It’s always a great experience when you meet someone who you have admired from a distance and they turn out to be a really nice person. I had that experience last night.
Jed Babbin, editor of Human Events, former deputy undersecretary of defense in the first Bush administration, joined us to discuss his eye opening new book In the Word’s of Our Enemies.
Years before September 11, our enemy warned us–and we weren’t listening. We are being warned today–by enemies like Iran, North Korea, and radicals and terrorists across the globe–but we are still not listening. Sounding the alarm is bestselling author Jed Babbin (former deputy undersecretary of defense), who exposes the demagogues, dictators, and death squads openly threatening America–with potentially devastating consequences, if we aren’t alert to the danger.
One person who hasn’t read the book, but really should, is Barack Obama,
“We cannot win a war against the terrorists if we’re on the wrong battlefield. America must urgently begin deploying from Iraq and take the fight more effectively to the enemy’s home by destroying al-Qaida’s leadership along the Afghan-Pakistan border, eliminating their command and control networks and disrupting their funding.”
As Jed discussed at length last night, and in even greater detail in the book, most people agree that Iraq is the central front in the war on terror. Osama does. Ayman al-Zawahiri does. Abu Musab Zarqawi did. Everyone does, except the Democrats.
Powerline pointed us to a tremendous post by John Wixted of Back Talk, who describes himself this way,
I am a professor at a research university, a registered Democrat, a liberal by some measures, but a radical conservative relative to the large majority of my colleagues.
After laying out a devastating case citing the words and intentions of our enemies, he says,
On those rare occasions when Democrats do mention al Qaeda in Iraq, they generally say something like “Al Qaeda wasn’t even in Iraq before George Bush decided to invade that country.” Whether or not that is true, al Qaeda is there now, and they have an excellent plan to defeat us. The only question is whether or not you want to cooperate with that plan. I don’t, but that’s just me.
Barack is raising $10 million per month. He needs drop a twenty and buy Jed Babbin’s book.
All of our interviews are also available for download at iTunes and Podcast Alley via the Pundit Review Radio Podcast.
What is Pundit Review Radio?
Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week Kevin and Gregg give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Hailed as “Groundbreaking†by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to your radio every Sunday evening from 7-10 pm EST on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.
Darryl, Theresa and Jaclyn Sharratt, photo courtesy of USAToday
Investigator Urges Clearing of Marine in Killings at Haditha Home
An investigating officer in the case against a U.S. Marine accused of murdering civilians in Haditha, Iraq, has recommended that charges against him be dropped, concluding that the government’s allegations that the Marine executed a group of men are “unsupported and incredible.”
We really appreciated the opportunity to speak with Darryl Sharratt, father of exonerated Haditha Marine Lance Cpl. Justin Sharratt tonight on Pundit Review Radio. We took an in-depth look at the three most important areas of this story,
1.) The impact on the families
Darryl talked about how strong his son Justin has been throughout this ordeal, what its been like for the family and where the case stands today. He reminded us that there are other Marines still waiting for justice.
2.) The role of John Murtha
In the second segment, Gary Gross of Let Freedom Ring blog and California Conservative joined the discussion to tell us about his interesting phone call with Murtha’s office, and the timeline that exposes his true intentions. Incredibly, Darryl tells us that his congressman is none other than John Murtha.
3.) The Haditha investigation and prosecution
In the final segment, Tim Harrington, an investigator for the families of the Marines involved in the Haditha case, joined the discussion to tell us how about the failings of the UCMJ and why we should all be worried. Darryl Sharratt wraps up the hour with a message to the American people that you don’t want to miss.
All of our interviews are also available for download at iTunes and Podcast Alley via the Pundit Review Radio Podcast.
What is Pundit Review Radio?
Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week Kevin and Gregg give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Hailed as “Groundbreaking†by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to your radio every Sunday evening from 7-10 pm EST on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.
What a story tonight. Bruce McQuain from QandO joined us for another edition of Someone You Should Know, the untold, inspirations true stories of the men and women fighting for us around the world. The Someone You Should Know radio collaboration began as an extension of Matt Burden’s series at Blackfive. Thanks to Matt, Bruce is now on board and we are thrilled to have him as part of the program.
Bruce has been honoring the recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross in a series called Project Hero. The Distinguished Service Cross is the equal of the Navy Cross and the Air Force Cross and the only award for valor which is higher is the Medal of Honor.
Keep in mind as you read and listen to this story that one media outlet wrote about it. One. Here is what Bruce wrote about PFC Stephan C. Sanford,
So even though he was wounded, shot in the leg, Sanford charged back in with his team, laying down suppressive fire while his team mates evacuated the wounded. There were so many, though, it required they go back into the house after the first group of wounded were safely extracted.
During the second evacuation of wounded, a bleeding Sanford again kept the terrorists at bay while his comrades evacuated the rest of the wounded. When the last soldier was leaving the house, a terrorist shot him. The soldier dropped to the floor – shot through the neck.
Sanford never hesitated. He ran back and began performing first aid, then CPR trying to keep the soldier alive.
The terrorists sensed Sanford’s weak position and tried to gun him down. Now feature this. He’s performing CPR when they find him and they shoot him twice in the back while he’s trying to protect the wounded soldier with his body. Sanford turned and fought back, killing one terrorist, but while doing so was shot twice more. A total of 5 gunshot wounds during the engagement.
But Sanford never quit and continued fighting, trying to save his comrade. It was only when the loss of blood was too much that he lost consciousness…
What is Pundit Review Radio?
Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week Kevin and Gregg give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Hailed as “Groundbreaking†by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to your radio every Sunday evening from 7-10 pm EST on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.
BREAKING: We are pleased to announce that Darryl Sharratt, father of Lance Cpl. Justin L. Sharratt, will join us Sunday evening at 8pm EST on Pundit Review Radio . Call us toll free 877-469-4322 and stream the show live at WRKO .
Last August, we interviewed Matt Burden, aka Blackfive together with Michael Yon live from Iraq about the Haitha investigation, and John Murtha’s conduct. Matt and Michael had some very strong words for Murtha, and warned about reaching any conclusions before all the evidence was in. The Haditha discussion starts 11 minutes in, you can simply scroll the bar forward to get their quickly.
We spent an another hour on this topic only two weeks ago on Pundit Review Radio, telling our listeners that the case was unraveling. Now, that has come to fruition, and charges have been dropped against one of the Marines involved, Lance Cpl. Justin L. Sharratt,
Officer Advises Against Trial for Marine
The government’s case against a Marine accused of fatally shooting Iraqi civilians in the town of Haditha lacks sufficient evidence to go to a court-martial and should be dropped, a hearing officer determined.
The murder charges were brought against Lance Cpl. Justin L. Sharratt for killing three Iraqi brothers in November 2005.
The hearing officer, Lt. Col. Paul Ware, wrote in a report released by the defense Tuesday that those charges were based on unreliable witness accounts, insupportable forensic evidence and questionable legal theories. He also wrote that the case could have dangerous consequences on the battlefield, where soldiers might hesitate during critical moments when facing an enemy.
“The government version is unsupported by independent evidence,” Ware wrote in the 18-page report. “To believe the government version of facts is to disregard clear and convincing evidence to the contrary.”
Even our liberal friends, those that “hate the war but support the troops”, will have to agree that it is a complete disgrace what John Murtha has done to the Marines involved in the Haditha investigation, right? After all, Murtha went on national TV repeatedly declaring their guilt, before the investigation had even really begun. He smeared his fellow Marines for cheap partisan political points.
Here he is on Softball with Chris Matthews, declaring “I’ll tell you exactly what happened”
What will Murtha have to say for himself now?
Let Freedom Ring blog called John Murtha’s office and asked a few pointed questions,
I asked the woman that answered the phone “if Congressman Murtha had a statement following a news story regarding Lt. Col. Paul Ware’s report stating that “The government’s theory that Lance Cpl. Justin L. Sharratt had executed the three men was “incredible†and relied on contradictory statements by Iraqis.â€
Instead of answering that question, she asked “So the trial is over?†I told her that it wasn’t, that the recommendation was non-binding. Then she asked “So it isn’t over?†I confirmed that it wasn’t. I asked if Congressman Murtha would “like to make a statement considering his accusations made over a year ago on ‘This Week With George Stephanopoulos’â€? Here’s her response: “Congressman Murtha doesn’t have a statement because the investigation is still ongoing.â€
What a pathetic, weak and irresponsible response from Mutha’s office. He had no problem whatsoever throwing these guys under the bus, convicting them in the press of “cold blooded murder” before the investigation was complete. Let Freedom Ring is asking the right questions,
If he was worried about not influencing the investigation, why did he accuse these Marines of “killing innocent civilians in cold blood†on national TV?
Why did Rep. Murtha say “It’s much worse than was reported in Time magazine�
Why did Rep. Murtha say “There was no firefight. There was no [bomb] that killed those innocent people�
The parents of Justin Sharratt are demanding answers, from Murtha, and accountability.
The parents of a U.S. Marine accused of killing three Iraqis execution-style in Haditha in late 2005 said Thursday they would ask Congress to censure Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) for saying that the Marines “overreacted” during the incident and killed civilians “in cold blood.”
“It’s too late for an apology,” Darryl Sharratt of Canonsburg, Pa., told Cybercast News Service after the hearing officer in the case, Lt. Col. Paul Ware, released an 18-page report recommending that all charges against Sharratt’s son, Lance Cpl. Justin Sharratt, be dismissed because his actions “were in accord with the rules of engagement and use of force.”
Sharratt said that he, his wife Theresa and other supporters of their 22-year-old son were planning to visit Martha’s office, and “we’re going to ask for more than an apology.”
“We need this man censured by our Congress,” he said, because “he denied my son — and the other Marines involved — their constitutional rights to a fair trial and a presumption of innocence.”
Good for them. I cannot begin to imagine what the family has been put through, unnecessarily, and for the sole purpose of scoring cheap political points.
John Murtha MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE for what he has done. Isn’t that right my liberal friends who “hate the war and support the troops”? Are you comfortable with what Murtha did, in light of, you know, the actual evidence? Their silence is deafening.
The question for the MSM is, will they devote even 10% as much energy to telling the story of Lance Cpl. Justin L. Sharratt being cleared as they did when they prematurely convicted him? We’ll be watching.
HT: Michelle Malkin
Congratulations to our friend Paul Gillin, author of the terrific new book The New Influencers. His book received a very well-deserved, positive review in today’s Wall Street Journal,
Mr. Gillin makes a persuasive case for companies’ reaching out to bloggers — a strategy that political campaigns and film studios have pioneered. Consumers are increasingly turning away from print media, skipping TV commercials and ignoring 1990s-style cost-per-thousand banner ads. But they are still seeking information, and many are embracing social media. As in the Sony BMG case, moreover, blogs can help a message make the inter-species jump from ordinary citizens to journalists.
Mr. Gillin notes a few key rules for a marketer trying to win coverage from bloggers: assume they are knowledgeable (as avid enthusiasts tend to be); be frank about negative information (they will react badly if they feel they’ve been deceived by half-truths); and be available to respond to questions nearly around the clock.
When should firms wade into the blogosphere themselves? Not every company or CEO needs a blog. Apple, synonymous with hipness, doesn’t have one. But often enough a company blog makes sense as a way of telling a company’s side of a debate. Google and Verizon, for example, both maintain blogs to present their views on public policy matters, such as broadband regulation. Blogs also allow firms to keep up a connection with a fervent customer base, as Southwest Airlines does with “Nuts About Southwest,” an outlet to which many employees contribute.
Clearly, the CEO of Whole Foods has not read this book, and I’m sure that tonight, he wishes he had.
When Instapundit wrote his book, An Army of David’s, we invited Paul to join us during the interview because he is the sharpest guy we know when it comes to the new media. Paul recently joined us once again, this time to discuss The New Influencers.
You can buy this terrific book here.
So says Tom Goldstein of SCOTUS blog, who pulls out his crystal ball and speculates on potential nominees should a Democrat win the White House in 2008.
Hours after his interview on Pundit Review Radio last night, Michael Yon published a new Dispatch about Baqubah titled Second Chances. In the section about Stringers, he said…
Not to unfairly single out the Associated Press—who have had some reporters in Iraq, like Tony Castenada, who produced fair and accurate reports—but the AP’s Director of Media Relations, Paul Colford, went on the record for Confederate Yankee about why the AP had not picked up the story of the Al Hamari gravesites, with a statement that seems to indicate they place a high value on reliable sources:
“With regard to Michael Yon, the Iraqi police and the U.S. military—to our current knowledge—have issued no statements to the AP about 10-14 bodies being found on June 29 in a village outside Baquba, even though the military, according to Mr. Yon’s online account, were involved in the discovery.â€â€”Paul Colford
To see what the AP might have by way of reliable, mainstream, news resources, on the morning of 07 July, I asked Talal, an Associated Press stringer in Baqubah, if he had heard about the Al Hamari murders, and our conversation went something like this:
“Yes,†answered Talal.
“How many had been killed?†I asked.
“35,†answered Talal. Not “about 35â€, but precisely 35.
“How do you know?†I asked.
“A medic at the Baqubah hospital told me,†Talal said.
“What was the medic’s name?†I asked.
“I don’t know,†answered Talal.
“You didn’t ask?â€
“No,†he said. Talal said a doctor told him the same thing, but that he did not know the doctor’s name. He had not asked. Besides which, Talal said, the doctor and the medic were afraid to give their names.
“How were the people killed?†I asked.
“They were shot,†answered Talal as he motioned shooting with a pistol.
“Did you tell someone at AP headquarters in Baghdad?†I asked.
“Yes,†answered Talal.
“Who did you tell?†I asked.
“I don’t know,†answered Talal.Captain Baker, who was commanding the Iraqi Army soldiers at al Hamari that day, was a primary source of information. I videotaped this interview as his soldiers were still digging up remains nearby.
For more on the AP, Bob Owens at Confederate Yankee is driving this bus.