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Transparency and its Disadvantages

Posted by Marvin Wiebener on Friday, October 30, 2009 2:00:48 PM
Transparency, as a government goal, is admirable and we applaude those legislators--and presidents who aim for that objective. However, as we all know, it doesn't or at least it shouldn't apply to espionage. Openess is a concept relatively new to human intercourse and throughout the recent span of time we've been toying with the notion we are acutely aware of our lack of success. We still deceive, lie, mislead and manipulate facts in order to veil our true thoughts and intentions. Don't we? Yes we do and, in some cases, it is for good reason. And in all cases it is a natural phenomona, it is the way we're wired. Secrecy  is the corner stone of privacy and confidentiality and for the sake of our own individual survival secrecy is nearly as important as water. No wonder confiding in someone is so difficult and just imagine confiding in someone who may try to hurt you with what you've revealed. It is the same with transparency/openess. When our government takes action that allows a potential enemy to gain information that might be used against the US for the sake of appearing honest, straight forward and open they have gone too far. As for me I can only hope Eric Holder, the U.S. Attorney General will allow his probe into the CIA's extreme interrogation methods die on the vine.
 
For more on similar issues involving Iran go to http://marvwiebener.wordpress.com/
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Torture and Who Knew

Posted by Marvin Wiebener on Thursday, May 07, 2009 12:19:16 AM
 The issue of torture, not long ago, was front page material prompting the usual, tiresome conflicts between political parties and, therefore, bringing out the worst in both. The blame game running amuck, the holier than thou, self-righteous and self-proclaimed keepers of our ethical and moral standards are screaming foul. Why? For obvious reasons, namely that using the legislative bully-pulpit to strike a cord with their constituents makes good sense at election time, mainly. And having a constituency of uninformed and enchanted (a new political term born out of the publics Obama obsession) only encourages the false hope and false belief that humanity will straighten up and fly right. If we don't torture under any circumstances the US will become pure of heart and lead the world in overcoming humanities penchant for evil. This isn't possible unless the world's population submits to a lobotomy. All those willing form a line at your nearest neuro-surgicenter.

Just a few weeks ago Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi denied ever being told that the CIA was waterboarding, an aggressive interrogation technique she (and others) say is torture. Ms. Pelosi is front and center when it comes to those fitting the self-righteous profile mentioned earlier in this article. Charles Krauthammer in his commentary on this subject last Friday said it best. Of Madam Speaker he said this (paraphrased): "When the CIA told Pelosi and other members of the House Intelligence Committee that waterboarding would be used she said nothing, did not raise concerns or voice dissapproval at any level. That makes her self-righteous condemnation not just cowardly but hollow." Krauthammer, in the same article, makes his case for the two times torture, in his opinion, is permissable. Read the entire commentary, it is thought provoking and enlightening.
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IRAN'S ATTEMPT TO DESTABILIZE THE MIDDLE-EAST

Posted by Marvin Wiebener on Friday, April 24, 2009 2:21:38 AM

April 21, 2009

  

These facts are irrefutable; the world knows Iran has interfered with Iraq’s new political process by furnishing money, training and weapons to Shi’a extremists.  They disrupt the Arab-Israeli peace process by providing support to Hamas as well as other Palestinian terrorist groups; Hezbollah in Lebanon, and they have provided weapons to the Taliban in Afghanistan.  All of this while continuing to enrich uranium and telling those who’ll listen they are just using uranium for energy production.  Keep in mind Iran is atop a huge reserve of clean burning natural gas that would fuel all their energy needs for eons.  There is only one reason to enrich uranium and that is to manufacture the fissile material pure enough for bomb making.  We can be assured that if Iran continues down this path, the Gulf Cooperation Council made up of countries on the other side of the Persian Gulf will undoubtedly follow suit, and they have the money.  Throw in the fact that Pakistan—that could fall to the Taliban—and India already have the capability.

This writer believes those of us who ignore the signs or refuse to be enlightened will fall victim to our own misplaced optimism and eventually regret our lack of action.

Our President has offered a peaceful hand to our proven enemies, and everyone hopes this gesture will be the beginning of a new respect that will circumnavigate the globe and eventually lead to peace.  Realistically, this will not happen.  It is culturally impossible when religions pit their assertions of supremacy over the other.  With that said, is President Obama playing into the hands of leaders who are not going to play fair, or has he a strategy up his sleeve the general public isn’t yet privy to?

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Secrecy A Must!

Posted by Marvin Wiebener on Wednesday, April 22, 2009 1:35:39 PM
   This writer is troubled by President Obama's recanting of his assurance to the CIA that he would not seek prosecution for operatives, agents and contractors that may have used aggressive interrogation techniques when questioning terrorists. For an administration to even consider such a notion is at least pointless if not entirely dangerous. Who in their right mind would push the limits of interrogation methodology, even if the information could save lives, if the prospect of prosecution hung over their head? How does this effect U.S. intelligence gathering from this point on? Is there a reasonable set of circumstances where, for instance waterboarding, aggressive interrogation would be reinstated and/or used under certain circumstances? This line of thinking can go on forever with topic appendages springing to life like tree limbs in spring, common sense comes to mind first, then morality and ethics, human rights and is one person's right to not be tortured supercede another's right to life?
   Today the U.S. is faced with a number of threats, and one in particular is Iran and the growing threat to the Middle-East and the world. Our government knows what they are doing, but is the new administration up to dealing with the threat now while it may be manageable or are they going to play into the hands of Iran's leadership. More on this later, stay tuned.
   
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