Christians win opposition seat in Beirut in by-elections

Lebanon had by-election voting yesterday. Partly due to “two assassinated [Pierre Gemayel and Eido] anti-Syrian lawmakers in the latest showdown between the government and its opponents.” The Christian candidate, Michel Aoun, won, but the official count has not been announced as of yet. Read the whole story at Bahrain Tribune. If that link does not work, try this one. Have a blessed day.

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The Iranian Threat

This map links to a different map. I goofed when I added the extra link to make the map larger. Just so you know.
As I was checking out who was reading my site, I was surprised to find that people from inside Iran are continuing find me. This is not a bad thing, I am just surprised. Anyway, this map is what I found they were looking for so I am providing it for them.

I have quite a few friends in Iran and outside of Iran who are Iranian. They are very kind and gentle people who are trapped by their government. They could be very prosperous, very welcomed in many countries, and so much more. As it is, there are sanctions against the government. I pray the people understand these sanctions are NOT against them, although they are the ones who will suffer the most.

Hopefully soon, my friends will be able to walk and talk freely, just as we are able to in our country. They are human, too, after all. As far as the terrorists go, however, I would do anything in my power to help them go meet their allah! Speed it up, guys. 🙂

Update: Regarding the title, I lost my train of thought. Please forgive me. It happens when I’ve been up all night. lol.

From VOA News:

“[You have] [Iranian] President [Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad [has] multiple times [been] talking about wiping Israel off the map. Now they’ve shifted their focus to Bahrain and they want to gobble up Bahrain. Well, I think it’s another indication of how this is a regime that operates completely outside the accepted norms of international behavior.” [Continue reading.]

Another great article which tells us at length the threat we are facing:

Iran continued its threats against Bahrain after an editorial in the Iranian news last week claimed that Bahrain was a province of Iran. [Continue reading.]

This last quote comes from Gateway Pundidt. Great blogger, as usual.

If Iran is going to keep threatening to confiscate the three islands (which are countries of their own), Bahran and some of the other tiny countries, then who’s to say they won’t pull another ‘Hitler’? Mr. Shaiatmadami is the ‘person’ who wrote the editorial that is one of the focuses of this rancor. (Sorry, I can’t find the link. I’ll keep looking, though.) Well, Iran had to back off this time. Yes, this time…but what about the next time when they have nukes?

PS: Today is an open trackback day. All I ask in return is return the favor. Thank you, and have a great day.

H/t Gateway Pundit.

Trackbacked at:

Perri Nelson’s Website: Proud to be non-union!

The Amboy Times: Newt: War on Terror is Phoney.

Shadowscope: Bloggers That Take Themselves MUCH Too Seriously….

CommonSenseAmerica: A Letter From Terry...

Plank’s Constant: The difference between Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia.

Conservative Cat: Notes from Ferdy – The Dems Finally Get Something Accomplished.

Right Truth: Today’s news in pictures.

DragonLady’s World: OTA Monday 49.

The Virtuous Republic: Two Examples of Why We Need to Secure Our Southern Border.

Perri Nelson’s Website: Monday’s Open Trackback.

Blog @ MoreWhat.com: Secure the Borders Linkfest.

Committees of Correspondence The Open Trackback Alliance LXXXIV.

DeMediacratic Nation: The Conspiracy to find Conspiracy.

Big Dog’s Weblog: Watch Out for Sneaky Immigration Bills.

Right Truth: Coalition of the Good (Muslims and Arabs).

Pirate’s Cove: Beer Monday: Where’s The Diversity, Kosbats?

The Pink Flamingo: SUN AUG 5 Creeping Racism.

Webloggin: Media Matters Defends Democrat Majority Whip James Clyburn’s Progress Fearing Statement on Iraq.

Leaning Straight Up: Jackie Mason Slams the Democrats.

third world county: I blog these things so you don’t have to.

Thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe

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Airmen train Iraqi firefighters at international airport

25 July 07
by Tech. Sgt. Russell Wicke
447th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs.

NEW AL-MUTHANA AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN) — Firefighters from the 447th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron are spending their spare time training firefighters from the Iraqi air force to make them an autonomous unit at New Al-Muthana Air Base. Airmen spend about one day a week running Iraqis through drills and training procedures.

During training earlier this month, Master Sgt. Craig Milton, the 447th ECES assistant fire chief, put together a live building fire. During this scenario the firefighters from the U.S and Iraqi air forces had to work together to extinguish the fire and rescue a 200-pound dummy from a burning room. Other training involved a simulated burning aircraft where Iraqis had to shut down jet engines and remove an unconscious pilot.

Airmen have been training Iraqis regularly for about two months, said Master Sgt. Steven Carver, the 447th ECES deputy fire chief. The most pressing obstacle is the Iraqi’s equipment deficit. Sergeant Carver said they just cannot obtain good equipment easily and could use up-to-date rescue trucks and more breathing tanks.

However, other areas involve a mindset, and not the pocketbook. Inexperience is a speed bump since none of the Iraqis here were firefighters before April 2003, said Hassan Shimary, the Iraqi air force fire chief. “In the United States, (firefighters) have learned from many mistakes, like rushing into a building without first making observations,” Sergeant Carver said. “People die if you don’t consider the environment, and that’s what we’re trying to teach them.”

An entire U.S. Air Force squadron is here to provide guidance and to council the members of the Iraqi air force. The 370th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron works closely with Iraqi airmen from multiple professions daily. But Col. Mark Schmitz, the 370th AEAS commander, said he has no firefighter advisers in his squadron, and he depends on the firefighters from the 447th ECES to volunteer help. “I’m lucky enough to be based next to Sather where there are experienced firefighters,” the colonel said. “The Iraqis have equipment, manning and training shortfalls, but I think their firefighters are improving because of the Sather firefighters help.”

With the right training, the Iraqis will get the experience they need to be independent in a couple years, Sergeant Milton said. And during that time, the Iraqis said they hope to continue to build working relationships with Americans. “We enjoy the experience to train with Americans,” said Chief Shimary through a translator. “We are glad to have the Americans for friends; they give us confidence in what we’re doing.”

Photo – Master Sgt. Craig Milton observes firefighters from the Iraqi air force remove Staff Sgt. Vance Vansteel from an Iraqi C-130 flight deck July 9 at New Al-Muthana Air Base, Iraq. Sergeant Vansteel represented an unconscious pilot during a simulated aircraft fire. The exercise trained Iraqis to respond to an aircraft fire by shutting down engines and removing an unconscious pilot. U.S. Airmen set up the scenario and guided them through the process. Sergeants Milton and Vansteel are firefighters with the 447th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron. Photo Tech. Sgt. Russell Wicke.

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NMCB-133 drilling wells, building schools in the HOA

26 Jul 07
by MC1 Mary Popejoy
CJTF-HOA Public Affairs.

The Seabees of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion-ONE THIRTY THREE Detachment Horn of Africa at Camp Lemonier have been deployed to the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa area of operation since Feb. 5 performing well drilling operations, school building projects and other quality of life projects throughout East Africa.

The Seabees, more than 130 strong, are currently in Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya providing each community with much-needed assistance to improve the quality of life in each area. Each project the Seabees have taken on aligns with the task force’s mission of preventing conflict, promoting regional stability and protecting coalition interests in order to prevail against extremism. This mission is accomplished by partnering with nations on humanitarian assistance, civic action programs such as school and medical clinic construction and water development projects.

“I am very proud of each and every member of my team because they not only have built structures, but have formed friendly bonds that will mentally form lasting impressions with those they’ve helped,” said Navy Lt. Edward Miller, officer in charge of NMCB-133 Det. Djibouti. “Our efforts not only make the host nation populace appreciate our efforts, but the efforts their government is making to better their lives.”

As part of improving the different locations throughout the Horn of Africa, the Seabees are currently doing projects at the Abiot Emerja and Charichcho Schools in Ethiopia where they are building concrete masonry units, which will be used to house office spaces, classrooms, a library and latrines. The Seabees will also help improve ground drainage, install shelving units and provide electricity to the new and existing structures.

In Kenya, they’re doing several projects such as replacing a deteriorating boat ramp, renovating and completing Southwest Asia-style huts and installing air handlers. In addition to those tasks, the Seabees are also conducting Water Well drilling operations in cooperation with the Kenyan Ministry of Water.

Closer to home in Hol Hol, Djibouti, the Seabees have demolished a portion of the existing deteriorated school structure and begun partial reconstruction of the schoolhouse. The statement of work includes replacing all windows, doors, wood style ceiling tiles, installing new ceiling fans and installing a block structure with four Turkish-style pit toilets.

“Many of the projects throughout the Horn of Africa are completed by local contractors, so when the Seabees take on a task there are less people and it might take longer, but it will be of better quality and have a more positive impact on the community,” said Miller. “We bring our specialty skills and our American building standards, so we’re going to make sure what we build lasts a long time and doesn’t pose any safety concerns.”

For Builder 2nd Class Gabriel Kelly, it provides a lot of personal satisfaction being able to build structures in a country such as Africa. “It is very rewarding to be able to use the skills I have and provide a better way of life for the people who use the facilities in the future,” he said.

According to BU1 (Seabee Combat Warfare) Michael Cadoret, project manager for Camp Lemonier, the end result of each project makes it completely worthwhile. “The best part of any project is seeing the smiles on the kids’ faces and how happy they are to have a new and improved building for them to use,” he said. “Seeing the effect and impact our projects have on a community make the long hours completely worth it.”

Leaving the community with a good impression of the U.S. military is an important and critical part of every mission. “We want them to know Americans are good people and we’re here to do good things that will benefit the area in many ways,” said Cadoret. “Each project we do is a stepping stone that brings Africans closer to helping Africa become more stable in the Horn of Africa.”

So when its time for NMCB-133 to pack up and head back to the states in mid-August, the Seabees can be proud of their individual and team success and the improvements that have made Africa better than when they first arrived on scene.

“When this deployment wraps up, we’ll feel good about what we’ve accomplished here because we as a team have grown personally and professionally by doing these great projects and improving Africa; one project at a time,” said Miller.

Photo – Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion ONE THIRTY THREE pour concrete into a concrete pad located inside the expansion area of Camp Lemonier May 15. The concrete pad project is just one of three projects the Seabees are responsible for on Camp Lemonier. U.S. Navy photo by Lt. Edward Miller.

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Mr. Candidate, how do defend your position on this?

A good friend of mine has written a very good article in which he invites any of the pro-abortion candidates to answer. I really like it. I hope you will to.

10 Questions for all the Pro Abortion Presidential Candidates
GrassTopsUSA Guest Commentary
By Gregg Jackson
08-03-07

1. To those who want to keep abortion safe, legal, and rare:

How does one “safely” dismember and discard a living human being from the mother’s womb? If you are not actually killing a living human being, then why should abortions be “rare” especially if, as many assert, abortions prevent “unwanted” pregnancies “abuse” and “future crime“?

[Continue reading.]

He is also the author of the book you see, “Conservative Comebacks to Liberal Lies.” It is a very insightful and inspirational book. It is very easy to read, and he has alphabetized the issues from A to Z. Go to the book’s site, and check it out. Maybe you may even like to buy one. This book can be bought at Amazon.com for $13.57. Just a thought… 🙂

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