Democracy Arsenal- a left-wing site which focuses on national security matters. Worth a read as it usually rises above the common partisan invective whcih seems to be driving left and right in America further and further apart.
A chemical weapons lab has been discovered in Iraq containing 1,500 gallons of chemicals. Amongst the chemicals were 11 precursor agents. Where did they come from? Were they smuggled into Iraq? If so, why were they smuggled in to be made into weapons there? Wouldn't it have been easier to manufacture the chemical agents outside of Iraq? Or, did the chemicals originate inside Iraq? Who was involved- foreign terrorists or ex-members of Saddam's regime?
Counterterrorism Blog points out testimoney from Charles Duelfer-
"Iraq did have facilities suitable for the production of biological and chemical agents needed for weapons. It had plans to improve and expand and even build new facilities."
LGF highlights the case of a man sentenced to life in prison in Pakistan for blasphemy. His crime? Calling four imams "Jews" and stating that the Koran did not mention stoning to death for adultery. Think about that for a moment- life in prison for writing a book. That's one for the fans of moral equivalence- any Christian countries do this?
The TSA in America is consdiering changing the safety rules for flying- by lifting a ban on razorblades, small knives and by limiting patdown searches. The idea is to make screening more "passenger friendly". The only passenger friendly thing they should be concerned about is preventing another 9/11-type plane hijacking. I believe boxcutters were used to take over those aircraft. Surely that would come under the heading of small knives? Good to see that sound, rational risk assessment is alive and well in the wake of the London bombings and renewed intelligence assessments of further attacks.
A low-tech approach to troop resupply by some Marines in Afghanistan- they're using donkeys to transport food and water.
Some more segregation in America- this time in the form of (ultimately) government subsidized Muslim women only swimming.
Some more good news on developments in Iraq from Strategy Page- improved law enforcement is gradually tunring the tide in the terrorist war there-
"The Iraqi police are taking more casualties than the Americans, but the cops are winning the war, one neighborhood at a time. "
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