News of the Day (April 4)

Details of Communist support for Iran's nuclear weapons program comes to light: Among the documents Communist China just happened to have for the Int'l Atomic Energy Agency were "blueprints for 'shaping' uranium metal into warheads, the testing of high explosives used to detonate radioactive material and the procurement of dual-use technology." Yet even the London Telegraph (source for the quote) couldn't bring itself to admit that these documents meant detailed Communist support for the mullahcracy's nuclear ambitions. That said, at the paper acknowledged the regime's long-time alliance with Iran.

Stalinist North Korea to beg Communist China for "massive" food aid: Desperate to stave off food protests, prying eyes from South Korea, and famine (in that order), the Stalinists will go hat in hand to their colonial masters to bail them out again, according to One Free Korea (more SNK news at the end of this post).

Leading retired U.S. flag officers "seem more afraid of The Washington Times" than the CCP: That was the jaw-droppping but accurate conclusion of Gabe Schoenfeld, senior editor of Commentary, upon hearing that several retired generals and admirals have decided to "provide a counterpoint to the current writing about China's military, for example that of Bill Gertz of The Washington Times" (which was the source for the story and the Schonfeld quote, which in its entirety was as follows:

I was struck that American generals singled out Bill Gertz as someone they needed to answer. It seemed remarkable that in a joint document with Chinese generals, these Americans seem more afraid of The Washington Times than the People's Liberation Army. It left me puzzled, perplexed.

You're not alone on that one, Mr. Schonfeld.

Enlightened Comment(s) of the Day: I officially have a new favorite paper - the Washington Examiner. Its editors responded to the Chi Mak case and other Communist saber-rattling brilliantly: "Such aggressiveness requires a no-nonsense response that sends an unmistakable message of firmness to China. A U.S. boycott of the Olympics in Beijing along with the European Union would be an excellent amplifier" (emphasis added). In a strong second came retired Admiral James Lyons, who set out a military blueprint for countering the regime's plans to "to become the dominant player in the Western Pacific and force our allies to sever their relationship with the U.S. and seek accommodation/subjugation to the People's Republic of China" (Washington Times).

More on Communist China and the rest of the world: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (CNN) and Canadian Foreign Minister Maxime Bernier (Agence France Presse) criticize the jailing of Hu Jia. Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper made clear he would not attend the Beijing Olympics (Epoch Times), but he did plan to send an envoy, for now (CTV).

Communist regime orders an intensified pre-Olympic crackdown: The cadres are calling on every security force under their command to increasing domestic spying and come down like a ton of bricks an anyone not spouting the CCP line (the terrifying Bill Gertz, Washington Times).

New protests in Tibet: Yes, I called them protests; I refuse to call them "riots" until the cadres answer the now multiple accounts of them staging the violence (Asianews) and allow outside media to get a look for themselves, which they still can't (BBC). Meanwhile, an American Congressman floats the idea of a U.S. envoy in Tibet (Washington Times); the government in exile responds to the cadres' suicide-bomber charges (CNA via Epoch Times); younger Tibetans share their frustrations with Jason Motlagh (Washington Times); and Syrian tyrant Bashar Assad shows his solidarity with Hu Jintao (National Review Online).

East Turkestan news: The Communists are using home invasions to find and silence anti-Communist Uighurs (Radio Free Asia via Uyghur American Association); Rebiya Kadeer talks to Newsweek (also via UAA); and Dru Gladney of the Pacific Basin Institute debunks the Communists' attempt to link all dissent in the occupied nation to terrorism (Monsters and Critics via UAA).

As promised, more news on "another Chinese province": One Free Korea catches the Stalinists making arms deals in violation of Security Council directives and posits some questions for Ambassador-designate Kathleen Stephens in these respective posts. Meanwhile, John Sudworth (BBC) talks to some Koreans who are ready to risk life and limb to get out the truth about the Stalinist North.