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Happy Flag Day, y’all, Jebediah here. On the front page of the New York Slimes this AM, under their “News from AP & Al Reuters” are two headlines:
Indonesia Release Militant Islamic Cleric
Indonesia Volcano Back On Highest Alert Level
Happenstance? Karma? I wonder if the Webmaster understood what he was putting on the page, or if they just happened to be slapped out there.
Of course, in the first story, the title is partly refutted:
A reputed top leader of an al-Qaida-linked terror group that has been blamed for the 2002 Bali bombings and other deadly attacks walked free from prison Wednesday to cries of ”God is great” from cheering supporters.
So, not a militant. A terrorist. A point surely lost on the liberals at the Times.
”I thank Allah that I am free today,” a smiling Bashir said after emerging from a scrum of supporters and journalists waiting outside the gates of Jakarta’s Cipinang prison. ”I call on all Muslims to unite behind one goal, that is the implementation of Sharia law.”
Where are all the ACLU folks and Civil Rights liberals who should be decrying this kind of talk, which makes no separation between State and Church? Where are the womens rights groups decrying the despicable treatment of women under Sharia law? They are silent in their hypocrisy.
The USA and Australia are rightly upset about Bashir’s release, particularly because 80 Australians where killed in the Bali bombings. He is not a nice person
 Jemaah Islamiyah is accused of carrying out church bombings across Indonesia in 2000, the 2002 Bali bombings, attacks in the Indonesian capital in 2003 and 2004, and a triple suicide bombing on Bali last October. The attacks together killed more than 260 people.
All in all, if you read the full article, I’m surprised it made it into print at all, considering the AP and Times’ take on “militants.”
 No evidence has ever been presented linking him to the execution, preparation or commission of terror attacks, and most analysts agree he had little operational role within Jemaah Islamiyah after 2002, often describing him as a spiritual leader.
Ah. That’s it. The writers are giving Bashir the benefit of the doubt that they refuse to give people like Delay and Rove, who happen to be Americans. Interesting.
The volcano story stands on its own. ‘Taint looking good. ‘Taint looking good at all.
I love it! They said Katrina was America’s punishment….now I guess it’s coming back to haunt them! Good call, Teach.
And next up, this guy will blow some more stuff up, and the Indonesian gov’t will wonder what happened.