Is
the State Department all that it should be? We have a conservative president
who has done well in his short term in office. The fly in the ointment is
the illogical stances taken by the State Department. In the matter of Lori
Berensen (twice convicted of spying in Peru), who aided a known radical
communist group, the Tupac Amaru or "Shining Path" devotees of Mao
Tse Tung in a foiled attempt to bomb the Peruvian Congress. The same
terrorist group later took over the American embassy for100 plus days, using
the hostages as a bartering chip to further their plans to replace the
democratically elected Peruvian government. Why did our ambassador (Mr.
Hamilton) try to help a sworn enemy of capitalism and democracy? In truth,
he did partially prevail, and got Berensen a second trial. She was found
guilty a second time and her sentence was reduced. Why should we have aided
her? Was Colin Powell (Secretary of State) calling the shots in this action?
Was Condelezzaa Rice (Foreign Affairs Advisor to Bush) recommending this
interference in the judiciary system of a sovereign nation? Was the
President even aware? Or worse, did he endorse it?
Milosovec: With tremendous pressure from the United Nations and the very
real threat of millions of dollars in aid from the World Bank (funded mostly
by the United States) being withheld, the Yugoslavian president buckled
under duress and shipped Milosovec to The Hague for trial as a war crimes
criminal. Talk about Dollar Diplomacy! Of course Milosevec is a war crimes
criminal. There is no denying his atrocities, and he should be punished.
But, as William Rusher points out in a July 21 column, it should be done
with due process, which is totally lacking. The crimes were committed in
Kosovo, Yugoslavia, and therefore should be adjudicated by the Yugoslav
Judiciary, not by an outside force such as that established by the United
Nations. To bully the people of Yugoslavia by withholding money to repair
damage we caused to their country is reprehensible, stupid, and an action
which will cause very hard feelings to be held by the Serbs for a long time.
Again we must ask who is responsible for this foolishness? Was it President
Bush? Was it Colin Powell? Was it Condolezza Rice?
We know that we have a leftist Liberal Media. It would seem that the Media
gives an inordinate amount of time and ink to favorable reviews of Colin
Powell. And a very small amount of ink to Condolezza Rice. One could surmise
from this one-sided approval that the Liberal Medal doesn't approve of Ms.
Rice. Could she be a "closet" conservative? That would be an
anathema to the Liberal Media! A female black conservative? Heaven forbid!
Keep her under wraps with as little ink as possible!
If it is determined that Powell aided and abetted these two causes, Bush
should discard him. Immediately! If Ms. Rice is a conservative, she should
be promoted to Powell's position. If Bush himself is responsible for these
glaring miscarriages of civic ethics, he should explain himself. In any
case, our State Department should get its hat on straight! Right is right,
and wrong is wrong! It is very easy to distinguish the difference here.