News of the Day (August 18)

Communist envoy tells U.S. to "shut up" on CCP military, which infiltrated U.S. military network: Sha Zukang, Communist China's Ambassador to the United Nations, demanded the United States "shut up" about the Communist military buildup: "It is much better for you to shut up, keep quiet" (Daily Telegraph, UK). Perhaps he was concerned about someone like Major General William Lord (USAF), who admitted to civilian Air Force workers that Communist China had penetrated NIPRNet, one of the major communications networks for the American armed forces (Intelligence Summit).

Is Stalinist North Korea planning a nuclear test? Sources are telling ABC News it is "a real possibility" (see also The Korea Liberator, CNN, and Newsmax). The dovish government of South Korea, however, "has seen no evidence" (Newsmax) of an upcoming test.

Speaking of nuclear ambition, Henry Sokolski (National Review Online) reveals the danger of the Administration's carrots-and-more-carrots approach to the Communist-backed mullahcracy in Iran.

Iran replenishes Hezbollah's depleted arsenal - Communist-made c-802s included: An unnamed American arms control official told Fox News that the Iranian regime "is using Syrian channels in its effort to give Hezbollah weapons it has used in the past, including Chinese-built C-802 radar-guided anti-ship missiles." Some of Iran's earlier weapons shipments to the terrorist group were blocked by the United States, Turkey, and Iraq (USA Today).

More on the Middle Eastern proxies: Anti-Syrian Lebanese leader Walid Jumblatt is accusing the Assad regime of planning to replace Lebanon's already fragile government with a Hezbollah tyranny (Cybercast News). Saad Hariri, son of murdered Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, also had harsh words for Syria (United Press Int'l via Washington Times). Meanwhile, the New York Sun revealed that Hezbollah fighters in some areas disguised themselves as Israeli soldiers during the fighting.

Here in the U.S., some go wobbly: Former U.S. envoy Dennis Ross calls for talks with Syria (Washington Post); a group of retired American generals want talks with Iran (Cybercast News); and the ever maddening William S. Lind calls for talks with both of them (UPI via Washington Times).

Others stay firm: Christopher G. Adamo (Cybercast News) pens a healthy reminder of how pusillanimity in dealing with Iran and Syria gets one nowhere; Charles Krauthammer (Washington Post) calls on the U.S. to ensure Lebanon does not sink further into Hezbollah's grip; and Victor Davis Hanson not only puts forth the need to remain tough on the Middle Eastern tyrannies, but presents some largely ignored reasons for optimism (National Review Online).

More from the China Freedom Blog Alliance: TKL also pans a proposed reconstruction plan for SNK, and has the latest Stalinist news. Meanwhile, Between Heaven and Earth has the latest on the effect of David Kilgour's visit to Australia (fourth item), including reports that the Australian government requested that the Communists allow an impartial investigation (see also Lateline), and the cadres' attempt to intimidate members of the Australian Parliament (which, thankfully, was not entirely successful - Epoch Times).

More on the Communists' Korean colony: Security analyst Richard M Bennett sketches out the Stalinists' military arsenal (Asia Times Online). SNK sends an "inspection task force" (Daily NK) to its border with Communist China. Japan is trying to figure out how far up the Stalinist ladder a fake cigarette scheme went (Daily NK). Kwak Dae Jung, Daily NK, calls on South Korea to end its dovish policies toward the Stalinist North; the doves do not appear to be listening (Daily NK). The infant mortality rate in SNK passes 2% of all births (Daily NK). The Stalinists are now willing to take food aid from the World Food Program again (BBC).

Ignorant Comment of the Day: The prize nearly went to Princeton University Professor G. John Ikenberry for seeing the rising tension in East Asia, blaming Japan for it, and calling for - get this - an European Union style arrangement in East Asia (Washington Post), but University of Alberta Professor Wenran Jiang, wrote more words with less value on this subject in China Brief, so the dubious honor is his.

More on Communist China and Japan: The editors of the Epoch Times set Ikenberry and his ilk straight on how the Communists use Japan as a whipping boy to distract from their own failures in the Enlightened Comment of the Day.

More on Communist China and the rest of the world: University of New South Wales Senior Lecturer You Ji examines the Communist navy's plans for the conquest of Taiwan (China Brief). The cadres worm their way into the Philippines (China Brief).

Mayor of Vancouver continues push to clear his streets of Falun Gong: Vancovuer Mayor Sam Sullivan "is sticking to his guns on a decision to dismantle Falun Gong's protest display outside the Chinese Consulate on south Granville" (CANOE). Sullivan is relying on a by-law that hadn't been enforced on the display in nearly five years; many suspect it has something to do with ensuring "smooth trade" (Globe and Mail) between Vancouver and Communist China. Also reporting: CBC

Singapore to deport practitioner: The Singapore regime came up with an alternative to jailing Chen Pei Yu for the crime of - I kid you not - "harassment by displaying insulting writings" (Today Online); it will send her back to Communist China instead.

Gao Zhisheng seized by Communist police in Shandong: The human rights attorney (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, next-to-last, next-to-last, twelfth, seventh, tenth, and sixth items) was visiting his sick brother-in-law near Dongying City, Shangdong when he was taken away (Epoch Times). Before he was seized, he wrote two more letters detailing the Communists' persecution of him (Epoch Times).

Chen Guangcheng's lawyers arrested by Communist police to keep them out of courtroom: The blind anti-one-child activist (tenth, second, ninth, ninth, thirteenth, lead, tenth, fifth, tenth, sixth, ninth, eighth, ninth, eighth, and ninth items) was tried for "public order offences" (BBC), but his lawyers were not there with him. They were themselves detained by police, so that the cadres could saddle Chen with two regime-appointed attorneys.

Drought victims in the millions: The cadres themselves are admitting that nearly 18 million people "have been affected by China's worst drought in 50 years" (BBC). Naturally, the cadres won't mention that as far back as last winter, they were facing a water shortage of over 1.5 trillion gallons.

Deaths going unreported: Communist Chinese hospital "failed to report one third of deaths to the national health surveillance network" (Boxun).

On the future of the Chinese Communist Party: Sushil Seth (Taipei Times) doesn't see much of one.