Crazy Uncle Moammar and Wild Bill

Hmmmm. Welcome to Tuesday, folks.

Jobless Man Uncovers Gold Hoard with Metal Detector Sky News (Sky News, CNN)

[British] General quits 'over Afghanistan' (BBC, Times)

CNN: UK newspaper reveals mole who leaked lawmakers' expenses - The unidentified individual who leaked documents about inappropriate personal expenditures that members of parliament were making with taxpayer money did so because he was being guarded by troops who were taking second jobs in order to pay for decent gear before they went off to war. The British Army has been chronically underresourced for more than thirty years, to the point of squaddies taking second jobs to pay for decent equipment, and members of parliament were spending public funds to have the moats at their houses cleaned. I'm not in favor of leaking sensitive documents, and I'd never do it, but I think this guy deserves a statue in Whitehall.

Times: Armed with guns and tea (Taliban)

Times: Gaddafi interpreter 'collapsed during UN speech'; The Taleban: the options and recommendations

AFP: US general to send Afghan troop request this week Pentagon

AFP: Marines go shopping to win Afghan hearts and minds

SPX: [Australian] Vice Chief Outlines Need For New Ground Combat Vehicle

UPI: Al-Qaida warns Saudis: We'll hit you again

Michael Yon: Bullshit Bob - Michael Yon is most excellent, and this one's a more important read than most of his fantastic articles.

Carnal Nation: Why Sex Positive COmmunity Should Care About Gun Rights - The Crypto King, AKA Chops, has routinely reminded me of the excellence of Oleg Volk, whose posts feature guns and hot women. I ran across this article while reviewing some of his posts the other day. I obviously disagree with the basis of some of the arguments, but the core of the editorial is accurate: so-called "progressives" who try to manufacture justifications for gun control are hypocritical and short-sighted, given that liberal agenda items like abortion and gay rights are based on very broad interpretations of the Constitution. The right to keep and bear arms is explicitly and clearly stated in the Second Amendment; a woman's "right to choose" is stated nowhere, nor is the so-called "right to gay marriage" that lefties have tried to fabricate. Efforts to fight for these undefined and controversial "rights", while simultaneously denying a fundamental human right that is explicitly stated in the Constitution, are bizarre and logically untenable.

AP: Gaddafi Able to Pitch Tent in Venezuela; AP: Libyan Leader Gaddafi Cancels Trip to Canada; Times: Gaddafi proposes a 'Nato of the South' - Good ol' Crazy Uncle Moammar: always in the news.

CNN: Bill Clinton: 'Vast right-wing conspiracy' as 'virulent' as ever - Is it just me, or does President Clinton almost sound like Crazy Uncle Moammar on this one? Vast right wing conspiracy, my ass. Conspiracies are secret!

CNN: Simple Facebook question raises problems around the world

BBC: What Iraq lessons are there for the Afghan campaign?

BBC: Afghan storm kills French troops - I'm generally reticent to make light of death, particularly death of soldiers at war; but French soldiers dying in a storm? It's almost as if the French have surrendered to weather.

Guardian: On Calvin, part 1: A world figure

Times: General backs call for surge in Afghanistan - "[British] Lieutenant-General Jim Dutton says that al-Qaeda cannot be denied their safe havens by 'simply patrolling from the skies'" - something we learned in Kosovo, something that we've relearned in Iraq and Afghanistan, and something that some politicians seem keen to ignore.

Times: Afghanistan troops surge: stakes for Obama could not be higher

Times Gallery: Afghan National Army military training camp; British soldiers on the front line

Commentary Magazine (Michael Totten): The Arab Preference for War

Michael Yon: The American Pedros: No Nonsense Rescuers - Michael Yon publishes the work of a Danish journalist. It's not up to his usual standards, but when Michael posts something, it's worth reading.

I've written previously about one of my favorite books, An Unorthodox Soldier by LtCol Tim Spicer, OBE. I finished re-reading it about a week ago, having received my original copy (of three) back from Desert Rat Tim a few weeks back. For this, and other reasons that I may or may not discuss at some point in the near future, my interest in LtCol Spicer and his work since 1999 (when he published the book) has been sparked anew. As such, I recently ran across a couple of articles about LtCol Spicer and his more recent expoits.

Vanity Fair: Iraq's Mercenary King

Times: Making a killing

And, just for fun, from College Humor: Metaphor-Free Radio by College Humor. Excellently hilarious.

That's it for today, folks. Have a fantastic Tuesday.