Gunmen rob gold shops in Iraqi capital, kill 15
- Sounds like chaos has taken over in Iraq. Will Obama decide to send the troops back again?
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Gunmen rob gold shops in Iraqi capital, kill 15
U.S. Is Said to Expand Secret Military Acts in Mideast Region
This sounds like an attempt to look for trouble. Maybe an attempt to start another war when are already in a mess in Afghanistan and Iraq. No good will come of it. It's just another foolish step leading eventually to another World War in the Middle East. If you think that's an exaggeration let me ask this: Did you predict a near economic collapse in 2008?
The top American commander in the Middle East has ordered a broad expansion of clandestine military activity in an effort to disrupt militant groups or counter threats in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and other countries in the region, according to defense officials and military documents.
The secret directive, signed in September by Gen. David H. Petraeus, authorizes the sending of American Special Operations troops to both friendly and hostile nations in the Middle East, Central Asia and the Horn of Africa to gather intelligence and build ties with local forces. Officials said the order also permits reconnaissance that could pave the way for possible military strikes in Iran if tensions over its nuclear ambitions escalate.
While the Bush administration had approved some clandestine military activities far from designated war zones, the new order is intended to make such efforts more systematic and long term, officials said. Its goals are to build networks that could “penetrate, disrupt, defeat or destroy” Al Qaeda and other militant groups, as well as to “prepare the environment” for future attacks by American or local military forces, the document said. The order, however, does not appear to authorize offensive strikes in any specific countries.
In broadening its secret activities, the United States military has also sought in recent years to break its dependence on the Central Intelligence Agency and other spy agencies for information in countries without a significant American troop presence.
General Petraeus’s order is meant for small teams of American troops to fill intelligence gaps about terror organizations and other threats in the Middle East and beyond, especially emerging groups plotting attacks against the United States.
But some Pentagon officials worry that the expanded role carries risks. The authorized activities could strain relationships with friendly governments like Saudi Arabia or Yemen — which might allow the operations but be loath to acknowledge their cooperation — or incite the anger of hostile nations like Iran and Syria. Many in the military are also concerned that as American troops assume roles far from traditional combat, they would be at risk of being treated as spies if captured and denied the Geneva Convention protections afforded military detainees.
Monday, May 24, 2010
North Korea puts military on alert: report
North Korea puts military on alert: report - Yahoo! News
- This is very dangerous.
Miners: W.Va. Blast Site Was Ticking Time Bomb
CBS News Mobile: Story
Just like the BP oil spill was a timebomb. In both cases lobbyists made sure that government regulators weren't willing to do their job and enforce the rules intended to protect workers. The fact that in both cases you had energy interests in question is NO coincidence. And both parties are equally to blame.
FOXNews.com - Obama Call for 'International Order' Raises Questions About U.S. Sovereignty
What logic - the Conservatives want to turn the economy over to the Chinese but are upset if we cooperate internationally to keep the peace.
FOXNews.com - Obama Call for 'International Order' Raises Questions About U.S. Sovereignty
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'Morning Joe' Blasts Obama's Lack of Response to BP Oil Spill
The hosts and guests on 'Morning Joe' today blasted President Obama's "lackadaisical" response to the horrific oil spill in the gulf. Clips were shown of Obama sympathizers criticizing the President:
Sunday, May 23, 2010
"The Perfect Storm: Six Trends Converging on Collapse"
This writer sounds a little too bleak. But you'll get the point. The years ahead will be very difficult. And we are not prepared. We are acting like the problems we face are only temporary and will somehow resolve themselves. Either way we are too complacent or apathetic. We need to start acting like we are facing a serious crisis. The politicians won't tell us the truth because they don't want to be bearers of bad news. They will only tell you what you want to hear. We need to start thinking and acting for ourselves, and stop waiting on some savior to get us out of this mess. Barack Obama has shown himself to be a fraud. We bought into that garbage about "change." He is just another politician. The press isn't telling us the truth because that requires commitment to truth. They are only committed to selling a product. And for that they have to keep us dumb-downed. Democracy requires participation and critical thinking. We are doing neither. That's why we face dark days ahead.
There are dark clouds gathering on the horizon. They are the clouds of six hugely troubling global trends, climate change being just one of the six. Individually, each of these trends is a potential civilization buster. Collectively, they are converging to form the perfect storm--a storm of such magnitude that it will dwarf anything that mankind has ever seen. If we are unsuccessful in our attempts to calm this storm, without a doubt it will destroy life as we know it on Planet Earth!
There is a popular saying that "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting a different result." If we keep doing business in the same way as we have for the past century, each of these six trends will continue their steep rates of decline, collapsing the natural systems that form the foundation for our civilization and the lifeblood of the global economy. Perhaps the current Gulf oil spill is the wake up call that mankind needs to snap us out of our complacency, realize that we are soiling our nest and that continuation of "business as usual" will destroy the world as we know it? Time will tell whether we heed this warning, go back sleep once the oil spill is contained, or simply tire of the endless media coverage, numb ourselves, and set these critical issues to the side.
We already have the technology and the means to turn this dark tide, but we lack the commitment to make the hard choices and sweeping changes that are necessary for shifting the future of our world from its current course of collapse to a new course of sustainability.
US Wants Australia to Fill the Void in Afghanistan
Why isn't this an admission of failure in Afghanistan? Sounds like defeat to me:
A report in US Defence publication Stars and Stripes has detailed plans for the US military to focus on 121 key districts in Afghanistan, even though NATO has enough forces to operate in only 48 districts. The report says the US military will rely on "foreign partner troops" to cover those 121 districts.Just recently our top commander in Afghanistan said the war is a "draw." That translates to mean we are losing:
The Kandahar offensive is set for June. The Dutch are pulling troops out by the end of 2011. The US, understandably, is searching for troop numbers, particularly as their casualties from this conflict have hit 1000 according to website icasualties. Where will these "foreign partner troops" come from?
The US seems intent — at least publicly — on gently coaxing us in.javascript:void(0) This month General David Petraeus said Australian troops have punched above their weight in Afghanistan and he would welcome a larger deployment. This week it was Marine Lieutenant-Colonel Dave Bellon: "I love working with them. I think that they are a tier one force in the world right now. Your military is capable. Your officers and your enlisted leadership are fantastic. We enjoy working with them and they get tremendous results."
The top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan says the war is a draw.
Gen. Stanley McChrystal says the momentum of the resurgent Taliban militants has been stopped. But for now, the general says, nobody is winning.
In an interview Thursday on PBS' "NewsHour," McChrystal says he sees significant progress for the allies fighting the Taliban this year.
McChrystal says the insurgency remains serious, with a reach that spans the country and a large number of fighters.
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