Military Escalation, Dangerous Crossroads: Russia-US Confrontation in Syria?
Global Research, December 15, 2012
Region: Middle East & North Africa
In-depth Report: SYRIA: NATO'S NEXT WAR?
On December 14, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta signed a Pentagon order to deploy 400 US missile troops to Turkey. According to Washington, the security of Turkey, NATO’s heavyweight, is threatened. US military personnel will to be deployed to Turkey in the coming weeks to operate two US Patriot missile batteries.
According to the Pentagon’s spokesman, George Little:
“The United States has been supporting Turkey in its efforts to defend itself,… [against Syria]
“I’m not going to go into precise locations at this time, he added, “but I wanted to let you…know that we signed that order and that we are prepared in the context of NATO to support the defense of Turkey for an unspecified period of time.”
“The purpose of this deployment is to signal very strongly that the United States, working closely with our NATO allies, is going to support the defense of Turkey, especially with potential threats emanating from Syria,” US Air Force News, December 14, 2012)
The Patriot surface-to-air interceptors are deployed to deal “with threats that come out of Syria” According to U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta. these threats “include Syrian strikes inside Turkey and fighting between the government and rebels that extends into Turkey” (CNN, December 14, 2012):
“We can’t spend a lot of time worrying about whether that pisses off Syria,” said Panetta [sic] after signing the order Friday. (Ibid, emphasis added)
In addition to the US missile deployment, Germany and the Netherlands have confirmed that they will also deploy Patriot missiles in Turkey directed against Syria.
Not mentioned in the official Pentagon statement, this buildup of patriot missile batteries is not only directed against Syria, it is intended to confront Russia’s military presence in Syria as well as its support to the development of Syria’s air defense system.
The US-NATO Led Insurgency
The Pentagon’s initiative in Turkey is part of the US-NATO-Israeli led insurgency against Syria. In recent months, this insurgency has evolved towards an unofficial (yet de facto) allied invasion characterized by the presence inside Syria of French, British, Turkish and Qatari Special Forces.
These Special Forces are “embedded” within rebel ranks. They are not only participating in the training of rebel forces, they are also involved in de facto paramilitary command and coordination, in liaison with NATO.
In other words, member states of the Atlantic Alliance through their Special Forces and intelligence operatives on the ground largely determines the nature and thrust of rebel activities. Of significance, the main fighting force directly recruited and trained by US-NATO, Saudi Arabia and Qatar is the Al Nusra Front, (see image right) an Al Qaeda affiliated militia involved in countless terrorist acts against civilians.
The Broader Middle East War
The US Patriot missile deployment in Turkey is part of a regional process of militarization which includes the establishment of US command posts and the stationing of American troops in Jordan and Israel. This regional military deployment also threatens Iran.
Moreover, US-NATO-Israeli war preparations with regard to Syria are coordinated with those pertaining to Iran. The command posts in Israel, which oversee some 1000 US troops, in coordination with Israel’s IDF, are under the jurisdiction of US European Command (EUCOM).
In a recent statement Iran’s chief of staff warned that the stationing of Patriot anti-missile batteries on Turkey’s border with Syria “was setting the stage for world war”
It is worth noting that in addition to the Patriot missiles in Turkey, Patriot batteries targeted at Iran have also been deployed to Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE and Bahrain (2010).
Russia’s Air Defense Systems in Syria
In response to the US-allied missile deployment, Russia delivered advanced Iskander missiles to Syria, which are now fully operational, not to mention the ground to air Russian defense system Pechora 2M.
The Iskander is described as a surface-to-surface missile system “that no missile defense system can trace or destroy”:
The superior Iskander can travel at hypersonic speed of over 1.3 miles per second (Mach 6-7) and has a range of over 280 miles with pinpoint accuracy of destroying targets with its 1,500-pound warhead, a nightmare for any missile defense system.
Moreover, Syria is equipped with the modern Pechora-2M air defense system, which US military sources admit would constitute “a threat”, namely an obstacle, in the case “a no fly zone” were implemented in relation to Syria.
The Pechora-2M is a sophisticated multiple target system which can also be used against cruise missiles.
Ground to air defense Russian Pechora 2M deployed to Syria (above)
Russia Stands Firmly in Support of Syria
Contrary to recent reports, Russia is supporting the government of Bashar al Assad.
On December 14, the Russian Foreign Ministry dismissed rumors, largely instrumented by Western press agencies and the New York Times, that Moscow had changed its position with regard to Syria. The media hype plastered on news headlines was based on an unofficial off-the-cuff statement by Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Mikhail Bodganov;
“We must face the facts: the current tendency shows that the government is progressively losing control over an increasing part of the territory,” Bogdanov told the Public Chamber. “An opposition victory can’t be ruled out.”
The statement had nothing to do with Russia’s stance with regard to Syria. In fact quite the opposite, Moscow has increased its military cooperation with Damascus in response to Western threats.
“…We never changed our position, and will not do so in the future,” said Foreign Affairs spokesperson Lukashevich at a press briefing in Moscow.
It is worth noting that on December 5, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov accused Western countries of violating the arms embargo by transferring “extensive supplies of weapons to the Syrian “opposition” which is in large part composed of Al Qaeda affilated militia,
Dangerous Crossroads in Russia-US Relations
Washington and its allies have consistently supported the various terrorist entities which are part of the “opposition” rebel forces.
In recent developments, the Free Syrian Army (FSA) is threatening to execute a Ukrainian journalist (see photo Below) and has also announced that they will “kill Russians and Ukrainians nationals” in Syria.
The Free Syria Army (FSA) are the foot-soldiers of the Western military alliance. Without Western support they would not be able to confront Syrian government forces.
The decision to threaten and target Russian nationals did not emanate from the “opposition” rebel forces, but directly from Washington.
These threats constitute a deliberate act of provocation against the Russian government which is providing military support to Syria. “Opposition” forces in consultation with US-NATO are now threatening Russia, which is an ally of Syria.
We are at a dangerous crossroads: while Patriot missiles are installed in Turkey, Russian Iskander missiles are deployed in Syria.
French, British, Turkish and Qatari special forces are involved in the recruitment and training of FSA rebels, which are in large part mercenaries. The FSA is now targeting Russian citizens in Syria on the orders of Washington, leading to a potential breakdown in international diplomacy.
Moscow considers these threats as “akin to a declaration of war” stating that “the armed insurgents in Syria [supported by the West] have been emboldened to a point that they have stepped into an area where they are beyond the law.”
Is the threat directed against Russian nationals in Syria the prelude towards a broader process of confrontation between US-NATO and Russia?
Syria, a threat to Turkey? You have to be terminally stupid to believe that?
ReplyDeleteYes.
ReplyDeleteEndgame? -
ReplyDeletehttp://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2012/12/syrian_rebels_gaining_ground_in_aleppo.html
ReplyDeleteEgyptians narrowly approve Sharia constitution
There will be another round of voting, and so the story isn't quite over yet, and "narrowly" doesn't matter once the dust has settled, but it's noteworthy that even with all the voter intimidation, guilt manipulation and commands to vote yes from the imams, and threats and violence, the Islamic supremacists could only get 56.5% of the vote. Clearly a huge number of Egyptians, and possibly a majority, don't want a Sharia state.
http://www.jihadwatch.org/2012/12/egyptians-narrowly-approve-sharia-constitution.html
56.5%? This is surprising. Indicates too that the vote was mostly fair, I would think. And the opposition was calling for a boycott.
Actually am reading the vote is not over, but continues next week. This seems to be the vote in the Cairo area which would be more 'liberal' than the other areas.
DeleteEgyptians vote on new constitution
Rick Moran
The vote will be staggered - many Egyptians will vote today but because there weren't enough judges to oversee the voting due to a boycott, other cities will vote on the constitution next week.
Either way, it is assured passage due to opposition parties urging their members not to take part.
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2012/12/egyptians_vote_on_new_constitution.html
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ReplyDeleteTurkey is considered to have the 6th most powerful military in the world, trailing only those of the US, Russia, China, India, and the UK.
Syria is ranked 35th.
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...thus incapable of being a threat.
Delete"Of significance, the main fighting force directly recruited and trained by US-NATO, Saudi Arabia and Qatar is the Al Nusra Front, (see image right) an Al Qaeda affiliated militia involved in countless terrorist acts against civilians."
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of lunacy are we involved in?
Is Obama dangerously naive or worse?
DeleteDid the Administration attempt to disengage from the Middle East then support the Arab spring only to find out that the Islamists would be the greatest beneficiaries of the chaos?
Wait. We'll call on Turkey to restore order throughout the eastern Mediterranean.
DeleteThe new Ottoman empire.
Given the choice of lesser evils, we'll gladly take the "modern" Turkish brand (head scarves for women and no alcohol) over the Salafists, Wahabis and Iranians.
DeleteWorse. Supported the Arab spring because he knew the Islamists would benefit.
DeleteThere's no way Washington wants to see Russians harmed. That's nuts.
ReplyDeleteah joy! let me drag up some of the last thread for more fun.
ReplyDelete"QuirkSun Dec 16, 02:03:00 AM EST
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"Are suggesting that American culture has eroded so far it can't act in its own best interest and do it again?"
Self-interest is in the eye of the beholder. It's very likely that because people view American culture as having eroded so far that they continue buying the guns.
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AshSun Dec 16, 09:52:00 AM EST
Fucking right! Time for kids to pack heat so they can protect themselves!
Delete
QuirkSun Dec 16, 11:37:00 AM EST
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Ash, your liberal hypocrisy makes me want to puke. Just like Obama. Twenty children are massacred and you guys see it as an opportunity to jump on your soap boxes. In the last four years, Obama hasn't said a word about any type of new gun legislation, in fact, he pushed legislation that allowed carry in national parks and in baggage on Amtrak trains. He failed to push for renewal of the ban on assault weapons. Yet, now he sheds a tear over these killings and will be mourner in chief at the memorial service. There are kids abused every day. Every day five of them are killed because of that abuse. Where is your anger about that? Liberal hypocrites all. There are one and a quarter million abortions in the US each year. California accounts for a quarter of them. In NYC, there are 3 abortions for every 4 live births. There are more abortions in that city than in any other state except California. NY and California, home to the enlightened liberal. What a bunch of hypocritical pricks. Please don't bore me with your views on the sanctity of life. The hypocrisy is palpable.
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You are taking swings at straw men Quirk and also ascribing views tome that I don't hold.
DeleteThe topic was gun control and the right of Americans, some of them like Lansky, to bear arms (and we aren't talking 22 calibre pea shooters used to kill rabbits on the back 40).
No one disagrees the massacre of 18 6 and 7 year old children is a tragedy. (Heck, the killing of 2, yeah only 2, at a Portland shopping mall isn't even worth mentioning because the number is so low and commonplace). The question is what to do about it? Sheeple like you shrug your shoulders and say 'whaddya gonna do about it?', and 'gotta protect yourself'. The logical conclusion to that position is to arm up and give those most in need of defense the ability to do so. Arm the children! Arm up the schools (ole boobie was lamenting budget cuts to school security systems though how he squares that with his desire to cut Government spending I don't know, and Dougman wants to post police sub stations at every school). This all strikes me as absurd. The answer you give to the problem of guns is more guns while shrugging your shoulders like a sheep bleat 'It's the Constitution'. Well, change the bloody constitution then.
What a bunch of hypocritical pricks.
ReplyDeleteYes, that does describe Ash & Company.
Yet, now he sheds a tear over these killings and will be mourner in chief at the memorial service.
DeleteYes, that does well describe Barky's behavior. The ol' rub the eyes deal. The ol' Mourner in Chief.
Fucking right! Time for kids to pack heat so they can protect themselves!
DeleteAnd, yes, this is typical Ash nose picking.
That was fun!
DeleteQuirk, you and boobie two of a kind.
Delete.
DeleteWell, change the bloody constitution then.
And you, Ash, are an idiot. Yesterday, I asked if anyone had any practical solutions and you come up with this.
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DeleteStraw men?
We are talking bout the deaths of innocents. How can anything be more related?
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Ash, No one hunts rabbits with a .22 - not if they like to eat rabbit for breakfast.
Delete38 States are required to pass a Constitutional Amendment. Go find me 38 States where that would have a chance.
DeleteIf it is, as you all say, unconstitutional to control Americans possession of arms; that it is a constitutional right to bear arms, then the only avenue open is to change the constitution otherwise you are denying the Adam Lanskys of the world their RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS. If you act as sheeple and say 'can't be done' then what are your options? More guns? Are you ready for 6 year olds to traipse about in armored vest, packing heat as they ride the bus to their armed fortification of an elementary school? Maybe you prefer the current kill rate to constitutional change?
DeleteYes, the bar is high to change the constitution, as it should be, but it has been done before. Is current American culture ready to grapple with such an issue? Given the reaction here I doubt it. Arm up! Hollow point bullets for all!
You are overlooking the fact that there is no evidence that Adam Lansky was ever provided a "carry" permit, or that he was ever deemed Legal for gun ownership.
DeleteThe guns belonged to the mother.
Are you saying he doesn't have the right to bear arms? Are you saying it is constitutional to limit an Americans right to bear arms?
DeleteYes, the Supremes have allowed for "reasonable" restrictions. That's why you have to pass a background check (for buys from "dealers," anyway. People with certain mental conditions, and Felony convictions are not allowed to own guns, etc.
DeleteBut without 'cause' you can not be denied, correct?
DeleteIn Conn, you need no permit or license to purchase or carry rifles and shotguns. You do need a permit to purchase and carry a handgun.
Pretty weak gun control. As Rat is wont to say 'permits aren't going to stop the bad guys'.
The al-Qaeda flag was propped up in a barrel painted with the three-starred Syrian revolutionary banner in the middle of the road at a makeshift checkpoint between the northern Syrian towns of Binnish and Taftanaz in Idlib province. The checkpoint was unmanned — not especially surprising, given the dry mid-afternoon heat and the lethargy sometimes brought on early in the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
ReplyDeleteBut what was surprising was how openly the flag was displayed. It was white, unlike the more familiar black monochrome inscribed with “No God but God” in white lettering, above the circular seal of the Prophet Muhammad. But no matter the color, the implications were the same: that elements of al-Qaeda or the group’s supporters were present in this part of Syria.
There has been much speculation about whether Islamic radicals have gained a foothold in the chaotic battlefield that is Syria today. They have, albeit a small one. While there are jihadists, both foreign and local, inside Syria, their presence should not be overstated. At this stage, they remain a minor player in the conflict. But as Karl Vick’s story in the Aug. 6 issue of TIME (subscription required) relates, should the conflict spiral out of hand, their role may grow exponentially.
Read more: http://world.time.com/2012/07/26/time-exclusive-meet-the-islamist-militants-fighting-alongside-syrias-rebels/#ixzz2FEhG9OUO
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ReplyDelete4 Awful Reactions to Sandy Hook School Shooting - And Thoughts on a Better Response
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600 students attend Sandy Hook Elementary. That would be, what, 40, or 50 rooms in several buildings?
DeleteThe shooter didn't come in through the front (he was, in fact, denied entrance when he tried.) He, evidently, got in from the back, somehow. It's doubtful a cop on presence would have made much difference; it doesn't take long to kill 20 kindergartners trapped in a room.
It's a country of some 320,000,000. It's sad to say, but a mass-killing is probably going to happen from time to time. Perhaps one thing that could be done would be better glass in the windows, and doors that can only be opened from the inside (and, are somewhat resistant to force from the outside, such as weapons fire.
After getting a divorce, Mom turns into a gun nut. Then she teaches her mentally disturbed son to be an expert marksman by taking him to the range to fire high-powered assault weapons.
ReplyDeleteI think the root cause of this awful event can be gleaned from those facts right there.
The mom was an angry b*ch.
Who teaches their very disturbed son how to shoot guns and then leaves them unlocked around the house?
Yeah, sounds like you're getting pretty close.
DeleteNow that is settled how about turning your analysis to this minor incident:
Delete"- Intended or not, the central image on the Facebook page of Jacob "Jake" Roberts, the Oregon shopping mall gunman, is haunting.
A "Follow Your Dreams" slogan painted on a wall is stamped "Cancelled" in red -- a work by famed street artist Banksy.
Describing himself, Roberts made an attempt at humor.
"Hey what's up guys my names Jake and I'm an alcoholic... Lol just kidding," Roberts wrote in the first line of his introduction, which included grammatical errors. "If you were to ask someone that knows me they would probably say that I am a pretty funny person that takes sarcasm to the max.
"I'm the conductor of my choo choo train," he continued. "I may be young but I have lived one crazy life so far."
Authorities have released a photograph of Roberts, 22, who wore a hockey-like face mask as he shot at holiday shoppers Tuesday at the Clackamas Town Center in Happy Valley, Oregon, near Portland. He killed two people and then himself."
http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/12/us/oregon-mall-gunman-profile/index.html
That was just last Tuesday.
Another thing; the mother seems to have disagreed with the school over their 'plans' for her little darling, and opted for "homeschooling." I wonder what those plans were that she objected to? Meds? Counselling?
DeleteDon't know what happened with the school district. I read they or someone wanted the guy evaluated, and she was in the process of doing that, doing the paperwork, and he evidently found out, which may have been the trigger.
DeleteIt was a broken family, as well. I read she and her husband had been divorced about two years earlier.
she was in the process of doing that, doing the paperwork, and he evidently found out
DeleteThis being the reason he killed his mother, it is currently speculated.
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ReplyDelete...Sheeple like you shrug your shoulders and say 'whaddya gonna do about it?', and 'gotta protect yourself'. The logical conclusion to that position is to arm up and give those most in need of defense the ability to do so. Arm the children!...
Ash, you wouldn't recognize logic if it came up and bit you in the ass.
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Wow, good argument Quirk! You told the answer was to protect oneself, no? Are you saying that isn't the answer?
Delete.
DeleteNo. What I am saying is that you haven't a clue as to what logic is and that since that's the case it is hardly to your advantage to bring up the subject.
When I comment on the totality of your statement, you first ignore the part of your statement that I emphasized by highlighting it and concentrate on the ad homenum portion of it which merely amounts to your opinion of my purported position. You ignore the meat of your statement that implies that what follows from the positions you have ascribed to me is that we should 'arm the children'. This statement is not only illogical, it is, as I have said, idiotic.
Given the context, your statement amounts to a logical fallacy. You offer up a false delemma. It is false because it distorts the truth. It is based on a false assumption, an assumption that either of the purported positions logically require that children should be armed.
Ash, if you can't recognize the difference between an adult and a child, you are a child yourself and here I am being kind.
In stating that the 'logical' conclusion given the previous statments is to 'arm the children' you point out your ignorance of the differences, emotionally, physically, mentally, and developmentally between a normal adult and a 6 or 7 year old.
You also show your ignorance of US law. To purchase weapons, you are expected to have a certain level of competancy, physically, mentally, and emotionally, that children in general just don't have. SCOTUS in ruling that US citizens have the right to posess firearms clearly pointed out broad exceptions to the rule, as well as, granting a certain level of flexibility to governing bodies to address those exceptions.
The individual states have established each their own set of rules governing firearms as has the federal government. They establish rules on types of guns, where they can be used or carried, and on the competancy of those allowed to use them. Those ruled mentally competant, as well as, ex-criminals are not legally allowed to possess firearms. There are also age restrictions. As far as I know, children are restricted from using guns except in specific areas and there with adult supervision.
The reason for this is obvious, children are not competant adults, they are children. The fact that you miss this distinction is troubling.
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DeleteThose ruled not mentally competent...
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Nice to see you offer an argument Quirk.
DeleteYes, it would be absurd to arm the children. I think it is also absurd to believe that every American (subject to to the minimal restrictions you've mentioned) has the right to possess and carry firearms and ammunition capable of quick and easy mass murder (hollow point bullets are of great use for..?). I think it is also absurd for every American to have the right(subject to the minimal restrictions you've mentioned) to carry on their person concealed firearms in schools, churches, and most other public places. Being an American does not mean one has any level of competence in the use of firearms and the proliferation of firearms in the US has been deadly and the response to many of the higher profile killings is for many to suggest that 'if only the poor victims had been armed'. That is a clearly absurd response to the mass killings in Newtown.
Now I'm hearing folk talk about locking up other folk who might kill, not have, but might. I think it would be more effective to limit how much power an individual has to kill.
By the way rufus, what sport is it to kill rabbits with a shotgun? Way more sporting to do it with a 22. Oh, right, dinner was the object. Best get a Bushmaster and a shotgun.
I've never killed an animal "for sport" in my life. Now, THAT sounds absurd.
Delete.
DeleteAsh, your mental processes tend to amaze. You take a specific response to certain, as you call them, high-profile killings, that response being 'if only the poor victims had been armed' and then you somehow conflate that with the killings in Newton. As far as I know, no one has suggested that the children in Newton be armed other than you bringing it up. Your mind works in a strange and mysterious way.
Like most liberals you tend to blame the implement rather than the perp. Your solution, eliminate most violent crime in the US by getting rid of all the guns, is simplistic on a number of levels. First, you ignore the futility of offering up solutions that will never happen. Second, you ignore the fact that violent crimes in the US have been dropping precipitiously over the past decade with the number of violent crimes involving firearms dropping almost in half. Third, you fixate on one issue as the root cause of the violent crime in the US which as I've stated is a simplistic view.
I recall reading that in Switzerland where gun ownership is not only a right but an obligation violent crimes using firearms is negligible. The difference was suggested that Switzerland has no gun control merely social control while the US has no social control merely gun control.
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The Switzerland example is interesting Quirk. They government does appear to distribute weapons, automatic weapons nonetheless, to the citizenry. The do not, however, distribute ammunition anymore. I would imagine they also keep detailed records of the guns distributed but your point is well made in that the simple presence of guns is not a necessary condition for their use. It is a sufficient condition though and that leads me to your criticism of "Like most liberals you tend to blame the implement rather than the perp."
DeleteNo, I believe the perp pulls the trigger. The perp is the criminal but I do believe that making it very easy for the perps to access very powerful weapons increases the perps power and the resulting destruction unnecessarily.
With respect to your reference to statistics indicating violent crimes dropping - that does appear to be the case and they have in most of the western countries around the world. The reasons for the drop are debated. One reasonable explanation for the drop is simply the change in demographics - young folk tend to perpetrate most crimes and young folk are, generally, in relative short supply in the west.
But ya, maybe it really is a cultural thing and the Swiss don't mass murder each other in anyway near the Americans do. Go America!
Let's hear it for the competition: List of Rampage Killers
DeleteSchool Massacres
DeleteWorkplace Killings
DeleteSomebody else Do the Math.
DeleteAt Newtown High School, Adam Lanza had trouble relating to fellow students and teachers, but that was only part of his problem. He seemed not to feel physical or psychological pain in the same way as classmates.
ReplyDeleteRichard Novia, the school district's head of security until 2008, who also served as adviser for the school technology club, said Lanza clearly "had some disabilities."
"If that boy would've burned himself, he would not have known it or felt it physically," Novia told The Associated Press in a phone interview. "It was my job to pay close attention to that."
"Troubled?" or Mentally Ill?
given that he killed 18 6 & 7 years by shooting them multiple times each I'd say he was crazy.
DeleteI also think Boobie, is troubled and has displayed signs of mental illness (good to see he is keeping to his meds of late). Will he be denied through the permit process? I doubt it.
DeleteBesides, boobies wife has already done the permitting process, so like Adam, he's already go easy access.
Delete.
DeleteAsh, you are hardly one to be judging mental competence given your apparent inability to distinguish between the competency to bear arms of adults and children.
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This guy had tried to buy a gun a few days earlier on his own, and was turned down.
ReplyDeleteAsh, you don't show signs of mental illness. You are crazy.
And, I passed my background check with flying colors, and already have my permit. In Washington State too, where it's tougher!
If you weren't so totally lame, you'd be irritating. As it is, you're a gas.
:)
Well, then, you are good to go when you have your next relapse.
DeleteIt's really doubtful, Ash, I got my first gun at age 10, and it hasn't happened yet, and I've relapsed many times 'tween then and now.
Delete:)
given that he killed 18 6 & 7 years by shooting them multiple times each I'd say he was crazy.
ReplyDeleteWell, duh.
We'd never thought of that!!
ReplyDeleteAsh, you wouldn't recognize logic if it came up and bit you in the ass.
Yup, that's cause Ash is crazy.
REPORT: Lanza tried buying rifle earlier this week but was denied...Drudge
ReplyDeleteDoesn't seem to be an article with this, but there is a video -
http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/50208495#50208495
Lanza had been to the school four days earlier, and had gotten in a big argument with four staff members, video also says.
This whole question could get deep, if insults weren't thrown about by everyone.
ReplyDeleteAll seem agreed, the guys was crazy. Thus, he might have been found not suited to stand trial, or, if he did, found innocent by reasons of insanity.
This brings up the questions of free will, and determinism. Did he have any free will at all? If the answer is no and he was somehow compelled to do these things, by an inner devil, or some fancier phrase, is he eligible for some kind of compassion too.....and many another similar type question. Is he innocent in God's eyes, if you believe in God? Would God hold him accountable? Is he in hell now? Or has he been 'deleted'? What was the nature of this overwhelming drive? Genetic? Schizophrenia often begins in people at about his age. Some sort of brain tissue deterioration? Drugs use? Etc, etc.
Should we even have an insanity defense? Or, if we do not have free will, is everyone really at bottom innocent of everything, in a metaphysical sense? Should we base punishment wholly on the act itself, not giving any thought to the perp's inner turmoils?
Delete'Evil,' or just mentally ill?
DeleteDrudge
Is there a difference? etc
Obama administration let school security funds lapse...Drudge
DeleteDoes this make the Obama Administration party responsible? etc
AP Jamie Foxx: Hollywood does have a violent influence on the culture
DeleteDoes it, or not? Is Hollywood partly responsible?
I think extreme violence in so many films nowadays does have an influence.
A Hollywood Defense?
Video Game Defense?
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteSome recent research seems to show that 'we' make a decision before 'we' are aware of doing so. EEG seems to show an activity in the brain/mind before we are aware of it, as in experiments about picking up pencils. The brain/mind shows an activity a little before we 'decide' to pick up the pencil. If this is so, how to explain this? Is our higher self, if we are thought to have one, making the decision, which flows 'downward' to the mind/brain, through an 'interface', thence latterly to 'us', and we are the last to know it? Who are we, really? Our ego awareness here on 'earth', or our higher self in another dimension? Should it be the higher self that gets the blame then, not our earthly egos? How do you punish the higher self and not the seemingly blameless earthly ego?
DeleteInquiring minds/brains want to know. Though the higher self may want to skip scot free.
:)
ReplyDeletePerhaps one thing that could be done would be better glass in the windows, and doors that can only be opened from the inside (and, are somewhat resistant to force from the outside, such as weapons fire.
Engineered design is an excellent perspective. I can think of a couple of things, such as including more isolated spaces, say columns, and closed spaces, such as the closets where several (?) teachers protected some of the students. A good brainstorming session could devise more and better spatial design options as well as material design.
Also training for teachers, and security guards in the case of malls, from the very simple techniques for developing more acute situational awareness and for maintaining composure to more involved responses including use of distraction and isolating the most vulnerable.
Adding a vestibule to entrances with security doors would be a huge improvement.
ReplyDeleteYep, I'd bet he just walked through an unlocked door (maybe a service entrance to the kitchen, for ex.)
DeleteMost schools are worried about abductions and the like of individual children. Pretty sad (and expensive) if you need start guarding against mass murderers armed with the latest and greatest firearm.
DeleteFor years, now boobie has been telling US that the Obama adminisration is a spending machine. Rufus has been telling US that Federal spending as a % of GDP is falling. That the Federals ARE spending less.
ReplyDeleteboobie does not FEEL this is accurate.
boobie then tells US that the Obama administration is letting Federal spending for what had historically local challenges laspe.
Instead of cheering these actual cuts in Federal spending, he points to the Obama Admin as being responsible for the low priority physical security was given at the school.
The boobie has no core, other than hate for Obama and black folk that escaped the abortionist's knife.
In fact, federal spending in Nominal Dollars fell from 2011 to 2012.
DeleteThe sad truth is, it's hard to get "Local" people to spend on education in that ed. spending usually comes out of Property Taxes.
The crapper is crazy.
DeleteI was really asking Rufus to reply to the kind of criticism he is always putting out toward the Republicans.
If the Republicans had cut spending on school security we would have heard about it from Rufus.
Really, crapper, you spend way too much time worrying yourself about my outlook on things.
It is, after all, the Republican Party that runs every cycle on "doing away with the Dept of Education."
DeleteAnd, if I recall correctly, it Was under Reagan that we shut down all those mental health facilities.
Several weeks into his new junior high school, Michael began exhibiting increasingly odd and threatening behaviors at school. We decided to transfer him to the district’s most restrictive behavioral program, a contained school environment where children who can’t function in normal classrooms can access their right to free public babysitting from 7:30-1:50 Monday through Friday until they turn 18.
ReplyDeleteThe morning of the pants incident, Michael continued to argue with me on the drive. He would occasionally apologize and seem remorseful. Right before we turned into his school parking lot, he said, “Look, Mom, I’m really sorry. Can I have video games back today?”
“No way,” I told him. “You cannot act the way you acted this morning and think you can get your electronic privileges back that quickly.”
His face turned cold, and his eyes were full of calculated rage. “Then I’m going to kill myself,” he said. “I’m going to jump out of this car right now and kill myself.”
That was it. After the knife incident, I told him that if he ever said those words again, I would take him straight to the mental hospital, no ifs, ands, or buts. I did not respond, except to pull the car into the opposite lane, turning left instead of right.
“Where are you taking me?” he said, suddenly worried. “Where are we going?”
“You know where we are going,” I replied.
“No! You can’t do that to me! You’re sending me to hell! You’re sending me straight to hell!”
I pulled up in front of the hospital, frantically waiving for one of the clinicians who happened to be standing outside. “Call the police,” I said. “Hurry.”
Michael was in a full-blown fit by then, screaming and hitting. I hugged him close so he couldn’t escape from the car. He bit me several times and repeatedly jabbed his elbows into my rib cage. I’m still stronger than he is, but I won’t be for much longer.
The police came quickly and carried my son screaming and kicking into the bowels of the hospital. I started to shake, and tears filled my eyes as I filled out the paperwork -- “Were there any difficulties with… at what age did your child… were there any problems with.. has your child ever experienced.. does your child have…”
At least we have health insurance now. I recently accepted a position with a local college, giving up my freelance career because when you have a kid like this, you need benefits. You’ll do anything for benefits. No individual insurance plan will cover this kind of thing.
For days, my son insisted that I was lying -- that I made the whole thing up so that I could get rid of him. The first day, when I called to check up on him, he said, “I hate you. And I’m going to get my revenge as soon as I get out of here.”
By day three, he was my calm, sweet boy again, all apologies and promises to get better. I’ve heard those promises for years. I don’t believe them anymore.
On the intake form, under the question, “What are your expectations for treatment?” I wrote, “I need help.”
And I do. This problem is too big for me to handle on my own. Sometimes there are no good options. So you just pray for grace and trust that in hindsight, it will all make sense.
I am sharing this story because I. . . .
I am Adam Lanza's Mother
More from the article
DeleteThree days before 20 year-old Adam Lanza killed his mother, then opened fire on a classroom full of Connecticut kindergartners, my 13-year old son Michael (name changed) missed his bus because he was wearing the wrong color pants.
“I can wear these pants,” he said, his tone increasingly belligerent, the black-hole pupils of his eyes swallowing the blue irises.
“They are navy blue,” I told him. “Your school’s dress code says black or khaki pants only.”
“They told me I could wear these,” he insisted. “You’re a stupid bitch. I can wear whatever pants I want to. This is America. I have rights!”
“You can’t wear whatever pants you want to,” I said, my tone affable, reasonable. “And you definitely cannot call me a stupid bitch. You’re grounded from electronics for the rest of the day. Now get in the car, and I will take you to school.”
I live with a son who is mentally ill. I love my son. But he terrifies me.
A few weeks ago, Michael pulled a knife and threatened to kill me and then himself after I asked him to return his overdue library books. His 7 and 9 year old siblings knew the safety plan -- they ran to the car and locked the doors before I even asked them to. I managed to get the knife from Michael, then methodically collected all the sharp objects in the house into a single Tupperware container that now travels with me. Through it all, he continued to scream insults at me and threaten to kill or hurt me.
That conflict ended with three burly police officers and a paramedic wrestling my son onto a gurney for an expensive ambulance ride to the local emergency room. The mental hospital didn’t have any beds that day, and Michael calmed down nicely in the ER, so they sent us home with a prescription for Zyprexa and a follow-up visit with a local pediatric psychiatrist.
We still don’t know what’s wrong with Michael. Autism spectrum, ADHD, Oppositional Defiant or Intermittent Explosive Disorder have all been tossed around at various meetings with probation officers and social workers and counselors and teachers and school administrators. He’s been on a slew of antipsychotic and mood altering pharmaceuticals, a Russian novel of behavioral plans. Nothing seems to work.
At the start of seventh grade, Michael was accepted to an accelerated program for highly gifted math and science students. His IQ is off the charts. When he’s in a good mood, he will gladly bend your ear on subjects ranging from Greek mythology to the differences between Einsteinian and Newtonian physics to Doctor Who. He’s in a good mood most of the time. But when he’s not, watch out. And it’s impossible to predict what will set him off.
When I asked my son’s social worker about my options, he said that the only thing I could do was to get Michael charged with a crime. “If he’s back in the system, they’ll create a paper trail,” he said. “That’s the only way you’re ever going to get anything done. No one will pay attention to you unless you’ve got charges.”
DeleteI don’t believe my son belongs in jail. The chaotic environment exacerbates Michael’s sensitivity to sensory stimuli and doesn’t deal with the underlying pathology. But it seems like the United States is using prison as the solution of choice for mentally ill people. According to Human Rights Watch, the number of mentally ill inmates in U.S. prisons quadrupled from 2000 to 2006, and it continues to rise -- in fact, the rate of inmate mental illness is five times greater (56 percent) than in the non-incarcerated population.
With state-run treatment centers and hospitals shuttered, prison is now the last resort for the mentally ill -- Rikers Island, the LA County Jail and Cook County Jail in Illinois housed the nation’s largest treatment centers in 2011.
No one wants to send a 13-year old genius who loves Harry Potter and his snuggle animal collection to jail. But our society, with its stigma on mental illness and its broken healthcare system, does not provide us with other options. Then another tortured soul shoots up a fast food restaurant. A mall. A kindergarten classroom. And we wring our hands and say, “Something must be done.”
I agree that something must be done. It’s time for a meaningful, nation-wide conversation about mental health.
Why are nearly all these type of shooters white? There was that Asian guy, but other than that they seem all white. Black crime is out of control in many places but I can't recall any black doing this kind of thing, except those two driving around shooting people at random from the trunk of their car over days, and that isn't really quite like this kind of thing.
DeleteGood story above, Rufus.
DeleteThanks.
DeleteAlmost "All White, All Male."
It just occurred to me; you never have these types of deals in the Big, Inner-City Schools, do you?
Delete.
DeleteNaw, there they just spread them out so they are not so noticiable.
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