By Nick Dial

When does political correctness reach a point of total insanity? No longer is political correctness just lip service to the easily offended, it now comes with the price of lives lost or endangered.

According to this new administration, we are no longer in a war against terror; we are in an “overseas contingency”. Acts of terrorism are now labeled as “man caused disasters” and we are no longer at war with Jihadist- only Al-Qaeda. Is Al-Qaeda not a group of Jihadist? In the name of political correct rhetoric and agenda driven spin, we have now reached a point where nothing is what it seems and everything is spun to deflect away from what it truly is.  The only thing missing from this scenario is a white rabbit wearing glasses and a bottle that says,  “drink me.” Only when you drink this liquid, you don’t grow in size – you simply march in step with the rest of the mainstream pundits of the media. Oh, how collective our society has become! Alice chasing the rabbit down this twisted trail of illusions in what is now The United States of Wonderland.

On November 5, 2009, an Army Major, Nidal Hasan Hassa, opened fire in the Soldier Readiness Center of Fort Hood. The shooting was said to have lasted approximately 3 minutes. By the time the shooting stopped, 13 were dead and 30 wounded. Immediately afterward, questions began to fly as to what the motive might have been. The mainstream media, however , and the liberal left, wasted no time projecting their hypothesis into the mix.  Headlines started to fly such as “War on Terror Takes Its Toll”, implying that it was not the shooter that was at fault, it was the stress of the war. Claims were made from “post traumatic stress disorder,” even though Hasan was never in combat, to he simply “snapped”. Everything and anything was thrown into the mix to derive away from what this truly is. It is none other than an act of domestic Islamic Terror.

According to the FBI, the definition of terrorism is as follows:

“The unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives”.

Given the above stated definition, we must ask ourselves, does Hasan fit this definition? Before deciding, let’s take a look at some of the factors surrounding Hasan and his actions.

Before Hasan  opened fire that day, there had been reports among colleague that Hasan showed contempt for the War on Terror, and the Role the U.S. was playing. According to Bloomberg.com, a doctor who was in a graduate program with Hasan stated he called the War on Terrorism “a war against Islam.” Bloomberg.com goes on to state the following:

“While studying for a masters degree in public health in 2007, Hasan used a presentation for an environmental health class to argue that Muslims were being targeted by the U.S. anti-terror campaign, said Val Finnell, a classmate.

“He was very vocal about the war, very upfront about being a Muslim first and an American second,” said Finnell, 41, a preventive medicine doctor in Los Angeles, in an interview yesterday. He was always concerned that Muslims in the military were being persecuted.” Others who worked with Hasan stated that when he was challenged on such views, he became sweaty, flustered, and visibly upset.

The questionable behavior surrounding Hasan doesn’t stop with the above information. According to The Telegraph.CO.UK, the following was discovered about Hasan and his behavior in the military:

“Major Nidal Malik Hasan, the gunman who killed 13 at America’s Fort Hood military base, once gave a lecture to other doctors in which he said non-believers should be beheaded and have boiling oil poured down their throats”.

“He also told colleagues at America’s top military hospital that non-Muslims were infidels condemned to hell who should be set on fire. The outburst came during an hour-long talk Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, gave on the Koran in front of dozens of other doctors at Walter Reed Army Medical Centre in Washington DC, where he worked for six years before arriving at Fort Hood in July.

Colleagues had expected a discussion on a medical issue but were instead given an extremist interpretation of the Koran, which Hasan appeared to believe”.

Obviously Hasan shared the same belief in Wahabbi driven Islam as his Al-Qaeda counter – parts. As additional information comes forward dealing with Hasan, continuing details lead to the fact that this was indeed, an act of a lone wolf domestic terrorist. A lone wolf terrorist is someone who acts alone in carrying out an act that is social or political in nature. A perfect example of a lone wolf is Timothy McVeigh and his 1995 bombing in Oklahoma City. His positions were clearly anti- United States Government; can the same not be said about Hasan? According to ABC, Hasan, in fact, tried to contact Al-Qaeda directly. ABC reports the following:

“U.S. intelligence agencies were aware months ago that Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan was attempting to make contact with an individual associated with Al- Qaeda, two American officials briefed on classified material in the case told ABC News”.

It is not clear if much came from his attempts to contact Al-Qaeda, but the fact he tried speaks volumes regarding the motivation of his actions against the military.

Now that some of Hasan’s actions and behavior have been covered, a recap would be helpful in examining the intent behind his actions. Hasan did the following:

• Stated he is a Muslim first and an American second.
• Stated the war on terrorism was “a war against Islam.”
• Stated that Muslims were being targeted by the U.S. anti-terror campaign.
• Became sweaty, flustered, and visibly upset when challenged on his views.
• Gave a lecture to other doctors in which he said “non-believers should be beheaded and have boiling oil poured down their throats.”
• Told colleagues at America’s top military hospital that “non-Muslims were infidels condemned to hell who should be set on fire.”
• Gave medical colleagues an extremist interpretation of the Koran which lasted approximately an hour.
• Attempted to contact Al-Qaeda before the event took place.

Based on the above overview, is it fair to suggest and conclude that Mr. Hasan was indeed a lone wolf terrorist acting in the name of radical Islam?  Again, the definition used by the FBI of terrorim states the following, “The unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives.” Force was used against both government and civilian personal. It was clearly in opposition to the War on Terror and to promote Islamic Jihad and its values. Based on everything covered and the definition given, this a clear case of Terrorism.

Based on the above reported behavior leading up to this event, many may ask how did it get this far in the first place?  This is where political correctness comes in and rears its ugly head. When red flags are ignored to such an extent in the name of political correctness, a serious look should be taken at how similar situations  will be handled in the future. According to Fox News, the warning signs were there, but political correctness kept any serious inquiries from moving forward. Fox reports the following:

“There were definitely clear indications that Hasan’s loyalties were not with America,” According to Lt. Col. Val Finnell, Hasan’s classmate at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md. He and Hasan were students in the school’s public health master’s degree program from 2007-2008.

“The issue here is that there’s a political correctness climate in the military. They don’t want to say anything because it would be considered questioning somebody’s religious belief, or they’re afraid of an equal opportunity lawsuit.

“I want to be clear that this wasn’t about anyone questioning his religious views. It is different when you are a civilian than when you are a military officer,” said Finnell, who is a physician at the Los Angeles Air Force Base.

“When you are in the military and you start making comments that are seditious, when you say you believe something other than your oath of office.  Clearly, someone needed to ask -why is this guy saying these things?

“He was a lightning rod. He made his views known and he was very vocal, he had extremely radical Jihadist views,” Finnell said. “When you’re a military officer you take an oath to defend against all enemies foreign and domestic.

“They should’ve confronted him — our professors, officers — but they were too concerned about being politically correct.”

Unfortunately, we have reached a point in society where political correctness has superseded common sense. When people are injured or lose their life due to incompetence fueled by political correctness, society as a whole must take a hard look in the mirror of life. Life is not fair, nor is it a “politically correct” world. There are losers and winners, there is friend and foe, there is dark and light, and there is safety and danger. The time has come to quite playing childish games. The real world is hard and full of danger. We must stop trying to project a fabricated image of “perfect unity,” where questioning topics that are uncomfortable and provocative are avoided. This isn’t Kindergarten. In the real world not everybody gets the same amount of jelly beans and not everybody is a “friend”. Perhaps the nation needs to go back to grade school and retake courses in “stranger danger.”

By Nick Dial

Troop morale in Afghanistan is reportedly low. Before asking why this would be, let’s look at some of the events that have transpired in the last year. Obama announces he will close Guantanamo bay with no preformulated plan on how this would be achieved. He then decides to suspend military tribunals in favor of civil criminal approaches, which would result in detainees having the advantage due to the fact they were not captured on a battlefield and not in a situation where police conduct a formal investigation and tag evidence. Obama then pushes for Miranda rights to be read to prisoners captured on the battlefield; something of which they have no constitutional entitlement to in the first place.

With this alone, one must question;  what, exactly is the tact being used here?  Obama changed the rules of engagement for U.S. troops, stating they cannot fire on a structure from which they are receiving fire. They must first see the enemy, something which more often than not is impossible when taking hostile fire from a structure 300 plus yards away. According to one report in Afghanistan, “U.S. commanders, citing new rules to avoid civilian casualties, rejected repeated calls to unleash artillery rounds at attackers dug into the slopes and tree lines — despite being told repeatedly that they weren’t near the village”. These new rules resulted in the death of several marines when they became pinned and ran low on ammunition. Fact is, a president that has never served in combat is dictating how our troops should conduct themselves in combat and as a result they are dying.

The questionable decisions, however, don’t stop there. Obama has cut funding for research and development, insulted our European allies with denial of the promised missile shield, and continues to drag his feet with Afghanistan. President Obama personally picked General Mcchrystal and yet he does not show much interest in meeting General Mcchrystal’s recommendations. General Mcchrystal requested troops in August of this year, yet it took the president until October to meet with him for a mere twenty- five minutes. General Mcchrystal requested 40,000 troops and what does Obama do after procrastinating for more than a month? Nothing, he stalls more saying he must wait for a clear election in Afghanistan.  The president has repeatedly shown that other priorities come before the troops. How do you explain to your military that booking seven talk shows to promote health care and flying to Copenhagen to promote the Olympics in Chicago is more important than addressing the war in Afghanistan in which our troops are fighting and dying?  The president has stated that we are no longer “at war with terror”, acts of terror are “man caused disasters” and “we are no longer at war with Jihad”. Perhaps the troops and the enemy didn’t get that message, because we have dead heroes coming back home in caskets from fighting Islamic Jihadist!

When does incompetence turn into all out betrayal? Earmarks and pet projects are nothing new when it comes to Washington, but what about when funds for the military are taken away from our troops and given to pet projects instead? According to the Washington Times, “Senators diverted $2.6 billion in funds in a defense spending bill to pet projects largely at the expense of accounts that pay for fuel, ammunition and training for U.S. troops, including those fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to an analysis” (2009). The article goes on to state “$25 million for a new World War II museum at the University of New Orleans and $20 million to launch an educational institute named after the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, Massachusetts Democrat” (2009). This recent act is simply a slap in the face to the troops by this administration. How can we expect the morale of our troops to be high when this administration continues to put its own self -serving interest before the troops?  Have they no shame?

References

http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/oct/15/troop-funds-diverted-to-pet-projects/

By Nick Dial

On September 17^th, 1939, Russia forcefully invaded Poland storming the borders  along with Hitler’s Germany during the start of the Second World War. Russia had inflicted unspeakable acts against Poland’s military personnel after being defeated and apprehended. In 1940, The Soviets had executed approximately 25,700 Polish officers. This event came to be known as the Katyn Massacre. The Russians put the blame on the Nazis, but after the fall of the Soviet Union and an admitted testimony by Gorbachev, the truth was finally settled on who was really behind this horrific act. To say the least, the Polish people have not forgotten the oppressive nature of the Russian government and their lust for power in that geographical region of the world. For others around the world not bearing the scars of the Soviet Union, to remind them of the Kremlin’s long history of deviant actions, just take a look at the Georgian- Russian conflict that transpired this last year in 2008. Russia had indiscriminately fired on non military targets in cities, killing civilians. Russian troops were caught on camera pillaging towns of goods and private property. Video of Russian military vehicles were seen towing away private boats and cars.  Surveillance footage even revealed Russian troops robbing banks at the height of the conflict. This behavior only goes to show the old ways of the Red Block are still in full force and provide testament to the brutality and lack of honor the Russian government and military still possesses to this day.

The reason the aforementioned history is important, is because one should  understand the history in that region to comprehend ,if anything, why this issue should be handled with the up most care. Unfortunately, it would appear that the Obama Administration does not care for such formalities and are so eager to distance them self from Bush implemented programs, that they continue to wreak havoc in their haste and throw histories hard learned lessons to the wayside. September 17^th was the 60^th anniversary of the invasion of Poland by the Kremlin. What does the administration do? They give the Russians a gift by telling our allies we will no longer go forward with the scheduled missile shield that was promised by the Bush Administration. Russia has been beating their chest ever since the plan was announced and even threatened a nuclear strike against Poland for having such a facility. Their excuse was that they would not tolerate an offensive missile system in Poland. Problem was, however, the missile shield was not offensive in any way; it was defensive and designed to protect the U.S. and her allies from any rogue nations that would fire a missile. Nations such as North Korea, Iran, and even Russia if it were to happen. That was the key issue though; Russia did not like the fact that a system threatened their power and influence in the region. Plainly put, Russia does not want their power challenged in any way and like a typical bully, they began to intimidate any nation that would cooperate with NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), seek NATO membership, or cooperate with the U.S. in hosting any missile defense.

The Obama Administration has stated their reasoning for such a move is because reports have come out that Iran cannot yet reach far enough into Europe. While this is debatable, there are several other questions that must be addressed. Just because they can’t now, doesn’t mean they won’t be able to five years from now. What about North Korea’s hostile behavior? China is a rising military power that is often  on shaky ground. What about the fact that Russia may one day become a hostile factor again? They at the very least should have sat down with our allies and discussed any issues. Instead, they disrespectfully betray them in a move to appeal to “Russia’s better nature” as this administration put it. The last time a nation attempted to “appeal to Russia” in good faith was in 1945. At the close of WWII, Russia was struggling to create a jet fighter with a reliable and powerful engine. In good faith, Britain provided the Russians with a Rolls-Royce jet engine. The Russians took the engine, copied it and never looked back. What did they do with the gift they had received?  American pilots quickly found out in Korea when Russian Mig-15 fighters began attacking them over Korean airspace. A hard lesson had been learned about trusting this “ally”- and it was trouble ever since.

Obama claims that cost is a factor for scrapping missile defense. They say that it is not economical to fire a $70 million dollar missile to destroy a $15 million dollar missile. With this logic, they are actually saying American lives along with the lives of our allies are simply not worth the money. After all, what is the alternative? Without this system in place ,in the event of a missile fired, things will go boom and people will die as a result. The other problem with this stated position is the fact that this administration is so willing to spend ridiculous amounts of money on pet projects, but continues to act as if national defense is a luxury that is a waste of both time and money. Let’s break this down. The following list was taken from the Stimulus Bill -  all things that congress and this administration considered so important, that it had to be passed right away or face terrible consequences, remember?

• $2 billion earmark to re-start Future Gen, a near-zero emissions coal power plant in Illinois that the Department of Energy defunded last year because it said the project was inefficient.

• A $246 million tax break for Hollywood movie producers to buy motion picture film.

• $650 million for the digital television converter box coupon program.

• $88 million for the Coast Guard to design a new polar icebreaker (arctic ship).

• $448 million for constructing the Department of Homeland Security headquarters.

• $248 million for furniture at the new Homeland Security headquarters.

• $600 million to buy hybrid vehicles for federal employees…

• $150 million for Smithsonian Museum facilities.

• $1 billion for the 2010 Census, which has a projected cost overrun of $3 billion.

• $75 million for “smoking cessation activities.”

This is just a small sample of the pet projects that was rolled into a “stimulus bill”; a bill aimed at creating jobs. As you can see, almost none of these do anything to create jobs and yet a system that is designed to defend the nation and protect human life is not economical? It’s a good thing their spending 600 million on hybrid vehicles for federal employees. This will stop a missile threat. In fact, the 600 million spent on hybrids would pay for 8.5 of those missiles designed to shoot down ballistic missiles in case of a launch.

Part of this administrations largest problem is in two key areas. One, they don’t study their history. Two, they lack any sort of significant foresight on matters of national defense. Recently Obama stated he was scrapping the F-22 Raptor, the most advanced fighter in the world. He states it costs too much and there is no need for us to have such advanced weaponry. Once again, lack of foresight. China and Russia  are both trying very hard to catch up to us in regarding  military technologies and are working hard to build a fighter to match it. Air dominance is the key to winning today’s wars and the point to remember is that we build weapons to fight tomorrow’s wars, not today’s.

Once again. we must look into the pages of history. In the 1930’s Germany was leading the world in military technologies. A major example of the Obama Administration’s attitude with defense can be taken right from history. The Germans had the wisdom and fortitude to realize that tanks were the future in ground combat. The United States was still caught up in the old ways of infantry and continued to have horse mounted cavalry rather than investing in tanks. When Germany launched their Blitzkrieg campaign in 1939, the world watched in horror as these perfected steel monsters rolled across Europe unchallenged. The Germans had provided a perfect example of military technology taking the lead. The United States was forced to scramble in an effort to catch up for the time they had lost, and the result was an inferior tank that was vulnerable to the German counterpart. Many men died as a result. The German tanks were so superior to the Allies, the Germans called the American Sherman tanks “Tommy Cookers”, due to the way they lit up after taking a hit. The German tanks were so advanced they actually achieved a 10 to 1 kill ratio in combat.

Because of the hard learned lessons of WWII, the United States made great efforts to never again be  caught at such a disadvantage. The evidence of how important this factor was came to light during the Gulf War. Iraq had the 4^th largest army in the world at the start of the war. Our stealth bombers were able to penetrate heavily defended air space and disable Iraqi forces, something that would have proved very difficult with conventional aircraft. Our M1-Abrams were so advanced to the Iraqi Russian built tanks that they were able to engage the Iraqi tanks a full mile before the Iraqi tanks were in range to fire back. The result was the defeat of the 4^th largest military in just 6 short months.

Today Russia is jockeying around for power. They are aiding the Iranians in developing nuclear capabilities, oppose to any sanctions on Iran, and continue to undermine the United States in regards to national security. The Kremlin has made inflammatory statements against NATO Western Allies. They are becoming very friendly with Cuba and Venezuela, both ant- United States, and to top it off, they have recently sold Iran one of the most sophisticated anti-air missile systems in the world, the S-300.  Given Russia’s continued behavior that constantly undermines the interest of the United States, why would we want to cozy up to such a government, all while insulting our allies in the process? My question is this; with all the billions being spent on frivolous pet and ear marked projects, an amount that could have paid for missile defense many times over, what will be this administration’s excuse if a missile is fired? I can hear it now, “don’t worry about the carbon from the mushroom cloud, we bought our federal employees hybrids to offset the carbon footprint!”

By Del Mar Dial

I try not to be pessimistic as I like to find good in everything.  However there is a time that one must be realistic and understand the situation that we are in and just where we might be heading.  What does this have to do with food?  What if I told you everything.  We are headed into scary times as our government is printing money and really its not worth the paper it is printed on.  Our money is not backed by the Gold Standard anymore.  In fact its backed by our governments word which really is no different than Parker Brothers backing monopoly money if they chose to do such a ridiculous thing.   The government is printing money at record paces, the problem with this short term gain is that we will see hyper inflation which will drive food prices higher, electricity, gasoline, etc, etc.  Anything that we purchase will cost substantualy more in the near future.  My crystal ball is broken so I can’t give an estimate on what the dollar value will be in 6 months to a year from now.  I am worried now what the future brings tomorrow and you should be too.

Currently farmers in the area of Fresno California  do not have water for there crops and  the irrigation canals are dry.  This has created quite a dilemma in the agriculture economy. The farmers have laid off farm hands as there will not be any new crops this year nor the next.   The water dilemma is simply to protect Delta Smelt which is a small fish that is 3-4 inches.  I love animals like anyone else but I love my fellow Americas more.   I am not here to repeat this important issue as there are many articles out there, but to hopefully prepare people for what I believe will be the end result.  Now not to go into a conspiracy theory but things remind me of Germany early 30’s or early USSR and here is why.  To days government looks like early Germany because of GM, Chrysler, and Health Care.  Russia, because who controlled the farms?  Russian Government did.  He who controls the food controls the people.  It’s that simple.  So what can we do about this?

Time to start spending money…Yes, I know you think I have lost it, but  it’s time to spend that printed money.   So where am I gonna get more of that printed money you may ask?  Save by not going out as often to dinner or to the movies and time to go to the store and put that money towards canned food.  How much food?  How about a year supply for every member in your family.   This is something that can take time to do,  however the faster you do it the better, remember hyperinflation is coming and crops are not being grown, you tell me where the price of food is going to go?  So now is the time!

This goes for water as well.  Buy multiple 55 gallon plastic drums and place fresh water into them.  Time to start stockpiling food and water.  I don’t remember where I read this fact from and I am sure I could google it, we have in this country from food that is harvested to distribution to the consumer is 2 weeks total.  So what does this mean….?  It means we have 2 weeks of food in this country on hand.  This is where having a food storage becomes critical.

How  have I been blessed by having food storage?  Well put it this way, I have lost a job in the past,  in fact I went 13 months without work.  I never signed up for Welfare and a big part of that was due to the fact we had food in storage.  There has been times when I had a large sum of medical bills, and as a result we consumed a lot of our storage.  We continue to restock and cycle old with new and its a continual process, but it is one that pays off in the long run.  Remember cycle your food and water and replenish it when you can.  The best part about this is, you will be prepared for a personal crisis or a national/global crisis.

By Nick Dial

As each month dwindles by, so does another month with  no progress  made towards countering Iran’s nuclear ambitions. The situation is becoming grave and the sands of time are beginning to run low. Iran has made no attempt at hiding its intentions towards those who oppose its quest for nuclear nirvana. Repeated threats of wiping nations of the map appear to be common place with Iran’s regime. Ever since the 1979 takeover of Iran, Its people have been strongly oppressed by the Mullahs. While it’s safe to say that a great deal of the Iranian people do not support Iran’s current nuclear venture, they continue to be held hostage by a rogue group of dictators and thugs that constantly thumb their nose at the world in defiance. So far, what has the world shown in return? Apathy. Clear and simple apathy with no will to hold a nation at face value for its words or actions.

In 1945 The United Nations was created to deter such issues from taking place. The world had just been through a horrible world war and the thoughts of smooth talking demagogues that commanded powerful armies with advanced weapons were fresh in the world’s minds. Hitler had left a scar on the world and had proven how apathy from Europe and failure to react to the red flags clearly being presented, cost the world in blood. Humanity had been pushed to its very limits and if you try just a little, you can still see, feel, and listen to the aftermath of that horrible event. Today, it would seem that scar has faded away. Instead of the U.N. proudly displaying this scar to remind the world of its existence and why never again such an action should take place, they choose to cover it up with a little make up and put on a smile. Sure the U.N. is large and it can have quite a bark, but all too often there is never any bite. Instead we get an organization that is so corrupt it could rival ACORN, pitching nations against one another for veto power and serving their own self interest. What once started with good intentions has now turned into nothing more than a world class dog and pony show.  Look no further then the Rwanda atrocities to find an example of their incompetence. Let’s not forget the Oil for Food scandal, where Russia, China, and Germany had illegal deals with Saddam. It’s no wonder they didn’t want us to go into Iraq, They were afraid we would find out the truth and they would have egg on their face. Turns out, they were corrupt and hid behind the disguise that they opposed the War on Terror because it was “unjust” when in reality they had their reputations on the line and were afraid of getting exposed.  The reason the United Nations doesn’t work is because you have multiple countries with vast differences and agendas, especially Russia and the NATO west. They  never agree and do nothing but out vote one another and jockey for position. When you can constantly veto your advisory, why vote in favor of helping them when it may make them stronger in the long run? The countries of the U.N. all have their own interest in mind, talking rather than acting and innocent people pay the price in blood and oppression for such incompetence.

In June of 2009, Iran faced a massive demonstration of the human spirit. When an evident case of election fraud re-elected Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, The Iranian people took to the streets and faced brutal resistance from the Mullah Regime. People were shot, beaten, and even had acid poured down on top of them from helicopters. Despite all of this , they continued to persevere. The one true image being seen that the mainstream media could not, was right in front of them. Iranians were holding signs of protest written in English. What many Westerners may not realize is the fact that most of these people do not speak English and had to go out of their way to accomplish this. This was a clear message to the western world, “We are here, and we want democracy too”. It was a cry for help, even if only to get moral support for the cause of freedom.

During the protest, what did we see from the Obama administration? Finally after much hesitation he “condemned” the brutal tactics of the Mullahs, but did nothing to really give moral support to the people fighting for a noble cause. The world sat back and watched as a people were brutalized. Many times before this event took place, Obama and his administration had made repeated attempts to have “talks” with Iran, only to be slapped away and publicly belittled for trying. Once again, an attempt has been made to negotiate with Iran and once again they simply said, “no.”  What has Obama decided to do? The administration has stated they will be holding talks in October of 2009, talks of which Iran has made clear they want no part of in regards to their nuclear program. This is like scheduling a phone call with someone who says they won’t pick up. How many times does this administration need to be publicly humiliated before they realize they are having a one way conversation?

This administration is quick to reprimand the likes of Honduras, a nation that ousted a true tyrant, Manuel Zelaya, in the name of freedom to preserve their constitution,  yet fumbles on supporting the people of Iran. Instead, they side with leaders like Chavez and Castro. Obama has been openly critical toward Israel and has done little to show them good faith in protecting their borders with an ever growing threat, Iran. One thing Israel should have done was pick up the ball that Obama dropped. For over a year, Iran and its nuclear venture has been front and center. Obama should have supported the Iranian people and put added pressure to topple the Iranian regime. We could not have asked for a better situation. Here was a golden opportunity to help the implosion of a rogue nation without the use of a massive military operation. That window is now most likely closed. Israel could and should have reached out to the people of Iran and built a bridge of moral support to fight against the Mullahs. Unfortunately this option may no longer be achievable  and time is not on Israel’s side. A choice will have to be made. As months continue to go by, so does the deadline for Israel in making a decision. Strike them first, or wait for the worst. The United Nations played a key role in the creation of the Zionist state in 1948 and yet now, the U.N. seems so willing to offer this nation up on the altar of sacrifice as they sit back and do nothing. No doubt if Israel is forced to take action, the world will look upon them with damning eyes, very reminiscent of the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah War, regardless of the fact that Israel was fired on repeatedly before taking action. In the World’s eyes, Lebanon was portrayed widely as the victim. The fact they elected Hamas, a known terrorist group into government rule, seemed to have no contributing responsibility. In reality, Lebanon themself had brought this aggression on through acts of violent aggression of their own. Even to this day, Israel is still fired on with random rockets hitting their inner cities. Will Israel ever be given the respect to defend herself that so many other nations on the world stage are privileged to do? Or, will they continue to be treated as some bastard stepchild who must always look down at the ground and only speak when spoken to?

By Clare M. Lopez

It’s a new era, alright: an era in which America’s moral compass is spinning aimlessly. While on an official visit to Baghdad Tuesday, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and top U.S. commander in Iraq, General Ray Odierno, hailed a new era in Iraq and touted an improved security situation at the one-month mark since U.S. troops pulled back from Iraqi cities and towns at the end of June.

But even as the two crowed (along with their Iraqi counterparts), Iraqi police forces were assaulting the civilian population of Ashraf City north of Baghdad, home to some 3900 unarmed members of the Iranian opposition group, the Mujahedeen-e Khalq (MEK). At day’s end, the MEK death count stood at four, while the injured numbered in the hundreds, and dozens more had been snatched and carried off by the Iraqi forces.

The MEK has been fighting tyranny and despotism in Iran since the group arose in the 1960’s on Iran’s university campuses to oppose the autocratic rule of the Shah. From the 1980s until the U.S. launched Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) in March 2003, they had waged a desperate battle against the mullahs’ despotic regime from Iraqi soil where they took refuge after the Ayatollah Khomeini’s revolution turned on the allies that had helped him topple the monarchy.

In the early days of OIF, American forces bombarded MEK camps, despite not being attacked first or taking a single shot in return. A ceasefire and MEK disarmament agreement culminated in 2004 with U.S. extension of Fourth Geneva Convention protections to the group, which had been exhaustively and individually investigated in the interim by a U.S. interagency panel and found completely innocent of any criminal or terrorist wrongdoing.

In this 2004 action, the U.S. declared the MEK members in Ashraf “protected persons” under the Geneva Conventions.  This makes us responsible — morally and legally — for their safety.

U.S. forces honored their protective commitment up until the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), approved by the Iraqi government in late 2008, began to enter into force. In recent weeks, however, as the Iraqi government moved closer to assuming independent security control across the country, the U.S. has stood by passively as Iraqis, almost certainly acting on behalf of the Tehran regime, repeatedly blocked shipments of food, water, and medicines to Ashraf. As yesterday’s brutal assault unfolded, Odierno, speaking in Baghdad, observed blandly that Iran was employing “soft power” in a bid to shape Iraqi politics.

Amnesty International, the U.S. Committee for Camp Ashraf Residents, Maryam Rajavi, head of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), and supporters across the world issued calls to the international community, the U.S. government, and President Barack Obama personally to prevent a humanitarian disaster in Ashraf.

(The homepage of the Department of State, meanwhile, contained a selection of pieces about Hillary Clinton’s recent travels in Asia, an upcoming trip planned for Africa, and some commentary about North Korea and Russia — but not a single word about the savage attack by the police forces of our Iraqi protégé against courageous and completely unarmed Iranian civilians who have dedicated their lives for the last 30 years to the cause of freedom and democracy in their homeland.  From the U.S.’s new Ambassador to Baghdad, Christopher Hill, not a word. From the administration’s new Iran specialist on the National Security Council, Ambassador Dennis Ross, not a word.

The official U.S. government reaction — in the face of massive street protests across Iran after June 2009 presidential elections widely seen as fraudulent — was to stand by passively, issuing mild expressions of concern about “the violence” as regime thugs clubbed, gassed, knifed, and shot unarmed demonstrators on the streets.  Now, again, this administration is showing itself to be an enemy of those who stand for their liberty against the forces of tyranny. Desperate to achieve some kind of negotiations with the mullahs’ regime about its nuclear weapons program, the Obama administration seems not only oblivious to repeated public snubs from Tehran, but blind to the reality that this regime is unraveling before our eyes and has lost all domestic and international legitimacy.

Earlier this month, in yet another demonstration of abasement to the ayatollahs, the U.S. released Qods Force commanders who’d been captured and held in Irbil, Iraq since January 2007, when they were caught red-handed planning, coordinating, and executing attacks with Iranian-trained Shi’ite “Special Groups” terror militias that have killed hundreds of U.S. forces.

This is an administration that simply has no moral compass. Let the world be on notice: the leader of the free world has abdicated and instead now seeks outreach with thugs, terrorists, and rogue regimes around the world.

North Korea lurches toward regime succession by setting off nuclear tests, proliferating nuclear expertise to Syria, and launching missiles in the direction of Japan and Hawaii — but the Obama administration thinks more economic enticements should turn them right around.

Tiny, brave Honduras defends its constitution by removing a president in league with Venezuelan caudillo Chavez — and the State Department is now busy revoking its diplomats’ visas.

Oppressed Iranian citizens at last turn against a regime that has tortured and terrorized them for three decades — and the American president says he’s “appalled and outraged,” but can’t really be sure who actually won those elections. Besides, he still hopes the mullahs will accept his outstretched hand one of these days and sit down to a civilized discussion about why they should end development of nuclear weapons instead of continuing plans to wipe our erstwhile friend and ally Israel off the face of the map.

The United States disarmed the MEK in Camp Ashraf and then promised — under the Geneva Conventions — to protect them. Yet we stand by while they are being murdered.  How can this be, America?