The CIA and Torture - P2 - The Bush Era

Guardian: Reports " CIA braced for global impact of torture report as release date nears..Public airing of post-9/11 practices, coming after months of negotiation, is likely to attract attention worldwide and could come as early as Tuesday "

Lets Get Real:

The CIA will not forget this action by the Democrats, it is very unwise to make the intelligence community not happy, they can leak back, and make the Oval Office have two very bad years left.   It is no great shock that the Democrats have gone after the CIA, this is old news for them, they did the same thing in the 1970s, that badly damaged the CIA.  It took the Reagan Administration to get elected before the CIA got its grove back.     Of course they dare not go after the NSA, the NSA listens to everybody, and every one has something to hide, well they are Democrats.  The article notes the following on the view of the Obama White House, " The drawn-out process has prompted speculation that the administration wants to outlast Feinstein’s tenure as chairwoman and prefers for committee Republicans, who consider the inquiry a wasteful witch hunt, "  Lets see how this play out over the next few days.  The Oval is smart, it does not want a war with the CIA or the NSA. 

US and Torture - Bush Era

Fox News: Reports " U.S. diplomatic and military posts overseas are being put on alert over the potential backlash from a looming Senate report examining the alleged use of torture by the CIA..."

Lets Get Real: 

The idea to release this report is a very BAD IDEA, it plays in to the hands of the terrorists, only self hating American leaders would want to see this reported released, it is a threat to CIA personnel around the World.  It does not matter that a few terrorists were given a HARD TIME, from reports no one was killed, and information gotten helped in the War on Terror.  The Republicans next year should report on the Obama drone strikes, lets see how the Democrats like have a light on the less noble aspects of the Obama Administration.   This blog supports drone strikes 24/7, but everything is political in D.C.. lets play hardball with the Obama Administration, lets see how their drone strikes are done, doubt it would pass the smell test, they are Chicago pols after all, Senate reports are a double edge sword. 

The Bush White House and the CIA - The Bush Era

The New York Times: Reports on Senate report on the use of torture by the CIA in the Bush Era, the article notes the following, " The report is said to assert that the C.I.A. misled Mr. Bush and his White House about the nature, extent and results of brutal techniques like waterboarding, .."

Lets Get Real:

IT is easy to be critical after the event, after 9/11 the US Government feared another attack, thus they used torture, its not nice, but then when you murder around three thousand people in a day, the reaction is not going to follow the rule of law.    The Oval Office under Bush 43 prevented other attacks on the US, the CIA did its job.   This is why Democrats are not trusted on national security, they do not have the backbone to protect the US, they would rather see terrorists go free than use drones on them, in this case President Obama is doing the right thing, he has become the King of Drone strikes, as he stated to his staff he is rather good at killing, its odd liberal left are very quiet about the drone strikes of President Obama, when innocent people are killed, but get their knickers in a twist over someone being in water for thirty seconds.   If your a terrorist, what are you afraid off, waterboarding or a Obama drone strike. 

Landrieu's Big Defeat - 2nd Term Blues

CNN - Politics: Reports " Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu lost her Senate runoff race Saturday night, felled by the red tide that's swept the South and ties to an unpopular President that she couldn't shake. "

Lets Get Real:

The Democratic Party have to get a new face for the leadership of the Democratic Party, the Party has nearly been wiped out in the Southern States, ObamaCare is still not popular.   Those at leadership level within the Democratic Party have to have a serious think about getting rid of ObamaCare before ObamaCare takes care of them, in other words, the end of their political careers.  When a policy hurts you as much as ObamaCare has done to the Democrats you have to start asking yourself, is it worth it, what if the Republicans take the Oval Office in 2016, and allow ObamaCare to wither away, no money or support.   Thus time for Democrats to grow up and get rid of ObamaCare, if you lose your not much help to anyone, including yourself. 

Botched Rescue Attempt - Deaths of Pierre Korkie and Luke Somers

BBC News: Reports " US special forces who tried to rescue photojournalist Luke Somers from al-Qaeda in Yemen were not aware of the identity of the other hostage held with him, a US official has told the BBC. "

Lets Get Real:

This can be the cost when you have to use US Special Forces to rescue your citizens.   The worry is that he US did not know that Mr Korkie's freedom had been bought, this kind of information should have been know by the US State Department.   The Obama White House like the Kennedy White House likes to use US Special Forces if not ground troops, this time it diid not work, there will be other cases and it will work.   In the War on Terror it never ends, if its not IS its Al Qaeda in Yemen, or other franchise groups.    This War will take a long time, and will last in to other Administrations, the death toll never ends in this war.  Our thoughts are with the Somers and Korkie families. 

Appeasing Evil - Hillary Clinton and 2016

Fox News: Reports on remarks by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the article notes the following, " Hillary Clinton is taking heat for saying America should “empathize” and show “respect” for its enemies. "

Lets Get Real:

Thus Hillary Clinton is running in 2016, she is moving to the left of the Democratic Party as to make sure that she can not be challenged from the left, the question is will the left see this move as REAL or just a ploy to make sure Hillary gets the nomination. Then when Hillary Clinton is the Nominee  she will move to the centre right in the General Election, as another left wing Obama type will not get elected after the failures of the Obama Administration when it comes to Foreign Policy.   The Clinton Camp must be worried that Senators Webb or Warren will become a real threat on the left, and lets be honest Hillary Clinton is not that great a candidate.   The Obama Wars in Iraq and Syria is going very slow, the US could have ground troops in action by next year, thus the above words could come to haunt the former Secretary of State. 

Carter for Defense - 2nd Term Blues

The New York Times: Reports the following on the nomination of Ashton Carter as  US Defence Secretary, the article notes that Mr Carter is a  " ...national security centrist who may advocate a stronger use of American power.  "

Lets Get Real:

One gets the impression that President Obama wants a forceful Defense Secretary who will move the Oval towards real action in Syria and Iraq, this means ground troops, it seems Secretary Hagel did not have a real fighting presence at the meetings with the President and NSC at the White House.   Thus one has to ask when US troops will be sent to Middle East.  In sacking Secretary Hagel it makes sure that the new Secretary can not be sacked, no matter what, you can not have had 5 Defense Secretaries over two terms.  If there are future problems in the relationship between the White House and the Defense Department the blame will fall on the Oval Office, that is the common factor should it happen, interesting days ahead at defense for Secretary Carter.