Nuclear Middle East?

It has been rumored since 1963 that Israel possesses nuclear weapons and by 1965 the rumor became a reality. Israel developed nuclear weapons with the aid of France, it was at the height of tensions between Israel and the Arab world. Due to pressure from the United States France stopped “teaching” or helping Israel with its nuclear arms program, but Israel already knew enough and was already capable of converting heavy water into uranium components. And by 1967 it already had two nuclear weapons which it threatened to use during the six-day war.  At present, it is still unknown whether Israel still possesses its nuclear arsenal which  numbered to about 100 warheads. But it is widely believed that about forty Soviet nuclear scientists are in Israel.

Another country that is believed to possess nuclear weapons in the Mid East is Syria, Israel’s fiercest opponent. It was September of last year when Israeli fighter pilots discovered a partly-built nuclear facility in Syria. Rumors have it that it was a joint facility of North Korea and Syria, since Kim Jong-Il gave in to the denuclearization deal of South Korea and the US it has to shut down its nuclear reactors, but it didn’t mean Nokor couldn’t have nuclear weapons anymore, didn’t it? Another rumor was that it was a counter-move on Israel’s alleged nuclear weapons program. And Syria, being a member of the Arab League, could share its new “weapons” with anti-Israel and anti-US countries such as Iran, Libya or even as far as Venezuela or Cuba. This takes us back to the same scenario we saw back in the ’90s when Saddam Hussein, Akbar Rafsanjani (Iran) and Muammar Gadafi (Libya) were rumored to develop nuclear weapons and at that time the fate of the US was doomed. It was even feared that when the US entered Kuwait Hussein could have nuked the US.

Nuclear weapons are still a big issue today, with countries all over the world rumored to possess nuclear weapons whether pro or against the United States. The roster of nuclear-capable countries include: the United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia, India, Pakistan and China and formerly North Korea. And the list goes on with countries suspected to own nuclear weapons: Israel, North Korea (rumored to still having several warheads), Iran and then Syria (explained above). Pro-western allies such as Japan and the Philippines are also rumored to have US nuclear facilities which are supposedly aimed at China and North Korea. It may still be unclear today, but could the specter of a nuclear war occur sometime in the future?

The Olympics

Its Olympic season once again and the torch is making its way through different countries, but the Tibetans block the way.

As China finishes the final touches of the preparations, clearing out all specs and malfunctions that may cause problems during the games, then in came the Tibetans and their international supporters. These people came from the Tibetan Autonomous Region, they demand autonomy and not independence which other people would think. Just in time for the games, sucky timing for them huh? The Tibetans in China protest about the torch relay, and they suffer a bloody crackdown from the communists. And their supporters worldwide try to do the same, the most serious one being in London wherein British TV broadcaster Sir Trevor McDonald was attacked by pro-Tiber protesters who wanted to take the torch. Now the other countries which the torch would pass are taking necessary measures to ensure the torch is safe. Like putting it in a bus. And whats ironic is the nickname of the said torch relay, the Journey of Harmony.

Now the torch relay isn’t the only problem the Communist regime needs to resolve but as well as its environmental status. China has some of the world’s most polluted cities, which include Beijing and Shanghai. Because of this, countries are concerned if whether the pollution would take its toll on the performance of its delegates, giving them a second opinion of sending their athletes to Beijing. But recently world leaders have decided to send in their delegates as late as possible to lessen their exposure to the pollution.

Now the games are still in four months, but a number of world leaders have boycotted or are thinking of boycotting the event. The first being the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel. Others include Donald Tusk of Poland and Vaclav Klaus of the Czech Republic. French President Nicholas Sarkozy
set a conditional attendance, and the conditions were to open talks with the Dalai Lama and the release of political prisoners. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown already said earlier that he was gonna miss the event but said that it had nothing to do with whats happening to Tibet. And the US president George Bush who at first was hesitating to attend the event now has decided to show up saying that, “the Olympics has nothing to do with politics”.

The fate of the Olympics may still be unclear now, who knows maybe these train of “bad” events would change soon.

Red and Blue Don’t Mix

So theres currently a N.A.T.O summit going on these days which they say is the biggest one ever. Their main agenda: To discuss the possibilities of a Red joining an anti-Red group. Ukraine, once a part of the communist U.S.S.R, once a communist but still upholds a communist way of life has placed a bid to join N.A.T.O, the group it threatened war with during the Cold War days. I have nothing against reconciliation but like other people I have to ask, will it work?

Well sadly as early as now you got Ukrainians protesting the idea, they go to the streets waving hammer and sickle flags all in support for socialism. And across the Atlantic Ocean you got President Bush endorsing the bid. If N.A.T.O was to ask me I say go with the Ukrainians. Because I know no matter how hard we try communists and capitalists would never go together. Why do you think they have such labels? It’s the same reason why salt and sugar have different names, they look the same but they’re not, they’re different. And so are communists and capitalists. If reconciliation is a big deal they should do the same thing they’re doing with Russia. They should hold talks like the N.A.T.O-Russia talks where Russia isn’t a part of N.A.T.O but still share the same ideas and maintain a good relationship. But for me, there are still a lot of cracks to repair before the dream of communists and capitalists working together can be achieved.