AMF: Thank God this Week is Over

I'm very much not thrilled with this week. Here are the many, many news stories that have logjammed in the last few days.

Report: Saudis Give Nod to Israeli Strike on Iran (Times, AFP);

Times: Biden hands Ayatollah easy scapegoat (supplemental: AFP)

Iranian Clerics Declare Ahmadinejad Re-Election Illegitimate (Fox, Guardian, Times) - People are still protesting in the streets of Tehran and declaring "death to the dictator", too - let's hope they keep it up. And speaking of protests...

Scores killed in China protests (CNN, BBC, Times); Rioting Uighurs and a fading dream. Between the Uighurs and the Tibetans, China has some issues on its hands. I don't think people appreciate just how difficult a time this so-called "emerging superpower" is going to have with maintaining its borders in the coming decades.

BBC: Historic Bible pages put online

Times: Barack Obama makes basic error over balance of power in Kremlin

FSM: Landslide Ahmadinejad an Unwelcome Visitor (Mashad pilgrimage) - Apparently the "landslide" win of Mahmoud Ahmedinejad hasn't afforded him the gravitas to make a traditional pilgrimage to Mashad for newly-elected presidents. Very interesting.

AFP: Japanese imperial army maps to go online - This is very cool, whether you're a fan of Japan, military cartography, or just cool things that are being done with the Internet.

BBC: Who is Neil Armstrong? - Apparently Neil Armstrong is basically a recluse, has only done a couple of interviews in the last forty years, and refuses to discuss any aspect of his feelings on the moon landing. This is a really, really interesting article, and I particularly think that Father Time would appreciate reading it.

Times: Germany awards 'new Iron Cross'; Germany honours four soldiers with new version of Iron Cross - I actually think that this is really cool. The Iron Cross dated back to before Adolf Hitler ever came to power, and as with many things that really had nothing to do with Nazism, it was culled following World War II. Very interesting, if nothing else.

Times: Welsh Guards bear brunt as Afghan death toll rises

AFP: Taliban launch 'operation' against Marines

AFP: Germany orders 405 armoured fighting vehicles: company - Germany's performance in Afghanistan has been lackluster, to put it gently. Let's hope that this order represents a real commitment by the Bundeswehr to start pulling more weight internationally.

Michael Totten: The Real Quagmire - Michael Totten interviews a former Israeli military prison guard about the situation in Israel and "Palestine".

CNN: Love hotel business zooms despite downturn - If you're unfamiliar with Japanese "love hotels", this article will shock and entertain you. When I was dating the Little Jabbering Foreigner, she said that she and her friends used to use these hotel rooms as a place to go drink when they were underage.

BBC: 'No green light for Iran attack' - After Joe Biden claimed that the United States wouldn't stand in Israel's way, The One almost immediately shot that comment down. Great coordination, kids.

BBC: Yemenia 'may cancel Airbus order' - Rough times for Airbus - their planes keep falling out of the sky.

Guardian: China's dollar delusion: Dethroning the US dollar as the world's most powerful currency might not be in China's long-term interests

FSM: Giving Israel Credit Where It's Due: A British Military Expert Tells Truth to Prejudice

Times: British troops put at higher Afghan risk

Times: Troops in Helmand 'could defeat' themselves

FSM: Newt Gingrich: How Team Obama Hijacked "Change" And How We Can Take It Back

UPI: Mumbai attackers depend on Gulf funds - One of the things that people ignore is that the Iraq War was waged in large part to deny Saddam Hussein the ability to provide funding to international terrorist groups, which he did openly and brazenly. If you dry up the funds, the groups can't operate.

Guardian gallery: satellite images

Times gallery: British troops in Afghanistan

Times gallery: US Marines: Operation Khanjar

For my dear friend, Gus, I'm posting part two of the Hot Facts Girls' Fitness Facts series. It's mostly redundant information, so I'll say again: gentlemen, this video is volume optional.



Let's hope that next week isn't as terrible as this week has been. Have a good weekend, folks.