Yes, it’s hard to believe, but despite the fact that for the past month, United Nations “peacekeepers” have been on the ground in the Sudan with African Union troops, villagers in the Darfur region are still being slaughtered and displaced by the government sanctioned janjaweed militia:

Sudan’s Arab-dominated government has been accused of unleashing more attacks by its allied janjaweed militias, which are accused of committing the worst atrocities against Darfur’s ethnic African communities. At least 200,000 people have been killed and 2.5 million displaced since the violence began five years ago.

On Friday, Sudanese helicopter gunships and fixed-wing aircraft bombed the towns of Sirba, Sileia and Abu Suruj while striking at rebel forces, which have been trying to consolidate their positions in West Darfur.

Now why are there still “helicopter gunships and fixed-wing aircraft” on bombing raids in the Sudan when the United Nations has passed “several” resolutions that “banned military flights over the region?”

And just to add a little more excitement for the 3 tribes in Darfur that the Sudanese government is trying to eliminate, (it’s OK, former President Jimmy Carter says isn’t “genocide”), the attacks have created an even bigger refugee crisis with even more panicked Sudanese fleeing to the border with Chad, a country suffering it’s own refugee crisis:

But the porous Chad-Sudan border may not be much safer than Darfur for the refugees.

Chad is still reeling from last week’s fighting between rebels and government troops. The rebels, who accuse President Idriss Deby of corruption and embezzling millions in oil revenue, attacked the capital after advancing in trucks in a matter of days from their eastern bases near the Sudan border. They were repelled after bloody battles.

The displacement of tens of thousands of Chadians added to the already daunting challenge for humanitarian workers in the region. Some even fled across the Chad-Sudan border in the other direction.

“We don’t know where all the armed groups are or where they are heading to, so the whole border is just very volatile and dangerous,” Caux told The Associated Press. “The refugees are moving back and forth from one dangerous to another dangerous situation. It’s completely surreal.”

Yes, “surreal,” but let’s face it, “surreal” is completely typical for any situation the United Nations is allegedly handling.

At the start of the school year, a caller to WGMD’s Dan Gaffney Show related that a school bus driver was told his bus would fail inspection if he did not remove a US Flag decal that was on his bus.  That was an issue that outraged many WGMD listeners – that the primary symbol of patriotism would not be allowed on a public school bus.  It seems that after 9-11 the decals were allowed as there was a more patriotic feeling across the country in reaction to terrorism striking in our own country.   

The Delaware Code does not specifically say that the decals are not allowed, but that they – or similar forms of decoration – are not mentioned at all.  So apparently not being included in what is allowed makes them a no no.     

Now 6 years after the fact, patriotism seems to have gone out of favor with the Dept. of Education and now the once allowed flag decals are now no longer ok.  That’s a slap in the face to all the troops – many from Delaware – who are currently in Iraq, Afghanistan and other locations around the world fighting to keep us free from terror.  

It seems the public outrage has penetrated the walls of the Department of Education, which now seems to be reconsidering its stance and will accept public comment - in writing - for an amendment to the Delaware Code’s Administrative standards for school bus chassis and bodies – to allow a flag decal or plate on a school bus.  Comment will be taken until the close of business on Tuesday, February 5.  Several different bus chassis and bodies are targeted.     

Here are the three public notices that were published in the News Journal this morning:

1 - Public Notice Department of Education
1101 Standards for School Bus Chassis and Bodies Placed in Production after March 1, 1998

The Secretary of Education seeks the consent of the State Board of Education to amend 14 DE Admin. Code 1101 Standards for School Bus Chassis and Bodies For Buses placed in Production After March 1, 1998 (Terminology and School Bus Types are Those Described in the National Standards for School Transportation 1995). The amendment allows for the placement of a U.S. Flag decal or plate on a school bus.
Persons wishing to present their views regarding this matter may do so in writing by the close of business on February 5, 2008 to Susan K. Haberstroh, Education Associate, Regulation Review, Department of Education, at 401 Federal Street, Suite 2, Dover, DE 19901. A copy of this regulation is available item the above address or may be viewed at the Department of Education business office. 1/7-NJ
Published 01/07/2008

2 - Public Notice Department of Education
1102 Standards for School Bus Chassis and Bodies For Buses placed in production on or after March 1, 2002 and on or after March 1, 2003 with Specific Changes for Buses Placed in Production after January 1, 2004

The Secretary of Education seeks the consent of the State Board of Education to amend 14 DE Admin. Code 1102 Standards for School Bus Chassis and Bodies For Buses placed in production on or after March 1, 2002 and on or after March 1, 2003 with Specific Changes for Buses Placed in Production after January 1, 2004 (Terminology and School Bus Types are those described in the National School Transportation Specifications and Procedures (NSTSP), May 2000). The amendment allows for the placement of a U.S. Flag decal or plate on a school bus.
Persons wishing to present their views regarding this matter may do so in writing by the close of business on February 5, 2008 to Susan K. Haberstroh, Education Associate, Regulation Review, Department of Education, at 401 Federal Street, Suite 2, Dover, DE 19901. A copy of this regulation is available from the above address or may be viewed at the Department of Education business office. 1/7-NJ
Published 01/07/2008

3 - Public Notice Department of Education
1103 Standards for School Bus Chassis and Bodies For Buses placed in production on or after January 1, 2007

The Secretary of Education seeks the consent of the State Board of Education to amend 14 DE Admin. Code 1103 Standards for School Bus Chassis and Bodies For Buses placed in production on or after January 1, 2007 (Terminology and School Bus Types are Those Described in the National School Transportation Specifications and Procedures (NSTSP) May 2005). The amendment allows for the placement of a U.S. Flag decal or plate on a school bus.
Persons wishing to present their views regarding this matter may do so in writing by the close of business on February 5, 2008 to Susan K. Haberstroh, Education Associate, Regulation Review, Department of Education, at 401 Federal Street, Suite 2, Dover, DE 19901. A copy of this regulation is available from the above address or may be viewed at the Department of Education business office. 1/7-NJ
Published 01/07/2008

And this is the section of the Delaware Administrative Code that deals with identification on school buses

Delaware Administrative Code
Title 14 Education
1100 Transportation

2.21 Identification - 1101 Standards for School Bus Chassis and Bodies Placed in Production after March 1, 1998
2.21.1 Body shall bear words “SCHOOL BUS” in black letters at least 8 inches high on both front and rear of body or on signs attached thereto. Lettering shall be placed as high as possible without impairment of its visibility. Letters shall conform to “Series B” of Standard Alphabets for highway signs. “SCHOOL BUS” lettering shall have a reflective background, or as an option, may be illuminated by backlighting. All lettering on NSBY surfaces shall be black, and lettering on black surfaces shall be NSBY or white.
2.21.2 Bus identification number shall be displayed on the sides, on the rear, and on the front.
2.21.3 Other lettering, numbering, or symbols which may be displayed on the exterior of the bus, shall be limited to:
2.21.3.1 District or company name or owner of the bus may be displayed.
2.21.3.2 Bus identification number on the top of the bus, in addition to required numbering on sides, rear, and front.
2.21.3.3 The location of the battery(ies) identified by the word “BATTERY” or “BATTERIES” on the battery compartment door in 2″ lettering.
2.21.3.4 Lettering to identify the fuel type at the fuel filler location (2” letters maximum).
2.21.3.5 Symbols or letters near the service door displaying information for identification by the students of the bus or route served. Such symbols or lettering, if used, shall not exceed 36 square inches in size.
2.21.3.6 Symbols identifying the bus as equipped for or transporting students with special needs (see Specially Equipped School Bus section).

The same basic regulations from the above standards apply to the other buses included in the public notices.

2.22 Identification  - 1102 Standards for School Bus Chassis and Bodies For Buses placed in production on or after March 1, 2002 and on or after March 1, 2003 with Specific Changes for Buses Placed in Production after January 1, 2004  

2.22 Identification -  1103 Standards for School Bus Chassis and Bodies For Buses placed in production on or after January 1, 2007

The people of Venezuela have spoken, and they said, “NO.”

President Hugo Chavez suffered a stunning defeat Monday in a referendum that would have let him run for re-election indefinitely and impose a socialist system in this major U.S. oil provider.

Voters defeated the sweeping measures Sunday by a vote of 51 percent to 49 percent, said Tibisay Lucena, chief of the National Electoral Council, with voter turnout at just 56 percent.

She said that with 88 percent of the votes counted, the trend was irreversible.

So Chavez will be out after 2012, and the people of Venezuela have voted against moving more towards socialism.

In news from other backwards, poorly run countries, the Sudanese president has pardoned Gillian Gibbons, the teacher from the UK who allowed her class to name a teddy bear “Muhammad.” Her sentence was 15 days in jail and deportation for insulting Islam, but the case inflamed Islamic fundamentalists in the country who took to the streets and demanded her execution for the infraction. Gibbons is expected to leave the Sudan shortly. In a statement, she expressed sorrow at not being able to go back to the Sudan, a country steeped in genocide and terrorism and built on a large expanse of dirt:

“I have a great respect for the Islamic religion and would not knowingly offend anyone,” Gibbons said in the statement. “I am looking forward to seeing my family and friends, but I am very sorry that I will be unable to return to Sudan.”

I love good news on a Monday morning….

1. We’ve heard many times how our troops have been fighting Al-Qaeda over in Iraq so that we don’t have to fight Al-Qaeda here. This is a good strategy, except how do we know Al-Qaeda terrorists, suicide bombers and sleeper cells aren’t already in the United States? The border situation has me wondering.

2. I’ve also heard it said: “There hasn’t been any major terrorist attack on American soil since 9/11.” That’s true, but how do we know something as bad and even bigger isn’t currently in the planning stages? There were several years between the two World Trade Center attacks. President Bush’s Homeland Security Advisor Fran Townsend was one of the ones who had mentioned how America has been free of major attacks since 9/11, and also stated that Osama Bin Laden is ”a man on the run in a cave who is virtually impotent.” Well, he could be more than impotent—he could be dead. But does that mean the threat is gone and that his followers will all of a sudden stop trying to carry out attacks?

3. We’ve heard about the decline in violence in Iraq, but could part of the reason be that the terrorists are regrouping? It was reported back at the end of August that Radical Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr ordered his dreaded militia to stop attacks on US-led forces as part of a six-month suspension of the militant group’s activities. “I direct the Mahdi Army to suspend all its activities for six months until it is restructured in a way that helps honour the principles for which it is formed,” Sadr said in a statement issued by his office in the city of Najaf. The AFP reports that in December last year, the Pentagon identified the militia as the biggest threat to stability in the war-ravaged country, even ahead of Al-Qaeda in Iraq, the local affiliate of Osama bin Laden’s network.

4. While going on the offensive in Iraq may have put a dent in Al-Qaeda, what about Afghanistan in the Tora Bora region and the area in Pakistan, where they believe Bin Laden is hiding out? Shouldn’t there have been more of a focus on these areas?

5. Even if we wiped out every terrorist and every terrorist cell, does that mean all the evildoers are gone? As long as there are evil ideologies, radical Islam, and violent radicalization, it is likely that new ones will pop up.

I’m sure this all sounds rather pessimistic, but what is really going on here? Lastly Senator Joe Biden this week told New Hampshire voters that they have the Bush Administration to thank for the rising costs of oil. Biden called the temporary increase of troops in Iraq a “fantasy” saying that there is no evidence that it’s working. As reported from the Associated Press and as posted in WGMD News, Biden says the uncertainty in Iraq and Iran are adding an extra 30 dollars a barrel. I heard this week that global warming is being blamed for everything. It sounds like the Iraq war is also getting blamed for a lot of things that have gone wrong.

 

I lit a candle outside…
trying to remember so many names……
remembering how many died……
and so many families left unsaid….
some still wishing for that one day to come…
they will get a call saying they found their loved one…
     (author unknown)

You can light a candle in memory to someone lost or loved - the candles will remain lit for 48 hours - just click on the candle   And remember all who have died in the war on terror, but especially your neighbors from Delaware and Maryland

Patriot Day was created through a proclamation (Public Law 107-89) by President George Bush after the terror attacks on September 11, 2001. The day is in memory of the nearly 3000 who lost their lives at the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington, DC and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. President Bush has made the resolution and proclamation to designate September 11 as Patriot Day each year since 2002. The legislation requests that President designate September 11 as Patriot Day each year. The day is a discretionary day of remembrance – which means it is not an official public holiday.

How or when Patriot Day is observed depends on your location. US flags are to be flown at half-staff and flown from residences as well (that includes US buildings abroad as well). Now, here’s where location will make a difference. Americans are asked to observe a moment of silence beginning at 8:46am (EDT) to mark the first plane, American Airlines Flight 11, crashing into the World Trade Center in New York City. A moment of silence could also be held at 9:03am (EDT) when the second plane, United Airlines Flight 175, struck the second tower of the World Trade Center, at 9:43am (EDT) when American Airlines Flight 77 slammed into the Pentagon or at 10:10am (EDT) when United Airlines Flight 93 went down in a field near Shanksville, PA.

Initially the day was called the “National Day of Prayer and Remembrance for the Victims of the Terrorist Attacks.” Then changed to Patriot Day by a by Joint Resolution 71 which was approved in the US House by a 407 – 0 vote (25 members didn’t vote) on October 25, 2001 and approved unanimously by the US Senate on November 30, 2001. President Bush signed the resolution into law on December 18, 2001.

People have had some trouble wrapping their thoughts around Patriot Day – with most referring to the day as 9-11 or September 11th instead. Another problem with the day is that it is often confused with Patriots’ Day (one has an ‘s’ and one doesn’t). Patriots’ Day is observed on the third Monday in April and is a civic holiday in Massachusetts and Maine. It is also a public school observance day in Wisconsin. Patriots’ Day has nothing to do with Patriot Day.

Canada shares the observance of Patriot Day as well with flags on the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill in Ottawa and all Canadian diplomatic missions in the US flying at half-staff.

Delaware Congressman Mike Castle (R) spoke with WGMD News at an event in his honor in Rehoboth Beach Saturday night.

It was a full house on a perfect night in Rehoboth Beach Saturday for an event in Delaware Congressman Mike Castle’s honor. Some of the notable First State Republicans on hand for the bash were former GOP head Basil Battaglia, possible Gubernatorial candidate Alan Levin, Sussex County Represenatives Gerald Hocker and Greg Hastings, Clerk of the Peace George Parish, former Congressman Thomas B. Evans, Jr., Sussex County Councilman Vance Phillips, 10th District Representative Bob Valihura, and James Brady, Press Secretary for Ronald Reagan.

The Congressman was certainly in the mood to answer questions, so I asked him about last Tuesday, when Iraq war protesters took to Rodney Square in Wilmington to speak out against his record on the Iraq War.

You can LISTEN to Congressman Mike Castle discuss the “operatives” targeting “40 Republican Districts” HERE. And you can LISTEN to Castle discuss how he thinks the Iraq War should be handled HERE. And Congressman Castle’s entire comment about the protests and the War can be heard HERE.

On the New York Times blog, author of Freakonomics Steven Levitt posed a question: If you were a terrorist, how would you attack? We posed a similar question on the air today but on a local level.

If you were a terrorist, how would you attack Delmarva? What would you do to better protect Delmarva from these attacks?

Most listeners seemed to think an attack on one our bridges and transportation would do the trick. I labored over the decision to do the topic on the air, however, only one caller delivered the obvious “you’re giving the terrorists ideas” and even called the broadcast “terrifying” – I agree with the caller following her… “It must be nice to live in Rehoboth to have all of that sand to put your head in.”

Any attack on a smaller area would greatly trouble all of us living the more rural lifestyle. How do you think we would react if there were an attack on Delmarva? Be it on the water supply, the chicken houses, a school bus, or even an ice-cream truck.

Author Levitt seems to think that a lot of little attacks would inspire more fear… How could this be accomplished locally… easy… a beach attack during the summer coinciding with an attack on the chicken factories, a bomb or a sniper… a school… a gas station… you’d need crazy four guys with a few guns… both of which are available in spaces in our area.

On Delmarva, we panic when a big storm comes through or one murder takes place… How would we react? It’s important to discuss these matters so that we know how to better protect ourselves… I’m not looking for any of us to live in fear… fact is: anything could happen to any of us at any moment that would make our life a little less desirable… I think the real key is not living in fear. Seacrest Out.

 

ABC News is reporting that Al Qaeda has posted a propaganda web video online that asks the question “What is the Big Surprise” in Arabic alongside doctored photos of George Bush amidst a burning White House. 

To view the video from ABC news click here.

We often forget, as we go along with our daily lives here on Delmarva, combing the details of the Ocean City Baby story… or the potential collapse of the Indian River Bridge, or that we’ll be paying $0.60 more for tobacco, that there are real threats to our way of life. Threats that, although we are ignoring them, they aren’t ignoring us. Al Qaeda tells it’s online community to “Wait for THE BIG SURPRISE.” Who knows if these are just scare tactics, or whether they really have something planned for our future. Reports come out almost daily that they are and have been planning something. Some threats have been thwarted, but who knows what evil lies in men’s hearts.

I don’t know if sharing the video is good or bad. If you should just go on with your life and ignore it or allow your voice to be heard… Or if we should “wait for THE BIG SURPRISE.”

British “Respect Party” MP, George Galloway, acting like a cat at the British Celebrity Big Brother house. And yes, he is actually drinking milk from the hands of Rula Lenska.

This comment was posted under the “Churchill Out” piece:

commonsense Says:

MUCH more interesting is the booting of george galloway: http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22125705-23109,00.html

And I have to agree on the fact that it is interesting, but it’s only an 18 day suspension:

CONTROVERSIAL British MP George Galloway has been suspended from Parliament after an investigation found his charity had taken money from Saddam Hussein.

Mr Galloway was booted from the House of Commons for 18 days after a recommendation by a standards committee made up of his fellow MPs.

George Galloway, if you recall, is the British MP who said THIS:

In an interview with GQ magazine, the reporter asked him: “Would the assassination of, say, Tony Blair by a suicide bomber - if there were no other casualties - be justified as revenge for the war on Iraq?”

Mr Galloway replied: “Yes, it would be morally justified. I am not calling for it - but if it happened it would be of a wholly different moral order to the events of 7/7. It would be entirely logical and explicable. And morally equivalent to ordering the deaths of thousands of innocent people in Iraq - as Blair did.”

Galloway also testified before the US Senate about the Oil for Food scandal, and was quite feisty in his denial of taking money from Hussein:

British Member of Parliament George Galloway angrily denied Tuesday that he profited from Saddam Hussein’s regime and criticized a Senate panel probing alleged corruption in the U.N. oil-for-food program in Iraq.

Galloway, an outspoken critic of the war in Iraq, called the panel’s investigation the “mother of all smokescreens” used to divert attention from the “pack of lies” that led to the 2003 invasion.

Whoops, George, it does appear that you did have some cash sent your way “from Saddam Hussein’s regime,” bummer.

Galloway was removed from the Labour Party for telling British soldiers not to fight in Iraq, and retained his his seat in Parliament after creating the “Respect” party.

Thanks, cs.