The first post I wrote which got a lot of attention in the blogopshere was one where I saluted Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank for pressing then-CNN Chief News Executive Eason Jordan when the latter claimed that”the American military was deliberately killing journalists in Iraq.” In that post, I gave credit to a liberal Democrat of whom I’m “no fan.” And today, I’ve got to give credit to another outspoken gay man of whom I have been quite critical — Andrew Sullivan.

Just over a week ago, despite his gratuitous Bush-bashing, I agreed with Andrew’s latest column for the Advocate. He drew attention to American gay groups’ silence about the persecution of gay people in certain repressive Muslim lands. I just learned today that he has urged those who “care about freedom of expression” to boycott of Borders and Waldenbooks since that chain will not carry the latest issue of Free Inquiry magazine as it “contains four of the Danish cartoons.” As Andrew puts it, “if you want to draw a lesson from the entire episode, it’s obvious: violence against free writers and artists gets results. We have all but invited more.” Exactly. (Indirectly via Instapundit.)

And despite his past grandstanding on allegations of torture at Guantanmo, Andrew does acknowledge that the treatment of minors there has been “humane.” (Directly via Instapundit.) It’s too bad Andrew uses that post to make a cheap shot at Donald Rumsfeld. Like me, Glenn remains “rather skeptical, in the interim, of accounts that Guantanamo was some sort of torture-house.“

Andrew’s stuff on Bush still remains a tad too emotional and often reads as it has been culled from Bush-hating blogs, but every now and again (as on the Borders bookstore issue), Andrew shows the stuff which helped him gain his fame (and perhaps fortune) as an articulate and intelligent independent voice. If he could just let go of his loathing for President Bush and his top advisors, he might once again emerge as a truly unique voice — and perhaps even a sensible critic of the president and his policies.

-Dan (AKA GayPatriotWest): GayPatriotWest@aol.com

These two photos are all you need to know about today’s march in support of Illegal Immigrants in Dallas Texas today. (Hat tip: LGF and Drudge)

-Bruce (GayPatriot)

A big shout-out to the Patriots (especially Robbie @ Malcontent) in Chicagoland…. where it is apparently still winter. Brrrr.

Anyway, I’m here for the annual BIO (biotech industry) convention. There was a gaggle of loonies picketing outside my hotel when I arrived. Literally just five (5) animal rights activists protesting biotech research. I remember a few years ago in San Diego there were thousands of protestors on opening day… all with signs about the end of the world due to biotech. I guess the Professional Protestors are off somewhere supporting dictators or illegal immigration today.

Blogging will be sporadic as I’ll be in sessions a lot. Or workin’ da booth. I’ll try to write at night for publish the next day. That usually works for me.

**UPDATE: Ooops, I almost forgot! Former President Bill Clinton is speaking at the Tuesday lunch. I happen to respect the Office of the President and will politely applaud and not do something wacky that disrespectful people would do to our current President. I hope to take photos!***

-Bruce (GayPatriot)

And the damning evidence about Iraq and its connections to and plans for terror attacks continues from The Saddam Files….. (via Investor’s Business Daily).

Last month the Pentagon began releasing records captured during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Among the documents is a letter dated March 11, 2001, written by Abdel Magid Hammod Ali, one of Saddam’s air force generals.

According to an unofficial translation, Page 6 of the letter asks for “the names of those who desire to volunteer for suicide mission to liberate Palestine and to strike American interests.”

Assuming the document’s accuracy, this shows that Saddam’s regime was not only providing aid and support for terrorist organizations of other countries. It was also planning its own bombings directed at U.S. facilities and personnel.

As counterterrorism consultant Dan Darling wrote last week on the Weekly Standard’s Web site, that would mean Russian intelligence services under Vladimir Putin were better informed about Iraq’s terrorist abilities than the U.S. spy community.

Though little noticed by the press, during a July 2004 visit to Kazakhstan the Russian president said that between 9-11 and the U.S. invasion of Iraq, “Russian special services and Russian intelligence several times received . . . information that official organs of Saddam’s regime were preparing terrorist acts on the territory of the U.S. and beyond its borders, at U.S. military and civilian locations.”

This new document, said Darling, “would seem to refute a long-standing contention among members of the U.S. intelligence community that Iraq ceased its involvement in international terrorism after its failed 1993 plot to assassinate former President George H.W. Bush.”

Where, oh where is the compilation story and series of special reports on these documents and the true picture of Saddam on the TV networks? Ah, perhaps Katie is waiting to reveal these “bombshells” to America upon her coronation to Dan’s Chair at CBS? Yeah, I know….

**UPDATE: More on the IBD story from GatewayPundit….

Here is what Investors Business Daily says the released Pentagon documents have revealed so far. To review:

- Saddam is heard on a 1997 tape predicting terrorism would soon be coming to the U.S., while his son-in-law — who was in charge of Saddam’s weapons of mass destruction — gloats about lying to U.N. weapons inspectors to hide the extent of Iraq’s WMD program.

- Saddam, in a tape made in 2000, talks with Iraqi scientists about his plans to build a nuclear device. He discusses Iraq’s plasma separation program — an advanced uranium-enrichment technique completely missed by U.N. inspectors.

- An Iraqi intelligence document, released just two weeks ago, describes a February 1995 meeting between Saddam’s spies and Osama bin Laden. During that meeting, bin Laden offered to conduct “joint operations” with Iraq. Saddam subsequently ordered his aides to “develop the relationship” with the al-Qaida leader.

- A fax, sent on June 6, 2001, shows conclusively that Saddam’s government provided financial aid to Abu Sayyaf guerrillas in the Philippines. Abu Sayyaf is an al-Qaida offshoot co-founded by bin Laden’s brother-in-law. (GP Ed. Note… To those of you not following along…. al-Qaida was responsible for 9/11)

These are just a few of the revelations about Saddam and terrorism to be found in a handful of documents and tapes. This is just a small piece of the 48,000 boxes of intelligence that has been translated and released by intelligence officials so far.

-Bruce (GayPatriot)

Hat tip – Michelle Malkin

-Bruce (GayPatriot)