Norway Terror: STRATFOR has analysis that explores a number of scenarios.
Plus: Could the Libyan government be responsible?
Tagged: Security Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts
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The Other McCain is aggregating like a MoFo regarding that bombing in Norway story…which in no way should you speculate was the direct result of a radical Muslim plot, because – you know – the mere thought that radical Muslims like to cause wanton destruction foments prejudice…
UPDATE: Stacy McCain links. Thanks!
MORE: AP: Police say both the bombing and the youth camp shooting are linked.
ANOTHER ONE: “The Warning Sings Were There”. They usually are; but they’re ignored because it’s politically correct to do so, as happened in Fort Hood.
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Obama’s very own Valerie Plame scandal? New York Observer: “The Associated Press brought the mysterious analyst’s role to light on July 5, after which a mere two days elapsed before The Observer managed to learn the identity of this super spy, type it into Google and track the poor guy to a quiet subdivision in Northern Virginia.”
Couldn’t leave bad enough alone, I guess. It’s not all the White House’s fault, though. Or the Observer’s. A charming Julian Assange wannabe also played a role. And he definitely sounds more than a little proud of his contribution: “If I had the name, I’d put it up. I’m an absolutist.”
‘Absolutist’ is not quite the word I had in mind, though it also starts with the letter ‘a’…
And who knows how many other official missteps had something to do with this? It’s not like they promised us Hope and Change and Competence, right?
UPDATE: Post of the Day at Legal Insurrection. Thanks!
It’s been over 12 hours since this story broke on The Observer. But if you Google “CIA agent outed”, you get a bunch of Valerie Plame references. This story doesn’t seem to be getting any traction anywhere. Perhaps, as with war, outing CIA agents is bad only when a Republican occupies the Oval Office…
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Ed Driscoll: Hamas Declares War On Male Hairstylists.
I wish it was Ed’s version of an Iowahawk piece. But no. He’s commenting on actual news…
UPDATE: Ed links back. Thanks! He’s actually quite right about radical Muslims mistaking art for life. Who can forget about the deaths of American servicemen that have been linked to De Palma’s Redacted. And in case you don’t know who the Zohan is (and as much as I admire Adam Sandler, who can blame you?), this is the movie I was talking about.
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I remember seeing the movie when I was a kid, on TV. It starred Charles Bronson and the invaluable Yaphet Kotto.
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And to be tried by court martial.
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Everybody’s a comedian…or a hacker, but this hack is funny because it’s true:
“1. Politicians and other public servants lie,” reads the event description provided on the Obama campaign website. “2. Politicians tell you what you want to hear and offer to provide things for ‘free’ to get votes. 3. When government buys, the people pay.”
The emperor has no clothes, in meatspace or cyberspace… -
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Can we keep U.S. forces in Afghanistan for decades? Guardian: Secret US and Afghanistan talks could see troops stay for decades.
Insert your own “They told me that if I voted for McCain” line here. Just make sure it’s about lack of transparency and war so that it fits just right.
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The studio won’t trademark “SEAL Team Six” after all.
I think they did the right thing, in more ways than one. You don’t want to get in the PR mess that would result from fighting the Navy over the right to exploit the SEAL’s commercially…
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Professor Douglas: A Shoot-First Policy at the White House? “Given the administration’s failure to close Guantanamo, and its backtracking on civilian trials for al Qaeda’s leadership, it’s entirely within reason to consider that President Obama frankly didn’t want to deal with it. Screw it. Kill the f**ker and be done.”
It’s not only within reason. It’s part of a policy trend at the White House that the WaPo spotted in early 2010. It’s almost as if all that talk of extra-legal this and imperialist that during the Bush years was just empty rhetoric used to score political points and rally the
rubestroops. Isn’t it?UPDATE: Related: First Michael Moore, now et tu, Rosie?
Well, perhaps dead terrorists do give some headaches, after all. My head hurts just thinking about Michael Moore and Rosie O’Donnell at the same time…
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…as seen by John Nolte, on CNN last night.
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The Sun: Hero dog helped snare Osama.
UPDATE: Evidently, a CATS program has been implemented by our military since WWII. And yes, it involves the use of domestic cats…
MORE: Ok, the CATS program is actually a joke. I was convinced there was something to it, but the slideshow gives it all away…
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“Liberals can bask in their newfound admiration for Obama or uphold their vision of the international system. But it’s hard to see how, in good conscience, they can do both of those things.“
They won’t. Wait till the GOP takes back the White House and the Left will go back to normal: the Bush-Cheney security apparatus Obama has preserved – and utilized so well in the Osama raid – will become objectionable to again.
It’s not a double standard. It’s the party line.
(Via Insty)
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AP: Not everyone believes Bin Laden is really dead.
More from the LAT.
And, of course, conspiracy theories.
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Ed Driscoll: Dick Cheney’s Executive Assassination Ring Killed Bin Laden. Nobody tell Glenn Greenwald!
Yes, Joint Special Operations Command – which took out Osama – was described not long ago as “Dick Cheney’s Personal Assassination Squad”. Funny how extra-legal, shadow government due process violations turn into heroic raids when Democrats run the White House, isn’t it?
Read the whole thing™. Great research by Ed!
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National Journal: “Events are unlikely to work out the way anybody expects right now.”
Wallets in particular are probably not impressed. I think the Left forgets that at their own risk.
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Word is he did, via a helmet cam video feed.
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Michelle Malkin has a round-up.
Obama certainly deserves credit. He’s the Commander-In-Chief; and he didn’t drop the ball, like Carter did in a similar instance. I think it’s a little ridiculous to get mad at the mention of Bush’s role in the end result of an operation that began years ago. But really, who cares? Any Leftie who thinks killing Bin Laden in the Spring of 2011 is an automatic 4-year renewal of Obama’s right to sit in the Oval Office is either a little naive or a little desperate. Or just plain dumb.
By the end of the month, after most Americans have completed their obligatory 3 or 4 visits to their local supermarkets and gas stations, the euphoria over Osama’s death will have faded. If inflation continues apace, by this time next year – about 6 months before the next presidential election – more people will be hurting even worse than they are now.
Let’s just put it this way: hundreds of Americans were cheering last night, but their wallets weren’t. Public Enemy #1 is inflation. And it’s still out there.
UPDATE: This Targeted Killing Brought To You By Waterboarding: AP: ” “Officials say CIA interrogators in secret overseas prisons developed the first strands of information that ultimately led to the killing of Osama bin Laden.”
Good round-up on this topic at Insty‘s.
On behalf of W, Dick Cheney and John Yoo: You’re welcome.
MORE: Barney Frank seems to believe you can only politicize Osama’s death in one direction. OK. I think Iowahawk agrees with the Senator.
And here’s some more Leftie re-electioneering spotted by R.S. McCain, who links (thanks!), plus reaction from an a Leftie bystander outraged at so much celebration just because a “person is dead”.
I was a little taken aback at seeing so many young people merrymaking over Osama’s death, but not because I thought it wasn’t good that he was killed. I just didn’t think so many 20-somethings, who were in their teens or even younger on 9/11/01, felt that strongly about his capture.
But I was certainly happy about Osama getting rubbed out. Not sure it was worth partying about, but I’m in my 40′s. What do I know?
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May Day was redefined tonight. No longer will it be relegated merely to the practice of commie boosterism and associated causes.
Hats off to our troops and – heck – to the president’s national security team. Credit where due. Osama Bin Laden is dead, thanks to you.
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Actually, it should be legal nationwide, but sometimes Dhimmitude gets in the way: Koran-burning bus driver Derek Fenton to get his job back.
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RIP, Tim Hetherington. He was killed while shooting a documentary with the Lybian rebels.
Coincidentally, Dr. Wife and I just saw Restrepo
for the first time a few days ago (you can play it on demand on your PC or Mac from Amazon Instant Video at the link). The docu made me respect and admire our brave servicemen and women even more; but one can’t help to be amazed at the work of the documentarians themselves, who followed the troops closely while in Afghanistan’s Korengal Valley, even in combat situations.
Related content: Hetherington’s last tweet: “No sign of NATO”. Plus, colleagues remember Hetherington.
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Not doing too shabby in these tough times: Al Qaeda takes over Yemeni town.
And don’t forget it’s now also active in Libya.
This must be part of the Change. Because it sure doesn’t inspire hope…
UPDATE: WSJ: Al Qaeda makes Afghan Comeback.
And you thought I was just being snarky…
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WSJ: 9/11 Suspects to Face Military Trial at Guantanamo: “Officially reversing previous plans for a civilian trial in New York City, officials familiar with the matter said.”
Sounds like more of that sophisticated set of policies meant to bring about ‘Change’.
You know, really sophisticated. Unlike a Rube.
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While the world’s attention is focused on the combat transpiring in Libya and the events in Egypt and Bahrain, Yemen has also descended into crisis. The country is deeply split over its support for Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, and this profound divide has also extended to the most powerful institutions in the country — the military and the tribes — with some factions calling for Saleh to relinquish power and others supporting him.
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That old Leftie trope about how pushing for regime change in the Middle East only ends up helping Al Qaeda is – surprise – coming home to roost like a Wrightian chicken: WSJ: Amid Libya Rebels, ‘Flickers’ of al Qaeda:
U.S. intelligence agencies believe ragtag rebel forces fighting Col. Moammar Gadhafi in eastern Libya include some Islamists with possible ties to al Qaeda, but the number of Islamist fighters is relatively small and their role in the opposition is limited.
Keep in mind that these are the same U.S. intelligence agencies which didn’t see the prevailing atmosphere of unrest in the Middle East coming in the first place.
The Secretary of State’s assessment of the situation is not very comforting either: “As Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Tuesday, the U.S. is still ‘getting to know’ the rebels.”
Maybe we should have seen this coming. During the 2008 campaign, Candidate Obama told us he would forge a new relationship with the Muslim world if he was elected U.S. President.
Looks like his concept of the Muslim world includes radical Muslims, too…
UPDATE: Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse: Obama considers arming Libyan rebels. It’s as if no one at the White House is paying attention… (via Insty).
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People’s champion and Bolivian President Evo Morales is as shocked as anyone: “How is it possible that a Nobel Peace Prize winner leads a gang to attack and invade?”
Duh, fawning…
I fear that if Obama starts sensing that he isn’t loved by the world anymore, he will cease operations in Libya before the mission is accomplished.
If that’s the case, the Libyan rebels will be hung out to dry, literally, assuming the rest of the Coalition falls apart as a result. Not to mention how loudly and clearly such a move would telegraph to the world that the Leader of the Free World isn’t really there at all.
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Murphy’s Law At Work: Ready for Unionized Airport Security?
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AINA: 9 Christians Killed, 150 Injured in Attack By 15,000 Muslims and Egyptian Army.
UPDATE: Why do I pick on Ezra? Because of this.
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The rallying cry among Lefties this week is not so much Wisconsin public employee unions as it is Rep. King’s investigation of – not American Muslims – but radical Islam. And this – as often happens when the Left is out of power – has resulted in some primo comedy gold:
- On MSNBC, Ezra Klein seems unable to understand why Rep. Peter King isn’t investigating the Crusader Threat in America instead.
- Meanwhile, Mark Potok of the noble-sounding Southern Poverty Law Center thinks the radical right is a much bigger threat to America than radical Islam.
No doubt both men (and especially Ezra Klein, he of the Obama For America task force known as JournoList) will agree that president Obama only wants the best for America. If so, they must ask themselves one question: if American Christians and the American radical right are a bigger threat than radical Islamists in America, why is it that Obama hasn’t ordered the assassination of any American Christians or extreme right-wingers, but has instead ordered the assassination of a radical American imam?
Is it because Dick Cheney is still president?
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Forbes: Documents Reveal TSA Research Proposal to Body Scan Pedestrians.
Why don’t we just go ahead and rename the Department of Homeland Security as the Ministry of Privacy? I mean, if you’re going to go Orwellian, go all the way. Plus the whole Obama presidency has been a big, steaming bag of Doublethink on the issue of privacy anyway.
Just ask all the rubes who were convinced – and tried to convince us – that Obama would be ushering in a 4th Amendment utopia. I’m sure they’ll have plenty to say about it, after they’re done blushing…
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Plotting against President Bush’s life?
Stay tuned…
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Mubarak steps down in a strange parallel with the Shah of Iran’s fall from power.
And a not so strange one, I might add: WSJ: Crisis Puts White House in Disarray.
UPDATE: This is probably a good time to wear your “Welcome back, Carter” t-shirt
.
MORE: STRATFOR‘s take: “Sustaining its hold over power while crafting a democratic government will be the biggest challenge for the military as it tries to avoid regime change while also dealing with a potential constitutional crisis.”
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…is to live in a world controlled by a worlwide Jewish cabal.
Das ist ihr kampf !
UPDATE: Blowback: “The alma mater of journalist Helen Thomas will not bestow an award that had been given in her name.”
MORE: By the way, Hanukkah Tova!
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Gateway Pundit: NYT to publish Wikileaks document dump tonight.
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The Hill: Homeland Security “seizes” website domain names.
Next time you hear a Hollywood figure brag about how Hollywood brings about social change, ask them how they like this sort of change. Because this is – in large part – the federal government doing the bidding of big media companies.
Whatever happened to sending a cease and desist letter with your own attorney?
Gawker sure is lucky it reached an understanding with Harper Collins attorneys over Sarah Palin’s book content, isn’t it?
I expect the Electronic Frontier Foundation – at the least – to challenge these new DHS powers in court soon.
(Fill in your own ‘They told me that if I voted for McCain’™ line here)
UPDATE: Related content at Instapundit: Copyright infringement is a weapon of mass bottom line destruction, Prof! Isn’t it obvious?
Seriously now, this is an old-fashioned case of elites looking out for each other, but they’re usually a little more subtle about it. Ask General Electric (the owners of MSNBC). They know.
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Bring it, Comrade Martinez: How Allen West’s victory in Florida led to a left-wing terrorist threat.
Almost makes you wonder if MSNBC is in fact bent on unleashing “revolution”, aka TheViolentUprisingAgainstAmericanInstitutionsTo ImmanentizeTheEschatonByForceSinceVotersAren’tFallingForOurLiesAnymoreAndIt’sHarderToStealElectionsNow.
Anyway, Comrade Martinez is what we Spanish-speakers would generally refer to as idiota…
