BOXER'S MISSILE DEFENSE: You can't beat this timing: Just as the Iranians are building a plant capable of creating the material needed for nuclear bombs, and the North Koreans are developing the missiles needed to deliver bombs they already have to U.S. territory, a trio of Democrats have concocted a clever plan for slashing funding for ballistic missile defenses. On Feb. 5, Senators Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) and Barbara Boxer (Calif.) were joined by Rep. Steve Israel (N.Y.) at a press conference announcing a bill to outfit all commercial airliners with a defense system against shoulder-held surface-to-air missiles. On its face, the idea seemed reasonable. It was inspired, they said, by an incident in Kenya in which terrorists fired two missiles at an Israeli airliner, and by an FBI warning that al Qaeda may try to use these weapons against American aircraft. But the proposal was really a stealth attack on ballistic missile defenses, which Democrats have been attacking ever since President Reagan first proposed the Strategic Defense Initiative. The Schumer-Boxer-Israel bill may cost $7-$10 billion. How do they want to pay for it? Not by cutting bloated federal education spending. "We also want to point out that the Star Wars program, the missile defense program, this year the President is asking for $9 billion," said Boxer. "So we're saying this is the best way to pay for it. We don't need to raise taxes to pay for it. We can take the funds from the missile defense budget." Incidentally, Schumer is the Democratic Party point man on "homeland security" issues.
AMNESTY OBJECTS: Amnesty International complained this month that the United States is using torture on alleged terrorists. "Despite claims to the contrary by U.S. officials, the use of sensory deprivation (hooding), prolonged physical restraint (shackling) and denial of needed medical care are all characteristic elements of torture, and like psychological torture, are prohibited under international law," said the group in a statement. Amnesty pointed to deaths and suicide attempts at our Guantanamo Bay, Cuba prison as evidence of unacceptable conditions for terrorist suspects.
KOREAN PROVOCATION: As attention remains focused on Iraq, Communist North Korea continues to play games with the United States. The White House called North Korea's recent intercept of an American reconnaissance plane "reckless." "North Korea continues to engage in provocations and now reckless acts," said White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer. "North Korea's actions only deepen the alarm that grows in these nations in the region." Four North Korean MIGs flew next to the American plane in international airspace, reportedly coming within 50 feet of the American RC-135S.
MORE OF THE SAME: Communist China's new leaders promised more of the same in their first public statements, made on March 18. The new president, Hu Jintao, and premier, Wen Jiabao, indicated that they favored the course set by their departing predecessors. "Today our country is prosperous and has a bright future. Only socialism can save China, and only socialism with Chinese characteristics can develop China," said the 60-year-old Hu. He spoke to the rubber-stamp Chinese legislature, the National People's Congress. According to the Associated Press, Wen said when asked at a press conference if Zhao Ziyang, the premier of China under house arrest for opposing the massacre of pro-democracy protesters at Tiananmen Square in 1989, would be released, "The tremendous achievements we have scored over the past 13 years have fully proven that stability is of vital importance." The People's Congress approved China's 2003 budget, which-as usual in recent years-includes a large increase (9.6%) for military spending. The robust increase is still the smallest increase in over a decade.
NORDIC PLANNING: International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) Director-General Steven Sinding told Nordic country leaders that international bureaucrats must continue to force population control, contraception, and abortion on the rest of the world. "This is perhaps the most challenging time since the modern 'population movement' began in the 1960s with respect to reproductive health and rights," he said, according to the Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute. "Sinding also claimed that HIV/AIDS was siphoning attention away from reproductive services," said C-FAM. If African national governments resist this agenda, Sinding said, they should be ignored, reported C-FAM. "Africa simply cannot wait for good governance," Sinding said.
