The UN, Iran and Russia

The U.S. demonized Ahmadinejad? That’s what the new U.N. U.N. General Assembly president says. I can see his point to a degree. Part of his argument is that the U.S. vilifies one leader while supporting the likes of Pinochet and Marcos. But, then the U.N. president stated that Ahmadinejad didn’t really deny the Holocaust.

D'Escoto said he did not support Ahmadinejad's comments on Israel but questioned whether they had been made. "If he said that I think it's lamentable," he said.

To make matters worse, despite all the evidence of Genocide in Darfur, he basically stated it was just a Bush administration smokescreen that brought about an arrest warrant on March 4 for Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir for alleged war crimes. The good news is D’Escoto’s position has no real power. The sad part is much of the world will listen to him.

In other news on Iran, the Obama administration is reshaping policy. That’s not really a surprise after Secretary of State Clinton issued an invitation to a conference at The Hague. Iran has not yet responded to that invitation.

Meanwhile, the Russians are rearming, planning to spend $140 billion through 2011.

Analysts say the brief war in Georgia exposed problems with outdated equipment and practices within Russia's armed forces and led to calls for military modernisation.

The announcement also stated a primary focus of the buildup would be the strategic nuclear forces. The wave of regional conflicts causing modernization is understandable. Better ground forces and strategic planning makes sense. But, regional conflicts do not require strategic nuclear weapons.

5/9 Morning Report

Imagine such a thing! Hezbollah getting upset because it doesn’t like government rules? Well, that’s what it amounts to, anyway. Unfortunately, with as much power, if not more so, as the government itself wields, Hezbollah can get away with a lot. And, with their usual rhetoric, they say it is all because the US and Israel are trying to control them.

"The (government) decisions are tantamount to a declaration of war and the start of a war... on behalf of the United States and Israel," he [Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah] charged during a rare press conference.

Of course!…it couldn’t possibly have anything to do with maintaining civil order… how silly of the world to think that could be the case. I loved the comment from the US State Department:

"Hezbollah needs to make a choice: Be a terrorist organisation or be a political party, but quit trying to be both," said US national security council spokesman Gordon Johndroe.

Hezbollah has been very successful ,just like Yassir Arafat and the PLO, at making it look like everything is political—while terrorizing any dissenters, and neighboring nations. Of course, the UN is calling for calm, and not getting involved—as usual. I wonder what country will have a bunch of soldiers killed on a peace keeping mission this time. I also wonder if that would change the way the UN handles situations like this.

(…Darfur…Bosnia…Kosovo…Lebanon…has the methodology changed?…or ever really worked?...long term?...)

8/9 Morning Report

Well, it’s been a busy week, so I’ll just highlight a couple of things from my RSS feeds and email box from the last couple of days…

Yesterday, the BBC reported that Musharraf and Pakistani tribal elders will not attend a 3-day tribal council for peace taking place in Kabul.

Up to 700 tribal elders, Islamic clerics and leaders of both countries are invited to the council, starting on Thursday, which will discuss terrorism.

The Taleban have not been included, and are calling for a boycott of the event.

This does not indicate good news for stability in the region. Another report, this via Reuters, said President Pervez Musharraf may declare a state of emergency. Musharraf is trying to stay in power after the elections occur next year. And, he does have a lot of obstacles to doing so. Still, the rumor was announced by private Pakistani television channels, which would be the equivalent of our major networks.
(…not denying it could be a true story…but there is an obvious ax being ground here…)

Meanwhile, also yesterday, the UN can’t seem to make up it’s mind…again.

The union believes UN personnel will not be properly protected by US-led forces in the country.

The call comes as UN officials prepare to pass a draft resolution giving the organisation an expanded role in Iraq.

The UN has had a much reduced role in Iraqq since December 2003. Terrorists drove them out. And now, they clamor for the US to do this and that. The US admits it can’t and needs help in some areas. But, the UN talks out of both sides of their moths…again. Of course, with the Shia of Iraq and Iran getting cozier by the day that may all be a dead issue.
(…and, remember…even CNN said it would be a bad thing for the US to just leave Iraq…)

Not to be outdone, Clinton and Obama continue to exchange gaffs. Last week, Obama got zinged for his stance on nuclear weapons and terrorism. Sir Hillary Clinton has made a lot of hay on that, despite the fact that she said the same thing about nukes and Iran last year.
(…it’s so refreshing to see the MSM show the true colors of liberals…)

On the other side of the political aisle, Bush has unveiled a new slate of immigration proposals. I do applaud the ideas. Tougher fines for employers…better record keeping of departing foreign nationals…more gangs automatically denied entry…reduced processing times… These are all wonderful ideas. But, honestly, I don’t see this going farther than the last attempted “reform.”
(…just ask Farmers Branch, Texas…their great work is quickly turning into not worth the effort…)

05/24 Morning Report

Well, what do you know! Bin Laden and Iraq were connected after all. Can I be not surprised? I have always found it a bit hard to believe that al-Qaeda could get so well entrenched so quickly without having some kind of network in place. And, I will grant it could be done using appropriate exploitation of local discontent. But, the level of organization that existed when it announced it’s “official” presence far exceeded that, in my opinion.
(…before you ask…no I can’t prove that…it’s just what I believe…)

On the subject of the war in Iraq, what were insurgents doing with large sums of Iranian cash? Given the availability of money in just about any currency, why would terrorists want Iranian money? I only have two questions, really. How much influence and power is being bought with it? And by who? I know there will lots of accusations about terrorists using it to buy Iranian arms. And, I am quite sure some of that is going on. There is already a good bit of evidence that Iranian weapons and technology are being used by the terrorists and insurgents. But, personally, I think Iran would be more interested in getting foreign currencies for the exchange rates, and the influence that could generate on foreign governments. But, again, that’s my opinion.

So, I guess it should come as no surprise that Iran is continuing to UN nuclear requirements. Two telling statements about where things stand were:

"There are no obstacles to lawful and legal IAEA inspections of Iran's nuclear facilities," said Mohammad Saeedi, the deputy head of Iran's atomic energy organisation.
In March, the UN Security Council imposed a second round of sanctions on Iran for failing to suspend uranium enrichment, prompting Tehran to limit its co-operation.

My summation of Iranian actions would be something like, ”we are cooperating as long as you don’t interfere and let us do what we want.” It comes on the heels of this announcement on Tuesday:

Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency revealed that Iran has solved its technical problems and is now capable of making fuel suitable for nuclear reactors…The findings come after a short-notice inspection by the agency at Iran's main nuclear facility at Natanz on Sunday.

Of course, the UN being the UN is doing nothing but talk. In this case, that’s probably a good thing. At this point in time, I doubt enough soldiers could be brought together in a coalition strong enough to take on AND defeat Iran. Unfortunately, it also means it will be that much harder to accomplish when (…yes…I said when, not if…) the fight actually happens.

And, when the whole thing blows up, should we be surprised to find Muslims in America turning to some sort of violence in the defense of their faith? Well, it depends on what the definition of defending their faith is, at the bottom line. And, it will depend on who you talk to. NPR had a good discussion of the Pew Research survey that’s causing so much concern. And, the Daily Banter had a good discussion of what could be some statistical flaws in the research.
(…personally, I think there will be a lot of it going on…just like it is in Israel, Iraq, Pakistan, Gaza, and points European…I think America will se it as well…)

Meanwhile, catching up, the follwing two reports of sad news come from Any Soldier:

Spc. Kyle A. Little, age 20, of West Boylston, MA, died May 8 in Salman Pak, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an IED detonated near his vehicle. He was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Ga.

Lance Cpl. Jeffrey D. Walker, age 21, of Macon, Ga., died May 14 while conducting combat operations in al-Anbar province, iraq. He was assigned to Combat Logistics Regiment 2, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, NC.

At our house we remember your cry—the cry of all warriors:

"Tell them of us and say,
For their tomorrow, we gave our today."
--The Kohima Epitaph--

We remember what you have given. And we say thank you for the tomorrows you have given others. May God give back to your families more than they have sacrificed and lost.

And, now, we dance In Memoriam.

03/30 Morning Report

(…I haven’t been writing much lately. I’ve been pretty busy with school and tax season at the brokerage. But, I keep looking at things in the Middle East and wanting to scream...)

First, we have the continuing Iranian shenanigans. As the Iranians continue their proganda campaign using captured British crewmen, the UK ambassador to the UN does what?

At the UN headquarters in New York the UK asked the security council to support a statement expressing grave concern about the continuing detention of the crew.

Grave concern? The Iranians faked a situation to pressure the world into caving to their demands and goals. This request for a statement is in spite of satellite records showing the British were 1.7 nautical miles inside Iraqi waters. Now, it seems the UN turned down the British request.
(…what do you want to bet the Iranians get what they want out of this violation of international law without penalty…)

Next, probably taking a cue from the Iranians, the Arabs are demanding Israel accept a peace deal or else. Given that the Israelis turned down the same offer back in 2002, do the Arab leaders really think they will get a different response for this deal? I have to admit I thought this summary of the meeting by Israeli Prime Minister Olmert was really interesting:

"This process has brought the influential countries in the Arab world to begin to realize that Israel is not the biggest of all their troubles. This is a revolutionary change in their perception.

"(…forgive me…but I haven’t seen anything different in all this…)

Meanwhile, Congress is setting the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq. I originally heard the Democrats screaming for the end of 2008. The new deadline ? March 31, 2008.

In a mostly party-line 51-47 vote, the Democratic-controlled Senate told Bush to start withdrawing the troops this year with the goal of getting all combat soldiers out by March 31, 2008.

Personally, I liked Lycos news statement on this better. It was much more accurate:

A defiant, Democratic-controlled Senate approved legislation Thursday calling for the withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Iraq within a year…

Two weeks ago, the Democrats failed to get the same legislation passed. Bush is right, it will encourage the insurgents and terrorists. All they have to do is wait until the US leaves and then have free reign. I think the Iraqis believe their military and security forces will not be ready by then. That might explain why two years ago and then in September the Iraqi President said American forces would be needed long term. Personally this abandonment, like the abandonment we did to the Vietnamese, makes me want to cry.
(…will the Democrats negotiate on this if Bush does…or if circumstances change?...only time will tell…but I doubt it…)

Of course, you can always go read Michael Yon for an accurate, on-the-ground description of what is going on. He fumes about the media for only covering the news from safe areas. He fumes even harder at the military for not giving the media more access. And, he believes in the forces on the ground. You should go check it out.

And, finally, Any Soldier reported the sad news that Sgt. Wayne R. Cornell, of Holstein, Nebraska, died March 20 in Baghdad, when an IED detonated near his vehicle during combat operations. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Ft. Riley, Kansas.

Sgt. Cornell, at our house we remember your cry—the cry of all warriors:

"Tell them of us and say,
For their tomorrow, we gave our today."
--The Kohima Epitaph--

We remember what you have given. And we say thank you for the tomorrows you have given others. May God give back to your family more than they have sacrificed and lost.

And, now, we dance In Memoriam.

03/04 Morning Report

I think the Taliban and Iraqi insurgent forces have learned more lessons from the Viet Cong. Putting US and NATO forces in the position of not knowing who to trust has caused more civilian deaths. How well those tactics have succeeded is summed up in this:

After a suicide attack by an explosives-filled minivan, the Americans treated every car and person along the highway as a potential attacker, though none of the people showed hostile intent, said Mohammad Khan Katawazi, the district chief of Shinwar.

Unfortunately, when only one side wears uniforms—your own-- it’s easy to get trapped into that behavior.

By the way, want to know what Muslim extremists think? Well there are two good examples.
First, according to Chechnyan President Ramzan Kadyrov, ”if you’re a leader, people fear you”.
(…maybe someone should tell that to the Democrats?...)

Second, there is Iran, who once again proved the UN does not care if they get thumbed in the nose. It seems UN leaders cannot agree on sanctions against Iran for nuclear stone walling.
(…must be nice to be able to say what you want…and do what you want…and get away with it…how come America can’t do that in the UN?...)

And, in case you were wondering just how much Iran and the Saudis distrust each other, they have agreed to keep Muslim ranks unified. It should be interesting to see that happen between Shiite and Sunni factions. They are already tearing each other apart in Lebanon, Iraq, and among the Palestinians. And each of these nations is fueling the fight, one way or another.
(…somehow…that’s supposed to make sense…to someone…maybe the Muslims get it…that’s why they are so unified…right?...)

By the way, if you think our annual defense budget increases are big? Take a look at what China announced! Their defense spending will jump almost 18% next year.

Jiang said most of the money would be spent on boosting wages and living allowances for the 2.5 million-member People's Liberation Army, and on upgrading armaments.

(…at least all of theirs are home…putting down dissenters and tyrannizing the populace…I wonder what the liberals would do if our military was used like that…and how come the liberals aren’t doing this about the Chinese…and the Russians…and…oh, never mind…)

Give peace a chance was a favorite slogan of American peace activists back in the 60s and 70s. Considering all the violence that ensued between leftists then and American authorites, should anyone be that surprised at the Danish riots? It could be these guys are taking lessons from the Muslims in Iraq…

Police said they arrested about 100 activists in raids on houses, schools and hostels. About half were foreigners who police said would be expelled.

Defying the courts, leftists have occupied a building that was sold to Christian fundamentalists, and even resorted to using molotov cocktails to ward off police.
(…really makes you believe their interested in peace…as opposed to…say…forcing everyone to give them what they want…hhhmmm…can you say “Chavez”?...)

02/22 Morning Report

In a surprise move, Wednesday, the NY Times reported that Tougher Tactics Deter Migrants at U.S. Border. Among other stunning items in the article, they note that Border Patrol commanders can only attribute the drop off in illegal immigrants to stricter enforcement! On the other hand, maybe it’s not such a change of heart. After all, in a Sunday editorial the Times also called the stepped up enforcement “mean and iffectual.” Among other things, it claimed that Congress and the Bush administration were enacting policies as window dressing to appease hard line conservatives. It also claimed the only real accomplishment was the militarization of the border.
(…I wish they would make up their minds…either it’s one thing…or it’s the other…personally, I’m pretty happy to see something positive being done to combat ILLEGAL immigration…)

This must have really chapped some hides. A Federal Appeals Court ruled 2-1 detainees do not have habeus corpus rights in US courts. This paragraph has one major disturbing portions.

In a 2-1 decision, the judges said the Constitution does not extend the right of habeas corpus to noncitizens held outside the sovereign territory of this country. "Cuba -- not the United States -- has sovereignty over Guantanamo Bay," Judge Raymond Randolph wrote.

First, if Cuba has sovereignty, they can demand the US not hold prisoners—which could also be applied, I think, to any military installation. Therefore, could force them to be moved to US soil, and that would give them said rights to a judge and the courts.
(…I would call this one a temporary victory…watch for the left to try to move on this one…)

In other Iraq news, following the Tony Blair’s announcement of British troop withdrawals, Iraqi officials announced they are ready to take over security in Basra. Of course, how much of that is PR damage control by the Iraqis is debatable.

US forces found chemical at a car bomb factory. Unfortunately, in the last couple of days, the specter of chemical weapons in Iraq has raised its ugly head again, although not WMD suspicions that started the War. Chlorine bombs, a device and tactic from WWI, are now being used by insurgents against the population. The belief in the media seems to be that the recent rape charges against Iraqi police forces have fueled this new development.
(…possible…I’m withholding judgment for further evidence…personally, I think they are just taking advantage of the opportunity…)

Meanwhile, Iran is scoffing at a UN threat of force over it’s nuclear stonewalling. I would scoff, too. The only time the UN has really done anything that really involved force was in Korea over 50 years ago. Since then, it has been a pretty ineffective body at enforcing anything it demands. However, Iran claims that diplomacy and dialogue are the way to solve the issue are pretty lame as well. Iran scoffs at dialogue—until it gets its way.
(…maybe he took lessons from Sadaam Hussein…it’s what he did for over 10 years…until Bush got fed up with him…I hope the US does not go after Iran any time soon…we are not ready or capable for that, yet…)

02/10 Morning Report

CavMom hs the report of our troops thwarting a kidnapping in Baghdad. Want to bet you don’t see those kind of stories on the MSM? She actually has a lot of those. You should put the site on your regular reading list.
(…I’ll come back to her in another post later today…I got TAGGED…)

In other news from Iraq, the UN has filed to have a death sentence revoked. I’m not commenting on whether or not he deserves it. My concern is that the UN is, once again, making special case issues. For those who don’t know, this is an application of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

After almost two decades of negotiations and rewriting, the text of the Universal Covenant on Civil and Political Rights was agreed upon in 1966. In 1976, after being ratified by the required 35 states, it became international law.

Optional Protocol to the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
The protocol adds legal force to the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights by allowing the Human Rights Commission to investigate and judge complaints of human rights violations from individuals from signator countries.

Placing the global desires above the needs of justice among the local people is a dangerous practice. Lawlessness—or genocide as practiced by Hussein and his cronies—should not be tolerated. There must be a swift and just end to events like this. Personally, I loved the Israeli reservation against the treaty:

"To the extent that such law is inconsistent with its obligations under the Covenant, Israel reserves the right to apply that law."

(…if you’re interested, Here is a list of the nations that have ratified it so far, and their complaints about it…)

Meanwhile, members of Congress visiting Iraq were shown Iranian explosives. Personally, I would call that solid evidence that Iran is fueling the problems in Iraq. Even if they are selling them to a third party who is distributing them, they are still involved—just like they are in Lebanon.
(…hey…how many US Presidents have had that charge leveled against them?...I can say Iran-Contra…can’t you?...wonder if it will stick to the Iranians?...)

Evening News...Stuff...

I loved this report from the BBC. Asia greenhouse gasses will triple in 25 years. Isn’t this what opponents of the Kyoto accords said? This goes nicely with another British report that the UN is downgrading mankinds impact on climate change.
(…this must be why Asian countries were exempt from the protocols…and why it’s all Bush’s fault…)

I have to admit I enjoyed this BBC report, too. It seems that…well…read it yourself:

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is expected to become the target of a lawsuit which accuses him of inciting genocide against Israel.

. All I can say is, I love it. I doubt anything will come of it. But, I love it.

Closer to home, the ACLU is being subpoenaed by the government! It seems the feds want all copies of a leaked document. While there is some discussion of why, it is noted that there is nothing improper in the request. I find the possible legal precedent to this very interesting. Could this be a way to reign in snitch…I mean…source…confidentiality in the media?

Meanwhile, from Blogdom, Basil had a series of links on today’s news. One thing I missed that he found was that Harvard is dropping the religious studies requirement. Oh, there is one detail…There is still requirement for Islamic studies on the books.

SC&A brought out a great point. When the discussion turns to Israel, Jews, the Jewish State, and “Zionism”, not many people really know what the differences are (if any) or what all of it means. Read this. It’s kind of long…but well worth it.

Meanwhile, Cassandra opened a can of worms with her ”Idiot…” post. But, it spawned a great piece of writing. She really gets into what real tolerance means in her follow up. And got almost as many comments, too.

Lastly, some humor is required today. Prying1 is sharing the cartoons of his favorite to win the best Weblog Cartoon Award.


I have to admit, this is pretty good. Check it out!

Never-Changing Islam

UN will aid Hamas…to the tune of $450 million. Why? There are only two reasons mentioned. Simply put the sanctions against the terrorist organization—and the govenerment it formed—and restrictions by the Israeli government have economically devastated Gaza. How about that? Hamas continues to kill, destroy, and refuse to get along with its neighbors…and they get rewarded for it!
(…thanks to Chris at Right Wing Right Minded for the news…)

Hezbollah urges defiance of the “western backed” government of Lebanon. One of the Hezbollah “grievances” is the current government did not do enough to cut off Israeli supply lines during the recent conflict. That, and the government continues to take an anti-Syrian stance. It’s really interesting that Hezbollah, just like Hamas, wants to blame everyone else for their problems. Let us not forget that Hezbollah egged on and instigated the recent attack into Lebanon by Israeli military forces. So, why should the government bail them out?

UN says Arab nations have changed little regarding treatment of women.

Arab governments have "announced a host of reforms targeting freedom and good governance," the report says. But "reforms often seemed empty gestures to cover up the continuation of an oppressive status quo."

It’s nice to see the UN does see a few things that are true…But, in spite of recognizing this element of Islamic hypocrisy, they still gave Hamas $450 million dollars and let them off the hook for their violence towards others.

Angel, at Woman Honor Thyself had a wonderful write up. It’s a another review of Islamic history and how they treat others—and demand to be treated.
(…here’s a hint…it has NEVER been a religion of peace…)

You can check out my write-ups on Islam as well, Here, Here and Here. I’ll repeat myself by saying there are those who belive that the Catholic Church will be the “One World Religion” of the anti-Christ. My personal opinion is it will be Islam.
(…take that for what it’s worth…)