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52 Dead in Syria Clashes, Air Raids after Eid Truce Collapses
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Page 6: Politix
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-Short Attention Span Theater-
Madonna Booed for "Vote for Obama"
Midway through Saturday night's performance: “Who's registered to vote? I don't care who you vote for as long as you vote for Obama.”

Drawing boos, Madonna followed: “Seriously, I don't care who you vote for ... Do not take this privilege for granted. Go vote.”
I can agree with that. I maintain voting is an obligation if we are to keep our republic.
Posted by: Bobby || 10/29/2012 08:07 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  I'll take urban dictionary titles for $ 500.

A derogatory term for a (usually younger) female, implying trashiness or tackiness, lower-class status, poor hygiene, flakiness, and a scrawny, pockmarked sort of ugliness. May also imply promiscuity, but not necessarily. Can apply to any race, but most commonly used to describe white trash.

What is a skank ?
Posted by: Besoeker || 10/29/2012 8:49 Comments || Top||

#2  If she believes in communism so strongly she has a lot of ill-gotten gaines and property-that-is-theft and there's a lot of welders who spent a couple years out-of-work at the direction of her fucking boyfriend.
Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain || 10/29/2012 9:19 Comments || Top||

#3  The 30 minutes of fame for this aging idjut are about up.
Posted by: JohnQC || 10/29/2012 10:37 Comments || Top||

#4  If Obama has lost the MTV generation, what does he have left?
Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 || 10/29/2012 11:31 Comments || Top||

#5  I disagree. Go vote if and only if you have made the effort of keeping yourself reasonably informed (say, by reading Rantburg) so you can cast an enlightened vote. But if you are like these Obama voters in 2008 who had spent 4 years watching sport and sitcoms and believed that the Republicans controlled Congress then you would do a favor to democracy by not going to vote: the price of freedom is eternal vigilance and you have been asleep.
Posted by: JFM || 10/29/2012 11:38 Comments || Top||

#6  Good point JFM - Voting may be a right (for citizens) but along with that is a responsibility (apologies to those liberal readers for using a foul word) to be properly informed so you can make a reasonable judgement.

Far too many fail that responsibility. Too busy watching American Idol, Sitcoms, and (sadly) the mainstream media.
Posted by: CrazyFool || 10/29/2012 12:13 Comments || Top||

#7  A lot of those, CF, woke up in 2008 to feel a tingle running down their leg and voted for the Lightbringer. I hope they have been lulled back to their prior stupor. We'll see.
Posted by: Bobby || 10/29/2012 12:37 Comments || Top||

#8  I don't look for the conga-line of Obama apologists to dissipate any time soon.
Posted by: Besoeker || 10/29/2012 12:41 Comments || Top||

#9  I'm mobilizing Americans in Germany to vote, too.
OK, the right stuff only.
Posted by: European Conservative || 10/29/2012 16:25 Comments || Top||

#10  Sometime during the eighties Madonna gave a concert in Paris and threw her panties at yje public. In fact she was wearing another pair undernaeth. Distateful, hypocrite and calculating b..ch.

Posted by: JFM || 10/29/2012 17:56 Comments || Top||

#11  JFM - we really didn't have to know that.

Bobby - I'm hoping they went back into their self-imposed stupor as well.
Posted by: CrazyFool || 10/29/2012 18:14 Comments || Top||

#12  the price of freedom is eternal vigilance and you have been asleep.

Well said, JFM. I know Joe M will hate to hear it, but Madge done jumped the shark.
Posted by: SteveS || 10/29/2012 18:16 Comments || Top||

#13  Thank you, #9 EC.

#10 JFM - Ewwwwwwww. :-(
Posted by: Barbara || 10/29/2012 19:40 Comments || Top||

#14  Why....why did you choose that picture!? My dreams, forever haunted!
Posted by: Charles || 10/29/2012 19:46 Comments || Top||


Home Front: Politix
America's Nameless War With a Nameless Enemy
In the final presidential debate on October 22, President Barack Obama spoke briefly about the September 11, 2012 terrorist attack on U.S. officials and personnel in Benghazi. He outlined why the U.S. had gone into Libya before the attack. He outlined the answers he is still seeking following the attack. But he did not say why this terrorist attack had occurred or why the U.S. had been ill-prepared to meet it in what is, after all, a volatile city alive with militias recently freed from dictatorial rule. Nor did he tell us why his Administration strenuously avoided calling it a terrorist attack for two weeks, preferring instead to speak of a spontaneous assault in the course of a demonstration of Muslims offended by an anti-Muhammad video.

The implication of this apologetic gloss of the first two weeks is obvious: The Administration was saying that Ambassador Chris Stevens was not murdered by Islamists who hate America and its allies and mean to attack us again; he was the victim of the local reaction to one of the products of American freedom of speech.

Once the attack was acknowledged as the handiwork of terrorists , however, the perpetrators were cited as being the followers of Al Qaeda, virtually the only officially acknowledged extremists. And here lies the problem: The Obama Administration will not acknowledge that an extreme and violent segment of the Muslim world ranging far beyond the confines of Al Qaeda is at war with us. To do so would have required him to explain why the U.S. had been empowering Islamists, including in Libya, some of whom may have been responsible for leaking information that enabled the terrorists to locate and kill the Americans.

Just why and how has this refusal to name the Islamist enemy come to characterize the four years of Obama's presidency? President Obama agrees with the view that Islamists as a force in world affairs are not be shunned and that wisdom dictates coming to terms with those among them who are hot engaged in active hostilities at this moment. This view, however, is defective, because common to all Islamists is Muslim supremacism and the undeviating pursuit to subvert the non-Islamic world.

Yet, since Barack Obama took office, Islamist antagonists, other than those involved in active hostilities like Al Qaeda and the Taliban, whose hostility cannot be denied or ignored, have gone unnamed. Presidential statements on the anniversaries of the 1983 killing of 242 U.S. servicemen in Lebanon by Hezballah or the 1979 seizure by Islamist students of the U.S. embassy in Tehran, to name two examples, failed to even mention the perpetrators of these acts, as it had become U.S. policy to propitiate both Hezbollah and the Islamists.

Indeed, the Obama Administration has refused to associate attacks on America by Islamists with Islam. Administration officials have spent four years speaking about particular terrorists at home and abroad as isolated "extremists," even when Islamist terrorist connections were readily traceable (for example, the connection between the Fort Hood sniper Nidal Hassan and the American-born Al Qaeda in Yemen leader, Anwar al-Awlaki, who advised him).
Posted by: Au Auric || 10/29/2012 14:35 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Obama's September 11 Phone Call
While Americans were under assault in Benghazi, the president found time for a non-urgent, politically useful, hour-long call to Prime Minister Netanyahu. And his senior national staff had to find time to arrange the call, brief the president for the call, monitor it, and provide an immediate read-out to the media.

I suspect Prime Minister Netanyahu, of all people, would have understood the need to postpone or shorten the phone call if he were told that Americans were under attack as the president chatted.

But for President Obama, a politically useful telephone call--and the ability to have his aides rush out and tell the media about that phone call--came first.

So here are a few more questions for the White House: While President Obama was on the phone for an hour, did his national security advisor Tom Donilon or any other aide interrupt the call or slip him a piece of paper to inform him about what was happening in Benghazi?

Or was President Obama out of the loop for at least an hour as events unfolded and decisions were made? On the other hand, national security staff were obviously with the president during and immediately after the phone call--otherwise how could they have put out their statement right away? Surely his aides told the president about what was happening in Benghazi.

Was there then no discussion of what was or what wasn't being done to help, pursuant to the president's first directive that everything possible be done?
Adding another one: Did he tell Bibi what was going on?
Posted by: Sherry || 10/29/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  This story shows he will just blame the Jooos for his non-response to Benghazi
Posted by: Penguin || 10/29/2012 0:04 Comments || Top||

#2  Joe Biden's demented comment to the dead SEAL's father seems to make sense only if he ate popcorn and watched the fire-fight in real time - which would be pretty twisted.

Obama's failure to look the man in the eye also seems to indicate that he watched the part of the video but wasn't interested enough to stay for the end.

Hillary was just happy to console the father with assurance that an innocent dude was headed for a rat mask session in Room 101.
Posted by: Super Hose || 10/29/2012 1:05 Comments || Top||

#3  I kept wondering when we might see the Benghazi terrorist death toll from the actions of former Navy SEAL's Woods and Doherty. An undocumented number and total of 60 was rolled out on a blog yesterday.

How long must we now wait for the Champ's apology to the brave, freedom loving Libyan Islamist for their loss? [sark off]
Posted by: Besoeker || 10/29/2012 2:58 Comments || Top||

#4  Wait! While Obama was apologizing for the video, brave Libyans Freedom Fighters were dying? You're right, B! More apologies are coming up! [Is it snark if you're worried it might come true?]
Posted by: Bobby || 10/29/2012 5:54 Comments || Top||

#5  Joe Biden's demented comment to the dead SEAL's father seems to make sense only if he eat ate popcorn and watched the fire-fight in real time - which would be pretty twisted.

I had the same thought. However, I would add "despicable" and "outrageous."

But, a question: if a Spectre, armed Predator, or other air assets were on site, I cannot imagine how the guys at the controls could have just watched, regardless of what orders from a distance may have been. I know I would have said F it and gladly answered for it later. That help never came suggests that such assets were not on site. Are there possibilities I am not accounting for?
Posted by: RandomJD || 10/29/2012 7:02 Comments || Top||

#6  But, a question: if a Spectre, armed Predator, or other air assets were on site, I cannot imagine how the guys at the controls could have just watched, regardless of what orders from a distance may have been.

The current Rules of Engagement (ROE) for kinetic action drilled into pilots and troops on the ground over the past 10 years, leave little room for second guessing or independent action.
This was not part of a broader campaign here all players knew the tactical situation on the ground. When you are told "weapons free" will come directly from the White House, you hold your fire. I cannot blame Special Operations Wing (SOW) pilots or pred operators.
Posted by: Besoeker || 10/29/2012 8:29 Comments || Top||

#7  The more that comes out, the sicker I get. Fox did an interesting timeline, not sure how accurate it is, but these guys held off a well coordinated attack. Had to be QUD, no one else could put this together.
Posted by: 49 Pan || 10/29/2012 9:10 Comments || Top||

#8  Once again, the Pred feeds have a clock. DTG (Date-Time-Group) found at the margin. We'll likely never see any of them.
Posted by: Besoeker || 10/29/2012 9:45 Comments || Top||

#9  That picture - of the 'blood-streaked' Obama flag and the blood-streaked wall - should be on the front page of every paper in America.

Should be. But the media has steadfastly ignored it.
Posted by: CrazyFool || 10/29/2012 10:47 Comments || Top||

#10  Had to be QUD, no one else could put this together.

Reports indicated that the attackers were foreigners because they spoke a foreign language. If so, I wonder if they spoke Persian/Farsi?

If Woods and Doherty did kill some number of attackers, where are the bodies? Were they dragged off? If there were bodies and they were not dragged off could this not provide evidence as to where they came from? Any wounded who could be questioned? Did they end up in some local hospital? Blood evidence? If 60 attackers were killed, it would seem there would be a great deal of blood. I'm not in any way trying to detract from their bravery. They went to the fight. They asked for assistance three times and were denied. They were brave and heroic men who provided enough time for some 30 people to be saved. There are just a lot of unanswered questions. If story is kept alive, the truth will come out.
Posted by: JohnQC || 10/29/2012 11:19 Comments || Top||

#11  Listen. This was Lybia not Afghanistan: understand that in Lybia it was not simply a matter of desobeying orders but of engaging the responsibility of the United States. Dragging the United States into a war without consent of the governement or even causing her diplomatic problems is good for the Japanese Army of the 30s (remember this path ended leading to war with the United States and to Hiroshima) not for the American Armed Forces.

The decision to go could origiante of any other than the CinC and the blame is to be put at his feet and none other's.
Posted by: JFM || 10/29/2012 11:26 Comments || Top||

#12  JohnQc

The info I have is that the attackers definitely spoke Arabic but not Lybian Arabic. Understand that the differnces between Arabics of differnet countries are far more substantial than between English or Spanish speaking countriies. From what I have head classic Arabic like spoken in Saudi Arabia is nearly unintelligible for Moroccans or Algerians a bit like Shakespearian English or even Medieval English for an American.
Posted by: JFM || 10/29/2012 11:32 Comments || Top||

#13  Voice recognition, the taal (language), and the infomation contained in actual intercepts, are Essential Elements of Information (EEI). These elements (when available) must be fused with other pieces such as interrogation reports, source reports, photo-imagery, biometric data, captured documents, weapons, etc. If you stroke your chicken and wait a couple of weeks to pull these elements together, they can become contaminated or lost to history.
Posted by: Besoeker || 10/29/2012 11:43 Comments || Top||

#14  In that Times interview with 5 of the Libyan guards, one said some of the attackers were dressed like Afgans.
Posted by: Sherry || 10/29/2012 11:50 Comments || Top||

#15  @Sherry

During the Algerian civil war it was not uncommon of some insurgents dressing or acting like Afgans (eg sitting on their heels) despite being Algerians
Posted by: JFM || 10/29/2012 12:04 Comments || Top||

#16  From what I have head classic Arabic like spoken in Saudi Arabia is nearly unintelligible for Moroccans or Algerians a bit like Shakespearian English or even Medieval English for an American.

Hmmmm. Might one conclude from this that Moroccan and Algerians are evolving while the Soddies are stuck in the Seventh Century?
Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 || 10/29/2012 12:04 Comments || Top||

#17  I lived in Morocco for six months in 1977. Classical Arabic sounded more like French (soft, flowing), to me, while Moroccan Arabic was much more like German (harsh and gutteral). I spoke a little bit of each at the time. French and German, that is.

I suppose classical Arabic might be more akin to (dead) Latin, while the local dialects more like French, Spanish, and Italian - from the same root.
Posted by: Bobby || 10/29/2012 12:33 Comments || Top||

#18  Bobby, Latin's not a "dead" language. It's just sleeping!
Posted by: Scooter McGruder || 10/29/2012 13:56 Comments || Top||

#19  Therte is all latin radio. It is not in Vatican, it is not in a catholic country, it is not in a country whose language is derived from Latin. It is in Finland.

BTw, one of the reasons the Catholic Church clinfs is precisely because it is a sleeping language; meaning of wors doesn't change.
Posted by: JFM || 10/29/2012 15:07 Comments || Top||

#20  When you are told "weapons free" will come directly from the White House, you hold your fire.

I see your point, Besoeker - a conditioned response - as well as JFM's point that there was also concern for Libyan sovereignty. But Woods and Doherty disobeyed orders. I just can't see how at least one of their brothers-in-arms would not have broken ranks too, if getting a go/no-go was the only obstacle.
Posted by: RandomJD || 10/29/2012 17:50 Comments || Top||

#21  Perhaps we should cut the TOTUS a little slack. The old ad was about a 3AM call when the president is sleeping, not about a 3PM call when he is busy with politics.
Posted by: James || 10/29/2012 21:21 Comments || Top||

#22  Mr. Wife studied Arabic when he was working in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. His tutor was Palestinian, but he was able to practice on the locals. When he went to Morocco he spoke French, because they did not understand his Arabic.
Posted by: trailing wife || 10/29/2012 23:23 Comments || Top||


Home Front: WoT
The Innocence of Obama
Posted by: tipper || 10/29/2012 02:18 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Innocence? I can think of lots of other descriptive words that could be better used than innocence.
Posted by: JohnQC || 10/29/2012 10:34 Comments || Top||


-Election 2012
Do Elections Have Consequences? Ask Brian Terry and Chris Stevens
What may be the money quote:
Our Benghazi facility was a half-baked operation. It was not a consulate. It was a "facility" with an ambiguous purpose, at least as far as the unclassified world is concerned. It had a stunning lack of even basic security despite the rapidly deteriorating situation in Libya, and in eastern Libya in particular. The security level for our facilities in Libya was driven by the political consideration of maintaining the liberal fiction that Obama's war in Libya had succeeded, that the "Arab Spring" was akin to our own Revolution, and that the region "loved" President Obama. When things fell apart on September 11, the number one concern was not to do anything that would damage that narrative. Blame the crisis on an obscure video; blame it on a press release by the Romney campaign; blame it on subordinates. Above all, do nothing that would appear to show that the Obama misadministration had misunderstood reality in Libya and throughout the Muslim word. The result? Mayhem.
Posted by: Besoeker || 10/29/2012 03:05 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  We still haven't gotten much on Brian Terry and Fast and Furious from this administration. They stonewalled that investigation rather than tried to clear it up. One begins to think this administration is the enemy of Americans rather than answerable to Americans.
Posted by: JohnQC || 10/29/2012 11:25 Comments || Top||

#2  "Begins"?
Posted by: Barbara || 10/29/2012 12:26 Comments || Top||


Home Front: Culture Wars
If today's New York Times editors were in charge in 1943
Posted by: Glinesh Craling7938 || 10/29/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  excellent
Posted by: Mikey Hunt || 10/29/2012 0:38 Comments || Top||



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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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Meet the Mods
In no particular order...
Steve White
Seafarious
tu3031
badanov
sherry
ryuge
GolfBravoUSMC
Bright Pebbles
trailing wife
Gloria
Fred
Besoeker
Glenmore
Frank G
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Two weeks of WOT
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
Sat 2012-10-20
  Leb: Wissam al-Hasan Assassinated in Beirut Bomb Blast
Fri 2012-10-19
  144 Dead as Syria Jets Blast Maaret al-Numan and Suicide Bomber Hits near Interior Ministry
Thu 2012-10-18
  Iranian-American Pleads Guilty to Plot to Kill Saudi Envoy to U.S.
Wed 2012-10-17
  ROPer arrested for attempting to blow up Federal Reserve Bank in NYC
Tue 2012-10-16
  Pak President Admits Creating Terrorist Groups
Mon 2012-10-15
  Gunmen kill 20 at mosque in northern Nigeria

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