A Time to Attack by; Matthew Kroenig

The Looming Iranian Nuclear Threat This is a new book published in 2014 and is totally up to date on the ongoing situation between the United States and Iran. As you may be aware Iran has suffered greatly by sanctions imposed by many major countries led by the U.S. A little history will be helpful at this point. The issue of Iran having nuclear armament has been in the forefront for decades. There has been a worldwide effort to prevent other countries from joining with those who already possess them. On December 8, 1953 President Eisenhower announced a new program for nations who did not possess nuclear technology. It was called “Atoms for Peace”. It was believed that nuclear power used to produce electricity would be a boon to the world. The success of that idea has not yet been realized as hoped for many reasons. That is a subject for another time. Iran was one country enthusiastic to partake and did. They were considered an ally at that time. On July1, 1968 Iran signed the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) Things changed for the worse after the 1979 revolution which toppled the Shaw and put in place a Shia Muslim government which adhered to strict religious doctrines. President George W. Bush didn’t help much when in his 2002 State of the Union address to Congress he stated that IRAN was a part of the Axis of Evil along with N. Korea and IRAQ. N. Korea immediately threw out the International inspectors and IRAQ was conquered shortly thereafter. The Iranian leaders recognized that once nuclear weapons are attained that a new relationship is established, it is no wonder that IRAN tried its best to reach that goal. Under the auspices of the United Nations a group was formed in 2006 called P5+1. It consisted of the five nuclear powers i.e.: United States, Russia, England, France and China plus Germany. Their goal was to keep IRAN from attaining nuclear weapons. Over the years to follow proposals were presented and rejected. Finally in 2010 the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) voted to demand a halt to all enrichment activity and levied severe economic sanctions. The sanctions created havoc with their economy with IRAN finally came to an interim understanding. At the beginning of 2014 a six month agreement was agreed to. Sanctions were reduced, inspectors were allowed access to their facilities and they pledged to stop the enrichment process. At the six month date it was agreed to extend for another six months. This brings us to decision time. After providing all options the author takes the unequivocal stance that time is up. With Iran so close they could achieve their goal within two or three months and after that a whole new situation would come about dangerous to the entire world. His recommendation is for a limited strike only targeting the nuclear facilities. This would require the 30,000 pound bomb developed for this purpose. With some sections buried 295ft. underground it would take two or three accurate placements to destroy. Should IRAN retaliate then our response should be determined by the extent of that response. If necessary then their entire military force could be destroyed. There should be no repeat of boots on the ground. The Navy and Air Force could do the job. As in the IRAQ war we would try to keep Israel from participating and drawing fire on that country. It should be understood that should we not do the job in time that Israel will do whatever they can to retard if not stop the progress. After reading and thinking about current events I would like to add my thoughts. IRAN is the major supplier of rockets not only to Hamas but also Hezbollah. They also supply other arms as well as fighters to assist terrorist groups. I have read there are over 10,000 rockets in Southern Lebanon and Hamas still has 6,000. What if the current conflict between Israel and Hamas is just a distraction to keep everyone occupied on this rather than IRAN obtaining the bomb? I am sure that if Israel goes it alone to retard the development of the bomb that all of these rockets will rain on Israel together with longer range missiles that IRAN possesses. This could be tragic to the people living in Israel which includes one and one half million Muslims. The clock is ticking. Quite frankly I don’t have faith that our current President will act in time. What do you think? I found this book at the Public Library. I urge you to read. Jack B. Walters August 7, 2014

Russia is Guilty

Are there no leaders anywhere in the world today other than Netanyahu? I listened to a leader from Holland. He said they would not stop until they find the perpetrator responsible for downing the airliner. How sad. Who cares which person pushed the button? The only one responsible is Putin. Hello, how complicated is that. From the beginning of the Crimea takeover and the unrest in Eastern Ukraine the rebels have been supported by soldiers and weapons from Russia. This is not rocket science as the old expression states. What was supposedly an uprising by former Russians living in the Ukraine has now become warfare with sophisticated weapons that could only have been provided by Russia. It was reported that the two Ukrainian fighter planes shot down this week were from missile systems located in Russia. Do I propose military action? The answer is no, but economic sanctions to the fullest extent possible should be applied by all NATO nations. What has been done so far has been woefully insufficient. I fully understand that there are consequences both ways but this outrageous conduct cannot be allowed to continue. You would think Europe would demand censoring Russia. Perhaps the citizens are but certainly their leaders aren’t. France continues to build navy ships for Russia. As far as I can ascertain America has continued with business as usual including the production of helicopters for Afghanistan by order of the Pentagon. Israel needs more Iron Dome interceptors. We are supporting Hamas by shutting down flights to Tel Aviv, our Southern border is chaotic, and Congress is dawdling, as they prepare for their much needed vacation the entire month of August. With an attitude of self-interest like that we could never have defeated Germany and Japan in WWII. How much lower can our government leaders take us? Jack B. Walters July 25, 2014

Aircraft Carriers

In the July edition of Time Magazine there was an excellent article about aircraft carriers. There is no doubt that they have been the mainspring of our military since the Second World War. However those days are rapidly coming to an end as more sophisticated missile systems are developed. The article specifically comments on a Chinese weapon system called DF-21D which is truck mounted with a range of 1,000 miles. The maximum range of aircraft is 700 miles which could force our carriers to stay out of range. As time goes on I have no doubt ranges will increase adding to the danger. Not that anyone cares, but I have felt for some time now that the days of the large carrier are ending. Obviously those in authority both military and Congress believe otherwise. Just in the past two years two carriers Ronald Reagan and George Bush have been completed and added to our naval forces. Their cost was about $5 billion each. The crew sizes exceed 5,000. Guess what, there are two ever larger carriers under construction today with a cost estimate of $13.5 billion each. They are the new Gerald R. Ford class which is twice as large. I can’t even imagine the crew required. What a high expenditure on ships growing increasingly vulnerable, again in my uninformed opinion. There was a comment from a retired Navy Captain that compared the Carrier club to the old Battleship Club. “It’s a huge, entrenched interest group-and not just inside the Navy but industry and Congress as well. This is just another example of outrageous expenditures by a country already over $17 trillion in debt and drowning further every day. Jack B. Walters July 24, 2014

Border by; Leon C. Metz- a book report

This book was recommended to me by a close friend who knows of my continuing concern about border issues. This is an outstanding compilation of facts, people and the continuing struggle at the border since the beginning of both countries existence. The author presents many names and provides great detail of events. For me I have to slide over to get the gist of what happened without attempting to know the names of people involved. For anyone with the desire to have a better understanding I highly recommend reading. He does not provide only from the perspective of America but also Mexico. Beginning with America’s war of conquest we took large amounts of land that had been theirs. Desperately poor we were able to purchase the Gadsden strip for a paltry sum in order to provide easier rail service to the coast. I would be writing in Mexico if that had not occurred since Tucson was included. We have taken advantage of their cheap labor when needed and discarded when not. Poor living conditions where prevalent in the early years. Mexican leaders on the other hand have not done their job in proving working conditions and wages forcing the poor to take extraordinary risks to enter America in search of opportunity when none exists in their home country. He doesn’t mention the effect of NAFTA but I will. With tariffs reduced to zero the poor farmers could no longer make income sufficient to support their families, which was the major impulse for the surge beginning in the 90’s. The border throughout our history has been a scene of conflict from marauding Indians to banditos. Water concerns and pollution were constant problems to be resolved. Some were accomplished but much more needs to be done. He did mention many times that employer sanctions if ever put into effect would end illegal immigration in a heartbeat. Although legislation was enacted in the 80’s it has been riddled with loopholes and not effective. Our insatiable need for drugs has made drug running a major operation which the Border Patrol has not been able to stop nor is there any hope that they will. Only reducing the demand or legalization will stop this scourge. I learned a lot by reading, you will also. Jack B. Walters July 24, 2014

Military Appropriation Bill

Congressman Ron Barber, June 25, 2014 John Garamendi and Coleen Hanabusa introduced an amendment to the military appropriations bill that was approved overwhelmingly by members of both parties on June 20, 2014. I hope you voted with the majority. I read that it was a voice count so I am not sure if you approved. It states that the president is prohibited from sustained military action in Iraq without the approval of Congress. It is about time for Congress to take their Constitutional responsibility back. No war has been approved by Congress since 1941. To take sides between Sunni and Shia is insane. That is a no win situation. Their dispute has been going on for 1,400 years, with no sign of reason. No more American blood or treasure for this lost cause. Let them sort out their own problems. With us in the middle we only divert attention to hating America. They have all the hatred they need without us. I urge you to contact our two Senators and request they also support this amendment and stop the lunacy of our trying to impose our culture on these people. What they do or how they want to live is their concern not ours. Quit fooling around with energy. I know with a full court press America could be independent of their oil within a few years. All you have to do is let it happen. Sincerely yours, Jack B. Walters

One Nation by; Ben Carson, MD

(What we can all do to save America’s future) A short while ago I wrote a review of a great book entitled “Who Stole the American Dream” by Hedrick Smith. In it I stated that the book contained all the information elected officials needed to restore our nation to its former greatness. I stand by that report. This one by Dr. Carson is different. He doesn’t explore as the other did the varied issues. This one is more about calling us all together to join in the battle to restore our nation. I found it to be inspirational and worthy of reading by anyone interested in getting involved. The Preface is the speech he delivered during the 2013 National Prayer Breakfast. By dumb luck I happened to hear it at the time it was given. I was struck by the power of his words and the courage to say them. President Obama was sitting at the head table with the Doctor. Parts of the comments were a condemnation of the Affordable Care Act (Obama Care). It was obvious that the President did not enjoy the speech. Dr. Carson grew up in Detroit. He credits the determination of his mother in keeping him from a life of crime. She only had a third grade education. She made him and his brother read two books a week and report. The good Doctor didn’t realize that she couldn’t read. Nonetheless over time he realized how important reading was and became determined to aspire for a better life. He became an accomplished physician. This book urges all of us to reclaim our country with its former ideals before it is lost forever, doomed as so many others in history. He shows how. All that is needed is for Americans to care enough to band together in common cause. From my perspective, while I agree with him totally, I have little faith it will happen. Ben Carson is black. He is also Republican. There is a good possibility he might become the candidate for President. Do you remember the support Herman Cain received a few years ago? He was also black. Republicans are not racist as declared by the Democratic Party. They are opposed to most of our current President’s policies, nothing to do with race. It would be great to have a black man with Ben Carson’s credentials to be the candidate. I would be happy to cast my ballot for a man with the moral stature that he has. Read the book and see what you think. Jack B. Walters June 11, 2014

Marine Andrew Tahmooreski in a Mexican Prison

If you go to the Internet you will find all the information you need to take action. This Marine who served tours in Afghanistan took a wrong turn at the border of Mexico and was imprisoned April 1, 2014. There is a petition you can sign to Obama. There are over 100,000 signatures so far requesting him to take action to have Andrew returned. I added my name. I have e-mailed both Senators and my Congressman and this morning called the three offices asking for their effort to resolve. I am requesting that you add your voice as well. Obama just released five terrorist leaders for a soldier in Afghanistan. Why is it so hard for him to do the same to release this veteran who has served his country well? The only way he will be released is if Americans demand it. Please add your voice. I find it humiliating that Mexico can do this to one of our own.