Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- March 30, 2010

Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga Versus Mideast Peace -- Wall Street Journal

Are settlements more offensive than pop stars?

Pop quiz—What does more to galvanize radical anti-American sentiment in the Muslim world: (a) Israeli settlements on the West Bank; or (b) a Lady Gaga music video?

If your answer is (b) it means you probably have a grasp of the historical roots of modern jihadism. If, however, you answered (a), then congratulations: You are perfectly in synch with the new Beltway conventional wisdom, now jointly defined by Pat Buchanan and his strange bedfellows within the Obama administration.

What is that wisdom? In a March 26 column in Human Events, Mr. Buchanan put the case with his usual subtlety:

Read more ....

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials

Terror Returns to Moscow -- The Times editorial

Moscow Under Attack -- Sergey Kuznetsov, New York Times

Day the War Came Back to Moscow -- Anna Nemtsova, Foreign Policy

An Illusory New START -- Alexander Golts, Moscow Times

Unruly Clients: The Trouble with Allies -- Steven Metz, World Affairs

Soothing China-U.S. Tensions -- Charles A. Kupshan, New York Times

Afghan war spilling Over in Central Asia -- Joshua Foust, Current Intelligence

President Obama in Kabul -- New York Times editorial

Drone dependency trivializing Afghan war -- Cesar Chelala, Japan Times

Decision time in Burma for democracy's advocates -- U Win Tin, Washington Post

What the Iraqis are building -- Washington Post editorial

Why Precious Is Strategic -- Brahma Chellaney, Times Of India

World News Briefs -- March 30, 2010 (Evening Edition)

Russian Blast Accomplices Caught On Camera -- ABC News

Security officials in Russia say they have made important breakthroughs in the investigation into the fatal bombing of the Moscow metro.

Russian police say video surveillance has revealed the two suspected suicide bombers had accomplices.

They are searching for two women and a man seen with the suspected bombers at a metro station outside central Moscow on the morning of the attack.

Read more ....

MIDDLE EAST

Allawi accuses Tehran of meddling in Iraqi politics.

G8 leaders: Growing momentum for Iran nuclear sanctions.

In Iraq, candidates seek an edge with post-election maneuvers.

CIA: Iran capable of producing nukes.

Hamas seizes $270,000 in frozen funds from bank.

ASIA

‘The Silent Surge’: Pakistan's foreign minister on what his country is doing to combat militant Islamists.

Thai red-shirt peace talks reach stalemate.

Afghanistan: Nato to launch Kandahar assault in June.

Diver dies at South Korean warship rescue site.

Pakistani court keeps curbs on nuclear scientist.

Myanmar Opposition Party's vote boycott angers some.

AFRICA

Nigerian Islamist sect threaten to widen attacks.

White Zimbabwe farmers win South Africa property.

Pirates hijack Panamanian ship off Yemen. Somali pirates hijack eight ships in three days.

Sudan opposition mulls poll boycott.

New LRA attacks leave 26 dead in C.Africa: military.

EUROPE

Serbia debates Srebrenica massacre apology.

The difference between Putin and Medvedev.

Death toll from Moscow blasts rises to 39

Russia faces continuing problems in the Northern Caucasus.

Geneva atom smasher sets collision record.

Berlusconi scores political victory in local vote.

AMERICAS

Haiti to unveil $3.9B restructuring plan at the U.N. Britain turns off Haiti aid and delivers a snub to New York donor conference.

FBI launches raids on Christian militia group which is 'preparing for battle against an Anti-Christ'.

Obama signs health care reconciliation bill.

Hillary Clinton criticises Canada over Arctic talks.

Mexican Azteca gang leader arrested in killings of 3 tied to U.S. consulate. Ventura County probe leads to arrest of alleged Mexican drug kingpin.

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

After Moscow bombings, U.S. subways still vulnerable to terrorism.

India's hottest weapon in fight against terrorists: chili peppers.

CNN poll: Americans favor keeping Guantanamo open.

Bin Laden is 'healthy, giving the orders' says terror suspect.

Nuclear ambitions, terrorism focus at G8 meet.

The growing threat from female suicide bombers.

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

Google CEO's compensation for 2009 falls 52 pct.

Pssst: Wall Street is hiring again.

World stocks gain as US economic outlook brightens.

Can a former KGB agent save London's Independent?

Amnesty Releases Their Report On State Executions

Amnesty Says China Executed Thousands In 2009 -- Voice of America

Amnesty International has released its annual death penalty report, which shows the number of countries that use capital punishment is declining. But the report estimates that China executed several thousand people in 2009.

Arthur Judah Angel was sentenced to death in Nigeria in 1986 for a crime he says he didn't commit.

"Being on death row was like being in hell. You understand? In fact, it's very horrible. I don't have enough language – in English or my own – to explain it," said Angel.

Read more ....

More News On Amnesty International

China executes thousands: Amnesty -- CBC
China challenged over executions -- Al Jazeera
Amnesty urges China to disclose execution figures -- BBC
Amnesty decry Iranian executions -- UPI
Rights group: Europe was execution-free in 2009 -- AP
Amnesty Condemns Widespread Misuse Of Death Penalty -- RTT News
U.S. the Only Country in the Western World to Use Death Penalty -- Opposing Views
Death penalty use decreasing worldwide: Amnesty report -- Jurist
China Executes the Most People in the World, But Texas Goes Big Too -- Village Voice

CIA: Iran Capable Of Producing Nukes

From The Washington Times:

Report finds Tehran keeping options open.

Iran is poised to begin producing nuclear weapons after its uranium program expansion in 2009, even though it has had problems with thousands of its centrifuges, according to a newly released CIA report.

"Iran continues to develop a range of capabilities that could be applied to producing nuclear weapons, if a decision is made to do so," the annual report to Congress states.

A U.S. official involved in countering weapons proliferation said the Iranians are "keeping the door open to the possibility of building a nuclear weapon."

Read more ....

My Comment: The bottom line .... the CIA does not know (for sure) what Iran is doing.

As to what is my take .... I believe that since the Iranian Government has already spent billions of dollars .... as well as putting their credibility on the line that this program will be successful .... has produced a sequence of events in which they cannot (now) turn back. They may be keeping their options open .... but their goal has not change .... which is to have a Shiite nuclear bomb in the near future.

The Impact Of An EMP Attack On The U.S.

Image from US Infrastructure

EMP: The Next Weapon Of Mass Destruction? -- Time Magazine

If America needs a new threat around which to organize its defenses, try this one: Bad guys explode nuclear weapons miles above U.S. soil, sending out an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) that fries the electronic guts of everything in America. The nation's financial and transportation systems collapse, hospitals and the Internet go dark, water and electrical grids freeze and runaway Toyotas with electronic throttles are finally brought to a stop. "The EMP resulting from the blast would cause widespread damage, devastating the economy and resulting in the deaths of millions of Americans," the hawkish Heritage Foundation warned last week, launching a call on Congress to establish an EMP Recognition Day.

Read more ....

My Comment: In 1998 Quebec experienced an ice storm that knocked out the electrical grid for 4-7 days in Montreal, and weeks outside the city. Since it was winter, temperatures were at -5C to -20C, and all business activity came to a halt.

Did we experience a disaster .... did thousands die? No. The result of this disaster was the following .... no one died, crime went down, community help and assistance went into play, and everyone helped everyone to get over this rough time. Government, private communities, utilities .... everyone pitched in.

If the US was to experience an EMP attack in which the electrical grid was to be knocked out .... I am going to expect the same thing to happen in the US. Times will be tough, but I expect everyone will get together and help each other to recover as quickly as possible.

In short .... millions will not die, the economy will not be destroyed, and we will recover sooner rather than later.

And then we go after the bastards who would do this.

Many Pentagon Arms Programs Are A Mess

Ashton Carter, Pentagon acquisition, technology and logistics chief, said he wants a dialogue with U.S. defense firms. (ROB CURTIS / STAFF)

Pentagon Says Many Arms Programs Not Performing -- Reuters

* Pentagon needs earlier tip-off of problems

WASHINGTON, March 29 (Reuters) - Ashton Carter, the Pentagon's top acquisition official, said on Monday that many U.S. weapons programs were not performing as expected, and that he planned to use more independent cost estimates and step up oversight to identify problems sooner.

Carter described the Pentagon's recent structuring of the Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) F-35 fighter jet program in detail, saying plans to lengthen the development program and move more gradually into production put the program on a more realistic footing for success.

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My Comment: Tell me something that I do not know.

Update: This is something new.

American Generals During WWII

(Click picture to enlarge)
1945. The rare family photograph of the American generals: (seated left to right) William H. Simpson, George S. Patton, Jr., Carl Spaatz, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Omar Bradley, Courtney H. Hodges, and Leonard T. Gerow; (standing l. to r.) Ralph F. Stearley, Hoyt S. Vandenberg, Walter Bedell Smith, Otto P. Weyland, and Richard E. Nugent.

From Iconic Photos.

Hat Tip: Goodshit