Soo Sorry

The SIS, that is...

Over the past fortnight Israeli intelligence agents have noticed something distinctly odd happening on the internet. One by one, Al-Qaeda’s affiliated websites have vanished until only a handful remain, write Uzi Mahnaimi and Alex Pell.

Someone has cut the line of communication between the spiritual leaders of international terrorism and their supporters. Since 9/11 the websites have been the main links to disseminate propaganda and information.

The Israelis detect the hand of British intelligence, determined to torpedo the websites after the London attacks of July 7.

One global jihad site terminated recently was an inflammatory Pakistani site, www.mojihedun.com, in which a section entitled How to Strike a European City gave full technical instructions. Tens of similar sites, some offering detailed information on how to build and use biological weapons, have also been shut down. However, Islamic sites believed to be “moderate”, remain.

Avoid Socialist Medicine

Turns out the Brit doctors’ union that just got a ruling that its members can kill incompetent patients also provides top-cover for their sexual molestation. Americans can take comfort that their less-than-perfect health care does not sanction murder and rape. Brits need to keep frail and/or sexually vulnerable people away from their NHS.

Note: NHS is the socialist Brit National Health Service, ellipses and emphasis are mine

Conspiracy of silence allowed NHS rape spree

IT WAS a secret that William Kerr was determined to cover up. Working as a National Health Service psychiatrist in Northern Ireland he had been accused of luring a teenage patient into his car, claiming that sex would help her mental condition.

It was a laxity within the NHS that was to continue from his appointment in 1965 until his retirement in 1988. A government inquiry has now concluded that during this time he raped or sexually molested at least 67 women.

Thirty-eight of his female patients made complaints to nurses and 11 GPs (Family Practitioners) but they were largely dismissed as fantasists or troublemakers. Only one GP, Dr John Wade, approached a senior figure. He turned to Michael Haslam, also a consultant psychiatrist at Clifton hospital and who, unknown to Wade, was (also) sexually assaulting his own patients.

It was not until 1996, when two patients complained to the General Medical Council, that action began to be taken against Haslam, who was by then medical director of South Durham NHS Trust.

But the Brit MSM, not the GMC outed the perverts.

Even then, according to the government inquiry, Haslam might never have been prosecuted if he had not sued The Sunday Times for libel after the newspaper revealed details of the allegations against him.

This distressing story shows the power the socialist NHS gives to doctors. An earlier example was Harold Shipman, Britain’s and probably the world’s most prolific serial killer. He used his position in the NHS to murder about 250 elderly women over the 25 year period to 1998.

And there are anecdotal horror stories. A senior nurse we met a while back was concerned that her daughter-in-law was going to an NHS hospital for a jaw operation that involved anesthesia. The nurse said it was normal practice for doctors in the operating theater to sexually abuse unconscious young women, so she was planning to fit her daughter-in-law with an improvised chastity belt.

It’s not news that socialism creates all the ills of a monopoly, but it’s easy to forget that, 14 years after Mrs Thatcher, a monopoly rules the lives and deaths of Brits. US health care can be pretty grim, but it doesn’t kill and abuse its customers.

The Calculus Of Despotism

Weak-minded public servants become despots because once appointed for life they can do whatever they want without retribution. Their strong-minded fellows stay true to their values.

Based on history, what’s the chance that Roberts will stay conservative when he’s installed on SCOTUS? Sadly, it’s only a bit better than evens. So Republicans need a Congressional super-majority to impose the long-suppressed will of the American people.

Consider these quotes from Ann Coulter:

“He’s a scholarly man; he has a good education; he has been recommended by legal authorities; he has a good record in lower courts.” — President Bush

“This decision had the advantage of being acceptable to conservatives, plus Democrats won’t be able to attack him. There is nothing to grab a hold of, to whack him on.” — An administration official

“Virtually every conservative who knows him trusts him and thinks he’s a competent guy.” —Newt Gingrich

“This guy is a complete S.O.B. of a conservative and you can’t prove it.” — P.J. O’Rourke

They’re talking about Souter, who was appointed by Bush senior and went on to become a classic despot.

I’ve run the trusty spreadsheet over the rest of the crew, using the cornerstone of Anglo-Saxon democracy – the right to hold property. Last month SCOTUS overturned this in Kelo v. New London, voting as follows:

Abridge property rights: Stevens, Kennedy, Souter, Ginsberg, Breyer
Protect property rights: O’Connor, Rehnquist, Scalia, Thomas

The color-coding shows if they were appointed by a Democrat or Republican President.

Of the 7 Republican-appointed members of SCOTUS, 3 (Stevens, Souter, Kennedy) have abandoned their core values. Which means Roberts is almost evens to end up voting the left’s agenda – against marriage, for pedophile rights, against the US military, etc..

Conclusions:
a) SCOTUS has grown too powerful and Congress must limit it.
b) Republicans must get super-majorities in both houses of Congress to do this.

Good News, Bad News, Good News

The good news is that Brits have done an excellent job in catching the July 21 suspects. As well as good police work, the telecoms industry pitched in to track the would-be killers, and the Brit public, Muslims included, provided a cornucopia of information.

The bad news is that Blair is an appeaser of terror and will release the suspects as soon as he can, while prosecuting the cops, MI5 and the SAS.

But then the final good news is that when Blair is gone, the Brits will get even.

The captives look to be the B Team – the guy caught in Rome was tracked across Europe by his cellphone calls. The 9-strong A Team which Hoffman freed had $500,000 of non-trackable satellite phones, so they’ll be harder to catch.

The bad news is Blair’s appeasement of the IRA in Northern Ireland. It’s a character defect since there’s no need for him to appease – the police and public response to Muslim terrorism and Army performance in Afghanistan and Iraq show that the Brits can easily extirpate the IRA. Yet Blair has now handed the Northern Irish Catholic community over to a Fear State. Here are some things he did this past week (my ellipsis and emphasis):

Freeing mass murderers

Sean Kelly, the Shankill bomber who killed nine innocent people in 1993 when he blew up a fishmongers, walked out of prison as the horse-trading leading up to the IRA statement began in earnest.

Letting fugitive murderers return

IRA murderers on the run are to be offered an amnesty that will allow them to return to Northern Ireland.

Withdrawing the Brit army

The Government yesterday reacted to the IRA’s promise to give up violence by closing a military base and dismantling an Army watchtower guarding one of Northern Ireland’s most notorious trouble spots.

The IRA, which has broken very agreement it has made, responded with a joke

“The leadership (of the IRA) has formally ordered an end to the armed campaign. This will take effect from 4pm this afternoon. All IRA units have been ordered to dump arms.”

Despite anger over the (IRA) murder of Robert McCartney this year and the (IRA) £26.5 million Northern Bank robbery last year, there was no specific mention of the IRA ending its involvement in robberies, punishment beatings, money laundering, smuggling and its refusal to recognise the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

The IRA promised to co-operate with the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning and to invite a Catholic priest and a Protestant minister to witness the dumping of its armoury.

Now that’s verification!

Based his IRA performance, I forecast that within 12 months Blair will have released all the London bombing suspects, paid them reparations, and started legal action against Brit police for excessive use of force etc.

But the final good news is that, long term, he is toast. And the London episode shows that Brit people and their institutions are perfectly capable of vigorous self-defense and vengeance. So IRA and Muslim killers should not stick around.

If You Bomb Us, Do We Not Bleed?

Shylock in the Merchant of Venice argues that Jews are human beings too. Pope Benedict XVI seems to have forgotten this.

If you prick us, do we not bleed?
if you tickle us, do we not laugh?
if you poison us, do we not die?
and if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?

However:

Pope Benedict failed to mention – during his Angelus prayer last Sunday – a suicide bombing in the town of Netanya. The Pope condemned recent terrorist strikes in Britain, Egypt, Iraq and Turkey, but not the attack that killed five Israelis on July 12.

The Pope’s handlers responded to Israeli complaints like politicians, not churchmen:

…the Pope could not be expected to condemn every Palestinian bombing because Israel’s retaliation for such attacks was ”not always compatible with the rules of international law”.

”The Holy See cannot take lessons or instructions from any other authority on the tone and content of its statements.”

This German Pope has committed to mending fences with the Israelis after the hostility shown them by his Polish predecessor.

He has made a lousy start.

The Real Heat Of Battle

On my morning run It was sunny, 95 degrees (35C), 50% humidity & windless and I really suffered in just one hour. But in Baghdad it’s almost 120 degrees (45C) & just as sunny. And our infantry are routinely putting in more than a 6 mile run. If ever you feel critical of them, think of that.

Our infantry in Iraq puts in hours of hard physical effort at 120 degrees, not in lightweight running kit, but dressed for combat and carrying 30 pounds of weapons & equipment. While sweating along, they have to operate complex and cranky equipment. And when they give battle, they must show perfect judgment, less some paunchy pol back home wrecks their lives and reputations for shooting too quickly, or too slowly, or at the wrong target, or for shooting at all. These soldiers are not all kids with the resilience of youth – some officers are closer my age, leading from the front.

Toynbee argues that civilizations grow from the skills their warriors develop fighting on frontiers, which suggests that after Iraq, the Anglosphere is due for another round of expansion.

Now I’m off to lie down under a ceiling fan…

Three Down

The Times reports that two more of the July 21 bombers have were captured today, leaving one at large, plus possibly an accomplice. Nice graphic.

Equestrian Pursuits

The moribund German economy is stirring.

Berlin readies giant brothel for 2006 World Cup

BERLIN, July 29 (Reuters) – A German company is looking to cash in on an expected boom in the sex trade during next year’s soccer World Cup with a 60-room brothel a walk away from Berlin’s Olympic Stadium, German media reported on Friday.

Named after the virgin huntress of Greek mythology, the “Artemis” complex is due to open for business in September with whirlpool, sauna, cinema, buffet restaurant and a staff of 100 prostitutes, mass circulation daily Bild reported.

“This is no flash rip-off joint where clients are taken for a ride,” a spokesman for the Artemis GmbH investment company behind the project, told the newspaper.

I should hope they don’t take clients for a ride – where would you keep the poor horses?

Triumph Of Socialized Medicine

Terri Schiavo was dehydrated to death after years of legal battles. It’s worse for disabled Brits – when their socialist health system decides them to be “not competent”, they are killed with the doctor’s weapon of choice, dehydration. (My ellipsis).

Dying man loses legal battle over right to be fed

Mr (Leslie Burke) (45) suffers from cerebellar ataxia, a progressively degenerative brain condition…(he) will need artificial nutrition and hydration (ANH) when he loses the ability to swallow…(he) is terminally ill and fears that doctors may allow him to die…

Last July, the High Court granted a challenge by (Mr. Burke), and declared that key sections of General Medical Council (Brit doctors’ trade union) guidance on withdrawal of life-prolonging treatment were unlawful. (It ruled) that the patient had the right to insist on ANH.

But yesterday three appeal judges allowed an appeal by the GMC against the ruling, setting aside six declarations by the trial judge. Permission to appeal was refused.

“A patient cannot demand that a doctor administer a treatment which the doctor considers is adverse to the patient’s clinical needs. “

Karl Max would be proud of this reasoning. Would these despots dare rule that “A customer cannot demand that a salesman sells them a car which the salesman considers is adverse to the customer’s driving needs”?

That said, we consider the scenario that we have just described is extremely unlikely to arise.

Would they accept “Heh, it will never happen!” as a reason not to cover an eventuality in a contract?

Perhaps sensing that killing disabled people is not popular, the judges tried to “clarify” their decision, in the process highlighting their cruelty. (My emphasis).

The judges added that, “where a competent patient indicates his or her wish to be kept alive by the provision of ANH, any doctor who deliberately brings that patient’s life to an end by discontinuing the supply of ANH will not merely be in breach of duty but guilty of murder”.

But they stressed that “in the last stage of life” ANH – far from prolonging life – may even hasten death.

This Get Out Of Jail clause must be based on evidence from a GMC Expert Witness that Food And Water Kills.

Here’s the judges’ (literally) killer clause:

“It is only in this situation that, assuming the patient remains competent, a patient’s expressed wish that ANH be continued might conflict with the doctor’s view that this is not clinically indicated.”

So, in the Brit socialist health system, if the medics judge you terminally ill and ITHO don’t “remain competent”, you’re toast. This includes Grandma and Grandpa, as well as younger disabled people.

More On Saving Innocents From Suicide Bombers

My logic of when a rational cop should kill a suspected suicide bomber has been extended by Giles to address the Dead Man’s Trigger (DMT). Suicide teams might adopt DMT after their members were intercepted and killed by cops before they could insert themselves into crowds.

If, for example, you think there’s a 50:50 chance of a DMT, the policeman needs to think there’s a 13.3% chance of someone being a bomber before shooting. That’s still very low.

And to get to a 50:50 chance of a DMT, we’d need more technically competent Jihadis than the detonator-challenged crew last week. Pressure release systems (like a hand grenade without the pin out) would be very difficult to sustain while running from police. Heart monitors (as used by runners) are liable to interference from power lines and also loss of electrical contact with the chest area during violent activity. Either would cause premature explosion.

Still, with or without DMT, our cops are left with an agonizing choice.

…do we regard the death of an innocent at police hands as being that much worse than a death at the hands of terrorists? I suspect the latter, perhaps because we regard the risk of a state run amok as greater than that of terrorism. If we regard police shootings of innocents as being twice as bad as terrorist-caused deaths, then we find that the policeman has to be 13.3% sure before shooting if there are no DMTs, and 23.5% if there are DMTs half the time.

23.5% is still a very low level.

The best solution I’ve found to this dilemma is the Taser. This fires two barbs trailing wires into the target which deliver a 50,000 volt shock.

The Taser is yellow to show it is not a gun. Officers are told to aim for the target’s back, and the device has a range of 21ft.

It was first used in Britain on August 3 last year when officers in London tried to stop a man carrying two handguns. He failed to stop after being hit in the stomach by a plastic bullet, but the Taser brought him down. He later made a full recovery.

The Taser has been drawn six times in Manchester since it was introduced in January. In one incident it took down a man with a gun holding a woman hostage.

It takes down the suspect about 85% of the time, is usually (but not always) non fatal.

Negatives are the limited range – within the kill zone of the nail bombs used by the IRA and current terrorists. And it may stop the victim’s heart, so if they have a DMT the cop may be killed as well. And of course the 50,000 volts might trigger home-made explosives.

So, here are my suggestions.

1. Shoot suspected suicide bombers with Tasers from maximum range.

2. Shoot from a crouching position to reduce shooter vulnerability to an explosion.

3. Shoot below the waist, where there is least probability of explosives and less bulky clothing.

After Tasing, an innocent has a very painful experience but still lives. Of course 15% of terrorists will not be taken down, but we’ve reduced the kill from 13 per bomber to 2 – maybe the Brits can live with this.