The Kingdom

One last post before I get back to work (awful awful week ahead).

I saw The Kingdom Saturday night with my youngest brother and a good friend. Fantastic movie. Anything you read about the movie's political stand point is irrelevant. I viewed it as more of a career advisement film, personally...

It's split half-and-half thriller and action and the majority of both sides is very believeable.

All the performances are spectacular, particularly those given by Jamie Foxx and Ashraf Barhorn the film's two male leads.

The Kingdom gives a very down-to-earth look at how the West and Middle-East interact on both friendly terms and unfriendly terms, specifically how the Islamic way of living greatly conflicts with the Western understanding of the world.

Brilliant film.
Hooah.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

So, a number of Conservatives including myself should unfortunately be eating their words today.

The President of Iran spoke at Columbia University to a surprisingly abrasive crowd. The President of the University, who had received a large amount of criticism for inviting the Iranian despot to speak on campus, actually began the talk with a series of brutal human rights questions for Ahmadinejad.

"'Mr. President, you exhibit all the signs of a petty and cruel dictator,' Bollinger said, to loud applause."

Wonderful.

Throughout the question and answer session, Ahmadinejad was presented with various queries related to Jewish/Palestinian relations and his claims that the Holocaust did not actually take place. By the end of the session, his demeanor had apparently changed from smiling and happy to stressed and slightly irked.

The most ridiculous claim made during the President's ramblings nearly made me fall out of my chair with laughter.

"He provoked derisive laughter by responding to a question about Iran's execution of homosexuals by saying: 'In Iran we don't have homosexuals like in your country ... I don't know who's told you that we have this.'"

That's downright scary stuff, my friends...scary.

I'm happy that this session finished up as well as it did in our favor. No riots, a few nutzy protesters on both sides, but nothing too serious...and Ahmadinejad got his butt handed to him! Fantastic.

Read the articles...they're laughable....scary, but laughable...

First morning of sleeping-in in a week-and-a-half...g'night all.
Hooah.

Happy Father's Day

It's a scorcher here today...thank goodness for air conditioning and cool-basements.

This week, I was fortunate enough to be able to get to two baseball games in two days! I'm not an enormous sports fan, but who in their right mind would pass up opportunities to attend games of any kind? Certainly not this guy.

At yesterday's game, to celebrate the Army's anniversary, a group of young men and women received their oath of enlistment on the field before the game in front of the 30,000+ people in attendance. How cool is that? All I got was a tiny room with some flags, heh. Good for them.

Some unexpected news coming out of the BBC today. Apparently, the Iranian government has been cracking down on political activism among its university-level students and professors. According to the article, "29 have been arrested in the last two months for political activism and 207 were taken before disciplinary committees in the last 40 days alone." Under the previous regime, only four were taken per month on average.

The campaign to rid the schools of "liberal" ideas and practices all began in December when the students of Amirkabir University called President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a dictator to his face.

I will never understand why prominent liberal groups in America don't take a strong, vocal stance against radical Islam and oppressive regimes like Iran's current government. These people enforce laws based entirely on one interpretation of one religion...where's the ACLU when you actually need it? If these people truly stood by their principles, we'd have a lot more support for our current leaders' policies in the Middle East.

Maybe things are changing for the better in the media...the story did come out of the BBC afterall.

Enjoy the rest of your day!
That's all I've got.
Peace out.

Air strikes in the Gaza Strip & Iraq: How the Cookie Might Crumble

Two Middle Eastern stories today...

Apparently, infighting between Palestinian factions in the Gaza strip has resulted in an a series of Israeli bombing raids in an effort to take out key leaders of one of the two factions currently fighting. Rocket were shot into Israel in an effort "to draw it into an internal Palestinian conflict." Interesting. Doesn't really have any immediate effects on the US, but interesting nonetheless.

Also, the Chatham House think tank in Britain apparently has postulated that do to the large number of localized civil wars currently taking place in Iraq (as opposed to one big one), the country is moving closer and closer to the breaking point...as in, it will be broken up into smaller countries. I don't think I would be too opposed to this if it could really cool things down. When Iraq was originally formed, little-to-no attention was given to the local populations and how well (or poorly) that could coexist. Obviously, there have been some problems over the years. I think if we got a "do-over," so to speak, peace might be able to be found.

Of course, there would be nothing easy about this solution. It's just an interesting thought. Maybe the world should give it a closer look.

That's all I've got for now. Half-day at work, so I'm going to lift, run, and reinstall my operating system!

Peace out.

Torture

I had a very long and interesting conversation about torture, the death penalty, and radical Islamic terrorists the other night...I'm finally getting around the post about it; thank goodness for Easter Break.

I have a close friend with whom I argue for the sake of arguing on what amounts to a daily basis. On this particular occasion, one of my house mates and I were discussing the legitimacy of US "torture" on the terrorists they had captured when my friend chimed in and vehemently condemned any torture of any kind. He argued that as human beings, even the terrorists had inalienable rights (life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? heh) that we have no right to take away from them. I did (and will continue to) put forth this argument: When men or women act inhumanely and without responsibility towards the rights of others, they give up their own rights as human beings.

No one will ever be able to convince me under any circumstances that Timothy McVeigh, Saddamn Hussein, or Osama bin-Laden had (or have?) a right to live. These men acted with the sole purpose of killing hundreds to thousands of innocent men, women, and children. They have forfeited their rights as human beings.

The torture we use to obtain information from terrorist detainees will not kill them. We do not shove bamboo into their finger nails. Waterboarding (which I do believe happens at Gitmo, despite what our fearless leaders say) can cause death, but hasn't resulted in any that we've heard of...and yes, I do think we'd hear about it eventually.

Many people, including my friend, say torture doesn't work because you can't rely on the information that comes from it...but I disagree...Don't you think that eventually if we got bad information again and again they would stop using torture as a means to obtain intelligence? The reason "torture" is used is because it does work.

And, just so that no legitimate comparisons can be drawn between US torture and the beheadings, etc. of the US and Allied Forces by the Islamic terrorists: There is a difference between us and them, and there's no denying it. We fight to make peace and prevent mass murder. They fight to kill us...all of us. When we harm or coerce others for information, we're doing it to save others. The terrorists capture civilians and gruesomely kill them in cold blood to maximize the body count in order to get civilians back on US soil riled up enough to fight against the war at home.

There has got to be some objectivity. You cannot just say, "We fight for freedom, and that's how they feel too, so everyone's right (...or no one is)." For better or worse, there are evil men and women on this planet who have to be kept in check or killed by any means necessary. And as long as we're not intentionally blowing up hospitals , Universities , and neighborhoods , I'm behind our government one hundred percent.

More trouble with Iran...PT Test

My PT test was sub-par this morning. 269/300...down from ~285 from the last test. I lost 7 pushups and 7 situps...bad form. Don't know where my head was this morning. I did drop a second off my run time, but I was already at 100 there, so it didn't exactly do me any good. Oh well, this summer is going to be dedicated to getting into the best shape I've ever been in with the help of my football-playing younger brother, so I've just got to look to the future I suppose.

So, apparently, the Iranians tried to pull the same garbage with American soldiers that they've done with the British. Late last week, a group of US troops was surrounded by a force of Iranians who went across the border into Iraq (these claims like those of the British are in fact supported by GPS data from the encounter) and told the US troops to hold their position and prepare for capture.

While the Americans began to respond, the Iranians opened fire on our boys. Fortunately, no American troops were lost, though I believe I read that some 10 Iraqis who were traveling alongside the Americans are now missing.

The larger Iranian force eventually broke off and went back across the border. Rules of Engagement prevented our guys from actually fighting back, but apparently they don't do anything to prevent the illegal capture (attempted or otherwise) of our guys and our allies.

I had to dig to find this one...and I can't currently find it online...why isn't this being actively reported on major news networks?

In addition to this infraction, Iranians are pointing more fingers at American forces, claiming they entered Iranian airspace . No data to support it...again...seeing the pattern here?

The Iranians are acting like children...They see trouble coming for them, so rather than try to resolve it like grown-ups, they're lashing out spitefully in an effort to attract attention...garbage...

Ok, I suppose I better start working on homework. Quick week because of Easter Break. Let's hope it's a good one.
Peace out.

Trouble in Iran

Before I give an update on the happenings in my life, I'd like to write a little about the current situation in Iran involving the detaining of 15 British Naval personnel.

There have now been two confessions released on Iranian TV, one by Nathan Summers, a crewman, and the other from the group's sole female member. I'm no expert on these sort of things, but my guess, and the speculation world-wide, is that they were scripted at the least, and forced by threat of bodily harm at the worst.

The real question is whether or not an international crime has even been committed. If in fact the British did not pass into Iranian waters, then no crime exists, and the Iranians have a lot of explaining to do. The global positioning satellite data is pretty conclusive; the boats never once strayed from Iraqi waters. Without an actual crime, the confessions are of course completely invalid.

If it turns out the Brits did steer into Iranian waters, yeah, there ought to be repercussions...but there has to be proof to support the confessions...

I'm really interested to see how this pans out...if Iran can't produce any real evidence, they could be in for some real trouble.

In personal news, field training apparently went well this weekend for the battalion. I'm bummed I miss out, but there'll be plenty of time for that sort of thing in BTC, heh. We've got a PT Test on Monday...I'm fairly confident I can bring my run time down a little more, though there wouldn't be any real gain in it. Always concerned about pushups of course, but I'm getting more and more confident in them as well...I can crank out 30+ now without any real slowdown, so that's certainly an improvement from the beginning of the semester when it took me nearly all two minutes to bust out 40...

I need to get a hold of my recruiter as well and see how my pre-application is panning/panned out. I've got to talk about bonuses too and get some hard numbers down.

The Dragonbone Chair keeps getting better and better...And I'm getting close to the rank of Sergeant in Battlefield 2. Once again, I really recommend both.

EDIT: Battlefield 2's price has dropped to $5.00 on Amazon...how can anyone possibly say no to a price like that?

That's all for now. Busy weekend ahead of me, but Easter Break starts next Wednesday, so at least there's a shortened week ahead.

Peace.

Follow up

It's a day old, but apparently Al Gore's private home runs up a utility bill 20X that of the average home owner. Thank you, Drudge Report.

So, we're gunna invite Iran to the party...Let's hope all goes well.

That's all for now...leaving work soon.
Peace out.

In Other News...

On Monday, U.S. officers discovered a factory for making roadside bombs, explosively formed projectiles (EFPs), and other weapons out of Iranian-made components.

...Iran denied any link between themselves and the Shiite insurgents.

Take a look here for the whole article.

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Here's another good example of how bad news sells...
Greenspan has predicted that there will be a recession...soon. Apparently, the US economy has been expanding since 2001, and "When you get this far away from a recession invariably forces build up for the next recession..." .

The "U.S. budget deficit...for 2006 fell to $247.7 billion, the lowest in four years..." and "The U.S. economy grew at a surprisingly strong 3.5 percent rate in the fourth quarter of 2006, up from a 2 percent rate in the third quarter.

I don't know about you...but I think that's all pretty good news...I'm certainly not trying to contradict Mr. Greenspan because I have little-to-no grasp of how the economy actually works...but once again, maybe we aren't really going to hell in a hand basket.

Iran: US in No Position to Make Threats

The Iranian foreign minister, Manouchehr Mottaki, spoke out Saturday against the United States, saying that we are not in a position to start another war. Apparently, he was responding to VP Cheney's warnings of how "all options" were on the table if Iran continued to ignore the UN's demands that Iran halt its nuclear enrichment program.

I found a couple articles outlining this situtation today...and I feel compelled to address some issues...

First of all, let me just say that I think it's ridiculous that the foreign minister of Iran is telling us that we're in no position to go to war with his country...you think there might be some extra motives here?

Mr. Mottaki is also very big on negotiations...he's said that negotiations are the only way to resolve the conflict. I'm pretty sure that Iran's blatant brushing aside of the UN's repeated demands that they cease and desist all uranium refinment is a pretty good indication that negotiations aren't going to get us anywhere.

The reason that they can brush aside the UN is simple...they don't ever follow through with anything. When the UN demands Iran to halt nuclear activity, no one says anything, but as soon as America steps in and backs up what the UN has already said, we're the bad guys. Why? It's because we follow through with our deadlines and keep our promises, and that scares the rest of the world.

A lot of people don't think that we (or the UN) have any right to interfere with Iran's nuclear progression. If we have the technology, why shouldn't they be allowed to develop it? There is a very simple, logical answer to that one too...

The government in Iran has been saying for years that given the chance, they would use nuclear weapons to wipe Israel off the map...don't believe me?

Take a look here, Iran Press Service (2001). Or for a more recent view... The Boston Globe (2005)

Another important distinction lies in Western beliefs versus radical Islam. The majority of westerner soldiers and civilians would not be willing to strap a nuclear device to our bodies and walk into a Mosque. For better or worse, this is a strategy we see again and again from the radical Muslims we are currently fighting. Why would we ever allow a nuclear device to fall into the hands of government that relies on a belief system that perpetually expresses a great disregard for human life both away and on the home front?

I am by no means saying that all Muslims are suicidal...no more than I would say all Catholics are child molesters. But giving radical Muslims (which is exactly who composes the majority of Iran's government) the opportunity to construct a nuclear weapon (excuse the analogy) would be ignorant...there's really not a more eloquent way to put it. Just plain ignorant.

This cuts a little close to home. I don't expect to be in Iraq when I get out of language school (~2009). I'll be in Iran. Something is eventually going to have to give. Do I want there to be war in Iran (or anywhere for that matter)? No, of course not; but we (as a world...not just as a country) have an obligation to keep nut jobs in check...and sometimes that means a little rolling around in the sand.

Ok...homework and early bed for PT.
Peace out.

APFT and other news

We've got an APFT on Friday. I did much better than I expected to do on the first test this semester (my first test ever)...45 push-ups, 82 sit-ups, and a 13.25 2 mile run. I'm really hoping to pull those pushups to 50 or more...I should have a better run time too, given that last time I really didn't have a true pace in mind.


In less exciting news, a suicide bomber killed 40+ people at a college in Baghdad today. I don't understand the mentality at all. 40 students...40 young people trying to better themselves...40 people that had nothing to do with the war.
Just last month, a car bomb (if I remember correctly) killed 60-odd people at a university in Iraq...Why? Why is that necessary? Soldiers fighting soldiers...even insurgents fighting soldiers...makes sense to me. Blowing up those innocent college students does not.

How could anyone possibly justify that? I guess when you kill yourself in an attack, you don't have to own up to (or feel guilty about) it later.

Fortunately, the initial reports from Iraq are saying that the crackdown is having a positive effect on the number of death squad killings. I'll be interested to see what they have to say on the evening news about any of this...

Peace out.