Benghazi, Agency Scandals and Syria; The Most Perverted Shell Game Yet.

The stories of government agency corruption and the blurring of Constitutional guidelines has certainly caused a storm of consternation and outright anger in the past many weeks. It seems each day has provided us with yet one more glimpse into the seedy world of a government which has clearly lost its way, and shed even the appearance of concern for maintaining the public trust.

While the debacle in Benghazi had dominated the national media stage for a few months, it was quickly shifted to the back burner to make room for far more salacious tales starring State Department appointees and prostitution as well as a litany of stories detailing every manner of corrupt behavior.

Learning that the IRS abused its power and deliberately targeted a groups with a very specific political leaning was just one more.  Certainly the American public has a right to be concerned when the single most powerful agency in government, shamelessly exerts its influence and authority against the very Americans it collects money from in order to "support and defend the Constitution of the United States".

It was as disconcerting to learn that the Department of Justice was gleaning Associated Press documents for who knows what purpose, as it was ironic that the media which has acted as a pro-bono ad agency for this Administration and its agencies, should take issue with this particular infringement on our Constitutional "Rights".

The NSA digital surveillance program really isn't news except to those who haven't been concerned about it since the last time it was discussed some 6 or 7 years ago. The fact is, that program really hasn't changed, it just happened to come to light again but this time in the midst of a list of other abuses of authority and power, levied during this seemingly teflon coated administration's second term.

There is no doubt that all of these things give reason for concern. It does however remain to be seen which, if any, of these things will be deemed to be truly illegal or unconstitutional if not arrogantly applied.

The real problem is, these things, while troubling have served a much darker purpose and it appears that purpose is now all but accomplished; Weapons to the Syrian Rebels.

It seems just a little too convenient that all of these "scandals" should appear on the scene right in the middle of Congressional hearings to determine exactly what happened in Benghazi. And being as Congress has yet to learn how to multi-task, they have been oh so easily side-tracked from that most important investigation to these sideshows. What this has managed to do is take the spotlight from Benghazi and away from any suggestion of Administration guilt in order to focus on what may be determined to be not much more than poor judgment in some cases and horrible supervision in others.

Since September 11, 2012, Benghazi has been a mine filled with potential evidence of wrong-headed vision, Administration malfeasance, upper echelon military incompetence, Pentagon and Administration collusion, Administration protectionism and a list of bald face lies.

Let's look back at the events just days before, during, and following the attack by members of the Al Qaida splinter group, Ansar Al Sharia on the compound in Benghazi:

1. August 30, 2012 - Jamaa Islamiya, a State Department-designated terrorist group, called for an assembly at the US Embassy in Cairo to protest the ongoing imprisonment of its spiritual leader, Sheikh Omar abdel Rahman. This story was reported by USA Today, September 12th. If a reporting agency could find this information, it stands to reason intelligence agencies were already aware of it which means, the Embassy knew of it. If the Embassy knew of it, it also followed they willfully lied having released a statement which included language blaming the home-made video in California for instigating the protest. They, and the Administration continued to lie about the motivation for this protest and the attack in Benghazi - for weeks even though it was well established not to be a byproduct of a protest about a you tube video which only had a few hundred hits by the day of the attack.

2. September 6, 2012 - The Libyan-flagged vessel, Al-Entisar laden with weapons, docked at the Turkish port of Iskanderun, bound for the Syrian Rebels. The only active question is whether or not the Administration tasked either the CIA or other US agencies with collecting these weapons with the intent of circumventing the desire of Congress, to arm the Syrian Rebels.

3. September 11, 2012 - It has been reported that Ambassador Stevens met with Turkish Consul General Ali Sait Akin just hours before the attack. One pertinent question is why a sitting US Ambassador to a very volatile Libya whose principle office is in Tripoli, risked driving thirteen hours through "indian country" to meet with a Turkish Emissary at what seems to have been a CIA black house?

4. September 25 2012 - President Obama speaks to the UN Council, in large part to recommend a resolution which would make any speech considered blasphemous to Islam or Islam's founder, Mohammed, illegal. It is important to know that President Obama had been collaborating with the OIC for some time prior to either the unrelated protest in Cairo or the attack in Benghazi. Diana West Provided some insight within hours of the session.

It is also important to recall that the President had already announced Al Qaida, essentially, irrelevant due to the effects of policies his Administration had operated under for nearly four years. Openly declaring that Ansar Al Sharia, a known Al Qaida affiliate had attacked the compound for reasons that would seem to suggest autonomy, unit cohesion, planning and commitment would cause this President and his Administration to look just a little foolish so close to an election.

Those Congressmen who have led the investigation into the events leading up to the attack and the abysmal failure of the Administration and high ranking military Officers to provide any kind of fire support or rescue operation during this entire seven hour fight seem to have become fixated on questions which would indicate the President and his cohorts acted as they did simply to buy time and win the election.

If this is the case, they are either incredibly narrow sighted, or politically motivated, themselves. The truth is, there was no single issue which motivated the Administration to act - or rather not act to defend the American personnel in Benghazi on 11 September 2012; there were several reasons not the least of which was a need to cover any suggestion of this Administration's attempts to funnel weapons to the Syrians without public scrutiny. Another reason was the need to protect the Administration's narrative about the disposition of Al Qaida.

There was one other reason, however, that has not received as much attention as it should and this may have carried as much weight as anything else; the need to build a pool of sympathy here in the United States for the Ummah and the support it would then lend President Obama's desire to see anti-blasphemy legislation enacted in the UN.

He has made his loyalties quite clear over these past years; Islam first, US security and the lives of War Fighters, second. And this is where a great disservice is being done to our Service Members right now.

For as we speak, there is every indication that this nation is poised to supply arms and munitions to the rebels in Syria, in spite of the fact they are associated with Al Qaida; in spite of the fact they have committed attrocities with religious zeal; in spite of the fact they are almost certainly responsible for the murder and disposition of the Christians in Homs and in spite of the fact the rebels are fundamentalists and doctrinally, no different than the sitting government.

The point being, there are no good guys, once again, in this fight. For once the smoke clears, whoever lands on top will hold within their hearts the very same animosity toward the US, the West and Israel, that the vanquished holds. Once again, President Obama has proven he either doesn't understand the fundamental influence of this religion on its followers or worse, he does and is acting to support them anyway. And what makes it even worse is that nearly every single sitting member in both chambers of Congress, are acting or, not acting, out of the same ignorance.

What these latest scandals have done, is to keep Congress, the Media and most of the Public focused on lesser things while allowing a true travesty, the debacle in Benghazi fall from view.

If Benghazi falls so far out of view that Congress and the people lose their desire to find out what truly happened, it will do nothing less than vindicate this sitting President's policies and his vision of Islam and neither of these will be good for our War Fighters.

As it seems almost certain that this country is poised to deliver weapons to a known enemy of the United States, it is also then highly likely that American troops will be asked to once again shed their blood on another sand swept, Islamic landscape working within the failed paradigm of Counter Insurgency doctrine and within the parameters of an ROE that continues to take American War Fighters lives.

Semper Fidelis;

John Bernard

On the topic of Guns, Accoutrements, and the idiots who "Represent" us:

I have had just about enough of the queue of lambasting idiots whose sole desire is to control every aspect of American's lives. Their bloated exhortations about things they obviously know nothing about has risen to the level of epidemic. What is more troublesome is that there seems to be an unending assortment and number of mixed nuts fully prepared to accept any edict these windbags hand down from their lofty "thrones" in the City of the Dead (DC) while the combined knowledge of both exhorter and audience, if melted down and strained couldn't fill a thimble!

 I am sick to the point of retching of listening to the absolute nonsensical sputtering about firearms by those who can't differentiate between a butt stock and a flash suppressor so here is a short lesson in nomenclature to make you sound less stupid:

 FIRST, they are not "clips", they are magazines and the semi-automatic AR-15 is not "an assault rifle" any more than a baseball bat, hammer, kitchen knife, scarf, rope, lead pipe, pipe wrench, automobile, hands, feet, stick, screw driver, torch, et al all of which have been used at one time or another to "assault" someone by a deranged person.

 The "shoulder thingy that goes up" is a folding butt stock on a very few long guns most notably, the SPAS shotgun which is no longer manufactured. The correct description of what this particular dingbat in Congress was trying to describe, is, an adjustable butt stock. Its crime is making itself available for shooters of varying shapes and sizes - including women for whom many rifles are too large to fire accurately and painlessly.

 A bayonet lug is a superfluous piece of equipment - for almost anyone, in or out of uniform and does not contribute to the mental deficiency that denies a person the ability to know it is wrong to kill. A sling swivel is a mounting point for a sling which is used in competition and to carry a rifle over the shoulder for most civilians and while there are some really neat 1, 2 and 3 point slings on the market, no one except a seasoned and well-trained professional has a need for it or would even know how to use it. And NO; it does not make the rifle more lethal or the operator more proficient.

 A flash suppressor is not a lethal device. It is used to reduce the light signature of escaping gases from the muzzle of the rifle so the enemy has a more difficult time registering your position and dropping mortars and artillery on your head. Being as there isn't much in the way of danger from ordinance here in the civilian world, it is superfluous. And just because it is superfluous is no reason to ban it. It does not make the rifle more lethal or the operator more proficient. It does, however, make the rifle compliant with long distance rifle matches hosted around the country and at Camp Perry every year.

 A pistol grip has sent many a "sensitive anti-gunner" into orbit. Here's the skinny: All things being equal, I prefer a straight stock. Contorting your hand and wrist to accommodate a pistol grip actually take some practice and again, does nothing to make the rifle more lethal or the operator more proficient. So, get over it!

A magazine with any number of rounds is of ZERO use to someone who is not well-trained with the rifle or handgun it supports and no; Newtown doesn't count because at the grand distance of about 25 feet, he could have caused as much damage with a pile of rocks.

Magazines hold cartridges - not bullets! The ammunition that the Military uses does not possess "magical properties" delivering greater lethality. The fact is, military grade ammunition is designed to meet the requirements of the Geneva Conventions which requires full metal jacket bullets to reduce expansion and associated lethality which in turn reduces damage to the flesh, increasing the probability of survival. This also, then makes this ammunition terrible for hunting. In comparison, a hunting bullet, fired from even a bolt action rifle is far more lethal.

 Finally; for all of you "sheeple" who mindlessly "feel" your way to decisions that could ultimately eliminate first the 2nd Amendment and eventually, the entire Bill of Rights; get your bloody heads out of the clouds and do a little research so you won't appear to be the blustering idiots you currently sound like. And if you insist on allowing others to represent your sorry opinions of something that is no more than a tool, in the hands of a law abiding citizen, at least get someone who doesn't make the rest of us feel embarrassed to be a member of the same species!

 If any of you, left of center would like legitimate questions answered…please feel free to ask them. And no; I will not get drawn into an inane conversation filled with semantics and sensationalism. The fact is, our murder rate isn't even half of what the United Kingdom's is even though there are no more firearms available to their "subjects". Currently the weapon of choice in "merry ole England" is a knife which Parliament is in the process of outlawing.

 In this country, last year, 323 people were killed by someone brandishing an AR-15 or AK-47 style, semi-automatic rifle while in that same year, nearly 700 people were killed by a hammer!

 Echo Eight Bravo; Out!

Is BengPetAllen…"Gate" related to Afghanistan? Its Closer than You May Think!

What a difference just a few days can make. Just a day or so before the election, the White House was still grappling with exactly how to categorize the coordinated attack by members of Ansar Al Shariah on the US compound in Benghazi. Apparently, the 52% of the voting block in the US who chose to keep the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave for another fun filled four years isn't concerned about that. In fact they are not apparently concerned with any of the inconsistencies in our foreign policy.

Yes, inconsistencies; policies that are inconsistent with the traditional and constitutional vision of US national security. If someone wants to try and convince me that wasting the precious blood of American War Fighters for the benefit of another people, in another land, who are taught from birth to hate the great western satan is either rational or patriotic; have at it! So what does this have to do with revelations of David Petraeus's extra-curricular activities?

Absolutely nothing! And that is the point!

Unfortunately, it took an attack on a small, unprotected compound in Libya which ended with the death of two Bureaucrats and two genuine, American Heroes, Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods to cause the dead in DC to even consider that something might be wrong. Why? Simply because it hit close to home. No longer were those who were betrayed nameless, uniformed,  men and women from towns with obscure names. The two principals killed in the coordinated attack launched by Ansar Al Shariah on the anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Towers in New York City, September 11th, were, for all practical purposes, kin.

They were of the DC crowd and the DC crowd takes notice when their own are threatened.

But what the media - all the media, the vast majority of the DC crowd and most Americans seem to have missed is that the very same foreign policy vision that caused the attack in Benghazi, is that which has been killing American Service Members and ISAF forces in Afghanistan! But as with all things, the squeaky wheel gets the attention; and DC can be very squeaky when the carnage they have caused hits too close to home.

Precisely what the motivation for the attack in Benghazi was, we may never know. The reason we may never know is because there was something else, something sinister going on behind "the curtain". Theories abound but what we do know does more than simply suggest something untoward was underway in Libya. Whatever that thing is was deemed so important as to cause the White House, its entire administration and appointees to agree to leave Stevens, Smith, Doherty and Woods to die. The fact is, it was determined acceptable that all in that compound that night should be sacrificed rather than let whatever the secret is, come to light.

I say this with conviction because several calls for fire support were placed by those besieged in Benghazi that night. I say this because the White House watched the entire episode unfold - all 7 hours of it, from cameras mounted on UAV's which had been launched, presumably after the attack began, to "monitor" the attack.

Why hasn't the media asked these questions?

1. Where were those UAV's launched from? How is it that they were on site so early in the attack?

2. If someone had the wherewithal to launch UAV's - and use them for surveillance/monitoring, where was the same determination to defend Americans on sovereign US soil?

3. Why was AFRICOM, General Carter Ham, replaced within weeks of the attack? The story about his order to deliver supporting fire on the mortar which killed Doherty and Woods, only to be countermanded is said to be inaccurate. And yet, this curious timing of his replacement is supported with statements that only generate more questions. Keep in mind that most posts are three year assignments.

An authorized statement released to the press was that there was no way to know with certainty what was going on in the compound that night. It was even intimated that fear of collateral damage was a concern.

Sound familiar?

Really; a rogue element attacks sovereign US property and its Ambassador and we're worried about collateral damage??

Do you suppose this sitting President who watched from his "War Room" as Americans and his appointed Ambassador were being attacked would be as concerned about "collateral damage" if that kind of attack happened in DC? I think not; but again, that would be too close to home!

One of the theories being floated is that the administration had authorized the movement of arms to Syrian Rebels (without Congressional approval), being shipped first to Turkey. In fact we know that Stevens met with a Turkish emissary just a couple of hours before the attack.

Does it strike anyone as strange that an American Ambassador to Libya would leave the consulate in Tripoli, travel overland, some thirteen hours away, to meet with a Turkish emissary? What business could an American Ambassador to Libya possibly have with a Turkish emissary, anyway? Why not meet with him at the consulate? If it was legitimate Embassy business, again, why would he do that business some thirteen hours away in Benghazi, rather than in the US Embassy…in Tripoli?

Could the operative word here be "legitimate"?

This brings us to this latest round of stories involving two men entrusted with prosecuting the war in Afghanistan; men who hold the lives of America's Sons and Daughters in their hands. Men who have subverted better judgment, ignored history, zealously expunged vital information about the enemy from training curricula, who continue to force America's Sons and Daughters to patrol in streets known to be littered with IED's. These men, who force better men to forfeit their lives based on a confabulation projected by their CIC who is infatuated with all things Islam. Men who select controversial and historically disastrous strategy to force our War Fighters to operate under simply because their Commander in Chief has determined that Afghan lives are more valuable than the Sons and Daughters of American families are morally reprehensible! Just because something may be lawful by man's law does not mean it is so by God's law. Knowingly placing another man in jeopardy of losing his life or physical well-being when you have the knowledge and the ability to prevent it, is a crime whether or not our morally challenged bureaucrats consider it so or not!

David Petraeus has been caught in the act of Adultery. I know of enlisted Marines who have been charged with adultery, tried by Courts Martial and kicked out of the Marine Corps with an Undesirable Discharge for being involved in the very same thing David Petraeus is allegedly guilty of.

I am not here to pass judgment on David Petraeus or General Allen (should those allegations prove to be true), for essentially a sin against God but to remind people that it is apparent that these acts were committed at the same time men were being slaughtered by "friendlies", being forced to operate within the untenable guidelines of COIN - a strategy Petraeus selected and Allen rubber stamped.

And now, the White House is allowing the moral failure of at least one man to distract Congress and the American people from the greater travesty which is this government's complete failure to give fire support to Americans who were under siege and who this President watched die!

There is nothing that can be uttered that can justify this conscious decision to not use the might of this nation to defend the lives of Americans - ever! It is clear that this President and his appointees have deemed "some thing" of far greater value in an environment where there was nothing of national security concern that would dictate that. There were no legitimate national security secrets that needed to be protected, which is made obvious by the unusual absence of an MSG (Marine Security Guard) detail.

No, there is nothing that will ever justify the inaction of our "leadership", that night. But there was consistency in at least one area: The narrative was protected "at-all-cost". The inexplicable and costly determination to protect the Ummah at all cost remained intact. Once again, this sitting President and his entire entourage proved their willingness to cause American deaths rather than chance a stray round that might injure or kill "an innocent".

King David had an affair with a woman and then ordered her husband, Uriah, be placed in harm's way to insure his death. David was guilty of adultery and then murder to cover it up. But unlike David who repented, President Obama remains obstinate and intent to continue covering his many sins against the very people he has sworn to defend.

Apparently, David Petraeus has learned more from his "liege" than David or David's God.

The American people made it clear that they want this kind of Presidency. But elections have consequences. The most costly consequence of this election is the continuation of policies which place men at undo risk, for an ungrateful people. We have high ranking Officers who sully their names, their uniforms, and bring pain to their families.

As a bonus, Congress unwittingly masks far greater sins by turning its focus on the personal sins of men and a single incident which shines a light on the greater problem. Unfortunately, they remain blinded to the reality of that greater problem.

And 52% of the American people remain blissfully unaware. Heck; they'll be getting free IUD's and government paid tuition.

Why torture yourself with troubling things…

SF

jb

More Proof of the Fruit of COIN Madness!

This is another important piece chronicling the perverse nature of an ill-advised battle strategy chosen by a mindless body politic and their morally defunct General Grade surrogates.

If the strategy (COIN) was such a magnificent contrivance, there would be no discussion about progress; it would in fact be self-evident. Instead we have journalists like Michael Yon, who is not of the exact same camp as I am. He and I have talked and he has held out hope for a properly run COIN operation even in the midst of the demonically possessed while I believe every iteration is doomed to failure.

This, his latest piece, provides even more insight into this nightmare called COIN, conceived in the hearts of spiritually soiled men and in meetings governed by a coward's concern for global perceptions! This travesty of strategy, as a principle of theater-wide application ought to be outlawed by this Nation!

The world court opinion BE DAMNED!

Our concern as a people of a nation should be for the well-being of our War Fighters - FIRST! If Afghans, Iraqis, Iranians, Syrians, Libyans, Tunisians, Algerians, et al want to lessen their plight, they have the exact same opportunity as our Fore Fathers did; fight for it! We owe them nothing and certainly not our trust or the blood of our finest! The problem is, they don't see their condition as a scourge or a plight; they see it as the spiritually enlightened condition of men who have given themselves to the doctrines of a man who claimed to have conversed with a 'god'. Any man in this country who thinks we have anything to offer people who have given so much of themselves to so vile a religious construct as Islam is simply arrogant - and ignorant! Asking better men to sacrifice themselves for this arrogance is the height, width and depth of moral depravity! Demanding they continue in light of such absolute proof of the total and abysmal failure of such an arrogantly conceived battle plan, is simply criminal!

If this is going to change, men currently serving in the Halls of our great governmental institutions are going to have to enlist the help of men dedicated to this discussion who actually understand the topic. Our Representatives and Senators are going to have to decide to act in a way that may not be politically feasible and say things that may cost them an election. But one thing is certain, unless these men who claim to have a heart for the troops and say they understand that the current direction is wrong, act furiously to change it, our forces will continue to suffer the same life-altering injury and pay with their lives as have those before them. And the price they will pay, in the end, will be in vain because Afghans are not going to change what they fervently believe to be the state of being required by their 'god' and his spokesman.

Afghanistan is a cesspool of humanity; a mass grave for honorable men compelled to serve in her sewage by the arrogant, delusional and cowardly politicians of the day. Nothing good has come of our efforts; nothing good will come out of the next two years.

Our political establishment has lost its way or maybe the American population has lost its moral compass and have consciously chosen men of unscrupulous character and such a deplorable lack of courage to represent them. In either case the affect is the same on our War Fighters.

Michael Yon does an exceptional job of providing insight into the latter days of this our most miserable martial effort in the midst of a demonically charged and hate-filled culture.

How many more lives must be destroyed before those who dare call themselves "Statesmen", will muster the courage to draw that metaphoric line in the sand and demand this fratricide committed by our leaders against our War Fighters, end?

Happy Reading…

http://www.michaelyon-online.com/stuck-in-the-mud.htm

SF

John Bernard

Are Our Elected American Representatives leading us to another "Operation Frequent Wind"?

In the past few days and in the midst of the murderous jubilation expressed by the Muslim communities throughout the Middle East for their new found Arab "Sprung" freedom, insider attacks number 37 and 38 reaped the religion of peace and our government, six more ISAF and American dead, two British Soldiers killed in an attack on Camp Bastion and some $150,000,000.00 worth of equipment including six Harriers destroyed and two severely damaged.

Not a bad five day's work for Allah's "peaceful worshippers"!

Of course the single most outrageous act of the week was the pre-planned, coordinated attack on our Embassy Staff in Benghazi which yielded another four completely unnecessary American deaths; an attack this administration, as of this writing still refuses to acknowledge as a pre-planned, coordinated attack.

Some clarification is in order at this point. Let's define what elements define a "coordinated attack":

1.  The use of combined arms, ie small arms fire (rifles), rocket assisted direct fire weapons (RPG's), indirect fire weapons (Mortars).

2.  The assignment of individuals to specific elements of the attack:

            a.  Base Fire Element which provides, preparatory and suppressing fires - Mortars combined with machine guns, rockets and small arms are used to soften the target and render defenders inoperable.

            b.  A Maneuver element - a lightly armed unit(rifles, RPG's, light machine guns), whose principle responsibility is to carry the attack to the enemy and engage them, one on one.

3.  Rehearsal - Practice, Discussion, Intelligence coordination and dry runs to insure all individuals and elements understand their responsibilities and most important, the disposition of the other elements in relation to each other and the target.

Any coordinated attack that contained the two first elements would have been rehearsed for reasons that should be obvious even to a complete novice. The Base of Fire Element which is designed to soften up a target can be deadly if not coordinated with the Maneuver Element. This means a pre-designed communications/signal plan telling the Base of Fire when to cease fire, or shift to make a safe avenue of approach for the Maneuver Element.

It is important to know that it has been determined that all of the above were exhibited in the assault on our personnel in Libya. It is also noteworthy that Libyan President Magariaf, insists that this was a pre-planned, coordinated attack and not an impromptu act of a mob, displaying "righteous indignation" over insults to Mohammed and Islam in a16 minute You Tube video and that it occurred in advance of any "protest" that might have been spawned by that film.

There are only two reasons this administration would continue to deny the obvious; one, they're idiots and two, they are protecting something; in this case two "somethings".

The first, is the likelihood that someone within the State Department was derelict of duty. The very idea that an Ambassador and his Staff would be placed on foreign soil without an MSG contingent is despicable! No Embassy is complete without one and as the last few days has shown, an MSG is vital for the security of the Staff, US Sovereign Property and Operational Security issues.

The second reason is that anything that moves attention away from the ridiculous suggestion that a 16 minute video (that took most of us hours to find) could cause these people to hate us nullifies the argument for COIN in Afghanistan and our generally gentle handling of the Ummah.

It also calls into question the judgment of this sitting President, his administration and the gaggle of Representatives and Senators who giggled at the prospect of "democracy" in the midst of Islam; a suggestion that all of us who write on this subject warned was an impossibility.

It is truly remarkable that the administration and its legions of minions persists in their combined efforts to convince the American population that these kinds of murderous outbursts are somehow reasonable; when these murderous acts are manifested as some perverted form of righteous indignation against blasphemous commentary on Mohammed or Islam.

It is painfully clear that they have deemed these acts as legitimate despite their anemic attempts to dispel this characterization of their remarks.

I am wondering if the administration considers the lack of violence among Christians as a sign of spiritual degradation when we don't act similarly? Remember Andres Serrano's outrageous photograph of a Crucifix bathed in a bucket of his urine?

Insider attack # 38 however, is the single most troubling thing to happen this past week. It is troubling because of what it portends for the safety of our War Fighters operating within the damnable parameters of COIN in Afghanistan.

Look at the number of attacks, per year from the Long Wars Journal:

2008  - 2

2009  - 5

2010  - 6

2011  - 15

2012  - 38 (as of this writing)

There is a left-wing allegory that was pedaled some decades back trying to illustrate the manufactured fear of the day; over population. The story sets up a simple question; there is a tree, near a pond which drops a single leaf into the pond and on each following day the number of leaves dropped into the pond doubles. If the pond is full on the thirtieth day, on which day is the pond half full?

The answer; the Twenty Ninth Day.

We are facing a Twenty Ninth Day scenario in Afghanistan and if the events of the last week are any indication, possibly the whole world.

There is no way of knowing which attack will "inspire" a larger segment of Afghan society to join the ranks of the "true believers", but it is now clear that the day is approaching. It is also clear that when that day approaches, we will be caught unaware. While the average Marine and Soldier may bear a sense of impending disaster, there is very little indication that the leadership - military or civilian are at all aware of the possibility.

This "spiritual energizing" of the dormant Islamic soul which is fed both by guilt for having fallen from the "true faith" and a confidence in watching fellow Muslims in the act of self- destruction and murder for Allah, is a toxic and fatal combination. They are the cause and the epiphany which propel otherwise "peaceful" Muslims to suddenly and "inexplicably" turn their weapons on their "allies".

The tragedy is that the administration is so enamored with it's conjured perceptions of who the average Afghan Muslim is, that it denies them the opportunity to consider what is likely coming, and to plan for it; and our War Fighters are found caught in the middle. They are caught between the delusional "leadership" of lesser men and a burgeoning revival of the Islamic spirit which history proves to always manifest itself, violently.

This administration has chosen to use their efforts to convince the US and World population that the events of the past week are related to a simple 16 minute parody. Their efforts would be better used determining what must be laying just below the surface to cause whom they have deemed spiritual and peaceful people to act out so violently, so quickly, on so specific a target.

The final Operation of the Vietnam War, "Operation Frequent Wind", was ordered on 29 April 1975. From a political vantage point, it stands as one of the most shameful decisions any country has endured. It was the inevitable fruit of a political structure which refused to listen to it's military leadership coupled with an arrogant view of other peoples, in other countries.

It was the last gasp of another failed attempt at operating within the paradigm Counter Insurgency Doctrine and one that defiled the conscience of a nation, and left an entire generation disillusioned for twenty years.

As we consider the events of this past week and most important of all, these latest two incidents of treachery, it is becoming all to clear that this administration and those who serve at its pleasure will never accept the fact that their analysis of Afghan culture was false, their vision sullied by the delusions of one man and their efforts to choose a strategy a failure.

It is also clear that our Forces will likely again be compelled to endure the tragic consequences of the vision of an arrogant and delusional few and to revisit the politically embarrassing last days of a war that nearly destroyed us as a people, thirty seven years ago.

The real question is; how many more of America's Sons and Daughters need to be sacrificed at the altar of arrogance and political convenience before the inevitable order is given?

Semper Fidelis;

John Bernard

An American General "Excuses" the Murder of American Servicemen in Afghanistan as due to "Religious Stress"!

In what can only be described as a pitiful attempt to distract Americans from the obvious truth which is being written, and rewritten in American blood multiple times per week, General Allen excused the actions of Afghanistan's "True Soldiers of Allah". He very publicly declared that the "stresses" endured by ANA and ANP troops who participated in the month long Ramadan fast, have contributed to the very existence of "insider" attacks. Apparently, for the General, this is an acceptable explanation for "vetted" Afghan's to turn the weapons Americans have given them, against their benefactors.

It wasn't long ago we heard of another Officer who felt United States Marines were nothing more than cannon fodder for his unique understanding of "the greater good", Lieutenant Colonel Homiak. Let me be clear General; it is not acceptable!! No killing of American War Fighters is EVER "acceptable"! While it may be that during the normal conduct of battle deaths will occur, it is never "acceptable" and no individual entrusted with the level of authority you have been given should ever dare to suggest to America's Fathers and Mothers, that their Son's or Daughter's deaths is acceptable - regardless of the words you use to arrive at that opinion!

This almost apologetic comment, made by this American General who has been very quick to condemn American troops for things like the inadvertent burning of copies of the Quran can only be described as a total lack of regard for the Marines and Soldiers who have been sacrificed at the hands of this 7th century gaggle of thugs and their surrogates in Washington!

What makes his disgraceful commentary that much more unpalatable is his follow up in the Washington Post. Rather than damning these attacks for what they are, he continues to excuse these simple acts of Islamic mandated holy murder while calling for more US bloodletting for the unwarranted hope that Afghanistan will somehow miraculously blossom into a beacon of peace, tranquility and freedom for the ever "oppressed and noble" Afghan!

Can you say Stupid?

This continual betrayal of American trust and confidence given our "leaders", is not only despicable, it is an ugly, indelible scrawl across the thousands of American Servicemen's grave stones declaring in no uncertain terms; you were just a convenient tool on the way to an anti-American/pro-Afghan fantasy!

There is an allegory that most American Service members are familiar with. It breaks down human society into three distinct groups; The Sheep, the Sheepdog and the Wolf. It is taught that the majority of humanity can be described as Sheep; generally docile and unassuming, grazing, collecting and giving birth, to more sheep. They are generally peaceable but also blissfully unaware of the danger that lurks nearby. There is no guile but also no innate sense of duty to sacrifice oneself for the flock either and because of this, the sheep are defenseless. There is no crime in this, it is simply the state of the sheep.

The Wolf, on the other hand, is cunning, conniving, capable of great violence and continually on the prowl for the weak, unaware, defenseless sheep. Sometimes he attacks from the front but often from the periphery where the sheep is not watching. He steals, he kills, he destroys; sometimes without apparent purpose but always without remorse. He is self-centered and often runs in packs of other self-centered, remorseless, blood thirsty wolves. Against him, the Sheep have no defense because they live unaware and unprepared. The wolf doesn't hunt or take exclusively for need, rather he lusts for the blood of the unsuspecting and peaceful sheep.

Also within society there exists the Sheepdog. The Sheepdog is also capable of extreme violence but is also compassionate with a deep sense purpose toward the sheep around him. The Sheepdog runs in packs as well but his pack is well organized and dedicated to the protection of the sheep. The Sheepdog respects and trusts his leadership and is prepared to lay down his life in the protection of the sheep and his fellow Sheepdogs. He is keenly aware of the wolf and his evil tendencies and the Sheepdog is continually on watch for him and prepared to do what is necessary to protect the sheep, even to the point of death. It is also comforting to know that where the Sheepdog is, the wolf is hesitant to attack.  

It is with deep regret I inform you that the wolves have infiltrated the ranks of the Sheepdog…

This has been more than apparent for a long time now, and the wolf, under the guise of genuine American leadership has been sending the Sheepdog to slaughter while telling the Sheep, everything is alright.

And the sheep nod their heads, and do nothing!

Everything is not "all right" and things have in fact been very wrong, for a very long time. These "insider/green on blue/ Ramadan stressed/fasting impaired" attacks on American Servicemen are not an acceptable price to pay and our General Grade leaders and our Civilian representatives have all been lying to the American public for far too long. Their apathetic glare and pathetic responses to each and every new American Service Members death can no longer be tolerated.

It is far time for the American voter, the "King" according to our founding documents, to accept responsibility for the disgrace that is the inner DC beltway and stop the carnage being perpetrated against our American Servicemen - our Sons and Daughters in Afghanistan and other ill-conceived battlefields; present, and future!

If there is an enemy to fight in Afghanistan, it long past time we rooted him out and destroyed him without mercy and without ceasing until he exists no more or begs on bended knee for forgiveness. We "owe" Afghanistan and Afghan's, nothing! And if there are those who think differently, they can always but their collective butts where their far too free tongues are, join or start a civilian aid group and go to Afghanistan to do as they see fit! But make no mistake about it; War Fighters should NOT be used and abused to seek the manifestation of a fantasy conjured up in the minds of the deluded puppets of the political sphere.

I want to thank, Lieutenant Colonel David Grossman for his allegory.

I want to implore General Allen to reconsider his remarks which are so uncharacteristic of our beloved Corps and recant. And if for some reason, you have arrived at that point in your life, and your career that you can no longer place the lives of the Marines in your charge at a premium, do the honorable thing and retire! Who knows; maybe the "honorable Afghan" will appoint you as an Officer in the ANA?

Lastly, to all the Sheep, former Sheepdogs and currently serving Sheepdogs; use your God-given right and compose a letter, an e-mail, pick up the phone, send a telegraph, lash a note to the leg of a Carrier Pigeon, send up a smoke signal or drive down to DC but please, contact those men and women who dared to ask for your vote while promising to represent you and tell them ENOUGH is ENOUGH!

By the way General; Does the last "noble Afghan" who killed two more United States Service Members, yesterday, still get to claim clemency under the Allen/Ramadan defense?

Semper Fidelis;

John Bernard

Six United States Marines Murdered; Two Acts of Treachery; One Day in the True Afghanistan!

The tenth of August has given us two more examples of just how miserable the United States Government's vision for the "war" in Afghanistan is! In what can only be described as an "in-your-face" declaration by the very focused, ideologically motivated forces at work within the borders of Afghanistan, these two incidents, the latest in an ever increasing number of like attacks, once again demonstrate just how wrong our understanding of Afghan culture is.

What is even more troubling is that in the first ambush/attack, the perpetrator was not working alone. He had the help of accomplices, who like him, were declared allies by the United States government. He and his fellow Officers were given unfettered access to our forces and they exploited that weakness in our perception of who these people are and killed according to the doctrines which bind all of Afghan society together.

And why not?

After all, since when are men at war required to do the bidding of their enemy during hostilities? This is where our government has failed and continues to fail in Afghanistan. We refuse to reconsider our original assessment of the whole culture in Afghanistan and as a result, our War Fighters continue to pay the price for the hubris of those whose orders they obey.

With straight faces, the unending queue of government "experts" continues to pedal their well-rehearsed narrative in spite of the increasing mountain of evidence which screams to the contrary. We have gotten to the point that I personally have no desire to continue this "dialogue" with men who have so easily sold their personal souls along with the lives of good men on a fantasy that spins a tale of a peace-loving culture beset by an unwanted, alien force who pervert the doctrines of the "religion of peace".

The facts of these latest two incidences tell us everything we ever needed to know but several years after we should have learned their lesson! The murderers are of that segment of society that our government has presumed want peace and relief form the "unwanted alien insurgency" and yet, they baited a trap for United States Marines who were under standing orders to trust them.

This happened not once on this single day, but twice! And the result is that 6 good men, United States Marines, will not be going home to rejoin their families.

What is so damnable about these two events and the many others which preceded them is that our government insists on continuing to give these people the benefit-of-the-doubt while placing our own sovereign citizens in their midst like some perverted science experiment even though the evidence clearly indicates these kinds of attacks will continue!

Is this the vision of our Government? Sending men who have voluntarily suspended their rights as American citizens and willingly placed their very futures, trustingly, in the hands of those I tell you are lesser men only to have that trust squandered and their lives wasted? At what point are these euphemistically expressed, "green on blue" incidences going to convince the dead in DC or their surrogates, the media, that the current strategy is yielding nothing more than more dead US Service members, NATO, ISAF and civilian worker deaths and greater alienation from the very people the strategy is supposed to protect?

Even the much lauded, "fair and balanced" FOX news could not take the time or space on their scroll to report on these two incidences first thing Saturday morning. FOX was too busy covering a political announcement to report it live and their scroll failed to mention it at all. Here are the stories the "keeper of the scroll" considered more important than the deaths of 6 United States Marines:

·       Announcement of Paul Ryan as GOP VP pick (celebrities - even government trump troops)

·       Lackland AFB Sexual Assault Case (salacious details sell more product)

·       Syrian Rebels pleading with West for aid (even our future enemies are more important)

·       Neil Armstrong Heart Attack (love Neil Armstrong but even in pain he would agree; troops first)

·       Mourning 6 murdered Sikhs (murdered citizens should be mourned but not above that of our troops)

·       Catholic Nuns in Scandal (…REALLY??)

It was 0926 before the keeper of the scroll finally mentioned one of the attacks which took the lives of three Marines but clearly, the focus of effort was the political announcement of the day!

In addition there wasn't a single mention of either of these two attacks in any of the speeches or following commentary by anyone in either party nor was there any mention of any foreign policy vision as it relates to Central Asia, the war in Afghanistan or the plight of our War Fighting community!

Make no mistake about it; this is a direct reflection of the continued inexplicable defense of the current strategy by, seemingly, our entire government! Our "servants" have allowed themselves to be lulled into complacency by the few who have convinced them that their "analyses" clearly indicate that the vast majority of Afghan culture is supportive of our effort and that if we stay the course, it will succeed. While this might have been an acceptable argument ten years ago, it is nothing short of criminal to perpetuate this argument in the light of these continued acts of "treachery" TEN, YEARS, LATER!!

What was missed or rather expunged for the "analyses" was any "derogatory" mention of the religion which binds and directs all elements of Afghan society. And it is this religious doctrine which ultimately motivates those we have declared allies to act against us. What our "leaders" fail to understand is that these men are in fact at war, but not against those with whom they share a common doctrine, common culture, common ancestry; they are at war with us! And if some of these Afghans, many of whom we have declared to be allies, are at ideological odds with us and are not only willing but compelled to wage war with us, we need to perceive them in this way.

When the sitting President of Afghanistan reaches out to an unrepentant Taliban leader, before the cessation of hostilities and recommends he run for President of the very people we have declared he has victimized, it is clear we have no understanding of players and no legitimate vision for the outcome of this 10 year war. Why; because Karzai was our choice of leadership and because not one single voice cried out in condemnation of Hamid Karzai's insult to the price paid by thousands of American Service members to date!

Our government has failed to come to terms with these facts and in the process have caused many thousands of needless horrific injuries and deaths. And this has become so acceptable a price for the survival of the narrative that even the news agencies consider these deaths as secondary to the common and mundane events of daily life here in the US.

Will this election cycle in November really make any difference to how we envision doing "business" in the Middle East and South West Asia? You don't need to look any further than the venues which spew the "news of the day" and listen to the content of the speeches of political hopefuls for an answer to that. If there is no sense of urgency for the unreasonable price being paid for the defense of the inexplicable vision of our apathetic civilian servants, now, some 60 plus days out, what serious hope is there for a troop friendly change in November?

Nun scandal…REALLY?

SF

John Bernard