Iranian Mullahs Winning Hands Down

Conclusions Iranian special forces are hard at war in Lebanon are inescapable. Who else could have the level of sophistication to fire the ship to shore missile that disabled the Israeli warship.

What is more worrying is the Iranian hand dealt in Lebanon has ensured the UN has lost the initiative in taking action to stop the Iranian nuclear bomb programme. Clever, devious and ruthless pricks these mullahs. Every step of the way the Iranians have obsfuscated, lied and cheated their way in the international debate while they continued uranium enrichment. The Telegraph has a good analysis. On the eve of the G8 members demanding Iran stop its nuclear enrichment, Hezbollah (the Iranian proxy in Lebanon) kidnaps two Israeli soldiers with a predictable response from Israel. Quick as flash the world takes its focus from Iran to Lebanon. Mullahs 1 - RoW 0.

It may not all be bad for the West. The ferocity of the Israeli attack against Hezbollah AND Lebanese targets (destroying recent infrastrucuture) has meant that the Lebanese themselves (including the Lebanese PM et al) are demanding Hizbollah is kicked out. In that the Lebanese are now at one with the Israelis. That is not an outcome Tehran would have wanted.

News out today that Iranian officials are donkey deep with the North Korean missile programme just add to a general level of paranoia in the West.

These are of course Helen Clark's "benign strategic environment"

Peters Makes a Dick of Himself

WTF happened? There was Sen John McCain making unscripted (But obviously heavily choreographed) generous remarks in support of NZ, when up pops a gnome from the depths of a winged chair (he did look physically out of his depth didn't he?)to cut the Senator short and boot the NZ media about the head. It made for great TV. To add to the confusion Peters then releases a statement that ran counter to what we had all observed in our living rooms - spectacular own goal Winnie....

If you had cared to listen he was trumpeting your FTA plans....Or was the problem McCain had spouted on the outcome of the meeting BEFORE the meeting was held....just making it obvious how much of a boondoggle your ill-explained trivial mission was. Officials had it all tee'd up before you arrived.

Boy are you a disgrace to the tradition of Foreign Secretaries. Rule 1 leave petty politics at home when travelling on Crown business.

Now I for one think each of Guyon Espinor and Barry Soper to be intractable Labour apologists from way back and probably nuclear free wayne kerrs as well but they ar flabbergasted at your antics...

This shambles is of no consequence in the corridors of power in the US (although you will have reinforced to the Senator (the likely incoming US President) how inconsequential NZ is - The damage is at home, and it is done Winnie - no matter what the outcome of your meeting with Condy, you will return as dick of the week.

El Jefe Field Exonerated eh?

Despite the spin of Miss Clark and the delusional ramblings of El Jefe himself the axiom of "absence of evidence is not evidence of absence" applies. None more than in this case. Dr Ingram as good as said it himself - I paraphrase - "...I did not have the power and hence was not able to get certain people central to my enquiries to provide me with answers to questions I sought..."

News National is keeping up the attack with a potential referral to the Police is good news to those of us sick of the dissembling from the Labour Government and because of its mendacity its brutal attacks on all we hold dear in a parlimantary democracy.