Prediction - President Bush Will Make A Critical Error!

Much talk has bantered about lately concerning V.P. Cheney's trip to visit "Daddy" Abdullah in Saudi Arabia. The speculation is that; the Saudi's are driving down the price of oil (at Cheney's request) to harm Iran's economy. Iran basically produces and exports nothing much more than oil. Increased production by the Saudis increases supply. The theory is that Iranian regime change will occur through financial pressure.

The "critical error" is this; BUSH WILL NOT ATTACK IRAN OR ITS NUCLEAR FACILITIES. The President is still smarting over all the international hatred generated by the war in Iraq. Tony Blankley's editorial describes this in less direct terms, but he essentially says the same thing. Blankley's "third way" description is exactly what Bush will do.

This decision by Bush will not address the increasing ability of Iran to develop nukes. And, all of us will be less safe because of it. Think about the future; a Democrat President ignoring terrorism and all its associated problems; then, one day, a mushroom cloud appears over an American city, straight out of "24"!

The next two years will go by slowly. Even if we secure Iraq, the Iran problem is still there! This is one of those; "I hope I'm wrong scenarios"!

The Terrorist Awareness Project Website

FrontPageMag Begins A Terrorist Awareness Campaign

... I dumbfounded by people who still say things like; "the Terrorists are only doing this because of what we do to them!", or; "the Terrorists are simply trying to state their side of things!" These kinds of people need to be educated. Although they may not visit this new website; they may hear about it, and the word may slowly leak out to them.

Find time to peruse this site and tell others about it.

This Horse Has Much Better Legs Than Barbaro!

It's too bad such a fine animal had to be "put down". But that's what can happen when you breed such a large animal on toothpick legs! Another animal that has much stronger legs is a story that simply won't go away - The North American Union!

WASHINGTON – Participants in a high-level, closed door, three-day conference on the integration of the three North American nations debated whether openness about goals was preferred to a stealthy policy of building infrastructure before a vision of the end result was even laid out to the people of the U.S., Mexico and Canada, according to notes obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.

Official notes taken on a session on "Border Infrastructure and Continental Prosperity" at the North American Forum in Banff, Canada, last September, reveal the internal debate over continued secrecy.

... Goodbye America! It's been nice living with you thus far; but alas, you're slowly disappearing.

Another Muslim Heroine!

Why is it that Islam's most impressive people are women?

It's because they yearn to be free, that's why! Here's another woman, with a fatwa on her head, who deserves our support. Her name is Ayaan Hirsi Ali.

The former Dutch parliamentarian captivated some 1,500 guests at the Congress of Racial Equality’s 23rd annual celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Ali received CORE’s International Brotherhood Award January 15 at the New York Hilton. As a woman whom radical Muslims have marked for death, her message deserves every American’s attention.

“Human beings are equal; cultures are not.”

“A culture that holds the door open to her women is not equal to one that confines them behind walls and veils,” Ali told CORE. “A culture that encourages dating between young men and young women is not equal to a culture that flogs or stones a girl for falling in love. A culture where monogamy is an aspiration is not equal to a culture where a man can lawfully have four wives all at once.”

... a woman like this is a supreme example of how Muslims need to change to be an integral part of modern society! Ironically, Muslims must change - or be destroyed.

I'm Seeing Pink Elephants!

The Breakup Of The Republican Party Has Begun

Many state Republican parties have a serious split between conservatives and moderates. However, the split in the Kansas GOP is particularly heated and nasty. Recently, this split became quite visible when former Kansas GOP chair, Mark Parkinson, ran on a ticket with a Democrat Lt. Governor.

... I've been too "Right" for the Republicans for many years now. That "illness" is spreading! G.W. Bush has taken the Republican Party so far Left that not many true conservatives want to remain anymore. Any "good" the President has done in his term has occurred because his constituents were kicking him so hard to the right he had to go that way. The recent "Surge" is the latest example. Unfortunately, Bush has almost two years left. He can do a tremendous amount of damage in that time frame!

What's Being Said In Your Mosque?

Among the statements recorded in the Green Lane mosque were these about women:

“Allah has created the woman—even if she gets a Ph.D.—deficient. Her intellect is incomplete, deficient. She may be suffering from hormones that will make her emotional. It takes two witnesses of a woman to equal the one witness of the man.”
“By the age of 10, it becomes an obligation on us to force her to wear hijab, and if she doesn’t wear hijab, we hit her.”
“Men are in charge of women. Wherever he goes, she should follow him and she shouldn’t be allowed leave the house without his permission.”How extremist! And how inveterately Koranic.
The Muslim holy book declares that a woman’s testimony is worth half that of a man: “Get two witnesses, out of your own men, and if there are not two men, then a man and two women, such as ye choose, for witnesses, so that if one of them errs, the other can remind her” (Koran 2:282).

It also says: “Men are in charge of women, because Allah hath made the one of them to excel the other, and because they spend of their property (for the support of women). So good women are the obedient, guarding in secret that which Allah hath guarded. As for those from whom ye fear rebellion, admonish them and banish them to beds apart, and scourge them” (4:34).

The same is true of the statements about Britain and the Islamic state:

“You have to live like a state within a state until you take over.”

“We want the laws of Islam to be practiced. We want to do away with the man-made laws.

”These ideas are an extrapolation of Koranic passages such as 9:29, which assume that Muslims will wield state power over Jews and Christians, exacting from them a poll tax (jizya) and making sure they pay it “with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.” There is no concept in the Koran, Islamic tradition or Islamic law of non-Muslims living as equals with Muslims in an Islamic state: Muslims must be in a superior position.

Read the full article by Robert Spencer of Jihad Watch

Iran Wants An Apocalypse - Should We Give Them One?

A Primer On The Mahdi

Official Iranian radio has completed broadcasting a lengthy series on the imminent appearance of a messianic figure who will defeat Islam's enemies and impose Islamic Shiite rule over the entire world – even speculating on specific dates the so-called "Mahdi" will be revealed.

English-language transcripts of "The World Toward Illumination" programs can be found on the website of IRIB, a public broadcast arm of Tehran.

Ahmadinejad's mystical pre-occupation with the coming of the Mahdi is raising concerns that a nuclear-armed Islamic Republic could trigger the kind of global conflagration he envisions will set the stage for the end of the world.

... please read all 3 hypertext links.

Reflections On The Past - A Glimpse Into The Future

From the new book The War of the World: Twentieth-Century Conflict and the Descent of the West

The United States is in pretty good shape as a nation state, but its overseas empire is clearly on the wane - not just in the Middle East but also in Central America and East Asia. Note that this empire is informal rather than formal in character. It’s a loose edifice, made up of military bases, multinational offices, cultural franchises and missionaries.

On the rise - or rather the rebound - are Russia and Iran, the energy empires. And rising even faster, of course, is China, the export empire. Note that all three have long imperial histories. I don't count the European Union as an empire; it’s just a loose confederacy-cum-customs union.

The war was supposed to be against the perpetrators of 9/11 and their associates. But after Afghanistan, that was rather lost from view. Otherwise, much more pressure would have been directed against the Al Qaeda network's main bases: Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Pakistan and Western Europe (especially Germany). Extending the war to Iraq confused the issue, since Saddam's links to Al Qaeda were close to non-existent.

The most effective way of winning this war is not with soldiers in Humvees, much less air strikes. It's all about human intelligence - infiltrating and disrupting the network to prevent further 9/11s.

... very interesting interview from FrontPageMag; worth a read!

Garner Cartoon - Washington Times

Terrorist "Surge" In The Global War On Terror

HIGH-RANKING figures in the Jemaah Islamiah organisation have opened a new front in their terror campaign on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, where nine of their fighters and a police officer have been killed in the latest gun battle.

Terrorism experts say dormant Java-based cells of the organisation appear to have been reactivated by US and Australian-trained anti-terror squad attacks on militant strongholds near the Sulawesi town of Poso, 1700 kilometres east of Jakarta.

They say the violence in Poso during January has caused a dangerous escalation of what radical Islamic militants see as their jihad, or war, against non-Muslims in the mainly Muslim country of 210 million people.

... Our devoted and courageous soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines have done a superb job fighting the GWOT; when they've been allowed to fight, but our leaders still don't have a clue. The enemy is based worldwide, not just in Iraq and Afghanistan. They are based in Detroit, Michigan; Florida, Indonesia, Australia; everywhere there are Muslims. This gross failure to recognize the enemy and to work closely with our worldwide allies in an organized and determined way will be our downfall unless we begin to elect leaders that understand the multiplicity of implications the GWOT presents. Unfortunately, many Americans don't understand any of this either.

History has had few moments when such a vast chasm of ignorance has presented itself. At these times people yearn for a solid leader; and this is exactly when a tyrant grabs power!

A Wife's Anger; A President's Arrogance

Monica Ramos, the wife of one of two U.S. Border Patrol agents imprisoned last week for wounding an escaping drug smuggler, attended the State of the Union speech in person last night – and was sharply critical of President Bush, calling him a hypocrite and worse.

"What I sat in the gallery and heard tonight," she said, "was a total sell-out of the United States of America to Mexico. I heard President Bush's message loud and clear. All the president has to offer is electronic gadgets. Meanwhile, our borders are wide open to illegal immigrants, criminals and drug smugglers. God help the honest men and women of the Border Patrol who want to do their duty. It's a losing battle – just ask my husband, he'll tell you the truth."

Ramos, wife of Border Patrol agent Ignacio Ramos, attended the event as a guest of Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif. Rohrabacher told WND:

My purpose after hearing the State of the Union tonight is doubly resolved. President Bush needs to know that we will not rest until Border Patrol [officers] Ramos and Compean are set free.

In history there are cases where heroic people were brutalized and sacrificed by political powers in order to achieve a certain agenda. In this case, I think that's what's happening.

We have an administration that has a hidden agenda with Mexico such that George Bush wants an open border, even though an open border is not in the interests of the American people.

These Border Patrol agents are caught in the middle. They're Americans and they know what their job is supposed to be. They are being persecuted and prosecuted for our sake because they are getting in the way of a power play that has yet been disclosed to the public.

It brutalizes the lives and destroys the families of men who have been willing to sacrifice their lives for us for the last five and 10 years. This is both a tragedy and a travesty.

The continued insistence of the administration to prosecute these Border Patrol agents and to put them in jail and to shackle them and see the families of these men being driven into destitution – this indicates that there has been a decision right at the top that's based on arrogance and cruelty that I think unfortunately reflects our president. It's a side of the president that is now coming out.

We get calls back from the underlings, the assistant congressional liaison officers. This president doesn't return phone calls and he is arrogant and nasty and doesn't treat people very well, not even members of Congress.

The statement we're trying to make is that the president's policy along the border is responsible for murders, drug dealers and terrorists entering the country, millions of illegals. His policy has resulted in the undermining of those law enforcement officers guarding the border, he has totally demoralized the Border Patrol, and in the process of him trying to send a message to the Border Patrol he's destroying the lives of two families. … This person looking right into the face of the president in the same room, this mother of three, her life is being destroyed by President Bush's decision to fully prosecute to the hilt her husband.

American citizens need to rally around these two Border Patrol agents and should call the White House directly to register their protest to this travesty of justice.

... a compilation of related articles about the two border patrol agents can be found here.

Another Piece Of The Puzzle

Make Israel Part of NATO

In an effort to establish more effective deterrence in the face of Iran's race to obtain nuclear weapons, government ministries are, for the first time, working on drafting a position paper that will include guidelines and a strategy for turning Israel into a full-fledged member of NATO, The Jerusalem Post has learned.
The paper is being drafted by an interministerial committee made up of representatives from the Defense Ministry and the Foreign Ministry and headed by the National Security Council. The committee plans to complete the paper by the end of February and present it to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert for approval.

.. slowly, but surely, we're combining forces. The forces of good vs. evil? To what end? ... Perhaps a great battle!

Liberals Proclaim The New Nazis - Christians!

The author begins with a quote from one of his distinguished professors at the Harvard Divinity School (where Christianity disappeared decades ago): "'The Nazis,' he said, 'were not going to return with swastikas and brown shirts. Their ideological inheritors in America have found a mask for fascism in patriotism and the pages of the Bible.'" Apparently, everything Hedges learned in the intervening years confirmed that grotesque prophecy.

Speaking of fascists, when it comes to Christian conservatives, the Left takes a page out of the playbook of Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels, who confessed, "If you tell a big lie enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it."

Hedges does more than lie. In the name of fighting fascism, he wants to institute censorship and punish political incorrectness with prison sentences. Irony is always lost on the Left.

... Conservative Jews and Christians are the most beleaguered social group alive today. They are attacked from the LEFT and RIGHT!

Garner Cartoon - Washington Times

Has Al-Maliki Finally Seen The Light?

Iraqi PM Ceases Protection of Anti-American Militia

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's prime minister has dropped his protection of an anti-American cleric's Shiite militia after U.S. intelligence convinced him the group was infiltrated by death squads, two officials said Sunday.

Sometime between then and Nov. 30, when the prime minister met President Bush, al-Maliki was convinced of the truth of American intelligence reports which contended, among other things, that his protection of al-Sadr's militia was isolating him in the Arab world and among moderates at home, the two government officials said.

"Al-Maliki realized he couldn't keep defending the Mahdi Army because of the information and evidence that the armed group was taking part in the killings, displacing people and violating the state's sovereignty," said one official. Both he and a second government official who confirmed the account refused to be identified by name because the information was confidential. Both officials are intimately aware of the prime minister's thinking.

"The Americans don't act on rumors but on accurate intelligence. There are many intelligence agencies acting on the ground, and they know what's going on," said the second official, confirming the Americans had given al-Maliki overwhelming evidence about the Mahdi Army's deep involvement in the sectarian slaughter.

... let's all hope the Surge works. It seems to be headed that way, so far!

Sunday Morning News Brief

U.S. Copter Crash Claims 13 in Iraq
BAGHDAD - A U.S. Army helicopter crashed northeast of the capital yesterday, killing all 13 persons on board on one of the deadliest days for U.S. forces since the Iraq war began. At least five other American soldiers died in an attack blamed on militiamen in the city of Karbala.

The crash and other deaths came as a brigade of the U.S. 82nd Airborne Division arrived in Baghdad and prepared for deployment in early February the first of the 21,500-troop buildup ordered by President Bush.

... obviously folks, something is happening over there! ... meanwhile, is al Sadr trying to make amends? ... will Maliki cave and become friends with "Mookie" again?

Al-Sadr-Linked Legislators End Boycott of Iraqi Parliament
BAGHDAD, Iraq — Radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's bloc announced Sunday that it is lifting its nearly two-month political boycott after reaching a compromise over its demands for a timetable for Iraqi forces to take over security and the withdrawal of U.S. forces.

... methinks Mookie is getting worried.

... also,

Analyst: U.S. Planning Iran War, Not Attack
U.S. contingency planning for military action against Iran's nuclear program goes beyond limited strikes and would effectively unleash a war against the country, a former U.S. intelligence analyst said on Friday.

... just a Plan? ... or is something up?

Government Run Amuck!

Law Would Make Minutemen Organization Domestic Terrorists!

An Arizona lawmaker has introduced a bill to revise the state's statutes on organized crime and fraud by defining "domestic terrorism" in such a way that members of the Minuteman Project or other border-patrol groups could be prosecuted and forced to serve a minimum six-month jail term.

Hezbollah In America

Video Interview with a former FBI agent

FOXNEWS - Watch Tonight, Saturday at 8:00 PM

The Trend

... while most people fret and fume over ever-changing minutia of the G.W.O.T. , or more correctly stated, the lack of fighting; others are able to see the larger picture, the trend, the direction we're headed. Mark Steyn is one of those people.

The demographic shifts are important, because although most Muslims dissociate themselves from terrorist acts, many share many of the objectives of extremists, including the desire to live under shari'a (Islamic law) in Europe, Canada and eventually the U.S., Steyn said.

"A new Dark Ages" could take hold, unless the U.S. acts.

Garner Cartoon - Washington Times

The New Arms Race - Satellite Wars

... in an age where our leaders are having difficulty finding their political legs to fight an asymmetrical guerrilla war on terror, China is asserting itself in Space; by shooting down satellites!

"Several countries continue to develop capabilities that have the potential to threaten U.S. space assets, and some have already deployed systems with inherent anti-satellite capabilities, such as satellite-tracking laser range-finding devices and nuclear-armed ballistic missiles," he said in his written testimony on Jan. 11, the same day China's test was conducted.

The test, first reported by Aviation Week, destroyed the satellite by hitting it with a kinetic kill vehicle launched on board a ballistic missile.

... we had better learn to fight both wars very quickly!

Republicans Against Bush

Punishing The Good Guys

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, the California Republican who has been at the forefront of efforts to have the prosecution reviewed and the agents re-tried, yesterday criticized the White House for not acting in the case.

"This is the worst betrayal of American defenders I have ever seen," Mr. Rohrabacher said of President Bush. "It's shameful this was done by someone who is in the Republican Party. He obviously thinks more about his agreements with Mexico than the lives of American people and backing up his defenders.

"Our border agents risk their lives daily to uphold our immigration laws and defend our borders," he said. "If the conviction of Ramos and Compean is an indication of how our government will repay them, we can be certain good men and women will soon flee the ranks of Border Patrol service."

... these two guys didn't do everything "by-the-book". Now, they're going to prison for twelve years. Bush could help, but won't! Ramos and Compean had bad lawyers. I would have asked for a change in venue immediately! There's no way they were going to get a fair trial in Aztlan.

Forcing Freedom Before It's Time

Is Iraq Ready For This?

Arab governments are skeptical about the ability of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to improve the security situation in his country, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said yesterday after a series of meetings with leaders in the Middle East.

Arab officials support the goals of President Bush's new Iraq policy -- quelling the violence and stabilizing the country -- but are not prepared to fully back the proposal because of its reliance on Mr. al-Maliki's performance, she said.

... will the Surge be a waste? Should this meeting have happened before the Plan was adopted?

When Idiots Choose Idiots - More Presidential Madness

Rebellion is brewing among conservatives on the Republican National Committee over President's Bush's attempt to "impose" Sen. Mel Martinez of Florida as "general chairman" of the party, who favors "amnesty" for illegal aliens.

"I will be voting against Senator Martinez if he is nominated for any chairmanship of the RNC," Tina Benkiser, Texas Republican Party chairman, told The Washington Times yesterday.

Bill Crocker, the elected national committeeman from Texas, says that when the RNC convenes here tomorrow, "Absolutely, I will vote against Martinez."

... here in Florida, Martinez is seen for what his is - a charlatan who is a numero uno Socialist. ... Just like G.W. Bush!

More Los Federales Ineptitude

At least 426 uniforms and identification cards issued to security screeners at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport have been lost or stolen since late 2001, according to Transportation Security Administration records.

The only other airport to report more missing uniforms and badges in the past five years is Los Angeles International Airport, whose security screeners lost at least 789.

More than 3,600 TSA or Homeland Security Department airport security uniforms and credentials have disappeared from November 2001, when the TSA was created, through Sept. 30, records show.

... and some folks question their government? Ha!

What Los Federales Are Doing

WASHINGTON – The Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America, which some have criticized as a framework for moving toward regional government between the U.S., Canada and Mexico, has laid out plans for increased regulatory cooperation between the three nations in new, full-color, trilingual publications obtained by WND.

The 2005 and 2006 reports continue to discuss numerous memoranda of understanding and other agreements that the trilateral working groups are formulating on their own, without direct congressional oversight or any reference to being published in the Federal Register. Yet, the vast majority of the agreements reached under SPP have never been published.

... the NAU is well on its way!

Those Lazy BBs In Washington

... at age 5 I was earning .25 cents an hour working in tobacco and vegetable fields. Actually, that was pretty good money considering the farms around home hired all of my 5 brothers and sisters, my mother, and as many of the other families as possible. This was back before welfare and child labor laws. Some folks even characterized it as "Reconstruction", the South still trying to recover from Yankee occupation.

I'm not complaining, mind you, I've always enjoyed a hard days work, and it was a chance to get ahead. Now, after a lifetime of work, skin cancer, and a bad ticker I still don't think ill of those days.

... unfortunately, our Congress is still trying to find their work ethic!

The House under new Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., also is committed to working longer hours. But the chamber was not in session last Monday, when some members attended the national college football championship game in Arizona. This Monday, Congress is closed for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

There also are the occasional interruptions, such as the Republican retreat that will shut down the House on a Thursday and Friday later this month. House Democrats hold their retreat the following week, making two three-day work weeks in a row.

... what are BBs? Bastards and Bitches ... of course.

Shi'a / Sunni Violence Erupts! - In Detroit!

Local religious leaders met Wednesday in Dearborn Heights to condemn recent acts of vandalism against several Shi'a-owned businesses in Metro Detroit while promoting the need for restraint and understanding following the attacks.

"These kinds of acts of violence are unacceptable," said Imam Mohammad Ali Elahi of the Islamic House of Wisdom in Dearborn Heights. "We condemn any acts of violence or terrorism against others. We all pray for peace and an end to the violence."

The Islamic House of Wisdom hosted Wednesday's event, which included more than a dozen local religious leaders. The group meets on a regular basis, Elahi said, but the recent attacks forced the leaders to take action.

... welcome to Third World America! Brought to you by your friendly U.S. Government. This is only the beginning, folks!

France no longer a Catholic Country

This sad but not surprising news.

France 'no longer a Catholic country'
By Henry Samuel in Paris Last Updated: 1:47am GMT 10/01/2007

Barely half the French population describe themselves as Catholic, according to a poll released yesterday, sparking a leading religious publication to declare France "no longer a Catholic country".

A poll published in Le Monde des Religions yesterday showed the number of self-declared French Catholics had dropped from 80 per cent in the early 1990s and 67 per cent in 2000 and to 51 per cent today.

The number of atheists has risen sharply to 31 per cent from 23 per cent in 1994.

"In its institutions, but also in its mentalities, OFrance is no longer a Catholic country," wrote Frederic Lenoir, editor in chief of Le Monde des Religions.

French Catholicism, while suffering during the Revolution, did not begin its real decline until 1905, experts say, when pre-war France was declared a secular state, all funding of religious groups was stopped and religious buildings were declared the property of the state.

Yesterday's poll showed that only 10 per cent go to church regularly — mainly to Sunday mass or christenings. Of the 51 per cent who still call themselves Catholics, only half said they believed in God. Many said they were Catholics because it was a family tradition.

Of the 51 per cent who still call themselves Catholics, only half said they believed in God.

Only God knows what all this means.

You've Got To Read This Book!

HT: The Tigress

Christianity

And The

American Commonwealth

Or

The Influence of Christianity in

Making This Nation

By

Bishop Charles B. Galloway, D.D, LL.D.

First published in March, 1898, this wonderfully written, historical account of how Christianity is a bedrock of American Civilization has been republished in 2005 by American Vision, Inc. You can find the book at Amazon.com, but will more likely be in stock at ShopNetDaily.com . The author also does a terrific job describing Islam - the best I've ever read. Here's an excerpt:

Mohammedanism has produced an enslaved personality. "Its Koran demands intellectual slavery; its harem requires domestic slavery; its state implies and enforces both a religious and a civil slavery." The Koran puts a premium on war, offering the highest rewards to those who slay the greatest number of infidels. Mohammed's cardinal principle, that the end justifies the means, consecrated every form of deception and lying, and encouraged every sort of persecution and violence; commercial confidence is almost unknown, and hence there are few banks and business partnerships. The citizen is a slave of the state; he has no rights to be respected. Mohammedanism is an absolute despotism, the most gigantic engine of intolerance and persecution the world ever saw.

I recommend this book. It will explain why we modern day Americans cannot tolerate Islam.

The President's Speech

... here's a link to the President's speech (text)

As for me ... I'm not convinced. The President is relying on Maliki and the good will of the Iraqi people. The hatred between the Shia and Sunni is too great. A "come to Jesus meeting " would be required to enable these people to live in peace.

Even if we have success with this operation it will be temporary. More Americans will die, Iraq will still be unstable, in the end.

To maintain stability in this region we must remain there, essentially making it our "caliphate", until something is done about the entire region. This is not what America is all about, though.

President Bush doesn't understand Islam. Islam will force you to conform or die. Whenever we do finally leave the fighting will resume with renewed vigor. This is why the entire region has to be addressed, in a huge life-changing way.

While I hope for success, it's not looking good with this plan.

Will We Be Offered A "Political Solution" Tonight?

... I will listen intently tonight to the President's speech and will keep an open mind. Much talk has been flying around the web and on talk shows today concerning the "only solution" to the Iraq problem; a "political one". Those who know me understand that a political solution is the last thing on my mind. We need an aggressive military solution now (meaning 3 years ago). This problem will not go away. Meanwhile, I thought it would be appropriate to reread President Nixon's "Peace With Honor" speech. You remember don't ya - the speech where we abandoned the Vietnamese people (after the Democrats lost the War!)?

'Peace With Honor'January 23, 1973

This is the text of President Nixon's radio and television broadcast announcing the initialing of the Paris 'Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Vietnam'.

Good evening. I have asked for this radio and television time tonight for the purpose of announcing that we today have concluded an agreement to end the war and bring peace with honor in Vietnam and in Southeast Asia.

The following statement is being issued at this moment in Washington and Hanoi:
At 12:30 Paris time today [Tuesday], January 23, 1973, the Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Vietnam was initialed by Dr. Henry Kissinger on behalf of the United States, and Special Adviser Le Duc Tho on behalf of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.
The agreement will be formally signed by the parties participating in the Paris Conference on Vietnam on January 27, 1973, at the International Conference Center in Paris.
The cease-fire will take effect at 2400 Greenwich Mean Time, January 27, 1973. The United States and the Democratic Republic of Vietnam express the hope that this agreement will insure stable peace in Vietnam and contribute to the preservation of lasting peace in Indochina and Southeast Asia.
That concludes the formal statement.

Throughout the years of negotiations, we have insisted on peace with honor. In my addresses to the Nation from this room of January 25 and May 8, [1972] I set forth the goals that we considered essential for peace with honor.

In the settlement that has now been agreed to, all the conditions that I laid down then have been met. A cease-fire, internationally supervised, will begin at 7 p.m., this Saturday, January 27, Washington time. Within 60 days from this Saturday, all Americans held prisoners of war throughout Indochina will be released. There will be the fullest possible accounting for all of those who are missing in action.

During the same 60-day period, all American forces will be withdrawn from South Vietnam.
The people of South Vietnam have been guaranteed the right to determine their own future, without outside interference.

By joint agreement, the full text of the agreement and the protocols to carry it out, will be issued tomorrow.

Throughout these negotiations we have been in the closest consultation with President Thieu and other representatives of the Republic of Vietnam. This settlement meets the goals and has the full support of President Thieu and the Government of the Republic of Vietnam, as well as that of our other allies who are affected.

The United States will continue to recognize the Government of the Republic of Vietnam as the sole legitimate government of South Vietnam.

We shall continue to aid South Vietnam within the terms of the agreement and we shall support efforts by the people of South Vietnam to settle their problems peacefully among themselves.
We must recognize that ending the war is only the first step toward building the peace. All parties must now see to it that this is a peace that lasts, and also a peace that heals, and a peace that not only ends the war in Southeast Asia, but contributes to the prospects of peace in the whole world.

This will mean that the terms of the agreement must be scrupulously adhered to. We shall do everything the agreement requires of us and we shall expect the other parties to do everything it requires of them. We shall also expect other interested nations to help insure that the agreement is carried out and peace is maintained.

As this long and very difficult war ends, I would like to address a few special words to each of those who have been parties in the conflict.
First, to the people and Government of South Vietnam: By your courage, by your sacrifice, you have won the precious right to determine your own future and you have developed the strength to defend that right. We look forward to working with you in the future, friends in peace as we have been allies in war.

To the leaders of North Vietnam: As we have ended the war through negotiations, let us now build a peace of reconciliation. For our part; we are prepared to make a major effort to help achieve that goal. But just as reciprocity was needed to end the war, so, too, will it be needed to build and strengthen the peace.

To the other major powers that have been involved even indirectly: Now is the time for mutual restraint so that the peace we have achieved can last.
And finally, to all of you who are listening, the American people: Your steadfastness in supporting our insistence on peace with honor has made peace with honor possible. I know that you would not have wanted that peace jeopardized. With our secret negotiations at the sensitive stage they were in during this recent period, for me to have discussed publicly our efforts to secure peace would not only have violated our understanding with North Vietnam, it would have seriously harmed and possibly destroyed the chances for peace. Therefore, I know that you now can understand why, during these past several weeks, I have not made any public statements about those efforts.

The important thing was not to talk about peace, but to get peace and to get the right kind of peace. This we have done.

Now that we have achieved an honorable agreement, let us be proud that America did not settle for a peace that would have betrayed our allies, that would have abandoned our prisoners of war, or that would have ended the war for us but would have continued the war for the 50 million people of Indochina. Let us be proud of the 2 1/2 million young Americans who served in Vietnam, who served with honor and distinction in one of the most selfless enterprises in the history of nations. And let us be proud of those who sacrificed, who gave their lives so that the people of South Vietnam might live in freedom and so that the world might live in peace.

In particular, I would like to say a word to some of the bravest people I have ever met-the wives, the children, the families of our prisoners of war and the missing in action. When others called on us to settle on any terms, you had the courage to stand for the right kind of peace so that those who died and those who suffered would not have died and suffered in vain, and so that, where this generation knew war, the next generation would know peace. Nothing means more to me at this moment than the fact that your long vigil is coming to an end.

Just yesterday, a great American, who once occupied this office, died. In his life President [Lyndon B.] Johnson endured the vilification of those who sought to portray him as a man of war. But there was nothing he cared about more deeply than achieving a lasting peace in the world.

I remember the last time I talked with him. It was just the day after New Year's. He spoke then of his concern with bringing peace, with making it the right kind of peace, and I was grateful that he once again expressed his support for my efforts to gain such a peace. No one would have welcomed this peace more than he.
And I know he would join me in asking for those who died and for those who live, let us consecrate this moment by resolving together to make the peace we have achieved a peace that will last.

Thank you and good evening.

The Inevitable Democrat Infighting

Nancy and Ted were sitting in a tree ...

"Sen. Edward M. Kennedy's proposal yesterday to require congressional approval for a troop surge was generally dismissed by fellow Democrats, revealing the deep divisions within the party over how to handle the war in Iraq. "

... we have known for a long time that most Dems don't support the G.W.O.T. Now, we're about to see battlelines drawn on funding for the "Surge". Democrats will come out of this smelling bad, real bad ...

... to me, they've had an ANTI-AMERICAN stench on them for many years! Nancy Pelosi, last seen running away from Ted Kennedy while pulling out her hair, will show us if she can handle the Dems or not. Whatever happens, this can only hurt the Dems!

Islam - The Intolerant Truth

Fight in the name of Allah and in the way of Allah. Fight against those who disbelieve in Allah….When you meet your enemies who are polytheists, invite them to three courses of action. If they respond to any one of these, you also accept it and withold yourself from doing them any harm. Invite them to (accept) Islam; if they respond to you, accept it from them and desist from fighting against them….If they refuse to accept Islam, demand from them the Jizya [a special tax levied on non-Muslims]. If they agree to pay, accept it from them and hold off your hands. If they refuse to pay the tax, seek Allah’s help and fight them. (Sahih Muslim 4294)

A Man After My Own Heart!

"We’ve renewed the great debate on Iraq, and as usual the central issue — the regional nature of the war — is not addressed."

. . .

"And the only way to demonstrate a will to win is to go after the Iranians and the Syrians, as well as the terrorists already inside Iraq. God knows the evidence of Syrian involvement is overwhelming, and the latest information reportedly shows they are on both sides of the Sunni/Shiite divide. If we continue to blither ineffectually about how “unhelpful” the mullahs and the Assads are, everyone in those parts will understand that we do not yet have the will to win this war."

... from an article by Michael Ledeen