Gadhafi fun, miscontrued religion, and A Changing Ahmadinejad?, September 23, 2009

OK. I have decided that today is just a wierd day for things happening in the world. First off I wake up to find out that Gadhafi has decided to spread his non-sensical rants outside the border of Libya. Its one thing for me to read about his rants while he is sitting back in the desert trying to act all powerful and mighty, but its another thing to wake up to that ego of his addressing the UN. But alas, it was no dream, but reality. In case any of you dont know who he is, etc…let me fill you in! First off hes the leader of Libya, had been since 1969…let me make this clear, hes never been appointed as president or leader, but became leader by default after a coup inLibya in which he tried to become the next Che. Yes, the man is now known in Libya as the “brotherly leader” of that country. Im use to his rants, Ive been following him and his policies for years, especially during the negotiations with Italy, in which he sought and won compensation of Italys military occupation of Libya for decades (ie colonialism). I gotta commend him for that move, it was smart! But when the AU appointed him as the new leader of the organization, I immediately thought that they were nuts! hes not exactly known for his compliance, cooperation, or assistance…heck Libya was under economic sanctions and diplomatic isolation for most of his reign…oh yeah…and hes a bomber! In fact one of my favorite quotes of his is “I am an international leader, the dean of the Arab rulers, the king of kings of Africa and the imam (leader) of Muslims, and my international status does not allow me to descend to a lower level.” And this says it all! Today I awoke to find that he had spoken at the UN. While he had points about the UNs inability and unreliance to intervene in much of the worlds conflicts ( I agree with him there…which just is wierd to me! Maybe I should seek counseling!) his rants on the Security Councils power (which Libya is a member of) were hilarious, his rants on Israel…not surprising, his conspiracies on JFK had me wondering where the hell his speech would wonder off to next…and oh yes lets not forget the moment when he compared the Taliban to the Vatican, that was priceless! I want to know the Popes response to that one! Oh well, all i can do is smile and nod, because at the center of it all is an eccentric old man who is in desperate need of a reality check.

And well, as if Gadhafi wasnt enough for my todays wierdness and stupidity…I caught up on the news from Florida about the Mom and 5 kids who were killed. Her husband has now admitted to killing them and has asked the state to execute him immediately. Apparently he wanted to take his own life, but did not have the courage to go through with it, “because if you kill yourself, you’re not going to heaven.” Um…I may not have read the bible in years…but I seem to remember a certain commandment about though shall not kill. Wouldnt that mean you wont be going to heaven too?! Is he Catholic? Because if he was I coud understand the anti-suicide stance hes taking, but if not I think his religious arguement is a little off-kilter. Oh well, thats what crazy, economy, 5 kids, and religion will do to you I guess!

Am I the only one watching Ahmadinejad’s statements of late and wondering if the Ayatollah is beginning to tell him to become friendlier with the US. For all of his anti-west, anti-US rants in the past, this week has been really quiet from the Iranian president! While there was a rant about the new missile defense system in Europe as being anti-Iranian, hes been calmer. While he may not have applauded Obama’s speech at the UN today, his reports that he is asking for leniancy for the US hikers caught in Iran, and also his invitation to open talks with the US seem strangely new. How much of this is due to the appearance that Israel has appeared to take the military issue off the table with Iran, How much of this is caused by internal domestic unrest surrounding the election in Iran and the pressure being exported asking that the world shun Ahmadinejad, or something else…I dont know, but its got my interest peaked! Now to see how the world reacts.  Will there be talks? While he’s open to talks, it cant be on the nucleur issue, which is what the US wants to talk about….time to broaden the pie people!  or will the world shun him? Or will everythin remain the same…ahh….its Iran, who knows!

Later!

Mugabes mind, Biden and Israel, and a little Putin to boot… July 6, 2009

Well its always good to wake and find humor in world news. With all the death, and war, and economic whoas occuring all around the globe, it is nice to find something that can  make me laugh and roll my eyes. Todays little bit of humor came from Mugabe and his comments on the US envoy to Zimbabwe.  Mugabe called US assistant secretary of state for African affairs, Carson,  an “idiot” with a condescending attitude.  He continued by saying that “You would not speak to an idiot of that nature. I was very angry with him, and he thinks he could dictate to us what to do and what not to do.” I had to laugh at this because Mugabe has a history of not liking most US envoys to his country, and in fact thought Carsons predecessor was an idiot also.  And I can only imagine how that conversation went. “Give us your money, but you cant stipulate what I do with it.” Obama has committed $73 million to Zimbabwe but has stipulated that the money will not be given to the government because there is still concerns about the powersharing government that has been established, and the ability for it to unite enough to successfully aid the economic and political issues facing the country.  And honestly this is no different then other foreign policy moves past administrations have made when assisting a failing third world country…we give supplies, aid with stipulations.  And it seems that the Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai understands and is willing to work with the US and other countries terms in return for assistance. Its sad to see one old man with power control issues hurting a country which was once so prosperous!

Well Obama’s meeting with Putin seems to go well, releasing a statement that says that there was an excellent chance to improve ties. Well of course! I some how cant see Obama giving Putin the angry parent look that Bush so famously gave him multiple times over the past 8 years, most infamously at the Beijing Olympics after the Russia/Georgia conflict.  But it seems that this visits agenda to begin negotiations to reduce nuclear warheads by up to a third may be successful. So one thing that Obama has wanted to achieve is underway, now what?

Well the drama in Iran has only just begun it seems. Iranian clerics have called Iran’s presidential vote invalid, and are calling for the results to be thrown out. And if their separation from Khamenei wasnt shocking enough, it seems that Ahmadinejad has been considering talks with Obama. But although this is different rhetoric from his usual anti-west/anti-US speeches, it isnt really much different, because he wants the talks to be held in front of the media, which doesnt make them diplomatic meetings, but a place for public pandering. We’ll see what comes of all this craziness…lets just hope our VP can keep his mouth shut in the future. Dont know what Im talking about? Continue reading then!

Also in the news…I have decided that Biden is an idiot. In an interview with ABC, he stated that the United States would not stand in the way if Israel chose to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities, even as he reiterated an offer to Tehran for negotiations over its nuclear programme. While he is right by saying that Israel will make up its own decision on who to bomb as a sovereign nation, the way he phrased it was more in lines with the US wont interfere with Israel, ans in some ways seemed to be supporting the Israeli preference to deal with Iran in a military fashion.  No wonder the Ayatollah is telling the West to stay out of its affairs and not to meddle. If our VP is indirectly vocally supportive of military options against Iran, then of course they dont want to have to deal with us!  What disturbs me even more is that whenever one of our allies is about to bomb another country there is discussions at multiple levels of government on the issue, and if we felt that the bombing would do more harm then good we would try to stress alternative methods. Bidens interview leaves me with the impression that even diplomatic efforts to avoid military conflict between Israel and Iran wont be occurring. While this wasnt stated implicitly, it seems to be what was meant.  Its sad to see the Israeli lobby being so influential in DC and with US foreign policy decisions. Lets just hope that Israel isnt stupid enough to actually airstrike Iran right now or we could end up in another war!

Oh and I really wish I was in spain right now, cause I could be running with the bulls! Oh well..

Later!

Election Annulments?, Kenya vetoes troops, and the Rassak case June 22, 2009

Well the Iranian leadership has made some decisive statements regarding the Election fraud allegations and has voiced today that the Guardian Council had found no major fraud and that there would be no annullment of the results, again backing Ahmadinejad as the victor. However, this statement came only a day after the Guardian Council announced that there had been voting irregularities in 50 districts, including local vote counts that exceeded the number of eligible voters.  With the final election result being 62.6 percent of the vote for Ahmadinejad and 33.75 percent for Mousavi and a record turnout of a 85 percent of Iran’s 46.2 million eligible voters, the turmoil is far from over.  Many analysts saw this election  as being much closer, and not a landslide victory for Ahmadinejad. Most saw Mousavi winning the election. But alas, like elections here in the US, things arent always what the pre-polling and analysts seem. Yet the shear magnitude of the victory does lead to validity questions, because even in the best of elections analysts get it wrong, but in those cases the vote is usually much closer, and the outcome much tighter. I do find it hard to believe that Ahmadinejad, who was behind in the polls, could make up such a voting gap when many Iranians were angered with him and his policies. I find it even more disturbing that the Guardian Council admitted voting irregularities of signifigance, and then a day later, towed the party line and ruled out fraud as a factor in the election. Now it is up to the people to maintain a voice.

In additional news…Kenya had refused military assistance to Somalia and stated that this operation should be an AU run operation which I agree with in part. Yes, any intervention needs to be a coalition operation, but the AU is not strong enough by itself to complete the magnitude of what is being asked. Heck the US went in to Somalia in the early 90s and got our asses handed to us on a silver platter. While admittedly we werent preparded for that sort of tactical warfare at the time, it still is a huge problem area that would require more than some AU peacekeeping forces on the ground. To even begin stabalization of that country would require diplomatic negotiations between Ethiopia and Eritrea (so that both would stop using Somalia as a battleground) and would require a huge counterinsurgency strategy with a huge emphasis on public relations. Because even if you can get in there and establish order in Mogadishu, you have a huge problem of Somali people historically not liking any outsiders on their soil and often taking up arms and uniting against said forces. Then after the outsider is dispelled comes the tribal rivalries and internal fighting again. Its a vicious cycle in Somalia and without a global campaign, nothing will dent the chaos in that country.

In Guantanamo news, a federal judge ruled in the Rassak case that he was to be freed. In case you havent followed the case at all, a video tape of Rassak was found among the Taliban showing him as a suicide martyr for Al-Qaida, however, in reality he was being held by Al-Qaida and was being tortured as a suspected American spy. A closer examination of the video showed he was being tortured during its making. The federeal government argued that he still held some loyalties to his captors and was still part of the terrorist network that had tortured, imprisoned and abandoned him. The Judge ruled that the federal governments logic defied common sense and has ordered his release. It is actually disturbing me that the government would make an arguement like this when the video was made while the victim was under distress…I wonder if this would have happened to any of the POWs of the Korean War should they have been tortured and taped, and then placed on trial too?

Later!

Freedom to Protest, Chaos in Somalia, and the 1 Billion… June 21, 2009

Well I didnt get around to blogging last night, which was just sad, cause it was World Refugee Day!  But I was watching the news, and researching things as usual…and there is plenty to discuss tonight!

So lets jump into the madness, and begin with Iran. Im not sure how many people reading this blog have been following whats been going on in Tehran, but I thik we are truly witnessing something beyond protests, beyond, angry voters, I think we are beginning to witness a falling of a regime. The only downside is whether the Ayatollah will enforce a dictatorship. or whether there will be a coup. Either way its very dangerous for the Western nations and the Middle East as a Region. Right now Iran is one of the more stable countries in the region and has been for the past 30+ years. Thats not to say that it hasnt had its issues clashing with western human rights ideologies over the years, but economically and politically it was stable. If a coup or dictatorship occurs, there is bound to be more unrest in an already unstable region. An unstable Iran is the last thing the world needs right now.  But if for some reason, the Ayatollah is able to restabalize Iran without a coup or dictatorship…then these events lend credence to the Wests apprehension about Irans nucleur ambitions. If they cant control protestors (and Im not talking a freedom to voice opposition, but violence and chaos) then how can they effectively control weaponry responsibly? Regardless though, Ahmadinejad and Khamenei have been using this time to blame the US and other Western countries like England for the events in their country. My personal favorite is the US is paying terrorists in Iraq to come across the border and create violence in Iran. Hahahaha! Seriously?! If the US could pay the terrorists to do anything it would be to stop fighting the military so we could get out of Iraq and Afghanistan. I dont think the US has the sway with the militants to get them to attack Iran!  But sadly, there are people in Iran that probably believe the Ayatollah when he says it. There may not be many but they do exist.  Just like there are people here who still believe the Holocaust didnt happen. No amount of proof will disuade them which is sad, because for me, education is all about having your beliefs challenged so that you can grow as a person!  So, to all those protestors out there, keep challenging the beliefs, ideologies, assumptions…let your voice ring clear! Neda!

Also in the news, was Somalias request that Ethiopia send in troops to help them disband the militants…which Ethiopia rejected, stating that it would nee to be an interntaionally sanctioned course of action before Ethiopia aids Somalia. This is not surprising, but rellay the only backing Ethiopia is really looking for is the United States. It acted starting in  2001 with US support to aid the Temporary Somali government reestabligh control over Mogadishu…and with that backing came technical and military support since the US was also acting under a Global War of Terror mindset, and making that deal would allow the US to target Extremesit camps in Somalia and Ethiopia without compromising sovereignty.  Sneaky we are!  But I wouldnt expect to see the US so eager to support it this time without most of the European powers supporting it as well. The last thing the US needs is to be tied officially or unofficially to chaos in Somali (excluding Pirates). However, because of that pirate problem, its may happen that the world leaders decide to support AU and Ethiopian intervention under the right pretext…we shall see!

And in even more disappointing news, World hunger numbers hit 1 Billion. This is in part due to the economic crisis around the globe. Higher food prices=increased hunger.  Just in case you cant put that in perspective…that is 1/6 of the worlds population…1 in 6 are starving. Time to support Heifer International again!

Later!

Iranian elections, gecko wrestling, and some good news on Bemba June 15, 2009

Ive been watching all the media coverage over the Iranian elections the past several days and am amazed at all of it. First, the both candidates declare victory (remind anyone of 2000?) and then the elections are called faulty/rigged, etc(remember the chads and supposed vote tampering?), and then there was rioting…ok well maybe the last one didnt happen so much back in the 2000 election, but it did lead to some heated cross country politics in the US.  Im also amazed that we are actually getting as much media coverage of the events as we are knowing that Iran isnt a country where the world gets easy media access (although anything is better then North Korea!). I am actually proud of the protesters, because they are taking to heart the Howard Zinn quote…”Dissent is the highest form of patriotism.” Without differing views, beliefs, and personalities, a culture, and a country at that, will fail to continue and thrive. So for me, these protests over the election are a sign that the Iranian people are wanting to ensure the survival of their culture, customs, and country…even if they disagree with the outcome. While the violent nature is sad, in many ways violence is inevitable when you have such heated debate and such a passionate belief on what has transpired.  Now we just have to wait and see how the recount goes…

And if following all the madness in Iran wasnt enough, Im forced back into the NFL drama known as Brett Favre. He has announced that in a few weeks he will know whether his arm will be repaired enough to un-retire…again…Im kinda sick of all this drama, and if he does go to MN then have fun Vikings. I cant wait to watch the rollercoaster ride of a season and then the even more tumultuous offseason!

And in another bit of world news…Jean-Pierre Bemba will be standing trial at the ICC! The former DRC militia leader and VP is accused of 5 counts of war crimes for murder, rape, and pillaging. Its nice to see that his pretrial investigation yielded that they had enough evidence to proceed to trial…i only hope that the trial is covered by the media…and I mean the US media, cause BBC and Le Monde are all over it already. It would be nice to see the ICC be successful in convictions fo crimes against humanity becuase it would re-enforce the fact that if you act against others, regardless of the justification, it can haunt you!

Off to watch some Travel Channel…oh and some Gecko wrestling that is currently going on on my window. (4 geckos are fighting each other)

Later!