Set aside the pre-war statements by prominent Democrats about the need for regime change in Iraq. Set aside, the post invasion castigation of our “reasons for the war”. Set aside the attacks by prominent Democrats on our military. They attack using every angle of their geopolitical virtual reality as possible.

The simple truth is the leftists in America will not be disabused of their silly positions on Iraq by the facts.

But Democrats said President George W. Bush, who began the war five years ago and who will leave office in January with more than 100,000 troops still there, was failing to focus on the bigger threat of al Qaeda from the Afghan-Pakistan border.

“Protecting this nation from direct attack is job number one, yet our allocation of forces does not match this imperative,” said Rep. Ike Skelton, chairman of the House of Representatives’ Armed Services Committee.

The implication is the Iraq is detracting the US from the threat of terror attacks in the US. Really?

• Jose Padilla was interdicted at O’Hare airport - we was returning from Pakistan and had been recently messing about with nuclear materials.
• The Lakawanna  Six were apprehended for plotting an attack after having trained in Pakistan with AQ.
• Eleven men - four of whom plead guilty - were apprehended in Virginia for working with AQ and the Taliban.
• Dhiren Barot was apprehended for plotting to blow up major financial institutions, including the NYSE, after training in Pakistan.
•  James Elshafay and Shahawar Matin Siraj were arrested for plotting to bomb a subway station in New York City.
•  Umer Hayat and Hamid Hayat were arrestedafter the Hamid’s attendance at an Islamic terrorist training camp in Pakistan.
• Assem Hammoud, an al-Qaeda loyalist living in Lebanon, and others, was arrested for plotting to bomb the New York City train tunnels.
• A plot to blow fuel pipelines that runs through residential neighborhoods at the Kennedy International Airport in New York City was foiled.

Combine your knowledge of these instances with the simple fact that NO terrorist attacks have occurred on US soil since the invasion of Iraq. Add, as a seasoning if you will, the fact that AQ had a substantial subsidiary operation in Iraq. That AQ found it more desirable to attack US forces in the Middle East than to attack the US itself.

If the Democrats were serious about securing America from the potential of terrorist attacks, they would be more active in securing the borders. They are simply posing yet another childish “Nya!” to something they philosophically have no ability to understand.

A man carrying several passports ran from airport security screeners in Miami. Faid Beydoun was attempting to get through the security checkpoint into the sterile area when his travel documents alerted security personnel. When he was asked to move out of line for a secondary screening, he ran and attempted to leave the airport.

Developing.

Palestinians need to fear the drastic measures being considered as a result of Hamas’ actions.

You have Hamas and Fatah battling in the streets. Crime is more rampant between Palestinians  today than ever. Food shortages are the norm now. Access to medical care has become limited. These things are not the fault of Israel. These things are wholly own subsidiaries of Hamas activities.

What Palestinians should fear is Israel thinking this is their only resort for security. The question is, “Should we retake Gaza?”

The average Israeli goes to sleep these days as his lips whisper a prayer, and with great hope in his heart: To wake up in the morning and hear that the IDF has reoccupied the Gaza Strip, and “Sderot experienced its first quiet night.”

Admittedly, there are reasons offered for and against retaking Gaza, but the point I make is Hamas offers Israel very little choice except military action to solve the problem of security for Israel. Palestinians should be very afraid of that - although Israel is likely to be a much better benefactor than Hamas has been.  The question is why should the Palestinians suffer because of Hamas?

Terrorists, operating out of the Gaza Strip, fired rockets into an Israeli kibbutz, wounding a 3-year-old girl.

A report released by the Israeli army on Sunday revealed that with recent improvements in Palestinian rocket technology, some 190,000 Israeli civilians now live under direct threat of artillery attacks from Gaza.

Here is a little background on the Qassam rockets.

Qassam rockets are named after the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the armed branch of Hamas, itself named after an Islamic Mojahed and fighter Izz ad-Din al-Qassam who led a Palestinian fighters group during the 1930s. According to Hamas, the Qassam rocket was first developed by Nidal Fat’hi Rabah Farahat and Mohamed Khaled and produced under the direction of Adnan al-Ghoul, the “Father of the Qassam”, who was assassinated by the Israeli army on October 22, 2004.

Qassams were first fired at Israeli civilian targets in October 2001.The first Qassam to land in Israeli territory was launched on February 10, 2002. The first time an Israeli city was hit was on March 5, 2002, when two rockets struck Sderot. Some rockets have hit as far as the edge of Ashkelon. The total number of Qassam rockets launched exceeded 1000 by June 9, 2006. During the year 2006 alone, 1000+ rockets were launched.

Border Patrol Agents, already becoming subjected to attacks on them while working on the border now have to take precautions in their own homes - even if they live 60 miles from the border. As the border patrol increases its effectiveness against smugglers bringing drugs and human cargo into the US, it appears the organized crime element responsible for smuggling want to level the playing field.

Though cartels’ hit men have ample resources and there is evidence they have operated cells inside the United States, the suspects in the Tucson case more likely belonged to a U.S.-based gang working on behalf of a Mexican criminal organization.
The fact that the two suspects who have been identified are 19 and 20 years old suggests that they are not the experienced military-trained operatives employed by Mexico’s drug cartels. Also, experienced and trained operatives would not have retreated after being fired at by one person — and, frankly, an attack by more seasoned operatives most likely would not have failed. Even if the attackers had experience targeting poorly-trained police officers in Mexico, it is much more difficult to successfully attack a well-trained U.S. federal law enforcement officer.

What is most outrageous is we rely upon these individuals to protect us, yet they are busy enough protecting themselves. We need to show a great deal more support for these agents than we have been or people will stop volunteering their lives for our safety.