Letters to the Editor
Jim White
Published Letters: 1088 Editor's Choice: 15
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Another original
[Read the article: The Padilla verdict]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]ondelette,
Thanks for the link to the original documents for the Pakistan-Taliban story. Given the dates of the originals, it seems to me that the Guardian went a little far in emphasizing the support predated Musharraf.
Your link gave me my first look at the original of the NIE that came out last month. http://www.dni.gov/press_releases/20070717_release.pdf
I thought this statement was troubling:
"We assess that other, non-Muslim terrorist groups—often referred to as “single-issue” groups by the FBI—probably will conduct attacks over the next three years given their violent histories, but we assess this violence is likely to be on a small scale."
Somehow, I have trouble seeing where they draw the line between small and large scale. Oklahoma City involved two (or a few more?) men and a truck, killing 168 people and injuring hundreds more. Seems hardly small scale, especially compared to 9-11 with 19 men, four airplanes and 3000 dead. Pretty similar if you ask me.
It is the US response to each event that differs, and I think the NIE should analyze these responses, as well. McVeigh and Nichols were apprehended in police action and tried publicly. Little to no further attention is paid to any groups they may have been associated with.
The response to 9-11 has been to fall right into the plan devised by bin Laden and overextend the country in a war which only serves to weaken our military (even though bin Laden expected it to be Afghanistan rather than Iraq where we would be bogged down). Seems to me that the intelligence community should be analyzing the impacts of our response as carefully as analyzing the prospects of future attacks.
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bebop-o
[Read the article: The Padilla verdict]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]"What are we to eat?"
Tonight, I'm going to put some butt-rub on a Boston butt and put it on my Kamado grill to cook low and slow. Come by Saturday evening for some pulled pork the consistency of butter. Goes best with a bottle of Anchor Steam.
Got to defend my local homeland and get some gas for my generator in case Dean makes a right turn.
Be safe.
I got to Chertoff too, much work to do.
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Egad--Clergy Response Teams?
[Read the article: The Padilla verdict]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Michael,
Thank you for those links. This has to be one of the most chilling and disturbing stories I've seen in a long time. I decided to do a little more digging on the "spokesman" in the video. J. Durrel Tuberville is, as stated, Chaplain of the Shreveport Fire Department. He also appears to have a "consulting" firm providing "critical incident stress management" (http://www.lcisminc.com/index.htm, also sometimes called "Personal Solutions") along with more traditional family and substance counseling. He's a very busy guy, also serving on the fifteen person pastoral staff of Shreveport Community Church (http://www.scclife.org/index.php), where he is listed as Pastor of Counseling. Here's an excerpt from the church's website describing itself:
WHAT IS SPEAKING IN TONGUES?
On the day of Pentecost when the disciples were baptised with the Holy Spirit, they all began to speak in other tongues. The gift of tongues is available to all believers. Exercising this gift strengthens your spiritual life and allows your spirit to communicate with God in a supernatural language (1 Corinthians 14).
WHY DO YOU PRAISE IN TONGUES TOGETHER?
Some ask if this is not in direct opposition to Paul's instruction on orderly worship (1 Corinthians 14:27-33). Our answer is that Paul is not confronting the issue of speaking in tongues collectively, but is giving guidance to those who want to address the congregation in tongues. We can all praise God and pray in tongues together, but when addressing the congregation in tongues it must be with interpretation and one at a time.
[Sure glad they explained that one for me!]
This is a very frightening person involved in a number of very frightening activities. That he appears to be a part of or at least aware of a plan for martial law enforcement is beyond comprehension.
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Let's see
[Read the article: The Padilla verdict]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]We're standing up for:
- The rule of law
- Habeas corpus
- FISA with real warrants
- The Fourth Amendment
- An impartial Justice Department
- Bringing the troops home (except for the ones needed to chase OBL)
- Fair elections
- Political and career government hires based on competence, training and experience
- The Constitution
- A free and independent press
I could go on, but we ciphers aren't capable of sustaining thought for very long.
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The Iraqis are supposed to love us why?
[Read the article: "We have failed on every promise"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I found this passage especially illuminating:
At the same time, the most important front in the counterinsurgency, improving basic social and economic conditions, is the one on which we have failed most miserably. Two million Iraqis are in refugee camps in bordering countries. Close to two million more are internally displaced and now fill many urban slums. Cities lack regular electricity, telephone services and sanitation. “Lucky” Iraqis live in gated communities barricaded with concrete blast walls that provide them with a sense of communal claustrophobia rather than any sense of security we would consider normal.
I fear that these patriots will now face a very difficult future. They have spoken truth to forces that brook no dissent or "reality incursions". The press should maintain contact with these men, they could well disappear soon.