This is not a serious party anymore, Part 2

The House just recently approved building 700 miles of fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border. "The time to address the border-security emergency is now ....." said House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert. The border-fence bill passed fairly overwhelmingly on a 283-138 vote. A large majority of House Republicans voted in favor of it and were joined by 64 Democrats; only six Republicans voted against it.

The bill (called the Security Fence Act) calls for a double layered fence along 700 miles of the southern border. In addition, the bill also changes current Border Patrol policy and would allow agents to use force to disable vehicles along the border, trying to evade border patrol. The measure also incorporates approval to make use of cameras, ground sensors, and UAV's to observe the border.

The 'Not Serious Party' brushed aside the vote calling it "another political gimmick" by House Republicans. Yep, monitoring, patrolling, and controlling the border to keep Americans safe, is nothing more than political gimmickry to the Democrats.

House Dems called the 700-mile fence a new "Berlin wall." This argument is so disingenuous. I don't know if it is intellectual dishonesty or mere ignorance. We all know that the Berlin Wall was built to keep people in; many of whom wanted to get the hell out. This proposed wall is to keep people out, specifically those who might want to do us harm. Our government is constitutionally bound to do this – to keep us safe.

The Dems also wailed that it would drive illegal crossers “deep into the dangerous desert” looking for an unobstructed crossing. Here the Dems are using a page right out of the left's play book – emotion. Not just emotion, but an over reliance on compassion – to the exclusion of everything else. We're compassionate, you're not. You're mean. End of story. Nothing else matters. Forget the facts. Our possible safety, the social and economic costs of illegal immigrants do not matter. Compassion trumps all.

Rep. Loretta Sanchez, a California Democrat, argued, "It does nothing to secure our northern border." I have heard this type of argument before, and frankly, it causes me to go crazy. Let's hope local law enforcement does not fall into this mind numbing paralysis. If they come across someone getting raped, I pray they don't choose to ignore it because there are several more rapes going on somewhere across the metro area, and because we can't stop them all, we are going to allow this particular rape to continue. What kind of argument is this?

As Rep. Virgil H. Goode Jr., Virginia Republican, who strongly supported the measure, said, "It's about a thousand miles short of where it ought to be," he said, "but I'll take 700 miles."

He is exactly right. We cannot allow the search 'for the perfect solution' to become our enemy.

Earlier when the House approved another similar border-security legislation, the proposed fence came to symbolize what many Democrats said “was an unforgiving bill”. It was proof, they said, that “Republicans harbored a hostility toward immigrants.” Again, emoting, name calling, lack of compassion, i.e, 'unforgiving bill' and 'harboring hostility'. No real substance here, just feelings.

More than 20 Dems switched their position. Earlier, they opposed the fence on the first piece of legislation, but voted in favor of it this time around. Several of those who changed their position, face tough elections this fall. One such example is Rep. Harold E. Ford Jr. (D-TN) who is running for a Senate seat this election cycle. He said, “For the country to be secure, we have to have control over who gets in and who's allowed to stay.”

Mr. Ford became a bit prickly when he was asked why he changed his mind and if it had anything to do with his upcoming election. State polls show support for tough immigration policies.

Another example is Rep. Alan B. Mollohan, a West Virginia Democrat. When a reporter found him waiting in a remote set of hallways (a coincidence, I'm sure) waiting for an elevator, the reporter asked him why he changed his vote. What was his immediate response? "How did you find me?" Hmmmm.......what a nice guilty-sounding response.

“After gathering his thoughts for a moment, he said he supported yesterday's fence bill because it 'makes a statement for consideration' of increased funding and even tougher illegal-immigration enforcement measures. Mr. Mollohan, who faces a challenge from the right this fall, not only voted against the fence last year but also voted against the entire House border-security bill.”

A third Demo who changed his mind is Rep. James P. Moran (D-VA). He voted against the first bill, but voted for this most recent measure. Why?

He reports that during the August recess, he attended four different town hall meetings and illegal immigration dominated the topic of conversation. "The people who spoke up were almost unanimously opposed to illegal immigration," he said. However, the upcoming elections have nothing to do with his change of heart, he claims. Oh, really?

"Voting against the fences would have helped me more politically," Mr. Moran said.

Huh? Nice try. Well not really.

Questioning Patriotism

By Todd Keister

In their blind rage and quest for power, the Democrats have aligned their interests with those of our enemies. To justify their relentless attacks upon the administration and America’s national security policy, the Democrats have redefined patriotism.

What patriotism now means is subversion. The apogee of patriotism is achieved, we are told, by undermining our soldiers fighting terrorists abroad, and by making outrageous and baseless charges against the president.

We are bombarded daily with livid Democrats shrieking, “this is America!” and lecturing us that questioning government policy is patriotic.

What is left unsaid is that responsible debate and dissent involve more than personal attacks and criticism of policy. To claim that one’s dissent is patriotic, it is incumbent upon him to propose an alternative course of action. To date, no Democrat has proposed any alternative to the administration’s foreign or domestic agenda or to its strategy in Iraq. Time Magazine recently revealed that it is the official policy of the Democratic leadership not to put forward any alternative ideas whatsoever. The House Minority Leader, Nancy Pelosi, prohibited Democrats from working on bills in conjunction with Republican lawmakers. She also forbade any discussion of alternatives to President Bush’s Social Security reform and foreign policy initiatives." Full commentary.

Red-hot torture

"Thanks to the New York Times, we now know the dreaded torture methods the sadistic CIA used on captured Al Qaeda big shots shortly after the 9/11 attack. I warn you: Reading this column any further will subject you to unvarnished brutality."

By Bill O'Reilly

Religious extremism global threat, U.S. warns
A rise in fundamentalism around the world poses an increasing threat to religious freedoms and could inspire new sectarian violence, a senior State Department official said yesterday as the U.S. government released its annual global survey on religious fr......

Hezbollah warns UN peacekeepers
Aljazeera.net - Qatar
Hezbollah has said it has no problem with the deployment of UN peacekeepers as long as they stick to defending Lebanon and not try to disarm it. ...

Bush urges U.N. to act on Darfur

WASHINGTON - President Bush suggested Friday it may be time to send international peacekeepers into Sudan's war-torn Darfur region over the objections of the government in Khartoum.

'What you'll hear is, well, the government of Sudan must invite the
United Nations in for us to act,' Bush said. 'Well, there are other alternatives, like passing a U.N. resolution saying we're coming in with a U.N. force in order to save lives.' Yahoo! News

Hugo Chavez Will Support Iran If Attacked by U.S.

"Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez pledged Thursday that Venezuela will support Iran if it is invaded as a result of the Middle Eastern nation's high-stakes nuclear standoff with the United Nations Security Council.

'Iran is under threat; there are plans to invade Iran, hopefully it won't happen, but we are with you,' Chavez told Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at a meeting of the Group of 15 developing nations."

This is NOT a serious party anymore

Democrats rebut soft-on-terror rap
Nation/Politics - The Washington Times

"Capitol Hill Democrats said yesterday they will not be 'swift-boated' by Republicans who accuse them of being soft on national security and coddling terrorists.

'Democrats stand ready to protect and defend the American people,' House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat, said. 'We will not be swift-boated on the issue of security, and that is what the Republicans are trying to do.'

Mrs. Pelosi was referring to the group Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, which was highly critical of John Kerry's presidential candidacy in 2004.

Part of national security, said the House's top Democrat, is protecting the environment.

'We are advancing tough and smart national security policies to keep the American people safe,' said Mrs. Pelosi, adding that Democrats' national security agenda aims 'to fight terrorism and defeat it, stop the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, to stop global warming and any other threats to the safety and security of the American people.'"

So when it comes to national defense, the Dems idea is that the first line of defense is to have lots of trees, clean air, and marmalade skys. Yes, yes, I see the logic: Who could possibly want to attack that?

Hat tip to Psycmeistr's Ice Palace.

RIFT DEVELOPS BETWEEN HEZBOLLAH & MAJORITY
Free Market News Network - Pompano Beach,FL,USA
A deep rift erupted Thursday between two of the major, influential political blocs in Lebanon, the Shiite Hezbollah group and the anti-Syrian majority bloc ...

Hezbollah minister lashes out at Germany's stance towards Lebanon
Monsters and Critics.com - Glasgow,UK
Beirut - A Hezbollah minister in the Lebanese cabinet lashed out Friday at comments made by Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel regarding the situation in ...

From an earlier post:

On a personal note, a friend of mine and his wife had their second child in August. The baby is doing fine, but sadly the mother had complications and had been in and out of the hospital since the delivery. Things took a turn for the worse and was in the ICU and lost her battle. She was pronounced brain dead. The funeral is Friday.

It is just shocking, how these things can still happen. It is a very sad day. Shock, grief, perplexity .. just so many various emotions all garbled together.

I got back from the funeral that was held today. Such a tragedy. It's still hard to believe. Man. I could not believe the number of people at the funeral. She was a music teacher ... taught high school band .... and obviosuly touched alot of lives.

BOLTON WANTS DEADLINE

Ambassador Bolton asking for a deadline for the UN to clean up

Suggesting a witholding of payments to the United Nations, UN Ambassador John Bolton thinks the United States should hold the world body's feet to the fire if serious reforms are not passed and acted upon by the end of 2006.

Espousing his feelings that the Useless United Nations is paralyzed by poor leadership and absent of any real accountability, “Is good management and lack of corruption too much to ask for?” he wondered.

Currently, Bolton twists in the wind as the Dems try and figure out if they want to filibuster his confirmation to a full term as the Unites States' ambassador to the UN.

Related story: Coleman to Press Case for United Nations Reform

Diminishing options

"President Bush, speaking on 9/11, had a point. Even some who believe the invasion of Iraq to have been a strategic blunder concede that, if Americans head for the exit ramp, the consequences could be catastrophic. Terrorists could wind up with a safe haven in western Iraq not unlike Osama bin Laden's old base camp in Afghanistan pre-9/11." Continue.

Making a decision on Iran
With the crisis advancing and the moment of truth approaching, it is important to begin looking now with unflinching honesty at the military option. Read more.

THE PLAME KERFUFFLE

What a Load of Armitage!
What did Patrick Fitzgerald know, and when did he know it?

BY VICTORIA TOENSING

"Richard Armitage has finally emerged from the cover-my-backside closet, 'apologizing' on CBS for keeping quiet for almost three years about being the original source for Robert Novak's July 14, 2003, column stating that Joe Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame, worked for the CIA and had suggested him for a mission to Niger. He disingenuously blames his silence on Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald's non-legally-based request--any witness is free to talk about his testimony--not to discuss the matter."

"[T]he present Constitution is the standard to which we are to cling. Under its banners, bona fide must we combat our political foes - rejecting all changes but through the channel itself provides for amendments."

-- Alexander Hamilton

An Attack on Civilization

By David Aikman

"For several years there has been talk about a 'clash of civilizations.' Some people have said that the 9/11 terrorist attacks on America were Islam against the West and that the world was now in the middle of a war of civilizations.

President Bush offered a much more important insight. The terrorism the world has experienced in the past five years, he said, is a war upon civilization itself. Nations of widely different political viewpoints like Spain and India, England and Indonesia, Canada and the U.S., have all suffered from terrorist attacks and plots from the same fanatic adversaries.

Islamic fascists have a perverted worldview that prefers death to life, submission to freedom, ignorance to learning. They are determined to make war on anyone who opposes them. And that's a war on global civilization itself."

Do America’s Allies Belong With This Gang?
By Patrick Goodenough
A long time ago, when the world was a different place, a small group of countries, most of them newly independent, came together to form an association that would further the interests of developing nations while walking a “non-aligned” road between the Communist bloc and the West. More than four decades later, the Non-Aligned Movement is about to be hijacked by some of its most controversial members, led by Cuba, which is hosting a NAM summit this week...

Soros Slams Terror 'War,' Compares White House to Nazis

"Billionaire philanthropist George Soros compared the Bush administration to socialist and communist regimes Thursday while criticizing America's war on terror.

The liberal political activist said the U.S. strategy of fighting a 'war' against terrorism is 'false' and a 'dismal and disheartening situation.' Critics say Soros is only trying to hurt Republicans' chances in the November elections and warn that he is undermining efforts to protect Americans from terrorists."

Reagan Defense Official Testifies on 'Islamofacism'

"America's 'Islamofascist' adversaries have successfully established a well-funded and expansive 'fifth column' throughout the United States that is devoted to a radical view of Islam. That's according to a former Reagan Defense Department official.

Muslim leaders dispute the allegations by Frank Gaffney, who was an assistant secretary of defense for international security policy in the Reagan administration."

Lebanon vows to take charge

Boston Globe
"... warned yesterday that his army will seize all weapons shown publicly in southern Lebanon, offering a sharp retort to a boast from Hezbollah's leader that his ..." More

Best Chuck Norris Moment

"Roger Ramadi" is the pseudonym of a high-ranking Marine intelligence officer currently serving in Iraq.

"Best Chuck Norris Moment -- 13 May 2006. Bad Guys arrived at the government center in the small town of Kubaysah to kidnap the town mayor, since they have a problem with any form of government that does not include regular beheadings and women wearing burqahs. There were seven of them. As they brought the mayor out to put him in a pick-up truck to take him off to be beheaded (on video, as usual), one of the bad Guys put down his machinegun so that he could tie the mayor's hands.

The mayor took the opportunity to pick up the machinegun and drill five of the Bad Guys. The other two ran away. One of the dead Bad Guys was on our top twenty wanted list. Like they say, you can't fight City Hall."

Heh, heh...

"Bush: ''Frustrated'' with United Nations

KNX1070 - CA, USA

WHITE HOUSE (AP) -- President Bush says he believes a lot of Americans are frustrated with the United Nations and he's one of them. ...

'Super Secret' Agent

“How covert was Valerie Plame at the CIA? Her top-secret code name was ‘Valerie Plame.”’

—Ann Coulter

WE JUST NEED TO LEARN 'HOW TO BEHAVE'

“There have been a lot of memorable days in our country’s history, but some of them we’d rather forget. September 11th, 2001 is one of those. It isn’t a day to celebrate, but it’s a day we shouldn’t forget, either...Death by design. Some people who hated Americans set out to kill a lot of us and they succeeded. Americans are puzzled over why so many people in the world hate us...We know that and we’re trying to protect ourselves with more weapons. We have to do it, I guess, but might be better if we figured out how to behave as a nation in a way that wouldn’t make so many people in the world want to kill us.”

—CBS' Andy Rooney

The fundamental philosophy of the American left: 'It's our fault. We just need to get our enemies to like us ... and then all will be well.'

This is appeasement my friends. Appeasement, pure and simple.

TIME TO REFOCUS

“On September 11, 2001, our guard was down. America vowed that morning that we would never let that happen again. And yet, after five years many of us have grown weary of maintaining our defenses. America is in danger of losing sight of the enemy. (Many of us already have.) We have become so distracted by the political fights over how to defend ourselves that we seem to have forgotten why we need to. Today would be a good time to stop bickering and remember that we are all Americans, and therefore all targeted by a resolute army of fanatical warriors. The enemy does not care if we are Republican or Democrat, liberal or conservative, believer or atheist. It just wants us defeated. Polls report that more than a third of Americans, and nearly half of New Yorkers, believe that our own government either orchestrated the attacks or deliberately allowed them to happen. Such insanity can only be spread in a society that has lost its bearings. We must refocus on our common enemy: the Islamic radicals who want to establish their own despotic empire and view us as the most important obstacle in their path. America was attacked five years ago by agents of radical Islam. Their successors are fighting us in Iraq and Afghanistan and awaiting their chance to wound us again on our own soil. That is not a fantasy. It is the world in which we all live. Despite discouragements and setbacks, America can win this new and challenging war. But only if we fight the right enemy.”

—The New Hampshire Union Leader

“Did you see that video of the two Fox journalists announcing they’d converted to Islam?... It doesn’t matter how ‘understandable’ Centanni and Wiig’s actions are to us, what the target audience understands is quite different: that there is nothing we’re willing to die for. And, to the Islamist mind, a society with nothing to die for is already dead.”

—Mark Steyn

Commentary

September 11: Still Just A Game to Democrats
By Christopher G. Adamo

The sole reason for including the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights was to ensure the ability of the citizenry to engage in political discussion, regardless of any discomfort felt by public officials who might be the targets of the people’s criticism. The recently aired ABC miniseries “The Path to 9-11” exemplifies the very manner of public discourse that points fingers and raises questions necessary to call those in government to account in order to correct past mistakes. The threats of retribution against ABC by powerful liberals represent the most despicable and reprehensible manner of attempted censorship to occur in this country in recent years…

COMMENTARY

Armitage’s Leak
By Robert D. Novak

When Richard Armitage finally acknowledged last week that he was my source three years ago in revealing Valerie Plame Wilson as a CIA employee, the former deputy secretary of state's interviews obscured what he really did. I want to set the record straight based on firsthand knowledge. First, Armitage did not, as he now indicates, merely pass on something he had heard and that he "thought" might be so. Second, Armitage did not slip me this information as idle chitchat, as he now suggests. He made clear he considered it especially suited for my column…

Senators to challenge Bush plan for terror trials

USATODAY.com
Republicans Divided on Terrorist Interrogations

WASHINGTON — "A trio of influential Republican senators today plans to challenge President Bush's proposal to put terror suspects on trial, a day after a House panel approved the administrative initiative.

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner, R-Va., said Wednesday his panel will consider legislation to provide more legal rights for detainees than the White House proposal. He and his allies contend that denying those rights will put U.S. troops at risk if they are captured overseas and diminish the nation's moral authority." More.

House Sets New Vote on Border Fence, House Republicans Push for a New Vote on Mexican Border Fence Bill House Previously OK'd - CBS News

House Republicans push for a new vote on Mexican border fence bill House previously OK'd

(AP) House Republicans seeking to build a pre-election record for getting tough on illegal immigration plan a new vote Thursday on a border fence proposal that won House approval last December.

The bill calls for building more than 700 miles of double-layered fencing along the nearly 2,000-mile border with Mexico. The House approved the same amount of fencing when it passed its enforcement-focused immigration bill last December." More.

Judge tells Saddam: "You are not a dictator"

Reuters.com
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - "The judge in Saddam Hussein's genocide trial said on Thursday he did not think the ousted Iraqi leader was a 'dictator', prompting a spokesman for the U.S.-sponsored court to defend its impartiality.

Abdulla al-Amiri made his comments one day after prosecutors demanded his resignation, complaining that he was too soft on Saddam, who had threatened to 'crush the heads' of his accusers. They also complained he let Saddam make long speeches in court." More.

Senate OKs Ports Security Bill

Las Vegas SUN
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Senate voted unanimously on Thursday to tighten security at U.S. seaports by scanning nearly all incoming cargo for nuclear weapons or 'dirty bombs.'

The bill, approved 98-0 in a pre-election push on national defense, would increase safeguards on the rail systems that pick up cargo from ports and authorize 1,000 new agents to screen containers coming off ships." More.

"Rosie’s View: ‘Radical Christians’ Same as 9/11 Terrorists

"Just two weeks into her new job as co-host of “The View,” comedienne, actress and political activist Rosie O’Donnell has made her views about Christianity known to the world..."

Time to Confirm ‘Constitutionalist’ Judges, Conservatives Warn

"With time running out and conservative activists fuming, the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday is expected to discuss at least four of the five federal appeals court candidates renominated by President Bush. Conservatives want quick action by the full Senate. They say the nation's security depends upon it..."

Trying to have it both ways

From AirForce Times:
Pelosi rapped over bin Laden comments

"The rhetorical volley began when Pelosi, who stands to become Speaker of the House if the Democrats recapture that chamber in the November elections, commented Tuesday on the effort to capture or kill bin Laden.

'Even if he is caught tomorrow, it is five years too late,' Pelosi was quoted as saying. 'He has done more damage the longer he has been out there. But in fact, the damage that he has done is done. And even to capture him now, I don't think makes us any safer.' "

Typical 'political speak'; blame the opposing party of 'failure', while framing it so no matter what future events unfold, even if it's a positive development, it's still a failure.

Blair attacks Europe's "mad anti-Americans"

My Way News:

LONDON (Reuters) - "British Prime Minister Tony Blair launched a withering attack on Thursday on what he called 'mad anti-Americanism' among European politicians.

Blair, U.S. President George W. Bush's closest ally in the so-called war on terror, said the world urgently needs the United States to help tackle the globe's most pressing problems.

'The danger is if they decide to pull up the drawbridge and disengage. We need them involved,' Blair said, spelling out his political vision in a pamphlet published by The Foreign Policy Center think-tank.

'The strain of, frankly, anti-American feeling in parts of European politics is madness when set against the long-term interests of the world we believe in,' he said." Full article.

Hezbollah still in south Lebanon

NEWS.com.au - Australia
"HEZBOLLAH chief Hassan Nasrallah said overnight the Shiite militia still had a presence in south Lebanon one month after a UN-brokered ceasefire brought an end ..."

Who's Serious About the War?

Hugh Hewitt

With the fifth anniversary of 9/11 behind us, Congress now faces the very real duty of protecting the country via the legislation that the president has urgently requested concerning authorization for military tribunals to try terrorists and the NSA program to conduct warrantless surveillance of al Qaeda contacting its operatives in the U.S.

Democrats have announced their broad opposition to the president's legislation. This incredible display of renewed obstructionism shines a bright light on the unseriousness of the Democrats. Not only does the leadership of that party want to cut and run from Iraq, they are also opposed to the absolutely crucial legislative steps that must be taken to keep this country secure.

As November approaches, the country again faces the same choice as in 2002 and 2004: Are we serious about the nation's security and victory in the war? If the answer is yes, the GOP will register unexpected--in the mainstream media at least--wins at the ballot box."

Rift erupts between Hezbollah and house majority
Raw Story - Cambridge,MA,USA

"Beirut- A deep rift erupted Thursday between two of the major, influential political blocs in Lebanon, the Shiite Hezbollah group and the anti-Syrian majority ..."

Seoul backs censure of North

"South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon yesterday said Seoul strongly supports the United Nations' condemnation of North Korea for its recent missile tests."

House approves praise of 9/11 measures

"The House of Representatives, despite objections by Democrats, yesterday approved a resolution recognizing those killed in the September 11 terrorist attacks and praising the USA Patriot Act and other Republican-crafted security measures implemented since"

“A nation is not worthy to be saved if, in the hour of its fate, it will not gather up all its jewels of manhood and life, and go down into the conflict, however bloody and doubtful, resolved on measureless ruin or complete success.”

—James Garfield

“You know it’s said that an economist is the only professional who sees something working in practice and then seriously wonders if it works in theory.”

—Ronald Reagan

“People constantly speak of ‘the government’ doing this or that, as they might speak of God doing it. But the government is really nothing but a group of men, and usually they are very inferior men.”

—H. L. Mencken

House Republicans Keep Spotlight on Border Enforcement
House Republicans met on Tuesday to discuss the need for a border security bill, but Democrats dismissed the Republican-only gathering as a politically motivated “sham hearing.” House Republicans have rejected a Senate immigration measure, but unlike Republican senators, they say they won’t give up on border security before the election...

"Big Brother" is here to protect you...

Michigan Bill Would Require Cervical Cancer Vaccine for Sixth Graders
Michigan State Senator Beverly Hammerstrom, a Republican, has introduced a bill requiring all girls entering the sixth grade in that state to receive a vaccination that protects against cervical cancer...

Update: UVA Paper Apologizes for Mohammed, Not Jesus
The University of Virginia student newspaper that refuses to apologize for cartoons mocking Christian beliefs (published in August) did apologize for a comic it printed in February depicting Buddha, Jesus and Mohammed as judges on a talent show...

It's never been more clear....

It's never been more clear that it is time for the United States to get the hell out of the U. N; tell them to to take their chicanery elsewhere beyond our borders.

World’s ‘Non-Aligned’ Nations Asked to Condem US 'Hegemony'
Governments ruling more than half of U.N. member states will be asked this weekend to sign a declaration pledging to “transform the present unjust international order” dominated by a “hegemonic” power – a clear reference to the United States...

Curses, Foiled Again by Another Oil Conspiracy Theory

If the left did not have conspiracies to talk about, I swear they would not have anything to talk about ... well except for maybe man-made global warming, and their ummm... contempt for Bush, Cheney, Rove, Rumsfeld, Rice, the Military, 'Big Oil', WalMart, Conservatives, Christians, Republicans, Middle America, Talk Radio .....

CNN's Cafferty claims industry is dropping prices to help Republicans win mid-term elections.

By Dan Gainor

When gas prices shot up in spring, some in the media were quick to criticize “corporate greed,” but as prices plummet, even that decline has to be a “conspiracy.”

If you think I’m kidding then you don’t know Jack – Jack Cafferty that is. Cafferty shoots from the lip often enough as a CNN host, but on the August 30 edition of that network’s “Situation Room,” he outdid himself. After a story about how gas prices might get close to $2 by Thanksgiving, Cafferty grabbed his tinfoil hat and came up with his own conspiracy theory.

“You know, if you were a real cynic, you could also wonder if the oil companies might not be pulling the price of gas down to help the Republicans get re-elected in the midterm elections a couple of months away,” he ranted." More...

On a personal note, a friend of mine and his wife had their second child in August. The baby is doing fine, but sadly the mother had complications and had been in and out of the hospital since the delivery. Things took a turn for the worse and was in the ICU and lost her battle. She was pronounced brain dead. The funeral is Friday.

It is just shocking, how these things can still happen. It is a very sad day. Shock, grief, perplexity .. just so many various emotions all garbled together.

Zawahiri: After Iraq defeat, 'your economic doom will be achieved'

"ABU DHABI — Israel and Gulf allies of the United States are next, Al Qaida's No. 2 leader said on the fifth anniversary of September 11, 2001."

Ayman Zawahiri released a video that warned the West of such attacks, Middle East Newsline reported.

"You have to bolster your defenses in two areas," Zawahiri said in a message to Western leaders. "The first is the Gulf, from which you will be evicted, God willing, after your defeat in Iraq and then your economic doom will be achieved."

Ship with N. Korean weapons seized enroute to Syria

"NICOSIA — The Republic of Cyprus has stopped a ship full of North Korean weapons systems bound for Syria."

Rival Admits Leaking Arnold Tape

"The campaign of California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's Democratic rival acknowledged Tuesday that it downloaded — and leaked to the media — a recording of a private meeting in which the governor described a Hispanic legislator as having a 'very hot' personality."

Conspiracy nation

"There is a virulent form of unpatriotism festering in America today. Like an algae bloom that deprives life of oxygen, it starves democracy of the air of reason. It now thrives on what we call the far left, but like a dead zone off the coast, it moves with the tides."

Lindsey Graham's tribunal tantrum

"Lindsey Graham of South Carolina is once again in the press, playing his oft-reprised role as the Republican-senator-who-disagrees-with-his-party.

This time, the script has called for abandoning both common sense and certain constitutional principles."

Surprise as America's "most popular" religion

"With all the recent talk about anti-Semitism, who would have thought that Jews would prove so popular?"

A new narrative

"Narratives matter -- stories that make sense of the messy realities of the world, that connect cause with effect, that have a beginning, middle and end. We seek to understand the struggle in Iraq by constructing narratives and fitting events into them. But sometimes a narrative is undercut and rendered inoperative by emerging facts. And sometimes a new narrative emerges when facts previously unknown come to light. Both happened in the past two weeks.

The narrative that was undercut was the claim by Joseph Wilson that the Bush White House had breached national security by disclosing the identity of his wife to reporters." Continue.

Bob Casey is not serious

"Prospects for Senator Rick Santorum's reelection bid are looking much better these days. Polls show that Pennsylvania State Treasurer Bob Casey's lead in their race has shrunken to about six points, down from well over twenty points a few months ago.

According to Pat Buchanan, tough ads that Santorum is running opposing amnesty for illegal immigrants are what have struck a responsive chord among Pennsylvania's voters." Continue.

Hezbollah declares war on Lebanon's government | Live News from Lebanon

"In a rally yesterday in the devastated southern suburb of Beirut, Hezbollah MP Ali Ammar accused the March 14th Forces, of being “partners” in the Israeli war and “the massacres ” and called on the government to resign. He said “This government was part of 'an American-Israeli' plan to end Hezbollah during the aggression.”

Hezbollah called for the formation of a new “unity” government. This is being supported by Christian leader Michel Aoun, an opposition leader, whose popularity has substantially dropped after he formed the agreement with Hezbollah. General Aoun has been actively calling on the government to resign and attacked prime minister Siniora on several occasions." More.

The U.N.: The ONE thing the right and the left agree on

Americans Give United Nations Thumbs Down in New Poll
By Jim Kouri CPP

In a new poll, the American people, by and large, are giving the United Nations and it's immense bureaucracy a thumbs done, with many saying the entire institution should be scrapped. More.

The Interrogation Wars

By Rich Lowry

"In its way, it is a sign of a return to normality. For decades, the CIA was spooked by the possibility of congressional hearings and lawsuits into forswearing any risk-taking acts. Immediately after 9/11, everyone agreed that the CIA needed a down-and-dirty ability to operate in the twilight world of our enemies. Now, five years later, CIA officers are scared of lawsuits again.

According to The Washington Post, CIA counterterrorism officers are rushing to buy legal insurance. They worry about their exposure in conducting interrogations that have broken up ongoing plots and helped roll up much of al-Qaida's top ranks. President Bush wants legislation defining prosecutable conduct more precisely, but key Republican senators are resisting it, on the grounds, apparently, that the CIA should be able to fend off terrorists and lawyers all at once." Read on.

Russia, Neighbors Voice Support for Anti-Terror Campaign -- 09/12/2006

"U.S. Ambassador William Burns told the service that five years after 9/11 and two years after the Beslan school siege in southern Russia, terrorism remained a real threat, and cooperation in the fight against it was 'very important' for both nations and for the world.

Russia sent a gift to Bayonne, N.J. -- a 175-ton bronze monument built around a 40-foot steel teardrop to commemorate 9/11 victims."

9/11 Commissioners Warn: Don't Lose Focus on Terrorism -- 09/12/2006

"The chairman and vice chairman of the 9/11 Commission encouraged elected officials to stay focused on securing the nation against terrorist threats, saying Monday that it is the most important issue before the country."

Christian Faces Trial Over Bible-Based Pamphlets
Evangelical Christians in Britain are concerned about the prosecution of a protester who was arrested at a homosexuality rally while disseminating leaflets quoting the biblical view about homosexuality. Police said he was arrested because of the content of the leaflets...

Stop blaming America for terrorism

"... this initial wave of goodwill [after 9-11] hardly outlasted the news cycle. Within a couple of days a Guardian columnist wrote of the 'unabashed national egotism and arrogance that drives anti-Americanism among swaths of the world's population'. A Daily Mail columnist denounced the 'self-sought imperial role' of the United States, which he said had 'made it enemies of every sort across the globe'." Continue reading.

Ramadan hell for Israelis

Islamic Jihad planning terror campaign for Muslim, Jewish holidays
The Galil Report

Israeli security officials say there are very serious indications the Islamic Jihad terror group is planning a string of anti-Israeli attacks, including suicide bombings, throughout the Muslim holiday month of Ramadan. Read more.

Gunmen Try to Take U.S. Embassy in Syria

BREITBART.COM

By ALBERT AJI
Associated Press Writer

DAMASCUS, Syria

"Islamic militants attempted to storm the U.S. Embassy in Damascus on Tuesday using automatic rifles, hand grenades and at least one van rigged with explosives, the government said. Four people were killed in the brazen attack, including three of the assailants.

No Americans were hurt, and the attackers apparently did not breach the high walls surrounding the embassy's white compound in the city's diplomatic neighborhood.

But one of Syria's anti-terrorism forces was killed and at least 11 others were injured, the country's official news agency reported. The wounded including a police officer, two Iraqis and seven people employed at nearby technical workshop."Full news story here.

According to the Stratfor report:

The U.S. embassy in Damascus is reported to have come under attack, with reports of heavy gunfire and loud explosions. Security forces have sealed off the Rawda area, which houses other embassies, security installations and senior officials' residences.

The attack was most likely carried out by an al Qaeda-linked cell in Lebanon. Al Qaeda has steadily increased its presence in the Levant in the past several months. Syrian security forces have engaged in shootouts with alleged jihadists in the capital city since the Feb. 14 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik al Hairi. Though these shootouts were largely political in nature, designed to facilitate a dialogue between Washington and Damascus, jihadists have a real incentive to stage attacks in the Levant and target the regime that has offered cooperation to U.S. forces in Iraq against al Qaeda. In the wake of the Lebanon war, a strong need arose in al Qaeda to challenge it's Shiite rival, Hezbollah, for regional fame.

Jihad this!
I no longer accept that we are only at war with Islamic fascists or Islamic fundamentalists or whatever the heck we?re calling them this week.

A new narrative
The collapse of the Wilson-Plame narrative leaves troubling questions about the Fitzgerald investigation -- and the media that cheered it on.

Tehran Sends Arms to Hezbollah by Air - Land - Sea

"Night Watch: DUBAI - Debka reports that for the past two weeks Iranian freighters have been unloading arms for Hezbollah at two Syrian ports, Tartus and Latakia. This is beyond the range of the UN - European naval force off Lebanon. Small vessels have been arriving at these ports and then embark for Lebanon carrying supplies for Hezbollah. No effort is ever made by the European warships to prevent them from arriving." Read more.

GOP Loves Black People?

By Adam Howard
The Nation

"Has the Republican Party suddenly caught a case of jungle fever? This year Republicans will most likely run three African-Americans in statewide elections: Kenneth Blackwell (for governor in Ohio), former NFL star Lynn Swann (for governor in Pennsylvania) and Maryland Lieutenant Governor Michael Steele, who is seen as the frontrunner for the Republican Senate nomination there.

In a country where there is currently only one African-American Senator (Illinois' Barack Obama) and only one African-American has ever been elected governor of a state (Virginia's Doug Wilder) this seems like a risk for the GOP and its standard-bearers."

Anyone else have a problem with this? Three African-American = jungle fever? Seems racist to me. Oh yeh... I forgot... liberals can't be racist.

YOU DON'T GAIN SAFETY THROUGH APPEASEMENT

Tony Blankley nails it.

“All those critics who say we should change our foreign policies because we are causing the Islamists to attack us are—whether they use the term or not—arguing to appease aggressors by changing ourselves in conformity with the aggressor’s desires. The politically correct crowd who say we should change the way we talk, think and behave, change our surveillance of Muslims, even here in America, because it offends Islamist sensibilities—wish to gain safety by appeasing the violent and offended Islamists. These arguments are not immoral or cowardly. If we could vouchsafe America from the danger of nuclear, biological and other mass slaughters of millions of our citizens, it would be reckless not to carefully consider such appeasements. This is an issue of threat assessment. The appeasers don’t see the threat as so great. Thus they think we are overreacting and even adding to the problem... A maximum effort to extirpate the malignancy is the only and best defense for our way of life. I’m not against the appeasers because they are immoral or cowardly. I merely disagree with them because I believe that, like Neville Chamberlain, they underestimate the threat, and are thus dangerously wrong.”

CLARITY

“For too long, the world was paralyzed by the argument that terrorism could not be stopped until the grievances of terrorists were addressed. The complicated and heartrending issues that perplex mankind are no excuse for violent, inhumane attacks, nor do they excuse not taking aggressive action against those who deliberately slaughter innocent people... Effective antiterrorist action has also been thwarted by the claim that... ‘One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.’ That’s a catchy phrase, but also misleading. Freedom fighters do not need to terrorize a population into submission. Freedom fighters target the military forces and the organized instruments of repression keeping dictatorial regimes in power. Freedom fighters struggle to liberate their citizens from oppression and to establish a form of government that reflects the will of the people... [O]ne has to be blind, ignorant, or simply unwilling to see the truth if he or she is unable to distinguish between those I just described and terrorists. Terrorists intentionally kill or maim unarmed civilians, often women and children, often third parties who are not in any way part of a dictatorial regime. Terrorists are always the enemies of democracy.”

—Ronald Reagan

“We’re engaged in a global struggle against the followers of a murderous ideology that despises freedom and crushes all dissent, and has territorial ambitions and pursues totalitarian aims... And against such an enemy there is only one effective response: We will never back down, we will never give in and we will never accept anything less than complete victory... We will defeat the terrorists and their hateful ideology by spreading the hope of freedom across the world... The security of our nation depends on the advance of liberty in other nations.”

—President George W. Bush

LESSONS LEARNED?

“Rome fell September 4, 476AD. It was overrun with illegal immigrants: Visigoths, Franks, Anglos, Saxons, Ostrogoths, Burgundians, Lombards, Jutes and Vandals, who at first assimilated and worked as servants, but then came so fast they did not learn the Latin Language or the Roman form of government. Highly trained Roman Legions moving rapidly on their advanced road system, were strained fighting conflicts worldwide. Rome had a trade deficit, having outsourced most of its grain production to North Africa, and when Vandals captured that area, Rome did not have the resources to retaliate. Attila the Hun was committing terrorist attacks. The city of Rome was on welfare with citizens being given free bread. One Roman commented: ‘Those who live at the expense of the public funds are more numerous than those who provide them.’ Tax collectors were ‘more terrible than the enemy.’ Gladiators provided violent entertainment in the Coliseum. There was injustice in courts, exposure of unwanted infants, infidelity, immorality and perverted bathhouses. 5th-Century historian Salvian wrote: ‘O Roman people be ashamed... Let nobody think otherwise, the vices of our bad lives have alone conquered us’.”

—William Federer

Know Your Enemy

Have You Forgotten? A tribute to 9-11. Play the video.

“Our unalterable resolution would be to be free. They have attempted to subdue us by force, but God be praised! in vain. Their arts may be more dangerous then their arms. Let us then renounce all treaty with them upon any score but that of total separation, and under God trust our cause to our swords.” —Samuel Adams

Hezbollah Retains Most Of Its Missiles, Says Group Leader
All Headline News - USA
Jerusalem, Israel (AHN) - Hezbollah's second-in-command says the group used up or lost only about 10 percent of its missile arsenal in the recent war with ...

9/11/06 It's Not Your Father's Democratic Party

The Evening Bulletin : "There are certain places one expects to find anti-Israel sentiments openly expressed, but a major U.S. political party is not one of them. Increasingly, though, we are seeing a radicalization in the Democratic Party and the anti-Israel sentiment which was once the mark of the leftist fringe now appears in major Democratic forums." More....

Khatami slams Osama, praises Hezbollah

The Times of India: "CAMBRIDGE: On the eve of the fifth anniversary of the September 11 attacks, former Iranian president Mohammed Khatami condemned Osama bin Laden and suicide bombing but also defended groups such as Hezbollah for what he characterised as resistance against Israeli colonialism."

Israeli colonialism? Good grief. Sounds like talking points from the left. Read more here.

9-11: TODAY'S OPINIONS

Chuck Colson: Lessons learned and unlearned
Today marks the fifth anniversary of September 11. What have we in the West learned since that horrible day? There is good news - and bad news.

Alan Sears: Five years after 9/11, the ACLU considers Christians the terrorists
Cook's statement equates a teacher praying for a student's ailing mother with the determination of radical Muslim terrorists to destroy as many innocent lives as possible.

Donald Lambro: Rember the "blessed terror"
The news of the fall of the Twin Towers is burned into memory. A good many of us watched, unbelieving, as the second plane sliced through the steel and concrete.

George Will: What 9/11 Didn't Change

Before the dust from the collapsed towers had settled, conventional wisdom had congealed: "Everything has changed." But what about what matters most, the public's sensibility?

PREPAREDNESS

"How could a readiness for war in time of peace be safely prohibited, unless we could could prohibit, in like manner, the preparations and establishments of every hostile nation?"

-- James Madison

9-11

Power Line Blog instructs us:

"As we look back on September 11 from five years on, let's not forget the immediate aftermath."

How many times have you heard those on the left say Bush's policies and war on terror has made the world hate us; we squandered the sympathy and goodwill in the immediate aftermath of 9-11?

MEMRI has put together a video, you can see it here, reminding us what the real true reaction was around many parts of the world when the horrific event unfolded. Let's put an end to the revisionist's account of history. We were hated before 9-11 happened simply because of who we are and what we stand for.

UN Official Says United Nations Pressures Nations to Back Abortion
LifeNews.com - Helena,MT,USA
New York, NY (LifeNews.com) -- A leading United Nations official criticized the international body last week at a meeting saying that it deviates too often ...

5 years after 9/11, Muslims moving to U.S. in droves

Statistics show almost 96,000 became citizens in 2005, the most in two decades

NEW YORK — "America's newest Muslims arrive in the afternoon crunch at John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Their planes land from Dubai, Casablanca and Karachi. They stand in line, clasping documents. They emerge, sometimes hours later, steering their carts toward a flock of relatives, a stream of cabs, a new life." Story.

Yemeni held on weapons charge

"The FBI is investigating the case of a 21-year-old Hamtramck man with a one-way ticket to Yemen who, according to officials, tried to board a plane at Metro Airport with a knife hidden in a phone book." Details.

More illegal aliens tried in gang rapes

2 new cases uncovered in unnoticed crime wave

WASHINGTON – "Two more cases of gang rapes by illegal aliens are being quietly adjudicated in Wisconsin and California, as activists and social scientists say the crime wave needs greater attention and national debate." Full story.

ON 9-11

"Five years on, half America has retreated to the laziest old tropes, filtering the new struggle through the most drearily cobwebbed prisms: All dramatic national events are JFK-type conspiracies, all wars are Vietnam quagmires. Meanwhile, Ramzi Yousef's successors make their ambitions as plain as he did: They want to acquire nuclear technology in order to kill even more of us. And, given that free societies tend naturally toward a Katrina mentality of doing nothing until it happens, one morning we will wake up to another day like the "day that changed everything." Sept. 11 was less "a failure of imagination" than an ability to see that America's enemies were hiding in plain sight.

They still are."

-- Mark Steyn

Yes, We Are Better Prepared

By John D. Negroponte

"Surprise is what intelligence is intended to prevent, but on Sept. 11, 2001, our nation was surprised, and the results were tragic. Now the fifth anniversary of those horrific events raises anew the question: Is our nation's intelligence community better prepared to keep America safe? The answer is yes. U.S. intelligence has made major advances since that Sept. 11.

First and foremost, we better understand, and are aligned to meet, the threat of transnational terror......"

A diamond in the muck

By Jack Kelly:
Santorum speaks his mind while Casey waffles

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

My opinion of the Republican 'leadership' in Congress is not printable in a family newspaper. Greed (as in earmarks) and political cowardice (as in the refusal to tackle the immigration problem) have been the hallmarks of the 'do nothing' 109th Congress.

But in the muck, some diamonds shine.

Congress races look less certain for Democrats

"If you watched even five minutes of television last week, you probably saw a dozen political ads. The 2006 midterm campaign has begun in earnest, and it's now an eight-week sprint to Election Day. So what's happening out there?" Read more.

North Korea 'determined to carry out underground test'

"Russian diplomats believe it is now 'highly probable' that North Korea will officially join the nuclear club by carrying out its first underground test of an atomic device.

Kim Jong Il, the North Korean leader, is said to have made clear his intention to explode a device during recent talks with Russian and Chinese officials in Pyongyang.

Although he was pressed to resume six-party talks over his nuclear programme, the Russians concluded that he was serious in his desire to demonstrate that his scientists have successfully built a nuclear weapon." More.

While critical today, Lamont lauded Lieberman's rebuke of Clinton in e-mail in 1998

"Democratic Senate candidate Ned Lamont, who recently denounced Sen. Joe Lieberman for his public scolding of President Clinton over the Monica Lewinsky affair, lauded the senator at the time for his eloquence and moral authority." More.

“Look, things could obviously be a lot better. But they could be a lot worse too. John Kerry could be president.” —Jonah Goldberg

STAGED PHOTOS

“A few days ago, [Reuters] made a big hoo-ha about the Israelis intentionally firing a missile at its press vehicle and wounding its cameraman Fadel Shana. Shana was posed in an artful sprawl in a blood-spattered shirt. But it had ridden up and underneath his undershirt was spotlessly white, like a summer-stock Julius Caesar revealing the boxers under his toga.”

—Mark Steyn

Republicans could still help their prospects, and motivate their own supporters, if they use the next month to advance sound policies that highlight differences between the two parties... House leaders tell us there is zero chance of [immigration reform] passing before November. Leave it to Republicans to fan national concern about the issue for a year and then say, well, never mind. On the policy merits, this may be for the best because anything that passed in the current environment would only throw more police at the border or further harass employers. But if Republicans lose the House, their demagoguery on immigration will be one reason... [T]he GOP’s legislative record in the House is actually better than the media advertise. Many good ideas have died in the graveyard of the Senate, thanks to Democratic Leader Harry Reid’s use of the filibuster and the eagerness of too many GOP Senators (Maine’s Olympia Snowe, George Voinovich of Ohio) to run away from Mr. Bush on key issues. Republicans can’t undo all that damage in a month, but they can at least give voters some better reason to re-elect them in November.”

—The Wall Street Journal

“Some voters still cast ballots on the basis of whether a political party can actually pass legislation. If a GOP Congress working with a Republican president fails to address immigration, many voters will question what exactly they are capable of accomplishing.” —John Fund

“Immigration is the most melancholy element of a depressing Republican year. The Iraq intervention and its aftermath have hurt, and Republican inattention to runaway government spending has been deplorable. But immigration is the issue most likely to cause rank-and-file Republican voters to stay home on Election Day, and it may cost the party its congressional majorities.” —Robert Novak

“[I]f we desire to secure peace, one of the most powerful instruments of our rising prosperity, it must be known, that we are at all times ready for War.”

—George Washington

Unanswered questions of September 11

Special Report - insider.washingtontimes.com:
Unanswered questions of September 11

By Rowan Scarborough and Jerry Seper
THE WASHINGTON TIMES

"Five years after the deadliest enemy attack ever on the United States, questions linger about the terror plot that toppled New York's World Trade Center, damaged the Pentagon and ignited the ongoing war on terrorism.

The killing of nearly 3,000 people on September 11, 2001, is not a 'cold case.'
But it also is not a closed case, and despite the huge body of evidence collected, unanswered questions remain."

Full article.

One of the unanswered questions, at least according to Lee Hamilton, vice chairman of the national September 11 commission, "We were never able to answer why the 19 were willing to kill themselves. What was the motivation? I am talking in a very personal way."

"What was the motivation for each one of these hijackers? I think the question of motivation was opaque to us. We just could not nail it."

He said investigators guessed at a religious motive or a political grievance against the West, or more specifically the United States.

"Why do they hate us? It's one of the fundamental questions raised again and again. We couldn't pin it down for the 19."

So there you have it. The left gets lost in it's introspection. "Why do they hate us?" Translation: "How can we get them to like us? What have we done wrong?"

Oh, aren't we lucky ?

New college program brings Saudis to U.S.

Thousands of students from Saudi Arabia are enrolling on college campuses across the United States this semester under a new educational exchange program brokered by President Bush and Saudi King Abdullah.

If they could only get to know us better; if they know us and understand us, then all will be better and our problems will be solved.

Hezbollah setting up West Bank rocket infrastructure

Lebanese group working with Palestinian terrorists
The Galil Report

"Fresh from launching hundreds of rockets a day at northern Israeli communities, Hezbollah now is helping Palestinian terror groups create an advanced rocket infrastructure in Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip, according to Egyptian security officials.

Hezbollah's smuggling routes are well known in the Gaza Strip. The Lebanese group, working with Palestinian terror organizations, has managed to bring hundreds of Katyusha rockets with ranges of up to 25 miles into Gaza, according to Egyptian, Israeli and Palestinian security officials.

Hezbollah maintains cells in Gaza and in the neighboring Sinai desert that help smuggle in weapons; finance and coordinate terror attacks; and train Palestinian groups in guerilla warfare tactics and in the use of rockets and other advanced weapons.

Israel last week killed two Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades terrorists in Nablus in northern Samaria who were setting up a rocket infrastructure there. The two terrorists worked for Abu Oudai, Al Aqsa's rocket master.

Sources close to the Brigades claimed the group has several advanced versions of the Qassam in and near Jenin.

Abu Oudai told the Galil Report his organization in northern Samaria has developed a new kind of rocket named after late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat that can reach major Israeli cities.

"The Arafat (rocket) can reach every goal we want all over the enemy state," Abu Oudai said. "I don't need to tell you that the aerial distance from Jenin to Netanya, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and other cities is not big without telling what are all our plans concerning hitting Israeli settlements (in Judea and Samaria). We can reach any point inside Israel, but I will not mention what are the regions we are ready to shoot from."

Should we leave Iraq?

Recognizing that Iran has the biggest military in the Middle East (except for the U.S. military of course) and it's desire to become the country of utmost influence in the region, the Stratfor Geopolitical Intelligence Report says:

"......Bush cannot begin withdrawing forces. If he did that, the entire region would destabilize. The countries of the Arabian Peninsula, seeing the withdrawal, would realize that the Iranians were now the dominant power. Shia in the Gulf region might act, or they might simply wait until the Americans had withdrawn and the Iranians arrived. Israel, shaken to the core by its fight with Hezbollah, would have neither the force nor the inclination to act. Therefore, the United States has little choice, from Bush's perspective, but to remain in Iraq.

The Iranians undoubtedly anticipated this response. They have planned carefully. They are therefore shifting their rhetoric somewhat to be more accommodating. They understand that to get the United States out of Iraq -- and out of Kuwait --they will have to engage in a complex set of negotiations. They will promise anything -- but in the end, they will be the largest military force in the region, and nothing else matters. Ultimately, they are counting on the Americans to be sufficiently exhausted by their experience of Iraq to rationalize their withdrawal -- leaving, as in Vietnam, a graceful interval for what follows."

Why Does the Left Hate "The Path to 9/11"?
On Sunday and Monday nights at 8 PM, ABC will air a five hour mini-series, "The Path to 9/11."

A compelling "Path to 9-11"
To mark the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attack on America, ABC Entertainment is presenting a six-hour miniseries titled "The Path to 9/11," a forceful, compelling docudrama chronicling the struggles faced by America's counter-terrorist experts between the first attack on the World Trade Center in 1993 and the fatal one in 2001.

Feeding the crocodile
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, who likes historical analogies, compares the appeasers of Germany in the run-up to World War II to his critics who stubbornly refuse to see in full the terrorists who want to destroy the civilized way of life, and us along with it.

Soros goes after America's judges
Billionaire George Soros, a naturalized American citizen born in Hungary, takes a lively interest in the politics of his adopted country.

A crisis for Japan's welfare state
Longevity is a blessing, but the Japanese live inconveniently long lives. Inconvenient, that is, for those who administer Japan's welfare state.

9/11 plus five
How does one measure "progress" in a type of war we have never fought before, a war with no rules or boundaries, a war driven exclusively by religious zealotry and twisted doctrine?

Anti-war rant -- "Chicken Hawk!"
Chicken hawks: "cowards" who support the Iraq war, but never served in the military.

Khatami's propaganda tour
The Bush administration repeatedly warned that Iran would face serious consequences if it defied international demands to shut down its nuclear weapons program.

Why seek "proportional" warfare?
The way to judge the morality of a military effort isn?t to consider the level of enemy death and suffering but to examine the purpose for which that destruction has been inflicted.

Pathetic liberal sissies
Unable to compete in the world of free debate with transparent facts, liberals behaved like children this week - proving that in the end national security and even national identity are always subservient to their own ego, reputation, and appearance. More.