The Spotlight Shines on "Scooter" Libby

WaPost does all a great service by running a profile on Plame-gate figure Scooter Libby. Somehow the word neo-con did not creep up, but it really isn't necessary. His connection with Wolfowitz is explored - Wolfowitz was his college professor and gave him his first job in DC. Libby's admiration for Victor Davis Hanson is also discussed but oddly the piece states that they have different perspectives. Hanson, who should know better, has never (to my knowledge) questioned the administration's Iraq policy.

So Much On Syria

There is no shortage of stories and info on Syria. CFR strikes first noting the precipitous slide of Assad the Younger's regime. They also provide with a helpful guide of the major players of the Syrian government. Not surprisingly 2 of the 3 names in the inner circle are related to him, unfortunately one of those individuals, Assef Shawqat, has been implicated in the assasination of Rafiq Hariri.

NYT took a close look at the UN report on the assasination and provides a blow by blow. It paints a pretty ugly picture of the Syrians and their lap dogs in Lebanon. Current Leb. President Emile Lahoud is among the tainted, he recieved a call from a conspirator nine minutes before they killed Hariri. The WaPost takes a different tack checking out the reaction in the street, on the airwaves (it was read on al Jazeera) as well as in the halls of power. They echo the CFR finding that Little Assad isn't as skillful as his daddy in the diplomacy game. C'mon Hafez wiped out a whole town and the UN didn't even flinch. The WaPost also reports on the Syrian reaction - shock that the truth has come out. They are feeling so pressed that they may allow officials to be questioned abroad. The US confused on being in agreement with anything the UN has done has asked for it to move quickly on Syria.

On the Newstand: The Fatal Attraction of Chavez and Iran

The Weekly Standard explores the burgeoning relationship between Iran and Venezuela. Other than being oil producing states both states also hate the US. Mentioned is Chavez's initial efforts to develop nuke technology for "peaceful" means, the ties both countries have to terrorist groups and Iran's willingness to help Chavez find other customer's for his crude - that way he won't depend on the US. Of course we should pay more attention to what happens in our backyard but our hands are tied. We are just as dependent on Venezuela and it's crappy crude (it is of poor quality) and an invasion, never a likely prospect, is an insane suggestion considering our circumstances. To prove how insane it is Chavez believes that we're planning an invasion. He really did bone up on that Castro playbook didn't he?

The Answer is Yes...

CFR has a backgrounder asking if China is a regional threat. Talk about a softball! It's a good Q & A anyway covering the basics and coloring within the lines to give us a more complete picture of the Chinese buildup. Among the nuggets found - China spends two to three times than its announced $30 billion on defense, its military can challenge the US, the lifting of the European arms embargo will only help, and a Red major general expressed a willingness to nuke the US. Nothing revolutionary but its great to find it all in one place. The only failure is in the end where policy prescriptions for the US are suggested. What is offered is nothing but vague diplospeak.

Ok Maybe the UN is Useless

I've been beating that Hentoff quote to death but blame it on the UN, not me. In a misguided effort to bone up his multilateral credentials W brought the US back into UNESCO, the single most anti-American entity on this planet outside of al Qaeda. To show their appreciation UNESCO members approved a treaty that throws up barriers to "movies, music and other cultural treasures." So much for globalization.

Sorry

To the three of you that leave comments somewhat consistently I apologize for adding word verification in the comment section. The spam in the comment section was driving me mad and this was the only way to combat it. I hope that this does not discourage you from writing I really enjoy reading what each of you has to say. Thanks.

UN Report: Syrians Killed Former PM Hariri

Maybe the UN is not entirely useless. The Mehlis Report (PDF file) on the assasination of former Lebanese PM Rafiq Hariri is certain to make things uncomfortable for Syrian despot Bashar Assad. The WaPost quotes the report as stating that the terrorist act that took the life of Hariri and 22 others "could not have been taken without the approval of top-ranked Syrian security officials and could not have been further organized without the collusion of their counterparts in the Lebanese security forces." Among those implicated is Assad's brother-in-law.

Now that we have the report what is next? Mehlis says that the probe must continue and Kofi has extended his mandate until December 15. The report stresses that Lebanon will require international support to bring the assasins to justice, something that Michael Young mentioned yesterday in his op-ed in the Daily Star (Lebanon). The normally astute Young also accuses John Bolton of leaking a deal that would have forced Assad to turn over the conspirators, end Syria's efforts to destabilize both Lebanon and Iraq and cut off Palestinian extremists who won't settle with Israel. Why Bolton would want to "scuttle" a deal that would bring us that much closer to resolving two of our most pressing issues in the MidEast (and perhaps the globe) is beyond my understanding.

Speaking of Bolton Mehlis will be appearing before the Security Council on Tuesday. Condi and Chirac have apparently been speaking about how to go from here in regards to resolutions. There is also another report on Syria expected next week. As CSM reports Syria may already be feeling the heat. An insurgent recently arrested in Iraq may have been expelled from Syrian.

Democracy Watch: China, Hong Kong, Liberia, Syria and Mexico

In case you were wondering the Reds have issued a report that declares the Communist Party to be "the most important and fundamental principle for developing socialist political democracy in China." I would not expect changes there soon. Just in case you are fuzzy on that we finally got to see what big changes Lord Tsang has in mind for Hong Kong. I'm not even going to get into it because it is just tinkering around the edges. Democracy advocates in Hong Kong are ticked off and are planning to protest. If they stick together they could block passage of the reforms. It will be interesting to see if they actually pull this off. Surprisingly the NYT piece, the same one that says that the government is seeking "somewhat greater democracy," gets a quote from Martin Lee while the WaPost opted not to.

In Liberia their version of the Iron Lady is in the runoff against a popular soccer star with little formal education...ain't third world politics grand? Syrian opposition groups, apparently they do in fact exist, took advantage of the potentially damaging UN report of the assasination of Rafik Hariri to issue a call for democracy in the form of a statement that has been labeled the Damascus Declaration. Meanwhile my longshot pick for pres of Mexico recieved an unexpected boost from the OAS. Despite the opportunity to run for President with the support of a political party, Jorge Castaneda has wanted to run as an independent all along. Unfortunately Mexican electoral law only permits party sponsored candidates. The OAS's Commission on Human Rights has sent a letter to Mexico's electoral commission (in Spanish) in support of Castaneda's effort to run and the commission has promised to respond.

The Dirty Arab Secret

For all their talk about supporting Palestinians the truth is that they want a homeland for them to keep them outside of their own borders. Why do think Jordan was so willing to renounce its claims to the West Bank? Lebanon's eagerness to kick them out, again, is another example.

Man Bites Dog Part Deux

My leatherneck friend Paul Crespo is wrong (I hope he's not reading, he'll literally kick my ass) Noam Chomsky is not a "deranged Marxoid." Mr. Chomsky is actually a raging capitalist. He is a branding genius who has successfully franchised his name and (ahem) reputation. Chomsky has managed to amass a $2 million fortune which makes him the second wealthiest commie behind our Fidel. Chomsky also plays the market like a pro and is making a killing from the war on terror (or is it against Islamism now?):

Chomsky's marketing efforts shortly after September 11 give new meaning to the term "war profiteer." In the days after the tragedy, he raised his speaking fee from $9,000 to $12,000 because he was suddenly in greater demand. He also cashed in by producing another instant book. Seven Stories Press, a small publisher, pulled together interviews conducted via email that Chomsky gave in the three weeks following the attack on the Twin Towers and rushed the book to press. His controversial views were hot, particularly overseas. By early December 2001, they had sold the foreign rights in nineteen different languages. The book made the bestseller list in the United States, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, and New Zealand. It is safe to assume that he netted hundreds of thousands of dollars from this book alone.

Man Bites Dog Part I

A Minuteman volunteer on the southern border picks up a couple of illegals and gives them a ride into town. (Hat Tip - [like he needs one] Drudge)

Chomsky is a Genius...Not!

In a poll that says more about the readership of Foreign Policy than anything else, Noam Chomsky (God help me) has been crowned the world's top public intellectual. There is more than a 50% chance that I will throw up upon receipt of my next issue of FP. If you don't know much about the Pol Pot loving, jihadist in residence at MIT you can check out a profile of Chomsky from the New Criterion. (Hat tip NRO)

Defeating Hamas

Writing in the WaPost Ephraim Sneh nails Sharon (without mentioning his name) from the right and the left. He says that Hamas will always be a terrorist entity regardless of electoral status and that they must be defeated. Sneh closes by saying that the Gaza pullout "substantially empowered Hamas in the Palestinian street." He then declares that Israel needs to do more to help Abbas. Of course this means more money, which the PA until now has been able to put to good use. Throwing money at the problem without reform is not going to improve anything only buy time and maybe votes.

The US is not even going to bother going down that route. We're pushing Abbas to ban any candidate that does not renounce violence...good luck on that one. Nonetheless it is a good idea and not without precedent. The Germans have a provision in their constitution barring any party that seeks they overthrow of the Federal Republic.

The Uselessness of the UN (cont.)

The UN is finding that it has a difficult time controlling the sexual appetites of its peacekeepers:

In the months he had been in charge of rooting out sexual abuse by U.N. peacekeepers, Prince Zeid Raad Hussein of Jordan thought the organization was getting a handle on the problem. But on the same day this year that the United Nations' top peacekeeping official and the head of Congo's U.N. mission were visiting the eastern town of Bunia, a soldier raped a girl "practically within earshot" of the two senior officials, he said. "I thought to myself, 'My God, what would it take for that man not to do it?' " Zeid recalled.

Even when they implement rules they are often broken (there's a surprise):

Last year, the U.N. instituted a policy of "zero contact," barring any interaction between civilians and U.N. soldiers in Congo, and newly arriving troops are warned that they could be sent home if they break the rules. U.N. Codes of Conduct are posted in barracks and U.N. offices.

"No one can say they don't know what the standards were," said Anna Shotton, a U.N. peacekeeping official who has been driving the organization's efforts to address the problem and cooperated with the report.

In the last year, U.N. investigators have completed inquiries into 221 complaints in Congo; repatriated 88 soldiers, including six commanders; and fired 10 civilian staffers, Shotton said.

It does not appear that anything is going to change anytime soon:

The U.N. has promulgated new rules after previous scandals, such as one in 2001 in which Bosnian policemen were found to be helping to traffic women to work as prostitutes, or another in 2002 in West Africa, where relief supplies were traded for sex. But they have wrought little permanent change.

This time, a team of U.N. officials and nongovernmental organizations is trying to dismantle both the structures and the attitudes that breed the abuse. Now in Bunia, the barracks are far away, and many of the bars and restaurants where soldiers would meet women are off-limits.

Sarah Martin, the author of the report, said that in her trips to 11 countries, the comments she heard from United Nations troops revealed how entrenched attitudes were, and how difficult they could be to change: It's not rape if the woman is a prostitute. The women pound on our doors and solicit us. The women can use their bodies how they want. Why ruin someone's career just for having sex? Boys will be boys.

"People need to understand why it is important not to take advantage of a population traumatized by conflict," Martin said. Until they do, "the zero-tolerance policy does not make sense to them, and the problems will go on."

Paul Volker and John Bolton spoke before Congress yesterday touting the need for reform in the UN. They both advocated cutting off funding to the UN to force reform but only with the cooperation of other states.

Z 2 Z Letter a Fake?

As mentioned previously here there is the distinct likelihood that the al-Zawahri to Zarqawi letter may not be authentic. Even Michael Ledeen found it to be too neat.

Rummy and the Reds

Rummy is visiting the Chinese mainland and all the majors have it covered. All of them mention Rummy's cocern over the culture of secrecy that envelopes the Chinese military. They also quote Rumsfeld's push to open up Chinese society politically. NYT basically calls Rummy a hypocrite for talking out of both sides of his mouth once it comes to China. They wonder how he could criticize China while investing there in his pre-Sec. of Defense days. We have to turn to the WaPost to discover that Rummy said the US welcomed China's emergence as an economic power but felt that it needed to do more. Specifically criticizing military expansion. Sounds to me not that he was being pragmatic not hypocritical. Despite Rummy's call for more openness the Reds have a long way to go, LAT was quick to point out that the press was only allowed to sit in for the first question from the audience. The WashTimes that the trip to China is part of a larger tour that will take Rummy to Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Lithuania and S. Korea.

Peace in Kashmir?

Despite appearances don't expect too much to change in Kashmir. Yes it is true India and Pakistan are going to ease up on border restrictions during this time of crisis, but you can count on militants to continue to cause problems. At about the same time India responded positively to Pakistan's request for more open borders to allow for assistance a junior education minister in Kashmir was assasinated. Further evidence that India will only go so far is the fact that New Delhi has balked at measuring seismic activity out of fear that it could reveal underground nuke testing.

Ayman Nour Pays a Price

NYT checks up on the second place finisher of the Egyptian presidential election Ayman Nour and finds out that he's having a tough time. It's not easy losing an election but it can really bad if you dare to run against an autocrat in a rigged contest. Despite controlling all the instruments of power Hosni and his NDP have made life for Nour difficult. Nour is being besieged personally, legally and politically. So much for reform.

W & Chertoff Freak Out Illegal Aliens

I watched the local Telemundo newscast last night to catch John Morales talk about Wilma - how terrible is it the only rational weatherman on TV is of latin descent. I can say this because I too am of latin descent and can assure you reasoned discourse usually takes a backseat to impassioned histrionics. Speaking of histrionics that is precisely what greeted me as soon as Morales finished his segment. The local newscasters were doing their best to freak out their audience by quoting W saying that he wanted to kick out every single illegal immigrant. "This means Cubans too." the anchor breathlessly added. As well it should I say. The Cuban Adjustment Act is a Cold War relic, just as broken down as any of those old cars cruising down el Malecon. The Cubans now come for the same reason as everyone else, money. There is no reason to continue with this immigration apartheid. If a Cuban actually seeks political asylum he should treated like anyone else seeking refuge. I sincerely doubt that the US would turn its back on someone like Raul Rivero if the CAA were rescinded.

By the way I was surprised that despite the big play at home about kicking out illegals the Mexican press was surprisingly subdued. Actually the Mexican press was stressing the other part of W's comments and the reason behind his appearance yesterday - a push for a foreign worker program.

On the Newstand: The Last Steve Vincent Report from Iraq

Steve Vincent was one of the more audacious war reporters in Iraq and ultimately he paid with his life. Reading his last dispatch from Iraq in this month's Mother Jones you can see why. All around him in Basra there is violence, blood and the thirst for vengeance.

Mugabe on the Stump

Speaking at the invitation of the UN's FAO Robert Mugabe compared W and Blair to Hitler and Mussolini. You figure with that mustache of his that he would be a Hitler fan, but apparently he meant to slur the Prez and the British PM. As best as I could tell food was not discussed.

Iraq Round Up: Saddam Goes on Trial and More on Elections

Saddam goes on trial tomorrow and WaPost notes PM Ibrahim al-Jaafari hopes that it will be a speedy trial. WashTimes also quotes the Iraqi PM who mentioned that there would be no tears for the deposed despot. Both Washington based papers mention that the PM lost several family members to Saddam henchmen. NYT gives a different perspective mentioning that the special tribunal will have a narrow focus but will still probably sentence Saddam to death. NYT also gives voice to critics who feel that the model to follow is the Milosevic trial currently underway in The Hague. You would think that the lesson from the three year circus in The Hague would be to avoid a repeat performance, which is exactly what WaPost says is the lesson the Iraqis have drawn. On the election front NYT reports that lopsided support for the constitution in Shiite and Kurd areas is drawing interest from election officials. Finally the WaPost has a follow up on air raids conducted on Ramadi. Locals insist that more civilians than insurgents were killed, the military begs to differ. It seems somewhat absurd for the military to deny that civilians were killed in this action or any other insurgent action. You hate to see children killed but the insurgents and the population are the ones that brought that tragedy on themselves. As long as places like Ramadi overwhelmingly support these terrorists they should expect to suffer the consequences.

The Conservative Crack-Up That Isn't?

In another sign of the coarsening and dumbing down of conservatism the WSJ opinion page wheels out the pill-popping Rush Limbaugh to argue that there is healthy conservative debate not a crack up. Is Limbaugh really the best that Paul Gigot could find? Meanwhile TNR breaks out the ugly secret of the conservative movement...they really don't like W.

China Syndrome II

Alvaro Vargas Llosa notes that China is not Latin America's friend, enemy nor the answer to its underdeveloped markets. Rumsfeld is in Beijing and he will be pushing to more observation by invitation of war games. On the book pages CSM introduces us to a scathing new book on Chairman Mao. TechCentralStation.com meanwhile says that the biggest economic threat is not the burgeoning Chinese economy but rather the slow growth of W. Europe.

More Iraq

Predictably Ivan Eland is playing Chicken Little over the Iraqi constitution, but surprisingly he makes some pretty valid points...I know I was surprised too. Among his complaints - that the US has confused democracy or majoritarianism for liberty. Eland feels that approval for the constitution will lead to an uptick in insurgent action. The New York Review of Books has graciously printed excerpts of Human Rights Watch report on torture in Iraq. Christopher Hitchens give his readers Iraqi Tribal Factions 101. Hitchens provides a good breakdown of the differences between the three major groups and where they came from.

Putin's Problem

WaPost has an op-ed on the Chechen challenge that Putin faces. As most may recall this was already an issue before he rose to power. As a matter of fact a suspicious terrorist act attributed to Chechens helped get him elected originally. His efforts to clampdown and obliterate the Chechens has forced the terrorists to act in Russia proper. It does not appear that the Chechen separtists are going to back down anytime soon.

The Uselessness of the UN Part II

The EUnuchs managed to stand up to Robert Mugabe, but the eUNuchs don't have the stomach for it. Despite a farm razing program that has starved his own people the UN's FAO invited Mugabe to Rome to speak about food issues. Needless to say this is inexplicable and shameful. Equally embarassing, to theCardinal at least, Mr. Mugabe is described in this article as a Catholic. How is it that he has not been excommunicated?

"The Uselessness of the UN"

Civil libertarian Nat Hentoff is whipped up into a frenzy over an op-ed penned by a Sudannese Ambassador assuring the world that all was well and good in Darfur. Hentoff rips Sudan for continued human rights violations and does a number on the UN to at the end:

But Sudan's chief of mission in Washington, Khidir Haroun Ahmed, heralding Sudan's "optimistic future," charges that "some observers fail or refuse to see things as they are." Things as terrifying as they are in Darfur have once more exposed the uselessness of the United Nations in ongoing genocide and the absence of a new coalition of willing democratic nations, including the United States, to support the African Union more substantively because the AU cannot stop the killing without such help.

My only quibble with the otherwise fine piece is that I don't think that the AU has asked for assistance yet.

Saber Rattling from Venezuela

The Herald reports that Chavez has sent troops to Aves Island an isolated outpost claimed by several countries. WashTimes also mentions his nuclear ambitions.

Food Crisis in N. Korea

CSM explores the challenges N. Korea faces in cutting off food aid. Even with the reported good harvest there will not be enough food to go around. Even worse the harvest may be a one time thing. On top of that are distribution problems and an emphasis on getting food to 1.1 million troops. No one should be surprised if there is another famine in a year or two.

"We Have Achieved Currency Flexibility in Our Time"

John Snow believes that the Red Chinese will do their part to allow the market to drive the yuan's value. CSM meanwhile says that the cheap yuan is here to stay for the forseeable future.

Iraq Round Up

Everyone seems to agree that the constitution will pass. NYT mentions that the referendum will probably fail in two provinces, but three are required for the constitution not to go into effect. Turnout appeared high although not as high as it was in January in Shiite and Kurd areas. This did not stop from CSM declaring that voters streamed to the polls and the WaPost putting turnout at 60%. Another sobering piece in the WaPost reported that Shiite participation in some areas was far lower than expected and that many seemed to vote out of devotion to their clerical leaders. The WashTimes touted the higher turnout in Sunni areas as a rejection of insurgent violence, although others suspected it was due to the lesson learned that not participating hurts them more than helps. NYT, among others, also noted that there was remarkably little violence, but they aren't sure what it means. In a an "Analysis" piece the WaPost quotes Condi:

What the referendum "will certainly help to do is to broaden the base of the political process, those who are casting their lot with the political process, which means those who are either sitting on the fence or are supportive somehow of the violence will diminish," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told reporters in London. "Ultimately, insurgencies have to be defeated politically. You defeat them by sapping them of their political support and increasingly Iraqis are throwing their support behind the political process, not behind the violence."

Uh...no. Shiites voted in hopes of defeating the constitution. Why should they feel any better about the process after getting their tail kicked? I would love for Condi to be right, but it does not make any sense. The "Analysis" goes on to reflect that the US has a tough road ahead in Iraq.