NATHAN HALE, WHERE ARE YOU?

TEHRAN, Iran (CNN)— Iranian Arabic language network Al Alam on Friday aired new video showing one of 15 British detainees apologizing to Iranians for "entering your waters without permission."

The British government responded by criticizing the treatment of the sailors and marines, with Prime Minister Tony Blair saying Iran faces "increasing isolation" for refusing to release the service personnel. The video showed three UK personnel seated in front of a floral backdrop, with one of them later appearing on camera to read a confession to what Tehran claims was their illegal entry into Iranian territory a week ago.

"I deeply apologize for entering your waters," said the serviceman, identified as Nathan Thomas Summers of Hayle in Cornwall, southwest England. On the 23rd of March 2007 in Iranian waters we trespassed without permission," he said looking at someone or something off camera.

"I'd like to apologize for entering your waters without any permission. I know it happened back in 2004 and I know our government promised that it wouldn't happen again. Again I do apologize for entering your waters." Summers added: "Since we've been arrested in Iran our treatment has been very friendly, we have not been harmed at all. They've looked after us really well. Basically the food they've been serving us has been good and I'm grateful no harm has come to us."

Blair, speaking to reporters a couple of hours after the video was aired, said: "All this does is enhance people's sense of disgust. Captured personnel being paraded and manipulated in this way doesn't fool anyone. What the Iranians have to realize is that if they continue in this way they will face continuing isolation."

Blair called for "patience" in dealing with the crisis, adding: "They most important thing is to ensure people are returned safe."

Earlier Friday, Britain's Foreign Office responded to the video, telling CNN that "using our servicemen in this way for propaganda reasons is outrageous."

Meanwhile, EU foreign ministers on Friday demanded Iran release 15 Britons, though some warned against escalating the dispute and said their diplomatic ties with Tehran would not be immediately affected, The Associated Press reported. Friday's video was the second so-called confession by a British detainee to be aired by Al Alam this week.
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Let's clear the air here. It stinks. First of all, British naval command has vigorously rejected the Iranian accusation that these sailors, who were sitting ducks while practicing ceremonial procedures of embarking and disembarking from several types of floating devices, were anywhere near Iranian waters. Secondly, the captured personnel are active servicemen, and as such were well aware that their jobs involved risking their lives. When Blair calls for "patience" in dealing with the crisis, he is of course correct. Remember the massive rush to World War I? But the most important thing is not necessarily to ensure that these servicemen are returned safely.

In my opinion, in times of war, rather than mouth these scripted responses and allow themselves to be televised prostrate and humbled, these servicemen should tear a page out of the history books of their contemporary allies, the early American patriot, Nathan Hale, who legend has it, when facing the British gallows for his revolutionary ways, uttered simply, "I regret that I have but one life to give for my country." There have been attempts to discredit this bit of American lore as apocraphal, and perhaps it is, but in times of war, death in the service of one's nation is always a considered possibility.

Why not now? Why not stand up for what one believes instead of cowering before the evil regimes as they work their own propaganda machine to its maximum potential. We see global jihadists everywhere sacrificing their own lives to murder innocents. Why can't the West energize a few good men and women trained well enough to neutralize and even turn the psychological war tactic of vicious thugs wrecking havoc all over the region, Iran, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon jump immediately to mind, into a victory against this sworn enemy?

Why not now? The fact that this serviceman's name is "Nathan" from "Hayle" is purely coincidental to this plea for strength among our servicemen and women.

NO END IN SIGHT FOR THE APPEASERS

My position is public knowledge. We are sloppily but just as surely fighting World War III on the soil and in the minds of competing populations. These are the early years of a long devasting war few wish to declare, but the plotting, scheming, and petty manipulation of the opposition from each camp continues with every twist and turn stiffly cloaked in an exasperated "peace in our lifetime" rhetoric. That sounds nice, or shall we say, business as usual for states as we know them, but frankly this is a war of ideas that must be fought to preserve life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, not to maintain anything close to the status quo, but to recover the poise with which to embrace those ideals in its original shading.

Tony Blair shuffles his feet. Apologies and mea culpas are broadcast for all the world, especially the Muslim world, and are nothing more than false statements meant to appease the enemy for acts of aggression that once upon a time would have been interpreted as an act of war. As the UK sailor incident looms across the brow of all of us who know this type of provoation will not end until these totalitarian Islamic powers are dealt a swift and terrible blow, here is a reminder of what's at stake from one of early America's most vocal patriots, Patrick Henry:

There is no longer any room for hope. If we wish to be free—if we mean to preserve inviolate those inestimable privileges for which we have been so long contending—if we mean not basely to abandon the noble struggle in which we have been so long engaged, and which we have pledged ourselves never to abandon until the glorious object of our contest shall be obtained—we must fight! I repeat it, sir, we must fight!

An appeal to arms and to the God of hosts is all that is left us! They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength but irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on our backs and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot?

Sir, we are not weak if we make a proper use of those means which the God of nature hath placed in our power. The millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us.

Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave.

Besides, sir, we have no election. If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable—and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come.

It is in vain, sir, to extentuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace—but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!

THIS AIN'T NO HAIL MARY PASS

Score one for our side. Here's a welcomed press release:

The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a public interest law firm renowned for defending all faiths, today offered to defend for free any individual citizens sued by the Muslim plaintiffs in what has become known as “the case of the flying imams.” “The Flying Imams” lawsuit was announced on March 13 by Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. The suit was filed by a New York attorney, Mr. Omar T. Mohammedi, on behalf of six Muslim leaders who were taken off a US Airways flight under disputed circumstances in November, 2006.
The lawsuit targets the airline, Minnesota’s Metropolitan Airports Commission, (a government agency) and—significantly—several “John Does.” The complaint makes clear that at least some of these John Does are placeholders for ordinary citizens who are alleged to have reported their concerns about the conduct of the imams to the airlines.

In a stinging open letter to Mr. Awad, Becket Fund president Kevin J. Hasson denounced the targeting of private citizens as far outside the scope of legitimate civil rights test cases.

In its 12 year history the Becket Fund has represented clients from Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Muslim and other traditions. This is, however, the first time they’ve ever opposed someone’s claim of religious discrimination. The Becket Fund will also promptly seek leave to file a brief in the case urging the trial court to keep secret the identity of the John Does. Hasson said they were driven to such action by the outrageousness of the Flying Imams’ tactics. “We know religious liberty. Religious liberty is a client of ours,” Hasson says in the letter. “And this claim is not about religious liberty.”

BEWARE OF FAKE FRIENDSHIPS

In his essay "Islam: Setting the United States Up For the Fall" of 19 March 2007, Randy Taylor spares no quarter in divesting America of its present spirit of appeasement in its relations to Islam and those countries seeking to undermine the American nation, a spirit which will not only contribute to the fall of America if cautions of the few aren't heeded by the many, but will be its primary weakness in the face of the current threat. Thanks to ACT's Brigitte Gabriel for passing this along.

1990-1998: The population of the United States is largely unaware of Islam, Islamic terrorism or what is being planned against this great nation. We vaguely recall some Islamic persons trying to blow up the World Trade Centers but it is only a distant memory, a fluke, a failed attempt. We aren't even aware of the structure of terrorist masterminds behind the event. There was a bombing in Oklahoma City by some disgruntled ex-soldier but we were told he acted alone, so we accepted it at face value. We didn't look any deeper. We accepted what we were told. Most of us did anyway. We sought to ignore the ones trying to tell us otherwise.

Wise men like Steve Emerson are largely unheard by us, by choice. Steve is the equivalent of a modern day Paul Revere placing himself at great risk to warn us of the enemy coming. We choose not to listen. Ignore it and it will go away. As long as it doesn't affect the stock market, it doesn't count as a threat.

Most of us don't really know the name Osama bin Laden and we may have heard about an Islamic grass roots style group named al Qaeda at one time or another. But that is what the CIA and the FBI are for, to protect us from bad guys. So we don't give it much thought. The ground was set in our minds for underestimating this enemy.

2001-2003: On September 11, 2001 airplanes flown by Islamic terrorists crash into the World Trade Centers and the Pentagon resulting in huge death tolls of our fellow Americans. Another airliner crashes into a field in Pennsylvania killing everyone on board. In the following days our televisions are filled with images of nineteen men, Islamic men who did this terrible deed. We want revenge and we demand it. The focus shifts to the Taliban, the group named al Qaeda that we had ignored for years and the leader Osama bin Laden. Now we want to know about this guy, these animals that follow him. Our President speaks to us and makes it clear that we are going after these people and going after anyone who supports terrorism. He makes it clear that this isn't a quick fix and this could take twenty years or more. We as a national majority, still angry, agree. The War On Terror begins. We start in Afghanistan and later we move into Iraq and remove the terrorist dictator, the killer of many people, Saddam Hussein.

Islam starts the counter-campaign within the United States. Islam is determined to force their ways and means upon the American society. Islam starts lobbying the people, the government as a largely "misunderstood" religious minority. The Islamic organizations get to work along with many similar Islamic organizations branching out to spread the poison where ever they can to whoever will listen.

2006-2007: We as a country have forgotten or softened on everything above. We have grown weak in our resolve and prove this by having elected weak people into the government positions within our government. A large cross-section of the American people want us to leave Iraq immediately. Cindy Sheehan is the new Jane Fonda and develops a following of other like-minded weak pacifists. Islam is growing in strength within the government itself.

The people in Minnesota actually elected a Muslim into Congress. He has done nothing positive for the United States as a whole and when you look at his hometown, his election seat, there are Muslim related problems across the board. The cabbies at the airport are trying to force their religious issues on the passengers and the flight where the six imams were removed for creating a security threat all originate in his hometown. Coincidence some could claim? I doubt it.

Islamic organizations are carefully orchestrating lawsuits, marches, large propaganda campaigns all across the nation. Islamic schools and mosques are being built in record numbers across the nation with Saudi oil money being funneled into the US legally. Islam is on the march. The submission of the great country of the United States to Islam has begun just as planned. Just as we were warned by Osama bin Laden, Islam is using Americas own laws and freedoms to destroy us.

Islam is working both ends against the middle if you look closely. They are heavily recruiting in the ghettos and the prisons as well as recruiting at the top, the Senators and the Congress. They are working on the middle now. They have infiltrated the military. At every infiltration point there is a common factor. The rules have been changed to accommodate Islam specifically.

We were established as country based around God where a person had a right to worship God, their God as they choose to do so. That line has been crossed however and the Constitution violated in favor of Islam. Anytime one religion takes precedence or is granted privilege specifically as a religion then there has been a discrimination against all other religions. Such is the case here. This is dangerous ground. This in itself is endangering the Constitution and everything the Constitution stands for. This is endangering the rights of all other peoples in this country.

True Islam, in its purest form is a danger, a threat to all other religions, cultures and peoples. It is a threat to civilization itself. Islam is uncivilized in its doctrine. It is uncivilized in its justice system. It affords no rights and freedoms. It condemns all activities outside its teachings. It makes no allowances for other religious beliefs. It calls for the extermination of peoples that worship any other religions. Its brings death to where there is life.

And we are welcoming Islam? Let's look at that closely.

The primary reason that we are making this mistake is because we are uninformed about the true teachings of Islam. There is a fabricated gentle version floating around that is unlike the true teachings of Islam. It is a softened version, the liar's version. We choose it because it is the easy way out. It presents itself as sheep when in fact true Islam is nothing but wolves. It presents itself as a religion of peace, love and tolerance. If you look around the world at every trouble spot there is, where Islam is involved, there is not a trace of peace, not a trace of love of others and there is no tolerance whatsoever. Islam is about submission, nothing else. Submit to Islam or they will kill you. They killed over 3,000 of us on September 11, 2001 and we still don't get it.

There are those that claim that Islam was hijacked by some radicals. Here's a Newsflash to these ignorant people who claim this. It is way past that and since these peaceful people that you weak minded people keep referring to have no control over what is going on in their own religion and since the terrorists are obviously in charge of Islam, then Islam as whole is a danger to the western world and the people in it. Islam isn't being run by pacifists and peaceniks. It really never was and any chance that these "peaceful" Muslims could reel in their religion is long gone. They refuse to do so and this is mostly in part because Islam never was a peaceful religion. Sounded good, seemed like good water cooler talk but it is and always was a line of BS. Another example of "Political Correctness" run amuck.

But we go on with this fraudulent diatribe because we don't want to alienate our so called "allies". You know the ones that are funding the mosques, schools and Islamic organizations inside this great country. The allies that pay families of suicide bombers when family members blow themselves and others up in a suicide attack. These same allies sent money to the 9/11 hijackers to fund the operation against the United States. This is nothing short of these Islamic governments smiling in our faces and stabbing us in our backs.

The primary piece of irony that strikes me as asinine is our push in this country to arrest, prosecute and even forever blacklist pedophiles yet we are welcoming a religion established by a pedophile.

Mohammed, the Islamic prophet took a girl as a bride at age six so he could have sex with her at age nine. That will get you 10 years to life in the United States and we are welcoming a belief system established by this pedophile? We are not only welcoming it, we are making provisions within our society and government to accommodate it. What are we thinking?



Is it going to take another 9/11 attack or bigger to open our eyes? Do we not realize that what is going on is a struggle, a fight to the death between the forces of good and evil? Do we not realize that we, the United States and countries like ours are the only thing that stands between the good people of the world and Islam destroying mankind? Do we not understand that if we pull out of Iraq or Afghanistan that the terrorists will become emboldened and will not hesitate to strike us
here in America?

People, shut the door on Islam while there is time. Write letters to your Congress and your Senators. Support the ones that are trying to protect us. Abandon and condemn the ones that are opening us up to the enemy. Get on the blogs and speak your mind. Email anyone that will listen. Speak out against this evil called Islam. Don't let the few of us that do be the lone voices in the wilderness. We are speaking for you. Help us be heard.

Thank you.

Stay safe. Be vigilant.

SPEAKING EASY

All over this country one can hear all the whining from the so-called peaceniks from the Left and the multitude of Muslim "moderates" who express the notion that freedom of expression is somehow an inalienable and universal human right. Oh yes, there is that persnickety Article 19 in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but how does that play out for those chafing under the oligarchies of old school communism and islamo-fascism?

Advocating overthrow of a government, including the US government, is considered seditious, and is not considered "protected expression" in the so-called "marketplace" for "competing" ideas in ANY SANE (or insane, as the case may be) society. You wanna play war games, you step into a rowdy arena, big fella.

Now THAT's the nature of THAT beast...

CATCHING MY BREATH

Well, it's been a busy time in my so-called life these past few. Four weeks and counting of nothing short of pure conjuring—of wheedling the membership into deadlines, of cropping the phalanx of photos into something worth the pixel count, of materializing from sheer dust the hanging margins and well-hung text, and of course, of crunching, crunching, and did I say crunching the ancillary code on this spanking new website highlighting the 52 O Street Studios building where I am supposed to be painting like a freaking banshee, or at least like a Matt Sesow. Sad fact is I've done very little of that painting thing since arrived here last August from Wheeling only to duck out until January 4 due to a long-term health setback that's only now under control.

Meanwhile my beloved ride, only four thousand miles post-purchase (and 14k total), was diagnosed with a warped head cylinder, and the dealer repair shop had to break down the engine TWICE, before I had my '05 Liberty Renegade back. Rental Jeep for a week. Definitely not the same. Let me assure you.



The grapevine rumors that I may be leaving 52OSS not long after our Open Studios April 14-15 for greener pastures is not altogether false. No signed contract, but we have been approved. Upside? Better climate controlled. And six times the space for a nomimal increase in rent. Of course Hagerstown is not DC. There will probably never be a murder right out front like the one that happened here this past week.