With snow falling the Taliban surrenders to emergency aid workers.

Temperatures are reasonable because the sun is out across Afghanistan. There needs to be an intense effort to do as much as can be done as quickly as it can be done because the harsh weather is around the corner. If the weather becomes severe that will end any rescue or relief efforts. 

The temperature is via "Accuweather" (click here)

October 27, 2015
By Tim Craig and Sayed Salahuddin

...But the earthquake destroyed dozens of mountainside villages (click here) both sides of the volatile border, presenting unique challenges for rescue officials. With the winter’s first snow already covering some hard-hit areas, there were mounting concerns about a grave humanitarian crisis — possibly complicated by the presence of Taliban militants, who control some areas in the quake zone.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Taliban called on its fighters to respect international relief efforts in Afghanistan.

“[We] call on our good-willed countrymen and charitable organizations not to hold back in providing shelter, food and medical supplies to the victims,” the Islamist militant group said in a statement on its Web site, adding that its fighters also should help the efforts.

Such cooperation would mark a rare truce by the Taliban, which has recently stepped up offensives in Afghanistan, including taking temporary control of the key northern city of Kunduz earlier this month....

I'll try and find the video. She was fighting off the assault after it happened.

This show her reaction to the physical assault. Her arms are definitely moving to impede the officer's arm around her neck.

The assault by the cop was over a cell phone? A cell phone?

October 27, 2015
By Matt Pearce and Dexter Thomas

...The girl, (click here) who was not identified, was charged under the state's disturbing schools law, a misdemeanor that allows police to arrest a student for disrupting class or school functions. She was released to her parents. 

The law needs to be reviewed. Disturbing a class is not a crime. These are young people and the system is setting them up for failure.

Another student not shown on video, Niya Kenny, 18, said she was also charged with disturbing the school.

Niya Kennedy is a hero. If she didn't come forward to temper the situation, it is debateable how much more abuse would have been leveled against the young lade that sustained the action by the cop.

I realize cell phones are a big problem with young people. I had my share of ridiculous among of minutes and the doubt no awake person could possibly be on the phone that much. That is an exaggeration, but, not much of a one. Cell phones are a status symbol, sometimes they are a safety measure for parents and their young person, but, they are here to stay. How parents and school deal with them should be a joint effort. The authorities cannot be working against the parents and vise versa.

That said, our young people are under too much legal scrutiny, but, this is South Carolina and every person is a criminal if the cops say so.

And I am unapologetic about those statements. If everyone recalls there was a very fatal shooting earlier this year whereby magnificent people were assassinated in a church. There is some very thick racism in the south. This is somewhat an extension of it. The laws are too oppressive. 

People should not be tripping over laws simply because they breath the air and that is exactly what happened today in that South Carolina classroom. Those young people remind me of my sons at that age, they are simply so full of life and the future they are beautiful. They are naive enough to believe they are as important to everyone in their lives as they are to their families. 

None of those young people deserve to be traumatized at any time in their lives. They don't deserve to have oppressive laws in their early life that will permanently scar them with a criminal record. I have had my share of young men bumping their heads up against authority, but, teachers and administrators were always reasonable. I think I have a story on this blog about an episode with my youngest son. The administrator actually thanked me for coming in to his office and upholding his authority to call my young man along with three others into question. All to often parents blame the administrators. They are people, too. BUT, laws that make young people into criminals are completely wrong.

My young men were issued detention or some other benign method of impressing on them they acted foolishly and against school rules. I stood with them and told them this was all about growing up and accepting responsibility for their behavior. They accepted their punishment issued by the school and carried it out without wanting to have it reoccur. That is what growing up is all about and yes, even Juniors and Seniors have their issues. I probably should say, especially Juniors and Seniors have their issues.

South Carolina has not done the right thing for their young people. Both these young ladies are wonderful people. They are going to grow up to be productive people with families and children of their own. Marriages and all the emotional highs and lows that go along with that. That is being an American. 

The South Carolina legislature can reflect on these harsh school laws and act appropriately to repeal them and stop the State from raising those young ladies and allow their parents that complete privilege. No child should be facing a criminal charge because they glanced at their cell phones. I think the teacher is a real idiot for even making an issue of it. If it were a cheating issue, it should be brought up with the parents in a phone call. Even the incident today would be solved as simply as calling parents and begin to bring them into what is perceived as an academic problem. If the parents aren't responsive then the Principal gets involved and persists to have them come to the school to speak to the teacher and the Principal.

And I have a reality check for the administrators at that school. I am quite sure the teacher and the Principal have cars. I betcha they run well. I am sure the teacher and Principal can find a map that will lead them to the door of that family. 

There are many, many ways of bringing parents into the picture and act for the best interest of the student. Sometimes when administrators go out of their way to understand a problem with a student they find something they don't expect and Social Workers are referred into the circumstances.

The attack today on that young woman is way out of line with NORMAL interventions of schools in the lives of their students. 

South Carolina has got it wrong.

A friend, a gay woman worked in education all her life and eventually became a Superintendent of the schools she had her career. It was in North Carolina. Everyone loved her and she is retired today. She has a son and a life partner. 

But, she was magnificent with children. She would pay visits to some Hispanic families, probably Undocumented, and find out how the food supply was coming and did they have enough clothing for the children to attend school. If children were absent and she had knowledge of poverty, she would travel to the house to pick up the kids because for whatever reason they missed the bus.

So, don't tell me about teachers and dedication, I know about teachers and their dedication. I think the teachers, principals and all administrators in South Carolina need to get their heads screwed on straight and stop victimizing their young people.

Great idea !

I am proud of my membership.

The Republican nomination in 2016 is not very different than the nomination or 2012. Romney was challenged for the nominee all the way the way to the convention.

Romney had won 37 states with 52 percent of the vote.

Rick Santorum took 11 states with 20 percent of the vote.

Newt Gingrich took 2 states with 14 percent of the vote.

Ron Paul took 11 percent of the vote.

The 2016 nomination will probably take on the same long path to the convention.

The final roll call vote in 2012 was Romney 53 and Ron Paul 3. That is a total of 56 voting delegations. Republicans recognize USA Territories, such as Puerto Rico, as having a vote for the nomination. Puerto Rico is having some sincere fiscal problems, too.

I can't stop laughing. CNN turned the Middle East into WW III. CNN declared it. Amazing.

That should shorten the 100 year war and wipe out populations in all the major countries in the world.

Amazing. 

I have other things to do, by all means CNN should go forward with being neocon assholes.

Officer Ben Fields placed his arm around the student's neck. End of discussion.

This is called deadly force. People die when their throat is impaired. It was never a method to use in police apprehensions.

This young woman is unarmed and posed no threat to anyone in the classroom.

There is a huge difference from being a threat and disturbing the peace.

THE STUDENT was struggling to stop the officer when he had his arm around the young woman's neck. She was not at all assaulting the office, she was attempting self defense. Lies, the media loves to lie.

Will someone please tell the USA media that citizens are important, too?

CNN looked at the video and decided the actions of the young BLACK woman was hitting the officer, therefore, the police officer was doing everything right. Lies. Biased and racist by CNN.

The city and the officer will be defensive in their answers regardless of the truth. This is also South Carolina and the idea a police officer acts unquestionably exists there. So, young black women are completely compromised by the media and quite possibly the SC government. The US Justice Department better be involved.

Why would the USA media do that? A media organization will seek to change the dialogue and hence serve it's political ambitions. It is about power and it's abuse.

Currently, African Americans are caught in the center of a political dialogue which defines them as the bad guys and evidently the bad girls. The most dramatic example was the death of an innocent black man who was carrying a gun for self defense. The death was wrongful and conducted by a police officer. There is an absolute absence of gun organizations speaking out against the police officer causing a wrongful death of a man that owned and carried a gun. The right wing gun organizations are Caucasians and the Police are great. The black men and women in the USA cause a lot of problems and kill people, therefore they are the bad guys. It is just that simple.

The right wing politics in the USA do not deal in facts, but, only simpleton understandings. There is only one way to think as a Republican and it is easy to determine elections and outcomes. The Americans that are pandered to by Republicans don't even know the facts. They don't care. Black people are wrong and police are perfect. "Black Lives Matter" is an extremist organization that hate white people. That is Republicans. When a circumstance occurs that challenges a police officers authority it is a "Black LIves Matter" radical carrying it out.

The young black woman that was assaulted by a police officer with deadly force is one of those radicals. The candidacy of Ben Carson is perfect. It provides a black icon to dispel the facts on the ground.

I would expect a black candidate to take the side of innocent African Americans and the assault they are sustaining in their communities. The facts about Ferguson are undeniable. People died and were held in prison and jail and lost their jobs because they could not pay fines. Ferguson was absolutely corrupt and Michael Brown, Jr. was not only killed for absolutely no reason at all but a petty offense that he should have been scolded by his parents. He is dead. Not only dead, but, he laid in that street for hours. Why? To teach everyone a lesson. This is the USA. This is not my country the way I knew it when I was a young woman. I don't recognize the USA anymore.

One last thing...

...Senator Ayote stated there is a great deal of propaganda circulating through the military personnel in that women in the military and as officers and as leadership will kill soldiers. She asked the Secretary and General Dunford end the propaganda as it is hurting the women already in the military.

The Republicans should not look to war as a way to define their rhetoric anymore. Senator Ayote wants to know what the USA does to respond to the missiles fired by Iran. She is demanding a response from the USA when Iran behaves badly including the conviction of a journalist.

THE WAY THE USA RESPONDS TO MISSILE TESTING IS TO LAUNCH ITSELF TO PROVE THAT THE OFFENDING POWER HAS NOTHING IN RELATIONS TO IDEAS OF CONFRONTATION.

Ayote doesn't have a clue how to go forward with Republican rhetoric. It would be helpful if the Republicans accept the treaty signed with Iran and moved on. The idea the USA would have a war response to missiles fired that resulted in absolutely no aggression except as a test to Iran's missile battery is outrageous.

Everyone of the Republicans are trying to return to war in the Middle East and are lost to discuss anything else. 

As an example to where some Democrats are focused was revealed by Senator McCaskill when she brought to the forefront that Master Sergeant Joshua Wheeler who died in the recent life saving raid on hostages was on his fourteenth tour. 

She also is demanding information she has repeatedly requested regarding the people effected by the Mustard Gas Experiments. Senator McCaskill can't help veterans without those records.

Oh cute, Secretary Carter does not want to talk about military operations in public. I can't imagine why, hm? Maybe because Barak Obama has been able to break his promise to end USA operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and now the Pacific expansion of USA power it confronting islands created in the Pacific by China. I wonder why the public publications by the White House of military operations is not forthcoming? I think most people of the USA abhor the USA's presence in the OLD WAR ZONES of Iraq and Afghanistan. As a matter of fact the more I hear in Congressional hearings there is no place for the USA in two continuing wars in the Middle East.

The truth is Iraq no longer exists and any scrap of potential to say some fighters belong to al Qaeda is simply to justify demands from Republicans to maintain their fear within the American people.

General Dunford stated to Senator Mike Lee that there was some success with Sunni sheiks before and he could look into revitalizing that effort. NO WAY. That was when Iraq actually existed. It doesn't exist anymore. The Sunnis have not responded to the request of Iraq President Fuad Masum to join the Iraqi military.

The entire hearing of Dunford and Carter with the Senate Committee was bizarre and clearly illustrated the only way there is a country called Iraq was to invader the country all over again. What a shame the Republicans have lost their war rhetoric. Senator Sessions was completely pathetic in his pandering to Secretary Carter regarding something called "A Safe Zone" which is different from "A No Fly Zone." Safe Zones are the new Republican TALKING POINTS.

In order to establish a No Fly Zone in Syria would mean confronting Russia according Secretary Carter. He stated it would not a simple measure to set up No Fly Zones. 

Now, on the other hand if the USA would set up "Safe Zones" it is not war really. Not really. It is a measure to help European allies to relieve the largest movement of migrants and refugees in decades. 

Gosh, gee whiz if the USA could only go back to Iraq the 2016 elections are a guaranteed outcome for Republicans.

October 26, 2015
 By Missy Ryan and Greg Jaffe

President Obama’s most senior national security advisers (click here) have recommended measures that would move U.S. troops closer to the front lines in Iraq and Syria, officials said, a sign of mounting White House dissatisfaction with progress against the Islamic State and a renewed Pentagon push to expand military involvement in long-running conflicts overseas.
The debate over the proposed steps, which would for the first time position a limited number of Special Operations forces on the ground in Syria and put U.S. advisers closer to the firefights in Iraq, comes as Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter presses the military to deliver new options for greater military involvement in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan... 

You believe this mess? Everyone agrees in DOD there is not a defined Iraqi military. The rescue of the hostages was conducted by the Kurdish Peshmerga. There were no Iraqi forces involved.

Jeff Sessions stated he went to the Brookings Institute to find a long range strategy/policy for the Middle East. That is how desperate Sessions is to find a fear mongering war.  Brookings Institute told Sessions the Middle East violence and upheaval will continue at least 50 years and more like a century.

Let's visit this mess.

The issue with China building an entire nation of artificial islands can occur and it is not addressed by international law. This is not an issue for bombs and aircraft carriers, but, for the international community to end these aggressive plans by China. 

The Pacific has many long standing hostilities that involve this island or that island and now China has complicated the tensions of the region with artificial islands simply because they can build them and not that they should. I have to wonder if China has already built dock cranes on the island by now?

The United Nations, including all members in the Pacific, have to draw up a new convention on the Pacific to end the hideous aggression of building artificial islands to facilitate expansionism. Such a convention will pass the UN easily and be ratified in short order because every country besides China will participate to end the aggression that will assault sovereign borders.

CHINA HAS LOST IT'S SENSITIVITY to the fact their economy is reliant on exports. Hello? That is why China needs to concentrate on it's Middle Class. If 
China continues this aggression it's customers will work on restructuring their imports to exclude China. 

International waters have to be preserved and China is currently moving against that international commodity that is vital for trade and shipping lanes. This entire mess carried out by China has to end. It is a really stupid idea and it has to end.

Iraq. There is no Iraqi authority, currently Iran has about 1000 of their military in Iraq to protect the region where the Shia are in danger from Daesh. These Iranian soldiers are welcome by the Iraqi government in Baghdad. 

What does exist in Iraq are militias that protect their cities and towns. These local forces are successful, are supported by Iran and will not leave their towns to join a national force. THERE IS NO IRAQ. 

There are also something like 2000 Iranian military in Syria to help protect the Shia interests there. 

Senator Mike Lee traveled to some place in the Middle East to ask Sunnis if they would participate in a national military. What? The President of Iraq asked the Sunnis and received on one coming to his request. But, Mike Lee the powerful can bring all sorts of promises of money and weapons to win the appreciation of the Iraqi Sunnis.

Let's see. The USA will seek to end ships carrying missiles to places like Yemen on behalf of Saudi Arabia, but, Mike Lee sees no reason to hold back when arming Sunnis in Iraq to SUPPOSEDLY join a Iraq national military force. Lee is another McCain. They have to have hate relations with the President and of course he always has the best answer for American electorate to assure fears of Daesh taking over the USA. Lee is hideous and should not be seeking to expand a war that is contracting.

Syria - The conflict between the east and west regarding this country is interesting.

The West and it's Arab Coalition has been successful in that Assad was reaching the point of dissolution of power. Now I know why Assad was smiling in Moscow. 

Russia has decided it did not serve it's best interest to allow the Assad government to collapse and it re-entered the country. One will recall that has been Russia's position all along. Russia consented to a power sharing structure, but, with Assad weakened that power sharing government would not exist. So, in propping up Assad Russia has been consistent in its' international dialogue. There is no difference in Russia's interest from the beginning.

That is the dialogue at the Senate committee meeting, but, the history of Russia's interest is mine. President Obama, according to Secretary Carter, also stated that there has been an increase recruitment by Daesh now that Russia is involved with Assad. 

The Arab Coalition is not interested in creating a pool of soldiers to bring together a military force for ground movements. There is no involvement on the ground by an Arab Coalition army and there are no plans to bring that about. 

It is a good thing that the USA's training of foreign fighters because it was pointed out during the Senate committeee that the Second Amendment of the USA Constitution would provide a path forward to place US troops on the ground simply because there were American instructors and assets involved in training. 

ie: Vietnam

The overriding POLITICAL focus by the Republican Senators is that there was no sincere need for "Status of Forces Agreement" because the 2nd Amendment is always available to CYA any Executive Branch. 

I don't think so. The USA's Executive Branch is not a dictator. 

There has been some success in forming a Iraqi CTS (counter terrorism). The will to fight and protect Iraq is equal to that of the Kurdish Peshmerga. The monies Americans have spent in Iraq was not completely lost. But, the CTS does not replace a military army. 

Another interesting thing from Neocon McCain, Petraeus supports attacks on Assad forces that would become a No Fly Zone. A complete interpretation is that to establish a No Fly Zone would confront Russia and Assad and that is desirable FOR USA NATIONAL SECURITY. I have never heard such bizarre attitudes in my life. A No Fly Zone in Syria was start World War III. I don't think so.

Currently, Assad is working in the west of Syria to secure land away from Daesh and the USA is involved in another part of the country. Except for occasional jet 'spotting' there is no interaction between the Arab Coalition and Assad forces. 

Secretary Carter backs the President in his veto of the NDAA (National Defense Authorization Act). Secretary Carter stated while some reforms have taken place in military spending there is more reform dearly needed to streamline the system and better support American operations. Secretary Carter also states it is a gross error to fund the USA military year by year. He believes the military spending DOD needs is found in a true budget agreement with an honest DOD ability to reallocate funding to add efficiency to the department. He states it is what the DOD deserves and it is honestly want the DOD needs that occurs in multi-year NDAAs. 

McCain stated there would still be OCO funding. That was to say, use the OCO funding to restructure whatever the DOD wanted to restructure IN ADDITION to the inflated and vetoed military budget submitted by Congress. So, Senator McCain said in different words, "Get a clue, there are many ways to fund reforms and the OCO funding will be great and it can be siphoned off for such issues." 

Secretary Carter states the Israel Defense Minister was in town and he along with General Dunford will be having dinner with him today. They plan to talk about Israel's needs. Secretary Carter and General Dunford stated they have exceptionally good relations with Israel and that will continue. 

Senator Sullivan stated Petraeus said there was no easy answer in the Middle East. 

NO CLUE. INSTABLITY AND HOSTILIES SPANNING A CENTURY IS A DIFFICULT SUBJECT. IT IS A FOREVER WAR.

However, such a reality does not temper Patreus' neocon compulsions.

Secretary Carter stated all military commitments are honored by the USA and the USA military is in a state of readiness. That is vastly different than the fact Petraeus only sees American commitments honored and forces ready if the USA is engaged in war. That is not a Defense Department. It is a Petraeus war department.  

The discussion that took place regarding the Arctic Ocean was interesting. The USA's interest in the Arctic was stated to be late. The Senator's committee seems to think the USA has the same interests in the Arctic as Russia. That is not the case. The shoreline of USA interests is limited to that of Alaska.  

The discussion with the Senate Committee regarding Alaska clearly illustrates the overreach of concern regarding military spending. The American interests in the Arctic Ocean belongs to the Alaskan northern border and NATO's alliance where the European borders begin in the Barents Sea. 

Russia has far more shoreline to protect. The build up of Russia in it's Arctic region started years ago when it became clear there would be no polar cap and it's northern border was vulnerable. That is a completely different reality than NATO, including Canada. NATO's assets are well established and quite frankly Russia is the one late to it's Arctic borders. 

This is the first time Russia had war games in the Arctic.

March 16, 2015
By Thomas Grove

More than 45,000 Russian troops (click here) as well as war planes and submarines started military exercises across much of the country on Monday in one of the Kremlin's biggest shows of force since its ties with the West plunged to Cold War-lows.
President Vladimir Putin called the Navy's Northern Fleet to full combat readiness in exercises in Russia's Arctic North apparently aimed at dwarfing military drills in neighboring Norway, a NATO member.
"New challenges and threats to military security require the armed forces to further boost their military capabilities. Special attention must be paid to newly created strategic formations in the north," Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said, quoted by RIA news agency....

There is no reason for anyone to be alarmed and because Tom Tillis hasn't got a clue doesn't mean President Obama is a militarily incompetent. Quite frankly, what I heard in the entire committee meeting was the reality there are no more wars for the USA to carry out and what are they going to do when it comes to their own Republican elections in 2016.

To conclude some of this: The vetting of any attempts to form a Free Syrian Army worked. It resolved that fact there are basically no people without sectarian interests in Iraq and Syria. There is no interest by sectarian interests to cooperate together to oppose Assad. That reality means there is no viable possibility of forming a power sharing government in Syria. Just because the USA is assisting the Arab Coalition with bombing forces that threaten them does not mean there is a Free Syrian Army. That army does not exist and no coalition ground forces are planned by any country in the Arab Coalition. 

The DOD states the way forward to bring an end to the civil war in Syria is political. There is only one political force in Syria with a military force to secure it's borders and that is Russian supported Assad. There is no one else and it is why past rulers of Saudi Arabia recognized Assad as the sole political leader of Syria a long time ago.

When turning to the Arctic Ocean, there is limited interest by the USA military. Some military assets, like a couple of ice breakers, would be appropriate for the Alaskan northern border, but, other than that the national security of Canada and northern Europe belongs to NATO. If there needs to be a revisit and refit for NATO that should be determined and carried out in any budgetary interests. 

Israel is still a strong ally.

The USA military appropriations budget is way out of line and full of pork. Stuffing OCO with funding is not an appropriate response. it is simply more untapped pork.


The Republicans resist writing a REAL NDAA. The military spending is among the highest expenditures in the USA budget and needs to be trimmed and made more efficient. Oddly, the USA military generals agree. The pork is nothing more than empty spending and wasteful politics.

There is every reason to believe the USA presence in the Middle East in places such as Iraq and Syria attract foreign fighters just as much as Russia does. 

The USA has no legitimate reasons to stay in Iraq or to enter Syria. Any military build up is illegal by the USA Constitution and international laws. The USA has experienced it's first death in four years in Iraq by a man on his 14th tour of duty. The repeated use of American personnel only creates nightmares for the soldiers and their family when PTSD is the "New Normal" for military careers. That has to end. There is no reason to continue the war in Iraq or fuel more in Syria. The region is coming to terms with it's dangers and what follows is a real look at religious extremism and it's threat to a sovereign country. That is a good thing and if the USA were fighting a forever war, a country would not reflect on where it's religious extremism needs to end. 

The USA budget needs to reshuffle the costs of war into redistribution within the military that ends pork spending and once again creates a strong national defense.

Russia is NOT our enemy.