SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 8:38 P.M. ET:

SYRIA – A human rights group is claiming that a more than 100 people have just been killed by government forces in the city of Homs, adding to the thousands already dead in the violent struggles within the country since early last year.  Tomorrow the UN Security Council will vote on an Arab-approved plan to ease the Assad government out of power, and, but even at this hour, we're not sure whether Russia, which has veto power, will let it pass.  Russia has been defiant in its support of the Syrian regime and insistent that it has the right to sell weapons to that government.  Our influence with Russia, despite the presence of a godlike figure in the White House, has been negligible.

THE UN TAX – The UN now wants a tax on all financial transactions that will fund a global program for helping "needy" people.   You may be sure that, if the tax ever goes into effect, the bureaucracy set up for spending the money will be larger than the number of people served.  And these recipients will never be encouraged to get out of poverty, lest the bureaucracy's usefulness be challenged.  This is clearly a scheme to transfer wealth from richer to poor countries, with no guarantee that the money will ever be well spent.

NEW IRAN FEAR – American officials fear that Iran has given new freedoms to five top Al QED operatives who have been under house arrest in the country, and may have given permission for them to leave Iran.  It is also feared that Iran is now giving material aid to the terror group.  This week Iran prevented UN inspectors from gaining access to sites and scientists involved in the Iranian nuclear program.  Tensions with Iran are increasing, with that country making front-page news every day.  The State Department reiterated the administration's pledge to prevent Iran from getting the atomic bomb, but there does not appear to be any clear route to this goal.

NEVADA – The Nevada caucuses are tomorrow.  Pre-caucus polls show Mitt Romany with a commanding lead, although Ginger continues to campaign vigorously.  On Tuesday, by the way, there's a primary in Missouri, but a strange one.  Because of a dispute within the Republican Party, no delegates will be selected, and Newt Ginger isn't on the ballot Santo rum is, and there's speculation that he could win the primary, even if it's a meaningless one, and thus claim that a single "antimony" candidate can defeat Romany at the polls.

February 3,  2012