Meanwhile, Back in the Land of the Pharaohs...

...Mark Steyn rolls-in on the events in Egypt and the likely repercussions to the US and the West:

http://www.steynonline.com/content/view/3756/26 

Steyn also salvos scathing criticism against the "Lamestream Media" and their initial silence regarding the sexual assault against Lora Logan:

http://www.steynonline.com/content/view/3749/28 

I found this article in Esquire, posted on 15 February, where some concerns were expressed about Lora's return to Egypt:

http://www.esquire.com/blogs/politics/lara-logan-egypt-assault-5241788 

UN Sends Angry Letters to Libya

After eleven days, the UN Security Council decided to do something "tough" about Libya.  FOX News has the story:

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/02/26/plans-weekend-session-libya-sanctions/ 

I'm not sure what sanctions will do against Gaddafi, since they worked "so well" against Saddam Hussein.

Speaking of Atrocities...

...meet the latest victim of the "religion of peace," Lara Logan of CBS.  About a week ago, it was reported that Miss Logan, who was covering the protests in Egypt, was seperated from her escort, dragged-off, beaten and sexually assaulted.

The UK Mail Online, has some of the disturbing details:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1358944/Lara-Logan-attack-Stripped-punched-whipped-flag-poles.html 

Andrew C. McCarthy of National Review Online rolls-in, on the "religion of peace's" subjugation of women:

http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/260288/who-attacked-lara-logan-and-why-andrew-c-mccarthy 

As with Molly Norris, former Seattle cartoonist who inspired Everybody Draw Mohammed Day, the silence from the left is deafening...

Pirates Showing Their True Colors

A few days ago, 4 American hostages were killed by Somali pirates.  Two of the victims were from Seattle:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014297959_pirates23.html 

Secretary of State Clinton "...strongly condemned the killings..."

Oooh!  I'll bet the scurvy dogs are nervously chewing their khat as a result of this diplomatic tongue lashing.

I'm appalled that western civilization is once again dealing with the "scourge of piracy" and showing them, along with our other enemies, nothing but tepid diplomat-speak.  This makes us look weak in their eyes--and sadly, we can expect more atrocities at the hands of pirates.

"To the Shores of Tripoli..."

No, I'm not referring to the US Marine Corps Hymn, but to the wave of revolution breaking out in the middle east.  Now Moammar Gadhafi's regime is now beset with turmoil. 

The Seattle Times has the story:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2014289638_apaflibyaprotests.html 

Happy Valentine's Day!

Finding love in a troubled world is always a good thing.

There's a Surprise...

...not.

The Egyptian military dissolved parliament and is currently dismantling Mubarak's political machine and establishing a "caretaker government," until elections can be held.

Yahoo News has the story:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110213/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_egypt

What this means at this point:  Is the situation in the Land of the Pharaohs is still in flux.

The Brotherhood is Saying...

...but is anyone on our side listening?

A friend sent us the following excerpt from a newsletter he received--

Mustafa Mashhur ran the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt from 1996 through 2002. In Jihad is the Way, the final installment of a five-volume work called The Laws of Da’wa, Mashhur lays out the Brotherhood's agenda as follows:



The goal of Islam is global conquest and the restoration of the Islamic Caliphate: "The Islamic ummah [the international community of Muslims] can regain its power and be liberated and assume its rightful position which was intended by Allah, as the most exalted nation among men, as the leaders of humanity...you [Muslims] are the masters of the world, even if your enemies desire your degradation."


The means of conquest must be jihad: "[J]ihad and preparation towards jihad are not only for the purpose of fending off assaults and attacks of Allah‘s enemies from Muslims, but are also for the purpose of realizing the great task of establishing an Islamic state and strengthening the religion and spreading it around the world...there is no other option but jihad for Allah..."


Jihad must be waged everywhere: "Jihad for Allah is not limited to the specific region of the Islamic countries, since the Muslim homeland is one and is not divided, and the banner of Jihad has already been raised in some of its parts, and shall continue to be raised, with the help of Allah, until every inch of the land of Islam will be liberated, and the State of Islam established.


It is the duty of every Muslim to wage jihad: "[Muslim Brotherhood founder Hassan al-Banna] felt the grave danger overshadowing the Muslims and the urgent need and obligation which Islam places on every Muslim, man and woman, to act in order to restore the Islamic Caliphate and to reestablish the Islamic state on strong foundations.


Muslims must be patient: "―The Brotherhood is not rushed by youth‘s enthusiasm into immature and unplanned action which will not alter the bad reality and may even harm the Islamic activity, and will benefit the people of falsehood...it is not necessary that the Muslims repel every attack or damage caused by the enemies of Allah immediately, but [only] when ability and the circumstances are fit to it."

Sounds secular to me!

But it has “Brotherhood” in there, too. I’m sure they all sit around and sing the Muslim equivalent of “Kumbaya” whenever they get together.

Well if they do, I hope it's something like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ep1bd2FBZpc&feature=related

Okay, He's Gone. Now What?

Today was an historic day.  After a week of "will he, or won't he?" speculation, Hosni Mubarak stepped down as Egypt's president.  The Cairo crowds were ecstatic.  But more questions remain.

Today's story from The Seattle Times:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2014191631_apmlegypt.html 

Yahoo News posted some FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions):

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_exclusive/20110211/pl_yblog_exclusive/mubaraks-departure-what-it-means-whats-next 

As usual, the Lame Stream Media was off kilter -- earlier this week the narrative was that the protests were losing steam and Mubarak was looking stronger.

No worry--I'm sure the Muslim Brotherhood will step in to show how to take part in politics in a thoughtful, mature and constructive manner.


Speaking of the devil, our Director of Intelligence, James Clapper, could use some intelligence.  Obama's White House has been doing some damage control in the wake of Clapper's comment that the Muslim Brotherhood is a secular organization.

Fox News has the story:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/02/10/administration-corrects-dni-clapper-claim-muslim-brotherhood-secular/

Judith Levy of Ricochet, rolls-in:

http://ricochet.com/main-feed/Claire-You-Beat-Me-To-It

How can an organization that has the name of a religion in its title be secular?


You would think this would be a question easy enough for a Director of Intelligence to answer.

Transferring to Iraq or Afghanistan Would Be Preferable...

(Image from US Embassy Luxembourg website)

...to working for Cynthia Stroum, US Ambassador to Luxembourg.

Ah...make that "former ambassador."

Ms. Stroum was branded a "disaster" as an ambassador, but is considred a "dear friend," by our Senator Maria Cantwell.  From The Seattle Times:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politicsnorthwest/2014130158_ap_seattles_cynthia_stroum_a_d.html?prmid=obinsite

Here's more on Stroum's hasty departure from Luxembourg:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014125751_apusobamadonorambassador1stldwritethru.html

So Ms. Stroum went from "bundler" to "bungler" in less than a year.  She should be the one transferred to Iraq or Afghanistan--preferably both, in back-to-back tours--but we already have enough enemies there.

Dealing With the Devil We Don't Know

While Americans watched Superbowl XLV, the chaos in Egypt continued.  Only this time, both Egyptian and American presidents think it's time to include the Muslim Brotherhood into the peace talks.

From Reuters:

http://af.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idAFTRE7151NF20110206?sp=true 

This guy from The Guardian, thinks including the MB is a great idea: 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/06/egypt-muslim-brotherhood 

While the Weekly Standard believes the US should help the budding Egyptian Democratic Movement:

http://www.weeklystandard.com/articles/stand-freedom_541404.html 

Meanwhile MEMRI (Middle East Media Research Institute), is less-than optimistic about any post-Mubarak "power-sharing" deal:

http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/4977.htm 

She Wailed...

...unfortunately, not in a good way.  Last night, Christina Aguilera sang the National Anthem at the opening of Superbowl XLV.  Unfortunately she, flubbed a line or so and hit some sour notes.

I found the article on ABC's website to be the most even handed the celebrity faux-pas:

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/christina-aguilera-leads-pack-notorious-national-anthem-singers/story?id=12858066&page=2 

As the article mentioned, Christina wasn't the worst National Anthem offender.  Other websites, like CBS, made excuses for her (stage fright), while others, like MTV, thought she did fine.  Christina said she got caught in the moment and lost her place.

Eh.  Could happen to anybody.  At least she didn't deliberately sing off-key like Rosanne Barr did.  And besides, she's much more attractive than Rosanne...

 

But beautiful or otherwise, the National Anthem should be sung in it's traditional manner. 

Note to celebrities:

Do not add any of your spin, soul, funk, jive, jazz, do-wap, boo-boo-bee-boop, or your "style" to any song with words like "National," "America," or "Anthem"  incorporated in the title.  They are not your songs to mangle as you please--they are our country's.  So show them the respect they deserve.  (And in turn, you'll win more respect for yourself).

Re-Learning Old Tricks

 While the Egyptian army and police aren't massacering it's citizens with automatic weapons fire, the mobs battling each other in the streets of Cairo are re-learning tactics from the days-of-yore.

Gary Brecher (aka "The War Nerd") discusses some of the dos and don'ts of close-quarter fighting:

http://exiledonline.com/war-nerd-spartacus-live-on-al-jazeera/

Viva La Revolution?

So, with the Army waiting on the sidelines, Mubarak still clinging to power, journalists being accosted by hostile mobs; where is Egypt heading?

No one really knows, but if history is any indicator, things may indeed get a whole lot worse.  Everyone does agree that revolutionary forces have been unleashed in Egypt. 

Will it succeed? Once again no one knows.  One thing to keep in mind is that revolutions often end with guillotines and gulags.

Walter Russell Mead discusses the likely courses revolutions often take in The American Interest:

http://blogs.the-american-interest.com/wrm/2011/02/03/the-revolution-wanders-from-the-script/

How did all this come to a head in the Land of the Pharaohs?  Victor Davis Hanson (VDH) has some answers on what is wrong with Egypt:

http://pajamasmedia.com/victordavishanson/whats-the-matter-with-egypt/ 

Meanwhile, what's our Teleprompter-in-Chief doing?  As VDH explains, he's experiencing his own "1979 Moment."

http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/258548/obama-s-1979-victor-davis-hanson

Which means, things just might turn out as they did in Iran back in '79.  VDH again in Pajamas Media:

http://pajamasmedia.com/victordavishanson/the-middle-east-and-the-multicultural-nightmare/

The Usual Suspects Making Noise in Egypt

More revelations on the "democracy movement" in Egypt, from Right Network:

http://gatewaypundit.rightnetwork.com/2011/02/cairo-million-man-march-underway/ 

Meanwhile, Caroline Glick in Real Clear Politics, rolls-in on the ideas and ideology behind the protesters:

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/printpage/?url=http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2011/02/01/clueless_in_washington_108731.html 

And Now Sackings in Jordan

With Egypt in turmoil, King Abdullah of Jordan decided it was high-time to sack his cabinet.  From the Wall Street Journal (WSJ):

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703445904576117801815760950.html?mod=WSJ_hp_LEFTTopStories