American Charged with Illegalities in Pakistan

Authorities in Pakistan have charged Juddi Kenan Muhammad, a US citizen, with illegal entry and illegal possession of a weapon.

Afghan Anti-War Element: Not a Contradiction in Terms

A series of peace jirgas, or assemblies, that are taking place in Afghanistan are advocating the end of the war between the Taliban and Afghan government. Bakhtar Aminzai of the National Peace Jirga of Afghanistan, an association of students, professors, lawyers, clerics, and others are pressuring the Afghan government to find a peaceful solution. Another group, a loya jirga, or grand assembly of Afghans, agrees according to Fatana Gilani, head of the Afghanistan Women's Council (AWC), a leading nongovernmental organization (NGO). A third group asks for an end of Afghanicide-–the killing of Afghanisti-–states Israir Ahmed Karimizai, a leader of Awakened Youth of Afghanistan, a prominent antiwar group. International NGOs receive a great deal of attention, but Afghan NGOs actually make up the bulk of the NGO presence in the country, says M. Hashim Mayar, deputy director of the Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief (ACBAR), an umbrella organization of NGOs active in the country. ACBAR estimates that of the roughly 1,400 registered NGOs, nearly 1,100 are purely Afghan operations. Sheila Samimi, manager of the Afghan Women's Network (AWN), another prominent NGO that focuses on women's rights. AWN is composed of 63 small women-oriented NGOs that work around the country. In some instances, these groups will even critizise the Taliban.

Despite their organization, Afghan peace groups are also beset by weaknesses, states Habibullah Rafeh, a political analyst with the Afghanistan Academy of the Sciences. Their limitation is organizing along ethnic or tribal lines. The Awakened Youth and the National Peace Jirga, for instance, consist mostly of Pashtuns, the largest ethnic group, a rogue ethnic element.

Kagan on American Strategy After the Bush Doctrine

Robert Kagan, Senior Associate of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, is more helpful than Stephen Van Evera. Kagan challenges the common misconception that Bush represents a radical change from past American foreign policy. Truman, Kennedy, and Clinton, Democrats all, along with Bush, have maintained a consistent American policy since the end of World War II: a "preponderance of power," rather than a balance of power (Cf. Leffler, Melvyn P., National Security, The Truman Administration, and the Cold War, Stanford Universtiy Press, 1992).

For example, "regime change" characterized all presidential administrations of the past half-century, Kennedy in Cuba, and Clinton in Bosnia and Haiti. The Clinton administration bombed Iraq over the objection of UN Security Council permanent members, and went to war in Kosovo without UN authorization.

What has changed is the world. The world is a less secure place with the ongoing crisis that transnational rogue elements will deploy WMD; in addition, the fragility of the world's financial situation should be clear in the light of Wall Street's meltdown in the Fall of 20008. Previously, the world acquiesced with an American predominance as a security measure. That world is gone. The American Left will revel in an American fall from grace, and the unrealistic solution is only to offer a multi-polar Concert of the World (p. 49). The world no longer shares what the Concert of Europe could assume, a "common morality and shared principles of government" (p. 49). Kagan suggests a League of Democracies (p.50), to advance American interests in concert with similar nations, since deep-seated divisions already exist between intermational multi-polar powers. This League could exert and extend our influence to advance our security. A similar proposal was made during the McCain 2008 presidential campaign.

Powell Endorsement on Meet the Press

Colin Powell has caused a buzz as a guest on "Meet the Press." It seems like a johnny-come-lately announcement though if all he plans to do is to support Obama. If it was a dramatic announcement with genuine impact it would have to be a clear negative. At this point it is just piling on since Obama has already convinced anyone who interested enough to support him. Since he does not have the requisite preparation as president Powell's endorsement is much less interesting as a result.

Ron Paul on the State of the Union

U.S. Representative Ron Paul, who has been one of the few voices of sanity opposing the Democratic, Republican, and government's bailout plan, was interviewed on CNN's "American Morning."

Paul advocates the position that says the bailout's infusion of government money will lead to inflation, that our current monetary system is coming to end, and the market, not politicians, can best solve the economic crisis.

Paul objected to the government intervention in that the complex plan expanded to an inflationary inducing, 450 page, $850 billion, $5 trillion debt levied on the American taxpayer, and, he stated: "I don't think it's going to do any good whatsoever."

Paul believes the bailout is an "attack on the dollar system. . . . the end of a monetary system that we've had since 1971."

Paul stated: "It's an immoral system. You're asking the poor people to bail out the rich. You're asking the innocent people to bail out the guilty. You're asking people to just totally defy the Constitution because there's no place in the Constitution that says that we can do these things."

Paul makes an analogy to a drug addict receiving a fix, the junkie feels tood for a day or two but it is an addiction that does not work.

Neither presidential candidate is offering a solution. There are some good parts to both candidates financial programs, but ultimately, but voted with the Bush bailout. Paul said: "how can we trust anybody?" For the record, Paul voted against the bailout.

Paul was asked about the likely scenario in the election, Democrat control of Congress, both houses, and the White House. What are its implications?

Paul responded: "it's a disaster for the country and everybody because, even with all the shortcomings of John McCain, his strongest argument to be president is keep the Congress and the presidency in separate hands."

The only thing that Paul has going for his position is that the government should get out of the way, quit spending money, balance the budget, bring our troops home, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution, while letting the American people keep the money they earn. This may not be enough.

Supremes Say Democrats Should Take Ohio

The Supreme Court backed Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner in an ongoing dispute over allegations of voter registration fraud. The justices in an unsigned opinion blocked a lower court order directing Brunner, a Democrat, to update the state's voter registration database after information provided by some newly registered voters did not match up with Social Security and driver registration numbers. The appeal follows a Tuesday ruling from the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati that sided with the state GOP.

Brits Add to German Support in Afghanistan

General Sir David Richards, who will today be named as the British Army's new head, appeals for a dramatic, 30,000 troop increase in Afghanistan. Richards, advocates sending up to 5,000 more British troops to Afghanistan in addition to the 8,000 already there. The other 25,000 troops would be made up of U.S. reinforcements and newly trained Afghan soldiers. The British support for a surge follows the German pledge to send additional troops and the successful strategy in Iraq.

Germay to Increase Mission in Afghanistan

Germany's lower house of parliament approved an additional 1,000 soldiers and extended the mission's mandate by fourteen months. The extra troops raises the total number of German soldiers in Afghanistan to 4,500.

A majority of 442 lawmakers voted to support Chancellor Angela Merkel's ruling coalition to extend Berlin's participation in the NATO effort, which currently includes just over 50,000 soldiers. Ninety six delegates voted against the proposal and thirty two abstained.

During the last year, the security situation has deteriorated not only in the north where the German troops are, but all across Afghanistan. NATO and its allies would need to send further assistance if the situation is to improve. This move does seem to indicate though that the German government is supportive of the Coalition's efforts in Afghanistan. The international community has made it clear that securing the election will be one of the most important tasks in 2009.

Nonetheless, the morale of the troops is low because they feel that there is little support on the home front. The soldiers feel that the German population does not appreciate their work, which only makes headline news when attacks occur. "More appreciation of the efforts here would be welcome, after all soldiers here can die for Germany," an army spokesperson stated.

Grumpy Old Man Apologizes for Racist Comment

A grumpy old man apologized for his racist comment.

No, it was not that grumpy old man but Pennsylvania Representative John Murtha, an Obama supporter, who apologized for calling western Pennsylvania "a racist area." Now, it is not just one politician who makes condescending comments about Pennsylvania, yes, "that one," but this old codger. Obama insulted rural Pennsylvanians with his infamous "bitter" comments--about residents of Pennsylvania small towns, clinging to their guns and religion--which became a rallying cry for primary rival Hillary Clinton.

Murtha looks down on his constituents from his perch while "representin'" Pennsylvania's 12th District in the southwest corner of the state.

India: Regional Power, Anti-Islamofascist

Indian Ambassador to the UN, Nirupam Sen, told the Security Council that India has strongly advocated implementing robust measures within Afghanistan to fight the "barbarity" of resurgent Al-Qaeda and Taliban elements while expanding "coordinated politico-military efforts" beyond the country. This type of statement is too hot for an American politician to state but it may have been motivated by the Islamabad and India bombings. Sen added: "We need to go much further in realising the well established objective of degrading the ability of the Taliban to fight while simultaneously denying safe-havens, finances and armament." As most of the West misses the target on the actual situation, Sen made it clearer: "The escalating civilian death toll is truly distressing, but the ultimate responsibility for such casualties must be laid at the door of the Taliban, Al-Qaeda, and those who support and empower them."

It is on the basis of sentiments such as this, from a nation as alarmed by the rising risk of Islamofascism as the U.S., that Americans can coordinate their efforts. India has moved closer to the U.S. in the last eight years.

Air Force Crashes on Cyberspace Issue

The Air Force announced that it has backed off even further from its plan to establish a cyberspace command as the military entity primarily responsible for securing and conducting offensive operations in cyberspace. Meanwhile, at least two dozen countries have active cyberspace units. Maybe we need to take this whole Internet thing a bit more seriously.

Obama Would Cut and Run Before Iraqi Wishes

Obama wants to withdraw combat troops by mid-2010, while the Iraqis themselves have agreed to a withdrawal by 2011. In an Obama administration, the early, publically stated withdrawal date will surely embolden more hostile acts against the U.S. We would just have to return if Obama has his way.

U.S. and Iraq Agree to 2011 Withdraw Date

Washington and Baghdad have reached an agreement that would require U.S. forces to withdraw from Iraq by 2011. The bilateral pact replaces a U.N. Security Council resolution enacted after the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 and will give Iraq's elected government authority over the U.S. troop presence for the first time. Iraq will have the right to prosecute U.S. soldiers for serious crimes under certain circumstances. The final draft of the agreement had been agreed by both sides and would require U.S. troops to leave by the end of 2011, unless Iraq asks them to stay longer. For troops to stay longer, a new pact would need to be agreed. Obama wants to withdraw combat troops by mid-2010, while Republican John McCain opposes deadlines. The pact will not require approval by the U.S. Congress.

Analysis of Last Debate

McCain won the battle of the sound bites tonight; in fact, he may have won the sound bites of the campaign award. Most people, who are more interested in NASCAR or other frivolities, will just hear a clip or two. McCain got the right words in. He got to say what many people wanted to hear: "I am not George Bush and if you wanted to run against him you should have run four years ago." In addition, McCain scored on the economy by talking about Joe the Plumber. Ordinary people want a fighter; Joe wants someone who is a maverick. Obama is cerebral and he suffers from the "Al Gore Syndrome," professorial, stating nothing of substance, its just a flow of sweet words that he emits. McCain looks like he wants the job. If Obama is seen as so young and vigorous, why doesn't he act it? He just sits back and relishes the idea that Bush is so hated that he can waltz into the White House. I would think that if you were really willing to work hard for the American people, you might have a bit of passion about it. McCain pointed out how often Obama simple voted "Present." The American people deserve a harder worker than that and they need someone who can make a decision.

Am I the only one who notices that Obama likes to call McCain, "John," as if they are old buddies but it is as if he has no public respect for McCain. Many commentators seem to buy right into the erratic McCain portrayal but he is very respectful, even if he attacks Obama's record and campaign. He did not refer to Obama once by his first name.

Also, when asked what he would cut, Obama had no specifics to answer. When asked how he opposed his party; he had nothing. The independent voters in this election year are concerned that Obama is promising everything, he has nothing to cut, and he will tax and spend. They are correct. He can not deliver. Obama was not willing to state he would balance a budget. You heard it folks, he is criticizing Bush and his inflated budget but Obama is not promising the one thing that will help the economy the most: balance the budget. Stop Washington spending; he will not.

But perhaps the most revealing area of the debate related to our security needs, now. When asked when we can expect to be free from dependency of foreign oil, he stated, "ten years." It will never happen. If Obama can at best, be only President for two terms, he will be long gone in a decade. Energy efficiency will never happen with an Obama administration. The security policies he would favor as President will keep us dependent on foreign oil.

Voting Fraud Saga Continues

The full 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati upheld a lower court ruling that Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner must use other government records to check thousands of new voters for registration fraud. The full panel sided with U.S. District Judge George C. Smith in Columbus after hearing an appeal. Smith had ordered Brunner to develop a way to verify voter registration information and make it available to local election boards.

The federal appeals court ruled that the current system "is essentially useless — not unlike asking for a drink of water and being given access to a fire hose at full volume — and will do nothing to address the anti-fraud objective."

The order directs Brunner to verify new registrations by comparing that information with data from the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles or the Social Security Administration.

Pakistani-American Re-arrested

Pakistani intelligence agents re-arrested Juddi Kenan, a man with dual American-Pakistani citizenship. He is now in the custody of intelligence agencies.

Nothing to Worry About

Five Afghanistan scholars, from their 20s to 30, visiting the University of Washington have been reported missing so there is nothing to worry about. Two scholars from Afghanistan disappeared last year after attending the same program. The visitors were selected by the Afghan eQuality Alliance, a Global Development Alliance sponsored by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) through a cooperative agreement with Washington State University, Roseth said. The FBI has said that it's not concerned about a security threat and is handing the case over to immigration.

So seven young Afghans, "scholars" at 20-30 years old, sponsored by Afghan agencies, are running around unattended in the U.S. and there is nothing to worry about. The FBI didn't invite Louis Freeh to come back and run things did they?

U.S. Citizen Waltzing Through Pakistan Released

A man believed to be a US citizen who was arrested near Pakistan's restive tribal area near the Afghan border has been released. There are no additional details other than what was stated yesterday about his background. This story does not sound right but there are no additional data points about it so far.

Ryan Crocker, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq, Thoughts on the Current Situation in Iraq

Thanks to the Long War Journal there is a fascinating exchange on the status of Iraq that I am repeating here. The following excerpt is from a transcript arising in an 10 October interview in Baghdad between Bill Murray, from the Long War Journal, and Ryan Crocker, US Ambassador to Iraq.

Murray: You arrived in Iraq as Ambassador in March of 2007; it’s now been about 18 months. If you were to rate Iraq right now compared to March 2007 or perhaps October 2006, rating that period perhaps as a 1, as a time of fear and loathing, versus where we are here today two years later, on a scale of 1 to 10, where do you think we are here in October 2008?

Crocker: If it’s a relative comparison, it’s well beyond 10. This is a transformed country since the time I’ve arrived. I will always remember my first visit to a Baghdad neighborhood as Ambassador. It was to Dora and the surge brigade had just moved in to the area. I’d been here in 2003 and lived here in the late 1970s, and walking through the streets of Dora a year and a half ago, it reminded me of Beirut in the 1980s, it was a war zone.

People were afraid to go out in the streets, to the big Dora market, which had only a dozen shops open, out of maybe 400. The residents were afraid to cross the bridge to go to the hospital because they thought the national police at the checkpoint would kill them because they were Sunnis. It was deeply depressing.

Dora is now utterly transformed. Not only are all 400 shops opened, the market has expanded well beyond that and during the commemoration of the birth of the last Shia Imam, tens of thousands of Iraqi Shia walked through Dora on their way to Karbala and were given food and drink by the Sunni residents. Contrast that to a time when if any Shia had tried to walk into Dora they wouldn’t have walked out, period. It’s that kind of transformation that is, to me, utterly striking.

That said, the threats are still there. Al Qaeda is diminished and in retreat, but not defeated. The Iranians clearly are trying to follow a Hezbollah model here as in Lebanon. The big Jaish al Mahdi militia model didn’t work for them. That is transforming into a non-militant organization but they are still working with Special Groups that are trained, equipped and directed by the Qods Force out of Tehran and the training is done by Lebanese Hezbollah.

So the Sunni extreme of al Qaeda, the Shia extreme of Hezbollah-like groups directed by the Qods Force represent real threats to this country and we and the Iraqis are going to have to be absolutely diligent in not letting up and tracking them down and eliminating them.

You have the challenge of services. A year ago, everybody was talking about security. Nobody worries much about security anymore in most of the country so now they’re all complaining about services. Where is the power, where is the water, where is the job opportunities and the government is going to have to step up to that? They are making progress but there is obviously a very long way to go.

And then there is the question of political evolution. There are lots of strains and pressures in this evolving system and how that evolution takes place is going to determine the future of the country. But there has been enormous progress -- coming back from Dora, putting my head on my desk, wishing I was back in Pakistan, from that moment I never would have hoped that Iraq would have come as far as it has in these 18 months, but there is still a long way to go, so we’re going to have to stay with this.

Source: Cf. http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2008/10/an_interview_with_am.php

McKiernan Optimistic on Afghanistan

The top Coalition commander in Afghanistan, General David D. McKiernan, who leads more than 65,000 troops from about 40 foreign countries, including 33,000 Americans, stated that there had been “too many” reports in the media recently asserting that the foreign forces and their Afghan allies were losing the war.

He said:

I absolutely reject that idea, I don’t believe it,” the general said, adding: “It is true that there are many places in this country that don’t have an adequate level of security. We don’t have progress as even and as fast as any of us would like. But we are not losing in Afghanistan.

McKiernan stated that progress is being made and the Coalition is winning in Afghanistan.

This was a tussle about this in the Biden vs. Palin debate.

Biden stated:

The fact is that our commanding general in Afghanistan said today that a surge – the surge principles used in Iraq will not – well, let me say this again now – our commanding general in Afghanistan said the surge principle in Iraq will not work in Afghanistan, not Joe Biden, our commanding general in Afghanistan. He said we need more troops. We need government-building. We need to spend more money on the infrastructure in Afghanistan.

Biden seemed to downplay what McKiernan's actual assessment has been.

McKiernan had already clarified what he said in the Washington Post:

The word I don't use for Afghanistan is 'surge,' saying that what is required is a "sustained commitment" to a counterinsurgency effort that could last many years and would ultimately require a political, not military, solution.

McKiernan added in the Post that Afghanistan would need an infusion of American troops "as quickly as possible," i.e., a surge.