...That the Saudis have finally

...That the Saudis have finally gotten with the program?

This seems to indicate, that yes, they have.

"We will not allow a corrupt group led by deviant thought
to violate the security and stability of this land," King Fahd, Saudi's
ailing ruler, told the opening of the Saudi consultative Shura Council
on Sunday in comments on official agency SPA. "The real Muslim has
nothing to do with these actions and has no sympathy for those who
carry them out," he added. Late on Saturday, Saudi Arabia's de facto
ruler Crown Prince Abdullah warned the militants: "We tell this deviant
group and others that if they do not return to the right path, they
will meet the same fate (as Muqrin) or worse." State television showed
the militants' corpses and blamed them for a wave of violence against
foreigners in the Gulf state, a key U.S. ally and the world's biggest
oil exporter.

Note that this was said on Saudi State Television, aka the Propaganda Channel, which, it was reported last week, ran reports that the Zionists were responsible for attacks on westerners.
So, there's hope, until you read this article.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - The al-Qaida group responsible for
beheading an American engineer said sympathizers in the Saudi security
forces provided police uniforms and cars used during the victim's
kidnapping, according to an Islamic extremist Web site Sunday. The
account of the abduction of Paul M. Johnson Jr., who was later
decapitated, highlighted the fears expressed by some diplomats and
Westerners in the kingdom that militants have infiltrated Saudi
security forces — a possibility Saudi officials have denied. The
article recounting the abduction appeared in Sawt al-Jihad, or Voice of
the Holy War, a semimonthly Internet periodical posted by al-Qaida in
the Arabian Peninsula — the group that claimed responsibility for
killing Johnson. According to the account, militants wearing police
uniforms and using police cars set up a fake checkpoint June 12 on
al-Khadma Road, leading to the airport, near Imam Mohammed bin Saud
University. "A number of the cooperators who are sincere to their
religion in the security apparatus donated those clothes and the police
cars. We ask God to reward them and that they use their energy to serve
Islam and the mujahedeen," the article read. When Johnson's car
approached the checkpoint, the militants stopped it, detained him,
anesthetized him and carried him to another car, the article said.
Earlier Saudi newspaper reports said Johnson was drugged during the
kidnapping.

Just because Al-Qaeda says it's true is no reason to believe it, but
it's hauntingly plausible to think that they've infiltrated the
security services. What's ironic here, is that the western companies
have the power here to make the House of Saud stand up and take notice.
If they evacuate all of their workers, the already shitty Saudi
infrastructure will collapse entirely. Western workers are the load
bearing wall that props up the Saudi economy. You pull that wall down
and the economy will come crashing down. But can the US afford to
let the House of Saud fall just yet? The answer, unfortunately, is no.
The oil will keep the companies and their workers there. Not to mention
the defense contractors.

But will Westerner business persons ultimately be driven
out?
Afshin Molavi, a fellow at the New America Foundation, said, "It's
almost unthinkable that the U.S. would withdraw entirely. I could see
many workers leaving the kingdom, but it's such a rich relationship for
so many defense contractors and oil companies that they'll do whatever
they can to stay in." He added, "I think what's important to remember
about Saudi Arabia is that they really are the oil price setters. They
are the central backbone of oil production, and they've usually used
this ability -- because they're the only ones with significant spare
capacity -- and they can raise the prices of oil if they cut back
production, or lower it if they increase production."
He added that the reason the world has seen high oil prices has been a
fear premium based on fears of instability, and because of an increase
in Chinese demand. Most OPEC producers are producing at or near
capacity. Only Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait have
surpluses.
"When you think of Saudi Arabia, you have to think of oil prices. They
have a quarter of the world's proven oil reserves. We could probably
survive $70- to $80-dollar barrels for a little while, but the poorest
countries wouldn't be able to survive," Molavi said. "Will defense
contractors lose money? Yeah. Will oil companies lose some money if
they leave Saudi Arabia? Yeah. But the real danger is the price on oil.
"I could see engineers leaving, I could see companies leaving. ... I
would think that unless it got much worse, some of these companies
would still try to keep a bare-bones staff. ... There are American
companies there even beyond the defense and oil. There are something
like 71 McDonalds, there's Starbucks. American cars sell very well in
Saudi Arabia. You have these trading relationships that I think will go
on unabated."

Ultimately we have a situation where western workers are being used as
tools to pry apart the House of Saud. But their companies can't protect
them more than they already have; they cannot say "enough is enough"
and pull them without risking a complete and utter downfall of a
corrupt government, which while it has its serious downsides, is still
better than an Islamic fundamentalist government like Iran's. Iran
doesn't play ball; Saudi Arabia does. And while I'm not a big fan of
Saudi Arabia, it's obvious they're not as bad as they could be. It
could be worse, to our point of view, and that's precisely what
Al-Qaeda wants us to know. We're stuck dancing with the guy who brung
us, even if he's going to get some of our number killed in the
meantime, because ditching him isn't an option. A rather clever plan,
don't you think, if you look at it objectively? It may sound
cold-hearted but it is
fairly clever. They're forcing the Saudis to act, and they have acted.
But it could be argued that by cracking down, they've only given more
power to the terrorists and further increased an ulready unstable
political system possessed of a highly disenfranchised and unhappy
populace. The answer to the situation would be for the Saudis to let
their people have what they want---democracy---which would effectively
disenfranchise the terrorists. But it would also disenfranchise the
House of Saud, and that's not something anyone in the ruling family
would like to happen anytime in the near future. What's my point with
all of this? Hell if I know. I'm frightened that more guest workers in
Saudi will be killed just like Paul Johnson was killed. I'm also
frightened that US companies like Lockheed Martin will eventually pull
the plug on their operations in Saudi Arabia and that country will be
thrown into chaos. Which is not something we can afford right now. And right now
is the optimal phrase there. Iraq's not steady enough on its feet to be
our best friend in the region. And make no mistake about it: Iraq was
liberated, in part, to give the Saudis a big warning. But, of course,
this situation, in the future, will have it's own particular brand of
9/11 hindsight attached to it, and it will be wondered why we did
business with these people for such a long period of time. Well,
there's no easy answer, unfortunately, and hindsight is always about
the easy answer. This situation is the proverbial space between the
rock and the hard place, and no one's getting out of this one
unbruised.

Posted by: Kathy at 09:10 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 1301 words, total size 8 kb.

German radar detects Allied invasion

German radar detects Allied invasion fleet. Admiral Krancke orders shore batteries to prepare for invasion.

Posted by: Kathy at 09:09 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 25 words, total size 1 kb.

Admiral Krancke

Admiral Krancke

Posted by: Kathy at 09:08 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 6 words, total size 1 kb.

Just wacky, I tell ya.

Just wacky, I tell ya.

Last month, an attack on contractors at the Saudi oil
facility in Yanbu killed six Westerners, two of them Americans. Senior
Saudi officials told the world al-Qaida terrorists were to blame and
al-Qaida claimed responsibility.
But tape obtained by NBC News reveals that, inside Saudi Arabia, on
Saudi television, Crown Prince Abdullah told a strikingly different
story about who was to blame. NBC News translated Abdullah's remarks
from Arabic: “Zionism is behind it. It has become clear now. It has
become clear to us. I don̢۪t say, I mean... It is not 100 percent, but
95 percent that the Zionist hands are behind what happened.”
{...}Prince Nayef, the Saudi Interior Minister said, “Al-Qaida is
backed by Israel and Zionism.”

Desperation. Reeking.

To say that Zionists,
you know, those crazy Jews who think they're entitled to Israel, are
behind the murder of westerners is a bit beyond the pale. I've said
before the Saudi TV is the biggest propaganda machine since Goebbels
did his thing for Hitler, but damn. This shoots even beyond that.
Does the House of Saud actually think it's citzenry is going to buy
that? Everyone knows it's Al-Qaeda. Al-Qaeda even claimed
responsibility for it. But no, it's the Grand Cabal bullshit all over
again. Rather than rein in the Islamic fundies, they're claiming it was
the Jews. I think not.
El House of Saud had better get control of this situation and soon. And
a part of that is looking honestly at the problem and creating
solutions based in reality, rather than la-la-land. They're hiding
under their dishdashas. A few more attacks like this, and the western
companies will pull their employees entirely. All of them. Then there
will be nobody to run the Kingdom, because we all know how postively
worker-bee-ish rich Saudis are. Then there's really going to be a problem.

Posted by: Kathy at 09:04 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 321 words, total size 2 kb.

Western Task Force Allied warships

Western Task Force Allied warships (US troops) arrive at assigned positions for the assault.

More glider troops land to reinforce Airborne troops, carrying jeeps and anti-tank guns.

Posted by: Kathy at 09:00 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 37 words, total size 1 kb.

Go read Rich and then

Go read Rich and then check out the Dallas Morning News' multimedia presentation about their story.

Will revisit in the future.

Posted by: Kathy at 08:53 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 31 words, total size 1 kb.

Fausta's got the big scoop

Fausta's got the big scoop on Blaque Jacques internal political problems and some interesting tidbits about the EU flag.

Fausta has a great handle on all things European and political. Go and read her!

Posted by: Kathy at 08:50 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 44 words, total size 1 kb.

Troops from the US 1st

Troops from the US 1st Infantry Division start to board landing craft. They are bound for Omaha Beach.

Posted by: Kathy at 08:45 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 28 words, total size 1 kb.

It's a Bloom County Night

It's a Bloom County Night (Click on the photo for the convenient jumbo size)

Posted by: Kathy at 08:44 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 24 words, total size 1 kb.

Soldiers Aboard Higgins Boat

Soldiers
Aboard Higgins Boat

Posted by: Kathy at 08:44 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 12 words, total size 1 kb.

Stone Cold Agrees: Knightly's a

Stone Cold Agrees: Knightly's a WUSS!

Posted by: Kathy at 08:28 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 16 words, total size 1 kb.

Well, not really. Robert fired

Well, not really. Robert fired his first salvo on Friday, but what with the instalanche and me feeling incredibly lazy this weekend I hadn't gotten around to replying.

Then I saw this.Robert's not feeling well.
He went and did manly things yesterday and wound up with a case of
heatstroke. Poor guy. So, I will hold off on talking trash to get a
rise out of an ill man. Methinks that's just not fair. It sounds like
something Lady Catherine DeBurgh would do and I just can't get behind
that sort of malevolence. (You know, because I don't think Steve's
going to assume the persona of Mr. Collins and boost his ego, either.)
But anyway...striking a man when he's down...well, that's just not
right. It's not sporting. So, the trash talk will ensue when Robert's
rehydrated.
For more information on the JANE AUSTEN CAGE MATCH go here and here.

Posted by: Kathy at 08:26 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 159 words, total size 1 kb.

So, here's a question for

So, here's a question for all you moonbats. What's so hard to understand about this?

Al Qaeda justified kidnapping Johnson, saying "the gunfire
of Apache helicopters was killing Muslims in Afghanistan and
Palestine." "The blood of Muslims is being spilled all over the globe
and by the will of God, the blood of this parasite will flow in the
rivers of blood of Crusaders that will run this blessed year," the
statement said. "Muslims in the East and the West, we took a vow upon
our selves to make you victorious and we will not fail. God has unleashed the mujahideen upon the Crusaders, and they love death as much as you (Westerners) love life," it added.

Straight from the horse's mouth. Not Bush's. Not Blair's. Al-Qaeda's.

Learn who your enemy is. It's not George W. Bush. It's not Tony Blair. It's the guys who would use the word sacrifice
to describe your murder to the world press. You're just a sheep to
them. A sheep worth slaughtering. No amount of moral equivocation will
get you around the fact that they want to kill you and understanding them isn't going to keep them from beheading you with a rusty knife.

Jesus. Are you really so stupid?

ARRRRRRGH!

Yes, yes. I know. I shouldn't even bother trying. They just won't see it. I had to try.

Posted by: Kathy at 08:24 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 235 words, total size 2 kb.

{Insert drumroll here}

{Insert drumroll here}

Posted by: Kathy at 08:22 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 9 words, total size 1 kb.

That is all.

That is all.

Posted by: Kathy at 08:19 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 9 words, total size 1 kb.

...is another man's bandoliered camoflauge.

...is another man's bandoliered camoflauge.

Colonial imperialism, after all, is just so nineteenth century.

Posted by: Kathy at 08:16 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 24 words, total size 1 kb.

Shudder. Am I the only

Shudder.

Am I the only one who would like Mark Burnett to be set aflame via one of those stupid Survivor torches?

I didn't think so.

Though, I do think I'm probably the only one who'd dump a can of gasoline on him first.

Posted by: Kathy at 08:15 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 54 words, total size 1 kb.

No words are needed.

No words are needed.

Posted by: Kathy at 08:05 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 12 words, total size 1 kb.

No, really. I'm serious. UNSCAM

No, really. I'm serious. UNSCAM made the Newshour with Jim Lehrer tonight.

Kofi Annan:

We had no mandate to stop oil smuggling. There was a
maritime task force that was supposed to do that. They were driving the
trucks through northern Iraq to Turkey. The U.S. and the British had
planes in the air. We were not there. Why is all this being dumped on
the U.N.?

Gee, Kofi, I don't know. Maybe because the Oil For Food Program was
your bright idea in the first place? Hmmmm. Could that have something
to do with it? I wonder...
Go read the whole thing.

Posted by: Kathy at 08:03 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 113 words, total size 1 kb.

First bombers take off from

First bombers take off from bases in England to attack targets around
the beachhead.

Posted by: Kathy at 08:00 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 24 words, total size 1 kb.