The Mouth-In-Chief disrespects our Fallen and endangers lives

Is there anybody on the planet who does NOT know of the terrible loss we all witnessed last weekend (August 6th) when a Chinook helicopter went down in Afghanistan, costing the lives of both American and Afghanistan Heroes? I didn't think so. As word starting coming out in the very early hours of last Saturday morning, I watched in horror and yes, disgust as first, the msm and then the Media Whore in Chief did their usual disrespectful, dishonourable routines, and raced to be first to capitalise on the not-yet-cold bodies of our Fallen Heroes.



Over the time since the Mouth In Chief temporary resident at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue first started campaigning for the highest office in the land of the US, he and his wife have decided that their own cause can be served by public displays (preferably with cameras and mics there, too) of support for our troops. Needless to say, not too many of us even remotely connected to our militaries buy their "reach out to our military men and women and their families" bs. If I have learned nothing else, I know how finely tuned the bs meter is in any of our troops/veterans and their families. I have seen and heard from various military and their families, the disdain they feel for the MIC, as he uses our troops as photo op material.



Most of the time our troops/families tend to *SPIT* at MIC's almost daily hypocritcal manipulation of our troops - aided and abetted by the usual msm vultures - and carry on with their daily lives with quiet grace and dignity.. (Yes, concepts totally foreign to MIC)



Once in a while, though, the MIC behaves so far outside the realm of decency, that even our normally reticent families/veterans/troops come out on the record in their condemnation.



If you remember when Osama Bin Laden was reduced to room temperature by our warriors, it took mere minutes for BHO and his msm lackeys to start hitting the airwaves with information about the Team that performed that service to the world..Many of us watched in horror, as BHO raced to the nearest microphone and camera in his attempt to look 'presidential,' and supportive of our brave men whose successful mission rid the world of OBL. Within minutes the whole world - including terrorists with murder on their mind (singular) - knew where these guys are stationed and more details than we - or terrorists - need to know. Not only did we not need to know, but the general rush to publicise details of a usually clandestine team, also placed these Hero's families at risk. But never mind: MIC made it all about HIM, and damn the consequences to anybody else..



The condemnation from the military community was rapier sharp, swift and very public.



And so now we come to the Chinook downing last weekend. Again, FHIC (figure it out) rushed to cameras and mics to share details about the Fallen Heroes that none of us need to know. EVER!



Again, within minutes, and yes, way before the DoD Notifications had been made public, dread ran torrent-like through the military community as they waited for the knock on their door. Even as ISAF released a public statement: "...ISAF is still in the process of assessing the circumstances to determine the facts of the incident. Additional details will be released as appropriate...," in the immediate aftermath, there was the msm and MIC racing to share speculations and inappropriate details that serve nobody, least of all the fallen nor their loved ones. My column on this here.



Again, as I have in the past, I have to ask 'Who does it serve?' The answer to that question when related to the MIC is all too obvious, and once again, he makes it all about HIM. Once again, he hogs the media spotlight and demonstrates his ongoing lack of respect for our military OR their families.



As previously, the military community responded, hard on the heels of MIC's rush to share information that should NEVER be shared.



War on Terror News had this:

Thursday, August 11, 2011

All Men are Created Equal... But are Not Equal in Life

Like most of America, I cringed when I heard that a Chinook with many members of Seal Team 6 had exploded in Afghanistan. The enemy had gotten lucky on that day. These men had known the risks. They have a long history of successes that we won't likely know. Their names are not classified, but their missions have been.

I cringed because someone decided to report the information that it was Seal Team 6. Someone else decided to claim to know and tell the world how many members of Seal Team 6 there are. Experts filled the space on the idiot box proving how much they knew about things no one else knew. I don't know how many men serve on Seal Team 6, how many have served on it, or how many missions they've successfully completed. I do know they exist, that they live a life of danger, and routinely defeat the enemy.

There was no need for DoD to release that it was ST6. There was no need for the media to speculate that it was ST6. It would have been sufficient to say they were Navy, or perhaps even that they were Seals. They lived their lives in secrecy. They risked their lives in secrecy. They did not accept fame for their deeds. They preferred success to fame.

They did not ask for their deaths to become a campaign stop and photo opportunity for a politician. Their families specifically asked that it not become a media event. ...

You just know he has much more. It is the usual to the point response that we have come to expect from WOTN, and you must read it here.



WOTN was not alone. From BlackFive:

Obama campaigns on dead SEALs

Posted By Uncle Jimbo • [August 11, 2011]

In case you wondered, of course Barry O is trying to use the deaths of the SEALs and air crew in Afghanistan for his own aggrandizement. Even though most of the families specifically requested no media coverage of the return of the remains of the fallen, that doesn't apply to the campaign staff WH photographer. So we get a pic of Barry trying his damndest to look like a leader.

Anyone with an dime's worth of decency would have known better than to use such an event, but that is simply part of Obama's lack of character. He couldn't just attend, he had to make sure that all the voting public knew he was there. It is sad to watch such a complete tool use the military, and worse our war dead, to attempt to create an image of a serious Commander in Chief. I don't doubt that on some level Obama cares about the dead troops, but just a whole lot less than he cares about himself. His spokestool used this collection of sorry lies to fail miserably in justifying the pitiful self-promotion...

Yes, UJ has more of his usual on target commentary right here. Go read.



Then we have One Marine's View who poses the rhetorical question:

August 11, 2011

Who is the focus at this dignified transfer?

[There follows the same picture that has been used to show MIC attempting to salute. Not reprinting it here again.]



He begins:

“A White House photographer (the only photographer there) was allowed to take and widely distribute a photo from the ceremony Tuesday for the return of the remains of 30 American troops killed in a weekend helicopter crash in Afghanistan despite the Pentagon's claim that any public depiction of the scene would violate the wishes of bereaved families.”

Under the Pentagon policy spelled out in March 2009, the option to allow media access is explained to family members when they are notified of their loved one's death, and "primary next of kin will make the family decision regarding media access to dignified transfers at Dover."

I have to ask the obvious question apparently. If the Pentagon respected the requests of the family members (19 out of the 30) that didn’t want the event photographed, why didn’t the White House respect those 19 family members’ requests?



The photograph wasn’t of “caskets” but it was of the President and was posted on the White House website as the "Photo of the Day." It showed Obama and other officials in silhouette and did not depict caskets, family members or anything that brought respect to those fallen.



Was the White House photographer there to focus on the heroes killed in action and the event at hand or was this a staged event that was focused on the POTUS? The picture result (above) answers that one....

Read the rest here.

Do I need to point out the emphasis up there? No, I didn't think so, but for those who apparently need it spelled out (looking at YOU, MIC) : " ... would violate the wishes of bereaved families.” But hey, he and the missus are all about 'reaching out to the military families..' as he demonstrates, yet again, that he has NO idea what 'dignified' means. (My regular readers know exactly what comes next. Have at it.)



Bad enough that personal details of these fallen heroes is all over the friggin msm, (reminder: details that can endanger not only the ongoing US military mission but, more importantly these fallen heroes' families,) here we have MIC again making it all, and always, about him and damn the consequences to anybody else.



As soon as the details hit the internet and went international, you just know our coalition partners read about it too. Of course, they already knew of the event because such news travels among the coalition troops with the speed of lightening, and so it was last Saturday night.



From one of our coalition troops (yes, a friend who gave me permission to quote him):

Are they going to release their hometowns?.....better yet, release their home address & where their children go to school.....I'm sure Team 6 has no enemies in the world & bad guys are always looking to add names to their Christmas card list. Better publish the names of a few moving companies while they're @ it......Sure all over America today there will be sentries....volunteer sentries posted @ their homes...with some serious weapons....call before your visit. Jeeze, what a world.

This is US Navy SEAL Team 6, the guys that took out Osama bin laden. SEALs names or their hometowns are not usually released, "training accident in Eastern Afghanistan" is usually the public story while not tying them to USN SEALs.....sure the "community" will protect the families & hope no crackpots or real bad guys come for them. This whole situation has had too much press & info released, imagine quite a few bad guys have been watching the news, ... (there was more, but you get the idea)

As you can see, men who serve, or have served, our countries have been universal in their condemnation at the way this whole sad event has been handled by both the MIC and the msm. As usual, they are absolutely correct. As usual, our troops and veterans understand the concept of service in a way the MIC obviously does not - and never will.

As WOTN points out, the men who carry out these missions are interested only in mission accomplished, and have less than zero interest in public recognition or accolades. They serve a higher calling than themselves. Therein lies the stark contrast with the MIC. Time and again BHO shows he has NO idea of what 'service to country' means. Time and again, he proves that his only interest is in serving himSELF.

Really. And for his disrespect of our troops and their families, the MIC should be ashamed of himself. He should be, but as cannot be overstated, like all narcissists, he cannot, will not, EVER see beyond his own self-aggrandisement. Within a small community, that would probably not be a big deal, as those around would tolerate and accommodate such behaviour.



In the President of the United States, the Commander in Chief of our military, this behaviour is not only obscene, it is intolerable.

RIP Cpl Frank Buckles: An original Every Day Hero

RIP CPL Frank Woodruff Buckles - Pershing's Last Patriot

CPL Frank Woodruff Buckles, 110, of Charles Town, West Virginia, last surviving U.S. veteran of World War I, died at 12:15AM, 27 FEB 2011. He will be buried at Arlington National Cemetary at a date to be determined, with special Honors from the French and United Kingdom. President George W Bush signed a bill sponsored by U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, WV, for the burial at Arlington in 2008.

(More at War on Terror News here.)

Cpl Frank Buckles was one of the first Every Day Heroes I profiled over at Tanker Bros.

Meet Corporal Frank Buckles:

Last surviving U.S. World War I vet honored by president

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Frank Woodruff Buckles was just 15 years old when he joined the U.S. Army. Soon, he was deployed to war and headed overseas on the Carpathia -- the same ship used in the rescue mission of the Titanic.

World War I veteran Frank Buckles entered the Army at age 15. "I didn't lie," he said with a laugh this week.

He drove ambulances in Britain and France for soldiers wounded during World War I.

A few decades later, Buckles was in the Philippines as a civilian, on December 7, 1941, the day Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. He was taken as a prisoner of war for 39 months in Manila, eating his meals out of a single tin cup.

More than 60 years later, he still clings to that cup, the one that sustained his life. Weathered with age, the cup has flecks of white paint chipped off. He keeps it as a reminder of his sacrifice for the country he so loves. He also still has his dog tags.

At age 107, there's not much the war veteran, POW and West Virginia farmer hasn't seen. But this week, this quietly accomplished man was humbled.

Buckles, the last known surviving World War I U.S. veteran, met the president of the United States and received a standing ovation at the Pentagon.

"I didn't lie; nobody calls me a liar," he said with a chuckle, referring to how he became a soldier at just 15....

Go here to read the rest of the story about this amazing man being recognised, acknowledged by President Bush.


107-year-old Corporal Frank Woodruff Buckles of West Virginia met with President Bush in the Oval Office yesterday. Buckles had fudged his age to join the Army. (JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images)

Did you know that WW1 veterans still have no national memorial in America? I did not, until I read the following story:

Pentagon honors last American veteran of WWI

Corporal, 107, joined in 1917

WASHINGTON - World War I veterans still have no national memorial. There has been no Hollywood blockbuster in recent years to bring their story to life. But they still have Frank Buckles.

More than 90 years after he fudged his age to join the Army, Corporal Frank Woodruff Buckles, the last surviving American veteran of World War I, came to the Pentagon yesterday to represent the more than two million "doughboys" who braved the trench warfare and gas attacks of the "The Great War."

"It is an honor to be here to represent the veterans of World War I. I thank you," the 107-year-old Buckles, of Charles Town, W.Va., told a packed auditorium. Buckles spoke softly but clearly, and shared stories - including a meeting with General John J. "Black Jack" Pershing.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates unveiled portraits of Buckles and eight other veterans who were photographed over the past 18 months - but seven have since died, and the eighth served with Canadian forces.

At 16, Buckles sailed from Hoboken, N.J., in December 1917 on the HMS Carpathia, the ship that saved Titanic survivors five years earlier. He drove an ambulance in England and France and later guarded German prisoners...

Be sure to go read the rest of this story here. And, please watch part 2 of the above Outlook programme:

What an amazing hero! And yes, you KNOW the President had something to say to Cpl Buckles:

President Bush Meets with World War I Veteran Corporal Frank Woodruff Buckles
Oval Office

THE PRESIDENT: Sitting next to me is Mr. Frank Buckles, 107-years-young, and he is the last living Doughboy from World War I. And it has been my high honor to welcome Mr. Buckles, and his daughter, Susannah, here to the Oval Office.

Mr. Buckles' mind is sharp, his memory is crisp, and he's been sharing with me some interesting anecdotes. I asked him where he lived, and he said, that reminds me of what General Pershing asked me. And he told the General that he was raised on a farm in Missouri. And the General said, well, you know, as the crow flies, it's 40 miles from where I was raised.

And so Mr. Buckles has a vivid recollection of historic times. And one way for me to honor the service of those who wear the uniform in the past and those who wear it today is to herald you, sir, and to thank you very much for your patriotism and your love for America.

So we're glad you're here. Thanks for coming. (Bratnote for 28.2.2011: The source for this was on the White House official site. Quelle surprise, or maybe not, but this page is now designated "404. Page not found")

America is blessed to have such men as Cpl Frank Buckles in their midst. Thank YOU for your service, Sir! (all originally written on March 16, 2008)

Rest in Peace, Sir! America is the poorer for your passing.

*cross-posted from Assoluta Tranquillita*

On the cover of the Rolling Stone: Hastings aims at another General - the military fires back

Michael Hastings of Rolling Stone is at it again. Little punk Mikey, whose most recent claim to fame was writing a story on General Stanley McChrystal, decided to milk his 15 minutes of infamy, and has set his sights on yet another General, in this case LTG William Caldwell IV.

I really did try to read Mikey's latest breathless prose, but honestly? I just couldn't get past the first few paragraphs to know that, once again, this 'award-winning "journalist" is so intent on claiming another scalp, and yet more notoriety, he doesn't do his homework.

Fortunately, others in the military community did manage to read all of Hastings' latest, and they are firing back on all cylinders (or whatever the appropriate military metaphor is):

First out of the gate was War on Terror News:

Friday, February 25, 2011

Hastings Battles Generals on the Pages of Rolling Stone

When Michael Yon attacked Generals Menard and McChrystal, his readership soared. When Michael Hastings of Rolling Stone magazine published disparaging remarks by General McChrystal's staff, their hits peaked at 943,000 the day after, 600% of their norm. Their American readership soared from 100k to 753k that day. There's no telling how many copies of that issue were sold. The General was fired within hours for daring to note that the POTUS had hardly given him the time of day. Hastings got an award from his fellow journalists for taking down the General. Their online revenue likely hit 6x the norm as well.

So, it's little surprise, that Hastings and Rolling Stone have decided to try to replicate those numbers. This time, they're going after LTG Caldwell IV, and relying on hearsay and "he said, she said," with a zeal reminiscent of the Inquisition. He's aligned himself with an officer with a bone to pick: LTC Holmes (a married man) was investigated for inappropriate relations with a subordinate and evidently took issue with orders given him by the General, his boss. Hastings decided to get the hackles of Senators up, by implying they had been played.

But there are some things that don't add up in the LTC's story. He claims that his role is "PsyOps," but one insider has called him out on it. Evidently, the officer was assigned in an "Information Operations" (IO) role, and does not appear to be involved in a "psychological operations" position at all. There is a crucial distinction between the two, and an important truth. The US Army places a premium on Truth, so even when it conducts "PsyOps" against the enemy, it uses the truth in order to maintain believability in current and future operations of the kind. While IO is designed to get the truth publicized across the spectrum, psyops (now called MISO) is designed to be used against the enemy. It would be illegal and immoral for psyops to be used against Americans, even though it is still the truth. IO is important though, because the MSM is not getting the full story out. IO is designed to publicize the atrocities of the enemy and the good deeds of Our Own Troops, which seems to be the opposite of what the MSM wants to spotlight...[emphasis mine]...

WOTN has much more here, as they continue to dissect Hastings' contribution to 'truth' and the msm. WOTN presents facts - those pesky things that the msm generally, and Hastings' specifically here - choose to ignore.

A Soldier's Perspective is next, and CJ Grisham, currently serving in the US military, continues to educate peons like Mikey Hastings:

Rolling Stone Targets Another General

February 25th, 2011 by CJ

Matt, from Blackfive, already beat me to writing this, so some of what I say may parrot what's already been written there. But, I know LTC Caldwell and I can't sit silent and let RS get away with stupidity.

Rolling Stone – I'm glad I ended my subscription YEARS ago – alleges that LTG William Caldwell violated laws and regulations by using "psychological operations" against American, specifically Senators and Congresscritters.

The list of targeted visitors was long, according to interviews with members of the IO team and internal documents obtained by Rolling Stone. Those singled out in the campaign included senators John McCain, Joe Lieberman, Jack Reed, Al Franken and Carl Levin; Rep. Steve Israel of the House Appropriations Committee; Adm. Mike Mullen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; the Czech ambassador to Afghanistan; the German interior minister, and a host of influential think-tank analysts.

The incident offers an indication of just how desperate the U.S. command in Afghanistan is to spin American civilian leaders into supporting an increasingly unpopular war.

[...]

Like Blackfive, I wouldn't be surprised if this LTC is out for vengeance and swinging wildly trying to pass the buck. I have worked and do work very closely with Psy-ops units for years and they all know the rules. Being in the military, I see exactly what is happening from this article, but the uninformed that have never served a day in uniform will assume the worst. [emphasis mine] I'm going to try and break this down allegation by allegation in the hopes that it makes sense. Some areas I CAN'T directly respond to by virtue of my access and duties and this is NOT an official response by any means – just my personal opinions based on experience. I will completely ignore those....

*Gasp*! 'Based on experience'????? CJ does go point by point, and Hastings would do well to read it here, before writing his next ' scoop.'

The BlackFive column CJ refers to?:

Posted By Blackfive • [February 25, 2011]

By now, you all have probably heard about or read this story from muckraker Michael Hastings about Lieutenant General Caldwell utilizing Psy-ops resources (personnel) in order to influence American politiicans - specifically some very key Senators.

...The list of targeted visitors was long, according to interviews with members of the IO team and internal documents obtained by Rolling Stone. Those singled out in the campaign included senators John McCain, Joe Lieberman, Jack Reed, Al Franken and Carl Levin; Rep. Steve Israel of the House Appropriations Committee; Adm. Mike Mullen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; the Czech ambassador to Afghanistan; the German interior minister, and a host of influential think-tank analysts...

Like Jack Reid and Joe Lieberman and Carl Levin are weak minded fools and LTC Holmes was going to use some kind of mind-kung-fu on them? Come on...

This whole article smells of a disgruntled Lieutenant Colonel who got caught breaking the rules (drinking alcohol, inappropriate relationship, etc.) and is now in full-on reprisal mode. ...

And yes, you know there is more - here - as yet another military veteran takes Hastings' to the woodshed, and continues his education. Hello, Mikey??? You detecting a theme here yet? May I *suggest* that you widen your list of sources before you rush to print? Hmmmm?

Not to be outdone, left out of the fun of pointing out the error of his ways to Mikey, (who is apparently a legendary 'military expert' in his own mind,) This Ain't Hell enters the fray, and attempts to contribute to Hastings' education:

Rolling Stone accuses Caldwell of using brainwave deathray on Congress

February 24th, 2011

Yes, it’s actually news for the pot heads at the Rolling Stone that DoD tries to convince Congressmen to finance their projects. But, apparently the military has a secret mind-manipulation process that doesn’t work so well on detainees (see Tony Camerino posts) but is easily adapted to influencing congressmen...

[...]

Who did they target?

John McCain, Joe Lieberman, Jack Reed, Al Franken and Carl Levin; Rep. Steve Israel of the House Appropriations Committee; Adm. Mike Mullen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; the Czech ambassador to Afghanistan; the German interior minister, and a host of influential think-tank analysts.

Really? Al Franken? They could brainwash him with a used wet nap if they could find the BB-sized organ.

How much convincing would it take for McCain, Lieberman and Mullen? Aren’t they all pro-victory in the first place?

I wonder if Rolling Stone even suspects that they’ve just been the subjects of a counter-intelligence operation...

An informed analysis here. And yes, TAH has other columns up that I recommend that Hastings read.

Susan Katz Keating also has her 2 cents' worth to add:

Friday, February 25, 2011

Rolling Stone Journo to Get Nick Meo Award? Go, Team PsyOp!

[...]

Meanwhile, speaking of things that make you reach for the nice tall mug of Whiskey Tango Etcetera...

It appears as if Rolling Stone scribbler Michael Hastings has emerged as front runner in this year's Nick Meo Awards for Journalistic Rectumtude (uhhh... my Spellcheck is broken, so I may be a bit off on my wordsmithery, but you know what I'm trying to say).

Hastings is awesome. First, he wrote the article that likely was a reverse psyop allowing Gen. Stan McChrystal to bug out of Afghanistan. Now, Hastings has unearthed a secret project in the grand old tradition of MK Ultra and other covertness, aimed against... JSM himself, and other Senators! Or so he claims....

WTF indeed! SKK has much more to share with Hastings here. If you don't know who Nick Meo is, you have been reading in all the wrong places, and/or not paying attention. Google him.

All in all, I'd say Michael Hastings need to rethink his approach to serious journalism, that is if expects his 'work' to be taken seriously. Yet again, maybe not, since just these excerpts alone prove how inadequate he is, when set against REAL military experts.

As WOTN points out, for Hastings, Rolling Stone, and yes, most msm, any story is all about the ratings, readership, and by extension advertiser dollars. Based on just this one story alone, no reader looking for facts could/should look to pieces like Hastings' latest for truths. It surely isn't coincidence that while msm numbers continue a downward spiral, online blog sites' readership continues to climb.

It is all about credibility. Once again, Hastings proves that he is more than a tad short in that department. Once again, when it comes to military facts, stories, our military shows people like Hastings up for the inept tools that they are. Of course, I could suggest that Mikey Hastings get together with that other intrepid 'journalist' - Mikey Yon - and compare notes. They both seem to subscribe to the same school of journalism: never let the facts get in the way of a 'good' story.

Meanwhile, our real military experts continue to set the record straight. Pay attention, Mikey!

9/11 Trainer Noor Uthman Muhammed sentenced

*cross-posted from Assoluta Tranquillita*

From War on Terror News:

9/11 Trainer Noor Muhammed Sentenced to 14 Years

DOD Announces Sentence for Detainee Noor Uthman Muhammed

The Department of Defense announced today that Noor Uthman Muhammed was sentenced to 14 years in confinement for providing material support to al-Qaeda and conspiracy to provide material support to a terrorist organization and terrorism. A pre-sentencing hearing took place in a military commission courtroom at the U.S. Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. During his Feb. 15 guilty plea, Muhammed admitted to serving many roles at the Khaldan terrorist training camp in Afghanistan beginning in 1994. He admitted to being a weapons instructor, member of the Council of Advisors to the Emir, and to overseeing the Khaldan terrorist training camp in the Emir's (Osama bin Ladin) absence. Muhammed stipulated that he entered into an agreement with Abu Zubaida and others to train recruits to commit acts of terrorism in support of al-Qaeda or affiliated terrorist organizations engaged in hostilities against the United States. He admitted that individuals trained at Khaldan during his tenure there included, among others, Mohammed al Owhali, a convicted participant in the U.S. embassy bombing in Nairobi, Kenya; Ahmed Ressam, a convicted participant in the Millennium Plot, the plan to bomb Los Angeles International Airport on 31 December 1999; and Zacarias Moussaoi, the admitted al-Qaeda terrorist, who was convicted in the Eastern District of Virginia and is serving a life sentence in federal prison.

Under the terms of the pre-trial agreement, Muhammed agreed to testify for the United States at any military commission, federal court proceeding, or federal grand jury proceeding against other individuals involved in terrorist activity. Muhammed has cooperated with U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies and, as part of the pre-trial agreement, must continue to cooperate. ..

Go read the rest of WOTN here.

Just as with Omar Khadr, who I wrote about here, and here, the pictures that emerge of Noor Uthman Muhammed vary greatly depending on who is doing the drawing.

The NY Times has a series that it calls The Guantanimo Docket, where it shows much of the documentation - and evidence - used to convict him. An excerpt about Noor Uthman Muhammed says that he was a weapons instructor, and actually ran the training camp, among many duties. You can find the whole pile of documents of the damning evidence here.:


Reuters has this:

His tribal leader in Sudan has offered to find Noor a wife and job when he returns, and his extended family pledged support. His lawyers called him "a kind, gentle, respectful man" and said that after nine years in indefinite detention, "Noor can now have some certainty in his life."...

[...]

Noor, who is about 44, gave small-arms training at the Khaldan paramilitary camp in Afghanistan from 1996 to 2000 and sometimes filled in for the camp commander. Defense attorney Howard Cabot described his role as buying milk and eggs and teaching someone to shoot a rifle.

A prosecutor called Khaldan a criminal camp that turned young Muslim men into religious fanatics and tutored them in killing, bomb-making and conducting surveillance on embassies, military bases and airports.

'TERRORIST ASSEMBLY LINE'

"It was, simply put, a terrorist assembly line," Navy Lieutenant Commander Arthur Gaston said....

You can read more at Reuters here on this 'kind, gentle, respectful man' who is now a convicted terrorist.

Esquire.com has this:

[...] By working at the camp, Noor helped make them terrorists.

And Noor's help didn't stop when the camp closed in 2000, continues the prosecution. Instead, he moved to a safe house in Pakistan run by Abu Zubaydah, a top al Qaeda leader. In the house the men swore a war against America, they planned new terror plots, discussed tactics....

This is a lengthy article, well worth the read here.

Fact is, just as Omar Khadr was no innocent enjoying a 'family picnic' in the middle of the battleground, so too has evidence proved that Noor Uthman Muhammed was no unwitting innocent bystander. Both got less than they deserved. Khadr, sentenced to 40 years, will actually serve far less. Today's convicted, Noor Uthman Muhammed, may have been sentenced - officially - to 14 years, but will serve than less than 3 under the terms of the agreement.

Omar Khadr and Noor Uthman Muhammed were enemy combatants actively engaged in acts of war against United States of America. Period. End of story.

How a #2 pencil (or an orange) can change a life!

War on Terror News has a story up on how a simple thing such as a #2 pencil can change the life of an Afghan child. More on the orange in a minute, but first, the #2 pencil:

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

How Your #2 Pencil Can Save Afghanistan!

If you could do something to help an Afghan girl learn to read, would you? If you understood that Afghan literacy is a key to long term peace and prosperity, would that make a difference in whether you gave a little girl a pencil? While American children want the latest X-Box or the games that go with it, in many parts of the world, children are ecstatic to get a common #2 lead pencil. They're happy with a piece of hard candy, but as convoys pass or Troops approach, one of the most common signs is an index finger to the palm of the hand, asking for a pencil.

This was the matter of discussion between myself and a teammate more than once. As the least educated on the team, I was interested on teammates thoughts on the rocks (one guy was a specialist in the things and he hated when I called crushed stone, "gravel," so I did it often), or in this case a PhD candidate's observations on Afghan kids' desire for self-expression.

He noted that kids everywhere just want to be able to express themselves. It was certainly better than my niece's use of the walls of the house as her personal canvas to her permanent markers at a young age. I had a ready source for pencils and would get 500 pack boxes of the prize of Afghan kids, every few mail runs. The phenomenon is discussed in a "Time Machine" article from 2009.

The fact is that something as simple as school supplies can change the future of Afghanistan, as well as improve relations between Afghans and American Troops. Those old unused school supplies you have, the old backpacks in your closets, can make a positive difference in the lives of kids that have toys no more expensive than the rocks they find in the desert. And a Senior Master Sergeant in the Air Force teamed up with his Professor wife to start not just a program to help you help Afghan kids, but got Florida College Kids involved in the effort. I can't even imagine a downside to this program...

For those who want a simple way to 'support the troops' and make a world of difference (truly,) I urge you to go read the rest of WOTN's column about this important program, that really does change lives in Afghanistan - one child at a time. Go HERE, and see what you can do.

As for the orange in the header? Many years ago, in a land far, far away, this writer attended a Christmas party that was hosted by US soldiers for local kids. Whilst I do not remember any specific soldier, and I am SURE that none of those American soldiers remember me, I can tell you that the impact of that one orange (and the memory of that salted popcorn - still not an acquired taste...) still resonates with me today. That one orange, given to a child in a friendly country, is part of the reason I do what I do to support our American troops. Imagine the impact of one #2 pencil on an Afghan (or Iraqi child, or any child in a hostile land.)

Go read WOTN's column, and learn of a great program that supports our troops in their mission in Afghanistan. One pencil, one child at a time.

The Muslim Brotherhood: the enemy in its own words

*cross-posted from Assoluta Tranquillita*

Commentary on the terrorist group that is set to emerge as a major player in the current Egyptian upheaval:

The Muslim Brotherhood: the enemy in its own words

Center for Security Policy | Jan 31, 2011
By Frank Gaffney, Jr.

As Egypt lurches towards the end of Hosni Mubarak's regime, one way or another - by "an orderly transition to democratic rule" (as Hillary Clinton delicately puts it), through violent overthrow or simply through the demise of the ailing 82-year-old president - much is unclear. One thing that should not be is that the Muslim Brotherhood is our enemy, and whatever role it plays in Egypt's future will be to our detriment.

Such clarity is readily available since the Brotherhood (MB or in Arabic, Ikhwan) has told us as much. Consider, for example, the mission statement for the MB found in one of its secret documents entitled "An Explanatory Memorandum on the General Strategic Goal for the Group in North America":

The Ikhwan must understand that their work in America is a kind of grand Jihad in eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within and 'sabotaging' its miserable house by their hands and the hands of the believers so that it is eliminated and God's religion is made victorious over all other religions.

As a blue-ribbon group of national security experts convened by the Center for Security Policy, "Team B II" noted in their new best-seller Shariah: The Threat to America, the incompatability of the Ikhwan's agenda with our interests has been evident from its inception:

The Muslim Brotherhood was founded in Egypt in 1928. Its express purpose was two-fold: (1) to implement shariah worldwide, and (2) to re-establish the global Islamic State (caliphate). Therefore, al Qaeda and the MB have the same objectives. They differ only in the timing and tactics involved in realizing them.

We also know how the Brotherhood plans to pull off our destruction. Another MB document, this one undated, is called "Phases of the World Underground Movement Plan." It describes a five-installment program for achieving the triumph of shariah - together with a status report on the realization of several of the phases' goals:

Phase One: Discreet and secret establishment of leadership....

And there is much more of this MUST READ here, plus you will find more information on this group over at War on Terror News in a column called Who is the Muslim Brotherhood?.

These are dangerous times we live in. BE informed.