Thursday, April 30, 2009

Egypt's Campaign against Iran

In the last week, Egypt has moved against Iran and its allies in the Arab world. Cairo arrested a Hizballah cell that was preparing terrorist operations on Egyptian soil, organized a campaign against Hamas weapons and money smugglers in the Sinai Peninsula, and stepped up efforts to displace Qatar -- an Iranian sympathizer -- as a mediator on Sudan, Lebanon, and other inter-Arab issues.

It remains to be seen whether this policy shift will become a sustained part of a grand strategy to restore Egypt's leadership among Arab states or, instead, a more-defensive approach designed to parry previous humiliations from Iran's allies.

It is apparent, however, that Cairo is sending a signal to Great Satan that the "nuclear file" is not the only -- or even the most urgent -- aspect of the Iranian threat

Washington Institute has the lo down and it is prett interesting!

Pic - "Mubarak Zionist Traitor"

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

100 Daze

100 Days into the 'New Era' is really not enough time to be able to develop an accurate pic of 44's Grand Strategy.

Yet, the pic that is developing proportionally seems, well, neither Grand or Strategic. Systematically it seems suspect and kinda dumb.


Let's review:


Supreme Leader totally disses 44's "hello vid" -- a message that admittedly did NOT mention 'regime change' -- or 'democracy' either. Far from unclenching the mullahs collective fist, Iran's enrichment Extenz swells up and trucks along at high speed while an innocent American girl is held hostage.

Sudan's illegit intolerant Field Marshall President for Life disses ICC criminal indictments, practices genocide on his own people and expelled humanitarian organizations.

Europa -- which supposedly was hot for 44 -- is not hot for ratcheting up sanctions on Persia or manning up to stand up in Af Pak land. NATO may unofficially be as dead as Uday and Usay.

Dear Leader test fired a live ballistic missile in a sales pitch (it may have been a bust - though not in Great Satan's favor), expells humanitarian orgs and suffers no consequences while holding innocent girls hostage.


Taliban is increasing power, influence and territorial control in Pakistan, surging almost to the gates of Islamabad -- even now in striking distance to Land of the Pure's super sensitive military industrial complex -- the massive Wah Cantonment at Rawalpindi.


Pakistan's military -- despite years of nothing but love from Great Satan bling wise -- seems frightened to engage Taliban in a real stand up fight.


Unfaithful? In fact, it could be said that one of the top 3 military beneficiaries of Great Satan for the last decade has significant support or sympathizers in PAK Army for the Taliban. Combat might force them to take sides.


The illegit regime in sunny sunny climes remains entrenched in Cuba, and tyrant lover, wanna be Pres for Life Hugo seems poised for another round of regional mischief-making.


Rowdy Red China disses Great Satan's navy in internat'l waters, lectures about pocketbooks and enjoys a human rights free environment.


Traditional and emerging allies such as Columbia, Taiwan, SoKo, Little Satan, Japan, Australia, and India are left wondering how much they still matter to Great Satan as 44 seemingly embraces, entertains and encourages frenemies and adversaries.

Talking Turkey without ever mentioning the "G" word -- atoning for sins of Manifest Destiny and equivicating Great Satan's American Exceptionalism while reversing nearly 2 decades of committment to maintain, develop and globally deploy a 30 years in the future fighting force.

100 Daze seems a systematic stall on a strategic level - - a roll back of democracy and democracy projection all around the world.

100 Daze advertises a scary underwhelming and not especially Exceptional future - - where Great Satan is neither feared nor loved.


Art - "The Truth" by Michael D'Antuono

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Taiwan Trouble?

Tiny tiny Taiwan lies on the periphery of a major power, in this case China, growing in strength in recent years. Casting covetous eyes on resource rich Siberia may not be absolutely clear, but with regard to Taiwan, China is unambiguous in its assertion of sovereignty and its intention to absorb it in the long-run.

Any tips?

1) Be careful about security commitments. They mean something. Don’t make them unless you mean it.

Continue to make clear to China, including through military planning and deployments, the U.S. security interest in a peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues and the unacceptability of a Chinese attack, so that Beijing will not be tempted to see in the Georgia crisis a model for resolution of its own irredentist aims.

2) Don’t provoke the dragon, expecting the eagle to fly to the rescue.

(3) A constructive relationship between America and major powers is essential to the security of vulnerable states;

(4) Geography matters;

(5) Speak softly when you don’t plan to carry a big stick; and

(6) Credibility is global.

Currently, China's strategic footing in Taiwan is growing at the expense of America's.

"Despite this new dynamic the United States is not eager to push the cause of Taiwanese independence given that Sino-Taiwanese cooperation is growing on a number of fronts, Chinese cooperation is needed on pressing global challenges, and, perhaps most importantly, Taiwan itself is not pushing for it aggressively."

"The history of the China-Taiwan standoff and the recent rise in tensions as China's growing determination to reclaim Taiwan meets increasingly defiant Taiwanese assertions of independence."

The tension about Taiwan is always tight.

"Influenced by business interests eager to court China and conservatives loath to see Taiwan's plucky democracy swallowed by the Communist Leviathan, Washington placates Beijing with an official One China policy while selling arms to Taiwan and conveying a tacit promise to defend her against Chinese attack.

These mixed messages invite the two sides into miscalculations that could embroil America in war.

Taiwan upping the panty ante bling wise on her own defense and reaching out for a mutual defense pact with SoKo and Japan could keep the peace

Art - - "1st we do SoKo - then we do Taiwan"

Monday, April 27, 2009

Uncle Tony Rocks!

Great Satan's coolest Uncle ever - the former PM of Great Britain - prob one the most eloquent, articulate speakers of the Queen's English scores another hit recently

"It is almost ten years to the day that I stood in this city and gave an address at the height of the Kosovo crisis. In that speech, I set out what I described as a doctrine of international community that sought to justify intervention, including if necessary military intervention, not only when a nation's interests are directly engaged; but also where there exists a humanitarian crisis or gross oppression of a civilian population.

"An active and engaged foreign policy, not a reactive or isolationist one: better to intervene than to leave well alone. Be bold, adventurous even in what we can achieve."

"As for me, I am older, better educated by the events that shaped my premiership, but I still believe that those who oppress and brutalise their citizens are better put out of power than kept in it."

Whoa! The rocking Uncle Tony delivers heavy metal daemoneoconic hook laden tunes that sweetly segues from the "Blair Doctrine" - the killer "Universal Values of the Human Spirit" into his refreshingly unapologetic call for Regime Changes - whenever the need or opportunity arises.

And just like the passing of blunts at concerts everywhere this is serious meds for Great Satan fans.

"So: should we now revert to a more traditional foreign policy, less bold, more cautious; less idealistic, more pragmatic, more willing to tolerate the intolerable because of fear of the unpredictable consequences that intervention can bring?


"My argument is that the case for the doctrine I advocated ten years ago, remains as strong now as it was then; and that what has really changed is the context in which the doctrine has to be applied.


"The struggle in which we are joined today is profound in its danger; requires engagement of a different and more comprehensive kind; and can only be won by the long haul. The context therefore is much tougher. But the principle is the same.

"The ideology we are fighting is not based on justice. That is a cause we can understand. And world-wide these groups are adept, certainly, at using causes that indeed are about justice, like Palestine. Their cause, at its core, however, is not about the pursuit of values that we can relate to; but in pursuit of values that directly contradict our way of life. They don't believe in democracy, equality or freedom.

"They will espouse, tactically, any of these values if necessary. But at heart what they want is a society and state run on their view of Mohammedism. They are not pluralists. They are the antithesis of pluralism.

"And they don't think that only their own community or state should be like that. They think the world should be governed like that.

"In other words, there may well be groups, or even Governments, that can be treated with, and with whom we can reach an accommodation. Negotiation and persuasion can work and should be our first resort. If they do, that's great, which is why if Hamas were to accept the principle of a peaceful two state solution, they could be part of the process agreeing it. But the ideology, as a movement within Mohammedism, has to be defeated. It is incompatible not with 'the West' but with any society of open and tolerant people

"So I understand completely the fatigue with an interventionist foreign policy - especially when it involves military action that takes its toll on the nation's psyche, when we see those who grieve for the fallen in battle.

"The struggle seems so vast, so complex, so full of layers and intersections that daunt us, that they make us unsure where we start, how we proceed and where and how on earth we end.

" 'Look there are people in this world who are crazy,' a friend said to me the other day, 'leave them to be crazy.' Except the problem is that they won't leave us in the comfort of our lives."

Uncle Tony lists out the strategy (here's the pdf) for confounding, hounding and if the wind is right - annihilating intolerant, corrupt, illegit regimes and any of their myriad fanboys - rocket rich or not!

"The same is true for the security threat we face. We are standing up for what is right. The body of ideas that has given us this liberty, to speak and think as we wish, that allows us to vote in and vote out our rulers, that provides a rule of law on which we can rely, and a political space infinitely more transparent than anything that went before ; that body isn't decaying. It is in the prime of life.


"It is the future. And though the extremists that confront us have their new adherents, we have ours too, nations democratic for the first time, people tasting freedom and liking it."

"And that is why we should not revert to the foreign policy of years gone by, of the world weary, the supposedly sensible practitioners of caution and expediency, who think they see the world for what it is, without the illusions of the idealist who sees what it could be.

"The statesmanship that went before regarded politics as a Bismarck or Machiavelli regarded it. It's all a power play; a matter, not of right or wrong, but of who's on our side, and our side defined by our interests, not our values. The notion of humanitarian intervention was the meddling of the unwise, untutored and inexperienced.

"Or to form alliances with any regime, however bad, because they solve 'today' without asking whether they will imperil 'tomorrow'? This isn't statesmanship. It is just politics practiced for the most comfort and the least disturbance in the present moment.

"And this struggle we face now cannot be defeated by staying out; but by sticking in, abiding by our values not retreating from them.


"It is a cause that must be defeated by a better cause. That cause is one of open, tolerant, outward-looking societies in which people respect diversity and difference in which peaceful co-existence can flourish.

"It is a cause that has to be fought for; with hearts and minds as well as arms, of course.

"But fought for, nonetheless with the courage to see it through and the confidence that the cause is just, right and the only way the future of our world can work.

"We have to understand one very simple thing: where we are called upon to fight, we have to do it. If we are defeated anywhere, we are at risk of being defeated everywhere."

Pic - "Uncle Tony Rocks!"







Sunday, April 26, 2009

Thing Called Love



Totally Rocks!

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Personally Approved

Oh Snap! Well, maybe that should read "Bloody 'L!"

Great Britain's Times Online points out that recently declassified classified memos prove that sleek, sexyful super smart former Sec O' State Dr Condoleezza Rice (when she was the NSA grrl) personally approved enhancing interrogation techniques, now arguably termed as torture, on hapless, murderous Great Satan hating creeps that sweetly fell into Great Satan's clutches like sweet ripe peaches from a Georgia tree.

Say it aint so!

Whatev.

James Mann's essential "Rise of the Vulcans" that chronicles "America's stand ins to the world" like Armitage, Cheney, Powell, Rice, Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, puts it best even years, later.

Essentially - naysayers, inappropriate handwringers, politicians looking for a quick fix and realpolitik fans

"...were not responsible for American security after New York City and Washington were attacked by terrorism."

"The Vulcans were."

Art "Makes me like Dr Rice even more"

Friday, April 24, 2009

Psych!

Thanks to Gloire over at "Worst Case Scenerio" Iran's recent "Army Day" parade was severely curtailed.

Mullahopolis originally planned to feature a message of Air Superiority at Army Day with like all available fighters, and combo fighter/ground attack jets sweetly doing the flyby by as various despotic fans and control freaks harangued attendees.

The message may have been intended to prove that Preacher Command controls the skies and rowdy rumors of Little Satan's aerial prowess were totally overblown.

Except "Army Day" was disappointing with only a few jets and choppers hanging out.

Why cause?

Because!

"In the first week of April, Tehran announced it would stage its biggest air show ever to dramatize a ceremonial military parade in the capital on April 18. Iran would show the world that it is capable of fighting off an Israeli attack on its nuclear facilities.

Instead only four aircraft flew over the saluting stand.
Iranian media explained that the big show was cancelled due to "bad weather and poor visibility," when in fact Tehran basked in warm and sunny weather.

Moscow had informed the Iranians that its spy satellites and intelligence sources had picked up preparations at Israeli Air Force bases to destroy the 140 warplanes, the bulk of the Iranian air force, on the ground the night before the display, leaving its nuclear sites without aerial defense.

A similar operation wiped out the entire Egyptian air fleet in the early hours of the 1967 war.

Iranian and intelligence sources disclose that Moscow warned Tehran Friday April 17 that Israel was planning to destroy all 140 fighter-bombers concentrated at the Mehr-Abad Air Force base for an air show over Tehran on Iran's Army Day the following day.


The entire fleet was accordingly removed to remote bases and the display cancelled."

So much for Air Superiority in the Gay Free Republic of Preacher's Paradise!

Pic - "Little Satan says 'Psych!"