And Then A Bomb Goes Off… 9/19/16 Jos. R. Walsh
Many ‘Average Citizens’, Those just going about their business without paying too much attention to anything, except whatever it is, that their ‘business’ is, don’t give much thought to Terrorism, or the work of Counter-Terrorism…
And then a bomb goes off. Not at City Hall or the new World Trade Center, but at West 23rd Street & 6th Avenue. West 23rd & 6th, What the hell…? Later, another Improvised Explosive Device is discovered by a now alert Citizen, at West 25th & 7th.
Many New Yorkers will think to themselves: IED, we’ve heard of such things exploding in Baghdad, Beirut, even Brussels, and Paris…Not on West 23rd Street. Not until Saturday Night, 8:30 PM, September 17th, 2016. Why West23rd Street? Because it’s there.
A Terrorist Psychopath by the Name of Boubaker al-Hakim, Notoriously described as the godfather of French jihadists, advised his followers to abandon symbolism: “My advice is to stop looking for specific targets. Hit everyone and everything.” Such advice was apparently adopted by another Terrorist Psychopath Named Ahmad Rahami, a 28-year-old Afghan-born, U.S. Citizen.
Rahami seems to have decided, Not the Symbolism of City Hall, or Grand Central Station, but West 23rd. Street. And West 25th. Sure, and why not?
It’s a cool and comfortable Saturday Night in the Gramercy Park Neighborhood of New York City. It’s an attractive place with plenty of fine restaurants and shops. Not too far from the City’s World-famous Theatre District. There are hundreds of people out and about. Sure, West 23rd Street will do just fine.
Being none-too-bright, this Mental Case went through all the trouble of building and transporting a Bomb, and then placed it Inside one of New York’s Green Metal Dumpsters. Thank God. These rugged metal containers are designed and built to withstand a beating. Early every morning, these containers are picked-up and smashed against even more rugged, forklift-equipped trucks, and are rocked and banged about until empty. I don’t know how many people have seen these things but trust me, if an IED exploded on the street, you would very much want to be Inside one of these dumpsters. They’re built like little armored cars.
Thankfully, mostly due to the rugged steel construction of these containers, no one was killed in the West 23rd St. explosion, though 29 were injured, some seriously, and Hundreds more New Yorkers and Visitors were indeed, Terrorized. All of the injured had been released from area hospitals by the following day.
New York City is one of the most Closed-Circuit TV Monitored places on the planet. Rest assured that just about everywhere one goes in Manhattan, Cameras are watching. A lot of them are privately-owned Anti-Crime Cameras installed by businesses for Security. And many of them are NYPD Counter-Terror Cameras. When the ‘footage’ from these 2 sources is combined, nearly every foot of every NYC block is recorded. Personally, I find the constant surveillance engagingly annoying, but once again, Thank God it’s there. Because it served to quickly identify the Lunatic Bomber Rahami.
Video footage shows the Terrorist Rahami behaving suspiciously at both Gramercy Park, Manhattan Bomb Sites. Apparently, at West 25th Street & 7th, the Psychopath Rahami opted to leave his pressure-cooker, bomb, somewhat like the ones used at the Boston Marathon Bombings, but much less powerful, in a suitcase on the corner. When a suitcase is abandoned on a street corner in Manhattan, one of two things will happen. Either someone will take and/or open the unattended luggage, or an alert ‘See-something, Say-something New Yorker’ will alert the Police. In this case, all three options occurred.
Some enterprising passer-by noticed the suitcase and got busy. According to various Counter-Terror Sources, the pedestrian picked-up the suitcase, walked a couple of Yards, and opened the case. He found inside some sort of pressure-cooker device with wires protruding and a cell phone taped to the cooker.
This so far, unidentified entrepreneur, carefully removed the device, set it down on the sidewalk, and walked off with the suitcase. As the old adage goes: Only in New York.
Shortly thereafter, a Neighborhood resident out for an evening stroll noticed the contraption on the sidewalk, astutely decided it to be suspicious, and called the Police. 3 Blocks away at 23rd & 6th, a hundred Counter-Terror Officers of various Agencies, were amassed in response to the Bombing there. Police Assistance to the 911 call from 25th Street was swift and efficient. It was quickly determined by Counter-Terror Officers and Agents that the abandoned pressure-cooker was in fact, another IED. On 25th Street, in Manhattan, on an otherwise lovely Saturday evening. Not The World Trade Center, or The World Financial Center just across the street, but a ‘Soft-Target’: 7th Ave & 25th Street.
The Lunatic Rahami, resides apparently in Elizabeth, NJ. New Jersey too shared in the latest Terror-Attacks in our area. An IED exploded in Seaside, NJ, along the planned route for a Benefit Race for The U.S.M.C. and other Counter-Terror Operators. Thankfully, and Blessedly, the race was running 30 Minutes behind schedule, and no one was injured in that explosion. But the significance and timing is not lost. The point was made: the Bomb was intended to explode as the race went by.
And in Elizabeth, NJ the hometown of the Mad-Man Rahami, another IED Package was discovered. 3 Pipe Bombs in a Backpack were discovered in a Trash Can nearby the Elizabeth Train Station by a couple of Late-Evening strollers returning home from a local tavern. The curious duo thought perhaps they’d gotten lucky and found something of value in the trash. Lucky indeed, for the rest of us. The pair quickly made their way to the nearby Elizabeth Police Station and reported their discovery.
New Jersey Bomb Squad Operators detonated the device robotically while disarming the IED. Again, Thankfully, no one was injured in that explosion.
Metropolitan Terrorist Attacks have moved into a new and alarming phase; ‘Soft-Targets’. We’ve been advised for Months now by Counter-Terror Experts that this is, in fact, the New and Current Method of Operation of Terrorist Operators. (Yawn). They’re always there – TV, Internet, Newspapers, rambling on about such developments. Because nothing happened in our Neighborhood, or where we work and travel, many of us gave some attention to this Noise, and went about our lives without too much worry or concern in such matters. And then a Bomb went off… on West 23rd Street. Things changed.
Many of the people in the vicinity of the 23rd Street Bombing, and the discovery of another IED on West 25th, were people who Lived and/or Worked, or Traveled the City on 9/11/01. And Now, it’s Back. And it’s Close. And it’s once again; Alarming.
Very quickly, 24 hours after the multiple bombings and IED discoveries FBI Counter-Terror Agents, and the NYPD intercepted and stopped a car that’d come to be a Subject of the Investigation, on the Brooklyn Side of the Verrazano Bridge. The Subject Vehicle had New Jersey Plates and was stopped after crossing over from Staten Island into Brooklyn. It is reported that 5 ‘Persons of Interest’, said to be relatives of the Bomber Rahami, and residents of the same home in Elizabeth, were taken-in for questioning. Subsequently, the home in Elizabeth was searched by various Counter-Terror Officers. The results of that search have not yet been revealed.
We shall Carry-On. Undoubtedly a bit more cautious and maybe somewhat sacred. But like all people terrorized by war, the Citizens who survived and continued during the London Blitzkrieg in WW II. The Citizens of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, who face frequent attack and constant threat. The poor refugees of Aleppo, and terrorized population of Baghdad and Mosul. We too shall carry on. A bit shocked and alarmed, but more vigilant and careful, we shall carry on as best we can, shaken, but not bowed nor cowed, we will carry on. Even when the Next Bomb Explodes, we shall carry on.
And Hopefully, more attentive, and supportive of the Counter-Terror Operators in our midst. God Bless All Those Who Serve in Harm’s Way, on our behalf.
Monday, September 19, 2016
Sunday, September 4, 2016
9/4 Where is the Outcry ?
According to Gatestone Institute, self-described as an International Policy Institute, Nearly 3,500 Palestinians have been killed in Syria since 2011.
With much ado about Israeli maltreatment of Palestinians, ranging to horrific descriptions of ‘Genocide’, it is stunning that there is no ‘mainstream’ reporting on Syrian Imprisonment and Torture of Palestinians there.
According to The Action Group for Palestinians of Syria – London, at least 3089 Palestinians were killed so far, this has forced tens of thousands to flee internally or to immigrate for asylum. - See more at: http://www.actionpal.org.uk/en/post/2865/articles/palestinians-from-syria-escaping-death-to-death#sthash.TGezGn7g.dpuf
Such figures lend credence to Gatestone’s estimates. The Action Group also decries “the absence of any official and unofficial institutions to carry this burden”. Indeed. Where is the Outcry? Where is the Condemnation? Where is the U.N. Human Rights Commission? Where is the International Red Cross?
Where is CNN? Where are NBC, ABC, and CBS? Where is Reuters, AP? Why is the United States not at the U.N. every day condemning this slaughter and demanding action? Between 2013-15, 78 Palestinian Victims who died in Syrian Custody as the result of Torture, were Identified in over 6,000 ‘leaked’ Photos. (Physical Evidence)
It seems that World Opinion is appropriate and Politically Correct to raise large and loud alarm in condemning Israel in its mistreatment of Palestinians, but there is no such outrage expressed when the perpetrators are fellow Muslim Arabs.
For its part, the U.N. seems more concerned with continued and emphatic condemnation of Israel than devoting the same amount of attention and energy to the plight of Palestinian Refugees in Syria. U.N. Resolution 70/85 - Operations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East: 15 December 2015 is an 8 Page Statement. Nearly 5 Pages are devoted to expressing ‘Grave Concern’, ‘Deploring’, ‘Calling Upon’, ‘Expressing Concern’, and ‘Stressing Urgent Need’ for Israel to act to relieve conditions in the “Occupied Palestinian Territory’’ and Gaza Strip.
The massacre, torture, and abuse of Palestinians in Syrian Custody warrants 2 largely Philosophic Paragraphs:
“Expressing deep concern at the critical situation of Palestine refugees in the Syrian Arab Republic and at the impact of the crisis on the Agency’s ability to deliver its services, and regretting profoundly the loss of life among refugees and the killing of 14 staff members of the Agency in the crisis since 2012, Emphasizing the need for increased assistance to Palestine refugees in the Syrian Arab Republic as well as those who have fled to neighbouring countries, and emphasizing the necessity of ensuring open borders for Palestine refugees fleeing the crisis in the Syrian Arab Republic, consistent with the principles of non-discrimination and non-refoulement under international law, and recalling in this regard the statement by the President of the Security Council of 2 October 2013,10
Aware of the valuable work done by the Agency in providing protection to the Palestinian people, in particular Palestine refugees, and recalling the need for the protection of all civilians in situations of armed conflict, Deploring the endangerment of the safety of the Agency’s staff and the damage and destruction caused to the facilities and properties of the Agency during the period covered by the report of the Commissioner-General, and stressing the need to maintain the neutrality of and safeguard the need for all civilians in situations of armed conflict, …”.
http://www.unrwa.org/sites/default/files/content/resources/ga_res_69_88_operations_of_unrwa_2015.pdf
The U.N. and others, need to spend at least as much action in Syria, as in Condemnation of Israel.
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
The Washington Post / Others: Report Trump off to Mexico
In a markedly careless, poorly-timed bit of PR, Republican Candidate for President Donald Trump has decided on a trip to Mexico. One can only imagine the sudden demand on Logistics and Planning this stunt places on the U.S, Secret Service, the agency charged with protection for U.S. Presidential Candidates.
For its part, Mexico last week invited both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump to visit, but I doubt anyone in the Mexican Government expected Trump’s people to consider taking the trip. Especially since Mexican Pres. Enrique Pena Nieto recently compared Donald Trump to Hitler, and Mussolini.
Apparently this is of little to no concern to Donald Trump and his campaign staff. It is reported that this astounding display of Showmanship and poor planning began to develop as an actual event scheduled possibly for Wed. 8/31, over this past weekend (8/27-28). It’s true that the U.S. Secret Service is supposed to be adept at switching operations on-the-fly, but that particular ability is really supposed to be reserved for the P.O.T.U.S., not International jaunts by Candidates.
On a related note, Mexican Pres. Enrique Pena Nieto has repeatedly stated Mexico will not pay for the ‘New Great Wall’.
‘Hey Don, where ya’ going with that Wall …?’
Aside from the additional headaches posed for the U.S.S.S., what is the point of meeting face-to-face with the Mexican President to be told in-person, that he’s getting Nothing for the Wall? Nada.
Saturday, August 27, 2016
8/27 ISIS/ISIL/IS: Battlefield
ISIS/ISIL/IS: Battlefield
One of the indicators that the enemy formerly known as ISIS is an ever-evolving foe, is that it is now called by yet another name. It seems we’re back to where we started. Once known as AQI, Al-Qaeda in Iraq, it then came to be known as the Islamic State in Iraq. ISI. As this combatant force expanded into Syria, It became the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, ISIS.
As ISIS began to gain and hold territory, the White House and others began to refer to this dreadful foe by its more current self-proclaimed and more ambitious moniker, Islamic State in the Levant; ISIL. The Levant is described by Miriam Webster’s and others, as the countries bordering on the E Mediterranean, more specifically , the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea north of the Arabian Peninsula and south of Turkey, usually including the area of Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria.
As Anti-ISIS coalition Ground and Air Forces began to implement their will against the enemy, though, ISIS was forced to give over held territory and retreat from the Battlefield. Therefore, the whole Levant notion became somewhat inaccurate and outmoded. As significant gains were made in Iraq, the ISIS tag too, became somewhat misleading. Now reduced to ever more precarious holdouts in Syria, Islamic State in Syria (IS), may also prove inadequate.
That’s’ not to say IS/ISIS is defeated, though they most certainly are in Retreat from the present Battlefield. Over time, IS, has proved a versatile foe. Although in retreat in Iraq and Syria, their versatility is on display elsewhere. Having had Time and Territory to establish, recruit, train and arm a Terrorist Force, their operations now take on a more International scope.
And with marked success. Having been responsible, or at least blamed for various deadly Global Terrorist Operations, IS has demonstrated the ability and a willingness to continue the Fight.
So while they might be in Retreat from their ‘Levant’ Battleground, the threat posed is no less great, only Different. Remembering we are not just fighting an Enemy, but an Ideology, our efforts too, must adapt to become no less great, only Different.
Friday, August 19, 2016
HRC/Benghazi
Jos.
R. Walsh 8/19/16
I
understand that this is a topic that’s been covered extensively and may seem to
be Old News. I’m personally confident though, as November 8th draws
ever closer, we’ll be hearing plenty more of this conversation.
In
comparison of various Official and Semi-Official findings, one thing is clear.
And that is that not everything is clear.
Unfortunately,
but none too surprisingly given the present Toxic Political Climate,
Congressional Reports on the incident are Partisan. The Congressional
Democratic participants state that this Partisan response is the result of
exclusion of the Minority party in the final findings.
Giving
credence to Democrat’s claim of partisanship is observation of a public comment
by Republican Committee Member Mike McCarthy (R –California): “Everybody
thought Hillary Clinton was unbeatable right? But we put together a Benghazi
Special Committee, a select committee. What are her numbers today? Her numbers
are dropping," McCarthy said. "Why? Cause she’s untrustable. But no
one would have known any of that had happened had we not fought and made that
happen,” he told Fox News host Sean Hannity. Wednesday Sep 30, 2015 ·
So, Rep. McCarthy, the point of the House
Select Committee on Benghazi was to ‘Drop Hillary Clinton’s Numbers’?
‘the minority report released June 27,
the Democrats on the House Select Committee on Benghazi said that “it remains unclear to
this day precisely what motivated all of the individuals in Benghazi on the
night of the attacks.” The report quoted former CIA Director David Petraeus
as saying, “I’m still not absolutely certain what absolutely took place …
and to be candid with you, I am not sure that the amount of scrutiny spent on
this has been in the least bit worth it.”
From
The Minority Report: “We deeply regret that this report is not
bipartisan. In May, we asked Chairman
Trey Gowdy to work with us on a joint report with conclusions we could all
agree on, followed by areas on which we may disagree. We also offered to provide him with a draft
of our report in advance. But Chairman
Gowdy mocked our request as “mildly amusing.”
“We
are issuing our own report today because, after spending more than two years
and $7 million in taxpayer funds in one of the longest and most partisan
congressional investigations in history, it is long past time for the Select Committee
to conclude its work. Despite our
repeated requests over the last several months, Republicans have refused to
provide us with a draft of their report—or even a basic outline—making it
impossible for us to provide input and obvious that we are being shut out of
the process .
In
Fairness, The House Select Committee on Benghazi Report:
The
main focus of the Report is on Communication. And not just necessarily the all-important
communication among The White House, State Department, and the State Department
Benghazi Mission Compound,(a Temporary State Dept. Office), the U.S. Embassy in
Tripoli, and various Defense Dept., State Dept., CIA, and other Security
Agencies in Libya and Europe. A
concentrated focus, amounting to a majority of the Committee’s Time and Effort,
was placed on internal communication among The White House, State Dept., and
various other Government Officials, After the Attack. The focus of this avenue
of inquiry was to discredit initial statements by the Officials, that the
Attack was a response to an offensive YouTube Video which inspired protests
elsewhere in the Muslim World, most notably, but not exclusively, Egypt.
The
overriding aim of the Select Committee’s Investigation appears to be, proof,
that the Obama Administration, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton lied to
the public about the precise cause of the Attack: early on, several key
Administration Officials, and indeed the Secretary of State herself, expressed
the opinion that the Attack sprung from a mass protest over the Muslim-
offending video.
Congressional
Republicans adopted the stance that this amounted to Government Officials lying to
the Public about the exact nature of the deadly Attack. Administration
Officials responded to these charges stating that there were in fact, other
violent incidents across the Region, including just a week prior in Benghazi,
regarding the video. The Obama Administration, including Sec. Clinton, said this
was the basis of their initial statements.
In
her first public statement, the Secretary of State referred to the video,
but made no mention of terrorists or a terrorist attack. An hour later, she
sent an email to her daughter, Chelsea, that made no reference to the
video, and blamed “an al Qaeda-like group.”
Therefore,
actual proof that Sec. Clinton said one thing in Public, and something else in
‘Private’ conversation with her daughter. (Ooohh –‘Lock Her Up’!)
The
value of Hillary Clinton’s after-the-fact opinion of what exactly sparked this
deadly attack, and what she said to whom about it, after-the-fact, is
debatable. Some say it is highly relevant as it exposes her as being
‘untrustworthy’. Others, like Former Army Command General and CIA Director
David Petraeus, say entirely too much time and effort and money has been spent
on investigating and broadcasting the finer points of who opined what to whom,
after the Attack.
As
far as the Obama Administration and Sec. Clinton saying certain things in
‘Private’, and other things to the Public, well, that’s been going on in
National Security matters since General, and then President, Geo. Washington.
Do we have any recent examples of a Secretary of State making Public Statements
that differed from the precise facts? Does the name Colin Powell ring a bell?
Mixed Message
It’s clear from the information contained in
the Select Committee Report that the White House, State Dept., FBI, CIA, and
others, were not entirely clear, or in synch about the relevancy of the impact
of the Anti-Muslim Youtube Video, leading up to, and at the time of the Attack.
It seems to me at least, that the Report indicates the cohesion around that
point occurred in the immediate aftermath, and subsequent to this dreadful
episode. It also seems apparent that Sec. Clinton, and those speaking publicly
on her behalf, failed to discard the inaccurate observation. To the point that
this is an indication of Sec. Clinton’s being “untrustable”, I think goes a bit
too far.
Also,
it should be noted here that the Select Committee did not focus entirely on the
controversy around the Youtube Video. Appropriately, the Committee made inroads
into causes and conditions surrounding the Attack. Inappropriately though, the
Committee engaged in a bit of a partisan witch- hunt to lay blame for the
Attack solely at the feet of the Obama Administration, while excusing the
Congress from any responsibility whatever. Congress is responsible for “timely
and appropriate funding” of Security for Foreign Embassies. Congress cut $270
Million from President Obama’s Budget for Embassy Security prior to the
Benghazi Attack. How much that contributed to the many failures at Benghazi is
an on-going debate. Either way, Congress does indeed play a significant role
here, but there is nothing about that mentioned in the Congressional Republican
Select Committee Report.
The Minority Report however, does address Congress’s
Role.
P. 313x314 Minority Report: Recommendations -
*Congress
should provide the State Department with funding, support, and authorities
sufficient to construct, maintain, and improve overseas diplomatic facilities
to meet security requirements and protect American diplomats in today’s
challenging security environments. * Congress should continue to provide
consistent, sufficient funding to ensure that the State Department can complete
construction of the Foreign Affairs Security Training Center in Fort Pickett,
Virginia in a timely manner, which will help ensure that Diplomatic Security
agents are well prepared to protect U.S. personnel and their families overseas.
* Congress should work with the State Department to approve new dual-compensation
waiver authorities to permit more experienced agents to fill staffing gaps to
help ensure that U.S. diplomatic facilities are fully staffed with security
personnel.
*
Congress should amend federal law to allow for “best value” contracting for
local guards, rather than the cheapest available alternative that meets minimum
standards, to improve the quality of contracted local guards protecting U.S.
facilities and diplomats abroad.
For
its part, the Select Committee’s Report made only one Congressional Funding
recommendation, that being that the Security Training Center at Fort Pickett,
VA, be appropriately funded in a timely manner.
Security Budget
An
additional issue adding to the confusion of the Benghazi Attack is that the
facility itself was a ‘Shared Facility’ by Dept. of State and CIA.
Following
the September 11, 2012 attack on U.S. government facilities in Benghazi, Libya,
the independent Benghazi Accountability Review Board (ARB) on December 19,
2012, issued 29 recommendations (24 of which were unclassified) to the
Department of State. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2014/01/219760.htm
A key
finding in the ARB report was: “Security in Benghazi was not recognized and implemented
as a ‘shared responsibility’ by the bureaus in Washington charged with
supporting the post, resulting in stove-piped discussions and decisions on
policy and security. That said, Embassy Tripoli did not demonstrate strong and
sustained advocacy with Washington for increased security for Special Mission
Benghazi.”
During
hearings into the attack last fall, (Oct.
10, 2012 hearing) https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/barbara-boxers-claim-that-gop-budgets-hampered-benghazi-security/2013/05/15/d1e295cc-bdb0-11e2-97d4-a479289a31f9_blog.html
State Department officials were specifically
asked if a lack of financial resources played a role in the attack. The answer
was no. DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE CHARLENE LAMB
That
said, there is also Testimony in Committee Report that Ms. Lamb responded to
requests for additional Security in Benghazi with the Statement ‘There are no
available resources…’ for increased Security.
All
said and done, the conclusions come down to, as they do with most historic
failures, is that there’s plenty of blame to go around. Secretary Clinton most
certainly made some disturbing mistakes here, mostly after-the-fact. These
mistakes do not rise to the level of criminality. As to her ‘Trustworthiness’ I
think it lands squarely equal to most
Politicians: Typical.
Thursday, August 11, 2016
Trump Must Be Abandoned
Trump has gone from controversial to
Dangerous. I had initially intended to write a blog about Sec. Hillary Clinton’s problems with the Benghazi
Disaster, but Trump has forced that aside, for now. (More on that later).
For
now, it is time for even-tempered, clear-thinking Republicans everywhere to
disavow Donald Trump and his Presidential Bid.
When the other day, Trump made his notorious
‘Second Amendment People’ pondering, I saw the fast & furious, and
appropriate condemnation, I decided that there ‘d been enough said. However,
pardon one observation – the Defense raised by Rudy Giuliani, Mike Pence, and
others, was so absurd, it bears comment.
The complete fantasy that Trump was talking
about Political Action is so blatantly False, that simple examination of his
remarks exposes the Lie. Trump said "Hillary wants to abolish --
essentially abolish the Second Amendment. By the way, if she gets to pick, if
she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks. Although the Second
Amendment people, maybe there is, I don't know,".
Hillary Clinton ‘gets to pick’, After she is
elected. So Trump says, then; perhaps “Second
Amendment People”, could do ‘Something’. “Second Amendment People”, (As in
those who are legally in possession of Lethal Firearms), could do ‘something’,
After she’s elected? What is That supposed to mean? Political Action by
Gun-owners after she’s Elected? I, and
many others, including, Bernice King, Daughter of slain Civil Rights Leader,
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., heard something else.
"As
the daughter of a leader who was assassinated, I find #Trump's comments
distasteful, disturbing, dangerous," she tweeted. The Nephews of both John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy also condemned the thinly-veiled Gun Talk as 'Revulsive'.
The United States Secret
Service, charged with the protection of among other U.S. Officials,
Presidential Candidates, also found the remarks ‘Concerning’. The Secret
Service had “more than one conversation’’ with Trump Officials about the
remarks, according to CNN. Trump says there was no such meeting. Who do you
believe?
In
the continuing Trump disaster of Presidential Polling, a recent Monmouth
University poll found 27% of those asked believed that Trump had the proper
temperament to be President. 67% of respondents favored Hillary Clinton for
proper temperament.
Prior to discussing Second Amendment
solutions, Trump said Hillary Clinton is the Devil:
After my trying to leave the Second Amendment
Incident alone, Trump went ever further off the Deep End by pronouncing
that Pres. Obama, Hillary Clinton were
the ‘founders of ISIS’.
Prior to Trump proclaiming that Pres. Obama
is the founder of ISIS, and Hillary Clinton co-founder, Trump was already in
Political trouble. Arizona is a historically Republican State. According to realclearpolitics.com
, Trump and Hillary Clinton are in an almost dead-even Tie there. And long-time
Republican Senator John McCain is just over 5 points ahead of Democratic
Challenger Ann Kirkpatrick. (Perhaps Sen McCain might want to re-think the
whole Donald Trump-thing?)
Also, in the key swing-state of Pennsylvania,
Clinton has a 9 point lead. Another Presidential swing-state, Ohio, Clinton
holds a 2.6 point lead. In Florida, Clinton has a slim 2 point lead. Nationally
overall, according to RCP, Clinton
holds a 6 point lead, with both Fox and NBC showing her with a 10 Point lead.
When continuously escalating Gun Violence
tragedies cause some Politicians to propose Common-Sense Regulations, others
over-react with vitriolic, ominous ‘Second Amendment Abolishment’ rhetoric. Whether
one sees Regulation of Firearms as a threat to the Second Amendment or not,
there is no Hillary Clinton plot to ‘Abolish’ the Second Amendment. But the
notion is certainly an appealing attention-grabber.
Let us then examine the Trump narrative of Obama/Clinton:
First, Pres. Obama is actually a Secret
Kenyan Muslim. This has been proven an absurd lie, though Trump has not been
called to account for his promotion of this persistent falsehood.
Second, Hillary Clinton is not just Evil; she
is actually The Devil.
Third, The Devil Clinton is ‘coming for your
guns’! She needs to be stopped by Second Amendment Defenders.
Finally, She and the Muslim Kenyan Obama, are
the co-founders of ISIS, (which is in fact, presently the most dangerous threat
to Civilized Society). Therefore, These People, must be stopped.
Also, according to Trump, The Election is
rigged. So if we cannot stop Them by Election, then perhaps they should be
stopped After the Election.
This divisive, subversive, dangerous and slanderous
ranting, and the ridiculous maniac behind it need be rejected by reasonable,
fair and honest Americans of every Political Philosophy.
Thursday, August 4, 2016
And Now: HRC
8/3/16
And Now; HRC
Let me please say first – Not a Huge Fan.
That said, Still Better. Former First Lady, New York U.S. Senator, Former
Secretary of State Hillary R. Clinton, the imminently more qualified
Presidential Candidate. I’m not alone here – the Nice Folks over at Fox News
reported results of an 8/3 Poll which found that %56 of those polled Trust
Hillary Clinton with the Nuclear Codes, as opposed to %34 for Trump. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/interactive/2016/08/03/fox-news-poll-aug-3-2016/ (Question # 32)
There
is so much Clinton-Lore, so much ‘baggage’ here, I’m not able to address it all
here, now. But I’ll do the best I can.
Where to begin? I suppose that given where we
are now the first mess to address is the ‘Vanished’ State Dept. e-mails. We’ll
leave for a bit later on, Benghazi, Whitewater, Pres. Clinton’s Impeachment
(Not Guilty), the Clinton Foundation.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton: As
part of the Investigation into the Benghazi catastrophe, the House Select
Committee on Benghazi conducted a comprehensive and exhaustive Investigation
into, and issued a comprehensive Report on the incident. http://benghazi.house.gov/NewInfo
From the Committee Report:
“Committee document requests resulted in
approximately 75,420 pages of new material: • The State Department produced
approximately 71,640 pages of documents not previously provided to Congress. •
The CIA produced 300 pages of new intelligence analyses. • The White House
produced 1,450 pages of emails. • Sidney S. Blumenthal produced 179 pages of
emails. • The FBI produced 200 pages of documents. • The Defense Department produced 900 pages
of documents. • The National Security Agency produced 750 pages of documents”
The next passage in the Report goes on to
complain that this documentation response was Massive, ‘misleading’ and
‘inconclusive’. This Committee and especially its leadership, was made up of
veteran, seasoned D.C. Insiders who had to know that when they summoned ‘All’
and ‘Every’ Documents related to Benghazi, they were going to be buried under a
massive avalanche of paper.
Knowing this, they could then complain about
it.
To be fair to the Committee’s complaints, it
is true that Former Secretary Clinton failed to provide nearly 3,000 e-mails
which she claimed were Personal in nature. This goes to the heart of the
matter: Clinton’s practice of using a Private Server for Official State
Department Communication. Secretary Clinton offered 2 explanations in her
defense – One, that previous Secretaries had done the same thing without
question or penalty, and, that there were no Classified or Secret
Communications on her private account.
Subsequent investigation proved the claim
about sensitive information to be false. Thus ensued a bureaucratic,
administrative and investigative dispute about how and why, and when, certain
items were designated Classified or Secret. Mistakes were made on both sides
about the particulars of the situation, with Mrs. Clinton found to be wrong in
certain instances, and correct about others. It’s the ones she was wrong about
that were an issue.
Appropriately, the FBI was directed to
investigate to see if any laws had been broken. As that proceeded, there was
speculation in Congress, and the public, if any Criminal Charges would be
brought against a member of the Obama Administration, and Democratic
Presidential Candidate. Responding to inquiries about the issue, Attorney
General Loretta Lynch replied that she would follow the findings and
recommendations of the FBI Investigation. Despite the howling disdain of the
Anti-Clinton camp, this is Standard Procedure. The FBI conducts Investigation
into Criminality and reports its findings and recommendations to the Office of
The Attorney General for any further action.
In this case the FBI found that there were
‘Irregularities’ and ‘Rules Violations’ by Clinton, but that these did not rise
to the level of Criminal Charges. Therefore Attorney General Lynch reported
that the Justice Department would not seek Charges against Hillary Clinton.
There are a variety of Lawsuits still
proceeding into the affair. Some seek further action against the State Dept.,
and perhaps the former Secretary. With AG Lynch opting not pursue the case
those are practically a dead-end. There are though continuing Freedom of
Information Act cases that may or may not produce any interesting results.
I think a Judge in one of the FOIA Cases gave
the most succinct observation of the debacle. From The Washington Post:
‘U.S. District Judge Sullivan cited that
email as part of the reason he ordered the State Department produce records
related to its initial failures in the FOIA searches for Clinton’s records’.
‘Sullivan said legitimate questions have been
raised about whether Clinton’s staff was trying to help her to sidestep FOIA’.
“We’re
talking about a Cabinet-level official who was accommodated by the government
for reasons unknown to the public. And I think that’s a fair statement: For
reasons heretofore unknown to the public. And all the public can do is
speculate,” he said, adding: “This is all about the public’s right to know.”
That’s where things presently stand with the
Clinton e-mail Investigation. Knowing all that, the findings are to me,
disappointing, and disturbing. I agree however, that they do not constitute
Criminal Misconduct. I would rather have in the Oval Office, a President who
committed some risky procedural e-mail errors, than a man who cannot decide if
knows Vladimir Putin or not.
Next; Benghazi
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