Monday October 1, 2007

I've Been Thinking:

The United States had no idea of what Ahmadinejad was up to during his visit to the New York.
The proof lies in the Iranian president's own words.

In an interview released yesterday on IRNA, the Iranian national news agency, Ahmadinejad said:
"Even though the enemies planned in advance to condemn Iran and isolate it in the world's opinion using insults, with the help of God they received an opposite result."

Most Westerners think that Ahmadinejad showed his true colors during the visit and that he was exposed as the true tyrant and thug that he is.
Au contraire.
Ahmadinejad views the entire episode with very different lenses.
And the vast majority of the Muslim world and Europe see things the Ahmadinejad way.

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Sunday September 30, 2007

I've Been Thinking:

Maldives.
Most people have no idea of where the Maldives are.
So when a terror bomb ripped through a park injuring tourists, among them two Britons, it was not a major news item in the United States.
This was a serious mistake.

The Maldives are a set of Islands in the Indian Ocean about 400 miles from Sri Lanka.
There is something even more important about the Maldives that we should all know.

The Maldives is the smallest predominantly Muslim nation in the world.
The Maldives has about 300,000 residents.
The Maldives has never before been targeted with a terrorist attack.
Not even the Maldives is safe from Islamic terror.

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Saturday September 29, 2007

I've Been Thinking:

The Iranian Parliament has just passed the first stage of a bill that would declare both the CIA and the United States Army to be terrorist organizations.

This move by Iran is a mirror response of the US Senate bill that passed on Wednesday with a vote of 76 to 22 declaring the Iranian Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization.

The Iranian bill states that: "The aggressor the US Army and the Central Intelligence Agency are terrorists and also nurture terror."
The bill offers historical proof citing the atomic bombing of Japan, the use of depleted uranium bombs in the Balkans, prisoner torture, the killing of Iraqi civilians and support for Israel's killing of Palestinians.

Iran will take their propaganda around the world drumming up anti-US feeling and driving a wedge between the United States and nations not fully committed to the American way.
Iran is on the defense and their defense is a very strong offense.

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Friday September 28, 2007

I've Been Thinking:

Snipers and suicide bombers have moved from bombs and bullets to rockets.
Two rockets targeting Israel were discovered in an Arab village south of Jerusalem.
This is a new plateau in the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis.

The rockets in and of themselves do not pose a serious threat to Jerusalem, just as the Israeli army asserted. But they do represent a new level of intent.
The discovery points out the need for a significant transformation in the security of Jerusalem.
These rockets signify that the terrorist style adopted by Hamas/Gaza in the south and Hezbollah/Lebanon in the north is now also in the center of Israel.

A successful rocket attack would be the terrorist's dream come true, it would be Israel's nightmare.
Finding these rockets is very important.
Even more important is making certain that the genie stays in the bottle and that this new reality does not turn into actuality.

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Thursday September 27, 2007

I've Been Thinking:

Delivering his lecture at Columbia University, Ahmadinejad gave the impression of being a liberal thinker.
Ahmadinejad gave the impression that he was open to ideas and discourse and even religious dialogue.
His speech was a sham.

In the Islamic world you determine a person's perspective by finding their mentor. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's mentor was the Ayatollah Taghi Yazdi.
The Ayatollah Taghi Yazdi was such a religious extremist that the Ayatollah Khomeini, founder of the Islamic revolution in Iran, wanted to arrest Taghi Yazdi for extremism.

It all points to one indisputable fact.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is of a school that is too extreme even for extremists.

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Wednesday September 26, 2007

Column:

Busy Americans need to move on, to change topics of discussions, to always get fresh material. "Been there, done that" is almost a mantra. But sometimes, some events are so important that we do ourselves a disservice not to keep them at the forefront of our minds and in our conversations for a little while longer than usual.

Like the visit of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to our fair and free country.

Ostensibly, Ahmadinejad came to deliver a speech to the General Assembly of the United Nations. Along the way he detoured and delivered a speech at Columbia University. He made some pit stops and granted a few much coveted interviews to the media. Ostensibly. The United Nations was his entree. Columbia University was his silver platter.

In truth, Ahmadinejad came with one agenda item, he came to disseminate evil. And his mission was successful.

To look at the visit of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from a Western perspective, which we do so naturally, is to misunderstand what this Iranian leader is all about. To understand Ahmadinejad at all, we must view the world from his own perspective. Only then do we have a chance at understanding the impact Ahmadinejad made and the results he has garnered.

American students might have been in his audience at Columbia, but they were not the audience to which he was preaching. Western heads of state and diplomats might have looked up and listened and listened and listened while he stood at the UN podium and delivered his message, but Ahmadinejad himself was looking way beyond this international forum. Ahmadinejad was focused on the Muslim world and the Muslim world exclusively.

Today's leader of Iran was emulating a long history of Muslim leaders, men who extended their hands to the citizens in the lands of their enemies. Ahmadinejad was trying to show the entire Muslim world that he can stand in the heart of the largest, most cultured city of the enemy and speak his mind. His mind. There is nothing PC about Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

In the Muslim world this visit of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the United States during the month of September in the year 2007 will be considered one of Islam's greatest victories, a historical pinnacle. The Muslim world has already begun talking and writing about this precise slice of history.

Ahmadinejad wanted to go to ground zero for the same reason he elected to make this pilgrimage to the city of his enemy. He was hoping to make a statement to the Muslim world and to Europe. He was saying that he feels for the American people but rejects United States leadership and policy - especially US policy in the Middle East.

From the perspective of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Israel and the United States are the reasons that there is terror. If you removed the interfering nuisances called the United States and Israel from the Middle East, terror would go away. That was, by the way, the motivation behind the Holocaust Denial conference that Ahmadinejad hosted in Teheran. This Iranian leader wants to change the narrative of the Holocaust. The entire Arab and Persian Middle East believes that Israel exists because of the Holocaust, that if there was no Holocaust then there would be no historical or ethical reason for Israel to exist.

From the perspective of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad there is no reason for the United States to be the most powerful country in the world. That right, in his gestalt, belongs to Iran. Ahmadinejad does not, he cannot, understand why it is the agenda set by the United States that runs the world. He does not understand why America is permitted to interfere in the sovereign decisions of other countries. Unfortunately, he is not alone. The message that Ahmadinejad is sending out to the Muslim world has the attention of other American-hating countries. The message resounds very loudly and very clearly for other American-hating leaders. That explains the intellectual nexus between Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Why can't we develop nuclear energy, asks Ahmadinejad. And he answers, it is our right! How will the US provide us with the fuel we need, he asks, when they do not even provide us with parts for old, out-dated airplanes.

We permitted Ahmadinejad to enter the United States. And Ahmadinejad used his visit as a fulcrum to mobilize anti-US venom and build Iranian reputability across the world. By simple virtue of speaking his mind to listening audiences in the hostile environment called the City of New York, by making remarks that were broadcast worldwide, Ahmadinejad realized goals he could never have realized from Iran or anywhere in the Middle East. We allowed this Iranian dictator his pulpit, we built the soap box for him.

Won't we ever learn?

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Tuesday September 25, 2007

I've Been Thinking:

When Columbia University President Lee Bollinger introduced Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad he called his guest speaker "a petty and cruel dictator."
Personally, I would have called him a thug.
But that aside, why? Why invite the Iranian leader to speak and then insult him?

Bollinger's objective was to make it clear that he did not support Iranian policy. The problem is that by that point, Bollinger's comments had no impact.
No impact on the students, no impact on the faculty none on the citizens of the United States and certainly no impact on the Muslim world.

The Muslim world saw this event as a vital and significant moral victory.
Certain elements within the Muslim world consider the phrase "cruel dictator" a badge of honor.
It is certainly a phrase the majority of the Muslim world understands.
After the fall of Saddam a significant number of Iraqis yearned for his return.
After Arafat's death Palestinians still yearn for his leadership.
In order to maintain their positions in most parts of the Muslim world leaders purposefully carry out acts of unbridled cruelty and intentionally perpetrate horrific human rights. It gives them staying power and bragging rights, it is an essential character trait of these rulers.

By telling the truth the unwitting, uncomprehending, Bollinger heaped praise upon his guest.

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Monday September 24, 2007

I've Been Thinking:

It's all a question of conception.

Most of the people involved in the decisions permitting Ahmadinejad to publicly address American audiences have a skewed understanding of freedom of speech.
That goes for the State Department, the decision makers at Columbia University and the powers that be at 60 Minutes.

I am certain that none of the people making these decisions agree with Ahmadinejad in principle. They are merely standing up for the principle that allows him to speak publicly and openly in our country - a place he despises and vilifies.
Like Voltaire, they are fighting to the death for his right to say whatever it is he wishes to say. In this case they are deceived, they made bad decisions.

Democracies fight for freedom and the right to free speech is intrinsically bound up with those freedoms - but there are limits.
Democracies must defend themselves.
Democracies cannot sponsor anti-democratic forces.
Democracies should not provide anti-democratic forces either a platform or a voice.

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Sunday September 23, 2007

I've Been Thinking:

The Iranian national media (IRNA) quoted Ahmadinejad this morning as saying:
"The United States is a big and important country with a population of 300 million. Due to certain issues, the American people in the past years have been denied correct and clear information about global developments and are eager to hear different opinions."
In a roundabout way, Ahmadinejad is referring to the controversy surrounding the lecture he is scheduled to deliver tomorrow at Columbia University.

Ahmadinejad is not just being contrary and anti-American, he simply cannot separate "disagreement" from "repression."
As much as he understands the US, Ahmadinejad does not really understand freedom. He cannot possible grasp that Americans, with the exception of some deans a president and some students of Columbia University, just do not want to hear him.

I believe in the freedom of speech and in freedom of ideas.
I just do not think we should pay for our enemy's freedom of speech.
I do not believe that all ideas are equal.
The ideas of our enemies who, through speech and actions have removed themselves from civil discourse - even on campus are not equal to the ideas of free populations.
Ahmadinejad fits into that category.

Let the Iranians rent a hall and invite people to attend a lecture.
If Columbia President Bollinger, his faculty or students want to attend they can go, that is their privilege.
American universities must not be bastion of democratic self destructive behavior.

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Saturday September 22, 2007

I've Been Thinking:

The Syrian opposition is an umbrella group called the National Salvation Front. At the end of a conference in Berlin the group issued a statement expressing their dissatisfaction with the ruling regime.

They said: "We have a plan of action that will bring the Syrian people to a state of 'civil rebellion,' that will bring about a change of leadership in a democratic and non-violent way."

That is very admirable. It is also very unrealistic.
It is a sad truth but no change can come about in Syria in a non-violent way.
Any movement for change will by necessity need the army or another armed force.

Simply put ... change does not happen in that part of the world peacefully.
If the National Salvation Front wants to take over Syria they will have to do it by way of military putsch.

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Friday September 21, 2007

I'm Predicting:

Let the Iranian Mission to the United Nations say what they wish.
There is no way the NYC Police Department will permit Ahmadinejad to visit ground zero, let alone lay a wreath.

Let me explain why:
For the NYPD and the Secret Service this is not a political issue.
For the NYPD and the Secret Service this is an explosive issue.
Not because of the colleagues they lost on 9-11, but because they are doing their jobs and because this visit is a matter of personal safety.
They are worried about the safety of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

If Ahmadinejad were to drop by and get out of his car there would be a full fledged riot. Ground Zero is in the middle of downtown. The leader of Iran cannot go and leave without being seen by thousands of people who would be viscerally appalled by his very presence and repulsed by his visit.

Ahmadinejad could not care less about New Yorkers or about Americans.
Ahmadinejad is playing to the people at home and to the Muslim world-at-large. Ahmadinejad is playacting the role of a historic Muslim leader who reaches out and appeals to the citizens of the enemy.

Ahmadinejad is a brilliant media manipulator.
Thankfully, the NYPD are doing their job.

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Thursday September 20, 2007

I've Been Thinking:

On Tuesday the Egyptian Foreign Ministry announced that Cairo and Tehran were trying to reestablish their diplomatic relations.

On Wednesday Al-Shark Al-Awsat, a London Arabic newspaper, quoted a senior Iranian official saying that Iran and Egypt are "seriously discussing the renewal of their diplomatic relations."

Egypt had broken off diplomatic relations with Iran after Iran named a public square after the assassin of Anwar Sadat. Now, with the same information coming from both sides, the news seems pretty official.

High level Iranian officials visited Cairo earlier in the week. It was a second round of meetings, the first round took place two months ago.

Iran wants to go mainstream within the region again. Iran wants to be at the epicenter of Mid East Arab influence and, once there, use the position as a springboard to repel Western influence in the region.

Egypt is now the epicenter. And Egypt receives $2 billion of aid a year from the US, the second largest recipient of US aid behind Israel.

Bottom line:

Iran is trying to smooth over the Shiite Sunni hatred and resentment that has festered for centuries by emphasizing Muslim unity.

Iran buries the United States and the West when it comes to masterful regional diplomatic maneuvering.

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Wednesday September 19, 2007

I've Been Thinking:

I think almost everyone knows what chutzpah means.
It is a Yiddish word for nerve, arrogance, unmitigated gall.
But you don't have to be Jewish to have chutzpah.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has chutzpah - and he has lots of it.
The president of Iran has asked for permission to visit ground zero.
He wants to make the most of his time in New York as he attends and addresses the General Assembly of the United Nations.

The people who advise Ahmadinejad are brilliant to come up with this idea.
But a sponsor of terror - a public, bold sponsor of terror, should never be allowed permission to visit this site of destruction.
The Islamic Republic has funded terror since the Shah of Iran was ousted.
The State Department should never have granted Ahmadinejad a visa.

What a mockery.

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Tuesday September 18, 2007
Column:

What really happened on September 6th, hours before daylight, when Israeli planes flew over Turkish airspace and crossed into Syria? The question is being asked almost obsessively by members of the intelligence and diplomatic communities, by military analysts and political analysts, by friends and foes of Israel, by those people concerned with the happenings in the Middle East.

Everyone, it seems, is voicing an opinion. And then, as new details emerge, voicing another opinion, another take on the situation. Admittedly, I am as guilty as others. Everyone has something to say, everyone except Israel.

Israel has been uncharacteristically silent on this question. The country famous for military censored, politically sensitive and top secret information leaks has installed a double deep lock on the details of this foray over hostile skies. Not a word has been spoken, no explanation or analysis has found its way into print - nada, nothing, "gornisht."

So what do I think really happened and why do I think it happened? I can make only one definitive statement about the entire situation, the rest is all speculation - educated, insightful speculation.

The only absolute conclusion I have reached given the available information and sketchy intel and taking into accounts the reports that have so far been received, is to say that I feel confident that whatever Syria has said is totally unreliable. To that I would add that the comments of North Korea have been obvious obfuscations. That leaves us with a big problem. With two such unreliable parties as principle players in this situation, with the third party keeping completely mum, how can I piece together what really happened?

My analysis is also based on past experience, patterns of behavior and instinct. What probably happened is that North Korea and Syria thought it would be a good idea to amass nuclear warheads and hold them as a surprise weapon against Israel. North Korea has the weapons and Syria wants them. Both countries are pariah nations and they are co-joined in their antipathy to the West, principally the United States which, by extension, means Israel.

Intelligence from Turkey as well as from several non-official Israeli sources shows that this was more than a plan. Syria was actually in receipt of the weapons. In fact, a Kuwaiti newspaper asserts that Turkey officially pointed out to Israel the location of the warheads.

Missiles were sent to Syria by way of several ships flying North Korean flags. The vessels made their way first to Port Said, Egypt and then to Syria. Once they were in Syria the materials were unloaded and transported to the mountain region. That is where Israeli planes found and destroyed them.

Ronen Solomon, an Israeli researcher who watches the movement of ships using local port information and websites for tracking, has been quoted as saying that the ships arrived in Syria on September 3rd which would put the drop three days before the air strike. The cargo was listed as cement. The flags were North Korean.

If you were to search the Syrian website listing the arrivals of these ships right now, you would find no entry on North Korean ships delivering cement. The file has not been deleted, it has been white washed. The entry now lists the arrival of a ship bearing "no flag." That is not only an untruth, it is against international law. All ships must fly under a country flag and no ship is permitted entry into a port unless it has been registered with a country.

One Israeli pilot has been quoted as saying neither he nor his colleagues in the sky knew the details of the plan until they were airborne. That makes sense given the propensity for leaks in Israel. I have also heard that a special, extremely high flying scouting plane was also sent up along with the fighter planes. As many as eight planes were involved in the operation.

The most astounding piece of information to emerge about Israel's handling of this top secret operation is the report that Israeli ground troops were sent into the region days before the pre dawn flight gathering intelligence and specifying and confirming the projected targets. It seems that the ground soldiers literally used lasers to pinpoint the targets on the ground as markers for the pilots. Then the pilots went home and never said a word.

More than taking out missiles that were clearly aimed at them, the Israelis were sending a message. It was a message to the entire region, including Iran. And the message has been received loud and clear, probably because it was conveyed with accuracy and precision but probably also because it came without spin, without excuse, without cover-up or disingenuous apology.

Do not amass nuclear weapons that are intended for use against Israel.

And that's my take on the events of September 6th, 2007 over the skies of Syria.

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Monday September 17, 2007

I've Been Thinking:

Al Qaeda in Iraq, which is Sunni, has issued a serious threat against other Sunni Muslims in Iraq.
The threat was delivered by way of an assassination.
Al Qaeda in Iraq has claimed responsibility for the assassination of Sheikh Abdul-Sattar Abu Risha and they say they will kill anyone else who gets in their way.

Abu Risha was targeted and murdered because he was the power behind the Sunni Arab revolt against al-Qaeda in Anbar province.
Al Qaeda claimed online that it would "assassinate" anyone who "stained the reputations of the real tribes by submitting to the soldiers of the Crusade."
It is all a game of intimidation.

There is an important lesson to be learned.
The internal rift is not just between believers and non-believers, it is not just between Shiites and Sunnis.
This conflict goes much deeper.
Sunni Muslims even murder Sunni Muslims in the name of religious justification.

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Sunday September 16, 2007

I've Been Thinking:

Madonna spent Rosh HaShannah in Israel.
Along with Madonna and her husband Guy Ritchie came a slew of celebrity friends including Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher, Rosie O' Donnell, Donna Karan and of course, several bodyguards.
The occasion for the visit was a conference on Kaballah.

Following the conference Madonna met with Israeli President Shimon Peres.
In the presence of the president the star declared herself an ambassador for Judaism, she told him how much she loved Israel.

Israel could not buy better PR.
But words of praise for Israel are fighting words for Israel's enemies.
The Popular Resistance Committees of Gaza, a terror group, had already declared that they want to assassinate Madonna - as well as Britney Spears.

Is Madonna in danger?
The paparazzi pose a greater physical threat to Madonna than do terrorists.

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Saturday September 15, 2007

I've Been Thinking:

Earlier this week Palestinians from Gaza shot Qassam rockets into Israel.
This time they hit Zikim Army base, a camp for new recruits.
67 Israeli soldiers were injured, several were seriously injured.

The most significant response to the attack comes from Hamas political leadership. Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said on Hamas radio: "We consider this a victory from Allah for the resistance."

For months voices from around the world, even in the United States, have been saying that there is a difference between Hamas elected leadership and Hamas violence. They said that by recognizing Hamas leadership we would be giving leadership the power to control marginal destructive forces.
They were giving voice to a myth.
There is no bureaucratic disconnect within Hamas.
They are peas in the same pod with the same objectives and even the same leadership.

There is an essential lesson to be learned here:
Hamas is Hamas and political Hamas is in perfect sync with military Hamas.

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Friday September 14, 2007

I've Been Thinking:

In a quirky turn of political fate, the popularity of Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas has risen since Fatah was expelled from Gaza this summer.
The popularity of Abbas is not just up, it is way up.

Until this happened nobody in the Palestinian Authority cared much about the elected leader, he was a non-issue.
If anyone did stop to think about him it was to blame him for the beating Fatah sustained at the hands of Hamas.
Now the Abbas name has been rejuvenated.
In a recent poll 73% of Palestinians responded that they like Abbas and support him - he would trounce anyone in an election if it was held today.
This is a tremendous political transformation.
Not only is he Abbas revered, but Hamas is despised.

The question remains:
Will Abbas be able to clamp down on Hamas?
My answer is:
I don't think so, even with his new political backing and popular support.
Abbas cannot change his character, he will continue to behave as he has always behaved and the bad guys will run rough shod over him and the Palestinians.

Despite his rising popularity, with Abbas in charge there is still no real chance for the Palestinians.

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Thursday September 13, 2007

I've Been Thinking:

Muhawesh al Kadi, a senior Hamas security person was grabbed right off the street, deep in Gaza, in broad daylight.
He was arrested by Israel.

Israel grabbed al Kadi because he was one of the people responsible for the kidnapping of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit last year. Al Kadi is probably not going to be very useful to Israel in locating the kidnapped soldier because his task was operational, not dealing with the hostage, but Israel is making a point. And Hamas has heard that point loud and clear.

Now Hamas is arresting collaborators in Gaza, they are scouring the area and arresting anyone who they think might have helped Israel with the operation. Hamas is so strung out by this situation that originally they decided that Fatah was to blame.

Israel got the bad guy and no one was hurt on either side.
We will see more of these kinds of operations in the future. It is a way of knocking out enemy leadership while still getting useful information.

For Israel it was a perfect operation.
For Hamas it was a humiliating experience.

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Wednesday September 12, 2007

Column:

Osama bin Laden remembers. And so should we.

In our hearts, in our souls and in our collective conscience the terror and the tragedy of that day in 2001 should be ever present and palpable.

It is human nature to forget. It is natural to slightly alter history and put a more palatable flavor on distasteful and despicable events. It is easier to say September 11th is behind us, to believe that we made it through another day and another year, than to be forever reminded of the horror that is now simply termed 9-11.

But 9-11 is not behind us. It looms ahead. To think, to act or to react otherwise is to paint a large neon target on our Western backs and place an arrow that says "aim right here." Avoidance of conflict will not win the war against terror. 9-11 is one of those events in recent history that we must remember in all of its hideous horror, sparing no detail, sugar coating no wound, eliminating no graphic, gory fact.

We must gird ourselves from an inclination to forget and that is hard to do in a world that lives for tomorrow. For the most part, Americans are a very forward thinking and optimistic people and looking to the future is indeed admirable. But thinking only of the future without remembering the past is too easy. We must always remember from whence we came, and only five short years ago we came from the dust and the rubble that were once hearts that beat and spirits that loved and buildings that truly housed the center of the world.

The force of our memories will in the end protect us. Fighting the war on terror takes money - for weapons, for technology, for preparedness. We need to allot the proper resources and assume behaviors that will put us in a defensive mode. Defense does not mean sitting back and watching and waiting, it is not an arm chair sport. Defense against terror is an active pursuit. And in order to be active billions of dollars must be allocated and in order to have that money we must bear down on our elected officials to allot the money and to dedicate themselves to creating real, workable, sound plans that will keep us, their constituents, Americans, safe. If we guard our psychological selves against those memories, if we forget the details of 9-11 we will never have the drive and commitment necessary to force the commitments of others.

We need to monitor the terrorists and search them out. We need to capture the terrorists before they attack us. We need to target them and destroy them before they destroy us. We are already the targets of terrorists, their plans are already under way.

To use the argument that there has not been an attack since 9-11, to say that anti-terror allocations are too high is to invite another disaster into our midst. Complacency is not in order when it comes to terror. We must be actively out there pursuing evil. In the eyes of terrorists even a failed attempt at capturing operatives, at closing down a cell, at stopping an operation or shutting down a funding organization is a sign that we are aggressively in the game of pursuit. When we relax, that's when we become easy targets.

9-11 taught us that our enemies are ruthless and dedicated. They are in this quest to destroy the West, freedom and democracy until the end, they are planning for the long run. Osama bin Laden chose to release his latest video the week before September 11th in order to keep the memory of al Qaeda's power fresh and alive. It was a reminder to his people, his followers, his adherents of al Qaeda's strength and capabilities.

For bin Laden 9-11 is a graphic demonstration of the vulnerability of the world's greatest country and of the greatest city in that country. His video release let his people know that he is still a player. He was telling them that the West is still afraid of him and of his message. He was saying that his message has the power to strike fear.

Of all the many and vitally important reasons to rewind and replay in our minds and remember the day September 11, 2001 the most important is to give honor to those who were so brutally murdered. The victims of 9-11 were chosen because of what they represent, what we all represent - freedom and prosperity, hope and happiness. The victims represented America.

We remember 9-11 and the 9-11 victims because we are humane and the loss of innocent human life is a tragedy. Our enemies remember 9-11 because of the glory that it brings to them. Terror is evil. We are good. In order to defeat evil terrorists we must act and by our actions protect our lives, our liberties, our freedoms.

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Tuesday September 11, 2007

I've Been Thinking:

Islamic terrorists often think of themselves as role models for the Muslim world.
Islamic terrorists believe that they are messengers fulfilling the wishes of Allah.
Islamic terrorists see themselves as educators to the masses.

Abu Yahia al-Libi, an al Qaeda terrorist, an escapee from a US prison in Afghanistan, recently posted a video.

In his video this terrorist takes Hamas to task for having abandoned the Jihad. He lectures Hamas for "abandoning Jihad and jumping into the ballot boxes."

He suggests that Hamas has spilled Muslim blood in vain.

He accuses Hamas of having "pretty" goals and aspirations and not true Jihad.

Hamas is suffering from some very bad press these days.
Hamas cannot convince anyone in the Arab world that they are capable terrorists and loyal Muslims.

This, however, is the pot calling the kettle black.

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Monday September 10, 2007

I'm Predicting:

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is meeting with Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. The meeting is taking place in central Jerusalem at the prime minister's official residence.

The main agenda item during the meeting will be a discussion surrounding the possibility of a United States sponsored peace conference, a conference both men want. A secondary agenda item will be ways to keep the calm between Israelis and Palestinians.

Specifically, Abbas wants fewer roadblocks and a stop to Israel's bombing into Gaza.
Specifically, Olmert wants continued progress on the security front.

There was a positive sign several weeks ago when Palestinian security forces prevented the lynching of an Israeli officer who got lost and wandered into an Arab city. But Abbas has yet to prove that he is in control and that he can control security forces on the West Bank.

If Abbas can take control there is a chance for the US conference.
If Abbas is not in control everything reverts to the hands of the extremists - Hezbollah, Hamas and Iran.
If that happens there will be no conference.

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Sunday September 9, 2007

I'm Predicting:

Syria is very upset that Israeli aircraft flew over their air space.
Why was Israel there? Israel was testing access routes to Iran and the best routes pass through Syria and Turkey.
Without leaking a military secret it is safe to say that Israel somewhat regularly flies over Syria trying out different routes and tinkering with passageways.

I suspect that Syria knows exactly what Israel was doing.
But this time, Syria went public. Why?
Syria took advantage of the moment in order to embarrass Israel, garner international support and - most importantly - mobilize Muslim antipathy towards Israel on the eve of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

The big question now is: How will Syria respond?
Syria has to save face.
Syria is calling up reserves - but I do not believe that they will launch a war.
Syria will probably call up even more reserves and move armor and tank corps into position, they may even run their planes over the Mediterranean Sea.
Syria will do all this to show the Arab world that they are responding.

Syria will not use the chemical and biological weapons that they have already outfitted on their scud missiles.
Syria is showing off, they will not cause an escalation in hostilities.
Not now.

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Saturday September 8, 2007

I've Been Thinking:

Let me explain why Osama bin Laden dyed his beard.

The Arab world is all about virility and machismo.
Youth, vitality and strength are highly valued attributes.
They are especially valued in the world of Arab leadership.

Aging is one of the biggest fears that Arab leaders face.
Aging is an obvious manifestation of diminishing strength and prowess.
Aging in Arab world leadership is often accompanied by a fundamental sense of insecurity.

This reaction is a classic inversion of true psychological security and true emotional health. These men are feared leaders who should age with the grace of lions. Instead they try to turn themselves once again into young steeds.

By dying his beard black Osama is revealing just how weak he has become.

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Friday September 7, 2007

I've Been Thinking:

Israel violated Syrian airspace for a reason.
Israel wanted to send Syria a message.
The message is: "Watch your step."

Syria continues to allow weapons to cross over into Lebanon in great numbers and with great frequency.
Lebanon has made the same appeal to Syria to stop smuggling arms through their borders, but the Lebanese are powerless when it comes to the Syrians.

Not coincidentally, Iran's media responded to Israel's sonic booms by saying that they will come to Syria's aid.
Syria, you see, is also intensifying relations with Iran - and that can be very dangerous for the region.

Syria claims to have shot at the Israeli jets and frightened then away.
The claim is ridiculous.
That claim is pure, undiluted, disinformation.

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Thursday September 6, 2007

I've Been Thinking:

Terrorists are still hard at work attempting to perpetrate attacks.
Wednesday's arrest of 3 terrorists in Germany and Tuesday's arrest of 8 in Denmark is clear and undeniable proof.

There is no doubt in my mind - these terrorists were out to harm the United States and they chose to do so by attacking anything Western.
Yes, they were targeting the Frankfurt airport and a US Air-Force base but they were also planning on hitting the cafes, discos, and bars where many US personnel congregate.

Of the 8 terrorists captured in Denmark, 6 were Danish citizens.
Of the 3 terrorists captured in Germany, 2 were German citizens.
One of the lessons we learned from the bombing in London is that the success of terrorist acts is greatly increased when the operatives are locals.
Locals raise less suspicion, know the lay of the land and read the people better.

Thankfully the police were on top of this plot for over a year now.
Success by this German cell could have been catastrophic - they already had detonators and they had 1500 pounds of hydrogen peroxide, the most important element in making bombs.
Al Qaeda is out there and they are recruiting home grown boys and girls.

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Wednesday September 5, 2007

Column:

Ahmadinejad has it all figured out. He is convinced that all attempts by the United States to curb, slow or halt nuclear development in Iran will fail. In the world according to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran will win the nuclear and psychological, the conventional and chemical, wars being waged against the United States and the West.

He has the proof. Ahmadinejad proves his thesis through, he says, the math he learned as a student and his deep faith in Allah.

In his own, albeit translated, words, The Ahmadinejad Thesis goes like this:
"In some discussions I told them 'I am an engineer and I am examining the issue. They do not dare wage war against us and I base this on a double proof...
I am a master in calculation and tabulation ... I draw up tables for hours, I write out different hypotheses.'"

In short, says the Iranian leader. "I reject. I reason. I reason with planning and I make a conclusion. They cannot make problems for Iran."

What do we learn from this erudite explanation of Iran's vision for the future by this esteemed thinker? We learn how the leader of Iran makes decisions. First, he makes graphs. Then, he considers various options. And finally, after weighing his findings, he makes decisions.

Ahmadinejad, the son of a blacksmith, earned a Ph.D. in Traffic and Transport Engineering from Tehran's University of Science and Technology. While it is admirable that this former engineering student is applying his science to confront the impending threat hovering above and around his country, he has advisors expressly chosen to ponder those issues. As president, his plate is pretty full. As president, he should be listening to the many great minds of Iran, weigh their insights, calculations and conclusions, and then make informed decisions about the future of Iran. But that is not how Ahmadinejad works.

Several days ago the president appointed his old friend General Mohammed Ali Jefari to be the new head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. Several days after the official announcement of the appointment the Iranians expanded Jefari's official bio to include one interesting new tidbit. Jefari, we now know, was one of the student kidnappers who held the United States Embassy hostage for 444 days in 1979.

Iranians think differently than we do. Ahmadinejad in particular is a leader like no other in the world today. He is a wacko but he is a predictable wacko. To understand Ahmadinejad we have to get into his head, and in revising the resume of the new leader of the thug squad known as the Iranian Revolutionary Guard he has invited us in for another glimpse. What do we learn from this new information? The Iranian is trying to intimidate us. President Bush has just called the Guard a band of terrorists. Ahmadinejad is telling us what kind of terrorists they really are.

General Rahim Yahya Safavi, the former head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, is now a personal adviser to the president of Iran’s boss, to The Supreme Leader The Ayatollah Khameini. Safavi has confirmed that Iran does not believe that either the United States or the West can significantly threaten Iran. He gave three reasons why:

One, they have no idea how strong Iran is and cannot anticipate the extent of Iran's response and most of all, Iran knows where all 200,000 allied soldiers are encamped.

Two, they have no way of measuring whether or not Iran has the strength, power and will to attack Israel.

Three, they area fearful that Iran will sabotage the entire flow of oil and block the Straits of Hermuz

What do we learn from this critical analysis of the facts on the ground and the plans for the future? We learn that this is how Iran thinks and plans. We learn how Iran thinks the United States and the West thinks.

Completely inadvertently, we have been given a valuable gift by the leadership of Iran. They have given us the gift of thought, of Iranian thought and that my friends, is an invaluable lesson. We have gotten into the collective mind of Iranian leadership. And now, armed with that knowledge it is up to us to circumvent future tragedy and destruction brought upon the world by the Iranian nation. It is up to us to convince them otherwise.

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Tuesday September 4, 2007

I've Been Thinking:

Watch what the King of Jordan is doing.
You will gain insight into the subtext of the Middle East.

Yesterday, Abdullah II King of Jordan was in Paris at the Elysee Palace meeting the new president of France, Nicolas Sarkozy.
They discussed the upcoming regional peace conference.
Seems nice, seems proper, seems appropriate, seems hopeful that the region may actually be on the verge of normalcy.
But in the Middle East, what you see on the surface can be very deceiving.

Only recently the King urged his government to speed up Jordan's nuclear program, a continuation of statements and policy developed in January when Abdullah first announced his intentions to develop a nuclear program.
Now Jordan is talking about nuclear energy - and so is everyone else in the region.

Jordan needs to be nuclear because Iran is nuclear.
It is as simple as that.
The lesson to be learned is, never be too hopeful for the Middle East.

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Monday September 3, 2007

I've Been Thinking:

Today Syrian Foreign Minister Mouallem met with Iranian President Ahmadinejad. Yesterday Mouallem met with his colleague, Iranian Foreign Minster Mottaki.

Mouallem was delivering a specific message from Syrian President Assad to the Iranian leader.
The message probably went something like this:
The West is getting dangerously close to responding to the threat of Iranian nuclear development.
The sponsorship of terror by way of Hezbollah and Hamas is a deal breaker in the eyes of the Western world.

The relationship between Syria and Iran may be tested but, make no mistake about it, they are both on the same page. They both reject the notion of Western soldiers on Muslim soil, they both reject Israel's right to exist.
However, because of Western pressure Syria may have to seemingly adopt a more moderate line in the hopes of getting back the Golan -but it will be a ploy.

Iran and Syria will remain allies as long as it serves both their needs - no longer.
Iran and Syria are not friends, they are allies, there is a big difference.

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Sunday September 2, 2007

I've Been Thinking:

Hell Teams is a group of Arab computer hackers.
Over the weekend Hell Teams hacked into the Likud Party website.
They left their sign and this message: "You are killing the Palestinians and we are killing your servers."

Hell Teams left part of their message in part Hebrew, part in Arabic.
In part English they wrote that the attack was "sanctified" the Palestinians and Lebanese children. Obviously they meant to say "dedicated to."
The message was signed by a hacker named Cold Zero.

Cyber terror is part of the terror game today and the players are kids.
Everyone needs to be protected. These guys are very good. Sometimes they just want to put up a message or change a picture. But sometimes they want to cause real damage, disrupt, destroy and contaminate a system.

The Likud is lucky, it could have been much worse.

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