The Iraqi Whitewash Again!

The Times: Reports on the announcement by UK PM Gordon Brown that an Independent Inquiry on Iraq will be held in private. This is half way house that will please no one, those that opposed the War in Iraq want a public Inquiry with people under oath, those that supported the War but wanted some public viewing will attack the idea as a whitewash. Lets be clear I supported the Iraq War and still do, there is no need for a Inquiry, this half baked idea seems to annoy both sides. It will be seen by the general public as a complete whitewash and a way for Gordon Brown to put the issue beyond the next election, that is pure politics, but worse not good politics. I think we can all agree on one thing, our brave Armed Forces deserve our respect and we should always keep in mind those that paid the ultimate price, thus lets care more about our troops and their families than waisting money on a perceived matter of spin.

Shots that start a Revolution - Iran ?

BBC News: Reports from Tehran that shots have been heard at a demonstration against the result of the election in Iran. I have been impressed that the young people of Iran have come out to demand their rights, I thought the Government had suppressed the protesters. The question is has the Government and the religious elite over played its hand, one thing to steal an election is another to kill people. Lets see if the reformers can hold their ground, this could be their last chance to gain freedom. Freedom is a right not something that is granted by governments, thus the people Iran might have to fight for their freedom, no guts no glory as the old saying goes, do the people of Iran have the guts to walk and fight for freedom, lets hope so, it would be a very positive message from Iran, the whole dynamic of the region could change, lets see, still think the Government of Iran will go in mob handed, the religious elite know if they lose this game its over, might not be overthrown straight away but their power would fade, interesting times in Iran.

Reagan the Model for the 21 Century ?

The New York Times: Reports on the debate within the Republican Party as to the relevance of Reagan Model for winning in the 21 Century. The Liberal NYT points out the Obama view of Reagan, " ( Obama ) offered generous praise for the most celebrated of his recent Republican predecessors. ". This of course drives the Liberal New York Times bonkers, that elite body of reporters think Jimmy Carter was the best President in American History. In other words they have never gotten over the fact that Reagan, ex actor, thus in their eyes not up to the job, ex Governor, far to Conservative for the paper that loved Stalin, become President and become beloved by the American people. The Gipper died in 2004 but if you read the NYT you get the impression that he is running for another term, when will the bone headed Liberals at the Times learn, they could not beat him when he was alive, dead they have no chance. It shows how GREAT Reagan was as President, that nearly twenty years after he left office and five since his death the Times is still fighting the Reagan Legacy, Obama must hope that after he serves two terms as President that his legacy will be fought over twenty years after January 20 2016. One can postulate that Reagan is looking down at the NYT and smiling, he Gipper will always be great.

The Second Front in Waziristan

Telegraph: Reported on the expected second front by the Army of Pakistan in Waziristan on the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. This is tribal area, it will be a tough fight for the Army of Pakistan, its never been under the control of Islamabad, its Tribal loyalties and Conservative nature make it a hard and tough place to fight and to keep. Unlike the Swat Valley this area is better suited to the Taliban/Terrorists, and as stated the Army of Pakistan is not built to fight terrorists, its main aim is to fight India. It will be interesting to see if the Army can really take on the Taliban/Terrorists, the Taliban can always retreat in to Afghanistan, the question is does the West have enough troops to fight them if they are forced crossed the border. The Obama surge is just coming in to effect, the UK is taking heavy losses for its force structure in country. We shall see how the Second Front goes, might work or it might fail, then what..

The Real Iran, No Media Freedom

Fox News: Reports on the blanking out of Independent News from Iran, as with the USSR we are seeing the developing of a Totalitarian State. What ever the Obama Administration wants, the reality is that Iran will not give up its nuclear armed ambitions, it sees how the Obama Administration has had a weak policy to North Korea. Thus while the Obama Administration has a tepid reaction to the stolen election and the beating up of the demonstrators in Tehran the Ahmadinejad Government will follow through with its plans to become a nuclear power, the weakness of Obama shows the shadow of Neville Chamberlain, the UK PM that followed an appeasement policy that lead to World War Two, lets hope the naivety of Obama does not lead to a War in the Middle East.

Valkyrie Review

Just got to see the new Tom Cruise movie Valkyrie, it is based on the plot to kill Hitler by Germany Army Officers in 1944. As I came to movie with some knowledge of the history of that period, unlike the Day of Jackal, I knew that the French President was not assassinated in 1963, but some of the politics was fresh to me, unlike the War period. Thus with that caveat, here goes the review, it was not quite up there with the Day of the Jackal but quite close, the film showed how not to play out a coup, as one of the characters states in the film, the one thing that goes out of the window is a plan when the action starts. I found the script tight and the acting great, Mr Cruise really bought the Stauffenberg Plot alive, it also showed the weak points of the plot. If you no knowledge of the plot or the period this a good place to start, also the DVD has great extras, commentary and historical and film Documentaries.

A Palestinian state, But - Israel

BBC News: Reports on a speech by Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli PM accepted a Palestinian State but placed on conditions on that acceptance, as the NYT states the following, " but on condition that the state is demilitarized and that the Palestinians recognize Israel as the state of the Jewish people. " In other words it was two words to President Obama " Get Lost ", any state worth the name has a military, can control its own skies. A Palestinian State would need its own Army even for internal control, also it might not have an Air Force but it might like one in the future. This is a bit like Iran, the pretence of Democracy that is shallow, thus this offer by the Israeli PM. Those that are kind to read this blog will be a bit surprised by this post, this blog since its creation has defend the right of Israeli to protect itself against any threat but every people have a right to a nation, these conditions are a big veto on any Obama Plan. The Obama Administration might have to place some more pressure on Israel, of course any future Palestinian State could not be a threat to Israel, and also that state would have to accept that Israel is a Jewish State, thus no right of return to those that left Israel after the creation of Israel in the 1940s. This is why US Presidents leave the Middle East for their second term, never good to have a policy go down the toilet, also lets get real, if Iran go nuclear, the USA will need Israel to bomb Iran. Thus Obama does not hold all the aces when it comes to the Middle East, Israel has the final Ace.