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Ikhwan!
The delightful tingly sensation of being totally correct - so far - certainly opens up a bit of psychic future looking at Aegypt.
Pyramidland's President Pharoh For Life must go. The sooner the better - in fact - the longer he clings to power the more likely the worst of a future Persian style theocrazy scenario becomes.
"...Arab world is being left behind by other regions, whether the benchmark be literacy, educational achievement, private enterprise, healthcare or women's rights. These trends, if allowed to continue unchecked, promise only more days of rage, more instability and more grief.
Just lucky - Great Satan has game in giving an assist to allied despotries swinging all the way over to fun, functional democrazy status. Philippines, SoKo - even Land of the Pure - all had suffered with Leaders for Life of nation/states vital to Great Satan's hot! interests in the diplopolititary realm.
If Great Satan creates yet another inside out dictatorship to democrazy trip - like in Pyramidland right now - her street wise tricks and cred will be off the hook as "... much-needed credibility in the region. Successful transitions in Egypt and Tunisia could herald a reimagined relationship..." betwixt Great Satan and the entire Arab League- just as 44 promised in the "New Beginning" speech at Cairo
"...No one should underestimate the crucial role of international actors. Rarely do successful democratic transitions occur without constructive engagement from Western governments and organizations.
44 should ideally be way out in front on this - failing to recover from the Realist in the head leaks or Bystander In Chief mode could leave 3 probable scenarios for a new Egypt:
A Burmese/Myanmarish Military gov:
"...Whether the military assumes power in Cairo, as has been the case in Rangoon for decades, is unclear. Sami Annan, the army's chief of staff, and Defense Minister Mohammed Hussein Tantawi traveled to Washington at the beginning of the week. The military leadership is undoubtedly coordinating its next steps with the Pentagon, despite the fact that Washington threatened to freeze military aid to Cairo on Friday evening.
"...Modern-day Egypt has a tradition of having presidents with military backgrounds. Gamel Abdal Nasser, Sadat and Mubarak, Egypt's three leaders since 1954, all had army backgrounds. And Defense Minister Tantawi, 75, is significantly more popular than intelligence chief Omar Suleiman, also frequently mentioned as a possible successor to Mubarak.
Neo Ottoman ala Turkey:
"...The Turkish model espoused by the Justice and Development Party (AKP ) of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has inspired many Arab democrats. It is the only successful attempt to date to domesticate political Islam, an attempt that has succeeded both economically and in terms of foreign policy. Of course, to implement this model in Egypt the Muslim Brotherhood would have to follow the example of Turkey's Islamists, that is, to significantly modernize its image of humanity and more clearly distance itself from terror than it has done to date.
Which brings up the uncool idea of a Sunni Theocrazy not unlike Iran's Ayatollah regime.
"...The m"Hammedist Bro Hood would be calamitous for U.S. security. What's more, their current defenders don't really argue that point, as much as they seem to dismiss it as not important or something we can live with. The MB supports Hamas and other terrorist groups, makes friendly noises to Iranian dictators and torturers, would be uncertain landlords of the critical Suez Canal, and opposes the Egyptian-Israeli agreement of 1979, widely regarded as the foundation of peace in the Mideast. Above all, the MB would endanger counterterrorism efforts in the region and worldwide. That is a very big deal.
Ikhwan may be the best organized (and most ruthless?) political opfor group in Pyramidland yet it is worth remembering that in the mommie land of all of Araby with a population of 80 million, BroHood membership is guestimated to be in the low hundreds of thousands - last year the movement contested less than a third of all parliamentary seats.
Assuming the worst case scenario would indeed be scary.
Especially for Egypt.
If a magical Sunnilicious caliphate seized control, opened season on killing Xians, tormented women and girls (even more than now) severed all ties with Great and Little Satan, allowed Egyptian embassies worldwide to become associates or enablers of a myriad of terroristic groups, proclaimed the Cold Peace was over, began a chaotic transit experiment with Suez canal, armed and infiltrated weaponry and volte d'guerres into the Strip to practice asymmetrical warfare - then look out!
Foreign aid would evaporate overnight, crushing UN sanctioned sanctions strangles the economy til it ceased to exist, spy wars would rage across Egypt, the Suez would taken into internat'l rec'vership, and any radical fundie gov would end up exactly where Pres For Life Hosni is today
Pic - "Searching for something missed before"
Oh yes.
These cats are harder to recipp link love than the something something Foreign Policy Watch cats (decorum prohibs further extrapolation).
Any wrought, feel free to utilize this awesomely hot! Ink Spots screensaver.
Pic - "Hey! How's that democrazy denial/despotry deconstruction diss going?"
Thank you sir, may we have another?
Council Winners
Non-Council Winners
Honorable Mentions
See you next week!
Whoa!
Kinda like those wikiliquer shotses - the regional wide unrest in the sad collective of failing nation states collectively nom d'guerr'd "Arab League" - proves (again) daemoneoconicism is way more correct than any other school of tho't available.
Like Pyramidland. Undying Pharoh for Life Hosni has ruled by emergency decrees for eons - since way back in the last millennium.
Aside from keeping a lid on political opposition, political fundie m"Hammedism and maintaining a very Cold Peace with Little Satan, Egypt's accomplishments are horribly embarrassing. Egypt leads the world in two things - unspeakable gender apartheid and rec'ving American Foreign Aid.
Revolutions and inside out Regime Changin' are not unlike heavy petting - who knows where it could end up at?
"...One reason that we have to regard the prospect of an Egyptian upheaval with trepidation is that Mubarak has systematically neutered his organized democratic opposition, leaving (politcal m"Hammedism) as the most obvious alternative
"...By all appearances, the protesters in Egypt are secular democracy activists who, for their troubles, are getting beaten with bamboo sticks and having rocks thrown at them by the police. The Ikwan (m"Hammedist Brotherhood) has, so far, been sitting out the demonstrations as an entity.
"...If the protesters were to succeed in toppling Mubarak — sending him packing to Saudi Arabia, as some of their signs suggest — it could open the way for an even less appealing regime. In a revolutionary situation, often he who is best organized, and most willful and bloody-minded, prevails.
While valid way back in the 2003 days, that may be suspect in the modern era.
Hysterical clerical regimes have proven they are totally great at preaching, deploying panty police or banning cool emo/goth hair styles, music, fun and free choice - yet totally suck at nearly any endeavor of modern statecraft.
Iran (and HAMAS too) totally queers the mix on estabbing a caliphatical Preacher's Paradise. From mismanaging the economy, dubious foreign adventures in Lebanon, Palestine and Iraq, repressing and alienating a society chock full of kids, the theocrazy preacher ran regime in Tehran has been totally discredited on live tv.
HAMAS has shown they have nearly perfected homegrown rocketeers, and are actually quite good at starting wars, human shielding and electile phobia. They represent no one but a curious idea of a Preachers Paradise, perhaps not as corrupt as secular Arab despotries but certainly as unfun and unfree as any.
A fully crunk fundie gov may no longer be seen as an alluring mythical alternative to the wretched reality of Arab regimes in which people live - In Iran and the Strip - fundamentalism IS the wretched reality in which people live.
Most likely Undying Pharoh Hosni will crack enough heads to maintain power for another season. If the riot police chicken out, the military is called in and refuses to act out against unarmed civies in the street - anything could happen mein schatze!
And Great Satan should make it clear -it's time for him to split - sooner rather than later.
"...Mubarak — 82 years old and up for election in the fall — that he’s now a transitional figure, and that the days of our easy tolerance for his dictatorial rule are over. Lift the emergency decrees he’s imposed since 1981, liberalize the election laws, and restore the judicial oversight of elections. If he’s not amenable, well, there’s no reason we need to keep shoveling vast amounts of aid his way.
Pic - "And I'm burning, I'm burning, I'm burning for you"
Levant!
The overtly robust bespectacled girthy Body Part Collector General issued a rambling, hard to follow statement - essentially - Hiz'B'Allah wouldn't go out of their way to kill anyone - unless anyone got in their way
Since collapsing the gov,
Hiz'B'Allah is on their way to xforming what's left of Lebanon's parliamentary democracy into a terrorist parliamentary democracy.
Inexplicably, some may not see a big deal - worthy of Great Satan's "...interests that should occupy the time of senior policy-makers... " in Lebanon,
yet, it certainly IS a big deal bay bee.
Consider:
Hiz'B'Allah is an official enemy of Great Satan. A terrorist org that owes America a blood debt with NO statue of limitations. An org that is illegal to do biz with in any way.
Hiz'B'Allah's two patrons are Official Designated Creep Nations - Iran and Syria.
"...Lebanon is now governed by a terrorist organization, which means that unlike Hiz'B'Allah's patrons in Iran and Syria, the country is not merely a state sponsor of terror, but is an actual terrorist state, and one that will be in violation of several UN Security Council resolutions..."
With a bona fided nation state like Lebanon in Hiz'B'Allah's bloody clutches, terrorists could be granted ambassadorships, Foreign Ministry posts, Defense Ministry commands, etc, etc. Hariri's own assassins could be given diplomatic immunity.
Just imagine. Imad Muganiyah's cadre able to trek all about the world - comfy and safe as milk with official government portfolios as cover
Lebanon's embassies around the world could augment Hiz'B'Allah's global reach
Even more - Hiz'B'Allah are simply the most proficient killers and serial tormentors of Americans since Cold War time. And it's not all ancient 'Flock of Seagulls" era either. Hiz'B'Allah trained Mahdi Army and engaged in missions against Americans in Iraq - in fact any American casualty since 2005 could very well be attributed to Hiz'B'Allah.
Pic - "Lebanon, or at least the democratic forces in Lebanon, are being held hostage. And no one, is going to come to her rescue."
For those of us born betwixt the Fall of the Wall and 911, we kinda grew up with Great Satan unbound. Until Operation Iraqi Freedom, for older Americans - battles and history were old school stuff that would probably never happen again.
As "Rock of The Marne" blitzed through the largest Arab army in history in 20 days, her combat power was unparalled:
"An infantry division in name only, fielding 270 Abrams M1 tanks with mobile infantry that could be hastily formed into adhoc battle groups to handle a variety of missions"
Thunder Running into downtown Baghdad, even phoning up the Iraqi Minister of Misinformation at Palestine Hotel to request "Parking for 88 tanks" seemed like the debut of audacious American war fighting.
Actually - "Rock of the Marne" was following in the footsteps of their spiritual great grandfathers
"On 26 January 1945, 2d Lt. Murphy commanded Company B, which was attacked by 6 tanks and waves of infantry. 2d Lt. Murphy ordered his men to withdraw to prepared positions in a woods, while he remained forward at his command post and continued to give fire directions to the artillery by telephone.
"Behind him, to his right, 1 of our tank destroyers received a direct hit and began to burn. Its crew withdrew to the woods.
"2d Lt. Murphy continued to direct artillery fire which killed large numbers of the advancing enemy infantry. With the enemy tanks abreast of his position, 2d Lt. Murphy climbed on the burning tank destroyer, which was in danger of blowing up at any moment, and employed its .50 caliber machinegun against the enemy.
"He was alone and exposed to German fire from 3 sides, but his deadly fire killed dozens of Germans and caused their infantry attack to waver. The enemy tanks, losing infantry support, began to fall back. For an hour the Germans tried every available weapon to eliminate 2d Lt. Murphy, but he continued to hold his position and wiped out a squad which was trying to creep up unnoticed on his right flank.
"Germans reached as close as 10 yards, only to be mowed down by his fire. He received a leg wound, but ignored it and continued the single-handed fight until his ammunition was exhausted. He then made his way to his company, refused medical attention, and organized the company in a counterattack which forced the Germans to withdraw.
"His directing of artillery fire wiped out many of the enemy; he killed or wounded about 50. 2d Lt. Murphy's indomitable courage and his refusal to give an inch of ground saved his company from possible encirclement and destruction, and enabled it to hold the woods which had been the enemy's objective.
"The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, March 3, 1863, has awarded in the name of The Congress the MEDAL OF HONOR to LIEUTENANT AUDIE L. MURPHY, UNITED STATES ARMY
Today is the anniversary of Lt Murphy's heroic achievement - Americans everywhere should get on their knees and thank God Almighty for raising up this laughing race of free men.
Pic - "Our Heroes Live In Our Hearts"
State of the State bay bee!
Kindred spirits over at Shadow Gov broke out 3 hot spots that hopefully - amidst all the jobs, civility and tone talk - 44 will fire off some signals about:
Afghanistan.
The administration continues to send conflicting and conflicted signals about the Afghanistan war and the meaning of July 2011 as a "drawdown" date. As Peter Feaver has argued, the White House's rhetorical neglect of Afghanistan threatens to erode tenuous public support. Meanwhile, key actors -- ranging from our NATO allies, India, and the Afghan people and government to Pakistan and the Taliban -- all remain uncertain about Great Satan's commitment to success in the Afghan mission. And all will in their own ways hedge accordingly.
The Congressional audience tomorrow night will be essential for supporting and continuing to fund the war effort -- and needs to know it is a priority for the president. Most important, American forces currently deployed in theater need to hear from their commander-in-chief that he is resolved to see their efforts through.
Iran.
When the governments of Iran, Little and Great Satan all say the same thing, it is probably true. So it seems to be the case that the Stuxnet virus has degraded Iran's uranium enrichment capability and thus delayed the clock on its nuclear weapons program. Yet if anything these setbacks have only exacerbated Iranian intransigence at the negotiating table. And a perpetual concern with the cagey Iranian regime is the "unknown unknowns" -- such as the possibility of other uranium enrichment sites, as yet undiscovered and undeclared.
In short, the Iranian nuclear program remains a front-burner concern, and how it is handled will define in part the administration's foreign policy legacy. 44 should make clear tomorrow night to the Great Satan's' P-5 plus 1 partners, to Little Satan, and to the Iranian regime that he remains resolved that Iran will not develop nuclear weapons. And as February's anniversary of the Iranian revolution approaches, he should also make clear to the Iranian people that Great Satan supports their desire for liberty.
Al Qaeda.
This year will witness the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. Remarkably, al Qaeda has not since succeeded in another large-scale attack on American turf. As unfathomable as this fact would have seemed in the weeks following 9/11, it is no accident but rather stems from the vigilance of the 43's and subsequently 44's respective admins in pursuing aggressive counterterrorism policies.
Policies which, as Stephen Carter of Yale Law School argues in his most recent book, 44's team may have denounced during their campaign but have adopted and expanded while in office. Yet Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri remain at large, al Qaeda remains viable and dangerous, and threats continue against Great Satan and our allies.
44 should remind the nation that while we are safer we are not safe, and should remind al Qaeda's leadership that our commitment to defeat it remains undiminished.
Pic - "The State of our Union is hot!"
Everybody knows about the Nakbah - essentially a land grab by Little Satan's neighboring nation states that went horribly wrong - granting Little Satan even more real estate!
Wik Wik Wikileaks via Great Britain's Guardian promises to unleash hot tales and deets about Palestine, Little Satan and the forever quest for ME Peace:
"...The scale of confidential concessions offered by Palestinian negotiators, including on the highly risible thing about something something "right of return" of Palestinian refugees. And their children. And their grandchildren. And their great grandchildren
• How Little Satan privately asked for some Arab citizens to be transferred to a new Palestinian state.
• The intimate level of covert co-operation between Little Satan's security forces and the Palestinian Authority.
• The central role of British intelligence in drawing up a secret plan to crush HAMAS in the Palestinian territories.
• How Palestinian Authority (PA) leaders were privately tipped off about Little Satan's Cast Lead Strip Blitz
Most controversially, they also proposed a joint committee to take over the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount holy sites in Jerusalem's Old City – the neuralgic issue that helped sink the Camp David talks in 2000 after Comrade 'Papa" Arafat refused to concede sovereignty around the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa mosques.
"...Many of the 1,600 leaked documents – drawn up by PA officials and lawyers working for the British-funded PLO negotiations support unit and include extensive verbatim transcripts of private meetings – have been independently authenticated by the Guardian and corroborated by former participants in the talks and intelligence and diplomatic sources.
"...Guardian's coverage is supplemented by WikiLeaks cables, emanating from Great Satan's consulate in Jerusalem and embassy in Tel Aviv. Little Satan also kept her own records of the talks, which may differ from the confidential Palestinian accounts.
***SPOILER ALERT***
The super secret concession in May 2008 by Palestinian Nakbahteers to allow Little Satan to annex choice turf in East J'lem – a focus of controversy after Little Satan gave the go-ahead for 1,400 new homes – has never been made public!
Pic - "Nakbahteers!"
As Tunisian Squeeze week drives into the week end - a few hot! pieces to check out.
First, check Ilan Berman (one of the smartest cookies in Great Satan's jar - just saying) about the lessons internalized by the remaining 21 despots of Arab League. Cutting to it - the next Arab uprising may get the Tienanmen Square treatment:
"...The lesson Middle Eastern leaders are likely to take away from Ben Ali’s sudden fall from grace is that the Tunisian president wasn’t ousted because he was a strongman, but because he wasn’t enough of one."
TPM Barnett - the Pentagon Map guy - shares why way more cats than Arab League should be thinking about escape hatches
1. Any regime with a youth bulge should worry.
"...Which is most of the Arab world, really, as the bulk of that population is under 30, with big numbers heading into the workforce over the coming years. Experts estimate that — for the Middle East and North Africa alone — 100 million new jobs need to be created by 2030. And the problems in Tunisia have mostly centered on high unemployment, pure and simple. Ben Ali clearly wasn't getting the job done, and now he's out of one.
2. The European Union should worry.
"...Trapped in its own economic downturn and becoming more wary of foreign workers (e.g., the death of multikulti in Germany), the EU remains the great release valve for North Africa. By being less welcoming, Europe merely condemns North Africa to more tumult like what we've seen this past week, which in turn creates even more of an emigration push from the region. "Children of Men" Europe should know better: it isn't cranking enough babies to be so stand-oafish.
3. China should worry.
"...This week's summit aside, there's simply the lesson of the masses who revolt over there not being enough jobs. China, by all estimates, needs to create 25 million new ones — a year! — to process the inflow of college graduates and others seeking labor. Then there's China's deserved reputation for its overseas investments: Beijing signs a deal for some big construction gig and then imports all the workers from China — only to strand them there once construction is over! Over time, regimes are coming to the conclusion that China is more problem than solution on the jobs front. So am I, on others.
4. Egypt's modern "pharaoh" should worry.
"...Last time I was in Egypt, I heard the same lament from every young man I came across: "I can't get married because I can't get a job!" You want to brew a revolution? There's no faster way than keeping young men from getting their just desserts, if you know what I mean. Put them off long enough, and some will resort to a strap-on — you know, the kind that allegedly wins you 72 virgins in the afterlife. And president pharoah Hosni Mubarak's latest offer to his public is... 8-percent economic growth for the foreseeable future. Now that's downright China-like, if he can keep his promises — and fast.
5. Algeria should worry.
"...Buried in the headlines has been similar street-level unrest nextdoor in Algeria, where the primary complaint is the skyrocketing price of food (30 percent since New Year's Day?!). We've seen these things move in viral waves before (Eastern Europe 1989, the "color revolutions" in the former Soviet Union in the early 2000s), and no amount of hand-washing — much less official hand-wringing — will stem this once like-minded youth culture from coming to the conclusion that, well, Now is the time to stick it to those bastards!
6. Any government keeping the masses happy with food subsidies should worry.
"...I warned about this just last week over at my day job for Wikistrat: With global food supplies already tight and La Niña playing havoc with crops, emerging-market governments the world over face spiking food costs that may reach the destabilizing heights of 2008. How many revolutions in history have been started over the price of bread? Are you kidding? Virtually all of them. Re-read your Victor Hugo.
Whoa!
Man it up!
As previously previewed like a billion times - realpolitikers, retreatists (often nom d'guerr'd as Offshore Balancingers) and their fanboy posse often freak the freak out about the precision guided 500lb you know what in the room
Indulging in risible, yet boring asset'd inappropopriate handwringing inner ethical rasslin' matches about forsaking one of Great Satan's most awesomest weapons in her hot weaponry dispensary - seriously - these ppl spend most of their day in a climate controlled environment surrounded by smart ppl? They would do way more better to hang at Hooters all day instead.
It's the full meal deal in any serious consideration of diplopolititary concerns future, historic or au courant - the delightfully daemoneoconically delish menage a trois:
Democrazy Promotion, Projection and Protection.
One thing is clear from the "Tunisian Squeeze":
"...People in the Middle East have given up any hope that the United States can be a force for democratic change. As the uprising spread in Tunisia, the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama stayed largely silent until the day Ben Ali fled.
That's when 44 issued yet another viagra free "By Stander in Chief" statement condemning the use of violence against peaceful protesters and applauding "the courage and dignity" of Tunisians.
"...By then, it was too late: The U.S.-backed dictator was gone, and the Arab world chalked up another example of how Washington favors stability over democracy.
"...44 inherited a decades-old policy of supporting autocratic regimes - such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan - in exchange for political acquiescence. Most governments in the Middle East rely on vast secret police agencies to keep them in power, using the "war on terror" as a cover to silence any opposition. Like Tunisia's Ben Ali, these regimes put on a veneer of stability for the West, but in reality their political systems are weak, corrupt and calcified.
Oh, it is so mein schatzen. Hoping for stability over democrazy is a sure fire recipe for heartache. Forsaking democrazy - has never brought stability - it has brought metric tonnes of instability, genocide, energy weaponry, terrorism and got a lot of ppl killed.
And for what? Yet another unstiff exercise in weirdly unAmerican theories to propagate the amoral Cult of Stability?
Man it up!
Every threat to internat’l order after the Cold War involved a government that fell short of Western and economic standards. Every security problem that the American government felt called upon to address would be alleviated, if not solved altogether, if the regimes responsible for them could be sweetly remade to American specs:
Tolerant, egalitarian societies with a penchant for periodic, transparent elections, a free, uncensored press, a nat’l treasury under public scrutiny, a military under civie control, an independent judiciary under elected Gov oversight
Man it up! This is where democrazy protection comes into play. Once a nation state has overthrown, or regime changed illegit leaders for life at the point of the world famous M16 that deliver zero services for their own ppl, (either way is fine) Great Satan may step in with a few fun, friendly teachable moments
The most literate Arabs ever on the face of the earth freely voting in the world's very first suicide regime in the Strip (then instantly nulling and voiding democrazy with R2P Clause violations like state sanctioned terrorism and launching a war of aggression against Little Satan - herself a democratic member of UN) certainly comes to mind
Man it up! It's Great Satan's innate strength - she offers what unfree, unfun and nigh unhinged regimes cannot ever offer.
It's Great Satan's natural function, for she is the one truly revolutionary country in the world for more than 2 centuries. She does it automatically, and that is precisely why the tyrants hate her guts, and are driven to attack her. An enormous advantage, tyrants fear her, and their oppressed peoples want what she offers: freedom.
Man it up!
Pic - "If leaders don't offer a positive vision and give young people meaningful ways to contribute, others will fill the vacuum."
Revenge!
A lot like pizza actually - totally delish hot or cold!
"...He knew that he was a dead man. From the moment he shot the Israeli soldier sitting on the car seat behind him in the face, he knew that they would get him sooner or later.
"...For Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, it would take 20 years for that day to come.
Der Spiegel does der Kiss und Tell about the hit that Little Satan may have done in Dubai on a HAMAS killer and rocketeer supporter - and it is smoking bay bee!
M'Ssad's elite "Ceaserea" assassin auxiliary deployed tons of agents and enablers - 27 cats in all to take out M"moud al-Mabhouh
"...At about noon on Jan. 20, 2010, employees at the Al Bustan Rotana airport hotel in Dubai opened the door of room 230 to find the body of a man on the bed. According to the death certificate, the cause of death was "brain hemorrhage."
"...At the time, no one knew who exactly the dead man was. Mabhouh was considered to be the chief weapons negotiator for Hamas, the Palestinian organization's main contact to Tehran and the logistician behind rocket attacks on Israel coming from the Gaza Strip.
"...A man with a pedigree like that doesn't die of a brain hemorrhage. In fact, al-Mabhouh became a marked man long ago.
The lesson to internalize and hopefully act out on in the very near future is NOT all the jank about fakebelieve passports, internat'l outrage (yeah how's that working for the Hariri Tribunal?) or inappropriate handwringing and worrying about the wrong thing.
Consider: Certain elements alive and well in the world today have a very real blood debt to to repay - a debt that has no statue of limitations - plots, plans and preps should be drawn up and implemented.
Several that easily come to mind are Mookie al Sadr and H'San Nasr'Allah. As leaders of terrorist orgs with rivers of American blood on their hands, they, along with especial Persian al Qods cats should be on a very short list of targets that ideally could be spirited away for thorough, intense, leisured enhanced interrogation in a very uncomfortable unknown controlled environment.
Or killed and left on the side of the road for a stranger to bury.
Either way is fine.
Pic - "Need to be a little crazy"
Oh, it's time!
Hard (and hot!) on the heels of Great Satan's Def Sec' Sinolander Tour - Collectivist China debuts her version of X-37B unmanned spacedrone that performed her first ever mission last year. X37B is an elusive drone - capable of smiting any target on Earth at any time and she cannot be tracked down using the existing ABM tech platforms.
It also heralds Prime Minister Hu's daytrip to hook up and hang with 44. And an opportunity.
Since getting all engagement happy with China has totally sucked, 44 may be hotter to get more realistic about Chinese diplopolititary chicanery.
PM Hu Jintao’s DC hook n hang would be perfect timing for Great Satan to share she's truly serious about forging a Great Satan-China mash up.
Reassuring fun free choice democrazy allies (more like little sisters) in Asia, and an alluringly alluding illicit hot text message to PRC about loving long time, long-term American interests all around 1st Island Chain - and beyond.
Regardless who is running the semi chaotic regime - civie partycrats or PLA and N Generals and Admirals - need to get it laid out in plain language that every one hear can easily understand
Strategic Reassessment, Baby
Consisting of four fully crunk counterminously moving daemoneoconic designs:
Military Mods, FoPo, Democrazy Promo/Projection/Protection plots and Bling/Trade
* Solidify America’s relationships with our Asian allies to counter-balance the increasing capability and reach of China’s military. Increased arms sales to Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Australia, and India; as well as an expanded regional missile defense architecture to counter China’s ballistic missile threat would dramatically improve the East Asian security situation. Great Satan should also encourage her posse to increasingly conduct joint political meetings as well as military exercises.
* Abandon Secretary Gates’ policy of accepting mid-term risk with states like China in America’s force posture. Great Satan should restore production of the fifth-generation F-22 fighter; and maintain funding for the Navy’s 12-carrier, 313-ship plan. A larger modern military will help maintain America’s qualitative edge against China, and reassure our Asian allies regarding U.S. staying power in the region.
* Continue long-standing of support for tiny tiny Taiwan (who hasn't ever bothered anybody). Recent reports that Great Satan will sell Taipei upgrades to its F-16s are encouraging; however, because the increasingly modern Chinese air force is overshadowing Taiwanese capabilities, 44's Admin should begin discussions immediately regarding selling Taiwan the F-35, as it will with Japan and Australia, as well as explore other means to bolster the island’s defensive capabilities, such as through missile defense or submarine sales.
* Elevate concern for democracy and human rights. Speak out against Chinese human rights abuses in every available forum at every available opportunity. Establish linkage between American policy towards the People’s Republic and its human rights behavior. Recognize that the best long-term solution for American concerns about Chinese behavior is its eventual democratization and expose the connection between the nature of China’s communist regime and its behavior at home and abroad.
* Seek solutions to major international issues without China. Though the P5+1 and Six Party Talks were, conceptually, an innovative method to deal with Iran and North Korea; in practice, they have served as another mechanism by which Russia and China continue to resist efforts to compel their client states.
Instead, Great Satan, in concert with the League of Hot! Democrazies, should seek other avenues to impair these regimes’ capabilities.
Pic - "Gulliver's Travails"
Maghrib!
Perhaps better known as Barbary Coast in Great Satan speak - the scene of Tunisia's au courant inside out regime change (the best regime change of all - nicht wahr?) has ramming speed ramifications for all of Arab Leagues pitiful despotries!
What happens after the shots fade from the old school infantry skirmish betwixt former and newly minted praetorians may indeed prove yet and once again the delightful daemoneoconically delish predictive observation Uncle Tony psychically predicted are totally correct!
"...There is a myth that though we love freedom, others don't; that our attachment to freedom is a product of our culture; that freedom, democracy, human rights, the rule of law are American values or Western values..."
An article of faith among the faithless (that for decency's sake shall remain linkless) is essentially hot! sexyful fun and free choice are totally incompatible with certain elements in the world.
The idea that Tunisians - ironically perhaps the most better offest cats trapped in any Arab Autocrazies - threw out their strongman of long standing is sending wonderfully crunk conflict free signals to the rest of sad creepy control freaks and their rapidly computerizing police states.
It's an ancient tale. Great Satan's bona fided reps hit the scene with hot talk about democratic reform and the leader for life always cries out that intolerant m"Hammedists would seize power.
"...If I do what you ask, HAMAS would take over..."
True enough for the Strip! And for then.
'Cept now - the Tunisian Squeeze is on bay bee!
"...For decades, a host of Arab dictators have justified their endless terms in office by pointing to !slamists waiting in the wings. Having both inflated the egos and power of m"Hammedists and scared Western allies into accepting stability over democracy.
Hysterical clerical regimes have proven they are totally great at preaching, deploying panty police or banning cool emo/goth hair styles, music, fun and free choice - yet totally suck at nearly any endeavor of modern statecraft.
Iran (and HAMAS too) totally queers the mix on estabbing a caliphatical Preacher's Paradise. From mismanaging the economy, dubious foreign adventures in Lebanon, Palestine and Iraq, repressing and alienating a society chock full of kids, the theocrazy preacher ran regime has been totally discredited on live tv.
Instead, a fully crunk fundie gov may no longer be seen as an alluring mythical alternative to the wretched reality of Arab regimes in which people live - In Iran and the Strip - fundamentalism IS the wretched reality in which people live.
Tunisian Squeeze proves people there do NOT want another dictatorship. Doesn't matter if it's secular or super holy. 21 Arab League despots are internalizing this message right now
And it also gives the lie to funk obsessed Great Satan haters and any bassackwards unseductive attempt to forsake democrazy promotion and worship at the alter of the corrupt cult of stability
Pic - "...Anywhere, any time ordinary people are given the chance to choose, the choice is the same: freedom, not tyranny; democracy, not dictatorship; the rule of law, not the rule of the secret police.
There she is!
Miss America 2011 - Best Wishes Teresa Scanlan and congrats!
"...She plans on majoring in Government: American Politics and Policy and then attending Law School to become a Trial Attorney in Criminal Prosecution. Hoping to become a judge and eventually become involved in the political arena, her highest career goals are to become President or a Supreme Court Justice.
"...As a Xian in the political arena, she hopes to break down the stereotype of crooked and dishonest politicians, operating instead under character and integrity.
Oh! It's true bay bee!
Talking 'bout Imperial m"Hammedism's shock troops of the world's very first global terrorist org, able to raise, recruit and train fanboys via the interwebses and in certain hoods.
Great Satan's premier ex spy guy - the cat that put the 'ace' in deadly embrace fires off several high velocity rounds downrange about aQ and their asymmetrical evolutionary evolution au courant
Money shots include:
"...Al Qaeda today has four faces. The first is familiar: the core group that includes Bin Laden and his deputy, Ayman Zawahiri. From its base in the badlands along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, this nucleus still provides strategic direction to both the group itself and to the worldwide jihadist community. The largest manhunt in human history, which has included a punishing drone offensive, has damaged Al Qaeda's core, but it has by no means destroyed it.
"..The second face of Al Qaeda is the syndicate of terror networks aligned (either openly or covertly) with the group in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Pakistani Taliban, responsible for the failed Times Square car bomb attack last May, is openly allied with Bin Laden. Lashkar-e-Taiba, which orchestrated the Mumbai attack two years ago, is more clandestinely allied with Al Qaeda, but the two organizations are known to have plotted together on a failed 2009 attack in Denmark.
"...That same plot resurfaced this winter when the Danes arrested four well-armed terrorists aiming to attack a newspaper office on New Year's Day because it had published cartoons mocking the prophet Muhammad.
"...The Afghan Taliban remains Al Qaeda's essential partner in Afghanistan. Although the Taliban often operates independently, it also coordinates joint actions with Al Qaeda, as in the deadly strike on a CIA base in Khowst on Dec. 31, 2009. That attack, which killed seven Americans, was a joint operation of Al Qaeda, the Afghan Taliban and the Pakistani Taliban.
"...The third face of Al Qaeda can be seen in its regional franchises around the Islamic world. These include organizations in North Africa, Yemen and Indonesia. Al Qaeda in Yemen, widely viewed as the most dangerous of the group's regional operations, staged both an attempted Christmas 2008 airliner bombing and the foiled parcel bomb attacks aimed at Chicago in October. Across the Gulf of Aden, Al Qaeda's proteges in Somalia pose an increasing danger to other parts of Africa, as they demonstrated during the World Cup when they sent a suicide bomber to Uganda. Even the much-diminished Al Qaeda franchise in Iraq continues to strike periodically and has claimed credit for an attempted suicide bombing in Sweden last month.
"...In the meantime, Al Qaeda franchises have learned from the mistakes of their sister organizations and adapted. In Iraq, for example, Al Qaeda tried to take over the Sunni insurgency and was rebuffed. In Pakistan and Afghanistan today, it lets the local Talibans lead the war effort while it stays in the shadows.
"...Self-initiated jihadists without formal ties to terrorist groups are becoming a fourth face of Al Qaeda. The massacre at Ft. Hood, Texas, was the work of one such individual. Sometimes these self-starters get in touch with Al Qaeda, usually in Pakistan or Yemen, and offer themselves as potential bombers, receiving training from the group.
"...This was the case with three Americans who were trained by Al Qaeda in Pakistan to build bombs and planned to blow themselves up on the New York City subway system a few days after the anniversary of 9/11 in 2009, a plot that was disrupted by the FBI. But even when terrorists take on freelance missions, such as the one at Ft. Hood, they are often deeply influenced by the group's existence and its goal of global jihad.
Pic - "Global Reach"
N'sh'Allah!
The old state within a state stage show can swing both ways bay bee!
Check it. The rocket rich rejectionist 'resistance' movement (that, btw, seems way more better at kidnapping, terrorism and resisting a legit gov than oh, say, resisting any of Little Satan's drives to create a Greater Little Satan) has collapsed Lebanon's gov by getting all hot and bothered about UN's Hariri tribunal results.
Hiz'B'Allah took their SCUDS and went home, dissed at the audacity of UN falling for yet more of Little Satan's hi jinkish chicanery and incoming shrapnel when Tribunal indicts Hiz'B'Allah as the proxylicious minions that literally bombed Lebanon's legit political cadre out of existence for slave trading terrorist loving unclean Basharopolis 's mad drive to restabb the olde Kuriba al Suryat
"...The tribunal has widened rifts between Hariri, backed by the West and Saudi Arabia, and Hiz'B'Allah and its allies, backed by Syria and Iran, igniting fear among Lebanese that the country could easily spiral into sectarian violence after the indictments are announced
Unverified gossip rumours that Hiz'B'Allah is gon use constitutional means to collapse what's left of Lebanon's Writ of State, create a vacuum that only Hiz'B'Allah can fill to maintain order and magically bust out of the cocoon totally xformed from a semi non state actor outer to a full blown terrorist nation state actor outer.
Led by the overtly robust creepy girthy Body Part Collector General of the most proficient killers and serial tormentors of Americans since Cold War time. And beyond.
The northern horn of the old you know what crescent from Persia to the Red and Med seas, nicht wahr?
Pic - "A Policy of SCUD Ambiguity"
Oh Snap!
With all the electile dysfunction just ahead in MMXII - 44 will most likely start making some changes in the top FoPo and Nat'l (or is it Internat'l) Security positions.
"...The candidate who fills Gates' shoes will require the international prestige to meet with foreign leaders on equal terms, the military bona fides to manage the United States' wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the political savvy to guide the Pentagon though what will surely by its most complex interactions with Capitol Hill in many years.
"...The top candidates discussed around town are John Hamre, president of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Michele Flournoy, Gates' undersecretary for policy (who would be the first female defense secretary), and CIA chief Leon Panetta.
"...The dark horse is former Obama campaign advisor Richard Danzig, who is also chairman of the Center for a New American Security. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's name has been tossed around but is seen as a less likely choice.
Several other CNAS cats make their way into the mix for highly desirable gigs too!
"...We're told that, sooner rather than later, Eikenberry will be recalled to Washington. Clinton has been tight-lipped about possible replacements, but the short list could include David Barno, a retired lieutenant general who served as the top military commander in Afghanistan and now works as a fellow at the Center for a New American Security.
"...Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict (SOLIC) - Michael Vickers, who was immortalized as the boy genius in Charlie Wilson's War, will be leaving this post after being nominated as undersecretary of defense for intelligence, replacing James Clapper, who is now the director of national intelligence.
"...While most posts in the Office of the Secretary of Defense that are up for changes will stay unfilled until there is more clarity concerning Gates' departure, this vacancy probably can't wait until then. The crucial nature of the SOLIC office, which oversees many of the secret operations that have become so central to the effort in Afghanistan mandates it been backfilled with urgency.
"...There have been several reports that Michael Sheehan, a former top counterterrorism official at the State Department during Bill Clinton's administration, has been offered the job. John Nagl, the president of the Center for a New American Security, had been rumored for the post, but now seems to be in line for the job of principal deputy to Sheehan, if Sheehan takes the gig.
Pic - "Minor Threat"
Chengdu!
Sino speak for asymmetrical irony ala puissance - nicht wahr?
Great Satan's Def Sec's hello about China's massive opaque military bling bling gets greeted on touch down with a sad boring asset'd lecture about Taiwan.
China's hot desire for a tiny tiny fun, free choice little sister democrazy (that hasn't ever bothered anyone) speaks volumes about the idea of messing with defense budgets.
Super daemoneoconic brain power a troi - betwixt Great Satan's vulcan PNAC enabler, Great Satan's undeniable indispensability XO and fully crunk madame l'nat'l sec' xpert of Heritage's Allison Center for FoPo - totally puts steel on target and lays it out in a totally easy (and fun to be with) kinda way that even the most risible offshore retreatists and immoral isolationists can hang.
"...Collective cuts have taken a huge toll on the military. Killing the Army’s Future Combat Systems program not only deprived the service of a new generation of ground combat vehicles — for the fifth time since the end of the Cold War — but threw a monkey wrench in an innovative plan to “network” the force (which means, roughly, bringing it from the age of the Atari to the age of the iPhone).
"...Shrinking the Navy to fewer than 280 ships means the smallest fleet since World War I, when it shared the ruling of the world’s waves with the British Royal Navy.
"...The “Age of American Air Power” of the 1990s crashed with the 2009 termination of the F-22 Raptor. The Raptor had been the ultimate don’t-even-think-about-it message to potential adversaries; indeed, reports recently surfaced that North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il hid underground for over a week last year when the U.S. was hosting exercises in the region out of fear of attack from an F-22.
"...And with the fate of the short-take-off version of the F-35 uncertain and the killing of the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle, the Marine Corps’s future as a “forcible-entry” amphibious force — that is, the Marines as they’ve existed since World War II — is in serious doubt. In sum, Donald Rumsfeld’s idea to “skip a generation” of weapons modernization is being realized.
Way more more shock shock shocking than future and au courant weaponry shrinkage is the jarring idea of shrinking active duty combat capability - shrinking Army and Teufel Hunden to the tune of 47K cats.
"...This is especially jarring in light of the simultaneous announcement of an additional “surge” of 1,400 Marines into Afghanistan this month.
"...Indeed, if the post-9/11 wars have proved one thing, it is that the land forces of the United States are too small. The Bush administration refused to expand the Army and Marine Corps until the 2007 Iraq surge, arguing that by the time new units could be organized and trained, the fighting would be over. Determined to repeat the folly of strategy-by-end-strength, again limiting combat commanders’ choices by constraining the resources available.
"...The troop cuts aren’t supposed to take effect until 2015 — by which time the president has promised to be “out” of Iraq and all but out of Afghanistan — but they will begin to shape recruiting and retention almost immediately.
"...Gates once led the charge to “win the wars we’re in,” yet he works for a commander-in-chief who’s interested only in ending the war he’s in. Our armies were too small before 9/11. They’ve been too small to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan simultaneously — we have a “one surge at a time” force. Cutting land forces now can only make the “Long War” longer.
Pic - "America’s interests and role in the world require armed forces with unmatched capabilities"
