Will Iraq Be Obama's Viet Nam?

300 SOF advisors. Refusing to take the fight to the enemy. An enemy that looks like an LIP. The differences are negligable. The enemy in Viet Nam was communism. We were attempting to stop the spread of communism. The differences in the enemy are stark and definable. The enemy in Iraq will murder indiscriminately without compunction or remorse and for no reason other than you have a different view of the same ridiculous belief system. Communists killed to instill fear and insure compliance. Radical islamists kill because they like it.

 

ISIS jihadis celebrate Muslim DHS Adviser’s anti-American tweets Jun 19, 2014 09:22 pm | Robert Spencer Is anyone in the Obama Administration concerned about how Elibiary is giving aid and comfort to the enemy? Or does that not matter because he is that most sought-after of men, the “moderate Muslim” (at least ostensibly), and so (like Major Nidal Malik Hasan (who was the even more coveted “Muslim military man”), nothing that […] comments | read more        ISIS jihadis from UK and Australia call Muslims to wage jihad Jun 19, 2014 08:49 pm | Robert Spencer This ISIS video, once again slickly produced, features English-speaking jihadists calling Muslims to wage jihad, copiously quoting Qur’an and appealing to Islamic doctrine. It would be refreshing if Muslim spokesmen in the West who claim to reject this understanding of Islam explained how these Muslims were getting Islam wrong. But they won’t. Note that the […] comments | read more        Audio: Robert Spencer on KNUS Denver’s Peter Boyles Show on the situation in Iraq Jun 19, 2014 04:41 pm | Robert Spencer Yesterday I was once again on the Peter Boyles Show on KNUS Denver for a full hour, discussing various aspects of the situation in Iraq. It was a wide-ranging and engrossing discussion. comments | read more        ISIS jihadi from UK calls for jihad attacks on British civilians to avenge Muslima’s murder Jun 19, 2014 04:25 pm | Robert Spencer The murder of Nahid Almanea was heinous enough, and now Abu Rashash Britani is trying to compound its evil by calling for more attacks on innocent civilians. Has anyone inquired into who this person Abu Rashash Britani is, and where he learned his understanding of Islam? Or would such an inquiry in today’s Britain be […] comments | read more        Philippines: 17 dead as Islamic jihadists battle soldiers Jun 19, 2014 03:38 pm | Robert Spencer This is “one of the bloodiest clashes in the southern Philippines in recent months” — Islamic jihadists worldwide are emboldened by the success of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria and by the weakness (and often outright support) that Barack Obama has given to Islamic supremacists and jihadists worldwide. They know that if they […] comments | read more        “Jihad Cool”: Muslims from U.S. head to Syria and Iraq to join ISIS and “bring back the Caliphate” Jun 19, 2014 02:23 pm | Robert Spencer This story from the hopeless and ridiculous Daily Mail highlights the rap videos and the “‘fun’ of guerrilla war,” while making it obvious that the main thing that motivated these Muslims from the U.S. to join ISIS was the one thing the story discounts: their commitment to Islam. This piece, meanwhile, is easily the most […] comments | read more        American supporter of ISIS in North Carolina? Jun 19, 2014 12:02 pm | Robert Spencer The video above is in support of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, with fans holding up messages of support from around the world — including, apparently, North Carolina. We are constantly told that all the Muslims in the U.S. are supporters of pluralism and democracy, and eschew violent jihad and Sharia — and […] comments | read more        Canada: Accused jihadi says Taliban had right to kill Canadians in Afghanistan Jun 19, 2014 11:32 am | Robert Spencer Misbahuddin Ahmed’s statements are yet another indication of the practical consequences of Islam’s claims to constitute a global community (umma), the loyalty to which transcends all other loyalties. Imagine saying “You’ve got to look at it from their perspective.” about the Nazis as the Allied armies entered German territory in 1945. “Taliban had right to […] comments | read more        Reza Aslan claims anti-fascist Pope Pius XI was a fascist Jun 19, 2014 11:01 am | Robert Spencer Nowadays if you parrot the accepted establishment opinions, you can rise far and fast, and be hailed as a “respected scholar” even if you’re, well, dimwitted and arrogant. In particular, if you oppose America’s defense against the global jihad, hate Israel, love those who wish to destroy both the U.S. and Israel, and profess to […] comments | read more        Texas: Man told to take down his US flag, as it’s “a threat towards the Muslim community” Jun 19, 2014 08:58 am | Robert Spencer It’s a time-honored principle: when in Muslim countries, you must conform your behavior to Muslim sensibilities. And when in non-Muslim countries, you must conform your behavior to Muslim sensibilities. This is the kind of thing that only happens in nations that have lost their confidence and their way, are vulnerable to any action of their […] comments | read more        Obama lied, Americans in Afghanistan died — on The Glazov Gang Jun 19, 2014 08:55 am | Robert Spencer This week’s episode of the world’s challenging counter-jihad chatfest features, first of all, the show’s elusive eponymous host, back in the saddle again and looking tanned, rested and ready after another in a seemingly endless series of odd and willful disappearances. As always, he features some of the world’s premier counter-jihadists: this week, Daniel Greenfield […] comments | read more        Raymond Ibrahim: The Muslim Brotherhood ‘Retaliates’ with Rape Jun 19, 2014 08:50 am | Raymond Ibrahim Muslim Brotherhood sympathizers recently went on a sexual assault and rape spree in Egypt as a way of “getting even” with those women who dared to celebrate the presidential victory of Abdel Fatteh al-Sisi—the former army chief who overthrew Muslim Brotherhood rule in Egypt. On June 8, when tens of thousands of Egyptians congregated in […] comments | read more

DCExaminer Morrning Email Blast

TODAY'S WASHINGTON EXAMINER EDITORIAL SECTION HIGHLIGHTS

Mr Tapscott sent out a correction for a bad link.

Correct link for Mr Hewitt's column:
Obama's year of failure
Hugh Hewitt, Examiner Columnist
"2009 is the worst year for a president since 1978, which began with Jimmy Carter standing by paralyzed as the Ayatollah Khomeini seized power in Iran and ended as Jimmy Carter stood by paralyzed as the Soviets invaded Afghanistan."

2009 has been Obama's year of falling swiftly
Examiner Editorial
"It is clear from her comment that 'the system worked' that Napolitano lacks the first clue about what is required to ensure safe commercial airline travel in an era defined by the war on terrorism."

It's always the Jihad
Jed Babbin, Examiner OpEd Series
"The events this year -- the Fort Hood massacre and the events aboard Northwest flight 253 -- show that the danger is growing, not shrinking."

President Obama's year of failure.
Hugh Hewitt, Examiner Columnist
"2009 is the worst year for a president since 1978, which began with Jimmy Carter standing by paralyzed as the Ayatollah Khomeini seized power in Iran and ended as Jimmy Carter stood by paralyzed as the Soviets invaded Afghanistan."

Major Hasan's E-Mail: 'I Can't Wait to Join You' in Afterlife

United States Army Major Nidal Hasan told a radical cleric considered by authorities to be an al-Qaeda recruiter, "I can't wait to join you" in the afterlife, according to an American official with top secret access to 18 e-mails exchanged between Hasan and the cleric, Anwar al Awlaki, over a six month period between Dec. 2008 and June 2009.

"It sounds like code words," said Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer, a military analyst at the Center for Advanced Defense Studies. "That he's actually either offering himself up or that he's already crossed that line in his own mind."

Other messages include questions, the official with access to the e-mails said, that include when is jihad appropriate, and whether it is permissible if there are innocents killed in a suicide attack.

"Hasan told Awlaki he couldn't wait to join him in the discussions they would having over non-alcoholic wine in the afterlife," the official said.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...

Zero Covering For Islamist Extremists

Congressman: Why is Obama stifling Hasan investigation?
Member of House intelligence committeee wants reports to prevent another attack

"How can it be that the House Committee on Homeland Security has launched an investigation and called hearings within a week to look into the couple who crashed a recent White House state dinner, yet a month after Fort Hood there has yet to be a single congressional hearing into the Fort Hood attack?" Hoekstra said. "I fear that our nation is returning to the naive security outlook of Sept. 10, 2001, when radical Islamic terrorist attacks were considered law enforcement and criminal problems and not threats to our national security."

Hoekstra said that in just the past year, there have been arrests of suspects in alleged "homegrown terrorist attacks" in New York, Chicago, North Carolina and Atlanta.

"Russia recently has seen several alleged homegrown terrorism attacks, including a train bombing and an attack against a gas storage facility. There were horrific homegrown terrorist attacks in Madrid in 2004 and London in 2005. In 2006, 18 homegrown terrorists were arrested in Toronto. It has happened here and will happen again if we don't act. We cannot wish it away," he warned.

"We need to understand how homegrown terrorism works if we are to identify and stop homegrown terrorists before they carry out acts of violence. How are al-Qaida leaders and other radical jihadists recruiting and radicalizing homegrown terrorists? A principle route seems to be the Internet. We know that Maj. Hasan was in contact via the Internet with radical Islamic cleric Anwar al-Awlaki and that Mr. al-Awlaki's sermons have influenced would-be homegrown terrorists in the United States and the terrorists who launched the deadly 2005 London subway bombings," Hoekstra said.

"Hoekstra suspects Obama is purposefully dragging out the release of any information on Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan into next February, and he considers this stall an unconstitutional trampling of his committee's responsibility to the nation," he wrote. "Federal law requires the White House to brief House and Senate members on this investigation and 'ensure that the congressional intelligence committees are kept fully and currently informed of the intelligence activities of the United States.'"

"What is being covered up?" Collins wondered. "Whatever's in the report must be even worse than the publicly available facts."

In Hoekstra's commentary, he said only a thorough review will uncover "the intelligence failures that prevented it from being detected."

"Americans underestimate the threat from homegrown terrorism," he said. "The president said it is inconceivable that this would happen in America. Wrong. It is not inconceivable and is a growing global problem that needs to be addressed."

Jihad In America

One year of Jihad in America
Christopher Holton
This was never a war on "terrorism." Jihad is being waged against us and we have tied ourselves in knots to deny that reality. When will we wake up?

There is mounting evidence that the global Jihadist insurgency is fully entrenched in the United States After the Fort Hood massacre news services seem divided between those hell-bent-for-leather on denying that the Fort Hood massacre was a case of anything other than a persecuted loner "snapping" and those who proclaimed it the first "terrorist" attack on U.S. soil since September 11th.

This focus is wrong. Fort Hood was an act of Jihad and that's really all that matters: It is essential that we find out how extensive Nidal Malik Hasan's ties to other Jihadists were. Of this there can be no doubt.

But we must refrain from entering into a debate on what amounts largely to semantics about whether or not the Fort Hood massacre was an act of "terrorism." We need to get away from focusing on the term "terrorism" anyway. Some observers still don't consider the 1983 Beirut Barracks bombing by Hezbollah, which killed 241 Marines, sailors and soldiers, an act of "terrorism" because, by some widely recognized definitions, attacks on combatants cannot be termed "terrorism."

!!!Norfolk 7 December UPDATE!!!

VIA EMAIL!!!
Subject: New Updates:
Right now it looks like the event will take place off base (on public property), just outside one of the main entrances to Naval Station. Like I said, I am completely unfamiliar with the area, so any help as to where we need to setup would be greatly appreciated.

We are still trying to find out the exact time that the arraignment will take place so we can plan on centering the event around that time. Unconfirmed reports have said that it is expected to being sometime around 10:00am EST, but I will update everyone once I know for sure.

Also, it is expected that the arraignment will go fairly quick, so I'm guessing a 1-2hr rally would be perfect.Since the gathering will be taking place on public property, the City of Norfolk requires us to have a permit if there are more than 50 people.

Right now I am working on nailing down a special events insurance policy so we can get the application submitted for the permit. We're cutting it close, but the City of Norfolk is working with us to get it done.

Some of you may have noticed that I changed the name of the event from "Protest" to "Support Rally". I want us to take the focus off protesting and instead shift it to better represent what our purpose is; supporting these SEALs. The last thing we want is to bring negative attention to the coverage surrounding these guys.

With that said, I ask that we do our best to make this event as peaceful as possible, while expressing our support.I have contacted several local news stations in the area and so far, WAVY-TV 10 will have a news crew out to cover the rally. Please take the time to notify every media outlet you can; the more coverage, the better.

If You Cannot Make It To Norfolk on Monday 7 December

Where is Jethro Gibbs when you really need him?

Sometimes that's when justice must be served and I understand perfectly. Write or call and let the Navy know how you feel about this.

PLEASE, even if you cannot make it because it’s just too far or you have other commitments, invite everyone on your friend list and encourage them to do the same. We have one week to get the word out and we need this to reach the right people.

Voice your opinion by contacting the following:
To file a citizen complaint regarding the treatment of these Navy Seals, please call 813-828-4976 on Monday...
or send emails now to holly.silkman@soccent.centcom.mil
US Navy
Judge Advocate General's Corps :
The Office of the JudgeAdvocate General :
Public Affairs :
1322 Patterson Ave., Suite 3000 :
Washington Navy Yard, DC 20374-5066
Comm: (202) 685-5493 :
Phone Numbers: Washington Navy Yard: (202) 685-5190 :
Pentagon, Room 4C642:
(703) 614-7420 :
AJAG, Military Law :
1254 Charles Morris St., SE
Washington Navy Yard, DC 20374-5047
Comm: (202) 685-7053

Heritage Morning Bell

The admistration needs to fish or cut bait, as my buds over at Blackfive have so eleoquently stated on numerous occasions. This half-assed approach will only get more Warriors hurt or killed.

Obama Must Lead On Afghanistan
On March 27th, President Barack Obama followed through on one of his core campaign promises and announced a New Strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan that included sending an additional 21,000 troops to the region. Speaking from the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, Obama explained:

"Multiple intelligence estimates have warned that al Qaeda is actively planning attacks on the United States homeland from its safe haven in Pakistan. And if the Afghan government falls to the Taliban — or allows al Qaeda to go unchallenged — that country will again be a base for terrorists who want to kill as many of our people as they possibly can. …But this is not simply an American problem — far from it. It is, instead, an international security challenge of the highest order. Terrorist attacks in London and Bali were tied to al Qaeda and its allies in Pakistan, as were attacks in North Africa and the Middle East, in Islamabad and in Kabul. If there is a major attack on an Asian, European, or African city, it, too, is likely to have ties to al Qaeda’s leadership in Pakistan. The safety of people around the world is at stake.”

So according to President Obama, victory against the Taliban in Afghanistan is not only essential for the security of the United States, but for “the safety of people around the world.” We couldn’t agree more, which is why it is so alarming to learn that President Obama is considering a different strategy advocated by Vice President Joe Biden. Just as Biden opposed the successful surge in Iraq, Biden now opposes a surge in Afghanistan, instead favoring withdrawing most U.S. troops leaving only special forces and predator drones to strike al Qaeda cells. Biden was wrong about Iraq and he is wrong about Afghanistan. Heritage fellow James Phillips explains:

The war in Afghanistan cannot be effectively waged merely with air power, predator drones, and special forces. In the late 1990s, the Clinton Administration hurled cruise missiles at easily replaceable al-Qaeda training camps in Afghanistan, but this “chuck and duck” strategy failed to blunt the al-Qaeda threat. The Bush Administration’s minimalist approach to Afghanistan in 2001 was a contributing factor that allowed Osama bin Laden to escape from his mountain redoubt at Tora Bora. Afterwards, Washington opted to focus narrowly on counterterrorism goals in Afghanistan–rather than counterinsurgency operations–in order to free up military assets for the war in Iraq. This allowed the Taliban to regroup across the border in Pakistan and make a violent resurgence. The “small footprint” strategy also failed in Iraq, before it was abandoned in favor of General Petraeus’s counterinsurgency strategy, backed by the surge of American troops, in early 2007.

Despite this record of failure, some stubbornly continue to support an “offshore” strategy for landlocked Afghanistan today. But half-measures–the hallmark of the “small footprint” strategy–will not work. Precise intelligence is needed to use smart bombs smartly. Yet few Afghans would risk their lives to provide such intelligence unless they are assured of protection against the Taliban’s ruthless retaliation.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates seconded this analysis this Sunday telling ABC News’ This Week:

I think that most people who — the people that I’ve talked to in the Pentagon who are the experts on counter-terrorism essentially say that counter-terrorism is only possible if you have the kind of intelligence that allows you to target the terrorists. And the only way you get that intelligence is by being on the ground — getting information from people like the Afghans or, in the case of Iraq, the Iraqis.

And so you can’t do this from — from a distance or remotely, in the view of virtually all of the experts that I’ve talked to.

The security of the United States and the “safety of people around the world” depend on President Obama ignoring Biden and listening to Gates on this particular point. But listening to Gates will not be enough. The American people are unsure about which strategy to pursue in Afghanistan. According to Gallup, 41% of Americans favor withdrawing troops from the country while 41% favor increasing troop levels. Gallup’s Frank Newport adds: “The data indicate that Republicans do seem willing to support Obama should he make a decision to increase U.S. troop strength in Afghanistan. On the other hand, Democrats seem willing to oppose Obama in this case.”

If anybody can convince liberals to support victory in Afghanistan it is President Obama. Health care is important. But so is national security. According to the Washington Post, Obama has scheduled at least five meetings with his national security team over the next two weeks to reexamine the strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan. When this review is completed, the President should announce his decision in a nationally televised speech. He should explain to the American people what is at stake in Afghanistan, why it is necessary to make continued sacrifices to defeat distant enemies there, and why the war is not only necessary, but winnable. President Obama’s March troop surge has not even been implemented yet. The President needs to win over his own party in Washington before U.S. forces can defeat the Taliban in Afghanistan.