Conservatively Speaking

Former eBay chief Meg Whitman and Mitts Romney supporter is mulling a run to replace California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger when he leaves office in two years. If Senator Diane Feinstein runs too as rumors say she might. It could be a real dustup.

One of the most spectacular victories of the war on terror. But, don’t expect to read or hear about it in America’s Main Stream Media. London ’s Sunday Times called it “the culmination of one of the most spectacular victories of the war on terror.” A terrorist force that once numbered more than 12,000, with strongholds in the west and central regions of Iraq, has over two years been reduced to a mere 1,200 fighters, backed against the wall in the northern city of Mosul.

The destruction of al-Qaida in Iraq (AQI) is one of the most unlikely and unforeseen events in the l ong history of American warfare. We can thank President Bush’s surge strategy, in which he bucked both Republican and Democratic leaders in Washington by increasing our forces there instead of surrendering.

We can also thank the leadership of the new general he placed in charge there, David Petraeus, who may be the foremost expert in the world on counter-insurgency warfare. And we can thank those serving in our military in Iraq who engaged local Iraqi tribal leaders and convinced them America was their friend and AQI their enemy. Al-Qaida’s loss of the hearts and minds of ordinary Iraqis began in Anbar Province , which had been written off as a basket case, and spread out from there. Now, in Operation Lion’s Roar the Iraqi army and the U.S. 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment is destroying the fraction
of terrorists who are left. More than 1,000 AQI operatives have already been apprehended.

Sunday Times reporter Marie Colvin, traveling with Iraqi forces in Mosul, found little AQI presence even in bullet-ridden residential areas that were once insurgency strongholds, and reported that the terrorists have lost control of its Mosul urban base, with what is left of the organization having fled south into the countryside.

Meanwhile, the State Department reports that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s government has achieved “satisfactory” progress on 15 of the 18 political benchmarks “a big change for the better from a year ago.”

Things are going so well that Maliki has even for the first time floated the idea of a timetable for withdrawal of American forces. He did so while visiting the United Arab Emirates , which over the weekend announced that it was forgiving almost $7 billion of debt owed by Baghdad, an impressive vote of confidence from a fellow Arab state in the future of a free Iraq. But where are the headlines and the front-page stories about all this good news? As the Media Research Center pointed out last week, “the CBS Evening News, NBC Nightly News and CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360 were silent Tuesday night about the benchmarks “that signaled political progress.”

“Don’t-ask-don’t-tell” policy allows unmanned U. S. Predator aircraft to attack suspected terrorist targets in rugged western Pakistan federally administered tribal areas while both countries look the other way. It has been going on since August.

The Pentagon’s missile defense chief Trey Obering said Wednesday he looked forward to reporting to president-elect Barack Obama that the US anti-missile system is “workable,” and to setting the president-elect’s mind at ease.

Obama raised eyebrows by denying he had assured the Polish President that the missile shield would go forward and then further qualifying that by wondering if it was “workable.” Obama’s foreign policy advisor Dennis McDonough said Obama “made no commitment” on US plans to install a missile defense shield in Poland and the Czech Republic, under an August 14 agreement.

“His position is, as it was throughout the campaign, that he supports deploying a missile defense system when the technology is proved to be workable,” McDonough said.

Obering, who will resign his post at the end of November, warned that abandoning the missile shield in central Europe “would severely hurt our ability to protect our forces in that region.” He says timing was a vital issue. “We can’t wait until we see the Iranians fly an ICBM,” or intercontinental ballistic missile.

The shield — endorsed by NATO in February — is aimed at fending off potential attacks by so-called “rogue states” such as Iran, and is in no way aimed at Russia.

Russia sees it as a threat to its own security. On Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow would abandon plans to deploy missiles on the EU’s doorstep in Kaliningrad if the Obama scraps its plans to base part of the missile shield in Europe.

Polish lawmakers have yet to ratify the US missile defense deal while the Czech government has called for a delay in a final vote on its radar agreements until Obama’s inauguration on January 20.

The proposal is to base 10 interceptor missiles in Poland plus a radar facility in neighboring Czech Republic to complete a system already in place in the United States, Greenland and Britain. Russia has seized on it as a way to show Europe it has the power to get the U. S. to back down and that it has become a unreliable ally in any case.

Europe, that depends on Russia for most of its natural gas, is quavering because of its dependency fueled in large measure by questions about the future direction of the U. S.

NEWSWEEK magazine is taking orders for a “commemorative” issue about its candidate Barrack Obama.

A November 6, 2008 analysis by Jonathan Rynhold for The Begin-Sadat Center (BESA) says Obama’s plans to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq and reconcile with Iran and Syria in concluding that the forthcoming Obama administration was likely to clash with the next Israeli government.

Obama’s preferences regarding Iran and Iraq have serious implications for Israel,” the report, titled “President Obama and the Middle East Challenge,” said.

If the U.S. were to leave Iraq unstable, with the perception being one of American weakness and failure, it will strengthen the resolve of all radical forces in the region that threaten Israel and its de facto allies in the Arab world, such as Jordan.”

The report said Republican loser Sen. John McCain marked the “more comfortable option for Israel.” Rynhold envisioned tense relations between Obama and any Likud-led government in Israel. Likud chairman Binyamin Netanyahu has been leading in most polls in the race for Israel’s next prime minister.

“If Netanyahu does form the next Israeli government, there could be difficult times ahead,” the report said. “This has happened previously, when Shamir and Bush Senior, as well as Clinton and Netanyahu, clashed in the 1990s. But this time Netanyahu’s position would be weaker.”

The report said Israel could no longer count on Republicans in Congress to temper Obama’s policies in the Middle East. Instead, Obama would be supported by a Democratic-controlled Congress and a new Jewish lobby, “J Street,” that would seek to undermine the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee.

Although not included in the BESA Report recent U. S. surveys find a plurality of U. S. Jews unconcerned about Israel.

The report said the Obama administration could retain several leading advisers long regarded as hostile toward Israel including: former National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski and Sen. Chuck Hagel, who could be pitted against the more pro-Israel Dennis Ross and Daniel Kurtzer.

“…(T)his could lead to bureaucratic in-fighting and consequently policy incoherence, as has frequently occurred in the past.”

The report envisioned a Middle East crisis at the onset of the Obama administration. Rynhold said Obama’s foreign policy would be hampered by his lack of experience and dependent on his managerial and decision-making abilities.

“The central challenge for Obama in the Middle East is neither democratization nor securing a comprehensive resolution to the Arab-Israeli conflict — though those are worthy long term objectives — but rather the maintenance of a stable pro-American balance of power in the region,” the report said. “First and foremost that means dealing with the Iranian nuclear issue.”

The report was completed before it became known that president-elect Obama had sent envoys to Egypt, Syria, and radical Sunni-Muslim group Hamas or the appointment of as Chief of Staff. Emanuel’s father was born in Jerusalem and was a member of the Irgun, a militant Zionist group which operated from 1931 to 1948 during the British Mandate of Palestine. Whether or not these contemporary events would have changed Rynhold analysis is unknown.

Activists say if the California Supreme Court does not overturn the voter approved ban on homosexual marriage for the second time they will oput he issue back on the ballot in 2010. Scattered acts of violence against individuals and churches who supported the ban continue.

According to a World Tribune article datelined, November 12, 2008 from Abu Dhabi — Iran, Qatar and Russia the top gas producers in the world have reconvened their talks on the formation of a natural gas cartel.

The three countries began an energy summit on Nov. 12 in the Qatari capital of Doha. Officials said the key issue was an examination of the technical details required for the formation of a gas cartel modeled on OPEC.

Last month Qatar, Russia and Teheran agreed to examine the establishment of a gas cartel. Iran and Russia have pressed for the cartel that they say would “monitor” the gas market. It is hard to deny its real purpose is to control natural gas and drive up prices.

The oil ministers of Iran and Qatar are attending the Nov. 12 session. A week ago there was discussion of Lybia joining the troika. It is not known why it is not represented at the meeting.

World natural gas reserves are estimated at 6,315.770 trillion cubic feet (TCF);North America has 286.842 tcf; Europe 175.652 tcf; Eurasia 1,900.265 tcf; Middle east 2,609.319 tcf; Africa 514.328 tcf, Central and South America 260.095 tcf and Asia & Oceana 531.809 tcf.

Of that the cartel members control 57% of those gas reserves including: Qatar 904.064 tcf; Iran 988.820 tcf, and Russia 1,688.755 tcf. Russia is believed to control perhaps another 20%. Russia’s state-owned GASPROM supplies most of Europes natural gas imposrt and recently reduced prices so as not to complicate its economic uncertainties. According to Pravda, Russia’s state run news service it is allowing natural gas prices rise to market levels in Russia proper hurting many average Russians.

Republican Rep. Dan Lungren of Gold River announced today that he will challenge Ohio Republican Rep. John Boehner for the position of House minority leader. Lundgren apparently wants to bring his successes with the California Republican Party to the nation.

Thursday the International Energy Agency (IEA) slashed its 2009 crude oil price forecast to $80 from $110 saying imminent recession is strangling demand in rich countries and crimping emerging economies. It said that despite recent heavy price falls to the $60 range, prices on futures contracts still hovered around $85 for a 40 gallon barrel.

The IEA, the oil monitoring and strategy arm of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, said that “given the economic contraction, a lower price will only have a very limited effect upon oil demand.”

“Oil demand is in a tailspin,” the IEA said. “But there is scant consensus on the slowdown’s scale and duration.”

The IEA said that “while we lack a crystal ball,” a recently announced Chinese economic stimulus package “could help avert the first global demand contraction since 1983.”

The “current squeeze” had widespread repercussions, the IEA noted, saying: “Slowing oil sector investment in 2009 sows the seeds of a sharp tightening in market fundamentals if major projects are delayed.”

It warned that the impact of such a slowing of investment would be felt in three to five years’ time “after economic recovery regains a foothold.”

Some studies predict crude oil production topping out in 2011-2013 but others doubt it predicting continued growth for some time to come.

Led by California, 41 states are now in financial trouble, and many of their leaders are looking to Congress to bail them out. To paraphrase Barry Goldwater having government watch your money is like have you dog watch your food.

We are very profitable in China,” said Henry Wong, a Shanghai-based spokesman for General Motors the biggest US auto maker, and he confirmed GM wants to continue investment and expansion there. “I will not speculate on where money will come from for future investment of speculative nature. Right now it’s too early to talk about that,” he said.

He told AFP that various investment projects GM had committed itself to in the past were “all on target and on track.”

These included expansion projects for existing plants in the cities of Qingdao and Yantai, both in east China’s Shandong province, he said.

“We are not withdrawing or holding back any investment in China,” he said.

He declined to comment on reports in the local media that it planned to increase its 34-percent stake in SAIC-GM-Wuling, a joint venture that produces commercial vehicles.

On Monday, GM chief executive Rick Wagoner said the US auto maker was in such dire financial straits that it needed to line up a federal aid package before president-elect Barack Obama takes office in January.

The expansion and speculative investment comments have skeptics of the proposed government loan or equity purchases concerned that U. S. taxpayer money can wind up helping hire more foreign workers. Others say the taxpayer money is a giant welfare program for the United Auto Workers.

Recent analysis show that the cost of one hour’s manufacturing for GM in the U. S. is about $74 more than twice Toyota’s domestic costs and several times more that other manufacturers.

Regardless it is politically expedient to prop up GM’s domestic operations. The theory is credit will loosen; the economy will improve and fuel costs will average in the $2.50 per gallon range until at least 2010 all helping car and truck sales. A bugaboo are various proposals to pile new sales taxes onto vehicles sales such as one floated in California to increase sales taxes by 1.5% and increase already high vehicle license fees to patch up its $30 billion estimated budget deficit.

The FBI is investigating whether vandalism to Mormon temples and meeting houses, incidents believed to be linked to Proposition 8 activists, are hate crimes.

Sources reporting to World Tribune in an article from Cairo, Egypt says fighting between opposition forces and the regime of Col. Moammar Qaddafi has spread. Libya has imposed a news black out as thousands of government troops are rushing to several cities.

Qaddafi regime sources claims the fighting is a tribal conflict but Libyan opposition sources said tribes and other unemployed young men were battling regime forces in at least two cities in the North African state. Call it a revolution.

Government sources say, “Skirmishes between youths from Al Tabu and Zawia tribes evolved into larger battles in which several cars and houses were burned,” the Libyan daily Al Watan said on Nov. 7 before the blackout was imposed. .

Opposition sources said the fighting between tribal members and the regime began in the southeastern Libyan city of Kufra in early November and has now spread to the streets of Benghazi the second largest city.

30% unemployment, a dysfunctional economy and even the recent courtship by Russia has raised the level of discord that has now boiled over to street fighting.

Libya is governed by a so-called Jamahiriya (a state of the masses) in theory, governed by the populace through local councils; in practice, an authoritarian state with Qaddafi as its dictator. It has a unworkable amalgam of Italian and French civil law and Islamic law. It is without a Constitution,  or political parties so effective opposition is almost impossible and chaotic.

95% of its export income is from crude oil accounting for 60% of private sector wages. Theoretiocally it has one of the highest per capita income in Africa but little of its trickles to the poorest and even its 45 billion barrel oil reserve allows little hope for a better life except for the elite.

Libya has claimed more than 32,000 sq km in southeastern Algeria and about 25,000 sq km in the Tommo region of Niger in a currently dormant dispute; various Chadian rebels from the Aozou region reside in southern Libya.

At this writing it is unknown if foreign fighters or influence are involved in the current conflict.

Chevrolet is the best selling car in the world. Not in the U. S. but in the world. GM is wildly profitable in China and South America. Bureaucrats and unions are strangling it in U. S.

U.S. officials said the Treasury Department would block short-term money transfers in the United States, a method used by the Teheran regime. The so-called U-turn” bank transfers were designed to move money through the United States en route to offshore banks. “Given Iran’s conduct, it is necessary to close even this indirect access,” Treasury Undersecretary Stuard Levey said.

Under the measure, Treasury would outlaw the processing of U-turn transfers by U.S.-licensed banks. Officials said the restriction would prevent most transfers by non-Iranian offshore banks for Iranian entities. “This regulatory action will close the last general entry point for Iran to the U.S. financial system,” Treasury said.

Officials said Iranian banks and the Teheran government were increasingly using U-turn to avoid U.S. sanctions. They said Teheran recruited Asian, African and European banks to handle Iranian foreign transactions.

The Bush administration has determined that Iranian banks were aiding Teheran’s missile and nuclear program. Treasury has already imposed sanctions on such Iranian state-owned banks as Melli, Mellat, Saderat, Sepah, Future Bank and the Export Development Bank of Iran.

The latest measure, announced on Nov. 6, stipulated that no U.S.-licensed bank could conduct a U-turn transaction for Iran. Officials said the exception would be the transfer of Iranian funds to families or humanitarian relief. The United States contains a small but wealthy Iranian community, mainly located in Los Angeles

“Allowable funds transfers under specific or general OFAC [Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control] licenses would include: payments arising from over-flights of Iranian air space; legal services; intellectual property protection; and authorized sales of agricultural products, medicine, and medical devices to Iran,” Treasury said.

A Fairfield, California priest who had asked for a car with several Obama for President stickers to be removed from the church parking lot a week ago apologized today to churchgoers for his outburst.

larm klaxons are clanging at the National Rifle Association (NRA); Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA), and among hunters and gun owners over question 59 on the 63-question application to work in the Obama administration. The question in the miscellaneous section asks: “Do you or any members of your immediate family own a gun?” and demands to list details.

It is unclear whether owning a gun would disqualify an applicant or not but the question seems to show a distaste for and a desire to “weed-out” people who own a firearm. After all if it was not important in the vetting and selection process why would it be included?

ISRA issued a statement that “as an Illinois State senator — voted for SB1195, which included a provision calling for gun owners to be registered in the same manner as sex offenders.”

“[A]s this litmus test shows, they have every intention of putting together an administration that is hostile to firearms ownership and to Second Amendment rights,” said NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre.

President-elect Obama’s disparaging comment about people clinging to their guns and Bibles inflamed many and this disclosure last week fanned the blaze and suspicions.

The day after election gun sales spiked across America as citizens scrambled to buy guns before stiffer regulations and even efforts to ban private ownership. In 1996 during his run for the Illinois State Senate, Obama told non-profit organization Independent Voters of Illinois that he supported a ban on the manufacture, sale and possession of handguns, a de facto national annulment of the second amendment. During the campaign he said, Americans have a right to bear arms.

But, he qualified that in April 2008 Obama stating, “As a general principle, I believe that the Constitution confers an individual right to bear arms. But just because you have an individual right does not mean that the state or local government can’t constrain the exercise of that right.”

Obama cosponsored bills to limit gun purchases , supported the 2008 D.C. gun ban, voted against allowing persons who had obtained domestic violence protective orders to carry handguns for their protection, and has consistently supported measures against concealed carry.

Obama is also a board member of the Joyce Foundation, which funds gun control groups in the U.S.

His appointment of long time anti-gun crusader Rahm Emanuel as Chief of Staff has also deepened concerns of 2^nd Amendment advocates.

The U.S. Supreme Court, in District of Columbia v. Heller (June 26, 2008), protected the pre-existing individual right to possess and carry weapons in a case that overturned Washington DC’s ban on gun ownership.

Last 5 posts by

• January 5, 2009 - January 5th, 2009
• December 29, 2008 - December 29th, 2008
• December 22, 2008 Conservatively Speaking - December 22nd, 2008
• December 18, 2008 - December 18th, 2008
• December 8, 2008 Conservatively Speaking - December 8th, 2008