To get out of Iraq, first we must first know why we are in Iraq. We did not invade Iraq to find Saddam's Weapons of Mass Destruction. We did not invade Iraq to establish democracy in the Middle East. We invaded Iraq to deter Saudi Arabia and its client, Islamic Fascism, from staging more 9/11... More

The War on Terror has brought on many complex problems and challenges. Perhaps none is more critical than the conduct of the political Left which is apparently set on sabotaging our efforts. Unable to come up with a logical explanation, political observers either throw up their hands in... More

During the Cold War, the "convergence" theory held that over time the Soviet Union and the United States would become more and more alike, ushering in an era of world peace. Liberals liked the theory because it meant that the Soviets would magically evolve in the direction of freedom and democracy,... More

While many free trade advocates are rightfully concerned about the potential collapse of the Doha Round of trade negotiations at a WTO ministerial meeting to be held in Hong Kong next month amid thousands of anti—globalization protestors, they should step back for a few moments and ponder the... More

What a year!  First of all we got to see New Orleans looters calmly pushing shopping carts full of plasma TVs and expensive athletic shoes down the flooded streets of the Big Easy.  Then we saw the rioters of the Paris banlieus calmly torching the cars of their neighbors and... More

It has long been said that money can come between friends.  But as the recent hysteria over rising oil prices reminds me, it can also come between the human mind and sound economic principles.  There has been much talk about 'price gouging' by the oil companies, as we witnessed the... More

Like every other business, the business of war has changed. Centuries ago, a war ended when one army defeated another on the battlefield.  But in the modern world of total war , a war isn't over when one army defeats the other. A war is over when the population of the country whose army has... More

Really all that anyone needs to know about Ramsey Clark's mindset in dashing off to Iraq to defend Saddam Hussein can be summed up by one sentence written as part of a profile of the former attorney general of the United States of America: 'After a failed bid for the Senate in 1976, Clark... More

[Spanish to English, bastante adj.: 1. enough  adj.]   We're with you, George, through thick and thin We support you still in the mess you're in, But enough's enough and as they say Bastante! down old Mexico way. We're sick of our laws being totally ignored As our torero, George, you're... More

Russian is continuing to play a very dangerous game with Iran's nuclear weapons program. If there ever has has been more obfuscation and technical misinformation about a rogue nation's nuclear program than Iran's, I can't think of it.  According to the Deutsche Press via M&C News, Iran's... More

Historical facts say that Islam has been imperialistic—and would still like to be, if only for religious reasons. Many Muslim clerics, scholars, and activists, for example, would like to impose Islamic law  around the world. Historical facts say that Islam, including Muhammad, launched... More

The CENTCOM Newsletter is not available for this past week, however, the command routinely publishes news releases here.  Among the stories covered are: Operation Steel Curtain concludes CAMP BLUE DIAMOND, AR RAMADI, Iraq —Iraqi Army Soldiers and Marines, Soldiers and Sailors with... More

Benghazi is an old city lying on the Mediterranean in northeast Libya. It has seen its share of conquest, mainly by the Greek, Roman and Byzantium empires, but the conquest of 7th century Muslim Arabs holds sway over the city to this day. The second capital of Libya after Tripoli, Benghazi's... More

The UK Guardian is holy writ for the British Left, which means that its readers are taught, day after day, that the United States — and Tony Blair — are either utterly evil or terminally stupid. There is no way they can be talked out of those delusional beliefs, because their daily... More

Different language about the same geography can reflect the various sides of a conflict or war. Consider use of Eretz Yisrael, Land of Israel, as compared to 'Palestine.' Another pair from the Middle East: 'Persian Gulf' versus 'Arabian Gulf'; use of one in place of the other may quickly raise... More

When French voters said "Non!" to the EU Constitution last May, one reason was the Polish plumber. Actually he ——— or she ——— was a scare tactic by leftwing parties, who were afraud the EU Constitution might bring in cheap labor from Eastern Europe. Polish... More

Today there are over 40 million people living with HIV or AIDS. Last year, 5 million more people contracted the virus. Despite increasing awareness and education about AIDS and how it is transferred along with billions of dollars of research to find a cure, the number of infected people continues... More

Warning signs are already out and should be for the coming Steven Spielberg movie on the Israeli effort to hunt down those who participated in, or planned the Munich massacre in 1972.  In an article in the LA Weekly about the movie, the clear spin is that it will be a great film: nuanced,... More

After nearly three successive weeks of rioting in France by predominantly Muslim youths, the violence has ebbed, albeit to an uneasy level in considerable excess of the early October 'baseline' before the riots (for example, in terms of vehicles burnt per day see this graph). The prevailing... More

Thanksgiving is a bittersweet time for our military and their family members.  Many of our service men and women will be spending their holidays deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan or other areas around the world that require a military presence and capability to be close at hand.  For some,... More

Reviewing Victory in Tripoli: How America's War with the Barbary Pirates Established the U.S. Navy and Shaped a Nation, by Joshua E. London, John Wiley & Sons Inc., 2005.  276 pages, Photos, map, bibliography, index Though America's first encounter with the Barbary States... More

From the Pilgrim's William Bradford to George Washington to George W. Bush, I am thankful that this nation is led by those who recognize the hand of God that both guides and provides.  May His blessings be abundant in your homes and communities this and every year we observe Thanksgiving... More

When one is trying to make a political figure look like a conservative hawk, it is in one's best interest to hide from the public any moments when said figure acts like a dove. Such appears to be the case with the ongoing character reconstruction of Rep. John Murtha (D—Pennsylvania) since his... More

When I first wrote to you, last January, the level of opposition to the war in Iraq was too low to affect the war's outcome.  President Bush had just been re—elected, and he had the public support he needed to stay the course. But for a combination of reasons — including the... More

Liberals are feeling their oats these days. The President's poll ratings are down. Support for the Iraq war has eroded. Democrats in Congress are on the offensive charging the White House with misleading the country into war.  An aide to the Vice President has been indicted, Congressman Tom... More

Any cosmetician worth her salt will tell you that the most important step in a quality makeover is to apply a first—rate foundation. In the case of the character reconstruction that has been expertly crafted on John Murtha (D—Pennsylvania) the past five days, it appears the foundation... More

Richard Perle, the scary neocon, has a nasty habit of telling the truth.  He thefore frightens the pants off our friends on the Left, which is a good thing, every now and then. Perle did it again this week by talking about getting tough with the Saudis. Saudi Arabia is the home of Wahhabi... More

America's political elites have a secret they don't intend to share with the voters.  Democrats claim to want our military out of Iraq more or less immediately, though only three of them have the guts to vote that way. President Bush promises we will stay until the job is done and no... More

Almost since the moment Congressman John Murtha (D—Pennsylvania) took the stage last Thursday to call for the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq, the left and the media that supports them have gone out of their way to construct a picture of this Vietnam veteran that is somewhat... More

Americans justly pride themselves on having the most open government in the world. Aside from our intelligence services and certain aspects of the Justice Department, the business of governance is supposed to be conducted in sunlight. Anyone in the world with knowledge of the English language,... More

The prize for the most dramatic oratory in the United States Congress in the new millennium goes to fledgling Representative Jean Schmidt.  In the midst of debate over whether the House of Representatives should vote on a resolution endorsing immediate U.S. withdrawal from Iraq she conveyed a... More

[The second of two parts. Part I of this article can be read here] Violent jihad warfare on infidels is the norm, not the exception, in Islamic history. Once successful, jihad leads to the imposition of humiliating, degrading, violent, and expensive oppression under dhimmitude, the... More

Only political suckers really believed that the European Union would listen to the voters after they decisively voted against its bizarre draft Constitution last May. The EU is a piece of bureaucratic imperialism that has built up an unstoppable head of steam over thirty years. It has never... More

As the Christmas season nears, we can anticipate a flurry of news stories about townships here and cities there, all of which are trying their darndest to avoid the idea of Christmas. Some will substitute entirely nondenominational 'winter celebrations;' others will invoke Native American or Pagan... More

A silver—haired man was helped to his feet by someone sitting next to him. His hands shook slightly as he held the microphone and said a few words about his service to his country, before handing the device to the next person at the table. It was the Veterans' Day celebration at a ranch in... More

[Part II of this article appears tomorrow] Violent jihad warfare on infidels is the norm, not the exception, in Islamic history. Once successful, jihad leads to the imposition of humiliating, degrading, violent, and expensive oppression under dhimmitude, the institutionalized imposition of lowly... More

There are a number of methods of judging how a war is progressing. The American media knows none of them. Based on mainstream media reporting, many Americans, including some in elective office, are coming to the wrong—headed conclusion that we are losing our war in Iraq. The facts say... More

It's nice that the President is finally ridiculing the ridiculous charge that he lied us into war in Iraq.  I, for one, am grateful for any sign of political life from a White House that sometimes seems to have gone into a second term coma.  So far, however, the President has been content... More

Forgive me my pessimism today. I made the mistake of reading reaction in the mainstream media to Representative John Murtha's (D—PA) tearful tirade against the Iraq War on the floor of the House yesterday. The fact that he said the war was 'unwinnable' last year apparently isn't newsworthy.... More

The New York Times narcissistically regards itself as the patron saint of minorities. The paper shifts into attack mode whenever it sees the slightest and most ephemeral whiff of prejudice against blacks, women, or immigrants — especially Muslims. Private golf clubs, college sports teams,... More

The Greek historian Heraclitus observed, "A man's character is his fate." I've always found that to be true. I'd go further though. I think it is as applicable to institutions as it is to individuals. If I'm right, the end result of the Wilson/Plame hoax — described by Christopher Hitchens... More

During my last visit to the West Bank I was amazed at the enormous houses and luxury apartments I saw built by Palestinian leaders for their personal use. Most surpassed anything the average American could afford. Now there is an explanation: As the US Congress debates how much more of the US... More

Even as the actual events surrounding the Grand Jury investigation of the Plamegate non—scandal fade into irrelevancy, the liberal spin machine continues to work overtime in its efforts to reformulate the entire affair into something it never was. Partisan Democrats in Washington and... More

Thomas J. Dodd of Connecticut was the last United States Senator to be  censured by his colleagues. He was so reprimanded in 1967 for using his office to transfer campaign funds for personal use. One would think that a Senator giving an enemy of the United States a warning of possible imminent... More

Government officials all over the world were stunned last month by statements made by Mahmood Ahmadinejad, the current president of Iran. Ahmadinejad stressed that having a world without the United States and 'Zionism' is indeed a goal 'which is attainable and could definitely be realized'. ... More

The elephant in the room concerning the Wilson—Plame leak scandal and the Able Danger firings is that the very agencies charged with protecting our country have turned inward, practicing their dark craft to unseat a duly elected President in a time of war.  Unfortunately, the... More

The flames consuming thousands of automobiles, and the occasional bus, nursery, warehouse, and school across France are the result of tragic — in the original sense of the word — set of decisions made by the leaders of Europe, motivated by greed, jealousy, and hubris. The dream of a... More

Perhaps the only thing that bores me more than hearing incessant murder—mystery reportage is writing about it.  And although I'm not sure which I find less tolerable, watching a washed—up ex—jock lead police on a low—speed chase as Geraldo waxes redundant, reporting on... More

John Dean's testimony about Richard Nixon's words in the Oval Office brought about Watergate, and the fall of an American president.  That is what our media believe; it's the biggest story of their lives. They have beaten their chests about it ever since. The only trouble is that it is a... More

France's government is virtually clueless in its understanding of the nature of the problem of rioting Muslim 'immigrant youths' and hence, how to properly respond to it. With each ensuing attempt by government officials to grovel and pander their way out of their quagmire, it becomes ever more... More

Governor Schwarzenegger learned an important lesson last week when his four voter initiatives to reform California state government went down to defeat. If you try to take out the government employees in a massive World War I style offensive you won't succeed.  Instead of a decisive... More

In an Op Ed piece entitled 'Romney's rush to reform healthcare,' Joan Vennochi and the Boston Globe prove once again that Democratic Party politics are always front and center in any position the Globe takes on any issue. Party considerations will be first — even with those issues that the... More

Islam in its purest form honors and elevates women, we are often told. But does it? All too often, textual reality (the Quran) matches up with the historical reality of seventh—century Arabia. Gender inequality and oppression in the Quran reflect the culture of seventh century desert... More

An armed citizenry is the worst nightmare of those who circulate among us with felonious intent, especially violent, injurious intent; for crooks operating within an armed public must consider that violence, once instigated, may be returned upon them with serious, painful, even deadly consequences.... More

Perhaps the most important question on the minds of "undecided" American voters these days is: who should I entrust the security of the United States to in the coming years, liberals or conservatives? Although I must admit that conservatives have made their fair share of mistakes when it comes to... More

The word 'forgotten' applied to certain wars or veterans has become almost a cliché in recent years.  The Korean war and those who fought it come to mind in this regard. Veteran's Day yesterday was a time to remember those who fall into this category, distant in time, place and memory; to... More

Jacques and his frères are surely weeping Les pauvres immigrès have caught them sleeping, Paysans revolt, their emotions churning, What's that odeur? Is Paris burning? Within the banlieues there's no joy Among les jeunes who are sans emplois. What, take a job? Not the way to go; We'd rather riot,... More

Suppose you were president of a country that had been hit by a massive terrorist attack that had killed 3,000 of your fellow citizens. Suppose you had come to the inescapable conclusion that not only were the terrorists to be destroyed for the threat they posed to the nation you led, but that other... More

Writing recently in The Telegraph, columnist Mark Steyn noted that the ongoing riots in France and neighboring countries are likely to exacerbate Europe's demographic woes.  'Europe could face a continent—wide version of the 'white flight' phenomenon seen in crime—ridden American... More

'I have made arrangements for the correspondents of our papers to take the field, and I have suggested that they wear a white uniform to indicate the purity of their character.' —Union General Irvin McDowell, prior to the first Battle of Bull Run (1861) Spanish judge Santiago Pedraz has... More

But two short months ago, European newspapers and magazines were in full thrall over Hurricane Katrina, and the Bush Administration's flawed response. They were joined in their journalistic ecstasy by prominent American reporters, including Brian Williams  ("he owned the hurricane" remarked... More

France invaded Algeria in May 1830, captured Algiers in only three weeks, and issued the following proclamation: The exercise of the Mahometan religion shall remain free. The liberty of the inhabitants of all classes, their religion, their property, their commerce, their industry, shall be... More

Genevieve Peters is a former school teacher and teacher's union representative, now an educational consultant living in the Los Angeles area.  She frequently volunteers her time for causes she passionately believes in. Among those causes is support for Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and his... More

There are an amazing number of French fingerprints all over the Plame—Wilson affair. While it is not easy to penetrate the dark fog of lies, there is a highly consistent pattern pointing to French government involvement with a Watergate—style assault on the American Presidency, fronted... More

The Washington Post's new ombudsman Deborah Howell, in only her second article in her new position, chose to defend journalists' use of unnamed sources. Of late, this has become quite a hot—button issue, as an increasing number of articles from more and more media outlets seem to rely almost... More

Last week Paris was burning.  Now it is the little town of Evreux where 50 cars were torched on Saturday night by Muslim teenagers. No problem?  Evreux is 25 miles from Giverny, the home of Monet's garden and its famous Japanese bridge.  The garden was restored in the 1970s by an... More

Desperation for a contemporary war movie that has no anti—American or anti—Bush propaganda has made for some strange judgments about Hollywood's supposed newfound quest for accurate storytelling.  Such is the case with Jonathan Last's review  of the new movie Jarhead. I have... More

David Stern has opted to require a dress code for his players in the NBA.  Translated: out with retro jerseys, baggy jeans, T—shirts as big as tents and "chains, pendants or medallions;" and in with a more business—casual look.  And apparently, a lot of resistance. Allen... More

Sometimes a coach is more than just a coach. The best among them become role models for values transcending the arena of athletic competition. When such a coach works with students during their malleable years, some of the most valuable learning imaginable is offered, and taken directly to... More

Finally, the spotlight has started to swing away from Lewis Libby and his allegedly perjurous grand—jury testimony toward where that spotlight should have focused all along: on the CIA's incompetent, weird — and possibly treasonous —— response to Vice President Cheney's... More

Like John Roberts before him, Samuel Alito has already provoked some skepticism in conservative circles as he does the confirmation tango.  Both Bush nominees have made a point of avoiding any full—throated defense of the right's pet jurisprudential theories.  The hearsay testimony... More

A few years ago, two youngish men in the same business shared an epiphany. In their living rooms a thousand miles apart, they sat and stared at the television. Scrunching up their faces and furrowing their brows, they thought long and hard, straining to formulate a sound bite worthy of the six... More

Senate Democrats employed a stealthy maneuver the other day, to reinforce their demand into an affair they like to call "Plamegate." They are right that an investigation is required. But they have gotten the subject matter wrong. Circumstantial evidence suggests that the real scandal is the... More

Reaction among Senate Democrats to President George W. Bush's nomination of Judge Samuel Alito to the United States Supreme Court has been typically naяve and uninformed. One sentiment in particular is striking. Senators pleading and demanding that the President nominate who they want instead of... More

There was little fanfare from the main stream media when Saudi Arabia was finally given the nod by major trading nations to join the World Trade Organization (WTO).  The 12 year—long negotiations were stymied partly by internal Saudi religious elements that feared a breakdown of... More

For President Bush the third time's the charm. Judge Sam Alito of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit was a sight for sore conservative eyes when he stood beside the President for the announcement of his nomination to the Supreme Court.  Many of us who were horrified... More

'We believed rightly that Saddam was in our AO (area of operations) from summer '03 on, and also believed that if he were caught, he would likely be caught in our area as in any.  We publicly stated so from June '03 onward.' These words are from an e—mail Lt. Col. Steven D. Russell... More

Israel faces unique security problems, having powerful enemies openly intent on her destruction. The President of Iran calls for it to be 'wiped off the map' and could soon have the nuclear weapons to accomplish his publicly—stated goal. Israel cannot afford to ever lose a war. National... More

The one phrase that Democrats in the US Senate and elsewhere in that party's leadership use more than any other to smear the men and women President Bush has nominated for key positions in our government is: 'right—wing extremist.'  They drowned John Bolton in it, hurled it at Harriet... More

Last Friday, after a week in which the combat deaths in Iraq reached 2,000, the Harriet Miers nomination collapsed, and Vice—President Cheney's chief of staff was indicted, could anyone have doubted that the Bush administration lost the Mandate of Heaven? Well, it depends whose side you are... More

The President fully redeemed himself yesterday in his nomination of Sam Alito, Jr. to the Supreme Court of the United States. I say this not simply because I believe that Mr. Alito is a conservative who will overturn Roe v. Wade, but because he is an extraordinarily well qualified candidate with... More