Sensory Overload

When it rains it pours. That seems to be the consensus the world has come to the past few weeks regarding international events. Coup in Honduras. 4,000 Marines launching a massive attack into Helmand Province under President Obama's first major military offensive. Kim Jong Il setting off another set of bottle rockets. Over 1,400 arrested in China's restive Xinjiang province. Billy Mays died. Lets try and break these down one by one.

Military coups in Latin America are like old women playing bingo-it's only a matter of time before someone goes down. Having said that, this one is more sticky than usual. Ousted President Zelaya was attempting to call for a referendum which could have led to the continuation of his presidency, which would have been a violation of the Honduran constitution. Before said referendum could take place however, the military broke into the Presidential palace, arrested and essentially banished Mr. Zelaya, vowing to arrest him if he returned. Rallies amongst supporters of both sides have occurred, and clashes between the two have been reported. As if that weren't enough, Hugo Chavez threatened a military intervention to return Zelaya to power if he were not allowed back. This is nonsense, Venezuela's military power stops at its border. One must wonder, why would it be so important to Chavez that Zelaya were in power. The U.S. state department is now admitting it underestimated the ties between Zelaya and Chavez. In the meantime, the Honduran Congress has named Roberto Micheletti acting president. The administration has suspended its military ties with Honduras, and it is easy to see why, no country can openly support military coups. Sadly this looks as if it is one of those paradoxes of Latin American democracies, it had to be suspended in order to be preserved. While coup's bastardize any democracy, this region is all too familiar with leftist autocracies. Painful as it is to write this, this may be a Machiavellian example of doing a little evil in order to prevent a greater one.

Street Signs

While the Iranian government has stepped up its use of the Basij militia as well as the IRGC, violent protests continue on the streets of Tehran, although reportedly in the low thousands-not nearly as big as last weeks demonstrations.

Rage Against the Machine

This video was pieced by Iranian students in Tehran over the past few days. Apparently this is what many of the rebels (this is now far beyond a mere protest) are viewing and disseminating before taking to the streets. The crowd can be overhead chanting "Death to dictatorship!" in the background. The latest reports as of the morning of June 21st indicate the regime has resorted to home invasions in order to round up as many dissidents as possible.

Seeds of a Revolution

The situation on the ground in Tehran is continuously evolving on a second by second basis, therefore at this point it doesn't make much sense to write an extensive report on whats happening on the ground. At this point, it is better to observe and report on the growing discontent spreading throughout Iran. On a personal note, I am hoping for the absolute best for the people of Persia, and their desire for freedom and democracy. As the world holds its breath and waits, it is important that everyone devoted to the spread of freedom and liberty share as many images as they can, to show their solidarity with the brave souls standing up to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard and other oppressive elements of the current Iranian regime. God be with them.

يذهبون كلاب!(Go Dawgs! Iraqi Version #3)

Remember all of our service men and women, on Memorial Day, and indeed, everyday. Go Dawgs, Euphrates style!

Speaking of the Louse (Part 2)

This story just keeps getting better and better.

Dec. 12, 2007: "On one occasion, in the fall of 2002, I was briefed on interrogation techniques the administration was considering using in the future. The administration advised that legal counsel for the both the CIA and the Department of Justice had concluded that the techniques were legal. I had no further briefings on the techniques...Jane Harman was briefed more extensively and advised the techniques had in fact been employed."

Feb. 25, 2009: "No. No the fact is, they did not brief, well first of all, we're not allowed to talk about what happens there, but I can say they did not brief us with these enhanced interrogations that were taking place. They did not brief us. They were talking about an array of interrogations taht they might have at their disposal. But I can say flat out, they never told us that these enhacement interrogations were being used."

April 23, 2009: "It is not appropriate for me to talk about what happens at briefings . It is very interesting that people are talking so freely. But I can say this :They have been talking about it for a while. At that or any other briefing, and that was the only breifing that I was briefed on in that regard, we were not, I repeat, were not told that waterboarding or any of these other enhanced interrogation methods were used."

May 14, 2009: "The CIA briefed me only once on some enhanced interrogation techniques...The only mention of waterboarding at that briefing was that it was not being employed. Those briefing me in September 2002 gave me inaccurate and incomplete information. In February 2003, a member of my staff informed me that (other legislators) had been briefed about the use of certain techniques which had been the subject of earlier legal opinions"

Apparently, my wish from last week has been answered and then some. Mrs. Pelosi incomprehensible story continues to become less believable and more laughable. And as if she couldn't keep her story straight, she outright accuses the CIA of lying to her, intentionally no less. As Senator Bond said yesterday, she clearly "disremembered" what took place. Furthermore, Porter Goss, who later went on to become head of the CIA, has acknowledged that he and other members of the Intelligence Committee were briefed on certain "enhanced techniques." So the question is, why would the CIA tell some members of the Intel committee one thing, and then Nancy another? The answer is they wouldn't, and clearly she has caught herself in a convoluted web of lies. Obviously the Obama administration doesn't want to be anywhere near this, but the more the speaker tries to free herself from this conundrum, the deeper in trouble she gets. Furthermore, what does the administration have to hide, when Dick Cheney of all people wants CIA memos declassified, and the Obama administration rebuffs his request? Quite frankly I don't see how Pelosi keeps her speakership over this debacle, if not due to her disregard for any sort of ethics, and the damage she is causing our intelligence community, but at the very least the amount of damage she is causing her party and this administration.

Speaking of the Louse

Louse: noun 1. any small, wingless insect of the order Anoplura (sucking louse), parasitic on humans and other mammals and having mouthparts adapted for sucking, as Pediculus humanus (body louse or head louse) and Phthirius pubis (crab louse or pubic louse).
2. any insect of the order Mallophaga (bird louse, biting louse, or chewing louse), parasitic on birds and mammals, having mouthparts adapted for biting.
3. plant louse.
4. Slang. a contemptible person, esp. an unethical one.

Ever since President Obama took the oath of office, Nancy Pelosi has been pressing Congress and the administration to prosecute those who had knowledge of, or performed enhanced interrogation techniques on high value targets such as Abu Zubaydah. In the event Speaker Pelosi gets her wish, not only will valuable information, such as our most secret interrogation methods, be released, but the lives of countless CIA and other government officials will be destroyed, and potentially put in immediate danger. At the risk of sounding like Jonathan Swift, I implore the speaker to procede. In fact, it is a matter of national security that she must. Here's why:

As a ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, it has become evident that then congresswoman Pelosi was briefed numerous times in September of 2002 by the CIA about the use of certain "enhanced techniques" such as waterboarding and other harsh methods on high level targets picked up off the battlefield from Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, and also from covert raids conducted in Pakistan. Now, as the Speaker of the House, Pelosi has been leading her one woman crusade against enhanced techniques with reckless abandon. The reason it is a matter of national security that Speaker Pelosi proceed with her investigation is that she herself will come to the forefront as a member of Congress who knew and said nothing about these interrogation methods. If successful, the legal process will ultimately land Speaker Pelosi herself at the witness stand, and ultimately out of office and in federal prison. As destructive of a process this will be to our nation's security as far as secrets and methods are concerned, it will pale in consideration to the damage Nancy Pelosi will be able to inflict on this country's security measures for the next 4, or possible 8 years of her sitting behind a Democratic Presidential administration.

Therefore, I beseech Speaker Pelosi to proceed with her (shameless and hypocritical) investigation as soon as possible. The security of the United States is at stake.