Michael Ledeen: The Spooks' Black Thursday

This Pajamas Media post is a tad unsettling. It does not portray the intelligence community OTR knew a generation ago. Perhaps the term, "government intelligence," is an oxymoron after all. News coverage of events in Egypt tell us we'll know the quality--or lack thereof--of our assessments by early tomorrow. That's when demonstrators and the Egypt military are expected to take this chess match into the endgame.

Egypt Moves Into The Future

Elliott Abrams, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and an adviser to George W Bush's administration, has some significant thoughts on the current situation in Egypt and the Middle East. Though our marines will not be in this fight, OTR keeps hearing "From the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli" echo in his thoughts. Though our government has its faults, as all governments do, the United States remains the best hope for the free world and for those who want to be free. You can read Abrams's Washington Post column here. Let us pray that others in positions to affect policy do the same and follow through with actions to secure peace and liberty in the Middle East and throughout the world.

Reaching Beyond The Politics Of The Day

Yesterday, my son returned from Egypt with many stories of his adventures over the past month. One of the highlights was his four day trip from Aswan to Luxor, Karnak, and other sites aboard a felucca, the small lateen rigged sailboat so frequently pictured on the Nile. He mentioned the pleasure of hearing the gentle sounds of sailing, especially the rhythmic splash as the boat cut through the wavelets. Immediately, I was carried back thirty years to the days when I sailed off Tybee in the Savannah ranges and the Back River or surfed the boat in the shoals off 19th Street at the inlet.

My sailboat was by no means large, but it was enough to provide two people with unforgivable challenge on the water. She had many functions over the years. At various times, she was a sanctuary, a bar, a bistro of sorts, a bed, and even a confessional. Most of all, she was a remarkable teacher, enticing me to stretch limits while never hesitating to admonish me before demonstrating the results of recklessness. Through it all, there was the timelessness of being on the water, driven by the winds and currents, responding to the needs of both the boat and the compass. When I moved off the water a few years later, I sold the boat reluctantly, but with great confidence knowing she would reward her new owner with his personal set of lasting memories.

I wish everyone could have an opportunity to learn to sail and sail frequently. It is a rewarding recreation, a sure therapy for mind and body. And with sailing goes the necessity of learning to swim, for if one sails, one will surely swim. Believe me.

More Horizons

Both of my sons are traveling this week. One of them is nearing the end of a five-week trek across the the eastern Mediterranean from Turkey, through Greece, and into Egypt. This week, he's "vacationing" in Dahab, a former Bedouin fishing village on the Red Sea. His older brother leaves this evening for his second trip into the Himalayas, this time to Afghanistan. The journey will be long for him both in time and deep history, as he will be there several months among those whose ancestors composed the Rigveda almost 4000 years ago. It will be a professional and intellectual adventure for him.

I expect my sons will return to the United States as changed individuals, both in terms of maturity as citizens of the world and their appreciation for the bountiful goodness their country affords them.

Today, I am content to explore the world through the experiences of my children, if they choose to tolerate my intrusions. And, while the boys are on the road physically, their sister explores ancient language here at home. For me, it is the best of both worlds, but I look forward to the time when my daughter can explore other lands through the lens of her specialized studies.

There was a time, years ago, when I came so very close to taking an adventure into China, but had my plans changed by another significant event. The thirty years that have passed since then still lead me to the east, but the destination has changed. Should the trip happen, it will be into Nepal, Tibet, and the shadow of Everest.