Here's some interesting stuff I've come across lately:

• Steven Den Beste has a post up wondering if perhaps France & Germany doth protest too much on Iraq because French & German companies have been bending or breaking the sanctions regime. There's actually a history of their involvement with Iraq's WMD programs that Steven didn't write about; suffice to say that I'd put even or better odds on his supposition coming true. I hope to get enough research time to lay some of that out for y'all over the next week.
  
  
• Fouad Ajami, author of "Dream Palace of the Arabs" and other recommended works, has an outstanding article in Foreign Affairs called "Iraq and the Arabs' Future." Must-read of the day, if you haven't got to it yet.
  
  
• A commenter on Rantburg points to some overlooked aspects of the Kuwaiti terrorist attack on American personnel the other day, one which could mean serious hardship for the victims' families. I sure hope Don is wrong.
  
  
• Mulsimpundit sure was outraged the other day when his country saw fit to let in a Taliban terrorist as a refugee claimant, and the goings-on at the Finsbury Mosque have been a target of his for a while now. Looks like he isn't the only one... The Times' Libby Purves unleashes an absolute scorcher in "Britian, spiritual home to this creed of hate." Oi!
  
  
• Meanwhile, Finsbury's spiritual counterparts in Pakistan have been burning books and CDs in public ceremonies. And we know where book-burning inevitably leads...
  
  
• On the bright side, Indonesians finally appear to be facing reality: the Bali bombing was the work of Indonesian Muslims, rather than moonbat conspiracy theories about the CIA et. al. Will it lead to coordinated, decisive action? Not really. Too many islands, too many places to hide, too many in cahoots. Indonesia will remain a source of regional trouble for its neighbours. But the worm is turning, and the momentum is no longer with the Islamists. Which means covert programs now have improved odds of success. Hope the CIA and India's RAW are busy down there.
  
  
• Michael Ledeen, with yet another excellent article on Iran. Talk about the worm turning - even mullahs are unhappy these days. When will the Bush team start listening? Faster, please.
  
  
• CPO Sparky of Sgt Stryker contributes a couple of worthy links: "Navy and Marine Rules for Gunfighting," and an excellent post called "Fire and Motion" that covers both military tactics and procrastination.
  
  
• Last word goes to Tacitus, with his definitive post on the pro-genocide Stalinists at A.N.S.W.E.R. and their role in this weekend's demonstrations. It's a searing "j'accuse" that should weigh on the conscience of every person there... and its questions are 100% legitimate.