Atheists Offended by 9/11 Memorial, 'Seven in Heaven Way'

Some atheists are not content to believe what they choose.

They're not satisfied with exercising their freedom not to worship God.

They demand that others be prohibited from exercising their right to worship. They want references to God be completely stripped from the public square.

They refuse to tolerate others' free exercise of religion.

Atheist groups are so intolerant that they are making an issue out of a Brooklyn street named in honor of seven firefighter heroes who died on 9/11, "Seven in Heaven Way."

To honor seven dead 9-11 firefighters, a portion of Richards Street has been ceremonially renamed “Seven in Heaven Way” — prompting tributes to the heroes and complaints from critics who say that the government should not be in the business of advancing one religion’s notion of the afterlife.

“It’s improper for the city to endorse the view that heaven exists,” said David Silverman of American Atheists. “It links Christianity and heroism.”

Local atheists also insisted that public signs should be non-sectarian. “It falls under the umbrella of Church and state,” added Ken Bronstein of NYC Atheists.

The new street sign — which city officials hung last Saturday at Seabring Street — honors seven firemen assigned to Engine 202 and Ladder 101, who were killed after at the Twin Towers.

Teary-eyed widows, dozens of uniform-clad firemen and civic leaders paid respects outside the firehouse at the intersection, explaining the men were killed while pulling victims from burning rubble.

“They are heroes and should be rewarded in a place like heaven,” said Tom Miskel of Community Board 6, which unanimously supported the name change in December 2009.

“Almost every religion has some form of heaven,” he added. “It’s not just specific to Christianity.”

The “Seven in Heaven” firemen — Joseph Gullickson, Brian Cannizzaro, Salvatore Calabro, Thomas Kennedy, Patrick Byrne, Joseph Maffeo, and Terence McShane — were among the first firefighters called to the towers, making it there before the second airplane hit.

“They gave up everything to help — and that’s what sets them apart,” said Ralph Gullickson, Joseph’s brother.

...First Amendment caselaw suggests that government must allow both religious and non-religious speech when it opens a forum for expression — provided it’s clear that religious references are attributed to the individuals making the expression, not the government.

That's not the way atheists see it.

From the Heritage Foundation:

New York City Atheists’ president Kenneth Bronstein told reporters, “There should be no signage or displays of religious nature in the public domain,” adding that it was “insulting” to use the word heaven in the street sign. “We’ve concluded as atheists there is no heaven and there’s no hell,” Bronstein explained.

As common sense and U.S courts have pointed out, however, merely feeling insulted does not a constitutional argument make.

...As for the sign constituting a government endorsement of religion, applying the same scrutiny to other publicly named places would necessitate renaming streets, towns, and cities across the country, a multitude of which have religious connotations.

Secularists’ insistence on eradicating any allusion to religion or religious beliefs from the public sphere distorts the foundational American idea of freedom of—not from—religion. Atheists’ argument in the Brooklyn sign situation, like the National Day of Prayer case and Pledge of Allegiance case, misunderstands the First Amendment’s intent to allow robust religious freedom in the public sphere, not hermetically seal it within the walls of churches, mosques and synagogues.

These people are so intolerant.

They've concluded that there is no heaven or hell.

Good for them.

Others have reached a different conclusion. Why don't atheists respect that?

They are attempting to infringe on the right of individuals to exercise their religious beliefs, as well as the right to freely express their beliefs.

Is that simple street sign really so offensive to the atheists that they can't bear to live with it in place?

I find the atheists' dismissal of the First Amendment to be extremely offensive.

The atheists are offended.

So what?

It's not insulting to use the word "heaven" in a street sign. But if they are insulted, too bad.

They have to learn to embrace diversity and show religious tolerance instead of forcing their will on others.

I don't think they understand what it means to be an American.

Russell Stamper and Osama Bin Laden

Milwaukee County Reserve Judge Russell Stamper was "saddened" when he heard the news that Osama bin Laden was dead.

He wasn't sad because it reminded him of the horror and sorrow of 9/11.

He was sad because he thinks bin Laden wasn't responsible for the attacks and he was murdered in cold blood.


Russell Stamper

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

[Russell Stamper] considers the death of bin Laden a case of coldblooded murder.

"I was saddened," said Stamper, who fills in for county judges when needed. "You murdered a man."

In a Facebook rant Monday, the 66-year-old jurist went even further, promoting the fringe position that it's not clear that bin Laden was the mastermind behind the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. On top of that, he ripped a number of federal agencies.

"For me, if the choice is condemnation of the CIA, DEA, FBI and IRS or Osama bin Laden, it's an easy call," Stamper wrote.

"I remain unconvinced that bin Laden committed the 911 attack, whereas we know the lettered government organizations are thieves, assassins, dope peddlers, government destabilizers, did I say assassins?, arms purveyors and various and sundry other planetary criminals."

...Over the past decade, Stamper has served as a reserve county judge, earning as much as $63,000 a year filling in for elected judges when they are ill, on vacation or their dockets are overloaded. So far this year, Stamper has put in only 5 1/2 days as a reserve judge, getting paid $445.15 per day. That brings his total pay to about $2,448.

He also serves as chairman of the Community Brainstorming Conference, a monthly public affairs forum for the city's African-Americans.

Stamper came under some criticism in 2000 for likening now-Gov. Scott Walker to former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke and calling Walker and his friends white supremacists.

Stamper is a disgrace.

Of course, he can believe whatever he wants to believe, but he should not be serving as a judge. He's clearly unfit to serve in that capacity.

Obama at Ground Zero (Video)

UPDATE: Raw Video: Obama Lays Wreath at Ground Zero



Obama is ready for his close-up.

And he spikes the football!

This moment, Obama visiting Ground Zero as president, should have happened years ago. Now, it comes off as campaigning. That context makes me cringe.

Here's video of Obama speaking to New York City firefighters.



It's a campaign speech.
_______________

UPDATE: In New York today for his Ground Zero photo op, Obama told those personally touched by the horror of 9/11 that "we will never forget."

Solemnly honoring victims of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, President Barack Obama hugged survivors, thanked the heroes of one of the nation's darkest days and declared Thursday that the killing of Osama bin Laden after all these years was an American message to the world: "When we say we will never forget, we mean what we say."

On a brilliant blue-sky day, one of reflection more than celebration, Obama offered New Yorkers a moment of their own. Standing at the gritty construction site of ground zero, where the towers fell and a memorial now rises, the president laid a wreath of red, white and blue flowers for the nearly 3,000 who died as he marked a turning point for the nation and this city of steely resilience.

For Obama, the day was about the importance of being in New York in the aftermath of the successful raid to find and kill bin Laden, the al-Qaida leader. Obama addressed families who have watched and wondered for nearly a decade whether the government would track down its most infamous enemy.

On this special ground, Obama never mentioned bin Laden's name.

"We will never forget"?

Obama "forgot" to go to Ground Zero since he became president.

I guess he was too busy playing golf, holding fundraisers, that sort of stuff.
_______________

Obama has been president since January 20, 2009.

As president, he has been to New York many times.

Obama went to New York at the end of May 2009, for his date night with Michelle.

He's gone to New York to address the United Nations General Assembly in 2009 and 2010.

And of course, Obama has held numerous political fundraisers in New York.

But for all the times he's been in New York City, he's never been to Ground Zero as president, never going there on September 11th to commemorate the anniversary of the terrorist attacks.

Today, Obama will make his first trip to Ground Zero as president.

From the New York Times:

Mr. Obama, in his first visit as president to ground zero, plans to lay a wreath at a memorial to the nearly 3,000 victims of the 9/11 attacks. He will also meet privately with family members of the victims, firefighters and other rescue workers who died in the September 2001 attacks.

“He wants to meet with them and share with them this important and significant moment, a bittersweet moment,” the White House press secretary, Jay Carney, said on Wednesday.

It is a quiet coda to a week that began with a stunning announcement by Mr. Obama, just before midnight on Sunday, that a team of Navy Seals had stormed Bin Laden’s hiding place – a heavily-fortified compound in an affluent town not far from the Pakistani capital, Islamabad.

Mr. Obama invited former president George W. Bush to join him at ground zero, but Mr. Bush declined. A spokesman for the former president said he appreciated the invitation but wanted to stick to his policy of staying out of the public spotlight since he left office.

For Mr. Bush, ground zero was the site of one of the iconic moments of his presidency. Days after the World Trade Center towers collapsed, he traveled to the smoldering wreckage to thank the rescue workers, delivering his speech through a firefighter’s bullhorn.

The White House was quick to say it took no offense at Mr. Bush’s decision not to attend, saying that Mr. Bush was invited in the spirit of unity that Mr. Obama said he hoped would prevail in the wake of Bin Laden’s killing, just as it prevailed after the killings perpetrated by Bin Laden nearly a decade ago.

“We’ve made clear that this is a moment of unity for Americans and a moment to recall the unity that existed in this country in the wake of the attacks on 9/11,” Mr. Carney said.

Mr. Obama visited ground zero while a presidential candidate, but he has not been there since entering the White House. He does not plan a deliver a speech, a decision that White House officials said was calculated to avoid any appearance of exploiting the families of the victims for political gain.

With all due respect, what a load of crap!

When Obama shows up at Ground Zero for the first time as president, he won't deliver a speech "to avoid any appearance of exploiting the families of the victims for political gain."

No speech doesn't eliminate the appearance of exploitation of the 9/11 victims for his 2012 political gain.

There's no reason for Obama to go there today, especially since he hasn't bothered to go at any other time during his presidency.

Of course, it's a political move. It's always political with Obama.

Of course, it's exploitation. Obama should have joined the observance of 9/11 at Ground Zero during his first year in office.

This push that the death of bin Laden should be a moment of unity similar to what the nation experienced after the country was attacked in 2001 is nuts.

Yes, there's unity. There should be. But let's not compare bin Laden's death with the experience of the 9/11 attacks and the nation's reaction.

Bin Laden, one man, is dead. That's a tremendous victory and I'm not diminishing that.

But in September 2001, we were mourning the deaths of thousands of innocents. We had witnessed massive destruction within our borders. Our country was attacked. Acts of war were committed on our soil. The human toll was devastating. The grief was unbearable.

No doubt about it, al Qaeda's attacks united us.

So many political battles were fought after 9/11. President Bush was deemed a war criminal. He was brutally criticized for policies meant to protect Americans. There has been so much bad blood that it's impossible to forget.

The overwhelming majority of Americans believe killing bin Laden was the right thing to do. Mission accomplished.

However, the shared experience of bin Laden's death cannot be equated with our shared experience of the horror of September 11, 2001.

A dead bin Laden doesn't bring back the thousands killed on 9/11. The loss experienced by the loved ones of the victims is permanent. In this life, it's forever. Nothing can change that. Their loss was heartbreaking in 2001 and it's just as heartbreaking today.

Although I think it's an unseemly move by Obama, with the appearance of a sleazy photo op, I'm glad he's finally going to Ground Zero.

Maybe he'll have an awakening and discover it's time for him to behave like the president of the United States.

Holder and Investigation of CIA Interrogators

As Obama and his administration heap praise upon themselves for killing Osama bin Laden, Attorney General Eric Holder is busy with his criminal investigation of CIA interrogators.

Yeah, that's still going on.

Daniel Henninger, the Wall Street Journal writes:

As the whole of America takes a bin Laden victory lap, let us pause to remember some of this celebrated event's most forgotten men: the Central Intelligence Agency officers who sit under the cloud of a criminal investigation begun in 2009 by Attorney General Eric Holder into their interrogations of captured terrorists.

That's right, the Americans whose interrogation of al Qaeda operatives may have put in motion the death of this mass murderer may themselves face prosecution by the country they were trying to protect.

It is time for the Holder CIA investigation to end. The death of bin Laden 10 years after 9/11 makes the Holder investigation of the CIA interrogators politically, emotionally and morally moot.

But it lives.

What a bizarre disconnect!

Unfortunately, this sort of weirdness is business as usual for the Obama administration.

In August 2009, Attorney General Holder announced that he was extending the mandate of Assistant U.S. Attorney John Durham into the CIA's so-called "enhanced interrogation techniques" of terrorist detainees. Former Bush Attorney General Michael Mukasey had appointed Mr. Durham in 2008 as a special prosecutor to look into the CIA's destruction of videotapes made during interrogations of two al Qaeda operatives. That investigation ended without charges last November.

Mr. Holder decided to push the Durham investigation into a second phase. "I have concluded," he said "that the information known to me warrants opening a preliminary review into whether federal laws were violated in connection with the interrogation of specific detainees at overseas locations." Mr. Holder wasn't free-lancing; both he and Barack Obama had called waterboarding "torture."

Obama and Holder continue forward with looking at our CIA interrogators as criminals.

Rather than considering them to have played an important role in protecting the American people, Obama and Holder and the Leftist gang persist in treating them like enemies.

This week the Associated Press reported that the name of bin Laden's courier may have come from CIA interrogations of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and Abu Faraj al-Libi, who received "harsh" interrogation at CIA prisons in Poland and Romania. On Tuesday, Mr. Holder said the information came from a "mosaic of sources."

Incidentally, there will be no attempt here to establish whether CIA interrogations did or did not lead to the bin Laden courier, who led our commandos to a bedroom in Abbottabad. Just as there will be no attempt here to resolve the fastidious debate unfolding over whether the Navy Seals' shooting of an unarmed Osama bin Laden was "legal." We'll leave that to the endless grinding wheels of the law journals.

Awkward!

The CIA interrogators could be national heroes.

Obviously, the Obama administration doesn't want to know. Most specifically, they don't want us to know.

If Mr. Holder has evidence of an egregious crime, he should step forward and announce it. If not, he should use this moment to put an end to the Durham investigation. Mr. Durham is not an independent counsel, whose hallowed status makes attorneys general loath to interfere. He is a special prosecutor, appointed by the attorney general and under his authority.

On June 18 last year, Mr. Holder said in a Washington speech that Mr. Durham was "close to the end of the time that he needs and will be making recommendations to me." But nothing has happened. Asked this week about the status of this investigation, a Justice Department spokesman for Mr. Durham, whose office is in Connecticut, said the project is "still ongoing."

I agree.

If Holder has evidence of an egregious crime, tell us now. If not, stop this investigation.

It's wrong for Obama to commend the CIA piece of the "mosaic" in the nearly 10-year mission to get bin Laden while Holder is trying to pin interrogators with crimes.

Henninger concludes:

After 9/11, when the fraying started, George W. Bush passed through a seven-year political minefield of media leaks and lawsuits over the Patriot Act, surveillance, renditions, Guantanamo and CIA interrogations. Now bin Laden is dead, and Barack Obama's got the credit. We're all fine with that, just as we're fine with people chanting "USA" over the dead terrorist who tried to kill us. Now how about letting those CIA interrogators come in from the cold and join the celebration?

The Democrats, Leftists including Obama, before and after he became president, put President Bush and Vice President Cheney and the administration through hell as they waged war against bin Laden.

Thank God they had the character and the toughness to not be swayed by polls. Thank God they stood up to the attacks by the Dems and did what was necessary to protect us.

With bin Laden dead, and Leon Panetta admitting valuable intelligence was gained via the CIA, it's time to end the criminal investigation of the CIA interrogators.

Is it possible for Obama to put politics and his visions of reelection aside, just for a moment?

We'll see.

Rudy Giuliani: Obama Should Release Photos

Rudy Giuliani believes that Obama should release the photos of the dead Osama bin Laden.

He commented on the subject while speaking at a conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

From WOOD-TV:

In the wake of Osama bin Laden's killing, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani commended President Barack Obama and the military for their decision-making skills, accuracy and bravery.

However, Giuliani said at a Grand Rapids conference, the bin Laden photos should be released. The move would help quiet the people who don't believe bin Laden is truly dead, Giuliani told law enforcement officials Wednesday.

"The pictures are eventually going to get out, and then you are going to relive the intensity of all of this a month from now -- or two months from now or three months from now," Giuliani said. "Why not put them out now, and satisfy at least the rational people who have questions about the identity of bin Laden?"

Still, he emphasized, Obama should be commended for making the difficult decision, and the military for its execution of the plan.

"... I think in the long term, the people of America should feel safer that we have been able to eliminate such a significant leader -- a leader for evil, but of people who hate us so much," Giuliani said. "He was such a powerful presence, and whenever you remove someone like that, you deteriorate the movement."

Video.

Giuliani: Obama should release photos: woodtv.com

No Bin Laden Death Photo

Reuters "spikes the football" for Obama, sort of.

Still no verified image of Osama bin Laden dead.

Photographs acquired by Reuters and taken about an hour after the U.S. assault on Osama bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad in Pakistan show three dead men lying in pools of blood, but no weapons.

The photos, taken by a Pakistani security official who entered the compound after the early morning raid on Monday, show two men dressed in traditional Pakistani garb and one in a t-shirt, with blood streaming from their ears, noses and mouths.

The official, who wished to remain anonymous, sold the pictures to Reuters.

None of the men looked like bin Laden. U.S. President Barack Obama decided not to release photos of his body because it could have incited violence and used as an al Qaeda propaganda tool.

WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES
______________

Obama has spoken.

The American people will NOT see a photo of the dead Osama bin Laden.

Video.



WH won't release bin Laden death photo

President Barack Obama has decided not to release death photos of terrorist Osama bin Laden, he said in an interview with CBS's "60 Minutes," amid concerns that the gruesome image could prove inflammatory.

Obama's decision was reported on the CBS News Web site Wednesday after the president sat for an interview with the news magazine program.

Releasing graphic images of bin Laden's corpse after his shooting in a U.S. raid on his compound could have dispelled doubts that bin Laden is indeed dead. The worry, though, was that it would feed anti-U.S. sentiment.

More, from CBS News:

In an interview with Steve Kroft for this Sunday's "60 Minutes," President Obama says he won't release post-mortem images of Osama bin Laden taken to prove his death.

...Republican House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers said Wednesday that the Obama administration should not release the gruesome post-mortem images, saying it could complicate the job for American troops overseas. Rogers told CBS News he has seen a post-mortem photo.

"The risks of release outweigh the benefits," he said. "Conspiracy theorists around the world will just claim the photos are doctored anyway, and there is a real risk that releasing the photos will only serve to inflame public opinion in the Middle East."

"Imagine how the American people would react if Al Qaeda killed one of our troops or military leaders, and put photos of the body on the internet," he continued. "Osama bin Laden is not a trophy - he is dead and let's now focus on continuing the fight until Al Qaida has been eliminated."

What's Obama talking about?

We saw images of our troops being dragged through the streets of Mogadishu. We don't have to imagine what it would be like.

What's with these Leftists?

They whined about not having images of the flag-draped coffins of our war dead.

They obsessed over body counts.

They insist on publishing all the gruesome details and images they can when it serves their purposes.

They couldn't get enough of the Abu Ghraib photos. They lusted for more.

The military be damned. The Leftists don't care.

Recently, TIME magazine put an extremely graphic photo of a young Afghan woman disfigured at the hand of her husband on its cover.



To view a larger image of the cover, click here.

Richard Stengel, TIME's Managing Editor, gives justification for publishing the cover photo:

Our cover image this week is powerful, shocking and disturbing. It is a portrait of Aisha, a shy 18-year-old Afghan woman who was sentenced by a Taliban commander to have her nose and ears cut off for fleeing her abusive in-laws. Aisha posed for the picture and says she wants the world to see the effect a Taliban resurgence would have on the women of Afghanistan, many of whom have flourished in the past few years. Her picture is accompanied by a powerful story by our own Aryn Baker on how Afghan women have embraced the freedoms that have come from the defeat of the Taliban — and how they fear a Taliban revival.

I thought long and hard about whether to put this image on the cover of TIME. First, I wanted to make sure of Aisha's safety and that she understood what it would mean to be on the cover. She knows that she will become a symbol of the price Afghan women have had to pay for the repressive ideology of the Taliban. We also confirmed that she is in a secret location protected by armed guards and sponsored by the NGO Women for Afghan Women. Aisha will head to the U.S. for reconstructive surgery sponsored by the Grossman Burn Foundation, a humanitarian organization in California. We are supporting that effort.

I'm acutely aware that this image will be seen by children, who will undoubtedly find it distressing. We have consulted with a number of child psychologists about its potential impact. Some think children are so used to seeing violence in the media that the image will have little effect, but others believe that children will find it very scary and distressing — that they will see it, as Dr. Michael Rich, director of the Center on Media and Child Health at Children's Hospital Boston, said, as "a symbol of bad things that can happen to people." I showed it to my two young sons, 9 and 12, who both immediately felt sorry for Aisha and asked why anyone would have done such harm to her. I apologize to readers who find the image too strong, and I invite you to comment on the image's impact.

Without question, the Leftists are willing to use gruesome images.

On the other hand, these same people freak out over the images of an aborted baby. They demand that such photos never be shown. They refuse to allow people to see the reality of abortion, the dismembered, tiny bodies. No, we can't see those either.

It's all political.

I think a photo should be released. Give people the choice whether to view it or not.

I want to see a photo of bin Laden dead.

Give the American people, and history, something to go with these images:





Too gruesome?

Too inflammatory?

This from Obama, the man who undermined George W. Bush and his administration at every turn, showing no concern for how it would impact the American troops on the battlefield. This from Obama and his Democrat comrades, wanting to slash funding for our military.

Give me a break!

Obama's assertion of this notion that conspiracy theorists will just say a photo is doctored anyway is a ridiculous excuse.

Conspiracy nuts will never EVER be satisfied.

Moreover, all the fake images of the dead bin Laden floating around right now can just as easily be used as recruiting tools for terrorists and to inflame the Muslim world.

It's not as if withholding an image will prevent a backlash against the U.S., if there's going to be one.

Obama went on national TV and declared that a U.S. military operation KILLED bin Laden. I think the news of bin Laden's death is enough to inflame.

The argument that nothing good can come from releasing the photo is offset by the fact that nothing will change if it is released.

The slaughter of innocents on 9/11 and all the previous acts of war against the U.S. preceded bin Laden's death. No photo of a dead al Qaeda leader prompted these attacks.

Hopefully, Obama has the facts wrong about the photo, too. Hopefully, the White House will realize it's a mistake to fail to release a death photo of bin Laden.

Maybe this whole thing is just a dance to make it appear that Obama was forced to release a photo, even though he really didn't want to do it.

Someone will leak it and then Obama won't have to bear responsibility for making the decision to show the world.

The allegedly gutsy Obama should show some guts.

Bin Laden Death Photo

UPDATE, May 4, 2011: WH won't release bin Laden death photo

President Barack Obama has decided not to release death photos of terrorist Osama bin Laden, he said in an interview with CBS's "60 Minutes," amid concerns that the gruesome image could prove inflammatory.

Obama's decision was reported on the CBS News Web site Wednesday after the president sat for an interview with the news magazine program.

Releasing graphic images of bin Laden's corpse after his shooting in a U.S. raid on his compound could have dispelled doubts that bin Laden is indeed dead. The worry, though, was that it would feed anti-U.S. sentiment.

More, from CBS News:

In an interview with Steve Kroft for this Sunday's "60 Minutes," President Obama says he won't release post-mortem images of Osama bin Laden taken to prove his death.

...Republican House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers said Wednesday that the Obama administration should not release the gruesome post-mortem images, saying it could complicate the job for American troops overseas. Rogers told CBS News he has seen a post-mortem photo.

"The risks of release outweigh the benefits," he said. "Conspiracy theorists around the world will just claim the photos are doctored anyway, and there is a real risk that releasing the photos will only serve to inflame public opinion in the Middle East."

"Imagine how the American people would react if Al Qaeda killed one of our troops or military leaders, and put photos of the body on the internet," he continued. "Osama bin Laden is not a trophy - he is dead and let's now focus on continuing the fight until Al Qaida has been eliminated."

What's Obama talking about?

We saw images of our troops being dragged through the streets of Mogadishu. We don't have to imagine what it would be like.

I want to see a photo of bin Laden dead.

Something to go with these images:





Too gruesome?

Too inflammatory?

This from Obama, the man who undermined George W. Bush and his administration at every turn, showing no concern for how it would impact the American troops on the battlefield.

Give me a break!

Hopefully, Obama has the facts wrong about the photo, too. Hopefully, the White House will realize it's a mistake to fail to release a death photo of bin Laden.

Maybe this whole thing is just a dance to make it appear that Obama was forced to release a photo, even though he really didn't want to do it.

The allegedly gutsy Obama should show some guts.
_______________

I believe Osama bin Laden is dead.

I don't think Obama cooked up an elaborate scheme to jump-start his stalled presidency.

I don't think there's any attempt to fake bin Laden's death. There's no conspiracy, but I'm unsure about some aspects of how everything was handled.

There are some questioning the speedy burial at sea of bin Laden's remains according to Islamic law, like Sen. Lindsey Graham.



I think it's strange that the Obama administration is stressing that bin Laden was buried in a respectful manner and in accordance with Islamic law. This evil man who slaughtered thousands deserves no respect. Why try to avoid offending Muslims on the burial issue?

Obama said Sunday night:

Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader; he was a mass murderer of Muslims. Indeed, al Qaeda has slaughtered scores of Muslims in many countries, including our own. So his demise should be welcomed by all who believe in peace and human dignity.

Obama is saying bin Laden was the enemy of Muslims. Shouldn't Muslims around the world be cheering his demise and thanking the U.S. rather than being ready to criticize the U.S. for dissing him?

The U.S. hunted him down and killed him. This message that bin Laden had a respectful burial is weird.

ABC News reports:

The corpse was taken to the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, officials told ABC News. The ceremony, done according to Islamic law, began about 1:10 a.m. today EST and lasted about 45 minutes, according to officials.

Traditional washing of the body was followed by wrapping in white sheets. A military officer read religious remarks that were translated by a native Arabic speaker, then bin Laden was eased into the sea.

Officials said no other alternatives were available.

"We are ensuring that it is handled in accordance with Islamic practice and tradition," an administration official said. "This is something that we take very seriously. And so therefore this is being handled in an appropriate manner."

What? That's bizarre.

And why slip his corpse into the Arabian Sea so quickly, within 24 hours of killing him, given the circumstances?

That seems a bit hurried and odd to me, but I can accept it. As lame as it is to abide by Islamic rules for the enemy of Muslims, I do accept the government's story.

However, what I need is a photo. I need to see a photo of bin Laden dead.

It has nothing to do with doubts and conspiracies. I just need to see a photo of bin Laden dead.

From ABC News:

As elated crowds celebrated the death of Osama bin Laden after Navy SEALs killed the al-Qaida chief in a weekend raid in Pakistan some are asking, "Where's the proof?"

I wish I felt "elated," but I don't.

I'm glad our great, skilled, brave military brought the evil and cowardly bin Laden to justice. They're heroes.

We can be proud as one nation, but the war isn't over. This is a tremendous victory, but bin Laden's legacy concerns me.

Starting with the morning of September 11, 2001, and continuing today, we've seen many heroes, brave men and women putting themselves at risk to protect us. Thousands of Americans have died in the War on Terror, here at home and on the battlefield.

Bin Laden's dead but there is no peace.

Ending this one life doesn't begin to erase the pain and suffering of the thousands and thousands of bin Laden's victims.

Celebration doesn't seem right to me. It doesn't fit.

Photos depicting a bloodied and bruised face appearing to be that of bin Laden began appearing on Twitter and Facebook last night soon after news of his death spread across the Internet. According to Reuters, an archive photo of bin Laden at a news conference proves that image was a fake. Now people are asking to see the evidence proving bin Laden is dead.

"We have released a tremendous amount of information to date," Obama's top counterterrorism adviser John Brennan said. "At the same time we don't want to do anything that is going to compromise our ability to be as successful the next time one of these guys needs to be taken off the battlefield."

As for the releasing of death photographs, Brennan said that is "something to be determined." But he added they're going to do everything they can to prevent denials of bin Laden's death.

From Pakistan to the U.S. people expressed their skepticism about the death of the man who is perhaps the most infamous terrorist ever known.

"I won't believe it until I see it with my own eyes. Like Sadam I wouldn't have believed it until I saw his body," tweeted MaryGlazerOut.

Eric Solochier, 22, a senior at Penn State University said his dad was one of the firefighters who helped clean up New York City the day following 9/11, so bin Laden's death would be especially meaningful to him -- he wants to believe it, but he's not convinced.

"There has to be some sort of visual or DNA test. You can obviously photoshop anything you want," said Solochier. "They should submit video. It would be somewhat gruesome but it's something we should be able to see. "

I, too, want to see a photo.

It's not that I don't trust the government, but I need an image. Even though I know a photo could be doctored, I still think the Obama administration should let the world see bin Laden dead.

Right now, the images in my mind are the planes flying into the towers, the Pentagon in flames, and the Pennsylvania field smoldering. I see the people jumping from the World Trade Center - such horrific images. And then there are the funerals, all those images from the funerals.

The bin Laden chapter of the War on Terror won't be closed for me until I see him dead.

A photo is necessary.

I'll never get the images of 9/11 out of my head. I want the dead bin Laden to be there, too.
______________

UPDATE: The death photos

A Senior US Official tells CNN 10 hard drives, 5 computers and more than 100 storage devices which includes discs, DVDs and thumb drives were taken from the compound.

The senior us official also says the White House received 3 sets of photos yesterday. The photos included:

1. Photos of OBLs body at a hanger after he was brought back to Afghanistan. This is the most recognizable with a clear picture of his face. The picture is gruesome because he has a massive open head wound across both eyes. It’s very bloody and gory.

2. Photos from the burial at sea on the USS Carl Vinson. Photos of OBL before the shroud was put on and then wrapped in the shroud.

3. There are photos of the raid itself that include photos of the two dead brothers, one of OBLs dead son (adult adolescent, maybe approx 18 yrs old) and some of the inside scene of the compound.

The official says the challenge is that the picture that includes the most recognizable image of OBLs face – from the hangar in Afghanistan – is so gruesome and mangled its not appropriate for say the front page of the newspaper. On the other hand, this is the one that is most identifiable as him.

I really don't like to see gruesome photos of human beings that have been mangled, even monsters like bin Laden. But this is reality. It's history.

We have the right to see the images. One should have the choice to view them or not.

Inside Osama Bin Laden's Compound (Video)

ABC News has video from inside the Osama bin Laden "kill site," at Abbottabad, Pakistan.

It's literally a bloody mess.

Bin Laden's Death: Reaction

NBC News/MSNBC provides reaction to Osama bin Laden's death.

President George W. Bush

President Barack Obama called Bush in Dallas at 9:04 p.m. central time to inform him that bin Laden was dead and they spoke for four minutes, a Bush spokesman said.

The Sept. 11 attacks were a defining moment of Bush's presidency. He launched the war in Afghanistan and the hunt for bin Laden spanned the rest of his presidency. His statement:

"Earlier this evening, President Obama called to inform me that American forces killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of the al Qaeda network that attacked America on September 11, 2001. I congratulated him and the men and women of our military and intelligence communities who devoted their lives to this mission. They have our everlasting gratitude. This momentous achievement marks a victory for America, for people who seek peace around the world, and for all those who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001. The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakable message: No matter how long it takes, justice will be done."

Bonnie McEneaney, 57, wife of Eamon McEneaney, who died in the 9/11 attacks

"It doesn't bring back all the wonderful people who were killed 10 years ago. It's long overdue."

"I'm completely numb. I'm stunned," she told msnbc.com.

Jack Lynch, 75, who lost his son, New York City firefighter Michael Francis Lynch

"The first thought I had in my mind was that it didn't bring my son back. You cut the head off a snake, you'd think it would kill the snake. But someone will take his place. People like him still exist. The fact that he's gone is not going to stop terrorism."

"I understand that bin Laden was an evil person. He may have believed in what he was doing. I'm not going to judge him. I'm sure some people will look at this and they'll be gratified that he's dead, but me personally, I'm going to leave his fate in God's hands."

Lee Hanson, 78, of Easton, Conn., who lost his son, Peter, daughter-in-law, Sue, and 2 1/2 year-old granddaughter, Christine — the youngest victim of the 9/11 attacks.

They were aboard the second plane that hit the World Trade Center
"It's taken a while to do it, but we've done it. It's a really good thing to get out there — if you fool around with the U.S., you will be caught."

"Many segments wil try to avenge this ... There's still a great danger there."

Still, he said: "There's no such thing as closure."

New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg

"After September 11, 2001, we gave our word as Americans that we would stop at nothing to capture or kill Osama bin Laden. After the contribution of millions, including so many who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, we have kept that word.

"The killing of Osama bin Laden does not lessen the suffering that New Yorkers and Americans experienced at his hands, but it is a critically important victory for our nation - and a tribute to the millions of men and women in our armed forces and elsewhere who have fought so hard for our nation.

"New Yorkers have waited nearly ten years for this news. It is my hope that it will bring some closure and comfort to all those who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001."

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo

"The death of Osama Bin Laden is a historic moment that represents a major step in our country's efforts to defeat terrorism around the world and should bring a sense of justice to the victims of 9/11 and his other attacks.

"We will never forget those who were lost, their families and those who risked their lives to save others.

"New Yorkers endured Bin Laden's most devastating and destructive attack, and his death brings back the horrific images and emotions of that terrible day. However, his death also reminds us of our strength, courage, and unity as a people in our response to his actions.

"The Administration's vigilance and dedication to hunt down Osama Bin Laden has never wavered and I applaud their commitment to this cause. I also applaud our men and women in uniform who have fought tirelessly against terrorism and to defend freedom.

"The threat to our state and our nation unfortunately does not die with Osama Bin Laden. We must remain vigilant in preventing terror acts and continue to do everything to keep our state and nation safe and secure."

House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio

"This is great news for the security of the American people and a victory in our continued fight against al Qaeda and radical extremism around the world. We continue to face a complex and evolving terrorist threat, and it is important that we remain vigilant in our efforts to confront and defeat the terrorist enemy and protect the American people. I want to congratulate — and thank — the hard-working men and women of our Armed Forces and intelligence community for their tireless efforts and perseverance that led to this success. I also want to commend President Obama and his team, as well as President Bush, for all of their efforts to bring Osama bin Laden to justice."

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor

"Nearly a decade ago, in the days after 9/11, President Bush said, 'Whether we bring our enemies to justice or bring justice to our enemies, justice will be done.' Tonight, we've learned that justice has been done. The man with the blood of more than 3,000 Americans on his hands, the man who forced us to begin to think the unthinkable - is now dead.

"Families who lost loved ones at the hands of Bin Laden and his terrorist organization have grieved for far too long and this sends a signal that America will not tolerate terrorism in any form. The men and women of our armed forces and intelligence community have fought valiantly for the last decade and this is a major victory and testament to their dedication. I commend President Obama who has followed the vigilance of President Bush in bringing Bin Laden to justice. While this is no doubt a major event in our battle against terrorism, we will not relent in our fight against terror and our efforts to keep America safe and secure."

Rep. Peter T. King, R-N.Y., chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security

"I commend President Obama on the announcement of the killing of Osama bin Laden.

"Today, the American people have seen justice. The leader of the United States' top enemy has gotten what he deserves for orchestrating the deaths of nearly 3,000 innocent Americans on September 11, 2001.

"In 2001, President Bush said 'we will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail.' President Bush deserves great credit for putting action behind those words. President Obama deserves equal credit for his resolve in this long war against al-Qaeda.

"This great success would not have been possible without the tireless work of countless brave men and women who have served around the world in this War on Terror."

Sen.Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y.

"This is a thunderous strike for justice for the thousands of my fellow New Yorkers — and citizens from all over the world — who were murdered on 9/11. It took close to ten years, but the world's most wanted terrorist has finally met his deserved fate. New York's heart is still broken from the tragedy of 9/11, but this at least brings some measure of closure and consolation to the victims and their families.

"This is a massive accomplishment for the countless military and intelligence personnel who have been urgently dedicated to this task for the past decade. Because Bin Laden's evil dogma has poisoned the minds of so many others, we cannot let up in the war on terror. This successful mission sends a definitive message to those who would test the resolve of the people of the United States of America: do not doubt our resolve; if you do us harm, we will find you, we will mete out justice, and we will prevail."

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

"I am overjoyed that we finally got the world's top terrorist. The world is a better and more just place now that Osama bin Laden is no longer in it. I hope the families of the victims of the September 11th attacks will sleep easier tonight and every night hence knowing that justice has been done. I commend the President and his team, as well as our men and women in uniform and our intelligence professionals, for this superb achievement.

"But while we take heart in the news that Osama bin Laden is dead, we must be mindful that al-Qaeda and its terrorist allies are still lethal and determined enemies, and we must remain vigilant to defeat them."

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (she was national security adviser on 9/11)

"Absolutely thrilling. I am overwhelmed with gratitude and continue to be amazed at what our military has achieved."

British Prime Minister David Cameron

"Osama bin Laden was responsible for the worst terrorist atrocities the world has seen — for 9/11 and for so many attacks, which have cost thousands of lives, many of them British. It is a great success that he has been found and will no longer be able to pursue his campaign of global terror.

"The news that Osama bin Laden is dead will bring great relief to people across the world.

"But above all today, we should think of the victims of the poisonous extremism that this man has been responsible for. Of course, nothing will bring back those loved ones that families have lost to terror. But at least they know the man who was responsible for these appalling acts is no more."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

"This is a resounding triumph for justice, freedom and the values shared by all democratic nations fighting shoulder to shoulder in determination against terrorism."

Phillies Fans Cheer Bin Laden's Death (Video)

Geraldo Rivera and Osama Bin Laden's Death

Geraldo Rivera was thrilled to report that Osama bin Laden is dead.

It was as if he couldn't believe it when he learned the news and read it live on the air.

Transcript

GERALDO RIVERA: Stand by. Let's see. Hold on, hold on. I'm getting... what's this? Quick, quick.

(Reading)

'Senior Capitol Hill producer Chad Pergram confirms Osama bin Laden is dead. Senior Captiol Hill producer Chad Pergram confirms Osama bin Laden is dead.'

Can it be, ladies and gentlemen? Could it be?

Chad is one of the best in the business. He really is an extraordinary person. I just, I'm...

Hold it, hold it, hold it, hold it, hold it.

(Reading)

'Bin Laden is dead. Bin Laden is dead. Confirmed. Urgent. Confirmed. Bin Laden is dead. Multiple sources.'

Osama bin Laden is dead. Happy days! Happy days, everybody!

This is the greatest night of my career. The bum is dead, the savage who hurt us so grievously. And I am so blessed, I'm so privileged to be at this desk at this moment.

...I think that his continued existence on this earth, Osama bin Laden's continued existence on this earth has represented a continuing humiliation to the United States of America. He defied President George W. Bush, 43, and President Barack Obama, president 44, for all this time.

I don't care if he died falling into, you know, a mud hole or hitting his head on a car. The fact that he is dead, and we have multiple sources...

...Isn't that wonderful news? Isn't this a brilliant way to start your week?

FOX News is confirming, our senior Capitol Hill producer Chad Pergram, citing multiple sources, that the terror mastermind, the nightmare, America's long nightmare... how wonderful is it that as we approach the tenth anniversary of September 11th...?

And I remember my kids' elementary school, we lost at least a half a dozen dads who worked for Cantor Fitzgerald and some of these other companies on Wall Street on 9/11, that's why I came to FOX News, to pursue and watch that monster being removed, being punished.

It is beyond joy that I bring you... I wish I could confirm it with my own eyes and my own reporter's notebook.

I trust Chad Pergram totally, and I want very much to get him on the phone. I want to hear it from his, his voice.

...All right. Chad's on the phone now. Chad Pergram...

CHAD PERGRAM: Hello.

RIVERA: Chad, let's have it. Let's have it. What do you know?

PERGRAM: I am told by multiple sources on Capitol Hill that Osama bin Laden is dead. That's the bottom line here.

Rivera was giddy.

Video.

Bin Laden's Abbottabad Mansion Burning (Video)

This is what justice looks like.

Celebrating Bin Laden's Death, White House (Video)

Geraldo Rivera speaks with people outside the White House celebrating Osama bin Laden's death.



The crowd chants "U-S-A! U-S-A!"

Osama Bin Laden: DEAD

"Whether we bring our enemies to justice, or bring justice to our enemies, justice will be done."

--George W. Bush, Address to a Joint Session of Congress and the American People, September 20, 2001

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Obama announced tonight that Osama bin Laden was killed by a U.S. military operation.

It took ten years, but U.S. Special Forces got him.

The liberal media spin is predictable.

The man behind the suicide hijack attacks of September 11, 2001, and who U.S. officials said late on Sunday was dead, was the nemesis of former President George W. Bush, who pledged to take him "dead or alive" and whose two terms were dominated by a "war on terror" against his al Qaeda network.

Bush failed. Obama succeeded.

Lame.

We know Obama didn't want bin Laden alive.

He wanted him dead. Obama wouldn't know what to do with him if he were taken alive.

Obama's speech announcing the successful mission to kill bin Laden was rather self-serving. HE gave the order and don't forget it.

Watch video of Obama's announcement.



He definitely wants the nation to give him credit. Obama does deserve credit for basically keeping up the pressure on bin Laden by continuing President Bush's policies.

I'm so grateful to the brave men and women fighting the War on Terror, protecting us.

What bothers me is that some Leftist pundits are suggesting bin Laden's death will change American policy, as if the threat from RADICAL Islam is no more.

That's incredibly naive. I would think the threat of retaliation is greater now. I don't feel safer. We can't let our guard down.

Bin Laden's death is a great accomplishment. It's a milestone.

I hope it brings some peace to the loved ones of the victims of 9/11. I hope they feel a sense that justice has been done.

Bin Laden is dead but the war he declared against the U.S. isn't over.

LISTEN

Victim, office worker Melissa Doi talks to an operator. (MP3, 31:19 min., 12.8 MB)

Fire chief requests help as cell phone networks failed. (MP3, 2:58 min., 1.7 MB)

"One of the towers just collapsed." (MP3, 26 sec., 264 K)

EMS dispatchers take calls from workers. (MP3, 2:08 min., 1.2 MB)

WATCH

Plane hits the North Tower

Plane hits the South Tower

NBC Today Show live coverage of 2nd plane hitting the WTC

South Tower collapses

North Tower collapses

God bless America.

Obama Bumps Trump

Tonight's episode of The Celebrity Apprentice was reaching a crescendo.

Who would be fired?

NeNe?

Star?

Hope?

NBC ran a crawl saying Obama would make an important statement at 10:30 ET. The network broke into programming about 10:45 ET.

Still no announcement from Obama, just babbling by Andrea Mitchell, Chuck Todd, David Gregory, and Brian Williams.

There was absolutely no reason to preempt normal programming at that time.

Osama bin Laden is dead.

Great!

Did the DNA tests positively identifying bin Laden come back tonight?

What happened in the boardroom?

Willie Nelson: Another 9/11 Conspiracy Nut

Add Willie Nelson to the list of 9/11 conspiracy nuts.

Paul Joseph Watson writes:

Straight talking American icon Willie Nelson today told a national radio show that he thought the twin towers were imploded like condemned Las Vegas casino buildings, as the country music superstar voiced his doubts about the official 9/11 story.

Agreeing with host Alex Jones that he questioned the official story, Nelson elaborated, "I saw those towers fall and I’ve seen an implosion in Las Vegas - there’s too much similarities between the two, and I saw a building fall that didn’t get hit by nothing," added Nelson, referring to WTC Building 7 which collapsed in the late afternoon of September 11.

"How naive are we - what do they think we’ll go for?," asked Nelson, pointing out that his doubts began on the very day of 9/11.

"I saw one fall and it was just so symmetrical, I said wait a minute I just saw that last week at the casino in Las Vegas and you see these implosions all the time and the next one fell and I said hell there’s another one - and they’re trying to tell me that an airplane did it and I can’t go along with that," said Nelson.

More than anything else that comes from the fringe Left, this sort of stuff really bugs me.

I can't stand hearing Rosie O'Donnell or Charlie Sheen or Willie Nelson talk about our government being responsible for the destruction on 9/11.

It's so twisted.



Really, really inappropriate.

They're damn lucky to be Americans. In other countries, someone making those sort of allegations would be promptly imprisoned or executed.

2/26 WAS AN INSIDE JOB

On February 26, 1993, a car bomb was detonated in the underground parking garage of the World Trade Center, Tower One. Six people were killed and at least 1,042 were wounded as a result of the explosion.

The mainstream media bought into the Clinton administration's line that the attack was the work of Islamic terrorists.

Of course, Islamic terrorists weren't behind the bombing.

It was an inside job.

Bill Clinton knew about it. So did Hillary. In fact, it was her idea. She was concerned that Bill was elected president without receiving a majority of the vote. She thought it was necessary to spread fear in order to get the country behind them.

I think Clinton should have been impeached for his lies. Oh, that's right. He was impeached; but not for his lies about 2/26.

Have you ever seen the bumper sticker, "2/26 was an inside job"?

I HAVEN'T EITHER.

But I have seen the "9/11 was an inside job" model.

It makes me positively sick. Last week, I saw one slapped on a car in a parking lot at a Menard's.

We stopped in at the store just minutes before closing. It wasn't long after we entered that the announcement was made that the store would be closing in five minutes. Customers were instructed to bring their merchandise to the check out lanes.

It was after we left the store that I saw the bumper sticker. The parking lot was practically deserted so it was very easy to spot.

It really made me angry. Part of me wanted to wait to see what kind of lowlife would get into that car. We didn't. We just drove away.

I was thinking about what type of person is willing to broadcast, via a car's bumper, that he or she believes that the horrific 9/11 attacks, the deaths of thousands of innocents, was carried out by the U.S. government.

It has to be an absolute loon.

Say what you will about Clinton's detractors, I don't believe they ever became so deranged that they organized a 2/26 Truth Movement, one that included professors teaching at some of the nation's most prestigious universities.

Even Clinton himself angrily spoke out against 9/11 Truthers who were interrupting him at a speech. He wouldn't tolerate the suggestion that the government plotted and slaughtered thousands of its citizens.

From Hot Air:

Clinton’s 50-minute speech, which started about an hour behind schedule, was derailed briefly by several hecklers in the audience who shouted that the 2001 terrorist attacks were a fraud. Rather than ignoring them, Clinton seemed to relish a direct confrontation.

“A fraud? No, it wasn’t a fraud,” Clinton said, as the crowd cheered him on. “I’ll be glad to talk to you if you shut up and let me talk.”

When another heckler shouted that the attacks were an “inside job,” Clinton took even greater umbrage.

“An inside job? How dare you. How dare you. It was not an inside job,” Clinton said. “You guys have got to be careful, you’re going to give Minnesota a bad reputation.”

I don't believe that 2/26 was an inside job.

The notion is unfathomable to me.

I disagree with the Clintons on many, many issues. But there is no way that I believe Bill or Hillary or anyone in the Clinton administration would have staged a terrorist attack intended to kill tens of thousands of people.

I don't get how people can believe that President Bush and his administration orchestrated the 9/11 attacks.

I don't get how they can even entertain the possibility that it was an inside job.

I can't stand seeing those bumper stickers. I really can't.

Thomas Friedman, Stop the Stupidity!

In case you didn't know, "9/11 is over."

Thomas Friedman says so. He has officially declared it to be dead and buried.

Why does he think that we need to get over it?

He says, "9/11 has made us stupid."

Really?

Stupid, huh?

He thinks that the next president should have nothing to do with 9/11 and all that ensuing stupidity.

So, Friedman will not be voting for Rudy Giuliani.

He vows to vote for a "9/12 candidate" instead.

He writes:

I honor, and weep for, all those murdered on that day. But our reaction to 9/11 — mine included — has knocked America completely out of balance, and it is time to get things right again.

It is not that I thought we had new enemies that day and now I don’t. Yes, in the wake of 9/11, we need new precautions, new barriers. But we also need our old habits and sense of openness. For me, the candidate of 9/12 is the one who will not only understand who our enemies are, but who we are.

Before 9/11, the world thought America’s slogan was: “Where anything is possible for anybody.” But that is not our global brand anymore. Our government has been exporting fear, not hope: “Give me your tired, your poor and your fingerprints.”

...We can’t afford to keep being this stupid! We have got to get our groove back. We need a president who will unite us around a common purpose, not a common enemy. Al Qaeda is about 9/11. We are about 9/12, we are about the Fourth of July — which is why I hope that anyone who runs on the 9/11 platform gets trounced.

Friedman isn't really calling for a 9/12 candidate with a 9/12 mindset and a 9/12 agenda.

It seems that he doesn't want a 9/12 candidate at all, because Rudy Giuliani is a 9/12 candidate. He promises to fight the terrorists and protect the country, as do other tough on terror candidates.

What Friedman is really looking for is a 9/10 candidate.

He doesn't get that, like it or not, 9/11 is part of "who we are." We can't wish it away and it's most definitely not over.

That 9/11 was such a headache for Friedman; and if that wasn't bad enough, he's upset that it made us stupid.

Stop the Stupidity!

Friedman cheerleads for getting "our groove back."

He believes that won't happen unless we quit letting 9/11 define us.

There's a problem with that. 9/11 does define us because it isn't over.

It's not over anymore than Pearl Harbor was over until Japan surrendered after years of war, including two atomic bombs, to end the fight that the Japanese started.

Friedman says that we are about the Fourth of July. That's true. We are.

The Fourth of July is about declaring our independence. A hard-fought war followed that declaration. Other wars were fought to maintain that independence and those inalienable rights that we cherish. In that respect, the War on Terror is no different.

Friedman may think that 9/11 is over, but the Islamic extremists don't. If they have it their way, there's more 9/11 in store for us.

Friedman is wrong. 9/11 didn't make us stupid.

Friedman, and those of his ilk, are stupid about 9/11.

Ahmadinejad to Meet with 9/11 Families, War Critics

Anti-Semite, Holocaust-denier Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is on his way to the United States.

From the Islamic Republic News Agency:

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, heading a high-ranking delegation, left Tehran for New York on Sunday to take part in the 62nd session of the United Nations General Assembly.

During his stay in New York, the president is scheduled to address the assembly and hold talks with the UN secretary general as well as presidents and senior officials of several countries on the sidelines of the UN meeting.

Delivering a speech at Colombia University, and holding discussions with a number of American Muslim, Jewish and Christian leaders will be among his other programs.

The president will also have interviews with a number of leading US media.

Meanwhile, he is to hold talks with Iranian expatriates residing in New York.

The head of the Supreme Leader's Office, Mohammad Mohammadi Golpayegani, First Vice-President Parviz Davoudi and a number of ministers saw the president off at Mehrabad International Airport.

Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki left Tehran for New York on Friday to take part in the UN General Assembly session.

Minister of Justice and Government spokesman Gholam-Hossein Elham, several Foreign Ministry officials and a number of MPs are accompanying the president in this trip.

Note that the IRNA doesn't know how to spell "Columbia." What a top notch news agency!

The IRNA isn't really a news outlet. It's Ahmadinejad's propaganda outlet. It's like what NBC - CBS - ABC - CNN - MSNBC - New York Times - Washington Post are to the Democrats in the U.S.

Check out this report:

Report: Iran's Ahmadinejad to meet 9/11 survivors

After having been rejected by the United States administration to visit the site of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is now planning to meet the families of the 9/11 victims, Fars news agency reported.

Fars, which is close to the presidential office, further reported that Ahmadinejad would also meet US war critics and give a speech at the University of Columbia and answer to questions by students and lecturers.

The Fars report has not yet been officially confirmed.

I hope it's officially confirmed as inaccurate.


(h/t Dad29)

60 Minutes: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Scott Pelley

Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is making another appearance on 60 Minutes.

I guess since they can't get away with using forged documents to support trumped up stories, producers take solace in airing an interview with a sponsor of terrorism, a Holocaust denier, and a liar.

It was just over a year ago when Mike Wallace interviewed Ahmadinejad. Of course, Wallace was used by Ahmadinejad as a propaganda tool, and Wallace cooperated fully.

This time around, Scott Pelley will be doing the interview.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will not press his plan -- just denied by New York City police for security reasons -- to visit ground zero in New York City, he tells 60 Minutes' Scott Pelley in an exclusive interview conducted Thursday in Iran.

The Iranian leader says he's skeptical that most Americans view his visit there as insulting as his intention was only to show respect. The interview will be broadcast Sunday, Sept. 23, at 7 p.m. ET/PT.

...Asked if he intends to press his request to visit the site, Ahmadinejad tells Pelley, "Well, it was included in my program. If we have the time and the conditions are conducive, I will try to do that."

"But the New York Police Department and others do not appear to want you there. Do you intend to go there anyway?" Pelley asks.

"Well, over there, local officials need to make the necessary coordinations. If they can't do that, I won't insist," the president replies.

"Sir, what were you thinking? The World Trade Center site is the most sensitive place in the American heart, and you must have known that visiting there would be insulting to many, many Americans," Pelley says.

"Why should it be insulting?" Ahmadinejad asks.

"Well, sir, you're the head of government of an Islamist state that the United States government says is a major exporter of terrorism around the world," Pelley replies.

Ahmadinejad says: "Well, I wouldn't say that what American government says is a-- is the prerequisite here. Something happened there which led to other events. Many innocent people were killed there. Some of those people were American citizens obviously. We obviously are very much against any terrorist action and any killing. And also we are very much against any plots to sow the seeds of discord among nations. Usually you go to these sites to pay your respects. And-- also to perhaps to air your views about the root causes of such incidents. I think that when I do that, I will be paying, as I said earlier, my respect to the American nation."

"But the American people, sir, believe that your country is a terrorist nation, exporting terrorism in the world," Pelley says. "You must have known that visiting the World Trade Center site would infuriate many Americans."

"Well, I'm amazed. How can you speak for the whole of the American nation?" Ahmadinejad says. "You are representing a media and you're a reporter. The American nation is made up of 300 million people. There are different points of view over there."

It's interesting that Ahmadinejad believes that he has supporters in America, in spite of what Pelley had to say.

Why would he think that? Why would Ahmadinejad think that Americans are on his side?

He most likely gets that impression from the Democrats. They're on the same page when it comes to Iraq and President Bush.

Naturally, he thinks Americans support him. Some do.

He has an invitation to speak at the prestigious Columbia University on Monday.

Not everyone is happy about that.

From the New York Times:

The university, while standing behind its invitation, came under harsh criticism yesterday from presidential candidates, the New York City Council, Jewish organizations and others for giving Mr. Ahmadinejad a public stage.

...Columbia officials faced harsh criticism yesterday from two Republican presidential hopefuls, Senator John McCain and Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor. City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn urged the university to withdraw the invitation, saying that Mr. Ahmadinejad was “here for one reason: to spread his hate-mongering vitriol on the world stage.”

But William V. Campbell, chairman of the Columbia board of trustees, defended the decision to have the Iranian president appear. “The freedom of our deans and faculty to create challenging and even controversial programs for our students is essential and sets a powerful example to the world about the strength of American universities and society,” he said.

...The only doubts about Mr. Ahmadinejad’s scheduled appearance at Columbia came yesterday from his government. Mohammad Mohammadi, a spokesman for the Iranian mission to the United Nations, said that Mr. Ahmadinejad’s schedule in New York was “still under discussion” and that his appearance at the Columbia forum could be canceled.

Columbia said yesterday that it was expecting a full house of 600 for the Monday forum, and was looking for ways to accommodate a larger audience.

Columbia said Lee C. Bollinger, its president, would introduce the event, which is part of the university’s World Leaders Forum, and challenge some of the Iranian president’s statements, including his call for the destruction of the state of Israel.

I know it's not certain at this time, but for the sake of discussion, let's say that Ahmadinejad does speak at Columbia.

Will there be an opportunity for members of the audience to ask questions?

If so, will Andrew Meyer be there?
____________________

Bollinger's Office
212-854-9970
____________________

Read Hugh Hewitt's column, "Columbia's Disgrace."

Columbia University was once led by Dwight D. Eisenhower. It is easy to guess what Ike would have though of the fanatic who will grace the campus Monday unless the Trustees of that university come to their collective senses and instruct the president, Lee Bollinger, to rescind this outrageous invitation. Ike had experience with Holocaust deniers:

When General Eisenhower learned about [Buchenwald], he immediately arranged to meet Generals Bradley and Patton at Ohrdruf on the morning of April 12th. By that time, Buchenwald itself had been captured. Consequently, Ike decided to extend the group’s visit to include a tour of the Buchenwald extermination camp the next day. Eisenhower also ordered every American soldier in the area who was not on the front lines to visit Ohrdruf and Buchenwald. He wanted them to see for themselves what they were fighting against.

During the camp inspections with his top commanders Eisenhower said that the atrocities were “beyond the American mind to comprehend.” He ordered that every citizen of the town of Gotha personally tour the camp and, after having done so, the mayor and his wife went home and hanged themselves. Later on Ike wrote to Mamie, “I never dreamed that such cruelty, bestiality, and savagery could really exist in this world.” He cabled General Marshall to suggest that he come to Germany and see these camps for himself. He encouraged Marshall to bring Congressmen and journalists with him. It would be many months before the world would know the full scope of the Holocaust — many months before they knew that the Nazi murder apparatus that was being discovered at Buchenwald and dozens of other death camps had slaughtered millions of innocent people.

General Eisenhower understood that many people would be unable to comprehend the full scope of this horror. He also understood that any human deeds that were so utterly evil might eventually be challenged or even denied as being literally unbelievable. For these reasons he ordered that all the civilian news media and military combat camera units be required to visit the camps and record their observations in print, pictures and film. As he explained to General Marshall, “I made the visit deliberately, in order to be in a position to give first-hand evidence of these things if ever, in the future, there develops a tendency to charge these allegations merely to ‘propaganda.’”

His prediction proved correct. When some groups, even today, attempt to deny that the Holocaust ever happened they are must confront the massive official record, including both written evidence and thousands of pictures, that Eisenhower ordered to be assembled when he saw what the Nazis had done.

Eisenhower understood how propaganda worked, how the Nazis had used it through the '30s and the war, and how evil men would use it again in the future.

One such evil man is Ahmadinejad. It is inconceivable that Columbia will allow this anti-Semitic blowhard a podium, or in any way add to his prestige at a time when the world is attempting to halt this gangster state's illegal acquisition of nuclear weapons.

But what is truly outrageous is that Columbia does not see the deep dishonor it is doing to the men and women killed and wounded by the machinations of this man and the regime he represents. Some of those casualties of Iranian intrigue have come in Iraq just this year.

But Ahmadinejad’s rogue state has been killing Americans for far longer than that, and using terror against us since the presidency of Jimmy Carter.

Hewitt asks:

But what is it about academia that robs its elites of basic decency towards their fellow citizens that he would invite one of their murderers to grace the stage at one of the nation's greatest universities?

Where is the outrage among the faculty and the students? Where are the parents of the students?

Where are the Trustees and the alumni?

This should not stand.

Good questions.