30-31 January 2007

I have been reading a number of different news stories. Some have gratified me, such as the announcement that the U.S. will complete the first stage of deployment of the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) by the end of the year, trained on both North Korea and the Middle East (translation: just in time to make Iran think twice before launching a strike against Israel or American forces in Iraq). Others have not, such as the persistence of the U.S. Senate's new Democrat majority to have a "binding non-binding resolution" condemning President Bush's increase in the number of troops in Baghdad. Yet others have concerned me greatly, namely, the revelation that Pakistani leader Gen. Pervez Musharraf is unable to get his own military to engage in attacks on the hideouts of Taliban in his own capital. (see The CounterTerrorism Blog).

What I am of a resolve to do is begin to comment on articles on two areas, from now on. One, on international terrorism, especially Islamist terror. The other is on the propaganda war, namely, what is being an American mean in the world? Has the move to democracy by so much of the world been without the components in place necessary for the kind of success that has happened in the USA? How can we train the people of the world to think as free people? And does Christianity have anything to say about the development of human liberty in areas outside our own country. In other words, we have to learn how to multiculturalize conservatism, to make Americanism global, so that those who believe in Judeo-Christian-based republican ideas have a sense of ownership in those ideas.

I am saddened at the attack on Israel yesterday by a suicide bomber that killed three people in Eilat, but I understand from Stratfor that the bomber failed to succeed in attacking the main market plaza at Eilat at rush hour, which would have killed dozens or worse. Quick intelligence of the man's presence in Eilat caused him to explode himself prematurely. Thanks to the police, sadness for those who lost their lives, and I rejoice at the bomber's failure. He is now no doubt in a place of permanent regret, not at all what he expects. Allah akbar.

---Belisarius II---