A Gloomy Outlook at Year's End - Part 1

A number of disturbing trends, domestic and geo-political, portend a very difficult year ahead for the U.S. and the West. While it is difficult to discern which problem is the most intractable, here is a list of some of the most challenging ones, not necessarily in order of importance:

• Iraq - President Bush, to his credit, has remained steadfast in his promise that the mission in Iraq will be completed. Whatever success he may hope to achieve is now increasingly dependent on the machinations and perfidy of Democrats, who when fully in power will have the ability fo severely undercut the President's plans and dampen the nation's will to confront the terrorists in Iraq and elsewhere. One possible sign of Democrat reasonableness is the denial of crucial committee posts to Murtha and Hastings. This leads into:
• Iran - An article by Arnaud de Borchgrave in Washington Times 11/29 reports Iranian gloating over America's lack of will and how it presents Iran with an unprecendented opportunity for regional domination:(quotes)
  

Iran can either facilitate or humiliate a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq. Key mullahs now say Iran should assist a U.S. exit that would enhance Iran's regional power. The argument, put forward by Moshen Rezai, secretary of the government's "Expediency Council," states that "America's arrival in the region presented Iran with an historic opportunity." and.... "The kind of service that the Americans, with all their hatred, have done us," said Mr. Rezai, "no superpower has ever done anything similar. America destroyed all our enemies in the region. It destroyed the Taliban. It destroyed Saddam Hussein. ... It did all this in order to confront us face to face, and in order to place us under siege. But the American teeth got so stuck in the soil of Iraq and Afghanistan that if they manage to drag themselves back to Washington in one piece, they should thank Allah."

• Russia - Russia cannot be trusted or considered a friend. It is becoming clearer that Putin & Co. are embarked on a return to totalitarianism. The various poison and asassination incidents against journalists and dissidents is disturbing. Russia's supplying of missiles to Iran is dangerous and provocative. (To be continued)