Why is it so hard for Americans to learn about the successes of our war on terror? In the wake of the killing of the leader of the FARC guerillas and the success of our Iraq policies in marginalizing Al Qaeda (all without much press notice), Investor's Business Daily points to the lessons Colombia can teach us about fighting a guerilla war.

As support flags for the Iraq War even in the face of victory, it may help to look to south to Colombia, where the public still supports its military and celebrates victories. The fighting spirit helps to win. [...]

You see, in Colombia, they understand terrorists thrive on propaganda machines of their own. To win, you must get ahead of them.

[snip]

The U.S. can learn from this. If we're to win our war on terror, we must do more than just send our troops into harm's way. We must celebrate them - and the victory they're bringing us.

There may be little we can do about the inclinations of the press and the elites in our country, but more vigorous communication from the top would have been helpful. In war we need a great communicator, it seems.

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Face of Defense: Soldier Fights to Deploy Despite Medical Condition

... Still more visits to more doctors led him to a neurologist. Late in September 2005, he was diagnosed with multifocal motor neuropathy. [snip]

Once again, the doctors said no. A chain of e-mails revealed one medical professional after another who believed he had no business deploying. They cited the risk for contamination, with possible secondary effects of anaphylaxis or renal failure. They said his understanding of the condition was “oversimplified.”

In his response, he said he outlined his own research -- discussing the shelf life of the medication and the plan that he and squadron surgeon Maj. (Dr.) Sean Hollonbeck, had come up with to administer the treatments.

“The Army is attempting and perfecting new things in the theater of operation every day,” he wrote. “Why not this? -- Army doctrine is to train in times of peace and to win at war,” Smith said. “I see a lot of value in what I did as a rear detachment soldier, but if the Army’s at war, I want to go."

After a successful month at Fort Irwin, Calif., at the National Training Center, during which an enlisted combat medic administered the treatment, the Army finally relented. Smith deployed to Multinational Division Baghdad as part of Task Force 12 in November 2007.

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Commander Charts Progress in Baghdad, Diyala

– A mix of force, good governance and economic stimuli has resulted in a turnaround for an area in Iraq that once was a hotbed of Sunni and Shiite insurgents. [snip]

“In our time here, murders have declined by greater than 50 percent, from 631 in '06 to 253 in '07,” [context: many US cities average between 700-1100 murders/year] Grigsby said in a video hook-up from Baghdad. “Shop owners are selling their goods in revitalized markets, and we are now down to maybe one attack every other day.” [snip]

“We did bloody the nose of the enemy, and the enemy does fear us, both coalition forces and Iraqi security forces. We never forgot what a U.S. Army heavy brigade combat team is built to do: to close with and destroy the enemy."

The unit’s soldiers head back to Fort Benning, Ga., knowing they have made a difference, Grigsby said.

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Olbermann Names General Petraeus "Worser" Person in the World

Last night on the MSNBC program "Countdown with Keith Olbermann," the host gave the runner up position to his daily segment "World's Worst Persons in the World" to General David Petraeus. View video here.

"Tonight‘s runner-up, General David Petraeus. It turns out his role as a press flack for President Bush began long before his embarrassing testimony to Congress last September. "

After the negative reaction the smear ad from MoveOn.org received last year it should be well-known by now that name calling Gen. Petraeus is not the way to go. Apparently Mr. Olbermann didn't get the memo. Hat tip: Greg Pollowitz.

Partial transcript here: [...]

[I watched much of the General's testimony last fall; he was chief among the minority {all in uniform} in the room who didn't embarrass themselves. incredible {literally}]

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Palestinian suicide bomber attacks Gaza crossing

Gaza City, Gaza Strip - A Palestinian suicide bomber detonated a truck loaded with tons of explosives early Thursday in an attempt to ram a crucial crossing between the Gaza Strip and Israel, militants said.

[but why oh why does Israel have all those checkpoints at their borders? They make it hard for Palestinians to get to work]

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How Iran is changing the balance of power in the Middle East?

Lebanon fell in the lap of the Iranian regime in less than two days. Lebanon is now unofficially a colony of Iran. The illusions are over now. Those who thought that Iran has abandoned Hezbollah and occupation of Lebanon through Hezbollah were proved to be wrong. Iran designed a strategy of deception for some time to arm, equip and train Hezbollah to the highest level on one hand and to give false assurances to the Arab governments that it has no bad intentions in Lebanon. During this time, the Shia regime of Iran prepared Hezbollah so well and so much that it took over Beirout in less than two days... [snip]

The poor Sunnis, who have been disappointed completely in different aspects of life, now convert to Shiism and they get some substantial financial rewards for so doing. Every Sunni that converts to Shiism becomes a new agent of Iran and will join an organization that is supported and financed by Iran. The stakes are high. Iran has numerous and very powerful leverages in Arab countries and can create any change she wants. The Arab countries are helpless. They have become the victims of their self- complacent attitude and policies. While Iran can interfere in their policies when ever she wants, the Arab countries cannot do anything inside Iran as they do not have any viable allies among the Suuni and Shia Iranians.

Iran is changing the balance of power in the Broader Middle East.

[and the West signs more energy deals with Iran {Switzerland}. A permanent base in Iraq is our only hope of mitigating Iran's march to dominate the region - a region our economy literally cannot do without]

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Jimmy Carter wants trade relations with Iran

The former president is in a hole and can't stop digging More.

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South Korea, Arab States Move to Improve Relations

SEOUL, South Korea -- South Korea and a group of governments from the Middle East and Africa agreed to launch a cooperative organization Monday aimed at enhancing political, cultural and economic ties, officials said. [snip]

The resource-poor country is heavily dependent on oil imports and has been intensifying what it calls energy diplomacy to secure stable supplies amid a scramble by Asian neighbors China, India and Japan to so the same amid rising prices.

[the implications to America's political refusal to compete in the field of energy are legion - we're handing energy exporters such as Russia and the middle east enormous influence, none of whom are our friends {i.e., brilliant}]

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Planting the Seeds of a Demographic Winter

Did you know that planting a tree won’t save the earth?

A two-person household is responsible for releasing 41,500 pounds of CO2 into the atmosphere each year. To offset that, each household would have to plant 483 trees and let them grow for 10 years.

We know this because the Washington Post Home section on May 8 featured a cover story encouraging folks to plant trees while sternly warning them that this won’t help much because people are a cancer on the planet.

If a two-person household is that bad, what does that make families with children? Environmental criminals? Earth wreckers?

[a lever for massive social engineering - paid for in the coin of liberties]

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Democrats' Energy Plan: Tax, Sue, and Investigate

More than two years ago, now-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her Democratic colleagues promised what they called a “common sense” energy plan to bring down prices at the gas pump.

Today, 744 days later, congressional Democrats finally unveiled their grand proposal to the American people.

To most Americans, addressing rising energy prices might include at least a bow to the law of supply and demand. It might contain some true common sense ideas such as stepped-up exploration, added domestic refinery capacity, or other measures to increase U.S. energy and reduce dependence on foreign supplies.

But Democrats made clear they have other priorities. They want to tax, sue and investigate their way out of this problem...

[you should read it, seeing as you're going to pay for it > ]

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House action targets OPEC

Washington - The House voted Tuesday to let the Justice Department pursue energy antitrust and price fixing cases against members of the OPEC oil cartel, although critics said such attempts would likely be fruitless and could prompt a backlash from oil producers. The bill, approved 324-84, also would create a special Justice Department task force to investigate energy markets to root out manipulation and unwarranted speculation. Similar measures are part of a package of Democratic energy proposals being considered in the Senate.

[but we won't drill our own wells]

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What We're Buying at College

At Colorado College in Colorado Springs, a couple of insouciant students circulated a flyer that parodied one distributed by the Feminist and Gender Studies program. The FGS flyer called itself the "Monthly Rag" (charming) and reportedly advertised a lecture on "feminist porn" and carried an approving mention of "castration." The student parody flyer, the "Monthly Bag," referred to "tough guy wisdom," the range of a sniper rifle and "chainsaw etiquette."

The students responsible for the parody were at first threatened with expulsion, which was later reduced to a violation of the college's student conduct policy on (get ready for it) "violence." Dean of Students Michael Edmonds acknowledged that the flyer was a satire, but "in the climate in which we find ourselves today, violence -- or implied violence -- of any kind cannot be tolerated."

Translation: If someone uses words you find offensive, he has committed an act of violence. This does violence to the English language, apart from the assault on free speech and free thought. The offenders will be forced to attend a forum to discuss the issues raised (read: reeducation seminar) and will have a disciplinary note placed in their student files...

[parents: choose your child's college carefully]

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