Wednesday, May 20, 2009

I wonder what Netanyahu would do?

Now would be a good time to do something about that reactor. Yep. A sincere missile launch was a desperate act to secure an election win by Ahmadinejad.

The moderates must be kicking his butt, big time. But, the missile launch, desperate act or not, is significant.

One has to ask how long do we let the 'pip-squeak' get away with it. Same thing with Osama bin Laden. By allowing these idiots continuance of their 'reign' only provides more problems for The West, not less.

Iranian launch is a success, Pentagon says (Click title to entry - thank you)
The Associated PressPosted : Wednesday May 20, 2009 14:42:36 EDT

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Robert Gates has confirmed that Iran conducted a successful ballistic missile test.
U.S. officials had said as much earlier Wednesday, but without putting their names to the information. Gates was asked about the reports during congressional testimony.
He said that the successful test involved a missile with a range of approximately 2,000 to 2,500 kilometers. He said that because of chronic engine problems, the range is probably on the lower end of that scale.
Gates says he cannot say whether the test missile hit its intended target.



Unit to leave Baghdad ahead of deadline (click here)
By Hamza Hendawi - The Associated PressPosted : Wednesday May 20, 2009 14:55:40 EDT

BAGHDAD — As his U.S. partners prepare to move, an Iraqi army captain pleads with his American counterpart to leave behind a generator so his soldiers can have electricity when city power fails.
Capt. Nathan Williams and 150 soldiers from 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, are getting ready to leave their base in Baghdad’s Hurriyah neighborhood May 30 — one month ahead of the deadline for all U.S. combat forces to transfer from Iraqi cities to garrisons outside the towns....

Yeah, I think US Troops might move out of Baghdad ahead of schedule to let the Iraqi leadership we aren't interested in a war with Iran, only to disable its reactor. Moving troops out of Iraq will de-escalate the conflict within Iraq and Iran. It will give an impetus, a clear signal to the people of both countries they won't have to 'put up with' American troops any longer. It should de-escalate the 'signal' to Iran there will be no war and will provide an understanding their will be no conflict between the USA and Iran.

There is something a little more interesting about the article above, too.

...But like many other Iraqi units, the battalion in Hurriyah suffers from supply problems, which make it difficult to operate effectively on its own....


...He pleaded with Williams to persuade his superiors to leave behind one of the generators they have been using at the Finnish-built bomb shelter the Americans have called home since November....

Why exactly are our troops there? For USA national security purposes OR as a supply of equipment to the Iraqi military. Bought and paid for by the American people with $US and blood. I doubt seriously USA soldiers are needed in Iraq. I don't believe the USA dollar is needed in Iraq either.

Blackwater does it AGAIN !!!!!

Military: Xe contractors violated gun policy (click here)
By Heidi Vogt - The Associated PressPosted : Wednesday May 20, 2009 6:07:32 EDT

KABUL — Four U.S. contractors for the company formerly known as Blackwater were not authorized to carry weapons when they were involved in a deadly shooting in Afghanistan this month, the U.S. military said Tuesday.
The men — accused of opening fire on a vehicle in the capital May 5 — have charged that their employer, now called Xe, issued them guns in breach of the company’s contract with the military. One Afghan was killed in the shooting, and two others wounded.
Xe declined to comment on the weapons or the contract....

Below are more non-combat deaths. Training mission before they might face combat. Is there actually a difference?

3 confirmed dead in nighttime Seahawk crash (click here)
By Andrew Scutro - Staff writerPosted : Wednesday May 20, 2009 13:41:35 EDT

Three Navy members were killed in the nighttime crash of an HH-60H Seahawk helicopter off the coast of San Diego, a Navy spokesman confirmed.
Coast Guard boats and aircraft scanned Pacific Ocean waters about 13 miles south of San Diego on Wednesday morning for the two remaining crew members , authorities said.
The helicopter crashed Tuesday just before midnight, said Lt. Sean Robertson, a Navy spokesman at the Pentagon. The helicopter, from Carrier Air Wing 11, was returning to the aircraft carrier Nimitz after a combat search and rescue exercise.
The crash occurred 76 nautical miles from Nimitz, which is at sea conducting a pre-deployment composite training unit exercise, Robertson said.
Names are being withheld pending family notification, Robertson said.
The incident is under investigation.

Congress is not doing the people's business. I didn't realize the Busih administration was still in office.

I told you so. The Republicans are running their 'chronic campaigning' and THEIR electorate is reacting to the same 'fear mongering' 'CONSTRUCTED' by Bush and Cheney and Rove.

This is all about politics and has NOTHING to do with the best interests of the country or our national security.

Republicans are losing. They are losing bit and 2010 is a turning point for 'The Party.' If they continue to loss seats they will be a 'mute' party. They have all of about six months to get their act together to at least hold the seats they have now. 2010 is pivotal. The Republicans are running scared and are dumping tons of money into PROPAGANDA.

The Democrats need to get their act together and stop allowing the Republicans that REMAIN in Congress to lead 'a charge' of faux and bad policy. This is outrageous. It is simply outrageous.

They took the words of Mueller at the FBI and spun 'fear' throughout their electorate without 'fact finding' the security or the possiblity of putting any terrorist in a Supermax to CUT costs and return reputation to the USA.

The lack of money needed to close Gitmo is a Republican directive. They not only 'stirred up' false fears in their elecorate, but, actually alarmed enough Democrats at the last minute so they shifted their votes. This is an outrage for many reasons. The Republicans are not only 'aiming' their lies at their electorate, but, they 'are running game' on a Democratic majority.

That is treasonist as the vote resulted in a 'directive' AWAY from the will of the majority that elected President Obama. They are conspiring. They have nothing left to do with their time and political direction except plot against the country again. They are even calling Colin Powell an incompetent. I mean, who do they think they are except desperate soon to be job seekers.

The Republican Party hasn't learned a darn thing from the NEW government elected in 2006 and 2008. They haven't learned a darn thing. They only 'redoubled' their ammunition against the American People.


Analysis: Guantanamo a political win GOP needed (click title to entry - thank you)
By CHARLES BABINGTON – 9 minutes ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans have searched mightily for a good political issue this year as their traditional three Gs — gays, guns and God — have lost some steam. Now a fourth G — Guantanamo Bay — is handing them big boost, forcing President Barack Obama on the defensive.
One of Obama's first acts as president was to order the closing of the controversial prison for terrorist suspects within a year. Obama had campaigned on the issue, but Republicans pounced on what they considered a crucial flaw: the lack of detailed plans for where the roughly 240 detainees would go if the Cuban prison were shut down.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, for example, gave dozens of speeches and interviews saying the United States would be no safer by moving terrorists to American soil. Other Republicans suggested terrorists might escape, recruit new allies or become magnets for attacks.
Democrats largely ignored the remarks for months, but by this week the public agitation was too much. The Senate voted 90-6 Wednesday to block the transfer of Guantanamo detainees, an ill-timed rebuke for Obama, who is scheduled to give a major speech on terrorism Thursday.
Even the GOP's less partisan members could scarcely believe how deeply the issue was resonating with voters back home. The breadth of the Republicans' political victory has been remarkable in a season where criticism of Obama's economic policies have yielded little....