[Al Ahram] Rebel (Tamarod) has distanced itself from comments by its leader about a possible presidential bid by army chief Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi. The group's co-founder, Mahmoud Badr, on Thursday said he had no reservations about backing a presidential candidate from the military, a stance that was later altered by the group's spokesperson.
"Announcing support for a candidate at a time when there is no established plan for elections, no constitution or any official candidates, would be an uncalculated, unreasonable step," Mohamed Shahine clarified via Facebook.
"Our next, primary battle before presidential polls is the constitution," Shahine added.
In a television interview on Dubai-based Al-Arabiya, Badr said he might back a presidential bid by army chief Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, who led the overthrow of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, "if the country is still unstable."
"If there is a stable security situation, I'd rather a civilian president," Badr added.
El-Sisi has repeatedly denied speculation that he plans to run for president, claiming he is not interested in ruling the country.
Shahine also accused Egypt's Moslem Brüderbund of distorting the Arab resistance and the Paleostinian cause "to serve Western and American interests that defend the Zionist state."
"The major goal of the Brotherhood and its followers is to turn the conflict in the region from an Arab-Zionist conflict into a sectarian, Sunni-Shia conflict."
Posted by: Fred ||
08/31/2013 00:00 ||
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[Al Ahram] Tunisia's ruling coalition on Friday met mediators working to end a political crisis sparked by the liquidation of an opposition MP, ahead of planned anti-government protests, an official said.
The mediators have been shuttling between the ruling Islamists and the opposition in a bid to end the political turmoil caused by the killing of opposition MP Mohamed Brahmi on July 25, an attack blamed on hardline Salafists ...Salafists are ostentatiously devout Moslems who figure the ostentation of their piety gives them the right to tell others how to do it and to kill those who don't listen to them... The mediators comprise representatives of the powerful UGTT trade union along with members of employers' organization UTICA, the Tunisian League for Human Rights and the national order of lawyers.
A UGTT official said Friday's meeting involved talks with members of ruling Islamist party Ennahda and its allies Congress for the Republic and Ettakatol.
The mediators were due later to hold talks with the umbrella opposition group, the National Salvation Front, which has repeatedly demanded the dissolution of the Ennahda-led government.
It has also refused to negotiate directly before a non-partisan cabinet has been formed.
Ennahda said this week that it would accept the resignation of Prime Minister Ali Larayedh's cabinet, a step the mediators also favour.
But it said that agreement must first be reached on a timetable for fresh elections and the contents of a new constitution, the drafting of which in the national assembly has for month been blocked by political wranglings.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/31/2013 00:00 ||
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As commenter SteveS said in the O Club: Smooth move - bold decision and ass-covering walk-back all in one.
President Obama said on Saturday that he was ready to take military action against Syrian President Bashar Assad, but that he will seek the approval of Congress before carrying out a military strike.
Obama says Congressional leaders have agreed to schedule a debate and vote when they return to session. The president did not say if he'd forgo a strike if Congress disapproves
There's also a small Democrat antiwar group in Congress. Headed by Sheilah Jackson Lee, admittedly. But it'll be interesting to see how that gets spun when Congress comes back into session and deals with this.
#11
Everyone write your Congresscritters NOW. Tell them not only NO, but HELL NO.
There is absolutely no - zero, nada,zilch - legitimate reason to strike Syria right no. Even if Assad was the one using the chemical weapons (not yet proven), all we would be doing is aiding the al Qaeda rebels.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia ||
08/31/2013 15:33 Comments ||
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#12
Never underestimate the stupidity of congress. Some demorat will slip in the budget increases to the bill. "We will have to pass it to see what is in it"
[Dawn] Criticising the federal interior ministry for inciting hatred and bias, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain Friday appealed to the chief justice of Pakistan to order a probe unmasking elements behind the 'hoax' of Muhajir Republican Army, DawnNews reported.
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08/31/2013 00:00 ||
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[Dawn] The federal government has decided to withdraw a statement mentioning the existence of a previously unknown bully boy outfit, the 'Muhajir Republican Army', from the report submitted to the Supreme Court on Thursday.
Attorney General Munir A. Malik had presented the report to the apex court when asked about the federal government's stance on providing assistance to the Sindh government in normalising the law and order situation in Bloody Karachi ...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous... During the National Assembly session on Friday, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said that the government was retracting the mention of the bully boy group in the report. He claimed that the report was submitted to the Supreme Court without his permission and that he would apologise to the court for it.
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08/31/2013 00:00 ||
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[Dawn] The federal government submitted in the Supreme Court on Thursday that intelligence agencies were required to identify the first and second line leaderships of all criminal groups in different communities in the disturbed areas of Bloody Karachi ...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous... as well as of a hitherto unknown outfit, Muhajir Republican Army, so that action could be taken against them under the law.
This was stated in a report submitted to a five-judge larger bench by Attorney General Munir A. Malik, who had been asked on Wednesday to inform the court about the stance of the federal government on providing assistance to the Sindh government in normalising the situation.
The bench, which comprises Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Jawwad Khawaja, Justice Gulzar Ahmed, Justice Ather Saeed and Justice Azmat Saeed, is hearing implementation of its judgment in the Karachi law and order case.
The report said the law and order situation in Karachi was in shambles when the present government took over in June. It said the city was confronted with multi-dimensional threats compounded by a rapid increase in population as over a period of time criminal gangs had matured into formidable syndicates by entering into alliances with terrorist organizations.
"Unfortunately, various facets of these syndicates have succeeded in developing political patronage in various forms," the report said, adding that an "extremely careful and responsible handling is required to disentangle the situation".
The report suggested that an outright major operation should be avoided in crime-infested Lyari ...one of the eighteen constituent towns of the city of Karachi. It is the smallest town by area in the city but also the most densely populated. Lyari has few schools, substandard hospitals, a poor water system, limited infrastructure, and broken roads. It is a stronghold of ruling Pakistan Peoples Party. Ubiquitous gang activity and a thriving narcotics industry make Lyari one of the most disturbed places in Karachi, which is really saying a lot.... at all costs because "it could open an additional front". More visible security forces should be deployed in Kutchhi community-dominated areas.
In addition to the existing coordination, the report said, both Intelligence Bureau and Inter-Services Intelligence should identify the first and second tier leaderships of all criminal groups in different communities in the troubled areas. The IB, through technical and communication intelligence, including geo-fencing, should collect evidence about criminal activities of these ringleaders.
Individuals financing displaced persons in Badin or Thatta also needed to be identified. All-out efforts are needed to identify members of the Muhajir Republican Army and take action against them under the law.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/31/2013 00:00 ||
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[Dawn] The Director General of the Sindh Rangers Maj-Gen Rizwan Akhtar on Friday informed the Supreme Court that around 19,000 shipping containers containing weapons and vehicles had gone missing during the tenure of the former minister for ports and shipping.
Um. That seems a great deal, but perhaps they're only small containers.
A five-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, and comprising of Justices Jawwad S. Khawaja, Gulzar Ahmed, Athar Saeed and Azmat Saeed, was hearing the implementation of its judgment in the Bloody Karachi ...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous... law and order case.
The chief justice directed authorities to submit a report on the illegal smuggling and theft of duty at Karachi's seaports within the next seven days.
The chief justice also formed a one-member commission, comprising former Curtoms Collector Ramzan Bhatti, and ordered the Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR) to fully cooperate with the commission in investigating smuggling activities at the ports.
The court also ordered Nadra to complete its task of weapons registration in the shortest possible time.
Friday's hearing -- the third consecutive hearing of the case held at the Karachi registry --was attended by top government officials including the Inspector General Sindh, Additional IG, three Zonal IGs, DG Rangers Sindh Rizwan Akhtar and the Chief Secretary, along with other top official of the Sindh government.
During the previous day's proceedings, the chief justice had noted that a large quantity of arms and ammunition were being smuggled into Karachi through ports and supplied throughout the country.
He had also pointed towards reports of about 19,000 containers containing weapons and vehicles that had gone missing, and had asked DG Rangers Rizwan Akhtar to submit further details on the disappearance.
Presenting his report, Akhtar informed the bench today that the matter of the missing containers was now a few years old and that they had disappeared during the tenure of the former minister for ports and shipping.
Akhtar said that the weapons were taken to the tribal areas and then brought back to the port city. He said that National and Super highways and Hub routes were used in their transportation.
He informed the bench that there were 'hundreds of routes' between Sindh and Balochistan ...the Pak province bordering Kandahar and Uruzgun provinces in Afghanistan and Sistan Baluchistan in Iran. Its native Baloch propulation is being displaced by Pashtuns and Punjabis and they aren't happy about it... where there were several security check-posts but no law enforcement personnel to man them.
The DG Rangers said that illegally smuggled weapons previously of the US military troops in Afghanistan were also recovered in Wazoo when he was serving in the restive tribal region.
The DG Rangers also told the court that 78 per cent of the illegal weapons being used in Karachi were foreign-manufactured. He said these included AK-47s and 9mm guns, which were mainly used in murder crimes in the city.
Akhtar also pointed to the lack of proper monitoring at the ports. He said that there was need for scanners as properly scanning thousands of containers was a very difficult task.
The bench had also summoned the Chief Secretary to the court.
When asked how many CCTV cameras were presently installed in the city, the Chief Secretary told the bench that 1200 cameras were currently placed in different parts of Karachi.
However, there is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened... of these, a majority were in need of repair while the rest have been put up in such a way that they are unable to show any clear footage of the area.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/31/2013 00:00 ||
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[Ynet] Jordanian security officials operating on the Jordan-Syria border said that the Jordanian army and US and Western forces have boosted deployement in the border.
The sources reported that "unusual" steps are being taken in preparation for a strike on Syria and any unforeseen scenarios. The al-Hayat newspaper also reported that planes and tanks have arrived at the border area to oversee events in south and north Syria.
...Putin said he thinks the chemical attack was a "provocation" by Assad's opponents who wished to draw the United States and other powers into the conflict.
"Common sense speaks for itself: the Syrian government forces are on the offensive, and they have encircled insurgents in some regions, and it would be utter stupidity to give up a trump card to those who have been regularly calling for military intervention. It defies any logic, especially on the day when UN monitors came there," he told reporters.
Putin said he believes Western intervention is only aimed at helping the rebels, which he suggested have recently lost ground to government forces.
...He also praised the British vote not to join in any strike, saying it shows there are people with "common sense there." Translation: get your head out of Saudi ass.
[APNEWS.MYWAY] You simply can't safely bomb a chemical weapon storehouse into oblivion, experts say. That's why they say the United States is probably targeting something other than Syria's nerve agents.
But now there is concern that bombing other sites could accidentally release dangerous chemical weapons that the U.S. military didn't know were there because they've lost track of some of the suspected nerve agents.
Bombing stockpiles of chemical weapons - purposely or accidentally - would likely kill nearby civilians in an accidental nerve agent release, create a long-lasting environmental catastrophe or both, five experts told The News Agency that Dare Not be Named. That's because under ideal conditions - and conditions wouldn't be ideal in Syria - explosives would leave at least 20 to 30 percent of the poison in lethal form.
"If you drop a conventional munition on a storage facility containing unknown chemical agents - and we don't know exactly what is where in the Syrian arsenal - some of those agents will be neutralized and some will be spread," said Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association, a nonprofit that focuses on all types of weaponry. "You are not going to destroy all of them."
Posted by: Fred ||
08/31/2013 09:40 ||
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#1
Hell this war is going on terminal hold if we are needing an environmental impacter statement.
#2
Well, if you nuke a chemical weapons site, the chemicals won't be a problem.
Of course, the nuke will create its own environmental problems.
Except that it would set a very dangerous precedent, maybe Congress should insist that Obama file an environmental impact statement for every attack.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia ||
08/31/2013 12:58 Comments ||
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#3
Good thing we have experts, eh?
Posted by: Kelly ||
08/31/2013 13:16 Comments ||
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#4
So called "experts" in the press are dolts. As if the only weapons available are either HE or nukes.
HE followed-on by FAE. FAE are violent as hell, but they do tend to burn up anything that is aerosolized by the HE. ANd they will probably kill anyone that survived the HE attacks by exposing them to the subsequent FAE overpressure detonation, so to be politically convenient, the FAE will be the cause fo death, not nerve agent.
Of course the FAE will make hella-big beaten areas, as well as making a very big bada boom. So there's the political downside too.
#5
As I recall a FAE is also 'more' effective when contained. So any remaining post-HE structures will serve as concentration vessels for the penetrating FA mix.
[Al Ahram] The United States is still seeking an "international coalition" in response to Syria's alleged use of chemical weapons, despite a vote against military action by British MPs, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel
...The Third Smartest Man In The Room...
said Friday.
"Our approach is to continue to find an international coalition that will act together," Hagel told a news conference.
"If you're interested, give your name to Tiffany and we'll call you within 24 hours."
The UNSC isn't interested, the EU said no, Britain voted it down... My dear sir, you are down to only France, and they agree in principle. And your anti-Zionist administration isn't going to allow Israel to take the lead, even if they were interested. Is there a secret coalition of unknown countries you've got in your back pocket, that you're about to wave about like a clean handkerchief?
Ruritania is in...
But he did not say which countries might be part of an international coalition, and his comments appeared to strike a different tone from earlier statements by White House officials suggesting the US is prepared to act alone.
Hagel said Washington respected the British parliament's stance rejecting participation in any punitive strikes against Syria's regime.
"Every nation has a responsibility to make its own decisions," Hagel said during a visit to the Philippines.
"We are continuing to consult with the British as with all of our allies. That consultation includes ways forward together on a response to this chemical weapons attack in Syria."
He added: "I don't know of many responsible governments around the world, if any, who have not spoken out in violent opposition to the use of chemical weapons on innocent people."
US plans to build an international coalition for a military strike on Syria suffered a blow when the House of Commons in London voted Thursday against the use of force to punish a chemical weapons attack last week outside Damascus.
Asked if there was anything Syria could do to prevent possible US military action, Hagel said he could not speculate.
"I have not been informed of any change in the Assad's regime's position on any issue. I deal with the reality with what we have. I don't speculate on hypothetical situations," he said at a joint news conference with this Philippine counterpart.
Hagel went ahead with his visit to Manila despite the tense showdown over Syria, with US forces prepared to launch punitive strikes against the Damascus regime if ordered by US President Barack Obama I inhaled. That was the point... The US leader has said the alleged large-scale use of chemical weapons by Bashir al-Assad's regime is a threat to US security as well as a crime against the Syrian people.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/31/2013 00:00 ||
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#1
US still seeks 'international coalition' on Syria: Hagel
#3
I have read many histories of WWII. On occasion I would read something on a general and he would refer to another general as stupid. This stunned me as I thought how can a person rise to the level of general officer and be "stupid".
I watched Hagel's confirmation hearings.
I realized to my horror that you could be a US Senator and be stupid.
Posted by: Kelly ||
08/31/2013 13:20 Comments ||
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#4
I realized to my horror that you could be a US Senator and be stupid.
Kelly,, I think you spelled President Wrong; it doesn't start with an 'S.'
[WASHINGTONTIMES] In laying out the case for military strikes on Syria, Secretary of State John F. I was in Vietnam, you know Kerry Former Senator-for-Life from Massachussetts, self-defined war hero, speaker of French, owner of a lucky hat, conqueror of Cambodia, and current Secretary of State... on Friday had praise for the French, who he called "our oldest ally," but snubbed any mention of the British, who have long believed they enjoyed a "special relationship" with the U.S.
Mr. Kerry was trying to rally world support for retaliatory strikes against the regime of Syrian Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Oppressor of the Syrians and the Lebs... , and pointing to other nations that have concluded troops loyal to the Assad government used chemical weapons last week.
Mr. Kerry cited Australia, Turkey and the Arab League ...an organization of Arabic-speaking states with 22 member countries and four observers. The League tries to achieve Arab consensus on issues, which usually leaves them doing nothing but a bit of grimacing and mustache cursing... -- as well as the French.
"Our oldest ally, the French, said the regime, quote, 'committed this vile action, and it is an outrage to use weapons that the community has banned for the last 90 years in all international conventions,' " Mr. Kerry said.
Absent from his remarks was any acknowledgement of Britannia. On Thursday, the British Parliament voted against military action, questioning the value of the evidence of chemical weapons use.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/31/2013 00:00 ||
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#1
Our oldest ally, the French,
I dunno. Some of us are still nursing grudges from the French and Indian War.
Although, at this point, if they want Fort Detroit back, they can have it. Mind the wild dog packs!
[WASHINGTONTIMES] President B.O. Friday that he sympathizes with Americans' war-weariness but is considering a "limited, narrow" military response to Syria's use of chemical weapons.
"A lot of people think something should be done, but nobody wants to do it," Mr. Obama said shortly after his administration made its most forceful case to date that the Syrian regime of Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad One of the last of the old-fashioned hereditary iron-fisted fascist dictators... killed more than 1,400 of its own civilians on Aug. 21 near Damascus using chemical weapons.
"There is a certain weariness, given Afghanistan," the president said. "There is a certain suspicion of any military action, post-Iraq. And I very much appreciate that."
But Mr. Obama said the U.S. and other nations cannot allow a large-scale chemical attack to go unpunished.
"It's important for us to recognize that when over a thousand people are killed, including hundreds of innocent children, through the use of a weapon that 98 or 99 percent of humanity says should not be used even in war, and there is no action, then we're sending a signal," he said. "That is a danger to our national security."
In spite of his strong words, Mr. Obama said he still hasn't decided whether to launch a military strike against Syria.
"I have not made a final decision about various actions that might be taken," Mr. Obama said. "We're not considering any open-ended commitment. We're not considering any boots-on-the-ground approach."
Mr. Obama noted that his administration has consulted with allies and Congress. Key members of Congress received a briefing on Syria Thursday night.
"This kind of attack is a challenge to the world," he said. "We cannot accept a world where women and kiddies and innocent civilians are gassed on a terrible scale."
Posted by: Fred ||
08/31/2013 00:00 ||
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#1
"limited and narrow"
Yep, that describes Obummer's mental ability to a tee.
#3
When/if Obama does make the decision to attack, assuming it is only a cruise missile strike, he should also announce the strike dates, times and target coordinates. But only to the rebels and ordinary people of Syria. That way, they will know not to be there. This will limit the collateral damage to "friendlies".
/sarcasm, if you hadn't figured it out
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia ||
08/31/2013 19:16 Comments ||
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[STREAM.WSJ] The North Atlantic Treaty Organization's General Secretary Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Friday told media in Denmark that while he is convinced the Assad regime is behind chemical attacks in Syria and that there needs to be international reaction to the use of chemical weapons in Syria, NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A collection of multinational and multilingual and multicultural armed forces, all of differing capabilities, working toward a common goal by pulling in different directions... will not participate in the activity.
Mr. Rasmussen's comments, published in the online edition Danish daily newspaper Politiken, came before Secretary of State John F. I was in Vietnam, you know Kerry Former Senator-for-Life from Massachussetts, self-defined war hero, speaker of French, owner of a lucky hat, conqueror of Cambodia, and current Secretary of State... said the U.S. intelligence community has "high confidence" that the Assad regime was behind a chemical weapons attack and detailed evidence he said proves the Syrian government is to blame for the death of at least 1,429 people, including 426 children.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/31/2013 00:00 ||
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#1
Picture Obama as a Platoon leader.
No, don't.
Picture Kerry as your Lieutenant.
Now get on the assault helicopter and sing real loud.
[Dawn] The United States released intelligence on Friday to show why it is certain that Syrian forces have killed civilians with chemical weapons and said Washington has a historic duty to act.
As a time window for expected US air strikes beckoned, the White House produced a declassified intelligence report which said 1,429 people including 426 children were killed in the August 21 outrage outside Damascus.
Secretary of State John F. I was in Vietnam, you know Kerry Former Senator-for-Life from Massachussetts, self-defined war hero, speaker of French, owner of a lucky hat, conqueror of Cambodia, and current Secretary of State... meanwhile made an impassioned case for a "tailored" US response, despite the lack of a United Nations ...boodling on the grand scale... mandate, and without help from Washington's closest ally, Britannia where politicians blocked action.
"This is the indiscriminate, inconceivable horror of chemical weapons. This is what (President Bashar al-)Assad did to his own people," Kerry said.
"The question is what are we collectively, what are we in the world, going to do about it?" The White House report said the judgment on the attack was based on "multiple" streams of intelligence including witness reports, satellite data and signals intercepts.
"The United States government assesses with high confidence that the Syrian government carried out a chemical weapons attack in the Damascus suburbs on August 21, 2013," the report said.
"We further assess that the regime used a nerve agent in the attack."
The unclassified assessment, which omitted sourcing and raw intelligence to protect US espionage assets, also debunked the theory, advanced notably by Russia, that opposition forces could be to blame.
"We assess that the scenario in which the opposition executed the attack ... is highly unlikely," the report said.
"Our high confidence assessment is the strongest position that the US Intelligence Community can take short of confirmation."
The report said Washington had intercepted the communications of a senior Syrian official, who was intimately familiar with the operation, soon after rockets started raining down on civilians.
The official confirmed that chemical weapons were used, and was concerned with UN inspectors obtaining evidence, the report said.
Kerry said the US government had repeatedly assessed the intelligence in the report, to avoid the kind of fiasco that erupted over botched covert material used to justify the Iraq war.
"We will not repeat that moment," he said.
And he argued that the world could not ignore the use of some of its most pernicious weaponry on some of its most vulnerable people.
"It matters because a lot of other countries whose policies challenge these international norms are watching," he said.
That included, he said, Iran with which Washington is locked in a long nuclear showdown.
"It's about whether Iran, which itself has been a victim of chemical weapons attacks, will now feel emboldened in the absence of action to obtain nuclear weapons.
"It's about Hezbollah and every other terrorist group that might contemplate the use of weapons of mass destruction."
Kerry also addressed domestic political opinion in his speech, mindful of polls showing little public support for American action in a new Middle Eastern war.
"We know that after a decade of conflict, the American people are tired of war," he said.
"But fatigue does not absolve us of our responsibility.
"History would judge us all extraordinarily harshly if we turned a blind eye to a dictator's wanton use of weapons of mass destruction against all warnings, against all common understanding of decency."
Posted by: Fred ||
08/31/2013 00:00 ||
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#1
Notice nobody talk about IRS scandal, Obamacare implementation, or Chris Lane murder.
#3
Don't you just love the Leadership of the United States?
And its so inspiring to be the Greatest Nation of the Free World.
Makes you want to put on a uniform and serve your country, doesn't it?
But remember you have to give your Word...I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same. That I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.
You wanted to be a Marine, so now how does it feel to be a Puppet? Ready to give your life for Obama? or Kerry? How about Ronald McDonald?
#4
TF - the oath of the commissioned officers is different.
I, _____, having been appointed an officer in the Army of the United States, as indicated above in the grade of _____ do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservations or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter; So help me God."
You notice a missing phrase in there? Back in the pre-PC military they remembered this oath -
"Ich schwöre bei Gott diesen heiligen Eid, daß ich dem Führer des Deutschen Reiches und Volkes Adolf Hitler, dem Oberbefehlshaber der Wehrmacht, unbedingten Gehorsam leisten und als tapferer Soldat bereit sein will, jederzeit für diesen Eid mein Leben einzusetzen."
"I swear by God this sacred oath that to the Leader of the German empire and people, Adolf Hitler, supreme commander of the armed forces, I shall render unconditional obedience and that as a brave soldier I shall at all times be prepared to give my life for this oath."
The old military didn't want to make the same mistake here that was done there. Loyalty was to the law, not the man.
#5
I suspect that if the President were a Republican he would leading the charge for impeachment.
Like the vast majority of politicians (both Republican and Democrat) he is a piece of s***.
Posted by: Kelly ||
08/31/2013 13:24 Comments ||
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#6
Coming from the guy who trashed the military, threw his medals away, and happily entered negotions with the enemy in contrast to national presteige, spent years arguing against this same policy when W was calling it, chose Edwards as his right hand man and lost to Bush tax cheat lawyer.
Tired of war? This is the non interventionist smart diplomacy post american world, as promised.
[WSJ] The Navy has moved an amphibious ship with helicopters and Marines onboard into the eastern Mediterranean as part of preparations for possible U.S. strikes on Syria, officials said.
The ship joins five Navy destroyers armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles. The amphibious ship was sent as a "prudent precaution," a senior defense official said.
[The Hill] The Pentagon's dire fiscal situation due to defense spending cuts under sequestration has left U.S. armed forces unable to afford possible military action in Syria.
"Our military has no money left," Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), the top Republican on the Armed Services Committee, said in a statement Wednesday. Pounding bullets into EBT cards has consequences.
Due to the $500 billion in budget cuts slated for the Pentagon over the next decade, the Champ's White House "further undermines future military readiness and capabilities" to deal with the growing crisis in Syria and elsewhere in the world, according to Inhofe.
"I cannot support military action in Syria unless the President presents to Congress his broader strategy in the region that addresses our national security interests and the budget to support it," the Oklahoma Republican said in the statement. What "broader strategy" would that be ?
U.S. forces are expected to begin missile strikes against military targets in Syria in the coming days, in retaliation to the reported use of chemical weapons by forces loyal to embattled President Bashar Assad.
The White House has warned that use of those weapons would cross a so-called "red line," triggering an armed response from U.S. and NATO forces.
U.S. warships are already in station in the Mediterranean, off the Syrian coastline, awaiting orders from Washington.
But the Defense cuts under sequestration, which went into effect in March, "has put us on the brink of a hollowed force," according to Inhofe.
With another $52 billion set to come out of Pentagon coffers in fiscal 2014 under sequestration, the Defense Department is in no position, financially, to carry out military action in Syria.
"Our troops are stretched thin, the defense budget has been slashed to historic levels, and we are facing an unprecedented time of unrest across the Middle East," Inhofe said.
"No red line should have been drawn without the strategy and funding to support it," he added.
Inhofe opposition to military action in Syria comes on the heels of Sen. Rand Paul's (R-Ky.) claims that the strikes would not serve any U.S. national security interests.
"The war in Syria has no clear national security connection to the United States, and victory by either side will not necessarily bring in to power people friendly to the United States, Paul said.
Both senators sided with nearly 100 House members, including more than a dozen Democrats, who argue that President Obama would violate the Constitution if he does not get authorization from Congress before launching a military strike in Syria.
Aside from fiscal concerns, Inhofe warned the White House from taking action in Syria, without "thoroughly consulting" with partner nations in the region.
"It is vital we avoid shortsighted military action that would have little impact on the long-term trajectory of the conflict," Inhofe said. Little impact? How about NO impact ?
"We cant simply launch a few missiles and hope for the best," he added.
#1
iNHOFE can say the same thing as per US-vs-CHINA vee China versus Japan-Philippines-India?
Vietnam?
* VOICE OF RUSSIA > CHINA HAS MUCH AT RISK IN THE MIDDLE EAST, BUT NO "REACH" | REUTERS.
Yuuup, which is why I've said that China may likely choose to wage LIMITED WAR, CONVENTIONAL
ONLY TO LIMITED [Tactical?]NUCLEAR, agz US Allies in East-South Asia.
Despite the PLA's operational "rust" + MilTech deficiencies vee the US, China's greatest ace/card may be alleged anti-US, Marxist-Anarchist-Globalist POTUS Bammer + the on-going US Debt, Budget Crises [sequester] + Econ woes.
As complemented or affected by 2015, Nuclear Iran, + Global Nuclear Jihad.
AS PER THE FIRST KOREAN WAR [Chinese Yalu intervention] + TAIWAN WAR SCENARIOS, CHINA + PLA = PROHIBITIVE PLA/COMBAT CASUALTIES IS NOT A MAJOR FACTOR of CONCERN.
China + PLA will fight until China's objectives are successfully achieved no matter the costs.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[Dawn] Criticising the federal interior ministry for inciting hatred and bias, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain Friday appealed to the chief justice of Pakistan to order a probe unmasking elements behind the 'hoax' of Muhajir Republican Army, DawnNews reported.
[Dawn] The federal government has decided to withdraw a statement mentioning the existence of a previously unknown
Wazoo
[APNEWS.MYWAY] You simply can't safely bomb a chemical weapon storehouse into oblivion, experts say. That's why they say the United States is probably targeting something other than Syria's nerve agents.
[WASHINGTONTIMES] In laying out the case for military strikes on Syria, Secretary of State 
[WASHINGTONTIMES] 
[Dawn] The United States released intelligence on Friday to show why it is certain that Syrian forces have killed civilians with chemical weapons and said Washington has a historic duty to act.
