Posts Tagged ‘Foreign Policy’

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Egypt Blowing Up Again

Wednesday, August 14th, 2013

NRO has running updates. Civilian death toll at 245, security forces death toll at 43.

Here’s your generic Middle East conflict video montage:

(Note: I originally had a completely different generic Middle East conflict video montage there, but AFP evidently doesn’t like embedding videos.)

It was always wishful thinking that the Muslim Brotherhood was going to relinquish its grip on power without a fight. The only question now is how many dead, and how many of its top leadership the Egyptian military is going to kill.

Egypt should count itself lucky that Mohammed Morsi was so stupidly impatient. If he had only followed Erdogan’s lead, he could have slowly but steadily consolidated his rule while pushing the military out of the picture. Now he’s toast, and we can only hope his fellow Islamists get pushed out of power-sharing entirely.

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Posted in Foreign Policy, Jihad, video | No Comments »

CIA Covering Up Benghazi?

Thursday, August 1st, 2013

This appears to be the case.

CNN reports that there were allegedly “dozens” of CIA operatives on the ground during the Benghazi attack and the agency is doing its utmost to conceal its involvement.

CNN’s sources say that, since January, some operatives that were involved in the agency’s mission in Libya are being polygraphed monthly to determine who, if anyone, is talking to Congress or the media. Sources describe the efforts as pure intimidation, and say there are threats to end the careers of unauthorized leakers.

This makes Benghazi an ever bigger scandal than we thought, with a government agency actively undermining legitimate congressional oversight in order to cover up either real crimes or its own incompetence.

It also suggests that the CIA was carrying out one (or possibly both) of the secret (and possibly illegal) operations that been widely rumored to be the real reason behind the Benghazi coverup:

  • They were already running arms (including surface-to-air missiles) to Syrian rebel, well in advance of Obama’s public declaration, or
  • Benghazi was an extrajudicial center for “harsh interrogation methods” of the sort Obama theoretically banned, as suggested by former CIA Director David Petraeus’ former mistress Paula Broadwell.

    • Either way, Obama lied, and Americans died to cover up Obama’s lies, and now even more people are being forced to lie, or at least refrain from talking to investigators seeking the truth, in order to cover up the coverup.

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    Posted in Foreign Policy, Jihad, Obama Scandals | No Comments »

    Morsi Deposed, Millions Cheer

    Wednesday, July 3rd, 2013

    The inevitable has happened. The Egyptian military has deposed corrupt, dictatorial Muslim Brotherhood President Mohammed Morsi, suspended his Islamist-tainted constitution, and promised new elections. Adly Mansour, the head of Egypt’s Supreme Constitutional Court, is Egypt’s new president.

    There are coups and there are coups. Morsi was trying to pull the classic “one man, one vote, once” maneuver of turning Egypt into a one party Islamic state under his dictatorship. So intent was he on this goal that ignored trivial Presidential duties like reviving the economy and protecting the lives, liberty and property of Egyptians, with Copts and political opponents killed in the streets. This is a coup that increases, rather than decreases, the chance for Egypt to experience real democracy, still slight though it may be.

    Hopefully the army will follow up on it’s promise of fair elections. The Green Laser Revolution continues apace…

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    Posted in Foreign Policy, Jihad, Military | No Comments »

    Live Updates From Egypt

    Wednesday, July 3rd, 2013

    If you want to follow what is likely to be Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood’s last day in power, a few live update sources:

  • The BBC
  • Russia Today
  • ABC
  • Al Jazeera

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    Egyptian Military Confirms That Morsi Regime Is In Its “Last Hours”

    Tuesday, July 2nd, 2013

    On its Facebook page.

    In other news, the Egyptian military has a Facebook page…

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    Posted in Foreign Policy, Jihad, Military | No Comments »

    Egypt Update for July 2, 2013

    Tuesday, July 2nd, 2013

    The lines are drawn, and the curses are cast. Both the people as a whole and the military have proclaimed that Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood must step down. Morsi, in turn, has told them to get stuffed. I’m seeing more sources saying that police are coming over to the protester’s side. Without the military and the police, Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood don’t stand a chance to stay in power, though they can still make forcing them out a very bloody affair.

    Other Egypt news:

  • The Egyptian army says that if it takes over, it will dissolve parliament and rewrite the constitution.
  • How Morsi and his fascist Muslim Brotherhood cronies managed to screw up so many things so quickly.
  • Sensing the tide, Egypt’s foreign minister is the latest rat to leave Morsi’s sinking ship.
  • Three government spokesmen have also left.
  • Mohamed ElBaradei is back as the consensus opposition figurehead.
  • Obama seems to be slowly shifting from being on the wrong side to ineffectually telling everyone to play nice.
  • A bit on Defense Minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
  • An ABC report on the size of the June 30 crowds.
  • Rape gangs continue to attack female journalists.

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    Egypt Update for July 1, 2013

    Monday, July 1st, 2013

    The big Egypt news today, just in case you hadn’t seen it:

  • Widespread protests estimated at 17 million people have called for the ouster of Mohammed Morsi and his violent, corrupt, incompetent Muslim Brotherhood from power.
  • The Egyptian Military has given Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood 48 hours to meet people’s demands or Eddie Murphy goes back to prison the military will step in and impose their own solution.
  • There have been scattered reporters that some police have gone over to the protesters’ side.
  • Protesters have burned and ransacked Muslim Brotherhood headquarters in Cairo.
  • The MSM seemed to largely ignore the story over the weekend and is now playing catchup.

    • Some links:

  • This point by point breakdown of the last three years isn’t awful.
  • Thanks to Obama’s bungling middle east policy, protesters now hate the U.S. more than ever. “We are very critical of the Obama administration because they have been supporting the Brotherhood like no one has ever supported them.”
  • When I read these sorts of Egypt is finally ready for Democracy pieces, I want to believe them, but I just don’t. I do believe the Egyptian people are ready to kick the Muslim Brotherhood to the curb, but I’m not yet convinced a majority there (or in any Arab nation) want a constitutional democracy and the rule of law.
  • Walter Russell Mead thinks that Egypt is just coming apart.
  • He, in turn, links to this New Yorker piece.

    In conversations with opposition politicians over the past six months, I have been struck by two things: their vehement hatred of the Brotherhood, and their inability to articulate solutions to the country’s problems. People speak in vague terms about social justice and democratic values. I have yet to meet a politician with a substantive plan to overhaul a system of food and fuel subsidies that eats up almost one third of the budget, or to reform the education sector, or to stimulate foreign investment….

    After two years of watching politicians on both sides of the fence squabble and prevaricate and fail to improve their lives, Egyptians appear to be rejecting representative democracy, without having had much of a chance to participate in it. In a country with an increasingly repressive regime and no democratic culture to draw on, protest has become an end in itself—more satisfying than the hard work of governance, organizing, and negotiation. This is politics as emotional catharsis, a way to register rage and frustration without getting involved in the system.

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    Posted in Foreign Policy, Jihad, Media Watch | No Comments »

    LinkSwarm for June 28, 2013

    Friday, June 28th, 2013

    It’s supposed to hit a 106° in Austin today. Sadly, not all of these links will help you keep your cool…

  • 12 different IRS offices targeted conservatives.
  • Over 1,100 patients were starved to death at NHS hospitals in the UK. Funny, I don’t remember that being mentioned in the Olympic tribute to how awesome NHS is…
  • Marco Rubio aide: We need illegal alien amnesty because American workers suck.
  • Blue collar Americans having trouble finding jobs. I’m sure that has nothing to do with our ruling political elite’s decision to allow unlimited illegal immigration of unskilled workers…
  • Every Republican voting for amnesty better get ready for a primary challenge.
  • Obama camapign workers convicted of voter fraud in Indiana. This was for the 2008 Democratic primary, so it will likely be many years before see starting seeing convictions for the Obama campaign’s various 2012 voting fraud efforts…
  • Noam Chomsky attending the opening of Hezbollah’s “Death to Israel” theme park.
  • People told me that if I voted for Romney, the U.S. military would start blocking access to liberal news sources. And they were right!
  • The Atlantic says that Obama “succeeded” in Libya but is failing in Syria. If Benghazi was success, I’d hate to see what failure looks like.
  • And speaking of Benghazi, Libya just let one of the suspected attackers walk. Thank God we have Obama’s smart, sophisticated diplomacy in the Middle East…
  • Beer now unaffordable in Greece. And you thought they had riots before…
  • Second Colorado Democrat faces a recall election over gun control.
  • Magpul to give away 1,500 30-round magazines just two days before Colorado outlaws them.
  • By the way, there’s a Facebook page to show support for bringing Magpul to Texas. But most of the rumors I hear have them moving to Wyoming.
  • The Amarillo Globe-News has a message for gun manufacturers thinking of relocating to Texas: Come on down!
  • Texas executes its 500th murderer. Don’t mess with Texas. Or we will end you.
  • Speaking of ending you: Don’t try to commit armed robbery in a concealed carry state.
  • Nurse Bloomberg continues to underwrite anti-gun ads, shoot himself in the foot. (Hat tip: Alphecca.
  • In order to prove vegans aren’t a creepy cult, website seeks to out and harass lapsed vegans.
  • The Onion channels Jay Carney: “Well, Time To Go Out In Front Of A Bunch Of People And Lie To Them.”
  • The mystery of Lori Ruff, AKA Becky Sue Turner. No one know who she actually is…

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    Posted in Austin, Border Control, Crime, Democrats, Elections, Guns, Jihad, Obama Scandals | No Comments »

    Syrian Headlines One Year From Now

    Friday, June 14th, 2013

    New Syrian President Greets American Ambassador

    “A New Era”

    Syria Pledges Cooperation in Iraq, Lebanon

    Israel Claims New Syrian Government Shipping Arms to Hamas

    Damascus Under Sharia
    “They beat my wife,” claims distraught shopkeeper

    Syrian chemical weapons missing?

    Sunni, Shia Clashes in Lebanon Intensify

    They’re Back: How Hezbollah Survived the Fall of Assad

    New Round of Rocket Attacks Hit Tel Aviv, 2 Dead

    Iran Withdraws From Nuclear Weapon Talks

    American Solider Missing in Damascus
    Syrian government pledges “full cooperation”

    Hostage Video Released for Kidnapped Smith

    Mother issues tearful plea for Smith’s return

    Sunni Mosque Bombed in Karbala
    Iraqis blame Iran

    Alawite Insurgency Flares Again

    Syrian military talks end without agreement

    Clashes in Lebanon Spread, 31 Dead

    Syria Denies Involvement in Preschool Bombing

    Egyptian-Syrian Cooperation Pact Signed

    KLM 411 Flight Kuwait Missing

    KLM 411 Wreckage Found in Dessert

    Investigators Say KLM 411 Shot Down
    Iraq Denies Its Planes Were in Area

    Al-Qaeda Claims Responsibility for KLM 411
    “This is only the beginning.”

    Syrian Government Denies Supplying MANPADS to Al-Qaeda

    Jerusalem Hospital Bombed
    18 dead, more feared in wreckage

    IDF Invades Gaza
    Fierce Fighting
    First Large Incursion Since 2012

    More Lebanese Rockets Hit Tel Aviv

    UN Calls for Immediate Ceasefire in Gaza

    Israel Displays Cache of Hamas Weapons, Claims Syrian Origin

    Syria Denies Shipping Weapons to Hamas
    “More lies from the criminal Zionist entity”

    Six months after kidnapping, few leads on Pvt. Smith
    Mother: “I pray every night.”

    U.S Embassy in Damascus Overrun; Ambassador, 12 Others Feared Dead

    Obama: Embassy overrun by protesters of anti-Islamic cartoon

    Lebanese Civil War Heating Up Again

    (Related.)

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    Posted in Foreign Policy, Jihad | No Comments »

    LinkSwarm for April 12, 2013

    Friday, April 12th, 2013

    Time for another Friday LinkSwarm:

  • Mary Steyn on Margaret Thatcher: “A generation on, the Thatcher era seems more and more like a magnificent but temporary interlude in a great nation’s bizarre, remorseless self-dissolution. She was right and they were wrong, and because of that they will never forgive her.”
  • The top story today (despite MSM attempts to avoid covering it) is the trial of Dr. Kermit Gosnell for murdering babies. “This case is about a doctor who killed babies and endangered women. What we mean is that he regularly and illegally delivered live, viable babies in the third trimester of pregnancy – and then murdered these newborns by severing their spinal cords with scissors.” I guess doctors murdering black babies just isn’t a big deal for many white liberal journalists. Hell, Margaret Sanger encouraged it. Just contrast their reluctance to report on it compared to how they would have exploded if a guy walked into a hospital and shot seven infants in the head…
  • Man in Massachusetts arrested for shooting a bear that was trying to eat him.
  • America doesn’t need an official eugenics program when it has the Ivy league.
  • Head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents union calls out Sen. Marco Rubio for supporting amnesty.
  • Everything old is new again: Pogroms return to Ukraine.
  • Gee, Round Rock ISD officials are sure in an all fire hurry to resign all of a sudden.

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    Posted in Crime, Foreign Policy, Guns, Media Watch, unions | No Comments »

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