The Presidential Crisis by J. Orlin Grabbe The U.S. Presidential election looms in November, U.S. troops are poised to strike at Iran, and we have a coke- head President struggling to hold on to the loyalty of the Democratic party. It is not a pretty picture when it comes to national security. As previously reported, the troops being amassed in Saudia Arabia include the elite units of the 101 Airborne. These units constitute our finest military force--one step above the Delta force. If what appears to be the current plan goes forward, they will be used to strike at Iranian terrorist camps in reaction to the Syrian-inspired bombing of U.S. soldiers in Saudia Arabia, the Syrian-inspired western states blackout in early July, and the Syrian-inspired downing of TWA 800. It would not surprise me to see our government bomb Iran for something Syria did. But such an action directed at Iran will not prevent further Syrian terrorist actions in the U.S. If we are to believe our government, every American who possesses an ax is a potential terrorist. The government says a tree fell on a power line and caused the western states blackout in early July. I wonder what explanation will be contrived to explain the western states blackout this past weekend, on August 10. Why does the government not admit that a western power station was blown up? And what about those two water stations destroyed in the eastern half of the United States? The FBI was notified in advance by the group responsible for the July western states blackout and for the downing of TWA Flight 800. Why hasn't the FBI made this information public? The FBI scenario for the crash of TWA Flight 800 gets more ever more convoluted with time. Each new "revelation" has to remain consistent with the previous day's lie. It is a sad commentary on public and media perception when Gary Aldrich is held to be a consummate liar, while Louis Freeh is held to be a virtuous truth-teller. (Invert those perceptions, and you will have something closer to actual fact.) But Liar Louis's days are numbered. Someone hacked his payroll account and terminated his employment--at least as far as the payroll computer in Oklahoma is concerned. Louis won't say very much about it, however. After all, as the computer says: The FBI is not a chartered organization. If Louis takes the case to court, he will lose his pension. Robert Strauss is upset that news of his leading a Democratic delegation to ask Bill Clinton to resign or to withdraw his name as Presidential nominee has leaked out. After all, 1) the Democratics wanted to keep the information secret until after the Republican convention; 2) Strauss didn't want it publicized he had lost his temper; and 3) when Clinton withdraws one way or another, the angry Clinton-lovers will hold Strauss responsible. But none of this has anything to do with the fact of the meeting, and with the fact that Strauss was acting in the best interests of his country when he lead the delegation in the first place. Strauss is a hero. He and the other Democrats at that meeting are committed to the removal of the President. In addition to their concern about a coke- head President in charge of military strategy and the nuclear button, they also know that if Clinton were to stay on and continue as President for another term, some of them would become targets of White House recrimination and candidates for Arkacide. Meanwhile the Republicans have cheered Dole's choice of Jack Kemp for running mate. Does this mean that, with the coming departure of Dole, the Republicans are planning to run Kemp for President, and to select someone else for Vice-President? August 12, 1996 Web page: http://www.aci.net/kalliste/