The Political Conundrum!

MS. PERINO: Hey, everybody. A couple of things for you. The President just met with Rich Williamson -- he's the special envoy -- the President's special envoy to Sudan -- to receive an update from him on the situation in Darfur and the status of a comprehensive peace agreement that the North and South are trying to work out.

“…And combat ? If you have seen Rambo you have seen it all - always coming to the rescue when one of our teams gets in trouble, and always in the shortest delay. That is one of their tricks : they switch  from T-shirt and sandals to combat ready in three minutes…”

This is a great piece of writing, translated from a French soldier’s own blog  or journal. The kind words he speaks are not surprising to any of us that know the quality of our soldiers, however to hear a soldier from another country say it really means a lot. He is also a French soldier, which I can say are always a cut above the image that their country portrays. I have met with and spent some time with French soldiers before and they have always impressed me. It made me laugh to talk about his size compared to the Americans. The ones I have met have always been small in stature and seem small and skinny. In fact the ones that I met on Camp Phoenix in Afghanistan were some of the tallest I had ever seen. They did like to walk around in those shorty short satin FM shorts though. Never could figure that out.

Anyway click the link below to read the article to get the full story.

http://serendipity.ruwenzori.net/index.php/2008/09/21/american-troops-in-afghanistan-through-the-eyes-of-a-french-omlt-infantryman

Lebanese Minister of Defense Elias Murr just returned from Moscow where he received an offer of 10 MIG 29 “Fulcrum” aircraft. The MIGs would be a significant boost to Lebanon’s depleted and antiquated fixed wing fleet, which today is comprised of some five 1950s-era Hunter Hawker aircraft.

The Russian donation compliments the Iranian offer this past November—in response to Lebanese President Michel Suleiman’s request—to provide weapons to the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF).

Given Lebanon’s limited defense budget, it’s hard to imagine how the LAF would finance the maintenance of the Russian aircraft. Moreover, if Beirut were to accept the Russian and Iranian offers, there could be significant implications for US relations with the LAF. Since the 2005 Cedar Revolution and the subsequent withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon, Washington has provided nearly $500 million in military assistance to Lebanon.

Washington has not yet commented on the prospective Iranian and Russian arms deals. The response from Lebanon’s pro-west March 14th coalition-led Government has so far been non-committal. But the gifts--and the ramifications for US-Lebanese relations--are no doubt appealing to Hizballah and its Lebanese allies.

Also on the Russian front, recent reports suggest that Israel may be in the process of selling Hermes 450 UAVs to Moscow. (As you might recall, a Russian MIG 29 was said to have shot down one of these Israeli-made drones during the invasion of Georgia this past August). According to the Lebanese daily An Nahar, the Israelis aren’t pleased about the potential MIG 29 deal, but the UAV sale appears unrelated to this development. More likely, the Israelis are hoping the UAV sales provide some leverage in helping to convince the Russians to not sell advanced SA-20 anti-aircraft weapons to Iran.

Who the F*** does he think he is? I am so pissed over this. I may be ranting on this topic tonight on the You Served Radio show. If I don’t get my rant out enough to make me feel better, then I will be putting up another audio blog about it.

http://www.examiner.com/a-1751358~Afghan_leader_sends_demands_to_US_on_troop_conduct.html

A Sumner man who falsely claimed to be a Vietnam-era war hero pleaded guilty Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Seattle to making false claims of military service, awards and decorations.

China said Thursday it is preparing to dispatch naval warships to join international forces battling Somali pirates, the first such far-ranging mission for the Chinese navy.

The Afghan president has sent a list of demands to the United States government about troop conduct ahead of the arrival of more U.S. forces, pressing for cooperation with his government.

The jailed journalist who threw his shoes at President George W. Bush has asked for a pardon for what he described as "an ugly act," a spokesman for Iraq's prime minister said Thursday.

NASA is telling museums across the country that have expressed interest in obtaining a genuine space shuttle that it's really going to cost them. How much? A mere $42 million -- including $6 million for shipping and handling.

An announcement by a local veterans group that it plans to fly the American flag upside down to call attention to the lack of a veterans hospital in the Rio Grande Valley is receiving a chilly response from some fellow veterans.