Blame Gays First

The Christian Post ran a story on America's Pro-Gay Culture and Its Effects on Iraqi Christians. Apparently, the acceptance of gays in the US is creating great hardship for Iraqi Christians.

I love how the religious right blames gays for the plight of the Iraqis without even mentioning that most Iraqis live in fear of getting blown up by Islamic terrorists and insurgents everyday, and don't even have reliable sources of energy, food, water, and medicine--all because of the US's unnecessary and disastrously executed war.

Blaming gays first isn't really new, unfortunately. The religious right loves to blame gays for the destruction the "American family" without even considering how straights have done a fine job ruining marriage themselves.

What's Going on in the Rest of the World: Angola

Today's installment of What's Going on in the Rest of the World: Angola comes from Agence France Press in the New York Times on Friday:

Holden Roberto Dies at 84; Fought to Free Angola from Portuguese Rule

Holden Roberto, one of the fathers of Angola’s independence and a staunch opponent of President José Eduardo dos Santos, died on Thursday at his home in Luanda. He was 84.

[...]

His contributions in helping free Angola from centuries of Portuguese rule were hailed by both Angola’s main opposition party, the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola, Unita, and the governing party, the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola, or M.P.L.A.

[...]

Mr. Roberto formed the country’s first nationalist movement, called the Union of Angolan Peoples, which was linked to his own Bakongo ethnic group, and then transformed it into the National Liberation Front of Angola, known as the F.N.L.A., in the 1960s.

He began an incursion into Angola on March 15, 1961, and his forces overran farms, government outposts and trading centers. Recalling the incursion, Mr. Roberto later said: “This time the slaves did not cower. They massacred everything.”

A close friend of other African-independence stalwarts, like Patrice Lumumba, the first prime minister of the Congo, and Kenneth Kaunda, Zambia’s first president, Mr. Roberto also established a political alliance with the former Zairean strongman Mobutu Sese Seko by divorcing his wife to marry Mr. Mobutu’s sister-in-law. Zaire is now known as Congo.

In April 1975, Mr. Roberto and the leaders of two other political parties signed peace accords with Portugal that led to Angola’s independence the same year.

But fighting immediately erupted and the F.N.L.A., backed by the United States, France and Zaire, fought the M.P.L.A., supported by the Soviet Union. After Cuba sent forces to support the M.P.L.A. in 1976, the F.N.L.A. was decisively defeated and abandoned its armed struggle.

The fighting did not cease, and Angola was devastated by a 27-year civil war between M.P.L.A. and Unita factions, in which about 500,000 people were killed and hundreds of thousands displaced.

Mr. Roberto went into exile, notably in France and Zaire, but when he returned to Angola 15 years later, he remained involved in politics despite his failing health.

After participating in the 1992 general elections won by the M.P.L.A., he remained in the opposition, criticizing the two-party system in Angola dominated by the M.P.L.A. and Unita.

What's Going on in the Rest of the World: Algeria

From Reuters on July 31, 2007: Algeria jails 28 over building collapses in quake

An Algerian court handed prison sentences on Tuesday to 28 businessmen and engineers blamed for the collapse of hundreds of buildings during an earthquake
in 2003 that left thousands dead.

Twenty-seven defendants were jailed for two years and fined 50,000 dinars ($714) each, while the last received three years in jail and a fine in absentia from the court in Boumerdes province east of Algiers, a judicial source said.

Measuring 6.7 on the Richter scale, the 2003 quake killed 2,300 people, injured more than 10,000 and made about 100,000 homeless. It was the deadliest in the oil-exporting country since 1980, when violent tremors killed 3,000 people.

Panic caused by the tremor quickly turned to anger as Algerians accused the government of turning a blind eye to the shoddy work of unscrupulous builders.

President Abdelaziz Bouteflika ordered an investigation, which later found serious faults in the construction of thousands of houses, apartment blocks and high-rise buildings that collapsed in the quake-prone province.

The 28 were convicted on charges including "manslaughter, fraud on the quality and quantity of construction materials and the non-respect of building standards".

They can appeal within a week against the convictions issued by judge Redouane Benabdallah, who also acquitted 10 other people.

I wonder what the consequences will be for whoever screwed up in Minneapolis yesterday? Knowing the Administration's track record for rewarding or ignoring failure, there probably won't be any.

What's Going on in the Rest of the World: Albania

I had a hard time accessing a reliable Albania based news agency, so tonight's installation of What's Going on in the Rest of the World comes from Reuters:

Albania tells Azerbaijan it will stop arms sales

Albania assured Azerbaijan on Wednesday it will take every measure to stop the sale of weapons to countries in a state of conflict, after Turkey sent back a shipment of Albanian weapons bound for Armenia.

"The Albanian government will use its authority with the utmost seriousness to take all necessary measures to prevent the sales of weaponry to countries in a state of conflict," Albanian Foreign Minister Lulezim Basha said.

Basha made the pledge in a telephone conversation with his Azeri counterpart Elmar Mamedyarov, a foreign ministry statement said.

Last week Turkey stopped and sent back to Albania's Durres port 60 containers with weapons destined for Armenia, which denied it had bought weapons from Albania.

Armenia and Azerbaijan are in a state of conflict over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous region located within Azerbaijan's internationally recognised borders.

It broke away from Azeri control during a war in the 1990s and has proclaimed independence, though this has not been accepted internationally.

The head of Albania's state-owned weapons firm said he had sent the shipment because there was no embargo on arms sales to Armenia, press reports said.

Albania has been selling off its stock of Soviet-era weapons that were either imported from China or produced domestically, including an aging fleet of Mig airplanes.

Azerbaijan told Albania it considered the sale an act against Azerbaijan and asked the Islamic Conference Organisation to intervene on its behalf with fellow member Albania.

So we have Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey involved here (kind of confusing, too many As). I didn't know much about this dynamic, but learned the following from Wikipedia (I know, I know):

Turkey supports the OSCE Minsk Group as a mechanism for resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and views it from the principle of territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. Following a UN Security Council resolution on April 6, 1993, calling for the immediate withdrawal of Armenian forces from the Azerbaijani district of Kelbajar, Turkey joined Azerbaijan in imposing the full economic embargo on Armenia

Still trying to figure out Albania's interest in arming Armenia. Besides pure profit, I'm ignorant at this point to the strategic motivations. Something to look into for later.

Update on South Korean Hostages

The South Korean hostage story was also the top news story on tonight's 700 Club. Key point to the story according to the viewpoint of CBN: the hostages are evangelical missionaries.

Pat Robertson comments:

The fact that there is nothing from there White House--there should be a major announcement. Here's Brown, and uh, talks with the President. Why don't they make a joint statement, that this is outrageous, and demand the release of these hostages. Of course the Taliban can do whatever it feels like doing, but I think they should be wiped of the face of this earth...But ladies and gentleman the prayers of God's people will prevail.

Interesting statement on many levels. First, you could hear the frustration in Robertson's voice that the Chosen President of the Christian Right was not taking extraordinary measures to save fellow Christians (who cares how many Muslims die in the mean time). And why should the he? To break with a 20 year policy of not negotiating with terrorists seems to be against the President's policy of 'staying the course'.

It's also fitting to see that Robertson wants the Taliban wiped off the face of the earth, since that is exactly how the Taliban feels about Robertson. So much for loving thy neighbor.

I do agree with Robertson on one point: the Taliban can do whatever it wants in Afghanistan since the US is sitting on a failing policy in Afghanistan where the Taliban is resurgent, reconstruction is lagging, and opium growth is at an all time high.

My favorite part comes later in the show when the 700 Club airs a segment on how Islamic terrorists are using the media to create propaganda for their theocratic cause. Money quote from their 'expert' Richard Miniter: "they want all of us, even those of us who are not Muslim, to follow their laws."

Did Robertson forget to remind his guest the mission statement of Robertson's own Christian Coalition?

What's Going on in the Rest of the World: Afghanistan

I thought I'd start a regular series where I show the top news story from a local news agency from around the world. So, starting at the top of alphabet, tonight's news story comes from Afghanistan.

The top headline from Pajhwok Afghan News is: A Dozen Killed in Fresh Violence. However that story was only available to subscribers, (I guess Afghanistan is falling behind its democratization benchmarks for freedom of the press, but no one really cares about Afghanistan anyway, so I suppose it doesn't really matter), and I wouldn't really call that breaking news in Afghanistan anyway.

The top headline available to non-subscribers is: Second South Korean Hostage Shot Dead. Pajhwok Afghan News reports:

A second South Korean hostage was gunned down Monday evening after a final deadline expired some hours ago, a Taliban spokesman said.

A district chief in the rebel-infested province confirmed receiving reports about a dead body dumped in Andar. Abdul Rahim Desiwal told Pajhwok Afghan News they were looking for the body in Chardewal area.

Qari Yousaf Ahmadi, speaking on behalf of the abductors, said they shot dead one of the male captives in the wake of the governments refusal to explicitly respond to rebel demands.

In a phone call to this news agency from an undisclosed location, Ahmadi ruled out unconditional release of the 15 female foreigners in their captivity. He accused government-appointed negotiators of using delaying tactics and trying to dupe the kidnappers.

I guess stories like this aren't all that breaking either. Oh well, hopefully something more interesting from Albania tomorrow, in the next segment of What's Going on in the Rest of the World.

More on Christians United for Israel

Max Blumenthal attended the Christians United for Israel conference that was held last week. The first link contains video coverage of the event-- a must see.

Money quote from Blumenthal:

I have covered the Christian right intensely for over four years. During this time, I attended dozens of Christian right conferences, regularly monitored movement publications and radio shows, and interviewed scores of its key leaders. I have never witnessed any spectacle as politically extreme, outrageous, or bizarre as the one Christians United for Israel produced last week in Washington.

Money quote from Congressman Tom Delay (R-TX):

Obviously, it is what I live for, and I hope it comes tomorrow. And obviously we have to be connected to Israel to enjoy the second coming of Christ.

Kind of scary

Who needs intelligence?

Apparently not the State Department's lead man on South Asian Affairs.

Today the House Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs held a hearing on US-Pakistan relations with regard to the war in Afghanistan. Richard Boucher, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs was the sole witness.

The front page of today's Washington Post reports that the Bush Administration's National Counterterrorism Center has written a threat assessment report stating that al-Qaeda is gaining strength and has established a safe haven in the tribal areas of western Pakistan, on the Afghan border.

A large portion of the over three hour hearing entitled "Pakistan at the Crossroads; Afghanistan in the Balance," was devoted to the Pakistan's ungoverned tribal region of Waziristan, where al-Qaeda has allegedly established a safe haven and where militants are freely crossing the Pakistan-Afghan border.

When Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) asked Secretary Boucher to comment on the intelligence report, Boucher replied that he was not familiar with the report. Congressman Van Hollen pressed him, incredulous that the Washington Post had more to say about a report with potentially huge policy implications than the “top analyst for South Asia in the State Department."

"I guess the Washington Post was briefed before me," Boucher quipped.

Like Congressman Van Hollen, I find this lack of adequate intelligence at the State Department disconcerting.

Then again, what good are intelligence reports if our nation's leaders don't even bother to read them, and vote to authorize war anyway.