Arming Terrorists and Disarming Americans

"The Obama administration’s plan to provide small arms to the Syrian Rebels was approved by Congress. Good luck finding the transcripts of these committee meetings though… they were classified. When asked about the Senate Intelligence Committee’s vote to arm the rebels, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), the committee chair, responded 'It’s classified.' (Which is a polite way of saying ‘it’s none of your business’) That’s right. Dianne Feinstein — the author of the 'Assault Weapons' Ban – doesn’t believe that the American people have a right to know who the government is giving small arms to. That oversight requirement apparently only should apply to American citizens." Continue reading

Continue ReadingArming Terrorists and Disarming Americans

Report: Half of Syrian rebels are hardline jihadists or Al-Qaeda operatives

"Of the rebel forces, IHS Jane’s estimates that around 10,000 are jihadists fighting for groups linked to Al-Qaeda and another 30,000 to 35,000 are hardline Islamists, who differ from jihadists in that they are concentrated only on the Syrian conflict, and not on the global Islamist fight. 'The insurgency is now dominated by groups which have at least an Islamist viewpoint on the conflict,' Charles Lister, author of the analysis, told the British newspaper. 'The idea that it is mostly secular groups leading the opposition is just not borne out. [..] If the West looks as though it is not interested in removing Assad, moderate Islamists are also likely to be pushed further towards extremists,' he warned." Continue reading

Continue ReadingReport: Half of Syrian rebels are hardline jihadists or Al-Qaeda operatives

Syria rebel chief rejects U.S.-Russia chemical weapons deal

"Syria’s rebel Free Syrian Army chief rejected Saturday a US-Russian deal to eliminate Syria’s chemical weapons by mid-2014. 'We cannot accept any part of this initiative,' General Selim Idriss told reporters in Istanbul. He preceded that by saying: 'We in the Free Syrian Army are unconcerned by the implementation of any part of the initiative… I and my brothers in arms will continue to fight until the regime falls.'" Continue reading

Continue ReadingSyria rebel chief rejects U.S.-Russia chemical weapons deal

Syria hails U.S.-Russia chemical weapons deal as a ‘victory’ that averts war

"A US-Russian plan to remove Syria’s chemical weapons is a 'victory' that averts a war, a Syrian minister said Sunday, as Washington’s top diplomat briefed Israel about the landmark deal. Some Israeli commentators raised the question of whether Washington would lean on Israel to ratify the international treaty banning the use of chemical weapons. Israel signed the Chemical Weapons Convention in 1993 but never ratified it, despite demands to do so from Washington and Moscow." Continue reading

Continue ReadingSyria hails U.S.-Russia chemical weapons deal as a ‘victory’ that averts war

Bill Bonner: In Praise of Mr. Putin

"Why would the US do things that make the world worse off? Dear reader, where have you been? It’s got nothing to do with liberal or conservative, hawk or dove, Democrat or Republican, Bush or Obama. And it’s not because we are dumber than we used to be, either. Instead, thinking people are starting to realize that we’re right about this too. America is a victim of creeping zombieism. Bureaucrats at the Fed force down interest rates to support zombies everywhere – from Wall Street to Skid Row. Low rates also help make more money available to the zombies who are besieging the Pentagon." Continue reading

Continue ReadingBill Bonner: In Praise of Mr. Putin

Eric Margolis: Obama, Don’t Play Chess With KGB

"Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize should be rescinded and given, instead, to Vladimir Putin. Add a warning to Obama’s amateur foreign policy advisors: 'don’t play chess with the KGB!' In fact, Obama, who rudely snubbed former KGB agent Putin recently, owes Russia’s leader a 'Bolshi Spaseba' (big thanks) for pulling his bacon out of the fire in Syria. Putin brilliantly demonstrated to the world the difference between diplomacy and force, the rapier versus the cudgel." Continue reading

Continue ReadingEric Margolis: Obama, Don’t Play Chess With KGB

Musty Idea: War To Maintain “Credibility” As A Global Hegemon

"In the most recent episode of U.S. war hysteria, the media was filled with endless remarks on how Syria had to be attacked to maintain U.S. 'credibility'. These individuals, and many others just like them, care not a whit about the lessons of history. Ronald Reagan sang the same interventionist tune while he was President. Even after 241 U.S. Marines were killed in the Beirut barracks bombing, he kept up the 'credibility' rhetoric. The warring classes know that the American public has a short memory. Few will recall what happened in Lebanon and the 'credibility' garbage that was tossed around back then." Continue reading

Continue ReadingMusty Idea: War To Maintain “Credibility” As A Global Hegemon

Fmr. Pres. Candidate Michael Badnarik Weighs in on Rush to War w/ Syria

"John Kerry and John McCain would have been on opposite sides of a war debate 40 years ago. Today, they stand together with the president supporting a military strike on Syria. Republican Rand Paul of Kentucky took the Secretary of State to task for his viewpoints on the future of Syria. This was just a few days after former Democratic lawmaker Dennis Kucinich said President Obama may face impeachment if he attacks Syria without Congressional authorization. Matt Drudge, normally a well-known conservative, tweeted that there is no difference between the parties. The publisher of the Drudge Report stated that politics is now 'Authoritarian vs. Libertarian.'" Continue reading

Continue ReadingFmr. Pres. Candidate Michael Badnarik Weighs in on Rush to War w/ Syria

Report: NSA Mimics Google to Monitor “Target” Web Users

"This revelation adds to the growing list of ways that the NSA is believed to snoop on ostensibly private online conversations. In what appears to be a slide taken from an NSA presentation that also contains some GCHQ slides, the agency describes 'how the attack was done' on 'target' Google users. NSA employees log into an internet router—most likely one used by an internet service provider or a backbone network. (It's not clear whether this was done with the permission or knowledge of the router's owner.) Once logged in, the NSA redirects the 'target traffic' to an 'MITM,' a site that acts as a stealthy intermediary, harvesting communications before forwarding them to their intended destination." Continue reading

Continue ReadingReport: NSA Mimics Google to Monitor “Target” Web Users