A little severe, but when in Rome... or Riyadh as it may be...

Saudi murder convict beheaded, crucified

May. 30, 2009 08:22 AM
Associated Press

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - Saudi authorities beheaded and crucified a man convicted of brutally slaying an 11-year-old boy and his father, the Interior Ministry announced.

According to the statement issued by the ministry Friday, shop owner Ahmed al-Anzi molested the boy and then strangled him with a length of rope. He then stabbed the boy's father to death when the man came looking for his son.

He hid both the bodies in his shop, the statement said, adding that al-Anzi threatened police with a knife when they came to arrest him. Al-Anzi had previously been convicted of sodomy and owning pornographic films, a crime in conservative Saudi Arabia.

Crucifying the headless body in a public place is a way to set an example, according to the kingdom's strict interpretation of Islam. Normally those convicted of rape, murder and drug trafficking in Saudi Arabia are just beheaded.

London-based rights group Amnesty International criticized al-Anzi's execution and crucifixion.

"It is horrific that beheading and crucifixions still happen," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui of Amnesty International in a statement Friday.

"King Abdullah should show true leadership and commute all death sentences if Saudi Arabia is to have any role to play as a global leader or member of the G20," said Sahraoui.

According to an Associated Press count, Friday's execution brought the number to 35 beheading this year in the kingdom. In 2008, 102 people were beheaded.

Yeah, I think the criminal should die. Yeah, I think it's pointless to use death as punishment, and to torment this guy and then do barbarism to his corpse is only useful as a worning to the living... Problem is, he lives in a place where justice is beheading, chopping off hands and stoning. He still committed the crime, and he had a record of doing so. Maybe a little proactivity would help?

You won the war, Now be sweet.

 

U.S. urges Sri Lanka to reach out to Tamils

Mon May 18, 2009 4:51pm

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Sri Lanka should reach out to Tamils and build a political accommodation that protects the rights of all its citizens, the United States said on Monday after Colombo declared victory against the Tamil Tiger rebels.

Sri Lanka said it had militarily defeated the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and taken control of the entire country for the first time since 1983, apparently ending one of the world's most intractable civil wars.

U.S. State Department spokesman Ian Kelly declined to say whether the United States still opposed the International Monetary Fund giving Sri Lanka a $1.9 billion loan, seen as vital to helping it recover from the global financial crisis and rebuild after the war.

U.S. officials told Reuters in late April they were seeking to delay the loan to pressure the government to better protect civilians caught in the fighting and do more to forge a political settlement with the Tamils.

"This is an opportunity for Sri Lanka to turn the page on its past and build a Sri Lanka rooted in democracy, tolerance and respect for human rights," Kelly told reporters.

"Now is the time for the government to engage the Tamils, Sinhalese and other Sri Lankans to create a political arrangement that promotes and protects the rights of all Sri Lankans," he added.

The Sri Lankan government has to provide basic assistance and services to the estimated 280,000 people who fled the fighting in the northern part of the country, Kelly said.

 

The US has no business telling them what to do with their victory.  Many fought and died, if they want to drive the enemy into the sea, or invite them in for cupcakes and tea, it’s none of our business.

 

Buttinskis

 

 

Gun owners' rights no joke for outspoken musician

Ted Nugent, set to speak at event, talks freedom, politics with 'Republic'

by Glen Creno - May. 15, 2009 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

The National Rifle Association kicks off its annual convention in Phoenix today, an event expected to draw more than 50,000 firearms fans. It runs through Sunday with a lineup of displays, speakers, auctions and lots of evangelizing for gun rights.

Some big-name politicians, including U.S. Sen. John McCain, will be there. So will high-energy rock guitarist Ted Nugent, an outspoken NRA board member who has a TV show, writes books and a newspaper column, and plays in a band.

Nugent is speaking at the convention Sunday. He gave a telephone interview to The Republic a few days ago. He has no problem giving an opinion and cracking a joke.

Question: What will you be doing in Phoenix?

Answer: I'll be doing security for the entire city, securing the perimeter of Phoenix, making sure there are no carjackings or any other criminal activity while I'm there.

Q: All by yourself?

A: Actually I'll be celebrating this wonderful little ditty called freedom with families that celebrate the right to self-defense. . . . Plus, I have so many invitations to your fine dining establishments. . . . When word gets out that Uncle Ted's coming to town, they love me because they know I'm the god of flesh.

Q: How did you get involved in the NRA?

A: I finally woke up from the convenient denial doldrums of the American education system. I became politically aware, studied history and decided to get involved. . . . Over the years I watched how our gun rights were being attacked with just nonsense, hyper denial entrenched misrepresentation. I decided to become more and more involved. . . . I have an intellectual, moral and spiritual obligation to participate in this unique experiment in self-government. I think it's serious, serious stuff.

Q: You write about politics in your newspaper column.

A: Quality of life comes from quality of politics. I'm an activist on all levels. I believe that quality of life comes from quality of effort. I see a tragic downgrade in education, our court system, the vulgarity of our tax system, the vulgarity of bureaucratic engineering to abandon accountability. It's a target-rich environment.

Q: You think we're in trouble?

A: I'm way past the thinking stage. . . . (Nugent says the Marines defending the U.S. embassy before the Iran hostage ordeal should have been better armed). Nobody can take me hostage, and I'm just a guitar player.

Q: A heavily armed guitar player.

A: That's my favorite kind of guitar player.

Q: Do you have a lot of guns?

A: A lot of guns. You don't have the time or the tape to list them all. I love guns, I collect guns, I've had guns since I was a teenager.

Q: How about examples?

A: I have an MP5 submachine gun in 10-millimeter. I have probably three dozen AR15-type guns of various design from long-range varmint sniper rifles to big-game sniper rifles to semiautomatic versions of the military M4 for home defense.

Q: Do you worry about accidents?

A: We know that accidents can occur. But the chance of negligence in the Nugent household is about as realistic as us chopping our arm off with a chainsaw. We've got gasoline in the barn, we've got chainsaws and rototillers and machetes and gunpowder. We don't have any accidents. We pay attention to what were doing. Call us weird.

Yep.... what a weirdo indeed.