Terrorism

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U.S. pulls the plug on ill-advised rebel training program

In my Sept. 25, post, “Our military on “hold” until January 2017,” I wrote about the Obama administration’s continued failures in foreign policy, and called your attention to the embarrassing testimony of Gen. Lloyd Austin. He was forced to report that just four or five trainees were active as a result of our Syrian rebel training program.

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The Defense Department has pulled the plug on its fawed Syrian rebel training program. (defenseone.com)

I have to give him credit for his appearance before the Senate Armed Services Committee. As the head of U. S. Central Command, he could have ordered someone in his command to draw the short straw. Continue reading →

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Our military on “hold” until January 2017

As someone who believes in a strong defense, over the past six years I have watched President Obama weaken our military and the reputation it has enjoyed globally for years.

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U.S. Army Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III (defense.gov)

I recently witnessed an embarrassing testimony by Army Gen. Lloyd Austin before the Senate Armed Services Committee, in which he said, “Despite some slow movement at the tactical level, we continue to make progress across the battlespace in support of the broader U.S. government strategy to degrade and ultimately defeat ISIS.”

In view of information that reports out of General Austin’s U. S. Central Command were overstated to paint a rosier picture of its success in Iraq and Syria, the Senators weren’t pleased with his testimony. It was learned that analysts were told to revise their reports of U.S. air strike damage to support command assessments of mission success. They were also urged to state that the killing of certain ISIS leaders would diminish the organization and lead to its collapse. Continue reading →

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Hillary Clinton favored continued enrichment by Iran

Well, well, well … today we learned that it was Hillary Clinton who opened the door to accepting a change in U.S. policy that would allow Iran to continue to produce nuclear fuel.

President Barack Obama talks with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton about his decision to send her to the Middle East while attending the U.S.-ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Nov. 20, 2012. From left are: Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications; Jake Sullivan, Deputy Chief of Staff to the Secretary of State; and National Security Advisor Tom Donilon. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza) This official White House photograph is being made available only for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photograph. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way and may not be used in commercial or political materials, advertisements, emails, products, promotions that in any way suggests approval or endorsement of the President, the First Family, or the White House.

Hillary Clinton and her foreign policy aide Jake Sullivan photographed during a White House visit. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

After an unproductive secret meeting between Clinton’s foreign policy aide Jake Sullivan and Iranian diplomats in Oman in July 2012, and in a series of meetings in Washington over the following six months, Clinton and Obama concluded that we would have to let Iran continue to enrich uranium at small levels if an agreement was to succeed.

Very interesting, since it was Clinton who, during the 2008 campaign, called Obama naïve for believing he could directly negotiate with Iran’s regime. Continue reading →

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“Mistake” and “sloppy” becomes “careless”

The liberal Democrat water carriers are at it again; this time to defend Hillary Clinton.

Remember back in 2004 when it was revealed that Sandy Berger, President Bill Clinton’s national security advisor, had stolen classified documents from the National Archives? It was called “a mistake” and “sloppy.”

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Despite Sandy Berger’s theft of classified documents during the Bill Clinton era, Hillary hired him as an advisor during her 2008 campaign. (freerepublic.com)

Theft of Top Secret documents is a Federal crime that is supposed to carry extremely serious penalties, but the water carriers for the Clinton administration claimed “a mistake” in most instances is not a crime, and certainly being “sloppy” isn’t a crime.

Berger had stuffed documents critical of the Clinton administration’s approach to terrorism in his pants and socks and hid them under a construction trailer near the Archives, later to be retrieved. The theft was an attempt to keep the information from the 9/11 Commission and eventually the American public. He later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge and was fined just $50,000. Continue reading →

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The French know the meaning of bravery and honor

France is often the butt of jokes, especially when it comes to their military, but they stepped up and did the right thing Monday at a time when America would have dropped the ball.

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The French wasted no time to present their highest honor for bravery to the three Americans and one Brit, shown here with French President Francois Hollande. (voanews)

Three courageous Americans and a Brit were honored in Paris yesterday as they were presented France’s highest honor for bravery for preventing a terrorist blood bath on a high speed train between Belgium and France.

None other than French President Francois Hollande presented Legion d’Honneur medals to Americans Spencer Stone, Alex Skartatos and Anthony Sadler and Briton Chris Norman at the Elysee Palace in Paris.

That was a far cry from the ordeal victims and families endured after the Nov. 5, 2009 shooting at Fort Hood. It took six years of letter-writing and even legislation to honor the 10 soldiers killed and 26 wounded with a Purple Heart, and Defense of Freedom Medals to two civilians, one who was killed and another wounded. Continue reading →

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Did Hillary Clinton’s naivete’ unintentionally tip off Benghazi attackers?

“I’m certainly aware of the classification requirements and did not send classified material.” – Hillary Clinton

If Hillary Clinton neither sent nor received classified information, just how did she carry out the normal day to day business of a secretary of state?

Even her daily itinerary should have been classified. Friendly and unfriendly countries alike want to know who she’s meeting with and where.… read more

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We are NOT a war-weary nation, Part 2

In Part 1, I wrote of my concern over the constant drumbeat that Americans have become war-weary, a belief attributed to President Obama, his supporters, and an adoring media.

I believe Americans are Obama-weary.  They simply cannot support a commander-in-chief who is unwilling to use what is still the best fighting force on the planet. And it doesn’t help when his generals echo his belief.

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The Military Oath courtesy of the angelfire.com

When I hear the president say he’s not going to send our troops into harm’s way, I am reminded of a recent exchange between Fox’s Melissa Francis and a fellow panelist.  Francis had just made a strong position for U.S. involvement in Iraq when she was asked, “would you send your son or daughter?”  Embarrassingly, she said, “no,” and was not pleased with herself.

There was no reason for her to be embarrassed.  We have an all-volunteer military, a courageous group of warriors, men and women, who sign up knowing that they are signing up for war. Continue reading →

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A letter writer not among the war-weary

In a letter to the editor of The Arizona Republic, an individual writes, “We are being told that we will not put boots on the ground in the Middle East to defeat ISIS and stop the daily slaughter of innocents because the majority of Americans are opposed to it.”  He adds, “if that’s how decisions are made in Washington these days, then why do we still have ObamaCare?,”… read more

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We are NOT a war-weary nation, Part 1

I’m tired of hearing the president and some politicians talk about how Americans are war weary. The same goes for the pundits who repeat that belief over and over.

The president’s political promises to get us out of Iraq and Afghanistan may satisfy him and the left, but to our enemies it is a sign of weakness.

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This graphic courtesy of spenttheyearasaghost.wordpress.com

I wonder what “The Greatest Generation” must think.  Growing up during the Great Depression, many went off to fight in World War II, and others made their contribution at home.  These men and women fought not for fame and recognition, but because it was the “right thing to do,” wrote Tom Brokaw in his book.

In his transformation of our country, President Obama has turned this once strong country into a nation willing to let the Hitler’s, Mussolini’s and Hirohito’s of today slaughter their way across the Middle East, annex neighboring countries and expand their reach.  We have forgotten what it means to go to war to win.

Today we see history being repeated and clearly laid out in a recent op-ed by Victor Davis Hanson, a historian and columnist of note.  He reminded readers how we stood by and allowed Hitler and the Third Reich to terrorize Europe, Mussolini take over much of the Mediterranean and the Japanese war machine occupy much of the Pacific.  Had they just been satisfied with their winnings, writes Davis Hanson, “there was no evidence that the tired Western democracies would ever have stopped them.” Continue reading →