SecState Clinton Announces National Security Waiver On US Aid To Egypt

Late Friday, when no one was paying attention, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton informed Congress that she had issued a national security waiver on US aid to Egypt. So it's official now - Egypt will get its $1.5 million in military aid.

I've already discussed the problems with that here.

The arms will eventually get into the hands of the Muslim Brotherhood, and some of them will likely end up in the hands of Hamas.

But of course, what's important to the Obama Administration is appeasing Islamists at every turn.

One argument that's been made in favor of the military aid is that if we curtailed it, our relationship with Egypt would essentially be over.

So what? What kind of 'relationship' do you think we have with a government that held U.S. citizens for a $5 million ransom?

For all we know, unblocking the aid might very well have been part of the deal for their release.

SecState Clinton Announces National Security Waiver On US Aid To Egypt

Late Friday, when no one was paying attention, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton informed Congress that she had issued a national security waiver on US aid to Egypt. So it's official now - Egypt will get its $1.5 million in military aid.

I've already discussed the problems with that here.

The arms will eventually get into the hands of the Muslim Brotherhood, and some of them will likely end up in the hands of Hamas.

But of course, what's important to the Obama Administration is appeasing Islamists at every turn.

One argument that's been made in favor of the military aid is that if we curtailed it, our relationship with Egypt would essentially be over.

So what? What kind of 'relationship' do you think we have with a government that held U.S. citizens for a $5 million ransom?

For all we know, unblocking the aid might very well have been part of the deal for their release.

The Iran Sanctions That Aren't - State Department Give Waivers to 11 Countries

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced today that the State Department is exempting 10 European countries and Japan from penalties for doing business with Iran's central bank:

"I am pleased to announce that an initial group of eleven countries has significantly reduced their volume of crude oil purchases from Iran -- Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, and the United Kingdom. As a result, I will report to the Congress that sanctions pursuant to Section 1245 of the National Defense Authorization Act for 2012 (NDAA) will not apply to the financial institutions based in these countries, for a renewable period of 180 days," Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a Tuesday statement. "The actions taken by these countries were not easy. They had to rethink their energy needs at a critical time for the world economy and quickly begin to find alternatives to Iranian oil, which many had been reliant on for their energy needs."

Of course, Mrs. Clinton didn't mention that Iran has already announced it would no longer sell crude to France and the United Kingdom, so they're getting a waiver based on Iran's actions,not theirs. And the other EU countries have already announced they will phase out all purchases of Iranian oil by July 1st. However, at this point it really doesn't matter. Without barring countries from dealing with Iran's Central Bank the oil sanctions are almost meaningless.

Let me explain to you why. Oil is fungible, and as we saw with the UN's Oil for Food scandal involving Saddam Hussein and Iraq, it's easily transferable, can easily be moved through other hands to disguise its origin and can be swapped via third parties for other items. The US could even end up buying Iranian oil if it was shipped to say, Venezuela and reflagged. But take away the ability of buyers to pay Iran for it directly by isolating Iran's central bank and it becomes a much more difficult and costly matter.

One of the few effective things President George W. Bush did in the period after 9/11 to fight Islamist terrorism was to identify the banks used to bankroll it and a number of questionable individuals and organizations who held accounts in otherwise legitimate institutions. Aside from freezing all suspect assets here in America and blocking US financial institutions from having any dealings with the suspect accounts and organizations, President Bush successfully got foreign financial institutions to cooperate by ordering US financial institutions not to deal with banks overseas handling accounts for places like the Islamic Cultural Center in Milan, Italy, Al Taqwa Construction in Dubai and the Revival of Islamic Heritage Society(RIHS) in Kuwait, all al-Qaeda and Hamas fronts. Since the world's banking system is wired through New York, most countries complied, which led to something like $79.9 million in terrorist assets being seized.

If President Obama was actually serious about stopping Iran's nuclear weapons program and ending Iran's financing of terrorism, he'd do something similar and make all of Iran's banks including Iran's central bank persona non grata in the world's financial systems using the same tools. Even countries like China and India might decide that forgoing Iranian oil was better than having their ability to perform financial transactions here in America compromised or curtailed.

But then, that was never going to happen with this president. I've become fairly convinced that President Obama isn't particularly exercised about whether Iran goes nuclear or not. He might just take a wag the dog option to pull off a strike on Iran if he's lagging in the polls come October, but failing that, he appears to be fine with it.

Either he's simply clueless and doesn't see the danger, is too preoccupied with his domestic agenda and his re-election bid,or feels that America needs to be taken down a peg. Or perhaps a combination of all three.

The Iran Sanctions That Aren't - State Department Give Waivers to 11 Countries

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced today that the State Department is exempting 10 European countries and Japan from penalties for doing business with Iran's central bank:

"I am pleased to announce that an initial group of eleven countries has significantly reduced their volume of crude oil purchases from Iran -- Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, and the United Kingdom. As a result, I will report to the Congress that sanctions pursuant to Section 1245 of the National Defense Authorization Act for 2012 (NDAA) will not apply to the financial institutions based in these countries, for a renewable period of 180 days," Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a Tuesday statement. "The actions taken by these countries were not easy. They had to rethink their energy needs at a critical time for the world economy and quickly begin to find alternatives to Iranian oil, which many had been reliant on for their energy needs."

Of course, Mrs. Clinton didn't mention that Iran has already announced it would no longer sell crude to France and the United Kingdom, so they're getting a waiver based on Iran's actions,not theirs. And the other EU countries have already announced they will phase out all purchases of Iranian oil by July 1st. However, at this point it really doesn't matter. Without barring countries from dealing with Iran's Central Bank the oil sanctions are almost meaningless.

Let me explain to you why. Oil is fungible, and as we saw with the UN's Oil for Food scandal involving Saddam Hussein and Iraq, it's easily transferable, can easily be moved through other hands to disguise its origin and can be swapped via third parties for other items. The US could even end up buying Iranian oil if it was shipped to say, Venezuela and reflagged. But take away the ability of buyers to pay Iran for it directly by isolating Iran's central bank and it becomes a much more difficult and costly matter.

One of the few effective things President George W. Bush did in the period after 9/11 to fight Islamist terrorism was to identify the banks used to bankroll it and a number of questionable individuals and organizations who held accounts in otherwise legitimate institutions. Aside from freezing all suspect assets here in America and blocking US financial institutions from having any dealings with the suspect accounts and organizations, President Bush successfully got foreign financial institutions to cooperate by ordering US financial institutions not to deal with banks overseas handling accounts for places like the Islamic Cultural Center in Milan, Italy, Al Taqwa Construction in Dubai and the Revival of Islamic Heritage Society(RIHS) in Kuwait, all al-Qaeda and Hamas fronts. Since the world's banking system is wired through New York, most countries complied, which led to something like $79.9 million in terrorist assets being seized.

If President Obama was actually serious about stopping Iran's nuclear weapons program and ending Iran's financing of terrorism, he'd do something similar and make all of Iran's banks including Iran's central bank persona non grata in the world's financial systems using the same tools. Even countries like China and India might decide that forgoing Iranian oil was better than having their ability to perform financial transactions here in America compromised or curtailed.

But then, that was never going to happen with this president. I've become fairly convinced that President Obama isn't particularly exercised about whether Iran goes nuclear or not. He might just take a wag the dog option to pull off a strike on Iran if he's lagging in the polls come October, but failing that, he appears to be fine with it.

Either he's simply clueless and doesn't see the danger, is too preoccupied with his domestic agenda and his re-election bid,or feels that America needs to be taken down a peg. Or perhaps a combination of all three.

Heart Of Darkness; Obama's Campaign To Make Israel A Scapegoat And Fool America's Jews

The Obama Administration is obviously very concerned about its fading support among America's Jews. And to counteract it, there's a subtle but growing campaign going on to convince America's Jews that not only is the president the most pro-Israel in history, but that it's those ungrateful Jews in Israel that caused the death of the so-called peace process and cause all the rampant Muslim Jew hatred rather than President Obama's arrogant, amateurish and deceitful behavior. And the president and his handlers are using committed foot soldiers who are either Jews or people posing as 'friends' of Israel to do it.

The president, speaking in front of a fundraiser to group of American Jews in the Manhattan home of Obama donor Jack Rosen,the chairman of the American Jewish Congress made this incredible statement: "I try not to pat myself too much on the back, but this administration has done more for the security of the state of Israel than any previous administration. We don't compromise when it comes to Israel's security ... and that will continue."

A whole chorus of the administration's allies has come out full force to echo this fantasy.

For instance, the U.S. ambassador to Belgium, Howard Gutman, recently told a conference hosted by the European Jewish Union that Israel was to blame for Muslim Jew hatred :

"A distinction should be made between traditional anti-Semitism, which should be condemned and Muslim hatred for Jews, which stems from the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinians,” Gutman reportedly said, according to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth. “He also argued that an Israeli-Palestinian peace treaty will significantly diminish Muslim anti-Semitism.”

According to the account in the Israeli paper, “The legal experts at the event were visibly stunned by Gutman’s words, and the next speaker offered a scathing rebuttal to the envoy’s remarks.”

Gutman apparently never read the Qu'ran or the Hadiths and is clueless as to the real roots of Muslim anti-Semitism, which predates the re-establishment of Israel by centuries.

But of course, Gutman is infinitely qualified for his post as ambassador, having bundled $500,000 in 2008 for Obama, according to OpenSecrets.org.

It's worth repeating the words of the next speaker after Gutman,German attorney Nathan Gelbart:


"The modern Anti-Semite formally condemns Anti-Semitism and the Holocaust and expresses upmost sympathy with the Jewish people. He simply has created a new species, the “Anti-Zionist” or – even more sophisticated – the so-called ‘Israel critic,’”

“The ‘Israel critic’ will never state ‘Jews go home’ but is questioning the legality of the incorporation of the State of Israel and therefore the right for the Jewish people to settle in their homeland. He will not say the Jews are the evil of the world but claim that the State of Israel is a major cause for instability and war in the region,” he said. “There is no other country, no other people on this planet the ‘Israel critic’ would dedicate so much time and devotion as to the case of Israel.”

“For no other country he would criticize or ask to boycott its goods or academics. And this for one simple reason: Because Israel is the state of the Jewish people, not more and not less.”

Gelbert's remarks were received with loud applause, while Ambassador Gutman left the conference hurriedly, claiming prior obligations.

The White house has reportedly backed away from Gutman, issuing a hurried statement that his views do not reflect theirs. Actually they reflect the Obama Administration's views exactly, but the White House is a lot more subtle, what with elections coming up.

In another instance,you have SecDef Leon Panetta's recent remarks at a forum at the Saban Center for Middle East Policy in Washington DC. Apparently the Secretary took some time off from hollowing out America's military to explain to an audience of American Jews that really, the problems in the Middle East are all Israel's fault:

"I understand the view that this is not the time to pursue peace, and that the Arab awakening further imperils the dream of a safe and secure, Jewish and democratic Israel. But I disagree with that view," Panetta said.

He said Israel needed to take risks, including by breathing new life into moribund peace talks with Palestinians. When asked by a moderator what steps Israel needed to take to pursue peace, Panetta said: "Just get to the damn table."

As if it was Israel that was refusing to negotiate!

"I believe security is dependent on a strong military but it is also dependent on strong diplomacy. And unfortunately, over the past year, we've seen Israel's isolation from its traditional security partners in the region grow," Panetta said.

Panetta suggested that Israel reach out and mend fences with countries like Turkey, Egypt and Jordan which "share an interest in regional stability."

Panetta said that while Israel is not solely responsible for its isolation, it could more actively attempt to reverse the trend: "For example, Israel can reach out and mend fences with those who share an interest in regional stability – countries like Turkey and Egypt, as well as Jordan," he said.

"This is not impossible. If the gestures are rebuked, the world will see those rebukes for what they are. And that is exactly why Israel should pursue them."

"It is in Israel's interest, Turkey's interest, and US interest for Israel to reconcile with Turkey, and both Turkey and Israel need to do more to put their relationship back on track," Panetta said.

As if Israel hasn't made ample gestures to these countries, only to have them slapped away each time? And exactly how is Israel supposed to 'mend fences' with Islamist governments in Turkey and Egypt? Or Jordan,where King Abdullah toes the anti-Israel line because he's scared stiff of his mostly 'Palestinian' subjects tossing him out on his behind and claiming Jordan as yet another 'Palestinian' state?

Egypt, Turkey and Jordan aren't committed to 'regional stability' and Panetta knows it. What they're committed to is Israel's disappearance,because it is a Jewish state. But Panetta and the Obama Administration would have us believe that this is Israel's fault. Just as the dead-in-the-water 'peace process is Israel's fault, rather than President Obama's:

Panetta further urged Israel to "lean forward" to achieve peace with the Palestinians. Peace talks have been moribund for more than a year.

"Rather than undermining the Palestinian Authority, it is in Israel's interests to strengthen it by ... continuing to transfer Palestinian tax revenues and pursuing other avenues of cooperation," he said.

Rather than 'lean forward', what Panetta really means is 'bend over'. And he's telling Israel that after you get raped, give up territory and important and irreversible strategic concessions and pay in blood because of it, the world will of course take your side and forcefully condemn those who attack Jews...just like they did when Israel retreated from Gaza.

It's worth noting that Panetta's remarks are not directed at Israel, but at American Jewish voters.

Panetta's speech took place at at the Saban Center for Middle East Policy... established and funded by Obama contributor and major Democrat fund raiser and contributor Chaim Saban. And just by coincidence, it was the Saban Center who also funded this bogus poll, designed to convince American Jews that Israelis absolutely love Obama, so it's just fine to vote for him.

Even Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was pressed into service, making remarks at - what a coincidence- a closed Saban Forum.

According to our Secretary of State, pending Knesset legislation to limit foreign donations to far Left anti-Israel NGOs like Peace Now, B’Tselem and the Holy Land Trust and stop Israeli Supreme Court justices from naming their own successors are 'assaults onIsrael's democracy'. She even had the nerve to claim that Israel's women are 'excluded from public life'. Aside from the prominent judges and Knesset members in Israel who are female, apparently no one told her that the MK who is a prime mover in favor the bill to cut funding is Faina Kirschenbaum.

Secretary Clinton, of course, would never say such a thing about her 'Palestinian' friends or Jordan, where honor killings of uppity females are endemic. Nor would she make such remarks in Israel, where she would have been laughed off the stage and severely challenged. No, the idea here was to slime Israel's democracy here in the US to make it easier for American Jewish voters to feel good about voting against Israel's present government and re-electing President Obama.

Ignorant Jewish quislings like Gutman and Rosen are already in the bag.The regime may even recall Ambassador Gutman to try to show their 'pro-Israel' bonifides. But this campaign - and there's no other word for it - is directed at American Jews to try to convince them that black is white so that they'll line up and pull the lever for the most anti-Israel president in history.

I don't know what's in President Obama's heart. But I know that many of his most intimate associates are rabid anti-Semites, or 'Anti-Zionists' to use the more fashionable new term for these creatures. I know he has little or no respect for the Jewish religion. I know that he's supported Islamist movements throughout the Middle East like the Muslim Brotherhood that have rabid Jew hatred as a primary feature. And I know he's done more to delegitimize Israel and distance America from a major ally than any president in history. And that's all I or anyone else should need to know.

This latest cynical campaign of contempt ought to send a message to those still sitting on the fence. As far as I'm concerned, any Jew - or for that matter, anybody - who votes for Obama cannot claim to be pro-Israel. End of story, and it goes beyond any Republican or Democrat affiliation.

UPDATE: Per Journolista Ben Smith, the campaign intensifies as George Soros' zombies weigh in.

please donate...it helps me write more gooder!

Heart Of Darkness; Obama's Campaign To Make Israel A Scapegoat And Fool America's Jews

The Obama Administration is obviously very concerned about its fading support among America's Jews. And to counteract it, there's a subtle but growing campaign going on to convince America's Jews that not only is the president the most pro-Israel in history, but that it's those ungrateful Jews in Israel that caused the death of the so-called peace process and cause all the rampant Muslim Jew hatred rather than President Obama's arrogant, amateurish and deceitful behavior. And the president and his handlers are using committed foot soldiers who are either Jews or people posing as 'friends' of Israel to do it.

The president, speaking in front of a fundraiser to group of American Jews in the Manhattan home of Obama donor Jack Rosen,the chairman of the American Jewish Congress made this incredible statement: "I try not to pat myself too much on the back, but this administration has done more for the security of the state of Israel than any previous administration. We don't compromise when it comes to Israel's security ... and that will continue."

A whole chorus of the administration's allies has come out full force to echo this fantasy.

For instance, the U.S. ambassador to Belgium, Howard Gutman, recently told a conference hosted by the European Jewish Union that Israel was to blame for Muslim Jew hatred :

"A distinction should be made between traditional anti-Semitism, which should be condemned and Muslim hatred for Jews, which stems from the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinians,” Gutman reportedly said, according to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth. “He also argued that an Israeli-Palestinian peace treaty will significantly diminish Muslim anti-Semitism.”

According to the account in the Israeli paper, “The legal experts at the event were visibly stunned by Gutman’s words, and the next speaker offered a scathing rebuttal to the envoy’s remarks.”

Gutman apparently never read the Qu'ran or the Hadiths and is clueless as to the real roots of Muslim anti-Semitism, which predates the re-establishment of Israel by centuries.

But of course, Gutman is infinitely qualified for his post as ambassador, having bundled $500,000 in 2008 for Obama, according to OpenSecrets.org.

It's worth repeating the words of the next speaker after Gutman,German attorney Nathan Gelbart:


"The modern Anti-Semite formally condemns Anti-Semitism and the Holocaust and expresses upmost sympathy with the Jewish people. He simply has created a new species, the “Anti-Zionist” or – even more sophisticated – the so-called ‘Israel critic,’”

“The ‘Israel critic’ will never state ‘Jews go home’ but is questioning the legality of the incorporation of the State of Israel and therefore the right for the Jewish people to settle in their homeland. He will not say the Jews are the evil of the world but claim that the State of Israel is a major cause for instability and war in the region,” he said. “There is no other country, no other people on this planet the ‘Israel critic’ would dedicate so much time and devotion as to the case of Israel.”

“For no other country he would criticize or ask to boycott its goods or academics. And this for one simple reason: Because Israel is the state of the Jewish people, not more and not less.”

Gelbert's remarks were received with loud applause, while Ambassador Gutman left the conference hurriedly, claiming prior obligations.

The White house has reportedly backed away from Gutman, issuing a hurried statement that his views do not reflect theirs. Actually they reflect the Obama Administration's views exactly, but the White House is a lot more subtle, what with elections coming up.

In another instance,you have SecDef Leon Panetta's recent remarks at a forum at the Saban Center for Middle East Policy in Washington DC. Apparently the Secretary took some time off from hollowing out America's military to explain to an audience of American Jews that really, the problems in the Middle East are all Israel's fault:

"I understand the view that this is not the time to pursue peace, and that the Arab awakening further imperils the dream of a safe and secure, Jewish and democratic Israel. But I disagree with that view," Panetta said.

He said Israel needed to take risks, including by breathing new life into moribund peace talks with Palestinians. When asked by a moderator what steps Israel needed to take to pursue peace, Panetta said: "Just get to the damn table."

As if it was Israel that was refusing to negotiate!

"I believe security is dependent on a strong military but it is also dependent on strong diplomacy. And unfortunately, over the past year, we've seen Israel's isolation from its traditional security partners in the region grow," Panetta said.

Panetta suggested that Israel reach out and mend fences with countries like Turkey, Egypt and Jordan which "share an interest in regional stability."

Panetta said that while Israel is not solely responsible for its isolation, it could more actively attempt to reverse the trend: "For example, Israel can reach out and mend fences with those who share an interest in regional stability – countries like Turkey and Egypt, as well as Jordan," he said.

"This is not impossible. If the gestures are rebuked, the world will see those rebukes for what they are. And that is exactly why Israel should pursue them."

"It is in Israel's interest, Turkey's interest, and US interest for Israel to reconcile with Turkey, and both Turkey and Israel need to do more to put their relationship back on track," Panetta said.

As if Israel hasn't made ample gestures to these countries, only to have them slapped away each time? And exactly how is Israel supposed to 'mend fences' with Islamist governments in Turkey and Egypt? Or Jordan,where King Abdullah toes the anti-Israel line because he's scared stiff of his mostly 'Palestinian' subjects tossing him out on his behind and claiming Jordan as yet another 'Palestinian' state?

Egypt, Turkey and Jordan aren't committed to 'regional stability' and Panetta knows it. What they're committed to is Israel's disappearance,because it is a Jewish state. But Panetta and the Obama Administration would have us believe that this is Israel's fault. Just as the dead-in-the-water 'peace process is Israel's fault, rather than President Obama's:

Panetta further urged Israel to "lean forward" to achieve peace with the Palestinians. Peace talks have been moribund for more than a year.

"Rather than undermining the Palestinian Authority, it is in Israel's interests to strengthen it by ... continuing to transfer Palestinian tax revenues and pursuing other avenues of cooperation," he said.

Rather than 'lean forward', what Panetta really means is 'bend over'. And he's telling Israel that after you get raped, give up territory and important and irreversible strategic concessions and pay in blood because of it, the world will of course take your side and forcefully condemn those who attack Jews...just like they did when Israel retreated from Gaza.

It's worth noting that Panetta's remarks are not directed at Israel, but at American Jewish voters.

Panetta's speech took place at at the Saban Center for Middle East Policy... established and funded by Obama contributor and major Democrat fund raiser and contributor Chaim Saban. And just by coincidence, it was the Saban Center who also funded this bogus poll, designed to convince American Jews that Israelis absolutely love Obama, so it's just fine to vote for him.

Even Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was pressed into service, making remarks at - what a coincidence- a closed Saban Forum.

According to our Secretary of State, pending Knesset legislation to limit foreign donations to far Left anti-Israel NGOs like Peace Now, B’Tselem and the Holy Land Trust and stop Israeli Supreme Court justices from naming their own successors are 'assaults onIsrael's democracy'. She even had the nerve to claim that Israel's women are 'excluded from public life'. Aside from the prominent judges and Knesset members in Israel who are female, apparently no one told her that the MK who is a prime mover in favor the bill to cut funding is Faina Kirschenbaum.

Secretary Clinton, of course, would never say such a thing about her 'Palestinian' friends or Jordan, where honor killings of uppity females are endemic. Nor would she make such remarks in Israel, where she would have been laughed off the stage and severely challenged. No, the idea here was to slime Israel's democracy here in the US to make it easier for American Jewish voters to feel good about voting against Israel's present government and re-electing President Obama.

Ignorant Jewish quislings like Gutman and Rosen are already in the bag.The regime may even recall Ambassador Gutman to try to show their 'pro-Israel' bonifides. But this campaign - and there's no other word for it - is directed at American Jews to try to convince them that black is white so that they'll line up and pull the lever for the most anti-Israel president in history.

I don't know what's in President Obama's heart. But I know that many of his most intimate associates are rabid anti-Semites, or 'Anti-Zionists' to use the more fashionable new term for these creatures. I know he has little or no respect for the Jewish religion. I know that he's supported Islamist movements throughout the Middle East like the Muslim Brotherhood that have rabid Jew hatred as a primary feature. And I know he's done more to delegitimize Israel and distance America from a major ally than any president in history. And that's all I or anyone else should need to know.

This latest cynical campaign of contempt ought to send a message to those still sitting on the fence. As far as I'm concerned, any Jew - or for that matter, anybody - who votes for Obama cannot claim to be pro-Israel. End of story, and it goes beyond any Republican or Democrat affiliation.

UPDATE: Per Journolista Ben Smith, the campaign intensifies as George Soros' zombies weigh in.

please donate...it helps me write more gooder!

Two Quotes On Our Iraq Withdrawal

One frustrated,one abysmally stupid.

First, the frustration, from General John Keane, who was key in persuading President Bush to implement the urge strategy:

“I think it’s an absolute disaster,” said Gen. Keane, who advised Gen. David H. Petraeus when he was top Iraq commander. “We won the war in Iraq, and we’re now losing the peace.”

“Forty-four hundred lives lost,” Gen. Keane said. “Tens of thousands of troops wounded. Over a couple hundred thousand Iraqis killed. We liberated 25 million people. There is only one Arab Muslim country that elects its own government, and that is Iraq.

“We should be staying there to strengthen that democracy, to let them get the kind of political gains they need to get and keep the Iranians away from strangling that country. That should be our objective, and we are walking away from that objective.”

Sorry, General Keane. It is a disaster, but that mistake was set in stone when the Bush Administration decided to rush Iraq into elections with the idea of massaging his fetish of 'Arab Democracy' and empowered Shi'ite politicians with close ties to Iran instead of putting an interim pro-US government in power. Once that happened, the rest was predictable and just a matter of time.

And now the stupidity, from the same article:

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Sunday warned Iran not to miscalculate the U.S. decision to withdraw its troops.

“No one, most particularly Iran, should miscalculate about our continuing commitment to and with the Iraqis going forward,” she said in an interview with CNN from Uzbekistan.

“In addition to a very significant diplomatic presence in Iraq which will carry much of the responsibility for dealing with an independent, sovereign, democratic Iraq, we have bases in neighboring countries, we have our ally in Turkey. We have a lot of presence in that region,” she added.

As if Iran hasn't simply laughed at such pronouncements before? As if Erdogan's Islamist Turkey didn't sabotage our invasion of Iraq in 2003 and hasn't been a conduit for Iran evading the so-called sanctions since then? As if 150 troops guarding an embassy is going to stave off Moqtada al-Sadr and his Iranian armed and trained Shi'ite militia from Lebanonizing Iraq? As if the Iraqis themselves aren't booting us out in response to pressure from Iran?

Unbelievable. And there are people that still want this clueless woman as president.

please donate...it helps me write more gooder!

Two Quotes On Our Iraq Withdrawal

One frustrated,one abysmally stupid.

First, the frustration, from General John Keane, who was key in persuading President Bush to implement the urge strategy:

“I think it’s an absolute disaster,” said Gen. Keane, who advised Gen. David H. Petraeus when he was top Iraq commander. “We won the war in Iraq, and we’re now losing the peace.”

“Forty-four hundred lives lost,” Gen. Keane said. “Tens of thousands of troops wounded. Over a couple hundred thousand Iraqis killed. We liberated 25 million people. There is only one Arab Muslim country that elects its own government, and that is Iraq.

“We should be staying there to strengthen that democracy, to let them get the kind of political gains they need to get and keep the Iranians away from strangling that country. That should be our objective, and we are walking away from that objective.”

Sorry, General Keane. It is a disaster, but that mistake was set in stone when the Bush Administration decided to rush Iraq into elections with the idea of massaging his fetish of 'Arab Democracy' and empowered Shi'ite politicians with close ties to Iran instead of putting an interim pro-US government in power. Once that happened, the rest was predictable and just a matter of time.

And now the stupidity, from the same article:

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Sunday warned Iran not to miscalculate the U.S. decision to withdraw its troops.

“No one, most particularly Iran, should miscalculate about our continuing commitment to and with the Iraqis going forward,” she said in an interview with CNN from Uzbekistan.

“In addition to a very significant diplomatic presence in Iraq which will carry much of the responsibility for dealing with an independent, sovereign, democratic Iraq, we have bases in neighboring countries, we have our ally in Turkey. We have a lot of presence in that region,” she added.

As if Iran hasn't simply laughed at such pronouncements before? As if Erdogan's Islamist Turkey didn't sabotage our invasion of Iraq in 2003 and hasn't been a conduit for Iran evading the so-called sanctions since then? As if 150 troops guarding an embassy is going to stave off Moqtada al-Sadr and his Iranian armed and trained Shi'ite militia from Lebanonizing Iraq? As if the Iraqis themselves aren't booting us out in response to pressure from Iran?

Unbelievable. And there are people that still want this clueless woman as president.

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Bonus Hillary Cartoon!

This was inspired by THIS NEWS STORY.  You can buy this on merchandise at ZAZZLE.

Bonus Hillary cartoon

Ex-Army just did a post about Hillary challenging Obama for the nomination HERE, like Ted Kennedy did to Jimmy Carter, which led me to remember and repost this one from 2008.