Back Burner News

Before I get into my rant, I'd like to leave my comment on the death penality. It doesn't work. Studies have shown that implementing a death sentence or life in prison has virtually the same impact in reducing crime. Also, I've been told it costs more money for the state to proceed with an execution than to imprison someone for life. The morality of the issue isn't even that important to me because common sense wins out.

Now, for the news. First up, why I can't support Hillary Clinton as the Democratic nominee. It is reported that when the Iraq intelligence estimates came out before the infamous 2002 vote to authorize force, she never read it. She claims that her vote was dependent on the President's faulty intelligence. Well, the intelligence was definetly faulty (and I believe altered by Cheney and company...making it criminal), but she never looked at the briefing material before even voting. She can't admit her mistake and isn't going to get my vote.

Next up, the US is planning on a new strategy to negoiate a cease fire (peace?) with enemy combatants in Iraq. Hmm...peace with terrorists. Odd that this isn't well known.

The Boston Globe reported that the US is eliminating the committee tasked with putting pressure on Iran and Syria. Here is the jist.

"The Bush administration has dismantled a special committee that was established last year to coordinate aggressive actions against Iran and Syria", State Department officials said this week.
The interagency group, known as the Iran Syria Policy and Operations Group, met weekly throughout much of 2006 to coordinate actions such as curtailing Iran’s access to credit and banking institutions, organizing the sale of military equipment to Iran’s neighbors, and supporting democratic forces that oppose the two regimes.

State Department and White House officials said the dissolution of the group was simply a bureaucratic reorganization, but many analysts saw it as evidence of a softening in the US strategy toward the two countries. It comes as the Bush administration has embarked on a significant new effort to hold high-level meetings with Iran and Syria.

Frankly, this is crap. I'm no warmonger, and getting any further involved in conflicts in the Middle East is the exact opposite road we should take. However, these two countries should be targeted with economic sanctions, be limited in purchasing military equipment, etc. Bush is wrong again.

Oh, and Arab countries are meeting in Saudi Arabia to improve their security. Apparently Iraq is a breeding ground for terrorists and represents a "security threat" according to the Saudi Interior Minister. Awesome progress with that surge folks. That is all.