The Blog of Choice for Patriotic Liberals !
At Last ! Pakistan Fights Back !
May 9th
After months of criticism and cowardice, the Pakistan Government appeared to “Man Up” this week, and start fighting back against the Taliban and Al Queda Elements. Within weeks of signing an agreement with the Paki Government, the Taliban forces had advanced from the Swat Valley, into the Bruner Province, and had moved within 60 miles of the Capital City of Islamabad.
I don’t suppose there’s any chance that this week’s visit to Washington had any effect on the Prime Minister’s decision to finally let his Army do their job! ( sarcasm intended! )
Now, after the recent actions, hundreds of thousands of Pakistan’s civilians are fleeing the fighting, and escaping to refuge camps set-up for them by the Army. Many are being held hostage by Taliban Forces, and that will hopefully show the Civilians the true colors of the Terrorist Cowards !
The World’s Humanitarian agencies need to rush food and assistance to these refugees. The US has a vital interest in insuring that these family’s needs and desires are fulfilled in the most generous way possible. The American Red Cross, USAID, and every Federal resource available needs to be on-site, and providing medical care and every support imaginable. In this way we can finally begin to let the Pakistani citizens see America as a force for progress and change, and hopefully this chance to win “Hearts and Minds”, will end some the Anti-American feelings that the majority holds as a result of Islamist propaganda, and our support for the Musharif regime.
Here’s a link to an excellent video from the Pakistani General in charge of the counterinsurgency forces.
This link is to an AC 360 Blog article I found very informative.
More on this subject follows soon ~!
Please leave a comment, and Thanks for Visiting, HV
This Sunday in the News 5-3-09
May 3rd
Monday Update, Pakistan Fights Back ! Finally !
Late Edition ! Here’s my post on “The First 100 Days”
This Sunday in the News 5-3-09
First off, I would like to predict that the “H1N1″ Flu pandemic never happens!. I am glad to see the firm and fast response from the CDC as well as The White House, and every government agency. This is reassuring, and shows that we will never again get ‘caught with our pants down’ by another crisis or contagion. Meanwhile, I’m also dismayed about the near-panic brought about by the excessive coverage across the entire media spectrum.
I was “On-the-road” from the 21st through the 1st of May, and so didn’t have much access to my Home in Cyberspace, but was still in the loop through radio, TV and Newspapers. I joined every other observer in being amazed at the insensitivity of the White House Press Office’s decision to fly a huge Jumbo Jet through Manhattan Airspace, without warning the Mayor’s Office, or the local media. What arrogant fools! The “Fools” label would also apply to the Air Force commanders who authorized the Photo/fighter escort that took the Promo Photo’s for which the mission was ordered. O.K. That covers the trivial BS since my last posts, now, What concerns me Most this Week, is the ongoing advances of the Taliban in Pakistan. This should have been at the forefront of all other matters in the Media Coverage of these past two weeks. For anyone who isn’t aware of the situation, let me condense recent events in troubled Pakistan. A month or so back, the Pakistani Government signed an agreement with the insurgent Taliban, allowing them to take-over the Court System in the Bruner Province, and replace the National Judicial System with Sharia Law Judges, who would administer over civil and criminal trials using their Fundamentalist Islamic interpretation of the law. Remember, these are the very same nutjobs that we ran out of Afghanistan in 2002. They regard Women as chattel of their husbands, with no rights or privileges beyond what they are given in the Koran, which is to say, None. These are the same folks who have beheaded young men for listening to Western Music, and not growing their beards. More alarming than this situation with the Court System, is the Paki’ Government’s failure to respond militarily to the Taliban’s advances to within 60 miles of their Capital City of Islamabad!. The Military commanders, in meetings with their American counterparts, say they are unworried about the control of their Nuclear Arsenal, nor about their intelligence agency’s,(INI) sympathy and assistance to the Taliban in the “Tribal Regions” along the Afghan Border. They seem equally unconcerned that many of their Junior Officers feelings that the NATO forces and Karzi Government in Afghanistan are a danger to them as they are more Allies of India, and therefore Enemies of Pakistan.
Special Envoy Holbrook, Secretary of State Clinton, and our Joint Chiefs, have no greater concern than ensuring that Pakistan’s Nuke’s don’t fall into Radical Islamist’s hands, and that the shaky Pakistan Government is able to maintain control of their Military, and gain some legitimacy among their populace. What are Your Thoughts on This Situation? Thanks for Playing, HV.
Here is a link to Fareed Zakaria’s Interview with SecDef Robert Gate’s, Today’s best discussion regarding the Pakistani Issues.
Please comment and share your viewpoint with Us!
Limbaugh & Friends Assassinate Lincoln’s Party !
May 3rd
Yesterday’s defection of Arlen Specter to the Democrats, seems to be the first time American’s have realized that the “Grand Old Party” has passed away.
As for Myself, I stated two years ago,(Yahoo Answers), that the abuse of power, and disregard for the Constitution by the Bush / Cheney cabal, had ruined not only the Republican Party, but had also totally discredited the Conservative Movement in America.
If you notice an angry rumbling from the earth in Southern California, and Arizona, don’t be alarmed, it’s not an earthquake, it’s just Ronald Reagan and Barry Goldwater spinning in their graves!. That same sound may emminate around the Roselawn Cemetery in LA. That would be my late Father, Robert Morgan, who was a life-long Conservative, and a “John Birch” Republican. None of those three could accept what has happened to “The Party of Lincoln and Eisenhower”.
As a long time fan of Senator Spector, and all moderate Repub’s, I welcome him to the Democratic side of the aisle, yet I also see an ominous future from the decline of the G.O.P., because our Government really needs a third party at this time, not a decline into a one-party rule. With the dubious leadership we have now in the House and Senate, I fear the possibility of “The Tyranny of the Majority” that can result from such a situation.
The Sad Demise of America’s Republican Party
Hippy Vet’s First Post !
Apr 23rd
The Sunday Funnies, 4-19-09
After watching “The Roundtable” on George Stephanopolis’ show this Sunday, I am really concerned that Sam Donaldson, George Will, and maybe Cokie Roberts, are in favor of prosecuting those responsible for developing and implementing the Torture policies of the Bush / Cheney Administration.
What are they thinking? Don’t they realize that our enemies in the Middle East, some of them very wealthy and influential, would be licking their chops, waiting for some evidence of “War Crimes”, “Crimes against Humanity”, frankly, Anything they can find to bring an American Official before the World Court at the Hague.
Do these intelligent and informed people not realize how devastating that could be for America’s stature in the world ?
One really sad possibility about such a course of action, is that these Bush Administration Appointed Lawyers, and some Bureaucrats who “were just doing their job” will be the one’s to hang. You can bet your ass than Cheney, Rumsfeld, Et Al, will “Lawyer Up” quicker than you can shoot a lawyer in the face !
I have been fighting against such actions, and have resigned my membership in one liberal Democratic organization as a result of their determination to “punish” Bush Administration people, a path that leads inevitably to the dangers listed above.
On the other side of that coin, I also “unsubscribed” from a Conservative organization I had participated in for several years, because they changed the whole thrust of their efforts, within days of Obama’s election. They went far enough to offend, when they changed their “splash” page to a picture with a sketch of Obama in a “Che Guevara beret”, against a red background, with the Phrase “Join The Resistance” in an X across the whole image. I had established a “back-channel” communication with one of the 2 leaders of this group, and within days of congratulating his organization’s success for achieving a pardon for Ramos and Campion, the US Border Patrol agents convicted of killing a drug smuggling “coyote” who they say fired upon them first, (but who’s weapon was never located). Both men having had good records of service prior to this, and both leaving a wife with several young children to struggle on alone, I felt that they should be freed, or at very least retried.
Both of these issues are (Power abuses in the Torture Memos / Instant attacks on Obama’s Administration, before he ever assumed Office), are being pushed by fringe elements of the Left and Right. Both are misguided, mostly motivated by a need for revenge, and both have a detrimental effect on America’s Path to Recovery.
As in Most Issues and Controversies, I urge Moderation and Consensus.
Thanks for Playing, HV
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