March 31, 2005
EU to Add Duty to U.S. Goods
The BBC reports the EU is set to impose a 15% duty upon select U.S. imports because the U.S. has failed to repeal the controversial “Byrd Amendment.” The Byrd Amendment permits US firms to benefit from anti-dumping fees gained from…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
Venezuela’s Military Grows Uneasy With Chavez
Strategy Page contributor James Dunnigan wrote yesterday that Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez is having loyalty problems with his miliatry. And his reponse to the situation? Form a militia loyal only to him: Venezuela is having problems with the loyalty of…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
New European Unemployment Highs
France and Germany both experienced new unemployment highs with the release of the most recent statistics today. France: French joblessness rose in February, keeping the unemployment rate at five-year high, as the prospect of slowing economic growth deterred hiring. The…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
March 30, 2005
Europe’s Lack of Defense
While it becomes increasingly clear that despite lofty goals, the EU will never rival the U.S. in terms of economic power (see here and here), the capability of the EU to match the US in military strength is in an…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
MUST READ
Be sure to read… about democracy spreading to Bhutan. Arthur Chrenkoff disceting the poll we cited yesterday seeming to show Australians fear U.S. policy as much as Islamofascists. the Opinion Journal pointing out the obvious: If Kofi Annan were a…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
Spain to Arm Venezuela (with update)
Coming on the heels of Russia’s decision to sell 100,000 AK-47 assault rifles to Venezuela, Spain is set to sign an agreement today with Venezuela whereby Spain will provide ships and transport planes to the Chavez regime: Spanish government plans…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
March 29, 2005
Preparing For Life After Assad?
AFP reports that the U.S. State Department has confirmed meeting with Syrian dissidents based in the United States. State Department officials deny the meeting represents an indication the U.S. is planning for the demise of Syrian “President” Bashar Assad despite…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
MUST READ
Be sure to read… about a survey suggesting Australians believe U.S. policies are as threatening as Islamic fundamentalism. Winds of Change’s latest “Winds of War.” the winner of the Word Unheard’s first installment of “Fisker’s Whiskers.” Victor Davis Hanson explaining…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
Is Being Called A Liar by a Despotic Ruler a Compliment?
“[Archbishop Ncube] is a mad, inveterate liar. He has been lying for the past two years. As an Archbishop, we expect him to tell the truth…He, however, fits into the scheme of the British and Americans, who are calling for…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
Mongolians Learn Lessons From Kyrgyzstan
The BBC is reporting that “activists” in Mongolia fed up with government corruption and a perceived flawed election have begun street demonstrations. The protests are said to have been inspired by the demonstrations in Kyrgyzstan, which were inspired by Lebanon,…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
March 28, 2005
Russia & China Strengthen Military Ties
With the lingering nuclear crisis in North Korea and growing tension between China and Taiwain, the geopolitical situation in East Asia continues to grow more complex. Adding to that is a report by wire service UPI that Russia and China…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
MUST READ
Be sure to read… Arthur Chrenkoff’s latest roundup of good news from Iraq. about new information tending to indicate Secretary General Kofi Annan had more knowledge of his son Kojo’s activities with Cotecna than previously thought. the Fourth Rail discussing…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (1)
EU Doesn’t Want to “Provoke” Castro
As repeatedly documented here, Spain’s new (socialist) government, led by Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, has made restoring diplomatic ties between the European Union and (communist) Cuba a major policy initiative. Now comes word from the Telegraph that an…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
How Will Kofi Respond to U.N. Scandal Report?
The Times Online offers two possibilities of how U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan will respond to the damaging revelations expected in the Volcker Commission report which will be released on Tuesday. Blame his son, Kojo Annan: KOFI ANNAN, struggling to…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
March 25, 2005
Raising the White Flag? (with update)
Coming on the heels of the first significant indication that the Sunni Arab leadership wants to participate in the Iraqi political process, the Financial Times is reporting that Iraqi “insurgents” are currently seeking an exit strategy: Many of Iraq’s predominantly…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (1)
Human Rights Watch In A Conflict of Interest
There is little doubt that NGOs (Non-Government Organizations) are a powerful force in international politics today. NGOs exist for almost every foreseeable issue ranging from the environment to human rights, and routinely lobby foreign governments to support their causes. But…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (1)
Vicente Fox’s Border Hypocricy
Mexican President Vicente Fox has made obtaining unfettered access to the United States by Mexican nationals the cornerstone of his U.S. policy. When President Bush first came to office, he appeared willing to accommodate this policy, understanding the benefits this…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (1)
Showdown in Pakistan
Yesterday we recommended a piece from a great new blog, Geopolitics, arguing that the U.S. is naively using an unstable and possibly dangerous Pakistan in the War on Terror. Now comes word from wire service UPI that the well armed…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
March 24, 2005
Treaty Tally
Thought this chart, included in an email we received from the American Society of International Law, was worthy of a post. The contrast between Bill Clinton and the younger President Bush reflected in this chart is probably all you need…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (1)
MUST READ
Be sure to read… Why a German man spent €6,000 to thank America. why Pakistan is a “powder keg” that the U.S. is naively ignoring for short-term gain. how Theo van Gogh’s killer has become a cult hero in the…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
Russian and Hussein Aid to al Qaeda?
Moscow News published a piece yesterday, claiming that Russian intelligence agents have provided assistance to al Qaeda in addition to other enemies of the United States such as Iran and North Korea. Also of interest is that Iraqi official have…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
Sunnis Want to Join Political Process
Since the January elections in Iraq, the once powerful, but now minority Arab Sunnis (note: the Kurds are Sunnis as well) have made statements and taken steps indicating an interest in joining the political process. Today, USA Today reports on…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
March 23, 2005
Condi’s Deal With China?
TigerHawk hypothesized earlier today that China’s sudden contact with North Korea suggests Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice cut a deal with China to get North Korea back to the nuclear bargaining table. So what was that important bargaining chip? Most…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (1)
Iraqis Continue to Fight Back
As the visible presence of U.S. soldiers in Iraq continues to diminish (along with U.S. body counts), Iraqis are forced to shoulder a greater security burden, which unfortunately results in larger police and civilian casualties. But on the Iraqi military…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
Dubious Oil for Food Payments
New details of the U.N. Oil for Food program are revealed on an almost daily basis showing that the scandal is anything but fully understood and the extent of the corruption continues to grow. Two stories over the last few…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
March 22, 2005
MUST READ
Be sure to read… Fred Barnes discussing Bush’s Shake-Up-the-World View. the Word Unheard examining Loose Nukes, Iran and a Complicit UN, EU and Russia. a new poll from Iraq showing that fears that Iraqis want an Islamic theocracy are unfounded….
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (1)
Global Anti-Semitism Continues to Rise
Recent reports from France, Britain and Canada appear to confirm that worldwide anti-Semitism continues its upward trend. France: The number of racist acts, principally against Jews and north African Arabs, has reached a “worrying” level in France unseen since 1990,…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
U.N. Peacekeeping Sex-Capades Further Revealed
As Kofi Annan attempts to promote his United Nations reform proposals and restore faith in the world body, new details of worldwide sexual abuse by U.N. Peacekeepers have emerged: East Timor: AUSTRALIAN soldiers drew arms to protect themselves from Jordanian…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
March 21, 2005
Book Review: America’s Right Turn
Apologizes for the lack of postings the last few days, but we have been out of town. Fortunately, it provided an excellent opportunity to catch up on some reading and finally finish America’s Right Turn: How Conservatives Used New and…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
March 18, 2005
Iran Has Means to Deliver Nuclear Payload
Ukrainian officials have publicly acknowledged that black market weapons dealers smuggled nuclear capable missiles to Iran four years ago. The AP reports: Ukrainian weapons dealers smuggled 18 nuclear-capable cruise missiles to Iran and China during former President Leonid Kuchma’s administration,…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
MUST READ
Be sure to read…. about the award Al Jazeera won for their journalistic “code of ethics.” this piece by Reuters about the “disarray” of Cuban dissidents that might as well have been written by Fidel Castro himself. how China has…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
The Unthinkable: A Whistleblower Is Ignored by the MSM
Those who closely follow the MSM know that there are certain issues which when available, will almost always make the headlines: evidence of global warming, negative news about Iraq, corporate scandals, etc. And it is a sub-issue of the last…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (1)
German Ingenuity Shows Signs of Life
We have yet to decide if this story is humorous or a sign that socialist polices have yet to kill off all German ingenuity: When Fabian Löw unleashed jobdumping.de on the Internet, he had an inkling it would be provocative….
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
March 17, 2005
Revolutionizing the Military
United States Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has made no secret of his desire to modernize the military, with sophisticated technology serving as the cornerstone of his plan. Yesterday, the Washington Post offered a glimpse into a program the Pentagon…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
The U.N. Runs for Cover
Shortly after the U.N.’s retreat from Iraq following a terrorist strike against their headquarters in Baghdad in August 2003, we had a discussion with a colleague regarding the U.N.’s reaction. Our colleague opined that the reason the U.N. left was…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (1)
Support for Suicide Bombers Plummets
Israel’s Haaretz newspaper reports that a new poll released yesterday has found that support for suicide bombers among the Palestinians has dropped substantially in the past few months: Support among Palestinians for suicide bombings has dropped sharply in the past…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
March 16, 2005
Majority of Iraqis Are Optimistic by Their Future
A recent poll taken in Iraq found that a majority of Iraqis feel their future is bright and heading in the right direction. Assuming this poll is accurate, Iraqis are significantly more optimistic about Iraq’s future than U.S. citizens are…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (1)
MUST READ
Be sure to read… Winds of Change’s second immigration and border security roundup. how one year after the Madrid bombings, Spain is still thwarting terrorist plots. Victor Davis Hanson arguing that democracy is now the realistic policy. an embarrasing display…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
Xenophobia on the Rise in Europe
A recent study completed by the European Union indicates Europeans are growing more intolerant of immigrants. Here is a summary of the study’s findings courtesy of Reuters: – 60 percent in the former EU of 15 states and 42 percent…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
March 15, 2005
Playing the Total Card
Having accomplished what a few months ago seemed impossible (getting the U.S. and France to see eye to eye on an issue), and now understanding the dire consequences of such a development, Syria is reportedly seeking to bolster ties with…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
March 14, 2005
MUST READ
Be sure to read… Publius Pundit’s excellent coverage of the massive pro-Lebanon demonstrations in Beirut. Arthur Chrenkoff’s latest installment of good news from Iraq. the OpinionJournal reminding us of the dangers posed by Hezbollah. Compare that piece with this relatively…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
Petro Dollars Fuel Chavez’s Leftist Agenda
The Financial Times reports that the Bush administration is crafting a policy to “contain” Venezuela’s leftist leader Hugo Chavez. This article makes it clear that record high gas prices are filling the coffers of Chavez and allowing him to provide…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
March 13, 2005
Darfur Death Toll Revised
Frightened at the implied responsibility once a humanitarian crisis is classified as “genocide,” the United Nations opted earlier this year to downplay the carnage caused by Arab militias against black Christians in the Darfur region of Sudan. But an article…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
March 12, 2005
Saddam Tried to Bribe U.N. Inspector
This story is probably not all that important at this stage of the Iraq endeavor, but we found it interesting nonetheless. Perhaps the reason is that we find it most interesting that Saddam felt the need to bribe U.N. weapons…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
Sending a Message?
TigerHawk has come across some very interesting information via Stratfor indicating that the United States is sending three carrier groups to the Middle East. Be sure to read about this development here, and remember that France has reportedly moved a…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (1)
March 11, 2005
South American Despot Looking for Attention
Perhaps disgruntled that his “populist” revolution is not receiving the same amount of attention bestowed upon that of his idol Fidel Castro generations ago, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has become increasingly belligerent in his anti-American rhetoric. As an example, following…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
The Economy: EU Style
As Victor Davis Hanson pointed out a few weeks back, there have been a slew of recent books proclaiming that Europe’s socialist utopia is the model society while the United States is a relic who’s time has passed. Reality suggests…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
March 10, 2005
Iranian Unrest
Iran Focus is reporting that 1,000 women demonstrated in Tehran yesterday in honor of International Women’s day: Clashes erupted between the protesters and State Security Forces (SSF) as local residents reported tight security in the vicinity of the park since…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
If President Bush Establishes the World’s First Climate Change Agreement and the MSM Does Not Report It, Did it Really Happen?
Somehow we missed this piece (you will have to scroll down) by Gregg Easterbrook (who in our opinion is the most honest pundit on environmental affairs you can find) over at the left-leaning New Republic informing the reader that contrary…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
March 09, 2005
MUST READ
Be sure to read… Victor Davis Hanson discussing how contrary to the baseless “no blood for oil” cries, President Bush’s foreign policy is not in the best interests of the oil industry. how the democratic winds in the Middle East…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (1)
Is Italy Paying the Price for Hostage Policy?
As the circumstances surrounding the fiasco involving U.S. troops and communist reporter Giuliana Sgrena still remain unclear, Reuters reports that Italians are beginning to question their country’s hostage policy: After a string of kidnappings in Iraq, Italians are wondering whether…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
Al Qaeda at the Southern Border
The FBI revealed yesterday that individuals from countries with ties to al Qaeda have crossed into the United States from Mexico using fake IDs. The AP reports (with thanks to CQ): “We are concerned, Homeland Security is concerned about special…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
March 08, 2005
Spanish Still Do Not Get It
Almost one year after the Madrid attacks (with numerous subsequent (but foiled) attempts by Islamofascists to destroy Spanish society), the Spanish still blame their participation in the removal of Saddam Hussein for the commuter train bombings last month: More than…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
The Dominos Are Wobbling: Exhibit E
Women protested in Kuwait yesterday to demand greater rights (via: LGF): Around 500 Kuwaiti activists, mostly women, have demonstrated outside parliament to demand female suffrage amidst tensions in the Gulf Arab state over a government drive to grant women political…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
March 07, 2005
Biased Headline of the Day
Over the last few days, Yahoo! News has featured the following headline based on a Reuters report: Italy Doubts U.S. Version of Iraq Shooting This headline is puzzling considering the following information printed in an Italian newspaper and brought to…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
MUST READ
Be sure to read… Arthur Chrenkoff’s latest installment of “Good News From Afghanistan.” how 42 percent of Russians asked by a pollster whether modern Russia needs a politician like Joseph Stalin replied in the affirmative. the results of a poll…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (2)
Siding with the Despotic
The AP reports that terrorist group Hezbollah (which prior to September 11th was the foreign terrorist group with the most American blood on its hands) has decided to side with their Syrian benefactors in the dispute over Syria’s thirty year…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
Bathist Assad Distants Himself From Bathist Hussein
“Please send this message: I am not Saddam Hussein. I want to cooperate.” – embattled Syrian “President” Bashar al-Assad in a plea to United States citizens via Time magazine. We wonder if this image had anything to do with Mr….
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
March 06, 2005
Muslim Opinion of U.S. Drastically Improves
Even when you consider the U.S. efforts to rehabilitate Indonesia after the December tsunami and the declining appeal of Osama bin Laden’s Islamofascist vision, the results of this poll taken in Indonesia (the world’s most populated Muslim country) are still…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
Italy May Have Paid Ransom
There are reports surfacing that the Italian government paid a ransom of $6 million to free Communist journalist Giuliana Sgrena from her Bathist captors: The Italian government paid up to $US6 million ($A7.67 million) for the release of kidnapped journalist…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (3)
March 05, 2005
Trusting a Communist
“I don’t believe a word of the American version. The Americans deliberately fired on Italians. This is huge. All of the center-left must vote in parliament for the withdrawal of our troops.” – Oliviero Diliberto, head of the Italian Communist…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
Clinton’s Questionable Comments on Iran
A piece in the Arab News written by Iranian critic Amir Taheri brought to our attention some questionable comments regarding Iran by former U.S. President Bill Clinton. Taheri’s editorial had an obvious slant to it, but we recommend reading it…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
March 04, 2005
MUST READ
Be sure to read… this piece in the LA Times trying to present a favorable picture of North Korea. (We recommend comparing the Times article with “what North Korea has accomplished,” a propaganda piece written by International ANSWER’s parent organization…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (1)
Former Mexican Troops Help Drug Traffickers
Supporters of Mexican President Vicente Fox argue that he has made progress in reducing the culture of corruption that plagued the Mexican government under his predecessors. But this report by the Washington Times suggests the relationship between Mexican law enforcement…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
EU Terrorist Designation Would “Destroy” Hezbollah
With all the euphoria over common ground between the U.S. and the EU on Syria’s need to end their occupation of Lebanon, it is easy to forget France refuses to perform a simple and seemingly commonsense function that would greatly…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
March 03, 2005
Picture of Oil for Food Cover Up Sharpens
Buried in the Volcker report investigating the United Nations Oil for Food Scandal was information suggesting the cover up of the scandal went beyond Benan Sevan and was closer to Koffi than previously believed: With U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan next…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
MUST READ
Be sure to read… EagleSpeak using his expertise in the shipping industry to reexamine whether terrorists can successfully attack the world’s key shipping straits and choke points. this Reuters article summarizing five facts about the Syrian occupation of Lebanon. Arthur…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
Pakistan Rejects Attempt to Curb “Honor Killings”
Pakistan has rejected an attempt by opposition figures to curb the practice of “honor killings” against women who have “dishonored” their family. The BBC reports: The Pakistan government has allied with Islamists to reject a bill which sought to strengthen…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
March 02, 2005
Mexico Might Take Legal Action Against “Minutemen”
Angered by the prospect of American citizens organizing to help law enforcement agencies monitor the lawless and porous Southern border with Mexico, the Mexican government has hired a U.S. law firm to determine if there is a legal remedy available…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
Piling on Syria
It still remains unclear whether Syria actually assassinated former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, which probably matters little at this point since all relevant parties have already assigned blame. But if Syria was responsible for his murder, it was a…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
The Dominos Are Wobbling: Exhibit D
The Washington Times reports that the “Cedar Revolution” in Lebanon may be reaping benefits next door in Syria: Demonstrations that brought down the government of neighboring Lebanon on Monday inspired Syria’s intellectuals and activists to issue new calls yesterday for…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
German Unemployment Keeps Rising
Once the most enviable economy in the world (at least in terms of efficiency), Germany continued their trend of reaching new unemployment highs during the reign of the Gerhard Schroeder government: More than 5.2 million Germans were out of work…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (2)
March 01, 2005
Abortion “row” at the U.N.
A world conference is currently taking place at the United Nations to assess progress made on the issue of “women’s rights” since the Beijing Conference in 1995. (Yes, you read that correctly. A conference on “women’s rights” did indeed take…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
Antarctic Ice Shelf Collapses Not Unusual
Global warming advocates recently cited collapsing Antarctic ice shelves as further evidence of (human induced) global warming. But Duncan Wingham, Professor of Climate Physics at University College London, claims that his data suggests this phenomenon is the result of natural…
Posted by GPR on 2005 03: Read more… | Comments (0)
