Monday, February 03, 2003

Ah, theocracy.

For a man associated with the Unification church and their desire to install a worldwide theocracy, this takes some balls. From CNN Saturday on January 18:



IN: Well, yes, it is a free country, but some think these protesters are traitors. Niles Gardiner has a suggestion about what should happen to these demonstrators. He is a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation. He joins us right now.

Niles, good to see you.

NILES GARDINER, HERITAGE FOUNDATION: Thank you very much.

LIN: Now, you say, you have told us, that you think these people are traitors and they should be treated as such, why?

GARDINER: Well, I think that the leaders of today's demonstrations of the United States have very close links with a number of extreme left-wing organizations. They are effectively acting as mouthpieces for the Iraqi propaganda machine. And I believe that these
demonstrators should be viewed as such.

LIN: I mean, you actually think they should go on trial for their actions?

GARDINER: Well, I think if any of the anti-war demonstrators are foolish enough to go out to Baghdad and Iraq to act as human shields in the event of war, I believe that if they survive the Allied onslaught, that they should be put on trial if they return back to the United
States.

LIN: But how is it that they're being a mouthpiece for the Iraqi government? I mean, this is a free society and what essentially they are trying to say is that the Bush administration has yet to present evidence that the Iraqis have weapons of mass destruction, therefore
they're questioning any military action that should occur?

GARDINER: Well, I think that the Bush administration has made a tremendous case for military action against Iraq. The regime in Baghdad has simply not cooperated fully with the United Nations weapons inspectors. The Iraqi regime has not intention of disarming.

And I believe that the anti-war movement here has not voiced any concern whatsoever about the plight of the Iraqi people who are living under a brutal totalitarian dictatorship.

LIN: Well, what evidence is there? What evidence do you have that the Iraqis are in violation?

GARDINER: I think that there's plenty of evidence. Of course, the latest find of chemical warheads, by the inspectors. We do have a tremendous amount of intelligence information gathered by the U.S. and British intelligence agencies, which no doubt will be released in the
weeks ahead.

Let's not forget that the Iraqis are trying, everyday, to shoot down British and American war planes, flying over the no-fly zones. Again, in clear violation of Resolution 1441.

LIN: All right, well, military action certainly place in the northern and southern no-fly zones. We are going to be following the story, obviously, very closely, both sides, for you on the protest.

Thank you very much, Niles Gardiner, from the Heritage Foundation.


It's pretty clear he told the reporter/producer beforehand that he thought anti-war protesters were committing treason and he wimped out on camera.



Now, if Dr. Gardiner is no longer a Unificationist, or never was, then he should correct both me and the Moonies on this point.