COLLECTIVE MADNESS


“Soft despotism is a term coined by Alexis de Tocqueville describing the state into which a country overrun by "a network of small complicated rules" might degrade. Soft despotism is different from despotism (also called 'hard despotism') in the sense that it is not obvious to the people."

Monday, November 30, 2015

Why is the United States allied with this supporter of ISIS?

Turkey’s Coup against Press, own Generals over Arms Supplies to Syrian Militants



By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – –
Turkey has jailed two very prominent journalists for publishing video last May of a January, 2014, Turkish intelligence convoy of weapons to Syrian militants. When I say prominent, I mean prominent. They are Can Dundar, editor-in-chief of the Cumhuriyet newspaper, and Ankara bureau chief Erdem Gul.  Cumhuriyet (“Republic”) was founded in 1924 and is center-left in its orientation. So this would be like the FBI carting off Dean Baquet of the New York Times for reporting on CIA shipments of T.O.W. missiles to Salafi rebels in Syria. The journalists are charged with espionage and belonging (!) to a terrorist organization– charges fantastic on the face of it.
Meanwhile, the Syrian army is charging that Turkey has vastly increased arms shipments to rebels in Syria since last week’s shootdown of a Russian fighter jet, and is receiving smuggled gasoline and antiquities in payment.
The Turkish government has now also arrested several senior generalswho, acting on a tip, were the ones who in January 2014 ordered the search of trucks allegedly carrying arms to rebels in Syria– on which Cumhuriyet reported. Huriryet writes: “Istanbul Deputy Chief Prosecutor İrfan Fidan interrogated Ankara Gendarmerie Regional Commander Maj. Gen. İbrahim Aydın, Brig. Gen. Hamza Celepoğlu and Ret. Col. Burhanettin Cihangiroğlu on Nov. 28 and sent them to court appealing for their arrest on Nov. 29.”
Hurriyet explains:
“On Jan. 19, 2014, a convoy of trucks on their way to cross into Syira was stopped by gendarmerie forces upon suspicion that they were carrying military material to rebel groups fighting against the Bashar al-Assad regime. The incident turned into a big news story when the gendarmerie forces detained the intelligence officers and confiscated the trucks.
President Erdogan, who was prime minister at the time, reacted harshly over the case, accusing sympathizers of US-based Islamic scholar Fethullah Gulen in the judiciary and the security forces of undermining the government. He said the Gulen movement was responsible for the halting of the trucks, as well as the Dec. 17-25, 2013 corruption cases that he claimed had tried to bring down the government . . .
The government says the case of the halted trucks is evidence of the Gulenists’ “anti-national” behaviour, as it claims that the trucks were carrying assistance to Turkmens fighting in Syria against both al-Assad and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). When Dundar and Erdem published their story as fresh evidence in the case, despite courts ruling to restrict media coverage of the incident upon the government’s request, they made President Erdogan furious. Prosecutors soon opened cases against them.”
So this case has to do with the 2013-2014 campaign of the secretive religious-Right Gulen faction within the Turkish government to bring then-PM Tayyip Erdogan (now president) into disrepute. Gulenists had made damning recordings and collected documents when they were still partners with Erdogan and a constituent group inside the Justice and Development Party (AKP). Erdogan weathered the charges against him in the eyes of the public, and his party just won enough seats to rule without seeking a coalition with any other party.
That Turkey and the Gulf oil states have been supporting hard line fundamentalist Salafi groups in Syria such as the Army of Conquest (an al-Qaeda-led coalition) is an open secret. That Daesh (ISIL, ISIS) has been smuggling gasoline and kerosene from the refineries it captured, in part to Turkey, is another open secret.
So why is the AKP government waging a war on the press and its own generals to cover up this activity? 
My guess is that Erdogan is having prosecutors send a signal to journalists and military men that acting on or revealing further Gulenist leaks will not be permitted. Perhaps he fears that the Gulen movement has more dirt on him than it has already brought out and just wants to forestall its becoming public. He may also be attempting to put all activities of the MiT (the Turkish CIA) out of bounds for the press and the Turkish military.
But the focus on that January, 2014, military shipment is also suspicious. Erdogan claimed that it was humanitarian aid going to the Syrian Turkmen in the north of Syria. But the inspection of the gendarmerie and the video released by Cumhuriyet demonstrate that the trucks were carrying weaponry. Cumhuriyet reported that the cargo comprised a thousand mortar shells, 50,000 bullets for machine guns and 30,000 heavy artillery shells. — Is the problem that it wasn’t going to Turkmen at all but to some group so radical that Erdogan would be embarrassed if it were known he was supplying it?
While Turkey is roiled by a war on journalists (the editor-in-chief of the conservative Muslim newspaper Zaman, which allegedly has ties to the Gulen movement, has just also been arrested, for insulting Erdogan), the arms flowing through the country are allowing the Salafi fighters to withstand the Russia air campaign south and east of Aleppo.
In a headache for President Obama, his Syrian Democratic Forces (a coalition of Kurdish, Sunni Arab and Christian militias) have been kicked out of some villages south of Aleppo by another set of American clients, the Falcons of the Mountain (Suqur al-Jabal), who are hard line religionists and hate the Kurds as secular leftists allied with christians. Al-Qaeda in Syria is also taking territory in the Aleppo area, opportunistically benefiting from Russian and regime attacks on Daesh there.
Turkey supports the Turkmen and the Army of Conquest despite the membership of al-Qaeda in the latter, against the Kurdish YPG. Russia is said to be helping the Kurds.
—–
Related video:

54 comments:

  1. UPDATE:

    “Today, Russian Su-34 fighter-bombers have made their first sortie equipped not only with high explosive aviation bombs and hollow charge bombs, but also with short- and medium-range air-to-air missiles," Klimov said.

    "The planes are equipped with missiles for defensive purposes," he added.

    The missiles have target-seeking devices and are “capable of hitting air targets within a 60km radius,” he said.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sad that a perfectly good F-16 could be destroyed, but worth it if a Turk goes with iit.

      Delete
    2. What's a Turk worth ?

      At least the value of an F-16.

      Delete
    3. "I offer an f-16"

      Do I hear a higher bid.

      Higher bid ??

      Going....
      Going.........

      Gone !

      Delete
  2. UPDATE #2:

    On Monday, Turkey's prime minister said that Ankara will not apologize for the incident.

    "No Turkish prime minister or president will apologize ... for doing our duty," Ahmet Davutoglu told reporters after meeting NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels.

    ReplyDelete
  3. UPDATE #3

    Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Barack Obama met on the sidelines of the climate summit in Paris on Monday. The presidents discussed a number of issues, including the Syrian crisis and the situation in Ukraine.

    The talks were "eventful" and lasted for some 30 minutes, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists.


    "Obama expressed regret over the incident with the Russian plane which was downed by the Turkish air force in Syria," Peskov said, adding that the Russian and US leaders discussed the situation in Syria in detail.

    ReplyDelete
  4. UPDATE #4

    Army General Valery Gerasimov, the chief of Russia’s General Staff, and US General Joseph F. Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have held a telephone call to discuss the fight against Islamic State. The generals agreed to maintain contact concerning Russia’s military missions in Syria as well as the operations carried out by the US-led coalition.

    ReplyDelete
  5. UPDATE #5

    Russia says it has proof that Islamic State is transferring its oil on an “industrial scale” through Turkey.

    Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that he had received “more information” showing that Turkey’s downing of a Russian plane was “dictated by a desire to defend this oil pipeline”.

    “At the moment we have received additional information confirming that that oil from the deposits controlled by Islamic State militants enters Turkish territory on industrial scale,” he said while attending a global climate conference in Paris.

    “We have every reason to believe that the decision to down our plane was guided by a desire to ensure security of this oil’s delivery routes to ports where they are shipped in tankers.”

    Mr Putin added that the downing of its Su-24 by Turkish jets on November 24 was a "huge mistake".

    ReplyDelete
  6. Obama: Turkey has the right to defend itself and its airspace

    ("10 Warnings" even though they were in Turkish Airspace for seconds and came down in Syria)

    "The White House signaled Monday that it already believes U.S. contributions to the anti-ISIS effort are sufficient."

    http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/24/politics/obama-francois-hollande-white-house-meeting/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "Russia's the outlier," he added, noting that strikes against moderate opposition fighters "bolster the Assad regime."

      Delete
  7. Turkey is all out in its plan to expand into Iraq and Syria using proxies and exploiting the chaos by supporting ISIS where and when it suits the Turkish goal. Turkey will use NATO for the benefit of Turkey and we are fools for letting them do it. Has Obama caught on? I’m not sure.
    It may not be relevant as Russia has taken a forceful hand and shows no sign of backing off.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. " Has Obama caught on? "

      Anything that benefits Muslims is good with BHO.

      Putin's not about to repeat the mistakes of Afghanistan:

      He'll use his air force like a serious leader would.

      Delete
  8. TASS - GOOD QUESTIONS:

    Syria FM says US should study rumors Erdogan’s son is involved in oil trade with IS

    Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem last week suggested that US Secretary of State John Kerry should check out reports on the involvement of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s son in illegal oil trade with the Islamic State.

    "I’d like to mention rumors that Erdogan’s son could be involved in illegal oil trade with the IS, although there are no proofs. If I was in Kerry’s place, I’d make an attempt to shed light on these reports,” Muallem said commenting on Kerry’s statements that Damascus was buying oil from terrorists.

    Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also touched upon the topic.

    According to the Russian minister, the United States could not have been unaware of the scale of the Islamic States’ oil industry but preferred to spare it.

    "Everything is a matter of practice. Let us operate with facts. There have been many reports that god knows who is living off the oil wells illegally seized by the Islamic State,” Lavrov said.

    "When our aviation started flying in the Syrian airspace at the request of (Syrian president) Bashar al-Assad, we saw the whole picture of that illegal business from above. Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke about that on several occasions, including yesterday’s news conference and the G20 summit in Antalya where he had shown space and aerial images - very eloquent and very convincing - to his colleagues,” the Russian foreign minister went on to say.

    ”The US-led coalition started flying over Iraq and Syria, without the Syrian government’s consent by the way, more than a year before the Russian military operation. I am convinced that they saw all that but did not do anything for some unknown reason. Russian warplanes started bombing that criminal industry when they began operation in that area,” Lavrov said.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Authorities in northwestern Turkey on Monday rounded up some 1,300 asylum seekers and migrants allegedly preparing to make their way into Greece, Turkey’s state-run news agency reported.

    ...

    During the sweep, authorities also discovered a body that had washed up on the shore, suspected to be that of a migrant.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm investigating ways so I won't "wash up" just to spare the kids the sight.

      This should do as long as I'm well anchored:

      "The ʻAlenuihāhā separates the island of Hawaiʻi and the island of Maui. The maximum depth of this channel is 6100 feet (1900 m), and the channel is 30 miles wide. There is a significant wind funnel effect in the channel, which is subject to scientific investigations. ʻAlenuihāhā means "great billows smashing."

      Being a compassionate guy, I'll leave a note informing them that I'm not lost, just resting at six thousand feet.

      Delete
  10. MINT PRESS NEWS

    The Man Who Funds ISIS: Bilal Erdogan, The Son Of Turkey’s President

    In addition to son Bilal’s illegal and lucrative oil trading for ISIS, Sümeyye Erdogan, the daughter of the Turkish President apparently runs a secret hospital camp inside Turkey just over the Syrian border.

    By ZeroHedge.com | November 30, 2015

    Russia’s Sergey Lavrov is not one foreign minister known to mince his words. Just earlier today, 24 hours after a Russian plane was brought down by the country whose president three years ago said “a short-term border violation can never be a pretext for an attack”, had this to say: “We have serious doubts this was an unintended incident and believe this is a planned provocation” by Turkey.

    But even that was tame compared to what Lavrov said to his Turkish counterparty Mevlut Cavusoglu earlier today during a phone call between the two (Lavrov who was supposed to travel to Turkey has since canceled such plans).

    As Sputnik transcribes, according to a press release from Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lavrov pointed out that, “by shooting down a Russian plane on a counter-terrorist mission of the Russian Aerospace Force in Syria, and one that did not violate Turkey’s airspace, the Turkish government has in effect sided with ISIS.”

    It was in this context when Lavrov added that “Turkey’s actions appear premeditated, planned, and undertaken with a specific objective.”

    More importantly, Lavrov pointed to Turkey’s role in the propping up the terror network through the oil trade. Per the Russian statement:

    “The Russian Minister reminded his counterpart about Turkey’s involvement in the ISIS’ illegal trade in oil, which is transported via the area where the Russian plane was shot down, and about the terrorist infrastructure, arms and munitions depots and control centers that are also located there.”

    MORE

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Others reaffirmed Lavrov’s stance, such as retired French General Dominique Trinquand, who said that “Turkey is either not fighting ISIL at all or very little, and does not interfere with different types of smuggling that takes place on its border, be it oil, phosphate, cotton or people,” he said.

      The reason we find this line of questioning fascinating is that just last week in the aftermath of the French terror attack but long before the Turkish downing of the Russian jet, we wrote about “The Most Important Question About ISIS That Nobody Is Asking” in which we asked who is the one “breaching every known law of funding terrorism when buying ISIS crude, almost certainly with the tacit approval by various “western alliance” governments, and why is it that these governments have allowed said middleman to continue funding ISIS for as long as it has?”

      Precisely one week later, in even more tragic circumstances, suddenly everyone is asking this question.

      And while we patiently dig to find who the on and offshore “commodity trading” middleman are, who cart away ISIS oil to European and other international markets in exchange for hundreds of millions of dollars, one name keeps popping up as the primary culprit of regional demand for the Islamic State’s “terrorist oil” – that of Turkish president Recep Erdogan’s son: Bilal Erdogan.

      Delete
  11. BACK TO JOE BIDEN

    In October 2014 US Vice President Joe Biden told a Harvard gathering that Erdoğan’s regime was backing ISIS with “hundreds of millions of dollars and thousands of tons of weapons…” Biden later apologized clearly for tactical reasons to get Erdoğan’s permission to use Turkey’s Incirlik Air Base for airstrikes against ISIS in Syria, but the dimensions of Erdoğan’s backing for ISIS since revealed is far, far more than Biden hinted.

    ISIS militants were trained by US, Israeli and now it emerges, by Turkish special forces at secret bases in Konya Province inside the Turkish border to Syria, over the past three years. Erdoğan’s involvement in ISIS goes much deeper. At a time when Washington, Saudi Arabia and even Qatar appear to have cut off their support for ISIS, they remaining amazingly durable. The reason appears to be the scale of the backing from Erdoğan and his fellow neo-Ottoman Sunni Islam Prime Minister, Ahmet Davutoğlu.


    First appeared: http://journal-neo.org/2015/08/24/erdogan-s-dirty-dangerous-isis-games/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AND THIS FROM THE SAME ARTICLE:

      ...Gen. John R. Allen, an opponent of Obama’s Iran peace strategy, now US diplomatic envoy coordinating the coalition against the Islamic State, exceeded his authorized role after meeting with Erdoğan and “promised to create a « no-fly zone » ninety miles wide, over Syrian territory, along the whole border with Turkey, supposedly intended to help Syrian refugees fleeing from their government, but in reality to apply the « Juppé-Wright plan ». The Turkish Prime Minister, Ahmet Davutoğlu, revealed US support for the project on the TV channel A Haber by launching a bombing raid against the PKK.” Meyssan adds.

      There are never winners in war and Erdoğan’s war against Syria’s Assad demonstrates that in bold. Turkey and the world deserve better. Ahmet Davutoğlu’s famous “Zero Problems With Neighbors” foreign policy has been turned into massive problems with all neighbors due to the foolish ambitions of Erdoğan and his gang.
      -----------

      F. William Engdahl is strategic risk consultant and lecturer, he holds a degree in politics from Princeton University and is a best-selling author on oil and geopolitics, exclusively for the online magazine “New Eastern Outlook”.

      First appeared: http://journal-neo.org/2015/08/24/erdogan-s-dirty-dangerous-isis-games/

      Delete
  12. LET’S TURN BACK THE CALENDAR:

    Oct 09 2014

    STATEMENT BY SENATORS McCAIN AND GRAHAM ON TURKEY AND THE FIGHT AGAINST ISIS

    Washington, D.C. ­– U.S. Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) today released the following statement on Turkey and the fight against Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS):

    “The growing criticism of Turkey for not acting to save Kobani does not reflect the reality on the ground that both ISIS and Bashar al-Assad must be defeated. We certainly believe Turkey should play a greater role in the fight against ISIS, and we have disagreed in recent years with some of Turkey’s policies and actions in the Middle East, especially on Israel and the management of its border with Syria.

    “In this instance, however, President Erdogan has said that we need an international strategy not just to destroy ISIS, but also to force Assad to leave power and end the conflict in Syria – for the former objective cannot succeed without the latter. This strategy, Erdogan has said, must include the establishment of safe zones in Syria for civilians and opposition forces, protected by no-fly zones – a strategy we have long advocated and continue to believe is vital to success in both Syria and Iraq.


    “This view is shared by many of our friends and allies in the Middle East. We are confident that if President Obama adopted a strategy took the steps that Turkish leaders are advocating to deal with Assad as well as ISIS, he would have significant support from our regional partners, including Turkish military involvement, which can be so important to success.”

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That from John McCain’s website:

      http://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2014/10/statement-by-senators-mccain-and-graham-on-turkey-and-the-fight-against-isis

      Delete
    2. BUT HOLD ON JOHN - WHAT WAS THAT YOU SAID IN 2013?

      June 06, 2013, Thursday/ 22:21:00/ TODAYSZAMAN.COM

      US Senator John McCain has said Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is acting like a dictator rather than a president in the eyes of many Turks.

      Speaking at Brookings Institute on Thursday, McCain, who is a staunch backer of a US intervention in the Syrian crisis, said there are more journalists jailed in Turkey than any other country in the world.

      Speaking about a wide array of issues, especially the current conflict in Syria, McCain said Erdoğan is seen as a dictator in the eyes of many Turks.

      Delete
  13. All the Syrian 'refugees' - they aren't refugees after they make it to a safe haven country - that make it to Turkey should stay right there in Turkey.

    If we want to be good guys and think well of ourselves we could ante up some funding for them to stay there, temporarily.

    We have no responsibility to take anyone.

    All these 'refugees' have already found safe haven in Turkey, Jordan, Egypt or elsewhere.

    And Turkey has aided and abetted the creating them in the first place.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Check out my safe have above. (Search for " ʻAlenuihāhā ")

      ... you might consider Crater Lake, crystal turquoise, and chilly enough for a reasonable period of preservation.

      Delete
    2. "haven" aka, final resting place.

      Delete
  14. TODAY’S ZAMAN

    April 09, 2015, Thursday/ 17:49:20/ TODAY’S ZAMAN / ISTANBUL

    Report: More than 100,000 fake Turkish passports given to ISIL

    Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants were given more than 100,000 fake Turkish passports in order to travel to Turkey and then enter Syria to join ISIL, a daily reported on Thursday.
    According to a story in the Meydan daily, A.G., an aide of Nurali T., a Uyghur Turk working for ISIL to provide militants with passports worldwide, Nurali T.'s office in İstanbul's Zeytinburnu district functions as an ISIL passport office. Each passport was sold for $200, A.G. told Meydan.
    More than 50,000 Uyghur Turks came to Turkey with these fake passports from China via Thailand and Malaysia and entered Syria after staying a day in İstanbul, Meydan reported. A.G. claimed that most of the Uyghurs with fake passports were caught by police in Turkish airports but they were released in Turkey after their passports were seized. “The Uyghurs' release in Turkey is due to a secret [little-known] Turkish law on Uyghur Turks. More than 50,000 Uyghurs joined ISIL through this method,” A.G. added.
    A.G. further said that Nurali T. organizes recruits from around the world from his İstanbul office. Militants who entered Turkey with these fake passports are hosted either in hotels or guesthouses for a day before they join ISIL in Syria, A.G. said.
    The Turkish government's stance toward ISIL has so far been ambiguous. The Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government has been accused of supporting the terrorist organization by turning a blind eye to its militants crossing the border and even buying its oil. There have also been claims that Turkey has sent weapons to opposition groups fighting the regime of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria. The NATO ally has also been facing a backlash for its reluctance to join US-led coalition efforts to eliminate ISIL, feeding speculation that this reluctance may be an indicator that some Turkish officials are ideologically close to the terrorist group.
    Based on a 2014 report, Sezgin Tanrıkulu, deputy chairman of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) said that ISIL terrorists fighting in Syria have also been claimed to have been treated in hospitals in Turkey. However, publicly, Turkish authorities have strongly condemned the terrorist acts of ISIL militants and say these actions have nothing to do with Islam.

    http://www.todayszaman.com/anasayfa_report-more-than-100000-fake-turkish-passports-given-to-isil_377534.html

    ReplyDelete
  15. IT GETS WORSE - BUT THAT IS FOR THE NEXT POST

    ReplyDelete
  16. The cover has certainly been blown from the perfidious Turk

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Look what I found -

      Perfidious Albion
      From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

      Perfidious Albion is an anglophobic pejorative phrase used within the context of international relations and diplomacy to refer to alleged acts of diplomatic sleights, duplicity, treachery and hence infidelity (with respect to perceived promises made to or alliances formed with other nation states) by monarchs or governments of Britain (or England) in their pursuit of self-interest and the requirements of realpolitik.

      Perfidious signifies one who does not keep his faith or word (from the Latin word "perfidia"), while Albion is derived from an ancient Greek name for Great Britain.

      Contents

      1 Origins and use
      1.1 Examples of usage
      2 Fascist Italy
      3 Cultural references
      4 See also
      5 Literature
      6 References

      Origins and use

      The use of the adjective "perfidious" to describe England has a long history; instances have been found as far back as the 13th century.[1] A very similar phrase was used in a sermon by 17th-century French bishop and theologian Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet:[2]

      'L'Angleterre, ah, la perfide Angleterre,
      que le rempart de ses mers rendoit inaccessible aux Romains,
      la foi du Sauveur y est abordée.


      (England, oh, treacherous England,
      that the ramparts of her seas made inaccessible to the Romans,
      there also the faith of Christ has landed.)

      The coinage of the phrase in its current form, however, is conventionally attributed to Augustin, Marquis of Ximenez, a Frenchman who wrote in a 1793 poem:[citation needed]

      Attaquons dans ses eaux la perfide Albion.


      (Let us attack perfidious Albion in her waters.)

      Delete
    2. Albion (Ancient Greek: Ἀλβίων) is the oldest known name of the island of Great Britain.

      New Albion Beer Defined
      mi·cro·brew:

      New Albion Ale is the brew that started a revolution. Acknowledged as the flagship beer brewed by the first United States microbrewery of the modern era, New Albion is the original craft beer. We brew with traditional ingredients like Cascade hops and two-row malt from Jack’s original recipe. Enjoy our golden Pale Ale with a delightful hop note and slight piney body any day of the week… or every day of the week!

      his·to·ry:

      The New Albion Brewing Company is steeped in history. Jack McAuliffe opened New Albion in 1976 after a tour of duty in the Navy in Europe, where he fell in love with full-bodied ales. He returned to the U.S. and discovered there were no beers like that to be found, so he decided to brew them himself! Industry legends have followed in Jack’s footsteps, including Jim Koch of Samuel Adams, Stick Ware of Boulder Beer, Ken Grossman of Sierra Nevada and Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head. When we say we are The Original Craft Beer, we mean it!

      Delete
  17. ...and where the fuck is the US Media?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Following the big stories coming out of the University System in the U S A......

      Delete
  18. THIS IS INTERESTING ( You may have heard this before on a blog or two but hey, who is counting?)

    Former Defense Intelligence Head Admits Islamic State Would Not Exist If Bush Hadn’t Invaded Iraq

    Posted on Nov 30, 2015

    Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, who served as head of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) from 2012 to 2014, has spoken out about how the Iraq War has led to the rise of the Islamic State terror group.

    In an interview with the German Der Spiegel on Sunday, Flynn, who was in Afghanistan and Iraq as director of intelligence for the Joint Special Operations Command from 2004 to 2007, was asked about how the U.S. arrested Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi back in February 2004 and released him, allowing him to go on and establish Islamic State.

    When Der Spiegel asked Flynn why the militant was released, Flynn replied:

    “We were too dumb. We didn’t understand who we had there at that moment. When 9/11 occurred, all the emotions took over, and our response was, ‘Where did those bastards come from? Let’s go kill them. Let’s go get them.’ Instead of asking why they attacked us, we asked where they came from. Then we strategically marched in the wrong direction.”

    Alternet provides a portion of the interview in which Flynn goes on to concede that the occupation of Iraq was a mistake:

    Spiegel Online: The US invaded Iraq even though Saddam Hussein had nothing to do with 9/11.

    Flynn: First we went to Afghanistan, where al-Qaida was based. Then we went into Iraq. Instead of asking ourselves why the phenomenon of terror occurred, we were looking for locations. This is a major lesson we must learn in order not to make the same mistakes again.

    Spiegel Online: The Islamic State wouldn’t be where it is now without the fall of Baghdad. Do you regret …

    Flynn: … yes, absolutely …

    Spiegel Online: … the Iraq war?

    Flynn: It was a huge error. As brutal as Saddam Hussein was, it was a mistake to just eliminate him. The same is true for Moammar Gadhafi and for Libya, which is now a failed state. The historic lesson is that it was a strategic failure to go into Iraq. History will not be and should not be kind with that decision.

    About 500,000 deaths resulted from the near decade-long Iraq War. Researchers estimate that about 60 percent of the deaths were violent and have blamed poor health infrastructure for the remaining 40 percent, emphasizing the importance of providing sufficient health care after conflict.

    —Posted by Roisin Davis

    MORE:

    http://www.alternet.org/high-ranking-us-intelligence-officer-openly-admits-isis-wouldnt-exist-if-not-dumb-us-war




    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yet still we want Assad gone as well. I suppose we could recall L. Paul Bremer III to sort it out after we kill Assad.

      Delete
    2. He is right, but goes only half way.

      But he should have taken it further and said we wouldn't have ISIS if Bush had not invaded Iraq, or if Obama had not withdrawn the troops too soon.

      After the Surge things were relatively calm, until Obama came along.

      Delete
  19. Our Media is in shock - last seen, curled up in the fetal position, hiding under the laundry in the basement.

    Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Carly Fiorina, and Robert Dear have put them out of commission.

    They are, now, for lack of a better word, "inoperative."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rumor is some of them have been covering the Kardashians.

      Some the college campii, with a working majority curled up in the fetal position, hiding under the laundry in the basement.

      Delete
  20. PUTIN: Russia has proof ISIS oil routed through Turkey...

    Erdogan says he'll resign if true......Drudge


    Well, heh, heh, heh.....

    So we will get the truth one of these days.

    If Mr Erdogan does not resign soon we will have our proof that ISIS oil is not routed through Turkey.

    heh heh heh

    ReplyDelete
  21. THIS IS CHOICE - I SHIT YOU NOT ABOUT THE NEXT PART:

    ...KINETIC OPERATIONS started on Aug. 8, 2014

    As of 3:59 p.m. EST Nov. 19, the U.S. and coalition have conducted a total of 8,289 strikes (5,432 Iraq / 2,857 Syria).

    U.S. has conducted 6,471 strikes in Iraq and Syria (3,768 Iraq / 2703 Syria)

    Rest of Coalition has conducted 1,818 strikes in Iraq and Syria (1,664 Iraq /154 Syria)

    The countries that have participated in the strikes include:
    In Iraq: (1) Australia, (2) Belgium, (3) Canada, (4) Denmark, (5) France, (6) Jordan, (7) The Netherlands, and (8) UK
    In Syria: (1) Australia, (2) Bahrain, (3) Canada, (4) France, (5) Jordan, (6) Saudi Arabia, (7) Turkey and (8) UAE
    As of Nov. 14, U.S. and partner nation aircraft have flown an estimated 57,301 sorties in support of operations in Iraq and Syria.

    Cost of Operations

    As of Oct. 31, 2015, the total cost of operations related to ISIL since kinetic operations started on Aug. 8, 2014, is $5 billion and the average daily cost is $11 million for 450 days of operations. A further breakdown of cost associated with the operations is here.

    http://www.defense.gov/News/Special-Reports/0814_Inherent-Resolve

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 57,301 kinetic operations in Iraq and Syria - Now that sports fan is Inherent Resolve, OOrah, big time.

      Delete
    2. I despise the term kinetic operations.

      It sounds so clean and unhurtfull.

      I like the more worldly 'BOMB THE SHIT OUT OF THEM' of The Donald.

      Delete
    3. Well, not quite. For accuracy's sake, all sorties don't end in kinetic actions - in fact, probably less than half do. (okay, sorry for the nit-picking.) :)

      Delete
    4. “Inherent - Resolve" , for once in their miserable lives why can’t they call it something real? Say, “Incoherent - Relapse”.

      Delete
    5. :)

      That's it; always quit on a smile.

      later.

      Delete
  22. Meanwhile, ahead of the Paris climate summit, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu stated that Ankara would not apologise “for doing our duty.”

    ...

    "We apologise for committing mistakes, not for doing our duty."

    Six days after NATO member Turkey shot down the Russian bomber, the US ambassador to NATO confirmed that his country's intelligence supports Turkey's view that the downed Russian jet violated Turkish airspace on November 24.

    ReplyDelete
  23. A good idea, but raise your hands and whistle if you think all this $3 billion is going to the 'refugees' --


    Europe
    EU, Turkey agree €3 billion aid deal to stem migrant crisis


    © AFP / Bulent Kilic |Migrants and refugees hide behind bushes as they wait for the night to fall to try to cross to the Greek island of Kos from Bodrum in the Turkish province of Mugla on November 7, 2015

    Text by NEWS WIRES

    Latest update : 2015-11-30
    The European Union and Turkey agreed on a deal to stem the migrant crisis, including a three-billion-euro ($3.2-billion) aid package for Syrian refugees in Turkey, EU president Donald Tusk said after a summit in Brussels on Sunday.

    "Our agreement sets out a clear plan for the timely re-establishment of order at our shared frontier. We will also step up our assistance to Syrian refugees in Turkey through a new refugee facility of three billion euros," Tusk told a press conference with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.

    The EU also agreed to open a new chapter in Turkey's stalled bid for membership of the bloc in exchange for Turkey's cooperation in reducing the flow of refugees and migrants, Tusk said.

    Visa requirements for Turkish citizens visiting the EU's passport-free Schengen area would also be relaxed by October 2016, he said.

    Brussels would "monitor closely at least once a month" the progress being made by Turkey, Tusk added.

    Davutoglu said the deal would "re-energise" Turkey's EU accession process, which has made little headway since it started in 2005.

    "This is a historic day and a historic meeting, the first meeting of this kind since 11 years," the Turkish premier added.

    "No one can guarantee anything on the Syrian issue, we don't know what will go on in Syria, but I can assure that Turkey will be fulfilling all the promises of the joint plan. Our purpose with the EU is to prevent new waves of refugees from Syria and to manage the existing refugee crisis," he said.

    "This three billion euros is to be spent for refugees in Turkey, it's not for Turkey."

    http://www.france24.com/en/20151129-eu-turkey-agree-3bn-aid-deal-stem-migrant-crisis

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A good idea, except for this, that is -

      The EU also agreed to open a new chapter in Turkey's stalled bid for membership of the bloc in exchange for Turkey's cooperation in reducing the flow of refugees and migrants, Tusk said.

      Delete
    2. Refugees to USA Since Paris: 132 Muslims, 0 Christians...

      Majority Male...Drudge


      Black pastors praise Trump meeting: 'Everybody in the room likes Donald'...

      Herman Cain to join at rally...

      PAPER: We deride Trump and Le Pen at our peril.......Drudge


      WARMERS DINE ON HAUTE CUISINE................Drudge

      Well they deserve a hearty fancy meal. After all they are saving the earth.

      Delete
  24. Netanyahu spends about 10 minutes walking around and chatting with US President Barack Obama on the sidelines of the conference, and they are then joined by Secretary of State John Kerry.

    He is now meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No one can blame 'global warming', or even 'climate change' on Bibi or the Israelis.

      They have turned that brown desert green through drip irrigation and other techniques.

      Think of the O2 they are putting into the atmosphere !!!

      Also they are big on recycling nearly everything.

      The biggest offenders are China and India.

      I can't see that there is really much left for the USofA to do except shut down the remaining coal fired furnaces, and perhaps, give up the automobile all together, which is not a big voter getting idea.

      Delete
  25. The Donald, covering waterfront, makes inroads with Twisted Sister -

    Also he seems to have Herman Cain in his camp -

    And the black pastors have said they all really like him even though they didn't go so far as to endorse him -


    Trump receives coveted Twisted Sister endorsement
    posted at 10:01 pm on November 30, 2015 by Jazz Shaw

    He may not have gotten all of those black ministers everyone was talking about, but The Donald has earned the respect (if not the vote) of one influencer of society… Dee Snider. The Twisted Sister front man has allegedly answer the call (literally… on the phone) from Trump and given him the thumbs up to use his song, “We’re not gonna take it” during is campaign events. (Reporting from The Hill)

    “He called and he asked, which I appreciated,” Snider told Canadian Business in a recent interview. “I said, ‘Look, we don’t see eye to eye on everything — there are definitely issues that we’re far apart on.’ But thinking back to when I wrote the song and what the song is about, it’s about rebellion, speaking your mind and fighting the system.”

    Oddly enough, this didn’t even originate in a political publication. The quotes came from an interview Snider did with a business magazine where he was talking about the business lessons he’s learned and the importance of branding. The interview contains a number of reminders about the relationship between the singer and Trump, including his stint on The Apprentice. He claims he got a lot of good business advice from that process.

    You also said yes to Celebrity Apprentice. What skills from your rock-star life helped you in The Trumpster’s boardroom?

    Everything. That’s why it seems that musicians and comedians tend to win more than actors and athletes. Actors are given a script and then they do their part and they leave. Athletes have a playbook. We are entertainers who are forced to do everything for ourselves.

    You have spent a lot of time with The Donald. What have you learned from him?

    What I learned from him: Take credit for everything and put your name on it. It’s Dee Snider’s Rock & Roll Christmas Tale, The House of Hair with Dee Snider, Dee Snider’s Strangeland.

    This whole question of using music at political events has long since gotten out of hand, but it’s still a lesson worth learning for future candidates. There are a lot of songs out there which aren’t even in the control of the original artist (depending how their deals were structured and how long it’s been since it was published) and many bulk licensing deals can get you permission to use the tunes at public events or media productions. But just having the right to use somebody’s music legally doesn’t mean that you can stop the original author from grousing about it in the press. (See Springsteen, Bruce)

    This tends to turn the entire process into a needless headache. I’ve wondered for a while if we couldn’t structure these licensing deals in a way that would make the original creator liable to lawsuits if they come out later and trash anyone legally using the music once they’ve cashed in on it. If you want the rights to the music in all ways, don’t license it out.

    Still, Trump seems to have made an impression on Snider in more ways than one. Sometimes just networking and earning somebody’s respect with a polite, personal request will go a long ways toward avoiding fractious sniping. That seems to be the case between Trump and Twisted Sister even if Dee won’t wind up voting for him.

    http://hotair.com/archives/2015/11/30/trump-receives-coveted-twisted-sister-endorsement/

    ReplyDelete
  26. Brave, courageous Poles stand up and march for God, County, Western Liberty and against the Moslem invasion of Europe.

    Look at those videos !

    Would that this were happening here....


    November 30, 2015
    Will Poland save Europe?
    By Carol Brown

    Poles are rising up in huge numbers. (Not that you’d know it from media coverage.) They are gathering in the tens of thousands, sometimes cresting over 100,000, at marches and rallies. They are standing for national pride, for their religion, and against the Islamic invasion.

    They’d better get on with it, because Poland is sinking with the rest of Europe. In addition to the Muslim invasion, Poles are also dealing with the unholy alliance of the left, Islam, and totalitarianism in the form of making “hate speech” a crime. (See here and here.)

    Some recent videos of Poles speaking out and standing for God and country can be seen here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

    Poland defended the European continent against the Ottoman Empire in 1683. Will they defend it again?

    Hat tip: Creeping Sharia, Gates of Vienna

    http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2015/11/will_poland_save_europe_.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Look at this one -

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sezjXfYNnOk

      Warning: Little rude and crude

      Delete
  27. Citizen Patriots and Cultural Warriors -

    Attention:


    November 30, 2015
    ACT! for America outlines 3 quick and easy must-do tasks
    By Carol Brown

    ACT! for America is an exceptional organization on the front lines in the war against Islamic terror and the advance of sharia law. ACT is worthy of our support. (For those not familiar with the organization, see here for a bit of background.)

    ACT has just sent out an action alert that is informative and gives patriots three simple tasks to perform. Citizen Warrior reports (edited version below):

    We are gathering tens of thousands of signatures on an Open Letter to the leadership in the House and Senate voicing strong opposition to the Obama Administration’s plans to bring to the U.S. The letter will be hand-delivered to the U.S. Congress by our Director of Government Relations. If you haven’t yet added your name, please click HERE to do so.

    We are actively supporting H.R. 3314, the Resettlement Accountability National Security Act of 2015 introduced by Rep Brian Babin (R-TX). The bill would immediately suspend the U.N.-run refugee program to provide Congress time to fully assess the national security risks and investigate its financial burden on federal, state and local taxpayers. As of this writing, the bill has 78 cosponsors. Is your House Representative one of them? Click HERE to find out. If not, please send your House Representative an e-mail asking for cosponsorship, by clicking HERE. If your Representative HAS cosponsored the bill, please send a quick note to say thank you. It goes a long way.

    We are actively registering our opposition to any federal funding for U.S. Refugee resettlement actions to be included in the U.S. Congress’s end of year spending bill. This is our most time-sensitive activity right now! Please click HERE to e-mail or call your federal legislators TODAY to express your opposition to any federal funding going to refugee resettlement.

    Readers often ask, “What can I do?” This is something meaningful all of us can and should do. ACT has made our job as easy as it gets. Addressing these three action items will take all of five minutes. Who among us is so cynical as to be unwilling to spend five minutes sitting in a chair making a call and adding his name to a letter?

    Hat tip: Counterjihad Report

    http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2015/11/act_for_america_outlines_3_quick_and_easy_mustdo_tasks.html


    To sign three petitions (only takes about five minutes) go to the Web site address above.

    ReplyDelete