Americans being evacuated from Iraqi air base as militants advance
Posted by richrobinson 11 years, 10 months ago to News
The development signals the worsening security environment in the northern part of the country. One senior official told Fox News that the focus for evacuation at this point is on people outside of Baghdad.
If you start to show an inkling of believing neither, the deck is stacked to show you that rocking the boat is too much trouble and you should let those who know better do their thing.
You can read more about what I am doing here:
http://goinggaltinargentina.blogspot.com...
company soon, given the way that things are
going up here. -- j
We cannot make the changes that are needed there in the short amount to time that America currently has for an attention span.
For God's sake we are still in Germany and the Germans are much closer to us culturally. For us to actually succeed at the task that we set ourselves it would require a massive investment over the course of at least 100 years and we simply do not have the attention span nor the money to follow through on that.
Or failing that at least have the Germans subsidize the cost. As it is we are paying for Europe's defense for no discernible reason.
We needed to be in Germany until about 1991 when the wall fell but if it hadn't been for Russia we could likely have left Germany in the 60's or 70's at the latest.
So let's use Germany as a yardstick. That puts us in Germany for 15 to 25 years before we had completed the mission with the Germans, if you ignore the Russian part of that equation.
The Germans have always been much closer to us philoscopally than the Arabs, so that would suggest that we would need to be in any Arab country much longer than we have been in Germany and likely by a factor of 3 or 4. This means that to complete the mission in Iraq at the shortest amount of time possible we would have needed to spend at least 45 years there and likely nearer to 100.
Now I do not in any way support the policy of nation building that America has attempted to at least pose as following. It seems that the policies of America have been more akin to intentionally causing unrest in as many places as possible, mainly to keep the arms manufactures in business but this shows that our policies of the last 20 years or so in the Middle East have actually been nothing more than a way to keep things off balance.
My question is why? Who is to gain? Any policy that is advanced lines someone pockets. You might answer it is the arms manufacture again but I believe that there is more to this and while I do not have the answer. I am sure that there are people here who have some idea as to the answer.
I'm not an oil expert, but I think the ME stuff is mostly used for diesel and shipping fuel. We actually get very little, if any, oil from the Middle East. Its more about stabilizing world markets (for the US interests).
What concerns me is that we have a (de facto) President determined to let all fossil fuels "stay in the ground," and who is making no effort to substitute a truly concentrated source of energy, like nuclear fuel, for fossil fuels. Bob Beckel, the token leftist on "The Five," called upon Obama to do this. But he will not.
I think Obama is making a long-range play for UN Agenda 21. Which calls for restricting human activity to about ten percent of the current land area, and forcing human beings to pack themselves into multi-level mixed-use sardine cans.
Some who post around here are concerned with what they see as a buildup of Fema/military camps nationwide along the routes of the proposed Agenda 21 corridor.. Playing around with possible scenarios, I came up with this instead: perhaps those camps are designed to hold illegal immigrants until they can move them into habitable zones. Why would any person serious about Agenda 21 stop at our borders for their planning if they have the authority of the United States government to work with? Perhaps Obama is allowing illegal immigrants to waltz right into our country to lessen or empty the population of other countries. That 10% percent figure is a world-wide goal, not just areas within our borders.
I wish we could prove that there are those within this administration that are aiding the coyotes. I strongly suspect it.
Did Obama Really Say This on "Meet the Press"?
NO, ACCORDING TO SNOPES http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/sta...
he did not say the following--and he did not appear on Meet the Press on this particular day as described below. Political columnist John Semmens of The Arizona Conservative supposedly wrote Obama's quotation as satire.
Again, I apologize and will thoroughly vet any further posts before I send them to the Gulch or to anyone else!
The irony is that the satire is close to the truth...and that the truth is not far from the satire.
Don't put on your hair cloth shirt just yet...history is on your side!
From now on, I vote we no longer refer to it as an administration... Obama's court is a "regime" that needs to go at this point.
So much for "increasing America's prestige around the world". Losing a massive embassy to a bunch of Talibani's & Jihadis will look "wonderful" when broadcast around the world on Al Jezeera.
Nonetheless, we own it. Obama can't turn his back on this, he pulled our troops out with a half-hearted BS attempt at failing to negotiate a status of forces agreement, and used that as an excuse to leave.
Trying to integrate Shia (oppressed by Saddam for decades), Sunni (was the oppressor.. now the tables have turned) and Kurdish (gassed by Saddam) into the same government is probably quite a stretch... and maybe letting the country split is really the best way forward.
I agree with one thing Obama said though, the fact that 55,000 police & military will lay down their arms and run with something like 7,000 to 9,000 rag-tags approaching them in Toyota pickup trucks is very disheartening. The fact that they "can" is pretty astounding... in the American military, that is desertion and punishable by life or death - see story on Bowe Bergdahl...
It would seem that they don't have the ability to fight off this threat, and it also seems like everyone else needs some skin in the game. Hell, we're oil exporters now... do we really care what the price of oil does? (I'm on solar and have an EV for a daily-driver... so maybe I don't really care either).
Seems like the Saudis and the UAE need to step up with some of that military aid they give them, take the lead on this one, and run their butts back across the border. Having a column of a retreating or advancing army on a highway really isn't much of an issue for us... look at what we did to the Iraqi's when they were running from Kuwait. Speaking of which, seems like the Iraqi army likes to run a lot more than they would prefer to fight... so maybe its too much to assume any of this out of them. There is Blackwater and other security firms... maybe Maliki needs to consider outsourcing. He could probably get bang for the buck out of 50,000 men from Blackwater than he would ever get out of 500,000 towel-heads.
Hard to keep a scorecard on the 'teams' vying for control, since we have seemed to have invested in all of them, at one point or another. Maybe an Arab 'killing fields' is in order....
I do believe (to my dying breath) that we need to watch...and cover...Israel's back.
We can't change their culture, and we can't teach them courage.. they need to find that inside. My experience with them has always been a bunch of wimps.. I'm sorry to say, but its the truth. They only fight when there are some big strong Americans standing next to them or behind them... take that away and it falls apart immediately (as we just saw).
I was integrated into UN forces in Africa during the Rwandan relief crisis (as much as US troops are ever "integrated"... not much... ) and it was the same thing there (African national armies). Bunch of wimpy-looking skinny dudes holding hands with each other (literally) in the bush with their rifles 400 yards away in the back of their truck. The stuff you see on TV... the propaganda videos of them jumping out of foxholes or whatever to unsuspecting victims.. never really happens... if they can't blow someone up with a tripwire or something, they are rarely around for the fight.
A resurgence of Russian nationalism is a little scary... as an armed forces, I think we got a little used to enemies that really don't fight back very much, or even have the means to do so, having to confront another superpower at some point would dramatically change our way of thinking in terms of national security and defense.
or their family members being beheaded.
you would think that this would rile them up! -- j
Whenever given the choice, they like to steal what they think is advanced technology and then build a cheapie knock-off of it (like their first aircraft carrier, that is really more or less a cargo ship). They lack targeting systems, smart weapons, and the military contractor industrial complex to invent and build them...
Innovation just isn't their strong suit.
The Russians already figured most of that out, they have some issues with quality, but they can definitely do it.
I had typed out a great (in my opinion) reply...but lost it while looking up a word!
Summery: Numbers count (like size), and just a few well planned pre-emptive strikes will put us back into December 6th, 1941.
The EMP reality is the game changer...and I suspect that China is on top of this.
hold onto a great reply while looking up a word:::
first way -- open up a new browser window
alongside the gulch window and use it to look up
the word, then return to the gulch window.
second way -- snapshot the reply by pressing
shift+Prt-Scn, and then paste the image (Ctrl+v)
into a Word document (or file) for safe-keeping.
I snapshot most of my gulch stuff into word, so
that I can use it for future reference.
try it;; you might like it!!! -- j
My problem is learning this new Microsoft 8.1, everything is so different from my old XP!
I should confess that I'm running a 23" touch screen monitor on this computer and I really do feel that's opened up the real power of 8.1 for me.
I'm growing to like 8.1 more each day, although I do most of my work from the desktop app.
Sealing it off and letting them fight it out may be the only "real" way forward, and then go in and clean up whatever is left of radicals if need-be.
As long as we refuse to become energy independent, we are in the same vulnerable position.
We have all that we need to regain the upper hand...but we lack the will, or direction.
The main subject 'line' got too 'creepy' for an old-timer like myself...I am fixed in my impressions as to what makes us what we ultimately are.
My deficiencies probably...but too entrenched to try to overcome.
'Thanks' for realizing that I am here!
You use the 'oven cleaning' feature of your post Jimmy Carter stove, and it comes out conditioned.
The downside is that your electric bill is twice the cost of a new skillet....
I have to go to bed soon so you have a chance to catch up. What's up with the cast iron stuff?
I have a decent collection, that LS has rightly claimed upon my final disposition...and that I have added to my handwritten will.
My biggest issue is that my bride has never understood that you don't 'clean' a cast iron pan as you do Paula Deen's !
LS gets it...and my pans!
in eastern tennessee, so we can get you what you
need if something goes bad, Rocky!
we bought a full set for a nephew and his bride
about 3 years ago, and had it shipped to colorado --
now, that was a treasure!!! -- j
I also love your home state...!
It would actually be cheaper to find a discount plane ticket to bid on my collection, and rent a van to get back home!
Shrug has no problems, since my estate will pay for the delivery.
http://www.lodgemfg.com/seasoned-cast-ir...
-- j
http://www.lodgemfg.com/seasoned-cast-ir...
-- j
Something to do with 'cast' in 'iron'?
She will know what that means...!
KH will recall this....
If it is now 'safe' for me to walk about the Gulch once again, then I am totally stoked! ;-)
Yes, he told us in advance what he planned to do. Few were listening.
The following is a narrative taken from a 2008 Sunday morning televised
"Meet The Press". From Sunday's 07 Sept. 2008 11 : 48 : 04 EST,
Televised
"Meet the Press"
THE THEN Senator Obama was asked about his stance on the American Flag.
General Bill Gann' USAF (ret.) asked Obama to explain WHY he doesn't follow protocol when the National Anthem is played.
The General stated to Obama that according to the United States Code,
Title 36, Chapter 10, Sec. 171...
During rendition of the national anthem, when the flag is displayed, all present (except those in uniform) are expected to stand at attention
facing the flag with the right hand over the heart. Or, at the very least,
"Stand
and Face It".
Senator Obama replied :
"As I've said about the flag pin, I don't want to be perceived as taking sides." "There are a lot of people in the world to whom the American
flag is a symbol of oppression..." "The anthem itself conveys a war-like message. You know, the bombs bursting in air and all that sort of thing."
Obama continued : "The National Anthem should be 'swapped' for something less parochial and less bellicose. I like the song 'I'd Like To Teach the World To Sing'. If that were our anthem, then, I might salute it. In my
opinion, we should consider reinventing our National Anthem as well as 'redesign' our Flag to better offer our enemies hope and love. It's my intention, if elected, to disarm America to the level of acceptance to our Middle East
Brethren. If we, as a Nation of warring people, conduct ourselves like the nations of Islam, where peace prevails - - - perhaps a state or period of mutual accord could exist between our governments ....."
When I Become President, I will seek a pact of agreement to end hostilities between those who have been at war or in a state of enmity, and a freedom from disquieting oppressive thoughts. We as a Nation, have placed upon the
nations of Islam, an unfair injustice which is WHY my wife disrespects the Flag and she and I have attended several flag burning ceremonies in the past".
"Of course now, I have found myself about to become The President of the United States and I have put my hatred aside. I will use my power to bring CHANGE to this Nation, and offer the people a new path. My wife and I look
forward to becoming our Country's First black Family. Indeed, CHANGE is about to overwhelm the United States of America "
Yes, you read it right. I for one, am speechless!!!
Dale Lindsborg , Washington Post
Jan
Jan, too innocent, sometimes
http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/baracko...
Given that, however, I have no doubts whatsoever that this is exactly how our POTUS sees it....
Michelle would never have allowed him to promote a soft drink product....
Like I said...it is still true as to how I see the Oval Office.
My
Gawd
As far as the Middle East, I think we should draw a red line, tell them to stay away from America and leave Israel alone, period. If they pull anymore (censored) like 9/11 again, we should go over there and turn their stinking desserts into one big thick sheet of glass. But, then again, that's just my opinion, I could be wrong. In any case, there are lot of soldiers that gave their lives to capture those terrorists that were just let go. That's got to be an extremely demoralizing experience for any soldier. The general public doesn't seem to understand how military people, especially combat veterans, feel about these issues. I guess the best explanation would be like any mother feels about her child. That's the kind of camaraderie that's felt in the service. Everyone watches everyone's back and if you (censored) up, you pay by the rules, no excuses, period.
We should just sit on our porch and rock in our rocking chairs as the world goes to hell around us. We filthy stinking Americans got no business imposing civilization on the world if it doesn't want it. To hell with the future of Mankind, to hell with the survival of our culture and nation, to hell with biological imperatives.
We should have just turned the world over to the communists at the end of the second world war, and let them accomplish what we spent billions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of lives preventing the Nazis from doing.
Jefferson should have just turned the country over to the Barbary Pirates.
(cause, as everyone who's seen "Pirates of the Caribbean" knows, pirates are the good guys, with whom we have no business interfering).
Somewhere between WW2 and Korea we stopped doing that. Korea ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty. Vietnam ended with a treaty after we had basically given up. Gulf War 1, was a limited action for a specific goal, which we achieved but did nothing to resolve anything else making the region unstable. No treaty or armistice there, just pushed them back to Iraq and stopped.
Everything after was not even aimed at specific governments, just the nebulous target, terrorists. Toppled goverments, were a side effect, a stepping stone as it were.
Is it any wonder nothing is settled?
Couple that with the wannabe dictator in the white house determined to weaken us in every way he can, and you see the results.
WRONG. In 1968, we had accomplished our mission, after the Tet offensive, we'd all but wiped out the Viet Cong. When we left, we had defeated the enemy in the field; we turned it over to ARVN to defend S. Vietnam, with the promise that we would return if the North invaded, and the promise that we would fund ARVN.
The communist controlled Congress cut funding for ARVN until ARVN soldiers were issued 20 rounds of ammunition and 2 hand grenades, and military surgeons were told to wash and reuse surgical bandages.
Then the North did invade, with two armored corps, using more men than the Normandy Invasion, and more supply vehicles than Patton's Redball express. And our Congress would not let President Ford keep our promise to return. Our allies, the ARVN, fought bravely, and at Xuan Loc, for example, held off a force twice their size until they ran out of supplies and couldn't fight any more.
We didn't "basically give up"... we were beaten by our own Congress and news media.
I have said since I began cheering the tanks rolling back in 2003, it was a brilliant strategy (if only Bush had actually had it as a strategy):
Invade Afghanistan, conquer it; simultaneously invade Iraq, conquer it. Appoint American governors-general to each, and rule each with an iron fish as you prep them as staging grounds to invade Iran. Then crush Iran between, before swinging west in a sudden hammerblow to destroy Syria. Afterwards we could sit back and give the rest of the middle east an ultimatum. Either start becoming secular, or face conquest and the death of Islam. Total time involved, perhaps 2 years.
But, we didn't do that, because we have politicians worried about what the anti-American press will say.
It's not the "jingoists" as you put it that are responsible for the country going to hell in a handbasket, it's the traitorous left who have to be goaded into doing the right thing by having their own precious asses threatened.
We "jingoists" weren't ALLOWED by you anti-Americans to do the job. Had it been up to us "jingoists", Abu Graib wouldn't have been a scandal, it would have been the introductory video on a course teaching how to dominate Moslems. If it had been up to us jingoists, 100k Iraqi troops wouldn't have surrendered, after we started executing those who did.
if it had been up to us jingoists, there would be Americans RULING the AMERICAN protectorates of Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran and Syria. And probably Pakistan.
if it had been left up to us "jingoists"... the world would piss its collective pants at the mere idea of threatening Americans ever again.
If it were up to us "jingoists", the TSA's mandate would be to profile anybody who looked like he might be Moslem or Arab, and to leave American citizens alone. It's the LEFT that was so concerned, from the start, about the persecution Moslems by Americans, it was the LEFT that was so concerned from the start that we be "fair" and search blonde-haired, blue-eyed Christian grandma's from Des Moines right along with the Arab-looking, Arab-speaking Moslems from Saudi Arabia.
Had we "jingoists" been allowed to persecute Moslems in America as the Japanese were persecuted during WWII (a war we won, remember?) until they self-deported, renounced Islam, or took a very active and very visible role in fighting Islamic terrorists, the country wouldn't have gone to hell in a handbasket.
Had it been up to us "jingoists", there would have been an Amendment declaring Islam a philosophy of government and not a religion.
But, we "jingoists" weren't allowed to have our way, and you leftist "blame America" traitors caused this decade-long debacle.
check this out --
http://www.lodgemfg.com/seasoned-cast-ir...
-- j
folks down there!!! -- j
evacuation of the embassy in Baghdad was
considered a politically indefensible situation
at the moment.
I just came unglued and damn near burnt down
my end of the couch.
fly air force one in there, with fighter escorts,
and get our people out. screw politics. shit.
what is wrong with these people?????? -- j
Who in government, at this point, would object to military evacuation of our embassy??
Same ol', same-o.
Dunno why everyone is so surprised. Also, not everyone wants democracy. Some populations don't understand it, and ultimately, don't want it.
They want a king or a dictator to tell them what to do and keep order.
Again, not every populace wants democracy! When are Americans gonna understand this?
America doesn't want a democracy. America was never a democracy. The best, and only acceptable form of government, from the view of an American, is a republic. Period, end of argument.
ISIS militants steal $450M, advance on Baghdad