News of the Weekend (December 23-26)

Talks on Stalinist North Korea's nuclear ambitions peter out with no deal: One Free Korea let out "a mighty sigh of relief" upon hearing the news that the Beijing talks did not lead to something akin to last year's debacle. The Stalinists insisted the U.S. end counterfeiting and money laundering penalties against them (BBC and Washington Times), understandable given the regime's deep ties to financial perfidy (Daily NK). Meanwhile, the incoming Secretary General - former South Korean dovish Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon - "called for patience" (Newsmax), and SNK tightened its border with Communist China (Daily NK).

UN approves sanctions against Iranian regime (Russia and Communist China exempted): The United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 1737, which would "sanction Iran until it halts efforts to make nuclear fuel" (Washington Times). However, Russia's contributions to the Communist-backed mullahcracy's Bushehr nuclear plant are not covered (NRO: Corner and Newsmax). Neither are Communist China's oil deals, thanks to holes in the document "big enough for dinosaur eggs to fall through" (New York Sun). Of course, the mullahs themselves treated the resolution with contempt (Agence France Presse via News.com.au).

Iran's Communist-backed mullahcracy had a hand in Khobar Towers bombing: The terrorists who bombed the American military's Khobar Towers facility in Saudi Arabia in 1996 had "funding, training and logistical help" (National Review Online: The Corner) from the mullahs. Moreover, the attack "was approved by Ayatollah Khameini" himself (Andrew McCarthy, NRO).

"Senior military officials" from Tehran arrested in Iraq for aiding terrorists: Michael Ledeen has details in NRO (Corner).

Enlightened Comment of the Day: Ezra Levant (Calgary Sun) calls on Canadian Opposition Leader Stephane Dion to break his Liberal Party's history of coziness toward Communist China.

More on Communist China and the rest of the world: Two U.S. Embassy officials meet torture victims Ye Guoqiang and Zheng Mingfan (Epoch Times). Heide B. Malhotra (Epoch Times) examines the next U.S. market to fall victim to Communist China's strong-arm tactics and fake products - cars. The Boston Glove (via Boycott 2008) rips Communist China for enabling the slaughtering of Darfur. Zhou Lei (Epoch Times) talks to Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council Chairman Joseph Wu. Dr. Wenyi Wang (Epoch Times) exposes the political purpose behind The First Emperor.

Christians jailed in Xiaoshan and attacked in Beijing: The eight Christians put on trial for defending their church from a Communist wrecking ball (third item) were sentenced to prison terms of "up to 3 1/2 years" (Washington Post); meanwhile, "A group of policemen and unidentified persons broke into the home of Xiu Ruibin, a house church missionary in Beijing, beat people in the house and destroyed the furniture" (Asia News via Boycott 2008).

On Gao Zhisheng: The Epoch Times and Between Heaven and Earth comment on the Communists' decision to keep the human-rights attorney out of jail but on a short leash (second item).