WIJDON

President Barack Obama has been critical of Iran's recent elections and the protesting which has resulted in death. Although, this would be a great time for the world led by the US to start questioning and being critical of Iran's government and promoting Western ideals amongst the youth of that country, there is a fine line between  propaganda and persuasion and carelessly attacking a country's way. Iran's youth is clearly supporting the "loser" in the recent election, Hossein Mousavi, while much of the country still supports Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. 

French President Nicolas Sarkozy called the election a "fraud", US VP Joe Biden stated that speech seems to be surpressed, and much of the western world agree. This may be a weak point in Iran which seems to be good for the Western world and its ally, Israel, but over 60% has voted for Ahmadinejad. 

The US President Obama has been very smart in carefully choosing to be moderate in blasting Iran on its election. Although the protest may continue for some time, Ahmadinejad is still in power, and most likely stay in power. Iran has had a troubling history in the past 30 years. The Shah's rule and friendship with the West, the Iranian revolt against the Shah, the arrival of the exiled Ayatollah, and the lack of friendship with the West and rise of Islamic extremism, and again back to the leadership of a more democratic ruler and the desire for more rights for women have all been witnessed by elder Iranians and this is the reason for the re-election of Ahmadinejad. He has been a character. He has been trouble for the West and well liked by his own people. Iran has been emerging as a potential threat and a strong country, Iranians like that. Ahmadinejad is very similar to Russia's Vladmir Putin, he is a ruler liked by his own people due to the advancement  that they bring to their country and seen as a threat to the US and the rest of the West. 

 Iran can easily become a friend of the US if the US allow them to be. Endless Great Americans from George Washington, Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, to Abraham Lincoln and many others have always stated that war is often avoided between two equal powers, bullying is limited, a mutual respect is reached, and war is often the last answer. This is true and we need to the friend not the enemy.

Reports from the American Foreign Press stated that the Daily Telegraph have seen pictures of the prisoners in Abu Ghraib as well as 6 other prisons. They allegedly relate to 400 abuse cases.

“The pictures show US soldiers raping detainees, sexual assaults on prisoners with objects including a truncheon, wire and a phosphorescent tube, and a female prisoner forcibly having her breasts exposed, the Daily Telegraph said” reported the AFP.

These pictures have exposed the abuse of detainees at the hands of US soldiers. President Obama recently backtracked his idea of releasing hundreds of photos of the prisoners and their conditions because it may cause a strong reaction from people against the US troops serving oversees.

 I understand President Obama's point. I would never want our troops in any avoidable danger. I don't want to see any friends or family get hurt or killed. I understand and respect this but don't promise something and not give it to the people.

These photos, alledgedly depict a female prisoner being forced to expose her breasts, prisoners being raped by objects, and probably much more than the stomach can take. This report is not good at all. The mere mention of such photos will infuriate people in America as well as abroad. Reports have stated that about 1% of all the prisoners in Guantanamo Bay are guilty of any crime, and we are still holding them without a trial.

What is wrong with some of our military men and women. The sad part is that some are forced to do such things because they are told by a higher officer, a soldier must do what they are told, but to what extent. If you want to join any other agency in the US there typically is a test for the candidates personality or mentality but not when someone wants to join the Army or other military service. Who enjoys torturing others and takes photos of it. Only sadistic killers have been known to display behaviors such as this. The US is not the only country to have tortured prisoners but we have been dumb enough to take photos of it that clearly depict such vial acts.

We need to get our act together. We only get to make so many mistakes before our own allies think we are the enemy.

President Obama should deliver swift corrective actions to any personnel that have engaged in such activities or have been rumored and convicted of such acts. The men and women should be put in prison. These are war crimes being committed. We are acting no better than the terrorists we want to stop. Obama should not tolerate this and commend people like Major General Antonio Taguba for their honesty and punish people like Steven Green for their lack of humanity.

We need to be tougher on the criminals and reward people that have a conscience.

So the United States Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, stated to the Afghan people that "I wish to express my personal regret and certainly the sympathy of our administration on the loss of civilian life in Afghanistan". The US led strikes in Farah and have killed an early estimate of over 100 people, including civilians that were women and children. As Clinton stood side by side with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari to deliver an apology to the Afghan people and explained the efforts of the US in a joint relationship with Afghanistan and Pakistan against these extremists/terrorists.

I am particularly disgusted with this particular act. With all the military intelligence that America possesses it is sad that this happened. I understand mistakes are made but the people of Afghanistan will not let this go.  Conflict will come. Hamid Karzai is a terrible leader. He may be a Pashtun but he can not even go to Kandahar, he is protected by foreign soldiers and he chose "Marshall" Fahim as his running mate in the upcoming election. The fact that the people who were the victims of this area, Farah, are mainly Pashtun, this will result in an increased uprising. Eventually, Pakistan will get affected in the most negative way. It may be possible that Northern Pakistan will fall to the Taliban. Some Pakistanis tell me that the Army will go out and wipe the Taliban out.....I don't think so. The Afghans in that region are very familiar with the area, the Army is made up of Afghans and also Afghan supporters, and if the US and all of NATO can't wipe the Taliban out, a small Pakistani Army will definitely fail. 

It is sad becasue the Afghan people love America. The best way to help them is to actually help them. Build some wells, some roads, some schools in the Pashtun areas, promote education, and support women. Prosecute people like Rabanni, Fahim, Karzai's brothers, and promote more moderates. It is almost too late. I still have hope that we can regain our dominance in the area, but it is almost a lost cause. This particular "mistake" was too big. One more mistake like this and we should just leave. There will be unrest, killings, warlordism, extremism, terrorism, and eventually a civil war that is inevitable and the country will fall back to Pashtuns and a very DOMINANT leader.

A possibility of an international conference on how to tackle Afghanistan has been discussed and a possible date for this conference will be near the end of March. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called for a “big tent” to discuss efforts on Afghanistan.  Russia has dealt with Afghanistan before and is a key player in the region as well as the world. NATO will resume communication with Russia after the seven months Russia was ignored due to their attacks on Georgia in August 2008. Everyone’s differences will not be forgotten but will be ignored for the time being was clearly stated. Overall the clear message is that it is now important the world works together on Afghanistan.

                Such a little country has become such a big problem.

It is good that the U.S. is trying to take a different approach to an 8 year old problem. Including Russia and Iran means they want different opinions to get the job done. It also means that the U.S. want to have friendlier relationship with Iran and Russia especially compared to the last administration. Russia can share first hand knowledge of their experience in Afghanistan and Iran can be of some regarding culture. All this involvement concerns me. Clinton clearly wants to separate this administration from the previous Bush administration. Clinton makes clear decisions, takes her time and executes her actions in an effort to come out on top. I think this is good for America. She may not be president and help with the economy and other internal factors but the trouble abroad can affect us for generations. Clinton, being our highest diplomat needs to focus on this problem and use it to her advantage. But she clearly needs help.

                Clinton recently presented a Russian diplomat with a gift that signifies a new start. She presented him with a yellow box and a red button inside to “reset” their relationship. The only problem is that she said in Russian “overcharge” instead of “reset” while presenting the gift. Wow. This mistake is a big one. How does an American representative go present something and not have advisers that explain to them that their use of the language is incorrect? When she was told that she made a mistake she stated that she would not let Russia “overcharge” America hinting at the distrust that America has. This is not a good start. It was easily bypassed by everyone but she showed something she should have hid. Not only that but the gift itself is a questionable one. Copying a Staples commercial for a diplomatic gift is a bad one.  The world does witness every move we make and scrutinized all our moves.  We need to carefully consider our moves before we act on the world stage.

                The world is giving us a second chance. We just need to be very wise in every move we make. We can not simple mistakes like disrespecting someone, getting certain words wrong, and so on.  

When Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper was asked what he would say if U.S. President Barack Obama asked him to send more troops to Afghanistan, Harper stated that

“If President Obama were to ask me that question, I would have a question back for him.  And that question would be: What is your plan to leave Afghanistan to the Afghans, so they can govern it?

Because there are enormous risks there for us and enormous challenges. And I'm not saying we cannot improve things. But if we think -- our experience has taught us, if we think that we are going to govern Afghanistan for the Afghans, or over the long term be responsible for day-to-day security in Afghanistan, and see that country improve, we are mistaken.

And so, if -- I welcome President Obama's renewed commitment to Afghanistan, the fact that they're sending a lot more American troops. We're delighted to have them, especially in Kandahar, where we need the partner.

But over the long haul, if President Obama wants anybody to do more, I would ask very hard questions about what is the strategy for success and for an eventual departure?"

Canada’s Prime Minister was very open about his concern about the welfare of Afghanistan with foreign military control. Obviously our greatest allies are understanding that the war in Afghanistan is a lost war. The initial reason we invaded Afghanistan is not the reason why we are staying. After 9/11 the U.S. under President Bush II invaded Afghanistan with the support of the world. But since the invasion nothing has transpired in the greater good of the Afghan people nor Americans.

• Al Queda, Osama bin Laden’s terrorist organization made up mostly of Arab members, not Afghans (Afghans and Iranians are not Arab but are continuously mistaken as Arab), were never really found nor destroyed. The caves or Afghanistan was searched by NATO as well as the U.S. but also local warlords that were paid to search the caves. This was a wrong move, how can you pay a crook to look for your enemy when they are protecting the enemy? Clearly a dumb move.
• The Taliban which is an Afghan organization made up of Afghans, Pashtuns, (Afghan, not Arab) were dismantled but alienated. These were the people that should have been incorporated in the change in Afghanistan, they were the only ones to bring peace in Afghanistan. Yes, they stopped only at bringing security but they brought security. They could have been taught to incorporate education for girls, some freedoms and so on. The younger Talibs should have been re-educated into a more liberal way of thinking.
• Drug trade has gone up. Since 2001 opium trade in Afghanistan has flourished once again. If all of NATO and U.S. troops are in Afghanistan and control the borders, and have a tight grip on the situation, how does millions of dollars of opium leave the country to cause Afghanistan to be the number one opium producing and trading country. In fact, Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s brothers were exposed by the Washington Post and N.Y. Times as exporting drugs. Largely denied and never directly asked but the Afghan people know who the crooks are.
• President Hamid Karzai is protected by foreign military and most likely will have to live the rest of his life in a foreign country. The Afghan people do not like him and everytime he has traveled outside of Kabul he has either received threats or escaped death.
• The current government of Afghanistan is thought to be a puppet government and the current elections are being delayed.
• The Afghanistan / Pakistan relationship has become one. The southern border in which the insurgency is the most dominant, is also the place of the most concern. Pakistan’s unstable country has become a clear threat to the U.S. because of a clear lack of control of the borders.

Overall, nothing really substantially successful has happened since the U.S. invasion in 2001. Harper clearly states that “quite frankly, we are not going to ever defeat the insurgency. Afghanistan has probably had -- my reading of Afghanistan history, it's probably had an insurgency forever, of some kind.”

Harper is clear of Afghan history. Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, the British, Russia, and now America have all had dealings with Afghans. Every great civilization has tried to control, conquer, or destroy Afghanistan and it hasn’t worked. Even in recent years with the great superpower of the Soviet Union had to leave with its tale in between its tale and is still struggling to become a great nation once more. If the U.S. does not read history they should. In every war, the greatest insurgency was in Kandahar, some reports of the Battle of Maiwand is considered to be the greatest loss of the British, 10,000 men in one battle. Genghis Khan was so desperate that he ended up killing everything in the villages he went through even the cats and dogs. Russia had great tanks and brought in more and more troops and were defeated. Alexander the Great is the one invader that the Afghan people adore. He never conquered the country but never really left the country either. He was deeply weakened in Afghanistan but soon married an Afghan princess of Balkh, Roxanna, and brought Greco-Buddhism by creating with Afghans the face of Buddhism.  He never wanted to change anything but incorporated a lot of things with Afghans.

That is the way to approach Afghanistan is by having working with the Afghans, the majority and not the crooks and murderers. The form of government can be Democracy but it should have been more closely resembling the British monarchy. The royal families should be reinstated and a prime minister should represent the country. This is the way old societies really work. This is really difficult to understand when our nation is not even 300 years old.

On February 2, 2009 Hillary Rodham Clinton was finally and officially sworn in as the new United States Secretary of State by Vice President Joe Biden. Clinton has plans to visit many different countries and has already traveled to over 80 countries.  Clinton has visited with foreign ministers from Britain and Germany who are strong allies of the US in the war in Afghanistan and Clinton plans for them to continue to support the US. 

Clinton has plans to visit East Asia: China, Japan and South Korea.  Former Secretaries of State like Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, and Madeleine Albright have visited regions such as Europe or the Middle East and East Asia. Clinton wants to promote US diplomacy rather than the bully role that the Bush Administration had displayed.

 Hillary Clinton has become an icon in her own right. With supporters in the US being 18 million strong, she is the most influential woman in politics. So far, Clinton has been very discrete about her agenda with the events happening in the world today. Afghanistan, Iraq, China, Iran, North Korea and so on have only been discussed briefly.

With Clinton's trip to the East, I would not be surprised if she made a special unannounced visit to Afghanistan or Iraq. Clinton's main goal will either be the Middle East Peace, Afghanistan's stability, Iran's deterrence, or so many other situations. Clinton is one of the most respected women in the world including the Muslim world. The reason for this is because during her husband's presidency they invited Muslims from all over the world to celebrate EID in the White House. This is considered a very diplomatic act and is not forgotten. Yes, times have changed but the respect is still there. Now Ms. Clinton must prove what she will do with her power, position and respect. I personally look forward to seeing her in action. Clinton has clearly proved she is the type of person to have a laid out plan before she acts. Clinton is the hope that America needs as a figure in US diplomacy. 

 Video:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=YRc5LNfHzCs

These five men: Barack Obama, George H.W. Bush, George Bush, Bill Clinton, and Jimmy Carter have had or will have the most important job in the world; being president. These men had lunch together despite their extreme differences and their criticism of each one another. "One message that I have and I think we all share is that we want you to succeed," President Bush stated to Obama. 

This picture alone signifies the great change this country voted for. Obama comes from a different background, different era, different vision for America.

But the core of each one of these men's vision is to better America. Becoming president, Obama is faced with several of the greatest US problems in history: the trillion plus deficit, the lack of job availability, the Iraq War, the War on Terror, the internal problems of the United States, the public image of the US, and overall the US having to do well on all fronts. This lunch was a good chance for Obama to get in touch with all the rival presidents, learn and speak about past experiences, and even discuss the many ways to improve our country as a whole. I consider this lunch almost like orientation. We all wish the best for Obama.

Picture

news.yahoo.com

Soon to be President, Barack Obama has nominated Leon Panetta to be the new CIA director to the dismay of many Washington insiders. Many criticize Panetta's experience as being mostly administrative and nothing else. Panetta was formerly Bill Clinton's White House Chief of Staff, was a member of the US House of Representatives, a part of the Baker Commission and served on the Board of Directors for many different foundations. Panetta is the son of Italian immigrants and was born in Monterey, California. He went on to Santa Clara University and earned a degree in Political Science and moved forward by obtaining a Juris Doctor from the Santa Clara University Law School. Panetta then entered the United States Army and was discharged as a First Lieutenant. 

Panetta may have more of an administrative background than gathering intelligence but he is more than capable of doing the job. Panetta may bring a new structure to the CIA which has not really done too well for themselves since the 50's and early 60's when it was initially created. This is a good change. Choosing someone with no actual affiliation with the organization and a person from a hard working background shows Obama's idea of change. Panetta will most likely control the bad press that the CIA is getting worldwide from their Viagra dealings to their interrogation tactics. Sometimes it takes someone outside to look at the problems insiders do not see a problem with. Overall Panneta deserves a chance and I feel will be able to push forward in the wars America is involved in. The problem is that people are so against him because of his lack of experience but then again the president that was chosen by the majority of people does not have much experience but he seems to be a mover and shaker. 

So only time will tell how this all plays out but personally, change is good. America has a wonderful system where we can always change what we don't like and try things we think may work. 

Photo

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5b/Leon_Panetta,_informal_photo.jpg/225px-Leon_Panetta,_informal_photo.jpg

          Barack Obama will go through the rite of passage as the first African American President of the United States. This will take place on January 20, 2009 sometime around noon.

          I am excited to see this. Having grown up learning of the difficulties of all minorities in America especially African Americans it is more than inspiring to see that an educated minority can do what they set their mind to. I hope this inspires all Americans especially struggling children.

1-1-09

Happy New Year.

 Please share with me any thoughts/goals/dreams/any resolution that is on your mind now.

Thanks and be happy.