The Nature of Our Enemies
In light of Russia's
recent decision to suspend work on the nuclear reactor in Bushehr, Iran (which I find to be quite illuminating) here a few exceedingly quick thoughts on the nature of our enemies:
- Top tier - militant Islam (by the way, keep an eye on southern Thailand - this is one of the hotter spots of the worldwide Islamofascist insurgency and it gets next to no press)
- Second tier - Russia and China (as the article above shows, at least to me, Russia is in it for the money only - like the Chinese, they're not worried about ideology; if you're Iran and you threaten Israel - Russia will be happy to do business with you, but if you stop paying your bills, Russia turns icy real fast; I believe China is the same way - for instance, they are all over Africa right now doing oil deals with dirty governments - we do that too but China goes much farther with it, explicitly endorsing the principle that nations cannot meddle in other nations' internal affairs - hoping, of course, that that same principle will continue to be applied to them)
- Third tier - nominal Middle Eastern allies (ex. Saudi Arabia) whose unelected leaders publicly renounce us but privately help us out
- Fourth tier - nominal European/NATO allies (ex. France and Germany) who suffer from a severe case of anti-Americanism
- North Korea is somewhere between the second and third tier? Not sure about them...
Wish I had more time to spend on this - let me know what I'm missing.
Information Warfare
The multi-national force in Iraq has established a
channel on YouTube (hat tip: The Belmont Club). Take some time to check out a few of the videos. Make sure to turn the sound down on your computer, particularly if you are at work.
It is unfortunate that our enemy discovered the power of video on the internet several years ago and has used it to devastating effect against us, and that we're just now catching on. However, better late than never. I imagine that this is part of the broader effort to think creatively about ways to win in Iraq, and I applaud it.
What if There is a New Chapter in the Story?
Robert Kagan on
improving conditions in Iraq:
Leading journalists have been reporting for some time that the war was hopeless, a fiasco that could not be salvaged by more troops and a new counterinsurgency strategy. The conventional wisdom in December held that sending more troops was politically impossible after the antiwar tenor of the midterm elections. It was practically impossible because the extra troops didn't exist. Even if the troops did exist, they could not make a difference.
Four months later, the once insurmountable political opposition has been surmounted. The nonexistent troops are flowing into Iraq. And though it is still early and horrible acts of violence continue, there is substantial evidence that the new counterinsurgency strategy, backed by the infusion of new forces, is having a significant effect.
In From the Cold has details on the progress of the surge from the Kuwaiti News Agency:
And, as this report from the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) points out, the decrease in combat deaths occurred as U.S. troops established a permanent presence in some of Baghdad's most dangerous neighborhoods, and stepped up patrols in the Iraqi capital. Before the troop surge began, many pundits predicted at least a short-term spike in casualties, with more troops exposed to sniper fire, IEDs, and other hazards.The KUNA dispatch offers other encouraging signs from Iraq. Successful attacks against U.S. helicopters have all but ended, after a flurry of crashes in late January/early February that claimed the lives of more than 30 soldiers. The military also reports that sectarian violence in Baghdad has dropped by 80% since the new security measures were implemented.
What if we pursued a strategy for victory, rather than withdrawal?
What if we weren't really fighting for oil after all?
What if we did not give in to defeatism at home and cynicism around the world?
What if we believed in ourselves?
What if a new chapter in the story of Iraq is being written?
Straight Out of Spiderman
Libby Trial Roundup
First, the
Washington Post:
On Scooter Libby: "The fall of this skilled and long-respected public servant is particularly sobering because it arose from a Washington scandal remarkable for its lack of substance."
On Joe Wilson: "Mr. Wilson's case has besmirched nearly everyone it touched. The former ambassador will be remembered as a blowhard."
Next, Charles Krauthammer on the case for an
immediate presidential pardon.
"This is a case that never should have been brought, originating in the scandal that never was, in search of a crime -- violation of the Intelligence Identities Protection Act -- that even the prosecutor never alleged. That's the basis for a presidential pardon. It should have been granted long before this egregious case came to trial. It should be granted now without any further delay."
Here is Rich Lowry on the
criminalization of policy differences (aka "it's illegal to be a Republican"):
"Fitzgerald let himself become an instrument of political blood lust. Bush critics wanted Libby destroyed because he stood for “the case for war.” But Libby is an individual, not an abstraction. The way to score points against “the case for war” is through advocacy, not through jailing one person. Time magazine says that Libby’s conviction is “a rebuke to (the) hermitic powersharing arrangement at the top of the White House.” Again, the way to object to Dick Cheney’s power is through political agitation, not through imprisoning his former chief of staff.This is the very definition of the criminalization of politics. If the other party occupies the White House, each side in our politics is willing to embrace this criminalization, even if it means doing violence to its own interests and principles."
Finally, Jonah Goldberg on the
trials and tribulations of the adorable Wilson family:
"A man of less mettle might grow frustrated with the effrontery of the Washington Post calling him a liar, a blowhard, and the real destroyer of his wife's career. Simply because it's true hardly justifies stepping on his story line. Don't they know he's the author of a book, The Politics of Truth, and a winner of awards for his self-proclaimed courage for "speaking truth to power"? Why should a bipartisan Senate intelligence report cataloging his dishonesty and distortions stand against a man with such important hair?"
This case is a travesty. Libby will get his pardon, but not until January 2009.
Reverend Gore's "Carbon Footprint"
In another
inconvenient truth for the Eco-Messiah, it looks like his mansion in Tennessee uses 20 times more electricity than the average American home.
