http://www.examiner.com/x-4525-Seattle-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m11d6-Fort-Hood-shooting-reveals-shortcomings-of-institutionalized-political-correctness

Born in Virginia, sent to medical school by the U.S. Army, the psychiatrist was chastised for proselytizing to his patients about Islam. Asked his nationality, he didn’t identify himself as an American but as a Palestinian. He appeared pleased by the shooting death of a Little Rock Army recruiter in June and reportedly was heard saying “maybe people should strap bombs on themselves and go to Times Square.”

Mr. Micheletti said late Thursday he is installing a national unity government without the participation of  Mr. Zelaya, who has declined to name any cabinet members.

The two signed an agreement last week to resolve the four-month political standoff.  A new government was set to begin Thursday.

Mr. Zelaya warned Thursday the accord was at risk of collapsing unless Congress held a vote to restore him to power immediately to serve out his term that ends in January.  Honduras elects a new president on November 29.

Congress must vote on Mr. Zelaya’s restitution and has not yet done so.  The recently signed pact does not stipulate a deadline for the Congressional vote.

The U.S., a major broker in the mediation efforts, said this week the next step in the political crisis is up to Honduras.

Governments have threatened not to recognize the presidential elections if Mr. Zelaya is not first returned to power.

Mr. Zelaya was ousted in a military-backed coup in June, but returned to Honduras in September, where he has taken refuge in the Brazilian embassy in Tegucigalpa.

On Friday, Cambodia withdrew its ambassador to Thailand, in retaliation for Bangkok’s withdrawal of its ambassador the day before. Thailand’s action came after the Cambodian government of Prime Minister Hun Sen appointed fugitive Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra as an economic advisor.

The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs calls the appointment interference in its domestic affairs and a failure to respect its judicial system.

Thani Thonthongpakdi is a Foreign Ministry spokesman. He says Thai-Cambodia relations have been tested for over a year, and tensions are rising.

“We believe that we had to send a strong signal to Cambodia regarding their recent action. I think that the extant to which our bilateral relations will be affected, we will have to see what the reaction on the Cambodian side is,” he said.

Thailand says it is now reviewing all its existing agreements and cooperation projects with Cambodia.

Thani says the government will most likely postpone or reduce projects if Mr. Thaksin’s appointment goes ahead.

Koy Kuong, a spokesman for Cambodia’s Foreign Ministry, says despite Thailand’s objections, the government will go ahead with Mr. Thaksin’s appointment. He says the Thai government is interfering in Cambodia’s internal affairs by objecting to the appointment.

“The government of Cambodia has no intention to worsen the relationship between the two countries because of the appointment of Thaksin as an economic advisor to the government. So, it is the Thai side which views [it] in [a] different way,” he said.

Koy Kuong says Cambodia views the charges against the former prime minister as politically motivated.

Mr. Thaksin was ousted in a 2006 military coup and fled Thailand last year to avoid a jail term for corruption.

The former leader is still popular in Thailand’s countryside and among the poor because of his social welfare projects.

The argument adds to growing tensions over a disputed border area where sporadic fighting has broken out.

Puangtong Pawakapan is a professor of politics at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University. She says Cambodia’s appointment of Thaksin Shinawatra is pay-back against the Thailand’s Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva for disputing the listing of a temple along the border as a world heritage site. The temple is in Cambodia, but Thailand controls land around it.

“I don’t think Hun Sen invited Thaksin to be his advisor because he really needs Thaksin’s advice no economic issues … I think it’s [a] political issue and it’s emotional retaliation of Hun Sen on the Abhisit government,” said Pawakapan.

The Thailand’s ambassador was last withdrawn in 2003 when rioters burned down the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh after a Thai actress questioned Cambodian sovereignty over the border temple.

Despite the withdrawal of ambassadors, both Thailand and Cambodia say normal business and travel relations will not be affected.

The wounded service members were initially treated on the scene and subsequently flown to an ISAF medical facility for further treatment.

“We are committed to taking every measure possible to rescue or recover our missing service members. We continue to do everything we can to find them,” said U.S. Navy Capt. Jane Campbell, IJC spokesperson.

Operations are ongoing, and further information will be released when it is appropriate.

The senior Taliban facilitator detained is believed to be responsible for financing and placing suicide bombers and IEDs in the area. This facilitator is also linked to Taliban leadership outside of the country.

The joint security force targeted a compound near the village of Spin Kalacheh, southwest of Kandahar City, after intelligence indicated militant activity. The joint force searched the compound without incident and detained five suspected militants, one of which surrendered and identified himself as the Taliban facilitator. No shots were fired, and no one was injured.

Afghan and international security forces constantly partner personnel and resources to prevent attacks against civilians and eliminate the Taliban threat by constant pursuit and the promotion of reconciliation.

ISAF Casualties

Two International Security Assistance Force service members were killed and another service member died of wounds in two separate IED strikes in southern Afghanistan yesterday.

It is ISAF policy to defer identification procedures of casualties to the relevant national authorities. The two service members killed were from the United States.

In northeast Baghdad, the 44th Iraqi Army, with U.S. advisors, searched two buildings in search of a Promise Day Brigade terrorist group leader who allegedly coordinates attacks against security forces operating in Iraq.

Based on preliminary questioning conducted at the scene, three individuals are suspected of being Promise Day Brigade associates. The 44th Iraqi Army arrested the suspects without incident.

During a separate security operation near Sharqat, located approximately 100 km northwest of Kirkuk, Iraqi Police and U.S. advisors searched two buildings for a suspected al-Qaeda in Iraq member who has ties to senior leaders within the terrorist group.
 
Based on incriminating evidence found at the scene, a warranted suspect and his criminal accomplice were arrested without incident.