Kowabunga

It's been awhile since I have had anything to write about Comrade Hugo Chavez, the Thief of Caracas. He has made the news in a big way today by delivering up on threats made last year to nationalize food distribution in Venezuela.

From TV One News:

Venezuela's top food company has accused troops of illegally seizing more than 500 tonnes of food from its trucks as part of President Hugo Chavez's campaign to stem shortages.

The leftist Chavez this week created a state food distributor and loosened some price controls, seeking to end months of shortages for staples like milk and eggs that have caused long lines and upset his supporters in the OPEC nation.

According to Chavez and the hard-left, including leftists in America (especially those Hollywood elites), government seizure of private property is considered to be an improvement on "freedom." Maybe I am unclear on the concept, but I always thought that governments that embraced freedom didn't use their armed forces to commit acts of thuggery. That is left to totalitarian regimes like Cuba. But then Chavez wants to turn Venezuela into another Cuba, so I shouldn't be surprised that he is following in Castro's footsteps.

Jose Anzola, a director of food company Alimentos Polar, told reporters that troops stopped 27 of its trucks over the last three days and described the seizures as "illegal, arbitrary and irresponsible."

Troops said they halted the transport of 350 tonnes of food to states along the Colombian border on suspicion of smuggling, he said. Another 165 tonnes were impounded in an eastern state on accusations of hoarding, he added.

The reason why there are food shortages in Venezuela is because of State imposed price controls that make it extremely difficult for producers and distributors to make a living. If you take away a company's ability to make a profit on a given set of products, where is the incentive for it to continue to produce such products? Venezuela, and specifically the regime of Comrade Hugo Chavez, is the cause of any and all food shortages in Venezuela. The heavy-handed use of military force against private business will further acerbate the problems in Venezuela.

Polar's Anzola is right when he describes the acts of confiscation as being "illegal." IN any free country such acts would be condemned without hesitation.

But then Venezuela is no longer truly a free country, so why be surprised by such heavy-handed tactics by Comrade Chavez.?

"Anyone who is distributing food ... and is speculating, we must intervene and we must expropriate (the business) and put it in the hands of the state and the communities," Chavez said during the inauguration of a new state-run market in Caracas.

It looks as though Chavez is making good on his threats to confiscate private business in Venezuela, expanding the trend from oil, energy and communications to food supplies, continuing on his march to communism.

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Chavez Venezuela Communism

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Tragic events are taking place in Pakistan; Benazir Bhutto, a former Prime Minister of Pakistan, was assassinated. She was shot in the neck and chest, died of her wounds. A suicide bomber also set off a bomb killing 20 other people at the campaign rally that Bhutto spoke at.

Details are available just about anywhere you look.

There is potential that the elections scheduled for early January may be delayed, which could prove disastrous for Musharraf, whose leadership has suffered primarily due to his alliance with the U.S. in combating al-Qaeda.

Hopefully Musharraf will be able to move quickly to identify and arrest all those who were involved in Bhutto's assassination and the murder of so many of her supporters.

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Benazir Bhutto Pakistan Assassination

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Looks Like Comrade Hugo Chavez of Venezuela will NOT be able to become "El Presidente Vitalicio" any time soon as his plans to rewrite the Venezuelan Constitution that would move his country into a Cuba-like Communist regime has gone down in defeat.

From Myway News:

"I understand and accept that the proposal I made was quite profound and intense," he said after voters narrowly rejected the sweeping constitutional reforms by 51 percent to 49 percent.

I've been wondering if the people of Venezuela will wake up and smell the stuff Chavez has been spewing for the last several years for being what it is, and it looks like at least 51% of Venezuelans have done so. Hurrah for the people of Venezuela!

Unfortunately they are still stuck with the Castro wannabe through the election in 2012, which is a long time to wait to get rid of him. The question is, will he continue to push for changing different aspects of their Constitution, breaking the changes down into smaller, more "palatable" chunks? Probably. We'll just have to wait and see what Chavez does next. They have to remember that Comrade Chavez still wields tremendous dictatorial powers that were granted to him early this year.

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Chavez Venezuela Election Constitution

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Not only is Comrade Hugo Chavez of Venezuela a tin-plated dictator and allied with terrorist thugs like Ahmadinejad of Iran, he is delusional as well. From Yahoo.com:

"I want the state prosecutor to look into bringing a suit against CNN for instigating murder in Venezuela," he said. "... undoubtedly it is part of the psychological warfare."

This came about when CNN made an error in a broadcast recently in which the dictator's image was erroneously used in a story about the death of a football star. The news anchor ordered the image taken down when the error was spotted.

For several years now, Comrade Chavez has claimed that there are U.S. plots to assassinate him in his various anti-American tirades. Why he is so popular amongst the people of Venezuela is beyond me as it is obvious he is a power-monger communist who idolizes Castro and wants to mold Venezuela into a South American Cuba. His unsubstantiated claims are nothing more than a ploy to bolster his position.

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Chavez Venezuela CNN

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Ahmadinejad is spewing forth on Iran's nuclear program with the announcement that Iran now has 3,000 centrifuges (used in the refinement of uranium ore0 online and fully operational, with plans to expand that to 54,000 centrifuges in coming years.

The Jerusalem Report states that with 3,000 centrifuges online, Iran is in a position to generate enough weapons-grade uranium to have its first nuclear bomb within a year. It is important to remember that the only thing slowing Iran down in this respect is the need to generate sufficient material to build nukes. The technology for building nuclear weapons has been available to them for decades.

From the JR:

The US and some of its Western allies believe Iran is using its civilian nuclear program as a cover for weapons' development. Teheran denies this, insisting its nuclear program is geared toward generating electricity, not a nuclear bomb.

Of course Tehran denies that they intend to use these facilities to develop nuclear weapons. All they have to do is refine uranium-235 in sufficient quantities for weapons (this can be as small as 12 pounds of material), pass it off to al Qaeda or Hezbollah, and then let the terrorists do the dirty work of building and detonating a bomb in New York or Tel Aviv. The only thing preventing mushroom clouds over major Western cities right now is the availability of uranium-235 or plutonium in sufficient quantities.

Despite Iran's claims that they are only intending to use nuclear technology for electricity, can we really be sure that is the case, and can we afford to accept their claims at face value? It wasn't that long ago that North Korea made these same claims and now we have to deal with another communist dictatorship in possession of nuclear weapons. The two major differences between North Korea and Iran is that the U.S. taxpayer isn't footing the bill for Iran's nuclear tech, and North Korea isn't an Islamo-Fascist state that has a history of supporting terrorist organizations and calling for the annihilation of Israel.

Ahmadinejad continues to defy the U.N. and refuse to enter into talks regarding Iran's nuclear ambitions.

"I, as your representative, told those who brought the message that we didn't ask for talks ... If talks are to be held, it is the Iranian nation that has to set conditions, not the arrogant and the criminals," Ahmadinejad said.

Ahmadinejad is half-right: conditions for talks should not be set by "the arrogant and the criminals." That being said, Ahmadinejad, being an arrogant criminal and supporter of terrorists that have killed hundreds (more likely thousands) of Americans going back to the Beirut Marine barracks bombing in the '80s. Not to mention is alleged involvement in the Embassy hostage crisis in Iran when the Ayatollahs seized power in that country, deposing the Shah of Iran (thank you, Jimmy Carter).

Iran and its totalitarian rulers have proven time and again that they cannot, nor should they be, trusted. The line of "we're only using it for peaceful purposes" has been used and abused before by North Korea. We cannot afford to assume that Iran is any different in their claims than North Korea was. We could choose to believe that Iran is sincere in its claim that it is for electricity only. Let us hope and pray that we don't learn the hard way that Iran was lying through its teeth.

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Ahmadinejad Iran Nuclear Weapons

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Iran is continuing its march towards nuclear munitions, which comes as no surprise to me. From Reuters:

Iran will not negotiate with anyone about its right to nuclear technology, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Tuesday, hours before talks aimed at defusing an atomic row with the West were to start in Rome.

Western nations accuse Iran of seeking to build an atomic bomb, a charge Tehran denies, insisting it only wants to master atomic technology so it can make electricity and save its huge oil and gas reserves for export.

Sounds as though Iran is taking a page out of the North Korea playbook when it comes to their nuclear plans. North Korea had promised that they would not use nuclear technology for anything other than energy. the Clintons bought it hook, line and (lead) sinker. Even after we, the American taxpayer, foot the bill for their nuclear facilities, they continued to claim it was only for energy development. Right up until they detonated their first nuke.

Iran is playing the same game, however there are differences on where things could end up. Where China may have made token efforts to rein in North Korea, Russia is siding with Iran, probably because they are building the infrastructure and want to get paid. Iran is also far more likely than North Korea to supply al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups with high quality fissionable material with which to build bombs (and that's not difficult to do!). You can bet if a mushroom cloud suddenly appears over Tel Aviv or New York, the uranium or plutonium used will have come from Iran.

"We are in favor of talks but we will not negotiate with anyone about our right to nuclear technology," Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying by Iranian state television during his trip to Armenia, which ended on Tuesday.

"The party which should set conditions is Iran not the other party," he was quoted as saying.

There is a big difference in a willingness to negotiate a resolution to the problems of a nuclear armed Iran and the probability that, like North Korea, Iran will use nuclear technology as a means of extorting Western nations. Nuclear tech will bolster the position of the Ayatollahs that rule Iran. They can use it as a weapon against Israel and/or America, arm terrorist groups, or simply use it as a bartering tool, trotting it out every time they want something from the U.N. or the West.

As for Iran being the one to set the conditions for discussions, then that is just a fancy way of saying they aren't interested in negotiating.

People keep claiming it will be at least 10 years before Iran can build a nuclear bomb. North Korea did it in less time, and we ponyed up the financing for it. And people also forget that the U.S. did it in about three years without the technology (like computers, lasers, etc.) that is now available today. The question is, how do we deal with Iran and eliminate the nuclear threat before mushroom clouds start sprouting up over American cities in the name of Allah? And much time do we really have?

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Iraq Nuclear Weapons

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Have you ever noticed how the Left is always prepared to vilify America and the Bush Administration for any perceived infringement on civil rights, yet they are totally silent when it comes to such countries as Cuba, North Korea, China, and Venezuela? The latest from Caracas is that Comrade Chavez is calling the Church leadership "morally unacceptable" in response to a statement released by the Catholic bishops statement accusing Chavez of concentrating power with his latest proposal to make himself dictator of Venezuela.

From News24:

Chavez's reform plan, which voters are expected to approve in a December referendum, also includes allowing security forces to detain citizens without charge during political "emergencies" or major natural disasters.

"Political emergencies?" Sounds like anyone who disagrees with Comrade Chavez had better watch out, as Venezuela will be in a constant state of "political emergency" if this communist dictator gets his way. What other excuses will this tin-plated dictator come up with as a means to incarcerate Venezuelans without charge? If this were proposed in the U.S., the streets would be filled with protesters. Instead, we are treated to a parade of celebrities hobnobbing with the Comrade.

I am still hopeful that the people of Venezuela will wake up soon and pull the wool out of their eyes before it is too late.

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Chavez Venezuela

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Vladimir Putin, Russia's leader, looks to be siding quite heavily with Iran where it comes to developing nuclear technology, and warning the U.S. in regards to staging any military action against Iran as a response to its nuclear development programs.

Putin is dead-set on delivering on Russia's commitment to Iran in building a nuclear reactor and getting it online. He has stated that no nation in the Caspian Sea region should allow its territory to be used in an attack on another Caspian nation. This is in regards to reports that the U.S. may use Azerbaijan, a former Soviet satellite state, as a staging ground for an attack on Iran. Currently, the U.S. does not have such plans (but I hope they have something in development).

Also addressed is a demand that any oil pipeline project that goes through any Caspian Sea nation must be backed by all five nations in the region. With Iran and Russia, who are obviously in league with each other, as two of those nations, it is clearly an attempt to block any pipelines that would help deliver oil to Western countries (like the U.S.). Especially since currently proposed pipeline projects would bypass Russia.

The question is, how will Putin enforce this on the other nations that comprise the Caspian Sea region? With tanks and hobnailed boots like they used throughout Eastern Europe during the heydays of the Soviet Union? Are the nations of the Caspian Sea region sovereign nations able to decide for themselves who they will ally with and whether or not they will let foreign troops into their country to deal with a serious nuclear threat posed by a neighboring nation that is controlled by a totalitarian theocracy?

We already know that Iran will cooperate fully with Putin in regards to these two issues, as they are the potential target of any military forces that might be staged in that region. They would also not be part of any proposed pipeline as long as they have a fascist theocracy in place.

Iran's nuclear program is clearly a threat to Western civilaizatioin as even if they don't use the tech directly for the development of nuclear bombs, they will, without any doubt, be a provider of nuclear materials to Islamic terrorist groups and assist them in developing delivery systems (which ain't that hard to do). Iran has been regularly caught supplying terrorist groups and sectarian death squads in Iraq. Can we truly believe that they wouldn't start providing high-quality uranium or plutonium to these same types of people?

From BreitBart:

Putin has warned the U.S. and other nations against trying to coerce Iran into reining in its nuclear program and insists peaceful dialogue is the only way to deal with Tehran's defiance of a U.N. Security Council demand that it suspend uranium enrichment.

Like that really worked with North Korea, who regularly lied through their teeth about their actual plans for nuclear tech that we, the American taxpayer, were forced to pay for courtesy of Jimmy Carter and the Clinton Administration (and that's something to keep in mind with Hillary in the presidential race for 2008).

We also tried for years to deal with Saddam Hussein through the U.N. and its Security Council and let him continue to take potshots at U.S. aircraft in the region, a direct violation, by Hussein, of the cease-fire agreement.

Iran's rejection of the council's demand and its previous clandestine atomic work has fed suspicions in the U.S. and other countries that Tehran is working to enrich uranium to a purity usable in nuclear weapons. Iran insists it is only wants lesser-enriched uranium to fuel nuclear reactors that would generate electricity.

A trick Iran learned from North Korea.

Putin summed things up with intentions of negotiating on behalf of the United States (in regards to being on the U.N. Security Council). Let's hope someone has the smarts to tell him "no thanks." Putin has a vested interest in Iran's nuclear program as Russia is building the reactor. Can we say conflict of interest?

More and more, Putin is resembling many of the dictators of the pre-WW2 era. And that is something that we should also be concerned about.

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Putin Iraq Caspian Sea Nukes

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There are serious problems when you have a Communist dictatorship using slave labor as a trading partner to manufacture goods. There has been a deluge of reports that products from China have poisoned pets, used lead paint in toys, defective tires, lethal chemicals in various foods and toothpaste, and so on.

From Reuters:

Mattel has only itself to blame for a huge toy recall that has stoked global alarm about Chinese-made goods, state media said on Thursday, charging that a slew of foreign safety scares had exposed a protectionist agenda.

Protectionist agenda?

"If it comes down to blame, then it all lies with the U.S. side," the paper said of the Mattel magnet recall, noting that the problem was a design defect. "The Chinese manufacturer only produced according to those specifications."

I seriously doubt that Mattel would provide manufacturing specifications that called for lead paint to be used.

There are serious ramifications when dealing with dictatorial regimes, and it isn't limited to having deadly products exported to the United States, although that has become a serious one.

The biggest problem is the amount of money that flows into China as a result of trade and how it is used: Specifically to bolster their military and totalitarian government.

Although free trade is a great thing when free countries and their people are involved. Free trade with communist regimes is not a good idea.

There are those that claim that free trade will help bolster the call for democracy. Maybe, but when the government is able to use the money that is earned from trade to enforce their will on the people, democracy hasn't got a chance.

If Mattel or any other U.S. company is to share in the blame for the deadly products they import, it is for their choice of trading partners and manufacturers, specifically dealing with communist dictatorships.

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China Mattel

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Anytime the now former soviet Union and Communist China gets together militarily speaking, it is a bad sign.

Putin has been flexing his muscle lately over the North Pole, trying to claim it is part of Russia, and then the recent reports where a para-military youth organization reminiscent of the Hitler Youth of Nazi Germany, which has also been in the news recently, combined with references to mass-murderer Joseph Stalin as being a great leader, all bad signs.

Now we have long range soviet bombers flying over the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic oceans at the same time thousands of Russian and Chinese troops are on joint maneuvers.

Although communism may have fallen in Russia, it looks like there is a resurgence, or at least the potential for it, in Russia, with Putin filling the void.

Yahoo News

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Putin China Russia Military

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FoxNews is reporting that Comrade Hugo Chavez, Dictator of Venezuela, plans to put forth his plans for reforming his country's constitution which will include the ability for him to be re-elected indefinitely.

Chavez has pushing his country more and more towards totalitarianism and has in the past made statements that he wants to have the constitution changed so that he could remain in office for more than the constitutionally allowed terms.

During the past year Chavez has "nationalized" the oil industry as part of the move to communism, as well as shutting down RCTV, an opposition broadcaster, for allegedly pushing to have Chavez removed from office. He has also threatened to seize other private businesses, including, but not limited to, food processing and grocers, in order to achieve a more Soviet style country.

Chavez's political allies firmly control the National Assembly responsible for reviewing his proposal as well as the Supreme Court. His critics accuse him of becoming obsessed with power and seeking to become a lifelong leader just like his close friend Fidel Castro.

Chavez rejects allegations that he poses a threat to democracy.

Chavez is partially right in that you can't pose a threat to something that no longer exists in Venezuela.

Since his re-election to a fresh six-year term in December, Chavez stoked fears that he his headed toward Cuba-style communism by creating a single ruling party and nationalizing Venezuela's several of key industries including the oil, telecommunications and electricity sectors.

There has been quite a bit in the news about his confiscating the assets of foreign oil companies, or, at best, compensating them for pennies on the dollar for the assets. all of this was done with the use of force, that the oil companies and other impacted sectors would have no choice in the matter save to accept his offer or face total confiscation of their assets.

Chavez, a former paratroop commander who was first elected in 1998, denies copying Cuba and insists that basic freedoms will be respected under his government. He says that democracy has flourished, rather than diminished, under his administration.

Chavez pushed through a new constitution in 1999, shortly after he was first elected. He says the charter must be redrafted in order to steer Venezuela away from capitalism.

Democracy has not flourished under Chavez, nor can democracy flourish where people must live in fear that their property will be seized, or their broadcast licenses suspended, thus putting them out of business (for all intents and purposes, that is the same as confiscation of assets), simply because they vocally oppose his agenda.

Thus it was with RCTV, and thus went free speech and freedom of the press in Venezuela.

Chavez is a megalomaniac nutcase who has allied himself with Ahmadinejad of Iran and Fidel Castro of Cuba. So it is no surprise that the Hollywood elites like Sean Penn has flocked to his banner.

Chavez is bad for Venezuela. How long will it take for the majority of Venezuelans to wake up and realize what a nutty tyrant they have ruining their country?

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Chavez Venezuela

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There is an incredible amount of brouhaha over Jihad the Musical over in the U.K. When I first read about it, I took a pass on writing about it. but I spotted something in one of the articles that I had to share. From This Is London:

The story comes to a head on the night of the attack when Sayid must decide whose side he is on.

His sister eventually saves him, along with the French who sing "We turned and ran".

At least the writer got the part about the French right. I had to laugh.

Somehow I think that it is wanting to be a spin on The Producers, the Mel Brooks production from the '60s that starred, at least in the movie, Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder. I doubt that it is as funny as The Producers.

On the flip side of the coin, I don't think I have to worry about Jihad the Musical coming to my neighborhood.

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Jihad the Musical

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It's not often that I feel a particular urge to write about Elton John (I'm old school enough to believe that knighthood should be reserved for those in military service, so no Sir for Mr. John).

From the Sun:

POP legend Sir Elton John wants the internet CLOSED DOWN.

Never one to keep his opinions to himself, the Rocket Man has waded into cyberspace with all guns blazing.

He claims it is destroying good music, saying: "The internet has stopped people from going out and being with each other, creating stuff.

"Instead they sit at home and make their own records, which is sometimes OK but it doesn't bode well for long-term artistic vision.

"It's just a means to an end.

"We're talking about things that are going to change the world and change the way people listen to music and that's not going to happen with people blogging on the internet.

"I mean, get out there - communicate.

"Hopefully the next movement in music will tear down the internet.

"Let's get out in the streets and march and protest instead of sitting at home and blogging.

"I do think it would be an incredible experiment to shut down the whole internet for five years and see what sort of art is produced over that span.

"There's too much technology available.

"I'm sure, as far as music goes, it would be much more interesting than it is today."

Elton also said that in the '70s there used to be ten great albums released every week, whereas today you are lucky if there are 10 great albums released in a year, with more albums being released in year than 30 years ago.

Okay, he may be right that there was a higher percentage of high quality music being released in the '70s than there is released today. Hard to argue that point as I believe he is right.

But to blame the Intenet and bloggers for the decline in good music? That's like blaming them for the vast number of bad movies and TV shows released every year in comparison to 30-40 years ago. Hollywood's answer to that dilemma is to rehash all of what was great in the '60s and '70s. The music industry continues to push out more and more drivel.

Probably the biggest contributor to the demise of high quality music is the advent of Rap music with its violent themes that involves drugs, rape, and cop killing. It sells, and Elton's latest album didn't.

As for an answer to Elton's question as to the kind of music produced if the Internet were to be shutdown, I have no doubt that the bulk of it would be the same kind of cr@p we are getting now. And he won't be able to blame the Internet and bloggers for it then.

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Elton John Internet Blogging Music

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Somehow I am not surprised that our erstwhile ally, Russia, is busily supplying one of the greatest enemies of freedom, Iran, with advanced military technology, from anti-aircraft weapons being used to protect nuclear facilities, to 250 Sukhoi-30 jet fighters paired with aerial fuel tankers.

From the Jerusalem Post:

Despite Israeli and US opposition, Russia recently supplied Iran with advanced antiaircraft systems used to protect Teheran's nuclear installations. At the time, Moscow said it reserved the right to sell Iran weapons, such as the antiaircraft system, that were of a defensive nature.

The Sukhoi-30 is a two-seat multi-role fighter jet and bomber capable of operating at significant distances from home base and in poor weather conditions. The aircraft enjoys a wide range of combat capabilities and is used for air patrol, air defense, ground attacks, enemy air defense suppression and air-to-air combat.

This will enhance Iran's offensive capabilities by providing them with a significant number of modern fighters capable of reaching out and attacking Israel as well as threatening U.S. Forces located in the Middle East.

It is also important to realize that Russia is not only arming our enemy, but has been instrumental in assisting Iran with the development of nuclear technology.

Russia is not the only player if providing weapons to Iran. China has also been involved with selling weapons to America's enemies, including funneling weapons to terrorists in Iraq through Iran.

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This is in From FoxNews:

Iran is using the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah as a "proxy" to arm Shiite militants in Iraq and Tehran's elite Quds force helped militants carry out a January attack in Karbala in which five Americans were killed, a U.S. general said Monday.

A senior Lebanese Hezbollah operative, Ali Mussa Dakdouk, was captured March 20 in southern Iraq, U.S. military spokesman Brig. Gen. Kevin J. Bergner said. Dakdouk served for 24 years in Hezbollah and was "working in Iraq as a surrogate for the Iranian Quds Force," Bergner said.

The general also said that Dakdouk was a liaison between the Iranians and a breakaway Shiite group led by Qais al-Kazaali, a former spokesman for cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Bergner said al-Kazaali's group carried out the January attack against a provincial government building in Karbala and that the Iranians assisted in preparations. Al-Khazaali and his brother Ali al-Khazaali were captured with Dakdouk.

We've known for sometime now that ran was involved with Hezbollah, supplying them with funding and arms, and their operations in Lebanon. We have also known for sometime that Iran was funneling funds, arms, and people into Iraq to help fuel the ongoing cycle of sectarian violence and destabilize the young government.

Now we have proof-positive that Iran is using Hezbollah to push their agenda of violence and terror in Iraq.

Why am I not surprised?

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Iraq Iran Hezbollah

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Iran, despite what the hard-left liberals think, is a terrorist regime. No doubt about it. They have been funneling weapons and bombs to sectarian death squads and terrorist groups operating in Iraq as well as supporting the terrorist group Hezbollah. Now five of their "diplomats" are being held by the u.S. in Iraq for their participation in running arms across the border.

From FoxNews:

Iran will make the United States "regret" its detention of five Iranian officials in Iraq, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Tuesday.

Mottaki was referring to five Iranian officials detained in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil by U.S. troops in January, who still remain in U.S. custody. The U.S. military has said they are suspected of links to a network supplying arms to Iraqi insurgents - an accusation that Iran has denied.

"We will make the Americans regret their ugly and illegal act," Mottaki was quoted by the official IRNA news agency as saying. He didn't elaborate on how Iran will make Washington regret the action.

If Iran wishes to talk about ugly and illegal acts, let's talk about their border crossings to kidnap troops on the ground and the kidnapping of British Sailors and Marines that were operating in international waters. How about the Iranian-Americans who went to Iran to visit family now being held prisoner?

It has been reported that several of the Iranian "diplomats" being held are members of Iran's Quds Force, which has been supplying Iraqi militants (leftie speak for terrorists) with arms and training. There is a high probability that this report is accurate.

If this is what Iran is like now, just wait until they have nukes.

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Iran Iraq Quds Force Terrorists

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It came as no surprise to me that North Korea broke its agreement to shut down its nuclear reactor.

North Korea had agreed to the shut down in excange for the U.s. releasing the freeze on some $25 million of assets residing in a bank in Macau.

Now that the totalitarian regime has access to the money, it has no incentive to shut down its reactor.

It only goes to show that appeasement never works, but extortion does.

FoxNews

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There are times when I do wonder why we are in Iraq, as there is a very vocal segment of the population that is so firmly against us, making the task of helping the majority of Iraqis achieve a true democracy daunting. From FoxNews:

Tens of thousands marched through the streets of two Shiite holy cities Monday to mark the fourth anniversary of Baghdad's fall.

The rally was called for by powerful Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who commands an enormous following among Iraq's majority Shiites and has close allies in the Shiite-dominated government.

A day earlier, the renegade cleric issued a statement ordering his militiamen to redouble their battle to oust American forces and argued that Iraq's army and police should join him in defeating "your archenemy."

Muqrada al-Sadr, the man who would be "king," continues to incite the people of Iraq, mainly amongst the Shiites, against our efforts to aid their government in establishing a free and democratic society. It is clear to me that such a nation in the heart of the Islamic world, is a threat to the likes of al-Sadr, and his followers have no interest in such a society. After all, it is easier to live under totalitarianism than it is to live free.

That is something Heinlein pointed out in his short novel "If this goes on" where he wrote about a future America living under a totalitarian theocracy, in which the hero realized that when a group of people are used to living in a caged society, they have a tendency to choose to continue living in such a society rather than take on the mantel of Liberty.

This seems to be very true of the Shiite followers of al-Sadr, as they push against the United States and the Coalition publicly, while fueling sectarian violence covertly. It is quite clear that the biggest mistake since the removal of Saddam and his ilk was in how al-Sadr was dealt with. Instead of being eliminated as the murdering terrorist he is, he was invited to the table and appeased. This gave him time to consolidate and expand his forces and his followers, thus giving him even more power to influence the outcome in Iraq.

"The enemy that is occupying our country is now targeting the dignity of the Iraqi people," said lawmaker Nassar al-Rubaie, head of al-Sadr's bloc in parliament, as he marched. "After four years of occupation, we have hundreds of thousands of people dead and wounded."

To al-Sadr and his allies, we are not the liberator, but the enemy, and they purport that we are the blame for Iraq's troubles, just like the liberals here in the US. To them, it is our fault, not the fault of Saddam Hussein, al-Qeada in Iraq, al-Sadr and the many death squads that have erupted since the bombing of the Golden Mosque.

There is no doubt that the majority of Iraqis want us there, and do not want to see their country become another Iran. Unless they get over their fears and become vocal about it, and show a willingness to stand up for Liberty, then it will be a matter of time before the Democrats who now control our Congress will force a withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq thus ending not only the Coalition, but any chance of a Free and Democratic Iraq.

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al-Sadr Iraq

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Fifteen British sailors that were kidnapped while operating in Iraqi waters by Iran last week are now under threat of "trial" by the totalitarian theocracy. From FoxNews:

Iran warned that 15 British sailors and marines could face charges for allegedly entering Iranian waters and rejected British requests to meet with the servicemen detained off the coast of Iraq.

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki threatened unspecified consequences for the Royal Navy crew in comments to reporters in New York on Sunday. He described the charge against them as "illegal entrance into Iranian waters."

"In terms of legal issues, it's under investigation," Mottaki said.

Despite Iran's claims, these British sailors and marines were operating in Iraqi waters, and were taken prisoner by Iranians that violated Iraqi territory in the Shatt waterway. The Brits had just completed a routine inspection of a civilian vessel that was in Iraqi territory.

It is pretty obvious that these Brits were kidnapped by Iran to be used as leverage against the International Coalition and to put a counter-pressure on the U.N.

Thus far, Iran has continued to refuse to negotiate with Britain for their release.

As for trustworthiness, I side with Britain as Iran has been a rogue totalitarian regime since the Shah was deposed by Islamic extremists in the '70s (thanks to Jimmy Carter). Iran has been arming and supplying sectarian death squads operating in Iraq, as well as supporting Hezbollah in Lebanon. If Iran does not release these British troops soon, it is possible that the situation could turn quite confrontational. Perhaps that is what Iran is hoping for. Hopefully they will realize that a confrontation with the West is something that they can ill-afford.

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Iran Britain Iraq

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Yesterday it was announced that a large weapons cache was discovered North of Baghdad in Iraq. From FoxNews:

U.S. and Iraqi forces have seized a large weapons cache that includes parts for sophisticated roadside bombs that are believed to originate in Iran, U.S. military investigators said.

...the arsenal is one of the biggest found north of the Iraqi capital and contains components for so-called EFPs - explosively formed projectiles that fire a slug of molten metal that can penetrate armored vehicles.

The U.S. military has said elite Iranian corps are funneling EFPs to Shiite militias in Iraq for use against American troops. The area where the cache was found is dominated by Sunni insurgents but also includes pockets of Shiites.

Also discovered were a two dozen mortars and 15 rockets, as well as parts for 150 of these EFPs. There was no mention of small arms being recovered in the cache. The origin of the weapons is under investigation, however, it is strongly believed that the EFPs originated in Iran. If true, that would still leave the question of where the other weapons are coming from, although Iran would head that list, followed by Syria.

There have been 63 such weapons caches found in the Baghdad region since security sweeps began on Feb. 14th. These caches also included a fake boulder that had been prepped for a roadside bombing.

Hopefully these security sweeps and the recovery of such a large amount of weapons will put a damper on the attacks while measures are taken to better secure the border to prevent such arms from being smuggled in country.

Meanwhile, a Taliban suicide bomber attacked a base in Afghanistan where V.P. Cheney was visiting. At least 14 people were reported killed as a result of the attack, and a dozen injured. Cheney was not injured.

A Taliban terrorist stated (from an undiclosed location) that the intent was for the bomber to reach Cheney's location.

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Iraq Iran War On Terror Cheney Afghanistan

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Some religion of peace and tolerance. From FoxNews:

A Pakistani minister and woman's activist was shot dead Tuesday by an Islamic extremist for refusing to wear the veil.

Zilla Huma Usman, the minister for social welfare in Punjab province and an ally of President Pervez Musharraf, was killed as she was about to deliver a speech to dozens of party activists, by a "fanatic", who believed that she was dressed inappropriately and that women should not be involved in politics, officials said.

Usman was a true leader of women's rights in a region where women are considered to be little better than property. I have no doubt that we will hear some mention of this from the White House, and many other quarters denouncing her assassination by this Muslim fanatic. What I don't know is if we will hear any denouncement from organizations such as CAIR or NOW. I'll be surprised if either one comes forth with such. We'll see, as I would like to be proved wrong.

What is disturbing is that it should happen in the 21st Century, not in the 6th Century. Regardless, the murder of a woman for such a stupid "offense" as not wearing a veil should be decried far and wide.

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Usman Pakistan

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From BreitBart:

Opponents of Poland's former communist regime reportedly want to pay a posthumous homage to US President Ronald Reagan by erecting his statue in the place of a Soviet-era monument.

In an open letter to the mayor of the southwestern city of Katowice, the former anti-regime activists said that the staunchly anti-communist Reagan had been a "symbol of liberty," the Polish news agency PAP reported.

Personally, I can't think of a better man to build a monument to. One of the greatest presidents we've ever had, and he is the man most responsible for the disintegration of the Soviet Empire.

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This is disturbing news out of Iraq. From FoxNews:

Several Iraqis have been detained for questioning in the ongoing investigation of at least two senior Iraqi generals suspected of involvement in an insurgent attack that killed five American soldiers on Jan. 20, U.S. officials told FOX News on Thursday.

The attack occurred at a provincial government security compound in Karbala where the Americans were meeting with local Iraqi security officers. Gunmen stormed the facility dressed like American soldiers and driving SUVs, military officials in Iraq said.

The Pentagon has called this a sophisticated and troubling assault and much more orchestrated than the usual attacks on U.S. and Iraqi forces. Because of that, military officials say they have strong suspicions that the Iranian government or elements of it may have been involved. Four of the five American soldiers were abducted before being shot execution style.

The piece goes on to describe the attack in some detail. The murdering thugs were wearing new U.S. Army fatigues, and carrying American military weapons and equipment. They spoke English and the SUVs used were of a type typically used in convoys.

There is a probability that the two generals under investigation may have at least had advance word of the attack, possibly even directly involved as the attack showed a level of detail knowledge that neither al-Qaeda or the various death squads would otherwise have. One of the Iraqi generals under investigation is an intelligence office, and that makes the situation even more troubling.

If we can't rely on the Iraqi military leadership, then the situation in Iraq is in serious trouble.

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War on Terror Iraq

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Looks like Iran and its nuclear program is in focus again. Ahmadinedjad has made it clear that Iran intends to bring 3,000 more centrifuges online during the month of February. From MyWay news:

Ahmadinejad's remarks Thursday signaled that Iran would begin the installation before Feb. 11 - the final day of nationwide celebrations in memory of the Islamic revolution. He has also called people to the streets that day to show support for the nuclear program.

"Enemies of the Iranian nation ... must know that their wrongful beliefs will be revealed once again during Feb. 11 rallies by the great Iranian nation," he said, according to the state-run news agency.

The United States and many Western countries accuse Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran denies. The Security Council has threatened to impose further sanctions on Iran if it continues to refuse to roll back its program.

Iran insists its program is peaceful.

That last line is what gets me the most. Kim Jong Il said the same thing over and over again when it came to North Korea and its nuclear program (bought and paid for using good ol' U.S. tax dollars, thanks to Jimmy Carter and the Clinton Administration), and we know now that assertion was nothing more than the lie it always was.

There is no doubt in my mind that the same is true with Iran. Especially when they refer to the United States as an enemy.

We have to take this threat seriously. Not because I believe they'll develop nukes for missiles, but because I believe they will provide sufficient quantities of uranium to al-Qaeda, Hezbollah, and other terrorist organizations bent on destroying the West.

I'd like to believe that the U.N. sanctions on Iran would do the trick. Problem is, they won't work. There are too many countries out there that will ignore any sanctions leveled against Iran. Still, it's better to keep plugging at it that way than to do nothing at all.

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Iran Ahmadinedjad War On Terror Nuclear Weapons

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For those still poo-pooing "the surge," it is now apparent that the terrorists in Iraq are taking it seriously. From FoxNews:

Death squad leaders have fled Baghdad to evade capture or killing by U.S. and Iraqi forces before the start of the troop "surge" and security crackdown in the capital.

A former senior Iraqi minister said most of the leaders loyal to Muqtada al-Sadr, the radical anti-American cleric, had gone into hiding in Iran.

Among those said to have fled is Abu Deraa, theShiite militia leader whose appetite for sectarian savagery has been compared to that of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq, who was killed last year.

I also seem to recall a blurb that al-Sadr is trying to make "peace" with the Iraqi government, as he now knows he isn't going to get the same second chance he received in 2004 if he continues with his death squad operations.

That many are now "hiding in Iran" further proves the point that Iran has been fueling much of the sectarian violence that has been going on in Iraq during the last few years.

Hopefully "the surge" (sounds like the name of a hockey team) will prove successful. We need victory in Iraq in order to bring stability to that country. We should not settle for anything less than that, nor should the people of Iraq.

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Looks like Iran is pushing towards nuclear weapons again. This is off of FoxNews:

Iran expects to start installing thousands of centrifuges in an underground facility next month, the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency said Friday. The installation would pave the way to large-scale uranium enrichment, a potential way of making nuclear weapons.

Iran has yet to cease its pursuit of refining uranium to high levels of purity, despite calls from the International community to cease such operations. Diplomacy has not worked with Iran, which is not surprising, as they are intent on having things their way only. Diplomacy can only work when all parties involved are interested in reaching the same goals.

Emplacing the centrifuges underground, most probably deep underground, is a way to safeguard their operations from observation and from attack.

Iran has repeatedly called for the annihilation of Israel, as well as threatened the U.S. Add to that its ongoing operations inside of Iraq, disrupting that fledgling democracy, should it complete its plans and develop nuclear weapons, the dynamics in the Middle East will shift dramatically, and not in a good direction.

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Looks like we may be in for a renewed arms race in space. China has successfully destroyed one of it's own satellite in a test to see if it could hit and destroy similar types of objects. The NY Times has this:

China successfully carried out its first test of an antisatellite weapon last week, signaling its resolve to play a major role in military space activities and bringing expressions of concern from Washington and other capitals, the Bush administration said yesterday.

Only two nations - the Soviet Union and the United States - have previously destroyed spacecraft in antisatellite tests, most recently the United States in the mid-1980s.

Arms control experts called the test, in which the weapon destroyed an aging Chinese weather satellite, a troubling development that could foreshadow an antisatellite arms race. Alternatively, however, some experts speculated that it could precede a diplomatic effort by China to prod the Bush administration into negotiations on a weapons ban.

Ed Morrisey, of Captain's Quarters, has this to say:

Does China intend on striking our sensitive military satellites? Perhaps not. This seems more like a pressure tactic by Beijing to get the US to change policy on space weapons. Last October, the Bush administration reiterated its stance on the issue, claiming that America needed a free hand in space for research and development, and specifically refused to eschew the kind of test the Chinese conducted yesterday. Now that China has demonstrated its capability to successfully launch the same kind of mission, the Chinese probably hope that the US will reconsider its position.

There is no doubt in my mind that this is a tactic to pressure the United States to give up a space based missile defense program. When SDI, or "Star Wars," was first put forth during the Reagan Administration, it was considered by those on the Left as provocative and could lead to hostilities with the Soviet Union. It did pressure the Soviets to the table, and, as the arms race escalated, brought about the downfall of the Soviet Empire.

Now, China, having successfully destroyed a satellite, is attempting to bring the U.S. to the table in an attempt to keep the U.S. from continuing to develop space-based missile defense.

As Morrissey points out in is blog article that the Chinese used a "blunt instrument" to destroy the satellite, resulting in a debris field that can, and probably will, interfere with other satellites currently in operation. There is no telling how long this debris field will pose a hazard to other satellites, and there is no doubt that any other satellites damaged or destroyed as a result of this test will not be compensated for by the Communists.

Heinlein wrote Starship Troopers in response to Soviet pressure on the Eisenhower administration to stop U.S. Development of nuclear weapons. At that time, the Soviets promised that they, too, would cease further development. It was not long before the Soviet lie was proven, and that particular treaty was not worth the paper it was written on.

Kim Jong Il was promised nuclear technology with the promise that North Korea would not use what they are given to develop nuclear weapons, and to cease any and all nuclear weapons programs. Their deceit on that bargain has also been proven.

Can anyone seriously believe that Communist China would cease developing space-based weaponry, or the tools to counter space-based weaponry because they said they would?

It is plainly obvious to me that they would not honor any such agreement made, but would claim it did not apply or otherwise ignore any such agreement, thus leaving the U.S. at a disadvantage.

Just because China has shown some capability to successfully destroy a satellite does not mean we should abandon development of space-based missile defense. It does mean we need to take that potential into account as development continues, and work out counter-measures to such threats.

The question is, whose word do you trust more: that of the United States, or that of Communist dictators? I think my choice is obvious.

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SDI

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Abu Usamah at-Thahabi is one scary dude. I had not heard of the New Jersey born Imam, who is a convert to Islam, before this report on FoxNews.

A New Jersey-born Muslim cleric with links to a suspected Al Qaeda operative who surfaced at a college not far from the cleric's Peoria, Ill., mosque the day before the Sept. 11 attacks has found a new home.

The imam now is spewing his message of hate to a growing group of followers at a mosque in Birmingham, England.

His target: the United States, the United Kingdom, Christians and Jews.

Abu Usamah at-Thahabi, who preached at the Islamic Center of Peoria in 2001, is the subject of a British news documentary that revealed Monday how he regularly exhorts worshippers at the Green Lane Masjid, or mosque, in Birmingham to hate Westerners, whom he calls "pathological liars" and "kuffar," a derogatory term for non-Muslims.

It actually gets worse from there, quoting this worthless bag of (fill in the blank) as stating that kuffaar should be crucified and left hanging to bleed to death. Nice guy! Kuffaar is any non-Muslim, as well as any Muslim who isn't Muslim enough (gays, etc.).

This was all brought out by a British documentary program called Dispatches. Much of the material was garnered by an undercover reporter that managed to sneak a video camera into the Green Lane Mosque. It's very revealing, and currently viewable via You Tube courtesy of Sweetness and Light blog.

The Dispatches website has a short companion article with the following:

He captures chilling sermons in which Saudi-trained preachers proclaim the supremacy of Islam, preach hatred for non-Muslims and for Muslims who do not follow their extreme beliefs - and predict a coming jihad. "An army of Muslims will arise," announces one preacher. Another preacher said British Muslims must "dismantle" British democracy - they must "live like a state within a state" until they are "strong enough to take over."

This particular group is targeting the U.K., however, it is clear that such activities are taking place in the United States, and, most likely, other Western countries as well. We are not talking about main stream Muslims, but an extremist subset of Islam.

The group practices Wahhabism that preaches an extreme version of Islam, including "you can not show tolerance to other religions," and calling for Islamic dominance of the world. Wahhabism is also discussed in "The Looming Tower," including how it was not only allowed, but encouraged to flourish in Saudi Arabia by the Saudi Royal family.

All I have to say is: some religion of peace this is.

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Wahhabism Islam Dispatches Green Lane Mosque

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Yahoo News is reporting that Fazul Abdullah Mohammed, who was believed to be one of the planners for the 1998 Embassy bombings, was killed during U.S. airstrikes in Somalia.

The airstrike in which this terrorist was killed involved the use of AC-130 (Spectre/Spooky) gunship, destroying an al-Qaida training camp located in Somalia. Details are sketchy beyond several camps were targeted and at least one AC-130 gunship was involved.

The terrorist Fazul was a senior member of al-Qaeda in Somalia. He is also believed to have planned the car bombing of a beach in Kenya in 2002.

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Somalia War on Terror al-Qaeda

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This is off of FoxNews:

Israel has drawn up secret plans to destroy Iran’s uranium enrichment facilities with tactical nuclear weapons, according to a report in the Sunday Times of London.

The paper cites several Israeli military sources saying that two Israeli air force squadrons are training to blow up an Iranian facility using low-yield nuclear “bunker-busters.”

Bunker-busters is probably what will be needed as there is no doubt that Iran learned a lesson for Iraq and the strike Israel made against their nuke facilities some years back.

With the new Congress being ut in the hands of the Democrats, it is obvious that: A) no such plans will come from the U.S. and B) their will be pressure form Congres on Israel not to execute such plans.

Of course, I would rather that such action could be taken without the use of nukes, low-yield or otherwise.

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Iran
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Saddam Hussein has been executed after U.S. Forces turned the mass-murdering former dictator over to Iraqi security forces. From FoxNews:

"Now, he is in the garbage of history," said Jawad Abdul-Aziz, who lost his father, three brothers and 22 cousins in the reprisal killings that followed a botched 1982 assassination attempt against Saddam in the Shiite town of Dujail.

"The garbage of history." Has a nice ring to it. He joins others of his ilk, tyrants like Stalin, Hitler, and Lenin, to name a few.

In a last act of defiance, he refused to be hooded for his execution. Then he hanged. Justice has been served.

On MyWayNews, they have a press release from the President:

Today, Saddam Hussein was executed after receiving a fair trial - the kind of justice he denied the victims of his brutal regime.

Fair trials were unimaginable under Saddam Hussein's tyrannical rule. It is a testament to the Iraqi people's resolve to move forward after decades of oppression that, despite his terrible crimes against his own people, Saddam Hussein received a fair trial. This would not have been possible without the Iraqi people's determination to create a society governed by the rule of law.

Liberty and the rule of law are what the people of Iraq now have. Something that was denied them under Hussein's rule. We may never know the full extent of Hussein's crimes against the people of Iraq. Let this be considered justice served for all of his crimes, not limited to the ones for which he was convicted and executed for.

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Off of Spiegel International:

hundreds of Iraqis have inquired about the hangman's job. The adviser, Bassam al-Husseiny, told the US network ABC News that he received about eight to 10 phone calls a day -- and 20 to 30 e-mails -- by Iraqis who wanted to execute Saddam. The candidates came from all three of the country's major religions and from all walks of life, he said -- from high-level government officials to "the tea boy."

Sounds like quite a lot of people are interested in making sure that Hussein and his cohorts that have been sentenced to hang actually do the dance.

Unless there is some change at the executive level of Iraq's government, Hussein, et al., are destined to hang within 30 days, and, as reported, there is a lot of interest in the job of hangman for this event.

Not the job I would want; but then I didn't have to live under his rule. Can't blame the many hundreds of people wanting to pull the lever on this mass murdering dictator.

Of course, the leftist Human Rights Watch International is calling for a stay of execution:

"Imposing the death penalty, which is indefensible in any case, is especially wrong after the unfair proceedings of the Dujail trial."

To the best of my knowledge, there was no unfairness to the trial porceedings.

Baathists have also stated that they will seek revenge if Hussein is executed, and called the government of Iraq a "puppet" of the United States.

Whehter or not the execution of Hussein is the right course for Iraq, or help the fledgling democracy achieve and maintain peace and liberty for Iraqis is unknown. I don't know if it is the right thing to do, however, it is the right of the people of Iraq, and thier elected leader, to determine what is right and what is just.

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Saddam Hussein's death penalty is upheld. FoxNews:

An Iraqi appeals court has upheld the death sentence imposed on Saddam Hussein at his first trial, Iraq's national security adviser said Tuesday, and a tribunal official said the verdict will be carried out even if the presidency doesn't ratify it.

Capital punishment has recently come under fire again in the United States, and some western countries oppose it for moral reasons, which I cannot accept as legitimate when they do support abortion. The moral reason argument is, at least for the most part, about the risk of executing a criminal and later finding that the person executed was, in fact, innocent.

We cannot correct the wrongs of the past, however, when was the last time an innocent was executed in the United States by mistake? I am not aware of any such incidents in recent years. (Note: if anyone knows a website with accurate information on this, post it in the comments below…I'd be interested in the facts on this.) The advent of DNA testing makes it extremely difficult today to inadvertently convict and execute an innocent. However, that is today's technology.

In the case of Saddam Hussein, it is hard to say that his execution could be wrongful. Hussein and his regime were responsible for the murder of something like a half-million Iraqi's over the course of some 24 years. His hands are not just covered in the blood of innocents, political opponents, and dissidents; his whole body is covered in their blood.

Nor is there anything wrong with execution by hanging; or by firing squad, electric chair, gas chamber, decapitation (probably the quickest and cleanest form of execution).

Since Hussein is destined to hang, if the people of Iraq are looking for a good place to do it, I would suggest that square in Baghdad that a U.S. Army tank helped the people topple one of his statues. Since that statue is now gone, it is s good a spot as any to let him do his final dance.

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For those on the Left who still believe that Iran's nuclear ambitions are peaceful (FoxNews):

Experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency have found unexplained plutonium and enriched uranium traces in a nuclear waste facility in Iran and have asked Tehran for an explanation, an IAEA report said Tuesday.

This isn't the first time in the past year Iran has been found to have such materials. I doubt it will be the last.

The article also contains important information about Iran's Arak reactor project, which, when complete, will be capable of generating enough plutonium for two bombs a year.

Combined with the output from the 3,000 centrifuges Iran plans to have online by next year, which is also capable of producing enough highly enriched uranium for weapons, that's a lot of nuclear weapons capabilities for a country that claims it is peaceful, despite the fact it has often and recently threatened to destroy Israel.

If you still believe they are 5-10 years away from achieving nuclear weapons, think again. It took the United States to go from theory to bomb in less than four years. And Iran has access to far better technology than the U.S. had in 1945.

And you can bet Osama bin Laden will be waiting to acquire as much weapons grade materail as Iran is able to produce.

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This in from FoxNews:

Saddam Hussein, the iron-fisted dictator who ruled Iraq for nearly a quarter of a century, was found guilty of crimes against humanity Sunday and sentenced to death by hanging.

This has been a long time in the making, and goes to show that justice will be done in Iraq.

Saddam Hussein ruled Iraq, using terror and murder to enforce his will. Hundreds of thousands Iraqis were murdured during his regime. War with his neighbors was always a reality, as was the use of chemical weapons, both in country as well as against Iran.

Let justice be done!

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This in on the BBC News:

Iran has reportedly taken another step in its uranium enrichment programme, in defiance of international pressure.

The dictator running Iran has repeatedly called for the destruction of Israel, and has previously expressed a desire to use nuclear weapons to achieve that goal. Anybody out there believe that their enrichment program is strictly for peaceful purposes, to generate electricity?

It wasn’t that long ago that the Clinton Administration fell for the same type of rhetoric coming out of North Korea. Now that the North Koreans have tested a nuclear bomb, albeit a small one, how long will it before Iran does the same?

Or will Iran become a broker of nuclear terrorism, supplying weapons grade material to al-Qaeda?

Sanctions, or the threat of sanctions, will not stop Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons, nor should we be placated by their claims of their “peaceful” desires for enriching uranium. We should consider it to be nothing more than the ruse that it is. Deceptions in order for the Iranians to buy sufficient time to achieve their nuclear ambitions.

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Today is a solemn day: it is September 11th, 2006, the Fifth Anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Along with the gallant heroes of UA Flight 93, who sacrificed their lives in an attempt to regain control of that aircraft rather than see it slammed into yet another building, over 3,000 people of different nationalities were murdered by Al Qaeda terrorists. Today is a day to remember and honor those who sacrificed their lives trying to save thousands of people who were in the Twin Towers of the WTC; firefighters, police and other first responders, who went into those burning buildings knowing there was a high probability that they, themselves, may well not get out alive.

It is a time to remember the cheers that rang out through the Muslim world, from the Palestinian Territories to Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan; the terrorists and their supporters who celebrated these brutal attacks and the murder of thousands of people in the name of their god. They celebrated in the streets, firing guns into the air, and honoring the murdering thugs that carried out the attacks, calling them heroes and martyrs.

The real heroes were on the ground in New York and Washington D.C. and the real martyrs the passengers on United 93 who attempted to wrest control of that aircraft away from the terrorists.

9/11 was one more attack on America in the jihad that Islamic terrorists have been carrying on for decades; it does not matter whether it was the bombing of airliners over Scotland or a restaurant near Madrid carried out by Libyan terrorists, or the bombing of a German disco; the string of suicide bombings in Israel; or the ’93 bombing of the WTC which marked the rise of Osama bin Ladin and Al Qaeda and lead to the bombings of U.S. embassies and the U.S.S. Cole, and culminating in the attacks on 9/11. It is all the same to them; war on the West, war on America.

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It's happening. Again. I've been trying to not write about the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, for a number of reasons.

I'll be brief. I have a number of Palestinian friends, in California and Minnesota. Good folks, and they all have family in the occupied territories, or inside Israel's borders. I've even met some of the family who still live there. I support Palestinian autonomy, statehood.

How can I reconcile what I believe is right when there are so many people "over there" who push an agenda of hate and murder. Hamas, Hezbollah and other extremist organizations, made "legitimate" by the relatively recent elections of Hamas leaders to the Palestinian Authority.

There are reports by reputable authorities, notably NOT the main stream media, that over the past year, Israel has suffered some 1,000 rocket attacks. The recent kidnappings, I guess, was the proverbial "straw that broke the camel's back." This was escalated when Hezbollah terrorists (what else can we call them…they aren't freedom fighters) captured several Israeli soldiers, and demand the release of hundreds of prisoners for the safe return of these soldiers.

Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, and many (if not all) of the extremist groups have repeatedly stated their position is one of annihilation of Israel. Not a two-state solution, which is what Israel, the United States, and many other countries, would support.

Israel has responded to the many thousands of attacks it has suffered, by striking at the heart of the problem: Hamas and Hezbollah leadership, as well as their supporting and host nations. What choice have they got?

With Iran working doggedly at refining uranium to a high enough level to be used in weapons, it is only a matter of time before Hezbollah requires what it needs to go nuclear with Israel. Hezbollah leaders have stated time and again their desire to acquire WMDs, whether nuclear, chemical, or biological.

Today, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah announced that Hezbollah is prepared for "open war" with Israel. Here is an excerpt from FoxNews:

"You wanted an open war, and we are heading for an open war," he said. "We are ready for it."

"The surprises that I have promised you will start now. Now in the middle of the sea, facing Beirut, the Israeli warship that has attacked the infrastructure, people's homes and civilians - look at it burning," Nasrallah said.

"It will sink and with it will sink scores of Israeli Zionist soldiers. This is just the beginning," he warned.

Surprises? I hope that this does not mean that Hezbollah has acquired some of the chemical weapons that Iraq had. Only a fraction of the WMDs known to exist in Iraq have been recovered.

Regardless, things in that part of the world will continue to escalate.

There is no doubt in mind that Israel would like to live in peace with its neighbors. The problem is the neighbors don't want to live in peace with Israel. What can a people do in this situation? Israel has a right, and duty, to respond to the daily attacks upon its people.

Maybe if the people of Palestine elected men of honor, instead of terrorists, there might be a chance for peace and stability in that part of the world. Maybe.

Posted by Sqotty at 4:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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