International

Top Ten Foriegn Policy Blunders of 2009

Via Power Line:

dynamic duo

  1. Surrendering to Russia over missile defense.
  2. Appeasing the mullahs of Iran.
  3. Ending the war on terror.
  4. Announcing a surge while declaring an exit.
  5. Apologizing to France for America’s “arrogance.”
  6. Giving DVDs to the British Prime Minister.
  7. Siding with Marxists in Honduras.
  8. Bowing to emperors and kings.
  9. Embracing genocidal killers in Sudan.
  10. Throwing Churchill out of the White House.

I say it’s time to throw these clowns out of the White House

What Do These Men Have in Common?

Updated to include the Nobel Prize Committee’s latest upstaging of their own stupidity . . .

liars.jpg

None of them are champions of peace, yet they have all been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

  • Yassir Arafat fomented terrorism in the Middle East for decades before his death. The terror he incited continues to this day.
  • Jimmy Carter, the worst U.S. President of the 20th century, made concessions to Iran that allowed radicals in that country to capture U.S. Embassy personnel and hold them hostage for 444 days. Carter did nothing to save the hostages except for a lame attempt at a raid that resulted in the deaths of eight military personnel and the destruction of their helicopter.
  • Muhammad ElBaradei ignored the efforts of North Korea and Iran in their respective run-up to nuclear weapons. In his role as chief of the IAEA he consistently gave both rogue nations leeway to continue their efforts.
  • Al Gore has peddled falsehoods in the name of saving the planet from a highly-exaggerated climatological disaster. In his recent testimony before congress, he misrepresented the truth by declaring that “droughts are becoming longer and more intense” which has clearly been disproven by actual science.
  • Barack Obama‘s selection by the committee demonstrates that the prize is a mockery of the notion of “peace.” Obama’s idea of “peace,” is to continue to allow American and allied forces to die in Afghanistan while waffling about a “strategy” instead of listening to the commanders on the ground. The Nobel Committee explains that it was “his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples,” and the fact that he has “created a new climate in international politics.” Didn’t Al Gore get the award two years ago for seeking to stop climate change?

The Nobel Peace Prize has been a joke for years. Consider the following with regard to the discretion of the prize award selection committee:

  • Why did they award Mikhail Gorbachev the Peace Prize for ending the cold war when Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher had more to do with it?
  • In keeping with their penchant for rewarding cowardice and deceit, why did they not award Bill Clinton for his retreat from Somalia after the Blackhawk Down incident? And for refusing to capture or kill Usama Bin Laden?

They should rename the prize to something like the Nobel Anti-American Prize and be done with it.

Finally, read Jim Geraghty’s list of Obama’s peaceful accomplishments at NRO‘s The Campaign Spot.

Dispatch from Michael Yon

A war correspondent in a position to know about both the Afghan and Iraqi conflicts, passes on these important concerns about electing an inexperienced ‘dove’ to the White House. In addition to Senator Obama’s liberal positions on the Second Amendment and his connections to terrorists and race-baiting activists, we must not forget how disastrous the international situation can become.

Greetings,

YonThe outcome of the upcoming U.S. elections will have a profound impact on the war. Meanwhile, the day to day fighting continues. If Senator Obama is elected, I expect to spend a great deal of time covering the fighting. Judging by his words, Senator Obama must be watched closely or we might see some terrible decisions. I expect 2009 to be the worst year so far in the Af-Pak war, which has serious potential to eventually become far worse than Iraq ever was. If Senator McCain is elected, I’ll breathe easier in regard to the war.

For a short dispatch, please click, “Are you Connected.”

Very Respectfully,

Michael Yon

Airbus Quality Workmanship

You might think that facing away from the blast fence and tying down to concrete-reinforced pad eyes would be precautions to take in case your AirBus jumps the chocks during engine run-up. But I guess they do things differently in France.

Via AP:

Emirates carrier denies Airbus injuries

busted airbusAn Airbus 340-600 lies on the tarmac at Toulouse Blagnac airport, southwestern France, Friday, Nov. 16, 2007. The aircraft slammed into a wall during engine tests on the ground on Thursday.

An Airbus spokesman also corrected the company’s statement late Thursday that seven employees of Etihad Airways were injured, saying they in fact worked for a firm contracted to test the plane.
 

hangoverTen people were injured Thursday during engine tests of an Airbus 340-600 near the southwestern French city of Toulouse shortly before the jet was scheduled to be delivered to Abu Dhabi-based Etihad. Airbus said nine people on board were injured, along with one person on the ground.

Airbus Chief Operating Officer Fabrice Bregier said late Thursday that seven Etihad employees were among the wounded. “It was normal for the client to be present on board the plane,” Bregier said.

You can click on each image to get a closer look.