Instahoglets

Is it true that Glenn Reynolds is trying to trademark the word "indeed"?

The Pentagon has revealed preliminary plans for guarding against and responding to terrorist attacks in the United States. The plans range from mild intervention by National Guardsmen up to full martial law on a Presidential say-so. The last may be unconstitutional but then again once it happens the constitution won't matter anymore anyway. No need to panic too greatly, though. The UK has had plans like these for decades and there's been no military coup yet, even under Thatcher.

The BBC recently asked security contractors working in Iraq to give their viewpoints. It's an interesting read - especilally from the UK security personnel who describe their US counterparts as "doing more harm than good", an opinion echoed by one army officer who says "They are irresponsible and do nothing to aid the hearts and minds tasks of a counter-insurgency".

I am almost willing to bet you haven't seen this one in the mainstream. In Iran, fears are growing of a Sunni insurgency led by Al-Qaida.

Victor Davis Hanson writing for NRO has an interesting look at why Americans are torn apart by Iraq. Although Mr. Hanson's own view on the Iraq part of the Twin Wars flies in the face of much of the evidence, his analysis of the various standpoints found amongst Americans is thoughtful and in places very insightful.

Aloha, Apartheid?. The Wall Street Journal takes on recent moves to create an independent, race-based government for Native Hawaiians. The article doesn't explain why Native Hawaiians should be any different than any other group of dispossessed native Americans. Maybe this is one for my Hawaiian colleague, Harkonnendog, to get into.

According to the Independent, Intelligence chiefs are warning Tony Blair that Britain faces a full-blown Islamist insurgency composed of 10,000 or more people familiar with guns and explosives from "completely militarised" regions, including Somalia and its neighbours in the Horn of Africa, and Afghanistan and territories bordering the country. Forgive me, but I have to paint this as fear-mongering. Britain, because of it's history, has always had a large number of military-trained immigrants of all stripes and none have led an insurgency yet. The articles source has no figure on how many of the immigrants in question are actually Islamic extremists in any case.

Just to fuel my already strong homesickness, here's a lighter hearted piece from the Glasgow Herald to finish. 100 Things To Do In Scotland Before You Die.