Military Judge Puts Obama Administration in a Pickle

A military judge has refused the request of the Obama Administration to put the trial of a man accused of attacking the USS Cole in 2000 on hold for 120 days. The accused, Abu al-Nashiri, is currently held in Guantanamo Bay and the Obama Administration is trying to figure what to do with the detainees in light of a recent executive order to close the facility within one year. The judge's decision deals a blow to the administration's plans of halting all proceedings while determining whether the detainees are going to be released, transferred to a different facility or prosecuted under a different set of rules.

Abu al-Nashiri is scheduled to be arraigned on February 9th and, due to the judge's refusal, the only way his proceedings will stop is if the judge presiding over the entire military tribunal process dismisses all charges without prejudice. While such dismissal will not prevent the Pentagon from reinstating the charges in a future proceeding, such move will undoubted delay his trial and will open the floodgates of motions to dismiss from the other detainees' defense counsel.

Who would have ever thought that within a two to three week period after Barack Obama became President, not only would Guantanamo Bay be closed, but that all the charges against some or all of the detainees would be dismissed? Are we in the twilight zone? Did the events of September 11, 2001 ever occur or was it just a dream? I am thinking that there are many in our current administration who think it was all just a bad dream, which we all finally woke up from when George W. Bush rode off into the Texas sunset.

Folks, I wish it were a dream. I wish it was just a really bad nightmare. But it's not. It's reality and I am not sure if enough of our politicians are living in reality. Our administration has 357 days to figure out what it's going to do with these detainees. With over 60 former detainees returning to terrorism after their release, some of which are now top leaders of Al-Qaida, anything short of prosecuting and putting these detainees away for life will only make our country less safe. Let's hope President Obama does the right thing.

Valentine's Day Cards and Messages for Our Troops

Do you remember when you were in grade school and you hoped to receive a Valentines from that special someone? And then when you didn't, how sad you were? Well, here's an opportunity to make a soldier feel special on Valentine's Day.

Valentines For Troops is a website which promotes sending Valentine's Day cards or other messages to our troops. It's co-founder, Shauna Fleming, is asking individuals, schools, churches and businesses to participate by having their students, congregations and customers make a Valentine, write a letter, email message or prayer note and mail it to a service member by going to www.anysoldier.com where you can get an address for a soldier. There are also drop off sites listed on the Valentines For Troops website.

What a great idea for those service men and women who don't have a spouse or significant other to think of them during the upcoming holiday. It doesn't take much effort and you will surely be putting a smile on someone's face.

How To Fold the Flag

We, at Shining Star Flags & Bandanas, are often asked, "How do you properly fold the flag?" Believe it or not, there is a specific method in which to fold the flag. This method ensures that only the blue field is visible.

For step-by-step instructions, click on the attached image.

This is how the military, the boy scouts and other organizations fold the flag, With a little practice, you can master the technique.

If you have trouble viewing the above image, you may also click How to Fold the Flag for similar instructions without any picture examples.

The Military Minute: Reconstruction Boom in Iraq

We all have heard by now about the reduced level of violence in Iraq despite the mainstream media's reluctance to report on it. Iraq is largely ignored in the media because Americans are not dying left and right every day. You'd think the media would want to report on the successes we've had there, but anything that could possibly give credit to President George W. Bush is verboten.

It is my intention to provide a weekly dose of success in Iraq. This blog may not get the exposure of Fox News or CNN but it needs to start somewhere. If you like what you read, send a link to the various posts to your friends. Let's spread the word.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Gulf Region Division (GRD) is responsible for all of the reconstruction projects in Iraq. GRD-managed construction projects employ 25,000 to 30,000 Iraqis per day and approximately 75% of it's active contracts are awarded to Iraqi businesses. Since January 2004, 4,400 Iraqi construction projects valued at nearly $7 billion have been completed. The GRD's reconstruction projects are providing Iraqis essential services such as water, energy, education, security, health care facilities and transportation.

Some of the GRD's specific successes are as follows:

• expansion of the electrical power plant at Qudas, north of Baghdad (providing power to an additional 180,000 homes)
• turning over 132 health clinics and 41 hospitals to the Iraqi Ministry of Health
• building or renovating over 1,100 schools
• renovating dormitories, classrooms and the auditorium at a 1,400-student vocational school in Iskandaria, south of Baghdad

Our military is making life significantly better than it ever was for the Iraqis while at the same time fighting insurgents who abhor democracy and freedom.

I guarantee you that if we got a daily dose of this kind of good news from the mainstream media, the poll numbers of the people who not only think the war in Iraq is going well, but actually support the war, would go up dramatically.

History will be the judge of this war and I personally think it will be kind.

Source: Department of Defense

Product Review: Historical Flags

Are you a history buff? Do you love American history, especially about the founding and development of this country? Well, if so, Shining Star Flags & Bandanas has flags just for you.

We have 20 historical flags for your choosing, many having to do with different periods of the United States. Do you remember the Alamo? How about Bunker Hill? Don't forget the flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the Star Spangled Banner. All of our historical flags are made with 100% nylon and come in one size only – 3'x5'. As always, they are 100% made in the United States of America.

Click Historical Flags to see our wide selection of choices and get a piece of history.

The War on Terror is Over

In the first days of his presidency, President Obama has signed executive orders effectively ending the War on Terror. Gitmo will be closed within one year, the CIA will need to abide by the Army Field Manual in their interrogations, all overseas prisons used by the CIA will be closed and every single legal order and opinion on interrogations issued by any lawyer in the executive branch since September 11, 2001 has been rendered null and void.

Folks, the date today is September 10, 2001 and so it will be with each and every date hereafter. We have lost the will to fight this extremely adept enemy. I liken it to a high school student succumbing to peer pressure in an effort to be popular with the other students. Our new administration is so concerned about what Europe, Arab countries and human rights organizations think about us, it's inevitable that our safety will be compromised.

What's going to happen the next time we are attacked? Will we go after the terrorists? If so, how? Will it be a law enforcement matter? If we catch them, where are we going to send them? How are we going to get the crucial intelligence of possible future attacks knowing that Al-Qaida had planned a wave of attacks after 9/11? These individuals are willing to die in order to kill Americans. Do you think that they will tell interrogators of future attack plans if we just ask them nicely or offer them some incentive? It's not going to happen. The National Security Council has stated that even Usama bin Laden or a high-ranking terrorist planner would be shielded from aggressive interrogation techniques. It's over, my friends. We might as well pack up our troops in Afghanistan and bring them home.

During his inaugural address, President Obama stated,

"As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals . . . . And for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you."

We will defeat them? How?

The USO: More Than Just a Concert Promoter

If you ask the average person what the USO does, you would probably be told that they get celebrities to put on concerts for the troops. And they'd be right. But, the USO does much more than that. Since WWII, the USO has been a steadfast supporter of military personnel around the world. It's main mission is to boost the morale of service members and serve as a link between them and the American people. Morale is certainly boosted when a famous singer travels around the world to sing for the troops or when a comedian performs his or her stand up routine. However, the USO also provides services to 1.4 million active duty personnel and 1.2 million National Guard and Reserves as well as their families in over 130 centers around the world. These services include, but are not limited to, information referral services, Internet and email access, housing and emergency assistance and support groups. For a comprehensive list of services and programs provided by the USO, click What We Do.

You can have a direct and positive impact on the lives of the troops and their families by donating your time or money. Without the financial backing of supporters, the USO would not be able to provide the programs, services, entertainment and “touch of home” to the troops and their families worldwide. To learn how you can help support the USO and the troops, click How to Help.

We all say “Support the Troops” but now is the time to actually support them by our actions rather than our words.