Random News & Views Roundup

- While nobody's paying attention (and perhaps that's Kim Jong-Il's reason for the announcement since he often makes threats when the US ignores him) North Korea announced that it is planning its first nuclear test. At the same time, talks have broken down with Iran over its nuclear program most likely because the US is still demanding that it stop enriching uranium before it will even consider what Iran's president has to say. Sanctions against Iran are on the way and they may well be the last aggressive action taken by US ambassador to the UN John Bolton whose term expires in the new year while congress put off his nomination meeting before they left for the campaign trail.

- Canada lost 2 more soldiers in Afghanistan on Tuesday. This is becoming an all too common reality these days.

Canadian military officials identified the dead as Sgt. Craig Paul Gillam and Cpl. Robert Thomas James Mitchell, both members of the Royal Canadian Dragoons based in Petawawa, Ont.

- A recent article in Maclean's magazine must have come as a surprise to the Harper government considering the fact that Canadian military commanders blasted his government for not expressing enough support for the troops. It certainly is gratifying to know that they won't muzzle themselves about their grievances with Steve.

- Also on the subject of Afghanistan, PBS's Frontline presented a documentary on Tuesday evening 'Return of the Taliban' (which I'm actually watching as I write this). PBS will present this video free online on Wednesday if you missed it.

- The US government has stowed away $20 million to celebrate the victories in Iraq and Afghanistan. Looks like that money will be collecting dust for a very long time.

- Tory patronage appointments have been the topic du jour during question period the past two days. On Tuesday, the fuss was about Darrel Reid's appointment as chief of staff to the Environment Minister. Here's a sample of Mr Reid's beliefs: here and here. The tories couldn't have dug deeper in their party's swamp to find someone so inflammatory if they'd tried.

Update: 84 Dead, 85 Injured Tuesday in Iraq. The article also details other recent acts of violence. It just gets more depressing every day.