Regulations Gone Wild

[RPSharman]

Remember the knee-jerk reaction to the "war on terror" which gave the federal government the right to do pretty much whatever they want - The Patriot Act!

[Richard Lightstone, CAS]

Robert,

There is a lot to dissect over how our government and the nation might have over reacted to a horrific terrorist attack on September 11th, 2001. I'm not totally in agreement that the "Patriot Act" was so horrible.

However, I am very interested how you feel about the Obama administration doing a reversal on terrorists and terrorism in general.

On one hand Obama has probably confounded the left on his ramped up use of the Predator UAV drones and his decision to send additional troops to Afghanistan.

But then there is a softening of the approach in regards to terrorism in general. The signals were first sent by Janet Napolitano who stated that the "War on Terror" was re branded to "Overseas Contingency Operations" and acts of terrorism to "Man Caused Disasters".  This was no accident as she was merely repeating the directives of President Obama.

Since both Presidential candidates spoke about closing Gitmo, that one is a wash. However, the AG, Eric Holder announced the ending of Military Tribunals for the 9/11 co-conspirators, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Waleed bin Attash, Ramzi Binalshibh, Mustafa Ahmad al-Hawsawi and Ali Abd al-Aziz Ali and will be brought to trial in a civilian federal courthouse in Manhattan, just blocks from site of the most horrific terror attack in U.S. history, that killed 2,970 people.

Then the use of doublespeak by changing the designation of "unlawful enemy combatants" to “unprivileged enemy belligerents". The first term is a legal designation taken from the Geneva Convention and used effectively by previous administrations, particularly, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1942.

http://en.wiped.org/wiki/Ex_parte_Quirin

So fast forward to Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan who called himself a "soldier of Allah" and murdered fellow soldiers at Fort Hood on November 5th. President Obama never called him a terrorist or his murderous rampage a terrorist attack?

That brings us up to today, where the "underwear bomber" Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab, was arrested and turned over to local authorities, instead of calling him a “unprivileged enemy belligerent" - so he could be interrogated to get all the intelligence necessary about who and where the parties were that trained him, financed him - to prevent further attacks.

In both statements by the President, he did not say the words, "terrorist", "Muslim" or even "Al-Queda". Instead, he was a "suspect" and "alleged bomber". No visible anger over this attempt to kill Americans, only redirected to the agencies involved in stopping it?

What about the plan to release almost 100 detainees back to Yemen, the place where AbdulMutallab's bomb was built?

We give this vermin the privileges of the U.S. Constitution, gaining no more security for our citizens.

This policy of President Obama is dangerous  and short sighted. He is convinced that just because he was elected president, the Islamo-terrorists will suddenly stop trying to kill Americans and destroy the United States. Sadly, the events of December 25th sharply destroys that fantasy.

The New York Daily News has an opinion piece on President Obama's leadership, just for the record this newspaper supported and endorsed his presidential run. http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2009/12/30/2009-12-30_its_time_prez_for_you_to_get_serious.html

What say you?

Happy New Year,

RL

[RPSharman]

I say the reason the "terrorist" nations all want to kill us is because of our imperialistic policies, and because of our general we-want-everyone-in-the-world-to-be-free-as-long-as-they-want-to-be-like-Americans attitude.  These countries have been around a lot longer than us, so perhaps a little bit more of the new-kid-on-the-block philosophy and a little bit less of the big-bully-on-the-block philosophy is just what we need to gain back some respect.  I believe that's what Obama is trying, and I really hope it works.  We ought to support any effort to improve what has definitely not been working.

I also say, "Happy New Year" and I'm off to drink some (more) wine.

Robert

[studiomprd]

" He is convinced that just because he was elected president, the Islamo-terrorists will suddenly stop trying to kill Americans and destroy the United States. "

what would make President Hussein think that ??

[studiomprd]

" The White House nominee to lead the Transportation Security Administration gave Congress misleading information about incidents in which he inappropriately accessed a federal database, possibly in violation of privacy laws, documents obtained by The Washington Post show... It is a violation of the federal Privacy Act to access such information without proper cause... Civil liberties specialists said that the misuse of databases has been common among law enforcement authorities for many years, despite an array of local, state and federal prohibitions intended to protect personal information. Studies have found that police at every level examine records of celebrities, women they have met and political rivals. Some federal authorities have been jailed for selling records to criminals... It is important that the public have confidence that government officials will not misuse the authority that they have "

right, I believe them, and I believe there is a Santa Claus, and a tooth fairy...

update: this just in...

" In November, Southers assured Senators - under oath - it was an isolated lapse.

"Have you ever in the past misused your access to databases that the government maintains, other than the one incident that lead to this censure?" asked Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine.

"No, Senator, I have not," Southers replied.

But a week later, Southers contradicted that account... Southers admitted it wasn't someone else who accessed confidential government databases, but he himself. And not once - but twice. Southers also disclosed a third apparent breach: he downloaded confidential law enforcement records in 1987 or 1988.

We don't have a 22-year-old problem, we have a current problem with this gentleman where he can't really be up front and tell the truth... (but) a top transportation official under President Clinton, says the public should not be concerned. "

and this surprises anyone??

[John Blankenship]

I say the reason the "terrorist" nations all want to kill us is because of our imperialistic policies, and because of our general we-want-everyone-in-the-world-to-be-free-as-long-as-they-want-to-be-like-Americans attitude.  These countries have been around a lot longer than us, so perhaps a little bit more of the new-kid-on-the-block philosophy and a little bit less of the big-bully-on-the-block philosophy is just what we need to gain back some respect.  I believe that's what Obama is trying, and I really hope it works.  We ought to support any effort to improve what has definitely not been working.

I disagree with your conclusion. 

Basically, the radical terrorists have zero interest in how nice, kind, and gentle the U.S., or any other nation, is.  Their clearly, and openly, defined long term goal is to rid the earth of everyone (gentle, or not) who isn't of their particular brand of "religion."

Yes, we can, all too often, behave like "Ugly Americans."  And, that behavior is often used as a rallying cry to whip up emotion in order to serve their long term goal.  But that's not the reason they wish to wipe us -- and anyone else who doesn't believe as they do -- off the face of the earth.

I think the wine is making you all "sensitive," dude. 

Of course, that's not necessarily a bad thing.  Happy new year!

John B.

[soundtrane]

<<He is convinced that just because he was elected president>>

Ever heard of the "wolf in sheep's clothing" ?

I'm not saying he IS. But just because he is Muslim don't make him a darling of the masses of the Islamic world. It's a lot more complex than this.

-vin

[soundtrane]

These countries have been around a lot longer than us, so perhaps a little bit more of the new-kid-on-the-block philosophy and a little bit less of the big-bully-on-the-block philosophy is just what we need to gain back some respect. 

In agreement...

-vin

[studiomprd]

the only thing this can be called is 'style over substance':  yesterday, during a computer outage, a commuter flight took off from St. Louis to Chicago, and then the computers came back up, and " the carrier learned the name of one of the passengers matched one on the Transportation Security Administration's restricted passenger list...the flight returned .... and (the carrier) determined the passenger was not the same person on the list.  " so it took back off for Chicago, again...

and more on "SecurityTheater":

" aviation experts say the pat-down is often ineffective...To have people hold up their arms and just pat them — like I'm really going to carry a bomb there," said industry analyst Michael Boyd, arguing that pat-downs were often of little value. "You know where you're going to put it, and no one's going to go there."...Unlike the frisking of suspects conducted by police — which involves officers running their hands firmly up and down the body, including sensitive areas like the groin, buttocks and breasts — the pat-downs at airports usually involve, well, patting down... In one instance cited in the report, an investigator placed coins in his pockets to ensure he'd receive a secondary screening. But after a pat-down and use of a hand-held metal detector, the screener didn't catch the prohibited items the investigator brought through a checkpoint... The TSA last year decided to permit what it describes as "enhanced pat-downs" that include breast and groin searches... in those cases, screeners must use the back of their hands when touching the groin area and breasts, according to the TSA... It's possible that pat-downs may become more frequent in airports as the use of full-body scanning machines expands. The high-tech machines are in use at a handful of airports; the TSA just bought 150 and plans to buy 300 more. But passengers can opt for a physical pat-down instead of being scanned. "

and they will probably be police type pat-downs...get ready for it:

" "People just wouldn't stand for it. You wouldn't. I wouldn't," said Gerry Berry, a Florida-based airport security expert.  Fearful of lawsuits or allegations of molestation, many screeners at airports would be the most resistant of all, said Boyd.  "You'll have people yelling, 'He grabbed me! He groped me!'" he said. "You don't want that job." "

[RPSharman]

I disagree with your conclusion. 

They're clearly, and openly, defined long term goal is to rid the earth of everyone (gentle, or not) who isn't of their particular brand of "religion."

But that's not the reason they wish to wipe us -- and anyone else who doesn't believe as they do -- off the face of the earth.

John B.

Wow - that sounds a lot like what we're doing.

While being "nice" sure won't stop the extremist from wanting to wipe us off the face of the earth, it sure does help slow down the recruiting of young, impressionable minds (shoe bomber and underwear bomber alike) who grow tired of the holier-than-thou United States attitude.  The smaller the army, the less powerful.

We can be proud of our country and our freedoms, and we can hope to convince the world of being "democratic like us" once we show that it works.

Robert

[studiomprd]

of course that is what we are doing, since we are the last "superpower" -aka bully- left!

anybody got a problem with dat?

[Richard Lightstone, CAS]

Robert,

Something to chew on.

Abdelmutalib's Act of War

By Walid Phares

In the Arab world there is a saying: “Take their truth from their crazies.” I didn’t think it would fully apply in geopolitics until I heard Libya’s dictator, Moammar Qadhafi, claiming on al Jazeera few years ago that Bin Laden had acquired intercontinental missiles.

The “crazy boy,” as the late Egyptian President Sadat used to call him, argued sarcastically that al Qaeda has developed an unstoppable weapon: human transoceanic missiles (Sawareekh bashariyya abira lil qarrat). He meant by that Jihadists who were committed to istishaad (martyrdom) by blowing up commercial jets over targets in America.

The man who has been ruling Libya for the past forty years knows his region very well and despite his peculiar behavior, has predicted what most observers of the Jihadist movement have also projected: al Qaeda and its allies worldwide have discovered the Achilles heel of American defenses: the inability of its security apparatus to identify the readying of the new weapon, its deployment and its launching.

The situation is so bad, that a man who was on some “persons of interest” list was nearly able to massacre hundreds of passengers and possibly innocent people on the ground but for the failure of his underwear bomb and the courage of a citizen of the Netherlands who rose to defend humanity with his bare hands.

A Nigerian young man, educated in Europe, with no antecedent (and visible) involvement in “violent extremism” -- as defined by new US doctrines -- with a family wealthy enough to extract him from disenfranchisement and other so-called roots of radicalization, burned parts of his body as he was leaping into the “heaven of virgins.” Had he succeeded he would have accomplished a considerable feat: the second bloodiest terror act within US borders, pushing back the Fort Hood jihad to third position after 9/11.

The rapidly unfolding incident, a sheer and clear act of war, shocked and awed the American public to the core. Nine years after Mohammad Atta led an al Qaeda platoon into a genocidal attack against this country, Omar Farouq Abdelmutalib, an obscure person with no dramatic history brought hundreds of men, women and children to the edge of existence before they were bounced back to the world of the living, thanks to the instincts of ordinary individuals. How can that be possible after billions of dollars spent until now on homeland security, two overseas wars waged by the previous administration to end the terrorist threat?

Abdelmutalib’s act contrasts poorly with the Obama administration’s pledge to shut down Guantanamo by this administration in order to calm down “extremism” in addition to all the president’s speeches announcing retreats. If closing Guantanamo and ignoring democracy movements doesn’t satisfy the jihadists, what will? Why do they keep coming to kill more people?

The “Mujahid from Nigeria,” as described by al Qaeda affiliate in Yemen is the perpetrator of the 13th terrorist act on US soil in one single year. From the Arkansas murder of a US military, to the jihadists of North Carolina, New York, Illinois, Texas, all the way to Fort Hood, these are the precursors of a wider wave to slam our shores unavoidably.

Abdelmutalib, like all other suicide-to-be perpetrators is a human missile designed, programmed and set off by a jihadist war machine. Ironically, the responses uttered by US officials only deepen the conviction within the jihadi war rooms that we are trailing behind in understanding their threat.

When Major Hasan killed thirteen colleagues, the nation was urged “not to rush to judgment.” Days later, emails surfaced about links to Imam Awlaki, the bête noire of Yemen. In the wake of Abdelmutalib’s arrest we were told “there were no credible links to al Qaeda” just before a bold statement by the organization claimed the operation against the “American enemy.” By now, after the most active year in terrorism targeting the US since 2001, it would be advisable not to rush to judgment, but the other way around.

Do not claim that massacres -- those that happen and those that are stopped -- are inexplicable during a war with the jihadists. In World War II, every Nazi bomber that flew over Britain was an act of war. In this conflict, every jihadi-inspired attack is an act of warfare. Every rush to deny it and it treat it as a mere act of violence is a challenge to our national security, and eventually a threat to our defense.

******

Dr Walid Phares is the Director of the Future Terrorism Project at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies and the author of The Confrontation: Winning the War against Future Jihad.  http://counterterrorismblog.org/

RL

[studiomprd]

did you feel that?? it was a big knee, jerking!

I particularly like the new term: "countries of interest"

in a bid to wrap up next years Nobel Peace Prize, President Hussein will probably be sending troops to Yemen (he is already sending money!)

[studiomprd]

the package in his 'package':

http://gizmodo.com/5435862/the-exploding-terrorist-underwear-that-nearly-took-down-a-plane

"Is that PETN in your panties, or are you just glad to see me?

speaking of profiling: " The underpants bomber was an engineer. So were eight of the 25 terrorists involved in 9/11. In fact, half of all known "violent jihadists" reach higher education, and 44 percent of them are engineers. Uh, that looks like a pattern. "

BTW, since " Neutron radiation degrades PETN,  ", all engineers boarding aircraft will be bombarded with lethal doses of neutron radiation...

[RPSharman]

Richard,

Your article points out my very theory, which is that there is no real defense for this type of warfare, other than reducing the size of the army by making smaller the number of people who wish to kill Americans.  But the enemy also know that if they can't kill us, they can certainly make it more difficult for us to enjoy our freedom, knowing that our government's reaction to their tactics will make many of our lives more difficult.

It's also in the best interest of the war mongers and profiteers to keep the population scared and willing to allow our government to spend billions on national defense while an increasing number of our citizens live in poverty and without basic health care, including many veterans.

Robert

[studiomprd]

see, the system worked!

" Well, Osama bin Laden is still on the loose, but we got Joan Rivers "

[John Steigerwald]

Ah, you just can't write this stuff:

http://www.boingboing.net/2010/01/06/bottled-honey-shuts.html

[rich]

another article on the honey

http://www.bakersfield.com/news/local/x113238874/Meadows-Field-evacuated

didnt there used to be a show called Bakersfield PD?

[Brent Lestage]

Okay, I'm more than sick of this shit... Enough of this knee-jerk reactionary response to Terrorism. How much money are we going to continue to throw at these random acts of violence? This country has no national health insurance, owes billions to China, but chooses to wage wars on two fronts... wars that have burdened our economy well beyond the breaking point. Our elected leaders seem to favor nation-building (hostile, foreign nations, mind you!) and Wall Street bailouts over taking care of their own. The jobless rate is at an all-time high, people are losing their homes... How can we [Americans] be serious about making positive change while we continue to keep making the same stupid mistakes? If I'm expected to pay for all this shit that doesn't work, and ultimately ruins my quality of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, then I say bring it... Let me take my chances and deal with the terrorists mano-a-mano. That's a value-proposition I can live with.

[Guest Ken Mantlo]

Terrorist like to blow themselves up and we like to blow them up.....you'd think we'd get along better.

[studiomprd]

" wage wars on two fronts... wars that have burdened our economy well beyond the breaking point. "

wait till we add a 3rd war: Yemen!

[studiomprd]

Brent: fix typo

" The jobless rate is at an all-time low, "

I believe the jobless rate is pretty high...

[Richard Lightstone, CAS]

Brent,

"Let me take my chances and deal with the terrorists mano-a-mano. That's a value-proposition I can live with."

That is currently where we are, especially on December 25th over the skies of Detroit. Islamo-Terrorism has been waged against the United State as far back as the 70's. A litany of planes being highjacked and even blown up, attacks against the Marine Barracks in Lebanon, etc. etc.

Meaning that the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan or the detainees in Guantanamo are not responsible for the fanatical Islamic jihad that has been going on for over 30 years.

The price tag of the wars are certainly a drain on the economy. But the real blame for the financial meltdown goes to at least three administrations and the Congress.

Obama and the Democratic Congress in one year have raised the deficit to the highest in history with huge spending and entitlement legislation.

So, under your current assessment, you believe by enacting the Healthcare bill, which will take control of 1/6 of the GDP and cost a king's ransom, raising our debt by even higher figures is a good thing?

Keep in mind that once the bill is signed into law we will start paying for it in increased taxes and surcharges for four years. The health services supposedly offered in the bill will not be available until 2014 !

That's like buying a brand new car today, paying for it now and for four more years - but it will not be in your driveway until 2014.

That appeals to you?

Oh and one other thing, the U.S. Constitution compels our President and Congress to defend our nation from attacks both foreign and domestic. Unfortunately, there is a cost for that.

RL

[John Steigerwald]

Oh and one other thing, the U.S. Constitution compels our President and Congress to defend our nation from attacks both foreign and domestic. Unfortunately, there is a cost for that.

RL

Which, also unfortunately, was wasted searching for 'weapons of mass distra.. destruction'.

It basically comes down to 2 options:

Give up liberties, live in fear and accept that you might be killed by a terrorist

OR

Keep liberties, live happy and accept that you might be killed by a terrorist

I'll take the second.

[Guest Ken Mantlo]

Which, also unfortunately, was wasted searching for 'weapons of mass distra.. destruction'.

It basically comes down to 2 options:

Give up liberties, live in fear and accept that you might be killed by a terrorist

OR

Keep liberties, live happy and accept that you might be killed by a terrorist

I'll take the second.

Really?

Will you still feel the same way if your wife and kids are on the next plane that explodes?