Thursday, September 07, 2006

David Lee Pruim 9/11 Memorial

David Lee Pruim, 53 From Upper Montclair New JerseyKilled on 9/11 in the attack on the World Trade Center.

This is a tribute to you . May God bless you.

http://www.jimlynch.com/911/america-attacked3.html
911-Memorial




Special thanks toKatie Favazza of massive blogger initiative
http://www.desertwebcenter.com/911_memorial2002.html
Jimlynch.com

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

David Lee Pruim 9/11 Memorial

David Lee Pruim, 53 From Upper Montclair New Jersey

Killed on 9/11 in the attack on the World Trade Center.

This is a tribute to you in a small way. May God bless you.

911-Memorial




Special thanks to
http://www.desertwebcenter.com/911_memorial2002.html

Sunday, August 27, 2006

GOOD NEWS ! !


http://apnews.myway.com/article/20060827/D8JOPCEO0.html

Kidnapped Fox News Journalists Freed
Email this StoryAug 27, 8:55 AM (ET)By IBRAHIM BARZAK
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20060827/D8JOPCEO0.html

(AP) Fox News journalists Olaf Wiig, 36, from New Zealand, right, and Steve Centann, center, are seen...Full Image

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GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - Militants freed two Fox News journalists on Sunday in the Gaza Strip, ending a nearly two week hostage drama in which one of the former captives said they were forced at gunpoint to make statements, including that they had converted to Islam.
Correspondent Steve Centanni, 60, of Washington, D.C., and cameraman Olaf Wiig, 36, of New Zealand, were dropped off at Gaza City's Beach Hotel by Palestinian security officials. A tearful Centanni briefly embraced a Palestinian journalist in the lobby, then rushed upstairs with Wiig behind him.
The pair, who appeared to be in good health, then met with Palestinian officials, including Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh. The three men sat in a circle of chairs at the hotel, before the journalists held a news conference, then left and crossed into Israel.
"I want to thank everybody. I am happy to be here. I hope that this never scares a single journalist away from coming to Gaza to cover the story because the Palestinian people are very beautiful and kind hearted," Centanni told reporters. "The world needs to know more about them. Don't be discouraged."

(AP) This undated image from video, released by Fox News, shows Fox correspondent Steve Centanni, a U.S....Full ImageWiig also said he was worried that the kidnapping would scare off reporters.
"My biggest concern really is that as a result of what happened to us foreign journalists will be discouraged from coming to tell the story and that would be a great tragedy for the people of Palestine," Wiig said. "You guys need us on the streets, and you need people to be aware of the story."
Wiig's wife, Anita McNaught, thanked Palestinian officials and Fox News for their efforts in getting the men released. The men refused to take questions, then traveled to the Erez and left Gaza.
In a phone call with Fox News, Centanni said that during his capture, he was held at times face down in a dark garage, tied up in painful positions, and that he and Wiig were forced at gunpoint to make statements, including that they had converted to Islam.
"I'm a little emotional because this is overwhelming, but I'm fine," Centanni said. "I'm so happy to be freed."

(AP) This undated image from video, released by Fox News, shows Fox correspondent Steve Centanni, a U.S....Full ImageThe journalists had been seized in Gaza City on Aug. 14 by a previously unknown group calling itself the Holy Jihad Brigades. However, senior Palestinian security officials said Sunday the name was a front for local militants, and that Palestinian authorities had known the identity of the kidnappers from the start.
Haniyeh also confirmed the kidnappers were from Gaza, squashing speculation that al-Qaida had directed the abduction. "The kidnappers have no link to al-Qaida or any other organization or faction," Haniyeh said. "Al-Qaida as an organization does not exist in the Gaza Strip."
In the past two years, Palestinian militants have seized more than two dozen foreigners, usually to settle personal scores, but released them unharmed within hours. The Fox journalists had been held longest.
It remained unclear whether the kidnappers had ties to Hamas or the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, a violent offshoot of Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement. A third group, the Popular Resistance Committees, claimed Sunday it had helped mediate the release of the journalists.
In chaotic Gaza, gunmen often change their affiliation or form splinter groups. Their agendas are often driven by personal issues, including jobs and power for their clans, rather than by ideology.
Haniyeh was evasive Sunday when asked whether he would try to arrest the kidnappers. Before Hamas ousted Fatah in March, it had frequently criticized the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority for cutting deals with kidnappers and letting them go without punishment.
It was not clear whether a deal had been struck with the kidnappers of the Fox journalists. The kidnappers initially demanded the release of all Muslims imprisoned by the U.S. by midnight Saturday (5 p.m. EDT) in exchange for the journalists.
The Hamas-led Palestinian Authority had insisted it had no clue about the identity of the kidnappers.
However, in recent days, Hamas government officials signaled that the release of the journalists was imminent and that they had won assurances from the kidnappers that the hostages were being treated well.
On Sunday, before the journalists' release, a new video was released, showing Wiig and Centanni dressed in beige Arab-style robes. Wiig delivered an anti-Western speech, his face expressionless and his tone halting. The kidnappers claimed both men had converted to Islam.
Several hours later, the two men were dropped off at the Beach Hotel, wearing Western-style clothing. Wiig walked into the lobby behind Centanni, briefly turned when someone pulled him by the arm and shouted "get off" before heading upstairs.
"We were forced to convert to Islam at gunpoint," Centanni later told Fox. "Don't get me wrong here. I have the highest respect for Islam, and I learned a lot of good things about it, but it was something we felt we had to do because they had the guns, and we didn't know what the hell was going on."

Friday, August 25, 2006


From: Michelle Malkins blog.
----------------------------------------
Another vile, anti-Fox diatribe
By Michelle Malkin · August 25, 2006 01:33 PM
Move over, Bob Laurence. Former Snohomish County, Wash., Democrat party official Mike Whitney has taken your place as anti-Fox News Channel scum of the week. From "uruknet.info," a pro-terrorist propaganda outlet deemed a legitimate news source by Google News:
Are FOX employee’s innocent bystanders or an integral part of the American war machine? That may turn out to be an important question now that 2 FOX workers have been captured by a group of Palestinian militants.
It would be hard, if not impossible to draw a line of separation between the US military and FOX News. Their anchors may shun the camouflage fatigues and jack-boots, but that is where the difference ends. FOX is a fully-integrated cog in the corporate/state media apparatus; faithfully reiterating the official statements of Pentagon Big-wigs and administration powerbrokers. Their "embedded" news team provides the splashy graphics and right wing chatter which energize their base and marshal public support for American aggression. They carefully create a narrative which makes deliberate acts of unprovoked warfare appear necessary and (even) humanitarian.
No one has violated the basic standards of journalistic integrity more consistently than FOX News. Their unwavering support for the war in Iraq demonstrates their blatant disregard for professional evenhandedness and neutrality. Dissenting opinions are scrupulously scrubbed from their broadcasts while the vulgar displays of jingoism and xenophobia are presented as "Fair and Balanced" coverage. On some FOX web sites it’s still possible to find articles which claim that Weapons of Mass Destruction were actually found in Iraq. No wonder nearly 50% of the American people still believe that Saddam posed a threat to our national security and that Bush’s illegal invasion was justified.
If FOX is an essential part of the state propaganda-system which facilitates the war, then how can we absolve their employees from accountability? Doesn’t that make them legitimate targets for resistance organizations?
And, of course, Whitney ends with the requisite Ward Churchillian "chickens coming home to roost" flourish:
As long as Muslims are deprived of their rights and freedom, we can expect more random incidents of kidnapping and cruelty. These are the unavoidable consequences of injustice.
The Holy Jihad Brigades is the natural offspring of Bush’s "New Middle East", a hotbed of animosity and violence. America has radicalized the region and is fueling the rage and bloodshed. The chickens will continue to come home to roost until America withdraws from Iraq, stops its blind support of Israel, and negotiates a comprehensive settlement to the Palestinian issue.
More at The National Ledger, where Cliff Kincaid (a frequent critic of Fox News from the right) nails down why this nutball's rant matters:
Whitney is not an isolated crank. His columns have appeared on websites that go by the names of Information clearinghouse, Smirking Chimp, Counterpunch, dailymuslims.com, the online journal, axis of logic, Palestine Chronicle, and buzzflash.
His attack on Fox News represents the pathological hatred that exists on the left for the channel because it dares to give conservatives some airtime. By appealing to conservatives, who have not had a national television voice, the channel has become a tremendous success. In terms of international coverage, however, Fox News is not that significantly different from other news organizations. Whitney seems to forget that Fox News correspondent Geraldo Rivera was expelled from Iraq for allegedly divulging details of a future U.S. military operation.
At [Accuracy in Media], we have more recently been critical of Fox News correspondent Jonathan Hunt’s coverage of the war in Lebanon for taking an anti-Israeli slant. We previously were critical of a Saudi prince, who is a significant financial investor in News Corporation, the parent of Fox News, for claiming to have influenced the channel’s coverage of the Muslim riots in France. For Whitney, however, Fox News has to be demonized. Not surprisingly, another one of his targets is President Bush. According to one biography of Whitney posted on the Internet, his interest in politics began with the “appointment” of Bush as president and he believes that “the Cabal that presently occupies 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.” poses “a threat that is as real and as far reaching as any we have seen since the rise of Fascism in 1930s Germany.”Such remarks would be laughable were it not for the fact that they seem to reflect a significant percentage of the grass roots of the Democratic Party and his views get such wide circulation in this new media age. The newsworthy aspect of this controversy, of course, is that dissent has crossed the line into apparent support for those who kill Americans. That cannot be excused or condoned.
Or ignored.
***

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Olaf and Steve

Hoping these two are released safely very soon.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5278726.stm

Seized Gaza journalists in video

Journalists 'well' A previously unknown militant group has released a video of two Western journalists who were kidnapped in the Gaza Strip nine days ago.
Olaf Wiig, 36, and Steve Centanni, 60, of US channel Fox News, were shown telling their families they were in "fairly good health".
A fax from the "Holy Jihad Brigades" to news agencies demanded the US release "Muslim prisoners" within 72 hours.
The US rejected the demands, and called for the men's unconditional release.
The two men were kidnapped in Gaza City on 14 August.
The video was sent to the Qatar-based TV news channel al-Jazeera TV.
The footage shows the two men seated on the ground side-by-side and cross-legged, in an apparently darkened room, dressed in tracksuits.

The 2,996 project

2,996: A Tribute to the Victims of 9/11 August 23 2006 9:52 pm
Thanks to Michelle for alerting me to this tribute website.

On September 11th 2006, 2,996 volunteer bloggers will join together for a tribute to the victims of 9/11.

Each person will pay tribute to a single victim.

I encourage all to sign up .

Steve Centanni and Olaf Wiig

Steve Centanni, and New Zealand-based cameraman Olaf Wiig were on the news today
saying they were OK. The families must be happy to have seen that little bit of news.

Good luck to Steve and Olaf

We Must Never Forget 9/11

My first Blog


Testing to see if this blog thing blogs . . .