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JULY 3,  2011

IMPORTANT EDUCATION NEWS – NEW ADVANCE IN TERRORIST TRAINING – AT 10:50 A.M. ET:  For those who wish to become professional terrorists, and gain prestige in certain parts of the world, there is news tonight about avoiding one serious threat to your professional plans.  From London's Daily Mirror:

al-Qaeda fanatics in Britain are being taught to avoid detection – by pretending to be gay.

A new terror training manual tells Islamic extremists to lie about their sexuality if a woman approaches them in case she is a “honeytrap” spy sent by security services.

The handbook, which was uncovered by a Sunday Mirror investigation, says: “Many hotels – especially in busy UK cities – have women hanging around the lobby areas in order to attract men.

“A young beautiful woman may come and talk to you. The first thing you do to protect yourself from such a situation is to make dua (prayers) to Allah for steadfastness.

“The second thing is to find an excuse to get away from her that is realistic and sensible, such as you having a girlfriend for the past few years and you are loyal to her or you are homosexual.”

You know, I've done it many times.  Whenever beautiful women mob me in a hotel lobby screaming, "There's the editor of Urgent Agenda," I merely reply, "I'm here to see Bruce," and they fade away.  Works every time. 

The suggestion is one of many tips in the manual, called Class Notes From The Security and Intelligence Course.

We understand that scholarships are available.  An application fee and essay are required.

And we thought these people were just crazy fanatics.

July 3, 2011      Permalink

WHILE WE CELEBRATE – AT 11:43 A.M. ET:  We may be on holiday, but our enemies are not.  Iran is off the front pages, for some reason, but is moving aggressively to fill the void left by the decline of American power in the Mideast and west Asia.  Anyone in the White House interested?  From The Wall Street Journal:

TEHRAN—Iran's elite military unit, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has transferred lethal new munitions to its allies in Iraq and Afghanistan in recent months, according to senior U.S. officials, in a bid to accelerate the U.S. withdrawals from these countries.

The Revolutionary Guard has smuggled rocket-assisted exploding projectiles to its militia allies in Iraq, weapons that have already resulted in the deaths of American troops, defense officials said. They said Iranians have also given long-range rockets to the Taliban in Afghanistan, increasing the insurgents' ability to hit U.S. and other coalition positions from a safer distance.

Show any weakness, and countries like Iran are all over you.  Yet weakness is what Obama projects. 

Such arms shipments would escalate the shadow competition for influence playing out between Tehran and Washington across the Middle East and North Africa, fueled by U.S. preparations to draw down forces from two wars and the political rebellions that are sweeping the region.

The U.S. is wrestling with the aftermath of uprisings against longtime Arab allies from Tunisia to Bahrain, and trying to leave behind stable, friendly governments in Afghanistan and Iraq. Iran appears to be trying to gain political ground amid the turmoil and to make the U.S. withdrawals as quick and painful as possible.

And Iran is developing nuclear weapons.  Iran is winning.  The regime may be crazed, but it has patience, and Iranian diplomats are considered among the most capable in the world. 

At the same time, news out of the formerly moderate Tunisia, where the "Arab spring" began, is not good.  The new "democratic" government has taken a harsh stand, refusing any peace with Israel, a stance the former government never took.  We can now expect that a dose of anti-Americanism will follow.  Much of the "Arab spring" is turning out to be a big disappointment, with Islamist elements rising and true liberal democracy in retreat. 

And with Iran growing more powerful, look for the new Arab governments to suddenly find they have much in common with Tehran.  In the Mideast, as Osama bin Laden said, it's the strong horse who wins.

July 3, 2011       Permalink

PATHETIC – AT 11:01 A.M. ET:  As we celebrate Independence Day, we're reminded that one of the "great" stories of independence in our time was that of African nations becoming independent as the colonial era came to an end.

Sadly, much of that independence has been squandered.  Politically, a number of African countries seem more interested in appeasing and allying with dictators than with democrats.  Of course, not much of this is reported or analyzed by the trendies of the media.  From Fox:

MALABO, Equatorial Guinea – The body representing nations in Africa called on its members to disregard the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant for Muammar al-Qaddafi, an official confirmed Saturday, in a move that seriously weakens the tribunal's ability to bring the embattled Libyan leader to justice.

The decision passed by the 53-member African Union late Friday states that the warrant against Qaddafi "seriously complicates" efforts by the organization to find a solution to the Libyan crisis.

AU executive Jean Ping also told reporters that the ICC is "discriminatory" and only goes after crimes committed in Africa, while ignoring those he says were committed by Western powers in places like Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Meaning the United States.  We're the punching bag for a number of African "leaders."  And Ping is wrong on the facts.  In fact, the ICC has relentlessly pursued Europeans like Slobodan Miloševic.

"With this in mind, we recommend that the member states do not cooperate with the execution of this arrest warrant," said the motion, which was shown to The Associated Press and whose passage was confirmed by Daniel Adugna, a spokesman in the AU commissioner's office.

If countries in Africa abide by the recommendation, it opens the possibility that Qaddafi could avoid prosecution by seeking refuge on the soil of his neighbors.

That has been the case for President Hissene Habre, who is accused of thousands of political killings and the systematic torture of his opponents when he ruled Chad, from 1982 to 1990, before fleeing to Senegal. He has yet to face a trial even though Senegal agreed in 2006 to create a special court to try him.

COMMENT:  Qaddafi is a big favorite in some African countries, especially South Africa.  Hey, what's a couple thousand murders and the downing of PanAm 103?  Can't let details get in the way of "anti-colonialism."

July 3, 2011       Permalink

McCOTTER ANNOUNCES – AT 10:45 A.M. ET:  Virtually every news story reporting the presidential candidacy announcement of Congressman Thaddeus McCotter (R-Michigan), told us he was unknown.  Say that enough times and the guy becomes known.

McCotter informally announced his candidacy yesterday.  He may be the longest of shots, but he should not be underestimated.  He's one of the brightest members of Congress, unique in his ways, and an original.  From Fox:

U.S. Rep. Thaddeus McCotter, a five-term congressman with little name recognition but plenty of pizazz, has become the latest Republican to enter the GOP presidential sweepstakes, officially announcing his candidacy on Saturday.

McCotter, a guitar-playing lawmaker from Detroit's suburbs who is known for his eccentric sense of humor and independent streak, made his announcement at an Independence Day festival at Whitmore Lake, about 30 miles outside the Motor City, He played guitar with his band at the event.

The 45-year-old attorney joins a crowded early field of GOP candidates, including former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, Texas Rep. Ron Paul, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, pizza magnate Herman Cain, former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman.

"There's a lot of people out there that worry the American dream is in danger," he said Friday on WJR-AM in Detroit. "So I was listening to the other candidates. They're fine people. But I don't think I'm hearing anything coming from them that's going to help us seize this opportunity."

McCotter said he would push for a fundamental restructuring of government and for Wall Street banks that received federal bailout money to free up credit.

"We're not seeing credit flow down to entrepreneurs, innovators and workers that will grow the economy and shape it for the 21st century," he said. "To me that has to be a linchpin of any economic policy that goes forward."

COMMENT:  Note his age.  He's only 45.  In 12 years, he'll only be 57.  Watch this guy.  He's already a favorite of talk-show hosts.  As the story notes, he has the pizazz factor, and no one ever accused him of being anything less than fully prepared.  Man with a future.

July 3, 2011     Permalink

JULY 2,  2011

NO NEWS IS... – AT 9:33 P.M. ET:  Unless someone plans to attack us, July 4th weekend is very slow on news.  Stuff happens overseas, where July 4th is just another day, but the usual headliners seem to stay home, maybe realizing the American media is operating light for three days.

So maybe it's a good time to reflect on the title of the holiday we're about to mark.  It's Independence Day.  Not Freedom Day.  Not rights day.   Independence day.  Whenever July 4th is mentioned, Americans understandably reflect on their freedoms.  That's fine.  But we sometimes forget the "independence" part.  America would not be America if it were not independent.  We run our own country, we have our own foreign policy.  We control, more or less, our own economy.

And yet there are some Americans, headquartered largely in universities and the media, who kind of frown on this "independence" thing.  They used to be called "one worlders," although the one worlders simply wanted greater American engagement with the world.  The people I'm talking about think a chunk of our foreign policy should be handed over to "international" institutions like the UN, and that we should be subject to "international" scrutiny like, say, Iran.  Our Supreme Court, they think, should employ foreign laws at times.  They haughtily reject American exceptionalism, which is nothing more, or less, than the notion that we have a unique standing in history, which we emphatically do.

These people are wrong.  They dream of an America that is more like Europe, all the while ignoring that Western Europe is in decline, economically strapped, culturally compromised, and defended by paper-think armies.  They think there's nothing special about America, while, every day, they enjoy all the things that make the country special. 

If we lose our independence, if we refuse to insist that immigrants become Americans in every sense, we will lose the uniqueness that makes up the American character.  We have not historically been called the last great hope of mankind for no reason.  We are that hope, if only we can, in the face of trendy pressures, hang onto it.

July 2, 2011      Permalink

A REMINDER – AT 9:16 A.M. ET:  A reminder that our freedom isn't free, and that American operations around the world continue in the face of growing threats.  It is also a reminder to neo-isolationists here at home that isolationism has never worked, ever, ever.  It only kicks the can down the road and leads to a greater conflict in decades ahead.   From The New York Times:

WASHINGTON — The clandestine American military campaign to combat Al Qaeda’s franchise in Yemen is expanding to fight the Islamist militancy in Somalia, as new evidence indicates that insurgents in the two countries are forging closer ties and possibly plotting attacks against the United States, American officials say.

An American military drone aircraft attacked several Somalis in the militant group the Shabab late last month, the officials said, killing at least one of its midlevel operatives and wounding others.

The strike was carried out by the same Special Operations Command unit now battling militants in Yemen, and it represented an intensification of an American military campaign in a mostly lawless region where weak governments have allowed groups with links to Al Qaeda to flourish.

COMMENT:  At a time when "come home America" seems to be all the rage in some circles, we should note that the war against terror is going to be very long, and very hard.  We have a choice:  We can fight it through to some kind of victory, much as we fought the Cold War (which had its hot moments).   Or we can turn delusional, as we were before World War II.

Leadership will determine that choice, which is one reason why the 2012 election will be so critical.

July 2, 2011      Permalink

OUR STRUGGLING ECONOMY – AT 8:38 A.M. ET:   The AP, in a refreshingly direct story, points out that the American economy is still struggling, two and a half years into Obama's presidency.  Our national strength is based heavily on our historically strong economy.  Economic distress is sapping not only our physical strength, but our national will.  It is a dangerous, volatile situation:

WASHINGTON -- This is one anniversary few feel like celebrating.

Two years after economists say the Great Recession ended, the recovery has been the weakest and most lopsided of any since the 1930s.

After previous recessions, people in all income groups tended to benefit. This time, ordinary Americans are struggling with job insecurity, too much debt and pay raises that haven't kept up with prices at the grocery store and gas station. The economy's meager gains are going mostly to the wealthiest.

Workers' wages and benefits make up 57.5% of the economy, an all-time low. Until the mid-2000s, that figure had been remarkably stable -- about 64% through boom and bust alike.

Executive pay is included in this figure, but rank-and-file workers are far more dependent on regular wages and benefits. A big chunk of the economy's gains has gone to investors in the form of higher corporate profits.

"The spoils have really gone to capital, to the shareholders," says David Rosenberg, chief economist at Gluskin Sheff + Associates in Toronto.

Corporate profits are up by almost half since the recession ended in June 2009. In the first two years after the recessions of 1991 and 2001, profits rose 11% and 28%, respectively.

And an Associated Press analysis found that the typical CEO of a major company earned $9 million last year, up a fourth from 2009.

COMMENT:  I'm afraid that's correct.  We can call it "free enterprise," but a number of economic observers, many of them quite conservative, have another name for it:  crony capitalism.  Those who truly believe in free enterprise, and that includes me, must finally realize the enormous danger in the growing gap between rich and non-rich in America, and in the nest feathering that goes on in the executive suite.  Eventually, if the rising tide doesn't lift all boats, there can be great social instability, and the election of radical elements.  Think the 1960s, times ten. 

We see the riots that are taking place in European countries, especially Greece, as governments are forced into austerity because of economic recession.  That can happen here as well.  We must figure out a way for the average American to benefit from economic recovery, if in fact there's a recovery at all.  Obama has failed miserably in managing the economy.  Republicans don't seem to have any great ideas of their own.  "No new taxes" isn't much of a policy.

We are not in good economic shape.  And one senses a growing anger that can easily boil over.  We're told that "the economy" will be the major issue in next year's election.  Add to that a national "rage."  Fail to recognize it, and 2011 might look like a picnic.

July 2, 2011       Permalink 

DEFENSE BATTLES AHEAD – July 4th weekend is a good time to reflect on this quote by Ronald Reagan:  "Of the four wars in my lifetime, none came about because the United States was too strong." 

Several days ago, in The Wall Street Journal, former Defense Secretary Donald Rumseld warned against irresponsible cuts in the defense budget.  The warning came at the right time.  On both left and right, there are those who can't wait to take an ax to our defenses, the better to free the funds to support their favorite causes.

We have just changed defense secretaries, with Leon Panetta having taken over the Pentagon yesterday.   Panetta is a serious man, and he's now defending his approach to his new job.  From The Hill:

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta took over at the Pentagon on Friday and immediately promised the budget cuts he will oversee will not produce a “hollow force.”

Panetta acknowledged the Defense Department will be forced to make “tough budget choices,” but called it a “false choice” that fiscal discipline means weakening national security.

“Even as the United States addresses fiscal challenges at home, there will be no hollow force on my watch,” Panetta said in a statement released after he was sworn in at 8:48 a.m. in his new Pentagon office. “That will require us all to be disciplined in how we manage taxpayer resources.

“Throughout my career in public service ... I have focused on achieving that balance,” Panetta said. “I will continue that approach at the Pentagon.”

The statement touched on a number of issues, from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars to the meaning of Independence Day, but the inclusion of his budget vow was his first shot back at critics — many pro-defense GOP House members — who have speculated that he was sent to the Pentagon to usher in deep budget cuts.

Those critics have pointed to Panetta’s background as House Budget Committee chairman and Office of Management and Budget director as evidence President Obama was sending him across the Potomac River to do a deep dive into the Defense budget. What’s more, they note he was White House chief of staff in the 1990s, when the Clinton administration slashed Defense spending.

“Mr. Panetta's tenure begins just as President Obama and bipartisan majorities in Congress are insisting on deep cuts to defense spending,” former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld wrote Friday in a Wall Street Journal op-ed. “It will be tempting to accede to the White House's proposal to carve out $400 billion, if not more, from the national security budget by 2023. It would also be a grievous mistake.”

COMMENT:  It's been pointed out that we have cut the defense budget, sometimes substantially, whenever it's announced that "peace" has broken out, and each time we have lived to regret it. 

I suspect that Panetta will try to enact responsible budget cuts, but he is under the thumb of a president who, if he wins a second term, may well revert to his true leftist beliefs and demand the gutting of the Pentagon.  Ordinarily, we could count on Congressional Republicans to stand in the way, and, as the story suggests, there are Republicans prepared to do just that.  Sadly, though, other members of the GOP have reverted to becoming a party of green eyeshades, and their commitment to national defense has gone wobbly.  Our children will pay.

July 2, 2011     Permalink