Dreams Into Lightning 2

William Sampson

National Post:

Supporters of a Canadian who said he was mistakenly charged with murder, tortured and held in solitary confinement for close to three years in a Saudi Arabian jail expressed sadness and a hope for “justice” after reports surfaced of his death.

William Sampson, 52, suffered a heart attack in England this week, according to filmmaker David Paperny, who directed a 2007 documentary about Sampson’s ordeal. ...

No Passover Furloughs for IDF

"For first time in many years, all IDF units to be on full alert during Passover holiday; army officials insist decision not related to any planned military operations."

"His Holines Disowned Christ in Cuba"

Carlos Eire at Babalu on papal fallibility:

Today His Holiness Benedict XVI disowned Christ in Cuba. Today, he averted his eyes from the eleven million crucified Cubans in his midst, as he celebrated the holy sacrifice of the Eucharist. Today, he chose not to speak for the crucified, or to chasten their tormentors. Instead, he spent his time criticizing the so-called embargo, blessing the tyrants, and preaching a platitudinous sermon written for the theological faculty at the University of Regensburg rather than for the Cuban people.

And his subaltern, Cardinal Jaime Ortega y Alamino, archbishop of Havana, beamed with satisfaction at the abject submission of Church to state.

I am saddened, yes, as are many other Cubans. I wept today. I am beyond sad: today has been one of the blackest days for me in a long time. The clouds hung low. At one point the sun was blotted out. I could not help but see eleven million crosses, with bodies writhing on them, stretched from one end of Cuba to the other. But I am not broken. Nor is my faith shaken. God works in mysterious ways. The Vicar of Jesus Christ on earth, Pope Benedict XVI has betrayed Cuba. So what? Aside from questions of faith and doctrine, he is as fallible as all of us are, and as prone to moral failure. And as a Catholic, it is my duty to pray for him. ...

Forget the pope. Let Peter weep, when he comes to his senses. Weeping is not for us, nor is whining. Forget any power on earth. Forget the differences between Catholics and non-Catholics. Forget heaven above, forget hell below . Cuba is hell on earth, our hell. Our task is to fight the tyrants and those who set up the eleven million crosses. ...

More from Jack Fowler at The Corner, in a similar vein:

I guess the upside for Cubans is that the cock crowed, and the heir of Peter denied them, so this upcoming Passion Week brings them closer to the Christ of Gethsemane and The Cross. But damn, shouldn’t they have been brought closer to political freedom? Again, it’s something another Holy Father would have done, and did do. But I guess the freedom of Cubans doesn’t equate to the freedom of Europeans.

Glick: Bolton Is Advising Romney

Caroline Glick:

Despite Gingrich's enthusiastic endorsement, Bolton came out in support of Romney. He argued that Romney is the most conservative candidate that has the potential to defeat Obama. Since he announced his support, Bolton has reportedly been advising Romney. So after attacking Romney advisor Michael Hayden yesterday for his apparent support for Obama's Iran policy, it is only fair to salute him for having Bolton on his team. ...

Here is John Bolton at AEI:

Iran today is the world's central banker for internation­al terrorism. It funds and arms terrorist groups worldwide, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Shia terrorists in Iraq, and the Sunni Taliban and other radical in Afghanistan.

In February, President Obama's Director of National Intelligence James Clapper testified that Iran even had a "shotgun marriage, or marriage of convenience" with al­ Qaida.

Given Iran's global sponsorship of terrorism, a nuclear Iran could easily deliver nuclear weapons via ballistic missiles (which it has developed in cooperated with North Korea) and by providing them to terrorists for use around the world.

Iran's objectives in seeking nuclear weapons are clear. ...

UPDATE - RELATED:
Bolton accuses Obama administration of leaking Azerbaijan story. '"I think this leak today is part of the administration's campaign against an Israeli attack," Bolton claimed on Fox News. The White House did not respond to Bolton's claims Thursday. ...'

Patrick Brennan at The Corner has more.

Iraqi Arab Man Challenges Islam to a Debate

I. Q. Al Rassooli will offer

is offering any television station $10,000 for 15 minutes of airtime to argue against the Islamic religion. Al Rassooli was raised as an Arab Muslim in Iraq. Today he lives abroad and argues that the Islamic religion promotes violence and terrorism. He is the author of “Lifting the Veil: The True Faces of Muhammad and Islam." ...

Read the rest at the link.

"I think we have to seriously doubt NOM’s sincerity."

To say the least. Ampersand at Alas comments on recently released social-conservative strategy documents:

Although there’s nothing wrong with NOM seeking Black allies and supporters, there’s something ugly about the way NOM wants to “drive a wedge between gays and blacks.” Is a bunch of white folks trying to provoke lgbt people (some of who are Black) into fights with the Black community (some of whom are gay) really what’s best for the Black community? Are they at all worried about their “wedge” being “driven” right through the families of lgbt Black people? It doesn’t seem to have occurred to them.

I’ve complained in the past that marriage equality opponents consider lgbt people instrumentally, rather than as people. Thus, opponents of marriage equality say that they oppose SSM in order to “send a message” about mothers and fathers, or to incrementally support a “marriage culture,” but they very rarely have concern for the well-being of the lgbt people whose families are being treated as post-it notes.

NOM’s attitude towards African-Americans seems similar, Black people are valued only as “spokespeople,” not as partners or equal collaborators. ...

Oh, and apparently they budgeted $50k plus bennies to find "victims" of gay parents.

UPDATE: Alana Goodman at Contentions says:

As correct as NOM may have been from a tactical standpoint (the black community’s support for Prop. 8 helped kill gay marriage in California), the ick-factor here is incredibly high. Just look at the language: NOM said it was seeking to “drive a wedge between gays and blacks”; “provoke” gay marriage supporters into “denouncing these [African American] spokesmen and women as bigots”; and “fanning the hostility raised in the wake of Prop. 8.” This isn’t the language or the vision of a noble cause, and it certainly doesn’t sound like one that supporters can feel good about belonging to.

"Stubborn Yorkshirewoman" Cpt Lisa Head

Telegraph:

Captain Lisa Head, 29, had been lucky to survive the first explosion, when an undetected IED partially detonated under her foot, merely showering her with dust.

But after stepping away to smoke a cigarette and enjoy a “Condor moment” to gather her courage she returned to the alley in the Afghan village of Padaka, in Helmand Province. ...

Read the rest at the link. Via Stuttaford at The Corner.

Tank Girl

Esther Petrack: From American model to Israeli tank instructor.

Esther was born in Jerusalem to a religious family and at sixteen, moved with her family to the United States. She made history when she became the first religious Jewish girl to compete in the “America’s Next Top Model“. She was on the fast lane to becoming a supermodel when things changed last year, during a visit to Israel for the first time in four years. Following her trip Esther decided to make Aliyah and join the army. ...

Sorry, RJC ...

... I just can't get too worked up about this. (Anyway, I thought a Mitzkrieg was an invasion by Chabad.)

Mitzkrieg, schmitzkrieg. Let's save our ammo for the important stuff. (Oops, there I go with the military metaphors again.)

Minesweepers to Persian Gulf

Information Dissemination:

Today [March 15], mentioned in passing in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee - without a word or question on the topic from any supposedly well informed Senators - Chief of Naval Operations Jonathan Greenert told the Senate committee that the US Navy is going to deploy 4 minesweepers to the Persian Gulf (which will double the number of US Navy Minesweepers in the Persian Gulf) and also send additional mine hunting helicopters to the region. This comes following news earlier this year that the US Navy is working on the USS Ponce to deploy to the Persian Gulf to be a full time Mine Warfare Command Ship. ...

Wired:

In the next few months, the Navy will double its minesweeper craft stationed in Bahrain, near Iran, from four to eight. Those ships will be crucial if Iran takes the drastic step of mining the Strait of Hormuz, one of the global energy supply’s most crucial waterways. Four more MH-53 “Sea Stallion” helicopters, another minesweeping tool, are also getting ready for Bahrain, to give the U.S. Fifth Fleet early warning for any strait mining.

Then the Navy will prepare to get closer to Iranian shores. Much closer. It’s got five close-action patrol boats in the Gulf right now. Once the Coast Guard returns three that the Navy loaned out, the Navy will have five other patrol craft in the United States. All those boats are getting retrofitted. With Gatling guns. And missiles. ...