Comments on Belmont Club "Mystery in the desert"

What I have never understood is why Bush held back and let the Syrian regime survive. After the Harari assassination they were on the run, human rights prosecutors circling, Beirut protest babes winning Western hearts. Why did he let the opportunity go?

The Republicans should be preparing a $200 million dollar ad campaign now and start pounding away on what was probably the best theme they wandered away from last Summer "Drill Here, Drill Now and use everything." Don't be subtle, use pictures of Oil Sheiks and Putin and Chavez and call the Democrats toadies and slaves, rip Joe Kennedy apart publicly. Make him a liability.

Regarding the attempt by Kyrghiz to demand more from us before ordering us out of the critical airbase. If we do not want to issue uncovered calls to 3rd World thugs to get their support fair enough. That is why we need both carrots and sticks. Simply picking up our toys and going home is not an option. Now the Chief Ego of Kyrghiz or Whackistan or whatever knows that saying No to Uncle Sugar is cost free. The worst that happens is that some thumb sucker who majored in Sociology at Brown will say that he should do more "for the children." Maybe they'll even praise him for showing courage. If you say No to Uncle Vlad then there is a real possibility that some morning you'll find your breakfast milk doesn't agree with you, accidents happen. Right now the Israelis are supergluing lavatory doors and slipping whoopie cushions onto chairs used by Iranian physicists. We also need to put the fun back into foreign affairs.

Abu Musa is claimed by the U.A.E. and is occupied by Iran. Why not have the U.S. “buy” it from the UAE for $20? We can then have the 5th fleet move into its new home, after first declaring it a free fire testing range for 30 days.