There is no more 'actionable intelligence' to be gained from inmates at Guantanamo Bay. The prison needs to be closed. It has become irrelevant.

And I will remind, that IF these men are to be considered 'enemy combatants' they are then POWs. POWs have rights under the Geneva Conventions and are required to be returned to their country of origin.

NOW.

If the people of the USA want to call them international criminals and have them tried for the crimes they committed I strongly suggest these men be housed in USA prisons and tried in a court of law.

General Protection Of Prisoners Of War (click title to entry - thank you)

Article 12. Prisoners of war may only be transferred by the Detaining Power to a Power which is a party to the Convention and after the Detaining Power has satisfied itself of the willingness and ability of such transferee Power to apply the Convention.

Article 84. In no circumstances whatever shall a prisoner of war be tried by a court of any kind which does not offer the essential guarantees of independence and impartiality.

Article 99. No prisoner of war may be convicted without having had an opportunity to present his defence and the assistance of a qualified advocate or counsel.

Article 101. If the death penalty is pronounced on a prisoner of war, the sentence shall not be executed before the expiration of a period of at least six months.

Article 102. A prisoner of war can be validly sentenced only if the sentence has been pronounced by the same courts according to the same procedure as in the case of members of the armed forces of the Detaining Power.

Article 103. Judicial investigations relating to a prisoner of war shall be conducted as rapidly as circumstances permit and so that his trial shall take place as soon as possible.

Article 106. Every prisoner of war shall have, in the same manner as the members of the armed forces of the Detaining Power, the right of appeal or petition from any sentence pronounced upon him.

- AP

Terror suspect raised no suspicion in Amsterdam (click here)
January 05, 2010 16:26 EST

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) -- Investigators have been studying more than 200 hours of security video from the Amsterdam airport, to learn more about what the suspect in the Christmas Day bombing attempt was doing while he was there.

And they say they've found no evidence that the Nigerian man contacted any accomplices while in Amsterdam. They also say he had the explosives on him when he arrived from Nigeria on a connecting flight.

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab allegedly tried to blow up a Northwest Airlines plane near Detroit by injecting chemicals into a package of explosives concealed in his underwear.

Dutch investigators say he underwent a security interview in Amsterdam, and did nothing unusual in his three-hour stopover there.

Investigators have seized the airline seat Abdulmutallab occupied from Nigeria to Amsterdam and sent it for forensic tests to check for traces of explosives.

Like I said, warmer temperatures are coming in from the west.

January 10, 2010
1915:15z
UNISYS North and West Hemisphere Infrared Satellite (click here for 12 hour loop)

The satellite above clearly shows TWO (one on each coast of the USA) heat driven vortexes moving warmer air from the equatorial regions of Earth to the Arctic Circle and driving the denser and heavier air to the lower latitudes. The intense cold the USA is experiencing is due directly to displacement of frigid air over the lower latitudes. This is NOT normal, it is Human Induced Global Warming. Those are vortexes that are 'heat driven.' The vortexes have replaced the jet stream as the dominant force directing climate. It started in October 2002 and hasn't stopped yet.



This is the most recent map from USGS regarding current flooding in the country. The red dots mean there is currently moderately flooding, the purple dots are major flood events.

Click title to entry for map. It is an interactive map and one can click on any dot for updates. Thank you.





The frigid weather won't last much longer.

The weather at Glacier Bay National Park (Crystal Wind Chime) is finally freezing.

What I don't understand is why would Bush go through so much trouble to HIDE evidence of Human Induced Global Warming? Huh?

This is OUR country, not Bush's country, yet he deliberately blocked use of data received by satellites the USA owns to hide profound evidence of Human Induced Global Warming. I guess there is something to this, huh?

I suppose it would hurt his Cattlemen friends of 'THE TRUTH' actually got out.



A satellite image of the East Siberian Sea from 1999-2008. This image has been degraded to hide the satellite’s true capabilities.

I wish Americans would pay profound attention to the level of deception the Bush/Cheney administered for eight years with the permission of Republicans in the House and Senate. This isn't a political game.

The Bush/Cheney White House deliberately hid evidence of Human Induced Global Warming from the very scientists that wanted the information to discern more and valuable data, yet Republicans are NOT held responsible for these 'political games' with information garnered from satellites paid for by taxpayer dollars. That reality is astounding to me.

That should place a new definition on 'Reality Television' when one realizes the LIES Americans allow in their lives when it come to elections and the people they place in office.

C.I.A. Is Sharing Data With Climate Scientists(click title to entry - thank you)

...The collaboration restarts an effort the Bush administration shut down and has the strong backing of the director of the Central Intelligence Agency. In the last year, as part of the effort, the collaborators have scrutinized images of Arctic sea ice from reconnaissance satellites in an effort to distinguish things like summer melts from climate trends, and they have had images of the ice pack declassified to speed the scientific analysis.

The trove of images is “really useful,” said Norbert Untersteiner, a professor at the University of Washington who specializes in polar ice and is a member of the team of spies and scientists behind the effort.

Scientists, Dr. Untersteiner said, “have no way to send out 500 people” across the top of the world to match the intelligence gains, adding that the new understandings might one day result in ice forecasts....

Lat/Lon: 58.8° N 137.0° W

Local Time: 11:23 AM AKST (GMT -09)

Elevation :: 33 feet

Temperature :: 16 Fahrenheit

Conditions :: Clear

Windchill :: 16 F

Humidity :: 86%

Dew Point :: 12 Fahrenheit

Wind :: Calm

Pressure :: 30.20 inches (steady)

Visibility :: 10 miles

UV :: 0 out of 16

Clouds :: Clear

The Texas Cattlemen and Oil Barons are worried about their money. Not an intact troposphere, money. That's morality? Sure.

The Science is sound and the EPA could not be more correct.

The emitters will lose.

The industries that emit Greenhouse Gases and I don't care whom they are, need to invest in reduction of the gas, not license to kill through Climate Change.

Money.

Forbid Wall Street should not have to sacrifice one thin dime for the sake of environmental safety, but, they can spend 100s of millions if not billions on lawyers. That is just about the sickest priority and value system I have ever witnessed. They don't care, they never cared and this is simply more of the same.

BOYCOTT BEEF !!

I could not mean it more. They have had decades to adjust and they refuse to do it.

I am calling for a global BOYCOTT of BEEF. If they don't make money from growing cows we won't have the problem.

GLOBAL BOYCOTT OF BEEF !!!

January 04, 2010

First up to challenge EPA on CO2: Big Beef (CLICK TITLE TO ENTRY - THANK YOU)

Legal challenges were widely expected the moment the EPA said late last year that it found CO2 and other greenhouse gases to be dangererous substances that needed regulating. The source of the first formal challenge came as a bit of a suprise, however: The National Cattlemen's Beef Association.

The group filed a challenge just before Christmas, saying the finding "is not based on a rigorous scientific analysis" that is being done "despite so much uncertainty surrounding humans' contribution to climate change is perplexing."

"Instead of letting the issue of climate change, and man's alleged contribution to it, be addressed through the proper democratic legislative process, EPA has decided to trump Congress and mandate greenhouse gas regulation under the Clean Air Act," said Tamara Thies. "The Act is ill-equipped to address climate change, and Congress never intended for it to be used for that purpose."

Why is Big Beef so concerned? According to Edmunds:

The cattlemen care because methane gas — which cattle and cattle waste produce a whole lot of — is one of the nastiest of the greenhouse gases in terms of its ability to trap heat in the atmosphere and thus is one of the gases most likely to be subject to tight regulation.

The Arctic Circle dips south, the West Coast needs to brace for the potential of high turbulent weather.

January 4, 2010
0530:15z
UNISYS Water Vapor GOES West Satellite (click here for 12 hour loop)

The image below shows a cold air mass that has descended from the Arctic Circle. It occurred because of the continued and chronic warm air moving from the Equator to the Arctic Circle.

There are vortexes off both coasts, both are carrying hot air with them. As that warmer air moves both north from just south of Florida, and east from just west of California, it will mix with some very cold and dense air over North America, primarily the 48 states of the USA. That is not good news.

The snows will melt, flooding will result and the warm low pressure air mass will meet with the cold high pressure system and cause a great deal of turbulence. There will be moisture with the warm air masses and additional rains. Depending on 'local temperatures' it could result in additional flooding and/or ice.



January 4, 2010
1730:13z
UNISYS Water Vapor West and North Hemisphere Satellite (click here for 12 hour loop)

There is your Afghan Corruption Leader and leader of the 'death squads' in Pakistan.

That is what the 'roving Taliban patrols' are that walk into Pakistan villages and attack police stations and innocent people. They are death squads. The sooner they are recognized for what they are the sooner the Pakistani police and military can simply target them as they enter a village or city. They are not peaceful people that have come for pilgrimage to trade. They are 'drug lord' sponsored death squads. And this is their 'organizer.' He has sustained intelligence about operations in and out of Afghanistan for decades. He is very valuable to the Taliban 'network.'



Afghanistan: Several activists detained (click here for original article)

Afghan forces and NATO have arrested several militants Monday in Khost province near the Pakistani border in the east, according to a press release issued by the International Security Assistance Force and Security ( ISAF).

According to the statement, the activists were arrested Monday morning Parukhil, a village in Sabari district, during a joint operation by Afghan and international forces.

The statement did not mention the exact number of militants arrested, adding that among those arrested there is a collaborator in the field of weapons of top Taliban commander, Jalaluddin Haqqani Mawlawi.

The''collaborator Haqqani has confirmed his identity and went, "said the release.

Moreover, international forces have suffered no loss during the operation, the statement said.

Until now, the Taliban militants have made no comment.

Source: Xinhua


Evidently the CIA strike was 'Tit for Tat.' Yes? In true warlord style. I guess that was a warning as to whom it boss. Evidently the USA, Afghanistan and Pakistan forgot for a second, huh?

It is called corruption. Meet Karzai's downfall. At least until now.

Haqqani commanders nabbed in Afghanistan (click here)

Published: Dec. 30, 2009 at 6:10 PM
KABUL, Afghanistan, Dec. 30 (UPI) -- Afghan and international military forces seized several Taliban and Haqqani commanders during operations in the country's volatile south and east.

In southern Afghanistan near Kandahar, Afghan forces uncovered a weapons cache containing several rocket-propelled grenades and around 800 rounds of ammunition. Near Khost along the volatile Pakistani border, Afghan forces uncovered the components used to make suicide vests.

Also near Khost, a team of Afghan and international forces captured several members of the Haqqani terrorist network, the U.S. Defense Department said.

The Haqqani network is believed to have strong ties to al-Qaida leaders in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Taliban last week released a video of U.S. Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl, who was captured by Haqqani fighters in June.

Other Taliban commanders were detained during separate operations in Kandahar. The Defense Department said no Afghan civilians were killed and no shots were fired during the latest operations.

Western forces came under fire by Afghan President Hamid Karzai following the death of 10 Afghan civilians, including eight schoolchildren, during an attack by Western military forces in the northeast province of Kunar during the weekend.

Karzai complained that civilian deaths from military activity in his country only gave insurgents additional recruitment tools to fight Western forces.

I don't believe the NATO forces of which the USA is a part even intend to kill innocent civilians. Ever. I guess he can complain, but, the end of the warlords has to be resolved and the southern provinces cleaned up and populated with lawful civilians. There isn't anything to complain about when one realizes the outcome. Perhaps Karzai is worried about losing his soldiers to 'recruitment' by vengence. He needs to have the people deal with their confusion on the issue of the current military operations in their country. Their lives aren't threatened by the USA military or NATO forces, we are there to stop the violence and bring them peace. They need a President that complains less and acts to return sanity to their country. Karzai seems to forget there are some real 'bad guys' in his neck of the woods.

I understand the Afghan people are tired of the wars. I understand that completely. But, this isn't 'the same' post Russian violence they always USE to complain about. That was a long time ago. This is the 'mistake' the USA made by putting the Mujahideen in control of Afghanistan and a place for Osama bin Laden to call home. We aren't simply annihilating villages of people. If we were that would be an atrocity the world could judge. The more the Taliban and al Qaeda and their associates hide among the people the more civilians will find issue with the military operations.

Hm.

The H1B Visa. What does it do to our college graduates?

Unemployment demographics: (click title to entry - thank you)

Under educated with less than a High School Diploma is currently 15%.

USA High School Graduates is currently 10.4%.

Some College or an Associate Degree is currently 9%.

Bachelor degree or higher is currently 4.9%.

The primary issue in the USA when it comes to unemployment is education. Does the H1B Visa hurt our unemployed? Probably a little, but, not significantly enough to stop the program. The primary threat to our USA Labor force in regard to unemployment comes from illegal immigration and employing undocumented workers.

The REAL question in regard to H1B Visa, is not does it cause unemployment, BUT, does it actually 'displace' USA college grads OUT of their chosen field and into lower paid labor employment. That is the real question in regard to H1B Visas. If the Visa is shown to 'displace' our college educated labor force, then the program needs to be reexamined.

But, from an 'emergency' stand point, it is the USA UNDER-EDUCATED that are hardest hit by illegal immigration. Ask the folks in 'tent cities' across the USA if they will accept lower minimum wage employment rather than live as they are, I have a feeling they would welcome the opportunity.

When I was in Junior High and High School, I really enjoyed working as a farm worker and being paid by the 'basket' (or the pound depending on the produce.) at a local produce farm. It kicked butt, you know? Tan lines, muscles and some cash in the pocket to boot. No taxes taken out and plenty of 'whistles' when we worked near a roadway. Lunch under a shade tree was fun. That was all good until I landed a Dental Assistant job at the age of 16 (No special certification was needed then, only on the job taining. I was a good worker, ya know?) when I finally applied for an SSI number. That's different now, one has an SSI number at birth these days. I was never lazy and enjoyed being an American. I took advantage of the 'employment and education opportunities' all my life.

Immigration Reform - "What did Joe Lieberman know and when did he know it?"

The Immigration laws of the USA are so weak and suffer from profound lack of enforcement there is NO 'Cracking Down' on illegal immigration, but, simply 'living with it.'

There are two approaches, "prohibit" or "allow." Both are necessary. One is a matter of bureaucratic policing through obstructions to 'paperwork processing,' while the other supports humanitarianly the people already here, protecting the American people from health hazards and upholding compassionate efforts to provide children born in the USA with their families.

THE ANSWER is solving Mexico's problems and stopping the 'spill over' of citizen's across the USA border. If citizens can easily escape through border crossings, including tunnels, semi-truck and planes to the USA that will be the only viable solution the Mexican government will seek.

The influx of illegal immigration across the USA/Mexico border increased dramatically in 2004 under Bush/Cheney. They thought it was a great idea, cheap labor and a drug economy for the USA. What could be better?

Protecting a human being from dying is one issue, but, allowing illegal immigration to overrun the country while changing the culture of the American people is quite something else. The USA should not become Little Mexico. Sorry. Then there is this whole 'VISA' mess, too. (click here) Our domestic work force doesn't have to be replaced, okay?

...About 6.3 million illegal immigrants from Mexico live in the U.S., (click here) according to the Pew Hispanic Center, and an average of 485,000 more arrive every year. In response, state legislatures considered nearly 300 bills on immigration policy in the first half of 2005 alone, but passed just 47. While some states address the challenges facing migrant workers with families, others are trying to crack down on illegal immigration SUPPORTIVE LEGISLATION Washington State Reversed a 2002 measure and restored health-care coverage to children regardless of their immigration status

Illinois In November Governor Rod Blagojevich set up an office to study immigrants contributions and needs; a new law allows illegal immigrant children to obtain health insurance

Idaho Rejected a bill that would have required counties to pay for transportation of undocumented workers back to their home countries

New Mexico Became the ninth state to extend in-state tuition benefits to undocumented immigrant students

CRACKING DOWN

Virginia A recent bill would make it the first state to prohibit illegal immigrants from attending state colleges; a new law restricts other benefits

South Carolina A bill passed the state house and senate requiring Medicaid applicants to present proof of legal residency if asked

Arizona Passed a law prohibiting cities from maintaining public day-laborer centers, where migrant workers congregate to seek employment

Kentucky Enacted a law requiring anyone seeking licenses for various professions to show proof of immigration status Illegal immigrants in the U.S. are largely from Mexico ...

...WHEN the song The Farm hit Mexico's airwaves late last year, (click here) it quickly became a sensation in a country increasingly frustrated by a three-year-old war against drug cartels.

The song tells the story of a fierce dog, perhaps representing drug traffickers, that causes no trouble until a fox - perhaps former Mexican president Vicente Fox - provokes it, unleashing a wave of bloodshed.

The song by Los Tigres del Norte, along with ''drug ballads'', has stirred a debate over the role of popular music as Mexico tries to break the cartels. About 13,000 people have died in drug-related violence since the crackdown began in 2006.

Drug ballads, known as narcocorridos in Spanish, have long been a part of Mexico's norteno music, which is driven by accordions and a polka-like beat. As the body count climbs, though, some experts worry that such hits are undermining the Government's efforts.

''It's possible that this kind of music desensitises Mexicans to what's going on,'' says Ruben Tinajero Medina, a musicologist at the University of Chihuahua....

Where was Homeland Security for the last three years? Between Bush, Cheney, Lieberman and Collins the USA was left wide open to the infiltration of violent drug gangs supported by USA weapons moving south into Mexico and drugs moving north to fund the near overthrow of the Mexican government. Hello?

The Republicans like especially open borders with Mexico to stem the cost of USA labor. Why not invite all the problems they have with them?

Drug gang moved cash, cocaine through Austin area, records show (click title to entry - thank you)

Documents unveil inner working of La Familia, officials say.

By Steven Kreytak

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Updated: 12:31 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2009

Published: 7:33 p.m. Monday, Dec. 28, 2009

They shipped pounds of cocaine at a time via FedEx from Austin to cities up and down the East Coast the drugs secreted inside hollowed-out electronics components sealed with spray foam insulation to hide the smell and then packed in cardboard boxes.

Shipments of cash from customers — one that was intercepted contained $141,000 — were returned in similar packages and brought to a local "stash house" — a 2,900-square-foot home on a quiet and neatly kept Pflugerville street.

The operation was run by members of La Familia, a violent Mexican drug gang that set up shop in the Austin area in recent years and moved millions of dollars of cocaine a month through town, according to authorities.

The details of the gang's inner workings come from federal court testimony and court affidavits unsealed after four people accused of working for the cartel in Austin were arrested in late October....

Masquerading as illegal cheap labor farm worker by day, after Fed-Ex delivery, illegal drug crime boss at night. Why not? Only in the USA can one get their illegal substances delivered by Fed-Ex. Not UPS? Rates too high? Detection better? Why Fed-Ex? Faster? Easier to 'pay off?' More consistent delivery drivers maybe?

Maybe this is the future of the Drug War, ya know? Donkey the opium out of Afghanistan to Pakistan and Fed Ex the stuff to Europe, Japan, Asia and the world. What the heck, it worked once, it will work forever.

Over night delivery. Exceptional Customer Service. I get it.

Pirates in the Gulf, Threats in Sanaa, it looks as though The West is finally getting this thing right.

Government forces launched an offensive in August 2009 to stamp out the uprising around Saada in the north

...Obama said that because of past attacks by the Al-Qaeda affiliate, he had, even before the December 25 attempt, stepped up US cooperation with Yemen. (click here)

"Training camps have been struck; leaders eliminated; plots disrupted," he said. "And all those involved in the attempted act of terrorism on Christmas must know: you too will be held to account."

Yemeni forces launched raids on suspected Al-Qaeda targets in the central and the Sanaa regions on December 17 and 24, killing more than 60 Islamist militants.

Several others were also wounded in clashes this week in a western province of the impoverished Arabian peninsula state which lies north of Somalia across the Gulf of Aden.

Petraeus praised the Yemeni president "for the success of the operations" against Al-Qaeda, and reaffirmed Washington's support for Yemen in its efforts to fight terrorism, Saba news agency reported....

I think we got them cornered. Where is al Qaeda going to RUN AWAY to now?

I don't know how proud young Islamic men reconcile their identities with such a spineless group of extremist men? I mean that sincerely. They don't have a country, they are parasites to established infrastructure and to 'direct' deaths of their 'soldiers' in order to 'scare' citizens is like something that happens on 'fright night.' It doesn't really interrupt lives enough to bring about rebellion. Al Qaeda seems 'stuck' with its methodology. They want to turn people against their governments, but, in The West it worked in opposition to that goal. Why would any young Islamic man ever believe Allah would accept such mindless violence, without profound purpose as a means to his graces? It doesn't make sense. Allah is more instrumentive than that. It is brainwashing. There isn't anything spiritual about that, it is the work of men and not of god that turns beautiful Islamic souls to violence.

Oh, well.

I find Saleh a very interesting and good looking man. I think that is true of most all the Arab leaders. They are wonderful human beings and good looking men. Handsome, self-assured, dedicated to purpose of loving Allah and their people. Something very wonderful about that combination.

As 2010 starts, Saleh hopes 'a new leaf' turned over in Yemen (click here)
Date: 01/01/2010
SANA'A- President Ali Abdullah Saleh hoped on Friday the new year to be the year of tolerance in which Yemen turns over a new leaf, urging the Houthi insurgents, separation seekers, misled Jihadist militants and the opposition, all political and social forces to make up their minds and put the interest of their country above all other interests.

In an article on the New Year published in the state-run Al-Thawra Daily, Saleh called on the rebels, who have been in a sporadic war with the army since 2004, to stick to the ceasefire conditions the government announced months ago....



President Saleh (click here for website)

Get used to thinking about this man as a good friend. He doesn't seem to be interested in holding onto al Qaeda within the country and he must have an incredibly loyal military to secure 'the move' against them. Interesting guy. I had gotten used to the idea, there were immoral leaders in Yemen. It is good to know I was wrong.

I really think The Republicans were too afraid of their Wall Street revenues to 'press their luck.'

Or.

They simply didn't have 'the guts' to believe The West would prevail.

It was probably both.

You know something, Bush was a gutless wonder, wasn't he? He allowed the proliferation of crime networks, al Qaeda, La Familiia in the USA, the sovereignty crisis in Mexico.

If The Republicans didn't talk about it, it didn't exist.

Wow.

Cowards every one.

And there is a crisis within the Arabian society infrastructure with parents losing children to violence and murder.

It hasn't gotten better over eight years, it has gotten worse.

The Republicans wanted to build walls around their castles and live happily ever after while the world fell apart around them.

That is not morality, it is the lack of it.

Isolationism invites disaster, courts it actively as the world views the 'power brokers' as a threat to their stability and their country's ability to enforce law.

Yep.

Negligence, everywhere I look, domestic, international there is negligence.

This is really a lousy set of circumstances to inherit. Really lousy. I don't know any other man on this planet that would take it 'head on.' They'd be too worried about their politics to be effective.

We have engaged the monster, it is time to finish this. In time it would have sought to finish us. Forcing 'the hand' of al Qaeda where it lives is the best venue possible. Strengthening Yemen's infrastructure is what is needed here.

...Al-Qaida threats have forced the United States to close its embassy in Yemen today amid increasing concern about the roots of terrorism in the Arabian peninsula in the wake of the Christmas Day bomb plot.

A statement posted on the embassy website said the office in the capital, Sana'a, had closed due to "ongoing threats" from al-Qaida. It said the embassy sent warning last week to US citizens in Yemen urging them to be vigilant.

An embassy spokesman would not comment on whether there had been a specific threat.

Yemen has been under scrutiny since the failed attempt by the Nigerian-born Umar Abdulmutallab to blow up a US airliner on Christmas Day. Abdulmutallab was trained in Yemen and yesterday Barack Obama said al-Qaida's branch there was behind the attempted attack.

Gordon Brown today confirmed that he and Obama had agreed to back a counterterrorism police unit in Yemen. In an statement, Downing Street said the unit was part of a plan to "intensify joint US-UK work to tackle the emerging terrorist threat from both Yemen and Somalia"....

Oh, one other thing. Fairly important.

The 'knowledge base' of al Qaeda in regard to Western culture and practices is extensive, by the way (click title to entry - thank you). That is a permanent knowledge base now. Al Qaeda is 'learning' the intricacies of 'corruption' and the use of 'insider connections' to infiltrate security measures, 'even at the gate.' One should assume the free flowing 'cash' in Amsterdam is a resource for such purposes.

U.S. Supporter of Al-Qaeda Is Indicted on Treason Charge (click here)

...Adam Gadahn, a 28-year-old fugitive believed to be living in Pakistan, could be sentenced to death if convicted of treason, which has been alleged only about 30 times in U.S. history and has not been used since the aftermath of World War II.

Gadahn, allegedly "gave al Qaeda aid and comfort . . . with intent to betray the United States" by appearing in videos calling for attacks on U.S. targets, according to the indictment, which was handed up by a federal grand jury in Santa Ana, Calif. Gadahn is also charged with providing material support to terrorists, which carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison....

Having a shared terrorist methodology, does not mean every nations share all their intelligence all the time. It also does not mean there is only ONE authority to satisfy to achieve 'priviledges' to 'movement' between countries and access to transportation.

It does mean there is ONE place of clearance of credentials where if there is an objection of any kind by any participating sovereign nation it is registered there and the LAYERS of sovereign authority STANDS as a measure to insure all participating nations are esteemed in their demands of security.

I am sure any pitfalls will work out. They have to. No power plays, simply an understanding of what 'potential of risk' is to 'the industries' involved and what 'secure credentials' actually mean.

This is NOT about efficiency or saving time and money. It IS about 'stopping' dangerous entities still alive in our world. That means it will be difficult to maneuver requiring a lot of patience and time. I don't see a 'special court' for such clearance either. Such issues need to 'take their place' among all others.

The New York Times has a nice recap with an attempt to move the process, but, it isn't complete in its assessment. If I may.

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, al Qaeda member (click here)

...Mr Obama had called for an immediate study of what he termed 'human and systemic failures' that allowed 23-year-old Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab to get on a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit on 25 December allegedly with explosives in his clothes....

Let's realize first this is a human being of a person within the community of 'men with prestige' inside of Islam. The young man is important and may very well be a target of al Qaeda itself. What would be more demoralizing to 'the establishment' within Islam but to have their young men drop dead in one murderous bombing after another. Let's start there.

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab has issues because no different than the 'glamourous' of al Qaeda is well educated, prayed to by his family and is seeking 'purpose' to his faith, life while attending to 'individuation issues.'

We know for a fact the murderous bombers of Islam are primarily young men and that the demographics of Islam takes a downward swing when it comes to 'aged' members in a very dramatic way. Therefore and for quite some time the 'place' where this 'conversation' happens is in years where young men are seeking to 'differentiate' themselves from their fathers.

That has to enter the formula if an intelligence operation is ever to succeed. We were lucky in that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab had a father with a conscience and a love for his son that transcended any 'ideal' thoughts of their relationship. But, what if that didn't happen? What if Abdul Farouk Abdulmutallab was not reported by his father, but, still radicalized. How do you stop that?

The point is there is a lot of work to be done and while there are OBVIOUS 'triggers' that were to 'set off' all kinds of warnings, the USA didn't pick up on it. This is a case of corruption and that has to be said. Something really outrageous occurred in Amsterdam and no matter the 'system' failures, which were significant, this was ALLOWED to occur and with PREMEDITATED intent.

There is much work to be done and Islam has all that much more work to be done for its young men. The intelligence agencies of The West and ultimately every nation on Earth has to 'share' a known data bank on these folks and it has to be 'uniform' in its decision making. There are some 'fail safes' that have to be included and 'yes' some profiling if we are to stop this mess among the young men of Islam. It is just the way it is. It is NOT hatred, not by a long shot, it is seeking to stop this radicalization at a tender time in their lives to prevent them from death and to deliver them to purpose for their families and their nations.

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab is a handsome young man. He is glamourous beyond any imagination. Yet, in his mind he is a murderous instrument by a deranged group of men that seek to destroy and kill civilization and for what reason? For what deranged reason?

Beside the 'shared infrastructure' that will streamline all the information about potential and actual murderers the 'profile' of the 'converted' has to be established. Years of vulnerability, length of time to conversion, potential to violence beyond any depersonalization disorder that exists today. The conversion is murderous and suicidal at the same time and it is inherent to some religious perversion of Islam. This is possible. The intelligence agencies need to 'hunker down' and find the 'instrument' of mind control that these 'radicalized clerics and holy men' use to twist the love of their family and this nation and their religion into a weapon.

Securing the USA is not a unilateral act. It is a large measure acts of compassion to stop this idiocy and stop the loss of Islamic young men cause by alienation from the very families that have nurtured them to lead their nations and not destroy them.

You know, perhaps Peter Bergen would be a good resource to the journalism community, too.

I sincerely believe the safeguards to stopping this young man were SABOTAGED. That being said, there is no defense from sabotage unless the entire system is re-secured from any further possibility of same. I find it very odd, the sophistication to this attempt was so poor. All the OBVIOUS signs were in place and yet the precautions failed as if they were designed to fail to sincerely rattle the civilized society of The West.

It is so maniacal. Either it was completely brilliant in its deployment or there was never any real safeguards in place by the USA. The truth is more than likely a complete and abject failure by the previous administration to stop this heinous methodology and standing in testament to that reality and FACT is the one aspect of this that no one can deny, THE BRITS HAD IT RIGHT. If the Brits had it right, we should have had it right. That is why it is either sincere sabotage 'at the gate' that was brilliantly deployed or simply stupidity of a system that needs to be desperately smart. I don't see that having a system that works in cooperation with another democratic country as Britain is ever a bad thing.

This gets real, real simple from here. If any ally of the USA has placed barriers to travel on any member of any country anywhere in the world that holds true for every other ally country. End of discussion. THAT will prevent such sabotage if there are multiple layers of security a person has to work through in order to gain access to planes and otherwise. Redundancy of sovereign authority will end any attempts at sabotage and that should have been in place following September 11, 2001.

Additionally and MOST important is accountability of all nations regarding the 'status' of their people. If a person as important as Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab is literally brainwashed by a maniacal Islamic underground what then will happen to the sovereign authority of these countries over time? They will lose the very 'brain trust' they need to continue the benevolence of their borders and the protections of the people within them.

It is all too easy for the USA and the West to simply 'recline' in a posture that in the future if countries fall into adverse authority 'the bombs' are the answer. The bombs are not the answer, they are the last resource that should be used to stop trends that could have been prevented years and decades before. In taking such a posture, the USA is not a benevolent country, but, simply an opportunistic country waiting for the other shoe to drop. That isn't having a foreign policy directive with other nations that works.

The USA has a President that seeks answers and wants a world safe for every nation. A President that wants economies to be strong and supportive of 'worker classes' that expand the consumer base of any product. He is a willing participant to bring about the security of nations in a way that improves quality of life for its people. If now is not the time for nations to 'gather' and instill protections for their populous then the global community will have lost 'a sincere chance' in building a better and safer world for its children.

Islam's practice is in every nation on Earth. Its 'power' has to be realized and channeled in ways that protects its young men from exploitation. Nations have to resolve to protections of its Islamic populations from 'free lancing' extremists that would seek to kill them, contort their minds and sacrifice the sanctity of their God for purpose that is deranged.

There has to be a MODEL of the 'persona' most 'at risk' and it has to be placed in priority of protections from extremism. If we don't address, in compassion, the ending of this methodology will we have ever served our children well?

Tomorrow Immigration and National Security.

Good night.

The USA national debt.

This has to be 'the talking point' for Democrats in 2010. The reduction of the nation's debt has to be a focus for the elections and it has to be a serious, factual and targeted approach.

The Democrats CANNOT talk about this enough.

Our federal budget should be a statement of our national values. (click title to entry - thank you) One of those values is responsibility. Working with President Barack Obama, Democrats in Congress are ending the Bush Administration's irresponsible budget policies that have produced historic deficits. Instead of piling trillions of dollars of debt onto our children and grandchildren, we have restored Pay-As-You-Go budget discipline, adopted fiscally responsible budgets, and worked to stop waste, fraud, and abuse to ensure that taxpayers' money is not wasted.

On March 25th, the House Budget Committee adopted a budget resolution that builds on the efforts of the Democratic-led Congress over the last two years to restore fiscal accountability....

President Obama has developed a Task Force to focus on the National Debt and balancing the Federal Budget to effect tax relief. It is responsible, but, it isn't necessarily enough, the Democrats have to take control of the issue.

I would hope that would include a lot of education as to how the national debt is going to be reduced through measures that RIDS the current debt load of all and any frivolous spending ESPECIALLY easy to target are spending programs that have proved to have failed or are failing in their goals.

Included in that discussion is how 'the Nation's goals' have changed since much of the 'old deficit' spending was enacted. If the spending does not reflect current goals and needs of the country it gets trashed.

Reducing the sovereign authority of the USA military is not an option. It is my estimation the military, while indulged during the Bush/Cheney years, has a lot of ground to recover. The USA has used a lot of its 'stores' and it is time to rebuild our nation's military strength through warehousing. The military also has a role in these decisions. Old stores that are simply outdated, undesirable or simply stupid in its focus needs to be removed from the USA military budget and REALISTIC budgets of munitions should be introduced in aggressive campaigns throughout the legislative bodies. The military has to have an 'envoy corp' to advocate for effective focus of military spending that 'lobbies' all members of Congress to better serve their country and not cronies. Those priorities should be transparent WHERE and only where it is realistic to do so.

It is nice to have a President 'on the military's side' to improve all the mechanisms of procurement, but, it is an uphill battle for any Executive Branch to try to do this alone and it is best 'under this President' to start a vigorous campaign to educate members of Congress and the USA people to the stability of their military, its needs and how best to serve it through appropriations. The American public longs for this relationship with its military and would be happy to write to their Congress persons in advocacy of appropriate and necessary spending for that purpose. It is a way for the military to build a better relationship with the American public and act in unison to build a strong nation without gaps in authority and excess spending that serves NO ONE. The military will have to be an 'active listener' to the concerns of the public and their need to close the gap in spending vs a fast, efficient and effective military.

At the heart of this is a 'long desired peace initiative' that provides enforceable and realistic goals for the nation without derailing that initiative by wrongful wars. The American people need the military's 'long view' as well as their immediate needs to facilitate the military's directives.

Included in reduction of the National Debt is establishing a larger tax base, one with enough Middle Class 'disposable' income to continue to stimulate the economy without added unnecessary spending. That tax base will widen with every job that is created and every 'disposable' dollar that is liberated without destroying an effective health care system or education budget.

It's a tough job, but, I do believe it is this President and Congress that are best equipped to achieve it.

The reality of America today, is there is a huge gap between the 'banker bunch' and the Middle Class. It is up to the Middle Class to localize their economies and build strong local infrastructure that protects them from demise. Building strong local economies will not effect Wall Street, they are definately on a separate flight path. There are parallel societies in the USA. The 'connectedness' between 'the country's wealth' and the people disintegrated when companies turned to cheap labor and outsourcing decades ago. The Middle Class made the corporations wealthy and in turn they abandoned them.

It isn't sexy to have a prescribed method of success, but, the American educational system and work ethic has served this country well and we all need to return to it. Unions are not destructive entities for our society. Unions pulled the American worker out of poverty and made the Middle Class strong, they have a role in seeking a strong economy that is served well by the workers they represent.

In that reality, a return to 'international trade' as a method of good will and providing products to the people of a nation that doesn't already produce them is the only prudent trade practices that need to exist. Exploitive practices to dominate a 'goods market' is hostile and should be viewed as a diplomatic priority.

To focus, China. It has grown in dimension and now offers its people more services than it had for decades. The USA economy played a huge role in that relationship, but, it has become toxic to the people of both nations and it has to come to a reasonable and responsible end. China needs to focus on providing its goods to its populous and growing its domestic economy. That holds true for India. There is nothing wrong with providing a market to a country that does not have a strong economic base. That is the relationship the USA has enjoyed with China and India. It has been good for them, however, when it threatens the lives of people and sovereignty of the USA something has gone incredibly wrong.

A GOOD BALANCE OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE is the method for institutions such as the WTO and it is there every country can bring its specialty, innovation and need for additional or less trade. Nations need to understand each other and seek to achieve goals for their people with mutual respect for their needs.

That is why our local governments and state governments need to develop strong local economies that supply services and goods to the regions they are a part. The only barrier to this accomplishment is lack of expertise, but, it cannot be that far away. Most of the Governors of the States of this nation are well versed in economic growth and what works for their people.

Where deficits of understanding show up it is the responsibility of the federal government to provide insight (And that was insight, not necessarily money - economic growth places a reasonable tax base to States as well.) to how economies that can best serve the people and the region they are a part, including effective labor and environmental laws that allow growth without demoralizing the people and/or the land.

I think it is very healthy for a President to extend outreach to troubled areas of the country as noted as a directive by President Obama in his recent trips to Texas, a state on the border of a country troubled by violence. The 'ideological' barriers that prohibit effective economic growth need to come down. If necessary, move past the political infrastructure and take it to the people.

There are states in the Southern USA where even a lawyer's authority has been demoralized and virtually does not serve as an opposition to 'the ESTABLISHMENT.' As a consequence the people are trapped in a culture that does not serve their needs and are consoled by religious fervor. It is one thing to worship god, it is another thing to expect to live lives of servitude to unknown economic strife for the entirety of one's life.

It is easy to be a 'redneck' when laughter fills in the gap to economic comfort.

In regions of the country where this is the case, it isn't enough to know the economic viability of the State, but more the of people, the demographics of that economy and how the result of the economy actually upholds the integrity of those people. The American Middle Class is suppose to grow its wealth and well being over a lifetime while passing on potential to its children.

In regions of the country that propagates sustained 'impoverishment' there is something grossly wrong with 'the establishment' and it is guaranteed citizens can't move past it. These regions also exhibit higher high school drop out rates and increased military recruitment. That is not a military representative of the country, that is a military that is served by poverty and a federal military budget that is like welfare to the people. A people will learn that a high school education will not serve them if they can't find gainful employment for their diplomas and or their college degrees. Basically, why waste time in education when it isn't going to improve the outcome.

And do the nation a favor, break up the North Carolina monopoly on military instillations that were cronied by Helms. It is a monopoly that demoralizes the people of the state.

Economic growth should be a directive of every State of the USA. Growth is actually reduced when states are mired in 'sameness' and sustained oppression of change.

Economic growth should not be thwarted by ideologies and fears as witnessed by exploitive lies that permeates our society today. This should be a resoundingly wonderful time for the Middle Class, but, instead it has been infiltrated with fear propagated by hostile media seeking control of its market place.

Ethics has to be placed high on the agenda of legislators and when hateful lies permeate a legislative body on the very floor of the House and Senate they need to be addressed in ways that matter and reveal the truth of those lies to the electorate that placed them in that capacity. I think FINES should be added to Ethics Committees decisions as well.

That probably is enough to speculate about for 2010. "Change" has to be delivered and the promise of it has to continue. Positive outlooks for economic stabilty while returning function to our society and reducing the nation's debt needs to be a 'mainstay' of dialogue between all Democrats and their electorate. Talk it up people, let's make it happen.