Who is really in command in Pakistan?

by; Lt. Col. Allen West (retired),

The assassination of former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto evidences who is really in command in Pakistan: Islamic terrorists and their ideology. Pervez Musharref has done nothing to promote civil liberties, constitutional order or rule of law in Pakistan. He is a despotic ruler who has been playing the Roman god Janus with the US, and indeed the world. Pakistan has received billions in US foreign aid in money and weapons support, but none of it has gone to fight against Islamic terrorism. It has been stockpiled to fight against their traditional enemy, the world's largest democratic state, India.

When Musharref ordered the withdrawal of Pakistani troops from Waziristan it allowed the establishment of a new terrorist sanctuary, a self-proclaimed "Talibanistan". The standoff at the Red Mosque earlier this month allowed us to see what happens when the radical islamists attempt to extend their ideology beyond the declared walls of sanctuary.

Benazir Bhutto knew the day she landed she was a marked woman, but her courage should embolden us to accept reality. That reality is that we face a barbaric and committed enemy which has no regard for liberty and freedoms, only their warped and insane 7th century vision of an antiquated totalitarian, imperialistic ideology. The best way to give tribute to Benazir Bhutto is to commit, as she did, to eradicate Islamic terrorism, the mysticism which holds hostage those who seek to step out of darkness, and into the light of individual freedom, not collective religious slavery.

There can be no doubt that Pervez Musharref and the Pakistan ISI allowed these continuous attacks to take place against Bhutto, until the enemies of our world were successful.

If our world leadership is serious, they will abandon the empty rhetoric of "strong condemnation" and begin to cut off aid to Pakistan and Musharref. We will begin to regulate the visas granted to Pakistan and revoke student visas. We will look to shut down our embassies. And lastly we will not allow the terrorist enemy sanctuary, wherever he seeks to find it, and that includes cross-border strike operations. These measures are not against the people of Pakistan who desire rule of law, civil liberties, and freedom. It is meant to place pressure and responsibility to enact a change. These measures would be meant to set conditions for those seeking reform to enact such, and restore honor and dignity to Pakistan.

Musharref is not an ally. He is a despotic user. Having been in southern Afghanistan, I know of the Chechnyans, Saudis, Yemenis, Uzbeks, Pakistanis, Somalis, and other Arabs who are captured in Afghanistan….and they have come from across the border in Pakistan. We all know that during the winter months many of the Taliban return to Waziristan to refit and retrain, preparing for the next spring campaign season. We know that the stories of Pakistan 'capturing' Taliban are just a hoax; in actuality they round up many Talibs who refuse to return to Afghanistan to fight.

Bhutto sacrificed her life to inspire all of us to stop "playing war" with this enemy, and face the truth that they are determined to enslave us all, and no one is safe from their maniacal desires. In particular, western female political leaders should be enraged at the loss of a promising voice. Our response to this tragedy must resound clearly, and not be a typical sound bite. We have to stand together as a free world.

We must declare the enemy to be Islamic terrorism (Al Qaeda, Taliban, Hezbollah, Hamas, Muslim Brotherhood, Islamic Jihad, Al Aqsa Brigade, Al Quds Brigade, Iranian Republican Guards, Abu Sayyaf, Jemaat al Islamiah) and the state sponsors who provide them sanctuary and support: Iran, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Egypt, Yemen, Sudan, Somalia, Libya, and Pakistan.

It is quite simple. Strategically we must:

* Deny this enemy sanctuary,

* Interdict his support (men, materiel, and money),

* Isolate him,

* Contain the promulgation of his ideology, and lastly

* Disrupt his operations worldwide.

This is not Bush's War. It is not a war in Iraq. It is a world war, an ideological struggle which cannot simply find a solution in appeasement, compromise, or negotiation. It takes bullets and words, the ability to know when to use each, and the willingness to do so.

Let not Benazir Bhutto's death be in vain.

My thanks to Jamie Walker for bringing this article to my attention.

Chic Hendricks

Benazir Bhutto - A Victim of Evil

May the spirit of God be with her! You could almost see it coming. That part of the globe is so heated up, so radical, so bizarre right now - I wonder if it will ever be peaceful again? So, here's a woman, a leader of an educated nation making a comeback to politics because she has a multitude of supporters, a liberal leader in support of freedom and Democracy, trying to bring about positive change for her country, and she's cut down by someone willing to step into a crowd, gun her down, and then blow himself to pieces along with 20 others. Evil has no boundary's. It comes looking like an Angel - a messenger of God. It is deceiving many young men and women in the Middle East. One moment they're here on earth and in the blink of an eye, they're in Hell. No Virgins, no peace, no nothing - forever! Here in America, it's hard for me to imagine how Satan can so completely take over a person's mind, soul, and even their country. I hope that every American is watching the various news stories today and digesting what's happening in Pakistan and the rest of the Middle East. As Hal Lindsey wrote 30 years ago "Satan is Alive and well on planet Earth". We cannot take our freedom and peace for granted. It is God given! We Americans have a duty to care for each other and our neighbors around the world. We must do all we can to defeat this hideous Evil that attracts young Muslims to a violent death and ultimately threatens the lives of millions of innocent people around the globe. May God bless all of you, and I pray you will have a Happy New Year!

The Atheist, The Bear, and GOD!

An atheist was walking through the woods. 'What majestic trees'! 'What powerful rivers'! 'What beautiful animals'! - He said to himself. As he was walking alongside the river, he heard a rustling in the bushes behind him. He turned to look. He saw a 7-foot grizzly bear charge towards him. He ran as fast as he could up the path. He looked over his shoulder & saw that the bear was closing in on him. He looked over his shoulder again, & the bear was even closer. He tripped & fell on the ground. He rolled over to pick himself up but saw that the bear was right on top of him, reaching for him with his left paw & raising his right paw to strike him. At that instant the Atheist cried out, 'Oh my God!' Time Stopped. The bear froze. The forest was silent. As a bright light shone upon the man, a voice came out of the sky. 'You deny my existence for all these years, teach others I don't exist and even credit creation to a cosmic accident.' 'Do you expect me to help you out of this predicament? Am I to count you as a believer'?

The atheist looked directly into the light, 'It would be hypocritical of me to suddenly ask you to treat me as a Christian now, but perhaps you could make the BEAR a Christian'? 'Very Well,' said the voice. The light went out. The sounds of the forest resumed. And the bear dropped his right paw, brought both paws together, bowed his head & spoke:

'Lord bless this food, which I am about to receive from thy bounty through Christ our Lord, Amen.'

"Muhammad" Teddy Bears

You'll recall the story of Gillian Gibbons, who was tried for inciting religious hatred, convicted, sentenced to 15 days prison time and deportation, and eventually pardoned (after protesters called for her execution, BTW) after naming a teddy bear Muhammed in a class exercise in Sudan.

An Arizona man has decided to support the right to Name Bears (as opposed to Bear Arms) with the site TeddyBearMuhammad.com (at the same time capitalizing on a recent event and making some cash in the process). Bears are $9.95 (50% off for the holidays), and there is a bulk ordering discount for more than 5 bears. According to the site, $1 of every bear purchased goes to the USO to support U.S. troops. Of course, I also noticed, besides the shipping fee, a handling fee of $1.99. I always find handling fees to really be just another way to make more profit. So that $1 donation is made up (if it's just one bear) by the handling fee. The site says clothes and accessories are coming soon. In a way though, it's really taking advantage of someone's poor fortune (Gibbons'). Too bad she can't share in this. Don't get me wrong, though, I find this clever and amusing, if also capitalizing on something. According to a press release on the site, Mark Bold (Site Owner) said,

"There isn’t much more that brings a smile to a child than a teddy bear, and if a child, teacher, or anyone wants one with the name Muhammad, they can now have one."

Reprinted from a Robert Lee email I received.

The Insurance debacle!

The insurance industry is almost a NIGHTMARE and it's getting worse! Why would I say something so bold? If you've had a claim against your policy or the policy of another insured person or entity, good luck getting reimbursed for your losses. If you've allowed your policy to lapse, due to not paying attention, you forgot to pay your premium on time, stupidity on your part, whatever! You'll find that your insurance company who you thought was there to take care of you in times of emergency and great need, will in reality treat you as a total stranger. DO NOT expect a friend in them, or a friendly voice on the other end of the phone ready to assist you through your difficult time. You'll actually find a seemingly caring person who is really GREED in disguise. Your insurance company is very interested in having your money to help them make more money - PERIOD , that's it, nothing else. Paying out claims today is not the priority for insurance companies that it once was not so long ago. Big companies like SAFECO and UNIVERSAL Underwriters are teaching their adjusters to deny all claims several times before settling. The motto is wear the customer down and make him settle for pennies on the dollar! If you've had a set back with finances or credit - you're out! A blip on your credit report now dictates whether you get insurance or not, and the size of premiums you pay for Home Owners and Auto insurance. What does a credit report have to do with insurance? You're not asking the Insurance company for credit! If you think this is ridiculous - do a little research on the internet and find out for yourself. My recommendation - dump SAFECO and UNIVERSAL and try to find an independent agent that can provide the kind of service we all expect from the billions of dollars we collectively pay to them each year! Good luck! You'll need it!