Permalink

AIRLINE TERROR AND FOREIGN POLICY – AT 5:51 P.M. ET:  ANDY McCARTHY, WHO PROSECUTED MAJOR TERRORIST CASES IN NEW YORK, HAS A FEW COMMENTS ABOUT THE AIRLINE GUY AND HIS RELATION TO OBAMA'S "OUTREACH" TO THE WORLD.  FROM NRO:

I couldn't help but be struck by this ambiguous passage in the Washington Post's report this morning: "The incident marks the latest apparent attempt by terrorists to bring down a U.S. aircraft through the use of an improvised weapon, and set in motion urgent security measures that disrupted global air travel during the frenetic holiday weekend." No doubt the Post means that "the incident" has "set in motion urgent security measures," but it was just as clearly "an attempt by terrorists" — and a successful attempt, at that — to "set in motion urgent security measures." It sounds trite but it's worth repeating: The object of terrorism is to terrorize, and obviously the mission has been accomplished even if the plane was not brought down.

Correct.  And McCarthy notes that this incident took place despite all the well-publicized attempts by the Obamans to change American foreign policy and be kind to everyone:

I wonder what the media would be saying if George Bush were still president.

Hadn't Abdulmutallab heard that we are closing Gitmo? Hadn't he heard that we're phasing out military-commissions so we can show the world that we give even the worst mass-murderers civilian trials with all the rights of American citizens? Hadn't he heard that President Obama has banned torture (yes, yes, I know, actually Congress banned it 15 years ago — details, details ...)? Hadn't he heard that the president has called for "a new beginning" in America's relationship with the Muslim world? Hadn't he heard that this is our new, smarter strategy to safeguard the nation from man-caused disasters?

I suspect he's heard all those things.

Yes he has, and he isn't moved.  Is anyone surprised, except maybe the so-called "intellectual" elites, who thought it would be so easy?

December 27, 2009   Permalink

EMBARRASSMENT – AT 5:16 P.M. ET:  THERE IS BLOODSHED IN THE STREETS OF TEHRAN TODAY, AND THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION IS REACTING IN ITS USUAL CEREBRAL, NON-CONFRONTATIONAL MANNER.  HOW INSPIRING.  FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES:

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Iranian police opened fire into crowds of protesters in Tehran on Sunday, killing at least 10 people and setting off a day of chaotic street battles that seemed poised to deepen the country’s civil unrest, as demonstrators in cities across Iran flooded the streets and fiercely fought back against security forces, witnesses and opposition Web sites said.

The protests, on the holiday commemorating the death of Hussein, Shiite Islam’s holiest martyr, were the bloodiest and among the largest since the uprisings that followed Iran’s disputed presidential election last June, witnesses said. Hundreds of wounded people were reported wounded, and the Tehran police said they had made 300 arrests.

The Iranian authorities’ decision to fire into crowds on the sacred Ashura holiday stunned many Iranians, and some said the violence appeared to be galvanizing more traditional religious people who have not been part of the protests so far. The Shah’s forces never fired on protesters during Ashura, wary of violating the day’s sanctity.

And our reaction?  Was it delivered by the president?  No.  By the vice president?  No.  By the secretary of state?  No.  By the White House press secretary?  No.

Our reaction to the Iranian drama was delivered by the spokesman for the National Security Council:

The White House condemned what it called the “unjust suppression” of civilians by the Iranian government on Sunday. “Hope and history are on the side of those who peacefully seek their universal rights, and so is the United States,” said the National Security Council spokesman Mike Hammer.

TAKE THAT, MULLAHS!

I have no doubt that they're shaking in their boots in the mullah regime, now that they've been accused of "unjust suppression" (as opposed to "just" suppression) by the spokesman for a subdivision of the White House.  That's sort of like having a heart attack and being examined by the receptionist. 

The president should have spoken himself.  This is a critical moment in Iran.  Iran is at the center of our foreign policy.  The president is resting in Hawaii.  His new motto apparently is, "Vacations I can believe in."

December 27,  2009   Permalink

DEMS PULLING BACK – AT 11:46 A.M. ET.  FROM THE POLITICO:  THE ENDANGERED DEMOCRATS OF THE SENATE ARE SENDING AN SOS TO THE WHITE HOUSE – "DON'T CAP, DON'T TRADE, JUST SAVE US." 

Bruised by the health care debate and worried about what 2010 will bring, moderate Senate Democrats are urging the White House to give up now on any effort to pass a cap-and-trade bill next year.

“I am communicating that in every way I know how,” says Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), one of at least half a dozen Democrats who've told the White House or their own leaders that it's time to jettison the centerpiece of their party's plan to curb global warming.

The creation of an economy-wide market for greenhouse gas emissions is as the heart of the climate bill that cleared the House earlier this year. But with the health care fight still raging and the economy still hurting, moderate Democrats have little appetite for another sweeping initiative — especially another one likely to pass with little or no Republican support.

“We need to deal with the phenomena of global warming, but I think it’s very difficult in the kind of economic circumstances we have right now,” said Indiana Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh, who called passage of any economy-wide cap and trade “unlikely.”

COMMENT:  I wish they'd gotten this idea before passing that health "reform" monstrosity.  And I hope they notice that the "science" behind global warming is falling apart day by day, in part because it isn't real science. 

If we have any luck in November – the midterm elections are little more than 10 months away – we can reverse the impact of 2008 and get the country back to at least borderline sanity.

December 27, 2009   Permalink

QUOTE OF THE DAY – AT 11:13 A.M. ET:  FROM AP, VIA BREITBART:

White House officials began their Saturday at 4 a.m. in Hawaii—9 a.m. on the clock in Washington—to prepare with counterparts across the government a briefing for Obama. National Security Council chief of staff Denis McDonough in Hawaii, homeland security and counterterrorism adviser John Brennan and others in Washington spoke with Obama at 6:20 a.m. by secure telephone conference call at the first family's rented vacation home.

The call lasted less than 15 minutes. Obama left immediately afterward for a trip to the gym.

COMMENT:  You know, you'd think appearances would count for something.  On Saturday morning, less than a day after the airliner incident, we weren't sure whether other planes had been targeted.  You'd think the president would have wanted to be photographed at his desk, on the job, not going to the gym.

A little too casual – like a lot of other things in this administration.

December 27, 2009   Permalink   

OH, AND THERE'S MORE FROM OUR ALWAYS-ON-GUARD GOVERNMENT – AT 10:46 A.M. ET.  FROM THE WASHINGTON POST: 

Quote one:

WASHINGTON -- Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano says there is no indication that the man who attempted to destroy an airliner in Detroit on Christmas Day is part of a larger terrorist plot.

Quote two:

Federal officials have strongly suggested to lawmakers that the Nigerian man who attempted to blow up a Northwest Airlines flight has connections to the al Qaeda terrorist network in Yemen, according to a senior member of Congress in the House.

COMMENT:  I don't know how you reconcile those two quotes.  Napolitano is parsing words.  What she's saying is, even if the perp was part of Al Qaeda, this may have been an individual act.  Oh, right, I feel better already.  If they're sponsoring a guy to do this, what else are they doing?  Having connections to Al Qaeda in Yemen, or even in Beverly Hills, instantly makes someone part of a larger plot, in my view.

Hey, that's not bad:  Al Qaeda of Beverly Hills.  A bunch of fabulous guys with designer suicide belts.

Okay, okay.

December 27, 2009   Permalink

WHAT WILL THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION SAY NOW?  –  AT 10:19 A.M. ET.  FROM THE TIMES OF LONDON:

THE son of a prominent Nigerian banker, who allegedly attempted to blow up a transatlantic flight over America, was barred from returning to Britain earlier this year.

But that was not enough to keep him off an airliner headed for the United States.

Abdulmutallab studied engineering for three years at University College London. His father said yesterday that he had lost contact with his son after he left London in November last year.

He attempted to return to Britain for a six-month course in May this year but was refused by officials from the UK Border Agency.

“He was refused entry on grounds that he was applying to study at an educational establishment that we didn’t consider to be genuine,” a Whitehall official said.

So let's see.  Here's a guy whose own father reported him to the American Embassy in Nigeria – on grounds that he was becoming an extremist – and who was barred from Britain.

So far, American "authorities" are saying that there wasn't enough "specific" information on the chap to put him on a no-fly list, or even single him out for special attention.

Janet Napolitano, our fearless secretary of Homeland Security, said:

"You need information that is specific and credible if you're going to bar people from air travel," Napolitano said.

Huh?  The information we had seems awfully clear to me. 

Oh, Napolitano also had another gem:

DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano said that the thwarting of the attempt to blow up the Amsterdam-Detroit flight this week demonstrated that "the system worked."

Asked by CNN's Candy Crowley on "State of the Union" how that could be possible when the young Nigerian who sought to set off the bomb was able to smuggle explosive liquid onto the flight, Napolitano responded: "We're asking the same questions."

You cannot make stuff like that up.  That's what's protecting us. 

December 27,  2009   Permalink