Bergdahl Charged With Desertion , Obama Unrepentant Over Terrorist Trade

The Bergdahl Desertion

 

 

 

 

” The United States Army intends to charge Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl with desertion and misbehavior before the enemy. That was Wednesday’s news, but the bigger story is the extravagant price the U.S. has paid because President Obama wanted to score political points.

  Readers will recall that then-Private First Class Bergdahl went missing from his post in Paktika province in eastern Afghanistan in June 2009. Fellow soldiers suspected desertion, though the Army conducted a risky manhunt to recover him. The sergeant was quickly captured by the Taliban and held for five years.

  The Associated Press has reported that an internal Pentagon investigation in 2010 found “incontrovertible” evidence that he had walked away from his post. Journalists also uncovered an exchange of letters in which the soldier wrote to his father “the title of U.S. soldier is just the lie of fools,” that he was “ashamed to even be american,” and that “the future is too good to waste on lies.” Replied father Robert: “OBEY YOUR CONSCIENCE!” “

 

Read more 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Netanyahu’s Victory Is Just Another In “A Long String Of Obama Mid East Policy Failures”

Bibi Is Back: The Consequences For U.S.-Israeli Relations

 

 

 

 

 

” Bibi’s win is another in a long string of Middle East failures by President Obama and will add to the belief by both our friends and our enemies in the region that the costs of being Obama’s friend can outweigh the costs of his enmity. Egypt’s President Mubarak thought he was Obama’s friend; so did his successor President Morsi. The Syrian moderate rebels expected their friend in the White House to back them. The Zionist Union thought that promising to work more closely with Obama was the ticket to an electoral win in Israel. Meanwhile, as Bibi can now testify, those who defy this White House don’t seem to pay much of a price: just ask Syria’s Assad or, for that matter, his patrons in Iran. ISIS has more visibility and power in the Middle East than al-Qaeda ever did, while the Sunni Arab tribes of Iraq who saved America’s bacon during the surge and who counted on American influence to protect their interests in postwar Iraq are being overrun by Shi’a militias.”

 

 

   While we would argue that for the past six years the present administration has done everything in it’s power to destroy the above referenced US-Israeli relationship and that the “two state solution” is a non-starter , we’ll set that aside and let the esteemed Walter Russell Mead continue …

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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President Peace Prize Update: Civilian Deaths In Afghanistan At All Time High

Afghan Civilian Deaths Hit Record High

 

This graphic only covers the first 6 months of 2014

 

 

” Last year was the deadliest on record for civilians in Afghanistan, the UN said in a report on Wednesday, with more civilians killed in 2014 than since the agency began compiling figures in 2009. While Nato has ended its combat mission, and Barack Obama has declared that America’s longest war is ending responsibly, fighting in the country is intensifying.

“ In communities across Afghanistan, increased ground fighting among parties to the conflict and more IED attacks exacted a heavy toll on Afghan civilians,” said the top UN envoy, Nicholas Haysom.

  The report (pdf) documented 3,699 civilian deaths in 2014, the highest death toll since the UN began keeping systematic record in 2009. Another 6,849 people were injured, bringing the number of civilian casualties to 10,548, a 22% jump from last year. The total civilian death toll after more than a decade of war is now almost 18,000.

  Children were the hardest hit: 714 were killed and 1,760 wounded, an increase in of 40% on 2013. In addition, 298 women were killed and 611 injured. “

 

The Guardian

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Bergdahl Desertion Report Held Hostage

Platoon Knows The Truth About His Desertion. The Public Should Know As Well.

 

 

 

” On June 30, 2009, in Mest Malak, Afghanistan, Bowe Bergdahl left his unit and deserted the U.S. Army. We know he deserted because we were there when he did it.

  We are confident that the overdue report from political and military leaders on Bergdahl’s actions, sitting on a general’s desk since October, comes to the same conclusion. It has to because the facts are clear.

  Whatever the reason is for the late report and confused reporting about whether Bergdahl is set to be charged with desertion, justice is being denied to those of us who were abandoned by a fellow soldier.

  The White House ceremony in May to announce the exchange of five senior Taliban detainees from the Guantanamo Bay prison for our former platoon member sparked a national debate on a variety of controversial issues: executive power, mental health care, the War on Terror, prisoners of war, due process and legal justice. It is troubling to us that President Obama and his political team are silencing this needed public debate by not making the release of this report a priority.”

 

Read more from two soldiers who were there

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Royal Marine Sniper Has More Kills Than Chris Kyle

World’s Deadliest Sniper: Royal Marine Has 173 Confirmed Kills

 

 

 

 

 

” The world’s deadliest military sniper is a Royal Marine with 173 confirmed kills, including 90 members of the Taliban in just one day, it has been reported.

  The Briton, who has not been named, had served in the Royal Navy’s elite unit for more than a decade and recorded most of his kills during a six-month tour of Afghanistan in 2006/7, having also served in Iraq.

  The figure puts the corporal, reportedly married with two children and from southern England, ahead of US Navy SEAL commando Chris Kyle, who had 160 confirmed kills to make him the most lethal US sniper.

  Kyle’s exploits are the subject of a new film called American Sniper, starring Bradley Cooper. 

  According to The Sun, the British sniper is said to have hit 90 Taliban fighters in a stronghold in just one day. It is thought his total number of ‘kills’ could be even higher than 173 if unconfirmed strikes were taken into account. 

  A source told The Sun: ‘He is not interested in scores or kill counts. He took no satisfaction in the job he had to do.

‘ Because he saw the enemy as humans he has not struggled emotionally or psychologically with what has happened.

‘ He had a unique job at a unique time. He must be the most lethal sniper in the world. But that is not a title he would seek out or revel in.’ “

    While both Kyle and the unnamed Royal Marine are/were extremely good at their jobs , no one can surpass the king of all snipers , “The White Death” , Finnish soldier Simo Hayha , who logged over 500 kills during the “Winter War” against the Soviet Union in WW II .

Read more

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Three Quarters Of Afghan War Deaths Have Occurred Under President “Peace Prize”

Under Obama: 75% of Casualties In 13-Year Afghan War; 55 More In 2014

 

 

 

 

 

” Fifty-five U.S. servicemen were killed in Afghanistan in 2014, bringing the total number of American fatalities in the 13-year war to 2,232, according to a CNSNews.com database.

  Of those 2,232 deaths, 1,663 – 74.5 percent – occurred since President Obama took office on Jan. 20, 2009. The deadliest years for U.S. personnel were 2010, when 495 were killed; 2011, when there were 404 casualties; and 2009 when the death toll was 306.

  Those three years combined accounted for more than half, or 54 percent, of the total U.S. casualties in the war.”

 

Read more

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Afghan Police Shoot Down Avian Suicide Bomber

‘Bird Bomb’ Explodes When It’s Shot By Afghanistan Police

 

 

 

 

 

” Why did the brown and white bird walk down the road? Apparently to blow somebody up. That’s what Afghanistan police surmised when they spotted the large, non-native bird walking along a highway with an antenna, explosives and an electronic device strapped to its body.

  When police shot the bird, it exploded, scattering “suspicious metal stuff,” provincial police chief Maj. Gen. Abdul Nabi Ilham told NBC News.

  Police are still examining the various remains, but have identified what appears to be a GPS device and a small camera. The bird was first spotted close to a police checkpoint in Faryab province in the north where the Taliban are active.

  Investigators speculated that the bird may have been “deployed” on a surveillance mission.

  It’s the first time ever security forces have encountered such a “bird bomb,” though Hamas militants rigged a donkey with explosives and set it on a path heading toward Israeli soldiers during fighting in Gaza last summer. No humans were injured, but the donkey exploded. “

 

Thanks to UPI Odd News

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Anguished Afghan Mother Kicks Taliban A** , Killing Twenty Five After They Kill Policeman Son

Afghan Mother Kills 25 Taliban Fighters In Seven-Hour Gun Battle After Watching Her Son Slain In Ambush

 

 

 

 

 

” A bereaved Afghan mother took revenge on the Taliban after watching them kill her son in an ambush. Reza Gul killed 25 Taliban fighters and injured five others in a seven-hour gun battle in Farah province.

  Gul, who was joined by her daughter and daughter in-law, engaged the Taliban using AK-47s and grenades, despite never before having used a weapon.

  The embattled mother told Tolo news, a 24-hour Afghan news broadcaster, she was awakened by shots early Tuesday. After seeing that her son had been killed, Gul and the other two women fought back.

“ I couldn’t stop myself and picked up a weapon,” Gul told Tolo News. “I went to the check post and began shooting back.”

  Seema, her daughter-in-law, added: “The fighting was intensified when we reached the battlefield along with light and heavy weapons. We were committed to fight until the last bullet.”

  Gul said that the battlefield was covered in Talib fighters after the deadly exchange ended.

  While the Taliban have not publicly commented on the incident, the Afghan government labeled it a symbol of a public uprising against the Taliban.

  Taliban and other groups have regained large swathes of the country as U.S. and NATO forces slowly pull out troops after 14 years of war. The Taliban have targeted government and foreign infrastructure as the group attempts to claw back power it lost in 2001.

  While the Taliban have made key gains in rural regions, members continue to employ suicide bomber tactics in well protected towns and cities. Earlier this week, 50 people were killed after a suicide bomber detonated a vest during a volleyball competition in Yahyakahil, Paktika province.

  That particular attack prompted President Ashraf Ghani to order a complete overview of the country’s defense forces and to rethink the ban on nighttime raids, which were outlawed by his predecessor, Hamid Karzai. “

 

Thanks to IBT

 

 

 

* Here is the English text that accompanies the above video:

 

Published on Nov 24, 2014

” An Afghan mother claims to have killed 25 Taliban militants and injured several others after she found her son, who was a police, dead in a fierce gun battle with the insurgents at his check post in western Farah province.

” Reza Gul” the Afghan mother who rushed to take revenge of her son’s death stood behind an armament and claimed the lives of 25 insurgents.

  Woken up by the gunfire, Reza Gul told TOLOnews that she had no other option but to pick up a weapon after she found her son, who was the in charge of an outpost, dead in front of her eyes.

” It was around 5 a.m. when my son’s check post came under the attack of Taliban,” Gul said. “When the fighting intensified, I couldn’t stop myself and picked up a weapon, went to the check post and began shooting back.”

  Few minutes later, Gul was not alone when she found her husband, daughter, youngest son and daughter-in-law holding weapons and accompanying her in the fight against the insurgents.

” The fighting was intensified when we reached the battlefield along with light and heavy weapons,” said Seema, Gul’s daughter-in-law. “We were committed to fight until the last bullet.”
The fighting lasted several hours with 25 insurgents dead and many others wounded, she added.

” We started a kind of family war against the Taliban,” Fatima, daughter of Gul said, adding that she was personally preparing bullets for her father and mother to fight off the enemies.
Gul’s husband Abdul Satar stated they were ready to sacrifice the entire family, but not allow the Taliban to get closer to the check post.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Witness The Effectiveness Of The Ballistic Helmet As Marine Survives Headshot From Taliban Sniper (Video)

Watch US Marine Get Shot In HEAD By Taliban Sniper – And Live To Tell Tale

 

 

 

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DoD Scraps Half-Billion Dollars Worth Of Planes For $32K

Pentagon Scraps Afghan Air Fleet For Pennies On The Dollar

 

 

 

” After spending nearly half a billion dollars on 20 planes to outfit the Afghan Air Force, the Defense Department turned around and scrapped 16 of the aircraft for 6 cents on the pound—just $32,000, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction has learned.   

  The Defense Logistics Agency carried out the planes’ destruction at Kabul International Airport as the SIGAR was investigating the Defense Department’s failed program to outfit the Afghans with a fleet of twin propeller military transport aircraft. The G222 aircraft, manufactured in Italy, proved impossible for the Afghan military to maintain and the Pentagon terminated the program in March 2013, three months after the SIGAR initiated its investigation. By then, the department had spent at least $486 million on the aircraft.

  SIGAR determined that the aircraft flew only 234 hours out of 4,500 required from January through September 2012. “

 

More here and here

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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President “Peace Prize” Has Initiated Military Actions Against Seven Countries

In Case You Lost Count, This Map Shows The Countries Our Peace-Prize Winning President Has Bombed

 

 

 

From the original CNN editorial:

 

” He’s the war-ending President who, as of Tuesday, has ordered airstrikes in seven different countries (that we know of).

  President Barack Obama has always acknowledged there are times when military force is necessary. Even when he accepted his Nobel Peace Prize in 2009, he said there could be instances when war is “morally justified.”

  But though he campaigned for the presidency on ending U.S.-led wars, Obama’s administration has certainly been willing to use force when it sees fit.”

 

 

 

Independent Journal Review provides a synopsis of the military actions …

 

 

 

” Since he became President, the Nobel Peace Prize winner has directed invasions into 7 countries:

1. Afghanistan: Much criticized by the Afghani local government, Obama continued George W. Bush’s use of bombing, via aircraft and drones, of targets.
2. Pakistan: Drone attacks have continued here as well.
3. Libya: The U.S. bombed Libya in March 2011. The situation has certainly not improved, as evidenced in part by the U.S. Embassy killings in 2012 and the evacuation of all American staff two months ago.
4. Yemen: Since Obama took office, almost 100 drone attacks have occurred there.
5. Somalia: American drones have attacked and killed terrorists throughout the country.
6. Iraq: Renewed bombings began in Iraq last month, following George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush in attacking terrorists there.
7. Syria: U.S. recently launched air strikes in Syria, despite the red line being drawn by the President over Bashar al-Assad’s use of chemical weapons over a year ago.”

 

More here

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Aaron Vaughn’s Parents Let Obama Have Both Barrels

Parents Of Fallen SEAL Team Six Member Eviscerate The Obamas In This Brutal Open Letter

 

 

 

 

” The parents of SEAL Team Six member Aaron Carson Vaughn know what real courage and sacrifice is. Billy and Karen Vaughn’s son was killed with 37 others on August 6, 2011, when his helicopter was shot down in Afghanistan. After watching the sickening beheading of James Foley, they were inspired to write a scathing open letter to President Obama.

  The Vaughns are expressing what everyone has been feeling in a way only they can. This powerful piece needs to be read in full and shared far and wide:

  After finally choosing to view the barbaric, on-camera beheading by ISIS of freelance war correspondent James Foley, I have been left with a level of rage known only to those of us who have sacrificed unspeakable offerings on the altar of world peace.

My offering was my only son — Aaron Carson Vaughn. Aaron was a member of SEAL Team VI. He was killed in action when a CH47D Chinook, carrying thirty Americans and eight Afghans was shot down in the Tangi River Valley of Afghanistan on Aug. 6, 2011.

Many times over the past three years, I have been asked what drove my son to choose his particular career. What made him want to be a Navy SEAL? My answer is simple.

Aaron Vaughn was a man who possessed the courage to acknowledge evil. And evil, once truly acknowledged, demands response. Perhaps this is why so few are willing to look it in the eye. It is much simpler — much safer — to look the other way.

That is, unless you are the leader of the Free World.

As Commander-in-Chief, your actions — or lack thereof — Mr. President, cost lives. As you bumble about in your golf cart, slapping on a happy face and fist-pounding your buddies, your cowardly lack of leadership has left a gaping hole — not only in America’s security — but the security of the entire globe. Your message has come across loud and clear, sir: You are not up to this job. You know it. We know it. The world knows it.

Please vacate the people’s house and allow a man or woman of courage and substance to seize the reigns of this out-of-control thug-fest and regain the balance we, America, have provided throughout our great history.

Thanks to your “leadership” from whatever multi-million dollar vacation you happen to be on at any given moment, the world is in chaos. What’s been gained, you’ve lost. What’s been lost, you’ve decimated. You’ve demolished our ability to hold the trust of allies. You’ve made a mockery of the title “President.” And you’ve betrayed the nation for which my son and over 1.3 million others have sacrificed their very lives.

But this should come as no surprise, since your wife uttered a vile statement on Feb. 18, 2008, during the primary campaign — one that speaks volumes of your true convictions. “For the first time in my adult life, I am really proud of my country,” she said.

I am sure my deceased son thanks you for that, Mrs. Obama. Oh, and you’re welcome.

Never in my lifetime have I witnessed such despair and such growing fear that the world’s last best hope, America, has finally been dismantled. Perhaps the better word is transformed — fundamentally transformed. Come to think of it, it’s become difficult — if not impossible — to believe things haven’t gone exactly as you planned, Mr. President.

Amazingly, in five short years, your administration has lurched from one disaster to another. You spearheaded the ambitious rush to end the wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan — with no plan on how to do so effectively. Also, the release of “the Taliban five” in exchange for one American — without consulting Congress — is also on your shoulders.

You have been at the helm during unprecedented national security leaks — including, but not limited to the outing of SEAL Team VI on the Bin laden raid, the outing of the Pakistani doctor who provided the intelligence for that raid, the outing of Afghanistan’s CIA station chief, and the outing of your personal “kill list” to make you look tough. In addition, 75 percent of American deaths in Afghanistan and 83 percent of Americans-wounded-in-action have occurred on your watch, according to icasualties.org.

And now, we have this recent, heinous event: the beheading of an American citizen by a barbaric organization you foolishly referred to as “the JV team” in your statements to the New Yorker magazine in January.

You, sir, are the JV team. It’s time for you to step down and allow a true leader to restore our honor and protect our sons and daughters.

America has always been exceptional. And she will be again. You, Mr. President, are a bump in our road.”

 

 

Many thanks to The Political Insider for making this letter available to our readers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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GoPro Helmet Cam Captures Taliban Ambush … Warning: Language/Violence

U.S. Soldiers Eliminate Three Taliban Fighters During Ambush

 

 

 

 

Published on Aug 26, 2014

” The cameraman had this to say to after submitting the footage to FUNKER530:

  This patrol was a relief in place and I was on point leading the new guys in for the RIP. We hadn’t taken much contact in this area, and it was generally considered a “safe” zone in Logar Province.

  We patrolled the area frequently, and the locals would regularly thank us for pushing the Taliban away from their village so they could live their daily lives without constant threat.

  The Taliban that we came across during this patrol were actually setting up to shoot down our new surveillance balloon that was launched in the area. The balloon caught the entire fight on camera from above, which confirmed that we killed 3 Taliban fighters during this engagement.

  I saw the first guy shoulder his RPG, take a knee, and point it directly at me from about 15 meters away. I’m not sure if it was luck, but I shot first and hit him twice. The rest of the team engaged immediately after.

  At the end of the day there were no friendly casualties, and we had eliminated 3 Taliban fighters.

  I wanted to share the video with the world because I was sick of hearing all the ignorant things said about what we are doing over there. People need to understand what it’s like on the ground for the troops on the front line, and see what we have to deal with on a daily basis without some political spin on the story.

  This footage has been edited to exclude the close up graphic footage of the enemy KIA.

  This footage is part of an ongoing documentary of the war in Afghanistan from the soldiers’ point of view.

Read more about the war here – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_in_A… “

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Marine Involved In Urinating On Taliban Corpses Video Found Dead

Marine Sniper Involved In Controversial Video Found Dead

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

” A Marine Corps combat veteran who endured a long, public legal battle with the service’s senior leadership was found dead Wednesday night.

Retired Cpl. Robert Richards, 28, died at his home in Jacksonville, North Carolina, according to Guy Womack, Richards’ attorney and friend. An autopsy is being conducted to determine the cause of death, Womack said, adding that it does not appear to be self-inflicted. A medical examiner will look at the mix of medication Richards was taking, he said.

  Richards was a scout sniper with multiple deployments to Afghanistan, including one in 2010 during which he sustained severe injuries. Peers and superiors alike praised him for his combat prowess and leadership skills, evidenced by his being hand-selected to serve as the scout sniper platoon team leader for 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines, during its 2011 tour.

  It was during that deployment when Richards and three other Marines made a video of themselves urinating on Taliban corpses. The video surfaced online in January 2012, causing an international uproar. But the Marine Corps’ prosecution of Richards and others connected to the incident would become overshadowed by allegations that the service’s commandant, Gen. Jim Amos, and his legal advisers manipulated the military justice process to ensure they were punished harshly. A Pentagon investigation did not substantiate those claims.”

 

Marine Corp Times

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Afghan Soldier Kills US General , Wounds German General & At Least 14 Others

U.S. General Is Killed In Attack At Afghan Base

 

 

 

 

 

” An Afghan soldier killed a United States Army major general and wounded a German brigadier general and at least 14 other foreign and Afghan military service members on Tuesday at a military training academy on the outskirts of Kabul, officials of the American-led coalition said Tuesday. The major general appeared to be the highest-ranking member of the American military to die in hostilities overseas since the Vietnam War.

  The German military confirmed that one of its brigadier generals serving in Afghanistan was among 15 coalition-led troops wounded in the shooting, described as “presumably an internal attack.” The general was being treated for his injuries, which were not life-threatening, the Germans said in a statement.

  Other details of the shooting were sketchy, and the coalition, in an official statement, would only confirm that one of its service members had been killed in what it described as “an incident” at the Marshall Fahim National Defense University in Kabul. The coalition declined to specify any further details, saying it was still working to notify the family of the deceased.”

Another first for the Obama administration …

” Until Tuesday, no officer in the American military of major general rank or higher had been reported killed by hostile action abroad since the Vietnam War. According to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial database, Maj. Gen. John Albert B. Dillard Jr. was killed on May 12, 1970 when his helicopter was shot down. Rear Adm. Rembrandt Cecil Robinson, the Navy’s equivalent of a major general, was killed on May 8, 1972, when his helicopter crashed.”

NY Times

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Army To Force Out 550 Majors Including Battlefield Commanders

Army To Force Out 550 Majors; Some In Afghanistan

 

 

 

” About 550 Army majors, including some serving in Afghanistan, will soon be told they have to leave the service by next spring as part of a budget-driven downsizing of the service.

  Gen. John Campbell, the vice chief of the Army, acknowledged Friday that telling troops in a war zone that they’re out of a job is a difficult task. But he said some of the soldiers could join the National Guard or the Army Reserve.

  The decision to cut Army majors comes on the heels of a move to slash nearly 1,200 captains from the ranks. Army leaders were criticized at the time for giving 48 of them the bad news while they were deployed to Afghanistan.

  The Army declined to say how many majors will be notified while they are at the battlefront.

” The ones that are deployed are certainly the hardest,” Campbell told reporters. “What we try to do there is, working through the chain of command, minimize the impact to that unit and then maximize the time to provide to that officer to come back and do the proper transition, to take care of himself or herself, and the family.” “

 

 

 

More here

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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As Usual , Help America & Be Abandoned To The Wolves

Taliban Want To Kill Afghan Who Saved “Lone Survivor” Marcus Luttrell

 

 

 

 

 

 

” The movie “Lone Survivor” just came out on DVD two weeks ago and its blockbuster status continues. For those of you who’ve been living under a rock, it’s the story of Operation Red Wings in Afghanistan. In 2005, a four-man U.S. Navy SEAL recon team had its mission compromised by Afghan goat herders who, when released, informed the Taliban of their location. The four team members, Michael Murphy, Danny Deitz, Matt Axelson, and Marcus Luttrell fought valiantly but three of the four were killed, leaving Luttrell as the “lone survivor.”

  Luttrell survived only because of a centuries-old tribal code of honor called “Pashtunwali” which mandates Pashtuns afford protection to anyone in need. And so it was that Luttrell was found by a Pashtun village leader by the name of Mohammad Gulab and taken in – risking his own life in doing so.

  Gulab considered it his sacred duty under that tribal code and when the Taliban came to demand that he hand over Luttrell, Gulab refused. The Taliban persisted, alternating between promises of money and threats to murder him and the rest of the village. None of it changed Gulab’s mind. He and his neighbors remained steadfast.

  However, in a twist of fate, it seems Gulab is now the “lone survivor.” “

 

     We’ve witnessed this scene played out time and time again , from the Kurds in 1991 to the Pakistanis that turned in Osama and AQ Khan to the Iraqi judge that convicted Saddam and now Muhammad Gulab . Throw in the Poles , Czechs and missile defense  , the Montagnards in Viet Nam , the Cubans at The Bay Of Pigs and a host of other examples and it doesn’t pay to help Uncle Sam unless you harbor a death wish .

 

 

Allen West

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Taliban Claim They Found Bergdahl Wandering Alone In The Field

Taliban: We Found Bergdahl Alone, Cursing Americans

 

 

 

 

” The Taliban were just as confused by Bowe Bergdahl as the Afghan villagers who first encountered him after he allegedly wandered off his base, two former commanders say. Fighters rushed to capture Bergdahl after villagers informed them of his presence, and he was found walking alone, acting strangely, and cursing his fellow Americans, one commander tells NBC. He said “he wasn’t happy with his countrymen, but he didn’t intend to convert to Islam” or become a jihadi, the commander says. Both say that they at first believed it was some kind of trick, and they wondered how and why he had left the base alone—which he may have done more than once. They say he described his departure as a “personal issue.” “

 

Newser

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Obama’s Foreign Policy Guideline: “Don’t Do Stupid Shit” … When Will He Start ?

Obama’s ‘Don’t Do Stupid Shit’ Foreign Policy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

” According to multiple reliable sources, on Air Force One during President Barack Obama’s recent Asia trip, he spent some time talking with his traveling press corps about his approach to foreign policy. He was defensive and, by one account, “fuming.” He felt that the criticism of his approach was unfair. He had clear ideas about how to manage America’s global interests. In his own words, they centered on a single concept: “Don’t do stupid shit.”

  In fact, after making this point, he reportedly stood up, headed forward toward his own cabin on the plane, and then stopped. He turned back to the gathered reporters, and, much like an elementary school teacher hammering rote learning into students, he said, “So what is my foreign policy?” The reporters, in unison, then said, “Don’t do stupid shit.”

  How far we have come from the audacity of hope; yes, we can; the soaring expectations framed by the brilliant oratory of the president’s Cairo speech on relations with the Muslim world; his Prague speech on eliminating nuclear weapons worldwide; and his Oslo speech when accepting the Nobel Peace Prize. In fact, “don’t do stupid shit” is a comedown even from his expectation-lowering remarks in the Philippines on that same Asia trip in which he limned his vision for a foreign policy that consisted mostly of “singles” and “doubles.“

 

 

 

   Having reported that “Don’t do stupid shit” was Obama’s personal mantra in regards to his foreign policy approach , author David Rothkopf then proceeds to explore whether Obama actually lives by his self-assigned credo …

 

 

 

” It is, of course, the prerogative of the president of the United States to make and frame his foreign policy as he sees fit. It is among the executive’s most clearly defined and potent responsibilities as described in the U.S. Constitution. So rather than getting into a lengthy discussion about how disappointing it is for this president — who once was seen as a potentially transformational figure — to have embraced defensive minimalism, or dwelling on the lack of imagination that has led to America’s incredible shrinking foreign policy, let’s take Obama’s foreign policy on its own terms. 

  Let’s ask the question: Is this administration succeeding in its goal of not doing stupid shit?“

 

 

 

     Mr Rothkopf first ponders the age-old democrat habit of parsing the most basic of english language words , a la Bill Clinton … what is the meaning of “is” , “stupid” and finally “shit” .

 

 

 

” This all depends, as another president might have said, on what your definition is of “stupid” and of “shit.” But mostly it depends on your definition of the word “doing.” Because if doing stupid shit actually requires taking an action that crosses the administration’s stupidity threshold, then it would rule out all the times when not doing something was stupid. While this might be a clever way to dodge the bullet for an administration that is often criticized for its reluctance to act, this falls into the same kind of minor league Talmudic semantic contortionism that led the aforementioned prior president to parse the meaning of the word “is.” “

 

 

 

   After vowing to stick with the more mundane and socially accepted meanings of those three simple words the author gets down to cases and finds , not surprisingly , Obama wanting …

 

 

 

” In terms of sins of commission, there is nonetheless a list of some doozies that seem to violate Obama’s own new foreign-policy guidelines. “

 

 

 

   Read the whole litany of foreign policy “stupid shit” foisted on the world by the Obama administration at Foreign Policy and see what George Will has called the foreign policy of Monty Python .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Taliban Release Video Of Bergdahl Handover

Taliban Video Shows Handover Of US Soldier

 

 

 

 

 

 

” The Taliban on Wednesday released a video showing the handover of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl to U.S. forces in eastern Afghanistan, touting the swap of the American soldier for five Taliban detainees from Guantanamo as a significant achievement for the insurgents.

  The 17-minute video, emailed to media, shows the moment of Bergdahl’s handover. He was freed on Saturday after five years in captivity, and exchanged for the five Guantanamo detainees who were flown to Qatar, a tiny Gulf Arab country which has served as a mediator in the negotiations for the swap.

  Since his release, the 28-year-old from Hailey, Idaho, was reported to be in stable condition at a military hospital in Germany.

  The Taliban video shows Bergdahl in traditional Afghan clothing, the white salwar kameez, clean-shaven and sitting in a white pickup truck parked on a hillside. More than a dozen Taliban fighters with machineguns, their faces mostly covered by headscarves, stand around the truck and on the hillside.

  Bergdahl is seen blinking frequently as he looks out of the truck and appears to be listening as his captors speak to him. A Black Hawk helicopter then lands and two Taliban fighters, one carrying a white piece of cloth tied to a stick of wood, lead Bergdahl half the way toward the helicopter, a few hundred meters (yards) away.

  Bergdahl is then greeted and taken by three Western-looking men in civilian clothes to the helicopter, where soldiers in Army uniforms are waiting and help him board the Black Hawk.”

 

 

Below you may view the entire 17 minute video from the Taliban as released by Al Emara

 

 

 

 

 

AOL.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Col David Hunt Claims 14 Soldiers Were Lost Searching For Bergdahl – Video

Col. David Hunt: US Lost 14 SOLDIERS Searching For Deserter Bowe Bergdahl

 

 

 

 

 

Colonel David Hunt told Bill O’Reilly tonight that Bowe Bergdahl was a deserter.

“ Bowe Bergdahl was a deserter. Bergdahl on June 20, 2009 crawled underneath a wire at his fire base with water, food, a change of clothes, a knife and a cell phone. He called his unit the day after he deserted to tell his unit he deserted… Bill, we lost 14 soldiers, killed, searching for a deserter. He left his unit in combat. It’s non-arguable… We don’t know yet if he joined the Taliban or not. But, there’s no question he deserted.”

 

 

Gateway Pundit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Taliban Exchange Bowe Bergdahl For Five Guantanamo Prisoners

Bowe Bergdahl, American Soldier, Freed By Taliban In Prisoner Trade

 

 

 

 

 

 

” The lone American prisoner of war from the Afghan conflict, captured by insurgents nearly five years ago, has been released to American forces in exchange for five Taliban prisoners held at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, Obama administration officials said Saturday.”

  The soldier, Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, 28, was handed over to American Special Operations troops inside Afghanistan near the Pakistan border about 10:30 a.m. Saturday in a tense but uneventful exchange with 18 Taliban officials, American officials said. Moments later, Sergeant Bergdahl was whisked away by the helicopter-borne commandos, American officials said. He was found in good condition and able to walk.”

 

 

 

 

” The five Taliban detainees at Guantánamo, including two senior militant commanders said to be implicated in murdering thousands of Shiites in Afghanistan, were being transferred to the custody of officials from Qatar, who will accompany them back to that Persian Gulf state, where they will be subject to security restrictions, including a one-year travel ban.”

 

 

    As happy as we are that Sgt Bergdahl is coming home , the precedent set by releasing Gitmo prisoners and in effect negotiating with terrorists , in a break from long-standing US policy , bodes ill for all soldiers in the future .

   This will no doubt be a much needed shot in the arm for our beleaguered “commander-in-chief” but may very well open the flood-gates to the kidnapping of American GI’s and thus will be viewed by our enemies as just another sign of weakness , especially after last week’s announcement of the impending 2016 troop withdrawal . 

   From the Taliban point of view they must believe , rightfully so , that they have the US on the ropes and all the insurgents need do is sit tight for a few more months and victory will be theirs .

Continue reading at NY Times

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Valerie “Undercover” Plame Defends WH Outing Of Afghan Chief-Of-Station

When Bushies Blew A CIA Cover, It Was ‘Treason’; Now, It’s A Mistake

 

 

 

 

” Valerie Plame doesn’t deny that blowing the cover of the CIA station chief in Afghanistan is a serious matter. It’s just that, discussing the issue at a Wednesday evening forum sponsored by The Atlantic, Plame seemed to view the outing of the CIA’s top spy on the front lines in the Afghan war as more of an embarrassment than an outrage.

” My understanding is … it was a military aide who compiled this list of those that were greeting the president when he came,” Plame said. “Colossally stupid, but I think it was inadvertent. It was an error … really stupid. The White House apparently has said that they’re going to do an investigation, and they’ll find someone who’s really embarrassed at the end of it.” 

  The leak, if that’s what it can be called, happened over the weekend as President Obama made a surprise visit to Afghanistan. In a routine email to the press, the administration included a name with the description “Chief of Station” after it — a clear reference to the ranking CIA official in Kabul. It’s hard to imagine a more sensitive assignment in a more dangerous place, and blowing the station chief’s cover — in an email to 6,000 reporters, no less — will surely have repercussions.”

 

 

   A couple of passing thoughts , Plame was a desk jockey in DC not a Chief-Of-Station in a war zone and she was not “outed” by the White House but through an idiotic remark to a reporter by an underling .

Read more

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Incompetent White House Exposes CIA’s Afghan “Chief Of Station” In Press Release

White House Accidentally Exposes Afghanistan CIA Chief’s Identity

 

 

 

 

” The White House inadvertently exposed the name of the CIA’s top spy in Kabul, Afghanistan on Saturday when it gave the press a list of U.S. officials participating in President Barack Obama’s surprise visit to the troops.

  According to The Washington Post, the White House released a new list without the name after their reporter raised questions about whether the inclusion was intended.

  The list was emailed on Saturday night to reporters accompanying the president on the trip, and was then included in a pool report written by Washington Post White House bureau chief Scott Wilson. That report was released to more than 6,000 news organizations before Wilson noticed what he believed to be an error.”

 

 

Could we possibly be led by a more incompetent group of fools than now inhabit the White House ?

Newsmax

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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