April 24, 2013

Kate over at The Victory Blog interviews Kerry Patton, a civilian contractor in military zones who has just written a book on the real story behind the patriots who serve US interests abroad.

Go check it out.

April 18, 2013

Reports yesterday that a suspect in the Boston Bombing had been arrested and reports that a Saudi Student, previously declared to be cleared, is being deported raises a few eyebrows to say the least.

An expert on terrorism says the Saudi national who was the original “person of interest” in connection with Monday’s Boston Marathon bombing is going to be deported from the U.S. next week.

The foreign student from Revere, Mass., is identified as 20-year-old Abdul Rahman Ali Alharbi.

“I just learned from my own sources that he is now going to be deported on national security grounds next Tuesday, which is very unusual,” Steve Emerson of the Investigative Project on Terrorism told Sean Hannity of Fox News Wednesday night.

April 16, 2013

Haroon Aswat will not be coming to America to face charges related to a terrorist plot involving Abu Hamza because he is, you know, batshit crazy.

BBC: The European Court of Human Rights has ruled a terrorism suspect should not be extradited from the UK to the US due to his mental health problems.

Haroon Aswat allegedly tried to establish a training camp in Oregon with the radical cleric Abu Hamza, who was extradited to the US last year.

But Mr Aswat said conditions in a 'supermax' jail could exacerbate his paranoid schizophrenia.

if you ask me, that's pretty freaking deluxe nutbag to start with.

April 04, 2013

But mostly dead.

Related and Cool.

April 03, 2013

Yesterday NPR reports that so long as the joint industrial complex at Kaeson was operating normally we could "sleep well at night."

Today, um, the North closed the joint industrial complex at Kaeson. Blocking the South Koreans who worked there from entry.

So at least I know that Kim Jing-un and I both have something in common, we listen to NPR on our commutes?

March 26, 2013

An Army staff sergeant serving in Afghanistan trying to recover from the shock of losing two friends in a violent suicide bombing found a friend in the most unlikely of places.

March 14, 2013

He really gets us!

What did Obama and his advisors think would happen? Why that out of gratitude for America stopping its (alleged) bullying and imperialistic ways and getting on the (alleged) side of history the new regimes would be friendly. The Muslim Brotherhood in particular would conclude that America was not its enemy. You know, one Brotherhood leader would supposedly say to another, all of these years we thought the United States was against us but now we see that they are really our friends. Remember Obama’s Cairo speech? He really gets us!

More likely he’d be saying: We don’t understand precisely what the Americans are up to but they are obviously weak, cowardly, and in decline! In fact, that’s what they did say.

March 13, 2013

Distinguished Warfare Medal

(Washington, D.C.) Considerable heartburn has erupted within the U.S. military regarding the new Distinguished Warfare Medal, intended to honor "extraordinary actions" of drone pilots customarily working hundreds or thousands of miles away from any combat zone.

The controversy is that the Distinguished Warfare Medal is ranked above the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart, decorations typically awarded for actions in combat.

Along with an avalanche of Whiskey Tango Foxtrots and a tsunami of outrage, troops are circulating a photo of a gold-plated X-Box controller and the skull-emblazoned “Call of Duty” medal as “prototypes” of the new award, which honors servicemembers like drone pilots and computer hackers who impact combat operations from afar.

The medal is being called the Chairborne Medal, the Distant Warfare Medal and the Purple Buttocks, among other names.

March 09, 2013

Thanks to John.

March 07, 2013

Please have a seat in the showroom, we'll be right with you.

ANKARA — Osama bin Laden's son-in-law Sulaiman Abu Ghaith was seized by CIA agents and taken to the United States after Turkey deported him to Jordan this month, a Turkish newspaper reported on Thursday.

Abu Ghaith, the former spokesman of the Al-Qaeda network, was seized last month at a luxury hotel in Ankara after a tip-off from CIA and was held there by the police despite a US request for his extradition.

Turkish authorities deported Abu Ghaith to Jordan on March 1 to be sent back to Kuwait but he was seized by CIA agents in Jordan and taken to the United States, the Hurriyet newspaper said.

His deportation coincided with a visit by US Secretary of State John Kerry to Ankara as part of a regional tour, it added.

UPDATE II: I'm putting this update above the FBI presser below since the below is so lengthy. But don't you think this is interesting?

Osama bin Laden's son-in-law, Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, has been "cooperating" and has already revealed "key intelligence" about the current status, personnel and finances of al Qaeda even before he was secretly spirited to New York City, U.S. officials told ABC News today.

"It is huge," said Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee. "This is a man who is in the inner circle of bin Laden's al Qaeda operations and now we have him alive and he's talking."

Isn't this the real debate we should be having about drone strikes? That it is better to capture al Qaeda operatives than to kill them since dead men tell no tales?

This is not to say I have moral objections to killing them. Kill them all .... if we could.

But if it's a choice: kill or capture. Then the choice should be capture.

Which is why the Obama drone strike policy is morally destitute. This would be the man that objected to extraordinary rendition, black sites, and harsh interrogation.

It's immoral, in Obama's view, to send an al Qaeda operative to Saudi Arabia. It's immoral to hold them for a number of years at a black site above and beyond the reach of US courts. It's immoral to hurt them emotionally, psychologically, or physically while they are under US control.

Even when any of these things led to intelligence which helped us capture or kill other al Qaeda operatives.

But killing them? No big deal.

Hurting someone is immoral, but not killing them. But that is the morally inverted world that liberals live in. It helps them sleep at night.

Me? I don't lose any sleep knowing that a member of al Qaeda is being waterboarded or killed. Either way is good by me, with the waterboarding being the lesser of two necessary evils.

UPDATE by Rusty: Any opposed to droning his ass? I mean, after a fair trial, of course.

FBI Presser:

Sulaiman Abu Ghayth, a/k/a “Suleiman Abu Gayth,” a former associate of Osama bin Laden, has been arrested and charged in an indictment unsealed today in New York City with conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals, announced Attorney General Eric Holder, Assistant Attorney General for National Security Lisa Monaco, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s New York Field Office George Venizelos, and the Police Commissioner of the City of New York (NYPD) Raymond W. Kelly. Abu Ghayth is expected to be presented and arraigned tomorrow, March 8, 2013, at 10:00 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan.

“No amount of distance or time will weaken our resolve to bring America’s enemies to justice,” said Attorney General Holder. “To violent extremists who threaten the American people and seek to undermine our way of life, this arrest sends an unmistakable message: There is no corner of the world where you can escape from justice because we will do everything in our power to hold you accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

“The arrest of Abu Ghayth is an important milestone in our ongoing counterterrorism efforts. I applaud the many agents, analysts, and prosecutors responsible for bringing about this significant case and arrest,” said Assistant Attorney General Monaco.

“It has been 13 years since Abu Ghayth allegedly worked alongside Osama bin Laden in his campaign of terror and 13 years since he allegedly took to the public airwaves, exhorting others to embrace al Qaeda’s cause and warning of more terrorist attacks like the mass murder of 9/11,” said U.S. Attorney Bharara. “The memory of those attacks is indelibly etched on the American psyche, and today’s action is the latest example of our commitment to capturing and punishing enemies of the United States, no matter how long it takes.”

“Sulaiman Abu Ghayth held a key position in al Qaeda, comparable to the consigliere in a mob family or propaganda minister in a totalitarian regime,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Venizelos. “He used his position to persuade others to swear loyalty to al Qaeda’s murderous cause. He used his position to threaten the United States and incite its enemies. His apprehension is another important step in the campaign to limit the reach of al Qaeda and enhance our national and international security.”

“While New York City must remain vigilant to continued terrorist threats against it, Abu Ghayth’s apprehension and prosecution promises to close another chapter in al Qaeda’s notoriously violent history of killing Americans,” said NYPD Commissioner Kelly. “This case also represents another success in the ongoing partnership between federal agents and NYPD detectives through the JTTF.”

As alleged in the superseding indictment that has been filed against Abu Ghayth in federal court:

Since around 1989, al Qaeda has been an international terrorist organization dedicated to opposing non-Islamic governments with force and violence. Osama bin Laden served as the leader, or “emir,” of al Qaeda until his death on or about May 2, 2011. Members of al Qaeda typically have pledged an oath of allegiance, called bayat, to bin Laden and to al Qaeda.

The core purpose of al Qaeda, as stated by bin Laden and other leaders, is to support violent attacks against property and nationals, both military and civilian, of the United States and other countries. Between 1989 and 2001, al Qaeda established training camps, guest houses, and business operations in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and other countries for the purpose of training and supporting its agenda of violence and murder. Members and associates of al Qaeda have executed a number of terrorist attacks, all in furtherance of the organization’s stated conspiracy to kill Americans, including the attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, in New York, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, which killed approximately 2,976 people.

From at least May 2001 up to around 2002, Abu Ghayth served alongside Osama bin Laden, appearing with bin Laden and his then-deputy Ayman al Zawahiri, speaking on behalf of the terrorist organization and in support of its mission, and warning that attacks similar to those of September 11, 2001, would continue.

In particular, around May 2001, Abu Ghayth urged individuals at a guest house in Kandahar, Afghanistan, to swear bayat to bin Laden. On the evening of September 11, 2001, after the terrorist attacks on the United States, bin Laden summoned Abu Gayth and asked for his assistance, and he agreed to provide it. On the morning of September 12, 2001, Abu Ghayth, appeared with bin Laden and al Zawahiri and spoke on behalf of al Qaeda, warning the United States and its allies that “[a] great army is gathering against you” and called upon “the nation of Islam” to do battle against “the Jews, the Christians, and the Americans.” Also, after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Abu Ghayth delivered a speech in which he addressed the then-U.S. Secretary of State and warned that “the storms shall not stop, especially the airplanes storm” and advised Muslims, children, and opponents of the United States “not to board any aircraft and not to live in high rises.”

Abu Gayth arranged to be, and was, successfully smuggled from Afghanistan into Iran in 2002.

* * * * *

The indictment charges Abu Ghayth with participating in a conspiracy to kill United States nationals, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2332(b). The offense carries a maximum term of imprisonment of life. No trial date has yet been set in the case.

The charges and arrest of Abu Ghayth are the result of the close cooperative efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, the Joint Terrorism Task Force—which principally consists of agents and detectives of the FBI and the New York City Police Department—the United States Marshals Service and the National Security Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the U.S. Department of State also provided assistance.

The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys John P. Cronan and Michael Ferrara of the Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, with assistance from Trial Attorney Jolie Zimmerman of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

February 20, 2013

Yeah, I like noticed you're following me on twitter yesterday. Thanks dude!

Also yesterday the Taliban's website could be found here.

http://www.shahamat.info
http://www.alemarahnews.com/
http://alemara1.org/

Today? Not so much.

It looks like they ran into some sort of DNS issue, hmmm?

Mwuhahahahahhaaaaaaaa!!!

Special Thanks to Zionist Bandwidth Bitch.

February 09, 2013

(Click to enlarge)

February 01, 2013

While their Commander-In-Chief enjoys his pampering, U.S. soldiers go without:

The Army has stopped serving cooked breakfasts to some of the U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan as part of its drawdown, a move that prompted troops to write home asking their families and friends to send care packages with cereal, breakfast bars and other foods.

The Army told the Washington Guardian the current cutbacks began Jan. 1, and affect about 2,700 soldiers deployed in forward operating bases in more remote areas of Afghanistan.

FrontpageMag.com asks, "How many cooked breakfasts for soldiers would Obama's 20 million dollar Hawaii vacations buy?"

(Hat Tip: IHateTheMedia)

January 18, 2013

You know I'm not the biggest fan of Fwance but..... while we owe our birth to Britain but our freedom we owe to France.

I know I know, we've kind of paid it back nine ways. But both the Brits and the French have helped us in Afghanistan. And its mighty white of us to lend support.

Even though France was a major influence in creating this giant sucking sound in North Africa, if they are going to try and set it right they'll need our help. After all these terrorists are at war not only with France but all of us.

If we are to have any chance to defeat the Islamists we in the west must stand together and fight hard. If no one is willing to do that the French might as well pack it up now.

January 10, 2013

Roggio

The US killed a senior al Qaeda military commander during a recent drone strike in Pakistan's Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan.

Sheikh Yasin Al Kuwaiti, who was killed in a US drone strike on Jan. 8, was a "key al Qaeda paramilitary commander" who was "very high up the food chain," a US intelligence official who tracks the terror group in Pakistan's tribal areas told The Long War Journal. Sheikh Yasin was a top commander and trainer for the Lashkar al Zil, or Shadow Army, al Qaeda's military cadre [for more information on the the Lashkar al Zil, see LWJ report, Al Qaeda's paramilitary 'Shadow Army'].

Sheikh Yasin was also described as a "foreign tactical trainer" by Reuters and "a senior Al Qaeda operative" by Dawn on the day that he was reported killed.

[Read the rest]

December 31, 2012

1k words on the Arab Spring.

Son of Qaeda leader Abu yahya al Libi, Osama, at school in Tessawa, south Libya

Update *Dmartyr points out that it appears someone has been practicing the implementation of Sharia on old Tom there.

Missing legs, hand and ear.

December 28, 2012

While the United States is number one for the average number of guns per person, it is much safer than some countries with strict gun control laws that deny citizens the right to arm themselves.

Compare these two maps. The first shows the number of guns in proportion to the population. The U.S. (darkest color) has far more guns than any other country. The second shows the number of homicides committed with a gun, again in proportion to the population.

(Click Image To Enlarge)

(Click Image To Enlarge)

Both interactive maps, along with the data used to compile the maps, can be located HERE.

Download and save the data HERE.

December 27, 2012

(Language Alert)

December 26, 2012

A few days ago, a liberal New York news site published a map showing the names and exact location of all legal gun permit holders in Westchester and Rockland counties in New York. They claimed the Freedom of Information Act gave them the legal right and responsibility to post the sensitive information.

But here's one map a liberal rag would never publicize out of concerns for the privacy of those named - a sex offender registry:

Since the gun permit holders must go through a background check for approval, I think its safe to say none of the names on my map are the same as the names on lohud.com's map.

So, which map would you prefer to have for your neighborhood? Which map do you think better serves and protects the public? Me, I'd rather have legal gun owners living next door than a sex offender.

If you don't live in New York, Family Watch Dog maps your area as well.

Update below the fold.

After a commenter mentioned possible overlap between the maps, I went back and checked a few more random points. I also selected random addresses from the gun permit map and input the information at Family Watch Dog. There were no matches.

Of course, this isn't a scientific sampling. But anyone reading can test a few addresses for themselves.

One interesting thing I found is that in some areas, where there were few registered gun permit holders, there were a number of sex offenders - and vice versa! I saved a couple of screenshots to illustrate. The gun permit map is on the right and the sex offender map is on the left (click to enlarge):

BTW, the maps were not altered in any way. You can check them yourself by locating the streets on either the sex offender map or the gun permit map linked above.

As you can see, there are seemingly few registered sex offenders where there are a number of registered gum permit holders, and few gun permit holders where there are a number of registered sex offenders.

Coincidence? Maybe. Probably. But I would much prefer a neighborhood filled with red dots than a neighborhood filled with offender squares. Just sayin'.

December 23, 2012

Sounds like Piers Morgan still has a bug up his butt that an armed citizen militia kicked the British Army's ass:

A petition was started yesterday at the White House website to deport British citizen Piers Morgan for his assault on the Second Amendment of the US Constitution. The petition has over 12,000 signatures already.

But Piers is not amused.

More at Twitchy.

Below the fold, scenes of militias versus Red Coats.

Update by SH: FYI, Morgan was fired from the Daily Mirror in 2004:

The term “incredibly stupid” might be an appropriate label for Mr. Morgan to wear around his neck. As editor if the Daily Mirror in 2004, he was fired when his newspaper published photos that purported to show British troops abusing al Qaeda terrorists.

The photos turned out to be obvious fakes. Once published, those faked photos put the lives of British troops in real danger as they became a recruiting tool for al Qaeda. Obviously, that’s dangerous

December 17, 2012

You'll have to put on your RT anti-commie filter to watch this but the fact is that Anhar Kochneva is being held hostage in Syria and her fate is likely not favorable.

We demand that all non combatants, and especially females be released and given safe passage out of Syria.

We also pray for the safety of Anhar Kochneva as well that the Lord comfort her family.

Update: The whereabouts of Senior foreign correspondent Richard Engel, who has been reporting from Syria recently, is also currently unknown. NBC is said to be observing a news blackout on his status if it is known.

December 12, 2012

All to appease Islam:

The soon-to-be-released Army handbook is still being drafted, but a mainstream newspaper got a sneak preview and published an article that should infuriate the American taxpayers funding the never-ending war on terror. The manual is being created because someone with authority bought the theory that cultural insensitivity is driving insider attacks on U.S. troops in Afghanistan. [...]

The draft leaked to the newspaper offers a list of “taboo conversation topics” that soldiers should avoid, including “making derogatory comments about the Taliban,” “advocating women’s rights,” “any criticism of pedophilia,” “directing any criticism towards Afghans,” “mentioning homosexuality and homosexual conduct” or “anything related to Islam.”

(Hat Tip: IHateTheMedia)

His attacker has been identified. His name is Tony Camargo. It was nice of him to wear his name on his jacket.

December 05, 2012

Everyone has a good time.

I must say I was encouraged by the lack of al-Qaeda flags at yesterday's protest. I pray these people make it. Oh and boycotting a vote just insures that you lose that vote.

This is the last great hope for Egypt's freedom, because we all know what comes after the Islamists with that black flag take over.

December 02, 2012

Knock knock joke for Hamas:

November 28, 2012

The big advantage of the neutron bomb, no need to pave afterward.

November 21, 2012

This is not the cease fire you're looking for. Move along, move along.

Sure Hamas might quit firing but then you have Islamic Jihad and Shura Council of the Mujahideen of Jerusalem, not to mention other terrorist monikers.

Besides Hamas doesn't seem all that into anyway.

The chickens are, you know, coming home to roost.

Washington Times:

...Frantic efforts under way at the moment by assorted diplomats aimed at containing hostilities between Israel and the terrorist enclave known as the Gaza Strip (primarily by blocking Israel’s decisive retaliation) cannot obscure a dismal reality: The crescendo of rockets and missiles unleashed by the Palestinians on Israeli civilians are a predictable repercussion of President Obama’s reckless defense and foreign policies.

Consider how such attacks — and the danger to Israel and to us that is growing by the day — have been aided and abetted by an Obama doctrine that can be described in nine words: Embolden our enemies, undermine our friends, diminish our country.

November 19, 2012

CNN :

Pakistan has released nine members of the Taliban from prison in hopes they will help negotiate peace in Afghanistan, a senior Afghan peace negotiator said.

They are to receive safe passage back to Afghanistan, Salahuddin Rabbani, chairman of Afghanistan High Peace Council, told reporters in Kabul Saturday.
A senior Pakistani intelligence official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, confirmed the release, indicating that many of the prisoners were old-guard Taliban, ranking members from generations past.

Two were once ministers in the former Taliban government before the U.S. invaded the country in 2001, he said. The rest were either former government officials or low- to mid-evel commanders.

November 14, 2012

Bumped & updated a bit:

Pres Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood are siding with Hamas and other terrorists in Gaza. Hamas says sploding of their top terrorist a act of war and they will release the "gates of hell" while hiding behind children[see 'twitter war' below]. Arab foreign ministers called the UN to protest how bad the evil Juice are. On Twitter, Pallywood is in full bloom. This twit is really a pain in the ass.

For those who are curious: What Pillar of Defense actually means

I follow Hamas on Twitter and laughed when I saw this from IDFSpokesperson concerning offing their leader:

We recommend that no Hamas operatives, whether low level or senior leaders, show their faces above ground in the days ahead

@AlqassamBrigade @idfspokesperson Our blessed hands will reach your leaders and soldiers wherever they are (You Opened Hell Gates on Yourselves)

Dear Hamas and the world: Israel has a right to protect itself, period. Our thoughts and prayers are with the the citizens of Israel.

Update by Howie: Mohammad Morsi recalls Egypts ambassador to Israel.

From watching my feeds it appears the situation is deteriorating rapidly, with reports of continued fire at Israel from near the Egyptian border in Gaza. Reported hits include an Israeli shopping mall. Israeli citizens are reported to be taking cover from the continued fire from Gaza and most everything is shut down in anticipation of continued rocket fire. There are also reports that rocket fire from Gaza is targeting Israel's nuclear facilities.

Also Israel continues operations against anti Israel forces in Gaza. IDF has said ground operations in Gaza are possible

Begin original post...................

Via Twitter:

@IDFSpokesperson:

The IDF has embarked on Operation Pillar of Defense.

There are 2 main goals of this IDF operation: to protect Israeli civilians and to cripple the terrorist infrastructure in the #Gaza Strip.

The IDF has embarked on an operation against #Hamas, an Iranian proxy responsible for terror attacks on Israel. #Iran #Gaza

This IDF operation against terrorist orgs in #Gaza comes after a month of frequent rocket attacks against #Israel.. http://www.idfblog.com/facts-figures/rocket-attacks-toward-israel/ …

All options are on the table. If necessary, the IDF is ready to initiate a ground operation in Gaza.

The first target, hit minutes ago[2hrs..ed], was Ahmed Al-Jabari, head of the #Hamas military wing: http://www.idfblog.com/2012/11/14/idf-begins-widespread-attack-on-terror-sites-in-the-gaza-strip/

The IDF has begun a widespread campaign on terror sites & operatives in the #GazaStrip, chief among them #Hamas & Islamic Jihad targets.

Update: Besides their Twitter feed, live updates can also be viewed here

For more from the IDF:
http://www.idfblog.com/
http://twitter.com/idfspokesperson/
http://www.facebook.com/idfonline/
http://www.idf.il/english/

Update II: Background on Hamas military chief Ahmed al-Jabari, who was sploded to pieces

The military chief of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Ahmed Jabari was in charge of overseeing the imprisonment of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit who was captured by Palestinian terrorists in 2006 outside of the Gaza Strip. When a prisoner exchange was arranged handing back Shalit to Israel in return for 1,027 Palestinian prisoners in October 2011, Jabari personally escorted Shalit to the Rafah Crossing with Egypt, making a rare public appearance. In an interview with al-Hayat newspaper, Jabari confirmed that most of the 477 prisoners released in the first part of the prisoner exchange were collectively responsible for the deaths of 569 Israeli civilians.[...]

In September 2010, Jabari threatened to increase attacks against Israel to derail the Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations.

It is widely believed that Jabari along with Deif played the leading role in Hamas’ takeover of the Gaza Strip from the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority in June 2007.[More...

November 10, 2012

Via JPost

Palestinian terrorists in Gaza fired an anti-tank missile at an IDF jeep carrying out an ordinary patrol on the Israeli side of the border, striking the vehicle directly and injuring four soldiers on Saturday evening.

One soldier is in serious condition with a head injury, one is moderately wounded, and two are lightly injured. They were airlifted to the Soroka University Medical Center in Be'ersheba.

Immediately afterwards, tanks opened fire on the area from which the missile was fired. Tanks also fired on pre-selected targets in the Sa'ajiya area of Gaza near Nahal Oz. Palestinian sources said four people were killed in the return fire, and 25 others were injured.[Pallywood...ed]

Islamic Jihad is believed to be behind the latest attack. The IDF views the incident as a severe escalation, and as part of a wider, stepped-up terrorist initiative to target its forces along the border.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz is due to hold an evaluation in the coming hours. "This is the second serious incident in a few days along the border," a senior army source said.[More...]

UPDATE: Well this was quick, CNN helping out Pallywood:

Gaza City (CNN) -- Three Palestinians were killed and 22 injured when Israeli tank fire hit a building east of Gaza City where hundreds of mourners were gathered for a funeral, Palestinian medical sources said Saturday.

Ten of those injured are in a serious condition, the medical sources said, and the number of deaths is expected to rise.

November 09, 2012

Either this is a big deal, or it isn't. I'm 50/50 on this myself.

On the one hand we know that the Afghan military and government are compromised by pro-Taliban/anti-American sympathizers. So, that's worst case scenario.

On the other hand the two Afghan intel officers had ..... going back to Afghanistan ... to look forward to after their training. So, it's not just some remote possibility that these guys will turn up on Miami's South Beach or at a brothel just outside of Reno or a bathhouse in San Francisco:

The missing officers are Captain Alibaba Ghashee, Deputy Director of the NDS’ American and European Department, and Major Mohd Farooq Ghanizada, who directs agency’s Counterterrorism and Organized Crime Department. Both offices disappeared while in Washington, DC, for a high-level executive training program run jointly by the American and German governments.

November 08, 2012

Russian made Iranian Su-25 fighter jets fire on US drone patrolling Persian Gulf waters.

The incident raises fresh concerns within the Obama administration about Iranian military aggression in crucial Gulf oil shipping lanes.

The drone was in international airspace east of Kuwait, U.S. officials said, adding it was engaged in routine maritime surveillance.

The Obama administration did not disclose the incident, which occurred just days before the presidential election on November 1, but three senior officials confirmed the details to CNN.

Update by SH:

Mark your calendars, there will be demands and provocations testing the west.

November 07, 2012

I admit, I'm in shock. I really believed the "Romney in a landslide" pundits. I, personally, didn't think it would be a landslide, but those predictions did give me confidence of victory. I honestly thought most Americans had more sense.

However, I'm not going to dwell on the doom and gloom.

America is resilient. It can overcome whatever damage is done over the next four years. I just don't think I'll see it in my lifetime. I'm middle aged and I think it will take more than the next 25 - 30 years or so I have left. I'm okay with that if I can at least see a glimmer of hope that things will get better.

Half of America voted for Obama. Half voted against him. Most are looking at the election as racial or political ideology divides. I see clearly now it isn't either. It is a divide between self-gratification and sacrifice. The half that voted for Obama wants to get something out of it - revenge, handouts, racial pride, political power, a "fair share" of someone's hard-earned wealth. The other half is willing to forgo those temporary consolations to build a better home for future generations.

Obama's win last night is a victory for those who support his radical socialist agenda. It is a Pyrrhic victory. It will be short term with long lasting consequences. But America is resilient. We will overcome and, hopefully, we will become a stronger nation for it.

October 17, 2012

Impressive.... Most impressive!

These aren't the shouts of Allahu Ackbar we're looking for. Move along, move along.

Update: The shot!

Like, say, Jihadi captured shoulder fired missiles arriving in Gaza.

I'll defend Obama here. There is a history involving Libya and Russian made Strela missiles. But Syria was also a Soviet client. The missile could have just as easily come from rebels Obama supports there.

I know, but defending Obama is a tall order. ;-)

But given Gaza's proximity to Egypt and Egypt being right next door to Libya, Libya would be the most likely source.

Reuters:

In the months before the deadly attack in Benghazi, Libya, U.S. and allied intelligence agencies warned the White House and State Department repeatedly that the region was becoming an increasingly dangerous vortex for jihadist groups loosely linked or sympathetic to al Qaeda, according to U.S. officials.

Despite those warnings, and bold public displays by Islamist militants around Benghazi, embassies in the region were advised to project a sense of calm and normalcy in the run-up to the anniversary of the September 11 attacks in the United States.

So brazen was the Islamist presence in the Benghazi area that militants convened what they billed as the "First Annual Conference of Supporters of Shariah (Islamic law)" in the city in early June, promoting the event on Islamist websites.

Pictures from the conference posted on various Internet forums featured convoys flying al Qaeda banners, said Josh Lefkowitz of Flashpoint-Intel.com, a firm that monitors militant websites. Video clips showed vehicles with mounted artillery pieces, he added.

al-Libi's funeral was held openly in Libya and received lots of coverage and sympathy in the Arab press.

This article on ABC's blotter from June 12th this year discusses al-Libi's death and also contains a video of Ayman al-Zawahiri confirming al-Libi's death and vowing revenge.

Basically Obama's claims about the intelligence leading up to the death of Ambassador Stevens suggest that the administration needs to start reading The Blotter and Jawa Report.

Also his debate claims about his advances against al-Qaeda are contrary to what we all know about recent Jihadist advances in the wake of the Arab Spring. al-Qaeda as a centralized organization may be somewhat weakened by the loss of some of its leaders, however al-Qaeda as a state of mind as the primary philosophy of jihadist groups is stronger and more influential than its ever been.

This truth is one Obama can hardly afford to become part of the public discussion. That his policies have promoted, not thwarted the long term goals of al-Qaeda and their sympathizers.

But what about attacks? Direct Jihad against the US homeland is really not required. The US is disengaging for the most part it does not interfere with the Jihadists. al-Qaeda can concentrate on other areas with only the occasional direct attack against US interests in special cases such as revenge for the death of al-Libi.

This dovetails nicely with Obama's interest that the American electorate be blissfully unaware of the danger, ignorant for the most part of the true strength of the al-Qaeda, the Salafi Jihadist movement and its current advances across the Middle East.

October 05, 2012

If only superiors had taken such a firm approach to Major Nidal Malik Hasan instead of giving him promotions...

From FNC (emphasis mine):

Lt. Col Matthew Dooley, a West Point graduate and highly-decorated combat veteran, was an instructor at the Joint Forces Staff College at the National Defense University, where by most accounts he won praise from students and faculty alike. But when Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey excoriated Dooley during a Pentagon press conference in May, characterizing his course, “Perspectives on Islam and Islamic Radicalism” as objectionable, unprofessional, and “against our values,” Dooley's once-bright career effectively hit a dead end, say his backers.

“This was a very heavy-handed approach from the very top,” said Richard Thompson, chief counselor and president of the Thomas More Law Center, a national nonprofit public interest law firm handling Dooley’s case. “He had a brilliant career ahead of him," Thompson said. "Now, he has been flagged.”

Following Dempsey's criticism, Dooley received a negative Officer Evaluation Report (OER) after acing them for the past five years, according to Thompson. In military circles, the bad OER was a scarlet letter.

“They [superiors] ordered a negative evaluation. He will never have the opportunity for promotion unless this is overturned,” Thompson said. [...]

More Law Center attorneys believe Dooley was doomed by a letter sent to the White House, Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies a year ago and signed by more than 50 Muslim-American groups, including the Council of American-Islamic Relations. The missive decried what groups described as the government's “use of biased, false, and highly offensive training materials about Muslims and Islam.”

September 13, 2012

There's been a lot of talk about an al-Qaeda tape featuring Zawahiri, Ghadan talking about the death of al-Liby and calling on Libyans to exact revenge for his death.

Right Wing News has a good report on the tape here.

On September 11, 2012, Al-Qaeda's media wing, Al-Sahab, released a new video featuring the group's leader, Ayman Al-Zawahiri; U.S. born spokesman Adam Gadahn; slain commander Abu Yahya Al-Libi; official in charge of da'wa and media in Urdu Ustad Ahmad Farooq; and old footage of the late radical Yemeni-American cleric Anwar Al-Awlaki.

The two-part video, titled "Truth Has Come and Falsehood has Perished," is over an hour and half in duration, and is in three versions – Arabic, English, and Urdu. The video was first posted on the jihadi forum Shumoukh Al-Islam.