Timeline of the Middle East Attacks and White House's False Narrative

I share this, compliments of Smitty @ The Other McCain, because it appears that many on the Left are still in denial about the incompetence of this administration's foreign policy.

A more recent Bret Baier report is here:

Barack Obama's "Peace" Prize Explained

"Here's a piece of Israel for the Palestinians, and a piece for Egypt, and a piece for Jordan and a piece for Syria and a piece for Lebanon... "

Update: Lest anyone should think that this old joke originated with me, it didn't. Sadly, we used to tell it about Soviet dictators.


Cross posted at LCR, Lady Cincinnatus , Say Anything.

Smart Is As Smart Does As Smart Says - Bam Says Israel Is Suspicious Of Him Because Of His Middle Name

by guest blogger Andrew Roman

____________________________ 

I deviate from much of my conservative brethren on the matter of Barack Obama’s intelligence. While we concur that the President’s big-government, Marxist-friendly agenda is steadily destroying the country as we know it, I find myself in the minority regarding the man’s astuteness and aptitude.

Despite his transformative approach (i.e., his America-wrecking leftism), it has become conventional wisdom that Barack Obama is, unquestionably, a sharp and sagacious man.

He is an intellectual, a scholar - at least that's what we’ve been told time and time again.

And even if we disagree with him - even if our dissent is resounding and unwavering - we must grant that he is remarkably precocious.

If I had a dollar for each time I’ve been apprised of the President's supposed mental dexterity, how clever he really is – including from the majority of pundits and wordsmiths on my side of the aisle – I’d have enough cash to get this country operating in the black. (Absolutely no pun intended there, Sheila Jackson Lee).

I don’t buy it.

Not for a moment.

Barack Hussein Obama is a dulcet-toned sponge swollen with leftist rhetoric, knee-jerk anti-capitalist blather, and university-cultivated hyperbole. He is a man who hasn’t a clue about much of anything beyond the campus brain-clutter that keeps his political base (somewhat) satisfied and his teleprompter in business.

He is a polished appetizer-platter of meaningless Vietnam-era clichés. He is a messiah in a world contrived in his mind that neither asked for nor needs him.

His responses to critical questions reveal a man who is in over his head - a man spinning his wheels in campaign-mode mud - without the ability to be particularly thoughtful or substantive.

He is a man who has contempt for liberty and rugged individualism.

He almost always sounds foolish.

And America continues to pay the price.

No, dear friends, he isn't brilliant.

Rather, he's ignorant and way out of his league.

And I assure you, I don't mean this as an insult. I don't write it for the shock value. It's meant as an honest description.

How else to explain Barack Obama’s appraisal of how the nation of Israel views him? How else to explain how unpopular he is with Israelis?

The fact is: President Obama is disliked in Israel. “Hope and Change” just hasn’t caught on in the little nation by the Mediterranean.

But that's okay.

The President has it figured out.

Barack Obama has tapped into his legendary well of cerebral prowess, summoning his ability to survey complicated situations – taking a page from his own Bammy's Handbook of Critical Thought and Assessment - and has come up with the reason why they Israelis don't adore him (like they should).

According to the President, the reason for his disfavor may be rooted in his middle name, Hussein.

From Haaretz:

During (an) interview Wednesday, when confronted with the anxiety that some Israelis feel toward him, Obama said that "some of it may just be the fact that my middle name is Hussein, and that creates suspicion."

"Ironically, I've got a Chief of Staff named Rahm Israel Emmanuel. My top political advisor is somebody who is a descendent of Holocaust survivors. My closeness to the Jewish American community was probably what propelled me to the U.S. Senate," Obama said.

"I think that sometimes, particularly in the Middle East, there's the feeling of the friend of my enemy must be my enemy, and the truth of the matter is that my outreach to the Muslim community is designed precisely to reduce the antagonism and the dangers posed by a hostile Muslim world to Israel and to the West," Obama went on to say.

If only his middle name were Bill or Moshe, Israel would have already renamed the city of Haifa for him ... because the anxiety Israelis feel with Bam in the White House has nothing to do with his actions.

Right?

*cough*

If ever there was a more disconnected, out-of-touch, misguided man at the helm of the free world, I am not aware of it.

Does the President realize how painfully naïve - and frankly, dumb … he sounds? This is the brilliant metrosexual from Chicago? This is the new-age, post-racial, post-political intellectual that dazzled so many people during the campaign season two years ago? Does the President truly believe his unpopularity in Israel is about his name? Is that the depth of his analysis as to why Israelis are suspicious of him?

It certainly couldn’t have anything to do with the fact that the President has hung one of America’s closest allies out to dry since taking office, could it?

It wouldn’t have anything to do with the fact that the only democracy in that region – a nation where Arabs and Jews leave peacefully together – has seen her closest friend break several security commitments, turn a cold shoulder to her, and embrace those who exist to see her destroyed, would it?

It wouldn’t have anything to do with Obama’s apologetic demeanor toward terrorist thugs, would it?

It wouldn’t have anything to do with the President’s willingness to sit down and try to negotiate with those terrorists whose very existence is hinged on not only Israel’s destruction, but America's, would it?

It wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that in his book Audacity Of Hope, Obama wrote: "'I will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction," would it?

It couldn't have anything to do with President Obama’s propensity to bow to foreign heads of state, could it?

It wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that President Obama considers the location of the construction of some Jewish homes a far more important matter – a greater impediment to peace – than the notion that there are entire nations who vow to eliminate Israel from the face of the earth? 

It wouldn't have anything to do with the President's twisted infatuation with creating moral equivelancy, would it?

So, this is about his name?

My Lord, what on God’s green earth is President Obama talking about?

Is it possible for anyone to disagree with President Obama without being labeled as bigoted in some way? Or racist? Or whatever “phobic” he wishes to label his detractors with? Is it necessary for everything to be filtered through the Barack Obama prism? Is everything about Barack Obama?

And why is it that Barack Obama continues to insist that the Middle East "problem" is a complicated one?

It isn't.

The conflict is very simple.

Israel wishes to exist. Her enemies want her destroyed.

Next.

And while the solution is difficult - precisely because one side refuses to accept the very existence of the other - the problem is simple to grasp ... or it should be.

Even for intellectually vapid messiahs.

"We Con the World" Removed From You Tube

So here, courtesy of The Jawa Report, is an encore of the video in case you missed it!



Cross posted at Left Coast Rebel

Update: It appears that, even though the original was taken down, a number of people have posted copies on You Tube. This video will not go gentle into that good night! (Or gentile, for that matter!)

"We Con the World"

There needs to be an element of truth for humor to work. Sadly, here is a parody of "We are the world".

H/t Theo Spark

That Which Must Not Be Named Part III

by Lady Cincinnatus


I've used the phrase here and have alluded to it here. That which must not be named. Even our center-right colleagues, those institutions of libertarianism and freedom, like CATO declare, "U.S. policymakers too often manipulate and exaggerate the threat of terrorism."

Cato's argument seems to be that we aren't in the midst of a religious war unless we make it so. Oh, really? Is that why the shooter at Fort Hood declared 'Allah Akbar' before taking out his victims. Is that way the 9/11 hijackers went through a series of Muslim religious rituals to prepare themselves for martyrdom prior to killing almost 3,000 innocent men, women and children in one morning. You can declare that the day is beautiful and sunny but that doesn't change the fact that a tornado is building on the horizon on its way to spreading death and destruction. Evil is like that. Some refuse to hear, see or speak of it until it is upon them. The entire German population were not card-carrying SS Nazi storm-troopers, but that meant little once a few handful of radicals under the leadership of Herr Hitler came to power.

Is this non-religious war also why Osama bin Laden himself said,

"It is the duty of Muslims to prepare as much as possible to terrorize the enemies of God...Acquiring weapons [WMD] for the defense of Muslims is a religious duty. If I have acquired these weapons, then I thank God for enabling me to do so...If I seek to acquire such weapons [WMD], this is a religious duty. How we use them is up to us." (December 1999)

So while those who seek to destroy Western culture through means cultural and military are about their business of growing ever stronger, we have the president's top counterterrorism advisor on Wednesday saying that jihad is a "legitimate tenet of Islam."

"During a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, John Brennan described violent extremists as victims of “political, economic and social forces,” but said that those plotting attacks on the United States should not be described in “religious terms."

Cross posted at Lady Cincinnatus

Israeli Commando Up for Medal?

S'13 Insignia

There is a report that the Israeli commando who killed six of the activists aboard the Mavi Marmara may receive a medal for his actions. The Times:

Six of the nine passengers killed in an Israeli raid on an aid convoy bound for Gaza were shot by a single Israeli commando, who is being considered for a medal of valour for saving his injured comrades as passengers attacked them with clubs, knives and even guns they had taken from downed Navy Seals.

"Passengers" seems a bit innocuous to describe those pipe wielding, axe wielding, knife wielding and, at least eventually, gun wielding individuals who attacked the Israeli commandos!
I wondered at his usage of "Navy seals", whether or not the writer was confusing them with Navy SEALS?
He was a member of the elite commando unit Shayetet 13 (literally Flotilla 13). Apparently, Israelis are not as superstitious as some. And as the wings on their emblem above suggested to me, they come at you like a "bat out of Hell".

According to wikipedia:

S'13 is the unit that specializes in sea-to-land incursions, assassinations, counter-terrorism, sabotage, maritime intelligence gathering and maritime hostage rescue. Only a handful of Shayetet 13 missions have been publicized or otherwise missions publicly attributed to the unit.

The Times continues:

The Israeli commando who killed six of the passengers of Mavi Marmara, the Turkish ferry owned by the IHH charity, said that he had been the last of 15 soldiers to rappel down the rope from an overhead helicopter on to the decks of the ship, which he described as “a battlefield”.

Identified for security reasons only as Staff Sergeant S, he said that contrary to initial Israeli Army reports, the shooting had started within minutes as he and his comrades were set upon by a “mob of mercenaries”.

As he landed on the ship’s top deck, he said he saw three of his superior officers who had landed ahead of him lying wounded, one with a bullet wound to the stomach, another shot in the knee and the third beaten unconscious.

Taking charge, he formed his men in a perimeter around the wounded, pulled his 9mm Glock pistol and opened fire on passengers he accused of shooting at the boarding party with guns taken off the first soldiers, who had been overwhelmed as they landed one by one.

“When I hit the deck, I was immediately attacked by people with bats, metal pipes and axes,” the sergeant recalled. “These were without a doubt terrorists. I could see the murderous rage in their eyes and that they were coming to kill us.”

He said he saw one of the passengers holding a seized pistol to another Israeli commando’s head.

If the Israelis had come with murderous intent, they certainly could have brought with them tools better fitted for the job. I love my Glock 23 (.40 cal), but a few of the infamous Uzis in full auto or a few Street Sweepers (12 ga.) would have sent that message more forcefully. The 9mm was a backup weapon, a weapon of last resort, which the quickly escalating violence on the deck of the Mavi Marmara called for all too soon.

New footage released by Israel, and apparently filmed by activists before the boarding had started before dawn on Monday, showed an Israeli assault craft full of helmeted commandos pull alongside the Mavi Marmara, where men waving metal pipes and a chain leant overboard to ward them off.

Others were emptying fire hoses at the Israeli boat below, while a stun grenade was dropped into the vessel, exploding among the soldiers.

Stun grenades?? What the well dressed "peace activist" is wearing these days!

I don't doubt that this story will generate increased outrage over the incident, but personally? I'd pin the medal on the sergeant's chest myself, given the opportunity.

Cross posted at Left Coast Rebel, Say Anything

Update: I have been informed that “13” may constitute more of a lucky number to Israelis rather than unlucky, perhaps because that is considered the age at which a boy reaches manhood, the number of principles of Jewish faith according to Maimonides , the number of attributes of Mercy of G_d in the Torah, numerical values of words or from teachings in the Kabbalah (or some combination thereof), etc.
I stand corrected.

Who is Hamas?

The Jawa Report had this video up, well worth the time to watch it. Note how, true to their cowardly terrorist roots, Hamas members hide their faces behind masks like other common criminals!



One answer? Hide Among Mosques And Schools.

British Colonel Richard Kemp (Ret.) On Israelis Avoiding Civilian Casualties

Particularly telling, when some have noted that HAMAS stands for Hide Among Mosques And Schools!

Propaganda Pro-HAMAS Style

Note the swastikas that represent the helicopter's rotors,
because everyone knows what Nazis the Jews have always been!

This picture was taken at a UK pro-HAMAS rally. I am continually amazed that, as Ann Coulter points out in her new book, it is often the victims who are accused of being the oppressors. The Jews, who suffered millions of casualties under Hitler's regime, are the last people on the planet to be compared with the Nazis...unless like the Nazis, you need to dehumanize them before you destroy them! In which case, these HAMAS (Hide Among Mosques And Schools) sympathizers know exactly what they're doing!

Note, too, the bomb "Made in USA", complete with American flag, being dropped on the Giant Baby Bottle of Blood! (I would think, a baby bottle of blood as big as a helicopter could be a frightening thing, but who am I to judge? )

Would it be too much to ask these people to get off their duffs and protest all the rockets being fired into Israel which bring about the Israeli response? There is video posted of Israeli pilots who actively avoided civilian casualties while hunting down the animals that target their families. You can see it here. So, the image of Israelis bombing children is merely a base and baseless calumny from the pro-HAMAS protesters. But, as propaganda, to the "victims" who are in reality the oppressors dedicated to wiping Israel off the map, no lie is too big. No slander is too great. This is merely another in a long line of lies.


Hat tip Weasel Zippers
Cross Posted at Say Anything

Video of Israeli Pilots Avoiding Civilian Casualties

Wasted at least three missiles in this video avoiding civilian casualties. Not at all the picture painted by some people!


Hat tip LGF

Red Cross: Israel's Use of White Phosphorus Not Illegal

Truth will not deter anti-Semites from criticizing, no doubt!

This is a follow up to a story in the Say Anything Reader Blogs: Israel Using Chemical Weapons.

GENEVA – The international Red Cross said Tuesday that Israel has fired white phosphorus shells in its offensive in the Gaza Strip, but has no evidence to suggest it is being used improperly or illegally.

The comments came after a human rights organization accused the Jewish state of using the incendiary agent, which ignites when it strikes the skin and burns straight through or until it is cut off from oxygen. It can cause horrific injuries.

The International Committee of the Red Cross urged Israel to exercise "extreme caution" in using the incendiary agent, which is used to illuminate targets at night or create a smoke screen for day attacks, said Peter Herby, the head of the organization's mines-arms unit.

"In some of the strikes in Gaza it's pretty clear that phosphorus was used," Herby told The Associated Press. "But it's not very unusual to use phosphorus to create smoke or illuminate a target. We have no evidence to suggest it's being used in any other way."

Ironically, the last sentence in the article on the ICRC is:

White phosphorus is not considered a chemical weapon.

I'm sure the author of the Reader blog will print a retraction or correction of his earlier story.

Hat tip LGF
Cross Posted at Say Anything

Obama Brings "Change" to Iran

Maybe they're using Zippos rather than book matches? That would be change!


For all the Pollyannas who believed that once the "hated" George Bush was gone and a "progressive" politician was President, the world would fall over themselves loving us, here's a little dose of what we conservatives like to call "reality".
The picture, burning Obama in effigy, was taken in front of the Swiss embassy in Iran in the last 24 hours.

On a positive note, maybe the soot and pollution from burning Obama in effigy might drift back to Minnesota and bring those poor people some relief? Heh.

Hat tip Wizbang
Cross Posted at Say Anything

"Hide Among Mosques And Schools"

Steve Breen , San Diego Union-Tribune

Fitting.