Reuters reports that an Italian commission has concluded, “beyond any reasonable doubt,” that leaders of the Soviet Union were behind an attempt to kill Pope John Paul II in 1981.

Read every word of the Reuters story. It’s a great history lesson. And also a welcome reminder that there are evil people in the world. And to them, freedom is a pretty terrifying notion.

HT: Hugh Hewitt

Jim: Three thoughts:

1) I wish the Soviet Union were still around, just so we could nail their asses to the wall over this. By the way, Mona Charen’s Useful Idiots does a masterful job of remembering all of the apologists and defenders the Soviet Union had in American politics for decades.

2) Come to think of it, though, assassinations aren’t as uncommon as we would wish. Saddam took a shot at the first President Bush in the early 1990s, and that brought a few minimal-impact cruise missile attacks. Syria whacked Hariri last year, and they’re still walking like O.J., as we await an umpteenth United Nations investigation. Of course, the trial of Slobodon Milosevic at the Hague has entered its fifth year, and he killed a hell of a lot of people. So it appears assassination isn’t as big a deal as we think, or at least it rarely carries that many consequences. Well, unless you assassinate David Palmer.

3) When JPII died, the reaction in Turkey was one of surprising sympathy and sorrow; I think there was/is a particular national shame that the gunman was a Turk. I note that as much as the jihadis around the world hate Christians, there hasn’t been a lot of saber-rattling and threats against the Vatican. Part of this may be that the top man is now an (hope he takes this the right way) ass-kicking German with the powers of Emperor Palpatine:

“So be it… heretic.”

Or it may be that B16 has been a bit more skeptical of Islam, and is willing to take a tougher line on the Muslim world’s intolerance of Christians. “You wanna rumble, pal? We were perfecting the art of religious war when you guys were still in diapers.”

Cam: Am I the only one who wants to watch “Red Dawn” after hearing this?

I mean, remember when this seemed like it could really happen?

Now, of course, we have Johnny Weir prancing and dancing around in his CCCP warm-up jacket. The image of the Soviet Union is starting to receive the Che treatment. How long before we see college kids wearing portraits of Stalin on their chest? Think I’m kidding? We already have conservatives praising Communists (although presumably just their “sensibilities”, not their “ideology”). Stories like this should help us remember that we were, and still are, the good guys.