'Axis of Evil" -- 3, 2, 1, 0

North Korea has finally provided documentation of its nuclear program. Bush has promptly removed North Korea from our trade restriction list. Bush also expressed his intent to remove North Korea from our List of State Sponsors of Terrorism. The removal will be made after the US has verified that Korea has performed certain duties, including blowing up its nuclear production facility.

Back on January 29, 2002, Bush named North Korea, Iraq and Iran as the "Axis of Evil". The list of three is now down to one. Syria escaped being named to the list but it is suspected that the Syrian nuclear facility bombed by Israel last September was a North Korean import built for the purpose of supplying Iran with nuclear bomb making materials. The declarations made by North Korea are known to be incomplete but further analysis should shed light on the facilities built in Syria. There have been reports that two other facilities were started in Syria.


Syria just allowed UN inspectors to take soil samples from the first location. The US has called on Syria to fully cooperate with UN inspectors. These steps are leading up to the signing of a treaty between Israel, Syria and Lebanon.

In his January 29, 2002 State of the Union Address, Bush said, "Iran aggressively pursues these weapons and exports terror, while an unelected few repress the Iranian people's hope for freedom". This is still true but the heat is on.

Today, many people in many countries are suffering from economic decline. The world is currently split between the new wealth of those who have oil to sell and new pain for those who must buy oil. Iran is in a special place. It has oil and gas to sell but cannot sell it. Its neighbor, Iraq is preparing to double its production in just a few years. It's neighbor is preparing for elections to be held this fall. All is not settled in Iraq or North Korea but neither sponsor terror and both are about to reap financial rewards.

GUNS, GUNS AND MORE GUNS.

Today the Supreme Court of the USA ruled that our constitution was written to allow individuals to own guns. The court ruled that this right is not tied to belonging to a government sponsored force. The key understanding Americans need is that each of us has the right to defend ourselves. A double barreled shot gun is a good defensive weapon. I believe that such weapons have prevented a lot of break-ins, rapes and deaths. Petty crooks do not know who has guns and who does not but they don't want to find out the hard way. Soon, there will be good news in places like Washington, DC where laws against individual gun ownership have given criminals confidence. Once law abiding citizens, in these hornets nest of crime, can have guns again, the crime rate will fall.

The Palestinian leaders in Gaza signed a peace treaty last week and rockets have been fired into Israel this week. Over in Iraq, more than 40 people were killed by two suicide bombs yesterday. It is very difficult to understand how so many people can be talked into purposely killing innocents. Weapons are not evil. Using them for protection is a good thing. Those who use them to kill the innocent must be confronted.