The glory of democracy

Now to some news that is exciting and indeed a good development for the future of democracy. After the successful, landmark elections that took place in Iraq at the end of last month, Israel held a successful election on Tuesday. At the moment, it appears that Israelis are torn between two very respectable candidates--Tzipi Livni and Benjamin Netanyahu. If Livni is named Prime Minister, she will become Israel's second female PM after Golda Meir. Hmmm...I wonder when Hamas-occupied Gaza will be electing a female leader.

Regardless of how one might feel about Israel and what has been happening in Gaza lately, its hard to dispute that Israeli citizens have more rights and freedoms than most countries in the region. I find it revolting whenever I hear that Israel needs to be "dismantled"--often a codeword by the Israel haters that they really seek to see Israel destroyed, as if a Hamas-ruled Palestine is going to give the Palestinians the freedoms they desire. Even worse are the frequent verbal assaults on Israel involving Nazi and fascist comparisons to the Israeli Defense Forces and the Israeli government.

Israel and Iraq deal a devastating blow to tyranny and terrorism every time an election is held. You can bet that the monarchs in Saudi Arabia or the mullahs in Iran cringe every time an Iraqi or an Israel-Arab casts a ballot and takes a step to decide on his or her future. Syria's Assad and Libya's Muammar Gadaffi probably feel similar. Yet this does not stop Saudi Arabia from feeling fit to criticize Israel, even as they lash rape victims , chop off heads for the most simple of all reason, and look the other way as terrorists who go on to kill innocent Arabs and Muslims are exported over their border.

Mission Accomplished

Today was another defining moment for the people of Iraq. Last night, I spoke with several of my friends who live in the country and I was nearly moved to tears as they talked about getting ready to vote. I think it is safe to say that Iraq is ready to be the beacon of hope for freedom and democracy in the Middle East.

Those who wanted Iraq to fail have only failed themselves. Al-Qaeda's roots have been smashed thanks to the courage of the Iraqi people, the Lions of the Iraqi Army, and of course the Surge Strategy implemented by a true American hero, General David Petraeus. As for Saddam and the Baathists, they are nothing but a closed chapter in a dark history.

Iraqi heroes patrol the Tigris River

Usually, when I think about the people who looked down on Iraqis, I think of terrorist scumbags who suicide bombed mosques or Militiamen who trained in the art of torture from a compound outside of Tehran. But we cannot forget people like Harry Reid and the other democrats...I don't want to dwell too much on that. Our country is focused on another crisis, and the last thing we need is more division, but I will stand by this statement: Harry Reid should have stepped down a long time ago after his reprehensible statements.

I am very proud of my president, Barack Obama, for commending the Iraqi people and praising the success of today's elections, which passed free of violence and proved to the world that Iraq, its people, and its freedom are truly a force to be reckoned with. I must say that I am even prouder of the Iraqi prime minister, Nouri Kamal Al-Maliki, who has strong that he is a strong and gracious leader.

The Iraqi people have stood up for their security

But I am most proud of my former president, George W. Bush. I suppose if I ran into him tomorrow, this is what I would say to him:

Mr. President, now that you have stepped aside and are enjoying a calm, quiet life in the Dallas suburbs, remember that you are a real hero. You stood by Iraq's side in its time of need...you outsmarted those who wanted Iraq to fail, from the congressmen who verbally ravaged you day in and day out to the terrorists who arose from the sands of North Africa and Saudi Arabia to inflict terror and fear on the Iraqi people.

The democrats won the election. They got the White House and they consolidated their power in Congress. For now, they have even won the trust of the American people. But each morning, when you and your wife get ready to have coffee, just think of the millions of Iraqi families who are going to live in peace, and the future generations who are going to lead Iraq and the Middle East to greatness. The Democrats never got their new direction. You looked them in the eye and exposed them for the frauds they were when they threatened to cut funding or tie in a "troop withdrawal" to one of their so-called "blank checks" they were handing you.

History will judge you very differently, sir. You will be remembered with heroes of the Middle East like T.E. Lawrence and Benazir Bhutto, except your accomplishments are even greater.

Hhhhh...maybe I need to do some work with it, lol. But that is pretty much what I would say if I met the former president. Anyway, even as the Bush hatred remains solid in this country, there are plenty of images that will show just the opposite.


A bustling Baghdad comes to mind. As George and Laura go about their golden years, I hope that they will find the time to visit it. I've heard reassurances from some of my Iraqi friends that they will be warmly welcomed one day, and I trust this will be true.

Bush did a great thing for Iraq, for the world, and for humanity. It disgusts me when I hear about Republicans who urged the president to give up during the bloodshed that peaked in 2006-07, when Iran, Syria, Al-Qaeda, and the Baathists were hard at work trying to destroy the country. While they all had different goals, the above mentioned thugs seemed to agree that a democratic Iraq was a threat to their despotic way of life.

Another question comes to mind...is Iraq even still a "war"? Obviously, the Iraqi people will always be at war with so-called Islamists who wish to destroy their way of life, but perhaps the media can look at stories coming out of Iraq as something other than "war news".

The struggle is far from over...Iraq is going to serve as a role model for the Middle East, and we will have to wait and see what happens. Iraq's future is just beginning.

Conscious ignorance

Many despotic and theocratic regimes in the Middle East will deflect attention away from the brutal treatment of their people by blaming all the problems on Israel. All the while, the crimes of the anti-Israel crowd, including Hamas and the other thuggish rulers, remain ignored.

Have a look at this horrific video, taken back in 2007 shortly after Hamas ousted the Palestinian Authority from the Gaza Strip in a bloody coup. Watch, and you will see Palestinians singing a song at a wedding ceremony. Moments later, armed Hamas policemen storm in, guns blazing, on the backs of pickup trucks. Gunfire goes of, innocent people are savagely beaten, and the ceremony is broken apart as police vehicles drive over tables and chairs.



Where were the angry protests taking place across the world for this? Obviously, there are none. Anyone who thinks that these people--Hamas--actually care about the welfare of Palestinians, are blissfully ignorant. If the Gaza offensive is stopped, and everything goes back to status quo, is this brutal treatment of innocent people to be excepted? Are lost Palestinian lives only a tragedy if they are killed by an Israeli bomb as opposed to a gang of bearded lunatics wielding guns and screaming "Allah Akbar" as they attack the people they want to "liberate"?

Another stunning example:

Yemen is a country filled with weapons...more guns than people in fact. It ranks as one of the poorest nations in the world, and its people are struggling for food. The government is largely corrupt, and the threat of extremism is never far. Have a look at this laughable accusation by the Yemeni authorities. This is just plain ignorance...Al-Qaeda inspired Salafists are targeting innocent Muslims in mosques, police patrols, schools, and even foreign embassies, and the blame immediately shifts to the Jews. Unless the people of Yemen (and many, many other countries) except that their so-called "Arab brothers" are responsible for many of the problems they face, the country is going to continue meandering down a path of poverty, violence, and starvation.

SANAA (AFP) — A Yemeni court began on Saturday the trial of three Islamists accused of establishing contact with Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and offering to collaborate with the Jewish state.

The three men are accused of operating under the name of Yemen's barely-known Organisation of Islamic Jihad and spreading false news of attacks on government buildings, embassies and foreign interests in Yemen between May and September 2008.

The prosecution charged the main defendant, Bassam al-Haidari, 26, of writing directly to the prime minister of Israel by email, offering to work for the Jewish state.

"We are the Organisation of Islamic Jihad and you are Jews, but you are honest, and we are ready to do anything," Haidari said in the email sent to Olmert, the prosecution charged.

The list of charges say that Olmert responded to Haidari, also known as Abu al-Ghaith, welcoming his offer to collaborate.

"We are ready to support you to become an obstacle in the Middle East. We will support you as an agent," Olmert was quoted as writing back.

The group, which includes Imad al-Rimi, 23, and Ali al-Mahfal, 24, has also claimed in Internet messages signed by Abu al-Gaith that it prepared 16 car bombs to attack governmental buildings and embassies, according to the charges.

The three defendants denied all the charges and demanded a lawyer. The court agreed to their demand and adjourned the hearing to January 17.

Yemeni authorities rounded up six suspects in Sanaa shortly after a September 17 attack on the US embassy that killed 18 people.

The interior ministry said at the time that the arrested group included Abu al-Ghaith al-Yamani, who was the signatory of an Islamic Jihad claim of responsibility for the attack on the US mission.

Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh later that an Islamist "terrorist cell" with links to Israeli intelligence had been dismantled.

Hmmm...I think that President Saleh should be more concerned about his neighbor to the north, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where a deranged and incorrect interpretation of Islam is exported through fiery, angry clerics eager to march off young Arab men and women to their deaths as "martyrs".

I want to make perfectly clear that I am posting this story because of my concern for the Arab people, not to be pro-Israel. Anyone who reads my work knows I am a strong supporter of both Arabs and Israel, and that terror groups like Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and Hamas are the bane of my existence. The Arab people are never going to be able to unify if such blatant hatred continues to run through even the highest of government officials and others who would otherwise be respected.

Turkish Hypocrisy:

One final point I feel compelled to make is the hypocrisy of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyib Erdogan. He has been a fierce critic of Israel's operation in Gaza, even though his own country is engaged in a war for its security. Last year, Turkey felt the need to send soldiers across the border into Iraq to protect its citizens from a Kurdish separatist group known as the PKK, which desires an ethnic homeland for Kurds in Turkey and elsewhere. Exactly, how is this different from Israel's decision to move against Hamas?

Basically, Erdogan wants to believe that Turkey can do whatever it wants to protect its citizens, even if it means destabilizing a peaceful region like Iraqi Kurdistan. The Turks will point to bombings and other terror attacks by the PKK in order to justify the operation...its almost a mirror image of Israel's operation in Gaza. However, when Turkish tanks rolled over the border into Iraq I don't recall any masked protesters in San Francisco waving PKK flags and calling for Turkey to be "radiated", as some haters have gone so far to say about Israel.

Hamas does not care about Palestinians

I'm sure that many (although not all) of my Arab friends are likely to disagree with my analysis on the fighting that is raging in the Gaza strip right now, but I need to express what I believe is the truth: Hamas, the terrorist group that has hijacked the religion of Islam to use it as a shield to justify its actions, does not care about what is happening to thousands of Palestinians right now. I honestly believe that Hamas' leaders would sooner sit back and watch every Palestinian in Gaza starve to death before they would even consider halting the rocket fire into Israel, most of which lands in open fields at best, or at worse, misfires and kills Palestinian civilians instead, something that tragically happened the other day.

A bomb shelter built to protect Israelis from rocket fire in the border town of Sderot. Its not uncommon for children to flee to these during recess at school.

Israel can only put up with this for so long. Last month, I posted an excellent video about the Kassam Rocket strikes that rain down on southern Israel and terrorize the local population. The "cease-fire" was a joke to begin with. Hamas was able to claim it was not firing rockets, although its leaders did absolutely nothing to stop fellow terrorist thugs, like Islamic Jihad and the PFLP, from firing some half a dozen rockets into Israel each day. How many children need to be maimed while playing outside before Israeli leaders take action?

I hope that the citizens of Gaza have realized that Hamas has done nothing to help them. They were elected to power back in January of 2006 on a platform of standing up for Palestinians, while the rival Fatah Party was seen as corrupt and incompetent. Hamas only knows how to be a terrorist group--meaning the only thing they are useful for is terrorizing and killing innocent people--it has proven itself to be an inept governing force.

Hamas and Zarqawi:

I would like to post a link from the major English-language newspaper Aswat Al-Iraq to show that Hamas is indeed an enemy of the Arab world. Back in June of 2006, when arch-terrorist Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi received poetic justice in the form of two 500-pound bombs falling from the sky, Hamas actually issued a statement mourning the death of Zarqawi, praising him as a figure of "resistance", and outraging many Iraqis. Next to Saddam Hussein and the Taliban, Zarqawi may have been the biggest mass-murderer of Shia Muslims the modern world has seen. As Gaza burns, the patriotic "resistance" in Iraq has been up to its own antics, attacking rallies in SUPPORT of the Palestinians. Maybe Al-Qaeda should release a few more videos and explain exactly how this is "resisting" anything.

Back to reality

These past few days, the presidential campaigns, as well as the American media have been overwhelmingly focused on the economy. Today's violence in Yemen should remind everyone that there are even more frightening things to worry about than the prospect of another buyout or the Dow losing 200 points. That is all serious stuff--but for all the fear and uneasiness many Americans have about their future, at least they don't have to wake up to Takfiri fanatics on their doorstep, as many US embassy workers and the people of Sanaa did early Wednesday...

Perhaps its one thing to be thankful for, and let's not forget about the families of those killed in this attack (all of them were Arabs). Even in the times when they are not the target (most often they are) Al-Qaeda sees Muslim blood as being cheap and expendable.

US embassy in Yemen bombed

From Al-Jazeera English:

At least 16 people have been killed in an attack on the US embassy in the Yemeni capital Sanaa by a suicide bomber and armed fighters, the country's interior ministry has said.

A suicide bomber on Wednesday morning drove a car close to the embassy before detonating his explosives, witnesses said, leaving part of the building on fire.

Armed men then attacked the embassy from a second car, they said.

Six guards, four civilians and six attackers died in the assault, the interior ministry said.

A group called Islamic Jihad in Yemen has claimed responsibility for the attack and threatened to target the British, Emirati and Saudi embassies in Sanaa, reports say.

A vehicle was on fire on the road near the embassy compound's perimeter and police sealed off the area, witnesses said.

Roads leading to the embassy were closed after the attack.

Mohammed al-Qadi, a political columnist for the Yemen Times, told Al Jazeera: "The attack came at about 9.30 in the morning, when there were not so many people passing in the streets outside the US embassy.

"Otherwise, the casualties could have been a lot more."

Washington accused al-Qaeda of being behind the attack.

"I think it is safe to say ... the attacks bear all the hallmarks of an al-Qaeda attack," Sean McCormack, the US state department spokesman, said.

This just might be the most beautiful country in the world

A couple weeks back, I wrote a post about the complex relationship between the United States and Iran. Needless to say, I am rather alarmed by the already strained tensions that have increased since then, which is the reason I decided to write this post.

The Iranian government has once again demonstrated its desire to create instability in the region with Tuesdays launch of several long-range missiles...including the Shahab 3, a ballistic missile capable of striking almost anywhere in the Middle East, and even southern Europe. However, as the West's standoff with Iran intensifies, I think it is important that people, especially Americans, get to see that Iran--as a country, people, and culture--is not evil, and that there are other options besides violent conflict. Personally, I believe that reaching out to the Iranian people and their amazing culture is the best option we have, as well as making sure that the democratic governments in Iraq and Afghanistan--Iran's most significant neighbors--flourish. I remember a broadcast of the Rush Limbaugh program one time, where the conservative host put together a parody song of the democrats. While I found that hilarious, since I am disgusted with "leaders" like Reid and Pelosi, he also went far enough to suggest that Iranians somehow hate the USA. Seeing that Iran is considered to be the largest state sponsor of terrorism, and routinely threatens Israel, it might not be hard to believe this. But fortunately for those of us who want to see a free Iran AND an absence of a third war in the region, there just might be hope.

First of all, look how beautiful these photos are. I have never had the honor of visiting Iran and experiencing what appears to be a breathtaking culture, but I certainly hope I do...perhaps in the not-so-distant future.



Azadi Tower, what a sight to see.



Before I began following events in the Middle East, I once believed Iran was a "desert". While some of it may be, this fresh fallen snow is just as beautiful as anything you might come across here in California--lake Tahoe--or my former home states, New Hampshire and Massachusetts.



There is something to remember here: as Iran's Revolutionary Guards continue to come up with more provocative antics to antagonize the west, and the United States and Israel draw up military plans of action to strike Iran, all sides should realize that the first things to be destroyed will not be Iran's brutal theocratic government...it will not be the state of Israel...it will not be the American way of life...and it will not be the forces of terrorism that has infested Iran's borders and exported their bloody ways to other countries. No, instead, the first thing to be destroyed will be Iran's most beautiful sights, places to visit, and welcoming people.

By the way, I hope that this article reflects the true nature of Iranians--that they are not sympathetic to the ways of their government, at least when it comes to having closer relations to the west

Terror in the holy city of Jerusalem

Israel experienced one if its worst terrorist attacks in almost two years on Thursday when a Palestinian gunman raked a Jewish Seminary with gunfire, killing eight people before being shot death himself. President Bush and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the attack, but Hamas and other Palestinian militants "blessed" it...and threatened that more attacks would be coming.

Now I've never understood these Palestinian terror groups and what goes through their minds when they commit such evil acts. They claim to be fighting for the "liberation" of their people, but in the end, this attack will inflict more harm on innocent Palestinians than on Israelis, seeing as Israel will most likely retaliate against Hamas and Islamic Jihad installations in the Gaza Strip. It's also troubling that these people are carrying out attacks while Israelis and Palestinians are trying to work out a peace agreement. Obviously, terrorists groups like Hamas do not want peace...they just want to kill Jews, as well as Palestinians who choose not to go along with their call for the destruction of Israel.

Obviously, international diplomacy is a good thing. If two countries have differences but want peace in the end, then it is one of the best tools available. However, when the opposing side does not want peace and does not want to co-exist, it is useless. That point was proven last year when Hamas overthrew President Abbas' government in the Gaza strip and executed some of its members in the streets. At the same time, a simple military operation against Palestinian terrorism will not solve the problem either...in fact, it could only make it worse in the long run. Instead, the Palestinians must be convinced that Hamas' use of political violence is not the solution and work together with Israelis to phase out such beliefs. Once the terrorists lose the support of the people, they're infrastructure falls apart, its that simple. The Anbar Province in Western Iraq is proof of that.

Another Middle East War?

Earlier today, two katyusha rockets fell on northern Israel, raising fears that "Islamic" militants in southern Lebanon are trying to spark a new war in the Middle East upon President Bush's arrival in the region. One rocket slammed into a house and the other hit a lamp post, but no injuries were reported. Shortly after the rocket attack, a UN peacekeeping patrol was hit by a roadside bomb south of the Lebanese capital, Beirut. Two soldiers from the Spanish contingent based in the country;s south received injuries. In response to the attacks, Israel has raised its alert level along its border with Lebanon. It's not clear who was behind the attacks, but suspects include Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Shiite militant group that fought a war with Israel back in 2006, and the Al-Qaeda linked Fatah Al-Islam group that waged a bloody battle with Lebanon's army last year in the Nahr El Bared Palestinian refugee camp.

United World Analysis:

It seems just a little too coincidental that this is happening a day after Iranian patrol boats engaged in a hostile confrontation with US warships in the Persian Gulf. It is very likely that Iran and Hezbollah would like to see the Middle East go up in flames just in time for President Bush's visit. What better way to make the USA look like a complete failure than to have a repeat of the Summer '06 war?

Although this seems unlikely, it's also possible that Sunni militant groups like Fatah Al-Islam are competing with Hezbollah for dominance in the region. Back in June, Al-Qaeda linked militants captured in southern Lebanon admitted to firing rockets into Israel in order to put blame on Hezbollah. Again though, it does not seem likely that Sunni and Shiite militant groups in Lebanon are allowing their hatred for each other to get in the way of their hatred for the Jewish state of Israel.

Israel has done the right thing by holding itself back. Today, the Israelis said they will not respond until the situation is carefully assessed and they figure out who was behind the rocket barrage. If the IDF had responded by launching an assault on Hezbollah or other militant positions in southern Lebanon, they could have done exactly what the terrorists want, which is to make Israel look like the bad guy.