Odds and Ends

Happy July. Here's a few random comments on various stories..

FROM RUSSIA WITH NOTHING

Notice how enthralled the media is in this story above others? Here's the dumb headline of the day award [see update], and here's a Wall St. Journal article that points out strange and funny things about Metsos, the suspect nabbed in Cyprus (then amazingly given bail):

"After he failed to show up at the police station by 8:00 p.m., we sought him at his hotel to see if he was okay, and there we determined that he had fled," said a senior Cyprus police official speaking on condition of anonymity.

Surely this keystone cop was shocked, shocked that a spy would jump bail.

Mr. Metsos was one of those who fielded Mr. Murphy's complaints. In 2002, for example, the FBI says it recorded a testy exchange between the two suspects.

In 2002. So they've been tracking them since 2002 with no damage done but the FBI is going to make a scene over catching them with Obama in the middle of a reset? Or are the Russians right?

One of the Murphys' neighbors, who asked not to be named, also noticed "unusual" traits. "He clearly was Russian with a name of Murphy—I thought it was weird," said the neighbor, who lived near their home in Montclair, N.J., which records show the Murphys purchased in August 2008 for $481,000.

When news broke of their arrest, this person said, "I just wasn't that surprised."

It's easy to see how some Yakov Smirnoff guy using the name Murphy might stand out just a tad. Hey, when the know-nothing neighbors aren't even buying the cover story why would anyone think the FBI would? So just what the hell were these people doing here?


JAFAR THE PILOT

The name Adnan Shukrijumah has resurfaced in connection with Zazi the would-be WMD subway bomber. Not real surprising (here's a good source of info on him). Actually, the only surprise is the feds mentioning him in a news story at all. As stated a few years ago he's the most dangerous terrorist who's never done anything yet--at least that we know of--but he's always had potential according to KSM. But isn't this just playing the fear card? The man is probably harmless and certainly innocent until proven guilty, unless we blow him up with a hellfire first.


MORE TERRA

Shukrijumah has a photo on the Rewards for Justice terror list but so does this guy. According to Wiki he was appointed by bin Laden to operate for AQ out of Iran. I repeat, operate out of Iran. Please disregard those reports about bin Laden hiding in Iran. And while doing so, here's some previous thoughts about others on the list in case you're interested in some cocktail party fodder other than sexy red-headed spies or Poodles.


THE STATUE OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION?

Obama decided to attack Jan Brewer today with an immigration speech:

Being an American is not a matter of blood or birth, it's a matter of faith..

And he called America a "beacon of hope" where people come to live in peace, making America the engine of the global economy. Blasphemy! That's an unfair advantage over other nations who actually enforce their border laws. And repeat, we are not exceptional, we are a nation of laws! A nation where illegal alien Russian spies come to pursue their dreams. Captain Fantastic:

He argued the border was now more secure than at any time in the past 20 years and that reform in other areas was now needed.

And the economy is rocking, baby! Seriously, if he thinks the border is already secure, meaning there's no reason to include more security in any amnesty bill, then there's no reason for the GOP to play ball. Which in reality is probably the point of his speech since there's no way in hades a bill will be passed before November.


CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT--FOR BP

I'm no BP defender--they blew it, literally, in the Gulf and if that means bankruptcy in paying for the cleanup, such are the breaks. But this, this, is just too much:

"In order to put a bit of public pressure on them, we plan to buy 100 vuvuzelas and hire 100 vuvuzela players off Craigslist to play in front of BP's International Headquarters in London for an entire work day," Quirk wrote on the project's fundraising page on microfinance site Kickstarter. "Ideally, the players will keep coming back every day until they fix the gusher."

I believe the Geneva Conventions has already banned this treatment on captured terrorists so they'll be lucky not to get arrested for war crimes, unless the local limeys kill them first. Or maybe an out of control double decker bus.

UPDATE 7/1/10

Just checked the link to 'dumb headline' and noticed they've completely changed the story, including the dumb headline. I'd like to think Fore Left gets results but I know better.