News of the Day (July 20)

From the China Freedom Blog Alliance: Between Heaven and Earth marks the anniversary of the beginning of the brutal crackdown against Falun Gong. The Korea Liberator reports from a press conference with refugees from Stalinist North Korea; the horrific accounts are beyond description. TKL also comments on the possible SNK leprosy outbreak (see also third item), more reaction to the Projectile Dysfunction, a triumph of reason in South Korea's press, and the rest of the Stalinist news.

Communist China's reaction to SNK baffling even experts: There are few who have better read on the pulse of the Chinese Communist Party than Willy Lam of China Brief. In Lam's words, the cadres' reaction to the Stalinist projectile dysfunction (second and third items) "confirmed that Beijing is more interested in cementing its “lips-and-teeth” alliance with Pyongyang than in contributing to the worldwide campaign against the development of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) by rogue regimes." Lam goes further to place the blame for this squarely on Hu Jintao, who "has surprised even the Chinese foreign policy establishment with his enthusiastic 'about face' to restore the 'lips-and-teeth brotherhood' with the DPRK."

More on the Hu's Korean colony: It's not just the South Korean press that is wising up to Kim Jong-il's game (Daily NK). The possibility for talks on the SNK nuclear weapons program is either good (Cybercast News) or not-so-good (Washington Times). Meanwhile, South Korea reacts to the Stalinists' decision to suspend family reunions (United Press Int'l via Washington Times) as its dovish government says no to sanctions against SNK (UPI via Washington Times). Henry Sokolski, Executive Director of the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center, says ending SNK's nuclear program could be vital to doing the same with Iran in National Review Online (but he doesn't call for the liberation of either nation).

Enlightened Comment of the Day: Today's winner is Charles R. Smith (Newsmax) for detailing how Hezbollah ended up with missiles from Communist China (second item), and highlighting its relevance: "Once again, the lesson here is to know thy enemy. China is no friend to America or Israel."

More on the Communist-backed mullahcracy: Michael Ledeen calls for Iran's liberation again in NRO. The editors of The New Republic come as close as possible to doing the same without actually using the L-word. Max Boot just focuses on Hezbollah (Daily Standard). Victor Davis Hanson (Real Clear Politics) warns Assad and Khameini that they're risking war - with the U.S. Michael Petrou and Colin Campbell (Macleans) provide the latest news of Ramin Jahanbegloo - the Canadian of Iranian birth languishing in a Khomeinist prison (the news, sadly, is not good). Former U.S. envoy Dennis Ross tries to sound tough on Iran - and in my view, he fails (Washington Times).

As for Syria, Barbara Newman, senior fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, provides compelling evidence of the Assad regime's closeness to Hezbollah (Washington Times). University of Otago (New Zealand) Professor William Harris explains some of Bashar Assad's reasons for thrusting Hezbollah into the fight in NRO. One of those reasons - Syrian Reform Party head Farid N. Ghadry - asks the U.S. to help him liberate his country in the Washington Times.

Amnesty International rips U.S. tech firms for aiding Communist web crackdown: The human rights group "is urging UK users of Yahoo, Microsoft and Google to e-mail the companies asking them to change the way they operate in China" (BBC). This news led Rupert Wingfield-Hayes (BBC) to field viewpoints on the "Great Red Firewall."

More on Communist China and the rest of the world: Army War College Professor Stephen Blank examines Communist China's ties to Central Asia in China Brief. Falun Gong practitioners and supporters protest Singapore's arrest of their fellows (Epoch Times). In reaction to the Stalinists' projectile dysfunction, Japan is getting American missile defense systems (Washington Post).

Chen Guangcheng's trial delayed; supporters arrested: The trial of anti-"one child" activist Chen Guangcheng (tenth, second, ninth, ninth, thirteenth, lead, tenth, fifth, tenth, sixth, ninth, eighth, ninth, and eighth items) was delayed "at the prosecution's request" (BBC). The likely reason was the "Activists and supporters (who) had gathered outside the court in Shandong to support Mr. Chen" and "were detained after scuffles with men they described as plain-clothes policemen." For more on the supporters who tried to make the trial, including human rights attorney Gao Zhisheng (sixth, tenth, fifth, lead, third, last, twelfth, eighth, third, second, third, eighth, eleventh, eighth, fourth, fourth, last, fourth, fifth, twelfth, fifth, second, lead, next to last, seventh, last, next to last, lead, second, last, sixth, tenth, eighth, second, eighth, ninth, lead, sixth, eighth, seventh, fifth, fourth, last, fifth, seventh, next to last, fourth, last, twenty-first, twenty-second, seventh, fourth, sixth, fourth, sixth, eleventh, eleventh, fourth, last, sixth, eighth, tenth, thirteenth, eleventh, eighth, tenth, last, and next-to-last items) see the Epoch Times.

More on Communist China: Carrie Gracie (BBC) examines Communist China's push for advances in biotech - sadly, without any reference to Project 863. Meanwhile, Phillip C. Saunders and Brian Harding, in China Brief, discuss Hu Jintao's fetish with "publicized Politburo study sessions" - designed to make it appear the Party cares about the people.