Archive for News and Intelligence

Why are Armored Guard Posts in Target’s Parking Lot?

December 15, 2013 Big Brother, Big Government, Constitution, Exclusive Story, Justice Department, Liberty and Freedom, News and Intelligence, Police State, Politics, Surveillance State, Terrorism 4 comments

Today while shopping at Target I noticed something unusual in the parking lot.  Rising above the middle of the parking lot was a large, mobile guard post.  It had many cameras, dark tinted windows, and appeared armored.  Further, there was a police cruiser parked at its base.  Seeing this, I wondered, what could possible justify making the parking lot of Target look like a federal penitentiary.  Perhaps it was just a new “Supermax” Target?  Was there some imminent terrorist threat against Target?  Should I pack my kids up and flee now for safety?  No one in management seemed to have any comment so it must have just materialized out of thin air.

The reality is the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is becoming ever more overt in its actions toward implementing a complete police state.  As the tower attests, DHS has been working overtime to militarize our local police forces.  In fact, DHS has spent billions of taxpayer dollars to provide local police with equipment designed for full scale warfare.  In short, they are using your money to build the infrastructure to totally control you and every aspect of your life.  The DHS provided equipment includes items like Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) armored vehicles, microwave and ultra low frequency emitting “crowd control” devices, high tech intelligence and surveillance equipment to include drones, and mobile guard towers.  Previously these items were only seen on overseas battlefields and used against America’s most unsavory enemies, but now in keeping with the militarization and takeover of local police, DHS has handed these items out like candy to local cops.  The unstated, but nonetheless real effect of the change in police demeanor from peace officers to storm troopers has been to imbalance the delicate Constitutional balance between the power of the State and the collective power of the people to challenge the State effectively in the event the State becomes illegitimate.

There are neither credible threats against Target to justify this militarized checkpoint nor is there any chance this waste of tax payer dollars would prevent an attack should there actually be one.  This ominous icon of a war zone is designed to desensitize the population to the fact they are monitored, spied on, recorded, and no longer free to even shop for socks without the government’s all seeing eye prying upon their every move.  This type of emerging soft tyranny must be identified, highlighted, resisted, and ultimately shut down at every single emergence.

This particular tower in Potomac Yard Shopping Center (Alexandria, Virginia) was procured by wasting taxpayer dollars and put into use by the Alexandria, Virginia Police Department.  After discussing the tower with local law enforcement the consensus seems to be that the tower was emplaced to thwart a rise in thefts during the holidays around store parking lots.  After all, who wouldn’t want better “public safety?”  However, that rationale fails the logic test.  First of all, after follow-on observation it appears the tower is an overpriced scarecrow because it wasn’t manned and perhaps the video monitoring wasn’t even active.  As such, there was no one actually present to “prevent” a crime.  At best this would only support follow-on investigation if the cameras were operational and pointed in the right direct.  Thus, an unmanned tower provides no more security than store cameras already in place.  Second, the policing is being done on commercial property with your tax dollars.  If Target parking lots are not safe, it is incumbent upon Target to bear the burden of the cost of making their premises safe and secure for shoppers and not Alexandria Police Department.  If the threat is really that high to shoppers as the government would like to scare you into believing, then where is the data to support this and why would we dare take our families out Christmas shopping?  Third, the cost of purchasing, maintaining, moving, emplacing, monitoring, and manning these towers must run into the millions of dollars.  This is an extremely high price tag for what the tower provides and approaches a complete waste of tax dollars.  Fourth, to actually make it effective for its purported purpose of preventing thefts in parking lots during the holiday season, it would have to be manned with a minimum of two officers for at least two shifts a day to cover the shopping hours.  This surveillance would effectively remove significant manpower from a police department’s normal shifts and result in a reduced ability to respond to actual calls for help and criminal activity.  Finally, one must ask whether they want this type of life.  People must use their god given mind to envision where this leads in the future.  A life where the pettiest of crimes results in a justification for a police state is abhorrent to a free society.  There is no freedom of anything when on every corner, at every moment of our lives, armed government goons are ready to swoop in and enforce the smallest of infractions with overwhelming violence.

I ask all of you to contact Target and demand these icons of our emerging police state be immediately removed from their premises or we will boycott their store.  We have already begun a local campaign and to date, Target management has only officially responded by email with a generic “sorry for the inconvenience.”  This is unacceptable and we must make our voices the loudest in the room.  Further, we need to educate the management of Target and other retail stores on what is unacceptable to us as their customers in respect to further police state actions.  By combining our efforts and getting the word out to other internet outlets, talk radio, TV, and our friends and family about these excesses we can expose these tyrannical actions and stop them.  Please take action today and use all your personal clout to impress others to action.

Target’s contact information is as follows:

Potomac Yard Shopping Center

Target

3101 Jefferson Davis Hwy

Alexandria, VA 22305-3042

(703) 706-3840

https://www-secure.target.com/HelpFormLinkPageView?catalogId=10051&langId=-1&storeId=10151&krypto=cQcHDksCxhgmutHxyjlq48%2BIHqzAFPvRjj%2BCK5QVyor4h0nGk1rMzeFOGnDn4aO%2FNM%2F4KjfHQ4%2BK%0AdgJRkZ2wBjKToFcNk5ho24f6ObC44dg%3D&ddkey=http:HelpFormLinkPageView

 

By Guiles Hendrik

December 15, 2013

All rights reserved.

The Next Manufactured War: China and the Pacific Theater Take Center Stage

December 11, 2013 Big Banks, Big Government, Department of Defense, Economy, Exclusive Story, Federal Reserve, Global War, Iran, Military, Military Industrial Complex, News and Intelligence, Politics Comments Off on The Next Manufactured War: China and the Pacific Theater Take Center Stage

As we have exhaustively written and warned in previous articles, a new war will need to be manufactured to continue to justify the continued redistribution of billions of taxpayer dollars to the military-industrial complex financed by the big banks.  The titans of the defense industry and the loan sharks of the banking world cannot afford peace and will stop at nothing to create fear and war to ensure their wealth is secure.  The United States economy has not made a true comeback as has been touted by the media and falsified government reports and soon the bubble the Federal Reserve created will have to be deflated.  To keep the public distracted and the money flowing, a new plan to create fear, instability, and possibly war in the Pacific has now begun.

It is becoming increasingly clear that no matter what deal is or is not struck in Afghanistan respective of continued troop deployments, NATO and the US forces are going to be forced to retreat within the next 12 to 18 months.  The Taliban’s (Pakistan’s) strategic victory is all but assured now, which will make future occupation by U.S. personnel impossible.  Further, the movement toward war with Iran by way of Syria has been temporarily checked by Russia until Israel can build enough clandestine support behind the scenes to sabotage any future peace deal or unilaterally attack Iran.  As such, the military-industrial complex has turned back to its fear mongering and war propaganda to begin conditioning the public that North Korea and China are again dire threats that must be stopped at all costs and that war could break out at any moment.  Of course this hyperbole is used to justify the “need” for new advanced weapons, continued funding of obsolete, redundant, or unnecessary defense systems, and to generally control the masses.  As a nation we have witnessed this ploy over and over resulting in unnecessary wars from Vietnam to Iraq that have cost millions of lives and trillions of dollars worldwide.  The wanton destruction wrought by these industry power plays can’t be understated.  For example, as we reported in the spring of 2013, North Korea was rebranded as a strategic missile threat overnight and then only weeks later forgotten after the defense-aerospace industry scared Congress and the public into refunding their missile defense programs that have been wasting billions of tax dollars and were rightfully on the sequester chopping block.  The fact that the bankers and defense propagandists nearly started World War III didn’t matter a bit because no matter whether or not war broke out, it was you and I that would have to bleed, pay, and die for their fortunes.  This process of fear mongering and dangerous brinkmanship is a trademark defense industry ploy used to make sure you continue to write them checks for billions of dollars without question.  Without question, it is one of the most diabolical, destructive, despicable, and immoral of all lies repeatedly pushed on the citizens of nations.

Fortunately, the American people have to some degree grown war weary and have been sensitized to the lies of war propaganda.  This is good and bad.  It is good in that the simplest of lies will no longer suffice to convince the American people to once again go to war and bleed and pay for the elites to become wealthier.  However, the elites recognize this and will conduct even more aggressive and despicable acts to create the conditions for war.  For illustration, just this year in Syria, a false flag chemical weapons attack was launched against innocent civilians in an attempt to frame the Syrian regime and justify the US becoming involved in yet another war in the Middle East.  It is important to note that this attack using weapons of mass destruction was resorted to after numerous lesser attempts to “convict” the Syrian regime in the minds of the public and precipitate a war had failed.  This included launching mortar rounds into Israel and Turkey, launching air attacks into Syria directly from Israel, directly providing training and weapons to known terrorists operating in Syria, repeatedly violating Syrian airspace so that they would shoot down a NATO jet, and persistently trying to brand the radical Islamic jihadists of the revolutionary forces as a peaceful, unified, pro-US, Free Syrian Army.  All of these acts were designed to either directly or indirectly illicit a defensive response from Syria, which Washington could then spin into an act of “aggression” to justify retaliation and war.  The Syrian example is just one of many illustrating to what deranged extremes our hijacked government will go to to force the US into another unnecessary war and is a cautionary tale of things to come.

Relative to the recent wars in the Middle East, a war in the Pacific promises to be far more devastating and has the real possibility of involving nuclear weapons and electromagnetic pulses designed to wipe out all unshielded electronics.  However, “devastating” translates to windfall profits for the defense industry and their financiers on a scale not seen since World War II.  A war or even the threat of war with China would mandate trillions of new defense spending financed through loans to the US government (ironically, this new debt would probably be bought by China).  New high tech weapon systems would have to be fast tracked into service and even more draconian surveillance and cyber warfare systems would also be justified to “protect” the homeland.  The Defense Department would once again get a blank check unlike any before from Congress to pursue an entirely new portfolio of overpriced defense programs, many of which, would target the American people as much as foreign entities as the current “War on Terror” has demonstrated.

The march toward war in the Pacific will be far more costly and devastating than even the worst case scenarios for the Middle East if allowed to move forward.  Not only will the US suffer a total economic collapse, but unprecedented death and destruction if the game of brinkmanship is overplayed and China and or North Korea call our bluff.  China is not an ally of the US, but is also not any more of a threat than we decide to create.  If you want to check China, it will be best done through effective economic competition and by strengthening our freedoms and liberties at home.  Runaway defense spending will only weaken the US.  Stop giving China preferential trade status, stop creating massive debt at home, stop educating China’s military scientists, stop allowing China to steal our most sensitive secrets, stop providing China and North Korea aid, and hold the line on our sphere of influence.  At home we have to cut taxes on citizens as well as reduce the overwhelming bureaucratic weight of endless regulations and taxes on businesses.  We need to protect our workers, our products, our technology, and our industry by not undermining them with imbalanced trade deals favoring offshoring and overseas manufacturing.  We also need to secure our borders, dismantle the surveillance state, cut the size of government, wean the population from state dependencies, and become as individuals and a nation much more self-sufficient.  Cutting the Defense Budget will go a long way to neutralizing the financial influence the military-industrial complex has over US policy and would strengthen, not weaken the security of the US.  All of these actions will go far toward reigning in massive and unnecessary spending and debt.  The media must also be returned to its watchdog status of the government and be purged of its recently assumed role as the public relations arm of the political parties.  No American interest is served by a biased media.  Failure to provide honest, unbiased, and factual news to the American people will lead to further deceit, loss of liberties, degradation of our quality of life, and potentially devastating wars.

Once again we are here warning the public of what is transpiring behind the scenes and are the first to bring it to you.  The best way to battle this latest escalation toward war is to become informed, know the facts, and make sure others are educated as well.  Neither the media nor the government can lie to you if you independently have sought out and found the truth.  Take this truth to the internet, the airwaves, the cable news programs, your local clubs…anywhere you can find an audience.  By exposing the lies and replacing them with knowledge and facts you can collectively disrupt and stop the plans of the defense and banking industries and their puppets within the government.  Those of you who serve the government; especially in the military, have an obligation to the American people and the Constitution to also speak out, to refuse to become an active participant, and to stop these unconstitutional and thus illegal and immoral actions.  Only through action can we overcome these true threats to the US, the gravest of which, have originated internally.

By Guiles Hendrik 

December 11, 2013

All rights reserved.

Damning Letter on State of Afghanistan War to Secretaries of Defense and State Leaked: Office of Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction Confirms US will lose control of most of Afghanistan by 2014 and US has no oversight of nearly $100 million in Afghan infrastructure development projects.

October 29, 2013 Department of Defense, Department of State, News and Intelligence, Terrorism Comments Off on Damning Letter on State of Afghanistan War to Secretaries of Defense and State Leaked: Office of Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction Confirms US will lose control of most of Afghanistan by 2014 and US has no oversight of nearly $100 million in Afghan infrastructure development projects.

October 10, 2013: Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), John F. Sopko, wrote to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel about serious concerns about the impact of the drawdown on security and the related implications for ensuring adequate oversight of the U.S.-funded reconstruction effort in Afghanistan.  In brief, SIGAR is projecting that even in a “best case” scenario the US will have access to barely 21 percent of Afghanistan in 2014.  This represents almost a 50 percent loss of access from current estimates.  Making matters worse, SIGAR estimated that nearly $72 million in infrastructure projects were now inaccessible.  This means that nearly $100 million is “currently” being spent on projects in Afghanistan with NO oversight.

Specifically, earlier this year SIGAR was unable to visit infrastructure projects in northern Afghanistan valued at $72 million because they are located in areas that could not be reached by U.S. civilian employees.   SIGAR is referring to these inaccessible reconstruction sites as areas outside of the “oversight bubbles.”  The areas covered by these “oversight bubbles” are defined by the ability of the U.S. government to provide both adequate security and rapid emergency medical support to civilian employees traveling to the area.  In effect, these “oversight bubbles” represent areas controlled by Taliban forces and are growing daily.  As such, this document gives a rare glimpse behind the curtain of just how badly the US/NATO forces are being routed in Afghanistan.  Further, one can only assume that in a country that is ranked third from last in the world for corruption (only North Korea and Somalia ranked worse http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2012/12/05/map-the-most-and-least-corrupt-countries-in-the-world/) that hard earned US tax dollars are being squandered.  Not only are the tax dollars being wasted, but they are being spent in areas controlled by the Taliban and being paid out often directly to our enemies, which takes reckless spending to the ridiculously absurd.  Only in the minds of politicians and inept generals could one ever think the US could win a war by funding its enemies and building up their infrastructure!

The situation on the ground in Afghanistan has gotten so bad, “significant portions of Afghanistan are already inaccessible to SIGAR, other inspectors general, the Government Accountability Office, and other U.S. civilians conducting oversight, such as contracting officers.”  SIGAR believes this constraint on oversight will only “worsen” as more U.S. and coalition bases close.  The map illustrates just how little access the US is projected to have next year in Afghanistan as the US military completes its retreat.

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At this juncture it is worthwhile to quote an entire excerpt that illustrates exactly how bad the situation is even through the politicized lens of a high level letter written between senior agency leadership.  SIGAR writes in his letter:

“Although it is difficult to predict the future of the U.S. presence in Afghanistan, it is likely that no more than 21 percent of Afghanistan will be accessible to U.S. civilian oversight personnel by the end of the transition, a 47 percent decrease since 2009. We have also been told by State Department officials that this projection may be optimistic, especially if the security situation does not improve.  The 21 percent figure may be too high. The oversight access shown on the attached maps presents a best-case scenario where weather, terrain, and security conditions pose no serious threat to helicopter medical evacuation missions.”

The implications of Mr. Sopko’s letter are profound.  Even an unlikely “best case” scenario projects the US to maintain only a very small foothold in some of Afghanistan’s major cities.  However, the security situation is currently very bad and projected to get worse.  Just as our analysts have predicted, since the failure in Tora Bora when the US lost the initiative during the early stages of the war, the true extent of US failure in Afghanistan is finally being revealed.  In fact, we project a rapid decrease in access to around 10% as Helmand and Kandahar Provinces rapidly fall back under complete Taliban control.  By 2015 we are predicting a near total loss of access and a likely collapse of the regime in Kabul.

See the actual letter at: http://www.sigar.mil/pdf/alerts/SIGAR_14-4-SP.pdf

By Guiles Hendrik

October 28, 2013

All rights reserved

 

The Forgotten War: Afghanistan 12 Years Later

October 18, 2013 Military, News and Intelligence, Terrorism Comments Off on The Forgotten War: Afghanistan 12 Years Later

America’s war against Al Qaeda terrorists in Afghanistan began over 12 years ago last week.  This grim milestone came and went with no media coverage even as some of America’s best men and women were killed there in combat this week.  Now, in the lead up to a complete US military withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2014, it is blatantly clear our pessimistic analytical forecast for Afghanistan has proved accurate.  Today we will recap the state of affairs of the War in Afghanistan and what to expect in the coming months.

The Obama Administration is quick to broadcast anything it can spin as good news.  The opposite is true of bad news so it is telling that it has maintained a near total media blackout on Afghanistan.  Making President Obama’s whitewash of the dire state of the war even feasible has been a complicit media and their absolute dereliction of a social responsibility to be the watchdog of the government.  This is the same biased media that broadcast images from the Iraq War around the clock during the Bush Administration, but now suddenly has nothing to report respective of the on-going Afghanistan War.  The truth the Obama Administration and his media henchmen are hiding is that the war has gone horribly wrong and the US is rapidly retreating in defeat.

I for one hate the notion of defeat and am incredibly ashamed of even the notion that the US could allow itself to be defeated in a war.  One would think that our nation’s leaders learned something from the Vietnam catastrophe, but then again, most of our leaders on both sides of the aisle were draft dodgers, cowards, potheads, and never served a day in the military.   Considering this, one should not be surprised to find out the Taliban are alive and well.  Not only have the Taliban weathered the full onslaught of a combined US, NATO, and Afghan military force for over a decade, but they are now more numerous, control more territory, and are better armed, trained, and equipped than they were when the US entered the war in 2001.  The Taliban still have the will and capability to fight and still take to the battlefield.  By any measure of warfare, if an invading army is forced from the battlefield and ultimately from the land which it invaded while the opposing army still holds that ground, the army that retreated was defeated.  If the media and the Obama Administration were honest and upfront with the American people, they would report that they never so much as fully secured a single province in Afghanistan.  As quickly as the US has handed over these still contested provinces to the “Afghans,” they have been taken over by the “Afghan Taliban.”  The latest sign of this came on September 13, 2013 when Taliban insurgents nearly overran the US Consulate in Herat, Afghanistan.  Not only was this attack just 48 hours after the anniversary of the attack on the US Consulate in Benghazi, but it was in a far western area of Afghanistan that previously was thought to be immune from Taliban influence.  Soon there will be no more US military forces in Afghanistan to come to the aid of these diplomatic enclaves.  When that day comes in just a few months, the US will be forced to quickly withdraw its last remaining diplomats in defeat.

Afghanistan has been an unsustainable war from the very beginning due to the lack of genius in our senior military officers, our unwillingness to pursue the actual enemy into Pakistan, self-defeating strategies, and the ultimate failure to recognize the strategic importance of sealing the Afghan-Pakistan border.  Our failure to neutralize and or destroy the Taliban safe haven across the border in Pakistan, has allowed the Taliban to wait out the US just as they did the Soviets.  Inside Pakistan’s safe haven, the Taliban fighters receive arms, training, funding, and sanctuary from the Pakistani government…the same government we give over $5 billion in annual aid to (read self-defeating strategy).  While the Taliban organize, train, and equip in Pakistan, the US has spent over a trillion dollars vainly setting up forward operating bases all over the desolate wasteland where the sole mission has become clearing roadways of improvised explosive devices so that the troops can get supplies to their remote bases so they can clear the roads so they can get in supplies, etc. etc. etc.  At no point in this ridiculous slow bleed strategy did our troops ever come close to strategic and decisive gains against the Taliban.  Instead, we spent and bled our nation to defeat without the Taliban having to do more than push an occasional button on an explosive device produced in Pakistan or shoot one of our soldiers in the back while dining together.  This absolute disaster of a war is a testament to the massive amount of money the US taxpayer has been forced to waste on a military bureaucracy so large and unwieldy that defies description.  Until the Department of Defense (DOD) can show that it can actually win a war the budget should be slashed, slashed some more, and then cut in half again.  If the politics won’t allow for a war to be fought, then we shouldn’t fight wars and waste money on our massive and dysfunctional military.  We don’t need smart bombs, we need leaders with the will to fight and win.  That said, without any doubt, for probably under what the DOD spent in a week on the Afghanistan War, a small contingent of country boys sporting nothing but scoped deer rifles, good leadership, and freedom of action could have decisively defeated the Taliban and ended the war in Afghanistan in just a few months.

Not only is the war unsustainable for the US, but also the Afghan government.  Over a hundred Afghan soldiers a week are killed, many times more are wounded, and even more defect to the Taliban.  The situation is so bad that the Department of Defense made it official policy to no longer report the number of Afghan casualties out of fear of losing all moral in the Afghan National Army.  Remember too that the mauling the Afghan military is incurring is with the help of NATO/US forces in Afghanistan to include air support.  Once the US and NATO pull out, the Afghan National Army will face total defeat as it dissolves into a more formalized Taliban Army.

Collapse is now imminent in Afghanistan.  Perhaps six months to a year separate the current state of affairs from a Taliban takeover of most of the country.  As the US accelerates its withdrawal, the Taliban will begin to operate more overtly in Afghanistan seizing at first greater footholds in the regional villages and towns and then overwhelming major cities.  Kandahar may again be one of the first cities to fall to the Taliban as soon as the spring of 2014.  Once Kandahar and surrounding provinces fall fully back into the Taliban’s (Pakistan’s) hands, it will only be a matter of months before Kabul falls under heavy attack and is overrun.  President Karzai will most likely do what he did before and flee his country to save his own skin.  This time though Karzai will flee with over a billion dollars (compliments of the US taxpayer by way of the CIA) hidden away, rather overtly, in Swiss and Dubai bank accounts to live out his days in Europe as his countrymen suffer the aftermath of his corrupt regime.  One can only hope he is forced to stay and weather whatever consequences the war may bring as the captain should either save the ship or sink with it.  In the interim, Afghanistan will exist as the world’s premier narco-state with President Karzai the undisputed cartel leader.

Make no mistake that any notion the US will be able to maintain a footprint in Afghanistan once the pull out begins is an illusion.  I can’t say for sure whether our leadership in the US is just that dumb to believe we will be able to stay (they are building a billion dollar embassy in Kabul) or is simply lying to provide top cover while we retreat.  Nonetheless, the result will be the same.  Think Saigon circa 1975.  To say the least, we will be lucky to have an exit as orderly as the Soviets.  If we are so lucky, it is only because the Taliban correctly assessed that it was in their best interests to simply let us leave as soon as possible while saving up their strength for a full offensive.  Once NATO has gotten out of the way, the Taliban will move to finish the civil war they started before the US invasion.

As the last troops retreat out of Afghanistan in defeat the military-industrial-complex will be faced with a dire situation.  The situation will be one of reduced budgets and no pressing war to sell their wares.  This means the titans of defense will lose billions of dollars and tens of thousands of Americans will be put out of work.  As such, we predict the military-industrial-complex will work closely behind the scenes with Congress to engineer a new war before the complete end to operations in Afghanistan.  The most likely candidate for this will be a war with Iran via Syria.  This war, as we have repeatedly warned, will be a complete disaster on a scale unprecedented in American history.  In fact the consequences could be so dire that historians may very well point to the folly as the end of the Republic.

Please remember our troops on the ground fighting in Afghanistan…they are the real victims of bad leadership, yet bravely stand their posts.

By Guiles Hendrik

All rights reserved. 

Analysis Confirmed: Syrian Rebels Massacring Christians and Possessed Sarin Nerve Gas

September 22, 2013 Exclusive Story, News and Intelligence Comments Off on Analysis Confirmed: Syrian Rebels Massacring Christians and Possessed Sarin Nerve Gas

Once again, our analysis, which concluded the exact opposite of the “official” propaganda being dispersed by the Obama Administration regarding the Syrian chemical attack, has been proven to be accurate as the Admin’s story falls apart.  Further, our coverage of Al Qaeda rebels backed by the CIA killing Christians has been vetted and found to be true and on-going.  Even our assertions that the effects of the alleged “Sarin” gas attack in Syria did not fit the profile of a military grade nerve gas attack, which suggested an improvised rebel origin have now been confirmed by US military intelligence sources.  We have repeatedly warned that the gas attack was nothing more than a false flag attack launched in order to become a pretext for the US entrance into a broader war in the Middle East.

We put our reputation on the line daily and are proud to be say “you heard it here first.”  Time and again, we are the first to break the truth while the rest of the mainstream media is passing elitist lies without question.  Please help us get the truth out by continuing to visit our site and forwarding our articles, citing our work, and demanding news consolidators link to us.

Thank you,

Guiles Hendrik

 

Supporting links:

http://www.infowars.com/russia-says-sarin-gas-in-aug-21-syria-attack-was-homemade/

http://www.wnd.com/2013/09/u-s-military-confirms-rebels-had-sarin/?cat_orig=world

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-24051440

 

Christians Massacred with Weapons Supplied by US across Africa and Middle East

August 27, 2013 News and Intelligence Comments Off on Christians Massacred with Weapons Supplied by US across Africa and Middle East

July 29, 2013 Kano, Nigera:  Multiple explosions have hit a predominantly Christian area in Nigeria’s northern Kano city, with security forces transporting scores of wounded to area hospitals, witnesses say.  “We have had some explosions in Sabon Gari [neighbourhood] this evening,” Kano state Police Commissioner Musa Daura confirmed on Monday night.  Christians are continually targeted and killed by the thousands in Nigeria by Islamic Extremists.  The US remains neutral and continues to focus its interests in Nigeria on oil and resource exploitation, which has been at the expense of the Christians.

August 20, 2013 Cairo, Egypt:  Coptic Christian churches are looted and destroyed by Islamic extremists linked to the Muslim Brotherhood.  Nuns were forced to undergo public humiliation and were marched down streets as they were taunted and attacked by Islamists.  In Egypt, the situation for Christians is dire and many have already been killed, wounded, and or forced to flee the country.  The White House remains mute and appears to be maintaining support for the Muslim Brotherhood through its inaction.  President Obama refuses to recognize the broadly supported government that replaced President Morsi, which is now in charge of Egypt.  Further, the White House has condemned the new government’s actions to dismantle the radical Islamic elements unified under the banner of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Syria:  Some of the most holy sites in Christendom have been attacked and destroyed by Islamic extremists.  Christians have been forced to flee or have been executed by elements within the Free Syrian Army (FSA).  President Obama has paid no attention to the suffering of Christians at the hands of radical Islamists.  In fact, Obama has authorized the training and arming of these Al Qaeda terrorists, which have brutally massacred entire Christian communities.

Pakistan:  Christians are broadly discriminated against, assaulted, and even murdered for adhering to their faith.  In response, the US continues to provide Pakistan with military support and billions of dollars in aid.

All over the world, US Foreign Policy is directly and or indirectly leading to the deaths of thousands of Christians.  In some countries, the Christian communities have been nearly completely wiped out.  Instead of expressing outrage and supporting what would be some of America’s most natural allies in these countries, the Obama Administration has repeatedly ignored their plight and left them for dead.  On a humanitarian front, the US indifference is simply inexcusable.  However, there has been one world leader that has spoken out for the rights of Christians when other leaders of Christian nations have turned their backs.

“The rights of religious minorities, including Christians, are being infringed all over the planet and humanity must take measures to stop such instances,” Vladimir Putin said at the meeting with Orthodox Christian leaders in Moscow.  “In many of the World’s regions, especially in the Middle East and in North Africa inter-confessional tensions are mounting and the rights of religious minorities are infringed, including Christians and Orthodox Christians,” the Russian President noted, adding that such conflicts could lead to the most serious consequences. Putin called for immediate measures to prevent such situations.

It is truly a sad day when the US turns its back on its religious foundation.  Instead, it is Russia that has become the light of freedom and security for Christians around the world.  This situation just over two decades ago would have been unthinkable and shows how far from grace the US has fallen.  As America turns its back on its Christian heritage, it will lose the very foundations of what formed the very essence of Western Civilization.  Christianity formed our country and our culture.  Without it, our civilization will not survive and devolve into savagery unguided by the critical morals and ethics imbued in a culture guided by a religious ethos.  A free republic devoid of a collective moral consciousness unified by a common religious ideology is simply incompatible with law and order.  The loss of faith in a higher power and the US government’s war on Christianity marks a dark day in our country’s history.  Contrary to trendy pundits, it does not mark a progression in American culture, but rather, a decided turn toward cultural regression.  Please ask your elected representatives to stand with Christians around the world and oppose US policies that lead to their murder and discrimination.

 

By Guiles Hendrik

August 23, 2013

All rights reserved.

For more information:

http://rt.com/politics/putin-christians-repressions-resistance-584/

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2013/07/2013729221645359465.html

 

Syrian Rebels Continue to Lose Ground against Government Forces

August 27, 2013 Al Qaeda, Iran, News and Intelligence, Syria Comments Off on Syrian Rebels Continue to Lose Ground against Government Forces

Syrian government forces reinforced by Lebanese Hezbollah forces have been consolidating their control over the strategic rebel held district of Homs, which is Syria’s third largest city.  Homs has been controlled by rebels in part since 2011.  The recent military success by the Syrian military and Hezbollah fighters has left the rebels in retreat and Washington’s battle plan for Iran disintegrating.

As of July, Syrian government forces appeared to be on the verge of retaking most of the northern neighborhoods in Homs and were continuing to advance on the remaining crumbling rebel positions.  In addition to its symbolic value, Homs is a strategic lynchpin in Syria.  Homs controls the main highways from Damascus to the north and the coast.  The government offensive has already successfully expelled rebels from a 13th century landmark mosque in Khaldiyeh the rebels controlled for more than a year.  Previous to this, government forces captured the strategic town of Qusair near the Lebanon border in June.

The danger of these victories is not that Assad and his government forces will prevail, but that Washington and its allies will now be forced to take more drastic measures to make sure their Al Qaeda proxies are not defeated.  In light of this, it foreseeable that the White House will soon authorize more overt support to include providing military weapons and advisors to train rebel fighters outside of Syria in Turkey and Jordan.  However, it is unlikely this level of support will turn the tide in favor of the rebels.  Instead, for a rebel victory to be engineered, Washington will be forced to put Americans (most likely in the form of CIA and Special Forces) in Syria and institute a no-fly zone coupled with air strikes on Syrian government targets.  False flag attacks and copious applications of war propaganda will be necessary to justify these ill-fated operations.   This action will cement the US entrance into another undeclared, unconstitutional war that historians will point to as a disastrous misstep in US Foreign Policy that will ultimately eclipse the US strategic defeats in Iraq and Afghanistan.

By Guiles Hendrik

July 29, 2013

For more information:

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/07/201372817314489545.html

Media Missed the Biggest Coup in the Middle East and it wasn’t in Egypt

August 1, 2013 Al Qaeda, News and Intelligence, Politics, Syria Comments Off on Media Missed the Biggest Coup in the Middle East and it wasn’t in Egypt

Tuning into the Fox and CNN “entertainment” networks, one would be lucky to catch a small bit of news between the brain numbing, around the clock reports on the Trayvon Martin Case and Anthony Weiner’s perverse antics.  Nonetheless, a close follower may have gathered that “former” Egyptian President Morsi was overthrown in a broadly supported coup that has pitted the Muslim Brotherhood against the Egyptian military.  However, at about the same time, a much quieter and potentially more dangerous coup for the US took place in Syria.  In fact, Al Qaeda just accomplished its latest “hostile government takeover” by effectively decapitating any last vestige of a secular Free Syrian Army (FSA).  If not bad enough, President Obama has announced commencement of an insane US policy to arm these well-known terrorists.  This can ONLY end in disaster for the US.

By July 12, 2013 news of the assassination of Kamal Hamami began appearing in foreign press.  Kamal Hamami, a member of the FSA’s Supreme Military Council, known as Abu Basir, was killed in the Turkmen mountains near the northern city of Latakia, spokesman Louay Meqdad reported to Al Jazeera.  Hamami was killed by fighters from an Al Qaeda-linked group in Syria and was one of the most senior leaders of the Western- and Arab-backed Free Syrian Army.  Another FSA spokesman Qassem Saadeddine told Reuters, “The Islamic State phoned me saying that they killed Abu Basir and that they will kill all of the Supreme Military Council.”  Al Qaeda should be taken at its word as it does appear to have continued to carry out its threat and has operationally assumed control of the rebel army.

The leader of the Al Qaeda organization that claimed responsibility for Hamami’s killing, the Islamic State of Iraq, is led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.  Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi arrived in northern Syria to take control over Al Qaeda operations in the country and has apparently wasted no time in consolidating power under Al Qaeda’s banner.  This organization has effectively assumed control of the Islamist Al-Nusra Front, which was officially declared a “terrorist group” by the US in May, and is considered to be the most effective opposition group battling Assad.  As such, any notion of secular, nationalist forces fighting Assad evaporated with Al Qaeda’s coup within the FSA.

Analyzing these events further, one will note that Abu Bakr is a violent Al Qaeda terrorist leader from Iraq and epitomizes how this conflict has already gone regional.  The US created civil war in Syria has now fully spilled over into neighboring Iraq just as our analysts predicted and warned.  Violence in Iraq, which now is killing hundreds weekly, has reignited the Sunni-Shia civil war in Iraq removing any notion that the US succeeded in bringing about a more peaceful and democrat Iraq.  Incidentally, Abu Bakr cut his teeth on killing Americans, not Syrians, and now Obama IS arming his organization in what must be considered one of the dumbest policy moves an American president has ever made.

Middle East analysts recognize the fact that the Syrian Civil War will continue to spread and engulf more countries in the Middle East counter to Washington’s claims.  The situation is out of control.  Longtime US ally Jordan is in a particularly perilous spot.  In fact, secretly, Washington is so worried Jordan will be the next government to be toppled by the Al Qaeda terrorists the US is backing, Washington has quietly deployed a military force numbering over 2,000 in Jordan to attempt to contain the fighting should it begin spilling across the border.

Collectively assessing this information, it is clear the US has placed itself into an untenable paradox.  On one hand we are trying to defeat Al Qaeda and protect the US while simultaneously arming and training Al Qaeda on the other.  Al Qaeda has made no question that it will target the US as soon as its fighters finish in Syria.  By arming these terrorists, our nation is effectively creating, aiding, and abetting its very own enemy to kill Americans.  Not only is Obama’s policy a violation of US anti-terrorism laws, but it violates every core element of common sense and self-preservation.  This conclusion is so obvious and the intelligence so overwhelming, Obama is literally using our tax dollars to kill Americans.

This policy of fighting Al Qaeda while simultaneously arming Al Qaeda that the Obama Administration has engineered screams of amateur hour, is out of control, and is as dangerous as it is schizophrenic.  The only groups to benefit from this lunacy will be the money lending institutions and the defense industry (military industrial complex).  However, in the interim, hundreds of thousands of people have been wounded and killed with many more surely to follow.  There is simply no way the Obama Administration can claim that by arming KNOWN AL QAEDA TERRORISTS, the US will benefit.  This Al Qaeda coup in the FSA leadership proves that any arms provided to the FSA WILL ultimately end up in the hands of Al Qaeda radicals.

Please contact your representatives in Congress, petition the White House, organize your neighbors to political action, and contact your media.  Demand this insane policy of arming terrorists in Syria cease immediately.  Failure to force Congress and the President to act will ultimately suck the US into another disastrous war, economically destroy our nation, and lead to untold numbers of dead and wounded Americans.

 

By Guiles Hendrik

July 29, 2013

All rights reserved

 

For more information:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-23283079

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/07/20137127710849717.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2361814/Al-Qaeda-linked-rebels-assassinate-Free-Syrian-Army-leader-followers-immediately-vow-revenge.html

http://rt.com/news/qaeda-militants-kill-fsa-commander-979/

USA Enters War Allied with Al Qaeda

June 26, 2013 Al Qaeda, Iran, Israel, News and Intelligence, Syria, Terrorism Comments Off on USA Enters War Allied with Al Qaeda

On June 13, 2013, President Obama announced authorization for the arming of the Syrian rebels last week amidst a string of growing scandals rocking the White House.  President Obama’s action authorized without congressional debate or public justification the United States’ entry into another war.  Not only has the US now picked a side in a bloody civil war where both sides are hostile to the US, but committed the US to a war in a country where the US has little national interest.  At best, this action is constitutionally unsound and a gross abuse of the powers prescribed to the Commander-in-Chief.  At worst, this is an illegal war that will ultimately result in the single greatest foreign policy disaster of Obama’s administration to date and bankrupt the US.

Contrary to the Administration’s claims, the only security threat Syria poses to the US will be the one we create by arming Al Qaeda affiliated rebel groups that openly espouse destruction to the US and Israel.  The White House rationale for this undeclared and unnecessary war was that President Assad used chemical weapons.  In the midst of growing public scandals, does President Obama’s hypocrisy know no end?  First, it was then Senator Obama that openly attacked the Bush administration’s entry into what he deemed an illegal war in Iraq on fabricated intelligence even though the international community did believe Saddam Hussein still possessed weapons of mass destruction.  Yet now, President Obama wants the US to enter another war in the Middle East again on very dubious claims of chemical weapons and when no good argument for US interests exist.  Not only is Obama’s “intelligence” on chemical weapons suspect, but the investigations done by the United Nations, which are available for public scrutiny conclude that “if” chemical weapons were used, they were used by the “rebels” and NOT Assad’s forces.  This glaring contradiction to the Administration’s official spin was dismissed by White House Press Secretary Jay Carney.  The White House departure from its long history of walking in lock step with the U.N. is certainly telling.  The problem this time is even the Washington Post which, known for its overt support of liberal policy and President Obama, called the Administration’s claims into question.  In the Post’s article it states; “Despite months of laboratory testing and scrutiny by top U.S. scientists, the Obama administration’s case for arming Syria’s rebels rests on unverifiable claims that the Syrian government used chemical weapons against its own people, according to diplomats and experts.”  It goes on to say, “If you are the opposition and you hear” that the White House has drawn a red line on the use of nerve agents, then “you have an interest in giving the impression that some chemical weapons have been used,” said Rolf Ekeus, a Swedish scientist who headed up U.N. weapons inspections in Iraq during the 1990s.

Things are sounding an awful lot like the Bush-era false war propaganda about Iraqi chemical weapons with a touch of President Clinton’s policy of bombing “terrorist” targets at the height of the Monica Lewinsky Scandal.  Hopefully, the American people have finally learned their lesson and will demand to see the actual evidence and be given a legitimate reason why war is “necessary” this time, what our strategy is, and what is the desired end state.

One need not be a fortune-teller to foresee how U.S. involvement in Syria will go down as one of America’s greatest foreign policy disasters.  After being defeated in Iraq and now Afghanistan, the U.S. should have learned a few lessons about the folly of interventionist policy.  In the least, it should not be committing the U.S. to another war before it has at least finished its fight in Afghanistan.  In this regard, the hubris of the Obama Administration in this regard is staggering.  Now, not only has the U.S. entered a war against a nation, but it has entered a sectarian war between Shia and Sunnis that has split Islam since the seventh century.  This war extends far beyond Syria’s borders and is engulfing the entire Muslim world.

Currently, approximately 1,100 Marines and possibly up to a few thousand “advisors,” are in Jordan.  This is in addition to a small cadre of Special Forces and CIA case officers working closely with rebel elements in and out of Syria.  Further, U.S. forces are positioned to the north of Syria in Turkey and have been clandestinely supporting rebel training camps, NATO airbases, and air defense facilities.  As Washington’s plan to arm the rebels fails to save their strategy to overthrow Assad, Obama will be forced to increase American intervention.  This will likely involve the implementation of a “no-fly zone” and will be the next step towards a hot war with Syria and Iran.

Obama is no doubt in a dilemma.  He foolishly thought the he could use proxies to topple Assad in order to destroy Iran’s fifth column in the preliminary phases of the ongoing cold war with Iran.  The failure of the rebels means Washington must either face humiliation as its policy to remove Assad collapses or now openly enter into a war on the side of rebels previously known as terrorists, insurgents, and jihadists.  Obama has doubled down on the rebels.  Of the rebel forces, Jordanian intelligence estimates upwards of 80% of their combat power and front line fighters are jihadists that have avowed the destruction of both the US and Israel.  In fact, even US allies in the Middle East have openly called into contention the notion the CIA can distribute advanced military weapons only to secular Sunni rebel forces in Syria.  Supporting this skepticism is the fact the most powerful element within the Syrian rebel force is the al-Nusrah Front, which is allied to al-Qaeda.  As such, the thought that the US can arm these jihadists turned rebels and not directly endanger American lives is so foolish; the mere suggestion is an absolute bald face lie.  Therefore, the sudden policy shift and use of the chemical weapons rationale to arm the rebels exposes the true nature of Washington’s intent to use Syria as a stepping stone toward an ultimate showdown with Iran.   As Obama’s administration is forced toward war with Iran by special interests, he will now have to demonstrate greater and greater involvement.

Moving forward, the US now owns the civil war in Syria.  Obama has joined forces with known Al Qaeda terrorists to fight an equally nasty dictator.  Neither of which support US interests.  The newly armed and resurgent rebels will not hesitate to attack US interests at the first opportunity.  American’s will die because of this policy disaster.  Washington and by default, the American people, will now be blamed every time the rebels commit an atrocity.  These Sunni extremists are the same brand that attacked the US on 9/11 and there is no reason to expect them to act any differently in the future.  We are indeed creating our own enemies.

The violence has now fully spilled over into a regional conflict.  Hezbollah in Lebanon has now committed fully to the war.  Iran has committed to support Assad as well and has sent thousands of troops to support Assad’s military.  Qatar and Saudi Arabia are sending billions in arms and equipment.  Turkey’s streets are on fire with protests.  Egypt is now warning of outright civil war.  Israel is on high alert and dealing with daily cross border fire from the conflict in Syria.  Iraq is now fully re-engulfed with sectarian violence as we previously warned would occur.

How President Obama believes that any good for the US can come of providing US military weapons and equipment to a motley collection of known terrorists, international jihadists, and Sunni extremists is beyond rational logic.  No matter how the conflict ends in Syria, the party that takes or retains power will be openly hostile to the US.  Not only are our analysts predicting greater bloodshed, but we now see all of the signs of a full-blown regional conflict that has the potential to rapidly draw the US back into a full-scale disastrous war that will likely be the final blow to America’s global economic and political dominance.

 

By Guiles Hendrik

June 26, 2013

All rights reserved

Syria Becomes Battleground for Global Proxy War

June 12, 2013 Al Qaeda, Iran, Israel, Military, News and Intelligence Comments Off on Syria Becomes Battleground for Global Proxy War

The Syrian Civil War is poised to explode into full scale sectarian violence that will engulf the region as a global proxy war is played out on Syrian soil.  Recent news reports cite Iraqi Shia fighters trained by Iran have been joining ranks with Hezbollah militants in Syria.  These combined forces are supporting Syrian President Assad’s legitimate government forces against a Syrian rebel army that is comprised mainly of Sunni Muslims.  Like the Syrian government’s forces, the rebel army is also comprised of a large contingent of foreign fighters.  As we have repeatedly warned, the vanguard rebel fighters are Sunni extremists from around the globe, which include a large contingent of Sunni Iraqis and others waging global jihad.  These rebel fighters have sworn allegiance to Al Qaeda, support the Muslim Brotherhood, and have announced that when they are done fighting in Syria, the USA will be next.  As such, one would think the US would want to see President Assad prevail.  Ironically, though, this is not the case.  This article will review the regional and global competitors in this conflict and why the US is worried Assad will defeat the Al Qaeda led rebels.

At the regional level, as discussed in part above, a Shia versus Sunni war has developed in the Middle East and Syria is ground zero.  On the rebel side you have countries such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia sending large sums of money to finance the rebel army while they look the other way when their citizens leave their country to wage jihad in Syria.  Jordan and Turkey are actively providing training facilities and logistical support to the rebel armies.  Iraq’s population is split down sectarian lines in its support of the rebels.  The US, Israel, and EU have all aligned against President Assad and have covertly been supporting the rebels by procuring weapons and medical equipment, was well as providing training and intelligence.  Finally, you have countries from around the world like Chechnya and Libya whose citizens have flocked to Syria to fight with the rebels.  These jihadists once united in combat become infinitely more radicalized, better trained and equipped, and very well organized.  Ultimately, they become very dangerous terrorists that will attack the US and their former host countries.  This same pattern played out during the Soviet War in Afghanistan where a little known Saudi named Osama bin Laden began financing jihadists and organizing what became known as Al Qaeda.

Opposing this rebel jihadist army are equally dedicated Shia fighters.  This includes Iraqi Shia and perhaps Kurds and Lebanese based Hezbollah fighters.  Hezbollah is backed by weapons and money from Iran.  Specifically, Iran has provided state level support to Syria, which includes weapons, advisors, and most likely fighters.  However, it is Russia that is ultimately President Assad’s most powerful and persuasive supporter.  Russian President Putin has to date successfully prevented the US, Israel, and the EU from directly attacking Syria and has been providing advanced weapons systems to Syria.

Based on the nationality and religious allegiance of the fighters in Syria, one can clearly see how the entire Middle East is represented and could be pulled into the Syrian conflict.  As we have previously reported, Iraq, the central lynchpin of the Middle East, is being ripped apart by this conflict.  Sectarian violence has reemerged with a vengeance across Iraq as happened during their previous civil war and the one now raging in Syria will metastasize into one giant regional Sunni-Shia showdown.  If President Assad is not successful in routing the Sunni jihadists, Jordan, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia will without doubt become the next targets of this growing terrorist army.  Make no mistake, this is a fight for keeps and the winner takes all.  Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, has stated publicly that the group’s existence depends on defeating the Sunni rebel army against Assad.  “Hezbollah is fully engaged in the battlefield.  And this is a major shift.  It’s no longer them trying to protect villages along the border in Lebanon; it’s waging battle alongside the Syrian government forces … willing to sustain casualties and shoulder the consequences,” said Fawaz Gerges, director of the Middle East Center at the London School of Economics.

At the global level, Russia has moved naval forces into the region not seen since the height of the Cold War.  The Russian show of force includes various warships and submarines armed with nuclear weapons.  Russia is no doubt signaling to the US that it is not willing to accept a loss of its only warm water port in Syria and will back its most trusted regional ally.  The EU wants a pipeline from Qatar to break the Russian monopoly on European energy supplies, so has at least tacitly thrown its support behind the rebels.  China sees the US as a threat and realizes that another US war in the region will further weaken Washington.  As such, China is positioning itself to exploit the chaos at the expense of the US.  This includes making deals with both sides all while staying out of the fight.

However, the US has been the driving force behind the civil war that has led to the deaths of over 80,000 people.  To accomplish this, the US has been covertly organizing, training, equipping, and advising the rebel forces from Jordan, Turkey, and now Syria proper.  Per our previous reports, factions within the US are determined to attack Iran and recognize Syria as a critical stepping stone in achieving this war.  As the war plan goes, Syria and Hezbollah must be taken out first to insulate Israel from counter attacks.  When Syria and Hezbollah are seen as sufficiently degraded, a pretext would be used to launch an overt military strike on Iran, which would include using an air corridor opened through eastern Syria.  However, this could not be achieved through a direct attack by the US, which would polarize the world against the US and be seen even by Americans as too egregious, so proxies were chosen to do the dirty work as per Cold War unconventional war doctrine.  This plan has been implemented to assuage Israeli fears of the US doing nothing about a nuclear Iran in hopes of at least delaying Israel from striking Iran and sucking the US into a disastrous war.  Ironically, it will make the situation far worse for the US and Israel.  Nonetheless, the US has responded by moving its own naval forces into the region.  The US has stationed an aircraft carrier battle group in the Mediterranean and recently deployed approximately 1100 Marines from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit into Jordan where they will meet up with Special Forces and other US military units already on the ground.  This deployment is using the cover of being a routine annual military exercise with Jordan codenamed, Operation Infinite Moonlight.  Further, in Turkey, the US has positioned Patriot II air defense missiles and set up CIA supported training camps for rebel fighters while threatening greater NATO escalation should Syria try to fight back.  Finally, Israel has repeatedly provoked and flagrantly violated Syria’s sovereignty by launching repeated air strikes against various targets throughout Syria.

The combined Syrian government forces are winning against all the covert efforts of Washington and this scares the White House.  In fact, the Syrian Army is now poised to launch a large scale counteroffensive around Damascus designed to route rebel forces and drive them out of the suburbs.  “Planes are dropping off fully armed fighters from Hezbollah and the Iraqi Fadl Brigades,” said opposition activist Abu Yasser.  Hezbollah is a Lebanon-based terrorist group and the Fadl Brigades are Iranian-trained Shiite Muslim militants from Iraq.  According to USA Today, both groups are likely destined for the fight in al-Qusayr, a town near the Lebanese border that is at the center of the rebels’ supply routes for ammo and fighters, Yasser said.  What one must understand from this is that Syria has now become the battleground for a proxy war being waged by regional and global competitors and Washington’s rebel army is not winning.  This likely means the White House will need to execute more overt and risky interventionist strategies to bring about the desired rebel victory.  The rationale is that failure for Washington to engineer a rebel victory will force a complete recalculation of the Iranian War Plan.

If Washington’s proxy army in Syria loses, the US will be forced to enter the war directly.  To do this, Washington must engineer a situation that forces unilateral military action in Syria, which the American people are firmly against.  This overt action will not only cause a violent regional response, but also trigger a Russian response.  Even a limited Russian response such as providing increased military support to the Syrian army will make any US efforts incredibly costly if not futile.  Already, repeated staged crises have failed to pull the American public behind any intervention.  These attempts include Turkey trying to invoke a NATO response after provoking Syrian air defenses to shoot down a Turkish military jet violating its airspace and blaming the Syrian army for what likely was rebel mortar fire into Turkey.  Further, Assad was blamed for using chemical weapons against the rebels until the truth came out that it was in fact the rebels that had used the chemical weapons.  Other blatant propaganda such as staging and doctoring photos of the injured and dead have also failed to convince the average American that they have joint interests in Syria.  As a result, the US and EU will likely begin massive covert arming of the rebels, which may or may not turn the tide of battle, but will certainly lead to the deaths of tens of thousands of people.  If this too fails, Israel will likely demand direct US action in Syria or launch its own attack on Iran.  This will be a choice of two evils.  Both will ultimately be too costly for the US, which has painted itself into a corner.  If the rebels win, Muslim extremists will control a large military with advance weapons on Israel’s border, which will destabilize the entire region and threaten the US.  If the rebels lose, Iran will be firmly established as a regional player on the verge of obtaining nuclear weapons capability.

Washington’s interventionist policies have created a situation where the US is in a lose-lose situation.  Israeli interests have hijacked US foreign policy for the worst leading either to a disastrous war with Iran or the rise of extremist Muslim nations.  In conclusion, we have passed a point in the Syrian Civil War where we could have cut our losses.  Instead, we doubled down and are now in a position that virtually assures the US will be drawn into another costly war before the end of 2013.

 

By Guiles Hendrik

June 11, 2013

All rights reserved

The Military-Industrial Complex Strikes Back: North Korea and War for Profit

April 18, 2013 Department of Defense, Military, News and Intelligence Comments Off on The Military-Industrial Complex Strikes Back: North Korea and War for Profit

“…the U.S. can’t afford to be wrong when it comes to North Korea’s threats of nuclear annihilation…”

– Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel

See the rest at:

http://www.blackboxwire.com/2013/04/10/the-military-industrial-complex-strikes-back-north-korea-and-war-for-profit/

War in Korea?

April 1, 2013 Department of Defense, Military, News and Intelligence, Politics Comments Off on War in Korea?

Within the last 24 hours, North Korea has significantly escalated tensions on the peninsula by announcing it has entered a “state of war” with South Korea and closed key border areas.  The statement, carried by the communist country’s KCNA news agency, says inter-Korean relations will be dealt with in a wartime manner.  “From this time on, the North-South relations will be entering the state of war and all issues raised between the North and the South will be handled accordingly,” the statement said, according to Reuters.  In addition, North Korea previously scrapped the armistice and in effect re-entered into an official “WAR” with the United States.  The fact that the U.S. is now in “war” and little to nothing has been said by the U.S. to the public is not only unsettling, but appears to be dereliction on the part of the White House to take this threat seriously.  This prompts the question, how serious is North Korea about re-igniting a shooting war?  Further, what are the larger strategic ramifications of North Korea’s escalation?  Our analysts believe the White House’s position is that this is just more rhetoric and is failing to appreciate the strategic situation as a real and developing threat.

The intelligence community and military is no doubt paying attention, even if quietly.  Currently, it appears that no major military preparations in North Korea are underway.  However, some activity around missile sites suggests that North Korea may conduct additional missile tests as soon as this weekend to further heighten tensions on the Korean Peninsula and to try and force negotiations for de-escalation.  Although, propaganda photos distributed appear to show missile trajectories that target the U.S. and its interests, North Korea doesn’t possess a proven capability to effectively carry-out such an attack.  Further, some speculate that North Korea’s boy dictator, Kim Jong Un, has not solidified his control over the military and this game of brinkmanship is designed to show his internal circle he is a capable military commander more than it has anything to do with the outside world.  This has led analysts to again conclude North Korea’s threats are just more rhetoric designed to elicit aid to the starving and backward dictatorship.

The analysis above summarizes the general mood of the intelligence community and analysts toward North Korea.  The problem is this analysis has remained static while the world has changed.  It is true that North Korea has perpetually “cried wolf,” but one must consider the game board as larger than a single peninsula.  The fact is that the position the U.S. has previously enjoyed for decades has been eroded to the point of signaling a major geopolitical power shift.  As such, one must re-evaluate motives, assessments, and ground truths.  The military and intelligence community have at least not projected outwardly they have grasped this global sea change setting the U.S. and North Korea up for potential miscalculations and disaster.

For starters, analysts haven’t grasped that how the world view of America has shifted for the worse.  In short, the U.S. now appears weak and unable to react to foreign threats.  The U.S. military has been exhausted over the last decade of constant war.  Although the military now has a hardened cadre of combat seasoned soldiers and a conventional military unmatched globally, stock piles of supplies have been diminished, budgets have been cut, troop strengths have been slashed, and the appetite for further war is zero amongst both soldiers and citizens.  Further, the U.S. is broke and the economies of Europe and the U.S. have remained weak and teetering on collapse.  Even worse, the U.S. and NATO are seen as weak and as having been defeated in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Irrespective of whether or not the U.S. did or didn’t not “take the gloves off” and use its full might in those wars, the world perception is one of a country weakened and in retreat much like the Soviet Union circa 1989.  Finally, the U.S. is seen as having tied itself down in a strategic struggle in the Middle East targeting Iran, while countries like China have rapidly built up their presence and military capabilities abroad.  This sets the stage for drastic strategic miscalculation.

Our analysts are arguing that Kim Jong Un is not blind or ignorant to the capabilities of the U.S. as he was raised in the west.  Instead, North Korea’s leader is dangerously over confident he can win a war of brinkmanship against a now weakened U.S. that is retreating globally.  In particular, the U.S. has appeared weak in the Pacific against a growing Chinese dominance and has failed to check China’s moves against Japan and inroads in Taiwan.  These areas are key to the collective perception of the U.S. by North Korea.  Further, North Korea has witnessed what they consider a far inferior enemy in Iraq fight the U.S. to a hasty withdrawal and in Afghanistan to strategic defeat.  Further, North Korea sees the U.S. military primarily focused on Iran and unable to deal with issues outside of the Middle East.  Based on this, North Korea likely assesses the U.S. unwilling and unable to prosecute a full scale war on the Korean Peninsula.  Add to the fact the U.S. economy is in shambles and the national debt is approaching default levels, one can see why Kim Jong Un suddenly has found his footing.  Unfortunately, this doesn’t change the fact that the U.S. can marshal an overwhelming strategic and or conventional military force against North Korea should rounds begin to be exchanged.  Herein lies the serious danger for strategic miscalculation.  For the first time, North Korea and the U.S. “both” believe they legitimately can back the other down and win in the event of war based on miscalculations by analysts on both sides.  In fact, this situation is so dire, that Russia, seeing the developing crisis from its vantage point, has strongly urged both parties to de-escalate.  Considering the above from a detached perspective, we assess that a very real threat has emerged not from intent, but due to miscalculation that could quickly lead to events spiraling out of control should any side misstep.

Strategically speaking, the U.S. has far more to lose than North Korea.  Should North Korea follow through with its rhetoric, even in a limited fashion, the hand of South Korean politicians to finally retaliate may actually engulf the peninsula in war.  The fact thousands of Americans are stationed there assures large U.S. casualties in the opening hours of a major war, which would force the U.S. into a hot war.  The entire geopolitical order will be undone, should this occur, as the U.S. will not have the ability to project force elsewhere and its debt will expand beyond sustainable levels making it quite possible the U.S. would collapse from within before any long term war is concluded on a battlefield.  This frees China to force its hand in the Pacific realm and Iran to continue its programs without fear of retribution.  Even if the U.S. was to prevail, it would be at best a Pyrrhic victory as the U.S. would likely lose its empire much as England did after incurring the crippling costs of World Wars I and II.  It is now time for the White House to wake-up and recognize how the world order has changed and update its playbook before it is too late.

 

By Guiles Hendrik

Related new articles:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/9960933/North-Korea-plan-to-attack-US-mainland-revealed-in-photographs.html

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57577110/north-korea-says-its-entering-state-of-war-with-south/

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/30/us-korea-north-war-idUSBRE92T00020130330

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/aggressive-talk-from-north-korea-concerns-us-leaders/2013/03/29/85dec134-989c-11e2-814b-063623d80a60_print.html

Assessing the Success of the War on Terror Part I: Pakistan and the Failure of the Drone Strategy

February 17, 2013 Al Qaeda, Department of Defense, News and Intelligence, Politics, Terrorism Comments Off on Assessing the Success of the War on Terror Part I: Pakistan and the Failure of the Drone Strategy

As the never ending War on Terror drags on into the fourth consecutive presidential term without any decisive gains, one must question not only the effectiveness and strategy, but also our very leadership.  Nowhere is the ground truth more palpable than in western Pakistan.  Since President Obama took office and significantly increased drone strikes against alleged terrorist targets, America’s ability to safely operate and influence events in the country in a manner favorable to the United States has inversely deteriorated.  This is a direct result of America’s flawed drone strategy, which has strategically weakened the U.S. in Pakistan.

According to Gallup’s poll just released, more than nine in 10 Pakistanis (92%) disapprove of U.S. leadership and only 4% approve. Remarkably, this is the lowest approval rating Pakistanis have ever given the U.S. and its leadership.  This is noteworthy as President Obama’s ratings in Pakistan have sunk far below even those of the much criticized President George W. Bush.  Further, and more ominous, 57% of Pakistanis aged 15 to 29 and 53% of those 30 or older, deem interaction with the West as a threat.

Numerous explanations for this near total disdain for the U.S. have been suggested.  What is clear is that prior to the U.S. prosecuting the War on Terror via drones inside Pakistan, Americans enjoyed relative safety and warm relations.  As such, only a fool would be unable to make the connection between drone strikes, the violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty, and growing hatred of the U.S.  Pakistan’s Ambassador to the U.S.  Sherry Rehman makes this much explicit in her comments to reporters two days before President Obama’s nominee to be the next head of the Central Intelligence Agency, John Brennan’s, Congressional Testimony.  Ambassador Rehman expressed Islamabad’s view that America’s continued deployment of drones was a violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and was strategically counter-productive.  Specifically, she stated “We need to drain this swamp and instead it [the drone campaign] is radicalizing people.”  Rehman went on to say “It creates more potential terrorists on the ground and militants on the ground instead of taking them out.  If it’s taking out, say, a high-value or a medium-value target, it’s also creating probably an entire community of future recruits.”  Her statements are corroborated by a Pew research poll conducted last year that showed 74% of Pakistanis termed the U.S. as an “enemy.”

Our senior policy makers have failed to grasp strategy at the strategic level.  At best, they are fighting a tactical war.  Our leaders have proven themselves amateurs that are unable to mitigate and defeat even the lowest echelon of threats facing the U.S.  Further, they have no appreciation of the historical precedent respective of the use of limited cross-border strikes against insurgent type threats.  Had they done their homework and studied cross-border insurgencies, they would know that these limited surgical strikes are counter-productive just as Ambassador Rehman states.  In fact, no matter how great the tactical gains achieved are, they never result in decisive strategic gains and in fact, result in a sum net strategic loss.  Thus, war strategies reliant on limited cross-border strikes, such as our drone strikes in Pakistan, have a near perfect correlation with the counterinsurgent’s failure or better stated, the insurgent’s victory.  No further proof of this need be generated than a simple review of the contemporary hostile sentiment towards America in Pakistan.

In our Part II of this series, we will look in more detail at the results of America’s flawed strategy that has caused the spread of radical Islam across the globe, made Al Qaeda franchise, and perpetuated a fear culture to fuel unending war.

 

Sources:

http://www.gallup.com/poll/160439/2012-pakistani-disapproval-leadership-soars.aspx?utm_source=alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=syndication&utm_content=morelink&utm_term=All%20Gallup%20Headlines%20-%20USA

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-21389200

Confirmed! Clinton Admits to Supplying Terrorists with Weapons

January 27, 2013 Al Qaeda, Department of State, News and Intelligence, Politics, Terrorism Comments Off on Confirmed! Clinton Admits to Supplying Terrorists with Weapons

“Hillary_Clinton_official_Secretary_of_State_portrait_cropThere is no doubt that the Algerian terrorists had weapons from Libya. There is no doubt that the Malian remnants of AQIM [Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb] have weapons from Libya,” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee during a hearing on the 2012 attack on the US consulate in Benghazi.

Just as our analysts had predicted from “BEFORE” the start of overt American intervention in Libya, weapons have fallen into the hands of terrorists and have now again been used to kill American citizens in Algeria.  We repeatedly warned of the grave dangers created by supporting known Islamic terrorists in the overthrow and murder of former Libyan dictator Gadhafi.  However, Clinton acted in the stereotypical fashion and claimed she took full responsibility for the growing number of deaths related to her incredibly flawed policy in Libya, but in reality took no responsibility and sought to blame the nebulous “Arab Spring.”  I guess Mrs. Clinton forgot that it was US aircraft and drones bombing Gadhafi’s forces, which directly allowed the rebel forces, stocked full of known terrorists, to capture and loot hundreds of thousands of advanced military weapons to include over 20,000 unaccounted man portable surface-to-air-missiles similar to the infamous US manufactured “Stinger” missile used against Soviet low altitude aircraft in Afghanistan.  If Mrs. Clinton fails to connect the dots between her horrendously flawed Libya policy and the deaths of Americans, she should, as Senator Rand Paul suggested, be immediately relieved of her post due to gross incompetence.  However, I don’t believe Mrs. Clinton is that naïve…she is just a liar.

http://endthelie.com/2013/01/23/clinton-testifies-algerian-terrorists-got-weapons-from-libya/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+EndTheLie+%28End+the+Lie%29#axzz2IqgkTwXd

 

By Guiles Hendrik

U.S. Government Actively Supplying Chemical Weapons to Al Qaeda Terrorists in Syria

December 26, 2012 Al Qaeda, Big Brother, Big Government, Constitution, Danger Alerts!, Department of Defense, Department of State, Domestic Terrorism, Iran, Israel, Liberty and Freedom, Military, News and Intelligence, Syria, Terrorism Comments Off on U.S. Government Actively Supplying Chemical Weapons to Al Qaeda Terrorists in Syria

The US Government and mass media would like the public to believe that Syrian President Assad is a threat worth committing US forces to war.  However, it is in fact the US Government that has recklessly endangered the security and safety of millions of lives.  This will include the lives of not just Syrians, but Israelis, Europeans, and Americans.  In what may prove to be one of the greatest foreign policy disasters, the US has not only allowed known Al Qaeda terrorists to capture and take control of one of the largest Syrian chemical weapons stockpiles, but actively aided it in doing so.  Contrary to the media threats and warnings about President Assad using chemical weapons, it is in fact the US backed Al Qaeda terrorists that pose, by far, the greatest threat to US interests.

The US is directly responsible for fomenting the chaos and bloodshed in Syria by covertly backing known Al Qaeda terrorists in a bid to overthrow President Assad.  This same playbook was used in Libya resulting in the disastrous proliferation of over 20,000 manportable surface-to-air missiles that have yet to be recovered and the spread of Al Qaeda to Libya.   By “backing,” one should recognize this includes providing weapons, equipment, training, medical aid, facilities, money, intelligence, and advisors to known terrorists.  Initially, this unconventional warfare was being carried out from across the border in Turkey and Jordan, but now is being actively waged on the ground inside Syria.  As we have repeatedly warned, the conflict in Syria has always been and is still aimed at creating the conditions necessary to expand the endless wars in the Middle East to Iran.  In fact, the initial targets that the “rebels” targeted in exchange for US support were Syrian air defense installations.  The seizure and destruction of these air defense facilities laid the groundwork for opening an air corridor from Israel directly into Iran once the next phase of the US engineered conflict is entered.

Most worrisome is the fact that known Al Qaeda terrorists now have chemical and possibly biological weapons under their control as a direct result of US support.  The threat this poses to America is massive.  Those responsible for allowing this have committed the gravest of dereliction in their responsibilities and duties to protect America.  This situation nearly guarantees that at least one of the belligerents in Syria will use a weapon of mass destruction and will provide the long sought pretext for US intervention and a greater war with Iran.  No matter who the weapons are used against, the result will be spun to support the “necessity for military action.”

For perspective, consider if a citizen actively aided terrorists in acquiring chemical weapons.  That person would not only be treated as a terrorist, but likely targeted and executed in a drone strike without due process.  However, when our political leaders acting in secret for dubious special interests commit the same traitorous acts, we are told that they are heroes and their aims are in our best interests.  It is time for the public to demand answers and accountability.  Please write your elected individuals, press, and collectively organize to put an end to this treasonous policy.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/syrian-rebels-attack-base-near-military-factories/

http://www.presstv.com/detail/2012/12/23/279711/syria-militants-use-chemical-weapons/

http://rt.com/news/syria-chemical-weapons-plot-532/

Storm Survival: A Case Study of Mass Power Outages

October 28, 2012 Danger Alerts!, News and Intelligence, Organization, Support, and Advice, Special Skills, Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures Comments Off on Storm Survival: A Case Study of Mass Power Outages

Hurricane Sandy about to impact Mid-Atlantic

With plenty of warning on the approaching super storm Sandy, one known impact will be massive power outages stretching up and down the East Coast.  Sandy is unprecedented in its size, track, and confluence of fronts, tides, and moon phase.  All of this will combine for what will be a once in a lifetime, 100 year storm.  As such, we may not have a similar event to compare in modern times, but we do have a glimpse of how catastrophic even a short regional collapse of the power grid looks, which should serve as a lesson and warning.  The following two case studies illustrate the widespread effects of what should be considered relatively minor and focused events in comparison to Hurricane Sandy.

The August 2003 Cascade Failure of the North East

On a hot August day in 2003, a string of seemingly innocuous events led to an estimated 55 million people losing power across the Northeast and Canada.  On August 14th of 2003, the nation was experiencing usual high temperatures during the dog days of August, which increased the demand on the power grid.  This increase in demand coupled with some seemingly minor mistakes, software glitches, and oversights by the power company led to a major collapse of the grid.  This cascade of power outages began as power lines heating up from the increased current, sagged, and then came into contact with trees.  These lines went down causing power to be immediately switched to other lines, quickly overloading them, and causing them to also shut down.  This further triggered automatic shutdowns, redirection, and overloads of an ever increasing area of the grid.  Within two hours, multiple grids had separated and shutdown leaving most of New England and Ontario without power.  Immediately, TV and radio stations, cable, and the internet without reliable backup power were knocked offline.  Untold numbers were trapped in elevators, electric trains, and subways.  Temperatures in homes and business began to rise to dangerous levels for the elderly and frail as air conditioners lost power.  Traffic signals and street lights also went dark snarling traffic in cities like New York.  Soon big factories, refineries, and local businesses were shutdown causing immediate backlogs in supplies and fuel prices to spike.  Even Wall Street and the United Nations went dark.  Making the situation worse, gas stations were unable to pump and vehicles became stranded as they ran out of gas.  Looting began to break out in the dark streets of many cities by nightfall, but no one could dial 911 because the 911 service was also offline and both cellular and hard-wired phones were overloaded.  What responders were available were already over tasked dealing with everything from traffic control to freeing people trapped in elevators.  In short, no one was coming to help in the near future.  Soon backup generators began to fail and compound the crisis.  This lead to cellular networks going down, hospitals losing power to critical life support equipment, and municipal water systems failing.  Failing municipal water systems led to contamination of drinking water and massive amounts of raw sewage escaping into local waterways.  Water became non-potable without boiling, if you could even get it from your tap.  Restaurants and other food focused business were then forced to close even if they had backup power because of the health risks of untreated water to the public.  Even if they remained open, electronic registers, ATMs, and credit card services were rendered useless without power causing most other stores to also close.  Emergency services were simply overwhelmed.  A few simple acts…a tree falling, a power company operator not paying attention, and some ignored alarms and suddenly 55 million people are stranded in the dark, all within a couple hours.  This is illustrative of just how fragile our society is and how quickly things can deteriorate.  Communication, sanitation, emergency services, financial markets, and logistics and supply networks all broke down within 120 minutes bringing the world’s sole superpower to a grinding halt, but could it happen again?  Could it have been worse?  The answer is a definite yes.

July 4th Holiday Storm of 2012

Some may disagree that these ripple failures could occur again and think that the grid has improved.  Consider the unexpected severe outbreak of storms that ripped across the mid-Atlantic just before the July 4th holiday of 2012.  This band of storms had wind speeds that reached hurricane force on the leading edge of the front that shredded trees bringing down thousands of power lines from Ohio to D.C.  Immediately, tens of millions were again plunged into darkness during a record heat wave where daytime highs exceeded 100 degrees.  No air conditioning, no refrigeration, no lights.  For those with their own wells, water was also shut off.  Within hours store shelves were stripped bare of essentials like bottled water, ice, batteries, flashlights, and food.  Gas stations also shut down and anyone without cash relying on credit cards or ATMs was out of luck.  Vehicles ran out of fuel, AMTRAC trains were stranded, elevators stopped, and 911 services were disrupted just like in 2003.  Many cell towers and hard line phones were also knocked out by severe lightening.  Soon water services to city areas began to break down and mandatory boiling of drinking water rules were put into effect for those still with water pressure.  In parts of West Virginia, the state hardest hit, nearly every county was without power and the outage persisted for up to two weeks in many areas.  This was just one afternoon storm and proves that even after almost a decade since the massive 2003 blackout and billions of tax dollars being funneled into infrastructure improvements and repairs; the North American Power Grid is as vulnerable as ever.  Some may suggest this is the effects of “global warming,” but a closer examination reveals some much simpler truths.  In fact, graft, corruption, and bureaucracy seem to be the real culprits and have siphoned off most of those funds dedicated to updating the power grid.  Things may have actually gotten worse not better.  To this day, one can easily see this truth as trees grow over, around, and through power line right of ways that haven’t been maintained in years.  Remember, it is hard to have a tree knock down a power line if the tree is not hanging over it.  In both examples, it all happened in a matter of a few hours!  What one should take away from this is that things are trending worse and not better.  You can be sure that massive power outages and brownouts will not only become more frequent, but persist longer even while you pay higher and higher electric bills.

The case studies highlight what many people experienced during rapidly collapsing conditions post power failure.  Hurricane Sandy will dwarf the impacts of the above case studies.  The mandatory safety regulations governing the operation of nuclear reactors in the United States during storms will automatically force the shutdown of at least 12 nuclear reactors in the storm’s path.  This event alone will mean tens of millions will lose power for at least 48 hours even with grid rerouting.  Americans across the entire East Coast WILL experience sustained disruptions and should expect and prepare for the following:

  • No power for one to two weeks
  • Fuel shortages
  • Inability to use ATMs or credit/debit cards
  • Cellular communications to fail within 48-72 hours
  • Hard line phone disruptions
  • Water disruptions, contamination, and shutdowns
  • Civil disturbances in urban areas
  • Overwhelmed emergency services to include failure of 911 services
  • Runs on food, water, batteries, and fuel (store shelves stripped empty)
  • Financial market disruptions
  • Stranded travelers and vehicles running out of fuel
  • Mail and trucking disruptions (no supplies getting to affected areas)
  • Widespread low-lying flooding
  • Down trees, power lines, and roof damage
  • Blizzard conditions with up to three feet of snow in some areas

At minimum, everyone in the possible strike zone should immediately prepare respective of your location and specific circumstances.  Although you are now well within the “Last Minute,” here is what you can still do to prepare.  At minimum ensure you have done the following with the expectation of at least two weeks of self-sufficiency:

  • Have plenty of cash on hand
  • Fill your vehicle(s) and fuel containers
  • Charge and/or buy fresh batteries
  • Operationally check critical equipment (vehicles, generator, chain saw, flashlights, etc.)
  • Procure a generator, extension cords, work lights and bulbs if possible
  • Procure chainsaw, extra blades, fuel oil mix, safety glasses, gloves, and bar lube if possible
  • Stage all gear such as flashlights, candles, and lanterns so you can find them in the dark
  • Charge all cell phone and other portable electronic batteries
  • Contact family members, neighbors, and friends to coordinate a disaster plan
  • Ensure multiple people know your location, situation, and plans for storm
  • Consolidate family and those members least able to take care of themselves
  • Consolidate supplies with others if you are in the most dire circumstances
  • Prepare to evacuate low-lying areas and sand bag against high water
  • Move any important items to upper levels of home in low-lying areas
  • Stage duct tape, nylon rope, and tarps in the event of roof damage from heavy rain
  • Trim any branches or trees immediately threatening buildings or parked cars
  • Secure any loose items outdoors
  • Buy or store at least one gallon of water per person, per day (plan for 14 days)
  • Buy or store high calorie, non-perishable food stuffs to include staples like powdered milk
  • Make sure any issues such as bald tires are fixed and maintenance completed on vehicles
  • Security plan if you plan to evacuate or hold at your residence
  • Assemble, inspect, and stage medical kit(s) at home and in your vehicles
  • Have hard copies of maps in all vehicles (don’t rely on GPS)
  • Have extra supply of any essential medications
  • Do remember your pets and prepare for their welfare
  • Make sure you have a radio with batteries, preferably a weather radio
  • Do stay calm, make a plan, and execute
  • Do monitor local news and emergency reports

The safest place will likely be at your home so stay put if you don’t have to travel.  However, if you live in a coastal or low-lying area and need to evacuate, leave as soon as possible and try to stay with a friend or family before resorting to local shelters where conditions may be less than comfortable.

It is always better to prepare early and often, but it is never too late to improve your situation.  Follow Last Minute Survival for the latest breaking news, tips, and information related to disaster preparedness and survival.  Last Minute Survival will soon be releasing a new book on survival strategies tailored to our readers so be the first to request free advanced copies.  Please plan smart and stay safe!

Unreported by Mainstream Media: Syrian Arch Bishop Murdered by Free Syrian Army

October 26, 2012 Exclusive Story, News and Intelligence, Politics, Syria, Terrorism Comments Off on Unreported by Mainstream Media: Syrian Arch Bishop Murdered by Free Syrian Army

The Syrian Arch Bishop was reported today to have been tortured, murdered, and left in a ditch.  This brutal and barbaric act has no justification and is the epitome of the worst within what most likely is the Free Syrian Army.  Since President Assad lost his grip on power in Syria and a civil war, covertly sponsored by the United States, broke out, religious minorities have disproportionately suffered under the fighting.  In particular, Christians in countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan, Egypt, Syria, and Iraq have suffered immeasurably.  In some cases complete ethnic cleansing of the ancient Christian populations have occurred leaving the surviving few as displaced refugees far from their homes.  This is the result of American interventionist policy.

Many will and should ask what we can do to stop the bloodshed and wanton killing of Christians and others.  However, the better question would be to ask what we can stop doing that is causing the killing of innocents.  Those in the know have long known that US has had its hand in the upheavals across the Middle East and North Africa, most notably in Libya.  This policy of intervention to topple regimes was accomplished by supporting many of the same Islamists we as a nation have been fighting for a decade.  The result of arming and unleashing these bands of jihadists, sadists, criminals, and terrorists was the deaths of thousands of innocent lives.  Most recently, the death of the US Ambassador to Libya and three other Americans were added to this tally.  The US is both lying and hypocritical when it comes to these civil wars.  To illustrate the con, the Department of State overtly condemns the deaths and bloodshed while the Central Intelligence Agency covertly sponsors those doing the killing and the Department of Defense secretly prepares to kill the winner all while the defense industry gets a continuous infusion of “bailout” blood money to keep the fighting going.

Both President Obama and Mitt Romney must recognize that our policy of intervention is going to cause much greater harm to America and has to be averted.  During the foreign policy debate neither candidate showed an interest or aptitude for preventing further bloodshed and ending our destructive policies.  As Syria collapses and pulls the region into greater bloodshed and war, mark my words, the US will use it as an excuse to intervene to “stabilize” a situation we in fact created.  This will no doubt cost many more American lives and dollars.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-10/25/c_123871679.htm

http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=16041

How to Protect your Privacy in the World of Smart Phones

October 26, 2012 Big Brother, Liberty and Freedom, News and Intelligence, Special Skills, Surveillance State, Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures Comments Off on How to Protect your Privacy in the World of Smart Phones

You are being watched.

Spy technology has advanced at an incredible pace.  Capabilities today make Cold War era spy tradecraft not only obsolete, but silly.  However, perhaps the most remarkable espionage gadgetry ever employed against a target has been self-inflicted.  Our digitized world of wireless communications and uploaded lives has given intelligence collectors a bonanza of information that only a couple of decades ago they couldn’t have imagined in their wildest dreams.  Imagine the capability to turn on all of the phone cameras in a given area such as an airport or even a city and run facial recognition software to identify a targeted person?  This technology exists and is in use today.  This rapid advance in spy technology has not only been used by intelligence agencies, but criminals, media outlets, police, and marketers.  This growing obsession to acquire your personal information has made you a target for collectors of all sorts.  If you value your privacy and do not want to be completely vulnerable the following tips will help you protect yourself when using a smart phone.

First, understand that anything you do electronically can be monitored if you carry and use a smartphone.  This includes tweets, posts, purchases, bank transactions, text messages, conversations, pictures, and where you go.  Your smart phone can also communicate with other wireless enabled devices to trade information from your pocket or purse without your knowledge.  Even more Orwellian is the fact all of these data are mined and run through algorithms to create profiles of you.  These profiles are used for everything from learning your shopping habits and targeting marketing to flagging you as a terrorist.  Of course some of you are saying “well I have nothing to hide so I am not worried.”  If you think you have nothing to hide and are that dumb or naïve, read closely.  This is important to you and you DO have a vested interest in privacy…that is unless you wouldn’t mind a thief knowing your credit card numbers and when you purchase a new TV, a pedophile knowing when and where you drop off your kids, an ex-girlfriend or spouse reading your emails, your family photos being posted on the world-wide web, your private medical data being made public, or being placed on a terrorist watch list.  Oh, and for those that think you could never be falsely placed on a terrorist watch list or no fly list, suffice to say we all know algorithms “never” make a mistake or fail.  Just ask around how the late “Senator” Ted Kennedy wound up on a no fly list!

The bottom line if you insist on using a smart phone, but want to maintain as much of your privacy as possible, follow these rules:

  • Don’t take pictures with anything that transmits a wireless signal or GPS tags it;
  • Don’t store pictures on your phone or take any pictures you don’t want others to see;
  • Remove the battery when not in use;
  • Always remove the battery from the phone during private face-to-face conversation;
  • Don’t speak about sensitive issues over the phone;
  • Cover your phone’s camera with a Band-Aid when not using it;
  • Disable and do not use Bluetooth devices;
  • Use complex passwords;
  • Do not store passwords on your phone;
  • Encrypt data
  • Do not download or enable GPS software on your phone;
  • Use rechargeable throwaway phones bought with cash;
  • Don’t conduct financial transactions over a phone;
  • Avoid using email on a phone;
  • Never auto update your position to social network sites;
  • Avoid downloading social media to your phone;
  •  And make sure others around you employ the same safeguards.

Following these rules will go a long way in protecting your privacy.  Disregard them at your own peril.  For example, everyone should know that with the right gear, wireless conversations via a Bluetooth device (Wi-Fi) can be listened to from well over a mile away under the right conditions.  With scanners, your entire cell conversation can be listened to anywhere it is in range of repeating towers.  Further, a phone can be turned on remotely to listen to your conversation, record conversation, film video, take pictures, and then send them to the hacker.  To protect this in your home, the simplest fix is to pull the battery out of your phone.  However, to be completely sure, you can also place your smart phone in a metal box that shields it from any electronic transmissions.  The thicker the metal the better, just make sure the inside of the box is lined with something non-conductive such as cardboard or plastic and it closes tightly.  Otherwise, you may inadvertently make a bigger antenna for your smart phone if your phone is in direct contact with the metal.  You can use aluminum foil layers to add to the shielding capability of the box.  Test this by sealing your phone tightly in the box and then attempting to call it or connect to it with Bluetooth.  If that fails, you have effectively shielded your phone.  Just place a box by your door and drop your phone in it when you come into the office, car, or your home.  Establishing this pattern will prevent much of your unwanted eavesdropping.

For those that want maximum security, but can’t do without a cell phone, use the lowest tech disposable phone you can find.  Buy it in cash and anonymously activate it.  Never place the battery in it or turn it on near your residence.  Not even once.  Only place the battery in the phone and use it when ready and in a public place so that you maintain location anonymity.    Never use a data plan or attempt to use it for instant messaging, chat, tweets, or email.  Never store personal numbers or any other information on it.  Instead, keep a hand written black book of contacts.  Change the phone regularly or use it only once for the most sensitive conversations.  When done with the phone, wipe it clean and place it in a public trash can or leave it on a bench for someone else to pick up and use.

Using spy lingo, your phone is a literally self-implanted bug that is better than anything the KGB could have ever hoped to plant on a person.  It tracks, it listens, it records, it takes pictures and video, and it even reads your email!  Ultimately, your best privacy will be to totally unplug from digital items, but in today’s world, that is nearly impossible within the United States and Europe.  Nonetheless, being cognitive of your digital signature and taking smart precautions will go far to protect your privacy.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/oct/2/new-software-uses-smartphone-camera-spying/#.UIhuLJT9WXk.email

US Diplomatic Core Massacred in Libya

September 12, 2012 9/11, Al Qaeda, Danger Alerts!, Department of State, News and Intelligence, Terrorism, Uncategorized Comments Off on US Diplomatic Core Massacred in Libya

Massive Libyan Mob Sacks US Diplomatic Posts in Libya

Headlines today have carried graphic footage and accounts of the chaos in Libya resulting in the death of the US Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens and at least three other Americans.  Piecing together what transpired is still in the initial stages, but a review of the known evidence is telling.

First, two of the Americans killed were highly trained members of the Diplomatic Security Service and an unknown number wounded.  Although details of whether they were Security Protective Specialists (SPS) or Special Agents remains unknown, these security officers typically have over a decade of law enforcement and military expertise with elite special forces units and combat experience.  Their deaths show beyond any doubt that the retaking of the compound was intense, high level combat against a well-armed and coordinated enemy.  The firefight included enemy use of heavy weapons such as rocket-propelled-grenades (RPGs), machine guns, improvised explosive devices, and potentially even mortars and raged for hours.  These are not weapons of a mob, but of a well armed military or terrorist faction.  Only a large, well-organized group enjoying at least partial support from the local government in major urban centers of Libya could have accomplished this.

Next, the fact that both the US diplomatic enclaves were attacked in a near simultaneous fashion by large  groups (in the hundreds) that sent the local security fleeing and the Americans at the mercy of the mob screams of a coordinated attack plan.  American embassies are hardened to resist these type attacks, but it is clear that the defenses were breached and not designed for the threat level required for a country like Libya.  Nonetheless, only through prior intelligence, surveillance, and heavy weapons would this still have been possible to this degree as security enhancements had been added.  Small arms simply are not sufficient overwhelm the defenses of a U.S. embassy or consulate.

Motives for these attacks have been primarily linked to a video allegedly portraying the Prophet Muhammad in a negative light; however, a more likely motive is available.  Al Qaeda’s leader, Ayman al Zawahiri in a video released to his Al Qaeda affiliates on September 11, 2012 urged revenge attacks against Americans for the drone killing of Abu al-Libi.  Abu al-Libi, as his name suggests, was a Libyan and leader of Al Qaeda cells.  Many of his fellow jihadist fighters were active participants in the violent overthrow and murder of the former Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi.  Further, members of Ansar al Sharia, a known Libyan political organization that has been widely considered the Libyan arm of Al Qaeda, was witnessed at the scene of the massacres.  Note that Ansar al Sharia is an organization that Gaddafi tried to suppress before the U.S began providing its members support to overthrow Gaddafi.  Ambassador Stevens was a vocal supporter of this action to arm known former and current jihadists.

Collectively looking at the picture, it is clear White House statements suggesting this was a small, uncoordinated, non-representive cadre of thugs are simply untrue.  Further, it appears that jumping to blame a video made in a free country that protects free speech is grossly reactionary and premature.  In fact, it appear now that the immediate use of this explanation may be done for political reasons to spin attention from the fact that a very real Al Qaeda threat has been created in Libya by a deliberate, yet ill-conceived plan by the White House.

From a security perspective, it is clear the U.S. Embassy in Libya was not prepared and significantly underestimated the threat.  From a manpower perspective, it is the host nation’s responsiblity to protect foreign diplomats, but common sense should dictate a robust security staff for any high-threat country like Libya.  More “shooters” would likely have repulsed the attack and saved the Ambassador and other Americans.  Further, accepting the risk of using a temporary building rather than a purpose-built embassy that incorporated the latest security and defensive measures in a high-threat nation was a critical failure.  Warnings about the poor state of security readiness have been raised for years and were not implemented in a timely fashion.  The decision to stay in a soft compound approaches reckless and stupid since the country threat was known to be high.  Not only is it still not stable and internecine post-revolution violence continues, but a bomb was planted in front of the US Consulate in June that detonated wounding a local guard.

On the intelligence front, the CIA and Department of State threat intelligence organizations failed to effectively warn of this impending storm.  This is the second massive failure in as many weeks.  The previous weekend a US Consulate Peshawar motorcade was obliterated in a vehicle borne suicide bombing attack in Pakistan resulting in the wounding of two outstanding and highly experienced American security specialists.

All of this points to the single responsible person, the ambassador.  The ambassador is charged with the ultimate care and safety of all United States citizens in his country and as such, this disaster is a direct result of his leadership and guidance.  Much like a ship’s captain going down with the ship, Ambassador Stevens went down with his ship.  Sadly, Ambassador Stevens appears to have been a dedicated, well-liked, and highly educated diplomat, but failed to recognize the difference between the ground truth and ideological concepts.  For this, he and at least three other Americans unnecessarily paid the ultimate price.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/12/world/africa/libya-us-ambassador-killed/index.html

 

Bloomberg’s Draconian Gun Control Laws Prove Useless

August 24, 2012 Big Brother, Big Government, Constitution, Domestic Terrorism, Liberty and Freedom, News and Intelligence, Second Amendment / Gun Control Comments Off on Bloomberg’s Draconian Gun Control Laws Prove Useless

Bloomberg’s Gun Control Didn’t Work Today

Another tragic mass shooting took place today near New York City’s iconic Empire State Building.  Details are still emerging, but some things seem clear.  First, a man opened fire shooting multiple people.  Second, the shooter was killed when police eventually gunned him down “after the fact.”  Finally, it appears the responding police officers may have wounded or killed as many or more people than the shooter trying to shoot him.  NYPD admits this much, but who was shot by whom is still to be determined.

Based on this information, it should be clear to gun control advocates that the draconian gun control laws in NYC are not effective at stopping crimes and cops if anything endangered you more than the shooter.  Perhaps Mayor Bloomberg should contemplate this before immediately announcing that America is at risk because they haven’t disarmed completely and followed NYC’s lead toward a police state.

NYC is one of the most surveiled locations on the face of the earth with heavily armed para-military police officers with assault rifles and full body armor on nearly every corner.  None of Bloomberg’s much touted surveillance, oppressive police presence, unconstitutional stop and frisk, or near total gun control laws prevented almost a dozen people being shot.  Even worse, the vaunted NYC is notorious at being as likely to shoot themselves or innocent by-standers as they are to actually hit a criminal.  This appears to be the case once again today.  Anyone that is familiar with firearms should be familiar with what has been dubbed the “New York Trigger.”  The is a handgun built with an incredibly heavy ten pound trigger pull designed to be issued to NYPD officers to prevent them from accidentally shooting each other or themselves.  All considered, the public should be asking why billions of their tax dollars are being spent to create these Orwellian, unconstitutional police states nationwide when they are in fact ineffective at stopping attacks.

Once again we find that the government is unable to protect innocent civilians.  Truly the only way to be free and secure is to renounce any notion that it is the “government’s” responsibility to look after you.  Instead, Americans must again take personal responsibility for their own defense locally.  Only by accepting responsibility for your own safety and security can you remain both free and safe.  Reliance on the government guarantees you will lose all freedom and gain no security.  In fact, once all power is removed from the people and concentrated in the hands of the government, you will lose all security and constantly live in fear of not only criminals, but the government itself.  Think otherwise?  You should talk to people who grew up in the Soviet Union.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/08/24/multiple-people-shot-near-empire-state-building-in-manhattan-police-say/

« Older Entries   Recent Entries »