Kaus' House

Mickey Kaus has a post up comparing & contrasting two NYT stories on the housing market. Since this (unlike, say, energy) is something I actually know something about, I'm just thrilled to lay out why both stories are true, and his concern misplaced.

The stories he quotes can be found under his Friday, November 28 dateline, so scroll down. Does anyone out there know how to link directly to his stories? If not, Mickey, if you read this, could the MS folks help you out on this sometime? Helllp....

read the rest! »

Science In the Middle East

Howard Lowy talks about some helpful efforts underway to conserve the richest untapped resource in the Middle East, and use it for good. He also offers a roundup of some of the real scientific progress being made. See esp. the multiple links concerning Israel.

Hasidic Wisdom: The Calm Soul

In this corner, Rabbi Simcha Zissel Ziv...

"A person who has mastered peace of mind has gained everything."

...and in this corner, Rabbi Israel Salanter:

"As long as one lives a life of calmness and tranquility in the service of God, it is clear that he is remote from true service."

So, who's right? How does one resolve the dilemma when confronted with these 2 conflicting pieces of wisdom? Follow the link for Alan Morinis' answer.

Sufi Wisdom: The Chicken's Transformation

Kathy K. of On the Third Hand offered this piece of Sufi wisdom in the comments section of another post:

"The chicken had his wish, and was magically transformed into a fox. Then he found he could not digest grain."

-- The Magic Monastery by Idries Shah

Short and to the point, and reminds me strongly of a Joseph Campbell story about tigers and goats. So, what does the story teach us? If we believed that the chicken was a metaphor for a religious seeker, what would it teach us then? Use the Comments section and share your thoughts.

It's A Wonderful Life?

Your job goes away, because your contract expires and is not renewed. You pass on one job offer to take another, but it vanishes before you start. By then, the job you turned down is gone, too. Freelancing barely pays the bills. During this year, people you know die, and others are dying. You're too sick to visit your family for Thanksgiving, and your shoulder and knee are not fully rehabbed which limits you in other ways. Hypoglycemia means it would be irresponsible to fly solo or as pilot-in-command status, so you walk away from that part of your life too. Oh, yeah, and your better half... actually, you're still searching, and you're not getting any younger.

So, what do you do in this situation?

Rocket Man's Thanks

Roger Clemens finished with a record 6 Cy Youngs, 310 wins, 4,099 strikeouts, and one gutsy final game. Mark 2008 on your calendars, because that's when he'll become a first-ballot member of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.

I had the pleasure and opportunity to watch Roger pitch for 2 seasons in Toronto, where he won 2 of those Cy Young awards as the best pitcher in the league. His intensity level was unbelievable, his workouts bordered on inhuman, and nobody ever gave more of himself on the baseball field. He retired at age 41, still throwing 95 mile-per-hour fastballs. "Rocket Man," indeed.

It was inspiring to watch him work, for reasons that go beyond baseball or even sport, and I thank him for giving us the opportunity. Many others in baseball feel the same way. Now, Roger "Rocket Man" Clemens says thank you back, in his own words.

Howdy, Just Dropping By...

I think this one tops his aircraft carrier landing.

Guest Blog: Rocking for the Free World (2/3)

This is a very special series for Winds of Change.NET. Thanks to the cooperation of András Bacsi and the Hungarian Embassy in Washington, Hungarian Ambassador Andras Simonyi's speech at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is being featured here on Winds of Change.NET as a Guest Blog.

Ambassador Simonyi's speech tells a very personal story of music and freedom, and the enduring relationship between the two. It's a story that remains relevant today, and touches on topics we've addresed in articles like "G-d Gave Rock N' Roll To You..." and "Keep On Rocking for the Free World." Initiatives like Radio Sawa are proving every day that Rock n' Roll isn't just cultural fluff. In a very deep way, it has been - and remains - the essence of America's story.

Jeff "Skunk" Baxter played for The Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan. He now works as a consultant to the U.S. Department of Defense, and added some fine stories of his own in yesterday's introductory remarks. Today, we feature the Ambassador himself...

(Transcript of Hungarian Ambassador Andras Simonyi's speech at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland on November 8, 2003)

Ladies and gentlemen, good evening. Hey, hey, that's not good enough. Good evening! That's great. I used to play in a rock band when I was younger and we used to do this stuff so I can tell when it's quality. The second one was OK. Let me ask the first question. How many of you have not played air guitar, ever? Once more, please. That's better. I like people being honest. This whole thing we're talking about is about honesty.

Preparing for this lecture, the funniest question I got – this was yesterday – they've asked me five times, "What tie are you going to be wearing? Are you going to be wearing a rock and roll tie?" And I said no, I'm not going to be wearing a rock and roll tie because I'm not here to pretend that I'm a rock artist. I'm here to tell you that I'm an ambassador of a country that is closely tied together with the United States today. We work hard to maintain our relationship. And there is a pillar that has been so important to me all my life when I was a kid, when I grew older, and now, which I think is one of the real ties between us.

I want to make sure you understand that I'm not doing it because I want to pretend that I'm Skunk. I am not Skunk. I wish I was Skunk. And I think his next target is to be ambassador in Budapest. (Laughter.)

read the rest! »

Giving Thanks

Since I live up in Canada, Thanksgiving comes early. The 2nd Monday in October, to be precise. Thanksgiving is not a winter holiday, and since all of us live up north we picked a time that works with our climate. I'm thankful for that.

Since I've just become aware that my American friends are celebrating Thanksgiving today, I thought I'd take a moment to give thanks here on Winds.

1. I want to thank our readers, for their intelligence and the value they bring this blog every day. Winds of Change.NET is a much better place because of you - and we will bust our butts to make it something you can be thankful for, too.
   
   
2. I want to thank my friends in the blogosphere, left, right and otherwise, who make the effort to put their ideas out there on a regular basis and become part of the public debate.
   
   
3. Finally, I want to thank the soldiers of all nationalities who are out there putting it all on the line to protect us from radical Islamists and others who seek our destruction.

To all of you, the Winds of Change.NET team offers our sincere thanks.

Guest Blog: Rocking for the Free World (1/3)

This is a very special series for Winds of Change.NET. Thanks to the cooperation of András Bacsi and the Hungarian Embassy in Washington, Hungarian Ambassador Andras Simonyi's speech at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland on November 8, 2003 ("Rocking for the Free World: How Rock Music Helped to Bring Down the Iron Curtain") is being featured here on Winds of Change.NET as a Guest Blog.

Ambassador Simonyi's speech tells a very personal story of music and freedom, and the enduring relationship between the two. The ideas he refers to remain every bit as relevant today, and touch on topics addresed here in articles like "G-d Gave Rock N' Roll To You..." and "Keep On Rocking for the Free World." Initiatives like Radio Sawa are proving that every day.

In today's introductory remarks, Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, who played for The Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan and now works as a consultant to the U.S. Department of Defense, seems to agree. As well he should. Rock n' Roll isn't just cultural fluff. In a very deep way, it has been - and remains - the essence of America's story.

read the rest! »

Testing The Standard, Part VI: Conclusion

By now, I expect that just about everyone in blogosphere has heard from one source or another about the memo that was leaked to the conservative Weekly Standard that provided a considerable listing of evidence regarding a connection between Iraq and al-Qaeda.

What I'm now going to do is to examine the memo excerpts that were provided by The Weekly Standard and endeavor to see whether or not the raw data is consistent with what we already know or can reasonably deduce from reported stories in the press. This is a far from ideal method of verifying the excerpts in the Standard's piece, but short of full declassification of all US intelligence in relation to al-Qaeda (something that might happen around 2025 or so), it's probably the best that we're going to get here in the blogosphere.

Because of the length and detail required, this is a 6-part series. This final installment takes a critical look at some of the Iraq-related intelligence, then follows with some thoughts regarding the results of this research effort as a whole.

read the rest! »

Dan's Winds of War: 2003-11-27

Welcome! Our goal is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Thursday. In addition, we also have our in-depth Iraq Report. Today's briefings are brought to you by Dan Darling of Regnum Crucis.

TOP TOPICS

• Abu Musab Zarqawi may have ordered the Istanbul bombings according to the Asia Times and CNN. The CNN story also establishes the first definitive link between al-Tawhid (Zarqawi's own organization, which is in of itself part of the larger al-Qaeda the same way that the Egyptian groups are) and the Turkish Hezbollah, which is not to be confused with the larger Lebanese organization of the same name.

• Al-Qaeda military commander Saif al-Adel ordered the Riyadh bombings from Iran and we now know where he and 24 other top al-Qaeda leaders (along with over 500 others, according to the first article) are being harbored by the Qods Force of the IRGC.

• Regular readers of this site already know about my analysis of the Weekly Standard memo that have been appearing on a daily basis over the course of the last several weeks. Several hours before the first of these was going to be published, I learned about Michael Isikoff and Mark Hosenball's Newsweek web exclusive and promised to address the points that it raised. You can find my rebuttal to Isikoff and Hosenball here as well as my conclusion that what they are putting forth is essentially a straw man argument.

Other Topics Today Include:Iraq Briefing; Iran Reports; USA Homeland Security Briefing; al-Qaeda's Algerian bases; Mohammed Hamdi al-Ahdal arrested in Yemen; 5 US soldiers killed in Afghan helicopter crash; Indo-Pakistani truce on Kashmir; reaping the fruits of al-Qaeda's training camps; a Turkish jihadi's interview; progress in the war on terror in East Africa; UN assessing security in Eritrea; JI regrouping; Bashir blames Australia; and more political correctness run amok.

read the rest! »

House Party, Anyone?

A friend of TG's just emailed us an invitation:

"With your help, on Sunday, December 7th, we'll hold thousands of house parties across the country to screen the new documentary Uncovered: The Whole Truth about the Iraq War. The parties will be brought together through a huge cross-country conference call. At 5:30p PST / 8:30p EST, party attendees will be able to dial in to a call featuring director Robert Greenwald, the MoveOn team, and guests from parties all over the country. You'll also be able to submit questions for Mr. Greenwald and the team online.

read the rest! »

Well, I Asked For Dialog...

Backtracking through Technorati (which I do once a day), I came upon a post on a blog called 'Osama Bin Laden Is Winning' about my dialog with Calpundit.The author took intelligent issue with my prescription for perseverance as a path to success; I commented, and he replied, suggesting I read his essay on terrorism.

I did, and think that we agree in a broad set of areas, and disagree in others - and definitely think that a dialog would be productive. I was going to make these points on a comment on his blog, but thought a post would send some other readers his way, and open a broader dialog.

read the rest! »

Robi's S. Asia Briefing: 2003-11-26

Winds of Change.NET Regional Briefings run on Tuesdays & Wednesdays, and sometimes Fridays too. This Regional Briefing focuses on South Asia, courtesy of Robi Sen.

PAKISTAN AND INDIA CEASE FIRE

• Tensions are starting to ease between Pakistan and India with the announcement by Pakistan of a unilateral cease fire last Sunday evening. India has responded favorably with further offers but, has made a point that the only way a cease fire can be lasting is if “cross-border infiltration ends”. Dan Darling makes some typically insightful comments about this on his blog here

Other Topics Today Include: Pakistan jihadi update; Israeli drones patrol Indian borders; India's birthrate; Chinese and Indian relations; MI5 bugs Pakistan; Islamic terrorism throughout SE Asia; Nepal; and a new resource on South Asia & Kashmir.

read the rest! »

Guest Blog: Winning the War of Ideas

I'm always on the lookout for sharp new blogging talent, and Darren Kaplan's blog fits the bill. This guest article is timely in light of our recent discussions about Dialogue. It will become even more timely when you read Hungarian Ambassador Simonyi's excellent Guest Blog later this week!

The War of Ideas
by Darren Kaplan

Far too many well-informed and otherwise intelligent people have confused the "war of ideas" we are fighting in conjunction with the War on Terror with the question of whether or not the populations of Arab and Muslim countries have favorable opinions of the United States. Since survey after survey repeatedly shows that people in Arab and Muslim countries have exceedingly poor opinions of the United States, the corresponding but flawed assumption is that we must be losing the "war of ideas."

Case in point: this piece in Slate by Daniel Benjamin. Benjamin correctly identifies the problem:

"Rumsfeld observes that we have no "metrics" for judging how well we are doing in the larger war on terror. Surely a key issue is whose ideas are gaining ground."

read the rest! »

Levity Break

Armed Liberal's "Looks Like Prosperity to Some" was an excellent post. In response, a friend of mine in Seattle sent me this link about the next logical step in offshore outsourcing. The scary thing is, I'm not sure the part about the managers is new.

Also on the recommended list today: "Mac Eye for the Windows Guy" (Hat Tip: Jon Reid)

Saved By Technology

It's 11:00 pm, and Middle Guy (who just got a brilliant almost-perfect report card, and pretty darn good SAT scores as well) is wrapping up a study group in his bedroom downstairs. He's got two friends over, prepping for a math test tomorrow.

They're playing their music kinda loud (small objects on my office floor are rattling), and I'd like them to turn it down; but they won't hear me from the top of the stairs, and they're on the phone (both lines, it appears) getting outside help, so I can't call...I may actually have to walk downstairs and knock on his door.

read the rest! »

A Little Help, Please?

An acquaintance of mine has just taken on the role of executive director and conductor of a classical music - thing which I can't explicitly talk about because of my damn pseudonymity thing. I've suggested to him that he start doing a blog about it, but can't point him to any blogs like what I'm talking about. Does anyone out there know of any blogs being done by working classical musicians or artists?I'd like to show him some examples.

Testing The Standard, Part V: World-Wide Jihad

By now, I expect that just about everyone in blogosphere has heard from one source or another about the memo that was leaked to the conservative Weekly Standard that provided a considerable listing of evidence regarding a connection between Iraq and al-Qaeda.

What I'm now going to do is to examine the memo excerpts that were provided by The Weekly Standard and endeavor to see whether or not the raw data is consistent with what we already know or can reasonably deduce from reported stories in the press. This is a far from ideal method of verifying the excerpts in the Standard's piece, but short of full declassification of all US intelligence in relation to al-Qaeda (something that might happen around 2025 or so), it's probably the best that we're going to get here in the blogosphere.

Because of the length and detail required, this is a 6-part series. Part 5 offers a whirlwind tour from Qatar to Khobar, and into SE Asia.

read the rest! »

Uncertainty In Iraq

In reading up about energy, I've spent a bunch of time over at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (www.csis.org) - a Washington-based think tank with some apparent connections to conservative Democrats. I find their work interesting, and while I don't know them or their biases enough to decide where I stand relative to them, I do think they are looking at the right issues.

In browsing around, I found an interesting paper on Iraq that echoes a number of my thoughts about the war, by Anthony Cordesman, called "Iraq, Too Uncertain To Call" (pdf). Here are a couple of quotes. It opens:

There is a tendency to see the situation in Iraq either in terms of inevitable victory or inevitable defeat, or to polarize an assessment on the basis of political attitudes towards the war. In practice, Iraq seems to be a remarkably fluid and dynamic situation field with uncertainties that dominate both the present and the future.

read the rest! »

Dialogue Frustration

In "Calpundit on Terrorism," Armed Liberal writes:

"It's not that they don't like me - hell, lots of people in the real world don't like me, which tells me that I'm an actual person as opposed to a Beanie Baby - it's that I really and truly just don't get the worldview that they are speaking from. I spend a lot of time on the left side of the media and blog world, and am increasingly finding islands there where the words are English and yet I just don't understand the concepts laid out in those words, and I'm finding that depressing and frustrating, given my goal of creating constructive dialog."

A.L., I wish I had a solution for your dialogue issue where the words are English but the meanings alien, and you want meaningful dialogue. What I do have is 2 alternatives, but here's the catch: the first is sometimes true, and only the second has any chance of creating real dialogue, and I can't guarantee either one.

read the rest! »

Calpundit on Terrorism

So Calpundit Kevin replied to my post on "sticking it out" below, and nailed me on one point that I thought I'd covered, but on rereading realized I truly hadn't.

He interprets my post as suggesting that the reason to stay in Iraq was less to rebuild the country than to show determination. Note that I think that would be a silly damn thing to do, and a waste of lives and treasure (which I thought I'd pointed out with the Schaar quote) and wish I'd written more clearly to make that point. We're there to remove an evil dictatorship and to prevent the resources of that country from being used against us, against the people of the region, and against the people of the country itself. I believe that doing this will ultimately have a positive effect on a broader conflict which I perceive we are in. I think that to succeed in either of those efforts, we will have to both be determined and show determination.

read the rest! »

Testing The Standard, Part IV: Into Afghanistan

By now, I expect that just about everyone in blogosphere has heard from one source or another about the memo that was leaked to the conservative Weekly Standard that provided a considerable listing of evidence regarding a connection between Iraq and al-Qaeda.

What I'm now going to do is to examine the memo excerpts that were provided by The Weekly Standard and endeavor to see whether or not the raw data is consistent with what we already know or can reasonably deduce from reported stories in the press. This is a far from ideal method of verifying the excerpts in the Standard's piece, but short of full declassification of all US intelligence in relation to al-Qaeda (something that might happen around 2025 or so), it's probably the best that we're going to get here in the blogosphere.

Because of the length and detail required, this is a 6-part series. Part 4 deals with the aspects of the leaked memo that deal directly with Afghanistan.

"According to sensitive reporting, Saddam personally sent Faruq Hijazi, IIS deputy director and later Iraqi ambassador to Turkey, to meet with bin Laden at least twice, first in Sudan and later in Afghanistan in 1999. . . ."

read the rest! »

Randinho's Latin America Briefing: 2003-11-25

Winds of Change.NET Regional Briefings run on Tuesdays & Wednesdays, and sometimes Fridays too. This Regional Briefing focuses on Latin America, courtesy of Randy Paul.

TOP TOPIC

• Trade versus aid: While Brazil and the USA, the two biggest nations in the Americas try to cut a side deal watering down the FTAA agreement at the recent FTAA meeting, the Ibero-American Summit taking place in Bolivia the week before puts a greater focus on aid. More inside...

Other Topics Include: Past becomes prologue in Haiti; Former Bolivian President Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada smacks back at his critics; Guatemala dodges a bullet - but for how long; Major shakeups in Colombia, how will it impact the violence?; Hugo Chávez takes a page from his opponents in Venezuela; A new group blog on Latin America starts up.

read the rest! »

Dean "Fedayeen"...

...get a whole new meaning as loathsome columnist and cartoonist Ted Rall endorses Dean, and the official Dean blog is thrilled (as are his commenters).

If Dean takes this as a Sistah Souljah moment and bitch-slaps him tomorrow, it could be very good for his campaign. If not, buh-bye; if not in July 04, then in November.

(a tip of the Shoei to Instapundit)

read the rest! »

Andrew's Winds of War: 2003-11-24

Welcome! Our goal is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Thursday. Today's "Winds of War" is brought to you by Andrew Olmsted of Andrew Olmsted.com.

TOP TOPICS

• Eduard Shevardnadze formally resigned as the President of Georgia Sunday in the face of a popular uprising, eschewing the option of trying to suppress the uprising through violent means. New elections will be held in 45 days. How this will affect the war on terror is open to question, although it's possible the West can use Georgia as an example of democracy triumphing, assuming the new elections occur on schedule.

• JK: Orson Scott Card has a great summary of the war thus far. And yes, we can lose.

• JK: Oskar at Logos has an interesting post about terrorists looking to target the Netherlands. Speaking of which, Oskar also links to a provocative report that looks at the role of the Bosnian conflict in helping al-Qaeda grow. Guess some of them still hold a grudge over Srebrenica...

Other Topics Today Include: Iraq attacks; Iraqi debt relief; al-Qaeda-Iraq links; al-Qaeda evolving; New Iranian blog; Afghanistan reports; Georgia on our mind; Israel dismantling some settlements; Turkish bombing aftermath; al Qaeda's primary war; al-Qaeda adapts; Ceasefire in Kashmir?

read the rest! »

Testing The Standard, Part III: The Sudan Years

By now, I expect that just about everyone in blogosphere has heard from one source or another about the memo that was leaked to the conservative Weekly Standard that provided a considerable listing of evidence regarding a connection between Iraq and al-Qaeda.

What I'm now going to do is to examine the memo excerpts that were provided by The Weekly Standard and endeavor to see whether or not the raw data is consistent with what we already know or can reasonably deduce from reported stories in the press. This is a far from ideal method of verifying the excerpts in the Standard's piece, but short of full declassification of all US intelligence in relation to al-Qaeda (something that might happen around 2025 or so), it's probably the best that we're going to get here in the blogosphere.

Because of the length and detail required, this is a 6-part series. Part 3 looks at the Clinton years.

read the rest! »

Looks Like Prosperity to Some

Every so often, you read some stuff, see some connections and get a post that just writes itself. I've said in the past that one of the most serious issues we face (and are primarily ignoring) these days is what Neil Stephenson summarized so pithily:

Once the Invisible Hand has taken all the historical inequities and smeared them out into a broad global layer of what a Pakistani brickmaker would consider to be prosperity -- y'know what? There's only four things we do better than anyone else: music, movies, microcode (software), and high-speed pizza delivery.

We face an outgoing tide, in which the prosperity which had once been concentrated here, and shared widely between the classes of capital and labor, is going out. Owners of capital can invest abroad, and can, if they are clever and lucky improve their situation. Owners of labor find themselves in increasingly direct competition with lower-cost labor abroad, or with less-skilled labor which can compete because machines and systems make their skills redundant.

Start here (note, intrusive registration required, use 'laexaminer'/'laexaminer'), with an article in this morning's L.A. Times about WalMart:

The Wal-Mart Supercenter, a pink stucco box twice as big as a Home Depot, combines a full-scale supermarket with the usual discount mega-store. For the 26-year-old Ferguson, the draw is simple.

"You can't beat the prices," said the hotel cashier, who makes $400 a week. "I come here because it's cheap."

read the rest! »

Sufi Wisdom: Shibli's Initiation

Recounted in Chapter II of Reynold A. Nicholson's "The Mystics of Islam":

Shibli was a pupil of the famous theosophist Junayd of Baghdad. On his conversion, he came to Junayd, saying:

"They tell me that you possess the pearl of divine knowledge: either give it me or sell it."

Junayd answered: "I cannot sell it, for you have not the price thereof; and if I give it you, you will have gained it cheaply. You do not know its value. Cast yourself headlong, like me, into this ocean, in order that you may win the pearl by waiting patiently."

Zen Wisdom: Ichikyo's Death Poem

Last week I recounted the story of The Monk & the General, and promised a follow-up that might help illuminate the Zen take on death. Zen teacher Kozan Ichikyo finished this poem, then died sitting upright with the brush still in his hand:

Empty-handed I entered the world
Barefoot I leave it.
My coming, my going –
Two simple happenings
That got entangled.

Zen Masters often compose such poems on their deathbed, as Ichikyo did. A summa for a life, and one final teaching lesson.

James Taylor & The Dixie Chicks

I'm watching a performance right now that's showing me an example of real artistry, and what playing music can be.

CMT's "Crossroads" is featuring James Taylor and the Dixie Chicks together in concert. I'm really enjoying it, and the thing I'm enjoying the most is watching how truly happy the Dixie Chicks are to be sharing the stage with someone who was part of the soundtrack of their lives. They're singing very well together, but every once in a while the mask slips and I get to enjoy the expressions on their faces. James, for his part, is right there with the music. Backup, lead, doesn't matter to him. Here we are together, let's play. The mark of the true artist.

Togetherness and joy are infectious things.

The Mark of the Master

From LaughingWolf's "Way of the Wolf" series:

"If you are indeed a leader, an expert, a master, a lord or whatever, it will be seen in your actions. You will show your knowledge, and your wisdom, in your actions and will not have to brag about it. You will show your true status by how you share your knowledge, your wisdom, and the fruits of your efforts. By this you will be judged, and how you act, write, or do will show you for what you truly are in life. Let others award you titles."

Wise words, excerpted from "What Are You In Life?"

Pundit vs. Pundit (Prohias)

Calpundit busts Instapundit:

ANALOGIES....Just a note to my conservative brethren: any chance we can stop working our way through the microfilm archives of 1946 newspapers? If the analogy of Iraq to Vietnam is strained, the analogy to World War II is simply rubbish. There is literally nothing in common between the two.

OK?

Actually, Kevin, I've gotta disagree here. There is a core lesson that we can take from the WWII papers, that the kinds of things we need to accomplish in Iraq take time. Even in the far more Western and 'organized' environment of post-war Germany and France, things looked challenging for the first year or so. Even in the highly hierarchical society of Japan, there was violence and chaos for a period of time.

Those are important lessons, and we're right to be confronted with what the news and commentary of the time were saying to help us put our current situation into perspective.

While I do think that Bush's team booted the postwar planning (simply by not having the resources, propaganda, and staffing prepared), I also think that the anti-war crowd, once they didn't get their way, have been far over the top in claiming 'failure' prematurely. And history exists exactly to help us make those kinds of judgments.

Soros Fisking: Snoozed, Lost

As noted below, I've been working on a critical commentary on George Soros' Atlantic Article, 'The Bubble of American Supremacy'. But, as the old blogging phase goes, "You snooze, you lose," and Matthew Stinson has written a better version of it already.

There are one or two points left open, and I'll try and get to them today, but go read both Soros' article and Matthews great commentary...

Quote of the Week: MJ in Perspective

Richard Aubrey on the Michael Jackson affair, responding in the comments to Armed Liberal's excellent post asking why parents would allow their kids to sleep over there in the first place:

"Am I the only one seeing parents trolling for dollars with their kids as bait?"

A Robin Hood class bullseye shot, Richard - so good, it just had to be shared.

al-Qaeda's Strategy: A Debate

Donald Sensing and Steven Den Beste discuss al-Qaeda's strategy. Den Beste thinks they don't have one, beyond "waiting for God" to ensure their victory. Rev. Sensing, drawing on both his military and religious backgrounds, explains that this doesn't mean what Steven thinks it does.

A very good and illuminating exchange, which Ray extends rather nicely.

The Gweilo's China Briefing: 2003-11-21

Today's Regional Briefing focuses on China, courtesy of Conrad of The Gweilo Diaries, and features, among other things, China's crackdown on perceived internet dissent, its burgeoning AIDS crises, a first-hand report from the scene of recent anti-Japanese riots in Xi'an, the revival of a policy from the time of the Cultural Revolution, Hong Kong's ongoing governmental follies, and the continuing adventures of Gucci the elusive crocodile.

• T-Salon links to a story about the 'Chinese Internet Revolution' and Beijing's response thereto, which is a must read for anyone interested in the effect of the Internet on China.

read the rest! »

Testing The Standard, Part II: Analyzing the al-Qaeda Alliance

Al-Qaeda training chief Abu Mohammed al-Ablaj to Saudi magazine al-Majallah, May 25, 2003:

"Allah has turned to him [Saddam Hussein] with forgiveness. He declared jihad and did not recognize Israel. There is nothing to bar cooperation with a Muslim who has made jihad his course and way for liberating the holy lands."

By now, I expect that just about everyone in blogosphere has heard from one source or another about the memo that was leaked to the conservative Weekly Standard that provided a considerable listing of evidence regarding a connection between Iraq and al-Qaeda.

What I'm now going to do is to examine the memo excerpts that were provided by The Weekly Standard and endeavor to see whether or not the raw data is consistent with what we already know or can reasonably deduce from reported stories in the press. This is a far from ideal method of verifying the excerpts in the Standard's piece, but short of full declassification of all US intelligence in relation to al-Qaeda (something that might happen around 2025 or so), it's probably the best that we're going to get here in the blogosphere.

Because of the length and detail required, this is a 6-part series. Part 2 deals with Iraq's alliance with al-Qaeda in more detail, esp. as it applies to Saddam's self interest and the defense of his regime. We'll also be returning to this topic in the final installment.

read the rest! »

Oh, Julian...

I meant to reply in kind to Julian Sanchez' backhand of Rob Lyman for his defense of "communitarian patriotism," but it slipped through the cracks. I was reminded tonight, because his post is at the top of our Technorati list.

Click on over and take a look; pay careful attention to the obvious respect and consideration with which he treats Rob. Then notice the giant mound of Swiss Cheese he erects as an argument.

Simply put, Julian made two gross errors in his argument, and caps it with an even more gross error in his behavior.

read the rest! »

Dan's Iraq Report: 2003-11-20

Welcome! Our goal is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from Iraq that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Thursday. Our Winds of War coverage of the global War on Terror is a separate briefing today, and both are brought to you by Dan Darling of Regnum Crucis.

TOP TOPICS

• Websites are popping up showing video footage of attacks on US forces in Iraq. If this Reuters story is accurate, these websites are likely at the very least ideologically affiliated with al-Qaeda - one of the other propaganda films purported to be listed on the website, "Russian Hell in Chechnya," is a propaganda film produced by the organization intended to recruit Muslims to fight Russian forces in Chechnya.

• JK: On which topic, Dan Darling examines the memo excerpts that were provided by The Weekly Standard re: Iraq & al-Qaeda, and tries to see if the raw data is consistent with reported stories in the press over the last 8 years. Part 1 of a 6-part series.

• General John Abizaid is reporting that the number of insurgents active inside Iraq is estimated at 5,000, though one might point out that similar long-running insurgencies in areas such as Chechnya, the Palestinian terrorities, and Aceh have been sustained for years with similar numbers of insurgent fighters.

Other Topics Today Include: Nasiriyah bombing aftermath; Operation Iron Hammer; assassination attempt on Kirkuk deputy governor; the hunt for al-Douri; Shi'ites to form the bulk of the new Iraqi military; Iraqi police back on the job; law and order in Hilla; anti-terrorist demonstration in Nasiriyah; agreement between Coalition Provisional Authority and Iraqi Governing Council; no plans to pull US troops out of Iraq; Ramadi rethinking its position; Baghdad graffiti; UK may deploy more troops; Italians to stay in Iraq; Italian anti-war group sending cash to the insurgents; US to revamp MEK; Iraq isn't Vietnam; more data on Iraqi WMD program; Kay says two Iraqi scientists helping the coalition on Iraqi anthrax program.

read the rest! »

Why I Support Gay Marriage, and Why I Will Never Be Angry At Those Who Do Not

The part of my brain that does the writing can be annoying; it is often difficult for to sit down and write about what I mean to write about - often the topics seem to select themselves, and I just come along for the ride.

In this case, I meant to finish a pretty unfavorable commentary I'm writing on George Soros' article on Iraq in this month's Atlantic. 'The Bubble of American Supremacy,' and instead started writing about the recent Massachusetts court decision on gay marriage.

As is typically the case with me, I have three responses which somewhat collide, so writing this is a chance for me to try and set them out and see what evolves (probably why I'd rather write this than comment on Soros' article; I already know why that's wrong).

read the rest! »

Dan's Winds of War: 2003-11-20

Welcome! Our goal is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Thursday. In addition, we also have our in-depth Iraq Report. Today's briefings are brought to you by Dan Darling of Regnum Crucis.

TOP TOPICS

• Two suicide bombers attacked two synagogues in Istanbul on the Jewish Sabbath this last weekend. The Great Eastern Islamic Raiders' Front has claimed responsibility for the attack, but Turkish and Israeliofficials are pointing the finger at al-Qaeda. Both suicide bombers are believed to have undergone training in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran before carrying out the attack. The mastermind of the attack has fled to Syria, where he may being trying to link up with members of the Iranian-backed Hezbollah.
  


• The conservative Weekly Standard has leaked a memo dealing with evidence supporting the US assertion that Iraq and al-Qaeda have a long-standing relationship with Osama bin Laden. For more on this memo and whether or not the information contained therein is accurate, check out my special analysis on the topic.
  


• Al-Qaeda leader Abu Salma al-Hijazi has claimed that the terror network plans to kill 100,000 Americans in upcoming attacks. Al-Hijazi (the surname likely denotes a Saudi nationality) also reinterated the order previously issued by Suleiman al-Dosari that the organization's primary target is currently the US, not Arab governments.

Other Topics Today Include: Iran Reports; USA Homeland Security Briefing; Taliban forming committees; new tape by Mullah Omar; letter from Afghanistan; possible al-Qaeda threat in the UK; Saudi conspiracy theories; Zarqawi's Italian associates' assets frozen; new Algerian attack on the GSPC; grim UN report on al-Qaeda; JI training in Mindanao; Filippino communists deny recruiting for JI; new JI supremo in Southeast Asia; Yemen releases 92 al-Qaeda members; Saudi cleric renounces violence; Arafat's slush fund; and computers can't recognize a Southern drawl.

read the rest! »

Special Analysis: Testing The Standard, Part 1/6

Taken from an Osama bin Laden audiotape, February 12, 2003:

"Under these circumstances, there will be no harm if the interests of Muslims converge with the interests of the socialists in the fight against the crusaders, despite our belief in the infidelity of socialists.

The jurisdiction of the socialists and those rulers has fallen a long time ago.

Socialists are infidels wherever they are, whether they are in Baghdad or Aden.

The fighting, which is waging and which will be waged these days, is very much like the fighting of Muslims against the Byzantine in the past.

And the convergence of interests is not detrimental. The Muslims' fighting against the Byzantine converged with the interests of the Persians.

And this was not detrimental to the Companions of The Prophet."

Al-Qaeda training chief Abu Mohammed al-Ablaj to Saudi magazineal-Majallah, May 25, 2003:

"Allah has turned to him [Saddam Hussein] with forgiveness. He declared jihad and did not recognize Israel. There is nothing to bar cooperation with a Muslim who has made jihad his course and way for liberating the holy lands."

By now, I expect that just about everyone in blogosphere has heard from one source or another about the memo leaked to the conservative Weekly Standard that provided a considerable listing of evidence regarding a connection between Iraq and al-Qaeda.

What I'm now going to do is to examine the memo excerpts that were provided by The Weekly Standard re: Iraq & al-Qaeda, and endeavor to see whether or not the raw data is consistent with what we already know or can reasonably deduce from reported stories in the press. This is a far from ideal method of verifying the excerpts in the Standard's piece, but short of full declassification of all US intelligence in relation to al-Qaeda (something that might happen around 2025 or so), it's probably the best that we're going to get here in the blogosphere.

Because of the length and detail, this will be a 6-part series. Part 1 deals with The Pentagon Memo, and begins to look at the relationship between Iraq and al-Qaeda, in particular Zawhiri's Egyptian Islamic Jihad.

read the rest! »

Nathan's Central Asia "-Stans Summary": 2003-11-19

Winds of Change.NET Regional Briefings run on Tuesdays & Wednesdays, and sometimes Fridays too. This Regional Briefing focuses on Central Asia's "-stans" courtesy of Nathan Hamm, whose creds include a stint in Uzbekistan as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer. Nathan's regular blog is The Argus.

TOP TOPIC

• Georgia held parliamentary elections on November 2nd. Hold on to your hats, the fallout has been a wild ride that is mercifully summarized here (PDF file). [More inside...]

• Arash of Afghan Voice comments on Afghanistan's opium boom and the important role that poppy cultivation played under the Taliban.

• Crisisweb reports that in Central Asia, where half the population is under 30, youth are being lost and that there is a long list of needs that must be addressed. Why? Young people are turning to violence, extremist politics and/or religion, and migration as a way out of societies that offer them little opportunity. If you want to see an example of this frustration, read this email from an Uzbek acquaintance of mine.

Other Topics Today Include: Russia's Quest for a Liberal Empire; India Marches North; Special focus: Afghanistan; A Landmark Agreement on the Caspian; World Bank Backs BTC Pipeline & Rebukes Uzbekistan; Karimov is not Hussein; and much more.

read the rest! »

No Kool Aid Today - Jonestown 25th Anniversary

Today marks 25 years since Jim Jones staged a mass murder/suicide, killing over 900 people. Arguably, the BATFs response to the Branch Davidians and David Koresh can be blamed partly on this earlier experience.

As the Washington Post reports:

read the rest! »

Robin's Iraq Reconstruction Report: 2003-11-18

Welcome! Our goal is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Thursday... but there were some technical difficulties yesterday, so we're running it today instead. Today's Iraq Reconstruction Report is brought to you by sometime Guest-Blogger Robin Burk.

Note that this briefing offers only her own opinions, and does not reflect any official position of the U.S. Army, DoD or the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

TOP TOPICS

• A leaked intelligence report details longstanding contacts and recent cooperation between Iraq and al Qaeda. Money quote from before the start of the war:

"Sensitive reporting indicates senior terrorist planner and close Al Qaeda associate al Zarqawi has had an operational alliance with Iraqi officials. As of Oct. 2002, al Zarqawi maintained contacts with the IIS to procure weapons and explosives, including surface-to-air missiles from an IIS officer in Baghdad. According to sensitive reporting, al Zarqawi was setting up sleeper cells in Baghdad to be activated in case of a U.S. occupation of the city"

• Check out Sgt. Stryker's new Iraq: The Good, Bad and Ugly blog for links to a wide variety of the newspapers in Iraq and surrounding countries.

Other Topics Today Include: Iraqi newspapers; Full reconstruction roundup; Iraqi Council reports; Iraqis take the initiative; Basra on the rise; oil through Israel?; Oil to Jordan; Transforming the US military; a bride for Dennis.

read the rest! »

Guest Blog: Transformation's Genesis

By Robin Burk

While the Coalition forces work to suppress the attackers in Iraq and help reconstruct that country, U.S. Defense Secretary Rumsfeld and his new Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Peter Schoomaker are working to transform that service to better match the conflicts we are likely to see in this century. Schoomaker's arrival address back in Augst makes it clear he sees both the critical need for transformation and the work we have ahead of us:

"Twenty-three years ago I stood in another place... in the Iranian desert on a moonlit night at a place called Desert One. I keep a photo of the carnage that night to remind me that we should never confuse enthusiasm with capability. Eight of my comrades lost their lives. Those of us who survived knew grief... we knew failure... but we committed ourselves to a different future.

read the rest! »

So How Was Your Weekend?

One of the downsides of blogging under a pseudonym is that you can't fully leverage the two parts of your life; I can't use this blog to point out personal things in quite the ways non-pseudonymous bloggers can.

I'll crack that a bit to publicly thank the various doctors, nurses, and staff at Torrance Memorial Hospital, where Littlest Guy, our 7-year old, wound up Saturday night with a bad enough case of viral enteritis that he spent the night getting fluids intravenously. TG and I were at dinner at Ann Salisbury's, enjoying her great food and company along with Henry and Mr. and Mrs. Calpundit when Littlest Guy's mother called and we unceremoniously bolted for the exit and the 405.

read the rest! »

The Infotel Affair

You're sitting at your desk one day, and you get a call. Someone is assembling a business directory, and wants to confirm your information. Is this correct? And this? and this? Thank you. Several weeks later, your business gets a bill for $300. What for? You ask. For the directory you ordered, they say. We have audiotapes of you saying "yes" to it. They may also note that someone at your shipping dock has signed for it. Pay, or we'll send it to a collections agency and affect your credit rating.

If the perpetrators reach 1,000 businesses a day, and 20% pay up to avoid hassle or trouble, how profitable is this?

XRLQ (good summary, see comments), and Jay Solo are blogging about a company called Infotel, which may be employing just such a scam. Blogger Calblog was apparently the victim, in a drama that escalated into attempts to get her blog shut down and nuisance legal threats.

If you or someone you know is thinking of cutting a cheque to an operation like the one described above, communications to the Better Business Bureau, the fraud department of your local law enforcement, and your state's Attorney-General may be a better use of your time. The odds of actually being taken to court by a scam like this are low (tough for a national company to file and pursue a case in your local jurisdiction). Furthermore, collection agencies can usually be scared off if there's already a paper trail associating their account with a fraud complaint, plus a counter-threat to include them in the action and letters to authorities unless they not only desist but send you a letter renouncing the collection claim and certifying its removal from their records.

Carnival of the Capitalists

Looking for writing that covers economics & business, their effect on you, and what makes them tick? From management fads and the "theory of the second best" to globalization and mercanitilism, this week's Carvinal of the Capitalists has some thought provoking posts for you.

Huh?

From CNN:

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraq will have a new transitional government with full sovereign powers by the end of June 2004, the Iraqi Governing Council said Saturday, and will have a constitution and a permanent, democratically elected government by the end of 2005.

My first reaction: sha-WHAT?

On reconsideration: shaaaa-WHAT?

OK, time to calm myself down. There really isn't enough information there for me to start testing Dean banners on the site yet.

But the first sniff certaily does sound like a big departure from "we're done when we're done," which I've argued is the right approach. If so, it's a diplomatic disaster unparallelled during my lifetime. If we didn't have the bottom to do this, we should have stayed home.

We'll know more next week. But it sure could make my decision about who I'll vote for in '04 much, much simpler.

Rebuilding the Buddhas

They were two giant (174 ft. & 125 ft.) statues of The Buddha, chiseled into the mountainside more than 1,500 years ago in the Bamiyan Valley on the ancient Silk Route linking Europe and Central Asia. Afghanistan's fundamentalist Taliban rulers considered them "idolatrous" and against the tenets of Islam, and destroyed them in March 2001. They would soon move on to bigger game.

Now some engineers are using the most advanced software tools to build 3-dimensional models of the Buddhas from old records, photographs, etc. They think they've succeeded with one of the statues, and are working on the second. The Buddhas can probably be restored exactly, they say, for about $30 million each.

Why Nano Isn't Just A Fad

Rob Paull of the Forbes/Wolfe blog talks about why he thinks nanotechnology is only going to accelerate.

Meanwhile, we've got you covered if you need an intro. to nanotechnology and what it's all about.

Sufi Wisdom: Holy Men

Ala'uddin 'Attar:

"How long will you worship at the tombs of holy men?
Busy yourself with the works of holy men, and you are saved!"

Hasidic Wisdom: The Chandelier

The Sufis aren't the only ones who use "wisdom stories" to teach. So do Judaism's own Chasidim. For instance, here's one that the famed Rebbe Nachman of Bratslav used to tell:

"Once there was a young man who travelled through many distant countries in search of a master craftsman from whom he could learn a trade. After a while he returned home and announced to his family that he had become an expert designer of chandeliers. "I have become so talented in my new-found trade," he explained, "that my work far surpasses even the greatest masterpieces of my teacher." Then, realizing that the family was a bit dubious about the measure of his success, he asked his father to invite the leading chandelier craftsmen in the city to view a sample of his own creation.

The craftsmen came and carefully examined the young man's work. They all agreed that they had never before laid eyes on such a monstrosity...."

Read the rest!

Zen Wisdom: The Monk & The General

Here's a touch of Zen humour, courtesy of my friend Flora. "Monks always get the coolest lines" she says. Flora, it's all in the delivery:

"During the civil wars in feudal Japan, an invading army would quickly sweep into a town and take control. In one particular village, everyone fled just before the army arrived - everyone except the Zen master.

Curious about this old fellow, the general went to the temple to see for himself what kind of man this master was. When he wasn't treated with the deference and submissiveness to which he was accustomed, the general burst into anger. "You fool," he shouted as he reached for his sword, "don't you realize you are standing before a man who could run you through without blinking an eye!"

"And do you realize," the master replied calmly, "that you are standing before a man who can be run through without blinking an eye?"

Points to any readers who can use the Comments section to explain some of the layers of meaning in this story, from the cultural level of effective response to the deeper zen meaning of the Master's statement.

Some Reading For Today

I'm busy all day today, but two things you ought to go take a look at while I'm gone.

Den Beste makes my point about what happens if we don't succeed in tempering Islamist rage - and it isn't pretty for the Middle East. He seems to suggest that total war is new (it isn't - think Troy), but he makes good points, and in case anyone wonders what I'm so damn afraid of, he nails it.

Julian Sanchez demonstrates once again that libertarians seem to have spent waaay too much time in logic class and not enough studying history or political theory, as he backhands Rob Lyman's post below. I'm out till this afternoon, but watch this space for a fisking.

Dialog w/Calpundit, Part 1

As agreed, Calpundit and I will have a back and forth on the six points I raised in my post a week or so ago, plus the thorny issue of internationalization. Buckle up...

First, we're not going anywhere in Afghanistan or Iraq until we're done. Afghanistan will not turn into Vermont any time soon, but we will make sure that the power of the warlords is checked, and that it doesn't collapse again. Iraq could be the leader of the Middle east, and we intend to help build it into that;

My comments from this post.

read the rest! »

Chickenhawks And Other Interest Group Politics

I had an "aha" moment about the chickenhawk debate this morning.

It wasn't about the fact that it's used as a slur, with the intent of shaming people into silencing debate (which I obviously think of as a bad thing). It was a moment in which the argument also illuminated what I have trouble supporting at the core of progressive values (and I'm not talking about self-righteousness).

Think of it in terms of a 'community of interest groups,' rather than 'a community' and find the parallel arguments:

• No one who could be and isn't serving should speak out on Iraq;

• No one except women of child-bearing age should speak out on abortion;

• No one who isn't poor should speak out on welfare;

• No one who isn't in school should speak out on education;

• No one who isn't (I can't decide on this one between 'a criminal' and 'a victim of crime') should speak out on criminal justice.

It's a fun game and all can play; add your own in the comments below.

And it's horribly destructive, if you see the tie that connects us as Americans as the bonds of common obligation and 'reverence' that Schaar talks about below.

Just thinkin'...

Dan's Iraq Briefing: 2003-11-13

Welcome! Our goal is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from Iraq that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Thursday. Our "Winds of War" coverage of the global War on Terror is a separate briefing today, and both are brought to you by Dan Darling of Regnum Crucis.

Top Topics:

• At least 26 are dead in a suicide bombing directed against an Italian police base in the Iraqi city of Nassiriyah. Al-Qaeda's UK-based political wing al-Muhajiroun has issued what appears to be a veiled claim of responsibility for the attack, citing bin Laden's previous singling out of Italy (as well as numerous other European countries) as potential targets for al-Qaeda. This attack represents the worst single loss of Italian military personnel since World War 2.

• Iraqi blogger Alaa over at the Messopotamian has his own Nov. 11 thoughts on those who are dying over in Iraq as well as an outstanding rebuttal to the "Iraqi resistance" and its cheerleaders in the Muslim world [Nov. 10, 8:55am]. Definitely worth a read.

• JK: The Voodoo Lounge has amassed an impressive collection of positive news stories about Iraq - 43 of 'em! (Hat Tip: Kesher Talk)

Other Topics Today Include: Hospital attack in Fallujah; Operation Iron Hammer; al-Jazeera admits its offices were used by anti-coalition forces; at least 20 al-Qaeda apprehended in Iraq; Sadr City governing council chairman dead; Abizaid says he'll get tough; Governing Council orders Baathist assets seized; success, traced in cement; PKK to disband after clash with the US; 43 good things that are happening in Iraq; Berlusconi promises that Italy will stay the course; King Abdullah implies that Iraq may be better off with a constitutional monarchy; and post-WW2 press negativism.

read the rest! »

Dan's Winds of War: 2003-11-13

Welcome! Our goal is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Thursday. In addition, we also have our in-depth Iraq Report. Today's briefings are brought to you by Dan Darling of Regnum Crucis.

TOP TOPICS

• BBC News reports that Saudi Arabia is in talks with al-Qaeda to cease attacks inside of the Kingdom in return for numerous concessions, pointing to yet another possible motive for the Riyadh bombings - al-Qaeda's desire to demonstrate to the Saudi royals that they were a force that House Saud had best cater to - or else. The "militants" referenced in the article are likely under the command of Abu Hazim, who was appointed al-Qaeda's new leader in the Gulf to replace Abd Rahim al-Nashiri.

• Rmeember that force of 2,500 Taliban fighters on motorcycles massing in Pakistan, with the Baluchi government's connivance (my Oct. 9 mention | Nathan's Oct 24 mention)? Well, they just showed up in Afghanistan, recapturing 4 districts (counties) in Zabul province. Zabul deputy governor Maulavi Mohammed Omar has told the Afghan Islamic Press that the Taliban may well be planning to launch an offensive to take the provincial capital of Zabul itself.

• The Indonesian island of Sulawesi, long a focus of cultural and sectarian tension, has had yet more violence to rock the fragile peace between the island's Christian and Muslim inhabitants that was established after the wave of sectarian violence from 1999-2000. Indonesian authorities believe that Dulmatin, a high-ranking Jemaah Islamiyyah leader, is masterminding the killings as part of concerted effort to stir up more problems on the island.

Other Topics Today Include: Iran Reports; al-Qaeda wannabes say Jews are to blame for Riyadh bombings; US launches Operation Mountain Resolve; Taliban PR offensive; Karzai warns of more attacks; Saudi Arabia's Keystone cops; Jemaah Islamiyyah leaders on the run; al-Qaeda wants to poison your water; Brigitte planned to irradiate Sydney; the Mombasa bombing in retrospect; Pakistan arrests 150 Taliban and HeI members; Janjalani escapes; and spam is bad for the economy.

read the rest! »

A Question of Targets - A Reply to Tony and Nick Foresta

(JK: This post was originally composed on Oct. 3rd, 2003, and mistakenly left as a Draft. Though late, I believe that recent events have given it new relevance.)

Like many regulars here at Winds of Change, I read Tony Foresta's column and reacted rather strongly to it, as can be evidenced from the comments thread. My basic argument against Tony was that it was necessary to attack Iraq rather than Saudi Arabia in order to remove the greater threat to the United States.

One of the things I have noticed during my travels through blogosphere is that there seem to be a number of differing opinions as to which state must be removed in order for al-Qaeda to be either decapitated or sufficiently injured to the point where the finishing the remnants of the network off will be peanuts by comparison. For many people the answer was evidently Iraq, while for Michael Ledeen it is Iran, while noted readers of such websites as Rediff will no doubt come back with the opinion that all roads lead to Islamabad. In each case, the perception is that there is a central pivot around which the survival of al-Qaeda as a global terror network depends. For Tony and Nick Foresta, that pivot is Saudi Arabia.

My own opinion is that this judgement is erroneous.

read the rest! »

"...No Worse Than Your Average Dictator"

You have to go over to Roger Simon's to check out this thread (started by the snarky Tom Tomorrow cartoon at Salon on 'Chickenhawks').

I only have a limited amount of snark, so can't see wasting it here, but I did want to make sure that no one got left out of the fun. I'm always being busted for talking about the 'irrational left' without pointing to any examples; so here's one. Folks, click over and meet Matt:

As far as Saddam's cruelty goes, it is greatly exaggerated. By world standards, particularly in the Middle East, he wasn't that bad. As long as you didn't oppose him politically you could pretty much carry on your regular life. I'm not defending him, mind you. I'm saying that he is no worse than your average dictator, and I don't see the hawks clamoring to topple, say, the president of Uzbekistan, who boils his political opponents live. Saddam quashed a rebellion and killed a bunch of people in the process. As I said before, standard practice for a head of state. Try taking up arms against the government with a few thousand people and see if you don't get killed and dumped in a mass grave.

read the rest! »