The Council Has Spoken!! Our Watcher’s Council Results 03.20.15

The Council Has Spoken! The votes have been cast, and the results are in for this week’s Watcher’s Council match up.

“”You see, it’s been our misfortune to have the wrong religion. Why didn’t we have the religion of the Japanese, who regard sacrifice for the Fatherland as the highest good? The Mohammedan religion too would have been more compatible to us than Christianity. Why did it have to be Christianity with its meekness and flabbiness?” – Adolf Hitler

“I studied the Qu’ran a great deal. I came away from that study with the conviction that by and large there have been few religions in the world as deadly to men as that of Muhammad. As far as I can see, it is the principal cause of the decadence so visible today in the Muslim world and, though less absurd than the polytheism of old, its social and political tendencies are in my opinion more to be feared, and I therefore regard it as a form of decadence rather than a form of progress in relation to paganism itself” – Alexis de Tocqueville

“All this talk of people who burn the Koran and nothing about the people who reacted in such a stupid way. We are always blaming the victim and not holding them — not most Muslims, but at least a large part of Muslim culture that doesn’t condemn their people… There is one religion in the world that kills you when you disagree with them and they say ‘look, we are a religion of peace and if you disagree we’ll f**king cut your head off, and nobody calls them on it — there are very few people that will call them on it. It’s like if Dad is a violent drunk and beats his kids, you don’t blame the kid because he set Dad off. You blame Dad because he’s a violent drunk” - Bill Maher

This week’s winning essay, Joshuapundit’s The Chicken Or The Egg? looks at some elements of Islamic culture and asks: is it Islam that promotes the extreme violence and misogyny associated with Muslim societies? Or is that just [art of a tribal society that persists in spite of Islam? Here’s a slice:

Unless you’re in a coma, you’ve probably noticed that a great many of the violent and barbaric acts in our modern world can be attributed to followers of Islam.

In the Islamic world today, aside from homicide bombings, jihad and terrorism directed against dar harb ( the part of the world not ruled by Islam), honor killings, female genital circumcision and other forms of violence against women are commonplace, and homosexuals are routinely brutalized and murdered. Non-Muslims are treated as barely human in much of the Islamic world, if they’re allowed to exist at all. Warfare carried out by Muslims is done with modern tools of the trade provided by the despised infidels, but is a relic of the good ol’ primitive and tribal days. Hostages, beheadings and the deliberate killing of civilians are all fair game, and the language of jihad is essentially the same heady stuff used back in the 7th century against the infidel. And through it all, there remains the miasma of seething violent rage at things like the Danish cartoons that simply doesn’t exist in other religious groups.

The question nobody wants to ask keeps floating to the surface: Is Islam to blame? Or, to put it another way, are the perpetrators simply bad Muslims or are they actually good ones who are simply more in tune with Mohammed’s message than the majority? Does Islam itself promote violence? Or are the acts simply a product of primitive tribal society that persists in spite of Islam?

Actually, this is a trick question. I personally believe that Islam and the primitive tribal culture combined back in the day to sustain each other and can’t be separated by their very nature…even though some valiant attempts have been made in the past, and are being made today.

Let’s look at honor killings, for example. Probably the oldest recorded one is in Genesis 34, when Jacob’s daughter Dinah was seduced (or raped, depending on how you interpret the text) by a man from the town of Shechem (modern day Nablus). Afterwards, Jacob’s sons Simeon and Levi instigated the killing of the town’s men in revenge. But the Torah also tells us how Jacob denounced the killings and actually took the time to bad mouth his sons for the deed from his deathbed. Not only that, but you’ll notice a profound difference from the Islamic way of handling this – the onus of punishment fell on the male, not the female.

his isn’t the only honor killing mentioned in the Bible, but they were never condoned or part of Jewish law, just merely reported.

Islam, on the other hand, not only sanctions honor killings but is quite clear about its position in the matter. Killing or flogging an adulteress or a female that has relations with a non-Muslim male are part of sharia ( Qu’ran: 4:15, for example) – provided an Islamic court orders the punishment rather than an individual male family member going off on his own.

Even at that, Islamic courts today in the Muslim world frequently view male family members taking the law into their own hands fairly leniently. In Jordan, for example, many brutal honor killings have been punished by as little as a three month sentence under Jordanian Public Law 340. Moreover, in the context of Islamic society such murderers are often celebrated and held up as role models. Just as homicide bombers and terrorists who kill infidel civilians often are.

But what if a Muslim feels himself disrespected and lives in say, Britain or New Jersey? If no Islamic courts are available, is it permissible to take the law into one’s own hands? Probably. There’s not much in the way of Islamic rulings or commentary on that particular subject, but the near silence of most Muslim clergy in the West when it comes to denouncing honor killings speaks volumes…one of those little inconvenient truths Western apologists for multiculturalism and Islam constantly run up against when a number of Muslim clerics themselves insist that honor killing, female genital mutilation, and stoning of adulterers are mandated by Islam. And, as you’ve probably guessed by now , that’s one of the unspoken reasons behind the push among many Muslims in the West for sharia courts to handle those messy domestic problems that come up with uppity females from time to time.

Violent death penalties for women caught in adultery is fairly typical of a primitive society, but only Islam continues the practice into the present day. No Christian court has ever condemned a woman to death for adultery. And although the death penalty for adultery is found in the Book of Leviticus, there is no record of such a sentence ever carried out by any Jewish court. The same is true of homosexuality; while both Christianity and Judaism consider it ‘a sin and an abomination’ only Islam clearly mandates the death penalty for such activities and carries it out in our present day.

So why does Islamic society persist in these practices ?

Much more at the link.

In our non-Council category, the winner was Daniel Greenfield’s – Obama’s Treason Is The New Patriotism submitted by The Noisy Room. Daniel has some very hard hitting things to say about President Obama and a number of his questionable actions..and the tendency by the usual suspects to name anyone whom disagrees with the Regime a ‘traitor.’

Here are this week’s full results. GrEaT sAtAn”S gIrLfRiEnD and Rhymes With Right were unable to vote this week, but were not subject to the usual 2/3 vote penalty for not voting:

Council Winners

• *First place with 2 1/3 votes! – Joshuapundit - The Chicken Or The Egg?
• Second place with 2 votes – Bookworm Room – Trevor Loudon tells enthralled Marin County audience that victory in 2016 requires uniting and inspiring conservative base
• Third place with 1 1/3 votes – VA Right! - Is the Location of Hillary Clinton’s Email Server 75 Broad St New York, NY 10004?
• Fourth place *t* with 1 vote – Nice Deb – President Bystander Blames Bush For ISIS – Even Though He Funded Them and They Metastasized On His Watch
• Fourth place *t* with 1 vote – Ask Marion – Beating The Odds
• Fourth place *t* with 1 vote – Don Surber – Prime Minister: “Australians are sick of being lectured to by the United Nations”
• Fourth place *t* with 1 vote – The Right Planet – The Silencers
• Fifth place with 2/3 votes – The Noisy Room – The Faustian Pact Between Obama And Iran
• Sixth place *t* with 1/3 votes – The Glittering Eye - The History of ‘Advice and Consent’
• Sixth place *t* with 1/3 votes – Rhymes With Right – But The Obama Administration Assured Us These Folks Were Poor People Who Just Needed Jobs!

Non-Council Winners

• First place with 3 votes! – Daniel Greenfield/FrontPage Mag – Obama’s Treason Is The New Patriotism submitted by The Noisy Room
• Second place with 2 1/3 votes – Michael Totten – Let Iraq Die: A Case for Partition submitted by Joshuapundit
• Third place with 2 votes – James Rosen/Playboy – Dick Cheney Interview: ‘Obama is The Worst President Of My Lifetime’ submitted by The Watcher
• Fourth place with 1 vote – Walter Russell Mead – The Way Forward on Iran submitted by The Glittering Eye
• Fifth place *t* with 2/3 votes -Michael Douglas/LA Times – Michael Douglas finds Judaism and faces anti-Semitism submitted by Don Surber
• Fifth place *t* with 2/3 votes -Richard Epstein/Hoover Institution - Race Baiting And Ferguson submitted by Nice Deb
• Sixth place *t* with 1/3 vote -Veronique de Rugy/The Daily Beast – On Ex-Im Bank, the Democrats Are the Real Corporate Shills submitted by The Razor
• Sixth place *t* with 1/3 vote -Victor Davis Hanson/PJ Media - A Tale of Four Droughts submitted by Bookworm Room

See you next week!

Make sure to tune in every Monday for the Watcher’s Forum. and every  Tuesday morning, when we reveal the weeks’ nominees for Weasel of the Week!

And remember, every Wednesday, the Council has its weekly contest with the members nominating two posts each, one written by themselves and one written by someone from outside the group for consideration by the whole Council. The votes are cast by the Council, and the results are posted on Friday morning.

It’s a weekly magazine of some of the best stuff written in the blogosphere, and you won’t want to miss it...or any of the other fantabulous Watcher’s Council content.

And don’t forget to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter..’cause we’re cool like that, y’know?

The Wrap at Ask Marion 12.29.13 Thru 1.05.14

Our weekly wrap… Sunday to Sunday… Please share! Ask Marion

Quote of the Week: “Only in America can you find a movement of People who aren’t satisfied with the Freedom they have to Believe or Not Believe, but rather have to go on the attack against the beliefs of others.”

The Atheist War on Christmas and Religious Freedom – WoC 2013/14

Read this normally… and then read it again from the bottom up.

•  An American Depression: Extreme Haircut Edition
• The Council Has Spoken!! This Weeks’ Watchers’ Council Results Posted 01.03.14
• The Atheist War on Christmas and Religious Freedom – WoC 2013/14
• Iraqi Army Shells Fallujah As Street Fights Rage In Ramadi
• Eleven AGs slam Obama’s healthcare fixes; Greg Abbot says Obama is acting like a king
• Alert: Rand Paul Sues Obama… Join Class Action Suit
• Welfare Warpath
• War on Christmas is really part of war on-going religion – WoC 2013/14
• Krauthammer on Obama: "The Great Irony…He Has Created the Greatest Inequality"
• Sandy Hook Elementary Now Leveled…
• Election 2014 and 2016… All Sewn-Up or the Battle(s) for Americas Life
• Obama’s Top Violations of the U.S. Constitution
• RUSH: Every Problem That Exists In New York Derives From Liberalism
• Sarah Palin: "The Eyes Of The Nation Are Really Opening Up"
• Recapping 2013 with Strategies for 2014 and Beyond
• The Twelve Days of Christmas – WoC 2013
• New York Gets The Communist Leader It Deserves
• Watcher’s Council Nominations – Snappy Happy New Year Edition
• Where Do We Go from Here America? Will there be Anything Left?
• New Year 2014 – 2013 Wrap – AskMarion WoC Series
• Watcher’s Forum: What Are Your Predictions For 2014?
• Willie and Korie Robertson Joins Fox’s New Years Eve Special 12-31- 2013
• Happy New Year 2014 From Ask Marion
• Progressive Racism and Stupidity Know No Bounds
• New Years Eve – WoC 2013 
• Rep. Trey Gowdy: New York Times Doing PR Work For Hillary, White House On Benghazi
• Inside TAO… NSA Intercepts Your Mail
• Everyone Has at Least One Book in Them, Between Christmas and New Years is a Good Time to Start Yours – WoC 2013
• The Wrap at Ask Marion 12.22.13 Thru 12.29.13

Also See:

• HEALTHCARE REFORM'S FIRST BIG TEST 
• Here comes Obama’s solution to the disastrous Affordable Care Act: National Health Care a.k.a. the Single Payer System 
• Eight Ways to Opt Out of ObamaCare -> Ron Paul Says It Will Totally Self-Destruct 
• Happy New Year 2014 From True Health Is True Wealth
• How The Grinch Stole Healthcare
• Are Young Americans Signing Up For Obamacare? 
• Iditarod Trail Race Headquarters, Palin and Alaskan Tourism
• Conga Dog Project [photo] 
• Lucy Pet Foundation’s Rose Parade float promotes pet spay/neuter – Features Daniel 
• Happy New Year 2014 From Just One More Pet
• Some Fun Christmas Pet Photos From 2013 and Years Past
• Dogs slaughtered for meat in Vietnam… Stop the Dog Meat Trade
• Stop the Pain… Get-Involved and Speak Up Whenever You Suspect Abuse, Of Any Kind
• True Meaning Of Family – Stray Cat Takes Day-Old Puppy Off The Streets

Book of the Week – Lethal Engagement

“The Iraq/Afghani War Has Cost Nearly 3-Trillion Dollars and 51,778 U.S. Casualties, Including 4489 Killed…” So Why Would We Have Pulled Out Against the Advice of All The Leadership and Troops on the Ground?  It Makes No Sense!

Full constitutional rights for foreign Islamic terrorist detainees. Apologies to the Muslim world for American 'misdeeds,' and promises to make amends even if the security of the American people is placed in peril. Welcoming radical Muslim sympathizers into high positions of authority. Abridging freedom of expression. And much, much more. Lethal Engagement documents how in these and other ways President Barack Hussein Obama has forsaken the oath of office he took to 'preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.' Lethal Engagement exposes how radical Muslims are re-branding their barbaric ideology to fool their gullible audience in the West and how they play the racism victim card, all with President Obama's help. Lethal Engagement systematically lays out the dangerous entanglement of Obama with the United Nations, which radical Muslims are manipulating to promulgate international law to their liking, and how his nomination of more activist judges willing to throw away the Constitution allows radical Muslims to subvert American law. Lethal Engagement also reveals the radical Muslim plan to destroy the value of the dollar and use the United Nations to replace it with a new global reserve currency, all helped along by the Obama administration's disastrous economic policies. After connecting all these dots, Joseph Klein explains the steps 'we the people' must take to rescue our country.

Iraqi Army Shells Fallujah As Street Fights Rage In Ramadi

Fallujah falls fully into hands of al-Qaida group 

McCain, Graham blast Obama for Al Qaeda-related takeover of ...

 

We are living in amazing times, good and bad, the kind of times that truly try men’s (and women’s) souls and that make or break countries and shape (or reshape) societies. Please get involved, pray for guidance, prepare for the worst (for yourself and to help others), then educate yourself and share what you learn with as many people as you can. All our futures depend on it!!

Be sure to come visit us here at Ask Marion regularly and subscribe to receive the latest posts first… as well as visit: Just One More Pet, True Health Is True Wealth!!, Knowledge Is Power, and the Daily Thought Pad.

Memorable Photos…

Obama’s ring: ‘There is no god but Allah’

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Forum: The 10th Anniversary of the Iraq War just passed. Was the Iraq Invasion Worthwhile?

Forum: Every week on Monday morning , the Council and our invited guests weigh in at the Watcher’s Forum, short takes on a major issue of the day. This week’s question:The 10th Anniversary of the Iraq War just passed. Was the Iraq Invasion Worthwhile?

The Razor:I’ll admit I was wrong about the Iraq war. I took the politically correct view that Arabs weren’t savages and was proven wrong.

That’s overly simplistic. I was wrong about Iraq because we weren’t willing to do two things we did in Germany and Japan after World War 2.

1. We treated the regimes we replaced as losers.

2. We discredited the cultures that lead to militarism. Neither Germany nor Japan had strong democratic roots, so instead we imposed superior cultures on them, particularly the British parliamentary system.

In Iraq we were doomed because of the politically correct view that all cultures are equal. Ditto Afghanistan. Sorry, but Arab states are based on corruption, violence and kleptocracy, and by refusing to impose a superior culture on them we allowed their culture to flourish.

In fact I would argue that at this time we cannot accomplish any nation building anywhere under our cultural relativist beliefs.

The Colossus of Rhodey:Well, let’s see: was Iraq under Saddam Hussein really that much of a threat? Sure, as long as he remained in power he could be a nuisance and a potential menace, but to what degree? The coalition from the first Iraq War had Iraq “boxed in,” so to speak, primarily via the “no-fly zone.” And, yes, Saddam had defied the UN upwards of over fifteen times since the Gulf War’s end in 1991. The US tried to make its case to the UN for military action against Saddam in ’02 and ’03, but Kofi and the gang wouldn’t go for it. So as a result, why does this mean that WE — the US — must do it alone? Why must US forces risk their lives because the weak-kneed, yellow-bellied and milksop UN refuses to act to enforce its own sanctions and edicts?

And this brings me to my primary reason why I am against the Iraq War: Removing a dictator and instituting democracy to a country that’s never had it is NOT — NOT — a job for the US military. Not a single US soldier’s life is worth it. It’s “nation-building,” after all. Aren’t conservatives supposed to be against ”nation-building”? Representative Ron Paul makes a good case conservatives should consider here. Furthermore, James L. Payne demonstrates that “nation-building” has been effective only 27% of the time since 1850, and he argues that these sucesses were not the products of military intervention. In addition, he notes:

One group of countries that seem especially resistant to democracy-building efforts are the Arab lands. There have been are nine interventions in Arab countries in the past century. In no case did stable democracy follow the military occupation.

George W. Bush himself declared that “We’re not into nation building. We’re focused on justice”shortly after the 9/11 attacks. And Claudia Rosett in the conservative Wall Street Journal opinion pages said about W’s claim (my emphasis):

That’s a crucial distinction. Nation building entails America trying to construct an entire way of life for others. And though building a free and democratic world would be a wondrous thing, experience suggests that for any nation it is a vastly complex project that must come mainly from within. America can serve as an example and an ally. But we cannot reliably reengineer other societies, and we risk enormous resentment when we try. No amount of social or political engineering can produce a paradise in which evil urges will never intrude, and though a more widely free and benign world order would produce fewer monsters, we can hardly arrange that within the week. But if we cannot quickly fix all creation, we can at least minimize the opportunities and maximize the penalties for evil actions–something we have not done for a decade now.

Of course, not too soon after, President Bush did a 180 on his above claim regarding Iraq. And, predictably, many — most? — conservatives fell in line behind him. This is understandable, certainly — the need to put up a “united front” — but it’s very intellectually and philosophically dishonest for conservatives. After all, didn’t conservatives flame Bill Clinton for his efforts in Haiti? Somalia? Kosovo? They sure did.

At least I believe I’m consistent. I’m against all instances of “nation-building,” whether they be attempted under a liberal administration or a conservative one. The only exceptions would be examples such as Japan and Germany which were utterly destroyed after total war and, frankly, needed a major degree of “nation-[re]building.”

US soldiers are there to FIGHT, not to police foreign lands or to engage in “building” democracy. Removing Saddam was a good thing, yes, but consider the long-term consequences.

Bookworm Room:I’m reading Paul Fussell’s marvelous The Great War and Modern Memory. It is a reminder of deadly wars, fought for stupid reasons, with disastrous consequences. Iraq wasn’t the first and it won’t be the last.

Rhymes With Right: As I noted over at my blog, I certainly understand those who look upon our nation’s military action in Iraq to have been a disaster. We discovered that our leaders had for at least a decade believed things that were untrue because our nation’s intelligence services had supplied wrong information. We watched as a quick victory became a much tougher slog due to a rising insurgency. And there was the financial toll on our country that weakened our government and our economy. One can make the case that the Iraq war “was not worth it”.

But while our media an opinion leaders are willing to look upon the question from a very American – and very political – perspective, what we don’t often hear is the answer to that question from Iraqis.
Take this response from one of Saddam Hussein’s many victims – Kurdish activist Barham Salih, who suffered in the torture chambers of the Iraqi dictator, who notes that:

“From the perspective of the Kurdish people — and I dare say the majority of the Iraqi people — it was worth it,” he said. “War is never a good option, but given our history and the brutality of Saddam’s regime, it may have been the only other option to end the genocidal campaign waged by Saddam against the Kurds and other communities in Iraq.”

So no, Iraq certainly is not the stable democracy and steadfast ally that we hoped for a decade ago. Acts of terrorism still take place there on a regular basis. But there are no government torture chambers in operation. There is a democracy of a sort, and opportunities for Iraqis that did not exist in 2003. So while maybe the most imperialist view of what “worth it” (ironically adopted by the Left who opposed the war from practically the beginning), the war ended up improving the human rights situation of millions of Iraqis. And if that doesn’t make the war “worth it” from an American point of view, doesn’t it at least constitute an improvement on what was in place before it began?

JoshuaPundit: Sorry, but IMO this is sheer horse manure. It’s what I would expect from Jeffrey Goldberg.

Since when do we engage in wars – let alone non-constitutional ones – for things other than our own national interest? If that’s the case, I guess I missed our invasion of Sudan to protect Darfur, or our taking out of Hamas or Iran.

And what did we ‘liberate’ in Iraq, exactly? Or accomplish, aside from building a brand new infrastructure and a shiny new Muslim army at the American taxpayer’s expense for a Shi’ite Islamic republic with its laws based on Sharia? Meanwhile we’re out a trillion dollars and over 4,000 lives.

We replaced a Sunni dictator with a Shi’ite one (read up on the last ‘elections’) who’s close to Iran and whose power base is militias like the Mahdi Army and Moqtada al-Sadr.Iraq is in the process of becoming an Iranian colony.

The Sunnis, including those who we bribed to fight with us in the Awakening movement have been completely marginalized, which is why al-Qaeda in Iraq is a growing force again.

Iraq’s Christians were horribly persecuted under our watch, and the majority have fled or are trying to.

We empower our real allies in Iraq, the Kurds.

We didn’t even ‘liberate’ the oil from the wells Halliburton saved after Saddam torched them. China got that.

So what did we ‘liberate’?

Things turned out badly because we set things up that way. We didn’t make Syria regret they ever let jihadis into Iraq. We didn’t put in place a firm military governor to enforce a real occupation for the time it took. We didn’t hang insurgents on either side – Moqtada al-Sadr for instance – when they caused violence and act ruthlessly to suppress it.Instead, we saddled our troops with ridiculous Rules of Engagement.

We didn’t empower women particularly, or work to discredit Islamism and because of Bush’s fetish for ‘Arab Democracy’ we rushed the Iraqis into an election they were in no way ready for.

Bush was unsuited to be a war president. And Iraq was a huge strategic. mistake.We would have done far better to not get embroiled there in the first place unless we were going to use it as a base to take on Iran, who actually was complicit in 9/11. Even the 9/11 Commission’s report mentioned that.

I give tremendous credit to Patraeus and Ordiano for allowing us a gracious retreat, but that was what it was.

The Noisy Room: I supported President Bush when we invaded Iraq. I still believe it was a terrorist pit that needed cleaning out, however… I said at the time and I still believe that it was the wrong initial target. Iran should have been first on our dance card. We did not deal with the ‘head’ of the snake and now the snake is threatening to devour the world.

Furthermore, we did not finish the job in Iraq. We were so concerned with not offending anyone, that we offended everyone. After the death of Saddam Hussein, we should have packed our bags and gone home. Instead, we stayed, training their military and rebuilding their country. Not only was that a financial black hole for us (and still is), it was militarily foolish and pointless. In the end, we are still ‘sort of’ there, but the real winners are Iran, who now basically control Iraq. War should be treated as well, war. You go in fight, kill, break things and leave. You don’t grovel and nation build afterwards. You only preemptively strike a clear and present threat as well. Such as, let’s see… North Korea or Iran, who are threatening to nuke us. But instead, we take the real threats to our country and either talk them to death or try and buy them off, both of which ALWAYS FAIL.

We have lost many, many of our warriors and we still don’t have a clearly defined enemy. We were never allowed to declare actual ‘war.’ The real perpetrators of 9-11 have not been brought to justice. Saudi Arabia, where the majority of the terrorists came from, received no punishment at all. Neither did the backers and primary instigators of the terrorism, Iran (I don’t consider ‘sanctions’ real punishment). The terrorist masterminds who were captured still sit in jail (if you can even call it that as every need and want is met for them) and there is a good chance under the Obama-friendly regime that they will wind up in U.S. courts, rather than military tribunals. This means they could walk, get greatly reduced sentences or wind up in Club Med for wayward Jihadist radicals.

Although I feel for the Iraqis and their plight, I now no longer believe invasion of Iraq was worthwhile. Their country is based on a theocratic and militaristic barbarism that is employed throughout the Islamic world. It is a mindset that the West cannot seem to wrap their viewpoint around: “You love Pepsi, we love death.” Our invasion did nothing to make us safer or bring closure to the murders of nearly 3,000 Americans. We spilled our warriors life-blood for little to no gain and ended up doing nothing but entangling ourselves in more pointless conflicts we will not be allowed to win and further bankrupting our nation. The current conflicts in the Middle East are engineered for wealth and power redistribution. I now believe the only way to win in the Middle East is with massive bombing runs and perhaps a judicious nuke or two. Even then it won’t end the threat, just delay the conflict to end all conflicts.

The Glittering Eye: Simply stated, no, it was not worthwhile. There were better ways of spending the money, lives, and time. Our failure to pacify the country harmed our reputation. A reputation for invincibility is hard to recover once lost.

Granted, it could have been worse, for example, if we had bolted in 2005 or 2006 when the
post-war was degenerating so badly. That still doesn’t make it a strategic victory.

Well, there you have it.

Make sure to tune in every Monday for the Watcher’s Forum. And remember, every Wednesday, the Council has its weekly contest with the members nominating two posts each, one written by themselves and one written by someone from outside the group for consideration by the whole Council. The votes are cast by the Council, and the results are posted on Friday morning.

It’s a weekly magazine of some of the best stuff written in the blogosphere, and you won’t want to miss it.

And don’t forget to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter..’cause we’re cool like that, y’know?

Technorati Tags: Iraq,Iraq War,you be the judge,bloggers,alternative media,military,looking back,blogosphere

"KISS" Performs in Iraq - You will love this!

By Marion Algier

This was filmed in Iraq at a USO tour of a US Marine Base. Play it and share it to every single person you know... cause you won't see it on the news.

Video Pop-Up:  “KISS” Performs in Iraq – Will put a smile on our face and bring tears to your eyes at the same time! (Reg Video format)

About 12-years ago as we were waiting to put our daughter onto a plane to Space Camp (great experience for her) we ran into the band KISS boarding the same plane.  They really were nice guys… our daughter had no clue at the time who they were.  But Gene Simmons and the rest of the band were really nice to her and are great supporters of our troops. MA

*For those that don’t know this, Gene Simmons was born in Israel in 1949. His mother was a Nazi concentration camp survivor, so he comes by his love of America and its military naturally, his mother (and others) having been liberated by them.

Honor our troops, honor our veterans with a handshake and a "thank you for serving” whenever you see them!

Ask Marion - h/t to Deonia Copeland

Congressman Allen West - Speaking the Truth. If you haven't watched or listened to his story please

Only two blacks were newly elected to congress this cycle, and both are Republican. LTC. Allen West is from southern Florida, a bastion of the Democratic Party.  He won in a walk.

It is worth the viewing.  This new Congressman was an extremely popular commander in Iraq.  He was forced to retire because during an intense combat action a few of his men were captured.  At the same time his men had captured one of the guys who were with the Iraqis who captured his men.

This is not my account of the happenings:

Knowing that time was crucial and his interrogators were not getting anywhere with the prisoner COL West took matters into his own hands.  He burst into the room and demanded thru an interpreter that the prisoner tell him where his men were being taken.  The prisoner refused so COL West took out his pistol and placed it into the prisoner's crotch and fired.  Then the COL told the prisoner that the next shot would not miss.  So the prisoner said he would show where the American service members were being taken.  The Americans were rescued.  Some one filed a report on incorrect handling of prisoners.  COL West was forced to retire.  COL West was just elected in November 2010 to Congress from Florida. During the elections he was part of a panel on how to handle or how to relate to Muslims.  You will see his answer here.

Here is one of the new congressmen from Florida explaining very definitively in just over a minute the truth about Islam. Please watch and if you agree; please forward it to your friends

Video:  Sura 9:5 says, "Slay the idolaters wherever you find them

Must View! Islamic Infiltration of the US Government

By: Trevor Loudon  -  New Zeal  -  Cross-posted at the NoisyRoom

From 2010, but still highly relevant.

Bill Whittle interviews “whistleblowers,” who have some chilling things to say on the extent of Islamic infiltration into the US government.

Shocking, to put it mildly.

Video:  The Islamic Infiltration, Part 1:  Inside our Government…

Video: The Islamic Infiltration, Part 2:  From Influence…

And then what about the Russians, Chinese and Cubans?

Hat Tip: Ironic Surrealism

Coming Home Without Notice…

The last combat troop(s) left Iraq today… and virtually nobody noticed and virtually nobody covered it. 

I know exactly where I was 71/2 years ago when this war began.  My husband was in South Korea on business.  My daughter was in France on her senior trip and I had just begun my graveyard shift at the Children’s Home I was working at.  Several of my co-workers had sons in that first wave of battle.

We, the United States with the help of allied and UN troops, have fought to liberate the Iraqis from a dictator and built them a democracy at the price of the lives of thousands of troops… and many many more wounded troops… the sacrifice of many military families and billions of dollars.  Yet there is no fanfare… barely a mention by the media.

Why…?  Because we no longer celebrate American pride, American excellence and American accomplishments…

We still need to support and pray for the 50,000 non-combat troops and civilians who are there… but for all intent and purposes “The War in Iraq is Over!” 

Where are the parties??  Where are the parades?  Where is the news coverage???  Where are the photos that instill American pride??

Photo: “This is the day when Fascism finally dies, as we always knew it would." That day, photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt snapped one of the most famous photos ever published, a shot of a sailor in full uniform kissing a nurse in the middle of New York City's Times Square. The photo, published by Life magazine, became a symbol of the general atmosphere of jubilation in the United States following the end of World War II.

(Unfortunately, this was not the day that Fascism died, but at least for a short time we believed it… we celebrated and we honored our heroes and their accomplishments and our sacrifices and success!!)

In reality, Hitler used American Progressivism as the model for his brand of Fascism or National Socialism and its originators and followers (the followers of Marx, Alinsky, Cloward and Piven , Margaret Sanger, etc) continued their work.  Evil can only be defeated when it is confronted head on and good people remain vigilant.  We took our eyes of the ball… and now face the greatest storm ever…

FIRST REPORT: FINAL U.S. COMBAT BRIGADES PULL OUT OF IRAQ---WASHINGTON POST

Final U.S. ‘combat’ brigade pulls out of Iraq…

By Ernesto Londoño Washington Post Foreign ServiceWednesday, August 18, 2010; 7:08 PM

http://www.washingtonpost.com

Lt. Col. Mark Bieger huddled his infantrymen in a darkened parking lot minutes before they were to depart Baghdad for the last time.

"This is a historic mission!" he bellowed, struggling to be heard over the zoom of fighter jets and unmanned drones deployed to watch over the brigade's convoy to Kuwait. "A truly historic end to seven years of war."

The 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, which left Iraq this week, was the final U.S. combat brigade to be pulled out of the country, fulfilling the Obama administration's pledge to end the U.S. combat mission by the end of August. About 50,000 U.S. troops will remain in Iraq, mainly as a training force.

"Operation Iraqi Freedom ends on your watch!" exclaimed Col. John Norris, the head of the brigade.

"Hooah!" the soldiers roared, using an Army battle cry.

Shortly before midnight Saturday, a group of infantrymen boarded Stryker fighting vehicles, left an increasingly sparse base behind and began scanning the sides of a desolate highway for bombs. For many veterans, including some who made the same trip in the opposite direction years ago under fire, it was a fitting way to exit.

"They're leaving as heroes," Norris said of his soldiers. "I want them to walk home with pride in their hearts."

Besides pride, the soldiers will carry with them the hidden costs of war: hardened glares; tales of comrades' deaths relayed in monotone sentences devoid of emotion; young faces rendered incongruously old.

There might never be an acknowledged end to the Iraq war -- a moment where it ceases being America's conflict. U.S. commanders acknowledge that the months-long political impasse over the disputed March 7 election and a flurry of other unresolved disputes in Iraq have the potential to erode hard-won security gains.

But U.S. commanders also seem to be stressing that this is no longer America's war to lose.

"I will let history judge whether we reached irreversible momentum," Norris said. "That's not my call."

By the end of this month, the United States will have six brigades in Iraq, by far its smallest footprint since the 2003 invasion. Those that remain are conventional combat brigades reconfigured slightly and rebranded "advise and assist brigades." The primary mission of those units and the roughly 4,500 U.S. special operations forces that will stay behind will be to train Iraqi troops. Under a bilateral agreement, all U.S. troops must be out of Iraq by Dec. 31, 2011.

Leaving Iraq one last time is particularly emotional for veterans who have served multiple tours, several soldiers said in the two-day journey through the southern desert to Kuwait in cramped, windowless vehicles.

Silver remembrance bracelets to honor fallen comrades and tattoos that speak of loss and sacrifice are among the visible signs of the toll this conflict has taken on a generation of volunteer warriors.

More than 4,400 U.S. service members have died in the Iraq war since the invasion.

Several of these soldiers have served in Iraq more than one tour; some as many as four.

They witnessed the toppling of a dictator and its aftermath, including the rise of a powerful and lethal insurgency. That extended the conflict long after the words "Mission Accomplished" appeared on a banner as President George W. Bush prematurely declared the end of major combat operations in Iraq aboard an aircraft carrier May 1, 2003.

They were thrust into the frontlines of a brutal sectarian war that ultimately ebbed. And they helped secure elections that bore a government system more akin to an oligarchy than a parliamentary democracy.

Spec. Clinton J. Clemens, 26, was barely 18 when he traveled the same route northward in September 2003, clutching a .50-caliber machine gun mounted on a vehicle.
"I was scared to death," the Edgefield, S.C., native recalled. "I remember crossing the border and about 15 minutes later is when we took our first contact. It was the first time I'd ever been shot at."

Shortly after arriving in the western city of Ramadi in fall 2004, Clemens said, he realized that the war was far from over. Sunnis who had been fired from government jobs formed armed groups and began attacking U.S. forces daily.
Sgt. Luke Hitchcock, 26, of Olean, N.Y., said he got his first real taste of combat during his third deployment while stationed in Arab Jabour, a rural area southeast of Baghdad that was a Sunni insurgent stronghold in 2007.

"That was a horrible area. My platoon took six casualties," he said, speaking evenly. "I received a Purple Heart during that deployment. I was blown up." He suffered shrapnel wounds from a roadside bomb and was hospitalized for a month before returning to duty.

His fourth and final deployment was cathartic, Hitchcock said, because he believes he is leaving behind a safer country with a large and proficient army. "I think the fact that we stuck it out a few extra years to help their forces take control of their country" is important, he said. "That helps you hold your head up high as you leave and know that you made a difference."

But it is also clear that the departing soldiers are not leaving behind a peaceful country. The brigade ended up driving out in waves -- rather than having most soldiers flown out -- because that allowed the military to keep its last combat force a few weeks longer as commanders assessed the risks of political instability.

Commanders spent weeks studying the perils of the 360-mile night-time drive through the sweltering, dusty desert of southern Iraq. Powerful roadside bombs lined the two-lane road . And Shiite militias have stepped up attacks against U.S. bases in southern Iraq in recent weeks.

As a precaution, the military demanded that journalists accompanying the soldiers on the trip refrain from disclosing details of their departure until early Thursday, when the last group was scheduled to cross the Kuwaiti border.

For some troops, the protracted political crisis in Baghdad was a source of angst. Many Iraqis fear that militants are exploiting the period of uncertainty to make a comeback.

"Of all the time and effort that we put in this country, the blood, the sweat, the tears, I wish you could see an answer within a couple of weeks or a couple of months," said the brigade's second in command, Lt. Col. Darren Wright, 42, of Dallas. "But we won't know that for another three to five years: Will all your efforts pay off?"

Some soldiers said that's unlikely.

"I hope good things come from it," said Clemens, the specialist. "But I think as soon as we leave, things are going to fall apart."

The first departing soldiers made it to the Kuwaiti border Sunday as dawn was breaking. They emerged from the vehicles smelly and sweat-stained. Their uniforms were dirty; their boots worn out.

There were a few high-fives but no air of jubilation as they covered the .50-caliber machine guns atop the vehicles and began dumping bullets from ammunition packs into cartons. Most will return to Fort Lewis, Wash., where the 2nd Infantry is based. Others will leave the military, while some will move to other units. And none will be deployed for at least another year because Army regulations now stipulate that soldiers must have at least as much at-home rest as their last combat deployment.

"I hope this becomes a place where I can come back in 25 years," said Hitchcock, the sergeant. "But other than that, I'm glad it's over. I'm glad it's ending. I'm glad we can stop sending people here."

Editorial comment: We will be reporting all night on the last of U.S. Combat troops leaving IRAQ.

Corksphere is devoted to news accounts about the Iraq and Afghanistan wars which are no longer covered by the mainstream media in the United States. EDITOR: BILL CORCORAN

Happy Veterans Day

Happy Veterans Day to All Those Who Have Served So That We May Live Free!!!

This Veteran’s Day is particularly special to a group of us who worked with Aaron Phelps at Orangewood Children’s Home… Because he has been over in Iraq and just came home~

Below is a photo of Aaron with his 4-children – Welcome Home Aaron!!

God Bless America and Our Troops All Around the Globe!!

“All of us who served in one war or another know very well that all wars are the glory and the agony of the young.”
- President Gerald R. Ford

Read: (and See Below) the Great Story of Nubs the Dog and His Marine

Video: Nubbs: The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine, and a Miracle

Nubs: The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine & a Miracle – Great Gift for Children, Veterans and Animal Lovers

History of Veterans Day

In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed November 11 as Armistice Day to remind Americans of the tragedies of war. The fighting in World War I had ended a year earlier, at 11 A.M., November 11, 1918 (the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month).

Two years later on Armistice Day, an unknown American World War I soldier was buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C., in the Tomb of the Unknowns. Thousands of people came to watch the elaborate ceremonies that took place. Similar ceremonies had taken place the previous year in England and France: an unknown English soldier was buried in Westminster Abbey in London, and an unknown French soldier was buried at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

In 1926, Congress passed a resolution calling for the observance of Armistice Day in schools, churches, and other suitable places. Twelve years later the day was designated as a national holiday. In 1939, a year after Armistice Day became a national holiday, World War II broke out in Europe. The start of this war ended the idealistic hopes that World War I was “the war to end all wars.” Over four hundred thousand American troops died in World War II.

After the Korean War (1950–1953), during which over 36,000 Americans died, Congress considered making Armistice Day a day to commemorate veterans of all wars, not only those who served in World War I. In 1954, President Eisenhower signed a bill proclaiming the holiday a remembrance of all wars and changing its name to Veterans Day.

A law passed in 1968 moved the Veterans Day celebration to the fourth Monday in October. However, the original date, November 11, was historically significant to many Americans, and ten years later the observation of Veterans Day returned to its original date. (Now it is often observed on the Monday or Friday closest to the 11th, like today.)

In 1958, two more unidentified American soldiers were laid to rest next to the unknown soldier of World War I. One of the soldiers was killed in World War II, and the other in the Korean War. In 1984, a fourth unknown serviceman was added to the tomb. He had died in the Vietnam War. However, in 1998, the identity of the Vietnam War soldier was discovered through DNA testing, and his remains were returned to his family. The crypt reserved for the unknown soldier from the Vietnam War is now empty.

Veterans Day celebrations include parades and speeches held in towns and cities throughout the United States. The focal point for national ceremonies, however, continues to be the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery and the amphitheater surrounding it. Every year, special services begin at 11 A.M. with two minutes of silence. After the playing of “Taps,” the president places a wreath at the tomb. A color guard procession and several speeches, one of them usually by the president, follow it. Approximately 5,000 people attend the ceremony annually.

Today marks the anniversary of the armistice that ended World War I, a day now known in the U.S, as Veterans' Day. I never served in the military, for which I am sure they are thankful. Like many others, I certainly have not approved of all the military adventures in which our nation has participated, but I honor those who have served. On this day I say, "Thank you!"

“However horrible the incidents of war may be, the soldier who is called upon to offer and to give his life for his country is the noblest development of mankind.” …General Douglas MacArthur, 1880 – 1964

Tribute to our Veterans - Video

Veteran’s Day Recipe: Navy Bean Soup 16 ounce package dried navy beans water 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes 1 onion, chopped 2 stalks celery, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 pound chopped ham 1 cube chicken bouillon 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1/2 tablespoon dried parsley salt & pepper to taste 1 bay leaf Soak beans overnight in enough water to cover the beans but an inch or so. Drain. Combine beans, vegetables, ham, seasonings and enough water to cover in a stock pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for two hours. Add more water 2-3 cups or as much as needed. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for another 2 hours. Discard bay leaf before serving.

Please add our troops and their families to your Christmas and Thanksgiving prayers! Remember, whether you support the present war or not… We are at war and we have troops giving their lives almost daily~

Tuesday, November 10, 2009 was also the 234th birthday of the United States Marine Corps.

God Bless Our Troops Everywhere!!

Bravery, Honor, Courage

Is Obama Hiding Hillary?

Is a fractured elbow keeping Hillary out of the limelight, or are there more sinister forces at work?

Diplomatic hot spots are popping up everywhere, in spite of President Obama's "adopt an evil-doer" doctrine. We have real-live crises in Honduras, North Korea and Iran; things are dicey in Afghanistan, China is ever problematic and Mexico is a mess. Not to worry: the administration is on top of things. Joe Biden is trying to make Iraq's leaders play nice in their sandbox, President Obama is becoming the Russians' new BFF, Richard Holbrooke has been meeting with G8 foreign ministers in Trieste, and George Mitchell convened recently with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's last gig was...installing Jose Villarreal as the Commissioner for the 2010 Shanghai World Expo? Boy, has she been had.

Is a fractured elbow keeping Hillary out of the limelight, or are there more sinister forces at work? Could her virtual disappearance have anything to do with sky-high approval ratings -- ratings suggesting that Americans might favor Clinton over Obama in future scuffles?

Barack Obama, who campaigned as new to the whole partisan, "inside the Beltway" world of politics, is a fast learner. His cunning elimination of Hillary Clinton as a political threat will be a case study someday in the Handbook of Power Politics. Tapping her to be part of his administration was of course brilliant; she can't snipe from the sidelines, and she, moreover, will carry the president's baggage, at least in the realm of foreign policy. Placing in front of her several showy envoys to cover the big tasks was clever too. But recently, Obama has dug the hole even deeper.

Not only has Clinton been off center stage, some of her most visible moments of late have spotlighted her carrying out the world's most thankless assignment -- criticizing Israel. First she lectured our allies about treating Palestinians poorly and then she ramped up the pressure about its disputed settlements. Not one to mince words, she translated President Obama's gentle reproof into a harsh ultimatum, insisting he meant "not some settlements, not outposts, not 'natural growth' exceptions" -- in short NO settlements.

Think about delegating a New York State politician to chastise Israel and its leaders. Short of sending toddlers to undermine the siege of Moscow, it's hard to come up with a more daunting mission. If she continues as the heavy in this new relationship with Israel, Hillary Clinton can kiss goodbye to any future ambitions that rely on her raising money in the Jewish community -- or that is, almost any ambitions at all. Overcoming initial hostility due to her memorable smooching with the wife of Yassir Arafat, Clinton worked hard to woo the well-heeled Jewish vote. She succeeded. In the primaries, according to CBS News, she garnered 54% of the Jewish vote, compared to only 43% for Barack Obama. (Of course, it may have been the "Hussein" that threw Jewish voters off.) For President Obama, separating Hillary Clinton from the nipple of Jewish generosity is an insurance policy.

Why would Obama need to undermine Hillary Clinton? For starters, the public is beginning to warm to our Secretary of State as never before. In May, her polling topped Obama's. Clinton had a 71% approval rating, compared to 65% for the president. That's the kind of comparison that could furrow a brow or two.

Moreover, it is entirely conceivable that our ambitious young president could run into trouble. He has undertaken one gigantic initiative after another, potentially undermining the economic recovery. As investors have assessed soaring budget deficits, they have demanded higher returns on Treasuries. Rising interest rates have eliminated one powerful balm for consumers -- mortgage refinancing. Higher taxes are inevitable, and will further pressure any rebound in spending. Unemployment numbers are dreadful, businesses are apprehensive, unions are demanding payback for their support and our trading partners are grumpy about rising protectionism. It's not a pretty picture.

Though Obama has tried to make Congress the fall guy should healthcare prove disastrous or cap-and-trade disruptive, Americans are not so dumb. They know where this whirlwind of change is coming from, and they are increasingly uneasy. Should our Afghanistan adventures prove as punishing for our GIs as they have for every other power enticed into that miserable landscape, should GM come back to the people's feeding trough, should Chavez et al continue to make the president look foolish, Americans may seek relief -- and they may spell it HILLARY.

Reuters - Liz Peek is a financial columnist.

Posted:  Knowledge Creates Power

• The Incredible Shrinking Clintons

Romney blasts Obama's 'tour of apology'

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) accused President Obama of embarking on a "tour of apology" around the globe at the expense of America's national security.

"It's not because America hasn't made mistakes — we have," the former Republican presidential contender said, explaining his criticism, "but because America's mistakes are overwhelmed by what America has meant to the hopes and aspirations of people throughout the world."

Romney noted an interview Obama gave on Arabic television, in which the president said the U.S. had dictated to the world. A British newspaper, he said, had declared Obama the president who had been the most critical of his own country while on foreign soil.

"That would be a most unfortunate distinction at any time," Romney said. "But it is particularly so today. With all that is transpiring in the world, in Iran, North Korea, Georgia, Somalia, Iraq, Pakistan [and] Afghanistan, this is the time for strength and confidence, not for apologizing to America's critics."

Kicking off the conservative Heritage Foundation's "Protect America" month, Romney addressed a largely friendly crowd as he continues to explore a repeat bid for the White House. Romney allies insist the governor is undecided about a second run and is not even thinking about it, but behind the scenes the former Massachusetts governor is building a foundation that could launch an encore bid.

Like most governors, Romney found himself lacking in foreign affairs credentials during his White House bid. In establishing himself as a deep thinker on national security and foreign policy, Romney sought to fill a key gap.

He highlighted missile defense, a program that has dragged on for more than two decades without reaching completion. President Obama has said he does not support continuing the program.

"Rarely in history has any program had the promise to do more good or spare more suffering than a system of missile defense," Romney said. "Backing away from missile defense and depleting the defense budget to fund new social programs, particularly in the face of global turmoil, would put America and Americans at risk."

Romney also called for an increase of at least $50 billion in the Defense Department's modernization budget, to be used to improve the nation's nuclear arsenal and to upgrade the military's tracked vehicles and tanks.

Romney advocated for a more aggressive stance toward international threats, especially North Korea. He called diplomatic negotiations a ploy that has allowed the rogue nation to build up its nuclear capabilities.

"Action — strong, bold action coming from a position of strength and determination — is the only effective deterrent," Romney said, calling for "regime-crippling" sanctions for North Korea.
During his presidential race, Romney drew heavily on his experience as a businessman, and on the day General Motors filed for bankruptcy, he said he had called for those steps to be taken.
"It is, by the way, a course I recommended a number of months ago," Romney said of GM's filings. "As a boy from Detroit, I'm still saddened by that."

Following the end of his presidential race, in February of last year, Romney has spent the past year campaigning for Republican candidates around the country. Over the last week he has campaigned with Virginia Republican gubernatorial nominee Bob McDonnell and with Chris Christie, who faces a primary on Tuesday in the New Jersey governor's race.

The former Massachusetts governor has also kept a loyal following of staffers close at hand. Several former top staffers and supporters, including ex-Sen. Jim Talent (R-Mo.) and Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-Mich.), attended the speech.

Romney, who remains active in the so-called invisible primary in advance of a potential 2012 bid, appearing with fellow Republicans around the country and taking a turn on "Fox News Sunday" this weekend, will again raise his profile early next year with the scheduled release of a new book.

The governor has signed on with St. Martin's Press for the volume, scheduled to be released in early 2010.

By Reid Wilson – The Hill

Source:  Fox Nation

Posted:  Knowledge Creates Power

1,500 Troops Pre-Screened Invited to Greet Obama... 600 Show Up

Obama bashed the Iraq War from Great Britain to Turkey. He further insulted the troops by telling them that now was the time to start transferring sovereignty to the Iraqis.

Lost on Obama and the mainstream media was the fact that 13 of 18 provinces were already completely under Iraqi control and the other 5 are close behind.

(Wikipedia)
He's not alone. Most democrats were so busy trying to lose the war these past few years that they didn't notice the progress.

So, was it really a surprise that only 600 troops managed to make it to the dog and pony show yesterday?
The WSJ reported:

Army officers had intended to have at least 1,500 troops from Camp Victory and nearby Camp Liberty, but the secret trip happened faster than expected, beating most of the troops by a couple of hours.

Only 600 made it.

This point has since been scrubbed from the WSJ article.
Don't expect the mainstream media to report this.
They got their photo-op. That's what's important.

UPDATE: Macsmind has more, via Chisum:

Got this email from a sergeant who was there.

“We were pre-screened, asked by officials “Who voted for Obama?”, and then those who raised their hands were shuffled to the front of the receiving line. They even handed out digital cameras and asked them to hold them up.”

**Take a look at the picture at AP and notice all the cameras are the same models? Coincidence? I think not.**

Unreal!  You definitely won't be reading that in the Obamedia reports.