Old Jarhead's Political
SitRep for April 19, 2013
Robert A. Hall
Happy Patriots day. By the rude bridge… Your one-stop-shop
for political news and opinion--who needs newspapers or TV? Please forward to
friends who need to be informed. This SitRep (Military for “Situation Report”)
is created by many readers who send me items for inclusion, which I would have
likely missed or skipped. And I can only spend at most three hours a night
pulling stuff, plus the healthcare or economic stuff that crosses my desk at
work. As always, I—and you—owe them thanks and appreciation. I post articles
because I think they are of interest and will stimulate thought and discussion.
Doing so doesn’t mean that I necessarily agree (or disagree) with every—or
any—opinion in the posted article, or that I was able to verify the information
presented, which is the responsibility of the author. I try not to post things
that are false, or too far a stretch, regardless of the view point, but I don’t
always succeed. As always on the Net, or in the legacy media, you must read
critically and with skepticism.
If I’ve understood the media correctly, if not for the NRA,
George Bush and Global Warming, the FBI would have already caught the Tea Party
Terrorists who likely carried out the Boston
Excerpt: The day before the Marathon Massacre, the New York
Times had scored plaudits for running an op-ed by one of Osama bin Laden’s
bodyguards complaining about his hard life in Guantanamo Bay
Breaking: FBI Releases Photos of Suspects in Boston Marathon Bombing
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/special-fbi-team-helps-id-boston-marathon-bomb/story?id=18986177#.UXBodLUsnIE
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/special-fbi-team-helps-id-boston-marathon-bomb/story?id=18986177#.UXBodLUsnIE
Excerpt: The FBI released images of two suspects in the
Boston Marathon bombing they still consider to be "armed and extremely
dangerous." (If these are the guys, they appear to have dark complexions.
How long until Salon, CNN or the NYT speculates that one is Dr. Ben Carson and
the other LtCol Allen West? But see two pieces saying this is wrong. ~Bob.)
Slightly different pictures. One appears to be what the NYT
will call a "White Mediterranean." Or maybe a "White Mid-Easterner."
Yesterday, CNN, Fox and others walked back reports of an arrest. Today the Post
story below appears to be wrong. ~Bob.
The Post’s
‘Person of Interest’ Is a Local High-School Track Runner
Excerpt: "BAG
MEN," the New York Post's front cover brays this morning, underneath
a photo of two Boston Marathon spectators. "Feds seek these two pictured
at Boston Marathon."
In Boston
Excerpt: Mullaney, now a captain in the Army Reserve, served
15 months during the “surge” in Iraq .
Collazo of Humble, Tex. , a former Marine
corporal, was wounded in Iraq ’s
Anbar province by mortar shrapnel and suffers from post-traumatic stress
disorder. … As smoke wafted across Boylston
Street and maimed marathon spectators lay across a
bloody sidewalk, one veteran, an Army colonel and runner, shifted into combat
mode as he crossed the finish line. He turned back into the chaos, peeled off
his Team Red, White & Blue T-shirt and tied it as a tourniquet on the limb
of a bombing victim.
Arrest made in ricin
case; mailings are an eerie echo of 2001 anthrax attacks
Excerpt: By Wednesday night, authorities had arrested Paul
Kevin Curtis of Corinth , Miss. Mississippi justice
official, the FBI said. He is well known to law enforcement as a frequent
letter-writer to lawmakers, two officials said. (How could someone smart enough
to make ricin be so stupid. Thankfully he sent want to a Republican senator, or
the media would be screaming about racist Tea Party members. Probably will
anyway as soon as they catch their breaths from hoping Boston was done by a Tea Party guy. ~Bob.)
Excerpt: Among the things that
Curtis "liked" on Facebook was Justice For Trayvon Martin and the FBI. His old Sodahead account shows him to have
not voted for Obama, but that he was "liberal." (Maybe more of a nut
than a regular Democrat, but certainly not a Tea Party guy. ~Bob.)
Inflation Poised to
Accelerate. By Julie Ni Zhu, Research Analyst, and Steven R. Cunningham, PhD,
Director of Research and Education
Excerpt: A surge in everyday prices is one of many signs.
Wholesale prices and long-bond yields are also trending upward. And the money
supply is ballooning.
The prices of frequently purchased goods and services jumped
2.3 percent in February, according to AIER’s Everyday Price Index
(EPI)—well over 25 percent on an annualized basis.
Obamacare’s Essential Benefits Regulation Creates
Disparities Among States. By Edmund F. Haislmaier and Alyene Senger
Excerpt: HHS has adopted a “state benchmark plan” approach
for setting the EHB package. The result of this decision is that the EHB
package will now vary from state to state. While Administration officials tout
this approach as offering less market disruption and more flexibility, it will
also have the effect that some states will receive more in Obamacare subsidies
than others. This is because, in trying to implement one part of Obamacare, the
Administration is tripping over another part of the law.
Excerpt: An al Qaeda leader and four militants were killed
in a U.S. drone strike on
their vehicle south of Yemen 's
capital Sanaa late on Wednesday, a government official said.
Woman Who Pulls Gun
On Attacker Speaks to Lars
Excerpt: She'd just parked her car when she says a man
grabbed her from behind by the pony tail and dragged her. She pulled out a
handgun, pointed it at him and he got scared. The woman has a concealed carry
permit. (Liberals are outraged that she had a gun. Someone could have been
hurt. She should have just allowed herself to be mugged to spread the wealth
around, and if raped, she could get an abortion. ~Bob.)
‘Pretty Shameful Day
For Washington
Excerpt: Finally, Obama went after critics who accused him
of using the Newtown families
as “props,” asking, “are they serious?”… Despite his obvious anger over the
lack of progress on an issue that has come to dominate his second term,
President Obama attempted to end his remarks on a positive note. “I believe
we’re going to be able to get this done,” he said “Sooner or later, we’re going
to get this right. (”Willful lies”? Pot calling the kettle black, sorry. How
many tax $ were spent on Air Force 1 flying all around the country
“campaigning” for this, carting families around for speeches and
backdrops/props, by the regime? What sequester? Should also add on tab FLOTUS
flights roundtrip to Chicago for
funeral of teen shot there, to campaign against guns. Obviously, gun
confiscation bigger agenda than securing US borders from terrorists. Think
about it. –Barb)
Obama Rages Over Gun
Deal Collapse
Excerpt: With the failure of the Democrats’ attempt to
exploit the Newtown school shooting to
press forward gun control measures, President Obama took to the microphones
along with the relatives of Sandy Hook victims
to demonize his opposition. This, of course, was his strategy all along:
knowing that he did not have 60 votes in the Democrat-controlled Senate to pass
his gun control legislation, he pressed forward anyway, hoping to paint
Republicans as intransigent, immoral tools of the gun lobby who don’t care
about dead children. (Gee, look at the photo op. –Barb.)
Saudi National
In Boston
Steve Emerson just broke the shocking news that the Saudi
national, Abdul al-Harbi, who was first questioned in
the Boston bombing,
is going to be deported on "national security grounds." He
is from a very powerful Saudi family with many terrorist ties. …Secretary of State Kerry's meeting with the Saudi Foreign Minister Saud
Al-Faisal was abruptly closed to the press the day Abdul al-Harbi
was being questioned. (I’d rate this unverified. Why would they deport
him if he was cleared as a suspect, unless he had other bad stuff that came to
light. Be interesting to see if true. ~Bob.)
Excerpt: The Saudi “person of interest” suspected of being
involved in the Boston Marathon bombings is being deported from the United
States next week on “national security grounds,” according to a terrorism
expert, who notes that the move is “very unusual,” especially given an
unscheduled meeting yesterday between President Obama and Saudi Foreign Minister
Prince Saud al-Faisal. (The article is very disturbing. I'll be looking for a
lot of clarification of who was "of interest" and who is being
shipped out posthaste and why. –Del.
Can’t believe Obama would take this risk. Be hard for the media to cover for
him. ~Bob.)
Excerpt: At a House Homeland Security Committee hearing this
morning, Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.) asked Secretary Janet Napolitano about
reports that the Saudi national cleared as a person of interest in the Boston
Marathon bombing is being deported for national security reasons. “I am unaware
of anyone who is being deported for national security concerns at all related
to Boston ,”
Napolitano said. “I don’t know where that rumor came from.” She also said it
was incorrect to label the student as a onetime person of interest. (Then why
did they question him and search his apartment? Multiple posts and tweets from
neighbors… Seems popular daily to accuse others of lying when lying. So much
for DOI, DOS, DHS and various alphabet agencies…Just like that Benghazi video line from Rice. –Barb)
Excerpt: Saudi King Abdullah reached out to President Obama
to express condolences for the Boston Marathon bombings and say that the
attackers had “no religion,” according to the Saudi Press Agency….Prince Saud
Al-Faisal, Saudi foreign minister, met briefly with Secretary of State John
Kerry in Washington today in a meeting also attended by Saudi Ambassador to the
U.S. Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir and Osamah bin Ahmed Nugali, head of the
information department at the Foreign Ministry.
Flashback: More Saudi
Nationals To Be Granted Visas To The USA
Excerpt: Saudi Arabian nationals will
experience better chances of traveling to America and getting their American
visa. This is as a result of US President Barack Obama
having lifted most of the restrictions of Saudis entering the country. (Article
continues with “how to” info: “If you also happen to be a passport holder of
any of the 37 member countries to the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), you will be
informed that you need not apply for the American visa to enter the country.
You will only need the ESTA
visa which will let you stay in the US for up to three months for
as often as you want within a period of 2 years. The ESTA visa can be applied for online
and you just need to have a passport.” –Barb)
Obammigration:
102,000 Saudi Muslim Visas to US Approved (w/in a Week!) in ’11
Excerpt: Barack Hussein
Obama announced that he was going to make it even easier for foreigners to come
to America on visitor and student visas. Last year,
Saudi applications for visas to the United States more than
quadrupled from 25,000 in 2010 to 110,000 in 2011. Even worse
is the fact that a whopping 93%–or 102,300– of these applications were
approved, 75% of them–nearly 77,000–within a week (!) of the application.
Excerpt: An article in a British news outlet asks: "Is
Obama the weakest President in History?" Anna Pukas writes at the UK Express: …. She spends much of her article on the
obvious indecision displayed by Obama on the issue of Libya , but his
inability to lead has been apparent to many conservatives since the very
beginning. One thing Obama is good at, though, is campaigning - and going on
vacation. (Express article scrubbed from Internet. Surprise, surprise. Global
control now? –Barb)
Monumental
Cone-Shaped Structure Found in Sea of Galilee :
Nautical archeologists think structure may have been built onshore and then
submerged.
Excerpt: Nautical archaeologists have reported the discovery
of a "monumental" conical stone pile built of large, natural, unhewn
basalt cobbles and boulders, on the floor of the Sea of Galilee …. Close inspection by scuba diving
revealed that the structure is made of basalt boulders up to 1 meter long with no
apparent construction pattern and no signs of cutting or chiseling…. A report
on LiveScience.com said the structure appears to be a giant cairn, with rocks
piled on top of each other.
Op-Ed: Jihad
Cheers While Mothers Weep: Palestinian Arab reactions to Boston
Excerpt: On April 16, some Palestinian Arabs in Gaza cheered. They reportedly danced in
the streets and handed out candy and sweets to motorists and pedestrians alike.
They were not celebrating the inauguration of a new school or
the completion of a hospital. Instead, they were celebrating death.
Arab Gang Planned to
Shoot Up Jewish Visitors on Temple Mount
Didn’t get the memo. ~Bob. Excerpt: Israeli officials on
Thursday announced that they had nabbed a gang of Arab terrorists who were
planning a terror attack against Israelis or tourists who visited the Temple Mount Jerusalem , on charges of
terrorism and conspiracy to murder and kidnap innocent civilians.
Assad: The West Will
Pay for Supporting Al-Qaeda
Excerpt: The West has paid heavily for funding Al-Qaeda in
its early stages. Today it is doing the same in Syria , Libya and
other places, and will pay a heavy price in the heart of Europe and
the United States ,"
Assad said. Last week, the jihadist rebel group Al-Nusra Front pledged allegiance to
Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri, who had previously urged rebels to
establish an Islamic state in Syria .
Worth Reading
Excerpt: More than 500 people were murdered in Chicago last year.
Yet Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel still found time to berate the fast
food franchise Chick-fil-A for not sharing
"Chicago values" -- apparently because its founder does not
approve of gay marriage.
Worth Reading
Excerpt: There is the world of acts and there is the world
of words. And America
saw both the other day when the bombs went off at the finish of the Boston
Marathon. TV broadcasters with too much time to fill and too few facts
descended, chattering, into speculation. And a few other media types couldn't
resist using the carnage to inflict partisan wounds.
Worth Reading : America
Excerpt: Investigators cannot yet tell whether the bombings
at the Boston
marathon, which so far have killed three and wounded more than 170, are the product
of domestic or foreign terrorist(s). But whether foreign or domestic, America 's
enemies are colorblind.
Spare Us the Usual
Partisan Blame Game During Terror Crises, Mr. President. By Jim Geraghty,
Morning Jolt (Worth subscribing to. ~Bob.)
Excerpt: A big reason why no version of any gun-control
proposal passed the Senate with 60 votes Wednesday was because none, or almost
none, of the senators believed it would actually prevent another massacre. Vice
President Joe Biden, leading the president's gun task force, declared,
"Nothing we're going to do is going to fundamentally alter or eliminate
the possibility of another mass shooting or guarantee that we will bring gun
deaths down to 1,000 a year from what it is now." (Video here.) I don't need to rehash it much: The Newtown shooter
stole the guns he used, none of the recent massacre perpetrators purchased
their firearms at gun shows, most of them hadn't done anything that would flag
them in the instant-check system until they pulled the trigger, police ignored
the warnings of the Aurora
shooter's psychiatrist, and so on. When we learned the details about the Newtown shooter, it was
painfully clear that no policy, short of banning private gun ownership and
forcibly collecting every last firearm in private hands, could prevent
something like that from happening again. And yet the whole argument for this
bill was driven by invoking Newtown
every moment possible. … We don't have time for your usual
let's-start-messaging-for-the-midterms pep rallies, Mr. President. We have some
non-symbolic problems we would like to see resolved. It's time to stop worrying
about wasting crises and start focusing on resolving them.
At Pivotal Point in
Presidency, Obama Routed on Gun Control
Excerpt: Blame the gun lobby. Blame Republicans. Blame a
handful of skittish Democrats who gave the GOP cover. Blame the entire band of
demagogues who killed the modest attempt to close loopholes in a law requiring
background checks for guns.
Blame them, too, for jeopardizing President Obama’s entire
legislative agenda. That was the point, anyhow, right?
Obama meets with
Saudi foreign minister, discusses Syria
Excerpt: U.S. President Barack Obama met with Saudi Foreign
Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal at the White House on Wednesday and discussed
the conflict in Syria, a spokeswoman said. The meeting was not on Obama's public
schedule. (Boston never came up? ~Bob.)
Deal approved in
Muslims' suit against McDonald's
http://bostonherald.com/business/business_markets/2013/04/deal_approved_in_muslims_suit_against_mcdonaldsA
judge on Wednesday finalized a $700,000 settlement between McDonald's Corp. and
members of Michigan's Muslim community over claims a
suburban Detroit restaurant falsely advertised its food as prepared
according to Islamic law. Ahmed Ahmed, the Dearborn Heights man who
represents plaintiffs in the class-action suit, claims he bought a chicken
sandwich in September 2011 at the restaurant but found it wasn't halal. (Wonder
why PETA has had nothing to say about the cruel way animals are butchered for
halal meat. ~Bob.)
House investigators
talking to new Benghazi whistleblowers
Excerpt: CBS News has learned that multiple new
whistleblowers are privately speaking to investigators with the House Oversight
and Government Reform Committee regarding the Sept. 11, 2012 terrorist attacks
on the U.S. compounds in Benghazi, Libya. The nature of the
communications with the whistleblowers and their identities are not being made
public at this time. But in response, the Oversight Committee yesterday sent
letters to the three federal agencies involved: the CIA, the Defense Department
and the State Department. (Is it just me, or was Obama a lot more angry about
the defeat of a symbolic gun control bill everyone admits wouldn’t stop the
next Newtown than he was over the murder of four Americans in Benghazi? Or the
murder of an American agent and several hundred Mexicans with guns his
administration gave the drug cartels? ~Bob.)
‘Threatened' Student
Files Complaint Against West: He had warned 'left-wingers' of consequences for
'stalking' his wife
Excerpt: After sternly warning
college students to stop harassing his wife or they would face consequences,
former Rep. Allen West, R-Fla., now finds himself the target of a complaint.
West, a retired Army colonel who narrowly lost his congressional seat after
serving a notable freshman term, had responded on Twitter and Facebook to
students at Florida Atlantic University, where his wife, Angela, serves on the
Board of Trustees. He explained in a Facebook post Wednesday that students had gone to
his wife’s office, “stalked her at the FAU Board of Trustee meetings, and sent
letters to her company headquarters.”
Special Report: The
battle for the Swiss soul
Excerpt: It has come to this: Swiss banks, under pressure
from countries such as the United States, France and Germany, have been giving
up their secrets, in some cases handing foreign tax authorities the names of
their account holders. To avoid being blacklisted by the Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development, the Swiss government has agreed to share
more information with foreign authorities hunting tax cheats. The foreign
assault has opened up a huge rift inside the fiercely independent Alpine
nation. (I have a Swiss Account, but all that’s in it are Bitcoins and Czarist
War Bonds. ~Bob.)
Pakistan court orders
arrest of former president Musharraf
Excerpt: A Pakistani court ordered
the arrest of former president Pervez Musharraf on Thursday in connection with
charges relating to his showdown with the judiciary in 2007 when he was still
in power, television channels and one of his aides said. The former army
chief returned to Pakistan last month
after nearly four years of self-imposed exile to contest a May 11 general
election, despite the possibility of arrest on various charges and death threats
from the Pakistani Taliban.
Obama's shameful
Thatcher snub
Excerpt: Some commentators have expressed surprise that
President Obama did not send a high-level official delegation to her funeral.
I'm way beyond surprised. I'm ashamed....and angry. (We know that Obama has an
animus towards Britain, the colonial power in Kenya. ~Bob.)
Immigration Reform
Could Cause ObamaCare Cost Surge: A little noticed provision of the Obama
health law is likely to become a big roadblock to immigration reform. Bt Betsy
McCaughey
Excerpt: ObamaCare makes legal immigrants eligible for subsidized
private health plans on the exchanges, regardless of how recently they arrived.
The Gang of 8 immigration plan — proposed by four Republican and four
Democratic U.S. senators — is expected to double the number of legal immigrants
coming into the country with permanent visas over the next decade.
How
Serious Should the World Take North Korea
Excerpt:
North Korea can make ballistic missiles. …
Its ballistic missiles work. Syria, Pakistan and Iran all have fired North
Korean-made missiles and indigenously- made missiles manufactured in turnkey
production facilities purchased from and built by North Korea. (Worth reading
for understanding the situation with more than just North Korea. Bear in mind,
anything said about ANY member of the group of countries listed could probably
be said of ALL of them. Ron P.)
U.S. Ambassador to
Egypt Accused of Breaking Sharia Law
Excerpt: The U.S. Ambassador to Egypt, Anne Patterson, is
being accused of some outlandish behavior and
remarks. Last week, several Egyptian papers and websites, including Al Dostor, reported that Dia’ al-Din al-Garahi, a human rights
lawyer and president of the Justice Center for Freedoms and Media, submitted a
complaint to the Attorney General accusing Patterson “of libel and
defamation of the Egyptian people and making statements that are likely to
disturb society and threaten Egypt’s security.” (She has nothing to worry
about. Obama has our diplomats’ backs—just ask Chris
Stevens. ~Bob.)
Tweet from @liberallisa
not that upset about pple dying in Waco...too bad bush
wasn't home!
Two DOZEN IRS
Employees ‘Received More Than $250,000 in Food Stamps, Welfare, and Housing
Vouchers after Lying about Being Unemployed’
Excerpt: Twenty-four current and former Internal Revenue
Service employees have been charged with stealing government benefits, federal
prosecutors said Wednesday. (If you get audited, try a sandwich as a bribe.
~Bob.)
Based on his admitted use of cocaine,
@BarackObama couldn't legally pass the gun
background checks he advocates.
Pakistan’s Musharraf
Flees Court After Arrest Order. By Walter Russell Mead
Excerpt: In one of the more bizarre events to befall
Pakistan’s election season, Pervez Musharraf, the former military dictator,
fled the Islamabad High Court building today after a judge
ordered him arrested for treason. Musharraf and his security detail literally hustled out of
court and, as numerous police watched, jumped in a black
SUV and fled. … Unfortunately, the humor in this bewildering situation
disguises something not funny at all. Pakistan is a country with nuclear
weapons.
Law Enforcement
Disagrees with President Obama and Mayor Bloomberg
Leading Economic
Indicators Index in U.S. Unexpectedly Falls
Funny how the media always describes the frequent bad
economic news in the last four years as “unexpected.” ~Bob.
Electronic sharing
bill CISPA would violate rule of law, critics argue
http://dailycaller.com/2013/04/18/electronic-sharing-bill-cispa-would-violate-rule-of-law-critics-argue/#ixzz2Qpkfz500
http://dailycaller.com/2013/04/18/electronic-sharing-bill-cispa-would-violate-rule-of-law-critics-argue/#ixzz2Qpkfz500
Excerpt: A controversial cybersecurity bill in the House has
critics worried that it would give technology companies facing cyberthreats the
ability to share too much private information about their customers. The Cyber
Sharing and Intelligence Protection Act (CISPA), which was sponsored by House
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Mike Rogers and Ranking
Member Dutch Ruppersberger, seeks to authorize private companies and the
Director of National Intelligence to share information about online
threats
Oh oh -- the President is chewing gum at the service (the
nuns would pull our hair if we did that!) (As long as he’s not disrespecting
the dead by blowing bubbles. ~Bob.)
Man arrested with gun
at Capitol
Excerpt: Capitol Police arrested a North Carolina man on
Tuesday afternoon for carrying an unlicensed handgun as he was protesting in
front of the Capitol against congressional gun control bills under
consideration by the Senate. (Now this is stupid. ~Bob.)
US tourist faces jail
in Turkey for collecting beach 'stones'
http://www.myfoxdc.com/story/22013551/us-tourist-faces-jail-in-turkey-for-collecting-beach-stones#axzz2QpOTN1Sq
http://www.myfoxdc.com/story/22013551/us-tourist-faces-jail-in-turkey-for-collecting-beach-stones#axzz2QpOTN1Sq
Excerpt: The other was a slanted, 5-inch long, brick-colored
piece that had been washed by the sea and looked like it could have been old
masonry. "It had no inscription," Dement told The Associated Press by
telephone from a hotel in Antalya. "It came from an ordinary beach. There
were no historical sites around, no ancient ruins." … The punishment for
smuggling ancient artifacts is up to 12 years in prison.
Poverty Professionals
And The Crony Capitalists Who Love Them
Excerpt: Yes, it looks like a wedding announcement out of
The Onion, but when it comes to making a killing off the never-ending “War on
Poverty,” the marriage of convenience between the financial services industry
and federal bureaucrats is no laughing matter. The idea that government welfare
programs could eliminate poverty, rather than temporarily alleviate its worst
impacts during hard times, took root during Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society
initiative.
Excerpt: On Monday, PJ Media Legal Editor J. Chris tian Adams and contributor Hans von Spakovsky
testified to the House Judiciary Committee. They were invited to testify
regarding instances of mismanagement at the Department of Justice’s Civil
Rights Division, where both previously worked as attorneys.
Excerpt: Senators who support veterans rights took another
stab at trying to defend the due process rights of those who have served our
country. Sen. Richard Burr’s (R-N.C.) Veterans Second Amendment Protection
Act would have guaranteed veterans due process rights in having their ability
to own a gun stripped away. It failed this afternoon 56-44.
Excerpt: After all the controversy – it was too much, and
too expensive; it would be marred by protests – this
morning’s funeral for Lady Thatcher in London was a splendid and memorable affair,
which did her memory, and her country, proud. It was a moving, dignified and
pitch-perfect occasion: unmistakably British, and a fitting send-off for the
country’s greatest post-war prime minister.
Boston Bombings: Speculation, Spin, and Shamelessness:
Uninformed analysis from "straight news" outlets, eager as ever.
Excerpt: Apart from irresponsibly assigning blame, the
politicizing of the bombings began shortly after the smoke cleared. Nick
Kristof at the New York Times got on his Twitter soapbox
to take a shot at Republicans for not confirming President Obama’s nominee to
head the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and
Explosives; he later deleted his tweet, but he wouldn’t have without the blowback which ensued.
Excerpt: The two countries tell the United Nations there is
credible evidence that Syria used chemical weapons on more than one occasion
since December, according to senior diplomats and officials briefed on the
accounts.
Worth Reading: A Few Facts about Guns. By Linda Gorman
Worth Reading: A Few Facts about Guns. By Linda Gorman
Excerpt: Many commentators appear to be ignorant of the
existing literature on guns, homicide, suicide, violent crime, and
self-defense. A recent non-technical summary of the subject can be found in
an amicus
brief for the Heller case. It includes a complete set of references as
well as data on firearms ownership, defensive use, and fatalities. ...
Commentators also ignore the large gains from widespread firearms possession.
Estimates of defensive gun use in the United States range from 0.25 to 2.5
million uses a year. An estimated 76 percent of defensive uses take the form of
brandishing the weapon to scare attackers away. The vast difference in
instances of defensive gun use in the U.S. and England has been cited as a
reason why violent crime rates in the U.S. are far lower than
those in England.
The Gun Show
“Loophole:” More Gun Control Disguised as Crime Control. By H. Sterling Burnett
Excerpt: Numerous studies have shown that gun shows are not
a significant source of guns used in crime. Ignoring this evidence, some gun
control activists claim that 70 percent of the guns used in crimes come from
shows. And Handgun Control, Inc. asserts that “25-50 percent of the vendors at
most gun shows are unlicensed dealers.”
Run,
Hide, Fight?
Excerpt:
A recent story in the New
York Times asks
that very question, and reports that opinions on the answer have changed. “The
speed and deadliness of recent high-profile shootings,” says the Times, “have prompted police
departments to recommend fleeing, hiding or fighting in the event of a mass
attack, instead of remaining passive and waiting for help.” … as the story notes, it represents a shift
in thinking among police researchers who once counseled people to call 911 and
wait for help to arrive rather than run, hide, or fight in the event of an
attack. (It isn’t often when reading an article might save your life, but this
one just might. Pray it’s never needed, but just in case…. And by the way,
the author is a currently serving police officer. --Ron P. My and my oxygen tank will have a
go at them! ~Bob.)
Islam's Collective
Punishment of Christians. By Raymond Ibrahim
Excerpt: As many of Israel's critics portray it as collectively punishing the Palestinians, overlooked and unsaid is the greater
frequency with which Muslims collectively punish the religious minorities
living under their authority, often in atrocious ways.
IMU lauds another
German killed in US drone strike
http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2013/04/imu_lauds_another_ge.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+LongWarJournalSiteWide+%28The+Long+War+Journal+%28Site-Wide%29%29
http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2013/04/imu_lauds_another_ge.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+LongWarJournalSiteWide+%28The+Long+War+Journal+%28Site-Wide%29%29
Excerpt: The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan released martyrdom
tape today praising a German member who was killed in a US drone strike in
Pakistan over a year ago. The German, who was identified as Samir Hatour and
was also known as Abu Laith, was killed by US drones in a strike in Makeen,
South Waziristan, on March 9, 2012. (Think his rank was Sturmführer. ~Bob.)
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