Minihan's World

Homeland Security is a Complete Mess

October 26, 2011

The time has come for real change at DHS.

Secretary Janet Napolitano went to Capitol Hill this week to discuss the arms fiasco along the Mexican Border with Congressional committees.  in effect, she was reporting that no real review of the whole matter had occured in DHS; a few 'sacrificial lambs' (primarily those that spoke to committees while DHS and Justice were stonewalling) were fired or resigned; but no real action had been taken to stop these transactions.  In fact, both  Holder, the Attorney General, and his US Attorney in Arizona tried to make the case these were good investigations (Of course, Holder later denied he knew anything and the White House was quick to say he 'mis-spoke' earlier).  What trash for senior Federal officials.

The time has come to stop dangerous actions that bear no fruit, and start firing those who essentially commit illegal actions instead of supporting them.  While I recognize that the Mexican drug trade needs to be curbed, you don't do it in a sane sociaety by providng them the guns to defend themselves.

Still here and working

October 22, 2011

So many significant events ha ve been happening since I last wrote.  mostly, I have been busy working on a new book that should come out early in the year.  Have also been re-editing my first book, Bernie Minihan's DIlemma, and a new version of that volume should reach the public about March 1st.  Hope you will all respond to those new issues as you have in the past.

 

Well, let's see what is going on in the Middle East and Mediterranean area

The biggest news is probably the death of Mohamar Quaddafi in Libya  (Have anybody ever figured out the real spelling of his name?).  It came after a long series of battles across the desert, ending, for all practical purposes in Sirte as he was captured, beaten, and then carted away to an ambulance where a mysterious bullet ended up in his skull.  One son and his Chief of Staff were also among the dead hauled out of a series of culvert pipers where they had been hiding after a strafing run from a NATO drone.  Good riddance to Uncle Mohamar, but one has to wonder who the new strongman will be as the Transitional Council gets down to the real work of governing.  Only time will tell, but Hillary Clinton is there to help them sort it all out.

There is Egypt, of course, which first threw out Mubbarak and then the generals simply started a new ruling council, promising elections that will either never come, or be limited to those candidates the generals want elected.  Net plus up for the people - ZERO.  great frevolt though.

Syria, who acts as if it  doesn't care about the rest of cthe world continues to shoot and bomb its people to keep Assad in power, and, with the rest of the world simply looking on, seems to be winning at doing that.  We, of course, issued a strong condemnation, but no real action.

Israel finally got back Sgt Shalit from Hamas. They in turn got a promise of 1,000 arabs being held in Israeli jails (They must have large jails with still another 4,000+ remaining in their jails).  Several of the more prominent arab bombers were on the itial freedom list of over 400, with the rest to be released in stages.  Wonder how long it will take Israel to find a pretext for not returning the rest, and, conversely, for Hamas to take another prisoner?  Will israel now loosen its stranglehold on Gaza (as it promised months ago for the release of the soldier) or will it continue with its blockade  and international piracy that continues to starve and kill Gazans?  Again, only time will tell.

Abbas and the Palestinian Authority went to the UN seeking membership and creation of a Palestinian homeland.  In this situation the facts really get perverse.  The US has threatened a veto in the Security Council on full membership.  The Israeli prime Minister, Netanyahu was quoted as saying negotiations were the answer to Palestinian statehood and not the UN.  How quickly we forget that in 1946-7, when the Palestinians still held on to their land, Israelis asked for membership and a homeland, and the UN , led by the US ripped a space our of Palestine and called it Israel.  The US and most of Europe that were decidedly anti-semitic at the time, embarassed by the Holocaust, and not wanting back their jewish emigres, could not wait to create the state.  The Palestinians, many of them farmers on the land for generations were simply kicked out with no compensation.  Now they want their mand back, and have at least a chance at doing so.  The stupidity of politics at its best.  Sort of reminds you of the plight of the American Indians doesn't it?

More later.