SOME REPUBLICANS EXCUSE ACT OF TERRORIST WHO CRASHED PLANE INTO IRS CENTER IN AUSTIN

How come Republican crazies have not denounced the IRS hater who crashed his single engine plane into IRS offices in Austin? Apparently to many Republican ideologues, the crasher does not qualify as a "terrorist" and his attempt to take lives of the IRS workers as "terrorism." Imagine if the perpetrator were a Muslim from the Middle East with a name like Omar or Muhammed!

Here is a story by the BBC on the crash.

ISRAEL DOES NOT DENY ITS AGENTS KILLED HAMAS LEADER, JUST THAT THERE IS "NO PROOF"

Many observers suspect that the Hamas leader who was killed in Dubai was assassinated by Israeli agents clandestinely using passports of British citizens living in Israel. But Israel's Defense Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, claims that there is no proof that Israeli agents were involved. Note the non-denial, just that there is no proof.

Here is the story as reported by Jonathan Marcus for the BBC:

"The operation was clinical. The hit-team successfully escaped Dubai. But they left telltale traces. The false foreign passports used by the alleged team of secret agents have been identified and six of them are British. That is diplomatic problem number one.

"Problem number two is identity theft. The passports used the names of real people, British citizens, with dual nationality, who happen to live in Israel, who had absolutely no knowledge of what was going on.

"Nobody yet of course has any proof-positive as to who carried out the operation. There may be no "smoking gun". Nonetheless what you might call the "smouldering passports" suggest that Israel has some questions to answer.

"If Israel was indeed behind this assassination then some, even in Israel, may well suggest that they have scored a costly own goal."

CLINTON WITHOUT ANY EVIDENCE IMPLIES IRAN IS BUILDING NUCLEAR BOMB

Hillary Clinton implies that Iran and its people are building a nuclear bomb. Where is her evidence? Words without basis have lasting consequences - consider what words about Saddam Hussein's imaginary nuclear arsenal did to the Iraqis.

Here is the BBC report on Clinton's speech in Qatar:

"US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said the US would welcome peaceful engagement with Iran but not "while they are building their bomb".

"She spoke at the US-Islamic World forum in Qatar during a trip to rally Arab support for tougher sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme.

"She said the West was "encouraging Iran to reconsider its dangerous policy decisions.""

Words like Clinton's will be taken by the militarists in Israel as a sign that they can attack and bomb Iran and in their zeal kill thousands of Iranians. Clinton more than implies that Iran is building a bomb. Stop this dangerous rhetoric until someone has proof and credible evidence.

Here is Al Jazeera's report on Clinton's comments:

"Speaking at a US-Islamic World Forum in Doha, Qatar on Sunday, Clinton said there was mounting evidence that Iran was pursuing a nuclear weapon.

""The evidence is accumulating that that's exactly what they are trying to do," she said."

Clinton's assertions remind me of the same reckless charges that led up to the disastrous War in Iraq. There is no evidence whatsoever that Iran wants a nuclear weapon. If Israel does attack Iran, I will blame Clinton and the antagonistic foreign policy of the Obama administration which allows Clinton to get away with these assertions.

SRI LANKA ARRESTS GENERAL WHO CHALLENGED PRESIDENT IN ELECTIONS

News out of Sri Lanka continues to distress. The general who challenged the incumbent in recent presidential elections was arrested today and accused of trumped-up charges. Sarath Fonseka was dragged by his hands and feet out of his office and thrown in jail. His real crime was having the temerity to stand as an opposition candidate against the ruling elite.

The BBC reports:

""Gen Fonseka's wife confirmed to the BBC that her husband had been detained after the security presence around his office in Colombo had been stepped up during the day.

"Gen Fonseka's secretary, Senaka de Silva, was also said to have been arrested. Gen Fonseka was meeting a number of politicians who had supported his candidacy.

The Muslim Congress leader Rauff Hakeem told Reuters news agency: "He was dragged away in a very disgraceful manner in front of our own eyes." Mr Hakeem said the action was "authoritarian and vindictive"."

WHY IS OBAMA TELLING IRAN WHAT IT SHOULD DO WITH NUCLEAR POWER?

Pres. Obama ran on a campaign theme of "change you can believe in." But as to Iran, I see very little change in policy and approach as compared to the hated Bush/Cheney policy of making war threats. For Obama, there now should be "sanctions."

I have a suggestion to Obama and all his hard-line foreign policy advisors: recognize that Iran is a sovereign country just like Israel, India and China. If Iran wants to develop its nuclear industry, it has every right to do so.

Here's what the BBC writes about U.S. policy towards Iran:

"The US has said new sanctions against Iran are the "only path" after Tehran announced it was stepping up its uranium enrichment programme.

"Iran's nuclear chief, Ali Akbar Salehi, earlier said Tehran had told the UN's nuclear watchdog it would start enriching uranium to 20% from Tuesday.

"The move heightens fears that Iran is moving closer to weapons-grade uranium.

"The US called on the international community to take new action and France called Iran's latest move "blackmail"."

REPUBLICANS SUPPORT TORTURE FOR TERRORISM SUSPECTS

Republicans are claiming that the Obama administration was wrong to read the Christmas bomber his Miranda rights and was wrong to grant him civilian counsel.

Anne E. Kornblut reports the story in today's The Washington Post web site:

"Republicans have accused the Obama administration of treating him too lightly and failing to make the most of his arrest, first by reading him his rights and then granting him civilian legal counsel. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) devoted last week's radio response to the subject, saying the White House has a "blind spot" when it comes to terrorism -- and alleging that investigators had spent less than an hour questioning Abdulmutallab. In a follow-up statement Wednesday, Collins added that reports of a plea deal is in the works suggests the Obama administration is granting him a "measure of leniency.""

But when the Republicans say Obama is too soft on terrorism suspects, what they really want is resumption and reinstatement of the the hated Bush regimen of "harsh interrogation techniques" (a/k/a torture). For Republicans, equal protection and due process have no application to those accused of terrorism. It seems that Republicans would gut the Constitution in dealing with suspects having Islamic names.

I am proud that the U.S. government under Obama did not cave to these Republican extremist views.