U.S.A. politics aside, Israel and Iran are still not getting along, and are very unlikely to get along anytime in the near future (say... the next two thousand years)
With that firmly in mind, the issue of a preemptive strike against Iran is one step closer today than it was last week. As reported in the Jerusalem Post


Ephraim Sneh a veteran Labor MK who has recently left the party, has reportedly sent a document to both US presidential candidates, John McCain and Barack Obama. The eight-point document states that "there is no government in Jerusalem that would ever reconcile itself to a nuclear Iran. When it is clear Iran is on the verge of acquiring nuclear weapons, an Israeli military strike to prevent this will be seriously considered."

That is perhaps as blunt a remark as any I've noticed from Iran yet. Coming as it does from a Member of the Knesset (MK) it has more weight than the remarks of the typical hard line Rabbi extolling the current government for being soft on terrorism.

So far the Israeli government has not offered any evidence, nor has the American government offered a statement offering Israeli warplanes safe passage across Iraq.
The possibility of American warplanes or ground to air missiles being used to shoot down Israeli aircraft is an idea which would certainly entail enormous political risk for President of either political party, and could have it's own disruptive influence on the Mid East balance pf power, if Israel was seen to be left to its own devices for protection.

The act of crossing Iraqi airspace with either the confirmed or even just tacit approval of the American government will place the next President squarely in the cross hairs of the entire Reactionary Arab world. Some Arab nations might quietly applaud the decision as one which removes the need for a nuclear race enmasse by the rest of the Middle East region, but it is so unlikely for any of the Arab nations to say so publicly as to be not even be worth consideration.

In a visit to Switzerland and Austria trying to drum up support for stronger American and European sanctions against Iran to make the air-strike unnecessary, MK Sneh remarked
Talk of the Jewish Holocaust and Israel's security doesn't impress these guys," Sneh said wryly.

Hearing his hosts speak of their future investments, Sneh replied quietly "it's a shame, because Ido will light all this up." He was referring to Maj. Gen. Ido Nehushtan, the recently appointed Israeli Air Force (IAF) commander and the man most likely to be the one to orchestrate Israel's attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, should this become a necessity.

"Investing in Iran in 2008," Sneh told his Austrian hosts, "is like investing in the Krupp steelworks in 1938, it's a high risk investment." The Austrians, according to Sneh, turned pale.

In 1938 the Krupp steel works was a money making proposition, in 1942, it was much less so. The loss of such a large amount of investment capital may give pause to those looking to invest in Iran, with the sole exception of Russia, which also has investments in Iran.

Israel needs to remember Russia is a big player these days, and is very, very friendly with Iran, including the original equipment to build the nuclear centrifuges and most of the technicians to install them.

I say vote for O'Biden in '08

35 million Cubans and North Koreans can't be wrong.

 

can they?

• Obama campaign spokesman Tommy Vietor said he expected a close race until Election Day. (meaning they don't expect to lose by more than 30 states)
• “This is a tight race.  It will remain a tight race. (meaning the "tight " race when Nobama and his Enemedia booty buddies had his numbers pumped up was reality, but the numbers being down instead of going up is a false picture)  The lead will fluctuate between now and November.  (fluctuate? meaning McCain will be up by only five points up to seventy five points between now and November)   If the spread were greater than the number of houses John McCain owns, then we’d be concerned,” Vietor said.  or if the spread was as great as the number of times Tony Rezco fed Nobama money on the sly?

 

• So in the daily Gallup tracking poll, Nobama is only behind by two points, when he should have gotten a 'bump' from the Biden pick means... they aren't worried?
  Are they all smoking crack cocaine or did they all bump there head or what?

The case against Professor Emeritus J. Reece Roth is largely based on two problems the Professor created, first he allowed two foreign nationals to work on a project which was funded by the US Air Force as a Defense Dept. project, (that was smart...not) and then he also took some of that work in his laptop on a trip to China (and that was decidedly stooooopud). One of the students was Chinese, the other was Iranian. Could have been a hint in the right direction?

The work involved electrically charged plasma technology to guide the air over the drones wings, rather than conventional flaps.
Dr. Roth was working for the company Atmospheric Glow Technologies (AGT), Dr Roth also happened to have an ownership stake in AGT.
AGT and an ex-employee have made plea agreements with Federal authorities in this case and are co-operating in the investigation.The University of Tennessee is not deemed to be at fault in this case as of this time. (other than just being terminally ignorant)

The trial in Knoxville is expected to take a week to complete. It should take about fifteen minutes instead.

As reported by Fox News the charges involve work performed from 2004 to 2006 on two Air Force contracts by Roth, UT graduates students Xin Dai of China and Sirous Nourgostar of Iran and the university spinoff company, Atmospheric Glow Technologies

AGT having already pleaded guilty to ten counts of exporting defense-related materials, but is also bankrupt and is unlikely to have the ability to pay any fines related to the case against it.

From the (Knoxville) News Sentinel

Both Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Mackie and defense attorney Thomas Dundon confirmed in opening statements an encounter between Roth and a UT official in which the 70-year-old instructor was both informed he was breaking federal law and warned about a pending trip to China in 2006.

With the admission of being warned, the case against Dr. Roth may prove as serious as the punishment if found guilty.
The 70 year old Professor could be sent to prison for up to 160 years and fined $1.5 million. If the Dimwitted Professor is found guilty it's my hope they lock him away in a cell with no lights and no human contact for up to 160 years with parole after 2/3 of the sentence has been served. I wonder if we could rent Devils Island from the French?

Dr Roths attorney Thomas Dundon conceded a UT official, who has not yet been identified in court, told Roth he was violating the law.

"Dr. Roth said, 'That's crazy,' " Dundon said. "He has not stopped expressing his displeasure and his conviction this research was never subject to (the arms export law)."

You're beginning to repeat yourself again, now you're not just wrong, but also boring.

The Russian Black Sea Fleet Command has chosen to do an about face from yesterday's angry outburst by Russian President Medvedev excoriating the Ukraine in regard to the Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko's demads of 72 hour notification prior to entering the port in Sevastopol, Ukraine.

The very angry Russian President Medvedev had declared

• "Ukraine has no right to indicate Russia how to use the Black Sea fleet, based in Crimea Black Sea Fleet will be in the zone of our special, special attention.
  And let us not indicate how to behave "

Bluster and huffing, Putins lapdog Medvedev had lots of Commie spew to put out for the Russian masses on Monday, but the Russian image is a bit tarnished these days in the land of the Euro.

I submit to the reader that the idea of living under an Islamic Theocracy is not an acceptable choice from my perspective nor is it a choice I would force upon my children, grandchildren or their children. For any who read this and find the concept of living under a Islamic Theocracy acceptable, stop reading now. The rest of this will most likely be irritating and pointless. Mark Twain said it best. “Never try to teach a pig to dance. It irritates the pig and is a complete waste of your time.”

Jihad, The realization that there is someone “out there” who does not believe in Mohammad as a prophet, but who does see Mohammad as just another thug in the same vein as the recently room temperatured Saddam Hussein. According to the Quran those who believe Mohammad to be just another thug must be converted, subjugated or slain.

That includes the rest of the planet, whether Christian, Jew Buddhist, Rastafarians or somebody who worships cowbells. Believe in Mohammad, who was in essence just a petty Seventh Century Local Dictator with a good plan and a sharp sword or be dealt with. The essence of Jihad speaks to the bloodthirsty religion of hatred which Islam sprang from and to which it is returning after the years of enlightenment, when moderate forces within Islam were in control. The heyday if you will of Islam, when advances were being made in medicine and more notably in the practice of warfare.

Today we have the remnants of that spirit crushing mish mash of idol worship (the worship of an individual who has no claim to divinity, except through their own profession of godhood) The roots of the current War on Jihad stem from what I thought an unlikely source, The First World War, and the subsequent sundering of the Ottoman Empire, and later the division of the Middle East into discrete and separate countries by the British (most probably by a civil servant sitting in London with no concept of who the people involved were). In retrospect it seems readily apparent that the splitting of an empire by geographic regions rather than on the basis of cultural or ethnic realities was a very shortsighted remedy to a fundamental problem.

Splitting the Ottoman empire though was a stroke of genius, with huge benefits in this present period of time. The idea of having so much of the worlds Petro Dollars concentrated in one political unit is a nightmare I’m glad we don’t have to go through. The amount of money which would be available to Jihadists would be overwhelming, if not for the fundamental friction between the multiple sects of Islam.

The division of the Middle East appears to have been predicated not on the real world ethnic associations of the populations which were being carved up, but on the needs of the victors to further their empire building with an eye toward oil rich Iran, (in the case of the USSR ¹)  and also to allow empire building by both the British and French in the area. (in the case of the western powers)

The divisions were arranged for the ease of governance and to accommodate the existing players on the field at the time, Ibn Saud, Prince Faisal and Abdullah Hussein, And under the Leadership of Winston Churchill and T.E. Lawrence ²

 

The divisions of the Middle East at that time have set the stage for what we now deal with, an Arab world which is divided among themselves into the various sects of Islam (primarily Shia and Sunni) but united against all infidels with equal ferocity when required and within the limits of needing allies against the Great Satan of the United States and the Zionist enclave of Israel.

The war of Islam against all infidels has been going on for the past 1300 years; the War of Jihad against all infidels will go on until the Jihadists or the Infidels (that’s us) win by subjugation or by elimination of the enemy.

The Islamic Jihad or Holy War shows no signs of being in regression any time soon. The United States in Feb. 2008 offered official recognition to the newly formed (unilaterally) state of Kosovo, which is roughly 90% Muslim. With that support and the support of the European Union, one has to wonder just precisely what type of death wish the current administration of the United States and Europe have.

It’s not enough that we’re already fighting against rogue groups of Islamists unaffiliated specifically with a nation State? We need another challenge at this point to bolster some ideal of national pride? Somehow the understanding of Islam as a quasi religion of hatred and violence has not filtered through the halls of the White House or the halls of CONgress. (to be distinguished from PROgress)

The Democratic Party of the United States appears poised to nominate for President either a member of the House of Representatives from the state of Illinois Barack Hussein Obama, who has no particular experience on the world stage with the exception of a few Congressional junket trips to Arab Africa. Whose major contribution to the state of Illinois while in power seems to have been cultivating a relationship with developer under indictment “Tony” Rezko?

Or to nominate for President A Senator from New York Hillary Clinton a true carpet bagger from Arkansas, with all of the liabilities of a dyed in the wool socialist who would make Karl Marx proud to call her friend.

The really disturbing portion of the current political news is the lack of a viable Conservative candidate from the other major party, The Republicans seem to have allowed in some wishy washy fashion for the Media Darling John McCain to become the presumptive nominee for them. The Big Media Complex having offered much coverage and laudatory comments for John McCain in the primary season, and now with that all but over jumping on him like stink on a wet dog over allegations which should in theory have been laid to rest ten years ago!

Of the two groups McCain seems to have the most fervor in waging the War on Jihad, but he is also 71 years old already. The War on Jihad will not be a fight for this generation alone by any means. The War on Jihad must be waged until its conclusion whatever the cost and for however long it takes. The alternative is for all our children or their children’s children to live under a Theocratic Tyranny of the vilest type. A tyranny which allows no expression of freedom, no expression of hope for a planet at peace, and no ability to worship as free men and women the God of our choice.

The two main forces in the War OF Jihad are at this time Iran and Syria. Iran is Shia Muslim, adhering to the teaching of either the fourth Imam or the eighth Imam or the seventh. Wheels within wheels as the story goes. Syria is mostly Sunni.

At some point in the near or distant future both of these countries will need to be met head on. The governments of both Syria and Iran fund terrorist groups (Hezbollah and Hamas respectively) whose primary purpose is to eliminate the “Zionist enclave” of Israel and then to deal with the “Great Satan” the United States for its friendship to the nation of Israel.

One issue which needs to be dealt with are Mosques, Islam is not a philosophical religion nor is it based on speculation, it is a religion based on the revealed teachings of the Chief Perpetrator Mohammad, to be continued it must be taught to each new generation. To break that cycle requires the elimination of Indoctrination Centers – mosques. If not elsewhere then at least in this country they must be removed. Not as houses of worship which preach religion unacceptable to the nation as a whole. But as what they really are, which are Indoctrination Centers for the Elimination of Infidels.(thats us)

When the next attack occurs on American soil, and it will happen, the person who is in the seat of power in Washington D.C. – if Washington D.C. is still there afterward, must decide what action is needed to protect the rest of the country. Those actions will determine the fate of the United States of America and also the world at large. I was really hoping for a better candidate at this time than John McCain. A cross between Ronald Reagan, John Wayne, Abraham Lincoln and King Solomon would have done nicely. None of those qualities appear to be on the horizon anytime soon though.

Communist and Socialist author and essayist E.P. Thompson in an essay regarding the Cold War stated  ”If we ask the partisans of either side what the Cold War is now about, they regard us with the glazed eyes of addicts”

I get the same sort of reaction when I ask the Islamic Apologists, the Peace At Any Price crowd, or the Code Pink wingnuts. None of them can make a rational statement about the actual cause of the War on Jihad. It has become nothing more than something to be against at any cost. Even at the cost of failure to protect this nation from another attack like Sept. 11. And that I have come to expect, the Anti-War crowd has never found a need to understand the reasons for war. It seems enough to just be against war as a method for solving conflict, as would any sane person. BUT the Anti-War crowd carries the concept to an entirely unacceptable level, by requiring that I and my neighbors and family and you accept the consequence of that non action against an enemy whose sole purpose is to place me at room temperature.

The refusal to look objectively at the reasons for either the current War on Jihad, or any other conflict seems a recipe for further wars. Until the last of the totalitarian regimes of Planet Earth have been laid to rest entirely, there will be cause for conflict. With conflict comes a need to convert or be converted, to subjugate or be subjugated, or in the final act, to kill or be killed.

Giving way to those who have the aim of converting, subjugating or killing the rest of the planet seems a poor choice, even if it is done only by default.

One of the real problems I see in the current War on Jihad though is the inability of the political leadership to convincingly and truthfully state the reason for the war. In this, I’m not looking for the method of conducting the War successfully, nor am I looking for the financial cost or even the cost in lives lost. What no one seems willing or able to do is to stand up in front of a crowd of human beings and say clearly –

 “This war is against the religion which spawned the attack on the Marine barracks in Lebanon, the USS Cole, the Khobar Towers, the World Trade Center and all of the destruction throughout the world perpetrated in the name of a dead pedophile. While freedom of religion should be guaranteed to every person on the planet, and is protected in the U.S.A. if you choose a religion which condemns all other non-believers to death, you are now a target for elimination. If you choose a different path toward enlightenment it would be far healthier for you.’

The concept of “Moderate Muslims” is a farce and ploy. Those who are actually ‘moderate’ aren’t really Muslim anymore than I am. They have an ethnic background, but have not been indoctrinated with the hatred and violence of Mohammad. Much like a person can be raised as a Catholic, but never go to Mass after reaching the age of majority. IF all of those who claim to be Christian (78% as of the last study I could find) in the U.S. really were CHRISTians, the need for a Welfare State would never have arisen, and millions of unborn children would have grown up with their parents instead of being slain before or during birth.

State Senator Dave Cogdill of California has been trying to get approval for a Gold Star License plate for quite a while, and now unless the Governator of California intends to commit political suicide, it will become reality.

The license plate is designed to commemorate the loss of a family member who has given their life in service to their country.

“This license plate is but a small token of the deep appreciation we feel toward the families of the U.S. Armed Services with loved ones who lost their lives in service to our country,” said Cogdill in a statement. “Servicemen and women throughout California have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. I am pleased so many of my colleagues have voted to honor the efforts of these courageous men and women and their families."

The bill which is being sent to the Governator is SB 1455

The drive to get this process off the ground was played in part by two men, Kevin Graves of Discovery Bay, Ca. and Modesto resident Mike Anderson. Both of these men have lost a son in the War on Jihad.

“The importance of this bill is not just for our children, but for the families of all those who have served in the military all the way back to WWII,” said Graves. “If you had a child that was unfortunately one of the 59,000 who died in Vietnam, you just went into the house and kept it to yourself. The furthest thing in that unpopular war was pride. This (bill) is the perfect opportunity to give those people that pride.”

The bill died on the floor of the California Senate last year due to the reigning Democratic Senate leader (Democrat idiot with more to bribe his Komrades with, or who knows where the most skeletons are buried) deciding not to entertain any further bills on special license plates. State Senators Cogdill and Denham brought the bill back this year and found enough consensus among the more reasonable members of the majority to allow the bill to pass through both houses of the California legislature.

“The bill got stonewalled because of a policy thing, and it was very frustrating,” said Graves. “I mean, you can have plates to keep Tahoe blue, but not one for the military? We knew that the proposal had tremendous nonpartisan support and we were determined to make a concerted effort to help it go through this time.”

“On a personal level, getting this through is a matter of being able to drive down the freeway and see someone with one of those plates and know that you know exactly how they feel. That makes all the difference.”

General Anatoly Nogovitsyn made statements which are not the least unequivocal in regards to the missile defense system for which a pact was just signed between Poland and the United States, actually less than twenty four hours had passed before Nogovitsyn made these remarks to the Russian Interfax news agency

"By hosting these, Poland is making itself a target. This is 100 per cent certain. It becomes a target for attack. Such targets are destroyed as a first priority."

as reported in the U.K. Telegraph

The remarks are certain to stoke fears among other Baltic and European neighbors of Poland as regards the long range intentions of the Russian leadership.

From the rose Garden at the White House President Bush said:

• "The Cold War is over... Bullying and intimidation are not acceptable ways to conduct foreign policy in the 21st century."
  

Is Jorge W Bushez watching the same news I am? From my computer screen, bullying and intimidation seem to be doing a pretty good job of making the Georgians bummed out, and bombed out too.

A former security chief of Pakistan's northwestern ethnic Pastun tribal areas, told Reuters that the death of al-Masri, aka. Yazid, would have an impact on insurgencies in both Afghanistan and Pakistan.

"It's one more important person gone. It will have an impact," Mahmood Shah told Reuters.

"Al Qaeda is the main machine behind the insurgency in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Taliban, the Chechens and the Uzbeks, are used as foot soldiers as cannon fodder but the actual machine is Al Qaeda."

In the latest violence in northwest Pakistan, 13 people were killed on Tuesday in a bomb attack on an air force bus in the northwestern city of Peshawar.

Militants based on the Afghan border have been accused of a series of attacks on security forces over the past year.

Provincial police chief Malik Naveed Khan said five of the dead were air force personnel and eight were civilians.

In the latest violence in Bajaur, six civilians trying to flee from the area were killed in cross-fire, a government official said.

"Their vehicle was caught in an exchange of fire that erupted this morning," said the official based in the region, who declined to be identified.