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Riyadh Delenda Est!

:: Tuesday, October 22, 2002 ::

Blair Talks to Australian TV and Radio About Bali Attacks

The British Foreign & Commonwealth Office News has this interview.

INTERVIEWER Do you think it raises Britain's profile as a target, your strong support for George Bush? PRIME MINISTER I think that they will target anyone anywhere. People forget that before the 11 September attack in America they tried attacks in France and Germany. Some of the attacks that they have mounted have been in different countries around the world, some of whom haven't had a particularly high profile. Now in my view I think it is common to our tradition, the Australian tradition, the British tradition, that where there is a threat we go out there and face it. And it is difficult, of course it is difficult because we are taking a high profile on these issues, but I have no doubt at all we are right to, and there is no escape for us if we don't. And what happened on 11 September, what happened in Bali, what has been happening in these different terrorist incidents around the world is that as I say they don't care what nationality you are, they don't care what religion you are, they don't care what race you are. They want to do the maximum amount of damage. And part of the reason for this, this is what is so important, you see we are familiar with terrorism in Britain over a long period of time, so we have had a chance to study it, and I can't say this strongly enough, the purpose of terrorism is not just the act of destruction itself, the purpose of terrorism is as its name applies - to cause terror, to produce chaos, to produce division, to stop people coming together but actually dividing them up into different groups, different religions, different sex, different races and creeds, and to cause economic chaos that then has a huge effect on people's living standards and their perception of their own economic prosperity and interest. So it is not just about the act of terrorism itself, and that is why the only way of dealing with it is for people to come together, to unite, to be absolutely clear that just as there is no hiding place for us from their extremism, there is going to be no hiding place for them from our action in order to root them out.

We cannot run from them. We cannot hide from them. We cannot bargain with them. What can we do? We can fight them. We can seek, in the words of another great British Prime Minister, "Victory -- victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be; for without victory there is no survival".
:: Riyadh Delenda Est 10:48:00 PM Link
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Israel holds off on military strikes

BBC News has this story.

Israel is planning a "harsh, precise response" to Monday's deadly bomb attack on a bus by Palestinian militants which killed 14 people, Interior Minister Eli Yishai has said.

But according to Mr Yishai, the strength of the response will be limited to take into account America's interests as it gears up for a possible war with Iraq.

***

Mr Yishai said that if the Israeli Government retaliated immediately with great force, "we could cause difficulties for the Americans".

Thank you, Mr. Sharon, for your understanding, and your restraint. It is difficult to watch the murder of your countrymen, and do nothing. If I were in your position, I would want to scour the Palestinian lands with fire and steel. I would want to teach them, in the only language they understand, what an Israeli's life is worth. But your restraint may help end a greater threat, both to Israel, and the United States, and this American is grateful. The day will come when you can freely hunt down the animals who planned this slaughter, and it will not be long, "because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice".
:: Riyadh Delenda Est 8:36:00 PM Link
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State Department Listing Islamic Extremist Group as Terror Organization

Fox News has this story.

The Indonesia-based Jemaah Islamiyah, due to be cited Wednesday, has cells operating throughout Southeast Asia. It seeks to create an Islamic state comprising Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and the southern Philippines, according to report in May by the State Department's counterterrorism office.

Listing the group as a terrorist organization will make it a crime to contribute funds to it and will bar its members from receiving visas to enter the United States.

It's about time. However, I don't expect the State Department to actually deny visas to any Jemaah Islamiyah members. State Department has been notoriously and inexcusably lax in its policies regarding visa issuance. Contact your Senators and Congressperson, and demand that they pass a Homeland Security bill that strips State Department of all visa issuance authority.
:: Riyadh Delenda Est 8:14:00 PM Link
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French author cleared of race hate

BBC News has this story.

French writer Michel Houellebecq has been cleared of inciting racial hatred by saying Islam was "the stupidest religion".

A panel of three judges in Paris declared that the author was not guilty after he was sued by four Muslim groups.

He made the comments in an interview with the literary magazine Lire in 2001.

***

The court ruled that although the author's comments were "without a doubt characterised by neither a particularly noble outlook nor by the subtlety of their phrasing," they did not constitute a punishable offence.

Apparently, under the French law Houellebecq was charged with violating, there is a difference between criticizing a religion, and criticizing its followers. Houellebecq's criticism of Islam was judged to be permissible, under the law, where criticism of Muslims would probably not be. While the court's ruling was not exactly a ringing defense of freedom of expression, it beats a conviction. I frankly expected the court to stick it to Houellebecq, so the ruling is a pleasant surprise. Too bad Houellebecq couldn't use the Zenger defense.
:: Riyadh Delenda Est 7:32:00 PM Link
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The State Department rewards officials responsible for terror visas

National Review has this article by Joel Mobray.

Senior officials at State have rewarded some 200 senior members of the foreign service with bonuses of $10,000-$15,000 each — including four of the five top officials at Consular Affairs (CA), the agency within the State Department that oversees consulates and visa issuance, as well as the person who helped implement the Visa Express program in Saudi Arabia.

***

More than one year after 9/11, State is still fighting the Justice Department on behalf of suspected terrorists. According to the GAO, the State Department wants to issue visas to individuals on watch lists if there isn't enough hard evidence to prove the applicant is actually a terrorist. In fact, State did issue visas last year to 79 people whose names were in the FBI's TIPOFF terrorist database, "because [State] determined there was insufficient information linking [the 79 applicants] to terrorism," according to the GAO report.

State Department has shown itself to be utterly incapable of, or even concerned with, preventing terrorists from obtaining visas. State Department must be stripped of all visa issuance authority, because they just don't get it.
:: Riyadh Delenda Est 3:48:00 PM Link
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Qantas cuts capacity to Indonesia; customers changing to Fiji, Queensland

AFXpress has this story.

SYDNEY (AFX-ASIA) - Qantas Airways Ltd said it will reduce its flights to Indonesia from next month as it seeks to redirect capacity to holiday destinations where demand is increasing such as Fiji and the northeast Australian state of Queensland.

***

Borghetti said many customers who had booked holidays to Bali were changing to destinations such as Fiji and Queensland, and that Qantas would direct additional capacity to these routes to cater for the increased demand during Australia's Dec-Jan school holiday period. "We are planning to add capacity to our Cairns, Gold Coast, Hamilton Island, Rockhampton, Maroochydore and Perth routes, as well as Nadi and Singapore," he said.

This looks like bad news for Bali, but my sympathy is reserved for the victims of the Bali bombing. If the Indonesian government had cracked down sooner, it might not have happened, and Indonesia wouldn't be facing the collapse of its tourist industry.
:: Riyadh Delenda Est 10:22:00 AM Link
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Are the Saudis the Enemy?

That's the question Nicholas D. Kristof asks in this NY Times Op-Ed. This piece isn't quite dumb or evil enough to justify the use of the Iron Fisk Technique, but I am going to see if I can't poke a few holes in Nicky's arguments.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- Osama bin Laden succeeded magnificently, it seems, in at least one of his goals: creating a rift between the United States and Saudi Arabia.

That wasn't a very difficult task. The only thing we have in common with them is oil. They have it, we want it, and for too many years, we've put up with their shit.

Odds are that Osama shrewdly sought to create discord by deliberately choosing Saudis to be the grunts of 9/11, picking them to fill 15 of the 19 hijacker positions, even though the teams were led by an Egyptian, Mohamed Atta, and other key players were from Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates. Al Qaeda had plenty of Yemenis, Kuwaitis and north Africans whom it could have tapped, but it apparently went out of its way to choose Saudis to be the foot soldiers.

All Bin Laden did, was wake us up, and cause us to look at what kind of society Saudi Arabia really is. Nothing more was needed.

The plan, if that's what it was, worked perfectly. The 60-year friendship between Saudi Arabia and the United States is now in tatters, and it will probably get even more poisonous in the coming months if we invade Iraq. It turns out that Saudis have as much animosity for us as we have for them.

Why shouldn't they? Our peoples have nothing in common. Saudi Arabia is a trading partner, and an ally of convenience, never, never, never, a friend.

"Our people very much hate the U.S.," said Soliman Al-Buthy, a Saudi engineer with flowing white robes and even more flowing black beard. "The No. 1 reason is that it supports Israel with no limits. Then there's homeland security measures, and now we hear that all Saudis in America will be fingerprinted."

Likewise, Soliman, but the US doesn't support Israel without limits. If we ever did, there wouldn't be an Arab government left, and damnned few Arabs. Israel could annihilate Egypt in a day or two, if it chose to do so. All it would have to do, is wait for the Nile flood season, break the Aswan Dams, and when everyone runs for high ground, nuke'em.

Mr. Buthy has plenty of company: A poll released this month by Zogby International found that 87 percent of Saudis have an unfavorable view of the United States.

And Americans don't like Saudi Arabia much, if any, better.

Even among the many Saudis who lived for years in America, there is a deep sense of betrayal that matches our own. Everywhere I go, I run into American-educated Saudis whose eyes light up as they recall how they lived in Kansas City or Chicago or Portland, how their children were born there, how their neighbors were the nicest people in the world. Then, bitterly, they complain that Americans now slander them as terrorists, deny them visas and vilify their country.

Betrayal? You want to talk about betrayal? What about 15 Saudi citizens who lied their way into this country, obtained technical training under false pretenses, and used that training to murder thousands of Americans, and do billions of dollars in property damage? Arabs allegedly believe in hospitality. Do they not believe that a guest has any obligation to his host?

"Now all Saudis are guilty, are unwelcome," complained Fahad Aslimy of the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry. "Most Saudis were educated in the U.S., and it is our second home. So this is very frustrating."

Unfortunately, we haven't figured out how to recognize all the terrorists, just by looking at them. So we've had to be more cautious about all Saudis. And as for the US being a "second home" to Saudis, even a dog treats his bed with more respect than Saudis have the US.

Indeed, it's become fashionable in America to see Saudi Arabia as "the most dangerous, the most fanatic regime on the entire planet," as a reader e-mailed me recently. Richard Perle's influential Defense Policy Board convened a hatchet-job hearing in July in which Saudi Arabia was described as America's "most dangerous opponent."

The reason some Americans see Saudi Arabia as "the most dangerous, the most fanatic regime on the entire planet", is that it is. Money, and the willingness to spend it on terrorism, is what makes the Arab regimes dangerous. Saudi Arabia has more money, and spends more of that money supporting terrorism, and other forms of religious extremism, than any other Muslim state.

There's plenty to criticize about Saudi Arabia, but this vision of it as a dangerous enemy is way over the top.

Not really. Wars are won by logistics, the ability to train, supply, and transport troops. The Saudis pay for the recruiting, the training, and the travel of terrorist operatives, and have, since long before 9/11.

Sure, the Saudi monarchy bears some responsibility for fundamentalist Islamic terrorists. King Faisal, together with the United States, deliberately nurtured fundamentalist Islam in the 1960's as a counterweight to Nasserists and leftists. It was Saudi Arabia that, at America's request, backed the jihad against Soviet troops in Afghanistan, thus forming the basis for Al Qaeda.

And they encouraged them to embrace an anti-American agenda, as a means of diverting their anger from the House of Saud.

Later, prestige-seeking Saudi businessmen wrote checks to radical Islamic charities, financing the spread of radical Islam in much of the Islamic world ? in the same way that zealous but misguided Americans helped underwrite I.R.A. terrorism in the 1970's and 1980's, as our own government pretended not to notice. Read Margaret Thatcher's memoirs and you find the same kind of outrage at American financing of Irish terrorism that we feel at Saudi complicity in Islamic terrorism.

Certainly, NORAID should have been shut down sooner. But NORAID's American supporters weren't giving US tax dollars to the IRA. In Saudi Arabia, it was more than just idiot businessmen's ego-tripping. Government money was spent to encourage the spread of Wahabi extremism.

Saudi Arabia's responsibility, in other words, arises more from stupidity than venality. It's absurd to imagine the Saudi government intentionally promoting people like Osama bin Laden when Osama's first target was the Saudi royal family itself.

If OBL's first target is the Saudi royal family, and not America, why are there thousands of dead Americans, and no assassinated Saudi princes? I'll tell you why, Nick. Americans are doing the dying, because the House of Saud is doing the buying.

The Saudi royals can fairly be criticized for fecklessly looking the other way as clerics commandeered schools and preached poisonous nonsense about foreigners. More broadly, America and the kingdom have almost no values in common; Saudi Arabia is a corrupt monarchy that stands for religious intolerance and the repression of women.

You don't say! The way you've been going on, I'm surprised you noticed.

But we also need a bit of common sense in the discussion. To my ear the harsh denunciations of Saudi Arabia as a terrorist state sound as unbalanced as the conspiratorial ravings of Saudi fundamentalists themselves.

Then you need to get the wax out of your ears. Or maybe, just your hand out of the Saudis' pockets.
:: Riyadh Delenda Est 12:07:00 AM Link
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Diplomacy 'could resolve Iraq crisis'

BBC News has this story.

US President George W Bush has said he believes that Iraq can be disarmed peacefully and that he is willing to give diplomacy one more try.

***

"The stated policy of our government, the previous administration and this administration, is regime change, because we don't believe he is going to change," Mr Bush said following talks with Nato Secretary General George Robertson.

"However, if he were to meet all the conditions of the UN, the conditions that I've described very clearly in terms that everybody can understand, that in itself will signal the regime has changed."

The BBC's Jon Leyne in Washington says that Mr Bush's remarks sound like a dramatic shift in US policy, however in practice it is more likely to be a tactical change of emphasis designed to reassure other members of the Security Council while still pursuing a tough new resolution on Iraq.

Of course, its a tactical change. Anyone who thinks George W. Bush expects Saddam's compliance, or desires Saddam's survival, is down to their last functioning neuron, and it's not working too well. In fact, if Saddam misinterprets this statement as a capitulation on our part, it could lead him to reject the compliance that might save his sorry ass. What a tragedy that would be - NOT!
:: Riyadh Delenda Est 11:33:00 PM Link
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US aims to soothe Turkish fears

BBC News has this story.

Military action against Iraq is expected to top the agenda as US Chief of Central Command General Tommy Franks visits Turkey.

General Franks and Nato's supreme allied commander, Joseph Ralston, have arrived in a country obsessed with the prospect of military action against its south-eastern neighbour.

As the only Nato member with a border with Iraq, Turkey fully expects to be called upon to assist in any operation.

***

Turkey's politicians are worried that the US has done a deal with the Kurds who control northern Iraq - some sort of autonomy in exchange for Kurdish help in toppling Saddam Hussein.

Over and over again, Turkey has told anyone that will listen that it will not tolerate an autonomous Kurdish state.

Turkey has historically been one of our better allies. If they are willing to cooperate in the removal of Saddam, they deserve to have their concerns addressed. The protection we have given the Kurds, in the past, through the no-fly zone, plus guarantees that their civil rights will be protected, post-Saddam, should be enough reward for their support. The fact is that Turkey's cooperation is more valuable to us in this operation than anything the Kurds could be expected to do.
:: Riyadh Delenda Est 11:17:00 PM Link
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Some get Iraq wrong all the time

The International Herald Tribune has this column by Jim Hoagland.

WASHINGTON Imagine that Saddam Hussein has been offering terrorist training and other lethal support to Al Qaeda for years. You can't imagine that? Sign up over there. You can be a Middle East analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency.

Or at least you could have been until recently. As President George W. Bush's determination to overthrow the Iraqi dictator has become evident to all, a cultural change has come over the world's most expensive intelligence agency: Some CIA analysts are now willing to evaluate incriminating evidence against the Iraqis and call it just that. That development has triggered a fierce struggle, pitting officials whose careers and reputations were built on the old analysis of the Iraqis as a feckless, inert and inward-looking bunch of thugs against those willing to take a fresh, untilted look at all the evidence.

***

The upstarts who are challenging the agency's long-standing and deeply flawed analysis of Iraq are being accused of "politicizing intelligence," a label that is a reputation-killer in the intelligence world. It is also a protective shield for analysts who do not want to acknowledge that they have been profoundly and damagingly mistaken.

The "politicization" accusation suggests that those who find Iraqi links to Al Qaeda are primarily interested in currying favor with the Bush White House. It comes primarily from those who won favor in the Clinton years with an analysis based on the proposition that an Arab nationalist like Saddam would never cooperate with the Islamic fanatics of Al Qaeda. They are now out in the cold in the Bush-Rumsfeld-Wolfowitz era. Their work is only one part of a monumental record of failure on Iraq by the CIA, which has at different moments sought to understand, support, co-opt and then overthrow Saddam.

Hoagland goes on to say that the evidence, including old, previously classified information, suggests that the "politicizers" were the ones who downplayed the Iraqi threat. A good housecleaning at CIA is in order. The "ostritches" who told Bill Clinton and Bush the Elder what they wanted to hear should not let the doorknob hit them in the ass.
:: Riyadh Delenda Est 6:27:00 PM Link
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Inspections Are the Key?

The Washington post has this op-ed by Mohamed El Baradei, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

After four years, the door to inspections has finally reopened, and we should be taking advantage of that opportunity. The success of inspections in Iraq -- in eliminating not only nuclear weapons, but also biological and chemical ones -- will depend on five interrelated prerequisites:

1. Full and explicit authority for inspection, which means immediate and unfettered access to any location in Iraq -- including presidential sites -- and practical working arrangements for communication, transportation and other logistics to ensure that inspectors can operate safely and effectively. 2. Ready access to all sources of information, including the freedom to interview relevant Iraqi personnel without intimidation or threat of retribution to those individuals, and access to information from other states as well as information gained through aerial monitoring and other inspection activity. 3. Unified and robust support from the U.N. Security Council, with the affirmed resolve to deal promptly and energetically with any noncompliance or lack of cooperation on the part of Iraq. This is the best deterrence to ensure Iraq's compliance. 4. Preservation of integrity and objectivity in the inspection process. There must be a fair and impartial inspection regime, free of outside interference, to ensure that our conclusions are accepted as credible by all parties. 5. Active cooperation by Iraq, including a sustained demonstration by the government of its stated willingness to be transparent and to allow inspectors full access to carry out their mission. This effort could be further facilitated (and the inspection process shortened) if Iraq were to take the initiative -- not only with passive compliance, but also with active cooperation -- by, for example, coming forward with a full and "final" declaration of its weapons-related equipment and activities.

Mr. Baradei's conditions for a successful inspection regime in Iraq are probably sufficient, but are so unlikely to be implimented in our lifetimes, that they should be categorized as "science fiction", not "political commentary". Point one ain't gonna happen. The only thing that would convince Saddam to comply with point one's demands is a certainty that refusal would inevitably lead to his doom. Saddam doesn't believe that, and isn't going to. Even now, he believes that he can brazen it out. He believes that the younger Bush will do what the elder Bush did - flinch from actually removing him from power.

Point two is only slightly less likely. For decades, Saddam has lived by intimidation and retribution. He is not going to stop, now. Only the belief that non-compliance means death would secure Saddam's compliance. Saddam is not capable of such a belief.

Point three will not happen, as long as France has a seat on the Security Council. Which is why points one and two won't happen. What the US should do, after removing Saddam, is install a US military occupation government that would, among other things, systematically exclude the French from any significant role in post-Saddam Iraq. France needs to learn the cost of backing the wrong side. Indeed, this would be the best of all possible worlds. The French would lose both their investments in Iraq, and their precious UN's relevance.

Point four isn't going to happen, as long as France, Germany, and Russia are concerned with hiding evidence of their involvement in Iraq's weapons programs.

Iraqi active cooperation with inspectors? Bubba, Iraqi non-cooperation is what got us in this mess. If you think Saddam will ever actively cooperate with inspectors, you need a new tinfoil hat.
:: Riyadh Delenda Est 11:21:00 AM Link
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From Its Palaces, Iraq's View Is of a World Filled With Allies

The NY Times has this story.

BAGHDAD, Iraq, Oct. 19 ? As Iraq confronts the possibility of a new war with the United States, its leaders appear to have concluded that they have one decisive advantage that they lacked during the countdown to the Persian Gulf war 12 years ago: this time, they seem convinced, the world is on their side and against the United States.

***

But amid the speeches, news conferences and newspaper headlines boasting Iraq's defiance, there was also a sense that Baghdad's aging leaders, a tight circle of men that has changed hardly at all since the gulf war, were busy trying to persuade themselves that they could somehow ride out the most serious threat yet to their power. In this, there were strong echoes of the months before American bombs started falling in 1991, when Baghdad seemed to think it could bluff and maneuver its way into hanging on to Kuwait.

Keep on dreamin', Saddam. The less rational your foreign policy is, the easier for President Bush to sell our allies on the need to remove you. If you think we can't get Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar to provide at least minimal, grudging support, you're nuts. The fact of the matter is, if we had to, we could go through any resistance they could muster. We know it, and they know it, and they know that they cannot afford a rupture in their relationships with the US. When the time comes, we will have their support, and you will be up Shit Creek without a paddle.
:: Riyadh Delenda Est 11:45:00 PM Link
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Two Shot Dead at Australia University

Reuters has this story.

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Two people were shot dead and at least seven people wounded at a university in the Australian city of Melbourne on Monday and a suspected gunman was taken into custody, emergency authorities said.

***

A police spokeswoman said a man had been taken into custody but added there was no indication yet of a possible motive.

The police have not released the identity of the gunman, so we don't know anything about his motives. If the gunman turns out to be some sort of jihadist, it will only strengthen the resolve of the Australians to fight back. But whatever the motive, this shocking crime must be punished to the full extent of the law. May God grant healing to the injured, strength and comfort to the families of the victims, and justice to the gunman. UPDATE: Steven Den Beste has a link to a report that says the gunman was tackled by several bystanders, not stopped by the police. Three cheers for the gutsy bastards who charged a man with a shotgun. If Australia produces that sort in any quantity, the Muslims are really screwed. UDATE: The Sidney Morning Herald reports that the gunman was an Asian student, a loner, who was having difficulty in school. Apparently, the shootings were not politically motivated. Also, one of the bystanders who subdued the gunman was a lecturer in the class. They've got a good bit of detail and background coverage. Check their main page for more info.
:: Riyadh Delenda Est 10:32:00 PM Link
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Saddam's Economy of War

OpinionJournal has this column on the international industry of weapons technology proliferation Saddam has created.

There is no doubt that Saddam, with his oil billions, has single-handedly called into being a world-wide industry devoted to brokering illegal weapons technologies. It begins with Syria, which agreed to reopen a long-dormant pipeline and channel $3 billion a year in illegal Iraqi oil exports whose proceeds the regime can use for any purpose it wants, free of U.N. constraints. As to suppliers, the German case was discovered by accident--a routine inspection--so the suspicion has to be that more Western business people, knowingly or not, are aiding in Saddam's rearmament.

***

Saddam's whole official life has been devoted to the pursuit of exotic weapons of every kind. This must mean something.

What's more, there are reasons at least to evaluate the possibility that something did change after Sept. 11: that the risk posed by Saddam actually increased. He saw what we have been keen not to dwell on: The Sept. 11 plot was largely a failure but contained the seeds of a much more devastating blow against the U.S., had the hijackers succeeded in decapitating the political system by taking out the White House and Congress.

***

Various peacemongers have called for sending inspectors back to a country that has spent 10 years learning how to hide its weapons labs and stockpiles from inspectors. It's no longer possible to treat this as anything but a fig leaf for surrender. The worm finally turned last week, when the CIA chief sent a letter to Capitol Hill implying to some that we dare not move against Iraq lest Saddam strike back with a catastrophic terrorist attack.

The United States will not be deterred by Saddam. Nor will we accept a situation where our cities live at the sufferance of this manman. Preparations for war continue apace, and our UN diplomatic efforts have brought the Russians on board. Of the five veto powers, only France still opposes the US position, which requires only UN consultation, not approval, for military action against Saddam.
:: Riyadh Delenda Est 5:47:00 PM Link
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US weighing Israeli plan to disarm Iraq

ArabNews has this story story.

WASHINGTON, 20 October — The Bush administration is weighing an Israeli proposal for a joint operation in the western Iraqi desert to disarm missiles before they could be launched against Israel.

If successful, the operation might not only protect Israeli civilians from an Iraqi attack like the one they weathered in the 1991 Gulf War but also eliminate the prospect of an Israeli retaliatory attack on Iraq.

***

This time, however, Prime Minister Sharon has declared Israel "will take the proper steps to defend its citizens" if Iraq launches a missile attack. And while there are fewer Arab states lined up with the United States there still could be a risk of defection if Israel attacked Iraq.

Two things are interesting about this story. First, is that a major Arab news outlet published it, and the tone of the article. The story doesn't contain any the usual apocalyptic hysteria that would normally accompany a report about US-Israeli cooperation in a military attack on an Arab state. It looks like the Saudi press, or at least ArabNews, has accepted the fact that Saddam is a goner. Since there's nothing to be done for Saddam, they are trying to distance themselves from him.

The other thing, is that the US is apparentely no longer concerned about Arab support. The first Bush administration let Saddam off, in the Gulf War, at the behest of our Arab allies, and pressured Israel not to respond to Saddam's attacks. This Bush administration apparently believes that it has all the Arab support it can get, and that that support is solid enough that even Israeli involvement is acceptable.
:: Riyadh Delenda Est 5:11:00 PM Link
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Australia and EU countries advise nationals to leave

DW-World has this story.

The Australian Government said on Saturday that it had received intelligence that parts of the Indonesian capital of Jakarta may be bombed in attacks aimed at Westerners and urged its citizens to leave. Australia's Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said that "on the basis of the intelligence we have received, it is very important we draw people's attention to the risk." Meanwhile the governments of Britain, Germany and Denmark have advised their nationals to leave Indonesia, with Britain also saying it is pulling out its non-essential diplomats. The British Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, says Britons should not travel to the country and those who must remain should take extra precautions in public places. The German and Danish authorities have issued similar advice.

If the Australian and EU nationals and companies take this advice, Indonesia is in a world of hurt. They need tourist, and foreign investment dollars, pounds, francs, etc. If the developed world cuts them off, it's going to do more damage to Indonesia's economy than anything short of all-out war against the Muslim whackos would have. I'll bet the Indonesian government wishes it had paid attention to US and other warnings of terrorist activity.
:: Riyadh Delenda Est 12:09:00 AM Link
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U.S. to Withdraw From Arms Accord With North Korea

NY Times has this story.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 19 — The Bush administration has decided to scrap the 1994 arms control accord with North Korea that has provided Western energy aid in return for the North's promise to freeze the development of nuclear weapons, senior administration officials said today.

North Korea admitted two weeks ago that it was pursuing a covert nuclear weapons program, and accused the United States of taking steps that forced Pyongyang to nullify the accord. The White House has since debated whether to end the accord, with some aides warning such a step could lead North Korea to even greater nuclear violations.

***

The immediate practical effect of the decision to scrap the agreement is the halting of the annual shipments of 500,000 tons of fuel oil from the United States to North Korea.

Even if the clandestine North Korean program effectively suspended the accord, the administration's decision to formally abandon it sends a clear message: it signifies an American effort to pose a stark choice for North Korea, between abandoning all of its nuclear weapons programs and facing near-total economic isolation.

***

The senior administration official interviewed about the White House's strategy said that North Korea must end the highly enriched uranium program "in a verifiable way," a major task in a country known for its skills at digging deep caves. The official added: "This time we must also address other problems — missile transfer, the conventional forces the North has, and the abominable way it treats its people." None of those issues were covered in the 1994 framework accord.

"You can't have re-entry into the international community of states and brandish a nuclear weapon," said the official.

North Korea must disarm, if it wants to receive help from the rest of the world. Any nation providing aid to North Korea prior to the verified dismantling of North Korea's nuclear arms programs should be barred from the US market. That would hurt either South Korea or China, the two nations whose cooperation is most vital to the isolation of North Korea.
:: Riyadh Delenda Est 11:41:00 PM Link
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USS Constellation to Deploy Early for Iraq

KFMB-TV (San Diego) has this story.

(10-16-2002) - The USS Constellation is set to leave San Diego earlier than planned to prepare for a possible war with Iraq. It's regular deployment was scheduled for early next year, but now it will leave port next month for the Persian Gulf.

Before the Constellation leaves for the Persian Gulf, it will spend about two weeks off the Southern California coast, participating in training exercises, which are scheduled to begin Thursday. The Constellation carries about 5,000 sailors and marines, and about 70 aircrafts.

Things are heating up. Planning a major military operation is a little like preparing dinner orders for a large party at a restaurant - you want all the dishes to be ready at the right time, and you want all the troops to be ready at the right time. If they stick to the published timetable, Constellation could be on station in the Persian Gulf region by Thanksgiving. We could see action by early December, if the rest of the pieces are in place.
:: Riyadh Delenda Est 11:20:00 PM Link
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Top Abu Sayyaf rebel 'arrested'

BBC News has this story.

Police in Manila have captured a man say is a senior member of the Muslim extremist group, Abu Sayyaf.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo joined her national police chief at a news conference to parade Mark Bolkerin Gumbahale and three other bombing suspects.

***

National Police Chief Hermogenes Ebdane said Mr Gumbahale would be charged with the kidnapping of 21 mostly foreign tourists and workers from Malaysia's Sipadan dive resort in 2000 and with the kidnapping of schoolteachers and students in Basilan island in 1999.

More good news! Maybe they can convince this asshole to sell out some of his buddies. Abu Sayyaf has historically been little more than a criminal gang, in it for the money. They don't have anywhere near the ideological conviction of a Hamas or Al-Qaeda. It should be possible to find something that will appeal to this bastard's sense of self-interest.
:: Riyadh Delenda Est 10:53:00 PM Link
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Saudi students in US to be fingerprinted

ArabNews has this story.

RIYADH, 20 October — Saudi students already residing in the United States have been informed by the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia that they need to visit immigration centers in their state to be fingerprinted and interviewed, a source told Arab News yesterday.

***

They were also told that they needed to update officials on their current study programs and their expected graduation date, as well as other related information. The circular added that the deadline for visiting immigration centers is the end of October.

It's about time! The next step is to prohibit students from hostile countries from enrolling in courses of study with direct military application. Courses which should be prohibited include pilot training, microbiology, chemical engineering, and of course, any type of military training.
:: Riyadh Delenda Est 10:41:00 PM Link
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A New Front, but it's Still One War

The NY Times has this story.

WASHINGTON — HOW many battles can the United States take on at one time?

Even before North Korea's stunning admission last week that it had been cheating for years on its commitment to freeze its nuclear weapons program, that question was heard all over Washington.

***

Mr. Bush's team sees this moment in history as a rip in time, a chance to re-order the world on American terms. It said as much in the national security strategy published last month, which talked not only of pre-emptive strikes to prevent future attacks, but of a global campaign to "defend the peace by fighting terrorists and tyrants." This strategy finds opportunity even in simultaneous crises.

Even a political opponent like Samuel R. Berger, the national security adviser to President Bill Clinton, agrees with at least part of the Bush logic. "The lesson you always learn in these jobs is that the world doesn't deal cards one at a time," he said. But the cards make up a hand that can be played.

Speaking of the twin crises in Iraq and North Korea, he said: "These could play off one another. If you get a strong Security Council resolution on Iraq, it conveys to North Korea that the international community will find a nuclear program unacceptable."

I've said it before nobody deals with chaos, and the weirdness that goes with it, better than the US. The Bush administration will deal with these problems. They will use the oportunities created by success on one front to create new opportunites on the others.
:: Riyadh Delenda Est 12:25:00 PM Link
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Bush Authorizes Training of Iraqi Opposition

The Washington Post has this story.

President Bush has authorized U.S. combat training for Iraqi opponents of Saddam Hussein, and the Pentagon has identified as many as 5,000 recruits for an initial training phase to begin next month, according to administration and military officials.

... Defense and State Department officials intend to brief Congress next week on plans to instruct the Iraqis in basic combat as well as specialized skills to serve as battlefield advisers, scouts and interpreters with U.S. ground troops in an invasion force.

***

The Pentagon began serious consideration of an opposition training plan early last month. But long-standing uncertainty about the abilities and cohesion of the often-bickering exile groups had limited discussions to an initial phase of only about 1,000 recruits and a far smaller amount of money.

Bush's new directive appears to have ended that uncertainty. "It's a big deal," said a senior administration official.

An occupation government is going to need a sizable number of Iraqis who can serve as interpreters, low-level bureaucrats, and law enforcement officers. Recruiting them now, so they can help during the invasion, as well, is an excellent idea.

Not all of the opposition groups are happy with the decision. They think it gives Iraqi National Congress head Ahmed Chalabi too much influence, but somebody has to run the program, and if the other factions had been more cooperative, they might have had more influence.
:: Riyadh Delenda Est 1:19:00 AM Link
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Venezuela says no to Arab oil blockade

BBC News has this story.

Venezuela, the world's fifth biggest oil producer and major supplier to the US, will not support an Arab oil blockade in response to military action against Iraq.

***

"We cannot endorse any oil embargo, we cannot use oil as a political weapon and Opec should be fully aware of this," Mr Chavez said.

"Oil is a strategic resource so you cannot use it so people won't have heating, electricity, air transportation because then we will be damaging people, the economy and society as a whole," he said.

This is good news. Good for both Venezuela, and the rest of the civilized world. Saudi Arabia has also declined to participate in an oil embargo, so it looks as though oil prices will remain reasonably stable, even if we must depose Saddam.
:: Riyadh Delenda Est 10:34:00 PM Link
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McCain misses defense spending vote

azcentral.com has this story (link via DrudgeReport).

WASHINGTON - Arizona's Sen. John McCain, busy preparing this week to guest-host Saturday Night Live while conducting his nationwide book tour and making other TV appearances, did not show up for a vote on a $355 billion defense spending bill.

***

Though he did not vote on the defense bill, McCain, a member of the Senate's Armed Services Committee, inserted a statement into the official Congressional Record criticizing the bill's "wasteful spending" on items added by members of Congress.

***

On Wednesday morning, McCain's schedule had him in New York on the Don Imus radio show. He then flew to Washington to attend a ceremony where President Bush signed the Iraqi war resolution into law. Bush began his remarks at that ceremony at 11:17 a.m.

Afterward, McCain showed up for the election-reform bill vote, listed on Senate records as taking place at 12:07 p.m.

But he then missed the vote on the defense bill at 2:32 p.m.

At some point in the afternoon, McCain returned to New York for Saturday Night Live rehearsals. By 9 p.m., he was appearing on MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews.

It seems to me that Sen. McCain needs to sort out his priorities. If he wants to be a comedian, and be paid to be laughed at, he should leave the Senate, and pursue his career change full time. If he wants to be taken seriously as a Senator, and a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, he needs to get his butt into Washington, and stay there long enough to take care of business. I realize that his vote would not have affected the bill's passage, but if you are willing to go on the record criticizing a bill, you ought to go on the record voting against it, too.
:: Riyadh Delenda Est 3:29:00 PM Link
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Victor Davis Hanson on War & Appeasement

Victor Davis Hanson has this column on National Review Online (link via Little Green Footballs).

Like Demosthenes, Don Juan and Churchill — and President Bush today — struggled to make a complacent audience grasp the nature of a distant and still theoretical threat, one that could only grow through appeasement and would end with confrontation and defeat. Would most educated and sophisticated citizens prefer the utopian refrain, "Let the arms-reduction accords of the League of Nations work," and "Let the inspectors investigate the rumors of an oversize German battleship and unlawful aircraft construction" — or the simplistic "You ask, what is our policy? I will say: It is to wage war, by sea, land, and air, and with all our might. You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: victory. Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory there is no survival!"

The villification that President Bush has received, particularly from European quarters, is the wages of truth-speaking in wartime. 9/11 has muted domestic criticism somewhat, and has made Americans realize that Muslims are not our friends, but there are too many in Europe who think the Muslims should be bought off. Some genuinely think they can be bought off, by dismantling Israel, or by other means. Some are merely cowards, who would surrender their freedom, their cultural heritage, and everything else, just to save their miserable lives. I leave them with this quote, from American patriot Samuel Adams.

If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hands, which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen.

:: Riyadh Delenda Est 2:07:00 PM Link
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US Senate approves defence increase

BBC News has this story.

The United States Senate has given final approval to the biggest increase of military spending in two decades.

The $355.1bn military spending bill - an increase of $37.5bn from last year - comes as the US prepares for war against Iraq.

The defence allowance will enable the US:

• to buy more transport planes needed to move troops to any part of the world, as well as new fast-deploying tanks, fighter aircraft, and intelligence-gathering systems.
• about $770m will be spent on satellite-guided precision weapons.
• another $247m will go to buy Tomahawk cruise missiles.
• the theatre missile defence programme will get $7.4bn.
• $9bn goes to shipbuilding - $842 million more than Mr Bush sought - including $2.3bn for two AEGIS destroyers.

The bill also funds a 4.1% pay rise for all US military personnel.

If anybody thinks that the UN "compromise" is a significant reprieve for Saddam, this budget should be sufficient evidence to correct any misunderstandings. This is not a defensive budget. This is not a special-ops-heavy, anti-terror, budget. This is a power-projection, war-fighting, budget. This is a budget to permit conventional armed forces to go anywhere, kick ass, and take names. This is a budget whose emphasis on improved intelligence and precision-guided weapons will allow smaller, lighter, more easily deployed forces to defeat heavier forces, and track down and kill lighter ones.
:: Riyadh Delenda Est 10:05:00 PM Link
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US resolution sidesteps opposition to Iraq war

The Guardian Unlimited has this story.

The US bowed to almost unanimous international opposition yesterday and offered to soften its stance on UN weapons inspections by removing language specifically threatening Iraq with invasion.

***

If Baghdad failed to comply, the US would consult the UN security council again before going to war, but it would not necessarily seek a second resolution, as the French have demanded.

***

France was under pressure last night to agree to the compromise after Russia signalled it would accept the proposals put forward by the US secretary of state, Colin Powell. Until yesterday, Paris had insisted on a second security council resolution authorising the use of force.

***

Under the new US proposal, President Saddam would still have to make a declaration giving an inventory of his arsenal.

Western officials with knowledge of the security council discussions said that if that declaration fell far short of the US estimate of Iraq's stockpile of biological and chemical weapons, and its nuclear programme, the US could declare the Baghdad regime in "material breach" of its obligations and demand UN backing for an attack even before inspectors went to Iraq.

On the other hand, if the Iraqi leader admitted to a significant number of weapons of mass destruction, he would undermine his own credibility and strengthen Washington's hand in pushing for tough inspections.

***

The new US proposal received a significant boost yesterday with the apparent approval of the Russian foreign minister, Igor Ivanov, who said he had discussed it with the US secretary of state, Colin Powell.

Damn, the Bushies are good! This "compromise", leaves Saddam caught in the mother of all catch-22s, and has isolated the French. The UN's private parts are now stuck in a meat grinder, and the switch is in Chirac's hands. He has the unenviable choice of selling out his pal, Saddam, or turning the UN's "sausage" into hamburger.

Saddam is not in much better shape. If he comes clean about the size of his arsenal, he'll have UN inspectors crawling in and out of his bodily orifices. If he tries to fudge his figures, he's a cheat. At that point, the US need only "consult" with the Security Council before attacking. Bush to the Security Council - "A massive air strike is 10 minutes out of Iraqi airspace, thought you'd want to know".

Schadenfreude is such a delicious feeling. The opportunity to enjoy it at the expense of two of the biggest assholes on the planet makes it even more so.
:: Riyadh Delenda Est 9:46:00 PM Link
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Iran may recognise the existence of Israel

khilafah.com has this story.

TEHRAN, 16 Oct. (IPS) In a dramatic U-turn that could have important implications for the whole of the Middle East, the Islamic Republic of Iran indicated Wednesday that it might recognise the existence of the State of Israel.

***

Mr. Habibollah Asgaroladi, the leader of the powerful Islamic Coalition Society, Iran's oldest and most influential conservative party also opened a window, stating that talks with the United States were not "absolutely forbidden, neither is hostility towards the US a duty", he said, adding that Iran would negotiate with the US "if our national interests deem it necessary".

Isn't it amazing what a difference the prospect of a restless and disaffected population, plus the impending presence of 100,000 American troops on one's border can make. Even an Iranian mullah can read the writing on the wall, when it's this plain. If the American and British governments remain resolute in their determination to remove Saddam, we will have an opportunity to make tremendous strides toward a more open, tolerant, and peaceful Middle East.

No, the Iranian government has not suddenly had a change of heart where Israel and the United States are concerned, but that is the important thing about this statement. A government that despises the United States, and doesn't like Israel is suddenly interested in talking to us, and hinting at recognition of Israel. The Middle East is a region of the world where force is respected more that appeals to ethics or morality. Even the imminent threat of force to a hated neighbor has had a beneficial effect.
:: Riyadh Delenda Est 6:23:00 PM Link
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Strain shows on Saudi

BBC News has this story.

These are not easy times for Saudi Arabia. Being the world's biggest oil producer and exporter is small comfort when you are faced with a soaring population, falling per-capita income, and creeping unemployment. And that was before 11 September 2001.

Since the attacks on America last autumn, Saudi Arabia's ruling princes have had to come to terms with some uncomfortable facts.

***

The strain on US-Saudi ties has been enormous, especially as it is coupled with deep differences over how to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli dispute.

***

So how has Saudi Arabia changed since 11 September? In several ways. Its people have grown further apart from America and the West for a start. Saudis used to like going to the US for business and to Florida for their holidays, but not any more.

***

Secondly, the Saudi authorities have become much more co-operative in tracking down al-Qaeda.

***

Washington is not getting everything it wants - the Saudis still insist on doing all the interrogations themselves.

***

Even if this is the last we hear of al-Qaeda in Saudi Arabia, the country looks set to go through another difficult period when preparations begin for a US-led war on Iraq.

The Saudis have sown the wind, and they are reaping the whirlwind. For years they have encouraged their Wahabi nutsos to vent their hatred at the West, in general, and the US, in particular. We could afford to ignore the problem, prior to 9/11, but soon, there must, and will, be a reckoning.

The alliance between the US and the Kingdom is dead, and the House of Saud poisoned it. America no longer views the Saudis as allies, but as enemies. Once Iraq is is in the American camp, their position will be utterly untenable. With Iraq's oil fields back in production, oil prices will drop, squeezing the Saudis economically, and 100,000 or more American troops on their border will squeeze them militarily.
:: Riyadh Delenda Est 10:21:00 AM Link
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30 pieces of silver

Steven Den Beste has this article.

With apologies to my Christian friends, think of it as the "30 pieces of silver" scenario. One of the serious problems with Donald's scenario is that the actual process of killing Saddam will be extremely difficult. Saddam trusts no one. Either someone would have to try to smuggle in a gun and kill him directly, and then hope that his bodyguard doesn't retaliate on the spot, or else it would be necessary to find a sufficient cadre of men to command and send in to defeat the bodyguard more or less as a military operation. That would be difficult because the kind of facility where Saddam is likely to be holed up will be specifically designed to easily defend against attack by light infantry. So even if members of the inner circle were willing to betray Saddam, they might not easily have the ability to kill him.

One of Saddam's personal defenses, as Donald points out, is that he'll try to be somewhere we don't suspect, and the possibility is that he's got a secret bunker, or ridiculous number of known ones. It occurred to me as I was reading that someone in his inner circle might proffer us a deal: he would tell us when Saddam had gone to ground, and tell us where Saddam was, and we'd hit the place with bunker busters and kill Saddam ourselves. In exchange, the traitor's own location would not be bombed, and after we'd won the traitor would be given amnesty, permitted to keep his Swiss bank account, and allowed to retire to wealthy and obscure exile.

Steven makes an interesting point. Saddam rules by fear, and that only works when your people are more afraid of you than they are of the enemy. That dynamic will soon change, as American forces tighten the noose. There will come a point when Saddam's key people know that this time, he's finished. When that happens, someone will drop a dime on him.
:: Riyadh Delenda Est 9:28:00 AM Link
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Report Decries Saudi Laxity

The Washington Post has this story.

The Bush administration's efforts to cut off funds for international terrorism are destined to fail until it confronts Saudi Arabia, whose leaders have tolerated some of its wealthy citizens raising millions of dollars a year for al Qaeda, according to a new report from an influential foreign policy organization.

The report from the New York-based Council on Foreign Relations, scheduled for release today, contends that the administration must pressure the Saudis—as well as other governments—to crack down on terror financing, even at the risk of sparking a public backlash that could jeopardize the Saudi government.

***

The report was especially harsh on the Bush administration's relationship with Saudi Arabia. The administration "appears to have made a policy decision not to use the full power of U.S. influence and legal authorities to pressure or compel other governments to combat terrorist financing more effectively."

***

The report acknowledged that criticizing Saudi Arabia publicly and demanding a crackdown on Islamic banks, charities and wealthy sponsors of al Qaeda could create a backlash that would jeopardize the survival of the Saudi government.

The report is correct, that we will never shut down Al-Qaeda's funding while the Saudis are willing to support them. But, I think we will be in a much better position to lean on the Saudis, once we have Saddam in the (body) bag. President Bush's patience with the Saudis is not infinite, and once Saddam is removed from power, and 100,000, or more, first-rate troops are settled in Iraq, the Saudis will be caught between Iraq and a wet place.
:: Riyadh Delenda Est 1:05:00 AM Link
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European anti-Americanism reflects a deeper malaise

Historian Paul Johnson has this column in the Wall Street Journal.

We have to remember that twice in the 20th century, Europe came close to committing suicide by wars that in retrospect seem senseless. These were followed by a Cold War that imprisoned much of Europe in a cage of fear. In this process, Europe, a collection of vigorous peoples who pushed forward the frontiers of civilization for a thousand years and created the modern world, learned to opt for a safety-first existence in which comforts and short-term security became the object of policy. They sought a cozy Utopia, with risk and pain eliminated.

***

France, Germany, Italy and Spain, the big four of Continental Europe, did exceptionally well in the third and much of the final quarter of the 20th century, while the global economy was expanding steadily. But we are now discovering that Europe cannot cope with recession. In its quest for comfort and assurance, it has forgotten that capitalism is Janus-faced--it brings astonishing growth and prosperity but at the cost of periodic and often violent adjustments when sufferings must be borne and profited from in order for the advance to be resumed. Risk, ruthlessness and fortitude are inescapable requirements of successful capitalism. There is no such thing as "Safety First" in a dynamic market.

***

Against this background of nervous depression and debility, can anyone wonder that Europe's response to Mr. Bush's war on terrorism has been spitefully critical? It is worth recalling that the dispirited democratic societies of the 1930s were similarly reluctant to take arms against the growing dictators of the period. They behaved like ostriches, and the mentality prevails today in countries emotionally drained by lack of economic dynamism.

But Europe must realize it has much to lose. The destruction of the French supertanker off Yemen shows that France has as much to fear from large-scale terrorist acts as the U.S., probably more. Germany is a peculiarly vulnerable target with its lax security procedures. The armed forces of both are in a lamentable state. And the viciousness with which Mr. Bush has been attacked reflects their powerlessness.

It is no accident that Britain, which is semi-detached from the EU and whose economy is aligned more with the American than the European model, has been prepared to take the war on terrorism seriously. We in Britain have comparatively high growth, low unemployment, attract high investment and enjoy economic dynamism. Our armed forces, though small, are well-equipped, experienced and confident.

All these things go together. America can fight and master terrorism alone, if need be, but the support of Britain is important, materially and psychologically. As for the Continental European, we can only hope that they have lost their self-respect as great nations only temporarily.

Britain is one of the few nations on earth whose support, or opposition, means a damn to Americans. We may be a blending of many cultures, but Britain, more than any other, is our mother. The men who founded the United States were Englishmen long before they ever dreamed of independence. Much of what we are, as Americans, we owe to British tutelage.

As a nation, America is an adult, able to manage its affairs on its own. But that does not prevent us from appreciating the vigor of a parent who is willing, and still able, to lend a hand with difficult tasks. It would grieve America, should Britain ever lose the will, or the ability, to take a hand in the affairs of the world.
:: Riyadh Delenda Est 11:44:00 PM Link
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Bush: Israel can respond to Iraq

BBC News has this story.

President George W Bush has said that he would expect Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to respond appropriately if Iraq launched a missile attack on his country.

"If Iraq attacks Israel tomorrow, I would assume the prime minister would respond ." - George W Bush

Mr Bush was speaking after a meeting with Mr Sharon at the White House, at which he had been expected to press for restraint from the Israeli leader.

***

Ahead of the talks, US officials were reported to have said that ground rules for Israeli behaviour and action if the US strikes Iraq were expected to be agreed.

Mr Sharon was expected to come under pressure to show restraint in dealing with the Palestinians and not retaliate if his country comes under Iraqi missile attack.

If we had any worthwhile Arab allies, it might be worth the effort to pressure Israel not to respond to an attack by Saddam. The Arab states are not going to give us any significant degree of cooperation, anyway, so why should we give a damn what they think about Israeli retaliation? If the Arab states want us to pressure Israel, they need to provide us with sufficient assistance and cooperation to make it a reasonably even trade-off.
:: Riyadh Delenda Est 11:11:00 PM Link
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Britain modifying battle tanks for desert warfare, senior officer says

nj.com has this story.

LONDON (AP) -- Britain plans to modify more than 200 of its tanks for desert warfare, a senior defense officials said Wednesday -- raising speculation Britain will follow the United States into war against Iraq.

Maj. Gen. Rob Fulton, a senior equipment specialist at the Ministry of Defense, said plans were being considered for the limited modification of two armored brigades, a total of 234 tanks.

***

Fulton told lawmakers that proposed modifications to the tanks would include "skirts" to keep out the desert dust and improved oil and air filters as well as some changes to the tanks' engines.

During exercises in Oman last year, the army's Challenger 2 tanks lasted just four hours before their air filters became clogged by the fine desert dust. Almost half the tanks had broken down by the end of the exercise.

Aside from the obvious implication that a couple of British armored brigades are preparing to join us in Iraq, this story illustrates one of the West's advantages in dealing with the Muslims.

When Westerners encounter a problem, we set about diagnosing the problem, and fixing it. Muslims, on the other hand, tend to blame their failures on their own impiety. They are operating by divine decree, therefore their policies can't be wrong. Since criticizing policy is tantamount to criticizing God, policy mistakes and misjudgements are not questioned, or corrected. They assume that Allah has withheld His blessing because of impiety on their part.

In other words, when confronted by a problem, Westerners think harder, and Muslims pray harder. The history of the last 300-500 years suggests that thinking works better.
:: Riyadh Delenda Est 6:08:00 PM Link
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