24. mars 2004

Attempted Islamist assassination on German President Germany's President was subject to an assassination plot from Islamists during a planned visit in East Africa. Wonder if they will ever get it: appeasement does not work. Excuse my shouting. Via Tim Blair, who has (as I am sure you will believe) more on the subject. 10:25:48 PM    comment []

Al-Qaeda's strategy for Spain I have mentioned earlier that Norwegian defense researchers found an Islamist strategy document explaining how they intended to use terrorism to sway the Spanish voters to replace Aznar with the socialists. Here is the report in English. I have written a lot about this topic. 9:39:42 PM    comment []

UN version 2.0 One problem with the United Nations is that it isn't. The UN is really united governments, and from the start a large number of its member states have been dictatures where the people has had little say. Now a majority of UN member states are actually democracies (give or take), but they are split between different fractions, instead of cooperating to promote democracy and real human rights. Check out this fascinating article about a true bipartisan US initiative to unite democratic states in the United Nations. Since 1996, a handful of foreign-policy wonks have been kicking around the idea of a "democracy caucus" at the U.N. Two administrations, first Bill Clinton's and then George W. Bush's, took quiet but significant steps in that direction. Now, according to Bush administration officials, the concept will be test-flown at the six-week meeting of the U.N. Commission on Human Rights that began on Monday in Geneva. Maybe if this project flies, the United Nations can be transformed into something more resembling its name and ambitions. Via InstaPundit. 4:54:15 PM    comment []

Clarke last year: Bush 'deeply committed' to stopping Bin Laden Now this is a quite astonishing revelation of Dick Clarke changing his tune. In an interview in The New Yorker in August 2003, Clarke emphasized that the C.I.A. director, George Tenet, President Bush, and, before him, President Clinton were all deeply committed to stopping bin Laden Then, Clarke wrote a book, and on 60 Minutes a few days ago, he says that Bush was not deeply committed at all, He [Bush] ignored it. He ignored terrorism for months So which one is it, Clarke? Hat tip to Glenn Reynolds. My doubts about Clarke's story is expressed below. 3:59:46 AM    comment []

© Copyright 2004 Jan Haugland. Last update: 01.04.2004; 05:15:32.