Author: vieravisionary

John Lattrice reports on the Daily  Mail’s investigation into the ability to clone the new UK biometric passport.  A major security gap allows a would-be identity thief to obtain an individual’s personal information without even opening the envelope the passport is delivered in.

“The Mail exploit draws on previous work by security consultant Adam Laurie and others, and puts together vulnerabilities in the chip technology, and in the chip security and logistics systems used by the Identity & Passport Service”

Lattrice goes on to state that:

“The data in the chip is essentially a digital version of what is printed inside the passport itself. The printed data can be read if the passport is presented and opened, and the chip’s security system attempts to duplicate this process. The chip data can be read wirelessly, but it is encrypted, with the key printed inside the passport. So in theory, although the chip can be read without the passport (or indeed the delivery envelope) being opened, the data is meaningless without the key.”

“But the key in this first generation of biometric passport is relatively easy to identify/crack. It is not random, but consists of passport number, the passport holder’s date of birth and the passport expiry date. The Mail found it relatively easy to identify the holder’s date of birth, while the expiry date is 10 years from the issue date, which for a newly-delivered passport would clearly fall within a few days. The passport number consists of a number of predictable elements, including an identifier for the issuing office, so effectively a significant part of the key can be reconstructed from the envelope and its address label.”

This report highlights the major technology gaps that must be addressed before any nation should issue these  passports to its citizens.   The ease in which Adam Laurie, only using parts that can be purchased on the Internet or a local electronics store, underscores the reason why so many individuals view this form of passport technology as a danger to the well being of individuals throughout the world.

As a security consultant, I believe that more research and development is needed before using this technology to store personal information.  You can read Lattrice’s report by clicking on the link provided below:

How to clone a biometric passport while it’s still in the bag

I read the opinion editoral written by Dick Armey on October 29th, 2006.  I decided to sent Mr. Armey a response. You may not believe anyting I wrote, but I felt that I needed to say something, in a manner that expressed my opinion.

Good Afternoon Mr. Armey,

My name is Thomas DeLaine and I want to write you regarding the opinion piece you wrote in the Washington Post on October 29th, 2006.  I am not a Republican or Democrat since I personally believe these two political parties are just different shades of the same form of governance.  I figure that you may have received positive and negative emails regarding your opinions, but I would like to provide you my feedback as food for thought as you and your think tank move forward into the future.

Your statement that “The answer is simple: Republican lawmakers forgot the party’s principles, became enamored with power and position, and began putting politics over policy. Now, the Democrats are reaping the rewards of our neglect — and we have no one to blame but ourselves” is extremely correct and insightful.  However, I think it goes much deeper than that.
I truly believe both the Republican and Democratic Parties have created a vast divide within the fabric of our American society.  Part of this has been precipitated on the idea that you can reduce the “income” (i.e. taxes) into the Federal government and still support the many needs of this nation.  There is no family that reduces their monthly income and still spends at their previous income level.   To believe that social organizations, outside the Federal Government, would fairly pick up the “slack” in a meaningful and long-term way is not dealing in the current reality we live in today.

Add to this, the belief that the United States has treated every country, throughout history, fairly (treaties, business agreements, etc.) is not even realistic.  Our dealings in the Mideast are at best biased, with no country in the area believing that outside of Israel, we truly care about their ability to grow and become part of the global community.  From my perspective, the blinders our government seems to use with regards to international affairs do not reflect global leadership, but global domination.  There is no question that the United States is a superpower, but our government has moved from being showing forethought and wisdom to short-term gratification.  This short-sightedness has ripped through the Republican and Democratic Parties like a plague.

Having others’ moral beliefs forced upon individuals does nothing to advance or enhance the betterment of society as a whole.  We see this in other countries and condemn these nations based on human rights abuses; however, in the United States, there are amendments, laws, and other political instruments being used to “cram” a particular belief or moral standard upon the population as a whole.  It comes across as two-faced to the rest of the world and it is art why our nation’s moral standing is taking a beating around the world.

I view most of the individuals in the Republican and Democratic Parties as politicians, not leaders.  A true leader accepts complete responsibility when a situation goes wrong, not try to find ways to point the finger at others.  This has not happened in recent years and we, the people, live with the lack of action and resolve.  The inability to understand why something occurs has driven our current political leaders to do things which will impact this nation for years to come.   You might why I have not thought of public service and here are my reasons:

*    Money – You have to “sell” your beliefs to raise the funds to win against an incumbent.  This is causing many potential leaders who could truly make a difference to run away.
*    Old-Boy Network – Why would I even want to insert myself into a group of individuals who perceptions are based on back scratching and closed room deals not public and straightforward negotiations.
*    Character Assassinations – Every mistake in your life is portrayed as the “biggest mistake ever” even though we are not perfect.

These reasons may not seem important to you, but I believe they establish a core foundation for eroding the pool of talents leaders this nation needs.   In my mind, the negative aspects far outweigh the primary concerns that I need to focus on mainly: spouse, family and close friends.  Doing business the way it is currently done will only erode the pool until no one wants to be a part of government, regardless of party affiliation.

I believe that our nation will continue to be divided until there is a real and honest change of direction.  We can not continue to use the homeless, elderly, single parents, gay and lesbians, and minority groups as cannon fodder for political objectives.  There has to be a real and earnest drive to bring compassion and care to our citizens and understand that medical costs are truly causing many United States citizens to choose between health care or paying the rent, or buying food.  Here in Florida, home owners’ insurance is having the same effect but I only see rhetoric and no clear and viable solution being offered in return.

In conclusion, I believe that the Republican and Democratic Parties have “majored in minors and minored in majors!”  Party platforms and political speeches are meaningless to me if the situation domestically and international is not improved.  Your disappointment in the social and political conservatives in the Republican Party is understandable, but until you and the rest of the political leadership can see that our issues is more than liberal and conservative, but as human beings, your efforts, however noble, will only drive us far away from the true and long-lasting solution.

Thank you for your time and I hope that you would find the time to respond so we might be able to start a true and meaningful dialogue to meeting the real and pressing issues that we, in the United States face.

Thank for your time.
Vary Respectfully,

vieravisionary
Melbourne, FL

[Note: This diary is the next installment of 10 Stories the World Should Hear More About as identified by the United Nations for 2006, a Booman Tribune Group Project suggested and coordinated by ManEegee. For further information see Group Project: 10 Most Underreported Stories.

Democratic Republic of the Congo: As the country moves boldly towards historic vote, humanitarian concerns continue to demand attention

As the world is applauding the determination of the Congolese people and leadership to take a crucial step in the country’s transition from a bloody civil war to peace and democracy, the steep humanitarian challenges facing the devastated nation must not be forgotten.

Voting simulation exercise prior to the National elections which took
place on 30 July 2006, Mendako, Commune de Maluku, Kinshasa, DRC,
July 2006. MONUC Photo/Serge Kasanga

An estimated 4 million people killed since 1998.

Approximately 6,000 women and girls have been identified as victims of sexual violence.

Against this backdrop of war, violence, and despair, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) begins a new page in its history.  On July 30th, 2006 the DRC bravely held its first multiparty elections in 45 years.  This election faced difficult challenges; include a plea by the Catholic Church to boycott the elections.  During a recent interview, Dr Jo Lusi, a Senator in the DRC transition government, emphasized the need to continue moving forward with the democratic progress:

“Actually, it is true, we really think that democracy is about tolerating people who have different ideas. They are right, there are mistakes, but we still need some democracy at least to begin working on that ground. And I can really say that we’re tired. And after this long, long suffering we said it is the time now to try something else.”

“Outside of the chaos we want to rebuild and to come again together. That will work. We call it democracy, we call it order, we call it sitting together, we call it tolerating one another. That is democracy”

(Continued)
Election Facts

The Independent Electoral Commission
IEC) presents the electoral kits and the
ballot paper to the political parties.
MONUC Photo/ CEI

“Elections are the foundation for the longer term restoration of peace and stability, national reconciliation and establishment of the rule of law in the Democratic Republic of the Congo”
UN Security Council Resolutio – 30 June 2006

To truly understand the task this election process required, let’s take a look at some facts, identified by the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC), which defines the breadth and scope of bring the DRC to this point in their history.

*    On 30 July 2006, the Congolese electorate cast their votes in some 53,000 polling stations for 33 presidential and over 9,647 national legislative candidates.
*    These were the first elections in DRC for more than 40 years.
*    Approximately 25.7 million people registered as voters, out of an estimated voting population of 28 million.
*    267 political parties registered to participate in the electoral process.
*    The electoral process was the largest ever conducted with UN support.
*    The elections were organized by the country’s Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) in accordance with the Constitution of the DRC and the Global and All-Inclusive Agreement.
*    The UN Development Program’s Electoral Assistance Project (APEC) and a number of international partners provided essential technical and logistical support to the IEC.
*    MONUC supported the DRC authorities in providing security for the elections through direct assistance and through the training of the national police force. In addition, MONUC undertook a number of other activities for the elections, including transporting voting material and electoral personnel to the approximately 53,000 polling sites around the country.
*    There were 169 different types of ballots weighing together about 1,800 tons and requiring many flights to deliver to the polling stations across the country.
*    The international community organized personnel training for 300,000 poll workers and 50,000 police officers.
*    Over 45,000 police officers were trained; 37,000 of whom were trained by MONUC. 80,000 police officers were deployed to provide security during the electoral period.
*    Approximately 70 percent of the MONUC’s 17,600-strong military contingent took part in election-related duties involving public protection, safety and escorts.
*    Some 40,000 domestic observers and about 1,500 international observers monitored the vote.

A handicapped exercised his right
to vote on July 30th in Ubundu (Oriental
Province) Photo Daniel Cure / MONUC

This election effort constitutes one of the most complex election undertakings in United Nation’s history.  The MONUC is currently the largest UN peacekeeping mission in the world with more than 17,600 uniformed personnel from 58 countries.  Eighty percent of MONUC’s military and police personnel are deployed in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where Congolese and foreign militias continue to fight, more than three years after the civil war ended.  MONUC has suffered one of the highest numbers of casualties from hostile acts among the current peacekeeping missions, with 22 lives lost in the past 18 months alone. As of 30 June 2006, a total number of 92 peacekeepers have lost their lives while serving with MONUC.

A voting scene from one of the many polling “tents” in Mbandaka (Equateur Province) Photo Susana Gouveia

MONUC’s approved budget for 2006-2007 is about $1.1 billion. The total cost of MONUC’s operations over the last seven years is approximately $3.8 billion. Since it was established in 1999, MONUC’s major activities have included the provision of security, protection of civilians, political assistance during the transitional period, disarming and integrating combatants into society, training the police force, monitoring human rights, facilitating the delivery of humanitarian assistance, and assisting with the organization of national elections.

Even in beginning down the road to a more peaceful and democratic country, every step is being met with almost insurmountable obstacles. In Part II, of this diary, I will provide a condensed overview of the major issues that the DRC’s newly elected government will have to address to bring stability and stability to this war ravaged nation.

UN10: Part II – Democratic Republic of the Congo – Humanitarian Concerns

For more information on the Democratic Republic of Congo, please refer to the Internet resources, obtained from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

Democratic Republic of Congo- Internet Resources

News
Yahoo! News Full Coverage – DR Congo news headline links
Friends of the Congo
US Department of State’s Travel Warnings – Advising US Residents not to visit
IRIN News page for DRC, from the United Nations
United Nations News Centre – DRC

Overviews
CIA World Factbook – Democratic Republic of the Congo
Guardian Unlimited – Special Report: Congo
Library of Congress Country Study – Zaire (Former) data as of December 1993
Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports regarding Congo
United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC)

Directories
Open Directory Project – Democratic Republic of the Congo directory category
Stanford University – Africa South of the Sahara: Democratic Republic of the Congo directory category
University of Pennsylvania – African Studies Center: Democratic Republic of Congo directory category
Yahoo! – Congo, Democratic Republic of the directory category
Democratic Republic of the Congo travel guide from Wikitravel

Additional Resources

Globalissues.org – The Democratic Republic of Congo last updated October 31, 2003
Wildlife Conservation Society – Democratic Republic of the Congo
Kim Gjerstad’s blog, photos and stories from DR Congo (Blog)
The Salon: Opinion and News on Congo, and Africa (Blog)
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum – Ripples of Genocide: Journey Through Eastern Congo Journal compiled from the impressions and contributions of UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie, John Prendergast of the International Crisis Group, and two photographers.

[Note: This diary is the next installment of 10 Stories the World Should Hear More About as identified by the United Nations for 2006, a Booman Tribune Group Project suggested and coordinated by ManEegee. For further information see Group Project: 10 Most Underreported Stories.]

Democratic Republic of the Congo: As the country moves boldly towards historic vote, humanitarian concerns continue to demand attention

As the world is applauding the determination of the Congolese people and leadership to take a crucial step in the country’s transition from a bloody civil war to peace and democracy, the steep humanitarian challenges facing the devastated nation must not be forgotten.

Scale of Humanitarian Challenges
The DRC is Africa’s third largest country, comparable in size to Western Europe. It is five times larger than Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia and Sierra Leone combined, with more than twice their population – over 62 million.

The map of Democratic Republic of Congo from CIA World Factbook

Established as a Belgian colony in 1908, the DRC gained its independence in 1960, but its early years were marred by political and social instability.  Bordered by Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia, the DRC has endured civil war and numerous coups since 1960.  
With nearly 80 per cent of the population trapped in extreme poverty and more than 70 per cent undernourished, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has appealed for $50 million to support the agricultural rehabilitation of this vast country.  The United Nations reports that DRC’s maternal mortality ratio of 1,300 deaths per 100,000 live births ranks as one of the highest maternal mortality ratios in Africa.  Life expectancy averages 51.46 years (men – 50.01 years, women – 52.94 years) as estimated in the CIA Fact book, June 2006.

(Continued)
It is estimated total of 242 languages spoken in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Only 4 have the status of national languages: Kikongo, Lingala, Tshiluba and Swahili.  French is the official language of the DRC.  It is seen as a ethically neutral language to facilitate communications between all the ethnic groups in the DRC.  It is important to note that the four national languages were being used in the primary, at the time the DRC was a Belgian colony.  This makes the DRC one of the few African countries with literacy in their local languages during European occupation.

Pity of Congolese Children

Minors are being recruited in Bukavu
to serve in vigilante “self-defense
groups”. MONUC meets with leaders
of local “neighborhood watch”
organizations to stop such activities.
Photo Dan Casperzs / MONUC

The United Nations reports that about half of the 62 million Congolese are under the age of 18 and children are particularly affected by the crisis. Some 20 per cent of children do not live until the age of 5, while 38 per cent suffer from malnutrition — 20 per cent severely. Half of those between 6 and 11 years old do not attend school and nearly 10 per cent are believed to have lost one or both parents to the AIDS pandemic.

An estimated 20,000 have been child soldiers.  In September 2003, Amnesty International reported that during the height of the civil war, an effort was established to recruit Congolese children to support various warring factions.  In one account, a Congolese child explains how she was recruited into the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (AFDL):

“I was recruited in Goma on my way home from school. I came across some soldiers who were pretending to mend their broken-down vehicle, but in fact it was a ploy. They called me and some other children over, and when I went up to them, they grabbed me, threw me into their vehicle and took me off to a training centre. I was trained there and then we began the march towards Kinshasa. Because we were taken just like that on our way home from school, our parents had no idea where we were. To this very day I don’t know if my parents are alive. And even if they are, they don’t know what’s become of me.”

This report goes on to describe the challenges and abuses these Congolese children faced as child soldiers:

“The abuses children suffer during training set the tone for a life in the army which is dominated by hardship and further abuse. Children suffer disproportionately from the rigours of army life and are especially vulnerable to disease and malnutrition in the hostile terrains of the equatorial forests. Even outside battle, mortality rates for both boys and girls are high, as they are pushed to the limits of their physical and emotional endurance.”

“The children who survive the harsh training are given a variety of tasks to perform.
Some act as cooks or porters, carrying supplies, water, food, firewood and munitions for the adult soldiers. They are often used to carry off the goods which their commanders have looted during battle, or to take the weapons of enemy soldiers who have been killed. Some act as personal bodyguards to their commanders, while others are sent on reconnaissance missions into the bush or to nearby villages in order to detect the positions of enemy troops and assess their numbers. Commanders hope that, as children, they will pass unnoticed by the enemy on these missions. Girls are exploited by soldiers for sex, and rape is very common.

“At one time or another, almost all child soldiers will also be involved in some capacity in active combat. Inexperienced and occasionally reckless, they sometimes find themselves pushed into the vanguard of advancing troops, effectively to act as human shields for the adult soldiers who follow on behind them. It is impossible to estimate with accuracy the numbers of child soldier casualties over the last seven years, but it is a question of many, many thousands. Many are not even given a proper burial. Even their own families will probably never know the true fate of these children.”

Disease

UNICEF and OCHA have provided humanitarian
assistance, in the course of the first quarter of
2006, to 120,000 new internally displaced
persons (IDPs) per month in the DR Congo,
amounting to some 356,000 persons.
Photo Archive / MONUC

What is causing approximately 1,200 Congolese people to die every day?  Diseases, such as bacterial diarrhea, protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, typhoid fever, malaria, plague, schistosomiasis, and African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) are some of the main culprits.  Many of these diseases, with the exception of African trypanosomiasis, have vaccines and drugs that can cure or greatly reduce the disease’s ability to spread throughout the human body.  Years of war have severely crippled the DRC medical infrastructure.    

Environmental Issues
The DRC faces numerous environmental issues that could seriously hamper the country’s ability to become a prosperous nation.  The major issues facing the Congolese people include:

• Poaching threatens wildlife populations
• Water pollution
• Deforestation
• Mining of minerals (coltan – a mineral used in creating capacitors, diamonds, and gold)

Refugees, resulting from years of civil war, have been responsible for significant deforestation, soil erosion, and wildlife poaching throughout the country.  Struggling to maintain some semblance of a normal life, these refugees’ actions may be destroying the very land and resources needed to overcome decades of poverty and strife.  

Human Rights

In June 2006, the six-month human rights assessment in the DRC was published.  Here are excerptions from the report’s executive summary:

In the pre-electoral period, MONUC has noted a significant increase in the number of politically motivated human rights violations linked to the electoral campaigning. The police, the ANR and other members of the security forces have been involved in repressing the civil liberties of individuals suspected of holding certain political affiliations. Sometimes these assumptions have been based on the victim’s perceived or actual ethnic identity. These violations have included arbitrary arrest, illegal detention or acts of physical violence, such as beatings or use of excessive force by police during demonstrations.

MONUC is also concerned by the fact that civilians are routinely tried for common crimes before military jurisdictions. Although such practice is grounded in Congolese law, it contradicts international principles according to which civilians must never be tried by military courts. A legislative reform to correct this anomaly should be one of the first priorities of the new Parliament.

Human rights discourse is largely absent in the manifestos of the main political parties. There are no clearly defined objectives for human rights protection and promotion. Neither are there any declarations by the main political contenders to include human rights issues in the core program of a new administration.

Personal Commentary
It was a very tough dairy assignment for me since my ancestors came from Algeria and Morocco.  It is hard to imagine the pain and despair the Congolese have endured over the past 45 years.  From my perspective, it does not even seem possible for a culture to have to experience such angst even they try to change the course of their future.  How did the DRC come to this painful state of existence?  Why did it even have to happen in the first place?  Children with no childhood to learn and play; common diseases destroying the current and future generations with no mercy; exploitation of natural resources going unchecked – at times, I could only stop typing and wipe the tears from my eyes.

The need is great and the laborers are few.  Today and every day, 38,000 people per month (that is over 1,200 people per day) die from largely preventable diseases and malnutrition — the equivalent of a tsunami toll every six months. Yet, the immense human suffering buried in these numbers all too often remains outside the glower of sustained media attention.  Is the pursuit of Mideast peace and celebrity gossip so much more important than ignoring the pity and needs of over 62 million people in the heart of Africa?  

This is a story that must told so good and decent individuals of this world can bring their knowledge, expertise, and compassion to this nation struggling to pull itself out of the depths of misery and death into a new culture of security, comfort and life.  To think that many of us worry about living, when there are so many more in the United States and the DRC, just worry about surviving.  Until we, as human beings on this earth, can see with eyes of compassion and mercy, the Congolese will become just an asterisk, grave marker, and historical memory for some history trivia game.  So, who is my neighbor and what I can even hope to do?  That question, my fellow human beings, can only be asked within our hearts.  So let’s hope our response is quick, heart-felt, and meaningful.

UN10: Part I – Democratic Republic of the Congo – Historic Vote – Discussion on the DRC election and its’ importance to the growth of the nation

For more information on the Democratic Republic of Congo, please refer to the Internet resources, obtained from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

Democratic Republic of Congo- Internet Resources

News
Yahoo! News Full Coverage – DR Congo news headline links
Friends of the Congo
US Department of State’s Travel Warnings – Advising US Residents not to visit
IRIN News page for DRC, from the United Nations
United Nations News Centre – DRC

Overviews
CIA World Factbook – Democratic Republic of the Congo
Guardian Unlimited – Special Report: Congo
Library of Congress Country Study – Zaire (Former) data as of December 1993
Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports regarding Congo
United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC)

Directories
Open Directory Project – Democratic Republic of the Congo directory category
Stanford University – Africa South of the Sahara: Democratic Republic of the Congo directory category
University of Pennsylvania – African Studies Center: Democratic Republic of Congo directory category
Yahoo! – Congo, Democratic Republic of the directory category
Democratic Republic of the Congo travel guide from Wikitravel

Additional Resources

Globalissues.org – The Democratic Republic of Congo last updated October 31, 2003
Wildlife Conservation Society – Democratic Republic of the Congo
Kim Gjerstad’s blog, photos and stories from DR Congo (Blog)
The Salon: Opinion and News on Congo, and Africa (Blog)
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum – Ripples of Genocide: Journey Through Eastern Congo Journal compiled from the impressions and contributions of UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie, John Prendergast of the International Crisis Group, and two photographers.

I never had the opportunity to meet Buster.  Being a person who enjoys the companionship of a dog, Buster was one of the reasons I decided to stop in and see what Booman Tribune was all about.  His face truly reveals the patience and warmth that I just wish we all could show each day. Looking with love and anticipation of acceptance, Buster spoke to me in a way that no comment or dairy could never imagine.  I figured that if Booman could love such a wonderful creature, maybe I should stop and spend some time listening to the words he has to say.
I am so glad that I decided to rest at the Pond for awhile.  Stories of success and anger, desire and hope continue to spring up from the Pond day after day.  It shows us all that sometimes, the greatest inspiration we may find in life is not limited to just the people and places we see.  They can be found in the simple and loving eyes of a large and inviting creature whose only request is to be loved and treated with respect and kindness.

I can only imagine the sorrow that Booman and his family are feeling as they watches Buster take his last breaths in this life.  As tears rolling down each face, they wonder why at this moment and time, is Buster leaving us all.  My hope is that Booman, his family, and all of us remember the joy and warmth Buster has given us all in his only special way. Buster represents the qualities that we all search for each day.  Live in this moment with all our being.  Never reject the kindness of a stranger.  Find the hidden bones of the past and bring them to light. Show patience even though we would rather race after every squirrel we see or chase the cat next door.

I lived in Gander Newfoundland for three years and I was able to experience first hand the loving and playful nature that Newfoundlanders are so known for.  Their loyalty is unquestioned and their ability to warm your heart is just one lick away.  Such gentle giants with a heart so big, you can not begin to describe it!

So, as we continue to fight for the rights of others, speak out against racism, war, hate crimes and other issues of the day, let us remember that we had the opportunity to spend time, even though it was via the Internet with a gentle loving giant who captured our hearts and brought a smile to our faces each and every time we saw his photos.

To Booman and your family,

I can only say that losing a member of the family is never an easy thing to deal with.  Buster’s life was not lived in vain because he loved you all with all of his heart.  Remember this prayer in the days and weeks to come:  

Dear God,

Amen.

To Buster,

Thank you for being in our lives, even if it was just for a short time.  Your face and eyes reflect the wonder and joy of life and know that we all learned something from you.  As you prepare for your next journey, rest in the knowledge that we will miss you dearly and know that you will be able to enjoy the rest that you truly deserve.  Goodbye to the friend I never had the opportunity to meet in person.  May you rest in peace!

To the rest of us in the Pond,

May we continue to chase the squirrels and cats that we face each day knowing that we had the opportunity to see true love and loyalty in action.  Keep digging up the bones of the past and defend those are in need and despair.  That is what Buster would want us to do and this will be his legacy that we will be able to carry forward in the months and years to come.

As we continue to threaten Iran, here is the latest news from Afghanistan and it is not good!

BAGRAM, Afghanistan (AP) – A shopkeeper outside the U.S.-led coalition headquarters in Afghanistan was selling computer memory drives Wednesday containing seemingly sensitive military data stolen from inside the base – including the Social Security numbers of four American generals

So, I guess the American forces in Afghanistan did not remember their Operational Security (OPSEC) training after all!  This reflects poor training and lack of focus on getting things right the first time.

More below the fold

This shopkeeper was apparently not the only merchant in local bazaars trying to get some cash in exchange for hardware and software containing such files.

The surfacing of the stolen computer devices has sparked an urgent American military probe for the source of the embarrassing security breach, which has led to disks with the personal letters and biographies of soldiers and lists of troops who completed nuclear, chemical and biological warfare training going on sale for $20 to $50.

Five military investigators, surrounded by heavily armed plainclothes U.S. soldiers, searched many of the two-dozen rundown shops outside the sprawling base.

Asked if any disks had been found, one soldier, who declined to give his name, said: “We are looking. That’s all I can say.”

All he can say??  How can we even think about possible attacks against Iran when we can not even control the information and equipment we have in Afghanistan?

Afghan Shops Searched for Stolen Files

This article reflects the continuing lack of security and problems that U.S. military brings upon themselves because of their “rush” to the next objective!  Here is more information that should concern the U.S. military:

One shopkeeper wanted $20 for a used U.S. soldier’s uniform and said he could get more.

Other items apparently were stolen from a duty-free store on the base, including range-finding binoculars and handheld global positioning systems – items that could be useful to Taliban rebels, who have stepped up their insurgency in the past year.

The computer files seen by the AP ranged from the very personal, such as a soldier’s letter to the wife of a dead comrade, to confidential personnel information.

Social Security numbers were listed next to the names of hundreds of soldiers, including Maj. Gen. Jason Kamiya, who left Afghanistan in February after serving for a year as the coalition’s operational commander.

One document listed the names of 20 members of a platoon who had undergone “the required Nuclear Biological Chemical (NBC) training and chamber exercise.” It did not elaborate.

Another listed the names of 16 soldiers and the types of weapons they had been trained on.

This just continues to reveal the way things are going in the “war” and if we even think we can meet our objections, something has to change, now!  But, until the BushCo leadership changes, I fear this will continue to be the rule, not the exception!

Crossposted at Spiritual Awakening

This morning, I had the opportunity to read an interesting diary entry on Booman Tribune called Good Christians.  The focus of this entry was to show how fundamentalism within religious groups is threatening to destroy the foundational principles upon which the United States was built.  I can agree that religious extremists are ruling the day; however, the issue is more than fighting back to opposite these religious groups, in my opinion.  The real issue arises when the discussion turns to dealing with the waves of “religious extremists” in a manner that is constructive and meaningful.  The anger and frustration that is produced may not solve the problem, but only empower the extremists – otherwise know as “fighting fire with fire!”  What is the end result?  In most cases, tempers flare, name calling is the “tool du jour” and everyone ends up standing in their own corner of the room with arms folded, lips pouting and no real resolutions come to the surface. (The vision of two little kids standing in separate corners of a room glaring at each other comes to mind!)
The question is this: “What is the root cause for this push to impose a specific religious thought or dogma upon individuals who may or may not believe in that specific religious thought or dogma?” It is an answer that I believe needs to be determined before any meaningful progress can be made.  To begin to see the answer, I believe that we have to stop trying to fix the “symptoms” of the problem.  Anger is a result of emotional reaction to being pushed.  But, anger, in and of itself, may not be the root cause.  Individual religious beliefs vary greatly since we are all unique and have different life experiences.  Many of the religious extremists feel current laws, policies, and rules do not reflect the religious foundation that “they believe” formed the United States.  Feeling betrayed these extremists determined that political strength would be the only way to regain and change laws they see as “ungodly.”  Having gained political status, the extremists have begun to pass new legislation to “right the wrongs” and “bring America back to God.”

These actions have brought opposition groups to the surface.  These groups see the changes as “forcing a certain brand of religious dogma” upon their lives and it must be stopped to ensure individuals can live based on their set of beliefs.  It is natural reaction to expect and no one should be surprised.  As rhetoric grows on each side, anger begins to show with increasing intensity.  Each side believes they are right and the other side is
“out to lunch.”  The end results are no communication, understanding, or comprehension of the concerns being addressed.  This produces a stalemate between the two factions.  No real answers are known and finger pointing abounds.

So, what is the real disease?  My opinion is it comes down to one simple phrase: lack of respect.  There is such a drive to win, the goal has been forgotten.  All of the hot button issues have one thing in common, a lack of respect towards the individual affected by the specific issue.  There is no room to allow the individual to make a choice and live with the consequences of that choice.  Forced compliance to a religious dogma diminishes the reason for belief in that dogma.  Most religious concepts are based on belief, or faith in that concept.  To impose that belief on others create tension and rebellion.  Throughout known history, societies that imposed a specific belief system eventually were consumed and destroyed by opposing factions that did not see the belief system as applicable to their lives.

The next question would be: “Can we, as a society, have the patience to find the disease and follow the prescription for the cure?”  That, I can not answer because patience is not I personally learned the easy way and human beings tend to want things resolve immediately.  It is interesting to see that we, as adults, continue to revert back to our childhood when we can not get what we want.  We see this kind of behavior in our kids and work hard to teach them that they just have to wait.  However, applying it to our adult lives proves to be more difficult at times. This might be part of the disease as well.  A lack of respect; the inability to find the disease; have the patience follow the prescription to resolve the disease.

Each day I think about the issues we faces and wonder what can I do personally, to find the real and meaningful solutions to each issues.  I believe that regardless of the issue at hand, if we can not identify the disease in clear and easy to understand terms, our ability to discover and follow the prescription to cure the disease will not produce the desired results.  This is very important since our society and way of life will depend on finding that root cause (disease) sooner, rather than later.