Saluting Military Veterans: Wounded Warrior Bicycle Ride Begins

Memo to Veteran's Administration & Washington: let's take better care of our military veterans. Our Vietnam vets were basically tossed on the trash heap.

Iraq's simmering ethnic war over Kirkuk

"Tensions are rising between Kurdish, Arab, and Turkmen factions over power and populations in the province, the heart of northern Iraq's oil industry.

Graffiti inside this city's ancient hilltop citadel quickly spells out the tension between Kirkuk's three main ethnic groups; Kurds, Arabs, and Turkmen."

"On one wall, an eagle descends on a two-headed serpent meant to symbolize enemies of the Kurdish nation. Next to it, the word "Arab" is erased and replaced with an etched "Kurdish" in a slogan that once read: "Kirkuk is an Arab city." Another slogan reads: "Kirkuk is Turkmen."

Kirkuk has been the object of a bitter struggle over the past five years among Iraq's competing ethnic and sectarian groups. And now Arab, Kurd, and Turkmen factions seem to be digging in, anticipating that tensions may erupt in an area that is the center of northern Iraq's oil industry ahead of a promised referendum on the fate of Kirkuk Province, officially still called Tamim, its previous Baath Party-era name.

Article 140 of Iraq's Constitution was supposed to resolve the issue by the end of 2007 but the deadline for a vote has been extended to the end of June in the hopes that the United Nations may be able to broker a solution by then.

But with or without a referendum, Kurds maintain that almost the entirety of Kirkuk Province, of which the city of Kirkuk is the capital, is a natural part of their semiautonomous Kurdistan region in northern Iraq. Arabs and Turkmen, on the other hand, say Article 140 is now "null and void" and that other solutions must be devised.

In general, Turkmen support a semi-independent Kirkuk Province while Arabs back the idea of the central government remaining in control.

Meanwhile, the United States is exerting a mix of coercion and incentives to prevent the feuding parties from battling each other over the issue.

But already local security officials say a simmering conflict is under way with no day going by without a tit-for-tat kidnapping or assassination involving a member of the city's three competing population groups. Turkmen and Arab leaders say hundreds of their own have been jailed inside Kurdistan."

Source: the always excellent Christian Science Monitor

Commentary: the problems within this region are large, and I fear they will eventually spill out to affect the entire world. The old ethnic hatreds are strong. Add to that the enticements of oil money, the lust for power, and Al-Qaeda quick moves into fragmented regions, and Iraq is in for even larger problems ahead.

This is part of a continuing series on the situation. The Christian Science Monitor's work simply must not be missed.

McCain Visits Iraq; Where's Obama & "God Damn America"? Hillary Issues Iraq Plan

Republican presidential contender John McCain is visiting the troops in Iraq. Meanwhile, Barack Obama is busy trying to dig himself out of a hole for his decades of support for his anti-American, anti-white pastor Jeremiah Wright.




Hillary Clinton comes out swinging as she presents her plan for handling Iraq. She says it won't be easy.




At least she's focusing on real issues facing our country, and complimenting our troops. Obama, meanwhile, continues on the "me, me, me" narcissism trail, but this time, not even adoring media can cover his gigantic problems with being revealed as "the great divider."

Michelle Obama has told us that with her husband's ascension to the spotlight she is finally proud of her country. After attending a prime magnet school, Princeton, and Harvard, and having a six-figure job, she's also been busy telling middle and lower-class Americans that they shouldn't try to get jobs in corporate America.

Her salary in corporate America was doubled when her husband gained power in Chicago and Illinois politics. But Michelle Obama, whose thesis talked about how she was disenfranchised at Ivy League schools and in society, wants others, who probably will never have a shot at Princeton or Harvard, to avoid seeking business success.



The Obamas had their children baptized and taught by Wright, and faithfully attended church at Trinity United Church of Christ, whose articles of faith include allegiance first to Africa. Wright's attacks include allegations that the US created HIV/Aids and introduced it to Africa to get rid of blacks.



Obama now is desperately trying to prove that he wasn't in church on just one day of many when Wright declared "God Damn America." Still to come: fallout when people really get into Obama's book, especially the part where he declares that when the going gets tough, he will stand with Muslims.

Yea, yea, Obama finally, under extreme pressure, condemned Wright's comments. Acting as though his "spiritual mentor's" views were a news flash to him, Obama tried to distance himself from 20 years of support.

Or was it? There are two Obama stories about church now. When questions were asked about his attendance at a Muslim school, and possible Muslim ties, Obama and his campaign went full speed ahead with his Christian dedication to Wright's church.



Supposedly, Obama was a faithful supporter and attended regularly. Now, however, Obama seems to be busy noting how often he missed church, and how much he didn't know about Wright's beliefs and published statements.

McCain goes to Iraq, Hillary addresses Iraq issues, and Obama is doing the shuffle about his real church attendance, and his support for "God Damn American."


You choose: God Damn America, or God Bless America? Barack Obama is making the division between the two philosophies very clear--for those who want to hear and get past the Obamas' hypocrisy.

The Waffle Watch: Part-Time Senator Obama , Race, Iraq, & The Poor

Although Sen. Barack Obama, the very junior Democrat senator from Illinois, apparently is now more a star than, say, Elvis Presley, it's still not a bad idea to get past the hype and look at reality. As this quick-look by CBS shows, Obama has waffled on Iraq for years.

Even though Democratic party apologist Sen. Dick Durbin spreads the justification jam, the message is clear: Obama's campaign is actually a giant moving waffle house. There's another hidden message in Obama's speeches, and here CBS shows a major one.

Obama speaks of his campaign bringing whites, blacks, and Latinos together and of working on anti-poverty programs for those groups. Memo to Sen. Obama: among Illinois' top 5 ethnic groups are the original inhabitants of this land: Native Americans.

Census results from the turn of the century show that about 100 tribes are represented in Illinois, most in the Chicago area. Many Native Americans were moved to Chicago during the government's ill-fated "relocation" programs designed to break up tribal communities and reservations.

Obama needs to check on poverty statistics and needs for that section of his constituency, which makes up slightly more than nine per cent of his state's population. It's apparent, though, that like most black politicians before him, Obama finds Native Americans to be invisible--to him, at least.

Someone might also want to tell Obama that there are Asians, in fact, many racial backgrounds, in his state, and home city, and that many of them are poor or working poor. Again, Obama makes it clear, to those who can get past the media hype, that his focus is on snake-charming the all-important black, Latino, and white voters.

Does America really want, or need, a president who not only is a waffle king, but who's only interested in serving only certain groups at his slick cliche cafe? We need to think about that.

There's another problem here: the issue of race. Obama's campaign waffles there, too. It's supposedly not about race, but the mantle of "first potential black president" gets whipped around in the air like a Spanish matador's cape.

Make no mistake, it is about race--as duplicitously defined by the Obama camp. If you support him, it's not about race. If you don't support him, then you're part of America's racial problems. The core message is subtle, but pervasive: a vote for Obama is a vote to prove the U.S. is not racially prejudiced; a word, or vote against Obama proves it is.

Or so the Obama camp would have you believe. In fact, the essence of racial equality in politics is that all candidates get evaluated by their record and their statements, regardless of their race.That applies to Obama, too.

If this country really wishes to continue to mature racially, then it's time to get past the rhetoric and the hype, and make one thing clear: voting against Obama is not a vote against blacks, or a vote for white domination. It's simply a vote that chooses another candidate as more qualified and more trustworthy, based on the individual voter's beliefs and choices.

Will some people vote against Obama because he is black? Of course. On the other hand, will some vote for Obama because he is black? Of course.. Interestingly enough, a vote for Obama because he's black isn't a racial choice, according to the leftist rhetoric, whereas a vote against him is. Or (back to the waffle counter here) a vote for Obama is a good racial choice, proving our racial fairness; a vote against is racism.

America doesn't have to prove anything racially. Within a very short time, the U.S. has moved from the rotten era of routine segregation (not to mention routine sexism) to an integrated nation. If you doubt that, check out the Secretary of State's office, the Supreme Court, and just about every facet of our daily lives.

Dealing with racial issues isn't easy. Xenophobia seems to be hard-wired into us as a species. We each have to outgrow that, just as developing babies in the womb have to outgrow vestiges of a tail and the stage where the fetus looks more like a newt than anything else.

The reality is that in no time, in no place, will prejudice ever be totally rooted out of the human race other than by education and cultural changes, such as those demonstrated in the U.S. in less than 50 years. To frame this election only in terms of race is the mirror image of pre-integration days, when everything was framed by race.

We don't have to buy into proving ourselves as "not racist" by voting for Obama. That needs to be repeated. Evaluate him fairly--which means looking at him without the "first black" rhetoric.

Because color, or racial background, is a lousy reason to vote for, or against, someone.

Gen. Petraeus to Take NATO Command?

Democrats in New Hampshire: Yes, We're Different

Backgrounder: McCain, Vietnam POW Survivor, & "100 Years" In Iraq

McCain: 100 Years in Iraq Would Be Fine With Me

In a New Hampshire town meeting, John McCain made a comment destined to be controversial as an excerpt. However, he also gave a neat little history lesson and frames American involvement in Iraq.

But will this controversial statement enhance or derail his presidential campaign? Will it inspire some honest dialogue among other candidates?

Stay tuned. McCain just set the gold standard for campaign honesty.

Torture Chamber, Mass Graves: Somber Iraq Discovery

Sometimes, it's not easy understanding what a "war on terrorism" is really all about. It's a fuzzy term, something that may seem a far cry from clearly-defined "start" points like the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.

But a chilling discovery by American troops brought the reality of terrorism and radical Islamism into sharp focus. An Al-Qaeda torture chamber in Muqdadiyah spotlights a base reality: the hatred goes beyond just philosophical "concepts" or political talking points.

The terror and brutality are up close and personal. These terrorists intend to destroy anyone or anything that is not part of their Islamic world. They torture, bomb,and murder every days. They intend to subjugate, degrade, destroy, maim and kill anyone in their path.

The pictures of the remains in the mass grave tug at the heart. These were people like you and I, people who loved, were loved, had friends and family. But they displeased the merchants of terror and hatred, and so they suffered, horribly, died, and their remains were dumped like so much garbage.

The terrorist/torturers even left behind a message. Scrawled on a wall: "Long live the Islamic State."

Here's what that state is like. Warning: these images are graphic.

Soldiers find torture chamber in Iraq

Talking Turkey: Aunt Nancy, Uncle Sam & Turkish Demands

This is a fine mess. First Turkey was so miffed over the now-tabled Congressional "Turkish genocide" resolution that its ambassador flounced back home.

Now Turkey is demanding that the U.S.take military action against Kurdish fighters on Turkey's borders: or else. From flounce to hardball bounce, Turkey is making it clear that the U.S. is, apparently, among its subject states.

Of course, if the U.S. bows to their demands, then the U.S. will be excoriated worldwide for bringing in troops to support Turkey. If the U.S. doesn't send in troops, then the U.S. will be denounced for not sending in troops in Turkey's long-running domestic dispute.

It's a clear win-win for Turkey in their undeclared diplomatic war with the U.S. With the Turks spending millions on lobbying in the U.S., it's obvious that someone else will have to pay for aid to their poor, and their wars. And who better than Uncle Sam?

The complex issue takes on another strata of shakiness when the actions of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi are examined. Pelosi, who assumed presidential airs as she jetted around the world on her own foreign policy trip, has fought against the support of American troops in Iraq.

At the same time, she cozied up to Syria, among others, and was one of the leaders calling for the Turkish genocide resolution. But when political shots were fired on the issue, Pelosi waffled and wavered.

Now Turkey wants real American guns on their side, on their borders. With Turkey's demands for firepower from Uncle Sam, will Aunt Nancy suddenly decide that wars abroad aren't a bad idea after all? Will she stand firm when pro-Turkey lobbyists tout "terrorism" as the reason for the U.S. to storm Kurdish ramparts?

What happens if Turkey's "or else" comes into play? The first threat is that Turkey will shut down an American air base used to support our troops in Iraq. In diplo-speak, that's called a "review" of the access. But Turkey's also mumbling about taking action against the U.S. in vague and seemingly-sinister ways.

So here's how the table looks: Turkey's battling Kurds & the PKK. The U.S. is at war in Iraq, and using Turkish land for an air base. Turkey, wanting everyone to just forget about the l.5 million Armenians slaughtered in 1917, is focused now on the Kurds.

Pass the war plate, please--with American aid. If not, Turkey will, at the very least, with-hold the American base biscuit. But now comes the key question: where's the gravy on this menu?

This Turkey is covered in gravy. Back in 2002, U.S. largess to Turkey included an arranged $16 billion IMF bailout and a $228 million US aid package. Plus specialized free trade arrangements for dessert.

OK, so buying allies gets more expensive all the time. In fact, in 2003 Turkey demanded $32 billion in U.S. funds. In 2006, Turkey had $10 million to spend on the anti-American, anti-Semetic film "Valley of the Wolves--Iraq."

Today it was announced that the U.S. is sending another $10 billion in aid to Turkey. That alone is a pretty darned good rental price for some land for a military base.

Not only that, The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank are shipping in another $10 billion loan. Seems the $11.5 billion sent to Turkey just two months ago didn't go all tha far.

But then again, a reliable friend and ally is a good buy, right? Let's look at Turkey's role in World War II. Ostensibly neutral, Turkey actually made a darned good profit by being Nazi Germany's sole supplier of chromite, used to harden steel for weapons and armaments.

When it finally became apparent which way the war cookie was crumbling, Turkey lost no time in declaring "war" on Germany in 1945. Why? Turkey wanted a seat in the U.S. and the belated war declaration was its purchase price.

For awhile, Turkey eagerly jumped on the American lunch wagon. But, its feelings hurt by European Union humans rights charges and the 1997 declaration naming Turkey as unfit to join the EU, Turkey began biting the hand that feeds them.

Turkist Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in 2004 accused the U.S. of "state terror." In 2003 Turkey lashed out against the Iraq war, saying that the U.S. campaign "lacked international legitimacy." In the mounting anti-U.S., pro-radical Islamist climate, the American government was compared to Hitler.

This from a country with its hand out for American largess and one repeatedly cited by Human Rights Watch for torture, attacks on civilians, and massive displacements of civilian populations? Apparently, Turkey is under the illusion that it can take U.S. money, tell the U.S. what it is to do, and threaten the U.S. with Turkish reprisals should Turkey's gravy get watered down.

Perhaps it's time for the U.S. to remind Turkey: at the great banquet table of world leaders, especially those who practice freedom and democracy, Turkey is well, very small potatoes.

"Baby Boomer" UFO Craze Hits 60 as UFOs Appear in Turkey

Presidential wannabe Hillary Clinton, one of the poster children for the narcissistic branch of the Baby Boomers family tree, is now 60. Last night she and Bill, the presidential has-been, partied down with Elvis Costello, Billy Crystal, and folks who paid up to $2,000 a head to come to the NYC party.

But hers aren't the only candles and the only cake. This year, the modern UFO craze turns 60 too. Not only that, the year's significance hits a triple fruit on the old slot machine of coincidence.

Most importantly, there was Roswell, NM. where a UFO with aliens aboard reportedly crashed in the New Mexico desert. The fallout from that crash--which official sources said was only a weather balloon accident--continues with tales of autopsies on dead aliens, removal of live aliens, secret research on aliens at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. and those Men in Black.

After Roswell, the term "flying saucer" became a part of our official, everyday English. The Washington Post, in a rock 'n roll riff of offbeat news, cheerfully reported that it was only 55 (numerologists, take note!) years ago that the paper ran headlines like: 'Saucer' Outran Jet, Pilot Reveals" and "D.C. Girl Sees Saucer Float Under Clouds" as UFOs paraded around DC.

And the gold rush of ufology was on. Like panning for gold, looking for that elusive sparkle of a real UFO event--not just glittery fool's gold--is hard work. Then there's the testing phase, which is done in the laboratory of human experience and reaction.

If you didn't have the big bucks for Hillary's conga line, there's still a chance to party down, and for no more than $40. A day-long UFO conference, Mysteries of Space and Sky IV: Sixty Years of UFOs, will beam into DC's Anne Arundel Community College Saturday. Various luminaries of the celestial mysteries world will present case studies of UFOs.

And if you miss that event, not to worry. The topic of UFOs is hot, and the candles on this cake aren't likely to go out anytime soon. In fact, in the midst of the Turkey-Iraq-PPK tensions, UFOs have been spotted in the region, some say.




And, as that jazzy little song says "Everything old is new again." The craze for UFOs in the modern era has expanded to denials of America's landing on the moon, which co-exists with a belief that there are top-secret bases on the moon,alien and human.

UFO sightings, crop circles, claims of astronauts seeing strange things in space (usually mostly sparkles from spacecraft debris), aliens, alien abductions--they're all part of the standard daily mix these days. But hey--what do I know? I've read Project Blue Book (the Condon Report), interviewed UFO witnesses, visited Roswell, and have an "Area 51" parking permit on my car. (Disclaimer--perhaps you'd better ask about that permit.)

UFOs, and the purported aliens among us-as well as the jet-setting aliens who only drop in to visit or probe us--are alive and well in books, movies, documentaries, on the lecture circuit and on the internet. Aging well--not that they haven't been sporadically reported for thousands of years-- those strange sightings of crafts and beings have become part of our planetary culture.

Klaatu barada nikto, ya'll.

Al Qaeda Calls for Pakistanis to War on Their President, & Total Muslim War on U.S.

"Ayman al-Zawahri, al-Qaeda's second-in-command, has called on Muslims to fight the United States and its allies around the world.

"Stand oh nation of Islam under the victorious banner of the Prophet ... and campaign against the Crusader banner of [ President George] Bush," al-Zawahri said in a new video aired on Thursday." -- Al-Jazeera .

n a new audiotape released Thursday, al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden calls on Pakistanis to rebel against President Gen. Pervez Musharraf.

The message — details of which were not immediately available — came as al-Qaida released a new video in which bin Laden's deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri, boasted that the United States was being defeated in Afghanistan, Iraq and other fronts. Speakers in the video promised more fighting in Afghanistan, North Africa and Sudan's Darfur region.

Source: msnbc.msn.com

NowPublic

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