Stuffed

Do you have something to declare, Madam?

Authorities at Bangkok’s international airport found a baby tiger cub that had been drugged and hidden among stuffed toy tigers in the suitcase of a woman flying from Thailand to Iran, an official and a wildlife protection group said Friday.

The woman, a Thai national, had checked in for her flight and her oversized bag was sent for an X-ray which showed what appeared to be a live animal inside, according to TRAFFIC, a wildlife trade monitoring group.

The woman was arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport before boarding her Sunday flight. The cub, estimated to be about 3 months old, was sent to a wildlife conservation center in Bangkok.

“The cub arrived at our unit Monday,” said Chaiyaporn Chareesaeng, head of the Wildlife Health Unit at the Department of National Parks’ Wildlife and Plant Conservation Center, where the animal was put under close supervision.

“He appeared exhausted, dehydrated and couldn’t walk, so we had to give him oxygen, water and lactation,” said Chaiyaporn. “We have monitored him closely. As of today, he looks better and can walk a little now.”- Associated Press

The smuggler faces up to a 40,000 baht fine and four years in prison. Since 911 smuggling stuff on your body or in baggage has become incredibly difficult. Some people apparently haven’t gotten the memo.

In other Tiger news, a golfer by the last name of Woods shot 65 yesterday in a PGA Tour golf tournament. IMHO I think we need more than one excellent round before saying Tiger Woods has gotten his golf game back together again.

The Knucklehead of the Day award

Today's winner is United Kingdom Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt. She gets the award for the following.

The only wry smile to be derived from the humiliating circumstances in which our 15 sailors and Royal Marines were captured by just six Iranians came from the comment by Patricia Hewitt. "It was deplorable," pronounced our tight-lipped Health Secretary, "that the woman hostage should be shown smoking. This sends completely the wrong message to our young people."

15 British subjects are being held against their will, and this woman is worried about a pro smoking message being sent out. How about offering yourself in a hostage exchange Minister Hewitt? See if you're not smoking because of the ordeal.

No, Minister Hewitt would never be that brave, but UK Health Minister Patricia Hewitt is today's Knucklehead of the Day.

Hat tip- Right Wing Nation
Linked to- Basil, Blue Star, Cao, DragonLady, Jo, Mark My Words, Perri Nelson, Right Voices, StinNstein, Third World County,

Closing borders

From AP-

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraq will close its borders with Syria and Iran for 72 hours as part of the drive to secure and pacify Baghdad, the Iraqi commander of the crackdown said Tuesday, hours after a suicide bombing in a mainly Shiite neighborhood killed at least 15 people.

Lt. Gen. Abboud Gambar, addressing the nation on behalf of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, did not say when the borders would be closed. A government official said it was expected within two days.

The government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said the borders with Iran would only be partially reopened even after the 72-hour period ended.

The United States has long charged that Iran and Syria were allowing militants to use their territory to slip into Iraq to attack U.S. and Iraqi forces, as well as civilian Iraqi Shiites. Iraqi authorities have routinely echoed the U.S. charges against Syria, but they rarely accused Iran of the same.

So why are these steps being taken now? Because we didn't have enough troops in 2003 as some have alleged? Why close the borders for 72 hours and announce that it it being done?

Sounds like too little, too late. What do you think?

Linked to- Basil, Right Wing Nation, Third World County,

Tough Sell

From the LA Times-

WASHINGTON — Bush administration officials acknowledged Friday that they had yet to compile evidence strong enough to back up publicly their claims that Iran is fomenting violence against U.S. troops in Iraq.

Administration officials have long complained that Iran was supplying Shiite Muslim militants with lethal explosives and other materiel used to kill U.S. military personnel. But despite several pledges to make the evidence public, the administration has twice postponed the release — most recently, a briefing by military officials scheduled for last Tuesday in Baghdad.

In the wake of the WMD debacle, it is just natural for anyone to be skeptical about any Bush administration claims in regards to Iraq or Iran. Where is the proof Iran is responsible for attacks on US troops.

There may be proof out there, but in the least likely of places. Washington Post writer Thomas Ricks in his recently published book titled 'Fiasco'(A must read in TFM's opinion. Doug at Below the Beltway and Bing West concur.) reported that the more advanced IED being in Iraq of late were being made with Iranian help. Ricks was scathing in his book of how the Bush administration has handled Iraq, so one would think based Ricks may give indirect backing to what Bush is saying now. Also the recent attacks on US helicopters would seem to point to an outside source for the weapons needed for these.

Bottom line- I'd still want more proof.

Hat tip- Poliblog
Linked to- Cao's Blog, Dumb Ox, Right Voices, Right Wing Nation,