Sic Semper Tyrannis

"Act of Valor" a review by Alan Farrell

Act of Valor. Directed by: Mike McCoy and Scott Waugh (who for some reason refer to themselves as the "Bandito Brothers," howsomever only during séances of butt-slapping and drinking beer right outten the bottle on account of you ain't not getting near the SEALs unless you can walk the walk). Starring: Dunno. It's a secret, so we don't get the names beyond Master Chief Bob (not his real name) and Lieutenant Senior Grade Bob (not his real name) only it's his real face, up there ten foot tall for whole world including terrorists and foreign agents to see so not sure how clever this whole secret squirrel premise is, but hey... Rest of the cast, it is alleged, all active duty service members, at least all of them who can't act. CIA agent billed as Roselyn Sanchez (perhaps her real name, perhaps not... but mostly not her real face since largest part her time on screen we only see that face all swolled up on account of beat to pulp by evil Philippine cum Guatemalan cum Baluchistani narco-atomo-islamo-barbo-terrorists, who, if they'd stay off the cell phone, would probably still be at it).

Whoa! Lousy movie! Ouch! I have said previously and of the film Ladder 49 (review attached, maybe) that a lousy movie about firemen is still a good movie. Civilians need to see it between excursions to the Galleria if for no other reason to get an idea of the life of those who protect them and of the sacrifice that such a life entails. I'm tempted to say the same thing regarding a lousy movie about SEALs: still a good thing, whether it's Steven Segal on a battleship, Charlie Sheen in Q'bqkkqb, Bruce Willis in Zimbabwaziland, Demi Moore in Q'bqkkqb, or, as in this case Master Chief Bob and his Ell Tee (secret squirrel Navy talk for Lieutenant, often abbreviated LT), Lieutenant Senior Grade Bob in Mexico? Mexico? Wait a minnit. We run black ops in Mexico? Jeez... we better hope they don't watch Gringo movies and find out, hunh? In fact, it's surprising how many sovereign countries we do violate in this movie. I for one do not necessarily object, just not sure how smart we are to tell whole flockin' world about it and validate that asservation by the presence of actual operators in the documentary (no Mexicans were harmed during the filming this um, er... documentary, story is: documentary that went wildly, comically wrong).

7 Million page views for SST

We just now reached seven million lifetime page views for "Sic Semper Tyrannis."  We have been "up" for seven years or so.  The first couple of years were slow.  Best wishes to all.  pl

National Journal Blog - 2- 6 March 2012

What's the Best Strategy on Iran at This Week's Israel Meetings? - National Security Experts.

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Guest Post by Dr. Boshra El-Guindy: Current Developments in Egypt

Adam L. Silverman, PhD

Update: Sorry for any confusion, but I posted this not COL Lang.

One of my counterparts, a cultural advisor at one of TRADOC's Stage II schools, is originally from Egypt.  I recently asked him for his updated take on what was going on there and what he sent me was so good I asked for permission to share.  He cleared it with his installation's Public Affairs Office and you'll find it below.  It is quite thorough, so give the attachment a click and read away. Adam Silverman

Download Analysis of the current situation in Egypt

Boshra El-Guindy, PhD; Culture and Foreign Language Advisor, US Army Maneuver Support Center of Excellence.  The views expressed here are his own and do not necessarily represent those of the Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and/or the US Army

National Journal Blog - 6 March, 2012

What's the Best Strategy on Iran at This Week's Israel Meetings? - National Security Experts.

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Deceptive Newshour transcript - 6 March 2012

The Newshour can no longer be trusted.  If you watched the program, Ifill said in her prologue to the words here recorded something to the effect that US officials have long believed that Iran is lying when it says that it does not have a nuclear weapons program.

It has been the official position of the US Government since 2007 that the US does not believe that the Iranians have made a decision to build nuclear weapons.  That remains the US Government's position.  Which officials was she reerring to?  Members of Congress? 

At the end of the set-up to the piece Clapper, the DNI, gets about 30 seconds to re-state the government position.  That is not included in the transcript either.

 This is not journalism.  pl

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/world/jan-june12/israel2_03-05.html

Obama and Dempsey today

Today,  "Starbucks" Joe Scarborough judged on his morning TV circus that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is not fit for command.  I guess he has missed the fact the CJCS is not "in command."  The reason - General Dempsey had the temerity to tell the world that the USG considers Iran to be a "rational actor."   Obama may say otherwise but that is just to get The Lobby off his back until the election.  Scarborough is yet another avoider of military service and lacks any qualifications to judge General Dempsey.  What Scarborough might think that he knows about Iran is mystifying until one remembers that his program reflects the bias of the owners of the media and the city in which he chooses to live.  But, no matter, Scarborough is who he is and Dempsy is also himself.  I doubt that General Dempsey will be leaving his post any time soon.

A little later,  Natanyahu sat in the Oval Office and once again lectured the president of the United States on the world and the place of the United States in it .  He said that Israel trusts nobody.  He also said that Israel exists because Gentiles cannot be trusted but that the US and Israel are the same thing.  This implies that the US, although untrustworthy as a country is nevertheless at the disposal of Israel for various suitable tasks. The inevitable conclusion of these statement is that the US must obey Israel.

IMO, Bibi is mad as a hatter.  He is consumed with fear and paranoia.  There is no injury that he would not do the US if he thought it useful to his fantasies.  Barak is no better.  These two men along with their henchmen and lackies in this country will try to drag the US into war with Iran before November.  Probablity of the attempt?  Somewhere around 80%.  If they wait longer than that and Obama is elected, there will be a reckoning. pl

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-17264957

Open Thread - 5 March 2012

Whilst we wait for news of the WH meeting, let's have an "Open Thread."  pl

Sunday TV Funnies- 4 March 2012

There used to be more value added in the Sunday news.  Al Capp's heroic universe lodged somewhere in Appalachia was always value added.

Today we watched HBO's address to the AIPAC faithful.  He gave them very little that they could take comfort from.  He clearly distinguished between the two countries throughout.  He expressed eternal loyalty to the putative Israel/US alliance, an alliance that has no legal basis in the US.  There is no treaty of alliance and no mutual defense agreement.  The reason for that is simple.  Israel has never been willing to sign a document that would oblige them to do anything for the US.  All our agreements with them are transactional as are all our "alliances" with varous Arab states.  HBO's speech obligated the US to nothing in the event of an Israeli attack on Iran.

Earlier, on FNS, Senator Graham said that the US should accept coordinated goals and methods when they are proposed by Bibi.  He also said that Bibi told him recently that Isreal would not "surrender its fate to anyone."  If you put the two things together you have an insistence that the US should do what Iarael tells it to do and do it when Israel says, NOW!  Senator Blumenthal who was also on FNS said that in the event of such an unsanctioned Israeli attack the US should provide "support."  That's fine with me if "support" means moral support, UN resolutions, etc.  On the other hand if it means; targeting assistance and bomb damage assesment, air refueling, SAR help in Iraq, or anywhere, attempts to retrieve Israeli air crew from captivity, re-supply of munitions expended n an attack not agreed to by the US, then I would be utterly against this.  If the Israelis want to "have a go" at Iran on that basis, well, they are a sovereign country.

Syria was also discussed on FNS, Graham said that we should follow the "Libya Model."  OK.  I was a prophet of the early (six months) success of the Libya Model.  If you want to do it in Syria you have to understand that the effort will be bigger, longer, bloodier.  The Alawi units of the military and police understand this revolt to be a Sunni effort to put them back in the cage of "dhimmitude."  They will fight to the end.  What sort of government will this revolt produce and will Turkish intervention be needed in the end to bring the downfall of the Baath government.

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Dershowitz and the term "Israel-firster"

"In a controversial interview, Harvard University professor Alan Dershowitz has called not only for the White House to sever ties with Media Matters, but has called upon Media Matters to fire staff member M.J. Rosenberg for this criticism of supporters of Israel. Clearly, this is not a first amendment issue that arises when the government is asked to engage in censorship or coercion with regard to critics. However, the demand for Rosenberg’s termination does raise serious concerns over the freedom for writers to raise often controversial topics and positions. Rosenberg was voicing a common objection over Israeli policy and the demands for his termination sends a chilling message for anyone who voices such positions."  Turley

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As Turley knows, a "chilling effect" is exacty what is desired by Dershowitz.  Dershowitz seems to believe that freedon as a good thing so long as one believes and does things that he likes.  In part of this blog post by Turley one sees the technique used by "Israel-firsters" to make US media, academia and government as free of critics of Israeli policy in the ME as possible.  Government officials are threatened with the animosity of the "Israel-first" crowd.  Sponsors and media executives are threatened with loss of revenue and access.  This is a high;y successful technique.  Look at the people on television as guests or staff.  They are those who have been classified by the "Israel-firsters" as sheep rather than goats.

Particularly noteworthy is the willingness of the "Israel-first" crowd to attack Jewish Americans who do not bow down.  The radical Muslims who attack other Muslims for their lack of acceptance of debatable points of Sharia are called "takfiri" because they call other Muslims "heathen."   Hmm...

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http://jonathanturley.org/2012/03/02/dershowitz-calls-on-media-matters-to-fire-critic-of-israel/#more-46107

 

 

FB Ali on the Iran crisis.

While not having as rosy a view of Obama as JT Cornpone does, I still think there is a good case to be made that the stance he is now adopting (as expressed in the interview and, presumably, the one he'll put to Netanyahu) is designed to prevent an Israeli attack on Iran. What he is saying is: as soon as there is adequate proof that Iran is moving towards building a nuclear weapon the US will militarily intervene to stop it. This cuts out the ground from under Bibi's war rhetoric by implying: show me proof and the US will do what you are threatening to do. From this stance he can also adopt a much tougher line with Israel about not attempting a unilateral attack since this will cause the US many problems. This declaration guards his political flank, and reduces the scope for Republican (and AIPAC) attacks on this score. Obviously, he must be pretty confident that the evidence that the US intelligence community has means that he will not have to follow through on his threat. And that they will be immune to pressure and blandishments from the Ziocon lobby to change their findings. In effect, the issue of war and peace is now firmly in the hands of Clapper and his team. FB Ali

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This concisely sums up the position Now we will see what happens on Monday at the White House.  pl

New Article (archaeology) on "The Athenaeum"

http://turcopolier.typepad.com/the_athenaeum/2012/03/archaeology-news-februarymarch-2012.html

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Obama "playing nice" with Israel.

""I think both the Iranian and the Israeli governments recognize that when the United States says it is unacceptable for Iran to have a nuclear weapon, we mean what we say."

Many of the president's supporters are concerned about that commitment, an uneasiness Obama reportedly hopes to allay in a Sunday speech to a pro-Israel lobby. Obama's agenda the next day in his meeting with Netanyahu is to convince Israeli leadership that they can rely on that assurance enough to delay military action of their own."  LA Times

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This is a fundamentally unsound way to deal with a client state.   It makes me wonder if President Obama really has the cojones and toughness needed to deal with people like Bibi and the Ziocons.  Obama's approach seems to be to promise ("cross my heart") to the Israelis and their 5th column that if Iran's behavior does not become as transparent as water, then the US will atteck Iran and relieve the Israelis of the prospective  burden that their own failure in such an attack would be.  In other words, the Israeli phalanx will have the ability to tell us when  we should attack Iran.

This is ridiculous.  The position of the USG is that the Iranians do not have a weapons program.  Obama knows that.  He knows it well.  Senator Menendez pointed out on the boob tube this AM that the uranium that the Iranians would have to further refine in order to fabricate nuclear weapons is UNDER IAEA SUPERVISION.  In other words we would know if they diverted this material.  In addition, US intelligence is perfectly capable of detecting ssuch a diversion.  Israeli intelligence "lives on" scraps pf information from the US intelligence community's table.  The thanks we get for that relationship is for USI to be attacked by the lackey media and the Israeli government.

The truth about Israeli hysteria over Iran is that Israel wants Iran crippled so that it will not have a competitor for geo-political power in the ME.  The rest is nonsense.  The Iranians know that the aftermath of an Iranian nuclear strike on Israel would be an Iran that resembled a parking lot.

It appears that Obama fears for his re-election.  Too bad.  pl

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-obama-interview-iran-20120302,0,7234351.story