Whether Obama accepts our position in the world or not does really not matter. The questions posed in this article are core to the survival and continued postion of the United States as the #1 nuclear power in the world. As Obama pursues scaling back, the downgrading of our ability to attack and defend our enemies and allies is approaching critical mass. Russia and China are accelearting their efforts as we go in the opposite direction. The White House is not "overly concerned." Well, I am very concerned and you should be to.
Stagnation Threatens U.S. Arms Superiority
By Ilan Berman
Defense News
Published: 4 January 2010
A funny thing happened in the skies over Norway last month. On Dec. 10, as U.S. President Barack Obama geared up to deliver his acceptance speech before the Nobel Prize Committee in Oslo, spectators outdoors were treated to a spectacular display of spiraling light. The cause was not a UFO, as some contended, but a failed test of the Bulava, Russia's newest sea-launched intercontinental ballistic missile.
The episode was a telling reminder of the shifting strategic balance between Washington and the rest of the world. To understand the significance, one need look no further than Russia's military modernization program. That initiative, launched in the early days of Vladimir Putin's presidency, has charted major gains over the past decade under the watchful eye of Putin (now prime minister) and his handpicked protégé, President Dmitry Medvedev.
And while the effort is certainly not perfect, as the latest failure of the Bulava underscores, Russia can now boast upgrades to every leg of its strategic triad (submarines, bombers and ballistic missiles). In addition, Russia has made progress on advanced technologies related to missile countermeasures, hypersonic glide vehicles and electro-magnetic pulse - all systems designed to defeat U.S. defenses.
Nor is Russia alone. Over the past two decades, China has embarked upon a massive, multispectrum military modernization. The most immediate goal is to increase China's ability to dominate Taiwan in the event of a conflict, but the threat posed by this effort extends far beyond the Asia-Pacific.
Continue reading
Hat tip American Thinker
As the United States disarms, our enemies are getting stronger. Cold war hangover.
Labels:
China,
Russia,
US Military. Missle defense
Nice to see Obama and Brown getting along so well. Talk about finger pointing!
It is pretty clear that the near disaster of Flight 253 has spilled over
into many arenas. Obama is doing damage control on so many fronts his
administration is looking completely and totally incompetent, which it is.
The English people have had quite enough of Brown.This is just icing
on the cake as far as his standing with the English people goes. Like he
had much popularity left. There are people in the Obama house that need
to go after this almost successful terrorist attack.
By TOM NEWTON DUNN
Political Editor
Published: 05 Jan 2010
An embarrassing row has broken out between Downing Street and the White House over what MI5 told the US about the Detroit bomber.
PM Gordon Brown's spokesman yesterday insisted that the Security Service told American officials that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab had extremist links.
But that has left President Barack Obama's officials furious, saying Number 10 "have made a mistake" and that no such intelligence was passed on by Britain before the thwarted Christmas attack.
The news comes as President Obama prepares to unveil plans aimed at preventing future attacks.
He is set to outline a series of changes related to the "watch lists" of terrorism suspects.
The allegation that the US failed to act on British information could embarrass President Obama — who is already under fire from critics for failing to stop the bomber.
Brit officials have reportedly backed claims that there was a misunderstanding about what Downing Street had said and that it could further damage the already strained relations between Downing Street and the White House after the early release of the Lockerbie bomber.
The Prime Minister's office rarely comments on intelligence matters and the move could be seen as retaliation to criticism from US figures who claimed Britain nurtured Islamic extremism.
At first it was thought that MI5 had only managed to get hold of limited information on Abdulmutallab and had therefore not told the US.
But in an official briefing, the PM's spokesman said that British intelligence WAS given to the Americans.
He said: "Clearly there was security information about this individual's activities and that was information that was shared with the US authorities. That is the key point."
The spokesman added: "We are pretty certain that he was radicalised outside the UK. He left the UK in October 2008.
"But it is also clear that while he was here he was attempting to make contact with people and that is the intelligence we were able to secure from the intelligence services."
Last night, a Downing Street spokesman added: "We do routinely share large quantities of intelligence with the US on a two-way basis so we can build up a picture of the potential threats we face.
"In regard to the Detroit bomber, the UK and US had gathered partial information and this had been shared in the usual way. Since the incident, we have built up a fuller picture.
"There is no suggestion that the US did not act on intelligence information that they received from the UK."
Questions will be asked about how much MI5 knew about Abdulmutallab and whether the information was correctly handled.
Abdulmutallab, a Nigerian, studied at University College London between 2005 and 2008. He then left the country and was thought to have travelled to Yemen.
He attempted to detonate a bomb hidden in his underwear on Northwest Airlines flight 253 to Detroit on Christmas Day.
UK Sun
Hat tip Bare Naked Islam
into many arenas. Obama is doing damage control on so many fronts his
administration is looking completely and totally incompetent, which it is.
The English people have had quite enough of Brown.This is just icing
on the cake as far as his standing with the English people goes. Like he
had much popularity left. There are people in the Obama house that need
to go after this almost successful terrorist attack.
By TOM NEWTON DUNN
Political Editor
Published: 05 Jan 2010
An embarrassing row has broken out between Downing Street and the White House over what MI5 told the US about the Detroit bomber.
PM Gordon Brown's spokesman yesterday insisted that the Security Service told American officials that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab had extremist links.
But that has left President Barack Obama's officials furious, saying Number 10 "have made a mistake" and that no such intelligence was passed on by Britain before the thwarted Christmas attack.
The news comes as President Obama prepares to unveil plans aimed at preventing future attacks.
He is set to outline a series of changes related to the "watch lists" of terrorism suspects.
The allegation that the US failed to act on British information could embarrass President Obama — who is already under fire from critics for failing to stop the bomber.
Brit officials have reportedly backed claims that there was a misunderstanding about what Downing Street had said and that it could further damage the already strained relations between Downing Street and the White House after the early release of the Lockerbie bomber.
The Prime Minister's office rarely comments on intelligence matters and the move could be seen as retaliation to criticism from US figures who claimed Britain nurtured Islamic extremism.
At first it was thought that MI5 had only managed to get hold of limited information on Abdulmutallab and had therefore not told the US.
But in an official briefing, the PM's spokesman said that British intelligence WAS given to the Americans.
He said: "Clearly there was security information about this individual's activities and that was information that was shared with the US authorities. That is the key point."
The spokesman added: "We are pretty certain that he was radicalised outside the UK. He left the UK in October 2008.
"But it is also clear that while he was here he was attempting to make contact with people and that is the intelligence we were able to secure from the intelligence services."
Last night, a Downing Street spokesman added: "We do routinely share large quantities of intelligence with the US on a two-way basis so we can build up a picture of the potential threats we face.
"In regard to the Detroit bomber, the UK and US had gathered partial information and this had been shared in the usual way. Since the incident, we have built up a fuller picture.
"There is no suggestion that the US did not act on intelligence information that they received from the UK."
Questions will be asked about how much MI5 knew about Abdulmutallab and whether the information was correctly handled.
Abdulmutallab, a Nigerian, studied at University College London between 2005 and 2008. He then left the country and was thought to have travelled to Yemen.
He attempted to detonate a bomb hidden in his underwear on Northwest Airlines flight 253 to Detroit on Christmas Day.
UK Sun
Hat tip Bare Naked Islam
Coptic Christians attacked leaving Christmas midnight mass in Egypt 7 dead
This is one of the latest reports on this horrendous attack. The Copts
are horribly persecuted and attacked in Egypt. That this happened after
a midnight mmass is really not syrprising given the violence and complete
disregard, intolerance for any other religion except Islam. The closing
statement really states it all: "It is all religious now. This is a religious war
about how they can finish off the Christians in Egypt."
An update on this story. "At Least 7 Killed After Coptic Christmas Mass In Egypt.
Three men in a car sprayed automatic gunfire into a crowd of churchgoers in southern Egyptian as they left a midnight Mass for Coptic Christmas, killing at least seven people in a drive-by shooting, the church bishop and security officials said.
Egypt's Interior Ministry said the attack Wednesday just before midnight was suspected as retaliation for the November rape of a Muslim girl by a Christian man in the same town. The statement said witnesses have identified the lead attacker.
Prior reporting described the accusation of rape as a rumor. Nonetheless, riots ensued.
The attack took place in the town of Nag Hamadi in Qena province, about 40 miles from the famous ancient ruins of Luxor. A local security official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, confirmed that seven were dead and three seriously wounded.
Bishop Kirollos of the Nag Hamadi Diocese told The Associated Press six male churchgoers and one security guard were killed. He said he had left St. John's church just minutes before the attack.
"A driving car swerved near me, so I took the back door. By the time I shook hands with someone at the gate, I heard the mayhem, lots of machine gun shots," he said in a telephone interview. He said he saw five bodies lying on the ground when he first looked at the site of the shooting, about 600 yards where he was.
The bishop said he was concerned about violence on the eve of Coptic Christmas, which falls on Thursday, because of previous threats following the rape of the 12-year-old girl in November.
He got a message on his mobile phone saying: "It is your turn."
"I did nothing with it. My faithful were also receiving threats in the streets, some shouting at them: 'We will not let you have festivities,"' he said.
Because of the threats, he said he ended his Christmas Mass one hour early.
He said Muslim residents of Nag Hamadi and neighboring villages rioted for five days in November and torched and damaged Christian properties in the area after the rape.
"For days, I had expected something to happen on Christmas day," he said. The bishop said police have now asked him to stay at home for fear of further violence. [...]
Clashes between Muslims and Christians are not uncommon in southern Egypt and in recent years have begun seeping into the capital. An Amnesty International report said sectarian attacks on the Coptic Christian community, comprising between 6 million and 8 million people in Egypt, increased in the year 2008. Sporadic clashes between Coptic Christians and Muslims left eight people dead.
Vendetta killing is also common among southern Egyptians, and is usually over land or family disputes.
The bishop said he had an idea of who the attackers were, calling them "Muslim radicals."
"It is all religious now. This is a religious war about how they can finish off the Christians in Egypt," he said.
Hat Tip Jihad watch
are horribly persecuted and attacked in Egypt. That this happened after
a midnight mmass is really not syrprising given the violence and complete
disregard, intolerance for any other religion except Islam. The closing
statement really states it all: "It is all religious now. This is a religious war
about how they can finish off the Christians in Egypt."
An update on this story. "At Least 7 Killed After Coptic Christmas Mass In Egypt.
Three men in a car sprayed automatic gunfire into a crowd of churchgoers in southern Egyptian as they left a midnight Mass for Coptic Christmas, killing at least seven people in a drive-by shooting, the church bishop and security officials said.
Egypt's Interior Ministry said the attack Wednesday just before midnight was suspected as retaliation for the November rape of a Muslim girl by a Christian man in the same town. The statement said witnesses have identified the lead attacker.
Prior reporting described the accusation of rape as a rumor. Nonetheless, riots ensued.
The attack took place in the town of Nag Hamadi in Qena province, about 40 miles from the famous ancient ruins of Luxor. A local security official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, confirmed that seven were dead and three seriously wounded.
Bishop Kirollos of the Nag Hamadi Diocese told The Associated Press six male churchgoers and one security guard were killed. He said he had left St. John's church just minutes before the attack.
"A driving car swerved near me, so I took the back door. By the time I shook hands with someone at the gate, I heard the mayhem, lots of machine gun shots," he said in a telephone interview. He said he saw five bodies lying on the ground when he first looked at the site of the shooting, about 600 yards where he was.
The bishop said he was concerned about violence on the eve of Coptic Christmas, which falls on Thursday, because of previous threats following the rape of the 12-year-old girl in November.
He got a message on his mobile phone saying: "It is your turn."
"I did nothing with it. My faithful were also receiving threats in the streets, some shouting at them: 'We will not let you have festivities,"' he said.
Because of the threats, he said he ended his Christmas Mass one hour early.
He said Muslim residents of Nag Hamadi and neighboring villages rioted for five days in November and torched and damaged Christian properties in the area after the rape.
"For days, I had expected something to happen on Christmas day," he said. The bishop said police have now asked him to stay at home for fear of further violence. [...]
Clashes between Muslims and Christians are not uncommon in southern Egypt and in recent years have begun seeping into the capital. An Amnesty International report said sectarian attacks on the Coptic Christian community, comprising between 6 million and 8 million people in Egypt, increased in the year 2008. Sporadic clashes between Coptic Christians and Muslims left eight people dead.
Vendetta killing is also common among southern Egyptians, and is usually over land or family disputes.
The bishop said he had an idea of who the attackers were, calling them "Muslim radicals."
"It is all religious now. This is a religious war about how they can finish off the Christians in Egypt," he said.
Hat Tip Jihad watch
Democrats are calling this a "Black day" as Dodd announces retirement. Good Riddance to him and others who are guilty of fleecing the citizens of this country.
This has to be a joyous day for many who have watched Chris Dodd abuse the rank, power and privileges that came with his elected position. Is this a black day for Democrats? Perhaps in some ways it is, but I would be careful about reading too much into today's events until we see what unfolds down the road. The 2010 elections at the very least, have become much more open and further erosion in the Democratic base are sure to happen. No one can complain that we do not live in interesting times.
From The Fix
Chris Dodd to step aside
Embattled Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd (D) has scheduled a press conference at his home in Connecticut Wednesday at which he is expected to announce he will not seek re-election, according to sources familiar with his plans.
Dodd's retirement comes after months of speculation about his political future, and amid faltering polling numbers and a growing sense among the Democratic establishment that he could not win a sixth term. It also comes less than 24 hours after Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) announced he would not seek re-election.
State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal is widely expected to step into the void filled by Dodd and, at least at first blush, should drastically increase Democrats' chances of holding the seat.
Blumenthal, who has served as state Attorney General since 1990, is the most popular politician in the state and has long coveted a Senate seat; he had already signaled that he would run for the Democratic nomination against Sen. Joe Lieberman (I) in 2012. (A sidenote: Assuming Blumenthal gets in to the race, Rep. Chris Murphy could be the long-term beneficiary as he is widely regarded as a rising star and would be at the top of the list of Democratic hopefuls to challenge Lieberman in 2012.)
Without Dodd as a foil, Republicans chances of taking over a seat in this solidly blue state are considerably diminished. Former Rep. Rob Simmons and wealthy businesswoman Linda McMahon are battling it out for the Republican nod but either would start as an underdog in a general election matchup with Blumenthal.
Dodd joins North Dakota Sen. Byron Dorgan on the sidelines for Democrats. Six Republicans Senators are not seeking re-election in November.
Dodd's retirement comes roughly two years after his presidential ambitions came to an end in the Iowa caucuses. Dodd, always a longshot in a field filled with better known and better financed candidates, had moved his family to the Hawkeye State in the fall of 2007 in hopes of generating some excitement for his bid. The move backfired on the Democratic incumbent as many Connecticut voters bristled.
Continue reading here:
Tags: 2010, mid-term elections, Democrats, Senate, Chris Dodd, Connecticut To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the Patriot's Corner. Thanks!
From The Fix
Chris Dodd to step aside
Embattled Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd (D) has scheduled a press conference at his home in Connecticut Wednesday at which he is expected to announce he will not seek re-election, according to sources familiar with his plans.
Dodd's retirement comes after months of speculation about his political future, and amid faltering polling numbers and a growing sense among the Democratic establishment that he could not win a sixth term. It also comes less than 24 hours after Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) announced he would not seek re-election.
State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal is widely expected to step into the void filled by Dodd and, at least at first blush, should drastically increase Democrats' chances of holding the seat.
Blumenthal, who has served as state Attorney General since 1990, is the most popular politician in the state and has long coveted a Senate seat; he had already signaled that he would run for the Democratic nomination against Sen. Joe Lieberman (I) in 2012. (A sidenote: Assuming Blumenthal gets in to the race, Rep. Chris Murphy could be the long-term beneficiary as he is widely regarded as a rising star and would be at the top of the list of Democratic hopefuls to challenge Lieberman in 2012.)
Without Dodd as a foil, Republicans chances of taking over a seat in this solidly blue state are considerably diminished. Former Rep. Rob Simmons and wealthy businesswoman Linda McMahon are battling it out for the Republican nod but either would start as an underdog in a general election matchup with Blumenthal.
Dodd joins North Dakota Sen. Byron Dorgan on the sidelines for Democrats. Six Republicans Senators are not seeking re-election in November.
Dodd's retirement comes roughly two years after his presidential ambitions came to an end in the Iowa caucuses. Dodd, always a longshot in a field filled with better known and better financed candidates, had moved his family to the Hawkeye State in the fall of 2007 in hopes of generating some excitement for his bid. The move backfired on the Democratic incumbent as many Connecticut voters bristled.
Continue reading here:
Tags: 2010, mid-term elections, Democrats, Senate, Chris Dodd, Connecticut To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the Patriot's Corner. Thanks!
Surprise! Health Care bill disaster to cover illegal aliens.
They are not undocumented workers. They are law breaking illegal aliens. Granted, many come here to try and better their lives and the lives of their families but this does not change the fact that they are here against the law, and have broken the laws of this country by sneaking into the United States. This is an issue of national security and being able to secure our borders. Don't expect that to happen with the Obamainationadministration of demosocialistacrats. You do not think our taxes are going to be going up because of all this?
Obamacare for Illegals Already in the Works! - From the left-wing Talking Points Memo comes the headline, "Democrats Considering Health Care-Immigration Deal To Overcome Key Sticking Point."
Following Harry Reid's success in passing his 2,000+ page version of Obamacare, the Left now feels safe revealing what most conservative activists have realized all along--Democrats fully intend to cover illegal immigrants with the so-called "reform."
Lawmakers who want to extend health coverage to illegal immigrants will not block the passage of the final health care reform bill so long as the White House offers a substantive promise to start pushing comprehensive immigration legislation this year.
So the plan is to pass the bill without including illegal immigrants, then add them to the plan later this year. Anywhere but the Democrat Party, that's about the height of dishonesty. In fact most people would consider it an outright lie!
Rep. Joe Wilson's famous "You lie!" cry was never inaccurate after all. Feigning outrage, Democrats knew all along this was part of the plan. In the article, reporter Christina Bellantoni, actually credits Wilson's outburst for forcing Democrats to temporarily abandon the plan to cover illegals.
The Senate's health care bill bars illegals from any sort of coverage, a provision embraced after Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) shouted "You lie!" during Obama's address to Congress when the president said that illegals would not be able to get health care under the legislation.
TPM's liberal sources in the White House even admit they're lying, and that talks are already proceeding to construct an immigration bill that will sweep illegal immigrants under the umbrella of Obamacare.
TPMDC sources have been telling us that members won't admit it publicly but they are ready to concede on immigration in the health care bill. Political aides in the White House have told key parties in Congress that President Obama wants to see a bill this year, and negotiations are under way for how it would be written.
Joe Wilson wasn't wrong, he wasn't mistaken, he wasn't confused, he was dead on when he yelled to President Obama, "You lie!"
Lack of Immigration Enforcement Results in Death of Utah Deputy
by TexasFred: Utah deputy shot, killed; suspect sought: SALT LAKE CITY (AP) – Police searched a property in Salt Lake City on Tuesday after cordoning off the neighborhood but did not find the suspect in the fatal shooting of a central Utah sheriff’s deputy.
Officers searched a home and other structures and vehicles, including a shed and a trailer, but did not locate Roberto Miramontes Roman, 37.
Officers surrounded the house on the city’s west side after Miramontes Roman’s orange Corvette was found in the neighborhood, where he is believed to have relatives, Utah Highway Patrol spokesman Jeff Nigbur said.
Two schools were closed and another was put on lockdown as police cordoned off the area. In the afternoon they reopened the roads after the search of the property was complete. Police also towed away the Corvette.
Deputy Josie Greathouse Fox, 37, was gunned down around 1 a.m. Tuesday during a traffic stop near Delta, about 130 miles southwest of Salt Lake. Millard County sheriff’s office spokeswoman Lindsay Mitchell said Fox, a five-year veteran, was married with two children. Full Story Here: Utah deputy shot, killed; suspect sought
Now my friends, here is what the MSM has NOT told you, and I am guessing it’s because they consider it to be politically incorrect and possibly look upon it as racial profiling:
Update: Millard Country Sheriff Robert A. Dekker has informed the media that the shooter, Roberto Miramontes Roman, is a Mexican national, has been previously arrested for theft charges and has been previously deported from the United States as an illegal immigrant.
(SNIP)
Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Jeff Nigbur identified the “prime suspect” sought in the shooting as Roberto Miramontes Roman. He is described as a 37-year-old Latino, 5-foot-7, 130 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.
Roman is possibly armed with an AK-47 assault rifle, and is considered dangerous. Anyone with information on Roman’s whereabouts is urged to immediately call 911.
“We have information that he’s not going to be taken alive,” Nigbur said. Roman has a significant criminal history, including drug offenses, and a court-ordered illegal-immigration-related deportation.
(SNIP)
Roman has a criminal history beginning in 1992 with a misdemeanor drug distribution charge to which he pleaded guilty in Fillmore’s 4th District Court.
Then in 1996 and 1997, Roman was charged in Millard County with a handful of felonies in two different cases, including drug charges, receiving stolen property and a weapons count.
He resolved the cases by pleading guilty to one count of third-degree felony drug possession and one count of second-degree felony drug possession with intent to distribute. SOURCE: PoliceLink
I only have one real question to ask at this particular time, WHY was this SOB on the streets of our nation? How many *EPIC FAILURES* does it take before the American people take matters into their own hands?
A loving husband has lost his wife. Two children have lost their mother. This nation has lost another Law Enforcement Officer. It didn’t have to happen!
Our lack of IMMIGRATION enforcement is the cause of this tragedy! The failure that IS the policy the USA assumes towards ILLEGAL INVADERS is the cause of this tragedy. The guy has already been deported once, anyone care to venture a guess as to HOW he got back in?
To the family of Deputy Josie Greathouse Fox, our most sincere sympathy, we are sharing in your hurt and loss. Rest in Peace Josie!
Hat Tip Texas Fred and Blogs for Borders
Tags: National Security, illegal immigration To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the Patriot's Corner. Thanks!
Do not count on Government protection when you are struck by a terrorist attack. You will be on your own.
Labels:
HSA Failure flight 253,
Terrorist Attacks.
"The experts I speak with tell me point-blank that our nation and the world are not prepared - or refuse - to confront radical Islam. That is what the terrorists are counting on as they prepare for their next strike'
I wish I could disagree with that statement above or the facts that our
goverment is ill equipped to handle or protect us from the next major
terrorist attack(s). After watching the fallout and blame casting after the
near disaster of Flight 253 on Christmas Day, and being told that our
system worked, we should all be breathing ahuge sigh of relief. So explain
to me again HOW that system worked Ms. Napolitano?
When Terrorism Hits You Are On Your Own
by Douglas MacKinnon
Town hall
As the farcical and almost-tragic facts about the Nigerian-Muslim terror suspect play out, one thing has become crystal clear: Your government can't protect you from a terrorist attack. Worse, when the next one hits -and only delusional elected officials would deny this certainty - you are on your own.
Although a clearly incompetent Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano saying "One thing I'd like to point out is that the system worked" (after the suspect paid cash for his ticket, had no check-in luggage, smuggled a bomb onto Northwest Airlines Flight 253 and then proceeded to try and detonate it) may be amusing to some, it was deadly serious to the almost 300 passengers and crew whose lives were spared only because the explosive malfunctioned.
As Republican Rep. Peter King of New York said, "It's not reassuring when the secretary of Homeland Security says the system worked … it failed in every respect." Even President Barack Obama has belatedly agreed.
There is zero surprise in any of this. This latest breach of our post-Sept. 11 "security" only serves to reinforce what intelligence and Pentagon officials have been telling me privately for years: No matter how well the government says you are protected, the fact is that you and your family are on your own and will be on your own when we are next hit with a large-scale terrorist attack. Plain common sense tells all of us that our nation is too big, is too open, has too many targets of opportunity, and has a security system too suicidally weakened by political correctness to fully protect us from fanatical terrorists willing to kill themselves in the hope of slaughtering hundreds or thousands of innocent human beings.
If we take a deep breath and give this a moment's thought, we all know it to be true. That said, how many of us are prepared for this horrific reality? We have become dangerously complacent to the growing threat of terrorism. While we would all like to bury our heads in the sand and pretend it's not happening, radicalized fanatics are working feverishly, 24-7-365, to develop or acquire chemical, biological or nuclear weapons of mass destruction. The dream target of those weapons being the United States of America.
In spite of this pending menace, it's become passé or even embarrassing to sit down with family members and go over a few of the basics - basics that many in earthquake country cover. Such as: Do you have a week's supply of water and food along with batteries, a radio, flashlights, candles, cash and other survival gear at home, as well as a smaller supply in your vehicle and office? Do you and your family have an agreed-upon place to meet should/when the unthinkable happens? Doubtful.
Remember, when the next large attack happens, you are on your own. Your government won't be there because its members will be either too busy covering their butts, protecting their particular partisan and useless political party, looking after themselves and their family members, or just totally confused and not sure what just happened or who to speak with. Cell phones and land lines may be overloaded for days or could completely fail. As will other communication outlets, banks, water supplies, power generating facilities, gas stations and the like.
Don't believe any of this or think it's an exaggeration? Fine. That's up to you. We are all responsible for our actions or lack thereof.
The experts I speak with tell me point-blank that our nation and the world are not prepared - or refuse - to confront radical Islam. That is what the terrorists are counting on as they prepare for their next strike.
Hat Tip: China Confidential
I wish I could disagree with that statement above or the facts that our
goverment is ill equipped to handle or protect us from the next major
terrorist attack(s). After watching the fallout and blame casting after the
near disaster of Flight 253 on Christmas Day, and being told that our
system worked, we should all be breathing ahuge sigh of relief. So explain
to me again HOW that system worked Ms. Napolitano?
When Terrorism Hits You Are On Your Own
by Douglas MacKinnon
Town hall
As the farcical and almost-tragic facts about the Nigerian-Muslim terror suspect play out, one thing has become crystal clear: Your government can't protect you from a terrorist attack. Worse, when the next one hits -and only delusional elected officials would deny this certainty - you are on your own.
Although a clearly incompetent Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano saying "One thing I'd like to point out is that the system worked" (after the suspect paid cash for his ticket, had no check-in luggage, smuggled a bomb onto Northwest Airlines Flight 253 and then proceeded to try and detonate it) may be amusing to some, it was deadly serious to the almost 300 passengers and crew whose lives were spared only because the explosive malfunctioned.
As Republican Rep. Peter King of New York said, "It's not reassuring when the secretary of Homeland Security says the system worked … it failed in every respect." Even President Barack Obama has belatedly agreed.
There is zero surprise in any of this. This latest breach of our post-Sept. 11 "security" only serves to reinforce what intelligence and Pentagon officials have been telling me privately for years: No matter how well the government says you are protected, the fact is that you and your family are on your own and will be on your own when we are next hit with a large-scale terrorist attack. Plain common sense tells all of us that our nation is too big, is too open, has too many targets of opportunity, and has a security system too suicidally weakened by political correctness to fully protect us from fanatical terrorists willing to kill themselves in the hope of slaughtering hundreds or thousands of innocent human beings.
If we take a deep breath and give this a moment's thought, we all know it to be true. That said, how many of us are prepared for this horrific reality? We have become dangerously complacent to the growing threat of terrorism. While we would all like to bury our heads in the sand and pretend it's not happening, radicalized fanatics are working feverishly, 24-7-365, to develop or acquire chemical, biological or nuclear weapons of mass destruction. The dream target of those weapons being the United States of America.
In spite of this pending menace, it's become passé or even embarrassing to sit down with family members and go over a few of the basics - basics that many in earthquake country cover. Such as: Do you have a week's supply of water and food along with batteries, a radio, flashlights, candles, cash and other survival gear at home, as well as a smaller supply in your vehicle and office? Do you and your family have an agreed-upon place to meet should/when the unthinkable happens? Doubtful.
Remember, when the next large attack happens, you are on your own. Your government won't be there because its members will be either too busy covering their butts, protecting their particular partisan and useless political party, looking after themselves and their family members, or just totally confused and not sure what just happened or who to speak with. Cell phones and land lines may be overloaded for days or could completely fail. As will other communication outlets, banks, water supplies, power generating facilities, gas stations and the like.
Don't believe any of this or think it's an exaggeration? Fine. That's up to you. We are all responsible for our actions or lack thereof.
The experts I speak with tell me point-blank that our nation and the world are not prepared - or refuse - to confront radical Islam. That is what the terrorists are counting on as they prepare for their next strike.
Hat Tip: China Confidential
This would be laughable to the point of making you sick if it was not so stupid
Terrorism Rehab? I do not think so and this is really a foolish idea.
Unless you are liberal and from the left side of lunacy. This goes along
with the 'logic' that after the terrorists in Gitmo spend some time there,
then it is safe to return them to there home country where they will
become farmers, camel herders, or slave traders but never return to their
old terrorist ways. Guess I am old school annd prefer the militray trials,
waterboarding, being found guilty and summarily executed.
From the Vancouver Sun
The future of fighting extremism around the world may lie in terrorism rehab, according to the World Future Society.
"It's sort of treating jihadism the way a lot of American cities have decided to treat drug addiction: as a behaviour that is curbable through counselling, as opposed to something that should be highly enforced with the death penalty," says Patrick Tucker, senior editor of the society's magazine, The Futurist.
"It's a behaviour that people adopt and you can prevent them with a clear and compelling argument for adopting a different behaviour and rely on their capacity for logic to make a different choice."
Saudi Arabia has already had surprising success with a pilot program that does just that, he says. In prison, jihadists undergo psychiatric counselling to convince them that using violence to bring about change is unacceptable, and recruits with little education get a chance to study and debate Islamic law.
About 3,000 prisoners have already participated in the program and achieved a rehabilitation rate of 80 to 90 per cent, Tucker says, with only a handful re-arrested for security offences.
Prevention programs in Saudi schools educate students about the dangers of terrorism with writing and art contests much as North American schools tackle the dangers of drugs, according to a report from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
"It's controversial because it sidesteps our passionate response to terrorism, which is that it's an absolute and total offence against all of humanity," Tucker says. "This really puts the onus on the United States and other Western powers to really follow through with the whole 'winning hearts and minds' thing and improve people's circumstances."
The success of the Saudi problem has inspired others, including the Religious Rehabilitation Group in Singapore. Algeria, Egypt, Jordan and the U.S. military in Iraq have started to use some of the tactics, according to The Futurist.
Demographic realities might make this the most effective way to quell jihadism in the future, Tucker says, because terrorism is most attractive to disenfranchised youth — the bulk of whom live in developing counties and whose numbers are on the rise.
"In the future, the world looks young and poor and that's the segment of the global population to whom radicalism is going to be most appealing," he says. "So it you decide to treat that entire group of people as though their entire political opinions are nothing short of a disease because they don't align conveniently with Western interests, you are setting yourself up for disaster."
About this series: The World Future Society, a Washington, D.C. think-tank founded in 1967, tracks future trends in technology, politics and society. This week, Canwest News Service highlights five of the organization's most fascinating forecasts for 2010 and beyond.
Hat Tip: China Confidential
Unless you are liberal and from the left side of lunacy. This goes along
with the 'logic' that after the terrorists in Gitmo spend some time there,
then it is safe to return them to there home country where they will
become farmers, camel herders, or slave traders but never return to their
old terrorist ways. Guess I am old school annd prefer the militray trials,
waterboarding, being found guilty and summarily executed.
From the Vancouver Sun
The future of fighting extremism around the world may lie in terrorism rehab, according to the World Future Society.
"It's sort of treating jihadism the way a lot of American cities have decided to treat drug addiction: as a behaviour that is curbable through counselling, as opposed to something that should be highly enforced with the death penalty," says Patrick Tucker, senior editor of the society's magazine, The Futurist.
"It's a behaviour that people adopt and you can prevent them with a clear and compelling argument for adopting a different behaviour and rely on their capacity for logic to make a different choice."
Saudi Arabia has already had surprising success with a pilot program that does just that, he says. In prison, jihadists undergo psychiatric counselling to convince them that using violence to bring about change is unacceptable, and recruits with little education get a chance to study and debate Islamic law.
About 3,000 prisoners have already participated in the program and achieved a rehabilitation rate of 80 to 90 per cent, Tucker says, with only a handful re-arrested for security offences.
Prevention programs in Saudi schools educate students about the dangers of terrorism with writing and art contests much as North American schools tackle the dangers of drugs, according to a report from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
"It's controversial because it sidesteps our passionate response to terrorism, which is that it's an absolute and total offence against all of humanity," Tucker says. "This really puts the onus on the United States and other Western powers to really follow through with the whole 'winning hearts and minds' thing and improve people's circumstances."
The success of the Saudi problem has inspired others, including the Religious Rehabilitation Group in Singapore. Algeria, Egypt, Jordan and the U.S. military in Iraq have started to use some of the tactics, according to The Futurist.
Demographic realities might make this the most effective way to quell jihadism in the future, Tucker says, because terrorism is most attractive to disenfranchised youth — the bulk of whom live in developing counties and whose numbers are on the rise.
"In the future, the world looks young and poor and that's the segment of the global population to whom radicalism is going to be most appealing," he says. "So it you decide to treat that entire group of people as though their entire political opinions are nothing short of a disease because they don't align conveniently with Western interests, you are setting yourself up for disaster."
About this series: The World Future Society, a Washington, D.C. think-tank founded in 1967, tracks future trends in technology, politics and society. This week, Canwest News Service highlights five of the organization's most fascinating forecasts for 2010 and beyond.
Hat Tip: China Confidential
Obama's largest mistake over the full disclosure of the CIA deaths in Afghanistan.
Obama is truly out of touch with our intelligence agencies. The
distance is so great, I fear nothing can close this gap, or Obama's
mouth to stop the flow of mistakes and blunders that assist our enemies,
lend no support to our intelligence agencies, nor our military. When the
White House itself starts issuing statements that acknowledge attacks and
deaths of our intelligence teams, what cover is left for our intelligence
people to work from undercover and in safety. This president is a danger
to this country in so many ways I have lost count a long time ago. If this
is Obama's idea of a trasnparent administration, then he has failed
miserably. The worst part about this is how many American lives will this
obama blunder cost this country? Who will Obama blame the next time this
happens bacuase we know it will happen again.
Could this actually be the greatest and potentially the deadliest of Obama’s screw ups so far?
Posted by Erick Erickson From RedState
Friday, January 1st at 10:12PM EST
I missed the implications of this up front and I bet you all did too, but I am hearing from members of the American intelligence community and some on the outside closely connected to those on the inside who are raising a huge red flag right now.
It appears Barack Obama inexperience and amateurishness has just started bonfires on the bridges connecting him to the American intelligence community and delivered a huge, HUGE psychological win to Al Qaeda.
People tell me the President’s rush to acknowledge the attack on the CIA in Afghanistan and mourn the deaths openly, publicly, and via press release is a huge no no. The CIA and greater intelligence community would prefer not to have the attention put on them. Additionally, because the President took the time to draft a blanket statement focused on the CIA in general instead of individually and more privately focusing on the families of the victims, it acknowledges the CIA’s work in Afghanistan, acknowledges that the attack has an impact on the CIA, and gives the terrorists a new recruiting tool — “you too can cause America to publicly mourn the loss of their spies.”
To you and me this may not seem like a big deal. But I’m told this is hugely significant and shows just how out of touch the Obama administration is with the intelligence community. I’m told that no other President has issued such blanket statements of public mourning directed toward an attack on the CIA and thereby having the White House itself confirming an attack on our intelligence community.
The intelligence community is licking its wounds right now and Obama’s rush to confirm for the world that the community suffered such wounds has the intelligence community simmering tonight and Al Qaeda preparing a PR blitz with what they view as good news.
UPDATED: Take the information above and couple it with this. The White House is subtly blaming the intelligence community for the failure to deduce the Delta/Northwest attack.
Why?
Presidential aides are concerned that Obama will somehow be unfairly accused of dropping the ball on the fight against terrorist in Yemen
Because the President is worried about being blamed, the White House is trying to blame the CIA while at the same time undermining the CIA through a rush to publicize the Afghan attack.
Either this White House is willfully trying to sabotage the intelligence community or they are rank amateurs. I pray to God in Heaven it is the latter.
Tags: Afghanistan, Barack Obama, CIA To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the Patriot's Corner. Thanks!
Tip of the mug to Atlas Shrugs
distance is so great, I fear nothing can close this gap, or Obama's
mouth to stop the flow of mistakes and blunders that assist our enemies,
lend no support to our intelligence agencies, nor our military. When the
White House itself starts issuing statements that acknowledge attacks and
deaths of our intelligence teams, what cover is left for our intelligence
people to work from undercover and in safety. This president is a danger
to this country in so many ways I have lost count a long time ago. If this
is Obama's idea of a trasnparent administration, then he has failed
miserably. The worst part about this is how many American lives will this
obama blunder cost this country? Who will Obama blame the next time this
happens bacuase we know it will happen again.
Could this actually be the greatest and potentially the deadliest of Obama’s screw ups so far?
Posted by Erick Erickson From RedState
Friday, January 1st at 10:12PM EST
I missed the implications of this up front and I bet you all did too, but I am hearing from members of the American intelligence community and some on the outside closely connected to those on the inside who are raising a huge red flag right now.
It appears Barack Obama inexperience and amateurishness has just started bonfires on the bridges connecting him to the American intelligence community and delivered a huge, HUGE psychological win to Al Qaeda.
People tell me the President’s rush to acknowledge the attack on the CIA in Afghanistan and mourn the deaths openly, publicly, and via press release is a huge no no. The CIA and greater intelligence community would prefer not to have the attention put on them. Additionally, because the President took the time to draft a blanket statement focused on the CIA in general instead of individually and more privately focusing on the families of the victims, it acknowledges the CIA’s work in Afghanistan, acknowledges that the attack has an impact on the CIA, and gives the terrorists a new recruiting tool — “you too can cause America to publicly mourn the loss of their spies.”
To you and me this may not seem like a big deal. But I’m told this is hugely significant and shows just how out of touch the Obama administration is with the intelligence community. I’m told that no other President has issued such blanket statements of public mourning directed toward an attack on the CIA and thereby having the White House itself confirming an attack on our intelligence community.
The intelligence community is licking its wounds right now and Obama’s rush to confirm for the world that the community suffered such wounds has the intelligence community simmering tonight and Al Qaeda preparing a PR blitz with what they view as good news.
UPDATED: Take the information above and couple it with this. The White House is subtly blaming the intelligence community for the failure to deduce the Delta/Northwest attack.
Why?
Presidential aides are concerned that Obama will somehow be unfairly accused of dropping the ball on the fight against terrorist in Yemen
Because the President is worried about being blamed, the White House is trying to blame the CIA while at the same time undermining the CIA through a rush to publicize the Afghan attack.
Either this White House is willfully trying to sabotage the intelligence community or they are rank amateurs. I pray to God in Heaven it is the latter.
Tags: Afghanistan, Barack Obama, CIA To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the Patriot's Corner. Thanks!
Tip of the mug to Atlas Shrugs
Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab now has a public defender who may try to get his terrorist client a plea deal.
In what is now rapidly becoming a criminal circus(as most things like this do when Obama or his administration are involved)our beloved terrorist who almost blew up Flight 253 on Christmas day,now has a public defender who has told Abdulmutallab to not speak out anymore. All of sudden this terrorist scum has rights like any other legal citizen would in the United States. WTF is up with this? This Nigerian wanna be terrorist murderer must be turned over to the military and tried in a military court of law. If he refuses to talk then waterboard his sorry ass until he talks. Show him some bugs inside a box as that can work on these highly intelligent Muslim students of death and destruction. The severity of this terrorist's crime should win him a swift sentence of the death sentence, to be carried out immediately after being found guilty. He should be put to death in front of the French, Germany, Austrian or some other European embassy. That way those European cowards can witness first hand how terrorists should be 'properly handled and terminated.'
Obama aide defends trial for suspect in Christmas Day attempt to bomb plane
By Karen De Young
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, January 4, 2010
President Obama's chief counterterrorism adviser on Sunday defended the administration's decision to try in federal court the man charged with attempting to bomb an airliner on Christmas Day and indicated that he would be offered a plea agreement to persuade him to reveal what he knows about al-Qaeda operations in Yemen.
Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the 23-year-old Nigerian charged with the failed attempt on the Amsterdam-to-Detroit flight, was initially "talking to people who detained him" but now has a public defender and "doesn't have to," John O. Brennan said on "Fox News Sunday."
"We have different ways of obtaining information from individuals" in the criminal-justice process, Brennan said on NBC's "Meet the Press." "A lot of people . . . understand what they're facing, and their lawyers recognize that there is advantage to talking to us in terms of plea agreements, [and] we're going to pursue that." Brennan told CNN's "State of the Union" that other terrorism suspects have "given us very valuable information as they've gone through the plea-agreement process."
Brennan's tour of the talk shows -- he also appeared on ABC's "This Week" -- came as the administration tried to counter, and move out in front of, widespread criticism of intelligence systems that did not identify Abdulmutallab as an al-Qaeda operative or detect the explosive he was allegedly carrying before he boarded Northwest Airlines Flight 253.
Much of the criticism Sunday, however, centered on the decision to try him in civilian court rather than hold him as a military prisoner. "If we had treated this Christmas Day bomber as a terrorist, he would have immediately been interrogated military-style, rather than given the rights of an American and lawyers," Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) said on CNN. "We probably lost valuable information."
Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said it was a "very serious mistake" to send Abdulmutallab to federal court.
"He was trained, equipped and directed by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula," Lieberman said on ABC. "That was an act of war. He should be treated as a prisoner of war, held in a military brig, questioned now, and should have been ever since apprehended for intelligence that could help us stop the next attack or get people in Yemen."
Lieberman and others questioned the administration's ongoing plans to close the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and transfer or release about 200 remaining inmates there.
"If we don't stop the practice of releasing Guantanamo detainees to Yemen or to other countries . . . we're asking for even more trouble," said Sen. Kit Bond (Mo.), the senior Republican on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, which has said it will begin hearings on the Christmas incident on Jan. 21. "I think there ought to be an immediate halt put to releases from Guantanamo."
Continue reading here
Tags: Abdelmutalib, civilian court, Military tribunal, Nigeria, Terror, Flight 253 To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the Patriot's Corner. Thanks!
Obama aide defends trial for suspect in Christmas Day attempt to bomb plane
By Karen De Young
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, January 4, 2010
President Obama's chief counterterrorism adviser on Sunday defended the administration's decision to try in federal court the man charged with attempting to bomb an airliner on Christmas Day and indicated that he would be offered a plea agreement to persuade him to reveal what he knows about al-Qaeda operations in Yemen.
Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the 23-year-old Nigerian charged with the failed attempt on the Amsterdam-to-Detroit flight, was initially "talking to people who detained him" but now has a public defender and "doesn't have to," John O. Brennan said on "Fox News Sunday."
"We have different ways of obtaining information from individuals" in the criminal-justice process, Brennan said on NBC's "Meet the Press." "A lot of people . . . understand what they're facing, and their lawyers recognize that there is advantage to talking to us in terms of plea agreements, [and] we're going to pursue that." Brennan told CNN's "State of the Union" that other terrorism suspects have "given us very valuable information as they've gone through the plea-agreement process."
Brennan's tour of the talk shows -- he also appeared on ABC's "This Week" -- came as the administration tried to counter, and move out in front of, widespread criticism of intelligence systems that did not identify Abdulmutallab as an al-Qaeda operative or detect the explosive he was allegedly carrying before he boarded Northwest Airlines Flight 253.
Much of the criticism Sunday, however, centered on the decision to try him in civilian court rather than hold him as a military prisoner. "If we had treated this Christmas Day bomber as a terrorist, he would have immediately been interrogated military-style, rather than given the rights of an American and lawyers," Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) said on CNN. "We probably lost valuable information."
Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said it was a "very serious mistake" to send Abdulmutallab to federal court.
"He was trained, equipped and directed by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula," Lieberman said on ABC. "That was an act of war. He should be treated as a prisoner of war, held in a military brig, questioned now, and should have been ever since apprehended for intelligence that could help us stop the next attack or get people in Yemen."
Lieberman and others questioned the administration's ongoing plans to close the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and transfer or release about 200 remaining inmates there.
"If we don't stop the practice of releasing Guantanamo detainees to Yemen or to other countries . . . we're asking for even more trouble," said Sen. Kit Bond (Mo.), the senior Republican on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, which has said it will begin hearings on the Christmas incident on Jan. 21. "I think there ought to be an immediate halt put to releases from Guantanamo."
Continue reading here
Tags: Abdelmutalib, civilian court, Military tribunal, Nigeria, Terror, Flight 253 To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the Patriot's Corner. Thanks!
Not just 'another' 2009, the year in pictures video. This is an exceptional video and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Here is a wonderful video from RJ Moeller from Voice in the Wilderness.
If you have never checked out his blog please do so. You will find it a
real treat to read his articles, opinions from what I think, is a fresh perspective.
Thanks to RJ Moeller for letting me use this here.
If you have never checked out his blog please do so. You will find it a
real treat to read his articles, opinions from what I think, is a fresh perspective.
Thanks to RJ Moeller for letting me use this here.
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