To: Kenneth E. Phillipps who wrote (675371 ) 3/16/2005 10:12:51 AM From: Proud_Infidel Respond to of 769670 Unleashing Freedom in the Middle East (Joe Scarborough) A quick look at Sunday's New York Times reveals a revolution of political thought sweeping through the Middle East. On the front page above the fold, the Times reported that the Iranian-backed terrorist group Hezbollah has recognized that democratic convulsions experienced over the past week make political involvement in that troubled country a necessity. That means that campaign signs will replace bus bombs in Lebanon sooner rather than later. On the bottom of A1, Times readers learn a few interesting things. First, we are told that Hamas is a philanthropic group. Mind you the NYT reporter didn't write in his lead that Hamas was a philanthropic group who also happened to blow up six-year old kids waiting to go to schools at their bus stops. But that discussion is for another day. For purposes of this note, just know that the Times is also reported that along with giving to charities in a way that would make Osama Bin Laden blush, Hamas is also moving aggressively into peaceful Palestinian politics. The charity-loving terror group recognizes that their recent attacks have won them no friends among fellow Palestinians, and that freedom is the future even in their bloody back yard. Inside the A section, the Times also reported that terror groups stationed in Iraq continue to send out messages over the Internet meant to inspire fellow terrorists to continue fighting for their cause. But those statements are sounding more defensive by the day. Read through some of Hitler's final messages to the German people while the US Army and the Soviet war machine was racing toward Berlin and you will get a taste for the desperate tone. There were other news reports from Egypt, Iraq, and Iran but all articles in Sunday's Times point in the same direction: to the spread of freedom and democracy in the Middle East. At the end of 2004 while few in the MSM were giving the Iraqi elections any chance for success, I told you in this space that the elections would succeed and that I was naive enough to believe that peace could break out among Israelis and Palestinians in 2005. I predicted that 2005 could be remembered as a historic year for freedom. Less than three months later, we already find ourselves in a revolutionary age. Once freedom is unleashed in a meaningful way, that tide of liberty usually sweeps away all those who stand in its path. So it was in Eastern Europe in 1989. So it will be in the Middle East in 2005.msnbc.msn.com