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Missile Defense: A Roll Of The Dice

From The Political and Financial Markets Commentator (http://politicsandfinance.blogspot.com). Visit to sign-up for free feed or email delivery of new articles.   

 

Huge Concession To Russia. Will Russia Do The Same For Us?

 

 

President Obama better hope so! When we meet with Russia at the G 20 and the U.N. General Assembly, we had better get backing from Russia on Iranian action, or the weakening of our defenses will have been in vain, and America under this administration will once again be viewed as weak and ineffectual at a great cost to the American people and others around the world.

 

Even if they make overtures of agreement on action against Iran, will they follow through? Will they still operate through the back door? We know we have given up our plan, but how do we really know if the Russians ever give up theirs?

 

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev: "We appreciate the responsible approach of the U.S. president." Of course he does!

 

"I discussed this issue with the U.S. president during our meetings in London and Moscow. At that time, in our joint statement, we agreed to, and set in stone that Russia and the United States will seek to work together to assess the risks of missile proliferation in the world." All well and good, but what is Russia bringing to the table?

 

Excerpt from September 9th story here: Eastern European Missile Defense: Da Comrades, Izvi`Neete

 

In it I made the following comments: "It now appears that the United States stands ready to abandon the plans for missile defense installations in Poland and Czechoslovakia. This at the urging of our "good" friends in Moscow. What do we stand to gain by weakening our ability to defend against longer range Iranian missiles.

 

We HOPE that through this appeasement, Moscow will end its shipments of materials to Iran that are actually assisting its program of developing nuclear weapons. We also hope that Moscow will then cease giving aid in the development of Iran's missile defenses designed to stop a pre-emptive strike on its nuclear weapons manufacturing facilities or nuclear weapons themselves. Quite a leap of faith!"

 

Yet cave to Russian pressure is exactly what we did! We know why the Russian President is smiling above, but why President Obama? Does he know something we don't know? I certainly hope so.

 

The Need For Strength Of One's Convictions

 

Secretary Of Defense Robert Gates said this on scrapping the old plan for the new: (ABC News) “...The original program that I recommended would have had no capability against short and medium range missiles until probably 2018. What the new system provides is some capability beginning in 2011 that will grow steadily each year in terms of its sophistication and its coverage of Europe,” he added..."

 

Now Gates was there at the inception of the planned missile defense installations in Poland and Czechoslovakia during the Bush administration, citing its critical importance at the time. Now he is reversing that position. If he was honest then, he should resign in protest of this decision. If he is being honest now, then we need him to resign as well. What is the good to the security of our country if the Secretary of Defense is merely a pawn of the President with no convictions he is willing to stand behind?
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Pakistan, the Taliban and Islamabad: Is Anyone Out There?

The Political and Financial Markets Commentator (http://politicsandfinance.blogspot.com/2009/04/pakistan-taliban-and-islamabad-is.html), Mike Haltman
 

Friday, April 24, 2009

Pakistan, the Taliban and Islamabad: Is Anyone Out There?

Beating a Dead Horse

If I am getting tired of talking about the same thing, then people must be getting tired about reading about the same thing. This situation was once a dangerous thought, then a dangerous development, and now it is seemingly an extremely dangerous reality.

Slowly but surely, as discussed in this blog ad infinitum, the Taliban is moving towards Islamabad and a de facto takeover of the government of Pakistan. Much like Hitler was appeased by France, the UK and the Soviet Union in the 1930's when he was allowed to take Czechoslovakia, the Taliban has been appeased but does not seem satisfied by what they were given either.

What will be the result if there is a full takeover of Pakistan by the Taliban, and more importantly the weapons that Pakistan controls. The world, as the saying goes, will be up a very brown creek without a paddle. There have been questions all along regarding the current government of Pakistan in terms of it's allegiances, and that is who we are counting on to put down this dangerous, dangerous situation.

What are the world leaders saying:

- After Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton told lawmakers in Washington on Wednesday that the Pakistani government was "basically abdicating to the Taliban and the extremists," Islamabad has seen a flurry of diplomatic activity.

Huh? Any thoughts on how to diffuse the situation Madame Secretary, or do we just go with the flow on this one?

- German Chancellor Angela Merkel called Prime Minister Gillani to express her concern. And Western diplomats met with Pakistani lawmakers throughout the day to assess the government's likely response to the threat.

Really? Is that making anyone feel better?

- This is what the Taliban had to say:

"Taliban fighters from the nearby Swat Valley have infiltrated the area in recent days, emboldened by a government-sanctioned peace deal allowing them to enforce Sharia, or Islamic law, in the valley, a onetime tourist paradise.

Prime Minister Yusaf Raza Gillani told reporters in Islamabad on Thursday that the government would see to it that the peace agreement isn't violated. "The government will not allow anyone to challenge the government," he said in a statement.

But in Buner, the Taliban remained largely in control despite the stepped-up paramilitary presence.

"We will not leave the area," a Taliban commander, Mufti Bashir, told local journalists.

Map locates the Buner region

Since entering Buner from Swat, the Taliban has reportedly set up checkpoints, begun patrolling roads and ordered barbershops to stop shaving beards, which are favored by Islamic militants. The moves have prompted some residents to flee..." (LA Times)

President Obama, I don't want to be an alarmist here, but what are the plans besides calling the Prime Minister and voicing our concern, or going to United Nations demanding this to stop.

This is the Taliban that does not answer to any international voice, and if this development that could turn disastrous for us all is not stopped and stopped now, your health care plan and the rest of your socialist agenda could be rendered moot. Sphere: Related Content
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