Sarko pushes for French naval base in Abu Dhabi, sells nuclear power

Sarko's been trying hard to re-establish France as a power in the Middle East, and has plans for a French naval base in Abu Dhabi.

First, there are the nuclear deals with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Libya, Egypt, Algeria and Morocco:
Sarkozy Pushes Nuclear Energy in Mideast

Currently the world's most aggressive salesman for nuclear power, Sarkozy has visited multiple Muslim states in the last six weeks -- including the globe's biggest oil producers -- to peddle French nuclear technology or make multibillion-dollar deals.

"Why should Arab countries be deprived of the energy of the future?"

Why indeed, when they have the mullahs breathing down their necks? Especially if companies that develop and build the nuclear power plants are owned primarily by the French government?

Sarko's nuclear proliferation plans don't stop with a vision of a Mediterranean cooperation council (whatever that may mean),

Argentina, Chile, Vietnam and Indonesia also are reportedly discussing the possibility of buying French-designed reactors.

May I indulge in a little speculation? Let's say that Hugo persuades the FARC to release French-Colombian citizen Ingrid Betancourt. Woudln't Venezuela be included in this group?

But I digress.

As part of Sarko's Middle East vision, he's signed a deal with Abu Dhabi for a permanent French naval base:

This projects France into the complex politics of the Gulf, identifying it even more closely with Gulf Arab countries which have expressed concern about the future policies of Iran.

President Sarkozy appears willing to accept that this exposes France to the risks involved in such a sensitive area, highlighted by the confrontation between Iranian speedboats and US naval ships recently. There is also a dispute between Abu Dhabi and Iran over three small islands in the Strait of Hormuz. The president said the base was agreed at the request of the Emirates.

That's in addition to the two nuclear power reactors that the French will build in Abu Dhabi.

Nuclear proliferation, and military expansion, a la francaise.

Never mind a mild whiff of realpolitik

The French base agreement coincides with a major visit to the region by President Bush, during which he has criticised Iran.

France might be seen as aligning itself more openly with the US, which maintains its own large base in Bahrain for the Fifth Fleet and which has also been selling arms to Gulf countries.

Speculation welcome in the comments section.


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The Inside Story Of The SwiftBoaters Finally Told

Bruce Kessler writes,

For those who depended upon the MSM-Kerry narrative, there is a big surprise: There was no vast right wing conspiracy, nor was there a Rovian one. Those who need to believe there was such a conspiracy need to believe that in order to avoid the truth.

There was a grounds-up revolt by Vietnam veterans who knew better than the ersatz heroism that Kerry and friends tried to peddle. The facts and details are in this book. Sure, it took big bucks to get the message across. That came from some big donors and 150,000+ other individuals who believed it should be heard and not smothered or ignored. Polls and the election proved them correct. Indicative of who was listening: 80,000 copies of Kerry's self-glorifying Tour Of Duty sold; over 800,000 copies of Unfit For Command sold. Very curiously, the pollsters didn't bother to survey Vietnam veterans, but polls of veterans generally – there are over 25-million, plus their families who support them -- found strong opposition to Kerry.

The book that tells the story, To Set The Record Straight: How Swift Boat Veterans, POWs and the New Media Defeated John Kerry, by Scott Swett and Tim Ziegler, can be purchased on line.

Everything old is new again in today's items

Democrats Vote to Leave Iraq- 34 Years After the US Left Vietnam... To the Day (Video)

Jules has Good news and bad news.

Iran Humiliates Hostages again.
Special thanks to Larwyn.

Via Maria, The influence of George Soros.

I believe it was George Burns who said, "you live long enough, you get to hear every joke at least twice", and the same thing happens with junk science: Back in the early 1990s before my son was born there was a rumor that a pregnant mothers' consumption of beef meant a reduced sperm counts in their sons. Like George Burns's jokes, we're hearing this one again (h/t Augusto). As Peter Allen sang, Everything Old Is New Again
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And for something new, the latest JibJab, What We Call the News

Terrorist blogger, celluloid fantasies and today's other items

Via Augusto, Houston blogger arrested for terrorism?

A former Houston man arrested in Kenya last month has been charged in Texas with teaming with al-Qaida to overthrow the Somali government and form an Islamic state there.

Daniel Joseph Maldonado, 28, also known as Daniel Aljughaifi, was ordered held without bail Tuesday on federal charges of undergoing military training with a terrorist organization and conspiring to use a destructive device

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Celluloid Fantasies

And now for a presumably serious political film: Emilio Estevez’s "Bobby," a fictional account of the lives of 24 people who were present in the Ambassador hotel when Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated. The film boasts many stars including Anthony Hopkins, Helen Hunt, William H. Macy, Sharon Stone, Demi Moore, and Laurence Fishburne. It also has historically accurate archival footage of Robert Kennedy's speeches.

When the movie ended, audience members lingered and engaged in hushed and somber conversations. Clearly they felt this was a serious film about a serious matter. Pardon me? The film pointedly erased all facts about Kennedy's killer and his motives.

Three women in their 70s and 80s asked aloud, "But who actually killed Kennedy?" I stopped and told them: "Sirhan Sirhan, a Palestinian, killed Bobby Kennedy."

"But why?" one woman asked.

"Because Sirhan was angry that the American government had sold military equipment to Israel."

This omission is ominous. In 1973, Yasir Arafat's Fatah and Black September terrorist groups kidnapped American diplomats George Curtis Moore and Cleo Noel Jr., and Belgian diplomat Guy Eid in Khartoum, Sudan. They demanded that Jordan release a Black September leader, Germany release some members of the Baader-Meinhof gang – and America release Sirhan Sirhan.

The demands were not met and the three diplomats were executed on direct orders from Arafat – the same Arafat who received the Nobel Peace Prize, was received as a king at the United Nations and with whom American presidents subsequently dined.

----------------------------------------Michael Fumento has posted a video montage from Spc. Andy Johnson from A. Co., 1/506th, 101st Airborne that Spc. Johnson put together from his vacation at Camp Corregidor this past year.
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Via Larwyn, The Temple Dodge

The violence in 2000 was designed to draw attention away from Arafat's refusal to come to terms with Ehud Barak two months earlier at Camp David and to bring pressure on Israel to increase its offer to Arafat.

Though there are superficial differences among the four incidents the general thrust remians the same. If an Arab or Muslim leader has a goal, he will use the conflict over the Temple Mount divert international attention from his ambitions and rally the Muslim world around him. Ahmadinejad is using the cover of the phony charges now to increase his saber rattling and divert attention from his nuclear program and his foreign adventures in Lebanona nd Iraq. As it did before, the world just tut tuts at the chutzpah of the Jews.

I'll be discussing this topic in my next podcast.

Also from Larwyn, Iranian influence: Bosnia

A very interesting thing happens when you see a news item about a distraught Bosnian shooting people in an American shopping mall: you remember way back when the US first started to be involved in Bosnia and the troubles that were seen there, particularly to one Nation in particular that violated agreements, accords and Treaties. That Nation was and still is Iran. Perhaps we can look back and have a slight reminder of why the United States first agreed to help in that area of troubled peoples.

Read the rest.
The Volunteer Fifth Column - Transnational Progressivist Press Rules, a side-by-side comparison.
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Via Maria, Imam Ali Ibn Abi Taleb: "If God were to humiliate a human being He would deny him knowledge"
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Theodore's World invites you to A Gathering Of Eagles ~ March 17 ~ Vietnam Veterans Wall

An appeal: In memory of Juan A. Diaz Domenech

This morning I received an email,

Fausta,
I have come upon your blog while searching the internet for information concerning a US soldier who was killed in action in Vietnam. My hope is that you, as a native of Santurce, will be able to give my request a new direction.

The 35th Infantry Regiment Association has a separate memorial page on our website, 35th Infantry Regiment Association dedicated to each soldier that was killed in action while we were deployed to Vietnam.

We remember and respect these soldiers who were like a brother to us and we have been trying to get a photo of each and every one of the 617 brothers that made the ultimate sacrifice. To date, we have over 500 pictures.

PFC Juan A. Diaz-Domenech, died on September 23rd, 1969. He was a resident of Santurce, Pr. His parents, Mr and Mrs. Tomas Diaz, resided at 829 Condital Final/ Cantera, Santurce at that time.

My search for a picture of Juan might be found in newspaper archives or in a high school yearbook as he was 20 years old when he was KIA. If you could give me some email addresses or even snail-mail addresses for the Santurce school system, Police, churches, funeral homes etc. then it might it be possible for them to scan and email me his picture.
...
Thank you sincerely,
Peter J. Birrow peter.birrow@mbcr.net

I emailed Mr. Birrow several links on schools, funeral homes, the metropolitan San Juan Police Department, and other similar links.

However, if any of my readers has more information on Juan A. Diaz Domenech, I'll be very grateful if you could contact Mr. Birrow. I'll also email other bloggers with this appeal.