11 September 2006

Early September News Update

It's about time I did a news update. Here are some stories that I've compiled as of late.

Younger generations of Japanese and Korean citizens, who are unfamiliar with the beneficial roles that the United States has played in the recent history of their countries, are fond of holding anti-American rallies and lobbying for a reduced or discontinued American presence in Japan and Korea. Apparently some Koreans haven't forgotten the American sacrifice for their freedom, and held a rally last month in support of continued ties with America. With so many international talking heads claiming that America represents all that's wrong with the world today, it's nice to see that there are some who are willing to go public with their acknowledgment that America can be (and is) a force for good in the world.

Carlos Ortega, a political opponent of Hugo Chavez's has escaped from prison, and was likely assisted by the guards. All indications are that he'll try to stay in Venezuela and continue his opposition to Chavez. Information about Ortega is sparse, but I sincerely hope that he'll be able to contribute in some way to progress toward democracy and legitimate economic reforms in Venezuela.

There are indications that Congolese uranium may have been covertly purchased by Iran. Such a development would not inspire confidence that the Iranian scheme to enrich uranium is open, honest, and meant solely for peaceful research and energy generation. There are also numerous indications that the Iranian government is supporting the Iraqi terrorist insurgency by providing war materials as well as sniper rifles. Recently, an American envoy to Iraq stated a belief that Iran is using the Iraq War as leverage against the international community; numerous pundits have also hypothesized that the recent conflict between Israel and Lebanon happened at the urging of the mullahs, who pull Hezbollah's puppet strings.

In the recent Israeli/Lebanese war, Hezbollah used the advanced RPG-29. Although the article is essentially an anonymous Russian denial of Russian involvement, Russia and Syria have openly shared military technology and supplies in the past. It's not a far stretch of the imagination to anticipate that the Syrians, with or without Russian knowledge and approval, transferred RPG-29 systems to Hezbollah. More information about the RPG-29 system can be found here.

I have every intention of making another couple of pertinent blog posts tomorrow. Stay tuned.

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