Drones, Iran and Al Qaeda - 2nd Obama Term

Guardian: Reports the following on the revelation that there is a secret US drone base in Saudi Arabia, the article notes the following, " The revelation of the CIA drone base in Saudi Arabia was seized on by Iran, where state media highlighted the story. It is also likely to be grasped as an opportunity by jihadi groups.. ". 

Lets Get Real:

Thus folks the the enemies of US and Western interests will use this story to show that Oval is breaking international law, the previous leak of the legal opinion for the drone strikes shows that the Oval has a leak problem.   Someone with high security pass is leaking this stuff folks, lets hope the FBI is called in to investigate as this is a threat to US National Security.   As the Clinton scandal showed if a elite magazine wont run a story there are other areas for a story to come out.   In many respects this might help Obama, not with the New York Times, Guardian types but with those in the centre and those on the  right.   This blog has always supported the use of drone strikes, it has some major reservations about the ground operation but as a tool it has been great, the old Al Qaeda has been destroyed, of course the problem is that now it has become a franchise, thus bases are opening up in Yemen, and in Western Africa, as with the case of Mali.    The use of drones will carry on after the Obama Administration folks, the US and the World can not afford another 9/11 in the US or 7/7 in the UK. 

Kerry for State - Senate Confirmation

The White House: Has a Statement by POTUS on the confirmation by the US Senate of Senator Kerry as the next US Secretary of State.  POTUS states the following, " I am pleased that the Senate has confirmed John Kerry as our next Secretary of State with overwhelming bipartisan support.  From his decorated service in Vietnam to his decades in the Senate as a champion of American global leadership, John’s distinguished career has prepared him to guide American diplomacy in the years ahead.   

John has earned the respect of leaders around the world and the confidence of Democrats and Republicans in the Senate, and I am confident he will make an extraordinary Secretary of State.  I look forward to his counsel and partnership in the years ahead as we ensure American leadership in the world and advance the interests and values that keep our nation strong.  ".

Lets Get Real:

The question is will Kerry have any real influence, it has been said that the outgoing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was not part of the inner Obama kitchen cabinet, and she nearly beat POTUS in 2008 for the Democratic nomination, so what real power base will Kerry really have with POTUS.   At State Kerry will have to deal with Mali, the crisis in Mali and the neighbouring States is growing, thus the UK sending 350 Soldiers to Africa, with 40 going to Mali, how long before US Special Forces as requested by the French, there is a lot of sand to cover if the terrorists are going to be taken down.   Then is Israel there is the developing prospect that Israel will hit Iran, and Iran will hit US Naval interests in the area, the Civil War in Syria is endless, even if the CIA is moving weapons from Libya to Syria to help the rebels.   There is the growing tensions in Egypt, the attempt by the Muslim Brotherhood to make the secular Egypt another Iran, while the Oval hopes that Egypt keeps Gaza quiet as to prevent Israel invading it, then we come to the US drone strikes, the UN has started to look in to drone strikes, lets see if they take on the Oval.   The State Department only has influence if it is close to the Oval, one can assume that while the PR will be at State the real power and the action of the US will be taken by the Oval. 

Threat to UK Libyan Embassy - Libya

BBC News: Reports on a threat to the UK Embassy in Libya. 

Lets Get Real: 

The Arab Spring and the end of Gaddafi of Libya has made Northern Africa a hot bed for terrorism action, from Mali to Algeria back to Libya, there has been a growth of Al Qaeda linked terror networks, the French with help from the US and the UK is pushing back Al Qaeda units in Mali, the Algerian Government is not in to taking prisoners when it comes to terrorists, it just wants to kill them, even if innocent people get in the way, the fall of Gaddafi has allowed his Regime weapons to flood the region, even the CIA is using Libyan weapons as to help the Syrian rebels,  also it allows the Oval to say it not giving weapons to Syrian rebels.  Lets hope the French can push the terrorists out of Mali, that the tough Algerian Government can take care of its own, in their own way, and that the new Libyan Government can secure the country.    

UK Citizens GET OUT of Benghazi, Libya - FCO

UK FCO: Reports in its travel advice web page that NO UK Citizens should go to Benghazi and those there should leave due to a terrorist threat. 

Lets Get Real: 

The UK Government is not falling in to the trap that the Oval did folks, it is getting its people OUT, it does not want further UK Citizens to be taken hostage as in Algeria, the French operation in Mali has caused regional problems for the UK, Germany and the Netherlands, these two Countries have told their Citizens to get out.   The Libyan Government is not happy, well they should make sure that post Gaddafi Libya is more secure, it should get the guns and other defence equipment off the street.   It has come out in the US at the Hillary Clinton Senate hearing that the US is moving arms from Libya through Turkey to Syria, one can assume this is a CIA operation,  the idea being that there are no finger prints on the guns, if taken by the Assad regime they can not be traced back to the US, clever if it had not come out.   The Middle East always leaks folks, that is the nature of the game. 

Algerian Update - Terror Update 2

Telegraph Live: Reports the following in its 6.39pm post, " ...some 30 are still unaccounted for. Up to 12 of those may be Britons. Meanwhile, the US has confirmed that an unknown number of Americans are still being held hostage. ".

Lets Get Real:

This is the last thing the Oval needs before it starts its 2nd term, the Al Qaeda linked terrorists could be returning to the example of the Tehran Regime at the end of the Carter Administration,  between 1979 -81, they held over fifty diplomats as hostages, this ended the Carter Presidency, while even the great Ronald Reagan had his Iran problem, selling old missiles  to Iran as to get Iran to help release US hostages in Lebanon, net result, more hostages were taken.   The Al Qaeda linked groups in Africa might not be able to pull off another 9/11 but they can cause massive problems for Western companies and Western Government by taking hostages and causing hart burn in the Oval and Downing Street.  The French were right to take on the Islamic terrorists in Mali, its close enough that should the terrorists take over Mali that it would be a threat to the region and to Europe.   This growing threat has to be dealt with, the War on Terror is not over folks, it never was, no matter what the Oval thinks, events have a way telling the truth folks, even to the Oval. 

Latest from Algeria - Terrorist Update 1

Guardian: Reports on the latest from the hostage crisis in Algeria, " A small group of jihadists are still holding part of the In Amenas natural gas plant ....about 30 foreign contractors at the site have still not been accounted for.. ".

Lets Get Real: 

The UK and US Governments should demand that the SAS and US Special Forces be allowed to take out this small terrorist unit, our Soldiers are the experts at this close combat, the US and UK train their special forces for years to deal with these kind of incidents.    Thus time for the Western Powers to place political and economic pressure on the Algerian Government to give way on this case, the UK does not want to lose its 10 Citizens, the Algerian Government is used to fighting large civil war cases, this requires a fine military strike, not bombs away and lets see the result.   Yes folks this blog is not that happy with the Algerian Government, but that is also the feeling in the US and the UK. 

Algerian Hostages - Mali Effect

BBC News: Reports that thirty Foreign hostages are still missing after the Algerian Army moved in to counter Al Qaeda linked terrorists at a oil installation. 

Lets Get Real:

The blog has not reported on the Algerian terrorist attack as the details even now remain scant, and not complete, at least 10 UK Subjects have not bee accounted for, the UK Government was not informed that that the Algerian Army was going in, one has to say it was a massive attack, it can be assumed that that the UK and US wanted to send in the SAS and US Special Forces but that the Algerian Government want to show it could take out local terrorists.   The Al Qaeda linked group has stated that the French action in Mali is one of the reasons for the attack,  as has been reported the plan was well planned, the French action just gave the terrorists some more PR to use against the West and increase support among their supporters.  The West should NEVER deal with terrorists, that is one lesson of Iran - Contra, you either capture terrorists or kill them, the Obama kill policy with drones has been very successful, on terrorists the Oval has been 100% right, kill first and ask questions after, if ever. 

Mali Crisis - Update

Guardian: Reports that President Hollande of France has stated the following on how long France will stay in Mali, " ..only end its intervention in Mali when political stability and an election process have been restored to the chaotic west African country and Islamist groups have been wiped out,.. ". 

Lets Get Real:

This does bring memories of the UK and the US in Iraq and Afghanistan folks, and what did it get us, no US military presence in Iraq after 2011, and the UK was forced out of Iraq for a second time, the first being in the 1920s.  Thus the UK and US should give very limited support to the French, the French it seems have found their inner backbone, lets see how long it lasts, the French are not that great when fighting without UK and US support, the campaign Mali does have echoes of Afghanistan, just more sand, and you never know who the enemy is, this is a French colonial problem, its their area of influence, how long before the need US and UK support in the ground in the air, let the Oval and Downing Street offer drones etc, but NO GROUND TROOPS, in any shape, this a French made problem, let them solve it, Iraq has a price folks, lets hope Paris understands that fact.