Threats from North Korea

BBC News: Reports that North Korea is making threats should the UN take action over its missile launch. This is quite smart by the Communist North, they know that China will veto any strong or mild action by the UN. Thus they can seem to challenge the world but knowing that they will get away with it, very smart and canny. The Obama Administration just looks weak, all that thunder about words have meaning, well in the real world they don't, not if China has a veto. Thus the next crisis point will be Iran, Tehran will be laughing their backsides off, the West cant do anything, in the UN, Iran is protected by Russia. The sole reason is that Iran owes a lot of money to Russia. Also Iran is in the process of buying arms from Russia. Thus we come to question, what will Israel do about a nuclear armed Iran.

The Ghosts of Past Administration

CNN News: Reports on the critical comments of former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright on how Bush 43 dealt with Korea. Lets recall that Mrs Albright was UN Ambassador and Secretary of State when Communist Korea began to become the threat it is today, from nuclear bombs to long range missiles. The Clinton Administration failed to deal with North Korea, it made deals that North Korea broke once the USA back was turned. On the other hand President Obama does not have much options, they are all bad, appeasement to military action, they all lead to risk down the line. It can be argued that Japan should be allowed to become a nuclear armed power, this would scare China and North Korea. The USA should offer a deal to China, Japan will not become a nuclear armed power if Korea toes the line, no more nuclear bombs and no long range missiles. In some cases you have to play hard ball, we have to stop North Korea now or it might be to late in the future.

Obama in Iraq

BBC News: Reports on Obama's last call of his World Tour, the President is in Iraq. It is ironic that while through the 08 Campaign in Foreign Policy terms Iraq was a negative for Bush 43 but a positive for then Senator Obama. As a candidate Obama stated he would get the USA out of Iraq in sixteen months, well that got changed once Obama was in the White House. The Obama plan for Iraq has followed the agreement settled by Bush 43, combat troops will be out of Iraq by August 2010 and the rest of the forces will be out by 2011. Obama has noted that Iraq is not the top Foreign Policy problem he faces, that is Afghanistan and Pakistan. It can be postulated that the USA and Iraq will come to an agreement to keep troops in theatre post 2011. Obama can not allow Iraq to fall in to Civil War, he can not afford for the recent violence to reach the 2006/7 levels. If Iraq fell in to Civil War, Obama would have to send the troops back in, thus Obama must hope that the peace keeps and that Iraq becomes a plus for him by 2012.

Views from the UK 2006 on Twitter!

As this can be a bit of a depressing world sometimes, have decided to open a twitter account. This will be more light hearted and fun, political and historical but fun, less somber. Read and Tell Me what you think.

France to Obama - We Love You but keep your nose out of EU Membership, in other words Turkey NO!

The Times: Reports on the French negative reaction to the idea held by the President Obama that Turkey should be allowed in to the EU. France can always be a problem for American Presidents, France's main interest is France and the glory that is France. In the case of Turkey elite French opinion is that Turkey would have to turn in to Las Vegas of the 1960s version before they could come in to EU. The Obama Administration needs Turkey due to its closeness to Iraq, also its a moderate, democratic, secular Muslim nation. It should be recalled the problems the UK had when it wanted to join the then EEC, it was France that vetoed the idea for years. Thus Turkey and President Obama will have to wait for Turkey to become a member of the EU.

GM Belly Up!

Bloomberg: Reports that GM could go bankrupt. This would be the best move for General Motors, it could rip up the bad contracts with the Unions and get out from under its debt. The Unions have been slow, the contracts held by the Unions are from the 1970s! The benefits are like something out of Cuba, one problem the USA is a Capitalist Country. Thus the Obama Administration should not give any more money to GM, it should allow the company to go bankrupt, then perhaps the USA will have Car Industry for the 21 Century.

Will Pakistan Survive ?

BBC News: Reports that the President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari has stated that Pakistan is in a battle for its existence. The appeasement of the Taliban/Terrorists is the Swat Valley is a major threat to the security of Pakistan, it has has allowed the Taliban/Terrorists to move from the Tribal lands to Pakistan proper. The Army has to move back in to the Swat Valley, it has to suppress the Taliban, place Pakistan's legitimate law frame back in to action in the region. Pakistan will define the Obama Presidency, if the West was to lose Pakistan it will lose in Afghanistan.

The Quagmire of Afghanistan

CNN News: Reports on the security problems in Afghanistan and the expect tough fight this year between the West and the Taliban/Terrorists. In the view of experts this year is going to be tough, well with Obama making Afghanistan his War, the Troop surge and the Taliban/Terrorists of Pakistan coming together with the their brothers in Afghanistan it was hardly going to be a kind year. Thus Obama is the next LBJ, Afghanistan is Vietnam, one almost hears the same echoes in the experts talking about Afghanistan, change the name and you get Vietnam in a lot of cases. Thus expect our brave soldiers form the UK, USA, and Canada to have even more fighting and losses, lets always salute them, the fight while our politicians play at General.