Flashback Friday

I wound up having a less hectic week than I thought, so I have to do a Flashback Friday.

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Frank Gaffney Jr.

April 15, 2003

With the swift and decisive destruction of the Iraqi regime, things should look very different to the remaining members of the "Axis of Evil" (North Korea and Iran) and other rogue states like Syria. If not encouraged to believe otherwise, these countries' governments --which are no less odious than the one ruled until recently by Saddam Hussein -- have every reason to believe that they are at risk of meeting a fate similar to his, unless they undertake significant and far-reaching changes.

April 14, 2005

"We will continue increasing our self-defensive nuclear deterrent against the enemies' policy to isolate and stifle the republic," Kim Yong Nam, head of the North's legislature, said at a meeting honoring the birthday of founding President Kim Il Sung.

April 14, 2005

The United States will keep its option to go to the United Nations to try to stop an Iranian nuclear weapons program while supporting the EU negotiations with Iran, said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice here on Thursday.

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Stanley Kurtz

April 15, 2003

If the Chinese really do get rid of Kim Jong Il, it will be a dramatic vindication of the Bush administration’s policy of selectively preventing proliferation through preemption. We are already seeing a cascading effect from Iraq that might get us real traction against proliferation worldwide. The negotiate-at-any-price policy of the Democrats is bankrupt. It cannot succeed against the deadly combination of terror and weapons of mass destruction. The Bush administration’s policy of selective preemption is the only way to go. And right now, it’s working.

April 13, 2005

A diplomatic row between China and Japan escalated further yesterday when the Chinese prime minister, Wen Jiabao, called on Tokyo to "face up to" its wartime atrocities, saying it should reconsider its bid for a permanent seat on the UN security council.

April 15, 2005

China is strongly dissatisfied with "some negative tendencies" in Japan's recent policies concerning the Taiwan issue, and is especially concerned with deepening the Japan-Taiwan ties in security, Chinese State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan said in Tuesday's meeting with Japan's Kyodo News Service president Toyohiko Yamanouchi.

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Cal Thomas

April 15, 2003

There were numerous observations from journalists and commentators about the supposed "insufficiency" of troops. There were predictions that the "Arab street" would stage an uprising. There were forecasts that Israel would be drawn into the war when Saddam attacked with Scud missiles.

All of the printed and voiced prophecies should be saved in an archive. When these false prophets again appear, they can be reminded of the error of their previous ways and at least be offered an opportunity to recant and repent. Otherwise, they will return to us in another situation where their expertise will be acknowledged, or taken for granted, but their credibility will be lacking.

If these false media prophets won't "fess up," then let the tribunal begin at an academic institution or in a major television studio. I'll bet it would claim high ratings for the Fox News Channel, which is clobbering its competition precisely because the public recognizes false prophets when it sees them.