News of the, well, Week (June 23-28)

Communist China helping Hamas: Bill Gertz and Rowan Scarborough (Washington Times, last item) cited an unnamed "Paris-based intelligence newsletter" that reported on a Communist intelligence officer - Gong Xiaosheng - who is "covertly aiding the ruling Palestinian Hamas terrorist group."

More on Communist China and the War on Terror: Remember when it looked like the five Uighurs sent to Albania from Guantanamo Bay were no longer welcome there (fifth item)? It turns out the Washington Times had a little explaining to do: "we seem to have gotten Mrs. Totozani (Albania's former commissioner for refugees) fired by suggesting it was she, not the Uighurs' lawyers, who was seeking a new home for the men outside Albania . . . we readily apologize to Mrs. Totozani for the trouble she has suffered and hope she gets back her job." This quarter joins in that apology and extends it to all of Albania for the erroneous implication it was not welcoming of the Uighurs.

On the Iranian satellite regime: U.S. Army General George Casey calls out the Communist-backed mullahcracy for supporting anti-American terrorists in Iraq (Washington Times). Meanwhile, calls for liberation come from Richard Perle, Abbas Milani, and Michael McFaul (Washington Post), while Post columnist David Ignatius scores the Ignorant Comment of the Day with this idiotic call for talks (Ayatollah Ali Khameini rejected the idea - Washington Times, second item). Israeli officials tell Kenneth R. Timmerman (Newsmax) that Tehran "could have a nuclear weapon in 2007." The editors of National Review Online examine the weakness of the United Nations on the subject.

From the China Support Network comes a call to join the July 6 Blog for Tibet and ten reasons to stay away from the Beijing Olympics (which reminds me . . .).

From the China Freedom Blog Alliance: Between Heaven and Earth reacts to Canada's head-tax apology (BBC) and laments Communist China's latest attempt to get Falun Gong banned in Hong Kong. The Korea Liberator makes an excellent case against recent calls to bomb Stalinist North Korea's ICBM test site (such as this one: Newsmax), then does an equally terrific job taking down the latest call for negotiation with the Stalinists. TKL also takes note of Venezuela's Hugo Chavez lusting for SNK missiles (see also Cybercast News), more South Korean silliness, and how the SNK missile flap has benefited - the United States. As for Kim Jong-il's colonial masters, TKL laments at how the Communists have managed to overshadow Taiwan (see also Weekly Standard) and takes note of the Communist banking disaster (see also Washington Post via MSNBC). China Intel returns to blogging with an observation on U.S. Patriot missiles being deployed on Japanese soil.

Uzbekistan sends Canadian Uighur to Communist China - and a death sentence: Uzbekistan sent Huseyincan Celil back to Communist China, despite a death sentence handed him by the cadres and the fact that Celil is a Canadian citizen (United Press Int'l via Washington Times). Jason Kenney, Prime Minister Stephen Harper's parliamentary secretary, was livid (Hamilton Spectator, see also seventeenth item).

More on Communist China and Canada: Several Canadian companies involved in a Communist railway project in occupied Tibet are hearing criticism from a new source - their shareholders (National Post). Meanwhile, as the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission ponders Communist China's attempt to get on TV in the Great White North (second item), Jan Jekielek and Jason Loftus (Epoch Times) reveal how the Communist networks "feigned news stories, threatened interviewees with labour camp sentences, and even subjected them to mental and physical torture."

More on the SNK missile issue: The U.S. is not looking to bomb the Stalinist missile site (BBC, Newsmax, Voice of America via Epoch Times), but intercepting the missile after it takes off is another story (Washington Times). Both Japan (Time Asia, Washington Times, second item) and South Korea (Asia News, BBC, VOA via Epoch Times) warn the Stalinists against the ICBM launch. Former negotiator "Jack" Pritchard joins TKL in opposing a pre-emptive strike against the site, but his reasoning is far worse (Washington Post); Michael O'Hanlon and Mike Mochizuki are somewhat better in the Washington Times, but neither come close to Hwang Jang Yop's incisive reasoning (Daily NK). The discussion over the possible launch has made missile defense all the rage (Cybercast News, National Review Online, Washington Post). Eric Margolis (Toronto Sun) and Arnaud de Borchgrave (Newsmax) ponder why Stalinist-in-chief Kim Jong-il is threatening this, and oddly enough, Margolis has the slightly better analysis here. Kelley Beaucar Vlahos (Fox News) and Michael Crowley (The New Republic) survey the views of the punditry. Senate Democrats express their dissatisfaction with the Bush Administration's SNK policy (National Review Online). London's Daily Telegraph (via Washington Times ponders the effect on Japan. William Arkin (Washington Post) and Claude Salhani (Washington Times) compare SNK and Iran.

More on the Communists' Korean colony: Professor Kim Youn Chul accidentally reveals the weaknesses of the conventional wisdom on Stalinist North Korea (Daily NK). Daily NK also examines the plight of refugees. Jay Lefkowitz - the U.S. human rights envoy for SNK - will visit Kaesong next month (UPI via Washington Times). Yang Jung A (Daily NK) calls for Korean liberation. Andrei Lankov, from Australian National University (Asia Times), wonders why there is so little anti-Stalinist radio broadcasting in SNK (but he ignores Open Radio for North Korea - fourth item). A South Korean abducted by the Stalinists nearly 30 years ago sees his mother for the first time since that day (BBC, UPI via Washington Times). Also in the spotlight was South Korea's economy (UPI via Washington Times), the rapid demise of Kim Dae-jung's visit to the North (Daily NK), and the latest in weird Stalinist propaganda (The New Republic).

Former defense analyst admits to giving information to Communists: Ronald N. Montaperto, a former Defense Intelligence Agency analyst who "was part of an influential group of pro-China academics and officials in the U.S. policy and intelligence community" (Bill Gertz, Washington Times) admitted in court to "passing 'top secret' information to Chinese intelligence officials." Charles R. Smith (Newsmax) puts Montaperto's career in context.

U.S.-India nuclear deal wins House committee approval: The House International Relations Committee overwhelmingly voted in favor of the deal (Cybercast News). Meanwhile, two friendly voices have divided on the agreement (second, sixth, and seventh items). In favor is William R. Hawkins of the U.S. Business and Industry Council (National Review Online); Henry Sokolski of the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center opposes it (also in NRO).

More on Communist China and the United States: Frank Gaffney (National Review Online) continues to sound the alarm on Henry Paulson (sixth item). A Communist military delegation observes American exercises in Guam (Washington Times). Communist China is upset at U.S. technology export restrictions, despite the fact that said restrictions have not even been revealed yet (Financial Times, UK). The editors of the Epoch Times express gratitude that Dr. Wenyi Wang (third and second, fourth, third, fourth, third, fourth, sixteenth, and fourth items) will not go to prison. A New York resolution condemning Communist China's persecution of Falun Gong hits a very large obstacle - Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (Epoch Times).

As Junichiro Koizumi wraps up his tenure as Japan's Prime Minister, Duncan Currie (Weekly Standard), Anthony Faiola (Washington Post), and Jim Frederick (Time Asia) examine his geopolitical legacy. Philippa Fogarty, BBC, looks at the lighter side of the trip: Koizumi's upcoming visit to Graceland.

Wen Jiabao finishes Africa visit: The Communist premier's tour of the continent spurred some more analysis of the cadres' policies there (BBC, Time Asia, see also ninth, fourth, last, fifteenth, sixth, lead, ninth, eighth, fifteenth, seventh, twelfth, last, fourth, fourteenth, and sixth items).

Taiwan news: As expected, the Taiwanese opposition did not have the votes to force President Chen Shui-bian's recall (BBC, Radio Free Asia via Epoch Times); Professor Chang Cheng-shuh sees a deeper bias in the political battles of the island democracy (Taipei Times); Terry O'Neill (Western Standard) wonders what it will take to get Taiwan into the World Health Organization.

Vatican holding more talks with Communist China: These talks are once again focused on the Communists' insistence on putting themselves between Catholics and God (Asia News).

More on Communist China and the rest of the world: European Parliament Vice-President Edward McMillan-Scott (fourth, seventh, tenth, eleventh, and second items) laments the Communist arrest of his interviewee (Epoch Times). Xin Haonian, Editor-in-Chief of Huanghuagang Journal, talks to the Epoch Times about the perverse appeal of Communism in the democratic world.

Cadres considering fining reporters for unauthorized disaster stories: Any reporter in Communist China looking to report on an emergency situation would first need "permission from local authorities" (Boxun). Those who refuse "could face fines of more than $10,000" (BBC).

Zeng Jinyan wins award: Although her husband (AIDS activist Hu Jia - Epoch Times) is better known, Zeng is an activist in her own right, and for that, the Foundation for China in the 21st Century honored her with the Fourth Victims' Family Members Award (Boxun, which also carried her acceptance remarks).

Expectant mother forced to abort two months before child was born: Wang Liping "could not receive a government permit to give birth" (Epoch Times) because her boyfriend couldn't afford to marry her yet. Two months before she was to give birth, family planning cadres forcibly took her to a hospital where she suffered a forced abortion.

Li Changqing's sentence upheld: A Communist appeals court upheld the three-year jail term for cyberdissident Li Changqing (Boxun, see also seventeenth, eighteenth, seventh, sixth, fifth, sixth, fourth, sixth, and sixth items).

A primer on getting past the Great Red Firewall comes to us via Bruce Schneier (link courtesy Brian McAdam).

Communist China may be covering up bird flu - again: News that Communist China may have suffered "more - and earlier - human bird flu cases . . . than Beijing has admitted" (Washington Post) are the subject of a major controversy over whether or not the source of that information asked for its retraction (he insists he did not, for now). Sadly, this is far from the first account of a Communist bird-flu coverup (eleventh, lead, second, last, lead, and ninth items).

Communist China makes a military nanotech advance: Researchers at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology "have used nano-technology to create fibers for strengthening bulletproof vests" (UPI via Washington Times). Pundits have sounded the alarm about the Communist desire to militarize nanotech; Lev Navrozov has focused on it for years.

Communists admit to more corruption: Various cadres "misappropriated 5.51bn yuan ($685m; £376m) from the central budget" last year (BBC). Meanwhile, Chen Weijian, Epoch Times, examines corruption's role in preserving Communist power.

More on the Chinese Communist Party: Pei Minxin, Taipei Times, believes democracy in China may be inevitable, but doesn't expect the Chinese Communist Party to have anything to do with it. Horizon in the Dusk, also in the Epoch Times, follows the entourage of a Vice Governor. Two analysts help An Pei (Radio Free Asia via Epoch Times) debunk the Communist myth that Party membership is rising. Guangdong Province, home to Taishi, Shanwei, Sanshan (fifth item), and Sanjiao (third item), finally decides against shooting farmers who were protesting a local land seizure; however, the regime "did not settle the land conflict that has embittered this village-turned-suburb 25 miles south of Guangzhou" (Washington Post via MSNBC).