Rush To War?

The rhetoric of the Iranian political and military elite has become much tougher; Tehran has been flexing its military muscle over the same issue, and has ostentatiously turned down the IAEA and UN Security Council proposals to return to the negotiating table in order to resolve the problem; and finally, the Iranian Navy captured 15 British sailors before the Security Council adopted its latest resolution on tougher sanctions against Tehran.

Many experts believe that Tehran unequivocally declared its claims to regional leadership after Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was elected president in the summer of 2005. More than a year ago, he demanded that the world community recognize Iran as a "regional superpower." Positioning itself like this, Tehran placed its bets primarily on nuclear technologies, strong anti-Israeli rhetoric, and Arab support throughout the Middle East.

Tehran did not conceal its intention to reduce American prestige in Arab eyes, if not to oust the United States from the region altogether. It was convinced that the U.S. had gotten stuck in Iraq and Afghanistan, and would not bother about Iran. This was an ideal chance to portray the Big Satan as a miserable paper tiger.

Tehran, however, has clearly overestimated its potential. Its anti-Israeli and anti-American rhetoric has failed to win the unreserved support from Arabs on which it counted. The U.S. has suddenly come up with a new strategy for the region that will no longer tolerate Iran's meddling in the affairs of its neighbors.

Tehran cannot fail to see that the U.S. may use Iran's notorious nuclear dossier as a very good excuse for implementing the number-one goal of its strategy, all the more so as Washington is already planning to deploy four or five carrier-based attack groups in the Persian Gulf.

This weighty argument should prompt Tehran to look for ways to back down, but how can it find them without ruining its image as a "regional superpower"?

Clearly, Iran has every reason to become a regional power, and the world would welcome this if only Tehran did not hit its neighbors' sore spots. Iran has every right to develop civilian nuclear power, and nobody is encroaching on that. But Tehran claims that the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is based on the presumption of innocence, but in reality it is the other way around. Experts believe that the NPT is based on the assumption that nuclear weapons are bound to be developed if all of their components are there.

This premise is based on a simple truth - man is weak, but the temptation is great. The world is not sure that Iran will resist this temptation because it has failed to explain properly to the IAEA why it wants to develop its own nuclear technologies.

Iran is a master of political maneuvering. Many experts have quoted the recent seizure of the Royal Navy personnel as an example. In its usual manner, Tehran has availed itself of an opportunity to escalate tensions. But this time, its maneuver has failed.

For the first time ever, the Security Council has unanimously voted for tougher sanctions against Tehran. Maybe this will compel Iran to think whether it should rush into war.


Submitted by pYoTr GoNChArOv

Candidate Condi?

Since a certain ex war hero and sitting Senator has the GOP nomie thing locked up tighter than the neighbors tool shed, talk turns to VP's. And in a killer case presented recently by Dan 'Pre Surge' Senor talk turns (again) to Dr Rice.

“Condi Rice has been actively, actually in recent weeks, campaigning for
this. There's this ritual in Washington: The Americans for Tax Reform, which is
headed by Grover Norquist, he holds a weekly meeting of conservative leaders --
about 100, 150 people, sort of inside, chattering, class types."

“They all typically get briefings from political conservative leaders. Ten
days ago, they had an interesting visit -- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
-- the first time a secretary of state has visited the Wednesday meeting."

Great Satan's delectable Sec Of State Condoleezza Rice is currently 4th in line to the Pres. No one else running has that kind of 'expertise' and 'ready for the gig right at kick off' stance.

The New Yorker recently made a great PR for Rice and pointed out that being la daemoneoconess femme fatale extroidinare' is actually cool and one heck of a plus.

" To deal first with the obvious: Rice may be “only” the second woman
and the second African-American to be Secretary of State, but she is
indisputably the highest-ranking black female official ever to have served in
any branch of the United States government.

And with Rice on the ticket the Republicans could attack Clinton or Obama
with far less restraint.

By choosing Rice, McCain would shackle himself anew to Bush’s Iraq war.
But it’s hard to see how those chains could get much tighter than he has already
made them. Rice would fit nicely into McCain’s view of the war as worth fighting
but, until Donald Rumsfeld’s exit from the Pentagon, fought clumsily.

And it would be fairly easy to establish a story line that would cast Rice
as having been less Bush’s enabler than a loyal subordinate who nevertheless
pushed gently from within for a more reasonable, more diplomatic
approach.

Rice is already fourth in line for the Presidency, and getting bumped up
three places would be a shorter leap than any of the three Presidential
candidates propose to make. It’s true that her record in office has been one of
failure, from downgrading terrorism as a priority before 9/11 to ignoring the
Israel-Palestine problem until (almost certainly) too late. But this does not
seem to have done much damage to her popularity.

In a Washington Post-ABC News poll taken when opposition to the Iraq war
was approaching its height, she enjoyed a “favorable-unfavorable” rating of
nearly two to one. The conservative rank and file likes her. Though she once
described herself as “mildly pro-choice,” she is agile enough to complete the
journey to mildly pro-life. And she is a preacher’s daughter.

Choosing Rice would be a trick. Her failures would be buried in an
avalanche of positive publicity for a personal story as yet only vaguely known
to the broad public. (One of the little girls who died in the 1963 Birmingham
church bombing was her playmate? We didn’t know that!)

But the trick would not be an entirely cynical one. Her ascension, though
nowhere near as momentous a breakthrough as the election of Obama or Clinton,
would be a breakthrough all the same. In this connection, a kind word for George
W. Bush may be in order.

By appointing first Colin Powell and then Rice to the most senior job in
the Cabinet, a job of global scope, Bush changed the way millions of white
Americans think about black public officials.

This may turn out to the most positive legacy of his benighted Presidency. "

Dr Rice appeared tickled at the thought but pointed out she's fully booked at the moment and then plans to hit campus at Stanford after Great Satan's Prezzy Campaigns and the ensuing electile dysfunction has ended in inauguration.

"Senator McCain is an extraordinary American, a really outstanding leader
and obviously a great patriot. That said, I am going back to Stanford, back to
California, west of the Mississippi. I very much look forward to watching this
campaign and voting as a voter."

Dan Senor sticks to his guns.

“What the McCain campaign has to consider is whether or not they want to pick a total outsider, a fresh face, someone a lot younger than him, a governor who people aren't that familiar with."

The challenge they're realizing is that they'll have to have to spend 30 to 45 days, which they won't have at that point, educating the American public about who this person is.

The other category is someone who people instantly say, the second they
see that announcement, 'I get it, that person could be president tomorrow.'

Condi Rice is an option.”

Not only that, Dr Rice also made the short list for Great Satan's Hootchie of the Year 2007.

Words

Eons ago in pop music - during the latter bit of the last millenium, between the time when Punk went to Charm School and became New Wave, before the rise of Heavy Metal (v2.0) there was a cool artsy pop rock gang out of La La Land called “Missing Persons”.

One of their signature tunes on their breakout debut was called “Words”

"What are words for? When no one listens anymore? When no one listens - there’s
no use talking at all”

This could be the anti soundtrack for recent remarks by actual divine bi partisan realpolitik avatars. Psychic Ex Secs Dr Kissinger and Dr Albright - the very cats who stuck the stab in stability, the up in corrupt and the oral in ammoral concur their second sight cites the need for speed RE: the ever elusive, effervescent, ever eternal ‘dialogue’ with Iran.

Great Satan’s premier expert on non profit jaw flapping in the ME is probably Dennis Ross.

His semi nonessential “Missing Peace” ( 1st Edtion by Farrar, Straus and Giroux in fabrique noir avec guilded script) took 800 pages to realize that Comrade ‘Papa’ Arafat was a corrupt, oath breaking intolerant murderous creep who couldn’t tolerate a tiny free functional democratic, egalitarian, tolerant non Arab society with the highest lit rate in the entire ME (97.1% pour percentage prefere’) that actively pursues academics, art, avionics, business, charity, commerce, education, entertainment, engineering, design, development, medicine and space exploration anywhere in weapons range.

Diplopolitical semi demogoueably formidable Dr Dennis Ross prefers realpolitks fave double play even today

"In order to launch such negotiations, the next president will need to drop
the Bush precondition that Iran must first suspend its uranium enrichment.

But since there is a danger that Iran will see this as an admission of defeat in which America will concede everything sooner or later, the next president must succeed in increasing economic pressures at the same time.

To do so, and thus prime the ground for negotiations, America must convince
its European allies to adjust their policies as well as strategically influence
less friendly powers like China and Russia to fall in line.

America's readiness to talk to Iran without conditions provides leverage
with those who want it to join the negotiations with the Iranians."

Diplomagically transforming and ‘strategically influencing less friendly’ friends may not be impossible - after all the EU is expert on talking with mullahs - they’ve done it for ever. (with nothing to really show for it) until Iran got bored and called it. With tons of bling at stake, Europa may once again enter the negotiating ring.

Post dama trauma East Bloc’s NATO coming out party, missile shields and Serbia sans - Kosovo aside, Russia is really Mother Russia right now - enjoying a Surge of precious little babies and facing a potentially rowdy, heavily weaponized China casting covetous eyes on resource rich Siberia - Leader for Life Vlad may actually go along with it.

A theocratic nuke power with a penchant for magically sprouting rocket rich militias, resistence movements and terrorist cells in innocent civilian rich turf threatens a resurging Russia as ex SSR’s are drawn into a Persian orbit.

Totally uncool for old school collectivists in Russia trying to reabsorb the old evil Empire.

Host with the most and Mcing the Olympics, China is desperately losing a risible retarded battle for control of the www (to control what people do on their own free time - no less) and has the eyes of the world upon her - watching every move all the time.

Like polluting the living daylights out of their own environment. Or routine headbashing.

Even worse, perfumed, rich, hot, tiny, fun, free, democratic, egalitarian, tolerant temptress Taiwan is sweetly sexifully swaying seductively just out of reach.


Thanks to Great Satan. Little Taiwan (who hasn’t ever bothered anyone) deploys an amphibious assault annihilating missile shield of her very own. Like all Great Satan’s Best Girlfriends Forever she is hip and haunch: fully stocked with high tech, future weaponry and a will to survive.

Officially nukeless? Who can say? After NoKo Guy’s "6 SCUDS and a Dud Day" demo back in July 2006 Taiwan may have succumbed to temptation, seduced by survival and transformed covertly over a long weekend. She may have created a surpise or 12 of her own.

China’s lustful desires for Taiwan are a lot like THAT LOOK given by older guys who realize their dreamy dreams of snagging a precious little wikibit hottie - right off the vine - may forever remain unrequited.

If all these cats are indeed herded towards putting some sanctionized fangs into UN Sec resolutions - history’s hurdle doesn’t promise much from high level enrichment interruptus talks .

All of this was tried before. ‘The China Model.” Super saavy ex CIA military spy Guy Ken Pollack recounts in the essential “Persian Puzzle”

“Indeed, China too was a country that 15 years ago seemed ripe for revolution,
until the regime figured out how to defuse the pressure coming from China’s
youth movement for political change. If Iran continues to be successful, there
is no reason to expect revolutionary change in Iran in the near future.”

Obviously, giving red regimers in China a chance to catch their breath and maintain collectivist despotic control into the new millenium hasn’t been much of a high fiving event to soften Beijing’s imperial imperatives.

Since the Surging General is due to report this week and undisclosed Brit leakers leak that it’s all about Iran’s murderous mayhem, meddling and militias usurping Iraq’s baby sovereignity

"Petraeus is going to go very hard on Iran as the source of attacks on the
American effort in Iraq. Iran is waging a war in Iraq. The idea that America
can't fight a war on two fronts is wrong, there can be airstrikes and other
moves."

"Petraeus has put emphasis on America having to fight the
battle on behalf of Iraq. In his report he can frame it in terms of our
soldiers killed and diplomats dead in attacks on the Green Zone."

This is significant - as Arthur Herman noted Diplopolitics sans threats (or even better - fear -) of regime change via force is null and void.

"It can only be effective as the extension of force- force that is a credible
threat because it will be decisive if unleashed, and because it plainly will be
unleashed should diplomacy fail.

Force without diplomacy is sheer brutality, the law of the jungle. But
diplomacy without force, or the threat of force, is an invitation to chaos - no
law at all."

A far better case could made to actually target and take down external assets precious to the Islamic Republic and their newly eclipsing IRRGC.

Assets like Hiz'B'Allah. As the most proficient killers of Americans til 911 time, few tears would be shed by anyone anywhere (save Tehran and Damascus which is actually the point) if HBA became special ops and cruise missile magnets.

Or HAMAS. And of course the myriad of resistence movements (who seem only interested in resisting formation of a functional democratic gov) in Iraq like SCIRI, Badr Corps or Mahdi Army.

Using the Indirect Approach to capture and maintain attention to an issue supreme to the mullahs and their fanboys - like survival.

And it could be done with out striking Persia per se. Vaporizing key players , fanboys and resources outside Iran would most likely arouse little sympathy for the regime in Iran among their own people.

It also makes the case that Great Satan is serious and sensitive to average Iranians and doesn't really desire a full blown war plus provide a wonderful incentive to the ever practical clerics at Preacher Command to engage in real negotiations - a friendly give and take on issues of import.

If an out and out regime killing regime change is absolutely necessary - key weaponry in Iran's armory would have been incinerated early, easily and at little cost.

"When no one listens - it's no use talking at all"

NakBah II

Subtle as a sledgehammer, several Little Satan fans have hooked up to take on played propaganda, faux PR and stripping out right falsehoods right off double d standards, regarding intolerance, denial and doofus disses about Little Satan.

These cats are heavy and take no prisoners - mercilessly deploying passionate factile projectile prolifferation with an in your face front that is just like VIKI the computer lady in "I, Robot" - their logic is undeniable.

"Restoring Truth to the Middle East Narrative by documenting the global
biased politics of the nations, governments, and NGOs that use double standards
to falsely and systematically portray Israeli responses to terror as violations
of moral norms."

With high hopes for their resource phat potentiality (and acknowledgement of an excellent game played courtsmanship wise) GsGf succumbed to the offer and offered up a bit for their inaugural weekend.

Consider this a pre NakBah - Happy 60th BDay present.

Reposted here at the last minute and great expense


Real estate wise, including after the show hoes like West Bank and Gaza Strip - even the hotly contested 13 acres of hottie Har Dov (Shee Bah Farms in Arabic) Tiny tiny Little Satan 'occupies' less than 1% of the Arab world and less than a /10th of 1% of Islamic turf.

What the heck is it about 7 million people that drive almost 300 million absolutely bloody batty?

At war from the day she was born, halfway through the magical month of NakBah (15 May for the Gregorians) Little Satan hit the hood and pretty much took over.

In every measure of economic, political, social, and cultural measurements, Little Satan is a success.

Thriving - totally off the hook - amid a hood fully stocked with misery. Without oil, without a large population, without friendly homies on her borders, without vast real estate, and without the Suez Canal, she is far superior, far more humane than Hosni's Egypt, Abdullah's (v2.0) Jordan, Bashar's Syria and ex colonies like Abbas' West Bank and HAMAS' Gaza Strip.

In fact, Little Satan is so magical - so irresistable - that recent internal Palestinian polls reflect that an amazing 62% of Palestinians would prefer being citizens in Little Satan than any future Palestinian state.

Little Satan got Game! Like all democracies, Little Satan actively and energetically pursues academics, the arts, business, commerce, communications, industry, medicine, science and tech.

World Economic Forum rates Israel at genius level for the last two years - 1st for availability of scientists and engineers, 2nd for venture capital availability, 3rd in the world in Technological readiness, 5th in patents pending amd 7th in innovations.

The 2008 box set will be out soon. Chief Economist and director of the Global Competitiveness Network, Augusto Lopex-Claros, confides:

"Israel has become a world technology powerhouse, and this is beginning to have favorable demonstration effect on the rest of the economy. Israel has benefited from the development of culture of innovation, supported by first-class
institutions of higher education and scientific research."

Missile magnetic wicked Little Satan - unabashedly swinging her skirt high enough to almost see her goodies, busting out with bling, high tech and the most PHD's per capita in the entire ME (135 per 10K for staticians).

When conflicts disrupt these pursuits, Little Satan actively and ruthlessly pursues the absolute defeat of her enemies. Just like Great Satan - Little Satan's armoured blitz by General Sharon in 1967 and 1973 faithfully followed General Sherman and General Patton's model of killing the most enemies, capturing the most pows, liberating the most turf in the least amount of time while suffering far fewer casualities.

In a wonderful homage to Great Satan's Total War Master - many times Little Satan blitzed in Sherman tanks - just like Patton. Victorious without modesty, repeatedly and at will. Many times all at once and all by herself until the Yom Kippor War in 1973.

The Great Satan did indeed intervene to ensure the ME's only Democracy did not perish - if only by replenishing armor and passing on Soviet Union's request to Little Satan: Please Don't park your tanks in downtown Cairo and Damascus.

After all, the real problem in the ME has never been just a K or 2K acres of disputed land, occupied turf or Holy sites. Complete absence of a legitimate government — and played arabic, Palestinian, mohammedist, and socialist foreign subsidized myths and make believeologies - Palestinians may be to blame.

Rowdy foreigners, who learned the hard way not to send in THEIR jets and panzers to conquer Palestine from the river to the sea, feed failed ideas.

That inhumane tactics, illegitimate leaders, suiciders, rocket brigades would grant sweet fruit like the honor, prosperity, and victory that they could never receive through war, tribal dictatorship or public opinion.

Re Vamped and Upgraded from the original fun, fact filled essay "Little Satan"

KANyT

Devil's Advocate Dept. Russia's ex GRU (Soviet Military Intell) site has a very risible bit up on Ukrainia protesting Great Satan's irresistable NATO trick.

The pics show an army of red clad ex commies and their younger, slack jawed*, shave headed minions protesting and day dreaming about the return of the old Soviet Empire, while Great Satan is hanging in Kiev and cutting deals with the Ex East bloc.

Alas, there is no eye candy available. This is significant. Earlier studies prove that without eye candy - chances for success with any movement are nigh impossible.

A friendly tip to reactionary comrades wishing to rehang the Iron Curtain - Get some hotties in there y'all.



* Note that slack jawed seems to be the end result with any guy wearing a cap of sorts. Ask any girl - she'll tell you. Clocking cats with caps is kinda funny as in time, blood flow to the brain is curtailed. Response rate and mental awareness slow to a crawl and often they become nigh incommunicable (though easily manipulated).

Happy BDay RAF

Way back in the last millenium when Europa still enjoyed fighting among themselves right around WWII time - the naughty Jerries pulled a fast one and out flanked the French, Dutch, Belgium and British armies scattering the Allies, entrapping many and ended up hanging and partying in Paris.

So awesome was this 'sickelschnitt' plan that France freaked and screamed "God! Please! Stop!" and totally surrendered in like 6 weeks. This was unheard of - wars tended to last a lot longer and this panzer und stuka unbeatable combat plan was given the name 'Blitzkrieg' - Teutonic for 'lightning war'.

Hard on the heels of dissing the French in another war, das Deutsches Reich prepped for taking the blitz cross channel to hit Great Britain with a D Day style invasion called 'Operation Sealion"

First bit of Sealion was to drive the British Air Force out of the air, achieve and maintain air superiority then hit the beach and hang and party in London. Easy! Great Britain's army was really hurt - many were captured in France and those who were rescued off the beaches at Dunkirk had to leave all their heavy weaponry behind.

Great Britain's mighty fleet would suffer horribly in an Armada redux at the hands of the wicked Luftwaffe if she attempted (and everyone knew she would) to stop an invasion with no air cover.
It was awful scary looking. Sir Winnie himself pointed out the war was just starting and everything depended on it.

".......the Battle of France is over. The Battle of Britain is about to begin,
upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilization, upon it depends
our own British life and the long continuity of our institution and our Empire."

In the summer of 1940, 2,936 pilots took part in an historic battle against the German Luftwaffe that was to become the only battle to be fought entirely in the air (Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan in 2001 was a very close 2nd), this battle has become known as; the Battle of Britain.

These brave pilots came from all walks of life, many were trained and
experienced, but most had come from civilian duties to become fighter pilots
with RAF Fighter Command. During that battle which lasted almost four months,
544 of them would lose their lives, many of them killed in action, while others
were never to be heard of again, and officially listed as missing in action. The
Battle of Britain was a prelude to the German invasion of Great Britain which
after just four months had to be abandoned because of the dedication, courage
and tenacity of those 2,936 pilots, who, against a formidable and experienced
foe and against all odds, fought only for success.

The great victory that they fought for MUST NEVER BE FORGOTTEN

And it hasn't. Even today, the spiritual sons of the Few fly and fight in the dark scary places of the world and they carry the torch of Freedom and Liberty. From aerodromes in France nearly a century ago to Basra today, the RAF is the harbinger of hope, free will and the future.

"The gratitude of every home in our Island, in our Empire, and indeed throughout
the world, except in the abodes of the guilty, goes out to the British airmen
who, undaunted by odds, unwearied in their constant challenge and mortal danger,
are turning the tide of the world war by their prowess and by their devotion.
Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few."

Happy 90th BDay Royal Air Force!

From your crazy cousins across the Pond.

(Love the Bikini!)

Portman For VP?

Natalie Portman has made the short list for the GOP's potential VP nomies in 2008. Novak's column broke the story recently hot on the heels of the hottie actress's Capitol Hill debut a while back.

Senator McCain's insiders claim that Portman is a natural because

"She's hotter than a firecracker, easy on the eyes and brings financial gravitas
to the campaign. Not only that, Natalie has executive expertise from the
first three Star Wars films portraying a Princess, Senator and Resistance Leader"

Natalie wasn't the first hottie considered for the campaign. Paris the Heiress was on the list too.

"Paris is the COO for four different corps that netted about 28 million in
profits. Clearly that is an economic leader - one that could balance the GOP's nominee's strong Defense and Foreign Affairs bona fides."

Angelina Jolie was also briefly considered because of her Pro Surge stance though ultimately discounted because of several tats strategically located that might prove distracting to easily distracted voters in the Fall.

Paris Hilton was dropped from consideration despite being 'Hot' because of several incidents that would be tough for law and order voters and video collectors.

submitted by ApRil FoOlS