26 December 2008

The Perfect Day for Moving ... Troops

of course it be St. Stephen's Day, which far better than the doldrums of August, this week provides the best opportunity for the media game of LOHNOT (Look Over Here, Not Over There) with so many americans engaged in holiday activities (family congregations, trips, pre-Holiday shopping, post-Holiday gift returning, and wacky weather) it is rather easy to distract them with feel-good stories of children and puppies on the evening news, and the localized to nationalized 'horror' story as counterpoint (this year's edition: "Santa Shoots, Burns, Kills 9 so far ") thus it is a most opportune time to move troops around.

the Pakistanis are moving troops away from their Afghanistan border to their border with India (with major consequences possible on both ends), the Israelis are quietly massing to threaten or actually attack Gaza, and the US, after so many years of informal presence, is making it official, stationing units in Israel. (and not to be left out just 'cause their not soldiers, but sailors, China and Japan are deploying ships to the Horn of Africa)

Even Al Quaeda is moving a few around western Iraq (after their prison-break shootout)

'tis gonna be one helluva 2009 (and '08 still has five more days) pay attention