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Two Suicide Bombers Attack Restaurant in Somali Capital
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-Signs, Portents, and the Weather-
FEMA may not have enough for flood damages
Sandy has flooded thousands of homes in its devastating path, and estimates are that damages will in the billions of dollars. FEMA, which runs the federal flood insurance program, has to pick up the tab.

But FEMA already owes $18 billion to the Treasury Department, thanks to Hurricane Katrina. Currently, insurance experts say FEMA's flood insurance program has access to funds totaling $3.8 billion, much of it in loans.

If flood claims exhaust the fund, Congress may have to step in with additional taxpayer money. That will add to the already bloated national deficit, and anger fiscally-conservative members of Congress.

Private insurers don't cover flooding. Sandy's storm surge pushed water from the Atlantic Ocean into basements and first floors in coastal Virginia, New Jersey, Connecticut and New York, where subway tunnels remain flooded.
Posted by: Au Auric || 11/04/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Hopefully, taxpayer funding from "Right to Work" states will be turned away.
Posted by: Besoeker || 11/04/2012 4:36 Comments || Top||

#2  Like the Obamacare taxes, the FEMA taxes are being stealthily applied. They're having an 'outside' firm re-surveying flood plains without using basic considerations to include the record of water fall, just height with no reference to volume. They arbitrarily choose a 'hundred year' or 'thousand year' mark then follow the topographical features. Home owners get letters from their mortgage companies saying they're in flood plains and must purchase flood insurance. Areas that haven't seen waters since man has been on the continent are receiving such letters. It's all done magically with 'regulations'. Got to make up that 18 billion some how.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 11/04/2012 9:04 Comments || Top||

#3  Private insurers don't cover flooding, BECAUSE IT'S STUPID TO BUILD ON FLOOD PLAINS!

Why is the Government crating moral hazard with these tax-wasting subsidies for reckless land development?!?
Posted by: Bright Pebbles || 11/04/2012 18:20 Comments || Top||

#4  re: Flood-plain mapping. If you have a project that impacts the flood plain by more than 1' you are required to file a CLOMR (Conditional Letter of map revision) prior to regulatory approval, and a final LOMR (yeah). There should be no surprises..

Re: Quake insurance. I do not pay for it, Single family homes (wood/stucco) are the most forgiving structures in a quake. I also believe that if a quake is big enough to do widespread damage in a So Cal metropolis, I'll My grandchildren will be getting pennies on my claim when it's resolved
Posted by: Frank G || 11/04/2012 19:00 Comments || Top||

#5  Why is the Government crating moral hazard with these tax-wasting subsidies for reckless land development?!?
Because stupid people who build on flood plains count for more than the rest of the electorate, something like that.
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 || 11/04/2012 19:00 Comments || Top||


Home Front: Politix
Iranian-Americans Hold Unique View of US Election
Some 1.5 million Iranian-Americans live in the United States and 85 percent of them are citizens.

Morad Ghorban directs policy at a nonpartisan Iranian-American interest group. He says polls show that Iranian-American support for President Obama is down 10 points from 2008, when he first ran, mostly because of his policies toward Iran.

"When you look at party identification and affiliation it seems like President Obama will still get the majority, if not the plurality, of Iranian-Americans in this election," he said. "Fewer Iranian-Americans today approve of Obama's handling of the Iran issue in his foreign policy than they did in 2009, but the majority, about 55 percent, say they intend to vote for him."

Less support for Obama does not translate into more backing for Mitt Romney. A 2012 poll by Zogby Research Services showed only 13 percent of Iranian-Americans are Republicans.

Behnam and Arian (who don't want their full names used) are younger U.S. citizens eligible to vote, just like the vast majority of Iranians in the United States. They say the tensions between Tehran and Washington, and the perceived threat of possible military action against Iran, have influenced their thoughts on the election.

"This issue has a major effect on their psyche. The question of whether or not there will be war on their native land where relatives still live, and [they] wonder if all the places their loved ones routinely gather around will continue to exist," said Behnam.
Posted by: Au Auric || 11/04/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  I gotta disagree. I live in an area that has a major Iranian population (San Fernando Valley) Almost to a person they are passionate in their support for Romney. Signs in shop windows. Bumper stickers...etc everywhere.
Unless they are totally faking it, I have to think their support for Romney is well over 80-90%.
Most are ex-pats who fled a totalitarian system being imposed in Iran and aren't eager to experience life under another such administration here in the US.
Very conservative people for the most part.
Posted by: Mikey Hunt || 11/04/2012 0:30 Comments || Top||

#2  Mikey, I think many of those Iranians in the Valley are also Jewish.
Posted by: Penguin || 11/04/2012 9:29 Comments || Top||

#3  I work with an ex-Iranian who fought against the Iraqis then got thrown in the slammer for punching out a revolutionary guard guy who wanted a customer in his restaurant to cover her face. After 30 days he was pardoned for his war efforts and they threw him out of prison. In the snow. Naked. He's Christian.

He's really excited about voting - his first time. He knows who to vote for the White House, but said he needs to study up on all the other choices he has to make. He knows more American History than most high school civics student.

Interesting - he says the Iranians do not recognize his US citizenship and would arrest him if he went back. But he has no interest in going back. Ever. Works his tail off and says he owes this Country "everything".

Vote for Obama? Notachance.
Posted by: Bobby || 11/04/2012 16:49 Comments || Top||


Home Front: WoT
The Threat Doctrine that Cries 'Blasphemy'
Posted by: tipper || 11/04/2012 07:59 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Israel-Palestine-Jordan
What would happen if Israel bombed Iran's nuclear plants?
A war simulation by an Israeli thinktank last month set out to discover the answer, a new documentary reveals
Posted by: tipper || 11/04/2012 15:49 || Comments || Link || [3 views] Top|| File under:

#1  IMO Iran's response is already clear-cut, as its dev of de facto NucWeaps and unleashing TerrOps + LRBMS agz the US-Israel + Allied will be all but absolutely justified.

Hezbollah's rivals or dedicated enemies widin various Regional, International Radical Islamist/Islamic MilTerr Groups will becom its allies in strikes across the ME + the West.

Iff Iran's Govt, Mullahs make good on their threats, an ISRAELI STRIKE AGZ IRAN'S NUCPROGS = US=LED GROUND INVASION OF IRAN WILL HAVE TO OCCUR IFF THE US LIKES IT OR NOT. Similar to former POTUS Dubya's dilemma vee Saddam Hussein + Iraq after 9-11.

The threat to the US-Allies will devol from Iran per se to PRO-IRAN, THIRD-PARTY/SURROGATE MILTERR NUKE-WMD TERROR WHERE IRAN PCORRECTLY KEEPS ITS SILENCE AS PER WHOM ORDERED WHAT-N-WHEN.

Iran has times said or inferred it - the above will be WW3 = Global War to the Death once the die is cast.
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 11/04/2012 18:51 Comments || Top||

#2  Israel would take a lot of hits from rockets ... with casualties in the hundreds or low thousands.

Iran would be knocked back to the stone age - since they are already in an economic crisis.

unknown - could Iran sink any US ships in the Persian Gulf? It only takes one success for them to count this as a victory. Can they block the Straits of Hormuz for a week ... for 2 weeks ... for a month?

unknown - what terrorist strikes can Iran execute around the globe?

unknown - does Iran already have a number of dirty bombs, or one untested nuke, ready to go right now?

unknown - does Israel have a workable plan to eliminate Irans top leadership in the run-up to a strike?

unknown - will Israel use its own nukes to accomplish this goal?
Posted by: Raider || 11/04/2012 21:48 Comments || Top||

#3  * DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS > IRAN BUILDS UP MILITARY [naval base?] ON DISPUTED ISLANDS, SIGNALS INTENT TO [again]THREATEN CLOSURE OF STRAIT OF HORMUZ.

Putting its Subs + ASCM-armed Speedboats close to the entrance, while simul also continuing to isolate the Arabian Peninsula???

More evidencia/indicia as per my above Post.

* SAME > VIDEO: ROMNEY - SYRIA IS IRAN'S ALLY, AND IS ALSO IRAN'S ROUTE TO THE SEA.

WAPO is seemingly critiquing Mittens for northern Iraq being geographically in Iran's way.

Lest WAPO fergits, IRAQ = REPOR IS INCREASINGLY IRAN-DOMINATED???

versus

* TOPIX > ISRAEL ALMOST BOMBED IRAN NUCLEAR SITES IN 2010.

Posted by: JosephMendiola || 11/04/2012 23:09 Comments || Top||


Terror Networks
Khan, Taliban and the Crackpot Science
Warning: Graphic images
As readers might have guessed correctly, yes, its Imran Khan, the ‘playboy cricketer’-turned-politician who once threatened to abduct the greatest Pakistani humanitarian, Abdul Sattar Edhi and whose supporters are anxiously awaiting his triumph in upcoming polls.

The demoralised and despondent youth that forms the major chunk of Pakistani population explosion feels abandoned by their government and seeks Khan as the solution to their insurmountable issues.

Thanks to the gullibility of these overseas and domestic followers, Khan has earned the status of a Messiah who is expected to transform Pakistan to the ‘Norway of Europe’ in a short span of time by rooting out corruption in 19 days, containing and eradicating terrorism in 90 days and becoming the Saudi Arabia of coal in, again 9-something days. These ludicrous claims of Khan and his party PTI have mammoth selling price at home but in reality they seem idealistic, incredulous and mostly fallacious in nature.

Take for instance, his stance on the issue of terrorism: he holds the ongoing War on Terror (started on 7th October 2001) responsible for not only the mounting polarization, extremism and terrorism in Pakistani society but also for the inception of Pakistani Taliban (TTP).

Recently his comments of Taliban fighting a jihad in Afghanistan faced severe criticism from not only the Afghan government but also from the Afghan public who protested against his comments.

Of course Khan and his brigade of trolls branded all criticism as ‘International Conspiracy’ and Khan further defended his comments by proposing myths that Bin Laden and Gulbuddin Hekmatyar were trained and indoctrinated by the CIA in 1980s.
Posted by: Large Darling of the Antelope3345 || 11/04/2012 09:46 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  *** cough *** cough ****cough ****...

* ION WAFF, DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS >[PTI Chief] IMRAN KHAN PROMISES TO CONSTITUTIONALLY BAN MILITARY OPERATIONS INSIDE PAKISTAN, to include Taliban central North Waziristan.
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 11/04/2012 23:18 Comments || Top||


-Election 2012
The Sixth of November
The Sixth of November

by Winslow
a commenter at PJ Media's Zombie


Remember, remember, this sixth of November,
The radicals' treasonous plot.
I know of no reason the radicals' treason
Should e'er be forgiv'n or forgot.

The Sixties were waning, and Leftists were claiming
That radical changes were due.
Their Marxist solution was armed revolution:
The Weathermen made their debut.

The radicals raged on the national stage, and
Horrific explosions ensued.
Their bombs were dramatic, but also erratic;
They sometimes killed radicals, too.

The Leftists grew older, the underground, colder,
And so they came in from the cold.
"Subvert from within -- in the long run, we'll win," said
The Leftists, determined and bold.

And thus it began -- this nefarious plan -- and
The radicals slowly took charge:
Complete infiltration of all education;
The long institutional march.

The journalist schools would produce useful fools, for
The Left would need media shills.
And Hollywood, too, would assist in the coup, with
Its slick propagandizing skills.

"Community action" would build a new faction;
'Twould organize proles on the street.
A smooth politician would front for the mission,
And run for the president's seat.

The radicals' goal, which they proudly extol, is
A communist U.S. of A.
Collectivist schemes lead to brutal regimes, and
For this do the radicals pray.

But Jefferson's aim, with the charters he framed, was
To guard individual rights.
And "redistribution" was not a solution,
But one of the evils to fight.

So let us remember, this sixth of November,
Just what is at stake on this date.
Will Jefferson's dream, or the radicals' scheme, now
Determine America's fate?
Posted by: Steve White || 11/04/2012 10:11 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Outstanding.......
Posted by: Sherry || 11/04/2012 11:54 Comments || Top||

#2  A poem with a purpose. Nice work doc.
Posted by: JohnQC || 11/04/2012 13:39 Comments || Top||

#3  It's a re-working of the British rhyme about the Guy Fawkes gunpowder plot on November the 5th.
Posted by: Bright Pebbles || 11/04/2012 18:18 Comments || Top||


Sunday Morning Coffeepot: A Benghazi Sequence
by Pappy

The following is not exactly a timeline. Rather, it is more of a sequence of events and presentations, with a sideline of other, possibly related events.
Benghazi, a very dangerous port city controlled by militias, and located in the eastern part of Libya (a hotbed of Islamic activity) has "approximately ten Islamist militias and AQ training camps" known to operate within Benghazi.

On April 5th, 2011, a small Department of State team headed by Chris Stevens arrives by chartered boat in Benghazi. They set up shop in a hotel. A few weeks later in June, a bomb explodes in the parking lot in front of the hotel. The group in Benghazi makes a decision to move to a new location a former residence. By August 2011 they settle on a large compound.

The compound is roughly 300 yards long with four buildings in it. Over the next few months, physical security at the compound is strengthened. The outer wall is upgraded, its height is increased to nine feet and is topped by three feet of barbed wire and concertina wire. all around the huge property. External lighting is increased. Concretey barriers are installed outside and inside the gate. Steel drop bars are added at the gates to control vehicle access and to provide some anti-ram protection. The buildings on the compound itself were strengthened.

The consulate was only supposed to be in operation until late 2013.

Nearby (one mile away) is a CIA installation (the 'annex'). There are also two warehouses. Post-attack reports claim that of the entire consulate staff, only seven were State Department personnel.

By September 11, 2012, Benghazi has already seen attacks against Non-Government Organizations like the Red Cross, the British consulate, and the US consulate. The NGOs and the Brits have essentially pulled out or reduced operations by 9/11/2012. The US consulate is essentially a lone target.

A CIA contract team, with a former SEAL on its staff, is in Benghazi, ostensibly to acquire Qadaffi-owned-now-militia-held weapons such as MANPADS, in order to take them out of circulation. The warehouses are reportedly used to store reclaimed weapons, particularly the MANPADS.

A relatively unknown low-bid contractor from Wales wins a relatively miserly contract fee to provide security. The company, who never had done embassy/consulate security, hires an on-scene manager whose experience is in the 'personal security (bodyguard)industry'. Other, more experienced security companies were rebuffed.

The consulate security consists of 4-7 unarmed guards per shift, with backup from the February 17 Brigade, a local, supposedly pro Libyan government militia and on-call support from the same militia. No word if there were background checks conducted; As of the week of 29 OOctober 2012, there are reports that some militia members assisting with consulate security were aligned with Al Qaeda.

There were motion detectors sent to the consulate, but not installed.

Requests for additional security are rebuffed, but no one knows who said "no". The number of diplomatic security officers temporarily assigned to the consulate fluctuates, but the total number at the consulate never goes into double-digits.

A military security unit on temporary assignment to the consulate requests its stay be extended. The request is denied, and the military unit is pulled.

On August 15th, the U.S. mission in Benghazi at an "emergency meeting", drafts a contingency plan to suspend operations as security deteriorated, The U.S. mission recommends that consulate operations be moved to the CIA annex about a mile away for the near-term.

An obscure anti-Mohammed video on YouTube, starring porn actors, and clumsily re-dubbed in Arabic, is blamed for inciting a mob attack on the US embassy in Egypt. A similar but smaller attack against a US embassy in Tunisia is also reported.

The week prior to the Benghazi attack, Canada closes embassies and withdraws their staffs from some Middle Eastern countries. Intelligence data suggests there is an imminent planned attack of some sort.

The consulate security contractor, citing a dispute with the Libyan National Transition Government, pulls its on scene manager cum bodyguard and flies him out of the country, just prior to the attack.

On 10 September 2012, the Ambassador arrives in Benghazi on the 10th of September. He does meetings both on the compound and off the compound on that day and spends the night.

About 7:30 in the evening, he has his last meeting. It is with a Turkish diplomat

Early morning of September 11 2012, the consulate staff believes they are under surveillance. Contract security and other consulate personnel report a member of the Benghazi police force on the second floor of the opposite building, taking pictures of the consulate grounds.

Due to it being 11 September, the ambassador has all his meetings in the consulate compound. He receives a succession of visitors during the day. The US ambassador meets with Benghazi 'civic leaders' who tell him that security in Benghazi is good and demand that US businesses invest in the city.

The ambassador openly meets with a Turkish diplomat a few hours before the attack, about 1930 local. At 2030 local the ambassador escorts the Turkish diplomat to the main gate The atmosphere is described as 'quiet'. The State Department briefing describes it as "nothing unusual during the day at all outside".

Several hours before the attack, multiple roadblocks are set up by fighters believed to be with Ansar al-Sharia.

0700-0840, the Blue Mountain Security manager in charge of the local force hired to guard the consulate perimeter, makes calls on both two-way radios and cell phones to colleagues in Benghazi warning of problems. The Blue Mountain Security chief seemed "distraught" and said "the situation here is very serious, we have a problem."

0700-0940: The local guard force protecting the consulate perimeter is in a state of panic, not knowing what to do as the attackers take up positions. Sources say other guards simply "walked away".

About 2100 local, the Ambassador retires to his room.

2100-2140 local time, a 'mob' attacks the US consulate in Benghazi. Consulate security sees the attackers enter the site and triggers an alarm.

At the consulate are four unarmed security guards, a couple of militia members, and a diplomatic security officer. Nearby is the former SEAL-turned-contractor.

The attack is reported as 'disorganized', but also appears to target specific areas. At least one of the Libyan guards is wounded. Walid Shoebat notes a translation of an Al Jazeera video taken during the Benghazi attack, where the attacker says, "Don't shoot, Mursi sent us".

An intelligence source on the ground reports "17 Brigade was nowhere to be found".

One special agent immediately retrieves the Ambassador from his bedroom and collects the information management officer. The three of them enter the safe room located inside the building.

The alert that reported the embassy being under attack is described by both the press and former State Department personnel during interviews as an 'email'. Supposedly it gets lost in the flood of normal traffic.

Twenty-five minutes into the attack commences, the State Department sends and email to multiple recipients, including the White House and the Pentagon.

Twenty-five minutes into the attack, CIA teams (six members plus militia from the 17 Brigade) dispatch from the annex toward the consulate to engage attackers and evacuate consulate personnel.

Fifty-five minutes after the attack commences, the President meets with the Vice President and the Secretary of Defense at the White House in a scheduled meeting. The DoD confirms the meeting, unrelated to the events in Benghazi, is confirmed by the Department of Defense.

President Obama is informed about the attack at 5 p.m. Washington time by his national security adviser, Thomas E. Donilon, at the start of the meeting.

The White House Situation Room is among the list receiving "emails from the field" describing the ongoing attack.

The consulate is set ablaze by the attackers. The ambassador, the agent and the information management officer decide to escape from the safe room after it fills with smoke and fumes.
The trio are separated during the attempt.

Two agents recover the body of the information management officer. They and the remaining remaining staff evacuates to a 'safe house' under heavy fire, escorted by elements of the supposed pro government militia February 17 Brigade.

Looters enter the consulate grounds.

The ambassador is separated from the other consulate personnel during the confusion, reportedly found unconscious by looters, is taken to a hospital and succumbs to smoke inhalation. Video and photos of the ambassador are taken and published on the internet. A later statement by private contract security personnel working elsewhere in Benghazi and familiar with the consulate layout says the consulate safe room was not properly set up and lacked "fire suppression and ventilation".

Hospital staff find a cell phone in the ambassador's pocket. They start calling numbers on the cell phone that had received calls. The State Department somehow gets news that the ambassador is there.

The annex comes under attack. Agents take firing positions on the roof and in other places.

The CIA station chief dispatches a quick-reaction force of eight personnel (six CIA, two military) that night from Tripoli. The force has trouble reaching the compound; they are delayed by Libyan officials at the Benghazi airport for more than three hours.

The CIA quick-reaction force attempts to make its way to the hospital where Ambassador Stevens had been taken and was thought to be still alive. The attempt is called of due to the "uncertain security situation" at the hospital.

One of the force members, also a former SEAL, Glen Doherty, dies along with contractor Woods in the mortar attack.

The CIA reportedly takes operational control of a military Predator. The Predator is diverted to cover the assault, reportedly to map potential egress routes. Video feed is broadcast back to Washington to the situation room at the State Department (confirmed during a Congressional hearing), possibly to situation rooms at the White House, and the Pentagon, possibly to Langley, and may or may not have been sent to other government facilities. Situation reports may or may not have been presented to countless other government officials.

AFRICOM, although established in 2008, has no quick response force, although there is one in training. Quick response forces appear to be standard for all other regional commands. AFRICOM borrows a quick response force belonging to the European Command, because its own force is still in training. AFRICOM also had no AC-130 gunships or armed drones of its own readily available.

There was a Marine air unit for SpecOps at Sigonella(?) but it was reportedly in the process of turning over to a replacement unit.

JSOC is either present or not present at Sigonella.

Three hours into the attack, the Pentagon issues an urgent call for an array of quick-reaction forces, including an elite Special Forces team that was on a training mission in Croatia. The team prepares to move to the Sigonella naval air station in Sicily.

Two platoons of Marines in Rota, Spain are alerted

The Pentagon scrambles Delta Force commandos, with their own helicopters and ground vehicles, from their base at Fort Bragg, N.C., to Sicily.

Armed drones that monitor Libyan chemical weapon sites in the area, some a short flight from Benghazi, were either "on call" or not available.

There are no armed drones within range of Libya. According to the Pentagon, "The closest fly out of Djibouti and were not in range of Benghazi"

The former SEALs continue to engage attackers at the safe house. The 'safe house' is taken under precision fire by mortars about 0400 local time, killing both former SEALS. The mortar crew's proficiency is attributed to 'experience' gained during the rebels' fight against Qadaffi's government.

Reportedly a laser is used by one of the former SEALS to paint the mortar team. A Specter C-130 gunship either exists and is present, or does not and is not, and (according to an administration source) the nearest gunship is in Afghanistan.

The annex is secured and evacuated. A convoy of the survivors makes its way to the Benghazi airport.

The Special Forces unit arives at Signonella. However, the surviving Americans at the Benghazi mission have already evacuated to Tripoli.

The Delta Force also arrives too late.

Requests for assistance were either "not denied", placed on hold, not acted upon due to a lack of intelligence on the ground, or lost in the shuffle. The President either was engaged, or ordered the Pentagon to begin "mobilizing all available military assets" (according to a spokesman for the National Security Council,) or gave "gave three very clear directives" and left it to subordinates, or went to bed.

There were also protests at the United States' embassies in Tunisia, Egypt and Yemen.

The President flies to Las Vegas for a fundraiser.

The attack on the consulate and the other facilities lasts four, five, seven, eight, or nine hours, or two relatively short, intense assaults separated by a gap of four hours.

Both State and the White House blame the obscure anti-Mohammed video on YouTube, starring porn actors, and clumsily re-dubbed in Arabic.

The video director/producer, who has a criminal record, is hauled in for questioning by L.A. County sherrifs late at night with media in attendance, then later arrested for violating probation. There are intimations that the video maker is also a "known Palestinian con-man".

The President appears "cold and detached" while present for the arrival of the remains. The Vice President attempts 'blue-collar' familiarity with the father of one of the slain former SEALs.

An FBI investigation team flies to Tripoli, where they remain at a hotel for three weeks, either awaiting permission from the National Transition Council, or because the security situation in Benghazi was not good (even though reporters were there and combing through the consulate debris), or because there were disputes between State and the Department of Justice/FBI, or a combination of all three reasons.

The story in Washington changes several times. The Secretary of State's comments on 12 September reflected a knowledge that it was not the video but a deliberate attack. The remarks suggest she hoped it was Libyan renegades.

Demonstrators in Benghazi attack several militia facilities and force out its members, including the Islamic militia accused of the attack and the pro-government February 17 Brigade.

The intelligence community is blamed by State and the White House for providing a faulty product; the intelligence community responds through back channels.

On October 26 2012, Fox News reports that CIA officers in Benghazi had been told to "stand down" when they wanted to deploy from the annex. Fox also reports that the CIA officers requested military support when the annex came under fire later that night; their request was denied. In an e-mailed statement, CIA spokeswoman Jennifer Youngblood says "no one at any level in the CIA" told operatives at the CIA annex not to help.

The Secretary of Defense and the military commands either were waiting for orders from National Command Authority, or advised a no-go due to the paucity of intelligence about the situation of the ground and the size and makeup of the attacking force.

The Congressional Oversight Committee holds hearings, which degenerate into partisan warfare. Democrats accuse Republicans of "compromising" the CIA facility near the consulate. The Republican controlled Congress is blamed by their democratic counterparts for cutting funds intended for embassy security. Meanwhile, a significant amount of money is spent 'greening' the US embassy in Austria.

A State Department official, Charlene Lamb, testifies to the Oversight Committee that video feed from an overhead Predator was being sent to the situation room at the State Department, where she and others watched the attack in "almost real time".

In early October, news reports surface about small teams of spec-op forces that arrived at US embassies throughout North Africa "months before" the Benghazi attack. The mission was to establish up a network that could quickly strike a terrorist target or rescue hostages.

President Obama, on October 27 2012, vows to hold his administration "accountable" for September's attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, saying he took ultimate responsibility for any security lapses.

On November 1 2012, "senior intelligence officials" provide a detailed account to news organizations, reportedly the most detailed chronology presented so far of the attack. Senior intelligence officials also said that the CIA was the real commanding agency at the Benghazi consulate, and not the State Department.

On the night of November 1 2012, officials in the Obama administration leak a series of damaging remarks about the CIA's handling of Benghazi to The Wall Street Journal along with a list of grievances directed at the CIA Director, former General David Petraeus.

On 02 November 2012, a Pentagon spokesman provides new details of U.S. military movements made the night of the attack in case they were needed, stating that the Secretary of Defense "ordered forces to move."

On 04 November 2011, the New York Times prints an article at appears to compile reports and information from both the Pentagon and the administration, plus a restatement of earlier information. It is not particularly complimentary to both the Pentagon, or the intelligence community.

Sidelines:

A Libyan ship owned by a Libyan charity is reported to be running weapons from Libya for use by Syrian 'rebels'.

The US government reports there were plenty of warnings and threats but "nothing specific" regarding an attack.

Other contract personnel within Benghazi and familiar with the consulate state that the security attitude at the consulate was "complacent" and that "normal" American security procedures were not followed.

The Pentagon announces General Ham of AFRICOM has been relieved in what is described as a routine change of command. General Ham is also to retire.

A message posted by Navy SEALs that claimed President Obama denied them backup in Benghazi was taken down twice by Facebook.

On October 29 2012, news reports state that Rear Admiral Charles Gaouette, commander of the USS Stennis Strike Group, only ten days into area of operations in the Middle East, was sent back to the Stennis' homeport in Washington state "following an investigation into undisclosed allegations of inappropriate judgment". The Navy said RADM Gaouette is not "formally relieved of command".

Long War Journal reports a video featured on an Egyptian media site, showing Muhammad Jamal al Kashef (a.k.a. Abu Ahmed) who is "suspected of training some of the terrorists responsible for the consulate assault, giving an interview boasting of his ties to al-Qaeda. Jamal says he "always came to this place [the training camp] inside a State Security vehicle, and this is the first time" he did not.
Posted by: Pappy || 11/04/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Excellent compilation, Pappy - thanks. I'd clarify only who was present in the consulate compound when the attack began.

According to the Oct. 9 State Dept. briefing, there were 7 State Dept. employees present: Ambassador Stevens, IT officer Sean Smith, and 5 diplomatic security agents. Stevens had traveled to Benghazi from Tripoli with 5 DS agents as a precaution, rather than the usual 3.

During the attack, one DS agent with an M4 took Stevens and Smith to the safe room.

One DS agent stayed in the TOC building (undetected by the attackers), who triggered an alarm and was on the phone throughout (about 2 hours), calling basically everyone for help.

Three DS agents retreated to the cantina building for weapons and kit, then went back to the burning main house to extract Stevens, Smith, and DS agent #1.

According to Libyan security officers, eight of them were present inside the compound when the attack began. It seems they did what they could, but were quickly overwhelmed and feared for their lives.

So 15 total on site at the time the attack began, only two of whom (Stevens and Smith, both of whom were killed) were unarmed. All 5 DS agents suffered serious smoke inhalation and other injuries, in their unsuccessful attempt to find and retrieve Stevens, before bugging out in an armored vehicle with Smith's body.
Posted by: RandomJD || 11/04/2012 1:05 Comments || Top||

#2  Eksellent! Well done.

I particularly liked the "Blue Mountain" piece and the unstated, but quite obvious fact that the Brit(s) knew exactly when to pull out. Nothing from Whithall, telling that.
Posted by: Besoeker || 11/04/2012 4:32 Comments || Top||

#3  Besoeker, URL on Blue Mountain Security piece?
Posted by: JohnQC || 11/04/2012 10:04 Comments || Top||

#4  Another interesting aspect is that the Brits are stating that, though they still had assets in Benghazi, no attempt was made to contact them for assistance.

The Turks also had assets in the city; no contact was made with them either.
Posted by: Pappy || 11/04/2012 10:39 Comments || Top||

#5  A talking point for the Dems is that the Repubs in some bill that was passed, had reduced State Department funds for security. They made a big deal of that at the Issa's hearings. That's become their talking point.

A State Department official, Charlene Lamb -- at Issa's hearing, when asked stated "That funds for security was not a problem"
Posted by: Sherry || 11/04/2012 11:31 Comments || Top||

#6  I don't have the BM news bits John. Here is the BM website however. If you think this is just a small, start up, firm with no connections......

Interesting to also note, none of our European cousins are saying much.
Posted by: Besoeker || 11/04/2012 11:43 Comments || Top||

#7  Another interesting aspect is that the Brits are stating that, though they still had assets in Benghazi, no attempt was made to contact them for assistance.

The Turks also had assets in the city; no contact was made with them either.


I noted that too, Pappy. The DS agent in the TOC the whole time called everyone up the US chain - the CIA annex, Tripoli, Washington - and local Libyan police and security. But not anyone else. Perhaps that's because the whole US presence in Benghazi was a covert CIA something-or-other, and the hope/intent was to keep it that way?
Posted by: RandomJD || 11/04/2012 12:46 Comments || Top||

#8  In that part of the world, westerners and particular well fed westerners driving up-armored SUV's in and out of locked compounds are generally viewed as dirty, rotten spies. I don't care how many PT tests you've max'd or how many freefall's you've made, Official Cover and a black passport won't take you so far when the odious brown discharge hits the fan.
Posted by: Besoeker || 11/04/2012 13:25 Comments || Top||

#9  Sherry,
You said "the Repubs in some bill that was passed, had reduced State Department funds for security."

In fact, it was the Democrats who proposed and passed it. More Democrats voted for it than Republicans. Both parties split on the measure,
with 1/3 repubs for it along with 5/6 of the Dems. 2/3 of repubs and 1/6 of Dems voted no.

Al
Posted by: Frozen Al || 11/04/2012 13:48 Comments || Top||

#10  Good summary of what is known and not known Pappy. How hard would that have been to put together by our govmint for the public. Maybe they could have even fleshed out a few more details.

There are intimations that the video maker is also a "known Palestinian con-man".--Or an Egyptian Coptic con man who was jugged and is still in the hoosegow so far as we know.
Posted by: JohnQC || 11/04/2012 14:15 Comments || Top||

#11  Roger that Besoeker, LOL. Do you mean to suggest, then, the Brits and Turks were already well aware that the US "consulate" Benghazi was in fact a CIA post - thus, what would have been the harm in calling upon them for assistance?
Posted by: RandomJD || 11/04/2012 16:46 Comments || Top||

#12  OK .. here's my dumb question for the day. If the Blue Mountain manager is having serious problems with the situation around 8-9 pm ... then why don't we see the DSS extracting the ambassador straight away??? Why do we read that the ambassador is retiring for the night at 11 pm?

It seems as though local communication, incl. between UK and US security staff, was a bit poor. To put it mildly. It still doesn't explain why the DSS staff were not recognizing the dangerous situation outside.

We're still missing a clear understanding of conditions inside the embassy on that night.
Posted by: Raider || 11/04/2012 18:14 Comments || Top||

#13  I kept thinking I saw this Benghazi story somewhere before; wife put on an old movie for a rainy afternoon and it became obvious. Tom Clancy wrote it, back in 1990 - 'Clear and Present Danger'.
Posted by: Glenmore || 11/04/2012 18:21 Comments || Top||

#14  Here is the BM website however. If you think this is just a small, start up, firm with no connections......

Blue Mountain had no experience in performing Embassy/consulate security. That may be a reason why they accepted a contarct worth $275K.

Other, more experienced, firms had submitted proposals that were ignored.
Posted by: Pappy || 11/04/2012 22:10 Comments || Top||


-Election 2012
Americans Must Learn How to Win Again
Think of Tuesday as America's next turn at bat in the ball game, after the seventh inning stretch.

As firebrand patriot JB Williams points out: "We need to load our bases and wait for the pinch hitter to send it right 'outta the park." It's a metaphor, but a good metaphor...

Just like baseball fans have done down through the ages, voters need to file into the biggest ballpark of all, the one called the voting poll. It's the final game in the World Series for freedom and liberty.

Surfing the net and glued to television on Tuesday, we'll still be waiting to hear that sound that gets the crowd jumping to its feet: the sweet sound of the bat hitting the ball.

Cr--aack and the runner's off, running for dear life, for freedom, for liberty.

In 2012, winning back the American Dream begins with ridding the nation of Obama & Co. Until these people are removed from power and held accountable for their actions, America is lost. Most Americans know this, yet they seem to have forgotten how to win.
Posted by: Au Auric || 11/04/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Black Activist: Blacks Lost Cause, Must Get Out White Vote!
I received a “Happy Birthday” email from a cousin. She signed it, “Love, The Obama kids.” My beloved cousin’s closing line means despite all the info and articles I have sent educating them to why black Christians should not vote for Obama, she and her four siblings are still voting for Obama.

Unfortunately, my black cousins are voting skin-color over principles. So that is a done deal. No amount of logic, information or truth will change their minds. My cousins are racists.

Ironically, while I can not seem to get through to fellow black Americans, I have been on the road for 6 weeks touring battleground states inspiring mostly white voters; firing them up to inspire others to vote for Romney/Ryan. The tour is Rebuild America – Defeat Obama.
Posted by: Au Auric || 11/04/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Lloyd Marcus. Doing yeoman's work for conservatism regardless of race.
Posted by: tipover || 11/04/2012 0:59 Comments || Top||

#2  No worries Lloyd. Our Euro cousins thought he was the cat's meow as well. True socialism recognizes few racial boundries.
Posted by: Besoeker || 11/04/2012 5:22 Comments || Top||

#3  There are still the old guard who truly believed in real equality and integration, not the plantation game of being the favored children up in the manor house.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 11/04/2012 9:08 Comments || Top||

#4  True socialism recognizes few racial boundries blunders.
Posted by: JohnQC || 11/04/2012 9:57 Comments || Top||


Black Grassroots Activists Protest Obama Fundraiser, City Hall, ABC News in Chicago
Thursday evening in Chicago, black grassroots activists fed up with manipulation of their suffering by city leadership turned out to protest a fundraiser for President Obama held by Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Illinois Speaker of the General Assembly Michael Madigan.

According to the protesters, Emanuel, Madigan, and Obama pretend to try to help their community but do nothing to curb the funneling of money and contracts to corrupt community organizations and union-controlled worksites that won't hire black labor.

The protest began in the lobby of the building where the fundraiser took place and proceeded with a march past City Hall, ending up in front of the ABC 7 News studio on State Street.

According to Mark Carter of the Broke Party, a newly formed group of black grassroots activists fed up with the destruction and blight brought on their community by the liberal agenda, the protest was "about bringing attention to the demolition of homes in Chicago's black communities on the west and south sides." These buildings, Carter says, "can still be saved, but the city is tearing them down," leaving property values and the community in the gutter.
Posted by: Au Auric || 11/04/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Dumbest Washington Post Op-Ed Ever?
[Powerline Blog] I dunno. The Washington Post has carried a lot of dumbass op-eds, and some of the dumbest-ass have been by-lined Colbert I. King.
Posted by: Fred || 11/04/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Tough competition.

In the WaPo

Jimmy Carter has written about a dozen op eds.
Al Gore has written a half dozen.
Hamas bigshots have written op eds.
Posted by: lord garth || 11/04/2012 0:08 Comments || Top||

#2  I don't know L.G: it's definately in the running.
Posted by: Secret Master || 11/04/2012 0:46 Comments || Top||

#3  Ironically, Johnson was a Dem, or what we might today call a "Blue Dog Democrat". More irony, he was hand picked by Lincoln and saw the danger in a Federal mandates from a large federal bureaucracy. The man was ahead of his time...? No, he was motivated by the desires and intent of the founders and the constitution! He was a military veteran and learned man. Would that we had more like him in Washington today.
Posted by: Besoeker || 11/04/2012 5:09 Comments || Top||

#4  King's piece might have been titled: "A Fable of the Civil War." Any resemblance to...
Posted by: JohnQC || 11/04/2012 8:50 Comments || Top||



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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.
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Two weeks of WOT
Sun 2012-11-04
  Two Suicide Bombers Attack Restaurant in Somali Capital
Sat 2012-11-03
  30 people shot dead in Nigeria, rights group says
Fri 2012-11-02
  US withdraws its support for Syrian National Council
Thu 2012-11-01
  Armed Islamists on Tunis streets after clashes
Wed 2012-10-31
  18 militants killed in Khyber, Orakzai
Tue 2012-10-30
  Israel Hit by 18 Rockets as Hamas Seeks Revenge
Mon 2012-10-29
  52 Dead in Syria Clashes, Air Raids after Eid Truce Collapses
Sun 2012-10-28
  Almost 150 Killed on First Day of Syria Truce
Sat 2012-10-27
  Indonesia foils plot to attack US missions
Fri 2012-10-26
  Afghanistan mosque suicide bomb attack kills at least 41
Thu 2012-10-25
  Israel says 79 rockets fired at it from Gaza
Wed 2012-10-24
  Libya fighters seize Bani Walid
Tue 2012-10-23
  Foreign jihadists pour into northern Mali
Mon 2012-10-22
  Men 'planned mass suicide attack'
Sun 2012-10-21
  Nigeria military nabs Bokoboy at senator's home

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