Steyn. RTWT
In that sense, this week's emails are superfluous. The facts about Benghazi have been clear to anyone willing to see them, as those Autumn 2012 columns of mine illustrate. But the American people were disinclined to see them - like the dysfunctional rural family in that Sam Shepard play where everyone knows there's a baby buried in the backyard but they've all agreed not to talk about it.
Well, Benghazi's a long way away. Who cares? It's not like Washington's Libya policy makes any difference to the average guy in Des Moines, is it? Ah, but if you swallow Benghazi you're not really in any position to complain about the IRS or if-you-like-your-plan-you-can-keep-it or whatever's next down the pike, are you? Healthy political cultures punish the first lie - because otherwise it never stops.
And this wasn't a small lie. It was a bold, audacious lie on a date the American people are supposed to hold in sacred memory: 9/11. Nixon lied about a "third-rate burglary". But, as I told Hugh Hewitt earlier today, nobody died at Watergate. There weren't four bodies left on the floor. And the Administration didn't attempt to pin the quadruple murder on some other fellow entirely.
But that's exactly what the Obama crowd did.
Was it worth it? Silly question. For these guys, it's always worth it.
"Greater love hath no man than this," quoth the President at Chris Stevens' coffin, "that a man lay down his life for his friends." Smaller love hath no man than Obama's - that he lay down his "friend" for a couple of points in Ohio.
The Washington Times' "Inside China" for the day, or the week... mostly outside China for these two bits. General Hits US in Africa
A top Chinese defense official has accused Washington of being the mastermind behind a conspiracy to deprive Africa of peace and prosperity, and lauded anti-West dictators.
Speaking April 27 at a banquet in Zimbabwe's capital, Harare, Lt Gen. Qi Jianguo, deputy chief of staff for the People's Liberation Army, launched a tirade against the United States and praised Zimbabwe's 90-year-old dictator, Robert Mugabe. Gen. Qi was the guest of honor for Gen. Constanine Chiwenga, chief of the Zimbabwe Defense Forces (ZDF).
"General officers and men of China admire ZDF, especially your commander-in-chief, President Mugabe who has managed to stand against Western powers' machinations to destabilize the African continent," Gen. Qi was quoted as saying by Zimbabwe's daily newspaper, The Herald. You know, I never really thought of the sort of stability Mugabe's brought to the place.
"Your president is one of the few leaders of the likes of Fidel Castro, Vladimir Putin and others who have stood against Western powers," Gen. Qi said. "Few leaders have the courage to stand against the United States of America and its allies."
Gen. Qi went on to relish Mr. Putin's aplomb in Crimea and President Obama's difficulty in dealing with the Russian strongman: "As you are aware on the issue of Crimea in Ukraine, President Putin managed to wrestle with Obama. I once told one USA general that they should not forget history where their attempts at Russia failed."
Gen. Qi was in Zimbabwe to sign a series of defense projects with the ZDF, including a $4.2 million "donation" handed over to Gen. Chiwenga.
As reported by Inside China on March 6, China is poised to establish military bases and strongholds in Africa, and Zimbabwe has been chosen as one of the first for Chinese outposts in Africa. A Chinese air force and radar base already has been operating in Zimbabwe's Marange region. Defending, I suppose, against the Great Imperialist Tanzanian Menace.
In addition, Beijing has built a National Defense University for Mr. Mugabe in Harare, costing more than $100 million. The military school is partially staffed by Chinese and Pakistani instructors. Well, I can't complain about the quality of Pakistani instructors; they've been effective at defeating us in spite of our lack of intent to resist them.
ABE'S DIPLOMATIC END RUN
apanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe last month broke diplomatic protocol by holding an official meeting with the son of a former Chinese Communist Party chief in Tokyo.
Mr. Abe's April 8 meeting with Hu Deping, who holds no official title in China's government, took place amid Beijing's cut-off of high-level diplomatic communications with Tokyo, despite Japan's requests for resuming talks.
Mr. Hu is the eldest son of Hu Yaobang, the reform-minded former party chief whose death on April 15, 1989, helped trigger the largest protests in Chinese history -- which ended with the Tiananmen Square massacre.
The elder Hu was liked by many Chinese reformers and some foreign leaders for his straightforwardness and push for a more open China. He was purged in 1987 by hard-line forces inside the Communist Party led by Deng Xiaoping, and he died in agony two years later.
Hu is remembered by many Japanese leaders as being reasonable when dealing with difficult issues.
Mr. Hu, the son, is not part of the Chinese government but is said to be close to Supreme Leader Xi Jinping. Who's been purging a lot of people lately, such as former Public Security minister Zhou Yongkang, and more famously Bo Xilai.
The contents of the Abe-Hu meeting were not publicized, but it is no secret that Mr. Abe has wanted to convey a message to Mr. Xi for a bilateral summit to discuss the imbroglio over the Senkaku islands.
Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain ||
05/02/2014 16:32 ||
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Prolly learned that Japan's Abe plans to visit his country's overseas SDF Boyz.
[DAWN] THE bizarre happenings subsequent to the murderous attack on Hamid Mir are now violating all canons of good sense and decency and their cessation must not be delayed.
The only material fact established so far is that Hamid Mir's car was ambushed in Bloody Karachi ...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous... by some gunnies who fired several rounds from their sophisticated weapons and he was critically injured. Not only the media but all others too saw the event in the context of the killing of media persons over the past few years. These killings have earned the country the unenviable distinction of being one of the world's most dangerous places for journalists.
The media community is justified in demanding not only the arrest of the culprits but also guarantees of maximum possible security and protection for journalists, especially those who uphold their ideal of calling a spade a spade. As a judicial commission is already seized of this aspect of the matter, nothing more needs to be said about it. However, today is that tomorrow you were thinking about yesterday... it must be clearly understood that attempts to pigeonhole the report of the commission in the manner the findings of similar commissions have been shelved will be extremely dangerous.
There was nothing unusual about Hamid Mir's decision to let his family and friends know about the source of threats he had received. If the state can be accused of offences against citizens none of its institutions or services can enjoy exemption. But by an incredible error of judgement Mir's employers chose to flash the complaint against the ISI and its chief for a long time. This demonstration of adventurism needs to be understood.
There was a time when journalists were warned regarding the reporting of accusations given in FIRs. Since there was no certainty of these accusations being proved in a court the publication of allegations could amount to libel. Similarly, the media was advised against reporting the contents of writ petitions in superior courts before they were admitted for hearing.
Over the past few years these precautions have been forgotten, particularly during the seasons of organised demonisation of politicians and their parties. Some state institutions encouraged media trials of their quarries and if they today find themselves at the receiving end they should concentrate on self-correction. As for the media it has to stop playing any party's hatchet man.
The ISI had a legitimate grievance against the apparent malignity. But two points need to be kept in mind. First, an irregularity in the FIR does not affect the seriousness of the offence complained of, and the attempt on Hamid Mir's life cannot be hushed up.
Secondly, the ISI demand for redress cannot be out of proportion to the offence caused. The call to close down Geo TV is unreasonable and ridiculous. Any move in that direction will be a grave attack on not only the freedom of the media but also on the people's right to know and to be served by an honest, truthful and courageous media. Efforts to block access to Geo by pressurising the cable operators, of which the present writer became a victim on Tuesday morning, have no place in a civilised society.
The hullabaloo going on for days on end has baffled the citizens no end. They may not find it possible to offer 100pc unqualified support to either side. Processions are being taken out and all kind of mavericks are jumping to the defence of the armed forces. The people are aware of the services of the armed forces but they too are not above public accountability. Respect for the armed forces does not mean condoning their foray into politics. Likewise, the ISI cannot be installed on a pedestal of infallibility, especially in view of its actions, such as the creation of IJI in 1988, and the manipulation of elections in 1990 and the Supreme Court strictures in cases of disappearance.
The country's fundamental interest will suffer heavily if street agitation in support of the ISI results in back-pedalling of the demand for making its organization and activities subject to the law. This is not the demand of some rags in the pay of foreign enemies of Pakistain (and the failure of intelligence agencies to expose them earlier cannot be justified), it is a demand made by the three-judge commission of 2010 and the judicial commission that probed Saleem Shahzad's liquidation.
The ugly war between media barons is bringing no credit to anyone of them. Instead, it is doing the national media a lot of harm because it shows that some of the media houses have piles of dirty linen that they are careless enough to wash in public. Further, those joining the battle on either side are proving that they value their narrow interests more than the hallowed traditions of their calling. The media used to advise the political parties against fighting amongst themselves for securing the patronage of a third party. Now they themselves need to act on this advice.
The unsavoury affair has continued much longer than it should have. It is consuming the energies of several organizations, and diverting attention from numerous other challenges. Let the law take its course on all justiciable issues thrown up in the aftermath of the attack on the TV talk show host. The prime minister appears to be the only person who could persuade the combatants to agree to a truce and save their gunpowder for battles the people may have to fight together in the years ahead.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/02/2014 00:00 ||
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[DAWN] THE visible discord surrounding relations between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf... 's government and the army led by Gen Raheel Sharif, may have begun receding when Sharif presided over the passing out parade at the Pakistain Military Academy (PMA) in an important symbolic gesture.
But Sharif's appearance at the prestigious event in the Kakul suburb of Abbottabad ... A pleasant city located only 30 convenient miles from Islamabad. The city is noted for its nice weather and good schools. It is the site of Pakistain's military academy, which was within comfortable walking distance of the residence of the late Osama bin Laden.... , dedicated to graduating cadets heading to begin their army careers as second lieutenants, hardly marked a permanent end to the discord.
On the face of it, ruling politicians and army generals have seemingly been at odds recently over the fate of retired Gen Pervez Perv Musharraf ... former dictator of Pakistain, who was less dictatorial and corrupt than any Pak civilian government to date ... , the coup maker of 1999 and the prime minister's former nemesis.
But the divide has not been helped by so far futile and controversial peace negotiations between Sharif and the Taliban -- a force fought by the Pakistain army for more than a decade.
Visitors to the annual late-April event hosted by the army in Rawalpindi to remember its deaders, easily become aware of the scale of casualties taken by Pakistain's army-led security services following the 2001 US invasion of Afghanistan.
It is not hard to imagine the many young officers and soldiers who have returned from the front lines along the Afghan border after active combat with the Taliban, now find it hard to reconcile to a grinding of the peace processor with their foes.
As Pakistain grapples with the worst security crisis in its 67-year history, divisions between ruling politicians and the men in uniform will hardly serve anyone except the violent groups who seek to take charge of the country through brute force. Yet, bridging that gap may be easier said than done.
The prime minister's own history with the army and vice versa creates elements of underlying distrust which will not go away easily. Sharif made a visibly historic comeback just last year following the 1999 coup led by Gen Musharraf. The prime minister has indeed acquired a place in Pakistain's annals of history, becoming the first politician to return to Islamabad for the third time as head of an elected government.
That is no mean achievement in a country where prime ministers historically rode through turbulent and ultimately short-lived tenures. Hair-splitting aside, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto ...9th PM of Pakistain from 1973 to 1977, and 4th President of Pakistain from 1971 to 1973. He was the founder of the Pakistain Peoples Party (PPP). His eldest daughter, Benazir Bhutto, would also serve as hereditary PM. In a coup led by General Zia-ul-Haq, Bhutto was removed from office and was executed in 1979 for authorizing the murder of a political opponent... , the only popularly elected democratic prime minister to complete his tenure to date, eventually went to the gallows in 1979 and left behind divisions which haunt a part of Pakistain to this day.
While democracy indeed returned to Pakistain in 2008 with the departure of Gen Musharraf, the return of stability to this nuclear-armed nation located in a tough neighbourhood is far from assured.
To unlock the riddle of stabilising Pakistain, Sharif and the ruling structure need to work on many fronts with a single-minded focus. Notwithstanding Finance Minister Ishaq Dar's oft-repeated claim of coming success driven by a stabilising rupee, the chartered accountant-turned-finance ministry czar risks failing to appreciate the superficiality of his claim.
Among Pakistain's 200 million people, anywhere up to 40pc live in abject poverty. Economic success will remain a distant prospect unless the poorest of the poor feel a so far visibly absent difference to their lives.
Ultimately, solving the riddle of stabilising Pakistain must begin with tackling the worst internal security nightmare to ever confront the country. In the coming months as US-led Western troops depart from Afghanistan, the threat to Pakistain is likely to sharpen from an increasingly emboldened Taliban on both sides of the Afghanistan-Pakistain border.
Going forward, an increasingly aggravated internal security environment will follow an apparently futile peace initiative with the Taliban.
As a multi-pronged crisis surrounds Pakistain, Sharif and the army clearly need to be on the same side. Though there are assurances from the army against a repetition of Pakistain's dangerous history of civil-military tensions leading to another coup, ultimately just actions will speak louder than words.
While Sharif needs to lead as the elected top overseer of Pakistain, he must recognise that an antagonised army creates the risk of alienating a key institution just when the battle ahead will likely become bloodier.
Ultimately, the consolidation of Pakistain's democratic and civilian institutions will set the pace for overcoming the many acute challenges surrounding the country's all too obvious and divided domestic fabric.
Yet, that end result will come only after the fight against militancy has been won conclusively.
Clearly, Sharif has the opportunity to stabilise Pakistain. But the first step on that road must be a resolution to the civil-military discord. Short of that, Sharif's hope of gaining space with his appearance at this year's parade of graduating army cadets will just become a badly squandered initiative.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/02/2014 00:00 ||
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[DAWN] THE Sindh Assembly deserves praise for being the first legislature in the country to have passed a bill prohibiting child marriage. The provincial assembly unanimously passed the Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Bill, 2013, on Monday, which makes it illegal for anyone under 18 to contract marriage, while also penalising parents and others who facilitate child marriage. It is a brave step to pass such a bill, especially in an atmosphere clouded by obscurantism.
It sends a strong message against the deplorable 'custom' of child marriage while also reiterating the elected representatives' right to frame laws, as opposed to unelected bodies such as the Council of Islamic Ideology. It should be recalled that it was the CII which had earlier this year said that laws prohibiting underage marriage were 'un-Islamic'. The new Sindh law replaces a colonial-era legislation dating back to 1929, and declares child marriage a cognisable, non-bailable offence, punishable with rigorous imprisonment.
However, alcohol has never solved anybody's problems. But then, neither has milk... simply passing a law is just the first step; the only way society's ills will be addressed and done away with is if these laws are enforced through a proper mechanism. For example, various progressive laws against crimes such as honour killing, sexual harassment and domestic violence have been passed at various levels over the past few years. Yet these crimes continue unabated largely due to lax enforcement. And when regressive customs such as child marriage are so deep-rooted in society, it will take considerable time and effort from both the state and communities to eradicate them.
Lawmakers in the Sindh Assembly rightly pointed out the need to create awareness about the child marriage law. Efforts through the media and at the grass roots need to be made to educate people about the psychological and physical harm child marriages can cause, especially to maidens of tender years. Public representatives can play a crucial role in communicating this message to their constituents. And while a complaint can be filed with a judicial magistrate in case the law is broken, perhaps a body can be set up where violations of the law can be reported. Other provinces would do well to follow Sindh's example.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/02/2014 00:00 ||
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[Ynet] What began with refined 'price tag' attacks may lead up to murder of Arab personality or blowing up of mosque or church.
Let me start by refuting the arguments which will be made in the coming days: "We didn't know," "we were surprised," "these are sporadic incidents," "the security forces are making the maximum effort to capture the perpetrators of the 'price tag' crimes" and also "errant weeds," God forbid.
How the hell can one claim "we didn't know" after malicious graffiti have been spray-painted in more than 10 Arab communities? And how can one hide behind this allegedly innocent argument, when those criminals, arrogantly and heartlessly, did not hesitate to arrive at the heart of Umm al-Fahm and provoke its residents in the middle of the night? Not to mention their violation of the holiest thing to the Arab minority in Israel -- the mosques and churches.
Moreover, how can one adopt the "we were surprised" expression, which has been infamous since the days of the Yom Kippur War, after rabbis with Divine permits, have been calling for the expulsion of Arabs from student dorms, and have even published their holy excuses on the different sites with their names and photos? Where exactly is the surprise?
And how can one ignore the characteristics of these criminal acts, which have such a similar outline and nature, so that every sensible person should reach the conclusion that this is an organization.
Since conceptualization was born to reflect reality in the best way possible, let call a spade a spade: We are talking about an ideologically-motivated Jewish underground, perhaps even missionary, whose purpose is to inflame the situation and make transfer-supporting Israeli leaders speed up the execution of their racist idea and get rid of the Arab rioters once and for all.
The result is that we are being provoked in order to make us lose our discretion, and perhaps even our sanity and the civil self-discipline we imposed on ourselves, to create a reason for strengthening the definition of the Jewish and democratic state.
And yet, I have recently detected an attempt among my fellow people and residents of my town to get closer to the Israeliness. The crumbling Arab world spurred the Israeli Arab minority's belief that it must take action in order to integrate into the land of Zion, in high-tech and in the other systems of life. Our threatened identity, as if out of a realistic decree, became refined, and the attempt to get closer materialized, at least wistfully.
Until that satanic, demonic group suddenly emerged from the darkness, sowing chaos and touching the raw nerve of the Mohammedan and Christian minority. And if it goes on, ladies and gentlemen, the flare-up will surely arrive.
Once again I am thrown into conceptualization: The intifada is on its way, God forbid. It began with the refined price tag, and it may go on with the murder of an Arab personality or with the blowing up of a mosque or church. And at the end, like in a Greek tragedy, the victim will become the culprit.
And maybe someone will finally find not only a lead, but the actual criminals. Because so far, quite absurdly, no one has managed to find the people behind the faces caught on camera. Is this really an impossible mission for the Shin Bet and Israel's security forces?
...Liberals don't see failed liberal policies as "failed," any more than people of faith think that unanswered prayers are "failed" prayers. The difference is that people of faith abnegate themselves in prayer to a wholly-other divine person, while liberal poster-children subject the world to the narcissistic demands of their own spiritual needs.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
Pervez 
