A Hollywood Republican

This blog is for an open discussion on politics. My views will be to the right as will be most of the posters. But, we are willing to post alternative viewpoints as lons as they are well thought out. I started this in response to the Obama election and will continue it as long as it feeds a need.

Apr 28, 2009

Pakistan, Pelosi and Reconciliation

President Obama has made it very clear that he intends to pursue the war against the Taliban in Afghanistan. In fact, he is basically following the Bush era policy in that regard and is effectively, recreating the Bush surge that turned the tide in Iraq. However, the members of the Taliban do not seem to care and do not seem to be alarmed by this.

Why? It is very simple. The Taliban has decided that Afghanistan is just a pawn in their little game against democracy. They have bigger goals. Or, at least that is what seems to be the case right now. Every piece of evidence suggests that the Taliban are going after the government of Pakistan and its reward of nuclear weapons.

Since the beginning of the year, the Taliban has pretty much invaded Pakistan. It all started when the democratically elected president of Pakistan, Ali Arif Zardari, permitted Islamic fundamentalist rule of law in parts of the country as a result of threats from the Taliban. Since then, the Taliban has encroached on Pakistani land more and more with each passing week. As of Sunday, the Taliban had established a position in Pakistan only 70 miles from the capital city of Islamabad. Just a little bit further and these radical Islamist crazies will have control of the country.

This cannot happen! Should the Taliban gain control of Pakistan, they will be able to reap the reward of Pakistan’s arsenal of nuclear weapons. What do you think they will do with them? Let’s start with the obvious. These weapons will be used against our armed forces in Afghanistan and Iraq. They will probably be used against Israel. And, I am sure there will be some threat to India.

Remember, the Taliban protects Al Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden. The War on Terror or whatever euphemism President Obama has decided to call it will be basically lost. Once the Taliban and Al Qaeda have control of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal, we will have to negotiate with them if they even choose to negotiate. If we continue to prosecute the war, the Taliban and Mr. Bin Laden will use their weapons. Don’t kid yourself by thinking they will not.

Based upon this, I am only left to wonder. What is President Obama waiting for? At some point, and it better be soon, the encroachment into Pakistan has got to be stopped. Whether this is done by the United States on its own or through UN action or through a combined military operation, we cannot wait any longer. President Obama is going to have to commit military troops to Pakistan and, unfortunately escalate the War on Terror (whatever he chooses to call it). Negotiation will not work with these radicals.

On another matter, my tirade against Nancy Pelosi must continue based upon the incidents of the past week. How does this women continue to be elected and more important, remain Speaker of the House? There is evidence that she knew about water boarding and enhanced interrogation techniques as early as 2002. Further, Ms. Pelosi and a group of Congressional leaders from both parties, where briefed continually on interrogation techniques from 2002 until, evidence suggests, 2006.

Once this story broke in the Washington Post last week, Ms Pelosi went on the record stating that she did not know about the water boarding and would never have acquiesced to it. However, she did not deny the briefings occurred. In fact, she stated that she did attend briefings but alluded to the fact that the material briefed was classified and only involved whether there was legal precedent and not that water boarding and other forms of enhanced interrogation techniques were used.

Come on? Does anyone believe her? I agree with Dick Cheney on this issue. If we are going to declassify some documents regarding the above, then it is time to declassify everything relating to the enhanced interrogation techniques. Whether they be about what was done; the legality of what was done; and who knew about what was done. Let’s find out whether Ms. Pelosi is telling the truth. And, if she is playing fast and loose with the truth, she should be prosecuted in the same manner she wants to prosecute the people responsible for the policy. Jack Cafferty of CNN should keep his mouth shut on this issue. Cheney has got a right to speak his piece just like every other citizen in this country.

According to Fox News, the clash of accounts (regarding the above) has stirred Republican claims that Democrats have selective and politically motivated amnesia when it comes to who knew what, and when, about the Bush-era interrogation programs.

Of course, the other alternative is to take President Obama’s position before he caved to the far left last week. We are beyond this and what happened in the past should be left in the past. The time now is for reconciliation.

Speaking of reconciliation, whatever there was of bipartisanship is pretty much completely gone now because of the above and because of a little known Congressional Rule called reconciliation. It is a process that can be used in budgetary legislation that eliminates the power of a filibuster in the Senate effectively giving the Democrats the power to pass budgetary legislation even if they do not have the sixty votes needed to end a debate.

The Democrats are now threatening to use reconciliation to ram through President Obama’s health care initiative even though they know it will increase the deficit and will have little, to no support from the Republican Party. If this happens, you can guarantee that any nascent bipartisanship is dead. Or, is that really a bad thing?

By the way, if you agree or disagree with me, please post comments on this page. One of my main reasons for writing this column is to create an open dialogue with people who have opinions that are either in agreement with me or inapposite. I do not believe that either side is 100% correct and the only way debate can be had is with continual comment and criticism. Until next week!

©2009 by Frank T. DeMartini. Permission to be copies will be granted freely upon request.

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3 Comments:

Blogger michaeldsellers said...

" I am only left to wonder. What is President Obama waiting for? At some point, and it better be soon, the encroachment into Pakistan has got to be stopped."

Well -- don't you see Obama's hand in the recent (and first ever in memory) Pakistani assaults on the Taliban in the tribal regions? Clearly the US put pressure on the Pakistani regime to finally "do something", and they're doing it, knowing that if they don't take care of this problem the US will become increasingly aggressive. This is somewhat better, it seems, than just a continuation of the Bush policies. Check out this link for the latest on the Pakistani assault on the Taliban. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/apr/27/pakistan-troops-attack-taliban-swat

April 28, 2009 at 5:02 PM  
Anonymous Beth Lenarsky Shmariau said...

Frank - you are right on the mark

April 29, 2009 at 6:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Frank:
Thanks for your blog. A few comments.
I do not understand the argument about Pelosi and Obama. If Obama is in fact trying to protect the Democrats and Pelosi, how is this accomplished by bringing the torture issue forward. Wouldn't this put her and other Democrats in harm’s way if she is in fact guilty (by the way I am not saying she is not)?
And regarding Pakistan please note that this is not an American issue, this is a world issue and the world should be involved and take responsibility along with the US for what is going on in Pakistan. We cannot continue to isolate ourselves on issues of world security. These issues should be handled through the UN and other organizations that involve a range of countries that can put all types of pressure on Pakistan (in addition to military pressure). You have to include an option that the Republicans seem to have forgotten and that is diplomacy and here the US should take a lead, but through countries that have a direct influence on Pakistan and those that have input with the Taliban.
I am much less worried about the Taliban taking over Pakistan than I am of the US conducting illegal raids into a sovereign country (Pakistan) and it creating a war that could lead to a nuclear war.
The US challenge here is the history of the relationship between the US and the Taliban /Osama Bin Laden who used to be our allies. Why do they hate us now and why are we trying to wipe them out. I watched one of your favorite films: Charlie Wilson's War and in it I saw some of what created the current state of affairs. This is broken promises and outright lies by the United States.
Our policy has to be to talk about the root problems in order to get to a solution, not just killing everyone we call the enemy. This policy will no longer work in today’s world. This is why Bush was such a failure in foreign policy, he continuously tried to dictate to a world that was looking for partners not parents.
I know that when you see Obama admit that we have not been upstanding in our behavior or attitudes or that our policies in places like Cuba have failed, you look at it as a weakness, but I will tell you that it takes more strength to admit a mistake and then work together to try and fix things than it does to continue to lie and punish everyone who knows the truth. I am of course simplifying things, but you get my point. If we continue down a path of the latter behavior, we will find ourselves being another Israel; isolated and surrounded by enemies some of which we now call friends.
Keep the faith,
David Allen Jones

April 30, 2009 at 12:50 AM  

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