cnjournal

She’s at it again! CBC’s intrepid leftist, A-M Tremonte who never met an anti-US position or opinion she doesn’t like managed to provide an open platform to another “Iraq quagmire” exponent.

This time, it was airing the views of an independent reporter (his work has been carried in The Independent newspaper for example), named Dar from the USA West Coast. He uses an eight month tour in Iraq, to provide him with the credentials to make several outrageous and unchallenged accusations about US War policies and the so-called body count figures.

Let me explain, but first a digression.

To support his calamitous view of the Iraq war, he cites figures from the prestigious British medical journal, The Lancet.

Unfortunately, the credibility of this reporter crashed to zero, when he was unable to even properly pronounce the name of the journal: it is the Lancet, not, Lan-Cet. I’m sorry, if you cannot get the basics right, who cares what you say.

Worse by any measure is the use of the CBC national platform to spew figures from this publication that are, first, months old and second, thoroughly discredited. The Lancet used a figure of 98,000 as the civilian casualty estimate, a figure that was quickly debunked and statistically eviscerated by better reporters. I believe that the Lancet itself has pulled back in the face of the overwhelming challenge to its story.

See interesting articles on the above:

Lancet Civilian Death Report Kills the Truth by Michael Fumento

The Lancet: A Casualty of Politics by Tim Worstall

Civilian Deaths in Iraq by Tim Worstall

Frankly, no one even uses this number anymore, even to show how the bias of poor leftist reporters who attempt to undermine the war effort. As sad as this is, his direct accusation propped up by the 98,000 figure, is that the USA bombing strategy is to deliberately target the Iraqi civilian population. This obvious personal opinion went totally unchallenged!

Let me be clear, I am certainly open to hearing divergent views on the conduct and progress of the Iraq War. However, the rules of the game require a level of responsibility from both sides: the reporter must be able to substantiate his conclusions and the interviewer must act as the honest broker for the listener. Neither of these essential responsibilities was met.

This shoddy excuse for reporting reminds me of the endless drip of lies that the CBC and its sister in arms, the BBC use to describe the conduct of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Both describe the result not the reason for the inevitable civilian deaths in wartime.

It is a matter of fact that the Palestinian terrorists and gunmen deliberately hide in civilian homes or shoot from positions surrounded by the civilian population, often kids. A quick check of the internet will provide ample photographic evidence of this tactic. We saw this ploy as well in Iraq when the followers of Al Sadr hid in the holy mosque in Fallujah hoping the troops would not invade the supposed sanctity of this place. Guess what, the tactic worked.

Yet another example is the non-massacre at Jenin initially reported by breathless UN observers as involving the killing of many hundreds of civilians; it was widely described as a “massacre”.

Unfortunately for those who love the Palestinians and hate the Israelis, a short time later, the UN itself had to issue a complete retraction, correcting and admitting just how wrong the numbers and accusations in its reports were.

In this case I am waiting for the CBC and The Current, to accept responsibility and correct the false information and baseless opinions from Dar. CBC owes its listeners and the taxpayers no less.

cn

In a recent post in Little Green Footballs, information from the JP was provided on the Israeli preparedness plans to deal with both the Presidential rhetoric and the nuclear threat.

Be ready by the end of March was the message and, following as it was on the heels of the ElBaradei comment that Iran would be able to produce a nuclear weapon in a few months, well, the connections were made.

Various bloggers were worried/enraged/baffled as to why secret IDF information would be put out for all to see. Some great observers, cynics (and those mired in hating Sharon) pooh-poohed this as a mere election ploy. Right.

At the same time, in reply to a question at the end of a press conference as to how far he would go (to deal with Iran), the head of the IDF said, evidently with a wry smile, “Oh about two thousand miles”.

Since his election the new President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, an active participant in the well remembered US embassy hostage event in Teheran, has been at pains to recreate the leverage and power Iran then wielded, but now augmented with the nuclear option.

Visions of a humbled US giant still haunt me whenever the memory of the sand-downed helicopters in the desert comes up.

Unfortunately, my pain over this image is his delight.

The West’s inability to deal with Iran then cost J. Carter his job and worse, with few exceptions the political philosophy that gave legs to that disaster is alive in the LLL crowd, the Democratic National Party, the MSM and through the various moonbats who cry out for “an exit strategy” in Iraq.

I think the line is: “Forgive them Father for they know not what they do”.

What is Ahmadinejad up to you might ask? Why is he saying all these horrible things about Israel and the “Zionists” anyway?

Good question. First he is saying these things because he believes them. Second, he is certain he can get away with it. Third, the green light to say whatever is hateful against the Jews is definitely “ON”.

Another thing to keep in mind as we try and understand what is going on is the nature of Iran and its leadership. As the military says, know your enemy.

We would do well to remember that Iran is the nation that tied young boys and girls together and forced them to march over mine fields to prepare the way for adult combatants in the Iran-Iraq War. Remember, they believe that they love death and that we love life.

A few current examples will get the point across. The UN recently celebrated a

“Day of Solidarity” with the Palestinians – a sort of woe is us hand wringing. Wonderful!

Question: What is the date of the annual UN “Day of Solidarity” for Israel?

Unfortunately, the Solidarity photo op for K. Anan was posed in front of a 1948 map that did not even show Israel; not even the cease fire lines. Must have just been an accident. Sure, the same accident that has over the years produced 322 UN General Assembly resolutions against Israel and, wait for it …zero against any Arab state.

Another good example of the acceptance of the idea that any bashing of Israel and the Jews is ok comes from my own country, Canada .

Our Foreign Minister, just days before the election was called, wrote an op ed piece in which he praised himself and the government for the review they were doing on the series of hateful Arab sponsored annual anti-Israel votes in the General Assembly. He wants me to believe that this “principled review” of about 12 resolutions will make the normal Canadian position of voting with the Arabs seem a little bit less anti-Semitic.

The Liberal record of action to rethink our anti-Semitic votes is dismal: last year they changed one vote and are currently mulling over three others! Oh joy. And this after 12 interrupted years in power and in the face of what the most generous reading of these resolutions would conclude – they are unbalanced and profoundly biased against the State of Israel.

Finally, the sorry conclusion to 35 years of Magen David Adom’s (MDA) pleading for admission at the door of the 192 signatories to the Geneva Conventions - to be treated as are the Red Cross and the Red Crescent in international aid efforts, should make us all blush.

The MDA was allowed in, but not with the Star of David as its symbol, the equivalent to both the Cross and the Crescent. A wonderful second class status, which of course mirrors the less than full membership rights ‘enjoyed’ by Israel at the UN regarding committee memberships and the like. The irony of this is that Vichy France forced Jews to wear a yellow Star of David on their clothing. Progress?

So, Ahmadinejad sees all this (not even touching the huge rise of anti-Semitic acts in Europe in the past ten years or so) and rightly concludes that the coast is clear.

Well, not quite.

Here is part of my comment in LGF during the ruckus over the disclosure of the supposed secret Israeli military response planning. At the time I got into it, all sorts of wild comments were being posted – will Saudi Arabia allow fly-over rights? Will Jordan , will the IDF be able to get there and back? That sort of thing. So, here is what I wrote.

I wouldn't waste much time wondering if Israel will strike after Iran gets a nuclear weapon.

Equally, don't spend any time on whether they will act alone or with others.

Finally the notion that anyone would be fretting over whether SA, or Jordan or anybody would grant fly-over rights is right out of fantasy land.

All this is misdirection.

Go back to reading comic books - that is not how the real world works, or, at least not how this one will unfold. Trust me.

In the quickly disappearing gap between now and then, watch for various Iranian sponsors - Russia, France, Syria - the usual suspects (add others of your own choice) - to begin to wiggle a little bit.

At that moment things will move quickly around two basic options: internal resistance and overthrow of the Presidential lunatic and the government; or, external force.

From my perspective which is the legitimate right of Israel to exist in a peaceful context, it does not much matter which option is exercised

Remember, it is not by chance that the inflammatory Iranian statements are coming fast and furious. It is not by chance that Putin decided to back the "peaceful" nuclear development in Iran, including providing weapons grade plutonium. Reminds me of Chirac’s gift to his pal Saddam when he insisted on France giving fuel materiel that could be converted – the result was the late lamented (1981) Osirak facility.

It is not by chance that Putin is delivering "peaceful and defensive" missiles to Iran. It is not by chance that the Iranians agree to talk with the European Group but continue the enrichment to weapons grade program –it buys more time

Excuse me, how much of a 'road map' do we need.

Best I know, Sharon and the IDF are great map readers.

cn 

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Here is the text of a letter sent today to the PM to express my total disgust with the position of our UN Human Rights champ at the UN, Louise Arbour.

I hope many of you have already seen the insane statement by Mme Arbour in which she admonishes the Danish newspaper for running the cartoons with 'images' of the Prophet Muhammad - depictions of the big M are of course verbotten in the Islamist world.

Course, Islamists everywhere are free to spew whatever vile hatred they wish against Jews in particular and infidels in general. However, not a peep do we hear from Arbour over for example, the recent rantings of the President of Iran.

Here is the letter.


Dear Mr. Martin.

As a life long Liberal (through my Dad who worked for Cockfield Brown, then the major advertising agency in Canada and helped Mr. Pearson in the 60's campaigns) and a proud Canadian from Montreal, I am compelled to write to you today to express my disgust with the position of Louise Arbour at the UN in support of chastising the Danes for some political cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.

As you are in the midst of an election campaign, you are, I am sure, not aware of this latest insanity from the UN. In brief, a Danish newspaper recently asked for artists to submit political cartoons using the 'image' of the Prophet. You may be aware that this is a "no no' in Islam. As an aside, it is of course all right for Islamists to spew all sorts of vile threats and anti-Semitic remarks every day of the week. Witness the latest from the President of Iran: for these we hear not a word from Mme Arbour.

Unbelievably, she has decided to call the newspaper to account, as the cartoons may lead Muslins to feel badly!

In the context of todays international situation - and I mean the War on Terror and the fundamental clash with the radical Islamist elements that have hijacked traditional Islam - this position brings disgrace upon the UN and upon Canada.

I call upon you to immediately distance yourself and the government from this reprehensible position and to begin the process of recalling her from the UN Human Rights post.

She is a disgrace to all Canadians



Sincerely


Colin Nelson

Tuesday’s crash of a C-130 Hercules in Teheran was horrible enough. But my jaw dropped yet again when the blatant Anti-American agenda of CBC radio (news heard in Ottawa) pinned the blame on the USA sanctions against the Iranian regime.

Breathtaking!

Essentially, as told by the CBC, listeners heard first that there had been a terrible crash of a C-130 in Teheran. In the next sentence however, we were informed that ‘sources say’ that the cause of the crash was due to the import sanctions against Iran lead by the US. Then the elaboration, in which the lack of spare parts to maintain these aircraft (provided to Iran in the days of the Shah – i.e. before 1979) was due to the nasty Americans.

Let me just say this on the spare parts sham. For a country that is able to import directly and indirectly all the materiel and machinery it needs to build nuclear facilities and according to the IAEA’s ElBaradei, is just a few months from having as nuclear bomb, finding Herc spares should be child’s play. Enough said.

I wondered if they were next going to name President Bush as personally responsible.

Just who were these sources? Surprise, surprise, the accusations came from totally impartial Iranian Air Force Officers! Unfortunately in this news cast their identity was not made clear nor was there any qualifier to their contention to warn a simple listener that this was the purest of speculation.

Someone needs to investigate the CBC news department and fast.

There can only be a few possible explanations for this shoddy biased reporting

First is it due to the total staff incompetence and lack of any historical knowledge and understanding – particularly about the skill level of the maintainers in the Iranian Air Force! As an aside, it’s tough to keep your eye on the wrenches and wires when you have to scurry off to the mosque five times a day.

Or, second, perhaps it is not shoddy reporting at all but is deliberately and directly due to the incessant Anti-American drumbeat that permeates the entire CBC organization?

Either way, it is becoming increasingly clear that the usefulness of this organization has run its course.

In the late 70’s the CRTC was forced to convene an investigative process into the separatist bias inside the offices of Radio-Canada. Amazingly they found none!! Yeah, right, they were all good Federalists!

In spite of that Politically Correct failure (I worked in the CRTC at the time and can tell you it was a joke), it is time to hold the people who set the policies and the tone at the CBC up in the harsh light of day.

No nation valuing its hard gained freedoms, particularly freedom of speech and the press, should settle for less.

cn

The Sunday Ottawa Citizen carried a great article by Janice Kennedy reviewing the new film called "Maurice Richard" (in Quebec), but "The Rocket" elsewhere. It is directed by Belgian born Charles Binamé.

It seems that those great separatist revisionists and victims in Quebec are disturbing the dead by using this greatest of all modern day players for their own ends.

Here is the text of my letter of thanks to Ms. Kennedy. 

"Hi Ms. Kennedy

Thank you for great article exposing the revisionists take on Maurice Richard. Thanks as well for identifying the particular attachment Montrealers have for this greatest of all players.

From the little peeks I had risked taking - reviews, promos - it sure seemed to me that the separatists and their fellow travelers were intent on debasing the man by attributing a political factor into his passion and fire. Nothing could have been further from the truth as you have correctly shown.

A Montrealer myself, I remember that game and the decision by C. Campbell. All Montreal fans English, French and all others were outraged at the league President but to attach the weight of the Anglo dominance separatist mantra to this event and decision is beyond belief.

Thanks as well for outing the Politically Correct apologies that spew forth from the political class on behalf of all of us who have sinned. What utter bunkum this practice is!

Had the Canadian government, for example, not done something vis the Japanese in Canada during the Second World War, it would have been, in the legitimate view of the population, playing fast and loose with our national security. I hold no brief for the conditions under which this internment took place, but to attribute our current self image of "Canadian wonderfulness" to this moment and then judge it ex post facto is, as you point out, dumb.

Sincerely

Colin Nelson
Ottawa"