John Mccain's victory speech

NH voters decided to go with John Mccain, a moderate, free-thinking candidate who is not afraid to speak out against the fringe movements in Washington, both far-right and left, just as he understands how important it is for the US to finish the mission in Iraq.

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.

Peace in our time...

Well, guess what...Iran is back in the news again. That's right, even though the much glorified NIE report put down fears of growing Iranian interference across the Middle East, the Iranians themselves are contradicting such claims. Once again, this is another example of the phrase "actions speak louder than words".

This is from the AP:

Iranian Revolutionary Guard boats harassed and provoked three US Navy ships in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, threatening to blow up the American vessels, US officials said Monday. They described it as a serious provocation.

US forces were on the verge of firing on the Iranian boats in the early Sunday incident, when the boats turned and moved away, a Defense Department official said. "It is the most serious provocation of this sort that we've seen yet," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the record.

White House spokesman Tony Fratto said: "We urge the Iranians to refrain from such provocative actions that could lead to a dangerous incident in the future."

The incident occurred at about 5 a.m. local time Sunday as a US Navy cruiser, destroyer and frigate were on their way into the Gulf and passing through the strait - a major oil shipping route.

Five small boats began charging the US ships, dropping boxes in the water in front of the ships and forcing the US ships to take evasive maneuvers, the Pentagon official said.

There were no injuries but the official said there could have been, because the Iranian boats turned away "literally at the very moment that US forces were preparing to open fire" in self defense.

How many times does it have to be said that these are not peace seeking people?

A change of pace...

Okay, so my saturday. Wake up at 10:30, its sunny. I though that was wierd because it was raining all night and was raining all day the day before. So me and Corey leave at like 11:30 and as we walk out the door it starts raining. Little did we know as we got into the car that we would almost die multiple times before we got to the mall. So we get to the mall and walk in through sears and do a general walk-around of the whole mall. Then we eat at Sbarro, something I haven't had in like a year. Afterwards I hit up mainland, got two stussy tees, one for half price because of tiny hole in the back. After that I went to Tilly's, which I hate and then Pac Sun just because. Upstairs now, I went to Zumiez, which I had no idea carried Diamond, so I got a tee there. Afterwards, we walkd around some more, got strawberry julius' from Orange Julius and eventually left. All in all, in was a fun day.









The thing about it is, the name of the mall is Sun Valley, and it certainly was not sunny and I really don't think its is a valley.

Original Post:

Great new Giuliani ad

I think Mike Huckabee and all of his supporters should take a minute to watch this.

Setting the stage for more violence

Sri Lanka's government has announced it is formally pulling out of a "cease-fire" with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam that was brokered by Norwegian mediators in 2002. Although both sides claim to abide by the agreement, it has been repeatedly violated amid the continuing battles taking place across the countryside between government soldiers and Tamil Tiger rebels, along with the LTTE's repeated use of terrorism against both civilian and military targets.

Well over 5,000 people have been killed in the brutal ethnic conflict since the cease-fire was announced and Sri Lankan government officials have declared it "irrelevant". The UN is fearing for the safety of civilians as truce monitors get ready to pack up and leave, and a violent showdown is sure to break out when the agreement officially expires on January 16th. Nevertheless, violence has flared even while the cease-fire remains in effect. Clashes erupted in the northern part of the country on Friday and the LTTE was suspected in an IED attack on a military convoy on Wednesday.

My Opinion:

The cease-fire never did any good because neither side was interested in peace. This is a conflict that requires a political solution and cannot be won through military and guerilla warfare. If the Tamil Tigers truly want an independent state, they should disarm, renounce terrorism, and approach the west to help them make their case to the Sri Lankan government in Colombo. The only drawback to such a plan would be that it could parallel the situation in Gaza, where Hamas and Fatah have been fighting over the notion of a peace deal with Israel.

Losing touch with reality?

Well, I was right. Barack Obama did win the Iowa caucus yesterday, and like I said I would, I congratulate him over his victory. However, there are some rather alarming results that have come up as well.

First of all, Iowa's conservatives decided to go with Mike Huckabee, a man who by his own admission claims to know nothing about foreign policy. The far-right is so wrapped up in its obsession over abortion and gay rights that they completely overlooked the two republican candidates who see the broader picture: Rudy Giuliani and John Mccain. Last week I was listening to Sean Hannity's radio show when a man called in and proclaimed that he would not be voting for anyone who was pro-choice or in favor of gay marriage. Seeing as Mike Huckabee is a step closer to taking the GOP nomination, it looks like that's where the lines are drawn: between right and left. No one out there seems to care about right and wrong.

While I was disappointed that Huckabee one last night, I was even more alarmed that Ron Paul was the winner of a Myspace primary conducted recently. I know, I know, it's just a stupid Internet poll, but that website has millions of users...I wouldn't be surprised if more people voted in the Myspace poll than in the Iowa caucus, where only about 100,000 people from farm country go out and vote. Paul also came in fifth place in Iowa...ahead of Rudy Giuliani and Duncan Hunter. The fact that this kook was able to take in more than 10% of the vote is rather frightening. Remember, this is a man who who wants to withdraw all troops from Iraq, Afghanistan, and most of the world, believes isolationism and non-intervention are the answer to solving the problems facing the international community, and launches verbal tirades on Abraham Lincoln for going to war against the south and starting the Civil War. If the majority of myspace users and 10% of Iowa caucus goers actually believe in this nut's world views, we should be very afraid. Let's not forget that this guy has also managed to raise record fundraising in very little time, so obviously there are plenty of people who are just as nutty as he is if they are willing to give him money. 10% of the people who voted yesterday have indeed lost touch with reality.

The Democrats...

It was encouraging to see the majority of democratic voters choose someone who is honest and stands up for what he believes in, as opposed to a flip-flopping phony like Hillary Clinton or John Edwards. While I don't really agree with ANYTHING Barack Obama says on foreign policy, I do commend him for standing up for standing up for his beliefs. For example, Obama has been against the Iraq War from the beginning, while Clinton and Edwards have gone back and forth, making statements over the years that often contradict each other and their original position: which was to authorize the war and take military action against Saddam Hussein. Although they would like to rewrite history, the fact remains that both Edwards and Hillary were just as anxious to go into Iraq and get rid of Saddam as Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld. Despite that, Edwards just recently declared he would withdraw all troops from Iraq...including those who are helping to train the Iraqis. With all of the success we've had in Iraq, why John Edwards would want to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory with such an idiotic statement is beyond me.

Now that Iowa's over, its time to get ready for New Hampshire. United World has not made any predictions yet, but it would be good if Romney, Giuliani, or Mccain is able to beat Mike Huckabee and put and end to this extreme, far-right conservatism that is sweeping across the republican side and drowning out the voices of reason and unity. It also wouldn't be bad if Obama can manage a victory and put Clinton and Edwards out for good.

Hopes and predictions for the Iowa Caucus

Not that I'm anything close to someone who knows what their talking about when it comes to analyzing polls and predicting the outcomes of elections, but I figure I'd take some guesses. The truth is, my mind has been over in other parts of the world, in places like the Middle East, North Africa, and Russia.

As far as the Republicans go, I think Mitt Romney will win tomorrow. For the democrats, I think it will be Obama...

Yes, Barack Obama, a man who I have a lot of respect for due to his honesty. I even think he has some good ideas for solving some of the domestic issues in this country. However, I don't think he has a clue about what's going on in the world today. Nevertheless, I will be happy for him if he wins.

As I said before, my favorite candidate so far is probably Rudy Giuliani, seeing as he separates himself from the extreme right unlike so many other republicans. Unfortunately, he has a very small following in Iowa and is trailing way behind in the polls.

I also like Mitt Romney. His views about solving the problems facing the world are similar to Giuliani's, he just has a record of extremism when it comes to gay marriage. It's important to note that I'm far more concerned about about a bloody salafist terror group trying to impose its will on countries like Iraq, Algeria, and Pakistan than I am about two dudes, or girls for that matter, falling in love and getting married. A personal issue like that isn't going to blow up a cafe or cut people's heads off.

What about Mike Huckabee, the self proclaimed "dearth" on foreign policy and right-wing Christian minister who has frequently gone after Romney's mormon faith. I really don't like him, but obviously I will support him over the democratic nominee should he get the nomination.

Now, should Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Joe Biden, or Ron Paul ever get elected president I will be going into self-imposed exile somewhere overseas, probably in Dublin, Ireland. All of those people repulse me beyond all reason, with Edwards and Paul being the worst. Just today, Edwards announced he would pull all troops out of Iraq...even the ones training the Iraqis so they can take control of their country...and he said it with a smile on his face. The man has sold his soul to far-left bloggers and its really shameful, seeing as the man voted to authorize the war in the first place.

So here are my predictions...Romney for the republicans, Obama for the democrats. Get out there and vote Iowans.

Algeria on high alert after fuel tankers go missing

A quick update on the ongoing situation in Algeria...this is pretty disturbing.

A report has surfaced out of the Algerian capital of Algiers that several fuel tanker trucks were stolen, increasing fears that Al-Qaeda in North Africa could be preparing more attacks of catostrophic proportions. Earlier today, the group claimed responsibility for a car bombing at a police station east of the capital that left four policemen dead.

Meanwhile, a man suspected of being the mastermind behind the April 11th attacks on the Prime Minister's office has been arrested by security forces.

History repeats itself...

This is a report coming out of Kenya from the AP, where a rather disturbing situation has been developing over the last 48 hours. Ethnic strife is happening again on the African continent, reciprocating itself yet again, this time in a country that is said to be one of East Africa's most prosperous democracies.

Kenya Church Torched, 50 Reported Killed
Tuesday, January 01, 2008

By ELIZABETH A. KENNEDY and TOM ODULA, Associated Press Writers

NAIROBI, Kenya — A mob torched a church where hundreds had sought refuge Tuesday, and witnesses said dozens of people _ including children _ were burned alive or hacked to death with machetes in ethnic violence that followed Kenya's disputed election.

The killing of up to 50 ethnic Kikuyus in the Rift Valley city of Eldoret brought the death toll from four days of rioting to more than 275, raising fears of further unrest in what has been one of Africa's most stable democracies.

The latest violence recalled scenes from the genocide in Rwanda in 1994, when more than a half-million people were killed. The question facing Kenya is whether the politicians will lose control of the mobs, triggering a civil war.

President Mwai Kibaki, who was swiftly inaugurated for a second term Sunday after a vote that critics said was rigged, called for a meeting with his political opponents _ a significant softening of tone for a man who rarely speaks to the press and who vowed to crack down on rioters.

But opposition candidate Raila Odinga refused, saying he would meet Kibaki only "if he announces that he was not elected." Odinga accused the government of stoking the chaos, telling The Associated Press in an interview that Kibaki's administration "is guilty, directly, of genocide."