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Shock Waves From Syria – Washington Post editorial
There’s been no official confirmation of the targets or results of an Israeli air raid in northeastern Syria on Sept. 6. Yet, like a subterranean explosion, the event is sending shock waves through the Middle East and beyond. Syria has protested to the United Nations, though it hasn't been very clear about what it's protesting. On Tuesday, a front-page editorial in Damascus's main government-run newspaper criticized the United States for not condemning the attack. An Israeli newspaper, meanwhile, noted triumphantly that no nation other than North Korea had come to Syria's defense, rhetorically or otherwise.
What happened? Media accounts are beginning to converge on a report that Israel bombed a facility where it believed Syria was attempting to hatch its own nuclear weapons program with North Korea's assistance. The Post's Glenn Kessler reported that the strike came three days after a ship carrying material from North Korea docked at a Syrian port and delivered containers that Israel believes held nuclear materials. It's not clear whether U.S. intelligence agencies concur with Israel's conclusion, and independent experts have said that Syria lacks the resources for a credible nuclear weapons program…
Reckoning with Syria - Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, New York Sun
Recent reports that the regime in Damascus has been developing its nuclear facilities with the assistance of North Korea are only the latest manifestations of Syria's increasing belligerent stance. Despite attempts to "embrace" the regime in Damascus by some in Congress, under the misguided notion that Syria will moderate its behavior in return, that regime remains actively engaged in dangerous and destructive policies that threaten America, our allies, and our interests in the region. Make no mistake. Syria poses a growing threat that must be confronted.
Damascus remains a stalwart supporter for terrorist organizations and activities throughout the region, from Beirut to Baghdad and Jerusalem, and the fact that Syria remains a hub for Hezbollah and Hamas and a gateway for jihadists to infiltrate Iraq. For example, during last summer's war in Lebanon, Hezbollah reportedly received Russian-made anti-tank missiles from Syria and used them to disable several Israeli tanks…
Dissimilar View of Iran – Washington Times editorial
It's becoming increasingly clear that when it comes to dealing with Iranian nuclear weapons programs, the election of Nicolas Sarkozy as president of France has given a tremendous boost to Western resolve. In stark contrast to his predecessor, Jacques Chirac, who said that an Iranian bomb would "not be very dangerous," Mr. Sarkozy says this would be intolerable.
In a speech late last month, Mr. Sarkozy called for tough-minded diplomacy to stop Iran. "Iran with a nuclear weapon is not acceptable to me," he said, underlining France's "total determination" to support increased sanctions (while remaining open to talks if Tehran agrees to respect its obligations under U.N. resolutions). He added this powerful line: "This initiative is the only one that can allow us to escape an alternative that I can only call catastrophic: an Iranian bomb or the bombing of Iran." …
A'Jad's Obscene Respects - New York Post editorial
Here's one for the ages:
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the bloody handed Iranian provocateur and abettor of terror in Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East, sought permission to visit Ground Zero to "pay his respects" when he speaks at the United Nations next week.
Permission was denied, on the grounds that Ground Zero is under construction - the same reason Mayor Bloomberg gave in seeking to bar 9/11 families from the site during anniversary ceremonies last week...
A Monster with Chutzpah - Steven Emerson, New York Post
Give Iranian President Mah moud Ahmadinejad credit for chutzpah: He has asked for permission to visit Ground Zero while he's in New York for a U.N. session.
In other words, a request to visit the site of the worst terrorist attack in history - from a guy who's involved in terrorism up to his neck...
Doomsday Debunked – Victor Davis Hanson, National Review
Something quite strange is happening: Despite all the bad news about the Middle East from the European and American media, things actually seem to be improving.
Iraq is getting better, and the opposition to the war is, in the current campaign cycle, is starting to shift away from the “war is lost” to something more like “stabilizing the government over time would not be worth the cumulative cost in American lives and treasure.”
All sober Democrats realize not only that the Moveon.org ad was a political disaster, but more importantly, that the Moveon.org/Michael Moore/Cindy Sheehan/Hollywood ticking bombs actually scare off Americans, even as they demand more influence among the candidates.
In the Middle East, Bin Laden’s approval ratings are way down; polls show that the tactic of suicide bombing has suffered a similar fate of declining popularity. Bin Laden’s latest dyed-beard rant was pathetic, and ultimately only hurt him. For all the slurs about ”neocons” and “democratization” there, reform perseveres. The Lebanese government has not fallen, but instead has moved against terrorists. Hamas has isolated itself, and suicide bombing from the West Bank has fallen sharply; the two factions in Palestine are clarifying things in a positive way, and the anti-Hamas Palestinian “Authority” could, in theory, start to resemble mutatis mutandis the realignments taking place in Anbar…
Why We Should Care About the Lebanese Elections - Eli Khoury, Boston Globe
If the next US presidential election hinges on national security, Americans would be wise to pay attention not only to their own election, but to presidential elections half a world away.
Later this month, the Lebanese parliament is supposed to choose a new president in a region of the world where American soldiers are fighting and where American interests are inextricably tied. (It was a year ago that a United Nations-brokered cease-fire went into effect in Lebanon, ending the Israel-Hezbollah summer war.)...
Shaky Allies in Anbar – David Ignatius, Washington Post
The Bush administration has been so enthusiastic in touting its new alliance with Sunni tribal leaders in Anbar province that it's easy to overlook two basic questions: Why did it take so long to reach an accommodation with the Sunnis? And is Anbar really a good model for stabilizing the rest of Iraq?
First, the what-took-so-long issue: The fact is, Sunni tribal leaders have been queuing up for four years to try to make the kind of alliances that have finally taken root in Anbar. For most of that time, these overtures were rebuffed by U.S. officials who, not inaccurately, regarded the Sunni sheiks as local warlord.
This disdain for potential allies was a mistake, but so is the recent sugarcoating of the tribal leaders. They are tough Bedouin chiefs, sometimes little more than smugglers and gangsters. The United States should make tactical alliances with them, but we shouldn't have stars in our eyes. The tendency to overidealize our allies has been a consistent mistake…
When Negotiation Doesn’t Work - Peter Huessy, Washington Times
Months after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, the United States landed in Algeria. Of course, neither Hitler nor Tojo were there. But that was then and today is now. Our response to September 11 was indeed to eliminate al Qaeda and its Taliban hosts. But our subsequent liberation of Iraq might be better understood by Americans with reference to the first American events of World War II. We went to North Africa, for that was where Hitler had to be dealt with.
So too with Iraq. Unfortunately, this remains misunderstood. In response to Gen. David Patraeus and his report on Iraq, the co-chairmen of the September 11 Commission said the United States would be at war with jihadists for decades because there were millions of "dissatisfied youths" in the Muslim world with grievances sufficient to motivate them to join al Qaeda…
What We’ve Accomplished – Frederick Kagan, Weekly Standard
Senators Levin and Reid have introduced an amendment that would order the immediate withdrawal of American forces in Iraq--a stampede, in fact, that would require the military to pull 169,000 soldiers and their equipment out of active combat within nine months. There is no way that such a withdrawal would look like anything other than a rout and a humiliation for American arms. Such a proposal can only be supported on the premise that our efforts in Iraq to date have failed utterly and that there is no hope of protecting vital American interests in Iraq through the current strategy. That premise results from willful blindness. American and Iraqi successes in pursuing our joint and individual vital interests over the past nine months have been nothing short of staggering. The attempts of war critics to focus the discussion entirely on the failures of the Iraqi central government are disingenuous, almost dishonest, when they ignore these incredible, and in many cases, unexpected achievements…
The Public Ain’t Buying – Dan Froomkin, Washington Post
Last week's Petraeus-Bush razzle-dazzle seems to have worked its magic inside the Beltway. The American public is not so easily confused.
The general's good-news report from Iraq and the president's token troop-withdrawal plan dampened the growing sense of urgency in Washington to get out of Iraq.
Yet the facts on the ground in Iraq haven't fundamentally changed. And neither -- according to a slew of new polls -- have the views of the American people. They still want to bring the troops home. Soon. All of them…
Mugged, Again – Thomas Sowell, National Review
Nothing is easier than to second-guess other people’s decisions, ignoring the inherent limitations of knowledge, the pressures of circumstances, and the dangers of alternative courses of action.
Americans in all parts of the political spectrum have made serious mistakes about Iraq.
Some have been the mistakes of honorable people — indeed, mistakes to which honorable people may be more prone than others. Other people have acted with utter dishonor and dishonesty — the most shameful recent example being the smearing of General David Petraeus as a liar before he had said a word.
Precisely because congressional Democrats already knew that there had been progress after the troop surge in Iraq — some of their own colleagues had been there and seen it — they had to discredit General Petraeus, in order to prevent the American people from knowing it….
Gray Zone: The U.S. Must Clarify the Role of Contractors in Iraq - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette editorial
The nagging question of who controls U.S. contractors in Iraq surfaced violently Sunday when employees of Blackwater USA, a firm providing security services to the U.S. government, took part in a Baghdad shootout that killed Iraqi civilians. On Monday the Iraqi government said it would revoke the firm's license, but yesterday officials backed off that threat.
The question of who fired first -- Iraqis attacking a U.S. convoy or Blackwater employees defending it -- remains unclear. At least eight Iraqis are dead and the Ministry of the Interior declared that Blackwater's license to operate could be revoked...
Lose the Mercenaries - Ralph Peters, New York Post
Picture foreign diplomats racing through Midtown - in armored SUVs, with automatic weapons bristling from the windows. It's up to you to get out of their way.
Then a car backfires in Times Square - sounds like a shot. At the corner of 42nd and Broadway, the diplomats' security guards open fire in all directions. Civilians fall dead and wounded by the dozen. The diplomats drive on.
How would we like it?
That's the situation in Baghdad, where the lawless actions of mercenaries on steroids undercut the progress made at such great cost by our troops...
Decency Demands that U.S. Speed Intake of Iraq Refugees - USA Today editorial
The road to hell, the saying goes, is paved with good intentions. That certainly captures the way the United States is treating tens of thousands of Iraqis who are marked for death because they have worked for Americans in some capacity, many as interpreters, drivers or cooks. Despite promises from President Bush and officials in his administration, only a trickle are being admitted to the USA.
How small a trickle? Last year, a small town in Sweden named Sodertalje absorbed 1,100 Iraqi refugees, twice as many as the entire United States…
Proud of America’s Record - Lori Scialabba, USA Today
Throughout its history, America has provided refuge and safety to the world's most vulnerable people. Indeed, our country has welcomed more refugees and asylum seekers than any other nation. That includes refugees from Iraq, particularly those whose lives were jeopardized by working for our coalition forces.
The departments of Homeland Security and State continue to work together closely on this matter…
Read All About It – Gary Andres, Washington Times
Washington buzzed last week about the MoveOn.org ad slandering Gen. David Petraeus and his report on progress in the Iraq war. The campaign's nasty rhetoric and inflammatory charges sparked a series of debates and accusations accomplishing exactly what the antiwar group wanted: additional free press coverage.
This advertising tempest is an apparition of the ghosts of campaigns to come. Expect more of the same — or worse — from a variety of newly formed political groups organized as a direct result of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002. Commonly called McCain-Feingold, it is a law that crippled political parties and unleashed a new Wild West in American politics…
Pakistan's Crisis and Ours - Boston Globe editorial
Pakistan is suffering through many crises at once. Front and center is a political power struggle that illustrates the continuing tension in Pakistan between democratic structures and a vulnerability to military rule. Simultaneously, the state is confronting violence from Islamist extremists that extends into Islamabad, the capital; clashes in the Pushtun tribal areas between the military and local forces hosting the Afghan Taliban and Al Qaeda; a nationalist rebellion in Baluchistan; the lingering conflict with India over Kashmir; and simmering popular resentment at Musharraf's alliance with the United States.
Because Pakistan has become an indispensable partner in the fight against jihadist terrorism and because it is a nuclear power, Washington cannot be indifferent to the outcome of Pakistan's political and security crises. But the Bush administration must be careful to distinguish immediate concerns about Musharraf's fate from America's long-term interest in a stable democratic Pakistan...
When I Return to Pakistan - Benazir Bhutto, Washington Post
I am returning to Pakistan on Oct. 18 to bring change to my country. Pakistan's future viability, stability and security lie in empowering its people and building political institutions. My goal is to prove that the fundamental battle for the hearts and minds of a generation can be accomplished only under democracy.
The central issue facing Pakistan is moderation vs. extremism. The resolution of this issue will affect the world, particularly South and Central Asia and all Muslim nations. Extremism can flourish only in an environment where basic governmental social responsibility for the welfare of the people is neglected. Political dictatorship and social hopelessness create the desperation that fuels religious extremism…
A Shattering of Military Tradition - Alan Cochrane, London Daily Telegraph
It's one thing for servicemen to be let down by their political leaders; that's been happening since the dawn of time. It's an entirely different matter when they're let down by their own.
This morning it is difficult to escape the conclusion that "let down" is precisely what's happened to soldiers - past, present and future - of Scotland's historic infantry regiments as we see how their forced marriage into one super-regiment has fared 16 months after it came into effect.
Moreover, the damage appears to have been done this time, not by politicians or the normal bogeymen - the faceless bureaucrats at the Ministry of Defence - but by senior Army officers...
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