The Cool Blue Blog

Rivals in evil

Back in the Summer of 2006, the world was stunned when they learned just how sophisticated a fighting force Hezbollah really was. True their rockets were crude and inaccurate, but it was learned that not only did they possess sophisticated anti-ship missiles, but that their infantry operations were at such a level they were able to fight an unprepared Israeli Army to a stalemate. At the time I wrote about this in July of 2006, I quoted Bill Roggio.

The Hezbollah fighters are well trained, and according to an anonymous senior military source, using ammunition and equipment such as armor piercing rounds, body armor, night vision gear and laser sights. Hezbollah also possesses mortars, RPGs, anti-tank and anti-personnel mines, anti-tank missiles and possibly surface to air missiles to accompany their arsenal of short and medium range missiles capable of striking into the heart of Israeli territory. Hezbollah is using infantry tactics and fighting at the squad and platoon level.

This isn't a garden variety militia, but a well trained fighting force, the Iranian version of the Foreign Legion....

Hezbollah also has built an extensive underground networks, including "fortified underground bunkers some 40 meters (roughly 120 feet) underground, along with mass weapons caches" and communications systems. All of this was built under the nose of the Israeli military and intelligence services, as well as the peacekeeping forces of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

Today, Hezbollah is fighting the much less capable Lebanese Army and beating them.

...[Walid] Jumblatt, a top American ally, is under virtual house arrest. After the lightning speed with which opposition Hizballah fighters defeated government supporters in a six-hour battle on Thursday — only to vanish a few hours later — it became clear that it is pointless to resist the Iranian and Syrian-backed militia, which could return at any time. "I am a hostage now in my home in Beirut," he said over the telephone to his rival Nabih Berri, the speaker of parliament and a top opposition leader, while TIME waited nearby for an interview. "Tell [Hizballah leader] Sayeed Hassan Nasrallah I lost the battle and he wins. So let's sit and talk to reach a compromise. All that I ask is your protection."

And it is now clear that Hezbollah is now the dominant force in Lebanon.

Hezbollah today stands unquestioned as the single most powerful force in Lebanon. By routing government-allied militiamen in hours last week, as the army stood by, it proved it can occupy Beirut at will. Its show of strength forced the government into a humiliating retreat from decisions that targeted the group. And the group itself has ensured that the independence of its sprawling military, political and social infrastructure -- deemed a state within a state by its opponents -- will remain untouched for the foreseeable future.

By doing so, Hezbollah, once a shadowy, Iranian-inspired band born in the civil war, has decided a question that has divided Lebanon since Hariri's death: whether it would embrace a culture of accommodation with Israel, as a mercantile Mediterranean entrepot, or one of confrontation that Hezbollah and its Iranian patrons exalt.

"In this war, over a span of a few days, Hezbollah was able to translate a minor military victory into a major political achievement. It has succeeded in breaking the deadlock and achieving the aims the opposition has been calling for for two years," said Amal Saad-Ghorayeb, an analyst at the Beirut Center for Research and Information.

Hezbollah has built a sophisticated communication system within Lebanon for their own exclusive use.

But this show of force inspired a reaction among the Sunni groups in Lebanon

Hezbollah’s brief takeover of Beirut led to brutal counterattacks in northern Lebanon, where Sunni Muslims deeply resented the Shiite militant group’s display of power. The violence energized radical Sunni factions, including some affiliated with Al Qaeda, and extremist Sunni Web sites across the Arab world have been buzzing with calls for a jihad to avenge the wounded pride of Lebanese Sunnis.

Yes, not only has the world taken notice of the power of Hezbollah, but so has al Qaeda. al Qaeda now realizes that Hezbollah is a powerful rival, not ally, in Jihad.

Bin Laden singled out by name Hassan Nasrallah, leader of Hezbollah, whose 2006 war against Israel boosted the group's popularity among Shiites and Sunnis.

Bin Laden said Nasrallah claimed he had enough resources, such as money and combatants, to fight Israel.

"But the truth is the opposite," he said. "If he was honest and has enough (resources), why then he did not support the fight to liberate Palestine."

He also attacked Nasrallah for allowing the deployment of U.N. peacekeepers in southern Lebanon "to protect the Jews."

Sunni al-Qaida has also stepped up its criticism of Shiite Iran, the main backer of Hezbollah, accusing it of trying to dominate the Middle East.

So al Qaeda is not worried that Hezbollah has lost its way with regards to Israel, they are worried that they, and not al Qaeda, will come to dominate the Middle East.

But Hezbollah is not an entity unto itself: It is expeditionary force belonging to Iran and supported by Syria.

Along with Hamas, it is an arm of Iranian Foreign Policy.

Back in 2005, former enemy of the US, Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, was inspired by what had transpired in Iraq

"It's strange for me to say it, but this process of change has started because of the American invasion of Iraq," explains Jumblatt. "I was cynical about Iraq. But when I saw the Iraqi people voting three weeks ago, 8 million of them, it was the start of a new Arab world." Jumblatt says this spark of democratic revolt is spreading. "The Syrian people, the Egyptian people, all say that something is changing. The Berlin Wall has fallen. We can see it."

But he underestimated the forces arrayed against him. No matter who wins the rivalry between Iran and al Qaeda, the result will be enslavement.

Their only hope is to help the US succeed in Iraq. Bush addressed the World Economic Forum at the Sharm el Sheikh International Congress Center in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt. He said

The truth is that freedom is a universal right -- the Almighty's gift to every man, woman, and child on the face of Earth.  And as we've seen time and time again, when people are allowed to make a choice between freedom and the alternative, they choose freedom...

I know these are trying times, but the future is in your hands -- and freedom and peace are within your grasp.  Just imagine what this region could look like in 60 years.  The Palestinian people will have the homeland they have long dreamed of and deserve -- a democratic state that is governed by law, respects human rights, and rejects terror. Israel will be celebrating its 120 anniversary as one of the world's great democracies -- a secure and flourishing homeland for the Jewish people.

From Cairo, Riyadh, Baghdad to Beirut, people will live in free and independent societies, where a desire for peace is reinforced by ties of diplomacy and tourism and trade.  Iran and Syria will be peaceful nations, where today's oppression is a distant memory and people are free to speak their minds and develop their talents.  Al Qaeda, Hezbollah, and Hamas will be defeated, as Muslims across the region recognize the emptiness of the terrorists' vision and the injustice of their cause.

This vision is the same one I outlined in my address to the Israeli Knesset.  Yet it's not a Jewish vision or a Muslim vision, not an American vision or an Arab vision.  It is a universal vision, based on the timeless principles of dignity and tolerance and justice -- and it unites all who yearn for freedom and peace in this ancient land.

Realizing this vision will not be easy.  It will take time, and sacrifice, and resolve.  Yet there is no doubt in my mind that you are up to the challenge -- and with your ingenuity and your enterprise and your courage, this historic vision for the Middle East will be realized. May God be with you on the journey, and the United States of America always will be at your side.

But the road to Freedom requires the defeat of Hamas, Hezbollah, and al Qaeda because they are Feedom's rival.

Point of distinction

Over the past few days, Senator Obama has chosen to take offense that President Bush believes that direct Presidential talks with countries like Iran, without preconditions, amounts to appeasement.

...George W.Bush's controversial speech to the Israeli parliament, in which he said people advocating negotiations with "terrorists and radicals" were deluded and were promoting "the false comfort of appeasement"....

Obama accused Bush of an "appalling attack" that alienated the US from the world and divided the country at home, but his main interest was roping in McCain, which he did by referring to Iraq and issuing a challenge to both men.

"If George Bush and John McCain want to have a debate about protecting the United States of America, that is a debate I am happy to have anytime, any place," Obama said.

There is little doubt that this will occur, sooner or later, because this is one of a list of points of distinction between these two candidates for President.

Senator Obama knows full well that there are diplomatic lines of communication between the US and state sponsors of terrorism like Iran and Syria. And clearly this would continue in an Obama Administration.

But Obama is looking to go beyond this; a Presidential meeting of heads of State for the purpose of "talking" to our enemies. In the CNN/You Tube Democratic Debate in July of 2007,

QUESTION: In 1982, Anwar Sadat traveled to Israel, a trip that resulted in a peace agreement that has lasted ever since.

In the spirit of that type of bold leadership, would you be willing to meet separately, without precondition, during the first year of your administration, in Washington or anywhere else, with the leaders of Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea, in order to bridge the gap that divides our countries?

OBAMA: I would. And the reason is this, that the notion that somehow not talking to countries is punishment to them -- which has been the guiding diplomatic principle of this administration -- is ridiculous.

What he is proposing is something that none of our European allies have either proposed or attempted.

Not Britain.

Not Germany.

Not France.

All of these countries have forsworn such a  move unless and until Iran has ceased development of nuclear weapons and Obama, if he were to do such a thing, would be breaking with out European allies.

Acting like a cowboy.

Unilaterally.

What Democrats might call "A third Bush Administration".

But it is clear that this is not just Obama; what seems to be the whole Democratic Party is behind such a Foreign Policy

Suggesting that U.S. presidents have a long history of cutting deals with tyrants in other nations, several Democratic backers said Sunday that Barack Obama’s approach to talking directly with America’s enemies will enable the U.S. to regain the upper hand in foreign policy negotiations.

Blaming President Bush for enabling Iran to be stronger today than eight years ago, Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd said that dropping preconditions for direct talks between the U.S. president and enemy nations will allow breakthroughs that would not otherwise be achievable.

But who would Obama talk to and what would he say that hasn't already been said by France, Germany, England and the US?

Dodd could not speak directly to those issues, but said the United States has a good opportunity now with Iran, in part because the population there really dislikes the Islamic regime that has been in power since 1979.

The Iran that claims that Israel should be smoking pit in the ground? That Iran?

We recall that when talking to NY Times' David Brooks, Obama said

The U.S. needs a foreign policy that “looks at the root causes of problems and dangers.” Obama compared Hezbollah to Hamas. Both need to be compelled to understand that “they’re going down a blind alley with violence that weakens their legitimate claims.” He knows these movements aren’t going away anytime soon (“Those missiles aren’t going to dissolve”), but “if they decide to shift, we’re going to recognize that. That’s an evolution that should be recognized.”

But the only "claim" of Hamas and Hezbollah is the complete and utter destruction of Israel.

Which is similar to what Iran wants.

Which is what Reverend Wright and his friend Louis Farrakhan want too.

Hmmmmm. Maybe they do have something to talk about.....

But there is nothing "legitimate" about it.

But Iran, Syria, and the War against Radical Islam is just one of the clear points of distinction between Senators Obama and McCain.

Which way we go will be up to the voters in Novemeber.

Anti-tax Pro-gun Democrat wins

Pundits and Democratic leaders are looking forward to a Tsunami in the Fall; they are starting to feel that they will sweep control of the Congress away from Republics and put it more firmly in the hands of Congress. Possibly, they are thinking, they will get a super majority in one or both houses, creating a veto-proof block.

The most recent indication of this is the congressional special election held on Tuesday where a congressional district that is more Republican than the nation as a whole, elected a Democrat to a seat previously held by a Republican.

Democrats won with 54% of the vote in a district that a Republican won with 66% in 2006 and that President Bush carried in 2004 by 25 points. It was the GOP's third special election loss this year, and it has Democrats predicting that November will be another rout of 2006 proportions.

Democrat Travis Childers defeated Republican Greg Davis in the race for Republican Roger Wicker's seat.

But he did it by being more Conservative than the Republican.

...the Democratic victor in Mississippi’s 1st District, Travis Childers, successfully used a conservative Republican anti-tax, pro-gun, pro-life message.

The Democrats began back in 2006 finding candidates that can win races, rather than candidates that have taken a loyalty oath to the Left. And they have had success. The message of the Left doesn't work in most places, but the message of the Right does.

Not only did Childers win with his anti-tax and pro-gun positions, he did it by distancing himself from Democratic front-runner Barack Obama

Travis Childers, a candidate for Mississippi's first congressional district, told reporters yesterday that Barack Obama hasn't endorsed his campaign, despite an ad by his opponent linking the two and Rev. Wright. Said Childers: "I've not been in contact with his campaign, nor has he been in contact with mine."

Despite his positions, the Left Wing of the Democratic Party supports him

[House Speaker Nancy] Pelosi, in fact, called him personally to draw him into the Mississippi contest. The Democrat in the race, Travis Childers, had defeated two African-American candidates in preliminary rounds, and it was feared that black enthusiasm in the contest had cooled.

Clearly the Democrats are after as large a majority as possible of people who have a D in the affiliation, but what does it mean if the Party goes hard right to do it? It has already been notable that "Blue Dog" Democrats have thwarted attempts by the Left Wing leadership to end the war in Iraq. And the Blue Dogs are not big on taxing and spending

The Blue Dog Co-Chairs applauded Chairman Spratt for including key Blue Dog-advocated priorities in the Democratic Budget Resolution including: an adherence to pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) budget discipline; a commitment to the extension of statutory PAYGO requirements; a commitment to provide adequate funding for our national defense; holding the line on mandatory spending levels to put our country back on the path to fiscal responsibility; and putting an end to irresponsible deficit spending in order to reach balance by 2012.

If Republicans don't get a message like that, they are going to lose in Novemeber in a big way.

But then again, so will the Leftists.

Which includes Obama

Lt. Michael Murphy

Lt. Michael Murphy entered the dangerous mountain range of Hindu Kush between Afghanistan and Pakistan with his three fellow U.S. Navy SEALs in search of Ahmad Shah, a known terrorist. Murphy and his comrades were given up to the Taliban by local nationals, which resulted in the worst single-day U.S. Forces death toll day since Operation Enduring Freedom began. The SEALs were severely outnumbered in rough mountain terrain that did not allow radio contact with their base. Gunner’s mate 2nd Class, Danny Dietz was wounded while trying to transmit a call for help to Begram Air Base.

Lt. Murphy risked his own life by leaving cover and exposing himself to enemy fire to call for help for his men. While trying to contact his reinforcements, Murphy was shot in the back, but he continued, picked the transmitter back up and completed his call. This phone call led to the eventual rescue of fellow SEAL, Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Marcus Luttrell 10 days later.

Lt. Murphy made his way back to his unit, severely wounded, and continued to fight alongside his comrades. The fighting continued for two hours leaving three out of the four SEALs mortally wounded. Three of the Navy SEALs, including Lt. Murphy, as well as the rescue Chinook helicopter that responded to Murphy’s call carrying sixteen men, all died fighting the Taliban in one of the most dangerous places in the world.

Luttrell was severely wounded but traveled seven miles on foot to a nearby village where the villagers took him in and refused to give him up to the Taliban. One villager reported Luttrell’s location to a Marine outpost and U.S. forces launched a rescue mission on July 2 that brought him home.

Lt. Murphy’s selfless, heroic act was honored by President Bush on October 22, 2007, by presenting the Medal of Honor to Dan and Maureen Murphy, parents of Lt. Michael Murphy. This is the first Medal of Honor received by a Navy service member for actions in the Global War on Terror and the first Medal of Honor to be awarded for actions in Operation Enduring Freedom.

Official Medal of Honor Citation

FOR SERVICE AS SET FORTH IN THE FOLLOWING

            

CITATION:

            

FOR CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY AND INTREPIDITY AT THE RISK OF HIS LIFE ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY AS THE LEADER OF A SPECIAL RECONNAISSANCE ELEMENT WITH NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE TASK UNIT AFGHANISTAN ON 27 AND 28 JUNE 2005. WHILE LEADING A MISSION TO LOCATE A HIGH-LEVEL ANTI-COALITION MILITIA LEADER, LIEUTENANT MURPHY DEMONSTRATED EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM IN THE FACE OF GRAVE DANGER IN THE VICINITY OF ASADABAD, KONAR PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN. ON 28 JUNE 2005, OPERATING IN AN EXTREMELY RUGGED ENEMY-CONTROLLED AREA, LIEUTENANT MURPHY’S TEAM WAS DISCOVERED BY ANTI-COALITION MILITIA SYMPATHIZERS, WHO REVEALED THEIR POSITION TO TALIBAN FIGHTERS. AS A RESULT, BETWEEN 30 AND 40 ENEMY FIGHTERS BESIEGED HIS FOUR-MEMBER TEAM. DEMONSTRATING EXCEPTIONAL RESOLVE, LIEUTENANT MURPHY VALIANTLY LED HIS MEN IN ENGAGING THE LARGE ENEMY FORCE. THE ENSUING FIERCE FIREFIGHT RESULTED IN NUMEROUS ENEMY CASUALTIES, AS WELL AS THE WOUNDING OF ALL FOUR MEMBERS OF THE TEAM. IGNORING HIS OWN WOUNDS AND DEMONSTRATING EXCEPTIONAL COMPOSURE, LIEUTENANT MURPHY CONTINUED TO LEAD AND ENCOURAGE HIS MEN. WHEN THE PRIMARY COMMUNICATOR FELL MORTALLY WOUNDED, LIEUTENANT MURPHY REPEATEDLY ATTEMPTED TO CALL FOR ASSISTANCE FOR HIS BELEAGUERED TEAMMATES. REALIZING THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF COMMUNICATING IN THE EXTREME TERRAIN, AND IN THE FACE OF ALMOST CERTAIN DEATH, HE FOUGHT HIS WAY INTO OPEN TERRAIN TO GAIN A BETTER POSITION TO TRANSMIT A CALL. THIS DELIBERATE, HEROIC ACT DEPRIVED HIM OF COVER, EXPOSING HIM TO DIRECT ENEMY FIRE. FINALLY ACHIEVING CONTACT WITH HIS HEADQUARTERS, LIEUTENANT MURPHY MAINTAINED HIS EXPOSED POSITION WHILE HE PROVIDED HIS LOCATION AND REQUESTED IMMEDIATE SUPPORT FOR HIS TEAM. IN HIS FINAL ACT OF BRAVERY, HE CONTINUED TO ENGAGE THE ENEMY UNTIL HE WAS MORTALLY WOUNDED, GALLANTLY GIVING HIS LIFE FOR HIS COUNTRY AND FOR THE CAUSE OF FREEDOM. BY HIS SELFLESS LEADERSHIP, COURAGEOUS ACTIONS, AND EXTRAORDINARY DEVOTION TO DUTY, LIEUTENANT MURPHY REFLECTED GREAT CREDIT UPON HIMSELF AND UPHELD THE HIGHEST TRADITIONS OF THE UNITED STATES NAVAL SERVICE.
             
              SIGNED GEORGE W. BUSH

Peace by any means

Over the weekend, renegade cleric Moqtada al-Sadr (who has been hiding in Iran for the past year) and the Iraqi Government, signed a peace agreement to end the violence in the Baghdad slum known as Sadr City. The agreement was yet another capitulation by Sadr.

The truce signed Monday stipulates that Iraqi forces have the right to "impose the law and to pursue illegal situations."

"No one and no side has the right to interfere in the work of these forces," it says, adding that the government retains the right to pursue "those who carried out armed attacks against the government."

But even at this point there was some disagreement on what the "preace agreement" entailed.

Sheik Salah al-Obeidi, an aide to Sadr, stressed that the cleric had rejected conditions set by Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki to disband the Mahdi army and hand over its weapons. "We have agreed on a cease-fire and to end displaying arms in public," Obeidi said. "But we did not agree on disbanding the Mahdi army to hand over its weapons."

Well, that depends

The Sadrist movement, he said, does not have any "medium or heavy weapons" and added that "the government forces were free to raid and search any suspected place."

Yes, the people in Sadr City, militiaman or not, were allowed to keep their small arms, so in a sense, technically, the truce was not disarming anyone who had such weapons. But the truce did permit US and Iraqi forces to take any medium or heavy weapon: Including IEDs, EFPs, mortars, rockets, machine guns, etc.

And even though the media wants to portray Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki as the loser in this confrontation that began in Basrah, or that the clash is some sort of political fight with the US "caught" in the middle, it is clear to any objective observer, it is yet another retreat in a long string of surrender proposals for Moqtada al-Sadr.

And worse for the Iranian lackey, further indication of his growing irrelevance.

US soldiers used tanks and aircraft to "suppress enemy fire'' in four other clashes, the military said.

The military said that fighters had staged several attacks on US forces in Sadr City and elsewhere.

Lieutenant Colonel Steve Stover, a US military spokesman, said on Tuesday: "They are obviously not listening to any agreement."

He accused so called "special groups" of launching attacks on US and Iraqi troops.

The US military says that most Shia fighters in Sadr City have splintered away from the Mahdi Army and al-Sadr's influence on the groups is unclear. He added that the "special groups'' were responsible for a failed missile attack on a US helicopter gunship in Sadr City on Saturday, a day before the four-day ceasefire went into effect.

Because no one in Sadr City is surrendering anything.

The cease-fire signed yesterday between the Sadrist movement, which runs the Mahdi Army, and the government of Iraq will not hinder the building of the concrete barrier or operations against the Mahdi Army, US military officials have stated.

"Seeing as how the Special Groups never listened to [Sadr] to begin with, I don't see how things will change," Lieutenant Colonel Steven Stover, the chief Public Affairs Officer for Multinational Division Baghdad, told The Long War Journal on May 10. "We're not stopping [construction on the barrier]," Stover said. "The barrier emplacement is ongoing and about 80 percent complete."

Sadr City has been the base of operation for continued rocket attacks into Baghdad, including the Green Zone, and has caused at least 269 casualties.

The reason that al-Sadr is suing for surrender is clear as well

US Army air assets have relentlessly pursued the Mahdi Army in and around Sadr City. "To date, 57 rocket rails and mortars have been destroyed and 150 Special Groups Criminals killed," Milano said.

The Mahdi Army has taken heavy casualties in Sadr City and the surrounding neighborhoods since the fighting began on March 25. A total of 579 Mahdi Army fighters have been confirmed killed in and around Sadr City since March 25, according to numbers compiled by The Long War Journal. More than one-quarter of the Mahdi Army fighters killed have been killed via the air....

Nine of the Mahdi Army fighters were killed in Sadr City: four Mahdi fighters were killed by an air weapons team as they planted an explosively formed penetrator roadside bomb; three were killed as they attacked the barrier emplacement teams along Qods Street; and two were killed as they fired rockets. Five more Mahdi Army fighters were killed by air weapons teams in New Baghdad as they grouped for an attack, and three more were killed as they conducted attacks in Adhamiyah.

That was Saturday. Overnight

Iraqi officials say 11 militiamen have been killed and at least 19 wounded in clashes overnight with the U.S. military in Baghdad's Sadr City.

The U.S. military has only confirmed Tuesday that troops killed three gunmen in separate incidents after being attacked multiple times.

al-Sadr may want to quit. But Iran is not yet willing to give up the only remaining armed force they have in Iraq.

And while they may may be having success in near-by Lebanon with Hezbollah destabilizing the government there, in Iraq, they are facing the US Army, not the ineffective Lebanese Army.

And in Lebanon, we can see the future of Iraq if the US were to give up the fight.

Superstitious Left

I find it amusing everytime the Left derides the Right for their religious beliefs. While many on the Left have the very same beliefs, it is apparent that they are fine so long as they vote for Democrats.

But it is true that while atheists form a part of both the Left and the Right, they are more associated with the Left for whatever reason.

And for whatever reason, those who practice "alternative" religions are more attracted to the Left.

Last week, for instance, Code Pink called on witchcraft to aid their anti-Marine cause in Berkeley California.

Code Pink is now resorting to witchcraft to beef up the number of its supporters protesting a controversial Marine Corps Recruiting Center in Berkeley, Calif.

The women's anti-war group has told ralliers to come equipped with spells and pointy hats Friday for "witches, crones and sirens" day, the last of the group's weeklong homage to Mother's Day.

"Women are coming to cast spells and do rituals and to impart wisdom to figure out how we're going to end war," Zanne Sam Joi of Bay Area Code Pink told FOXNews.com.

Meanwhile others consult the stars to predict who will win the Presidential election. Back in August 2007, nationally syndicated astrologer Jacqueline Bigar predicted Hillary would be The One.

As a curious astrologer and encouraged by some friends, I pulled the potential players’ charts. I compared them against the dates of significant stepping stones, i.e. The Donkey and Elephant Debates, Super Primary February 5, each respective team’s convention dates, and finally the day- Election Day November 4, 2008....

No matter how you cut this election, it is a noteworthy one. It is the first since 1952 that an incumbent is not running. The Democrats true to their essence have a woman, a black man and Hispanic all in the running. Step back, everyone, we are going to make history, one more time.

The Donkeys win and who is their Babe Ruth? You don’t have to guess hard. A Babe: Hillary Clinton.

Hillary Clinton will lead the Democrats to their Presidential Victory....

The trail will be fraught with problems but the ultimate call will be the planets on the final Convention Night. They wave hello to Hillary. They kiss Hillary’s chart. Meet The Democratic Presidential pick.

So don’t laugh at the steamroller who is coming down the path. It is Hillary. And it is her Victory March. Two presidents for the price of one. So all American… Just like baseball.

Perhaps this is why Clinton keeps going: She knows the planets "kiss" her chart and as a result, will pull off a victory at the last moment.

Meanwhile, the Zodiac Vodka predicted Obama in April 2008

based on non-partisan research of the fifty-five United States Presidential elections to date and the astrological signs of each winning candidate through the years, ZODIAC Vodka, a luxury potato vodka handcrafted and distilled in Idaho, USA, has concluded that the Leo, Barack Obama, will defeat the Scorpio, Hillary Clinton for the democratic nomination, as well as, the Virgo, John McCain in the general election. These findings are based on a comparative analysis of win percentages for candidates with a given sign. Each of the twelve signs has specific election trends which ZODIAC Vodka has analyzed to predict the next President of the United States of America.

This is not to say that all Astologers predict a Democratic win. Back in February of 2007, NewsScope February 12, 2007 predicted that

from an astrological perspective, John McCain (August 29, 1936; 8:37 am, Panama City, Panama) seems the most likely to get the nomination in 2008. This conclusion is based on the theory that the winning candidate must have strong natal or progressed planets in aspect to the U.S. Moon. Without this vital link, a candidate just doesn't resonate with the American people or their security needs.

While a pretty good prediction for February of 2007,  it falls short of calling the race. Astrologer Weekly, however, is not so shy

There is Uranus and the Sun as planets describing the next President. And there is a Moon aspect to Mars, which I take as indicating the younger person (who is Obama).

Now for the public profile of candidates we go to natal astrology (check this page for the candidates' natal charts). Barack Obama has a the MC in Leo (ruler the Sun) and a 10th house Uranus (and Pluto). John McCain has the MC in Cancer and Pluto and Mars as 10th house planets. As the Uranus / Sun combination in the horary charts seems to relate much better with Obama's natal chart than with McCain's, I take it as a strong indication for Barack Obama.

I'm not sure whether this way of finding relevant connections should be the right way to go, as a matter of fact I always prefer not to mix horary with natal astrology, but in this case, I needed an extra confirmation. The Moon's aspect with Mars (as the only Moon aspect before leaving the sign) in BOTH chart is already a strong testimony for the younger or the more dynamic, more Martian candidate [Obama has Scorpio rising (ruler Mars) as compared to McCain - Libra rising].

So, my interpretation of these horary charts is that Barack Obama will be the next US President.

Wow. Surprised? How come I can't find a single Astrologer on McCain's side. Oh. Yeah. It's written in the stars. Perhaps this is related to why so many Hollywood stars are Democrats.

I wonder what Nancy Reagan thinks?

Magic gas

According to recent polls, no matter how much people complain about gas prices, people think they aren't paying enough for gas. And as a result, either because they are uneducated in economics or are simply idealistsic, Democrats have their confidence.

But it is clear that people are confused about the issue of energy. When asked if it is more important to protect the environment or find new energy sources 62% said finding energy source was more important than protecting the environment (21%). Fourteen percent said it was important to do both.

But 57% think we should not exploit the oil in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

With regards to energy in general, 47% disapprove of building more nuclear power plants (45% approve, however). Fifty One percent don't want any more coal powered plants to be built either. People seem to like the idea of power plants that use natural gas. Only 37% think this is a bad idea even though it emits green house gases. And, unsurprisingly, 87% think building wind and solar power plants are a good idea. In this case, it seems that idealism wins over practicality for most people.

Now with regards to gasoline, people are in favor of the Government forcing car manufacturers to be more energy efficient, which is the Obama solution. They must be blind to the fact that people have the power to make that change without government intervention: They could simply choose to buy more energy efficient cars. Car makers respond to consumer demand; If you buy them, they will make them.

Capitalism at work.

But people in general do not seem to have a firm grasp on capitalism, or markets in general.

People in the polls complain that higher gas prices are hurting them financially (60%) but the obviously do not understand that the only way to bring those prices down is for more, not less, oil to be available on the market. It is a simple economic principle that if there is more supply than there is demand, prices will come down. The reason that gas prices are so high is precisely because the United States is producing less oil than it could be producing AND because it is producing less gasoline than it could be producing.

But people do not believe this. They believe that the reason gas prices are a high is because a) Oil companies are making too much profit (83%) and b) the War in Iraq (64%).

Most people do not blame their own driving habits (4%).

Yet, to the extent that people use less gasoline as a result of high gas prices, is the extent to which gas prices will fall (baring other factors).

Wind and solar power will not run your car no matter what. At least not in the foreseeable future.

And it is a fact that if there is more oil and gasoline on the market, prices for these commodities will fall regardless of the "Big Oil" companies.

But it seems that consciously, or unconsciously, people want to pay more for gas because they do not want to do what it takes to bring gas prices down. They do not want to conserve; they want the government to encourage conservation (68%). But they do not want that encouragement to come in the form of higher gasoline taxes. Fifty Eight percent oppose that idea. They want more oil on the market, but they want to depend on other countries, most of whom are hostile to US interests, to produce it. They want more gasoline on the market, but they do not want more refineries to be built.

What they want is magic. They want gas prices to magically go down. They think that if Government makes a law for automakers to make cars that get 500 miles to the gallon, that's what will happen.

Magic.

They think that if oil companies were forced to give up their profits, gas prices will go down.

Magic.

They think that if the war in Iraq ended, gas prices will come down.

Magic.

Forget the fact that the world, with China and India becoming first world countries, is demanding more oil.

Forget that with problems in Iran, Nigeria and Venezuela, oil supplies are being disrupted.

Forget that with Russia producing less oil, there is less supply.

Forget that with the US producing less oil and gas than it could so there is less supply.

And forget that al Qaida and the Islamists are targeting oil supplies in their war on us, and succeeding in places like Nigeria and with oil tanker piracy.

No forget all of that.

The answer is magic.

If you want to win the political debate on energy, you have to encourage magical thinking.

Something Democrats are much better at than Republicans.

Last ditch effort

The US military has announced that not only is Iran aiding the Shi'ite militias in Iraq, but their Lebanese surrogate, Hezbollah, is also participating

Iraqis are receiving the training at camps operated by the Quds Force, Air Force Col. Donald Bacon told the Associated Press. "We have multiple detainees who state Lebanese Hezbollah are providing training to Iraqis in Iranian IRGC-QF training camps near Tehran," said Bacon, a U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad. (The Quds Force is also known as the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps-Quds Force, or IRGC-QF. Al-Quds is the Arabic name for Jerusalem.)

In the past, Iran's participation has also been noted on many occasions. In a News Briefing with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff two weeks ago, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen was quite clear on this

...on Iran, I've been clear lately that I'm extremely concerned about what I believe to be an increasingly lethal and malign influence by that government and the Qods Force in particular in Iraq and throughout the Middle East. I believe recent events, especially the Basra operation, have revealed just how much and just how far Iran is reaching into Iraq to foment instability. Their support to criminal groups in the form of munitions and training, as well as other assistance they are providing and the attacks they are encouraging, continues to kill coalition and Iraqi personnel. The Iranian government pledged to halt such activities some months ago. It's plainly obvious they have not. Indeed, they seem to have gone the other way.

Iran, of course, denies such involvement while Mark Kukis and Abigail Hauslohne writing for TIME Magazine attempt to sow doubts as well

...the U.S. allegations appear to be based on speculation, spurred by the appearance about a year ago of a new breed of roadside bomb in Iraq. Explosively formed penetrators, or EFPs, proved effective at piercing American armor by firing a concave copper disc from a makeshift cannon, which transformed the slug midair into a molten jet of super-heated metal. Accusations that Iran was shipping the things into Iraq grew louder as U.S. casualties from the weapon rose. But no concrete evidence has emerged in public that Iran was behind the weapons. U.S. officials have revealed no captured shipments of such devices and offered no other proof.

Instead, the Americans argued their case publicly with deductive reasoning: the copper slugs used in EFPs had to be precisely tooled with a heavy press in order to work properly, they said; no such heavy presses were in operation in Iraq, according to the Americans, therefore the slugs had to have been machined in Iran and moved into Iraq. It is, however, not impossible that such heavy presses may well be operating in Iraq. Three major cities in southern Iraq (Basra, Karbala and Najaf) have gone without a significant U.S. military presence for more than a year. These cities, which U.S. officials believe form hubs for the flow of arms into Baghdad, may indeed have such presses.

And the Iraqi Government seems reluctant to outright blame their neighbor, and some in the US media take this as yet another opportunity to discern ulterior motives is the US Government's claims against Iran.

Back in February of 2007, the US Military put on display for the first time evidence of the Iranian-made EFPs found in Iraq.

Regardless, the US and Iraqi combat operations in Sadr City and Basra aimed at destroying the primary Iranian-backed militia continues, unabated, now entering its 5th week.

The leader of the Shi'ite militia, Muqtada al-Sadi has tried threats and negotiation to stop the decimation of his force; while remaining in Iran for the past year, all to no avail.

Now, in a last ditch effort to preserve the Shi'a insurgency, Iran itself is trying to get the operation halted.

As American strikes on Shiite fighters in Baghdad have widened, Iran has suspended talks with the United States on Iraqi security, with the Iranian Foreign Ministry on Monday citing the continued offensive as the reason...

“The focus of discussions with the U.S. is Iraq’s security and stability,” said Mohammad Ali Hosseini, the spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry in Tehran, according to IRNA, the official Iranian news agency.

“We are witnessing indiscriminate bombardment of Iraqi residential areas by the U.S. occupying forces,” Mr. Hosseini told reporters at his weekly news conference.

But if they are not involved as they say, why does Iran care so much about these militias? It's not as if the Government were Sunni's trying to destroy Shi'as; no, the Government is mostly Shi'a and trying to assert itself. Isn't the point of "security talks" to find ways to increase the integrity of the Iraqi Government? It certainly should not focus on anti-Government forces, unless, of course, this is Iran's hidden agenda.

And it's not like most Shi'a support these militias

Above all, Hassan and his neighborhood watchmen do not like the Mahdi Army.

“Originally, the Jaish al Mahdi [Mahdi Army] in our area used to deceive people by using the name of the religion to do their purposes,” said Dhia, Hassan’s executive officer. “They were all corrupted. They have history in crime, robberies, murders, rapes, and all kinds of bad things. They even reached the level of kidnapping people and demanding ransoms just because they have money. It didn’t matter if he is Shia or Sunni; just because he has money. They gave a bad reputation for Islam.”

American officials assert that the final factor that has improved security is the citizenry’s fatigue with violence and the militias.

“They’re still intimidated by [the Mahdi Army], but they’re tired of them,” said Thornburg.

In the past the Mahdi Army commanded local support because of the need for security in a vacuum and intimidation tactics. But as security improved and other forces are gaining prominence, support for the Mahdi militia in Rusafa is evaporating.

But Iran had to know that once al Qaida had been dealt with, that we would come after them. Perhaps they thought they would do better then they have.

They were wrong.

Technical Sergeant Shawn Foust

Confronting the challenges presented by the unconventional war in Iraq, Air Force Technical Sergeant Shawn Foust was assigned to Joint Logistic Task Force 1144, becoming a Convoy Commander for the 424th Medium Truck Detachment. In 212 missions during his second tour of duty, Foust encountered various obstacles and challenges while amassing over 507,000 cumulative miles on the dangerous roads of Iraq.

Convoy mission 57-459 would present the greatest challenge, earning Foust praise for his ability to overcome such a daunting task. As his convoy was approaching Forward Operating Base Al Asad, a roadside bomb detonated, wounding the driver and passenger of the third truck, and leaving the vehicle partially disabled. A possible full-scale ambush was upon them as scattered mortar and small arms fire landed on their position. The intermittent insurgent fire raised the threat level for the entire convey and Foust knew he had to remain calm and professional. He immediately moved the convoy past the kill zone and went back for the wounded men. Foust organized his Airmen into a defensive posture, and prepared to repair the damaged truck. Working tirelessly and on constant guard for six hours, throughout the night, Foust and his fifteen man squad replaced each of the damaged 250 pound tires until the vehicle was operational. Foust successfully completed this mission all those before and all those that followed.

In the six months he spent in Iraq, he exhibited a sense of service, devotion to duty, and commitment to the overall success of his unit that went above and beyond what was expected, earning him the Bronze Star Medal for exceptionally meritorious service.

                                       

Sgt. Cameron Davis

While stationed in Iraq as a combat engineer, Sgt. Davis operated the Buffalo Armored Vehicle. Sgt. Cameron Davis was tasked with the dangerous and difficult duty of clearing improvised explosive devises – the number one killer on the battlefield-- for his following comrades on ground military missions. As a Buffalo arm operator, Davis noticed that most IED’s were buried and the Buffalo were inefficient in retrieving them.

Sgt. Davis used his engineering and operating background to design and build a new piece of equipment called the "claw" to dig out buried IED’s. The "claw" attached to the Buffalo arm allowed the soldiers to pick up objects and IED’s just like a hand would. The claw was more efficient, weighed less, moved faster, could pick up heavier objects and allowed the combat engineers to spend less time on target in the kill zone, saving the lives of the Buffalo operators as well as soldiers on follow-on ground missions.

Davis modestly shares credit with his entire unit saying, "Every one of the soldiers in my unit including the command was extremely supportive while I was building the claw and gave me all the tools and resources I needed. A fellow soldier named Sgt. Morgan helped me assemble the claw."

Sgt. Davis’ invention was recommended to a four-star general of supply. Davis created a manual on how to build the claw so other route clearance teams could construct them and assist the manufacture of the Buffalo to possibly integrate the "claw" into its design. Sgt. Davis used brains and brawn inventing the "claw" and should be honored for the impact he made on the safety of soldiers in Iraq.                   

Diminishing returns

The destruction and elimination of Iran's proxy force in Iraq continues as US and Iraqi forces systematically disassemble the Mahdi "Army" in the Sadr City section of Baghdad.

Yesterday

A four-hour battle Tuesday between U.S. soldiers and Shiite militiamen left at least 28 Iraqis dead in the capital's Sadr City neighborhood, making it one of the bloodiest days in a month of sustained street fighting...

The battle Tuesday erupted as U.S. forces tried to evacuate a soldier injured by small-arms fire about 9:30 a.m., according to the U.S. military. During the evacuation, the troops were attacked with roadside bombs, as well as rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire from houses, storefronts, alleyways and rooftops, said Lt. Col. Steve Stover, a U.S. military spokesman.

...U.S. soldiers responded by firing rockets armed with high-explosive, 200-pound warheads, killing 28 fighters, Stover said. In a separate incident in Sadr City, a fixed-wing aircraft dropped a bomb at 5:15 p.m. that killed two fighters firing mortars at a joint U.S.-Iraqi outpost, the U.S. military said....

U.S. officials emphasized that U.S. troops responded only after they were attacked and that it was the fault of the militiamen if there were civilian casualties. "The sole burden of responsibility lies on the shoulders of the militants who care nothing for the Iraqi people," Stover said in an e-mail.

He said the militiamen purposely attack from buildings and alleyways in densely populated areas, hoping to protect themselves by hiding among civilians. "What does that say about the enemy?" Stover said. "He is heartless and evil."

...U.S. and Iraqi troops are fighting together to clear the southern portion of Sadr City, where militia fighters have launched their rocket and mortar attacks.

Lackeys for the Iranian backed militia of Moqtada al-Sadr complain that US forces are indiscriminately shooting up that place

"Sadr City is under the American hammer and nobody is monitoring it," said Leewa Smeisim, the head of the Sadr movement's political bureau. "Eighty percent of the military operations are targeting innocents, because the Americans want to make people turn against the Mahdi Army so they can enter the city and control it. Nobody is safe in Sadr City, neither women nor children."

True enough; no one is safe because the Mahdi's doesn't care who gets killed so long as it isn't them. They are fighting for their very existence. As Bill Roggio reports, the US Patrol was ambushed and a soldier wounded

During the evacuation, Mahdi Army fighters triggered three roadside bombs and fired rocket propelled grenades and machineguns at the US patrol. Five more soldiers were wounded in the attacks and two vehicles were damaged. None of the soldiers' injuries are reported as life-threatening.

During the battle, US soldiers from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division directed "a combination of weapon systems available," including munitions from a Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System, at Mahdi Army fighters "firing from buildings, alleyways and rooftops" in the dense urban areas of Sadr City. "The enemy continues to show little regard for innocent civilians, as they fire their weapons from within houses, alleyways, and rooftops upon our Soldiers," said Colonel Allen Batschelet, the chief of staff for Multinational Division Baghdad.

The Mahdi Army took heavy casualties during the single engagement. "A total of at least 28 militants were killed in the four-hour engagement," Multinational Forces Baghdad reported.

Stover refuted reports that US forces used aircraft to attack civilians in Sadr City. "Our Soldiers have a right to defend ourselves," Stover said. "This engagement began as we were evacuating a US Soldier shot while on patrol in south Sadr City and continued as militants continued engaging US Soldiers. We are NOT targeting law-abiding civilians. Those targeted were firing weapons at US Soldiers."

Laughingly, Moqtada al-Sadr says that such aggressive action on the part of the Maliki Government, who has ordered the Shi'ite militas disbanded one way or another, threatens the Sadr-ordered "cease-fire".

The Mahdi Army is flush with Iranian Arms, and the Shi'ite militias are the tool of the Iranian Government in Iraq: A tool being used to attempt to undermine the Iraqi Government and the US efforts there.

But with each successful operation, an effort which began a month ago in Basra, with each death of a Mahdi soldier, with each loss of a Mahdi stronghold, Iranian influence is diminishing.

And the influence of the Iraqi people strengthens.

The legitimate issue

On Fox News Sunday, Senator Barak Obama told Chris Wallace that his former pastor of twenty years, the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, was not off limits politically as far as he is concerned

The fact that he is my former pastor I think makes it a legitimate political issue.  So I understand that.

Well good, because the Reverend Wright is out there being an Obama-associated nutcase for all to see. This is causing the Senator problems not just on the Right, but among Democrats as well. Ed Morrisey points out the consternation Reverend is causing among Obama supporters. But more importantly Captain Ed notes

All of these commentators came to see Wright as a narcissist, egotist, provocateur, and a shameless self-promoter in the last 48 hours. Why? In reading the pieces, their ire and scorn come exclusively because of the damage he does to Barack Obama, and with the exception of the Post editorial, not because what he says is ridiculous.

Not one of these columnists mentions his defense of Louis Farrakhan as misunderstood and his anti-Semitism as misreported. Not one of them mentions his strange views on neurology and the supposed synaptic differences between white and black brains. None of them offer even a questioning sentence on Wright’s theories on “tonality” or on the purportedly racial differences between marching bands, let alone his silly and offensive demonstrations of them on stage. Only the Post mentions his repeated assertion that the American government created AIDS as a means for genocide against people of color.

Why not? Because to point these out would be to confirm Wright’s status as a racial demagogue and borderline lunatic, which would really damage Obama.

But the damage this is doing to Democrats goes way beyond Obama.

Yes, it is true that Wright could very well cause Obama to lose the Indiana primary as well as most of the other remaining primaries. And if that happens, if it hasn't already happened, it will dawn on the Superdelegates that Obama is unelectable.

But they will be powerless to do anything about it because regardless of what happens between now and June, Obama will likely still lead in the delegate count and the popular vote when the convention rolls around. And for there to be any nominee other than Obama coming out of the convention, the result will be a split among Democrats; possibly an irreparable split in the Party.

But nominating Obama will lead to defeat for Democrats who this time last year, thought there was no way they were going to lose the Presidency this time.

When it all comes crashing down, will the after action report recommend that Howard Dean be shot? and then once the execution occurs will it business as usual?

Or will Democrats take a long , hard look at themselves and instead of executing anyone, they purge the Party.

They purge the Party of the hard Socialists, Communists, and anti-Americans....

They purge the Party of the nutroots....

And most importantly, they purge the Party of Identity Politics.

All of these things are legitimate issues with which the Democratic Party will have to deal with eventually, or risk becoming irrelevant.

Lance Corporal Moses Cardenas

On one hot August morning near Rawah, Iraq, Lance Corporal Moses Cardenas of the Marines 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion found his platoon barraged by an insurgent suicide bomb, numerous rocket-propelled grenades, and heavy machine gun fire. In the chaotic moments that followed, Cardenas would have to decide between attempting the rescue of his wounded sergeant or remain in his covered position until reinforcements arrived. The choice was simple.                   

Cardenas thought, "He was my sergeant; I had to do something," and with that he courageously charged 50 meters through the kill-zone to his wounded comrade. Running the gauntlet through enemy fire, he was shot in the neck by the spray of weapons’ fire. Undeterred, he arrived at Sgt. Randy Roedema’s exposed position and performed first-aid to stop the flow of blood from Roedema’s severe wounds.                   

With both Marines wounded and under the sights of numerous insurgents, Cardenas knew if he was to save his friend he must evacuate both of them to safety. With his M249 Squad Automatic Weapon charged and a grip on his injured sergeant, Cardenas rotated between firing his machine gun and pulling Roedema across the battlefield. Reaching the relative safety of his platoon’s convoy, Cardenas continued laying down suppressive fire until the situation came under control and medics could tend to the wounded Marines.

Cardenas was awarded the Silver Star, the third highest military award. Roedema would later reflect "I owe him my life." Four days after Cardenas saved his life, Roedema’s wife gave birth to their first child – a child that will have a father because of the selfless act preformed by Cardenas on that summer morning in Iraq.

From The North Shore Journal

Cardenas and Sgt. Randy M. Roedema were on a routine early morning zone reconnaissance patrol with the quick reaction force last year in Western Anbar province in Iraq. They happened upon a vehicle which crossed their sector, so they moved in to check it out, according to Cardenas.

After repeated attempts to get the driver and passengers of the truck to submit to a search, three men burst from the top of the vehicle and opened fire. The Marines quickly attempted to bound back to their vehicles for cover, and to allow their turret gunners an open line-of-fire.

Three Marines were hit. Lance Cpl. Christian Vasquez was killed, and Cardenas was hit in the neck. After he hit the deck, he looked up and saw that Roedema was on the ground.

“I saw my sergeant laying down and I said, ‘Not today,’” Cardenas recounted after the ceremony.

Already injured, Cardenas began dragging Roedema to safety, but they had more than 50 meters to cover, so Cardenas alternated dragging Roedema with applying suppressive fire with his squad automatic weapon.

“’You’re going to see you’re daughter,’ that’s what he said when he was pulling me,” said Roedema, 25, from Denver, Colo. “He saved my life.”

Cardenas was again hit with a round from the insurgent’s weapons, but he continued pulling Roedema until they we both safely behind cover, and only later, after a corpsman arrived, did Cardenas receive attention for his wounds.

Asked why he risked his life for Roedema, Cardenas answers simply, “He’s my sergeant; he’s the chief scout; it really didn’t register how dangerous it was. After sleeping, eating, and laughing with my fire team everyday, you get really close, like brothers.”

Roedema was treated and taken to medical facilities. Even better than the diagnosis that he was going to recover from his wounds was the news that he had just become a father, after his wife, Sharla, gave birth to baby Juliannah.

“Without [Cardenas], I’d never be able to see my daughter,” Roedema said. “Words don’t explain what he means to me and my family.”

Attacking oil

Our enemies know that the life-blood of our economy and our society is oil. And it is no coincidence that as a result, oil prices have now risen to highs that were a short time ago, unimaginable. And there is no doubt that the Islamists have a strategy in place for making this situation as bad as possible.

Back in 2005, Christopher Dickey writing for Newsweek wrote

"They're watching Katrina. They're watching Rita.  They're watching what it's doing to the United States," says former CIA agent Robert Baer, who has written extensively on Saudi Arabia's vulnerabilities.  A few ruptured pipes could be repaired quickly, says Baer, but a concerted attack at several points could bring on the kind of nightmare scenario that U.S. officials have been dreading since the Reagan years, pushing oil prices up from their current prices in the range of $60 to $70 a barrel to well over $100 for weeks or even months.

That same year

Al-Qaida's deputy leader called for attacks against Gulf oil facilities and urged insurgent groups in Iraq to unite to drive out American forces, according to a videotape posted on the Internet Wednesday.

There were attempted attacks on Saudi Oil fields and more recently Nigeria's oil fields are under constant attack.

World oil prices yesterday hit a record of $117.40 a barrel following militants attacks on pipelines in Nigeria...

The militant group behind the attack who claimed that they have launched two more attacks on oil pipelines yesterday says they are doing that to stop injustice to the region but the governor of Rivers State,Rotimi Amaechi, had, at a Niger Delta oil security forum in Abuja, debunked this claim by the militants saying that they are only self seeking criminals who are into purely economic venture for themselves.

The groups perpetrating these attacks are mostly Nationalists, but radical Islamists are looking to support them as a way of furthering their own goals

Although the majority of Muslims live in the northern region of Nigeria, the presence of Islamic extremism in the country presents an unsettling possibility that the extremist movement could reach the Niger Delta. If it does, there’s a strong possibility that the MEND may form a temporary alliance with Islamic radicals, if only to receive logistical support or training. This temporary union would most likely take the form of an objective-oriented alignment between radical Muslims and the MEND.

It has long been a goal of al-Qaeda to damage American economic power by attacking oil facilities and targets. Daveed Gartenstein-Ross notedin his article “Al-Qaeda’s Oil Weapon” that in a December, 2004 audiotape, Osama bin Laden stated that “one of the main causes for our enemies' gaining hegemony over our country is their stealing our oil; therefore, you should make every effort in your power to stop the greatest theft in history of the natural resources of both present and future generations.” Moreover, Ayman al-Zawahiri gave an interview in 2005 where he called for the mujahideen to “focus their attacks on the oil wells stolen from the Muslims, because most of the revenues of this oil go to the enemies of Islam.”

There can be little doubt that recent attacks on oil tankers were perpetrated by Islamic extremists.

March 24th

Suspected militants in Pakistan have blown up 36 oil tankers that supply fuel to U.S.-led forces in neighboring Afghanistan.

Pakistani officials Monday said the attackers set off two bombs near the trucks, triggering fires and explosions Sunday night in the Khyber tribal district. At least 70 people were wounded.

More than 80 oil tankers bound for Afghanistan were parked in the area when the explosion happened.

Three days ago

Heavily armed pirates Monday attacked and damaged a huge oil tanker off the Somali coast using machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades, a Malaysian-based maritime watchdog said...

"Pirates on five speed boats attacked the tanker, the size of a football field. It was a night raid. A missile-like rocket was launched at the ship. Initial reports said the ship suffered some damage," he said.

"I believe the Somali pirates could have used rocket-propelled grenades and machine gun fire on the tanker with the aim to board and possibly hijack her," Choong said.

"But the tanker increased speed and managed to prevent the pirates from boarding and taking control of the oil tanker," he added...

The waters off Nigeria and Somalia are the world's most dangerous hotspots for seafarers, with pirate attacks increasing globally in the first quarter of this year, the IMB said Wednesday.

Two days ago

...off the coast of Yemen, a Japanese tanker was hit by a rocket. Meanwhile, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta warned that it would intensify attacks on Shell pipelines.

In fact, the latest ICC Commercial Crime Services Weekly Piracy Report notes in addition to the above incidents

16.04.2008: 0640 UTC: 14:02.0N-050:35.9E: Gulf of Aden.
A tanker underway was approached and trailed by two, 15-meter long boats. One boat had three persons in it and had a yellow hull. The other boat had five persons in it and had a white hull. Crew alerted and all anti piracy, preventive measures enforced.  Ship took evasive manoeuvres.  The two suspicious boats moved away and headed in a southwesterly direction.  Ship reported to a coalition warship in the area.  When warship arrived in the area, the suspicious boats disappeared....

15.04.2008: 0600 UTC: 14:35.8N - 050:55.7E, Gulf of Aden.
Three speedboats approached a LPG tanker underway. The boats crossed the bow of the tanker several times. Master altered course and contacted coalition warship in the vicinity. After five minutes the boats moved away and stopped 2.5nm from the tanker.

14.04.2008: 1622 UTC: 15:17N - 052:23E, Gulf of Aden.
Four speedboats approached a tanker underway. At 3nm master altered course and the boats moved away.

And that's just so far this month.

It is clear that the strategic imperative of the US needs to be less reliance on Foreign Oil. Alternative energy sources and more fuel efficient cars are fine and will eventually help.

But not today.

More nuclear power plants are required and they will help.

But not today.

More drilling in ANWAR and off our coasts could have helped today, but Democrats and other opponents prevented that from happening back in 2005, the same year al Qeda was announcing their anti-oil strategy.

Roger Hedgcock

After the Democrats victory in 2006, the Carter mentality took over. Oil drilling was out, big oil was evil, higher taxes the remedy for greed, and conservation and "alternatives" were in. I paid $4.05 per gallon for my last fill up. Is it too low yet?

...In the Gulf of Mexico, Jack No. 2 well documented massive oil reserves in U.S. waters similar in scope to these Brazilian fields. The U.S. reaction? No more drilling there. Instead, the nearby Cubans (aided by the oil-thirsty Chinese) will drill in international waters in the same field....

Last year, Congress even forbid the purchase by the U.S. Navy of this Canadian oil because of the "damage" the extraction of the oil did to the planet.

When you go to the gas pump and the $4 gas becomes $5 and then $10 per gallon, remember this is a self-inflicted price brought to you by the Carterite Democrats in Congress. The ghost of Reagan pleads with us to drill the oil literally bubbling up under our feet and shatter OPEC once more.

It seems, it's not just Islamic extremists who are attacking our oil supplies

Pants on fire

A new audio tape released by al Qaeda's number 2, Ayman al-Zawahri, denounces all who try to give credit for the destruction of the Twin Towers to anyone but themselves. And Zawahri is particularly upset with suggestions that Israel (or the Joos) perpetrated the crime.

"The purpose of this lie is clear — (to suggest) that there are no heroes among the Sunnis who can hurt America as no else did in history. Iranian media snapped up this lie and repeated it," he said.

I find it amusing that Zawahri blames Iran for "disparaging" them is such a way while at the same time accusing the Persian leadership of collaborating with America.

"Iran's aim here is also clear — to cover up its involvement with America in invading the homes of Muslims in Afghanistan and Iraq," he said.

Iran cooperated with the United States in the 2001 U.S. assault on Afghanistan that toppled al-Qaida's allies, the Taliban.

Gee, maybe al Qaida should start an "insurgency" in Iran. That would be fun.

And in a segment to be completely ignored by the Democratic Candidates for President, al Qaida's chief mouthpiece reaffirms that Iraq is the centerpiece of their global struggle for the ascendancy of Radical Islam

"The Islamic State in Iraq ... remains to this day the main force confronting the crusaders and their collaborators and challenging Iranian greed," Zawahri said.

And, like Baghdad Bob before him, he reports that America is being defeated by the glorious fighters in Iraq

"The truth is that if Bush keeps all his forces in Iraq until doomsday and until they enter hell, they will only see crisis and defeat by the will of God," said al-Zawahri, the deputy of Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden.

"If the American forces leave, they will lose everything. And if they stay, they will bleed to death," he said....

"Bush declared that he will grant Petraeus all the time he needs, a ridiculous show to cover up for the failure in Iraq and to allow Bush to evade the decision to withdraw the forces, which is an admission of the failure of the crusader invasion of Iraq, by passing the problem on to the next president," al-Zawahri said.

But such rhetoric is belied by the fact that he continues to call for new recruits

Al-Qaeda number two Ayman al-Zawahiri urged Muslims to join the insurgency in Iraq in a new audiotape posted today on the internet.

“I urge all Muslims to hurry to the battlefields of Jihad (holy war), especially in Iraq,” Zawahiri said in the message, the second in a two-part series to answer about 100 questions put to him via online militant forums....

“I call upon the Muslim nation to fear Allah’s question (at judgment day) about its failure to support its brothers of the Mujahedeen (holy Warriors), and (urge it) not to withhold men and money, which is the mainstay of a war,” he added.

Well, now we know the truth of the situation: Iran is spreading rumors that it was the Joos, not al Qaida who took down the WTC, Iran is our ally in the War on Terror, and al Qaida is winning in Iraq.

Oh, and you know about the recent trend of al Qaida female suicide bombers?

They don't exist

Asked if there are any women in al-Qaida, the terror leader answered simply: "No."

Well, maybe not anymore....