Bomb Blasts In Thailand

Once again violence has come to Thailand. On the eve of the New Year, at least 8 bomb blasts have rocked the capitol city of Bangkok. Initial reports play down the possibility of Islamic Terrorists being to blame. New Years Eve celebrations throughout the nation have been cancelled, primarily because of fears of further violence.

Police do not believe foreign groups or militants from the Muslim south are to blame, says the BBC's Jonathan Head.

Our Bangkok correspondent says many Thais suspect the bombs were the work of opponents of the current military government, which forced Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra from office in September.

There are reasons, however, to doubt the official version of events.

Over the last several years, increased Muslim violence throughout the south of Thailand has plagued the country. The southern provinces, once part of the ancient kingdom of Pattani, have long been a hot-bed of Islamic unrest. A revolt in the 1070s was put down by the Bangkok government, only to re-emerge in the late 1990s.
Increased Wahhabi indoctrination of the Muslim educational system has led to increased violence, and unrest. Attempts by the Thai government to downplay the crisis have fallen on increasingly deaf ears, as the intent of the Muslim extremists have become clear.

Such liberal icons as Yale Global have noted the trend toward radicalism in the region.

Mr Vairoj Phiphitpakdee, a Muslim member of parliament for Pattani, has said that some Thai Muslims mistakenly believe Islam is just about adopting Arab customs. 'They're taken to the Middle East and they're brainwashed,' he recently told reporters.

The Saudi Arabia-based International Islamic Relief Organisation (IIRO) remains the largest donor to Islamic causes in southern Thailand. According to The Nation newspaper, during the last 10 years hardly any educational or religious project has been untouched by the IIRO, which is part of the wahhabi-inspired Muslim World League. After Sept 11, 2001, the United States Treasury froze IIRO funds in the US because of its alleged links to Al-Qaeda.

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One senior Thai government official in Pattani, clearly shaken by recent events, told me he was aware of the first signs of 'ethnic cleansing' (his words) in Narathiwat, one of the south's Muslim-majority provinces. Some Thai Buddhist families have been told to leave under the threat of violence, he added.

”Ethnic cleansing,” the sanitized word for mass murder in the name of religion, has become a real threat to any ethnic group that finds itself in the path of the World Islamic Caliphate envisioned by the radical Islamofascists.

But there is an increasing suspicion that Islamic separatists - perhaps allied to international militant groups such as Jemaah Islamiah - are behind the attacks.

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The southern provinces were originally part of the ancient Kingdom of Pattani, a semi-autonomous Malay region which adopted Islam in the mid-13th century.

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There are a number of Muslim separatist groups known to operate in southern Thailand - including Pulo (the Pattani United Liberation Organisation), BRN (the Barisan Revolusi Nasional) and GMIP (Gerakan Mujahadeen Islam Pattani).
In the past, these groups have been linked to larger Islamic organisations such as Jemaah Islamiah - blamed for terrorist attacks across South East Asia - and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in the troubled Indonesian province of Aceh.

For some reason, the Thai government has been reluctant to admit the problem exists. This has become, however, increasingly difficult to do as the violence has escalated.

Again, although Bangkok has refused to link the bomb-blasts of today with Islamic extremists, the link must be examined.

After the Muslims killed on April 28 were shown on television wearing green Hamas-style headbands and other clothes with Islamic slogans emblazoned on them, the government at last conceded that, on one level, it was facing a complex separatist threat. One killed militant had stitched into the back of his jacket the letters 'JI' - an assumed reference to Indonesian-based terrorist group Jemaah Islamiah (JI), which seeks to establish a pan-South-east Asian Islamic state from southern Thailand through Malaysia and Singapore and across Indonesia into the southern Philippines. Numerous regional leaders from JI, Al-Qaeda and the Free Aceh Movement are known to have spent time in southern Thailand since the attacks in New York on Sept 11, 2001.

We have been told that the fighting in the Middle East is all about Isreal and US support of the Zionist regime. And yet, throughout the world, Islamofascists are on the march, attacking anyone who is different, or who does not share their view of religion. Perhaps these Bangkok blasts will awaken a sleeping World to the dangers in their midst.

Then again, perhaps the World will continue to slumber.

Happy New Year!

David Hinz ©2006

2007 A LOOK FORWARD

2006 was a year that brought many surprises but then again as the year progressed some of the so called surprises were not as much a surprise as they were an obvious result of bad choices. One of the largest that loomed with the political prognosticators at the end of 2005 was the result of the 2006 Mid Term election. Few predicted that 2006 would bring a complete change in leadership in both the House and the Senate but yet as the year progressed with the GOP making several wrong moves and bad choices in their watch of the Congress the election became more and more obvious that it would be a disaster for the GOP. Many thought there was a slight chance of the House turning over in 06 but almost no one predicted the Senate to follow suit. Yet here we are ready to enter 2007 and January will bring the swearing in of a new Democrat controlled House and Senate. So obviously speculating what a new year will bring is just that, "speculation," but it has become a tradition by many political analysts and by most Hollywood gossip columnists. The difference between the two is only in who and what they predict and not in the accuracy in their predictions. Though from the stand point of pure hilarious entertainment Hollywood takes its predictions much more serious than do political prognosticators as if on what Hollywood predicts the future of all society rests. So as we step into 2007 this writer will offer a few thoughts as to what may be in store for 2007 and just maybe some of it could happen and much of it totally miss the boat.

First the obvious for 2007.

The 08 Presidential race - With 2008 bringing with it the seemingly never ending campaigning that accompanies a Presidential election year, the positioning for that run will begin in earnest. 2007 will find Giuliani, McCain, Romney, Hillary, Biden and Obama making their candidacy official. The possibles who will join the list consist of Huckabee, Gingrich, Kerry and Gore. Though Kerry seems one who should be on the obvious list, there have been a number of incidents in recent months including his insult of the troops and his unpopular visit to Iraq that could actually cause him pause in running. In the end though his arrogance and his own conviction that he, "deserves, " the Presidency will push him into the race. Gingrich and Gore will depend upon reaction to their feelers in the first few months of 2007. Of the two Gingrich is the most likely to enter the race but Gore is gaining popularity for a run because of his highly touted global warming fantasies.

Saddam Hussein - With the dictator dead it may seem odd that he makes the list of obvious 2007 predictions but like a bad penny he will not go away for several reasons. The foremost reason is because of the Iraqi people themselves. His brutal reign as dictator for more than 30 years over Iraq has left very large and lasting scars on the country. There will be a large number of Iraqis who even faced with video and photographic evidence of his execution as well as a grave bearing his name will still believe that this persona of evil is alive and will find a way to return to power. For many in the country it will take some time for the truth of his demise to sink in and the acceptance that he is gone to allow them to live without the fear of his return. A secondary reason is because of the conspiracy theorists which have already started fanning the flame that the execution was one of Hussein's many doubles and that he is alive and well and drinking Pina' Colladas somewhere outside of Iraq waiting for the opportune moment to return. With the emergence already of the conspiracies 2007 will be filled with Saddam sightings and stories of where he living and with whom he is meeting to prepare for his return to Iraq.

The minimum wage - This has become the agenda cry of the incoming Democrats as they tell of what they plan to do in the first 100 days as leaders in Congress. Shortly after they take control the House will present and pass an expected raise in the minimum wage allowing an increase of more than two dollars over the next two years. While its passage will take more time in the Senate since the balance between parties is much closer than in the House the support for the raise has strong backing in the Senate and should pass will bipartisan support. President Bush has unfortunately already indicated that he too supports the raise with certain incentives for small business which are not likely with a Democrat Congress but in the spirit of showing his bipartisanship at the onset of Democrat Congressional leadership, Bush will sign the bill.

Now a few not so obvious.

Iraq - While many are trying to portray Iraq as a lost cause and that United States presence in the country should cease to exist the truth of the matter is that there is still much work to be done and that the work requires the continued presence of the United States in order for the work to be completed. There are lingering questions as to the immediate future of the US in Iraq bouncing back and forth between a, "surge, " ( where did they come up with this word for a troop increase ?), of US troops to quell the situation in the Sunni Triangle area and an increase in diplomatic measures especially concerning Iran and Syria. As the President is leaning to an increase of around 30, 000 troops the, "surge, " seems likely. The diplomatic overtures that are being discussed depends greatly on political pressure here at home. Bush is against negotiating with Iran and Syria over Iraq or anything else for that matter for which I give him kudos since we do not need to be negotiating with these two terror states. Yet political pressure is mounting for negotiations and as that pressure increases Bush may fall to it and at least send lower level diplomats as feelers to both countries then eventually Condi Rice and an official US delegation. Again all of this is still up in the air but as 2007 progresses the full direction of US policy in Iraq will better reveal itself.

The economy - While the increase in the minimum wage will have an adverse effect of the economy as the raise is implemented and business reacts to the increase with labor changes in the form of cut backs in hiring and downsizing of employees to meet the forced increase in labor costs, the full extent of the effect on the economy will not take effect until the raise begins attacking consumer prices through increases brought on by higher labor costs. The effect on slowing the economy or not will depend on consumer confidence in the economy at the time and whether consumers feel comfortable enough in their own pockets with the price increases to continue spending at the healthy pace that has been the case over the last few years. Another indicator of the 2007 economic picture will be the housing market. While it has shown signs of slowing over the last months of 2006 each time it has slowed the next month followed with increases that not only countered the previous months slow down but actually increased the housing market. Again consumer comfort in their own finances and well being will determine if housing will continue at the record pace it has kept in recent years. The stock market will vary with world situations and the legislation that is presented by a Democrat Congress. Wall Street is taking a look and see attitude as they anticipate what Democrats will do, so their reaction will be based on future legislation and how that legislation will effect the market at the time. Oil prices will depend on futures market reaction to world crises that erupt in 2007 and also on how greedy OPEC will be if the price of a barrel of oil begins to drop again.

Hurricanes - There will be hurricanes. If any of those who predict the numbers for any hurricane season and 2007 is no exception were to actually admit the truth the only prediction that any of them can make is that next years hurricane season will produce hurricanes. Now as to numbers and intensity that depends only upon ocean temperatures and upper level air currents at the time and if any of these dire hurricane weather sooth sayers were honest in their assessment of future activity they would admit that we will have them and stop trying to scare the coastal residents with numbers and strength predictions which only succeed in fear mongoring and driving up the price of insurance on the coast.

The President - Bush and 2007 all depends on whether he has resigned himself to being a lame duck President or if he still believes even with a Democrat Congress that he has the ability to govern and have a strong Presidency or one that weakly bows to the Congress through compromise after compromise. Ronald Reagan proved that even with a majority from the other party controlling Congress that by creating a coalition within the opposition Democrat party that leaned toward a more conservative agenda a President could get what he wanted passed in Congress. Bush seems to believe that his only option is to work with the leadership and follow their lead in legislating. If that is the case then he will be a lame duck President and much of 2007 will find him ineffective from that stand point. If he does lead and works the Congress as Reagan did then the strength of his leadership will shape legislation that emerges from even a Democrat Congress in 2007.

One final item for 2007 is the shape of the Senate. This all depends upon the recovery of Senator Tim Johnson from South Dakota who had emergency brain surgery earlier in December. If he recovers and is able to complete his term then the Senate will remain in Democrat control. If on the other hand he cannot then South Dakota Republican Governor Mike Rounds will appoint a Republican to fill the vacant seat thus changing the makeup of the Senate to 50/50 causing both parties to equally share in all leadership and committee positions and the Vice President would then become the deciding vote in the case of a tie.

As in any change of years from one to another in the continued advancement of time on this planet that we all share, predictions are just predictions and the year will play out as it will despite what anyone speculates or contemplates. So as we begin the eighth year of the 21st century may it be a prosperous one for each of you and please accept my wish for each of you for a very Happy New Year!

Ken Taylor

CHRISTMAS IS

There are many things from which I might have derived good, by which I have not profited, I dare say, Christmas among the rest. But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round as a good time: a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time: the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. And therefore, uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!''

So said Fred , the nephew of Ebeneezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens," A Christmas Carol." Christmas is many things to many people. For some it is Santa Claus and toy building elves. For others it is a time to spend time with family and friends and for some a time to share, "Christmas spirits." But amidst all of the festivities the one fact that must not be forgotten and cannot be denied is that Christmas regardless of ones spiritual beliefs or lack there of is a celebration of a precious birth. A birth, that though it did not take place in December of our calendar year, still effects all of mankind to this very day. A birth that changed history and in whose life all history finds its center.

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6

So many years ago in Bethlehem this Child who was born, a gift to all mankind in a lowly manger, who would grow to become the sacrifice that a just God required for the transgressions of man and in whose name forgiveness can be found. "And His name shall be called Jesus." We in the United States have a particular reason to celebrate the birth of the Son of God for it is because of His birth, His death and His resurrection that this nation was born. The Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth in 1620 came to this land to find freedom to worship God as their hearts guided them and thus our Founding Fathers in their wisdom placed the freedom to worship according to ones heart and conscience as our first and foremost right in this nation that we love. From the very birth of our nation Christmas has been a celebration of the birth of the King of Kings and though the politically correct have been trying to eliminate Him from our present day Christmas the fact still remains that He is the Reason for the Season. Without His birth there would be no Christmas nor the need for the celebration. Though we are a melting pot of many religions and many nationalities the underlying truth still remains that the birth of The Christ is why Christmas exists. Yet in our freedoms this does not force anyone to celebrate His birth as Christians do for many in their religious or non-religious beliefs do not recognize Him yet we all live in the freedom and liberty that His birth allowed which in-turn gave life to our nation in the search for religious freedom. So as you join with your families and friends this Christmas and you are among those who believe in the Son of God then give thanks to Him for His coming and all that we are, who we are as a nation and His many blessings bestowed. If your beliefs are of another nature then take a moment to reflect on this great land that we live in and give thanks in your own way for this land of the free and home of the brave. May the blessings of Christmas be yours now and throughout the New Year. Thank you each one for being a part of this blog. Merry Christmas to each of you and as Tiny Tim observed, " God bless us, everyone!"

Ken Taylor

IRAQ ECONOMY BOOMING !

An amazing site hit the web yesterday as the Drudge Report posted and article that will be featured in the next issue of Newsweek. The title of the piece is, "Blood and MoneyIn what might be called the mother of all surprises, Iraq's economy is growing strong, even booming in places." What is most surprising about this article is that it is a positive piece about Iraq and what is additionally surprising is this positive report is being published in a left leaning magazine that has been not only very critical of Iraq but has published numerous articles since we entered Iraq that have been totally and completely negative in every aspect. Almost as surprising especially when one considers that Newsweek is part of the Main Stream Media is the fact that according to the MSM NOTHING GOOD IS HAPPENING IN IRAQ! Yet here is Newsweek preparing to print an article about Iraq's booming economy and the statistics are current and date back quite some time....wait I thought that Iraq was a total disaster and the country was collapsing. I'm getting ahead of myself first let me share some of the good news found in the report. Iraqna, the leading cell phone company in Iraq posted $333 million in revenues in 2005 and is on track to increase that to $ 520 million this year, inspite of the bombing of their cell towers and increased security for their workers. There are 7.1 million cell subscribers in Iraq up 1.4 million from two years ago. Registered companies in Iraq have increased by 8000 from this same period three years ago and the Iraqi GDP growth was 17% last year and is on course to a 13% growth for 2006. Inspite of attacks on oil fields, oil revenues and foreign grants for 2006 will will hit $ 41 billion and with security tightened in southern oil fields that figure could actually go up. Salaries have increased more than 100 % since the fall of Saddam and tax cuts have taken taxes from 45 % to 13% allowing more money in the pockets of Iraqi workers. Many Iraqis have built up a considerable nest egg which they could not do five years ago and according Newsweek, "there's a vibrancy at the grass roots that is invisible in most international coverage of Iraq. " Even they admit that this positive reporting has been non - existent in Iraq coverage. The article , hold on to your seats, even admits US success in Iraq, "The U.S. wanted to create the conditions in which small-scale private enterprise could blossom," says Jan Randolph, head of sovereign risk at Global Insight. "In a sense, they've succeeded."


Shortly after the election I mentioned to a friend of mine who I discuss politics with on a consistent basis that with a Democrat win in the House and Senate either soon after they take control of Congress or just before, the MSM will begin reporting positive news from Iraq to make the Dems look better and attempt to deceive the country into thinking that with Dems in control everything even Iraq is coming up roses. It looks like my prediction has come true. Where was this positive reporting for the last five years in the MSM ? Conservative talk radio has been touting the successes in Iraq constantly yet the only thing that has come out of the MSM until now are reports of the latest road side bombing, coverage of every homicide bomber that has gone to meet Allah and a continual body count of American soldiers and Iraqi citizens. Even when a story is related to Iraq or concerns the military in any way, such as the recent departure of Donald Rumsfeld as Secretary of Defense the story was tagged with something like, "This as today in Iraq two more US soldiers were killed in a road side bombing, " or something to that affect. Every story has had a body count tag and if there was not a story associated with Iraq or the military then just the body count would be stated. Nothing and I mean NOTHING, concerning the successes, the accomplishments, the advancements or any positive at all. Yet with just a few weeks before the Democrats take over Congress miraculously Iraq has a, "Booming Economy." Coincidence ? I think not. If this type of reporting had been the norm for the last five years the support for Iraq would not have faded as it has. The deception by the left and the MSM in only portraying the negative about Iraq has twisted the truth and created the idea that we are losing as well as diminished support for US presence in the country. This type of news has been available from the very beginning and the left along with their cohorts in the MSM have chosen to ignore it and irresponsibly neglected to tell the truth concerning what is happening in Iraq. As such they have succeeded in their agenda of damaging the Bush Presidency, turning the country against Iraq and placed us on the verge of negotiating with terror states pulling out of a success before it is finished and severely damaging American credibility for the sake of pushing their agenda. This Newsweek report could have been published with similar growth statistics though not quite as high three years ago because the Iraqi economy has had consistent growth since the fall of Saddam. Our troops have performed marvelously and all that the left and the MSM have shown the American people are the number killed. The death of an American soldier is more than a statistic for the news but rather a precious life who has sacrificed that life for the cause of freedom. This and thousands of similar reports that have been purposefully neglected in Iraq reporting proves the success of our men and women in the military and in American policy and presence in Iraq. Maybe now before we fall into the abyss of terror state negotiation, abandoning the mission and following a course of appeasement the tide toward this can be turned now that the truth is finally being reported and we can finish the job that was started leaving a free independent Iraq and a stable and safer situation in the Middle East. But then again this Newsweek report could just be an isolated slip up and future reporting will be business as usual and the course into the abyss will continue.

Ken Taylor

Ahmadinejad's big mouth may be causing trouble at home

"In one key race, centrist ex-president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani overwhelmingly won a seat on the Assembly of Experts, thrashing a cleric seen as Ahmadinejad's spiritual mentor."

Ahmadinejad 'thwarted' in Iranian elections: US

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad looks to have been thwarted from keeping his ultra-conservative allies in control of key offices despite efforts to "cook the books" in weekend elections, the State Department said.

The elections for municipal councils and a powerful religious assembly saw Ahmadinejad loyalists suffer setbacks at the hands of more moderate candidates in a number of key races, including for seats on the Tehran city council.

"It would seem that they are not the results that President Ahmadinejad would have hoped for," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said when asked to comment on the vote.

"I think, despite the regime's efforts to cook the books in terms of an outcome, they seem to have been thwarted in that regard," he said.

While noting the high voter turnout in Friday's election, McCormack said there had been "some fundamental flaws" in the polls, "in which there were numerous candidates that were excluded from even running."

"So the people didn't have that choice to make," he said.

The United States has declared Ahmadinejad's regime to be one of its principle international adversaries for its alleged plan to develop nuclear weapons and his frequent statements that Israel should be "wiped off the map".

-Snip-

In one key race, centrist ex-president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani overwhelmingly won a seat on the Assembly of Experts, thrashing a cleric seen as Ahmadinejad's spiritual mentor.

looks like all that talk about the people of Iran loving us and wanting a more moderate democracy wasn't completely wishful thinking!

Coupled with this story Iranian students heckle president and subsequently this story Iranian students in hiding after heckling Ahmadinejad:

Iranian student activists who staged an angry protest against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad last week have gone into hiding in fear for their lives after his supporters threatened them with revenge.

One student fled after being photographed holding a banner reading, "Fascist president, the polytechnic is not for you", during Mr Ahmadinejad's visit to Tehran's Amir Kabir university. At least three others have gone underground after being seen burning his picture. Vigilantes from the militant Ansar-e Hezbollah group have been searching for them.

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Protesters later surrounded the president's car, prompting a security guard to fire a stun grenade to warn them off. Four cars in the presidential convoy collided in their haste to leave. Mr Ahmadinejad's staff later insisted he had remained calm and ordered that the students should go unpunished. But some of those present say he accused them of being paid United States agents who would be confronted.

"He threatened us directly, saying that what we were doing was against the wishes of the nation," said Babak Zamanian, a spokesman for Amir Kabir university's Islamic students' committee. "After that, the students protested even more sharply, calling him a lying religious dictator and shouting, 'Forget America and start thinking about us!'

"We were chanting, 'Get lost Ahmadinejad!' and 'Ahmadinejad - element of discrimination and corruption.' You could see from his face that he was really shocked. He wasn't flashing his usual smile, and at one stage I thought he was going to cry. He told his supporters to respond with a religious chant hailing Ahmadinejad, but he was so shaken he was actually chanting it himself."

Another student said: "He was trying to keep control of himself, but you could see he was angry and upset."

It seems the time might be right for the U.S. to fully support, by any and all means, the movement away from the current phony figure headed theocracy into a more democratic Iran!

My optimism is obviously getting the best of me here but I won't be holding my breath!!!


Cross posted at The Minority Report

IRAQ LOST ? NOT HARDLY

There is an extremely dangerous thought being expressed in the media, liberal circles and in the commentary of a few GOP publicity seekers who bend to the whims of popular political fancy rather than the full truth and the core of beliefs that make conservatism the base of the GOP. That dangerous mind set is that we have lost in Iraq. What is so totally mind boggling in this idea is that nothing could be further from the truth but in their willingness to buy into this idea because it is becoming politically expedient and popular with the main stream media the very expression of this idea and the implementation of policy suggestions that stem from this idea could bring about its reality as the final end in Iraq. Negativism toward Iraq has assisted in creating the problems that currently exist because it has caused a hesitancy in making the full and necessary commitment to finishing the job and completing the mission of defeating the terrorist element in Iraq and calming the insurgency thus allowing the Iraqis the freedom to iron out their governmental differences in accordance to the will of the people who have voted for a free Democracy in Iraq. It is a proven fact that political discord can and does tie the hands of the military since it creates a lack of political will to free the military to do its job. Disagreeing with any administration is a right and privilege that we have as Americans which has been a cornerstone of our Republic since its birth. Yet with the Iraq situation there has been a political agenda not so much against the war as against the President continually expounded by the media, liberal politicians and the anti- war for anti-wars sake crowd that has clouded the truth of what is happening in Iraq so much that it has actually assisted in shaping US policy from the all out completion of the mission to that of one that is hesitant to use the full capabilities that we have and is now considering negotiation with the very elements who have been working to prevent a free and independent Iraq. Those who are opposed to President Bush have used Iraq as a means to politically damage his Presidency and as such created the perception that Iraq is a complete disaster and either lost or on the verge of losing. Yet according to the very men and women who are on the ground and in country just the opposite is true and the majority are dumbfounded as to why their accomplishments and the true nature of the situation in Iraq is not being told to the American people. The total intentional neglect of even the slightest mention of any success in Iraq and the complete preoccupation of the left and the media as well as certain publicity hounds within the GOP in only reporting body counts or roadside bombings has created the misconception in the mind of the American public that Iraq is a total lost cause and we do not have the capability to turn it around.

Had this same type political discord and agenda based media reporting been evident during WWII even with the popularity of the war the resolve of the American people would have faded which would have brought about a failure of the political will to fight the war to the full and complete surrender of both Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. While favor for the war had many dips in popularity with the American people as reports of American losses weighed on the countries conscience the reports of victories and accomplishments by the military not only continually rallied the country in their support but also gave the political will to back policy and support the war to its final and ultimate conclusion the defeat and total surrender of Germany and Japan. The devastation of Pearl Harbor gave the American resolve to enter the war but the continual success and accomplishments of our military and the reporting thereof gave this nation the ability to back the war and stand true to its cause until the final victory.

With freedom of speech comes responsibility. This not only applies to the individual but to the press and the politicians who exercise that Constitutional right. Many of the politicians who are continually denouncing the President and the war have never set foot in Iraq, talked with a soldier nor been part of policy and military decisions and as such speak without knowledge of the REAL situation just from an agenda. Even the highly touted Iraq Study Group whose report is as useless as paper bullets only visited Iraq for a brief one day visit and never left the green zone in Baghdad. The media chooses to turn a blind eye to any report of accomplishment or success in Iraq and select to report death and destruction only thus rendering the American public to make an uneducated decision about Iraq based only upon negativism. The successes and accomplishment have far out weighed the problems yet agenda based politicians and media outlet's paint a completely different picture. Iraq is not lost nor are we losing but the seeds of that loss are being planted by the very agendas that are being expressed and even considered in shaping future policy. Even Collin Powell suggested last week that a full military commitment with 500, 000 troops and completely closing the borders with Iran and Syria would end sectarian violence and terrorism in Iraq and allow the government there to accomplish its full development into a Democracy. Yet those who are shaping policy are calling for negotiation with terrorist states redeploying troops and even suggesting that Israel give up territory to appease Arab states and ease tension in the region to bring about a free Iraq. This political agenda sounds like Europe in the late 1930's and the appeasement which allowed Hitler to overrun the entire continent. History is our greatest teacher and not learning from it is our greatest mistake. Following the course that is being suggested in Iraq will give Iran the same capability to overrun the Middle East as similar appeasement gave Germany to overrun Europe. We cannot allow history to repeat itself only with different names and faces. Iraq is winnable and it can be done without appeasement and negotiation with terror states. It takes political will and the resolve of this nation to see it through allowing the military the full capability to complete its mission and the Iraqi government the safety to finalize and iron out their Democracy. To the President I say make the full commitment and complete the job. It is time to raise the famous "V" for victory sign as Winston Churchill did in WWII.

Ken Taylor

Caliphate, Somali Beheadings and Khat

Caliphate; coming to a town near you, well maybe not if you like to get high!!!

Somalia official issues beheading threat

Residents of a southern Somalia town who do not pray five times a day will be beheaded, an Islamic courts official said Wednesday, adding the edict will be implemented in three days.

Public places such as shops and tea houses in Bulo Burto, about 124 miles northeast of the capital, Mogadishu, should be closed during prayer time and no one should be on the streets, said Sheik Hussein Barre Rage, the chairman of the town's Islamic court.

Those who do not follow this edict "will definitely be beheaded according to Islamic law," Rage told The Associated Press by phone. "As Muslims, we should practice Islam fully, not in part, and that is what our religion enjoins us to do."

He said that the courts are announcing the edict over loudspeakers in the town.

-Snip-

Their sometimes strict and often severe interpretation of Islam has raised the specter of Afghanistan's ousted Taliban regime, and contrasts with the moderate Islam that has dominated Somali culture for centuries.

Some of the courts have introduced public executions, floggings of convicts, bans on women swimming at Mogadishu's public beaches, and the sale and chewing of khat, a leafy stimulant consumed across the Horn of Africa and in the Middle East.

The religion of peace is spreading its iron hand over most of Africa by using terror and fear imposing strict adherence to Islamic law. Banning almost every freedom the people once had like music, singing, cinemas, going to the beach for women and even denying women to go out of their house without a chaperon!

The one ban that might become the straw that broke the camels back is the recent ban on khat!

This piece explains the situation and possible consequences of banning Khat:

The Khat and the Caliphate

decision to ban Khat, the narcotic stimulant, that millions of Somalis use as a pastime and for generating income to feed millions of children in a country where more than 43 percent of the population lives on less than a dollar a day.

Yes, Khat is a curse on the economy, health and family fabric of the Somali people. It props the economies of Somalia's neighboring countries; with Kenya exporting $250 millions worth of Khat to Somalia annually and Ethiopia earning $60 million a year from Somaliland alone. Most of this money is the remittances sent by overseas Somalis to feed their loved ones back home. In addition to its financial burden, the Khat causes numerous health problems; causes family break ups, wastes people's time and energy and increases the ranks of the country's unemployed as addiction forces millions of productive countryside people to quit their farms and livestock to khat markets, towns and villages.

On the surface of it therefore, it seems any sound thinking Somali should applaud such move and thank the clerics for ridding the community of such an age-old curse. But the timing of it may make one question the real motive of the clerics. The ban comes at a time when Islamists view Ethiopia and Kenya, exporters of Khat to Somalia, as hostile countries and accuse them of siding with the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) that they want to topple. They have declared a jihad on Ethiopia and they showed their mistrust to Kenya. By banning the Khat, the Islamists have waged an economic war on both countries. It is also a quick answer to Kenya's ban of all flights to and from Mogadishu.

Banning the Khat, however, is different from all the other bans the Islamist have imposed on the Somali people such as prohibiting music, singing, cinemas, going to the beach for women and even denying women to go out of their house without a chaperon. The Khat is not only a narcotic that almost all Somali men and many of the women use on daily basis, but unfortunately it is the only lucrative business in Somalia that feeds tens of thousands of families. It is the main business for thousands of women who sell the Khat in order to secure food, medicine and schooling for their children. What alternative do the Islamists have for all these families one may ask? Did they think about the reaction of Ethiopia and Kenya? What about if Ethiopia and Kenya decide to slap a trade ban on Somalia? With Khat replacing tea and coffee as a hard currency earner for both countries, it is obvious that both countries will feel the pinch. According to some estimates, Kenya alone would lose up to Sh19 billion and an estimated 500,000 jobs. It is my hope that the Islamists have seriously thought about how they would feed the Somali people if both Kenya and Ethiopia decide to close their borders and airports to Somali trade.

One may also remind the Islamists that when the British colonial authorities attempted to ban Khat in Somaliland it only strengthened the people's resolve for freedom. It was also the ban of Khat that fueled the Somali people's resentment of Siyad Barre and eventually contributed to his downfall.

While I continue to urge people to pay close attention to the spread of radical Islam as I believe it to be a direct threat to the United States. I can’t help feel that it might be the overwhelming need for the freedom to use a narcotic that finally drives the people in Africa to stand up and rebuff the spread of oppressive Islam!


Cross posted at The Minority Report

Excuse Us While We Grow

Please excuse the lack of fresh content lately. We have switched this site to a newer beta format...and we have been busily constructing a new sister site. More to come on that later....

The world continues with or without us and concern grows over the instability in the middle east. Sabers are rattled daily and all out sectarian war looms in Iraq.

Not a pretty picture at all.

VICTORY, VICTORY, VICTORY - WHAT IS WRONG WITH VICTORY ?

Has this nation become so weak minded and the leadership in Washington and those who claim to be our allies so political that the simple yet complete goal of victory is no longer even allowed in the American vocabulary. With all of the advise coming from Democrats, weak kneed Republicans and the completely useless and appeasing Iraq Study Group recommendations, no one has the guts nor the sense enough to realize that without full and complete victory Iraq will crumble and become a state of anarchy and tyranny that would make Saddam Hussein look like Mickey Mouse. Terrorism will reign as the driving force in much of the world with a continual goal of destroying America. Israel will no longer exist as a country, Iran will become the dominant player and in essence the complete ruler of what we now know as the Middle East with full nuclear capability and the ability to dictate policy by use of the nuclear threat with the full and complete support and assistance of an ally called Russia. When James Baker was asked about victory during the revelation of the Iraq Study Groups recommendations his response to using even the WORD victory was a lame attempt to appease the politically correct by stating that they did not want to use political catch phrases like , "victory and cut and run." Victory is not a catch phrase but a legitimate goal and solution to the Middle East problem. We are The United States of America and the ONLY remaining superpower in the world but if one were to judge our status by our actions one would have no alternative but to come to the conclusion that we fear Iran and did not have the capability to win in Iraq because of our weakness. General Douglas MacArthur once stated that in war, "there is no substitute for victory!" In WWII we settled only for total and complete victory and the defeat of the forces that sought world domination then with American compassion and will power rebuilt the nations the we had defeated. But only AFTER their total and complete defeat eliminating any capability to wage war on the world again and force their fascist and totalitarian dictates on neighboring countries and ending their goal of world dominance. Why can we never learn from history and doom ourselves to repeating the appeasement and mistakes from the past when we pay for the lessons that these conflicts attempt to teach us with the precious blood of thousands of brave American men and women who fight to insure that this country remains free and has the ability to share that freedom with countries who suffer from the oppression of tyranny whether from a brutal dictator or the twisting of a religion by radicals who seek world domination in the name of Allah! Why when we need another Winston Churchill is the world full of Neville Chamberlins who believe appeasement and giving in to the dictates of tyranny are the only solution for peace. It is time to finish the war that was thrust upon us. Those who refuse to accept Iraq as part of that war are part of the problem and not the solution. While Hussein did not participate directly in 9/11 he willingly assisted many who did and regardless of whether you choose to accept the truth or not had the capability to sell, give or supply weaponry to terrorist states or groups to assist in the Jihad that continues today. Is is going to take another 9/11 for this country to wake up and realize that this enemy is not going to go away simply because we negotiate to the dictates of the terror state of Iran or leave the battlefield of Iraq because it is politically correct ? We have a history because of our freedoms of lulling ourselves to sleep thinking that we are not vulnerable to the evil situations that effect the rest of the world. We slept before Pearl Harbor ! We slept before 9/11 and we are being lulled back to sleep by the appeasement crowd who believe that victory is a political catch phrase and not the only reason to participate in any war. Yes there are many situations that force war upon as and this one in no different. But once forced into war there should never be any end to it other than VICTORY! Without complete victory we fight and re-fight the same war over again sometimes with a different enemy but many times with a similar or the same enemy. The enemy we fight today in Iraq, Afghanistan, in our airports, countries that deceive like Iran, and in secluded cells that are waiting to strike sees appeasement as weakness and uses that weakness as a means to attack and instill fear with their terrorist tactics. We have taken the fight to the enemy reducing their capabilities and damaging their abilities. The appeasement that is showing its ugly face now which seeks surrender rather than victory will and is allowing this radical Islamic enemy a chance to regroup, rearm and reaffirm their commitment and support from their army of Jihadists and terror states like Iran and Syria that support them! We have the power and the ability to win and prevent Iranian dominance and protect a free Iraq if we would use our capabilities! Victory is possible and is ours if we would only learn from the past and step forward to achieve the only solution to any war, VICTORY!!!


Ken Taylor

Petition of Surrender

We The People of that nation formerly known as The United States of America, lacking the fortitude and political will necessary to prosecute a prolonged war, in which American military personnel die, and during which the enemies of our nation wage terror against the civilian population, while galvanizing public opinion against our involvement, AND;

WHEREAS our political leaders in Washington, of both parties, both past and present, are so lacking in those qualities of leadership; instead relying upon the whims of public opinion, as manipulated by the enemies of democracy; choosing expediency over righteousness, inequity over justice, safety over freedom, AND;

WHEREAS our nation has chosen to betray its allies; allies which have risked all to stand shoulder to shoulder with this country in the defense of freedom; the people of whom having suffered inconceivable torture and unbearable hardship, having savored for the first time the sweet taste of that freedom; we now subject those allies to the danger of oblivion, AND;

WHEREAS, having demonstrated to the world our unconcern for the wellbeing of said allies, instead concerning ourselves with our own self-serving pursuit of safety through capitulation to the enemies of democracy and freedom, AND

WHEREAS those institutions known variously as the Mainstream Media, the Press and the Fourth Estate, having attained the status of a co-equal branch of government with that of the Legislative Branch, second only to the Judicial Branch, and superior to the Executive Branch, in direct contradiction to the Constitution of The United States, that yellowing piece of parchment, no longer the highest law of the land, AND

WHEREAS those members of congress, upon election by the people shall no longer be required to take an oath of office in which they affirm to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that they will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that they take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that they will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which they are about to enter; that living document no longer carrying the force of law, AND

WHEREAS, those persons who, from this day forward, having been duped into entering into the military service of this nation; a nation which shall not appreciate nor tolerate said unquestioned loyalty and service; such persons shall no longer be required to take their oath of allegiance to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; and to bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and to obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over said person, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice; said code of conduct no longer applying to the military of this nation, having been supplanted by that of a higher authority; AND

WHEREAS the United States of America, a nation conceived, we are told in racism and bigotry; in a genocidal eradication of the indigenous population; embarking on an Imperialistic pursuit of world domination; we reject that appellation in favor of the more just, Peoples Republic of North America, AND SO

BE IT RESOLVED that We The People of the nation formerly known as The United States of America do surrender our security and national sovereignty to The Court of World Opinion and to the United Nations, or such World Governing Body as that august body should deem to establish. Thus do we attest.


David Hinz ©2006 All Rights Reserved

JOHN BOLTON - VICTIM OF DEMOCRAT OBSTRUCTION

United Nations Ambassador John Bolton resigned yesterday as the possibility of his being confirmed to the post he has held by Presidential recess appointment faded to an impossibility. Senate Democrats have filibustered Bolton's appointment to the post since President Bush nominated him never allowing even the possibility of Bolton receiving an up or down vote on the Senate floor. Now with the Senate coming under Democrat control by a slight majority in January the current minority has again obstructed the confirmation vote for Bolton. Seeing , "the handwriting on the wall," Bolton tendered his resignation and the President reluctantly accepted it. Bolton has by most accounts including some of the very same Democrat Senators who have fought his confirmation performed an excellent job as UN Ambassador. Democrat Senator Joe Biden actually stated a few weeks back that he was surprised as to how well Bolton has performed as Ambassador and was pleasantly pleased with his job but still would not vote for his confirmation. If this is not a prime example of Democrat obstruction for the sake of obstruction then a better one will never exist. Bolton has been an excellent Ambassador at the UN and has worked well in extremely difficult circumstances. Where Democrats have a problem with him is that as United States Ambassador to the UN Bolton has looked out for US interests and not bowed to the whim and fancy of the UN also seeking for reforms that are desperately needed for this corrupt organization. Democrats want an Ambassador that will fall in line with UN mandates regardless of whether those mandates are in the best interest of the US or not. It has been a contention of Democrats that the US should allow the UN to dictate policy to the US and Bolton did not fit into this mold because he refused to cave to UN dictates and opposed UN policy when it was in contrast to that of the US. Now he is gone and Senate Democrats will push for an Ambassador that fits their UN accommodating criteria. Is this obstruction policy that has been the policy of Democrats as the minority the way they will govern as a majority ? Of course as majority it will not be seen as obstruction since they will control anything that reaches the floor of the Senate for a vote either allowing that vote or preventing it from coming up for a vote. Is this the, "bipartisan, " approach that they touted so much immediately after the election ? I realize that Democrats have not taken over as majority yet but the change from minority status to majority status is only a difference of six seats. The current majority is 55 GOP, 44 Dem and 1 Ind who caucuses with the minority. The new Senate will be 51 Dem, 48 GOP and 1 Ind who again will caucus with the Dems. So most of the current crop of Democrats will move into the majority so why should anyone believe that these obstructionist Senators will create a bipartisan majority when they have used every means at their disposal to prevent any policy move by the President as a minority ? The Bolton confirmation is a foreshadowing of how a soon to be Democrat majority will govern. They have proven throughout their existence as a minority that they are unwilling to seek anything other than their obstructionist agenda and as a majority this poses the distinct probability that the Senate will be a stagnate, unyielding and totally ineffective governing body whose leadership because of opposition to the President will not allow the Senate to move forward on any proposal that is contrary to the liberal ideas of soon to be Majority Leader Harry Reid and the Senate leadership who will serve under him

Ken Taylor

Viva la Socialist Revolution!

Chavez Wins Re-Election by Wide Margin

President Hugo Chavez won re-election by a wide margin Sunday, giving the firebrand leftist six more years to redistribute Venezuela's vast oil wealth to the poor and press his campaign to counter U.S. influence in Latin America and beyond.

Challenger Manuel Rosales conceded defeat but vowed to remain in opposition. During the campaign, Rosales accused Chavez of edging Venezuela toward authoritarian rule and warned the president could undertake even more radical policies if re-elected.

Minutes after the results were announced, Chavez appeared on the balcony of the presidential palace singing the national anthem. He pledged to deepen his effort to transform Venezuela into a socialist society.

"Long live the socialist revolution! Destiny has been written," Chavez shouted to thousands of flag-waving supporters wearing red shirts and braving a pouring rain.

"That new era has begun," he said, raising a hand in the air. "We have shown that Venezuela is red!... No one should fear socialism... Socialism is human. Socialism is love," Chavez said. "Down with imperialism! We need a new world!"

Since he first won office in 1998, Chavez has increasingly dominated all branches of government and his allies now control congress, state offices and the judiciary. He has called President Bush the devil, allied himself with Iran and influenced elections across the region.

Chavez also has used Venezuela's oil wealth to his political advantage. He has channeled oil profits toward multibillion-dollar programs for the poor including subsidized food, free university education and cash benefits for single mothers. He has also helped allies from Cuba to Bolivia with oil and petrodollars.

He now promises to solidify his social program.

Great!

Ahmadinejad Again: Israel will disappear

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has unleashed another torrent of hate at the Jewish nation while meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas in Dohar, Qatar.



Some excerpts from Ahmadinejad:

The Islamic Republic News Agency reported Saturday Ahmadinejad saying, "As everybody knows, the Zionist regime was created to establish dominion of arrogant states over the region and to enable the enemy to penetrate the heart Muslim land."

Ahmadinejad went on to say that, "Today scores of Western politicians are in doubt as to the future of this illegitimate regime and its existence has come under question.

"There is no doubt the Palestinian nation and Muslims as a whole will emerge victorious," the Iranian president told Haniyeh.

Some excerpts from Haniyeh:

Saying the Israeli regime was inherently a "threat," and was "on the verge of disappearing". Haniyeh praised the support of the Iranian government and nation for the cause of the Palestinian nation.

"The Intifada (uprising) of the Palestinian nation will continue until the cause of the Palestinians is materialized and Al-Quds Al-Sharif (Jerusalem) is liberated," added Haniyeh.

Read the full story HERE

Urgent - CNET Editor and Family Missing

For all you bloggers living in this area...Have you seen this family?

The 35-year-old Kim, his 30-year-old wife Kati and daughters Penelope (4 years)
and Sabine (7 months) left their home in San Francisco last week on a
Thanksgiving road trip to the Pacific Northwest. Before the Denny's sighting on
Saturday, November 25, they had last been seen earlier that day in Portland,
Ore., according to the SFPD's missing persons' report.



Kati and James Kim

FULL STROY HERE complete with phone numbers.

I am getting on my knees as soon as I hit the publish button, please join me.

Democratic elections Under Assault Worldwide!

Democracy and free elections are under assault across the world. And the most important topic of discussion in the United States is whether or not Britney Spears is wearing underwear!

Lebanon's Western-backed cabinet has vowed not to cave in to calls to resign after a massive demonstration led by the pro-Syrian group Hezbollah, as protesters camped outside government offices.

By barricading government offices, and preventing the government from functioning, they hope to win by intimidation. For those with short memories, this was the tactic used successfully by the German Nazi Party in the 1930s to force their way into power.

Unable to win at the ballot box, anti-Democracy forces repeatedly this year, as in the past, have attempted to take by force, what they were unable to achieve by a vote of the people.

Leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador swore himself in as Mexico's "legitimate" president Monday, launching a parallel government he hopes will prevent President-elect Felipe Calderon from governing.

The ceremony is the latest chapter in Lopez Obrador's unsuccessful battle for the presidency. He claims fraud and dirty campaign tactics were responsible for Calderon's narrow victory in the July 2 vote, and his parallel government could spend the next six years calling for street protests that have already dented the economy and prompted travel warnings from the U.S. Embassy.

And in Venezuela, where Hugo “The Body” Chavez has held office since 1998, the concept of a free and fair election, (notwithstanding the assurances of former President Carter,) is nothing more than a pipe dream. Attempts in 2004 to remove Chavez through a national referendum were quashed through voter fraud and intimidation. It appears that 2006 holds more of the same.

The opposition's biggest fear concerns the use of fingerprint machines in conjunction with electronic voting. Their ostensible purpose is to prevent multiple voting, but they are “neither necessary nor particularly useful”, according to Pedro Nikken of Ojo Electoral, an independent watchdog. Rightly or wrongly, many Venezuelans believe that because of the machines the vote will not be secret.

The government has already made public a list of the several million people who signed the petition calling for the recall referendum, using it to deny jobs and government services to “counter-revolutionaries”. In these circumstances, any belief that the vote might not be secret seems likely to hurt Mr Rosales.

“Our instructions are to vote, or we'll lose our jobs,” said a doctor working for the government's Barrio Adentro primary-health-care mission. Asked if that meant voting for Mr Chávez, she said there were “intelligence techniques” that might allow the government to know if she did not.

All the indications are that Mr Chávez does not intend this weekend's election to be his last. He has proposed to hold a referendum in 2010 to abolish a clause in the constitution, which he himself introduced, restricting presidents to two consecutive six-year terms. It appears that the opposition will be tolerated, so long as it does not threaten to take power. “There is no room in Venezuela for any project other than the Bolivarian revolution,” Mr Chávez told the rally.

Chavez’s rise to power was, in the past illegally, obtained. Having obtained that power, he shows no interest now, in ever giving it up.

These widespread demonstrations of anti-Democracy behavior appear uncomfortably close to our borders. But they are, in fact, closer still.

TALLAHASSEE — State officials Monday certified Republican Vern Buchanan won the House seat being vacated by Republican Rep. Katherine Harris, though the loser immediately sued for a new election, arguing that touch-screen voting machines had malfunctioned.

Democrat Christine Jennings sued in Circuit Court here and a hearing is set for Tuesday. She asked for a new election in the 13th District immediately after the Florida Canvassing Commission said she lost by just 369 votes. A manual recount last week confirmed Buchanan's win, but Jennings claims voting machines malfunctioned in Sarasota County.

In the latest incarnation, Jennings is asking the court to analyze the votes that were cast and to apply statistical analysis to the “undervotes” thereby allowing the court to vote for her!

Yes, fair and freely elected governments are under assault throughout the world, even in our own country! Vigilance in needed, or we might awaken to find our liberties taken, the result of court decisions or disillusioned losers, unwilling to accept defeat!

Why does it always seem that those who claim to have the popular support of the “people” are the ones most unwilling to accept the will of those people?

And why is it that most Americans are too ignorant to care?

David Hinz 2006© All Rights Reserved