NSA vs. Liberal ACLU - 2nd Term Blues

Guardian: Reports the following from Washington D.C, " US withholding Fisa court orders on NSA bulk collection of Americans' data..Justice Department refuses to turn over 'certain other' documents in ACLU lawsuit meant to shed light on surveillance practices ".

Lets Get Real:

The liberal left will just have to accept that President Obama will go so far, he will not risk his Presidency on making the crazy left wing of the US happy, if the Government releases highly secret information it can be read by the very threat that these schemes were created to combat.  The Oval does not want to get the blame if there is a another 9/11 because it was to weak when dealing with the left within the US and the Democratic Party.   When President Obama and his Administration does the right thing this blog will support such decisions, on the domestic side the Oval is just WRONG, but when it comes to the defence of Bush 43 security structure the Oval is the best PR man for that structure.  It is easy to be critical when your on the outside, when in your in the Oval you have to deal with the threats to the US, on this President Obama gets a A+ from this Blog. 

The Pointless Talks of Geneva 2 - 2nd Term Blues

BBC News: Reports on the negative tone of the talks between the Syrian Government and the Opposition at Geneva 2.

Lets Get Real:

This is PR for the press, the action is not in Europe, its in Syria, Iran and Russia, as long as Assad knows that the US will not take action and that he will be supported by Iran and Russia he will not give way, also on the battlefield the Government has pushed back the rebels, the rebels are fighting among themselves, between those that want a secular Syria and Al Qaeda groups in Syria, who want to turn Syria in to a Islamic State.    The people that are going to suffer are THE Syrian people, the other Countries in the region, the Al Qaeda elements in Syria are moving in to Iraq to add flames to the low level civil war, both Jordan and Lebanon are feeling the aftershock of the War in Syria, they have feed hundred of thousands of refugees and have to cope with the massive influx of people in their Country, also Turkey a NATO member has had terrorist attacks on its border areas.   This is what happens when you have a weak leader in the Oval. 

Geneva Peace Talks and Iran - 2nd Term Blues

Guardian: Reports the following on the stalled Syrian Peace Talks, " Syria summit on brink over Iran refusal to endorse transitional government...UN general secretary, Ban Ki-moon, 'dismayed' by failure of attempts to get Tehran to concede on issue ".

Lets Get Real:

Since the revolution in 1979 Iran has caused problems for the Middle East and the US, it bought down the Presidency of Jimmy Carter with the holding of US Diplomats in till he left Office, in total for 444 days.    The lowest point of the Reagan Administration was the Iran - Contra affair, at its core the the US sold arms to Iran in the hope of getting its hostages out, then used profits from the scheme to arm the Contra freedom fighters.   Once the scheme came out President Reagan was in hot water, he got through but it hurt, as to results, well Reagan left Office with a 63% Approval rating and his VP, Bush 41 become President, thus in the end it didn't hurt in the long term for Reagan.  Iran is never good for US Presidents, lets hope President Obama does not get hurt as Carter and Reagan did in some respects.    The Syrian Civil War is a proxy War between the biggest players in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia and Iran,  they have the money and the time to play this out, long enough to out last the Obama Presidency, there is NO deal without SA and the Syrian Rebels, they want Assad OUT, the Tehran Regime needs him power as Assad is a close ally and allows them to show their power in the region, which is negative for Israel and the US in the long term.   The UN made this mess  by the invite to Iran, it has to clear up this mess, none of the Western sides are going to give in on this, neither are the Syrian rebels, the UN just might have sunk the peace talks before they even started IN Geneva.  What a diplomatic disaster for the UN. 

Update: Both Sky and BBC News confirm that the invite for Iran to attend the Syrian talks has been withdrawn by the UN.   Lets see what the talks bring, this blog has doubts that there will be any real agreement, the action is in Syria, not in Europe. 

The UN and Syria - 2nd Term Blues

BBC News: Reports that the US has demanded that the UN recall its invite to Iran to attend the Geneva talks on Syria, as Iran has not signed up to the points already agreed. 

Lets Get Real:

The Oval is having a tough time stopping the US Congress passing tougher sanctions on Iran after its deal with Tehran, it does not have the political weight at home to allow Iran to attend, the Syrian opposition has made it clear it will not attend if Syria's close ally attends.   The meeting is pointless anyway, as President Assad has made it clear in recent days that he is not going anywhere, thus this is what happens when the US has a weak President, the UN tries to run such meeting, under the assumption that the Oval will fold, it cant, if it does it will be accused for furthering a policy of appeasing Iran.   The Syrian Civil War will go on, the Gulf States will back the rebels, while Syria is supported by Russia and Iran.  More deaths and sadness for the people of Syria and the Middle East. 

The US and Iran Deal - 2nd Term Blues

The White House: Statement from the White House Press Secretary on the UN and Iran deal, " Today, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that Iran has taken the initial specific steps it committed to on or by January 20th, as part of the Joint Plan of Action between the P5+1 (the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia, and China, coordinated by EU High Representative Catherine Ashton), and Iran.  As a result, implementation of the Joint Plan of Action will begin today. 

Specifically, the IAEA has verified in a written report and subsequent briefing for P5+1 technical experts, that Iran has, among other things, stopped producing 20% enriched uranium, has disabled the configuration of the centrifuge cascades Iran has been using to produce it, has begun diluting its existing stockpile of 20% enriched uranium, and has not installed additional centrifuges at Natanz or Fordow.  These actions represent the first time in nearly a decade that Iran has verifiably enacted measures to halt progress on its nuclear program, and roll it back in key respects.  Iran has also begun to provide the IAEA with increased transparency into the Iranian nuclear program, through more frequent and intrusive inspections and the expanded provision of information to the IAEA.  Taken together, these concrete actions represent an important step forward.

In reciprocation for Iran's concrete actions, the United States and its P5+1 partners - the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia, and China, as well as the European Union -  will today follow through on our commitment to begin to provide the modest relief agreed to with Iran.  At the same time, we will continue our aggressive enforcement of the sanctions measures that will remain in place throughout this six-month period.

Following the actions taken today, the P5+1, EU, and Iran will also begin the process of negotiating a long-term, comprehensive solution that seeks to address the international community's concerns about Iran's nuclear program.  The United States remains committed to using strong and disciplined diplomacy to reach a peaceful resolution that will prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.  ".

Lets Get Real:

This is a trick by the Tehran Regime, they see a Oval that wants a deal no matter the cost, thus they will play President Obama in till they get close to the bomb or get the bomb.  One suspects that Iran has other hidden plants, one can  assume that Israeli Intelligence the Mossad will be looking for these plants.   This blog has been saying for some time that Israel will hit Iran, this blog still holds to that viewpoint, lets see if Israel has the steel backbone to over rule the White House. 

Obama and the NSA - Review

The New York Times: Has the following reaction to the Obama speech on the NSA, " Mr. Obama’s speech on Friday was as much about the larger question of faith. Rather than throw out the programs at issue, he hoped to convince the public that they are being run appropriately. ".

Lets Get Real:

When President Obama was Candidate Obama he was rebuking the Bush 43 Administration for its use of national security tools to protect the US, now that he has been in THE Oval Office for five years he understands he needs the security information.   The speech on the whole was a PR speech for the left, the NSA will keep doing what its doing, the Oval will just say that its different.   President Obama is a Chicago Pol, he understand the power of the NSA and the CIA, he does not want them on his back for the rest of his term or after he leaves in 2017, that is smart, the Oval understands if something does go wrong and it is found that any real reforms allowed had allowed another 9/11 then Obama would be toast by historians.   Thus this PR show, better PR, the Democratic base will be kind of happy if not having happy hour.   Who would have thought that Obama would be the PR man for Bush 43. 

Obama and the NSA - Review

BBC News: Has the following review of the President Obama's speech on the NSA, the article notes the following, " What he's announced shouldn't upset the intelligence community - and is unlikely to greatly reassure civil liberties groups - but both sides will be left with more questions than answers. ".

Lets Get Real:

In other words a stonewalling speech, lot of waffle that will make no one unhappy, but more important will not make the NSA that unhappy, you do not want the NSA as a enemy at any time.   Those on the left will think that Obama is Bush 43 with charisma, one can say that the Bush 43 Era policies on the whole has been extended by the Obama Oval.   There will always be spies, and spy agencies, and they will spy, just now they have the ability to spy on everyone, and they will, no President is above the intelligence networks, the agencies know to much and can sink a Presidency, just ask the late Richard Nixon about the FBI and Watergate.