A strange thing happened on the Senate floor December 16th, Senator Rick Santorum introduced Senate Resolution 337 which condemning the harmful, destructive, and anti-Semitic statements of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the President of Iran. Ahmadinejad announced that Israel should be "wiped off the map” and that the Holocaust was a "myth.” The resolution passed unanimously. The strange thing was that his earlier try at such a resolution was held up due to Democrat objections. Why did they object to the earlier resolution? Because it had language supporting self-determination and a free and fair national referendum. The offensive clauses:
1. The Senate supports efforts by the people of Iran to exercise self-determination over the form of government of their country.
2. The Senate supports a national referendum in Iran, with oversight by international observers and monitors, to certify the integrity and fairness of the referendum.
Well, anyone can see why that’s offensive, it’s a call for Democracy! Why do the Democrats object to Democracy? They won’t say. They won’t even let us know which Democrats objected. When the first offensive referendum was brought to the floor Senate Democrat Ron Wyden said: "Mr. President, while I personally am vehemently opposed to the statements that have been made by the President of Iran, I have been asked by the Members on this side of the aisle to object, and I do so object." One lone voice wouldn’t be enough for the party to openly object to Democracy in Iran, this has to come from the leadership. Why they won’t come out in the open with who and why they objected I can only speculate that it’s because GWB is for it and their objections can’t be rationally defended.
Friday, December 30, 2005
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
MSM, spies for Al Qaeda
During WWII the Brits, with the help of the Polish Cipher Bureau, managed to piece together working models of the German Enigma machine which led to the breaking of the Nazis highest codes. Intelligence from this was code named “ULTRA”. Later the Americans would break the Japanese highest diplomatic code Purple that also relied on the Enigma machine, that intelligence was code named “MAGIC”. The British intelligence from ULTRA was decisive in winning the Battle of Britain, which led Hitler to abandon Operation Sea Lion, the invasion of England. The MAGIC intercepts led to our winning at Midway, the turning point in the Pacific war. Both were also used to monitor spying activity in the UK and US.
The value of this intelligence was so high that it was the most closely guarded secret of the war. Only nine people in the US were privy to MAGIC. In order to protect ULTRA Churchill condemned hundreds of people in Coventry to their deaths rather than warn them the Germans were going to bomb. Some contend FDR ordered the internment of more than 100,000 Japanese-Americans rather than focus on the espionage rings MAGIC identified in order to keep the knowledge from Japan that we had broken their code.
One has to wonder that if the Washington Post or New York Times had gotten hold of this electronic surveillance without a court order would they have gone public to the detriment of the war effort? Of course not, those were different times when one could be both a patriot and a journalist. The American left still believed that the Nazis and Imperial Japanese were the enemy and there was no moral relativism that likened FDR or Churchill to Hitler or Tojo. Sadly that is no longer the case, our secrets can be splashed all over the nation’s newspapers to the delight of our enemies. Be assured that Al Qaeda communications into and out of the US has been sharply curtailed. Now that they know we are listening without warrants, with out the long delays necessary to get FISA permission they are rethinking their policies and procedures to take into account the valuable intelligence given them by the New York Times.
Americans are being illegally spied on by Bush, the left cries. Keep in mind the only surveillance occurring was on phone numbers obtained from data located in captured Al Qaeda computers. Zacarias Moussaoui had such numbers but the FBI bureaucracy involved in applying for a FISA warrant did not allow us to connect the dots and prevent 9/11. Keep in mind that a legion of White House lawyers think this is legal. Keep in mind that the Clinton White House felt the same way. Keep in mind that this story was released at the same time as one of the most historic events to take place in the Middle East was occurring. Keep in mind that congress was continually briefed on this. With all this in mind I can sure as hell question the patriotism of these journalist who seem to mind not at all who may die as a result of their never ending hatred of George Bush.
The value of this intelligence was so high that it was the most closely guarded secret of the war. Only nine people in the US were privy to MAGIC. In order to protect ULTRA Churchill condemned hundreds of people in Coventry to their deaths rather than warn them the Germans were going to bomb. Some contend FDR ordered the internment of more than 100,000 Japanese-Americans rather than focus on the espionage rings MAGIC identified in order to keep the knowledge from Japan that we had broken their code.
One has to wonder that if the Washington Post or New York Times had gotten hold of this electronic surveillance without a court order would they have gone public to the detriment of the war effort? Of course not, those were different times when one could be both a patriot and a journalist. The American left still believed that the Nazis and Imperial Japanese were the enemy and there was no moral relativism that likened FDR or Churchill to Hitler or Tojo. Sadly that is no longer the case, our secrets can be splashed all over the nation’s newspapers to the delight of our enemies. Be assured that Al Qaeda communications into and out of the US has been sharply curtailed. Now that they know we are listening without warrants, with out the long delays necessary to get FISA permission they are rethinking their policies and procedures to take into account the valuable intelligence given them by the New York Times.
Americans are being illegally spied on by Bush, the left cries. Keep in mind the only surveillance occurring was on phone numbers obtained from data located in captured Al Qaeda computers. Zacarias Moussaoui had such numbers but the FBI bureaucracy involved in applying for a FISA warrant did not allow us to connect the dots and prevent 9/11. Keep in mind that a legion of White House lawyers think this is legal. Keep in mind that the Clinton White House felt the same way. Keep in mind that this story was released at the same time as one of the most historic events to take place in the Middle East was occurring. Keep in mind that congress was continually briefed on this. With all this in mind I can sure as hell question the patriotism of these journalist who seem to mind not at all who may die as a result of their never ending hatred of George Bush.
Friday, December 02, 2005
Victory in Iraq
The President gave a great speech Wednesday where he again laid out his plan for victory in Iraq. He also released a document, the National Strategy for Victory in Iraq. In it the President further articulates in detail the plan the left says he doesn’t have. It’s a plan, you might not like it, you might disagree with assumptions made, but if so get specific and quit with the meme that no plan exists. The plan defines victory in three stages:
We have seen political milestones with the election of constitutional delegates and then ratification of a constitution. We will see another election in December that will put a face on the leadership of Iraq. Do you think anyone who runs on a platform of kicking the Americans out could possibly win? The left says that ”80% of Iraqis want us out”, they fail to mention the caveat “but not yet”.
Democratic institutions are being developed, the old saw that Arabs or Muslims can’t be democratized is especially odorous and will be proven wrong in Iraq just as Turkey and Indonesia have already proved. Iraq has several things going for it when it comes to democracy, as well as some against. Democracy is easier if a country has a GNP per capita of $5000 or above. At $2500 Iraq is not there yet but its economy is growing in leaps and bounds. Besides oil Iraq was once an important player in world agriculture and a lot has been done to restore that sector of the economy. After the lifting of UN sanctions and the implementation of the 100 "orders" decreed by Paul Bremer economic growth of 53% in Iraq topped the list of the world's fastest growing economies. Strong democracies require high literacy rates which Iraqis posses. There is a large middle class which sees democracy as being in their best interest. There is a free press. Article 85 of the new constitution states: "Judges are independent and there is no authority over them except that of the law. No authority shall have the right to interfere in the Judiciary and the affairs of Justice.", so you have an independent judiciary. Going against Democracy is a lack by some, especially Kurds, of a sense of national unity. However we need to remember that when we were a fledgling democracy we were not a United States regardless of what we called ourselves. We were Virginians, Pennsylvanians, New Yorkers, etc. with a huge mistrust of centralized government. How did we manage? Same as the Iraqis, with a federalist style of government that leaves a great deal of autonomy within each state or region.
The standing up security forces is occurring. Every day the Iraqi armed forces are getting better trained, more experienced, and better equipped. Gradually they take over operations, bases, towns, and whole regions freeing up American and other coalition forces who can then further take the fight to other areas. Since September Forward Operating Base Lima in Karbala, Camp Zulu in As Suwayrah, and one of Saddam Hussein's former palaces in his home town of Tikrit, Forward Operating Base Dagger have been turned over to Iraqi Forces. 25 bases in all are now in full Iraqi control. 6th Iraqi Army Division took over authority of the Kharkh, Rusafa, Thawra and Adhamiyah districts of Baghdad on Oct. 3. British forces have handed over their main base in the city of Basra to the Iraqi military to allow it to take over the main security duties there. On Nov. 29 the 2nd Iraqi Army Brigade from al Hillah successfully accomplished its certification process and is now ready to plan and conduct military activities independently when it takes over responsibility of Babil Province.
Short term victory is not victory however. Even though it is only a matter of time when we can leave Iraq to the Iraqis to leave now would jeopardize all we have gained. We need to hold out for the Medium Term Victory. The goals for that include an Iraq that can provide for its own security, has a fully functioning constitutional government in place, and is on its way to achieving its own economic potential. When that eventually happens then we can safely leave without all the blood and capital we have invested being for naught. Stay the course is not “tired rhetoric” as Harry Reid said, it’s common sense.
The Long Term Victory as defined by Bush’s strategy is a peaceful, united, stable, and secure Iraq, well integrated into the international community, and a full partner in the global war on terror. That victory must be won by the Iraqis themselves, but if they bring it to fruition then we will have changed the Middle East forever and that was what this whole endeavor was about.
Short Term- Iraq is making steady progress in fighting terrorist, meeting political milestones, building democratic institutions, and standing up security forces.I would argue that conditions for this short term victory have already been met. Progress is being made. Suicide bombings fell in November to their lowest level in seven months. We are getting 10 times the number of tips from civilians than we were even a few months before. There are far fewer foreign fighters in Iraq due to the fact that we have killed a whole lot and fewer are able to come across the now more secure Syrian border. We are still taking casualties because we are systematically gaining control of terrorist safe havens but they are not retaking those areas so Iraq is getting smaller and smaller for them. Take for example Route Irish, the road to the Baghdad airport. One journalist once said when you can safely drive that road then you can believe the war is winnable. Well what was once the most dangerous route in Iraq is now one of the safest due to the Iraqis that now patrol the area.
We have seen political milestones with the election of constitutional delegates and then ratification of a constitution. We will see another election in December that will put a face on the leadership of Iraq. Do you think anyone who runs on a platform of kicking the Americans out could possibly win? The left says that ”80% of Iraqis want us out”, they fail to mention the caveat “but not yet”.
Democratic institutions are being developed, the old saw that Arabs or Muslims can’t be democratized is especially odorous and will be proven wrong in Iraq just as Turkey and Indonesia have already proved. Iraq has several things going for it when it comes to democracy, as well as some against. Democracy is easier if a country has a GNP per capita of $5000 or above. At $2500 Iraq is not there yet but its economy is growing in leaps and bounds. Besides oil Iraq was once an important player in world agriculture and a lot has been done to restore that sector of the economy. After the lifting of UN sanctions and the implementation of the 100 "orders" decreed by Paul Bremer economic growth of 53% in Iraq topped the list of the world's fastest growing economies. Strong democracies require high literacy rates which Iraqis posses. There is a large middle class which sees democracy as being in their best interest. There is a free press. Article 85 of the new constitution states: "Judges are independent and there is no authority over them except that of the law. No authority shall have the right to interfere in the Judiciary and the affairs of Justice.", so you have an independent judiciary. Going against Democracy is a lack by some, especially Kurds, of a sense of national unity. However we need to remember that when we were a fledgling democracy we were not a United States regardless of what we called ourselves. We were Virginians, Pennsylvanians, New Yorkers, etc. with a huge mistrust of centralized government. How did we manage? Same as the Iraqis, with a federalist style of government that leaves a great deal of autonomy within each state or region.
The standing up security forces is occurring. Every day the Iraqi armed forces are getting better trained, more experienced, and better equipped. Gradually they take over operations, bases, towns, and whole regions freeing up American and other coalition forces who can then further take the fight to other areas. Since September Forward Operating Base Lima in Karbala, Camp Zulu in As Suwayrah, and one of Saddam Hussein's former palaces in his home town of Tikrit, Forward Operating Base Dagger have been turned over to Iraqi Forces. 25 bases in all are now in full Iraqi control. 6th Iraqi Army Division took over authority of the Kharkh, Rusafa, Thawra and Adhamiyah districts of Baghdad on Oct. 3. British forces have handed over their main base in the city of Basra to the Iraqi military to allow it to take over the main security duties there. On Nov. 29 the 2nd Iraqi Army Brigade from al Hillah successfully accomplished its certification process and is now ready to plan and conduct military activities independently when it takes over responsibility of Babil Province.
Short term victory is not victory however. Even though it is only a matter of time when we can leave Iraq to the Iraqis to leave now would jeopardize all we have gained. We need to hold out for the Medium Term Victory. The goals for that include an Iraq that can provide for its own security, has a fully functioning constitutional government in place, and is on its way to achieving its own economic potential. When that eventually happens then we can safely leave without all the blood and capital we have invested being for naught. Stay the course is not “tired rhetoric” as Harry Reid said, it’s common sense.
The Long Term Victory as defined by Bush’s strategy is a peaceful, united, stable, and secure Iraq, well integrated into the international community, and a full partner in the global war on terror. That victory must be won by the Iraqis themselves, but if they bring it to fruition then we will have changed the Middle East forever and that was what this whole endeavor was about.
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