We've known for a long time now that Pakistan is not much of a friend. Sure, Musharaff tries to help us(to a degree) but he is limited by the fact that he can't provide much overt support because he would lose any of his remaining popularity. I'm convinced that elements within Pakistani intelligence, the ISI, have frequent contact with Bin Laden. We've gotten all we can(if we ever got anything) out of our relationship with Pakistan. We should try to prop up Musharaff but we should be backing India. Our relations with that country are strained due to the fact that we work closely with Pakistan. India is going to be one of the key players in the 21st century and a bulwark of democracy against authoritarian China.

Seol Tries to Regain Control

The US is relinquishing wartime command of South Korea's military. The South Koreans have every right to regain control of their own memory. However I hope that doesn't signal an unwillingness to work with America. Besides Japan(which it has strained relations due to WWII) the United States is the only real friend South Korea has which is capable of helping it fight off a North Korean offensive. The South should not be getting too comfortable or cordial with the North. If the United States is forced to take pre-emptive action against N. Korea S. Korea shouldn't find itself unable to defend itself.

China in Africa

I believe that we are and will be locked in a struggle with China that closely resembles the Cold War. China is actively expanding business into the lesser known parts of the world, including Africa. It's basically building Africa infastructure. The United States has stayed away from Africa due to the fact that it has low purchasing power but if we neglect that continent we are going to wake up one day and see that the world is being painted red. During the cold war we looked the other way when abuses were occurring and frankly I think it's time to start doing it again. China doesn't bother about a country's internal practices and neither should we unless it hurts American interests. Let's just do business and leave the lecturing to someone else. Click here for the article on the NYT

Mohammad Khatami has spoken at a large gathering of the Islamic community in Chicago is scandalous. First of all I can't believe that the Islamic community would be so blatant in its hatred of America. Islamic leaders have always come on television and declared that terrorists are a small minority within Islam, that they love the United States, that suicide bombing is morally repungant. But now we know that is just a thin facade. Even though Muslims in this country may not be violent as those in Europe they have just as much hatred for our nation. I am also shocked that American Muslims oppose the war in Iraq not because Americans die but because innocent Muslims are killed. If you're going to come to this country all I ask is that you cherish it. Second of all I am amazed that the State Department would issue a visa to someone like Khatami. It's as good as giving Osama Bin Laden one.

In Defense of Missile Defense

Stars in their Eyes

(Click to view NYT article)Even though the THAAD/BMD program has been basically a failure so far we should still be investing in it. The NYT claims that Russia and China have not tried to compete with this system because so far it has been a failure. This system was never designed to take on the the thousands of warhead that can be launched by Russia or China. It was meant to deal with rougue states with a few missiles. If further money is provided it is quite possible that the program can achieve that goal.

GlobalSecurity.org-THAAD