All Things Considered

Egypts nuclear ambitions revived.
















An American Africa Corps?


Is Morocco next?


Liberal Conservatism the wave of the future?


The last journey of Czarina Maria Feodorovna.


Five years of the War On Terror: Lessons learned? An editorial.

The Nations Capitol is a backdrop to 184 beams of light projected from the Pentagon courtyard, illuminating the night sky to commemorate each life lost at the Pentagon on the five-year anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on New York, the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pa. www.navy.mil

Et Tu Pakistani?

I recently excoriated ABC News for exhibiting a knee-jerk reaction in regards to Pakistan's policy in Waziristan, a remote western region on the Pakstani/Afghan border, in allowing someone like say Osama Bin Laden a free pass if the Paks came across him in the field. I felt that ABC was making a mountain out of a mole hill just to cheese President Bush in maintaining an alliance of sorts with Pakistan in the War on Terror. After a fortnight I have come to the conclusion I may have been a bit too hasty.

From Counterterrrorismblog.Org regarding Pakistan -

One of the premier experts in Washington on Pakistan, Alexis Debat of the Nixon Center and ABC News, traveled again to Pakistan last month and gave a briefing yesterday to invitees. Alexis is a daily CTB reader, and we've traded valuable background information and timely intelligence. He met there with numerous government officials and non-governmental personnel, including those in league with the terrorists. His findings and conclusions are extremely troubling, not only for the future of Pakistan but also for the future of a democracy in Afghanistan. It's difficult for me to imagine either country's continuing to serve as an ally with us against Islamic terrorism given the near-permanent Al Qaeda-based network in the Pak western provinces, especially after the recent "peace agreement" between the militants and the Musharraf government.

The reason we may not be able to definatively capture and kill OBL may be directly related to Pakistan's Intelligence Service and/or a Pakistani population slavishly devoted to this international Islamic terrorist. Reporters keep asking about the failure to capture OBL and why we are not in Pakistan like we are in Afghan or Iraq. President Bush's answer to them is always that "Pakistan is a sovereign country". Even if we did capture or kill him, that would not be the "end" of Al Qaida as they and other more notorious groups are still operational in other terror loving countries like Iran, Palestine and Syria.

the blog continues:

● Al Qaeda is not just an ideology or label in Pakistan, but a live organization with deep roots in Pakistani civil society. They've reorganized brilliantly in Waziristan with financial assistance and personnel from outside the country.

● Osama Bin Laden doesn't move often and is well protected. Ayman al-Zawahiri is assumed to operate within a 40 square kilometer area between Kunar in Afghanistan and Bajaur in Pakistan, is personally involved in all operations, and is therefore more vulnerable. OBL and Zawahiri communicate often through couriers, which takes up to 8 weeks and is vulnerable to Pakistani intelligence and law enforcement (top operative al-Libi was caught there thanks to the capture of an Al Qaeda courier). Matiur Rehman, whose leadership role in Al Qaeda was announced in a report by Alexis for ABC News, has been involved in every major Al Qaeda plot in Pakistan since the 9/11 attacks. (My note: Alexis is not convinced that the Pakistanis have him in custody, and ABC News report of Rehman's capture on August 17 was not based on his reporting.)

Is Pakistan harboring or providing cover for America's most wanted man? Their very own A.Q. Kahn, the perveyor of nuclear know-how to anyone interested, has not been handed over to an international body by Prime Minister Mushariff of Pakistan even against the wishes of the United States of America. Has Pakistan painted themselves into corner with no way out? Have they bitten off more than they can chew?

the blog goes on:

● The Al Qaeda support groups in Pakistan and Kashmir (Word files) provide protection, muscle, and logistical support.

Protection: The clerics in Waziristan have overtaken the tribal leaders in authority by acquiring more guns and money, and Al-Zawahiri is protected by the tribes and clerics and married into the local tribe.

Muscle: The clerics recruit from the thousands of madrassas in Pakistan. Alexis heard of considerable sexual abuse in the madrassas, which is then exploited in the recruitment phase. The Musharraf government has made an effort to register the madrassas, but with no impact thus far on the recruitment dynamics. The local Taliban provide sanctuary to Al Qaeda, and other groups have come together in the past year as indicated in the charts. The "peace agreement" protects the local Taliban there, and the stipulation in that agreement that the Taliban turn over foreigners cannot and will not be enforced.

Logistics: Al Qaeda now has links to numerous institutions and political parties in Pakistan, assiduously built over the past two years, which have been exploited to assist Al Qaeda and the local Taliban. Alexis believes that some of those parties are not inherently anti-American might be amenable to discussions with the U.S.. Alexis had no information on the extent of foreign financial support for Al Qaeda in Waziristan or the primary country of origin of the outside funds.

● Musharraf is weaker than ever. He is slowly losing the military, his best ally, as indicated in the killing of Baluch tribal leader Nawab Akbar Bugti on August 26, which Alexis believes was done without Musharraf's orders. Other elites in Pakistan, including lower levels of the ISI (Pakistani intel) are also turning against him and the U.S., for a variety of reasons (more detailed than needed for this post). This also raises concerns over the control of Pakistani nuclear weapons. The timing of the recent North Waziristan "peace agreement" was probably purposeful and further highlights Musharraf's weakness.

Perhaps the global jihad is in fact "global". Or at least "pan-Islamic" encompassing a swath of desert-lands from Morrocco to Thailand and Indonesia. Nevertheless it is a Jihad that is going to have be attacked from a military/diplomatic initiative either now or later. If later, then harder it shall be to overcome.

We Will Never Forget

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

PTL Club IV

The Press, Terrorists and the Left are at it again. When one acts the others respond triangulating their energies to achieve maximum effect. Between these three "musketeers" their viceral hatred of America apparently knows no boundaries and as this is an election year we can expect more from these bedfellows on their way to "utopia". Their hope is to unseat President Bush either by press propaganda, acts of terrorism and/or by seditious leftwing activities.

The Press: This week saw the story released by ABC News that had a Pakistani General explaining the ins and outs of their new policy regarding a remote region on the Afghan/Pakistan border. Apparently, a certain General Sultan stated that if Osama was a "good citizen" in Waziristan then the Pakistani Army would "allow" him to stay unmolested and would not arrest him, according to ABC News. However, when one looks at the transcript you can see how the General was referring to "normal" and "peaceful" Pakistanis not to notorious criminals such as Osama Bin Laden in regards to their policy. The fact that ABC News would immediately run with the idea that Pakistan would harbor OBL only shows us how low the Press will go in indicting the Bush Policy regarding Pakistan. I myself have doubts as to their true friendship regarding the War On Terror, however I have no evidence to the contrary to confute my suspicions on this matter and yet the Press would love nothing more than to "prove" GW wrong about our ally, Pakistan. In other words a knee-jerk reaction by the Press to sow discord amongst our allies.

The Terrorists: This week featured the likes of Adam Gadahn aka Azzam al-Amriki. This American cum moslem terrorist propaganda mouthpiece is betting the Islamic Jihad will bring America down in the world and elevate a new caliphate in its place. Adam has so graciously "invited" us to embrace the religion of peace. He's such a nice kid, you know. Naturally, he condemned all America to hell if we didn't accept his offer of "peace". We might laugh at such a spectacle from such small fry but he is speaking for Al Zawahiri, Al Qaida's second in command. As we near the 5th anniversary of 9/11 should we take him seriously? Well, one thing is for sure - he is a traitor. We have traitors in every war from the War of Independence to the War On Terror. He has staked his livelihood on the Islamic Jihad and shall receive his due reward: death. He is now the "Tokyo Rose" of the first war in the 21st Century.

The Left: This week has brought an alleged "reformer" from one of the greatest sponsors of international terrorism to ground zero in New York City. The unknown sponsor of his trip still remains a mystery but the fact that Mohammed Khatami of Iran met up with the dhimmi and notoriously whacked-out Jimmy Carter only shows us that the left has their paw prints all over this embarrassing and blasphemous visit on the eve of the anniversary of the greatest terrorist attack in America. Have they no shame? Have they no morals or standards worthy of respect? Can we fault Khatami for making this trip when its the Left that opens the door and allows his anti-American propaganda to grow on fertile ground during a time of war? What does the Left seek to gain by this visit by an ambassador of a terror state and whom do they think it will embarrass most? The Left's hatred of President George W. Bush has compelled them to sleep with the enemy and for this America will not forget especially the families of the 9/11 victims.

The PTL Club is acting in concert to thrwart President Bush, America and the West and may yet succeed. Between the Press, Terrorists and the Left their combined activities shows us a pattern we can readily identify against the backdrop of the War On Terror and being able to see this triangulation we can avoid being entrapped in its mental snare.

U.S. Army Soldiers from the 20th Engineer Battalion jump from a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft during a joint forcible entry exercise at Fort Bragg, N.C., Aug. 21, 2006. The exercise is a U.S. Army and Air Force joint airdrop exercise designed to enhance inter-Service cohesiveness.
www.af.mil

Making History Repeat Itself

This is an election year make no mistake about it. The Press and the Left are in high gear for this coming mid-term election which they believe will catapault them into power in both the House and Senate. A lot of comparisons have been made by the Left to justify their high expectations come November and to some degree there are similarities that may prove useful in an academic sense. But let us not go overboard here.

A recent columnist suggested there are a lot of parallels in the 2006 mid-term elections to the Democrats 1950 mid-term elections which eventually saw President Truman ousted from office by the Republican's Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952. Even CNN picked up on that idea and ran with it on Friday on Wolf Blitzer's Situation Room even running pictures of the Korean War and using the Republican "attack" ads lampooning "Truman's war" in Korea and asking "Why?".

I suppose all's fair in love and war however, a note of caution should be sounded comparing this War On Terror to the Korean War. Harry Truman was completely hounded from office because he did one thing completely unforgivable by almost all Americans: He fired General MacArthur! G.W. has made a host of mistakes as all Presidents do but alas he hasn't done something that dumb especially when we consider what a WWII icon that MacArthur was. Not only did Truman fire probably the greatest American General in the history of the Republic and certainly of the 20th Century, Truman also demanded the American forces retreat back to the 38th Parallel that divided North and South Korea after MacArthur was exorcised from the Army in April, 1951. I'm sure he only thought of it as "redeployment" but we all know it was a retreat by Presidential fiat. And he suffered dearly for it.

Is 2006 the Republicans retreat to the perverbial 38th Parallel? The Left has apparently succeeded in stopping American momentum in the War On Terror but I suspect the Islamic Terrorists currently manuevering into position for their next diabolical strike will completely change the dynamic of this election come the second Tuesday of November.

An F-16 Fighting Falcon fires an AIM-9 missile off the coast of South Korea during a live-fire exercise Aug. 18. The F-16 is assigned to the 80th Fighter Squadron at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea. www.af.mil