Al Qaeda and IS - The Terror Threat

Telegraph - IS Live: Reports the following in its 6.26pm post. " Al Qaeda has sent jihadists from Afghanistan and Pakistan to Syria to recruit Western fighters for a new suicide bomb plot targetting US-bound flights,.. "

Lets Get Real:

As much as a threat to the West that IS is, one should never take one's eyes off the constant threat from Al Qaeda, they want another major terror event to place themselves back on the map, thus Western intelligence should have their eyes and ears open for chatter.   As 9/11 and 7/7 has shown it only takes a few men to cause major destruction and damage.    IS and Al Qaeda share the same terrorist mind set, one can not say that IS would not give Al Qaeda Western men with clean passports as to mount another 9/11 operation.  The above is the reason that the NSA has to bug everybody, its for the security of the West and to save people. 

Hillary Clinton and Iowa - 2016 Race

Guardian: Reports " Hillary Clinton returns to Iowa as steak fry sizzles with talk of 2016  Presumed frontrunner flirts with media at event for Senator Tom Harkin while volunteers offer stickers, T-shirts and support "

Lets Get Real:

The race is on folks for the Democratic nomination in 2016, at this stage it has to be Hillary Clinton is the only runner, and in less some brave Democrat raises to the challenge she will be the Democratic Nominee in 2016.  Lets recall Hillary was fav in 2008 and she lost to then Senator Obama, so the Clinton brand can lose, the Democratic left does not trust  Hillary, thus it can be expected that someone will run to her left, what about Biden, sorry that was a joke, then there is Senator Warren the darling of the liberal left, that would be great for the Republicans if she beat Clinton, the Republicans would destroy a liberal left candidate for President, the US wants a strong right wing leader, thus the need for the Republicans to get another Ronald Reagan, that is not easy in the present field.   Thus it will be interesting to see the twist and turns in the race, its going to be a long two and half years of polls, elections, great if your a political geek. 

NATO and the Ukraine - Ukraine Crisis

BBC News: Reports " About 1,300 troops from 15 countries - including the US and other Nato members - have begun a military exercise near Lviv in western Ukraine. "

Lets Get Real:

This is of symbolic importance, it tells the Russian Bear that NATO is serious when it come so the security of the Ukraine, the Russians will see from this deployment that the West when pushed can match its rhetoric.   Lets hope that the Russians get this message, and do not cause an incident that would bring Russians troops in to conflict with the West, mistakes occur, the fog of war, can lead to events developing out of the control of leaders.   One can expect that Moscow will keep a firm hand over its troops in Eastern Ukraine, even if it can not control the Russian rebels all the time.