Year end review

My opinions on some of the things happening across the globe, here at home, and what the outlook will be in 2008:

Iraq: While the first part of 2007 was extremely violent (2007 saw several of the deadliest terror attacks of the Iraq war) things seem to be looking up in that country. I just read an article off of the AP about a New Year's celebration that took place in the capital. Most reports show that Iraqis are living peacefully in major Iraqi cities, including Ramadi, which at the beginning of the year was one of the most violence-plagued cities in the country, and Basra, which is now under the control of Iraqi security forces. If the plans implemented by General David Petraeus continue to work and the Iraqis continue to resist extremism the lull in violence should hold. However, it is of utmost importance that the Iraqi leaders reconcile this year. We should be taking advantage of the dramatic turn-around of events over there in order to ensure permanent success.

Global Warming: It looks like the ship has already left the dock on this one, I must admit. The hysterical Al Gore movement has succeeded in silencing those of us who dare suggest that global warming could be nothing more than a natrual cycle that has been happening for millions of years. TV shows, celebrities, and even school classrooms continue to pump out one-sided propaganda to uninformed individuals, and a growing movement has accepted the doomsday end of the world scenario put forth by Al and his followers. There is a good chance we will be hearing plenty of calls in '08 for crazy "solutions" to the "climate crisis". Suggestions that include things like dumping millions of tons of iron into the ocean and shooting rockets filled with ash into the atmosphere to simulate a volcanic eruption (like that's not going to have some unintended consequences).

Israel: 2007 was a safe year for the people of the Jewish State. While Palestinian infighting left hundreds dead in the Gaza strip and Hamas ended up taking control of that area, there was very little terrorist activity inside of Israel. Israeli security forces have managed to thwart the numerous attempts by Islamic Jihad and the Al-Aksa Martyrs brigade to carry out attacks in Israeli cities.

Pakistan: I don't really know what to say about the situation in Pakistan other than it looks like all hell is breaking loose over there. Riots continue, terrorism continues, and President Musharraf has been repeatedly attacked from all sides, including American politicians. 2008 is not looking good for that region unless the Oppostion, President Musharraf, and the international community can find a way to put aside their differences and agree that stability is the best thing for everyone, even if it means working with people you don't like. The image of President Musharraf and Nawaz Sharif shaking hands and pledging to work together to eradicate extremism would certainly send a strong message.

Afghanistan: 2007 was the deadliest year for all sides in Afghanistan, but things have appear to have quited down in recent weeks. The Taliban continues to attack on a daily basis, but the increased training of Afghan security forces has certainly weakened them. Also, reports are suggesting that Al-Qaeda and the Taliban are shifting their focus from Afghanistan to Pakistan in attempt to take advantage of the growing political power struggle over there.

Africa: As always, the world continues to forget about Africa. While a small contingent of peacekeepers has been deployed to Darfur to replace the AU forces there, violence is still continuing. Somalia is all but lost as mortarts rain down on civilian markets and an increasingly ferocious insurgency rules the streets. Rebel militia continue to terrorize the civilain population of lawless Eastern Congo and tensions are high in Kenya as the new year is welcomed in.

US politics: The Iowa caucuses are only a few days away and its completely up in the air as to who will take the lead, as far as I've been able to determine anyway. One thing's for sure, I've had enough of the angry rants and hate that comes out of Washington D.C. My suggestion for the folks in Pakistan can be applied to our own politicians as well.

Iran: Well, what's there to say about in Iran..."Peace in our time" comes to mind. After all, the NIE did release a poltiically driven hatchet peace...Sorry, I mean report, about Iran's nuclear ambitions. Iranian money continues to flow to Hezbollah, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad and centrifuges continue to spin in the Islamic Republic. There's still hope though, hope that the Iranian people can find a way to phase out this terrible regime with their desire for freedom and democracy, as the ongoing protests among the young people of that country continue to show.

Well, these are some of my opinions as we head into the new year. Let's see how we do in '08.

Independent analysis

I have put together an op-ed I will be submitting to one of my local newspapers. Basically, I offer my analysis on the situation in Pakistan that has boiled over these last couple of days. During that time, I have focused pretty much all of United World's resources on looking into just what is happening over there. Here's my basic conclusion:

The assassination of Benazir Bhutto was carried out by one or more terrorists groups from a larger coalition of Jihadists, both foreign and homegrown, aligned with Al-Qaeda and the Taliban. Many of the attacks that have happened this year in Pakistan have gone without a claim of responsibility, probably because the extremist elements seek to create as much chaos as possible between the government of President Musharraf and the opposition party. Recent attacks, including the one I reported on at the mosque last week, seem very similar to the matter in which Benazir was killed. That attack happened to target one of Musharraf's ministers, which pretty much puts down the far-left conspiracy that the government is orchestrating such attacks.

Anyway, that's my analysis so far. Obviously, things could change any minute. Interestingly enough though, this news cross the wires only moments ago...

"ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Two suspected suicide bombers died Sunday when they prematurely detonated their bomb near the residence of a senior leader of the ruling party in eastern Pakistan, police said.

The men were on a motorcycle and were not far away from the residence of Ijazul Haq, a senior leader of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Q party, in the city of Bahawalnagar when their bomb exploded, said Zafar Abbas Bukhari, the district police chief.

The blast was the first suicide attack in Pakistan since the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto on Thursday. Her killing triggered nationwide riots and raised doubts on whether parliamentary elections on Jan. 8 can go ahead as planned."
www.foxnews.com

mmmm...targeting the ruling party. That's a fancy media word for Musharraf's government. But wait a second...the far-left blogs told me that Musharraf is the real culprit behind the attacks. I'm beginning to think that Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles can see what's going on here.

Rudy Giuliani speaks out on Benazir's assassination

As of now, I have to say that Rudy Giuliani would be the best choice for president. I think he has what it takes to lead this country and battle terrorism. United World has not endorsed any candidate yet, but there's no doubt in he would make a good leader. He's not a religious fanatic like Mike Huckabee, he's socially liberal, and he does what he thinks his right. Issues like gay marriage and abortion are unimportant in the broader picture, and hopefully the conservative zealots who claim to care most about these issues realize that when they head to the polls. The rather disturbing developments that have been coming in this month from Algeria to Pakistan certainly remind us that their are far more dangerous threats out there than a woman deciding to terminate her pregnancy or a same-sex couple getting married (FYI...I consider myself to be 100% neutral on these issues).

Regardless of who wins in Iowa next week, central Asia is falling apart and terrorism is marching on Pakistan. Things look like they're going to get a lot worse before they get better and we need someone who knows what they're doing.

Benazir Bhutto assasinated, fighting rages as cities burn in Pakistan

This past year, our ally Pakistan has been faced with unprecedented violence against civilian and military targets. Sadly, it has only gotten worse. Last week, United World reported the story of the tragic mosque massacre in Pakistan's Northwest in which some 60 innocent Muslim worshippers were killed. In October, terrorists targeted Former Prime Minister and pro-democracy icon Benazir Bhutto as she made her return to her home country. The attackers failed and only succeeded in murdering well over 100 of their fellow Muslims. Today, however, Benazir and over 20 of her supporters were killed in a shooting/suicide bomb attack at a rally in the city of Rawalpindi. The Pakistan Dawn reports:

"RAWALPINDI, Pakistan, Dec 27 (Reuters) - Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was killed in a gun and bomb attack after an election rally in the city of Rawalpindi on Thursday. Police said a suicide bomber fired shots at Bhutto as she was leaving the rally venue in a park before blowing himself up. “The man first fired at Bhutto's vehicle. She ducked and then he blew himself up,” said police officer Mohammad Shahid. Police said 16 other people had been killed in the blast, but tv channels said at 20 persons were killed.“ A Reuters witness at the scene of the attack said he had heard two shots moments before the blast. Another Reuters witness saw bodies and a mutilated human head strewn on a road outside the park where she held her rally. People cried and hugged each other outside the hospital where she died and residents of Karachi, Bhutto's home town, said they had heard gun shots after news of Bhutto's death spread, apparently from her enraged supporters. (Posted @ 19:26 PST)"
www.dawn.com

Unprecedented violence...

As was mentioned earlier, Pakistan has been rocked by some of the most horrific terrorist violence in its history this year. Bomb attacks have taken a toll on the civilian population in just about every major city in the country, while the military has been battling pro-Taliban forces in the remote mountains along the border with Afghanistan. President Pervez Musharraf has been repeatedly targeted by Al-Qaeda-linked militants, as well as some of his government ministers. The unfortunate reality is that the situation in Pakistan has been poorly covered in the news, where many media figures are more focused on Iraq than anything else. Once again, we are reminded of the threat posed by terrorism in every corner of the globe.

President Bush has strongly condemned the assassination, while leaders in Europe, Russia, and the Middle East have done the same. Even Iran, a country embroiled in a nuclear standoff with the west and a Shiite rival of Pakistan's Sunni majority, has condemned the attack. Musharraf has declared three days of national mourning and the Pakistani flag is flying at half-staff at the embassy in Washington D.C. Presidential candidates, including John Edwards, Barack Obama, and Mike Huckabee, stand united in denouncing such a reprehensible act of terrorism. Benazir's supporters, however, have taken to the streets and begun rioting.


"Angry supporters of slain opposition leader Benazir Bhutto took to the streets of Pakistani cities on Thursday, from the Himalayas to the southern coast. The unrest was predictably fiercest in Bhutto's native Sindh province and its capital, Karachi. “Police in Sindh have been put on red alert,” said a senior police official. “We have increased deployment and are patrolling in all the towns and cities, as there is trouble almost everywhere,” he said. Reports said security was deteriorating in Karachi, where thousands poured on to the streets to protest. At least three banks, a government office and a post office were set on fire, a witness said. Tyres were set on fire on many roads, and shooting and stone-throwing was reported in many places. Most shops and markets in the city shut down. At least 20 vehicles were torched in Sindh’s second biggest town of Hyderabad. There were also small protests in Rawalpindi and the nearby capital, Islamabad. Protesters blocked roads with burning tyres and chanted anti-Musharraf slogans in Muzaffarabad, capital of Azad Kashmir. Police said they had been ordered to block the main road between Punjab province and Sindh province, apparently to stop the movement of protesters. Disturbances were also reported in the southeastern city of Multan, although details were sketchy. In Lahore, capital of Punjab province, Bhutto party workers burnt three buses and damaged several other vehicles, police said. (Posted @ 22:38 PST)"
www.dawn.com

My opinion on this...

I was watching the news the morning and heard a guest on the Fox News Channel suggest the Pakistani government could have been behind the killing of Bhutto. Conspiracy theories are sure to be flying all over the left-wing blogs. Such theories are obviously coming from someone who knows very little about Pakistan or Islamic terrorism. To those people, I ask you...was Musharraf behind the bombing that targeted one of his ministers last week in the Charsadda Mosque? Was he behind the attack that nearly took his own life in 2003, when car bombs targeted his passing motorcade? Or what about the October attack where a bomber attempted to slip into his office but killed seven people instead? There is no doubt in my mind that Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and their allies are doing everything possible to destabilize the country and inflict suffering on all those who refuse to submit to their extreme ideology. Once again, the victims of today's attack were all Muslims, including Benazir Bhutto. She fought hard for democracy and stability for the people of her country only to be wiped out by a homicidal maniac determined to bring all of that down. It's safe to say that these murderers are not Muslims, just as Benazir said back in October, a day before coordinated blasts targeted her homecoming rally. Surely the gates of hell, if there is such a place, will swing wide open to welcome the "martyrdom seeking" fanatic who fired the bullets and set off the explosion at the pro-democracy rally today.

The situation is sure to only get worse, with all sides in Pakistan calling for the upcoming elections to be canceled. At this point in time, all we can do is pray for peace and hope that Musharraf can stabilize the country before it falls into total anarchy.

Joy to the World...there is hope for tomorrow as we come upon a new year

As the world celebrates Christmas and 2007 draws to a close, we can remember that there is hope for a better tomorrow and that good can overcome the problems we are facing.

Photo taken by Michael Yon, war zone journalist www.michael-yon.com

Description: Iraqi Christians celebrate as they raise a cross above their newly reopened chruch in Baghdad.

Is there anything more to say?

Last month I took it upon myself to visit a mosque in San Francisco and see for myself just what Islam is all about. It has been over three weeks since that experience and since then I have been attacked in blogs and newspapers for daring to say that the vast majority of Muslims are indeed good people. At the same time, the crazy liberals on the left continue to rant about how the threat of terrorism is completely hyped up and is nothing more than a cover for the Bush administration to strip away our civil liberties.

Well, I hope both sides got to hear about this story...

Earlier today, a terrorist most likely linked to the Taliban or Al-Qaeda walked into a mosque packed with holiday worshippers in NW Pakistan and detonated a nail bomb packed with 15 pounds of explosives. Scores of people were killed, and the apparent target of the attack was a government minister loyal to President Pervez Musharraf. Interestingly enough, the minister was the target of another assassination attempt earlier in April, when a bomb hit a rally he was speaking at. It's a well known fact that the Pakistani government is embroiled in a violent power struggle with Taliban militants in the mountains of the country, but seeing that the terrorists would actually attack a mosque on Friday prayers during the celebration of the Eid holiday is absolutely despicable. It's even more disgusting that these people claim to be fighting under the banner of Islam while having no problem with slaughtering scores of innocent worshippers. Sadly, this is not the first time these inhuman people do such things. Mosques hosting soldiers or other government figures have been hit by terrorism not only in Pakistan, but in Afghanistan and Iraq as well.

For all you crazy people on the left who deny terrorism is a legitimate concern, what do you think of this? Is this George Bush's fault as well? Coupling today's horrific event with with the terrorist attacks that decimated the city of Algiers earlier this month, I think it can be said that terrorism is very much a threat to global stability.

For all you ignorant people on the right, do you still think "all" Muslims sympathize with the Taliban and Al-Qaeda murdering their own people? The fact is, most of the victims of so-called "Islamic" terrorism over the last 25 years have been Muslims, as opposed to the Christians and Jews Islam is said to be opposed to.

Although I growing number of people want to deny it, terrorism is a growing danger to all of us all over the world. This year alone has seen repeated attack all over North Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and even Europe. India, Thailand, and Somalia have also been hit as well. But if we are to counter this threat we need to recognize that the 1.2 billion Muslims in the world are not all the enemy. We are fighting a deranged, evil group of people who hijack religion as a means to recruit followers, and it poses just as much, if not more of a danger, to Muslims as it does to any one of us in the west.

Russian President Vladimir Putin: Time Magazine's 2007 person of the year...

...is a scary man.

Running out of bad guys...

Its no secret now that things are getting better in Iraq. The fact that most major media outlets have paid little attention to the dramatic reduction in violence across the country is a good indication of just how much better things really are. So what do we owe all of this success to? Well, it seems to be three factors, the first being the well-planned strategy implemented by General David Petraeus, as well as the increase of 30,000 American troops on the ground. The second factor is the heroic actions of the brave Iraqis who have chosen to rise up against Al-Qaeda and extremism. Last year, an awakening council started by Shiekh Sattar Abu Risha routed the insurgency from the Al Anbar province. Similar movements followed suit and in time, Baghdad and the northern provinces were secure.

...and the third factor, as far as I've concluded, is that Al-Qaeda might just be running out of bad guys to kill innocent people.

A couple of days ago, an awakening council ambushed a group of Al-Qaeda in Iraq fighters and killed 35 of them. This sort of occurrence seems to be happening more often. Last month, the Islamic Army in Iraq, a former anti-American insurgent group, carried out its own raids against Al-Qaeda, while joint U.S.-Iraqi operations continue to wipe out dozens of terrorists on a daily basis. Not to mention, Al-Qaeda has got to be low on "martyrdom seekers" willing to blow themselves up, after hundreds of other fanatics have already done so over the years.

Over the weekend there seemed to be a little hint of desperation when Al-Qaeda's #2 man, Ayman Al-Zawahiri, released a video in which he demanded the group's Iraq-based wing purged the insurgency of traitors. Despite Zawahiri's attempt to sympathize with the American people about the antiwar sentiment currently splitting this country apart, it looks like there is a very good chance Al-Qaeda could be in its death throws, as far as Iraq goes at least.

Certainly, we can only hope.

Which is worse? Choosing the lesser of two evils...

Everyday, the fringe elements of the antiwar movement are coming up with new theories about why the Iraq War was started. Some say that Bush started the war to exact "revenge" on Saddam for trying to assassinate his father. Others say its all about oil. Then there's the argument that Bush and Cheney are trying to take over the world. Still, others insist that the Jews are really running things in the White House. But one of the antiwar movement's favorite talking points is the infamous handshake between former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.


It's rather damning at first, and the antiwar/anti-Bush elements just love it. But if one actually knows any history whatsoever, we were facing a threat even more dangerous than Saddam during that time: the Islamic Republic of Iran. Throughout the 80's, Iran was building up its presence in the Middle East, interfering in Lebanon's civil war and creating Hezbollah. Not to mention, this was only a few years after Iran had been holding Americans as hostages. Allying with a tyrant like Saddam appeared to be the best strategy at the time to confront the Iranian threat. Still, it seems pretty bad we were supporting such a terrible dictator...or was it?


The photo above shows then President Franklin Delano Roosevelt sitting side by side with Joseph Stalin, the dictator of the Soviet Union. During WWII, the United States allied itself with Stalin in order to defeat Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. As battles raged on the front lines of the war and Nazi Germany continued its stranglehold on Europe, the allied powers welcomed Stalin onto their side to defeat the German Empire. The reality, however, was that Stalin was just as, if not more evil than Hitler. While the Nazis carried out daily killings of Europe's Jews in death camps, Stalin's brutal regime was sweeping across the USSR, killing millions of political opponents and tossing many more into gulags. Tens of thousands of priests, nuns, and ministers were rounded up and executed during the purges, when Stalin tried to cleanse his country of all those who looked to a power higher than him...and this was all happening as FDR was shaking hands and sipping tea with old Joe. So which is worse, teaming up with Saddam Hussein or Joseph Stalin?

Looking back at both time periods, we did what we thought was the right thing. While working with Saddam seems awful, it did help prevent Iran from dominating the Persian Gulf. Five years after Rumsfeld and Saddam shook hands, Saddam gassed the Kurds and slaughtered hundreds of thousands of people. After that, as well as the subsequent invasion of Kuwait by Iraqi forces, the world saw Saddam for who he really was: an evil dictator. After WWII ended, the Soviets became public enemy number one. While Stalin continued his murderous rampage, his regime acquired nuclear weapons, and thus began the Cold War, which would eventually drag us into Korea and Vietnam to fight communism.

Yep, history is full of similarities like this. It's never a bad idea to do a little research.

48 hours in this world

Reporting on the war on terror...well, there's been no let up in extremist terrorism all over the world these last couple of days.

*update* Algeria: Al-Qaeda in North Africa is claiming responsibility for two suicide truck bombings in the capital city of Algiers. One of the bombs targeted the UN headquarters, while the other exploded outside of a university and sheared through a bus carrying college students. The death toll is still unclear, but it appears to be 34, with a half dozen others still missing. At least 11 UN staffers are among the dead.

Iraq: Less than 24 hours after the Algiers attack, bomb-rigged cars in the southern Iraqi city of Amarah exploded within minutes of each other, killing 28 people and injuring scores more. While security has dramatically improved in Baghdad and Anbar province, analysts fear Al-Qaeda or Iranian-backed Shiite militias could try to carry out spectacular attacks in other less secure provinces.

Lebanon: A car bomb in the capital, Beirut, assassinated a Lebanese Army General and his driver. The General had overseen the bloody siege of a Palestinian refugee camp in the north, where Al-Qaeda allied militants battled the Lebanese Army for three months.

Israel: Palestinian militants fired off nearly two dozen rockets into southern Israel, some of which crashed into homes and wounded four Israelis. One woman was injured when a rocket hit a synagogue. This comes as Israeli forces continue to battle Islamic Jihad cells operating on the border.

Pakistan: Two suicide bombers attacked a security checkpoint in the SW city of Quetta. Five security officers were killed and 22 people were injured, including, civilians. The good news is that the Pakistani Army appears to have defeated radical Islamic fighters in the scenic Swatt Valley in the northwest and has taken control of the area.

Afghanistan: An IED blasted a civilian vehicle in the country's south, leaving six dead. This comes as British and Afghan forces routed the Taliban from the town of Musa Qala, where the terrorists had been in control for months.

India: A bomb planted on a rail line ripped through a train coach and killed five in the country's east. Numerous rebel groups as well as Islamic militants operate in the area, and its unclear who was responsible.

Somalia: Al-Qaeda linked Islamic militants shelled one of Mogadishu's biggest markets with mortars, leaving 12 dead and dozens injured. Separately, a gun battle between security forces and militants left five dead.

Conclusion: While our allies seem to have scored several victories recently, it looks like the terrorists are still active and are even going on the offensive in places like Somalia, including attacks on innocent civilians. Isolating Musharraf in Pakistan and angering the Israelis with this NIE report on Iran is definitely not helping. In addition, its pretty clear Al-Qaeda and other terrorists delight in the political deadlock here in the US between President Bush and the dem congress.