Fallout from Syrian massacre intensifies as world leaders sit and watch

Fallout from Syrian massacre intensifies: Fresh bloodshed in Syria on Wednesday underlined once again that soaring Western condemnation in the wake of a massacre has done little to halt the tide of violence.Regime forces battled with rebels in various areas, including the capital of Damascus and the provinces of Damascus Countryside, Aleppo and Hama.
Intense shelling destroyed homes in Homs, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a London-based opposition group . Shelling was also reported in the cities of Douma, Haish and Kafromah, the group said. At least 10 people were killed, including five in Douma, the opposition Local Coordination Committees of Syria said.

Annan Leaves Syria Without Government Steps to Implement Plan: Speaking by phone from Damascus, U.N. spokeswoman Sausan Ghosheh says that Annan flew out of Syria on Wednesday morning local time.

The U.N.-Arab League envoy met with President Bashar al-Assad the previous day and later told reporters that he appealed to the Syrian leader for "bold steps" to create momentum for the peace plan "now, not tomorrow." Ghosheh said she was not aware of any such steps being taken.
Annan's plan called on the Syrian government to withdraw heavy weapons from civilian areas and abide by a truce with rebels last month, but attacks by both sides have continued.

Russia, China Oppose Syria Intervention: Russia said Wednesday it was still satisfied that a nonbinding U.N. Security Council statement Sunday was a "strong enough signal to Syria," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said, according to Interfax. "We believe consideration in the Security Council of any new measures to influence the situation now would be premature," Mr. Gatilov added.

Russia has twice vetoed Security Council resolutions condemning President Bashar al-Assad's government over 15 months of bloodshed. Responding to Mr. Hollande's remark, Mr. Gatilov said Russia "categorically opposes any external intervention in the Syrian conflict, as it would only aggravate the situation with unpredictable consequences for Syria and the entire region."

China restates opposition to military intervention in Syria: China on Wednesday reiterated its opposition to military intervention in Syria amid outrage of the massacre of 108 people, nearly half of them children, and called again for all sides to support mediation efforts by peace envoy Kofi Annan. The killings in the village of Houla, some of which the U.N. peacekeeping chief said bore the hallmarks of pro-government militias, have increased pressure on Western governments to intervene.

"China opposes military intervention and does not support forced regime change," Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin told a daily news briefing. "The fundamental route to resolving (the crisis) is still for all sides to fully support Annan's mediation efforts."

US remains opposed to military action in Syria: Shocking as it was, the massacre of more than 100 Syrian villagers is unlikely to galvanize a military assault like last year's campaign in Libya to oust Moammar Gadhafi. The killings, however, did provoke the strongest international condemnation the United States and other nations could muster.

The U.S. joined more than a dozen nations in expelling Syrian diplomats on Tuesday, and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney pushed for further, direct action to dislodge Syrian President Bashar Assad. But President Barack Obama's spokesman emphasized more limited options. "We do not believe that militarization, further militarization of the situation in Syria at this point is the right course of action," said White House press secretary Jay Carney. "We believe that it would lead to greater chaos, greater carnage."

At the very least the rebels will in the end know they are not fighting only the Alawite minority but Lebanese and Iranian IRG.
They are being slaughtered compliments of Russia and China in the first battle to control the direction of the world into the future.

Any way you look at it the Russian's and Chinese have drawn the line on what they view as US hegemony and with the blood of the Syrian people. Taking us on is why Putin stole himself an extended election. This is just the opening battle in the war to determine who is going to lead the way into the future. It will not be short or good. As time progresses wars do not get easier they get much worse. Be very concerned!

It is a little too late for Russia to think she is going to gain the favor of the people so Russia will be allowed to stay in Syria once Assad is one way or the other removed so they will continue to find in Assad's favor. With that said I understand Russia now questions our account of the massacre and suspects U.S. and British Commando's. Those poor people are being sacrificed to take on US Hegemony!

There are two very important issues here, both middle east changing! Right from the very beginning of this carnage that was only to keep Russian and Iranian interests in the middle east alive and in control we knew the IRG would be in the front of this and the carnage would be horrific and dwarf what we saw during the the protests of the stolen election to keep Ahmadinejad in control. We were right!

We just heard that the IRG was taking control of the carnage to keep Iran and Russia's interest protected. That satisfies 2 purposes. It gives Syria the cover to say they are not doing this and that terrorists are. Terrorists are and they are called the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. They are ruthless and have a free hand. No one is on the ground to verify who is doing the killing as independent sources are no allowed and killed by "terrorists" if they are found.

Second and most important is Russia: From the beginning they have and still are supplying Syria with the arms and ammunition to slaughter the people who only want their freedom. From the beginning Russia and China have been blocking the rest of the world from helping the people of Syria. Syrian people are being sacrificed only to fight what Russia views as US Hegemony!

You know Putin just got himself reelected as President, he did this so he could be at the helm of Russia as he like me knows 100% that world war is our future. He plans on marshaling China who is rapidly building a more formidable military and whoever he can to take on US hegemony.Russia watched helplessly as we had our way in Libya. Putin blames what is happening in Syria on our interference and Libya for training the protesters to fight against Bashar Al-Assad. Russia and Iran will not let this be another Libya but?

Putin is going to do everything possible to keep us from helping the Syrian people and I really feel for them. I do not see this going down the way Libya did and Iran and Russia are going to make sure it does not. I am afraid the Syrian people are going to be sacrificed, sacrificed in what is merely an opening salvo in this the wars for future dominance. God help us!

* We now know Iran and probably Russia are preparing for Syria to fall to the protesters or at the very least into total disarray for years. Proof of that is a renewed effort to replace Syria with Lebanon as the new vanguard against what is viewed as US hegemony in this war for middle east and future world dominance.

The US is being smart here for a change. They are guaranteeing Russia that they will not disrupt Russia's nuclear sub Base or their interests in Syria and the middle east. They know for a fact that the Syrian people after Russia directly facilitating their slaughter are not going to be allowed to stay in Syria once Assad is removed regardless of what Medvedev and Putin say so this is just beginning whether Assad stays or goes. Those poor Syrian people!







James Joiner
Gardner, Ma
http://anaverageamericanpatriot.blogspot.com

United States and Russia condemns Syria over massacre of 108

Let Iran give Bashar al-Assad refuge

Russia condemns ally Syria over massacre of 108: "Both sides have obviously had a hand in the deaths of innocent people, including several dozen women and children," Lavrov said. "This area is controlled by the rebels, but it is also surrounded by the government troops."He said Russia has no interest in propping up Assad but wants Syria to guide its own transition under a plan brokered by special envoy Kofi Annan.

"We don't support the Syrian government; we support Kofi Annan's plan," Lavrov said. Moscow's pro-Syria stance has been motivated in part by its strategic and defense ties to Damascus, including weapons sales. Russia also rejects what it sees as a world order dominated by the U.S. Losing Russian support could be disastrous for Assad because his crackdown has left him almost completely isolated internationally. Russia and China have stood by him so far, using their veto power to block U.N. resolutions against him.

It is a little too late for Russia to think she is going to gain the favor of the people so Russia will be allowed to stay in Syria once Assad is one way or the other removed.With that said I understand Russia now questions our account of the massacre and suspects U.S. and British Commando's. Those poor people are being sacrificed to take on US Hegemony!

There are two very important issues here, both middle east changing! Right from the very beginning of this carnage that was only to keep Russian and Iranian interests in the middle east alive and in control we knew the IRG would be in the front of this and the carnage would be horrific and dwarf what we saw during the the protests of the stolen election to keep Ahmadinejad in control. We were right!

We just heard that the IRG was taking control of the carnage to keep Iran and Russia's interest protected. That satisfies 2 purposes. It gives Syria the cover to say they are not doing this and that terrorists are. Terrorists are and they are called the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. They are ruthless and have a free hand. No one is on the ground to verify who is doing the killing as independent sources are no allowed and killed by "terrorists" if they are found.

Second and most important is Russia: From the beginning they have and still are supplying Syria with the arms and ammunition to slaughter the people who only want their freedom. From the beginning Russia and China have been blocking the rest of the world from helping the people of Syria. Syrian people are being sacrificed only to fight what Russia views as US Hegemony!

You know Putin just got himself reelected as President, he did this so he could be at the helm of Russia as he like me knows 100% that world war is our future. He plans on marshaling China who is rapidly building a more formidable military and whoever he can to take on US hegemony.Russia watched helplessly as we had our way in Libya. Putin blames what is happening in Syria on our interference and Libya for training the protesters to fight against Bashar Al-Assad. Russia and Iran will not let this be another Libya but?

Putin is going to do everything possible to keep us from helping the Syrian people and I really feel for them. I do not see this going down the way Libya did and Iran and Russia are going to make sure it does not. I am afraid the Syrian people are going to be sacrificed, sacrificed in what is merely an opening salvo in this the wars for future dominance. God help us!

* We now know Iran and probably Russia are preparing for Syria to fall to the protesters or at the very least into total disarray for years. Proof of that is a renewed effort to replace Syria with Lebanon as the new vanguard against what is viewed as US hegemony in this war for middle east and future world dominance.

The US is being smart here for a change. They are guaranteeing Russia that they will not disrupt Russia's nuclear sub Base or their interests in Syria and the middle east. They know for a fact that the Syrian people after Russia directly facilitating their slaughter are not going to be allowed to stay in Syria once Assad is removed regardless of what Medvedev and Putin say so this is just beginning whether Assad stays or goes. Those poor Syrian people!







James Joiner

Gardner, Ma

http://anaverageamericanpatriot.blogspot.com

Revolutionary Guards admits Iran involvement in Syria:

Iran confirms Quds force's presence in Syria with Revolutionary Guard onslaught

Revolutionary Guards admits Iran involvement in Syria: Esmail Ghani said the Quds (‘Jerusalem’) Force had played a “physical and nonphysical” role in Syria. Ghani made his comments in a short interview with Iran’s semiofficial ISNA news agency, which removed the text from its website shortly after posting it.

The Quds Force, which reports directly to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is an elite branch of the Revolutionary Guard, established in the 1990s to work outside Iran’s borders, including supporting terrorist organizations, particularly Hezbollah. Ghani’s admission that the Quds Force is involved in Syria also came after forces loyal to Assad killed at least 108 people and injured 300 more in Houla in Homs province on Friday.

At least 36 killed across Syria as clashes rage: The deadly violence came even as UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan arrived in Damascus to try to salvage a battered ceasefire, a day after monitors reported 90 people killed in Syria, more than a third of them in the central city of Hama. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said clashes raged in several provinces on Monday, including Idlib in the northwest and Daraa in the south, where the uprising against the regime first erupted more than 14 months ago. Five civilians were among those killed on Monday, including a 14-year-old boy who was shot dead by a sniper in Hama's Al-Faria neighborhood, the Britain-based Observatory said.

Another two civilians, including an old man, were shot dead inside their home in Nawa, in southern Daraa, by regime forces, the watchdog added.Three rebel fighters and a member of the pro-regime shabiha militia were also killed by gunfire on Monday. But the military had the heaviest death toll with at least 21 regular army soldiers killed in separate fighting, the Observatory said.

We just heard that the IRG was taking control of the carnage to keep Iran and Russia's interest protected. That satisfies 2 purposes. It gives Syria the cover to say they are not doing this and that terrorists are. Terrorists are and they are called the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. They are ruthless and have a free hand. No one is on the ground to verify who is doing the killing as independent sources are no allowed and killed by "terrorists" if they are found.

Second and most important is Russia: From the beginning they have and still are supplying Syria with the arms and ammunition to slaughter the people who only want their freedom. From the beginning Russia and China have been blocking the rest of the world from helping the people of Syria. Syrian people are being sacrificed only to fight what Russia views as US Hegemony!

You know Putin just got himself reelected as President, he did this so he could be at the helm of Russia as he like me knows 100% that world war is our future. He plans on marshaling China who is rapidly building a more formidable military and whoever he can to take on US hegemony.Russia watched helplessly as we had our way in Libya. Putin blames what is happening in Syria on our interference and Libya for training the protesters to fight against Bashar Al-Assad. Russia and Iran will not let this be another Libya but?

Putin is going to do everything possible to keep us from helping the Syrian people and I really feel for them. I do not see this going down the way Libya did and Iran and Russia are going to make sure it does not. I am afraid the Syrian people are going to be sacrificed, sacrificed in what is merely an opening salvo in this the wars for future dominance. God help us!

* We now know Iran and probably Russia are preparing for Syria to fall to the protesters or at the very least into total disarray for years. Proof of that is a renewed effort to replace Syria with Lebanon as the new vanguard against what is viewed as US hegemony in this war for middle east and future world dominance.

The US is being smart here for a change. They are guaranteeing Russia that they will not disrupt Russia's nuclear sub Base or their interests in Syria and the middle east. They know for a fact that the Syrian people after Russia directly facilitating their slaughter are not going to be allowed to stay in Syria once Assad is removed regardless of what Medvedev and Putin say so this is just beginning whether Assad stays or goes. Those poor Syrian people!




James Joiner
Gardner, Ma
http://anaverageamericanpatriot.blogspot.com

Syria and Lebanon both cracking leaving Iran alone?

As Syria survival looks shaky, Iran is scrambling to replace ally Syria with Lebanon which is also cracking now. Syrian opposition activists are begging for international help in stopping the government's sustained slaughter after regime forces devastated a town Friday, killing 88 people -- mostly children.

Deadly violence flares in Beirut: Gunmen fired rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns early on Monday in intense street battles in Beirut, Iran’s ardent courtship of the Lebanese government indicates that Tehran is scrambling to find a replacement for its closest Arab ally, politicians, diplomats and analysts say.

Syrian troops 'kill 50' near Homs: At least 50 people, including 13 children, were killed when Syrian forces attacked the town of Houla in Homs province on Friday according to Syrian anti-government activists. "There is a continuing crisis on the ground, characterised by regular violence, deteriorating humanitarian conditions, human rights violations and continued political confrontation," I am now hearing up to 110 murdered including countless women and 51 children.

Reports from activists and the government suggest that violence took places in dozens of areas involving helicopter gunships, tanks, artillery, roadside bombs and small arms. The most intense violence appeared to take place in Houla, a group of four villages near Homs where Syrian security forces opened fire on an anti-government protest.

Syrian opposition activists are begging for international help in stopping the government's sustained slaughter after regime forces devastated a town Friday, killing 88 people -- mostly children, an opposition group said.

"This barbaric act was preceded by the regime's mortar shelling in the town" of Houla, said the Local Coordination Committees of Syria (LCC), a network of opposition activists. "The campaign ended when the armed militias slaughtered entire families in cold blood." In addition to the massacre in Houla, 43 people were killed elsewhere in Syria on Friday -- bringing the single-day death toll to at least 131, the LCC said.

Deadly violence flares in Beirut: Gunmen fired rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns early on Monday in intense street battles in Beirut, killing two people and wounding at least 18 others."There is an uneasy calm.. streets are relatively empty," Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr, reported from Beirut."The situation overnight, the clashes that were witnessed in Beirut, were the worst since January 2001 when we saw people take to the streets in protest following the collapse of the government of the former Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri.

"People who took to the streets were supporters of Saad al-Hariri's movement, mainly Sunnis. they were protesting the death and killing of a Sunni cleric and his bodyguard in northern Lebanon," Khodr said. The clashes erupted hours after Sheikh Ahmed Abdul Wahid, a Sunni Muslim cleric, and Muhammed Hussein Miraib, both members of the March 14 alliance, were shot in their car near Tripoli on Sunday as they "sped through a Lebanese army checkpoint without stopping". The fighting, some of the worst in Beirut in years, exacerbated deep political and sectarian divisions, as fears mounted that the conflict in neighbouring Syria was spilling across the border.

Lebanon's new wild card: Shaker al-Barjawi For more than a year, battlelines have been clearly drawn between pro-Bashar al-Assad and anti-Assad politicians in Lebanon, with the March 14 Alliance desperate to see regime change in Syria, and Hezbollah and its allies willing to fight until curtain-fall with Syrian officialdom. On Arabic satellite talk shows, members of the two camps had blasted at each other for months, once even getting into a fist-fight live on air. Last week, pro-Syrian regime and anti-Syrian regime factions

clashed with arms in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli, prompting Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to advise their citizens from traveling to Lebanon, and calling on those already in the country to leave. On Sunday, Sheikh Ahmad Abdul Wahed, a prominent Sunni cleric affiliated with ex-prime minister Saad al-Hariri, was shot dead at a checkpoint in Akkar in northern Lebanon, along with his bodyguard, when his car reportedly failed to stop at a military checkpoint. The cleric was heading to the city of Halba to participate in a sit-in against the Syrian regime, staged by Hariri's Future Movement.

Iran Is Seeking Lebanon Stake as Syria Totters: Iran’s eagerness to shower money on Lebanon when its own finances are being squeezed by sanctions is the latest indication of just how worried Tehran is at the prospect that Syria’s leader, Bashar al-Assad, could fall. Iran relies on Syria as its bridge to the Arab world, and as a crucial strategic partner in confronting Israel. But the Arab revolts have shaken Tehran’s calculations, with Mr. Assad unable to vanquish an uprising that is in its 15th month.

Iran’s ardent courtship of the Lebanese government indicates that Tehran is scrambling to find a replacement for its closest Arab ally, politicians, diplomats and analysts say. It is not only financing public projects, but also seeking to forge closer ties through cultural, military and economic agreements. The challenge for Iran’s leaders is that many Lebanese — including the residents of Tannourine, the site of the proposed hydroelectric dam — squirm in that embrace. They see Iran’s gestures not as a show of good will, but as a stealth cultural and military colonization.


With the return of Putin to the Russian Presidency I am again very concerned and see an end to a partner country whose leaders words and actions we can trust and a return to a confrontational relationship with Russia. I do not like the man, I do not trust the man, and I am very concerned as to which direction Russia and the United States are headed now and at a time when China is surging militarily.

Watching what is happening in Syria and Iran at this point it looks like Russia and China are going to unite at least until the shit hits the fan and it will. Russia is going to go to the limit to allow Syria to slaughter its own. At that point China I am hoping will start backing the US I hope.

Forget any thoughts of a peace deal working. Assad calls the protesters and peace workers terrorists and promises to stamp them out. This has barely begun!

We are going to get dragged into this rest assured and you can't really think at least Russia and Iran will not come out in the open: I remember saying from day one that it would take almost the whole military to defect before they would have a chance and now that we know how involved Russia, Iran and Hezbollah are in the slaughtering that is going on around the country that is beginning to look like the beginning of their fight.

You have to be very concerned about what is happening in Syria especially. Russia, China, and Iran are not going to allow Syria to fall to Democracy. What we saw after the voter fraud in Iran was mild compared to what the IRG will do if this movement spreads to Iran. I really wish Bashar would step down but Iran is the elephant in the room any way you look at it. The total middle east breakdown we have written about numerous times is well under way. We can only hope we keep it from erupting into WW3.

In closing: You know Putin just got himself reelected as President, he did this so he could be at the helm of Russia as he like me knows 100% that world war is our future. He plans on marshaling China who is rapidly building a more formidable military and whoever he can to take on US hegemony.Russia watched helplessly as we had our way in Libya. Putin blames what is happening in Syria on our interference and Libya for training the protesters to fight against Bashar Al-Assad. Russia and Iran will not let this be another Libya but?

Putin is going to do everything possible to keep us from helping the Syrian people and I really feel for them. I do not see this going down the way Libya did and Iran and Russia are going to make sure it does not. I am afraid the Syrian people are going to be sacrificed, sacrificed in what is merely an opening salvo in this the wars for future dominance. God help us!

* We now know Iran and probably Russia are preparing for Syria to fall to the protesters or at the very least into total disarray for years. Proof of that is a renewed effort to replace Syria with Lebanon as the new vanguard against what is viewed as US hegemony in this war for middle east and future world dominance.


James Joiner
Gardner, Ma
http://anaverageamericanpatriot.blogspot.com

Report: Obama seeking Russia aid in orderly Syria regime change.

Middle East Countries

Report: Obama seeking Russia aid in orderly Syria regime change. while Medvedev did not outright reject the notion of a Yemen-style power transfer, the final say would have to be that of Russian President Vladimir Putin, with which Obama will discuss the issue in a meeting planned for next month.

According to the New York Times Obama's National Security Adviser Tom Donilon, raised the plan with Mr. Putin in Moscow three weeks ago. In addition, American officials told the Times that Russia would be allowed to retain its influence in post-Assad Syria, saying: “Look, we recognize that Russia wants to have a continued influence in Syria,” adding that the U.S. “interest is in stabilizing the situation, not eliminating Russian influence.”

Syria blames Houla deaths on 'terrorists': The Syrian government has denied responsibility for an attack that killed at least 85 people, including 34 children, saying that it was carried out by "terrorists".Jihad Makdissi, the spokesman for the Syrian foreign ministry, also severely criticized foreign leaders for accusing the government of having committed atrocities "without any evidence".
He told a press conference that "hundreds of armed men" had attacked Houla, a cluster of villages in Homs province, on Friday and clashed with government forces. "They used heavy weapons and anti-tank rockets," he said on Sunday. "That's why we lost some of our men from the security forces." Makdissi said Syrian forces were trying to defend themselves but insisted that "no Syrian artillery or heavy weaponry" had been used in Houla. "Syria will continue defending its citizens," he said.

FFFing liars! The Syrian Government, Bashar al-assad, and the ruling religious minority has to go. They simply want to eradicate all other religions and keep the Alawite's in control as they now fear eradication themselves.

There are two very important issues here, both middle east changing! Right from the very beginning of this carnage that was only to keep Russian and Iranian interests in the middle east alive and in control we knew the IRG would be in the front of this and the carnage would be horrific and dwarf what we saw during the the protests of the stolen election to keep Ahmadinejad in control. We were right!

We just heard that the IRG was taking control of the carnage to keep Iran and Russia's interest protected. That satisfies 2 purposes. It gives Syria the cover to say they are not doing this and that terrorists are. Terrorists are and they are called the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. They are ruthless and have a free hand. No one is on the ground to verify who is doing the killing as independent sources are no allowed and killed by "terrorists" if they are found.

Second and most important is Russia: From the beginning they have and still are supplying Syria with the arms and ammunition to slaughter the people who only want their freedom. From the beginning Russia and China have been blocking the rest of the world from helping the people of Syria. Syrian people are being sacrificed only to fight what Russia views as US Hegemony!

You know Putin just got himself reelected as President, he did this so he could be at the helm of Russia as he like me knows 100% that world war is our future. He plans on marshaling China who is rapidly building a more formidable military and whoever he can to take on US hegemony.Russia watched helplessly as we had our way in Libya. Putin blames what is happening in Syria on our interference and Libya for training the protesters to fight against Bashar Al-Assad. Russia and Iran will not let this be another Libya but?

Putin is going to do everything possible to keep us from helping the Syrian people and I really feel for them. I do not see this going down the way Libya did and Iran and Russia are going to make sure it does not. I am afraid the Syrian people are going to be sacrificed, sacrificed in what is merely an opening salvo in this the wars for future dominance. God help us!

* We now know Iran and probably Russia are preparing for Syria to fall to the protesters or at the very least into total disarray for years. Proof of that is a renewed effort to replace Syria with Lebanon as the new vanguard against what is viewed as US hegemony in this war for middle east and future world dominance.

The US is being smart here for a change. They are guaranteeing Russia that they will not disrupt Russia's nuclear sub Base or their interests in Syria and the middle east. They know for a fact that the Syrian people after Russia directly facilitating their slaughter are not going to be allowed to stay in Syria once Assad is removed regardless of what Medvedev and Putin say so this is just beginning whether Assad stays or goes. Those poor Syrian people!







James Joiner

Gardner, Ma

http://anaverageamericanpatriot.blogspot.com

Iran's Ghost ships miscalculated

Could we be impeded by these monstrous floating bombs in the Gulf?

Iran Trying to Hide Its Massive Oil Tankers - ...by turning ...: Iran Trying to Hide Its Massive Oil Tankers. They are loading as many tankers as they can with millions of gallons of crude and leaving them floating throughout the Gulf that is also laden with military war ships and normal fishing traffic from all area countries.Oil sanctions are posing a growing problem for Iran, prompting officials to resort to some odd—and illegal—tactics. Struggling to find buyers, the country has been storing oil on tankers whose satellite systems have been turned off since early last month, thus breaking maritime rules, the Washington Post reports.

Though the move is intended to hide the vessels as they search for ports and buyers willing to welcome them, Western surveillance systems can generally spot the GPS-disabled tankers anyway. Sanctions have prevented Iran from getting Europe-based maritime insurance, and leading ship registrars are refusing to certify Iranian ships' safety, thereby barring them access to many ports.

They are loading as many tankers as they can with millions of gallons of crude and leaving them floating throughout the Gulf that is also laden with military war ships and normal fishing traffic from all area countries. Of course once again we are hearing countless theories by the so called experts but they are dead wrong once again.

Theories usually involve trying to evade world authorities while plying the seas looking for someone to buy the crude at discount prices while off loading at sea. Yes these ships cannot get insurance for their craft as Loyd's of London is the only place that does it. How convenient! With that said I am afraid once again the world is looking at an issue with rose colored glasses, seeing only what they think would be the obvious tactic.

They are patting themselves on the backs for keeping Iran's oil off the open market concentrating on the fact that these huge ships are now floating around the world and at least hundreds floating who knows where in the Gulf of Oman now posing a great risk carrying millions of gallons of crude without a GPS for anyone in the world to monitor them thus posing a risk for the entire world as they ply their business. Yes everyone is at risk of crashing into them as is the new worry but that is the least of it.

Does anyone remember what Iran's threat has been for months now? They have threatened to close down the Gulf to our military and world commerce numerous times. While we are pleased with ourselves over what appears to be new cooperation with Iran as Ayatollah Khamenei seems to be in charge again and Ahmadinejad is losing his control we have lost sight of the pig picture here.

Has the obvious dawned on anyone yet? These so called "Ghost Ships" may be invisible to the rest of the world without a GPS to monitor their position but they are not just huge tankers floating around waiting for a victim to collide with them. I would say first that it is a safe bet to assume that Iran still has a way to control these ships remotely and they may be unmanned but they know exactly where they are.

My biggest concern and it should be the biggest humungous concern of ours is the threat to block the Gulf and these would be a great help wouldn't they. You can bet they are all packed with enough explosives to blow them remotely when in a strategic position, anywhere in the Gulf, at the mouth of the Gulf? Imagine the explosion of hundreds of millions of gallons of crude first but then the resultant floating massive hulk now floating uncontrolled in the Gulf and those who knows where waiting for who or what?



James Joiner
Gardner, Ma
http://anaverageamericanpatriot.blogspot.com

Al-Qaeda threatens to strike back at American, Saudi and Yemeni interests as 20 Al-Qaeda fighters, 8 soldiers killed in preparation for 'bigger battle'

Fierce clashes between Yemeni army, al-Qaida: Yemeni military officials say warplanes and troops backed by heavy artillery have intensified the war against al-Qaida along at least four fronts in the south.

I am happy to say that with their new leader it now looks like Yemen can do this!

Al-Qaeda threatens to strike back American, Saudi and Yemeni interests as 20 Al-Qaeda fighters, 8 soldiers killed in preparation for 'bigger battle' in south Yemen and Hunt to find doctors training Al Qaeda to plant explosives inside suicide bombers continues in earnest amidst worries we would have no way to find them with our current security systems. 30 al-Qaida militants killed in fighting in Yemen from land an air as Al Qaeda fled for their lives according to citizens living in the area, Yemen LNG pipeline blown up amid clashes with al Qaeda fighters.

Al-Qaeda threatens to strike back American, Saudi and Yemeni interests: Al Qaeda threatened to strike the interests of the American , Saudi and Yemeni governments in retaliation for the killing of Fahd Al Qusu, said relatives tribal leaders on Thursday. Tribal leaders from Abdullah Bin Daha tribe, Fahd Al Qusu tribe which is one of Al Awlaki tribes , met on Wednesday with a delegation from Al Qaeda who came to Habban in Shabwah to pay tribute on the death of Fahd Al Qusu.

" Al Qaeda told us they would take revenge for the killing of Fahd Al Qusu who was killed by American-Saudi-Yemeni conspiracy," said a tribal leader who is relative to Fahd Al Qusu. Earlier in the week, Al Qaeda comitted a new masscare against Yemeni army in retaliation for a top leader who was assassinated by a US drone hours after the newly elected President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi vowed to cleanse his country of terrorists. To help help the repeatedly disappointed army, tribal and religious leaders from Hadi's tribes came to his Palace Monday May 7th, 2012, to show support against Al Qaeda which controls many areas in the south particularly Abyan, Hadi's home province.

Hunt to find doctors training Al Qaeda to plant explosives inside suicide bombers: Doctors are training Al-Qaeda in Yemen to plant explosives inside the bodies of suicide bombers, it is believed. Security at airports in the U.S., Europe and the Middle East has been stepped up amid fears terrorists with surgically implanted bombs are planning to strike on the eve of Osama bin Laden's death. Body scanners would not be able to detect if explosive compounds were planted inside a person sparking fears the bombers could evade airport security and bring down an aircraft.

Western intelligence believe a group of doctors are working with Ibrahim Hassan al-Asiri - chief bomb maker for Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) - who has been in hiding. Al-Asiri was responsible for placing a bomb inside the rectal cavity of his 23-year-old brother, Abdullah, in a botched suicide mission aimed at Saudi Arabian intelligence chief Prince Muhammad bin Nayef in 2009.

20 Al-Qaeda fighters, 8 soldiers killed in preparation for 'bigger battle' in south Yemen: A total of 28 people were killed on Saturday following clashes and shelling between al-Qaeda fighters and the Yemeni army as the Defense Ministry is launching its "decisive and historic" battle for eradicating terrorism in the south, said military and local sources.

At least eight soldiers were killed including Colonel Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, and 12 others were injured in the preliminary clashes which took place as the army advanced towards Zinjibar and Jaar, reported military sources. Moreover, 20 al-Qaeda militants were killed additionally to the death toll caused by the air strikes as the fight gained in intensity on the ground said local residents to the Yemen Observer. Eye witnesses also mentioned that helicopters dropped leaflets and publications urging the residents to stay away from the places where terrorists were staying to save their lives.

30 al-Qaida militants killed in fighting in Yemen: The army launched its assault on the al-Hurur region of Abyan province at dawn Sunday, pushing out al-Qaida-linked fighters who have controlled the area since taking it over last year. Abdullah Ahmed, who lives in the area, said the militants fled by foot after government soldiers destroyed nearly a dozen tanks and vehicles mounted with rocket launchers seized by the militants last year and kept in al-Hurur.

The attack was part of the Yemeni military's broader campaign against al-Qaida-linked fighters. The militants have seized towns and territory across southern Yemen over the past year, taking advantage of a security vacuum linked to the country's political turmoil that pushed longtime authoritarian leader Ali Abdullah Saleh from power.

Yemen LNG pipeline blown up amid clashes with al Qaeda fighters: A gas pipeline jointly owned by the French Total company has been sabotaged before dawn Monday by gunmen from Al-Qaeda in the province of Shabwa in the southeast of Yemen, said a local official.

The pipeline was damaged by an explosive device that caused a fire near the town of Maifaa, some 40 km from the Belhaf terminal on the Gulf of Aden, witnesses said.
"This is the answer of Al-Qaeda to the army raids," said a local official, referring to the Yemeni army offensive that seeks to regain control on the city of Zinjibar and the adjacent town of Jaar. This attack is helped by U.S. drone raids.

The Saudi and Yemen branches of Al Qaeda have joined forces and many outsiders are moving in to join the fight. We must act in kind! Yemen is on the verge of being a failed state as you already know. Yemen is on the Abyss and we must help them for own good! What to do? They have been dealing with terrorism and insurgencies for years! They are not a failed state but well on their way and may be tomorrow! Their attention has been on survival as a country.

Al Qaeda in Yemen is being reinforced by those fleeing the fight in Iraq, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Yemen is rapidly headed towards being a failed State. They are the perfect haven for Al Qaeda to set up new training camps in lawless regions. Yemen is today only one of today's important wars. To top it off Yemen is running out of water! There is more Al Qaeda there than in Afghanistan, why are we in Afghanistan and not Yemen?

Al Qaeda has always been in Yemen but it has now become Al Qaeda central. Their principle targets are Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and the US, allies and allies in this so called war on terror.

The Saudi and Yemen branches of Al Qaeda have joined forces and many outsiders are moving in to join the fight as I believe Al Shabab has done instead of being killed in Somalia. Yemen is on the verge of being a failed state as you already know. Yemen is on the Abyss and we must help them for own good! What to do? They have been dealing with terrorism and insurgencies for years!

They are not a failed state but well on their way and may be tomorrow! Their attention has been on survival as a country. With that in mind I believe building them a desalination plant would out Al Qaeda once they started to destroy it and let the people know we were on their side.

As many of you know by now my prime concern in Yemen was the interference by Iran in trying to get Shiite dominance there. Bush freed Iran up to pursue her version of new middle East order by interfering wherever she could while Bush was doing the same thing with his Middle East Democratization program.

The goal now absolutely is to be the country who decides which direction the new Middle East (dis)order will take. Bush started it by attacking Iraq to get into the middle east to destabilize it and start the new middle east order the idiot said God told him to do now it will be up to Iran and Saudi Arabia at least up front fight it out whether this goes the Iranian Shiite way or the Saudi Arabian Sunni way and do not forget Israel!

In Yemen once again the Iranian Revolutionary Guard is the instigator. They are ferrying weapons through Eritrea to Yemen. They are now avoiding the Arabian Peninsula as Saudi Arabia has instituted a blockade along the coast of Yemen. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has also transported Lebanese Hezbollah fighters to fight with the rebels.

As you know, Saudi Arabia is also there fighting the Iranian backed Houthi rebels. So far there has been no direct confrontation. However I absolutely see what I have been warning about since Bush diverted from Afghanistan to attack Iraq and get back in the middle east to create a new middle east (dis)order! This is going to be total middle east war for a new middle east order like it or not, Sunni against Shiite.

It is looking like Yemen is going to be the first country down! The Middle East is right to be concerned. Yemen is going through severe domestic turmoil due to the violent activities of Al Qaeda, Houthi rebels in the north and the Southern Movement in the south. The remaining Jews are threatened with slaughter by the Shiite. How much longer can Yemen hold on? What is next?

Yemeni Al Qaeda previously sent arms and help to Al Shabab in their fight in Somalia. Al Shabab is reciprocating sending fighters to Yemen to help Yemeni Al Qaeda as they were being defeated in Somalia anyway. Supposedly the so called experts say the three forces operating to destabilize Yemen from the North, South, and East will not join forces but you bet they will and seem to be already! Al Qaeda has been leaving Iraq, Afghanistan, and Mauritania; to use Yemen as their new base we in turn better meet them there with some kind of force "which seems to be drones since it is all we can do there.

This entire so called terrorism war is barely beginning. This is not a war to end all wars but the war of all wars. Remember, this is George Bush's Forever war and there is much, much more coming. Be very concerned about what is happening in Yemen!


James Joiner
Gardner, Ma
http://anaverageamericanpatriot.blogspot.com

NATO deaths by the Afghan troops they train climb rapidly as Karzai pledges to control 75% of population

American service member killed in latest attack by Afghan soldier: In the latest in an accelerating series of "insider" attacks, an Afghan soldier turned his weapon on U.S. troops Friday, killing one American and wounding two others, Afghan and U.S. officials said. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.

Such shootings are becoming an urgent problem for the American-led military coalition. Similar assaults have caused the deaths of at least 21 NATO troops this year, and wounded an undisclosed number of others. Many of the attacks have occurred as Western forces are training Afghan police and soldiers -- a task that is taking on greater urgency as the NATO force prepares to wind down its combat role and Afghan security forces are handed the responsibility for safeguarding increasingly larger swaths of the country.

The latest at least until the next day! Afghan Gunmen in Uniform Target NATO Troops: NATO says two men wearing Afghan police uniforms have turned their weapons on coalition troops in southern Helmand province Saturday, leaving two service members dead. The incident is under investigation and comes a day after an attacker wearing an Afghan army uniform shot and killed a U.S. service member in eastern Kunar province.

Saturday's shooting brings the number of incidents - in which Afghan soldiers or insurgents disguised as soldiers fired on coalition forces - to 16 this year alone.
Separately, four more coalition troops were killed Saturday in three separate incidents in southern Afghanistan.

Afghans to take more control from NATO: Karzai: Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Sunday announced a new transfer of security control from NATO that will see local forces take responsibility for 75 percent of Afghanistan's population. Kapisa province, where French troops are based, will be among 11 provinces to come under Afghan control, a statement from the president's office said. It is the third phase of the transition of military control in the war-torn country and another step towards the withdrawal of 130,000 US-led NATO troops by the end of 2014.

look at the history of these insulting deaths

I reiterate though it is a waste of time that like Afghanistan Pakistan is largely tribal but they want a central Government and freedom from the Taliban to continue to have their tribal customs and freedoms and are fighting for it! NATO go home! Scale back! Get out! We keep hearing how tough Afghani's are. Prove it! Pakistan has shown what they want and so has Afghanistan. Can't we take a frigging hint?

We keep hearing how we must get to Taliban moderates and Afghan moderates well get with it do it now and let them fight for their country. Moderate tribesmen in parts of militant-ravaged north-west Pakistan are challenging Taliban extremists threatening to overrun their area, in what will develop into a mass resistance movement.That is what Afghanistan must do!

America and NATO must get out! We have been there 10 years, more than twice as long as WW2, now our longest war! If Afghanistan wanted freedom from the Taliban they would already be trained and fighting for it instead of just letting themselves be killed as pawns.

Our soldiers did their job leave now with heads held high not our tails between our legs like in Saigon! Give food and supplies to the Afghans and if they want their freedom they will fight for it like the Pakistani tribes are. We should be helping Pakistan who has proved they want their freedom from Taliban and Sharia law. Don't keep adding more troops this is Afghanistan graveyard of Nations. Cheat history get out now!



James Joiner
Gardner, Ma
http://anaverageamericanpatriot.blogspot.com

Putin's no-show at US meeting with Obama sets a sour tone: Beware!

Putin's no-show at US meeting with Obama sets a sour tone: The decision to skip next week's meeting of the Group of Eight industrial nations in the United States and a much-anticipated Oval Office meeting with Obama, may set a sour tone for the next four years. 

If Obama wins re-election, he will have Putin as a sometime partner and sometime adversary through the end of his presidency. If Republican Mitt Romney wins, the dynamic might be very different. Romney has called Russia an "enemy," while Putin has signaled that he will hold off on any major new cooperation with the United States until he knows who will be president. Putin has wasted no time in showing his anti American stance!

Remember when Putin was rallying and uniting the world to take on Bush and his drive to dominate the world? Absolutely as the world's mayhem ensues amidst its drive to dominate as we move through the 21st century is Putin's only agenda. It is an old thought. I remember when term limits made him have to leave last time.

Be scared be very scared! The USSR's Mikhail Gorbachev has warned that Russia risks six lost years when Vladimir Putin returns to the presidency, echoing rumblings of dissent over his Kremlin comeback. I always find myself agreeing with Gorbachev but that is putting it mildly. This is bad news for the US and the world to put it mildly!

Russia has agreed to dispatch its monitors, currently deployed in the Golan Heights, to Syria. This came in an announcement by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. “Russia, among others, has been invited by the UN Secretariat to dispatch its observers with the Golan Heights contingent to oversee the Syrian ceasefire. We have given our consent,” Lavrov said at the briefing following his meeting with his Syrian counterpart in Moscow today.

Sergei Lavrov expressed his hope that all other UN states would be just as swift in their answer. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that, instead of pinning the blame on Russia and China, the US and others should try and find their “levers” to push for the Syrian authorities and the opposition to stop firing at each other. “We believe that the ceasefire must coincide with the international monitor mission’s arrival in Syria,” he stressed.

Russia said they would send observers almost over a month ago And I have not heard a word from them. There job must be to observe the slaughter and make sure no one gets in Assad's way. China's job must be to say they saw things a different way so none of the awful truth will get out. They will get away with saying it is all being perpetrated by terrorists and a grey area is once again created to hide the truth by someone who supposedly wants to do the right thing. Yeah the right thing for their agenda and that of Assad their ally. This is not a good development. What is going to happen once the observers start getting killed?

This is very concerning. I remember back in 2008 when Putin was going to try and be President for life. He was not alone. Leaders aligned with Russia were all trying to get permanent leadership so they could be at the helm of their prospective countries to take on then President Bush when his war mongering hit the point where Russia, the 135 non aligned Nations, Iran, and others were prepared to join forces and take him and our allies on.

I remember when Bush first met Putin and he said he shook his hand and looked him in the eye and saw a man of compassion, a man who was true to his word, and a man he could work with. I shuttered at Bush's stupidity. I looked at Putin and saw a man deceitful to the core who was not to be trusted period.

We were too pompous then and were pushing the world towards WW3 with our take it or leave it, my way or the highway, interference around the world. Putin was determined to head us off, to directly confront us when we were on Russia's front door trying to instigate war by installing the so called missile shield in Czechoslovakia and Poland, and return Russia to the role of a world leader.

Personally we blew it when Russia broke up and the Berlin wall came down. We were the world leader and had the perfect opportunity to be humble, show we were the leader, and bring the world together to proceed successfully through the 21st century.We egged on the likes of Vladimir Putin who understandably chaffed under our we are the boss do what we say take it or leave it, it your face tactics of Bush and Cheney.

With the return of Putin to the Russian Presidency I am again very concerned and see an end to a partner country whose leaders words and actions we can trust and a return to a confrontational relationship with Russia. I do not like the man, I do not trust the man, and I am very concerned as to which direction Russia and the United States are headed now and at a time when China is surging militarily.

Watching what is happening in Syria and Iran at this point it looks like Russia and China are going to unite at least until the shit hits the fan and it will. Russia is going to go to the limit to allow Syria to slaughter its own. At that point China I am hoping will start backing the US I hope.

Forget any thoughts of a peace deal working. Assad calls the protesters and peace workers terrorists and promises to stamp them out. This has barely begun!

We are going to get dragged into this rest assured and you can't really think at least Russia and Iran will not come out in the open: I remember saying from day one that it would take almost the whole military to defect before they would have a chance and now that we know how involved Russia, Iran and Hezbollah are in the slaughtering that is going on around the country that is beginning to look like the beginning of their fight.

You have to be very concerned about what is happening in Syria especially. Russia, China, and Iran are not going to allow Syria to fall to Democracy. What we saw after the voter fraud in Iran was mild compared to what the IRG will do if this movement spreads to Iran. I really wish Bashar would step down but Iran is the elephant in the room any way you look at it. The total middle east breakdown we have written about numerous times is well under way. We can only hope we keep it from erupting into WW3.

In closing: You know Putin just got himself reelected as President, he did this so he could be at the helm of Russia as he like me knows 100% that world war is our future. He plans on marshaling China who is rapidly building a more formidable military and whoever he can to take on US hegemony.Russia watched helplessly as we had our way in Libya. Putin blames what is happening in Syria on our interference and Libya for training the protesters to fight against Bashar Al-Assad. Russia and Iran will not let this be another Libya but?

Putin is going to do everything possible to keep us from helping the Syrian people and I really feel for them. I do not see this going down the way Libya did and Iran and Russia are going to make sure it does not. I am afraid the Syrian people are going to be sacrificed, sacrificed in what is merely an opening salvo in this the wars for future dominance. God help us!




James Joiner
Gardner, Ma
http://anaverageamericanpatriot.blogspot.com

A fungus ravages Bush's poppies as the US prepares to leave?

Afghan opium price hike to stir violence: The price of opium cultivated in Afghanistan is set to rise as the security forces step up their eradication efforts and a fungus ravages the poppies that yield it, squeezing supply and stirring violence, the country's drug chief said on Tuesday. Zarar Ahmad Muqbel Osmani, the Minister of Counter Narcotics, said the expected price rise coupled with increasing demand from regional nations would make poppy cultivation more attractive to cash-strapped farmers, forcing the government to intensify its fight against the trade. After years of increase thanks to Bush they get a disease now that we are leaving, makes you wonder doesn't it? A little History!

Friday, October 21, 2011
Opium production up again: Let the Taliban back in power and get the people to grow Pomegranates

Bush's opium production in Afghanistan rises 61% in 2011: they want to know why and how to reduce it? Let the Taliban back in power and get the people to grow Pomegranates. Haven't they noticed by now Opium growth is increasing with a resurgence by the Taliban?

I just want to say that when I was looking for the old back up to what is happening I noticed in the comment section that someone said letting the Taliban back will never happen. Well it is happening as we speak. High level Taliban are holding secret meetings with the west and I think it is great as Afghanistan is their country not ours. Anyway:

Opium production in Afghanistan rose by 61% this year compared with 2010, according to a UN report. The increase has been attributed to rising opium prices that have driven farmers to expand cultivation of the illicit opium poppy by 7% in 2011.

You know, my first thought when I saw this record opium Production in Afghanistan I thought back to previous discussions on Afghanistan and the failure Bush guaranteed there, in Iraq, and the entire middle east, when he ignored all advice to the contrary and attacked Iraq not to unseat Saddam but to get our military into the middle east. That is for another discussion!

I remembered that I did a story in the past when it was announced that Afghanistan had a record year harvesting 6,700 tons. More than the entire world market could consume. At the time Production increased 49 percent from the year before thanks to the US. The estimated 6,700 tons even broke the world record of 1999, when 5,764 tons of opium were produced globally. Taking into account that the insurgency derives a significant amount of revenue from drugs, I decided to research just what has happened to the Opium trade since we attacked Afghanistan.

First it seems to me that criticism of Clinton aside, I think we could have gone about this differently too. I don't know why we could not have done a surgical strike or even used unmanned aircraft as we have since, and then tried Diplomacy. Instead as Bush attacked Iraq and created an insurgent and sectarian civil war where there was none. He attacked Afghanistan and created an over abundance of opium. I was stunned when I got to thinking about opium production when the Taliban was in power and researched it.

The following information is from a story by the BBC in 2002. First, The Taliban banned poppy cultivation in 2000 so in 2001 production was down to 185 tons. Then by 2002 production went up to 3,400 tons That is around 18 times higher than 2001's unusually low figure of 185 tons, which followed the ban on cultivation imposed by the Taliban in the last year of their rule. I have to wonder what they were growing in lieu of opium to survive and I don't know about this but the increase is blamed on poverty-stricken farmers taking advantage of the power vacuum and it is not the fault of Kabul or the U.N. The BBC 2002

Every year since we attacked Afghanistan opium production has continued to climb. This year Production has increased again dramatically. It is no ones fault and no one knows how to control it. The 2007 report shows that In 2006, Afghanistan accounted for 92 percent of global illicit opium production, up from 70 percent in 2000 and 52 percent a decade earlier. The higher yields in Afghanistan brought global opium production to a record high of nearly 7,300 tons in 2007 a 43 percent increase over 2005.

The area under opium poppy cultivation in the country has also expanded, from nearly 257,000 acres in 2005 to more than 407,000 acres in 2006 — an increase of about 59 percent. "This is the largest area under opium poppy cultivation ever recorded in Afghanistan," the report said. UNODC (U.N. office of Drugs and crime) Executive Director Antonio Maria Costaz warned that Afghanistan's insurgency-plagued Helmand province was becoming the world's biggest drug supplier, with opium cultivation there larger than in the rest of the country put together.

She is right that controlling Poppy cultivation would go a long way towards bringing security to the Region. To me it would go a long way in defunding the Taliban but I haven't heard any real solution and to me, again if they were serious an answer is very obvious.

For the sixth straight year, the amount of land under opium cultivation has fallen in Southeast Asia. From 1998-2006, that region's share of world opium poppy cultivation has decreased from 67 percent to just 12 percent, largely due to declines in cultivation in Myanmar, the report said. Southeast Asia's total opium production in 2006 was just 370 tons, it said. Fox news 2007

All the while Afghanistan's production has grown exponentially and has more than replaced it. we cannot even control poppy cultivation let alone the Taliban. We cannot control cultivation so to me the obvious answer is to control the market. Buy all the poppy's produced and control what is done with them. It seems to me that we could find an al alternative use for it, keep the people employed, save lives and gain friends while undermining the Taliban. Doesn't this sound feasible? Why are we not doing something along this line?

All that aside we really should let the Taliban lead again and get the people to grow pomegranates as we explained years ago. Russia blames NATO for drug surge Well!

Afghanistan's poppy crop was essentially eradicated by the Taliban until Bush attacked them for not letting him put a pipeline through Afghanistan. As a result of the attack Afghanistan now is the worlds predominate grower and alone produces more than the entire world can consume! This made Bush the Taliban's premier money source!

Now this ancient land is telling the world that it has a trendy, new replacement for its dreaded poppy crop: sweet, juicy pomegranates. The country will stamp a logo on all boxes of the pomegranate for export: a drawing of the sliced, red fruit with seeds spilling out and a label that announces, "Anar, Afghan Pomegranate."

Anar is the word for pomegranate in various regional languages. Afghanistan officials hope the Western-style sales savvy will raise the pomegranate's cachet and provide its farmers with a lucrative alternative to growing opium poppies. It's the latest step in a $12 million, U.S.-funded initiative to modernize and expand Afghanistan's pomegranate industry, which has long depended on domestic sales and small-scale exports to nearby countries. Even these exports have been severely hit by years of border fighting.

Even though the Afghan pomegranate is considered one of the best in the world, it has been very much a local delicacy. The fruit is about the size of an apple, with a thick, reddish skin and hundreds of seeds embedded in tough, white pulp. This time of year, the red seed casings are consumed everywhere in Kabul — as juice, spooned straight from the fruit, or piled on a tray and sold by the scoop to picnickers in parks

Source of antioxidants: Pomegranates are riding a wave of popularity in Europe and the United States, where they are celebrated for their high levels of antioxidants, which protect cells from damage by compounds called free radicals. U.S. domestic supply comes largely from California's San Joaquin Valley, augmented by imports from Israel, Turkey, Lebanon, Greece and Mexico.

Four years ago now Afghanistan exported its first pomegranates to outlets of the French chain Carrefour in Dubai. The fruit, larger and redder than many pomegranates imported from Turkey or North Africa, was a hit. Carrefour quickly placed orders for all its Middle East stores, according to U.S. funders and Afghan officials."

They found out that Anar from Afghanistan is probably the best tasting. It's sweet; it's juicy," Afghanistan Agriculture Minister Mohammad Asif Rahimi said at the launch ceremony at a Kabul hotel Wednesday. Afghanistan's best export — agricultural or otherwise — is opium. It produced 8,200 tons of the drug in 2007, up 34 percent from the previous year. Though opium production is expected to drop back this year, Afghanistan will remain the world's largest producer of the crop by far. Hopefully Pomegranates will replace Opium Why not? Why are we not working towards this? We are our own worse frigging problem always and it is driving me crazy!



James Joiner
Gardner, Ma
http://anaverageamericanpatriot.blogspot.com

Father of Taliban Captive Bowe Bergdahl Pleads for Prisoner Swap: It is the perfect time!

Father of Taliban Captive Pleas for Prisoner Swap: The plea for the freedom of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, held captive for three years by Taliban militants, cast light on a now-stalled effort to start peace talks in Afghanistan. Administration officials had been considering sending several high-ranking Taliban detainees in Guantanamo to Qatar, in exchange for the release of Sgt. Bergdahl, currently the only U.S. prisoner of war in Afghanistan.

Robert Bergdahl, Sgt. Berghdahl's father, said in an interview he believed time was growing short to secure his son's release. The closer the 2014 deadline for removing the bulk of international forces from Afghanistan, the less likely the Taliban are to make a deal, he reasoned. The unusual plan to free Sgt. Bergdahl through a prisoner exchange has been sensitive for months. The swap was intended to build confidence between U.S., Afghan and Taliban negotiators and advance prospects for talks. Captive now for 3 years wow!

I think that is great! We have heard that he has become Muslim and sympathetic towards his captors and their cause but I would expect that real or contrived. This is the right thing to do regardless of how this turns out.

Remember when Bergdahl was first captured retired Lieutenant Colonel Ralph Peters an ex army intelligence officer I have yet to find any proof of combat duty is willing to condemn PFC Bergdahl for desertion. He said if Bergdahl betrayed his fellow soldiers by deserting while in Afghanistan that he would not mind if the Taliban killed him and save the US time and money. I know Peters is a Faux news pundit but I refuse to believe him or anyone there will condemn a fellow American to serve their Political purpose.

I feel for this man, this is Afghanistan not the US. Do you remember the nonsensical rhetoric coming from Fox news? Fox News Contributor Ralph Peters: Taliban Should Kill Captured US ...

Bergdahl was captured June 30th 2009 under what is still unknown circumstances. Two US officials said Bergdahl appears to have just wandered off his post unarmed. I also heard he just wandered into Town to visit Afghani's he thought had befriended him. I also heard he was drunk and wandered off base to be picked up by the Taliban. Also that he was grabbed by civilians and turned over to the Taliban. I am stunned to hear betrayal and desertion even from a Faux pundit.

I mean come on. This is Afghanistan. We are perceived as the invaders the infidels the enemy unwanted in their country. I can not envision anyone being that naive, that anti American that stupid as to go A.W.O.L. in Afghanistan. We heard the horror stories over the years. These people are among the most feared ruthless combatants in the world. Walk into their hands? Come on! Wandering into the Sahara Desert naked would be preferential.

Bergdahl is an American an American soldier an adventurer by those who know him. I refuse to believe he is totally stupid! Faux pundit Peters has an obvious proven pension for murder.A while back I remember him advocating the murder off journalists by our military. Peters calls for military killing of Journalists

I guess they can be thankful they are going to Stateside prisons because in the past he has also advocated killing all the prisoners in Gitmo. I do not have to remind you that many were known to be innocent.

Many people including me want to see Bergdhal rescued first and then find out the truth. Despite the idiocy expressed by Faux news pundits Bergdahl has a lot of Americans very concerned. Capture of US Soldier, 23, Shakes Small Idaho Town

It is bad enough knowing the Taliban have captured him. I really feel for him knowing the Haqanni's have him. They are ruthless! Sirajuddin Haqqani travels regularly into Afghanistan to coordinate with field commanders and occasionally to Peshawar and South Waziristan to connect with militants there.



James Joiner
Gardner, Ma
http://anaverageamericanpatriot.blogspot.com

Yemen president says war on Al Qaida not started yet?

The Gulf of Aden the next front in the war on terror

Yemen president says war on Al Qaida not started yet, At least 32 Yemen troops killed in militant attack, Suspected-US drone hit kills top Al Qaida commander in Yemen, CIA thwarts new underwear bomb plot against jet, Officials: More Al Qaeda Bombs Unaccounted For: after years of attempting to neutralize ever growing Al Qaeda or AQAP "Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula" I would have to say it has started.

Yemen president says war on Al Qaida not started yet:In his first public speech since being inaugurated as president of Yemen, Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi promised a strong fight against al Qaeda and political reconciliation at home. Hadi spoke Saturday before military graduates at the Yemeni Military Academy.

"The real battle against the terrorist al Qaeda organization has yet to begin and will not end until we have eradicated their presence in every district, village and position; it will not end until internally displaced citizens are assured that they can return safely to their homes and organized terrorist operatives have surrendered their weapons and rid themselves of ideologies that contradict the sacred values of the Islamic religion," he said.

At least 32 Yemen troops killed in militant attack: Islamist gunmen killed at least 32 government soldiers on Monday when they stormed a military position in southern Yemen where militants control broad swathes of territory, a military official said.

Drones in Yemen Kill 11 Militants, Yemeni army besieges al-Qaida-controlled town in south

Security officials say airstrike has killed at least 5 al-Qaida militants in Yemen

Yemen: US drone strike kills 6 al-Qaeda militants, The area hit is part of a large swath of territory in the south that al-Qaeda militants have held for months.

Yemen has a seen a surge in violence in the south since President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi took office in February, prompting the government to respond with air strikes and the United States with drones that target militants. Ansar al-Sharia (Partisans of Islamic Law) said the latest raid was a response to recent statements by Hadi that he would defeat the militants, who have been emboldened by more than a year of political upheaval.

Suspected-US drone hit kills top Al Qaida commander in Yemen: A suspected-US drone hit Sunday afternoon a group of Al Qaida militants in the southern province of Shawba, killing Al Qaida's senior commander and two other, an journalist from the area told Gulf News. The name of the commander was Fahed Al Quso, who is regarded as top — wanted AQAP figures for the US and Yemen.

CIA thwarts new underwear bomb plot against jet: The CIA thwarted an ambitious plot by Al Qaeda's affiliate in Yemen to destroy a U.S.-bound airliner using a bomb with a sophisticated new design around the one-year anniversary of the killing of Osama bin Laden, U.S. officials said.

The plot involved an upgrade of the underwear bomb that failed to detonate aboard a jetliner over Detroit on Dec., 25, 2009. This new bomb was also designed to be used in a passenger's underwear, but this time Al Qaeda developed a more refined detonation system, U.S. officials said.

Officials: More Al Qaeda Bombs Unaccounted For: U.S. and European officials say that even though an al Qaeda bomber was stopped before he could board a plane for the U.S., the threat is far from over -- there are believed to be several other would-be bombers with similar non-metallic devices that could get through most airport security screening.

Federal officials confirmed today that the U.S., working with other intelligence agencies, recovered an explosive device that resembles other bombs manufactured by al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. They described it as a refinement of the so-called underwear bomb with which AQAP recruit Umar Farouk Abdul mutallab tried to take down Northwest flight 253 to Detroit on Christmas Day 2009. The plot was timed to coincide with the first anniversary of Osama bin Laden's death, but the bomber was apprehended before he could board a plane, purchase a ticket, or do any damage. Now we know that was not true but that he was a double agent that drove the bomb right to us.

Armed tribesmen resume visible presence in Yemen capital: Eyewitnesses have confirmed that large numbers of armed tribesmen aligned with the al-Ahmar family have returned to streets in al-Hasaba, Mazda, Television and Sofan City. Large numbers of armed tribesmen have been witnessed gathering in al-Fairoz Hall and on Mazda Street. Locals said they began gathering five days ago. According to residents, the presence of the tribesmen has caused panic in the community. The Military Committee which was initiated in line with the Gulf Cooperation Council initially caused local residents to rejoice, is now seen by many residents to be doing nothing in response to the renewed armed presence in al-Hasaba Residents of al-Hasaba said that the tribesmen have resumed past activities such as digging trenches in the area.

One resident said the tribesmen had established “a number of new barricades in front of al-Sihab Hospital, around the Yemenia Airways building, near sheikh Abdullah’s residence, and in other areas in al-Hasaba.” Residents also said that the number of al-Ahmar-aligned militiamen has particularly increased over the last few days Others say that the tribesmen have stationed themselves on the roofs of buildings, that cars carrying armed gunmen now patrol the area around the clock, and that vehicles mounted with heavy weaponry can be regularly seen.

Trust me it has started: The Saudi and Yemen branches of Al Qaeda have joined forces and many outsiders are moving in to join the fight. We must act in kind! Yemen is on the verge of being a failed state as you already know. Yemen is on the Abyss and we must help them for own good! What to do? They have been dealing with terrorism and insurgencies for years! They are not a failed state but well on their way and may be tomorrow! Their attention has been on survival as a country.

Al Qaeda in Yemen is being reinforced by those fleeing the fight in Iraq, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Yemen is rapidly headed towards being a failed State. They are the perfect haven for Al Qaeda to set up new training camps in lawless regions. Yemen is today only one of today's important wars. To top it off Yemen is running out of water! There is more Al Qaeda there than in Afghanistan, why are we in Afghanistan and not Yemen?

Al Qaeda has always been in Yemen but it has now become Al Qaeda central. Their principle targets are Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and the US, allies and allies in this so called war on terror.

The Saudi and Yemen branches of Al Qaeda have joined forces and many outsiders are moving in to join the fight as I believe Al Shabab has done instead of being killed in Somalia. Yemen is on the verge of being a failed state as you already know. Yemen is on the Abyss and we must help them for own good! What to do? They have been dealing with terrorism and insurgencies for years!

They are not a failed state but well on their way and may be tomorrow! Their attention has been on survival as a country. With that in mind I believe building them a desalination plant would out Al Qaeda once they started to destroy it and let the people know we were on their side.

As many of you know by now my prime concern in Yemen was the interference by Iran in trying to get Shiite dominance there. Bush freed Iran up to pursue her version of new middle East order by interfering wherever she could while Bush was doing the same thing with his Middle East Democratization program.

The goal now absolutely is to be the country who decides which direction the new Middle East (dis)order will take. Bush started it by attacking Iraq to get into the middle east to destabilize it and start the new middle east order the idiot said God told him to do now it will be up to Iran and Saudi Arabia at least up front fight it out whether this goes the Iranian Shiite way or the Saudi Arabian Sunni way and do not forget Israel!

In Yemen once again the Iranian Revolutionary Guard is the instigator. They are ferrying weapons through Eritrea to Yemen. They are now avoiding the Arabian Peninsula as Saudi Arabia has instituted a blockade along the coast of Yemen. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has also transported Lebanese Hezbollah fighters to fight with the rebels.

As you know, Saudi Arabia is also there fighting the Iranian backed Houthi rebels. So far there has been no direct confrontation. However I absolutely see what I have been warning about since Bush diverted from Afghanistan to attack Iraq and get back in the middle east to create a new middle east (dis)order! This is going to be total middle east war for a new middle east order like it or not, Sunni against Shiite.

It is looking like Yemen is going to be the first country down! The Middle East is right to be concerned. Yemen is going through severe domestic turmoil due to the violent activities of Al Qaeda, Houthi rebels in the north and the Southern Movement in the south. The remaining Jews are threatened with slaughter by the Shiite. How much longer can Yemen hold on? What is next?

Yemeni Al Qaeda previously sent arms and help to Al Shabab in their fight in Somalia. Al Shabab is reciprocating sending fighters to Yemen to help Yemeni Al Qaeda as they were being defeated in Somalia anyway. Supposedly the so called experts say the three forces operating to destabilize Yemen from the North, South, and East will not join forces but you bet they will and seem to be already! Al Qaeda has been leaving Iraq, Afghanistan, and Mauritania; to use Yemen as their new base we in turn better meet them there with some kind of force "which seems to be drones since it is all we can do there.

This entire so called terrorism war is barely beginning. This is not a war to end all wars but the war of all wars. Remember, this is George Bush's Forever war and there is much, much more coming. Be very concerned about what is happening in Yemen!


James Joiner
Gardner, Ma
http://anaverageamericanpatriot.blogspot.com

Video: Syria's Assad regime fires on unprecedented protests in Aleppo triggering possible British deployment

Video: Syria's Assad regime fires on unprecedented protests in Aleppo

Syrian Attacks Continue as Mass Protests Spread: Syrian government troops pounded the rebel stronghold, Rastan, and parts of the flashpoint city, Homs, Friday, amid widespread anti-government protests across the country. Meanwhile, the head of the United Nations observer forces urged both the government and the opposition to engage in dialogue to end the violence.

Witnesses say Syrian security forces fired tear-gas and live rounds to break up a student protest in Aleppo Friday. The demonstration was billed as the largest of its kind in Syria's northern commercial hub since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began in March 2011. The protests come after Syrian security forces disrupted a student demonstration in Aleppo on Thursday. Video taken from a U.N. vehicle in Aleppo Thursday showed security forces beating student protesters.

: A car bomb killed nine people at a Syrian military post in the eastern city of Deir al-Zor on Saturday, an attack the government said was the latest proof that an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad was a foreign plot. The official SANA news agency said the blast had been the work of a suicide bomber, and had also wounded about 100 people, including guards, at what it called military installations.

I don't have to tell him or you that by murdering his own people he did this purposely to have an excuse to have a full bore massacre but this is a dangerous game in dangerous times.

British officers could be deployed to Syria to increase pressure on Assad regime: As unrest continued to spread in Syria, the Prime Minister last night told fellow world leaders that more must to done to stop Bashar al-Assad oppressing his own people. Britain is prepared to contribute officers to an enlarged international monitoring mission in Syria, Mr Cameron told a Group of Eight summit in the US.

There are more than 200 United Nations monitors inside Syria, where more than 9,000 people have died since last year as the regime tries to suppress opposition to Mr Assad’s rule. The monitors are in the country as part of a deal negotiated with Mr Assad by Kofi Annan, the former United Nations secretary-general. The Annan deal is supposed to lead to a ceasefire and talks between the regime and its opponents.

I see a long and bloody war and hopefully not world war. We are going to get dragged into this rest assured and you can't really think at least Russia and Iran will not come out in the open: I remember saying from day one that it would take almost the whole military to defect before they would have a chance and now that we know how involved Russia, Iran and Hezbollah are in the slaughtering that is going on around the country that is beginning to look like the beginning of their fight.

You have to be very concerned about what is happening in Syria especially. Russia, China, and Iran are not going to allow Syria to fall to Democracy. What we saw after the voter fraud in Iran was mild compared to what the IRG will do if this movement spreads to Iran. I really wish Bashar would step down but Iran is the elephant in the room any way you look at it. The total middle east breakdown we have written about numerous times is well under way. We can only hope we keep it from erupting into WW3.

In closing: You know Putin just got himself reelected as President, he did this so he could be at the helm of Russia as he like me knows 100% that world war is our future. He plans on marshaling China who is rapidly building a more formidable military and whoever he can to take on US hegemony. Russia watched helplessly as we had our way in Libya. Putin blames what is happening in Syria on our interference and Libya for training the protesters to fight against Bashar Al-Assad. Russia and Iran will not let this be another Libya but?

Putin is going to do everything possible to keep us from helping the Syrian people and I really feel for them. I do not see this going down the way Libya did and Iran and Russia are going to make sure it does not. I am afraid the Syrian people are going to be sacrificed, sacrificed in what is merely an opening salvo in this the wars for future dominance. Putin has just threatened a pre-emptive strike on Europe's missile defense shield too. Oh man here we go!


James Joiner
Gardner, Ma
http://anaverageamericanpatriot.blogspot.com