NYT and Iraq

New York Times: Reports on the Civic Progress in Iraq. Well you could hit me over a with a feather, a positive article about Iraq in the Liberal Times. Read of the Day.

Mumbai ( Bombay ) DEATH TOLL

Telegraph: Reports that the Mumbai terrorist attack could lead to a death toll of three hundred killed. If this terrorist attack on India causes a military confrontation between Pakistan and India then the terrorists would have won. The USA and UK have to play an active role in keeping these countries on the same page. If India moves its troops to the border with Pakistan and Pakistan does the same, this will be a victory for the terrorists, the soldiers of Pakistan are needed on badlands of the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. The new Obama Administration will have to work to keep Pakistan together, their economy is in a mess, they have parts of Pakistan under terrorist control and the central government is weak, none of this would matter to be honest but they are a Nuclear Power. The West has an interest in keeping both India and Pakistan in the Western side not falling under the threat of the terrorist.

The Left and Obama

Politico: Reports on how the left has been quiet with Obama appointing hawks by the standard of the Democratic Base or keeping Bush people in place. The Politico writes the following, " Still, it’s clearly a team that tilts to the right of Democratic foreign policy thought. " Obama has an Economic 9/11 to deal with, he needs people who can run Foreign Policy, Gates will get the USA out of Iraq with honour, not like Vietnam in 1975. Secretary of State Clinton will start talks with Iran but from a posture of strength not weakness, Bill Clinton will not allow his wife to become an appeaser. This kind of weak policy would be bad for the Clinton reputation, both him and her. As stated many times with Hillary you get Bill, and Bill bombed the Serbian Capital.

New York Subway Threat 2008

WCBSTV.COM: Has more details on the threat to the New York Subway. As stated the last threat was in 2005, this time the Intelligence Organisations have to worry that al - Qaeda are following an election pattern, 1993 the new Clinton Administration had to deal with the first attack on the World Trade Centre, 2001 the new Bush Administration had to deal with 9/11, in the UK 2007 the new PM Gordon Brown had to deal with the failed threat in London and the attack in Scotland. The attack in Bombay could be a warning to the West or it could be a diversion, lets hope the CIA are connection the dots this time around.

Mumbai ( Bombay ) Terrorist Attacks

The Times: Reports on the terrorist attack on Mumbai ( Bombay ). It argues that it is to early to say who is behind this evil attack on the city. To be honest have not blogged on this Issue due to the fact that it is on going, also it is hard to figure out if this is a internal terrorist group, that might have been trained by al-Qaeda or a franchise group of al - Qaeda. It will take a long investigation and could take months before we have an answer to this question. I did see something interesting on the TV Networks last night, what if India joins Afghanistan and Pakistan and becomes a failed state or forced to become a failed state due to these terrorists actions. Lets recall that both Pakistan and India are nuclear powers, this could be one of the top Issues to face a new Obama Administration.

Deaths in Afghanistan

BBC News: Reports that two more British Soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan. The total of the dead now stands at 128. If we do send more troops in to Afghanistan after the New Year lets have new ideas of how to win, otherwise we are going to lose more good men and women in a War we cant win and we cant afford to lose. We have to strike the safe bases in Pakistan, this is the Obama Plan, but we need to strike in manner that does not cause the Government of Pakistan to fall. A failed State like Pakistan that is a nuclear power could make last few years look like happy hour.

Surge for Afghanistan

Telegraph: Reports that an Obama Administration will send twenty thousand soldiers to Afghanistan. The article makes a great point, " Current and former US officials have warned that a surge of forces into Afghanistan will not necessarily meet with the same success as the troop build-up in Iraq. " The problem with Afghanistan is that throwing more troops in the mix never works, Afghanistan is a nightmare for combat troops, the environment helps the terrorist, also the terrorists can come over the border from Pakistan. All countries that have gone in to Afghanistan have in the end thought better about the idea, the UK in the 19th Century, the USSR in 20th Century, and of course we are back with the USA in the 21st Century. Afghanistan is just a god awful place to fight, high and dangerous mountains, tribal loyalties that are hard to breach. That the problem with the Tribal lands on the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. We cant win but we cant afford to lose, the Commander that solves Afghanistan will become a legend.