Pro-Liberty News and Opinion | Libertarian Voluntaryist

Michelle of Ideas From Free Minds was interviewed by Tucker Carlson earlier today. Check it out here:

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The US military, in an attempt to win over the Afghanistan populous, decided to give soccer balls to local school children. The balls were inscribed with the name of Allah; a major no-no in the Muslim religion. They really dropped the ball on this one.

The balls were dropped, via helicopter, over the Khost province of eastern Afghanistan on Friday. They contained a small picture of the Saudi Arabian Flag which has the names of Allah and the prophet Muhammad written on it in Arabic script; something most Muslims are not too happy about kicking around.

The balls were meant to make the villagers like the American presence, a goal which quickly backfired.

The local population reacted strongly, taking offense to the notion that anyone could find it appropriate to kick a ball with Allah’s name inscribed on it.

The International Herald Tribune Reports:

Villagers were “upset and angry” when they saw the ball, said Khost governor Arsalah Jamal

“They wanted to demonstrate, but we explained to them it was a mistake,” he said.

The balls were purchased in a Kabul market and were made in — you guessed it — China. They featured the flags of many countries, one of which was that of Saudi Arabia.

Muslims often display what can be seen as extreme reactions to religious insensitivity. An example of this can be seem in the bloody protests over a cartoon depicting the prophet Muhammad.

Some locals had this to say:

“This ball … carries a message with it which, like an atom bomb, can cause carnage and insecurity in all parts of Afghanistan,” a leading Afghan private daily, Cheragh, said on Monday.

Fawad Ahmad, a shopkeeper in Kabul, said: “Americans themselves create insecurity by ignoring religious sensitivity, it is against Islam.

The attempt at pleasing the locals has seemingly backfired and caused even more tensions between the US soldiers and the Afghan population.

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I found this great series of YouTube videos of Ron Paul debating the war over at LewRockwell.com.  Go check it out!

Sorry for the lack of updates over the last week, I took a short vacation.

Armed Robots are now being marketed to police departments and SWAT teams for use within the United States. None of the ‘bots are deployed yet, but it seems like it will only be a matter of time.

Armed robots, named SWORDS, have already begun patrolling the streets of Iraq. However, the ‘bots have yet to be seen on patrol in the United States.

If Foster-Miller, the ‘bots manufacturer, and police forces across the country have their way, this will soon change.

According to Wired.com:

The Talon SWAT/MP [PDF] is a “robot specifically equipped for scenarios
frequently encountered by police SWAT [special weapon and tactics] units and MPs [military police],” a company fact sheet announces. It “can be configured with the following equipment:

• Multi-shot TASER electronic control device with laser-dot aiming.
• Loudspeaker and audio receiver for negotiations.
• Night vision and thermal cameras.
• Choice of weapons for lethal or less-than-lethal responses
- 40 mm grenade launcher – 2 rounds
- 12-gage shotgun – 5 rounds
- FN303 less-lethal launcher – 15 rounds.

The Talon SWAT/MP, like it’s brother SWORDS, is a modified version of a bomb-disposal robot that has seen action in Iraq for the past seven years.

The Massachusetts Sate Police Department has already begun R&D the robot’s shotgun mount, but the ‘bots themselves have yet to be deployed.

According to Foster-Miller spokesperson Cynthia Black, Massachusetts State Department are not the only ones to have their hands on these robots. SWAT teams in Houston, San Francisco, and Lubbock, TX all have the potentially lethal ‘bots. They have yet to be armed, but the organizations are ready and willing to do so once they get the approval.

Armed Robots are coming to a street near you.

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C&D Distributors in Lexington, South Carolina, received about $20.5 million since 2000 from the Pentagon for fraudulent shipping costs, including $998,798 for sending two 19-cent washers to an Army base in Texas.

The total amount of money the Pentagon spent on items with the company reached $68,000 over the six years; a stark contrast to the $20.5 million spent on shipping!

Pentagon spending is getting out of control! I would of hand delivered those babies for half the cost!

The company was also paid $455,009 to ship three machine screws that cost $1.31 each to marines in Habbaniyah, Iraq.

$293,451 was spent to send an 89-cent washer to Patrick Air Force Base in Cape Canaveral, Florida, records show.

The companies owners exploited an automated Defense Department purchasing system; they noticed that when bills were marked ‘priority’ for shipments to military bases or war zones they were usually paid automatically.

The conniving scheme was detected when a purchasing agent noticed a bill charging $969,000 to ship two 19-cent washers. The order was canceled and am investigation ensued.

C&D Distributors is now barred from any government contracts.

One of the owners, Charlene Corley, pleaded guilty one her behalf and the behalf of the company to charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to launder money. She has been fined $750,000 and faces a maximum prison sentence of 20 years for each charge.

The Pentagon hopes to regain most of their loses by auctioning off houses, jewelery, cars, and property owned by the business owners.

Jose Padilla has been found guilty on charges he conspired to kill people in an overseas jihad and to fund and support overseas terrorism.

He claimed that he was overseas to study Islam, not support terrorism.

Padilla and two co-defendants were convicted on all counts.

According to CNN.com:

During the trial, prosecutors played more than 70 intercepted phone calls among the defendants for jurors, including seven that featured Padilla, 36. He is a Brooklyn-born convert to Islam originally arrested as a suspect in a “dirty bomb” plot.

FBI agent John Kavanaugh testified that the calls were made in code, which Padilla used to discuss traveling overseas to fight with Islamic militants, along with side trips to Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan.

In closing arguments, Padilla’s lawyers argued he never spoke in code. His voice is heard on only seven of 300,000 taped conversations.

Padilla was originally detained under allegations that he plotted to set off ‘dirty bombs’ in the United States. Those charges, however, were dropped and were not part of this court case.

Jurors were not told that Padilla was held in a Navy brig for 3.5 years without having formal charges filed against him.

The defense tried to convince the judge, before the trial, that Padilla’s confinement and alleged abuse from the government triggered mental incompetence; making Padilla unable to stand trial.

This attempt was futile and the case went on.

A sentencing date has been set for December 5th.