Posts Tagged ‘Jihad’
Monday, October 28th, 2013
Well, this should break the story wide open. If you haven’t already, see the whole thing.
And here’s the transcript.
Tags:60 Minutes, Benghazi, Jihad, Libya, Media Watch, Obama Scandals
Posted in Foreign Policy, Jihad, Media Watch, Obama Scandals | No Comments »
Friday, October 4th, 2013
Harry Reid and Obama declare war on World War II Vets and cancer patients. Next up: Reid explaining why the shutdown requires them to euthanize kittens.
Obama deserves the blame for the shutdown.
Thomas Sowell: “There is really nothing complicated about the facts. The Republican-controlled House of Representatives voted all the money required to keep all government activities going — except for Obamacare…You cannot blame other people for not giving you everything you want. And it is a fraud to blame them when you refuse to use the money they did vote for, even when it is ample to pay for everything else in the government…When Barack Obama keeps claiming that it is some new outrage for those who control the money to try to change government policy by granting or withholding money, that is simply a bald-faced lie.”
The “only man to enroll in Obamacare” is an OFA shill. Also a liar. “Bill Henderson told me that both he and his son were interested in getting coverage, but that he had not enrolled in any plan yet, and to his knowledge, neither had his son.” Ace has the blow-by-blow dissection of Henderson’s story coming part.
The White House has 436 essential employees and 1,265 non-essential? Where do they fit???
You can probably tell what the Obama Administration thinks of you when you realize the number for ObamaCare information is 1-800-FUCKYO.
The people composing California’s elementary school math questions are evidently illiterate.
Pedophile pleads guilty, receives prison sentence.
Obama tried to have Wisconsin state parks shut down. Response: Get stuffed!
Park Rangers are actually being told to make life difficult for visitors.
Five reasons Ted Cruz deserves our respect.
British lefty: We have to talk about Islamic barbarism. (Hat tip: Ace of Spades.)
What’s so special about John Moses Browning? (Ditto)
Obituary watch: Gen. Vo Nguyen Giap, Army of North Vietnam. Like Erwin Rommel or Heinz Guderian, Giap was a brilliant general who fought for an evil government.
Islamists kicked out in Tunisia.
TV reporter asks undercover cop to step up to the microphone.
Via James Lileks, this is pretty funny:
Tags:Budget, Harry Reid, Jihad, LinkSwarm, Michael Totten, Obama, ObamaCare, shutdown, Thomas Sowell, Tunisia, vets, video, Vo Nguyen Giap, Wisconsin
Posted in Budget, Jihad, ObamaCare, video | No Comments »
Friday, September 13th, 2013
My schedule is finally close to getting back to normal after Worldcon, so here’s the latest Friday LinkSwarm:
Greek unemployment hits 27.9%. Remember: For all the mentions of “austerity measures,” they’ve never balanced a budget.
Why we were in Benghazi. Short answer: Smuggling arms to Syrian rebels. Remember: No Americans died in Iran-Contra.
Syrian rebels do what they do best: kill women and children.
Obama’s Syrian policy is “is an unmitigated cl*st*rf*ck.” And that’s from his friends at The New Republic.
Charles Krauthammer calls it epic incompetence.
Today is the 20th anniversary of the Oslo Accords, which, as we all know, finally brought long-lasting peace and stability to the Middle East. “Decadal stasis points to the sterility of the Arab-Israeli diplomatic process.”
Mark Steyn on ObamaCare.
Mickey Kaus is worried that Republicans can still snatch amnesty defeat from the jaws of victory.
How often does Defensive gun use occur? “From about 500,000 to more than 3 million per year.”
PPP’s poll data showed Giron was in trouble, but they didn’t release the poll, ostensibly because they didn’t believe it. That may be the case, but their explanation is suspect, given they actually testified in court as part of the effort to get the recall effort thrown out. Also, they didn’t do Giron and the gun-grabber side any favors by suppressing the results (the Liberal Reality Bubble strikes again). Bonus: Pollster Twitter slap fight!
Is the House Republican leadership actually stupid enough to kill the sequester in a deal with Obama? Let’s hope not…
Jihadi rapper killed by fellow jihadis. And you thought Vanilla Ice’s reviews were brutal…
To a visitor from India, America looks like a classless society. “I’ve noticed that most Americans roughly have the same standard of living. Everybody has access to ample food, everybody shops at the same supermarkets, malls, stores, etc. I’ve seen plumbers, construction workers and janitors driving their own sedans, which was quite difficult for me to digest at first since I came from a country where construction workers and plumbers lived hand to mouth.” (Hat tip: Ace.)
How can Newspapers make money these days? How about by selling off their old photo morgues?
UK’s NHS: Now With Added Death.
Million Muslim March falls a mere 999,970 marchers short of their goal.
Rep. Peter King of Long island is running for President. Expect GOP voters to greet his campaign with the same enthusiasm with which they greeted Jon Huntsman’s.
Super-genius astronomer wants to name an asteroid “Trayvon”.
New Jersey police: hate crimes don’t happen to white people.
Police Chief meeting with Sheriff Joe Arpaio on his own time and money? That’s a suspension.
Austin: 13 murders in 8 months. “Otherwise known as a slow weekend in Chicago.”
Holly Hansen takes a look at Williamson County judicial races.
Tags:amnesty, Angela Giron, Austin, Border Controls, Charles Krauthammer, Chicago, Colorado, European Debt Crisis, Foreign Policy, Greece, gun control, Guns, Holly Hansen, Israel, Jihad, Joe Arpaio, LinkSwarm, Mark Steyn, Mickey Kaus, Oslo Accords, Peter King, Syria, Williamson County
Posted in Austin, Border Control, Foreign Policy, Guns, Jihad, Republicans, Texas | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, September 11th, 2013
It looks increasingly like a moot point, but since I previously mentioned it, I wanted to confirm that my own Representative, John Carter, is a firm “No” on bombing Syria, as per this letter from him:
Dear Mr. Person:
Thank you for contacting me about President Obama’s proposal to launch a military strike against Syria.
President Obama has asked Congress to authorize a U.S. military strike in the wake of President Bashar al-Assad’s forces use of chemical weapons on August 21, 2013.
My constituents and the majority of Americans have voiced their opposition to this ill-conceived proposal and I stand with them. The President has not provided a solid reason as to why he believes the United States should attack the sovereign nation of Syria or how this action would deter al-Assad in the future. A political agenda is no reason to put our sons and daughters in danger or involve our country in another costly war while dealing with a budgetary crisis, the President’s damaging sequester and reduced troop levels.
The lack of a legitimate foreign policy since the beginning of this administration has placed America into the situation we face today. I believe the President’s decision to attack Syria is not based on defending the security of our nation, but is based on defending his political agenda and his ‘red line’. The administration’s plan to support and aid the rebel faction which include members of Al Qaeda and the assumptions that they will call America their friend after attacking President Bashar al-Assad is a misguided strategy at best. There are many issues that the country should be focused on and kicking a hornets’ nest is not one of them.
Nothing has proven President Obama’s proposal would be effective and he has not given specific timetables for a resolution to the crisis. I believe we should work with the world community through diplomatic measures that will protect others from the deplorable use of chemical weapons. The central question for policy makers remains how best to bring the conflict in Syria to a close before the crisis consigns the region to one of several destructive and destabilizing scenarios.
You can be sure I will keep your strong views in mind as I monitor developments in Syria and surrounding regions. If given the opportunity to vote on this matter, I will oppose the President’s dangerous request. I appreciate having the opportunity to represent you in the U.S. House of Representatives. Please feel free to visit my website (www.house.gov/carter) or contact me with any future concerns.
Sincerely,
John Carter
Member of Congress
Yes votes to bomb Syria seem mighty hard to come by…
Tags:Foreign Policy, Jihad, John Carter, Military, Syria
Posted in Austin, Foreign Policy, Jihad, Military | No Comments »
Tuesday, September 10th, 2013
Who knew stopping a war could be so easy?
Not the Syrian war itself, of course; that grinds on unabated. But Obama’s ill-advised attempt to directly involve the U.S. in it seems to have been derailed.
Now, instead of the fig leaf of an unbelievably small attack on Syria to assuage Obama’s wounded ego over Assad waltzing all over his red line with a chemical weapons attack, now he gets to climb down thanks to the fig leaf of what will be a laughable, easily circumvented UN supervision of whatever chemical stockpiles Assad wants to turn over to them. We’ve seen how ridiculously ineffective UN oversight was in Iraq even with US force to back it up; there’s no reason to assume it will be any more effective in Syria.
But make no mistake: This is a better outcome than an attack that would be various parts ill-advised and laughable, depending on the size. Now Obama gets to accomplish exactly as much as he would before (namely nothing) without the risk of going to war.
It’s a win-win solution.
Tags:Foreign Policy, Jihad, John Kerry, Military, Obama, Syria, UN
Posted in Foreign Policy, Jihad, Military | No Comments »
Friday, September 6th, 2013
Obama’s call for attacking Syria is meeting such heavy opposition that he already has a domestic quagmire on his hands getting it approved. Here’s a mini-roundup of Syria news:
I can’t really start quoting this Charles Krauthammer takedown of the incoherence of Obama’s Syrian policy, because there’s so much good stuff here that it will be hard to stop. OK, one quote: “There’s no strategy, no purpose here other than helping Obama escape self-inflicted humiliation.”
There’s a word for what Obama and Kerry want in Syria: War.
Iran wants to attack us if we attack Syria. If this is Obama’s masterful scheme to jujitsu Iran into giving him cover to take out their nuclear program I may have to revise my opinion of him. But how likely is that?
Obama’s serial Syrian blunders. “The only nation contemplating joining the United States in military action is France. That’s 38 fewer allies than joined the United States after the supposed unilateralist George W. Bush, with congressional authorization, ordered troops into Iraq.”
Obama has changed the military’s strike plans against Syria 50 times. Does he think he’s planning the perfect Zerg Rush in Starcraft?
The world set a red line in Syria? Well then, let the world enforce it.
Democrats in congress will be dragooned into voting for war to “save the president’s hide.”
Was Samantha Powers really dumb enough to think that Iran would abandon Syria over chemical weapons? (Hat tip: Ace.)
Obama’s road to Damascus. The goal of the POTUS: “ultimately we have a transition that can bring peace and stability, not only to Syria but to the region.” Peace and stability in the Middle East. Well, nothing too naive or ambitious about that goal, is there?
When John Kerry says that the Syrian rebels are “mostly moderates,” he’s using the rhetorical device know as lying.
The New York Times has some disturbing intelligence on some of Kerry’s “moderates.”
Lindsey Graham continues his downward spiral into irrelevance by declaring that failure to bomb Iraq would mean an Iran-Israel war within 6 months. Honestly, I’m a lot more enthused about that possibility than us bombing involved in Syria, if only on the off-chance an Israel-Iran war might actually accomplish something.
As I’m not one who credits the left for, well, much of anything, really, let’s give credit where credit is due and give the anti-war types some points for consistency: Moveon.org opposes a strike against Syria.
George Mitchell of The Nation says no thanks as well, citing Obama and Kerry’s many Syrian lies.
Even Obama’s own OAF is twiddling its thumbs rather than voicing support or opposition.
Syria’s war spills into Lebanon.
Tags:Charles Krauthammer, Foreign Policy, Iran, Israel, Jihad, Lindsey Graham, Military, MoveOn.org, Obama, Samantha Powers, Starcraft, Syria
Posted in Democrats, Foreign Policy, Jihad, Media Watch, Military | No Comments »
Friday, September 6th, 2013
It’s taking a while to get back up to speed after Worldcon, but here’s a little content to prove I’m not dead (just dead tired). And it’s proven a moving target that took longer to put together than I expected
The Hill has an an ongoing whip count on those who oppose or support a strike against Syria. Huffington Post has another count. This is shaping up to be a case of actual Americans on both the left and right opposing Obama’s Big Adventure, while the Permanent Party of Washington Insiders is supporting it.
Texas Congressmen On Record Opposing A Strike On Syria
(if no link from their name, they’re on the Hill or Huff Puff lists)
Republicans
Sen. Ted Cruz
Rep. Joe Barton
Rep. Kevin Brady
Rep. Michael C. Burgess
Rep. Mike Conaway
Rep. John Culberson
Rep. Blake Farenthold
Rep. Bill Flores
Rep. Louis Gohmert
Ralph M. Hall
Rep. Sam Johnson
Rep. Kenny Marchant
Rep. Michael McCaul
Rep. Randy Neugebauer
Rep. Ted Poe
Rep. Lamar Smith
Rep. Mac Thornberry
Rep. Roger Williams
Rep. Randy Weber
Democrats
Lloyd Doggett
Texas Congressmen On Record Supporting A Strike On Syria
Republicans
None.
Democrats
Rep. Joaquín Castro (Huff Puff says neutral, The Hill says leaning yes)
Rep. Henry Cueller
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee
Rep. Marc A. Veasey
Here’s a list of Texas Republican Congressmen who were listed as undecided in the Huff Puff piece, along with contact info:
Sen. John Cornyn (Contact form, 202-224-2934, additional office contact locations)
Rep. John Carter (Contact form, (202) 225-3864, Round Rock (512) 246-1600, Temple (254) 933-1392)
Rep. Jeb Hensarling (Contact form, (202) 225-3484, Athens, (903) 675-8288, Dallas (214) 349-9996)
Rep. Kay Granger (Contact form, (202) 225-5071, Fort Worth (817) 338-0909)
Rep. Pete Olson (Contact form, (202) 225-5951, Pearland (281) 485-4855, Sugar Land (281) 494-2690)
Rep. Pete Sessions (Contact form, (202) 225-2231, Dallas (972) 392-0505)
Steve Stockman (Contact form, (202) 225-1555, Cleveland (409) 883-8028 Orange, TX 77630, (409) 883-8075, Pasadena (281-478-2799)
Contact information for Texas congressional critters from Dwight’s blog.
So, for those of you playing along on the home game: Both Ted Cruz and Lloyd Doggett oppose attacking Syria. That’s a pretty broad coalition.
Tags:Jeb Hensarling, Jihad, John Carter, John Cornyn, Kay Granger, Lloyd Doggett, Military, Obama, Pete Olson, Syria, Ted Cruz
Posted in Democrats, Foreign Policy, Jihad, Military | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, August 20th, 2013
There’s a lot of Egyptian news going on, much of it of the classic Middle East Problem Solving variety. In particular, the Egyptian government seems to be doing most of the “solving,” so expect to see some 50-100 members of the Muslim Brotherhood develop acute lead poisoning every day for the foreseeable future.
Beyond that, I can’t tell you. My knowledge of Egypt is basically that of a one-eyed, myopic man who can at least see shapes in strong sunlight. Here’s an Egypt news roundup in mini-LinkSwarm form.
The Muslim Brotherhood’s supreme leader is arrested. That’s going to be a big blow to them, and probably indicates the Egyptian military is fairly confident they’ll not only win the current test of wills with the Brothers, but win it decisively.
The Muslim Brotherhood isn’t dead yet, but they are severely weakened. “The army seems determined to decapitate the Middle East’s oldest and arguably most resilient Islamist movement, to prevent it from preparing a political comeback.”
Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss?
The Coptic Kristallnacht.
Hosni Mubarak has been found innocent and should soon be released. Don’t expect to see him return to power, as the military opposition to his turning the country into a dynastic fiefdom by anointing his son Gamal as his successor is the reason they let him get toppled in the first place.
Egypt’s burning, Obama’s golfing.
Is Obama secretly suspending aid to the Egyptian government? If so, he’s once again superbly crafted a policy to please no one and accomplish nothing.
Thomas Sowell on Obama’s (and America’s) illusions about democratizing the Middle East.
“The President and his team have been taken in by two very old American mistakes about the rest of the world. One is to confuse the end of history with the morning news. The other is to exaggerate America’s importance to the rest of the world. ”
Evidently the rest of the Arab world is pissed at Qatar (and Qatar-owned Al Jazeera) for backing the Muslim Brotherhood.
I’ve been seeing a lot of very dubious reports about Obama secretly giving the Muslim Brotherhood $8 billion. Look, as much as I think Obama is an incompetent failure whose Administration has played footsie with the Brotherhood, I don’t buy this for a minute. Setting aside the why, not even President Trillion can conjure $8 billion from thin air to hand out on his own.
Tags:Al Jazeera, Copts, Egypt, Foreign Policy, Hosni Mubarak, Jihad, LinkSwarm, Media Watch, Muslim Brotherhood, Obama, Qatar, Thomas Sowell
Posted in Foreign Policy, Jihad | No Comments »
Monday, August 19th, 2013
Mark Steyn is always good, but this piece on Egypt is so succinctly pithy that it’s hard to stop quoting from it.
General Sisi has made a calculation that he has a small window of opportunity to inflict damage on the Muslim Brotherhood that will set them back decades and that it is in Egypt’s vital interest to do so. Grasping that, the Brothers are pushing back hard.
And this:
All these parties are pursuing their strategic interest. Does the United States have such a thing anymore? Not so’s you’d notice. As a result, the factions in Egypt are united only in their contempt for Washington. Obama is despised by Sisi and the generals for being fundamentally unserious; by the Brotherhood for stringing along with the coup; by the Copts for standing by as the Brothers take it out on them; and by the small number of genuine democrats in Egypt for his witless promotion of Morsi’s thugs as the dawning of democracy. Any “national-unity government” of the kind the usual deluded twits are urging on Egypt would be united only in its unanimous loathing of Obama, his secretaries of state, and his inept ambassador.
One more:
“[Under Obama] America is harmless as an enemy but treacherous as a friend.”
Read the whole thing.
Tags:Copts, Egypt, Foreign Policy, Jihad, Mark Steyn, Mohammed Morsi, Muslim Brotherhood, Obama
Posted in Foreign Policy, Jihad | No Comments »
Friday, August 16th, 2013
Michael Totten has an interview with Egypt expert Eric Trager on the truth about Egypt. Include Western observers deluding themselves about the Muslim Brotherhood. “The Brotherhood prevents moderates from becoming members and prevents members from becoming moderates.”
Also this:
But once the army made the decision to step in, as reluctant as it may have been, it’s modus operandi unquestionably changed. It entered into a direct conflict with the Muslim Brotherhood, perhaps even an existential one. The military believes it not only has to remove Morsi, it has to decapitate the entire organization. Otherwise, the Brotherhood will re-emerge and perhaps kill the generals who removed it from power.
Still more:
MJT: How much support do you think the Muslim Brotherhood actually lost since it won the election?
Eric Trager: It has lost substantial public support. Think back to the early presidential elections in 2012. Morsi only won five million votes, which was 25 percent of the votes cast. That’s not a high number. It’s substantially lower than what the Brotherhood had won just a few months earlier in the parliamentary elections. So already by May 2012, the Muslim Brotherhood’s support shrunk back to its base which is only around five million people.
The Brotherhood’s power is not derived from mass public support and it never has been. It is derived from its exceptional organization capabilities on one hand, and the fact that the rest of Egypt is deeply divided and highly disorganized on the other. That’s still the case. I think if Egypt had free and fair elections today, the Brotherhood would still do well and might even win because nobody else is prepared to run in an election.
Read the whole thing.
Tags:Egypt, Eric Trager, Foreign Policy, Jihad, Michael Totten, Muslim Brotherhood
Posted in Foreign Policy, Jihad | No Comments »